 The films of Cameron Crowe, at one time were riddled with an authenticity and truth that was startling. As a writer he understood how people spoke to one another, the emotions they felt for each other and the manner in which to present that to an audience. HIs superb teen love story Say Anything (1989) remains one of the great love stories of modern cinema, painfully capturing that ache that comes with the loss of a first love, and the staggering depth of love one feels at that time. Singles (1992) was a superb study of young adults recognizing they were no longer kids, but were for some reason hanging on to their childhood, fearful of what being an adult actually meant. And Almost Famous (2000), his masterpiece is an autobiographical study of his teen years working for Rolling Stone magazine as an underage reporter. Few films capture that time in history with so much passion and truth, and dare I say it…innocence?? A sheer love of music or rock and roll drives our hero and we just get it from the first frame to the very last sequence. Beautifully acted (Kate Hudson especially), directed and written the film should have been a major hit in 2000 instead of the disappointment it was, despite winning an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
Read more on We Bought a Zoo (**)…
 This week we welcome in 2012 here at the column by highlighting a solid crop of new DVD releases for your purchasing pleasure. Last year ended on a low note, but a trio of recommended titles make sure that this year gets off right. Here’s to a great year of Blu-Ray and DVD releases! Anyway, back to the column. For my first 2012 PICK OF THE WEEK, I went with a darling little comedy that very few people bothered to see last year. It did get noticed at the Golden Globes, but a wider audience would have been great for this flick. It’s:
The Guard
Brendan Gleeson gives a comedic tour de force in John Michael McDonagh’s action comedy debut. It doesn’t have as much to it as his brother’s film In Bruges in terms of depth, but for my money this is the funnier flick by far. Gleeson’s chemistry with Don Cheadle is excellent, making for a fantastic time. It’s a bit on the silly side, but I can’t imagine anyone not getting a kick out of this movie. Gleeson received a well deserved Globe nod, but he’s a long shot to win in the Comedy category. Still, it’s nice to see the film recognized, no matter what. Now that it’s on DVD, you all can get a chance to watch this movie, since many missed it in theaters. So far, it’s the best release of the year. Not much to choose from, but still…
Read more on Joey’s DVD Picks of the Week (1/3/2012)…
The Year-In-Review continues with some non-traditional citations on certain films and performances that did or did not make head way in 2011. What are your choices for “Limited Performance” of the year? or Most Underrated Film? or share what you thought about the Year-in-TV as I dish out my favorites in Television Drama and Comedies. Read more after jump. Read more on Year-In-Review: Editor’s Specialty Awards…
Categories: Article, Community, Editor Tags: Alexander Payne, American Horror Story, american idol, Andy Serkis, arthur christmas, Bennett Miller, Berenice Bejo, Best Animated Feature, Best of the year, bill hader, Boardwalk Empire, Brad Pitt, Bridesmaids, Bryce Dallas Howard, Carey Mulligan, Christina Hendricks, Christine Baranski, dancing with the stars, Dexter, Drive, Eric Stonestreet, George Clooney, glee, Harry Escott, Hugo, it;s always sunny in philadelphia, jane lynch, Jason Segel, jean dujardin, Jessica Chastain, Jessica Lange, John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, Julie Bowen, Kelly MacDonald, Kristen Wiig, mad men, Martin Scorsese, Max Greenfield, Maya Rudolph, Melissa McCarthy, Michael Fassbender, Michel Hazanavicius, modern family, Moneyball, New Girl, Nicolas Winding Refn, pariah, Paul Feig, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Ryan Gosling, saturday night live, Score, Sean Penn, Shame, sofia vergara, Steve McQueen, Super 8, Survivor, Terrence Malick, the artist, The Descendants, The Help, The Muppets, the office, The Tree of Life, The Walking Dead, the x factor, Tilda Swinton, True Blood, tv, Ty Burrell, Up All Night, We Need To Talk About Kevin
 Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures:
THE ARTIST
Producer: Thomas Langmann
BRIDESMAIDS
Producers: Judd Apatow, Barry Mendel, Clayton Townsend
THE DESCENDANTS
Producers: Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
Producers: Ceán Chaffin, Scott Rudin
THE HELP
Producers: Michael Barnathan, Chris Columbus, Brunson Green
HUGO
Producers: Graham King, Martin Scorsese
THE IDES OF MARCH
Producers: George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Brian Oliver
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
Producers: Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum
MONEYBALL
Producers: Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz, Brad Pitt
WAR HORSE
Producers: Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg
Read more on Producers Guild of America Nominees…
 Short and sweet:
- The Artist
- Bridesmaids
- The Descendants
- Drive
- Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part 2
- The Help
- Hugo
- Midnight in Paris
- Moneyball
- War Horse
“Bridesmaids” is a curve ball but I think it’s making some ground. My one alternate is “The Tree of Life” but I don’t think enough votes will make it through. Same goes for “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” and “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” which is tanking little by little.
Read more on Producers Guild of America Predictions…
 New York City has had a moment in 2011, that’s for sure. From ‘Shame’ to ‘Margaret’ to ‘Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close’ (not to mention appearances in the likes of ’The Adjustment Bureau’, ‘Bill Cunningham New York’, ‘HappyThankYouMorePlease’, and ‘Margin Call’…hell, even trash like ‘New Year’s Eve’), the city of New York has been a looming character in many films this past year. How ironic is it that in a year where this is the case, Woody Allen is actually one of the filmmakers who didn’t contribute to this? Regardless, it’s a year where I’ve seen New York captured as a character in movies like I haven’t witness in a long time. Specifically with the first three films I mentioned, the city is an omnipresent character an an emotional piece of the puzzle. From ‘Shame’ compounding the loneliness of Brandon with the emptiness of the city on a late night run to ‘Margaret’ making the post 9/11 city a real concern for Lisa and most others to ‘Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close’ focusing on a trip throughout the boroughs that relates back to “the worst day” for Oskar, New York has been worthy of a Best Supporting Actor (or is it Actress?) nomination in 2011. Especially considering that 2011 was the 10th anniversary of 9/11, the omnipresence of New York makes a bit of sense, to say the least. Each film used it in a different way, but all did it with aplomb. There are a trio of films that really made New York a character last year, and I want to talk a bit about each and give them their due. Trust me, as a New Yorker, they deserve it in a big way.
Read more on New York City: The Best Cinematic Character in 2011?…
 For Your Consideration – Best Original Screenplay – Evan Glodell
Film: Bellflower
Director: Evan Glodell
Screenplay: Evan Glodell
Realistic Nominations: None
Oscar Scene: The fuel tank experiment
No matter what you may think of ‘Bellflower’ (and there are both ardent lovers like myself and huge detractors like our fearless leader Clayton), it’s hard to deny the originality of the project, and the credit goes almost fully to Evan Glodell. The writer, director, producer, editor, star of the film, and inventor of most of the props in the flick (including the camera used to shoot the movie), Glodell does yeoman’s work in getting this movie made, and the end result for my money was something rather extraordinary. A commentary on masculinity and the male broken heart unlike anything I’ve seen before (the publicity material aptly called it a mix between ‘Mad Max’ and John Hughes), it would please me immensely to see either ACCA or The Academy reward Glodell and the film for his vision. In my humble opinion, the best way to do it would be with a Best Original Screenplay nomination.
Read more on Circuit Consideration: Evan Glodell for Bellflower…
 It was a good haul for ‘The Tree of Life’ with the OFCS. Take a gander at what else this group chose to honor as their winners this year:
Best Picture:
The Tree of Life
Best Director:
Terrence Malick – The Tree of Life
Read more on Online Film Critics Society Awards!…
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The films of Cameron Crowe, at one time were riddled with an authenticity and truth that was startling. As a writer he understood how people spoke to one another, the emotions they felt for each other and the manner in which to present that to an audience. HIs superb teen love story Say Anything (1989) remains one of the great love stories of modern cinema, painfully capturing that ache that comes with the loss of a first love, and the staggering depth of love one feels at that time. Singles (1992) was a superb study of young adults recognizing they were no longer kids, but were for some reason hanging on to their childhood, fearful of what being an adult actually meant. And Almost Famous (2000), his masterpiece is an autobiographical study of his teen years working for Rolling Stone magazine as an underage reporter. Few films capture that time in history with so much passion and truth, and dare I say it…innocence?? A sheer love of music or rock and roll drives our hero and we just get it from the first frame to the very last sequence. Beautifully acted (Kate Hudson especially), directed and written the film should have been a major hit in 2000 instead of the disappointment it was, despite winning an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.
