Pandorum - DVD Review

**

Starring Dennis Quaid, Ben Foster, Cam Gigandet, Antje Traue, Cung Le and Eddie Rouse.
Directed by Christian Alverte.

Sometimes when I watch blockbuster scifi's, I think to myself how cool it would be to see a midbudget spin-off that takes place in another corner of the universe they've created. This feels like one of those movies.

It all takes place on a spaceship headed for a new planet. The crew is placed in hibernation, awaking at intervals. Flight Crew #5, to be awake for years 9 and 10 of the flight, consists of two men, and one of the side-effects of waking up is temporary amnesia, but Flight Crew #4 is nowhere to be found.

At first, I was drawn in. The middle part gets bogged down with bad CGI-creatures running loose on the ship, and the end featured two twists, one cool and one I saw coming a mile away. Dennis Quaid and Jeff Bridges, whom I considered about equal acting-talent-wise and career-wise twenty years ago, have gone on separate paths. Bridges is a shoo-in for Best Actor this year while Quaid's doing supporting work in stuff like GI Joe, Legion, and this. Well, if Quaid wants to go the Jon Voight route, more power to him.

If I had to compare the movie aftertaste to anything else, it would be Event Horizon. Except this movie was better than that.

The Wolfman - Movie Review

**1/4

Starring Benecio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving, Geraldine Chaplin and Art Malik.
Directed by Joe Johnston.

This movie had a $150 million production budget, and every penny of $100 million of it shows up on screen. I don't know where the rest of the money went, maybe on scenes they wound up cutting and reshooting, but the final hodge-podge is cheesy Hammer-horror B-movie fun that was enjoyable as I watched it, but evaporated the second I left the theater.

For one thing, it's not scary ever. They might as well have cut the fifteen seconds of gore and aimed at a braoder PG-13 audience. The movie also kept going places that felt like a wasted opportunity. I kept thinking what I would have done with the same basic story.

Benecio Del Toro is Lawrence Talbot, heir to a fortune who comes home to his estranged father (Anthony Hopkins) after his brother is viciously murdered. Seems there might be a werewolf about. The movie makes it obvious from the start who that initial werewolf might be, and after a full moon, Lawrence himself is bit. One full moon later...

The moon aspect was fun. There's one part in the movie where it seems like three days have passed and suddenly it's another full-moon night. "I guess all of that took a month...?"

I enjoy Hopkins in anything. I had fun watching him chew scenery and thinking to myself, "He's been in Dracula and the Wolfman, so now we need a Frankenstein reboot..." There are times Del Toro has the look of the only actor in the room who didn't get a script but he'll be a good sport until someone yells "Cut!"

It is entertaining for what it is, but it by no means a good movie.

LTUE Day 3

I'm at the Life, The Universe and Everything Conference. Been here since Thursday but should've blogged about it sooner. It's the annual gathering for science-fiction/fantasy authors and aspiring writers. Got to meet Richard Hatch of Battlestar Galactica fame (1979's Apollo, 2009's Zarek). Sat right next to Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn trilogy, finishing Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series) and felt stupid I didn't bring any of his books I'd borrowed from my neighbor so I could return them signed. Saw some friends/folks I haven't seen in months or years.

And my battery's getting low...

Michael Jackson's This Is It - DVD Review

***1/2

Starring Michael Jackson and Kenny Ortega.
Directed by Kenny Ortega.

This is the ultimate behind-the-scenes documentary, as we get to see dress rehearsal numbers we never would have seen had MJ lived to opening night. It's a tribute to the performer, and while it doesn't provide much insight into the notoriously shy entertainer, it is pretty cool to watch a professional at work. And for 110 minutes, the freak show that surrounded him the past 15-20 years disappears. It's just a testament to why he was the biggest pop star of the 1980's, and he looks as in shape as any 30-year-old dancer.

Edge of Darkness - Movie Review

**1/2

Starring Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone and Danny Huston.
Directed by Martin Campbell.

It's nice to see Mel Gibson back on screen. It's too bad it's in a standard vehicle like this.

Mel is a cop whose daughter is murdered right in front of him. This allows for many scenes of him grieving, followed by him bashing heads in trying to figure out who did it and why. Now that may sound action-oriented, but I was kinda tired when I saw this movie and there were slow scenes in the middle where I grew impatient and just wished for less talking and more action.

2009 Academy Award Nominations

Well I was 9/10 in my Best Pic guesses.

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2009 Academy Award Nominations
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BEST PICTURE
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

BEST DIRECTOR
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Lee Daniels, Precious
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

BEST ACTOR
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

BEST ACTRESS
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Mo'Nique, Precious

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
District 9
An Education
In the Loop
Precious
Up in the Air

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The Messenger
A Serious Man
Up

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Ajami (Israel)
El Secreto de sus Ojos (Argentina)
The Milk of Sorrow (Peru)
Une Prophete (France)
The White Ribbon (Germany)

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Coraline
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess & the Frog
The Secret of the Kells
Up

BEST ART DIRECTION
Avatar
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
Nine
Sherlock Holmes
The Young Victoria

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Avatar
Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The White Ribbon

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Bright Star
Coco Before Chanel
The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
Nine
The Young Victoria

BEST FILM EDITING
Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious

BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
Burma VJ
The Cove
Food Inc.
The Most Dangerous Man in America
Which Way Home

BEST MAKEUP
Il Divo
Star Trek
The Young Victoria

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Avatar, James Horner
The Fantastic Mr. Fox, Alexandre Desplat
The Hurt Locker, Marco Beltrami & Buck Sanders
Sherlock Holmes, Hans Zimmer
Up, Michael Giacchino

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"Almost There", The Princess & the Frog
"Down in new Orleans", The Princess & the Frog
"Loin de Paname", Paris 36
"Take It All", Nine
"The Weary Kind", Crazy Heart

BEST SOUND MIXING
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Transformers 2

BEST SOUND EDITING
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Up

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar
District 9
Star Trek

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
China's Unnatural Disaster
The Last Campaign of Gov. Booth Gardner
The Last Truck: The Closing of a GM Plant
Music by Prudence
Rabbit a la Berlin

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
French Roast
Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty
The Lady & the Reaper
Logorama
A Matter of Loaf & Death

BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT
The Door
Instead of Abracadabra
Kavi
Miracle Fish
The New Tenants

My Last-Second Best Picture Nom Guesses

GUARANTEED
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
Up
Up in the Air

PRETTY SURE
District 9

LAST THREE
An Education
Invictus
A Serious Man

BUT...
The buzz seems to have come and gone on those final three. For further populist appeal, I could see Star Trek or The Blind Side squeaking in. Maybe all the attention around Jeff Bridges's job in the title role pushes Crazy Heart in. (500) Days of Summer still has its fans. I'd be shocked if anything else made it.

Dead Snow - DVD Review

***

Starring Vegar Hoel and Lasse Valdal.
Directed by Tommy Wirkola.

This Norweigan horror/comedy knows its genre, doesn't aim high, and hits dead center. I don't know why they decided not to title it the more accurate "Nazi Zombies," but maybe they figured that was too much.

Eight med students (4 men, 4 women, all in early 20's) head out for a skip trip in a remote cabin. Horny hijinks ensue. One guy is a movie buff so he can be self-referential to other horror movies. An old man shows up for no other apparent reason that to give the backstory of these mountains so we know the plot of the rest of the movie. The tension builds. We get to know these characters and like some of them.

And then the Karo syrup pours. Apparently zombies drool dark blood. More than one character has their small intestines strung out like a garden hose. The longer certain characters live, the more caked they get with blood. Let it not be said they skimped on the splattering.

Unfortunately there's only so much you can do with zombies, and just because they're in Nazi uniforms doesn't really distinguish them. The movie has enough giddy fun though that it's worth it for those expecting it to be exactly what it is: Night of the Nazi Zombies.

Razzie Nominations

The Razzies unveiled their choices.

WORST FILM
All About Steve
G.I. Joe
Land of the Lost
Old Dogs
Transformers 2

WORST ACTOR
All Three Jonas Brothers, Jonas Brothers 3-D Concert
Will Ferrell, Land of the Lost
Steve Martin, Pink Panther 2
Eddie Murphy, Imagine That
John Travolta, Old Dogs

WORST ACTRESS
Sandra Bullock, All About Steve
Miley Cyrus, Hannah Montana: The Movie
Megan Fox, Transformers 2
Beyonce Knowles, Obsessed
Sarah Jessica Parker, Did You Hear About the Morgans

WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Billy Ray Cyrus, Hannah Montana: The Movie
Hugh Hefner, Miss March
Robert Pattinson, New Moon
Jorma Taccone, Land of the Lost
Marlon Wayans, G.I. Joe

WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Candice Bergen, Bride Wars
Ali Larter, Obsessed
Sienna Miller, G.I. Joe
Kelly Preston, Old Dogs
Julie White, Transformers 2

WORST DIRECTOR
Michael Bay, Transformers 2
Walt Becker, Old Dogs
Brad Silberling, Land of the Lost
Stephen Sommers, G.I. Joe
Phil Traill, All About Steve

WORST SCREEN COUPLE
Any Two Jonas Brothers, Jonas Brothers 3-D Concert
Sandra Bullock & Bradley Cooper, All About Steve
Will Ferrell & Any Co-Star, Land of the Lost
Shia LaBeouf & Megan Fox, Transformers 2
Kristen Stewart & Robert Pattinson, New Moon

WORST REMAKE, RIP-OFF OR SEQUEL
G.I. Joe
Land of the Lost
Pink Panther 2
Transformers 2
New Moon

WORST SCREENPLAY
All About Steve
G.I. Joe
Land of the Lost
Transformers 2
New Moon

WORST FILM OF THE DECADE
Battlefield Earth (2000)
Freddy Got Fingered (2001)
Gigli (2003)
I Know Who Killed Me (2007)
Swept Away (2002)

WORST ACTOR OF THE DECADE
Ben Affleck (Gigli, Surviving Christmas, etc.)
Eddie Murphy (Norbit, Meet Dave, etc.)
Mike Myers (Cat in the Hat, Love Guru, etc.)
Rob Schneider (Benchwarmers, The Hot Chick, etc.)
John Travolta (Battlefield Earth, Old Dogs, etc.)

WORST ACTRESS OF THE DECADE
Mariah Carey (Glitter)
Paris Hilton (The Hottie & the Nottie, House of Whacks, etc.)
Lindsay Lohan (I Know Who Killed Me, Just My Luck, etc.)
Jennifer Lopez (Gigli, Monster-in-Law, etc.)
Madonna (The Next Best Thing, Swept Away, etc.)

Personally I think they let the worst movie of the year - Miss March - off too easily. I'm also stunned Larry the Cable Guy didn't make the Worst Actor of the Decade list. I know Eddie Murphy doesn't choose good projects usually but he was great in Dreamgirls. And I like John Travolta in half his stuff. And hey, Mike Myers just won a SAG Award for being a member of Best Cast (Inglourious Basterds).

I haven't seen it yet, but I hear Mariah Carey was great in Precious.