Review: THE DARK KNIGHT

---MAJOR SPOILERS!!!---

GRADE: ***1/2

Viewings: Two

NOTE:I caught the midnight screening at the Cobb Hollywood 16 in Tuscaloosa, where my theater did not provide digital sound; in fact, the sound was shoddy with music often muffling much of the dialogue (including Gordon's final speech). The following Sunday, I caught an afternoon show in a larger theater with digital sound and a larger screen for the full effect (though it was neither digital projection nor IMAX, so maybe not the full effect).

I'll try and spill the beans in a bit of a Q&A-type fashion to keep things moving along.

Has Christopher Nolan made the perfect, quintessential, flawless "BATMAN" movie with THE DARK KNIGHT? Frankly, NO. Although...

TDK is miles and miles, far and away by leaps and bounds better than the only pretty good (stretching it) BATMAN BEGINS. At this point, I get tired of people stranding this movie within a genre, labeling it, "Not only the best comic book movie of the year - maybe the best ever!" Forget the genre, this is one of the better MOVIES of the year - and I mean right along with the still excellent (remember?) IRON MAN. Each film competes with the other in terms of best comic movie ever, as do Burton's BATMAN movies and some other titles.

Has TDK lived up to the ludicrous hype brought on by fans, critics, its filmmakers and those of us who hadn’t even seen the thing? TO EN EXTENT. From the get-go, the movie delivers on a number of levels, opening with an homage to what Nolan has publicly claimed to be a direct influence on this film, Michael Mann’s HEAT. While the sequence is effective and extremely well-filmed, was it enough of a gut-punch to kick things into overdrive like it should have? Almost. Even throughout this sequence, when he’s masked and silent for the most part, we get hints of what we’re in for from one of the actors.

What Nolan has given us with TDK is exactly what a ton of critics and bloggers have deemed it: a crime epic told in a grand scope, thanks a great deal to cinematographer Wally Pfister, who has come a long way even since his work on MEMENTO. These GODFATHER PART II comparisons seem legitimate at this point; I think the Hong Kong sequence between Lucious Fox and Lau showed a pretty evident influence in terms of the framing and setting of their meeting. Otherwise, the speed and tone of the movie feels similar. While it certainly doesn’t match it step-for-step, most notably quality-wise, I wouldn’t totally berate someone for making the parallel.

Nolan’s unexpected knack for grandiose action set pieces – car chases, specifically – establishes him as one of the action-meets-substance genre’s go-to guys. TDK is a big movie – a blockbuster – that isn’t afraid to marinate on its story or feel for its characters, although there were spurts where I didn’t feel anything at all for various, not even secondary characters in the latter portion of the movie. A major strength and flaw within Nolan’s film is its consistency. Where it lifts off at certain points in the narrative, tone, characters, special effects and action, it nearly collapses at others. For the filmmakers – and perhaps the fans more so – to brag about placing an absurd comic figure like Batman in an almost totally realistic setting, I feel like they crossed the line during what I thought was a disappointing climax. Yes, it is still a comic book and this sort of thing would normally fly (especially on “Batman: The Animated Series” or just in the comic), but didn’t they set some boundaries for this universe? Maybe it’s an unfair quibble – just didn’t totally work for me.

Folks who claim TDK takes itself a little too seriously might be right, but I wouldn’t say there’s necessarily anything wrong with that, given how many different takes we’ve seen (of this nature) in print prior to this release. Still, it’s a fair criticism, but what separates BATMAN from the other comics and keeps it superior is the darker and more sober nature of its protagonist and his bleak environment. One thing Nolan lacked in BATMAN BEGINS was a tangible realization of Gotham City, which I think he’s found in TDK (at this point, I can’t decide between both of Burton’s Gothams or this one). While this might pluck the consistency chord again (as there are several noticeable differences between BEGINS’ and TDK’s Gothams), this time there’s a progression.

Where this movie fails reflects the tendency of a most superhero movies to overstep their boundaries in terms of the use of villains. How many is enough? Burton attacked both methods: one villain in BATMAN, three in BATMAN RETURNS (Penguin, Catwoman, Max Shreck). Joel Schumacher threw two bad guys at Batman in his efforts, and Nolan juggled between three and four at times in BEGINS (if you count Joe Chill – most wouldn’t, I’m guessing). With TDK, Nolan had a real chance to carve out a beautiful, maybe perfect reflection and dichotomy between two people; to pit Batman against only the Joker – one-on-one – and make it personal would have been the right thing to do even if they pulled off Harvey Dent’s character arc.

My thinking: save it for the next round! In my opinion the villain Two Face has been wasted, THAT IS, if he really died. At this point, I remain unconvinced that he really “died a hero.” That’s the front. Maybe it highlights one of Nolan’s few weaknesses as a director (I doubt it), but in no way did Harvey’s final sequence tell me, “He’s definitely dead.” Harvey Dent is dead – he has “lived long enough to become the villain.” I know he became the villain in TDK given his five-person rampage in the final half hour, but the character still felt like Harvey Dent and less like Two Face. In Nolan’s Gotham, this villain would flourish, and it’d be a crying shame to have wasted him completely, which he might have.

Criticisms fall few and far between with this movie, as it’s so jam-packed with things that work, it almost hurts to discuss what doesn’t. But I’ll list off a few things that bothered me:

1. The Sonar – Stupid. The only outright stupid thing about the movie had to serve as the catalyst for what should have been a memorable climax. Morgan Freeman’s stunned and disgusted face says it all when he sees the thing as he’s approaching, as if he’s thinking, “You’re going to screw it up, aren’t you? We had a great thing going, but you’re f*cking it all up!” One blogger or critic out there suggested that the sonar POV effects shots looked to come right out of the DAREDEVIL movie. Stupid, outrageous idea that served little purpose and hurt the overall experience.

2. Two Face – Shouldn’t have even happened. Nolan had a great opportunity to keep the Dent character and set his transformation up for the next film, not unlike how he set up the Joker in this one. Two Face’s design, too, was a little…off. Graham pointed out similarities with MARS ATTACKS!, which I actually thought the first time I saw the eye and teeth at once. If they’d been truly hardcore like they were with the rest of the movie, they would have pulled off a killer prosthetic design. Don’t be scared to call upon Rick Baker. I know I’ll catch some heat for this, but I really believe it: ANYONE COULD HAVE PLAYED THIS PART under Nolan’s direction. I love a lot of Aaron Eckhart’s work, especially in IN THE COMPANY OF MEN, YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS and THANK YOU FOR SMOKING – he’s a proven commodity to most productions. And he does a fine job here as Harvey Dent, but nearly any male actor his age could have pulled it off with the exact same results. Unlike the previously mentioned films he’s in, you don’t get that edge he’s provided before. A great character handled well for the most part, but Dent is bland enough to have been played by anyone. At least it wasn’t Brandon Routh.

3. Rachel Dawes – Nothing against Maggie Gyllenhaal; I think she served her purpose well. But this character hasn’t helped this franchise in the least bit. Not at all. Although she sets up a decent love triangle between Bruce Wayne and Dent, here she really just shadows her boyfriend in and out of the courtroom and office. Blowing her to bits was a great decision.

4. The Bat Grunt – Where they failed in BEGINS, they failed again here. By now, I’m used to it, but that doesn’t mean I like Bale-as-Batman’s raspy, “scary” disguise voice hasn’t impressed me at all, and I still can’t fathom why they’re even doing it. Bale sounds goofy, but this one falls totally on Nolan who should know better. Every time I hear it, I just think, “No.” Especially bad in BEGINS, but not any better in TDK.

5. The boat(s) sequence – What started out as a disturbingly terrific sequence turned awkward and hokey, especially thanks to Batman’s croaky justification for Gotham’s good will. Whenever third-tier characters (usually in large quantities) get this much dialogue, expect bad results (see THE MATRIX and PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN sequels). We’ve just been introduced to these people, and we don’t care about them once they’ve opened their mouths. Keep them quiet, and let’s see it almost entirely from the points-of-view of Batman, the Joker, Gordon, etc. When I scanned through Moriarty’s AICN review where he described this, it sounded terrifying. He left a lot out. The worst of it on my end is that part of me wanted to see one or both of those boats blow sky high to just further establish the Joker as the villain.

6. The final act – TDK deserved a better climax, which should have included a real showdown between Batman and the Joker. They got their talking points out of the way during the interrogation sequence, and while the Joker’s monologue was fine and all (“unstoppable force meets an immovable object”), the villain should have met a proper demise or been provided with some appropriate closure. The last time we see him is in a medium shot as cops are coming to pick him up. That’s the last of this iconic character that ultimately made the movie what it is. The actor and, more importantly, the character deserved much more than that. Even a short sequence in Arkham Asylum would have been enough. Dedicating the final 10-15 minutes of the movie to Harvey Dent and Jim Gordon didn’t do it any favors even if those characters deserved their closure. Ending things without the Joker just didn’t feel right – not at all.

7. Hong Kong – Doesn’t belong in this universe. I haven’t ready as many BATMAN comics as most people, but I can’t imagine many references to other real-life national or international cities and settings. I’ve just never thought of Batman as a globetrotter. Keep it in Gotham.

8. TRIM THE FAT – While the 152-minute running time felt brisk at times, some things could have been cut. Namely, the attempt at Two Face, Hong Kong and some of the Jim Gordon baggage.

Honestly, that’s about all I didn’t like. The rest of it pretty much hit the nail right on the head.

For about 50 minutes, TDK blasts its way through at about 200 mph, perhaps peaking earlier than it should. Which 50 minutes (estimated)? Starting the moment after Harvey Dent announces at his press conference that he is Batman. Once Dent hops aboard the SWAT truck and the street chase gets started, TDK makes its case for best movie of 2008, although the campaign comes to an end well before the end credits. From the chase to the precinct to Rachel’s Death to the hospital, Nolan hit back-to-back-to-back-to-ba

ck home runs. Parts leading up to these sequences were definitely strong, but for this block, the movie peaked at a level unreached before or after.

WHAT I LOVED:

1. The Joker (Heath Ledger) – The hype is justified. Ledger played at a faster speed than anyone on the set other than Wally Pfister maybe. Making an effort to reach the echelon of a Daniel Day-Lewis/Daniel Plainview immersion, Ledger might be just as successful. Every time he was on screen, he had my full attention; and every time he left the screen, I thought, “I wish he were here, but I’ll settle for this.” Sort of the same feeling I fad for Javier Bardem’s Anton Chigurh in NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN; and in that regard, the man’s PRESENCE is felt throughout the entire movie even when he’s absent on screen. While his “proper introduction” shot didn’t really do him justice, the shot from behind as he interrupts the gangster meeting with his “ha ha, ho, he, ha, ho, he…” laugh sets a dangerous tone. The walk and behavior outside of the exploding hospital is not only brilliant on Ledger’s part but on Nolan and the crew’s as well for pulling off all of it in a single take. The Oscar nod is sewn up – mark it down – and he deserves it. Alive or dead, this dynamic of a character and performance would have raised plenty of eyebrows. Won’t call the win just yet; there are more movies and performances that need a-seein’. Ledger’s death is a tragedy, as we all know, but what’s also upsetting is that he can’t revive this character for the next go-around; this is another reason why I think Joker should have died. Everything the guy does in every scene he’s in is top-notch.

2. The Bat Pod – Singlehandedly provided two applause-worthy moments: when it’s released from the Batmobile/Tumbler (“Goodbye.”) and the spin off of the wall. For me, during Gordon’s final speech, I was glad that they went with the Bat Pod instead of the Tumbler, flying, running or just being perched up on a building; the cut to black from behind really did the trick. Just a cool addition.

3. The chase – Most notably, of course, the game of chicken played between Batman and the Joker (“I want you to do it…”) after the 18-wheeler topsides. Honestly, too, the image of the flaming fire truck really stuck with me during and after the sequence. Something about the Joker rigging that up in the path of the convoy really set a creepy and unsafe tone.

4. Wally Pfister – Truly a unique and successful pairing between this talented cinematographer and Nolan. Pfister brings the serious, flaming kind of heat this time (a serious improvement over the tight, Oscar-nominated photography in BEGINS). Can’t wait to see this one on DVD or digital projection. I have yet to see it in IMAX, too, but I can imagine what I’d be in for. Something about the smooth, gliding helicopter shots felt different than other aerial photography in movies.

5. The score – Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard’s pulsating music really adds another dimension and even acts as its own character this time. Not sure why, but I felt like BEGINS’ score sounded empty and average while there were surely some similarities. Maybe it’s really all about the content it surrounds. The “theme” is exciting, if not as grand and evident as Elfman’s original BATMAN theme, every time it makes an appearance, which isn’t often. Joker’s chilling theme, too, even played during the opening BATMAN logo before the opening shot of the film, works well. Another frightening cue happens when the loudmouth on the “citizens” boat contemplates turning the detonator – reminds you of the recent THERE WILL BE BLOOD music.

6.The hospital explosion – Perhaps the most iconic image and moment that will resonate from the movie years to come.

7. Rachel Dawes’ death – No offense to her, but she had to go. Way to leave in style.

8. Joker’s first scene – I’m not counting the bank robbery; when we first really get to know this character as he crashes the gangster meeting. His entrance, the pencil trick and his response when someone asks, “You think you can just walk in and steal from us?” – all terrific.

9. The flaming mountain of money – Just a superb image you’d only see in a comic book, and to set it on fire when Lau at the top was just another menacing touch. “Why don’t we cut you up into little pieces and feed you to your pooches. Then we’ll see just how loyal a hungry dog really is.” Great dialogue.

10. The ENTIRE duration of the Joker’s time at the precinct – Maybe my favorite aspect of the entire movie. From when he’s arrested, requesting more time with Batman in the street after Gordon catches him, to when he’s hanging out of the police car, dimly-lit and speeding away from the cell. “I want my phone call” – another perfect delivery.

There are other things to speak of, but those are the moments that really sunk their teeth into me. And just the scope of it all; it all felt grand – like it was a big deal to even be there within the story, which is what some event movies don’t give us anymore. A lot of effort went into it, and it’s totally visible. What impressed me the most about the Joker was how far the Nolans went regarding the severity of his crimes. They explored some of the darkest depths a madman could reach when he’s trying to prove a point, and a ton of it hit hard.

The question of the hour at this point is, “What now?” Just what does Nolan do to top himself? Some say he can’t, but didn’t he top the people’s precious BATMAN BEGINS? Personally, I didn’t think it would take much. The first theatrical trailer for TDK is better than BATMAN BEGINS in its entirety –and I really believe that, exaggerations aside.

Who’ll the villain be? Here’s hoping my Two Face theory stands (not giving a rat’s ass what the original script says), it’ll be him and someone else if they resort to the two-or-three-villain format, which they shouldn’t. The tiny little reference and the death of Rachel Dawes almost feels like, if we’re using sports terminology, they’re clearing cap room for a Catwoman/Selina Kyle signing. I’d honestly like to see Nolan’s take on Mr. Freeze; I think BATMAN works well in a winter climate. If either of these villains show up, who do they cast?

By now, I feel like it’s clear that Nolan, Bale, Oldman and company will be back for round three. With TDK, they improved upon their first outing by well over 100%, in my opinion. I don’t have any vendetta against BEGINS – I’m a fan of everyone involved – I just don’t see it as the BATMAN movie we’d all been waiting for, which is the same moniker this one’s gotten since last Friday’s release. Do I feel that way about this movie? I think the phrase “Close, but no cigar” applies here, but that’s only in terms of perfection. Nolan’s getting closer and closer, but can he do it without Ledger’s Joker? I’d like to give him the benefit of the doubt.

This movie is not perfect. It’s just really, really, really good.

About skipping that midnight show...

So I caved (er, bat-caved) and went after learning the Cobb Hollywood 16 added four more theaters for last night's midnight screened madness. The manager told me they didn't have eight prints of the movie but were rather doubling up their four prints for dual projection. Interesting concept, and they almost pulled it off - SOUND WAS TERRIBLE. Not unlike a faulty DVD hookup where the music track is louder than the diegetic sound, muffling a chunk of the dialogue (even during key moments in the final minutes of the movie).

As expected, droves of people nearly sold out EIGHT theaters in Tuscaloosa, AL. Some dressed up; I saw a few Batmen, some Jokers, and one patron told me they saw a Harley Quinn - wishful thinking on her (I hope) part.

Was it good? Yes. Look for a longer review later today. Warning: it will be SPOILER-HEAVY. Do not read it unless you've seen it or are a masochist. It's just time to talk about it is all.

I'll certainly see it again - it merits another watch, not just because - hoping for clearer sound. Cobb loses major points on presentation, but I'm guessing the dual projection had a lot to do with it. Can't fault them for housing a bigger audience with huge demands.

Keep a look out for that review.

DARK KNIGHT: Dead Man Acting

Dead Man Acting
By Ben Flanagan
Ben Around
July 18, 2008

Christopher Nolan's long-awaited Batman sequel, 'The Dark Knight,' finally hits theaters today, much to the delight of fans sick of the chopped liver this summer's mostly coughed up so far. Christopher Nolan's long-awaited Batman sequel, 'The Dark Knight,' finally hits theaters today, much to the delight of fans sick of the chopped liver this summer's mostly coughed up so far.

Not to say the industry hasn't left cinephiles totally unspoiled, they're just batting a notably low average. 'Iron Man' and 'Wall-E' each fall between really good and great (okay, great), and a few popcorn flicks ('Wanted,' 'Kung Fu Panda,' 'Hellboy 2') have left audiences satisfied enough; they've got the dollars to prove it.

Prior to the summer, the titles creating greatest anticipation were the fourth 'Indiana Jones' movie and what's now the sixth Batman movie since 1989. To our (or my) dismay, the first one might have opened a nasty can of worms, quality-wise, but continues to reap expected financial benefits, having surpassed the $300 million mark domestically.

Our summer, where we willingly suspend our disbelief and hope to escape the rotten rigors of the real world, hasn't had enough to keep us happy. Sure, the numbers disagree and tell you that ten releases have already cleared $100M, nullifying the argument that people don't want what they're getting. But, that's the beauty to loyal audiences who'll watch nearly anything hurled their way in the summertime — 'You Don't Mess with the Zohan' even hit it big.

But today, the collective sigh of relief you hear nationwide comes thanks to the arrival of possibly the best of both worlds: popcorn and substance. A brooding and dark follow-up to its already brooding and dark predecessor, 'Batman Begins' (helmed by some as the 'Citizen Kane' of comic book movies; calm down 'Spider-Man 2' geeks), 'The Dark Knight' looks to pack a juicy dose of not only the slam-bang summer thrills we'd expect but a hardy bout of filmic texture both fans and critics can enjoy together.

Upon seeing its first theatrical trailer, I'd decided 'The Dark Knight' had in just two minutes transcended the overstuffed, groggy and lukewarm (though ambitious) 'Batman Begins.'

This time, as with most comic book sequels, the villain has robbed the hero of the spotlight, but the Caped Crusader can't be faulted for what goes on in the real world.

In 1989's terrific 'Batman,' Jack Nicholson sang and danced as the killer clown, much to the chagrin of some DC Comics purists — not me. Heath Ledger assumes a much grittier and crueler Joker, wearing smeared black and white makeup, sporting green hair and a gruesome scar stretching ear-to-ear. This Joker, not unlike Nicholson's, kills for fun, and critics lucky enough to catch an early look have praised the actor's sinister interpretation, one co-star Christian Bale credited with being inspired by 'A Clockwork Orange' and Sex Pistols member Sid Vicious.

Time Magazine's Richard Corliss wrote, 'This Joker is simply one of the most twisted and mesmerizing creeps in movie history.' Rolling Stone's Peter Travers raved that Ledger's menacing portrayal is Oscar-worthy.

Shortly after finishing work on the movie, Ledger died of a drug overdose in January, leaving 'The Dark Knight' as the actor's last completed role in a feature film. Some news outlets, mostly tabloid-driven entertainment programs, suggested Ledger immersed himself too deeply into such a psychologically demanding role. But Ledger's co-workers retorted the actor had loads of fun filling out the character, and that the work wasn't a catalyst towards his death.

It poses a challenging question: Will audiences stay committed to watching a dead man on screen, especially when he's playing such a macabre and violent character? Will Ledger's death have a positive or negative effect on the film's financial performance?

Warner Bros. doesn't have much to worry about, other than losing a microscopic percentage of a large and eager audience wound up pretty tight with impatience. Deadline Hollywood Daily owner and industry guru Nikki Finke predicts a $130 million weekend for 'The Dark Knight,' though some have whittled the number down to a still-impressive $90 million. Any reservations moviegoers have for the eeriness factor will only likely affect the film's opening weekend, as enormously strong early buzz suggests it will carry significant word-of-mouth.

At this point, every trailer, clip or promotion I see is only torture. While I was skeptical at first based on what I thought was an underwhelming but determined effort from Nolan, 'The Dark Knight' looks as if it's bringing serious heat to a cooled-off summer — and I'm in.

Live music on The Strip: A handful of good acts all weekend and only a few steps away from each other. Tonight at the Jupiter, Benjy Davis Project and Atlanta natives Hightide Blues will hit the big stage, while The Here We Go Boys and The Recognition share a double bill at Egan's just down the way. Saturday at Egan's, Birmingham rockers Happy Lemmy will play old, loud instruments with vacuum tube amplifiers.

The Shawshank Redemption: Birmingham's Alabama Theatre, 7 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday: Much respect should go to the Alabama and its summer movie programming, journeying this year through American classics including last week's 1965 best picture winner 'The Sound of Music.' This weekend, Mom and Dad can enjoy a contemporary classic that didn't make a whole lot of noise on the big screen but absolutely exploded on home video. Frank Darabont's drama 'The Shawshank Redemption,' based on the Stephen King novella, continues to age beautifully since its 1994 release on DVD and various cable channels, and now we've got a chance to make up for our absences at the multiplex. Get busy livin' and gaze on Roger Deakins' gorgeous cinematography projected on a gigantic screen. It'll warm you up for 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' next week.

Delmore Days Festival in Athens, Ala.: Head up north to Athens for what promises to be some toe-tappin' bluegrass fun for this inaugural festival, celebrating North Alabama natives the Delmore Brothers, a classic country duo recently inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Today and tomorrow at Athens State University's Beasley Field, enjoy what the event's Web site calls a 'good ole trade day' with arts, crafts, good Southern food and plenty for the kids to do as well. Several musicians, including featured artist Bradley Walker, will keep things lively throughout the weekend. Drive safely.

DARK KNIGHT midnight show anyone?

Not me. I think I'm sitting tonight's early show out and opting for a Friday matinee instead. While I think the midnight crowd will be fun, it might also be a little distracting. Plus, the last midnight screening I attended was for INDY 4, which robbed me of three hours of good sleep.

But I do want to see this movie as soon as possible. I called this afternoon, and the Cobb Hollywood 16 had 65 available seats, though the manager said Fandango had been listing all four theaters sold out.

If Tuscaloosa, AL sells out four midnight screenings (which it will; and three sold out ahead of time), look for bigger numbers than you expected. Deadline Hollywood Daily projects around $130M at this point, which seems likely. My three-day prediction stands at around $119M, but this thing's playing on well over 4,000 screens. Can it beat SPIDER-MAN 3's massive $151M three-day opening? Yes, but I don't know that it will.

Either way, the movie looks really good - way better than BATMAN BEGINS, which left me cold and a little disappointed (and still does after re-watches).

Current BATMAN movie rankings:
1. BATMAN (1989)
2. BATMAN RETURNS (1992)
3. BATMAN: MASK OF THE PHANTASM (1993)
T-4. BATMAN FOREVER (1995)
T-4. BATMAN BEGINS (2005)
6. BATMAN AND ROBIN (1997)

INGLORIOUS BASTARDS casting

Nikke Finke's staying on top of Tarantino's INGLORIOUS BASTARDS casting, recently reporting that Leonardo DiCaprio is in talks to portray a Nazi villain opposite another rumored member, Brad Pitt.

Can't say Tarantino's really going out on a limb with these two names, given what we've seen in the past. BUT who'll complain if he ends up with these guys? Because I'm intentionally ignoring plot and character details until the thing is released theatrically, I don't have any wishful casting ideas; though I always heard noise about a Tim Roth reunion, which is never a bad thing based on his previous work with the director.

We'll keep our eyes open on this one. Until then, do yourself a favor, and don't read the script. I haven't and won't. Don't believe in ruining these things, which is exactly what it is - RUINING IT.

Currently watching: Arrested Development, Season 1.

Currently checked out from the public library: DR. STRANGELOVE..., STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE.

From which I've stolen...

This would be the Pauline Kael book from which I stole my show's title. Excellent read, as is most of the late Ms. Kael's criticism. If you can find it, read it.

Here at "Reeling," I use the four-star rating system (what I think is the easiest and fairest of the rating systems; five-star is bogus which ever way you look at it - I don't mind letter-grading, though).

Watched Scott Frank's directorial debut THE LOOKOUT last weekend. Well photographed and sometimes sharply written, it all feels a bit like a screenwriter made it (ahem, David Koepp). Joseph Gordon-Levitt continues to show promise as a younger leading man with this and the superior BRICK, but once you jump on his bandwagon, his protagonists become extremely unlikable. Strong supporting performance from MATCH POINT's Matthew Goode as bad guy bankrobber Gary Spargo. Sad they wasted a good Jeff Daniels beard, and what purpose has the seemingly talented Isla Fisher (flashes in WEDDING CRASHERS) really served in any movie at this point? - ***

Will the Fresh Prince finally fail?

Will the Fresh Prince finally fail?
By Ben Flanagan
Ben Around
July 4, 2006

Can Will Smith do anything wrong? We as a moviegoing public have tapped him the most reliably bankable Hollywood superstar in contemporary film, which may surprise a few of you.

Consider the journey this guy has taken so far. The guy whose credit fell after DJ Jazzy Jeff in a Grammy-winning rap duo (you remember 'Summertime,' don't you?) flew to the forefront of the prime-time spotlight, making cameo appearances on NBC's smash series 'Blossom' as the lovable Fresh Prince. In retrospect, maybe 'Blossom' wasn't what provided the boost.

Smith appealed to nearly all demographics and quickly made his transition into feature films, where he'd not only reign supreme as the unlikely face of Hollywood, but have little competition while doing it.

To date, Smith's total domestic earnings at the domestic box office add up to just more than $2.2 billion, with an average opening weekend of more than $36 million, confirming our country's crush on the guy. Sans a pair of ambitious clunkers helmed by two directors any actor would want to work with (Robert Redford's 'The Legend of Bagger Vance' and Michael Mann's 'Ali'), Smith racked up eleven straight feature films grossing more than $100 million.

In between the flicks, his 'Fresh Prince' status never faltered, as he rapped his way to the top of the pop charts on a few occasions, be it on his films' soundtracks or on his own ('Gettin' Jiggy With It,' 'Just the Two of Us,' 'Switch').

Smith's Midas touch remains unchallenged — unless you count funnyman Adam Sandler, who poses the only threat to Smith's reign as an individual whose face and name alone plants butts in the seats. After all, the 'SNL' alum has a hit about an Israeli hairdresser in New York City.

Smith's pal Tom Cruise, who ruled the town many years ago, can't salvage audiences' bucks or trust since his off-screen antics became such fodder for online and television news outlets. Dependable names like Julia Roberts, Harrison Ford, Eddie Murphy and Tom Hanks haven't brought Smith's kind of consistency in years.

Even 'stars' whose popularity never runs thin in the tabloids, such as George Clooney and Brad Pitt, rarely boast any substantial numbers that would challenge Smith.

Further making the argument that the man's face and name sells a product as big as a multi-million dollar film is the performance of Smith's most recent movie, 'I Am Legend,' where patrons weren't even sure what the thriller was about ('Oh! Zombies!'), earning the sixth highest domestic gross of last year.

This past Wednesday saw the opening of what might prove to be Smith's greatest leap yet. His postmodern superhero action yarn 'Hancock' has had its fair share of viewers scratching their heads at the premise alone, but Sony ought not fret — their golden boy will come through. Won't he?

Early buzz on 'Hancock' suggests the titular character will be Smith's most unlikable of his career so far. Unlikable? Will Smith? When studying for the GED, this would fall into the 'antonyms' section.

Smith's charisma never fails to show up and follow through as movie studios' meal ticket, yet the actor who has all but owned the Fourth of July holiday weekend whenever he touches it has traded in the pearly white smile for a bottle of whiskey (Hancock tends to hit the hard stuff). At this point in his career, one might think Smith can get away with murder on screen and finish number one at the box office, and I'd probably agree. In addition to the natural charisma he exudes, Smith can act.

We've seen his comedic abilities as early as the aforementioned 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air', followed by successful work in 'Men in Black' and 'Hitch,' but his dramatic flair was evident in 2006's 'The Pursuit of Happyness,' which earned him a second Oscar nomination (after 'Ali').

What's most impressive about Smith's creative output is how carefully he picks his roles. Contrary to the previously mentioned actors, seldom does he quickly churn out role after role, making each of his releases a major Hollywood event. At this point, Smith has only starred in about fourteen movies, give or take a franchise or ensemble feature, which might suggest why his batting average is so high.

Even if 'Hancock' introduces a new detestable side to the actor we love so much, it wouldn't be a July 4th movie weekend without him.

July Jubilee tonight at Sokol Park - Fireworks! The Dexateens! Are you kidding? Where else would I go celebrate the red, white and blueness our forefathers struggled so desperately to protect and ensure so many years ago? Too bad the festivity's location changed from Tuscaloosa's scenic downtown area, but Sokol Park certainly ain't too shabby. PARA couldn't have picked a better band for the occasion — just don't go screaming Lynyrd Skynyrd requests at them — or maybe you should; I'd like to see what happens. See Page 10D for more.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington on DVD - Still feeling patriotic? Pop in Frank Capra's 1939 classic starring James Stewart as a naive U.S. senator whose plans promptly collide with political corruption in Washington, opening his eyes to the rotten happenings on Capitol Hill that lead to his heroic efforts to restore decency to America's government. An Oscar-winner for best screenplay (and nominated for just about everything else), Capra's film shrewdly mixes comedy and drama to tell a great American story with arguably this country's favorite everyman (pre-Tom Hanks).

Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on ESPN - You can't call yourself a true American until you've watched the world-famous eating competition where gluttons unite to watch the most dominate crammers around the globe stuff hot dogs into their faces. Longtime champion Takeru 'Tsunami' Kobayashi looks to win the Mustard Belt back after U.S. native Joey Chesnut stripped the hot dog king of his title last year. Witness history being made at 11 a.m. today on ESPN.

In Pixar We Trust

In Pixar We Trust
Ben Around
June 27, 2008

Let's lay some confusion to rest. 'Shrek,' 'Over the Hedge,' 'Barnyard,' 'Shark Tale,' 'Chicken Little,' 'Happy Feet,' 'Madagascar,' 'Ice Age' or 'Bee Movie' — none of the aforementioned titles fall into the nearly flawless category of what we know as Pixar movies.

To clarify, the Disney/Pixar feature collaborations include 'Toy Story,' 'A Bug's Life,' 'Toy Story 2,' 'Monsters, Inc.,' 'Finding Nemo,' 'The Incredibles,' 'Cars' and 'Ratatouille.'

Last summer, while steamrolling through movie trailers online, I came upon a teaser that struck me as peculiar and effective. It opened with a live single shot of a filmmaker named Andrew Stanton (writer, director, brainchild behind 'Finding Nemo') telling the story of the original Pixar creative team discussing future projects after wrapping its first feature, 'Toy Story.'

After listing one bullseye after the other, Stanton introduced the final idea they conceived, about a robot named Wall-E.

What struck me about the trailer was Stanton's haunting appearance set to mystical Thomas Newman notes. I can't recall another time where a filmmaker appeared in a trailer for his own movie let alone pulled it off with imposing gusto, the way Stanton did last summer.

In 2003, when the 'Finding Nemo' DVD hit the shelves, I took a week or so to not only watch the entire film eleven times (literally) but to also explore the special features documenting just how much sweat Stanton poured into this art child he'd conceived years before. From the initial pitch to putting the finishing touches on whale effects, he saw that every last hair was neatly trimmed prior to its summer release.

Viewing Stanton's work ethic left a lasting impression, reassuring me that the creators of what we see on the silver screen sometimes put more into the product than we deserve. This red-haired, bespectacled, clean-shaven director even looked different in his introduction. This time, he was long-haired and bearded; his eyes had aged what looked to be ten years (double the time since his last film), suggesting he'd again been up to something big.

So seeing Stanton appear in his trailer pledged to me that Pixar's next might not just top his first movie, but perhaps be the film to top 'Nemo' and last year's best movie, Brad Bird's 'Ratatouille.' The only filmmaker who could pull off what Stanton did may be Steven Spielberg.

Maybe one thing audiences have learned in the last 13 years is they can trust this seemingly perfect collaboration between Disney and Pixar with every release — even the short films that precede the features stand as milestone achievements in animation and storytelling. With only eight features released, Pixar's total domestic gross rounds out at just under $2 billion, with no single film falling below $162 million.

What sets this studio apart creatively, aside from the fact that their animation presents a 3-D experience, the stories and characters themselves are just as three-dimensional, offering memorable experiences that contend with heralded live-action features at the highest level.

Is this to say that Pixar has an undefeated track record both financially and artistically? Financially, maybe, but I've spotted just one blemish regarding the quality of their creative achievements. 2006's 'Cars' felt a bit underwhelming even during the opening credits where we suffered through a Sheryl Crow song accompanying a NASCAR-like race. Some might argue that even with the narrative flaws that film had, the overall experience oozed enough Pixar magic to keep things satisfactory. I wish I could say the same, but when you're batting 7½ for eight on this playing field, complaints cower in a lonely corner.

While some of the previously mentioned, non-Pixar computer animated films possess their fair share of laughs, thrills and artistic merits, they'll sadly always have to bow to the empire that might have saved Disney's creative persona.

Today, I'll see 'Wall-E,' which is said to stress physical behavior and performance in its characters as opposed to the overload of pop culture-ridden, innuendo-filled dialogue you'll find in the quasi-hip 'Shrek' movies. While its praises can't officially be sung because I haven't seen the film, its release only reminds me how thankful I am for Pixar's output of excellence for more than a decade.

Along with 'Iron Man' and 'Pineapple Express,' this marks one of my 'surefire' bets for the summer; and we know now where I stand on the first of the three. I'm sure I'll see you there. All hail Pixar.

Other things to do this weekend:

'Wanted' at the Cobb Hollywood 16 - Once the kiddies get tucked in and start dreaming little dreams about 'Wall-E,' grown folks can kick things into fifth gear with this high-octane, ultra-violent action yarn starring Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman and 'Atonement' heartthrob James McAvoy as a gang of assassins who can manipulate the movement of bullets and look really cool while doing it! Early trailers suggested this would reach new heights of ridiculousness at the movies, and the latest buzz doesn't dispute that. But it seems most critics who have caught early screenings dig the stylish shoot-em-up atmosphere offered by Russian director Timur Bekmambetov.

Josh Kavanaugh and friends at Mugshots, Saturday - While his brothers Kris and Kevin tore things up in and around The Booth in the band Reaux Jam Beau, Black Warrior native and jazz guitarist Josh Kavanaugh has evolved into a virtuoso guitarist in his own right. Tomorrow, he and two other local artists, Landis Lee (drums) and Tim Davis (keyboards) will provide the shuffleboarders with plenty of background jazz and funk that'll find its way to the forefront with plenty of plucking and pounding.

Ashfest at Egan's tonight - Catch the final leg of this festival of local bands celebrating the bar's preeminent employee. You're in for a tonal treat tonight when Shake It Like a Caveman, Ham Bagby & the Siege, The Cancers, Silver Lions 20/20 and Baak Gwai hit the back of the room. Always offering a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere, this venue puts the spotlight on local bands who take chances.

Shyamalan sees dead people again

Shyamalan sees dead people again
By Ben Flanagan
BEN AROUND

Nearly twenty years passed before Steven Spielberg ventured into R-rated territory with his 1993 masterpiece “Schindler’s List.” With it, the wide-eyed storyteller who dazzled all of America with spectacular event films for kids and adults (“Close Encounters,” “E.T.,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark”), film’s wonderboy grew into an adult whose storytelling evolved into a more poetic “for adults only” realm.

In a 2002 issue, Newsweek tapped writer/director wunderkind M. Night Shyamalan as “The Next Spielberg” (on its cover, no less). While the kind title came after only his third film – or second that anyone knew about – and right before his fourth (“Signs”), the magazine described the newbie as “more akin to the young Spielberg in his careful rippling of the heartstrings, his deft touch with child actors, his fascination with the middle-class American family and his desperate desire to keep pleasing the same demographic over and over: people between the ages of 10 and 100.”

In the article, they stress a “young” Spielberg; but does Newsweek still stand by its claim just seven years ago before Shyamalan’s notoriously debated films “The Village” and “Lady in the Water” were released to underwhelming box office numbers and mixed critical responses?

Sometimes, members of the media rush to judge new faces both in front of and behind the camera, which is unfair. Remember a few years ago when writers helmed Tom Hanks as the next Jimmy Stewart? Or more recently with George Clooney as the next Cary Grant? With the ladies, folks want to determine just who will be the next Julia Roberts: Amy Adams or Anne Hathaway. Didn’t work out with Reese Witherspoon, so they’ve moved on apparently.

The same thing happens in politics and sports, too. Barack Obama as the next John F. Kennedy. Kobe Bryant as the next Michael Jordan. To the contemporary figures whose achievements have led them to this point, I’d say the comparisons are certainly justified in some cases to a certain extent, but most of the time they stretch towards insulting. Never will these people accomplish on any level specifically what their predecessors did in their own respectively incompatible eras. They may hope to meet some sort of equivalent or even transcend what’s already been attained, but don’t look for carbon copies.

Such comparisons can potentially damage careers like Shyamalan’s. If he must live up to the likeness of an icon like Spielberg, he’ll never make it. Instead, he’ll be pressured into become more imaginative and different from his own contemporaries, and he’ll squirt out unforgivable drivel like “Lady in the Water” which convinced Disney the man may have hit a creative brick wall and needed more time to develop his thoughts. Personally, I find his underrated, beautifully shot and paced film, “The Village,” to be Shyamalan’s masterpiece, which could raise the eyebrows of the many “Sixth Sense” and “Unbreakable” loyalists who’d laugh at the notion of anything else surpassing those gems.

At this point, it’s safe to declare Shyamalan a unique talent among most of today’s offerings in Tinseltown. As a filmmaker, the guy has almost seamlessly developed his own style for the craft that most of us immediately recognize when we see a new trailer of his without even seeing his name attached – something we can only do with a select few today (Wes Anderson maybe?).

And so we don’t fall behind in our unfair comparisons, let us acknowledge that, like Spielberg back in 1993, M. Night Shyamalan will release his first ever R-rated feature film today with “The Happening.”

Those who have seen advertisements for the thriller may notice the heavy emphasis the marketing puts on the mature rating, highlighting the ‘R’ in bright-red coloring. The Motion Picture Association of America ratings board’s official justification for the rating says the film contains “violent and disturbing images,” and if you’ve seen the red-band trailer online, you get the idea that Shyamalan ain’t messing around this time. The violence shown in these clips emphasizes that this director whose childlike sensibilities told unconventional stories for everyone in the recent past has shifted gears toward a much more mature audience.

Skeptics claim that the film’s box office numbers could hurt from the notion that audiences are unfamiliar with just what “The Happening” is all about. To clarify, the story follows a family on the run from an inexplicable and relentless event that threatens humankind. Some say that Shyamalan’s getting all environmental on us, suggesting that the threat could be something toxic in order to scare us into going green. Reckon we’ll see.

After the disappointing “Lady in the Water,” I found it hard to defend Shyamalan after his “bedtime story” that most assuredly put his children (along with those of us who saw it) to sleep. But I’m a believer in second chances, and I especially believe in a filmmaker who’s willing to take chances. Perhaps the R-rating will negatively affect the film’s box office (against “The Incredible Hulk” today), but I see it as an opportunity for the guy to grow a little...or just experiment with some gory makeup effects.


The Incredible Hulk at the Cobb Hollywood 16 - Not sure what to think about Marvel's re-do on the not-so jolly green giant? Perhaps you're asking yourself, "Haven't I already seen a 'Hulk' movie? Like 5 years ago? And didn't it stink?" If that's how you feel, then Marvel Studios might agree with you. Virtually spitting in the creative faces of Ang Lee and others involved with the first disappointing go-around with 2003's "Hulk," Marvel has teamed up with Universal Pictures, French director Louis Letterier (The Transporter movies) and Edward Norton (who co-wrote) to try and get it right this time. Judging from the initial trailer released several months ago, the revamped version felt silly and overcharged with obvious CGI effects (especially when compared to Lee's superior work in the first film). But since a few clips have hit the web, buzz has grown much stronger thanks to what look to be strong action set pieces, which Lee's version sorely lacked from beginning to end. Norton, Tim Roth, Liv Tyler and William Hurt co-star; and if you liked Marvel's first summer foray with "Iron Man" this summer, rumors flying around suggesting some key character crossover action should only help matters.

Funny Games on DVD - What happens when we see a remake before the original version of a film, TV show or song? Do we always prefer which ever we've seen first, even if someone had the idea and executed it with success before? For instance, most of us remember indie hero Gus Van Sant's failed experiment with his shot-for-shot remake of Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho," but I don't hold it against the guy. Either way, how bad can a shot-for-shot remake of that movie actually be? Casting's always the issue, it seems - and color, for that matter. German filmmaker Michael Haneke has done something similar to what Van Sant did, only he's done it with his own movie, called "Funny Games," previously released in 1997. This week, his remake, starring Naomi Watts, Tim Roth and Michael Pitt, hit the streets - and I'll be seeing it before I see the original. I can't offer any kind of substantial rationale other than I saw the new edition's trailer before I heard of the first, and it immediately piqued my interest. Said to be highly disturbing by most critics, as the story follows two psychotic young men who take a family hostage in their home, the brilliant trailer promises what could be a dark comedy that takes things the extra mile. While most may not have the stomach for it, the real cinephiles ought to latch on to either version.

Reeling - INDY 4 reviewed, Benjamin Button trailer, The Happening red-band trailer, 'W' cast, etc.

Reeling - May 22, 2008
Hosted by Ben Flanagan
Guests: Matt Scalici, Corey Craft, Ben Stark

LISTEN TO THE SHOW!!! Click below:
http://www.thecapstone.ua.edu/Podcast/reelindiana.mp3

1. INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL.

MY THOUGHTS (SOME SPOILERS):
Steven Spielberg's latest entry into one of film's most celebrated trilogy opens nationwide today. I stayed up past my wimpy bedtime and caught last night's midnight show, which saw a nearly packed house in the Cobb Hollywood 16 here in Tuscaloosa. Let me preface this review by saying that I'm an Indiana Jones fan of the most loyal kind. Prior to even seeing RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, I grew up watching TEMPLE OF DOOM over and over until the tracking button couldn't even help my full screen VHS copy. I popped the second movie in yesterday and watched the terrific opening Shanghai nightclub sequence and relished it just like I used to. Having watched all three films a few times every year, RAIDERS being my favorite by a hair at the moment, my affinity for the trilogy remains as strong as ever. As I've mentioned here before, upon just hearing that a fourth Indiana Jones installment would be made, I was skeptical even though Spielberg and Ford would be involved. Maybe I just thought THE LAST CRUSADE might actually be the last time we'd see Dr. Jones, but I guess we should have learned our lesson after FRIDAY THE 13th Part 4: The Final Chapter, which was followed by FRIDAY THE 13th: A New Beginning. Either way, the movie would be made and growing anticipation corraled internet among movie nerds, which slightly outweighed mine and others skepticism about what we thought died in 1989. News that George Lucas's involvement meant he had strict approval over story and script ideas only bruised what excitement I had about the project. Upon hearing scripts from both M. Night Shyamalan and Frank Darabont, among others, had been vetoed by Lucas, I saw the first few warning signs that this would be a tricky endeavor. Whose hand did they tap to put the finishing touches on a story they'd finally compromised on? That would be Hollywood's most inconsistent screenwriter and partycrasher, David Koepp, whose writing hasn't satisfied me since JURASSIC PARK and the first MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE. Rumors that this adventure would somehow include the unusual presence of extraterrestrial creatures were all but confirmed with the teaser trailer where a crate that read "Roswell" could be seen and a crystal skull resembling none other than an alien could be seen on the movie's poster. After plenty of online naysaying and trashtalking among skeptics and fanboys, the movie is here and I, along with others on this show, have seen it.

And what's my initial reaction? Ladies and gentlemen, if I'm being totally honest with myself as someone studied in the field of all things Indiana Jones, the fourth installment KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL is a nightmare, plain and simple. I should say, that midnight these days is past my bedtime, so there's a slight (VERY SLIGHT) chance that my judgment could have been impaired. But I don't think so. What we have here is as much an Indiana Jones film as the PG-13 LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD was a real DIE HARD movie. Indy-lite, in fact. Without getting too specific and spoiler-crazy, the film's central problem is its weak, exposition-driven, silly script that introduces content not fit for the Indiana Jones universe we've grown accustomed to. As some have said before, this adventure travels moreso at the speed of a NATIONAL TREASURE entry, rather than the superior trilogy. Spielberg, along with Lucas who wouldn't leave the set, relied far too heavily on CGI-heavy action sequences where green screens were used instead of authentic locations or detailed sets. While we were all excited to see Harrison Ford back in the fedora, we also know that the man hasn't made a good movie since the mid to late 90s (sorry WHAT LIES BENEATH fans). Based on what I watched last night, Ford's forgotten how to act and only phones in what feels like a parody of his rough and tough, charming archaeologist. Underdeveloped and unnecessary characters couldn't flesh out this ultra-thin story that felt nothing like any one of the previous three films. Even the look of it, while shot by the great Janusz Kaminski, couldn't recall Douglas Slocombe's lush photography from the 1980s. Perhaps Kaminski's task was just too daunting. Honestly, the photography, compositions and lighting, was generic, reminding me more so of THE LOST WORLD - not THE LAST CRUSADE. To put it simply, it just didn't feel right, and it wasn't just the CG prairie dogs and monkeys that told me that.

- What kind of box office numbers should we expect? Nikki Finke suggests the following on her blog: "Indy 4 debuts for a full 5-day holiday weekend, among the best of all circumstances. Which is why informed guesstimates from my box office gurus are ranging from a low of $142 million to a high of $175 million for the well-reviewed PG-13 adventure pic. I think the answer lies somewhere inbetween -- around $160M."

2. THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON trailer was attached to INDY 4 last night. Those two minutes or so were better than all three hours of ZODIAC, which I actually re-watched recently.

3. M. Night goes Red-Band with THE HAPPENING trailer, and I think it's the right move. Personally, I'm more excited about this movie than I already was. I won't say I was sweating with anticipation, but I've had a feeling he's capable of redeeming himself after LADY IN THE WATER. The guy is still batting over .500 in my opinion. This will be his first R-rated effort, and it apparently earned it's rating for Violent and Disturbing Images. From the looks of the trailer, there will be violence indeed. Find it on YouTube.

4. SPEED RACER FLOPS! Warner Bros. inflates box office figures for temporary second place finish.
- The movie's production budget alone was $120m, and its current cumulative worldwide gross is $56m. For Warner Bros. sake, THE DARK KNIGHT better be packing HEAT.
- Who saw this disaster coming?
- Should there be major repercussions for this kind of report on the studio's behalf? What could be done?
- Corey liked the movie. Was IRON MAN just too strong of a release a week before this?
- Don't you think a cartoon adaptation might have been a bit of a step down for the Wachowski's right after the MATRIX movies?
- Casting a nobody in the lead a bad move? I don't care what some might say, Emile Hirsch is still an unknown to mainstream audiences. I guess Shia Lebeouf can't be in everything

5. Casting news regarding Oliver Stone's latest presidential piece, W - Richard Dreyfuss tapped as vice president Dick Cheney. Will this portrayal stray far from his role in The American President? Who cares? Good casting, I think. Matt? I'd just like to know how you feel about this project in general?

6. Ain't It Cool reports, It's been known that Christian Bale is playing John Connor in McG's now-in-production TERMINATOR film. Now early indications suggest Bale will appear throughout a proposed trilogy of films, though no deals had been struck. Now comes confirmation that Bale has formally signed on to play Connor in three TERMINATOR movies. Based on the awful third movie along with the Sarah Connor Chronicles, do we really want more Terminator movies even if Bale and McG are involved?

7. DVD picks: The ORIGINAL INDIANA JONES Trilogy - new editions avaliable; Robert Altman's SHORT CUTS (on Criterion), The Wire, Battlestar Galactica season three

Reeling - Iron Man, Speed Racer, Standard Operating Procedure

Reeling - May 1, 2008
Hosted by Ben Flanagan
Guests: Been Stark, Graham Flanagan

LISTEN TO THE SHOW!!! Click below:
http://www.thecapstone.ua.edu/Podcast/reeliron.mp3

Television director Tom Cherones has been back on campus advising eleven TCF students during the production of another film helmed by the upper-level course tonight at the Bama Theatre downtown on Greensboro Avenue. Some thoughts on its playing second fiddle to this Deadstring Brothers concert DVD tonight.

MOVING ON:

Our first guest: Been Stark discussing his latest filmmaking adventures, Preston Sturges, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and baking.


Next guest: Graham Flanagan


1. IRON MAN - Graham has seen it. Here's his take.

2. SPEED RACER - Graham has seen it (jeez). Here's his take.

3. Errol Morris' STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE - Graham has seen it (gah!). Here's his take.

4. In industry news, it's now official, Guillermo Del Toro has been tapped to direct THE HOBBIT, the prequel to JRR Tolkein's Lord of the Rings trilogy. Early word is that Ian McKellan has been approached to reprise his role as Gandalf the wizard and that McKellan is likely to accept. What do we think about this?

4. Our thoughts on the Tom Cherones film production course.

6. DVD recommendations: THE SAVAGES, IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH, JOHN CARPENTER'S ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13, THE WRONG MAN, ROPE

I'll be back next week to let you know what I think of IRON MAN, which I'll be catching tonight. Thanks for tuning in.

Reeling - Most Overrated Films???

Reeling - April 17, 2008
Hosted by Ben Flanagan
Guests: Matt Scalici, Phil Owen

LISTEN TO THE SHOW!!! Click below:
http://www.thecapstone.ua.edu/Podcast/reeloverrated.mp3


While I'd thought not to do the show today, thanks to several distractions, I decided to try something anyway and call past guests for their impromptu thoughts on what they felt were overrated movies.

Matt Scalici and Phil Owen both offered the SAME movie as their first selection? Are they in cahoots? And what was their selection??? A CLOCKWORK ORANGE!

Are they insane? To give them the benefit of the doubt, it sounds like neither of the two has actually seen the film. I mean I did put them on the spot, so they could have thought, "What would make me sound cool and smarmy?"

If you ask me, both come across similarly to the name of the character you see above. But they are certainly entitled to their weird opinions. And I guess we should respect them.

Either way, thanks to them for appearing on such short notice.

There is a long songbreak between guests (but the music's not bad), so skip ahead or enjoy the tunes.

While on the subject, what are the most overrated movies you've come across?

Reeling - Leatherheads, Valkyrie, W, Summer Movie Preview

Reeling - April 10, 2008
Hosted by Ben Flanagan
Guests: Graham Flanagan, Corey Craft

LISTEN TO THE SHOW!!! Click below:
http://www.thecapstone.ua.edu/Podcast/reelleather.mp3

First a quick announcement: Capture Studio Cafe will host a film scramble this weekend, starting tomorrow at 5 pm. Filmmakers can go to Capture and sign up. There's an entry fee. You'll get a sheet with the different aspects that you must incorporate within the your film, but the word is your piece can be about anything you like. Deadline for completion is Sunday at 5. About a 48-hour window. The contest requires participants to use their own equipment. Films will be screened at approximately 8 pm Sunday night. For information, e-mail 90.7 music director Jenny Smith at wvuamusic@sa.ua.edu. Scrambles are always a good time and really let you know who the true collaborators on campus are. I encourage all budding filmmakers here at UA to participate.

1. George Clooney's screwball comedy Leatherheads opened last weekend, and its numbers weren't pretty. Clooney directed and starred in this throwback to 1940s silliness in the tradition of Preston Sturges and George Cukor, and he came fairly close to succeeding in giving men and women a romantic comedy they could both enjoy. A cast headed by Clooney, the perhaps miscast but still talented Renee Zelwegger and everybody's favorite nice guy The Office's Jim (John Krasinski) ought to guarantee a good time, and it nearly does; but too much attention on one thin subplot doomed Leatherheads from out-right success. Instead of what should have been a sure thing, we're given a weak, underwritten game with a few big plays and even fewer belly laughs that might have been better fit for a superior director. Now I'm the first person to sing the praises of Clooney's previous directorial effort, Good Night and Good Luck, but based on this clumsy, poorly edited and choreographed misfire with such uninspired photography, I have to question the guy's skills as a seasoned filmmaker, especially if I were a studio. Perhaps the absence of his buddy Steven Soderbergh (and maybe even more importantly his previous cinematographer Robert Elswit) meant more than he probably realized. What did you think? Why the poor box office? Matt Scalici wrote a facebook note asking whether Clooney could even draw big numbers at the box office? Can he?

2. Bryan Singer's WWII film Valkyrie, starring Tom Cruise, has been pushed back all the way to a FEBRUARY release date, which ultimately means this movie is DOA - finished. Originally scheduled for a June release this year and then moved to October in order to compete for Oscar nominations, the drama based on a true story about a conspiracy to assassinate Adolph Hitler, now has zero shot at any award, as February (or any month prior to May) falls in Hollywood's deadliest season. Clark Woods, MGM's distribution chief, told Daily Variety, "Having seen a lot of the film and how great it is going to play once it's finished, moving into a big holiday weekend is the right move." However, several movie columnists have noted that President's Day is not "a big holiday weekend" and that the studio likely slotted it into that period because the competition will be weak. In the meantime, they added, the delay would give the studio added time to reshoot scenes and allow Cruise to work with a dialect coach to perfect his accent and rerecord some of his lines, due to what is rumored as a laughably bad German accent. How do we feel about this?

3. Variety reports, Universal Pictures Intl. has acquired the overseas distribution rights to “This Side of the Truth,” a comedy written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson. Gervais stars as a storyteller who lives in a world where nobody lies; he patents the fib and uses it to become a star. Jennifer Garner, Rob Lowe and Louis C.K. star; Tina Fey, Christopher Guest, Jeffrey Tambor, John Hodgman and Jonah Hill have supporting roles. The film marks Gervais’ feature film debut after creating hit series “The Office” and “Extras.”

4. According to the Hollywood Reporter, President George W. Bush is a foul-mouthed, reformed drunk obsessed with baseball, Saddam Hussein and a conflicted relationship with his dad. Or at least that's how he's portrayed in the script for Oliver Stone's upcoming feature "W." As the film preps for its April 21 start date, The Hollywood Reporter sent a copy of the screenplay to four Bush biographers for their comments. The draft is dated Oct. 15, 2007, and has recently been circulated to talent, though a person close to the film said the script has since gone through at least two drafts. "W," which is set to begin filming in Shreveport, La., with a budget of about $30 million, stars Josh Brolin and James Cromwell as Bush 43 and 41, respectively. The film is being closely watched in entertainment and political circles, in part because Stone has said his goal is to release it while Bush is still in office and possibly in time for the November election. Is fair to be extremely pumped about this project for us fans of Nixon and JFK? Could Oliver Stone actually be back?

5. All Disney and Pixar animated features starting with November's 'Bolt' will be released in digital 3-D except for one. Disney announced the news along with its upcoming animation slate yesterday. Two years after the pair's $7.4 billion merger, Disney is eager to tout the lineup and keep Pixar's momentum going after "Ratatouille" and "Cars," says Variety. The studio is also looking to pump up the fortunes of Disney's own animation unit, now under the control of Lasseter and former Pixar president Ed Catmull after suffering a string of disappointments, including last year's "Meet the Robinsons." "The Princess and the Frog," the only pic being made in traditional 2-D. "Up," set for release May 29, 2009, will be Pixar's first 3-D title. "Cars 2" is going into production, with a planned release date of summer 2012. It's being directed by "Ratatouille" producer Brad Lewis and is the first sequel for Pixar outside the "Toy Story" franchise. Pixar will have two original films in 2011: "Newt," a romantic comedy directed by Gary Rydstrom, and "The Bear and the Bow," a magical tale set in Scotland starring the voices of Reese Witherspoon, Billy Connolly and Emma Thompson.

6. SUMMER MOVIE PREVIEW: Lightning Round
a) IRON MAN - could this be the sleeper best movie of the summer (or biggest hit)?
b) INDIANA JONES - have anyone's feelings changed? seeing the trailer on the big screen increased my excitement
c) THE DARK KNIGHT - some say Heath Ledger's death will help ticket sales? Couldn't it hurt it? Is this movie going to be too dark for the biggest numbers of the summer?
d) SPEED RACER - the first trailer made me sick - since then, I almost can't wait to see it
e) WALL-E - Will Pixar do it again?
f) STEP BROTHERS - although they make money, the third film will either make or break the Will Ferrell/Adam McKay big screen partnership in terms of real laughs
g) THE HAPPENING - can Shyamalan bounce back from his last movie we've all hopefully forgotten about?
h) HANCOCK - will this be Will Smith's first flop? lots of skeptics out there on this post-modern superhero, special effects bonanza
i) THE PINEAPPLE EXPRESS - might the Apatow crew finally be making a real, complete movie?

7. Theatrical releases in Tuscaloosa this week: Smart People, Street Kings, Prom Night, The Ruins and Mrs. Pettigrew Lives for a Day will all start at the Cobb Hollywood 16 here in town. Still no sign of Martin Scorsese's rock documentary Shine a Light, not that I really expected it. But, honestly, I don't want to drive to Birmingham to see it, and I probably won't.

8. DVDs this week: There Will Be Blood is out in both one-disc and two-disc editions. The one-disc is a bare bones package while the two-disc offers a few special features that may or may not be worth the extra few bucks. Either way, your concern should be with the movie itself. Also out - Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Lions for Lambs and the movie no one ever saw or heard about Reservation Road, directed by Hotel Rwanda's Terry George and starring Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Ruffalo and Jennifer Connelly. While the movie isn't great - in fact, it plays out much like something you'd see on the Lifetime channel - with that cast and director, I still don't understand its invisible release this past fall.

DVD recommendations: Hal Ashby's 1971 cult classic Harold and Maude. While I prefer The Last Detail, this moody, quite unusual love story is just another highlight on Ashby's very short track record. Another obvious influence on Wes Anderson's work. Picks from Corey and Graham?

Charlton Heston passed away on Sunday. Your favorite Heston movie? Big fan of Touch of Evil and The Omega Man, but what about his cameo in True Lies? He'll be missed, I think.

Happy Birthday, Omar Sharif.

I'll be back next week to talk about the latest from the Judd Apatow regime, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, written by and starring "Freaks and Geeks" and "Undeclared" alum Jason Segel. See you then.

Reeling - Patton Smith on deaths in Hollywood and summer picks

Reeling - March 27, 2008
Hosted by Ben Flanagan
Guest: Patton Smith

LISTEN TO THE SHOW!!! Click below:
http://www.thecapstone.ua.edu/Podcast/reelpatton.mp3

1. The movie gutter of a season, spring, is still upon us, and we only have one more month of it, thank God. The box office, though, has finally seen itself a hit in Horton Hears a Who!, which has now cleared $86 million in just two weeks.

2. New theatrical releases in Tuscaloosa this week: 21; Run, Fatboy, Run, starring Simon Pegg (he also co-wrote with Michael Ian Black) and directed by David Schwimmer; Stop-Loss, the latest film depicting the brutal effect of the conflict in Iraq is set to fail just like its recent predecessors.

3. Noted filmmaker Anthony Minghella passed away last week from a brain hemmorage suffered around what doctors were calling a "routine" operation. Minghella is responsible for two of the 1990s absolute best films in 1996's best picture winner The English Patient and 1999's The Talented Mr. Ripley.

4. Also worth noting, the passing of three other key contributors to film. Actors Paul Scofield (recent Oscar nominee for 1994's Quiz Show) and Richard Widmark have also died within the last week. The third to pass from the week is science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke.

5. We can get excited about Oliver Stone again (though I am a fan of his last film World Trade Center, which is a good movie). It seems that the old Stone might be back to his wily politically charged conspiracy film ways. Hollywood Wire Tap reports that Oliver Stone is getting busy casting his upcoming biopic on the life and presidency of George W. Bush.

6. Patton's top 5 most anticipated Summer releases. Mine are still Iron Man, Wall-E and The Pineapple Express. New photos, including the final poster, for Iron Man have just been released at yahoo.com and only continue to build my anticipation for the movie. This could make a run at not only the best Marvel film adaptation but even the best comic book adaptation in general. I'm looking at you Batman Begins and first two Spider-Man movies, which people continue to say are the best comic book movies for some reason. If if weren't for that stupid Audioslave song in the trailer, I might say this is what I'm most pumped for.

7. DVD releases: Atonement, The Mist, Southland Tales and I Am Legend are all out now on DVD. Out of those, I can only personally recommend Atonement and I Am Legend, which a solid thriller. This week, The Kite Runner and Wristcutters, two movies that inexplicably played at the Cobb in Tuscaloosa, were released, as were the British film Control and the re-issue of the 1967 classic Bonnie and Clyde. If you haven't seen it, mark it down. Love that Gene Wilder cameo.

8. DVD picks: Ben's - I've finally seen Terry Gilliam's cult classic Brazil, which is part of the Criterion Collection. While I thought the visuals, especially the set and costume designs (which are out of this world), were especially strong, it's difficult to gain a real grasp on what Brazil is really about.

Reeling - Indy 4 poster, Most anticipated 2008 releases

Reeling - March 13, 2008
Hosted by Ben Flanagan
Guests: Graham Flanagan, Ben Stark

LISTEN TO THE SHOW!!! Click below:
http://www.thecapstone.ua.edu/Podcast/reelindy.mp3

1. Box office is SLOW, but 10,000 BC took in over 35 million over the weekend. Nikki Finke at deadline hollywood says the film performed poorly, especially when compared to last spring's R-rated hit 300, which broke spring-time records. 10,000 BC, which is rated PG-13, certainly isn't 300, but isn't it a little too early to call it an outright failure?

2. What is it about the months of January to April that seem mean doomsday for studio releases? The lackluster box office is noticeable - though 2007 saw hits like the aforementioned 300, Norbit, Wild Hogs and Ghost Rider - but it seems the overall consistency of the output of good movies tends to shrink around this time every year. Some might make a case for the movie ZODIAC, but I would not. What do you think?

3. You heard Johann Strauss opening the show in honor of my re-watching 2001: A Space Odyssey yesterday. If, for some reason, you're not familiar with Stanley Kubrick's 1968 science fiction epic, get familiar with it. For all of the film nerds aspiring to become filmmakers who claim they've seen this movie but can't offer an feasible opinion on it, put down the David Fincher and Richard Kelly interview books, and watch this monster from beginning to end in one sitting. In terms of its technical achivements, 2001 is just plain unfair. The visual presentation of this movie were unprecedented when it was released, and it continues to reign supreme among films that have made any kind of effort to offer a visual take on space travel in film. 2001 is tangible proof that the impossibe can be accomplished with a camera, which is why film students ought to be stealing from it instead of more stereotypical film school fodder. Although I haven't officially made the switch from my current DVD setup to Blu-ray or another HD format, I did catch the airing of the movie on Universal HD's cable channel; and it didn't disappoint. If you do make that transition, this should be one of your first purchases. I'm not telling people who have seen 2001 anything they haven't heard before, but let me know when it isn't necessary to reiterate what kind of a milestone this movie is. One of the single coolest moments in film history occurs moments before the intermission where the HAL 9000 computer reads the lips of his ship's astronauts. Just one of the best pieces of editing and storytelling in general. Is this Kubrick's best movie? It'd be extremely difficult to argue against that statement, but there are a few of his other movies that would try and make the case.

4. Theatrical releases this week in Tuscaloosa: Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who; Doomsday; and Never Back Down will all start at the Cobb Hollywood 16 located off of Skyland Blvd. Open up the Crimson White today, and you'll find an interview with one of the cast members from Never Back Down.

5. New on DVD: best picture winner No Country For Old Men, Bee Movie, Dan in Real Life and Hitman. No Country, Darjeeling Limited and John Carpenter's The Thing are currently in my queue. I can recommend all three. Graham told me yesterday that he re-watched No Country and has developed somewhat of a new opinion on it. What did you see that you didn't the first time?

6. Ben Stark wrote a facebook note this week (as did Patton Smith) highlighting the unveiling of the final poster for this summer's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The poster is a typically colorful cascade of the film's major characters, Indiana Jones' mug dominating the top half, with bits of action and set pieces we might see in the film, including what looks to be the "crystal skull," which looks an awful lot like a scary alien. Ben's note sparked some debate from both Indy freaks and apologists as well as not so much naysayers but skeptics. I admit that I'm one of those skeptics, not because I'm not eagerly anticipating the film now that it's completed; but when I initally heard the film was being made, I was a little disappointed. I may have mentioned it before, but these days I'm not a fan of the industry's reliance on sequels and remakes. I think it's ultimately hurting the creative process of filmmaking, and when artists like Spielberg are cashing in on it, I get the feeling that they're conceding to the fact that their newer, more original ideas aren't good enough for today's audiences. Also, the involvement of George Lucas and lukewarm screenwriter David Koepp has me a bit uneasy about the whole thing. But I'm going to see it and let the movie do it's talking. Ben, has the release of this poster only fueled the fire that is your anticipation for this movie?

7. My most anticipated of 2008: WALL-E (June 27); PINEAPPLE EXPRESS (Aug. 8); IRON MAN (May 2)

Reeling - GLENN KENNY interview

Reeling - March 6, 2007
Hosted by Ben Flanagan
Guest: Glenn Kenny, Senior Editor and Chief Movie Critic for Premiere.com (formerly Premiere Magazine)

LISTEN TO THE SHOW!!! Click below:
http://www.thecapstone.ua.edu/Podcast/reelkenny.mp3

Today's guest is the chief movie critic for Premiere (now a web site, formerly a magazine). I grew up reading this magazine, so I was extremely excited about this one. This guy is one of the better-known American film critics. Topics are below.

Enjoy!


PREMIERE: The transition from print to web...

NEW THEATRICAL RELEASES:

- CJ7

- THE BANK JOB

- BE KIND REWIND

FILMS OF 2007:

- Your year-end slideshow called 2007 a pretty damned-good year for the movies. Why is that?

- I noticed your number 5 film was The Darjeeling Limited, which I felt got an unfair reaction from most critics...

- A few omissions I noticed on your list were Juno and Michael Clayton. Did you just not feel like jumping on those bandwagons?

- Your number one was There Will Be Blood. Were you disappointed at the Oscars, or did you pretty much see that result coming?

- Did Paul Dano get the shaft?

FILMS OF 2008:

- Any fairly obvious picks you're looking forward to this year?

- What is your anticipation level for the new Batman and Indiana Jones films?

- Some notable mainstream 2008 releases: George Clooney's Leatherheads, Scorsese's Shine a Light, Iron Man, Speed Racer, WALL-E, Step Brothers, The Pineapple Express, Tropic Thunder

- What do you think about the current status of the comedy genre? Do you think it's as strong as it's ever been? Are we to only rely on good comedies from Judd Apatow, or are there others we should watch?

YOUR FAVORITE FILMMAKERS TODAY:

- Who do you feel are the best contemporary filmmakers currently making movies?

- Do you think a class with Paul Thomas Anderson, Wes Anderson, Steven Soderbergh, Alexander Payne, Sofia Coppola, Spike Jonze, the Coen Brothers and a few others is a particularly strong one compared to the other eras of film?

YOUR FAVORITE FILMMAKERS IN GENERAL:

- Whose work has always done it for you? Do you gravitate more towards American or foreign filmmakers?

- Some of your all-time favorites?

Reeling - NIKKE FINKE interview

Reeling - February 28, 2008
Hosted by Ben Flanagan
Guest: Nikki Finke, Hollywood Business Columnist for LA Weekly Magazine; owner of DeadlineHollywoodDaily.com

LISTEN TO THE SHOW!!! Click below:
http://www.thecapstone.ua.edu/Podcast/reelfinke.mp3

Today's guest is Nikki Finke, who discusses life after the WGA strike, a possible SAG strike and its effect on major productions, the Oscars aftermath, her rationale over feelings of Jon Stewart's second straight poor hosting gig, and her favorite films of 2007.

Visit her web site at deadlinehollywood.com

Things start out a BIT rough, as I almost forgot to start recording, but they freshen up after that.

ENJOY!

Reeling – February 21, 2008
Hosted by Ben Flanagan
Guests: Graham Flanagan, Ben Stark, Matt Scalici, Francesca Scalici, Corey Craft, Terrance Brown

LISTEN TO THE SHOW!!! Click below:
http://www.thecapstone.ua.edu/Podcast/reeloscars.mp3

Thanks to CRAPPY station equipment, overall sound is totally audible but rough around the edges.

Welcome everyone to a very special episode of Reeling, where we’ll be breaking down the major categories of the Oscars, which will be held this Sunday. My panel and I will try to predict for you what will happen this weekend, and we’ll also tell you what should happen if we were giving out awards within the categories. This is a LARGE group with several perspectives, but we’re going to do our very best to keep things nice and friendly.

New theatrical releases you can catch in Tuscaloosa: No Country for Old Men will return to the Cobb Hollywood 16. Also starting this weekend: Charlie Bartlett, Vantage Point and Witless Protection. Other Oscar nominated films in Tuscaloosa are There Will Be Blood and Juno. All are playing at the Cobb Hollywood 16. Check your local listings.

Out on DVD this week: Michael Clayton; Ang Lee’s Lust, Caution; Brian De Palma’s Redacted; Rendition; In the Valley of Elah; American Gangster; and a film that has just jumped into my top ten list of 2007 – Margot at the Wedding, the latest directorial effort from Noah Baumbach (who wrote and directed The Squid and the Whale).

Let’s get to it:

1. Best Supporting Actress – Ruby Dee, Cate Blanchett, Saorise Ronan, Amy Ryan, Tilda Swinton. Who’s it going to be?

2. Best Supporting Actor – Javier Bardem, Hal Holbrook, Tom Wilkinson, Casey Affleck, Philip Seymour Hoffman. The winner? Is it automatic?


---Song Break---


3. Best Original Screenplay – Michael Clayton, Juno, Lars and the Real Girl, Ratatouille, The Savages. Will Tony Gilroy steal Diablo Cody’s sure thing?

4. Best Adapted Screenplay – No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood, Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Away From Her, Atonement. Tough to call, for me. Wouldn’t rewarding the Coens be just like rewarding Cormac McCarthy?

5. Best Cinematography – Atonement, No Country, There Will Be Blood, Assassination of Jesse James, Diving Bell. Deakins’ votes will split, right?


---Song Break---


Terrance Brown’s Oscar Picks and Best of 2007


---Song Break---

6. Best Actor - Daniel Day-Lewis, George Clooney, Johnny Depp, Viggo Mortensen, Tommy Lee Jones.

7. Best Actress - Julie Christie, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Laura Linney, Cate Blanchett.

8. Best Director – Julian Schnabel, Coen Brothers, Paul Thomas Anderson, Jason Reitman, Tony Gilroy

9. Best Picture – No Country, Atonement, There Will Be Blood, Juno, Michael Clayton. Will this be a surprise year? I don’t think so, but I don’t understand the automatic wins for No Country this year.

10. Your biggest SNUB of 2007? Pick ONE person or movie in ANY category you think absolutely got the shaft from the Academy this year.

Reeling - February 14, 2008
Hosted by Ben Flanagan
Guests: Been Stark

VALENTINE'S DAY SPECIAL

LISTEN TO THE SHOW!
http://www.thecapstone.ua.edu/Podcast/reelromance.mp3

1. The Writer’s strike is FINALLY over.

2. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull trailer debuted today on Good Morning America and is now featured on the interweb.

3. Paramount has announced it will push back the release of J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek" from Dec. 25 to May 8, 2009.

4. New releases this week in theaters – Definitely, Maybe – starring Ryan Reynolds and Abigail Breslin; Jumper – starring Anakin Skywalker, Billy Elliot and Samuel L. Jackson; The Spiderwick Chronicles; Step Up 2. All are playing at the Cobb Hollywood 16 in Tuscaloosa.

BEEN STARK STOPS BY!!!

The following comes directly from a list created for The Crimson White. The list hasn't changed since then.

Top 10 Romance films of all time:

1. Before Sunrise (1995) – Richard Linklater’s beautiful portrait of a chance encounter between two twenty-somethings who decide to give potential a chance after hitting things off on a train and hop off at a stop in the gorgeous locale of Vienna, Austria. While the experience is mostly conversational between the two leads, played by Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, what they’re saying is engaging 100% of the time. Linklater’s exploration of why relationships sometimes can’t work and why they ultimately must is handled with originality and surprising storytelling expertise. If you’re up for it, make it a double feature since Linklater brought the actors back to visit the characters nearly ten years later in the sequel “Before Sunset,” which takes place in Paris. While I’d say it isn’t quite the movie its predecessor is, some would argue that it even transcends it. Either way, both are highly recommended.

2. Punch-Drunk Love (2002) – No milkshakes are shared in this one, but writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson painted an awkward and unique fairytale that offers and confirms the idea that there is someone for everyone. Adam Sandler and Emily Watson share an unlikely chemistry that forwards the progress of what I consider to be one of the most uplifting pieces of cinema, rivaling "Rocky." Honestly, this entry in Anderson’s filmography ranks above Magnolia, in my opinion, especially in terms of originality and focused storytelling. While perhaps a bit unusual at first, Shelley Duvall’s song “He Needs Me” will become the lover’s anthem before the movie is over.

3. Meet Joe Black" (1998) - Scoffed at in its initial release, Martin Brest's surreal fable of the grim reaper's trip to Earth where he falls in love with a beautiful New Yorker is the closest thing to a Frank Capra picture anyone has come since the director passed away. Brad Pitt as Death gives his most earnest performance opposite the incomparable Anthony Hopkins as his human tour guide and father of his object of affection. The results are bittersweet and perhaps unfair, but we feel great when it's over. Thomas Newman's musical score is perfect – maybe the best in the last ten years.

4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) - A wild and peculiar vision of a film that offers the statement that Valentine's Day is "a holiday invented by greeting card companies to make people feel like crap." Thanks to a chance meeting, Jim Carrey's improbable hero, Joel, is put in a position that questions this philosophy. Director Michel Gondry and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman's profound drama examines the cruelty of harsh breakups but bleeds a glimmer of hope that's just enough to remind you how much you care about what you love or loved.

5. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) - Debatably Woody Allen's finest film, "Hannah" studies extramarital affairs and the meaning of life with poignant dialogue and splendid New York City scenery. Allen has said before that he wishes he would have changed around the ultimately positive ending of this film; thank you, Woody, for leaving it alone.

6. Chasing Amy (1997) - After "Clerks" and "Mallrats," Kevin Smith really pulled this revolutionary love story one out of his ... well, I didn't see it coming. Smith questions whether a lesbian could eventually fall in love with a man, and the result is a hilariously triumphant and tragic love story. Jason Lee's supporting work is comedic timing for the ages here.

7. The Graduate (1967) - How do you sleep with a woman who's old enough to be your mother and then attempt to date her daughter? How does that work? Mike Nichols' masterpiece only gets better with age. We get to grow with the film's reluctant protagonist, Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman), in his journey from childhood to manhood straight back to childhood. Hoffman, Anne Bancroft and Katharine Ross are dynamite. Pay close attention to the scene where Benjamin must have an uncomfortable drink with a man who doesn't know his wife just attempted to seduce him.

8. Rushmore (1998) - Wes Anderson co-wrote (with Owen Wilson) and directed what could be the greatest movie of the '90s. A high school student (Jason Schwartzman) falls in love with a kindergarten teacher (Olivia Williams) who falls for the high school student's best friend, a middle-aged business tycoon (Bill Murray). Maybe the most implausible love triangle thought of for the screen, but with a terrific British revolution rock soundtrack and gratifying dialogue, the characters figure out who belongs with who, and we can't help but agree.

9. Lady and the Tramp (1955) - The spaghetti dinner between two canine outlaws, complete with an Italian serenade, is a glorious romantic treat that will have you cheering and begging for more of that sweet, supple Disney magic. I don't know why the story of an aristocratic cocker spaniel and streetwise mutt pulls my strings - maybe it's because I grew up watching it - but I just can't help it. Truly one of the all time great love stories.

10. Closer (2004) - This one's a wild card for those of you who don't have or don't want dates tomorrow night. Mike Nichols' portrait of four selfish, deceitful young people in London is often a disturbing meditation on the cruelty human relationships can habitually dish out. The malicious, vile things these characters secrete on each other will have you wishing to never date again. Beware, couples! You will break up. I know Julia Roberts is in it, but it ain't "Notting Hill."

A quick rundown of others to look out for: Casablanca, City Lights, Singin’ in the Rain, Gone with the Wind, and what I would to be one of the better contemporary love stories, Juno, which is playing at the Cobb Hollywood 16.

If you’re feeling downright love sick, turn to these: the aforementioned Closer, Annie Hall, Sweet and Lowdown, Swept Away, Kill Bill Vol. 1, The Shining; and for the extremely masochistic who want to fool themselves into believing that this is a proper love story: the 2007 release Once, which is out on DVD.

What's new on DVD this week: Gone Baby Gone, No Reservations, We Own the Night, Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married and Becoming Jane. So there are a few Valentine’s picks in this week’s releases.

NEXT WEEK:

The Oscars