30 OVERLOOKED FILMS FROM THE 2000S
Some good choices, especially “The Assassination of Jesse James,” which I think is the best film of the aughts. Another gem is “American Psycho,” which, I swear, is the autobiography of a guy I worked with for over a decade. Then there’s “The Virgin Suicides” — still Sofia Coppola’s best film, “Che,” which I admired a lot, and “Brick,” which I really need to see again.
Plenty of films I don’t care for made the list, including the dreadful ” Synecdoche, New York,” “Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans,” and “The Fountain.” Plenty I haven’t seen, as well.
J.K. SIMMONS BOARDS ABC ‘WHITE VAN MAN’
Great actor.
ALL 22 BOND FILM INTROS SIMULTANEOUSLY, SIDE BY SIDE
I once did this on VHS. No doubt, “The Spy Who Loved Me” is number one. I still remember seeing it in the theatre. Seminal blew-me-away moment.
A COOL ABRAHAM LINCOLN VAMPIRE MOVIE….
This is brilliantly stated:
My idea of a cool Abraham Lincoln vampire movie would be one that resembles Phillip Borsos’ The Grey Fox — a movie that looks, feels and behaves like it’s actually happening in the 19th Century — but with 19th Century vampires (i.e., ones that are trying to blend into society by concealing their nature whenever possible) running around.
Yesterday, I couldn’t put my finger on my “meh” over the trailer, but this articulates my gut. There’s nothing special or unique about this trailer. We’ve seen it all before — the CGI spectacle, the camera moves, the hyper-editing. We’ve even felt it all before.
Jeff Wells is exactly right. The way to do this would’ve been to bring the vampires into Lincoln’s reality, not to bring Lincoln into same, dull, played out CGI’s hyper-reality we’ve seen before.
Richard Farnsworth, “The Grey Fox,” — yes! After bringing the country together with the end of the Civil War, Lincoln fakes his own death to hunt the vampires he discovered were real while president. Now he’s older, running out of time, watching Reconstruction fail…
Someone should write that, and to avoid copyright issues, use Ulysses Grant.
In other news, Jeff Wells isn’t wrong about everything.
WARNER HOME VIDEO IMPOSING ‘WIZARD OF OZ’ MORATORIUM
I got mine.
C’MON HOLLYWOOD: SEPARATE OSCAR CATEGORY FOR BEST COMEDY?
I would save this argument for a time when Hollywood is actually producing more than one or two decent comedies a year. “Bridesmaids” and, uhm, uhm…
DID YOU KNOW ‘MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2’ IS A REMAKE OF HITCHCOCK’S ‘NOTORIOUS’?
As a matter of fact, I did.
WHY ARE FOUND FOOTAGE MOVIES SO POPULAR?
Not to dismiss the article, which is interesting, but the bottom line is that these films deliver. “Paranormal 1-3” are scary as hell. “Blair Witch” and “The Last Exorcist” are scary as hell. When films make a promise and keep it, they make money.
What we do know is that the Muppet reboot didn’t do anywhere near as well as was hoped. For no smart reason anyone can think of, our once universally-beloved puppets decided to get divisively partisan and it cost them on the box office and on the public relations front.
If things had gone as planned, there wouldn’t be speculation over a sequel — there would be a sequel. And I’ll bet that if there is a sequel, this time the Muppets bend over backwards to stay out of the culture and political wars.
—–
—–
LAST NIGHT’S SCREENING
Super Fly (1972) — So what’s to love about a cheap, poorly directed story that glorifies a New York City cocaine dealer? You can start with Curtis Mayfield’s iconic score, the gritty, on-location photography, and the iconic, super-cool presence of Ron O’Neal as our protagonist — a pusher man named Priest, who’s smart enough to grasp that you don’t live long in his business, and so he decides to do one last big deal and get the hell out.
Some have accused the film of glorifying drug dealers, and you can make that case. Priest is the anti-hero up against The Man — a drug dealing police department, where the corruption goes to the very top. The film is all about sticking it to The Man, and even I enjoy that element, but by accident or design “Super Fly” doesn’t try to pretend it’s something it’s not.
Priest is not a dupe and isn’t portrayed as one. He’s an intelligent, savvy, self-aware bad guy willing to put a friend’s wife out on “whore’s row” if he doesn’t pay up and, obviously, willing to pour poison into the streets of his own neighborhood.
At no time does the film try to justify that. On the other hand, at no time does the film show the wake of human destruction caused by those drugs. But do we have to see that to understand?
Perhaps, the reason I love the film is much simper than that. Maybe it’s Sheila Frazier in that bath tub.
—–
—–
COMING SOON TO HOME VIDEO
IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY: Featuring Both Authentic Language Theatrical and Never-Before-Seen English-Language Versions of the Film Available March 27th on Blu-ray™ + DVD Combo Pack
Get Both Versions Early on Digital and VOD – February 24th*
From Academy Award® winner Angelina Jolie (Best Supporting Actress, Girl, Interrupted, 1999) comes the acclaimed war drama IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY, available March 27th on Blu-ray™ + DVD Combo Pack from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Jolie makes her stunning directorial and screenwriting debut with this gripping tale of love and survival set against the backdrop of the Bosnian War. Nominated for a 2012 Golden Globe® Award for Best Foreign Language Film, IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY has been hailed by critics as “the starkest, most relentless film about war since Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket.” (David Ehrenstein, Quarterly Review of Film & Video). Now, movie fans can experience this riveting film with a Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack which includes two versions of the film -the authentic language film with English subtitles on the Blu-ray and the English language version featured on the DVD disc. Both versions of the film will arrive early on VOD and Digital on February 24th.
—–
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO: Nominated for Five Academy Awards® Including Best Actress and Starring Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Robin Wright, Stellan Skarsgård, Christopher Plummer and Joely Richardson. Available on Three-Disc Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD March 20th. Based on International Best-Selling Novel and Loaded With More Than Four Hours of Behind-the-Scenes Footage and Commentary.
The gripping, hard-edged thriller based on the first of Stieg Larsson’s suspenseful and spell-binding “Millennium” trilogy – arrives on one-disc DVD and three-disc Blu-ray™ Combo Pack (includes two Blu-ray discs with UltraViolet™ + one DVD) on March 20th. This highly anticipated motion picture from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment brings together an all-star ensemble cast led by Daniel Craig (James Bond franchise), Rooney Mara (The Social Network), Golden Globe® nominee Robin Wright (1994, Best Actress, Forrest Gump), Stellan Skarsgård (Thor), Golden Globe® winner Christopher Plummer (2012, Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role, Beginners) and Joely Richardson (TV’s “Nip/Tuck”).
—–
HAPPILY DIVORCED: All 10 Episodes from Season One, Plus Cast Interviews and More, Debut on DVD March 6, 2012, just Prior to the Season Two On-Air Premiere on TV Land on March 7th.
TV Land’s hilarious series “Happily Divorced” makes its DVD debut when the first season arrives in a two-disc set on March 6, 2012. Starring the irrepressible Fran Drescher.
The “Happily Divorced” Season One DVD is a two-disc set with 10 uproarious episodes, including the Director’s cut of the Series Premiere, plus interviews with the cast and creators, and behind-the-scenes featurettes with the wardrobe designer and theme song composers. Available for the suggested retail price of $21.99, the DVD arrives just in time for the second season premiere of “Happily Divorced” on TV Land on March 7th.
—–
—–
SCOTTDS’ EPIC LINKTACULAR
R.I.P. ACTOR DAVID KELLY; APPEARED IN “WAKING NED DEVINE” AND “CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY”
MICHAEL BAY CONFIRMS ‘TRANSFORMERS 4’ RELEASE DATE
“BEETLEJUICE” SEQUEL IN DEVELOPMENT WITH SCREENWRITER SETH GRAHAME-SMITH AND TIM BURTON
MICHAEL MANN TAKES ‘THE BIG STONE GRID’
A BRIEF LOOK BACK AT WHITNEY HOUSTON IN “THE BODYGUARD”
“GHOSTBUSTERS 3″: GOING AHEAD WITHOUT BILL MURRAY?
‘THE DARK KNIGHT RISES’ ROUND-UP
ARC ENTERTAINMENT ACQUIRES ROLAND EMMERICH’S LOW-BUDGET APOCALYPTIC TALE “HELL”
‘CSI’: GET A FIRST LOOK AT ELISABETH SHUE
JOHN STAMOS TO STAR IN FOX COMEDY PILOT “LITTLE BROTHER”
TOP 5 ANTI-VALENTINE’S DAY MOVIES
WHY “SPACE: 2099” WON’T BE A “DARK AND GRITTY” REBOOT
“TREE OF LIFE” WINS ASC CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARD
“FIREFLY”S KAYLEE AND OTHER FICTIONAL CRUSHES
TRUTV RENEWS ‘HARDCORE PAWN’ & ‘LIZARD LICK TOWING’, GREENLIGHTS ‘HARDCORE PAWN: FORT BRAGG’
VISIT THE REAL LIFE “STAR WARS” LOCATIONS IN TUNISIA
22 IMPRESSIVE MOVIE MONOLOGUES
KATE WINSLET IS REALLY FREAKED OUT BY ‘TITANIC 3-D‘
‘WALKING DEAD’ SETS BASIC CABLE DRAMA RECORD IN KEY DEMO
REMEMBERING EDDIE FOY AND “THE SEVEN LITTLE FOYS”
—–
—–
CLASSIC PICK FOR WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15
3:15 PM They Were Expendable (1945) — A Navy commander fights to prove the battle-worthiness of the PT boat at the start of World War II. Dir: John Ford Cast: Robert Montgomery, John Wayne, Donna Reed. BW-135 mins, TV-PG, CC.
One of the most exquisite pieces of heartache ever put on film.
—–
—–
Please send comments, suggestions and tips to jnolte@breitbart.com or Twitter @NolteNC.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.