Hollywood Video Store Closing

The Hollywood Video closest to my house is closing down in order to save money they are consolidating locations in the area. This means that everything has become quite cheap. For quite some time they have been selling all rentals.

When they were selling the new DVDs for half price, I bought Revolutionary Road, Big Fan, Rachel Getting Married, Wendy and Lucy, and District 9. Some of these movies I would not have bought if they weren’t on sale. Oh, and I bought a Captain America bobblehead. Score.

When the rentals were 3 for $20, I bought Birth of a Nation, The Third Man, and The Hustler. It’s not cheap to buy old movies, especially something as old as Birth of a Nation. Generally stores like Borders might have it, but only as some massive boxed set with interviews, extra content, and some PBS documentary. So, buying off Hollywood Video or some other closing video store is one of the best ways to expand a classic collection cheaply.

At 3 for $15, I bought Judgement at Nuremberg, the original version of The Ladykillers, and Earth a Russian film by director Alexander Dovzhenko. I am not very well versed in foreign films, but I do love the old Soviet directors.

The company sent the store overflow stock, which the store is still selling for $3.99. Not wanting to miss such an opportunity I spent a good amount of time scouring through these discount shelves for some quality movies. I managed to dig up some real gems.

Gone with the Wind

The Godfather Part III

The Life of Emile Zola

Straw Dogs

Among some others. Some obscure documentaries, Futurama episodes and such. If anyone in the area is reading this, I suggest you check it out. There are still some movies left. I’m sure there’s a little something for everybody. The store should be closing soon, definitely sometime this month.

Best of the Best Picture Races

In the spirit of Oscar season (which is past, yes), I did some research on Oscar seasons past. I wanted to see which of the Best Picture Races were pretty contentious in the past. There were several very competitive years. I compiled a list of what I think are the top five Best of the Best Picture Races. ( ) denotes position in the American Film Institutes Top 100 American Movies.

5. 1962 – 35^th Academy Awards

Winner – Lawrence of Arabia (7)

The Longest Day

The Music Man

Mutiny on the Bounty

To Kill a Mockingbird (25)

1961 and 1962 are both very good years. Both have films which are good and worth watching up and down the list. But 1962 has the edge. The Longest Day is one of those great, old, ensemble war movies. It is so much fun to just watch the multitude of famous faces; John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum, and Sean Connery. Mutiny on the Bounty is a great Marlon Brando vehicle. The Music Man is a beloved musical that has yet to be replaced by a Disney remake. It’s the top two films of this race that shine. To Kill a Mockingbird is a great American film. Atticus Finch is one of the best heroes ever, and the movie stays quite true to the spirit of the book. Lawrence of Arabia speaks for itself. It is an epic of the highest rank. One of the best made movies of all time.

4. 1976 – 49^th Academy Awards

Winner – Rocky (57)

All the President’s Men (77)

Bound for Glory

Network (64)

Taxi Driver (52)

The only Best Picture race among these five to contain four movies among the American Film Institute’s top 100 American movies made, the 1976 Best Picture race. All five are very solid, well made movies. The only one that has not made it is Bound for Glory. The only reason being that it is a Woody Guthrie biopic, and generally if the subject has faded then so will his mark on the world. Each and every movie is worth checking out. Most are still very well-watched and have fared the years well. I would not be surprised if some of them continued to thrive twenty years from now.

3. 1994 – 67^th Academy Awards

Winner – Forrest Gump (76)

Four Weddings and a Funeral

Pulp Fiction (94)

Quiz Show

The Shawshank Redemption (72)

The most recent year of the top rankings, the 67^th Academy Awards contained some of the top films from the past 25 years. Both Forrest Gump and Pulp Fiction are cultural staples. They were influential both represented great advances for cinema, in their own way. The Shawshank Redemption is a very well made movie as well, but in the years to pass it may fall off below the eyes of the general audience. Quiz Show and Four Weddings and a Funeral are no slouches for nominees, but they have not made enough of an impact to even be recalled by most even ten years later. But the sheer size of the competition for Best Picture in this year makes it a very important Best Picture Race to note.

2. 1967 – 40^th Academy Awards

Winner – In the Heat of the Night (75)

Bonnie and Clyde (42)

Doctor Doolittle

The Graduate (17)

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

This is one of the most influential, and culturally relevant Best Picture races. This is one of the years where a turning point is clearly visible. Most of these movies contain biting and culturally relevant themes. Marking the change among American society in a very poignant way. Whether it is the racial defiance of In the Heat of the Night, the racial acceptance of Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?, or the youthful rebellion of The Graduate. Hollywood, along with the rest of America, was changing. New styles of directing, acting, and writing had finally won over the old ways. Represented in this race by Doctor Doolittle. Mark Harris’ book Pictures at a Revolution details this race and the way it impacted cinema and America.

1. 1939 – 12^th Academy Awards

Winner – Gone with the Wind (6)

Dark Victory

Goodbye, Mr. Chips

Love Affair

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (26)

Ninotchka

Of Mice and Men

Stagecoach

The Wizard of Oz (10)

Wuthering Heights

This was the first of about five years in American cinema that is revolutionary. It shaped the way that movies are made and the way we view ourselves as a country and a society. Not enough can be said about this year. Several of the films are very well-made classic stories based on novels, some of which have been remade; Wuthering Heights, Of Mice and Men. Dark Victory secures Bette Davis as an actress of extraordinary grit and power. Stagecoach marked a major turning point in the career of John Ford, one of America’s greatest directors. It also launched the career of John Wayne. Frank Capra turned in one of the finest statements about American politics in film with Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. The Wizard of Oz is one of the most beloved children’s movies of all time. It has withstood the test of time, and I know that I’ll be showing it to my kids. And of course Gone with the Wind is a classic. It remains as one of the most well-made movies of all time. It set the bar very high for cinematic epics. It is still a very effective tool for comparison when it comes to that caliber of cinema. Of course it also has one of the most famous lines in any movie; “Frankly my dear I don’t give a damn.” For all these reasons and more, 1939 had the greatest race in American Cinema for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

Wrap Up of the Oscars

In the end I was 14 out of 24 for my predictions, nearly 60%. Not terrible but I could have done better. My last minute change in Best Adapted Screenplay cost me, I should have stuck with Precious, as I had previously predicted.

I was surprised at the number of awards The Hurt Locker ended up taking home. It ended up winning Picture, Director, Editing, Screenplay, and both Sound awards. I am quite shocked that it took both Sound Mixing and Sound Editing. It’s not that The Hurt Locker does not deserve to win one of these awards, but I fully expected to see Avatar or Star Trek take at least one. I am a bit surprised that it won Best Original Screenplay. It is very well deserved, the story is very compelling and it is the best Iraq War movie to date. I would make the case for Inglorious Basterds again, but what’s done is done.

I am not surprised The Cove won for Best Documentary, other than the fact that Food Inc. got people in the theaters and talking about the subject matter. I am not surprised that Avatar won for Cinematography, Art Direction, and Visual Effects. It extraordinarily deserves to win in those categories. I should not be surprised that Kathryn Bigelow won as well as The Hurt Locker. I did fully expect for Best Picture and Best Director to represent different films. But of course the Academy needs to be progressive, and awarding Geoffrey Fletcher, the first African-American screenwriter to win an Oscar, was just not enough.

The one major lesson I learned from my Oscar picks this year: I should not underestimate the liberality of the Academy.

History will be the final judge for these movies and their nominees. These are my ideas as to what will happen. I believe that both The Hurt Locker and Avatar will have long, healthy shelf lives. Up will have a large audience from my generation showing it to their children with the best of the Pixar Pack. Up in the Air will be remembered by some. Inglorious Basterds will join the rest of Tarantino’s canon, and it will be remembered for his brilliant character work. Precious could be used for more liberal fodder by the Academy, in the way they use Hattie McDaniel’s Oscar win. It should, however, by honored and watched for its moving, emotional story.

Sandra Bullock may try to do more serious roles, but they will probably never measure up. This is her big moment to shine, and she has a long career left in her. Jeff Bridges may get another opportunity or two to hoist the trophy and deliver a speech filled with “man”s. Possibly even next year for True Grit, maybe. I hope to see more from Christoph Waltz. And of course James Cameron is not going anywhere. All of the directors nominated this year will go on to make some more wonderful movies.

I thought the award ceremony was good. What I saw of it was entertaining, but not very memorable or groundbreaking. I did like the idea of two hosts, and Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin did a great job. In summation here are the winners in full, hopefully next year I will do better, but we’ll just have to see.

Best Picture – The Hurt Locker*

Best Director – Kathryn Bigelow – The Hurt Locker

Best Actor – Jeff Bridges – Crazy Heart*

Best Actress – Sandra Bullock – The Blind Side*

Best Supporting Actor – Christoph Waltz – Inglorious Basterds*

Best Supporting Actress – Mo’Nique – Precious*

Best Original Screenplay – The Hurt Locker – Mark Boal

Best Adapted Screenplay – Precious – Geoffrey Fletcher

Best Animated Feature – Up*

Best Animated Short Film – Logorama

Best Documentary Feature – The Cove

Best Documentary Short – Music by Prudence

Best Foreign Language Film – El Secreto de Sus Ojos

Best Live Action Short Film – The New Tenants

Art Direction – Avatar – Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg, Kim Sinclair*

Cinematography – Avatar – Mauro Fiore*

Costume Design – The Young Victoria – Sandy Powell*

Film Editing – The Hurt Locker – Chris Innis, Bob Murawski*

Makeup – Star Trek – Barney Burman, Mindy Hall, Joel Harlow*

Original Score – Up – Michael Giacchino*

Original Song – The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart) – Ryan Bingham and T-Bone Burnett*

Sound Editing – The Hurt Locker – Paul N.J. Ottosson

Sound Mixing – The Hurt Locker – Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett

Visual Effects – Avatar – Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham, Andrew R. Jones*

(I did not include Best Visual Effects in my prediction post, because I forgot to add it, but there was no way that Avatar was not taking the trophy.)

* Denotes my correct predictions.

Coen Bros.' True Grit Remake

The Coen Brothers next project is one of their most intriguing yet, a remake of the 1969 classic True Grit. Normally I am outraged over the idea of a remake, especially of a movie I know and love. Add in the fact that the original comes from the John Wayne collection, and this could be an unfortunate combination. However, this project has a lot of factors going in it’s favor.

Even though True Grit was the movie that earned John Wayne his Oscar, it is certainly not his finest performance. Director Henry Hathaway even has better pure westerns among his filmography; The Sons of Katie Elder and How the West was Won. Add that to the fact that it is the Coen Brothers. Despite the lackluster reboot of The Ladykillers in 2004, the Coens know how to put together a great movie, especially as of late it seems. Plus, this is the kind of material they thrive on. The original story is very compelling; A young girl sets out to find the man who murdered her father. And there is humor sprinkled throughout, especially in the interaction among the characters. It has been said by Ethan Coen that their version will remain truer to the book, which is grittier, more violent, and even funnier, as Ethan believes. I had a lot of faith in the Coen Brothers and this project when I first heard about it. Then the Coen Brothers convinced me when the casting news came out.

Casting:

Part Original Remake

Rooster Cogburn John Wayne Jeff Bridges

Mattie Ross Kim Darby Hailee Steinfeld

La Boeuf Glen Campbell Matt Damon

Tom Chaney Jeff Corey Josh Brolin

Emmett Quincy Jeremy Slate

Lucky Ned Pepper Robert Duvall

Moon Dennis Hopper

The idea of Jeff Bridges playing Rooster Cogburn is perfect, I believe. I do not think there is anyone else who could be better suited for the role. As long as he plays more towards the serious side, with less of a Lebowski-esque rebelliousness, then I expect it will make everybody happy. I love the casting of Matt Damon as La Boeuf, another great choice. Josh Brolin as the bad guy makes sense also, but it shouldn’t be a huge surprise to see him back with the brothers. I am sure that some of the smaller roles will be filled in nicely by members of the Coen Clique. Maybe J.K. Simmons as Mr. Ross, Stephen Root as the horse trader or Lawyer Daggett, and Richard Jenkins for good measure. In the original Robert Duvall and Dennis Hopper played some very interesting minor characters, and I’m sure that the Coens’ can match that kind of level. Also, casting the relatively unknown Hailee Steinfeld is a good move for the movie. There are no real notable young actresses today that would really fit into this character’s mold, other than maybe Saoirse Ronan, and we have seen the ability of the Coen brother to work with relative unknowns.

All of this together adds up to a winning combination for the Coen’s True Grit. I look forward to this movie. Filming is set to begin this month and the release date is set for Christmas of this year.

My Oscar Picks

The Oscar ceremonies are a day away, and this means there is no more time to ponder, question, or revaluate predictions any more. It is time to finalize predictions. I posted previously about my picks for the major categories. I have only two variations on those picks.

I said previously that it was about 50-50 for Best Actress between Meryl Streep and Sandra Bullock. In the time since the nominations were released Sandra Bullock has gained a lot of momentum. I would still give the award to Meryl Steep, but I believe Sandra Bullock will be taking the award home tomorrow. Also, I softened on how highly the Academy might think of Precious. I believe that Mo'Nique is still a solid winner for Best Supporting Actress, but I am changing my position on Best Adapted Screenplay. I am now picking Up in the Air to win. I loved the story when I saw it, and some of the interplay between the characters is phenomenal. The dialogue is snappy and even poignant at times. I thought that there would be more support for Precious, but the push is just not there.

So other than that my predictions for the main categories are all the same. I believe that whoever wins Director, whether it be Bigelow or Cameron, the other person's movie will win. I really hope to see The Hurt Locker wins, but it is very close. I could very easily see Avatar winning, and I would not throw the remote through the television if it wins. But I am sure that, unlike in year's past, the winning movie and director will be from different crews.

On to my full predictions for the Oscars.

Best Picture: The Hurt Locker

Best Director: James Cameron

Best Actor: Jeff Bridges

Best Actress: Sandra Bullock

Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz

Best Supporting Actress: Mo'Nique

Best Original Screenplay: Inglorious Basterds

Best Adapted Screenplay: Up in the Air

Best Animated Feature: Up

Best Animated Short Film: Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty

I could also very easily see The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte) winning this, but after watching both several times I enjoyed Granny O'Grimm just a bit more. They are both available in full on YouTube.

Best Documentary Feature: Food Inc.

Best Documentary Short: China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province

This is admittedly my weakest pick. I do not know many of these documentaries, so do not be at all surprised if something else wins, but I do think that this looks good.

Best Foreign Language Film: Un Prophete

Un Prophete has been trumpeted by many critics, as has The White Ribbon, but I am going to go with the gangster movie over the Holocaust movie.

Best Live Action Short Film: Instead of Abracadabra

Another weaker pick for me, but it looks very entertaining. From the preview it looks like it has a very American-sophomoric feel, like a Napolean Dynamite or a Superbad.

Art Direction: Avatar

Cinematography: Avatar

This will probably be the one technical category where Avatar could get knocked off. Most likely by Inglorious Basterds.

Costume Design: The Young Victoria

Film Editing: The Hurt Locker

Makeup: Star Trek

Original Score: Up

Original Song: The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)

Sound Editing: Avatar

Sound Mixing: Star Trek

Tune in to ABC at 8 O'clock to watch the big event hosted by Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin.

The Characters of Alice in Wonderland

Tim Burton debuts his newest movie this week. While I am not one of those crazy fanatics who will bum-rush Hot Topic for Johnny Depp-drenched t-shirts and shoulder bags, I will end up seeing this movie. And in anticipation I did a little research on the adaptations of Alice.

With the arrival of Tim Burton’s version of Alice in Wonderland, the official adaptation tally for Alice and her adventures will be 20. Three silent pictures, three made-for-tv movies, several animated versions, and one X-rated musical are among the multitude of adaptations for this classic tale. Alice and her adventures in Wonderland have inspired very bright and shiny adaptations and have also inspired very grim tales, Tim Burton obviously being part of the latter.

For all the adaptations, these 20 televised and film versions hold some surprising casting. Much like a Shakespearian play, actors love to work with something as familiar and rich with characters as this. Since 1903, there have been many actors to step into the various roles of Alice in Wonderland. I was very interested to see how many iconic actors have portrayed the various characters. Here are the most interesting actors, and even some with links to videos.

Not all of the characters are listed because some simply didn’t have any one, or any more than one, interesting actor or actress in the role, such as Peter Sellers as the March Hare. It is also interesting to note that Denzel Washington and Howie Mandel have both portrayed Humpty-Dumpty, but not for Alice in Wonderland. This list includes the animated versions also.

The Cheshire Cat:

Stephen Fry - 2010

Whoopi Goldberg - 1999

Telly Savalas - 1985

Sammy Davis Jr. - 1966

Arthur Treacher - 1954

The Catepillar:

Alan Rickman - 2010

Ben Kingsley - 1999

Sammy Davis Jr. - 1985

Mel Blanc - 1966

The Mad Hatter:

Johnny Depp - 2010

Martin Short - 1999

Harvey Korman - 1966

Art Carney - 1954

Ed Wynn - 1951

Mock Turtle:

Gene Wilder - 1999

Roy Skelton - 1986

Ringo Starr - 1985

Donald O’Connor - 1983

John Gielgeud - 1966

Cary Grant - 1933

The White Queen:

Anne Hathaway - 2010

Phyllis Diller - 1987

Carol Channing - 1985

Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum:

George Wendt/Robbie Coltrane - 1999

Jonathan Winters - 1987

Tom & Dick Smothers - 1966

Humpty-Dumpty:

Jonathan Winters - 1985

Jimmy Durante - 1965

W.C. Fields - 1933

Stan Laurel - 1922

Jabberwock:

Christopher Lee - 2010

Mr. T - 1987

Jack Palance - 1966

Review: Shutter Island

Shutter Island follows U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels and his partner Chuck Aule as they investigate a mental health facility. Rachel Solando, a patient, went missing and Teddy and Chuck must find her, but they find a much larger mystery on the island. Based on the novel by Dennis Lehane (writer of Mystic River), Shutter Island is dark, brooding, and beautifully shot. It is another brilliant stroke from Scorsese.

The acting as a whole was top notch. Maybe finally in the mind of even the most ardent critic, Leonardo DiCaprio (Revolutionary Road, The Departed) can finally break from his Titanic/Romeo + Juliet past. I know it is enough for me. DiCaprio did an amazing job as Teddy Daniels. He was dark and mysterious, and also emotionally deep. There are some very emotional scenes, and DiCaprio handled them masterfully. Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, Schindler’s List) did an amazing job also. He shows such subtle brilliance as he glides through his scenes. He is entirely in charge of his movements and his lines. Other actors gave notable performances as well. Michelle Williams (Wendy and Lucy), Patricia Clarkson (The Green Mile), and Ted Levine (The Silence of the Lambs) really delivered in their scenes. Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen) did a good job, but a lot of people will hype his performance up more than they should be.

The story moves along very well, the book could take more time and be subtle, but the pacing was perfect for the movie. There were some very well staged shots. In certain scenes the composition and lighting was exquisite. The staging is well done, there are some very intricate locations in this story, and there were well represented in the movie. But there were some technical issues.

Some of the editing was insufficient; there were several continuity errors and even a couple focus issues. For the majority of audiences these mistakes would seem very minor, but they can be very distracting for technically minded people. It’s the little mistakes that can keep a movie from reaching elite status.

Other than some small issues Shutter Island shines. There is a good mystery here, the acting is outstanding, and it has a distinct new-school Scorsese feel. We will see if it was wise to push the movie out of this year’s Oscar race, it was originally set for an October 2009 release. It will certainly earn more money, as it has little competition this time of year. Though it could have been a solid competitor for this Oscar season. In any case, it is well worth a viewing in the theaters.

Rating: 4/5