According to Deadline Hollywood, Nicholas Pileggi and Jorge Zamacona are working on a conversion of one of film’s most popular Mafia stories. Goodfellas, the movie version of the book Wiseguy, could very well be a series on AMC.
Wiseguy, and hence Goodfellas, are based on the life of Mafia soldier Henry Hill and have been incredibly popular both in print and on screen. I cannot imagine with such strong roots and the backing of AMC that the new TV series won’t be anything but sterling and a success. I’ll be there watching the first night.
We do love our Netflix streaming! But sometimes it’s a little hard to decide what to watch. Well we’re here to help you out. Check back each week for our picks and let us know yours! Leave a comment we always want to hear from you.
Doug’s Pick – The Longest Yard: I can remember as a kid watching this the one time it came on every year (back in the day of only 3 channels). It is just one of the most fun sports movies of all time. A nice mix of comedy, football, and drama.
Melissa’s Pick – Chasing Amy:This award winning film from 1997 is a must see! Holden McNeil (Ben Affleck) is comic book writer who falls in love with fellow comic creator Alyssa Jones (Joey Lauren Adams). Although Alyssa is a lesbian, their attraction for one another leads to a physical relationship that causes chaos though out their inner circles. This romantic comedy is the perfect “date night” movie, having aspects appealing to both men and woman. But beware…this is not a film to watch while the kids are at home!
DJ’s Pick – Tucker & Dale vs. Evil: A group of college kids on vacation cross paths with two hillbillies. Nothing is as it seems…the hillbillies are just two kind-hearted guys that are mistaken for inbred killers when the college kids die one by one in freak accidents. The movie turns the backwoods slasher tale on it’s head. This is a fun comedy with a splash of gory set-pieces.
Craig’s Pick – The Inspector General:Danny Kaye at his most entertaining The Inspector Generalis the story of a simple gypsy thrust into a dilemma: does he save the townspeople or escape with his head? Great characters, great plot and a wonderfully simple story make the film not only a delight, but an entertainment treat.
Since I missed joining Doug and Craig with their top 10 of the year, I threw together my list of movies that chilled and thrilled me. My love for movies lie in the dark corners of the horror genre, the colorful worlds of animation, the spectacle of sci-fi and action adventure. I tend to like the little movies rather than big Hollywood blockbusters. Also, several of the movies on my list are foreign releases. They may be 2010 releases in their respective countries, but the U.S. was not blessed with them until 2011. So, here we go…
10. THE REEF (2010 – Released in U.S. 2011)
So Jaws is my number one shark attack movie and The Reef is right behind it. I thought this import from Australia was frightening. For most of the movie the camera is bobbing up and down in the water with the characters, and the director only lets you see as much as they can. And when the water splashes you know the shark is near and there’s nothing they can do until it’s too late. There’s a glutton of goofy shark movies out there but this is one that will scare you.
9. COLD PREY 3
I’m putting this Norwegian movie on my list even though it’s not a 2011 movie and there was no U.S. release for it. But I did see it in 2011 (my column, my rules). I love slashers and the Cold Prey series is top shelf. Part 3 gives a little insight into the origins and then flash forwards to the 80’s for more mayhem. The movie is beautifully shot and the suspense is thick. More of a moody piece than a gorefest.
8. DREAM HOME (2010 – Released in U.S. 2011) No, this is not the Daniel Craig movie, this is the blood soaked slasher movie from China. Gorehounds rejoice! The death scenes are so outrageous and gory you don’t know whether to laugh nervously or run away. It’s about a woman who begins murdering people in a condo to bring down the property value (which in Hong Kong is ridiculous). Flashbacks woven throughout her killing spree tune us in on why she’s flipped her wig.
7. I SAW THE DEVIL (2010 – Released in U.S. 2011)
Dark places is where you’ll be heading to with this Korean flick. You won’t have any time to catch your breath in between one brutal scene after another. A vengeful cop and vicious serial killer play a deadly game creating a nail-biting thrill ride. It’s a mash-up of unrelenting action and horror. If you want a taste of how wicked it is just watch the “Taxi Scene” on YouTube.
6. THE ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN
I was blown away by how real everything looked and yet it still had a comic book flair with the exaggerated features of the characters. This was a great adventure and I’ll be happy if there are more stories to follow. It reminded me of the glory days of Indiana Jones.
5. TROLL HUNTER (2010 – Released in U.S. 2011)
All the way from Norway comes this fun, mockumentary of a group of students who follow the “Troll Hunter” as he does his secret job in the dark and icy mountains. There are a variety of trolls to see and they are executed with flawless special effects. A ton of fun.
4. CARS 2
The talented people at Pixar never disappoint. More of an action-adventure than a heart-string puller, I had a great time at the theaters with my kids. The animation, colors and attention to detail are amazing! The spy-element was a great addition to the Cars universe.
3. ATTACK THE BLOCK
London street kids battle ape-like aliens with wicked teeth! At first I was put-off by the thuggish attitude of the main characters, but when alien ass needed to be kicked they came together to help. The main lead Moses went from a-hole to hero and with the help of his friends brought heat to the space invaders using everything from fireworks to samurai swords. The alien effects were awesome and the techno score pounded.
2. HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2
I love the Harry Potter books and films and Deathly Hallows Part 2 was a triumphant finish to a great series. Every frame was soaked in an inky darkness creating a sense of dread that built to an intense climax that will have you standing up to cheer. The special effects and camera work are stunning. Every performance is top-notch and I was teary eyed when the final frames rolled by.
1. SUPER 8
True story…my friends and I tried to make a zombie movie in the late 80’s on super 8 film. It was never finished because our lead actor was grounded. Anyway, I loved Super 8! It’s got humor, chills, action and a great deal of mystery and magic. It had the Spielberg touch and Abram’s direction was solid. The performances were so natural, I felt like these kids had known each other forever. I loved that they actually showed their finished zombie movie at the end. A great time at the movies!
Favorite DVD Releases of 2011: Shout Factory’s Roger Corman Presents…
So far I’ve picked up Joe Dante’s Piranha, Humanoids from the Deep, Galaxy of Terror, Forbidden Planet, Star Crash…all of them cheap and cheesy gems from the 70’s and 80’s. These dvd collections are awesome! They all feature quality uncut presentations and the dvd sleeves are reversable with alternate artwork, all of them with the original poster art!
Join Doug and Craig as they count down their favorite movies of 2011! Did your favorite movie make the list? Let us know, leave a comment and we might read it on the show. You could even join us for some podcasting fun! So come on give us your top ten, you know you want to. Special thanks to jewelbeat.com for our opening and closing music.
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Join Doug and Craig for mini reviews of We Bought A Zoo, Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows and The Adventures of TinTin. What did you think of these movies? Leave a comment or send us an email! We’re always looking for input and potential co hosts! We’d like to thank jewelbeat.com for our closing music.
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If the movie is anything like the The Five-Year Engagement trailer I can’t wait. Finally a romantic comedy that looks to be just good clean fun. With Emily Blunt and Jason Segelin the lead roles I cannot wait! Enjoy the trailer, the movie comes out April 27, 2012.
Vastly superior alien technology, body armor unlike anything humans have ever seen and a deadly threat to our world, that’s what we have stacked against us. But what we have is a Battleship. Boy am I relieved. Check out the trailer and be ready. It’s scheduled for May 18, 2012.
I can’t remember my first 3D film but I do remember, even as a child, I was not terribly impressed. I’m still not. Very few films need 3D and those that do probably cannot stand on their own. I waver between thinking the technology is purely gimmick or real value. I tend to the former.
I’ve enjoyed some 3D films but never because they were 3D. To name just two I’ve seen recently: Avatar is a visually stunning film with or without 3D while Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows3D was a complete waste of an extra five dollars. Avatar 3D, at the least, added some nice “depth” to the incredible panoramic scenes and made the creatures seem more real. With Holmes I found there to be no advantage and the 3D was distracting.
Of course TV manufacturers like Samsung, Sony, Sharp and Panasonic, among others, are desperate for 3D content but at what cost…the alienating of an already overwhelmed customer base? I now need a 3D HDTV and 3D Blu-ray player and have to replace all my recently purchased Blu-ray discs with 3D. And, I see very little improvement from the original 3D from 50+ years ago. I don’t blame the manufacturers, and they did bring us an excellent product in HDTV, but I’m waiting for the next technological advance. Till then they can do without my few dollars.
My true gripe is the exorbitant price charged to see the “new 3D.” Often I have to pay four or five dollars extra just so I don’t have to travel across town to the only theater with the traditional format. I have seen a couple of adult 3D films that at least gave me the sense I was getting value for my dollar (they were much less than I paid for Avatar).
Now the exception to my new rule (not paying to see 3D): at a recent showing of trailers the re-release of Titanic in 3D was included. It was phenomenal. I might actually pay to see the re-release, it truly looks stunning (but no promises).
Do you like Aliens? Well we do!! So much we couldn’t keep our lists to just 5. Listen in and compare Doug and Craigs favorites to yours. We want to hear what you have to say so leave a comment or send us an email. Once again special thanks to jewelbeat.com for our intro and closing music.
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According to The Hollywood Reporter director Alan Taylor replaces Patty Jenkins at the helm of the next Thor. Apparently Jenkins had fallen out of favor after creative differences caused a rift with Marvel higher ups.
Taylor, a staple on HBO, with episodes of Game of Thrones, The Sopranos and Deadwood under his belt, could bring some welcome darkness to the Thor franchise. If Taylor doesn’t forget the lighter side of the scion of Asgard, exhibited beautifully by Chris Hemsworth, Taylor could be an inspired pick.
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