MTV Movie Awards Balance Trash with Excellence

It is that time of the year again, when MTV announces their movie award nominations.  When the film with with the most nominations is The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, I already am laughing at you.  Yes I get this award show is about appealing to the tweens, so I get these nominations, but some of them are about just getting thirteen year old girls to watch.  Here are the list of nominations with some commentary on each category:

Best Movie

Black Swan
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Inception
The Social Network
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Wow, I am shocked Black Swan made it in, younger viewers made it a phenomenon.  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows makes sense, it has a strong fan base.  Inception was the quality blockbuster last year.  The Social Network also had youth appeal.  Eclipse is no means shocking, but it is terrible.

Should Win: Inception or The Social Network

Will Win: Eclipse (barf)

Best Female Performance

Emma Stone, Easy A

Emma Watson, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

Jennifer Aniston, Just Go With It

Kristen Stewart, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Natalie Portman, Black Swan

I hope Portman or Watson win this award, but odds are people are going to go gaga again for the most pathetic excuse of a girl trying to pretend she cares Kristen Stewart.  Anniston being here is an even bigger joke, but they always reward one winter film.  Watson is great as Hermione and has grown into her acting.

Should Win: Portman or Stone

Will Win: Stewart

Best Male Performance

Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network

Robert Pattinson, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Taylor Lautner, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Zac Efron, Charlie St. Cloud

Ok I love Zac Effron he is hot, but that movie was bad and no one saw it.  Pattinson and Lautner are there for cute factor too.  The other two men are actually talented.  I think this is the youngest group of nominees I have seen in this category.

Should Win: Eisenberg
Will Win: Pattinson or Radcliffe

Best Breakout Star

Andrew Garfield, The Social Network

Chloë Grace Moretz, Kick-Ass

Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit

Jay Chou, The Green Hornet

Olivia Wilde, TRON: Legacy

Xavier Samuel, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

This category to me is more about finding a breakout role, and all of these people are great breakout stars for their roles (except Xavier Samuel).

Should Win: Steinfeld, Moretz, Garfield
Will Win: Eclipse could pull this in for a sweep, but I say Garfield

Best Comedic Performance

Adam Sandler, Just Go With It

Ashton Kutcher, No Strings Attached

Emma Stone, Easy A

Russell Brand, Get Him to the Greek

Zach Galifianakis, Due Date

Kutcher isn't funny in No Strings Attached, and Sandler isn't funny anymore.  They always have a girl and Stone deserves to be here, as does Russel Brand.

Should Win: Stone or Brand
Will Win: Stone or Brand

Best Line From A Movie (New Category)
Alexys Nycole Sanchez, Grown Ups: "I want to get chocolate wasted."
Amanda Bynes and Emma Stone, Easy A: Amanda Bynes: "There is a higher power that will judge you for your indecency." Emma Stone: "Tom Cruise?"
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network: "If you guys were the inventors of Facebook, you'd have invented Facebook."
Justin Timberlake and Andrew Garfield, The Social Network: Justin Timberlake: "… A million dollars isn't cool. You know what's cool?" Andrew Garfield: "A billion dollars. And that shut everybody up."
Tom Hardy, Inception: "You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger darling."

Stupid new category, but good lines-Easy A or Grown Ups will win

Best Villain
Christoph Waltz, The Green Hornet
Leighton Meester, The Roommate
Mickey Rourke, Iron Man 2
Ned Beatty, Toy Story 3
Tom Felton, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

Felton is barely in Harry Potter, why don't they nominate Fiennes?  Meister for that terrible movie really?  Felton may win again, won last year.

Best Fight
Amy Adams vs. The Sisters, The Fighter
Chloë Grace Moretz vs. Mark Strong, Kick-Ass
Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint vs. Death Eaters, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Joseph Gordon-Levitt vs. Hallway Attacker, Inception
Robert Pattinson vs. Bryce Dallas Howard and Xavier Samuel, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Part of me wants the Amy Adams fight to win, but I will say Inception deserves that honor.

Best Kiss
Ellen Page and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Inception
Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis, Black Swan

The young kids do like their girl on girl kissing, but I think they will honor what they wanted to see all along Radcliffe and Watson lock lips.

Here are the rest of the nominations:

Best Jaw-Dropping Moment
James Franco, 127 Hours, Cuts Off His Arm
Justin Bieber, " Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, Performance Spectacular
Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Page, Inception, Paris Café Scene
Natalie Portman, Black Swan, Mutilation: Pulls the Skin off Her Finger

Steve-O, Jackass 3D, Port-A-Potty Bungee Stunt

Best Scared-As-Sh– Performance

Ashley Bell, The Last Exorcism

Ellen Page, Inception

Jessica Szohr, Piranha 3D

Minka Kelly, The Roommate

Ryan Reynolds, Buried

Biggest Badass Star

Alex Pettyfer, I Am Number Four

Chloë Grace Moretz, Kick-Ass

Jaden Smith, The Karate Kid

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Inception

Robert Downey Jr., Iron Man 2

I get it! The MTV Movie Awards are more about fun, and sometimes fun is rewarding movies that everyone gets to see, or that people enjoy because they actually enjoy them, but I just can't get behind the Twilight films, and the obsession girls have with them.  The acting is terrible, and Robert Pattinson can't seem to draw in a crowd for any other film.  I know it seems like I am biased against Eclipse, but this is just not great film making.  Even with better directors the material just speaks for itself.

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Patriotic Films: Osama is Dead, bring on the Red, White, and Blue

Yesterday was a historical day, and many Americans are celebrating the death of the man who plotted the attack on the the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11th.  I heard screams of joy, and cheers like when I hear someone yell when their favorite sports team has won a national championship.  There are some great films that celebrate patriotic moments that did (or did not) happen.  Moments in film where it makes you proud to be an American.  Today we all feel a sense or pride that this moment has come.  There is also a sense of urgency because just as the movies have taught us when you cut off the head of one beast three heads may spring up.  Today I am going to celebrate and talk about movies that make me proud to be an American.

Forrest Gump (1994) The What America is all about Film- The heart of this film is a man who spends his whole life experiencing the different events in American history, from Elvis to Vietnam to AIDS.  Forrest literally runs across the country to find meaning in his own life when rejected by Jenny.  Robert Zemeckis (director) told the story of the evolution of the last half of the 20th Century, and did so from every angle.  Within this film we see the conservative points of view, radicals, and this represents every aspect of how America struggled, and through one man (Gump) there is hope that success is possible.

Saving Private Ryan (1998) American Heroes- Wow, Tom Hanks again.  In the first twenty minutes of the film we get to see the invasion of Normandy and the sacrifice that men went through to die for their country.  The mission in this film is to find one man, and bring him home to his family, because all of his other brothers were killed in battle.  Spielberg does a great job of crafting a tale that highlights the extreme sacrifice that comes from war, and the power of wanting to triumph for a worthy cause.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) The Everyman-A naive politician Jefferson Smith (Jimmy Stewart) is appointed to a junior Senator seat by a corrupt governor.  The director of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington captures the spirit of "America" better than any director; his hope idealism, and persuit of the American dreamis paved with "the everyman" being prevented from possibly being the most happy man (with power-like in It's a Wonderful Life) but the the hero learn more about themself and the system.  In this story Smith is seen as seen as naive but can also be viewed as the great hope for politics; he fights the system and represents the idealist in a system full of corruption.  In today's world a politician like this is rare, but when they come along they make me proud to be an American.  The scene below represents just how iconic this film was.

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I Hope You Had the Time of Your Life: Memorable Goodbyes

Well the end of the year has come (school year that is).  As I have mentioned before in my blog I work for a college, and people who work in education tend to measure their year on a different scale.  This "year" time span begins in either August and September and ends in April, May, or June.  I will be finishing up a masters degree in college student personnel in six days.  So in 6 days I will not be throwing my hat in the air (cliche), but soon after that I will be saying goodbye to close friends with whom I will not see as often as I have within the past two years.  This made me think about the way people have said goodbye in the movies, and how heart wrenching it can be to walk away from something.

Saying goodbye often makes a person feel as though there has been a death.  There is this immense feeling of sorrow, and loss.  Terms of Endearment (1983) has to have some of the saddest goodbye scenes when it comes to death.  As Emma says goodbye to her children and her mother, you can't help but reach for the tissues.  I know when I drive away from Bowling Green, Ohio I will feel a sadness, as though something has been taken out of my life forever, but like in the film the characters have memories that will fill their heart with joy. James L. Brooks (the director and writer) makes you understand how death forces some of the most painful goodbyes.

As Elliot says goodbye to E.T. in the E.T. (1982) you can't help but realize that even those two were different (one being an alien) they formed this fast friendship in a short time, and will forever remember the impact they had on one another.  With saying goodbye, remembering that even through differences strong friendships can remain the same even if it feels like they far away (in this films case maybe galaxies) and you will never see them again.  Spielberg is a genius and captures the true elements of great friendship in this film.

Where do we go from here?  In 2003 Lost in Translation poses the question (and doesn't let us here a part of the story) about where this friendship/relationship is going.  Will we all remain friends?  What will happend to our relationship after this unique bonding experience? Charlotte (Johansson) and Bob (Murray) interact with each other while in Japan as they find themselves both lost in their lives.  They cling together and form a bond, but at the end of the film Sofia Coppola doesn't give us a specific direction of the direction of their friendship.  When you say goodbye to something or someone there are so many ambiguous moments and unanswered questions and you just have to let fate determine where life will take you.

"O captain my captain"  these immortal words are uttered in the film Dead Poets Society (1989) in honor of John Keating (Robin Williams) a teacher who was ahead of his time and forced to resign.  Saying goodbye to a mentor can be just as painful as saying goodbye to a friend.  Teachers help you to learn and grow about who you are as person.  In this film Keating challenges these students to rebel and think about who they are.  I will miss the people who have guided me on two year journey here, and hope that just because I am leave I can continue learning from them.

The film Casablanca (1942) has the best depiction of saying goodbye when you are being selfless and letting go so others can move on.  Moving on is the hardest part of saying goodbye.  For me I will not be saying goodbye forever from my close friends here, but our lives will change and we live in different places and meet different people and have different experiences.  Sure we may run into each other again, we will have even more changes that take place in our lives and have new people.   Rick and Ilsa had said goodbye twice.  In the film they see each other for the first time in a while and those feelings come back, and we get to see the memory of their first encounter.  In the end I will not be letting go of my friends to save them from Nazis but I may have to let go of the fact that things just may never be the same.

Now in this day of technology-it will be a lot easier for me to stay in touch with people, so:

"Let’s not say goodbye, let’s just say au revoir."

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Anika Noni Rose is a "dream" come true

Tony award winner for featured actress in a musical in the musical Caroline, or Change, Anika Noni Rose has tremendous potential to become a great big screen talent.  Rose has done a lot of work in television throughout her career, on shows like The Good Wife, and The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, but it was her voice that caught my attention.  Rose can belt out a tune, and boy should her talents be used a lot in the future, and she can act.

I first saw Rose as Lorrell in the film version of Dreamgirls.  In the film Lorrell is not as glamorous a role as Deena or Effie, but Rose made Lorrell so deep and she was great in this film. Her chemistry with Eddie Murphy's Jimmy Early was magnetic and when she finds out what has happened to him at the end and breaks down, you can really feel her pain and anguish.  Sure, J-Hud's voice was terrific and powerful, but Rose's quieter performance was so commanding and unforgettable I wanted to see her in more.

In 2009 she lent her voice to the first traditional animated Disney film in a long time, The Princess and the Frog. In this film she gave her voice to the lead character Tiana, which was also first black Disney princess.  Rose does some great acting and her singing is just as powerful.  This is one of my favorite animated Disney movies, and even through her voice you feel the emotions of her character.

One year later Rose took on the powerful role of Yasmine/Yellow in For Colored Girls.  In this movie she plays a dance teacher who starts dating a man and after their date in her home he ends up raping her.  The subject matter is intense, and Tyler Perry takes the material to a melodramatic level, but Rose is believable in her role that you feel her pain as the victim.

With great roles in television and film I hope Rose continues to gain future ground, as she is talented and has a lot of potential to do great things.



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Movies and Technology: From 3-D to CGI, the Good and the Bad

Well I just bought a new I-phone today and well it has inspired me to talk about the use of technology in film and how throughout the years movies have used this to: help make money or waste people's money, and create films that will help advance the process of making films.

The latest trend (although it is not so much about new technology) is the use of 3-D in film.  The "goal" of the production company is to pull the audience into the film more and breakdown the walls bringing them into the actual film so they feel a part of what is going on on-screen.  This will lead to 4-D in the future and has influenced the invention of 3-D television viewing because of the growing technology that keeps people actively involved.  My own analysis is that it is a way for companies to make more money from their viewing audience.  I went to see Toy Story 3 in 3-D (it was hard to find a theatre that was just play a regular version of the film in NYC).  It was a waste of the extra money I had to pay this being filmed in 3-D was pointless, there have been a handful of films that make me laugh when the advertiser says "in Imax and Imax 3-D.  The summer months are almost upon and I have found myself researching and looking up films that will not be shown in 3-D so a) I don't have to wear those damn glasses and b) I won't have to pay extra to see a movie like Toy Story 3 IN 3-D.  Now I may sound old with these comments but this is one form of "advancing" technology I just think is stupid, and people will soon realize is a waste of their money.

Now technology has also done a great job by advancing animation, this is one place where PIXAR has helped to further one form of film making.  There are recent modern day marvels that just could not have been as visually beautiful as they were today, or made.  The landscape of science fiction and fantasy films has become almost entity.  Just think about the wondrous work of James Cameron's two iconic blockbuster films.  Now I have to say Cameron is an AWFUL screenwriter, but as a director he is a true visionary.  His two films Titanic and Avatar both are visually beautiful and create world's and experiences that are aided by CGI.  Avatar visual effects are just fantastic and they highlight some of the best work done in recent years.

The key to good CGI is making the viewer feel as though the world exists and that the Hollywood trickery does not make someone in the audience laugh at the fake human beings that are used or have the fakes images take away from the actual story.  Obviously budget plays a huge role in creating believable special effects, but in a day when blockbusters are given huge budgets it should not be hard to make something look believable.  However there have been several cases where films just did not understand technology and looked sloppy and fake.  If you watch the first Harry Potter film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone during the quidditch game it is clear that some of the people on brooms look fake or computerized.  This is one of the most noticeable gaffs I have seen in recent years (I blame Chris Columbus as I hate his direction).  I tried to find a clip on YouTube but alas damn copyright.  If you are a fan watch the movie and you will see.

Please directors just don't forget that depth is important and a good screenplay matters, so try not to make your films just look good, give them some substance.  This video listed below higlights the last hundred years in visual effects over the last 100 years enjoy!

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A Tribute to: The Sound of Music and My Childhood

Every year around Easter I remember sitting down in my living room watching the film The Sound of Music with them.  I remember my dad doing the funny voices while he sang, or pretending that he didn't want to watch the movie, but he actually did.  This movie has brought a lot of great memories.  Everyone has movies that bring about wonderful childhood memories and this is the film that does that for me.  With Maria twirling around the hill or singing about her favorite things, I must salute The Sound of Music on this holiday season.

This movie is magical.  I plan to watch Julie Andrews use her golden voice and "climb every mountain."  Christopher Plummer's Captain Von Trap is fun to watch as you see his tough exterior melted by Maria's heart of gold.  I hope to one day go to a Sound of Music sing along.   This movie has also spurred one of my favorite episodes of Will & Grace entitled Von Trapped.  If you are a fan of this film watch that episode of Will & Grace.  There is something about Julie Andrews singing with young children that just makes you smile.  Do yourself a favor and find that movie that brought you joy in childhood, and watch as soon as possible!

When and if you read this post your favorite childhood movies-let's keep this trip down memory lane going.

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Win Win is a real Winner

Win Win (4 out of 5 stars)

Directed and Written by Tom McCarthy (The Station Agent, The Visitor)

Starring: Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan, Bobby Cannavale, Jeffrey Tambor, and Alex Shaffer

Mike Flaherty (Giamatti) is not the most successful lawyer; he has only a few clients and is financial trouble.  On the side Flaherty works with Stephen Vigman (Tambor) as a high school wrestling coach.  As Mike starts to ponder his financial woes a rich client drops in his lap and his situation starts to look differently.  When Mike takes over the clients care and puts him in a home.  Mike and his wife Jackie (Ryan) go to old man's house only to find his estranged grandson Kyle on the doorstep.  Mike and Jackie take the boy in because his mother is in rehab, and they begin to form a bond with young child. 

Mike starts to build a bond with Kyle over his great wrestling abilities.  Giamatti is a terrific actor, and I think would enjoy watching him read the phone book (probably not), but he is a so effortless.  The connection between Giamatti's money woes and his desire to be a good father is strong and Giamatti nails every scene.

My friend Keith stated "I could watch Amy Ryan and Alex Shaffer just walk in a grocery store for the whole movie."  Ryan is great, and her connection with Shaffer though not as strong as Giamatti's is well played in their trip to the grocery store where she finally feels as though he is her son.

This film is poignant and makes you think about family, but there are also a lot of laughs.  Bobby Cannavale plays Terry Delfino, Mike's best friend and his comic timing adds the much needed jolt that livens this film up and keeps the audience hooked.  The main strength is vision of the writer/director Thomas McCarthy.  McCarthy's is a great visionary of human character, this film is another great study in people and their connections with one another.

My Recommendation: Worth the 10 dollars!

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