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 BOYD'S BEST BETS
by Boyd Jones
BJ can be reached at jonesbj@winthrop.edu
Articles:
2008 has been a VERY good year for movies.!!!
There have really been many enjoyable and excellent films and it was harder than usual to pick my favorites… but here goes:
BJ's Best of 2008 (in alphabetical order..not ranked)
- "Benjamin Button".. a good story well spun that is original, unique, and spellbinding.. great performances throughout
- "Dark Knight".. best comic book movie ever.. Heath Ledger's "Joker" will stand the test of time as one of the great villains of movie history
- "Defiance".. a very compelling true tale that really makes you care about all the characters and while action packed, never loses its human focus
- "Doubt".. a movie that will make you think, discuss, debate, and marvel at the screenplay as well as applaud all 4 major actors in the film for a job well done
- "frost/nixon".. I love politics so this movie just makes me smile as it gives you all the background info on the infamous interview and Sheen/Langella could not be better
- "Gran Torino".. If this is Clint Eastwood's last acting gig, he goes out in style.. a movie w/ characters you can root for and care for .. interesting story
- "Iron Man".. Robert Downey, Jr, Gweneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges, Terrance Howard..in a classy comic book movie.. They do it right. Loved this movie!
- "Milk".. Sean Penn and a great cast of supporting characters relive the true story of Harvey Milk and make us feel as if we were there during this historic time.
- "Slumdog Millionaire".. my favorite film of the year.. It's a one of a kind.. Just go.. You'll thank me later.. Stay for the credits.. they also made me smile!
- "Wall-E".. I love Pixar movies and they just continue to out do themselves. I'm not a robot person and was not sure if this would work..but "Wall-E" warms your heart.
BJ's 11-20 ..( in alphabetical order, not ranked )
- "Appaloosa" .. love westerns and this one w/ Ed Harris, Viggo M, Renee Zellwigger, and Jeremy Irons brings back the genre and makes me wish for more !
- "The Bank Job"..takes the typical heist movie and moves it up a notch.. very smart script.. good cast… quite suspenseful.
- "In Bruges".. Colin Ferrell and Brendan Gleason star as 2 hit men hiding out "In Bruges"... great little film that got lost at box-office but definitely one to see!
- "Quantum of Solace".. Daniel Craig's 2nd Bond film.. not as good as "Casino Royale" but has several sequences of brilliance.. Judi Dench is also great .
- "The Reader" ..Kate Winslet is superb in this interesting story of a young boy's first love and reconnecting w/ her later in life and what occurred during the years between.
- "Revolutionary Road" ..Kate W and Leo reunite in this drama that brings them back together .. 2 of our finest actors. who both do the difficult material proud…
- "Secret Life of Bees" … I had heard great things about the book but the trailer for film didn't entice me but I went anyway.. glad I did.. very interesting / moving story.
- "Tropic Thunder" .. A very witty, well written , campy send up of Hollywood and the action film genre. Downey, Stiller, Black , Cruise… a must see !
- "The Visitor".. the little movie that could.. This is a little indie movie starring Richard Jenkins ( "6 Ft. Under") about a man's unexpected friendship w/ an
illegal immigrant.
- "The Wrestler" ..a powerful film about a washed up wrestler making a comeback in the ring and in life..starring Mickey Rourke whose own story mirrors his character
- Others I enjoyed …(may not be great films but had something worthwhile for me to recommend.. in random order..not ranked)
- "Mamma Mia".. great movie…no.. Was I smiling and singing along during some of the fun songs? You bet..one of the very few movies I saw more than once.
- "Definitely, Maybe"… Probably my favorite romantic comedy of the year
- "Stop/Loss".. powerful .. thought –provoking drama about what happens when our vets come home and get called back to service
- "21".. True story about some smart college students who go to Vegas and try to beat the system
- "Forgetting Sarah Marshall".. very funny film about a guy trying to get over being dumped..has several laugh out loud moments
- "Flawless".. Michael Caine and Demi Moore in a well crafter, interesting, superbly acted diamond heist flick…
- "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" .. is it as good as the first 3? No.. Will you still enjoy it ? Yes..
- "Kung Fu Panda" .. one of the best animated movies of the year.. fun story, great characters, good for adults/kids.
- "Wanted".. Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman as assassins .. I'm there… Interesting cinematography and an above average action flick.
- "Pineapple Express".. Judd Apatow just puts out funny movies and who knew James Franco could be so good as a pothead, but he's hilarious!
- "Burn After Reading".. Brad Pitt will have you howling and this Coen Brothers flick, while not living up to their best, is quirky enough to recommend.
- "Eagle Eye".. Shia LeBouf in an interesting thriller that shows how technology is taking over our lives… and not in a good way.
- "Zack and Miri Make a Porno".. Kevin Smith films are almost always worth seeing and this one has some hysterical parts (and of course some that were over the line)
- "Role Models".. Sean William Scott and Paul Rudd play 2 losers who get assigned mentoring duty and have some funny scenes as they try to connect w/ the 2 kids.
- "Get Smart".. Steven Carrell, Anne Hathaway, Alan Arkin, and The Rock do a good job of bringing the classic goofy TV detective show to life..not great, but fun
- "Australia".. This movie has a lot of heart and Hugh Jackman is fantastic and the cinematography is gorgeous, especially the cattle journeys..script needs some work…
- "Cadillac Records".. interesting movie about some of the early pioneers of music…starring Jeffrey Wright, Adrian Brody, Beyonce, Mos Def.. great soundtrack
- "Bolt"..one of the better animated movies w/ Travolta and Cyrus doing primary voice work.. love the hamster in a ball who steals movie whenever on screen..
- "Marley and Me".. Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson are perfectly cast in this film about a dog who'll steal your heart.. and anything laying around…
- "Valkyre" A really good movie that details a true conspiracy among some German officers to kill Hitler.. Unfortunately you know how it will end, but still quite interesting
- "Last Chance Harvey"… great to have a romantic movie w/ middle aged vs. younger actors.. Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson make this immensely watchable.
- " Seven Pounds".. A jigsaw puzzle of a movie that has you continuously trying to figure it all out. Will Smith and Rosario Dawson were good..but in the end, is it worth it?
- "Hellboy 2".. some of the most unusual and interesting special effects and deadpan humor you'll find.. If you liked "Hellboy" , the second one does not disappoint.
- "Body of Lies".. a complex well acted spy tale w/ Leo and Russell Crowe in a confusing movie that shows you the connections between informants and CIA.
- "Nights in Rodanthe".. It has Diane Lane and Richard Gere back together for 3rd movie and they work very well together.. not great, but worth your time.
- "What Happens in Vegas".. I am an Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz fan… Seeing them together made me laugh. A fun time even if it's predictable at times.
- "Pride"… Terrance Howard is quite good in this true story of him coaching a black swim team that is way more than about swimming…
- "Vicky Cristina Barcelona".. VCB is on my list for 1 reason ..When Penelope Cruz enters pic halfway through, this goes from OK to va va voom ! Great role for her!
BJ's BEST BETS for TV
- Friday Night Lights … Best show on TV to me … Best ensemble on TV
- The Office… it makes me laugh
- Brothers and Sisters.. As an only child, I watch this show and lament what I'm missing ( but I've adopted many friends as B & S in my world)
- Two and a Half Men… you would think it would be getting old by now, but they have found a way to keep this comedy funny and fresh
- Chuck… I think this is one of those shows that has an interesting premise, is very well cast, and is entertaining on many different levels.
- Smallville… That this show has been around for quite some time and lost some major characters and is still interesting and fun says a lot.
- Desperate Housewives.. Great cast and this season has been one of its best.. Moving the series up 5 years in a snap was risky, but it worked.
- Scrubs… wacky, unique, makes me laugh
- Boston Legal.. I'm a David E. Kelly fan ( the writer) and am sad it is gone. Shatner, Spader, Bergen.. what fun it was to watch them together!
- Talent Reality Shows --- I am not into Reality TV but do enjoy the talent searches such as American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, America's Got Talent, &Nashville Star.(could care less about Bachelors/Bachelorettes,Survivor, Apprentice, Wife Swap, Momma's Boy, Supernanny, etc)
BJ's Favorite Cable Shows
- Entourage… This show is well written, well cast and acted, and simply fun
- Damages… Best cable drama .. Glenn Close was so deserving of her Emmy as Best Actress on TV.. this is a MUST SEE !!!
- Weeds.. Very funny , well written, off the wall comedy about a housewife w/ an non traditional way of earning a living.
- True Blood… What an alluring, sexy, intriguing tale of how Louisiana reacts when vampires move to their community.
- Rescue Me.. Denis Leary and his castmates make me appreciate life in a firehouse while caring and laughing at the same time.
- Raising the Bar… Mark-Paul Gossler stars in a legal drama from the creator of NYPD Blue ..this time , it's about public defenders.. good new show!
- Greek.. good show about collegiate greek life w/ interesting characters and situations .. a show about young people but both young and old will enjoy.
- Brotherhood.. interesting drama about a family where one brother is a Rhode Island community leader/politician and other a gangster.. love the dynamics of it all.
- Big Love…never thought a drama about polygamy would be interesting, but it is.. a lot going on in this series but it definitely brings to life situations I've only read about .
- MSNBC political shows… always enjoy "Morning Joe", " 1600 Pennsylvania Ave", "Hardball", " Rachel Maddow" as they are interesting as well as informative.
Favorite CD's I bought last year
I obviously can't listen to or purchase all the CD's that come out each year and while I am so looking forward to the 2009 releases soon of the new Bruce Springsteen ,U2, Wynonna, and Keith Urban cds.. the following cds were my favorites that I heard last year…
- Coldplay
- Sugarland
- Brad Paisley
- Jason Mraz
- Darius Rucker ( my surprise favorite cd of the year)
- John Mellencamp
- Adele
- Alicia Keys
- Emmylou Harris
- Dolly Parton
- Jennifer Hudson
- Sheryl Crow
- John Mayer ( best live cd of the year)
- Dwight Yoakam
- Trisha Yearwood
- Patty Loveless
Best independent CD I heard … Lloyd Dobler Effect… great guys.. great sound.. great live !!!
Best Broadway shows I saw last year… Wicked / Doubt / Avenue Q
Best concerts I saw .. .larger – Brad Paisley w/ Jewel….. Reba McIntire & Kelly Clarkson… Dolly Parton …
Smaller – Ellis Paul , Bonepony, David Lamotte, Chris Cauley & Chinua Hawk
Just my thoughts..
Have an awesome 2009 !!!
bj
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