WAMG’s Top 10 Films Of 2021

In what could be described as an interesting year, movie geeks and film fans over the past 12 months found the movie going experience a bit of a challenge but one that provided rich rewards and dazzling spectacles.

We witnessed the epic battle of titans Kong vs Godzilla, journeyed once again to the planet Dune, cheered on real-life heroes as well as superheroes Spider-Man, Black Widow, Shang-Chi, and The Justice League, rooted for supervillains The Suicide Squad, said hello once again to Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss “Trinity and Neo” and bid a sad goodbye to Daniel Craig’s 007 “James Bond.”

Whether the films of 2021 debuted in theaters or went straight to streaming services like Netflix, HBO Max and Amazon Prime, cinemas offered everyone an escapism from the trials and tribulations of everyday life with the continuation of franchise favorites SAW, A QUIET PLACE 2, MORTAL KOMBAT, FAST & FURIOUS 9, CANDYMAN and THE CONJURING.

We feasted on directors Steven Spielberg, Chloé Zhao, M. Night Shyamalan, Nia DeCosta, Edgar Wright, Jane Campion, Paul Thomas Anderson, Ridley Scott, Lana Wachowski and Guillermo del Toro visions of musicals, horror, comedy, cinema noir and DC/Marvel superheroes.

But in the end, it was your friendly neighborhood webslinger that saved 2021 with a huge box office return, the reemergence of villains (as well as Daredevils) and an emotional return with not only one but two Spider-men that had audiences sobbing, smiling, cheering and giving us hope for the coming year.

Even if Tinseltown is recovering from the long-term effects of the pandemic, 2022 is shaping up to be a pretty great year on the big and small screens with the upcoming THE BATMAN, BLACK ADAM, DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS, TOP GUN: MAVERICK, THE FLASH, JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION, Jordan Peele’s NOPE, BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 7 and THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER, just to name a few.

Before we kick off our list, check out this video montage of the best of what the big screen had to offer moviegoers.

Honorable Mention: THE SUMMER OF SOUL

Nina Simone performs at the Harlem Cultural Festival in 1969, featured in the documentary SUMMER OF SOUL. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2021 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved

“Open your heart to what I mean, we must begin to tell our young, there’s a world waiting for you, yours is the quest that’s just begun.”-Nina Simone, “To Be Young Gifted and Black”

In his review, Jim Batts says, “the superb SUMMER OF SOUL (…OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED) is also cause for rejoicing and adoration. What a time. What wonderful timeless entertainment.” In his directorial debut, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson sought to recover the meaningful spirit of the past – when the biggest names in African-American music, culture, and politics came together for six consecutive weeks for a landmark, transformational Black cultural event. His little-seen footage had remained in storage for the past 50 years, keeping this singular event in American history hidden – until now. The filmmaker presented fans with never-before-seen footage of concert performances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King and The 5th Dimension. The winner of both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at Sundance Film Festival, SUMMER OF SOUL is one of the best documentaries of 2021 and an amazing must-see for music fans.

10. WEST SIDE STORY

So, was a remake of the beloved, multi-Oscar-winning film from 60 years ago needed? While some still debate this, the “new spin” from Steven Spielberg was a surprisingly moving “re-interpretation” thanks in part to the script enhancements from Tony Award-winning playwright Tony Kushner brought to vivid life by a young cast headed by the fiery Ariana DeBose as Anita and this year’s major movie discovery Rachel Zegler as Maria. Plus, there’s plenty of bright “star power” emanating from the “force of nature” Rita Moreno from the original (and now a co-producer). Lots of kudos to the army of artisans and craftspeople that meticulously recreated 1957 NYC. Best of all this is another chance to savor (and for youngsters to discover) the spectacular songs from Leonard Bernstein and the recently departed, much-missed Stephen Sondheim. It all gives support to the adage “Everything old is new again”.

9. ENCANTO

As the multiplex is bombarded with animation offerings from the major studios to the “indies”, the artists at Walt Disney Animation continue to impress (along with “sibling” Pixar who offered the lovely LUCA this year). Peppered with catchy, bouncy tunes from the very busy (whew) Lin-Manuel Miranda, this story of an enchanted village and its founding family is indeed magical, alive with color and comedy. Plus, it features a heroine that strives to save the day despite having no “gifts’ other than her bravery and intelligence. Oh, and she wears glasses (a first for Disney). And despite the incredible character design and superb action and slapstick, the dynamics of family and love are first and foremost in this fabulous fable.

8. NO TIME TO DIE

James Bond (Daniel Craig) and Paloma (Ana de Armas) in NO TIME TO DIE an EON Productions and Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios film Credit: Nicola Dove © 2020 DANJAQ, LLC AND MGM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

After his 15-year adventure as James Bond, Daniel Craig’s final outing as 007 had a bittersweet ending in director Cary Joji Fukunaga’s NO TIME TO DIE. Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain (Rami Malek) armed with dangerous new technology.

Bond 25 has one of the franchise’s best action scenes in the opening chase scene through the Southern Italian city of Matera.

Academy Award-winning director of photography Linus Sandgren’s thrilling cinematography is rich, colorful and exciting. The choreography is old-school filmmaking at it’s finest.

Fun facts about the film: At the age of 18, Billie Eilish is the youngest artist to record a Bond theme song, the first in the series to have sequences shot with 65mm IMAX film cameras and was co-written by “Fleabag” creator and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Like all 007 missions, the ending credits once again made a promise: “James Bond will return.”

7. CRUELLA

Emma Stone as Cruella in Disney’s live-action CRUELLA.

A mischievous Emma Stone gave us the performance of the year (and 47 costume changes) as CRUELLA, which was a suitably wicked backstory for one of Walt Disney’s greatest villains. This ‘mean girl’ fairytale’s stylish direction by Craig Gillespie, intricate dedication to period detail, eye-popping costume design, and crazed 70’s soundtrack, not to mention a truly game supporting cast, made CRUELLA the biggest surprise of 2021.

6. TRAGEDY OF MACBETH

Joel Coen’s first solo production is an gripping adaptation of Shakespeare’s Scottish play, starring Denzel Washington as Macbeth and Frances McDormand as the ambitious Lady Macbeth. The film grabs you straight out of the gate with a weirdly wild meeting of the three witches, actually played by one woman with wicked contortionist skills, as a kind of unholy trinity. Shot entirely in a gorgeous black and white, with surrealist sets and a stark, wide-spaces cinematography where people might dissolve into an explosion of crows, but with a pared-down narrative tightness, it is Shakespeare as noirish thriller, or a “ticking-clock thriller” as Coen himself put it.

5. CRY MACHO

If 91-year Clint Eastwood had directed his 91-year-old self in a movie where he rides a horse, shoots a gun, punches someone in the face with his old-man fist, and dances with a woman, that alone would have been enough to put CRY MACHO on this list. But Clint gave this movie so much more. It was a gentle, even sweet, film about the wisdom of growing old. CRY MACHO felt like a parting gift from our greatest living director and star.

4. THE FRENCH DISPATCH

Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2020 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved

Wes Anderson’s charming, creative, color-drenched literate comedy tale is an homage to the early New Yorker magazine, here re-imagined as a French-based Sunday weekly of a Kansas newspaper. Told through an anthology of short tales representing various stories by different contributors, this film packed with all the quirk and charm you expect from Wes Anderson, and it also sports an unbeatable all-star ensemble cast, including Bill Murray, Jeffrey Wright, Tmothee Chalamet, Tilda Swinton, Benicio Del Toro, Frances McDormand and more.

3. LICORICE PIZZA

Photo Credit Melinda Sue Gordon Copyright © 2021 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson’s charming ode to the sparkly 70s is the perfect “middle section” between Tarantino’s ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD and PTA’s own BOOGIE NIGHTS. It gets all the pop culture’s excesses of the period just right, though it’s more than merely a nostalgia “checklist. This is an endearing look at a couple, a wandering woman in her mid-20’s and an ambitious, always-hustling teenager, who can’t stop circling each other, both played superbly by two relative screen unknowns, Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman. But its secret weapon might be the hysterical scene-stealing performance by Bradley Cooper as a real-life Hollywood “power broker”. What a gem.

2. SPIDER MAN: NO WAY HOME

Tom Holland stars as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Columbia Pictures’ SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME.

As we near the 20th anniversary of this character’s film franchise, our biggest movie holiday present is this entertaining blockbuster, proving that there’s lots of life in the old superhero movie genre. While many “tent-poles” try to ignore their history, this zippy “thrill-ride” fully embraces its past in a story of courage, sacrifice, and redemption, as Spidey not only rescues the innocent bystanders but seeks to save, rather than punish or execute, the “villains”. Oh, and it’s really funny just as it tugs at your heart. It’s a sweet “look back”, while marking a new chapter in the “webbed wonder’s” life. Bravo to Sony for agreeing to team with Marvel Studios for another trilogy. And with Tom Holland on board, fantasy film fans have great cause to rejoice.

1. BELFAST

(L to R) Jamie Dornan as “Pa”, Ciarán Hinds as “Pop”, Jude Hill as “Buddy”, and Judi Dench as “Granny” in director Kenneth Branagh’s BELFAST, a Focus Features release. Credit : Rob Youngson / Focus Features

Kenneth Branagh’s semi-biographical tale of childhood in 1969 Belfast is a complete charmer, with a surprising amount of humor despite taking place during the Irish troubles. Sprinkled with terrific performances by Ciaran Hinds and Judi Dench as wise-cracking grandparents, young Jude Hill as lively 8-year-old Buddy and Jamie Dornan and Caitriona Balfe as his fiery, loving parents. A terrific film on all levels with fabulous, creative black-and-white cinematography, this one is a sure front-runner for Oscars.

STAFF PICKS

Jim’s Top Ten for 2021:

1. LICORICE PIZZA
2. SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME
3. ENCANTO
4. WEST SIDE STORY
5. THE SUMMER OF SOUL
6. LUCA
7. THE LAST DUEL
8. LAST NIGHT IN SOHO
9. RITA MORENO; JUST A GIRL WHO DECIDED TO GO FOR IT
10. DREAM HORSE

Honorable mentions: CODA, STILLWATER, POWER OF THE DOG

Cate’s Top Ten for 2021:

1. BELFAST
2. THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH
3. FRENCH DISPATCH
4. THE HAND OF GOD
5. LICORICE PIZZA
6. DON’T LOOK UP
7. THE POWER OF THE DOG
8. PASSING
9. A HERO
10. THE GREEN KNIGHT

Honorable Mentions: DRIVE MY CAR, STILLWATER, JOCKEY, WEST SIDE STORY, NIGHTMARE ALLEY, PARALLEL MOTHERS, SPENCER, CODA, THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD, TITANE, BEING THE RICARDOS

Michelle’s Top Ten for 2021:

1. BELFAST
2. SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME
3. Zack Snyder’s JUSTICE LEAGUE
4. GODZILLA VS KONG
5. THE GREEN KNIGHT
6. NO TIME TO DIE
7. A QUIET PLACE PART II
8. DUNE
9. THE POWER OF THE DOG
10. THE LAST DUEL

Honorable mentions: OLD, SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS, THE SUICIDE SQUAD, THE HARDER THEY FALL, THE MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES, MALIGNANT and MATRIX RESURRECTIONS

Tom’s List Top Ten for 2021:

CRY MACHO
CRUELLA
NIGHTMARE ALLEY
TITANE
ARMY OF THE DEAD
THE CARD COUNTER
THE FRENCH DISPATCH
NO TIME TO DIE
THE LAST DUEL
HOUSE OF GUCCI

Honorable mentions: NOBODY, PIG, WRATH OF MAN

Top Ten Tuesday: Worst Of 2010

With the sweet must also come the salty… and we certainly had some horrible films in 2010. We aren’t just talking about films that you can tolerate sitting through. We are talking about films that make you ask WHAT WERE THEY THINKING???

TOP TEN WORST FILMS OF 2010

Dishonorable Mention: ALPHA AND OMEGA

You would think that adding 3D to almost any movie would make it better. Let me be the first to tell you… this is not the case in ALPHA AND OMEGA! Justin Long and Hayden Panettiere couldn’t have possibly known how bad this was going to be. I actually like Justin Long, but this film belongs in the box of failure. The story was boring, the 3D was possibly the worst that I have ever seen, and the singing… oh, the horrible singing. Now, I normally take into account if the film is designed for children, but when the kid behind me yelled “I’m bored! When is this over?” I knew that this was a lost cause. You could not pay me to sit through this one again.

10. SEX AND THE CITY 2

Sarah, Kim, Kristin, and Cynthia, oh my! The first SEX AND THE CITY film was an appropriate and good quality follow-up to the long running HBO series. It tied up some loose ends. Answered some lingering questions. Part 2 was not necessary. It was a depressing and ill-paced film with a couple fun cameo appearances, and…then it was done. There was nothing new to contribute to the characters in a fundamental way, which was odd because they are deeply complex and interesting women created by the talented Candace Bushnell. It is nice to see the same actors portray the same characters throughout a series and even into the film adaptations; however, these are a specific demographic character set. Part of the appeal was watching these vibrant and sexy women in their twenty’s and thirty’s, not post plastic surgery forty’s and up. Carrie on…indeed.

09. HOW DO YOU KNOW

Here’s a flick that’s a bigger train wreck than UNSTOPPABLE. Maybe that’s because of my high expectations from James L. Brooks. Right out of the gate he scored big with his first feature film TERMS OF ENDEARMENT (this after co-creating one of the most beloved TV sitcoms of all time-The Mary Tyler Moore Show). True he’s had a couple of mis-steps since then, but this new one is a comedy almost completely free of laughs. I can’t really fault the cast. Reeses Witherspoon is very appealing as a confused former Olympic softball player at a crossroads. Paul Rudd uses every bit of his considerable charms as a business man whose life has taken a turn for the worst. Jack Nicholson does what he can with the thankless role of Rudd’s crooked father, one of the most detestable screen dads ever. Owen Wilson proves to be the best part of this film ( as he does in the dud, LITTLE FOCKERS) as the clueless jock vying for Reese. There are some good supporting turns by Kathryn Hahn and Mark Lynn-Baker. None of them can rescue this film from a meandering, unfocused script sol0 credited to Brooks. It’s over two hours of repetitive relationship psycho-babble. Big disappointment!

08. MY SOUL TO TAKE

Who would have thought the worst horror film of 2011 would have come from Wes Craven, one of the biggest names in the genre? Did Craven, the creator of Freddy Krueger, really think the Riverton Ripper, the villain from his wretched film MY SOUL TO TAKE, would join the pantheon of great horror boogey men? He looks like a slightly melted wax figure of Rasputin and I’ve seen Scooby Doo fight scarier fiends. It doesn’t matter though, because halfway the movie Craven puts the brakes on the unstoppable killer angle and goes for a lame body/soul jumping angle. It’s like Craven had no idea how to fully flesh out his ideas so he artlessly threw together plot strands, elevating this lousy movie to the level of horribly bad. Add a completely useless 3D conversion that added nothing to the experience and MY SOUL TO TAKE took my soul to a dark, depressing, and boring place.

07. YOGI BEAR

Despite the dollars at the box office and the beloved icon of Yogi, Oscar winner Eric Brevig still managed to direct a raspberry of a film. Justin Timberlake and Dan Aykroyd’s talented voices could not carry this paper-thin screenplay out of Jellystone in a pic-a-nic basket. The animation was well done, but the live action actors were obviously off the D-list and could not create a warm fuzzy feeling to match the adorable bears camaraderie. This movie can get the infrequent giggle from the audience, but if the viewer is over five years old, then it most likely will not happen. It should have been apparent that what was going to be on-screen was a bad idea all along, just by reading one of the movie’s taglines…All great things come in bears.

06. JONAH HEX

DC Comics continues it’s streak of poorly-made movies, once again proving that short of the BATMAN franchise — which is touch and go itself — they can’t get the formula right. When a film starring Josh Brolin and John Malkovich fails as substantially as this, there’s cause for ridicule. The director, Jimmy Hayward, last directed HORTON HEARS A WHO, his first feature film. This I do not criticize, but it does make me wonder what DC thought they saw in such a filmmaker that screamed violent, supernatural comic book western action movie. Of course, as much as I’d love to blame it all on Megan Fox, she was only part of the problem… the majority of the blame goes to the studio, as this was clearly a case of executives putting the director’s vision on the chopping block. A film of this type, with this subject matter, being rated PG-13… well, that’s red flag #1. Some of the action was kinda cool, but for the most part the film felt eerily reminiscent of WILD WILD WEST, and that’s certainly no compliment. Some of the stylistic elements felt out of place, perhaps because the abbreviated 81-minute theatrical release simply left too much on the cutting room floor. In short, a film that could have… should have been really cool and fun, ended up being really lame and painful to sit through.

05. A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET

Hmm… Robert Englund is still alive,but not Freddy… Wes Craven has no part in it… Lots of Emo teens… THIS SOUNDS LIKE THE ULTIMATE NIGHTMARE! And not in a good way! Hollywood has gotten on this horrible bandwagon of remakes, and it has now gotten into one of my favorite genres, the cheesy 80’s horror film. From the minute that I heard this film was happening, I knew it would be horrible. Jackie Earle Haley is a terrific actor, but he was cast in the role of a specific icon who happens to be still alive, and far to fresh in peoples minds. Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees can be recast because they are essentially faceless. There is only one Freddy Krueger. They essentially tried to make the series scary again, but instead took away the things that made it iconic… such as the humor and the sketchy, awesomely bad special effects. They did nail bad effects though. The CGI was excruciating! The Freddy makeover was abominable. His makeup looked like it was rushed, or not thought through, and the same goes for the camera angles! He was too short to be scary! Add a scruffy, fake sounding voice and you have possibly the biggest failures in remake history. Congrats!

04. GROWN UPS

What do you get when you combine a ton of funny actors and expect them to carry a movie with no real storyline or script? That would be GROWN UPS. Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade and yes, even Rob Schneider have been in hit comedies, and often lead to box office gold. When I saw the list of this ensemble cast, even I thought that it would be a winner. Boy, was I wrong! Essentially, they took these “funny” guys and threw them on a set with the only instruction to “Be Funny!”. At least, that is how it comes across. It’s like they are all trying to top one another. I am even more surprised that I am going to say this: Rob Schneider is the funniest one in the film. Probably because he is the only one that is playing a character, rather than the funny guy that’s being paid to make fun of his friends. Ugh! This could have been a huge hit if they would have taken their time and actually developed a script. The concept was great, but the follow-through was less than parr.

03. ROBIN HOOD

The story of Robin and his merry men of Sherwood Forest has been told on screen since the invention of motion pictures. How can you go wrong with this legend? Well this past year the producers of ROBIN HOOD found a way. First off the title’s misleading. The Robin we know and love doesn’t show up till the last minutes. Maybe it should have been named “Robin Hood Begins”. We first meet Robin Longstride(!) as he’s part of King Richards troops pillaging their way back to Britain after the crusades. Instead of meeting up on a log bridge, Little John and Robin are G.I.s fighting over a game of three-card-Monty! Returning to England we are treated to countless, unending scenes of palace plotting involving now King John and his traitorous right hand man, Godfrey ( he’s in with France). Returning the family sword of a deceased soldier, Robin is enlisted by Papa Loxley to assume the dead man’s role and play the husband to widow Marion. So much for any forest romance. The finale scenes are a medieval version of the D Day sequence from SAVING PRIVATE RYAN with flaying swords and confusing edits. Can this be the same Ridley Scott that gave us GLADIATOR? The whole thing’s a big jumbled mess. Mark Strong makes a good hiss-able villain and Cate Blanchett does what she can as a tough Maid Marion ( she armors up for that final battle ). Russell Crowe plays his usual smoldering, dark action hero. He’s far from the worst movie Robin Hood. Kevin Costner’s got a lock on that ( Disney’s animated fox is more believable than him!). This is a huge botch of a story that should be an exciting, rousing entertainment.

02. PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2

The first PARANORMAL ACTIVITY was fresh, edgy and original enough to be enjoyable and even scary… if you’re scared easily. Unfortunately, whenever a film does really well… like, unexpectedly extraordinarily well, as the first film did, studios see nothing but sequels in their eyes. Hey, you can’t blame a guy for making money, right? The problem is, these sequels rarely bring the original filmmakers back, which means films of unique vision such as PARANORMAL ACTIVITY lose much of that essence in the pending franchise. This is where PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2 fails. The first thing noticed about PA2 was that the budget was obviously bigger, much bigger, having been shot in high-definition. What’s really goofy about this is that we’re still expected to perceive the film as if it’s being told with home security camera footage. Look, if high-security facilities don’t have full-color, high-def security video, then these average suburban folks don’t either. As for the plot, well… I’m still unclear on exactly how that’s to be interpreted. PA2 takes place in a home that is incredibly similar to that of the first film, but it’s an entirely different family. The film seems to have difficulty deciding on it’s back-story as well, as we’re given a couple of thinly developed, rather hokey bits of extrapolation to chew on, but no of it makes much sense. Even some of the choices in shots and sequences intended to make us scared are questionable, most notably the gratuitous number of night-time pool shots. Ooooh… a possessed pool vacuum! Guess I won’t be swimming anytime soon. Overall, the biggest flaw of PA2 is that the gig is up, the cat is out of the bag. After seeing the first movie, any additional films are just gonna pail in comparison. So, it’s not unlikely we could see a PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3.

01. CLASH OF THE TITANS

Holy Ray Harryhausen! There are so many things going wrong in this film, it impossible to count on one’s fingers and toes. This should have at least had some great action sequences in it due to the usually reliable director Louis Letterier, but there is only one that comes to mind easily. This huge ensemble cast alone ought to demand some amount of respect, notability, something? Nope. Maybe someone slipped a fake script to Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neeson to get them to do this film because they are both such fine actors; it is difficult to imagine that they said they were on-board with this draft. The use of computer generated animation is used so poorly, then not all the way throughout the movie, and then in 3-D. All we can do is shake our heads at this monstrosity because they should have left the 1981 version alone. Or, at least until it had a chance to be remade in the style befitting it’s Calibos. Oops, caliber.

Top Ten Tuesday: Best of 2010

With 2010 behind us, it only seems fair to do a recap of the WAMG favorites from the year. There were so many films that came close to being on this list… Please keep in mind that these are just our favorites. There were a ton of great films in 2010, and we just couldn’t include them all.

It’s not you baby, it’s me… I mean us!

So, without further ado… WAMG’S TOP TEN BEST FILMS OF 2010

Honorable Mention: WINTER’S BONE

WINTER’S BONE was directed by co-written by Debra Granik (DOWN TO THE BONE) and is the story of a teenage girl from the Ozarks, who is thrown into adulthood, caring for her mentally ill mother and two young siblings. Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) must track down her father to save her house from being seized to cover the bail bond for her missing father. Filled to the brim with powerfully subtle drama and suspenseful storytelling, WINTER’S BONE features a great folk music score to accompany Lawrence’s stellar follow-up performance to THE BURNING PLAIN and a greatly under-appreciated supporting performance from John Hawkes (DEADWOOD) as Teardrop Dolly, Ree’s uncle who must decide between his family loyalty and doing what’s right. WINTER’S BONE won Best Picture and Best Screenplay from the Sundance Film Festival.

10. THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

A young adult’s search for their heritage and identity has been a popular theme for many coming of age motion pictures. This year director and co-writer Lisa Cholodenko gave this subject a very modern spin in THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT. Jules and Nic are a lesbian couple in a long relationship who have each given birth to children( a son, Laser, and a daughter,Joni) using the same unknown sperm donor. When Joni turns eighteen she decides to seek out this donor and contacts the carefree restaurateur Paul. After he is introduced to the mothers, the real conflicts and complications ensue. Family dynamics are tested as Paul warms to the idea of becoming a family man and tries insert himself into the home these women have made. As the titles states this kids are all right as Josh Hutcherson’s Laser becomes more mature and Mia Wasikowska’s Joni breaks free from to the nest and heads off to college. But it’s the adults that are so much more than all right in this film. Mark Ruffalo creates a complex character that’s conflicted underneath his charming, scruffy exterior. And, the heads of the family, Julianne Moore as the freewheeling Jules and Annette Bening as the sharply focused Nic give, perhaps, the best performances of their impressive careers and make this the outstanding family comedy-drama of 2010.

09. THE KING’S SPEECH

THE KING’S SPEECH is the engrossing film about speech therapy and the relationship between the King of England and his therapist. The number 9 film on our list will surely leave you emotionally affected by Colin Firth’s moving portrayal of George VI and his triumph over a debilitating stammer to become England’s steadfast monarch when the country needed his leadership the most. This king was truly a man for all seasons. Both Firth and the supporting cast of Helena Bonham-Carter and Geoffrey Rush excel in this poignant drama. THE KING’S SPEECH is unlike any period biopic you’ll ever see. It’s brilliant work from director Tom Hooper (HBO’s JOHN ADAMS) with a beautiful score from Alexandre Desplat. Awards season aside, it’s a must-see film for anytime of the year.

08. HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PT.1 was by far one of the biggest films of the year. The Potter franchise has a huge cult following, so it is no surprise that it had high box office numbers. The film itself was the perfect way for die hard fans to ease into the final film (and the epic battle ahead). For those who have seen the first six movies, or for those who have read all of the books, this is the perfect build-up to the final showdown. You certainly do not want to see this movie if you are unfamiliar with the story thus-far, because it does not recap anything that has happened up to this point, and it might be hard to follow, or a bit boring without knowing the back-story. Still, the visuals are stunning, and the characters that we have all grown to love really get a chance to develop in this installment. Because they broke the final book into two films, they allowed time for the story to develop, and the tension to build before all of the action happens. My biggest complaint about HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE was that they rushed the entire film, especially the big fight at the end. This time, they are taking their time and doing it right. I cannot wait for the final film, despite it meaning the end of an epic journey.

07. TRUE GRIT

Jeff Bridges leads the cast brilliantly as a federal marshal (Rooster Cogburn), out to track down the killer of a young woman’s father. He is unwillingly accompanied by Matt Damon (LaBoeuf), in pursuit of the ever slippery villain played by Josh Brolin. The Coen brothers have yet again proven that they can tackle any genre and choose their participants wisely. Writing credits are in order here as well due to the seemingly accurate dialect of this era and fast-paced banter that truly enhance the performances of the cast. The surprise of the movie, however, is the outstanding performance of Hailee Steinfeld (Mattie Ross), through her quick tongue and sharp intelligence. Already nominated for many awards with more to come, this is a definite must-see film for everyone regardless if the western variety is not necessarily your go-to film.

06. INCEPTION

INCEPTION is a powerhouse audio/visual experience, an engaging cerebral journey that challenges the viewer without causing mental breakdown. Written and directed by Christopher Nolan, INCEPTION is a unique vision for a new kind of sci-fi film. For a movie over two-and-a-half hours in length, the attention deficit in nearly non-existent, continually pulling the audience deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole (so to speak) and never letting go. The ensemble cast, led by Leonardo Dicaprio, shines on every facet, but succeeds most clearly as a team. Tom hardy once again proves he’s an under-appreciated acting powerhouse and Hans Zimmer’s score will, at times, literally blow you away.

05. TOY STORY 3

“Do you really think Andy’s going to take you to college?’ was the question posed to Woody by Stinky Pete the Prospector in 1999’s TOY STORY 2. That question was finally answered eleven years later in the wildly successful follow-up, TOY STORY 3. The film opens with a recreation of the opening sequence of the first film with Andy dreaming up a wild adventure starring his favorite playthings. Time passes quickly and Andy is now a young man getting ready to leave home for college. Which of his pals will go away with him, or be donated to the Sunnyside Daycare Center(or”gasp” into the trash!). Old friends are separated and re-united while new friends(Ned Beatty’s Lotso-Huggin’-Bear,Micheal Keaton as Barbie’s soul mate Ken, and the toys of little Bonnie) are introduced. In a year of exceptional animated features from the hand-drawn beauty of THE ILLUSIONIST to rival Dreamworks’s best effort HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, the Pixar team cemented their reputation as some of the best filmmakers(not just of family films, but of films in general) working today. From the comedy of the daycare center( echoing films like THE GREAT ESCAPE), to the heart stopping horrors of the trash dump furnace(where the gang holds hands in their last seconds together) and finally the heart wrenching conclusion(darned if I didn’t tear up again the second time I watched it), TOY STORY 3 proved not only to be the best animated film of the year, but one of the most moving cinema experiences of 2010.

04. THE SOCIAL NETWORK

How do you make a movie about Facebook interesting? This was a question posed by many when THE SOCIAL NETWORK was first announced. The answer is, you don’t. You make the film about how relationships can be built, destroyed and altered for personal gain. From a rapid fire dialogue that opens the film, THE SOCIAL NETWORK fires off with all guns blazing. Aaron Sorkin’s script is witty, fast paced and just an all out amazing read on its own right. Coupled by David Fincher’s direction and Jesse Eisenberg’s dramatized interpretation of Mark Zuckerberg, it is a film that demands your attention from frame one. Everything in this film is top notch and it never lets you go.

03. THE FIGHTER

The true tale of a family, boxing, and decisions. Christian Bale (Dicky Eklund) is not cast as the lead role, but is undeniably the scene stealer of this well-told account of prize fighter Mickey Ward. Bale is arguably the best male supporting actor of 2010 as the crack-addicted con/boxer/brother. David O. Russell directs Mark Wahlberg (Mickey Ward) though the maze of tough decisions about his career, love, and the choices he makes with his family. The movie is paced well, keeps you engaged, and quietly cheering for any win for Mickey. The prominent female players are Amy Adams (Charlene Fleming) and Melissa Leo (Alice Ward) and their performances are not to be missed. Looking forward, this may be remembered as one of the finest films about a boxer, with even more awards to go along with the belt.

02. 127 HOURS

I hope anyone who has not seen 127 HOURS yet isn’t avoiding it because they’re afraid they won’t be able to stomach the self-mutilation scene near the end. Don’t skip 127 HOURS because it’s about a guy who cuts off his own arm. See it because it’s about a guy who cuts off his own arm to survive. See it because you need to know the answer to what you would do if you were in Aaron Ralston’s predicament. 127 HOURS is an authentically emotional film and by the end of it you want him to cut off that arm and when he finally does, it’s a cathartic experience and you’re cheering him on.

01. BLACK SWAN

BLACK SWAN stars Natalie Portman in what may be her best performance to date, playing Nina, a timid but ambitious ballerina. Nina is sheltered by her mother (Barbara Hershey), unaccustomed to an adult life of excess or the concept of being a free spirit, but her desire to triumph at her dream role as the Swan Queen drives her deeper into a darker side of herself she has suppressed for years. Darren Aronofsky directs this tensely wound psychological thriller, masterfully combining subtle visual devices with superb acting to tell his story. BLACK SWAN is not a chick flick, as I’ve heard some murmurs spread by those who clearly have not seen the film, but is often as humorous as it is terrifying. Mila Kunis and Vincent Cassell also deliver rich supporting performances.

Top Ten Tuesday: 2010 Just For Fun – Best Bang For Your Buck!

Another year has just about come to an end, with it comes the party of the year, celebrating the New Year. It’s all about having fun! So, we’re signing out with our final Top Ten Tuesday of the year… our Just For Fun 2010. These are the movies we felt were the most fun, most enjoyable films for your buck. Sure, they may not be Oscar contenders, in some cases they may not even be good, but they had us laughing and crying, had us thrilled or had our hearts pounding enough for us to say we got our money’s worth.

Melissa H.’s Just For Fun 2010:

10. MAGRUBER
09. THE OTHER GUYS
08. YOUTH IN REVOLT
07. JACKASS 3D
06. KICK-ASS
05. PREDATORS
04. PIRANHA 3D
03. IRON MAN 2
02. SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD
01. MACHETE

Michelle’s Just For Fun 2010:

10. DEVIL
09. THE OTHER GUYS
08. MEGAMIND
07. EXPENDABLES
06. SECRETARIAT
05. PREDATORS
04. PIRANHA 3D
03. THE LAST AIRBENDER
02. SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD
01. HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 3D

Travis’ Just For Fun 2010:

10. DAYBREAKERS
09. PIRANHA 3D
08. HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 3D
07. YOUTH IN REVOLT
06. IRON MAN 2
05. CYRUS
04. HOT TUB TIME MACHINE
03. MACHETE
02. KICK-ASS
01. SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD

Tom’s Just For Fun 2010:

10. JONAH HEX
09. LAST EXORCIST
08. SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD
07. HOT TUB TIME MACHINE
06. THE LAST SONG
05. MACHETE
04. DEVIL
03. I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE
02. GULLIVER TRAVELS
01. PIRANHA 3D

Allison’s Just For Fun 2010:

10. BURLESQUE
09. THE WOLFMAN
08. MACHETE
07. THE LAST EXORCISM
06. DEVIL
05. KICK-ASS
04. SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD
03. PREDATORS
02. THE EXPENDABLES
01. IRON MAN 2

Andy’s Just For Fun 2010:

10. HATCHET II
09. RARE EXPORTS: A CHRISTMAS TALE
08. SOUND OF NOISE
07. THE TROLL HUNTER
06. RUBBER
05. THE MAN FROM NOWHERE
04. SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD
03. JACKASS 3D
02. THE A-TEAM
01. PIRAHNA 3D

Jim’s Just For Fun 2010:

10. SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD
09. DATE NIGHT
08. GULLIVER’S TRAVELS
07. LET ME IN
06. JACKASS 3D
05. KICK-ASS
04. MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS
03. PIRAHNA 3D
02. HOT TUB TIME MACHINE
01. BIRDEMIC!

Melissa T.’s Just For Fun 2010:

10. TRON: LEGACY
09. DATE NIGHT
08. THE OTHER GUYS
07. BRAN NUE DAE
06. SECRETARIAT
05. BLACK SWAN
04. DESPICABLE ME
03. I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS
02. FROM PARIS WITH LOVE
01. MEGAMIND

Top Ten Tuesday: Schmucks in the Movies

Who doesn’t like Steve Carell, or Paul Rudd, for that matter? Two of the coolest guys in comedy are back this Friday, July 30th in a new movie called DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS, directed by Jay Roach. The movie also stars Zack Galafinakis, who’s also cool, in his own “wolf pack of one” sort of way. Not heard of it? Schmuck! But, no… seriously, the movie looks incredibly funny. So, we’ve decided to honor the cinematic schmucks, the best of them have made our Top Ten Tuesday list this week.

Honorable Mention: Kent Dorfman – ANIMAL HOUSE

The story is simple enough… A freshman in college seeks to join a fraternity. The stumble upon the Delta Tau Chi house, and the rest is history! Nicknamed “Flounder”, Kent is clumsy, idiotic, and quite frankly… a big lug! Put him in a house with the rest of the Delta Tau Chi’s and YOU HAVE A PARTY!

10. Al the Toy Collector – TOY STORY 2

Near the beginning of TOY STORY, an overzealous toy collector named Big Al (voiced by Wayne Knight) steals Woody from under the nose of Andy’s mom during a yard sale. When Woody arrives at the home of Big Al, he learns that he is a rare and valuable toy based on a media icon of the Fifties, a cowboy puppet show called “Woody’s Roundup”. I’ve had a side business selling vintage toys myself for over twenty years and if you took every antique toy dealer I’ve ever met and put them in a blender, the result would be the pudgy, balding Big Al, who wants to sell Woody to a Japanese toy museum. Like the comic book store guy on The Simpsons, Al is the perfect satire of the obsessive, yet greedy collector nerd.

09. “Nuke” Laloosh – BULL DURHAM

An important part of the romantic triangle at the heart of 1988’s BULL DURHAM is the cocky, dim-witted, hot pitching prospect, “Nuke” LaLoosh played by Tim Robbins. He’s such an out-of -control doofus that it takes both ‘Crash’ Davis (Kevin Costner) and Annie Savoy (Susan Sarandon) to straighten him out. The team owners know that “Nuke” can take the team all the way if Davis can mentor him. LaLoosh’s behavior earns a special nickname from Davis (‘Meat’) and almost wrecks his romance with Annie. By the end of the film, ‘Nuke’ has taken their lessons to heart and is invited to the show(the major leagues) leaving ‘Crash’ and Annie behind to mentor the next young baseball phenom. In the world of sports themed movies,”Nuke” may be the most annoying, over-confident, thick-headed, schmuck of all time.

08. Mayor Vaughn – JAWS

In Steven Spielberg’s JAWS, Amity Chief of Police Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) starts to close the beaches after a young girl is killed in a shark attack. Before he can do so, he is intercepted and overruled by town schmuck and mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton). Vaughn is concerned that reports of a shark attack will ruin the summer tourist season, especially the upcoming Fourth of July celebration, as it is the town’s major source of income. “Martin, it’s all psychological. You yell barracuda, everybody says, “Huh? What?” You yell shark, we’ve got a panic on our hands on the Fourth of July. Vaughn instead throws around some major bullshit that the victim was killed in a boating accident. So everyone unknowingly goes back into the water to serve as chum, including poor little Alex Kitner. He and his raft are munched. Brody and scientist Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfus) try to persuade Vaughn to keep the beached closed again. But this schmuck knows better. I mean c’mon, the mayor is only trying to save Amity. “It’s a summer town. We need summer dollars. Now, if the people can’t swim here, they’ll be glad to swim at the beaches of Cape Cod, the Hamptons, Long Island…” Even the chief says, “That doesn’t mean we have to serve them up as smorgasbord.” Oi! After much back and forth, even Hooper realizes the futility of reasoning with a schmuck and says, “I’m not going to waste my time arguing with a man who’s lining up to be a hot lunch.”

Still unwilling to take off those blinders, the mayor proudly says, “I’m pleased and happy to repeat the news that we have, in fact, caught and killed a large predator that supposedly injured some bathers. But, as you see, it’s a beautiful day, the beaches are open and people are having a wonderful time.” Amity, as you know, means “friendship”. Supposedly. This guy is borderline moron. It’s only after a final killing by the great white in the estuary, along with his own kids being on the beach too, does the Mayor hire Quint to kill the shark.

07. Alan Garner – THE HANGOVER

If I were a dude about to be married, I would MAKE SURE that Alan Garner was invited to the bachelor party! He brings such memorable lines to the party, such as “Nobody’s gonna fuck on you! I’m on your side! I hate Godzilla! I hate him too! I hate him! He destroys cities! *Please*! This isn’t your fault. I’ll get you some pants!” I mean, come on… how THOUGHTFUL! He took care of Carlos, he looks like Fat Jesus, he knows life saving facts such as “Tigers love pepper… they hate cinnamon”, and he even drugs your drink so that YOU can have a better time… He screams BEST FRIEND FOR LIFE!

06. Richard Thornburg – DIE HARD

I’m not sure why William Atherton has been relegated to so many schmuck roles. Perhaps he has one of those faces you love to hate. In GHOSTBUSTERS he played the ‘dickless’ government stooge Walter Peck, (Bill Murray: “Yes it’s true. This man has no dick”) but his schmuckiest role was that of Richard Thornberg, the obnoxious reporter in the original DIE HARD. Thornberg was a real jerk, obsessively trying to cover the action at hand and inadvertently endangering the lives of everyone involved and Atherton played him suitably slimy.

05. Darryl Jenks – COMING TO AMERICA

Darryl Jenks… what a class act! Heir to the ‘Soul Glo’ empire, he cruises around town like he doesn’t have a care in the world! When he’s not busy leaving his greasy sheen on couches, he’s hanging out at McDowell’s. So here’s to you, oh sultan of sheen and shine… JUST LET YOUR SOUL GLO, FEELING OH SO SILKY SMOOTH… JUST LET IT SHINE THROUGH!

04. Lloyd Christmas – DUMB AND DUMBER

Lloyd: You know, I don’t really recall. Starts with an S! Let’s see. Swim? Swammi? Slippy? Slappy? Swenson? Swanson?
Harry: Maybe it’s on the briefcase.
Lloyd: Oh, yeah! It’s right here.
[He reads the manufacturer’s name, which is Samsonite]
Lloyd: Samsonite! I was way off! I knew it started with an S, though.

Oh, Lloyd Christmas… you certainly know the way to a girls heart! Jim Carrey brought the “special” qualities of this character to life in the 1994 comedy ‘Dumb and Dumber’. Lloyd might not have landed the girl of his dreams, but he certainly gained notoriety in any room that he entered! Did I mention that he made driving around in a car decorated to look like a dog look good?

03. Principal Rooney – FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF

Who liked their high school principal? Exactly! So, for Principal Ed Rooney to be so hated — yet, so loved by fans of the movie — is sorta common sense, but the truth is that actor Jeffrey Jones is REALLY good at portraying a schmuck… maybe, even too good, given his real life antics, but that’s a whole other story. Rooney is an arrogant, egotistical, power-hungry schmuck who thinks he can rule his students through fear, but his biggest mistake was believing he could outsmart Ferris Bueller. Bad move, Mr. Ed!

“I did not achieve this position in life by having some snot-nosed punk leave my cheese out in the wind.” — The wisdom of Ed Rooney

02. Louis Tully – GHOSTBUSTERS

Louis Tully as played by Rick Moranis in 1984’s GHOSTBUSTERS veers into the nerd or dweeb area, but is still a classic movie schmuck. Dressed in his Hef-hipster swinger threads, Louis believes himself to be quite the happenin’ ladies man when he invites his neighbor, Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) to a party at his bachelor pad. She’s able to resists his charms even when he displays his impressive accounting skills. Later at his big shindig demonic forces attack him and after a chase thru the city, Louis becomes Vinz Clortho, key master. He then finally connects with Dana, now possessed by the demon. Dozer. Luckily Louis and Dana (and the Big Apple) are saved by the Ghostbusters. In the sequel, Louis, becomes the team’s accountant and has a sweet romance with Janine Melnitz (Annie Potts). Not bad for a devil dog pursued little schmuck.

01. Carter Burke – Aliens

“I’m Burke. Carter Burke. I work for the company. But don’t let that fool you, I’m really an okay guy.” Uh-huh. That “I’m on your side” statement right there points to a corporate schmuck if ever there was one. In ALIENS, Burke (Paul Reiser) sets up everyone for certain doom by protecting the alien race, then tries to kill off anyone, including whole families, who get in his way. At the beginning, this snake poses no obvious threat as he convinces Lt. Ripley and the Colonial Marines to make a hellish trip to rescue a group of families who’ve established a “a shake’n’bake colony” on LV-426. In the 1st of many bad moves, this company-man endears himself to the liberators by refering to them as “grunts.” Makin’ friends real fast Carter.

In his 2nd bad movie, and all for a “fucking percentage” in the Weyland-Yutani Company, Burke pretty much tells Ripley that he intends to bring an Alien back to Earth secretly through ICC quarantine for the bio-weapons division. After Ripley discovers its Burke who told the now-dead colonists where to find the derelict ship and eggs (from the first movie ALIEN), he goes after Ripley with plans to infect her and Newt with alien embryos.

In his 3rd bad move, Burke attempts to get them impregnated by locking them in a room with a pair of facehuggers and plans of sabotaging the cryo-chambers in order to kill the marines are thwarted and they plan to “grease this rat-fuck sonofabitch” Schmuck. But if one dances, one must pay the piper and this backstabber sure does when he’s greeted by one of the monsters after the remaining survivors are met head on by an Alien horde. There is an infamous deleted scene, known to ALIENS aficionados, where Ripley sees him in the hive, cocooned, and Burke tells her that he can feel an alien moving inside him and pleads for a gun to end it all. She gives the schmuck a grenade instead.

Top Ten Tuesday: Fierce Females in Film

Angelina Jolie is one of modern cinema’s best actors to portray a strong, fierce female character on the big screen, which is why she’s appearing as the dangerously fierce super spy in SALT, a new action-packed film opening this Friday. Keeping with that theme, this week’s Top Ten Tuesday is devotes to strong female characters as we give you our list of the ten best Fierce Females in Film!

10. Maggie (Adrienne Barbeau) in ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK

While Maggie may not have had a huge role in John Carpenter’s ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, it was an integral role. Adrienne barbeau exemplifies the strong female character common in Carpenter’s films, playing the part with a combination of fierceness and feminimity, without cheaping the role. Maggie has to be tough, being Snake’s girlfriend, but she’s also smart. While ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK was Snake’s film, Maggie was anything but a back seat to her man.

09. Varla (Tura Satana) in FASTER PUSSYCAT, KILL, KILL!

Not many ladies can become cult icons, but Tura Satana has managed to become a cult icon with her role as Varla in FASTER, PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL! For a film released in 1965, Varla was quite a shocking character. She was violent and sexual, something you didn’t see too terribly much of in mainstream film. She is an icon for some good, clean female violence in cinema!

08. Celie Johnson (Whoopi Goldberg) in THE COLOR PURPLE

Whoopi Goldberg goes through hell and back in Steven Spielberg’s THE COLOR PURPLE. She portrays Celie Johnson, living in the 1930’s, who’s raped and impregnated twice by her stepfather only to have the two babies taken away from her. Then she’s handed over to a husband Mister (DANNY GLOVER) who physically and verbally abuses her, while trying to molest her younger sister who’s been living with them. After a lifetime of this horror, Celie gets her girl power on when she finally stands up for herself and finds real love with a woman called Shug. In the end, Celie finally finds her inner strength to leave Mister and is happily reunited with her 2 grown children and beloved sister. Talk about fierce!

07. Helen Parr/Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) in THE INCREDIBLES

Though she tries to hide her family’s abilities, Helen Parr becomes one of the screen’s most formidable super heroines when the dangerous Syndrome threatens. Voiced by the excellent Holly Hunter, Helen uses all her courage and powers to protect her teenage daughter, Violet, pre-teen son, Dash, and baby , Jack Jack, while trying to find out just what her hubby, Bob (Mr. Incredible) is up to. She uses her amazing stretching powers to knock out the bad guys, infiltrate their headquarters(while taking a glance at that annoying middle age spread), and even turns into a parachute and boat to rescue her kids. Her abilities and heart make The Incredible a family that’s unstoppable and unforgettable.

06. Evey (Natalie Portman) in V FOR VENDETTA

Natalie Portman invokes a little bit of Sigourney Weaver tough-woman from within, portraying the once innocent Evey in V FOR VENDETTA. The long, curly-haired young woman is drawn into the mysterious underworld of a rebellious hero after this mysterious masked man saves her from a couple of corrupt government enforcers. Once exposed to the hero’s lair, she has involuntarily left her old life behind, but eventually comes around as she learns the true nature and intent of the enigmatic man known as V. Evey converts her philosophy and commits to the cause. She is a changed woman, especially after being captured, shaved, beaten and interrogated by the government. Evey embodies a strong woman with a cause, undeterred by any obstacle, diligent and unwilling to submit, except to her cause. Portman branches out, making this role her own and shines, leaving behind — at least temporarily — her otherwise commonly cute acting persona.

05. Barbarella (Jane Fonda) in BARBARELLA

“Decrucify my angel immediately!” Jane Fonda and her long legs played the titular space adventurer in the wonderfully dated, politically incorrect BARBARELLA in 1968. Jane Fonda, then at the peak of her sex kitten period (before her political activism hardened her), opens the film with a memorable anti-gravity strip tease as the titles come tumbling out of her suit and across the screen. Barbarella travels from one wonderful tripped-out fantasy planet to the next as she fights warriors and handles her psychedelic business of saving the universe. I wish someone would have put Jane Fonda in a time capsule in 1968 and kept her there.

04. Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) in SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter is the character from SILENCE OF THE LAMBS everyone talked about but Jodie Foster had about four times as much screen time and carried the film. The mental battles between her inexperienced FBI-agent Clarice Starling and the convicted, but basically omnipotent, cannibal psychiatrist, are the heart the film. Clarice is one of the great, smart feminine icons of the movies. Her brains are what propel her investigation into the case and her desire to unearth the truth is stronger than her male counterparts. Clarice’s vulnerability gives way to hardened and steely resolve during the cat and mouse climax. Foster is a physically small actress who took on a big, confident role and ended up sharing the stage with Hopkins on Oscar night.

03. Beatrix Kiddo/The Bride (Uma Thurman) in KILL BILL vol.1-2

Has there ever been a movie heroine to see as much action over the course of two movies than this character created by Quentin Tarantino for his muse, Uma Thurman? In the first scenes of volume one we find out the reason for the film’s title. She’s the former pupil — and lover — of Bill (David Carradine) who decides to walk away from him and his team of assassins and live a normal life. She finds out the hard way that there’s no quitting this crew. As Beatrix is about to be wed, the crew sweeps in and kills everyone at the ceremony. As a parting gesture Bill shoots her in the head and leaves the pregnant bride to die. After several years in a coma, she kills her hospital tormentors and quickly begins her mission of revenge. The first of Bill’s crew, Vernita, loses one of the best fight sequences ever. Perhaps her most impressive feat is the sword battle in Japan with scores of yakuza serving Oren Ishii (including the unforgettable Gogo). They keep coming and she keeps slaying them! Later Bea uses her skill and determination to escape from a coffin after being shot in the chest and buried alive by her ex-teammate, Bud. You can’t help but root for her as she finally catches up to the dastardly Bill. These two films may be Tarantino’s ultimate grind house action epic and the unstoppable Beatrix Kiddo is one of the greatest female action characters ever on screen.

02. Sarah Connors (Linda Hamilton) in THE TERMINATOR

The first time I saw Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor in THE TERMINATOR, I knew she was a tough cookie. When I saw her doing pull ups in her state hospital cell in TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY, I knew that Sarah Connor was unstoppable. Anyone that can take on robots is OK in my book, and not someone that I would mess with!

01. Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) in ALIEN Saga

Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley in ALIENS is the template for the modern action heroine. In the first ALIEN sequel Ripley was all business, helping a team of Marines to return to the now-colonized planet of walking nightmares. Weaver again played the role realistically, never a damsel in distress yet not quite the kick-ass unbelievable “Take you all on” heroine. Weaver also plays Ripley’s kind, loving side during the scenes with Carrie Henn’s Newt, with the kind of warmth you’d expect from somebody who’s lost everything and has been classified as “unstable”. Sigourney Weaver also manages to look sexy in her tank top while swinging heavy artillery. She’s the kind of heroine a man can root for.

Top Ten Tuesday: Evil Henchmen

Why is it the evil mastermind always gets all the glory? It’s the little bad guys of evil that do all the work, getting their hands dirty but never get any respect. Well, the movie geeks decided to change that. With the ongoing box office success of DESPICABLE ME, and considering the little yellow Minions had a lot to do with the fun encountered on screen in that film, we’ve pooled our collective diabolical Movie Geek minds and have come up with a master plan of list making domination… the top ten best evil henchmen.

Honorable Mention: Nick Nack – THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN

He may be small, but don’t underestimate Nick Nack in his ability to get his evil duties done. As the quiet and subtle sidekick to Fransisco Scaramanga (Christopher Lee) he serves his boss on many levels. Herve Villechaize portrays this character, who might be considered kind of “cute” if not for his criminal tendencies. His role in the James Bond film THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN led to his long-running role as Tattoo in the TV series FANTASY ISLAND.

10. Mr. Joshua – LETHAL WEAPON

In LETHAL WEAPON, Ex-mercenary, Mr. Joshua (Gary Busey), is psychotically loyal to his current boss, the head of Shadow Co. and heroin dealer – General Peter McAllister. For example, this albino dude is such a freak of nature that he’ll even hold his bare arm to a lit cigarette lighter when ordered by his boss as an example to a possible client. Being a henchman with some finesse, he assassinates the mole in the operation with a sniper rifle from a hovering helicopter. What a showoff! A total psychopath, Mr. Joshua seethingly tells Sgt. Riggs (Mel Gibson), who’s being tortured with a car battery, Endo here has forgotten more about dispensing pain than you and I will never know. Guy clearly loves his job. At the end of LETHAL WEAPON, Mr. Joshua apparently meets his demise after a Jiu-Jitsu tango with Riggs, until he rises with a gun in hand and is finally put down like the dog he is, by a double whammy from Riggs and partner cop, Sgt. Murtaugh (Danny Glover). Henchman to the last.

09. Taggart – BLAZING SADDLES

One of the many hilarious characters in Mel Brooks’ 1974 comedy classic BLAZING SADDLES is Hedy (That’s Hedley!) Lamarr’s henchman, Taggart, played by the unforgettable Slim Pickens. We first meet him as supervisor of the railroad construction crew in the desert. He arrives just as his redneck co-workers are trying to teach the Africa American track-layers how to properly sing and dance to “Camptown Ladies.” Taggart screams, “What in the Wide, wide, world of Sports is-a-goin’ on here?” (the first of many great lines) He soon reveals his true nature by sending two of the crewmen out to check the track for quicksand. Taggart is soon rewarded with a shovel to the head. We soon see him with his boss, Hedley, who needs a way to get the residents of Rock Ridge out of the way of the new railroad. Taggart helps out with the suggestion that he and his men give the town a number six! He then shows his softer side when comforted by his boss after being startled by the sound of a man and his horse being hung at the nearby gallows. Presently Taggart and his men on horseback storm through Rock Ridge and brutalize its citizens. The next time we see him, Taggart welcomes a suggestion from one of his men and sends Mongo out to destroy the town’s new sheriff, Bart. After that fails he’s shocked to learn that Sheriff Bart is the same worker that smacked him with the shovel. Thanks to the quick draw of the Waco Kid, Bart is saved from an ambush by Taggart’s crew. Later we see Taggart compliment his boss, Hedley, on his oratory skills (“You use your mouth purtier than a twenty dollar whore!”) and helps in the search for his beloved Froggy. After helping Hedley recruit an army to wipe out the town, Taggart is prominent in the melee that spills out into other sets on the Warner Brothers lot. Prior to his last scene with the commissary cashier, Taggart erupts with this memorable last line of dialogue before gut-punching musical director Dom DeLuise (“P**s on you! Ah work fe’ Mel Brooks!”). While may film fans may remember Slim Pickens most as Major Kong riding a nuclear bomb in DR. STRANGELOVE, I’ll always see him as the brutal, dim, racist henchmen to Harvey Korman in BLAZING SADDLES.

08. Luca Brasi – THE GODFATHER

Luca Brasi was taught at the Mafia School he’d always have job security with THE GODFATHER. This henchman makes quite the speech when he pledges his undying loyalty to Don Corleone. Bumbles and fumbles is more like it. “Don Corleone, I am honored and grateful that you have invited me to your daughter… ‘s wedding… on the day of your daughter’s wedding. And I hope their first child… be a masculine child. I pledge my ever… ending… loyalty.” Good God Man just spit it out. Brasi is Don Corleone’s hired hitman – Brasi once held a gun to a record producer’s head to get him to sign a contract for the Don’s Godson by telling him either your brains or your signature will be on that contract. Good enough for me, where do I sign? Brasi winds up dying at the hands of a rival family by having his hand (wince) stabbed to a bar as he’s strangled from behind. Corleone receives his henchman’s bullet-proof vest and a fish – “Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes.” So endeth the lesson.

07. Grover Dill – A CHRISTMAS STORY

Grover Dill, better known as “Toadie” the right-hand runt to Skut Farkus, was a mean little bully to the Parker boys in Bob Clark’s 1983 classic A CHRISTMAS STORY. Played by Yano Anaya, Grover Dill served more as the “mouth” of the two-bully team that ruled the alley ways and playgrounds of 1940’s Hammond, Indiana. While Skut was taller and more physically aggressive, Grover provided the psychological terror of the two, taunting the boys with his green teeth. Grover was a formidable henchmen to face, but combined with Skut they had no equal… that is, of course, until Ralphie totally lost it Christian Bale style and pounded the pulp out of Skut, leaving Grover standing to the side, whimpering like a frightened little dog.

06. Fritz – FRANKENSTEIN

When we think of mad doctors and scientists, we always usually imagine a lowly, smaller sidekick with him. While in later incarnations, that henchman would be named “Igor”, in the original Frankenstein that character’s name was Fritz. Fritz was played by Dwight Frye, who will show up higher on this list as well. Everything about Frye’s look and acting laid the groundwork and character shell for all mad assistants in future film. Down the hunchback and to the quiet, yet creepy, style of speaking, Fritz is one of the definitive henchmen that has been copied from to this day.

“Yeessssss Master.”

05. Igor – HOUSE OF WAX

Charles Bronson received only ninth billing in the popular 1953 thriller HOUSE OF WAX (the first color feature presented in 3-D), but his background role was as colorfully sinister as it was menacing. As Igor, the deaf-mute assistant to Vincent Price, Bronson was an impressive figure with his close-cropped Neanderthal appearance, slit-eyed stony mask of a face, and muscular physique. Whether murdering intruders behind the scenes of the museum, or carrying out the depraved orders of his suave employer, Bronson made a lasting impression. Unforgettable was the sequence where he stalks Phyllis Kirk through the deserted museum, exploiting his primitive features by posing among a shelf-full of wax heads, making for a wonderful visual joke.

04. Jaws – THE SPY WHO LOVED ME

Many have attempted to duplicate the greatness that was Richard Kiel’s “Jaws” in the James Bond films, but none have captured the essence of the towering 7’2″ giant henchman with razor sharp steel teeth. Kiel gave us a preview of this character in 1976’s SILVER STREAK as Reace… he even had a version of the “teeth,” but it was Jaws that truly put him on the map. Having only appeared in two films of the 007 series — THE SPY WHO LOVED ME and MOONRAKER — the character has left an unmistakable mark on our movie memory. How does James Bond, an average-sized guy, contend in a fight to the death with such a large, seemingly indestructible force of sheer brute strength. I mean, he survived an extreme electrocution at the hands of James Bond. Of all the great Bond villains, few had the presence of Jaws.

03. Renfield – DRACULA

“Flies? Flies? Poor puny things! Who wants to eat flies when I can get nice fat spiders!” Character actor Dwight Frye specialized in the portrayal of mentally deranged characters but his signature role was that of the madman Renfield opposite Bela Lugosi in Tod Browning’s original DRACULA in 1931. Frye begins the film as a mild-mannered real-estate agent greeting Dracula on the steps of his castle, but is soon camping it up as the vampire’s wild-eyed slave, spouting quotable dialog about preferring juicy spiders over flies. The character of Renfield has been portrayed by many, most notably Klaus Kinski in Jess Franco’s COUNT DRACULA (1971) and Tom Waits in BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA (1991) but it is Frye’s interpretation with that fiendish, stark-raving madness that is the longest lasting.

02. Flying Monkeys – THE WIZARD OF OZ

In the original Oz novels, these were just what the name implies: intelligent monkeys with wings. They were controlled by a golden hat, initially worn by the Wicked Witch of the West who used it to set the monkeys upon Dorothy and her friends. At one point they destroy the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman entirely, leaving them scattered across the landscape. In return, the Wicked Witch is allowed 3 wishes that leave her entirely responsible for any mishaps or misconceptions.

In the classic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, the monkeys are apparently intelligent enough to obey commands, but do not speak, as in the book. This makes them seem considerably more “animalistic” and less benign. They kidnap Dorothy and dismantle the Scarecrow, but do nothing to the Tin Man or the Cowardly Lion, leaving them free to put the Scarecrow back together and rescue Dorothy.

In the film version of The Wiz, the African-American rock adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, the Flying Monkeys are a motorcycle gang, whose leader is named Cheetah, after the Tarzan character. Their metal wings are part of their motorcycles, but these apparently dissolved with the witch’s other magic, as they are absent when carrying Dorothy and her friends back to the Emerald City.

01. Oddjob – GOLDFINGER

Of all the deadly henchmen that gentleman spy James Bond has encountered in his decades of cinema missions none may be as memorable (and nearly unstoppable) as the mute Korean assassin, Oddjob. Played by Hawaiian wrestler, Harold Sakata, Oddjob is the driver, caddy and main enforcer for Auric Goldfinger in the third (and to many fans the best) Bond film from 1964 Goldfinger. Our first glimpse of Oddjob is his thick hand coming to frame to administer a knockout karate chop to Mr. Bond. Soon we see his hulking shadow on the hotel room wall. Bond awakes later to view Oddjob’s handiwork, Jill Masterson’s corpse covered in gold paint. Next we see him in the role of Auric Goldfinger’s caddy in a high stakes round of golf with Bond. He then helps his boss cheat by producing a golf ball thru a hole in his trousers and utters one of his two lines (“Ahh! Ahh!”). After the game, the victorious Mr. Bond is given a demonstration of Oddjob’s non-golf caddying talents. He removes his bowler-like hat and decapitates one of the golf course sculptures. The rim of the hat is steel tipped! As they drive away Oddjob flashes a sinister smile at Bond as he crushes a golf ball with one hand. James is clearly disturbed by the sight. The next time he meets up with Oddjob is at Auric’s factory when Tilly (Jill Masterson’s revenge seeking sister) is struck down by his deadly hat. Later, after Bond is taken to Goldfinger’s Kentucky horse breeding stables, Oddjob is given the task of driving a gangster back to the airport. The man wanted no part of Auric’s assault on Fort Knox. Odd job takes a side road from the airport and shoots the gangster point blank while coldly smiling. He then drives to a junkyard where the auto is compacted and crushed with the corpse inside! On the day of the assault (Operation: Grandslam) Oddjob arrives at Fort Knox handcuffed to Bond. After the nuclear device is activated and the countdown begins, Bond(now cuffed to the bomb), Oddjob, and one of Gold- finger’s scientists are locked in the gold vault. When the scientist tries to get out, Oddjob mercilessly tosses him off one the upper levels. His body lands close enough to Bond that he retrieves the handcuff key. The loyal henchman is not concerned about being in the bomb’s blast and pummels Bond as he tries to get at the bomb. Although he’s a head shorter than 007, nothing that Bond does can faze him. With each blow Oddjob merely smiles then proceeds to toss the agent about like a rag doll. It’s not until Bond grabs his steel-rimmed hat that Oddjob look concerned. Bond misses him with the hat and it lodges between the steel bars of vault. As Oddjob goes to retrieve it, Bond touches a severed electrical to the bars, and the unstoppable assassin is felled by the current almost like a classic movie monster. His fighting skills useless, James Bond had to use his brain to triumph over Oddjob.

Although the movie is named for him, Auric Goldfinger took a backseat to his henchman, Oddjob, in the just beginning era of movie merchandising. Several toys came out with the film most with either the image of Sean Connery as James Bond or Harold Sakata as Oddjob. There were Gilbert action figures and both were Aurora model kits(the company best known for their best selling classic movie monsters). Oddjob was such a memorable character that Sakata played variations of him for the rest of his life. A popular cough syrup commercial featured him(wearing that famous hat) destroying a whole neighborhood while at the mercy of a nasty cough. Later he appeared on the Tonight Show parodying the ad while he demolished Johnny Carson’s set. Although he was almost without dialogue , Oddjob was one of the most memorable henchman in Bond and film history.

Top Ten Tuesday: M. Night Shyamalan Movie Characters

M. Night Shyamalan is a filmmaker who has not only conjured up a breed of filmmaking all his own, but a breed of controversy and debate amongst movie geeks matched only that of Joel Schumacher and Brett Ratner. Shyamalan has his fans and his nay-sayers, but in this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, we’ve decided to focus on what we like about the boy fascinated by film who became a man realizing his dreams.

With the opening of Shyamalan’s newest film, THE LAST AIRBENDER, we took a look back to determine our favorite characters created by M. Night Shyamalan.

Honorable Mention: STUART LITTLE

STUART LITTLE is a movie Shyamalan is rarely remembered for, but as a kid’s flick, it was quite enjoyable both for children and adults that may get stuck watching it with them. For that matter, its not a half bad movie to watch as an adult just for fun… as a way to escape in a light-hearted humorous way. Now, the tiny talking mouse Stuart Little may not have only been written by M. Night – the film was directed by Rob Minkoff – but he’s got a big personality. Voiced by Michael J. Fox, the little white, furry dude has a subtle streak of Ferris Bueller in him, combined with the smart and funny writing, the character provides a family-friendly character that’s entertaining and not dumbed down.

10. Merril Hess (Joaquin Phoenix) in SIGNS

SIGNS is another example of Shyamalan’s motto: “There are no coincidences.” Since leaving his former life as a record-setting baseball player, Merrill Hess has been staying with his recently widowed brother Graham and his family. “It felt wrong not to swing,” he says of being let go by the team and has been wandering aimlessly through life until crop circles appear in the fields of their Pennsylvania farm. After the beginning of an apparent alien invasion, Merrill truly believes that they will not be harmed by these hand-over-your-mouth scary events because a higher power will take care of them in the end. Joaquin Phoenix’s dramatic facial expression during SIGNS are what give the film its human quality and amusingly helps turn down the stress level. In one of the funnier parts of the movie, Graham discovers that his son and daughter, along with Merrill, have fashioned goofy, cone-head hats out of tin-foil to protect them against alien mind probing. In the thrilling finale to SIGNS, Merrill realizes that his inner passion with a baseball bat was warranted when he’s told by Graham to “swing away” at the alien whose invaded their living room and is holding one of the kids hostage. It’s a battle for the ages. This mantra of “Everything happens for a reason” was the underlying theme throughout SIGNS making Merrill Hess the embodiment of Night’s running idea.

09. Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg) in THE HAPPENING

THE HAPPENING is easily the worst movie I’ve seen in the past decade and I mean that as high praise. It’s the type of delirious masterpiece where every star aligned to form the perfect terrible movie and I can’t get enough of it. Shyamalan claimed (after the nasty reviews started pouring in) that Mark Wahlberg’s overly mannered performance was a deliberate throwback to the B-movies movies of yesteryear; to everyone else it just felt like bad acting. I wish I could have been on the set when M Night directed Marky Mark singing The Doobie Brother ‘Black Water’ through a door to show that he was normal (!). And as for Walhberg’s scene talking to a plastic houseplant: “Hello? My name is Elliot Moore. Just want to talk in a very positive manner, giving off good vibes. We’re just here to use the bathroom, and then we’re just going to leave. I hope that’s OK.” – God save us! THE HAPPENING rules!

08. Rev. Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) in SIGNS

Reverend Graham Hess… What a fitting role for everyone’s favorite controversial Aussie actor, Mel Gibson. The “man of the cloth” has his doubts, but that’s not gonna stop him from protecting his family from whatever mysterious, lurking danger awaits them outside their home. Terrorized by unknown intruders on their family farm, Graham Hess struggles to protect his family as he toils internally with his faith and what “it” all means. What’s outside? Where’d “they” come from? Do the events that unfold in Shyamalan’s SIGNS have a greater meaning, a double entendre of science and religion? Gibson’s performance is riveting, as much as it is thought-provoking and even a bit humorous at times, despite the subject matter. As always, audiences were split 50/50 with SIGNS, but one thing Shyamalan always does is offer viewers an array of interesting characters full of quirks and conundrums.

07. Reggie (Freddy Rodriguez) in LADY IN THE WATER

Freddy Rodriguez plays Reggie in Shyamalan’s under-appreciated, fairy tale LADY IN THE WATER. He’s just another unassuming tenant at the apartment complex, ‘The Cove,’ introduced to the audience by custodian Mr. Heep. Reggie’s a guy whose strict regimen consists of an science experiment of working on only the right side of his body. He proudly claims, “there’s is a 4 1/2 inch difference” between his left and right biceps. Reggie’s harmless and, like so many others, simply wants to find his special place in the universe and boy does he ever when he unexpectedly finds himself “The Guardian” of Story, the lady in the water. Unaware of it at the time, there’s a hidden reason for all that working out that wouldn’t be realized until the exciting climax of the film. James Newton Howard’s rousing score adds to Reggie’s edge-of-your-seat mano y mano battle with LITW’s nemesis, the “scrunt,” and helps him to protect and save the Narf. Turns out his daily idiosyncracy was no coincidence and makes Reggie one of Night’s most relatable characters.

06. Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) in THE SIXTH SENSE

In 1999 M. Night Shyamalan coaxed from Bruce Willis one of his very best performances in THE SIXTH SENSE. Willis played Malcolm Crowe, a child psychiatrist who’s lost faith in his talents due to a failure to help a long-ago patient. Willis was (and still is) primarily a physical actor and he at first seemed miscast in the role, but he let the child star, Haley Joel Osment, play off his quiet charisma in a way a more emotive actor couldn’t and the result was perfection. When Shyamalan made the cover of Newsweek magazine in 2002, underneath his picture the caption read; “The Next Spielberg”. Several creatively questionable films later, that caption could not be further from the truth, but at least we’ll always have THE SIXTH SENSE.

05. Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) in THE SIXTH SENSE

Cole Sear (Hayley Joel Osment) … Imagine being a child that can “see dead people.” Cole Sear is one of those children. He is a psychic who can both see and talk to the dead. Cole’s psychologist, Dr. Malcolm Crowe, has a responsibility to help Cole, especially after he failed a child much like him years before. This role was a huge building block in Osment’s career, earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

04. Cleveland Heep (Paul Giamatti) in LADY IN THE WATER

At first glance we see an unassuming shlub of a man that manages the apartment building in LADY IN THE WATER. But upon closer inspection, we realize that Mr. Heep is a very kind and sensitive, but sad man. Unable to save his wife and children from an assailant years before, he is primed for redemption when he meets Story, a mythical creature from another world that needs to be saved. Something deep inside tells him that he must rally the other residents of the apartment complex to save Story, having no idea the profound effects this will not only have on his own life, but the on the future of mankind.

03. Lynn Sear (Toni Collette) in THE SIXTH SENSE

Lynn Sear (Toni Collette): Lynn Sear is the mother of Cole Sear (See his listing on our top 10). He confesses to her that he can see and talk to dead people. He then goes on to tell her her own mother once went to view her dance recital as a child, but she stood in the back so that Lynn couldn’t see her. He also gives her an answer to a question that she asks alone at her mothers grave. SPOOKY! Sear is a crucial role because she not only has to find help for her son, but has to pretend not to be creeped out by him!

02. David Dunn (Bruce Willis) in UNBREAKABLE

While David is the hero of UNBREAKABLE, he enters the film as a melancholy middle-aged man staring vacantly ahead on a commuter train. Soon he catches the sight of a young woman’s bare tattooed torso and quickly removes his wedding band. After being rebuffed by the woman after a clumsy pass he earns the disapproving look of a tot in a seat nearby (and probably most of the audience). All in all, not very heroic behavior. David is soon jolted out his stupor when he becomes the sole survivor of a horrific train crash. In the aftermath of the accident, David is confused when he wakes up in a hospital. His good health should be cause for celebration for his family, but we see David and his wife, Audrey, unclasping hands after they are brought together by their young son. We learn that David wakes every day with a heavy sadness which may contribute to the strain on the marriage. Shortly his mind is opened up to new possibilities after a talk with Elijah Price. David realizes he may be meant for things beyond his job as a college football stadium security guard.

M. Night does a great job in showing how this character reacts to these new ideas. After initially dismissing and denying his discovered abilities, David decides to embrace them and take action. Even after learning of his weakness (or as Elijah puts it, his “kryptonite”) David becomes a fighter for justice. Like Tony Stark, he overcomes his flaws and triumphs. But as the ending reveals, his awakening has come at a terrible price. I hope that perhaps one day an enterprising publisher can bring us more tales of David Dunn. It would be interesting to see what’s become of David (or, is he now The Protector or Sentry-Man?).

01. Elijah Price/Mr. Glass (Samuel L. Jackson) in UNBREAKABLE

Every good story of a hero needs a great villain and M. Night provides us with a memorable one in UNBREAKABLE’s Elijah Price (aka, Mr. Glass). As with the later Spider-Man films, this villain has a personal connection to the hero, David Dunn, and a back story full of tragedy. The film opens with a flashback to the birth of Price at a department store. There we learn of his condition (brittle bones that break on the slightest impact). Flash ahead a few years and we see a lonely boy sitting alone in front of a blank TV screen, his arm in a sling. He tells his mother of the schoolyard taunts (“They call me Mister Glass!”). His mother is finally able to coax him outside with the promise of a gift… the newest issue of Active Comics. We jump ahead to adulthood and Price has found a way to make a living with his love of heroic fantasy as the owner of a comic book art gallery called Limited Edition. This is where he meets David Dunn after leaving a note on his car during a church service for the train crash victims. It’s then that we finally see him happy at the possibility of discovering a real life super-hero.

What could have been a one note villain becomes a very sympathetic character as we witness his frustrations in dealing with his medical condition. A climb down subway stairs becomes a frightening trek down a mountain top. UNBREAKABLE is one of the few DVD’s that has a terrific deleted scene. We see Elijah again as a pre-teen sneaking away from Mom to a street fair and a ride on a Tilt-A-Whirl. It’s a shame M. Night had to leave it out of the final film, the scene shocks you then tears your heart out. It really shows us what a sad life he’s lived and adds to the horror of that final scene. Elijah Price also benefits from a great restrained performance from Samuel L. Jackson.

Top Ten Tuesday: Finest Film Franchises!

We all know what goes into making a movie franchise… more than one sequel, sometimes desired by the masses, sometimes, not so much. Generally speaking, these are big budget blockbuster films, but the genre varies slightly from action to horror to comedy and even fantasy. But, the more pertinent question on the minds of the Movie Geeks is… What makes a movie franchise great? In this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, we attempt to answer that question by compiling our own list of the ten greatest movie franchises of all-time!

Honorable Mention: INDIANA JONES

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)

INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984)

INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (1989)

INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL (2008)

In the 80’s, the Indiana Jones franchise was on an epic, legendary role. I have met few people in the world who have had anything bad to say about the first three films. Yes, you would be correct in correcting me on there being four films. I’m getting to that… While Kingdom of the Crystal Skull had it’s redeeming moments — in fact, I quite enjoyed the first half or so, prior to the “alien/UFO” reveal — the fact is it was sub-par compared to it’s predecessors. Raiders of the Lost Ark is quite simply a masterpiece of cinematic adventure. This movie introduced the thrill-seeking anthropologist (Harrison Ford) to audiences and we fell in love! Ford combined the reckless charisma of Han Solo with the intellectual charm that would dominate his later roles. How better to exemplify this than to reference the scene when Indie faces a local thug with a sword… someone apparently never told him not to bring a knife to a gunfight, but Indie taught him his lesson. And when it comes to iconic moments in movie history, the infamous “boulder” scene with Indie escaping the deadly cave with the golden idol is unforgettable.

As for Temple of Doom, some (with good reason) call it cheesy… I call it classic Indie fun! Yeah, it’s a tad cheesier than ROTLA, but then again, the melting Nazis at the end of the first film gave me nightmares as a kid… for a bit, then I got over it and loved the movie even more. TOD is just filled with old school adventure and gross-out fun. I classify TOD as roughly the same type of sub-genre film as Romancing the Stone and Jewel of the Nile, including the “romance”. Finally, The Last Crusade (my 2nd fave behind Raiders) is a brilliant example of where a [trilogy] franchise “should” end. Introducing Sean Connery as Indie’s father was brilliant, and he nearly stole the film. TLC proved to have all the elements that made Raiders classic, even giving the film a very subtle, slightly Bond-ish subtext. For my money, Indiana Jones is and always will be one of the best cinematic franchises of all-time, despite it’s illegitimate step-brother from outer space.

10. BACK TO THE FUTURE

BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985)

BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II (1989)

BACK TO THE FUTURE PART III (1990)

Quite possibly one of the most under-rated (perhaps even forgotten on some level) movie franchises, BACK TO THE FUTURE solidly holds it’s place in pop culture. Director Robert Zemeckis had just come off directing the huge hit Romancing the Stone (1984) and was comfortable in the action/comedy genre. Michael J. Fox was a huge television star at the time (Family Ties) and was looking to make the jump to becoming a movie star. Due to scheduling conflicts, Fox had to turn down the iconic role and Eric Stolz (Mask, Some Kind of Wonderful) was cast as Marty McFly… and shooting began.

After deciding Stolz wasn’t right for the part (no, really?), Zemeckis persuaded NBC to let Fox shoot Back to The Future at night while taping Family Ties during the day. (That explains why so much of the first film takes place at night.) The decision ultimately paid off — Back To The Future was the top grossing movie of 1985. It was nominated for four Academy Awards and won an Oscar for sound editing. The movie also generated a #1 album on the Billboard charts, thanks to the extremely popular-at-the-time Huey Lewis and The News. The two subsequent sequels weren’t as big, but fans flocked to see Michael J. Fox reprise his role as the lovable Marty McFly, alongside the difficult to resist bumbling mad scientist Doc Brown, played by Christopher Lloyd.

09. PLANET OF THE APES

“You Maniacs! You blew it up! Ah, damn you! God damn you all to hell!” — George Taylor

PLANET OF THE APES (1968)

BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES (1970)

ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES (1971)

CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (1972)

BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (1973)

The original five PLANET OF THE APES films (1968-1973) chronicled the fall of humankind and the rise of intelligent apes through the points of view of astronaut George Taylor (Charlton Heston), the ape Cornelius (Roddy McDowall), and his ape-son Caesar (also played by McDowall). They were all box office hits with their winning combination of intelligent science-fiction concepts for adults and talking chimps and action for the kids. I’ve always found it extremely clever how the final three films are at the same time both sequels and prequels to the first two. The PLANET OF THE APES films inspired a TV show, an animated cartoon and a huge industry of APES merchandise. Tim Burton’s 2001 reboot was poorly received but a prequel to that is rumored to be on its way so maybe they’ll get it right.

08. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL (2003)

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN’S CHEST (2006)

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END (2007)

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES (in the works)

A movie made from a ride at a theme park? You’re kidding, right? But of course this wasn’t just any ride at just any theme park. This is the iconic Pirates of The Caribbean ride made famous at Disney Land (California) and Walt Disney World (Florida), probably one of the most popular attractions of all theme parks. Everyone remembers going there as a kid and what fun it was to ride in the boat and see all the animatronic pirates running around to the crazy pirate music. And that’s what Disney was betting on when they came up with the idea for the movies. But it was a risky move. The concept seemed a little cheesy to most, and it didn’t help that director Gore Verbinski didn’t have an especially successful track record (Mousehunt… Really?) But then you add the stroke of genius that is Johnny Depp and it worked brilliantly. Throw in Orlando Bloom, who himself is no stranger to franchise success (Lord of the Rings trilogy), Keira Knightley, and Geoffrey Rush and you have a very wide audience appeal.

Verbinski was smart enough to know that these should be fun, action, comedic, summer popcorn movies. And he was right. All three movies ruled the box office when they were released, and Depp even scored himself a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his charming scallywag, Captain Jack Sparrow. And we’re not done just yet. 2011 will bring Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and it looks like it will be as successful as the first three. Oh and that ride at that theme park? It now has an animatronic Captain Jack Sparrow, voiced by Johnny Depp himself. Seriously, the happiest place on earth.

07. HARRY POTTER

HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE (2001)

HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS (2002)

HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN (2004)

HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE (2005)

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX (2007)

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE (2009)

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS (in the works)

The Harry Potter saga is, ironically enough, not one to be taken lightly. The first film, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, struck that rare compromise between cinematic vision and literary loyalty. Every film since has leaned one way or the other but it seems none have jumped the shark just yet. Of particular note is the third film, directed by Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron; he brought a distinctively darker and more subtle touch to the series, a theme that current director David Yates re-established in the fifth film. As a franchise, Harry Potter has surprised many critics by maturing with its audience and displaying a surprising cinematic ambition, thanks mainly to the unorthodox directors at helm. The final film has been, thankfully, divvied into two parts, the first of which is due holiday time this year.

06. ROCKY

“No, maybe I can’t win. Maybe the only thing I can do is just take everything he’s got. But to beat me, he’s going to have to kill me. And to kill me, he’s gonna have to have the heart to stand in front of me.” — Rocky

ROCKY (1976)
ROCKY II (1979)

ROCKY III (1982)
ROCKY IV (1985)

ROCKY V (1990)
ROCKY BALBOA (2006)

OK, so here’s the thing… while Sylvester Stallone has admittedly become as much of a punch-line as a revered pop-culture icon over the years, you cannot dismiss the genius of the character of Rocky Balboa. Let’s not forget that Rocky was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Screenplay that Stallone wrote, and won 3, including Best Picture and Best Director. Rocky stole the heart of America and reminded us why we should always root for the underdog. So of course, there would be sequels. And although all six movies were written by Stallone, they weren’t all gems.

One was fair (Rocky II — a sort of boring continuation of Rocky), one was downright awful (Rocky V — retired Rocky trains young fighter Tommy Gunn… seriously?). But the two in the middle (Rocky III and IV) brought us back to the feeling we had after seeing Rocky. Not only were these movies hugely successful, they also launched the careers of another pop culture icon, Mr. T (Clubber Lang), and Dolph Lundgren whose Ivan Drago is arguably one of the most popular franchise characters (Rocky IV was the biggest box-office hit of the franchise, grossing over $300 million worldwide). The franchise spanned 30 years, when in 2006, Stallone decided to give fans a final farewell with Rocky Balboa. The title alone is enough to put a lump in even the hardest throat. For me, this is one of the all-time great franchises of all time, hands down.

05. ALIEN(s)

ALIEN (1979)

ALIENS (1986)

ALIEN3 (1992)

ALIEN: RESURRECTION (1997)

Lt. Ellen Ripley and fellow Nostromo crew members were sound asleep in space where “no one can hear you scream” when they’re woken up to a bogus S.O.S. signal. Next thing you know, people’s chests are either bursting or they’re becoming the main course for a nasty bugger — thus beginning the fantastic sci-fi/horror franchise from 20th Century Fox — ALIEN. All ends well in Ridley Scott’s groundbreaking 1st installment (and Ripley goes to sleep for 60 yrs), that’s is till James Cameron comes along and this time “its fargin war.” A groggy Ripley and the Colonial Marines meet up with a hoard of nasty buggars when they’re sent in on a rescue mission to save a colony and pretty much get their asses kicked. Cool thinking Ellen Ripley goes mano y mano with the Queen of the Buggers in a “Clash of the Titans” type battle for the ages and saves the day. (Fans cheered when Sigourney Weaver became the 1st actor/actress to receive an Oscar nomination in a science-fiction film for her performance in ALIENS.)

In ALIEN 3, just as Ripley is finally getting some shut-eye, her ship pulls a five o’clock charlie and crashes — along with, what else, one little buggar on board and another !gulp! inside Ripley. What’s a girl gotta do to catch a break… and some sleep? SPOILER ALERT for those who’ve been living in a cave, Ripley dies only to be woken up again, 200 years later, as an Alien-hybrid clone in ALIEN RESURRECTION. People have been fascinated since 1979 by H.R. Giger’s horrifying design of the Alien with its defense mechanism acid for blood and double jaw and those nasty eggs filled with exploding face-huggers. The same holds true for Tom Woodruff and Alec Gillis’ nightmarish creation of the Queen Alien complete with egg sack and spiked teeth. The ALIEN franchise is far from over. Ridley and Tony Scott are prepping for 2 prequels, sans Ripley, to be released in theaters either by the end of 2011 or in 2012.

04. THE LORD OF THE RINGS

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (2001)

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS (2002)

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (2003)

Technically speaking, The Lord of the Rings isn’t a “true” franchise and wasn’t even made so much with that in mind, considering all three films were shot simultaneously then released consecutively over a three-year period. Some purists would even call this one films in three-parts… but, semantics aside, we have three separate films that connect into one very long epic that has reached the standard definition of franchise success. Peter Jackson clearly had a vision, but one has to wonder if he ever truly realized how massive the project would become and how massive a success the film adaptations (despite the flaws, you literary fanatics) would prove to be.

Working with the New Zealand special effects group Weta Workshop, Jackson brought the fantasy creatures and characters to life in vivid detail and realism. The action was spellbinding and the story took form due in great part to the magnificent cast put into place, including Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Christopher Lee as Saruman and Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn, just to name a few. Perhaps one of the most memorable performances in the trilogy came from an actor who never even had an on screen appearance… Andy Serkis quickly became an audience favorite as the ugly, conflicted Golem, even earning himself several nominations and awards for the performance that sparked groundbreaking Academy Awards buzz, which unfortunately did not lead him to the Oscar. Stunning cinematography, beautiful scores and fantasy battle scenes of an epic proportion never before seen on the big screen, The Lord of the Rings earns it’s place in movie history as a franchise that sort of ended when it should, even if The Hobbit is being developed into a two-picture event, we’ll gladly welcome it into our arms with adoring fandom.

03. JAMES BOND 007

Sorry, but with 22 official entries into the franchise, a 23rd on the way and one “unofficial” interloper from Woody Allen… there’s just too many too list. Instead, check out the James Bond Films Wiki page.

Who wouldn’t want to be James Bond? He’s a suave secret agent with a license to kill. He’s tough as nails and makes love to deliciously gorgeous women with names like Pussy Galore, Honey Ryder, and Holly Goodhead. He drinks his martinis “shaken, not stirred” and never seems to lose when he gambles. The 007 films are the most successful and longest running film franchise ever to reach the silver screen.

It’s success lies in its combination of style and action; attractive men and women, exotic locations, desirable cars, boats, helicopters, etc that create a fantasy lifestyle that secretly most of us would like to live. The men want to be Bond and the women want to sleep with Bond. I love all the Bond films (and have seen them all at the theatre beginning with DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER in 1971) and they all have good points — even the bloated Roger Moore films and the grim Timothy Dalton editions. Hopefully there will be much more 007 to come.

02. THE GODFATHER

THE GODFATHER, PART I (1972)

THE GODFATHER, PART II (1974)

THE GODFATHER, PART III (1990)

“Do you renounce Satan?” asks a priest near the end of THE GODFATHER (1972) as he’s baptizing Michael Corleone’s son. “I do” replies Michael just before director Francis Ford Coppola ironically cuts to a montage of the bloody murders of the five rival family heads. It’s one of the most powerful, influential, and brilliantly edited sequences in cinema and perfectly paved the way for a second chapter adapted from Mario Puzo’s novel about crime, corruption, and family.

Some feel THE GODFATHER PART II (1974) is actually a better film than the original and it’s only sequel to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. The sequel expanded the scope of the saga and offered Coppola a chance to go to a broader horizon but overall, the original is preferred because it breathed life into the gangster genre and gave crime films dramatic respectability. THE GODFATHER is cited as the very favorite by more men of a certain age I know than any other film. THE GODFATHER PART III came out in 1990 to far lesser acclaim and many fans of the first two, including myself, have never given it a second visit. Perhaps it’s aged well and deserves rediscovery.

01. STAR WARS

STAR WARS, EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE (1977)

STAR WARS, EPISODE V: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980)

STAR WARS, EPISODE VI: RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983)

STAR WARS, EPISODE 1: THE PHANTOM MENACE (1999)

STAR WARS, EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES (2002)

STAR WARS, EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH (2005)

So, I figure the audience is gonna be split 50/50 on this one… so, here goes our reasoning for why STAR WARS is the #1 greatest movie franchise of all-time: Ca$h Money! Well, not entirely, but that is one element of a successful movie franchise… How much can this property bank? And, as we’ve all known for years now… George Lucas is really good and lining his pockets with this franchise property.

Putting the “green” aside, STAR WARS has it’s merits. Besides, millions of devoted fans can’t be wrong, especially when many have now forsaken their false idol but remained loyal to the films. On that note, STAR WARS has conventions all it’s own. What other franchise can claim that? not even Harry Potter has his own conventions… yet. And, the toys? Don’t get me started! STAR WARS is loaded with memorable characters, sci-tech creations and really, when it boils right down to it… can you get any cooler than a light sabre?

Half of you are probably pleased and delighted to see STAR WARS having topped our list, perhaps even relieved that you didn’t have to scold us for not voting it #1, but the other half of you are probably somewhere between “couldn’t care less” and “are you effing nuts!” For those of you… kudos for having your opinion and sticking to it. See, this is a big part of what makes STAR WARS great… the pop culture love/hate relationship. Love it, hate it, or indifferent… STAR WARS inspires conversation, debate and creatively critical thinking unlike any other franchise, including STAR TREK. (No, endless discussions of alien cultures and sci-fi tech that doesn’t exist isn’t enough.)

As for the films themselves, I think it goes without saying that most people have mixed feeling, even the fans. The very first film — which is of course Episode IV — is a stellar, landmark technological and artistic achievement. Personally, it can be a bit slow in parts, but nonetheless is amazing. For my money, it simply doesn’t get any better than “THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (Episode V) which coincidentally, was directed by Irvin Kerschner, not George Lucas. Hmm… I’ll refrain from opening that can of worms… again!

Then comes RETURN OF THE JEDI… and to be quite honest, was a lot of fun, even if the Ewoks were a little too cute. When you think about it, Episode VI was sort of an early heads up warning of what to expect in the pre-quilogy of Episodes I-III. (Honestly, I’m not sure any of us were properly prepared for Jar Jar Binks, but several therapy sessions later I have moved on and can enjoy the finer aspects of the lesser trilogy in the STAR WARS franchise… my favorite being Darth maul.

Top Ten Tuesday: Best Westerns (Not Motels)

Six-shooters and horses, brothels and saloons… the western film is as American as apple pie. Back in the early days, the hero and the villain was always clearly defined, the good guy always won and got the gal, and nobody ever bled when they got shot. Oh, have things have changed over the years. In the sixties and seventies, all that changed when filmmakers such as Sam Peckinpah and Sergio Leone decided the genre needed a reality check, stepping up the violence and pursuing more authentic westerns. In the last 20-30 years, the western has suffered a slow decline, but it’s not dead yet. Today, the western is as diverse as the American culture, and albeit a rare treat, the genre has become a creative playground for talented filmmakers to experiment and honor the classics at the same time, resulting in some very unique films including Jim Jarmusch’s DEAD MAN and Takashi Miike’s SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO. Another unique vision of the western genre, adapted from the popular DC Comics title JONAH HEX, opens in theaters nationwide this Friday, June 18th and stars Josh Brolin, Megan Fox and John Malkovich. In keeping with the mood, we’ve compiled our top ten list of the best westerns.

Honorable Mention: PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID

When it comes to westerns and war flicks, no one really captured them the same way as director Sam Peckinpah realized his stories in a unique light unlike any other. PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID is a great example of that unusual combination of gritty reality and poignant sentimentalism that Peckinpah embodied. The film tells the story of an aging Pat Garrett, played by James Coburn, who is hired as a lawman to track down his old friend and outlaw Billy the Kid, played by Kris Kristofferson. This isn’t your typical western, especially since Bob Dylan not only plays a nearly speechless supporting role and provides the non-traditional but extremely effective soundtrack.

10. TOMBSTONE

When it comes to westerns, some of the most memorable films are those that address a real-life legend. Wyatt Earp is one of those legends, a lawman of the old west and one not to be tussled with. Of the numerous films that depict his story, none are quite as entertaining and successful as 1993’s TOMBSTONE. Directed by George P. Cosmatos, this dramatic albeit Hollywood style western captures the essence of the legend, more than the man himself. Kurt Russell protrays Wyatt Earp, accompanied by his posse that included Virgil (Sam Elliott) and Morgan (Bill Paxton) Earp and Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer). The cast as a whole was fabulous, but Kilmer was especially engaging as the enigmatic, somewhat unstable Doc Holliday. The supporting cast also deserves praise, featuring Powers Boothe, Michael Biehn, Jason Priestly, Thomas Haden Church and Charlton Heston.

09. THE PROPOSITION

While it is the most recent western of this list, DO NOT negate this film. It takes the Good vs. Bad story skeleton and put a small twist on it. Charlie Burns (Guy Pearce) and his younger brother, Mike, have been captured by lawman in Australia by Captain Stanley (Ray Winstone). Stanley gives a proposition to Charlie to find his older brother, Arthur (Danny Huston), and kill him in order to stop the havoc that Arthur and his family gang are causing. What unfolds is a harsh landscape that doesn’t mimic Leone but definitely feels like a film Leone would do today. Gritty, unapologetic and accompanied by a score from Nick Cave, THE PROPOSITION should be a film that every Western film fan should check out.

08. HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER

The barbershop scene near the beginning of HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER sets the tone for the entire film. Clint Eastwood takes on the role of “The Stranger” — a crack shot who’s capable of taking out the trash, but not totally a good guy and we never know his reasons as to why this mysterious gunfighter rode into town. Throughout, the usual dead-eye shooting “Stranger” does the dirty work for a town of gutless pansies (with blood on their hands) and kills all the bad-asses. Directed by Eastwood, it’s only at the end of the film that you realize what you’ve been watching — an old western ghost story.

07. THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

We could simply tell you that THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (1960) is one of our favorites because it’s a western remake of Akira Kurosawa’s SEVEN SAMURAI, but that’s merely part of the brilliance of this classic. The film, directed by John Sturges, holds water in it’s own right, filled with action, suspense in the classic western tradition and iconic acting. Having curiously become a sort of transition film between the old school western of the 50’s and the new school of the spaghetti western which would arrive in the 60’s, THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN boasts a star-studded cast including Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Eli Wallach, James Coburn and Robert Vaughn. For newbies to the western genre, this is a great starter film that melds the old with the new, provides and interesting story at an engaging pace!

06. HIGH NOON

HIGH NOON is the quintessential Western saturated with a landscape of nervous townspeople, a former girlfriend, a loving wife, and a scared deputy. Gary Cooper’s “Sheriff Kane” (for which he won the Oscar) is the archetypal American hero, bound by duty and honor, to make a solo stand against a gang of outlaws arriving on the Noon train looking to gun him down. Effectively making the audience anxious, the film happens in real time and the ever-present town’s clock serves as the harbinger of the sheriff’s destiny. Devoid of any gunfights until the conclusion of the film, the lack of action and virtuous script is nonetheless engrossing. In 90 minutes, director Fred Zinnemann transforms the once frightened Kane into a marshal who’s through taking everyone’s crap. As Kane says, “I’m tired of being shoved.”

05. THE WILD BUNCH

Dying in a hail of bullets whilst taking out scores of people never looked so cool as it did in Sam Peckinpah’s THE WILD BUNCH (1968). Peckinpah was an expert in violence. It was his medium. In a classic western like SHANE, violence is viewed as a necessary evil only to be employed as a last resort, and killing is depicted as fast and pure. In THE WILD BUNCH violence is presented with applause, and the killing is prolonged, tormented, and bloody. Appropriately, THE WILD BUNCH is about the passing of one generation who kill for honor to another generation who murder for fun and games.

04. BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID

BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID is still as fresh today as it was when it came out 41 years ago. Paul Newman and Robert Redford look as though they are having a great time and their interaction is a key factor in the movies success. It’s always been a lightweight romp with just enough action and violent to add grit but it’s also a real product of its time. The fading glory of Butch and Sundance and the end of their outlaw era nicely mirrors the end of the wild sixties. The scene where Butch and Sundance, although mortally wounded still find the courage to dare to dream about a future is really what fine writing and performing is all about.

03. THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

“The Man With No Name” — The trilogy that started it all, bringing the spaghetti western to the forefront of cinema, didn’t begin but ended with THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY. The third and final film in the trilogy starring Clint Eastwood is commonly considered the best, the crescendo of the three-part epic. Eastwood’s calm, collect performance as the fast draw gunslinger whose most deadly weapon is his cunning to outsmart both sides of a quarrel to his own benefit. Superbly directed by Sergio Leone, the film moves abruptly away from the shyness to violence of the typical Hollywood western of the 50’s and is accompanied by an absolutely brilliant, genius original score by Ennio Morricone, which has forever immortalized Leone’s trilogy beyond any other single element of the production.

02. UNFORGIVEN

After Sheriff Bill Daggett (Gene Hackman) is gunned down by William Munny (Clint Eastwood) at the climax of UNFORGIVEN his dying words are “I don’t deserve this. To die like this. I was building a house.” In his last western, Eastwood turned genre conventions profoundly upside down. The old Hollywood westerns would end with John Wayne killing the outlaw, getting the girl and then building a church or building a house. What Daggett was really saying was: “I’m the Sheriff. You’re the outlaw. I’m supposed to shoot you. This isn’t how westerns are supposed to end” After UNFORGIVEN, Clint turned his back on the genre with good reason. It’s the final word on westerns. “I was building a house.”

01. ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST

While the majority of western fans and Leone fans praise THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY as the best western of all time, ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST seems more epic than the former. From a story co-written by Italian horror director Dario Argento, ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST stars Jason Robards, Henry Fonda, and an un-mustached Charles Bronson. The opening scene will grip viewers in a very tense standoff that will make you realize you are watching a scene that could only be pulled off by Leone. Bronson plays a character named “Harmonica” who ends up protecting a woman named Jill (Claudia Cardinale) from Fonda’s Frank who is trying to get to her first to kill her and take over land that a railroad tycoon is interested in.

Honorable Mention: THE SUMMER OF SOUL

10. WEST SIDE STORY

9. ENCANTO

8. NO TIME TO DIE

7. CRUELLA

6. TRAGEDY OF MACBETH

5. CRY MACHO

4. THE FRENCH DISPATCH

3. LICORICE PIZZA

2. SPIDER MAN: NO WAY HOME

1. BELFAST

STAFF PICKS

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TOP TEN WORST FILMS OF 2010

Dishonorable Mention: ALPHA AND OMEGA

10. SEX AND THE CITY 2

08. MY SOUL TO TAKE

07. YOGI BEAR

05. A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET

04. GROWN UPS

03. ROBIN HOOD

02. PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2

01. CLASH OF THE TITANS

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Honorable Mention: WINTER’S BONE

10. THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

09. THE KING’S SPEECH

08. HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1

07. TRUE GRIT

06. INCEPTION

05. TOY STORY 3

04. THE SOCIAL NETWORK

03. THE FIGHTER

02. 127 HOURS

01. BLACK SWAN

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Melissa H.’s Just For Fun 2010:

Michelle’s Just For Fun 2010:

Travis’ Just For Fun 2010:

Tom’s Just For Fun 2010:

Allison’s Just For Fun 2010:

Andy’s Just For Fun 2010:

Jim’s Just For Fun 2010:

Melissa T.’s Just For Fun 2010:

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Honorable Mention: Kent Dorfman – ANIMAL HOUSE

10. Al the Toy Collector – TOY STORY 2

09. “Nuke” Laloosh – BULL DURHAM

08. Mayor Vaughn – JAWS

07. Alan Garner – THE HANGOVER

06. Richard Thornburg – DIE HARD

05. Darryl Jenks – COMING TO AMERICA

04. Lloyd Christmas – DUMB AND DUMBER

03. Principal Rooney – FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF

02. Louis Tully – GHOSTBUSTERS

01. Carter Burke – Aliens

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10. Maggie (Adrienne Barbeau) in ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK

09. Varla (Tura Satana) in FASTER PUSSYCAT, KILL, KILL!

08. Celie Johnson (Whoopi Goldberg) in THE COLOR PURPLE

07. Helen Parr/Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) in THE INCREDIBLES

06. Evey (Natalie Portman) in V FOR VENDETTA

05. Barbarella (Jane Fonda) in BARBARELLA

04. Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) in SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

03. Beatrix Kiddo/The Bride (Uma Thurman) in KILL BILL vol.1-2

02. Sarah Connors (Linda Hamilton) in THE TERMINATOR

01. Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) in ALIEN Saga

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10. Mr. Joshua – LETHAL WEAPON

09. Taggart – BLAZING SADDLES

08. Luca Brasi – THE GODFATHER

07. Grover Dill – A CHRISTMAS STORY

06. Fritz – FRANKENSTEIN

05. Igor – HOUSE OF WAX

04. Jaws – THE SPY WHO LOVED ME

03. Renfield – DRACULA

02. Flying Monkeys – THE WIZARD OF OZ

01. Oddjob – GOLDFINGER

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Honorable Mention: STUART LITTLE