I hate when people ask me what my favorite movie of the year was. Movies are an incredible medium that can be interpreted in an unlimited amount of unique ways. With some films, it’s easy to say that one was better than another…but how can you compare a hilarious comedy to a thrilling drama? Movies touch people on so many different levels that it’s almost impossible to agree on a list of top films. Almost every critic will have a different set, but in the end you start noticing the same movies finding their way to the top. Anyway, without further ado and in no particular order, here are my favorite movies of 2010:
Black Swan. This is an obvious. Darren Aronofsky gave us another glimpse into his creative mind. Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, and Vincent Cassel gave us amazing performances that took us on a roller coaster of emotions. This is probably the best “film” of the year…and when I say film, I mean pure quality and a true example of what the medium can do.
The Fighter. This movie offered a powerful punch in the form of a compelling true life story about family and determination. The movie sneaks up on you and is quite gripping by the end. It’s not just another rise to the top sports film, it’s more about the trials and tribulations that this fighter’s family had to endure and overcome…or get through.
The Social Network. I think everyone can agree that this was a fantastic movie. Based on the story of Mark Zuckerberg and his eventual rise to Time’s Person of the Year via Facebook. Everyone is already on the site so everybody wanted to see how the story unravelled. Surprisingly though, David Fincher signed on to the Aaron Sorkin script and magic was made. It starred Jesse Eisenberg who we won’t hear the last of. He might be the most underrated actor this year and had a slew of great films including Solitary Man and Holy Rollers.
Kick-Ass. Comic book movies are not done and they’re not all for kids…even if they star a kid. This was a great movie showing the shift in times with our generation. Are we desensitized from violence? Does it matter? THIS MOVIE KICKED ASS.
Exit Through The Gift Shop. My jaw was on the floor throughout this whole film…it was amazing. This is the Banksy film which exposed us to the underground culture of street art and Banksy himself. Told in a documentary style, it was hilarious and entertaining. I’m a fan of Banksy, but even if you aren’t, you should definitely check this one out.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. This is the most fun I had in a movie theater all year long. Out of all the movies on this list and of this year, I think this is the one that will have the most influence on film making. It’s a breathe of fresh air that was spot on for the next generation of filmmakers. I think in a decade or two we’re going to see a lot of movies that use this as inspiration.
Splice. You might be surprised to see this on the list as it had a huge divide in acceptance. I enjoyed it tremendously and thought it was a beautiful interpretation of old monster movies told for the current audience. It had a formula and stuck to it while expanding on different undertones like family and the supernatural.
Inception. Now you know this has to be on the list. Just like The Social Network, almost everyone can agree that this was one of the most amazing movies of the year. It had people talking for days, weeks, and months after. With the DVD just coming out, people are still trying to figure out every bit of the story. I thank Christopher Nolan for creating a story and vision that broke from the common Hollywood stereotypes and tell an intelligent story that people could still enjoy. Again, ask yourself…who was the villain?
Pelada. You might have never heard of this film…but now you have and now you need to go find it. It’s the story of two American soccer players who never made it passed college games. They travel the world playing pick up games with different cultures learning the stories of how important the game is to people while answering the one question that has a million answers: “Why do you play?”.
It’s summertime which means it’s time for the big summer movie blockbusters! The movie season already began with movies like Iron Man 2, Robin Hood, Shrek Forever After, and Sex and the City 2. A couple of those movies did great while others fell victim to terrible box office numbers but never fear, it’s only the beginning. This is the first time we’re doing a monthly preview roundup so let us know what you think and we’ll see if we continue to do them. Here we go!
This is truly a weekend offering a movie for everyone. Get Him to the Greek is your typical comedy of this generation from Judd Apatow. Starring Russel Brand, and Jonah Hill, it follows a record company intern trying to bring a washed up rockstar who makes his own rules from London to California for an anniversary concert that’s supposed to restart his career. (Check out our Get Him to the Greek review) Killers is a romantic comedy staring eye candy for both the guys and girls, Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl about a super spy who doesn’t let his wife know he’s a super spy…until now. Marmaduke is a film for the kids about the beloved comic book dog voiced by Owen Wilson. And Splice is a movie like no other for moviegoers looking for something different and edgy. It’s about two rockstar geneticists who have spliced together a new creation which they end up raising as their own until it becomes it’s own…(Check out our Splice review with some Q&A with the director)
Week 2 is your 80s remake weekend. The Karate Kid replaces Pat Morita with Jackie Chan and casts Will Smith’s son, Jaden Smith, as the Karate Kid. Unlike the original, this movie is actually based in China where it throws an American kid into a crowd he’s unfamiliar with. They were almost going to release this movie as “Kung Fu Kid” but decided to stick with the original title…it’s definitely targeted for younger kids this time around but should still come with the same comedic edge. The A-Team is your a-typical action remake. All the regular characters are back for a stretched out episode of the classic tv series with an updated modern twist. It’s a comedic action film where you can expect huge explosions, outrageous situations, and a clever script. I just want to hear the theme song…
Here are a couple of fantasy movies. Toy Story 3 is the much anticipated continuation of the beloved Toy Story series which keeps impressing audiences of every generation. There hasn’t been a Toy Story movie in a decade (the original was released in 1995 and the sequel was in 1999) so the real target market has never had a new Toy Story movie to go to even though we all know that almost every age group can relate and enjoy these films. The way the structure the movies and write the scripts is incredible the way it reaches every kid, young and old from all sorts of backgrounds. You can expect new characters alongside with the classic toys we grew up with. Jonah Hex is for a much older crowd and combines modern technology with the wild wild west genre. I never quite understood why people kept combining westerns with updated weaponry, but here we go again. Jonah Hex is about a bounty hunter with warrants getting an offer to clear his name by stopping a terrorist. Go at your own risk.
Grown Ups has an all-star cast of comedians: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, and David Spade. It’s about five friends who reunite years after their childhood when their basketball coach passes away. Eventhough they’ve grown older…they haven’t really grown up…Knight and Day is another action comedy promising huge explosions, daring stunts, and witty dialogue. Starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, this is a super spy movie on overdrive where the super spy (Tom Cruise) seems to be perfect in every situation and the damsel in distress (Cameron Diaz) seems to mess up everything with ease.
I haven’t even seen the second twilight and they’re already releasing the third. After the first, I just didn’t want to continue…to be honest. But it’s not about me, it’s about the army of teenage girls who are obsessed with vampires and warewolves named Jacob and Edward. Which team are you on? It doesn’t matter, because Team Twilight wins every time. They’re going to keep churning out these movies as fast as they can to appease their audience and make as much money as they can before the fad is over. They’re even releasing this movie on a Wednesday to get that extra couple days of movie income to boost their first weekend numbers.
I don’t have to pick this movie, thousands of teenage girls and their mothers already have.
It’s hard to really put these limited releases in a monthly roundup because they open up in different cities at different times. Either way, they should be easiest to find during this month. I’m a huge fan of smaller films and love to expose people to them who wouldn’t even know about them. Holy Rollers is inspired by true events about Hasidic Jews who were international ecstasy traffickers. Solitary Man is the aftermath of a mid-life crisis starring Michael Douglas. It’s a comedic look at the result of a lot of bad decisions. Cyrus is a modern comedy about an older divorced man (John C. Reilly) who meets an amazing women (Marisa Tomei) who even more amazingly is interested in him. There’s one problem though: her twenty-one-year-old son (Jonah Hill) who has a freakishly close relationship with his mom. You can expect these reviews later on in the month.
My Limited Pick: All of them, but if I had to pick one: Solitary Man.
And there you have it, June in a nutshell. This month is dominated with comedies, primarily action comedies, especially action comedies with super spies. Splice is probably the only unique film of the month and everything else is just more of the same. To be honest, I’m not really looking forward to any of these movies which works out because I’ll be out most of the month in South Africa for the World Cup . July, on the other hand, looks to be my favorite movie month of the year with The Last Airbender, Inception, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, and the limited film: The Kids Are Alright (which I have already seen, and it’s great!). I can’t wait to write that roundup in a few weeks. Look out for it!
What do you get when you cross a coming of age story, geeky genetic technology, and a creature film? A new generation of horror film from the writer/director who also brought us Cube, Vincenzo Natali. Splice is about two rock star geneticists who decide to cross animal DNA with human DNA to create a barn new organism. What started out as an experiment just to see if it could be done turns into a twisted story of morals and inner demons/monsters coming to surface from each of the scientists. After their lab is taken from their control and charged to concentrate on profits rather than focus on research, Clive and Elsa, played by Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley, decide to take matters in their own hands and take their research to the next level. Eventually they got what they dreamed for but created something that they couldn’t even imagine in their wildest dreams…or nightmares.
Splice is like three movies in one. You begin with a sci-fi discovery movie as you enter the N.E.R.D. lab with the scientists and see how genetics and biotechnology actually works. Then, you’re introduced to Dren (Nerd backwards) and the story quickly turns into a relationship film with strong family ties evident. You watch as Dren comes into her own as she evolves rapidly and dramatically and see how Clive and Elsa both interact with her and how their relationship with each other is affected. Throughout this process to the end of the film where it climaxes, Splice delivers a great horror aspect which will leave you with an anxious nervous feeling even after the end credits have finished rolling. It’s an incredible build up and conclusion as the movie takes you places and does things you would never expect. I can’t wait to see the public reaction after this film hits theaters. This is definitely an indie film which had to be created out of the regular movie studio environment and I’m amazed it got picked up for a major release.
Elsa (Sarah Polley) meeting Dren for the first time
Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley, and the actresses who play Dren, Delphine Chaneac and Abigail Chu, all give incredible performances which are vital to this film because it is mainly about the relationships and family elements. The casting was spot on since you had to believe that these characters could really be genius scientists and the creature had to be something completely new and familiar at the same time. Adrien Brody seemed to have a different geek t shirt in every shot which was awesome and Dren’s body movements and expressions left you wondering what exactly was going on in the mind of the creature which many films have trouble showcasing. All the cast had to be confident in what they were doing because this movie really does do some edgy things that are quite out there and controversial. Vincenzo Natali held nothing back when creating this project which took him twelve years to complete (he refers to it as his baby). There is so much symbolism and hidden messages in this movie that you can get lost in the fascination of the subject matter.
Clive (Adrien Brody) and Elsa (Sarah Polley) in Splice
I got to screen this movie at the San Francisco International Film Festival where there was Q&A session with Vincenzo Natali afterwards. He remarked that this was definitely his homage to creature films and Frankenstein. Even the lead character names, Clive and Elsa were taken from the Frankenstein films. He consulted with real geneticist while writing the script and through the development of the film to stay true to the science and keep it real. He was actually kind of shocked when he kept asking the scientists about everything he put in the film and they continued to reply that yes, these things could be done. Many other great questions were answered like the technology which was used, meanings of some of the symbolism, and the reasons some choices were made in the film but I don’t want to give away anything from this film because it truly will surprise you as you watch it and the conclusions you draw for yourself are part of the great filmmaking that Splice has to offer. So, come June 4th, go check out Splice in a theater near you or check out our list of advance screenings to see it early!
This post is part of our SFIFF coverage Founded in 1957, the San Francisco International Film Festival is the longest-running film festival in the Americas. Held each spring for two weeks, the International is an extraordinary showcase of cinematic discovery and innovation in the country’s most beautiful city, featuring some 200 films and live events with more than 100 filmmakers in attendance and nearly two dozen awards presented for cinematic excellence.
Warner Bros didn’t tell anybody who or what they were talking about at WonderCon until their panel started. They let us know that we’d get to hear about The Losers, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and a little known movie called Splice. For the first 2 films, many of the cast showed up to answer questions and for Splice and a surprise at the end, Inception, the directors came out to talk about the projects. Warner Brothers also gave everybody in the audience a swag bag which contained a Losers bag, Nightmare on Elm Street shirt and key chain, Splice t-shirt, and Inception t shirt and top. Let’s get on to what I saw….
The Losers You may not know a lot about The Losers yet, but you will. The footage that they showed looked great and for me, Zoe Saldana sells the movie on her own. I guess for women, they have Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Chris Evans. They showed us a fight scene between Aisha and Clay, Zoe and Jeffrey’s characters which have a love/hate, intimate/cautious relationship. The director, Sylvain White said that he believed it was a new benchmark in boy girl fight scenes and I agree with him. Not only was it action packed, it was hot and steamy. There are very funny scenes and great visuals to accompany them: think big guns and bad asses carrying them. Jeffrey Dean Morgan commented that it’s like a throwback to the Die Hards and Lethal Weapons…good comedic action.
I hope the back and forth dialogue during the panel gives a glimpse of what to expect from the movie because it was awesome. The group of actors they pooled together seemed to have great chemistry. Jeffrey Dean Morgan was the leader, taking charge. Zoe was the badass hot chick and commented He (Jeffrey) wears a suit; I don’t wear much of anything. When asked how she felt about being the only female in the main cast she said that she feels very comfortable around men. Chris Evans is the Hacker/IT Guy with a high IQ and he’s surely solidifying his spot in the comic book era of movies. Columbus is the heart of the group and kept referring to his character as the black MacGyver. Oscar is cougar who is the silent quit guy who is just like him in real life. Columbus said his new nickname was Juanny Depp. Sylvain said they were a crazy group of kids and fun to film and it really looks like it – from the panel and the footage they showed.
The Losers attack on April 23, 2010.
A Nightmare on Elm Street A Nightmare on Elm Street may be the first actually scary movie in quite some time. It’s obviously a remake of the classic horror film which sequels have fallen to the wayside. However, the remake is said to be more dark and serious like the first film. The biggest story in this film is that Jackie Earle Haley is replacing Robert England as the iconic Freddy Krueger. Jackie said that he tried not to incorporate the last Freddy but tried to find a way to play the character where there’s still something familiar for the fans but where he was also able to call it his own. He tried to get into the mind of Freddy Krueger by studying serial killers and realized he was beginning to watch slasher films. He had to stop because Freddy isn’t a serial killer he’s a boogie man…so that’s what you’re going to see in the film. Thomas Dekker, who plays Jesse in the movie, said that remakes and reboots are a tricky subject but Jackie replied that with the visual effects and technology of today, they can show us things that we haven’t seen yet.
A Nightmare on Elm Street dreams come true on April 30 2010.
Splice You probably haven’t heard of this film but if you’re into sci-fi…especially genetics, you will. Splice is about two scientists who decide to take genetics a step further and mix together human DNA with animal DNA to create a new organism. It’s a creature film with social commentary which will go into touchy subjects we haven’t been exposed to yet. The scientists get too attached to the science and once the creature becomes its own…things begin go terribly terribly wrong. It stars Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley as the scientists and the story begins with them in the lab. They escape with the create to a home where they take it as their own child acting as parental figures until the creature, dren (nerd backwards), escapes. The film was made completely independent and took about twelve years. Vincenzo Natali, the writer and director, started writing the film back when Dolly was cloned and then began filming with they made the embryo in the UK so science has been catching up and evolving with the films vision which is kind of scary.
Splice busts out the lab on June 4, 2010.
Inception To everybody’s surprise, Christopher Nolan showed up to present his next film: Inception. Not a lot is known about this film but he presented us with an extended trailer which gave us more hints to the plot. From what we saw and what Nolan said, Inception is a heist film where a group of individuals who can construct dreams access the subconscious and extract documents and sensitive information from people. It looks like an amazing and epic film…it’s sure to be this summer’s biggest blockbuster in my opinion. Even though the film was described to be more personal, it was filmed in seven countries and takes us on a journey both physical and mental. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio and it looks like he will be training Ellen Page to join the company which infiltrates your dream. Look out for this film!
Inception comes out on July 16, 2010.
WonderCon is one of the country’s best comics conventions featuring guests and events for comics, movies, video games, and other popular media. This year, WonderCon had presentations by such Hollywood studios as Disney, Warner Bros., Sony, and Lionsgate. Visit WonderCon’s Official Website
Black Swan. This is an obvious. Darren Aronofsky gave us another glimpse into his creative mind. Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, and Vincent Cassel gave us amazing performances that took us on a roller coaster of emotions. This is probably the best “film” of the year…and when I say film, I mean pure quality and a true example of what the medium can do.
The Fighter. This movie offered a powerful punch in the form of a compelling true life story about family and determination. The movie sneaks up on you and is quite gripping by the end. It’s not just another rise to the top sports film, it’s more about the trials and tribulations that this fighter’s family had to endure and overcome…or get through.
The Social Network. I think everyone can agree that this was a fantastic movie. Based on the story of Mark Zuckerberg and his eventual rise to Time’s Person of the Year via Facebook. Everyone is already on the site so everybody wanted to see how the story unravelled. Surprisingly though, David Fincher signed on to the Aaron Sorkin script and magic was made. It starred Jesse Eisenberg who we won’t hear the last of. He might be the most underrated actor this year and had a slew of great films including Solitary Man and Holy Rollers.
Kick-Ass. Comic book movies are not done and they’re not all for kids…even if they star a kid. This was a great movie showing the shift in times with our generation. Are we desensitized from violence? Does it matter? THIS MOVIE KICKED ASS.
Exit Through The Gift Shop. My jaw was on the floor throughout this whole film…it was amazing. This is the Banksy film which exposed us to the underground culture of street art and Banksy himself. Told in a documentary style, it was hilarious and entertaining. I’m a fan of Banksy, but even if you aren’t, you should definitely check this one out.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. This is the most fun I had in a movie theater all year long. Out of all the movies on this list and of this year, I think this is the one that will have the most influence on film making. It’s a breathe of fresh air that was spot on for the next generation of filmmakers. I think in a decade or two we’re going to see a lot of movies that use this as inspiration.
Splice. You might be surprised to see this on the list as it had a huge divide in acceptance. I enjoyed it tremendously and thought it was a beautiful interpretation of old monster movies told for the current audience. It had a formula and stuck to it while expanding on different undertones like family and the supernatural.
Inception. Now you know this has to be on the list. Just like The Social Network, almost everyone can agree that this was one of the most amazing movies of the year. It had people talking for days, weeks, and months after. With the DVD just coming out, people are still trying to figure out every bit of the story. I thank Christopher Nolan for creating a story and vision that broke from the common Hollywood stereotypes and tell an intelligent story that people could still enjoy. Again, ask yourself…who was the villain?
Pelada. You might have never heard of this film…but now you have and now you need to go find it. It’s the story of two American soccer players who never made it passed college games. They travel the world playing pick up games with different cultures learning the stories of how important the game is to people while answering the one question that has a million answers: “Why do you play?”.
…I think there was more crap than good.
Week 2 is your 80s remake weekend. 
Here are a couple of fantasy movies. 
I haven’t even seen the second twilight and they’re already releasing the third. After the first, I just didn’t want to continue…to be honest. But it’s not about me, it’s about the army of teenage girls who are obsessed with vampires and warewolves named Jacob and Edward. Which team are you on? It doesn’t matter, because Team Twilight wins every time. They’re going to keep churning out these movies as fast as they can to appease their audience and make as much money as they can before the fad is over. They’re even releasing this movie on a Wednesday to get that extra couple days of movie income to boost their first weekend numbers.
It’s hard to really put these limited releases in a monthly roundup because they open up in different cities at different times. Either way, they should be easiest to find during this month. I’m a huge fan of smaller films and love to expose people to them who wouldn’t even know about them. 
. July, on the other hand, looks to be my favorite movie month of the year with 
This post is part of our SFIFF coverage
The Losers
A Nightmare on Elm Street
Splice
Inception
WonderCon is one of the country’s best comics conventions featuring guests and events for comics, movies, video games, and other popular media. This year, WonderCon had presentations by such Hollywood studios as Disney, Warner Bros., Sony, and Lionsgate.
