FREEDOM FILM SERIES PRESENTS: NATIONAL LAMPOON

It warmed my heart and brought the slightest little tear to my eye when I heard someone asking when the Freedom Film Series was coming back. It's always nice to know that this film series is something people look forward to as new months approach. For those who are wondering, the Freedom Film Series has been on somewhat of a hiatus for the holiday season. The multiple closing dates for the library made the idea of putting the series on hold a good one. But the holidays are behind us and it's time to get things rolling again!



The return of the Freedom Film Series is scheduled for the month of February. The theme for this return to the series will be movies from one of the greatest storehouses of comedy: National Lampoon!



Since the 1970s, the words "National Lampoon Presents" in front of a movie's title meant something special. You knew that you were in store for a particular brand of comedy that has become a staple of American movies. National Lampoon originated as a magazine publication, much like "Mad" is today. They eventually branched out into the movie business and really hit the big time with Animal House. Since then, expectations have been high for National Lampoon movies and they have met them, for the most part. From the late 1970s through the early 1990s, they experienced their cinematic peaks. These days most of their movie offerings come in the way of straight to DVD releases. Though they do come out with the occasional success, like Van Wilder. The Freedom Film Series will focus on the only series of movies that National Lampoon produced (with one exception thrown in to fill out the four week series.) For this film series, we will be looking at the "Vacation" series from National Lampoon. The "Vacation" series, starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, and Randy Quaid, follows the Griswold family on their various....vacations.



The time and place for the Freedom Film Series has not changed. All screenings will take place at the Freedom Regional Public Library in the Community Room. They will be held each Wednesday in February at 6:00pm. So, if you're not doing anything Wednesday nights in February, mark your calendar and I hope to see you there! (Free popcorn will be served.)




Freedom Film Series Presents: National Lampoon



February 4: Vacation, R

February 11: Loaded Weapon, PG-13

February 18: Vegas Vacation, PG-13

February 25: Christmas Vacation, PG-13



**Anyone under 17 must have parental guidance or permission to attend the screening of an R-rated film.**




Until next time....

2008 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

Last week the nominations for this year's Golden Globe Awards were announced. This is always an interesting time of the year because, historically, the Golden Globes serve as a preview of who the front-runners for the Oscars will be. Seeing as how I host a regular film series and write reviews, I thought that I would write a post giving some of my predictions for the awards. I will not be hitting every category since I am mainly a movie guy. I'll leave the TV predictions to those better suited for it.

One more note before I get to it....

I usually only take my Golden Globe predictions half-seriously. Most of the time my predictions will reflect who I want to win instead of who will most likely win. Sometimes these two match up, sometimes they do not. This is because, as I said before, the Golden Globes are a precursor to the Oscars. When the Oscar nominations are announced, I will write another prediction post and that one will be taken more seriously and more than just "what I want" will be taken into account.

With that said, here are my predictions for the 2008 Golden Globe Awards:


BEST MOTION PICTURE-DRAMA

-The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
-Frost/Nixon
-The Reader
-Revolutionary Road
-Slumdog Millionaire*

I'm going with Slumdog Millionaire here. This film has received praise from almost everyone that has seen it. It is truly a celebration of life and film at the same time. Don't get me wrong. The other films in this category are very, very good and this category will most likely be very close. But a celebration of life is a winner in my book.


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE-DRAMA

-Anne Hathaway* Rachel Getting Married
-Angelina Jolie Changeling
-Meryl Streep Doubt
-Kristin Scott Thomas I've Loved You So Long
-Kate Winslet Revolutionary Road

Anne Hathaway gets my vote here. This is another power-packed category that could go to any one of these amazing women. Anne Hathaway was the first actress to start generating Oscar buzz with her performance this year, but Meryl Streep seems to always bring the heat. I go with Hathaway now, but don't be surprised to see Meryl snatch the Oscar in February.


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE-DRAMA

-Leonardo DiCaprio Revolutionary Road
-Frank Langella Frost/Nixon
-Sean Penn* Milk
-Brad Pitt The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
-Mickey Rourke The Wrestler


Sean Penn gives the performance of the year in Milk. He will without a doubt win an Oscar this year. That being said he will also most likely win the Golden Globe. Sometimes, however, in cases like this where an Oscar is clearly in line, the Golden Globe can go to someone else who deserves recognition. Do not be surprised if Frank Langella or Mickey Rourke walk away with this Golden Globe.


BEST MOTION PICTURE-COMEDY OR MUSICAL

-Burn After Reading
-Happy-Go-Lucky*
-In Bruges**
-Mamma Mia!
-Vicky Cristina Barcelona

This was a very tough call for me because I love some of these movies, but know that others I have not seen are very, very good. I'm going a little against my rule and picking two out of this category. I believe that Happy-Go-Lucky will win the award. I have heard nothing but great things about this movie and its lead actress. My heart screams for In Bruges though. I think this is one of the most underrated movies of the year, maybe even the last few years. It is so incredibly smart, funny, and well-acted and written.


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

-Rebecca Hall Vicky Cristina Barcelona
-Sally Hawkins* Happy-Go-Lucky
-Frances McDormand Burn After Reading
-Meryl Streep Mamma Mia!
-Emma Thompson Last Chance Harvey

As I mentioned before, Sally Hawkins has been garnering a lot attention for her performance in Happy-Go-Lucky. I believe she will net an Oscar nomination as well, but, as I also said before, I think that category is already wrapped up by Meryl Streep. I think Sally Hawkins gets her due at the Golden Globes. Although, I wouldn't be surprised to hear Emma Thompson's name announced that night, either.


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

-Javier Bardem Vicky Cristina Barcelona
-Colin Farrell In Bruges
-James Franco* Pineapple Express
-Brendan Gleeson In Bruges
-Dustin Hoffman Last Chance Harvey

Again, I would love to see Colin Farrell or especially Brendan Gleeson win in this category. But I'm going with a sleeper pick on this one. I think James Franco will come away with it. Pineapple Express was incredibly funny and his performance was great. I think winning this award will also be in recognition somewhat of his work in Milk as well.


BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

-Bolt
-Kung Fu Panda
-Wall-E*

Wall-E wins. No question.


BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

-The Baader Meinhof Complex
-Everlasting Moments
-Gomorrah
-I've Loved You So Long*
-Waltz with Bashir

I know it's not everyone's favorite category, but people need to learn that other countries besides America make very good films. This will ultimately be between and I've Loved You So Long and Waltz with Bashir. I think the former wins. I was disappointed that Let the Right One In did not make the list. Hopefully, the Academy Awards will get it right.


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

-Amy Adams Doubt
-Penelope Cruz Vicky Cristina Barcelona
-Viola Davis* Doubt
-Marisa Tomei The Wrestler
-Kate Winslet The Reader

I'm going with another sleeper pick in Viola Davis in this category. She has only one very long scene in Doubt where she squares off with Meryl Streep. Anyone who can hold their own with Streep and gets a lot of notice for it, deserves something. Although, I do like Marisa Tomei's chances as well.


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

-Tom Cruise Tropic Thunder
-Robert Downey Jr. Tropic Thunder
-Ralph Fiennes The Duchess
-Philip Seymour Hoffman Doubt
-Heath Ledger* The Dark Knight

Heath Ledger wins. No explanation necessary.

(These last few are not as popular as the others so I'm just giving my picks.)


BEST DIRECTOR-MOTION PICTURE

-Danny Boyle Slumdog Millionaire
-Stephen Daldry The Reader
-David Fincher The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
-Ron Howard* Frost/Nixon
-Sam Mendes Revolutionary Road

Opie makes another great one.


BEST SCREENPLAY-MOTION PICTURE

-Simon Beaufoy* Slumdog Millionaire
-David Hare The Reader
-Peter Morgan Frost/Nixon
-Eric Roth The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
-John Patrick Shanley Doubt

Beautiful writing from Mr. Beaufoy.


BEST ORIGINAL SCORE-MOTION PICTURE

-Alexandre Desplat The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
-Clint Eastwood Changeling
-James Newton Howard Defiance
-A.R. Rahman Slumdog Millionaire*
-Hans Zimmer Frost/Nixon

A.R. Rahman's work is inspired and addicting. I couldn't buy the soundtrack fast enough when I saw it on the store shelves.


BEST ORIGINAL SONG-MOTION PICTURE

-"Down to Earth" Peter Gabriel, Thomas Newman Wall-E
-"Gran Torino" Clint Eastwood, Jamie Cullum, Kyle Eastwood, Michael Stevens Gran Torino
-"I Thought I Lost You" Miley Cyrus, Jeffrey Steele Bolt
-"Once in a Lifetime" Beyonce Knowles, Amanda Ghost, Scott McFarnon, Ian Dench, James Dring, Jody Street Cadillac Records
-"The Wrestler" Bruce Springsteen* The Wrestler

The Boss rules!


Well, those are my Golden Globe predictions for this year. Let me know what you think: do you disagree, agree, or feel like the nominators left someone out. I'd love to hear from you.

BELATED UPDATE

I realized today that I never posted a concluding blog for the Stage to Screen series. The final screening came right before the Thanksgiving holiday and I have been tumbling in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season since then. My apologies.

I hope that everyone who attended any of the Stage to Screen screenings enjoyed themselves and plan on coming back. The Freedom Film Series is taking a two month hiatus for the holiday season, so there will be a little gap before the next series starts up. That doesn't mean, however, that you can't go ahead and mark it on your calendars.

The Freedom Film Series will pick back up in February 2009 with a National Lampoon series! So, mark off your Wednesday nights in February and plan on joining us. As always, keep checking back with the blog for any updates and/or movie reviews.

Until next time....

F.F.S. FROM STAGE TO SCREEN: "SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET"

With the Thanksgiving holiday fast approaching, as well as Black Friday, I'm sure that everyone is either dreading it and the hustle and bustle that goes with it, or fondly anticipating it as I am. A quick clarification...that "fondly anticipating" refers to Thanksgiving and definitely not Black Friday. But in the midst of all the scurrying about to the grocery store and chaos in the kitchen, I want to remind you all to there is one more screening left in the current Stage to Screen Freedom Film Series. It could provide an ideal opportunity to escape from the stress and anxiety of the coming holiday season; an enjoyable two hour break from the real world. The screening next week will still be on Wednesday, but because the it is the day before Thanksgiving the library will be closing early at 6:00pm. Since the screenings for the Freedom Film Series are usually 6:00pm-8:00pm, an adjustment was made and the screening on Nov. 26 will start at 3:00pm. In my opinion, this would be ideal as well. An early screening in the afternoon prevents you from having to come out after it's already dark and it wouldn't interfere with any Thanksgiving prep work you would be doing that night. It's win-win all around.

O.K. Now that I've done my sales pitch for coming out to the library the day before a big holiday, it's time to talk about the final movie in the Stage to Screen series: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Sweeney Todd is the newest and most recent stage musical adaptation in this film series. It was released into movie theaters in 2007, stars Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, and Sacha Baron Cohen, and was directed by Tim Burton. Adapted from the 1979 stage musical of the same name, Sweeney Todd is the story of a man driven to madness for simply having a beautiful wife. Shortly after the birth of his daughter, Todd (Depp) is falsely arrested and exiled to Australia at the behest of Judge Turpin (Rickman), who lusts after Todd's wife. Sweeney Todd returns, years later, to find out that his wife is dead and his daughter, no a beautiful young lady, is the ward of the very man who had him sent away. Todd vows revenge and uses his profession as a barber to exact his vengeance. He is aided by Mrs. Lovett (Bonham Carter), who knew him before he was sent away. Mrs. Lovett owns the bakery below Todd's barber shop and helps him with the unique...disposal of his victims.

The original Broadway stage musical "Sweeney Todd" was largely celebrated musical; it was said to be the first horror musical. The songs and lyrics were written by Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim and the play starred Len Cariou and Angela Lansbury. The stage version met not only with critical success, but was an award winner as well. At the 1979 Tony Awards, it won for Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Actor, and Best Actress. The more recent film version has also been critically acclaimed and received its share of award nominations, though it was not as lucky as the stage version in winning. Sweeney Todd received 3 Oscar nominations, but won in only one of the categories, Best Art Direction. The other two nominations were for Best Costume Design and Johnny Depp received a Best Actor nomination.

The Art Direction Oscar was well deserved. Tim Burton and his production designer created a dank and dark London that evoked despair, poverty, and (for me at least) a Dickensian aura. With this in mind, the pairing of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp seems the only natural choice. Burton is known for his somewhat Gothic flair in his movies, and since this movie makes the sixth pairing of these two as actor/director we expect a Gothic character from Depp as well. When these two people come together, nothing short of brilliant is what you most likely will get. The only other actor/director pairing that might equal them today would be Scorcese and DiCaprio.

Johnny Depp and Tim Burton, however, are not the only reasons this movie adaptation is so powerful and well done. Helena Bonham Carter is stunning as Mrs. Lovett and, after looking at some of the actresses that were on the short list for the part, she seems the only natural choice. Sacha Baron Cohen is a master at work as always and Alan Rickman knows how to play a villain better than any other actor working today. Oh yeah, and the songs from Mr. Sondheim aren't too bad either.

Well, I hope you'll be able to find the time to take a break from the holiday rushes and come spend a two hour vacation with us here at Freedom Regional Library. You know, that truly is the test of a good movie: how well does it assist our escapism. So, come escape for a little while this Wednesday afternoon at 3:00pm. There will be free popcorn for those who attend the screening. See you there!






















Until next time....

"BOLT" REVIEW

This Friday, November 21, Disney Studios will be releasing their most recent animation project in theaters across the country, Bolt. Bolt is coming in off of the heels of the highly successful and critically acclaimed Wall-E. Where Wall-E was billed as a Disney/Pixar release, Bolt is being billed strictly as a Disney Animation Studio release. It seems that Pixar has built enough steam to start producing their projects on their own, which is not that surprising. But that's a topic for a different post. On with the review....

Bolt is about a white German Shepherd (named Bolt, obviously) who plays a superhero dog with super powers on TV and is a national celebrity. The catch, though, is that he doesn't know it. He thinks that the events of the TV show are all real; he thinks he really has a Super Bark, heat vision, and that his owner (or, as Bolt refers to her, his person), Penny, is constantly in danger from the evil Green-Eyed Man and his cats. Life is quickly turned upside down for Bolt, however, when he is accidentally shipped from Hollywood to New York. He then begins his long, arduous, and enlightening journey to get back home to Penny. Along the way, he picks up the classic Disney sidekicks. One is a mangy, ex-house cat named Mittens who embodies the classic abandoned animal cliche. She spends most of the movie trying to convince Bolt that what he believes is real is actually fake; mostly because he has taken her prisoner and demands her to take him to Penny. The other sidekick is a TV-obsessed hamster, Rhino, who is almost always rolling around in his plastic exercise ball. He is a new character type for a Disney movie; an extreme fanboy of Bolt and his TV show. Some of the funniest lines and scenes in the movie belong to him.

The movie is also littered with smaller characters who pop in for quick comedic interludes with the main characters; another classic Disney element. Among these interludes are encounters with pigeons in different parts of the country, and each time the pigeons are embodiments of those parts of the country. New York pigeons with heavy accents and Hollywood pigeons who talk like college students pitching movie ideas. The pigeons were, actually, my favorite part of the movie. The dialogue was well written and pigeons' personalities were spot on.

The animation and digital effects in the movie are superb. And this is what we have to come to expect from Disney. The movements of the characters, especially the animals, look extremely realistic. When we first see Bolt as a puppy playing with a toy, I was hard pressed to identify any extreme difference between that and watching my dog play. The facial expressions of the animals and the people also look powerfully real. We see joy, fear, and sadness in ever aspect of the face. Disney has always taken pains to make their animated animals and their movements realistic and it pays off. What I find interesting, though, is their choice to make some of humans look the most unnatural; the female animal control officer with a large head and tiny body is a perfect example.

The plot is typical Disney fair: the journey. A main character ends up displaced and far from home. Naturally, a long and difficult journey back home must occur. Along the way, they meet unlikely friends and learn important life lessons. More often than not they have an identity crisis and have to find out who they really are and figure out their place in the world. All of these elements appear in the Bolt story, but somewhat predictably. Disney has used this formula many times over and have made some very good movies with it. With using the same formula over and over, however, it can be easy to be a little unoriginal. Unfortunately, this seems to have happened with Bolt. All of the elements of a really good Disney movie are there, but it seems to be missing that little something extra that made movies like Wall-E and Finding Nemo so magical.

Now, that being said, I also understand that this movie was not made to cater mainly to adults and movie reviewers. I believe it is a movie made to cater to families and children. After attending the advanced screening last night with a theater full of kids between the ages of 2 and 13 and their parents (as well as some other adults like myself), I can honestly say that Disney has another successful movie on their hands.

I had the opportunity to talk to a couple members of the movie's target audience after the screening. I felt that it was important to gather some of their reactions in order to give the movie a fair rating.

Katie, a 12 year old young lady who sat beside me in the theater with her mother, thought that the movie was "pretty good" and that, if given the chance, she would "probably see it again." I asked Katie what rating she would give it on my 4 star rating system. Katie said she would give it 3 1/2 stars, and her mom piped in with an emphatic 4 stars.

I also talked to a young 9 year old girl named Liesl (that's right, just like in The Sound of Music.) Liesl had a huge smile on her face when she told me that she thought the movie was "really funny" and that her favorite character was Mittens. When I asked her to pick her favorite scene, she wasn't able to do it because she "loved the whole thing!" I also asked Liesl to rate the movie on my 4 star system. She didn't hesitate to give Bolt a perfect 4 stars.

I am giving Bolt a 3 star rating. The animation is spectacular, the characters are satisfyingly funny, and it clearly pleases its target audiences. The lack of that certain magical Disney touch is what prevents from giving the movie a higher rating. A 3 star rating is not a bad one by any means; a movie must be rated based on what it is trying to do or say. It, first and foremost, is trying to reach and please its target audience of youngster. This it certainly does, unquestionably. Bolt also tries to earn its place among the many Disney classics, as all of their movies do, and I believe that it will succeed. It will not, however, make it above the line that movies like Toy Story and The Incredibles surpass. I definitely suggest going to see it, especially with young ones. The sound of their laughter can sometimes make up for a bit of that missing magic.






























Until next time....

F.F.S. FROM STAGE TO SCREEN: "CHICAGO"

Before I get into the highlight's of next week's screening, I forgot a relevant note about our screening of Rent earlier this week. The touring stage version of "Rent" will be making its way through Charlotte in January and February. Trust me when I say that nothing can compare to the experience of seeing a musical like this live. I have already bought my tickets and, if there are any left, I suggest you do the same.

Interestingly enough, this provides a very convenient starting point for introducing the next movie in the Stage to Screen series.

The touring stage-version of the musical that will be screened next Wednesday is already in Charlotte and its final performance is this Sunday. Next week's stage to screen musical adaptation is Chicago.

When Chicago was released into theaters in 2002, it was met with high critical and audience acclaim. The movie version stars Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, and John C. Reilly. It was directed by Rob Marshall, who, surprisingly, has very few directing credits. His other directorial work that most would recognize is 2005's Memoirs of a Geisha. But with these two films, I'd claim quality over quantity.

Chicago is based on the 1975 stage musical of the same name and a Broadway revival of the musical debuted in 1996 and is still running. Most, at this point, are familiar with the plot. Two murderesses on Death Row, Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, decide that the best way to avoid the death penalty is to use their stories to turn themselves into celebrities. They both compete for the same flamboyant attorney, who promises their desired fame and freedom. Amidst this story, some of the most memorable Broadway musical numbers arose. Songs like "All That Jazz," "When You're Good to Mama," and "Razzle Dazzle" made the stage version a hit and they do the very same for this updated movie version. It really speaks to the timelessness of involving and magical stagecraft.

This musical also seems to have a magical touch when it comes to award nominations. The original production was nominated for Best Musical and acting Tonys, but was unable to win. The 1996 revival, however, was able to accomplish what the original could not. It won Best Revival and Best Actor and Actress Tonys. This amount of greatness seemed to have rubbed off on the movie adaptation. At the 2003 Academy Awards, Chicago walked away with a total of 6 Oscars, including Supporting Actress (Zeta-Jones) and the Best Picture award. It was also nominated in several other categories: Supporting Actor, Actress, and Director.

Chicago is one of those rare films that is able to satisfy almost any taste. It is star-driven, award-winning, a musical, funny, and its technical aspects are of the best quality. It is also able to stay true to the original stage version, which is what is important to me; especially in this film series.

I hope you will be able to attend the screening of Chicago here at Freedom Regional. We have already had two successful screenings of Grease and Rent in this series and I'm hoping for another with Chicago. The movie will play at 6:00pm on Wednesday, November 19 in the Community Room here at Freedom. There will be free popcorn for those attending the screening. See you there!






















Until next time....

F.F.S. FROM STAGE TO SCREEN: "RENT"

Unfortunately, this is going to be another brief and condensed post this week. I should be back to true form for next week's blog post.

The screening for our second week of the From Stage to Screen Freedom Film Series will be Rent.

"Rent" made its Broadway stage debut in 1996 to a great deal of critical and public praise and adoration. It was labeled as a modern-day rock opera and has become near and dear to as many theatre lovers as "The Phantom of the Opera" or "Cats." It also garnered numerous awards and nominations. It pulled in four Tony Awards (the Oscars for Broadway), including Best Musical and Best Score. It also earned its writer and composer, Jonathan Larson, the Pulitzer Prize in Drama. Larson put his heart and soul into writing and composing one of the most memorable musicals we are likely ever to see.

The story focuses on a group of friends struggling to live in New York. They fight against poverty as struggling musicians, film-makers, and artists. They fight against hate, discrimination, and disease, but also find time to fight for love. Heavy prices to pay for trying to follow one's dreams. Larson's work sheds new light on this facet of New York society who have taken to calling themselves Bohemians. The path that these characters walk is not what draws us into the story, but it is the complexity of the characters themselves. We are given unforgettable and sympathetic characters along with amazingly powerful and memorable songs.

The Broadway sensation made its way onto the big screen in 2005, almost ten years after its Broadway debut. Rent is directed by Chris Columbus, director of the first two Harry Potter films. He pays considerable homage to the original stage version and does an admirable job turning it into a musical to fit the silver screen. What truly makes the movie a good adaptation is the fact that they were able to get most of the original cast members of the stage version to star in the film. Only two of the characters had to be recast (Rosario Dawson and Traci Thoms step into the roles of Mimi and Joanne.) Unsurprisingly, not all of the songs were able to make it into the movie; the movie would have been quite long if this had happened. The ones we know and love, however, are there: "Seasons of Love," "La Vie Boheme," and "Rent." After seeing this movie, these songs will be stuck in your head for a good while. But that's not such a bad thing.

I hope you'll be able to join us this Wednesday night for our screening of Rent. The screening will begin at 6:00pm in the Freedom Regional Library Community Room. There will free popcorn available for those in attendance. Come out for a good film, good music, and a good time and bring some friends with you!