TV on DVD: One Tree Hill (The Complete Fifth Season)

Creator: Mark Schwahn
Starring: Chad Michael Murray, James Lafferty, Hilarie Burton, Bethany Joy Galeotti, Sophia Bush, Paul Johansson
Original Airdate: 2008

*** (out of ****)

There are very few pieces of entertainment that I’d actually consider myself embarrassed to tell people I watch. Something where I’d choose not to share the information with anyone out of fear of public ridicule. I don’t have many “guilty pleasures”, but I’m convinced that has to do with the fact that not many movies and TV shows deserve that coveted title rather than any particularly fearless viewing habits on my part. I’m of the belief that a “guilty pleasure” should, you know, actually make you FEEL GUILTY. If that’s the criteria then nothing fits the bill better than The CW’s teen drama One Tree Hill. If you looked up “guilty pleasure” on Wikipedia there’s probably a cast photo.

That I watched even so much as a single episode of it is enough to make me feel guilty. That I watched an entire season makes my face flush with embarrassment. Just writing this review is mortifying. But you know what? In a strange way, it kind of feels great. It feels great because the show knows exactly what it is and doesn’t try to be any more than that, which makes it shamefully fun. It has absolutely no sustaining nutritional value and contains all the nutritional substance of a fast food meal at Burger King, but it knows it. The series doesn’t sport great writing or performances but gets away with everything by immersing itself (and us) in pure, mindless fun. Not only that, but it raises an interesting question I’ve never considered: Is it possible for an entire television series to succeed on the strength of just one supporting character? After watching this season in its entirety I’m convinced that it can.

When One Tree Hill debuted on the now defunct WB in 2003 I only caught a little of it, but enough to know I wasn’t interested. It was clearly meant to be the replacement for the recently departed Dawson’s Creek, even going so far as to shoot in the same location of Wilmington, North Carolina. While its ratings were strong initially they eventually leveled off and it seemed for every one of its seasons it was on the cancellation bubble. When the WB and UPN merged to form the new CW in 2006 the network bosses publicly boasted it would combine the best elements of both networks. Instead, it combined the worst, snatching up their worst shows (7th Heaven) while cancelling the best (Everwood). The only good news was that they were taking UPN’s Veronica Mars, but that victory was short-lived when we discovered how badly they planned to treat it.
It was surprising when the announcement came that One Tree Hill (which never seemed to have as strong a following as the network wanted) made the cut and would be making the jump. And now ironically it stands as the only series left on The CW that truly retains the spirit of the old WB. That it’s been running on two networks for five years is impressive. That it’s better now than it ever was before is a miracle. Much of that can be attributed to a very wise decision made by the writers that has not only saved the show, but also re-energized it creatively.

It seems whenever teen dramas leave the halls of high school and the characters go onto to college the show jumps the shark. They either have to come up with contrived ways to keep the characters together despite being in different locations, or even worse, conveniently (and unrealistically) ship them all off to the same university.Taking a page out of the Dawson’s Creek series finale, season 5 of OTH flash-forwards four years into the future after the characters have graduated. The results are that the show is finally freed from the shackles of its repetitive high school storylines and the actors are given the opportunity to actually play their own age for a change. We also get a break from a tiresome love triangle that’s been dragging the series down. Most shows fizzle out when they reach their fifth seasons, but this is just hitting its stride because the time jump allows the writers to indulge in hysterically over-the-top storylines like they never have before, and if you’ve seen this show you know that’s really saying something.

Similarly, if you haven’t caught it, this DVD set is a great way to begin since everything starts with a clean slate that doesn’t necessarily require knowledge of previous seasons. But if you watch this one you may be tempted to check those earlier episodes out of curiosity to see how these colorful characters could have possibly arrived at this point. Season 5 is slow starting mainly because these characters’ new post-grad lives have to be established. I probably would have run out of patience for something like that if what the writers didn’t come up with for them wasn’t so creative…and at times downright hilarious.

In the four years since we left the residents of Tree Hill, North Carolina, all their lives are dramatically different. The most ludicrous development concerns protagonist Lucas Scott (Chad Michael Murray) who, despite barely being able to string two words together for the past four years, becomes the critically acclaimed author of the bestselling novel, "The Unkindness of Ravens," which chronicles his years at Tree Hill High School. Returning home to coach the Ravens basketball team he’s now engaged to his editor, Lindsey (Michaela McManus).

Lucas' half-brother, former star basketball player Nathan (James Lafferty) has been left paralyzed from the waist down, effectively crushing his dreams to play in the NBA. In just one example of a special touch that makes this show so entertaining, it isn’t enough that he’s angry, bitter and paralyzed, he must also be a drunk sporting a Ron Kovac-style Born On The Fourth of July beard. His marriage to high school sweetheart Haley (Bethany Joy Galeotti) is crumbling because of his alcoholism, which makes caring for their now four-year old son Jamie (welcome newcomer Jackson Brundage) difficult. The presence of a psychotic nanny (Torrie DeVitto) trying to seduce him probably isn’t helping with the child care issues either.

Former high school queen bee and ex Lucas flame Brooke Davis (Sophia Bush) misses her roots in Tree Hill despite having become a world famous fashion designer in New York and running a multi-million dollar company with her mother (guest star Daphne Zuniga). Lucas’ other ex, Peyton Sawyer (Hilarie Burton) is the least successful of the group, working as a lowly assistant to an arrogant record label executive, still dreaming of starting a label of her own. She never really got over Lucas and that will have major repercussions as the season wears on and he plans his marriage to Lindsey.

The character who probably benefits the most from the time jump is high school nerd Marvin “Mouth” McFadden (Lee Norris). Mouth had shown signs of breaking out of his geekiness in the past few seasons but this one he finally does, embarking on a steady career path as a broadcast journalist. Besides having a fling with his “cougar” boss (Kelly Collins Lintz) he’s also actually involved in a meaningful adult relationship with Brooke’s assistant, the awesomely named Millicent Huxtable (Lisa Goldstein). Norris is able to go to more mature places as an actor he wasn’t allowed to in previous seasons and Mouth gets a welcome promotion from minor supporting character to primetime player. This is Norris’ finest hour on the show and he gives this season’s second best performance. Despite the separate paths all the characters took the past few years their lives all converge this season where they always have, in Tree Hill.

Other than Lost’s Benjamin Linus, there’s no better villain on television than OTH's Dan Scott (Paul Johansson), the evil father of Lucas and Nathan. So entertaining is this character that even when I stopped watching the show I would occasionally check in just to see the havoc he was causing or the life and death situation he would find himself in at the end of each season. In the course of these five years he’s blackmailed his ex-wife, suffered a massive heart attack, been poisoned, set ablaze, elected mayor, and most memorably, murdered his own brother Keith in Season 3. Season 4 ended with him actually doing the right thing and confessing to the crime.

There lies the contradiction of this complex character and Johansson’s unmatched skill in playing him. That he teases us with the fact that deep down he may actually be a good guy who wants to do the right thing but just can’t. He's always thisclose to redemption, but then his selfish impulses kick in, causing emotional and sometimes physical destruction to himself and the family he desperately wants acceptance from.

Johansson (previously best known for his reoccurring role on the ORIGINAL Beverly Hills 90210) makes you believe that all the evil he does comes not because he’s an evil man, but because he cares…TOO MUCH. He doesn’t appear in over half the episodes in this season and the show suffers greatly from it. It seems the wait for him to get out of prison and resume his dirty work is excruciating. I noticed on the credits Johansson directed a couple of episodes early in the season in which he didn’t appear and if it’s okay with the producers, for my own amusement, I’d like to imagine he did it in character.

When Dan does get out of prison it doesn’t disappoint and fittingly his release coincides with the show’s 100th episode. Oh, he also happens to be dying of heart failure and has only a couple of months left. The relationship that develops between him and his grandson who he meets for the first time is surprising and adds another curious dimension to a character we can never pin down. As evil and pathetic as he is, because of Johansson’s performance, you almost can’t help but pity the guy.

I can’t spoil what happens to him in the season finale’s final minutes. I caught it when it aired in the spring and my drink nearly came out of my nose I was laughing so hard. You suspect what's coming, but when it does, it somehow ends up being more entertaining than it has any right to be and puts all of Dan Scott’s other epic catastrophes to shame. He just can’t catch a break. And then it occurred to me: If his character were ever written out I think I’d stop watching. He’s the driving force and glue that holds it all together. Without Johansson, the show would probably be cancelled in a second. Even if you have no interest in watching it, it's worth it just to see his work.

Of the three main actresses, I’d say the least known and most underappreciated, Galleotti, is the strongest. She just seems the most real, in a show were realism doesn’t exactly dominate. That’s why it’s a shame she has really doesn’t have all that much to work with this season, at least compared to the past few. Burton and Bush are just okay. Basically they get the job done, which is all they’ve ever needed to do throughout the series’ run. Burton, a former MTV VJ made a wisest move of her life signing on with the show considering that network chooses not to air music videos anymore. There’s much more music on this show, as they hilariously (and sometimes distractingly) try to jam every cutting edge indie tune they can into every episode. That’s especially true in this season’s finale, when they threw in so many songs it played more like an hour-long video than a television episode.

Young Jackson Brundage proves to be a valuable addition this season as Jamie because besides being just about the cutest kid ever, you never know what’s going to come out of his mouth next. The writers were smart to give this junior screen stealer as much face time as possible. Murray and Lafferty continue the solid work they’ve been doing on the show, with Lafferty asked to take Nathan to different, darker places he hasn’t been before. But no one watches OTH for the performances. If you did though, Johansson acts circles around everyone else in the cast.

It’s true that I don’t fit the demographic The CW is targeting with this series, or probably any other series on the network. You could argue that I’m neither the right age nor gender to be watching it but in reality that’s nonsense. I read a review of OTH that stated the show actually isn’t aimed at teens at all, but rather adults who missed out in having the high school experience they never got. I think there’s some truth to that.

We’re already defined and labeled enough in the real world that I refuse to let it carry over into my viewing habits. I’ll watch anything or everything so long as I enjoy it. Don’t get me wrong, I love high-brow Emmy nominated programming like Mad Men as much as anyone else but after a rough week all I want to do is shut off my brain and watch something that’s stupid, mindless fun. The CW's other anchor show, Gossip Girl is too pretentious and snotty to qualify, as it seems to think its Shakespeare rather than a teen soap.

Most of this review probably reads like I’m mocking the show, but I’m not. It does exactly what it should be doing for the genre its in. I know I should harbor a grudge that this remains on The CW’s lineup when Veronica Mars was cancelled but I just can’t bring myself to do it. Despite what the network may have mistakenly tried to convince viewers, the two shows were always in completely different genres anyway. And this is no worse than anything else that airs on Monday nights, specifically Heroes or WWE Raw. And unlike the latter, at least this show gives me a reason to check back in every week and see what happens to its characters. That's the difference between bad writing and GOOD bad writing.
Even if you hate One Tree Hill it at least deserves credit for hanging in there longer than anyone thought it would. I can’t see it continuing more than one or two seasons longer but number 6 is already off to a rip-roaring start. It’s gone from a show I occasionally watched with massive guilt to appointment television...still with massive guilt. The show has lived up to its initial promise, but just took a little longer than we thought. So, I guess you can have your critically acclaimed Emmy award worthy television. I’ll be on the couch with a bag of Doritos banging my head to Gavin DeGraw’s “I Don’t Want To Be.” You just have to do me a favor and not tell anyone.

The Dark Knight Returns Fan-Made Poster

Alright, I swear this is my last Dark Knight post...at least for a little while. What you see below ISN'T an official poster for The Dark Knight sequel, which hasn't even been announced yet and for all we know may not be happening. It's a fan made one and if I were Christopher Nolan I would give this guy a call right now and buy the rights to this very creative piece of work. What most jumps out at me at first glance (aside from the absurdly high level of professionalism) is the attention to detail.

It's tough to make out here (you can click to view it larger) but the Two-Face article is written "by Vicky Vale" and anyone doubting The Riddler wouldn't fit perfectly into Nolan's world would have to seriously re-think that after looking on the far right. Re-imagining Riddler as some kind of Zodiac killer type (complete with ciphers and codes) is brilliant and a different, darker take on the character no one has suggested yet.

Actually, the whole poster gives off a Zodiac vibe, with traces of Nolan's own Memento (the tattoos on Riddler's hand). It's tough naming two more appropriate movies to seek inspiration from. This fake one-sheet encapsulates everything the next film SHOULD be and if it were a real poster released by a major studio it would probably make my list of the best movie posters of the year. Now, the only problem is making a film that could live up to it.

Source: Cinematical

Fantasy Casting: The Dark Knight Sequel (Part II)

In the first part of my Casting The Dark Knight Sequel blog series I revealed my picks for Catwoman, Penguin and Mr. Freeze. Now here are the contenders for Riddler, Joker and Poison Ivy along with my final selection for each.







RIDDLER











Johnny Depp-I don’t like it at all. Sorry, but I’m just so sick of Depp playing these loner, misfit freaks that I cringed when I heard his name mentioned as a serious possibility. I’m hoping that out of some warped loyalty to Burton he’ll turndown the role if he’s offered it. I’d just rather see another actor get a shot at this. Of course now that I said that I’m sure we’ll be hearing that Depp has been cast as The Riddler any day now. The silver lining here is that I had a similarly negative reaction to the casting of Ledger.

Robin Williams-What is this, 1995? Williams already lost this role to Carrey. Although Nolan did get a great, dark villainous turn out of Williams in Insomnia. Something to consider.

Jim Carrey-Out of all the possibilities of bringing someone back from a previous Batman installment this one is least likely to end in disaster. It could be interesting to see what Carrey could do with what’s sure to be Nolan’s much darker, more serious Riddler. Almost guaranteed better results than The Number 23. Still, this shouldn’t be done. Why remind people of Schumacher’s failed films?

Michael Emerson-Lost’s Benjamin Linus is the single greatest villain on television today, if not in the past decade. His performance this season resuscitated that show and if you think about it he’s already playing The Riddler on that series. It’s the exact direction Nolan’s version should take. But for fans of the show will this make the movie seem like just another episode? Furthermore, would those unfamiliar with him be willing to accept an unknown in such an important role?

Michael C. Hall-Yes! The star of TV’s Dexter would make the ideal cerebral assassin to match Bale’s Batman. The list of actors who can play Riddler is short mainly because we don’t have a clue where Nolan could go with the character. With Hall in the role we suddenly get a much clearer picture…and I like it what I’m seeing.

David Tennant-I don’t have a clue who this guy is but I heard he stars Doctor Who and is campaigning hard for the role. He’s been mentioned by everyone as a possibility. If anyone knows more about him please let me know. I have no idea so I can’t comment on his suitability.

Guy Pearce-I’m sure he’s only been mentioned because he starred in Nolan’s Memento, but Nolan isn’t like a P.T. Anderson who uses the same troupe of actors over again. He’d do a good job, but isn’t the best choice. Plus, what’s he gonna do, tattoo question marks and riddles all over himself?

Edward Norton-This can’t happen for a number of reasons such as the fact Norton is widely regarded as a pain in the ass to work with. Could you imagine the creative clashes between him and Nolan? Also, I’m sure Norton has sworn off superhero films after his horrible post-production experience on The Incredible Hulk. But we’re speculating on suitability not probability and Norton would knock it out of the park.

Ben Foster-This is a write-in pick I came up with and I’m shocked it hasn’t been brought up. Imagine the results if he brings the same kind of intensity to The Riddler that he did to his roles in Alpha Dog and 3:10 to Yuma. If the character is to be re-imagined as a complete raving psychotic Foster is the best man for the job.

Kevin Spacey-If you told me this choice 5-10 years ago I would have been completely on board. Now I laugh. He’s become a parody of himself with his villainous roles and helped drag down Superman Returns (as if needed to be dragged down further). I’d love to see him turn things around but we shouldn’t risk it here. His name on a picture nearly guarantees a creative flop these days. What a shame.

Crispin Glover- Consider this a joint pick for both Riddler and Joker since he was rumored for both for years and even actively campaigned for the latter before it went to Ledger. Just see Willard and try to tell me this guy wouldn’t make a sick, twisted, creepy Riddler. I guarantee you he’s at least on Nolan’s radar right now. And what a great comeback this could be.

Paul Bettany-Already has experience playing a creepy, sick villain in The DaVinci Code. If Nolan wants to go in that direction he’s a good choice and is one of the most physically imposing actors on this list.

David Hyde Pierce-Niles Crane as The Riddler? He’s only made everyone’s list because he bares a physical resemblance to the animated version but that’s beside the point. He does have a strong dramatic and theater background so the pick isn’t as silly as it looks, but it’s still really silly.

John Malkovich- We pretty much know exactly how this would turn out: Fine, but nothing special. If it were the ‘90’s and Malkovich still had some sadistic surprises left in him he’d be a candidate for a Burton or Schumacher installment. That time has passed and we need a fresher take.

Orlando Bloom- A few years ago I thought Orlando Bloom and Heath Ledger were interchangeable as actors. How wrong I was. Could Nolan work a similar miracle with Bloom? It's just the kind of casting stunt Nolan would pull.

Casey Affleck-Interesting. After his terrific work in ’07 I feel a lot better giving him a shot at it, but I’d still have serious reservations. He’s just starting to find his footing and may not have the screen presence yet to pull this off. We have to believe this madman is threatening human lives. We could make The Riddler low-key and intellectual but Affleck might be too low-key and intellectual.

William Fichtner-Remember the opening of The Dark Knight? Why it was so great. A lot of that had to do with this well-traveled character actor’s performance as the bank manager who took a stand. His character may or may not have died. We don’t know. If Nolan wants storyline continuity and the opportunity to give a deserving actor a promotion this is a great way to do it. Fichtner’s a criminally underrated performer capable of pulling off a transformation reminiscent of Eckhart’s Harvey Dent. Anyone familiar with this guy’s work through the years knows this choice has some serious weight behind it.

Anthony Michael Hall-While we’re at it let’s cast Judd Nelson as Mr. Freeze and Molly Ringwald as Poison Ivy. No, seriously Hall’s a good actor but his role as a TV interviewer in The Dark Knight was just a throwaway cameo that people are looking too far into. There’s really nothing on his resume that suggests he deserves a shot at this. He should consider it an honor he’s even being mentioned as a serious candidate in some circles.

Ed Harris-Actually somewhat physically resembles the original Riddler from the '60's televsion series, Frank Gorshin, but wouldn't bring the same silliness to the role. Despite playing a bunch of villains throughout his career I can't recall a time he was ever allowed to really cut loose. Nolan would give that to him. My only worry is he might be too dry to play such a larger than life character.

Geoffrey Rush-An underrated, overlooked choice who can play crazy and evil with the best of them. He's even gotten Oscar nominations for doing both separately so this would give him a chance to accentuate both those strengths at once. Tackling a scheming criminal mastermind would be a piece of cake for him and I could even picture him in a green suit (but hopefully it doesn't come to that).

Jude Law-Almost worked with Nolan once before on The Prestige until David O. Russell put Nolan in a headlock and forced him to let Law out of his contract so he could make I Heart Huckabees. Ironically, it’s his work that film that makes me think he could do this. Also looks the part.

My Pick: Michael Emerson
The presence appearance of Lost’s Nestor Carbonell as Mayor Garcia in The Dark Knight would lead one to believe someone with pull at Warner Bros. is watching the show. If that’s true then there’s a better chance than you think that Emerson’s name will come up at some point for this role. I have to remember I’m casting Nolan’s film not mine but this is a case where my personal favorite choice really is the right one for this sequel.

Unlike Catwoman I think it would help if The Riddler were older and more experienced than Batman so he can always remain a few steps ahead. He needs to be more of a psychological threat than a physical one and a true sociopath. He has to be believable as a genius while at the same time giving off a truly creepy and unnerving vibe, something Emerson specializes in. He looks like that strange man who lives down the street who you’re not quite sure about and it’s that degree of realism that makes him a perfect fit for Riddler. Just look at this guy. I’d even believe his name is Edward E. Nigma.

If you watch Lost you already know he can do it but even if you don’t he’d have you sold the second he appears onscreen. He’s gone untested in a big budget mainstream films, but he has more experience doing this kind of thing than just about anyone. After Ledger’s Joker you need as little drop off as possible for the lead male villain and Emerson would insure that. He's the only actor on here who I KNOW can do it. Having said that, casting Riddler is so difficult that I'd be forced to go in open minded whoever Nolan chooses. There's no question this character and Catwoman would be the strongest choices for villains in the next installment and carry the most creative potential.








JOKER









Mark Hamill-The voice of The Joker in the animated series was a serious contender (at least in the fans’ minds) for The Dark Knight. It’s been suggested that the sequel should be The Dark Knight Returns and take place 10 years later. If that’s the case no one but Mark Hamill should play him. That’s a big IF though. It sure would be great to finally see him in a meaningful role again. I was always curious what he was capable of outside of Skywalker.

Johnny Depp- Here we go again. Is already replacing Ledger in that Imaginary whatever it is directed by Terry Gilliam. I hate the word “replacing” though. Depp’s a great actor but I think he’s massively overpraised. Between being rumored for this role, The Riddler and appearing as The Mad Hatter in Tim Burton’s upcoming Alice in Wonderland I have to ask this question: When will this guy stretch a little bit. I think he’s slightly better for Joker than Riddler but it’s still an unequivocal “NO.” A small part of me thinks it could work, but that’s more a testament to Nolan than Depp.

Daniel Day-Lewis-This is out of left field but strangely it’s fitting because The Dark Knight does remind me a lot of There Will Be Blood. I’m not sure why exactly but it does. I think people have suggested this mainly because Lewis can do anything. Who am I to argue? They’re right. But I think I’d rather have him show up in Gotham City as Daniel Plainview than The Joker.

Robert Downey Jr.-Speaking of actors who can do anything. He’s probably going to be tied up with the Ironman sequel and a bunch of other things at the moment but he could step in and own this. Would you turn this guy down for ANY role? I wouldn’t.

Brad Pitt-I'm not sure why but for some reason I can kind of picture this. On paper it looks like a safer bet than Ledger did, but that could be precisely the reason it may not work. Of all the huge A-list stars he has proven over time to be among the most dedicated to his craft and unafraid of fully immersing himself in any role. There are actually a lot of similarities between him and Ledger as both worked hard to conquer inaccurate perceptions of their talents. It's a gamble, but a better gamble than some others.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt-What a compliment that he could step in for Ledger and not only would very few have a problem with it, the move would likely be highly praised. The best actor of his generation and he hasn’t even come close to his peak yet. That’s why I think it’s important that he continue to blaze his own trail, rather than have Ledger’s shadow follow him. I’d rather not mess with greatness and have him continue doing what he’s doing. But if we MUST, he might be the only actor I’d trust to pull it off. Can’t wait to see what he does with Cobra Commander by the way.

Michael Pitt-A similar pick to Levitt in that he’s an up and coming actor making risky choices and his role in Funny Games is proof positive he can mine the depths of evil when necessary. Much to my surprise, this possibility hasn’t really been discussed by anyone. He could easily do this.

Leonardo DiCaprio- He's due for a darker role and what better one to prove to the world he's at the top of his game than to step into Ledger's shoes and knock it out of the park. This part combines the artistic credibility and mainstream appeal that has been a hallmark of his career. Yeah I know, I'm really reaching here. I can't see this happening.

My Pick: No One
We need at least a one film break from The Joker, if not longer. To suggest it would be disrespectful to Ledger’s memory to have someone else play the role it is completely absurd, but it would be disrespectful to whoever tackles it to have his shadow hanging over them. Years down the line if they want to revisit the character I’d encourage it but we should let this rest for a while, and I think Nolan will. Plus, what more is there to do with him in this series? It’s time to move on to new villains. We already got our Joker.









POISON IVY








Runners-up: Isla Fisher, Cate Blanchett, Bryce Dallas Howard, Julianne Moore, Amy Adams

My Pick: Christina Hendricks
I was having huge problems casting this one and was about ready to give up. Honestly I think that’s because the character is weak and extremely difficult to translate to the screen (and this is coming from someone who enjoyed Uma Thurman’s performance in Batman and Robin, as silly as it was). I’d say there’s little to no chance of Poison Ivy appearing in the next film but I’d still give her much better odds than Mr. Freeze. I didn’t consciously try to pick a virtual unknown but it just happened and may work out better because the wounds are still so fresh from Schumacher’s film that a big star could bring back painful memories.

The actresses I strongly considered above are all great and you’d hear no complaints from me if any of them were chosen. The problem is a couple haven't proven they can radiate strength and power (at least at the level necessary for this role) and the two that can just wouldn’t feel right opposite Bale. That’s why I picked Christina Hendricks from TV’s Emmy nominated Mad Men. She has just the right mix of sexiness, mysteriousness and confidence that would work. You’d have to combine a bunch of different actresses to get someone better for this. In what little I’ve seen of her Nolan could take a chance on this problematic character and feel safe with Hendricks playing her. Or more accurately, not feel safe, which is what we should be going for.

Fantasy Casting: The Dark Knight Sequel

The floodgates have been opened. With The Dark Knight still going very strong and making a run for the highest grossing motion picture of all-time, speculation has popped up everywhere regarding a sequel. One of the most impressive feats of Christopher Nolan's film was how it challenged our perceptions of superhero villains are presented and who could possibly play them. Two-Face is presumed dead. The Joker is alive. Whether either of those two will show up in the next film is a crap shoot (although Eckhart is reportedly signed on for one more). Then there's the controversy of whether or not The Joker can, or rather should, be recast and who could possibly play him.

What I'll be giving you in these next two blogs is possibilities for villains and who could play them if there is a sequel. I'll be working under the assumption that both Nolan and Christian Bale will be returning, which appears to be the likely scenario at this point. I didn't want to be caught off guard with Nolan making a choice that isn't on here so this is very detailed. No stone went unturned and you get my thoughts on basically everyone you could think of and their suitability for playing Batman villain. I analyze pros and cons of the choice and make my final pick at the end. Some are strongly rumored, some are my ideas and others are picks discussed all over the net.
For the record I do think the next villains should unquestionably be Catwoman and Riddler but I run down possibilities for Penguin, Joker, Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy as well. I devoted the least amount of space to the latter two because I don't think there's a snowball's chance in hell Nolan will use either of them for obvious reasons. Of course, there's no guarantee he'll even use any of these villains and may instead go for lesser known ones from the comics as he did in Batman Begins.

It'll be interesting to see what happens when the announcements are made (which should be soon) and whether I look like a casting genius, a complete moron or something in between based on my comments on these actors. I had to remember I was casting Nolan's movie not mine and did make my final choices based on who I thought would fit best in the world he created. It didn't matter whether they were a big star or an unknown, just that they were RIGHT FOR THE ROLE. I'd say there's a great chance you're about to read my thoughts on the stars of The Dark Knight Sequel, whoever they are. Welcome to Part 1 of 2: Catwoman, Penguin and Mr. Freeze.




CATWOMAN

Angelina Jolie-Here’s someone who’s made a lot of headlines recently as the current frontrunner. She’s even has the endorsement of the original (and best) Catwoman, Julie Newmar, which goes a long way in my book. I’m convinced the fact this possibility has been so harshly received by the public has everything to do with her celebrity status and nothing to do with her suitability for the part. Her casting would bring the film the wrong kind of media attention, but let’s admit it: She’d be completely in her element and nail this. You could even argue this is the role she was born to play. It would also tie up her schedule for a while so she couldn’t bore us with Oscar-baiting dramas.

Still, a part of me thinks she may have fit better in the Burton or Schumacher star-driven franchises than this one. I’ve spoken to many people who told me they’d be happy with anyone as Catwoman “as long as it ISN’T Angelina Jolie.” I’m not sure that’s fair. Everyone would expect Nolan to think outside-of-the-box in casting this but how funny would it be if he shocks us all by going with the most obvious choice? If he picks her I wouldn’t have a problem with it.

Kate Beckinsale-A very solid possibility but I’m not as crazy about this as everyone else seems to be. Has to be considered one of the frontrunners right now but I think there’s this tendency in the Batman fan community to consider anyone who has worn a skintight body costume in a comic book movie as the right choice. Don’t get me wrong she’s good, just not the best we can do. The choice is too mainstream and lacks vision (although the same could have been said for Eckhart and look how that turned out).

Emily Blunt- I like this. I like it a lot. I can picture it also which isn’t always the case with choices that look good on paper. She’s young but always comes across as an experienced pro. Could easily go toe-to-toe with Bale believably and radiates just the right amount of mysterious sexiness to pull this off. This couldn’t come at a better time in her career.

Michelle Pfeiffer-This name has only appeared on some people’s casting list out of respect for her work in Batman Returns, which I completely appreciate. I have no problem with her age but it’s time to move on and do something new…and she’d probably agree with me.

Maggie Gyllenhaal-One of the craziest rumors to develop recently is that Rachel Dawes is not dead and will be returning as Catwoman since Gyllenhaal is signed on for another film. If Nolan does cast Maggie in the role it’s a HUGE RISK considering all the groundless complaints that she was “too ugly” for the role of Rachel.

How will audiences react then if she’s cast as Catwoman, a character whose very essence hinges on physical attractiveness and sexuality? Again, I refer you to her work in Secretary. She could probably do this, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I want her to try. I prefer Nolan not go this route because it’s disappointing narratively and I wouldn’t want to see the weak Rachel character return in any incarnation.

Rosario Dawson-A top candidate. I get the feeling we’ve already seen a variation on what her Catwoman would be like in Sin City. She definitely looks and acts the part, but under Nolan how do we even know what that part is anymore? Great choice, even if there’s no real element of surprise or re-interpretation in it. I love Dawson, but we know exactly what we’re getting with her. Still, she has to be considered one of the top 3 or 4 choices on this list. Few would do it better.

Charlize Theron-Yawn. I just put her down because I felt obligated. Could she really bring something new and exciting to a re-imagined version of Catwoman? Not a chance.

Halle Berry-Some feel she deserves another chance. I don't. But major props for showing up in person to accept your Razzie Award. That film wasn't her fault but I have to admit it is kind of fun blaming her.

Nicole Kidman- I think she has the acting chops but her role in a previous Batman film (a Schumacher one no less) could prove to be too jarring, despite the fact she was great in it. We need fresh blood. She’s an awesome, underrated talent but just not the right fit here for Nolan’s universe.

Naomi Watts-If Nolan takes the approach once again of going for the best actor for the role then Watts is the best choice on here. She may be pushing 40 but it’s not an issue since she doesn’t look a day over 34. I could really see Nolan picking her and I wouldn’t complain. It fits with the casting decisions he’s made so far.

Rose McGowen-There’s only one filmmaker who would consider casting her as Catwoman and as of now Robert Rodriguez is not scheduled to direct the next installment. To be fair, I actually think she’d do a better job than many think and it is tempting to see how this would turn out. It’s a temptation I’ll resist though because there are much better choices. Considering her reputation as box office poison she might also be a better fit as Poison Ivy.

Sienna Miller-This is one of those picks that’s solid, but lacks vision and originality. She’s already playing The Baroness in the G.I. Joe film and I think this role may seem too close to that. Besides, there are way better options available.

Megan Fox-Well, we know she'd look great in the cat suit at least. One of the best qualities of The Dark Knight was that it didn't feel like mindless summer escapist fare. Adding the "hot and nothing else" Fox to the mix would give the film an unshakable aura of emptiness and superficiality. Her, um, body of work up until now doesn't give us any indication whether she could actually do it. Regardless, this is supposed to be a Batman film not a porno.

Shannyn Sossamon- I love this freakin’ choice! I was so happy when I heard her name mentioned as a possibility because it was always in the back of my mind. She’s about the right age and bears a frightening resemblance to the Catwoman of the comics. Pretty much untested as an actress though. There’s some risk here.

Eva Green- I’m not familiar with that much of her work outside of Casino Royale but for some reason I can actually see it. I’m not a big fan of hers, but this isn’t a bad choice at all. If you want fresh blood for the franchise it doesn’t get much fresher than this.

Tilda Swinton-Don’t worry this wasn’t my pick, but you’d be surprised how many people think it’s a good idea. I realize she’s a great actress but no one would pay money to see her play Catwoman. Can you even picture her with Bale? I’m all for picking great actresses but this is one of the worst choices on here. I could see her as Poison Ivy though.

Milla Jovovich- She doesn’t have the acting goods to pull this off. This is one of those videogame fanboy picks and nothing more. A C-level direct to DVD choice for what should be an A-level film.

Natalie Portman-What a joke. Honestly, I’m laughing just picturing her in the costume. The whole thing just doesn’t fit. For this to even be a suggestion proves how massively overrated her talents are.

Anne Hathaway-That her career has ascended to the level that she's being mentioned for this part is an accomplishment in itself considering how ill-suited she is for it. So let's call that a victory and end it because if she got this part over the other far superior choices on here you'd just have to tell me know how the film is. I probably wouldn't watch it. I'd say there's no chance of this happening but with Nolan you never know.

Keira Knightley- This is almost along the same lines as Portman but a little better since Keira has proven she can believably play a bad ass in Domino. But something still seems really off with this choice.

Olivia Wilde- No one has brought this one up and I'm surprised. Not only does she look a lot like how we'd imagine Catwoman to be she's one of the few actresses who looks like she could kick Batman's ass. She's also the only actress in this age range I'd seriously consider, but there are drawbacks. She might have the Jessica Biel problem-being too tough and unable to portray to vulnerable side. Plus, she still so new and green as an actress we have no idea whether she'd be able to hold her own alongside the likes of Bale, Oldman, Caine and Freeman. It might be interesting to see her try though. She at least deserves to read for the part.

Jessica Biel- It's a no go because of the above reason. You can also cancel out another actress named Jessica and Scarlett Johansson, who's probably too busty to even fit in the catsuit anyway. None of them can do this and I'd sooner re-cast Berry before giving any of them a shot. Having been through the wringer once before at least we know she'll show up motivated and with something to prove this time. Biel, Johansson and Alba have a tendency to phone it in and the latter you could argue can't act at all.

Rachel Weisz-No doubt she’d put on an acting clinic and this is another one of those names I could see Nolan going with but we can do better. Sometimes the best actress isn’t always the best actress for the part.

Thandie Newton-Here’s a choice that made more sense to me a few years ago. Definitely looks the part and kind of has an Eartha Kitt vibe going for her. Except she’ll have to act, and after watching her “performances” in Norbit and The Pursuit of Happyness I’m not sure I want to see her attempt that.

Selma Blair-A dark horse pick who has more going for her as an actress than she often gets credit for. Already has experience in superhero films as Liz Sherman in the Hellboy franchise but that role is child’s play compared to this. Underratedly sexy but like Jovovich it may seem to be too low rent a pick and there’s legitimate doubt whether she’s ready for something like this challenging.

My pick: Shannyn Sossamon
I can see her name on the opening credits, picture her with Bale, envision Batman WANTING HER and WANTING TO KILL HER. She even looks like a cat for crying out loud. I’m a little bias here because she starred in one of my favorite all-time movies (The Rules of Attraction) but a big reason why was her performance in it. She possesses the right mix of vulnerability and toughness and has a dangerous, off-kilter beauty that’s perfect for the part. There’s also this realism to her that would effortlessly slide into Nolan’s universe.

Much like her A Knight’s Tale co-star Ledger did with Joker, I could see her digging down deep and challenging our perceptions of what Catwoman can be. Also, like Ledger, up until now she really hasn’t been given the opportunity to stretch as an actor so any potential complaints about this choice are unfounded. There are better actresses listed up there but for all of them I could name at least a couple of reasons why they shouldn’t get the part. I can’t name one here. Of all my final choices this is my absolute favorite and I'd jump through the roof if she got it. May not be a major name but that would change if this announcement were made. Make the call Nolan. Do it.



PENGUIN


Philip Seymour Hoffman-This Oscar winner is at the top of the list right now and it’s not hard to see why. It’s just like Nolan to cast him and there’s absolutely no doubt he can provide an interpretation of Penguin we’ve never seen before in any medium. Menacing, intimidating turns in MI:3 and Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead should make us feel even better about it. Forget pencil tricks. Imagine what he’d do with an umbrella.

Bob Hoskins-If rumors are true and Oswald Cobblepot will be a seedy club owner and mobster (much like the comics) than the seasoned Hoskins should be considered a front-runner. It’s amazing this guy’s been around so long and hasn’t had a role like this to sink his teeth into. He might be one of our most underappreciated actors and it would be great to see him get a chance to shine. Not to mention the physical resemblance. The only two issues could be age because he would have to go toe-to-toe with Bale and the fact this pick almost seems too DeVito-esque.

Paul Giamatti-Did you see Shoot ‘Em Up? Even if you hated the movie (and I know many who did) you have to respect the intensity he brought to that villainous role. Who knew he had that him? He would probably be right at home in Nolan’s Gotham City.

Dustin Hoffman-I don’t know where this one came from but it’s been discussed for some reason. One of our greatest actors but completely unsuitable for this. I just can’t see Hoffman playing someone who’s a sinister threat to Batman, or at least Bale’s version of him.

Danny DeVito-Some are curious to see him take another stab at the character. It seems like I’m one of the few who liked what he did with it but since it's a new Penguin we should have a new actor. This isn’t a feasible possibility.

My Pick: Philip Seymour Hoffman
Well, it's not my pick but as much as I hate doing it I have to go with the consensus on this one. They're right. Sometimes the most obvious choice is actually the best. When I saw his name being thrown around as a strong possibility I kind of just shrugged it off as a far-fetched prestige pick. But now the more I think about it the more sense it makes. The choice may appear obvious only because he’s such a gifted actor but it’s anything but predictable what he’d do with the character in this realistic universe.

Rumors have been picking up that Penguin could at the very least have a small, introductory role in the next film and of all the casting choices on here this is one I’d wager has the greatest probability of happening (although it’s the least favorite of my choices). I’d much rather see Catwoman and/or Riddler. But if it does happen and Hoffman gets the part you won’t hear any complaints from me. He’s the best available for it.





MR. FREEZE

Runners-up: Patrick Stewart, Anthony Hopkins, Tim Roth

My Pick: Ben Kingsley
Yeah I know, a pretty boring conventional choice but a solid one nonetheless. I find it funny the short list of actors who could play Mr. Freeze has gone mostly unchanged in the past decade. Stewart, Hopkins and Kingsley were all rumored for this part in just about every installment of the Batman franchise but unfortunately for us all the role eventually went to Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1997's ill-fated Batman and Robin. Of all the villains we could potentially see in The Dark Knight sequel Dr. Victor Fries is by far the one I'd least like to. It's so cartoonish I don't think Nolan would touch it but if he's really up for a challenge he could possibly have an interesting take on it. What that take is I have no idea but I'm guessing it would be much more realistically grounded than Schumacher's and wouldn't involve the character telling everybody "to chill out."

Anthony Hopkins would be too entertaining in a fun way and Patrick Stewart is just a watered down version of my pick for the part. I only listed Roth because he seems to appear on everyone's lists just for a lack of any other options. Oscar winner Ben Kingsley is the only person I can think of who physically resembles the character enough and has the dramatic gravitas to pull it off. If he plays it like his at all like his character from Sexy Beast we could be in for something special here. From what I've heard the Mr. Freeze from the comics is a dark, tortured soul with an involving backstory and considerable depth so there is some hope. I don't want Nolan to use this character but if he does I have this feeling he has an even better choice in mind and someone none of us have thought of.

COMING SOON: RIDDLER, JOKER, POISON IVY

TV on DVD: Weeds (The Complete Second Season)

Creator: Jenji Kohan
Starring: Mary-Louise Parker, Elizabeth Perkins, Justin Kirk, Kevin Nealon, Hunter Parrish, Alexander Gould, Romany Malco, Allie Grant
Original Airdate: 2006

***1/2 (out of ****)

I know what you’re thinking: Why would I review the second season of Weeds without having reviewed the first? Despite not reviewing the first season of the series I did watch it, and honestly, I wasn’t impressed. I was so unimpressed that I couldn’t even motivate myself to type my thoughts on it. Remember how Seinfeld was referred to as “the show about nothing?” Well, that was essentially my reaction to this show’s inaugural season. I felt as if absolutely nothing happened and was perplexed why it was garnering such high praise. I thought Mary Louise Parker’s acting work as a widowed pot dealing suburban mom was fine but nothing more and when the finale ended I had little interest in watching its sophomore season.

I definitely wouldn’t lose any sleep over not finding out what happened to the residents of Agrestic, California and was particularly annoyed that fine supporting actors were criminally underused. I thought the show had one angle (Mom dealing pot) and it wasn’t nearly as clever or interesting as the writers believed it to be. Nor did I understand why we were supposed to find it funny or connect with it on any meaningful dramatic level. She sold pot and that was it. But everyone I knew just wouldn’t let me hear the end of it and kept ranting and raving about how good the show was. They told me I was sure to love the second season. I’m glad I listened because they were right.

I’m all for second chances but I certainly didn’t expect to get the surprise I did when I unenthusiastically popped the second season into my DVD player. I’m happy to report that this season is not only a VAST IMPROVEMENT over the first but so much of one that it’s hard to believe it’s even the same show. What’s the opposite of a sophomore slump? If up until now the pot dealing came across as just a gimmick, in this season it ingrains itself into the fabric of the series, affecting the lives of every single character. The first season may have ended with a whimper but the second concluded with me on the edge of my seat anxiously awaiting the resolution to a thrilling cliffhanger.

I can’t say I liked every character but I sure ended up caring what happened to every one of them as each are given ample time to shine. Nancy Botwin may be about as deserving as Dina Lohan for a “Mother of the Year” award but the beauty in Parker’s performance is how she makes us not care and root for her anyway. No matter how stupid or selfish her mistakes are she convinces us that they come from a real place. It took a little while, but now I’ve finally gotten to see the show everyone was talking about. What a turnaround.

When we last left Nancy Botwin (Parker) in season one she was adjusting to her new life as a widower by dealing marijuana to continue her family’s middle class lifestyle. She also had to deal with the arrival of her lazy, freeloading brother-in-law Andy (Justin Kirk) and her expanding partnership with fellow drug dealer Conrad (Romany Malco) which evolves from just dealing pot to actually growing it. Her personal life takes a new turn as well when she ends up in a relationship with Peter Scottson (Martin Donovan), who she discovers is a DEA Agent in the first season’s somewhat underwhelming finale. Looking back now, it almost seems fitting the season would end on that note because it would be the first sign the writers would start to explore the rewarding creative potential of Nancy’s two worlds colliding.

If Season 1 was set-up then Season 2 is all pay off. At its start we know Nancy’s relationship with Peter has trouble written all over it and can only end badly but what surprised me most is how we got there and how many people it affected. Of course, Peter reveals himself to be far less than what Nancy believes him to be but the show is clever enough to give us some revealing moments with him also. He’s not exactly a bad guy, just someone with such a strong moral code and attachment to his job that he really believes he’s doing the right thing, as warped as it seems. It’s that small detail, evident in the writing and in Donovan and Parker’s performances that makes the relationship so believable.
That may be the storyline at the core of this season but there’s definitely enough other craziness on the side that will keep you fully entertained. The best of which is a hilarious battle for spot on the town council between the selfish, manipulative Celia Hodes (Elizabeth Perkins) and clueless. sleazy accountant (and client of Nancy’s) Doug Wilson (Kevin Nealon). This is one of those rare cases when two actors are paired together who have such unbelievable chemistry that you can’t imagine the two even being able to exist on screen without one another.

All my complaints about the squandering of Nealon’s talents in the first season are addressed as he’s given a huge role here to sink his teeth into and knocks it out of the park. All that trademark smug sarcasm that made him the all-time greatest anchor of Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update is on full display here, except with a lot more depth to it. Perkins’ Celia I found to be just a crazy bitch in the first season and she still is, except this time there’s some humor and a few endearing qualities to go along with that bitchiness, and it makes a huge difference.

When we last left Celia she was a victim of both breast cancer and her husband Dean’s (Andy Milder) infidelity but now she’s in the driver’s seat taking control, which is where she belonged all along. Of all the hilarious sub-plots this season, Celia finds a way to be involved in most of them. Whether it be her husband getting tasered out of his job, her outrage at her lesbian daughter Isabelle (Allie Grant) starring in commercials for plus-size children’s wear or her mission her mission make Agrestic a “drug-free zone” she hardly gets a breather this season and neither do we. Most memorable Celia moment: Finally getting her comeuppance courtesy of Nancy’s youngest son Shane (Alexander Gould) at her ridiculous (bordering on delusional) anti-drug lecture featuring a Sasquatch.

It’s funny how last season I nearly slept through depressing home movie footage of Nancy’s ex-husband in the writers’ failed attempts to show us how his death affected her and the kids, but this season their grief is instead evident IN THEIR ACTIONS. Like her son Silas’ (Hunter Parrish) relationship with a deaf girl escalating far past where it should and Shane’s pre-pubescent curiosity. The latter results in a masturbation speech from his uncle that belongs in the television hall of fame.

Speaking of Andy, he dedicates himself to becoming a Rabbi so he can get out of serving in Iraq. Even the most unlikable, one-dimensional character, Nancy’s supplier Heylia (Tonye Patano) is given a hilarious sub-plot involving a militant Nation of Islam leader. And just when I thought this couldn’t get any better Zooey Deschanel shows up as Andy’s crazy ex-girlfriend. I’m still trying to figure out how her performance managed to exceed my unrealistically high expectations. She’s may be the only actress who can make stalking seem adorable and the worst part of her guest arc is knowing eventually it’ll have to end. If I had to pick a lowlight of the season, it would be the contrived (but thankfully brief) appearance of Snoop Dogg. Why did someone have to tell him about this show?

On paper all this seems like too much but amazingly it isn’t because the series’ never loses its focus on Nancy and her struggle to just get by and determination not let her family down. Despite making horrible judgment calls left and right she’s able to keep it together and push forward. This is the season that won Parker the Emmy and what impressed me most about her performance was how grounded and in control it seemed at all times despite the insanity of the material. You really could picture a woman like this living in your neighborhood and chances are you wouldn’t mind, pot dealer or not. There is a moment when Nancy finally does break and it has such a huge emotional impact because we were building toward it for so long.
When the finale ended I felt like I’d been put through the wringer in terms of what you can experience during one season and now I wouldn’t dare argue its far superior to nearly all the crap being trotted out by the major networks these days. Not to mention it's also really fun (but impossible) to guess which artists are performing the opening theme, "Little Boxes" for each episode. A lot is jammed in but nearly all of it clicks, thanks in no small part due to Parker’s amazing performance and the efforts of the supporting cast.

It isn’t the best show on television, or even the best show on Showtime (I think we all know what that is), but I can’t recall a series ever taking such a leap creatively from its first to second season. Not only is knowledge of the first unnecessary to enjoy the second, I’d say everyone should start at 2 and just save themselves the trouble. It's what I should have done. This is a darker, funnier and altogether better effort. It remains to be seen whether the show has hit its creative peak here or they’re even bigger surprises in store for Season 3. But that I even care is a great sign.

My Ten Favorite Movies of All-Time

This past week over on MySpace there was a blog tag going around asking everyone to name their ten favorite movies... of ALL-TIME. A daunting task to be sure. I didn't expect my list turn into a dissertation (although I should have) but once I started writing about these films I just couldn't stop. I also didn't expect to be as proud of it as I was when I finished. It's probably the only time I can remember where I completed a top ten of any kind and all the choices really did seem to reflect me. So, as a result, I re-posted the blog here with some minor revisions.

10. FIGHT CLUB (1999-DAVID FINCHER)
1999 was a groundbreaking year for cinema. Ask me on any given day of the week and you'll get a different answer as to what I felt the best film of that year was. Some days it's American Beauty. On others it's Magnolia. Today it's Fight Club and therefore it's in the tenth position on this list. It was a tough decision made a lot easier by the fact that my connection to this film runs the deepest of the three. The last paper I wrote for psychology class in college was a 10-page analysis of the film and it was one of the toughest things I had to do. Not because of the content, but because I was forced to limit it to 10 pages. There was just too much discuss and analyze.

Many critics have written off the film as just a "guy movie" or a call to violence, but they're missing the point entirely. Perhaps no movie has more directly spoken to the mass-commercialized world we live in now, for better or worse, than Fight Club. Norton and Pitt own like they never have before and while I don't think this is Fincher's best film it is an unqualified masterpiece and one of the few times I felt compelled to pick up the book when it was through.

Often, when a best-selling novel like Chuck Palahniuk's is adapted into a feature film a personal voice is lost, but this movie finds a way to translate that voice perfectly. And like another Fincher film appearing on this list, it also features a twist ending that elevates the material to a deeper, more meaningful level and the use of the Pixies' "Where is My Mind" over the closing credits is just pure genius. Fight Club is a lot like A Clockwork Orange before it in that it was widely detested upon its initial release. Now we know why. This movie hits so close to home that it hurts.

9. DONNIE DARKO-ORIGINAL THEATRICAL VERSION (2001-RICHARD KELLY)
I'm making it clear that this refers to the original theatrical version because I've actually never seen the director's cut of the film and I'm not anxious to given what I've heard. For me, it's perfect as it is and knowing too much could hurt the experience. Like many, I didn't see this movie when it was first released in 2001 and only checked it out when word of mouth started to build in the years that followed, cementing its cult status. It's one of the many films on this list where I wasn't exactly blown away on an initial viewing. When it ended I just kind of sat there and scratched my head.

As a huge fan of time travel films I almost felt let down because it was the first time since 12 Monkeys where I really could honestly say I didn't understand everything, or more accurately, anything. All I knew was that I needed to see it again. And again. And again. And on each viewing a couple of more pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place and by the time I had it all figured out (or thought I did) I kind of didn't want to know anymore. The mystery and unanswered questions are part of the appeal. After all, there were so many other memorable aspects to it that were worth getting caught up in instead. Like Donnie's relationship with Gretchen, Patrick Swayze's creepy supporting performance (who knew he had that in him?), Smurfs, Sparkle Motion.

It's all done masterfully and almost poetic in its brilliance, tied up with an incredibly moving finale. This isn't just a time travel movie. I always viewed it as one of the most memorable depictions of teen angst put on film, all anchored by an awesome Jake Gyllenhaal. I always kind of wondered what it would be like to see this at a midnight screening with a bunch of fans dressed as Frank The Bunny.

8. THE ICE STORM (1997-ANG LEE)
The film with which this is most often compared is American Beauty, which I also loved and don't have a single negative thing to say about. I just love this more. What's funny is that of all the films on this list I think I may have watched The Ice Storm the most times. And it wasn't intentional. In the past decade it just always seemed to be playing on cable and I'd accidentally catch it. Sometimes it would be at the middle, the end, or the beginning. It didn't matter because whenever I tuned in I just couldn't stop watching.

On my initial viewing I thought it was merely okay, but it seemed on each subsequent watch I'd take a little more with me and see something else…and then another thing. Whether it be in the performances or the little emotional details Ang Lee and his top tier cast nailed down so perfectly. It's more subtle and subdued than American Beauty, letting us bask in those quite, real moments. It's so depressing yet it goes down easy without resorting to cheap melodrama like so many other suburban dramas.

On one hand it's cold but Lee manages to somehow invest the film with this warm, inviting feeling that makes me want to keep returning to it. I've never seen the 70's but this movie (and one other on here) sure makes me feel like I have. You can just sense that Lee got it right and each time I watch I'm hanging on every characters' words and even though I know what will happen next I forget that I do and just lose myself in their world.

It also features one of the most underrated casts ever assembled for a film: Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Toby Maguire, Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood and Katie Holmes (in her first big screen role and playing one of the greatest named characters ever). That's remarkable enough but what's more remarkable is that nearly all of them give their career best performance in this one movie. As unbelievable as it seems, two EVEN BETTER movies were released that year.

7. BOOGIE NIGHTS (1997-PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON)
This is one of them. It's also a film that time has been generous to, as is the case with all of P.T. Anderson's efforts. Many critics and audiences have said it that he's channeling Martin Scorsese with this, which I find to be an interesting comparison. Interesting for me especially because as much as I respect and admire Scorsese's work none of his films even came close to making my list. I think part of the problem for me is that he never really explores topics I'm interested in.

I exactly can't claim to have a huge interest in the late 1970's-early 1980's porn industry either which is why it's unusual that this movie speaks to me this much. It could be because this film isn't about the porn industry at all. That's just the setting. It's actually about family and is similar to Magnolia in focusing on lost souls looking for love, forgiveness and redemption.

I'm always blown away by how well it all holds up. Mark Wahlberg never gave a better performance than he does here and neither did the Oscar nominated Julianne Moore, which is saying a lot since both have gone on to do some great work since then. The also nominated Burt Reynolds may have since squandered his big chance at a comeback but he shines here. So does Heather Graham, who will always, no matter what she does, be forever known to me as "Rollergirl." And that soundtrack kicks ass. One of my favorite all-time movie moments is when Night Ranger's "Sister Christian" cues up during that drug deal gone bad near the film's climax (no pun intended). Between this, Magnolia and last year's There Will Be Blood, Anderson is starting to occupy a space reserved for only the most talented American filmmakers.

6. A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971-STANLEY KUBRICK)
I've seen A Clockwork Orange exactly once. That was all I could take and all that was necessary considering it's been playing in my mind ever since. I love it when people say certain movies are brave or take huge risks. No they don't. Not like this. From the unforgettable opening shot of Alex (a frightening Malcolm McDowell) and his "droogs" sitting in the Korova Milk Bar I knew that whether I ended up hating or loving this movie, I'd never see anything like it and wouldn't again.

Kubrick is the rare kind of director whose films exist in this timeless vacuum where not only do they never age, it's almost impossible to tell when they were made. This movie could have been released today and critics and audiences everywhere would herald it as being ahead of its time. Besides being downright scary, it's repulsive and tells us things about ourselves we'd probably rather not know. Banned to this day in England, the infamous "Singin' in the Rain" rape scene shocks just as much now as it did then. But all this would mean nothing if it didn't make you think, which was always Kubrick's specialty.

5. THE SWIMMER (1968-FRANK PERRY)
Imagine the most frightening episode of The Twilight Zone you've ever seen, magnify it times a hundred and add on top of it the best (and undeniably most daring) performance of Burt Lancaster's career, and you have The Swimmer, based on John Cheever's short story of the same name. I accidentally came across this film earlier in the decade and if the most important qualification for a great film is discovering something new on each viewing then this is the greatest film on my list. All those American suburban nightmares like Ordinary People, The Ice Storm, American Beauty and Little Children had the trail blazed for them by this.

To say this isn't the most audience friendly film would be an understatement as the viewer is left to do all the heavy lifting in unraveling the mystery of a man's life as he decides to "swim home" on a hot summer day in August. What unfolds is beyond disturbing and has haunted me ever since. Some say that the film looks and sounds terribly dated, like a bygone relic from another era. But for me that just increases the horror and effectiveness of the entire picture. Forget about Jaws. This is the movie that keeps me far away from the water.

I think it's one the most underrated, criminally overlooked films ever made and my one wish is that more people knew just how perfect it really is. Every time I watch it my appreciation and awe magnifies from the viewing before and everyone I know is already sick of hearing me babble about it constantly. I'll continue to do so until it's regarded as the masterpiece it is.

4. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968- STANLEY KUBRICK)
Many have accused Stanley Kubrick's films of being cold, sterile and lacking emotion. I can kind of see where they're coming from because the emotion he offers up isn't what we're used to. It isn't the kind that's warm, fuzzy, or will have you skipping out of the theater when the final credits roll. Kubrick refuses to sentimentalize anything. His movies are an acquired taste, so much so that it wasn't until I graduated high school that I thought I was ready to see this one, his greatest achievement.

There's really no way to fully prepare for 2001 and it's impossible to absorb not just everything, but anything, at first glance. You just sit back and let in engulf you, come to terms with the fact that it's the strangest trip you'll ever take and then watch it again. It's probably the most beautifully shot film ever made and a great argument against CGI. The movie came out in 1968 and doesn't look like it's more than two weeks old and the visual effects look far superior to any of the computer generated nonsense used now. I've never gotten the opportunity to see it on the big screen, which saddens me, but that final Star Gate sequence continues to blow my mind every time I watch it, and I don't even have to be under the influence of anything. As far as it not containing any emotion, just watch the scene where Bowman (Keir Dullea) disconnects HAL 9000. All those film snobs you can't stand are actually right this time. 2001 is the greatest science fiction film ever made and nothing comes close to touching it.

3. BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985-ROBERT ZEMECKIS)
The story goes that when Back To The Future producer and co-writer Bob Gale was looking at his dad's old high school yearbook he started to wonder whether he would have been friends with his father since they seemed so different. Who knew that germ of an idea would turn into one of cinema's most beloved trilogies? Its ranking on this list is actually more representative of the three films strung together since it's impossible for me to separate them in my mind. Each movie brings something entirely different and important to the table while at the same time contributing to the entire saga. No three films hold together as well or flow as seamlessly. I think because all of them go down so easily and are so entertaining Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd often don't get the credit they deserve for their performances. I can't recall two actors having better chemistry onscreen than these two.

Very few films from my youth hold a special place for me but this is one of them. I wouldn't be watching movies now if not for this and one of my favorite moments as a kid was when I actually got to ride in a DeLorean. I always found it funny that a car manufactured in the early 80's looks more futuristic than anything that could ever actually be produced in the future. I'm sure that irony wasn't lost on Gale and Zemeckis when they made that perfect choice of vehicle. It's a lot of fun to re-watch the film now because it works on so many different levels. The present in which the movie was filmed is now the past so it adds another interesting layer to an already interesting film.

Crispin Glover and Lea Thompson are amazing and Thomas F. Wilson's Biff Tannen deserves to be placed in the pantheon of the greatest movie villains. How many other actors have played multiple versions of themselves and their ancestors over different time periods throughout the course of three films? It's pretty much a national treasure to me and I'm one of the few who absolutely love the third installment, which besides featuring Lloyd's best performance as Doc, wrapped up the series on the highest note possible.

2. THE GAME (1997-DAVID FINCHER)
Yet another film from 1997 and this one is the most underappreciated, overlooked of decade. It's almost like the forgotten stepchild in David Fincher's portfolio, although as the years have passed and Fincher's reputation has increased it's very slowly started to get the credit it deserves. It's also ahead of its time, foretelling the popularity of role-playing games and reality television. I don't think any of Fincher's other work even comes close to this, which isn't faint praise considering this is the guy who directed Se7en, Fight Club and Zodiac. One of the biggest criticisms I hear is that John Brancato and Michael Ferris' brilliant screenplay doesn't play fair with the audience and stretches credibility. Not true. It's completely air tight but for me to explain how would require going into too many details that would spoil the film's many shocking surprises.

It goes without saying this is Michael Douglas' greatest performance, but watch Sean Penn's supporting work as he subtly gives clues as to where this whole Rubik's cube of a conspiracy is heading. Most screenwriters paint themselves into a corner when they offer up a premise this intriguing, but the payoff here far exceeds even the wildest expectations and makes repeated viewings a real treat.

But all of it would have collapsed without Fincher's direction. The guy is so talented he can make a hamburger look menacing and as the film spirals toward its unforgettable conclusion we're given one of my favorite scenes in movie history when Douglas' character comes face to face with everyone involved in this sadistic plot. We, along with him, realize just how far it's gone and can't wait to see how it ends. It's the greatest of twist endings because it takes what was already an incredible suspense thriller and lifts it to another level as an emotionally moving morality play.

1. ALMOST FAMOUS-UNTITLED DIRECTORS CUT (2000-CAMERON CROWE)
I realize that by ranking this film #1 I've unintentionally implied that it's somehow better than the rest of the films on this list. I can't reasonably argue that Almost Famous is technically superior to something like 2001: A Space Odyssey but I do know when someone asks me what my favorite movie is I answer this one with very little hesitation. I know that there's no other movie I feel closer to, get more joy watching, am more moved by, or featured a protagonist I relate to more. It may not do anything groundbreaking cinematically and could be considered a "writer's movie," but from where I sit that counts for a hell of a lot.

For me Crowe's autobiographical love letter to rock was a movie made for anyone who was told that they shouldn't write about themselves because no one will care. And he responded by writing this and reminding us that movies are first and foremost about good storytelling. It all starts on the page and without that we have nothing. When Kate Hudson lost the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Penny Lane I think it was the first time I was legitimately furious with the Academy. I may not be crazy about the film choices Hudson has made since, there's nothing she can do in my mind to diminish the impact of her work here. About the only thing worse is that Parick Fugit, Billy Crudup and the picture itself weren't nominated at all.

I'm always wary of director's cuts but I think this is one of those rare cases where the director's cut really enhances the film and fleshes it out more in a way that makes the story resonate deeper. When I first saw the theatrical version on DVD I liked it a lot. When I saw it the second time I loved it. But when I saw the director's cut I thought it was the greatest thing I ever saw. It makes perfect sense I would favor the version with the longer running time though since I loved the characters so much I didn't want my time with them to end. It could have gone on forever and I wouldn't have complained. Almost Famous is my favorite movie of all-time and it's a pretty clear-cut victory.