Quentin Tarantino's Top Ten

No, no not mine. Not Nathaniel's. my top ten list is coming. Patience. I was waiting for the new site to be available but it's still coming and going. It apparently fancies itself an online Brigadoon but on a much speedier rotation. But since we love it when people within the movie industry actually reveal their favorites, let's share Quentin Tarantino's.

QT's Top Ten of '10Links go to blogposts about those films.

1. Toy Story 3
2. The Social Network
3. Animal Kingdom
4. I Am Love
5. Tangled
6. True Grit
7. The Town
8. Greenberg
9. Cyrus
10. Enter the Void

He also likes (in descending order): Kick-Ass, Knight and Day, Get Him to the Greek, The Fighter, The King's Speech, The Kids Are All Right, How to Train Your Dragon, Robin Hood, Amer and Jack-Ass 3D.

It's an eclectic mix (toons, gleeful violence, melodrama, indie comedies, Hollywood hits) as one should expect from a filmmaker who is a total original despite also being one of the Great Appropriators of modern pop culture. How close will that top ten list above be to his Oscar ballot? I always wonder if AMPAS members actually put their ten favs on their ballots, or if they just vote for their favorites among those they think have a shot?

Hitfix notes that Sofia Coppola's Somewhere, which took the Venice prize that Tarantino juried, does not appear in his top 20. Having served on a few juries myself, I can assure you this isn't odd. You always have a very limited pool to vote on at festivals. Maybe Somewhere is his 21st favorite of the year, you know?

But what I REALLY want to know, and I'm sure you do too, is who goes on his director's ballot? Looking at the list above can we guess it's something like

• Lee Unkrich (or does he share the reservations about animation directors competing with live action directors that many voters must feel given that no animation director has ever been nominated?)
• David Fincher
• The Coen Bros or Ben Affleck?
• Luca Guadagnino (I Am Love) or David Michôd (Animal Kingdom) for overseas breakthroughs?

Can I buy a movie ticket to see that ballot?

more articles on Quentin Tarantino

Crybaby Countdown: The Tearjerk-iest Moments of 2010

year in review

Kurt here from Your Movie Buddy, getting honest about choking up. I live to cry at the movies, but it's so, so rare. It's like genuine belly laughs: they're great, but they just don't happen that much, especially for frequent, discerning filmgoers. My strongest recent memory of getting all sniffly would probably be during the candlelight vigil scene at the end of Milk. Such a powerful sight. I don't discriminate, though: I'm not afraid to admit I fell victim to the climax of the DeNiro weeper Everybody's Fine. Tearducts play by their own rules. Here's what gave mine a workout this year:

SPOILERS APLENTY...

9. “Because it's important to you,” Date Night

It's no must-see, but Date Night scores major heartstring points as a valentine to long-term commitment. In the end, Steve Carrell and Tina Fey (let's call them “Stina”) have a lovely breakfast scene in which Steve throws in this affecting, encapsulating line about the couple's shared suburban pastimes.

8. Funeral scene, Undertow

Yes, it's another gay film stricken by tragedy. But it's a very, very moving one, especially in its closing scene, when in-denial protagonist Miguel (Cristian Mercado) at last pays tribute to the lover (Manolo Cardona) he lost too soon.

7. On the bench, Rabbit Hole

I don't have one specific scene to cite here, but rather every park scene Nicole Kidman shares with Miles Teller (who, IMO, was robbed of Supporting Actor attention). Their moments together are such wise, aching and beautiful depictions of forgiveness and mutual healing.

6. “Just read it to me, as a friend,” The King's Speech

For me, moving and plausible friendships are right up there with troop-rallying battle cries and father-son reconciliations in the lump-in-the-throat department. This moment between Firth and Rush runs deep.

5. Scrubbing the sidewalk, For Colored Girls
In the wrongly-reviled Tyler Perry melodrama, the suffering is constant, but a lot of it hits its mark. The most shattering scene is when Kimberly Elise is comforted by Kerry Washington during an unfathomable moment of post-traumatic cleansing. Then someone walks over her stain, and it's like claws to the soul.

4. Wedding, Blue Valentine

There are crushing moments aplenty in this oh-so-painful love story, but none trump that which finally shows you – in one gleaming-white, all-American flashback – all the initial hope and joy that's deteriorated through the course of this tragic couple's marriage.

3. Off to college, The Kids Are All Right

This hugely emotional au revoir is the perfect capper to everyone's new favorite family portrait. When all is said and done, family comes first, and at the end of the day, what's truly important is that the kids are...oh, you know.

2. Lantern release, Tangled

I liked the story of Tangled just fine, and Rapunzel's quest for freedom and identity is nicely developed, but what truly underscores this absolutely breathtaking peak of the Disney gem is its pure ability to transport: to childhood, to Disney's princess heyday, to movie heaven.

1. Moving on (Finale), Toy Story 3

I am not on the Toy Story 3 bandwagon by any means, but you better believe I was a puddle of mush just like everyone else during the final scene. I truly think it's one of the most emotional series finales in history. The greatness of its impact is that it's at once universal and personal: it feels like it's speaking to every viewer individually.

Need to laugh now? The YEAR IN COMEDY

Your turn, TFE readers. Spill it.  
What had you fighting back tears this year?
*

Toy Story 3's Brilliant Oscar Campaign

[COME SEE THE NEW BLOG]

Let's talk about the best FYC campaign of the year. The one where Pixar tries to build a case for Toy Story 3 as the Best Picture of the year, not just a nominee. Pixar won't be happy to just get the annual ghetto Oscar for Animated Feature, they want the big one. Do you believe this is possible? I can't say that I do...

Or, rather, it's possible but not bloody likely. A good correlation might be the foreign language film category. They also have their own category and very few have ever been nominated for Best Picture and none have won (the closest to a "foreign" winner is Slumdog Millionaire which is technically a British film but is partially in Hindi).

But let's look at the ads themselves, from worst to best, which use "Not since _____ " to compare TS3 to previous Best Picture winners.

Here's the two I find most problematic. I can't think, other than gender, how Jesse connects to Annie Hall (1977)? From body language to clothing, speaking patterns to personality, Jessie and Annie couldn't be any more different. And I can't see the connection in the photo either. The "Not since Titanic" ad is gorgeously composed but...

Read more »

Chicago Critics: Collegiate Men and Serious Little Girls Dominate.

The Chicago Film Critics are the latest critics association to announce their awards and they've gone, like virtually everyone else, with The Social Network.

 These 52 critics love Sorkin & Fincher's warring young entrepeneurs. They also like their actresses real young and their prizes spread out.

Read more »

Link Catches Us (As We Catch Up)

The Fighter
In Contention Sports Illustrated names The Fighter "the best sports movie of the decade." I guess they're using that 2001-2010 definition. Hate that. I like to end with the 9s.
Low Resolution Speaking of The Fighter. Check out Joe Reid's awesome post "The Art of the Skank"


Cartoons
Milo oh, this is lovely. Toy Story 3 by the numbers. Tons of infographic pleasure... if thinking about how bank accounts of Pixar executives gives you pleasure that is.
The Exploding Kinetoscope FYC: Arguments for the Extermination of the Human Race. (Wow, someone hates Shrek even more than I do!)
EW Inside Movies Anne Hathaway knows her awards history. Texts Jake Gyllenhaal on his first Golden Globe nom. (Even I had forgotten that he wasn't nominated there for Brokeback)
Blog Next Door What the Disney villains teach us.

Mackie & Washington. Yay.

Randomness
Invisible Woman asks you to see Night Catches Us starring Kerry Washington and Anthony Mackie. We plan to, yes we do. Soon.
popbytes Oprah Winfrey must be stopped; Hugh Jackman injured
Salon "Why is Disney hiding the original Tron?"
Little Gold Men the Coen Bros talk to Vanity Fair about True Grit

The Social Network
Remember when everyone was writing about that movie nonstop? It's happening again. Scanners does a comparison with Carlos, another richly layered movie winning critics prizes, and Nick at Nick's Flick Picks has shared ten intriguing thoughts in two parts.The Toronto Film Critics Association just gave it another "best of the year" citation.

Year in Review
Vulture "25 Best Performances That Won't Win Oscars" from Tom Hardy (Inception) to Alexander Siddig (Cairo Time). It's a great list overall but totally spoiled by two little girls, one of whom was genuinely great in another movie this year, so why not make it that one (Yes, Mia Wasikowska's The Kids Are All Right performance is > Alice In Wonderland times 1,000,000)
Twitter "The 10 Most Powerful Tweets of 2010" from Haiti relief to Conan O'Brien half-assed
10 Best and 10 Worst from one of our favorite critics Tim Robey at the Telegraph.

Finally... 

Remember way way back (ok, only two years ago) when I invited you to the wedding of "Boobs & Abs". They've split. Yes, The Green Lantern and The Black Widow are divorcing.  Speaking of Scarlett Johannson, Jon Favreau is leaving the Iron Man franchise. Given that ScarJo's performances feel more listless than ever these last few years, how about Sofia Coppola for Iron Man 3's directors chair. Maybe the fanboys wouldn't appreciate it but at least they'd get some great shots of Black Widow's ass. Plus that f/x related scene in Coppola's Somewhere, with Stephen Dorff interminably stuck in the makeup chair, is one of the best moments in that inside Hollywood movie.

Who Cares About Link?

God bless V Magazine for their latest issue, "Who Cares About Age". Usually when the media decides to celebrate older women, we're only allowed one. Like the recent Streep Mania... or 2006 when Helen Mirren was all the rage. I've always had a thing for actresses of a certain age so I applaud them for multiplying the enthusiasm. I mean check out these legendary cover girls: Jane Fonda, Susan Sarandon, and Sigourney Weaver. yesplease³.

And as if that weren't enough, you've got Charlotte Rampling on the inside! A whole huge photogallery of her... "Charlotte in Couture".

The average age of these women is 66. The average fabulousity of these women is ∞. Just saying.

More links...
Scott Feinberg interviews Halle Berry
The Evening Class Liza Minnelli interviews and TCM schedule
Deadline Hollywood Toy Story Best Picture spoofing FYC ads. The first is to your left. There's more to come as they campaign for the big prize. I'm really hoping they do Amadeus, The Hurt Locker and West Side Story. Which Best Pictures would you like to see spoofed by the toys?
Man About Town interviews Ryan Kwanten... naked. Ha.
Shadowplay proposes a mid December blog-a-thons about the last films from directors. What a fine idea. Any suggestions you'd like me write about?
Just Jared Anne Hathaway is awesome. She's already dreamt up her own role on Glee and picking songs before they've even invited her.
Moviefone If Lindsay Lohan needs to hit rock bottom to recover maybe this will do it? Malin Akerman of all people is now considered a suitable replacement.

offscreen
Gabby's Playhouse brilliant cartoon about the progression of all "sexism" discussions on the internet
The Post-Game Show on "beefcake" comic art and how it differs from cheesecake...

And finally... 
What's your take on Christian Bale's Oscar chances for The Fighter?

I was discussing this with some peers earlier today. Some people feel he's too disliked to win an Oscar (after all, many below the line players vote on Oscars and we all know that Bale has a temper on set) others that "likeability" doesn't matter so much in the face of a certain level of performance. Esquire just published a thorny profile piece. Some journalists think he's an ingrate. Others, like Kris Tapley appreciate his rough edges. My take is somewhere in the middle. Likeability does matter in awards season (a lot) and though I appreciate honesty and strong opinions, I do find that it's incredibly narcissistic when stars of a certain level bitch about their duties as stars... like doing press. Basically they wouldn't have those duties if they weren't hugely successful. If people want to talk to you that means you're more successful. All jobs come with elements that are less joyous for the worker ... but very few jobs have the rewards that star actors receive. Bitching about a tiny amount of drudgery within a life filled with extravagant reward (the only reason that tiny amount of drudgery even exists is because you're successful enough to have been extravagantly rewarded) seems very very petty. So I'm torn. I find it distasteful but on the other hand I believe art should be judged without interference from the personality of the artist.

Who Toons

JA from MNPP here. While Nat's been away there's been a sad dearth of Oscar news reported on here at TFE and so when I saw this news earlier today I knew it might be a nice enough sized scrap to toss down until he's back and such things can be discussed proper-like. The Academy announced the fifteen candidates that are eligible for the Animated Feature prize this morning, and they are as follows:

Alpha and Omega
Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore
Despicable Me
The Dreams of Jinsha
How to Train Your Dragon

Idiots and Angels
The Illusionist
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole
Megamind
My Dog Tulip

Shrek Forever After
Summer Wars
Tangled
Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue
Toy Story 3

You can check out Nat's prediction page for the category right here. But isn't it funny how the alphabet saved the inevitable winner for last? Trying to trick us all like that.

Seriously though, is anybody going to beat Toy Story 3? Should anybody beat Toy Story 3? I liked not loved it personally - although those final 20 minutes are killer to be sure. I'd love to see The Illusionist (as I'm sure most of us would) but it's not out here til Christmas.
.

The Final Linkdown

My beloved bloglines -- where I subscribe to hundreds of blogs and websites in case something interesting pops up -- goes the way of the dodo tomorrow. This is the final link roundup as you've come to know (and love / be indifferent to). I'm taking this opportunity to rethink my web reading and start from scratch in terms of what I "follow" since I spend too much time surfing, skimming, reading, wandering. Not that I won't keep sharing things that amuse me. Question: Would you like the Film Experience to have more frequent tiny-ass posts to cover a broad range of news and topics or do you enjoy the major compilations where everything gets smooshed together like so?

The Film Pie has an interesting "inside movie journalism" story about being the 'first' review posted on Rotten Tomatoes (re: Paranormal Activity 2).
Pink is the New Blog Jude Law on Sesame Street. Awwww. I don't get enough Jude Law these days. Or felt puppets. Both at once? Yes, please.
Low Resolution Halloween words of wisdom from Beetlejuice. Speaking of...
The Exploding Kinetoscope has some birthday wishes for Winona Ryder. Could her career be back on the upswing?
popbytes 'Hottie with a Rubik's Cube'. How 80s and now simultaneously.
Everything I Know... is not among the fans of Julianne Moore's Off Broadway musical Freckleface Strawberry.
Blog Stage considers the changes made for Rabbit Hole as it shifts from stage to screen.
Dear Old Hollywood For California readers: The Arclight is hosting a Steve McQueen tribute event on November 11th.

A Toy Story Moment
I thought this was cute. It's a moment of closure for director Lee Unkrich who has been working on the Toy Story franchise forever. If you've ever said goodbye to a long term project that you actually completed, you'll understand.



But this moment would be way cooler if we knew that there'd be no more Toy Story movies after Toy Story 3 which really did close the franchise beautifully. Sadly, Pixar, which once was THE studio for originality, is rapidly becoming like all the other studios when it comes to sequels and franchises and they're going to be beating all their horses way past the time that they're dead (to mangle a metaphor).

Finally, over at Pussy Goes Grrr Andreas made me lol with his love for Cat People. Have you ever seen that movie? There's almost nothing in the world I love more than clever people obsessing over movies. To this day I lol (literally) every time I think of the time Nick, hearing I had just watched Nashville, said "I want to rub that movie all over me." LOL. See, I did it again? It's too bad blogs don't have sound so you could hear. I speak the truth.

Oscar Predictions. 3 of 10 Best Pictures Are Already Upon Us.

The Oscar Predictions have been revised for July. Finally! I think with the critical and (so far) audience response to The Kids Are All Right, Inception and Toy Story 3, we may have 30% of our Best Picture field filled in. Will we have a fourth by the time summer is up? Last year summer brought us 40% of the Oscar lineup: Up, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds and District 9.

The only one of these three buzzy titles I hadn't predicted back in April was Toy Story 3. Who could have forseen a third film in a franchise being that blissfully embraced? It's possible that voters will figure Pixar is amply rewarded and look at other live action movies but given the lack of strong competitors that 2010 has offered, it's looking good for the big show for now.


Bear in mind that the rankings are a mix of hunches, buzz, Oscar history factors, personal feelings, reviews and more. They are strictly for entertainment/predictive purposes and predictions should never be confused with statements about quality. As you all know, both horrible and great films get nominations every year. This year, for example, the ghastly eyesore Alice in Wonderland is probably looking at a few nods through its sheer excess. (Sometimes AMPAS confuses "Most" with "Best".)

A good chunk of the remaining slots each year are filled with whichever pleasant mediocrities can muster up temporary enthusiasm in precursor bodies and actual Oscar ballot holders.

In the charts and on the individual pages, you'll see major gains for the Danny Boyle/James Franco true story survival drama 127 Hours (now confirmed for a 2010 release) and the Cannes approved Another Year (Oscar has been known to warm to Mike Leigh). The saddest switch is this pundit's (temporary?) loss of faith in Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life, if only because I remember so vividly what happened and what didn't happen when it came to The New World's release. That nightmare has been resurrected in the wake of the Apparition troubles. Malick's The New World was a jaw droppingly beautiful visual experience and it couldn't even muster up a handful of technical nominations? Insanity. Nothing's a done deal with Oscar until all the deals are done.

As for Inception, the movie on everyone's lips this week, people need to calm down. It was a good Oscar bet before release and it still is. The mix of absolute boosters, passionate detractors and even a few opinions somewhere in the middle like mine -- I liked it but I wouldn't ever dream of calling it a masterpiece -- is totally normal for any big hyped release, though people may be behaving as if this has never happened before... or only once before in 2008. But we'll get to that in a second.


Nevertheless, Inception has several crucial Oscar plus factors going for it such as

1. Due? The general perception that Chris Nolan is due for a nod. That's out there, thickly felt in the pop culture air and that sure does matter.
2. The "Make Up" situation. Many feel that The Dark Knight was not properly rewarded. This has always struck me as odd but I'm the odd man out. It did win more nominations than most films ever come near and even a couple of actual statues so, for the superhero genre or for sequels in general, it was practically Titanic huge with Oscar. But then facts never deter people from personal feelings.
3. Auteurial and technical ambition in spades. This will go a long way with at least a handful of Oscar branches. Just about the only place that Inception hasn't a prayer is in the acting categories since the characters are paper thin, and sci-fi epics have a difficult time getting the actor's branch excited. Just about the only time it ever happens is when someone is just so fantastic that nobody would deign deny their accomplishment (think Sigourney Weaver's immortal Aliens performance).

Do share your feelings about the state of the Oscar battle thus far in the comments (I've been having technical difficulties so I'll fix any errors on the pages as I can get to them.)
*

Earth's Mightiest Links!

Risky Business a hideous sounding new version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame may be upon us. Action/adventure... inspired by The Pirates of the Caribbean. Huh?
Movie|Line thinks that Salt is going to be bigger than Inception. I've been thinking this too, yo. I don't know why but I think Salt is going to be massive... we're speaking of box office, mind.
Empire Haley Joel Osment is 22 now! He's returning to the screen after a long absence to play a virgin teacher in the comedy Sex Ed.
Cinema Blend Edward Norton calm about The Avengers situation.


In Contention the top 10 performances in Chris Nolan films. Hard to argue with #1 but otherwise I'm sure there's room for debate.
Guardian Will Mélanie Laurent be the biggest French export since Binoche?
MTV Alan Ball (Six Feet Under, True Blood) is already eyeing a third HBO series. Good luck topping the previous two. P.S. Why doesn't my beloved Joss Whedon make the jump to pay cable. I'll never understand it. He's perfectly suited for long form writer driven stuff. God, I hate this Avengers movie, tying up all these people.
That Obscure Object "I wish this excuse was still relevant." Teehee

Finally, behold and gape at this Toy Story 3 finger painting.



Having "painted" on my iPhone, I frankly cannot believe that someone can do this (although I'm sure it would help to have that larger iPad surface).

Randomness: Toys, Kristens, Musicals.

Brain purge.

1. Every time I see the The Sorcerer's Apprentice trailer -- and I've seen it too many times -- I'm fooled into thinking that Kristen Stewart has died her hair blonde for a cameo. Is it the slack hair and its length and minor wave, the slack face in repose, the slack blandness? I hate it when actors look like other actors -- Seeing Monica Potter still makes me crazy after all these years. Stop copying Julia Roberts! --but maybe I need my eyes checked. Obviously it's not Kristen Stewart because there's too much facial movement.

2. Been thinking some more on that Wicked story I shrugged off and I continue to be depressed about the state of the movie musical. The Man Who Loved Musicals Too Much. Maybe I just can't be satisifed? Even when there is movement or news, like a screen reboot of Billy Elliot (as the musical version) or a transfer for Broadway's In the Heights, I just am never ever excited about the directors or projects. Whenever they mention names or projects I just can't help thinking that the new model is Chris Columbus's Rent (which wasn't even a big hit!). And who needs more bland mediocrities like that

3. Thank heaven for little girl's toys. I am so relieved that we have a new #1 movie of the year in Toy Story 3 (my review) which dethroned the hideous Alice in Wonderland (my thoughts) this weekend past. Years in which the #1 movie is lame are too many. And Toy Story 3 is just a beauty.

Those are the three things I had to put out into the universe this afternoon. Got 3 things on your mind. Or 3 comments on these?

Links Wide Shut

<--- Jezebel Knight & Day's hideous poster. Apparently massive P&A budgets don't cover photoshop courses.
The Fug Girls check in with Tom Cruise. And then with...
The Fug Girls Nicole Kidman and her red hair. It's still there (whew)
Jane Fonda reports from the set of an (unknown to me) movie.
My New Plaid Pants JA shares his non-negotiables about the proposed Who Framed Roger Rabbit sequel.
Low Resolution Joe completes his countdown of the best Buffy episodes. He has great taste and even better memory.
Movie|Line "8 Ways Toy Story 3 is Exactly like A.I. Artificial Intelligence". Kyle sure builds a strong case here.
The Evening Class has an article about a screening of Jennifer's Body with Diablo Cody in San Francisco. This interview actually makes me want to see the movie.

--->New York Magazine Helen Mirren fishes out her teats to promote Love Ranch which I am seeing tomorrow. Yay. My favorite image from the article is the one I can't share her due to my strict PG rating from the MPAA (although maybe The Film Experience is a full R now because sometimes we talk about the gay and you know how they hate that. Even the talking about it.) Rub-a-dub-dub, Helen's in the tub. She's also as quotable as ever

It’s weird when your life becomes vintage, like a period movie,” she says half-seriously. “I’m getting less notorious as I get older. People forget that I ever was.”

Erik Lundegaard I am always a little surprised when box office articles interest me... on account of numbers kind of bore me. I'm not one for math or profit marginzzz. But Erik connects Toy Story 3 and Jonah Hex beautifully.
Sergio Leone and... Seems that Ken Russell's The Devils (1971) is still being super elusive. iTunes was recently selling it and then just as suddenly yanked it. WB doesn't seem to want it on DVD for Americans. Has anyone here seen it?
popbytes Let's hear it for the boy(s). Kenny Wormald gets the Kevin Bacon role in the remake of Footloose.

Celebrity Endorsement

I knew it!


I figured Mr Prickle Pants for an Oscar buff. I bet he roots for the Dames and the Sirs and the Streep each year -- they're classically trained! I'm so pleased he's spreading the good word about The Film Experience to his new toy friends.

Mr Prickle Pants, voiced by former Bond Timothy Dalton, is my favorite new character in Toy Story 3 (my review). I say that with apologies to vain Ken, sweet Dolly and creepy Big Baby and probably in that order. Lotso, monkey and octopus had their moments, too.

In Mr. PP's honor I've started work on the new Oscar Predictions. The only thing completed so far is updates to the Animated and Documentary Feature page. But more will follow over the next few days.
*
* Toy Story 3

Tom Hanks, Posterized

Tom Hanks was often likened to a 'new Jimmy Stewart' during his peak years. I never thought the tag quite fit because, though Hanks is a likeable "everyman" lead, he doesn't have the same range. Hanks, unlike Stewart, rarely tests the darkness at the edges and when he did in Road to Perdition it was one of his flattest portraits. In comparison, can anyone watch Vertigo and not come away fully aware of how comfortable Jimmy Stewart was burrowing into the skin of rather squirm-inducing psyches? The following lineup only includes lead or huge supporting roles and no voice work. (I'm not sure how one would categorize The Polar Express. How would one?)

So... sorry, Woody. You'll make it up at the box office this weekend with Toy Story 3 [my review] playing everywhere. Rest assured that you're still one of his most iconic roles.

Because the posters have to be divisable by three for this particular series, I had to choose one non lead role to leave out so I opted for That Thing You Do! (96) instead of A League of Their Own (92) because I love the latter, though That Thing is way more of a Tom Hanks movie since he also directed it. I've also left out his very first movie, the slasher flick He Knows You're Alone (80) --any horror fans know if he gets killed grotesquely in that one? -- which preceded Hanks's breakthrough on TV's Bosom Buddies. After that sitcom, he was an immediate lead player in the cinema with the breakout smash known as Splash.

Splash (84) | Bachelor Party (84) | The Man With One Red Shoe (85)

Volunteers (85) | The Money Pit (86) | Nothing in Common (86)

Every Time We Say Goodbye (86)| Dragnet (87) | Big (88)

Punch Line (88) | The 'Burbs (89) | Turner & Hooch (89)

Joe vs. the Volcano (90) | Bonfire... (90) | A League of Their Own (92)

INTERMISSION
Volcano and Bonfire were both seen as flops which was not something Hanks had been accustomed to. Thankfully the reception of Volcano didn't turn anyone off to the idea of a Meg Ryan rematch (while it's popular to hate on her now, they really played wonderfully off of each other and unlike most modern screen pairs with terrific chemistry, who throw that rare gift away, they actually made use of it in multiple films.) But first Hanks blazed back while supporting Geena Davis during her brief cinematic reign in a women's baseball flick. It became a big hit. Mega Stardom and back-to-back Oscars followed for Hanks. But for me, this mini comeback (he wasn't really over... just had a slow couple of years) was the peak. A League of Their Own is my favorite of his comic turns. "There's no crying in baseball!"

Sleepless in Seattle (93) | Philadelphia (93) | Forrest Gump (94)

Apollo 13 (95) | That Thing You Do! *not pictured* (96) |
Saving Private Ryan (97) | You've Got Mail (98)

The Green Mile (99) | Cast Away (00) | Road to Perdition (02)

Catch Me If You Can (02) | The Ladykillers (04) | The Terminal (04)

Da Vinci Code (06) | Charlie Wilson's War (07) | Angels & Demons (09)

His three best performances according to me: Big (88), A League of Their Own (92), Cast Away (00). My three favorites from his filmography: Splash (84), A League of Their Own (92) and Sleepless in Seattle (93)... give or take Apollo 13 (95) in both categories.

Speaking of Apollo 13... we often equate Tom Hanks with the Oscars, but he's only appeared in 4 Best Picture nominees. That's nothing to scoff at and very difficult to achieve (or at least it was when there were only 5 nominees) but the record holder is probably someone you've never heard of. I hadn't. Her name is Bess Flowers and she was a bit player. She appeared in 22 Best Picture nominees the last of which was Judgment at Nuremberg (61) where she played "concert attendee". Ha! To put it in context, her record is twice that of Jack Nicholson's (!) the movie star with the best Best Picture track record (11 nominees/ 3 winners). Hmmm, I sense a follow up post coming on. Any takers?

The Hanks filmography has earned 3.5 billion thus far with more to come. He's been tweeting from the set of his next film Larry Crowne (2010) and maybe another hit awaits? His films got more serious over the years to match his mammoth stardom but if you ask me, he lost quite a bit of his sparkle when he ditched comedy for Serious Acting. So, it was egood to see hear him as Woody again.

How many have you seen? Which do you love best?
*

"we have 12 vacancies. 12 cabins, 12 links."

<-- poster for The American. I like. Do you?

links
Word Smoker I love this piece on Tangled and its evocations of "tentacle porn".
Some Came Running a piece on Cyrus which is quite a funny if inconsequential movie. Glenn Kenny is so fun to read.
Movie|Line Nicolas Winding Refn (Valhalla Rising) on Wonder Woman and what he'd do with her in a movie. This is a pretty intriguing interview. I would love them to give this project to someone who has an idea, you know. Not just another generic superhero movie.
The Awl proclaims Toy Story 3 "totally bonkers" and the best movie of the year. Good piece
The Wrap I didn't know this: Influential guilds are rallying to have IMDb lose those birthdates, claiming it leads to ageism in a youth-obsessed business.
/Film A Toy Story short coming next year? Oh Christ Almighty. What happened to going out with a bang?

Psycho is 50
I really meant to commemorate it myself but until I do...
WSJ great piece on Psycho (1960) and the Bernard Hermann score
Sunset Gun "50 Years and a Remake Later". I love discovering that cinephiles I respect are also fond of the Gus Van Sant recreation. Throw your stones elsewhere I'm not the least bit embarrassed about it. I like cinematic experimentation.

and here's a YouTube video on shower scene parodies/homages/ripoffs (hat tip to JA)



off-cinema
Sociological Images fun art project visualizing "masculine" images through "feminine" processes. We need more of this since Toy Story 3, though often brilliant, continues Pixar's little boys rule / girlie things not as cool messaging.
Us Magazine Ryan Kwanten is writing a sex guide book. Anyone who has ever watched his sex scenes on True Blood will surely buy it. Best Seller!
Boy Culture Is Queen Latifah softening her stance about coming out?

finally, Rob Will Review top ten Glee performances season 1. But I really must take exception with Kurts coopting of "Rose's Turn" not being on the list. That's just crazy talk.

p.s.
I find it very annoying --and I wonder if any of you have noticed -- that blogger no longer has accurate comment counts. It's very annoying because I read every comment and if it's lying to me about when you're commenting, I might miss some. grrrr.

Review: Toy Story 3

He was a panda bear. In a fit of childhood creativity I named him "Panda". Though he was neither particularly big, as many coveted stuffed animals are, nor particularly soft like those extra huggable toys, he was mine and much loved. I cried every time I lost him and took him everywhere including, I admit, to college.

I share this to illustrate the universal appeal and manipulative genius of the Toy Story concept. Who didn't have a favorite inanimate companion in childhood? Who doesn't think back to their favorite toy -- be it stuffed animal, plastic monster, or doll -- when watching Toy Story?

After two joyful funny movies with Andy and toys one could argue that it's time to move on. To its credit TOY STORY 3 deftly harnesses that argument for its very plot...

Read my review at Towleroad

I'm eager to hear what you think of it.

Day & Night, A Strong Possibility For Oscar

This weekend when you see Toy Story 3 --it's safe to assume you'll be there? -- you'll first see a new Pixar short called Day & Night (2010). Don't be surprised if it wins an Oscar on February 27th, 2011. I don't want to spoil one second of the short because it's so inventive, fun and technically /conceptually strong. It's often all of those things simultaneously. You're in for a treat.

Despite Pixar's reputation as an Oscar hog, they're more Streep than Hepburn; They're nominated frequently but they win less than people have imagined.

Unless you're talking about animated features in which case, yes, yes, they win that a lot. They've won it 5 out of its 9 years. But they also lose ridiculous contests like Monsters, Inc vs. Shrek... despite the math being Monsters, Inc > Shrek by 1000 to 1. Argh. That one will haunt me forever.

Pixar Shorts Oscar History
Winners: Tin Toy (1988), Gerri's Game (1997), For the Birds (2001). They win the animated short category but once a decade.
Nominees: Luxo Jr (1986), Mike's New Car (2002, the only one of their shorts using movie characters to be nominated), Boundin' (2003), One Man Band (2005), Lifted (2006), Presto (2008)
Ignored: The Adventures of Andre and Wally B. (1984), Red's Dream (1987), Knick Knack (1989, one of my personal favorites), Jack-Jack Attack (2005), Mater & The Ghostlight (2006), Your Friend the Rat (2007), Partly Cloudy (2009)