Summer isn’t officially over quite yet, but the summer movie season (May to August) is, as evidenced by The Final Destination 3D winning its second weekend in a row with a paltry $12 million. This summer made more money for studios than any other summer in history, though such records hardly mean much when the important variable – money – keeps inflating every year. After all, movie tickets are more expensive than ever (I no longer balk at paying $10.50 for a ticket) and with the resurgence of 3D bringing ticket prices up to $14 – $17, a record-breaking summer means diddly squat. (more…)

Kids are back to school, parents are back to work (well, except for the unemployed ones) and Hollywood has decided to not release anything worthwhile… it must be September! Many of the major television shows are starting up, too, and football season is upon us – not to mention the end of the regular baseball season – which all contribute to less-than-desirable circumstances for movies looking to make a buck. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to see… you just have to look a little harder. Or lower your standards a bit. (more…)

This title may be a bit misleading. In reality, this article is about the best television shows that I currently watch on TV. I don’t watch every TV show. I don’t watch The Closer or House or NCIS or 30 Rock, to name a few. Comedy is generally not my thing. I much prefer serialized dramas. But some of my readers, aware of my amazingly great taste in movies, ask me what television shows I watch, so as we move into the 2009 fall television season, I figured it was time to share what I like on the boob tube…

1. Lost
   One of the most addictive and clever shows ever made, Lost comes to an end in 2010. The last season ended with a bang – literally – and no one but the creators know what’s in store for its final run. Though the show has stumbled a few times, it is one of the few that you can watch over and over again and become more and more engaged in the characters, story and mystery of the island. (more…)

It’s August. If you’re probably like me, you’re sweaty, hot and in desperate need of some time out of the sun. What’s better (other than going to the beach) than to sit back in an air-conditioned room and watch not one but ten good-to-great movies? Sure, most of the big blockbusters have already been released for the summer, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t stuff to see.  (more…)

The 21st century officially started January 1, 2001. However, for the sake of simplicity, we’ll include the year 2000 in there, primarily because it contains a “2.”  Over the last nine years, there have been plenty of sci-fi films, ranging from full-out action to indie dramas. Many have gone on to great things, like this year’s Star Trek, while others have disappeared quickly and faded from memory.

With the Sam Rockwell sci-fi thriller Moon, about an astronaut who begins to see some very strange things on the eve of his return trip to Earth, coming to limited theaters this week, I felt it was a good time to look at the sci-fi movies of recent years that for one reason or another don’t get the respect they deserve. Some are blockbusters that people now shrug off and others are tiny films that lacked the marketing budget to become well known. (more…)

With J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek coming to theaters this Friday, it seemed as good of time as any to put into words the truth about the Star Trek series: the ultimate ranking of the movies. Here you go, and if you disagree, let me know how you’re wrong:

1. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
   The performances, action and emotion in this movie are beyond comparison. That being said, I almost liked… (more…)

Wow. Does April suck or what. In preparation for the summer months to come, April sees a very small selection of films open wide – and very few of them will be worth your time of day. Here are the movies you should see in April 2009:

1. Observe and Report
   From the writer and director of The Foot Fist Way comes Observe and Report, the latest Seth Rogen comedy. Hot on the tails of Paul Blart: Mall Cop, this one is also about a security guard – but its R-rated, Rogen-esque humor is far from that surprise hit. While the movie does look a little more slapstick than some of Rogen’s other movies, it does still look similar – and if it is, it will be the movie to see this month. Rogen rarely chooses poorly, and this should be another successful comedy for him. And I’ll never consider kissing a woman who just vomited again. (more…)

On Friday, Adventureland arrives in theaters, uniting Bella and Edward for another adventure in vampire love. Oops, wrong movie! Adventureland does star Kristin Stewart, but in place of Robert Pattison, we have the slightly less heartthrob-esque Jesse Eisenberg, and in place of vampire love, there’s… corn dog love.

Yes, even though the title is completely misleading (I was expecting a countryside sci-fi comedy), Adventureland takes place in an amusement park, where cotton candy, corn dogs, elephant ears and garlic fries run rampant, where crickety rides run by unsavory folk cost $10 a pop, and… OK, I don’t know if any of that is in the movie. But I do know that Adventureland is about a new college grad who, struggling to find a “real” job, ends up working at an amusement park with a lot of strange fellers and a helplessly attractive vixen. (more…)

Time and time again, we hear that actresses have it much harder when it comes to finding good parts in Hollywood. It’s true, as year after year I usually have to scrounge to find truly stand-out actresses. This year, for whatever reason, it was not difficult at all. Funny enough, some big names like Penelope Cruz, Marisa Tomei and Angelina Jolie are not included on this list… because I didn’t think they were worthy.

Here is a list of the best leading and supporting actresses in 2008, ranked in order:

1. Meryl Streep, Doubt
   Streep is all but expected to turn in Oscar-worthy performances, though we can forgive her for Mamma Mia and only hope she struck up a revenue sharing deal for that film. Playing an ultra conservative, fiercely authoritative nun in Doubt, she is wonderfully wicked in this play adaptation. Her scene with Philip Seymour Hoffman is downright mesmerizing, and as great of an actor as Hoffman is, you know who will win the battle.
2. Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
   Hathaway turns in a career-defining performance as an alcholic who, fresh out of rehab, has arrived to create chaos at her sister’s wedding. The movie is depressing and Hathaway’s character is the main contributor, as she time and time again makes every scene as painful as possible. She, in many ways, is like the serious, realistic and more damaged version of Michael Scott from “The Office,” and should be commended for it.
3. Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road
   Winslet is required to show up on lists such as this one, and she does not disappoint in 2008. Her performance as a depressed housewife and mother in the 1950’s is tragic. While she isn’t my #1 pick, I would be quite content if she took home the Oscar this year – and in fact would be quite surprised if she didn’t.
4. Amy Adams, Doubt
   Adams is hot, but she’s also an excellent actress. People may not have noticed, but she’s starting to rack up a respectable career in just the few years since she sneaked into the spotlight, and her performance as an innocent, naive nun proves just how strong of an actress she really is. Even though Streep chews scenery in every scene she’s in, Adams holds her own and establishes herself as the perfect counterbalance to the stronger-willed character.
5. Melissa Leo, Frozen River
   Frozen River is a good movie, but it’d be a forgettable B-grade drama-thriller without the performance of Melissa Leo. Leo plays desperate and tough at the same time, and never for a second do we question her motives for engaging in illegal, risky behavior. Everything about her is perfect in this movie – too bad she has such stiff competition.
6. Viola Davis, Doubt
   Viola Davis only has one scene in the entire movie, but boy is it a doozey. While neither Adams’ or Hoffman’s characters can stand up to Streep’s, Davis’ puts the head nun in her place with a tear-jerking and downright disturbing speech that essentially condones pedophilia when it comes to her own son. That’s messed up, but brilliant.
7. Frances McDormand, Burn After Reading
   McDormand is one of the best actresses working today; she can do drama, comedy and anything in between – or often at the same time. As a gym employee who is desperately trying to save up for cosmetic surgery, McDormand delivers a stellar performance, even when matched against the likes of Brad Pitt and George Clooney, both of whom tend to steal the spotlight.
8. Gwenyth Paltrow, Iron Man
   Everyone has been praising director Jon Favreau and actor Robert Downey Jr. for making Iron Man the massive blockbuster that it is, but Gwenyth Paltrow who, in what could have been a thankless and forgettable role, made her character anything but. She has great chemistry with Downey Jr. and looks as hot as ever.
9. Rosemarie DeWitt, Rachel Getting Married
   Anne Hathaway is the one everyone’s talking about in regards to Rachel Getting Married, but her on-screen sister – the title character, no less – is nearly as good. Though not nearly as frustrating or depressing as Hathaway’s character – and thus not nearly as noticeable – DeWitt manages to portray the more reasonable sister with just as many flaws and issues as her alcoholic sibling.
10. Kate Winslet, The Reader
    I didn’t really like Winslet’s performance when I first saw The Reader – and I am not a huge fan of the movie itself – but she has grown on me. After all, when you think about how unlikable, flawed and ugly she is in this movie, you realize that with just a touch of makeup this actress transformed herself into an enigma of a character, one whom the main character cherishes and loves, yet who others despise for the atrocities she committed.
11. Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Dark Knight
    The praise has been all about Heath Ledger, and if people play it safe they mention Morgan Freeman, Christian Bale and Michael Caine. Still, Gyllenhaal turns in a great supporting performance here. I’m one of the few who didn’t mind Katie Holmes in the original, but when you watch one film right after the other – like I did the other night – you realize what an upgrade director Christopher Nolan pulled off when replacing one with the other. Gyllenhaal’s final scene is as emotional as it is due to the actress’s ability to reveal to the audience her sudden, momentary shock that everything is not going to end happily.
12. Rebecca Hall, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
    Interestingly, when people think of this movie, their minds immediately go to Scarlett Johansson and Penelope Cruz making out. Mine does, too, but it also goes to the third actress who, in fact, plays the main character. Rebecca Hall, the least-known name in the entire movie, was hardly marketed at all, but not only is she prettier than Johansson and Cruz (a very, very hard feat), she also delivers a compelling performance.
13. Evan Rachel Wood, The Wrestler
    Marisa Tomei has been getting all the attention when it comes to supporting performances, but maybe I was too focused on her incessant nudity throughout the film. No, my praise lands on Evan Rachel Wood, who once again delivers a strong, emotional performance as the estranged daughter of Mickey Rourke. She only has a few scenes, but those scenes are the most powerful of the movie.
14. The ladies of Sex and the City: The Movie
    OK, so I wouldn’t give any of these ladies Oscars, but they should be commended for bringing their TV counterparts to the big screen in a funny, sentimental and believable way. Thanks to the chemistry these women have with one another, Sex and the City catapulted female-oriented movies into arenas normally reserved for adrenaline -filled action flicks.
15. Nicole Kidman, Australia
    Kidman isn’t amazing in Australia, but she fits the part perfectly. Her performance in the first third of the movie is particularly memorable, as she plays a surprisingly funny, Scarlett O’Hara-esque Brit who doesn’t know the first thing about life down under. There’s a reason why she’s at the bottom of this list, but she still is worthy of recognition.

Every year, plenty of movies come and go with audiences ignoring them and/or critics bashing them. Many of these films deserve the fate bequeathed upon them, but there are others that leave the filmmakers scratching their heads or drinking away their sorrows in some lonely tavern only to wake up the next morning to find their clothes and money missing and a lingering memory of a sexy woman who wasn’t as sexy as she first appeared – or as womanly.

Below are 23 overlooked movies released in 2008. Some of these are box office duds and others are ones that the critics sunk their teeth into for no good reason. And there are even some blockbusters on this list that some people have refused to watch out of some sad, misguided preconception of the picture, franchise or actor involved. (more…)