State License Plates Pt. 12: North Carolina

The Tar Heel State. What does that mean anyway? No one really knows. But that's just what they call it. OK, have it your way North Carolina.

When I think of North Carolina I think of the Tar Heels of UNC, the Blue Devils from Duke, the Wolfpack from NC State, the Durham Bulls, the former Charlotte Hornets, the Outer Banks, and of course the Wright Brothers. I have no idea what else is there. Truly, I know next to nothing about this state. So let's look at the plate.

wRight off the bat (see what I did there?) we get the image of the Wright brothers and their plane, and the tag line 'First in Flight'. I like it, even if the 'in' is a bit harder to see than the rest. But that is necessary because the plane is the real draw here, not the words. 

The red lettering pops off the white background and the blue tall grass adds to the plane as we can imagine it swaying with the breeze as the plane flies overhead. It's a simple, yet effective image. I like the typeface for 'North Carolina'. The way the 'N' connects at the top and how certain letters don't fully connect. It looks modern and old fashioned at the same time.

The state's colours are red and blue, and they are used effectively here. They didn't try and do too much here, but they added some nice touches to show what the state has provided to the history of our nation. It's not perfect so I give it an A-.

Oscars 2012: My Predictions

This Sunday, the (arguably) biggest awards for achievement in film will be handed out. That's right, it' Oscar time. I'm a fan of the awards and there was a stretch of 3 years where I had seen all of the Best Picture nominees before they had been announced. That hasn't happened in a while, but I make it a point to try and see them all so I can make my pick - both personal and what I expect to happen. I will say this outright, I have not seen 'Amour' or 'Beasts of a Southern Wild', I intend to, but I don't expect them to win Best Picture.

I will examine the major categories, give my prediction for what I think will win and what I would pick. I'll start with the acting categories and work my way to the big prize.

Best Actor: 
My Pick ~ Joaquin Phoenix 'The Master'. To me this is the performance of the year. Phoenix shows us a tortured soul looking for a place in the world after the war and how he becomes involved with a cult-like organization. He's crazy, funny, enigmatic, polarizing, and frightening.

Prediction ~ Daniel Day-Lewis 'Lincoln'. He's won most award leading up to this for his commanding performance as one of our nation's greatest Presidents. I foresee another win for Daniel Day-Lewis.

Best Actress:
My Pick & Prediction ~ Jessica Chastain 'Zero Dark Thirty'. Chastain is fantastic as Maya, the woman behind the hunt for UBL. Even though Jennifer Lawrence won the SAG I believe Chastain will prevail here.

Best Supporting Actor:
My Pick ~ Christoph Waltz 'Django Unchained'. Waltz seems to have been born to read Quentin Tarantino's words. His cadence, his presence, it's all great.

Prediction ~ Robert De Niro 'Silver Linings Playbook'. I'm going to file this under 'Iron Lady' syndrome. The ads I've seen have been saying how long it's been since De Niro won an Oscar - the same thing with Streep and 'The Iron Lady' last year...and she won. If 'Playbook' wins only one award, it's this one.

Best Supporting Actress:
My Pick & Prediction ~ Anne Hathaway 'Les Misérables'. Take this one to the bank. She's amazing in this film, in the short time she's in it.

Best Director:
My Pick ~ Ang Lee 'Life of Pi'. I love this film and the direction from Lee is inspired.

My Prediction ~ Steven Spielberg 'Lincoln'. Without Affleck in the field I see Spielberg winning another trophy.

Best Adapted Screenplay:
My Pick & Prediction ~ 'Argo' Chris Terrio. This is well written film based on a story that if made up it would be considered too Hollywood. Thankfully, it's real and really really good.

Best Original Screenplay:
My Pick & Prediction ~ 'Zero Dark Thirty' Mark Boal. I am tempted to go with 'Django Unchained' here as my pick and prediction but with the recent WGA win I am going with 'Zero Dark Thirty'.

Best Animated Film:
My Pick ~ 'ParaNorman'. I loved this film, as seen in my review and it's my personal pick.

My Prediction ~ 'Brave'. 'Brave' has won most of the awards up to this point and even though it's not Pixar's best, it probably will win here. If not, then 'Wreck-It Ralph' will win.

Best Picture:
My Pick & Prediction ~ 'Argo'. This is the best film of the year and I don't see any other film throwing this awards train off the track as it heads for Oscar glory.

State License Plates Part 11: New York

July 26, 1788. That’s when New York became a state. When did hipsters from Brooklyn start destroying society? 1790?

I ♥ NY. I've only been there twice, and I need to go back, but I did enjoy my time there. I climbed the Empire State Building, saw a Broadway show (The Lion King), visited the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, Wall Street, Central Park … Basically everything touristy. My second outing was more of a quick 12-hour jaunt as I was there for a concert. I ate some pizza in Time Square, saw the under construction Freedom Tower, rode in a cab where the driver was straight out of ‘Crazy Taxi’, and had a New York Bagel for breakfast. But there’s more to New York than that right? I mean it’s the Empire State. Jay-Z made an awesome rap about it.

MDMA got you feeling like a champion
City never sleep better slip you an Ambien. 

Damn, that’s awesome. Anyway, back to the topic at hand, the plate.

New York’s state colors are blue and gold and they use them to great effect here. It’s an improvement from their original plate which highlights NYC and Niagara Falls and returns to their old format of using the state colors. It’s not a unique color scheme as Delaware uses the same colors but the difference is in their font and the thin border that sits just below the words ‘New York’. It’s a subtle variation but it’s enough to make the separation from the top to the bottom noticeable. There is also the way the words ‘Empire State’ stars out fat and then thins in the middle and then gets fatter again. It’s like the word is being stretched, which I am not sure what they are trying to say about the state, but it’s subtle enough that I like it. If it had been any more noticeable I probably would not like it at all. In it’s current state, no pun intended, I give it a B.

ParaNorman - A late, short, review

When I saw the trailer for this film, I knew I wanted to see it. But I didn't. It came through theatres and I just didn't get around to seeing it. I have no idea why. I just watched it yesterday and I only have love for this film.

I'll have to update my Top 15 List and include this because it is wonderful. The animation is inspired, beautiful and breathtaking. The story is original, the writing is fresh, funny and features a few good scares.

Norman is a relatable and easy to cheer for as he struggles with bullying, and being misunderstood by nearly everyone around him. His friend, Neil, provides the necessary comic relief and reminded me of Chowder from 'Monster House' - another film I loved. Like 'Monster House', 'ParaNorman' blends horror and humour beautifully without going over the line and making it too scary for it's targeted adolescent audience.

The voice work is wonderful, as each actor inhabits their role with special recognition given to Casey Affleck who I did not initially recognize as Mitch, the muscled out older brother to Neil. He plays the dumb-jock role, and he plays it well. The character design is wonderfully unique as each character has a different look and feel that fits their personality. This just made me smile because it showed how much time and effort went into creating this world and these characters and the final result is fantastic. This film is beautiful on Blu Ray and I recommend it to anyone.

Favourite Films of 2012

**Update**: So I've seen a few more films this week on DVD that I missed in theatres and now I feel compelled to adjust my list accordingly. I might need to just add two more slots and make it my luck 17...

So, yeah. It's been a while since I last wrote here. I'm going to work on changing that. So for starters I'm going to list my favourite films from 2012.

I like to do a Top 15, just because. So without further ado...

1. Argo - Ben Affleck has done a masterful job crafting this film. It's riveting, humourous, engaging and suspenseful even when you know the outcome. If it wasn't based on a real situation,  no one would believe it.

2. Life of Pi -I couldn't help but smile when I watched this film. It's beautiful, gorgeous, stunning and any other synonyms to describe it's beauty. It's emotionally involving and I never thought I would get so involved with a CGI tiger but the tiger has so much personality and newcomer Suraj Sharma delivers a fantastic performance as does his older self Irrfan Khan. It's a story about the survival of the human spirit and a truly great one at that.

3. Safety Not Guaranteed - I've known about this ad posted in the paper thanks to YTMND but this film surprised me. It's not a one-note joke, but a character study and shows the kindness of people and illustrates what a little bit of belief can do. It's funny, heartfelt and features a great performance by Aubrey Plaza and Mark Duplass.

4. Skyfall - The best Bond movie ever? I'd say so. It features one of the best movie villains since The Joker and Javier Bardem's entrance as Silva is something to behold. I couldn't take my eyes off him and I didn't want to blink in case I missed something. Couple that with Roger Deakins cinematography and Sam Mendes directing and you have a mature, emotional, exciting film.

5. Django Unchained - Hilarious, bloody, character driven, ambitious, and all around great film. You'd expect nothing less from Quentin Tarantino who has done it again.

6. Lincoln - Spielberg. Day-Lewis. Lincoln. In any other hands, I am sure this would've been a by-the-numbers historical biopic but what they've done here is carve out the most important moment in his life - and quite possibly the United States' - and bring it to life in a way that is neither boring nor pedantic.

7. The Dark Knight Rises - Epic film making that has changed the way we define the superhero genre. That's what Christopher Nolan has done with his final installment in his Batman trilogy. The action, the music (Hans Zimmer does it again), the cinematography (IMAX adds depth and makes the experience better), and a story line that is all to close to reality (which can be a downer) but Batman rises, and we with him.

8. Zero Dark Thirty - A gripping political thriller that shows the struggle to catch the most wanted man in the world. Jessica Chastain is brilliant, and we see her break down, push through and say "I'm the motherfucker". Damn. Like 'Argo', even though we know the outcome, the final raid on Bin Laden's fortress is suspenseful and exhilarating.

9. Looper - A great twist on the time travel genre that is filled with great visuals and a great script.

10. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - A welcome return to Middle Earth and while some were put off by the HFR, I was not and found the visual imagery to be beautiful and Peter Jackson has retained the humour and imagination he brought to his 'Lord of the Rings' films.

11. Moonrise Kingdom - Quirky, cute, funny, Wes Anderson, unique characters, well written, beautiful music, scenery and all around production design. I loved this film.

12.  ParaNorman - See my review. Wonderfully animated, well-written and an animated film with heart.

13. The Cabin in the Woods - It takes something special to pull of comedy and horror but this film does it and does so in a way that is original and very self-aware of the genre. I really enjoyed this film.

14. The Master - Joaquin Phoenix delivers the best performance of the year. Phillip Seymour Hoffman is equally engaging and malicious but it's Phoenix's movie. The camera gravitates toward him and he makes us uncomfortable but it draws us in and we see how flawed he is.

15. Wreck-It Ralph - A truly great animated film with wonderfully imaginative locations and characters.

16. Prometheus - Thought-provoking, divisive, but great film making. Ridley Scott returns to space and he strikes the mood with this beautiful 'search for life's origins' film.

17. The Avengers - Awesome. Awesome. I had so much fun with this film. The set pieces, the characters, Joss Whedon's writing and understanding of this universe are combine to make a great film.

Best Football Films

With football season under way in both the collegiate and professional leagues I figured it was high time I ran down my top 5 football movies. Some of my choices my surprise you, or they may not. That’s generally how a list goes.

5. LITTLE GIANTS

One time. 99 times out of a 100 this movie probably would’ve sucked. That left one time. The young ensemble is terrific from Devon Sawa (Junior), Shawna Waldron (Icebox), Sam Horrigan (Spike), Todd Bosley (Jake –pictured above) and all the way up to Rick Moranis and Ed O’Neill playing dueling brothers.

Rick Moranis’ daughter Becky “Icebox” didn’t make the local pee wee football team (coached by his brother Ed O’Neill), as did a bunch of other misfit kids. So what does any good father do? He assembles his own rag tag football team to battle for supremacy in the town of Urbania, Ohio.

Is it predictable? Yes. Do Emmitt Smith and John Madden show up to provide a lesson to the kids? Yes. Is The Annexation of Puerto Rico the greatest play in the history of football? Yes. This movie stuck with me when I was a kid and I still enjoy it today.

4. HEAVEN CAN WAIT

This one sometimes gets lost in the fold on football films, and it shouldn’t. Warren Beatty plays a Rams quarterback who is unfairly taken to Heaven before it is actually his time to die. To repay that mistake he is put into the body of a recently murdered millionaire. To the rest of the world he looks like the millionaire, but we see him as the quarterback.

He then decides to finish the life he had by buying the team and becoming it’s quarterback. Jack Warden delivers a fantastic performance as the trainer and Julie Christie and Warren Beatty share undeniable chemistry (as was the case in real life).

The final act of the film is great as it delivers on multiple levels. I found myself emotionally invested in the characters and the sporting event as well.

3. RUDY

Few names echo through stadium halls like ‘Rudy’.I’m sure you could start a ‘Rudy’ chant anywhere and it would probably catch on.

‘Rudy’ is synonymous with the underdog and achieving that which was thought to be unattainable. Sean Astin is the emotional core of the film. We ache when he is broken down and nearly defeated and our hearts soar as he finally reaches his goal.

According to some, this is a guy-cry kind of film, and it is. Rudy is the guy everyone wants to do well and for all of the right reasons.

2. THE REPLACEMENTS

I almost put this one at number one. That’s how much I love this film. I view this as one of the most underrated comedies out there.

Keanu Reeves is playing a former Ohio St QB for the second time in his film career. (The 1st? ‘Point Break’) Only this time he’s actually playing football and not surfing with Swayze. As the title suggests they are replacement players, because the professionals are on strike. Gene Hackman is brought in to coach this newly assembled team of a police officer, a convict, a priest, a soccer player, a Sumo wrestler, a deaf man, a disgraced college QB, two body guards, and a grocery store worker (not named Kurt Warner). Throw in a little Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” and you’ve got a great, entertaining film.

What strikes me about this film is that it’s not conventional. Some might say that it is, but it’s not. Gene Hackman lays it all out in the end with a voice over that perfectly fits the tone of the film. He isn’t sappy, he’s reflective and realistic which makes this more than just a comedy. Let’s make it clear that this is a comedy and it is funny. The football action here is great with John Madden and Pat Summerall providing entertaining commentary by playing themselves, but having a bit more fun.

Every time I find this on TV, whether it has commercials or not, I tune in and watch.

1. FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

This is the best football film. Period.

It’s emotionally draining and uplifting. It’s dramatic, dynamic, engaging, exciting and the fact that it (for the most part) happened. Another great young ensemble featuring Lucas Black, Jay Hernandez, Garrett Hedlund, Derek Luke, Lee Thompson Young, and Lee Jackson. Billy Bob Thornton delivers what is probably the best half time speech when he describes being ‘Perfect’ and it hits every single player in the locker room.

But the real find here is Tim McGraw. Yes, Mr. Faith Hill. He gives a very dramatic and nuanced performance as a former state champion/father of a current player. He is a man who lives and breathes high school football and puts the world’s expectations on his son’s shoulders because he wants him to be a champion. That’s hard to live up to.

This is a film that transcends sport. It’s just a great piece of filmmaking and storytelling.

‘The Matrix Reloaded’ – Revisited

The Matrix is one of the most influential films of all time. Sound like too much? I urge you to think of this: Before The Matrix, how many films had slow motion gun fights where you saw the bullets rip through the air and narrowly avoid hitting their intended target? Not too many I bet. Now? It seems like every action film does something like that. The invention of ‘Bullet Time’ changed action filmmaking, for better or for worse. I remember exactly where I was sitting, in what theatre (which has since been raised) and who I saw it with. It blew my teenage mind.

Flash forward to 2003. I remember patiently waiting for my first glimpse of the sequel The Matrix Reloaded because The Matrix had been/still is an important movie in my life. I geeked out after seeing teases of the sequences that would eventually unfold and eagerly awaited it’s release.

When it initially came out, I liked it. It wasn’t nearly as great as The Matrix, but how could it be? I still enjoyed it and bought the DVD on it’s first day of release. I hadn’t revisited it until recently when I sat down and watched The Matrix and then Reloaded. I still enjoyed Reloaded, but not as much but it wasn’t for the reasons I thought: CGI Neo, too talky, too philosophical. No, it was because of one single character.

Link.

Operator standing by.

The Matrix didn’t have a character for comedic relief. There was some comedy, but it was organic. Cypher’s line of “Why oh why didn’t I take the blue pill.” Or when Mouse was called a “Digital pimp hard at work”. Those lines felt needed and sounded real. What Link does, is called mugging.

Holy $hi!, computers!

Link is no Tank. He’s his brother-in-law. But that’s where the connection ends. Had the original actor, Marcus Chong, not been fired I am sure that this storyline would’ve been very different close to the same except without the whole brother-in-law part. Still, it’s what we were given.

I have no problem with Harold Perrineau. I’m a huge fan of LOST but here he is not very good. He is an unnecessary comedic relief. We don’t need lines like “Where’s my pus-hey!” or “He’s doing his Superman thing.” Speaking of the Man of Steel, if Link is Zion-born how does he know about Superman? I’ll assume that the people born there are familiar with Earth’s history and the pop culture landscape within the Matrix so I guess that answers that…

So this is where Walt was conceived, no wonder on the Island he was special

In The Matrix we were presented with breathtaking action and an intriguing storyline with characters that brought the pathos out more effectively when certain ones died. After Neo defeats Agent Smith in the subway terminal, teeters on the edge and finds his feet there is a collective sigh throughout the audience as we gather our breaths. In Reloaded, after Neo has caught Morpheus and the Key Maker from the truck collision we are given Link raising up his hands and then collapsing on his keyboard.

A moment of comedy that does not belong in this movie. Sure I chuckled, maybe even chortled but it took me out of the movie. I understand that it’s there because after such an intense moment comedy can alleviate that tension but it felt too much.

I am more fond of Tank and his story than I am of Link and his. I would be going too far if I called Link the Jar Jar Binks of The Matrix world but he is that annoying to me. The only purpose he serves is to link the crew to Zion and to link them to the Matrix. Ah, there’s where his name comes from. Link comes from a long line of sassy black characters who there to add a little humour for the audience which is sad because The Matrix established black characters who offered more than sass and comedy – they added meaning.

Reloaded is still a decent film and the action is still fun to watch, it’s just Link makes it more difficult to watch now that I’ve realised how annoying he is.