Before she was a Best Supporting Actress nominee for "Up in the Air", Anna Kendrick did a small film called "Rocket Science". She played an overachieving debate team leader, who seeks out the help of a student who stutters. It's a quirky, strange indie flick, but Kendrick certainly stood out. She's perfectly cast.
... Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Ryan Gosling, Keri Russell, JC Chasez, and Justin Timberlake were all cast members on "The All New Mickey Mouse Club". That's a lot of famous alums.
Terry: No, I don't like you. I think you're a fake cop. The sound of your piss hitting the urinal, it sounds feminine. If you were in the wild, I would attack you, even if you weren't in my food chain. I would go out of my way to attack you. If I were a lion and you were a tuna, I would swim out in the middle of the ocean and freaking eat you and then I'd bang your tuna girlfriend. Allen: OK, first off: a lion, swimming in the ocean. Lions don't like water. If you placed it near a river or some sort of fresh water source, that make sense. But you find yourself in the ocean, 20 foot wave, I'm assuming off the coast of South Africa, coming up against a full grown 800 pound tuna with his 20 or 30 friends, you lose that battle, you lose that battle 9 times out of 10. And guess what, you've wandered into our school of tuna and we now have a taste of lion. We've talked to ourselves. We've communicated and said 'You know what, lion tastes good, let's go get some more lion'. We've developed a system to establish a beach-head and aggressively hunt you and your family and we will corner your pride, your children, your offspring.
Actors: Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, Marilyn Monroe, George Raft, Pat O'Brien, Joe E. Brown
Year: 1959
Synopsis: Two men disguise themselves as women to avoid a mobster.
I had put off seeing this classic film for a long while because I avoided Marilyn Monroe, but a few years back I broke down and decided to watch it. It was a good choice because I loved this funny flick. Marilyn was decent, but it was Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis (who was robbed of an Oscar nomination) who helped this movie become one of the greatest comedies of all time.
Peter MacNicol has long been one of my favorite actors, partly because of his hilarious performance in 1989's sequel to "Ghostbusters". Playing a New York City museum curator, MacNicols develops an unhealthy obsession with employee Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver).
Romola Garai (Aug. 6, 1982) was born in Singapore to a journalist mother and banker father. She moved with her family back to England at the age of eight and went on to attend Queen Mary, University of London. She grabbed the role of a younger Judi Dench in "Last of the Blonde Bombshells" after an agent spotted her. Her first major role was as 'Kate Nickleby' in 2002's "Nicholas Nickleby". After roles in "Vanity Fair", "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights", Garai got the part of older 'Briony' in 2007's Oscar-nominated film "Atonement". Next up for her are "One Day" (with Anne Hathaway and Patricia Clarkson) and "Virtuoso" (with Armin Mueller-Stahl).
... the waxing scene in "The 40-year-old Virgin" was real. Steve Carell decided to actually get his chest waxed and it made the movie that much funnier. Talk about method acting!
He didn't say much, but English actor and former footballer (soccer player) Vinnie Jones made a real impact in his screen debut. Playing 'Big Chris' (to 'Little Chris', his son), Jones was ruthless and a true bad-ass. This is a great performance by a surprisingly good actor.
Actors: Aaliyah, Stuart Townsend, Marguerite Moreau, Vincent Perez, Lena Olin
Year: 2002
It's very sad that this was Aaliyah's last film because this was a hell of a way to be remembered. This film is awful... and I'm being kind. Forget the boring, cheesy, pointless storyline... let's talk about the acting. In one word, sh*t! Every member of the cast chews the scenery to bits and it makes this flick really hard to sit through. This was supposed to be the awesome follow-up to 1994's "Interview with a Vampire", but it fell very flat. The producers should have known something was amiss when they couldn't recruit original 'Lestat', Tom Cruise. I'm not joking when I say skip this horrible flick.
... the shark Bruce in "Finding Nemo" was named for the shark in "Jaws". Director Steven Spielberg named the mechanical shark Bruce during the filming and writers for "Nemo" paid tribute.
Actors: Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, James Frain, Michael Sheen, Beau Garrett, Bruce Boxleitner
Year: 2010
Synopsis: Sam Flynn, the son of Encom CEO Kevin Flynn, goes in search of his long lost father in the Tron game.
I've never seen the first "Tron", but it didn't matter with this new one. Director Joseph Kosinski laid out the plot very well in this surprisingly good sequel. Jeff Bridges is awesome, as always, and newcomer Garrett Hedlund (who looks a lot like Bridges) was a good choice. Michael Sheen, taking a page from "Rocky Horror" Dr. Frank-N-Furter, and a barely recognizable James Frain were fantastic in supporting roles. Of course, I don't need to convince you that the effects and sound (especially in the cycle and flight scenes) are absolutely tremendous. Great job special effects and mixing teams!
Swedish-born actor Alex Skarsgard is the son of actor Stellan Skarsgard. Alex can be seen in "True Blood" and Stellan has made a career in films like "Deep Blue Sea", "Good Will Hunting", "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest", and "Mamma Mia!".
"You guys might not know this, but I consider myself a bit of a loner. I tend to think of myself as a one-man wolf pack. But when my sister brought Doug home, I knew he was one of my own. And my wolf pack... it grew by one. So there... there were two of us in the wolf pack... I was alone first in the pack, and then Doug joined in later. And six months ago, when Doug introduced me to you guys, I thought, "Wait a second, could it be?" And now I know for sure, I just added two more guys to my wolf pack. Four of us wolves, running around the desert together, in Las Vegas, looking for strippers and cocaine. So tonight, I make a toast!"
Bouncing back to Hollywood after almost being completely overshadowed by Hudson, Foxx, Murphy, and... ughhhh... Beyonce in "Dreamgirls", Broadway darling Anika Noni Rose really hit her mark with this performance. Playing the first black Disney princess (about freaking time), Rose showed she possesses a true talent for voice work. I hope she can carve out a place for herself in film and television, but if not, she will always have bragging rights. After all, how many people can say they are a Disney princess?
Actors: Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Ross Malinger, Rosie O'Donnell, Bill Pullman, Rita Wilson, Gaby Hoffmann, Rob Reiner, Victor Garber, Carey Lowell, David Hyde Pierce, Frances Conroy
Year: 1993
Synopsis: A young boy calls a radio show to help his widowed father find love again.
It's the perfect New Year's movie with the original pairing of superstars Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. It's romantic and funny and touching... and nothing beats the last scene. Hanks and Ryan are great, but it's the littlest actors Ross Malinger and Gaby Hoffmann who will keep you smiling.
Fresh off her Oscar win, someone thought it was a good idea to cast Jennifer Hudson as Carrie Bradshaw's personal assistant. I say, NO. I cringed every time Hudson entered a scene. She just seemed uncomfortable the entire time and I'm gonna go out on a limb here... she's not a very good actor. I know, I know... she won the Oscar. I happen to think that was a mistake. There was one scene in "Dreamgirls" that she rocked... the one where she sings "I'm Telling You". The rest... blah. Hudson should stick to singing.
Julia Ormond intrigued audiences in the mid 90s with her work in "Legends of the Fall" and "Sabrina", but it was her performance in 1995's "First Knight" that really sticks out in my mind. She played beautiful Guinevere, the woman who married King Arthur (Sean Connery), but fell in love with Lancelot (Richard Gere). She portrayed Guinevere with a mix of sensitivity and strength and was absolutely stunning to watch. I haven't seen her much these days (she played Brad Pitt's daughter in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" a couple of years back) and I hope she will come back strong.
Teri Garr made a big splash with her portrayal of 'Inga' in Mel Brooks' masterpiece "Young Frankenstein. She proved very early on that she wasn't just a pretty face. Garr had real talent and she held her own amongst comedy geniuses Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, and Marty Feldman.
Actors: Jon Heder, Efren Ramirez, Aaron Ruell, Tina Majorino,
Jon Gries, Sandy Martin, Haylie Duff, Diedrich Bader
Year: 2004
Who can forget the hilarious performance that was "Napoleon Dynamite"? Jon Heder was funny and genuine and danced from the heart. If you haven't seen this movie, then get on that right away.
Oliver Platt really is in his element playing confused husband to Laura Linney's nutty wife. Platt is fabulous, as usual, and really compliments the terrific skills of Linney. This show is quite good and will get you hooked.
Actors: Demetri Martin, Imelda Staunton, Henry Goodman, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Mamie Gummer, Emile Hirsch, Eugene Levy, Jonathan Groff, Christina Kirk, Liev Schreiber
Year: 2009
Synopsis: The story of the family who hosted the festival that would become Woodstock in 1969.
I took a chance on this film, mainly because I was interested in a new comic I had seen on 'Comedy Central'. His name... Demetri Martin. I thought I was in for a big comedy, but instead I got a fact-based, biopic of sorts. I wasn't disappointed because it was very interesting and quite entertaining (especially Liev Schreiber in drag). The most interesting thing about this story is that no one really knew what a big deal Woodstock was actually going to be.
Actors: Madonna, Adriano Giannini, Bruce Greenwood, Elizabeth Banks, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Michael Beattie, David Thornton
Year: 2002
I always make it a point to see the movies that get panned. I wanna see for myself what the fuss is all about. I made a mistake with this one. Everything critics were saying was true. I was highly disappointed in one of my favorite directors, Guy Ritchie and I cringed every time Madonna was on screen (which was 98% of the time). I would have made this a miscast (Madonna), but I honestly don't think changing the actor would have made much difference. The story was bland and shallow and, despite what you may think, watching a movie that takes place on a deserted island beach is not that interesting. I'm definitely advising against this stinker. It's just a waste of time.
Danny Huston and Anjelica Huston are siblings. They are also the children of late film director, John Huston and the grandchildren of late actor, Walter Huston. This is the only Hollywood family with three generations of Oscar winners (Walter for Best Supporting Actor in 1949, John for Best Director and Best Screenplay in 1949, and Anjelica for Best Supporting Actress in 1986).
Danny is known for his roles in "21 Grams", "The Aviator", "The Constant Gardener", and "30 Days of Night". Anjelica is known for her roles in "Witches", "The Addams Family", "Prizzi's Honor", and Ever After".
Ukrainian-born actor Milla Jovovich (pronounced Yo-va-vich) did a great job as the 'fifth element' in the movie of the same name. Speaking mostly in a made up language, Jovovich turned in a performance mixed with sensitivity and hard-core ass kicking.
Actors: Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Gary Oldman, Chris Tucker, Ian Holm, Luke Perry, Tiny Lester, Lee Evans
Year: 1997
Synopsis: A cab driver and an alien fight to save the world from a mad man.
Bruce Willis, who at the time was an action megastar, heads up this quirky cast in the sci-fi, flick "The Fifth Element". Despite his fame, Willis is overshadowed by Gary Oldman, Milla Jovovich, and a hilariously ridiculous Chris Tucker. The story behind "Element" is original and very refreshing and the costumes are amazing. You will laugh and your heart will race in this action-packed Luc Besson film.
Carla Gugino has been acting since she was seventeen years old, but her role in "Spy Kids" stands out in her long career. She plays Ingrid Cortez, a spy, who is married to another spy (Banderas). She's sexy, cool, and confident in this role and that's what makes it the performance of the day.
