Hey There, It's Christa!

An Open Letter to the Academy

Dear Academy,

You'd think after the whole James Franco/Anne Hathaway hosting fiasco of last year that I would've been smart enough to at least DVR the Oscars so I can skip through the boring parts.

But considering a bona fide Oscar veteran, Billy Crystal, was taking the reins this time around, well, I was willing to give the whole shebang another chance.

And while I'm thrilled that last night's ceremony wasn't nearly as cringeworthy as the great Franco meltdown of 2011, I still expected more. In fact, if I may be so bold to ask, I'd like my three hours back (I'd say four, but watching E!'s red carpet coverage was my own fault).

Since you went the whole traditional route with selecting Crystal as the host, I wasn't expecting anything laugh-out-loud funny or even edgy in the manner of say, Ricky Gervais. But I didn't think they'd have that stale, just-fished-out-of-mothballs feel either.

Heck, I probably got the biggest kick out of Sasha Baron Cohen dumping Bisquick baking mix all over Ryan Seacrest on the red carpet, and that was a good hour before the Oscars even began. Once the show started, I laughed exactly twice. The first time was when Chris Rock introduced the Animation category, and later on, the chuckles came courtesy of Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis playing the cymbals (a cowbell would've been funnier, but hey, I'll take what I could get laughs-wise).

The trouble is, the rest of the show show was downright B-O-R-I-N-G, and when you start out with a technical award that most people don't care about, it sets a bad precedent for the rest of the evening. So in the spirit of being helpful, here are a few suggestions (in no particular order) for future Oscar telecasts.

Stop being so stuffy and give comedy its proper due. I know, I know, you threw Bridesmaids a couple of bones. But everyone knew there was no way Melissa McCarthy was taking home a golden statue for "Best Supporting Actress" when she's up against very deserving "serious" competition like Octavia Spencer. Even as much as I loved last night's big winner, The Artist, it might be nice for the films and actors that everyone loves to get a little recognition, too. After all, being funny isn't exactly easy—just ask the majority of today's modern rom-com screenwriters (yes, I'm calling you out, This Means War).

Axe those superfluous film montages. I get it. You want us to feel all warm and fuzzy about the filmgoing experience. But instead of nostalgic, all you're really doing is making us want to watch those movies instead of this long, boring telecast that highlights flicks most people haven't bothered watching yet.

And while you're at it...As much as I'd like to get excited about the "Best Art Direction" and "Best Sound Editing" categories, I just can't, and I'm sure I'm not alone. Why not save these awards for the pre-telecast and save some major minutes?

Fire the stylists. I know the fashion part of the show isn't technically in your jurisdiction, but work with me for a second. How much fun would the Oscars be if these Hollywood folks dressed themselves? Leave them to their own styling, and the show would probably be 1,453% more interesting. Take Meryl Streep for example. There's no way a stylist would let her leave the house in what she wore to the Golden Globes, SAG Awards, even last night when she was channeling Frieda from ABBA. So how much fun would it be if everyone had the same freedom? I'm guessing the outfits would've made for far more exciting watercooler chatter...

Limit the "Best Picture" nominees to 5. Nine is exactly four too many.

I'm sure if I gave it more thought, I could've come up with a few more surefire ways to improve the annual tradition of Hollywood honoring Hollywood, but I'm afraid I'm out of ideas for now. All I can say is, aside from the color of Penelope Cruz's dress and Octavia's teary acceptance speech, there wasn't much that was inspiring about The Oscars.

One can only hope that'll change soon because I promise, I won't be fooled again. No matter who's hosting, I'll be DVRing, Academy, because Sunday nights are a precious commodity.

Sincerely,

Christa Banister, disgrunted entertainment critic

P.S. Could you please send Angelina a sandwich? She looked particularly hungry last night.

 

Kicking Off the Holiday Season With Serendipity

I don't know how this "tradition" got started, but for the past couple of years, Will and I have officially kicked off the holiday season by watching Serendipity.

Now if you're not a fan of this John Cusack-Kate Beckinsale romantic comedy, I recommend skipping this post altogether because the following paragraphs will address exactly what makes the movie so downright lovable.

But then again, how could anyone not like this film? I mean it stars everybody's favorite Everyman, John Cusack. Even if you're not into romantic comedy (and really, these days, I couldn't blame you for that—they've been sooo bad.), Cusack makes what could've been an awful ordeal downright enjoyable (the same cannot be said, however, for Must Love Dogs, but I won't bother going off on that tangent).

What also helps is there's a pretty good script, not to mention a plethora of engaging side characters. Sure, like most sitcom characters, these supporting players are much too outrageous to resemble anyone from real life, but you still can't help loving them all the same.

Not only is Molly Shannon fantastic as the kooky owner of a New Age bookstore who doesn't exactly believe in what she's selling, but who could forget John Corbett's wackadoodle (yes, I just made that up) world musician Lars? Not only does he insist on sporting totally hideous scarves as part of his everyday wardrobe, but he really gets into his own music videos.

Memo to Lars: Yes, those bloodthirsty vikings hate the music—along with everyone else.

What also doesn't hurt the cause are all those adoring close-ups of frozen hot chocolates from Serendipity, the restaurant. And if that didn't already send your sweet tooth into overdrive, there's the chocolate cake that neither Kate or Molly (yes, I forgot their characters' names, so sue me) even bother taking a bite of when celebrating Molly's b-day. Lemme just say they should both be arrested for leaving that behind.

But more than anything, as frustrating as the journey can be on occasion (the first time I saw it with my pal Jessica, all those near misses between John and Kate were just grrr!), it's this sweet story of the lengths two people will go to for true love. But (SPOILER ALERT) when John Cusack finally gets the girl, Nick Drake, rather than say, cheesy Celine Dion (it does take place in the '90s, after all), is playing in the background.

And who's not a sucker for that, along with some pretty memorable NYC scenery to boot?

What I've Been Doing on My "Summer Vacation"...Part 3

When I haven't been working, hanging with friends and family or flying the friendly skies, my summer fun has often involved my personal entertainment trifecta—TV, music and movies.

While my DVR is certainly less crowded than usual, there are two guilty pleasures that have kept these warmer months interesting, namely "Next Food Network Star" and far, far more embarrassing reality programming, "The Bachelorette."

More than any other season in recent memory, "Next Food Network Star" has been a total trainwreck—and yes, I've absolutely been lovin' it. Unlike last season where the focus was clearly the food, this time around it's the contestants (and their respective drama, drama, drama) that's taking center stage.

Whether it's Penny the sabotager formerly known as "Stilettos in the Kitchen," Alicia the perpetual cryer who couldn't remember her famous cupcake recipe when duty called or Chris, the loud, beer drinking frat boy who's determined to show the judges that he's mature enough to be a star (yeah, right), it's been so delicious to watch.

As for who I think will succeed the lovable Aarti, last season's winner, my early favorites are Jyll, Orchid and Whitney—although I like Justin, the bow tie guy from Minneapolis, too. I'm pretty sure Justin would capture a demo that's been missing on Food Network since no one really has that geeky professor thing going, except maybe Alton Brown who is a little too sarcastic for his own good (and this is coming from a girl who's fluent in sarcasm).

Moving on to "The Bachelorette," lemme just say that I never, ever intended to watch this season. After surviving Brad's journey to find love, I was o-u-t. After all, weepy, boozy Ashley was nothing short of annoying, and I couldn't fathom watching an entire series featuring (gasp!) her.

But when I was flipping through the channels that particular Monday night, it happened again. I don't remember what it was exactly, but slimy Chris Harrison and his cohorts hooked me yet again.

So now I've basically signed up for several weeks of Ashley whining about Bentley (guess she must have skipped the obligatory single girl reading, He's Just Not That Into You), Ashley questioning whether the guys are really there for the right reasons and Ashley declaring how totally perrrrrfect Thailand is. Like every locale on "The Bachelor" or "The Bachelorette," it is the perfect place to fall in love, after all.

Yeah, I'm mocking, and yes, I already can't wait to watch next Monday night. Or make that Tuesday night since I'll be suffering through the third installment of Transformers while Ashley is handing out roses and reconnecting with Bentley in what's likely to be the most controversial episode of The Bachelorette ever! (Those joining me in watching will be the only ones who'll get the significance of that last sentence...ha ha!).

Of course, summer isn't summer without great movies and music, too. Truth be told, most of the summer flicks haven't been worth all the hype (especially you, Pirates of the Caribbean: Could've Used Some Even Stranger Tides.

Thankfully, J.J. Abrams rarely lets me down (the verdict's still out on "Fringe" mind you, since I've never bothered watching), so Super 8 has definitely been one of the highlights, as was Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris, which was pretty much the perfect valentine to the glorious City of Love I visited only months ago.

Musically speaking, I've been loving the new singles from Coldplay and Gavin DeGraw, not to mention the latest album from Death Cab for Cutie. But for some reason, I seem to be stuck on an oldies but goodies kick. So everyone from Rosemary Clooney to Ella Fitzgerald to Miles Davis has been providing the soundtrack to this summer...not a bad way to make it through those tragically hot months if I do say so myself...

Now it's your turn...what's been rockin' your world entertainment-wise this summer? Anything I should be adding to my DVR or iTunes pronto?

List #8: 10 Christmas Movies That Make the Season Merry Indeed

While my morning Starbucks cup may be red instead of the traditional white and green, and my house is now all tinsel-y and bright, I'm still in a bit of denial that it's actually Christmas time.

Maybe it's the absence of snow (which for the record, I don't miss in the least) or that I haven't actually started my holiday shopping (tsk tsk). Or maybe it's because 2010 has been a gigantic blur for the most part (I chalk that up to moving), but I just wasn't really feeling it.

Well, until I started listening to Harry, Bing, Frank this past week and watching holiday movies. Now it's beginning to look—and sound—a lot like Christmas...

And just because I'm in such a giving mood, I thought I'd dedicate my 8th list to my 10 favorite flicks (in no particular order, naturally, because I wouldn't want to hurt any of the other films' feelings).

Basically, if you haven't seen some of these, you've now got a cheat sheet for what to add to your Netflix queue...

Christmas in Connecticut—Can't believe that Hollywood hasn't ruined updated this one yet because it's such a fantastic movie. Basically, Barbara Stanwyck's character pretends she's this domestic goddess in her popular magazine column, but truth be told, she can hardly boil water. And just when the charade couldn't be going better, she's forced to deliver the "perfect Christmas" to a soldier who's just come home from war.

Cue culinary hi-jinks and a whole lot more...

Love Actually—Why watch just one rom-com when you can have like seven packed into a single movie? Any movie with Hugh Grant and Colin Firth is usually a winner in my book, but this one particularly shines because the script it so darn funny and heartfelt. Plus, as a Wisconsinite, I busted out laughing when one the character's big journey to America was to Milwaukee of all places. Turns out, it made a memorable first impression, and not just for the beer.

Home Alone—Yeah, after 20 years, it still cracks me up when the pizza guy shows up and Macaulay Culkin's character presses play on Angels With Filthy Souls.

White Christmas—Singing. Dancing. That song about sisters. Yeah, it pretty much rocks.

Serendipity—Ok, so it's not technically a Christmas movie, but the story begins on Christmas Eve, so close enough. Love, love, love the New York and San Fran scenery, and John Cusack is his usual self-depracating self in this twisty rom-com that questions the significance of fate's role in our love lives.

Elf—Will Ferrell declares that smiling is his favorite while sporting the elfish green tights. Plus syrup stands in for spaghetti sauce as the perfect pasta topper. Basically, what's not to love?

It's a Wonderful Life—I know what you're thinking...hello Captain Obvious. But work with me here: Even though this film has been probably airing on NBC since the birth of television, I never watched it until I was a newlywed. Funny thing is, both Will and I were probably the only people on the planet who'd never seen It's a Wonderful Life until 2005. But now that I have, I definitely know why everyone loves it so much...

How the Grinch Stole Christmas—The cartoon, not the frighteningly bad Jim Carrey version, is absolutely genius. Love the songs, love the old-school animation, love the Seuss.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe—Journeying to the world where it's always winter, never Christmas, is always a delight—Turkish and otherwise. I always love the scene when Lucy first steps foot in Narnia...the sense of wonder on her face is beyond memorable.

The Holiday—Yeah, it's not your traditional holiday movie either, but since everything happens during Christmas break, I've decided that it counts. Not only does is take place in two of my favorite cities (London and Los Angeles), but I just love the story that Nancy Meyers has whipped up here. Sure, it's got little basis in actual living, breathing reality (I could write an entire blog entry about that, but I won't bother ruining the fantasy), but really, it's the perfect escapist flick—and quite quotable to boot—just ask Will.

Ok, so now that I've weighed in, what are some of your Christmas must-watches and why? What should I add to my Netflix queue—pronto?

 

List #2: 10 Movies I Watch Over and Over (and Over) Again...

When you're a film critic, it's goes without saying that you watch lots and lots and lots of movies of varying degrees of quality.

Lately, I seem to be on a bit of a hot streak. I loved The Social Network. The Wall Street sequel exceeded my expectations. Life As We Know It actually made me tear up for approximately 1.3 seconds, and that's saying a lot, (darn those cute babies!) considering it stars my least favorite leading lady, Katherine Heigl. And RED (yep, that's the one with Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Mary-Louise Parker and a machine gun-toting Helen Mirren) was a total hoot. Yeah, I laughed. A LOT.

But despite all that praise for the aforementioned, those movies still won't be making my oh-so-elusive "Movies I Watch Over and Over (and Over) Again" list. After all, that esteemed ranking is reserved for those extremely rare breeds—the ones you always reach for when you're sick, the ones that cheers you up after a bad day at work, the ones you know every line from, much to the chagrin of your close friends and family.

Even my favorite flick of all time, Roman Holiday, won't make this particular cut because it's more of a once-a-year event. Ditto for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind which is simply too sad to watch over and over again, and Amelie, which requires me to read while I watch because I don't happen to be fluent in French. Now don't get me wrong, I never mind a movie with subtitles, but sometimes, it's just too much work.

So now that I've clarified all of that (whew!), at long last, here's the 10 movies I watch over and over (and over) again in no particular order:

(500) Days of Summer-I love a good rom-com, but even I have grown soooo tired of the same ol' tired storylines. Thankfully, someone thought to shake things up, which is exactly what (500) Days of Summer does with aplomb (and a killer soundtrack to boot). Whether breaking up, making out in the copyroom or shopping at IKEA together, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel's characters are just plain cute while simutaneously breaking your heart when it's all said and done.

Almost Famous-What can I say? I heart Cameron Crowe films, and this is one of his finest. Great characters. Great music. Fantastic characterization of the music industry and how it all really goes down...

You've Got Mail-Horrible memories of the wheezing sound of AOL's dial-up aside, this movie is my go-to sick day flick. I love the dialogue, the decidedly '90s feel, and I don't even care that five whole minutes are practically an infomerical for Starbucks. Plus, is there anything better than NYC in the fall? Or when Parker Posey's character declares that if she ever makes it out of the elevator that she'll have her eyes lasered? I think not.

Zoolander-So many quotable lines, so many laughs. In fact, I've got three words for ya: Orange mocha frappuccino! (Cue Wham's "Wake Me Up Before You Go- Go)

Breakfast at Tiffany's-It's such an odd little movie, but you certainly experience the full spectrum of emotions whenever you're watching. I mean, I'm not even a cat person, and I still get chocked up when Holly Golightly opens the cab door and throws poor ol' Cat out in the street. On an unrelated note, have you ever noticed how the couch in her living room looks just like a bathtub? Yeah, I always spot the most random of details...

Two Weeks Notice-Even though I resent whoever titled the movie for leaving that crucial apostrophe out after the "s" in "weeks," this Hugh Grant-Sandra Bullock comedy never gets old. Of all Hugh's female costars, (and trust me, I've seen everything he's been in because I think he's so funny) I think he and Sandy are the best together and need to reunite pronto.

Elf-Even if it's not Christmas, who can resist watching Will Ferrell in those crazy green tights? Or proclaiming that smiling is his favorite? Certainly not me.

Julie & Julia-I absolutely adore everything about this movie—the gorgeous Parisian scenery, the mouthwatering shots of food with copious amounts of butter, the fact that Julia Child didn't find her calling until she was 40 (!!!) but didn't let that stop her. Nora Ephron did such a great job of adapting two beloved books for the big screen. Truth be told, I much preferred the movie to them any day of the week, particularly in the case of Julie & Julia.

Marie Antoinette-I know, I know, I was probably one of 10,000 people who actually saw Sofia Coppola's modern interpretation that starred Kirsten Dunst back in 2006. But I'm not afraid to say that I loved each and every minute of it. Everything from the cool ambient music to casting Jason Schwartzman as Marie's reluctant hubby to all that pink (!!!) was right on point.

Yes Man-This was probably one of Jim Carrey's least successful comedic outings, save for The Cable Guy, but one of my all-time favorites because it's just so darn funny. In fact, it's one of those movies that gets funnier the more times you watch it. And pairing him with the equally quirky Zooey Deschanel was a genius move.

 

I Hope Lorelei Gilmore Likes Scary Movies

Lauren Graham was on Leno the other night talking about her new-ish TV show "Parenthood" and revealed some rather interesting casting news...turns out, she's going to be in Scream 4 with Courteney Cox, Neve Campbell (remember her) and the rest of the Scream regulars.

Now normally, I'm not a huge fan of horror movies. I just scare way too easily, even if they aren't even that realistic. But the Scream movies have always been a guilty pleasure of mine, and I've actually seen all three in the theater (yeah, I can't believe it either).

And now that my favorite "Gilmore Girl" will be playing a role (she's not even sure what it is yet), it'll just be that much more fun. Let's just hope that Loralei Gilmore likes scary movies...(yeah, I couldn't resist saying that...and I'm guessing neither could Loralei).

Welcome to Summer Movie Season! (Finally!)

I don't know about you, but don't you think movies have been a tad on the stinky side so far in 2010?

I mean, aside from Alice in Wonderland and How to Train Your Dragon and a couple of cute scenes from Valentine's Day (and a couple is really stretching it), I've pretty much seen one dud after another.

And while things generally get a bit dumb and action-y this time of year, I must say I'm really looking forward to this summer at the movies. It already got off to a great start last night with Iron Man 2.

Sure, there were a few too many things going on, but overall, I thought it was a satisfying sequel, thanks to Mickey Rourke as the requisite bad guy, the addition of Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow (her fight scene was awesome) and of course, Robert Downey Jr. in all his snarky glory.

Now with no further adieu, here's the rest of the flicks I'm looking forward to (in order of release date)...

Robin Hood: Yes, I know, I know...this movie has already been made a gazillion times. But that last version with Kevin Costner doesn't even count. After all, any movie with a Bryan Adams' song as its theme is automatically disqualified for sheer cheesiness. I'm guessing Russell Crowe would never let that happen. And I'm thinking that he and Cate Blanchett will be a class act together in this latest installment.

Knight and Day: Other than playing Ethan Hunt in the continuing adventures of Mission Impossible, we really haven't seen Tom Cruise in this sort of role for a while. And while it could possibly be really, really bad, Will and I will love spotting all the Tom Cruise-isms anyway. Ever notice how in every film there's always a sequence or two or ten where he's running? Or snacking on peanuts? Even better is when he tries to be all over-the-top dramatic, and it's so uncomfortable to watch. Yeah, that's what we love!

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse: This is actually my favorite of Stephanie Meyer's books, so I'm hoping the movie will rock, too! It's already good to know there will be more of Edward than in New Moon.

Inception: I'm intrigued by the sheer lack of information on this movie, but with Christopher Nolan behind the lens, I'm thinking it's going to be good. Plus, it'll be fun seeing Ellen Page not in snarky, Juno mode for a change.

Salt: I'm not a huge Angelina Jolie fan, but if forced to watch her, this is the genre I like seeing her in. Could be a fun popcorn flick...

Ramona and Beezus: Yeah, I know I'm way, way out of the target demo for this one. But as much as I loved Beverly Clearly's books growing up, I feel like I have to see it.

Anything that's missing from the list? Feel free to weigh in...

And the Winners Are...

Wow! I think I've finally figured out what motivates people to check out your blog—free movies!

Guess that means I'll have to host more giveaways!!!

Hurrah.

Speaking of winners, two lucky ladies will be receiving a copy of The Blind Side very, very soon. So congrats to Donna Falvo and Tina Sterner.

In the meantime, thanks to everyone else for their comments and enthusiasm...I love it!

Until next time, happy Easter everyone!

:) Christa

Who Wants a Free Movie?

To celebrate the DVD release of The Blind Side, I am giving away copies to two lucky movie fans (thanks to Warner Bros.) who leave a comment after this post.

Just to make sure we give everyone a fair shot, I will announce the winners on my blog on Thursday, April 1 (no, that's not an April Fool's joke), so good luck to all!!

File Under: Random Movie Musing

I don't know why, but every time I've seen this movie trailer (or even just the poster), I get a major case of the giggles. I mean, c'mon Hot Tub Time Machine? How dumb is that going to be?

But after watching him in some truly lame roles (see 2012, Martian Child, that scary hotel room movie with Samuel L. Jackson), maybe everybody's favorite everyman John Cusack will be in fine Better Off Dead form.

Here's hoping anyway...