2009 Mid Year Report (sort of)

It’s now June, and as I have clearly not kept my New Years promise to post more regularly (and I think the only person who cared about that promise was me). So I figured having some free time on my most recent vacation, why not put finger(s) to key pad and work up a mid-year (kind of) mass catch up.

And as the announcement of the 2009 Emmy nominations are just around the corner, I figured, why not shuffles things up a bit and talk a little TV. Thus, as I do so diligently with movies, I have provided a list of my Emmy nominations (if I were ever so lucky enough to vote), and a few final thoughts before I close the book on the 2008 – 2009 TV.

But that’s not all my wonderful Droogies…I would be remiss if I didn’t chat flicks. So as a special bonus, I’ve done a quick overview of the Sping/Summer movies thus far.

But first up…

TV

With the 2008 – 2009 TV season we were introduced to some really promising new shows (Fringe, United States of Tara, East Bound and Down, Sons of Anarchy, and Better off Ted), and bid farewell to some old friends. Some said good bye on their own terms (The Shield and Battlestar Galactica) and some were taken away from much us too soon (Pushing Daisies, The Unit, and Life). And despite all signs pointing to the contrary, some show even found their way back to us (Friday Night Lights and Scrubs).

And unlike past years, when I open my little black notebook and look back at everything I watched in 2008 - 2009 I am comforted. Comforted in the fact that through all the muck that is lazy, uninspired, mind-gum TV (you know who you are Jon and Kate plus 8), some inspired content was made by some truly talented folks. And by made I mean, written, directed, acted, etc...

Now, I am not a hater of what has come to be known as reality TV. There are some interesting programs which label themselves as such (Survivor and Whale Wars being the ones still on the air). I, however, take offence too all the other shows which are basically video versions of US Weekly, Star Magazine, and The National Enquirer.

Right here, right now, I would like to take the “reality show” moniker and shatter it. Shows which actually make an effort to capture and present the human condition (30 Days, Long Way Round, Whale Wars) from this day forth should be referred to as “Docu Programming”. And anything produced by Bunim-Murray Productions (The Real World, The Duel, etc…) or any company which resembles 51 Minds Entertainment (Rock of Love, I Love New York, etc…) should be branded with big scarlet letters as “P.R. TV”.

“P.R.” having duel meanings. The first is obvious because anyone going on these shows is clearly operating under the assumption that any PR is good PR, and is undoubtedly most interested in making a name for themselves. And in it’s alternate definition, “P.R.” should be stand for “Pseudo Reality” because that is exactly what it is…simulated. It’s a bunch of self-centered delusional people thinking they are important because someone decided to point a camera at them.

Here in P.R. TV world there is an unfortunate inclination permeating the hoards of producers and studio executive to develop shows that are cheap, but have high returns. And between Satellite, Cable, and Fios having a gazillion channels looking to fill time at a reasonable price, the really good work is unfortunately being buried under the heap of cheaply made, cheap looking, and lazy P.R. TV.

And my dear Droogie Droogs, I am sorry to say that we are all to blame. WE, the audience watching all this “P.R. TV” are the reasons primetime on NBC now concludes at 10:00 PM. ER, LA Law, Miami Vice, these were all 10:00 PM shows on NBC, and are no considered TV classics…yes classics. But no more…now it’s Douche Bag Leno, his organ grinder and dancing monkey.

I am an unapologetic supporter and advocate for scripted programming. I don’t think capturing Paris’ Hilton’s latest quest to find a friend is on the same creative plane as figuring out the narrative complexities for an episode of Lost (even a sub par episode of Lost). I still consider writing and directing an art form, but in televisions current state where content is just produced and thrown out to a public who consumes it as fast as they forget it, really talented people are turning their back on their creativity and hence embracing the easy buck.

There are just too many outlets, too much content, and no proven or safe way for the quality “stuff” to separate itself from the pack. It’s gotten so bad that the great Joss Wheadon had to independently produce and independently release Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog. And only because Joss leveraged his name did this (now incredibly successful) short film get seen.

And it doesn’t help that high quality and popular shows, which respected their audience’s intellegence like The Shield, The Wire, and Battlestar Galactica are going off the air. Well I say frack that Starbuck. Just take a look at my Emmy nominations below, there’s a lot of great stuff being produced, and it is up to us to make sure it gets noticed.

To quote my man Fox Mulder, “The truth is out there Scully.” We just need to wade through the mess to find it.

Outstanding Drama Series
1. The Shield
2. Friday Night Lights
3. House
4. Lost
5. Big Love (My Winner)
6. Rescue Me

Outstanding Comedy Series
1. The Office (My Winner)
2. Pushing Daisies
3. Californiacation
4. 30 Rock
5. South Park
6. United States of Tara

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
1. Kyle Chandler – Friday Night Lights (My Winner)
2. Hugh Laurie – House M.D.
3. Denis Leary – Rescue Me
4. Michael Chiklis – The Shield
5. Damien Lewis - Life
6. Bill Paxton – Big Love

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
1. Steve Carell – The Office (My Winner)
2. David Duchovny - Californication
3. Jeffrey Donovan – Burn Notice
4. Danny McBride – East Bound and Down
5. Lee Pace – Pushing Daisies
6. John Krasinski – The Office

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
1. Connie Britton – Friday Night Lights (My Winner)
2. January Jones – Mad Men
3. Cherry Jones - 24
4. Katy Segal – Sons of Anarchy
5. Mary McDonnell – Battlestar Galactica
6. Regina Taylor – The Unit

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
1. Tina Fey – 30 Rock
2. Anna Friel – Pushing Daisies
3. Jenna Fischer – The Office
4. Toni Collete – The United States of Tara (My Winner)
5. Natascha McElhone - Californication
6. Katlin Olsen – It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
1. Walton Goggins – The Shield
2. Robert Sean Leonard – House M.D.
3. John Noble - Fringe
4. Michael Emmerson – Lost (My Winner)
5. Terry O’Quinn - Lost
6. Max Martini – The Unit

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
1. Ray Wise - Reaper
2. Chi McBride – Pushing Daisies
3. Steve Little – East Bound and Down
4. John Corbett – United States of Tara
5. Rainn Wilson – The Office (My Winner)
6. Callum Keith Rennie - Californiacation

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
1. Ginnifer Goodwin – Big Love
2. Chloe Sevigny – Big Love
3. Jeanne Tripplehorn – Big Love
4. CCH Pounder – The Shield (My Winner)
5. Callie Thorn – Rescue Me
6. Michelle Hicks – The Shield

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
1. Kristin Chenoweth – Pushing Daisies (My Winner)
2. Andrea Anders – Better off Ted
3. Rosemarie DeWitt – United States of Tara
4. Jane Krakowski – 30 Rock
5. Mindy Kaling – The Office
6. Madeleine Martin - Californiacation

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
1. Michael Rymer – Battlestar Galactica (episode “Daybreak” pt. 1 & pt. 2)
2. Paul Edwards – Lost (episode “The Variable”)
3. Dan Attias – Big Love (episode “Come, Ye Saints”) (My Winner)
4. Michael Waxman – Friday Night Lights (episode “Hello, Goodbye”)
5. Greg Yaitanes – House M.D. (episode “Simple Explanation”)
6. Peter Tolan – Rescue Me (episode “Iceman”)

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
1. Bill Lawrence – Scrubs (episode “My Finale pt. 1 & pt. 2”)
2. David Rogers – The Office (episode “Employee Transfer”) (My Winner)
3. Steve Carell – The Office (episode “Broke”)
4. David Gordon Green – Eastbound and Down (episode “Chapter 4”)
5. Beth McCarthy – 30 Rock (episode “Reunion”)
6. Lawrence Trilling – Pushing Daisies (episode “Circus, Circus”)

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
1. Doris Egan – House M.D. (episode “Both Sides Now”)
2. Jane Epenson – Battlestar Galactica (episode “Deadlock”)
3. Kerry Ehrin – Friday Night Lights (episode “New York, New York”)
4. Melanie Marnich – Big Love (episode “Come, Ye Saints”) (My Winner)
5. Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz – Lost (episode “The Variable”)
6. Denis Leary, Evan Reilly, and Peter Tolan – Rescue Me (“Sheila”)

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
1. Mind Kaling – The Office (episode “Golden Ticket”) (My Winner)
2. Lee Eisenberg & Gene Stupnitsky – The Office (episode “New Boss”)
3. Trey Parker and Matt Stone – South Park (episode “Fishsticks”)
4. Chad Gomez Creasey & Dara Resnick Creasey – Pushing Daisies (episode “The Legend of Merle McQuoddy”)
5. Tina Fey – 30 Rock (episode “The Reunion”)
6. Bill Lawrence – Scrubs (episode “My Finale pt. 1 & pt. 2”)

Now, before I wrap this section, I just want to throw out a few more thoughts…

1. For those who know me, there are very few shows I love more than Lost. So it comes as no surprise when I say that I thought it was absolutely brilliant. I understand that I am in the minority here, but for me the time traveling raised the dramatic stakes, and deepened the themes of destiny and mortality for the show. I’ve heard a lot of folks complain that all the sci-fi moved the show’s focus away from the characters. I disagree, Team Darolton gave us four hearty seasons of character development, and in season 5 they asked us to apply everything we’ve learned to highten our appreciate of the current storyline. On a narrative arc diagram Season 5 of Lost was the denumont. I am in utter awe of Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, Lost is the most thoroughly constructed and produced show – everything means something. The show constantly challenges the viewers, and clearly does not treat them like passive viewers. Other than the brilliant and gone-to-soon The Wire, Lost is the pinnacle of TV programming. I am just saddened by the fact that we only get one more season. (Side note…I guarantee The Man in Black is the Smokey, and he/it is behind everything that has happened on and off the island, but what he did not expect is that Jacob was always one step - and touch - ahead of him. Bring on Season 6!!!)

2. On a similar note…As much as I love the guy, JJ Abrams has to STOP incorporating time travel and alternate realities into his content. In 2008 – 2009 all three of his projects contained this devise. On TV it poked its head out on Lost and Fringe, and then on the big screen in his Star Trek film. JJ, it’s enough already, we love you, but find another dramatic …I am sick and tired of explaining to my wife and mother what they just saw by drawing the same Back to the Future 2 Doc Brown alternate 1985 timeline. May I suggest zombies…everybody loves zombies.

3. No matter how far people go up the backside of 30 Rock, there is no doubt in my mind that The Office is still the funniest show on TV. Why? Because it’s never turned it’s back on what made it great. 30 Rock made the awful mistake of doing high concept shows with big guests for the first half of this past season, and the shows suffered. Tina Fey, my advice to you is to keep the action in the studio…you named the show 30 Rock after all. The Office rarely ever leaves “the office” and when they do it’s for work. (Btw…neither show holds a candle to Arrested Development…Viva la Bluths…and when the hell am I going to get my AD movie?)

4. It is so sad that Pushing Daisies is gone. Brian Fuller created a real gem with this show and I truly believe that if the writers strike hadn’t cut the 2008 TV season short, PD would have built a more than solid audience to keep it around. Such a shame.

5. I am really going to miss The Shield and Battlestar Galactica. Starting in 1999 with the Sopranos TV has seen a decade of high quality programming which rivaled the best stuff released in theaters. Over time, the last 10/11 years of TV will be looked upon the way 1907’s American Cinema was…as a revolution. A time when shows like The Sopranos, The Wire, Six Feet Under, Deadwood, House, Lost, Mad Men, BSG, and The Shield, brought a certain “filmic” quality into people’s households.

6. Kanye West like fish sticks. (And if you got that reference then you and I are cool for life!)

SPRING SUMMER MOVIES

Before I bit you all a fond Adu, I want to quickly touch on the Spring/Summer movies…what’s been good, what’s been fracking awful, and what’s coming up.

I don’t want to go into too much detail here as there’s been a whole lot of reading already, but I figure a once over of the 2009 Spring/Summer flicks (thus far) is innocuous enough.

- State of Play –I give this film a lot of credit for trying to pick up and run with the “political thriller” torch left behind by the great Alan J. Pakula (All the Presidents Men, The Parallax View, and the Pelican Brief). And in many respects, this film is a success. It’s a good movie, which I think a lot of people will like. Too bad nobody saw it in the theater.

- Observe and Report – I went into this film totally bought into the hype that this was a movie which pushed the envelope, contained mean spirited humor, and was unapologetic to anyone it offended. I walked out upset. Upset at a wasted opportunity, the film does contain all the ingredients to make the previously mentioned statements true, but the filmmakers never went far enough. As a result, this is an entirely unremarkable and unmemorable “blah” comedy.

- I Love You Man – Funnier than expected. I laughed out loud. I am not the biggest fan of Jason Segal, but Paul Rudd and the supporting cast really make this a half-way decent comedy.

- Fast and Furious – I am a fan of these films, if only for the always interesting style over substance visuals and booming soundtrack. FF 4 was definitely the second best in the series. A fun, and mindless, hour and a half in the theater.

- X Men Origins: Wolverine – Oh boy, what a wasted opportunity. There is a very disconcerting trend seeping into mainstream films these days, and this summer Wolverine is just “Exhibit A”. Too many films this summer have started off (relatively strong), with a strong concept and an interesting basic premise, but ultimately disregarding it all for pointless, long, drawn out action sequences. There’s no journey, no dramatic peaks or valleys, just snazzy camera work, and special effects. And what’s worse is that the people working on and ultimately promoting these films try to pass them off as high quality projects. Always saying something like, “Well, after The Dark Knight, we knew we could finally make this film. It’s heavy. It’s dark.” And as consumers, we’re supposed to eat this up, and think, “OOOOOHHH, you’re edgy, and mature.” If it looks like shit, smells like shit, and tastes like shit…it’s proabaly shit. The only difference is that this shit is hiding behind a $70,000,000 marketing budget. Honestly, at least FF 4 knew what it was, and didn’t take itself seriously. Such a disappointment, Weapon X deserved more.

- Star Trek – Fun and Awesome. JJ Abrams showed promise as a visualist and storyteller with Mission Impossible III, but unfortunately that films was a muddles mess. Well, he did his homework, and really came into his own with Star Trek. JJ was not only able to tell an intricate story clearly, but more impressive is the fact that he was able to distance HIS Star Trek from the deep seeded “geekdom” of the previous incarnations. Ultimatley making is it semi-cool again. Plus, the film was in-fucking-credible in IMAX.

- Angels and Demons – Here’s the good, A&D is WAY better than the DaVinci Code film. The bad, in movie form, the narrative of A&D is absolutely ridiculous, and at points laughable. The two best elements of the film are Hans Zimmer’s score, and the fact that Ewan McGregor is so deliciously over the top cheesy, he practically plays his role as if it were a comedy. This is a good Saturday night, nothing going on, oh look A&D is on movies on demand rental. Don’t pay the $10.

- Terminator: Salvation – If Wolverine was “Exhibit A” for the aforementioned and unfortunate trend this summer, Terminator is “Exhibit B”, and in many ways even worse than Wolverine (seriously, I would like to apply everything I wrote in the Wolverine section here as well). The premise, on paper, for the new Terminator is actually very good, the script is not that bad, and lord knows they got solid actors …but boy did they frack themselves when they hired McG to direct this film. It’s not every often one walks out of a theater and can clearly blame the shortcomings of a film on the director. Usually a bad film is made up of a combination of things, but man-oh-man…did McG just disregard his story and just visually masturbate on screen.

(Personal Note to McG - I only have room in my heart for one noisy robot film this summer, and Transformers 2 already made a reservation. At least Michael Bay has come to grips with the fact that he’s all style and no substance. You on the other hand ask us, the paying public, to take you and your film seriously. Why because you think it follows in the tradition of James Cameron. Dude, you are no James Cameron, no wonder Christian Bale lost his shit on the set, I would too. Please stop making movies. Go away, and leave us alone.)

- Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian – “Exhibit C”. The first film was a clever little adventure, and a surprisingly entertaining movie for both kids and adults. It was more mature than most “kids movies”, and did not pander (too much) to a younger crowd. But this new smoldering pile of vomit was clearly just a paycheck for all those involved. And he fact that is was written by Thomas Lennon and Ben Garrant from The State, just kills me. Please disregard this film, and try to forget it was ever made.

- Drag Me to Hell – I am not going to go into the history or details of my pure unadulterated love for Sam Raimi (for those of you who work with me, that obsession is now a thing of office legend). But to talk about this movie is to talk about Raimi’s brilliance. Raimi is the only (and I mean only) director can make an audience scream with terror and a second later have them screaming with laughter. My experience with Drag Me to Hell was what I was hoping for from last summer’s Indy 4. I wanted to go into a theater and feel like I did when I first saw Indy crack a whip as a kid. Unfortunately all I got was Indy hiding in a refrigerator. With Drag Me to Hell, I was pleasantly reminded of what it was like when I saw Evil Dead 2 or Army of Darkness for the first time; and in turn reminded why I fell in love with Raimi in the first place. As much as I’ve enjoyed his first two Spiderman films, it’s clear Sam’s truly imaginative technical skills were laying dormant throughout those productions (minus the 4 minute “Doc Ock wakes up in the hospital” sequence). But Drag Me to Hell Raimi brings those skills out in full force, and just purges the horror and funny on the screen. The film just screams, figuratively and literally, “Come get some!”

- Up – When PIXAR releases a films it’s almost a given that many reviews will contain the phrase, “PIXAR’s Best”. It’s true, their films do keep getting better, but is one really better than another. They are all so different. In my opinion, Up is not PIXAR’s best (I still think it’s a tie between Wall E and The Incredibles), but this is not to say it’s a bad film. Up is a marvelous film, it’s a wonderfully heartwarming and fulfilling movie. The one thing that does separate Up from the other PIXAR films is that it’s by far their most mature; in subject matter and execution. Regardless, Up is a film everyone should see.

- Monsters vs. Aliens – Funny but forgettable. Great voice casting, but that only goes so far. Compared to Up, MvA is a Saturday morning cartoon.

- Land of the Lost – Don’t believe everything you hear, Land of the Lost is not that bad. In fact there are some seriously funny moments. What amazes me most about this film is that I have not heard more complaints about it’s PG-13 rating. This film could easily have been an R, there is some seriously raunchy and mature stuff in there. If you live Ferrell and McBride, make sure to rent this film. You won’t be disappointed.

- The Hangover – Not the best made film, but not many great comedies are. Take a good look at Airplane!, the production is pretty amateurish. That said, like Airplane! when the Hangover is funny…it’s fracking gut busting funny. This is a perfect summer comedy which will no doubt launch its three leads to stardom. What’s more Warner Brothers were smart enough to know they had gold in their hands and have already green-lit a sequel, so more Hangover funny is coming soon.

- Taking of Pelham 123 – I am still surprised that I liked this movie. Wait let me rephrase, I really really really liked this movie. I did not have a lot of faith walking in as this flick was a remake of a film that I didn’t think needed remaking. But at its core, this current incarnation of Pelham is a throwback to the summers when films like Crimson Tide, Cliffhanger, and The Rock were released. For some reason those films took great care in making sure the audience was told an interesting and engaging story. They films had no misconceptions about what they were, and they didn’t think they were going to win any awards. They were made to be pure fun, and for this reason actors, real actors, like Gene Hackman, Sean Connery, John Lithgow all came aboard. This Pelham has a snappy screenplay by Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential), and the reunion of Denzel with director Tony Scott (Crimson Tide). But what makes this film truly shine is the larger than life performance of John Travolta. Back in the bad guy role which he so amazingly played in John Woo’s Broken Arrow and Face/Off. I recommend this film to anyone and everyone, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed. Biggest surprise of the summer for me.

- Whatever Works – Best Woody Allen comedy in 9 years (I am one of the few who really liked Small Time Crooks). My first reaction to Whatever Works is that it felt like a script he’d unearthed from the 70’s, and guess what…it is. This is vintage Woody.


COMING SOON

- Away We Go – The new (comedic) Sam Mendes film. Written by David Eggers, and starting Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski (by the way…I think Mr. Krasinski is making some very interesting, and good career choices. Watch out for this guy)
(Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdqpX9fc6hM)

- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – It’s Bay-hem baby! Nuff said. Bring Tylenol, headache guaronteed.
(Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_Veo0G2qfY)

- Year One – To me, this is the biggest risk of the summer. Will audiences want to see a comedic film about the bible? Probably not. As good as they are, you can’t just sell this film on Jack Black and Michael Cera. It better be hilarious if it’s going to have a shot.
(Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTNBwIAY9Zo)

- Funny People – Judd Apatow’s third film. I’m in. I just hope he keeps it under 2 hours (his films are LONG), but the rumor is he hasn’t. Uggg.
(Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24VVnvrjI8w)

- Public Enemies – Johnny Depp as Dillinger…I’m in! Oh wait, Christian Bale is in it also, and it’s directed by Michael Mann. Joy-gasm!
(Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uclFxBFbAQ)

- Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince – Best book in the series, and with David Yates back as director, it has the potential to be the best film.
(Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4GsxcRiGuc)

- Bruno – Sacha Baron Coen up to no good is totally worth the price of admission. Plus he tea bagged Eminem.
(Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idV1iZkEoYM)

- G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra – I don’t say this often, so savor this folks…I will not see this film. The trailer alone makes me mad. I wish for Stephen Sommers and McG to pull a Thelma and Louise for my birthday this year.
(I will not even share the trailer…if you want to see this shit, you find it on your own)

- Julie and Julia – Just nominate Steep and Adams again. I don’t even need to see the film, but I will.
(Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjvJHsJD8ic&feature=fvst)

- District 9 – Best trailer of the summer. Creepy as hell. I am very intrigued. Can’t wait to see the final product
(Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZnpzfcMheA)

- Inglorious Basterds – Quentin is one of the few directors I will follow anywhere. In its most traditional sense, he is a true Auteurs. And if these three words don’t get you interested then nothing will…Tarantino, Nazis, Revenge. Bring it on Quentin.
(Trialer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sQhTVz5IjQ)

- Taking Woodstock – Ang Lee’s new film. Some people would be excited about that. I’m not. It’ll probably be great though, and I’ll probably be pissed when I wind up loving it. Ang Lee is turning into Ron Howard for me, all he does is make films he thinks will win awards. So sad.
(Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Iq8z2WDbKo)

- The Time Traveler’s Wife – I don’t know much about this film outside of the fact that it’s based on a book a lot of people really dig, and it stars Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams. So I guess the one thing I can tell you if that it has a really good looking cast.
(Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gu8lYr0kf7g)

- The Boat That Rocked – From the team who brought us the underrated and sadly forgotten Love Actually, comes this dramedy about Britain’s most famous pirate radio station. The film has an unbelievable cast, featuring the likes of Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Nick Frost, Rhys Ifans, and Kenneth Branagh, this film is set up to be the “feel good” flick of the summer.
(Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnQc3lO4JDs)

- Extract – Lot of folks say that Mike Judge is never going to top Office Space. I disagree. I think Judge looks at the human condition in a very unique way, and as a result I believe he has another few more great flicks in him. And with Jason Bateman, Ben Affleck, JK Simmons, and Kristen Wiig, Extract looks like Judge is going to have another solid outing.
(Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzJI08YUNik)

- The Cove – The talk of Sundance 09’, and what looks like hard core doc filmmaking. Great stuff.
(Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQhfw5U7Ahc)

- Jennifer’s Body – Diablo Cody’s first produced script since Juno. Will is be good? Will it have a hamburger phone in it? All we know about this film is that Megan Fox gets naked. Not off to a good start.
(No trailer available)

- The Invention of Lying – Ricky Gervais’ first directorial effort, about, well…The Invention of Lying. Ummm. Hell Yes!
(No trailer available)

- Shutter Island – Martin Scorcese’s return to the B movie thriller genre. Last time he did this we got Cape Fear, so expectations are high. Is it me or does this film have a has a strange Black Narcissis feel to it? Which is odd since Marty’s editor (the legendary Thelma Schoonmaker) was married to the director of that film. Oh, and Leo’s back…of course.
(Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wWCQyHczx4)

- Toy Story 3D – Upon it’s release PIXAR will be 11 for 11. This is a sure fire hit.
(Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXJEDUainX4)

- The Informant – This film has been labeled a comedy, crime, drama, thriller. Directed by Steven Soderbergh and staring Matt Damon (who gained 40 pounds for the role), this film is about the U.S. government deciding to go after an agri-business giant with a price-fixing accusations. Sounds interesting to me.
(No trailer available)

- Couples Retreat – Written by Jon Faveau and produced by Vince Vaughn, this comedy centers around four couples who settle into a tropical-island resort for a vacation. Also stars Jason Bateman. Could be some funny in there.
(No trailer available)

- The Road – This post apocalyptic thriller staring Viggo Mortensen from a novel by No Country for Old Men’s Cormac McCarthy was supposed to be a major Oscar contender last year, but for reasons unknown it was held for Oscar consideration this year. It don’t matter to me, the trailer looks great. I can’t wait to see this thing.
(Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHYZ7xDyBEw)

- Where the Wild Things Are – This film can’t come soon enough. Off set and editing turmoil is now a thing of Hollywood legend (supposedly in the first test screening every child in the theater was either crying from fright or sadness…and of course the studio freaked). The good news is, what we will ultimately see if Spike Jonze’s vision. And after such imaginative gems as Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, I am sure we’re all in for a treat here.
(Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NOkQ4dYVaM)

- Sherlock Holmes – Guy Ritchie’s hyper kinetic camera work, Robert Downey Jr. with a British accent and nude, Jude Law being sarcastically English, and Rachel McAdams in a corset. Sounds like fun to me.
(Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUQbmFAE5WI)

- The Box – Richard Kelly made Donnie Darko and everyone flipped. I was one of the few who thought that film was way overrated (and his follow up Southland Tales barely made it to the screen). Regardless, Kelly has grown a cult like following so it would be silly not to mention his new movie. At least it has James Marsden in it. I like him.
(No trailer available)

- The Wolf Man – I can’t wait for this film. The intense method acting of Benico Del Torro as the wolfman in Rick Baker makeup combined with the fact they set the film in its traditional turn of the century England. Huge risk, but for me…oh boy…gimme gimme gimme.
(No trailer available)

- A Christmas Carol – Robert Zemeckis’ once again decides that traditional filmmaking is stupid and opts to create a weird and amateurish motion capture digital world for his reimagining of this classic tale (Bob…The Polar Express and Beowulf sucked…real people, real sets…they just work better). The only glimmer of hope is that not only is Jim Carrey playing Scrooge, he’s also playing all the Ghosts. That’s pretty cool.
(No trailer available)

- 2012 – Guess what this film is about? Here’s a clue, it’s from the director of Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow. Yup, you guessed it – the world coming to an end in the year 2012. Now here’s the weird part, it stars John Cusack. Huh?
(No trailer available)

- Fantastic Mr. Fox – Wes Anderson (Rushmore and The Royal Tennenbaums) has been working on this stop motion Roald Dahl film for 5 years, and I for one and truly curious what the final flick is going to look like. Let’s just hope it’s better than The Darjeeling Limited.
(No trailer available)

- Nine – Oscar winning director Rob Marshall (Chicago) returns to the musical with the screen version of one of Broadway’s most beloved plays. The “Nine” refers to the nine women a stressed out film director (modeled after Fellini) must find harmony with. Interested? Well, the legendary Daniel Day Lewis plays the lead role…so yeah, he sings and dances. Now I KNOW you’re interested.
(Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkNP0kbRrAE)

- 9 – Yup, there’s another film coming out in 2009 titled 9/Nine, and this one could not be more different than the previous mentioned flick. This is an animated action movie about a post-apocalyptic earth where tiny cloth creatures try and save humanity. Produced by Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted), this film looks very interesting, but not likely to find an audience.
(Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnoJecu9e7c)

- The Lovely Bones – Not much is known about this new Peter Jackson film other than it’s based on a much beloved novel and centers on a young girl who has been murdered and watches over her family - and her killer - from heaven where she must weigh her desire for vengeance against her desire for her family to heal. Sounds like Jackson is heading back into Heavenly Creatures territory, and that’s very exciting.
(No trailer available)

- Alice in Wonderland – If there was ever a story Tim Burton was born to make, this is it. I have very high hopes.
(No trailer available)

Well…that wasn’t as short as I thought it was going to be. And I am sure there are things I am going to be kicking myself for leaving out, but oh well. Hope ya’ll enjoyed it.

Till next time my lovely Droogies, this is Lieutenant Ripley, the last survivor of the Nostromo, signing off.

2008 Year End Spectacular

Good day my loyal Droogies. It is I, your humble na-rrator.

It’s been a year since my last correspondence, and I feel just terrible that you’re lives have been absent of my ego boosting critiques of pop culture and unsuccessful attempts at scripted sarcasm.

So without the usual drivel that makes up my normal introductions to this blog, and because I know (or would like to believe) that the jigsaw puzzle space in your brain and heart would not be complete without the little piece of the puzzle shaped like my opinions…I am happy to bring you my year end wrap up bonanza, wrapped in a spectacular, tied up with a celebration colored ribbon, and topped with a awesomeness bow.

THE FILMS OF 2008

THE TOP TEN FILMS OF 2008

10. THE BANK JOB – Looking at the poster for THE BANK JOB, one might get the wrong idea about this film. Yes, Jason Statham is in it, but in this movie he never takes off his shirt, he does not shoots guns whilst flying through the air, and does not round house evil do-ers into giant piles of cargo boxes. No, with THE BANK JOB, Statham "regresses" back to the actor he once was, and happily becomes one of many textured characters in this thoroughly entertaining crime story. Expertly helmed by veteran director Roger Donaldson, THE BANK JOB takes the unfortunate recent trend of British crime films with too much style and no substance, and delivers a taught caper film filled with great twists and textured characters. What’s more, THE BANK JOB is based on a true story of Britain’s most famous….yup, you guessed it…bank heists. Like any good crime film THE BANK JOB contains layers upon layers of crooks, thieves, corrupt cops, dishonest politicians, etc…but it’s the script and Donaldson’s direction which separates this film from other crime yarns. Here the "job" itself is secondary to the textured reasoning, planning, and the inevitable implications and effects of a successful robbery. If you missed this film in the theater, go out and rent it, you won’t be disappointed.

9. NICK AND NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST – To best describe NICK AND NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST, I would have to equate the film to a theoretical emotional moment…the film is like reconnecting with your high school crush in the basement of your parents house, while curled up in your warm childhood blanket. The film is caringly directed by Peter Sollett and deftly written by Lorene Scafaria (based on the book by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan). Michael Cera gives his best performance to date, and Kat Dennings’ Norah is the coolest and most honest portrayal of a "tween" on the presipus of adulthood since Ione Skye in SAY ANYTHING. NICK AND NORAH’S takes what could have been a cookie cutter high school "relationship" movie and adds, the often forgotten element of maturity to it. The film taps into that often overlooked part of the human emotional subconscious, the one that develops up until we’re 17 and then sort of freezes in time. It’s films that understand and hone in on this part of the mind that connects the generations, which make the parents (even though they won’t admit it) identify and connect with the emotional themes the teenage characters are going through, and in some way makes see the film like their teenage son or daughter. NICK AND NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST is that film. It keep the bloodline of Heckerling and Crowe in tact and pushes it forward into the iPod generation.

8. TROPIC THUNDER – Ben Stiller is not given enough credit for the films he’s directed. REALITY BITES was a defining film for specific moment in time. It was a call to the Kurt Cobain slackers to evolve or be left behind in a changing cultural, social, and economic landscape. THE CABLE GUY, was an unfortunately little seen film and a cautionary tale to a generation of sheepish TV watchers. It came out almost a decade before the film’s warning actually became a frightening reality. And finally ZOOLANDER...the fact that this film is still watched and quoted speaks to the film’s place in history. Which finally brings us to TROPIC THUNDER, Stiller’s fourth directorial effort. There are far too many elements (script, cast, visuals, etc…) to praise for a short year end write up like this, so I am going to stick to Stiller’s most impressive accomplishment with THUNDER, and the one "thing" that separates the film from other traditional comedies. Similar to ZOOLANDER, TROPIC THUNDER is a film about the inner workings and absurdity of a specific ego driven industry (in this case the film business). Growing up in the business, Stiller is keenly aware of how Hollywood thinks it has sense of humor about itself, loves it when it’s roasted. This may be the case, but audiences rarely respond to these kind of projects. They can’t connect with the action because the majority of film goers don’t live "Hollywood" lives. They get their "Hollywood" from People Magazine and Entertainment Tonight, in the form of sound bites, caricatures, and picture captions. These "insider" films usually only appeal to the folks who work in Hollywood, and see it’s ridiculousness on a day-to-day basis. So the brilliance of TROPIC THUNDER is that the film works on two different satiric levels. Each level traveling independently down the same narrative path, but every intersecting every so often with each other to blur the two lines into one. The first level being a traditional "insider" Hollywood satire, incorporating inside jokes and nuances which people working in "the business" would find amusing. The second level is again a Hollywood satire, but this one cleverly constructed and grounded in the elements that most audiences identify with - the sound bites, the caricatures, and the picture captions. And the blurring of the two narrative lines is perfectly illustrated by the character of Les Grossman, the studio executive, played by Tom Cruise. Starting on the second level, the casting of Cruise in this role to any audience member outside the "industry" would come off as intriguing. Cruise’s Grossman is zany enough for any general audience, they like watching Cruise play "against type". But on the first level, Cruise’s portrayal is biting, brutal, and a scarily accurate depiction of the people who run Hollywood. The dialogue Cruise speaks could be interpreted as hyperbolic, but in reality could possibly be overheard in any board room in Studio City. And the casting of Cruise is almost tragic, he plays the role in reaction and defiance of everything he’s been through over the past few years (tabloid and all). It a nutshell, Grossman’s character is like THE MUPPET SHOW, colorful and screwball enough to entertain the kids, but subversive and funny enough to keep the parents entertained. As the co-writer, director, and producer of TROPIC THUNDER, Stiller is well aware of the textured film he’s produced, and his greatest achievement is that although it was made from the inside, it still feels like it was made by a bunch of outsiders. (By the way…please excuse all the quotation marks. I know how annoying it is.)

7. RELIGULOUS – I have to be honest, I’ve struggled with this write up for a week now. Started and stopped multiple times. In fact, as I type these words, the entire rest of the blog is complete, ready to post, minus this section. I just am unable to formulate sentences around my feelings for this film. Not because it is so great, but that my experience with RELIGULOUS was such a personal one. So outside of the personal stuff, what would I have written about the film? I would have tried to go into great detail about how I think Bill Maher is one of the more important voices of my generation. How this film has been erroneously labeled as anti-religion, when all it does is pose questions. I’d praise the fearlessness of both director Larry Charles and Maher for not compromising on their vision for the film. And finally, talk about the structure of the film, how it effortlessly beckons the audience in with laughs and absurdity, while slyly allowing the real issues of responsibility, accountability, and morality to ooze their way to the surface. I truly wish I could delve deeper into how this film made me feel on a personal level. It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just that I am still working out my thoughts/feelings and don’t want to put anything down that I truly don’t stand behind. What I can say is this (and I do apologize if this comes off as cryptic and/or vague), but RELIGULOUS came to me at a time in my life when I was taking stock of my surroundings, the possible future, and this film was able to both challenge me and slightly shoved me in a directions I was already leaning but afraid to go. Now this won’t be the case for all of you, if anything, the film will at least get you talking…and that’s a great thing.

6. IRON MAN – For all the hubbub following the release of THE DARK KNIGHT (more on this later), there was another high quality comic book film released during the summer of 2008…IRON MAN. There’s a lot of good reasons the film’s world wide gross was $572,000,000, but the best reason I’ve heard came from a film school buddy of mine…"It’s just a good f@!%ing movie". Where THE DARK KNIGHT is a brooding character piece, IRON MAN is an astutely constructed film, cleverly disguised as high priced, summer, pop corn schlock. IRON MAN is Marvel Comics’ first fully financed film under the new Marvel Films shingle. When the Marvel Films brand was launched, the company made the decree that their super heroes were to be stars of their movies, not the actors or other talent involved. As a result, it gave the studio (yes, they are a studio now) the freedom to cast the best possible actors available because, in Marvel’s mind, there is no star out there bigger than one of their super heroes. Especially the ones who’ve been around since the 1960’s. Marvel also made a very concerted effort in hiring young directors who actually read and cared for the comics, because what Marvel didn’t want was paint by numbers action films that just so happened to have super heroes in them. Marvel wanted all their films to feel as part of one giant Marvel universe. So they hired directors early on in the process, made them producers, made the creative talent feel responsible to keep true the source material. And boy, did it pay off for them with IRON MAN. Just take the top players involved…Jon Favreau directing Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, and Terrence Howard…those names, in those roles, sounds more like a director and cast for a film being released at Sundance. But no, that’s who Marvel put in charge of their $140,000,000 freshman effort into cinema. Nice job Marvel, I am dying for the sequel.

5. WALL E – To all other animation houses, PIXAR Studios is the Saturday Morning Cartoons equivalent of all the evil geniuses coming together to gang up on the hero, but in this cartoon, the evil geniuses win and there are no heroes left. Every time they release a film it winds up on my top ten list. PIXAR is just that good. In fact, WALL E might be PIXAR’s best film to date. Take the fact that the first 40 minutes of the film contain little to no dialogue, and yet, the audience gets completely sucked in anyway. This is visual story telling at its best. And the choice to have a hand held style in an animated film is one of the most brilliantly overlooked decisions of the year. The shaky frame, and the power zoom through the vastness of Wall E’s world, played a huge part in adding to the film’s charm and intimacy. Aside from the wonderful direction by Andrew Stanton, the real star of this film is Ben Burtt. Burrt is considered the Godfather of modern sound design. He was the sound designer for all the Star Wars, and went on the develop and oversee the sound studio at Industrial Light and Magic (ILM). For his work, Burtt has been nominated for an Oscar 8 times, and has won twice. For WALL E, Burtt has many credits, but the most important one is that he is singled out as the voice of Wall E himself. Which brings me back to those first 40 minutes. For as much as Wall E is animated (literally) as a character, it was Burtt’s sound work that gave the robot life, and allowed a world to connect with a rusted and forgotten garbage machine. I love this film.

4. THE DARK KNIGHT– What new praise could I possibly heap onto this film that hasn’t already been said or written? There’s not much. So I’m just going to pick apart and analyze 30 seconds of the film, and in doing so hopefully illustrate why this film is more than a comic book movie, but also one of the most intelligently put together films of the year. The scene…The Joker has called the local press to alert them that he is intending to blow up Gotham Memorial Hospital within the hour. The building is clearing out, there is mass hysteria everywhere, utter chaos. The Joker, dressed as a nurse has made his way into the hospital, and after having a cunning heart to heart with Boy Scout DA Harvey Dent, exits the hospital carrying the bomb’s detonator. The critique…Director Chris Nolan chooses to shoot this scene in the distinctive IMAX format which, even when down-converted to 35mm, captures every last detail of the mis-en-scene, and adds an off-putting perspective to the image. Creepy even. In one of his more quiet moments (in an otherwise brilliantly verbose performance) Heath Ledger’s Joker walks away from the building, twitching, and muttering under his breath. The camera tracks back as Ledger walks forward on the right side of the frame, franticly clicking the bomb’s detonator, but there’s just one thing…no explosion. The nurse outfit, mixed with the sadistic clown look, and the physical eccentricities in Ledger’s performance, all combine to embody the one of the film’s overarching themes of duality. All of a sudden, in the same shot (there has not been a cut yet, this is all one take)…BOOM…the bomb goes off, finally Nolan cuts (still in the IMAX format) to a God like high angle shot that gives the audience a freighting view of the entire hospital being swallowed up by a monstrous mushroom cloud of smoke and fire. Then, cut to the Joker standing with his back to the explosion as debris falls everywhere. It is a beautifully well constructed scene, where every choice made by the director, cinematographer, actor, and all those involved was the right one. THE DARK KNIGHT, as a whole…is filled with such brilliant choices.

3. MILK – You will be hard pressed to find a more Oscar ready, yet Oscar worthy film. Over the past few years, Gus Van Sandt has drifted away from the typical main stream flair (PRANOID PARK, LAS DAYS, ELEPHANT). This journey back into the independent film world, in many ways, has helped him become a more focused and nuanced filmmaker. And with his return to a more star driven and widely appealing type of film, Van Sandt has produced MILK, a wonderfully nuanced character piece of a somewhat forgotten American civil rites icon. The film is placed on the shoulders of and successfully carried by Sean Penn. Who channels all the humor, playfulness, and love of Jeff Spicoli; and combines it with the maturity and sense of activism we see from Penn the human. It’s a wonderful performance that is only heightened by his supporting cast. Josh Brolin caps off a solid year with his portrayal of the conflicted and tragic Dan White. James Franco gives the performance of his career by subtly playing what some would consider the "wife" role. Sprinkle in Emile Hirsch, Diego Luna, Alison Pill, Dennis O’Hare, and Victor Garber and you’ve got the best ensemble of 2008. I have heard many dissenting voices to the structure of the film, which gives away the ending at the beginning, but I thought it was a very wise choice. This narrative choice helped force the audience to focus their attention on the film’s journey and overall message, which with Prop 8, is oddly more relevant now then when Van Sandt started shooting the film.

2. REVOLUTIONARY ROAD – In my opinion, the hardest thing to capture on film is emotional brutality. It’s easy to shoot physical violence, but emotional aggression is much harder. In most arguments and domestic verbal fights depicted on the screen, loudness is usually equated to effectiveness. This is rarely the case. It takes a combination of talent on the writing, directing, and acting side to truly make words and emotions act like daggers and bullets. To make the audience feel like sadistic voyeurs, who happen to be catching a glimpse of two people who really want to hurt each other. Physical hurt can heal over time, but mental and emotional scars are much harder to mend. Although REVOLUTIONARY ROAD contains many "loud" moments, here "loud" is used as the hand that twists the knife deeper into an already punctured emotional skin. If it weren’t for a certain film about an Indian game show (see my #1 film), REVOLUTIONARY ROAD would be my choice for best film of the year. The greatness of this film is a very simple combination of three elements. First, a sharply written and pointed screenplay by Justin Haythe. Second, the subtle and caring direction of Sam Mendes. And finally, the a cast of actors who are not afraid to be raw, and pick at, and open very emotional scab in this two hour punch to the gut. Mendes is the master of taking silent action moments and transforming them into scenes rich with subtext, and when it comes time for the dialogue, as multi-Tony winner, he understands how to give his actors a safe space to perform. As a result, he’s able to capture a perfect mixture movement and emotion. Which leads me to Dicaprio and Winslet. In this film, they both give, what I consider to be, their best performances (and this is saying a lot for two such storied performers). Dicaprio goes to places physically and emotionally that are haunting to this day.

1. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE – Let me set the scene. The year is 1997, I am a freshman in Syracuse University’s film program. Like many film schools, on the first day, the faculty makes everyone go around the room and introduce themselves by saying their name and their three favorite film directors. Now, to those who don’t know, for a any film geek, seeing someone’s collection of DVDs or hearing a "Top List" is the equivalent of normal people opening up a host’s medicine cabinet at a dinner party. You learn A LOT. So around the room it goes. Scorsese is said more times than can be counted, a few Spielbergs, a few Stones, and then comes me. My top three directors - Peter Jackson, Sam Raimi and Danny Boyle. People looked at me like I was nuts…their faces said it all…"Horror film directors?", "Why not Scorsese?", and "Do I really have to spend four years working with a guy who’s ambition is to direct EVIL DEAD 4?" Well, soon after I graduated in 2001, Peter Jackson produced trilogy of films about some small people and a ring that did pretty well, and Sam Raimi went off and made three moderately successful films about a guy who thought he was a spider. Was I vindicated? Not at all. There was still the grossly overlooked Danny Boyle. Who’s filmography is as diverse and underrated as anyone’s I have ever seen…SHALLOW GRAVE, TRAINSPOTTING, A LIFE LESS ORDINARY, THE BEACH, 28 DAYS LATER, MILLIONS, and SUNSHINE. So I am sure it comes as no surprise to everyone that I chose SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE as my number one film of the year, especially since it’s a Danny Boyle film. But in all honestly, I did think long and hard about this one. I took a good long look at the other films on my top ten list, and honestly could not find one reason to not to pick SLUMDOG as my number one film of the year. The acting, the writing, the direction, the cinematography, the costumes, the music…SLUMDOG is as close to a perfect film as one is going to find. What separates the film, and places it above all the rest is the fact that it’s not a message film, it doesn’t want to go back and explore a political moment in time, or famous icon. Richard Corliss of TIME Magazine put it best, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE is a "is a buoyant hymn to life, and a movie to celebrate." This film makes you want to love somebody, and that is very rare.

(Note…If There were more numbers between 1 and 10, the other films on this list would be…FROST/NIXON, IN BRUGES, THE FALL, MAN ON WIRE, THE STRANGERS, THE WRESTLER)

THE BOTTOM TEN FILMS OF 2008
Up until this year I have never walked out, fell asleep in, or turned off a movie. As a result I have lost days, upon weeks, of "living hours" of my life in chunks of 90 to 120 minutes at a time. But in 2008, I witnessed three of the WORST films I have ever seen. Technically this isn’t even accurate…in 2008 I saw pieces of three of the WOEST films I have ever seen…because I either, walked out, fell asleep, or turned off the DVD.

10. SEMI PRO
9. 27 DRESSES
8. LEATHERHEADS
7. DRILLBIT TAYLOR
6. JUMPER
5. THE HAPPENING
4. WHAT JUST HAPPENED
3. 10,000 B.C. (fell asleep in the theater)
2. MAMA MIA (turned off the DVD after 29 minutes and 45 seconds)
1. THE LOVE GURU (turned off the DVD after 12 minutes and 17 seconds)

MY OSCAR NOMINATIONS

Best Picture
1. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (My Winner)
2. REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
3. MILK
4. WALL E
5. THE DARK KNIGHT

Best Actress
1. Angelina Jolie - CHANGELING
2. Kate Winslet – REVOLUTIONARY ROAD (My Winner)
3. Meryl Steep - DOUBT
4. Kate Winslet – THE READER
5. Emma Thompson – LAST CHANCE HARVEY

Best Actor
1. Mickey Rourke – THE WRESTLER
2. Michael Sheen – FROST/NIXON
3. Sean Penn – MILK
4. Josh Brolin – W.
5. Leonardo Dicaprio – REVOLUTIONARY ROAD (My Winner)

Best Supporting Actor
1. Robert Downey Jr. – TROPIC THUNDER
2. Heath Ledger – THE DARK KNIGHT (My Winner)
3. Frank Langella – FROST/NIXON
4. James Fanco - MILK
5. Philip Seymour Hoffman - DOUBT

Best Supporting Actress
1. Amy Adams - DOUBT
2. Marisa Tomei – THE WRESTLER
3. Rosemary Dewitt – RACHEL GETTING MARRIED (My Winner)
4. Ahney Her – GRAN TORINO
5. Penelope Cruz – VICKY CHRISTINA BARCELONA

Best Director
1. Christopher Nolan – THE DARK KNIGHT (My Winner)
2. Danny Boyle – SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
3. Gus Van Sandt - MILK
4. Andrew Stanton – WALL E
5. Sam Mendes – REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

Best Screenplay
1. Dustin Lance Black - MILK
2. Ben Stiller, Etan Cohen, & Justin Theroux – TROPIC THUNDER
3. Robert D. Siegel – THE WRESTLER
4. Martin McDonagh – IN BRUGES
5. Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, & Jim Reardon – WALL E (My Winner)

Best Adapted Screenplay
1. Simon Beaufoy – SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (My Winner)
2. Peter Morgan – FROST/NIXON
3. Justin Haythe – REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
4. Lorene Scafaria – NICK AND NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST
5. Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan – THE DARK KNIGHT

Best Cinematography
1. Anthony Dod Mantle – SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (My Winner)
2. Maryse Alberti – THE WRESTLER
3. Roger Deakins – REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
4. Colin Watkinson – THE FALL
5. Wally Pfister – THE DARK KNIGHT

Best Original Score
1. A.R. Rahman – SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
2. Ramin Djawadi - IRON MAN
3. Theodore Shapiro – TROPIC THUNDER
4. J. Ralph – MAN ON WIRE
5. James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer – THE DARK KNIGHT (My Winner)

OTHER FILM AWARDS FOR 2008

ACTORS OF THE YEAR – ROBERT DOWNEY JR. (IRON MAN and TROPIC THUNDER), JAMES FRANCO (PINEAPPLE EXPRESS and MILK), JOSH BROLIN (W and MILK)

ACTRESSES OF THE YEAR – MERYL STREEP (MAMA MIA & DOUBT), ANNE HATHAWAY (GET SMART and RACHEL GETTING MARRIED), and KATE WINSLET (REVOLUTIONARY ROAD and THE READER)

BEAKOUT MALE TALENT – DANNY MCBRIDE (TROPIC THUNDER, THE FOOT FIST WAY, PINEAPPLE EXPRESS, DRILLBIT TAYLOR) "Mother Nature Just Pissed Her Pants Suit!!!"

BREAKOUT FEMALE TALENT – ELIZABETH BANKS (ZACH AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO, W, ROLE MODELS)

BEST THRILLER – THE STRANGERS

BEST CRIME MOVIE – THE BANK JOB

BEST ACTION MOVIE – IRON MAN

BEST COMEDY – STEP BROTHERS

BEST COMIC BOOK ADAPTATION – THE DARK KNIGHT

BEST BOOK ADAPTION – NICK AND NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST

BEST MUSICAL – HAMLET 2 ("Rock Me Sexy Jesus!")

BEST ANIMATED MOVIE – WALL E

BEST DRAMA – REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

BEST LOVE STORY – SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

BLOODIEST MOVIE – RAMBO (could be bloodiest ever)

BEST SCI-FI/FANTASY MOVIE – HELLBOY 2: THE GOLDEN ARMY

BEST HORROR – CLOVERFIELD

BEST DOCUMENTARY – RELIGULOUS

BIGGEST DISAPOINTMENT(S) – INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL, X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE, QUANTUM OF SOLACE, THE HAPPENING, WANTED, SEMI PRO, VALKYRIE, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE – BOLT, STREET KINGS, WELCOME HOME ROSCOE JENKINS

MOST UNDERRATED FILMS – IN BRUGES, THE FALL, SPEED RACER, THE INCREDIBLE HULK

MOST OVERRATED FILMS – THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, GRAN TORINO, RACHEL GETTING MARRIED

BEST TRAILER – PINEAPPLE EXPRESS

BEST CHARACTER – Rhino (BOLT)

BIGGEST MAN CRUSHES – Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and Edgar Wright (Because I can’t stop watching SHAUN OF THE DEAD, HOT FUZZ, and SPACED)

BIGGEST FEMALE CRUSHES – TIE - Freida Pinto (SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE) & ELIZABETH BANKS (Just for being her)

BIGGEST CHILDHOOD FEMALE CRUSH REKINDLED – Karen Allen (INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL)

FILMS OF 2008 I JUST REFUSED TO SEE – TWILIGHT, SEX AND THE CITY, THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOOD STILL, CLONE WARS

FILMS OF 2008 I MISSED – BOTTLE SHOCK, SWING VOTE, SEX DRIVE, PRIDE AND GLROY, MAX PAYNE, SEVEN POUNDS, FOUR CHRISTMASES, SUPERHERO MOVIE, THE ROCKER, CHARLIE BARTLETT, BODY OF LIES, BEDTIME STORIES, MARLEY AND ME

TOP TWENTY MOST ANTICIPATED FILMS OF 2009
1. INGLORIOUS BASTARDS
2. WATCHMEN
3. THE WOLF MAN
4. X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE
5. STAR TREK
6. TERMINATOR: SALVATION
7. THE YEAR ONE
8. PUBLIC ENEMIES
9. HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE
10. STATE OF PLAY
11. SHUTTER ISLAND
12. WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
13. THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX
14. SHERLOCK HOLMES
15. AVATAR
16. FUNNY PEOPLE
17. BRUNO: DELICIOUS JOURNEYS THROUGH AMERICA FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAKING HETEROSEXUAL MALES VISIBLY UNCOMFORTABLE IN THE PRESENCE OF A GAY FOREIGNER IN A MESH T-SHIRT
18. DUPLICITY
19. THE LOVELY BONES
20. DRAG ME TO HELL

WHAT DAN WANTS THE MOST IN 2009 – An Official Announcement and Start of Production on the ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT MOVIE


THE TELEVISION OF 2008

THE TOP TWENTY SHOWS OF 2008 (Twenty is a lot, so I am only going to write about the top five. If you want to know my thoughts on the rest…email me, I am happy to elaborate)

1. THE WIRE – The best all around show ever made said goodbye for good, and although it’s fifth and final season had a few more than usual melodramatic moments, THE WIRE went out on it’s own terms and will forever be the standard that all shows much reach to be called "great".

2. THE SHIELD – The second best all around show also said goodbye for good. THE SHEILD is a much more traditional TV show. Traditional in structure, but not content. THE SHEILD always pushed the envelope with their storylines and visuals, and had one of the best all around casts a TV show has ever and will ever see.

3. LOST – Since Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse announced the show would end after the sixth season, LOST was rejuvenated because it was building to a true conclusion. What LOST did in season four was remind audiences why this show lends itself so well to obsession. There were more clues, answers, and questions in this shortened 16 episode season then in any of the first three. What’s more, we were also given one of the finest stand alone hours of TV with "THE CONSTANT" episode.

4. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS – FNL returned as is the lackluster second season was just a patch of crab grass on the Panther’s field. The show went back to basics and are digging deeper with more compelling storylines with heightened stakes. As always Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton prove they are the two best actors on TV, and their scenes together is season 3 are better than ever. It’s just a shame that when FNL returns to NBC in January fans will be seeing truncated episodes from DirecTV ones. Let’s just hope we get a fourth season.

5. HOUSE – Still the most consistently good show on TV. Each week it’s pretty much the same, sick patient with multiple symptoms, doctors search for clues, and in the end Dr. House figures it all out. It’s what this show does in the in between these formulaic moments that make it still one of the best shows on air. The subtlety of the drama, the unique personal narratives of the main characters, and of course everything is held together by the indispensable Hugh Laurie. Also, if you want to see stellar acting go back and watch Robert Sean Leonard in the final episode of season 4…utterly gut wrenching.

6. BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
7. THE OFFICE
8. PUSHING DAISIES
9. SOUTH PARK
10. MAD MEN
11. CALIFORNICATION
12. 30 ROCK
13. THE UNIT
14. SONE OF ANARCHY
15. ENTOURAGE
16. BURN NOTICE
17. IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA
18. LIFE
19. PRISON BREAK
20. THE DAILY SHOW / THE COLBERT REOPRT
20 ½. DR. HORRIBLE’S SING ALONG BLOG

OTHER TV AWARDS FOR 2008

TOP FIVE MALE PERFORMERS (Drama)
1. Michael Chicklis – THE SHIELD
2. Hugh Laurie – HOUSE
3. Kyle Chandler – FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (My Choice for "Best")
4. Dennis Haysbert – THE UNIT
5. Damian Lewis - LIFE
(Honorable Mention to the entire cast of THE WIRE. How do you choose just one? They are all incredible. OK, maybe Omar Little. May he rest in peace.)

TOP FIVE MALE PERFORMERS (Comedy)
1. David Duchovny – CALIFORNIACATION
2. Steve Carell – THE OFFICE
3. Jeremy Piven – ENTOURAGE
4. Jeffery Donovan – BURN NOTICE
5. Lee Pace – PUSHING DAISIES (My Choice for "Best")

TOP FIVE FEMALE PERFORMERS (Drama)
1. Connie Britton – FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (My Choice for "Best")
2. Katey Segal – SONS OF ANARCHY
3. CCH Pownder – THE SHIELD
4. January Jones – MAD MEN
5. Regina Taylor – THE UNIT

TOP FIVE FEMALE PERFORMERS (Comedy)
1. Anna Friel – PUSHING DASIES
2. Kristin Chenoweth – PUSHIN DAISIES (My Choice for "Best")
3. Natascha MeElhone - CALIFORNIACATION
4. Tina Fey – 30 ROCK
5. Sarah Chalke – SCRUBS

TOP FIVE SUPPORTING MALE PERFORMERS (Drama)
1. Walton Gogging – THE SHIELD
2. Michael Emmerson – LOST (My Choice for "Best")
3. James Callis – BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
4. Vincent Karthheiser – MAD MEN
5. Robert Sean Leonard - HOUSE

TOP FIVE SUPPORTING MALE PERFORMERS (Comedy)
1. Callum Keith Rennie – CALIFORNIACATION
2. Tracy Morgan – 30 ROCK (My Choice for "Best")
3. Ed Helms – THE OFFICE
4. Kevin Dillon – ENTOURAGE
5. Chi McBride – PUSHING DAISIES

TOP FIVE SUPPORTING FEMALE PERFORMERS (Drama)
1. Sarah Sahi - LIFE
2. Anne Dudek – HOUSE
3. Michelle Hicks – THE SHIELD
4. Mary McDonell – BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
5. Elizabeth Moss – MAD MEN (My Choice for "Best")

TOP FIVE SUPPORTING FEMALE PERFORMERS (Comedy)
1. Amy Ryan – THE OFFICE (My Choice for "Best")
2. Angela Kinsey – THE OFFICE
3. Madeleine Martin - CALIFORNIACATION
4. Pamela Adlon - CALIFORNIACATION
5. Katlin Olsen – IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA

BEST ENSAMBLE CAST (Drama) – THE WIRE

BEST ENSAMBLE CAST (Comedy) – PUSHING DIASIES

BEST SINGLE EPISODE (Drama) – LOST (4.5, "The Constant")

BEST SINGLE EPISODE (Comedy) – SOUTH PARK (12.8, "The China Problem")

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SINGLE EPISODE (Drama) – TIE - Robert Sean Leonard, HOUSE (4.16, "Wilson’s Heart") & Henry Ian Cusick, LOST (4.5, "The Constant")

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SINGLE EPISODE (Comedy) – Steve Carell, THE OFFICE (4.9, "The Dinner Party")

BEST WRITING FOR A SERIES (Drama) – THE WIRE

BEST WRITING FOR A SERIES (Comedy) – CALIFORNICATION

BEST WRITING FOR A SINGLE EPISODE (Drama) – Lisa Albert, MAD MEN (2.2, "Flight 1")

BEST WRITING FOR A SINGLE EPISODE (Comedy) – Trey Parker and Matt Stone, SOUTH PARK (12.12, "About Last Night…")

BEST DIRECTING FOR A SERIES (Drama) – FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

BEST DIRECTING FOR A SERIES (Comedy) – THE OFFICE

BEST DIRECTING FOR A SINGLE EPISODE (Drama) – Dean White, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (3.3, "How The Other Half Live")

BEST DIRECTING FOR A SINGLE EPISODE (Comedy) – Paul Feig, THE OFFICE (4.14, "Goodbye Toby")

BEST NEW SHOW – SONS OF ANARCHY

BEST REALITY SHOW – WHALE WARS

BEST RE-BOOT OF A FRANCHISE – PRISON BREAK

BEST SHOW WE LOST – TIE – THE WIRE & THE SHIELD

BEST SHOW WE LOST BECAUSE IT WAS CANCELLED – PUSHING DASIES

BEST SHOW WE ALL NEED TO FIGHT FOR OR WE MAY LOOSE – FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

SHOW I AM STILL ON THE FENCE ABOUT – FRINGE (The first 5 episodes were awful, but the last 6 were terrific, X-FILES esque. Maybe the show has hit its stride, or maybe it will slide back into mediocrity…we’ll just have to wait and see. Either way, if they do cancel it, FOX at least has a terrific spin off show…one solely focusing on Joshua Jackson and John Noble’s characters. They are the reason I tune in every week. Anna Torv, the woman who plays the lead role, is just horrendous, completely embarrassing. For J.J. Abrams, a guy who clearly knows how to cast unknown female leads better than ANYONE in Hollywood…Kerri Russell in FELICITY, Jennifer Garner in ALIAS, and Evangeline Lily in LOST…he went horribly wrong with Torv…horribly wrong.)

BIGGEST SAVIOR DURING THE WRITERS STRIKE – DR. HORRIBLE’S SING ALONG BLOG

BIGGEST MAN CRUSHES – TIE – KYLE CHANDLER (FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS) & HUGH LAURIE (HOUSE)

BIGGEST FEMALE CRUSH – CONNIE BRITTON (FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS)

MOST ANITICIPATED RETURNING SHOWS IN 2009 – LOST, BIG LOVE, BATTLESTAR GALLACTICA, RESCUE ME, 24

MOST ANITICIPATED NEW SHOWS OF 2009 – DOLLHOUSE and EAST BOUND AND DOWN

WHAT DAN WANTS THE MOST IN 2009 – An Official Announcement and Start of Production on the ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT MOVIE

That’s it…2008 is in the books. A year filled with industry crippling strikes and reality show hosts at the Emmys. Let’s hope 2009 will be just as, if not more interesting. I know most of you don’t care, but my New Years resolution to you all is to post more often.

If only to dump these brain droppings somewhere other than unwanting ears who just happen to be passing by. And with this pledge now written in cyber-stone, let me tease three upcoming blog topics that have been rumbling around the pop-culture wormhole I call a brain…

1. The New Holy Trilogy: How Peter Jackson did the impossible, and made us geeks hate George Lucas

2. Hollywood’s New Casting Agencies: Apatow, Stiller, Ferrell, and Associates vs. Clooney and Soderbergh Inc.

3. It’s Not TV, it’s not even HBO, it’s Showtime

I hope to have at least one of these three entries posted by February (but don’t hold me to it…for all we know, you won’t hear from me again till the end of 2009).

So my loyal Droogies, with this all said…I your humble na-rrator bid you a fond adu.

This is Lieutenant Ripley, the last survivor of the Nostromo signing off…(click)