Blog Pick Week #12

   Almost everyone has a movie that they deem their favorite holiday classic. Either one that brings back fond memories of opening gifts with you parents on Christmas morning, or spending the holiday around a roaring fire exchanging gifts and pleasantries. For those that the holiday season may not be their cup of tea, you probably have a favorite holiday comedy. Both possibilities bring us to this weeks pick, Not just a holiday classic, but a classic comedy. The 1989 holiday classic, National Lampoon's "Christmas Vacation"
   Dreaming of having a "fun old fashioned family Christmas", Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase), gathers the family and the in-laws for a holiday he has always dreamed of hosting. Everything including going out into the country and picking out that special tree, decorating the house with enough illumination to land a jumbo jet, and eating a classic turkey Christmas dinner with all the fixins.
   It all seems to be going according to plan, until the flood gates open and his dream Christmas holiday turns into a nightmare. No "Vacation" movie would be complete without a visit from cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid), and his arrival just adds to the mayhem.
   There are many holiday classics to see this time of year, very few include an old fashioned theme and memorable comedy that will leave you cracking up and reciting lines years to come. "Christmas Vacation" is the type of movie that has it all. A holiday classic indeed. Before you open your gifts this year, watch "Christmas Vacation", then make it a tradition. Until next time happy viewing.

by
Joe Talmage
webmoviepick@gmail.com

"Christmas Vacation" trailer

The Nominees are......

THE GOLDEN GLOBE 2013 FILM NOMINATIONS

BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA

• ARGO
• Django Unchained
• Life of Pi
• Lincoln
• Zero Dark Thirty 

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA

• Jessica Chastain - Zero Dark Thirty
• Marion Cotillard - Rust and Bone
• Helen Mirren - Hitchcock
• Naomi Watts - The Impossible
• Rachel Weisz - The Deep Blue Sea 

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA

• Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln
• Richard Gere - Arbitage
• John Hawkes - The Sessions
• Joaquin Phoenix - The Master
• Denzel Washington - Flight

BEST MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL

• The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
• Les Miserables
• Moonrise Kingdom  
• Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL

• Emily Blunt - Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
• Judi Dench - The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
• Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook
• Maggie Smith - Quartet
• Meryl Streep - Hope Springs

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY OR MUSICAL

• Jack Black - Bernie
• Bradley Cooper - Silver Linings Playbook
• Hugh Jackman - Les Miserables
• Ewan McGregor - Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
• Bill Murray - Hyde Park on the Hudson

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

• Brave
• Frankenweenie
• Hotel Transylvania
• Rise of the Guardians
• Wreck-It Ralph

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

• Amour (Austria)
• A Royal Affair (Denmark)
• The Intouchables (France)
• Kon-Tiki (Norway/UK/Denmark)
• Rust and Bone (France)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE 

• Amy Adams - The Master
• Sally Field - Lincoln
• Anne Hathaway - Les Miserables
• Helen Hunt - The Sessions
• Nicole Kidman - The Paperboy  

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

• Alan Arkin - ARGO
• Leonardo DiCaprio - Django Unchained
• Philip Seymour Hoffman - The Master
• Tommy Lee Jones - Lincoln
• Christoph Waltz - Django Unchained

BEST DIRECTOR - MOTION PICTURE

• Ben Affleck - ARGO
• Kathryn Bigelow - Zero Dark Thirty
• Ang Lee - Life of Pi
• Steven Spielberg - Lincoln
• Quentin Tarantino - Django Unchained

BEST SCREENPLAY - MOTION PICTURE

• Mark Boal - Zero Dark Thirty
• Tony Kushner - Lincoln
• David O. Russell - Silver Linings Playbook
• Quentin Tarantino - Django Unchained
• Chris Terrio - ARGO

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE - MOTION PICTURE

• Mychael Danna - Life of Pi
• Alexandre Desplat - ARGO
• Dario Marianelli - Anna Karenina
• Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek, Reinhold Heil - Cloud Atlas
• John Williams - Lincoln

BEST ORIGINAL SONG - MOTION PICTURE

• "For You" - Act of Valor
• "Not Running Anymore" - Stand Up Guys
• "Safe & Sound" - The Hunger Games
• "Skyfall" - Skyfall
• "Suddenly - Les Miserables

* Watch The Golden Globes Award Show January 13, 2013 @ 8pm Eastern *               

Blog Pick Week #11

   Sometimes it can be hard to separate a trilogy into three different movies. Even if each of the films have their own look and feel, those three movies are actually a continuation of one long story. When this happens it can be difficult to recommend only one of the three, rather than the entire series. We find ourselves in this bind for this weeks pick. With the prequel set to be released this week, our pick is Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings".
   As stated before, we are referring to the entire trilogy, not one movie in particular. If you've never seen any of the "Lord of the Rings" movies, you obviously need to begin with the first "The Fellowship of the Ring". In part one of the story, which takes place in a fictional place called middle earth, a group of rings have been made. One ring rules all the rings, and he who possess it, holds great power. Having considerable power, also brings evil and sinister thoughts. A fellowship is formulated to take the ring to be destroyed, while trying to keep it out of the hands of the dark lord Sauron.
   "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy are fantasy adventure films set in a fictional world, full of wizards, dwarfs, elves and little creatures known as hobbits. It may sound like a children's Disney cartoon but it is anything but. The movies are live action and filmed primarily in New Zealand. The films are some of the most beautiful and picturesque movies ever made. The cinematography and art direction bring middle earth alive.
   To put it in perspective, the entire trilogy was nominated for 30 Academy Awards, with the final film "The Return of the King" responsible for eleven of them, ultimately winning all eleven. In total the trilogy walked away with 17 Oscars, leaving it amongst the greatest movies of all time, certainly one of the greatest trilogy's of all time.
   Each film is about three hours, and even longer in the extended versions. That being said, these are some of the best movies of all time and warrant everyone to see them.  Start with "The Fellowship of the Ring", then "The Two Towers", and finally "The Return of the King". Until next time happy viewing.

by
Joe Talmage
webmoviepick@gmail.com

"The Fellowship of the Ring" trailer

Does it have to be like this???

   I am all for honoring the classics....in other words watching them again. Some films even require you to see it again to gain the true effect, also to pick up something that you may have missed the first time. This time, I am referring to the growing trend it seems, of remaking an original release. Whether it is an entirely new production with cast and crew, or simply as enhancing it in high definition or 3-D. Does it really have to happen that Hollywood needs to regurgitate previous releases?
   I understand that it may be difficult to come up with new and original content, simply because with all the mainstream movies that have been made it's bound to have been done already. Let's take Disney's "The Lion King", now the original was a fantastic movie. Admired by critics and audiences worldwide, but just because the studio tries to beef it up a bit and make it into 3-D doesn't necessarily mean I am going to fork out close to $10 to watch the same film again, regardless of how good the new version may have been. Another example is the great horror classic John Carpenter's "Halloween", a title that we recommended this year at Webmoviepick. It was re-made about thirty years later by Rob Zombie. The remake was good in itself but, almost never is the remake or sequel as good as the first.
   Honoring a classic film is one thing, and quite honestly something that should occur. Preserving such films has been going on for sometime now. Let's leave the originals in their "original" form. Their are plenty of eager filmmakers out there trying to make an name for themselves, all with creative minds and fresh ideas. Original content is out there and Hollywood certainly has the capital to produce it. Let's just watch the classics again and not re-pay to watch the classics remade.

by
Joe Talmage
webmoviepick@gmail.com

Blog Pick Week #10

  
   When you watch a movie, sometimes that particular film may be similar to another one. Often enough you may check out that other movie. That was the case with this weeks pick. After catching the movie "Goodfellas", which is a huge favorite for us at Webmoviepick; I saw another flick that is quite similar. At the recommendation of a close friend of mine, I watched "Casino", which is the pick for this week.
   This is a movie that is the case of bad timing. "Casino" just happened to come out after "Goodfellas". Each are similar in some ways, and different in others. Both are great films by Martin Scorsese, also starring Robert Deniro and Joe Pesci.
   "Casino" takes place in no other than Las Vega's Nevada. Go back in time about thirty years ago, when the mob ran Sin City. The bosses there want a guy that lives, sleeps and eats gambling. They offer the job of running the fictional "Tangiers Hotel & Casino" to Sam Rothstein, played by Robert Deniro. Also to protect Sam and make sure nobody interfered with the scam, they send Nicky Santoro, played by Joe Pesci, to Las Vegas. Along with an award winning performance by Sharon Stone, who plays Sam's hustler wife.
   Even though "Casino" is often compared to "Goodfellas", it really deserves to be mentioned on it's own. "Casino" does a magnificent job showing the inside of Vegas, one that only Martin Scorsese can do so well. Throughout the film, you see the highs and lows of Sin City, and how making it big on the strip isn't always a sure thing. So take a chance on "Casino", there isn't a lot riding on it. Until next time happy viewing.

by
Joe Talmage
webmoviepick@gmail.com

"Casino" trailer
  

Webmoviepick at the movies...

   Last month, we here at Webmoviepick had a chance to recently catch a couple movies in theaters. Although both of these films had been released weeks prior, nevertheless we wanted to get our opinions out there. You may have been seated next to us while we took in "Skyfall" and "Flight."

"Skyfall"

     Let's begin with the latest James Bond flick "Skyfall." This is the twenty third installment in the James Bond series, and the third for Daniel Craig playing Bond. I am not necessarily saying they saved the best for last, but in a nutshell, they knocked this one out of the park. In this latest tale, there is a computer hacker that has infiltrated MI6, the headquarters. They are determined to release the names of government operatives working around the globe. With a determined interest to carry out this task, it sets up perfectly for James Bond to stop it in it's tracks.
   No this isn't a movie about saving the planet from a computer virus, but instead a platform for a James Bond action film. Add Academy Award winners in director Sam Mendes (American Beauty), and actor Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men) playing the villain. Combined with Daniel Craig and a great script, what you get is a great movie. This film does not disappoint at all. With an insane train rooftop struggle at the beginning, we were on the edges of our seats until the end credits. No actor has been able to play James Bond so perfectly since the inception of the character in the first Bond "Dr No" played by the legendary Sean Connery.
   "Skyfall" is a great film and probably the best Bond film in years, certainly among the best all time. We give it an "A+"  

"Flight" 

    Our second film that we recently viewed, is the latest film by Academy Award winning director Robert Zemekis (Forrest Gump) and starring Academy Award winner Denzel Washington (Training Day). Throughout the film we see Whip Whitaker, played by Denzel, struggle between substance abuse and trying to prove his raw talents as an airline pilot. The beginning of the movie Whip Whitaker pulls off an amazing maneuver to try and land a crashing commercial jet. Afterwards we uncover the fact that he habitually drinks and does cocaine. Attempting to balance his personal life with his professional one, Denzel brings his talents to this film.   
   Not many actors when you see them in a movie, are as automatic as Denzel Washington. Every film he does, he nails it. Whip Whitaker is a troubled pilot and we don't know if we should feel sorry for his problems or condemn him. Other actors may have been able to take on this role, but only Denzel can be Denzel.
   "Flight" by itself is an overall good movie. Denzel Washington makes it a very good movie. We give it an "A-"

by
Joe Talmage
webmoviepick@gmail.com

"SKYFALL" trailer

"Flight" trailer