Ben Around

Upset alert: FANTASTIC MR. FOX over UP?

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 11:39:56 -0600

Sadly, I still haven’t seen it, but Wes Anderson’s stop-motion comedy Fantastic Mr. Fox is gaining considerable steam well into the precursor awards season, and I’m not ruling out its upsetting Pixar’s masterpiece Up in the best animated feature category at the Oscars.

Would this be the biggest upset in years, considering Pixar’s domination of the category since Shrek paid its way to victory over Monster’s, Inc. in 2001? It’ll be the biggest upset at least since Crash edged Brokeback Mountain for best picture in 2005.

Animated feature’s a rather minor category, but it matters when you’ve got more than one contender competing, especially when one is also getting legitimate consideration for a best picture nomination.

Don’t rule it out.

Locked: At least four guaranteed Oscar winners

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 11:29:20 -0600

Based on the latest buzz and precursors handed out, I’m fairly certain that we have our first stone-cold locks for Oscar wins in four categories.

Best Supporting Actor

Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Mo’Nique, Precious

Note: The actress has seen a recent onslaught of negative criticism regarding her refusing to appear at the New York Critics Film Circle awards ceremony unless she is financially compensated, as well as her refusal to mount a substantial Oscar campaign; but I don’t think it will dissuade enough Academy voters and interfere with her winning this award.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Jason Reitman, Up in the Air

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

The only other person that could be considered a lock is Jeff Bridges for best actor in Crazy Heart, but give it a little more time for more people to see it and gain some more steam. Not ready to call that one just yet, but close.

Otherwise, BANK ON THESE.

Happy Birthday, Steven Spielberg

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:36:09 -0600

Please make good movies again.

AVATAR: To 3-D, or not to 3-D?

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:24:15 -0600

Haven’t seen it yet. I definitely will, but I can’t decide if I’ll go 3-D or not. Didn’t care for it with A Christmas Carol (though I liked that movie aside from that). Anyone with sinus problems should steer clear of that format.

Sidenote: How lame is the latest poster for this movie? The teaser (above) isn’t bad, not spectacular, but the official poster looks fan-made, imo.

Turtlenecks and eggnog

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 09:18:00 -0600

That good ol’ X-Mas party
By Ben Flanagan
Ben Around
December 18, 2009

Calmer streets this time of year doesn’t necessarily translate into bolstered nightlife. It’s depleted, in fact. But that doesn’t mean I don’t prefer it. Typically, Tuscaloosa bars peak during the football season, and that makes sense. But for this Black Warrior native, Christmastime usually means a better time on the Strip or downtown. Reunions with our high school and college compadres make the season particularly merry, and if I must bump into them at Temerson Bar or Mellow Mushroom, that’s okay by me.

Normally, I only hit the bars if a good or new band stops in. If I can’t have good music while cigarette smoke burns through my eyelids, I can’t have anything at all. It just ain’t worth it. In fact, if presented a choice, I’d go with the house party nearly every single time. Stick a band into a residential area, and you’re begging for flashing red and blue lights. That’s a bummer. But the smell of hot chocolate, fresh-baked cookies and tacky sweaters fills the nostrils like no other sweet aroma.

The Christmas party remains undefeated among other holiday get-togethers. Thanksgiving doesn’t count. It reigns supreme food and family-wise, but you can’t call it a party. Halloween’s good for candy and costumes, yes, but show me someone in a better mood than when they’re stuffing their face with peanut brittle with Vince Guaraldi tickling ivories in the background. Top it off with an array of twinkling lights inside of a house or out, and you have your winner.

Before you hit the bars, enjoy a Christmas house party. College kids usually insist on a “tacky” theme where guests must don the mandatory jingling sweaters, striped socks or green turtlenecks. Who can blame them? Growing up, I attended an annual eggnog party that turned me off of the stuff for good. Not because I ever tried it. I just looked at it. That did it. Plus, kids weren’t allowed to dip a cup into the opaque treat when it was spiked with whiskey. Not that any normal kid would swig anything other than milk after his or her 19th sugar cookie. For the record, “Stand by Me” will always fall into my Christmas movie category, given than I popped it in at one of those eggnog parties as I waited on my parents. Fond memory, that.

Take a detour once you hit the road and tour the neighborhoods of Tuscaloosa decorated with a flurry of lights, some covering every square-inch of their households. Honestly, I’ve got to hand it to smart-ass college kids who over-do it to kid around. They usually make for the most impressive display of Christmas lights in town, even when they aren’t seeking that crown. Slowly ride down 13th Street or Riverside Drive to see for yourself. That is, if they’re still in town. Do it before they see the month’s power bill. Another solid bet is Woodland Forest, where a hilly drive past the homes of so many spirited residents would do your heart some good.

Once you wander into whichever venue for your first of however many nightcaps, hope that a local band of old is on stage. Recently, I saw that one of my old favorites, Abby GoGo, played a reunion gig. Sadly, I missed it, but I do hope they come back together for another show during the holidays. What d’ya say, guys? If not, let’s hope the owners picked out the appropriate background music to liven up the yuletide atmosphere. If it isn’t “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” might I suggest jazz organist Jimmy Smith’s “Christmas Cookin’?”

How much must we bribe James Spann or Wes Wyatt to will more than just a few flurries our way around Christmas Day? Can anyone recall Tuscaloosa’s last white Christmas? It came close several years ago, but it still hasn’t happened in my lifetime. Neither has eggnog.

‘Avatar’ at the Cobb Hollywood 16: Reckon we’ll finally find out if James Cameron’s blue-man fairytale will truly “change movies forever,” as the ads so humbly suggest. After wincing and squinting my way through “A Christmas Carol” in 3-D, I’m reluctant to travel down that path again, but Cameron insists that his odyssey (so brilliantly satirized by “South Park” as “Dances with Smurfs”) serves as the true ambassador to the 3-D experience. Recent reports claim the film’s budget exceeds upwards of $500 million, and if the studio thinks they’re profiting domestically, they’re bonkers. Still, I see enough weirdo action in the trailers to plant my butt in a seat. I just may skip the glasses.

‘A Christmas Carol’ at the Bama Theatre: Does Dickens’ classic ever get old? If it did, we’d all share some of Ebenezer Scrooge’s despicably un-merry qualities, but it doesn’t. Be it Jim Carrey, Alastair Sim, Bill Murray or the muppets, I don’t suppose I care who brings these words to life, so long as that holiday spirit kicks in during act one. This weekend, the Tuscaloosa Children’s Theatre will try their best “Bah, humbug!” as three ghosts hover across the Bama stage to help a bitter old man realize his wrongdoings in time for December 25. It truly never gets old.

Christmas movies at the Alabama Theatre: Travel up to Birmingham to catch some cinematic Christmas classics on the big screen in the beautiful Alabama Theatre. Skip hearing Clark Griswold tell his neighbor precisely where he’ll put a tree that big on AMC, and stretch that screen out far and wide tonight. Tomorrow, hear Bing Crosby croon in “White Christmas,” and witness the original “Miracle on 34th Street” next Tuesday. If only Alabama let a few more snowflakes fall on us instead of stars, then we’d just have it all, wouldn’t we? Maybe if they scheduled “Die Hard” in next year’s Christmas series.

Coming soon: Thoughts on Bama Art House series

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:59:00 -0600

The Tuscaloosa Arts Council and Bama Theatre have formed a new film series highlighting lesser-seen contemporary releases that tend to never make it to Tuscaloosa theaters (meaning the Cobb Hollywood 16).

It will include the following movies: MOON, BRIGHT STAR, STILL WALKING, BLACK DYNAMITE, ‘YOU, THE LIVING’ and IN THE LOOP.

Soon, I’ll have some detailed thoughts on the effort. In the meantime, click the image below to visit their Web site.

IRON MAN 2 trailer is up!

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:26:17 -0600

IRON MAN 2 trailer is up!

Sagged: Actors nominate themselves

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:22:49 -0600

The Screen Actors Guild handed out their nominations. Inglourious Basterds continues to gain steam, picking up nods for supporting actor, ensemble and, in bit of a surprise, supporting actress for Diane Kruger. While I thought Kruger did a terrific job in IB, that nod might have gone to Melanie Laurent, who is arguably the heart of the movie (still might belong to Christoph Waltz, even if it’s a black heart). Still, it’s nice to see more of the film recognized.

Another surprise is Up in the Air getting shafted from the best ensemble group. Surely Jason Reitman is whining into his turntable.

Glad to see Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) pick up a nod for best actor. We’ll see him at the Oscars.

Gone: FANTASTIC MR. FOX leaving Cobb

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:02:37 -0600

Of course, Wes Anderson’s stop-motion animation adventure will leave Tuscaloosa before I’ve seen it. I’ve had plenty of time, yes, but if it could only stay for just one more week, I think I could manage. Gotta make way for Avatar, I reckon.

Other than that, Tuscaloosa won’t get anything in the way of Oscar contenders.

Birmingham’s Summit theater will bring An Education this Friday, so that’s at least something.

Keep an eye out for the Bama Theatre (Tuscaloosa) and its art-house series that’ll get started in January, I think. It’s bringing Moon, Bright Star, In the Loop and a few other titles that never made it to Tuscaloosa. At least one of those is already on DVD, if not all of them. That’s okay. A budget’s a buget, but hopefully the arts council will be in a position to secure some of these titles during their first runs. Kudos to them for making the effort.

Globed: Hollywood Foreign Press releases nods

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:07:17 -0600

Here’s Deadline Hollywood’s link to 2009’s Golden Globe nomination. Since no one cares about television nods, let’s focus on the movies. I’m glad to see Inglourious Basterds (out on DVD today) get four nods, including best picture and director. Although this is an ultimately meaningless ceremony (as all of them are), it should likely secure the movie a clear path to major Oscar nominations.

Only surprises I see are Tobey Maguire, Robert Downey Jr. and the screenplay nod for District 9. Otherwise, it was all pretty predictable. The comedy/musical categories usually hurt for nominations, so none of the repeat nominees or mainstream movies really surprise me.

Here’s a list of the locks for Oscar nods this year. After that, it’s fairly wide-open:

Up in the Air

Inglourious Basterds

Precious

The Hurt Locker

Gabourey Sidibe

Mo’Nique

Christoph Waltz

Jason Reitman

Anna Kendrick

Carey Mulligan

Meryl Streep

Michael Giacchino

George Clooney

Morgan Freeman

Woody Harrelson

Kathryn Bigelow

SNL: Taylor Lautner/Bon Jovi

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:03:05 -0600

This show is docked an entire letter grade thanks to its lack of a digital short. From now on, that’s a rule. If they can’t muster up one three-minute short based on the most basic idea with minimal production value, what good are they really?

Cold Opening: Went on forever. Not incredibly funny. At least it wasn’t another tired Obama lead-in. Hope they’re able to knock one of these cold openings out of the park sooner or later.

Monologue: Weak at first, solid in the middle, whimper at the end. If Lautner had connected on either of his jump-kicks, it would have been awesome. The bow-staff routine was pretty badass, for sure. Could have done without the Kill Bill music, but it gets a pass.

Football Picture: Great idea but only so-so follow-through. Lautner did the same gag too many times in a row. Samberg absolutely knocked his bit out of the park. Great moment.

Aunt Sue: Third or so time we’ve seen this, and it didn’t really bother me. Haven’t seen it since either Christopher Walken or Josh Brolin. Can’t remember the order. It was a nice gap between a recurring character. They should take note of themselves. The last couple of physical humor bits felt poorly executed. She should have BURST through the glass window, but oh well. Now take some time before we see Sue again, if ever.

PGA Golf: Best of the night, and one of Sudeikis’s best moments. All three were sharp, and the new ads were hilarious, especially the MLS and the movie Old Dogs. Loved the jabs at the other boring PGA golfers. Wouldn’t mind seeing this return.

Xmas School Performance: Not bad. Got really excited when Samberg rushed the stage, but his gag never broke out of its redundant delivery. Still, it was great that he got into the classic Christmas song until they got contemporary with it. Lots of gay jokes here that I doubt will be appreciated by some. Again, not bad.

Weekend Update: A relatively weak WU, though Armisen’s Native American comedian was okay. Granted, he borrowed the schtick from “South Park’s” brilliant episode “Red Man’s Greed,” but it still delivered.

Jacob vs Edward: Solid idea. These concepts should get more play when the host is promoting a big movie. Most of the dialogue played well, especially about the CGI abs, but I was totally taken out of it when Jenny Slate committed her latest flub, stumbling over Bill Hader’s line on the cue card. Obviously she hasn’t escaped her prior incident. She’s got the jitters. Better get over them fast, or it’s curtains, I’m sure.

Mall Love Connection: Some funny moments between the three performers, but the concept was kind of a misfire. Again, in case you didn’t get it, I don’t like Kenan, so it’s hard to come around on him. I’ll give him one or two laughs here, like when he fell off of the platform and when he called Lautner a weirdo. Good to see Elliot doing some utility work. Still can’t really gauge what kind of image they’re trying to give Lautner. He’s played weird characters throughout the night. Not a knock.

Doorbells: Jenny Slate finally gets her own sketch again since the biker chick incident. Personally, I liked this sketch. In fact, I thought it was maybe the best of the night. One-joke premise told over and over, but I never got tired of it. Further looks will improve poor first impressions, I’m guessing. I’m not in Slate’s camp just yet, but more appearances can’t hurt her. Message board chatter’s been favorable toward her looks, as is the case with Nasim and Elliot, though I think these girls may have talent, too. Slate just seems shaken up since her f-bomb, and Lorne Michaels likely is, too, hence her absence as of late.

Bon Jovi: Gross. These guys are poster-boys for washed-out, has-been rockers. They look old. I get that there’s still a niche for it, but Sambora looks about as lost has he did during his last SNL appearance when he totally blew his lines. Didn’t get this booking either. Snooze.

Overall: Sort of an average episode compared to the rest of the season, which has been average on the whole. Preferred last week’s, thanks partially to the digital short. Skits were better executed overall, but we saw enough potential this week. Of course, potential isn’t what we’re looking for on Saturday nights. Maybe during the auditions. Time for these kids to pony up and knock us dead.

Grade: C+

Mark Ingram, Heisman-winner

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 09:38:57 -0600

Congratulations, sir.

DVD stocking-stuffer mania!

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:47:38 -0600

You can’t go wrong with any of these DVDs this holiday season, so wander into whatever retail store be it Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Movie Stop or Target, and make a loved one happy for years to come. I haven’t personally switched to Blu-Ray yet, but I doubt you can lose either way.

Inglourious Basterds (releases December 15) – Quentin Tarantino needed this in a bad way. After a two movie slump with the atrocious “Kill Bill, Vol. 2” and only sometimes decent “Death Proof,” the superstar director redeemed himself by tearing up the pages of history and reinventing WW2. I proudly regard this as my favorite movie so far this year, and I’m pleased that it’ll arrive just in time for Santa to sling it in my direction. Bonus features include a roundtable discussion featuring Tarantino and critic Elvis Mitchell as well as the making of the fictional propaganda piece “Nation’s Pride.”

Star Trek (now available – We are to trust JJ Abrams with most things now. Give him whatever dying franchise you must, and he’ll either resurrect it or just make it better. Probably the best example of mainstream entertainment you’ll get in 2009, this busted right out of the gate and set an unexpected tone for the rest of the year. Seconds, please.

Up (now available) – So Pixar made another great movie. How tediously repetitive must their hot streak get before we give up watching the movies and just assume they’re wonderful? Honestly, though, writer/director nearly topped his awesome “Monsters, Inc.” with this bizarre story about a senior citizen, his floating house, an overzealous boy scout, a talking dog and a strange bird. Lifted along by Michael Giacchino’s touching musical score, mark another win for Pixar. They earn it every year.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (now available) – Quite easily the best “Potter” installment on film at least, the sixth journey reassured my faith in this franchise thanks to its deft humor, fluid cinematography and evolution of its core acting trio Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint. Director David Yates stumbled with the boring “Order of the Phoenix,” but not here, as the series finally hits its stride just in time for the two-part final chapter.

Lost: The Complete Fifth Season – Don’t you doubt that even this ABC show’s creators, including JJ Abrams, have any clue as to what’s happening week after week by now. Perhaps sans the stupid SyFy Channel-worthy smoke monster, I bought into the “Lost” madness in this middle of this season without having seen any of the show prior to it, and I think it’s about as clear to me as regular viewers. What really grabbed me was Michael Giacchino’s horrifyingly terrific musical score that can make anything sound like a plot twist. If Locke had turned to another character and said, “I just ate a ham sandwich,” with one of Giacchino’s screeching cues, my mind would have been blown anyway.

The Hangover (releases December 15) – Next to his Phish documentary “Bittersweet Motel,” this R-rated, madcap Vegas odyssey serves as director Todd Phillips’ best movie to date. Yes, better than “Old School.” Much braver casting with legitimate funnymen Ed Helms (“The Office,” “The Daily Show”) and Zack Galifinakis (“Between Two Ferns”) shot this into unexpected mainstream success that also rang true with the comedians’ cult followings. Not sure how much further into unrated territory this DVD could go, that is, if you’re familiar with the photo exhibit that accompanies the closing credits of the theatrical version. Yikes.

It Might Get Loud (releases December 22) – Oscar-winner David Guggenheim (“An Inconvenient Truth”) offers up this unique rock doc featuring the likes of guitar gods Jimmy Page, the Edge and Jack White. Mixed with individual interviews and sessions where the three virtuoso musicians sit in the same room, chat and eventually tear it up on their axes all together, I’m not sure how the movie could disappoint rock fans. Clamor all you want about which guitarists Guggenheim should have picked, at least we’re treated with three great successes and superior talents in the industry that rarely offers guitarists of this kind anymore.

Family Guy: Something, Something, Something Dark Side (releases December 22 – Shot in eye-popping 2-D, as it’s advertised, Seth McFarlane’s always funny but highly subversive Fox series once again takes on the “holy trilogy.” Peter as Han Solo, Chris as Luke Skywalker, Lois as Princess Leia, Brian as Chewbacca, Quagmire as C-3PO and, of course, Stewie as a pint-sized Darth Vader all highlight what looks like another hilarious outing for the show as they take on George Lucas. Some fair-weather fans might have grown weary of “Family Guys” reliance on random references, but it’s all still funny. If you’re not laughing, you’re only trying not to for attention. You lose if you miss out on this.

What’s happening near you this weekend:
Tuscaloosa Christmas Afloat tonight on the Black Warrior River: That water might be too icy for your skin, but the pretty holiday lights should please your and everybody else’s eyes. When does it ever hurt to stare at Christmas lights, let alone when they float down an Alabama river? Someone suggested measuring the average endorphin level increase whenever a person (sans Scrooge) catches a glimpse of holiday lights. I’d bet on a kind boost, myself. Also catch the Alabama Choir School’s winter concerts at Moody Music Building’s concert hall this weekend.

Blaine Duncan and the Lookers with Black Willis Band tomorrow at the Mellow Mushroom: This venue highlights familiar local music in back to back weekends, which is a great thing. I caught the Lookers at Little Willie’s a few months ago and thought they’d hit major performing and songwriting strides. Teaming with the Black Willis band this week, Blaine Duncan and fellow guitarist Ham Bagby ought to give you a Saturday night that’s worth gabbing about the next day.

‘The Princess and the Frog’ at the Cobb Hollywood 16: Glad to see Disney revving up the 2-D animation machine again. Not since 1999’s “Tarzan” has Walt’s legacy seeped through, and even then it had begun to fade. Even as Pixar and other modes of 3-D animation dominate the company’s cartoon output, they look to recapture the magic they established so many decades ago with gems like “Pinnochio” and “The Jungle Book” and recaptured in the late 20th century with “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Lion King.” Early buzz suggests their formula still works. Here’s looking forward to celebrating the Mouse Ears again.

Seen: PAPER HEART

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 23:20:00 -0600

Caught this silly and sometimes touching semi-doc starring and co-written by the half-baked comedienne Charlyne Yi, who stands as a new puzzle for the entertainment industry and audiences to unlock in the future.

You’ll remember Yi as the stoner chick in Knocked Up who asked Katherine Heigl if the baby in her womb fights with her over food. Personally, I thought Yi made the most out of her short time in Judd Apatow’s move and made a strong impression on me. In fact, she delivered some of the movie’s better, more unexpected laughs.

With Paper Heart, Yi sets out to discover the meaning of love and whether or not she’ll ever find it or simply acknowledge its existence. Throughout, she insists she’s incapable of loving anyone romantically, yet she remains interested in other people’s stories, people who proudly share their love stories with often heartwarming detail.

Her first encounter comes with a middle-aged man who tells a fascinating story about a near-death experience he had while suddenly visualizing the face of the woman he might have always loved, which ultimately gave him the strength to survive the incident.

Yi and the director depict stories like this through the actual person’s narration along with modest yet elaborate puppet scenes set to nice instrumental indie music. You find yourself caring a great deal for this first guy, even though you’ll notice the walls of his home decorated with guns of all sorts. A lasting image that you somehow don’t mind.

Upon hearing these stories, all of which can’t help but reassure you about life in general seeing as they’re told by real people who have experienced happiness unique to their lives, you almost think Yi starts to buy it. When her director and some of the folks she interviews ask if she’s turned, she maintains that she hasn’t, which disheartens you.

Suddenly, Yi goes to a friend’s party where she has a casual but brief encounter with the amiable Michael Cera, who takes an immediate liking to Yi, yet is not returned the admiration until later. After a few more meetings, the two soon embark on a real-life relationship that tests Yi’s philosophy and feelings. Hoping their development leads to true love, the director and the camera crew follwo the new couple and hope to capture the magic Yi believed never to have existed.

Whether or not you’ll like the movie or even get past the first 10 minutes depends on how you digest Yi. If you dug her bit in Knocked Up and are willing to take that much further but not beyond 90 minutes, enjoy a pleasant experimental romantic comedy that goes down easy. If you’re not a fan of Yi’s dopey schtick you think might be a bit too deliberately quirky, it’ll feel like 3 hours.

Me, I liked it. Once you latch on to the main character and understand why she sets out on this odyssey, you learn to care about her and hope what she was never looking for smacks her in the side of the head. You get the idea that she only wants to make this documentary for fun, as if she has nothing better to do, but instead the foundation of her beliefs gets rocked.

The tale mixes reality and fiction quite seamlessly, as Yi and the director (named after the actual director of the movie but played by another actor, apparently) interview real people, some of them famous actors like Seth Rogen and Demetri Martin, who are friends of Yi’s. Once she strikes her romance with Cera, it’s fairly obvious it drifts into fiction, but that doesn’t dissuade you from buying the premise.

I don’t know that Yi has any future in portraying herself as anything other than what she does her, and I doubt she’s interested in doing that. In fact, if this were her only movie, that’s fine. The film’s challenge is surviving as a romantic comedy with an unconventional actress as its leading lady, and I think it succeeds. I only wish that it had spent more time on the evolution of Yi and Cera’s relationship. By the end, it has places to go, and we’re left waiting to see where.

Don’t miss a cool DVD extra where we see extended interviews Yi conducts with well-known comedians, including Bill Hader, Demetri Martin and the guys from Human Giant (not Aziz, though). Highlights include Martin, who plays a dynamite asshole, and David Krumholtz whom Yi ridicules for taking a featured role in the rather successful holiday movie The Santa Clause.

Motivation: Thank you ESPN, sportswriters

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:51:35 -0600

Thank you for snubbing Alabama at the annual “College Football Awards.”

Thanks for slobbering all over Colt McCoy, Toby Gerhart and Ndamakung Suh while Nick Saban, Terrance Cody and the beast in the picture below sat there wondering why their time was wasted while they could be watching Texas film.

Thanks for the extra motivation. Didn’t really need it, but thanks.

SNL: Blake Lively/Rihanna

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:16:06 -0600

Booking Blake Lively to host “Saturday Night Live” marked the show’s most uninspired move of this season, that is, until we saw the show. After the January Jones disaster (sans maybe the “Rear Window” sketch), you might think just nabbing a pretty face on a hot television show wouldn’t spark ratings and laughter. I thought they should go for comedians who work hard for the audience.

Instead, they’re sticking to pop stars on popular series or who are promoting movies (next week: Taylor Lautner). SNL’s target audience is obviously young white people who don’t care for Phil Hartman, Jon Lovitz or, most recently, Michaela Watkins (not putting her into the same category with those guys talent-wise; more so for the older-looking quality young folks must think is icky).

So when they announced that the “Gossip Girl” chick whose only previous contribution to the show was in one of the least funny digital shorts to date (with James Franco), I wasn’t too pleased.

Reserving judgment until 10:30 p.m., I stood by and waited on another boring 2009 episode. To my surprise, we might have seen the best overall episode of this season, next to either the Ryan Reynolds or Taylor Swift episode.

Let’s break it down, shall we?

Cold open: Typically, the Obama stuff doesn’t work for me anymore. Fred Armisen is one of the show’s MVPs, but his prez is straight-up boring. SNL: hire Dave Chappelle. I’m getting tired of suggesting it. That being said, the state dinner party crashers worked quite well. We knew Kristen Wiig would fill the blonde’s role, and Moynihan accompanied nicely. Favorite bits were with Bill Hader and Will Forte as the security guards, and their asking Obama to take the picture while not approving his first attempt. You knew they’d throw jabs at Biden in there. In fact, I’d argue they’re doing a better job with Biden than Obama. Sudeikis overdoes it at times, but at least he’s not totally boring. Nice open.

Monologue: Wasn’t a fan. They obviously couldn’t play to any of Lively’s comedic strengths here, instead opting to travel down a road they have before with the Muppets. This is probably the third or fourth time in a short while that they’ve harkened back to Jim Henson’s gang. I was a big fan of Andy Samberg’s Swedish Chef at first, but it’s wearing thin fast. Just thought there was too much on stage, and Lively didn’t have anything to offer. Not a good sign for her early on.

BBQ ad: Lazy. Make another commercial. It’s pretty good but painfully obvious. Got some laughs out of me the first time around, but it’s always disappointing to see them use the same one so soon, especially when they had time off.

ESPN Ladies’ Bowling/Vagasil: SNL can’t let a good thing breathe these days. They must have read the recent Entertainment Weekly review that singled the previous “Tampax” sketch with the same pun idea and decided to go with it again. It might have even flowed better this time, but I wish they’d space it out. Granted, it was last used in the Drew Barrymore episode, but come on. Did make for a few good laughs.

Tiger Woods: Solid sketch, but what’s up with the 300-pound Tiger Woods? Again, another reason to pitch the money at Chappelle, who did a great impression in the minority draft skit on his show. On the whole, some solid writing with a nice performance from Lively. Not sure I get Sudeikis’s nasily take on Wolf Blitzer, but whatever. Guess he kept going with it because the live audience responded well.

Digital Short: “Shy Ronnie” was awesome. Samberg in top form, and Rihanna was a great sport. Really liked this. Vaults into the company of “Ras Trent” and “Space Olympics.” I might even prefer this to “Threw It On the Ground!” They’re neck-in-neck. Especially liked it when Rihanna left the room and Ronnie went off. Reminded me a bit of the Lonely Island’s “Sax-Man” on “Incredibad.” Great stuff.

Gossip Girl Staten Island: Long but effective. Really liked the writing here. Watch MTV’s new reality show “Jersey Shore” and see that they’re not far off. Moynihan was actually really good. Especially liked it when Hader asked if his scarf was from Abercrombie, and he said, “No, JETS!”

Under-Underground Festival: At first glance, this felt like a Mad TV bit (especially Nasim’s look), but it just got funnier and funnier. The more random it got, the more I liked it. The Ass Dan stuff never got old either.

Weekend Update: Good jokes, but I don’t think Seth Meyers was pleased with the way his Marilyn Monroe gay joke went over. Tired of Kenan’s WU appearances. I get nauseated every time he slides in on the chair and screams “Whoo!” like we should all be excited he’s there. No thank you. Abby Elliot’s schtick is obviously random celebrity impressions. That seems to be all she has to offer now. Who is that? Jolie, Anna Faris and now Brittany Murphy. Not a bad impression, but a whole WU spot for it? They’re looking for excuses to get her on the air.

Virginiaca: Thought they might have let this recurring sketch go after awkward reactions from the in-house audiences. Still, it was fairly funny. Once the audience gets past the white host doing a “black” voice, they kind of warm up to it. Kenan’s not awful in this role, but he’s still playing to stereotypes, which is all he really relies on.

Chris Hansen: Nice idea, but shaky follow-through. I think we’ll see this again. Hader is probably behind this. His other Dateline guy is funnier at first glance, but I see potential here. Random that they’d do Philip Seymour Hoffman, but okay. Sudeikis actually did okay with him. Armisen’s band leader was the funniest part, as were the hidden camera angles. The set looked like the “Joe Pesci Show” set with Jim Bruer.

Potato Chip: Highly bizarre sketch with Will Forte’s name all over it is one of this show’s best in a long time. This reminded me of something they’d do in the 70s or late 80s. Disgusting sight gag brought back disturbing memories of Will Ferrell’s bird-feeding family. This is why they keep Forte around. He’s got genius bits hidden inside of him. Only rarely do they come to fruition, although I think he’s also a fine utility player. I really liked all of the performances, including Lively’s.

UPS commercials: Glad they went after these. Seems like Hader’s wanted to get it off of his chest for a while. They could have gotten a little more creative with the drawings, but still a nice commercial. Should have opened the show with it instead of the swine fever BBQ spot.

Rihanna: Meh. Liked her best in the digital short. Could do without her music. I get why they booked her, though.

Grade: A-/B+

Week MVP: Jason Sudeikis

Still would like to see the following people host: Judd Apatow, Ricky Gervais, Dave Chappelle, Will Arnett, Ellen Degeneres, Mindy Kaling/BJ Novak, Joel McHale, Trey Parker/Matt Stone (would never happen)

Buzzed: Oscar season heats up! ANALYSIS WHOA!

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:44:00 -0600

Normally the National Board of Review’s unveiling of their top ten films of the year along with their individual awards mark the true beginning of the Oscar race. I suppose this year is no different.

Last week, the NBR proclaimed Jason Reitman’s droopy drama Up in the Air as their best of 2009. It also nabbed the top prize from the DC Critics. No surprise there, and the NBR individual awards didn’t really make any noise either, other than perhaps The Messenger’s Woody Harrelson snagging away best supporting actor from evil Inglourious Basterds colonel Christoph Waltz.

Their top 11 looked like this:

(500) Days Of Summer
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Invictus
The Messenger
A Serious Man
Star Trek
Up
Up In The Air
Where The Wild Things Are

Interesting to see Where the Wild Things Are, given its rather polarizing nature. I guess the NBR just fell into one side of the love-hate relationship it seems to have with audiences.

Hopefully the inclusion of The Messenger will open up distributors’ eyes. While it might be incredibly somber, college towns like Tuscaloosa deserve to see it, especially if it features superior acting like most critics report.

What’s bugging me is folks’ crying over the presence of Star Trek. Personally, I’m fine with it. It belongs as much as Wall-E or The Dark Knight might have last year, perhaps even more so. If people continue to overrate the Oscars or any precursor awards as authorities that truly matter, we’ll have an unhealthy perspective on the value of great movies.

Let’s continue to regard the Academy Awards as the peak of that annual award mountaintop, but let’s not forget that Oscar has gotten it wrong before. It’s a flawed system. Like the BCS. Folks get left out. Hopefully the 10-nominee format will help include your average snubs from now on.

Below are my current predictions for the major category nominations. This will change. It’ll change by the time you’re done reading it. In fact, I’ve already changed my mind. There are your favorites that are guaranteed nods in most categories, for sure, but I contend that a few titles and people have a better shot than you might think. Most of it’s based on a combination of enough critical support as well as box office success. It all factors in.

BEST PICTURE

Up in the Air

Precious

Invictus

Inglourious Basterds

A Serious Man

Star Trek

The Hurt Locker

An Education

A Single Man

I don’t really feel good about A Single Man or The Messenger, but I feel even worse about The Lovely Bones, Avatar and Nine, which I don’t think will get the reviews to help their chances. This is all based on the current buzz, a dumb word that sadly matters this time of year.

BEST DIRECTOR

Jason Reitman, Up in the Air

Clint Eastwood, Invictus

Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker

Joel and Ethan Coen, A Serious Man

Frankly, there are too many names in that five, but I can see it happening. Maybe Eastwood and the Coens get the shaft to make room for folks like Lee Daniels, Tom Ford or Oren Moverman. Given a nice patch of recent reviews, Pedro Almodovar.

BEST ACTOR

George Clooney, Up in the Air

Morgan Freeman, Invictus

Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

Colin Firth, A Single Man

Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

WATCH OUT for Ben Foster, Viggo Mortensen and Matt Damon (The Informant!). They could steal Firth and Bridges’ spots.

BEST ACTRESS

Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

Gabourey Sidibe, Precious

Carey Mulligan, An Education

Penelope Cruz, Broken Embraces

Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side

I’m buying the Bullock hype. Box office and movie stardom are my only reasons. I feel pretty confident with the first four. Look for another nod to Helen Mirren or Shoreh Aghdashloo. The Academy does like to keep things diverse, but neither have a shot at winning. My vote is for Sidibe.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Woody Harrelson, The Messenger

Alfred Molina, An Education

Anthony Mackie, The Hurt Locker

Matt Damon, Invictus

This race is fairly thin. It’s Waltz’s to lose. I like Damon for this because they usually like to squeeze in a star, and I think Warner Bros. will campaign for the wrong performance again, like they did with Leonardo DiCaprio for The Departed and Blood Diamond. Instead of rewarding The Informant!, they’ll go with the crowd favorite.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Mo’Nique, Precious

Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air

Julianne Moore, A Single Man

Samantha Morton, The Messenger

Melanie Laurent, Inglourious Basterds

Very confident in the first three. I think those are guarantees. As for the last couple, I’m not sure. It’s pretty wide open. If the Academy really wants to give Nine its obligatory nods, I guess this is their chance. But I just don’t believe in that movie.

That’s it. That’s what I’ve got so far. Come time for the awards themselves, I’ll call the hell out of it from a mile away. I’ve swept that past few years, in fact. But calling the nominations is a little tougher. We’ve got a lot of time to change things up, and let me assure you that I will.

I just need to see some of these movies to be sure. Plus, some of them need to be released to get a feel for the critics and the box office.

WE SHALL SEE!

Side note: Greatest character names in movies?

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:50:55 -0600

This might be a topic worth revisiting in the future: Great character names in movies. Which are the greatest? Want to know what got me thinking about this? Do you really want to know? Okay then.

I caught a TV spot for the current theatrical release The Blind Side (which is doing quite well financially, btw), where they threw up a critic blurb that said, “Don’t miss the best performance of Sandra Bullock’s career!”

At first, I thought, “Do people really care about which is the best performance of Sandra Bullock’s career? Is that a good marketing strategy to boast on that? Maybe so, since it’s pulling in $40 million per week.”

Seriously, though, I started thinking on what Bullock’s best performance really is. She’s a charming and gifted performer that tends to qualify more as a “movie star” than bonafide actress to me. No offense against her. I’ve just never been blown away by her acting.

So what is it? I turn to two movies where she’s prominently featured but not necessarily the star of the show.

First, the painfully obvious choice: Speed. Duh. Corny and “actiony” as it might be, Jan of Bont’s hyper-badass transportation thriller is a wonderful exception to the close-minded, stupid rule that action movies can’t be considered “great.” Go ahead and squash that. Speed kills, and Bullock serves a great purpose as the goofy commuter-turned-bus driver Annie Porter, or as Dennis Hopper’s maniacal bomber refers to her, “the Wildcat.”

Great movie, thanks in part to Bullock’s presence, sure. But her best performance? I don’t know. We don’t have a lot to choose from, so I’ll move on to my second choice, which got me thinking about this blog’s initial topic.

1993 poured a lot into the pot at the movies, but aside from a few choice titles, I can’t say I was more entertained by anything than freaking Demolition Man. Bullock was a virtual unknown here, but she quickly burst on to the scene thanks to this that probably led to her signing on to Speed. This underrated script at least gave Bullock her most interesting character, the affable, sincere Dudley-Do-Right future cop Lenina Huxley. More kudos to Bullock (or the writers, really) for referencing Jackie Chan movies, the first time I ever heard the martial-artist’s name (then or when Quentin Tarantino presented him the lifetime achievment award at the MTV Movie Awards a short time before Rumble in the Bronx released).

Anyway, back to Demolition Man. The names in this movie are awesome! Not much to them, but when I thought about it, I could remember several characters’ names without blinking.

John Spartan, Simon Phoenix, Lenina Huxley, Edgar Friendly, Raymond Cocteau, Alfredo Garcia, Associate Bob.

Those are great names! What an underrated movie about the devastating potential of releasing a murderous psychopath into a peaceful Utopian society that even outlaws profanity. Throw Stallone and Snipes in with some cool action (that actually takes a backseat to the above-average humor), and you’ve got pure pop entertainment.

I remember many years ago when Video Supermart was open in Tuscaloosa. There, they had a terrific, while totally out-of-any-sensible-order selection, and a deal where you could rent a new release and old release for buy-one-get-one-free at the low price of $2.65. I was anticipating the arrival of The Good Son, which was due that week, and I asked the clerk if it had come in. “Nope, sorry,” he said. As I slowly walked away to pick out another couple of movies, he interrupted me with, “But we just got this in. Do you want it?”

It was Demolition Man. I just looked at him with a “You’re damned straight I want it” stare, rented it and was on my way.

I was 9. When your parents aren’t too strict and you’ve memorized your dad’s driver’s license numbers, you sometimes got to watch those movies in my household at my age.

“Be well.”

What are your favorite movie character names?

Holiday flix should cap good year

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 07:45:29 -0600

Redundant statements declaring each movie year disappointing usually begin around summertime. They started early this year, claiming “Star Trek” and “Up” as the only substantial releases so far and begging for the fall season’s arrival. Unbeknownst to a reality that their standards have been lowered and their senses permanently numbed to what even might have affected them, cinema cynics love to hate output that doesn’t include their personal favorites.

Frankly, I’d call 2009 one of the better years we’ve seen lately. 2007 has its fans for good reasons, including “No Country for Old Men,” “There Will Be Blood,” “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,” “Ratatouille,” “Juno,” “Michael Clayton” and others. At this point, I don’t know that this year will match that in the quantity of its quality releases. Perhaps I’m an optimist, but I kind of prefer this one.

I don’t cite “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” “Terminator: Salvation,” “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” or “Year One” as examples that justify that choice. Every year has its duds, but we all manage to crank out a top 10 list by January, don’t we? If we struggle to keep the number round and hate leaving out a few, that usually defines a successful season. I’m at a loss to conjure up a recent year when I didn’t think it offered at least one or two genuinely great movies.

2009 gave me my favorite movie experience in years in Quentin Tarantino’s rather glorious “Inglourious Basterds,” a robust WW2 epic met with consensus warmth that brought back a favorite filmmaker of ours from mediocrity. Along with that, “Trek” and Pixar’s latest triumph, we got a handful of really good and some great movies: “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” “Drag Me to Hell,” “(500) Days of Summer,” “Disney’s A Christmas Carol,” “The Hurt Locker,” “Adventureland,” “I Love You, Man,” “The Girlfriend Experience,” “The Informant!,” “Taken,” “Watchmen,” “Public Enemies,” “Funny People,” “District 9” and “Where the Wild Things Are.”

All of those at least entertained me. Some went further than that and made a case for a spot in my top 10. I still have more to see, and thanks to Netflix, I’ll do that in due time. Thankfully, we have enough theatrical releases to look forward to that should round out the year quite nicely. That is, if the Cobb Hollywood 16 and Bama Theatre do their part in keeping us up on the trends. So far, we’re oblivious to supposed winners like “A Serious Man,” “The Road,” “Moon,” “It Might Get Loud,” “An Education” and “The Messenger.” Then again, we’re Tuscaloosa. History is against us.

Thankfully, we were spared Woody Allen’s latest stinker “Whatever Works.” Not that I didn’t want to see one of my favorite filmmaker’s newest movie in a theater. I’m just glad that, having now watched it on DVD, I didn’t have to pay full price to be disappointed. If a member of the directing pantheon fails to succeed even just a little bit with his offering, then that year’s reputation isn’t helped.

I’m grateful that the Cobb brought “The Hurt Locker” when its buzz peaked this past summer. More people know Kathryn Bigelow and Jeremy Renner by name now and might recognize them when they hear them more often around January and February when awards are handed out. Same with “Precious.” Hopefully you squeezed past the “Twi-hards” (God love ‘em) and squeezed in a screening of Lee Daniels’ highly effective drama that will rightly launch Gabourey Sidibe and Mo’Nique into the Oscar conversation. I’m also glad we got Wes Anderson’s stop-motion adventure “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” which I still have yet to see. It’s nice to have these options this time of year, especially when I have a gift card.

We still have James Cameron’s “Avatar,” Clint Eastwood’s “Invictus,” Jason Reitman’s “Up in the Air,” Peter Jackson’s “The Lovely Bones” and Guy Ritchie’s “Sherlock Holmes,” among others, to get us through the pleasant surprise that has been 2009.

Anything that falls through the distribution cracks can easily be brought to the attention to those who make our access-to-entertainment decisions. Don’t keep quiet and wait for a DVD release or drive out of town if there’s a lesser-known movie you doubt will come to Tuscaloosa. Anything’s possible if you make a stink about it.

Hilaritas at the Bama Theatre: Migrating from the Moody Music Building to the beautiful Bama Theatre, this annual UA school of music concert never fails to put you into that sweet yuletide mood. A longstanding tradition dating all the way back to 1969, you can’t go wrong with whatever these ensembles prepare for these two performances this weekend. If you’ve never been, make it at least once.

Baak Gwai and The Motions tonight at the Mellow Mushroom: Haven’t seen Jon Snowden, Adam Pate and Chris Zeiler around these parts in a while? Me neither, so I’ll probably see you there. Joining this time are local up-and-comers The Motions, who’ve managed to make considerable noise this fall playing various venues. Baak Gwai says they’ve got lots of new material that they’ll drop on their fans sooner or later. Whether or not that’s tonight, we’ll just have to find out.

‘Brothers’ at the Cobb Hollywood 16: The unsettling premise behind this dark domestic drama starring Tobey Maguire, Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman won’t get you into the holiday spirit, but you might find another good Jim Sheridan movie. The brother of a missing soldier virtually steps in as surrogate boyfriend and father until the volatile sibling returns home with questions. Merry Christmas!

Fired: Weis out at Notre Dame

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:40:00 -0600

It’s a shame that Notre Dame lost their health and fitness influence its players needed in the weight room to last season after season. He’s no Mangino, but good grief.

Weis is out, so who’s in?

Bet on Urban Meyer. Their athletic director better go all in on a BIG name instead of a guy who’s had some success in the stinking Big East (Cincinatti’s Brian Kelly).

This is also a nice distraction for Florida during the week leading up to the big SEC championship this Saturday.