Big Daddy Gouda

Some of you may know that every year five (5) movies are nominated for a Best Picture Award at the yearly Oscar ceremony, and, of those five, only one walks away with the top prize.

Some of you may also have heard that, starting next year, the academy has changed things around a bit. Now, instead of five movies to choose from, the academy will nominate 10 for the prestigious Best Picture Award.

I for one think this is great, especially after last year’s travesty where movies like The Dark Knight and Wall-E were ignored while The Reader and Milk were honored, granted, both were good movies but neither deserved the nod over Batman and Pixar.

While the academy says it’s to generate excitement, I for one think money is behind the expansion of the best picture category.  I mean, I for one am more apt to see a film if it carries the tag “Nominated for  Best Picture”.

Anyway, for those of you who do follow movie patterns, most films that get nominated for awards come out between October and Christmas, which is typically referred to in the movie industry as “award season”. It is very rare for a film released prior to “award season” to earn a Best Pic nomination but it happens.

The Sixth Sense came out in the summer of 1999 and eventually earned a nomination while Braveheart was released in the spring of 1995 and walked away with the Best Picture Prize the following year.

That being said, 3 months prior to the beginning of award season, I have listed a dozen films that have already come out, that I think have a good shot of cracking the Top 10 and earning a nomination for a 2009 Best Picture Oscar. (in no particular order, just how I remember ‘em).

1. UP

2. STAR TREK

3. THE HANGOVER

4. PUBLIC ENEMIES TAKEN

5. ADVENTURELAND

6. EARTH

7. CORALINE

8. DRAG ME TO HELL

9. WATCHMEN

10. SUNSHINE CLEANING

11. THE GREAT BUCK HOWARD

12. AWAY WE GO

Like I said, studios don’t start rolling out their award contenders until late fall/early winter, however  I think we could see a few more contenders this summer that have yet to open.

Harry Potter, Funny People and Inglorious Basterds come to mind.

Simply put, The Hangover is a crude, crass comedy that manages to be smart at the same time – oh, and funny as hell.

When you start laughing about 30 seconds into a movie, that’s usually a good sign.

I saw the film inside a packed theater and it seemed more like I was at a stand-up comedy show than a movie. I don’t remember the last time a crowd was so into a film. People were laughing so hard they were snorting. I think the old guy sitting next to Ashlie peed his pants.

The plot of The Hangover is very simple: Three buddies (and one tag-along) head to Las Vegas to celebrate the impending marriage of one of their own with a bachelor party weekend. They get so incredibly blasted (thank you jaggermeister) on the night of their arrival that they don’t remember a single thing that happened – of course maximum mayhem ensued during the evening, and they must slowly piece together the night because the groom-to-be has gone missing.

If you’ve ever been to Vegas for a bachelor/bachelorette party I’m thinking you can relate to a bit of the madness. It’s amazing how in Sin City things can truly get away from you…and fast.

The Hangover showcases a great cast of characters – Bradley Cooper as Phil, the handsome, smooth talker of the group, Ed Helms as Stu Price – the dentist who keeps reminding people he’s a doctor, and Zach Galifianakis who steals the movie as Alan, the future brother in law of Doug (Justin Bartha). In addition we have Stu’s insane yuppie girlfriend who ya just wanna punch in the face, Heather Graham plays a gorgeous  hooker with a heart of gold,  Jeffrey Tambor (Pop-Pop in the attic from Arrested Development) adds a few laughs as the future father-in-law and Ken Jeong is hilarious as “Mr. Chow.”

Yes,  Jeong was priceless as the Asian gangster, absolutely hysterical – but the stand out performance had to be Zach Galifianakis as the “not quite all there” member of the troupe. He plays the role as almost mildly retarded, and the lines he delivers and the way he says them are probably on their own enough to make you want to see the movie again.  (“Who Let The Dogs Out, doot doot doot”)

There are great bits throughout the entire film, and while some may feel it bogs down for a bit about 3/4 of the way through,  it regains its footing soon enough to wrap up with a really great ending. 

I loved how they handled the backtracking to figure out just what happened the night before – they didn’t resort to flashbacks or fancy back and forward time-jumps… we just hung with the guys real-time and discovered the pieces to the puzzle along with them. So not only do we have great comedy, as a bonus we get a mystery to unravel as well.

I think it goes without saying but for the love of God leave the kids at HOME for this one. If you can’t afford a babysitter this week, save a couple of bucks a day and wait until next week to see it.

This movie, more than any other comedy I’ve seen since Clerks 2, truly earns its ‘R’ Rating.

Trust me, if you are easily offended by rude crude comedy, by all means stay home, (Allison, I’m looking your way) but if you can handle it, The Hangover is not to be missed. 

Some of the most extreme scenes in the movie actually don’t appear until the credits are rolling. I won’t give away anything other than to say if you’re offended by sexually explicit material, you’d better leave just as the credits begin to roll.

Another great point, for once the funniest parts of a great comedy were not ruined by being shown in the trailor. The best parts are inside. Believe me, you don’t know what you’re in for.

I wanna go to Vegas!!!!!!!!!

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btw, Will Ferell’s Land of the Lost also opened this weekend. Some of you may recall a few weeks back when I did my Summer Movie Preview I predicted Ferell’s film would be the biggest turd of the summer.

Was I right? Find out by CLICKING HERE

When I first saw teasers  for J. J. Abrams vision of Star Trek, shown last summer, my initial reaction was, “meh”.

When I saw the full fledged trailers shown relentlessly over the past few months my opinion hadn’t changed much. Meh.

Then the reviews started pouring in. The film began receiving universal praise from all that had seen it. JJ Abrams’ (yes, he created LOST) vision of Star Trek currently holds a 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a phenomenal number, unheard of for a sci-fi film.

I’ve seen almost all of the Star Trek films in my lifetime but have only seen two at the movies.

But, because J.J Abrams created Lost, my favorite show, and based on overwhelming praise, I decided to see Star Trek at a special screening Thursday night, as opposed to waiting for the matinee over the weekend.

Unlike previous incarnations, there are no weighty scenarios or moral quandaries in this refashioning of Star Trek. It’s an energetic sci-fi extravaganza, with spectacular action sequences and way-cool visuals.

This film is clearly aimed at a broader audience than just die-hard Trekkies, though there is plenty of nods toward Trek history, some of which I didn’t get but seemed to really excite some fifty year old men in the crowd.

The film is really about Captain Kirk and Mr Spock, played superbly by Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto, aka, Sylar from Heroes. We get the back story on the two leads which really is a lot of fun. We also see how the original Star Trek crew, Bones, Scotty, Sulu, and Checkov come together.

In my opinion Star Trek is everything a summer movie should be. It’s action packed, funny with great characters that tell a great story, and, at just over two hours, it’s the perfect length.

Granted, given the volume of Trek lore, aficionados may find plenty to take apart. But non-Trekkers are likely to be transported by this latest voyage on the mother ship of sci-fi sagas.

And, keep your eyes peeled for another J.J. Abrams creation, a special appearance by The Cloverfield Monster.

No really, he’s in there.

The summer movie season officially kicks off today with the arrival of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Then, for the next 16 weeks the studious roll out, what they hope will be blockbusters.

Here is what I’m looking forward to most in the summer of 2009:

(click the movie titles to see the trailers)

1. FUNNY PEOPLE: The third Judd Apatow film, following The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up. This one has Apatow staple Seth Rogan teaming up with comedy superstar Adam Sandler. Can’t go wrong with that combo right?

2. HARRY POTTER & THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE: The second to last Harry Potter book comes to the big screen. This previews for this one look awesome. We will finally get to see Snape kill Dumbledore on the big screen. And Hermoine is aging nicely I must say.

3. PUBLIC ENEMIES: Johnny Depp playing legendary bad ass bank robber John Dillinger while Christian Bale plays the FBI chief trying to catch him….nuff said.

4. UP: I’ve never seen a bad Disney/Pixar film. Hell, I’ve never even seen a mediocre one. They have all been brilliant. Early buzz says the story of an elderly gentlemen in a flying house could be the best yet. I’m there…with our without Aidan.

5. WOLVERINE: The man with the bushy sideburns and steel claws has always been my favorite part of the X-Men movies. Even though critics are saying this one is bad, I’ll make up my own mind, thank you.

6. STAR TREK: This is an origin story. How did captain Kirk come to lead the Starship Enterprise. Sounds interesting. Plus, it has Sylar from Heroes playing Spock and LOST creator JJ Abrams is directing.

7. TERMINATOR SALVATION: Can a Terminator film succeed without Arnold Schwarzenegger? We’ll see.

8. HALLOWEEN 2: Rob Zombie gets his second crack at the Halloween franchise. I didn’t “love” his first try a few years back, but I’m told this time Zombie has creative control and he finally had the chance to film the Michael Myers movies he’s always wanted.

9. THE HANGOVER: This film looks hilarious. Once I saw Mike Tyson dancing to Phil Collins music in the trailer I knew I’d be seeing this one on opening weekend.

10. INGLORIOUS BASTERDS: The latest Quentin Tarantino film about Jews kicking some German ass during WW2.

The summer will also bring a host of other potential blockbusters including Transformers 2, Angels and Demons (davinci code sequel), a live action GI JOE film, and Land of the Lost staring Will Ferrell, which, in my book, will be the biggest bomb of the summer.

Those of you who’ve been reading this site since its inception know that every year on the Friday before The Academy Awards, I do my annual Oscar predictions for the top 6 awards: Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress. As always, my goal is 4 out of 6 correct.

And here…we…go.

BEST PICTURE:I’ve seen all five contenders for the night’s top award. Without a doubt the Oscar should and WILL go to my favorite pic, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE.

BEST DIRECTOR:90 percent of the time, The Best Director award goes hand in hand with the Best Pic award. I expect this year to be no different. Expect Danny Boyle to walk away with the prize for Slumdog.

BEST ACTOR:This is a two horse race between previous winner Sean Penn for his portrayal of gay politician Harvey Milk and the comeback kid, Mickey Rourke for his comeback roll as washed up wrestler Randy “The Ram” Robinson. Rourke and Penn have split most of the pre-show awards with Rourke taking home the Golden Globe while Penn snagged the Screen Actors Guild award. This could go either way. That being said, I’m going with Rourke. The Academy loves a comeback, and while some say just being nominated is Rourke’s recognition, I’m going to take it one step further and say he squeaks out the win for The Wrestler.

BEST ACTRESS:Kate Winslet will win for The Reader. She’s been nominated six times in the past and lost everytime. She’s due and I’m thinking the full frontal nudity will push her over the edge.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: In the night’s most dramatic moment, a moment that will go do in OSCAR history, Heath Ledger will win this award for his portrayal of  The Joker in The Dark Knight. This is as close to a sure thing as you can get.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:Hmm. This one I really have no clue. I’m leaning toward Amy Adams for her portrayal of a naive nun in DOUBT, but I’m thinking Penelope Cruz will most likely take the award for Vicky Christina Barcelona. I haven’t seen it but I hear she’s great. So I’ll go with her.

So there you have it: Slumdog, Danny Boyle, Rourke, Winslet, Ledger and Cruz.

10. MILK- Sean Penn at the top of his game. Followed step by step by James Franco and Josh Brolin. Three Oscar worthy performances in the same movie get this film on my list.

9. ROLE MODELS - The funniest movie I saw this year. And that’s saying a lot in a year that brought great comedies like Pineapple Express, Tropic Thunder and the underrated Step Brothers.

8. VALKYRIE - The scientologist pulled it off. Give him a compelling story with a great script and an excellent director, Brian Singer of X-Men fame, and Tom Cruise can still pull in a good performance. Though I couldn’t help giggle when Cruise emphatically screamed “Heil Hitler!”

7. WALL-E- Better than Finding Nemo. Nuff said.

6. APPALOOSA- I’m a sucker for a Western. Ed Harris is one of my favorite actors but Viggo Mortensen, aka, Aragorn from LOTR , steals the movie as Harris’ fast as lightening gun slinging partner.

5. THE DARK KNIGHT- You will never forget The Joker’s disappearing pencil trick. All I remember from this film is the mesmerizing scenes with Heath Ledger’s Joker. A stylish crime thriller where the good guy happens to be the Batman and the villain happens to be a demented clown. Sounds cheesy on paper but up on the big screen it was nearly perfect in its execution.

4. THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON- Forrest Gump is one of my favorite films of all time. Think of Benjamin Button as Forrest’s older, wiser brother. Better looking, a little more depressing, but just as much fun to spend two and a half hours with.

3. THE WRESTLER- As a life long wrestling fan I’ve been waiting my whole life for a film to come along that actually “gets it” when it comes to the “sport”. Up to this point movies made about wrestling have been crap because the directors don’t get it. They play it as if the sport is real. As if the outcome is not pre-determined. The Wrestler (ahem) pulls no punches. You’re in the locker room as the wrestlers rehearse their matches. You see them popping the steroids. You see them having heart attacks because of all the damage they do to their body. If you are a wrestling fan you know that’s about as real as it gets when it comes to the world of professional wrestling. The movie is perfect because it’s not about the sport. It’s about a man who does the sport for a living: Randy “The Ram” Robinson, brilliantly played by Mickey Rourke in a career capping performance. When he tells his daughter he’s just a “used up piece of meat”, your heart breaks because Rourke’s performance up to that point leads you to believe that very thing.

2. GRAN TORINO- Clint Eastwood’s 4th Masterpiece of the last decade behind Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby and Letters From Iwo-Jima. Eastwood plays a grizzled Korean War Veteran. He drinks, he’s a mean son of a bitch, he’s a racist and you love him! The movie is all things: Funny, moving and tragic.

1. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE – Watching this feel good story was the most fun I had at the theater this year. The simple story about a man from the slums who goes on India’s version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. Not for riches, but to find his childhood sweetheart. The movie is told in flashbacks and while some scenes are so heartbreaking you can barely watch, you’ll be richly rewarded at the films conclusion. And by all means, don’t get up and leave as the closing credits role. Stay for the dancing.