Top 20 of All Time

1. GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)
Director: Victor Fleming
Cast: Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Olivia de Havillard, Leslie Howard

2. THE GODFATHER (1972)
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Cast: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall

3. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952)
Director: Gene Kelly & Stanley Donan
Cast: Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor, Jean Hagen

4. THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)
Director: Victor Fleming
Cast: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Margaret Hamilton

5. ACROSS THE UNIVERSE (2007)
Director: Julie Taymor
Cast: Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood, Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs

6. ROMEO AND JULIET (1968)
Director: Franco Zeffirelli
Cast: Leonard Whiting, Olivia Hussey, Micheal York, Pat Heywood

7. SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959)
Director: Billy Wilder
Cast: Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, Joe Brown

8. REAR WINDOW (1954)
Director: Alfred Hitchock
Cast: James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter, Raymond Berr

9. THE GRADUATE (1967)
Director: Mike Nichols
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Kathrine Hepburn, William Daniels

10. KRAMER VS. KRAMER (1979)
Director: Robert Benton
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Justin Henry, Jane Alexander

11. TOOTSIE (1982)
Director: Sidney Pollack
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Bill Murray, Teri Garr

12. THE DEPARTED (2006)
Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg

13. THE GODFATHER, PART II (1974)
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Cast: Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton

14. MOULIN ROUGE! (2001)
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Nicole Kidman, Jim Broadbent, John Leguzamo

15. TITANIC (1997)
Director: James Cameron
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates

16. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)
Director: Frank Capra
Cast: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Henry Travers

17. THE EXORCIST (1973)
Director: William Friedkin
Cast: Ellen Burnstyn, Linda Blair, Jason Miller, Max von Sydow

18. PRIDE AND PREJUDIC E (2005)
Director: Joe Wright
Cast: Keira Knightly, Mathew Mcacfadyan, Donald Sutherland, Rosemary Pike

19. FORREST GUMP (1994)
Director: Robert Zemickis
Cast: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright Penn, Gary Sinise, Sally Field

20. Ordinary People (1980)
Director: Robert Redford
Cast: Timothy Hutton, Mary Tyler Moore, Timothy Hutton, Judd Hirsch

Movie Review: Meet the Spartans (2008, Jason Friedberg & Aaron Seltzer)

* *

Cast: Sean Maguire, Carmen Electra, Ken Davitian, Kevin Sorbo, Diedrich Bader, Method Man, Jared Dauplaise, Travis Van Winkle, Nicole Parker
Screenplay: Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer
84 minutes / Color

At least it was a stupid movie and they knew it would be stupid. Get me? That’s what I enjoyed about “Meet the Spartans”. Yes, it is a bad, bad movie but when you put it together and realize that it’s a full-length spoof of recent, overrated blockbuster “300”, you’ll entertained. But as a critique, it was not near a great a movie.

Just like last year’s “300”, “Meet the Spartans” is a full length spoof; it brings us on the adventure of the might Spartans (now much less then they were in the original) with their leader Leonidas (Sean Maguire) against the evil Persian Empire.

As they fight for their land Sparta, the Spartans encounter the weirdest enemies while working there way up to beat the unbearable human-god (now completely over-weight): Xerxes (Ken Davitian).

At home, Leonidas’ wife, the porn star-sexy Queen Margo (Carmen Electra) is using all her power to persuade the cities council to send more troops to help her husband and his warriors.

At the end, Leonidas and his men are beaten by Xerxes and his super powers, not to mention his ultimate spy Paris Hilton (Nicole Parker). But in a chance to redeem Sparta and his King Leonidas, wounded Dilio (Jared Dauplaise) gathers more men and beats Xerxes’ army.

In the end “Meet the Spartans” does not compare to such teens spoofs such as the first 2 “Scary Movies”, “Mafia” (1998) and “Not Another Teen Movie” (2001), but goes beyond the terrible mess known as last years “Epic Movie” (2007).

I do however; have to give a few actors some kudos for impersonations. The biggest one would have to be leading man Sean Maguire whose Gerald Butler impersonations and stylings weren’t only a close resemblance but were kind of entertaining.

I can’t lie if I say the movie didn’t entertain me. It actually did, but I also have to be honest and say that some things were just outright stupid. Many jokes were unbearably corny and the impersonations of the real-life celebrities were idiotic. A smile on my face was very rare, but I must admit I did – once in a while.

At the end, “Meet the Spartans” was far from mediocre, but it wasn’t that bad. Definitely not as bad the disgusting “Vantage Point”, to tell the honest to God truth, it’s quite near getting 3 stars from me. Unfortunately, it really doesn’t reach.

I think spoof movies are getting old and I watch them just for the hell of it. Not for bashing believe me; if you read this review carefully you can see that I expected the stupidity from the very beginning. I just hope that one day, “spoof films” will redeem itself and releases something actually worth while. “Not Another Teen Movie” is still my favorite movie of the genre. I do hope something involving spoofing Oscar movies will come out soon; now that would be interesting…

Movie Review: Vantage Point (2008, Pete Travis)

* *

Cast: Dennis Quaid, Mathew Fox, Forest Whitaker, Bruce McGill, Edgar Ramirez, Said Taghmaoui, Ayelet Zurer, Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt
Screenplay: Barry Levy
90 minutes / Color

Peter Travis’ political thriller “Vantage Point” was probably the longest 90 minutes of my movie watching life from the part 4 years. Even “Gone with the Wind” rolled faster by. It was not intriguing, boring and not worthy my money. The bad acting and annoying screenplay were the biggest components which lead to “Vantage Point’s” downfall, especially from Oscar winner Forest Whitaker.

The story is simple (being that it repeats itself a billion times), it takes us on an adventure of 8 different people on the day of the assassination of a United States President in Spain. Some of the memorable characters include the New Caster’s Boss (Sigourney Weaver), the President’s ultimate body guard (Dennis Quaid), a American tourist (Forest Whitaker) and off course: our bad guys.

We are taken on the journey numerous times in different eyes. Though it DOES get old, we are put through finding out that the killed president was actually just a body double and the body guard would end up saving the real President from an attempted kidnap, because the killer’s knew they killed a body double. Get it?

I’m sorry, that’s my summary. I found the movie irrelevant and just terrible. I’m kind enough to give it a 2 star rating and I’m just lazy to actually summarize is perfectly. What I don’t understand that why so many good actors didn’t do well in this project.

Let me not forget to mention how predictable the whole feature was. It was so predictable that they turned a great concept into crap. It was extremely flawed, most especially the screenplay. The dialogue was horrible and it affected the acting of many greats.

Let me start with Dennis Quaid, he really needs to start making better movies. I don’t remember him for anything that good and I’m not surprised with his performance here, but I expected better.

Who I was completely annoyed with and surprise with was recent Oscar winner Forest Whitaker, who is fresh from his 2006 winning for “The Last King of Scotland”. He was phenomenal in that movie and that this is on his resume, he can very well know that he might be touched with the “Oscar Curse” (if there really is one). I hope not, he is very good actor.

To conclude all, I just have to say the movie was lame. I love political thrillers, I love difficult ones, but this one, as simple as it was, it was a big misfire – just like the terrorists attempt. I pray for these actors and this director who wasted their time on a bad movie, even though they had so much potential…a wasted budget.

This makes me more excited for Australia (2008)

The movie looks very, very promising. I have faith in Nicole Kidman and Baz Luhrmann after their masterpiece "Moulin Rouge!". But can they do it with Jackman instead of McGregor? I hope they can. But look at that pic: great looking cinematography, costumes and Kidman looks great too. I'm excited!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BARBRA STREISAND!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABS! And yes, I might have missed her birthday for a day, but don't hurt me - I was buisy. Anyways, even though I did miss it, it still needs to be celebrated, since she is one of the very few last living legends of film. Babs first came on the Hollywood radar with her Oscar winning turn as Fanny Brice in 1968's "Funny Girl", but even though she did win for that movie, I believe she did better in another one. Presenting, My Top 5 Favorite Barbra Streisand performances:

1. As Dolly Levi in "HELLO DOLLY" (1969) - My favorite Babs performance is that of matchmaker, Dolly Levi. Barbra was astonishing and the role fit her perfectly. Streisand made the lavish musical, even more lavish with great vocals and 100% character transformation. Her "loud-mouth" performances full of pride and no-insecurities made Dolly Levi more fun to watch. She delivered a performance superb for a big, glorious musical comedy. She was zestful, exuberant, funny and her vocals are: WOW!!! Not giving Streisand an Oscar nomination for this movie is a damn crime and utter shame...

2. As Fanny Brice in "FUNNY GIRL" (1968) - When she first appears on screen you see a mellow woman and you don't know why. A few minutes later, you see a girl - "who isn't pretty". A few more minutes into it, you see a powerhouse - opening her mouth and making full magic with the song "I'm the Greatest Star". A few hours later, you are blown away with an amazing acting force, combined with brilliantly performed numbers such as "I Rather Be Blue" and "Second Hand Rose" (comic brilliance), "People" (sentimental and lovely) and "Don't Rain on My Parade" (Daymmm). When the final moment comes on screen ("My Man"), everyone knows why Barbra Streisand gave us one of the best female performances in history.

3. As Katie Morosky in "THE WAY WE WERE" (1973) - In an Oscar nominated turn, Streisand's performance in "The Way Were" is the only non-musical performance on the list. Her pairing with leading man Robert Redford is great and they have a lot of chemistry. This movie proves that Barbra can do anything and not sing to be good in a movie. The storyline is perfect - without her, the movie would be half as great...

4. As Esther Hoffman in "A STAR IS BORN" (1976) - Yes, her performance doesn't match Judy Garland's performance in the 1954 version, but if someone would have to be in the remake, they choose the pefect actress for the rock version. The songs and performances are great and hard-knock, while the acting is all-round splendid. Once more, her "love-interest" pairing with Kris Kristopherson was a perfect match.

5. As Daisy Gamble in "ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER" (1970) - Actually, the only good thing about the movie. If she wasn't here, it wouldn't have worked. But with her personality, acting, and voice, the movie was saved from doom and the bashing of ME. Streisand's screentime is golden and irrestistable, making it a performance to remember. The rest of the movie = zughsss.

My New and Improved Top 100!

Check-check-check-check it out! :)

01. Gone with the Wind (1939, Victor Fleming)
02. The Godfather (1972, Francis Ford Coppola)
03. Singin’ in the Rain (1952, Gene Kelly and Stanley Donan)
04. The Wizard of Oz (1939, Victor Fleming)
05. Romeo and Juliet (1968, Franco Zeffirelli)
06. Across the Universe (2007, Julie Taymor)
07. Some Like it Hot (1959, Billy Wilder) s
08. Rear Window (1954, Alfred Hitchcock)
09. The Graduate (1967, Mike Nichols)
10. Kramer vs. Kramer (1977, Robert Benton)
11. Tootsie (1982, Sidney Pollack)
12. The Departed (2006, Martin Scorsese)
13. The Godfather, Part II (1974, Francis Ford Coppola)
14. Moulin Rouge! (2001, Baz Luhrmann)
15. Titanic (1997, James Cameron)
16. It’s A Wonderful Life (1946, Frank Capra)
17. The Exorcist (1973, William Friedkin)
18. Pride and Prejudice (2005, Joe Wright)
19. Forrest Gump (1994, Robert Zemickis)
20. Ordinary People (1980, Robert Redford)
21. Giant (1956, George Stevens)
22. The Apartment (1960, Billy Wilder)
23. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962, Robert Mulligan)
24. The Sound of Music (1965, Robert Wise)
25. Back to the Future (1985, Robert Zemickis)
26. The Sting (1973, George Roy Hill)
27. Gigi (1958, Vincent Minnelli)
28. Midnight Cowboy (1969, John Schlesinger)
29. Cold Mountain (2003, Anthony Minghella)
30. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958, Richard Brooks)
31. My Fair Lady (1964, George Cuckor)
32. Cabaret (1972, Bob Fosse)
33. Platoon (1986, Oliver Stone)
34. The Silence of the Lambs (1991, Jonathan Demme)
35. West Side Story (1961, Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins)
36. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961, Blake Edwards)
37. Rain Man (1988, Barry Levinson)
38. Goodfellas (1990, Martin Scorsese)
39. Shakespeare in Love (1998, John Madden)
40. Amadeus (1984, Milos Forman)
41. The Princess Bride (1987, Rob Reiner)
42. South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut (1999, Trey Parker)
43. An American in Paris (1951, Vincent Minnelli)
44. Jaws (1975, Steven Spielberg)
45. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951, Elia Kazan)
46. Grease (1978, Randall Klieser)
47. Catch Me if You Can (2002, Steven Spielberg)
48. Misery (1990, Rob Reiner)
49. Taxi Driver (1976, Martin Scorsese)
50. Easter Parade (1948, Charles Walters)
51. The Little Mermaid (1989, Ron Clements & John Musker)
52. American Beauty (1999, Sam Mendez)
53. Hello, Dolly! (1969, Gene Kelly)
54. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953, Howard Hawks)
55. Requiem for a Dream (2000, Daren Aronofsky)
56. Terms of Endearment (1983, James L. Brooks)
57. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975, Milos Forman)
58. Interview with a Vampire (1994, Neil Jordan)
59. Chicago (2002, Rob Marshall)
60. Into the Wild (2007, Sean Penn)
61. Toy Story (1995, John Lasseter)
62. Pal Joey (1957, George Sidney)
63. All That Jazz (1979, Bob Fosse)
64. The Aviator (2004, Martin Scorsese)
65. Walk the Line (2005, James Mangold)
66. Schindler’s List (1993, Steven Spielberg)
67. Fight Club (1999, David Fincher)
68. Juno (2007, Jason Rietman)
69. To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Taymor (1995, Beeban Kidron)
70. The Great Gatsby (1974, Jack Clayton)
71. Roman Holiday (1953, William Wyler)
72. An Affair to Remember (1957, Leo McCarey)
73. Swing Time (1936, George Stevens)
74. It Happened One Night (1934, Frank Capra)
75. Funny Girl (1968, William Wyler)
76. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957, David Lean)
77. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004, Michel Gondry)
78. Annie Hall (1977, Woody Allen)
79. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975, Jim Sharman)
80. As Good As it Gets (1997, James L. Brooks)
81. Sense and Sensibility (1995, Ang Lee) s
82. Jerry Maguire (1996, Cameron Crowe)
83. A Star is Born (1954, George Cuckor)
84. Death Becomes Her (1992, Robert Zemickis)
85. The Sixth Sense (1999, M. Night Shyamalan)
86. The Band Wagon (1953, Vincent Minnelli)
87. The Way We Were (1973, Sidney Pollack)
88. The Shinning (1980, Stanley Kubrick)
89. Elizabeth (1998, Shekhar Kapur)
90. A Beautiful Mind (2001, Rob Howard)
91. Sin City (2005, Robert Rodriquez)
92. Calamity Jane (1953, David Butler)
93. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946, William Wyler)
94. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944, Vincent Minnelli)
95. Dreamgirls (2006, Bill Condon)
96. Top Hat (1935, Mark Sandrich)
97. The Cider House Rules (1999, Lasse Hallstrom)
98. Finding Neverland (2004, Marc Forster)
99. The Last King of Scotland (2006, Kevin McDonald)
100. In the Bedroom (2001, Todd Field)

MINI REVIEWS FOR 2007 MOVIES

I will never stack up a list of movies to review again. From now on, after viewing, I'll review it right away. Since I don't have time to review these 2007 films, here are mini reviews. I hope my small comments and my "In Consideration For" lists will help you understand what I liked and not liked about certain films. Thanks! :)

The Nanny Diaries (2007, Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini)
* * *
-Mediocre film that goes with its "follow-the-script" direction
-Scarlet Johansson isn't as good as her past performances
-Kinda dragging for a "comedy"
-Not that bad though
-Laura Linney was good though

IN CONSIDERATION FOR: Nothing...zip...zero.

The Assassination of Jesse James (2007, Andrew Dominik)
* * * * *
-Amazing movie
-Pitt was supberd and made a not so big part amazing
-Affleck gave one of the Best Supporting performances of the year
-He made a supporting role HUGE and he was brilliant and heart breaking
-The movie was visually stunning in terms of cinematgoraphy and art direction
-Screenplay was awesome

IN CONSIDERATION FOR: Picture, Actor (Brad Pitt), Supporting Actor (Casey Affleck), Director (Dominik), Ensemble Cast, Adapted Screenplay, Score, Cinematography, Art Direction

Lars and the Real Girl (2007, Craig Gillespie)
* * * *
-Not as funny as I thought it would be, but still pretty good
-Ryan Gosling is freakin' amazing
-Even his plastic co-star is cool
-You will find brilliance in the writing
-Emily Mortemer has improved from her "Match Point" days

IN CONSIDERATION FOR: Actor (Ryan Gosling), Supporting Actress (Emily Mortemer), Original Screenplay

Into the Wild (2007, Sean Penn)
* * * * *
-Honestly one of the best films I saw from 2007
-Emile Hirsch will surprise you and knock you out of your socks
-Hirsch is fantastic and his performance is top notch
-Holbrook and Keener and heartbreaking brilliance
-The ensemble is A+
-Penn can act, direct and write
-The screenplay was fantastic
-Not boring at all
-Presented in amazing shots
-Cinematgoraphy here is love

IN CONSIDERATION FOR: Picture, Actor (Emile Hirsch), Supporting Actor (Hal Holbrook), Supporting Actress (Catharine Keener), Director (Penn), Enseble Cast, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Film Editing, Song

La Vie En Rose (2007, Olivier Dahan)
* * * * *
-Marion Cottilard is an acting godess
-She outshined EVERY SINGLE THING IN THE MOVIE
-Her makeup was devine
-She embodied Edith Piaf amazingly
-One of the greatest performances this decade
-Her "Marcel" scene is GOLDEN
-I will always love MARION

IN CONSIDERATION FOR: Picture, Actress (Marion Cottilard), Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Costume Design, Art Direction-Set Decoration, Sound, Makeup, Film Editing

No Country for Old Men (2007, Joel & Ethan Coen)
* * * *
-Sadly overrated
-Not near deserving Oscar's Best Picture, not even the best from the nominees
-Javier Bardem kept me alive through out the movie, very interesting characater
-I was disapointed with the end
-Tommy Lee Jones talk is overrated
-Thrilling but not Best Picture enough
-Good but not great

IN CONSIDEATION FOR: Supporting Actor (Javier Bardem), Director (Coens), Ensemble Cast, Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing, Sound

There Will Be Blood (2007, Paul Thomas Anderson)
* * * * *
-Fantastic
-Daniel Day-Lewis was really, really good
-PTA best directorial job
-Cinematography = LOVELY
-Paul Dano is very impressive
-I loved the screenplay

IN CONSIDERATION FOR: Picture, Actor (Day-Lewis), Supporting Actor (Paul Dano), Director (Anderson), Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Original Score, Art Direction, Costume Design, Film Editing, Sound

Margot at the Wedding (2007, Noah Baumbach)
* * *
-Kinda pointless
-The characters make me sick
-Kidman and Leigh acting wise were okay
-Screenplay was okay but too much "F words"

IN CONSIDERATION FOR: Actress (Nicole Kidman)

Reposting 2006 Chino Choice Awards

Not posting all my winners, just the winners of The Big 8. Anyways, here are my winners from last year. I promise, I'm almost done watching and deliberating my 2007 films. So, the nominations for the 2007 Chino Choice Awards are out soon. Just enjoy this first, during our short delay. :)

NOTE: 5 nominees each catagory. RED means WINNER. :)

Best Motion Picture of the Year:
"The Departed"
"Dreamgirls"
"The Last King of Scotland"
"Notes on a Scandal"
"The Queen"

Best Actor in a Leading Role:
"Blood Diamond" - Leonadro DiCaprio
"The Departed" - Leonardo DiCaprio
"The Last King of Scotland" - Forest Whitaker
"The Last King of Scotland" - James McAvoy
"The Pursuit of Happyness" - Will Smith

Best Actress in a Leading Role:
"Little Children" - Kate Winslet
"Notes on a Scandal" - Judi Dench
"The Queen" - Helen Mirren
"Running with Scissors" - Annette Benning
"Volver" - Penelope Cruz

Best Actor in a Supporting Role:
"Babel" - Brad Pitt
"The Departed" - Jack Nicholson
"The Departed" - Mark Wahlberg
"Dreamgirls" - Eddie Murphy
"Letters from Iwo Jima" - Kazunari Ninomiya

Best Actress in a Supporting Role:
"The Departed" - Vera Farmiga
"The Devil Wears Prada" - Emily Blunt
"Dreamgirls" - Jennifer Hudson
"Notes on a Scandal" - Cate Blanchett
"Volver" - Carmen Maura

Best Director:
"Children of Men" - Alfonso Cauron
"The Departed" - Martin Scorsese
"Letters from Iwo Jima" - Clint Eastwood
"The Queen" - Stephen Frears
"United 93" - Paul Greengrass

Best Original Screenplay:
"Letters from Iwo Jima" (by Iris Yashamita and Paul Haggis)
"Little Miss Sunshine" (by Michael Arndt)
"The Queen" (by Peter Morgan)
"The Science of Sleep" (by Michel Gondry)
"Volver" (by Pedro Almodovar)

Best Adapted Screenplay:
"The Departed" (by William Monohan)
"The Last King of Scotland" (by Jeremy Brock, Giles Folden, Peter Morgan)
"Little Children" (by Todd Field and Tom Perrotta)
"Notes on a Scandal" (by Peter Marber)
"Thank You for Smoking" (by Jason Rietman)

HAPPY EASTER!

A little song from my Annual Easter Movie: "Easter Parade" (1948)

Easter Parade
by Irving Berlin

Judy Garland:
Never saw you look quite so pretty before
Never saw you dress quite so handsome - what's more
I could hardly wait to keep our date
This lovely Easter morning
And my heart beat fast as I came through the door
For...In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it
You'll be the grandest fella in the Easter parade.
I'll be all in clover, and when they look us over
We'll be the proudest couple in the Easter parade.

On the avenue,
Fifth Avenue,
The photographers will snap us
And you'll find that you're in the rotogravure.
Oh, I could write a sonnet, about your Easter bonnet
And of the guy I'm taking to the Easter Parade.

Fred Astaire:
On the avenue,
Fifth Avenue,
The photographers will snap us
And you'll find that you're in the rotogravure.

Ensemble:
Oh, I could write a sonnet
About your Easter bonnet
And of the girl I'm taking to the Easter Parade.

Check Out the ACROSS THE UNIVERSE Shirt I made!

COOL RIGHT? I painted it myself!!! With what? Offcourse, the magical thing called: textile paint!!! I LOVE THIS MOVIE SO MUCH THAT I MADE A SHIRT FOR IT. hahahaha. Aint it cool???

21.

21 - The new Casino flick by director Robert Luketic, starring "Across the Universe" (2007) star Jim Sturgess was not so anticipating when I saw the trailer early January. But after like TONS of re-watching it this past two weeks, I'm now really damn excited about this movie. First I said to myself: "What can you expect from the director of "Win A Date with Tad Hamilton" (2004) and "Monster-in-Law (2005) - It's gross!". But now as I think about it they have freakin' Jim Sturgess and Kevin Spacey and the film not only looks visually stunning but the trailer is freakin' awesome. If you haven't seen it, go to youtube.com RIGHT now and watch it. It looks awesome. I'm so excited! So the list now goes:

Chino's Most Anticipated Movies of 2007:
1. 21 (Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey)
2. Revolutionary Road (Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet)
3. Mamma Mia! (Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan)
4. Australia (Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman)
5. Ashecliffe (Leonardo DiCaprio)
6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett)
7. Untittled Kurt Cobain Project (Ryan Gosling, Scarlet Johansson)
8. The Young Victoria (Emily Blunt)
9. Footloose: The Musical (Zac Efron)
10. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp)
11. Doubt (Meryl Streep, Amy Adams)

RIP Anthony Minghella (1954-2008)

Academy Award winning director (and one of my favorites EVER) Anthony Minghella passed away on March 18, 2008. Sadly, I was away and only learned the sad news now. Minghella (even with such a small filmography) was one of the most talented working directors of these days. Not only did he direct the 1996 Best Picture "The English Patient" (which he won an Oscar for), but he directed two other fantastic masterpieces: "The Talented Mr. Ripley" (1999) and civil war romance "Cold Mountain" (2003); one of my most favorite movies of all time! Its such a sad waste that he died so young. Minghella also directed 5 different actors to Oscar nominations for their respective roles: Ralph Fiennes, Kirsten Scott Thomas and Julliette Binoche for "The English Patient", Renee Zellwegger for "Cold Mountain" and his muse Jude Law (who appeared in a number of his movies) for "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "Cold Mountain". Zellwegger and Binoche won for their respective supporting roles. Mingella is a master of his craft and since he didn't live forever, he will live in his masterpieces that define some of the best directional work in modern cinema.

Movie Review: Juno (2007, Jason Rietman)

* * * * *

Cast: Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney, J.K. Simmons, Olivia Therby
Screenplay: Diablo Cody
96 minutes / Color

The themes of the teen-pregnancy flick “Juno” might come as a surprise at first, but as the movie goes on, you won’t find it only a comedy, but a film that brings truths and honest-feelings to the screen with a touch of humor. Amongst the deliciously amusing cast of veterans and new comers, we are graced with the might screen presence of Ellen Page in the title role and Jennifer Garner as an lonely woman seeking for the someone to take care off. With a touch of class and a fine script by Ms. Diablo Cody, “Juno” enthralls and easily becomes one of the best of 2007.

Opening with out main character Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) taking a pregnancy test after having sex with her “best friend” Polly Bleaker (Michael Cera) on her immortal “couch”, Juno is about to experience the most important, life-changing 9 months of her entire life.

After a difficult confrontation with her parents (Allison Janney and J.K. Simmons), Juno then looks for a couple that would take her baby in after she gives birth. Luckily, she finds a “happy”, rich and successful couple, Mark and Vanessa Lorring (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner), who sign the adoption papers and will pay for all medical expenses till Juno gives birth.

As the months go by, Juno goes through her difficult high school life not only experience a lot of rumors and talks about her, but she faces problems regarding Prom, going out with her friends, going to the doctors, eating habits and her lifestyle reaches a complete shift of what it was before.

With hardly any friends in school now, Juno tries to get close to Mark. Mark isn’t the soul-bread winger of the Lorring household. He just stays home, plays guitar, watches horror movies, listens to rock songs and tries to compose music, while his wife Vanessa works her butt off for the both of them.

Juno and Mark become the best of friends, but his relationship with his wife Vanessa declines with not only annoyance towards each other, but bitter feelings rise to the highest degree. Mark then ruins all the plans, when he then files for divorce…

However, even though Juno completely doesn’t support broken families (from her own personal experience), she continues with the adoption to Vanessa, knowing that she (after a brief encounter in a play-pen in a local mall) was born to be a mother. “Juno” ends in a bittersweet ballad, as Juno gives her baby to Vanessa and she resolves her problems with Polly.

Clearly, as I said earlier, “Juno” was not only a deserving Best Original Screenplay winner, but probably the best movie out of the 5 Best Picture nominees. The film had everything going for it, great direction by Jason Rietman, the screenplay (as I said before) and strong-ass performances.

Ellen Page was, as Juno would say, “friggin’ awesome”. It’s incredible an actress this young could pull off such an emotional and sentimental performance without a flaw to it. Yes you heard me, without an utter flaw. She has just delivered us one of the best comedic performances ever seen on the silver screen and she can support that with her rightfully deserved Oscar nomination. How thankful I am that this performance wasn’t snubbed or ignored. It was so bloody brilliant and wicked cool. High, never-ending praise to her.

Another brilliant performance was that of Jennifer Garners. Finally a project where she didn’t look like an idiot or a man! She was perfect as the supporting player of Ellen Page. At first, you hate her character. But at the end, your whole mood towards her changes. Yes, the screenplay helps a lot, but in my opinion, she was the only one who could have pulled this performance off.

I’m also really proud of Jason Rietman and Diablo Cody though. Imagine, Cody, was an ex-stripper and she wrote something this brilliant. I’m not saying that being a stripper means you aren’t educated, but man, she sure had some hidden talents (and NO I do not mean that in a sexual way). Her screenplay was bright, touching and full of jokes people could actually appreciate. None of that stupid sexual or toilet humor…

Jason Rietman is one talented directors for the comedy genre today. 2006’s “Thank You for Smoking” was a joy to watch, but “Juno” is the one that brings out his true visionary talents. Every shot and every frame is pure brilliance. It’s such a shame that this year’s directional pallet is so strong. He would’ve been in my list of the absolute best. I can’t wait to see his next projects…

To wrap it up, I’ve just got to say that I really, really enjoyed the movie. I’m glad they kept it the way it was: an indie movie. I have a feeling if this was a big, huge-budgeted motion picture, they would not have captured the same brilliance. Two thumbs up!

Movie Review: Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007, Tim Burton)

* * * * *

Cast: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Sacha Baron Cohen, Timothy Spall, Jaime Campbell Bower, Laura Michelle Kelly, Jayne Wisener, Ed Sanders
Screenplay: John Logan (Based on the Broadway Musical by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler)
116 minutes / Color

Tim Burton’s adaptation of Steven Sondheim’s immortal musical is put to the screen with a refreshing tone to it that works all too well. An complete gore fest full of dark comedy and amazing set pieces, “Sweeney Todd” remains to be more then a period-musical (ala 2004’s “Phantom of the Opera”) and becomes an entertaining, enthralling film with delectable performances and fine direction.

Based on the Broadway musical that shocked audiences when it was released, the story tells of a young barber named Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp) who lives a happy life with his wife Lucy (Laura Michelle Kelly) and his baby daughter Johanna (Jayne Wisener). What Benjamin doesn’t know is that the cruel Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) is actually in love with his beautiful partner.

In an act to separate them, the judge sends Benjamin to a British Penal Colony and abducts his wife and daughter. After satisfying his lust of Lucy, the judge then moves on to Johanna but waits for her to be a little older…

15 years later, Johanna is being treated as a young ward under Judge Turpin while Lucy seems to be “missing”. With the help of a young sailor named Anthony (Jaime Campbell Bower), Benjamin escaped the Penal Colony and goes back to England. But he goes back as someone new, no more Benjamin Barker but a “Sweeney Todd” now.

He goes back to his old home/Barber’s shop on top of Mrs. Lovett’s (Helena Bonham Carter) meat pie show. As they get reacquainted, they begin to conspire of Sweeney’s revenge to Judge Turpin for taking his daughter away and for (Mrs. Lovett says that Lucy killed herself by drinking poison) making his wife kill herself.

Meanwhile, in Anthony’s short time in London, he had found his love of his life, a young girl sitting by a window sill named Johanna. As Johanna is in the watchful eye of the Judge and his servant Beadle (Timothy Spall), Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett decide the best way to kill the judge is to kill him when he comes to Sweeney’s shop for a shave. But how do they get him to the shop? Popularity off course.

Sweeney then competes in a fight with Adolfo Pirelli (Sacha Baron Cohen) to see who the best barber in town is. After his victory, the Judge makes his way to Sweeney’s shop after deciding he would marry Johanna. But in an awkward and rather shocking comment, Anthony walks right in before the killing and ruins everything for Sweeney.

Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett decide that getting the judge back to the shop won’t be that easy anymore. So they decide to practice on a few honorable throats. As Sweeney keeps killing innocent souls, Mrs. Lovett’s meat pie business is rising again for whenever he’d kill someone, she’d make them into “delicious” meat pies. Not only did the business rise, but also Mrs. Lovett’s affections for Sweeney.

In the final act, Sweeney does his revenge and finally kills the judge, and Anthony saves his true love. After the killing, a crazy woman walks in and Sweeney decides to kill her as well. But as he goes downstairs to the bakery, he sees Mrs. Lovett try to burn the woman’s body immediately. Sweeney, however, notices something. As he comes closer to the woman, he notices that she isn’t only a crazy old hag, but his wife Lucy!

Sweeney’s anger shifts to Mrs. Lovett because she told him that she died from poisoning years ago. Sweeney then throws Mrs. Lovett in the fire to burn. As he picks up his deceased wife up in his arms, Mrs. Lovett’s loyal assistant slits his throat, letting him rest forever,

Tragic huh? Well is really is. But somehow that’s the entire beauty of the projects. Though its not the best musical of the year even (people who know me know that I’m an absolute “Across the Universe” AND Beatles fanboy), I must say that the performances and production values of “Sweeney Todd” really impressed me.

First I have to mention the spectacular Johnny Depp, YES, I do think he deserved his Oscar nominations, but there was someone 100x better then him. This beautiful, female creature it off course his co-star Helena Bonham Carter. Her Mrs. Lovett was flawless, cheap BUT chic, elegant (in a raggy way) and just pure entertaining. Not to mention the depths and power she put in such a bland performance, supposedly overshadowed by the male lead. Helena, I’ll always be more faithful to your performance, because you were absolutely better.

Tim Burton creates one of his best directorial pieces (however, I do like “Big Fish” (2003)) more. But Burton’s choices for the production are oh too brilliant. The set decoration was stunning and was built with grandeur. The costumes were exquisite. The cinematography was amazing and the “gorgeous blood” was just right to make the film the “beautiful gore-fest musical” it intended itself to be. It was pure entertainment from start to end and is something Burton-fans and movie-fans alike should enjoy.

SUMMER SCENE #4 - A Goofy Movie (1995): "On the Open Road - I Mean Lake"

Go on a road trip with you DAD this summer. Just you and him, "On the open road" - I mean lake. Whatever and wherever it is. Have absolute fun.

Bond, eat alphabert soup, be chased by a wild animal, live in a motel, watch a disgusing child show and most of all - SHOW YOUR LOVE. :)

SUMMER SCENE #3 - From Here to Eternity (1953): "Beach Time Love"

How often do you go to a deserted beach in the beautiful state of Hawaii and make-out like crazy in glorious black-and-white film? NEVER. Make it happen this summer. :)

Live in the moment! Be spontaneous!!!

SUMMER SCENE #2 - Jaws (1975): "Eaten by Something"

Bum-bum. Bum-bum. Bum-bum. Bum-bum. BUMP BUMP BUMP!
AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Be careful this summer my friends. Especially when your drunk and decide to go skinny dipping with a stranger you don't even know. Wanna know why?

Because there will be jaws waiting for ya...

SUMMER SCENE #1 - High School Musical 2 (2007): "All for One - A Real Summer Has Just Begun!"

A bit corny eh? Well summer time is always corny...and fun. :)

Everybody all for one,
A real summer has just begun!
Let's rock and roll and just let go,
feel the rhythm of the drums
We're gonna have fun in the sun
Now that all the hard work, work is done!
Everybody, one for all,
everybody all for one,
A real summer has just begun!
Let's rock and roll and just let go,
feel the rhythm of the drums
We're gonna have fun in the sun
Now that all the hard work, work is done!
Come on, everyone let's dance!
We can't let this moment pass!
Let's make this party last!
All for one!

All! For! One!

Overview of 4th Annual Chino Choice Awards

With me releasing the Nominees AND Winners of the Chino Choice Awards (hopefully next week), there's gonna be quite a few surprises. I just need to watch like 5 more movies (No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood, Away From Her, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and Michael Clayton) to really see my winners. Hopefully, I'll be done by next week and can announce my winners for the 4th Annual Chino Choice Awards.

I was wrong about 2007 I must admit. It was actually a very good year for film. In my opinion, just as strong as 2006. I've loved so much movies and awarded so many 5 stars to deserving films. This past year we were given the wonderful life of troubled performer Edith Piaf ("La Vie en Rose"), a throat slitting barber from Fleet Street ("Sweeney Todd"), a controversial Beatles musical ("Across the Universe), a pregnant high school student ("Juno"), Bob Dyan being "portrayed" by a woman ("I'm Not There"), and a Live Disney Princess ("Enchanted"), just to name a few. Even if any of these titles boom as my Best Picture of the Year, they'll have a lot to beat from past years before this.

To start of the "overview", I've just got to say the artistic area of last years movies are tremendous. Much better then 2006, by far. We got truly amazing cinematography ("Into the Wild", "Across the Universe", "The Assassination of Jesse James"), costumes beyond beauty (Hairspray", "Atonement", "La Vie en Rose") and Art Direction with so much LIFE ("Sweeney Todd", "300"). 2007's artistic side was amazing. Great work.

When it comes to performance wise, performances in 2007 went beyond great. Clear newcomers like Joe Anderson in "Across the Universe", Marion Cotillard in "La Vie en Rose" and Saorise Ronan in "Atonement" really caught my attention with their unique, touching and amazing performances in their respective films. And movies as a whole, captivated. But what will the new Best Picture be following? A long line of my favorites, a long line of pure movie magic.

2004

In 2004, when I first awarded the Chino Choice Awards, One particular film really caught me visually and acting wise. This movie was "The Aviator". This film, about the life of Hollywood Producer and Aviation Mogul Howard Hughes, was perfectly shot (direction by Scorsese) and wonderfully acted. The movie ended receiving 8 Chino Choice Awards, the most in my award-giving history. It got: Best Picture, Best Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio), Best Supporting Actress (Cate Blanchett), Best Director (Martin Scorsese), Best Ensemble Cast, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Costume Design and Best Film Editing. To round of the year, Hilary Swank won Best Actress for her work as Boxer Maggie in "Million Dollar Baby" and Clive Owen as his sex-pot addict in "Closer" got Best Supporting Actor.

2005

With a controversial gay cowboy flick ("Brokeback Mountain") versing a racist LA flick ("Crash") at the Oscars, 2005 became one of the most controversial years in Oscar and in cinema. But to me, the two hardly deserved to be on top. With amazing Johnny Cash biopic "Walk the Line" and the Jane Austen novel "Pride and Prejudice" on screen, 2005 gave us a delightful "romantic" theme to it. Joe Wright's "Pride and Prejudice" however, had the edge and ended up snagging my Best Picture award. Along with that, it won: Best Actress (Kiera Knightly), Best Director (Joe Wright), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score and Best Cinematography. "Walk the Line" took home the Best Actor prize ofor Joaquin Phoenix. As for the supporting roles, Jake Gyllenhaal for his controversial Jack Twist in "Brokeback Mountain", and, Rachel Weisz as the stubborn wife of "The Constant Gardner".

2006

When this year came around, I saw one of the strongest performances given in a single year and I was amazed with the many different types of wonderful and truly deserving movies that came out. My awarding became messy and the Best Picture, "The Departed", though nominated for 9 Chino Choice Awards won only half. It only won 5: Best Picture, Best Director (Martin Scorsese), Best Ensemble Cast, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Editing. Facing some very tough competition (Leo DiCaprio for "The Departed" and "Blood Diamond", co-star James McAvoy), Forest Whitaker ended winning the Best Actor award for his portrayal as the evil Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland". Also playing royalty, Helen Mirren won Best Actress for her performance as Queen Elizabeth in "The Queen". Eddie Murphy entertained and sparkled as Best Supporting Actor for "Dreamgirls" and Cate Blanchett, winning for a 2nd year this decade, won Best Supporting Actress for her seductive teacher in "Notes on a Scandal".

So this 2007 Chino Choice Awards, who will it be? Who will the nominees be? Will it be a comedy? A musical? A biopic? Just wait and see...

COMING SOON.

Marion Cotillard: I LOVE YOU

I am now convinced that Marion Cottilard isn't only the most talented actress from France. But she is one of the most beautiful ever to walk on the Oscar Red Carpet and probably the most beautiful Best Actress winner. She is a goddess and so damn beautiful. Marion, you are the bestest, most amazing, most hotess, most beautiful girl EVER (next to Vivien Leigh off course).