February 2013 Poll Recap

In honor of the 85th annual Academy Awards, my February 2013 poll question of the month asked, "Who will win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor". A hefty 46% of voters threw their weight behind Tommy Lee Jones from the supposed Oscar-juggernaut Lincoln. Although a majority of voters were wrong, the true winner, a well-deserved Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained), was the runner up in voting with 23%. Just to illustrate how tight of a race most of us anticipated it to be, Robert De Niro (Silver Linings Playbook) and Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master) closed out the voting with about 15% a piece.

In half-hearted honor of 2013's enormous amount of franchise sequels, be sure to check out and vote for March's poll question of the month (located in the top right-hand corner of the page) which asks, "What is the best sequel of all time".

The Conjuring and Eden Trailers

If you head to the movie theatre in July to see the highly anticipated horror film, The Conjuring, you may wanna remember to bring a "clean pair of shorts". Director James Wan (Saw and Insidious) brings us another supernatural horror story about evil spirits haunting a family in their New England home. Sound famliar? Although the premise is clearly nothing groundbreaking, perhaps a cast including Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air), Patrick Wilson (Young Adult) and Lili Taylor (Public Enemies) will spark your interest. Check out the trailer for The Conjuring below.





The 2012 South by Southwest Film Festival's Audience Award winner was none other than Megan Griffiths own Eden. Telling the real life story of a Korean-American teenager who was kidnapped and forced into prostitution by domestic human traffickers, Eden has been heralded as a riveting and emotional journey into an unfathomable underworld. This eye-opening tale of survival stars Jamie Chung (The Hangover Part II) and Beau Bridges (The Descendants) . Check out the trailer for Eden below.

21 and Over

Film: 21 and Over

Starring: Miles Teller (Project X), Skylar Astin (Pitch Perfect) and Justin Chon (Twilight)

Directors: Jon Lucas and Scott Moore

U.S. Release: March 1st, 2013 (Rated R)

Genre: Comedy

Runtime: 93 minutes


First-time directors Jon Lucas and Scott Moore are anything but amateurs. Best known as being the writers of the smash hit comedy The Hangover, the duo have written a fair share of other well known comedies such as The Change-Up and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. But this time out, Lucas and Moore have settled comfortably into their director chairs for this weekend's release 21 and Over. Unfortunately for the screenwriters and directors, 21 and Over is far from genius of The Hangover.

Jeff Chang (played by Justin Chon) seemingly has it all. Attending an Ivy League school and fast on the path to becoming a doctor, Chang's best friends from high school, Miller and Casey (played by Miles Teller and Skylar Austin), pay him a surprise visit on his 21st birthday. Refusing to go out because of an important medical school exam the next morning, Miller won't take "no" for an answer. What's suppose to begin as an innocent night out turns into a wild tale of obscene debauchery.

Attempting to recapture the glory from their part in the 2009 hit The Hangover, Jon Lucas and Scott Moore stir up a frothy beverage of a similar taste. In retrospect, there's far too many similarities between the pair's newest effort 21 and Over and their previous blackout blockbuster. Although the wolfpack's outrageous journeys have them retracing their steps from a forgotten evening, Chang's drunken and indistinguishable sounds leave his best friends on a quest to remember where he lives. Following the smallest of clues possible, the trio embark on an uncontrollable night of humiliation and embarrassment. While 21 and Over has no shortage of laughs, the jokes are unoriginal and extremely short-lived. In addition to a lack of well written humor, the movie relies on the most over-the-top situations imaginable to elicit laughter from the audience. Shock-humor has become the latest craze and its flavor has quickly soured. Therefore, 21 and Over becomes just another example of ineffective modern day comedies.

Although no one will confuse 21 and Over for anything other than the comedy that it is, Lucas and Moore force-feed a handful of dramatic subplots into their feature. Every instance of banter about "people changing" and "lost friendship" illustrate just how indecisive the entire final product feels. Lost somewhere within the story themselves, writers/directors Jon Lucas and Scott Moore fail to properly blend their dramatic themes with the film's immature and outlandish comedic aspects. Once again reiterating that 21 and Over is an unfortunate swing and miss.

If you can find joy in the simple and thoughtless shock-value that has imprisoned the genre of comedy over the past five years, then 21 and Over will be a suitable movie experience for you. However, I pine for the carefully crafted and well written jokes from earlier 21st century classics such as Wedding Crashers and The 40 Year Old Virgin. If you happen to feel the same way that I do, then you should definitely take a pass on Friday's release 21 and Over.


Stars: 1 and a half stars out of 4

Grade: C-

2013 Oscars Recap

The prolonged awards season run came to an anti-climactic resolve at yesterday evening's 85th annual Academy Awards Ceremony. Despite host Seth MacFarlane's best efforts, the extravaganza proved to be far too long and completely underwhelming. As for the winners, there were some no-brainers (Daniel Day-Lewis & Anne Hathaway) and some surprises (Ang Lee and Christoph Waltz). But all in all, the Academy did a commendable job getting most of the selections right! However, now that 2012's phenomenal year in cinema has come and gone, it will always hold a special place in movie history. Congrats to all the winners (including my top film of the year, Argo, which took home Best Picture) and better luck next time to all of the runner-ups. For a complete list of winners, please click here (courtesy of IMDB.com). Here's a shortened list in some of winners in the more prominent races:

BEST PICTURE - Argo

BEST DIRECTOR - Ang Lee (Life of Pi)

BEST ACTOR - Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)

BEST ACTRESS - Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY - Chris Terrio (Argo)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY - Quentin Tarantino (Django Unchained)

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE - Brave

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM - Amour

***Congrats to our 2013 Oscar Pool Winner: "leftysrevenge" who picked 19/24 correct and won by tie-breaker in a very close finish (the tie-breaker was picking the exact time that the Best Picture award would be announced). Thanks to everyone for playing!

2013 Oscar Predictions

With the Super Bowl of awards season just three short days away, I decided to throw my hat in the ring, once again, by giving my 2013 Oscar Predictions. Although the 85th annual Academy Awards finally air on Sunday February 24th at 7pm, I've spent the past few months tracking each of these 10 major races and their wide array of likely outcomes. Some of these categories have been locked up for a long time coming, while others have been running in ever-changing races that are sure to result in some photo finishes. Either way, here are my 2013 Oscar Predictions:

Best Picture - Argo

After stunning us all by sweeping everything from the BAFTA's to your mother's kitchen floor, Argo went from being trapped in Lincoln's shadow to the undisputed frontrunner in the Academy Award's Best Picture race. Barring a long shot by Steven Spielberg's biopic, Argo has set itself up as the safest bet in a crowded nine-picture field.

Best Director - Steven Spielberg (Lincoln)

Assuming enough Academy members don't rebel and cast write-in votes for the snubbed, but extremely deserving, Ben Affleck, I think it's almost a foregone conclusion that Steven Spielberg will walk away from the evening with his third Best Director win from the Academy. While some may view Ang Lee (Life of Pi) as a darkhorse contender, truth be told, this race has Spielberg's name all over it. 

Best Actor - Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)

In a race that appears to have been decided the moment Daniel Day-Lewis signed on to play Abraham Lincoln a little over two years ago, you might as well take all of your life savings and possessions and go to Vegas with this pick. Clearly etched in stone, Daniel Day-Lewis carries this year's most nominated film, Lincoln, squarely on his shoulders.

Best Actress - Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)

This year's Best Actress race has felt like an open battle all along. After receiving an amazing reception at its Toronto International Film Festival premiere, Silver Linings Playbook star Jennifer Lawrence instantly went to the front of the line. However, Zero Dark Thirty's Jessica Chastain burst onto the scene in late December making this competition a lot more interesting. Less than two months later and Chastain's flavor has soured, but Amour's 85 year old Emmanuelle Riva (who celebrates her 86th birthday on Oscar night) has gained an enormous amount of steam placing her right in the thick of things. But caught in a very tight race, I still believe that Lawrence has the slight edge over the rest of the field.

Best Supporting Actor - Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln)

Much like the Best Actress race, the Best Supporting Actor category has prognosticators all over the world scratching their heads and rethinking their careers. Although most people have thrown in the towel on Alan Arkin's (Argo) chances of winning, this is still anyone's game. Based on such a lofty number of nominations, I am giving the advantage to Lincoln's own Tommy Lee Jones by the smallest of margins. Admittedly, I'd much rather see a win for a more deserving contender such as Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained), I sense that Jones could be the benefactor of a widely regarded and completely well acted film.

Best Supporting Actress - Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past two months, you should know by now that the Best Supporting Actress category has been spoken for since we first heard Anne Hathaway's heartbreaking rendition of Les Miserables' "I Dreamed a Dream". Standing out in a field that's clearly a step below her, Hathaway joins Daniel Day-Lewis in the "sure-thing" ranks. Here's another race that feels all too pre-determined, and the winner is ... Anne Hathaway.

My other 2013 Oscar Picks:

Best Original Screenplay - Amour

Best Adapted Screenplay - Argo

Best Foreign Language Film - Amour

Best Animated Feature Film - Wreck-It Ralph

*** Here are my selections, but feel free to comment below and chime in with your own picks. Also remember to sign up for my FREE OSCAR POOL that will give a free $25 Regal Gift Card to the winner.

DVD Outlook: February 2013

As we buckle up for the February ride to the Oscars, many nominated films tend to find their DVD releases in the calendar year's shortest month. Attempting to maximize buzz by reaching as wide of an audience as possible before the big dance, I've got plenty of Oscar-nominated suggestions and even some lesser known titles definitely worth checking out.




Argo - 4 stars out of 4 (Read my full review here)

Needing absolutely no introduction whatsoever is director Ben Affleck's masterpiece Argo. The Academy Award Best Picture Nominee and confident frontrunner to win the big prize follows a CIA exfiltration specials named Tony Mendez who helped develop a covert operation to rescue six Americans taking shelter in the Canadian Ambassador's residence during the 1979 Iranian Hostage Crisis. As my favorite film of the year, Argo perfectly blends together all the elements of classic Hollywood films such as drama, suspense and comic relief. For pure entertainment value and quality filmmaking, Argo is a must-see movie by any stretch of the imagination.




The Sessions - 4 stars out of 4 (Read my full review here)

When I throw some of my lesser known recommendations into the ring, such as Ben Lewin's emotional and touching drama The Sessions, I can only hope that these films are given the full attention they deserve. Receiving an Oscar-Nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category (Helen Hunt), The Sessions tells the remarkable real life story of Mark O'Brien (played by John Hawkes), a 38 year old polio-stricken writer who wishes to experience sex before he passes from this earth. This emotionally charged and often hilarious film addresses the taboo topic of sex with an enormous amount of heart. Landing in the #4 spot on my Top Ten Films of 2012, The Sessions is independent filmmaking at its finest.




Flight - 3 stars out of 4 (Read my full review here)

Forrest Gump director, Robert Zemeckis, returned in 2012 with his Oscar-Nominated film Flight starring Denzel Washington. Flight tells of the ugly side of substance abuse addiction as a plane's malfunction forces a pilot to attempt a daring landing that ultimately saves dozens of lives. However, during the investigation we discover that the pilot was impaired at the time of the flight. Stirring up a smorgasbord of emotions, Flight has its flaws but ultimately succeeds on the back of its talented leading star and an eye-opening journey of redemption.




Robot & Frank - 3 stars out of 4 (Read my full review here)

Although it failed to receive an Academy Award Nomination, Robot & Frank is an award-winning indie film from the extremely crowded 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Set in the near future, Frank Langella stars as an aging con-man who spent years in prison for his crimes. But in the twilight of his life, Frank's son purchases the latest model robot to help aid his father with everyday tasks like cooking, cleaning and physical exercise. Yet, instead of using the robot for its intended purposes, Frank teaches the machine how to crack a safe. The two friends put their talents to work and embark on a jewel heist that lands local law enforcement on their trail. Heartfelt and flat out fun, Robot & Frank is clearly one of 2012's Most Underrated Movies.


HONORABLE MENTION: If there was ever a month to sit in and rent some movies, it's this one. Catering to all the horror fans out there, you can't go wrong with the insanely demonic Sinister starring Ethan Hawke. But if horror isn't your cup of tea, perhaps the coming of age film The Perks of Being a Wallflower might be your thing. The film tells of a teenager's transition to high school life after the suicide of his best friend. Despite possibly being the only person on the planet to find the newest James Bond film to be completely mediocre, it's worth noting that Skyfall is also available on DVD this month. Action fans will definitely want to sign up for Sam Mendes' vision of the Bond franchise.

REMINDER: FREE OSCAR POOL

If you've spent a large portion of the year watching new release after new release, then here's your chance to show your knowledge. My friend Greg and I are offering a FREE $25 Regal Gift Card to the winner of our Oscar Pool Pick 'Em. Being that the 85th annual Academy Awards air on Sunday February 24th, this is your last week to sign up and get in on the action. The winner will be announced on my blog Monday the 25th. Here's how to play:


1st: Click HERE and sign up for an account on the site. It's free and, having done this before, I can verify that you WILL NOT receive any spam mail for doing so.

2nd: Enter in the following "Pool Name" and "Password"

• Pool Name: Greg's Oscar Pool
• Password: phillies

3rd: Click on the "Picks" icon located in the upper left hand corner of the page. Then, make your selection for who you expect to win in each and every Oscar category (the category's point value is also listed). When you are finished, scroll to the bottom and click "Submit" (don't forget to answer the tie-breaker question).