Lists: The Top Fives of 2011 Film
05 Jan 2012 6 Comments
in List, 2011, 2011 List Tags: Underrated, List, Film list, 2011, The Housemaid, 2011 list, Hanna, Jane Eyre, Certified Copy, Incendies, In a Better World, The Double Hour, Source Code, Insidious, I Saw the Devil, Choi Min-sik, The Green Hornet, Tom Hollander, Midnight in Paris, Bridesmaids, Terri, Cracks, The Trip, Bobby Fischer Against the World, Senna, The Sleeping Beauty, Kung Fu Panda 2, The Skin I Live In, Take Shelter, Hugo, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Drive, Melancholia, Tyrannosaur, The Ides of March, Albert Brooks, Jessica Chastain, Cold Fish, Warrior, Shame, Black Death, Young Adult, Michael Stuhlbarg, Gary Oldman, Characters, Worst, Endings, Beginnings, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Rooney Mara, Elisabeth Olsen, John Boyega, Ezra Miller, Oscar Isaac, Ludivime Sagnier, Eva Green, Melanie Lynskey, Brie Larson, Corey Stoll, Collette Wolfe, Kathy Baker
Everyone has pretty much already posted their Top Ten’s for the year. I like to go list crazy in summing up the year in film and go beyond the standard 10 ‘best’. I go over this again and again, but it’s all about subjectivity for me and what I considered my favorites. And in going through the year in film, there are a lot of different facets I like to recognize. Everyone comes away with a new batch of films to hold near and dear to their hearts, myself certainly included. This particular post will recognize things like types of performances, characters, beginnings, endings, character dynamics and more. For my attempts at judging technical aspects of film, my eventual Dream Oscar Ballot will cover that particular ground. The two films I will be seeing before posting my final Top 30 of the year (yes, I do Top 30, not 10; I am in no way, shape or form a Top Ten purist) are A Separation and Love Exposure. By the time I see Mysteries of Lisbon, Margaret, Into the Abyss, The Interrupters and others, my lists will be posted.
Like last year, the upcoming posts that will get more time dedicated to them (and will be posted within the next week and a half) are:
Top 10 Worst Films of the Year (which will really be Least Favorite, but nobody will search for a ‘Least Favorite’ list, so I will conveniently name it ‘Worst’.
Top 10 Song Usages
Top 20 Scenes in 2011 Film
Top 20 Performances in 2011 Film
Top 30 Films of 2011
This first post is supposed to be pure harmless superficial fun. I have seen 133 films from 2011. I will list them at the bottom so readers will know what was considered. Beware of spoilers in the Top 5 Romances regarding Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy for those who have not seen it. These preliminary posts will give some hints as to my favorite films of the year, a group that may not be particularly original, but that I am nonetheless proud of and happy with. The year in film has already been picked apart with collective themes of identity, nostalgia and more running deep. There are many who think this was a weak year for film. From an awards standpoint I would agree. But from an overall standpoint, I wholeheartedly disagree.
On to the 1st Annual Cinema Enthusiast Awards! Being a huge fan of The Film Experience’s Film Bitch Awards, I borrowed a few categories from there.
Top 5 Beginnings:
1. Melancholia
2. Incendies
3. Kung Fu Panda 2
4. Contagion
5. Drive (The Driver’s opening speech)
Top 5 Use of Title Card/Opening Credits
1. Drive (Title Card/Opening Credits)
2. Hanna (Title Card only)
3. Insidious (Title Card Only)
4. Outrage (Title Card Only)
5. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (Title Card/Opening Credits)
Honorable Mention: The Adventures of Tintin (Title Card/Opening Credits)
Top 5 Endings:
1. Hanna
2. Melancholia
3. Warrior
3. The Housemaid
4. Take Shelter
Honorable Mention: The Skin I Live In, Moneyball, The Trip, Of Gods and Men
Top 5 Ensembles:
1. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
2. Midnight in Paris
3. Melancholia
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
5. Hugo
Honorable Mention: Margin Call
Top 5 Underrated Films in 2011:
1. The Sleeping Beauty (that other Sleeping Beauty film not directed by Julia Leigh, but by Catherine Breillat)
2. Bobby Fischer Against the World
3. Black Death
4. Terri
5. The Green Hornet
Note: Underrated could mean anything. But seeing what films get attention in the blogosphere, with critics, from a box office standpoint and from a year-end list perspective, these are the films I felt did not get enough attention from at least two of the aforementioned considerations.
Films That Started Strong But….
1. Source Code
2. Insidious
3. The Double Hour
4. Cold Fish
5. Crazy, Stupid, Love (Where the other films are on this for their final thirds, my last choice appears only for that final speech. It did not entirely dampen the experience and is still ranks among the better films I saw this year)
Top 5 Newcomers:
1. Rooney Mara – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
2. Jessica Chastain – The Tree of Life, Take Shelter, The Help, The Debt (the ones I’ve seen her in)
3. Elisabeth Olsen – Martha Marcy May Marlene
4. John Boyega – Attack the Block
5. Ezra Miller – We Need to Talk About Kevin
Honorable Mentions: Oscar Issac (Drive, Sucker Punch), Asa Butterfield (Hugo)
Note: I realize this is not the first year some of these actors have been in significant parts. But I’d call all of these actors newcomers this year relatively speaking.
Top 5 Underrated Performances
1. Ludivine Sagnier – Love Crime
2. Eva Green – Cracks
3. Melanie Lynskey – Win Win
4. John C. Reilly – Terri
5. Brie Larson – Rampart
Top 5 Film 2011 Limited Performances (characters with only a few scenes/a limited role)
1. Oscar Issac as Standard – Drive
2. Corey Stoll as Ernest Hemingway – Midnight in Paris
3. Michael Stuhlbarg as Rene Tabard – Hugo
4. Collette Wolfe as Sandra – Young Adult
5. Kathy Baker as Sarah – Take Shelter
Top 5 Worst Performances:
1. Lauren Petre as Miss Hindle – The Woman
2. Sean Bridgers as Chris Cleek – The Woman
3. January Jones as Emma Frost– X-Men: First Class
4. Mickey Rourke as Nate Poole– Passion Play
5. Vanessa Hudgens as Linda – Beastly
Top 5 2011 Film Scores:
1. Hanna – The Chemical Brothers
2. Senna – Antonio Pinto
3. The Skin I Live In – Alberto Iglesias
3. Jane Eyre – Dario Marianelli
5. Take Shelter – David Wingo
Honorable Mentions – Contagion, Moneyball, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Attack the Block
Top 5 Film 2011 Characters:
1. Charlize Theron – Mavis Gary – Young Adult
2. Kristen Wiig – Annie Walker – Bridesmaids
3. Philip Seymour Hoffman – Paul Zara – The Ides of March
4. Eva Green – Miss G – Cracks
5. Ryan Gosling – The Driver – Drive
Honorable Mention – Michael Shannon in Take Shelter and Jonah Hill in Moneyball
Top 5 Character Dynamics: (this could be any kind of dynamic between 2 or more characters whether adversarial, based in friendship, etc.)
1. Juliette Binoche and William Shimell – Certified Copy
2. Carey Mulligan and Michael Fassbender – Shame
3. Peter Mullan and Olivia Colman – Tyrannosaur
4. Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon – The Trip
5. Charlize Theron and Patton Oswalt – Young Adult
Honorable Mentions: Choi Min-sik and Lee Byung-hun – I Saw the Devil, Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph – Bridesmaids, William Jøhnk Juels Nielsen and Markus Rygaard – In a Better World
Top 5 2011 Film Villains:
1. Tom Hollander as Issacs – Hanna
2. Albert Brooks as Bernie Rose – Drive
3. Choi Min-sik as Kyung-chul – I Saw the Devil
4. Gary Oldman as Lord Shen – Kung Fu Panda 2
5. Ezra Miller as Kevin – We Need to Talk About Kevin
Honorable Mention – Ralph Fiennes – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Top 5 Film 2011 Romances:
1. Kristen Wiig and Chris Dowd – Bridesmaids
2. Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender – Jane Eyre
3. Tom Cullen and Chris New –Weekend
4. Ewan McGregor and Melanie Laurent – Beginners (less for the material the two are given and more for the chemistry between McGregor and Laurent which, for my money, was the strongest of perhaps the last few years)
5. Mark Strong and Colin Firth – Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Honorable Mention: Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone – Crazy, Stupid, Love
List of 2011 Films Seen: 13 Assassins, 50/50, A Better Life, A Dangerous Method, Albert Nobbs, American Grindhouse, Another Earth, Attack the Block, Beastly, Beginners, Being Elmo, Bellflower, Bill Cunningham, New York, Biutiful, Black Death, Bobby Fischer Against the World, Bridesmaids, Buck, Cameraman: the Life and Work of Jack Cardiff, Captain America: The First Avenger, Carnage, Cars 2, Caterpillar, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Cedar Rapids, Certified Copy, Cold Fish, Cold Weather, Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop, Contagion,, Cracks, Crazy, Stupid, Love, Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame, Dream Home, Drive, Edge of Dreaming, Hanna, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Hesher, Hobo with a Shotgun, Horrible Bosses, Hugo, I Saw the Devil, If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, In a Better World, In Time, Incendies, Insidious, J. Edgar, Jane Eyre, Kung Fu Panda 2, Last Night, Le Quattro Volte, Love Crime, Margin Call, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Meek’s Cutoff, Melancholia, Midnight in Paris, Mildred Pierce, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Moneyball, My Week with Marilyn, Of Gods and Men, Outrage, Page One: Inside the New York Times, Passion Play, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Poetry, Project Nim, Rampart, Rango, Red Riding Hood, Red State, Redline, Retreat, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Rubber, Scream 4, Senna, Shame, Sleeping Beauty, Source Code, Submarine, Sucker Punch, Super, Super 8, Tabloid, Take Shelter, Terri, The Adventures of Tintin, The Arbor, The Artist, The Debt,The Descendants, The Devil’s Double, The Double Hour, The Future, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Green Hornet, The Help, The Housemaid, The Ides of March, The Last Circus, The Lincoln Lawyer, The Mill and the Cross, The Muppets, The Rite, The Roommate, The Skin I Live In, The Sleeping Beauty, The Thing, The Tree of Life, The Trip, The Ward, The Woman, Thor, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, TrollHunter, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, Tyrannosaur, Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, Unknown, War Horse, Warrior, We Need to Talk About Kevin, Weekend, Win Win, Winnie the Pooh, X-Men: First Class, Young Adult, Your Highness, Yves Saint-Laurent: L’Amour Fou
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List: 10 Cinematic Heterosexual Chemistries that Scorched the Screen
08 Jul 2011 1 Comment
in List Tags: Actors with Best Chemistry, Alain Delon, Best Chemistry in Film, blog, Cary Elwes, Cinema Enthusiast, cinenthusiast, Eclipse, Emmanuelle Devos, Film list, Humphrey Bogart, In the Mood for Love, James Spader, Jane Eyre, Jimmy Stewart, Kristen Scott Thomas, L'Eclisse, Lauren Bacall, List, List: 10 Cinematic Heterosexual Chemistries that Scorched the Screen, Maggie Cheung, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Margaret Sullavan, Marnie, Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, Monica Vitti, Ralph Fiennes, Read My Lips, Robin Wright, Rochester, Romantic Couples, sadomasochism, Sean Connery, Secretary, Sexiest Chemistry, The Big Sleep, The English Patient, The Princess Bride, The Shop Around the Corner, Tippi Hedren, Tony Leung, Vincent Cassel
Like last week’s LGBT list, this installment will look at the chemistry between couples in film; this time heterosexual. Criteria demands that definitive romantic interest be found by at least one character. Like all of my lists, this is personal preference. Two actors may have fabulous chemistry together, like say, John C. Reilly and Melora Walters in Magnolia, but they were never considered for this list, despite being one of my favorite cinematic couples. Why? Great chemistry is not enough. Palpable is again the word of choice, (also scorching, as is used in the list title) but beyond that, a certain secret ingredient must be present. What that is I could not say; I will attempt to reason through it via my explanations. We all have our own reasons for being particularly drawn towards certain romantic interactions between two characters.
There will undoubtedly be a couple of choices on here that will elicit a “Hmm…I would not think of these two for a list like this”. But that is precisely what makes a list like this so great; everyone’s would likely be drastically different. Sexual interaction between couples on this list has an extremely wide range from wildly intense relationships to a chaste boy-meets-girl romp. There is a nice mix of films here, recent and old, a few from other countries. There are many different kinds of love stories, allowing a wide range of circumstance to be present. Also interesting is that none of the actors on this list appears more than once.
A lot of this is treading the same introductory ground as the LGBT chemistry list, I realize. But I hate posting lists without intros or reasons. As frustrating as it can be, as I always confront my limitations as a film blogger head-on, it is important for me to work through it and never simply plop down a list and click on ‘publish’.
I sincerely invite you to list some of your own choices for this list in the comments section. I would love to read them.
Beware: There are some spoilers in the mix.
10. Humphrey Bogart as Phillip Marlowe and Lauren Bacall as Vivian Rutledge in The Big Sleep (1946)
Choosing between To Have and Have Not and The Big Sleep was difficult, but I went with the latter, mainly because I happen to love the film a lot more. Bogart and Bacall as an onscreen pair muster up intimidating hype, seemingly impossible to live up to. That it does is a feat. That it goes further and surpasses the hype is difficult to fathom. Bogart and Bacall transfer their lifelong romance to the screen which continues to incite wonder today. They are backed by a screenplay co-written by Faulkner (yes, that Faulkner) that memorably sacrifices coherence for an addictively broad tone of consistent intrigue. Furthermore, the exchanges (chockfull of risqué innuendo and wordplay) between Marlowe and Vivian reveal a playfulness; a constant testing of the minds. Yes, Bogart fares equally well with Martha Vickers and Dorothy Malone (it is understandable that the producers were worried about just how good Vickers is, resulting in her performance being chopped up). That does not dim our appreciation of the famous couple’s work here.
9. Tippi Hedren as Marnie Edgar and Sean Connery as Mark Rutland in Marnie (1964)
There is nothing really romantic about this pairing and it may seem like an odd choice to some. Hitchcockian perversity hits an all-time high here in a forced relationship rife with trauma and sometimes laughably dated ‘Intro to Psych’ character work. Mark sees Marnie through his own arrogance; as an impenetrable pet project. Marnie allows Hitchcock to visually display the inner psyche in an even more outwardly purposeful way than ever before. The director is just as fascinated by Marnie (and Hedren for that matter) as Mark is. The film is short on plot (rare for the director) and is instead entirely about Marnie’s inner demons. As Mark tries to figure her out, so do the filmmaker and the audience. Countless time could be spent looking at this film with a feminist perspective, likely finding the film more problematic and reductive than anything else. As for the chemistry, many think the opposite and feel something is lacking between the two. I give them, and the film, more credit; the two have a ton to work with and their oddly successful coupling owes more to the material than anything else. These two are on the list primarily because of their unique circumstances, and that each scene carries with it an obsessive desire to penetrate one woman’s mind, creating uncommon tension.
8. Ralph Fiennes as Count László Ede Almásy and Kristin Scott Thomas as Katherine Clifton in The English Patient
Components of The Big Sleep and Marnie include crackling dialogue and situational captivation, but The English Patient’s inclusion on this list is entirely based on the pure unadulterated passion between Fiennes and Thomas. Their scenes are all-consuming; the definition of romance. It does not even feel like acting. The lacing of love affair and tragedy makes for all-the-more heavy impact.
7. Monica Vitti as Vittoria and Alain Delon as Piero in L’Eclisse (1962)
Antonioni’s third in a trilogy on alienation amongst the young and beautiful further proves why Vitti was the perfect cipher for the director’s examination of ennui and lack of communication. But for this list, we can forget about all of that. With Alain Delon thrown into the mix, we have arguably the two most beautiful people of their time period in a film together; Alain Delon and Monica Vitti. The mere prospect of the pairing turns my brain to rot. In practice it is a dream come true. While the characters are a means to justify the end for Antonioni’s grander vision, it does not lessen the impression these two leave with the viewer. He is an enthusiastic stockbroker and she is an unsure young woman who doesn’t know what she wants. Moving beyond physical attraction becomes a problem between the two. The struggle between wanting something more, and being unable to coalesce into anything substantial, leaves them at a standstill. Still, their physical attraction is something to behold. The scene featuring the two kissing between glass is a lengthy poetic dance, and it might be the sexiest scene from any of the couples featured here.
6. Maggie Cheung as Su Li-zhen and Tony Leung as Chow Mo-wan in In the Mood for Love (2000)
Who says a couple needs to get physical in order to have smoldering chemistry? Nary can a kiss be found in Wong Kar-wai’s seminal and sumptuous period film. It is because the two never consummate their feelings for one another that make the interactions between Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung so special. While countless other hackneyed films about affairs exist (and many good ones), In the Mood for Love is all about not acting on ones feelings for another. How often do you see a story like this? Leung and Cheung are magical together. Cheung is decked out in some of the most beautiful period costumes known to film. Wong regular Christopher Doyle unforgettably captures the actors and creates atmosphere with his camera. And Shigeru Umebayashi’s famous score captures the yearning between Mo-wan and Li-zhen. This may sound like a beautiful film with nothing much going on underneath, but the opposite is true. Every scene between Leung and Cheung is riddled with layers and the film is beautifully acted with innumerable subtlety. They have motives for acting on their feelings because they believe their spouses are cheating; and yet they do not. You will not find unconsummated passion that matches this film.
5. Mia Wasikowska as Jane Eyre and Michael Fassbender as Rochester in Jane Eyre (2011)
From my initial review of this year’s adaptation of Jane Eyre; “It is when the two actors are brought together that the magic happens. It is a rare thing when the romantic leads have the chemistry the story demands them to have; these two do. The film is most engaging when the two are onscreen together, not just from of the power their scenes have, but because of the way they portray the evolution of their relationship. Buffini makes sure that different circumstances surround each scene they have together, making every single interaction between the two unique.”
4. Cary Elwes as Wesley and Robin Wright as Buttercup in The Princess Bride (1987)
The reason The Princess Bride has remained ever so strongly within our hearts is because it is pitch-perfect on all counts. This also goes Robin Wright and Cary Elwes as Buttercup and Wesley. They have chemistry to spare but it is because there are several kinds of tension apparent. In the beginning, they display the sweet and pure simplicity of love. When she is unknowingly kidnapped by him, a hateful banter forms that presents an oppositional romance. There are times when intensity takes hold not present in those first few scenes. By the end, we are back where we started with the innocence of the beginning, as they share the only kiss the two shares in the film.
3. Jimmy Stewart as Alfred Kralik and Margaret Sullavan as Clara Novak in The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
If I can get The Shop Around the Corner on any list of mine, you better be damn sure I’ll try. Don’t get me wrong; this absolutely deserves to be here without a doubt; there was no sacrificial lamb to get this cherished treasure on the list. Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan were one of the first couples that came to mind when brainstorming for this. First, they don’t really care for each other. Then, he discovers that she is the pen pal he has fallen in love with. He has an advantage, and their interactions change. Indeed, she disdains him all the more, never withholding harsh criticism when possible, while he sees her in a new light entirely. While the film classifies as romantic comedy, their conversations go far past the depended-upon witty banter. There is something truly special, and indeed indescribable, at least to me that these two bring on the screen together. There are times where they speak and it is as if there is nobody else in the world. I also recommend seeing their other onscreen pairing in The Mortal Storm, a much more serious film that does not get the recognition it deserves.
2. Maggie Gyllenhaal as Lee Holloway and James Spader as E. Edward Grey in Secretary (2002)
Sadomasochistic relationships are so very rarely, if ever and certainly not in the US, portrayed with any kind of seriousness, matter-of-fact storytelling or examination. I consider Secretary to be an important film. Yes, this topic had been broached before, but the kind of exposure this film received, makes this a remarkable feat. The characters Gyllenhaal and Spader play are developed; the film rightly never looks down on them, displaying a kind of exhilarated acceptance that truly is ‘scorching’. Spader and Gyllenhaal are outstanding together. They give the film the mandatory feeling of desperate and uncontrollable need. They also give their characters the proper dimensions required of them and are able to throw themselves into every scene and moment. I also love that Gyllenhaal is our protagonist and that the audience enters his world via her character as opposed to the opposite. And to top it off, the film has a happy ending. Spader and Gyllenhaal have never been better.
1. Emmanuelle Devos as Carla and Vincent Cassel as Paul in Read My Lips (2001)
The moment I started brainstorming this list, I knew my number one, even though it was a film I had only seen several months ago for the first time. Describing it is a daunting task, but here it goes. Cassel and Devos share something together here that I have never seen before and their dynamic is mesmerizing. It manages to balance a passionate undertone, but at the same time, contain a quietness and subtlety that is stunning to witness. Also, the film is told from the female perspective; she is the voyeur here, the one captivated by Cassel. She hires him as an assistant, knowing he is an ex-con, but he is attractive and her work environment is such a miserable place for her; why not? In the workplace, she is in control of him. He works for her. He is not very interested in her, but once he learns she can read lips due to significant deafness, he becomes interested in what she can do for him. For every element of control she has, he exploits her for his own criminal purposes. Yet, she willingly jumps into this scenario, knowingly allowing herself to be used. And he does care for her; kind of. It’s a very quiet streak of kindness, not threatening his motives, but still ever-so-present. She is dowdy, mocked by co-workers, feeling ugly and useless. The attention Cassel give her may have ulterior motives, but it is attention nonetheless. She is needed by someone, and she is willing to subject herself to this for that need from him and from those all-too quick moments of appreciation before he goes back to taking her for granted again. As you can see, there is so much going on here between these two, and it is incredible to see Cassel and Devos play this so sexily and subtly together.
List: 10 Cinematic LGBT Chemistries that Scorched the Screen
02 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
in List Tags: 1931, 1987, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2008, 2010, Bound, Brian Slade, Brokeback Mountain, Curt Wilde, Dakota Fanning, Dorothea Weick, Ennis del Mar, Ewan McGregor, Film list, Gay Cinema, German Cinema, Gina Gershon, Heath Ledger, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Hertha Thiele, Hottest Gay Chemistry, Hugh Grant, I Love You Phillip Morris, Jack Twist, Jake Gyllenhaal, James Franco, James Wilby, Jennifer Tilly, Jim Carrey, John Cameron Mitchell, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Kristen Stewart, Laura Elena Harring, LGBT, LGBT Film Chemistry, Madchen in Uniform, Maurice, Michael Pitt, Milk, Mulholland Drive, Naomi Watts, Queer Cinema, Scorching Chemistry, Sean Penn, Sexiest Chemistry, Steven Jay Russell, The Runaways, Velvet Goldmine
Like all my film lists, this remains a subjective account of the LGBT couplings I find have the most palpable chemistry. Palpable is the key word here; you have to feel it. It has to make an impact. It has to be powerful enough to draw the viewer so closely into the intimate moments between two characters that we, subsequently, feel as if we are a part of something we aren’t. Nothing overtly sexual has to happen between the two; that is not what this is necessarily about. Reasons for inclusion can involve simply the strength of the two actors and how well they fuse together. It could equally involve the characters they play as well as the context of the situation they’re in. For this list, being a couple is not a requirement. There does however, have to be definitive inarguable romantic or sexual interest from at least one of the characters for the other.
Anyone expecting a really diverse list is going to be sorely disappointed. I have seen more than my fair share of LGBT films, but a great deal of them I saw so long ago, it was difficult to recall many of the films in question. Jeffrey, Lost and Delirious, Better than Chocolate, Show Me Love, The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, Killer Condom (are there any eligible couples in this film even? I can’t remember despite loving it), The Dying Gaul, The Killing of Sister George, Bedrooms and Hallways, Broken Hearts Club, The Children’s Hour, The Crying Game and The Living End are some examples of LGBT films I have seen but cannot recall enough to seriously consider. Then there are the ones that did not make the cut that I did remember well enough, but there was a limited number of spots.
But most importantly, there are the inordinate amount of LGBT films I have not seen. The number is many, and while I hope to rectify that at some point (by seeing such films as Bent, Beautiful Thing, Big Eden and more), for now I made the list to the best of my ability. And for now, the best of my ability means that I had to largely draw from films I have seen more recently or films I simply recall more vividly for one reason or another. If my reasons do not seem to go much into the actual chemistry between the two actors it is because it goes without saying that each pairing has sexual chemistry that melts off the screen.
Without further ado;
10. Jim Carrey as Steven Jay Russell and Ewan McGregor as Phillip Morris in I Love You Phillip Morris (2010)
There is a layer of genuine sincerity at the center of this romance that is really quite sweet. Especially when taking into account that Carrey’s Russell is anything but sincere in his scheming endeavors. McGregor is able to pull off a boy-like overeager charm with a touch of naivete better than any other actor. He has portrayed this air to equal effect in Moulin Rouge! and Big Fish. When he makes another appearance on this list, not a trace of that boyishness can be found. What makes the material between these two so engrossing is that the film is told, and played, with a fairy-tale like sensibility. This draws out a dreamy feel of old-school romance and the actors make us feel the love between the two.
9. John Cameron Mitchell as Hedwig and Michael Pitt as Tommy in Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)
The scenes between Hedwig and Tommy are my favorites in the film. What starts out as a familiar relationship of experience/inexperience turns into betrayal and desertion made more complicated by Hedwig’s anatomical state; “it’s what I have to work with”.
8. Sean Penn as Harvey Milk and James Franco as Scott Smith in Milk (2008)
Penn and Franco make us feel the familiarity, history and comfort that these two men have together. Their scenes are conducted by Van Sant with love and warmth, all lending further depth to their sexual chemistry, which is already overflowing before the aforementioned elements are brought into play.
7. Naomi Watts as Betty Elms/Diane Selwyn and Laura Elena Harring as Rita/Camilla Rhodes in Mulholland Drive (2001)
The work coming from Watts and Harring in Mulholland Drive has so much to do with the careful stylization within the performances and the planning that goes into the contrast between Rita/Camilla and Betty/Diane. Each has to play antithetical emotions and dynamics within entirely different representations of their characters. The brilliance of the two performances is that they are able to instill the innocent and sudden blossoming of love in one scenario and the toxic and disturbing levels of hate and self-destruction in the other. Add to this two sex scenes that have considerable impact (one is my favorite in all of film; the only sex scene that consistently has the ability to move me to tears) and there is nothing more to be said.
6. Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie and Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett in The Runaways (2010)
That Stewart and Fanning are able to make what they do of the mediocre material in front of them is impressive. Luckily director Sigismondi knows how milk every bit of tension between the two through cinematography (by the unbearably talented Benoît Debie) and visual flair that extrapolates what the two have together. In turn, the two actresses are able to make up for the underwhelming script (also by Sigismondi) through their performances and their chemistry together. They are able to portray the curiosity within teenage sexual exploration and it feels especially authentic. I proclaimed the “I Wanna Be Your Dog” scene the sexiest of 2010 film and I continue to stand by that claim.
5. Jennifer Tilly as Violet and Gina Gershon as Corky in Bound (1996)
Despite reasonable assumptions, Tilly and Gershon do not have a great deal of screen time together in the Wachowskis debut directorial feature. Before the film turns into a constantly twisty and suspenseful take on neo-noir, its first half hour is a delightfully self-aware campy excursion into lesbian seduction. The filmmakers and actresses are aware of the sleazy expectations people must have had going into this film. They embrace that, complete with line readings that feel at times parodic, but by throwing in unexpected earnestness, it manages to be fun, sexy and genuine. Their big sex scene is beautifully choreographed in one long swooping take that focuses on the minutiae of bodily expression . Instead of it being just a sex scene, it smartly details the physicality of love-making.
4. Heath Ledger as Ennis del Mar and Jake Gyllenhaal as Jack Twist in Brokeback Mountain (2005)
What makes this story as remarkable as it is, is that every aspect of it is executed with unmatchable tact and grace. What Ledger and Gyllenhaal bring to the proceedings, besides two incredible individual performances, is an epic quality that their pairing lends both the film and the story it is telling. The film is quiet and closely observed and Lee allows the emotions of the actors play themselves out unfettered and raw. It is justifiably one for the ages.
3. Hertha Thiele as Manuela von Meinhardis and Dorothea Wieck as Governess Fräulein von Bernburg in Mädchen in Uniform (1931)
This seminal German LGBT film made in 1931 is far more outright and honest about its lesbian story as anything that can be found during the entirety of Hollywood’s studio era (not surprising, but the point remains). And yet, only allowed to be forthright to a point, so much of the sexual chemistry between the two comes from the need to be discreet within the confines of 1930′s cinema. Let us not forget to take into consideration the Prussian authoritative school system the characters inhabit, (which is of equal interest to the storyteller’s motives) and that the love story is one between student and teacher. The two actresses are bursting in their mutual admiration for one another; Manuela is desperate for von Bernburg’s attention. A heavy reliance is put on both actresses ability to express their desire through facial expression, and it is impossible not to feel their yearning. The most is also made of small moments between the two that really make the most of the censorship placed on the filmmakers.
2. James Wilby as Maurice and Hugh Grant as Clive in Maurice (1987)
Not even taking into consideration how refreshingly complex and ever-changing the relationship between Maurice and Clive is, Wilby and Grant lend repressed sensuality in their realistic portrayal of homosexual men living in the early 20th century. This repressed sensuality threatens to boil over in nearly every scene they share together. They are given different reasons for their purposeful suppression; Clive’s desire to ‘not ruin’ what they have and Maurice’s unwanted compliance to follow Clive’s chaste rule. This makes the tension between the two even more dynamic.
1. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as Brian Slade and Ewan McGregor as Curt Wilde in Velvet Goldmine (1998)
At this point I know Velvet Goldmine like the back of my hand (I’ve seen it at least fifty times), so I have had adequate time to throw myself without reserve into the countless moments between these two actors that are nothing less than astonishing in their sexual power. Using Brian Eno’s “Baby’s on Fire” during a certain orgy scene, intercut with pretend-fellatio between the two in an onstage moment, is not exactly a coincidental song choice. I have never seen two people portray the kind of explosive chemistry Meyers and McGregor have together here. So much of their power is through the mutual exchange of glances between the two throughout. They both immediately know what the other has in mind and that understanding makes everything even sexier. The tumultuous relationship allows the two to play a variety of different moments with each other, always with a healthy dose of unbearable lust.
List: 10 Creepy Villains from Children’s Films
28 Apr 2011 11 Comments
in List Tags: blog, Book, Charles Durning, Charles Judels, Christopher Lloyd, Cinema Enthusiast, cinenthusiast, Coraline, Doc Hopper, Ferngully: The Laast Rainforest, Film list, Grand Duke of Owls, Grand High Witch, Henry Selick, Hexxus, Jim Henson, Judge Doom, List, Matilda, Miss Trunchbull, Nicolas Roeg, Pam Ferris, Pinocchio, Return to Oz, Roald Dahl, Rock-a-Doodle, Spellbook, Ten Creepy Villains from Children's Films, The Care Bears Movie, The Coachman, The Muppet Movie, The Wheelers, The Witches, Top 10, Top Ten Creepy Villains from Children's Films, Walt Disney, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
This list will steer towards the personal, in that almost all of the films on this list made a significantly creepy impact on me when I watched them as a child. For this reason, films like The Dark Crystal, Watership Down, The Neverending Story, Labyrinth and others will not be on here; I saw them all later in life. Only one film here is from the past ten years; the rest are films from the 70′s, 80′s and 90′s. Other films like The Wizard of Oz and The Nightmare Before Christmas are omitted because while they have scary villains, they do not get to me the way these others do.
I was a very odd child and it goes without saying that I am a very odd adult. Very random and seemingly harmless things can scare me. Example: as a three year-old I had a poster of Sesame Street Live on my wall. The image of Cookie Monster on it quite literally gave me nightmares. Another example; a viewing of Citizen Kane when I was twelve sent me into a crippling two-year fear of Orson Welles. Laugh now (I sure do), but I honestly could not enter Blockbuster, it effected my school work, I cautiously turned the pages in books and magazines during that time and went to the school guidance counselor every week for it. Faces terrify me more than perhaps anything else. Willem Dafoe as a theoretically older Jesus in The Last Temptation of Christ. Kathleen Byron in Black Narcissus. Fiona Shaw in The Black Dahlia (awful film; great performance). Gloria Swanson in the end of Sunset Boulevard. Conrad Veidt in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Felissa Rose at the end of Sleepaway Camp . Donald Sutherland and Adelina Poerio at the end of Don’t Look Now. All of these examples are evidence that, oftentimes for me, the scariest thing I can see is a face.
As I brainstormed for this list I discovered something quite surprising. There were films that sprang to mind that were not applicable. Why? Because it was the films themselves that scared me, not the villain in them. There are many children’s films that have a very unsettling feeling about them; it is almost impossible to put into words. There are several films on this list that fit this category. Examples of films not on the list that apply are The Brave Little Toaster, The Secret of NIMH and James and the Giant Peach are examples.
Now that you have a brief idea of where I’m coming from, here is my list. Again, this is based entirely on what I watched as a child and my experiences with them. I would LOVE to hear your own picks so be sure to comment!
10. The Beldam – Teri Hatcher (voice) – Coraline (2009)
Here is the only villain on the list from a film made in the 2000′s. This would have been guaranteed a higher spot, had it not been for the absence of specific traumatic childhood memories. As it is, director Henry Selick has always known how to be creepily effective when he needs to be. This is no different; he really delivers the goods here and the strong source material gave him plenty to work with.
9. The Spirit – Jackie Burroughs (voice) – The Care Bears Movie (1985)
Laugh if you will. It has been…about fifteen years since I last watched The Care Bears Movie. It is hard to remember back and pinpoint what specifically was so frightening about this. Doing research, I noticed that many others cite this as a film and character they were scared by. It should go without saying that The Care Bears Movie is not going to actively scare any children, even very small ones; apparently not.
8. Hexxus – Tim Curry (voice) - Ferngully: The Last Rainforest (1992)
Ferngully as a whole unsettles me (not in a way that takes away from the film); again, it is hard to pinpoint why. Maybe because it has Robin Williams voicing a fruit bat. Surely much of it is because of Hexxus who is given an effectively eerie voice by Curry. The way Hexxus slinks, slithers and seeps into and out of objects is what makes him frightening. Also, he turns into an oil demon that breathes fire. Enough said.
7. Doc Hopper – Charles Durning – The Muppet Movie (1979)
Doc Hopper’s obsession with Kermit the Frog and his legs is just a little creepy. The man kidnaps Kermit and attempts to BRAINWASH him. Durning plays him as this fantastical and outlandish Colonel Sanders archetype, and its his purposely caricatured performance that resonated for me as a child watching the film.
6. The Wheelers – Various - Return to Oz (1985)
This is another example is a film that sufficiently unsettles in its entirety. After recently seeing it again, it holds up as being even creepier than I remember. Mombi could have easily gone into this spot too, but characters that have a specific mobility trait tend to stick with me more. This goes for Hexxus and The Wheelers. They come in packs and they move, well, it’s all in the name.
5. The Coachman – Charles Judels (voice) – Pinocchio (1940)
…..yeah. The picture says it all. The Coachman’s inclusion is meant to also represent the entire Pleasure Island sequence. The outright sadism of this character is a bit jarring to see as a child because his satisfaction is easy to comprehend and process. This is the scariest thing Disney has ever done.
4. Miss Trunchbull – Pam Ferris – Matilda (1996)
Pam Ferris annihilates with her performance in Matilda. It is completely over the top, but it never feels like its too much because of the world director Danny DeVito and author Roald Dahl have separately created. All adaptations of Roald Dahl films creep me out on some level, with the exception of Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox. DeVito loves the fish-eye lens and extreme close-ups; he tries very hard to give the film the same feel that Quentin Blake’s illustrations have. The way Trunchbull is shot, in addition to the feeling of the entire film and finally because of Ferris herself, this gets a high spot on the list. Can we just take a second and reflect on the mere concept of The Chokey? Or the scene when she makes Bruce Bogtrotter eat an entire chocolate cake? Or the sequence when she discovers Matilda is hiding somewhere in her house and ruthlessly hunts for her?
3. The Grand Duke of Owls – Christopher Plummer (voice) – Rock-a-Doodle (1992)
Remember when I mentioned some of these films creep me out entirely? Nowhere is that more relevant than it is here. Honestly? I don’t even know if I could watch this again; that is how hesitant I am. Every single frame of this film disturbs me. And it sucks to boot. It’s an outright shitty film and for whatever reason, it unnerves me more than any other animated film in existence. This includes the “Grand Duke of Owls”.
2. Judge Doom – Christopher Lloyd – Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)
I feel like this is an inclusion everyone can agree on. Something like the “Grand Duke of Owls” is more specified toward my own odd relationships with certain films. Others like Judge Doom, are simply universal. He is terrifying at the outset. Who among us can recall the suspense during the “Shave and a Haircut” scene? His very controlled and unpredictable demeanor. Those gloves. Those sunglasses. His desire to WIPE OUT AN ENTIRE RACE. Then we reach the climax, which takes everything several steps further than expected.He gets run over by a STEAMROLLER. The sound effects by Lloyd as we SEE THIS HAPPEN are completely fucking disturbing. Then, in the scariest resurrection since Michael Myers in Carpenter’s Halloween, the villain, now a flat and wobbly toon rises and re-inflates himself as his EYEBALLS POP OUT. His voice transforms into a helium-possessed freakshow as he simultaneously reveals he killed Eddie’s (Bob Hoskins) brother. It’s a two-for-one plot twist; it remains shiver-inducing. His eyeballs become animated knives. He bounces across the warehouse. It’s fucking brutal.
1. Grand High Witch – Anjelica Huston – The Witches (1990)
Unlike Rock-a-Doodle, which I won’t rewatch because I know it’s crap and it will not be worth the likely trauma, The Witches is a film I am fairly certain I would like if I rewatched it again, but am cowering in fear at the very notion of it. This is the most disturbing live-action children’s film bar none. It is very telling how much of this film I remember even though it was not a childhood favorite of mine. For all I know, I have only seen it once. I just know the impact it had on me. Not coincidentally, this is another Roald Dahl adaptation. The Grand High Witch is just plain disgusting, but so is everything about this. The work Jim Henson and his company did on this film is nothing short of stellar. This is the kind of work that is not done today if it does not have to be. There’s not much to say about this villain, as I cannot recall her specifics; just the reveal that this is what she actually looks like. That I remember. To top it all off, Nicolas Roeg directed this! This accounts for a lot of the film’s tone and has convinced me to revisit it soon. As soon as I work up the nerve.
List: 10 Films I Instantly Knew Were Special
17 Mar 2011 4 Comments
in List Tags: blog, Cinema Enthusiast, cinenthusiast, Dawn of the Dead, Film list, Films I Instantly Knew Were Special, Ghost World, Hausu, House, Kicking and Screaming, List, Magnolia, McCabe and Mrs. Miller, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Movie List, Re-Animator, Requiem for a Dream, The Graduate, Top 10, Top Ten, Top Ten Film List
Have you ever started watching a film that you click with instantly? Whether a simple but solid realization the film is right up your alley or a profound moment that sticks with you for life, the feeling is what counts. This is a pretty unconventional list based on a specific feeling. Some of these films I saw for the first time ten years ago. Some of them I saw for the first time within the past year. It is impossible to describe the required feeling that makes up this list. The best way to describe it is a surge of understanding or an eye opening intensity. I had to be able to recall having this specific feeling in order for a film to be represented here. I also had to be able to recall the moment during the film where the feeling occurred. There are a number of things that must be pointed out. First, many films are not meant to have that immediate pull and function in different ways. Second, there are a great number of films I had an immediate reaction that are not in the list because I cannot recall that specific elusive and indescribable feeling even if I can assume it occurred. There are other instances where that feeling occurs and it can be recalled, but it is too far in the film to qualify. Some of the entries on this list correlate directly with the age I was during these first viewings. Personally, I found a lot more recent films popping up in my head while brainstorming for this. I believe that the stylistic innovations and use of elaborate camera work, music, pacing and more are geared towards this specific immediate reaction. There is a heightened drive from many modern filmmakers to grab audiences from the start. This is not to say that any which way is better. Some of my favorite films are purposeful slow burns. Others I did not start seriously loving until a second viewing. It must be pointed out above all, that these ten films are not necessarily better than the countless films not on the list. They are simply the ten films I recall being intensely grabbed by within minutes. Unsurprisingly, music is a big component on this list considering that music can be an extremely immediate and emotional experience. The great thing about this list is that personal stories come with each entry and that everybody’s list would be entirely unique between the films and the experiences, memories and importance attached to them. My question to anybody reading this is; what films would make your list?
10. The Graduate
The Graduate was a film that took me two viewings before I counted it amongst my favorites. I was very young when I first saw it and I wasn’t quite ready to relate to the film nor to fully comprehend the satirical aspects. Nevertheless that “feeling” made itself forcefully present during the opening credit sequence. “The Sounds of Silence” being one of my favorite songs from a very young age and being a dedicated fan to Simon and Garfunkel allowed me to be entranced as Benjamin rides the walkway remaining immobile and passive. I felt it was speaking directly to me.
9. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
I am not sure what I expected from the original Dawn of the Dead when I saw it for the first time last October. I had already seen several zombie films, including Snyder’s remake. There was a major assumption going in that it would begin either before the zombie attacks or in an post-apocalyptic environment. I did not expect the film to begin mere hours after the attacks begun and for the focus to be the chaos inside a TV station trying to stay on top of and cover what they can. It caught me off guard in the best way possible. My limited experience of the subgenre allowed the approach to be a refreshing way of throwing us right into the situation without reverting to either brief pre-apocalyptic character development or a series of now ineffective shots of stranded and void masses of land and cities.
8. Re-Animator
Our introduction to Herbert West and the subsequent kick-off of the stellar opening credits sequence set to Richard Band’s revamped version of Bernard Herrmann’s iconic Psycho score provided an immediate reaction on my part when I first saw it last October. I remember turning to my boyfriend, who was showing me the film, and saying “That was fucking awesome. I’m going to love this”. The scene immediately establishes the film’s off-kilter and charcoal black humor that will remain throughout.
7. Kicking and Screaming (1995)
Noah Baumbach’s first feature starts with a college graduation party that lasts for about 15 minutes and introduces us to all the major characters. “Cecilia Ann” by The Pixies perfectly starting things off as the ennui and neuroses of the characters shows itself in the immediacy of graduation. It was one of those moments that had me thinking within the first few minutes “Where has this film been all my life?”
6. Ghost World
Being a 15 year old girl who was cynical about my high school surroundings and weary of everyone around me, watching Ghost World allowed me to have a new role model in the form of Thora Birch’s Enid. We are introduced to her as she spins around and dances to “Jaan Pehechaan Ho” in her red graduation outfit in a celebratory moment before she leaves high school forever. I immediately connected to her in such a strong and long lasting way. I have since grown out of my admiration for Enid and as I get older I align myself more (sadly) with Seymour or even Rebecca. She remains one of my favorite film characters even if I don’t connect with her the way I once used to. That opening scene was a revelatory moment for me on a character based level.
5. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
I was about 12 when I first was introduced to Monty Python. I watched it at a sleepover with some friends. I had heard of Monty Python but had no idea what their type of humor was or what to expect from their work. I had also never been exposed to humor on an absurdist level. Some of the shows I watched when I was younger certainly employed anarchic humor of this kind, but I did not recognize this about said shows until revisiting them years later. The opening credits features a black screen and some rather odd music. Then some stuff starts to go down including sacked projectionists’, some Swedish inspired subtitles that contain nonsense about the moose and an in-your-face orange and yellow llama centric credit spectacle. None of it makes sense and as someone being introduced to their trademark style of humor, I was hooked immediately. After the film, we watched it again that night and came up with llama centric nicknames for each other.
4. House (1977)
Saw this for the first time last summer. At this point, between my twitter avatar, my blog header and its placement in my Top Ten favorite films of all time should make clear how strongly and quickly I fell in love with this film. The surge of feeling came as soon as the it started. On a fundamental level, I understood I had never seen anything like it, would never see anything like this again and that its place in my life would last indefinitely.
3. Magnolia
My first experience with Paul Thomas Anderson was when I was fourteen. The extended opening sequence about coincidence with the voiceover narration of Ricky Jay followed by another extended sequence set to Aimee Mann’s cover of “One” as all major characters are introduced left me astounded. The way Anderson uses tracking shots, montage and his use of the camera as hyperactive participant was love at first sight. I had never seen anything like Magnolia at that time and my primary thought was that I was extremely grateful that the film was three hours. I gave myself over to it completely and have many more times over the years.
2. McCabe and Mrs. Miller
This is a special case. I do not consider Altman’s revisionist Western among my favorite films. I think it might be Altman’s best along with Nashville but it was a film that overall I merely liked a lot and appreciated. I saw it about three years ago. It remains the profound moment for me on this list. It’s the only entry here that I would say legitimately changed my life. The reason for this is that it was the first time I heard the music of Leonard Cohen, now my favorite singer/songwriter of all time. Hearing “The Stranger Song” was like a world opening up for me. At first, I wondered if this should count because it was so closely connected to a musician. It’s not just the music though; the entire scene is entrancing beyond words. The song directly correlates to Beatty’s entrance and purpose within the film. It is the perfect start to this film and it has stuck with me ever since.
1. Requiem for a Dream
At the age of 15 I sat down to watch Requiem for a Dream with a friend who had been raving about it. I was not keeping up with much of anything regarding film at this point so I was unaware of what I was in for. The film starts off with split-screens being used in a way I had not seen before. Leto and Wayans take the television set and Clint Mansell’s “Summer Overture” kicks in as the film’s title slams down, pushing the image off the screen with a sound effect that can be likened to a prison door being shut on the viewer. The music immediately have a massive effect on me, with the soundtrack essentially taking over my life for the next several months. I didn’t know quite what I was in for once the film started, all I knew was that it was going to be intense. At that age, I didn’t know film could be used to produce the kind of overall effect Requiem had and to see what film could do made a considerable impact on me as a blossoming cinephile.
The 10 Worst Film Posters of 2010
20 Nov 2010 4 Comments
in 2010 list, List Tags: 2010, blog, Cinema Enthusiast, cinenthusiast, Film list, List, Posters, Top 10, Worst Film Posters of 2010, Worst Movie Posters of 2010, Worst of 2010, Worst Posters
I’m sure someone else could find 10 other film posters just as bad as these. Fact of the matter is, poster art is not what it used to be. Mostly, it is yet another way for the industry to put their films in a predictable and precise box that tells the viewer exactly what to expect if they choose to go see their film. Casual moviegoers want to know what they are going into and the poster art woefully reflects the main goal of these advertisements instead of piquing interest. Here are the posters that were the worst of the many offenders to choose from.
10. The Truth
Haven’t we had enough posters with fragmented composition populated with awkward photos of actors? John Heard and Daniel Baldwin look like they don’t even know where they are. Then we have the tagline The Truth..is always complicated. Rough stuff.
9. Sex and the City 2
I have never been a “Sex and the City” fan. It has always been an obnoxious representation of the modern woman even if it might have been somewhat progressive for TV at the time. The campaign for the likely unnecessary sequel was through and through atrocious. Believe me, there were other posters from this film worthy of the number 9 spot. This teaser took the cake with its terrible tagline “There are other ways to score” and that Carrie’s shoe is the only thing on this poster that has anything to do with the film. This has nothing to do with soccer!!
8. The King’s Speech
Yes, there are probably other posters that could have been here. However, for a film that is one of the FRONTRUNNERS for Best Picture at this year’s Oscars, there is no excuse for this to not only be dull as dirt, but horribly executed with unconvincing photoshop work. Even director Tom Hooper is ashamed!
7. Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore
The main reason this was picked over similarly painful animal movie posters like Marmaduke and Yogi Bear is because the dog and cat pictured on this poster freak me out. What is with those faces?!
6. I Spit on Your Grave
A lazy rehash of the original poster; just as vulgar and twice as dull. As if we need the knife placed near her ass to look at it. It also starts its offensive as the opening day being the “Day of the Woman”. Keep going with that desperate attempt at faux feminist empowerment bullshit that nobody buys in relation to this schlock.
5. Grown Ups
This is such a fake poster; where to begin? Everything is so poorly cropped and photoshopped. Everyone has weird faces. The sky in the background as well as the top of the slide look amateurish at best.
4. Accidents Happen
I see what this was going for. It could have been serviceable. What we have though, is a confused and awkwardly ineffective poster. Look at Geena Davis’ face. Does that make you want to watch Accidents Happen? I didn’t think so.
3. Shrek Forever After 3D
This represents the type of pop culture humor of Shrek at its worst. Taking a sexist and outdated phrase, changing one letter and pretending that this children’s franchise is on top of what’s hip. Yeah Shrek; you’ve still got it.
2. Killers
I almost admire this poster; however did they manage to cram everything I dislike about these two actors into one picture as well as reinforcing age old stereotypes that simply aren’t funny nor relevant? Katherine Heigl doesn’t like holding a gun; I’m guessing it’s because she’s a girl and not because she has any actual moral conviction. Look! She can barely touch it! Then there’s Kutcher sporting his “Come on!” face most commonly seen on “Punk’D” or..anything else he has ever been involved in.
1. Saw 3D
I would love if someone could explain what I’m looking at. For the record, I’ve always enjoyed the Saw poster campaigns. What is happening here? Machines are building a huge Jigsaw structure? Are there no people? Was there an apocalypse on Saw VI? Smokestacks? What am I looking at? What’s the concept? Big Jigsaw structure representing the release of the film being a big event? I cannot wrap my head around the logic going into this ad.
