Roger Ebert discussing Oscar change

Roger Ebert’s take on The Academy Awards’ decision to expand the Best Picture nominations from 5 to 10.

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090624/OSCARS/906249995

Review: Drag Me to Hell

Drag Me to Hell (2009)
99 minutes
Rated PG-13
Directed by Sam Raimi
Starring:  Alison Lohman, Justin Long

Grade:  B

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There’s something about laughing during a horror movie that intrigues me.  Usually, it’s a result from the nerves within the audience during a suspenseful sequence.  Your heart is pounding with anticipation for something to pop out of the corner and to lighten the tension, you let out a small chuckle to ensure your surroundings that you’re doing fine.  Or someone might offer some advice to the soon-to-be-victim like, “Don’t open that door!” which could attract a few laughs around the room.  And then there’s that aftermath of a shock-scare that lingers with a buzz of smiles and giggles and, “That made me jump” comments.  All of this is in the fun that the horror genre brings, and all of this is present in Sam Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell.

Although Raimi is known better for his involvement directing the Spider-Man franchise, he’s an accomplished horror director with the Evil Dead films and his personal joy for the genre is evident in Drag Me to Hell.  There is plenty of shock value in this film but without much gore since it has a PG-13 rating.  Still, you will be grossed out, you will jump with surprise, you will laugh and most importantly you will have a grand time.

So the story goes something like this.  Christine (Lohman) is a loan officer who is competing for a promotion with Stu (Reggie Lee).  To show she’s serious about the promotion and to prove she can be stern with customers, she turns away an extension on the home-loan payments owed by Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver), a gypsy who starts all the trouble.  The gypsy then puts a curse on Christine where an invisible demon haunts her for a few days until she would be dragged into hell.

There are also subplots with Christine’s boyfriend, Clay Dalton (Long) and his disapproving mother, the sabotage in the workplace for the promotion, and Rham Jas the fortune-teller and the mentor Christine flocks to when trying to get rid of the curse.  Of course the only thing that really matters when you’re being hunted by a demon is to stop being hunted.  Unfortunately, that’s a lot easier said than done.

Alison Lohman is pitch perfect for this role.  She can scream really well, she has a youthful vibe about her even though she’s actually 29, and she can scream really well.  Half the time she seems way too calm and collected for someone who was attacked by a one-eyed gypsy, but maybe that just plays into her hard-working, independent character who has a boyfriend bringing her back to Earth during all the supernatural elements.  The other half of the time she is scared to her core.  You see the fear in her eyes and you’re prepared to scream in unison with her exactly when something jumps out.

Drag Me to Hell is purposely corny, hilarious, and scary all at the same time.  It’s a thrilling experience at the movies where you can just sit back (but not for long) and enjoy a well-made film with friends and strangers.  I don’t think I’m alone when I wish Sam Raimi would stick with this genre and abandon the Spider-Man franchise (Spider-Man 4?  Ugh).  This sure beats out the modern torture-porn subgenre from the Saw and Hostel movies.  Give me a horror film that doens’t take itself seriously anyday!

The Weekly Top 5

1.  The boy who never grew up: Michael Jackson.  Here’s a nice written aftermath of Michael Jackson’s life by Roger Ebert.

2.  MTV’s Five Sequels That Don’t Suck.  In response to the vast negativity Transformers 2 is generating, MTV Movie Blog touches upon five sequels they actually like.  I agree with every one of them except Gremlins 2: The New Batch simply because I haven’t seen it.  But I applaud the MTV Movies Team for choosing great sequels like Toy Story 2 and Before Sunset.  Two of my favorite sequels of all-time.

3.  Oscar Best Picture Near Misses of the Past Decade. So the talk of the Oscar town has been about the decision to expand the Best Picture nominations from 5 to 10.  Seriously?  Doubling the number of nominees?  This got the MTV Movie Blog thinking about what films would’ve made the cut if there were more Best Picture nominees in the past decade.

4.  Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan” seems to be back on track.  Universal threw this project on the back-burner for a few years but with a rewrite by Mark Heyman and the lead role to Natalie Portman, who doesn’t want to check out this supernatural thriller about a veteran ballerina?  Come on!  Aronofsky back to the supernatural?!  Let’s see it happen!

5.  Dollhouse and Joss Whedon get help from Reaper creators.  Since CW’s Reaper is canceled, creators Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters have joined the writing staff of Dollhouse.  This is certainly good news for the low-rated, sci-fi show on Fox.  The only problem is that it still has the Friday death slot.  Throw Dollhouse a freakin’ bone!

Box Office Results: Transformers rise to the top

Studio Estimates for June 26-28:

1.  Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – $112 million
2.  The Proposal – $18.5 million
3.  The Hangover – $17.2 million
4.  Up – $13 million
5.  My Sister’s Keeper – $12 million

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Well there was no surprise that Transformers 2 would destroy this weekend’s box office, but how many people expected it to go toe-to-toe with The Dark Knight’s records?  In 5 days, Transformers 2 has grossed $201 million, second all-time only to The Dark Knight that grossed $204 million during it’s first five days.  Should we expect a total gross near The Dark Knight’s $533 million?  I don’t think so.  The reviews for Transformers are extremely poor and the public reaction is widely mixed.  The Dark Knight and Titanic grossed so much because of their longevity in the theaters that was assisted by positive reviews, word-of-mouth, and multiple viewings.  You have to be pretty bored to see Transformers multiple times.

As for our predictions, I was the most accurate although Chris’ gross estimate for Transformers was the closest (unless we’re playing by The Price is Right rules).

Check back for our new predictions Friday when the 4th of July weekend offers two mega blockbusters that will compete against Transformers for the box office crown:  Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and Public Enemies.

Albums That I Love: “5th Gear”

In 1999, the country scene was injected with a boost of charm and humor in the form of Brad Paisley when he released his first album, “Who Needs Pictures.”  Continuing the pattern of a new album every other year, 8 years later he released his fifth album titled, “5th Gear” and simply blew me away.  Not that his other albums weren’t good, but in my opinion “5th Gear” is his strongest album to date.

For those who don’t listen to Country music, I sympathize for you for the fact that you probably never even heard of Brad Paisley.  Living in Northern Jersey, there is hardly any exposure for Country stars on TV or the radio.  Don’t ask me how I got into Brad Paisley, but I’m sure glad I did.  With his incredible writing talent, blend of heart-warming sweetness and knee-slapping comedy, and sensational guitar skills (understatement?), Brad Paisley is one of my favorite artists.

I love the album “5th Gear” for a few reasons.  One, this is the album that really turned me to Country music so I have to give credit where it’s due.  Two, although there are a few tracks I do skip, the majority of this album is made up of outstanding Country hits with a wide range.  Some you can slow dance to, some you’ll find yourself tapping your toe to the rhythm, and all of them you’ll be singing along.  Finally, I love this album because of the good nature and joy that Brad Paisley expresses through his songs.  Every time I listen to the album, I always think that he has got to be one of the happiest guys in the world to write these type of songs… and in turn, the happiness is contagious and simply puts me in a better mood.  Thank you Brad.

It was difficult choosing my favorite track on “5th Gear” but after some deep though I went with “Letter to Me.”  I’m a sucker for songs and stories told in different perspectives.  That’s why I praised Sugarland’s “Stay”, since it boldly went where less than a handful have gone before when singing about a loved one.  In “Letter to Me” Brad Paisley sings about what advice he would give if he could write a letter to his past-self at 17.  I think this is a topic that many of us have thought about at least once in our lives, like what do we wish we knew while growing up? or what would we have done differently having the knowledge we have now?  This song contemplates these things in a beautiful ballad and a lot of the situations he mentions really hit home.

Paisley has a number of love ballads on “5th Gear” that contain so much heart and soul that makes you wish you can have one tenth of the feelings Paisley felt with his wife, Kimberly Williams.  Such songs include: “It Did” – which retells the three happiest moments of Paisley’s life, “Oh Love” – a duet with superstar Carrie Underwood that details what love really is, and “With You, Without You” – where Paisley sings how he can be in love no matter where she is.

Now here’s what really amazes me.  Brad Paisley isn’t just a one-trick pony.  Along with his sensitive side, Paisley has a great amount of silly, humorous songs on the album that are usually the crowd favorites at his concerts.  Starting off “5th Gear” appropriately with a song about a car, “All I Wanted was a Car” is simply about Paisley only wanting a car while his classmates were aspiring for bigger and better things.

Then in the very catchy next track, “Ticks”, Paisley suggests taking the girl he picked up at a bar into the woods to “check her for ticks.”  This is a light and fun song with some funny lyrics and a rhythm that will make you want to get up and dance.  Right after “Ticks” Paisley sings about MySpace and instant messaging in “Online”, a song about how much cooler he was to talk to online than in person.

He doesn’t let up with his free mind with “I’m Still a Guy.”  This is one of Paisley’s anthems about a relationship that isn’t gushing with cute phrases and endearing choruses.  Instead, he explains how even though he loves her and will do anything for her, he’s still just a guy and will continue to do things such as misinterpreting signs for sex and having a need to get into a fight once in a while.  It’s tough not to chuckle at the truth expressed in this song.

In “Some Mistakes” Paisley sings about a few things in his past that he knows he shouldn’t have done but because they were just so much fun, he just wants to keep doing it.  And in “Better Than This” Paisley paints a picture of him and a few buddies lying around a campfire and enjoying each other’s company and even though they all were content, things could always get better.  Especially “if a busload of women, really good-looking women just suddenly pulled in here. And Ol’ Joe T. Garcia Showed up with fajitas and a hundred gallon keg of beer.”

Even though Brad Paisley has six full-length albums already out (and another at the end of this month) in ten years, he doesn’t seem to show any signs of slowing down.  And I sure hope he doesn’t because he has truly put himself at the top of Country music.  If he keeps this pace up he’ll certainly reach legendary status.  Yes, he’s just that good.

Box Office Predictions (June 26-28)

It’s the end of June and the summer has seen a bunch of blockbuster films that have been banking in their success along with a few surprise hits.  But now the big guns have been pulled out.

Michael Bay’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen has already hit theaters since Wednesday and will definitely take the weekend by storm.  Grossing $16 million from its midnight showings and approximately $60 million on Wednesday, I think it’s safe to say that this super-sequel will top the box office.  The question is… how much will it make?  If you haven’t heard, the critics are bashing this film to no end.  How much will that affect the public?

Also opening this weekend is My Sister’s Keeper.  This drama starring Cameron Diaz will open in about 2,600 theaters.  This film doesn’t scream “blockbuster” at all since it’s a serious drama about a girl wtih leukemia.  This will be a tear-jerking film in the middle of the loud and funny summer.  Can it survive?

Here are our predictions…

My Predictions:

1.  Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – $102 million
2.  The Proposal – $20 million
3.  The Hangover – $18 million
4.  Up – $14 million
5.  My Sister’s Keeper – $10 million

Chris’ Predictions:

1.  Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – $115 million
2.  My Sister’s Keeper – $22 million
3.  The Proposal – $20 million
4.  The Hangover – $14 million
5.  Up – $9 million

Phil’s Predictions:

1.  Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – $50 million
2.  My Sister’s Keeper – $24 million
3.  The Hangover – $14 million
4.  The Proposal – $10 million
5.  Up – $8 million

Sheehan’s Predictions:

1.  Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – $84 million
2.  The Proposal – $24 million
3.  The Hangover – $20 million
4.  My Sister’s Keeper – $15 million
5.  Up – $14 million

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To no surprise, the Predictions Panel has Transformers 2 winning the box office, though our gross estimates differ greatly.  Chris and I believe Transformers will break the $100 million mark for the weekend while Phil thinks the negative reviews will hinder its success.  Meanwhile, Phil and Chris have My Sister’s Keeper in the #2 slot, predicting the movie will make over $20 its opening weekend, but Sheehan and I think the movie will make significantly less.

Let’s see how our predictions hold up.  Check back on Monday for the box office results.

Michael Jackson dead at 50

Numerous reports including the Los Angeles Times has announced that pop-star Michael Jackson has died at the age of 50.

This afternoon, Paramedics were called to a home that Jackson has been renting.  He fell into a coma and was rushed to UCLA Medical Center.  At about 3:15 p.m. Jackson was pronounced dead.

Michael Jackson has been planning a comeback with already 50 sell-out concerts in London later this summer.

I don’t know if Michael Jackson will be remembered more for his incredible talent or for his bizarre actions later in his life.  For me, breaking out as a child prodigy with The Jackson 5 and then recording the highest selling album of all-time, Thriller… those are the things that’ll last.  He will always be the King of Pop and will probably hold the record for the all-time greatest selling album forever.

Michael Jackson (1958-2009)

Hilarious Reviews for ‘Transformers 2′

Oh yeah, if you haven’t heard already, movie critics are bashing Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen to no end.  Here’s the great thing about negative movie reviews, they’re actually pretty funny.  Check them out:

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“If you want to save yourself the ticket price, go into the kitchen, cue up a male choir singing the music of hell, and get a kid to start banging pots and pans together. Then close your eyes and use your imagination.”
- Roger Ebert

“But what’s wrong here is that there’s so much swirling, relentless action, indistinct robot characterizations and over-caffeinated techies loose on the special-effects machines that the movie, in mere seconds, achieves incoherence.”
- John Anderson (Washington Post)

“This is blockbuster porn absent even the suggestion of care or concern for anything that might resemble “a point,” save the obvious one to move more Hasbro action figures and animated-series DVD boxed sets.”
- Robert Wilonsky (The Village Voice)

“‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’ is – there’s no polite way to say this – 2 1/2 hours of tumescence disguised as a motion picture. Giant robots smash each other to rivets, Shanghai and the Egyptian pyramids are reduced to rubble, fighter jets scream across the sky, bombs burst in air, and Megan Fox’s measurements are deployed on the screen for maximum effect.”
- Ty Burr (The Boston Globe)

“After only an hour, it all feels boring and numbingly repetitive, and one glance and the watch tells you you’ve got another solid hour and a half to go.”
- Christy Lemire (Associated Press)

“Director Michael Bay’s film — which has two settings, “puree” and “liquify” — is like that scene in “Raging Bull,” when Joe Pesci slams a car door against the guy’s head, over and over. Bay’s sequel is the car door; the audience is the guy.”
- Michael Phillips (Chicago Tribune)

“So kick back, dig into your jumbo faux butter-drenched popcorn, and slurp your gargantuan soda while experiencing the kind of supersized mayhem that only Michael Bay can deliver. It’s a question of whether the cholesterol in the “butter” will harden your arteries before what’s on the celluloid can cause brain death.”
- James Berardinelli (Reelviews)

“As big, dumb summer “entertainments” go, they don’t get much bigger or much dumber than Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. The briefly amusing mash-up/crunch-up of a couple of summers back has been recycled into an epic two and a half hours of explosions, ponderous cartoon history, veiled racism and inept geography. Is it the worst movie of the summer? Possibly. Will everybody see it? Probably.”
- Roger Moore (Orlando Sentinel)

Ten Best Picture Nominees?!

Yes, you heard correctly.  The Academy Awards made an announcement today that the category for Best Picture will expand to 10 nominees.  I guess they’re really desperate to boost its ratings, because why else would they change the format for film’s most prestigious award?

Here’s something that I didn’t know:  In the 1930’s and early 1940’s, it was common to have ten Best Picture nominations.  But the question is still, why the change now?  Is it really because of the ratings or a different issue entirely?

I know that the public has been fed up with the selections for Best Picture in the past few years.  There’s a hostility that critics and the public have greatly different tastes in movies, which (I’ll say it again) is basically true because the public is stupid when it comes to movies.  The public’s view on movies can generally be determined by box office success while critics’ view on movies can be determined by their reviews.  But here might be one of the big reasons why the category was extended… last year there was this film (you might’ve heard of it), The Dark Knight, that grossed over $533 million and had incredible reviews.  Yet, it was snubbed after the voting was tallied.  Now if there were 10 nominees last year, there’s no doubt that The Dark Knight would’ve been nominated along with other notable snubbs like WALL-E and Revolutionary Road.

So what do I think about the change?  Well, I’m a bit impartial to the expansion at the moment.  The good is that it’ll definitely broaden the range of movies that can have the title “nominated for Best Picture.”  This almost definitely has Pixar’s Up a lock for this year’s Best Picture race since it’s the best reviewed film of the year so far (and will be at the year’s end).  But the bad is the concern I have that there will really be TEN movies that deserve to be competing for Best Picture.  Again, if last year had 10 nominees, who else would’ve been nominated?  The Dark Knight, WALL-E, Gran Torino, Iron Man, and The Wrestler?  But Gran Torino and Iron Man were good but definitely not Best Picture worthy.

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how 2009 turns out.  The only film that has been Oscar-worthy this year so far is Up.  Then again, Oscar season hasn’t hit yet.  For now, I think ten nominations are a bit too much, but heck maybe everything will work out.

Megan Fox is FHM’s Sexiest Woman (Again)

Is there anyone hotter than Megan Fox right now?  Popularity-wise… no.  Appearance-wise… apparently not.  After about 10 million votes on FHM’s poll for who is the sexiest woman, Megan Fox defends her title at the top for a second straight year.  At 23-years-old, she’s simply on top of the world with Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen hitting theaters today.

Here’s the Top 10 from the 100 women who made the list:

10.  Katy Perry
9.  Anne Hathaway
8.  Heidi Montag
7.  Elisha Cuthbert
6.  Adriana Lima
5.  Madeline Zima
4.  Jessica Biel
3.  Scarlett Johansson
2.  Jessica Alba
1.  Megan Fox