The 2010 WAFCA Awards are here!! *UPDATE*

Every year, the Washington DC Area Film Critics Association(WAFCA) gathers together to vote on the pinnacle of cinematic achievement. These awards have garnered international acclaim and respect, often serving as a pre-cursor to the eventual Academy Award winners. Founded in 2002, WAFCA is made up of the very best in the field of film journalism and critique, including such local stalwarts as Arch Campbell, Nell Minow, Jim Judy, Tim Gordon, Joe Barber and many more.  It's been the pleasure of yours truly and my partner in crime, John Nolan, to be first year members of this honored group and voters in the WAFCA awards as well.

Sure Shots: X-men First Class; Angela Bassett; Jack the Giant Killer

* I never really paid Ray Wise a second thought until he absolutely blew up the spot as the Devil in the highly underrated and short-lived TV series, Reaper. Now Wise will play a demon of a different sort as he's signed on to play the Secretary of State in Matthew Vaughn's X-men: First Class. I'll bet he's a mutant hater, too. He just looks like a mutant hater.

Trailer Time: Frankie and Alice

Freestyle Releasing has tried to slip Frankie and Alice into the Oscar race at the last possible moment. Directed by Geoffrey Sax(White Noise), the film stars Halle Berry as a woman with disassociative personality disorder, struggling to keep her racist alter ego in check. Berry has received glowing reviews for her performance based on its appearance at Cannes earlier this year.  Whether or not it ends up a true contender is yet to be seen because there is some seriously stiff competition in the Best Actress field this year. Check out the trailer below, followed by a brief synopsis.

Frankie and Alice will release on a limited basis on December 10th. Look for it in wide release in February of next year.


FRANKIE & ALICE is a moving psychological drama based on the harrowing true story of Frankie Murdoch (Halle Berry), a woman suffering with multiple personality disorder in early 1970s Los Angeles. Directed by Geoffrey Sax, and shot by by Newton Thomas Sigel (Valkyrie, X-Men, Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind, The Usual Suspects), the film also stars Stellan Skarsgård (upcoming The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo), Phylicia Rashad (upcoming For Colored Girls) and Chandra Wilson (“Grey’s Anatomy”).

Watch Natalie Portman's "Swan Lake" performance in Black Swan

I just watched Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan for a second time last night, and it is so much better than I gave it credit for after the first time it's ridiculous. Not only does it include all the personal touches that made The Wrestler great, but Natalie Portman is a straight up revelation. She's always been great, but never quite like this. Since it comes out this Friday(my review will be that morning) I won't gush too much right now, but all I'll say is that I would pay to watch her perform ballet anyday.

Sure Shots: Kirsten Dunst; Tom Hanks

* After her amazing success last year with The Hurt Locker, it's imperative that Kathryn Bigelow prove it wasn't a fluke by following up with another hit. Who better to help her than the most successful actor of the last twenty years? Tom Hanks has signed on to star in Triple Frontier, “an ensemble picture set in the notorious border zone between Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil where the Igazu and Parana rivers converge — making ‘la triple frontera’ difficult to monitor and a haven for organized crime.”

* I'm liking some of the choices Kirsten Dunst is making to rebuild her career. I thought she was the best part of All Good Things opposite Ryan Gosling, and she just finished wrapping up Melancholia for Lars Von Trier. After she finishes up On the Road by director Walter Salles, she'll be joining Chloe Moretz(Kick-Ass) in a film adaptation of Hick. Derek Martini will be directing the film, based on the novel by Andrea Portes.

Aquaman movie in 2015?

If it's not starring Entourage's Vinnie Chase and directed by James Cameron, I could care less about an Aquaman flick of any sort. The Internet kinda went loopy when Allen Ritchson(who played the King of Atlantis on Smallville) commented that he thought an Aquaman film was in the works, but in reading his actual statement he seemed to be speculating more than anything else. One of the reasons why I didn't write about it.

Mark Wahlberg possibly to star in Broken City; Allen Hughes to direct?

I generally like Mark Wahlberg in almost anything he does. Sure, he can be a bit whiny(see him in The Happening. Yeesh), but he cuts an imposing combination of brawn and comedic timing few can match. I point to his turn in The Other Guys as a shining example of that. Now it looks like he could be throwing his hat in the action ring once again with the film, Broken City.

Punch Drunk DVDs

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
What makes Twilight so special? Everything else comes out on Tuesday, but Twilight always sets up camp on Saturday. Are they hoping that the pimply faced teeny boppers get their check from Pizza Hut on Friday then run right out the next day and pick up a copy? Ya'll ain't that tight. As it stands, the third flick in the angst-riddled vamp/wolfy story is by far the best, ratcheting up the drama and action to levels not before seen. It also shows the ability to poke a little fun at it's hunky stars, which is always welcome.





Fantasia/Fantasia 2000
The coolest thing about this edition of the restored animated classic is that it includes the awesome Oscar nominated short film, Destino. I wonder if this release has anything to do with the next flick on our list....

Kevin Smith reveals the star of his hockey comedy, 'Hit Somebody'

Briefly...

Kevin Smith's wrapped up shooting on his upcoming religiously themed horror, Red State, and he's already got his eyes set on his next flick. Early on in the talks about his hockey comedy, Hit Somebody, it was rumored that Seann William Scott could possibly be tackling the lead role. Well that fell through when Scott moved on to another hockey flick(the aptly named 'Goon'), but it didn't take Smith long to announce his replacement.

George Lucas comments on the death of Irvin Kershner

By now everybody knows that Irvin Kershner, director of my and a lot of other people's favorite movie ever, The Empire Strikes Back, passed away two days ago at the ripe old age of 87. Well today George Lucas has released a statement on Starwars.com about his filmmaker's passing...

“The world has lost a great director and one of the most genuine people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing,” says Lucas. “Irvin Kershner was a true gentleman in every sense of the word. When I think of Kersh, I think of his warmth, his thoughtfulness and his talent. I knew him from USC — I attended his lectures and he was actually on the festival panel that gave the prize to my THX short. I considered him a mentor. Following Star Wars, I knew one thing for sure: I didn’t want to direct the second movie myself. I needed someone I could trust, someone I really admired and whose work had maturity and humor. That was Kersh all over. I didn’t want Empire to turn into just another sequel, another episode in a series of space adventures. I was trying to build something, and I knew Kersh was the guy to help me do it. He brought so much to the table. I am truly grateful to him. He was a friend as well as a colleague. He will be missed.”

The Academy goes young style, names James Franco and Anne Hathaway to host the Oscars

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has decided to skew a bit younger this year, naming James Franco and Anne Hathaway as co-hosts of this year's Academy Awards. The event is scheduled for February 27th, 2011.

Billy Bob Thornton pushing for a Bad Santa sequel

I don't ask for much around the holidays: good health, winning Powerball numbers, and Mila Kunis under my Christmas tree. Other than that the only thing I really keep asking for is a sequel to Bad Santa, which to me is right up there with A Christmas Story as the only holiday flicks worth revisiting every single year. If you show up at my crib expecting to see Elf or It's a Wonderful Life then you're in for a rude awakening. Elf....yuck.

The Hobbit to be shot entirely in 3D using RED digital cams

I've said a million times before that I don't care how a film is shot as long as it looks good. They could shoot it through a hole in a box of detergent as far as I'm concerned. We've known since the first press release that The Hobbit would be shot in 3D. Peter Jackson even confirmed that to some extent, but what we didn't know was how it would be done. Now we know via a press release from Red Digital Cinema that 30 of the company's upcoming Epic digital cameras have been bought to shoot the film entirely in 3D.

Obviously this is a massive coup for them, but not totally unexpected. Jackson has used RED's digital cameras before when shooting the short film, Cross the Line. The cameras have been gaining traction recently, most thoroughly used by Steven Soderbergh to shoot both halves of his epic film, Che. Anyone who hasn't set aside two whole days to check Che out should get on that right now. It looks amazing. Kevin Smith just wrapped up shooting on his latest, Red State, which was also shot using RED cameras. 

Hey, whatever works as far as I'm concerned. The Hobbit is set to begin filming in New Zealand in February of next year.

Trailer Time: Hop, from the makers of Despicable Me

From the makers of Despicable Me. Apparently that's all you really need to know about Hop, the upcoming comedy starring James Marsden and featuring the voice of Russell Brand(Mr. Katy Perry). By "makers" of Despicable Me, they mean that it's from Illumination Entertainment, but the live action/CGI flick is actually directed by Tim Hill, who directed Alvin and the Chipmunks. As much as I want to bash him for that it went on to make something like a gazillion dollars, so I've got no place to talk. Check out the brief trailer below followed by an early synopsis, then stay on the look out for Hop when it bounds into theaters on April Fool's Day, 2011!

Fred (Marsden), an out-of-work slacker, accidentally injures the Easter Bunny (voiced by Brand) and must take him in as he recovers. As Fred struggles with the world’s worst houseguest, both learn what it takes to finally grow up.

Up to 70% off during Amazon's Cyber Monday sale! *UPDATE*

I remember when using "cyber" and "internet" in the same sentence meant you were doing something deviant in a private chat room. Now to me it only means one thing, Cyber Monday's internet-only sales. Best retail day of the year, in my opinion. Amazon.com has been kicking arse with their DVD/Blu-Ray specials over the last few weeks, and now on this special day the prices are even more amazing. We're talkin' 70% over 2700 movie/TV titles. Plus, if you hit up their Gold Box deals the prices are even lower. The Gold Box deals are only for a limited time and are limited quantity, so you gotta take advantage of them quick. Right now you can get the entire Home Alone collection on Blu-Ray for $14.99. That's more than $20 off the regular retail price, but that deal is good only for another 3 1/2 hours so you better get to it! After that another fantastic special will be in place. Take this day to stock up and fill out your DVD shelf!

*UPDATE*
The latest Amazon Gold Box Deal just sold out, but the upcoming one is a doozy. You can get the entire first season of Fringe for the low price of $13.99! Even I might pick that one up. That one starts in 90 minutes!

Tops at the Box Office

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt. 1- $76.3M/$220M
The 7th film in the vaunted franchise continues to cast a dominating spell over the competition, reeling in over $50M over the weekend, $76M including the Thanksgiving early start on Wednesday. This ranks as the highest grossing 10-day total for the series yet.
2. Tangled- $69M
Disny has to be happy with these results, as their latest non-Pixar, traditionally animated adventure scored a whopping $49M over the weekend, plus another $20M for a 5-day total of $69M. That surpasses the first week of wide release of last year's The Princess and the Frog, which opened at $24M. This makes Disney's decision to focus less on Rapunzel in order to gain a wider audience a smart decision.
3. Megamind- $17.6M/$130M

Akroyd confirms Ghostbusters 3 already casting

There've been so many rumors and false starts and whatever in regards to Ghostbusters 3 that I just stopped hearing anything about it. Don't get me wrong, the rumors never ceased and even on occasion I've written about 'em but I don't take any of it seriously. But even now I have to admit that it looks like it may be time for me to take the earplugs out and start listening again, especially when the words are coming straight from Dan Akroyd's mouth.

The Sunday Drive: 11/28/10

3. Love and Other Drugs
There's no doubt that I have my issues with Ed Zwick's romantic comedy set in the pharmaceutical boom of the 1990s, but Anne Hathaway's performance as a commitment phobic woman with early onset Parkinson's Disease is a must see. Expect Oscar nominations to follow.
2. 127 Hours
There's still time to check out Danny Boyle's uplifting, inspirational tale featuring one heroic performance by James Franco, the best of his career.

DVD Deal of the Day: The Blind Side for $3.99

From now until the end of Cyber Monday(my favorite shopping day of the year), Amazon's Black Friday deals continue to be the steal of the internet. You can get some great, fan favorite DVDs for as low as $1.99. That's sick. What's even better is that you can also find Blu-Ray flicks on sale for $3.99. One of the best deals running right now is you can get last year's surprise hit, the emotionally charged sports drama The Blind Side for only $3.99.  See the movie that finally showed us just how good Sandra Bullock really can be.

But it's just one of literally hundreds of other great deals, so be sure to check out Amazon's Black Friday store for more!

Black Friday: Top 5 Shopping Day Movies

One thing I learned while standing in line at Target at 4 o'clock this morning is that nobody looks good that damn early. Period. Remember that song "Strobelight Ho" by the Black Sheep? Well these would be Strobelight Shoppers. But running around trying to avoid being steamrolled by ladies with shopping carts overflowing with big screen TVs also gave me an idea. This being Black Friday and all, what are some of my favorite flicks set in a shopping mall. I might fudge a few of these but gimme a break. I'm not working on a lot of sleep here.

Eli Roth's Thanksgiving trailer

"White meat. Dark meat. All will be carved."  I can scarcely think of a better way to celebrate this special holiday than by revisiting Eli Roth's spoof trailer, Thanksgiving!  Here's hoping that feature film they were planning actually gets off the ground.

No 21 Jump Street for Emma Stone

One of the few reasons I had to be interested in Sony's upcoming 21 Jump Street flick was the possible presence of Emma Stone. It would've been cool to see her pairing up again with Jonah Hill, since the last film they made together(Superbad) pretty much launched their careers.  Well, now that reason appears to have evaporated, as Stone herself pretty much puts the smackdown on those rumors during an interview with MTV...

Stone: "I don't think I'm going to be part of that, but Jonah is one of my favorite people in the entire world,"

No doubt her entry into the reborn Spider-Man franchise has something to do with it. Stone remains a popular girl with Sony Pictures, especially after her star making performance in Easy A earlier this year.

So far the only confirmed casting for 21 Jump Street is Jonah Hill and the recently signed Channing Tatum. The comedy remake is being directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller(Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs), and is set for a March 16th, 2012 release.

Mark Wahlberg to star in Uncharted: Drake's Fortune; De Niro, Pesci in early talks

Mark Wahlberg and director David O. Russell have almost built their careers together. It might've been Boogie Nights that put him on the map, but it was Russell's 1999 war flick Three Kings that cemented him as a bonafide star. Since then, the two have collaborted two more times, in 2004's I Heart Huckabees and in The Fighter, due out in just a couple of weeks. Russell just recently signed on to direct the big screen adaptation of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, bound to be the biggest most scrutinized project of his career. So who better for the director to call than his frequent running buddy?