So since it’s New Year’s Day, I decided to do another ‘Best of ….’ list, and will return to my regular broadcast next Friday. So here they are, in no particular order, because honestly.. there were so many goodies this year, I couldn’t just pick one as my favourite:

The Cove

(500) Days of Summer

Up

An Education

A Single Man

Up In the Air

Moon

Inglourious Basterds

Sherlock Holmes

The White Ribbon

Runners up:

Antichrist, Public Enemies, District 9, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Precious, Coco Avant Chanel, A Serious Man, Avatar, Invictus, Bright Star, The Hangover, Zombieland, Anvil! The Story of Anvil, Pirate Radio, Bronson, The Road

I thought I would change it up a bit… Today, I bring you a list of my top 10 Holiday movies as a recommendation for anyone looking for something to watch tonight.

10. Rankin/Bass Christmas Shorts

9. Miracle on 34th Street

8. White Christmas

7. Elf

6. Home Alone

5. A Christmas Story

4. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

3. Scrooged

2. Love, Actually

1. It’s A Wonderful Life

and as a bonus… just because I didn’t want to make it an uneven list…..

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Plot Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Claireece ‘Precious‘ Jones has been physically, mentally and sexually abused since she was 3 years old. Now, pregnant with her secondchild, illiterate and kicked out of school, she’s sent to an alternative learning center where a whole new world is opened up to her.

Genre:

Drama

Starring:
Gabourey Sidibe, Mo’Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Sherri Shepherd

Director:
Lee Daniels

Review:
I have to admit… I am definetly one of those people who will refuse to watch a movie that is so overly-hyped it won’t possibly be as good as you expect it to be when you watch it… I’ve given in a few times… usually to a result I had always expected; The movies sucked.. that is, until I watched Precious. It was exactly what it was hyped to be and more. I wasn’t expecting that, especially since the trailers and interviews have made it out to look like Mariah Carey is in 90% of the movie, when really it’s more like a grand total of 5 mins. That said, she did really well. I was shocked because most of the actors who starred in the movie are people you would expect to completely bomb, but I can honestly say, without a hint of sarcasm, that all of them gave Oscar-worthy performances.

The Golden Globe nominations came out this week with Precious being nominated for: Best Picture, Best Actress (Gabourey Sidibe) and Best Supporting Actress (Mo’Nique). I’m a little shocked that Lee Daniels didn’t receive a nomination for Best Director, but the Academy Awards noms will be out soon and I’m sure the film will be getting a lot more nods, as there are far more categories. If Mo’Nique doesn’t win in her category, I will be shocked. I haven’t seen someone be that passionate about a role in a long time… I can’t rave it enough.

This movie is passionate, beautiful and above all, has heart and is completely relatable. I strongly urge all of you to see it, not because it’s nominated for everything or because it’s well-made, but because it has a lesson. It’s meant to teach us all not to judge people on what you see, be it mental illness, or in Precious Jones’ case, being pregnant, kicked out of school and illiterate at 16, but rather to hear their stories and to understand why we all are the way we are.

Rating:
5/5

Plot Synopsis:
Edward leaves Bella… she gets depressed and starts to cling onto the only guy, Jacob, who will put up with her annoying-ness during this very difficult time.. and he turns out to be a werewolf. …You get the gist.

Genre:
Romance

Starring:
Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke, Ashley Greene

Director:
Chris Weitz

Review:
Ok.. so I’m going to try and be as unbiased as possible with this.. and I do have to admit that I’ve read both Twilight and New Moon.. and I even plan on reading the last two books before the movies come out.. They’re my guilty pleasure…… but I just can’t seem to get into the movies. Perhaps this is why I tend to read books after the movie they’re based on has come out.

Anyway…. Acting-wise.. I just felt like Kristen Stewart was going to have a seizure every few minutes… I don’t like the expression she constantly has on her face.. and.. she needs.. to stop.. touching… her hair!!!!1!! Am I being too harsh? Probably. Robert Pattinson, who I have been madly in love with since his Harry Potter days tends to overact a bit in anything I’ve seen him in since HP.. but he’s still pretty to look at… Taylor Lautner was actually the only one of the three who I was surprised with. He pulled it off and pretty well brought the movie together. ……Oh, and Michael Sheen should never.. ever… ever.. play a vampire again…. I love the guy to death.. but no no no… and for the amount they were publicizing the Volturi vamps (Sheen, Dakota Fanning, Jamie Campbell Bower, Christopher Heyerdahl, Charlie Bewley, Daniel Cudmore, etc…) they should definetly have been in the movie more.

So… aside from the acting… which was fine aside from the two main actors.. the cinematography was great… the soundtrack is fantastic.. My only other complaint was that the ending was way too rushed… The pace was good throughout the entire film, but it just looked and felt like they tried to cram about half of the book into 10 mins.

So after all of this.. if you still want to see the movie.. no one will hold it against you. Twi-hards, unite!!!

Rating:
2.5/5

Plot Synopsis:
A group of activists, led by the infamous Ric O’Barry, infiltrate a cove in Taiji, Japan where hundreds of thousands of dolphins and porpoises are killed each year in the illegal Japan fishing market. Specifically, the film centers around the cove where the slaughters take place.

Director:
Louie Psihoyos

Genre:
Documentary

Review:
Originally, I was planning on reviewing New Moon this week (yawn)… but when I realized that one of the best documentaries I have ever seen was coming out on Tuesday (December 8th), I just had to write about it.

The Cove is one of the best documentaries I have ever seen, with only Sharkwater to compare it to. In the film, we see Ric O’Barry, who was actually the trainer of the original Flipper, as he succeeds in, and gets arrested for, freeing countless dolphins all over the globe, something that some of his colleagues have been murdered over.

The way the film was shot, in terms of music and editing, is so amazingly gripping… that you would have to be completely heartless to not burst into tears. This is a movie that could really make a difference in the world, and I can only hope that we have more films like it and Sharkwater.

It’s really time that people see what is truly going on in the world. Personally, I haven’t eaten fish for years, because I know enough to know where those animals are coming from and what the entire industry is doing to the world’s oceans, and the environment. If you think it’s cruel to eat a cow, chicken or pig.. think about the fish that are being suffocated in long lines and bottom trawls and what they’re doing to sea turtles, whales, sharks and other aquatic life that are unintentionally getting caught within them.

I apologize for going on this rant about saving the world’s oceans, but I just watched the film again and it’s made me a little wild.

If you’ve ever been to a marine park (Marine Land, Sea World, etc…) or gone swimming with dolphins, and even if you don’t care about the cause, please watch this movie, and don’t be ignorant to what is going on.

Don’t forget! It comes out on Tuesday!!!

Rating:
5/5

Plot Synopsis:
Roland Emmerich’s latest “end of days” thriller is about the alleged, Mayan predicted apocalypse that is set to hit the world on December 21st, 2012. The story centers around a divorced husband and wife, their two child, and their stepfather, and the geologist who helped discover the events that are to take place.

Director:
Roland Emmerich

Cast:
John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Liam James, Morgan Lily, Thandie Newton, Oliver Platt, Danny Glover, Thomas McCarthy, Woody Harrelson, Zlatko Buric, Beatrice Rosen

Genre:
Action/Thriller

Review:
I have to admit, I wasn’t drawn to this movie for the excitement and expectation of a well-made, thought out film. For the most part, I wanted to see it for the special effects. Being a fan of Emmerich’s other two, critically acclaimed films, Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow, I had high hopes that his latest venture would not disappoint.. and it didn’t. The effects were amazing, and basically ran from start till finish. One thing that I really appreciate about Roland Emmerich’s films is that he doesn’t give you a one and half hour lull of talking and boring storyline that doesn’t get you anywhere; he likes to jump right into the action.

Although the storyline itself, in terms of the family, etc… was kind of lacking, the all-star cast really made a difference. I have to say that I did find some parts kind of sexist (ex. There’s a scene where they’re on a plane, and instead of calling everyone up to the cockpit to see their impending doom, only the men are called, while the women have to stay with the children….. What is this? 1963!?!?)

…..Anyways.. If you want to see an action-packed, super-suspenseful film, I highly recommend going to see 2012. It was awesome.

My only complaint is that Woody Harrelson should have been in the movie more. =(

Rating:
4.5/5

Plot Synopsis:
Michael Moore‘s latest documentary targets the cause of the global financial crisis of 2008, and criticizes the government bailouts of privately owned businesses across America; capitalism being the root of problem in all respects.

Director:
Michael Moore

Genre:
Documentary

Review:
Although this is not my favourite Michael Moore documentary ( that spot is reserved for Bowling For Columbine =) ), I did think it was extremely informative and quite fascinating. I think that most people who are as interested in conspiracy theories as I am (NERD ALERT), already knew a lot of the points which he discussed in the film.

I have to say that I am starting to feel that if you’ve seen one Michael Moore film, you’ve seen them all. Yes, each one of his movies covers a different topic, and yes, he covers them well, giving the audience well-researched information, and a few good laughs, but I’ve really had enough with the Bush-bashing that comes with each film. No, it’s not because I like George Bush or think he was a good President, but I feel that he’s taking away from his work by dedicating so much time to putting him, as well as the entire Republican party, down.

Overall, I think that if you like documentary film, you would like this movie, and all I can hope for is that next time, Bush will have been out of office long enough for Moore to have gotten over his hate-on for the man. It’s become quite a bore.

Rating:
3.5/5

Plot Synopsis:
“This isn’t a love story, this is a story about love,” being the tagline for this film, pretty much sums up the entire plot. Tom still believes, even in today’s cynical society, that love can change, consume and conquer all. Summer, on the other hand, doesn’t believe in any of that, but Tom won’t let that change anything. He pursues her endlessly, falling in love with not only Summer, but the very idea of love and how it might be able to change people and the world, regardless of the odds.

Cast:
Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Clark Gregg, Minka Kelly, Chloe Moretz, Matthew Gray Gubler, Geoffrey Arend

Director:
Mark Webb

Review:
500 Days of Summer is like a fairy tale gone wrong… but in a good way. I have never seen any movie that so eloquently captures what it’s like to have your heart completely and utterly broken in 2009. In those 500 days, we are allowed to view the beginning, middle and end to a relationship, and anyone who has ever loved someone knows what that looks like.

The soundtrack is absolutely fabulous with songs from The Smiths, She & Him, Regina Spektor, etc… You really feel the emotions that Tom is going through throughout the film strictly because the music is so perfectly matched with all of the scenes.

The cinematography and writing were absolutely beautiful, and probably my favourite part of the entire film. The split screen between Tom’s reality and his expectations in a particular scene, the dance sequence, the colours, everything.. it was just beautiful to look at. I especially liked the fact that, in terms of colour scheme, they stuck to one colour, blue, which really brought the entire film together, visually.

500 Days of Summer is one of my favourite films of all time, and not because it’s a Citizen Kane or a Godfather, but because it’s so real. And any movie that allows you to relate to it so well, has to be given a chance. So go see it!!!!

Rating:
5/5

By the way, heres a link to a short video that Zooey and Joseph made for the film, with music from She & Him in the background.

Plot Synopsis:
The film begins in German-occupied France in 1941 where a young, Jewish girl (Melanie Laurent) witnesses the death of her family at the hands of Hitler‘s ‘Jew Hunter,’ Nazi Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz).

Flash forward to 1944, and we’re introduced to Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) who, along with his band of fellow Jews, The Basterds, are causing a ruckus by scalping and eliminating every Nazi they meet.

Cast:
Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Eli Roth, Melanie Laurent, Diana Kruger

Director:
Quentin Tarantino

This film was a typical Quentin Tarantino movie from start to finish. I have been hearing from a lot of other people who have seen it, that there’s “too much talking.” Well, to them I say “get some taste in cinema”, and instead of seeing something just because Brad Pitt is in it, know what type of genre, etc… that Tarantino typically produces. Of course there’s going to be a lot of talking. No one is going to make a movie that is based strictly on Nazi‘s having their heads bashed in. No one with any talent for making a good movie, anyway.

The cinematography was amazing and one of my favourite parts of the entire film. Camera angles, shots, etc, were perfection. The soundtrack to the film was also wonderful. It went perfectly with everything I was watching. Acting and casting were amazing, although I was a little disturbed by Quentin Tarantino‘s choice to have Mike Myers make a cameo appearance as a British general. I just felt dirty looking at him. He has a perverted look to his face.

Overall, Inglourious Basterds is a very good movie, if you like that style of film. I don’t think it’s for everyone, so if you’re just looking for some action, or to gaze at Brad Pitt for 3 hours, don’t waste $12.95. If you want to enjoy well-made cinema, then go for it.

Rating:
5/5

B:  How and when did Banger Productions your film company come to be?

Sam: Scott and I are old friends, Scott’s worked in film and tv for a number of years and my background’s in Anthropology. We were initially talking about how I was interested in writing a book about heavy metal. Scott and I were going to metal shows together and he said what about a documentary on heavy metal? And we did some research into it and realized that no one had done an in depth film about heavy metal music and culture and that turned into our first film Metal Headbanger’s Journey and that’s when we started our film company.

B:  Why did you choose Iron Maiden for this film, are they your favourtite band?

Scott: They were in our other film and we have a good relationship with them. They’re also a band that sold 70 million records with not a lot of critical recognition so we thought that we were the people to do it,  it seemed to make sense.

B: How did you secure such great access, during the film it was mentioned that they’ve never let a documentary crew follow them around. How did you convince them to let you in?

Scott: Really it was just that we had a good relationship with the manager and for some reason they trusted us, that we were coming from a good place in terms of our perspective on the band that we were fans and that we weren’t gonna make some kind of Spinal Tap parody of them. That was really what it came down to, then once we got on the plane we just had to get to know the guys and take it slowly. They eventually came around and opened up to us, they liked us, that was important.

B: How did you decide on the concept, and not just make a concert film but rather this bigger story about the band and their amazing fans?

Sam: We knew that Iron Maiden made great music and that was part of the goal to capture their concerts and to try and make people feel like they’re there rather then kind of like a sterile typical concert film. I think that we’ve always kind of approached our work with the idea that we want to interest more people than just Iron Maiden fans, one way to do that was to show the personalities of the guys and how juxtaposed they are. They’re pretty regular guys, they have wives and families and yet they play this bombastic epic loud music. So I think that contrast was something we had an idea that could work for the film and interest not just Iron Maiden films.

B: How did you decide what to shoot?

Scott: It’s sort of like panning for gold, you just have to go through a lot of rocks before you hit gold. When you get back to the edit suite, the worst feeling is that you wish that you got something and didn’t. But we knew that we got so much that, that we had something there. But it took a long time to go through it once we got it, that was the kinda downside, sometimes its better to plan in advance rather just go because it takes ten weeks just to watch the footage that you have.

B: How was being on the plane with all that cargo?

Scott: We were a little concerned that the plane wasn’t gonna take off, we had pretty strict limitations on what we could carry and even as a film crew we had a lot of stuff. You know its just an impressive operation. There was a lot of planning and engineering.

B: What was your film crew like?

Sam: We had seven people on the plane, Scott and myself, our DOP, a couple of additional camera people, and our line producer who helped take car of all the on the ground stuff, and Deedee (the dog). So we had seven seats at the back of the plane with the crew and the support band so we had to kinda earn our place on the plane and by the end of the tour Scott and I were sitting up at the front with the band so I think we were doing something right

Scott: We earned our way!

B: Who did you make this film for?

Sam: Its for Maiden fans first and foremost and then it’s for people who love music and like to watch films about music I guess is the simplest way you can put it. And for non Maiden fans we tried to show the band in a light they wouldn’t expect. I think because we were getting more access to the band than anybody had had before that we knew that all those moments with the band backstage and in the pub could potentially be golden moments because no one had ever been there before. You really just have to shoot and then edit later. You have to go in there with the attitude that you never know when something golden might happen so you have to be there to capture it. You loose sleep at night too because you’re worried that you might have missed something. It’s sort of shoot now and worry about it later.

B: What was the craziest place for fan reception?

Scott: I think it was pretty tight between Brazil and Columbia. Costa Rica was pretty crazy, they were really friendly there too.

B:  What is it about the Heavy Metal community that inspires you to devote yourself to it?

Sam: I think that Metal is fascinating. It’s a form of music that has survived for a long time and yet it sort of bubbles underneath the radar. Rob Zombie said in our film it’s so fucking huge yet no one knows it exists. I think that’s part of what makes it interesting for us. It’s a cultural phenomenon that has lasted for a long time and has caused a lot of controversy too so when it comes to making documentary films its always nice to have two sides. Its always good to have a debate, that’s certainly part of what’s interesting about metal for documentary.

by: Bryn Weibe