Cloverfield, the jumbo hit last week, dropped nearly seventy percent in its second frame. Ouch! So much for the second coming of horror—the digital version. Those of you who felt I slapped you in the face by saying there were problems with this reimagining of 9/11 as a monster flick can at least admit that now I have company. The biggest shame for Cloverfield is coming in behind the lousy Meet the Spartans, the enfeebled Rambo and—yikes—the chick flick 27 Dresses.
Did you watch the Screen Actors Guild awards last night? OK, if you didn't. Two TV hours provided about ten minutes of interest. But it might be the only awards show we see if the writers' strike plods on. The single surprise was Ruby Dee winning Best Supporting Actress for American Gangster when the odds favored Cate Blanchett as Bob Dylan in I'm Not There or Amy Ryan as a crack whore mom in Gone Baby Gone. Please, Cate was incredible. Best moment was There Will Be Blood winner Daniel Day Lewis ("I'll drink your milkshake—I'll drink it up!") dedicating his Best Actor trophy to Heath Ledger. His words about Ledger's monumental performance in a small role in Monster's Ball were well chosen and heartfelt. The rest was business as usual, but way duller. I never thought I'd miss the Golden Globes.
Speaking of dull, how did Meet the Spartans ever become a No. One hit? This craptacular makes Epic Movie seem, well, epic. Are we that desperate? Could you not just find a small movie—maybe 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days —and do something to charge the brain cells?
Something not to bitch about on the weekend: Martin Scorsese, last year's winner, presenting Joel and Ethan Coen with the top prize from the Directors Guild of America for No Country for Old Men. A great filmmaker passing the torch. Almost makes you optimistic about movies.
Back to bitching: At Sundance, I had at least a fifty-fifty chance of seeing a good movie. Look what's on my screening calendar now that I'm at the mercy of Hollywood: Eva Longoria Parker in Over Her Dead Body—even the trailer is torture, the Hannah Montana/Miley Cryrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour in 3D (bring back Beowulf) and Paris Hilton in The Hottie and the Nottie. Kill me now.
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john | February 1, 2008 5:14 AM
I like Juno partly because it's anti-Hollywood in the sense that it's not your typical "woman with long, flowing hair exposing mid-riff" kind of thing. And the music in the film isn't your typical rap crap with macho black men singing about ho's and expressing their homophobia. Instead, it's the kind of music that ripples with daring even to this day.
That Cocky Internet Guy | January 30, 2008 4:43 PM
I searched for '4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days' after A.O. Scott said it was a good film and I thought it was one of the saddest films of the destruction of a friendship I had ever seen. Tragic and beautiful at the same time.
Landogarner | January 30, 2008 10:37 AM
Your blog is much more entertaining than half of your movie reviews.
You should stick this style for your reviews.
Josh | January 29, 2008 9:39 AM
I'm getting pretty sick of pompous critics who only rave about art house flicks or the previously-mentioned dramedies! Critics loved About Schmidtt...well, my wife and I both f-ing hated it! Children of Men? Muddled mess with inaccuracies throughout. Juno? How about one Ellen Page spending 96 minutes acting as obnoxious and immature as she possibly can! I welcomed a new Rambo because it stepped out of the pc, apologetic, over-medicated and over stimulated world that we live in and reminded us that great action movies can still be made where the hero isn't pulling a Matrix ripoff out of his ass! Mr. Travers, it's good to watch think pieces from time to time but there's no harm in a movie like Rambo that reminds some of us what was so great about action movies in the first place! My friends and I LOVED it!
Rob | January 29, 2008 9:37 AM
Kill me also.
Susser | January 28, 2008 9:59 PM
Peter,
Speaking of Sundace, what's your take on "Sugar"? I'm from the QC and I three of my friends were extras in the film as players for the "QC Swing". We've been dying to see it. If you can give me your take that would be great.
you are misinformed. | January 28, 2008 9:23 PM
i loved the first three rambo
films.
you know why? ACTION.
something that was sorely missing
from this new hour and a half
murder fest.
i sure did dig seeing a little
5 year old knifed and gutted.
cool stuff. yeah.
John | January 28, 2008 3:35 PM
I guess the new Rambo had a little too much testesterone for Peter...great action movie, it didnt try to be anything that it wasn't which way too many movies try to do these days..especially these "drama-dies" like Knocked up and Wedding Crashers...yeah I can do without the whole depressing moral drama eating up an hour of screen time .....anyway back to the point...Rambo was a great action movie and brought attention to a terrible section of the world that alot of people did not know about...
Aaron | January 28, 2008 2:07 PM
Peter, you rule!
JasonTHX | January 28, 2008 1:20 PM
I love your blog, Peter. Please make it a regular feature here.
I re-watched Monster's Ball last week after Ledger's passing. What an open, sorrowful face this great actor conveyed. It reminded me of the scrappiness the young Pacino had.
Ruby's great (go back and watch Jungle Fever for evidence) but Cate mezmerises in I'm Not There.
Meet The - oh, Hell I'm not even going to type it became #1, sure, But hey, Juno crossed 100 mill. Let's see Carmen Electra do that.
With the Coen's and Paul Thomas Anderson there is indeed still brilliance left in cinema.