When you were growing up, did you ever read Where the Wild Things Are? Well, if you haven't heard, Hollywood is adapting it into a film version, just like Jumanji, The Cat in the Hat, or How the Grinch Stole Christmas. However, how do they turn a short picture book into a feature-length film? Check out this MSNBC link -- http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33312261/ns/entertainment-movies/ ---- for an interesting article.
-Stefan
With regard to any translative voyage between literary and cinematic media, trepidation likely exists at the latter end, for creating a suitable film adaptation of a much adorned story involves considerable risk -- and potential failure. That's not to advocate considering the effort futile -- occasionally, a good product does appear (one may indicate Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings, for instance) -- but rather to stress that gamble presented by ardent fans. No one wants their favorite novel ruined by Hollywood.
This is perhaps why the trailer for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, despite the distance of its March release date, engenders such primary interest: the dubiety of the finished product's quality. Burton has indeed recruited some fine talent -- Michael Sheen, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, and of course Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp as well --but a talented cast does not stand as the sole ingredient of a good film. One look at Depp as the Mad Hatter conveys that Burton's interpretation will certainly entertain, but especially with a story as imaginative as Lewis Carrol's famous tale, interpretations are allowed to differ (and most likely do differ in this case) for all readers of the book.
Will the stay in Wonderland pass as planned? It will be interesting to monitor the development of this film, and, as time goes on, find out whether its depictions live up to those which Alice originally found down the rabbit hole.
-- Stefan
"He's a real big Steven Spielberg fan," Zoe Yeaton (junior-psychology) said of Penn State President Graham Spanier, who guest-lectured to Yeaton and the rest of her Comm 150 (The Art of the Cinema) class today.
Before they watched the Spielberg-directed Amistad in the State Theatre, Spanier talked to the class about his love of movies (he writes an annual list of movie reviews in the winter) and his love of Schindler's List.
"It was sort of informal. I don't really know what the point of him talking to us was," Yeaton said. "But it was sort of entertaining to have Graham Spanier in our Comm 150 class talking about movies, of all things."
Yeaton said her classmates were unusually quiet while Spanier was speaking.
"They were definitely a little bit more respectful. Since it's in the State Theatre people usually talk, but they mostly shut up," she said.
- Erin Rowley.
The Last International Playboy, a film that marks the debut of director Steve Clark, is set to open in New York on June 12 and will expand to at least four other cities shortly thereafter. It was inspired by the life of The Paris Review founder George Plimpton and starring former Roswell actor Jason Behr. Slamdance Film Festival, Genart Film Festival, Newport Beach Film Festival and Oxford International Film Festival all chose it for Official Selection at their festivals last year.
Jack Frost is a NYC ladies' man who becomes highly depressed when he finds out his childhood sweetheart is engaged. His 11-year-old neighbor Sophie, of course, tries to dig him out of a drunken stupor. Will Frost stop the wedding in time and hop on a random bus with his old flame? Will Simon & Garfunkel play?
What makes this film campaign unique is the producers are aware few people will see this even if they wanted to. The limited release of a small film like this makes it decidedly inconvenient for a crowd to flock to it in droves. Producers decided to create a contest to reach out to college students who would pay attention to any form of entertainment of which the word "Playboy" is inclusive.
The producers will soon launch a marketing contest for undergrads nationwide. Between June 12 and December 31, students can sell DVDs, posters and T-shirts in an effort to win a tax-free $10,000 and a feature article on The Last International Playboy Web site. Every student involved in the competition will receive a 10 percent commission on each piece of merchandise sold, which is paid out monthly. The good news is you make money no matter what, and an independent film will gain some extra buzz in the process.
- Mark
The word is out, and the trailer for Where the Wild Things Are, the film adaptation of the revered Maurice Sendak book, is one of the best trailers I've seen in a while. Spike Jonze is directing and co-writing with memoirist and novelist Dave Eggers.
The opening shots are pulsating with early morning atmosphere - the boy waking up while being carried, a horn glowing in the wooded sunlight and a monster's head reflected in a shadow on the glass. Then -- James Gandolfini's voice from the side of a monster's mouth: "I didn't want to wake you up, but I really want to show you something."
The really quick cuts of running are exhilarating and beautifully synched with The Arcade Fire's "Wake Up." 1:24 to 1:27 are particular breathtaking. The scenes appear to be executed with a distance as if one is looking out from under a rock at the universe.
I can vaguely summon the memory of reading this book when I was young and additionally recall very little from that time period. The imagery is certainly recognizable and I support Jonze helming this in place of Tim Burton. Burton's sort of run his gimmicky self dry as of late and he already ruined a children's classic, which involved a chocolate factory.
I would complain that this film's release is seven months away (re-shoots were ordered because the studio deemed it too dark), but October couldn't be a more perfect month for it.
BRB to go reread this book. Check this out.
Criticism has been hurled at recently released Watchmen for its overblown action scenes and abandon of political subtext and wit. There's also the unusual combination of the film being either overly faithful to the 1986 graphic novel or not faithful enough - distorting the cinematic appeal of certain comic book panels for no apparent reason.
On the plus side, some of the visual effects were terrific and the back stories (e.g. Dr. Manhattan) told the story well enough. Having recently read the graphic novel, I find it hard not to view it on a comparative scale. Here I'll focus on one aspect - the music.
In film, songs sometimes call attention to themselves when altering the viewer's perception of the image. It's not okay when they abrasively halt the energy onscreen and remind the viewer of the better films the songs were iconically used in - "The Sound of Silence" in The Graduate and "Ride of the Valkyries" in Apocalypse Now. "Valkyries" was used in Dr. Manhattan's Vietnam flashback, vandalizing its appearance in the aforementioned Vietnam war film. I worry that a young person will hear "The Sound of Silence" and only think of Watchmen.
The opening credits sequence, using Dylan's original "The Times They Are A-Changin,'" may have caught up the non-reader with a history lesson, but it was poorly paced and felt more like a museum tour than a summation of the Minutemen's role in society.
On top of that, a cover of "Desolation Row" (below) runs over the end credits. My Chemical Romance decomposed and compressed one of the most poetic, brilliantly rambling 11-minute folk songs ever into three minutes of black-blooded phlegm.
The graphic novel, which quotes Bob Dylan and Elvis Costello at the end of chapters, used lyrics from popular songs to punctuate and link up the dark themes present in both sources. In the film, instead of the tracks serving as inspired inclusions, they are awkwardly spliced in.
Composer Tyler Bates defended director Zach Snyder's picks: "Obviously due to life and what-not maybe a couple of the songs had changed over time, but, some of them are written into the graphic novel and some of them are his choices and I think that one of the things that he was interested in was juxtaposing these classic songs that we've heard a million times with imagery that gives them a new life, that gives them a new way of being interpreted by the listener, by the audience."
Snyder needs to be reminded that when Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino asynchronously used pop songs in their films, it was stylish but original. Putting all the golden oldies ("I'm Your Boogie Man") together on a soundtrack for this postmodern superhero tale makes for a mix tape of stand-alones that should already be in your possession. The film takes place in the mid-'80s, but the soundtrack certainly does not.
Considering the film's soundtrack album currently has a two-and-a-half-star user rating (of five) at Amazon.com, I'm not the only one left soured by this mismatch. Expectations for the song selections were not incredibly high, so why did Snyder feel the need to shovel these unassailable pop hits into our ears at all the wrong times?
-Mark
The animated princess world of Disney is not dead! Thank goodness. The movies that encompassed most of my adolescent life are not out of production, in fact a new one is in the works and set to open Christmas 2009.
Princess Tiana is Disney's new animated musical The Princess and the Frog is not only the first American princess, but the first black princess. Anika Noni Rose from Dreamgirls is the voice of Walt's new beauty and boy am I excited. Not only is this a movie that doesn't consist of Zach and Vanessa tween-bees of Disney cinema, but it is going to include legitimate vocals and a well-written score if it is held to the same standards as Cinderella and The Little Mermaid. I can't wait to witness what trials and tribulations this princess finds herself in on her journey to find happy ever after.
- Amanda
10:36 Film Editing - Slumdog Millionaire
Award count: Slumdog 4, Benjamin Button 3, The Dark Knight 2. Everything's going according to plan...
10:42 Eddie Murphy presents the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to Jerry Lewis. Jerry Lewis used to look like Phil Hartman. I wonder if Eddie Murphy was ever informed that Jerry Lewis publicly regretted permitting Murphy to shoot a remake of The Nutty Professor.
10:52 Is it midnight yet? How long have I been watching TV?
10:54 Original Score - Slumdog Millionaire
11:02 Original Song - "Jai Ho," music by A.R. Rahman, lyrics by Gulzar (Slumdog Millionaire). Did the Academy honestly think Bruce Springsteen and Clint Eastwood were not worthy of nominations? Eastwood's singing would have been quite serene.
11:06 Foreign Language Film - Departures. An upset! Finally! Waltz With Bashir and The Class were said to be frontrunners in this category.
11:14 This was a respectable In Memoriam presentation, but the song was a bit of a bore.
11:18 It's now time for the fun awards. I hope it gets interesting.
11:20 Director - Danny Boyle. I'll just tell myself he won for Trainspotting.
Award count: Slumdog 7, Benjamin Button 3, The Dark Knight 2
11:29 It appears that Sofia Loren does not want to be there, or Botox has affected her speech patterns.
11:32 Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Kate Winslet! This is her first win after five past nominations.
(Kate Winslet playing herself on the show Extras in 2005 said: "If you do a film about the Holocaust, [you're] guaranteed an Oscar. I've been nominated four times. Never won.")
11:37 It looks as if Robert DeNiro went to the barbershop and said, "Give me the David Lynch."
11:44 Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role - Sean Penn. This is by far the biggest upset of the night. The film community was circling around Mickey Rourke in the days leading up to the show, so this is a disappointment for many. There is no doubt Rourke would have delivered a more interesting speech. As I've said before on the Snap Crackle Pop blog, he likely won't have this chance again. Regardless, Penn did a terrific job in the role of Milk.
11:49 The montage for Best Picture is making some very interesting parallels between past Oscar winners and the night's nominees (e.g. Citizen Kane to Frost/Nixon, Network to Milk, etc.)
11:52 Best Picture - Slumdog Millionaire. A mix of middle-aged British men and Indian children populate the stage. Hooray for Slumdog for winning eight awards.
Bottom Line: Kate Winslet and Heath Ledger, among others, deservingly won awards, but the show's rambling monologues delivered by past Oscar-winning actors wore down the pacing.
Thanks for hanging in there.
Oscars Live Blog: Hour Two
9:33 Ben Stiller is milking his Joaquin Phoenix impression. Natalie Portman is less convincing as David Letterman.
9:34 Cinematography - Slumdog Millionaire. I can see why this would win, but Wally Pfister's work in The Dark Knight was much more textured.
9:39 Jessica Biel is wearing my bed sheets.
9:43 The comedy void from the beginning of the show has been filled. Judd Apatow's skit with the characters from Pineapple Express was very funny. Check YouTube for it tomorrow. It was nice seeing a montage of all the types of comedies the Academy would never and will never nominate.
9:56 For a year with only a couple musical films, it appears to be a central theme of this forgettable telecast. I don't care if Jackman proclaims the musical back; I never agreed to watch Zac Efron sing.
10:02 Alan Arkin is a big fan of Seymour Hoffman. Seymour Philip Hoffman.
10:07 Best Performance in a Supporting Actor - Heath Ledger. Ledger's family accepts the award. This was predicted months ago, but it was meant to be. Peter Finch is no longer the only dead man on the posthumous Oscar bench.
10:13 Bill Maher has paused the Oscars to talk about himself.
10:15 Documentary Feature - Man on Wire was one of the year's most thrilling films, and Philippe Petit just balanced an Oscar on his chin. From a statistical standpoint, the film had to win - it received an invincible 100 percent at Rotten Tomatoes.
10:18 Documentary Short - Smile Pinki. The show is deep into its humdrum second hour.
10:24 A sound montage is disrupted by a mediocre Hives song.
10:27 Visual Effects - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button got its third win. Its work is done here; it can go home now!
10:29 Sound Editing - The Dark Knight
10:30 Sound Mixing - Slumdog Millionaire
8:34 The economy has sent the Oscars into an identity crisis - it thinks it's The Tonys. The opening musical number is well choreographed and reasonably sophisticated, but I miss Billy Crystal.
8:39 Mickey Rourke was seated in the front row so he wouldn't fall before making it up the steps.
8:41 Uh oh, there was a curtain glitch during the Actress in a Supporting Role clip montage. Actors complimenting actors? I thought this only happened at the Screen Actors Guild awards. The Oscars has found another way to make this show run overtime - 5 past winners honoring the nominees. This is only somewhat overblown.
8:47 Penelope Cruz wins for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
8:56 Original Screenplay - Dustin Lance Black earned the right to go by three names. He's not just doing it to be pretentious. He made a touching speech and he's here to recruit you.
9:01 Adapted Screenplay - Simon Beaufoy was the favorite to win; not sure if I'll use "heart-stoppingly beautiful" in a screenplay ever.
9:06 Animated Feature - Wall-E's victory has made Jack Black bitter.
9:10 Animated Short Film - La Maison en Petits Cubes wins, but State College Area High School graduate Doug Sweetland's Presto was the easiest to say.
9:17 Art Direction - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button wins its first technical award.
9:21 Costume Design - The Duchess actually wins something. Its 59% at Rotten Tomatoes is superior to Best Picture nominee The Reader.
9:24 Make-up - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button nabs another one, probably deservingly, but The Joker brought lipstick smears back in style.
9:28 Romance montage - Revolutionary Road was a romance? I guess I missed that.
Hey, I'm going to be live blogging 81st Annual Academy Awards, which is dubiously hosted by Hugh Jackman. How far into the ceremony will it take him to poke fun at his own Oscar-wannabe bomb Australia? I'll say somewhere in the opening monologue.
I'm pretty confident about that, but here are some other predictions I'm willing to make. These picks are unrelated to who deserves to win.
Of the 24 categories, here is how I think the big awards will go: Slumdog Millionaire, Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler), Kate Winslet (The Reader), Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight), Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), Danny Boyle (Slumdog), Man on Wire, Wall-E, Waltz with Bashir, Dustin Lance Black (Milk), Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog) and Presto, to name a few.
Overall, I foresee Slumdog walking away with six or seven statues from its 10 nominations and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button will claim three of its 13, mostly in the technical categories.
Let's see how I do.
Unlikely surprises that would elevate this year's Oscars from 'a bloated, forgettable three-plus hour display of Hollywood confusing art with marketability' to 'day-after water cooler conversation piece': Robert Downey showing up as the pompous Australian method actor he played in Tropic Thunder and then winning; character actors Richard Jenkins and Melissa Leo stealing the top two acting awards; Philippe Petit erecting a tight-rope wire across the Kodak Theatre and walking across it to accept his award; Hugh Jackman succeeding at telling a joke.
A highlight of the borderline intolerable E! pre-show was probably Ryan Seacrest attempting to start conversation with an Indian kid who appeared in Slumdog Millionaire but doesn't speak English. When people discuss the death of journalism at the hands of brainless infotainment reporting, this is what they're talking about.
For other live Oscar blogs, A.V. Club is conducting a live chat with its staff writers and director David Wain is blogging on MTV.com.
Stay tuned.
-- Mark
I spoke too soon earlier this week when I posted that the Inglourious Basterds (note: correct spelling) trailer had not yet appeared on the Web. A clip of Quentin Tarantino's much-labored-over project is finally ready for public view. The gist: undercover Jews in France are sent to kills Nazis, Brad Pitt wants scalps, Mike Myers is MIA and B.J. Novak is out of place. The few highly stylized shots zipped by pretty quickly, but it was just enough to whet the appetite of most originality-craving moviegoers. August 21 here I come.
-Mark
In anticipation of trailers to be released for Whatever Works, Year One, Inglourious Basterds and The Road, here are a few movie previews that stood out so far this year.
Watchmen
Arguably the most anticipated film of the year's pre-summer batch, Watchmen was deemed impossible to adapt by even some of the most dedicated directors. Zack Snyder struck gold with 300 in March 2007 and should pull off similar success here although devoted fanboys will probably be inclined to nitpick.
Trailer music: Smashing Pumpkins - The End is the Beginning is the End
Bronson
Charles Bronson (not the actor), the real-life madman who was once considered the most violent and expensive prisoner in Britain, is the focus of this over-the-top depiction of his jail time. Critics loved it when it premiered at Sundance, but it currently is without a U.S. release date. Even if this movie turns out to be just a crazy guy roughing people up, the trailer is an exhilarating mash-up of slick, memorable Terry Gilliam-influenced shots.
Trailer music: Pet Shop Boys - "It's a Sin"
Adventureland
Let's see - the director of Superbad, the kid from The Squid and the Whale, a soundtrack by Yo La Tengo, Bill Hader... this should be a fun bildungsroman (translation: coming-of-age story) set in an amusement park in 1976.
Observe & Report
This Seth Rogen comedy, due out April 10, says mall cops can be dark knights too. The tone literally jumps with each clip, from abrasive vulgarity to the murky and bleak. I'm not entirely sure what to make of this trailer. Even if you don't find it funny, somewhere in there is a sharp psychoanalysis of the Seth Rogen persona. Points earned for usage of "House of the Rising Sun."
Honorable Mentions: The Soloist, I Love You Man, Crank 2: High Voltage, Miss March
-- Mark
The typical film awards season generates buzz for select films at some point in December. Out of that film pool there is a born an underdog that eventually, award after award, becomes the best picture favorite. This year, the powers that be have chosen Slumdog Millionaire.
A swift turnaround in buzz is certainly possible. Perhaps the film peaked too early and competition is brewing. We all remember, however, when Crash overtook Brokeback Mountain in 2006.
British publication, the Telegraph, posited that two of Slumdog's youngest actors were underpaid and exploited by the filmmakers. Danny Boyle and Fox Searchlight Films made a mad dash attempt to refute the claim.
In 2001, when A Beautiful Mind was universally deemed the one to win the big prize, people began to whisper that the schizophrenic John Nash was also an anti-Semite. Didn't take, but could this be a similar situation?
Months after Slumdog's release, Slate Magazine's Dennis Lim loaded ammo for a verbal attack - asking the Millionaire-esque question, "Is it a) a portrait of the real India, b) a Bollywood-style melodrama, c) a fairy tale, or d) a stylishly shot collection of clichés?"
Lim argues: "I would contend that the movie's real sin is not its surfeit of style but the fact that its style is in service of so very little. The flimsiness of Beaufoy's scenario, a jumble of one-note characterizations and rank implausibility, makes Boyle's exertions seem ornamental, even decadent."
It's a little late for a nasty argument, even one as well-written and impugning as this, to make an impact on the public consciousness or the ostensibly closeted minds of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
To date, Slumdog has taken Best Picture categories at National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, Golden Globe Awards, Critics' Choice Awards and Screen Actors Guild. There's been a lack of a fight. Benjamin Button was once rumored to be an early contender for (winning) big awards. Then, the public and national consortium of critics realized it wasn't that good. Milk won New York Film Critics Circle - that was December.
Starting yesterday, Oscar voters' mailboxes began to fill up with final ballots for the 81st Academy Awards, so only time will tell.
-- Mark
I just found out that Hilary Duff is slated to star as Bonnie Parker in a remake of the classic film Bonnie and Clyde. That would make sense -- on opposite day. Original actress Faye Dunaway played Bonnie as a cool, sexy, bored broad who robbed, murdered and fell in love because she didn't have anything better to do. Duff has none of the talent or grace of Dunaway, though she does have her beat if we're measuring face length. In the spirit of this truly awful casting decision, I would like to offer up my predictions for future equally blasphemous ripoffs ... I mean remakes.
Casablanca
Original Star: Ingrid Bergman
Remake Actress: Paris Hilton
You're not going to find an actress as classy as Ingrid Bergman. So why bother looking? Let's turn this classic love story into a 3-hour-long joke about being in Paris.
The Wizard of Oz
Original Star: Judy Garland
Remake Actress: Lindsay Lohan
Ask anybody what they think of The Wizard of Oz, and they'll tell you "good flick, but it could use a sex scene." Lindsay can make this happen, and hey, maybe she can convince Samantha Ronson to play the scarecrow. Both Garland and Lohan have red hair and a history of substance abuse. What more do you need?
Annie Hall
Original Star: Diane Keaton
Remake Actress: Tara Reid
This Oscar-winning tale of ditsy, awkward love between two ditsy, awkward people is great, but it could use more drug use and less clothes. Bonus points if they can get Carson "massive tool" Daly to reprise his real-life role as Reid's ex.
-Erin
The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was the most recent film-associated group to give its members a pat on the back at last night's SAG awards. Most of the awards, which went to acting performances in both television and film, weren't too surprising. Here were the major film winners:
Best Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet, The Reader
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Best Actress: Meryl Streep, Doubt
Best Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Best Ensemble Cast: Slumdog Millionaire
Winslet and Ledger were pretty predictable, and will likely win Oscars for these same performances. The lead acting performances were more surprising though. Kate Winslet won the Golden Globe in this category for her performance in Revolutionary Road, but Streep's win for Doubt puts that Oscar up for grabs.
The same goes for the lead actor Oscar. Mickey Rourke is the favorite going into the Academy Awards because of his Golden Globe win for The Wrestler, but apparently the Screen Actors Guild didn't get that memo, since they picked Sean Penn's performance as a gay rights activist and politican Harvey Milk as the best of the year.
There's no best director or best picture award here, so the show's highest honor was best ensemble cast, which went to critical darling Slumdog Millionaire.
-Erin
Oscar Race 2009: In Honor of the Little Guy
Character actors rejoice! One of their kind was nominated for Academy Award Thursday. Richard Jenkins, veteran character actor, was nominated for his performance by an Actor in a Leading Role at age 61. The small but touching film The Visitor provided him the springboard for a first-billing portrayal of which he was always capable. In the film, Jenkins plays a lonely college professor who attends a conference in New York City for a weekend and discovers an illegal immigrant couple living in his apartment.
Jenkins' naturalistic, nuanced supporting performances have helped enhance the quality of everything from screwball comedies to quiet arthouse dramas. The man has been an inveterate presence in the independent film scene since the mid-'80s but is still relatively unknown in the national mainframe.
He worked multiple times with the Coen brothers, the Farrelly brothers, etc.- he's apparently a hit with moviemaking brothers. Here is a sample of his credits - Burn After Reading, Step Brothers, North Country, The Man Who Wasn't There, There's Something About Mary, Me Myself & Irene, Intolerable Cruelty and I Heart Huckabees. He was also the dead father from Six Feet Under.
It's great when an actor like Jenkins, who you've seen thousands of times in bit parts of comedy or drama or both, gets a chance to shine, if only for a short while. This is like if Dan Hedaya, Stephen Tobolowsky, Paul Ben-Victor, Bob Balaban and Jeffrey Jones were all honored for being awesome.
While the chance of Jenkins actually taking home the Oscar is slim, it's satisfying to root for a talented Hollywoodsman who isn't nominated every year (Sean Penn) nor is classically handsome (not Sean Penn).
-- Mark
Come Jan.30, Taken hits the big screen in our parts.
If you haven't heard of it yet, the film stars Liam Neeson and Maggie Grace and it's about Liam's daughter who travels to Paris on vacation and gets kidnapped. On the surface it seems like your average action/suspense thriller shtick, but when I first saw the trailer, which is different than the one below, I was like, "woah, that looks awesome." This one doesn't do it justice, but it still looks cool.
All I know is that any movie that has Liam Neeson playing any sort of kick-ass role and a TV trailer for it that makes me jump ... I'm there.
-Jill
British people love their native son Danny Boyle as much as America does. BAFTA (the British Academy Film Awards) were announced today and Oscar frontrunner Slumdog Millionaire and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button both pulled off 11 noms. Of course, the films list wouldn't be complete without the high number of American films recognized. The Dark Knight trailed, earning mostly technical nominations, with 9 and Changeling, deemed by many to be a minor Eastwood work, got 8. Slumdog was nominated for Best Film, Outstanding British Film, Best Director, Leading Actor for Dev Patel and Supporting Actress for Freida Pinto. Doubt was once again thrown under the bus, snubbed for a Best Picture nod. In Bruges (4 noms) received some respect, despite snubs for both Colin Farell and Brendan Gleeson. The British Academy considers Kate Winslet to have substantial lead roles in BOTH Revolutionary Road and The Reader, so she won't be walking away with two trophies this time around.
Some of the key awards are listed below. The awards will occur February 8 and good luck to you if you find a place to watch it.
BEST FILM
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
FROST/NIXON
MILK
THE READER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
HUNGER
IN BRUGES
MAMMA MIA!
MAN ON WIRE
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
LEADING ACTOR
FRANK LANGELLA Frost/Nixon
DEV PATEL Slumdog Millionaire
SEAN PENN Milk
BRAD PITT The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
MICKEY ROURKE The Wrestler
LEADING ACTRESS
ANGELINA JOLIE Changeling
KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS I've Loved You So Long
MERYL STREEP Doubt
KATE WINSLET The Reader
KATE WINSLET Revolutionary Road
- Mark.
I didn't do so hot on my film predictions for last night's Golden Globes ceremony, which was ultimately refreshing. Winslet's double-fisted victory, Mickey Rourke's best actor win and Slumdog Millionaire's domination over the other nominated films were especially significant. Anne Hathaway was favored to win best actress, but Winslet, who was more shocked than anybody, gave her a run for her money. Sean Penn has been heralded in film circles for his portrayal of Harvey Milk, but Rourke's win last night was crucial. Rourke can now definitely win an Academy Award - it didn't hurt that he had one of the most genuine, honest speeches of the night.
No one is feeling the effects of Heath Ledger's untimely death more than The Dark Knight's director Christopher Nolan. As with the Critic's Choice Awards and pretty much every awards show that allotted a trophy to Ledger, Nolan has accepted it on his behalf and is forced to publicly mourn time and time again. Ledger's Globe win potentially rules out British actor Dev Patel's chance at giving Slumdog an Oscar win for acting.
The less-than-professional moments proved to be the most entertaining - whether it was Tracy Morgan's drunken rant when 30 Rock won best comedy series or Darren Aronofsky facetiously flipping off Mickey Rourke as he accepted his best actor award.
The audience reacted coolly to Sacha Baron Cohen's off-color remark about Guy Ritchie, Madonna's ex-husband. It's cool. Everyone remembers Ali G cameoed in Madonna's music video for "Music." The nature of Cohen's brand of humor makes him immune to bad press.
The historic HBO drama John Adams swept the categories for best miniseries. Colin Farrell won for what was likely his best performance to date (Runner-up: his supporting role in Minority Report). When accepting his award, his Irish rambling was reminiscent of his appearance on an episode of Scrubs.
Stay tuned for the Academy Award nominations next Thursday.
-Mark
Anne Hathaway starred in two marriage-related movies this season. In Rachel Getting Married, her performance as a fresh-out-of-rehab, train wreck sister-of-the-bride has garnered her critical praise and a Golden Globe nomination.
In Bride Wars, train wreck describes not just a character but the entire film. It causes one to question the sanity and future of those who voluntarily participated in it. It's a Norbit-level disaster, in which Bride Wars could cost Anne Hathaway an Oscar for Rachel Getting Married.
Although Bride Wars is all-around awful (Check out Friday's Daily Collegian for the full review), Anne Hathaway manages to be its only bright spot. Her career is on a major upswing that even Bride Wars can't derail.
And hey, after Norbit Eddie Murphy went on to win a best supporting actor Golden Globe for Dreamgirls (though he did lose that Oscar). And hardly anyone remembers Leonardo DiCaprio's bomb-tastic The Beach. Maybe Bride Wars is Hathaway's good luck charm in disguise.
- Erin
Slumdog Millionaire was the top winner at the Critics' Choice Awards this year, outpacing its rivals to win five awards: Best Drama Film, Best Director (Danny Boyle), Best Screenplay, Best Composer (A. R. Rahman) and Best Young Actor (Dev Patel).
Also successful were Milk - which yielded a Best Acting Ensemble award and a Best Leading Actor award for Sean Penn - and The Dark Knight, which won the Best Action Film and Best Supporting Actor (Heath Ledger) awards.
The Best Actress Award was a surprise tie between Meryl Streep (Doubt) and Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married). Kate Winslet won a Best Supporting Actress award for her performance in the World War II drama The Reader.
Richard Gere won the Joel Siegel award, given in honor of the late ABC film critic to an actor who strives to make the world a better place.
The Critics' Choice Awards have a reputation for being a more lax ceremony than both the Golden Globes and the Oscars. Rock band Rooney provided background music instead of an orchestra, and the show is given a dinner atmosphere. Still, could these picks be reliable predictors of the more prestigious award ceremonies to come?
Surprisingly, some films and performances did not receive many awards. Angelina Jolie's acclaimed performance in Changeling fell short of Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Doubt, which caused Oscar whispers upon their release, lost in many of their nominated categories.
Perhaps the Golden Globes and Oscars will bring some changes in which films take home prizes, or perhaps Slumdog Millionaire will once again steal the show.
Check out these links:
- Stefan
This is the part where I betray my pretentious hipster roots, guys. Waltz with Bashir is my favorite film of 2008, and it's only playing in five theaters in the country. An experimetnal and visually arresting documentary, Bashir is an animated exploration of Israel's 1982 war with Lebanon. Director Ari Folman uses a Persepolis-on-acid visual style to sort through his conflicting emotions and murky memories of the massacre of Palestinians at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Beirut by Lebanese Christian Phalangists. But, though my description makes it seem like some dusty academic exercise, this is a high-octane war film, peppered with color, vitality and richly imagined dream sequences. It's brilliant.
If you're lucky enough to live near one of those five theaters, do your civic duty and go see this marvelous film for those Americans in the flyover zone whose local multiplex will probably never get The Wrestler or Rachel Getting Married - let alone a little film like this. You won't be disappointed.
- Alex.
The scatterbrained choices for the Golden Globes nominations were surprising and disconcerting because they failed to illuminate clear awards leaders. But like most years, the Globes served to narrow the pool. Amid a month of critics circles awards and film critics unleashing their top 10 lists, this year's best filmmakers, screenwriters, actors, music scores, et.al., has become more evident. The Golden Globe Awards serve as a somewhat reliable forecast of the results of the Academy Awards (February 22). Last year's one-hour diluted ceremony of a roll call for winners packed the excitement of a televised bingo tournament.
2008 was not a great year in film, but its closing three weeks jampacked several frontrunners for accolades. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Doubt and Frost/Nixon lead the Globe nominations with five apiece. The glaring omissions from the best picture (drama) category - The Dark Knight, Doubt, Milk and The Wrestler - leave something to be desired. The twin Kate Winslet dramas Revolution Road and The Reader were included despite a mixed bag of overall critical reception. Although Burn After Reading and In Bruges supplied compelling black-humored bouts of death and quirky characterization, it's less than likely that the nominated films in the musical or comedy category will show up in the Academy Award best picture list.
Best Motion Picture - Drama
Will Win - Slumdog Millionaire
Should Win - Frost/Nixon
There were quite a few stronger films than Slumdog this year, but the trend of rallying behind the uplifting, spirited indie sleeper in recent memory (Juno, Little Miss Sunshine, etc.) sees no sign of slowing down. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, for its Forrest Gump-iness and other "Oscar movie" qualities, could possibly pull off the win as well. But of the selections, Ron Howard's fact-based dramatization of the boxing match between enormous egos is the best overall. Where is Milk?
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
Will Win - Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Should Win - Meryl Streep, Doubt
A respectable win for Hathaway might be just the kind of rehab her career needs, diverting attention from this month's release of Bride Wars.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
Will Win - Sean Penn, Milk
Should Win - Sean Penn, Milk
Penn did a terrific job as the openly gay politician, but this category is crucial because it will determine whether him or close runner-ups Mickey Rourke and Tony winner Frank Langella could nab the Oscar.
Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Will Win - Mamma Mia!
Should Win - In Bruges
This is the category that has the least effect on the impending Oscar nominations - because its Academy Award counterpart doesn't exist. In Bruges (or Burn After Reading for that matter) might be too violent a pick for the musical/comedy category.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Will Win - Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Should Win - Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Hawkins has the best shot of the lot at earning an Oscar nomination.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Will Win - Javier Bardem, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Should Win - Brendan Gleeson, In Bruges
With the inclusion of musical or comedy acting categories, the Globes gives a shout-out to actors in breezier parts, recognizing James Franco for his modernized Jeff Spicoli and Javier Bardem for playing romantic instead of psychotic. But the most underrated character actor of them all, Gleeson deserves a prize.
Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Will Win - Viola Davis, Doubt
Should Win - Viola Davis, Doubt
Sometimes it only takes one scene. Beatrice Straight won the Oscar in 1977 for appearing onscreen for five minutes in Network. Davis deserves it for her rainbow-of-emotions portrayal of an altar boy's mother.
Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Will Win - Heath Ledger
Should Win - Heath Ledger
Buzz reigns supreme in Hollywood, but Ledger completely earned it. And it allows critics and commentators to use 'posthumous' an unregulated number of times.
Best Director - Motion Picture
Will Win - Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Should Win - David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association likes to match movies with their makers. Voters might put Boyle's visually distinctive work above Fincher's. Christopher Nolan and Gus Van Sant's missing names make this a shallow category.
-- Mark
Penn State President Graham B. Spanier is an experienced educator, a skilled washboard player and ... a Twilight fan?
Spanier posted a list of 17 holiday movie reviews to Penn State Live Saturday, and though it's unclear how he feels about Edward Cullen (dreamy vampire, or the dreamiest vampire?), he writes that he doesn't usually like vampire movies, "but this is the exception."
Spanier also enjoyed The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Slumdog Millionaire, Milk, and Doubt, all of which he awarded four out of four stars.
G-Span expressed lukewarm feelings toward Keanu Reeves, revealed a love for Penelope Cruz, and claimed Hugh "Sexiest Man Alive" Jackman is his body double.
You be the judge.
-- Erin
I recently saw this, and I'm going to spread its joy by recommending it to all of you unknown readers with excellent taste
Slumdog Millionaire
If you haven't heard of this yet...you should have. No, but really, it's the story of an Indian kid from the slums who makes it on the Who Wants to be a Millionaire? show. It kind of chronicles how events in the main character's (Jamal) life have helped him succeed on the show. It does so in a very non-cliché, funny, sad, and exciting way. It's not depressing, but it's not over the top. It does a nice job of combining everything a movie should offer without making it too over-the-top.
Danny Boyle does it again with this, and the viewing experience is great. Go see it, folks!
- Jill
Lately it seems there has not been much substance in the film world. The last few films I have seen have made me leave wondering why I paid the seven dollars to see it. But just last week I saw a film that made me sit in awe.
In Search Of, directed by Zeke Zelker and co-produced and co-edited by Penn State Alum Nick Luciano, is about the lives of ten people including a gynecologist, a stripper, a high school virgin, and a male prostitute. The film shows the consequences of sex and relationships in a light that is rarely spoken about. It is not a romantic comedy; it is a real, disturbing, raw film.
I saw the film last Monday in the HUB Auditorium during a special screening. When the credits began to roll at the end, the crowd was completely silent. Everyone just sat there taking in what they had just seen.
It is a film that made me uncomfortable to watch, but at the same time I could not stop watching. The feeling was reminiscent of the one I had while watching Requiem For A Dream.
The movie's star, Michael Rady (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Greek), does a phenomenal job of playing the role of a sadistic, selfish man whore. It is quite the stretch from his geeky lovable character on Greek.
In Search Of has been playing at The State Theatre all week, Thursday's is its last screening. So if you have not seen it, take two hours out of your day to watch it before the holidays. It will make you wonder what your family has been up to behind closed doors.
-- Jennifer
Last Saturday, after a long day of studying, I was talking to my mom on the phone. Toward the end of the conversation, she asked what my plans were for the evening.
To which I replied, "Well, Mom, I'm going to act like a 5-year-old tonight and watch Mary Poppins."
And so I did.
It was one of my favorite movies as a little girl; really, who can resist this fine 1964 cinematic masterpiece? It has catchy tunes, magical trips to a cartoon world, the magnificent word "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and, of course, the charismatic Julie Andrews.
As a young girl, watching Jane, Michael and Mary Poppins slide down the banister and go on outings was always mesmerizing. After taking a hiatus from the film and watching it as a 20-year-old, I was presented with a completely different experience. Instead of being sidetracked by Mary Poppins pulling out lamps and hat stands out of her carpetbag, I finally comprehended the true themes of the storyline: unhappy children, a disinterested father, and proof that a big house on Cherry Tree Lane can't buy happiness.
By the end of the movie, during the poignant conversation between Mary Poppins and her bird umbrella and the cheery "Let's Go Fly A Kite," I noticed something. I became so moved by the emotion-packed final song and the happiness exuding from the Banks family that a wetness sprung in my eyes, soon giving way to tears. That's right: I was a college student watching Mary Poppins on a Saturday night, dabbing at my watery eyes as the credits rolled. That's the power of a great movie.
Revisit some of your childhood favorites; you'll probably be surprised with what you find.
I think we can all agree this looks awesome.
After Wall E, Ratatoullie, The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc., Toy Story, Toy Story 2 (to name a few)
Up looks like it's going to be another hit. Check it out:
-Jill
I was watching Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet yesterday on HBO. I have not seen that film since ninth grade when we read the actual play. It easily became one of my favorite movies for like two years. Leonardo DiCaprio back in his Titanic days and me being 14-years-old, I was in love. Although I could hardly understand what the hell they were saying (I must admit--I still was a bit perplexed yesterday watching it) I watched the movie over and over.
While watching it, I realized something that I never noticed before. Funny man-sweet-heart Paul Rudd is in the film. And speaking of Paul Rudd he is coming out with a new comedy, Role Models.
He stars along side Sean William Scott, who I have not seen on the big screen in quite some time, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse aka McLovin from Superbad.
The movie is about two guys (Rudd and Scott) who get sentenced to community service. Their community service consists of being mentors to two children (Mintz and Bobb'e J. Thompson.)
It looks hysterical and there was a free screening at The State Theatre this past Sunday, which I missed unfortunately. Luckily, the film is being released tomorrow nation wide.
--Jennifer
Although it's entirely random that Zack and Miri Make A Porno is being released in theaters nationwide on Halloween, it does look like a pathetically cute flick. Let's face it-- every movie with Seth Rogen is undeniably lovable and funny.
At first, I assumed it was going to be an unnecessarily raunchy movie completely about a porno with lots of dumb jokes. But, the other day I was watching this TV show where they were interviewing Kevin Smith, the director of Zack and Miri Make A Porno, on the IFC channel. Smith was talking about how the film is really sweet and more about love
than anything else. People don't realize that it's a romantic comedy because of the title.
Check out a trailer for Zack and Miri Make A Porno
- Marilyn
Oh yes, a guilty pleasure indeed. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist was irresistible, yet easily rentable. It was corny, but who doesn't need their fair share of teeny bopper media?
The movie is about a night out in New York City for a few teenagers that turns into an adventure.
Michael Cera is an awkward, self conscious, charming delight to watch. He is innocent and adorable and you know it. I wish he was my friend in high school. In this film, he plays Nick who is just as lovable as Cera's roles in Juno and Superbad. Michael Cera's character plays in a band with three gay guys (one of whom is extremely hot). And they're also adorable, you would love them. They drive around recklessly in an old van. They like Norah so they try to get her looking better for Nick by hooking her up with a bra they happened to have in their trunk ...these gay guys were prepared!
The characters are easily relatable. We've all had that friend who gets embarrassingly drunk and had to take care of her. Many of us have also been that girl. We've been stuck in awkward situations and relationships. This made it was fun to laugh along and think, "Remember that time_____ back in high school!?!!"
The film does stay true to the title-- it has an amazing soundtrack (I downloaded a lot of the songs on Ruckus).
For these reasons, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is definitely worth watching. It's nothing mind-blowing, but it definitely showed a good time with entertaining and vibrant characters--and sometimes that's all you need.
It was fun to watch because it takes New York City (I'm from that area). One thing is undeniable, there is ALWAYS something to do in New York, no matter what time of day it is -especially compared to little ole' State College which is surrounded for hours by endless farms and mountains. But hey, we make due here in Happy Valley.
AND don't forget, this movie was a book first written by Rachel Cohn.
Check out what other fans thought of the film.
If you're interested in the soundtrack, it's listed below from amazon.com :
Now, I don't want to make any rash judgments, because in all sincerity, I'm probably going to love Nick and Norah's Infinite Play List. It is just really interesting to me to think back to high school when She's All That and 10 Things I Hate About You were released. And sure, at the time they were still kind of stupid and cliche, but they were entertaining none the less.
Sure, with Michael Cera's new stint it seems like George Michael is just taking a little stroll through a bunch of different movies. However, I still think it's going to be fun to watch.
I'm hoping that it will not only entertain the indie, underground, hipster world of today's teenagers, but also myself and other college-aged, Michael Cera fans.
I'm thinking it'll end up more of a guilty pleasure than a recommendation to your friends, but hey, I'm hopeful.
In 2006, when Disney bought Pixar animations, it seemed that instead of pencils and paintbrushes, computers appeared to be the future of animation. However, it was also the end of an era: the wonderful era of hand-drawn Disney animation.
Luckily, Disney has finally realized that just because computer animation is new, doesn't mean the hand drawn way is out of date. One of my good friends always said that Disney would get its act back together, and it seems it has -- or at least I hope.
Disney plans to soon release a hand-drawn animated feature-length film, The Princess and the Frog; a movie set for release in the United States and Australia next year. The film will feature Disney's first African-American princess in an American fairy tale that takes place in New Orleans during the Jazz Age of the 1920s.
When Disney first joined with Pixar the face of Disney films changed. It began the era of Toy Story, Monsters Inc., and Finding Nemo. While these films were wonderful in their animation -- bringing the story to the screen as never before -- my friends and I found ourselves longing for the good old days of hand drawn animation. It seemed because computers allowed animators to go where they never had before, making every scene a visual delight was the most important thing and the plot was only an after thought.
That's not to say that I didn't thoroughly enjoy Toy Story and Finding Nemo, but something seemed missing, and that was classic Disney magic. The bells and whistles that came along with flashy animation took away from the simplicity of Disney films and the classic art of drawing.
The characters no longer sing and the soundtracks are full of orchestra pieces instead of memorable lyrics.
Disney had been going strong with its animated movies for almost 100 years before sales started to look grim in early 2006. Why had things changed? I feel its because with the advent of more sophisticated computers, animation and special effects people were clamoring for something bigger and better.
But one of the things I enjoyed most about older Disney films was their sheer simplicity. The animation was 2D but this made the films more classic. The plots weren't difficult to understand and didn't have complicated underlying themes. With most of them clocking in at only an hour and a half they provide a quick escape from everyday monotony. There's a certain joy in being able to sing-along to an animated movie. I miss that simplicity.
Plus, sales of classic Disney DVDs are so good that each time a new movie comes out on DVD there is a lot of excitement and promotion over it. So much that Disney created "The Vault" to boost sales and excitement. Basically, a few months after a movie is released on DVD it is put into "The Vault" and taken off all sale stands until it's re-released a few years later. (I personally hate the vault ... at least until they re-release Beauty and the Beast) But I will admit I own almost every "classic" Disney movie that has been released on DVD so far. 101 Dalmatians was just released a few weeks ago and I am planning on watching my copy this weekend.
While it's exciting to know that The Princess and the Frog will be hand drawn, and hopefully involve characters spontaneously bursting into song, I don't want to get my hopes up. There is not much in this world that can compete with my love of The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid. So along with millions of other Disney fans, I will await the release of The Princess and the Frog next year -- but with cautious optimism.
- Katie
Hollywood has more phases than a moody teenager. There was the disaster film phase, the musical movie phase and even an extraterrestrial phase. Its latest target: board games.
On Wednesday, Hasbro, Inc. signed a six-year deal with Universal Pictures to make at least four movies based on well-known board games including Monopoly, Battleship, Candy Land and Ouija. The first movie from the deal is set to hit theatres in 2010 or 2011, with Universal releasing at least one film per year thereafter, according to Reuters.
Of course, there's one major problem with basing a movie on a board game: there's no story for filmmakers to get ideas from. While the plots of the movies have not been released yet, I have a few ideas of my own.
Monopoly is a classic game and a wonderful way to waste a whole rainy afternoon. The game is named after the economic concept of monopoly, the domination of a market by a single company. So basically you want to buy as much property as you can while staying out of jail. The way I see the movie going is Mr. Moneybags, the guy with the white mustache who always seems to be carrying a bag of gold, steals all the money from the bank and flees. He even has a "Get out of Jail Free" card and the police are having no luck in catching him. It's up to the players to get the money back and send Moneybags to jail without allowing him to collect his two hundred dollars when he passes Go. The film will take place in Atlantic City, NJ in order to stay true to the original Monopoly board, and the characters will travel on the Reading Railroad and "chance" getting a parking ticket in Park Place. However, whether or not Moneybags will be caught depends on how long the film is allowed to be, because as we all know the game is never-ending.
As for Battleship, that will probably have a more exciting plot than Monopoly. It will be a major action film between two enemies, blue and red. Each side will have five ships, including an aircraft carrier, battleship, cruiser, patrol boat, and submarine. The goal will be to sink all of the other side's ships first, through any means possible. Each side will take turns trying to blow the other out of the water. The special effects and sounds in this film will probably be amazing -- but that's nothing compared to being able to make exploding sounds after sinking your opponents ship while playing the game.
Candy Land could be a fantasy film with a brave girl and boy venturing into a magical candy forest in order to find the lost king of Candy Land. The movie could feature amazing colors and mouth-watering scenes filled with candy canes and gumdrops. The characters will have to brave the Molasses Swamp and steer clear of Lord Licorice, who may steer them off course. The movie will have the audience rushing to the concession stand and should be a delightful adventure for children of all ages.
No matter what direction the screenwriters decide to take with the scripts, seeing favorite childhood games come to life on the big screen could be pretty exciting. However, the films will never replace the experience of playing these classic games. A movie can't replace the fun of laughing and talking with friends while trying to buy a spot at the Boardwalk, blow up an opponent's last ship or find the way over the Gum Drop Mountain.
-Katie
"May the Force be with you."
If you have never uttered, or heard, this phrase before than you most likely have been living under a rock -- for the past three decades.
Star Wars IV: A New Hope was released in 1977. Now, almost 30 years later, George Lucas just can't seem to let it go. On Tuesday, according to Entertainment Weekly, Lucas announced that he is developing a live-action TV series based on the Star Wars franchise.
Don't get me wrong; I love Luke, Leia and Han Solo. With an older brother and movie aficionado dad, Star Wars was never a stranger to me.
When I was younger, "No girls allowed" Lightsaber fights were common occurrences and Starfighters hurtled into my room on a regular basis. Yet, even after all these years, a Star Wars poster still hangs above my brother's bed, and the same poster can be found in my apartment here in State College.
But after 30 years, six movies, numerous books and TV spin-offs, you would think Lucas would get a little tired of his galaxy far, far away.
However, the new series won't include the Skywalkers or Darth Vader, but will instead focus on the minor characters. Lucas wouldn't let any further details slip about the true premise, and said the project probably won't start for another year.
In addition to the new live-action TV series, Lucas is also working on another series, the computer-animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
In 1999, twenty-two years after the first movie was released, Lucas returned with three new movies, prequels to the first set. The last of the prequels, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, was released in 2005. People flocked to the movie theater to see the new movies and more books, toys, and limited-edition DVDs were released.
Some praised the new movies, others mocked them. Now, with two new TV series coming out, it's hard not to wonder if something can be stretched too thin, and whether or not the series will survive in a reality-show-dominated television world.
But even if the shows flop, it seems the Star Wars franchise will continue to grow and influence generations to come -- even Harry Potter can't compete with that.
A Huxtable in Harrisburg