Now that the nominees for the major award shows have been announced, Midcoast Station writer and frequent film reviewer, Nathan, takes a look back at 2011 in film and shares his best, worst and in-betweens:

2011 was not a great year for movies. I saw 82 theatrical releases of 2011 and saw fewer than 10 that I would most likely watch again. This list is in no way meant to be what I think is going to win awards, hell some of these things probably won’t get recognized with a nomination, but I wanted to give them some credit anyway. Without further ado here are my awards for the best of 2011.

Best Movie: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo 

Honorable Mentions: The Artist, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Descendants, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

This may be the first movie listed, but it was the last one that I chose. In the end I gave the award to the movie that I have thought about the most. I’m still not sure I chose the right one.

Worst Movie: Super

Dishonorable Mentions: Cowboys & Aliens, Hall Pass

Not to be confused with Super 8, which was excellent, the Rainn Wilson-led Super is painful to watch. It is poorly acted, filled with uninteresting characters and horribly unfunny. Some movies are so bad they are fun to watch and this wasn’t one of them. I can’t think of a worse movie experience all year.

Funniest Movie: The Inbetweeners Movie

Honorable Mention: Midnight in Paris, 50/50

Comedy was one thing that 2011 did well (maybe the only thing). The highbrow part of me wanted to go for Midnight in Paris, the empathetic side of me said 50/50, but in the end I went with the only movie that made me laugh until I cried.

Popcorn Award: Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocal

Honorable Mentions: Super 8, X-Men: First Class

I wanted to recognize movies that were excellent, but also just downright entertaining. I have seen MI twice and the others 4 times each.

Best Actor: Michael Fassbender (everything he did in 2011) 

Honorable Mentions: Brad Pitt (Moneyball), George Clooney (The Descendants), Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)

This is the first time I will cheat, but it will not be the last. All of my honorable mentions gave great performances in their respective movies, but only Fassbender gave great performances in many movies. Regardless of whether he was in a Victorian period piece, playing the troubled psychoanalyst Carl Jung, or had the ability to control metal, Fassbender always delivered great work and deserves to be recognized.

Best Actress: Kirsten Dunst (Melancholia)

Honorable Mention: Charlize Theron (Young Adult)

This is the category in which my movie watching was weakest. I have seen none of the major contenders for awards so I can’t say how they were, so my pick goes to Kirsten.

Best Supporting Actor: Tom Hardy and Nick Nolte (Warrior)

Honorable Mentions: Michael Parks (Red State), The entire cast of Margin Call

Another cheat, this time honoring two actors from the same movie. I thought about this one a lot and couldn’t decide between them so I award a tie.

Best Supporting Actress: Shailene Woodley (The Descendants)

Honorable Mention: Berenice Bejo (The Artist)

This was another category in which I had seen few that were top contenders, but Woodley is great as the eldest daughter of George Clooney in the Descendants, so I’m not sure it would have mattered.

Best Director: Steven Spielberg (War Horse and The Adventures of Tintin) 

Honorable Mention: David Fincher (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo), Martin Scorsese (Hugo)

Like my award for best actor this category is won because of quantity. 2011 did see some entries from masters of their craft in these three as well as Alexander Payne and a great live-action debut from Brad Bird. Spielberg released two excellent movies in the moving period-piece, War Horse, and the motion-capture animated Tintin.

In you are wondering what I am excited about in 2012 check out my list here.

Nathan

Nathan enjoys film, music, sports and most of all, speaking in the third person.

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To this day, “Marilyn Monroe” remains a revered name. Though she passed away years ago, she’s still never lost her popularity and is remembered as a rare, natural talent…and of course, as a sex icon. She evokes nostalgia: a yearning for a cinema time long since past. In short, she remains loved worshipped by many, but like so many idols put up on pedestals, there’s a lot more to her story than her flirtatious relationship with the camera showed. BBC’s new film, “My Week with Marilyn” shows us Marilyn (Michelle Williams) through the eyes of Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), a young, but naïve man in love with everything having to do with the cinema – how could he not be swept away by the starlet Monroe? But in Colin’s “week” with Marilyn, he learns not only about the true Marilyn and the politics of cinema, but also about his true self.

So often, films adapted from memoirs and true stories fall into the trap of simply retelling a story, but “My Week with Marilyn” shows the story – it puts you in Colin’s shoes. From the opening scenes where Colin watches Marilyn on screen at the cinema, you feel the same yearning and passion for motion pictures that he feels. Back then, movies weren’t about cheap thrills and popcorn sales. They were an event that had people dressing up and socializing over. With the beautiful theaters and Colin’s endearing half smile, you’re more than ready to sit with him for a week in the lobby of a studio just hoping for a job to open up. You feel a thrill with Colin as he finally gets whisked off to a studio set, ready to work as the “third director,” which is essentially a fancy title for a “gopher:” go for this and go for that. When the beautiful Marilyn Monroe begins to show Colin attention and invites him over to “chat,” your logic tells you it’s a bad idea – she’s married, older, way out of his league and possibly insane! – but you can’t help but feel his intrigue and desire to know the more vulnerable Marilyn. Yes, the pretty wardrobe girl (Emma Watson) shows an interest and would be a more sensible choice, but this is Marilyn M-O-N-R-O-E! You can’t help but root for Colin in this matter. Of course, by the end of the film, Colin’s “week with Marilyn” must come to an end and he has to return to the reality of his “normal” life. So while you saw this coming, you’re still happy to have been along for the ride.

Aside from having a fantastic and witty script (can we nominate this for best adapted screenplay yet?), “My Week with Marilyn” stars a phenomenal cast. Kenneth Branagh is flawless as the easily frustrated, but talented Sir Laurence Olivier, Emma Watson beautifully shows that she has a strong future in cinema despite the end of the Harry Potter franchise, and Dame Judi Dench as Dame Sybil Thorndike steals nearly every scene with her wisdom and handlings of the finicky Monroe. Then there’s Michelle Williams as Marilyn. It’s always daunting to play the role of a legend, but with this performance there might be an Oscar in Williams’ future. Williams easily covers Monroe’s flirtatious side and is a beautiful actress in her own right, so it isn’t hard to buy her as a sex icon. But when she slips into the unsure Marilyn, the one that’s easily hurt, and also when she falls into the drugged out depressed Marilyn, Williams really proves herself as an actress. It’s a performance that makes you fall for her, worship her, but also weep and pity for her all within the same breath. She plays Marilyn as a talented, but broken woman that is so consumed by the world of acting that she may have lost where the real her begins and the acting version begins.

There have been so many films this season that have aspired to be the first contenders for the award season, but “My Week with Marilyn” is the first movie to actually reach that level. And this isn’t one of those artsy films that just critics will love – any filmgoer will be enchanted by this brush with Monroe. This holiday season, spend just two hours of your own week with “My Week with Marilyn.” It is time well spent.

Bethany Smith

I'm a geek; I love music, technology and grammar.

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Before we begin: “Do you two…[searches for words]…fondue?” Captain America naively asks his love interest, Agent Peggy Carter, about her relationship with Howard Stark. Steven Rogers, aka Captain America, has never had much experience with the ladies as is evident by his failed and (at first) awkward interactions with them in the film, and I can relate to him because I do not have much knowledge of Captain America prior to the movie. So die-hard comic and 1979 TV Captain America fans, do not come after me with this patriotic shield, this is strictly a movie review.

It is a universal fact that America is awesome at summer blockbusters and Captain America does not fail. Director Joe Johnston (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids; Jumanji; The Wolfman) has given us the quintessential feel good summer hit, jam packed with explosions, evil and leaving us wanting more.

We start in in the remote, arctic land where the government has made a discovery, something patriotic frozen in the ice. Or, if you attended the theater I was in, you thought you were watching the first few moments of a nuclear fall out because everything was pink and green and who knew 3D glasses were supposed to be like that! Oh, wait, they don’t know how to work the projector, just kidding. ANYWAY, immediate flash back, WWII is underway and we get our first glimpse of evil, no, not Hitler (so cliche) but of Johann Schmidt/Red Skull (Hugo Weaving) searching for a hidden energy source from the gods. On the other side of the pond, we see our future hero, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans aka hubba hubba), a tiny, digitally emaciated-man attempting to join the army in order to serve his country in the midst of the war. However, the army doesn’t like little people (sorry, Peter Dinkledge, wrong era), but Mr. Rogers keeps attempting to join, because for what he lacks in muscle he makes up in heart.

That is until Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci) comes along and changes his life forever. Side note, I’m pretty sure I enjoy Stanley Tucci play any character, ever. Even with a semi-ridiculous German accent. Stanley Tucci for president.

ANYWAY, Dr. Erkskine has some science going on up in this, and he has a plan to invent the next super soldier in the fight against Hitler and Schmidt but he needs the perfect candidate to try it out on and who better than the boy with the golden ticket, I mean heart. With Dr. Erkskine’s help, Steve Rogers goes from this:

to this:

And now the real fun begins. Steve Rogers is transformed from little buddy always willing to fight the bullies to stud muffin selling some bail bonds to war hero saving the day as our Captain America.

Director Joe Johnston keeps up the pace by his use of oh-so-subtle movie montages and a tight script to keep the audience engaged while also not taking itself too seriously. Shot in a manner recalling the war films of the decade its set, Captain America strives not to make it so much about nationalistic pride, but about the golden rule of using your super science power for good and not for evil. With fun supporting characters (Tommy Lee Jones hams it up a bit and they definitely could have used more Tucci) and a strong female lead (Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter knows how to kiss with a fist if you know what I mean, zing!) this fun movie thrives in light-hearted charm and action. While the few quibbles one would have don’t really hold the movie back (we get it, you don’t have to repeat the memorable quotes over and over and sometimes, the evil guys will have guns that evaporate you and sometimes, they just have a knife and will cut you the good, old fashioned way) I can not tell you whether or not it stays true to the comic, but if you’re a newbie like me, do not fear about missing out on all the references, it’s still an enjoyable ride, even in 3D.

Jude JM

Jude enjoys buying shoes & talking about how she ate too many burritos.

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I know that no matter what anyone is to read or what anyone writes about this film, it will have little to no effect whether or not you choose to see this film.

The truth is, there are already millions of people who have, over time, invested hundreds of hours reading, watching, referencing —and if you are anything like me– dreaming all things Harry Potter for years.

Many of us have grown up with these characters and the fantastic world dreamed up by J.K. Rowling. For those of us who failed to take off on the Harry Potter craze when the first book hit the shelves on June 26, 1997 (UK), these stories soon grew on us and we all jumped on board for various reasons along the way.

Regardless of your background or reasons for becoming a Potter fan (or your house affiliation decision thereafter) you are going to see this film, just like you read the final book. You can’t go this far and not see it through to the end. What’s that? You’ve only seen the films? Well you better pick up the f%^&ing book or else the following will be:

A) completely over your head, and or

B) serve as a humongous spoiler for you

What I was eager to see

Final battle at Hogwarts

All professors, students, statues, paintings and more come together to defend the castle. The concept alone is bad ass and riveting.

Molly Weasely vs Bellatrix Lestrange

“Stay away from my daughter, you BITCH!”

Neville Longbottom vs. Nagini

Ten points to Gryffindor!

Snape’s big reveal 

The memories that put the epic game of good guy/bad guy ping pong to rest–how the history will unravel and how will the message be conveyed to the audience.

Wand lore

The explanation and character comprehension, how it would be translated visually.

What I was not expecting

Harry Potter 3D Specs!

That’s right. The glasses you wear to watch the 3D version of the film are shaped like Harry’s own specs! You best believe that I did not return them on my way out of the theater!

Legitimate, non-distracting 3D Effects

I personally always opt to see the regular 2D version of films, and any 3D films that I have ended up seeing (outside of a theme park or when James Cameron’s “Avatar” was out) were more distracting or demeaning to the film than it was an enhancement. Though I do not particularly care for the 3D film trend, David Yates and Warner Brothers did an excellent job making the last film 3D. It was clear that 3D was not an after thought. (cough, “Clash of the Titans” remake, cough)

The epilogue, to be hilariously… creepy!

I assumed they were to include the 19 years later epilogue in one way or another but what I saw was incredibly “RIDICULO!” I commend them for using their make up and movie magic skills to try and age the original actors, however it looked more like children playing dress up or in a school play and totally broke the feel of the film. Harry, Ron and Draco’s aged versions of themselves weren’t too distracting, but Ginny and Hermionie looked like they were just wearing more grown up attire- not to mention the Bonnie Hunt-hair-do they gave to Ginny. E for effort Warner Brothers, but in the end (and I do mean the end of the film) I was completely taken aback, severely creeped out and couldn’t help but laugh.

Ron & Hermione to get their snog on!

Well there you have it, my (mostly) spoiler-free review of sorts of the final installment of the Harry Potter film franchise. Stay tuned for another post or two within the next week to discuss in further detail…. the details of the film and some book/film difference analysis. Figured I would give all you muggles the chance to see the film before I dive in.

Andrew

Avid movie goer, music aficionado and Netflix junkie. I also strive to quote Jurassic Park on a daily basis and I sing like no one is listening when in the car.

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Move over Pandora, there’s a better way to listen to music on the web now: Turntable.fm.

Turntable.fm is a new music sharing site that has quietly been rising in popularity. Much like Pandora, Turntable.fm is free and lets you find a playlist in your favorite type of genre. Now users could treat it like Pandora and just be a passive listener, but the real fun of turntable.fm comes with the interactive opportunities. This site lets users chat with other people listening to the same songs, rate songs and even play their own. It sounds so simple, yet is so brilliant.

How It Works

When first logging in, users are asked to either create a room or join a room. Most rooms are genre-based (indie, pop, electronica, 80s, etc), but some rooms share common themes (Fueled By Ramen artists, Color blue) or are group-based (Springfield Summer Camp). First time visitors should probably begin by exploring rooms already in existence.

Inside a room, it’s a lot like being in a club. DJs are set up at a table in the front with speakers to the sides of the table. These speakers are more than just a graphic. They act as volume control and mute. Users can just let their avatars chill out to listen to the music in the room, or they can try to get up on the DJ booth.

Users are able to rank the songs played in the room. There’s a big meter at the bottom that allows people to rank a song as “awesome” or “lame.” If a user chooses “awesome,” his avatar starts to move to the music and the DJ who played it earns a point. If a user really likes what a particular DJ is playing, he can even fan that DJ so it’s easier to find that person in future visits.

To DJ, it can be a little tricky and competitive. Basically, it is a waiting game until one of the five DJs already at a table decides to vacate his spot. The second he leaves, the spot glows and the wannabe DJs have to race to click on the spot and claim it. Once at the DJ spot, DJs can play as many songs as they want out of the queue. Songs can be either uploaded to the queui  or searched for within Turntable.fm.

A Social Experience

Interaction and feedback is huge at Turntable.fm, so in addition to the ranking systems, users can chat and share the Turntable.fm rooms on their social networks. The chat is by far the best part of Turtable.fm. It turns music social – the way it is supposed to be. It synthesizes a concert experience from the comfort of a living room. And it is a great way to find new friends that are fellow music lovers.

A Few Kinks

Turntable.fm is a brilliant start-up, but it does have a few flaws. Sometimes rooms glitch and a song won’t play; a refresh often fixes those sorts of problems. But the biggest flaw is the DJ system. DJing is the only way to earn points (points give you control over your avatar), but DJing can be impossible. Since a DJ can stay at the table as long as they want, users could wait in a room for hours without any guarantee they’ll get a turn at the table. There’s no reward for time spent waiting patiently and this might scare off some of the newer users to the site. Some of the rooms try to set up queues through the chat box or set limits to the amount of songs a DJ can play. But this does depend on all the users in that room acting honorable and agreeing to follow that system. Perhaps in an update, Turntable.fm will try to address this flaw.

Start Spinning!

The site is currently limited to the US due to licensing issues, but Turtable.fm is trying to get up and running in other countries soon. If you’re one of the lucky ones in the US, be sure to give this site a try, but be warned…it’s extremely addicting!

Bethany Smith

I'm a geek; I love music, technology and grammar.

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“Super 8″ is easily one of the best films that I have seen in years. Please note that I am not a professional film critic, nor do I consider myself to be one (but then again I did create this site?). That aside, I go to the movies often, and I spend hours online watching Netflix, renting red box DVD’s and popping in flicks from my ever expanding collection.  I repeat, “Super 8″ is easily one of the best films that I have seen in years…

What can only be thought of as a typical small town alien encounter movie, see plot synopsis below,  this film is so much more.

“After witnessing a mysterious train crash, a group of friends in the summer of 1979 begin noticing strange happenings going around in their small town, and begin to investigate into the creepy phenomenon” – imdb.com

Without spoiling anything for anyone I am going to simply highlight the elements that made this, to me, such an amazing piece of cinema.  These are the top five things that make this movie into what is likely the must see movie of the summer (though it can’t hold a candle to the highly anticipated “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part Two”).

The Top 5 Reasons that make “Super 8″ the must see movie of the summer:

1. This movie is not solely about monsters/aliens in a small town. The storyline rivals all names, special effects and marketing budgets associated with it.
2. Superb story telling, dialogue and acting (especially by the lead child actors Joel Courtney and Elle Fanning*).
3. Steven Spielberg.
4. It takes place in the 70′s (well okay, almost 80′s, but it has more of a 70′s feel).
5. (spoiler alert) Stay after the credits and you get to see the film that the children were trying to make during the whole movie.

*Yes, Elle Fanning–as in Dakota Fanning‘s little sister. She happens to be a great actress.

Andrew

Avid movie goer, music aficionado and Netflix junkie. I also strive to quote Jurassic Park on a daily basis and I sing like no one is listening when in the car.

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