Here's a dose of happy for you: Rob Gardner, winner of Amazon Studios’ $1 million Best Test Movie award, gets the good news from Amazon Studios director Roy Price earlier this week. (The winning movie, a musical adventure called 12 Princesses, is available to download/stream for free at Amazon Instant Video.)
Congratulations to 12 Princesses and Origin of a Species, the projects selected today by a panel of top industry judges to receive Annual Awards totaling $1.1 million from Amazon Studios, the movie-development arm of Amazon.com.
“It has been an exciting year for Amazon Studios. We received projects from all over the world and have enjoyed collaborating with filmmakers and screenwriters to develop their original stories,” said Roy Price, director of Amazon Studios. “Choosing the best test movie and the best script was extremely challenging; with thousands of projects submitted it was difficult to recognize only two.”
The $1 million Best Test Movie Award went to 12 Princesses, the musical tale of a farmboy who risks his heart (and his life) to discover how royal sisters escape each night from the imprisonment of their mad father. Rob Gardner of Mesa, Ariz., wrote and directed the test movie, based on his stage musical version of the Grimm fairy tale of “The 12 Dancing Princesses.”
“It was really well received and, since then, I’ve felt like it would make a great film,” Gardner said. “When I heard about the Amazon Studios contest on NPR, it sounded like the perfect avenue to try to get such a movie made.”
12 Princesses and other top Amazon Studios test movies are available to download or stream for free at the Amazon Studios site, and at Amazon Instant Video.
The $100,000 Best Script Award went to Origin of a Species, the story of a former police officer whose German Shepherds are infected with rabies and terrorize a small, Midwestern community. Brooklyn-based screenwriter Matthew Gossett said his story has roots in reality: “I used to work with a guy in Cincinnati who was embroiled in a property line dispute with his elderly neighbor, and as their confrontations escalated, I wondered what would happen if chaos erupted. This screenplay is about chaos fed by humans and set loose upon a town.”
Annual Awards judges included Lawrence Bender (producer, Inglourious Basterds), Akiva Goldsman (writer, A Beautiful Mind), Trevor Groth (director of programming, Sundance Film Festival), Alexander Payne (writer/director The Descendants) and Courtenay Valenti (
More than 7,000 scripts and 700 test movies have been submitted to Amazon Studios since its launch in November 2010. And in the past year, dozens of scripts, test movies and trailers have been awarded nearly $2 million.
Imagine that you could see a movie before it gets made, and tell the filmmakers what you think of it (Tweak that ending! Cut the sidekick! More chase scenes!). Now quit imagining, and check out the Amazon Studios “test movies” that just debuted on Amazon Instant Video and Prime Instant Video, where they are available to download and stream at no charge.
A test movie is a visual rough draft of a script. Live action? Animated? It’s all good: The key is that it allows movie fans from around the world to see a story in its early stages and share their thoughts on how that story should be made into a full-on feature film (or whether it even should be made into a full-on feature film) — before millions of dollars get spent.
The test movies premiering at Amazon.com are the best that Amazon Studios has to offer: Finalists for its $1 million Annual Award (winners to be announced on Feb. 7) and work created by specially selected filmmakers. Take a look! We’d love to know what you think.
Movie fans are familiar with the standard routine -- a movie is promoted for months through TV, print advertising, and trailers building anticipation for its theatrical release. The film is then released to movie theaters around the country with the number of screens varying from title to title. Depending on the movie, it can be widely released across the US or limited to “art house cinemas” in select cities. After several months, the movie is made available for home viewing on DVD and Blu-ray discs, and through digital Video On-Demand services. Films are then often available through premium cable channels (like HBO) and eventually, broadcast and basic cable channels.
This lifecycle of movie distribution “windows” has remained relatively unchanged for some time. But now, the proliferation of high-speed broadband and Internet-connectable devices in consumer homes has opened a new movie distribution portal for filmmakers, and more consumption alternatives for movie fans. One filmmaker embracing these possibilities is Kevin Smith, director of films such as Clerks, Chasing Amy, Cop Out, and the upcoming Red State. I recently had a chance to speak to Kevin about the Internet's effect on the movie business and his new film.
Written and directed by Smith, Red State premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January and releases today through Video On-Demand outlets BEFORE its scheduled theatrical release on September 23. It is also scheduled to be released on DVD October 18, only four weeks after its release in theaters (much sooner than the typical three to four month delay). "We live in a world in which it is increasingly difficult to get people’s attention," Smith said describing this strategy, "You have to reach the audience where they are. You have to figure out a way to get your art in the hands of the people.”
Smith went on to describe why the movie business is unique in its dependence on multiple channels of distribution. “Filmmaking is an expensive art form. If I was a singer and I wanted to express myself to you, I would simply sing a song; if I was an artist and I wanted to express myself, I would get a canvas and some paint; but to make a film, I need millions of dollars and a large cast and crew.” When asked about the potential he sees in Internet distribution of movies, Smith (who also hosts a weekly podcast with longtime producer Scott Mosier) replied, “It’s an opportunity to create new viewer experiences” and “on-demand entertainment. Smith also added that “Video On-Demand could be the new art house cinema.” That’s a revolutionary concept and could mean that the opportunity to see select independent films on their release date may no longer be limited to those in New York or Los Angeles.
Describing the R-rated horror/thriller film Red State, Smith says it’s a movie of “tragic decisions.” When asked how he wants the audience to walk away from the film (which certainly does not have the typical Hollywood ending), Smith hopes viewers appreciate "great performances" by the cast and maybe even walk away "inspired to make some art" of their own. Smith encourages filmmakers to keep innovating and utilizing technology to stay relevant. “I’m a great commercial for trying what you want to do,” says Smith.
Another upcoming film experimenting with the traditional release windows is Trespass, starring Nicolas Cage and Nicole Kidman, which is scheduled to be released in both theaters and through Video On-Demand on October 14.
Watch Red State today on Amazon Instant Video before it hits theaters on September 23. You get to watch it at home, but you’ll have to make your own popcorn.
You may know Nathan Fillion best as the star of ABC's Castle, or Captain Mal from the canceled-too-soon series Firefly, or as Dr. Horrible. Maybe even from his days on Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place.
But over the Martin Luther King Day holiday weekend in 2010, Fillion played the role of Hal Jordan for Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, an all-new DC Universe Animated Original Movie arriving today on Blu-ray, DVD, and Instant Video. Green Lantern: Emerald Knights weaves six legendary stories of the Green Lantern Corps’ rich mythology around preparations for an attack by an ancient enemy. As the battle approaches, Hal Jordan mentors new recruit Arisia in the history of the Green Lantern Corps, telling tales of Avra, Kilowog, Abin Sur, Laira and Mogo. In the end, Arisia must rise to the occasion to help Hal, Sinestro and the entire Green Lantern Corps save the universe from the destructive forces of Krona.
The ever-genuine Fillion spent some time following his initial recording session to discuss comic book justice, the perils of space travel, his love of comic books and the origin story behind his famous Green Lantern t-shirt.
QUESTION: Among the superhero role play games of your childhood, did you ever pretend you were the Green Lantern?
NATHAN FILLION: As a child, when you're pretending you're different super heroes, Green Lantern was the easiest because all you needed to light the fire in the imagination was the ring. Superman, you need a cape; Spiderman, you need a full face mask. That wasn’t tough to come by in a winter town like where I’m from, but they’re just too hot to wear in the summer. So to be Green Lantern, all you needed to do is suck a lifesaver down to the right size, and to make sure it's a lime one – slip it on your finger, and you were good.
QUESTION: What is it about Green Lantern that most appeals to you?
NATHAN FILLION: As a kid, what I liked about Green Lantern was that he could do anything – anything you could think of. It's like “Wow, all I need is a giant mallet, or a catapult circa 1200s,” and suddenly he had it. I just thought that would be pretty cool to have anything you could kind of imagine. Imagination was always a big thing for me.
QUESTION: You fit comfortably into animated super hero roles. Why do you think you keep getting chosen to play these comic book legends?
NATHAN FILLION: I will say that I've been very fortunate. I can't tell you why people are willing to offer me the opportunity, but I can say how it pleases me because as a kid collecting comic books, I had a great time with the way it kind of lights the fire in the imagination. I always thought I had an overdeveloped sense of justice. Now looking back on my comic book days, my world kind of was formed around comic book justice. I think I have a very strong sense of comic book justice. Maybe that has something to do with how you take on a role. I mean, I'm steeped in the history of these characters. I know it and I love it.
QUESTION: Castle is a runaway hit. You’re a cover boy for national magazines with great regularity. There’s never been greater demand for Nathan Fillion. How do you stay humble through all this adoration?
NATHAN FILLION: I'll tell you there sure is nothing like being an actor and having something to do every day. Get up 5:00 a.m. – I’ve got someplace to go and I’ve got a place I need to be. I’ve got stuff I gotta do. I’ve got stories I need to tell. This career that I've chosen, I'm employed gainfully in it – so I’m living the dream every day. That's a good feeling. It does good things for how you feel about your choices. There was a period of time, I'll say it was 1998 approximately, where I didn't work for nearly a year. I was really questioning my judgment. What have I done? I've made a colossal error in judgment. I'm paying my rent on credit. What am I gonna do? It's a much, much nicer feeling to know that you're doing something -- that you're playing some music that people want to hear. So I'm gonna play these notes – you tell me if you like them and we'll keep playing if you keep liking them. That's a good feeling. It's nice to walk down the street and have someone stop and politely say “I love your show.” That’s always great. As opposed to doing plays, where there’s immediate feedback, you don’t get that so much in television. So it’s really nice to hear. It doesn’t get old.
QUESTION: You’re on the Castle set at least five days a week, upwards of 14 hours each day. Given all that work, what makes you take time – on a Sunday of a holiday weekend – to record the voice of an animated superhero?
NATHAN FILLION: I take the time to (voice characters in DCU films) exactly for the reason that it's fun. I get a call saying “Hey, how would you like to come on down to record Green Lantern?” And I’m asking back, “Can we squeeze it in on a Sunday because that's pretty much my only day off?” I want to make it work because I love doing it. More than that, I love being part of this lore. These are great characters – you’ve got Green Lantern, you have Superman, you have Batman, you have the Flash, all these wonderful pieces of American pop culture. And now I've got a little piece. I can say, “Oh yeah, I was Green Lantern for a DVD movie.” Not a lot of people can say that. “Oh, Steve Trevor? Funny you should mention him.” (he laughs) It may sound silly, but it means something to me.
QUESTION: You have been seen – on the cover of Entertainment Weekly, walking around Comic-Con on a Saturday, at your initial Green Lantern recording session – wearing a Green Lantern t-shirt. Did you own that shirt before being cast as Hal Jordan for Green Lantern: Emerald Knights?
NATHAN FILLION: Debbie Zoller is the head of my makeup department on Castle. She saw that fan-made Green Lantern trailer and thought the t-shirt would be an appropriate Christmas present. And I wholeheartedly agree with her. I’ve been known to wear a few superhero shirts … and where better than a Green Lantern recording session to wear it today? So thank you Debbie – I told you it would come in handy someday!
When he isn’t perusing the Sudan, performing in Prague or recording for public radio, Henry Rollins takes to another of his true passions: voiceovers for animated projects. Rollins’ latest animated incarnation is in the guise of Kilowog for the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie, Green Lantern: Emerald Knights. Rollins voices one of the most beloved characters in the entire universe of Green Lanterns – Kilowog, the hardcore drill sergeant-style trainer of Green Lantern recruits. Written by Peter J. Tomasi (based on “New Blood” by Tomasi & Chris Samnee) and directed by Lauren Montgomery, the “Kilowog” segment of the film depicts the gruff character’s initial days as a young recruit under the abusive tutelage of Deegan, an equally gruff character who shows Kilowog the true “tough love” principles of training. As the segment play out, Kilowog must assume an integral leadership role within the ranks.
Green Lantern: Emerald Knights is far from Rollins’ first venture down the animated path. For Warner Bros. alone, Rollins has recorded over the years for Batman Beyond, Teen Titans and Batman: The Brave and the Bold. And then there’s his more recent forays into voiceovers for series like Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time and the primetime series American Dad! Rollins is joined in the voicecast of the intergalactic animated film by Nathan Fillion, Elisabeth Moss, Jason Isaacs (the Harry Potter films), Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy), Kelly Hu (The Vampire Diaries), Wade Williams (Prison Break), and professional wrestling legend Rowdy Roddy Piper . No stranger to the spoken word, Rollins spent some significant time after his initial recording session chatting about his character, his love of great literature, Too Much Coffee Man, his need to travel the Earth, and much, much more. Read on …
QUESTION: How did you approach the character of Kilowog for this story?
HENRY ROLLINS: For me, Kilowog is a man who's pure of heart. He's a warrior. He's a soldier. And he loves his rookies. Deegan is the guy who broke him in – in boot camp – and kind of brought him into command position. So Kilowog came up through the ranks by being brave and by being a take-charge leader. In the Kilowog segment, you see that he had a grasp of the leadership idea from the get-go. He's with other recruits and he immediately takes the leadership position. So I think he's a good guy, but he always knew he was gonna be running things.
QUESTION: Were there any challenges to finding the character for you?
HENRY ROLLINS: I assumed what the character needed before we went in. I said, “Andrea (Romano), this guy has a flat top, thick neck, but he’s a good guy and if you get past all the yelling, you know he's got a good heart.” She said, “You got it. That's, that's the guy.” So I kind of had him dialed in and then we went forth. It was really just finding his subtleties working with the great direction of Andrea. The character, for me, wasn't all that hard to find. He's not a complex guy. He takes his orders. He gives orders. He knows right and wrong. He takes care of bad guys, and keeps people alive. On that level, his life is pretty simple.
QUESTION: You’re so often a one-man show, or at least the leader of the band. What’s it like to be directed by Andrea Romano?
HENRY ROLLINS: I've been working with Andrea for well over a decade, and it is one of the fun moments of my year when I get the call. Watching her work with a whole group of people is like watching a combination of air traffic controller, director and producer all at once. And she has as much fun or more fun than all of us combined. Her level of energy is quite remarkable. I've done every kind of voiceover with her – entire casts, one on one, Batman Beyond, Teen Titans – and she always brings a tremendous bolt of energy. It's infectious and it’s fun. It’s like she always says, “Thanks for coming in and playing.” Andrea really allows you to have fun with it and not take yourself too seriously, which allows you to work really hard.
QUESTION: You're such an intense, intelligent, driven individual who actively lobbies for so many worthy, worldwide causes. Do voiceovers for animation fulfill some sort of need for play, or does it offer another challenge?
HENRY ROLLINS: The reason why I come and do voiceover, for animation or documentary or whatever, is because I'm really not suited for it. And so I have to somehow pass myself off as someone who can actually pull this off. It makes me work really hard, and I love the challenge. I've been in a lot of films, and yet I’ve never taken an acting lesson. I've done a lot of voiceovers for all kinds of things, and I've never taken any lessons there. I've just shown up with a whole lot of enthusiasm, a great fear of failure, and a desire to please the people who have somehow trusted me to do the work. I come from the minimum wage working world of the late '70s, early '80s, so stuff like this, to me, is gravy. It is so not standing on my feet, carrying something to the back of a truck. I know how to do all of that. Many of us do. So, for me, it's just a really fun thing. There's pressure certainly to perform – not the same pressure that I take out on stage every night, when there's a lot of people who are there to hear me or see me. The voiceover thing, in order to be good at it, you have to have a laugh at yourself. I mean, you're doing funny voices. We're larger than life here. So you have to throw your seriousness away and be able to laugh at yourself. You have to throw out your ego. The more I do it, the more I realize that you have to approach it that way – and then you get super involved in the moment. I think that's what the job requires. You have to think “Oh, no, here comes the meteor storm. We’ve got to go.” When I'm doing something like that, believe me, I'm really in that moment. When you can throw away your self-importance and have fun with it, that’s when you really deliver.”
QUESTION: What’s your motivation to perform in this odd world of entertainment?
HENRY ROLLINS: Like many of us in the entertainment world, I think we are making up for the lack of attention that we did not get as kids through the need for attention and approval from an audience. I tell audiences now that I'm only here for your attention and your approval. I need you way more than you'll ever need me. And you'll be done with me way sooner than I'll ever be done with you. It's a pity. And welcome to the show. (he laughs) And it's so true. QUESTION: Are you more comfortable performing in front of large groups or alone in a studio with you and the microphone? HENRY ROLLINS: I love being in front of tons of people, and I really enjoy being one-on-one with the microphone. I love both micromanaging the part, and having the ability now to give the director exactly what he or she wants, and then really being able to nail it. In the booth it’s fun because they’re directing you, and you’re trying to hit those notes. It’s like Andrea will say “Can you lighten it up just a little? Remember, you're kind of sad, because on page 11 you had that thing happen.” And then you can dial in with such extreme subtlety that she can hear it and go, “That's what I needed. Thank you very much, we’re moving on.” To be able to deliver that is really enjoyable.
QUESTION: Did you read comics as a kid?
HENRY ROLLINS: I was not a comic book-guy growing up. My stepbrother had them. I would look at them with not a great of interest. My first job was throwing newspapers for the long-defunct Washington Star. I’d throw 80,000 tons of newspaper a year for about $4.60. So I’ve got maybe $12 to my name, but I was a kid, I didn't know what to do with it. And so I went to the drugstore and I bought a couple of comics. I dragged them home, and I looked at them. Quite honestly, it didn't do much for me, and I've never gone back except for when someone sends me the odd modern comic. A few years ago, I did come across this character called “Too Much Coffee Man.” And he used to worry about the world. He had a coffee cup strapped to his head. I eventually made friends with Shannon Wheeler, who draws the comic. He illustrated a book for me – putting some illustrations at the beginning of each chapter. And Shannon used to kindly send me these collections of “Too Much Coffee Man.” But that's the only comic I would really pay attention to, because I like the idea. “Too Much Coffee Man” has a lot to say. He's a great apocalyptic philosopher for our very troubled times.
QUESTION: Comics don’t have an impact on you, but do you believe they have a social relevance for society?
HENRY ROLLINS: I think that it's important for young people who are maybe sensitive. Maybe they're not gonna be the quarterback and they're not gonna get the pretty cheerleader to go to the senior prom. But it's great for them to have an escape. Because some people who are often aren't the one who can throw the football the furthest, they have interesting minds. And I think that comics help someone with an imagination have fun and play around … I think anything that inspires young people to have imagination – it’s what gives you things like, oh, the Internet and renewable energy. And progress. So I think anything that is a seed to imagination, that enhances imagination, I think is safe. Growing up, I loved great literature. I lived for your Steinbecks and your Hemmingways as a kid, and I read them all again as an adult and got the better version of the story. My comic books were reading things like the The Grapes Of Wrath, and stuff like that that my mom turned me on to. So I understand anything that makes the imagination go as being a good thing.
QUESTION: Is there a super hero or villain role you truly covet?
HENRY ROLLINS: No. I'm happy for anything that would come my way. And I'll be so happy if someone said, “Here is three years work on this series and you get to be that guy.” It’s all been so much fun. There's nothing I'm wanting to do but more.
Green Lantern: Emerald Knights will be distributed by Warner Home Video on Blu-ray, DVD, and Instant Video June 7.
Paramount and 20th Century Fox announced today that James Cameron's Titanic will be re-released in 3D on April 6, 2012, to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the ship's sailing.
Like most of the world, I watched this back in 1997 in the theater (3rd row, it was pretty crowded even on a Monday night), and even in 2D I remember feeling like I was actually bobbing in the water with the passengers, out in the vast, pitch-black ocean. While Titanic has its many, many detractors, the conversion to 3D will be an intriguing one given that the only film that has made successful use of 3D since it hit the mainstream is Avatar, also directed by Cameron.
How will the epic scenes play out in 3D? The boarding of the ship, the submarine exploration, "I'm flying!" and of course, the entire last hour of the film. Would you watch it again in 3D? What other older films do you think might actually benefit from a 3D conversion? --Ellen
On June 7, fans can experience professional wrestler "Rowdy" Roddy Piper’s acting chops in his very first voiceover role for animation as the barbaric Bolphunga in Green Lantern: Emerald Knights.
Piper’s character – Bolphunga the Unrelenting – is the central antagonist in the episodic segment entitled “Mogo Doesn’t Socialize.” Based on the 1985 story created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, the story centers on Bolphunga’s search for Mogo, the largest Green Lantern, in hopes of engaging the famed warrior in a battle worthy of the villain. The role serves as a perfect vehicle to showcase Piper’s strength and wonderful sense of humor.
QUESTION: Green Lantern: Emerald Knights was your first-ever voiceover for animation. How was the experience?
RODDY PIPER: That was about as much fun as I could ever hope to have. You can really lose yourself in an animated role. There’s so much freedom, so much room for creativity. It’s a blast.
QUESTION: Professional wrestling gave you plenty of experience being both the villain and the hero. How does the public perceive you today?
RODDY PIPER: I guess a lot of folks have grown up with me and, in an awkward way, for people who really have seen the good sides of me, I’m like a father figure. It’s remarkable – every place I go, there’s somebody that has an inspiring tale to tell. At one of my shows, there was a policeman named Paul who had been awarded a Congressional citation for saving someone’s life. He came up and gave me his citation. He said that when he was a little boy, he had troubles – but he would watch me and that’s where he found inspiration and direction. So when he goes into a tough situation, he relates to (my actions), and he says it saved his life. The profession that I took upon is a lawless, tough piece of work, and so many of my friends are dead now. So in my one-man show, I tell the folks about people that they grew up with, people that they may have related to in different ways. My profession is very renegade. But as crazy as it seems, it’s as real as it gets.
QUESTION: What’s your approach to performing these one-man shows?
RODDY PIPER: I was with Burt Reynolds at his house in Jupiter (FL) and he said to me, “The one thing I try to convey as actors is that we don’t get enough ‘Atta Boys.’ So I try to make them leave with an ‘Atta Boy.’ And that really sticks with me. Encouragement is an essential.
QUESTION: You seem like a natural for animation. What’s your attraction to playing an animated character?
RODDY PIPER: I like the fact that I can go away and lose myself so I don’t have to live in the world of courage that everyone else does. I like creating, it’s what I do, and acting allows me to stretch all those different muscles in all kinds of ways. That’s pretty cool.
QUESTION: There are those that would claim wrestling is acting. What are the key differences in those two performances?
RODDY PIPER: Wrestling and acting couldn’t be anymore different in terms of what it takes to entertain. Wrestling is explosion, acting is implosion. One really screws up the other. That’s why Hogan sucks. If I came out on camera like I do in Madison Square Garden, it would look crazy. Clint Eastwood just shakes his head and raises his eye and it works. But when you’ve got 96,000 people at Wrestlemania, I need to get through to the back row. Fighting is not internal, but it can be very spiritual. Everything acting is internal. One of my problems in making the transition is pulling back, but I’m working on it.
Green Lantern: Emerald Knights will be distributed by Warner Home Video on Blu-ray, DVD, and Instant Video June 7.
We took votes, we debated those votes, we butted heads. But in the end, all that's left standing is the Amazon.com Movies & TV editors' picks for the Best of 2011... So Far on DVD, Blu-ray, and Instant Video. (Applies to titles released between Jan. 1 and Apr. 30, 2011). Here's a peek at some of our picks:
Tangled (No. 9 for DVD, No. 6 for Blu-ray): Not everyone expected to be delighted by this hilarious take on Rapunzel, but thanks to great comic timing (courtesy of a horse and an oft-used cast-iron pan) and perfectly cast Mandy Moore as the voice of the captured princess who yearns to know what's outside her sheltered world/tower, Tangled became an indelible part of the Disney lore.
Mad Men: Season Four (No. 3 for DVD, No. 5 for Blu-ray): If there's a year this show deserves the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series, it's this season. Jumping off from the previous season's game-changer, the AMC series has reinvigorated itself, and Jon Hamm does his finest acting yet as a man who sinks to his lowest of lows (yet) and makes baby steps toward respecting himself again. (Don't miss the standout episode of the season, "The Suitcase")
Inside Job (No. 8 for DVD): For anyone who knows nothing about economics or real estate, this a documentary that aims to spell out exactly how the financial crisis happened and who's to blame. For anyone who understands economics or real estate, it's like a horror film you can't believe is real.
Piranha 3D (No. 18 in Blu-ray): We're not all highbrow on this list (clearly). Alejandre Aja's remake of the Roger Corman B-movie made the list not just for its Blu-ray 3D effects (much to the chagrin of James Cameron, who decried that films like these are "not what we should be doing" with 3D) but because what it does--deliver cheesetastic gore to the max without pretending to be anything else--it does well.
and finally, our No. 1 pick on DVD and Blu-ray:
The Social Network: We over here think this film deserved Best Picture (Fincher, you wuz robbed!), but no one can argue is that its DVD and Blu-ray features are a Best in Class on how to use your medium. (Not that we considered The King's Speech small beans either; it also made the top 5 in DVD). But between the strength of the film itself; its commentaries by the cast, writer Aaron Sorkin, and director David Fincher; and its feature-length documentary (not to be missed, it's a must for all film buffs); this is the Best DVD or Blu-ray to come out in 2011... So far.
See the rest of our Top 25 on DVD and our Top 25 on Blu-ray, as well as the Top 10 on Instant Video. What are your picks? --Ellen
Most Fascinating Newbies: Jennifer Lawrence, Winter's Bone; Tom Hardy, Inception; Noomi Rapace, Girl With the Dragon Tattoo & sequels; Andrew Garfield (The Social Network, Never Let Me Go)
Most Starring Roles: Amanda Seyfried (Dear John, Letters to Juliet, Chloe); Matt Damon (Green Zone, Hereafter, True Grit);
Most Ubiquitous: Betty White, Jon Hamm
Father/Daughter of the Year (Totally Warped Division): Kick-Ass
Worst Line in a Movie: "Lawrence of my labia!" --Samantha (Kim Cattrall), Sex & the City 2
Worst Line in a Movie (runner-up): "Let's face it, I am hotter than you." -- Jacob (Taylor Lautner), The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Most Unwelcome Sight Gag: Poop, used in Death at a Funeral and Life as We Know It
Performance You Wanted to Pan, But Couldn't: Justin Timberlake in The Social Network
Least Believable Romantic Chemistry: Ashton Kutcher-Jennifer Garner, Valentine's Day; Kristen Stewart-Taylor Lautner, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Singers Whose Acting Debuts Did Not Suck: Taylor Swift (Valentine's Day); Christina Aguilera (Burlesque)
Most Disturbing: Natalie Portman's skin peel in Black Swan (well, there are a number of disturbing things but I pick this for heebie-jeebies); The nude CGI hallucination of Harry and Hermione making out in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I; Jackson Rathbone playing the comic relief Sokka as a moody, lovelorn mess of blandness in The Last Airbender (don't get me started on the fact that Sokka is an Asian character played by a white actor)
Biggest Assault on the Senses: Alice in Wonderland
Biggest Career Makeover: Adrien Brody, now an action/horror star (Predators, Splice)
Most Buzzed-About Scene: Joseph Gordon-Levitt's gravity-defying hallway battle in Inception
Biggest Comeback: Gerard Butler, whose best acting turns out to be voicing a Viking father in How to Train Your Dragon
Worst Movie Titles: Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, How Do You Know, Just Wright, Get Him to the Greek, Furry Vengeance
Hmm, Wonder What This Movie's About...: Hot Tub Time Machine, The Human Centipede
If You Did Not Cry, You Are Made of Stone: The end of Toy Story 3
Reason #85 Why Saturday Night Live Should Stop Turning Skits Into Full-Length Features: MacGruber
Stars Who Really Need to Try a Gritty Indie Film (or Fire Their Agent): Kristen Bell (You Again, When in Rome, Burlesque); Katherine Heigl (Killers, Life as We Know It); Jennifer Aniston (The Bounty Hunter, The Switch)
Most Squeamish Scene to Watch: James Franco's arm amputation in 127 Hours
Most Squeamish Scene to Watch That Did Not Involve Amputation: Janet Jackson and Malik Yoba's screamfest in Why Did I Get Married Too?
Wigs of the Year: Chloe Grace Moretz, Kick-Ass; Johnny Depp, Alice in Wonderland; Angelina Jolie, Salt
Cornering the Market On Sad-Sack Father Figures: Richard Jenkins (Dear John, Eat Pray Love, Let Me In)
Evidence Werewolves are Not the New Vampires: Benicio Del Toro, The Wolfman
Movie That Never Ended: Grown Ups
Movie You Thought Would Suck, But Didn't: The Karate Kid
Biggest Sequel Disappointment: Sex & the City 2
Best Arguments: The opening of The Social Network, the "tuna vs. lion" argument in The Other Guys
Most Polarizing Career Decisions Made in One Household: Davis Guggenheim directs the Oscar-worthy documentary Waiting for "Superman"; his wife, Elisabeth Shue, stars in Piranha
What would you add? --Ellen
