Some of you read my YEAR IN PRE-VIEW in January; in it, I talk about Channing Tatum's BIG year in Hollyhood, which is actually the result of more like thirteen years of grinding efforts on Tatum's part. At the Golden Globes, Tatum humbly spoke with pride, not about his great successes, but about his wife, Jenna Dewan, whom he met during pre-production of 2006's STEP UP. He practically glowed as spoke about his relationship with his goddess in green. And if you know anything at all about Tatum's early life--you also know he hasn't been handed anything.

As Hollywood's sees a decade of aging leading men like Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise and George Clooney--48, 49, and 50, respectively--fall with the rising tide of time and gravity (I don't care how magnetic Brad Pitt is, no one wants to see a 60-year old leading man...), upstarts like Tatum are primed and ready to slide over the hood and into the driver's seat.

Tatum moved around as a child, living in Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida. He earned a football scholarship to college--and in case you weren't paying attention--the boy didn't just switch school districts within the same county, or even state--he had to start from scratch every time he moved. And, he's dyslexic! I have immeasurable amounts of respect and appreciation for the difficulty Tatum faced growing up, and, his efforts since. He left college to pursue a career in modeling, moving to Miami--that takes courage for someone with no connections in the entertainment industry. His first gig was in a Ricky Martin video for "She Bangs" in the year 2000 for a lousy $400. (For shame, Ricky Martin!) Today, he's not just a pretty face, he's also a Producer, including Executive Producer of his latest WOW, 21 JUMP STREET.

As The Pop Culture ProfessorTM, I get to see a lot of movies--the good, the bad, and the ridiculously ugly. 21 JUMP STREET isn't just good. It's GREAT! And no, Tony the Tiger will not be joining this party--though I do have a sudden craving for Frosted Flakes. And speaking of Tonys, I wouldn't mind seeing Tatum on Broadway one day.... *hint, hint* 

The premise of JUMP STREET is based on Patrick Hasburgh and Stephen J. Cannell's original television series, 21 JUMP STREET, starring Johnny Depp. Richard Grieco, Holly Robinson, and Michael DeLuise (son of the 70's and 80's funny man, Dom DeLuise). Tatum and co-star, Jonah Hill, play a pair of high school enemies turned partners as adults on the police force. They are assigned to a new undercover division called 21 JUMP STREET, run by ICE CUBE (who was equally great in his role). Hijinks ensue as the two fumble their way through a high school drug ring shake down posing as students. 

Channing Tatum is not just athletic...this guy is funny as hell. And Jonah Hill knocks it out of the part as not just co-star but co-creator of the story. MONEYBALL impressed me. Until then, Hill's on-and off-screen persona as the fat, funny Jewish kid was cliche and tired...he was just another flash-in-the-funny-pan. Until MONEYBALL. There, Hill was an actor with real chops. And even though 21 JUMP STREET is plump full of pop culture references, bad language and bad jokes, Hill manages to eek out a human side to his rather vulnerable character. As does Tatum. But no surprise there. Though I didn't do a write up of THE VOW, I thought Tatum's performance was both touching and bold as the husband of an amnesiac woman; his pain was actually palpable. And that takes real talent. 

In JUMP STREET, Tatum gives what could have been a two-dimensional character life as the under-achieving athlete with heart...and soul. Early in the film, the police chief looks right into the camera, and mocks the film with a line about how no one does anything new anymore; they just rehash ideas from the 80's. Awesome! I must have laughed aloud more than a dozen times during the one-hour and fifty-minute film. 

And I'm not going to spoil any surprises...but there are a few that are worth waiting for. Trust me.

21 JUMP STREET gets a 10/10 on the Housel-scale with a great-big, "Go Tatum!!!" cheer. Nice spin on the molitov, btw!!! 

Look for Channing Tatum in June in his production, MAGIC MIKE, loosely based on his own life. Oh, and did I mention it's about male strippers??? 

Another late review, I know...but this, unlike its Twilight predecessor, isn't for lack of words. I LOVED UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING. Plain. Simple. To the point. Admittedly, I'm a fan of the Selene character, played well by Kate Beckinsale. She's a tough, smart, strong female hero who also looks amazing in tight, black leather jumpsuits. What's not to like???

I knew Len Wiseman didn't direct this time around--not because I read it in the credits, but because the film lacked his overall intuitive directorial touch. Wiseman did, however, help write the storyline, produce, and is the creator of the characters themselves. Wiseman and Beckinsale are a good team, on and off screen. The two are married, currently living in L. A. Beckinsale was reluctant to don Selene's black-leather again for reasons anyone should be able to imagine. But in the last decade of the 21st century anyway, audiences love a continuing storyline. Throw in a hot vampire chick, some werewolves and a dystopian future (complete with V for Vendetta's Stephen Rea), and you've got a hit made in Hollyhood-heaven! Kind of like Beckinsale and Wiseman. AWAKENING is currently the highest grossing film worldwide at just under $80-million dollars, and only two weeks after its premiere!

Mans Magnus Marlind, the Swedish film director, took on the directorial reins in 2010 during pre-production; the film is the first in movie-making history to be shot in Red Epic, a new kind of digital camera tool released in 2010 from Oakley-founder, Jim Jannard. Many of 2012's new releases like Bryan Singer's Jack the Giant Killer, Peter Jackson's The Hobbit and Ridley Scott's Prometheus will be shot using Red Epic; future pics using it include Avatar 2 by Titanic-sized director, James Cameron.

Using British Columbia as the backdrop, the film began shooting at Simon Frasier University. What was perhaps weirdest about the whole thing was the achived footage of Scott Speedman, who played Michael Corvin in the first two films in the franchise. He announced in 2010 he wasn't going to reprise his role as Michael for the fourth film...so what was he doing instead? Playing a much smaller role in this month's THE VOW? I threw my hands up in the air, too. I. Don't. Get. It. A stand-in played the shots of Michael toward the end of the film. 

The most impressive part of this film wasn't just Beckinsale's performance as Selene--though it was entirely mesmerizing, even Variety agrees with me on that one--it was the addition of another female-supernatural-hero-juggernaut, that of Selene's daughter, Eve.
 
Yes, that hot sex scene in the second film between Selene and Michael was the foreshadow I hoped it would be. Just as Selene and Michael try to make their escape from a world gone mad after the knowledge of vampires and werewolves becomes public, the two are captured and put on ice, literally, for twelve years. Luckily, Selene's daughter is just as feisty as her mother. She's the ultimate hero in the film.

In her first role in a major motion picture, India Eisley, also known for her role in ABC Family's The Secret Life of the American Teenager, plays the most powerful living creature on the planet. A hybrid like her father, Michael, and the last living descendent of Alexander Corvinus, the original immortal, she is remarkable strong, smart...and, psychically connected to her parents.

Newcomer to the franchise, Theo James, known for his role as the unfortunate, if not roguishly handsome, Kemal Pamuk in Downton Abbey, plays David, a vampire who aids Selene in the brave new world she awakens to. The 27-year old British actor-philosopher is a good match to 38-year old Oxford-trained Beckinsale on screen. Even if Michael is eventually written out of the storyline, audiences would enjoy seeing Selene and David develop their budding relationship in future films.

Non-stop action from beginning to end, UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING earns a 9/10 on the Housel-scale. If you haven't seen it yet, go and enjoy the 3-D thrill ride while you can. If you have already caught it once, consider going a second time. Its big-screen worthiness and all-around entertainment value is in the large-scale supernatural action...more so than any other movie in early 2012.

See you at the movies!!!

Your Pop Culture Professor bent space and time to be on the scene for all the Golden Globes gossip...what a fabulous way to kick off award-season! The stars were certainly shining that afternoon, like being around 200 of Stephenie Meyer's sparkly vampires in the sunlight, minus the fangs. The clothes, the jewelry, but best of all, the movie tid-bits picked up for the next year...that's what after-parties are really all about. Do I have the low-down on the next 007-flick? You betcha! And what about the LOTR franchise? Maybe a little Dark Shadows action via Tim Burton and Johnny Depp??? Hello! LA was all a-twitter on January 15th. And I have the dirty details...just for YOU!

Let's begin with March, as we're in mid-January already. If you've been to the movies at all during the holiday season, chances are good you've seen the trailers for upcoming flicks this month and next, like Haywire--which looks AMAZING by the way and was listed as on of TRIBECA's top picks for January 2012. Steven Soderbergh directed...and has directed a number of upcoming flicks for 2012, including Channing Tatum's film, loosely based on his own life, MAGIC MIKE--which is scheduled for release in June, and has Tatum and Alex Pettyfer (I AM NUMBER FOUR) practically naked for the majority of the film. So is it any good? Who cares??? Channing Tatum. Naked. Nuff said.

Remember how Johnny Depp made it big? It was a late 80's television "crime" drama called 21 JUMPSTREET. The show was really just a venue for hopeful tall, dark, and handsome actors. Depp got lucky. Of course, he's talented, too. That helped. Now, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs co-directors, Chris Miller and Phil Lord head up another silly caricature, minus the animated meatballs. Though there's no telling what may happen on screen; Jonah Hill is co-starring in this 80's remix. Hill's silly persona is off-set by Channing Tatum's solid presence. Worth the price of admission if you're nostalgic for the 1980's, or, if you're hoping to see Tatum shirtless before Magic Mike premieres in June. The film opens on March 16th.

Globes Gossip: Tatum, whose Native American heritage contributes to his good looks, and his wife of seven years, Jenna Dewan, practically glowed on the red rug. Tatum gushed about his goddess in green, discussing how his wife clocked him in the face while teaching her about on-screen fight scenes. You go, girl! Cute couple. Makes me want to go to every movie Channing Tatum stars in from now on. His abs may have something to do with it, too...maybe. Tatum is also in pre-production on a GI Joe sequel, GI JOE: RETALIATION, reprising his role as Duke. You can see Tatum in HAYWIRE this month and a definite Valentine's Day flick, THE VOW, with Rachel McAdams, being released on February 10th.

Competing for box-office dollars on March 16th is MIRROR MIRROR, directed by Tarsem Singh and starring Julia Roberts. This fairytale adaptation of Snow White, the first of TWO for 2012 (the second stars Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron, opening in June), also stars Taylor Lautner's flame, Lilly Collins (ABDUCTION). Basically, the film is more of a story about not getting your mommy's approval, no matter how hard you try, or how innocent you look.

THE HUNGER GAMES, the adaptation of Suzanne Collins' wildly popular YA novel series, hits silver screens on March 23rd. Gary Ross directs and Jennifer Lawrence (X-MEN: FIRST CLASS) and Josh Hutcherson  (THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT) star  as competing teens in a weird apocalyptic totalitarian dystopia...disturbing enough for you? Ross says that it was even weirder on set, seeing kids next to all these deadly weapons. Sounds like a light-hearted pre-spring jaunt. No? Well, I tried.

April's got a few fun flicks, like THE THREE STOOGES and an AMERICAN PIE reunion, aptly named AMERICAN REUNION. Oh, and TITANIC will be re-released in early Aprill as well...in 3-D. Sigh. 

Not gonna lie--just thinking of May's movies gets me wet. Girl-wood! Am I allowed to say that??? The thing is, it's true. THE AVENGERS opens on May 4th. Hello?!?! The Pop Culture Professor is one of the pioneering female scholars in the States to look at comic books as more than just a bunch of "low-culture" entertaining scribbles. And, the film is written and directed by--wait a sec, gotta get a towel--Joss Whedon!!! My geek-heart be still.... Fellow brain tumor survivor, Mark Ruffalo plays the Hulk; RDJ is back as Iron Man; ScarJo plays Black Widow; Hawkeye is Jeremy Renner and vice-versa; Chris Evans continues to play the Cap; and last but never least is Aussie-talent, Chris Hemsworth as Thor. Yeah, I'm totally unobjective about this movie. Don't trust a thing I say. Because if it were up to me, it would be mandatory for every American citizen to see this movie in order to maintain citizenship. Yup, I'm THAT passionate about it. Wooh. Was it as good for you as it was for me??? Probably not. Awkward. Moving on....

Johnny Depp and Tim Burton team up again for what should be a fun romp down memory lane, an adaptation of DARK SHADOWS, opening on May 11th. And where would Depp and Burton be without Helena Bonham Carter? She plays the part of the female doctor, in this version, a psychiatrist, while the always beautiful Michelle Pfeiffer is one of Barnabas Collins' descendants. Chloe Grace Moritz (LET ME IN and KICK ASS), one of The Pop Culture Professor's favs, also joins the star-studded cast. Even more fun? The screenplay was penned by Seth Grahame-Smith, author of 2010's Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.(which hits theatres in June, btw). I'm pretty psyched for this Gothic remake. You should be, too!

Globes Gossip: The DARK SHADOWS comic book based on the original television series is getting a facelift with a fresh face, Mike Raicht, newcomer to the series, but not to comics (Raicht has contributed to Wolverine, X-Men and other Marvel comics as well as the graphic novel series,THE STUFF OF LEGEND). The first storyline by Raicht promises a potential "cure" for Barnabas...so stay tuned! You can see Raicht in person at GraniteCon this June.

More Globes Gossip: Helena Bonham Carter is playing Miss Haversham in an adaptation of GREAT EXPECTATIONS directed by Mike Newell. Word on the red rug is that the flick will hit theatres in fall. And, that Bonham Carter is as crazy as ever...just the way we like her!

May 18th sees Taylor Kitsch in BATTLESHIP, an adaptation of the once-popular board game. Hey, if PIRATES of the CARIBBEAN can turn a corny carney ride into box office gold, who knows???

Rounding out the start of the summer box office season is (yet another) MEN IN BLACK film...number three in the franchise. Josh Brolin plays a young-version of what was formerly Tommy Lee Jones' role. Will Smith promised fans after WILD WILD WEST that he wouldn't make bad movies again. Disappointed! But like WWW, MIBIII will make millions and Josh Brolin's gotta do something to avoid being mistaken as George W. Bush, or, cast in a second Jonah Hex movie.... The film opens on May 25th.

June. The real summer blockbusters begin. On Cruise-control is ROCK OF AGES, starring Tom Cruise as rocker Stacee Jaxx in an effort directed by Adam Shankman. And Tomcat can really sing! See it on June 1st. Sharing the opening day is SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN, the second of two Snow White flicks of 2012--but for my money, this is the one to make box office gold. Charlize Theron plays the evil queen; Kristen Stewart is Snow; and Chris Hemsworth is a dishy, if not conflicted, Huntsman. Rupert Sanders makes his epic directorial debut on June 1st. This sinister film will be worth the price of admission.

Globes Gossip: Kristen Stewart dropped Hemsworth like a big, blonde sack of potatoes during rehearsal of a fight scene! Girl power? Hell's yeah!!!

June 8th sees PROMETHEUS open, an ALIENS pre-quel by, you guessed it--Ridley Scott. If you're of the same opinion as I am, you'll love this fictionalized account of who spawned humanity...oops. I wasn't supposed to say that. Sorry, Mr. Scott. That was Globes Gossip that shouldn't have left the coatroom!

June 22nd is a shared premiere of ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER and Pixar's 13th film but first featuring a strong female hero, the well-named, BRAVE. See them both, then, see BRAVE a second and third time. It ROCKS! Brenda Chapman and Mark Andrews share BRAVE directorial credit. HBO's Boardwalk Empire actor, Kelly McDonald, voices the BRAVE-star.

July's got the usual run-of the mill superhero flick's, starting with a new THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF SPIDER-MAN on July 3rd and ending with the last of the Dark Knight movies, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, with Christian Bale as an equally dark, angst-ridden Bruce Wayne.

August 2012 sees THE AVENGERS Hawkeye, Jeremy Renner, in the latest Bourne flick, THE BOURNE LEGACY and Collin Farrell starring in a remake of TOTAL RECALL, both opening on August 3rd. 7500, directed by Takashi Shimizu, opens on August 31st; True Blood's insanely adorable Ryan Kwanten stars in this horrible horror of a movie, taking place mainly on an airplane crossing the Pacific. But don't worry, there won't be any snakes on this plane. 

The biggest haps in September is a re-release on the 14th of FINDING NEMO, in, you guessed it--3D. Double sigh. And, another Taylor Kitsch film co-starring Gossip Girl, Blake Lively, in SAVAGES on September 28th.

Other flicks include to-be-annouonced fall releases of GREAT EXPECTATIONS with Bonham Carter and Keira Knightley as ANNA KARENINA, an adaptation of the classic novel by acclaimed Russian writer, Leo Tolstoy.

One of the biggest fall pre-holiday season releases is happening on November 7th. SKYFALL, the 23rd Bond flick, stars Daniel Craig losing faith with M, played by Dame Judi Dench.

Globes Gossip: Dishy Javier Bardem is playing the bad, bad boy (very bad!) and Albert Finney and Ralph Fiennes also star in super-secret agent roles. Sam Mendes directs his first Bond film in the 50-year old franchise. Fiennes makes his own directorial debut in this month's CORIOLANUS, a Shakespearean adaptation in which he also stars.

Not that it needs any sort of mention, but BREAKING DAWN II opens  on November 16th, the final film in the TWILIGHT franchise. GRAVITY ironically follows starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock...in space, and, in 3-D. More sighing ensues. But, Alfonso Cuaron's directing. And, it's George. Clooney. Mmm-hmmm.

LES MISRABLES opens the December literary adaptation season with Hugh Jackman and Dark Knight alum, Anne Hathaway. Baz Luhrmann directs  Leo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan in THE GREAT GATSBY, but ten days before on the 14th, audiences get to see Peter Jackson's long-awaited, THE HOBBIT. Speilberg will surprise audiences in December with a yet-to-be-announced LINCOLN starring Daniel Day-Lewis, about Abe Lincoln as the 16th President...NOT as a vampire hunter. Ang Lee directs LIFE OF PI, an adaptation of a 2001 novel by Yann Martel, the hit of all women's book groups that year, opening December 21st. The same day, audiences can skip down to see Brad Pitt fighting...zombies? WORLD WAR Z competes with the Apatow family film project, THIS IS 40...40-year olds everywhere should avoid this film like the plague or risk puking up your milestone birthday carrot cake from that swanky little bakery in Haight-Ashbury.

But wait! The saving grace for this holiest of holy movie seasons is from film-Jesus, Quentin Tarantino, with his Christmas gift to the world--the reason for the season--DJANGO UNCHAINED, starring Jamie Foxx as a 19th century slave-turned-bounty-hunter in Mississippi. DJANGO opens on December 25th.

Naughty, or nice, I'll see you all at the movies in 2012!

I saw the latest in the Twilight film franchise at its New York premiere. That was November. So why I am I writing about in January? Good question! If you're a fan of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga, you may not like the answer:

Part of the reason why I'm known as The Pop Culture ProfessorTM, is because of Twilight & Philosophy, a book I co-edited with J. Jeremy Wisnewski, now published in seven languages and sold in about 20 countries world-wide. The e-book and audiobook are both available on iTunes. And in that book, we discuss basic philosophical tenets found in the Twilight series as a whole, including elements from the film franchise. So I know Twilight. Backwards, forwards, you name it. And when I saw the fourth film in the franchise in November, one of two parts adapted from the original Breaking Dawn novel, I found articulating my thoughts and feelings on the subject...difficult.

Kristen Stewart plays an extraordinarily gaunt Bella. While there was certainly good usage of CGI in the film, both with Bella's physique and the later birthing scene, it was clear that the actress--already too thin to be healthy--had lost some weight for the role. So not only is the basic message of Twilight that feminine fulfillment can only be found by changing yourself for a manm now, the visuals of this particular adaptation are cueing the female-audience about body image, perpetuating a negative stereotype that comes directly out of patriarchal discourse.

Fans will love the heterosexual matrix, or love triangle, between Bella, Edward and Jacob. It still exists, and in full force. Make-up on the set continues to evolve, trying to take the white pancake from the vampire faces this time around, and doing a good job there--kudos! But Rob Pattinson is clearly frustrated with the stiff role, wanting, desperately, to flesh out an otherwise flat character. Taylor Lautner's Jacob is always very "real," and pulls on the audience's emotional heartstrings. If Aristotle were here today, he might congratulate writer Melissa Rosenberg for her good use of pathos in persuading the audience to the under-wolf's favor.

The cinematography was excellent this time around. I am a HUGE fan of Guillermo Navarro's work in film like I AM NUMBER FOUR, HELLBOY, and of course, PAN'S LABYRINTH. The wedding scene was gorgeous, lush, and had an etheral quality only possible through the magic of cinema. The wardrobe had equal aesthetic appeal, with Bella's gown designed by Carolina Herrara, one of the most graceful designers of the century. 

The direction by Bill Condon, whose last film was 2006's DREAMGIRLS, was quite good. Though Meyer's basic storyline may be lacking, the film adaptation added dimension and visual conplexity where there was none. Condon has also recently directed two episodes of Showtime's The Big C with Laura Linney. The 56-year old director has heart. And it shows in BREAKING DAWN I.Condon is directing BREAKING DAWN II, being released in fall 2012. Expect good things! 

The music in the film was by Carter Burwell; Burwell, who has worked with the Coen brothers, has done the music for some really terrific films like No Country for Old Men and Burn After Reading. The Harvard-educated Burwell's musical ingenue was no more apparent than in A Knight's Tale, where he combine musical elements like David Bowie's "Golden Years" with the medieval setting. He also directs the music for HBO's newest edgy series, Enlightened, starring the indomitable, Laura Dern. Burwell was in charge of the muic for the first TWILIGHT film. Glad you're back, Carter!

Melissa Rosenberg had written a piece that appeared in Entertainment Weekly before the 2011 film premiered, asking fans to forgive her for various omissions or changes necessary for adaptation. What most people don't understand is that a typical film script for a two-hour movie is about 90 or so pages. The original novel was some 700 pages. It is IMPOSSIBLE to create film from a book and include EVERYTHING. As a writer, I disagreed with Rosenberg's PR tactic; why try to appease? I've NEVER seen any male writer do anything like that. Women's brains produce neurotransmitters that result in apologetic behavior in efforts to maintain vital social connections. It's basic machinery of the human brain. With more than half of Rosenberg's family being therapists, you'd think someone might have advised her otherwise. Because she had NOTHING to apologize for. Her script was good; it allowed for some rather awkward moments, like the vampire birth and the imprinting between 17-year old Jacob and the infant, Renesmee, to look almost normal. Not an easy feat, I assure you.

Overall, the film itself earned a healthy 8.5/10 on the Housel-scale. Everyone involved in the project put A+ efforts into turning a book with simplistic dialogue, settings, and characters into full-blown entertainment in living color and sound. But you don't need me to tell you that--the film has grossed close to $300-million world-wide.

The long-awaited close of the Harry Potter film franchise precedes the Twilight saga's close this fall. Arguably the most popular literary and cinematic phenomenon in the 21st century, fans will not be disappointed at the definitive and hopeful closure offered in the film.

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson--all could play their HP-parts in their sleep if they wanted to. The three young actors have a good chemistry, which makes great cohesion on screen. You can believe the sometimes tinny-acting of Radcliffe. Grint and Watson make a terrific twosome. And the other long-time actors in the film like Robby Coletrain and Dame Maggie Smith have stellar performances. The action is gripping. The cinematography, equally so.

I really don't have a bad word to say about the well-written, well-performed, wrap up of billionaire-author Rowling's best (and only) work. Joanna, Harry and I all share the same birthday. Perhaps I can't be a billionaire-author because of it. Or a powerful wizard. But I am a fan of both, and wish the entire cast and crew all the best for the future.

Harry Potter is dead. Why do I suddenly feel like Neitsche? Hopefully, you won't find me running around naked with horses anytime soon....

HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY HALLOWS --PART II receives a well-deserved 10/10 on the Housel-scale. It's cinematic and pop culture history...don't miss it!

Jon Favreau has my vote! Not that he needs it. The two-time director of the IRON MAN franchise is doing well on his own steam. And the audience can certainly see why in his latest directorial feast for the eyes, COWBOYS & ALIENS, based on a 2006 graphic novel.

Favreau and I are cut from the same 80's-wheelhouse cloth. We both went to Hebrew school. We both come from a Jewish-Catholic household (oy, the guilt!). We both got a Bar/Bat Mitzvah. And, we're both writers and comedians. Our matching Jew-fros aside, I'd say we were cosmic twins, except I have a feeling Favreau, raised in Queens, is probably a Yankees fan. I was born in Boston. And Red Sox Nation never dies. I share all this because Favreau so perfectly represents our generation's sensibilities--at least, for those of us with enough intelligence to have a sense of humor. Some of our 80's comrades still think balloon pants and neon colors are in. But there's no accounting for taste--except for mine, which I freely share here. I found Favreau's most recent flick a delightful summer romp featuring two pop culture icons (count 'em--TWO!): 21st century iconic tough guy, Daniel Craig and 20th century iconic tough guy, Harrison Ford. I know, you probably think of Harrison as The Fugitive or Calista Flockheart's domestic partner. But you have to go back a bit and remember that this guy was Han Solo in the BIGGEST movie franchise (and total rule-breaker/maker) of the last century in film, the Star Wars franchise. Hot, I tell you--H-O-T! And Craig, well, what more needs to be said about a man who can move like Craig???  A little Layer Cake on your 007, perhaps? Yes, please!

Only a guy like Favreau could pull off such a brilliant juxtaposition. Favreau--I give you mad props for pulling up your college-drop-out-ass with barely a boot strap to spare. Yesterday, you were just a kid from Flushing, Queens with a wing and a prayer. Today, you're a superhero. Or at least, you direct them. As my Aussie peeps might say, "Good on ya, Mate!"

And COWBOYS & ALIENS is good. Very good.

Hard to get bored amongst the dusty gunslingers, hot guys with piercing blue eyes, Olivia Wilde as an alien...yes, that's right. Olivia Wilde, House-alum and child of fabulously connected premiere journalists, matches one piercing blue eye for another opposite Craig. Good one, Favreau--loved the visual appeal there. You see, film-making is more than just the pretty people on the screen. If that were all it took, well, Halle Berry's Catwoman would have sold out every theatre in America. It's about matching a well written story with equally excellent visuals set to music that doesn't detract (or distract) from the action, but enhances it to the point that the audience practically takes it for granted.

This movie is a pop culture explosion of goodness, like those little wax bottles with brightly-colored liquid sugar on the inside. You know it's bad for you, but you have to sink your teeth in anyway.

Fellow Queens-raised cinematographer, Matthew Libatique, known for his recent work on Black Swan, did an amazing job with sweeping canyon-like views and close-quarter darkened space fighting scenes in the belly of the proverbial beast...the alien space craft. The list of writers and producers is a mile-long but include graphic novel creator, Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, also Chairman of Platinum Studios--the publisher of the graphic novel (which has a sequel, by the way--in case you weren't sure why Craig was riding off in the sunset at the end...and into the next movie!).

So take a trip back to 1873 Arizona this summer with COWBOYS & ALIENS. You won't regret it, Pardner....

COWBOYS & ALIENS gets a 9/10 on the Housel-scale for full-scale entertainment. Nicely done, Favreau, nicely done....

Kick-Ass director, Matthew Vaughn, turned 40 in 2011. He also directed one of 2011's best superhero adaptations, X-Men: First Class. Vaughn's had quite a year...and we're only halfway there. Of course, any man married to super-hottie supermodel, Claudia Schiffer, ought to be at the very top of his game. Vaughn had been scheduled to direct X-Men: The Last Stand after winning accolades for Layer Cake. Unfortunately, Vaughn was unable to take the job, leaving X-fans in the chubby-fingered hands of Brett Ratner....

Brian Singer was one of the producers and once again, lent his considerable soul to the storyline. You see, X-Men is Jewish at heart. And so is Singer.

The backstory for the lastest X-installment in the Marvel film franchise uses Magneto as its focus. In 1978, Jewish writer Chris Claremont defined Magneto as a survivor of Auschwitz. X-Men: First Class opens with Magneto as a young boy being observed by a Nazi scientist.

From there, things spring from the flat pages of comic book history to life. With terrific performances by James McAvoy, January Jones, Kevin Bacon, Oliver Platt, Michael Fassbender, and last, but certainly not least, Kentucky-born break-out star of 2010 with her Winter's Bone performance, Jennifer Lawrence.

Lawrence will be playing the lead role in 2012's Hunger Games, the first adaptation of the best-selling young adult series by author, Suzanne Collins. She brings the same intensity audiences marveled at in Winter's Bone to her X-Men performance as a young Mystique, coming into her own as the blue-skinned shape-shifting mutant.

Cameos by Hugh Jackman and Rebecca Stamos brought cohesive authenticity to the latest Singer-inspired X-film. Kevin Bacon plays a marvelous psychopath...almost too well. Michael Fassbender's Magneto evolves before the audience's very eyes, making his villainous tendencies relatable, even sympathetic.

X-Men: First Class is the best superhero film in over a decade. Vaughn and Singer are a match made in Marvel-superhero heaven. On the Housel-scale, X-Men: First Class earns a heart-y 10/10, with no regrets or apologies. If you're an X-fan, see the movie more than once.

Ryan Reynolds plays pilot Hal Jordan in this latest comic book film adaptation for summer 2011. Gossip Girl's Blake Lively is his love interest. Green Lantern was first introduced in 1940 by Batman co-creator, Bill Finger. So the expectations for this comic book icon are fairly high....
 
Green Lantern's 67-year old Kiwi director, Martin Campbell, is best known for directing two Bond films, most recently, Casino Royale starring Daniel Craig. Though Campbell isn't unfamiliar with hero flicks, like James Bond and Zorro, his foray into the realm of DC Comics adaptations has left something to be desired.
 
The cinematography was by Aussie Dion Beebe, responsible for Oscar-worthy work in 2005 for Memoirs of a Geisha. And Beebe's work in Green Lantern is equally good, if only the storyline and direction matched Beebe's considerable talents. 

Michael Goldenberg rewrote the screenplay for Green Lantern; he also took over the script for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. His directorial/writing debut was 1996's Bed of Roses with Christian Slater, the sloppy, sob-story that managed to fit more cliches into a screening than the audience could keep up with, let alone stomach. Green Lantern has a similar issue. I know Bryan Singer is only one man, but this adaptation could have used his literary and directorial touch. Fortunately, he lent his talents to Marvel's most recent superhero release, X-Men: First Class...and it was first class all the way. Unlike Green Lantern.

The film has many problems, not the least of which is the non-existent chemistry between Reynolds and Lively--who simply can't act. Lucily for Lively, she has a pretty face. Reynolds is a lovable actor but he's too glib to play Jordan, as if always on the verge of a punchline...despite facing catastrophic galactic destruction.

Just to give a little background on the history of this film, it's gone through more rewrites than Leaves of Grass over the last 14 years. That's right, the debacle began in 1997. At one point, comedian Jack Black was supposed to play the role. Oy.

Riding the wave of post-9/11 superheroic escapism, Green Lantern producers figured they couldn't lose with a summer release and Reynolds as the front man. And they were right. But the movie wasn't. On the Housel-scale, Green Lantern earns a generous 6.5/10.

If you want to see superheroes this summer, stick with X-Men : First Class.

Not a chick-flick, huh? Though a fan of former SNL comedians Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph, I have to admit to disappointment in the script and ultimately, the film. There were a few glaring mistakes--things like attempting to lace parody with a more serious emotional side, and, trying to force the funny...as all women writers know that in Hollywood, women aren't funny. A joke in and of itself--and yet, women writers get few opportunities to spearhead a comedic script. Lots of opps for co-writing things like dramedy and rom-coms, but it's rare to see a female-oriented script that mimics the parodies that Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller have made infamous in the 21st century. Sad, but still true.

Groundlings funny-girl and nervous plane passenger Annie Mumolo's first movie script, and the movie directorial debut of 25,000-Pyramid winner, Paul Feig--as well as Kristen Wiig's first movie script (not counting her SNL TV movie...)--and an almost all-female cast, make BRIDESMAIDS more virgin than slut. Scenes like Wiig's character having tedious sex with her f-buddy, and the engagement party speech-competition with Aussie-actor Rose Byrne, were like exaggerated SNL skits...too long for a paying audience. That's part of what I mean when I say trying to force the funny.  But tender moments with Irish-hottie, Chris O'Dowd (and his collection of a 1,000 chocolate bar wrappers) bring heart to what was a confused comedy of newbie errors.

God bless Judd Apatow for looking for a female-driven comedy. The long-time producer and director deserves HIGH marks for putting faith in Wiig and Mumolo, and the primarily female cast. Gilmore Girls alum Melissa McCarthy is one of those cast members who truly delivered.

Playing the role of Megan, sister to Rudoph's fiance, Dougie--McCarthy practically stole the show with scream-with-laughter moments like her plane scene with Air Marshall Jon. Rudolph could barely hold herself in--she needed a more actively funny role--more parody, less pout. And Wiig was trying too hard to make something different, that was also funny, that was also female-oriented, that was also bawdy, that was also...too many alsos to count.

Wiig is a brilliant comedian--who doesn't love her terrific producer-character from Knocked Up?  She does great dead-pan stuff. But her BRIDESMAIDS character, Annie, had too many problems that mimic real life. Do you know how many Americans lost businesses and jobs in the last two years? How many more lost their homes and families after losing their incomes? We know about hard-knocks...and it doesn't end with a good looking cop and a basket of puppies.

When Ferrell et al attempt their comedic film romps (I say "attempt" because not all are successful--and it has nothing to do with anyone's private parts, btw), the characters have "problems" that are simply absurd--like the owner of a small-town basketball team trying to make it big with his royalties as a love-me-sexy one-hit wonder, or a gym owner having to play dodgeball to protect his investment from the White Goodmans of the world, trading in their milkshakes for perfect, plastic bodies (and hair)--that the audience can actually escape from their real problems. Real problems like joblessness. Real problems like homelessness. By attempting to blend parody with reality, despite truly funny moments in the script and film, BRIDESMAIDS ultimately fails its audience. 

The film deserves its positive reviews. It's a comedy, and people laughed at it. Successful, right? Right. But Wiig set out to make something truly unique--and that's no easy task to be sure--but while she succeeded in making people laugh, she failed miserably at recreating the parody. As I sat in the theatre, I kept looking at my watch thinking, "I should have spent the $8.50 on PRIEST." If I have to endure a sea of tired cliches, I at least want to see a little supernatural blood-shed, not a white-wedding bridal beauty shitting in the street. See? Forced.

On the Housel-scale, BRIDESMAIDS gets a generous 7.5/10. I wish I could give this movie a 10/10 because I want to support women writers, women comedians, female ensemble casts...just as badly as I want to see a good female superhero hit the silver screen. And yet, there's nothing but Elektra and Catwoman....

Several years ago, one of my RIT students gave me Mjolnir--Thor's hammer. He was an artist and the copy was very good. This student was doing a presentation on Joseph Campbell's hero cycle in relation to the Marvel-marvel, Thor. You see, Thor is one of the few "superhero" demi-gods who finds himself humbled here on Earth as the disabled human--Dr. Donald Blake--that is, until Mjolnir is in Blake's ready hands. 

Most superheroes are super-strong, super-fast, super at everything--outside of Donald Blake aka Thor, Daredevil, and Professor X, there aren't many disabled superheroes. While that may seem strange to non-handicapped people--a disabled superhero--I say this: How is it "super" or "heroic" to go off and fight crime and swing from rooftops when all you have to fight from within is your own fear? If you have a healthy body, there's nothing "super" or "heroic" about anyone who say, runs a marathon or climbs a mountain. Any healthy body can take on such challenges with the right training. Do you want to know what is heroic? Walking a 5K for charity with a walker on a prosthetic brace, even when the prosthetic is digging into your skin, causing you to bleed--for the entire 3.1 miles. And though Thor is a Norse god and the son of Odin--the mightiest of all the gods in Asgard--a man like Dr. Donald Blake is one of the few humans strong enough to host Thor. That's right--a disabled person can be superheroically-strong. Do you know how strong a person has to be to shoulder the burden of disability? And the courage! Too bad most people don't see the disabled that way.

Turns out, neither did Kevin Feige at Marvel. 

That missing piece to the original Thor storyline felt sad to me. Of course, because most of the world isn't disabled and barely thinks of the condition as relative, no one else cared. 

Kiwi-born Aussie-actor Chris Hemsworth is truly perfect in his role; I'm so glad Branaugh agreed to have Hemsworth back for that second reading! He is amazingly god-like in his physicality--much of which is due to good, old fashioned surfing. In my UNSW days, Hemsworth could have easily been one of the many surfers I'd hear pounding down the pavement toward Bondi in the wee-hours of the morning just before the kookaburras began causing their racket. Some mornings, I'd get up early and sit at the Zucchini Blossom, drink an espresso, and watch the wet-suited wild men drive like a pod of mad whales to the beckoning shore. Alas, my view is not nearly as good these days....

Hemsworth and Natalie Portman (Dr. Jane Foster) didn't have much chemistry. I'm not quite sure why--but it seemed forced, artificial. Of course, it was...but it's not supposed to feel like that to the audience. Portman is not a terribly believable scientist either. Having been in academia for more than 15 years, I'm sorry to say we're not a handsome group. We tend not to be gorgeous, hot, Israeli-American actresses...even if a few of us attended the Ivy-leagues. But, it is a movie. We are supposed to suspend our disbelief. Usually, with a movie like Thor, that disbelief comes in with the idea of cosmic gods fighting somewhere in outerspace....

Londoner Idris Elba plays Heimdall and a GREAT Heimdall at that! Loved his take on the sentry to Asgard. All that silly business about someone who isn't pasty playing the part is pure poppycock. Keep it coming, Idris!!! I'm a big fan of your work and look forward to 2012's Alien prequal, Prometheus.

Sir Anthony Hopkins, the Welshman who kept us all glued to our seats as Thomas Harris's psychotic sociopath, Hannibal Lecter, is a good Odin; his performance reminded me of a seasoned Richard the Lion Heart circa 1968....
 
Though Kenneth Branaugh is AWESOME--with all the due gravitas one might apply to the word--the locations were rather limited. His directorial strength was apparent in his steady gaze of the human condition--which all superhero storylines--whether about gods or monsters--really represent.

My son and I saw the film on Mother's Day. We've been reading Thor for longer than I care to admit. It's difficult not to allow the thrill of seeing one of your favorite comic books come to life overwhelm one's critical sensabilities. That said, the film was very entertaining--not too heavy--yet with a definite side of beef. Even the staunchest vegetarians will enjoy biting into this dishy adaptation of the Norse god who could....

THOR gets a heart-y 8.5/10 on the Housel-scale. I would agree with the Entertainment Weekly reviewer's grade of  A-, but was never an easy grader.

Looking forward to seeing more of Hemsworth in The Avengers and hope Branaugh dons his director's cap again for Thor II.  Until next time, that's a wrap!