Archive for Rants
Do Movie Henchmen Get Life Insurance?
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It’s time to shine a light on the millions of mindless, faceless henchmen who have lost their lives to fight our heroes. No longer shall hordes of alien races be massacred at the hands of one man. No longer will packs of secret agents drop like flies. No longer wil— oh, who am I kidding? Hollywood isn’t going to change. But this trend has bothered me for years. Whenever a hero (or villain) needs to prove their abilities to audiences, the filmmakers send mass of bodies their way, only to be wiped out one by one with a single blow. It’s tiresome. It’s dull. It’s boring. It’s utterly pointless.
[MILD SPOILERS AHEAD]
Matt’s Take on the 84th Academy Awards
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Well, another year at the Academy Awards marks another year of disappointment for me. I love the idea of awarding the best films and performances of the year, but lately I’ve started to notice that isn’t the case at the biggest awards show on the planet. A big part of that has to do with the demographics of the voting body of the Academy, which is comprised of mostly caucasian (94%) males (77%) with a median age of 62. Only 14% of the voters are under the age of 50. Now, it doesn’t surprise me that stupid Meryl Streep undeservingly won Best Actress for her bland role in The Iron Lady — most of the voters are as old as she is.
Oscar Nominations Revealed For The ’84th Academy Awards’
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This morning the 2012 Oscar nominations were revealed, which of course annually provides both heartbreak and jubilation for those nominated and those snubbed. This year, the Best Picture nomination pool is nine, and not the ten of years past. The nominations were reduced from the ten made standard in 2010, down to however many Best Picture nominees the voting body feels is necessary. This year they felt nine was appropriate, a number I do not agree with. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was left off the nominee list, as was its director David Fincher. In my opinion, these two headline the snubs this year, along with Steven Spielberg being left out of the nomination for Best Director despite War Horse earning a Best Picture nod. Hit the jump for the full list, and a few brief thoughts from yours truly.
The Best Movies of 2011
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Each of the past three years has gotten a treatment of my top ten favorite movies here on the Movie Mash. I cannot believe I am already writing another one of these posts, how quickly time flies. For a year many critics considered to be a downgrade in overall quality in terms of content at the cinema, I found this year to be full of gems — of course there will always be movies that fail, but I believe 2011 had more than its share of films that soared. Hit the jump to check out my favorites from 2011.
Hollywood Is Shameless This Holiday Season, And I Like It
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It’s strange to think that you could bring your family to the movie theater right now and on either side of your innocent entertainment could be explicit, hardcore sexual content. As I walked through the theater the other day, I noticed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Shame were separated only by Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked.
Matt’s Take on the 83rd Academy Awards
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Of course, being a movie website, The Movie Mash has to have a follow up to the 83rd Oscars ceremony that took place last night. First things first, by a show of hands, who thinks Kirk Douglas should host the Oscars next year? Wouldn’t that be a lovely five-and-a-half-hour ceremony with Douglas rambling on quietly and sometimes incoherently. If he lives until next year, he has my vote, because he can’t possibly fair worse than Hathaway and Franco playing the hosts. This year’s Oscars was watched by four million less people than last year.
Hathaway portrayed an aura of enthusiasm while Franco seemed like he was backstage with Michael Phelps tag teaming a bong. The younger duo was asked to host the Oscars to appeal to the younger audiences. Mission failed. The coveted 18-49 demographic was down 12% from last year’s viewership. But really, I don’t care about the whole procession of the Oscars. I really just care about the winners and the beautiful women in all their fancy dresses.
Top Fred Astaire Movies
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Known for his smooth dancing and charming choreography, actor Fred Astaire captured Broadway lovers’ hearts. He starred in dozens of musical films and worked for nearly 70 years. Astaire is often remembered along side his frequent dancing partner, Ginger Rogers. Hit the jump to check out my favorite films from this legend.
How to Watch Movies: Mise-en-scène Analysis and ‘The Fall’
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How to Watch Movies is a series of articles designed to help our readers get the most out of their movie watching experience. I find that I get the most enjoyment from films when I take the time to really appreciate the deeper levels of the movie. I hope the advice and methods that I give you can help you enjoy the movies you watch even more.
The Glorious Return of ‘Dexter’
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Five months ago I thought, “Finally, September 26th is upon us.” My anticipation for the date lies with the best show on the small screen making its triumphant return to television. That Sunday evening marked the season five premiere of the Showtime hit Dexter.
Dexter is the best show on television, period. Dexter Morgan is the most compelling character on television, period. I spent half of my past summer catching up on seasons 1-4 and the other half eagerly anticipating the answers season five would bring. After seeing the first episode of the new season, I was blown away as the show continues to get better as it marches on. Each episode is good individually, but the heart of the show’s success stems from the overarching narrative that works itself through each season.
If you have not seen all the episodes of Dexter, DON’T READ THIS ARTICLE. I am going to spend some time piecing together the seasons and glorifying some of my favorite moments. I will not avoid spoilers, so if you haven’t watched up to season five, check back after you have.
Netflix Gone Wrong: ‘Beauty and the Briefcase’ is an 86 Minute Disaster
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Let me start by saying that I did not go into Beauty and the Briefcase with an open mind. Netflix recommended it to me based on my interest in Desperate Housewives, or something equally appealing. In desperate need to unwind after the first week of the semester, I decided to give it a try despite my hatred of Hilary Duff, whose career, if you ask me, should have been halted when Lizzy McGuire came to an end.
