Leaderboard update January!

2012 move quickly and its time for the first leader board update of the year. 2011's leaderboard Titan 365 Horror kicks it off by dominating again but it shows that the academy awards are approaching and I'm sure that Never Too Early Movie Predictions will give 365 Horror a run for its money when the Oscar coverage escalates.

As seen there are a bunch of new LAMB's on the top 20 and a lot of them don't have personal banners so make sure to send me yours and I'll add it to our image archive and it will show both on the leaderboard and in the random LAMB feature on this site. More info on banners here

The LAMB Devours the Oscars: Best Picture - The Artist

Editor's note: Welcome to the tenth of a 32-part series dissecting the 84th Academy Awards, brought to you by the Large Association of Movie Blogs and its assorted members. Every day leading up to the Oscars, a new post written by a different LAMB will be published, each covering a different category of the Oscars. To read any other posts regarding this event, please click the tag following the post. Thank you, and enjoy!

By Michaël of Le Mot du Cinephiliaque

Best Motion Picture nominee The Artist 

Presented for the first time at Cannes' film festival, many observers noticed that this uncompromised silent film would have a long reach within the movie goers of this world. Shot in the aspect ratio of the time it represents 1.33:1 also known as the "Academy ratio" and in a beautiful black and white that revives the era of silent films. Michel Hazanavicius wanted to craft a film that reminded him of the classic musicals of the 1930's. He explains that using this ratio gives the actors "a presence, a power, a strength". 

Such a work of revival with the use of Mary Pickford's house and bed, the use of Debbie Reynolds and Gene Kelly's studio for the filming of the dancing scenes, the location shooting at the Warner Bros studios and even the controversial use of Bernard Herrmann's love theme of Vertigo. The film cries nostalgia all over the place and sometimes we cinephiles love to be reminded of the good "ol' tymes". Look at the success of Singin' In the Rain a film that definitely influenced Hazanavicius. But does the public respond to the echo of the past? The numbers of the Box Office can't lie on what the public is willing to watch: in France it grossed more than 9.5 million Euros and in the USA , as of January 15th, it actually grossed $9.2 million. Let's project that the nomination announcement may help the gross total of this release in North America. These numbers put in perspective that it is a black and white silent film concurring with many 3D releases and full Dolby Surround Digital with top of the art visual effects makes this achievement even more impressive. 

On the critics' side of things, The Artist scores at 89/100 on Metascore and holds a solid 97% and the audience voted for it at 91% at Rotten Tomatoes. The regular voters at IMDb gave it a strong 8.5 which places it at the number 162 on the Top 250 of all-time on IMDb. The success story of The Artist made the film a strong contender for the Academy Awards. The best indicators for the award season are the previous ceremonies held before the Oscars: 

- 12 nominations at the BAFTA Awards (Cinematography, Costume Design, Director, Editing, Film, Leading Actor, Leading Actress, Make Up & Air, Original Music, Original Screenplay, Sound) 

- Won the Best lead for Jean Dujardin at Cannes Film Festival and nominated for the Palme d'Or (Best Film) 

- Winner of 3 Golden Globes for Best Musical or Comedy, Best Original Score - Motion Picture, Best Performance by an Actor - Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy Jean Dujardin and many other serious Associations and Guilds. 

It makes The Artist a strong contender for the ten nominations it got and it will probably reach the podium and win the most desired statuette of the night.

Introducing...MOTM Champions

We've been doing the rejuvenated Movie of the Month (in conjunction with LAMBcasts devoted to said MOTMs) for close to a year now, and it's time to throw in a new wrinkle. Along the way, we've had several people campaign heavily for one film or another, sometimes gaining support and getting that film voted as the winner (like, say, Joel with The Long Kiss Goodnight) and sometimes not quite having enough pull to get a win (like, say, Joel with The Fast and the Furious...yet).

It came to me that, rather than my merely asking for suggestions of films and some LAMB out there potentially latching on to one of them, we should try to get as many vested parties interested as possible. Thus, I present to you the idea of MOTM Champions.

From now on (assuming this idea takes off), I will be asking for volunteers - for LAMBs out there to champion a film. Here's what this entails:

* When I declare the winner of whichever is the current poll at the time, I'll put the call out for MOTM Champions. The first 10 who are interested and will be available for that episode (the next one in question, and for which you would be volunteering for now would be March 10th) will be instructed to email me their film choices.

* When it's time for the (next) poll, I'll list all of the Champions and their films along with the poll. They will be encouraged them to make a post (akin to what Fogs' Movie Reviews recently did - successfully, I might add - for The Shining) and campaign on Twitter or Facebook or whatever.

* If your championed film wins, you are obligated to not only appear on that month's LAMBcast, but to 'host' the MOTM segment - explain why you chose the film, what you might like (or dislike) about it, guide the discussion, etc.

* To prevent highly influential LAMBs from dominating the feature every month, we're instilling a small rule: the Champion with the winning film won't be eligible to participate in the Champions event for the following three months. We want you to participate but not dominate.

Sound good? Let me know of any questions, comments, etc. And with that...

If you'd like to Champion a film for the next MOTM, and are able and willing to appear on the LAMBcast (and host the MOTM segment) on March 10th (the show usually records at 3:30 PM Pacific on Saturdays), send an email along with your choice of film to dylan [at] manilovefilms.com. (Films previously chosen as MOTM or those that have appeared on the polls and failed to earn 5% of the votes will be ineligible - I'll let you know if you have chosen one of these films.)

LAMBScores: The Devil Inside

iRATEfilms.com


Fear of a Ghost Planet
Sobriety Test Movie Reviews
Okinawa Assault


The Critical Movie Critics
MoviesHateYouToo
And So It Begins...


Dan the Man's Movie Reviews


Fr. Dennis at the Movies

Average LAMBScore out of five, rounded to nearest half-LAMB: (9 sites)


Median LAMBScore:


Submissions for this film are now closed. To submit your rating & review for other new releases, visit the LAMB Forums (must be an existing LAMB to join).

The LAMB Devours the Oscars: Best Supporting Actor

Editor's note: Welcome to the ninth of a 32-part series dissecting the 84th Academy Awards, brought to you by the Large Association of Movie Blogs and its assorted members. Every day leading up to the Oscars, a new post written by a different LAMB will be published, each covering a different category of the Oscars. To read any other posts regarding this event, please click the tag following the post. Thank you, and enjoy!

By Jess of Insight Into Entertainment

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role has had some really memorable winners, but it's the breadth of the nominees that is really impressive.  The youngest winner was 20 (Timothy Hutton, Ordinary People 1981), and the oldest was 80 (George Burns, The Sunshine Boys 1976).  This year brings us the oldest nominees, Christopher Plummer and Max Von Sydow, joining Hal Holbrook for the record at 82.  The youngest, I just watched myself this year - Justin Henry was only 8 when he was nominated for Kramer vs Kramer.  The Supporting category often honors the most memorable characters from a film: Heath Ledger for The Joker (The Dark Knight), Kevin Spacey as Verbal Kint (The Usual Suspects) and Javier Bardem for Anton Chigurh (No Country for Old Men).  Leading actors have even been nominated several times for supporting and gone on to win a Best Actor award (2 nominations for Supporting Actor before a win for Best Actor: Robert Duval, 3 Times for Jeff Bridges and Al Pacino).  So these 5 men will take their place amongst the best actors and greatest characters with their nominations this year.  I've seen 4 of the 5 nominees and I'll give you my thoughts on their performances and predict a winner.

Jonah Hill for Moneyball  - This takes the spot for a comedian showing off his dramatic chops. Robin Williams won an Oscar in 1997 for doing just that in Good Will Hunting.  However, it's safe to say that Jonah Hill hasn't the talent as a comedian or actor to belong in the same category with the others on this list.  His turn as Peter Brand, the numbers guy that convinces Billy Beane that a better team can be purchased for the Oakland A's by buying players based only on their on-base percentage.  This definitely revolutionized baseball, and Hill's performance is good - certainly his best so far.  But for a young (29) comedic actor, this definitely isn't his Oscar-worthy performance.

Nick Nolte for Warrior - Until I was assigned this category, I'd never heard of Warrior.  But now I've seen it.  Nick Nolte supports Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton as their recovering alcoholic ex-Marine father.  He trained them both as fighters in high school, but lost touch with them due to drinking and now due to heartbreaking circumstances of fate, the two sons are competing in a winner-take-all mixed martial arts competition.  Hardy has returned from places unknown (though they are revealed just in time for a dramatic ending), really, really pissed off, and asked his dad to train him again.  Edgerton has made his own way in the world and has a family to take care of.  The movie itself had so much potential, both from the strength of its cast and the originality of its story, but the shmaltzy way it brings the film together, I can't recommend it.  Nolte really embraces his role with the grizzly voice and worn down look and attitude.  He's really attempting to right the wrongs of the past, but some things can't be forgotten.  A great opening with Nolte, but the weakness of the film overall means I doubt he'll be getting the gold.

Christopher Plummer for Beginners - After winning the Golden Globe, Plummer is the man to beat.  He plays Ewan McGregor's father who, after his wife's death, decides to live the rest of his life as the gay man he always was.  We mostly see this through McGregor's eyes - how awkward it would be to rethink your whole life imagining your father had been gay.  And then seeing him embrace this life with a new boyfriend (Goran Visjnic) and finding out he's now dying of cancer makes Plummer's role one of the most complex of the race this year.  Watching the former Captain Von Trapp embrace his homosexuality is at times extremely humorous, and at others particularly heartbreaking.  I think Plummer will walk away with the statue this year.

Max von Sydow for Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close - Perhaps the only performance that really rivals Plummer's for complexity, von Sydow plays The Renter.  Oscar Schell (Thomas Horn - who deserved much more recognition than he's getting) lives across the street from his grandmother who has rented a room to an old man.  After Oscar loses his father (Tom Hanks) on 9/11 he relies on his mother and grandmother to help him navigate the world.  One night when trying to communicate with his grandmother by walkie talkie, The Renter responds with Morse code.  This prompts Oscar to seek him out.  He finds a man who doesn't speak - he has 'YES' and 'NO' written on his palms and carries a book and pen.  Because of this Oscar empties his soul, telling of his struggles to solve the last quest his father left.  The Renter asks to go on the journey with him, and attempts to protect him along the way. von Sydow is wonderful as an obviously broken man who finds a kindred soul in Oscar and wants to protect him from life.  If there was ever a year to win an Oscar for not speaking in film, the year The Artist has so many nominations seems a likely one.

Kenneth Branagh for My Week with Marilyn (2011) - This is the movie I haven't seen, but you can bet Kenneth Branagh did a terrific job playing Laurence Olivier working with Marilyn Monroe.  Unless this is a huge surprise from a smaller film, I'd still say it's just an honor for Branagh to be nominated.

Predicted Win: Plummer:
Dark Horse: von Sydow

REMINDER: LIONs for LAMBs Voting

These guys really want you to go vote in the LIONs for LAMBs poll. They're very sorry Mister Poll was being a douche for over a week and not allowing anyone to vote. But they want you to know the poll is working again and you should go vote before February 11th. They thank you very much for your participation.

http://www.misterpoll.com/polls/546776

LAMB #1224 - Did You See That One?

URL: www.didyouseethatone.com
Site Name: Did You See That One?
Categories: Reviews, Humor, Horror, Classic Film
Rating: PG

What is the main focus of your site?
Introducing new and old movies to people.


What are your blogging goals, personally and/or professionally? In other words, what, if anything, are you trying to get out your blog?

I'd like to build my blog into a popular site to learn more about movies.


Do you prefer an interactive community for your blog or are you the teacher and your readers the students?

I consider it an interactive experience. I claim no authority in any subjects.


How long have you been movie blogging for, and how frequent do you post updates to your site?

I've been writing since June, first on blogspot, then my site moved to it's current and final location.

Name up to three of your favorite movies (and no more).
The Godfather, My Father's Glory, Anatomy of a Murder



How did you hear about the LAMB?

It was Matt Stewart from http://mattandmotionpictures.wordpress.com/


Any additional comments, or give yourself an interview question that's not listed above.
I'm passionate and opinionated, but I'm also open to learning from anyone out there.

The LAMB Devours the Oscars: Best Picture - Moneyball

Editor's note: Welcome to the eighth of a 32-part series dissecting the 84th Academy Awards, brought to you by the Large Association of Movie Blogs and its assorted members. Every day leading up to the Oscars, a new post written by a different LAMB will be published, each covering a different category of the Oscars. To read any other posts regarding this event, please click the tag following the post. Thank you, and enjoy!

By Iba of I Luv Cinema

What do you do when you have a cash-strapped baseball franchise trying to compete with the big boys? You play ‘moneyball’ - at least that is what Billy Beane and his brain trust in Oakland decided to do in 2002 following the loss of 3 key players to teams with exceedingly higher payrolls after the 2001 baseball season.

The film Moneyball directed by Bennet Miller, is based on the true story of Beane’s role in changing the process by which sports teams select their players. With a story by Stan Chervin, Moneyball is adapted for the screen by Steve Zallian and Aaron Sorkin; the source behind all of this is Michael Lewis’ bestselling book "Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game".

Moneyball stars Brad Pitt as Billy Beane, Jonah Hill as his protégé Peter Brand and in a minor supporting role, Philip Seymour Hoffman as Art Howe, the reluctant manager of the Oakland Athletics, the team at the center of the story.

As the story of the 2002 A’s unfolds, we are also given a glimpse at Billy’s own failed baseball career and how this impacted the decisions he is making in the present.

That said I came into Moneyball with managed expectations. Sure, I had heard and read all the great press about the film, but I still was not certain that this film was necessarily for me, even despite the fact that I am a sports fan. What I got was an entertaining and enjoyable peek at the unseen workings of sports team as well as some human interest behind the story.

This is probably my favorite Brad Pitt performance in recent memory. Everything seemed so unforced, so natural that I really believed in and was rooting for his character. Jonah Hill was equally affable as the not so obvious partner in the scheme that they devised.

Despite being a film with a ton of economic formulas and sports references, the narrative is accessible to all who watch it, thanks to Zaillian’s and Sorkin’s co-writing.

On the downside, the sketchy portrayals of the supporting players left me wanting to know a little more about them. While Moneyball is clearly a story driven from Beane’s perspective, the supporting characters are not as fully developed as they could have been. Nowhere is this more evident is the characterization of Beane and his relationship with his estranged wife (played by Robin Wright) and daughter.

So while maybe not reaching the level of iconic films such as Field of Dreams or The Natural, Moneyball is definitely a standout film of the genre.

Classic Chops: February 1st

Good news, everyone!  We’re back with another expanded version of “Classic Chops”…

Site Name: Wide Screen Review

Sherlock, Jr./The Playhouse

Submitted by: Wide Screen Review

Site Name: Tips from Chip

Movie – Throne of Blood (1957)

Submitted by: Tips from Chip

Site Name: The Movie Projector

Humoresque (1946)

Submitted by: Thrilling Days of Yesteryear

Site Name: 1001 Movies – Living by the Book

894: Apur Sansar (1959)

Submitted by: 1001 Movies – Living by the Book

Site Name: Forever Classics

My Favorite Films: To Kill a Mockingbird

Submitted by: Thrilling Days of Yesteryear

Site Name: The Warning Sign

Silent Film Review: Battleship Potemkin (1925)

Submitted by: The Warning Sign

Site Name: The Velvet Café

A Japanese fairy tale for grownups

Submitted by: The Velvet Café

Site Name: Old Horror Movies

The Killer Shrews (1959)

Submitted by: Old Horror Movies

Site Name: Classic Film Freak

Action in the North Atlantic (1943)

Submitted by: Thrilling Days of Yesteryear

Site Name: Sobriety Test Movie Reviews

REVIEW: One Might Want To Be a Little Pixilated When Mr.Deeds Goes to Town

Submitted by: Sobriety Test Movie Reviews

Classic Chops enthusiastically welcomes any essay or post you’ve composed on a film classic—and even though I originally set the criterion at films released in 1965 and before, I have “cheated” a little and included films after that date that I don’t think too many people would dispute are “classics.”  Simply send your submissions to classicchops@gmail.com by February 7th at 6:00pm EST…and any questions, comments, suggestions and leftover Razzie nominations should be addressed to that same e-mail address as well.

As always…until next time…see you at the movies!

LAMBcast #101: Top 10s for 2011

Fans of Rants and Raves of the Week, I assure you they are not going anywhere. However, with our special interview show coming at #100 and with this, our Top 10s show at #101, let's just say that they've taken a short hiatus. That was planned from the start, as this was expected to be a longish show, and it was. Dylan, Nick, Fredo, Dan Heaton and LAMBcast newbie Lindsay Street of French Toast Sunday were all on hand to count down our aforementioned lists as well as some superlatives and other general thoughts on the prior year in film.

In addition to our lists, see the bottom of this post for a listing of Top 10s from LAMBs who submitted theirs over at the LAMB Forums. Thanks!

Also on tap:

* Last LAMB Standing



If you're interested, you too can be a LAMBcaster - we love new blood! For more information on the LAMBcast, check out the topic at the LAMB Forums. Music provided royalty-free by Kevin MacLeod's Incompetech website. Big thanks to Kevin for providing this service. Opening song by Cake. The LAMBcast loves feedback, too - if you'd like yours read on a future show, leave it in the comments section at the LAMB. Please visit and like our Facebook page, and finally, we're on iTunes, and would still love a review, even if it's a bad one.

Thanks for listening!

LAMB Top 10s (in order of submission to the Forums)
* Pick 'n' Mix Flix
* My Filmviews
* Phil on Film
* Andy Buckle's Film Emporium
* Fogs' Movie Reviews
* Cine-Apocalypse - part 1 and part 2
* Lord of the Films
* HTTProductions
* Surrender to the Void
* Kirkham A Movie A Day
* Row Three
* The Matinee
* Can't Stop the Movies
* The Velvet Cafe
* Public Transportation Snob
* Grind My Reels
* The Gold Knight
* French Toast Sunday
* Wide Screen World
* PG Cooper's Movie Reviews
* Themovieblog8
* Deny Everything - part 1 and part 2
* Cinematic Corner
* The Videovanguard - part 1 and part 2