A Tribute to Great Film: Manhattan (1979)

Over the year's film maker Woody Allen has had love affairs with many cities, London, Rome, Paris, and of course New York City.  Woody Allen is high up on a list of directors with whom captures the every element of Manhattan.  The Wood Man has always been known for his leading ladies, from Diane Keaton to Penelope Cruz, the women in a Woody Allen film are typically the richest characters.  Yet Mr. Allen also makes the city itself, in this case Manhattan one of the characters in the film.  The opening sequence of the film is one of the most beautifully shot sequences highlighting the qualities of Manhattan, and the importance they bear to both Isaac and Woody himself.

The use of cinema scope, lighting, and shots which characterize the characters and the city create one of the most memorable film experience.  In Manhattan Woody Allen pays homage to a city he loves in parallel to the women he loves.  Throughout this film there is a beautiful blend of humor and sadness as the characters interact with one another on their search to find happiness.

The film centers on Isaac (Allen) who is dating a 17 year old girl named Tracey played exquisitely by Mariel Hemingway.  While on a double date with his good friend Yale Isaac finds out his friend has been cheating on his wife with Mary, played by Diane Keaton.  Mary is anti-Annie Hall; she is elitist, selfish, and often someone who appears to use others to her advantage.  As Yale walks away from Tracey because of her age he is drawn to Mary when she and Yale break off their fling.  The film brings out moments of hilarity as each of the characters explore their own personal baggage, and desires.  One of my favorite story lines involves Issac's ex-wife Jill, played with edge and wonderful comedic time by Meryl Streep.  Jill now a lesbian is writing a book and talks about their relationship.

One of my favorite moments in the film is Mary reading from Jill's book the following quote: 

"He was given to fits of rage, Jewish liberal paranoia, male chauvinism, self-righteous misanthropy, and nihilistic moods of despair. He had complaints about life but never any solutions. He longed to be an artist but balked at the necessary sacrifices. In his most private moments, he spoke of his fear of death, which he elevated to tragic heights when in fact it was mere narcissism." 

Issac scoffs at the similarities but this moment is one of the most real/funniest parts of the film.

Manhattan may be Woody Allen's most underrated achievement the film blends sheer optimism with some of the most heartbreaking moments.  As you watch Isaac struggle through his own personal and professional life you can relate with the concept of passion and love he longs for.  Isaac is surround by people people who have never been faithful, from Jill to Yale, but yet he is a self pro-claimed monogamous person.  In the film Isaac second guesses his own relationship with Tracey who adores him.  Throughout the whole film she pronounces her love for him, but without her present Isaac brushes this away thinking this can't be real, using her age as the reason, and the logic of the fact that she can't know love.  In the closing sequence between the two there are some of the most beautiful/heartbreaking moments, and Woody Allen stops playing himself and you see in both of their eyes a magical connection.

This is one of Woody Allen's best films, and there is a true artistic genius in the way he characterizes, the city, love, and the way the two play so well together.

Hope Springs Makes you want to Embrace Streep and Jones for Being able to Bring these Characters to Life

Hope Springs (3 out of 5 Stars)

Directed by David Frankel (Devil wears Prada, Marley & Me)

Written by Venssa Taylor (Alias, Everwood, Game of Thrones)

Starring: Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, and Steve Carrel

Over time love morphs and becomes something different.  As people have children or delve into their later years the love with partner becomes something different, because love evolves throughout a couples' experiences together.  Now I do not know this from first hand experience, but this is an occurrence I have seen daily with numerous people who surround me.  Sometimes two adults do not evolve together at the same pace, and their lack of communication about their feelings, and own journey get lost in the everyday moments of life.

In Hope Springs, Kay (Streep) and Arnold (Jones) have reached this point in their lives.  The film starts with a sequence highlighting the mundane everyday activities that have forced this couple to be "the dinning dead."  The sit in almost silence after Kay has prepared Arnold's meals.  At their anniversary dinner with their children Kay reaches a breaking point when she shares with her children that their anniversary gift was cable television package.  Kay heads to a bookstore where she finds a book by Dr. Feld (Carrel).  After looking at the book Kay cashes in money that she has in savings in attempt to salvage her marriage.

First and foremost the film itself is saved by the talented performances from the two leads Streep and Jones. I love watching Meryl Streep when she let's things go all natural, I almost tend to agree with Katherine Hepburn, when Meryl relies on her accents you almost lose her natural acting beauty.  In Spring Meryl is  vulnerable, and shines as a women who has lost the confidence in her own beauty because she is afraid her husband no longer finds her beautiful.  Kay resigns herself to sleeping in different beds, but in the end wants to feel as though there is more to their love than the physical, and that Arnold can love her again.

Jones tends to play this cranky archetype often, but there is something about his acting within this film that allows him to take Arnold to a different level.  Arnold soon realizes that he does not want to be like his co-worker living in a condo by himself, and attempts, with much reservation, to salvage his marriage.  Throughout the sessions during the week Arnold continues to make movement towards finally opening up and finally expressing himself.  As Jones explores this role, and opens up you get to see this character's vulnerability, which is buried deep because he does not want to let this side out.

For Taylor's first film screenplay she succeeds in making this film into something better than it could have been.  Springs could have been too slapstick, or too melodramatic, but  Taylor found a good balance within this work.  There are moments when the pessimist comes out of me thinking maybe these two people do not belong together, and this is where the film has flaws.  These two characters seem to have truly grown apart too much at times making it seem like a reconciliation could be a cop out.

One of the main problems with this film is soundtrack in the background.  Films often tend to use music to convey the journey of the characters, and while some films have used music to enhance the film, the music is a distraction, and made me roll my eyes several times.  Towards the end of the film there is montage with the Annie Lenox song "Why" and while I love the song it seemed out of place and forced into the background like within a bad episode of Grey's Anatomy.

Beyond the music the film accomplishes something rare by showing that as people grow older their love story is not over.  Springs uses their talented leads to help make the characters relate able, while not a great film was an entertaining journey, watching two people find their way back into each other's arms.  

Romantic Comedies, and the 2000s, and the Queen is Streep!

Today while at home I watched one of my favorite romantic comedies, You've Got Mail.  The film reminded me about the charm and grace Meg Ryan had within these movies; she was truly a star, and could make you fall in love with her different characters over and over again.  Like with every actress the days of their time within romantic comedies end, and they have to pass the crown on to someone else.  Prior to the 2000s (the late eighties and nineties) three women's names dominated the world of romantic comedies, Bullock, Roberts, and Ryan.  As the 2000s began new leading ladies tried to add themselves to this elite list, and while many tried few came close to the glory.

Reese Witherspoon holds the title as being one of the most successful women of the decade.  Reese started the decade strong with the hit Legally Blonde (2001); she followed up this film one year later with another big hit Sweet Home Alabama (2002) where she had to choose between Patrick Dempsey and Josh Lucas (talk about a Sophie's Choice).  After her Oscar win in 2005 Witherspoon stepped away from these roles trying to prove her dramatic chops even further, but her career has not been as strong; she has not been in many successful films.

A few other woman have vied for this crown throughout this decade:

Katherine Heigl (Knocked Up, 27 Dresses, The Ugly Truth, Killers, Life as we Know it, New Year's Ever, and One for the Money).  Heigl's first two films on the list were hits, but she has been known to be a bit of a diva, and the rest of these romantic comedies fell flat for her career.

Kate Hudson started her ascension to this title in 2003 with How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and the film was major hit, which had her move toward more films like this and less like Almost Famous, unfortunately.  After this Hudson starred in a series of attrocious romantic comedies including: Alex & Emma, Raising Helen, You Me & Dupree, Fool's Gold, My Best Friend's Girl, Bride Wars, and Something Borrowed.  Kate tried to capture lightening in a bottle, but the bottle cracked.

Drew Barrymore tried this during the 2000s as well, after a few successes in the 90s with The Wedding Singer, Never Been Kissed, she had a real shot with her charm, but not much ever took.  Barrymore tried with Duplex, 50 First Dates, Fever Pitch, and Music and Lyrics.  The truth is the girl has talent, see Grey Gardens, but she is not the romantic comedy gal anymore.

These are just four ladies who tried to be the next Meg Ryan/Julia Roberts/Sandra Bullock.  Three of the most successful Queens of the world of romantic comedies.  These three woman picked the right movies (most of the time) and were able to make the chemistry work. While the four women above tried to dethrone them, the only real woman who could be added to this list for the 2000s is the Queen of Film, Ms. Meryl Streep.

Meryl has proven two things, age does not matter, and she can really take on any role Throughout the 2000s and 2010s she has starred in some of the best romantic comedies of the decade: Mamma Mia!, The Devil Wears Prada (although more about Hathaway), Julie & Julia, It's Complicated, and Hope Springs.  The difference between Meryl and the women listed above is that she knows how to pick a movie, and her performance can always turn a bad movie into a good; she has the advantage.

Romantic comedies have become too formulaic, and Streep has changed things up for the decade because as an older woman she is reviving the genre, and proving you are never too old for love!

Silence is Golden as the Academy Awards Pay Tribute to Why We Love the Movies

At tonight's Academy Award ceremony 9 time host Billy Crystal brought back the days of classic 
Hollywood, and made some great jokes about the Kodak Theatre.  Crystal reminded viewers that in a year that paid homage to Hollywood's past there is beauty in film.  Crystal's opening schtick remains the same, there is a video montage that included him kissing George Clooney and inserting himself into some of the most memorable films from 2011; he also did a song where he talked about all of the Best Picture nominees.  Even though his routine was the same Crystal showed his true colors and why he is one of the best Oscar hosts of all time; he is a master host.


Here are my own personal awards I would hand out for the nights show:


Best Presenter: Emma Stone-Like Ann Hathaway a few years ago, this girl showed a room full of Hollywood big wigs that she is one of the funniest people working today who deserves to work even more than she does.


Best Skit-Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Jennifer Coolidge, and Fred Willard act as a focus group for 1939's Wizard of Oz-This skit proves why these are some of the funniest working people today.  The chemistry they have just works, and it was one of my favorite moments of the evening.


Most Unnecessary Moment-Crique du Soleil-I am tired of Award shows thinking they need something hip like this to make the show "cool."  This routine did not work when the Daytime Emmys did it a few years ago and it was not needed tonight.  Hint Brian Grazer, Cirque du Soleil does appeal to the younger viewers it appeals to those old people Billy Crystal kept joking about.


Best Speech (tie) Meryl Streep and Octavia Spencer-These two women hit it out of the park.  Octavia's speech made me emotional and award shows never really do that.  I felt her surprise and genuine gratitude.  Streep finally winning her third trophy had me actually clapping, and yelling, and her speech showed that even in her surprise she is one classy broad.


The theme of the night was remembering the old, and why people love movies.  One of my other favorite moments from the night was getting past Oscar winners/nominees and a few other actors thrown in for good measure talking about the emotional heft movies bring, their first experience at the movies, what movies do to them, and saw on.  This was an incredible way to tie in the theme of the evening.  Even though the Oscars appeal to that average age of their winners 62 as Billy joked, they still put on one of the classiest shows of the year which honor some of the best films of the year.


Two films tied for the most trophies, The Artist and Hugo.  Hugo cleaned up in the technical categories winning five trophies winning best art direction, cinematography, sound mixing, sound editing, and visual effects.  The Artist won two awards in the technical genre best costume design and best original score, but it also took home three of the top prizes Best Picture, Best Director, and Jean Dujardin won for Best Lead Actor.  These two films pay tribute to the beginning of film and honor the nostalgic theme of the show.  The Artist is the first silent film to win Best Picture since the  first year of the Academy Awards.


The biggest nail biter of the night was the Best Actress category.  Going into the night many people were predicting Viola Davis because of her SAG win, but even in my predictions I had a hunch that Meryl would win.  Meryl Streep did in fact win, and took home her first Oscar trophy in exactly 30 years.  The last time Meryl won was for her role in Sophie's Choice.  While I loved Davis, I was incredibly happy Meryl finally had another Oscar to add to her mantel.


In the supporting categories the predicted winners Christopher Plummer won for Beginners and Octavia Spencer won for The Help.  These two had long been predicted from the beginning of the awards season.  In the screenplay categories Midnight in Paris won for Best Original Screenplay and The Descendants won for Best Adapted Screenplay.  


After a so-so year in film I was still mesmerized by this wonderful night, and happy to welcome Billy Crystal back into my living room, or well my friend's living room.  Listed below is the entire winner's list.

Best Picture-The Artist
Best Actor-Jean Dujardin-The Artist
Best Actress-Meryl Streep-The Iron Lady
Best Supporting Actor-Christopher Plummer-The Beginners
Best Supporting Actress- Octavia Spencer-The Help
Best Director-Michel Hazanavicious-The Artist
Best Adapted Screenplay-The Descendants
Best Original Screenplay-Midnight in Paris
Best Foreign Language Film-A Separation
Best Animated Feature-Rango
Best Documentary-Undefeated
Best Art Direction-Hugo
Best Costume Design-The Artist
Best Cinematography-Hugo
Best Editing-The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Best Make-Up-The Iron Lady
Best Original Score-The Artist
Best Original Song-Man or Muppet
Best Sound Mixing-Hugo
Best Sound Editing-Hugo
Best Visual Effects-Hugo
Best Animated Short-The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
Best Documentary Short-Saving Face
Best Live Action Short-The Shore

Academy Awards Week 2011: Best Actress (and the runner-up is Meryl)

This year marks Meryl Streep's 14th nominations in the Best Actress category, and 17th overall nomination.  The woman is widely regarded as the best living actress, and by some the best actress of all time.  Throughout the years this woman has given some amazing performances.  Her career as a perennial Oscar nominee began in 1978, with her nomination for Best Supporting Actress in the film The Deer Hunter.  One year later she earned her second nomination and her first win in the Supporting Actress category for her role in the 1979 film Kramer vs. Kramer.  Two years later in 1981 she received her first nomination in the Best Actress category for The French Lieutenant's Woman.  In 1982 she was honored with her second Best Actress nomination and first win in the category for Sophie's Choice.  At this point Meryl was 2 for for 4.  Since 1982 Meryl has received 13 more nominations and won no awards at the Oscars again giving her one of the biggest losing streaks in the shows history.

Meryl is the best actress working today and she does not need more Oscars to prove that fact; she is one of the most gracious losers I have ever seen.  This woman has had more great performances than most actresses could dream of.  Here is a list of her five performances.

5-Miranda Priestley in The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

While I would like to think Adaptation changed Meryl's career (and I think it still did) this performance took her level of stardom to a different level.  This performance was a supporting performance that stole the film, and as she spews venom I get lost in her performance; she captures this character so well!

4-Joanna Kramer in Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) 

Watching Joanna walk away from her son, only to come back and fight to take him away from his father is a whole different level of evil.  Yet there is a vulnerability to her character, and you can understand why the different layers.  This performance was incredible and deserved to be Meryl's first Oscar win.  Although I liked her Manhattan as well that year.

3-Karen Silkwood in Silkwood (1983)

There is something about how ballsy she was when she played this character, and yet how she was able to show this real life woman as vulnerable in the same breath.  This performance came from one of her best films, and feels real.  There is a scene where she is on the porch with Cher, and it just is beautiful.

2-Susan Orlean in Adaptation (2002)

Another great supporting turn from Meryl that made look at her in a completely different way.  As the 80s ended and the 90s began I looked at her as a great actress, but her film choices often resembled terrible lifetime movies.  Adaptation is my second favorite performance from Meryl of all time, and I would like to see more of this performance from her, where she plays it natural.

1-Meryl Streep as Sophie Zowitophski in Sophie's Choice (1982)

There is not much to say, but that bar non this is her performance of all time.  I honestly have very few words, the film and her performance speak for themself.  Meryl's method acting of staying with the child she would have to give up and not surrounding herself with the other child was brilliant, it made her grief incredibly real.

These five performances span 27 years!  Only one other actress in Hollywood can claim having a similar career experience, and that is Katherine Hepburn.  Picking just five performances is almost an impossible  task because Streep has given so many phenomenal performances that span even longer from 1978 through the present day.  This year Streep earned her 17th nomination, and has come the closest to winning her third Academy Award.

After reading this many people may ask, why has she only won twice?  I could go year by year and explain how she lost each trophy she was nominated for, so I guess I might as well.

1981-Meryl Streep in the French Lieutenant's Wife  lost to Katherine Hepburn for her last nomination in On Golden Pond, this was Hepburn's swan song and there was no way the ingenue was going to get this over Hepburn (the only time the two were nominated in the same category).

1983-Meryl Streep in Silkwood lost to Shirley MacLaine in Terms of Endearment.  Streep lost because she had won the year before and MacClaine haad never won an Oscar.

1985 Meryl Streep in Out of Africa lost to Geraldine Page in Trip to the bountiful.  Page was a 5 time nominee prior to this nomination and had never won, so the Academy honored her career performance.

1986 Meryl Streep in Ironweed lost to Cher in Moonstruck.  Cher was an unstoppable force in a Best Picture winner, while Streep's nomination came for a lesser film.

1987 Meryl Streep in Cry in the Dark lost to Jodie Foster in The Accused.  Foster had got her second nomination with this film proved that she was a talented young actress.  At this point my guess would be many academy members thought this was too soon for a third win.

1990 Meryl Streep in Postcards from the Edge lost to Kathy Bates in Misery-  Bates was a force to reckoned with and Meryl's role had no shot of giving her, her third Oscar.

1995 Meryl Streep in The Bridges of Madison County lost to Susan Sarandon in Dead Man Walking.  Sarandon had a couple of nominations with no wins.  This film also had more nominations, and Sarandon won as a career achievement.

1998 Meryl Streep in One True Thing lost to Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare in Love.  Everyone was talking about Cate Blanchett and Paltrow this year.  Streep's performance was good but was not a blip on the radar.

1999 Meryl Streep in Music of the Heart lost to Hillary Swank in Boy's Don't Cry.  This was the year of Swank vs. Bening (round one-both went to Swank).  This is one of Streep's weakest nominations.

2002 Meryl Streep in Adaptation lost to Catherine Zeta Jones in Chicago.  Meryl was back in supporting (briefly) and she should have won this year, but Jones road the Chicago train.

2006 Meryl Streep in The Devil wears Prada lost to Helen Mirren in The Queen.  Mirren was unstoppable, and there was no dethroning her. 

2008 Meryl Streep in Doubt lost to Kate Winslet in The Reader.  Meryl had some strength in the front end of awards season but Winslet was on her fifth nomination had not won; she was honored for this underwhelming performance.

2009 Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia lost to Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side.  I am still baffled at the support for The Blind Side, but people were on Bullocks side after her messy divorce, and people were getting to the point where they kept saying Meryl has an Oscar or she will get nominated again.

Now we are at the current ceremony where Meryl was honored with her 17th nomination.  Here are this year's nominees:

Glen Close-Albert Nobbs

Viola Davis:The Help

Rooney Mara-The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 

Meryl Streep-The Iron Lady

Michelle Williams-My Week with Marilyn

Will Meryl lose once again and be named the perennial runner-up?  There is a slight chance this brilliant actress will lose her 13th straight Oscar.  Mara was not a surprising nomination, but she has no shot at winning.  Close should have more of a chance because this is her sixth nomination, but no one is talking about her performance so she will join Deborah Kerr and Thelma Ritter as the queens of losing at the Academy Awards.  Each of those three women has 6 nominations with no wins.  I thought back early on Williams was going to sneak out a win, but there was enough support to get her further.  This race is between Viola Davis and Meryl Streep.

Davis and Streep each have two major precursor awards on their side.  Streep has the Globe and BAFTA, while Davis has the Broadcast Film Critics Award and the SAG.  At the moment Davis holds the trump card which is the SAG win.  SAG is voted on by the actors, and the acting branch is the largest branch of the Academy.  Many SAG voters are also Academy voters, but not all and there are differences.  At the moment many pundits are predicting Davis, and I understand why.  Davis gives a strong performance.  The Help is also a Best Picture nominee that is well liked, while Streep's film only received one other nomination in make-up.  The Help did not perform as well as thought on nomination day and only has 4 nominations (3 acting and Best Picture).  Picking the winner here is tough, logically I want to pick Davis.  Davis' win will also make history if she and Spencer win this will be the first time two Black women will win in the same year.  Yet my gut and heart keep telling me that after 13 losses this is finally Streep's year.  I love that there is still some mystery in this category.

Gutsy Prediction: Meryl Streep-The Iron Lady (Harvey will help)

Very Very Very close second: Viola Davis-The Help

The Iron Lady Shows a Woman Strong her Beliefs While the Film Shows a Female Director and Writer who are not Strong Enough to Tackle this Material

The Iron Lady (1 1/2 out of 5 Stars)

Directed by Phyllida Lloyd (Mamma Mia!)

Written by Abi Morgan (Shame, Brick Lane)

Starring Meryl Streep and Jim Broadbent

As I was walking out of the theater one woman stated "This was like The King's Speech" meets The Notebook."  In the simplest terms the girl was close to being correct, the only difference is both of those films are much better than Lady, and that the combination of these two elements made one bad film.

The film starts with Thatcher going to to buy milk at grocery store in her post Prime Minister days.  The ironic part is that no one in the store recognizes her and considers her to just be some old lady.  Margaret Thatcher was so much more.  The film shows Thatcher as she has grown old and her mind has started to go.  The film shows her senility as she talks to her deceased husband, and while doing so she remembers moments from her past.  The memories start with a young Margaret Thatcher during World War II and progress from a woman who would not remain silent, stood up for gender, her political party, fought to become Prime Minister, and did all of these things because of her belief in the ideals she had, not her own personal feelings; she would say feelings are the problem with this generation.

The same thing can be said for this film, no one used a coherent thought process while creating this film.  Phyllida Lloyd who directed the train wreck Mamma Mia, took the helm and attempted to direct this serious bio-pic; her attempt was valid, but she failed.  This film had Lloyd's stylistic ploys written all over the film.  The prime example was during the montage when Thatcher was doing well as the Prime Minister and she was dancing with Reagan etc. this just looked tacky.  Morgan's screenplay is not safe here either; she jumped all over the place, and while had a good sense of Thatcher's convictions I felt as thought there were pieces missing, or if they had focused on certain aspects of her tenure the film would have been much better.  I want to know about Thatcher's relationship with her son, I understand it was strained, but why?  The film never explains that, and it does not show enough about her younger days either.  I wanted a rounder portrait of this woman.

The only thing that saved this film was Streep's performance.  Streep is great in the role and capture the mannerisms and qualities of Thatcher impeccably.  While Streep is good in the role, I can't help but feel as though the performance strays more into being an impersonation than acting in certain moments.  I also think the the quality of the film drags her down further.  While Streep tries to give a complete picture of this woman and her politics, the people behind the scenes did not.

Thatcher was a true conservative woman and the film did not explore this concept enough for fear that it would isolate leftist audience members.  I myself welcome an open and honest portrayal of the woman who believed in more than a flat tax.  Sure the film delves slightly into her opposition of the unions, and wanting to defend the Empire during the crisis in the Falkland Islands, but like as I have stated this hallow film just did not do much to make me feel as though this was a lazy take on this interesting woman's life.

Should old Acquaintance be Forgot....Some Hopeful Pop Culture Events for 2012

TV


Revenge-After watching the first nine minutes of the first episode in 2012 I hope the show continues on it brilliant soapy path it started with in the fall.


Community-I just hope NBC realizes what it has with this show, cancels Whitney, and brings this show back, and stops this quick hiatus.


30 Rock-  I hope that Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin realize that while I love this show it may be time to pull the plug after at least year 7.  I do not see the show going much further, I think they should end after this year, but I do not think that will happen.  Who knows maybe season 6 will bring back the glory days of this show.


Mad Men-After almost two years of being off the air, I am excited to have this show back in my living room.  I want more Don Draper in my living room.  This great show has taken too long to come back, thanks a lot for drawing out the contracts AMC.


Movies


Meryl Streep-Simply put, I have not seen Meryl in her new film, but I want to see her win her third Academy Award this year she deserves to have a third Oscar on her mantle.

The Amazing Spiderman, The Avengers, and The Dark Knight Rises-These three comic book films look promising.  Spiderman needed a reboot after the mess of Spiderman 3, and I think Andrew Garfield will be a better Peter Parker, although this looks to be taking the franchise into a darker place.  The build up to The Avengers has all the chess pieces in place, we have seen every film so character development does matter as much.  I think the story and action look awesome!  The Dark Knight was/is the best comic book film of all time so it will be tough for the final installment to live up to its predecessor, but I think Nolan is up to the task,  I hope all three of these films knock it out the park.


The Post Oscar drought -From February to the end of April the movies fall apart for me every year.  The only two films I want to see are The Hunger Games and  potentially 21 Jump Street.  I hope there are some diamonds in the rough that emerge out of nowhere.  There better be or I will be in trouble.


Magic Mike- A movie about male strippers that includes Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey, Matthew Bomer,  and Joe Mangamiello better have some full frontal-that's all I am saying.

Movie musicals-Rock of Ages and Les Miserables will most likely both be released in 2012.  They both better be good.  Rock looks fun, and Les Mis has so much potential.


Music


U2-I have heard this may be their last major CD release for a VERY long time, in fact they are potentially talking about doing each of their projects.  If this is true I am hoping that this CD surpasses their last album, and makes me forget about Bono and the Edge writing Spiderman the musical.

The Stage


More original shows not based on films, television shows, etc..  I want more shows like Next to Normal. Plain and simple broadway needs to find a balance, and stop creating haphazard shows that they think will make money.