Popcorn 'N Roses

Subject:CINEMA #152 - "Superbowl Tailgate Party - Football At The Movies!"

In honor of this weekend's Superbowl, Kim and TC discuss football on the big screen!

Plus, football players as actors, as dancers, and more; some great personal football stories; some great tailgate recipe suggestions; and complete coverage of Winter X Games 13!

ODDZ AND ENDS...

Tailgating requires food - here are links to six recipes we think you'll find super easy to make and super delicious to eat!

Alton Brown's Orange Glazed chicken wings
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/good-eats/orange-glazed-chicken-wings-recipe/index.html

Ina Garten's Cheese Straws
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/cheese-straws-recipe/index.html

America's Test Kitchen Chipolte-Lime Shrimp
http://www.ezrapoundcake.com/archives/1809

Jello Mix n Match pie
http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/mix-match-pudding-pie-89407.aspx

Bobby Flay's Guacamole
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/guacamole-with-cumin-dusted-tortillas-recipe/index.html

Rachael Ray's Monterey Jack Chicken Quesadillas
http://rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=2420

THE BRAND NEW POPCORN N ROSES...
Is on the air! Well, more specifically, it's online. The new site still has a few bugs here and there, and the subsites aren't completely finished yet, but over the next 30 days, things will fall into place. Please visit http://popcornnroses.com and http://subjectcinema for complete show notes on this episode, and come back for the latest in entertainment news, reviews, and pop culture observations every DAY!  And please please PLEASE...if you have problems with any area of the site, or for some reason cannot get to the feed for S:C let us know!

E-mail us at subjectcinema@popcornnroses.com

We hope you'll spread the word about Subject:CINEMA to your friends - we love having all the listeners we can get!

SUNDANCE COVERAGE

IFS' Larry Richman is in Park City for this week and is providing several reports a day on the ongoing Sundance Film Festival over at our sister site, IndieFilmSpotlight.com!  Don't forget to check out the latest news from the biggest festival of the winter!

PNR TOOLBAR

If you haven't already done so, now is the time to download the brand new PNR Toolbar - instant access to all the PNR Websites, great links to our great features, great opportunities from our sponsors, and more, PLUS instant access to ALL of PNR's podcasts, including Subject:CINEMA! Download the toolbar today by clicking "Download Our Toolbar" in the right AdBlaster!

SEND US YOUR YEAR END LISTS!

We also hope everyone enjoyed the Fourth Annual Poppies and Rosies Awards on New Years' Eve. Send us YOUR 2008 favorites and we'll post them on the site!

JUST A BUCK

The site revamp has really hit us HARD financially, and although we're positive that the new site will pay for itself over the course of the next few months, we REALLY NEED YOUR HELP to get through the next few weeks. Please take the time to donate Just A Buck (or more) this week and help us get through - go to "donations" under "Supportnet" on the nav menu and donate!

JOIN THE RESOLUTION REVOLUTION!

A couple weeks ago, we did our 2009 Resolution Revolution show, and we're still waiting for YOUR Resolution movie lists! Pick 3 to 5 movies you've never seen and put them on your must see list, and send the list to us at subjectcinema@popcornnroses.com. We'll post your list up on our Resolution Revolution page, and also post, read, or play your review of the films you've chosen once you've seen them!  Get involved, join the Resolution Revolution NOW!

And coming up in Feburary...as suggested by a number of our loyal listeners...February Sweeps! A whole MONTH of Subject:CINEMA devoted to the SMALL screen - we'll take a look at our top 20 TV shows in several genres, as well as the explosion of cable TV since the 1970s, and a whole show devoted to Classic Nickelodeon!

A complete calendar of upcoming shows can be found on our websites!
   
Keep tuned in throughout the week at PNR for the latest news and commentary, and we'll see you with another brand new edition of S:C next Saturday!

DWTS Day - February 9!

ABC's Dancing With The Stars will announce it's 8th season cast on Monday, February 9...and it COULD have an extreme sports star in the cast...and I am absolutely "stoked" at who it might be...

Over this past weekend, at Winter X Games 13, Sal Masakela and Todd Richards confirmed the report from USA Today back in December that snowboarder extraordinare Louie Vito interviewed for the 7th season of shows last fall, but was ultimately not chosen because of a recent knee injury, with the  spot ultimately going to Olympic star Misty May-Trainor...who injured herself severely during the competition...isn't THAT ironic, don't you think....

Is there a chance that Louie could be a part of the spring season, with late March heralding the end of the usual snowboarding season, thus freeing him up to do less in the halfpipe and more on the dance floor? LV, Little Louie, whatever you want to call him, is an EXCELLENT choice - he's fun, he's savvy, he's got a rep for being a decent dancer, and a shot on DWTS would put his name into millions of american heads in a period where they're gearing up for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic trials...

If everyone agrees, let's let ABC Know loud and LONG - go over and post a message under the Louie Vito area on ABC's DWTS Board at http://abc.go.com/primetime/dancingwiththestars/index?pn=mb&cat=23170&tid=547373

Help us get LV on DWTS! Let ABC know we'll be there for LV in Spring 08!

SAG Award winners look very familiar...

The Screen Actors' Guild held their annual awards last night in Los Angeles, the show telecast live on TBS and its sister station TNT.  The winners seemed like a reply of the Critics' Choice awards from two weeks ago, with almost exactly the same winners in every catagory.

The complete winners list:

Male actor, leading role
Sean Penn, "Milk"

Female actor, leading role
Meryl Streep, "Doubt"

Male actor, supporting role
Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight"

Female actor, supporting role
Kate Winslet, "The Reader"

Cast in a motion picture
"Slumdog Millionaire"

Male actor in a TV movie or miniseries
Paul Giamatti, "John Adams"

Female actor in a TV movie or miniseries
Laura Linney, "John Adams"

Male actor in a drama series
Hugh Laurie, "House"

Female actor in a drama series
Sally Field, "Brothers & Sisters"

Male actor in a comedy series
Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"

Female actor in a comedy series
Tina Fey, "30 Rock"

Ensemble in a drama series
"Mad Men"

Ensemble in a comedy series
"30 Rock"

Stunt ensemble
"The Dark Knight"

Stunt ensemble in a TV series
"Heroes"

Lifetime achievement award
James Earl Jones

Can I also say that this "Female Actor" business is just RIDONKULOUS?  They are ACTRESSES, not Female ACTORS...what is so damn un-PC about the term "actress"? Geez....

And the awards keep coming, we'll be playing catch up on some other awards as the week goes by...stay tuned to PNR for the latest awards news!

Subject:CINEMA #151 - "Cityscapes: Shake Rattle And Roll - Los Angeles And Vicinity In The Movies!"

This week, we tackle Los Angeles in the movies in another installment of our "Cityscapes" series.

Plus, this week's Bonehead Of The Week, tons of PNR Networks news, and complete coverage of this years Golden Raspberry and Academy Award nominees!

ODDZ AND ENDZ...

The "Henry Poole Is Here" DVD Giveaway HAS ENDED! Graphics will be coming down over the next couple of days, and the winners will be announced on Thursday's special edition of Subject:CINEMA!

THE BRAND NEW POPCORN N ROSES...
Is on the air! Well, more specifically, it's online. The new site still has a few bugs here and there, and the subsites aren't completely finished yet, but over the next 30 days, things will fall into place. Please  come back for the latest in entertainment news, reviews, and pop culture observations every DAY!  And please please PLEASE...if you have problems with any area of the site, or for some reason cannot get to the feed for S:C let us know!

E-mail us at subjectcinema@popcornnroses.com

We hope you'll spread the word about Subject:CINEMA to your friends - we love having all the listeners we can get!

SUNDANCE COVERAGE

IFS' Larry Richman is in Park City for this week and is providing several reports a day on the ongoing Sundance Film Festival over at our sister site, IndieFilmSpotlight.com!  Don't forget to check out the latest news from the biggest festival of the winter!

PNR TOOLBAR

If you haven't already done so, now is the time to download the brand new PNR Toolbar - instant access to all the PNR Websites, great links to our great features, great opportunities from our sponsors, and more, PLUS instant access to ALL of PNR's podcasts, including Subject:CINEMA! Download the toolbar today by clicking "Download Our Toolbar" in the right AdBlaster!

SEND US YOUR YEAR END LISTS!

We also hope everyone enjoyed the Fourth Annual Poppies and Rosies Awards on New Years' Eve. Send us YOUR 2008 favorites and we'll post them on the site!

JUST A BUCK

The site revamp has really hit us HARD financially, and although we're positive that the new site will pay for itself over the course of the next few months, we REALLY NEED YOUR HELP to get through the next few weeks. Please take the time to donate Just A Buck (or more) this week and help us get through - go to "donations" under "Supportnet" on the nav menu and donate!

JOIN THE RESOLUTION REVOLUTION!

A couple weeks ago, we did our 2009 Resolution Revolution show, and we're still waiting for YOUR Resolution movie lists! Pick 3 to 5 movies you've never seen and put them on your must see list, and send the list to us at subjectcinema@popcornnroses.com. We'll post your list up on our Resolution Revolution page, and also post, read, or play your review of the films you've chosen once you've seen them!  Get involved, join the Resolution Revolution NOW!

NEXT WEEK -

THURSDAY, JANUARY 29 2009 -  Subject:CINEMA #152 - "Superbowl Tailgate Party! Football In The Movies!"
Join us for a look at football in the movies, as well as some great tailgating party tips, and more!

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1 2009 - Subject:CINEMA #153 - "February Sweeps: Our Top 20 TV Comedies!
As suggested by a number of our loyal listeners...it's time for February Sweeps! A whole MONTH of Subject:CINEMA devoted to the SMALL screen - we'll take a look at our top 20 TV shows in several genres, as well as the explosion of cable TV since the 1970s, and a whole show devoted to Classic Nickelodeon!

A complete calendar of upcoming shows can be found on our websites!

Keep tuned in throughout the week at PNR for the latest news and commentary, and we'll see you with another brand new edition of S:C this Thursday!

Just a quick update

Due to schedule changes, there won't be an episode of Subject:CINEMA until tomorrow. Check the calendar for the updated schedule. Next weekend we should be up and back on track for the regularly scheduled shows.

Also, we will NOT be providing up to the minute coverage of tomorrow night's Screen Actor's Guild awards, though I will try to have the winners up throughout the night as I can. Tomorrow night is MY most important sports moment of the year - the Mens Snowboard Superpipe finals at the Winter X Games, and I will be GLUED to the TV while they are on.  Other men have their football, baseball, or other regular sport - my passion is action sports, and the Mens Snowboard Superpipe is my equivalent of the Superbowl or the World Series...so sue me...heh heh heh...

Back tomorrow at the regular time with S:C #151 - Cityscapes: Shake Rattle And Roll!

"Benjamin Button" leads Oscar noms; "Dark Knight", "WALL-E" snubbed for Best Picture

Well, they're out. And i'm not happy. In fact, i'm rather disgusted, and I will bet that this year's Oscar telecast, Hugh Jackman or no, will be one of the lowest rated in history.

The complete nominations list:

1. Best Picture: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "Frost/Nixon," "Milk," "The Reader," "Slumdog Millionaire."

2. Actor: Richard Jenkins, "The Visitor"; Frank Langella, "Frost/Nixon"; Sean Penn, "Milk"; Brad Pitt, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"; Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler."

3. Actress: Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married"; Angelina Jolie, "Changeling"; Melissa Leo, "Frozen River"; Meryl Streep, "Doubt"; Kate Winslet, "The Reader."

4. Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin, "Milk"; Robert Downey Jr., "Tropic Thunder"; Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Doubt"; Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight"; Michael Shannon, "Revolutionary Road."

5. Supporting Actress: Amy Adams, "Doubt"; Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"; Viola Davis, "Doubt"; Taraji P. Henson, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"; Marisa Tomei, "The Wrestler."

6. Director: David Fincher, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"; Ron Howard, "Frost/Nixon"; Gus Van Sant, "Milk"; Stephen Daldry, "The Reader"; Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire."

7. Foreign Film: "The Baader Meinhof Complex," Germany; "The Class," France; "Departures," Japan; "Revanche," Austria; "Waltz With Bashir," Israel.

8. Adapted Screenplay: Eric Roth and Robin Swicord, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"; John Patrick Shanley, "Doubt"; Peter Morgan, "Frost/Nixon"; David Hare, "The Reader"; Simon Beaufoy, "Slumdog Millionaire."

9. Original Screenplay: Courtney Hunt, "Frozen River"; Mike Leigh, "Happy-Go-Lucky"; Martin McDonagh, "In Bruges"; Dustin Lance Black, "Milk"; Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon and Pete Docter, "WALL-E."

10. Animated Feature Film: "Bolt"; "Kung Fu Panda"; "WALL-E."

11. Art Direction: "Changeling," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Dark Knight," "The Duchess," "Revolutionary Road."

12. Cinematography: "Changeling," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Dark Knight," "The Reader," "Slumdog Millionaire."

13. Sound Mixing: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Dark Knight," "Slumdog Millionaire," "WALL-E," "Wanted."

14. Sound Editing: "The Dark Knight," "Iron Man," "Slumdog Millionaire," "WALL-E," "Wanted."

15. Original Score: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Alexandre Desplat; "Defiance," James Newton Howard; "Milk," Danny Elfman; "Slumdog Millionaire," A.R. Rahman; "WALL-E," Thomas Newman.

16. Original Song: "Down to Earth" from "WALL-E," Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman; "Jai Ho" from "Slumdog Millionaire," A.R. Rahman and Gulzar; "O Saya" from "Slumdog Millionaire," A.R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam.

17. Costume: "Australia," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Duchess," "Milk," "Revolutionary Road."

18. Documentary Feature: "The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)," "Encounters at the End of the World," "The Garden," "Man on Wire," "Trouble the Water."

19. Documentary (short subject): "The Conscience of Nhem En," "The Final Inch," "Smile Pinki," "The Witness -- From the Balcony of Room 306."

20. Film Editing: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Dark Knight," "Frost/Nixon," "Milk," "Slumdog Millionaire."

21. Makeup: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Dark Knight," "Hellboy II: The Golden Army."

22. Animated Short Film: "La Maison en Petits Cubes," "Lavatory -- Lovestory," "Oktapodi," "Presto," "This Way Up."

23. Live Action Short Film: "Auf der Strecke (On the Line)," "Manon on the Asphalt," "New Boy," "The Pig," "Spielzeugland (Toyland)."

24. Visual Effects: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "The Dark Knight," "Iron Man."

While it's nice to see Robert Downey Jr get the nomination he deserved for "Tropic Thunder", so many people got overlooked as usual.

 

The Oscars will never please everybody at the same time, and this year, i'm very upset that the academy chose to not just snub but completely disclude the scores from "Speed Racer" and "The Forbidden Kingdom" from the nominations process, which was an outrage.

 

And to not even consider the two movies that completely took over visual effects this year - "Speed Racer" and "Cloverfield" - that's just not right.

 

Oh well, what can you do?  Remember, the MTV Movie Awards will be coming up in May, I suppose...

 

 

AWARDS: Bad spoof movies lead 29th annual Razzie nominations

The nominations for the 29th annual Golden Raspberry awards were announced this morning in Los Angeles, as is traditional, just one day ahead of tomorrow's Academy Award nominations. A bevy of picks highlight this year's awards, with DISASTER MOVIE, MEET THE SPARTANS, THE HOTTIE AND THE NOTTIE and THE HAPPENING topping the list for most nominations.

THE FULL LIST:

WORST PICTURE

Disaster Movie/Meet The Spartans
The Happening
The Hottie And The Nottie
In The Name Of The King: A Dungeon Siege Tale
The Love Guru

WORST ACTOR

Larry The Cable Guy, WITLESS PROTECTION
Eddie Murphy, MEET DAVE
Mike Myers, THE LOVE GURU
Al Pacino, 88 MINUTES and RIGHTEOUS KILL
Mark Wahlberg, THE HAPPENING and MAX PAYNE

WORST ACTRESS

Jessica Alba, THE EYE and THE LOVE GURU
The Cast of "THE WOMEN" (Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, Jada Pinkett-Smith
and Meg Ryan)
Cameron Diaz, WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS
Paris Hilton , THE HOTTIE AND THE NOTTIE
Kate Hudson, FOOLS’ GOLD and MY BEST FRIEND’S GIRL

WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Uwe Boll (as Himself), Uwe Boll’s POSTAL
Pierce Brosnan, MAMMA MIA!
Ben Kingsley, THE LOVE GURU, WAR, INC. and THE WACKNESS
Burt Reynolds, DEAL and IN THE NAME OF THE KING: A DUNGEON SIEGE TALE
Verne Troyer, THE LOVE GURU and Uwe Boll’s POSTAL

WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Carmen Electra, DISASTER MOVIE and MEET THE SPARTANS
Paris Hilton , REPO: THE GENETIC OPERA
Kim Kardashian, DISASTER MOVIE
Jenny McCarthy , WITLESS PROTECTION
Leelee Sobieski, 88 MINUTES and IN THE NAME OF THE KING

WORST SCREEN COUPLE

Uwe Boll & ANY Actor, Camera or Screenplay
Cameron Diaz & Ashton Kutcher, WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS
Paris Hilton and either Christine Lakin or Joel David Moore, HOTTIE & THE NOTTIE
Larry the Cable Guy & Jenny McCarthy, WITLESS PROTECTION
Eddie Murphy IN Eddie Murphy, MEET DAVE

WORST PREQUEL, REMAKE, RIPOFF, OR SEQUEL

The Day The Earth Blowed Up Real Good
Disaster Movie and Meet The Spartans
Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull
Speed Racer
Star Wars: The Clone Wars

WORST DIRECTOR

Uwe Boll, 1968: Tunnel Rats, In The Name Of The King, and Postal
Jason Friedberg & Aaron Seltzer, DISASTER MOVIE and MEET THE SPARTANS
Tom Putnam, THE HOTTIE AND THE NOTTIE
Marco Schnabel, THE LOVE GURU
M. Night Shyamalan, THE HAPPENING

WORST SCREENPLAY

Disaster Movie and Meet The Spartans
Both Written By Jason Friedberg & Aaron Seltzer

The Happening
Written By M. Night Shyamalan

The Hottie And The Nottie
Written By Heidi Ferrer

In The Name Of The King: A Dungeon Siege Tale
Screenplay By Doug Taylor

The Love Guru
Written By Mike Myers & Graham Gordy

WORST CAREER ACHIEVEMENT

Uwe Boll
(Germany’s Answer to Ed Wood)

I completely disagree with both SPEED RACER and STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS being nominated for Worst Prequel, Remake, Ripoff, or Sequel. While CLONE wasn't perfect, it was still enjoyable. And you all know how I feel about SPEED RACER, but I also recognize that it is the perfect target for most people who just don't get it...and obviously if it's nominated here, they don't....

The eventual “winners” will be unveiled in intentionally tacky ceremonies set for the now traditional Oscar® eve, Saturday night February 21, 2009 at the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre in Hollywood.

Oscar nominations hit tomorrow, don't miss the coverage and complete analysis!

Subject:CINEMA #150 - "The Snow Above, The Snow Below - The Arctic And Antarctic In The Movies!"

We're going to the ends of the earth this week, as TC and Kim tackle movies set in the Arctic and the Antarctic!

We'll also talk a bit about the Midnight Sun Film Festival,  plus the latest news in Cinema Subjects, the latest PNR Networks news, coverage of the 2009 Golden Globe awards, a wrap up from the second stop of the inaugural Winter Dew Tour, and complete reviews of "My Bloody Valentine 3-d" and "Shaun White: Don't Look Down"!


ODDZ AND ENDS...

For more information on the Midnight Sun Film Festival, check out their website at http://msfilmfestival.fi!

YOU'VE GOT JUST ONE MORE DAY...

To enter the "Henry Poole Is Here" DVD Giveaway! Click the graphic in the AdBlaster on the right side of our main page and enter today -we've got two copies to give away to our listeners and readers! And don't forget - "Henry Poole Is Here" hits DVD this Tuesday, January 20th!  Enter TODAY - contest ends Monday at 11:59 PM. Winners will be announced next weekend on Subject:CINEMA!

THE BRAND NEW POPCORN N ROSES...
Is on the air! Well, more specifically, it's online. The new site still has a few bugs here and there, and the subsites aren't completely finished yet, but over the next 30 days, things will fall into place. Please visit http://popcornnroses.com and http://subjectcinema.com for complete show notes on this episode, and come back for the latest in entertainment news, reviews, and pop culture observations every DAY!  And please please PLEASE...if you have problems with any area of the site, or for some reason cannot get to the feed for S:C let us know!

E-mail us at subjectcinema@popcornnroses.com

We hope you'll spread the word about Subject:CINEMA to your friends - we love having all the listeners we can get!

SUNDANCE COVERAGE

IFS' Larry Richman is in Park City for this week and is providing several reports a day on the ongoing Sundance Film Festival over at our sister site, IndieFilmSpotlight.com!  Don't forget to check out the latest news from the biggest festival of the winter!

PNR TOOLBAR

If you haven't already done so, now is the time to download the brand new PNR Toolbar - instant access to all the PNR Websites, great links to our great features, great opportunities from our sponsors, and more, PLUS instant access to ALL of PNR's podcasts, including Subject:CINEMA! Download the toolbar today by clicking "Download Our Toolbar" in the right AdBlaster on the main site!

SEND US YOUR YEAR END LISTS!

We also hope everyone enjoyed the Fourth Annual Poppies and Rosies Awards on New Years' Eve. Send us YOUR 2008 favorites and we'll post them on the site!

JUST A BUCK

The site revamp has really hit us HARD financially, and although we're positive that the new site will pay for itself over the course of the next few months, we REALLY NEED YOUR HELP to get through the next few weeks. Please take the time to donate Just A Buck (or more) this week and help us get through - go to "donations" under "Supportnet" on the nav menu and donate!

JOIN THE RESOLUTION REVOLUTION!

A couple weeks ago, we did our 2009 Resolution Revolution show, and we're still waiting for YOUR Resolution movie lists! Pick 3 to 5 movies you've never seen and put them on your must see list, and send the list to us at subjectcinema@popcornnroses.com. We'll post your list up on our Resolution Revolution page, and also post, read, or play your review of the films you've chosen once you've seen them!  Get involved, join the Resolution Revolution NOW!

NEXT WEEK - it's our first Double Play weekend of 2009!

SATURDAY, JANUARY 24 2009 - Subject:CINEMA #151 - "CITYSCAPES: Shake Rattle And Roll - Los Angeles And Vicinity In The Movies!"
Join us as we focus another Cityscapes show on the LA Basin!

SUNDAY, JANUARY 25 2009 -  Subject:CINEMA #152 - "Superbowl Tailgate Party! Football In The Movies!"
Join us for a look at football in the movies, as well as some great tailgating party tips, and more!

And coming up in Feburary...as suggested by a number of our loyal listeners...February Sweeps! A whole MONTH of Subject:CINEMA devoted to the SMALL screen - we'll take a look at our top 20 TV shows in several genres, as well as the explosion of cable TV since the 1970s, and a whole show devoted to Classic Nickelodeon!

A complete calendar of upcoming shows can be found on our websites!
   
Keep tuned in throughout the week at PNR for the latest news and commentary, and we'll see you with another brand new edition of S:C next Saturday!

REMAKES - ::Shudder::Why does Hollywood always have to spit on my memories?

This month, the members of the Large Association of Movie Blogs are discussing the subject of remakes.  For once, I have a little time where I can actually PARTICIPATE...yay....

Can I ask a question? If the original is so good, WHY do you have to remake it? Doesn't that mean they got it right the FIRST TIME? Seriously, how long will it be before someone announces they're going to remake "Star Wars"? GOD FORBID anyone try...

OK OK, sometimes remakes are ok, but they're not always good. THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL is a prime example of a recent remake that just isn't any good. It sucked with a capital S from beginning to end.

Don't get me wrong, though. If a classic movie can be remade, and they use the current technology and the state of the world to update the story, sometimes it can be done right, and done so that it doesn't mar the memories of the original. But it hasn't happened very often.

The problem is, many remakes aren't really remakes these days, they're "re-imaginings", where the new producer or director attempts to retell a classic story their way, without alienating the core audience of fans of the original. This is usually what happens when a studio decides to try and bring a classic television show to the big screen, and usually with disastrous results - anyone remember the big screen versions of LEAVE IT TO BEAVER, BEWITCHED, or CAR 54 WHERE ARE YOU?  Didn't think so. Or they remake a recent movie with new actors and directors, and call it a "reboot" - this is the case of the two versions of Marvel Comics' classic Incredible Hulk character that have come out over the past five years. Same basic story, two different directors, two different leads, and two completely different ways of looking at the same angle.

Some people are keeping their eyes glued to this May, when the J.J Abrams version of one of the most beloved tv series of our time, STAR TREK, hits the big screen. All indications seem to be that Abrams has kept the vision of the late Great Bird of the Galaxy, original creator Gene Roddenberry, in his sights while trying to give the original crew lineup a new lease on life using new actors and a 21st century revamping of the original Enterprise.  It LOOKS good, at least as far as the trailer goes, but will it actually BE good? Time will tell...

Too often remakes just don't cut it - so they try again. And once in a while, a second (or third, or fourth) attempt to remake a classic will work. There were over a dozen reasons why  Peter Jackson's take on KING KONG won my Poppy for Best Picture of 2005. It was well thought out, well scripted, well cast and well acted. I loved his take on the classic girl meets ape story. I especially liked the fact that Jackson designed his version as an homage to the original, right down to retaining the 1930s period.

The same cannot be said about the Dino DeLaurentiis version from 1976, which was actually directed by John Guillermin. Bad story, bad acting (how Jessica Lange recovered from this piece of garbage to become an Oscar winner is still a mystery....), and worst of all, a modern-day update.  Instead of the 1930s where Kong scaled the Empire State building, he pretty much sat his ass on top of the World Trade Center in the finale, and it just didn't work.  At least, not for me.

And how many times has Hollywood attempted to remake THE WIZARD OF OZ? Every time they have tried, they've failed (SciFi Channels "TIN MAN" not withstanding). Even sequels have bombed because they haven't been done very well - RETURN TO OZ is a gawd-awful movie, though like Jessica Lange before her, Faruiza Balk has managed to grow and change with time and has grown into herself as a talented and capable character actress. As Dorothy, she positively was NOT Judy Garland, not even close.

And the less said about the film version of THE WIZ the better...a prime example of how NOT to adapt a hit Broadway play.

Where do movies that base their ideas on an earlier movie fall into the remake category? I'm talking about the recent spate of straight film to Broadway musical to film musical here, like the recent versions of HAIRSPRAY and THE PRODUCERS. Both were based on classic films, both were semi-musicals in their original form, both became Broadway smashes as full-blown musicals, and both were adapted into films using the new blueprint.  And while there's no doubt about HAIRSPRAY, one of the best movie musicals of all time, there is some doubt about THE PRODUCERS.

I'm one of the few people out there who loves both versions of Mel Brooks' classic film. I love the original because of the wonderful chemistry that happens between cast members Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, Kenneth Mars and Dick Shawn. But I don't have the problems with the 2005 film version of the stage show that many others do. I like this version, up to a point. To be totally honest, I usually start the movie from where Leo and Max are arriving at Roger DeBris' house and end it when Max and Leo return to the office after the show becomes an unexpected Broadway smash. Not because I don't like the whole movie - I do - but because the chemistry between Gary Beach and Roger Bart as DeBris and his "assistant" Carmen Ghia is absolutely HYSTERICAL. They steal this move from the moment they walk on screen, and don't let go. And this 25 minute or so sequence from the movie never fails to lay me out in total hysterics - I watched it several times when my dear wife was in the hospital last summer...it helped a LOT.

And surprisingly, I find that Will Ferrell is an adequate substitute for Kenneth Mars - he's pretty damn funny as Franz Liebkind, which says a lot for me, because i'm not the biggest Will Ferrell fan in the world.

But there are people out there who positively HATE the 2005 version, and that's understandable as well. I can see how some of the numbers would get on the nerves of fans of the original, not to mention the changes to the end of the movie. But that doesn't mean it's a BAD film overall.

In conclusion, here's a list of ten classic or modern classic films that Hollywood should NEVER remake, or even THINK about remaking...and anyone who DOES think about it should be drummed out of the film business forever. In fact maybe we ought to pass a law, making it illegal to tamper with the films in question...because, like I said above, they GOT IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME...

To Hollywood studio types out there: Please, please, PLEASE!  DON'T EVER TRY TO REMAKE....

HAROLD AND MAUDE
STAR WARS (EPISODE IV, A NEW HOPE)
THE MALTESE FALCON
THE BREAKFAST CLUB
VERTIGO
AIRPLANE
SPEED RACER
E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL
JAWS
"THE LORD OF THE RINGS" TRILOGY

This twelve movies (counting all three LOTR movies) all got it right this time around, and there is NO need to remake them EVER. Studio execs: If you want to expose a new generation to these stories, then do the right thing - RE-RELEASE THE ORIGINALS. That's how Disney did it for generation upon generation, and maybe it's how the studios should STILL be doing it...instead of doing an often far-inferior remake...

One final question for you:

Is the 2008 version of SPEED RACER a remake, a re-imagining, a reboot, all of the above, or none of the above? Write to me with your answer at webmaster@popcornnroses.com and we'll discuss it in a future column.

And so it goes....

Some slight schedule changes...

Due to some ongoing issues, we've had to make a slight adjustment in our schedule.

This weeks' episodes have been shifted around somewhat, and the changes will be noted on the calendar.  Our "Double Play" weekend has been moved to next weekend.

The next episode of "Subject:CINEMA", "The Snow Above, The Snow Below - The Arctic And Antarctic In The Movies" has been moved to Sunday, January 18.

The episode planned originally for Sunday, January 18, "Cityscapes: Shake Rattle And Roll" will now air on Saturday, January 24.

Thanks for your indulgence as we work through some scheduling issues!