Oscars Flick Picks

2010 Summer Flicks Mirror Our Financial Times - BAD!

SO far this year’s crop of Summer Flicks has been pretty boring…unless you like cartoons, that is. “TOY STORY III” hit the screens a couple of weeks ago and still shows signs of lasting through the rest of July, and on July 9 “DESPICABLE ME” opened to just “so-so” reviews but decent box office receipts. This is all good for the kiddies and some adults, but what about the rest of us? What do WE have to look forward to?

“THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE”, to my jaded eyes, looks rather “Ho-Hum”, despite the massive CGI effects displayed in the Trailers . But what HAS piqued MY interest is a trio of action films that feature a host of established actors who must have needed an extra paycheck when they signed on to them. But rather than rant on about the films you can click on the trailers below and decide for yourself if they are worthy of your time and money.

THE EXPENDABLES

This is one almost guaranteed to raise the testosterone levels in the viewers. Stallone, Willis, Statham, Rourke, Jet Li and a few others, what more can an action junky ask for? This will either be very entertaining or VERY bad.

MACHETE

If you saw the Tarantino/Rodriguez double feature marketed as “GRINDHOUSE” then you will remember the “Preview Of Coming Attractions” that was shoehorned between the films along with the snack bar commercials. That preview was for a fictitious film called “Machete”, but I guess that it wasn’t so fictitious after all because HERE IT IS! Now this is another one that may be fun to watch. Not “Art House” cinema, to be sure, but a lot of ridiculous violence and pandering to Rodriguez fans.

INCEPTION

Now HERE is a film that has the potential for being a GOOD flick! From his early days as a TV child actor until now, Leonardo DiCaprio has grown in his craft to a level above just “good”. He has attained the status of “Star”, someone who can carry a film and put fannies into seats just by virtue of his name. The look and feel of “INCEPTION” is that of a real mind bender and coming on the heels of his performance in the moribund “SHUTTER ISLAND” he may get Oscar nods by virtue of his roles in both films.

SCOTT PILGRIM vs THE WORLD

I know I said a “trio” of action flicks, and this one isn’t strictly action, and don’t ask me why THIS film appeals to me because I’m not too sure myself. Perhaps it is because it has a faint whiff of the same stuff that made “KICK ASS” such a hoot, or maybe it is the total unreality of the film itself, but I think it just looks like FUN!

So there they are, and I hope they are as entertaining as the trailers

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FANTASY FANS LOOK FORWARD TO EARLY 2010

SciFi fans had a good 2009 and it looks like 2010 will be good for Fantasy fans, at least early 2010, with the release of three offerings, only one of which is a “sure thing”.

Rumored to open in late December, the release of “Solomon Kane” has been put off again, this time to some time after the first of the year. The website IMDB.com shows that it was initially slated for September and that makes me wonder why the delay. Usually this means a really bad flick that might end up on the “direct to DVD” track, but the trailer has been showing in theaters for the last couple of weeks which means an imminent release.

Taken from another one of those graphic novels Solomon Kane is a 17th century Puritan who has been damned to hell but relentlessly hunts down the devil’s henchmen and dispatches them with graphic violence. Dark in tone and with swords flashing, the movie promises plenty of action, but will that be enough to bring in the dollars? Dennis Harvey from Variety says:

But in truth, this muscular yet monotonous “Kane” just isn’t much fun. Solid ancillary biz will follow likely quick theatrical playoff.

But Scott Weinberg from Fearnet states:

this movie is a whole lot more “polished” than one has any right to expect from a medieval action flick. Let alone one that’s also got one foot planted firmly in the world of crazy occult-style horror

Watch the trailer below and decide for yourself.

“Clash Of The Titans”, set for a March release is more in my wheelhouse. Swords, monsters, babes, malicious gods, it all brings back the excitement I felt as a young boy watching “Jason And The Argonaughts”, the Ray Harryhausen film from 1963. But wait! Isn’t the 2010 “Clash Of The Titans” a remake of an earlier version? Sure enough it IS! SO why do it again? I’ll give you just one guess…$$$$$$$! They think that they can do it better!

And maybe they CAN! With Sam Worthington (Jake Sully in Avatar) playing Perseus, Ralph Fiennes as Hades and Liam Neeson playing Zeus, THIS “Clash” promises better production values and cgi effects that just weren’t invented back in 1981. Personally, I’m looking forward to this one.

Here’s the trailer

And now the one with the “Can’t Miss” label, Tim Burton’s “Alice In Wonderland”, opening in March,starring an unknown as Alice, Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Anne Hathaway as the White Queen, and Helena Bonham-Carter as the Red Queen. Judging from some of the strange images this Alice is going to be a vision that Lewis Carroll, the original author, would LOVE. And when you throw in the 3D imaging, well, it will be just what we’d expect from Tim Burton.

There have been a number of “Alice” attempts over the years, and none of them successfully captured Lewis Carroll’s vision nor intent.Originally a biting social commentary, most of the references and images that Carroll created have lost their original meaning over the past 100 years. The best known version, Disney’s cartoon “Alice” way back in 1951, was aimed at the younger set, although I know many adults who said that the images in the cartoon gave them nightmares. Well then, keep them away from Burton’s version, because it promises to be stranger still.

The first film version of the story dates from the early days of film, 1903. Since that initial offering there have been numerous attempts, both on the big screen and on TV, 1943, 1966, 1985 and 88, and 1999. All forgettable, I have to say. So let’s look forward to March and hope that Burton’s vision succeeds.

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While scanning through the entertainment pages of my local news rag I came across an article that caught my eye titled “Performers Cut Short”. Curious, I started to read but quickly came to the realization that this was just another in a long line of obituary pieces chronicling actors, singers and other personalities Whose self destructive lives were ended before their time.

Maybe the author was inspired after watching the posthumous “This Is It” Jackson film, who knows for sure, and I guess the writer thought that enough time and additional performers had expired so that another list could be tallied, and since writers get paid for producing …

So here is a partial list with the writer’s justification for each celeb’s inclusion, but I am going to follow a few of them with my OWN observations.

Performers cut short

1. James Dean — Based on the three films he completed before his death in his beloved Porsche, we can assume that we were deprived of watching future acting performances that might have rivaled those of Marlon Brando. OSC AR: Sorry, but I disagree! Sure a couple of his performances were almost iconic, but if anyone had actually SEEN some of his other performances, such as in “Giant”, it would be plain that Dean had a lot of maturing to do before he could be considered to be “great”. People are supposed to be judged by what they actually accomplish in life, NOT just for potential. But since “potential” is as marketable as reality, here he is

2. Bruce Lee/Brandon Lee — Both father and son died just as their acting careers were taking off, and there is every reason to believe that both careers would have reached greater heights. OSCAR: Here the writer may be correct. As opposed to other “action” stars such as Chuck Norris, Dolph Lundgren and Claude Van Dam, both Bruce AND Brandon showed some actual ability to express themselves in ways other than action. They get MY vote!

3. Otis Redding — I have always believed that he would have become one of the greatest and most prolific singers of all time. Keep in mind that he died in a plane crash before the classic “(Sittin’ On) The Dock on the Bay” was released. OSCAR: Nope! Wishful thinking here. Singer/songwriters are a mercurial bunch and it is way too presumptuous to include Redding in this group. To prove my point…quick…name one other recording that Redding made! I’m waiting…

4. Heath Ledger — He left behind his best performance in the Batman movie, so most people agree that a brilliant acting career was cut short. OSCAR: A talented but troubled actor (aren’t they all?) who held great promise and whose career was just beginning to break out with “Brokeback Mountain” and then as The Joker, but BRILLIANT? I don’t know.

5. Jimi Hendrix — Rock historians have speculated that Hendrix would have gravitated toward jazz in later years. Would his work have been any less spectacular? OSCAR: I’m going to displease a lot of fans here, but I disagree with the writer on this one. Since I came of age in Hendrix’s time I was a great fan of his. But even the most crazed metal fan could see that Jimi’s star had hit its highest point and was then beginning to set quickly. It was clear that he was just too self destructive to last much longer than he did, and it was also plain that other guitarists were coming up who would soon eclipse the master of metal and distortion. Jazz? Again, wishful thinking!

6. Buddy Holly – One of the pioneers of rock ‘n’ roll, so there is no limit to what we missed. OSCAR: Before my time.

7. Selena – This young singer had not scratched the surface of her potential. An entire generation was deprived. OSCAR: Not in my circle of awareness.

8. Kurt Cobain — His best work might have been behind him, but let’s give him the benefit of the doubt. OSCAR: Sure, I could see him as another one of those 60 year old has-beens playing the Indian Casino Circuit. Lots of cash in that, or so I hear.

9. Tupac Shakur — Even in death, his influence grows. OSCAR: Again, not in my circle of awareness.

10. John Candy — Some believe that we saw his best, but I’ve always felt that he was destined to be a giant in comedy. OSCAR: I agree on one thing…he was a giant…large and overweight, but very funny too!

11. Marilyn Monroe — It’s debatable whether she had significant work ahead of her, but if she had gotten herself to a better place, her acting could have blossomed. OSCAR: Yeah, and if everyone would just sit down and talk we’d have world peace!

12. Aaliyah – I wasn’t that familiar with her work before her death, but it is apparent now that she had a bright future. OSCAR: All I know of her was that I saw her in “Scorpion King”.

13. John Belushi – He was too funny to die so soon. OSCAR: His comedy was so often sophomoric that I’m not too sure that he would have survived anyway.

14. Jim Morrison — OK, let’s assume that if he stopped the excesses, he might have made beautiful music again. OSCAR: PULEEZ!! Who is this guy trying to please anyway? Morrison was a drug addled poser, nothing more!

15. River Phoenix — This young actor had the gift, even as a child actor. One can only imagine what we missed. OSCAR: Child actors, a dime a dozen! No real body of work to judge him by.

16. Bob Marley — Innovators don’t stop innovating because they get old. OSCAR: OK, got me here! I’m no fan of reggae, but it is plain that the genre has an evergreen appeal, especially when the style is custom made for social commentary. Marley had more in him to share.

17. Ronnie Van Zant — What if there was another “Free Bird” in his head? OSCAR: Another “Free Bird”? NOOOOOOOOOO!

18. John Lennon — Although I was not thrilled with a lot of his post-Beatles work, I am willing to accept the possibility that his genius might have brought us work that was worthy of his talent. OSCAR: Lennon was more concerned with making a statement and societal angst than he was in making music. As an artist he was done!

19. Steve Irwin — He was such a positive presence on television that he was missed immediately. OSCAR: Yeah, he was missed by the one or two percent of people who watched cable tv. I’d actually forgotten about him till this article raised his name to my attention. A nice man with a nice image. Nothing more.

20. Michael Jackson – I’m still not convinced. OSCAR: The only thing he had left was a death rattle in the back of his throat. .The only reason that the media loved him was because he was so bizarre that he made good copy.

So, there you go, make of it as you will. What do YOU think?

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