IGN has a cool article up about the upcoming nerdtastic movies releases of 2010. With Iron Man 2, Clash of the Titans, Kick-Ass, Machete and more, there’s a whole lot to look for forward to. 2009 will be tough to follow, but 2010 looks like it might be up to the task.
Excited for 2010
Favorite Movies of 2009
10. Gamer – I thought the trailers for this movie looked terrible, and I was always the first to bash it… Until I found out it was a Neveldine/Taylor project. You know Nevildine/Taylor? The camp geniuses responsible for Crank? You should, and you will. These guys make movies that get me excited about movies. Gamer is a total ride with a healthy seasoning of satire sprinkled in. It’s not for everyone, but fans of Army of Darkness, Machine Girl and Dead-Alive will love it. Grandma should stay home.
9. Up in the Air – Like a punch to the belly, this movie left me rattled and unsteady. At first, I chuckled my way along, enjoying Ryan Bingham’s airport-centric lifestyle (relating way too much to it) and his adventures and misadventures. I got caught up in his romance with Alex, and I almost believed that things might somehow work out between them. I even grew to like the overly serious and earnest Natalie Keener. But then… Well, you know. I walked out of the theatre lost in thought and reassessing my life. Up in the Air is a powerful piece of cinema, and it deserves the hype.
8. District 9 – I have some stylistic issues with this movie, as it shifts back and forth between being a fake documentary and a regular narrative. But that’s fine. I can forgive it. I have never seen anything like it.
7. I Love You, Man – Paul Rudd rules!
6. (500) Days of Summer – Every now and then, a movie comes along that speaks your language so perfectly that it’s a bit unsettling. Packed with Pixies, Smiths and Star Wars references, (500) Days of Summer hit pretty close to home for me. Zooey Deschanel’s Summer did nice work challenging Kate Winslet’s Clementine (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) as my all-time movie crush. What does that say about me?
5. Zombieland – Pure campy fun! So much fun! I cannot wait to buy this movie and watch it over and over again. Smart writing meets hilarious performances multiplied by a truly warped sense of humor makes Zombieland something special.
4. Watchmen – The anti-comic book graphic novel becomes the anti-comic book movie. I have never seen more people get up and walk out of a theatre than when I saw this. Those who came expecting Spider-Man, got a bucket of ice water dumped in their laps. Zack Snyder again defies expectations and delivers another challenging and memorable experience. I love this movie.
3. Avatar – Haters can suck it! While there might not be an original idea in this movie, the execution is tough to beat. I’ve seen it twice in the theatre so far, and I can’t wait to see it again. The immersive 3-D experience blew me away, and I really got caught up in the adventure of it all. Nothing this year rivaled the moment when Jake first rode his Banshee, and the end battle… Wow. Hats off to Cameron for making the most expensive movie ever made have such a flagrant pro-environmental message.
2. The Hangover – Probably the funniest movie since Office Space.
1. Star Trek – I never would have seen this one coming. As a lifelong Star Wars devotee, I can’t believe Star Trek is my favorite film of the year. I’ve seen it a number of times now, and I might love it more each time. I get excited just thinking about it. Like Iron Man last year, Star Trek does a deft job of combining sharp comedy, solid storytelling, memorable performances, interesting themes, high adventure, stunning action and everything else into a nearly perfect package of awesomeness.
Honorable mentions:
- Funny People - Fans of stand-up must see this. It’s flawed but great.
- Up - Cranky and wonderful.
- Drag Me to Hell - Sam Raimi returns to his roots.
- Away We Go - The five people who saw this know how good it is.
- The Hurt Locker - Boom!
- Ninja Assassin - More ninjas than you can shake a nunchuck at.
2009 was a great year for movies, maybe the best since 1999.
Supernanny: Hallenbeck
Tonight:
“A mother of two who spends her time surfing the Web, watching TV and texting friends expects her mother to raise her children.”
It’s another episode I worked on, and it’s pretty interesting — definitely a different show from the usual.
Hope you enjoy it!
ABC 8/7c
Supernanny: Benton
Be sure to check out Supernanny this Friday, January 8th, on ABC at 8/7c. It’s the first episode I worked on to air. It focuses on the Benton family of South Carolina, and I think it turned out pretty well. ABC describes it as:
“A father preaches physical strength and overall fitness for his sons, aged 10 and 8, who fight daily; the house is filled with yelling and empty threats, allowing the boys to continue their bad behavior.”
Can Supernanny save the day?
If you miss it, you can always catch it on Hulu (for a few weeks, anyway). Hope you like it…
Disney Buys Marvel
I was all motivated to write tonight, but I just might drink tequila instead. All day today I had this nagging sensation that something was horribly wrong. I tried to write it off as personal jitters, as it was my first day back at work in awhile. But I couldn’t shake it. The feeling persisted. And then I read that Disney bought Marvel for four billion dollars.
What does this mean? My first reaction was fear and rage (as it is to most things). Will Disney dull Marvel’s creative edge? Will it squash the less family-friendly titles and characters? What will happen to imprints like Icon, Marvel Knights and MAX? Will The Punisher be put down? Will Wolverine be de-clawed? Will Bambi join the Avengers?
Or will Disney pump money into Marvel features? Will uber-projects like The Avengers really get made? Will Disney add Marvel rides to its theme parks? Will generations of children that would have never known comic books actually discover them?
It’s possible that some some good with come of this. Maybe. I certainly hope so.
(Image borrowed from here.)
Big Week for Patton
Comedy fans probably already know that the legendary Patton Oswalt has a new CD out this week, “My Weakenss is Strong.” I plan to pick it up tomorrow and cannot wait to listen to it. (There’s also a DVD.) Patton’s angry nerd rants absolutely kill me, and “Feelin’ Kinda Patton” might be my favorite stand-up album of all time. Those that know Patton only for his time on “King of Queens” are missing something special.
And then there’s Big Fan… Wow. Check out the trailer here. It’s from the dude that wrote The Wrestler, and it looks great.
Go, Patton!
Skateboard
So, yeah. I bought a skateboard. Some may call it a cry for help or maybe a midlife crisis, but I’m gonna call it exercise.
Very impressed with Rip City Skates in Santa Monica.
Animation Validation
Having a little downtime has allowed me to catch up on movies and other distractions. Since there are no girls around to scare away, I’ve been indulging my love of comic book-inspired animation. I’m psyched by what I’ve discovered.
Wonder Woman — I’ve never really identified with the iconic, unstoppable heroes DC has offered (except for Batman), and I’ve always related much better to Marvel’s scrappy underdogs and misanthropes. However, I’m starting to come around. While the straight-to-video animation isn’t exactly amazing, Wonder Woman works well in every other way. Clean storytelling and punchy dialogue support a great origin tale that delves deeply into Greek mythology. Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion revisit their honest and amusing Waitress chemistry to deliver some enjoyable voice work, as does the rest of the solid supporting cast. All in all, it’s a really good film, animated or otherwise. DC should be commended. This one is worth owning.
Green Lantern: First Flight — Here we go again… Yup, it’s DC. And yup, it’s good. Wonder Woman might be slightly better, but this is pretty close. Again we have a solid story and great voice acting, especially from Victor Garber. It’s well-done. It’s fun. Despite my love for Marvel, I can’t help but recommend it. Damn you, DC.
The Invincible Iron Man — While it’s not quite up to par with what DC has been offering, I enjoyed it. I’d recommend it along with Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme as one of Marvel’s best. Check it out.
