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10 articles from 2009

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Yankees Vs. Phillies In The World Series? Give Me The Best Fictional Baseball Teams In Movie History!

29 October 2009 1:00 PM, PDT | MTV Movies Blog | See recent MTV Movies Blog news »

I'm a Mets fan, so these days I prefer to consume my baseball in fictional terms rather than deal with the reality that my boys are a bunch of overpaid, oft-injured embarrassments to the triumphant – if drug scandal-tinged – legacy of Strawberry, Hernandez and Gooden.

Confronted with the choice to root for the Yankees or the Phillies in this year's World Series – or even the option to watch the action – I plan to opt for nearly anything else. My girlfriend wants to take in the last couple episodes of "The Rachel Zoe Project" on TiVo? Sign me up! My elderly neighbor needs me to wash her hosiery? I'm there! And if I get the chance, I'm going to pop in a DVD and take in some of the great fictional baseball teams in movie history to forget about this season. Here are my picks:

The New York Knights in "The Natural »

- Eric Ditzian

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Baseball Films - A Lineup of Undeniable “Hits”

14 October 2009 8:25 AM, PDT | ScreenRant.com | See recent Screen Rant news »

In 1982, I remember hoisting little Mike Sopocy on my shoulders after we’d won the Little League Championship Tournament in Schaumburg, Il. In those days, baseball wasn’t just something I participated in during the summer when we were off school, it was a life - complete with its own culture, vernacular and a dedication that continues to fuel my competitive juices.

This week, professional baseball teams from 4 metropolitan cities gather in a variety of arenas to determine who will go head-to-head in the final test of baseball greatness - The World Series - an event that always unveils itself in the crisp days of October.

 

There’s something about baseball that drives everyone. Whether it’s using baseball-riddled colloquialisms to describe your success or failure level on a workplace task; to describe how fast time is going during an event; or even how far you are along in a whimsical teenage physical relationship, »

- Mike Wilkerson

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"Your Girl is Lovely, Hubbell"

26 August 2009 8:45 AM, PDT | FilmExperience | See recent FilmExperience news »

Robert Redford is in the air. He hasn't dissolved into something atmospheric (stop being so literal!) but his name keeps turning up. Last week his two early sexually fluid performances opposite Natalie Wood (This Property is Condemned and Inside Daisy Clover) were playing here in New York and next month in Brooklyn Bam Cinema hosts a retrospective. It culminates on September 13th with four films and the Sundance Kid himself in person. For whatever reason they've narrowed down the final four to Redford as romantic figure, often paired with true giants among actresses.

On the last day they're screening...

Out of Africa (1985) The Best Picture winning bio in which Redford can't be tamed by Meryl Streep's author/heroine but gladly offers up shampoo and stud services.

The Natural (1984) this prestige pic is a mythic baseball drama. Redford and cast are bathed in Caleb Deschanel lensed sunshine and the lovely »

- NATHANIEL R

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Fall Preview: Repertory Calendar

5 August 2009 11:17 AM, PDT | ifc.com | See recent IFC news »

Joe Dante presenting "The Movie Orgy" in L.A., a rare stateside appearance of Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda for a retrospective in New York and the Fantastic Fest in Austin are just a few of the events that serve as the perfect antidote for the endless stream of summertime sequels and toy-based franchises.

More Fall Preview: [Theatrical Calendar]

[Anywhere But a Movie Theater]

[Breakout Performances]

92Y Tribeca

While the 92Y Tribeca is taking a well-deserved break in August, the cinema space comes roaring back in September, beginning with hosting the Fifth Annual NYC Shorts Festival (Sept. 10-13), followed by a late night "Labyrinth" sing-along complete with trivia and a costume contest (Sept. 25-26), and a Michael Winterbottom double bill of "Code 46" and "24 Hour Party People" (Sept. 30)...In October, the 92Y Tribeca will premiere "Zombie Girl: The Movie" (Oct. 2), the doc about 12-year-old filmmaker Emily Hagins and her quest to make a zombie movie, followed by hosting the Iron »

- Stephen Saito

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Streep Nom #7-8: The Abundant Riches of 1987-88

5 July 2009 6:03 PM, PDT | FilmExperience | See recent FilmExperience news »

We've been looking at each Meryl Streep Oscar nod and its competitive field. Previously: 78, 79, 81, 82, 83 and 85

Meryl Streep's first act was the Liberated Lady. The second was The Chameleon in which Meryl was always the lead, always had new hair, voice and body language and basically controlled Oscar's Universe. It was as if there was only 4 spots for Best Actress, one reserved for her in perpetuity. This second act ended with her intense immersion into notorious dingo-hating Lindy Chamberlain in A Cry in the Dark. [Editor's Note: Yes, I'll do a top ten performance list when "Streep at 60" wraps in mid July. I've heard your requests and I've been rewatching all the movies.]

Starting in 1989 Act III of Streep's career began but we'll get to that shortly. First, let's look at her competition in the last two years of her legendary Act II.

1987

the nominees were...

Cher, MoonstruckGlenn Close, Fatal AttractionHolly Hunter, Broadcast NewsSally Kirkland, AnnaMeryl Streep, Ironweed

I've always loved that "Mary Louise" exchange. But is Cher rewriting history to claim Silkwood as her first movie or »

- NATHANIEL R

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Review: My Sister's Keeper

26 June 2009 7:02 AM, PDT | Cinematical | See recent Cinematical news »

I'm not ashamed to say that I cry at the movies. Not frequently, but occasionally a story and its characters will grab hold of me to the extent that I'm completely caught up in the emotions and feelings being expressed. Films as disparate as John Ford's The Searchers and Wong Kar-Wai's Chungking Express have caused me to weep with joy, relief, and sorrow.

Despite a relentless barrage of scenes evidently designed with the sole goal of jerking tears, Nick Cassavetes' My Sister's Keeper did not make me cry. It is, however, one of the most glorious-looking terminal cancer pictures I've ever seen. Cinematographer Caleb Deschanel (The Black Stallion, The Natural) paints the oft-mundane proceedings in an otherworldly glow, as though the transition to the next life had already begun. That's the guiding principle of the movie as a whole; even though an inflammatory and emotionally wrenching issue »

- Peter Martin

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Al Pacino May Star in Barry Levinson's HBO Biopic About Dr. Kevorkian

27 May 2009 9:39 AM, PDT | Reelzchannel.com | See recent ReelzChannel news »

After years of mediocre, sometimes dreadful roles, it's nice to see Al Pacino again interested in something that offers some kind of dramatic promise. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Pacino is in talks to portray Dr. Jack Kevorkian in You Don't Know Jack, the upcoming HBO biopic from director Barry Levinson (Rain Man, Good Morning Vietnam, The Natural).

Dr. Kevorkian gained notoriety in the '90s for supporting physician-assisted suicide and claiming personal responsibility for more than 150 deaths. He was eventually convicted of second-degree murder and spent eight years in prison before being released on parole in June 2007. The film will reportedly cover events leading to Kevorkian's first assisted suicide and the media blitz that resulted from his legal battles in defense of a patient's right to die.

Levinson is also executive producing the project, which once had Ben Kingsley in the role of Kevorkian. Screenwriter Adam Mazer (Breach »

- Rich Z Zwelling

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Tuesday Top Ten: The Best of 1984

16 May 2009 4:13 AM, PDT | FilmExperience | See recent FilmExperience news »

For no reason whatsoever I have declared today 1984 day! It's a 25th Anniversary Jamboree or some such. (Don't ask questions. Just go with it) Herewith a tripled top ten: What the public liked, what Oscar liked, what I liked from the year that was. All movie title links go to their Netflix page in case you're interested in giving them a looksie. First a little historical entertainment context: Vanessa Williams was not starring on Ugly Betty but resigning her Miss America tiara due to nude photos (the more things change...), Ricky Martin was a new member of Menudo, people were just discovering what Madonna looked like on MTV, and Scarlett Johansson was fresh out of the womb.

What Oscar Liked

The Oscar nominees for Best Picture were the Mozart bio Amadeus (11 noms / 8 wins), the legendary David Lean's swan song A Passage to India (11 noms / 2 wins), Roland Joffé's war »

- NATHANIEL R

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Our Favorite Summers: 1984

27 April 2009 7:02 PM, PDT | Cinematical | See recent Cinematical news »

Erik Davis ordered me to come up with a new approach to summer movies, and he demanded that the concept be intelligent, engaging, and jam-packed with vowels and consonants. (One out of three isn't bad.) And since I'm a childish movie nerd who had a deep affection for all things nostalgic, my first idea was "Hey, let's have the writers pick their favorite 'movie summer' and write a piece about it." And since my next eleven ideas stunk, he said "Ugh, fine. Do your Favorite Summers thing. But don't forget the vowels."

Nearly all of the Cinematicaleers will be penning their own pieces, but since I like to lead by example (when I'm not leading by guilt), I figured I'd get the ball rolling first. (Special thanks to Box Office Mojo for displaying Old release dates in very handy fashion.) Also, for the sake of this series, let's say "summer" counts as "May through August, »

- Scott Weinberg

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Espn inks Klores, Kopple, Levinson and Maysles for '30 for 30'

30 March 2009 9:05 AM, PDT | Monsters and Critics | See recent Monsters and Critics news »

Espn has just announced that three additional filmmakers for Espn Films' "30 for 30" film project have been secured. Dan Klores (Black Magic, Crazy Love), Barry Levinson (Diner, The Natural) and Albert Maysles (Gimme Shelter, Grey Gardens) along with previously announced participant, Barbara Kopple (Harlan County USA and Shut Up & Sing), will film a variety of sports subjects from the past 30 years in sports. The subjects are: Reggie Miller and the New York Knicks, The Steinbrenners, The Baltimore Colts' departure to Indianapolis and the title fight between Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes. Debuting on Espn in October 2009, "30 for 30" will showcase the work of 30 filmmakers to create 30 one-hour films on sports topics from »

- April MacIntyre

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2009 | 2008 | 2006 | 2002 | 2000

10 articles from 2009

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