Lamenting the departure of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy from area theaters last week, my friend and I took a consolation prize: the surprisingly well-regarded fifth feature film from director Joe Carnahan, The Grey.

I should say that if you haven’t seen The Grey, you should definitely see it before you read any further. Below are heavy spoilers for the film. Your question might be, “Should I see The Grey at all?” I think you probably should. It’s rare that a genre film of this type takes this kind of care with its emotional and thematic subtexts. All in all, I’m not much of a film critic, so I’ll let an actual one – new Filmspotting co-host Josh Larsen – state what I think is true:

“Doubt and anger are the twin themes of The Grey, yet the adventure movie hammers them home with all the obviousness of a fire-and-brimstone sermon.“

Again, though- The film is viscerally oppressive and legitimately gripping, kind of like Final Destination with wolves. It’s not the ballsy action film its trailers are selling, and there is no more obvious proof of that fact than the film’s ending.

I’ll give a brief rundown of what happens, in case you forgot or you just hate movies and are reading this without having seen the film. At the end of the story, all of Ottway’s (Neeson) fellow plane crash survivors have been somehow killed by nature, most of them by hungry wolves. After having a sort of breakdown, Ottway discovers himself in the wolves’ den, surrounded by the angry animals. While reciting a poem handed to him by his father, Ottway binds a knife and liquor bottles to his hands, ready to die a most glorious and wolf-hating death. As we grit our teeth and prepare to enter the fray, as it were, Carnahan cuts to black, and ends the film on a somewhat ambiguous note.

This move has been considered both ridiculous and brilliant by audiences, and I personally think it’s a fine ending. The film gives us plenty of clues as to the inevitable outcome of the story, and it ends on the emotionally important moment. Clearly, Ottway is going to die fighting, as his situation is just insurmountable. Now, there is a post-credits coda that shows a dying wolf and no sign of Ottway, but I read that as an allowance that Ottway did a bit of damage before traipsing into the woods to bleed to death. The coda makes the film’s ending no less ambiguous than if it didn’t exist.

So, with all the ambiguity, I can’t help but have some fun wondering “What happens next?”

 
1.) Ottway’s Wife To The Rescue
Just as the alpha wolf crouches to attack Ottway, we hear a rumbling. Both Ottway and the wolves look to the treetops. A helicopter roars into view. A rope ladder tumbles from the side of the chopper, as Ottway’s presumed-dead wife pops her head out. She shouts, “You left the hospital too early! I got better!”, before giving him a thumbs up. Ottway grabs the rope ladder, winks at the wolves as he ascends, and mirrors his wife’s gesture by giving a thumbs-up to camera. We freeze on that image as credits roll.

2.) Everyone Was Just In Wolf Suits
Just as the alpha wolf crouches to attack Ottway, it stops, rears back on his hind legs, and stands. It reaches below its neck, and pulls down a zipper, revealing its wolf facade to be a costume. Out of the costume steps Ottway’s presumed-dead wife. The surrounding wolves follow (wolf) suit, unzipping to reveal themselves as Ottway’s presumed-dead roughneck friends (as well as his presumed-dead Irish father). Everyone cries and hugs, as we learn that the entire film was an elaborate hoax to convince Ottway of the importance and preciousness of life.

3.) Dubstep-Laden Fight Scene In Which Liam Neeson Destroys All Wolves
Just as the alpha wolf crouches to attack Ottway, we cut to a full, side two-shot. Ottway jumps up, then freezes in time as Skrillex hits the soundtrack. What follows is a Zack Snyder-styled action scene set to crunchy industrial techno, in which Ottway uses high-flying kung fu on all the wolves, complete with a bullet-time back flip.

4.) Explicit 20-Minute Long Take Of Wolves Slowly Eating Liam Neeson
Just as the alpha wolf crouches to attack Ottway, he follows through and attacks Ottway. Our hero doesn’t get in a single strike, but is systematically and slowly eaten by the wolves, akin to raw footage from a National Geographic video.

5.) Ottwolf
Just as the alpha wolf crouches to attack Ottay, our hero HOWLS. He stops, looks down at himself. The wolves are as shocked as Ottway. They look at each other, troubled. Cut back to Ottway grasping at the wolf bite he received earlier in the film. He’s shocked to discover his hands are transforming into paws. His mouth shoots out and grows into a muzzle. He screams as his clothes rip off and he becomes Ottwolf, new alpha male and leader of the werewolf collective. (This actually makes perfect sense, as he was the only character to have actually lived through a wolf bite.) The wolves all bow before him as he stands and howls, as the camera cranes up and out into the treetops.

I’m going to go on a limb and say that these alternate endings are so feasible that Joe Carnahan might actually have them in the can already. Be sure to watch out for the blu ray release of The Grey.

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In other news, Wonder Mill Films’ newest feature film The Nocturnal Third will soon be available to stream for free online for a very limited time. Be sure to keep an eye out on our official site. Also, Cinematrimony and Aspect Radio have combined their powers to create a new movie podcast for Al.com. Check it out here!

The night before the announcement of the 2011 Oscar nominations, I said I’d all but give up on the already pointless ceremony if the Academy failed to surprise at all.

Fortunately, they’ll have my blind fandom around for at least one more year. Gary Oldman’s first nomination, MARGIN CALL for best original screenplay, THE TREE OF LIFE in the mix and the photo-finish inclusion of WAR HORSE for best picture, among others? Not bad…

Unfortunately, their surprises came at the expense of some far more deserving films, performances and technical achievements, namely the following.

50/50 couldn’t beat the odds.
Release dates don’t seem to matter as much these days, at least for certain films in the season. Take MIDNIGHT IN PARIS and TREE OF LIFE, for instance, two movies released last summer that managed to maintain momentum and scrape their way into the best picture conversation. A film with some big stars that scored a 48 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes is up for the top prize, which has nine contenders. Why not just make it 10? I realize BRIDESMAIDS, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO or even DRIVE might have filled that final slot, but why not 50/50? Did its September release and so-so box office do it in? I don’t buy the argument that people don’t want to laugh at cancer. The film is an engaging dramedy with enough stars to raise Academy members’ eyebrows, yet the only thing it might have mustered was maybe a consolation screenplay nod. After another watch, it deserved recognition for picture, screenplay, actor (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), supporting actress (Anjelica Huston) and, yes, supporting actor (Seth Rogen). Despite its 93 percent rating on RT, maybe its $35 million domestic gross was the nagging injury that kept it off the playing field. Regardless, no film in 2011 was more emotional and honest with itself by asking difficult questions about life while maintaining its sense of humor, something you rarely see in film.

Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross deserved to defend their title
Last year’s best original score winners for David Fincher’s THE SOCIAL NETWORK equaled and might have topped that effort with their hauntingly moody work on THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO. Along with Cliff Martinez’s CONTAGION score (also deserving, but without a realistic shot), Reznor and Ross’ score was easily the most unique music you probably heard in films last year, and it’s simply a wonder it missed the cut. While I definitely dug John Williams’ light and fancy free cues in Steven Spielberg’s THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN, the legend got a second and much more deserved nomination within the category for WAR HORSE and simply didn’t need another. Make room for a score that actually deserved it. Fishy snub here.

What, THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN’s mo-cap not animated enough?
Some way, somehow, Steven Spielberg was getting an Oscar this year, whether it was for his sprawling and sentimental WW1 epic WAR HORSE or a nice honorable mention trophy for his venture into motion capture animation TINTIN. Before the announcement, the consensus was that the category would come down to it and Gore Verbinski’s deserving RANGO, and that’s fine. MONSTER HOUSE remains the only mo-cap movie to score a nomination, and it lost out to HAPPY FEET. Mo-cap films are eligible for the category, so the only conclusion you can really draw is that Academy voters just don’t dig the format. Either way, TINTIN was deserving, and it’s a shame it wasn’t invited.

Jeremy Irvine, the emotional core of the highly emotional WAR HORSE
Folks criticize Spielberg’s drama for its sentimentality and forced emotional moments. Say what you want about the rest of the film, but newcomer Irvine doesn’t force a single beat in a performance that serves as the glue of the film, even more so than the horse every character encounters. In several gut-wrenching scenes, Irvine’s humble Albert takes the often-unlucky hands he’s dealt throughout and earns his good fortune. Even when he accepts, time after time, that he’ll lose what he loves most, the young Albert takes it like a man, and Irvine’s earnest portrayal earns acting MVP honors among a talented ensemble his first time out of the gate.

DRIVE’s cinematography, at least
Some felt Albert Brooks missing the supporting actor cut was the most egregious snub at all, but I didn’t find myself all that bothered by it, especially after the comedian’s veiled hissyfit he threw on Twitter. Other than Nicolas Winding Refn’s deft direction, the main attraction here might be Newton Thomas Sigel’s gorgeous sun-baked compositions that capture a Los Angeles I’ve never seen on film. Be it a driving sequence or one of those helicopter night shots of the city, Sigel’s camera is always up to something pretty extraordinary.

Ben Kingsley the year’s best-kept acting secret?
Few want to spoil the magic found down the stretch in Martin Scorsese’s wonderful HUGO, much of it having to do with Kingsley’s mysterious train station shop owner. Good on folks for keep the secrets of such a rich and rewarding story, but I hope it wasn’t too tightly concealed so that Kingsley’s performance was ignored as a result. Who will win the supporting actor category has become a foregone conclusion (congratulations, Christopher Plummer), but I find the race easily the most boring of the year. I thought HUGO’s momentum, which garnered a 2011-high 11 nominations, would earn just one more for the reliable Kingsley.

Andy Serkis needs a Special Achievement Oscar like now
They give them out every so often, usually for visual effects, so Serkis’ motion capture performance should be no exception to that tradition. His work in the LORD OF THE RINGS films, KING KONG and TINTIN certainly display the magic this man is capable of creating, but his mo-cap masterpiece might be his work as Caesar in RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. I’m sure had most people walked into that movie without the knowledge that Caesar wasn’t played by Serkis, they might have guessed it was an enhanced real chimp or a complete CG creation. Serkis immerses himself into the movement of these creatures with impossible ease, but the strengths of Caesar are in his facial ticks and contemplative behaviors as he learns his place in a human-dominated world. Serkis is a movie marvel. When someone or something comes along in the medium that cannot be equaled or properly rewarded with a “regular” Oscar, it’s only right to recognize them with a Special Achievement Academy Award. Consider this a missed opportunity.

Elizabeth Olsen is a teacher and a leader
The best actress category was stacked, sure, but few performances were talked about more than Olsen’s in Sean Durkin’s eerie and powerful debut MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE. Fighting an uphill battle off-screen with the stigma of being one of those Olsen sisters, this young actress showed the film world she’s here and means all kinds of business. One of the quieter, more unpredictable performances of the year, battling with 2010 nominee John Hawkes (who might have deserved another nod), Olsen’s captivating work was sadly overlooked.

When the Academy nominates a performance of true greatness it will feel immortal.
Corey Stoll gave a good performance because it was an honest performance, and it deserves attention. And there is nothing fine and noble about this snub unless he was snubbed gracefully. And then it’s not only a noble snub but brave. Actually, it was more ludicrous and forgetful. Relative unknown Stoll, ahem, stole Allen’s movie from every other star in the cast with quiet and commanding lines that worked their way into hilariously thoughtful monologues inspired by Hemingway’s sincere and simple prose. If anyone gets Hemingway, it’s certainly Allen, but Stoll proved he was more than just an impersonator. This man was Hemingway, and if there’s ever a biopic, we’ll settle for nothing less. All cowardice comes from not nominating and not loving well, which is the same thing. And anyone who disagrees has never made love to a truly great woman. Who wants to fight?! And for good measure, let’s throw Adrien Brody’s brilliant three-minute turn as Salvador Dali, maybe his best work since THE PIANIST and easily one of the film’s best scenes.

Charlize Theron actually a monster in the underrated YOUNG ADULT.
The Oscar-winner and two-time nominee gave arguably her best performance (since CELEBRITY maybe?) in Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody’s frightening and funny depiction of a sociopath working as an unstoppable force in her quest to destroy the lives of others in her small Minnesota hometown. Mavis Gary is one of 2011′s  richest, most complex and fully realized characters, and Theron is delightfully despicable. Although the best actress race is jam-packed this year, nothing suggests Theron doesn’t belong in the mix. It’s a rare talent when actors, thanks also to direction and dialogue, can make an audience just cringe, and she brings it in that regard on several occasions, namely when she meets her ex-boyfriend and his wife in their home prior to a dinner and reminisces over wearing his old T-shirts and boxers. The film and the character, no matter how hilarious they are at times, are ultimately disturbing, especially when the audience has the revelation that nothing was learned.

IDES OF MARCH may have disappointed, but Philip Seymour Hoffman did not
Prestige projects carry the burden of expectation and rarely deliver everything they could, but that doesn’t mean there is nothing to savor each go-around. In George Clooney’s regrettably ordinary political melodrama THE IDES OF MARCH, Hoffman lent the film a particular gravitas it seemingly lacked everywhere else. Not to say the other actors (namely Paul Giamatti) didn’t do their best with Clooney and co-writer Grant Heslov’s slight script, he simply rose above them all with some much-needed honesty. And while most of the dialogue and plot felt heavy-handed and cliched, credit the writers for giving Hoffman some dank fat to chew on, especially when he lays in to Ryan Gosling’s conniving political prodigy in a hotel room. Felt like Hoffman got lost in the fold when this came out and the critics singled out other performances for whatever reason. I guess guys like him suffer when we expect it from them. That damn burden of expectation.

The notion that any great movie music should be audibly invisible is ridiculous. The 2011 movie year is full of rich original film scores and song choices that are so readily apparent during sequences, you hear all of it and think those scenes could not work without a single note.

Along with Hans Zimmer (INCEPTION), Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (THE SOCIAL NETWORK) were whom I considered 2011′s movie music MVPs. This year, they nearly went back-to-back.

While Reznor and Ross certainly did not disappoint with their brilliantly moody GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO score (once again collaborating with David Fincher), it was Cliff Martinez who pried the championship belt from their fingers with his work on DRIVE (celebrated by many for having the best soundtrack of the year), but most notably on Steven Soderbergh’s epidemic thriller CONTAGION.

So before I go into any detail on Martinez and the rest of the elite maestros responsible for some of my favorite movie music in recent memory, let’s at least acknowledge how wonderful this year actually was in this department. Not only did so many films deliver, these composers were more than just cogs in the machines. Eliminate them, and you might eliminate any effect the films might have had. Some films work without music, sure, and you never want to drown yourself in sap or manipulation. But in some cases, manipulative musical masochism was the only answer, and without sacrificing the narrative or overall design of the film.

I’m including original scores, songs used in the films and even music cleverly used in some trailers. So here’s my favorite movie music from 2011:

CONTAGION
Cliff Martinez “Bat & Pig”
We’ll return to Martinez shortly, but the way the man bookends Soderbergh’s film is rather breathless and slightly eerie. In one of the just plan coolest sequences of 2011, Soderbergh closes his film suggesting the genesis of the MEV-1 virus. The track is bare-bones simple, a redundant non-progression of the same sound beating over and over as the sequence travels seamlessly from A to Z. And then in a flash, Soderbergh cuts to black as a red font appears. The imagery is frightening enough, especially when all it could take is some bad pork. But Martinez delivers the blow with a calculated, deadly serious clip that would breathe life into one of the best modern thrillers in years.

WAR HORSE
John Williams “Reunion”
To put it simply, John Williams is a beast, as impressive as Joey in Spielberg’s film in his finest moments. After decades of phenomenal output, including the medium’s most indelible themes, you’d think that gift might escape him at some point. As soon as I heard the “War Horse” theme in the first trailer, it was all over. I was hooked at least on Williams’ contribution. But each time it rears its head in the film, it works, provoking an immediate emotional response as was intended. Naysayers insist Williams often lays it on a little thick along with Spielberg here, but it just doesn’t bother me a single bit. Used well throughout but best in a pivotal scene towards the end that I will not ruin. Spielberg could have played it impossibly hokey, but he, Williams, cinematographer Janusz Kaminsky and everyone else go for the jugular and land a direct hit.

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
Sidney Bechet “Si tu vois ma mère”
If Woody Allen is good for nothing else, it’s showcasing the finest jazz we might have never heard otherwise. Setting the perfect magical tone for his wistful tale about the treacherous nature of nostalgia, Woody goes with the namesake of one of his kids, Sidney Bechet, making for what I consider one of the director’s finest selections in his career in one of his better films in recent memory. Woody takes several minutes to introduce his audience to Paris, highlighting its most famous landmarks and landscapes along with a few less familiar. Letting Bechet’s swooning horns do all the talking the film’s opening moments need, Woody takes us to that place where we need to be for the next 100 minutes or however long we wish to escape. Used nicely to close the film, too.

HANNA
Chemical Brothers “The Devil is in The Details”
Joe Wright has established himself as a musical filmmaker, even if he doesn’t exactly make musicals. The man knows what sounds should accompany his films, so why not tap The Chemical Brothers for his fairytale about a teenage female assassin on the run from predators? Their score does wonders throughout, but I was never captivated than when Cate Blanchett first visits Tom Hollander’s appropriately creepy hitman in a nightclub of sorts where it looks like he’s overseeing some strange Asian play or musical. Its devilish theme, whistled and hummed by Hollander for the rest of the film, gets an uncomfortable introduction here, played as if a wolf in sheep’s clothing is attempting to lure children to an ice cream truck where they will inevitably disappear. Like I said, creepy.

GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross “Hidden in the Snow”
With “An Itch,” my favorite track on Reznor and Ross’ score, this track most reminded me of their work on THE SOCIAL NETWORK. Not to say it sounds like it wound up on the cutting room floor of that film and wandered its way into this one, it just evoked similar tones and feelings from it, especially when Sean Parker calls Mark Zuckerberg from jail late in the film. Here, it’s used during one of DRAGON TATTOO’s best sequences, when Henrik first recalls Harriet’s disappearance, flashing back to a silent account of the 1960s dinner party and subsequent events. It’s one of those tracks you could leave on for hours and forget you did, in a good way, I assure you.

CONTAGION
Cliff Martinez “They’re Calling My Flight”
While we’re returning to some films, why not highlight Martinez’s opening track right after Gwenyth Paltrow ends her phone call with perhaps her doomed lover (voiced by director Steven Soderbergh!). This sets up an adrenaline-fueled montage depicting how viruses travel, in this case a frighteningly fatal one. Immediately Soderbergh has you second-guessing how often you touch your face or where your hand is in relation to your theater armrest. You might even forgo holding hands with your significant other while watching things. And guiding the entire thing is this pulsating electronic track, pleasantly reminiscent of the stuff we heard from Reznor and Ross this and last year.

THE MUPPETS
Jason Segel & Bret McKenzie “Muppet or a Man”
Easily the funniest song in this delightful return to these beloved characters, Jason Segel hams it up his best when he and brother (and new Muppet) Walter come to a crossroads in the narrative and must pick a side. Written by Bret McKenzie, this and several of the other songs are glorified “Flight of the Conchords” tracks, but I had the most fun here with what I genuinely consider to be a great song lyrically and melodically. Chances are this one gets snubbed at the Oscars in favor of “Life’s a Happy Song” and “Pictures in My Head,” but how awesome it surely would be if McKenzie took the Kodak Theatre by storm with a live performance of this one. Either way, the man better walk away with an Oscar.

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY (trailer)
Danny Elfman “Wolf Suite Pt. 1″ (from “The Wolfman”)
The Alberto Iglesias original score is perfectly suitable for Tomas Alfredson’s weaving of British spies and paranoia, but no trailer brought it quite like TINKER TAILOR’s did, using a track from Danny Elfman’s underrated WOLFMAN score from a few years ago. At least we can gain something positive from that wreck. While trailers ought not reveal much in the way of their narratives, especially ones as twisty and turny as this one, they should suggest the overall tone of a film and completely sell you on it. Such is the case with any TINKER TAILOR trailer, but this music is now part of a film’s identity, even if it doesn’t actually appear in the film. Whenever I want to look over my shoulder, I’ll put this track on.

DRIVE
Chromatics “Tick of the Clock”
Director Nicolas Winding-Refn likely wins the prize for song selection, blending synth-driven pop tracks seamlessly with Cliff Martinez’s near-invisible score. It’s hard to choose a favorite of the bunch — College/Electronic Youth’s “A Real Hero,” Kavinsky’s “Nightcall,” Desire’s “Under Your Spell,” etc. — but this repetitive Chromatics track (like “Bat & Pig”) drew me in during the films opening heist sequence. The beat clips along like your pulse while Ryan Gosling’s Driver maneuvers his way through the Los Angeles streets, away from the police.

SUPER 8
Michael Giacchino “Letting Go”
J.J. Abrams’ coming-of-age alien adventure isn’t perfect, but so much of it is, especially the sense time and place he and his crew establish from the get-go. I didn’t feel like the film’s most emotional moments were totally earned, but newcomer Joel Courtney does his damnedest to sell you on them. I will say Courtney’s earnest portrayal of a child who misses his late mother works, making for a teary finale propelled by Abrams’ MVP composer Michael Giacchino, for my money, the best working composer we have and the next John Williams if there ever was one. If ever a composer could fake emotional resonance for a story that lacks it, Giacchino has that power, as I’m sure you’ve seen on the show “Lost.” Even if SUPER 8 fell short in some places, the climax, thanks to Giacchino, gets it right.

GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
Trent Reznor & Karen O “Immigrant Song”
Can’t go on without mentioning Reznor and Yeah Yeah Yeah’s singer Karen O’s pumping take on Led Zeppelin’s classic track, used during the unusual opening credits sequence in Fincher’s film. Again, music effectively establishes a tone for a film, in this case a quite dark tone. Fincher broke into the business directing music videos for major pop artists, and you’ve got to think he reached back into that bag of tricks for this one. I must note how well this song was used in the film’s teaser trailer. I was initially skeptical, having already seen the Swedish version of this story, but the quick-cutting preview topped off by Reznor and O’s collaboration did me in.

MELANCHOLA
Richard Wagner “Tristan und Isolde Prelude”
I find that the less I talk about Lars von Trier’s depression opus, the better off I am (and strangely, the more I like it). But Wagner’s prelude, no matter how many times von Trier plays it, works in this darkly beautiful and operatic tale of an impending apocalypse. The imagery is gorgeous if slightly disturbing, and who better than Wagner to score that combination?

HUGO
Howard Shore “Purpose”
For me, Shore’s score was one of the only things about HUGO that didn’t totally work. Something about the slightly stereotypical accordian-driven “look it’s French!” theme was the only thing that felt dishonest in this otherwise beautiful ode to the medium Scorsese happens to dominate. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad score. It’s pleasant enough, with some truly gorgeous tracks, especially during a key sequence towards the end of the film involving a character we get to know a little bit better. But when young Hugo is explaining his philosophy on where we all fit in the world if it were one big machine to Isabelle, Shore is on point.

Least favorite
The “Inception” horn in what feels like every trailer I see. Included in the following:
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”
“The Avengers”
“Prometheus”
“The Thing”
“The Immortals”
“Snow White & The Huntsman”
“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
“Thor”
“Red Riding Hood”
“Battle: Los Angeles”
“Tron: Legacy”
“Saw: The Final Chapter”
“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3″

Like any self-respecting Film Nerd, I spend far too much of November and December considering my favorite films from a given year. For 2011, I decided to do things a bit differently. I did not get a chance to watch an awful lot of movies this year, as I spent most of 2011 finishing up The Nocturnal Third. Despite this, I did decide to cut off qualification for my “official” list on December 31st, as this list takes stock of only the films I watched this year.

After experiencing the “other side” of film criticism this year with the release of my first feature film, I more than ever consider myself a filmmaker and film enthusiast rather than a film critic. This allows me to revel in the lack of expectations usually attributed to a serious critical analysis of a film year. I’ve decided to do away with letter grades this time around, as they tend to become more and more arbitrary as I see more and more movies. Another by-product of making my own film is that I’m more in love with movies than ever. When I say “movies”, I mean cinematic stories – best viewed as encapsulated pieces of art in a controlled environment. This does not include serialized television, video games, or transmedia. These things are not bad things. In fact, they are amazing, sometimes cinematic things. But, I’ve resigned myself to leave these out of my area of passion, because they are not cinema. 2011 has taught me a lot about my own perception about movies, my own gravitation towards the craft of directing, my lack of interest in obviously “socially conscious” films, and my formalist leanings. I look forward to a juicier experience as a film fan going forward due to these discoveries.

Wow, can you tell this is going to be a long post? All that said, I’ll probably revise this top ten list around Oscar time, in late February. I will, however, be watching movies less aggressively now that the holidays are over.

There are plenty of good-looking movies from 2011 that I missed, and here are the ones I really wished I could have seen: The Artist, Carnage, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Cold Weather, A Dangerous Method, The Descendants, Detective Dee, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Into the Abyss, A Separation, Shame, The Skin I Live In, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (the biggest shame, as it gets a wider release next weekend), Tyrannosaur, Warrior, and Winnie the Pooh.

So, let’s get started. Here’s a full list of all the 2011 U.S. releases that I did see:

13 Assassins
The Adjustment Bureau
The Adventures of Tintin
Another Earth
Attack the Block
Bridesmaids
Captain America: The First Avenger
Contagion
Drive
Fast Five
Green Lantern
Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows, Part 2
Hugo
Horrible Bosses
Limitless
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Meek’s Cutoff
Midnight in Paris
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
Moneyball
The Muppets
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Rango
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Super 8
Take Shelter
Thor
Tree of Life
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
War Horse
X-Men: First Class

What follows are, as of 01/01/2012, my ten favorite movies of 2011. There is a bit of theme here, and I’ll expound on that on the south end of the list. Enjoy!

10.) Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows, Part II
Man, this number ten spot was hard to decide on. This pick is somewhat representative of the entire accomplishment that is the Harry Potter franchise, but I don’t want that comment to betray the phenomenal film that this is. A fast-paced, singularly-minded adventure film, Deathly Hallows Part II is a perfect mirror image of its predecessor, which was a slow-burn set-up of a character piece. The conflict between Voldemort and Harry had been extremely well established by the time this film begins, and their eventual clash is the stuff of great, well-earned cinema. Bravo to Steve Kloves, Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuaron, Mike Newell, David Yates, JK Rowling, the cast, and – quite possibly, above all – producer David Heyman for shepherding this story in an amazingly conscientious and focused way.

9.) Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Let the record show that in 2011, the year of widely publicized social upheaval, the first movie to comment (perhaps accidentally), was the best Planet of the Apes movie since the Charlton Heston original. Reducing the imaginary tension between man and ape to a simple story of the misperception of “ape rights”, writers Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa hit on a wonderful perspective. Limiting the story to the experience of eventual ape leader Caesar gives this wonderful canvas of socially-conscious science fiction the spark it needs to speak to our time. This is the purpose of science fiction and, by extension, all fiction: To comment, from a safe and speculative distance, on where we are and where we’re going. I shouldn’t leave out the fantastic job that director Rupert Wyatt did in guiding the film through its three forms: a coming-of-age story, a prison movie, and a gripping war film.

8.) Meek’s Cutoff
I think it’s safe to say that, in addition to being in a third Golden Age of Animation, we’re also in a kind of second Golden Age of Revisionist Westerns. Kelly Riechardt continues her impressive run of simultaneously personal, regionally-specific, and thematically loaded feature films. Is this film subtle? Some of the time, yes. I’d say that Michelle Williams gives one of the most understated performances of the year. Can the same be said for Paul Dano’s performance, or the writing of Bruce Greenwood’s Meek character? No, not at all. However, the arch approach that screenwriter Jonathan Raymond and director Reichardt take to tell this story runs parallel to the film’s clear-cut stakes and sparse visual style.

7.) The Adventures of Tintin
Right, so you remember that third Golden Age of Animation I mentioned? I think, at this point, to the chagrin of many detractors, we can add motion-captured CGI features to that growing showcase. With this adaptation of the Herge comic books, Steven Spielberg enters the animation fray, and gives us a case study in the merits of motion capture for fully computer-animated movies. Yes, we lose a level of tactile interaction and tangible texture, but we gain a broader potential for performance and camera movement. Here, with a story that has one foot in comics and one foot in adventure serials, Spielberg stages some of the most amazing action sequences we’ve seen in years, coupled with a pace and overall aesthetic that wouldn’t have been possible in any other medium. “Fun” Spielberg is back at the top of his game, and we can probably attribute a lot of this verve to a measure of competition with one of his screenwriters: quite possibly one of the most dynamic and fun filmmakers working today, Edgar Wright.

6.) Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
I was not expecting to love this movie. In fact, I was adamantly opposed to enjoying it, feeling that its action-heavy and poppy trailers communicated a betrayal of the Mission: Impossible series’ Cold War roots. I wanted a more cerebral, paranoid spy thriller, not another bad John Woo rip-off. Add to that the fact that the film featured a great director in Brad Bird, seemingly paying the necessary dues to pass into the world of live-action filmmaking. It all felt like a transparent grab at cheap publicity for the series and its star. With all that said, I eat my words. Not only is this a loving ode to the original series, and an apt modern adaptation of the essential idea behind the 1960’s Bruce Geller creation, but Ghost Protocol is also the best pure action movie since Casino Royale, and – gulp – quite possibly even better. Here, Brad Bird takes the Thirty-Nine Steps approach and makes things very simple: “We need to go here, and do this, or else that happens.” Then, he tips over the dominoes and watches everything fall apart while our characters scramble to make things right. This is a movie about embracing and overcoming failure, in a genre and an industry and a culture that loathes the stench of failure. It also positions this series as a worthy American answer to James Bond, with a bright future and unlimited potential for future installments and characters. This movie is also a great encouragement that audiences will still respond to practically-produced big screen extravaganzas; just look at the past few weekends’ box offices grosses to see how people are flocking to see stunts and excitement they just can’t witness anywhere else.

5.) Take Shelter
Here we have one of the best – and most frightening – character studies of the year. In his sophomore effort as writer/director, Shotgun Stories auteur Jeff Nichols tells a gripping and empathetic story about a man in deep psychological turmoil, and the toll it takes on his young family. Michael Shannon appears to be making a career out of this sort of thing, building on his great performances in Revolutionary Road and My Son My Son What Have Ye Done? The difference here is that Shannon’s character is as empathetic as Nichols’ screenplay and camera. This film never beats up on the family at its center, but rather uses perceived insanity as a lens through which it observes a middle American familial unit. Nichols proves his prowess with a superbly strategic approach to shot selection and editing, combined with a focused script that features a gut-punch of an ending.

4.) Attack the Block / Super 8
Man, don’t you hate a cheat? I’ll qualify this ranking by saying that this spot is not reserved for two films, but for one amazing double feature idea; not one 112 minute-long movie tied with an 88 minute-long movie, but one 200 minute-long cinematic look at the alien invasion genre through the eyes of pre-teens. The similarities between the two films are impossible to ignore, and yet they offer two enthusiastically divergent experiences. One is a loving homage to the 1980’s films of Amblin Entertainment, shot in that specific house style. The other is a loving homage to John Carpenter films from the same era, shot in a wholly modern style. It’s the kids of the suburbs and of the city, looking up at the sky and watching intruders pay us back for our own sins. Super 8 falls in line with the predominant preoccupation of many 2011 films, in that it explores the roots of cinema – albeit in a personal sense. Attack the Block is more concerned with the predominant preoccupation of 2011 headlines, tackling the idea of global social responsibility versus regional social responsibility. Both films are touching, responsible, and at times, terrifying… and then, at other times, just kind of badass.

3.) The Tree of Life
There might not have been a more divisive film in 2011 than Terrance Malick’s latest “tone poem”. The Tree of Life is a kind of Malickian demo reel, encompassing many of his favorite themes: those of grace, shared memory and psalmic introspection. It’s impossible for me to approach this movie with any measure of critical objectivity. It speaks to my personal beliefs, and to what I believe is our consistent human struggle. 2011 was a year in which I found it was time for me to let go of screenwriting for a while. I’m in the midst of a kind of spiritual re-awakening that will do nothing but propagandize any fiction I lay my hand to, so I’ve focused in on what has always been my biggest goal and, in my own opinion, my greatest skill: directing. The Tree of Life, in addition to showing off an extremely measured and sage approach to the struggles of faith, played a small part in this personal renewal of mine, and I encourage other Christians to approach it with an open mind. It’s rare that a film strives for any kind of transcendence and actually succeeds. Typically, they tumble and crumble, revealing a series of hollow, murky priorities. In this case, it worked for me. The Tree of Life is not an ultimate thing, it shouldn’t be treated as a hoity toity, untouchable movie unable to be scrutinized – but that doesn’t mean it’s not extremely important and wonderful.

2.) Martha Marcy May Marlene
Speaking of spiritual awakenings… how ‘bout some cults? Sean Durkin’s first feature film is, again, one that I went into with arms crossed. A “Sundance darling” is not something a struggling independent filmmaker is going to go out of his way to praise, but the precision and deftness of Martha Marcy May Marlene pierces any and all jealousy I may have been harboring. This film has affixed itself to my brain, in the way that any great psychological horror film should. Durkin has made a thriller in the vein of Roeg and Polanski, with a minimalist approach that allows tension to grow like a bacteria. The performances, especially the magnificent one by Elizabeth Olson, are as quiet and subtle as the script’s tone. The way Durkin and cinematographer Jody Lee Lipes control their focal planes and camera movement is an encouraging sign of a smart, sharp partnership. This is, in some ways, the smallest movie on this list, but it is also one of the richest and most thematically loaded.

1.) War Horse
Over the past few years, while the rest of Hollywood and the industry media were prattling on about the proliferation of branding, the dangers or merits of 3D, and the anxiety over theatrical exhibition giving way to online streaming, Steven Spielberg was busy keeping his down and making a movie. A real movie. A real, physically tangible, visually poetic, humane, and essentially moving movie. A classical Hollywood production that embraces its roots and its setting. People will rub up against War Horse for its suspiciously earnest tone and full-hearted sentiment, but that friction is a symptom of our culture, rather than a problem with this movie, which earns every moment. I will fully admit that it took me most of the film to get over the fact that we are given little to no reason why the young man at the center of the film loves his horse so much. When the realization hit me that this is not just another time and culture – in which irony and boredom did not exist – but also a type of cinematic fairy tale of the Night of the Hunter or Searchers ilk, I was in for the ride. War Horse is essentially a series of episodic vignettes in which the humanity of various characters is reflected against the helpless experience of a scrappy horse, and yet the movie never loses its pace. Some characters are more involving than others, but the film is structured in a brilliant way. The story brings back earlier thread as soon as its current thread threatens to run thin. Here, Steven Spielberg has crafted a movie that does not take the last two decades or so of cinematic grammar into consideration, and that kind of brazen anachronism is fascinating. I hope these points don’t sound like empty justifications, but if they do, so be it. As Spielberg tossed our generation’s hopeless “quest for cool” to the wayside, I’ll gladly do the same: At this point, I can gladly say that War Horse is a great movie, quite possibly the greatest I’ve seen since something like Children of Men or The Dark Knight or No Country for Old Men. We’ll see if that opinion still stands over time.

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Honorable Mentions: It pains me to have not included Hugo, Contagion, and Drive on my list, but I think that only goes to show how strong of a year 2011 was.
So, if you haven’t noticed a theme in my list – especially in entries 1, 2, 3, 6, and 8 – I’ll go ahead and blurt it out: Naturalism. What I’m encouraged by in the filmmaking of 2011 releases is not so much naturalism in plot or performance, but a kind of technical naturalism. Even as things become more and more digital, our greater filmmakers seem to be going out of their way to give their movies a tactile, real texture. Whether it be the real wrangling and stunts of Fast Five, War Horse, and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, or the long takes of Martha Marcy May Marlene and Meek’s Cutoff, or the natural, expressive lighting of Tree of Life and Drive, it really feels like cinema will continue to thrive through sensory experiences that cannot be matched on television or in video games.

I’ll add a re-assertion that the overall thematic through-line of 2011 film overall seems to be “Memory and Nostalgia”, the way 2010 films all seemed to look at “Preferred Realities”. Many films this year dealt with either a blur between dreams, memories, and present realities (Martha Marcy May Marlene, The Adventures of Tintin, Take Shelter), or spent much of their time inside memory, via nostalgia – be it cultural or personal (Midnight in Paris, Hugo, Super 8, Captain America: The First Avenger, War Horse).

Other movies I saw that I would really recommend are, in order of preference, as follows: Captain America: The First Avenger, Midnight in Paris, Bridesmaids, The Muppets, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Fast Five, 13 Assassins, Moneyball, Rango, Thor, and X-Men: First Class.

Alright, now that the fake heady analysis is over with, let’s get to the fun part… POINTLESS RANKING!!! These are, of course, my personal favorites in any given category.

Favorite 10 Movies
Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows, Part II
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Meek’s Cutoff
The Adventures of Tintin
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
Take Shelter
Super 8 / Attack the Block
The Tree of Life
Martha Marcy May Marlene
War Horse

Best Theatrical Experiences
5. Martha Marcy May Marlene – 35mm Arthouse Theater
4. Super 8 – IMAX
3. Transformers: Dark of the Moon – IMAX 3D
2. The Dark Knight Rises Prologue – 70mm IMAX Dome
1. The Adventures of Tintin – IMAX 3D

Special Effects
5. The Tree of Life
4. Rise of the Planet of the Apes
3. Fast Five
2. Transformers: Dark of the Moon
1. Attack the Block

Soundtracks
5. Patrick Doyle, Thor & Rise of the Planet of the Apes
4. Alvin Silvestri, Captain America: The First Avenger
3. Price / Buxton / Ratcliffe, Attack the Block
2. Henry Jackman, X-Men: First Class
1. John Williams, War Horse

Overall Design
5. Meek’s Cutoff
4. Captain America: The First Avenger
3. Rango
2. The Tree of Life
1. War Horse

Cinematography
5. Hugo
4. Martha Marcy May Marlene
3. Drive
2. The Tree of Life
1. War Horse

Supporting Performances
5. Paula Patton, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
4. Corey Stoll, Midnight in Paris
3. Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
2. John Hawkes, Martha Marcy May Marlene
1. Peter Mullan, War Horse

Male Performances
5. Ryan Gosling, Drive
4. Michael Fassbender, X-Men: First Class
3. Chris Evans, Captain America: The First Avenger
2. Andy Serkis, The Adventures of Tintin / Rise of the Planet of the Apes
1. Michael Shannon, Take Shelter

Female Performances
5. Elle Fanning, Super 8
4. Jessica Chastain, Take Shelter
3. Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
2. Michelle Williams, Meek’s Cutoff
1. Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene

Directing
5. Steven Soderbergh, Contagion
4. Sean Durkin, Martha Marcy May Marlene
3. Brad Bird, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
2. Jeff Nichols, Take Shelter
1. Steven Spielberg, War Horse & The Adventures of Tintin

Favorite Scenes or Sequences
10. Prom – Contagion
9. “I want him to owe me something” – Meek’s Cutoff
8. “No” – Rise of the Planet of the Apes
7. Jack’s early childhood – The Tree of Life
6. Moses versus the monsters, Attack the Block
5. Opening the shelter door – Take Shelter
4. Pursuing the falcon – The Adventures of Tintin
3. From the Burj Khalifa climb to the Dust storm car chase – Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
2. Argentina – X-Men: First Class
1. Reunion – War Horse

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For posterity, here’s a quick look at my list from last year. And here are my revised top tens for the past two years…

Top 10 of 2009, as of late 2011
1.) A Serious Man
2.) Star Trek
3.) The Fantastic Mr. Fox
4.) Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
5.) Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince
6.) Moon
7.) Up
8.) Inglourious Basterds
9.) Watchmen: Director’s Cut
10.) The Girlfriend Experience
Honorable Mentions: The Informant!, The Hurt Locker

Top 10 of 2010, as of late 2011
1.) Inception
2.) True Grit
3.) The Social Network
4.) How to Train Your Dragon
5.) Mother
6.) Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows, Part I
7.) Toy Story 3
8.) Scott Pilgrim vs The World
9.) My Son My Son What Have Ye Done?
10.) Shutter Island
Honorable Mention: Black Swan

And, for comparison, a list of my most anticipated movies of 2011, as of late 2010:
10. TIE: Thor / Cold Weather
9. Contagion
8. A Dangerous Method
7. The Adjustment Bureau
6. Super 8
5. Captain America: The First Avenger
4. Cave of Forgotten Dreams
3. TIE: Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn / War Horse
2. Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows, Part II
1. Tree of Life

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That’s it! Why are you still reading?!?!

Oh, to find out about my movies? Check out A Genesis Found and The Nocturnal Third and find us on Facebook and on Twitter, @WonderMillFilms.

Warning #1 – The article below contains heavy spoilers for The Adventures of Tintin and, quite possibly, Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

Many film critics – like Russell Hainline, of the Jacksonville Movie Examiner  – have hailed the new Steven Spielberg film The Adventures of Tintin as the movie we SHOULD have gotten as the fourth chapter in the Indiana Jones series. Although it boasts a 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is widely derided among fans (hence a 59% “audience” rating). I, myself, am infamous among my Film Nerds brethren as admitting that I really liked the movie. Granted, I’m a blind fanboy when it comes to the character and to Steven Spielberg action films, but I will admit that I’d rather the franchise go out on a more unanimously positive note.

Let’s go back to that statement, though. There is plenty of thematic and narrative crossover between Herge’s Tintin books and Spielberg’s Indiana Jones movies, but what if we follow that question to its logical conclusion: What if the new Tintin film WAS the fourth Indiana Jones film?

Warning #2 – I am about to drop to the most depressing depths of film nerd culture – fan fiction. The only reason I’m affording myself this indulgance is because I think this is a discussion worth having. I don’t mean to reduce the effort that goes into making any kind of movie, and I certainly can’t compare a lunch hour of armchair screenwriting to the incredible time and effort that goes into crafting even the most rudimentary script. That said – if you’re with me, let’s go:

First we have to play with the timeline a bit. Let’s say that the development of The Adventures of Tintin happened a bit earlier. What if Spielberg looked at the story that had been broken by himself, Peter Jackson, Stephen Moffat, Edgar Wright, and Joe Cornish, and realized it could be easily transposed into the long-gestating fourth Indy film? What if, instead of using all of George Lucas’s rejected ideas and David Koepp’s final script, Spielberg just pulled a Die Hard with a Vengeance and converted The Adventures of Tintin into Indiana Jones & The Secret of the Unicorn?

Well, stay with me. Let’s get beyond that title. Think about it. The movie would still take place in the 50’s. Just take the basic arc of The Adventures of Tintin and replace Tintin with Mutt Williams and Captain Haddock with Indiana Jones. In this imaginary movie, Mutt would be our entry point into the story – an intrepid, young anti-establishment student reporter. You could keep the greaser look, and add a greater disrespect for the past and for tradition, with a knack for uncovering social injustice.

#occupythehop

Follow me here. You could swap the great animated opening credits sequence of Tintin with an introductory scene of student reporter Mutt Williams busting up a commie spy ring on his campus. That could transition into Mutt taking a boring assignment to cover the auction of the Unicorn, part of the defaulted the estate of the late Henry Jones, Sr. – who, as far as Mutt knows, is a researcher who mysteriously died during World War II. The movie continues with Mutt finding the scrolls of the Unicorn, being approached by FBI agents and a mysterious villain, say a Russian professor. Before you know it, Mutt gets kidnapped for unclear reasons and thrown onto a boat that also houses another kidnapping victim – the drunk, bearded Indiana Jones.

"Whaddaya want, kid? I assumed it was locked."

The Russian professor and the FBI agents are both searching for the scrolls inside the Unicorn, just like Sakharine and Interpol are in Tintin, but the secret is different – we’d have to lose the whole pirate flashback. The problem for our villain is that the secret died with Henry Jones, Sr. Let’s ALSO say that the professor knows about the secret because he was researching with Henry Jones, Sr. for the US government during World War II, and was double-crossed by – not again – commie spies! Maybe that’s why Indy is soused, and has been for the last fifteen years – he knew about an espionage plot to bump off his dad, but couldn’t stop it because he was overseas in the war.

"I should have shent it to the Marxsh Brothersh!"

Whatever the case, the villain is a jerk, has ties to Sean Connery’s character from Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade, needs Mutt’s scroll, and needs Indy’s knowledge to get what he wants, but Indy is too lost in booze to be useful. It should be said here that while Indy is a drunk at this point, he’s still the same character we’ve known – prone to fight, spontaneous, and dogged. He’s still an archaeologist, just not a very tidy one. When we meet him as the Haddock analog, he would be less pitiful than Andy Serkis’ quasi-suicidal bumbler.

The rest of the film would proceed similarly to The Adventures of Tintin – Through Mutt’s nagging and the sobering dehydration of the Sahara, Indiana Jones slowly returns to being himself. He not only wants to remain stable and become the clear thinker he used to be, but to get ahold of the MacGuffin and – most importantly – get revenge for his dad’s murder. Mutt, like Tintin, pushes to break the story of wartime espionage, and is surprisingly enraptured by the history behind whatever the MacGuffin is.

While the first half of the movie would be all set-up for Mutt and the mystery, the second would be just what Tintin is – a rollicking succession of mind-blowing action sequences. Yes, shooting much of these sequences in the real world would be impossible, so they would have to be logistically tweaked and brought into the reality of the great action scenes of the Indy franchise. No one can argue that the motorcycle chase in Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was anything but a marvelous throw-back to the series’ earlier movies, and a high point in that film. (It should be said that this whole fictional scenario presupposes that Spielberg is going in avoiding CGI, as he seems to have done in his other 2011 release, War Horse.)

Image courtesy of dreamworks.com/warhorse

What’s exciting about this idea is that it strays from Indiana Jones formula, only to find its way back. It also gives a more dramatic backstory to the character we all love, and raises the stakes by taking us to a dramatic place we might not want to go – the murder of The Last Crusade’s lovable sidekick. I think one of Crystal Skull‘s greatest crimes was its devotion to fan service, having to include quick and shallow references to the Ark, Jones, Sr., and Marion. In fact, I’d go so far as to say the existence of the film in general is a symptom of today’s reliance on fan service. Lucas and Spielberg gave us what we asked for 12 years. The problem is that they didn’t go far enough to give us something new. Yes, this Tintindiana Jones idea would put a lot of the weight on the shoulders of the Mutt Williams character, but how much more satisfying would that character have been if he was a fully formed character outside of his relationship to Indy? Since we are completely inhabiting a world of fantasy here, what if we recast the role? How would you feel about a Tintin-inspired, jaw-socking Mutt Williams played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt?

Wrong kind of biker, bro.

On the flipside, Indiana Jones would almost start as a supporting character, before we realize his journey – just like Captain Haddock’s – is actually the heart of the movie. He goes from a bitter old codger to a re-invigorated version of the young archaeologist we knew so long ago. What a perfect arc it would be for both characters to learn from the other; for Indy, he stops regretting the past and becomes aware of current situations. Meanwhile, Mutt realizes the past has value and informs the present. Honestly, you could still even throw in the father/son revelation, and tie that to the villain’s motivation for getting Mutt involved. Hell, maybe Marion Ravenwood owns the campus pub, and makes a brief (BRIEF) cameo in the first act.

Regardless of whatever shameless fantasy I blather on about, I’m encouraged by The Adventures of Tintin. It’s a fantastic film in its own right, despite lacking the kind of depth we got with Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade (which, to be fair, might be the greatest buddy action movie of all time). That said, its characters do give us plenty to chew on, and the adventure clips along so quickly that the characters’ actions speak just as loudly as any bits of exposition or bloated dialogue. Again, I still enjoy Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but I certainly can’t begrudge everyone that hates it. It was a Spielberg homework assignment rather than a Spielberg field trip, and it shows. I’m still optimistically holding out hope that Spielberg makes his patented “apology” film (re: Raiders, Saving Private Ryan, Last Crusade) and gives us the last Indiana Jones movie we all want – full of grit and grime and spontaneity.

What do you guys think? Would you sacrificed the final Indy movie and the new Tintin movie to get the film described above? What about Snowy – would you miss him? Would it be sacriledge to knowingly use a Tintin story as a farm for an Indiana Jones adventure? Am I wandering, woefully naive, past the fact that this property is owned and controlled by LucasFilm – NOT Amblin or Wingnut? Or, was there just never any good reason for another Indiana Jones film to have been considered in the first place?

Hash it out in the comments section!

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Also, be sure to check out the Cinematrimony podcast that Matt and Francesca recorded about The Adventures of Tintin! You can find more of my stuff here on the blog, and you can find info on my independent feature films at their respective websites (The Nocturnal Third and A Genesis Found), as well as on Twitter ( @wondermillfilms ) and Facebook (/wondermillfilms)!

On this day, ten years ago, New Line Cinema – then an independent production company – released the first film in a long-gestating film series. Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring hit cinemas on December 19, 2001.

Before December 2001, I was only loosely familiar with Tolkien. I was – and still am – more of a C.S. Lewis guy, and I hadn’t seen a decent fantasy film since my VHS copy of Willow had worn out. Personally, I was in a kind of self-imposed movie drought. After my experience with Jurassic Park in 1993, I took a keen interest in movies, reading as many Starlogs and early movie sites as I could find. I was ten years old when I saw Jurassic Park, but by high school I had lost interest in movies, cynically believing I’d never be able to make the leap from fan to practitioner. I dove into comic books and television, but The Fellowship of the Ring pulled me back into the fold.

Join me in remembering the blockbuster movie landscape of 2001. Up until December, we had seen Hannibal, The Fast & The Furious, Jurassic Park III, Planet of the Apes, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, American Pie 2, Rush Hour 2, The Mummy Returns, and Pearl Harbor. Sure, we got a Harry Potter movie that only hardcore fans could love, and some solid Soderburgh and Pixar, but by winter I had tapped out. Then a funny thing happened. A friend dragged me to Lord of the Rings, and something clicked in my brain.

First of all, I had no idea what was going on. I assumed Gondor was some sort of deity. I figured Gandalf was dead forever. I paid little attention when the main characters referred to some troll thing floating on a log. I was uncomfortable at the level of Enya I was having to endure.

Despite the film’s apparent impenetrable nature, it worked. In fact, it worked extremely well. The way Jackson’s camera moved, the way he wielded a vast array of movie magic tricks, and the deadly serious tone that the script and performances conveyed re-ignited my love for cinema. I was ten years old again.

Looking back now, the film isn’t as perfect as I had assessed at the time. Tolkien purists take issue with missing or misappropriated characters, or questionable attempts at comedy. Even in 2001, general movie audiences bristled at its length and open ending. I have found myself less intrigued by Jackson’s ever-roaming camera, as it floats and tilts all over the place, with no discernible motivation other than pacing. Although verisimilitude must have felt pretty special in a fantasy film from the era of Dungeons & Dragons, some of the film’s emotional moments can feel overwrought and over-emphasized.

All that said, is there a more dynamic example of mainstream cinematic culture-making from this era? The Matrix had wowed audiences and inspired a whole chic of its own, but its convoluted mythology and cynical approach didn’t seem to stick to the ribs. Lord of the Rings, however, arguably became our generation’s Star Wars, rivalled only by the Harry Potter or Batman series, and for good reason. The Fellowship of the Ring is an all-encompassing adventure movie that takes the audience across a wide array of topographies, emotions, and relationships.

Possibly the best example of The Fellowship of the Ring’s breadth is its opening and closing action sequences. The film opens up with a massive, computer graphic-laden battle scene between generalized characters we’ve never met, composed in wide, swooping establishing shots. The movie closes, however, with a dirty, intimate fist fight between a hero and villain that have been separated and established slowly through the entire story. Jackson starts his film wide and on a soundstage, and ends close-up and in the forest. Much like Jurassic Park, Jackson’s film features every special effect discipline available to the medium up to that point. Both films are almost demo reels for the history of movie magic.

Ten years after The Fellowship of the Ring, I find myself a cinephile that’s wandered from criticism to filmmaking. This movie helped to unlock a talent that I hadn’t tapped into in before. It helped to re-establish and initiate a life-long dream. Come to think of it, I cannot have been the only one. I’d be willing to bet that many of today’s DIY genre filmmakers – as well as stereotypical modern “internet movie nerds” – were forged in the fires of Star Wars and The Matrix, but took their form during the release of The Fellowship of the Ring and its sequels. I’d love to hear some feedback to see if anyone else’s movie fandom intensified after the release of the The Lord of the Rings.

It’s that time of year. The weather’s cold, the food is good, and your schedule is cleared. What a perfect time to re-visit Middle Earth.

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In other news, the Film Nerds podcasters have been busy with preview screenings! Check out Cinematrimony’s Tintin preview, as well as Aspect Radio’s discussion on The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo! For more information on my films, check out the sites for The Nocturnal Third and A Genesis Found, or visit the Wonder Mill Films Facebook page or Twitter feed.

What is “regional film”?

The term does not have a very concrete, undisputed definition.  Some of my filmmaking peers and myself might categorize a regional film as any that is about the place it’s from. Therefore, we might label a “regional filmmaker” as one who creates films that evoke, speak to, describe, or take place in the filmmaker’s chosen region. A term I like to use are “home-brewed” movies, as in our case, the films are most often also completely independently produced. On a big scale, Martin Scorsese’s or Woody Allen’s New York works or maybe Peter Jackson’s pre-Lord of the Rings projects might be the best examples of regional film. On a much smaller scale, I might humbly submit our own films The Nocturnal Third and A Genesis Found, as well as films like Pop Skull or George Washington.

The unsustainable nature of DIY productions notwithstanding, we are living in an age where an American region can use narrative cinema to represent itself to itself, and to its surrounding regions. Call it “local foreign cinema”… taking a microcosmic look at a national culture. Previously, this kind of cultural understanding had been left to documentary film, a vibrant and flexible medium.

Here are three narrative films from 2011 that are not only region-specific, but evocative, unique, and entertaining.

ATTACK THE BLOCK (dir. Joe Cornish)

U.K. comedy writer Joe Cornish surprised us all this year by releasing the Summer’s second “kids versus alien” adventure film, after June’s Super 8. Whereas the J.J. Abrams movie paid homage to Spielberg suburbia, Cornish kept things very local, honing in on his specific South London location. In addition to being central to the inner city, the film also subverts its genre’s expectations, at times making smart – though unsubtle – social statements: Cornish’s young heroes wonder if they’re being dealt with as the monsters they’re perceived to be by society, as well as questioning why social activists travel abroad to take care of global issues while forsaking issues at home. The film wisely uses the helpful tropes of science fiction and action cinema to get across some very specific and heady cultural ideas. That said, it is also a load of fun. Featuring some of the best creature designs I’ve ever seen, a poppy and distinctly modern European style, and a score by Steven Price, Felix Buxton, and Simon Ratcliffe that mashes Kanye West with John Carpenter, Attack the Block is one of the year’s most exuberant movies.

MEEK’S CUTOFF (dir. Kelly Reichardt)

All three of Kelly Reichardt’s feature films have been set in Oregon. Her first film, Old Joy, is a morose and lyrical travelogue through the forests of the Pacific Northwest, and here, she finds a brilliant entry point into the culture of her region. By reaching into history and exploring a local legend – that of a wagon train led by a questionable leader – she manages to craft a uniquely revisionist Western that uses genre to hide some of Old Joy‘s more obvious subtexts of ego-driven male certainty and political arrogance. Though Meek’s Cutoff is certainly a Western, it might not be the Oregon Trail video adaptation your nine-year-old self would have wanted to see. Reichardt takes her time in her visual approach, and Jonathan Raymond’s script demands patience. Despite the film’s intentional pacing, every scene is efficient and progressive, leading to a logical, well-earned ending that my fellow Film Nerds might dispute. Regardless of your stylistic preference, Meek’s Cutoff is – for me – a watershed in regional filmmaking.

TAKE SHELTER (dir. Jeff Nichols)

Take Shelter has been steadily gaining quite a bit of Oscar buzz, and might be the most visible of all the films I’ve selected. Here, Michael Shannon gives what might be his best performance as Curtis LaForche, a man who begins seeing apocalyptic visions that drive him to question reality. This selection is a bit of a cheat, as the film takes place in Ohio, despite director Nichols being an Arkansas native whose first film, Shotgun Stories, was set in Arkansas. That said, Take Shelter maintains Shotgun Stories‘ rural setting, and the regions are closely related. I’m curious about the change in setting; I would assume it has something to do with the thematic necessity of Curtis’ profession as a sand miner. Regardless, Nichols’ look at rural middle America is unparalleled in modern film, and I hope he maintains his specific sense of place and reliance on character. What floored me about Take Shelter was its inverted use of apocalyptic nightmares as a framing device for marital strife, and how responsible he was with the fragile character dynamic the film begins with. There are more nationalist subtexts in Take Shelter that many critics are drawing out, but on its surface, the film is an amazing and honest look at the Western family unit.

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Thanks for reading! Be sure to check out some great Christmas present ideas for the Film Nerd in your family in our latest Film Nerds Recommends piece! I might also urge any fans of film chatter to check out the movie podcasts Cinematrimony and Aspect Radio. You can find more information and reviews of my films at http://www.thenocturnalthird.com and find more info about Wonder Mill Films on Facebook and Twitter.

With the Christmas season upon us, we decided to take a slightly different approach this month with our recommendations. Rather than give you our picks for the movies to see this month (I’ll save you the time, see War Horse and Tintin), we decided to shock the world and suggest some of our favorite books about movies, titles that we think would be perfect stocking stuffers for the Film Nerd in your life. If you are interested in picking up any of the titles below, just click on the book cover to purchase the book on Amazon. Merry Christmas and happy reading, nerds!

Ben Stark’s Picks

Film Production Theory by Jean-Pierre Geuens

I can unequivocally say that this book changed my life. I randomly picked it up one year from the University of Alabama’s Gorgas Library before leaving town for Christmas break. Film Production Theory does not tell you how to make a film, does not dish on the personal lives of filmmakers, and does not give vicarious anecdotes for a young filmmaker to digest. To the contrary, this book is a hard-line intellectual look at exactly why we make films, and what it means to make films. Geuens examines most of the major stages in the making of a film, drawing from a well of philosophy, critical theory, and – most certainly – his own opinions. The biggest foot print this book left on my brain was its exhortation that the most unhealthy thing a filmmaker could do was to move to Hollywood. If someone is making the decision to be involved in any sort of movie-making, this is the first – possibly only – book they should read.

Directed by Steven Spielberg: Poetics of the Contemporary Hollywood Blockbuster by Warren Buckland

On the flip-side, here is a book that examines the films of one of the most powerful men in Hollywood. What makes this book special, however, is that it does not go into how personal details shaped the films of Spielberg, or what his process entails. Instead, author Buckland picks a handful of scenes from a few choice Spielberg films, and breaks down his directorial approach, from framing and pacing to blocking and lighting. By assuming Spielberg’s mastery of film grammar, Buckland points out the amazing subtextual and “poetic” statements that Spielberg’s style presents (or in some case, misses out on). This is one of the great apologetics books for the case of Spielberg-as-film-artist.
Hitchcock by Truffaut by Francois Truffaut

This might be the most widely accepted “great” film book. The Cahiers du cinema critic and eventual great filmmaker Francois Truffaut gets the chance to interview his hero, Alfred Hitchcock, and creates the essential Hitchcock commentary book. Like the aforementioned Spielberg book, this elevates and highlights Hitchcock’s intentionality as a grammatical film master. This, along with The Films of Akira Kurosawa by Donald Richie, was my wife’s present to me for our first Christmas together as a couple.

Craig Hamilton’s Picks

Seen That, Now What? by Andrea Shaw

This is the perfect book for those folks out there who know what they like, but need recommendations for other films. Seen That, Now What? categorizes and cross-references films in a unique, pre-internet sort of way. The book was published in 1996, so Seen That, Now What? is coming from a world where the many choices that video rental stores provided now became overwhelming. Without Wikipedia to click away into oblivion, the film-loving masses needed something to provide them with not only a starting point, but a legitimate pathway to other great films. This book is designed specifically to give the best recommendations. Let’s say Cleopatra (1963) left a bad taste in your mouth. Just look up Cleopatra in the index and it takes you to pages of suggestions from the 1960’s, like: Doctor Zhivago, Spartacus, Becket, A Man for All Seasons, The Lion In Winter, Exodus and The Cardinal. If Terms of Endearment left you wanting more 80’s drama, then a quick reference of that title provides the following suggestions: Ordinary People, On Golden Pond and Kramer vs. Kramer among many others.

American Movie Critics Edited by Phillip Lopate

This is a wonderful book that is about as dense as a brick, but is mainly meant to pick up and browse through over time. It’s a collection of film reviews and essays from many of the legendary film critics and historians beginning in the mid 1920’s during the transition to sound and coming all the way up to present day. It’s absolutely fascinating to observe the evolution of film and film criticism throughout history. Not only that, but it’s fun to see just how wrong a lot of the legendary critics were at times. Each entry has a short bio of the critic or context of the writing. Along with that is the actual review of a particular film or essay on a subject relating to film and the date that it was published. From essays on the emergence of the “Talkies” to how DVD’s are changing viewing habits, these essays cover tons of ground. From Carl Sandburg to A.O. Scott, this collection spans everything from D.W. Griffith to David Fincher and it’s an excellent book for any film critic’s library.

“Have You Seen…?” by David Thomson

In his follow up to Biographical Dictionary of Film, film critic and historian David Thomson answers his most asked question, “What Should I See?” in this book of one page reviews for 1,000 alphabetized films. Alphabetical order is a good option because the films aren’t grouped by genre or year. In the same opening you can read a review for Robert Altman’s screen translation of the great Raymond Chandler novel, The Long Goodbye and Peter Jackson’s masterpiece The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Another opening contains the reviews of Michael Mann’s The Last of the Mohicans and The Last Picture Show, written by the great Larry McMurtry. Another great thing about this book is that it ranges from films from 1895 to 2007. It’s thick and full of great suggestions and it’s a lot of fun just to sit down and leaf through.

Ben Flanagan’s Picks

Making Movies by Sidney Lumet

The late great Sidney Lumet played a large role in molding my movie mind during freshman year at the University of New Orleans, where I read this book and watched several of his iconic films, including “Serpico,” “Dog Day Afternoon” and “Network.” Lumet pulls few punches in his retroactive accounts of time spent of nearly each set of every movie he’s ever made, dating back to his first masterpiece, “12 Angry Men.” In a nutshell, Lumet offers his best guess based purely on experience on, well, how to direct. That means talking to actors, picking the right lenses, composing shots, placing the lights, etc. It’s technical, and might make your head hurt from time to time, but Lumet’s honest portayal of the craft (which he insists it is) is truly fascinating. A MUST for future filmmakers.

Woody Allen on Woody Allen Edited by Stig Bjorkman

During high school, Woody Allen became a virtual part of the family, whether we watched his films or read his prose books on a daily basis. When I got my hands on Stig Bjorkman’s one-one-one Q&A book going movie by movie with the man himself, I didn’t need much else. I still have trouble putting this book down. Going back and forth from set anecdote to stylistic approach, Woody goes into frank detail about nearly all of his films up to around 2000 in a wonderful conversation worth revisiting as each year passes. There are tons of Woody Allen interview books out there, plenty of them good, but this is definitely the gold standard.

Steven Soderbergh: Interviews OR Getting Away With It Edited by Andrew Kaufman

Soderbergh became another Flanagan fixture in our high school and college days, mainly once again during freshman year in New Orleans, where I read this first book and attacked his filmography on DVD. I’d always heard of SEX, LIES & VIDEOTAPE but never saw it until I drove to a local rental store and finally saw what the fuss was about. While Soderbergh’s stunningly mechanical and sometimes silly approach to the craft is well-represented in the films he makes, it’s often even more enlightening just to hear his matter-of-fact attitude about what he does as an artist. Both in this book of interviews, which you’ll fly through in an afternoon, and his Q&A with British director Richard Lester, you get a terrific peek into the mind of one of our greatest contemporary filmmakers, who sadly has plans to retire soon.

Leonard Maltin’s 2012 Movie Guide by Leonard Maltin

Not as much a book about movies in the vein of these others, the Maltin guide is an annual purchase in our household, not because we rely on ol’ Leonard’s opinions on each film (the man hated BLADE RUNNER, for God’s sake). But as a reference tool, you’ll find fewer equals that aren’t your IMDB app. Sometimes you just want to thumb through a brick of a book and learn the bare bones details of a film: The title, the year, the director, the actors, the plot and a fair-enough take on it. The perfect coffee table book.

Down and Dirty Pictures by Peter Biskind

Peter Biskind’s often-electrifying account of the rise of independent film in the 1980s and 90s as well as that little studio that could, Miramax, and the Weinstein brothers took on Hollywood with their sleeves rolled up. After all, with weapons like a young and hungry Quentin Tarantino, you liked your chances. A sickeningly readable journey into the studio’s birth and evolution with first-hand, detailed accounts of the competitive landscape of development, production and marketing with brilliant stories from all involved in each aspect.

Graham Flanagan’s Picks

The Films of Steven Spielberg by Douglas Brode

This exceptional guide to the films of the world’s most famous movie director should be a staple of any Film Nerd’s bookshelf. Although it was last updated in 2000, it warrants a purchase (you can likely get it used for cheap) because of its insightful histories behind each of Spielberg’s films. Brode takes a chronological look at each work, examining how the projects came to fruition with behind the scenes accounts of some of the challenges and hurdles faced by each production. Brode also does an excellent job of analyzing the themes common to Spielberg’s movies. It also includes a healthy biographical section chronicling Spielberg’s early career in independent production and television. After reading this book, you will definitely walk away with a healthier understanding and appreciation for the Beard.

My Autobiography by Charlie Chaplin

Writer, director, producer and star: Many consider Charlie Chaplin to be the first true auteur. He uses this bulky tome to chronicle his entire journey; from growing up in abject poverty in England all the way to fleeing the country that made him rich because of his alleged political affiliations. It’s no surprise that one of history’s great artistic geniuses is so impressively competent as a writer of prose. He displays an uncanny memory of his childhood, the era in which he discovered his talent for the stage: a talent so strong and unique that it prevented him from facing very much professional adversity at all. Even as a young, untested rookie, Chaplin belonged in a class all his own, often upstaging his older colleagues. Fans will no doubt cherish the main portion of the book: the one that goes into distinct detail about his many years in Hollywood. Chaplin gives a fascinating perspective on his films, often supplying harshly critical assessments of his own work that will baffle the fans that truly believe the master can do no wrong. One of the great movie autobiographies ever written, “My Autobiography” is absolutely essential for film fans.

Memo from Darryl F. Zanuck Edited by Rudy Behlmer

I was all set to recommend George F. Custen’s breezy biography of Darryl F. Zanuck (and I still do), but I stumbled upon this collection of correspondence from the 20th Century Fox chief and I admit I’m totally fascinated and definitely plan on checking it out over the holidays (hopefully Santa is reading this). Zanuck began as a producer at Warner Brothers and quickly soared through the ranks by producing profitable adult-oriented classics like Little Caesar, 42nd Street and I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang. He left in 1933 to head the Fox Studio, which he renamed 20th Century Fox, and subsequently laid the foundation for the studio that exists today as the distributor of the two highest-grossing movies of all time (Avatar & Titanic) and one of the most popular franchises of all time (Star Wars). This collection of memos written by Zanuck himself will no doubt serve as movie-crack for Film Nerds.

Spielberg, Truffaut and Me by Bob Balaban

Sorry to keep banging the Spielberg drum, but I can’t make this list without including this invaluable peek into the daily routine of an actor working on a super-secret, highly-anticipated big studio tentpole circa 1977. Thanks to his ability to speak fluent French, Balaban landed the memorable role of Truffaut’s interpreter in what would become Spielberg sci-fi classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Thankfully for us, the actor kept a detailed account of the experience and shared it with the world. Balaban’s anecdotes about his time with Truffaut, as well as his observations of the French director’s rapport with Spielberg, make this one of the greatest accounts of moviemaking that you’re going to find on any reading list.

Roger Ebert’s Book of Film by Roger Ebert

Film Nerds need to clear off some space on their bookshelves for this hefty brick of a book (800 pages): Roger Ebert’s superb compilation of what he considers the best writing about film from the 20th century. We hear not only from Ebert’s fellow film writers like Pauline Kael and Libby Gelman-Waxner, but also from filmmakers themselves with contributions from luminaries like Buster Keaton and Quentin Tarantino. Everything in this book will remind you of why you love movies and will likely make you love them even more.

Matt Scalici’s Picks

Scorsese by Ebert by Roger Ebert

One of the great masters of American film is having an excellent year (critically, at least) but it’s great to go back and explore what has been a pretty wild journey of a career. Ebert’s book is a collection of both interviews he’s done with Scorsese over the years as well as reviews of all his films, dating all the way back to Scorsese’s senior project at NYU. This is a filmmaker that Ebert has clearly had a connection with from the very beginning and the book reveals as much about Ebert, one of the great critical voices we’ve ever had in American cinema, as it does about Scorsese.

The Annotated Godfather by Jenny M. Jones

For hardcore fans of Francis Ford Coppola’s gangster masterpiece, this book is a must-have but even for a casual movie fan it’s a great-looking and interesting coffee table book. Flip open to any page and you’ll find Coppola’s original screenplay surrounded by facts and tidbits about the screenwriting and production process as well as beautiful screen shots and set photos. It’s like having a DVD commentary specifically for the screenplay itself and it’s a fascinating and in-depth way to go deeper into one of the greatest films ever made.
BFI Classics: Back to the Future by Andrew Shail and Robin Stoate

The British Film Institute has an entire series of these small collections of essays on individual films ranging from artful classics to popular blockbusters. I just finished their book on Back to the Future and while some of the analysis is perhaps a bit of a stretch (exploring the Oedipal themes of the film) most of the topics touched on in the book are not only thoughtful and fascinating but also highly-researched and cited. This is as deep into the film as I imagine one could possibly go and yet they’re able to do it in a relatively short, easy afternoon read. Great afternoon reading material for the true hardcore Film Nerd.

As someone who was born in the state of Alabama, it’s impossible for me to watch Roll Tide/War Eagle, the latest production from ESPN Films, without feeling some pretty intense emotions. As you’ll see in the film, which airs Tuesday night at 8 pm Eastern on ESPN, being a part of this rivalry means that true objectivity and impartiality is not something you can ever realistically have when looking at the other side, no matter what any journalist covering either of the two teams may tell you. It’s hard to describe to an outsider how all-encompassing, how mind-blowingly intense, and at times how truly miserable it is to be a part of this rivalry – but this movie comes as close as it gets. If I ever need to choose one document to explain what it’s like to live in the state of Alabama, this movie would be it.

That sounds like extremely high praise but it’s really more of an indication of how completely misunderstood this rivalry has been for the length of its existence until very recently. The nation was shocked by the bizarre incident of an Alabama fan poisoning a group of landmark trees on Auburn’s campus last year and while it was certainly an abnormal occurrence, people who live in this state have heard of stranger and more violent happenings resulting from the Iron Bowl rivalry. To the rest of the nation, sports rivalries are something worth getting excited about for a few days a year, the days that the games are occurring. In Alabama, without exception, it’s something that is a part of every single day of your life. That includes Christmas (Auburn or Alabama ornaments on every tree), Thanksgiving (families mentioning Iron Bowl victories among things they are thankful for), and even your own wedding day (so help you God if you planned your wedding on a fall Saturday).

It’s a strange and unique phenomenon that has badly needed exploring by a talented filmmaker and director Martin Khodabakhshian handles it with delicacy by giving both sides equal time to explain their greatest moments and their perspective of the other side. He also chooses both some the most beloved figures from each side (Greg McElroy and Mark Ingram from Alabama, Pat Dye and Bo Jackson from Auburn) as well as some of the most controversial figures from each side (Harvey Updyke, the aforementioned tree-poisoner from Alabama, scandal-plagued Heisman-winner Cam Newton from Auburn) for interviews and manages to get some real insight from every person involved, which is no easy feat considering they are talking about one of the most sensitive subjects they’ve ever been a part of.

ESPN Films in its short life has already produced some of the most fascinating and deeply moving sports documentaries of all time, particularly during its 30 for 30 series that ran on ESPN last year. It has explored much darker and more serious subjects than the Iron Bowl in films like June 17th, 1994 and The Two Escobars (their two finest works so far, in my opinion) but when it comes to getting to the heart of a unique American sports phenomenon, I don’t know that ESPN or anyone else has done a better job than what we see in Roll Tide/War Eagle.

The segment of the film focusing on the strange and sad story of Harvey Updyke was probably the most effective part of the film for me, even though it is the least representative of the normal state of affairs here in Alabama. Updyke is a man who feels both ashamed and astonished at what he did but also deep down has some satisfaction and justification and even pride about what he did. He serves as a parable of what can happen when one lets this rivalry burrow too deeply into the mind and heart. At the end of the day, letting the rivalry get your emotions flowing is part of what makes it fun but you have to learn to turn it off or you could end up like poor Harvey.

Perhaps the most impressive feat of the film is the filmmakers’ resistance to draw some sort of narrative conclusion involving the April tornados that ravaged Tuscaloosa. Many of the less nuanced in-state journalists lept at the opportunity to decide that Alabama and Auburn fans had somehow had their perspectives changed by the tragedy, that it had brought them together and made them forget their silly, petty quarrels. The problem with that viewpoint is that it assumes there is something inherently wrong or petty about the Iron Bowl rivalry. There are freaks out there who take things too far but for the majority of us fans, it’s the source of some of our greatest joys in life. The truth is, people in Alabama love this rivalry and wouldn’t know what to do without it. That’s why the rivalry didn’t diminish one bit after the tornadoes and why it never will as long as both teams continue to care deeply about football.

The 23rd James Bond film has been announced. Titled Skyfall, the film will see Daniel Craig return, will be directed by Sam Mendes, and will not continue the Vesper/QUANTUM arc from the first two Craig 007 films.

Of course, rumors of this type have been flying around for months. Javier Bardem will, in fact, play a villain, and the script will be written by Bond vets Purvis & Wade, in addition to star screenwriter John Logan (Any Given Sunday, The Aviator, Rango). I’ve only been burned by Bond films twice. Die Another Day was an experience I did not enjoy, but Quantum of Solace really stung. I loved Casino Royale for its sure-handedness, twisting narrative, and cinematic flair. I was optimistic about Quantum bringing on a German director, and its first trailer was impressive. Fellow Film Nerd Ben Flanagan spied hints of the Bourne Supremacy influence early on, but I maintained that if the series stuck with the style established in Casino Royale, the hand-held frenetic action that worked for Bourne would not be shoe-horned into this franchise. Of course, I was wrong. In addition to a rushed script and a bored, License to Kill -flavored tone, the film was, in fact, very dependent on the 2nd Unit action choreography and photography of Dan Bradley.

So, here we are, and I’m honestly trying very hard to be optimistic, and that’s a big problem. The problem with today’s James Bond series is that these movies cannot afford to be bad anymore. The great thing about the grand history of this series is that it always survived bad or under-performing films. In fact, the ability for a Bond film to be critically or financially disappointing gave us some of the character’s gems – the low-grossing masterpiece On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, for example. When I walked out of The World Is Not Enough, which has a thrilling first act that quickly loses steam, I wasn’t hopeless that Bond would disappear forever. In fact, there was another film already in the works. What I didn’t know was that this film would be financed, packaged, and released in a fashion similar to a Lord of the Rings or Spider-Man movie. Die Another Day had to be one of the biggest films of the year, or it would be considered a failure. Consider this: GoldenEye was produced for $58 million. It was a huge success, so Tomorrow Never Dies (an underrated entry, in my opinion) was rushed into production, finally breaching the $100 million budget mark. James Bond movies are no longer kitschy, escapist adventures. Now, they have to be full-on event movies with budgets usually reserved for Roland Emmerich pictures.

Here’s what I’d like to see from the franchise, which has been mostly well-protected from the Hollywood economic system from producers Barbara Brocolli and Michael G. Wilson.

There is Safety in Numbers.

Tone down the budget, crank down the risk. I’d much rather see a fun, creative Bond film every two years than a big, bloated “event” Bond movie every five. Treat it like a TV show, hire a writing staff, and crank some of these out. I should credit The Hollywood Saloon’s John Jansen with opening my eyes to this Bond philosophy. Again, so much of the strength of EON Productions is their insular nature. The only thing these guys need the studios for is distribution, so why even let Hollywood in the door to begin with?

Stay Away from the Auteurs.

Can you really blame kitchen-sink directors like Marc Forster and Sam Mendes if they flub a James Bond movie? The appeal of these movies are not the directorial vision or thematic strength they show off, rather their suspense and character moments. Both of these directors do care about character, but they usually prioritize character under theme (Revolutionary Road, American Beauty, Stay, Finding Neverland). When the series excels, it is under the guidance of a scrappy, skilled craftsman with an ear for dialogue and a mind for visual strategy (Peter Hunt, John Glenn, Martin Campbell). I’d prefer the producers hired a team of young British directors in the vein of Attack the Block‘s Joe Cornish to trade between smaller films, rather than putting such a big task on one man’s shoulders.

Make it British.

I understand that Bond’s adventures were always on a global scale, but I think it’s important to continually show us his regional centrality. In the 60′s, Bond represented a meddling empire. In the 90′s he represented a progressive, humanist “fixer”. It’s important for us to see the “Britishness” of James Bond, as well as his contrast with the government (which has been handled nicely in the newest films). This is why it’s important for a Bond actor to have roots in the Commonwealth, as well as Bond directors. Again, this shouldn’t be a global property just because of its global implications.

Make it Fun.

Contrary to popular belief, Casino Royale was an extremely fun motion picture. Its Bond was brash, rude, and funny, unlike the icy Bond of Quantum of Solace. The action scenes in Casino Royale are among the most playful and imaginative of recent years. In fact, the two biggest action scenes in that film – the opening foot chase and airport car chase – end with quite an ironic punchline. I hope that in Skyfall, as well as in future Bond productions, this wry sense of mischief isn’t traded for icy brutality. On the whole, I could certainly use more Brosnan “smugness” and less Craig “thugness”. I do think Craig has it in him to crack some jokes, but it’s up to the writers, producers, and directors to give him that playground.

Again, I’m forcing my optimism for Skyfall, and I really wouldn’t have to if I knew there was a 24th Bond film that could potentially redeem it. I’m troubled by the scale and risk of these productions. However, I’m also encouraged that, at the very least, the producers are attempting to put some sort of polish on their films. I guess I’ll see everyone at the theater next year, listening to Tom Petty’s newest 007 single, “Skyfallin”.

*In Wonder Mill Films news, we’ve announced our third major project, as well some updates on our newly released feature film, The Nocturnal Third. Check out all the details at www.facebook.com/wondermillfilms and www.thenocturnalthird.com!