PITCH PERFECT

PITCH PERFECT
Written by Kay Cannon
Directed by Jason Moore
Starring Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow, Skyler Astin and Anna Camp

Aubrey: Aca-scuse me?

Despite its best efforts to differentiate itself from “Glee”, PITCH PERFECT is not that much more than a blatant attempt to capitalize on the success that show has enjoyed bringing show choir to the masses. Without ever saying the word, “glee” once, one of the inevitably geeky-ish a cappella singers decrees at one point early on that collegiate competitive a cappella singing is not like high school, where you sing through whatever emotional or identity crisis you’re going through. No, no; in fact, this is some serious stuff here. All the same, as these boys and girls sing their way through finding acceptance and make their way toward regionals and subsequently, finals, I coudln’t help but wonder when Rachel Berry was going to storm into the choir room and whip them all into shape. Unfortunately, she never arrived.

This is not to say that PITCH PERFECT doesn’t deliver any of the gooey good times that come with any piece featuring young people who find happiness in song and dance. It’s just that its pitch never comes anywhere near perfect. Anna Kendrick leads the charge, for the first time in her career actually, and, after seeing her play such sophisticated, adult characters in the past (50/50, UP IN THE AIR), watching her regress into a character that is actually more her age feels somewhat forced and beneath her. This is especially true here because the film is so formulaic and predictable. It calls itself out on that one too, as if that is supposed to excuse it for not trying to be original. Still, Kendrick, along with standouts, Brittany Snow (BRIDESMAIDS) and Anna Camp (THE HELP), bring everything they have to their characters and provide PITCH PERFECT with scattered moments of hilarity and tenderness.

Cute is the only word I can truly use to describe PITCH PERFECT. These days, calling something cute though is something of a double-edged sword. Yes, it made me giggle and I may start adding “aca” as a prefix ahead of all the aca-awesome things I say on a regular basis. That said though, cute also implies that the film tries really hard but never quite gets it right, like giving a little pat on the head to a toddler who did his best at a dance recital when you know they will never really make it anywhere in the field. These young folks sing their little hearts out, occasionally hitting notes you don’t see coming, but never belt it out of the park. It all just fell a little flat for me.

Black Sheep does TV: GLEE Season 3

GLEE SEASON 3

Do you know what I like most about watching an entire season of GLEE from start to finish on Blu-ray? It’s simple really. It is so much easier to enjoy this grand production of a television series in sequence rather than week to week and with giant gaps between episodes. When it airs on television, there is so much pressure for GLEE to deliver to its audience the way it did when it first aired. It’s time for Gleeks everywhere to just accept that this is never going to happen. And while the glory days of GLEE may be behind them, the show has found a comfortable stride by bringing on staff writers this season, which allowed for almost every character to grow in unexpected ways.

Gone are the days of fake pregnancies and scandalous inter-glee club mix and mingling. New Directions is now three years old and many of the crew will graduate at the end of the school year. While graduation calculatedly divides the kids for the future of the series, it does also provide many an opportunity for the seniors to contemplate their lofty and ambiguous futures. Allow me to assure you that these futures are not easily attained for any single one of them, whether that’s because some of them are flunking or whether that’s because some of them genuinely have no idea what to do with their lives. They may break out into song at many random moments but graduation allowed GLEE to get very real this year.

One of the major contributing factors to GLEE’s successful turnaround (after a widely disliked second season) is the elimination of the constant bickering between the kids. Everybody more or less gets along this year and subsequently have their own individual journeys to follow. Without the petty fighting to distract them, they found their focus in a common goal - winning nationals, of course. Even when a chunk of the female glee kids defected and formed a competing glee club, everyone still more or less got along. It’s a maturity I didn’t expect from GLEE and, by the time the season ends, and all the kids are faced with their own personal new directions in life, it is easy to see how much the creators respect their characters and want to see them enter the world.

The third season of GLEE tackles topics as varied as losing your virginity (“The First Time”), parental career pressure (“Asian F”) and the dangers of texting and driving (“On My Way”). These are all topics that apply directly to teenagers and I commend GLEE for dealing with issues that these kids would really face. It may not be as sensational or scandalous as it once was but this new approach bodes much better for GLEE’s own future. Now all they have to do is knock off all those tribute episodes. I mean, “Saturday Night Glee-ver”? C’mon now.

My addiction to buying every single GLEE song released subsided this year and I became much more selective but that doesn’t mean there weren’t plenty of numbers worth celebrating. I ask you to indulge my own inner gleek right now as I present my personal playlist of my favorite songs from GLEE Season 3 ...

GLEE Season 3 is now available on DVD & Blu-ray from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment.

Reel Thoughts: Interview with a Cheerio!

Whether you love your Sisters “Twisted” or “Christian,” Phoenix native Wesley Faucher knows that you will love the Broadway show Rock of Ages, now on tour. Filled with the music of Journey, Whitesnake, Pat Benatar and Foreigner, Rock of Ages will definitely take you back to the time of huge haired rock music.

“The show is very, very high energy,” she explained. “If you lived in the 80’s or know any of the rock music from the 80’s, it’s just one big hair-tossing, head-banging energetic show. It’s about this girl who comes to LA to make it big and she finds love along the way. She loses the guy and then gets him back eventually.”

Rock of Ages takes place in 1987 on the famed Sunset Strip, where aspiring rock star Drew works as a busboy at the fictional Bourbon Room. He meets and falls instantly in love with Kansas girl Sherrie Christian who just came to town. He serenades her with "Sister Christian" before scoring her a job at the bar, unaware that greedy German developers are planning to tear the whole Strip down and make it family-friendly. Debauched rock god Stacee Jaxx (the part Tom Cruise will play in the upcoming movie) comes to the Bourbon Room to give one final concert before the band breaks up. Sherrie and Drew’s romance is rocky to say the least, but the slimy Jaxx might doom it for good. Despite the efforts of Regina, a City Councilwoman, the Strip’s “Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll” history looks like it will be gone forever. It is nothing that a rock anthem like “We’re Not Gonna Take It” can’t fix.

Faucher wasn’t even born when Rock of Ages takes place, so he had to bone up on her 80’s big hair and heavy metal. “And I had just chopped off my hair last year, so going from no hair to this huge wig that I have to head-bang and go crazy in while I have a mic on my head under the wig was a lot to learn, but as soon as I put that wig on, I knew exactly what era I was in and I love it! Doing the show, my favorite song is “Nothing But a Good Time”, because it is exactly what the show is: it’s one big party onstage. It gets the audience energized right off the bat.”

In June, the big screen version of Rock of Ages hits theaters, but Faucher hasn’t seen it yet. “My boyfriend actually went to a big screening of it in LA and I have heard that it’s very different from our show. I think it does stay true to is the 80’s music and era, and with headliners like Tom Cruise, I think it will really bring in a good audience and it will help our show.”

Faucher spent time in Los Angeles concentrating on dance, when she got a role on Glee as one of the Cheerios in the first season. “I got to do two episodes, but then they said there was a height requirement, so I didn’t get to do as many episodes as I would have liked. It was amazing; you go in one day and you have to learn the entire routine all in one rehearsal. It was the first season, so everyone on set was really sweet and it was a great experience.” Working for Sue Sylvester was not as grueling as the show makes it look. “I actually got to ride back from the set with Jane Lynch. Everyone in the cast is great, but she is the humblest, sweetest, nicest person in the cast. She was just as amazing as you would think she is.”

Rock of Ages has been mostly playing the East Coast, so Faucher is relieved and excited to get back to the Southwest and see friends and family. “I had to learn East Coast weather real quick,” she said, laughing. As the daughter of a dance studio owner, what does Faucher think of Dance Moms on Lifetime? “I am so glad you asked that question! I’m obsessed with it! I think it is the funniest show, because I grew up going to competitions and I would see these crazy people all the time. I would always tell my mom, “You should make a reality TV show about these people,” because it is pure entertainment. As soon as Dance Moms came on, I’d ask her every week if she was watching it. She said, 'Wesley, as a studio owner, I can’t watch this kind of stuff. I deal with it every day.' My parents can’t stand it, but I think it’s hilarious.”

Interview by Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.

Dearie Awards 2011: Women of the Year - GLENN CLOSE & JANET MCTEER

Our Woman of the Year couldn’t go to just one actress after we saw the pair of sublime performances by Glenn Close and Janet McTeer in the flawed but moving period piece Albert Nobbs. Close’s Albert is a tightly-wound manservant with a secret: he is really a woman who has hidden her gender for thirty years in order to work and live as a man. Spoiler Alert: McTeer plays a fellow who discovers Albert’s deception and reveals that he is a woman as well, but one who has a life with a wife that opens Albert’s eyes to what life could be for him. Close is amazing, playing a passive closed-off person, but showing Albert’s inner life very subtly. McTeer’s forceful and energetic performance was even better, and the two actresses formed one of the most touching relationship of the year.

Honorable Mentions:
A powerhouse collection of actresses led by Viola Davis, Jessica Chastain, Octavia Spencer, Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard, Allison Janney, Sissy Spacek and Cicely Tyson brought the best-selling novel The Help (about Mississippi maids gaining their voice in the civil rights era) to entertaining life on screen. Davis, Spencer and Chastain are generating some much-deserved Oscar talk.

As Glee's Coach Beiste, Dot-Marie Jones has become an unconventional hero and challenged stereotypes and cliches. She showed audiences how not to judge a butch by her cover, since Coach is just a big-hearted gal looking for her Mr. Right.

Review by Neil Cohen, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Phoenix's Echo Magazine.

MD Poll: Naked Treat

When it came to Halloween costume ideas, MD Poll takers opted for the simple this year. After all, to "dress up" like Ryan Gosling a la Crazy, Stupid, Love, all one has to do is wrap a towel around their neck, put on a womanizing smirk and show off their little gosling.

Other top vote-getters were a little more innocent, such as a Harry Potter Hogwarts grad (second place) and a Glee Dalton Academy Warbler (tied for third with a Black Swan ballerina). For the complete results, see the comments section below.

Trick or treat!

MD Poll: Trick or Treat, 2011 Style

Halloween is just around the corner, which brings up the annual question, "What am I going to wear?" Well, we here at Movie Dearest have you covered with ten of the hottest pop culture inspired costume ideas for 2011 ... and not one of them is Lady Gaga.

Take your pick for your favorite 2011 Halloween costume idea in the MD Poll located in the right hand sidebar, and tune back Saturday October 29 for the final results.

UPDATE: This poll is now closed; click here for the results, and click here to vote in the latest MD Poll.

GLEE: Season 2

Dear Glee,

I mean everything I am about to say to you with love. Your third season begins this evening and I have high hopes for the changes you've made. You've branched out your writing staff and have sworn to focus more on longer story arcs instead of one-off theme episodes. You've also decided to reduce the number of songs per episode, so as not to come across like an iTunes jukebox each week. It's not that I don't like to hear all the talented members of New Directions belt them out so often but storytelling has been taking a seat in the back of the choir room for quite some time now.

I've just finished watching your second season on blu-ray. I have to admit, it wasn't as uneven as I remember but if you don't fix some of your problems soon, you will start to lose your audience. That said, there were some fantastic additions to the GLEE lexicon in the second season. Highlights for me include Gwyneth Paltrow as Holly Holiday. I wish Paltrow wasn't such a big movie star because she would make a perfect regular on your program. Not only is she hilarious but she can also hold a note or two. Next up, the introduction of Blaine (Darren Criss) and the Warblers. It was about time the New Directions got some real competition. And of course, having Blaine around allowed for the best gay kiss I've ever witnessed on television. There was no hype for it; it simply just happened. My mouth fell to the floor when I saw it because I feel like I've been waiting my whole life to see such a romantic and honest moment between two male television characters. I'm not going to lie; I wished I was Kurt (Chris Colfer) in that moment.

You are often criticized for being too gay, whatever that means. I don't think that's true; I just think you spend more time developing Kurt's troubles than anyone else's. In the entire season, only Kurt's bullying storyline felt true to me. It is an important subject and one that I think you tackled sensitively and thoroughly. Unfortunately, with all your energy placed there, the rest of the cast was left to bounce back and forth between random couplings that often seemed like they had no basis in any reality whatsoever. It's hard for me to care about characters when they don't seem to really matter to you either. Oh and, please, give Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) something to do this year. Her once ferocious character is now just a flat joke (who honestly should have been arrested by now considering how many students she flings down stairs).

I miss how much you used to shock me, GLEE. Lately it seems you just lull me into a state of acceptance instead. Your sophomore year is now behind you. You let your junior year success go to your head and just rested on your laurels all the way through last year. It's time to get serious though; it's your senior year. If you don't find your focus again, I'm not convinced you'll graduate at the end of the year.

Gleefully yours,
joseph.

GLEE: THE 3D CONCERT MOVIE

Directed by Kevin Tancharoen

Starring Lea Michele, Cory Monteith and Chris Colfer

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a big gleek. In fact, anyone who has known me for a long time, thinks I could have easily been on the hit Fox series - y'know, if I was about ten years younger and had any acting ability whatsoever, which I don't. I am the first to admit that GLEE has never been as good as it was in the first half of the first season but I still tune in every week to see the spunky little kids at McKinley High belt out my favourite pop and show tunes. Usually, I am belting them out right along with them, much to the dismay of my neighbours, I'm sure. Even with all that gleekiness surging through my veins though, I still found GLEE: THE 3D CONCERT MOVIE to be consistently off key.

I saw the GLEE show live a couple of months ago in Toronto with another gleeky friend of mine. The pair of us were on our feet the entire time and doing a fair amount of screaming for our favourite New Directions members, from Rachel (Lea Michele) and Finn (Cory Monteith) to Kurt (Chris Colfer) and Mercedes (Amber Riley). I remember being extremely impressed with their ability to sing live and overwhelmed by the energy and level of appreciation coming from the crowd. The singing made it into the movie, or at least most of it did anyway, but the energy must have ended up on the cutting room floor (along with Jane Lynch's Sue Sylvester, who was filmed for the project but ultimately not included). I can see the fans applauding; I can hear them going on and on about how GLEE changed their lives but I couldn't feel any of that love coming off the screen (with the exception of one tiny little Asian Warblers fan - that kid had the moves!). And that's despite the attempt to cram it down our face in 3D. Like GLEE itself all too often last season, this new movie just felt too perfectly manufactured at times and lacking the spirit the show once knew.

Director, Kevin Tancharoen (FAME), cuts back and forth between edited concert performances, fan footage at the shows, backstage access to the cast and three distinct gleek success stories designed to show how GLEE promotes diversity and acceptance. A little person finds her way to the head of the cheerleaders, a teenager is forcefully outed and learns that being gay is OK and a girl with asperger's syndrome finds a way to let people in. They are all touching stories to some extent but they take away from the backstage antics of the cast that this gleek wanted more of. As it is, the cast is still in character behind the scenes so the film doesn't actually offer up any inkling of what it was like for them to tour together. This was the perfect chance to get more intimate with the fans they seemed to be celebrating in the film but alas, it was wasted. Instead, I felt as though their lovely voices lured me in but once they knew they had me, they took my money and quickly rushed me out.

Regardless, I'm still on board to return to school in the fall and get my gleek back on good and proper.

Awards Watch: GLBT Films of 2010 Honored

The annual Hollywood awards season is in full swing, with the Golden Globes recently announced and the Academy Awards coming up on February 27. The Social Network and The King's Speech may be the big winners thus far, but the Gay & Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association (GALECA) had some surprises among the winners of its second annual Dorian Awards, which were announced today.

GALECA is only two years old but is quickly becoming known in the industry. The organization is composed of more than 40 LGBT film and television critics from across the US as well as Canada and Great Britain. Such major publications as The Advocate, US Weekly, TV Guide and our own Movie Dearest are represented. Unlike GLAAD, which specifically honors movie and TV shows each year that show the GLBT community in a positive light, GALECA considers both mainstream and LGBT-specific projects for the Dorian Awards. Toy Story 3 and The Social Network were among GALECA's five nominees for Film of the Year in addition to the more LGBT-oriented The Kids Are All Right, Black Swan and I Am Love. The Dorian Awards are so named in honor of gay writer Oscar Wilde and his literary masterpiece, The Picture of Dorian Grey.

I Am Love was the surprise choice as the 2010 Dorian Award-winner for Film of the Year. This sensual tale stars Oscar-winner Tilda Swinton as the Russian-born matriarch of an Italian family beset by romantic entanglements of various genders and orientations. Little seen upon its theatrical release but much admired by those who have caught it, I Am Love is now available on DVD and Blu-ray.

Unlike most groups that bestow awards, GALECA doesn't separate men and women in its consideration of the Best Performances in Film and Television. This year, Annette Bening triumphed over such acclaimed fellow nominees as Colin Firth (The King's Speech), James Franco (who was nominated for his great acting in two 2010 releases, 127 Hours and Howl) and Natalie Portman (Black Swan). Bening won the Dorian Award for her excellent turn as one-half of a lesbian couple raising two teenagers in The Kids Are All Right.

In GALECA's television categories, The Good Wife won Drama of the Year while Glee won its second Dorian Award in a row for TV Comedy or Musical of the Year. Glee also won the Dorian for LGBT-themed TV Show of the Year as well as acting awards for Jane Lynch and Chris Colfer, who tied in the TV Comedy Performance of the Year category. New Glee cast member Darren Criss won GALECA's "We're Wilde About You" Rising Star Award over such other talented newcomers as Andrew Garfield (The Social Network and the upcoming Spider-Man reboot) and Black Swan's Mila Kunis. Michael C. Hall, as the sympathetic serial killer of Dexter, won the Dorian Award for TV Dramatic Performance of the Year. The HBO series Hung, about a well-endowed gigolo, was recognized as the Unsung TV Show of the Year and the new comedy Hot in Cleveland, starring Valerie Bertinelli and Betty White, won the "Campy (Intentional or Not) TV Show of the Year" Dorian.

The delightful Easy A, about a high school student who takes her Scarlet Letter reading assignment a bit too literally, won the Dorian Award for Unsung Film of the Year. Additional winners in other film-related categories were Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (Documentary of the Year); I Love You Phillip Morris (LGBT-Themed Film of the Year); 8: The Mormon Proposition (LGBT-Themed Documentary of the Year); and Burlesque (Campy (Intentional or Not) Film of the Year). The latter beat out such dubious contenders as Sex and the City 2 and Piranha 3-D.

Finally, GALECA's prestigious "Wilde Wit of the Year Award" was given to Rachel Maddow, the openly lesbian TV and radio news host, and the group's annual "Timeless Award" — which is given to a living actor or performer with an exemplary career marked by smarts, character and wit — was bestowed upon theatre and film legend Angela Lansbury.

While this year's Academy Award nominations have yet to be announced, a number of LGBT-interest contenders are likely. Annette Bening and Natalie Portman will likely duke it out for the Best Actress Oscar, and Bening's Kids Are All Right partner, Julianne Moore, could also be nominated. Meanwhile, the Academy Award for Best Song might well go to "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me," which was sung by Cher in Burlesque and won the Golden Globe. If the song is nominated for an Oscar, Cher will likely perform it during the telecast. Her appearance alone will be enough to get virtually every gay man in the US to tune in on February 27!

See the comments section below for a quick look at this year's Dorian Award winners.

By Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

Awards Watch: Nominations for the 2010 Dorian Awards

The Gay & Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association (of which yours truly and my fellow Movie Dearest Men on Film Chris Carpenter and Neil Cohen are members) has announced its nominations for the group's second annual Dorian Awards, celebrating the best in film and television for 2010.

In 17 categories, including new ones this year for documentaries and "unsung" movies, GALECA has nominated a wide variety of films and TV programs, both with and without GLBT themes. Titles with multiple nominations include such big screen hits as Black Swan, The Kids Are All Right and The Social Network, while The Big Bang Theory, Glee and Modern Family represent the small screen.

See the comments section below for the complete list of nominations. Winners will be announced January 18 in Los Angeles.

Dearie Awards 2010: Man of the Year - JAMES FRANCO

Much was written in the mainstream press this past year about the seemingly inexhaustible talents of James Franco. When he wasn't studying for two Master's Degrees, publishing a book, writing poetry and saving the world from an onslaught of intelligent apes (oh, sorry, that's later this year, when he will headline the sci-fi prequel Rise of the Apes), Franco was playing one of Julia Roberts' lovers in Eat Pray Love, stalking hunky Steve Burton on General Hospital and directing a gay-themed short film (The Feast of Stephen) that appeared on the 2010 queer festival circuit.

Franco has long held viewers' attention, and gave memorable performances in both the Spider-Man trilogy and the Oscar-winning biopic Milk. The latter film, especially, sparked considerable "is he one of us?" speculation about Franco on the part of gay fans (according to recent reports, the actor is dating a woman). But Franco has also been regarded at times as laid back to a fault on screen. That perception changed dramatically in 2010, when Franco did exuberant, even joyful work in Howl and 127 Hours. In the first, Franco embodied the Beat Generation energy and protest spirit of gay poet Allen Ginsberg. In the second, the actor rivets in a largely immobile role, contemplating life as a hiker literally stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Next on Franco's growing list of broad achievements: co-hosting the Academy Awards ceremony with Anne Hathaway on February 27, where he will also more than likely be a nominee. Will nothing hold him down? You go, Franco! Movie Dearest salutes you.

Honorable Mentions:
The first season of Fox's hit musical-dramedy Glee introduced Chris Colfer to the world in the role of Kurt Hummel, a gay high school student who zigzags through various points of the coming out process. The untried actor-singer reportedly snagged the role shortly after stepping off the bus for his first professional audition. Colfer and Kurt have since become role models for a new generation of GLBT teens, with Colfer participating in the 2010 "It Gets Better" video campaign in the wake of a tragic number of suicides by bullied young people. I had the pleasure of being present last summer when Colfer presented his Glee co-star Jane Lynch with the Outfest Lifetime Achievement Award, and was impressed by his poise and sincerity. And can he sing! His rendition of "A House is Not a Home" this season was a standout among a number of impressive musical moments, culminating in his holiday duet on "Baby, It's Cold Outside" with Kurt's maybe-boyfriend, Blaine (Darren Criss). Keep up the great work!

We loved Colin Firth's performance as a gay college professor mourning the death of his longtime lover in last year's A Single Man. Duly Oscar nominated, Firth tragically (in the opinion of some of us) lost the award to Jeff Bridges. If Lady Justice is gay, she'll make sure the scale tips Firth's way this year for his acclaimed performance in The King's Speech, when he and Bridges will likely compete again in the Best Actor category. However, Firth has the edge this time around since (A) he hasn't won before and (B) he gave a simply glorious performance as stuttering, stammering King George VI. Definitely more crowd-pleasing than A Single Man, if no less significant a character study, The King's Speech explores the importance of national leadership at a time when the subject couldn't be more critical. Firth has turned in consistently great work (he was also fun in last year's St. Trinian's School for Girls), and now as a king in addition to his previous "queens."

By Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and the Orange County and Long Beach Blade.

Dearie Awards 2010: New Star of the Year - DARREN CRISS

Sparks flew on Glee when Chris Colfer's Kurt Hummel first met Darren Criss' Blaine, leader of rival singing group the Dalton Academy Warblers. Those sparks turned into a bonfire when the dreamy Blaine launched into an a capella rendition of Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream". Just like Kurt, we the audience knew it: we were in love. And a new star was born.

Thanks to Criss' smooth vocals and undeniable charm, "Teenage Dream" soon turned into the hottest Glee track to date. His other performances on the show — "Hey, Soul Sister" and the playfully romantic Blaine/Kurt (Blurt?) duet "Baby, It's Cold Outside" — also became "Gleek" faves. It's no wonder then that multi-talented actor/singer (known previously for his magical, musical turn as Harry Potter in a popular viral video) was quickly signed on as Glee regular. We eagerly await Criss' — and Blaine's —return when the show resumes its second season next month.

Honorable Mentions:
In a show that already serves up more than its fair share of beefcake, it must be hard for the new hunk on the block to stand out. But when Joe Manganiello, as heroic wolf man Alcide Herveaux, first stepped on to True Blood (and out of his clothes... Google it), we definitely took notice; his sexy shape shifter leaves us howling at the moon.

As for the big screen, no other actress had as great a breakout year in 2010 than Mia Wasikowska. Her first major starring role was as the title character in the worldwide smash Alice in Wonderland (and its endless franchise potential). Later in the year, she proved she has the acting chops playing daughter to moms Annette Bening and Julianne Moore in the indie hit The Kids Are All Right.

MD Poll: Bloody Good Costumes

When it comes to Halloween costumes for 2010, MD Poll-takers prefer theirs' with a little teeth... and a lot of blood... True Blood, that is. Of course, well all know that the vampires, werewolves, et al from that hit show spend most of their time in their birthday suits... which should make for some fun trick or treating this year.

Johnny Depp's take on the Mad Hatter came in a close second, while Glee's Sue Sylvester rounded on the top three Halloween costume ideas. See the comments section below for the complete stats.

Black Sheep's Blu-Tuesday

The month of September was a little busy for me. There was that little film festival, TIFF. It really took up a good chunk of my time so I was not able to keep up with the current Blu-Ray releases each week. Well, September is definitely over and instead of focusing on what came out today to rent and own, I will take a look back at the bigger titles that were missed in the weeks prior.

MARS ATTACKS!

(Warner Brothers)

It is not surprising that Tim Burton likes B-movies. It is a little more surprising that he is such a big Hollywood player now when you watch his 1996 film, MARS ATTACKS! This is a B-movie done A-styles. Everyone from Jack Nicholson and Annette Bening to Sarah Jessica Parker and Pierce Brosnan stars in this ode to the aliens from outer space movie. Although the film no longer inspires me to, “Ack! Ack! Ack” alongside those hilarious, homicidal aliens, it is still a ridiculous good time.

THE PLAYER

(Warner Brothers)

This 1992 film will certainly be counted amongst the late Robert Altman’s greatest achievements. With the exception of some questionable hairstyles and shoulder pads, THE PLAYER holds up very well. Tim Robbins plays Griffin Dunne, a Hollywood executive who is being stalked by a writer. It gets hairy and it couldn’t come at a worse time considering there is talk around the studio that he is on his way out. Everyone from Angelica Huston to Bruce Willis to Julia Roberts cameos in this Hollywood murder mystery. It will grab you and get you hooked from the opening 8 and a half minute shot.

GLEE - SEASON ONE

(20th Century Fox)

There is no denying it. GLEE is the biggest new show to emerge from last year. Fox is so happy with it that they have renewed it through its third season already. Watching the first season straight through was actually a lot of fun. The moments that didn’t work so great when the show was airing (ie. the return from hiatus) aren’t as bad sandwiched between all the fantastic moments that came out of the first year at McKinley High (ie. The Power of Madonna episode, start to finish). My neighbours must be sick of me singing along to every single song … except “U Can’t Touch This” in the library. I totally skipped that one.

CHARADE

(Criterion Collection)

I had the pleasure of catching this 1963 Stanley Donen picture this past weekend. I must admit that I had never even heard of it but it jumped out at me on the shelf and was exactly the speed I needed that night. Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant star in this occasionally hokey but more often than not twisty comedy that actually keeps you guessing until the end. The pair are delightful and the cinematography is often surprisingly ambitious and impressive. Henry Mancini’s jazzy score makes it the perfect film to watch if people come over for cocktails.

A BOUT DE SOUFFLE (BREATHLESS)

(Criterion Collection)

I wish I had known that Criterion was planning on restoring and releasing this Jean-Luc Godard classic. If you know the site, then you might already know that this Nouvelle Vague masterpiece is one of my all-time favorite films. And it isn’t just me. It is widely considered to be a quintessential piece of film history. This doesn’t make it for everyone but the way Godard pokes fun at American cinematic conventions is so ludicrously delightful that you cannot help but get on board if you’re in the right mood. Before you know it, you will be lost in the breathtaking black and white imagery – so French, so romantic, so meaningless. (Read the full BREATHLESS Black Sheep review here.)

AMERICAN BEAUTY

(Dreamworks)

I’ve always loved this film. I think I saw it four or five times in the theatre alone. When I sat to watch it again recently, more than ten years after its initial release, I marveled at how shocking it still was. I could pretty much mouth the entire film if I tried but this particular viewing kept throwing me off. So many of the film’s elements – from the video taping to the pot smoking – are almost completely conventional now but were practically unused at the time. Even the central awakening of Lester Burnham’s (Kevin Spacey) character comes from a sexual fascination with an underage teenager (Mena Suvari). This Best Picture Oscar winner still stands as one of the best pictures of all time and you haven’t seen roses fall from the ceiling until you’ve seen them on blu-ray.

With all this catching up to do, I haven't even touched October yet. Here are a list of choice titles available today on Blu-Ray for the first time ...

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (Walt Disney)

THE KARATE KID (Walt Disney)

THE EXORCIST (Warner Brothers)

GRINDHOUSE (Vivendi Visual Entertainment)

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS (20th Century Fox)

THE MALTESE FALCON (Warner Brothers)

THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRE MADRE (Warner Brothers)

SPLICE (E1 Entertainment)

Source: blu-ray.com

MD Poll: Trick or Treat, 2010 Style

Halloween is just around the corner, which brings up the annual question, "What am I going to wear?" Well, we here at Movie Dearest have you covered with ten of the hottest pop culture inspired costume ideas for 2010 ... and not one of them is Lady Gaga.

Take your pick for your favorite 2010 Halloween costume idea in the MD Poll located in the right hand sidebar, and tune back Saturday October 30 (Halloween Eve) for the final results.

UPDATE: This poll is now closed; click here for the results, and click here to vote in the latest MD Poll.