Quantum of Solace

Quantum of Solace did not disappoint! James Bond is back, and Daniel Craig proves definitively that he is the best James Bond. Some have been harsh on this fantastic sophmore outing, but I disagree. Here's why ...

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Be warned ... SPOILERS AHEAD ...

I thought that this was a very mature and adult Bond film, which played like some of the original Connery Bond movies.

I thought the music was great. Some said that the music was lacking and, at times, absent. I noticed it throughout, and I liked it. It was thrilling when it needed to be and it emoted tension at other moments.

I liked the villain. He was a slimy rodent, but it plays with the theme of the first Daniel Craig movie, and now this one. They are not rushing the plot but gradually playing it out like veteran writers. Dominic Greene was just a pothole on the road to the real masterminds behind the criminal organization named Quantum. He was there to give Bond the next lead which will play out in Bond #23. Greene was slimy, but effective, and intimidating to the right people, like the lesser players in the big plan. His shrieks and wails while fighting Bond at the end were the perfect icing on his weakling cake; and in a real fight, untrained people would shriek and wail when they were fighting the man who could easily kill them. Bond could normally have dispatched him easily, but he had already fought half an army after being chased across the world, on no sleep, which was mentioned several times in the film. And, traditionally, Bond villains have not been powerful physical combatants; they have been scumbags with, sometimes, tough bodyguards.

The opening chase scene was masterful. It gave the requisite Bond action beginning while taking your mind off what was really going on. When everything was played out, it surprised you with the fact that there was a man in the trunk - always a cool element. The chase scene was not essential to the film, which fits with the openings of almost all other Bond films. The assassination attempt in the MI6 secret interrogation room (and subsequent rooftop chase) was very important, so it had to be after the pre-title sequence and the opening credits.

That crazy desert hotel was supposed to be some eco-hotel, just like Brad Pitt is supposedly trying to design. It fits with the theme of Dominic Greene's eco-industry. I can image that he was planning on turning it into a paradise oasis for the rich when if his water scheme worked out.
As for the supporting cast, it was top notch. The Bond girls were outstanding. Olga Kurylenko was marvelous as the determined and dangerous, but torn former Bolivian agent out for revenge. Judi Dench was great as M; she delivered one of the best lines in the film. Gemma Arterton was smoking hot as Agent Fields. I thought Felix Leiter was played exceptionally well. Jeffery Wright was both likeable and intimidating. And I thought that the Mathis character was flushed out enough after both films by Giancarlo Giannini.

All in all, it was a more mature film that did not need to spoon feed its audience. The lack of silly gadgets was refreshing, as it was in Casino Royale, and the espionage, target following, and information gathering played like a spy flick from the day. And it showed that Bond is not only a spy, but an assassin, as seen in the hotel in Port-au-Prince. That was awesome when he held Slate down while he bled out!

I like this one better than Casino Royale. Casino Royale is still my second favorite.

Did I mention that Gemma Arterton was smoking hot?

Quantum of Solace

Quantum of Solace did not disappoint! James Bond is back, and Daniel Craig proves definitively that he is the best James Bond.
More to follow ...

What are Your Favorite Scary Movies?

Halloween is right around the corner, and look at me: I have not posted anything about horror movies! Well, to rectify that situation, I want to know from you, movie fans, what your favorite scary movies are. I will start us off with a list of my favorite scary movies, in each genre. Here we go!
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Aliens - John Carpenter's The Thing
Animals Attack! - Jaws
Blood and Guts - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
Ghosts and Beyond - The Ring
Monsters - The Host
Favorite Scary Movie of All Time - John Carpenter's The Thing

I will add more later. Post back with your favorites.

And if I don't see you before then, have a Happy Halloween!

Paul Newman, Dead at 83

This may seem like a funny way to start out an article about Paul Newman, but growing up I always liked Steve McQueen better. I loved Steve McQueen in movies such as The Magnificent Seven and The Great Escape, and I thought that Paul Newman was, frankly, boring.

There is an old saying, though, and it goes like this: "If you are young and not a liberal, then you have no heart, but if you are older and still a liberal, then you have no brain." The quote is paraphrased a lot, and mangled, and it has been attributed to Winston Churchill, but the fact of the matter is this: this quote applies to Steve McQueen and Paul Newman.

Steve McQueen was cool when I was growing up. It was great to see him shooting bad guys in The Magnificent Seven, or racing around San Francisco in Bullitt. As I got older, I realized that, while those Steve McQueen movies were great, Paul Newman's movies were of a higher quality.

The Magnificent Seven is my favorite western of all time, and my second favorite movie of all time, but Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is a far superior product. It has shootouts, and one of the most famous last stands in movie history, but it is also thought provoking, bringing up subjects such as time, age, and obsolescence. And the impact that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid had on popular culture is much greater. Robert Redford named a film festival and a ski resort after the Sundance Kid, and Paul Newman named his charity, the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp after the gang in the movie.

Do I hate Steve McQueen now that I am an adult? Absolutely not. But the days of me dreading when Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was shown on television are over; I appreciate the movie, and its actors, more than ever. Especially Paul Newman.

Paul Newman was a great actor, one who never sold out, one who maintained a high quality product, and one who always remained active in the community and in society. And he will be missed.

Check out Paul Newman's charity, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a residential camp in Connecticut for children suffering from serious illnesses: http://www.holeinthewallgang.org/

If It Looks Like A Smelly Fish ...

I really liked the 2004 vengeance / action flick, The Punisher. I thought that Thomas Jane did a great job portraying the former Marine turned vigilante named Frank Castle who spends his time hunting down and "punishing" violent criminals. I was excited when I found out about the sequel, entitled Punisher: War Zone (which was the title of one of the Punisher comics back in the day). I was disappointed that Thomas Jane would not be reprising his role as Castle, but I figured that we have been somewhat blessed with repeated casting with recent movie adaptations of comic books, so who am I to complain that Jane decided to pass. Then I watched the movie trailer on Comcast On Demand.

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"See Jane run. Run, Jane, run." And that goes for everyone else. Run ... away from this movie!

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Look, I'm no director, nor am I a movie producer, but I am a comic book fan, and the Punisher has to be one of the easiest characters to portray in a movie. Just do this: former Force Recon Marine ... add a family tragedy caused by the mob ... add guns and lots of bullets ... give the guy a Punisher skull shirt ... and press the kill button. BOOM! Punisher movie. If I wasn't actually watching the trailer for Punisher: War Zone, and if I did not see a quick shot of the Punisher wearing his skull shirt (ballistic vest) at the end of the clip, I would not have known that the movie was about the Punisher.

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I can understand changing superheroes to mirror reality. I don't want to see Hugh Jackman in Wolverine's full-body yellow and blue spandex costume. The leather costume works just fine. But when you start getting so far away from the idea that the idea starts to get watered down, then you should not be making the movie. They claim that this movie will earn an R rating due to the violence. Great, but is has to be about the Punisher, not just some guy shooting other guys. The Punisher would never do that foolish 3000 Miles to Graceland hanging upside down from the ceiling spin-and-shoot thing! That is so tactically unsound it makes my head spin! Have the guy fight like a Marine! Not some foolish super-action star!

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Gross! Unless I get rave reviews (bad trailers happen), I will be running from Punisher: War Zone, just like the very wise Thomas Jane.

With Great Writing Comes Great Accolades

When a work of fiction becomes so big, or when a fictional character becomes so popular, an institution is surely created. However, the bigger a work becomes, the more hands work to its completion, and sometimes this can sully the final product. In most cases, the biggest fans suffer when their favorite story, or their favorite character, becomes what it was not intended to be. Too much of this can breed contempt for any new editions of that particular work.

I had this feeling when I found out that The Kids' WB on the CW would be presenting a new animated Saturday morning cartoon based on my favorite web-slinging superhero: The Spectacular Spider-Man. I feared that the show would be heavy with rushed plots and quicker solutions. I dreaded that the show would be written around cool gadgets that would easily be transferred into expensive toys. I was sickened at the thought that Spider-Man, who is the second best character in comics, would be poorly and shallowly written and developed.

My fears were wiped away after the first 3o minutes of the first episode. It was a masterpiece.

Some of you are thinking: Did he just use the word "masterpiece" in reference to a cartoon? You heard correctly. In fact, there have been many masterpieces in the history of cartoons, and especially comic books. I consider the Simpsons a masterpiece of dark, satirical humor that has stood the test of time (1989, folks - that was when the Simpsons debuted as a prime-time cartoon). Some consider the racy sci-fi/fantasy animated movie Heavy Metal as a masterpiece of sex, violence, and rock and roll. And, like them or not, Walt Disney Animation Studios have produced some of the most loved cartoons of all time (personally, I love Disney cartoons).

What about comic books? Surely, they can't be "masterpieces"? Alan Moore's epic Watchmen comic book limited series won a Hugo Award (the yearly award for the best science-fiction and fantasy works), and it was listed in Time Magazine's 2005 "100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present".

In the realm of characters, cartoon or comic book, Spider-Man is truly a great character. Whether or not Spider-Man could be considered a "masterpiece", the work that has been done with that character since his 1962 debut in the pages of Amazing Fantasy has been masterful. When Stan Lee and Steve Ditko created Spider-Man, they crafted a unique and interesting hero who brought excitement and action to the pages of whatever comic book he appeared in. But Spider-Man's best attribute was not his ability to spin webs and crawl on walls; his best attribute was his alter-ego: Peter Parker. In my opinion, Peter Parker, the ultimate loser who has fantastic abilities but can't catch an even break, is the greatest character in comics, yesterday, today, and for the foreseeable future.

Because I love the character of Peter Parker so much, I was a little leery about the new animated series. Animated series and other works, such as movies, have been sometimes based on product sales rather than quality. Take Pokemon, for example: that is a cartoon based on a card game. New characters mean new cards to sell to the kids. New seasons mean new card series to sell. Nothing is done for quality, but just to make a sale. But The Spectacular Spider-Man is not like that. Quality comes first, and anything after that is a compliment.

The series begins with Peter Parker returning to high school in his junior year. How did he spend his summer vacation? He became Spider-Man. There is no origin show to bog us down at the beginning; the writers jump into action, hopefully because the Spider-Man origin tale has been told so many times that family pets now recite the tale. The first few episodes have the feel of an inexperienced Spider-Man getting used to his life as a crime fighter / high school student, but not so inexperienced that we have to suffer through "power discovery". The villains have roots in organized crime, and they deal with Spider-Man as an unknown entity. Because of that, the first few stories revolve around the creation of villains due to criminal relations between the crime boss known as the "Big Man" and industrialist Norman Osborne. Of course, thanks to the quality of the writing, the stories really revolve around a teenager named Peter Parker, who happens to be Spider-Man.

That is very important. This isn't a cartoon about Spider-Man fighting villains. That happens, of course. It has to. But the main focus is Peter Parker, the man, not Spider-man, the superhero. There's the secret, true believers. If you ever want to create a superhero, do the following: create the person, first, then create the superhero. The person (the alter-ego) is the most important part of any good superhero.

But The Spectacular Spider-Man does more than honor the greatest character in comics. The writers treat the long history of Spider-Man with respect, and they do it justice. No villains or origins are rushed. Several villains are introduced many episodes before they actually become villains, like the Lizard and Sandman and Dr. Octopus and the Green Goblin. The villainous Venom, which is the reason behind Spider-man's black "costume", is introduced in the first episode and doesn't come into being until the thirteenth! These writers aren't writing a Saturday morning cartoon show! They are sculpting art!

And speaking of art, the animation, though considered a bit childish and goofy for some (this guy not included), is fantastic! The art staff handles all the problems the other Spider-Man cartoons have suffered from in the past. Spider-Man (1967-1970) was known for poor backgrounds, panned paintings, and reused animation. Spider-Man (1981), Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (1981-1983), and Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994-1998) all featured poor animation, poor writing, and convoluted continuity. The art in The Spectacular Spider-Man is all animation, and it is fresh and flowing. The fight scenes are the best I have ever seen in a cartoon. Period. Most of the time, the city looks like New York City, though other times, it is less distinct and looks like a major cartoon city. Although a purist would argue that the continuity is not the same as the comic book, I would argue that The Spectacular Spider-Man has the continuity that is closest to the spirit of the Spider-Man comic books.

Should your kids watch this show? Sure. The younger ones might be scared a little bit at times, especially during the Alien Symbiote / Venom story, but it is not too bad. The lessons are good, for the older kiddies. The story of Spider-Man is, in a sense, a morality tale: "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility..."

To the staff and producers of The Spectacular Spider-Man: Keep up the good work! This is one of the best shows on television, and the best cartoon I have ever watched (with the Venture Brothers a close second). I hope this series has a run that buries the runs of the other Spider-Man series.

And, if you ever need someone to voice Kraven, or Carrion, or Jack O' Lantern, give me a ring. It would be a dream-come-true.

(Heck, I'd even voice Frog-Man.)

(Cover of the December 1976 debut issue of Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man).

What’s Your Favorite Movie?

Common question, and for as long as I can remember my response has been Raiders of the Lost Ark .The next two films in the series definitely make my all time top ten. Despite this (or maybe because of this), I reacted with dread to the news of a fourth installment. The trilogy was, to me, a complete story. When we last saw Indy, he was riding off into the sunset, having discovered the Holy Grail itself (which is synonymous with “no bigger artifact available”). And aside from all of that, to quote the new film –how old is Harrison Ford now? Like 80?

I shouldn’t have worried. While Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull isn’t of the same caliber as the original movies, it’s a nice epilogue to the series, and entertaining.
Spielberg and Ford don’t try to hide the characters age, but embrace it. Throughout the film, Ford appears to be channeling Henry Jones senior (as portrayed by Sean Connery in The Last Crusade). The introduction of Mutt Williams (Shia Labeouf) is the one of the saving graces of the script– not so much due to that character but the foil he provides for the aging Indy.

The film has many flaws, chief of which is the determination to make it as true to the era it’s set in- the 1950’s – as the previous films were with the 1930’s. The pulp serials that inspired Raiders were full of guns, magic and Nazis. The 1950’s still had the guns, but Commies had replaced Nazis, and magic was replaced by flying saucers, aliens and atomic bombs.

Favorite scene: The opening. The thing that separates Indiana Jones from so many others in the action pantheon is that he is not a hero because he can smash a hundred bad guys with his bare hands; it’s the way that he never gives up, taking beating after beating. So it’s fitting somehow that he returns to the big screen by being thrown unceremoniously to the ground.

Worst scene: The G-men accusing Indy of being a communist. This seems to be nothing more than a device to fill the viewer in on what Jones has been up to since the 30’s, and another “Hey! It’s the 50’s! Red Scare!” moment that has nothing to do with the plot. It doesn’t go anywhere.

Kids movie? Nope, too much violence (though I saw Raiders when I was 8 and it didn’t do me any harm. Well not much. Actually, don’t bring any kids under 13).

Date movie? Yeah, as long as your date likes good movies.

If you like this, check out: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, another tribute to genres of old.

-- Necronomisean

Iron Man

As a comic book fan, I was a little nervous about the new Marvel production, Iron Man. I mean, Spider-Man 3 was poor (too many villains and a bad plot), Ghost Rider was weak, and I heard rumors that Fantastic Four 2: Rise of the Silver Surfer and X-Men: The Last Stand were very, very bad (which is why I stayed away from them). And Elektra? Woof! To be fair, the first movies in those particular franchises were excellent (Ghost Rider excluded). And this movie, Iron Man, is the first movie in what I hope to be a successful and long running franchise.

Iron Man was an outstanding example of Marvel Comics' ability to create a fantastic superhero movie. It had everything that a fan could want: great characters, great character interaction, superhero action, alter ego character development, great special effects, funny lines, solid plot, and the hope of a sequel(s). I could not ask for anything more.

More importantly, Iron Man had everything that a non-fan could want: great characters, great plot, easy origin explanation, explosive action, funny lines, and hot babes (Gwyneth Paltrow was super hot ... and she should really consider keeping her hair red). Why is it more important, in my book, to keep the non-fans happy? Because there are more non-fans than there are fans, and those non-fans are out significant others and our friends: the more they enjoy comic book movies, the happier we fans will be.

Let's talk about casting, shall we? Perfect. Having Robert Downey Jr. play the role of Tony Stark was a stroke of genius. He was perfect in that role, better, even, than Toby Maguire, who was the best Peter Parker to date. Gwyneth Paltrow was perfect in the role of Pepper Potts, lending her topnotch acting skills and her heavenly appearance to the part. Terrence Howard was perfect as James "Rhodey" Rhodes. He was a very deep and well played out character (I loved the private jet scene that was the drunken "I love you, man" episode that is common between modern day male friends who drink a lot). And Jeff Bridges was perfect as the opportunistic and heartless Obadiah Stane, who becomes the super-villain Iron Monger (He looks good bald; very distinguished; although, I'm a big fan of Bridges as the Dude from the Big Lebowski).

Kids movie? I would say no. There is a lot of violence in this movie. People are shot and killed a lot, especially in the beginning. There are a lot of intense moments that could scare younger viewers.

Date movie? I would say yes. There is nothing that would embarrass a dating couple, and the movie is sprinkled with good laughs to keep things light.

I give Iron Man ten rings of the Mandarin out of ten.

(Below is the first Iron Man comic book I ever bought, The Invincible Iron Man #104 from 1977...)

Doomsday

Did you like Escape From New York? Did you like The Road Warrior? If the answer to either of these questions is 'Yes', then you will like Doomsday.

Doomsday is the third full length feature from British writer / director Neil Marshall. His previous two movies, Dog Soldiers (2002) and The Descent (2005) were both excellent examples of horror / action. The Descent is one of my favorite horror movies. (When you scare the moviegoer with claustrophobia and lygophobia way before you even introduce the monsters, you got it going on.) Doomsday differs in the respect that it is more of a sci-fi / action movie, than a horror / action.

The plot of Doomsday is fairly simple. In the near future, a highly contagious flesh eating virus breaks out in Scotland. Great Britain's answer to the plague is to seal Scotland off from the rest of the world. The rest of the world answers by shutting off Great Britain from all aid and commerce, due to the barbaric way that the government deals with the infected. Years later, as London, and most of England, wallows in poverty following a population explosion, the flesh eating virus breaks out in one of London's overcrowded slums. The government decided to send a team of commandos and scientists into the now dead land of Scotland, hoping to find a cure in possible survivors. Things turn for the worse when the government's info isn't as good as they think, and the commandos find Glasgow, Scotland ruled by savage, cannibal punks. And it is up to tough-as-nails and hot-as-hell Major Eden Sinclair (played by tough-as-nails and hot-as-hell Rhona Mitra) to lead the survivors of the ill-fated mission out of the whirlwind of terror.

Rhona Mitra is smoking hot. There. I've said it.

She is beautiful and athletic, unlike certain 'resident' action heroines who are disgustingly skinny. She handles the role well, not taking herself too seriously. Her character is very tough, but not indestructible. And her character is very smart (not the use of her 'camera' to record certain events to 'cover her ass'). And Mitra's Eden Sinclair reminds me of a female 'John McClane': she handles outrageous situations with grace and a bit of tombstone humor, when needed.

Is this a kids movie? Absolutely not. If you take your kids to see Doomsday, you are part of the problem with society. There is a lot of violence and there is a lot of gore. Almost too much, at times. For example, a guy gets cooked and eaten on camera. That reason enough for you?

Is this a date movie? No. See above. The sheer horror that befalls people in this movie outweighs anything that might benefit a dating experience. It will be too uncomfortable in mixed company or with people you are not familiar with.

I loved Doomsday. It totally rocked. Was it outrageous? Yes. But it was fun and exciting and Rhona Mitra was smoking hot. I give Doomsday six severed heads out of six.

American Idol or American Popularity Contest?

This is a website about Hollywood in regards to movies and television, but Hollywood is about more than just that. Tonight, I would like to change direction and talk about American Idol.

If you watched the American Idol results show tonight, you saw rocker Amanda Overmyer sing the last song she will sing this season. Although criticized at times for her raspy, Joplin-esque voice, Amanda was a very good singer and a truly unique and interesting individual. She was likable. She was fun. She was honest. She was a breath of fresh air.

Tonight, Amanda was in the bottom three contestants, ranked from votes received from viewers calling and texting after last night's performance show. She should not have been in the bottom three because her performance was better than eight other Idol hopefuls. She shared the bottom three with a contestant whose performance was better than nine of the other Idols. The third member of the bottom three, one Kristy Lee Cook, gave easily the worst performance of the night. In fact, Kristy Lee Cook has consistently given the worst performances almost every week. She is a bad singer and an even worse performer, giving the word "dull" a face. Unlike Amanda Overmyer, Kristy Lee Cook is not fun. She is not unique. And she is certainly not a breath of fresh air. She could be a very nice person; that I cannot judge, and I will give her the benefit of the doubt. She was, however, the worst of the bunch this week and in all the previous weeks. And she should have gone home tonight.

Why is Kristy Lee Cook staying and why is Amanda Overmyer going home? Because American Idol is quickly turning into a popularity contest. Kristy Lee Cook is a cutesy little blonde, and cutesy little blondes are apparently very popular. Her remaining on the show for another week has absolutely nothing to do with her talent as a singer, nor does it have anything to do with her skill as a performer. It only has to do with her popularity.

The rules should be changed. The judges, who are all professionals in the music industry, should have some sort of vote, as on Dancing With the Stars. Their opinions mean something. But until that happens, people like Kristy Lee Cook are going to stay on American Idol because high school pep squads across the country think she is cool.

I am not bitching about Amanda Overmyer being voted off, per say. I just think that the person with no talent should have gone home. I have no right to bitch, actually, because I did not vote. I usually do, but last night, I could not watch the performance show, nor could I vote after. I had to watch the performance show on tape and then I was forced to sit helplessly by and watch the results show live.

I will miss Amanda Overmyer. And I will say this: I would buy an Amanda Overmyer CD.

10,000 B.C.

I will admit that I was a little afraid when I saw the trailers for 10,000 B.C. I had visions of The Scorpion King meets Quest for Fire. The trailers did look exciting, however, and I decided to take the chance. I should have gone to Foxwoods because this movie was excellent.

10,000 B.C. is the story of a young mammoth hunter who is in love with a blue-eyed girl that was taken in by his tribe when she was young. Her parents had apparently been killed by "four legged demons", and she escaped. She is the village favorite because of a prophecy from the wise woman, and he is the son of a former tribal leader, who apparently deserted the tribe when the boy was young. The tribe hunts woolly mammoths for survival, and they are mostly happy. Until the "four legged demons" raid the tribal camp.

The "demons" are slavers on horseback, and they take the blue-eyed girl and a lot of tribes people, fleeing over the snow-packed mountains. Our adventure begins when the young hero, who doubts that he is a hero, decides to lead a small band to track down the slavers and get their people back.

If you think that this movie is another Quest for Fire and that you might have to struggle through a whole movie of grunts of bad subtitles, you are mistaken. We understand the mammoth hunters, and when they encounter some tribes in northern Africa, a plot point allows us a translator.

If you think this movie will be some farce, like The Scorpion King (which I liked, but let's be real - it was a farce), with unreality and anachronisms staining the story, you are wrong. 10,000 B.C. is an adventure epic, and there are some wild things that happen, but nothing ever gets out of hand. And there are absolutely no foolish characters. You know the ones: they act not only as comedy relief, but speak in 21st Century slang to make us feel at home. I hate those characters. Those characters should be banned from movies. 10,000 B.C. does not have any of those characters.

There are cool scenes, great computer graphics, breathtaking panoramic shots, and a mix of cultures that gives us a taste of what history could have been like.

Kids movie? Older kids? Yes. Younger kids? No. There are some dramatic scenes and some scenes that younger movie fans might find scary. There are deaths, though not too much blood.

Date movie? Yes. A love story drives the film, and there is nothing that would be embarrassing.

I have only one problem with 10,000 B.C.: the saber-toothed tiger was not in the movie nearly enough. I actually felt gypped. He's in the trailers, he's on the movie poster (although not the one I chose above), and he was super cool, but he's only in two scenes! Gyp!

I loved this movie, and I give it six out of six woolly mammoths.

Iron Man

I love superheroes. I have been collecting comic books since 1977. Marvel Comics Spectacular Spider-Man #13, released in December of 1977. I bought that comic with my allowance, spending a whopping 35 cents. I was totally hooked and could not look back. Today, my comic collection is modest, with some great issues that bring me back to my childhood whenever I revisit them. I have a large collection of action figures, at home and in the office. And I love superheroes.

When I was young, though, the only visual medium we had for superheroes was television. Super Friends, Wonder Woman (Lynda Carter, you are a real wonder woman), and Batman. Those shows were all DC Comics. Marvel Comics had a little less, giving us the Nicholas Hammond version of Spider-Man and the classic Bill Bixby Incredible Hulk. Not much to choose from, but all classic. Today? Well, as the man sings, "I'm in Heaven ..."

We have Spider-Man movies, and Batman movies, and there's the X-Men movies, and more movies starring the Hulk, and Daredevil, and Superman, and Blade, and Ghost Rider. And now, Iron Man!

Let me tell you, this movie looks fantastic! The special effects look tight, and there looks like there will be a lot of action. The element that is drawing me to Iron Man, however, is the lead actor, Robert Downey, Jr. Lots of people give this man the stuff because of his off camera antics. I'm not a big fan of drug addicts, but it is a problem that I can wrap my mind around. He was using drugs and acting out, and now he has cleaned his act up and is back in the mainstream. Good for him. Now, here is the interesting part: Tony Stark, the alter-ego of Iron Man, and the character Robert Downey, Jr. will portray in the Iron Man film, was an alcoholic. A rich alcoholic and a troubled figure. Now, he is being played by a rich drug addict with a troubled past. Downey, Jr. is a fantastic actor normally, even when he was battling addiction in the 1990s. Imagine how well he is going to do with this character. He's going to act the hell out of the Tony Stark role.

Go see Iron Man. Read the comics. Enjoy both.

(Left: The cover of Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #13, released December, 1977)

The 80th Academy Award Winners

The 80th Annual Academy Awards

Here are the winners from this year's Oscars. I am sad to say that I have not seen any of these movies. The Oscars, though, are more of an artsy set of awards, not a popular set of awards. I am sure that each of these movies, and each of these performances, were great in their own right, but they were not on my radar at the time. I would like to eventually see most of these, though. I have heard good things about No Country for Old Men, Michael Clayton, Juno, Rataouille, and The Golden Compass. What do you think, movie fans?

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Best Picture: No Country for Old Men

Best Actor in a Leading Role: Daniel-Day Lewis - There Will be Blood

Best Actress in a Leading Role: Marion Cotillard - La Vie en Rose

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton

Best Animated Film: Ratatouille

Best Cinematography: Robert Elswit - There Will be Blood

Best Costume Design: Alexandra Byrne - Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Best Direction: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen - No Country for Old Men

Best Documentary Feature: Taxi to the Dark Side

Best Live Action Short Film: Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)

Best Screenplay: Juno

Best Visual Effects: The Golden Compass

Roy Scheider, Dead at 75

On Sunday, February 10th, 2008, Roy Scheider died at the University or Arkansas Medical Sciences Hospital from possible complications of a staph infection. He was 75.

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Roy Scheider has always been one of my favorite actors. I was first exposed to him thanks to the blockbuster classic, Jaws, but the first movie I ever saw him in was The French Connection. And then, thanks to the Movie Loft (with Dana Hersey), I watched Roy Scheider reprise his French Connection role in the spin off, The Seven-Ups. Two great movies (with two fantastic car chases).

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I think loved Roy Scheider so much because I saw him as me thirty and forty years from that point. He was the common man and the backbone in those films, just like he was in Jaws, and Blue Thunder, and 2010. He had some edgier stuff later on, films like 52 Pick-Up, Cohen and Tate, and The Fourth War, but he handled those roles with all the grace of a veteran actor. Of the over eighty works to his credit, the one I wish I had seen, and the one I will be adding to my 2008 Resolutions list, is All That Jazz.

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Roy Scheider, may you rest in peace.

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Roy Scheider (November 10, 1932 - February 10, 2008)

31 Days of Oscar

From February 1st to March 2nd, Turner Classic Movies is showing only movies that have won an Oscar, or that have been nominated for an oscar. All day. All night. And the movies chosen will span the history of the Oscars, from the 1920's to the 2000's. (http://www.tcm.com/ for more details.)

TCM plans on having certain eras represented during certain nights of the week ...

• Mondays will feature Oscar movies from the 1920's and the 1930's


• Tuesdays will feature Oscar movies from the 1940's


• Wednesdays will feature Oscar movies from the 1950's


• Thursdays will feature Oscar movies from the 1960's


• Fridays will feature Oscar movies from the 1970's


• Saturdays will feature Oscar movies from the 1980's


• And Sundays will feature Oscar movies from the 1990's and the 2000's

Daytimes will feature different themes, for example, today's theme was sci-fi and tomorrow's theme will be journalism.

I encourage all movie fans to turn away from the garbage that is Deal or No Deal, Moment of Truth, the Biggest Loser, and every crappy thing that passes for entertainment on VH1 and MTV. Grab the remote. Turn the channel. Watch Turner Classic Movies for the rest of this month. You will not be disappointed.

January Awards

On Sunday, January 27th, 2008, the Screen Actors Guild Awards were held in Los Angeles. Seeing this award is from the actors to the actors, I think it is worth more than most. Like the foolish Golden Globes. The winners were:

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Movies:

Cast - No Country for Old Men

Actor - Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will be Blood

Actress - Julie Christie, Away From Her

Supporting Actor - Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men

Supporting Actress - Ruby Dee, American Gangster

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Television:

Drama Series Cast - The Sopranos

Actor in a Drama Series - James Gandolfini, The Sopranos

Actress in a Drama Series - Edie Falco, The Sopranos

Comedy Series Cast - The Office

Actor in a Comedy Series - Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Actress in a Comedy Series - Tina Fey, 30 Rock

Actor in a Movie or Miniseries - Kevin Kline, As You Like It

Actress in a Movie or Miniseries - Queen Latifah, Life Support

Lifetime Achievement - Charles Durning

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Every year, I give out my own awards. They encompass any movie I have seen over the past year, new or not. No one gets anything, but I like to give shout outs when they are earned ... and shout downs when they are earned, also. The winners for 2007 were:

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Favorite Movie - 30 Days of Night

Least Favorite Movie - Urban Legend

Best Movie - John Carpenter's The Thing

Worst Movie - Urban Legend

Best Actor - Daniel Craig, Casino Royale

Best Actress -

........ Imelda Staunton, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Worst Actor - Nicolas Cage, Ghost Rider

Worst Actress - Tara Reid, Urban Legend

Most Surprising Movie - The Host

Most Disappointing Movie - Urban Legend

Movie I Wish I Saw on the Big Screen - The Host

Movie I Wish I Waited to See on DVD - Ghost Rider

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Let me know what you think. Peace out.

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-- JFLY

Heath Ledger, Dead at 28

On Tuesday afternoon, January 22, 2008, Heath Ledger was found dead in his SoHo apartment in New York City. He was 28.

I don't really know what to say about someone who I don't even know. I can't say that Heath Ledger was a great friend, or that he was fun to be around. I can't say that he was happy or sad. I can't even say what kinds of food he liked or disliked. I can only say two things about him. One, he was a great actor (one of my top five modern actors). And two, he was not in the news for any real celebrity foolishness.

For an actor of such, relatively, little acting experience, Heath Ledger was exceptional. He mastered the ability to make you like his characters, and to make them seem real. He showed a range that spread from comedy to action / adventure to drama. And he was able to portray each character with a quiet power that other actors of his age and experience sorely lacked. Am I saying this just because he is dead? Hell no. Just watch Brokeback Mountain and you will see. Heath Ledger is able to take his character throughout decades, aging the character as the film goes on, without the use of any real makeup or special effects. He was like an actor of old, like a Henry Fonda or a William Powell; he acted his roles, and acted them well.

In today's Hollywood, Heath Ledger was downright boring. According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heath_Ledger), Heath Ledger had only three "scandals" to his credit. One was a run in with the paparazzi (happens). One was his perceived demeanor during a formal announcement (chalked up to "stage fright"). And one was erroneous information that he relayed that he heard (in truth, the info was only 50 years off the mark). In Hollywood, with that record, Heath Ledger should be put up for sainthood!

So I don't have much to say about the man, but I will say that he was a great actor and, apparently, a gentleman. I pray that his family and friends find the strength to get through this time of loss.

Heath Ledger, may you rest in peace.

Heath Ledger (April 4, 1979 - January 22, 2008)

The State of ReclaimHollywood.com Address

Greeting, movie fans, and welcome to the year 2008. I hope that it is a better year than last year, not that last year was especially bad, but we can all use a little betterment in our lives these days.

Towards the beginning of any new year, we turn our thoughts to New Year's Resolutions. I never make too many of those, or take much stock in them, because I never seem to be able to keep them for very long. This year, however, I intend to change all that.

The best kind of resolutions are the ones in which someone promises themselves that they will do a certain thing. See the Grand Canyon, skydive, etc. That will be the kind of resolutions JFLY will be enacting this year. Many of the people who know me have been shocked that I, a self-proclaimed moviebuff, have not seen so many of the films that people consider classics, or even just favorites. I am guilty as charged, folks. There are plenty of great movies that I have not seen. Some, not so great, but enjoyable or famous, all the same. I give to you, the faithful of ReclaimHollywood.com, a list of my resolutions. The following is a list of movies that I wish to see this year, in alphabetical order. Movies in red I have not seen. Movies in black, I have seen this year. I will add to this list and scratch off from this list as the year goes on.

- All That Jazz

- Apocalyspe Now

- The Black Hole

- Casablanca

- Citizen Kane

- A Clockwork Orange

- The Godfather

- The Godfather II

- The Godfather III

- Gone With the Wind

- Johnny Dangerously

- L.A. Confidential
- Lawrence of Arabia

- The Seven Samurai

- A Streetcar Named Desire

- To Kill a Mockingbird

Now, on a different note, what will Hollywood be doing this new year? Well, I am sure certain members of the Hollywood elite will be making fools of themselves, as per usual.

I am sure that certain disgusting debutantes will be drinking and driving and flashing themselves throughout the year. They seem to have high opinions of themselves, but in reality, they are nothing but filthy trash who break the law and flaunt their influence. Let's just hope that their recklessness does not cost the lives of innocent people.

And I am sure that certain Hollywood hunks will not be able to see how good they have it. Those particular "dudes" will certainly turn to drugs again, and maybe they will decide to attempt suicide again. Let us hope that they do not succeed, more for the sake of their families and the emergency workers that will no doubt be called upon to respond to the mansion.

On a lighter note, the movie companies are planning some "new" films for this year and the next couple of years. Would you believe these "pieces of art" ... Hawaii 5-0, CHiPS, Kung-Fu, Land of the Lost, The Smurfs, Oh God!, Logan's Run, Scanners, Masters of the Universe, Fantastic Voyage, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Lost Boys 2: The Tribe, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, Night at the Museum 2: Escape From the Smithsonian, Pink Panther 2, Transformers 2, Ace Ventura 3, Back to School, The Thomas Crown Affair 2, Creepshow, The Birds, Them!, The Incredible Shrinking Man, The Wolf Man, Friday the 13th, Hellraiser, Child's Play ... just to name a few ...

Hey, who says there aren't any original ideas anymore?

Listen up, movie fans ... this is what we are talking about here at ReclaimHollywood.com. Hollywood is churning out more crap these days than ever before. And something has to be done: DO NOT GO TO SEE ANY OF THESE MOVIES! The more we support them, the more they are going to do this to us. It is unfair for them to ask $10 a head plus $10 for snacks PER PERSON, and provide a subpar product.

This is JFLY. Peace out.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets

I am very excited about this movie. It is not often, in today's society, that an action / adventure movie is made so that the whole family can enjoy. Leave it to Disney to do just that. They did it with the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, which was a well-received project that was not only loved by millions, but a boxoffice bonanza. I could go on and on about how fantastic Pirates was, but I won't. Instead, I will gush about the National Treasure franchise.

With National Treasure and National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Disney has taken a sorely overlooked subject, namely American history, and it has forged that subject into a fun set of films. They have also added to the mix a great combination of actors and actresses, who all seem to work well together. Also present are some great, globe-trotting locations to sate the hungry eye. And, of course, there are the puzzles and the riddles. Everyone loves a good puzzle or a riddle, especially one you have a chance at solving. Now, you do not get that chance too often in the National Treasure franchise because the main character, Benjamin Franklin Gates, played by Nicholas Cage, is usually far ahead of everyone in thought, whizzing through puzzles and riddles faster than the mind can calculate. Don't feel bad; this is just part of the recipe. The real treat is watching Cage take the character through the steps of solving, on the spot, one impossible historical puzzle after another.

If youloved the first one, you'll love this sequel. In fact, I liked it better than the first. The characters have already been introduced, and we get right into the meat of the new story.

Kids movie? Certainly. I might leave the little ones at home (as should be done most of the time anyway), but I would bring the kids that would appreciate the fun and the action, yet still not be too bothered by the dramatic elements. There are lots of those, but more along the lines of action and suspense. There is a very low death toll here, folks, and the deaths happen in dramatic ways (and mainly off camera). I would say that there is a death toll of four total in both movies. And one of the deaths is none other than - SPOILER ALERT! - President Abraham Lincoln. Surprise!

Date movie? Absolutely. This is a fun movie with no embarassing or squirmy scenes.

I give National Treasure: Book of Secrets six out of six hidden clues. Enjoy!

Will Smith's Comment

Celebrities make me sick.

(You may think I am going one way with this, but just stick around...)

They are over-privileged. They are overpaid. And they are overrated. They flaunt their money and turn that money into power. They think that they can do no wrong. They think they are above the law. They think that they are gods.

And the populace has put them there. JFLY is not a highly paid celebrity because no one would even consider buying a JFLY t-shirt or seeing a JFLY movie. We have made these celebrities the new gods because we continue to idolize them by flocking to see their movies, purchasing their jerseys, and gossiping about the latest dirt spilled on those worthless early evening Hollywood TV shows.

Do some celebrities not suck? Yes. Do some of them do good in our society? Yes. I would love to shake Bono's hand for his work. And I would love to tell Oprah that she is an inspiration. But that's all any celebrity is getting from me; no autograph requests, just a handshake and a kind word - when it is deserved.

That is not often, by the way, but here is a nice blog that shows some of the good work that celebrities do: http://celebrity-do-gooders.blogspot.com/

Now that I have bashed the new gods, let me even out the scales. Celebrity does have its disadvantages. The most obvious one is privacy. Watch those garbage Hollywood TV gossip shows for more of that crap. Another is that even though those same celebrities are worshiped by the sheep of this world, they will be torn apart by those same sheep when something bad happens. Real or perceived.

Take Will Smith. Does Will Smith suck? I think not. But he is a celebrity and recently he was targeted by some vicious gossip journalists for something that he said. Allow me to reprint that quote, thanks to CNN.com:

"Even Hitler didn't wake up going, 'let me do the most evil thing I can do today.' I think that he woke up in the morning and using a twisted, backwards logic, he set out to do what he thought was 'good'."

What Will Smith said was anti-Hitler. That is plainly obvious to me.

Okay, now here is where the stupid comes in...

The sheep out there in the world hear the word "Hitler" come out of somebody's mouth and think one of two things: 1) That was obviously anti-Hitler, so I like that person, or 2) That was not obviously anti-Hitler, so that person must be a secret Nazi.

The press knows that there are only two boxes in which to place a "Hitler" comment. They play on that. And they targeted Will Smith because they knew the stupid sheep would not be able to place such an intelligently phrased statement into box #1. The gossip press does not care. They will tarnish the good name of anyone to get a story. And when that story has played itself out, they will move on to another story. However, that person's image will still remain tarnished.

Will Smith issued a statement that pointed out the heinous disregard that the gossip press had for the context in which he issued his original comment. Part of that statement can be read on CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Movies/12/25/people.willsmith.ap/index.html).

Will Smith, if you read this then know that the majority of the intelligent people out in the world realize what you were trying to say. Allow me to paraphrase it:

Adolph Hitler did not get up every morning and rub his hands together like a vaudeville villain. He did not try to think of new and interesting ways to do evil just because it is evil. Adolph Hitler did do some of the most horrible things this Earth has seen, and he did them because he though that what he was doing was right. That is the real horror of Adolph Hitler; in his own mind, he was doing good. In reality, he was bringing Hell to Earth.

How's that? What box do I fall into, huh?

Will Smith, you're alright in my book. And I would shake your hand if I ever met you.

And gossip press? If you are listening, then hear this: Hollywood is crawling with filthy, disgusting scum; pick on them! Leave out the folks who are trying to do the right thing. Focus on the scumbag drunk driving debutantes or the scumbag abusing athletes. Goodness knows that there are plenty of them out there! When you take comments out of context just because they have key buzzwords in them, then you are worse scum than the worst celebrity.