Heckler

When we are critical of things in life there is a fine line between "intelligent criticism," and just outright "mean criticism." Too often people confuse the two together and think regardless of what is said that it halls into the former column. Not just that, but also that it is necessary. You see as a viewer, listener, or consumer of media some people feel it is their right to be openly derisive toward the person who presented the work. However, far too often people go too far into the hateful side of their comments and miss the nuance of criticism.

In the mid 2000's, Jamie Kennedy released two films that were met with almost universal condemnation. As it stands right now, 2003's Malibu's Most Wanted currently has a rating of 30% on Rotten Tomatoes.com. However, his 2005 film, Son of the Mask, has a rating of 6% on the site. Stinging from some of the criticism on that film Kennedy sort of went into a funk about working in the movie business. So he and director Michael Addis set out on the road to try and figure out when did criticism become just spewing hate fueled rage. But let's backtrack a little first.

Kennedy starts out by tracing the idea of the heckler. It's a person who goes to an event and chooses to insert themselves into a show that they bought a ticket for. They insist it's there right to give instant feedback to a comedian or singer about their material. Kennedy gets a hold of tons of great comedians and has them relay stories of their own performances that were interrupted by hecklers. He shows video clips where Bill Maher was heckled on his HBO show, Barbara Streisand takes someone to task at MSG, a rare clip of Bill Hicks losing it, and one scene where a comedian hits a heckler with a guitar. All these scenes play out in some sort of attempt to understand why someone feels that paying a ticket makes them part of the show. In two different sections of the film Kennedy is heckled by fans. The first fan is brought backstage by Kennedy and he interviews the guy to understand as to why he felt the need to interject his thoughts. The guy says that, "I thought it would make you a better comedian." There is a certain audacity involved in saying something like that and even Kennedy- who is trying to land a smug point on the guy- has no comeback for that. In the second event, Kennedy invites the heckler on stage and the guy completely bombs out before slinking back to his seat. It's a rare moment that shows that while the show on stage may seem easy, perhaps it truly isn't.

From there though is where the film reveals the true purpose of the film. The jump is made from heckling to film criticism, and it's here where the film feels disjointed- albeit while having some flashes of brilliance. The Internet has made comment on film (and other things) far easier for the common person. If you type "movie reviews" into Google it comes up with 322 million hits. That doesn't include either all the message boards and comments that are left on said reviews. Basically film criticism has become an inclusive industry where even someone with a rudimentary knowledge of anything film related can offer up their two cents. (And yes it is slightly ironic that you're reading a movie review- of sorts- discussing this).

Kennedy and the director interview as many people as they can involved in the film making process and movie review community. Tucked into this section of the film are some real head scratching gems where you just have to think someone was writing just to see their name in print. One film writer relays the story of reading a review of Piglet's Big Movie and the reviewer referred to the film as "juvenile." Never mind the fact that Winnie the Pooh is geared towards audiences under the age of about 8. Robert Englund- most famously known as Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare on Elm Street series- discusses the dichotomy of what reviewers see. He remarks that the same people who love, rave, and vote for Oscars on Meryl Streep films, are the same reviewers who review horror films. There is not a lot of crossover between those two styles of film. A horror movie is geared towards the sensibilities of a certain group of people while an Oscar caliber film is usually trying to be accessible to more people.

One of the highlights here is the section where Jamie Kennedy sits down with Carrot Top to discuss his 1998 film Chairman of the Board which currently sits at 14% on Rotten Tomatoes. Kennedy reads to Carrot Top some of the reviews that people wrote about his film. In many of the reviews the reviewers don't just attack the film- they attack the person. As Kennedy reads through some of the quotes there is quite a bit of hurt that you can see behind the steely resolve of Carrot Top. He is clearly emotionally battered by what people said about him. It's there where you actually start to feel bad for the guy even if you don't find him particularly funny. However, a few scenes later Patton Oswalt is interviewed where he brings up an interesting quote. He says that comedy and eroticism are the only two principles where one can't determine what you like. Patton says that it's not up to me to tell someone watching a porn, "Hey don't be turned on by that." Comedy is the same way. What one finds funny, someone else may not. So while Carrot Top may not be for everyone he has made enough money that he is for someone.


Kael's and Roger Ebert's of the world in with the guys from eFilmCritic and other lesser sites. Obviously there are bad film critics out there, but that doesn't invalidate the entire process of criticism which Kennedy seems to be trying to do at times. I think this movie is essentially an excellent idea with a first part, but after that ti sort of loses its narrative and works too hard to connect dots instead of letting them fall into place naturally.

SO TO RECAP...

There is a great idea buried in this film. However, I don't think the director, and Kennedy, do a  great job of linking that great idea to the point they are truly trying to make. I do agree with them that far too many "Internet critics" are preoccupied with being mean instead of insightful. However, I agree with Andy Kindler when he says in the film, "I don't care what Satan's Scrotum 1956 has to say about me." By the end of this I was wishing they had spent more time tying up the narrative to create their ties, but I recommend the film as it is never boring, and offers some interesting insights.

Ranking the movies I saw in theaters this past year: #10-1

We have reached the point where I introduce to you what I feel are the ten finest movies I saw in theaters this year. It's been a long ride to the top and some films that maybe you would've ranked higher have already been listed. Perhaps in these next ten films you will agree, and perhaps you will not. Remember, this is just one silly man's opinion.

10. Chloe- In some ways you could classify this film as art film trash. However, that would deny the film the real good qualities that it brings. What you get is a steamy, high-toned, erotic thriller where character's motivations may not always be quite what they appear to be. Both female characters operate in the sex field. Chloe is a call girl, and the woman who hires her is a gynecologist who believes her husband is cheating on her. Between the two women they learn to understand where their own conflictions with sexual feelings lie.  Moore is her usual excellent self and Seyfried opens eyes here with her performance. In the end the film provides some emotionally raw films that are handled with an adept style by the director. It's not a film that will probably leave you feeling good by the end of it, but you'll probably have a better appreciation for the characters and how their motivations drift into your own thought process.

9. Easy A- I'll be up front and say that I love Emma Stone. It's wonderful then that she got a movie that not only moved her from supporting player to top billing star, but also propelled her into the A list film stratosphere. This is a film that in many ways is so much more enjoyable than the typical teen comedies. It reminds me in many ways of when Juno blew up the other year. There everyone raved about the dialogue written by Diablo Cody, but the catch there is that no one in high school talks the way Cody writes. This film is written the way kids that age would talk. Emma's character dreams of a romance out of a John Hughes film but she misses the fact that she is far smarter and funnier than any female lead of a John Hughes film. The movie has flaws, but it really feels like it was made for teenagers who don't need to be talked down to. It's a whip smart, quick witted film that addresses the larger social issues of sex in a high school and touches on certain ideas as to why kids are treated differently. All through the eyes of a great, hot, red-headed actress.

8. Let Me In- Yes it's a remake, and yes it probably didn't have to be made. However, director Matt Reeves does a great job mixing the original film with pieces of the novel and churns out something that creates its own identity despite the various forms in which it already exists. I would say that the Swedish version of the film is near perfection, and this one is slightly better. It trades out a few things that don't work in the first one and adds a thing or two that makes the film a little tighter. The CGI stuff is corny as all hell but it usually is. The young boy is looking for a friend because he is lonely since his parents divorce and the precocious little female vampire next door fits the bill. Chloe Mertz is excellent here and she adds a nice mix to the character. Everything about the film feels authentic, even down to the generic corner of America that Reeves selects and then matches all the designs and music too. The film works, and it has enough creepy stuff going on to always be interesting.

7. Inception- It's a smartly innovative film that relishes in showing the audience one thing and then yanking the carpet out from under them repeatedly. It is a cinematic chess game as Christopher Nolan carefully moves pieces around lulling the viewer to let their guard down before screaming checkmate and hitting you with the climax. And man is that one awesome extended climax. It has seemingly a million things going on at once and really isn't quite as hard to follow as you would think. It is becoming the rare film too that has great visuals without relying on the trappings of 3D. However, the film does feel a little overstuffed at times and might have benefited from about a ten minute trimming. Plus not quite everything works well, and the ending feels like just trying to create discussion rather than offer a real conclusion (Although I do have my ideas as to what the ending means). It's a film that will be wondrous to watch even if the first time you see it is on your television at home.

6. Kick Ass- I can understand the problems have with the film. It is a little jarring to see a 12 year old use some of the language that Chloe Mertz does in here. However, I think the site of the same girl getting the crap kicked out of her was far more jarring to see. But beside that blip towards the end you have a movie that is essentially a violent fantasy film about the times in which we live. The film is fast, very funny, and yes gratuitously violent. It's not an innocuous comedy and it's not a film that talks down to the audience. It mixes together several strands of different genres and creates a completely re-watchable piece of pure entertainment.

5. The Town- It is simple to just say that Ben Affleck is in love with Boston, but that underplays it. Affleck is interested in all the nuances of the town. He wants to see all the underbelly of the town- both good and bad. He wants to understand why the people are there and how they make the town tick. in his latest attempt at that he gives us this film which is a riveting and explosive crime thriller. It's driven by one of the best car chase scenes in recent movie history, a rare pass to the insides of Fenway Park, and a fascinating performance by Jeremy Renner. Ben's character is trapped by the town in many ways and sees this whole mess he is in as his ticket out. What rises it above standard action fare is the brilliant script which is a complex character study. That sits at the heart of everything and gives all the action sequence a more dire set of circumstances to operate within. The film could be a dark horse Best Picture nominee at The Oscars this year.

4. How to Train Your Dragon- I know people like to say that all the non-Pixar animated films suck, and really for many of them I would have no argument. But now when people say that I can offer up this film as the exception to that rule. This was another film that really used its 3D style to full advantage. It's an adventure story that includes a deft balance of fantasy and teen angst but never loses its sense of contemporary humor. It's a thrilling action-adventure film on top of that and includes gags that are both new and old but they all feel fresh in the hands of the co-directors here. It's charming, funny, and exceedingly well made and wil truly appeal to the kids and adults alike in the audience.

3. The Fighter- I can't say I expected much when I went to this film. I looked at the director, the actors, and was already familiar with the source material but still just looked at it as a traditional sports movie. I've seen that film numerous times over and it has devolved into cliche ridden nonsense in many cases. But man was I totally wrong about this film. Wahlberg does what he can with the lead role of "Irish" Micky Ward but really he is sort of understated in the role. I'm not sure if that was a calculated choice or whether it was just Mark being Mark. But I'm glad he did play it small because it lets all the supporting characters be big and defined and the movie is worlds better for all of that as it never feels like they are stepping on each other's toes. Christian Bale is great as the brother who was the family jewel and blew his chance at the big time by sniffing drugs. Melissa Leo is great as the mom who always wants to diminish the little brother so big brother gets the spotlight. The gorgeous Amy Adams plays feisty here and finds all new areas of her acting skills and I think comes off as a revelation of sorts. The fights with her and the sisters of Ward are hilarious pieces of filmmaking and I only wish they had more of those in there. This film will have a huge following one day as its funnier than you would think, has more heart than you would think, and is not nearly as cliched as you would think. Also, hopefully it leads people to read up on Micky Ward as he was a pretty interesting character in the boxing world.

2. Toy Story 3- The first Toy Story came out in 1995 and in 2010 you are real close to those who saw the first film as kids moving off to college or entering the adult portion of their lives. The question at the heart of this film then is: what happens when you have to move on from your childhood and have no use anymore for those toys you loved playing with? I think it's a universal thing people experience. I had a similar experience this past summer as I was cleaning up stuff and came across a bunch of old stuffed animals from my youth. There was a Kermit the Frog, a Roger Rabbit, and Alf, a Donald Duck- and I had to wonder "Do I throw these out?" I didn't because I plan to pass them on to my kids someday but here Andy faces a similar question as he moves off to college. Does he keep those toys and give them nothing to do or pass them to a new generation of youngsters ready to play with them? It's a surprisingly touching story and the last half hour finds a couple different ways to drum up the water works from the audience. It's a nice final chapter to the Toy Story films and in some ways signifies Pixar moving to the next phase of their film creation. They've experimented the past few years with films designed for adults as much as for adults with huge success. Now it's seems like this was the valedictorian speech as they prepare for the full jump to the next level.

1. True Grit- I know there are people who will swear that the John Wayne film is the best version of this film and any attempt to re-do it is silly. I say- this film works probably better because it keeps the original novel at the heart of the proceedings. The original film has John Wayne front and center doing what Wayne does best. He is hammy, overacting in some ways, and the film loses much of the humor from the novel. This film puts the narrative back in the hands of the girl and brings much of the humor back. Both are welcome. Hailee Stinfeld is phenomenal in this film. I know there is talk of her for the Best Supporting Actress but that is the absolute wrong choice. She is a Best Actress nominee in every sense of the word. She owns every minute of film in which she is on screen and she even outshines Bridges and Damon at times which is a huge task to accomplish. Bridges doesn't try to be John Wayne in this film. He prefers to give Rooster Cogburn his own touches and the film is better off for it. Some actors probably would've just tried to riff on Wayne's performance which would've thrown off the entire movie. What I'm really glad for is the humor back in the film. Matt Damon perfectly hits all the comedy lines and straddles the confidence and befuddlement line when the script calls for it. This feels like the Coen Brothers just trying to prove that they could do a genre film and if that's the case- mission accomplished.


That's the list. Here's to another great year at the movies.

Ranking the movies I saw in theaters this past year: #20-11

Which films landed just outside our top 10? Read on to find out:

20. Splice- Vincenzio Natali is really one of the more original filmmakers out there in the business. He took his, semi-underground cache and turned it on this film which many dismissed as a Species knockoff. Here Natali gets more known actors and a slightly bigger budget to play with. What he turns that into is a twisted, perverse, and ultimately thought-provoking look at how our genetic futures could be altered just by having so many new things at our disposal. The last act of the film sort of drifts too close to normal horror movie cliches, but for the majority of the running time this is a fine film driven by great performances.

19. Diary of a Wimpy Kid- In theaters it was the first little surprise film of the year. People couldn't wrap their heads around what the film was, let alone how it chugged along at the box office in a steady little manner. What they were missing is that kids have been reading this series of books all over playgrounds for some time now and here they got a pretty charming little adaptation of the series. It probably doesn't do a great job of translating the drawings and prose from the novels to the screen but that is the trappings involved sometimes with different genres. The lead kid is great and in the end he learns a lesson that you could tell resonated with the kids in the audience.

18. Hot Tub Time Machine- I remember saying to someone how much I loved this film and the person disagreed with me and said it lacked subtext. I wanted to yell, "Hey dummy- what did you expect from a film that wears its title and premise on the marquee like that?" What you do get is a film propelled by a wildly silly script that is in the hands of guys who do great work with the absurdity of it all. John Cusack really elevates the film to another level with the amount of gravitas he brings to the film. There are funny scenarios, quotes, and a running gag involving Crispin Glover's character that will just flat out make you laugh. The worst thing that happened to this film was that it came out 8 months after The Hangover. Without that film, this film would've seemed more original.

17. Megamind- It is a bright, sunny little film that you can tell is cobbled together from parts of better movies. Splashes of The Incredibles, a little Superman, and dashes of various other superhero films. The films looks stunning though in 3D, and the art directors and animators did a fantastic job of making the city feel cozy and spacious all at once. Ferrell, Fey, and Pitt do great jobs with their parts and while I'm not really a fan of Jonah Hill- he was in the background enough at times to not royally piss me off. The film ends up being a fun character study of sorts, about what happens when the villain has vanquished the hero- and really what defines good and bad guys.

16. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World- It's sort of a shame that this film didn't do better at the box office. It's poetic justice of sorts that it is doing great in the home video market. It's clear why the film had some trouble reaching a mass audience- it's a little too quirky at times. However, that's what makes the movie so much fun. The various people who pop up in cameos are clearly having fun and Edgar Wright is clearly having fun playing around with the type of movie he is making. Michael Cera is wrong for the role in many ways and drags the film in spots with his one-note acting, but he has a supporting cast that works really hard to pick up that slack. The last third of the movie sort of rushes through everything- and I'm told- gets a thing or two "wrong" as it relates to the comics. Still though- it's a different experience to watch and I am ready to watch it again.

15. Shutter Island- I sort of laughed when people said they hated the ending and didn't think it was worthy of a Scorese film. That misses the point that the ending is directly from the novel written by Dennis Lehane. This film does have all the aspects of classic Marty films though- it's atmospheric, ominous, and the lead character is falling apart inside. As the film progresses it gets twistier and twistier until it gets to the end where the film pays off what happened before it. The ending doesn't bother me, but it is nothing new to the genre of film here. DiCaprio seemed to phone his performance in at parts too which prevented this film from reaching the next level of quality for me.

14. MacGruber- I really wish this film would've done better in theaters. Maybe it was the fact that it was an SNL film, maybe it wasn't a very well-known character, or maybe people just didn't care as it got pushed into the summer blockbuster slot. Many have asked, "How do you make a film out of a character who is on TV for a few minutes?" The answer here is- put the character in a film that spoofs action movie cliches from the 80's and 90's. This film is crude, it's obscene, it's adolescent- but damn is it funny. It doesn't always hit, but when it does you'll be rolling with laughter.

13. Jackass 3D- It has no plot and really you know what this film is going to be. It's 90 minutes of a group of guys doing increasingly dumb and silly acts where the sole attempt is to hurt themselves or someone else. It's the same type of thing kids do until about the age of 17, but these guys have made a lot of money out of it- so be it. The 3D added a nice little touch on top of this film. For me I think my favorite skit was either Beehive Tetherball or the super glue stuff. It's not high art, but not everything has to be.

12. Machete- It's a throwback to the grindhouse films of old, and it's one helluva good time. Danny Trejo gets a chance to be front and center here and really delivers as the conflicted character at the middle of everything. Well he's conflicted for a few minutes before he decides- people must die. There are some great supporting performances from Jeff Fahey, Robert DeNiro, Jessica Alba, and Cheech Marin. The real star here is Don Johnson though who bursts back onto the scene with a role that allows him to chew scenery like it's his business. The film is violent, maniacal, mindless but ultimately a bunch of fun. If you're looking for nuance you're watching the wrong film.

11. The Other Guys- Real close to being the funniest film of the year and its a huge step forward after the rare misfire of Land of the Lost for Will Ferrell. This is the rare Will Ferrell film where he isn't necessarily the guy always playing for laughs. He gets to play the straight guy often in this film which turns the film over to Mark Wahlberg. That would've been a major misstep if Wahlberg wasn't so damn good at being funny here. You would think Wahlberg would have the character that grows from beginning to end but that falls to Ferrell- which again would be a misstep if it didn't work so well. There were periods of film in here that were as funny as anything Ferrell has done prior to this. Also, Michael Keaton has a great role as the police chief who is completely clueless to how out of touch he is (I won't ruin that part). I have a feeling this film will play well on multiple viewings.


Tomorrow- we have reached the Top 10.

Ranking the movies I saw in theaters this past year: #30-21

We continue with those that are just outside the Top 20:

30. The Wolfman- The movie had the stink of a huge bomb when it was delayed numerous times and there were consistent reports of reshoots. The end product is actually not that bad a film though. It certainly isn't perfect and gets odd at spots but the rest of the time the director knows exactly what type of movie he is making and has fun with everything. I could've done without the incessant relying on CGI as it's distracting but there is enough here to look. Perhaps its the principle of lowered expectations.

29. The A-Team- It's a trashy, supersized action film but it is polished to the degree where you sort of ignore all the quirks of the film. Plus let's be honest, it's not like the television show was high art. The movie is big, loud, and ridiculous but it is a solid fun time and you'll be able to overlook the more inane things. I mean- piloting a tank by shooting the cannon in carious directions? Wildly dangerous, and I'd be willing to bet not versed in solid science. But who cares.

28. Catfish- Is it a legitimate documentary or a dramatic film pieced together by the directors to resemble a documentary? That is a question that sits at the heart of the film. The three directors explore how social media allows people to manipulate their identities when they meet other people. It feels at times like they are crassly exploiting the woman at the center of the film and they try to position it that they are the wronged ones which feels sort of dirty. The film raises interesting questions and there are a few great quotes by the woman's husband, but the idea that these three New Yorkers were duped by one woman in Michigan is kind of hard to get past.

27. Alice in Wonderland- This has all the usual highlights of a Tim Burton film. At the core of the proceedings are humor, dazzling visuals, and a general delight for what he is creating. However, as the film progresses it loses some of its energy and gets kind of boring. The ending battle it builds to then becomes just another CGI heavy battle scene where it becomes hard at times to decipher who is on what side and what exactly is happening. As is normally the case, Johnny Depp wraps himself in the joy of his role and is having fun, but the secret lurking here is that the Wonderland scene is not so wonderful the entire running time.

26. The Crazies- George Romero's 1973 original is a fun little time and this movie only improves upon it. Director Breck Eisner understands what works for the genre and does his best to constantly create dread and mood- which works for the most part. It's a B-movie glossed up and prepped for the masses but that is okay when it works. It's part horror melodrama and doomsday action thriller propelled by some great performances from Timothy Olyphant and Radha Mitchell.

25. The Blind Side- It's a film that is designed to be nothing but cinematic comfort food. Sandra Bullock though elevates it to a different level. A level that I don't think any other mainstream actress probably had the ability to pull off. I know Julia Roberts turned the film down and I really think she would've been wrong for the role. There are good performances throughout the film and they do a great job of turning a book- that is equal parts football strategy and story-into solely a great story. The only downfall to the film is that it all feels a little too cute, and maybe panders a little to the audience. Still though- worth watching.

24. She's Out Of My League- It's not a classic comedy but it is one that clearly is having fun and trying to make something that is hilarious. Too many R-rated comedies focus on the raunchy aspects of the film and leave out the heart which is really what you need to drive the films. This film does a great job of mixing the heart and raunch together into a wonderful R-rated comedy. That doesn't mean it isn't raunchy at times. The scene that brings the raunch the most is hilarious though. Plus the soundtrack is pretty killer.

23. Piranha 3D- Every thing that Snakes on a Plane aspired to be- this film is. It knows that all you are interested in is the 3D gore and it brings it in spades. The only minor complaint is that they should've done more of it. All the actors are clearly having fun with this film and realize that the entire premise is ridiculous. There are beautiful women naked, Christopher Lloyd pops up in full-on Doc Brown mode, and when all hell breaks loose- it breaks loose. Director Alexandre Aja has fun here and I can only imagine he is anxiously waiting to make that sequel that is in the works.

22. Going the Distance- Another R-rated film that finds a healthy mix between the nastiness and comedy to create something worth watching. The beauty of doing it here is that it creates a romantic comedy that doesn't feel like every other romantic comedy that came before it. Love and intimacy are two concepts that run together sometimes and this film understands that and captures both perfectly. Barrymore is her usual charismatic self and Long, Day, and Sudekis are perfect together as the guys in the film. The dialogue here sounds normal too, and not something ripped out of a trashy romance novel. One of the most pleasant surprises in theaters this season.

21. The Last Exorcism- It is a film that is cobbled together from films you've already seen. A dash of The Exorcist, a pinch of The Blair Witch Project- but the mix it comes up with feels definitively fresh. Not to mention the film brings the goods when it comes to the scares. There were quite a few times the film caused me jump (I can be an easy target at times though). It's a film that will raise questions and invite debates about what we do and don't believe and when the ending hits it will cause you to readjust (maybe) what you thought up to that point. On top of it Patrick Fabian (Prof. Laskey from Saved by the Bell:The College Years) delivers a performance that owns every minute of time he is on screen. It's worth seeing just for that fact.

Tomorrow the first half of the Top 20.

Ranking the movies I saw in theaters this past year: #40-31

We move on to the next phase of the countdown and begin with number 40.

40. Iron Man 2- All the elements were there to make this great. The first Iron Man was a big surprise and became a massive hit. Scarlett Johannson and Mickey Rourke were both fine additions to the cast and I salivated at the thought of Rourke being a big time villain. But then when I saw the finished product it just never seemed to all fit together. Everything that made the first one so much fun was tossed aside to make stuff louder, irrelevant, and misguided. Story lines are rushed and nothing seems to be left there enough to matter. Damn shame too.

39. Edge of Darkness- This film is vintage Mel Gibson and should've been the first step of him ascending again in the movie industry. He blew it all a few months later with insane sounding ramblings. That doesn't affect this film though. It's an entertaining conspiracy thriller and Gibson grounds the intensity in some semblance of reality. It gets a little muddled towards the end but it keeps its foot on the gas of conviction until the final credits roll.

38. Unstoppable- The very definition of a popcorn film. Denzel does some great work here elevating a silly premise and Tony Scott finds a way to work in plenty of action movie cliches. Visually the film is stunning though and the cinematographer should be given massive credit for this. About an hour in you'll tire of them always finding a way out of a jam but it brings you back in at the end and has you rooting for the two leads. Plus there is a great supporting character who shows up and his appearances gradually get more inane, and fun.

37. Avatar- Yes the film is wondrous looking and visually it is intensely creative. However, the story is horrible in this film. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that this movie needed the 3D gimmick or it would've been one of the worst reviewed films ever. I feel bad for people who only get to see this in 2D at their house. Also, it's hard to watch this film and not feel like Cameron is talking down to you from his ideological perch. It was okay for a first viewing but I can't see it being something I watch over and over and enjoy.

36. Date Night- Everything in this film hinges on the performances of Steve Carell and Tina Fey. Without them this movie would probably be much further down the list. The general feeling I couldn't shake though was that the film sets up a lot of great opportunities but never fully capitalizes on them. Mark Wahlberg's character was ripe for potential and he basically gets turned into a one note joke. The escape from the police station had potential too but it just felt like it moved too quick from it.

35. Get Him to the Greek- This is pretty much designed to be Russell Brand's star making turn and he answers the call for the most part. He probably never adds enough depth to his character but I think that is more the fault of the writer than of Brand. Every time Jonah Hill is on screen though the film sort of grinds to a halt. He is way too reserved and the idea is that Brand's character forces him to confront that but Hill underacts it and never gets to the point the script wants him to get too. There are some funny scenes towards the end that push this forward but it also makes you a little sad that the film took so long to get going.

34. Paranormal Activity 2- it doesn't cover any new ground from the first one but in some ways it is scarier than the first one. For a long time you have a hard time placing this film in the time line of the first one but towards the end it clears that all up and twists how you probably felt about the film up to that point. The one downfall of the film is that they use many of the same beat patterns of the first film so you know the tricks. Once the night vision stuff starts you know stuff will happen. Doesn't make it any less creepy but it means you get annoyed at the parts in between. That kitchen scene though- it got me.

33. The Book of Eli- The film is a little uneven and it does feel like the film's reach exceeds its grasp. However, the Hughes Brothers do inject some style to the film which is welcome because post-apocalyptic films have increased in numbers recently. The movie is engrossing throughout though and when it gets to the end it hits you with a few left turns that make sense and leave you second guessing what you just watched. Enjoyable little film and a pleasant surprise.

32. The Expendables- Sylvester Stallone got together a bunch of his action movie making buddies and created this testosterone filled filled. Some will complain about the directing or the plot but really- you have to know what to expect when you look at a film with all these stars in it. The one odd note is the monologue Mickey Rourke does halfway through as it sort of feels out of place but it does provide a huge piece of the puzzle for this film. It sort of grounds the hyper-drive movie into a place where it actually serves some purpose.

31. Morning Glory- Inconsistent at times but the entire film is lifted by great performances from Ford, Keaton, and most importantly Rachel McAdams. She is entirely endearing throughout the film and by the end it's hard not to root for her character, or be in love with her. The film itself is funny but the dedication with which the three leads attack it transforms the film into something that is just warm to watch. I also appreciated that they resisted the urge to make Ford and McAdams mis-matched lovers. The conflict between them is Ford doesn't see that McAdams is as dedicated to her piece of the television landscape as he is to his. Once that is realized the two develop a camaraderie that works for the show.


Tomorrow comes #30-21

Ranking the movies I saw in theaters this past year: #50-41

For the first time in as long as I can remember, I actually saw a nice round number of films in theaters that divides easily into 5 days. Usually I see something like 57 movies which means ranking a different number of movies on certain days. That creates writings that are long, time consuming, and just generally silly to read. This year with 50 I can easily do 10 a day and keep things manageable. A little introduction for those that have never seen the lists I do. No, I do not pay for all the films. Sometimes I will pay to see one film and then jump into another one after that film ends. Not the most honest thing I do but whatever. Also, I do not pay the full price for a few of the films. I'm lucky in that there are a few discount, second run theaters near me so sometimes I'll catch stuff there. In fact, about 35% of the films this year I saw in a second run theater in an attempt to save cash. Sometimes I don't get to see the Oscar nominated films late in one year which leads them to spill over into the next. There are two films on the list that technically were released last year but I didn't get to see them until this year in theaters for various reasons. Also, I'm not technically going to give the traditional Oscar films top 10 spots. I try to rank things based off rewatchability, general joy in watching, and then the general things like performances, directing, etc. Also, as with any countdown- assume the movies at the bottom of the list are pretty bad. I wouldn't dissuade you from seeing them but I would recommend thinking twice before seeing it. So with that out of the way, let's begin the countdown with what I felt was the worst movie I saw in theaters this year.

50. A Nightmare on Elm Street- Platinum Dunes continues their assault on the horror movies of my youth with their biggest misfire yet. And really that says something. Everything that made the original film iconic- director Samuel Bayer gets wrong. Freddy is turned from a child murderer to a rapist. And all pretense of implication is lost there- they specifically outline it. Worst of all though they cover Freddy in entirely too much make-up. In the original, the make-up was sparse and a majority of the horror came from Robert Englund's performance. He provided the character to Freddy and created an entirely creepy movie villain who still terrifies people who saw it. In this one, they layer Jackie Earl Haley with make-up and sink all his facial features to the background. The voice he chooses is altered to a point where it is barely audible at times and he becomes a caricature of an evil person rather than just being evil. The ending tries to hard to bring in ideas from all the films and then blatantly tries to recreate the last images from the original with their own spin. Needless to say, like the rest of the film, it doesn't work. A bad effort, but at least prior to this they were trying and failing. Here they don't even try.

49. Legion- God has lost faith in mankind and he is pissed. So pissed in fact that he is sending angels to wipe us off the planet. The plucky waitress at the roadside diner in the middle of the desert is ready to bear the savior of the human race. Archangel Michael comes down to Earth and clips his own wings so he can save the entire human race. If that was God's plan though it is one of the worst plans in the history of all time. The entire 90 minute film is 4 people attacking before being killed by the patrons of the diner. They pontificate on what is happening, and then 4 more demons show up. I would think if you were trying to wipe out a mass of people that you would unleash an entire wave of demons and angels rather than essentially sending them two at a time. Of course, that ignores the fact that the whole entire idea is insipid. The film would've been greatly improved had it not played this entire scenario so earnestly. This movie called for some tongue in cheek action but the director and writers think this is the most serious thing in the world. It isn't.

48. Grown Ups- Easily the worst movie Adam Sandler has made. It's a shame too because with the people involved this film should've been funny. It's basically an SNL reunion with Kevin James playing a role that would've gone to Chris Farley had he been alive. The worst part about this film is that Sandler clearly got Columbia Pictures to basically pay for him and his friends to go on vacation. They filmed it and this is what we got. There is really no attempt to be funny in this film. There are really no funny scenes or dialogue. In fact, I can't remember any one thing that really works in this film. It's a hodgepodge of images edited and called "a movie." I'm baffled this movie cost 80 million dollars to make. What the hell did they spend the money on? This movie is almost anti-funny.

47. Saw 3D- I truly hope this film was the end of the franchise. It performed nobly for a few entries and then sort of became a parody of itself. By the end it was just trying to see how creative it could be in killing people off although I did think the previous one was at least topical. This film tries to wrap up all the loose ends and sort of opens up another one or two before it closes. It ends at a logical point (of sorts) and feels like a great place to end and move on. If you're into the graphic kill nature of the series it will not disappoint you here as they are innovative with some of the stuff. But for the rest of us it feels repetitive. They also didn't do enough with the 3D in this film.

46. How Do You Know- Easily the most disappointing film I saw in theaters this year. Hopefully it would get better on multiple viewings but it feels like a movie that was only halfway down and then hurriedly finished to get it in theaters. James L. Brooks has done some great films but here he just misfires on every level. The dialogue is clunky, and the direction is really bad. Scenes are kept for a beat too long almost all the time as if the audience needs to see the character react to know how to react. The only really totally likable character is Witherspoon's, and Rudd and Wilson play versions of characters they could do in their sleep by now. Nicholson is wasted in this film and really comes off like a first class jerk at every single turn. If you're expecting As Good As It Gets, you're going to be disappointed. If this is as good as it is going to get from Brooks going forward, maybe he should just stop.

45. Dinner for Schmucks- Bad year for Paul Rudd at the movies. I don't know what this film was trying to accomplish but it doesn't accomplish it. Again, no one really comes off likable in this film. Carell is especially unbearable in this film. Everytime he is on screen the movie grinds to a halt. On top of that, the conceit of the movie is for us to eventually feel sorry for him as an audience so that at the end we cheer him getting his revenge with the help of Rudd and the other, "schmucks." However, by the end you just want everyone to go away. Some of the other schmucks at the end are endearing but it's unclear if we are supposed to feel bad for them or laugh at them- or do both. Jay Roach just swallows all flow up with his directing and loses any semblance of what made the original film so good. Plus, in a movie called Dinner for Schmucks, why is the word schmuck never used to describe the people?

44. Youth in Revolt- I assure you there were comedies I did like this season, despite listing a bunch of them in the bottom ten so far. Here you get Michael Cera playing a version of the same character he always plays. Awkward, yet endearing, teenager. There is a ton of stuff thrown at the viewer throughout this film and nothing is really given any time to stick. It's funny at spots but nothing really resonates after you're done viewing. You're left thinking, "That was nice," but it's hard ti put a finger on why.

43. Devil- On one hand I liked this film. But on the other it relies heavily on a twist ending that is out of every single M. Night film ever made. Inf act, many of the plot points are similar to other Night films. Plus the twist at the end doesn't really require multiple viewings to pick up clues or nuances you missed on the first viewing. It all feels very straightforward and kinda boring. The one character is there for the sole purpose of spelling out everything for the viewer. It gets to the point where it's sort of comical every time he pops up on screen. The cinematography is really good for this film though as they do a great job of getting expansive camera angles inside the elevator. The performances are good, but the script sort of lets them down in the end.

42. Faster- The Rock has really worked hard to make himself a varied actor. After starting in action films he moved over to family films and this was his celebrated return to the action genre. There are things to like about the film. He is strong in his role as a motivated, mostly silent person looking for revenge. Thornton is good in his role but his character again drifts into the typical patterns his characters normally go. There are aspects of this film that would work as a Bronson film in the 70's or a film noir of the 40's but it never dwells enough on them to make a film that resonates in anyway. They are only looking to make an action film that tries to see how high it can crank the decibels until the viewer can no longer bear to watch anymore. It's a film that has multiple tricks but is only concerned with performing the one.

41. Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D- The film looks exquisite in 3D. It makes perfect use of the genre and fits the plot into the capabilities they have. But dear Lord is this a franchise that needs to end at this point as well. It is stretching a lot to extend the story and the 97 minute running time probably would've been shaved by 20 minutes had they not used the slow motion so frequently. Seriously, every fight sequence features slow motion shots. Then it is a slow motion shot from a different angle. Characters from the video games are brought in just to get fans of the video game series to say, "Hey I remember that," and are not really germane to the plot. At the end they bring back a character from a previous film but she is completely unrecognizable and no one in the theater reacted to her. It was sad because the director clearly designed it to be a big moment heading into the next film but it just died a quick painful death. I could've done without them aping from The Matrix so much but I guess you take what you get. Also, quick question I'm still left with from the film- If Milla Jovoich's character really believes she is the only person left on Earth, who in the hell is she recording her video diaries on the outbreak for? Doesn't that seem like a silly exercise?

Tomorrow- #40-31