Since Rye has no life, he just sits in his cave and watches movies of zero nutritional value. Occasionally, he’ll feel classy due to a bottle of wine that didn’t have a screw-top and he’ll watch something with subtitles. Here’s his keyboard’s regurgitation of what passed before his bespectacled eyes.

It was pretty much a week for the boys at the movies. Maybe it was a indirect response to The Hunger Games. And a direct response to . . . barf . . . Think Like a Man.

Boy is a charming coming of age tale of one New Zealand boy named…Boy (above right). He lives in a rustic country of old houses, wide open grassy fields and the oceans within walking distance, much like the country parts of Hawaii.

Boy’s only real interests in life are Michael Jackson and his father, who is serving jail time. A teacher, who knew Boy’s father in school, tells the youngster that he has “potential.” This is something Boy will spend the rest of the film trying to unlock, an ambition that becomes complicated when Boy’s deadbeat father, Alamein, is finally released from prison.

You are probably not safe around this man.

Alamein (above) is a pot-smoking, spastic, almost bipolar man in a state of arrested development. Suffice to say, he slowly doesn’t live up to Boy’s fantasies and Boy must figure out who (not what) he wants to be when he grows up. (Alamein modeling himself as a shogun after reading James Clavell’s novel should have been a dead giveaway.)

Taking place in 1984, Boy is quirky, funny, heartwarming, and it even gives off a sense of nostalgia, especially for Hawaii viewers—even if one has never been to New Zealand. There’s something similar about the lifestyles. Director Taika Waititi (who also plays Alamein) has created a fine dramedy, complete with a Bollywood-style dance number at the finish, done with a New Zealand touch. (For that matter, stay till the end of the credits for a little surprise.)

This bus is probably not very safe either.

Speaking of boys, think of Bully as the gateway drug to the epidemic of bullying in schools across the nation. Instead of confronting the school administrators, we just simply get one sad story after another. They are all affecting but it feels more like a primer: “Hey, look! Bullying exists in our schools and our children are its victims!” Uh, anybody with a Twitter account figured that out years ago. Frankly, the beef with the MPAA over the foul language probably helped the film more than hindered it because the actual product is one long PSA for the website TheBullyProject.com.

The filmmakers tell heartbreaking stories but don’t really go after school administrators to see what they are planning to do to stop what is a very real problem. When celebrities making videos on YouTube seem to be doing a better job at helping our at-risk youth, something’s seriously fucking wrong. Go check out that website and perhaps that’s where the real work can begin.

Being around these pirates is definitely not safe.

Also for boys, but of an entirely different thing is The Pirates! Band of Misfits, the latest stop motion/CGI animation effort from the folks that brought you Chicken Run and Wallace and Gromit. If you’re fans, you’re gonna love Pirates. If not, the humor might be too bloody British. There’s a totally adorable dodo bird in it, Hugh Grant is the voice of the Pirate Captain and…well…that’s that.

In all honesty, it does go a bit long though and in the end, feels a bit slight. But kids will certainly love it and parents will get off on the Charles Darwin bashing. Come to think of it, as minor as it feels, this film was more entertaining than the last two Pirates of the Caribbean movies combined.

This man is your best bet for safety.

For the tougher boys out there, someone who probably wouldn’t get bullied often is a burly guy named Snow in Lockout. He’s played by Guy Pierce and his brand-new biceps. (Watch L.A. Confidential again. Where did Pierce get those giant arms? He must’ve spent a lot of time at the gym since Memento.) Anyway, Pierce plays the one guy able to rescue the President’s daughter (Maggie Grace) from a futuristic super max jail in space. And this is the point in my column where I will now refer to Lockout as Space Jail! because I find it much more appropriate and amusing. (Yes, my version of the title comes complete with exclamation point. I’m a whore for punctuation.)

Space Jail! is a fine enough film. Guy Pearce is the main reason to see it. He’s somehow funny even though the script doesn’t really give him a single witty thing to say. It’s all in his droll, deadpan delivery. Grace, formerly of Lost and Taken, does a fine job of once again being took. It’s a fun enough movie and I remember enjoying it, but I kinda forgot what happened already. It’s disposable like that. Like an orange creamsicle you ate. You remember really liking it but the details escape you soon after.

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Boy is currently playing at Consolidated Theatres Kahala 8 & Pearlridge 16.
Bully is currently playing at Consolidated Theatres Kahala 8.
The Pirates! Band of Fisfits are playing at theaters all across Oahu.
Lockout is playing at theaters across Oahu. 

I suddenly have a craving for pita bread!

For all that are dying to know if Gale holds it against Katniss regarding Peeta and just think life is over, I am here to assure you that there is indeed life after The Hunger Games.

The Cabin in the Woods is the awesomest movie ever. (Sorry, Hunger Games fans.) And…umm…that’s all I can really say about that cause there are huge surprises that the trailer, and hopefully the Internet, didn’t totally already ruin. Try not to read any other reviews and just go see it. Even if you don’t like horror, it ain’t that gross and it’s witty, funny, and it’s a fanboy’s dream come to film life. And it’s the first “puzzle-movie” since Inception that rewards multiple viewings. And there’s boobs.

So yeah… That’s the big review for The Cabin in the Woods.

On the film festival circuit, my schedule didn’t work for Spring HIFF this year, but as a gaming dork, I did want to see Ace Attorney. I had to settle for Marley instead. Yeah, how’s that for a subject change?

Is that love?

Anyway, Marley is a documentary on the reggae icon directed by Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland) and it’s basically the definitive cinematic portrait of Bob Marley’s career. At almost two and a half hours, it painstakingly takes us from Marley’s shanty town beginnings to his succumbing of cancer at a snowy clinic in Germany.

Along the way, we get interview footage from his friends, associates and family (including Ziggy Marley and Jimmy Cliff) as well as moments from the man himself. All paint a portrait of his music and politics, and whether you’re a fan or not, there is no denying the significance of the artist’s contribution to culture.

Diehard Marley fans will probably feel shortchanged on the amount of concert footage and conservative use of his music, but as a biography, Marley is compelling for all. (Appropriately, it opens today 4/20, at the Kahala theaters. Bring a pipe at your own risk.

)

Speaking of pipes, while at home this past week, I wanted to catch up on some stuff I missed last year so I made the grave error of watching Take Shelter and Melancholia on two consecutive nights. Both are completely different films about the end of the world, both immensely compelling and undeniably watchable with powerhouse acting performances, and seeing both in such a short span also made me want to slash my wrists. I wouldn’t recommend these two as a double feature unless you got a serious jones for the apocalypse.

Then again, regarding film it seems we’re all just lingering in a sort of cinematic purgatory which I shall name P.A. (Pre-Avengers.) We’re just waiting for those super-dudes to just fucking assemble already.

Nick Fury broods as he simultaneously watches Take Shelter and Melancholia.

Everyone knows that anniversaries are a big deal. Forget one and you could end up in big trouble. That’s why if you weren’t at last night’s Hana Hou Picture Show screening of Spaceballs, then you missed out on a major announcement about the 1 year anniversary of Consolidated Theatres’ Hana Hou Picture Show. Don’t worry though, this will serve as a reminder that you’ve still got a month to go out and get a present, make dinner reservations, and oh yeah, purchase those movie tickets.

The Hana Hou Picture Show began last year after the success of the 25th Anniversary presentation of Top Gun. With such a great turnout and so much excitement surrounding Top Gun, Consolidated Theatres created the Hana Hou Picture Show to bring back other classics that movie fans know and love back to the bring screen.

In honor of the 1 year anniversary of Hana Hou, Consolidated Theatres will be going all out by showing three of the most popular movies from last year’s Hana Hou Picture show three nights in a row. Check out this lineup:

• The Goonies – Monday, May 14

• Top Gun – Tuesday, May 15

• Back to the Future – Wednesday, May 16

The celebration doesn’t stop there. Hana Hou fans will also benefit from the new Hana Hou picture show ticket price of $10 in Consolidated’s high end Titan XC theater (down from the usual price of $14.25). Not sure if this is just for the anniversary or for Hana Hou going forward, but it’s definitely great news for movie fans that want to check out any of these three classics next month. And who knows, maybe more surprises will be in store for Hana Hou fans next month.

For more information on the 1 year anniversary of Consolidated Theatres’ Hana Hou Picture Show check them out on Facebook and purchase your tickets on Fandango or at their box office at Ward next time you’re there (and save yourself that pesky Fandango fee).

In the meantime, check out the slides from last night’s Hana Hou Picture Show:

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This blog post has been rated R for strong language.

Playing just once at last year’s Hawaii International Film Festival; Bully-a documentary that focuses on the problem faced by 13 million kids a year, is starting its theatrical run on Oahu this weekend. Documentary films don’t usually make it on too many moviegoers’ radars, but this one is notable for a few reasons. First, it deals with subject matter that’s quite relevant to anyone that works with or has children–bullying. The second reason, and perhaps the most publicized one, is the controversy surrounding the film’s initial “R” rating by the Motion Picture Association of America.

So a bit of backstory . . . in order for most films to be played in theaters nationwide, films must first be submitted to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) to rate a film’s thematic and content suitability for certain audiences. Though submission for rating is voluntary, most theaters refuse to play films that are “unrated.”

As I mentioned earlier, Bully was initially given an R rating–due to the F-word being used too many times in the film. The film’s distributor Harvey Weinstein of The Weinstein Company (TWC) and director Lee Hirsch appealed the MPAA’s decision of the R rating on the basis that the theme of the film is important for families with children to see, especially in light suicides that have been attributed to bullying in the past few years.

Long story short, TWC and the MPAA went to battle over the movie rating with celebrities, lawmakers, theater companies, and the public at large all having their say in the matter. When the dust finally settled earlier this month, both sides came to a compromise–Bully would get a PG-13 rating, but did have to edit out or mute the use of the F-word in certain scenes. The PG-13 rating will allow anyone under the age of 17 to see the film without an adult present.

MPAA poster explaining film ratings.

With all of the controversy surrounding the film’s R rating it made me stop and think about just how important movie ratings are to me and the average moviegoer.

Does the spirit of a movie trump its content? Does the message a movie tries to convey make it more than the sum of its parts? Does the use of swearing, violence, sex, or things that some find offensive get in the way of communicating that message? In the case of Bully and its MPAA rating, I think the answer is no. A film like Bully shouldn’t be given an R just because it uses the F-word a certain amount of times. Now I’m not saying that the MPAA shouldn’t be any less strict or lenient when it comes to rating movies. However, what I think we do need is a better way for rating films that fits with today’s culture. Something that will take into account the theme of a film such as Bully.

Before we can change the system, we need to look at some of the problems that face it:

Clearer Context for Movie Ratings–Sure we all hear or see what the rating for a film is at the end of a commercial, but often times we don’t know why a film was given that particular rating. We don’t need a lengthy explanation about it, but we should have clear cut explanations that say why it did get that rating. What is it about this film that determined this? Having a rating without context for why it was given can give people the wrong message about a movie.

Sex vs Violence, Unevenly Weighted–Though no official criteria on how exactly films are rated is available, many filmmakers and film critics have noted that films that feature sex or even use profanity in a sexual connotation tend to receive a harsher rating than films that feature heavy violence.

To illustrate this point, the way the F-word is used in this sentence: “Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker.” (Die Hard, 1998)

Does not equal the usage in this sentence:
 “Don’t ever stop fucking me!” (Jerry Maguire, 1996)

The first instance is used in an explicative manner where as the second usage is used in a sexual manner. Is one really harsher than the other? Perhaps the best to way todrive this point home is with a line from the critically acclaimed movie South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut when one of the characters in the film says, “Remember what the MPAA says; Horrific, Deplorable violence is okay, as long as people don’t say any naughty words!”

Rating Basis on Profanity Word Count–It’s become common knowledge that PG-13 films can only have one instance of the F-word in it. Anything more than that will most likely jeopardize a film’s PG-13 rating. What is the difference between using the F-word one time and two times? Between using it two times and three times? Between three times and four times? Giving a film a higher rating due to excessive amount of profanity use makes sense, but how can you have a rule about a specific number of times profanity is used in determining a rating? At the point that you reach your limit will having one more profanity really make a film that much more harsher? If I had to say, probably not.

So how can we fix this? What could we do better? Mark Harris from Entertainment Weekly has some pretty good ideas in his article “5 Ways to Fix Movie Ratings” that answers some of these questions. His solutions are:

1. Focus on content advisories, not ratings
2. Abolish the supervisory role for theaters
3. End R ratings for the use of one word
4. Depoliticize the ratings
5. Reform the board itself

Definitely check out the article to find out why each of the points listed above are valid.

When it comes right down to it, why do movie ratings matter? In the strictest sense movie ratings matter because they determine who can and cannot see certain films. It also matters because it advises moviegoers on whether or not films are appropriate for certain audiences. Most of all, movie ratings are important because sometimes the decision to see a movie, and maybe even the success of a movie, depends on its rating.

A film like Bully illustrates the importance of a film’s rating and also brings up questions of the system that is currently in place to rate them. I think we can all agree that bullying is a serious issue and because of that I feel that the theme of a documentary about bullying should definitely have some weight in determining who the right audience is for a film like this. Is the system for rating movies that the MPAA currently has in place the best we have? Or should it better reflect the life and times we live in?

The PG-13 rated Bully begins its theatrical run this week Friday at the Consolidated Kahala 8 Theatres.

Ok, so I’ve been singing the praises of The Raid, sight unseen, since I first saw the trailer back in September and I’ve blogged about it a few times and even have it as one of my most anticipated films of the year. Finally, at long last, the Indonesian action film that wow’d audiences at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival and this year’s Sundance Film Festival makes it’s way to Oahu for it’s theatrical run here in Hawaii. The film opens tomorrow at Consolidated Kahala 8 and Consolidated Ward 16 and here are five good reasons why you should go out and see this movie . . .

It’s Not a Remake/Reboot/Sequel/Or in 3D

If you’ve been to the movies at in, oh I don’t know the past three years or so, chances are you’ve been to a movie or two which just seems to be a rehash or retread of a movie you’ve seen before. Don’t get me wrong some of these movies can still be pretty good and I like a good franchise as much as the next guy, but where’s the originality these days? You don’t see Hollywood taking a lot of chances on things that are new and original. Well, The Raid brings something fresh and original to the table not having been a former TV show, book, comic book, or movie. And you won’t need special glasses to watch this movie either.

Say Hello to Pencak Silat

Director Gareth Evans was introduced the Indonesian martial arts of Pencak Silat while filming a documentary on the subject. Wanting to bring more attention to Pencak Silat, Evans features the fighting style prominently in his second film Merantau, and here again in his third film The Raid. An umbrella and unifying term for similar martial arts throughout Indonesia, according to Wikipedia “pencak and silat are seen as being two aspects of the same practice. Pencak is the performance aspects of the martial art, while silat is the essence of the fighting and self-defense.” Throw in the use of weaponry to Pencak Silat and it is a force to be reckoned with. Here’s to hoping that The Raid does for Pencak Silat what Ip Man did for Wing Chun.

It’s Got Awesome Fight Choreography

From gun battles to fights with knives, spears, machetes and more the amount of coordiation put into the fight sequences looks amazing. But don’t just take my word for it, check out the four-on-one battle in a scene from The Raid (above).

Diversify Your Viewing With a Foreign Film

I’m not going to stereotype any of you who may be reading this out there, but there are those that are daunted or just plain turned off by seeing foreign films. Yeah sure the subtitling I know is a part of it, but I also think that some people feel that they just won’t “get” foreign films. Now is the time to start changing that mentality. As I’ve mentioned previously, The Raid is an Indonesian film so you will have to do some reading along with your watching, but I guarantee that you will “get” this movie and have a fun time doing so. The film is about a SWAT team taking down a crime lord and his minions–nuff said. Also, you can brag about seeing a foreign film the next time you’re talking with friends around the water cooler.

It’s Going to be a Non-Stop Action Thrill Ride

Hyperbole? Maybe. From everything I’ve seen and from reviews that I’ve read, all signs point to The Raid delivering on the action showcased in the trailer. We even got a confirmation from HIFF programming director Anderson Le after he saw the film in January at Sundance. I’ve also heard that the action ramps up as the movie goes on.

Looking back on what originally excited me about this film, it definitely had to be the insane depiction of the action of the movie and the seemingly large amount of it. In a way I guess it gives off that vibe that you get from seeing 80s action movies like Die Hard, you know, when action in movies seemed more real, weren’t that effects heavy, and were taken more seriously. That’s what I hope to get from seeing The Raid this weekend, and I hope this post gets you excited for it as well.

The Raid :: Rated R :: Runtime – 1h 41m

Does this post convince you to go out and see The Raid? If you do check it out this weekend, but sure to leave us your thoughts in the comments and let us know if it lives up to and deserves the hype.

Yesterday the Hawaii International Film Festival announced their titles for the 2012 Spring Showcase happening next month. The showcase fits perfectly into April as Hollywood usually scales back its releases in anticipation of the summer season in May–which gives us a fine chance to check out some foreign and indie fare. The Spring Showcase doesn’t run as long or carries the same amount of films as the main festival in the fall so you’ll only have a small window to check out the 33 films that will be playing.

Just from glancing at the schedule there are two films that I’m interested in seeing. The first is Liberal Arts written and directed by Josh Radnor (of How I Met Your Mother fame) and also stars Elizabeth Olsen who broke out onto the scene in last year’s Martha Marcy May Marlene. Getting a standing ovation when it played at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, the film looks at a thirty-something (Radnor) going back to his college and falling for a 19 year old college student (Olsen). I talked about Liberal Arts in my Sundance post and now we’ll get a chance to see it locally.

The second film of the showcase that I’m also interested in checking out is Indie Game: The Movie–a documentary about the makers of independent video games. This film also played at this year’s Sundance, but it wasn’t until I saw this review about the film from the recently wrapped SXSW that got me interested in it. If you’re at all into video games, this film will definitely be worth checking out. Check out the trailer below:

As we get closer to the showcase I’ll post more thoughts on some of the other films that will be playing. Until then I suggest you also check out programming director Anderson Le’s blog post on some of the big films that will be playing in the showcase, most notably Dragon (Wu Xia) a “soon-to-be martial arts classic” starring everyone’s favorite Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen.

The Hawaii International Film Festival 2012 Spring Showcase will be held Friday, April 13 through Thursday, April 19 at the Regal Dole Cannery 18.

Tickets go on sale April 4 (April 2 for members).

To kind of put a bow on this year’s Oscars I just wanted to provide one post that links to all of our coverage of this year’s Academy Awards and provide a few final remarks about what learned, discovered, and realized this year.

Oscar Watch 2012

• And the Nominees Are . . . :: Tuesday, January 24

• Identifying the Academy :: Monday, February 20

• Actresses in Leading & Supporting Roles :: Tuesday, February 21

• Actors in Leading & Supporting Roles :: Wednesday, February 22

• Best Picture :: Thursday, February 23

• Shorts-Live Action & Directors :: Friday, February 24

• The 84 Academy Awards :: Tuesday, February 28

Final Thoughts . . .

Like anything else the more you study or watch something the more you learn, the Oscar “season” being no different. In the past six months it’s been really interesting tracking Oscar news and buzz from entertainment reporters and movie bloggers; hearing what they have to say, dissect movies as they come out, and discuss what it all means. Through it all I’ve come to realize that there is a science, or logic rather, when it comes to the Oscars. Movies come out, they’re seen by people, positioning and marketing occurs, awards are given, campaigning is done and finally . . . Oscar nominations come out. I’m going to pull a quote from first year Oscar blogger Roth Cornet over at In Contention that best sums it up when trying to figure out the Oscars:

What is clear to me is that predicting an Academy Award win has little or nothing to do with perceived buzz or perceived merit, and it certainly has nothing to do with one’s personal preferences. It has to do with tracking the tide, with a closer eye than most are willing to devote.

It’s a great read and I encourage you to read the full article.

I’m sure most people know that the Academy Awards are THE top award in the film industry, but what many people don’t know (myself included until recently) is that the Academy is not you. The Academy is NOT made up of everyday moviegoers. It is a group of people who work or have worked in the film industry. It’s also this group of individuals that get to vote on the Academy Awards. It’s this one fact alone that often finds people mystified as to why something won an Oscar–Academy members have different tastes and preferences from the rest of us. Is their opinion better than ours? Most certainly not. But, they are the ones that vote and theirs is the only opinion that counts when it comes to awarding Oscars.

When it comes right down to it, everything is subjective; even the votes cast by Academy members. What is a “best performance” or “best film?” It’s a question that’s subjective to anyone you ask. Though the Academy Awards are the highest prize in the land, it may not always be something that you agree with. Which, I think in the end is ok by me. I know what I like.

So that’ll about do it for Oscar Watch 2012, and here’s to a whole new year at the movies!

On Sunday the 84th Academy Awards were handed out for everything ‘best of’ in cinema for last year. Sadly us here in Hawaii had to watch the ceremony on a tape delay basis while friends and media on the mainland were happily posting and tweeting away about awards news as it happened. In the end staying away from the Internet till after the local broadcast was over was a necessary evil, if only to preserve the “as it happens” feel of the show. After everything was said and done the Academy Awards didn’t disappoint and I found the broadcast entertaining.

The Awards

Nominated for 10 awards The Artist was the big winner on Sunday even though it only brought it 5 statues–having won victories in several of the major categories. Top nominee Hugo (which had 11) won five as well, but it wasn’t as big of a win since all five of its awards came in the more technical categories (Art Direction, Cinematography, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, and Visual Effects). Here is a quick rundown of the top awards from the 84th Academy Awards:

• Best Picture – The Artist

• Actor in a Leading Role – Jean Dujardin, The Artist

• Actress in a Leading Role – Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady

• Actor in a Supporting Role – Christopher Plummer, Beginners

• Actress in a Supporting Role – Octavia Spencer, The Help

• Directing – Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

• Animated Feature Film – Rango

• Foreign Language Film – A Separation

• Documentary Feature – Undefeated

Probably the biggest surprise of the night had to have been Meryl Streep’s victory in the Best Actress category. Now don’t get me wrong, a win by Meryl Streep wasn’t something out of the realm of possibility, however throughout the entire awards season Viola Davis was the decided front runner to win the Actress category. Having not seen The Iron Lady it’s hard for me to say how good (or not that great) of her performance was in contrast to Davis’s performance in The Help. From everything I read though, it seem as if Davis gave the better performances. The LATimes has a theory about how Streep jumped Davis in voting, but in any case I’m a little disappointed that Davis didn’t win. I thought it would be great if two African American actresses took home statues on the same night (Octavia Spencer being the first of the night, Davis the favored second), especially after the big pieces the LATimes did on Academy demographics. I really hate to make this about race, but it does seem like those demos proved to be true.

One of the highlights of the show, and not just for me but for the state as well, was when Alexander Payne and his writing team won for best Adapted Screenplay, taking home The Descendants lone Oscar for the night. But beyond recognition of the writing of the film was when Payne recognized author Kaui Hart Hemmings for her great source material and even dubbed her “our Hawaiian flower” right there on stage during the ceremony. Very gracious and well deserved for the local author who’s book was turned into a film and has now been seen by many people worldwide.

The Show

I thought the ceremony as a whole was ok, nothing special, but nothing bad either (though movie bloggers/media all over the place are grousing about the ceremony). Call me old fashioned, but I liked Billy Crystal hosting. I grew up with the guy hosting so it was great seeing him again. Some of his jokes were funnier than other ones, but he was probably the best host in the last 2-3 years. He and producer Brian Grazer were called in late in the game to put on the show after the Brett Ratner fiasco so for what they accomplished I thought was a pretty good job.

The pacing of the show overall I thought was pretty good. I know that in the past the show has dragged on, but the way they grouped awards together combined with the performances made for a pretty steady flow. From Robert Downey Jr Tebowing to the Bridesmaids playing drinking games on stage to Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis playing the cymbals, I thought the presenters were all really great as well.

One of the best things I liked about the show happened at the very beginning where ABC somewhat copied MTV’s movie awards by putting host Billy Crystal into scenes from some of last year’s films. I thought it was hilarious. I’ve read that many critics of the show didn’t like the Justin Bieber bit in that sequence, to them I say that was one of the funniest parts. Many people have chided the Academy for trying to bring in younger viewers and thought this was a legitimate attempt at doing that. I think it was actually a satire of that–the producers are playing off of the attempts to bring in a younger audience and made a joke about it instead. In any case, I thought it was fun. Check it out for yourself here.

Many people bring up the fact that the Academy needs to change a bunch of things to bring in a wider audience and bigger numbers for the broadcast. The problem with that logic is that those people think that’s what the Academy wants. Like predicting the Oscars the same goes for the show–it doesn’t matter what you want, it’s what the Academy wants. Their mentality is that the Academy Awards is a ceremony first and a television show second. Yeah sure every year there’s a big deal about who produces the show but in the end, who really cares about that? Probably only film & movie media if I had to image (or they’re the most vocal critics anyway). The Academy gets money from ABC for having this thing on TV, if anything it’s ABC who should be worrying about how well the broadcast does and not the Academy.

Stay Tuned For Kimmel

To wrap things up, Jimmy Kimmel probably had the last laugh of the night with his trailer for Movie: The Movie. The only thing to really say is that you need to watch this. It’s jam packed with so many stars and makes fun of so many movie conventions that if you didn’t catch it after the Oscar broadcast you definitely missed out. Here it is again below. Oh, and be sure to carve out ten minutes to watch it.

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More Oscar Watch Reading . . .

On the heels of the Academy’s big night the nominations for the anti-Oscars, The Razzies (the worst in film), were dolled out on Sunday. Adam Sandler apparently leads the pack with 11 nominations. [The Razzies]

Speaking of awards, did you ever wonder who the Oscar statuette was modeled after? Well wonder no more, apparently it was modeled after a naked Mexican director. [In Contention]

More from the LATimes Academy demographics series, this time they talk with Alfre Woodard who is spearheading efforts to bring in more diversified membership in the Actor’s branch of the Academy. [LATimes]

Finally local reporter Mike Gordon has the local perspective on the lone win for The Descendants. And as always, subscription is required. [Star-Advertiser]

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was the top grossing film of 2011. Did it make Red Band Project' s top films of 2011?

It took a while, but we can just about close the book on 2011 with our own ‘Best of’ list for last year. I figure, if the Academy can wait till tonight to give out their awards for last year, why not the Red Band Project as well? Also, the extra time gave me the opportunity to catch up with a few more 2011 films in theaters and on DVD. So without further ado, here are my top films of 2011 . . .

#9 RANGO

You take the director and star behind the hugely successful Pirates franchise and throw in one of the most powerful effects houses in the world, Industrial Light and Magic (ILM), and you could have the makings of a pretty unique film. All of these traits are evident in the finished product–Rango, a quirky animated Western comedy. The animation alone is reason enough to watch the film as the animation style employed by ILM is probably like nothing you’ve ever seen before. It’s so hyper-realistic that things look and almost feel as if they’re real. Then you have Johnny Depp providing the voice for probably one of his most memorable and quirky characters ever in Rango, an eccentric chameleon who stumbles into becoming sheriff. It’s a fun story with lively characters and great animation.

#8 THE INTERRUPTERS

With urban violence in Chicago at an all time high, a group of mediators called Ceasefire is stepping in to help curb violence before it starts. These ‘violence interrupters’ put themselves in harm’s way to diffuse situations by talking to both parties to try and calm them down. Just how are they able to reach these individuals? It’s because members of Ceasefire are former gang members and criminals who know what it’s like on the other side of the law. The film is a powerful look at the members of Ceasefire, the daily struggles they go through, the families and people that they work with, and an up close and personal look at why inner city violence escalates so quickly. The film showcases some pretty powerful and authentic moments and doesn’t shy away from the fact that not everything the group does works out. If you have the time, check out The Interruptors for yourself, for free, over at the PBS website.

#7 CAPTAIN AMERICA

This was probably one of the most fun movies of the summer if not the year. Leading into last summer I was really worried about Captain America due to the problems inherent in a character that’s not of this time. In the end it was a good move for the creators to set the film during WWII–the original era that Cap is from. The superhero period piece stayed true to the character and was a great way to provide his backstory. While we did a bunch of Avengers porn at the end, overall the story focused on Steve Rogers and how he became Captain America–a story portrayed really well in the film.

#6 THE ARTIST

You really have to hand it to this film for trying something bold as not having dialogue and mainly relying on the audience to ‘feel’ our characters’ performances. As Wall•E proved a few years ago, you don’t have to say anything to let people know how you feel–we can pick it up from the way a character moves and looks. Beyond the Hollywood nostalgia for the good ole days, what The Artist does so well is focus on the basics: have your actors give us a good performance to tell a story.

#5 HUGO

What I love about Hugo is that it’s a story about magic. The magic of imagination, the magic of cinema, and the magic of storytelling. Martin Scorsese crafts a wonderful tale about Hugo Cabret, an orphaned boy trying to unlock the secret of a mechanical automaton. Through this process Hugo encounters a lot of different people and ends up discovering a secret that the automaton has been hiding. The film is pure magic with it being shot really well and makes the best use of 3D since Avatar.

#4 50/50

Out of all the movies I saw last year, I really wish more people had gotten a chance to see 50/50. It’s definitely not an easy sell as it deals with the subject of what a person goes through when they find out that they have cancer, but it’s definitely worth catching up with if you have the chance. Joseph Gordon Levitt, Seth Rogen, Bryce Dallas Howard anchor a supurb cast in a well written story that will have you laughing and crying before the end.

#3 The Descendants

What else can I say that hasn’t already been said? From top to bottom I thought Alexander Payne put together a really great film. From Clooney’s performance to those of all the supporting characters to the way situations are dealt with to theportrayal of Hawaii, The Descendants has it all.

#2 Drive

From the opening sequence of the film, this movie had me. Ryan Gosling’s Driver is just so cool that it made me want to go drive around with a toothpick in my mouth after I saw the film. With just a few looks and not much else you can feel what his character is going through or know what he would say even though he doesn’t say anything. You also have Carey Mulligan providing a pretty solid performance as Driver’s love interest and the chemistry between them is so great that you get a sense of electricity between them even though they may just be riding together in a car or just talking with one another in the hall. Director Nicolas Winding Refn really puts together a great film with some nice visuals and a solid soundtrack.

#1 Attack the Block

This movie was the most fun I had at the theaters last year and ironically, at the time I saw it I was the only one in the theater when I saw it. What happens when an alien invasion occurs in south London and a street gang of teens are the only ones around? They kick ass and save the day that’s what. The simplest way I can describe the film is that it’s Aliens meets Goonies as you have a group of kids on an adventure to stay alive and battle these aliens who have descended on their home. The creature effects aren’t the greatest, but that doesn’t matter since the storytelling and characters more than make up for that. The whole time you’re rooting for the gang to win even though you’re not sure who is going to live and who is going to die. Do yourself a favor and watch this movie. I promise you, you’ll have a lot of fun.

Looking forward to in 2012

The Dark Knight Rises: I know, I know, this is obviously the most anticipated movie of the year. It’s just one guy, but yes, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises easily beats out the Marvel team-up of The Avengers as the movie event of the year. So much has already come out from trailers to a ton of set photos to the prologue itself that I can’t wait for July.

The Raid: After Dark Knight, this is easily my second most anticipated film of the year. Why? Because the movie looks like it’s going to be an action packed thrill of a ride. I’ve been tracking this film since it debuted last year on the festival circuit and briefly discussed it when it played at Sundance last month. Thankfully I hear that it’s coming to Consolidated Theatres Kahala next month so I we won’t have to wait long to see this one.

Prometheus: Every time I see the trailer I can’t help but get a little more excited for this film. Initially I wasn’t, but there’s just so many good components to this film that I can’t help but get excited. I’ve always been a sci-fi guy so I’m always down for a space thriller, but you throw in great actors (Michael Fassbender & Charlize Theron to name a few) and the director of Alien; count me in!

Discoveries: Of course there’s still a bunch of stuff that I’m looking forward to seeing; the big Marvel team up of The Avengers and then there’s Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit in December, but I’m also looking forward to the surprises that nobody really knows about yet. The ones we won’t discover until they come out in the theater. Hopefully they’ll be just as many this year as there were last year.

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Best of 2011 from other local bloggers . . .

To put us all to shame, HIFF’s programming director Anderson Le gives us the top 10 films of 2011 that we all missed out on. [YOMYOMF - Part 1] [YOMYOMF - Part 2]

The good folks over at the Popspotting podcast give us the ‘Best of 2011′ not just for movies but for everything popculturey. [Popspotting]

Here’s their favorite films from 2011 from the book and film themed blog [I Adore Books and Film]

Nonstop’s movie guru Myong Choi lists his Fab Five Films of 2011. [Nonstop Honolulu]

And finally, the Star-Advertiser’s movie reviewer Burl Burlingame gives us his top 10. [Honolulu Pulse]

We have a bit of hodgepodge today as we look at two categories that aren’t really related to one another. One of them is actually one of the bigger awards, the directing category, but the one I’m more excited to talk about is the Short Film (Live Action) category which doesn’t get all that much love or attention since most people don’t have a chance to see these shorts (more on this later).

Short Film (Live Action)

Who I Think SHOULD Win: Raju

I wasn’t initially sold on Raju when I saw it, mainly because it was the most dramatic short out of all the other nominees. What changed my mind was that when I really thought about it, I realized that I was emotionally invested in the film the whole time. I was always wondering what was going to happen, how would things resolve themselves, how could someone think like that. All these strong questions were running through my mind over the few short 24 minutes that this film is. The other thing that I think sets this short apart from the others is that the camera work and the way it’s put together are head and shoulders above the other nominees in the category. India feels like another character and you can feel the multitudes of the city weigh down our main character. Engrossing story, good camerawork & editing, and atmosphere make Raju my pick. [trailer]

On everyone else:

Pentecost: This film is a sports movie disguised as a drama and while it’s funny; I don’t think it has the depth to merit an award. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a fun little movie about an altar boy having to redeem himself after causing a huge disruption at Mass one Sunday, but other than that, what you see is what you get. I actually thought it was probably the funniest short out of all of them, but I don’t think funny alone will take home an Oscar. [trailer]

The Shore: Believe it or not Oscar bait isn’t just limited to the major categories, it’s also in the small ones too in this short film wonderfully put together and starring Ciarán Hinds (The Debt, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy). Hinds plays Joe, an Irishman returning home after living in America for most of his adult life. While the reunion with his family is his main reason for returning, it’s his reunion with two other childhood friends that provides the main focus for the film. As I mentioned the film seems to have Oscar bait written all over it with a great cast of characters, namely Hinds leading the way. The supporting performances in the film also feel very authentic and the production value is definitely high (and you know how I love my high production values in film). The director of The Shore, Terry George, isn’t a stranger to film as he’s written and directed TV shows in the UK and done a few films as well, most notably Hotel Rwanda. The one gripe I have against the film is that I thought the final resolution wasn’t what it should have been. I’m not sure how many people will even try to check out this film, but I’m not going to go into spoilers. I felt Joe was let off easy in the end and didn’t fully resolve what he set out to do. [trailer]

Time Freak: If there was ever a short film that general audiences could get behind, it definitely would be Time Freak. What would you do if you created a time machine? Go back and visit historical figures from our past? Or would you use to correct those mundane mistakes that we all make on a daily basis? Time Freak hilariously explores the latter of the two questions. With Time Freak it’s another case of ‘what you see is what you get’ with the main character, Stillman (pun?), relating how he’s been going back in time to correct all his little mistakes and faux pas. It’s actually reminiscent of the Bill Murray comedy/drama Groundhog Day and just as funny to see Stillman going through the same events of his day and how he deals with trying to fix it each time. While funny, I don’t think it’s “smart” enough for the Academy. [trailer]

Tuba Atlantic: Though definitely a quirky film, Tuba Atlantic is heartfelt and fun through and through. It tells the story of Oskar, who upon hearing the news that he only has six days left to live, really starts to live life to its fullest by doing things he has always wanted to do, but just didn’t have a reason to do so . . . until now. Like I said the story is definitely quirky with Oskar going out and doing things that seem a little unbelievable or gonzo at times, but in the end it’s the relationship Oskar forges with his caretaker that drives the film. [trailer]

Who WILL Win: The Shore
Like I mentioned earlier, The Shore is right up the Academy’s alley as it has everything they could want in it: great performances by anchored by a known actor, a nice dramatic story; and a writer-director that has a good pedigree. However, The Shore is not a lock to win the category. Of all the Oscar categories, the shorts categories are notorious for being very unpredictable. Take last year’s winner God of Love. While the film was cute and fun, I didn’t think it was strong enough story-wise to win while Oscar prognosticators thought that its humorous tone wouldn’t grab votes. How wrong we were. Having said that, nothing is ever really certain in this category. Don’t be surprised if Tuba Atlantic nabs the Oscar on the account of its humor AND quirkiness.

Directing

Who I Think SHOULD Win: Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist
Let’s face it, when you don’t win the top award at the Cannes International Film Festival and yet score the second most nominations at this year’s Oscars . . . you have to be doing something right. All film maneuvering aside though, The Artist was brilliantly conceived and executed by Hazanavicius. Sure he has great performers in Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo helping him out, but Hazanavicius is the guy that brought them in and is getting the performances that he wants out of them.

On everyone else:

• Alexander Payne: You would think that after how much I’ve been praising The Descendants you would think that I would pick Payne as the winner. Though I think the film is great and that Payne has crafted a well made film, I just don’t think his work is as good as Hazanavicius.

• Martin Scorsese: Though a wonderful film from many different angles: nostalgic story, very well made, and great special effects & 3D, none of the performances in Hugo were Oscar worthy–which really hurts Scorsese’s chances this time out.

• Woody Allen: Midnight in Paris is beloved by many and I’m sure hits a sweet spot with a number of Academy members, but it just doesn’t have the acting performances to carry it through. Also, with Allen putting out a film every year there may be some inclination to say that he just got lucky with this year’s film. As superficial as that sounds, it may have some credence.

• Did not view Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life.

Who WILL Win: Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist
Let’s face it, top to bottom the film was wholly conceived and produced by Hazanavicius and let’s also not fail to mention that it was a huge gamble to make into a silent film. Kudos to him. His work on The Artist definitely outshines Payne’s work on The Descendants–my runner up for the category. I also don’t think he has real competition from the two more well known directors in this field as both Scorsese and Allen already have Oscars for directing (Annie Hall for Allen and The Departed for Scorsese). History will hurt them as I just don’t see the Academy liking these films as much as the ones they won awards for. Finally, Hazanavicius also has this year’s Director’s Guild award for his work on The Artist and the director’s branch of the Academy will probably follow suit.

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If you’re interested in checking out the Oscar nominated shorts, the live action ones that I talked about today or the animated ones, both are playing at Consolidated’s Kahala 8 Theatres with each group playing together as a set. Be sure to check showtimes as they are only playing at certain times.

That is going to wrap our Oscar Watch coverage leading up to Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony. We won’t leaving you hanging though as we’ll be posting our edition of the ‘Best Films of 2011” over the weekend and have an Oscar wrap up for you on Monday. Be sure to stay tuned for more!

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More Oscar Watch Reading . . .

Here’s more information out of the LATimes’ research on the demographics of the Academy. In this piece they look at and interview the Academy’s youngest members. [LATimes]

In today’s Advertiser, Mike Gordon fields Oscar predictions from professionals in the Hawaii film industry. Sadly it might be easier to read a hard copy version of the story since a subscription is required (but I’ll link anyway). [Star-Advertiser]

Finally, one more local assessment of this year’s Oscar race over at [I Adore Books & Film] blog.