Most Anticipated: Summer 2007

First of all, sorry for the lack of blogging over the past few days. This weekend was too busy for words, and it kept me away from the computer longer than I had hoped.

Of course, my weekend will certainly pale in comparison to what's in store for next Friday: the official beginning of the Summer Movie Season. Yes, after 3 years, Tobey Maguire returns as the world's favorite super hero in "Spider-Man 3", opposite Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Topher Grace and Thomas Haden Church.

The film will inevitably cause some form of hysteria at the box office. To prove my point: in Manhattan, iMax showtimes are already sold out through the weekend. And while I'm certainly excited to see it - I'll be there Friday assuming normal screens aren't sold out, too - I can't say Spidey is my most anticipated flick of the summer.

No, the film I'm most anticipating this season actually comes from another trilogy. It's "The Bourne Ultimatum" starring Matt Damon and directed by the recently Oscar-nominated Paul Greengrass. The first 2 "Bourne" films were both awesome and underrated, and I'm hoping Damon and Greengrass really knock this one out of the park.

Sadly, "The Bourne Ultimatum" doesn't open until August, so I'll need some big blockbuster distractions to get me through the next three months. Which is why I ask: what summer movies are you anticipating the most? Are you more of a Spidey or a Pirates fan? Also: which hyped movies do you have no desire to see?

Afterward, be sure to check out the YouTube Clip of the Week posted below. Thanks.

YouTube Clip of the Week: "Dangerous Liaisons"

Caught this on DVD last night. How did Glenn Close not win the Oscar?

Classic Oscar Moment: "It's a Tie!"

YouTube has been a great - albeit short term - source for classic Oscar moments, and today I discovered another one courtesy of the OscarWatch forums. Like the Marisa Tomei upset, the 1968Best Actress tie (which Barbra deserved to win on her own, IMHO) is something I've always wanted to see. And since it's pretty rare, I thought I'd share the love with you guys, too.

So give it a look and enjoy! (while you can)

America's Sweetheart: Who Is She?

Here's a random topic for you:

Over the weekend a friend of mine tried to convince me that Drew Barrymore was the current Queen of Romantic Comedies. I was immediately baffled by the suggestion - I mean, nobody respects her like that, do they?

But when he asked me to come up with an alternative choice, I was stumped. I threw out names like former sweethearts Julia Roberts and Meg Ryan, but Julia's doing her own thing now, and well, Meg's career is pretty much in the toilet.

And then, to make matters worse, he pointed me to Drew's IMDB list. Looking over it now, I can see where he's coming from. In the past 10 years, Drew has been in everything from Music & Lyrics to Never Been Kissed to The Wedding Singer. Yet to me - and I'm sure you'll agree on this - none of her movies come anywhere close to say, "My Best Friend's Wedding" or "Sleepless in Seattle".

In hindsight, I'd pick someone like Reese Witherspoon based on the success of films like "Legally Blonde." Can you think of an alternative? Is it really Drew, or is it somebody like say, Cameron Diaz? Or, to further complicate things, do we even have a modern day Julia these days? Discuss.

YouTube Clip of the Week: The Return

This is something I hope to do every Sunday. Along with the "A Look Back At..." Series (which will return this week with one of my favorite actresses - TBA) this will be the main attraction here for the next couple of weeks.

Enjoy!

(and be on the lookout for new predix coming next week!)

"The Golden Age" Teaser Trailer

I don't know about this one. I'll let you decide:

The State of the Movie Musical

Oscar enthusiasts all know that for a couple of years, movie musicals were all the rage. In 2001, Baz Luhrman's divisive "Moulin Rouge!" garnered 8 nominations, winning two. Only a year later, Rob Marshall and Miramax followed suit, picking up a whopping 13 nominations and an eventual Best Picture win for the Broadway adaptation of "Chicago".

Since then, however, the movie musical has been in a rut. In an attempt to capitalize on the genre's comeback, studios rushed to put out films like "Phantom of the Opera", "Rent" and "The Producers", some of the worst films of the decade. Dreamworks found more success in Bill Condon's "Dreamgirls". Yet, despite 8 nominations, the Best Picture snub stung almost as hard as "Cold Mountain" in 2003.

Despite everything, movie musicals continue to be made. This year we have two major studio productions coming out, the first being "Hairspray" (ShoWest montage), based on the Tony-winning musical. The other is "Sweeney Todd" directed by Tim Burton and starring, if you can believe it, Johnny Depp. And if that wasn't enough, Depp is rumored to be back in another big screen musical: this time, an adaptation of "Nine" directed by Rob Marshall (news).

Whether or not any of these movies will do well at the Oscars remains to be seen. Still, it's hard not to wonder how long the modern day musical will last. What do you guys think? Are movie musicals on the rise again or is Oscar ready to show them the door? Also, for the die hard musical fans out there, which project are you anticipating the most?

So Over It?

As we celebrate yet another post-Oscar bomb for Halle Berry - this time, the universally panned thriller "Perfect Stranger" - you have to wonder what it'll take to get both the critics and Oscar back on her side.

For me, I'm not too worried about her. I think her win for "Monster's Ball" was so historic and memorable that a comeback isn't out of the question. In fact, it's a lot more realistic than one might think, "Catwoman" or no "Catwoman."

However, there are still a number of Oscar-winners remaining who might not have it so easy.

Like Gwyneth Paltrow, for example. I'm personally one of the two people out there who thought she deserved to win for "Shakespeare in Love." But since then, with the exception of a couple of movies, Gwyneth has done absolutely nothing to bank on her success. This has made it very easy for critics to attack, and also very difficult for fans like myself to stay loyal. It's as though Gwyneth's Oscar has become a joke, which is why I'm willing to guess that, unless she goes all "Million Dollar Baby" on us, she'll never be nominated again.

What do you guys think? Will voters be ready to make nice with Halle? Will Gwyneth ever earn nomination #2? And what other Oscar-winners do you think voters are so over?

First Look at "Atonement"

The new trailer for the Joe Wright drama "Atonement" is up, and I must say I'm pretty fascinated. At the very least it's going to be a gorgeous epic - and no I'm not just talking about Keira and James. The score, too, sounds stunning (is it original?)

What do you guys think? Will "Atonement" be another hit for Wright & Knightley or will voters simply stick to - if anything - the techs?

Julie Christie: Oscar Bound?

In doing my year in advance research, I stumbled upon the trailer for the upcoming drama "Away from Her" starring Oscar-winner Julie Christie. The trailer itself was a little heavy handed, but it does appear that Christie might be in the running for a nomination after all. The role has a perfect mixture of timing and bait, which is perhaps why the reviews have been excpetionally strong thus far.

So give the trailer a look and let me know what you think: Will Julie Christie earn a Best Actress nomination this year or is it too early to tell?

A Truly Scary Movie Trailer

I like to give all movies the benefit of the doubt, but was it really necessary for Rob Zombie to remake "Halloween"? The original version is an all-out classic. It might not be as profound as say, "Raging Bull" or "Citizen Kane" but as far as horror movie goes, "Halloween" is the real deal.

Which is why I don't understand the need to remake it. Why couldn't Zombie just let people discover it in video stores or on USA when it plays 500x on Halloween? I don't get it.

You can watch the trailer at Yahoo! and judge for yourself. As for me, well, I'm a little scared.

Reading the Tomato Meter

Each week, I make sure to check the Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer before heading to the theaters. Some prefer Metacritic, but I'm partial to RT simply because of the wide range of reviews offered. Plus, it's nice to read reviews from classic movies as well, especially when I'm fuddling with my Netflix queue.

Anyway, here's what critics are saying about the films released today. Note: all percentages are subject to change.



Grindhouse - 87%

Average rating: 7.7/10

---No doubt Grindhouse will be the big draw this weekend. And juding by the reviews, the 3-hour running time will be worthwhile after all.

The Hoax - 89%

Average rating: 7.3/10

---Fascinating. I expected good things from "The Hoax" but certainly not this good. Which makes me wonder: what made Miramax push it back to 2007? Is it simply too entertaining for Oscar? Further: will praise for Richard Gere have any lasting impact on the race this season? I say no, but these days you never know.

The Reaping -06%

---Poor Hilary. Of course, we saw this coming, but as much as I disagreed with her '04 Oscar I was kind of rooting for her do well post-MDB. Oh well. Looks like she's back to her old tricks once again.

Jessica Biel: What Gives?

Former 7th Heaven star Jessica Biel had a mini-comeback of sorts in the Oscar-nominated "The Illusionist" opposite Edward Norton.

Since then, she's been everywhere: talk shows, the Oscars, announcing the Golden Globe nominations, caught in the middle of Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz's messy break up, and so on and so forth.

I kept quiet at the time. Yes, she was awfully bland in "The Illusionist", but everybody deserves a second chance, right?

Still, I'm a little baffled by her sudden ubiquity, and if you've been to the movie theater lately you'll know what I'm talking about. If she's not popping up in one trailer (see: Next, with Nicolas Cage and Julianne Moore) she's in the next (I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry).

What gives? Does she have the hardest working agent and publicist in Hollywood? Or do people really want to see Jessica Biel turn out 5 movies per year?

I don't get it.

Nathaniel's Early Bird Studio Chart/Predix

Nathaniel of The Film Experience has begun his annual April Fools Predix, which can be viewed here. Also be sure to check out his in depth studio analysis, which is one of the best ways to start organizing predix of your own.

As for me, I'm gonna start working on everything this weekend. I forgot how easy it is to lose track of time while on hiatus.

Stay tuned!