Ranking Spielberg

Jurassic Park

Since Lincoln is opening this weekend (against Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 - good luck with that, prestige picture), Vulture's Will Leicht and Tim Grierson took it upon themselves to rank all 28 of Steven Spielberg's previous films. I mostly agree with their lower rankings (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull comes in dead last and deservedly so), though I had a few quibbles with their Top 10, so I decided to create my own list of the Top Ten Spielberg Films of All Time. And here it it is:

10. War of the Worlds - 2005 (Vulture's #6): As much as this movie has against it (Tom Cruise simply cannot play the 'Everyman' and Dakota Fanning spends far too much time screaming), it has an awful lot going for it. Josh Friedman and David Keopp's adaptation of H.G. Welles' classic is perfectly modernized for a Post-9/11 America and the effects are quite stunning. The only thing that keeps it from being higher on my list is the treacly, feel-good ending which ranks among the director's sappiest of sappy happy endings.

9. Jurassic Park - 1993 (Vulture's #12): David Keopp's adaptation of Micheal Crichton's mostly preposterous novel is spot on, as is just about every performance from its remarkable cast. A roller-coaster thrill-ride movie of the highest caliber, Jurassic Park holds up much better than many of Spielberg's other Sci-Fi Adventures nearly 20 years after it was made. And it is totally worth the price of admission just to hear Jeff Goldblum say "Think they'll have that on the tour?"

8. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom - 1984 (Vulture's #11): This prequel (along with Joe Dante's Gremlins) inspired the mostly useless MPAA to create the PG13 Rating. Kate Capshaw may not be Karen Allen and Jonathan Ke Quan's borderline racist Short Round may be annoying, but Harrison Ford is at the peak of his hotness; the chamber full of insects is exceptionally creepy; Amrish Puri's Mola Ram is particularly villainous and that coal car chase sequence is nothing short of pure adrenaline.

7. The Color Purple - 1985 (Vulture's #20): Spielberg's adaptation of Alice Walker's novel had skeptics wagging their tongues. What did a White Jewish man know about the Black experience in the South of the 1920's and 30's? Assembling a top-notch cast which included Whoopi Goldberg (in a performance that should have won her an Oscar); Oprah Winfrey (what I just said about Whoopi); Danny Glover and the always amazing Dana Ivey, Spielberg's film is emotionally manipulative and probably 15 minutes too long, but it never fails to set me sobbing like the sentimental old fool I am. 

6. Saving Private Ryan - 1998 (Vulture's #5): I hate war films. I hated this movie. But I hated it because it brought home the horrors of WWII unlike any film had before. Grim and harsh with a rather amazing performance from Tom Hanks, Saving Private Ryan also suffers from a treacly Spielbergian ending, but it runs the audience through the wringer before it gets there.

5. Jaws - 1975 (Vulture's #4): Making lemonade from lemons turned Spielberg's first major motion picture into the first "Summer Blockbuster." If 'Bruce' the Shark had worked the way it was intended, Jaws would have been a very different movie and people might not have spent the latter half of the 1970's afraid to swim in the ocean. Terrific performances from Roy Schieder, Richard Dreyfus and Robert Shaw didn't hurt, and John Williams' score only added to the tension. A decidedly 'happy accident' movie, Jaws still can still inspire fear, nearly 40 years after it was first released. 

4. Close Encounters of the Third Kind - 1977 (Vulture's #8): Mysterious, exciting, fanciful and often beautiful, Close Encounters is a movie about wonder, awe and obesession. Richard Dreyfus gives one of his best performances as Roy Neary, an 'everyman' invited by extraterrestrial beings to join them on a trip to who knows where. After I saw this movie, I spent several weeks looking up at the night skies.

3. E.T. The Extraterrestrial - 1982 (Vulures's #2): Not the first or last time Spielberg would explore the themes of parental abandonment; peer exclusion; childhood wonder and distrust of authority, E.T. is still effective today in part because there has been no sequel to sully the experience of seeing for the first (or 20th) time, but also because it taps into so many universal childhood experiences. Christian allegories aside, E.T. manages to inspire hope that children know what's best for both humans and non-humans alike. It's also the prime example of the director's signature camera angles and close-ups.

2. Raiders of the Lost Ark - 1981 (Vulture's #1): Inspired by the serials of Spielberg and George Lucas' youth, Raiders is a nearly perfect adventure movie. Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones is a practically archetypical hero, brave; handsome; cocky (but not too cocky); sexy; resourceful and intrepid, Jones is the man every woman wants and every man wants to be. He fights Nazis; he travels the world; he finds exotic treasures... who wouldn't want to be Indy? Add a spunky heroine (was there ever an actress more perfectly cast as Marion Ravenwood than Karen Allen?), another exciting John Williams score, snakes, the Hand of God and officious government officials and you have one hell of a movie. I saw this movie with my sister on opening day and while we had no idea what we were about to see, we knew it was going to be special. And we were so very right.

1. A.I. Artificial Intelligence - 2001 (Vulture's #13): Stanley Kubrick intended to make this film, based on a short story by Brian Aldiss, but passed it on to Spielberg. Released two years after Kubrick's death, A.I. remains the director's most hotly contested film. With remarkable performances from Haley Joel Osment as David; Jude Law as Gigolo Joe; Frances O'Connor; William Hurt; Clark Gregg; Enrico Colantonio; Robin Williams; Ken Leung; Ben Kingsley; Meryl Streep and Chris Rock (among others), A.I. is most certainly Spielberg's masterpiece. Love it or hate it, A.I. is a heavy meditation on life; parental love; existentialism; reality; time and any other number of other subjects. It was my personal choice for Best Film of 2001; my choice for the Best Spielberg Film and my Number 2 choice for Best Science Fiction Film of All Time. Misunderstood by many when it was first released, A.I. continues to gain the support of film critics and cinephiles as time goes by.

What are your favorite Spielberg films?

More, anon.
Prospero

The Best TV of 2011

Well, the clear winner in last night's poll was The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo at 44%. It was actually the outcome I'd both predicted and hoped for. Sadly, I overslept this morning and set my entire schedule off by an hour and a half and... well, let's say that TGWDT is the next movie I'm going to see.

But this post is about last year's Best TV series. Regular readers won't be surprised by my top picks, but I think you'll find more a few surprises on my "Best of" list, as opposed to tomorrow's "Worst of."

So let's get started, shall we?

10: "Grimm" (NBC). The far superior of two Fairy Tales series, "Grimm" stars the impossibly handsome David Giuntoli (sigh...) as Portland PD Detective Nick Burkhardt, who suddenly develops the ability to see monsters among ordinary people. He soon finds out he is a 'Grimm,' a family of protectors from the real-life creatures the fairy-tales were based on. Fun, gory and even a little silly (with tongue often firmly in cheek), "Grimm" is everything the other show (see tomorrow's post) isn't. Silas Weir Mitchell as Nick's half-willing Blutbad (Big, Bad Wolf) side-kick is hilarious as the classic "bad guy trying to go straight but keeps getting tempted" character with a supernatural twist.

9. "Parenthood" (NBC). This family drama, based on the Ron Howard movie, just gets better and better. Good writing combined with an exceptional ensemble makes "Parenthood" one of my 'must-see' shows.

8."Warehouse 13" (SyFy). The highest rated original series on SyFy is a crazy, funny, Steam Punky fantasy adventure with another excellent ensemble, headed up by Eddie McClintock and Joanne Kelly's exceptional chemistry. A funny, nerdy and occasionally cheesy delight.

Tie: "Community" (NBC) and "Raising Hope" (Fox). It took me a season and a half to love NBC's decidedly odd but hilarious and brilliant "Community." From last year's amazing Halloween and Christmas episodes to every single freaking episode this season, "Community" is truly comedy for the geeks, unlike "Big Bang Theory" which is just about them. As for the always hilarious "Raising Hope," Greg Garcia, who also created "My Name is Earl" has gathered some amazingly talented actors (Martha Plimpton, hottie Garrett Dillahunt and comedy legend Cloris Leachman!); the most adorable and expressive baby actor, ever; an adorkable lead in Lucas Neff; a quirky set of supporting characters and some excellent writing in this sweet love-letter to trashy folk, everywhere.

5. "The Good Wife" (CBS) Juliana Margulies owns this show, despite it having the most subplots of any show on TV. It's always about writing and casting. Never afraid of any topic, "The Good Wife" takes on politics, religion, sex, organized crime, office politics, sex, corruption, terrorism, sex...

4. "The Closer" (TNT). Consistently the smartest and most well-acted police procedural on TV, "The Closer" is not just a showcase for the imcomparable Kyra Sedgewick and yet another amazing supporting cast, but manages to create compelling mysteries which surround the series' arc quite beautifully.

3. "American Horror Story" (FX). Wow! Talk about a tour-de-force! "AHS" was creepy, sexy, nasty, gross and all kinds of crazy but creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk wowed audiences with their story about a broken family moving into a dangerously haunted house. Co-star Jessica Lange already has a Golden Globe nomination (as does the show). Unlike anything that's ever been on TV before, "American Horror Story" may well change the course of TV history, with it's new story each season plan. (SPOILER ALERT - If you haven't seen the full season, do NOT watch the clip below!)

2. "The Walking Dead" (AMC). Lots of folks complained about how slow-moving the second season was going, but given it's mid-season finale, there was no other way to go. A lower budget resulted in an over-all lower zombie count, but allowed for a build to a very intense denouement. And that season opener! Yikes! I can't wait to see what happens when the show returns in February. Here are some Season 1 highlights:

1. "Fringe" (Fox). I don't remember loving a show so much. We spent a season in an alternate universe and now we're spending a season in an alternate timelime. Has a Sci-Fi show ever taken so many risks with it plot and cast? Has a Sci-Fi show ever had such amazing performances? Why are John Noble and Anna Torv being ignored for their truly brilliant performances on this show? "Fringe" makes us care about these characters more and more with every episode. Should it end this spring, it had better do so with Peter and Olivia back together.

Honorable Mentions:: How I Met Your Mother; Family Guy; American Dad (Christmas Episode); In Plain Sight; Psych; Royal Pains; Necessary Roughness; Rizzoli and Isles; The Middle; Suburgatory;* Happy Endings; Louie; Chopped; Ringer; Falling Skies; Harry’s Law.

*Best New Sitcom

So, how many of your favorites made my list? I'll be back tomorrow with the2011's 10 Worst TV Shows, tomorrow.

More, anon
Prospero

Top Ten Movies of 2010

Okay... the end of the month of the January is approaching, the Golden Globes have been awarded and the Oscars are about to be announced. Last month I posted my 5 Best and Worst movies of 2010, but I've seen several more movies from last year and I suppose it's time to finally list my Top Ten; a difficult task in a year of many, many bad films. Some of these films have been reviewed previously (a few even recently), while others were not reviewed because I had other things on my mind. If your personal favorites' on the list, yay! If not, get over it and go write about them on your own blog -- Sorry. I had a pretty crappy day at the day-job and it seems to be spilling over here. I'll try to keep that in check for the rest of this post, if you promise not to hold it against me. So, without further ado, here are Uncle P's picks for the Ten Best Movies of 2010:

#10: Kick-Ass

Director Matthew Vaughn (Stardust) takes on the indie-Superhero genre with his hilarious adaptation of Mark Millar's story about an average kid who dreams of being more than he is. With break-out performances from Aaron Johnson and Chloe Moretz, Kick-Ass was the most fun I had at the movies this year.

#9: The Kids Are Alright

Anette Bening and Julianne Moore star as the lesbian parents of kids who seek out their biological father in this touching and often amusing story about what 'family' truly means.  

#8: Despicable Me

"The Office" star Steve Carrel is the voice of wannabe super villain Gru in this hilariously delightful film from the guy who made Ice Age, that also redefines 'family.' "It's so FLUFFY!"

#7: Toy Story 3

Pixar once again proves they're the best in the business with this sequel that drove grown men (myself included) to tears. 

#6: Let Me In

A box-office disappointment, Let Me In is the Americanized version of the Swedish vampire film Let the Right One In. Chloe Moretz and Kodi Smit-McPhee are the vampire and her thrall-in-training in this dark tale that features Salon.com's "Best Scene of 2010."

#5: The King's Speech

Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush star in this true story of King George VI, his speech pathologist and their struggle to overcome George's stammer on the eve of the most important speech of his Regency. With similar themes to The Madness of King George, Tom Hooper's film reminds of that royalty are still very human beings.

#4: The Social Network

Director David Fincher is best known for his explorations of the darker side of the Human Condition (Se7en; Fight Club; Zodiac) and his take on the story of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, while far less grim than his usual fare, is yet another fascinating take on the same subject.

#3: True Grit

Westerns will never be at the top of my Favorite Genres list. Still, the Coen brothers' version of the Charles Portis novel is not only brilliantly acted and gorgeously filmed, but it bears the kind of emotional impact that only the best movies can, reminding us once again of the universality of the Human Condition.

#2: Black Swan

Darren Aronofsky's film about performance and obsession is dark, fanciful and plenty disturbing while featuring the year's most amazing performance from seasoned veteran and Golden Globe winner Natalie Portman as a dancer who'll go to almost any lengths to achieve the performance of a lifetime.

#1: Inception

I always think the Best Film of the Year should be the Most Entertaining and Thought-Provoking movie of the year, and for me, that film was Christopher Nolan's Inception. A Sci-Fi espionage thriller with amazing visuals, terrific performances and an amazing score from the always brilliant Hans Zimmer, Inception was the movie that intrigued, excited and provoked me the most this year. A great ride from beginning to end, Inception was simply 2010's Most Entertaining (and therefore Best) movie of 2010.

Agree? Disagree? Have other choices? Let me know. I always love to hear what you have to say.

More, anon.
Prospero

Best of the Decade: Fantasy Movies

Well, after several days of sleeping like I've been bitten by a tsetse fly, I'm starting to feel like myself again. If you have the nasty cold that's been going around the last few weeks, I sympathize completely and hope you feel better soon. Anyway, finally feeling better, I decided it was time to get back to my 'Best of the Decade' series before the decade actually ends (well, at least before the end of the month).

So, without further ado, Uncle P's picks for the Best Fantasy Movies of the Decade:

10. Monsters, Inc. (2001)

Pixar's only entry on this list is also one of their most delightfully silly movies. Monsterland powers itself on fear and scaring little kids is what Sully (John Goodman) and his buddy Mike (Billy Crystal) do best. That is until Sully stumbles upon the closet of a little girl too young to scare. When Boo (the name Sully gives her) crosses over, all sorts of silly nonsense ensues, including a brilliant homage to a Warner Brothers' classic:

Monsters, Inc. is sweet, scary, exciting and a pure delight.

9. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh star in director Ang Lee's Chinese fairy tale about a magical jade sword, unrequited love and flying martial arts. It set a new standard in wire-flying stunts and proved Michelle Yeoh could make us understand everything she was thinking without understanding a word she was saying. Originally written in English and translated into Mandarin, Crouching Tiger... is a visual and romantic feast. You may want to turn down the volume - or do your best to ignore the terrible English dubbing - for this gorgeous fight scene among the treetops of a bamboo forest:

8. Enchanted (2007)

Disney finally embraces its ridiculousness in this story of a an animated princess (Amy Adams in an Oscar-worthy performance) who is sent to the real world by a jealous evil queen (Susan Sarandon), where she meets the true love of her life (Patrick Dempsey). James Marsden, Idina Menzel and Timothy Spall round out the excellent supporting cast in this delightful parody with heart:

7. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ( 2004)

I must admit that I'm not much of a Harry Potter fan. I find the books derivative and just a bit too cutsie, especially when it comes to Rowling's bad puns in naming characters and places. Still, director Alfonso Cuaron (Children of Men) managed to produce a dark and scary movie with his entry in the series, elevating it from kiddie schlock to artful fantasy in the process (to be honest, this is the last film I saw in the series, as Rowling's rambling story simply couldn't hold my interest):

6. Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)

In his second film based on the Darkhorse Comics character, Guillermo del Toro amps up the visual effects to the point where watching it on the big screen almost tires one's eyes out. When an ancient tribe of magical beings attempts to retake the Earth, it's up to hellboy (Ron Perlman) and company to stop them. An astonishing film to watch, which requires multiple viewings in order to take everything in:

5. The Illusionist (2006)

Writer/Director Neil Burger's stunning love story about a poor boy in love with an aristocrat is shot in sepia tones and irising transitions, giving the audience the feeling they are actually witnessing events taking place in the 19th Century. Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel and Rufus Sewell star in this lush, romantic tale that deserves more love than it gets:

 

4. Stardust (2007)

Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite modern fantasists, and his novel is beautifully translated by director Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass) in this near-perfect fairy tale starring Clare Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert DeNiro, Mark Strong and the adorable Charlie Cox. Sadly ignored at the box-office, I think Stardust was the victim of poor marketing. It deserves to be seen and loved as much as I love it:

3. The Prestige (2006)

Christopher Nolan made my favorite film of 2010 (Inception) as well as the best superhero movie, ever. So it's no surprise that his tale of rival magicians at the turn of the last century should land so high on this list. Featuring Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Scarlett Johansson, Michael Caine and David Bowie, The Prestige is a story about competition, revenge, love and weird science, all told in the way only Nolan could tell it. Complex, moving and deliberately confusing (as the best magic tricks always are), The Prestige required at least two viewings before I could decide where my sympathies lied. A smart and breathtaking movie, The Prestige is another under-appreciated gem that deserves more fans:

2. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

Guillermo del Toro makes his second appearance on this list with his dark fantasy about a young girl trying to escape the horrors of both Franco's regime and her stepfather's cruelty. Another movie my dear K hated because of its depictions of man's inhumanity to man, Pan's Labyrinth is a hauntingly beautiful meditation on how far we can go to rid ourselves of both physical and psychological pain. It is also one of the few films I can remember seeing that featured a scene which raised a collective gasp from every member of the audience. A stunning masterpiece from a director at the top of his game:

1. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001 - 2003)

Kiwi director Peter Jackson managed to turn J.R.R. Tolkien's supposedly 'unfilmable' epic tale and caught our collective imaginations in doing so. I hope I don't need to tell how truly amazing these films are (or attempt to summarize their collective plots). Gorgeous and exciting, TLOR's last film, 2003's The Return of the King is the only film to win every Oscar for which it was nominated (including Best Picture), and tied both Ben Hur and Titanic for most Oscars won at 11. Let's hope Jackson's 2 movie version of Tolkien's prequel The Hobbit, fares as well:

Honorable mentions:  King Kong (2005); Howl's Moving Castle: Amelie; Pirates of the Caribbean; Shrek; Big Fish.

More, anon,

Prospero

*Watch for more links in this post, soon.

P

This Post Sucks

I know that I have posted about Vampires and Vampire Movies, before. But I have never posted about my personal favorite Vampire Movies. Inspired by yesterday's Ghost Movie post, I thought I'd share with you my favorite Vampire Movies of all time.

Vampire movies date back to the silent era, when German filmmaker F.W. Murnau made his unauthorized version of Bram Stoker's novel 'Dracula,' Nosferatu, starring Max Schreck as the vampire Graf Orlok. Murnau's version of a vampire was a horrific monster with pointed ears, fanged incisors and taloned fingers (an image Tobe Hooper would revive in his TV version of Stephen King's Salem's Lot). The making of Murnau's film was explored in Shadow of the Vampire, in which Willem Defoe plays Schreck as a real vampire. More on that film later...

Anyway, given the popularity of Stephanie Meyer's deplorably chaste "Twilight" novels, I think it's high-time to discuss the 10 Best Vampire Movies of All Time.

10. Dracula (1931). Tod Browning made this film version of the stage play which propelled Hungarian actor Bela Lugosi into stardom and made early film-goers swoon. Quaint by today's standards, but loaded with atmosphere and some rather startling performances (particular from Dwight Frye as the madman Renfield), Browning's movie is one of the first horror movies I remember seeing as a child.

9. Vampire Hunter D (1985). I haven't really talked about animated films very much, though I should (and will), one day. This post-apocalyptic anime film is the story of a young woman who calls upon a great vampire hunter to enact revenge against those who killed her family. Of course [SPOILER ALERT], it turns out that D (no, not that D) is himself a vampire (the most famous one of all), seeking redemption for his own lost soul.

8. Thirst (1979). Chantal Contouri stars as the last descendant of Elizabeth Bathory, kidnapped by a vampire cult who want her to be their leader. The cult manages a "farm' where human victims are "milked" in this disturbing Australian film from director Rod Hardy. This movie has no connection to the recent Japanese film of the same name, which I have yet to see..

7. Shadow of the Vampire (2000). John Malkovich; Willem Defoe; Cary Elwes; Udo Kier and Eddie Izzard star in this fascinating film that supposes the star of Murnau's Nosferatu was an actual vampire. Creepy and unsettling, Defoe's performance is fascinating, as always.

6. The Hunger (1983). Tony Scott directs this adaptation of Whitley Strieber's novel about an ancient vampire and her many lovers, infamous for its lesbian sex scene between the gorgeous Catherine Deneuve and Susan Sarandon. David Bowie co-stars in this now cult fave. Watch for an early appearance from future vampire Willem Defoe.

5. Interview with the Vampire (1994). Director Neil Jordan followed up The Crying Game with this gorgeous adaptation of the Anne Rice novel. Rice initially decried the casting of Tom Cruise as the cruel and youthful Lestat de Lioncourt, but recanted when she saw the final product. It's 2002 follow-up Queen of the Damned, was less-than-successful and no further attempts have been made to adapt Rice's 'Vampire Chronicles' for the screen. Still, Cruise, Brad Pitt and Antonio Banderas bring the sexy to Rice's homoerotic story and a young Kirsten Dunst delivers one of the most amazing performances ever by a child actor.

4. Cronos (1993). Guillermo del Toro's first film tells the story of ancient device in the form of a mechanical scarab which bestows eternal life upon its user by turning him into a blood-lusting vampire. Actor Ron Perlman makes his first of many appearances in a del Toro film.

3. Near Dark (1987). Academy Award-winning director Kathryn Bigelow cut her teeth (all puns intended) on this Western Vampire movie starring the gorgeous Adrian Pasdar ("Heroes"), Bill Paxton and Lance Hendrickson. A tale of evil, love and redemption, Bigelow's film was one of the first to bring the genre into to the late 20th century.

2. 30 Days of Night (2007). Director David Slade (Hard Candy) adapts the graphic novel about an Alaskan town under siege by ruthless vampires during a month of arctic darkness. Cruel, relentless and hardcore, the vampires in 30 Days... are (thankfully) about as far from Stephanie Meyer's "sparkling" twinks as one can get.

1. Let the Right One In (2008). This Swedish film took the genre by storm two years ago with its tale of an ancient child vampire ostensibly helping out a bullied young boy, but who is actually on the prowl for a replacement for her aging human thrall. Based on the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist (who also wrote the screenplay), Let the Right One In has been remade by Cloverfield director Matt Reeves and from all advance accounts, it's actually a remake worth the re-making.
Let Me In is due for release this October.

Honorable mentions: The Lost Boys; Martin; Fright Night; Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Blade II.

I know this will not be the last time Uncle P posts about vampires. Some things just never get old (literally).

More, anon.
Prospero

Boo!

Over at Into The Abyss, horror blogger/filmmaker Todd Miro posted his "Top Ten Ghostly Movies" yesterday and while I agree with some of his choices (we even share our number 1 pick), I'm not convinced that most of his favorites are actually in the Top Ten.

For example, Todd's #10 is Paranormal Activity, a movie I hated because it was just so damned boring and not in the least bit scary. And, it's not even a ghost movie, but rather a movie about demonic possession.

I felt I had to respond and talk about my Top 12 Ghostly Movies of All Time, most of which don't seem to even be on Todd's radar. Todd, I love your blog, but I think you got it wrong, my friend.

12. The Fog (1980). Director John Carpenter's follow-up to Halloween is about a California town under siege on its 100th anniversary by the ghosts of lepers who were left to drown, rather be allowed to come ashore. Scream queens Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh and Adrienne Barbeau star along with Tom Atkins and Hal Holbrook in this fun, creepy tale of ghostly revenge. Ignore the lame 20005 remake.

11. The Gift (2000). Sam Raimi (Spider-Man; Drag Me to Hell) directs this quiet but effective thriller about a Southern small-town psychic (Cate Blanchett) inadvertently embroiled in solving the murder of the local hussy (Katie Holmes). Giovanni Ribisi; Keanu Reeves; Greg Kinnear; Gary Cole; J.K. Simmons and the incomparable Julie Harris (more on her later in this post) co-star.

10. Kairo (2001). Kiyoshi Kurosawa's J-Horror movie about ghosts in the machines had me trying to see around corners while dreading what might lurk there. While investigating the suicide of a friend, several Japanese students find themselves caught up in something far more sinister than any of them could ever have imagined. Avoid the excruciatingly bad 2006 American remake starring Kristen Bell. The original is probably one of the best Japanese horror movies ever made.

9. The Innocents (1961). Deborah Kerr (The King and I) stars as a governess who begins to suspect that the home in which she works may be haunted in director Jack Clayton's adaption of Henry James' novel, "The Turn of the Screw." Creepy kids and loads of atmosphere. Truman Capote helped write the screenplay.

8. The Legend of Hell House (1973). Similar in plot to Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House," Richard Matheson's novel concerns a group of paranormal investigators spending time in a supposedly haunted mansion. Roddy McDowell stars.

7. The Others (2001). Spanish director Alejandro Amenabar made his English-language debut with this creepy and atmospheric story about a woman (Nicole Kidman) trapped in a house with her photosensitive children, waiting for her husband to return from the war. While I figured out its 'twist ending' long before the reveal, I forgave that in favor of Amenabar's use of atmosphere and the performances of its excellent cast.

6. Lady in White (1998). A young boy (Lucas Haas), locked in a school room closet on Halloween in 1962 is visited by the ghost of a young girl who was murdered many years ago by a pedophile. Len Cariou, Alex Rocco and Katherine Helmond co-star.

5. Ringu (1998). Hideo Nakata's film started the American obsession with J-Horror, and while the American remake The Ring is not a bad movie, the original is undoubtedly the superior. A video tape that kills, a young girl drowned in a well and a mystery that unravels via non-linear plotting all add up to one creepy movie.

4. The Devil's Backbone (2001). Guillermo del Toro's story about a haunted Spanish orphanage during Franco's reign of terror plays out as both a ghost story and an anti-war drama (themes the director would again explore in his amazing 2006 fantasy Pan's Labyrinth).

3. Dead Silence (2007) James Wan and Leigh Whannell are probably best known as the originators of the Saw franchise, but their follow-up (originally titled Silence) is a very creepy movie about the vengeful ghost of a mid-century ventriloquist named Mary Shaw. Dismissed by most critics when it was originally released, Dead Silence is definitely worth a second look. Loaded with atmosphere and the creep-factor that accompanies almost every ventriloquist dummy ever made, Dead Silence is Wan and Whannell's best film so far.

2. Poltergeist (1982). Stephen Spielberg produced Tobe Hooper's (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) movie about a perfect suburban family plagued by the ghosts of the people buried beneath their Utopian development. It remains the only movie Uncle P and his sister have seen enough times to tell you exactly what's happening just by listening to Jerry Goldsmith's amazing score. A completely unnecessary remake is in the works.

1. The Haunting (1963). Robert Wise's adaptation of Shirley Jackson's novel remains the scariest movie ever made, without really showing anything at all. With an astonishing performance by Julie Harris as Nell, and sound effects that lead the viewer to imagine far worse things than any CGI effect could conjure, The Haunting is a movie I dare any of you to watch alone with the lights turned off. The deplorable 1999 Jan deBont remake doesn't even deserve to share the title with Wise's truly terrifying film.

Honorable mentions: The Orphanage; The Changeling; Dark Water (2002); The Frighteners; The Sixth Sense; Silent Hill.

Scared yet?

More, anon.
Prospero

Top 10 Movies of 2009

Yes, I know, the year has already been gone for a week. What the hell took me so long? A hundred and five distractions. Plus the fact that I knew this was going to one of those posts that takes freaking forever to write, no matter how short it is. And it won't be short, I can almost guarantee - so I won't blame you if you skip on to the list already, but you'll probably miss some pretty damned funny stuff (or not).

Anyway, 2009 was a really interesting year in movies. 3D finally made a successful run and looks like it's here to stay. And Sci-Fi had its best year since The Empire Strikes Back. We learned that even a dead protagonist can sustain a series of increasingly godawful sequels and still make money; we re-learned that James Cameron is an insane genius of hype, if nothing else; jailbait werewolves make tweenie-boppers and cougars scream and zombies still rule. We also re-learned that the Interwebs still have the power to turn $11,000 into $100M, no matter how bad your movie really is. Oh, I almost forgot. We learned Alan Moore should just stop bitching and whining about Hollywood, because everyone already knows he wrote the source material, anyway. And let's not forget the return of traditional 2D, hand-drawn animation (an art I feared lost forever).

Yes, yes... "Get on with it already, Uncle P." And so I shall. Once again, these are simply the 10 best movies I saw this year. I don't have easy access to limited release films; I don't have the time to see every every movie I would like to nor the interest in seeing a good 60% of what Hollywood thinks of as movies, these days. Agree, disagree, call me names... I don't care. I'm sitting safely in my home office, sipping a cocktail and having a smoke. So here are picks for the Top 10 Movies of 2009:

10 - Coraline:

Tim Burton produced Henry Selig's 3D Stop-Motion fantasy, based on Neil Gaiman's children's book of the same name, about a girl who discovers an alternate universe where things aren't nearly as perfect as they seem. Delightfully creepy and charmingly animated, Selig (along with Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park) is thankfully keeping the art of Stop-Motion Animation alive in the age of digital CGI.

9 - Watchmen:

Alan Moore... blah, blah, blah... unfilmable... blah, blah, blah... Dr. Manhattan's penis (image NSFW)... blah, blah, blah. Director Zach Snyder (Dawn of the Dead) may not have made the best Superhero Movie of all time, but it certainly ranks in the Top 5. His slo-mo/stop-mo/360 style of filmmaking is perfectly suited to comic book adaptations and his attention to detail in recreated illustrator Dave Gibbons original artwork is astounding. And I, for one, didn't miss the giant squid at all. And it has one of the most amazing opening credits sequences ever put to film; alternative history at its finest.

8 - Up:

Disney/Pixar's next Oscar-winner actually is the Best Animated film of the year. This 3D CGI fantasy tells the story of an old man rediscovering his childhood sense of adventure; a lonely young boy discovering friendship; an exotic bird trying to feed her babies and a childhood hero who turns out to be something other than he appeared to be. If the first fifteen minutes don't make you cry, the last ten, will. This film went in a delightfully unexpected and often hilarious
direction, proving Pixar's writers and directors are among the few at the major studios who are still capable of original story-telling. Not since Dorothy's, has a flying house been the start of so much -- Squirrel! -- fun. Simply delightful.

7. Zombieland:

Do I really need to say why? How about just this: Woody Harrelson; Bill Murray; amusement park; hilarious; gory; evil you-know-whats; zombies. While its no Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland is a great ride. "Nut up or shut up!"

6 - Star Trek:

Current wunderkind J.J. Abrams takes over and re-invents one of Science Fiction's most beloved and revered franchises with an exciting, funny and original film which uses alternate time-line theory to re-introduce Gene Roddenberry's original characters in a fresh way, while still remaining true to them in this origins tale of Kirk, Spock, Bones, O'Hura, et al and the very first voyage of the USS Enterprise.

5 - Up In the Air:

As I said in my original review, I loved Jason Reitman's debut film Thank You for Smoking. I then loathed his follow-up, the inexplicably popular Juno (honestly, one more whiny folk song and I was going to pull a Stewie and Brian --language NSFW -- on the DVD.) But Up In the Air's hilarious script by Reitman and Sheldon Turner is the perfect vehicle for the handsome and charming George Clooney, who deserves the title "The Cary Grant of His Generation.:

4 - Trick 'r Treat:

Yes, I know this movie was made in 2008. Yes, I know it was screened at festivals all over the place and thousands of people saw it before I did. Most of the world, including Uncle P, finally got to see Michael Dougherty's thoroughly original and enjoyable Horror anthology when it was released on DVD this past October. Gory, funny, a little scary and featuring loads of great performances from some the most underrated film actors working today, Trick 'r Treat is destined to take its place among the holiday's classics. I've posted this trailer several times, but it's worth posting again because it's almost as much fun as the movie, itself.

3 - District 9:

The best thing to come out of South Africa since Charlize Theron, Neil Blomkamp's relatively low-budget Science Fiction movie pays homage to the classics, while still generating an original and fascinating film. Combining first-person documentary-style filmmaking with traditional narrative, Blomkamp's essay on man's inhumanity is exciting, horrifying and breathtaking all at once. Another fine example of Alternate History Sci-Fi.

2 - Drag Me to Hell:

How much do I love Sam Raimi's triumphant return to the genre that made him famous? More than I can tell you. As you may well know, I saw this with many people I love, all of whom loved it nearly as much as I did. Relentless; gross; creepy and hilarious without a glimpse of nudity or a single four-letter word worse than 'damn,' Raimi's film proves that effective horror movies don't need mindless teenagers getting hacked to death by a masked killer to be truly effective and scary. Drag Me to Hell is the best Horror movie in the last 20 years. Sorry for the poor quality of the below video's sound, but I thought Raimi's comments were worth hearing.

1 - Moon:

Duncan Jones' brilliant feature debut is a return to smart, quiet Science Fiction. Eschewing elaborate CGI effects; explosions; alien monsters and deep-voiced villains, Jones relies on story and character; the two of the Three Commandments of a good film. Add Sam Rockwell's astounding performance(s), and you have Cinema's Holy Trinity. Like Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, Duncan's Moon is truly smart Sci-Fi at its best. If Rockwell isn't nominated for at least one major acting award, yours truly will be one very unhappy film fan.

There you have it. I hope you clicked the links and watched the videos. I tried my best to link to things other than the usual, and include clips I haven't used (or even seen) before, even though I may have written about most of these movies, before. I also tried to say at least one or two new things about films I've talked about at least once before. And, as always, I would love to know your thoughts. What was/were your favorite(s) of 2009?

More, anon.
Prospero

My 10 Favorite Horror Movies Redux

I'm pretty certain I've done a Favorite Horror Movie post, but that was probably more than a year ago. Taste changes; new movies come out; opinions reform; new blogging technical skills are learned (slowly, but surely); a new list is born.

Horror movies are enormously popular and usually win whatever weekend they happen to open in late summer, fall and February, so obviously lots of people are going to see them (and not just 18 to 24 year-olds, thank you Hollywood a**holes). True Horror fans will sit through just about anything, hoping to find that occasional spark of brilliance that elevates a movie above its genre. Though we are often scorned by the critics and sissy-baby-wusses who can't look at fake blood and cow intestines, we are loyal and waiting to be scared (and not just startled by a screeching cat leaping through a window). Horror movies are also required to have comic relief. There has to be some humor to allow us the release of tension, otherwise, we'd never be able to take it. Comedy as horror is often best, but those are rare. My list contains the movies that I think embody everything done right in a Horror movie.

10. The Haunting (1963) - Director Robert Wise adapted Shirley Jackson's novel "The Haunting of Hill House" into one of the scariest movies you will ever see. It helps that Wise assembled a rnather amazing cast: award-winning stage and screen actress Julie Harris, Claire Bloom (The Illustrated Man) and Russ Tamblyn (West Side Story) in a tale of a parapsychologist who brings a team of "sensitives" into a supposedly haunted mansion with a sordid past. The Haunting is an intense and terrifying lesson in building tension without resorting to shock and gore. The simplest of visual effects (a door that bends inward) and spine-shivering sounds (something is sniffing around outside the bedroom door after having boomed its way down the hallway) add up to one scary ride. I double-dog dare you watch it alone in the dark. Here is one of the film's most effective scenes:

9. An American Werewolf in London (1981) - John Landis' masterpiece about a young American student (former Dr. Pepper shill, David Naughton) bitten by a werewolf on the moors, while backpacking through Great Britain. Like most great Horror, American Werewolf is at heart a tragic love story. When pretty nurse (Jenny Auguter) falls for teh cute American as he recovers from his wounds. Things are even worse for the kid's best friend (the hilarious Griffin Dunne) who, like all of the kid's subsequent victims, is doomed to roam the Earth as a spectre until the kid is dead and the curse is broken. As Dunne continues to decompose before our eyes, his one-liners get funnier and funnier, especially when all of teh kids victims gang up on him in a porno theatre with helpful suggestions as to how he can off himself.

8. Bride of Frankenstein (1935) - James Whale's far-superior sequel to 1931 original, introducing us not only to Mary Shelley herself in a prologue, but to Professor. Preatorious, a madman who makes miniature people of a sort and who conspires with Frankenstein to build a mate for his monster. Also see the brilliant biopic about Whale in his later years, 1998's Gods and Monsters, starring Ian McKellen and Brendan Fraser.

7. Saw (2004) Say what you will about the films sequels (the first of which is actually quite good), but Saw is one of the few modern horror movies with a "surprise ending' that actually surprised me. More than anything, this first ever film from director Lames Wan and writer/star Leigh Whannel is creepy and suspenseful and full of surprises (and look for a "Lost" star as a red-herring). Saw started both a lucrative franchise and Horror sub-genre that will hopefully run its course, soon. Embedding for every version the clip I wanted to use has been disabled on YouTube, but you can see it here.

6. Dracula (1931) Director Tod Browning's best film, Freaks, was actually banned for a long time in many countries, because it was deemed too disturbing and exploitative. His 1931 version of a popular stage play version of Bram Stoker's Gothic tale of love, lust and blood not only made a star out of Hungarian stage actor Bela Lugosi, but is an exemplar of the creation of mood and tension through the manipulation of light and shadow.

Interestingly, a surprisingly moodier (and some critics say better) version shot on the same sets at night, in Spanish, for the Latin American audiences. The host of this segment is kind of a tool, but he's gone after a few seconds.

5. Aliens (1986) - Some will argue that James Cameron's sequel to Ridley Scott's classic is a Sci-Fi Actioner. I say that without a doubt, it is a roller-coaster horror movie about a woman who will go to any lengths to protect the child she loves from seemingly unstoppable monsters.

4 Shaun of the Dead (2004) Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg's hilarious homage to the films of George Romero hits the nail on the head every time. Whether parodying the sameness of everyone's day-to-day or making fun of bad music and the genre, itself, Shaun of the Dead works on just about every level.

3. Dawn of the Dead (1978 & 2004) Both George Romero's original and Zack Snyder's remake strike all the right chords with his zombie fan. I may prefer my zombies slow and shambling (see my screenplay, Army of the Dead), but Snyder's fast zombies are just a bit more terrifying, even if his version lacks the social commentary of Romero's version. Here's a scene from Snyder's more action-oriented version:

2. The Fly (1986) - Another movie that many may consider Sci-Fi, but which fulfills all the requisites of Horror (and then some). Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis give two astounding performances in this David Cronenberg remake which grossed out millions and inspired an opera. It also contains a phrase which I use again and again, just because it is so appropriate to so many situations: "Be afraid... Be very afraid."

Before I get to my #1 pick, I must talk about a film that was just bumped from this list - not because it isn't worthy, but because while it will always remain a favorite, something recently came along to replace it. And while it may well have made the #2 Spot, I think rather I shall here and forever place it as my first ever entry into the Caliban's Revenge Horror Movie Hall of Fame. And that movie is:

Dead Alive/Brain Dead (1986) - An early Peter Jackson effort, this hilarious, gross and exceptionally gory tale of a young man whose domineering mother destroys his life like no other mother in the history of cinema (nope, not even Angela Lansbury in The Manchurian Candidate). Man, I adore this movie:

Other honorable mentions include: The Descent; The Hunger; Fright Night; Frankenstein; A Nightmare on Elm Street; Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?; Scream; The Serpent and the Rainbow.

Alright - you've patiently waited for me to choose my Favorite Horror Movie of all time. And to be honest, I had a hard time picking just ten. But just this past year, one movie made this jaded Horror fan flinch, scream and garb onto my companions more than any other in recent memory. And that would have to be Sam Raimi's gypsy curse thriller:

1. Drag Me to Hell (2009) - Eschewing the profanity and nudity so prevalent in modern Horror, Raimi instead relies on story, acting, and shocks galore in his glorious return to the genre. It's the first movie I can remember in a long time that had ne squirming in my seat and clutching at my film-going companions. Justin Long's expression in the film's last shot says it all. Drag Me to Hell provides the most satisfying Horror experience in a very long time. "Here, kitty, kitty!"

Agree? Disagree? Did I miss one of your favs? I want to know. Comment away.

More, anon.
Prospero