TCM Classic Film Festival - Day 2 (Pt. II: Arabian Nights & Gladiatorial Games)

After lunch I made my way over to the Chinese Multiplex Theater for a screening of The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. I've always been a big fan of Ray Harryhausen's effects work (Super Dynamation!) in genre films from Earth vs. The Flying Saucers and Jason and the Argonauts to The Mysterious Island.

It was a real hoot seeing one of the movies that my dad saw as a kid. Sure, the dialogue is pretty hokey, and the film definitely reflects a very different era in American culture, but that was part of its charm. It was also very cool that they had on hand a film historian who talked about the film before the screening and shared some interesting tidbits about the production. All in all, it was a lot of fun.

Also of interest was the Chinese Multiplex Theater itself. Before yesterday, I didn't even know that this theater existed. The Multiplex is a collection of about a half dozen movie screens that sits between Graumann's Chinese Theater and the Kodak Theater on Hollywood Boulevard. The theater lobby was completely decked out for the festival. There were all kinds of displays and standees celebrating classic movies everywhere. I don't know how long I spent wandering around after the movie.

I think my favorite display was the one that held the Best Picture Academy Award for An American in Paris (the 1951 Gene Kelly/Leslie Caron film that was restored and given a red carpet premiere for the festival this year). We're talking an ACTUAL Oscar! I'd never seen a real one up close before. It was cool to see. I wonder how much those things weigh?

After I checked out the displays in the Multiplex, I made my way back out to Hollywood Boulevard. I'd intended to stop in at the Roosevelt Hotel to chill for awhile before making my way to Graumann's Chinese Theater across the street. However, as I left the Multiplex, I walked right by Graumann's and noticed a number of people in line. Curious, I stopped and asked a man what movie he was in line for. "Spartacus, " he replied. I checked the time and saw that the Spartacus screening was still about two hours away. Yet there were already a couple of dozen folks waiting in line.

I made a quick decision. I'd already learned my lesson that morning when I was greeted by the long line for Becket outside the Egyptian. I jumped into line, ready to wait for my chance to see Stanley Kubrick's classic film and its iconic star, the legendary Kirk Douglas, in the flesh! I knew that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I wasn't going to miss it.

The two-hour wait to get into Graumann's went by quickly. While we stood there, the line swelled into the hundreds. There was a lot of excitement in the air. I met a family just in front of me who saw a screening of Bette Davis' Now, Voyager earlier in the day. I'm ashamed to say that I'm not as versed on my Bette Davis movies as I should be, so I kicked myself for not making time to see this movie (guess I'll have to catch it on TCM or on DVD sometime soon).

Note to self: for the 2012 festival (and yes, you're coming back, BTW), create a list of must-see classic films that you'll make time to see.

It's sad to say, but despite being a huge movie fan and a filmmaker, classic films remain my Achilles Heel. Of course, I've seen quite a few of the movies that my parents and grandparents grew up on (my favorite film of all time is Ben-Hur for crying out loud!), but I'm not as knowledgeable about them as a group (unlike say, the films from the late 1970s on - the movies that I grew up with). Of course, one could argue, that's the entire purpose for coming to a festival like this. So I get credit for that, right?

In any case, the two hours in line went by quickly. We had plenty of entertainment in the queue on Hollywood Boulevard: dudes and dudettes dressed as superheroes (you can make a living doing that?); a street rapper who accosted people (mostly attractive women) as they walked by and improvised rhymes incorporating some bit of info about the people who agreed to participate; and tons of random of people who drew attention all on their own, including a couple of Brazilian beauties who turned heads and had tongues wagging while they wandered around the grounds outside Graumann's. I know, I know. I tried to snap a quick pic, but to no avail before they wandered off. Next time, I promise to get photographic evidence of random exotic beauties.

Finally, though, the wait was over and it was time to go into Graumann's! Getting to go into this legendary theater was a real treat. The joint is huge! It's truly a beautiful example of the old-style movie palaces of yesteryear. Just gorgeous. I could spend a lifetime seeing my favorite films on that fabulous screen. Well, at least I got a taste by getting to see Spartacus there.

Before the movie started, though, we got a double treat, in the form of Robert Osborne, Mr. TCM himself, coming out to intro the film and its star, the guest of honor, Kirk Douglas! Osborne set the evening up with a short video tribute to Douglas, which gave a good sampling of the man's amazing film career, highlights featuring assorted clips of everything from Paths of Glory to Picasso. It was pretty cool. One particularly memorable bit was a piece from a one-man show that Douglas has been doing in recent years that featured him on stage having a conversation with a younger version of himself, projected onto a screen. That was nice.

After the tribute, Osborne came back out and introduced Douglas. I was only about 8-10 rows back, so I had a great view. When Douglas first came out and stood next to our host, I was honestly a little shocked at how short and frail he looked next to Osborne. Obviously, Douglas is an older man now, and we all know about the health challenges he's faced in his later years. Still, it was a bit of a surprise. However, while time has changed the man's body, Douglas quickly proved that it's done nothing to dampen his spirit. He had a twinkle in his eye that revealed a zest for life that was unmistakable. And it was infectious. This was freakin' Kirk Douglas! He had amazing presence on that stage, and he knew how to play to his audience. Most touching of all, you could tell that he genuinely enjoyed being there for us that night.

Osborne conducted an amazing Q&A with the star that was as much fun as it was informative. Douglas, for his part, was frank, funny, and poignant in his observations on his career and his life in general. It was obvious that this was a man with a point of view -- and a lot of life left in him.

At the end of the Q&A, the audience thanked the screen legend with a standing ovation. Their chat had lasted about 45 minutes, but it went by so quickly. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience, and their conversation continued to resonate with me during the screening. Getting the chance to see and hear Kirk Douglas in the flesh was the perfect setup for watching him in the film we were there to see that evening, and the perfect way to end my second day at the festival. It's a memory I'm going to carry with me for a very long time.

Be sure to come back soon. My next entry will be about day three of the Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival!

Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival - Day 2 (Pt. I: Royal Daze and a British Screen Legend)

This was a good day.

It started with an early screening of the 1964 Richard Burton/Peter O'Toole classic, Becket. I got to the theater (Graumann's Egyptian) an hour early (8:00 a.m. PST) only to discover that there was already a line for the film. A long one. But that was okay, for, as I was soon to learn, there was plenty of room in the auditorium, and getting a seat was no problem.

Heck, it was actually a lot of fun waiting in line, chatting with other festival attendees (not to mention flirting with one of the festival staff members as she handed out numbered slips for festival passholders in line, which gave us some priority over those who bought tickets for this single screening). You could feel the excitement coming from the other attendees, as we were all eager to discuss one aspect of the festival or another, as well as our love of film in general.

It was a real treat to see the famous Egyptian Theater up close, as this was my first time there. What I didn't know before this day was that it was the home of the American Cinematheque. The Egyptian decor was a sight to see (and an interesting contrast to the more famous Graumann's Chinese Theater). The interior was as much of a visual treat as the outside. Particularly impressive was the wrought iron ceiling work. That, along with the large screen and numerous seats, made for a wonderful film viewing venue.

All of this played wonderfully into setting the mood for the feature presentation itself: Becket. I realized as I watched the film that I'd never seen this movie all the way through. It was an amazing experience. For those who don't know, Becket is the story of real life 12th-century friends, Thomas Becket and King Henry II of England. Henry (played by Peter O'Toole) is the grandson of Norman invader William the Conqueror. Becket, played by Richard Burton, is a Saxon who is constantly reminded by those in the king's court (and the church) of his inferior status as one of the conquered.

Despite their differences, Becket and King Henry are good friends who find ways to further secure the king's position, at the same time irritating those who resent Henry and his cavalier ways. Their friendship faces a major test when Henry elevates his friend (already the chancellor of the realm) to the position of Archbishop of Canterbury. Much to Henry's surprise, Becket takes the position and its responsibilities to heart. As archbishop, it is Becket's devotion to both God and his fellow man (and not to his king), that ultimately drives a wedge between the two friends and propels this incredible film to its powerful conclusion.

Becket was an amazing film that I'm glad to have finally seen in its entirety. It was a very moving experience, but not just because it's a great movie (which it is). You see, earlier this year, one of my cousins passed away. It wasn't until Michael's funeral that I learned that Becket was his favorite movie. My cousin and I had talked about our mutual love of movies on many occasions, but I never knew that this one was his very favorite.

So when I heard that Becket would be screened at the festival, I very much wanted to see it. I think for me, it became a way to honor my cousin's memory, so I'm glad I went. Now I think I see why Michael liked it so much. Great choice, Cuz.

If seeing this movie wasn't treat enough, it was all that more a memorable experience by the presence of one of its stars: Peter O'Toole. The actor showed up right after the screening to participate in a Q&A with TCM host Ben Mankiewicz. O'Toole, despite his years, proved that he's still a force to be reckoned with. He talked a good bit about the making of Becket, recalling several stories about his co-star, the late Richard Burton, with whom he shared a very close friendship.

O'Toole gave a great interview, full of warmth, wit and humor. And we in the audience ate it up, hanging on his every word, joke, and anecdote. It was a revelation to learn that TCM screened Becket at O'Toole's request. That says a lot, considering O'Toole's rich body of work, which includes my personal favorite of his films: Lawrence of Arabia. Getting to see and hear from the man who played T.E. Lawrence and King Henry II was a real treat and the opportunity of a lifetime. I'm so glad that I went to this festival!

Believe it or not, the day was just getting started with the Becket screening. It would continue with a screening of the Ray Harryhausen Dynamation vehicle, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. And this already very rich day would conclude with a screening of the Stanley Kubrick classic, Spartacus, with the great Kirk Douglas himself in attendance!

Since this entry is getting a little long, I'll cover the rest of Day 2 in my next post. Come back tomorrow for the rest of the tale...

Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival - Day 1

Today marked day one of the second annual Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival, a celebration of classic American films, sponsored by Turner Classic Movies, and attended by thousands of movie fans from all over the world. Dozens of movies will be screened, including An American in Paris, Spartacus, Citizen Kane, The Godfather, The Day the Earth Stood Still, All About Eve, and Shaft. There will be panels and discussions attended by such celebrities as Mickey Rooney, Peter O'Toole, Debbie Reynolds, Kirk Douglas, and of course, TCM host and moderator Robert Osborne.

And this year I'm in the thick of it all.

After missing the first festival last year, I decided that the next time around, I'd make sure I was there to see it for myself. And boy, am I glad that I came out for this party. There's a lot going on besides the film screenings themselves. There are swanky parties, red carpet gala celebrations, signings by stars of the films featured in the festival, and panel discussions held on an impressively diverse set of subjects, including: dancing in the movies, movie trailers, African-Americans in film, voice doubles in musicals, and film sequels.

There's tons to do, and I can't imagine anyone attending this year will be bored. That being said, day one of the festival was a little low-key for me. My flight from Atlanta got in late, late, LATE last night (or should I say this morning) and that threw my whole day off. I missed the first day's panels and screenings, but that's okay.

Thursday was the lightest day schedule-wise of the festival, so it gave me a chance to check everything out and get my bearings. I really enjoyed walking up and down Hollywood Boulevard taking in the sights and getting a feel for the vibe of the festival overall. If I had to sum it up in a word, it'd be: fun. And also style. It was exciting stomping up and down the Hollywood Walk of Fame, noting where all the festival venues were in relation to each other (Graumann's Chinese Theater and The Egyptian, for starters).

Especially impressive was walking into the historical Roosevelt Hotel, site of many an event back in Hollywood's heady glory days (including the very first Academy Awards, way back in 1929). Walking into the building, I felt as if I'd stepped back in time. I can see why TCM chose it as the hub for festival events. It's a classy, stylish place, and I could see that everyone in the joint was equally impressed by it... and having a grand old time, too.

So maybe I didn't attend any events today. It's cool. I still had fun just experiencing the festival. But trust me, I'm going to attend as many screenings and panels as I can over the next three days. And I'm going to be tweeting and blogging about all of it as much as possible (that is, when I'm not attending a screening or panel).

A bit of a slow start perhaps today, but I'll more than make up for on Day Two. Friday brings screenings (for me at least) of Becket (starring Richard Burton and Peter O'Toole, the latter of which will be in attendance to introduce the film and participate in a panel discussion after the film), The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (as part of a tribute to film music composer Bernard Hermann) and Spartacus (with "I am Spartacus!" himself, Mr. Kirk Douglas present).

I'd say it's all going to be good. It's going to be fun. And it's going to be covered here in my blog. So if you want to hear more, tune back in tomorrow for another report.

Until then, I'm signing off. I'll be seeing you at the movies....

From Whence Cometh the Best Sci-Fi Films?

Anybody who knows me knows that I love science fiction: Sci-Fi novels, short stories, comics, TV shows and movies in particular. Recently, I've been thinking about the science fiction movies that have had the biggest impact on me, the ones I've enjoyed the most. One of the first things that occurred to me was that there aren't really that many SF movies out there. Sure, there are lots of science fiction movies that have been made over the years, but compared to most genres, there really aren't that many.

Maybe more than fantasy movies, I guess, but not as many as say, romantic comedies.

So, while I guess you can argue over whether or not there's tons of SF movies out there, one thing you can't argue is the number of really good ones out there. Answer: very, VERY few, like with anything else. Of course, there's any number of films that you can rattle off: Alien, Blade Runner, Terminator 2, The Matrix. All great films, but when you really think about it, how many truly outstanding sci-fi movies are there? Well, I started thinking about my favorite ones and to make it fun, I decided to limit myself to my very favorite SF films by decade.

That's right. One movie, one decade at a time.

With that rule in mind, I want to take a closer look at the SF films that matter most to me and the reasons why. So, from time to time during the year, I'll devote a discussion to each of the films that stick out for me and will post them here.

Keep in mind, the films we'll look at won't necessarily be the highest-grossing or the most popular movies. I'm going to look at the ones that are my personal favorites, the ones that most informed my grasp of science fiction and told the stories that impacted me on a personal level. So be warned, I may not cover your personal favorites, or those with the greatest cult following, or even the ones that may be considered the "best" by either popular or critical culture.

But that's okay. It'll be more fun - and less predictable - this way.

Be sure to come back soon 'cause we're gonna start with a little film that came out way back in the 1950s.

Any guesses as to what it is? Come back soon and find out...

The 83rd Academy Awards: And the Oscar Goes To...

And the big night is finally here. For those of you keeping track, as usual, I made some Oscar predictions last month for all of the award categories. Now that the awards are finally being handed out, let's see how much I got right:

Best Art Direction: I just had a feeling about this one. The movie had a unique and amazing look and my gut told me that it would be recognized for it.
Predicted Winner: Alice in Wonderland
Actual Winner: Alice in Wonderland

Best Cinematography: Okay, my prediction was off with this one. But I'm glad to be wrong. This is the one that deservedit. This movie just had an amazing look that made it a pure joy to watch. I think this is just one of a couple awards that it will win tonight.
Predicted Winner: The King's Speech
Actual Winner: Inception

Best Supporting Actress: I knew it! I really believed that Melissa Leo would take this one. What a speech she gave! Guess she forgot that she was on live TV with that dropped F-bomb! And that Kirk Douglas... great choice to have him present the award. What a ham!
Predicted Winner: Melissa Leo for The Fighter
Actual Winner: Melissa Leo for The Fighter

Best Animated Feature: Toy Story 3. As usual, no surprise here. Pixar continues to dominate this category, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. And yes, they have another movie out this year: Cars 2. Will it be a lock for the this category next year. Tune in next year and we'll all find out. In the meantime, once again, good job and congratulations, Pixar!
Predicted Winner: Toy Story 3
Actual Winner: Toy Story 3

Best Adapted Screenplay: He wrote a great screenplay for a very powerful movie. Plus, he had all of the buzz and momentum behind him. figured he'd pull this one off.
Predicted Winner: Aaron Sorkin for The Social Network
Actual Winner: Aaron Sorkin for The Social Network

Best Original Screenplay: Good for late bloomers! Nice speech. One more reason why it's going to be a very good night for this movie.
Predicted Winner: David Seidler for The King's Speech
Actual Winner: David Seidler for The King's Speech

Best Foreign Language Film: Oops! I was way off with this one. Thought it really would go to Biutiful. Guess things aren't so rotten in Denmark.
Predicted Winner: Biutiful
Actual Winner: In a Better World

Best Supporting Actor: Very cool to see this win. Thank you, Batman, for not dropping the F-bomb like your co-star from The Fighter.
Predicted Winner: Christian Bale for The Fighter
Actual Winner: Christian Bale for The Fighter

Best Original Score: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Really expected this to go the way of The King's Speech, but looks like I was wrong.
Predicted Winner: The King's Speech
Actual Winner: The Social Network

Best Sound Mixing: Okay, I gave The King's Speech a little too much credit in this one. I should've seen that this was a no-brainer. Like I've been saying, Inception will carry several awards tonight. My only regret is that they will be in technical categories only. But they are well deserved.
Predicted Winner: The King's Speech
Actual Winner: Inception

Best Sound Editing: Ditto. Congrats to the makers of Inception.
Predicted Winner: Inception
Actual Winner: Inception

Best Visual Effects: It will be interesting to see if this movie wins anything else tonight. Unfortunately, because I believe Inception is only going to receive technical awards love tonight, I think that's all she wrote for Christopher Nolan's groundbreaking movie.
Predicted Winner: Inception
Actual Winner: Inception

Best Editing: Ok, that's another one I got wrong. Figured it'd be another feather in The King's Speech's cap, but was not meant to be. Congrats to David Fincher's editing team.
Predicted Winner: The King's Speech
Actual Winner: The Social Network

Best Original Song: And it's Randy Newman. Wow, he's having fun tonight, isn't he? As I always say, never bet against a Pixar film!
Predicted Winner: Toy Story 3
Actual Winner: Toy Story 3

Best Director: Okay, forget what I said last month. If you have any doubt as to who will win Best Picture, this award should give you a major clue. Good advice, Mr. Hooper. Always listen to your mother...
Predicted Winner: David Fincher for The Social Network
Actual Winner: Tom Hooper for The King's Speech

Best Actress: Good for you, Natalie! What a journey for this interesting actor. Honestly, I think her best acting is still ahead of her. Keep your eyes on this one.
Predicted Winner: Natalie Portman for Black Swan
Actual Winner: Natalie Portman for Black Swan

Best Actor: One more step along the way to a Best Picture coronation for this stirring film about the royal family.
Predicted Winner: Colin Firth for The King's Speech
Actual Winner: Colin Firth for The King's Speech

Best Picture: Very nice film. Glad to see it win. However, there were no surprises here. It was the hands down favorite and to be honest, I would've been surprised if any of the other films won.
Predicted Winner: The King's Speech
Actual Winner: The King's Speech

Now let's see how many of these that I got right: out of the 17 categories that I tracked and blogged about this year, I got 12 of them right. That's about 75%. Not too bad. But I'd like to get it up higher next year.

Well, once again, that's it folks. As always, I invite you to join me again next year - same time, same blog - to find out which films from 2011 will take home Oscar gold.

Until then, I hope you have a magical time at the movies. I know I will.

Look! Up on the Silver Screen! It's Superheroes!

(Or: We're 10 Years into the Current Comic Book Movie Boom – What's the Future of Cinematic Superheroes?)

This is a great time to be alive if you’re a comic book fan (and by the way, yes, I am one). Never have there been more choices for us from the burgeoning superhero movie genre.

As a kid, pretty much all that my sisters and I had to enjoy of our caped and cowled heroes were the Christopher Reeve Superman movies and the Tim Burton Batman flicks. Which, more often than not, meant that the choices for superhero fare were few and far between. And the few flicks that there were out there were almost always bad. Very bad. I remember always wondering why there were so few superhero movies (where was Spider-Man? Where was The Flash? The Justice League? And when are we finally going to get a Wonder Woman movie?)

It's always seemed to me that superhero movies were maybe (and that's a BIG maybe) rated just a little higher than cartoons on the respectability totem pole. Such fare (along with animation, in American culture at least) was (and is) typically relegated to kids' stuff. Unfortunately, it's often with good reason. Most superhero stories outside of the comics themselves have been told through animation and aimed at kids. Whether it was the Super Friends or Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, most superhero antics have a history of being pretty juvenile.

And it hasn't really been any better for the live-action projects. While the old Incredible Hulk series was pretty good, nearly everything else wasn't. Most shows and movies suffered too much from bad writing and limited budgets to be taken seriously. And maybe those are the two biggest reasons why the genre has suffered so much over the years.

But that all changed back in the late 1970s and 1980s. A couple of really interesting things happened that I think forever changed filmed superheroes. One was the release of Richard Donner's Superman: The Movie (1978), starring Christopher Reeve as the titular hero. A modern retelling of the Superman mythology, the film was both a critical and commercial success, ushering in the age of the modern superhero movie - in much the same way that 2001: A Space Odyssey set the stage for the modern science fiction film (making later entries like Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Alien, Blade Runner and others possible). In just the same way, Superman laid the groundwork for the Tim Burton Batman films, as well as other superhero films.

Another game changer for superheroes was that comics books themselves - and thus the superheroes they featured - changed. DC Comics gave itself a major reboot with Crisis on Infinite Earths and the revamping of some of its most iconic characters (namely Superman at the hands of writer John Byrne, and Batman through Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns). These reboots made the characters more adult, relatable and - oddly enough - more realistic.

About the same time, Hollywood, hoping to build upon the earlier successes of the Superman movies, delved deeper into the world of superheroes by producing Tim Burton's version of Batman, itself greatly influenced by Frank Miller's take on the Dark Knight. The movie was a runaway success and whetted the appetites of producers eager to make money off comic book characters.

The 1989 Batman movie was followed by three sequels. However, as with the Superman movies before them, each successive film decreased in quality following the second installments. Naturally, Hollywood wasn't deterred. If anything, it simply kept shoveling more entries of a genre it didn't understand or appreciate down our throats. Along with the Batman movies, other heroes featured in films included: Supergirl (1984), Dick Tracy (1990), The Rocketeer (1991), The Shadow (1994), and The Phantom (1996), among others. In some cases, the films attempted were so bad that they never even got a theatrical release, as was the case with the early 1990s attempts to bring Captain America and The Fantastic Four to the big screen, in 1991 and 1994, respectively.

Superhero movies flamed out quickly after early successes, and slipped back into the camp of, well, camp. (Batman & Robin, anyone?) Ironically, the early major successes with the superhero movie genre came from comic book powerhouse DC Comics (home of Superman, Batman, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman). And it was their major competitor, Marvel Comics (home to Spider-Man, the Hulk, Iron Man, Captain, America and the Fantastic Four) that couldn't get a decent comic book movie off the ground. That began to change, however, in the late 1990s, with the advent of the Blade movies, starring Wesley Snipes as the Marvel Comics vampire hunter who was himself half-vampire. These films came in the wake of successful comic book movies The Crow (1994) and Spawn (1997), both adapted from independent comic book labels.

The first movie in the franchise, Blade (1998), produced on a modest budget of $45,000,000, would go on to gross over $130,000,000 worldwide, and produce two sequels, Blade II (2002) and Blade: Trinity (2004). Marvel comics would strike gold again with the arrival of X-Men (2000), which was a surprise box office hit, also generating two sequels during the first decade of the century.

However, it was with the first Spider-Man film (2002), that Marvel proved that it had staying power. The film, well cast with Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man/Peter Parker, Kirsten Dunst as girl next door Mary Jane Watson, and Willem Dafoe as the villainous Green Goblin, captured the minds and hearts of audiences worldwide and eventually raked in more than $800,000,000 in total box office receipts, placing it among the top ten highest grossing films of all time.

What followed for the rest of the decade was an avalanche of Marvel Comics-based movies based upon heroes in capes and spandex, some celebrated, some decried. In addition to the X-Men and Spider-Man movies, new heroes to grace the silver screen included the Fantastic Four, the Hulk (not once, but twice, including the 2008 reboot The Incredible Hulk), The Punisher, Daredevil, Electra, and Iron Man.



Not to be outdone, the DC Comics camp rebooted Batman with the Christopher Nolan-directed Batman Begins (2005), a far superior vision of the Caped Crusader than the Tim Burton films. And following close behind came X-Men director Bryan Singer's reboot of the Man of Steel with Superman Returns (2006), an earnest, if flawed, vision grafted into the continuity of Richard Donner's first two Superman films, starring Christopher Reeve. Nolan's interpretation of Batman would go on to spawn an even more successful, and far superior, sequel, The Dark Knight (2008), which would gross more than a billion dollars worldwide, making it the most successful comic book movie of all time.

And there’s a lot more coming from both comic book publishing titans. Next year, we’ll be treated to a revamped (read: younger) version of the X-Men, as well as the initial offerings (or as the fanboys and girls out there know, the origin stories) for Thor, Green Lantern, and Captain America, the first films in what should be very lucrative franchises. And in 2012, we'll be treated to the long-promised superhero team up film The Avengers, featuring established screen superheroes Iron Man and the Hulk, along with Thor and Captain America.

Some critics decry the saturation of the movie market with all of this superhero fare. Isn't this enough, they say? Even some of the people bringing us these superhero movies are wondering that, as evidenced by statements in this article by the helmer of the upcoming X-Men reboot, X-Men: First Class, director Matthew Vaughn.

Seems to me, however, that the naysayers have it all wrong. For decades, the same thing has been said about the western, the musical, and film noir, none of which have disappeared from the your local multiplex. Sure, there aren't as many of them as there used to be, but people still line up to see them. Or maybe the makers of Chicago and Mamma Mia! or 3:10 to Yuma and True Grit are behind the times and don't realize that their genres are dead?

Or more likely, it's that people will always want choices in their nights out when they want to go to the movies and be entertained. And superhero movies are just one more choice for those of us who love movies. Which means that our caped friends aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

Which is fine by me. As far as I'm concerned, I say the more the merrier. At long last, comic book movies have finally achieved legitimate status in American pop culture, on par with romantic comedies, thrillers and traditional action movies.

Suffice it to say that superhero movies are here to stay, and it's about time.

That being said, now that we have a few superhero movies to choose from this year - and the next, and the next after that - my only question is this: just when ARE we going to finally get a Wonder Woman movie?!

The 83rd Academy Award Nominations: And The Oscar Might Go To...?

Wow, has it been a year again already? You all know how this works. The Oscar race is officially underway, so it's time to once again make predictions for this year's contenders. Speaking of, I'm actually starting to get used to the notion of ten Best Picture nominees.

What I don't get is why there are now ten Best Picture nominees, but still only five Best Director noms. Seems kinda silly that half of the film's directors get left in the cold, but that's a subject for another blog.

In any case, between now and Oscar night, it's anybody's guess as to who win. But as always, I'm going to hazard a few guesses. How many do you wager I'll actually get right this time?

Let's find out:

Best Supporting Actress: This contest could get very interesting, as all of these actresses are several strong contenders. I'm not always the biggest Helena Bonham Carter fan, but she was quite good as the Queen Mum in The King's Speech; Young Hailee Steinfeld holds her own opposite Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon in True Grit; and the talented Melissa Leo shines (as always) in The Fighter. Ms. Bonham Carter may be a slight favorite for King's Speech (which has the most nominations at 12), however I think the Oscar is more likely to go and WILL go to Melissa Leo.

All of these actresses are talented, but my gut tells me that this is Ms. Leo's year. Of course, I might be biased (after all, I've been a big fan of Leo's since her days playing Detective Kay Howard on Homicide: Life on the Street). Still, it's the buzz over her tour de force performance that leads me to think that she'll be taking home the little guy on Oscar night. We'll have to wait and see if I'm right.
Predicted Winner: Melissa Leo



Best Supporting Actor: Here's another category that's could land anywhere. Christian Bale always delivers intense performances, and The Fighter is no exception. Jeremy Renner is downright scary as Ben Affleck's bankrobbing wingman in The Town. And while I think the Academy might favor Geoffrey Rush for The King's Speech, I think Oscar will bestow acting accolades on either Bale or Renner. That being said, my money's on Christian Bale.
Predicted Winner: Christian Bale

Best Adapted Screenplay: Yes, True Grit and 127 Hours are in this category (along with Winter's Bone). And yes, Toy Story 3 is also n this category, but Woody and Buzz won't win for their movie's script. We all know which category Pixar consistently takes (see my annual rant below in the Best Animated Feature category). Aaron Sorkin is clearly the favorite for The Social Network and he will win. Take it to the bank, kids.
Predicted Winner: The Social Network

Best Original Screenplay: This one's interesting. I don't see Inception getting this one. It's strength is on its visuals, not so much the script (I know, I know. You wouldn't have those mind-bending shots WITHOUT the script it's based on. True, but Inception is viewed -- for better or worse, through the prism of its director, Christopher Nolan, and not the words on a page). But we'll come back to Inception later...

Similarly, I don't see The Fighter or Another Year taking home the prize. The most likely upset in this category is a win for The Kids Are All Right. However, I strongly believe that this one's going to The King's Speech.
Predicted Winner: The King's Speech

Best Cinematography: Look at all the pretty pictures...
This category could be interesting. While I expect this one to go to The King's Speech, it should probably go to Black Swan, or more deservedly, to Inception. However, it's more likely that this category will be caught up in the wake of The King's Speech's tidal wave of wins. But I hope I'm wrong.
Predicted Winner: The King's Speech

Best Art Direction: This is another one that The King's Speech might carry away, but my gut tells me otherwise. While Inception might take it, I'm going with another suspect.
Predicted Winner: Alice in Wonderland

Best Editing: I have a feeling that this Oscar will come down to two films - Black Swan and The King's Speech. I'm having a hard time picking between these two, but I think I'm going to go with the darling of the ball.
Predicted Winner: The King's Speech

Best Sound: And the nominees are... Inception. The King's Speech. Salt. The Social Network. True Grit. I don't see director David Fincher's take on the creation of Facebook taking this category. Probably the same for the Coen Brothers' adaptation of Charles Portis' Western novel, True Grit. This is a possible win for the Angelina Jolie flick Salt, or perhaps even Christopher Nolan's Inception. However, I believe this award will be one more feather in the cap of The King's Speech.
Predicted Winner: The King's Speech

Best Sound Editing: This one will prove a contest between Tron: Legacy and Inception. Advantage to the dream world over the computer world.
Predicted Winner: Inception

Best Visual Effects: Even with competition like Alice in Wonderland and Iron Man 2, the clear winner is the mind-bending visuals of Inception.
Predicted Winner: Inception

Best Original Song: This award more often than not goes to a song from an animated feature. I think this year will be no exception. Despite the presence of nominated songs from Country Strong and 127 Hours, I have the feeling that this one will go either Tangled or Toy Story 3. And given that one of these nominees is a Pixar film, it's pretty much a no-brainer as to which one will win.
Predicted Winner: Toy Story 3

Best Original Score: With several very talented composers filling out this category, it'll be interesting to see who walks away with the Oscar. And while I'm a big fan of John Powell and Hans Zimmer, I think the evening will be very good to Alexandre Desplat.
Predicted Winner: The King's Speech

Best Animated Feature: And so we've finally come to the animated feature category. Since the category was created in 2002 (and included an Oscar category for films released in 2001), one animation studio has been more successful than any other: Pixar. Of the seven animated features that Pixar released between 2001 and 2009, all have been nominated for Oscars, and all but two have won (Monster's Inc. and Cars being the only Pixar films to not win Oscar gold).


While there's no doubt that Pixar is very, very good at what they do (who can't admire any group of people who put story above everything else?!), is it really a good thing that they've dominated this category the way that they have? I'm not hating; I'm just sayin'. And consider the fact that they have a nominee this year: Toy Story 3. And while TS3 is ALSO nominated for Best Picture, we all know that it won't win in this category. And does anyone really believe that it will lose Best Animated Feature to either The Illusionist or How to Train Your Dragon? The fact that TS3 can and WILL win is a slam dunk, a no-brainer.

And that, to me, is the whole point.
Predicted Winner: Toy Story 3

Best Documentary (Short Subject): See Best Documentary Feature below...

Best Documentary (Feature-Length): I can't really speak to the documentary categories this year, because I haven't seen any of them. Which makes it all the more disappointing that the documentary I DID see this past year, Waiting for Superman, wasn't even nominated. I'll save myself the embarrassment and won't even hazard any guesses here...

Best Foreign Film: With all of the buzz behind it this year, I'm going to have to go with Javier Bardem's film, Biutiful.
Predicted Winner: Biutiful

Best Actress: And so, we've come to it. While there are five very talented actresses up for this award, this contest really comes down to just two of them. You know which two I mean. Annette Bening and Natalie Portman. Ms. Bening (up for her performance in The Kids Are All Right) is the veteran actress with numerous roles to her credit. And there are a lot of people who'd like to see her win an Oscar this year. This is her fourth nomination (including three for Best Actress), but she's never won. Many will see that as a sign that the Academy should give her her due this time around. But will she get it?


The odds-on favorite is Natalie Portman for her performance in Black Swan. Little wonder, too, with all the buzz she's garnered. Speaking of garnered, she's bagged a number of awards for this movie, including the Golden Globe, the Screen Actor's Guild award, and the British Academy Award. Not bad for an actress who's probably known to most of the world for playing Luke Skywalker's mom in the Star Wars prequels! Ms. Portman's always been a strong actress. I remember how impressed I was with her the first time I saw her (no, not in Star Wars: Episode I), but director Luc Besson's The Professional. She was just a kid then, but she made me believe every emotion she played in the movie (kinda like Best Actress nominee Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit).

Both Ms. Bening and Ms. Portman are gifted actors. And while there's a chance the former might just surprise us all and upset the Oscar chances of the latter, I'm betting against it. I'm going with Luke Skywalker's mom.
Predicted Winner: Natalie Portman for Black Swan

Best Actor: This is another competitive category, with fresh faces and veteran actors all competing for this award. I think it's unlikely that Oscar winner Jeff Bridges will win another statuette so soon after his win for Crazy Heart. I also don't think this one will go to nominee Javier Bardem, either. Oscar show co-host James Franco could win for the extraordinary job he did in 127 Hours, as could Jesse Eisenberg for The Social Network (that was some fine work he did portraying Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

In the end, however, I believe this one to be Colin Firth's to lose. You can look for a possible upset by either Eisenberg or Franco, but Oscar night will belong to The King's Speech.
Predicted Winner: Colin Firth for The King's Speech

Best Director: Every year there's speculation as to whether or not the same movie will win both Best director and Best Picture. Movies like Titanic and The Hurt Locker did it. Other films like Saving Private Ryan and Crash did not. I think this is going to be a year where we see such an award split again. But I guess that depends on which film wins Best Picture, right? Let's take consider the possibilities...

First off, the Coen Brothers, as much as I love them, ain't getting another Oscar so soon after No Country for Old Men. Just not gonna happen, folks. Now it's possible that David O. Russell or Darren Aronofsky might take it, but I don't think so. I also don't think that Tom Hooper is going to win (but I do believe his film will). I think this is one of those situations where the Academy will want to award an extraordinary director while also awarding a different film (the one with all of this year's momentum behind it) with the Best Picture Oscar. Fincher is an amazing director with an impressive body of work behind him. He made a a very strong film with The Social Network and I believe he's going to be recognized for it.
Predicted Winner: David Fincher for The Social Network


Best Picture: Ok, kids. This is it. But I don't think there are going to be any surprises. There's one film that's been the runaway favorite throughout this awards season, and it's I think it's carrying home the big one tonight. That's right. It's gonna be that little film about the Brit royal with a stammer.
Predicted Winner: The King's Speech

Well, that's how I see it. Check back on February 27th and I'll sum up who actually wins. In the meantime, let the speculation begin....