The Year That Was 2009 pt. 2

...And now, the best of the rest. It looks like 2010 is shaping up to be the year of Avatar, last year it was all about blood sucking vampires pouting 90210 style. They are the latest fad and I've got to say one of the most bizarre ones I've seen, and I've lived through Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles twice. Either old age is setting in or mainstream filmmaking is becoming increasingly empty - with a few exceptions of course. Those exceptions are my Top 5 movies of 2009 (not including The Hangover because I have the DVD but haven't watched it yet).

5. The Watchmen

It looked like this film wouldn't see the light of day for the longest time. Now it has, in a new version every four months. There's the original cut, the directors cut, the ultimate cut and who knows what else and the movie has only been out for a year. Naturally The Watchmen couldn't live up to its hype or the graphic novel that spawned it, taken on it's own terms though it's good. Well cast, ably directed with a sleek appearance and effective in evoking the basic themes of the comic made The Watchmen watchable. Nicely done pulp fiction.

4. Taken

Liam Neeson dramatically threatens a kidnapper a continent away and then proceeds to kick more ass than he did in Star Wars, Darkman and Rob Roy combined. Carrying on like a post retirement Jason Bourne, Neeson outwits and outguns the trash who took his daughter with cruel efficiency. Even when the film completely goes off the rails in the last half hour, I was rooting for Neeson to win. Bonus for the down and dirty approach the director took to give Taken a more realistic feel. And also an extra award for having the best movie advertisements of the year. Those images of the daughter witnessing the kidnapping of her friend and awaiting her own while Neeson is on the phone with her is pulse pounding stuff. An extended commercial was used on tv that was so long you thought you accidentally changed the channel to a different show that you didn't want to change off of. Best marketing of the year!

3. Food Inc.

A disturbing documentary about the near omnipotence of the food industry over its own production, distribution and even media coverage. Food Inc reveals a world where the standards and operating conditions of the industry has sunk to Upton Sinclair The Jungle levels while we eat a billion variations of corn and beef from shit covered cows. The film offers no easy answers, just presents the dire situation. Tough stuff to watch but important viewing nonetheless.

2. Star Trek

So I'm guessing...no Star Trek Voyager movie? Just kidding, JJ Abrams effectively reboots the classic Star Trek crew with gusto in an update that jettisons everything high brow about it. Exploration? Looking for the common ground to communicate with others? Not here, what we do have is the Star Trek that Paramount execs have dreamed about for decades: lasers, explosions, gun fights, fist fights and a lot of running. That's not necessarily a bad thing though, the original Star Trek and its multiple variations had run its course. Star Trek was THE popcorn movie of the year and a ton of fun. More like a sequel to Starship Troopers than Star Trek.

1. Up

This was one of the hardest movies to grasp based on the advertisements, once I saw the film I could tell why. Developing the motifs hinted at in Wall-E, Up takes CGI animation to a new emotional level. The opening minutes featuring a dialogueless montage of a couples' life from childhood meeting to the death of a spouse was one of the great moments not just of 2009 but all of cinema. Not a dry eye in the place after that, except for the kids that were too young to understand what was going on. After that opening, likable characters help carry an adventure filled with playfulness and touched by sadness. Awesome movie.

Now that I've gone over the movies, my favorites of tv in '09 were:

5. Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Into its second season, the animated series has improved by varying its plot lines more while developing its characters (the Anakin Skywalker from this series would have been much more believable in turning to the dark side if he was shown as the win at all costs shortsighted slasher he is here instead of the whiny crybaby in the actual films. Wah, I miss my Mommy let me take over the galaxy instead.). The action has zip that occasionally reaches the crescendo heights of the original Star Wars.

4. Flight Of The Conchords

The New Zealand duo stumbled a little in the second season, the songs weren't quite as consistently sharp as the first season. Then they go and pull out an incredible episode where Jermaine and Bret fight over a girl who has lost her epileptic dog culminating in a charity concert for epileptic dogs where the duo unleash a light show that seizures all the dogs in the house. Overall the Conchords retained their sense of naive fun and were able to serve up plenty of memorable moments (like the Art Garfunkel fetish, the coffee cup that leads to prostitution, etc) to make it a fun season.

3. Family Guy

Even stretched as thin as he is, Seth MacFarlane has been able to keep Fam Guy going. It's not quite as funny as it had been in the past but there is still good stuff to be found. Long John Peter was classic ("A-Ha!") as was the Patrick Swayze tribute ("Roadhouse!"). And the first episode of 2010 where Peter loses his memory and Meg tells a doozy of a joke was the best episode in a while. Still my favorite animated series on tv, though American Dad and The Cleveland Show are time passers at best.

2. The Big Bang Theory

Knock knock knock...Penny? Knock knock knock...Penny? The second best geek show on tv (or if you go by ratings, the best), Big Bang Theory was consistently funny every week as super nerd anal retentive Sheldon found new ways to misconstrue his surroundings. Having watched seasons 1 & 2 on DVD after Christmas, I'm eager for a new season of geeky fun.

1. Chuck

Speaking of geeky fun, the second season of Chuck showed signs of slowing down until it hit a story arc about finding Chuck's dad and the mystery programmer Orion (both played by the always likable Scott Bakula). Like the fine souffle', Chuck mixed James Bond, workplace comedy and geek attitude to a frothy mix (and obviously I know nothing of souffle's). A great ensemble screw ball comedy with a veneer of spy stuff, Chuck is a great show that can't seem to find an audience. And it returns this Sunday in a two hour special!

And that was that in 2009. In tv the show Community came in at a very close 6th place, almost a tie except I abused the"tie" thing in the previous post. I've gotten some Christmas gifts worth reviewing, so reviews and more things to come. And below is the behind the scenes preview of Chuck. Looks awesome as ever.

I Watch The Watchmen

Not exactly the Super Friends

Rating:

It seemed like the movie that could never be made. Then once it was made, it seemed like the movie that never could be released. And once it was released, it seemed like the movie I would never get around to sitting down and watching. Now I have watched it. And it was good.

I'm talking about Watchmen, the three hour adaptation of what is considered one of the greatest graphic novels (read: fancy comic book) of all time. A dark, nihilistic alternate reality where super heroes came to being in the early 20th century. The super heroes of this alternate reality change historical events (such as the U.S. winning Vietnam or being responsible for assasinating JFK) and as a result have political ramifications usually ignored in comics. They also are flawed ordinary people, their super human abilities magnifying their mistakes and failures in both their personal lives and professions.

I won't bother to detail the story too much because the story has been out there for like a quarter of a century. And I'm watching on DVD so many have seen this film multiple times already. So instead I'll just jump to the pontificating, criticizing and nit picking that I enjoy after watching a movie.

With a story this large and sprawling it can be difficult to keep the focus when adapting to cinema, so wisely they whittled things down to three hours (I imagine a full adaptation would take a day and a half to watch, even with a supposed dvd planned to release later this year that will be longer than the directors cut I just watched). This version of Watchmen sticks with the main story - a brutal superhero named The Comedian has been murdered causing the other superheroes to take stock of their past,present and questionable future as the world edges towards nuclear war. Director Zack Snyder hits a comfortable groove, avoiding any drag that can come from a 3 hour film and visually capturing the comic's panels almost shot for shot. And the mood, that deep depressing mood, is intact as well.

Playing characters that are supposed to be good guys who have dark compulsions to torture, rape and kill can be tough. It's a good thing that the cast is really strong (super strong! heh, heh). I was amazed by Carla Gugino as the brassy, aging, drunken ex-super hero Silk Spectre with a super slutty side. I've seen her in movies before, Gugino was so into character I didn't realize it was her until the end. Jackie Earle Haley nails the near psychosis of Rorshach, the masked trenchcoated vigilante. Malin Ackerman and Patrick Wilson carry the film well as people who feel restrained and colorless without superheroism in their lives. Billy Crudup as the detached bright blue naked dude Dr. Manhattan also excels. It's a good ensemble, none of the actors seem lost on and their performances are on point.

There are so many things this movie does well while condensing the graphic novel that it's hard to nitpick it without guilt. My only real criticism is that while Watchmen captures the spirit and intent of the source material, it doesn't elevate it. Even with the controversial change to the ending I found nothing new or relevatory about it. Although I was impressed by the use of classic rock on the soundtrack, Bob Dylan's "The Times Are a Changin" had renewed poignancy over the opening credits and I downloaded Leonard Cohen's version of "Hallelujah" after hearing it in the film (cross marketing sucker that I am). To be honest, I would have enjoyed this movie more if I had not read the comic because the plot points are the same. Then again, when adapting something as beloved as Watchmen you're damned if you do and damned if you don't when it comes to staying true to the original story.
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I enjoyed watching Watchmen, a sturdy adaptation of the revered comic. Much like Dr. Manhattan's construct on the planet Mars, Watchmen is big and shiny device trying to hold on to fragile dreams floating over mass desolation. All the while the clock is ticking.

Midnight Madness - Tina Fey Edition

Tina Fey has always been funny, but this year her intelligent lacerating wit served with a smile seemed to strike a chord with people. Her career has been on fire this year and while I can't claim to be a die hard fan or anything like that, I've often enjoyed her humor. I played her SNL clips often as they were easily the funniest thing I saw this year. And this year some humor was definitely needed.

Entertainer of the Year - Tina Fey won the AP prize by having success on both the small and big screen during '08 and capped it with the most buzzworthy comic performance of the year as a certain Alaskan Governor.

Rorshach Test - A judge ruled in favor of Fox Studios that the Watchmen movie should not have been made without first being offered to them. The decision leaves the film up in the air about how or when or if it could be released. Bummer.

Radio Friendly Unit Shifter - A smashed guitar once owned by Kurt Cobain sold for $100,000.

Since U Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson's new single "My Life Would Suck Without You" is said to be coming out in January. Will she be able to comeback from the commercial disaster she pinned her Artiste' name on My December? It all depends on if Clarkson is willing to play the Pop star game this time out.

For Those About To Write - AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson is going to write a memoir. You mean AC/DC lyrics aren't autobiographical? Johnson doesn't spend all day drinking and ludely coming on to women? The illusion is shattered, my friends.

Purrr Batman - Eartha Kitt, a performer I mainly knew as Catwoman from the 60's Batman tv show, passed away on Christmas Day at age 81. I had no idea she sang "Santa Baby" until the news reported her passing.

Attention Wal-Mart Shoppers! - Bruce Springsteen looks to get in on the Wal-Mart cash cow by releasing a Greatest Hits exclusively to the department store chain. Isn't Wal-Mart the same place that had a problem with "Reno" from the Devils and Dust album?

Blue Morning, Blue Day - Bud Prager, the manager of Foreigner who played an important role in the forming of that band, passed away at age 79.

This Could Be The Right One - Canadian rockers April Wine are lined up for a 2009 Canadian Hall of Fame award just like contemporaries Loverboy. Yes!

Uprising! - Jennifer Aniston's hot streak continues, besting Brad Pitt at the box office with her movie Marley & Me.

Holy Bat Hype! - For a few weeks there's been a lot of buzz on whether or not The Dark Knight will dominate the upcoming Oscars in nominations. Can an Action film take home Oscar gold in a year with little competition? I hope it does, if only to drive a bunch of press about the "unwashed masses" over running the Academy. Should be fun.

Delaney Bramlett - A musician and songwriter who was a fixture in the classic rock scene passed away at age 69. Bramlett co-wrote Eric Clapton's "Let it Rain" and the classic ballad "Superstar".

Second Time Around - All my favorite shows are going into reruns until February. Time to catch up on DVD watching.

No Tube - Warner Bros. pulls their music vids from You Tube over contract negotiations.

Is that The Spirit? - Commercials for the new movie The Spirit features that Frank Miller graphic novel on film look (a lot of black, white and grey tones and what's that called...chiarosquiro (sp?)...lighting enhanced by CGI) that Sin City popularized a few years back. While I thought Sin City was great, I have to admit I'm finding this stylized look annoying in other movies. Probably just me though.

Last Christmas - Every year a certain Christmas tune seems to get played, or maybe I just notice it, more than the others. Last year Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime" was omnipresent on the radio and shopping malls. This year was filled with various versions of Wham's "Last Christmas". None of the remakes can top the original though, so here's Wham!

Wham! "Last Christmas"

Midnight Madness - Watchmen Edition

Someone is going after the Watchmen while engineering a secret plot involving huge corporations...is it Rupert Murdoch?

Who Watches the Watchmen? - Maybe no one, if Fox has their way. Fox has a lawsuit against Warner Bros claiming only Fox had the right to distribute the movie legally. Being sick, I finally took the time to read the comic (it was released in the 80's) and thought it was a fine piece of work. Too much money has been spent for it not to come out in some way eventually, but it will still be a bummer if Warner Bros theatrical release gets blocked. It's enough to make a guy head out to Mars or something. The movie trailer looks awesome.

Saxophonist Leroi Moore of Dave Matthews Band - Passed away this week at age 46. I'm a casual fan of DMB and think they're excellent musicians, very sad news.

Harvester of Sorrow - James Hetfield of Metallica erected a barbed wire fence on his land, blocking access to a popular public trail in Marin county. It's just not Metallica if they don't make somebody mad.

"The Day I Tried To Live"...no," The Day The Earth Stood Still"...um...what? - Metallica's new song (hold on, I'm going to look up the title now) "The Day That Never Comes" is on the Internet and now that I've heard it, I'm really optimistic about the upcoming record. Many classic pre-Black album traits ran throughout the track meaning we might really get an album along the lines of Ride the Lightning or Master of Puppets. That's probably a little too optimistic, I thought the song was strong but not the greatest thing ever made by mankind. But definitely a step in the right direction.

Turn up the Power WalMart Shoppers! - Release dates are set for the new AC/DC album Black Ice (release 10/20) and the lead single "Rock & Roll Train" (release 8/28). I was surprised to see some reporters listening to the album in advance to report the new album sounds like classic AC/DC. Isn't that what every AC/DC album sounds like? That's why I buy it!

Watchmen Trailer