The Top 10 Films of 2008

2008 was a wonderful year for movies. To celebrate tonight's Oscar ceremony, here are my picks for the top films of '08 (you can find my '07 list here).

Honorable Mentions (all great, but didn't quite make the list): In Bruges, The Wrestler, Milk, The Fall, Iron Man, Revolutionary Road, The Dark Knight, Waltz with Bashir, Kabluey, Burn After Reading.

Also, I didn't have time to see Frozen River, The Class or Wendy & Lucy, any/all of which may have made the top 10. Now then. Here we go:

10. The Reader

The Reader tells the story of a teenage boy and his secret affair with an older woman. At first. And then it takes a series of surprising turns, each of which deepen their relationships and our understanding of these characters. But none of it would work without Kate Winslet's beautifully layered performance, which anchors the film and gives it a hearty dose of emotional resonance. Deceptively complex and rich, and BONUS! - Lena Olin has two scenes as two different characters, the second of which is worth the price of admission alone.

9. Frost/Nixon

I'm not generally a fan of political anything, but Frost/Nixon is too compelling to pass up. Ron Howard wisely chose to eschew big name stars in the leads and went with Frank Langella as Richard Nixon and Michael Sheen as David Frost: the two men who played these roles in the stage play. This choice paid off in spades, as Langella and Sheen infuse these characters with an astounding level of detail and realism. It's an amazing acheivement that two hours of political talk manages to feel like a thriller.

8. Doubt

Sensing a theme? Another talky play-turned-film with riveting performances, Doubt asks many intruiging questions and provides few answers. This film ends up being a personality test of sorts: your answers to these questions say more about you than the movie. Add to the mix some of the finest actors of our generation, and tense direction by John Patrick Shanley (who also wrote the screenplay based on his original play) and you've got yourself a winner. Also, my buddy Ben worked on it!

7. Slumdog Millionaire

I was hesitant at first. As I watched each traumatic event batter these characters bloody, I considered checking out. But Slumdog won me over with its beautiful story of redemption and loss and television and poop swimming. You can't help but root for Dev Patel's sweet, naive protagonist. This movie is an incredible accomplishment: a gritty, disturbing foreign film that is also an uplifting crowd-pleaser. How did that happen? Oh right, cause Danny Boyle is a genius, and this is the biggest triumph of his amazing career.

6. Wall-E

Pixar is magic. Everybody knows it. But nobody was expecting Wall-E. Not content to follow the same old Pixar formula and rake in the dough, Andrew Stanton and his crew challenged themselves by doing away with cute talking animals, and centered this kids' movie on a garbage-recycling robot with very few facial features. In addition, the first 30 minutes contain nearly zero dialogue. It should have been a disaster, yet kids and adults alike were completely taken by this beautiful love story about machines, which also happens to be a legitimate cautionary sci-fi tale.

5. Happy Go Lucky

Poppy is unlike any movie character I've ever seen. She is an eternal optimist, full of joy and naivete. And ten minutes into Happy Go Lucky, I had already fallen completely in love with her. Of course, being a Mike Leigh movie, she still lives in working class London, surrounded by volatile timebombs like her new driving instructor, played brilliantly by Eddie Marsan. There's no plot per se, but it's fascinating to watch Poppy interact with the cynical world around her and learn why she is who she is. This is truly a feel-good movie, and had me on a high for days.

4. The Visitor

From the director of The Station Agent, comes a similarly heartfelt, detailed character study. It focuses on a complacent college professor and his re-awakening to life, inspired by a chance meeting with a stranger. Richard Jenkins is a one of our best character actors, but he shines here in a rare (now Oscar-nominated) leading role. Despite dealing with some heavy political post-9/11 themes, the movie's tone is sweet and gentle and gorgeously life-affirming. This is the kind of movie some people call "little" ("a nice little indie"), but that just means they're not paying attention to all the meticulously observed details. It's already on DVD, and you owe yourself to seek this one out.

3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

You may be surprised to see this so high on my list. I'm aware that a lot of people don't like this movie, calling it cliche, overlong, a Forrest Gump ripoff, etc. While it does tread some Gumpy ground (and is unfortunately from the same writer -- maybe he needs to try something new), it is also full of emotional resonance, captivating performances, remarkable visual effects and sharp direction from David Fincher, from whom this kind of romantic story is a complete surprise. Yes, Benjamin Button is a passive character; a blank slate of sorts, but that's partially the point. Even this blank slate deeply effects the lives of every person he meets.

2. Rachel Getting Married

I was not an Anne Hathaway fan. Consider me a convert. Hathaway's Kym is a ragged ball of misplaced anger, neediness and tension. Watching her, you can't help but oscillate between empathizing and cringing. Shot like a home movie, with the musical score provided only by on-site musicians, Jonathan Demme makes us feel like guests at this wedding, and by the end, we truly feel like we know every member of this family, and love them despite their faults. Propelled by a powerful ensemble cast (including Rosemarie Dewitt, who I have a huge crush on), this is one wedding I actually want to relive.

1. Synecdoche, New York

This movie is a foolishly ambitious dream about foolishly ambitious dreams. Everything about this film is a risk, except for the lineup, which was pulled straight from my dreams: the cast features Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Emily Watson, Hope Davis and Samantha Morton. It is written and directed by Charlie Kaufman (one of the greatest screenwriters of all-time), and scored by Jon Brion (who I am slowly trying to become). The film centers on theatre director Caden Cotard (played by Hoffman), and his life-long quest to capture truth in art. This may sound like a simple setup, but it grows increasingly surreal and complicated, until Caden is building sets the size of New York City (literally) and begins hiring actors to play the actors playing the actors. It's all incredibly meta and incredibly brilliant. Oh also, it's hilarious. Granted, it's a very very dark brand of humor, but I laughed for nearly the entire length of the movie, unaware it was simultaneously breaking my heart, until the end when the laughs slowly tapered off. The control of tone here is astounding. But it wouldn't be at the top of my list if this movie didn't have a huge heart, and Kaufman recognizes that everyone, deep down, wants to be seen and known. The title is a play on Schenectady, New York (where it takes place) and the word "synecdoche," which means "a part representing the whole, and the whole representing a part." As the end credits play, a woman sings, "I'm just a little person, one person in a sea, of many little people, who are not aware of me." Unlike Caden, Charlie Kaufman's foolishly ambitious dreams have been realized, and we are all better for it.

A Handmade Horror Movie for Children

I've always been a sucker for creepy kids movies. As a kid, I loved Beetlejuice, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, The Nightmare Before Christmas... So of course, I adored Coraline, which I saw in 3D last night. Most kids movies nowadays have become incredibly watered-down with scatological humor and celebrity talking animals, but this movie remembers that kids have an attention span, and that they like to be a little scared, within the safe confines of a movie.

Button Your Eyes

This is my favorite Coraline trailer, which focuses more on how it was made than on the movie itself.

Synecdoche, New York

Just got back from seeing "Synecdoche, New York," Charlie Kaufman's new film. This time he directed it too. I'm a huge Kaufman fan (Eternal Sunshine is an all-time favorite) but I didn't expect to love this one as much as I did. Incredible cast plus music by Jon Brion (BONUS!) Phillip Seymour Hoffman, as usual, is lovely and sad and real.

This ambitious, surreal movie takes "meta" to a whole new level. Hysterically funny while deeply heartbreaking and thoughtful; this is by far my favorite film of the year so far. I'm going to be thinking about it for weeks. You owe it to yourself to seek this one out.

Strangers - Better Than Expected

So I saw The Strangers. And it was good. Very much a throwback to the 70's. In horror terms, that's a wonderful thing.

I don't even know how you could criticize it. It's a movie about people running around a house. That's all it intends to be. Running through the living room, running to the storage shed, running to the bathroom (well, okay, there's wasn't a whole lot of running to the bathroom). And after an elegant fifteen minute setup, every second of it is suspenseful. Can you expect any more than that?

Much of it's brilliance was due to the magnificently creepy sound design/score by tomandandy. There was a gorgeous, creaky cello cue that repeated a few times. I was very excited to find, during the credits, that this fantastic, featured cello part was played by Jessica Catron, who also played on my High Cost of Living album. Go Jessica!

Music Video? Film Shoot? Ummm, Hello?

Some of you have inquired as to why I haven't written about certain film and video shoots as of late. I'm currently waiting to find out how much I'm allowed to talk about. While I want to share the whole shebang with you, I also don't want to endanger my job in any way. Patience please, and perhaps I can bring you that news soon.

Strangers - Addendum

The reviews are in. And they're overwhelmingly mediocre. And I can't even pretend to be surprised.

Strangers, Do Behave!

I'm intrigued by the trailers for the upcoming film, The Strangers.



This trailer isn't that good, but it hints at the possibility of something good.

And anyone who knows me, knows I'm a sucker for a good horror film. Horror movies are great way to observe and understand our fears, personally and as a culture, from big things like xenophobia and terrorism down to little things like walking alone at night.

It has always been my theory that you really can't go wrong with a horror movie. If it's amazing, and has layers and says something interesting/innovative, well then, fantastic, you've got a new classic on your hands. If it's terrible, oozing cheesy special effects and bad acting all over the place, then a fun evening is still had by all.

Or this used to be my theory.

While there have been a few absolute horror gems in recent years (The Descent immediately springs to mind - see it right away if you haven't), with the advent of affordable CGI for all and a general surge in the popularity of horror movies - leading to bigger budgets, the bad movies have gotten better. And I feel that this is not a good thing. Now our bad horror movies exist in that middle ground, where they are too schlocky to be good, but not schlocky enough to be complete camp. As a viewer, these movies just bore me to tears: the last thing a horror movie should ever do. Gore is not, in and of itself, interesting or amusing. We need something more.

I submit examples like last year's The Mist (which I just saw last night) as well as the countless "Dead Teenager" movies like Final Destination, Turistas, Urban Legend, etc etc ad nauseum. These are basically all the same film. Just plug in some variables (change the setting, tweak the monster, etc), rinse and repeat. At least The Mist tried to add some political intrigue to make things interesting, though it failed miserably.

And don't even get me started on the new subgenre of "torture porn" that's become increasingly popular, with films like Hostel, Saw and Captivity building tension only through the slow dismemberment of its attractive casts, with nothing resembling plot, characters or even ideas anywhere in sight.

It's not that I'm confused as to why these movies are made. Most of the bad movies I mentioned have become successful franchises at this point, with the Saw series already on part four. They do well, because audiences just like to be scared in a dark room and see people get chopped up. America's bloodlust cannot be sated. I just think people don't know what they're missing. I mean, what about suspense?

I'm not opposed to gore. Just say something interesting. The French film, High Tension, was extremely, extreeeemly gory, but it was the intense, twisted story that left me with something to really think about afterwards.

At this point, the market has become so oversaturated with mediocrity that when a scary movie looks like it could be good, like it might actually be doing something unusual, I really get my hopes up. It's rare for any of these movies to live up to their trailers, but when they do, I completely lose it. When I saw The Host (an incredible monster movie/political satire from a few years back), I raved to anyone and everyone who would listen for weeks on end. I literally forced my friends to watch The Descent, practically holding them hostage in my theater. And when I see a movie like 2007's The Orphanage, that is scary and atmospheric but also has a huge amount of depth and heart, I get a high that lasts for quite a while. Interestingly, The Host is South Korean, The Descent is British and The Orphanage is Spanish. It would seem that everybody knows how to make a good scary movie but us Americans.

So. The Strangers. Comes out tomorrow. Could go either way. Looks like it could say some really interesting things about our society, and how we feel so unrealistically safe in our little lockbox houses. Or it could just be Funny Games with masks. And those masks look like they'll be scary for all of two minutes. It also looks like it might be a straight remake of the French film, Them (2006). So that's already one strike against it. And Liv Tyler makes two.

Please be scary. Please be interesting. I beg of you. Win one for the Americans!

Oscar Predictions

The Oscars are my favorite awards ceremony. The Grammys have very little to do with actual art, and the Golden Globes are basically a popularity contest. So I get very excited when this time of year comes around.

Here are my predictions (for just the four major categories). Let's see how close I get.

Best Actor
Daniel Day Lewis - There Will Be Blood

Best Actress
Ellen Page - Juno

Best Director
The Coen Brothers - No Country for Old Men

Best Picture
No Country for Old Men

Of course, I would be pleasantly surprised if Juno just won everything. I can dream, can't I?

Unfortunately, I won't be able to see the Oscars for a few days. I've Tivo'd them and I'll see them when I get home. Have fun all y'all at your various parties tonight!

Re-assimilating

It's been really hard to settle back into a routine since I've been home. I was all excited to be in one place, waking up in the same bed, that I just sort of assumed I'd be able to get back on a schedule. But I've been working a lot, and not sleeping much.

I did feel a little better today, because Samantha forced me to drink a nasty warm maple syrup tea with lots of spicy cayenne pepper and lemon. Disgusting, but just as she said, it picked me right up and took away my congestion. Good thing, too, cause we had a lot to get done today.

We spent the day shooting some host segments for the TV show. We'll be going live with our very first episode at South By Southwest next month, so we've got a limited time to create and edit the pre-taped segments.

I have a nice yard in the back of my house that doubles as a park, an alley, a zen garden, an orchard and a patio. It will be heavily featured.

Tonight, I spent several hours editing interview footage we shot last August of Inara George (The Bird and the Bee) and Mike Andrews (Donnie Darko), at the Bessie Smith tribute. Good stuff, and you'll see it soon.

But right now, I'm exhausted. I need to rest up for my bright and early appointment with the doctor.

Ben and the Three Day Birthday

I realize I've been a little lax about blogging lately. But I have an excuse. My good buddy Ben Pedersen's birthday was this week. And I'm a firm believer in celebrating birthdays at length.

Day Before the Birthday

Ben and I were hanging out, watching a terrible old horror movie called "Popcorn," which I highly recommend to lovers of bad movies. The movie ended and it was 11pm. We were thinking of what to do next? Should we play a video game? Watch another movie?

It occurred to Ben that he only had one more hour in his twenties. So I asked him, "what's something crazy you've never done before?"

All he could think of was "streaking." "But," he said, "nobody would even care if I did that in L.A."

So I asked him, "is there a place you've always wanted to go, but never gone?"

He thought for awhile, and said, "The Bonaventure Hotel downtown has a revolving restaurant with a view of the whole city."

So we hopped in the car and drove downtown, hoping to get a drink in his hand by midnight.

The Starbucks in the lobby was pretty packed for late at night.

We took the elevator up to the 53rd floor.

Ben got a drink just in time, and we celebrated the 30 year milestone in style, spinning around L.A. At this point, I was actually pretty sick, and was feeling a little spacy and weightless, so the fact that we were spinning (albeit at a slow speed) made me feel much more drunk than Ben.

Day of the Birthday

Ben invited several of his closest friends to the Gaucho Grill in Brentwood. It was wonderful to catch up with people he and I both haven't seen in ages.

He introduced me to Moe and Starla, with whom he's currently working on the film "Deadland Dreaming." He knew that Moe was Mr. Hollywood Film and that I am Mr. Indie Film. He knew that worlds would collide. He knew that we're both opinionated people.

But he didn't know what he was getting into.

Ben was hoping we would just talk about Oscar politics. Instead, we got into a big discussion about "I Am Legend," "Crash," and "Gladiator," all movies I don't really like, but Moe loves. Granted, no punches were thrown, and it wasn't really even heated, but Ben was really hoping we would talk about anything other than "Crash" (sensitive subject). Hey, I didn't bring it up.

After the meal, we had a last late night round of drinks at the Ritz Carlton in Marina Del Rey.

L. to R. - Josh Lai, Ryan Linehan, Ben, me, Jan Stolpe, Andrea Stolpe

Day After the Birthday

I had set up a big surprise evening for Ben. All I told him was that he had to bring a photo ID, he couldn't wear flip flops, a hat, or light colors, and that it was a very exclusive invitation-only event.

He was very curious.

We drove downtown, and he was narrowing things down. "It's probably not a movie if it's downtown...", etc. We got into a line outside of a cathedral. I told the people in front of and behind us in the line not to say anything about what we were seeing.

Then we waited out in the cold for nearly an hour. That part...not so great.

We got into the cathedral, and Ben could see cameras on big cranes, and of course, the big Grey-Goose-Vodka-sponsored bar. I told him, "We might end up on film." Now he was really confused.

I bumped into my friend Bobby, AKA incredible singer/songwriter Big Phony. Small world. I also saw G4 host and writer for Film Threat, Chris Gore.

After another hour of waiting in the bar, they herded us into the main hall of the cathedral, which was all lit up with orange and green lights, with a marquee over the top that said "Artists' Den."

Ben was still in the dark. And I was amazed that no one had ruined the surprise yet.

And out came Aimee Mann. Ben was thrilled. She performed about five or six songs from her upcoming album, "Smilers," which is due out in April. Great stuff. And she also played "You're With Stupid Now," "Amateur," "Goodbye Caroline," "Save Me," "Wise Up," and "Today's The Day."

She had a little bit of a cold, and had to stop in the middle of a song a couple times. This made me feel a little better. If Aimee could do it, than I wouldn't feel so bad at my show if I had to stop.

It was a brilliant night, and Ben was completely surprised. They were filming it for the new Artists' Den show on the Ovation network, which debuted that same night with a Crowded House episode. The Aimee Mann episode will premiere March 23rd. Look for us in the audience.

Oh also, "Smilers" is gonna be great.

WOOHOOOOOO!

Our little 3D movie grossed approximately $29 million over the weekend, in only 683 theatres! This is insane. We were the #1 movie in America. It is already reported to be the highest-grossing 3D film ever released!

Disney is now rolling the movie out into even more theatres.

Non sequiters

More video on the way. I've been having lots of fun going through the pics and videos I took on the tour, and it's nice to know that you guys are enjoying them too.

In completely unrelated news, I was stunned to hear that a big-screen version of the cancelled TV show, "Arrested Development," is currently in the works. I could cry. Story here.

Tonight, I went to the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater here in Hollywood with Ben and Samantha. The hilarious Jeff Garlin (Curb Your Enthusiasm) does stand-up there every Sunday for $1! It doesn't get any better than that. Jeff and friends Nicole Parker and Mark Marin workshopped new material and we laughed our little lungs out.

It's so good to be home. I feel so calm and rested and on my way to finally shaking this weird flu/cold/bronchitis thing.

Lest I forget their creepy omnipresence in my neighborhood, a coyote slunk down the sidewalk as I got home tonight. It glared at me. Like a warning. Oh yeah, I forgot. They own this place.

Coming To A Theater Near You!

You can see me and the entire Hannah Montana cast in the upcoming "Best of Both Worlds" tour movie, coming February 1st to Digital 3D and IMAX theaters across the country! With additional behind the scenes footage, and closeups of all your favorite band members, in 3D!

This movie is the first to use brand new state of the art digital 3D technology. I saw a tech demo of it, and let me tell you, it's gonna blow some minds and melt some faces. This is 3D that won't give you a cross-eyed headache. The colors, the definition, EVERYTHING about it knocked me senseless. You are gonna love it.

Here's a preview:



Thanks to my readers for the heads-up on this.

Top Ten Films of 2007

It was a year of greatness. It was also a year of surprisingly mainstream nihilism. While I liked some of it ("No Country for Old Men" and "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" were both very well-crafted) and I hated some of it (PT Anderson's "There Will Be Blood" was a bleak disappointment), the films that ended up on this list seem to live at the other end of the spectrum. The happy end. These are the movies I enjoyed the most this year.

1. Juno
A sweet, funny movie full of warmth, with characters of increasing depth. Featuring sharp writing and winning performances by Ellen Page and the entire ensemble cast, Juno is life-affirming without being cloying. One of the best movies of this, or any other year.

2. Paris Je T'aime
A collection of 18 short films by some of the best directors in the world, including The Coen Brothers, Alexander Payne, Gus Van Sant and Tom Tykwer, and featuring an amazing cast, including Juliette Binoche, Steve Buscemi, Gena Rowlands, Elijah Wood and Emily Mortimer. Sure, some of the shorts are better than others (several are brilliant and one is a complete disaster), but they only last six minutes each, and they add up to something magical. One of my favorite theatrical experiences in years. Just watching the trailer makes me cry now.

3. Knocked Up
Hilarious from start to finish, but with far more heart then these kind of movies usually have. Sharply says lots of uncomfortably true things about marriage and relationships. Judd Apatow has proven to be Hollywood's King Midas, and this year was particularly good to him. This movie works equally well as entertainment and character study, and holds up well to repeat viewing. Go Judd!

4. Grindhouse
Two great films from two of our greatest directors. Tarantino and Rodriguez put together an amazing theatrical experience. A joyous, blood-soaked excursion through 70's-era splatter films. I'm so upset to hear that they're only releasing the two films separately on DVD, and that the incredible experience I had in the theater will not be duplicated at home. Boo.

5. Superbad
Judd strikes again! Somehow, even funnier than Knocked Up, with hysterical performances from Jonah Hill and the dependable Michael Cera. And in true Judd fashion, there's a lot of heart underneath the constant barrage of jokes, making this teenage gross-out film fun for everyone.

6. Once
A reinvention of the movie musical. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova star as singer/songwriters and in reality, they wrote and performed all the songs for the film. Sure, some people may find it a bit slow, but for those with patience, this is a rewarding and emotional film with an unforgettable soundtrack.

7. The Host
South Korea's biggest hit of all time, The Host is a quirky little monster movie with something to say. Truly different than anything we could/would ever make in the US. Scary, funny, sad and clever, and filled with great special effects. Seek this one out.

8. Michael Clayton
A challenging, mature thriller featuring a riveting lead performance by George Clooney. Eschewing shots of adrenaline, the movie is fueled by tension and layered characters. Tilda Swinton and Tom Wilkinson are both heartbreaking in juicy roles. I was sad when this one ended.

9. Hairspray/Enchanted/Sweeney Todd - tie
2007 was a good year for the movie musical, and these three films were all great examples of why I love this genre. "Hairspray" cast its optimistic glow on the 50's and was a sugary sweet re-imagining of John Waters' classic. "Enchanted" was far more fun than it ever should have been, due in great part to Amy Adams charismatic performance in the lead role. And "Sweeney Todd" proved that musicals can be dark, gory thrill rides, too.

10. Waitress
Let's get this straight: I'm not a fan of Keri Russell. In fact, I usually can't stand her. But she was lovely in this sweet little slice of arthouse film. It was written by Adrienne Shelly, who was actually murdered in her apartment in NY only six months before the film's release. It's a shame she isn't around to enjoy the acclaim she's deservedly receiving. Waitress is beautifully photographed, fun and a gentle romantic-comedy for these hard times we're living in. And it will make you hungry for pie.

I Don't Mean To Say I Told You So, But...

That movie that I was raving about in July, Juno, has finally been released in theaters, and it's getting rave reviews from everyone with a pulse. It currently has a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. Seek it out. You won't be disappointed.

I can't imagine anyone not loving this movie. It's got something for everyone.

Ellen, Miley's makeup artist, happens to be a member of the Academy, and she lent us her Juno DVD screener so we could watch it on the bus. For two reasons:

1. Candice happens to be in it. She's hilarious.
2. Ellen knew the whole band would love it. And love it they did.

It's probably the only thing we all agree on.

James and John Part Two

So it turns out, the other night after my little run-in with John C. Reilly, Jaime ended up hanging out with him in his hotel room along with band members Mike Viola, formerly of the Candy Butchers (of whom I'm also a big fan) and Inara George (who we just interviewed for the Samantha Murphy Show in August). Small world. Apparently, they're touring as a band, promoting the Judd Apatow-produced movie "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" (which I saw back in July - funny stuff).

Why do I always miss the good parties? Oh right, cause I go to bed early.

Funny Games 2: The Return (AKA We're Out Of Ideas)

In addition to Sleuth, Michael Haneke is remaking his own film, "Funny Games." The original is a tense classic that makes a very powerful statement. It still holds up extremely well, as it only came out only ten years ago. Now, granted his filmmaking has changed quite a bit in those ten years and I'm sure this version will be different, perhaps better. Also, the last one didn't feature any names, and this one features Naomi Watts, Michael Pitt and Tim Roth.

But I can't imagine, in ten years, completely retreading the entirety of my "High Cost of Living" album. I've already made that statement. It's out there for anyone who wants to hear it. Isn't it time for me to make a new statement?

Why would Michael Haneke, an incredible filmmaker, duplicate his own film? I mean, they're even using a blueprint of the original set to make sure the new one has identical dimensions! The producers have stated they're remaking it shot for shot. (That worked so well when Gus Van Sant did it with Psycho -- booooo). Haneke says, "Localization is required to fully understand the Funny Games experience." Heaven forbid we be exposed to another culture, or get to know some new actors. Why do this? Oh right, money.

I get it, it's the American remake. That wonderful new tradition. Are people really so stupid that they can't watch a ten year old movie from Germany? Read a few subtitles? Oh really, they are? Could they watch an English dub, then? Do we really have to reshoot the entire thing just for these idiots? Oh really, we do? Fantastic.

Why don't we remake Paris Je T'aime already then? And it can take place in Chicago. And the segments will be directed by Brett Ratner and Michael Bay. And no one with an IQ over 15 can get into the theater.

Let's just have a moment of silence for all the terrible American remakes of great foreign films, with watered-down themes and missing subtext:

Open Your Eyes - Vanilla Sky
Spoorloos - The Vanishing
Les Diaboliques - Diabolique
Ringu - The Ring
Shall We Dance
Mostly Martha - No Reservations
Godzilla
Honoguarai Mizu No Soko Kara - Dark Water
Insomnia
Ju-On - The Grudge

And there are so many more. Let us mourn.

Sleuth 2: The Return

They're remaking "Sleuth." Michael Caine is starring in it again, but this time with Jude Law. And this time Michael is playing the older role previously played by Lawrence Olivier. (A strange aside: this is the second Michael Caine film to be remade, the first being "Alfie," with Jude Law in the original Michael Caine role). Harold Pinter's adapting the screenplay and Kenneth Branaugh's directing.

Sounds like a great lineup. But the question remains: why do this? The original was wonderful. And wasn't there already a remake? And wasn't it called "Deathtrap?" And didn't it kinda suck?

These are all people capable of great things, so why not get together and make a great original thing?

All that said, I'll probably go see it. So I guess that answers that.

Juno

From time to time, I am fortunate enough to be part of a test audience for an unfinished feature film. I've seen some pretty amazing movies, like "About Schmidt" and "Stranger Than Fiction," and some clunkers, like "Darkness Falls" and "Slither." But if I get to see a movie for free, a year before it comes out, I don't care if it's good or not.

Last night, Samantha Murphy and I went to see an upcoming film called Juno. It stars the ridiculously talented Ellen Page (who caught everyone's attention with her shocking performance in "Hard Candy" last year). She's even better in this, as a high school junior with an unexpected pregnancy. It also stars the hysterical Jason Bateman and Michael Cera (both of Arrested Development), Jennifer Garner, Allison Janney and Rainn Wilson (who's oddly in just one scene). It was directed by Jason Reitman, who also made "Thank You For Smoking," which was one of my favorites last year.

There's no release date set, but it's being released by Fox Searchlight, and you MUST go see it. It's a miracle of a movie. It's like a hug. I enjoyed every single second of it. The tone was special. It reminded me a bit of "Little Miss Sunshine," the combination of edgy dark humor and sweetness, but it was a true original, from the first frame. I can't wait for this film's release, cause I wanna see it again! Keep your eyes open.

Also, next month marks the release of "Superbad." Nic and I saw it back in March and it's hilarious. The trailers make it look mildly amusing but I promise you it's a riot from start to finish. It (just like Juno) features the impossibly funny Michael Cera. It's even better than "Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle." Go see it.

Thus ends the movie raving and excess linkage.