THE OBENSON REPORT

Covering Cinema From All Across The African Diaspora
Showing posts with label lists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lists. Show all posts

PRINT - Entertainment Weekly Lists Top 25 Active Directors

Posted on 4:25 PM comments (7)
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This one's a bit of a head-scratcher. Certainly several of the names on the below list unquestionably belong; but others are mind-boggling, especially when you consider who they left out!

Granted, this is coming from Entertainment Weekly, not Cahiers du Cinema, so it's probably unnecessary to get oneself too worked up over their choices.

Here they are (ranked in order of "Greatness"):

1. Steven Spielberg
2. Peter Jackson
3. Martin Scorsese
4. Christopher Nolan
5. Steven Soderbergh
6. Ridley Scott
7. Quentin Tarantino
8. Michael Mann
9. James Cameron
10. Joel and Ethan Coen
11. Guillermo del Toro
12. David Fincher
13. Tim Burton
14. Judd Apatow
15. Sam Raimi
16. Zack Snyder
17. Darren Aronofsky
18. Danny Boyle
19. Clint Eastwood
20. Ron Howard
21. Ang Lee
22. Paul Thomas Anderson
23. Paul Greengrass
24. Pedro Almodóvar
25. Jon Favreau

My immediate reactions? Predominantly American, unfortunately... after all, the article doesn't say that it's a list of the 25 greatest active American directors. Did the folks at EW who put this thing together do much research, or did they just pluck the most obvious names - especially those who have made studio films in recent years?

Also, not a single woman on this list. It's still very much a man's world. I'd argue in favor of a Claire Denis over Jon Favreau, for example. There's Catherine Breillat, Mira Nair, even Sofia Coppola. Granted her last film was 2006's Marie Antoinette, but here's a woman with a vision, and 3 films with much critical acclaim accompanying them.

And of course, very few minorities, save for the likes of Ang Lee and Guillermo del Toro.

I'd take Spike Lee over Darren Aronofsky and... Zack Snyder??? What has he done to warrant a ranking? 300? Dawn of The Dead? Both decent efforts, but compared to Spike's 24-year-old oeuvre? He's certainly had his share of misses, but, Spike's overall body of work impresses.

To rank Almodovar 24th, beneath a select group of directors still in career diapers, still discovering their individual voices, is blasphemous! I like Aronofsky, but his resume includes 2 films that play more like graduate thesis films in Pi and Requiem For A Dream, a third film, while ambitious, was a failure (IMHO) in The Fountain, and his last effort, the supposed comeback for Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler) - I think his most mature film to date. The kid's got potential, but, he doesn't belong on this list... not yet.

Jon Favreau? Judd Apatow?

Christopher Nolan impressed us with Memento and the last 2 Batman movies, but he doesn't belong in the top 10. Where are David Cronenberg, Park Chan-wook, David Lynch, Woody Allen, Oliver Stone, Wong Kar-Wai, Roman Polanski, Mike Leigh, Alfonso Cuaron...? They all fit the criteria, and are all "active."

Brad Bird? I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting at the moment.

Anyway... as I said, it is Entertainment Weekly, otherwise known as EW, as in ewwwww :o)

Your thoughts?


via EW

The 10 Best Unproduced Scripts In Hollywood (The Black List)

Posted on 11:29 AM No Comments
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It's supposedly "the hottest read in town" - an annual ranking that propelled films like Juno into theatres, and their creators to fame.

The list is compiled with the input of over 250 film executives, each of whom contributed the names of up to ten of their favorite scripts that were written in 2008, but, for whatever reason, have not, and will not be produced and released during this calendar year.

This year, scripts had to receive at least four mentions to be included on THE BLACK LIST. Entertainment Weekly published the list of scripts, what they're about, and who's attached to or interested in each.

Here are the top 10, ranked in order of most to least votes (of note, #3 on the list):

1. The Beaver by Kyle Killen
It’s About: Walter Black, a depressed toy manufacturer, loses his family and his business. But then Walter tries on a hand puppet—a chatty British rodent called "The Beaver"—and his personality is transformed. It’s all good at first, but things turn ugly when the puppet won’t let go. It’s Like: Liar Liar fused with the horror movie Magic. Status: Steve Carell is attached to play Walter.

2. The Oranges by Jay Reiss and Ian Helfer
It’s About: Two New Jersey families are thrown into comic turmoil when the prodigal daughter returns for Christmas and falls in love with her parents’ best friend. It’s Like: The Graduate engaged to Meet the Parents. Status: Anthony Bregman (Thumbsucker) and MRC will produce. Julian Farino (Entourage) is negotiating to direct.

3. Butter by Jason Micallef
It’s About: Destiny, a black foster child, faces off against Iowa’s reigning dairy diva, the beautiful but venal Laura Pickler, in an epic butter-carving competition for the ages. It’s Like: Election swirled with Best in Show. Status: Jennifer Garner is in talks to play Laura, while DreamWorks is in early negotiations for the project.

4. Big Hole by Michael Gilio
It’s About: Lee, an old, grumpy ex-cowboy, loses $30,000 to a fraudulent sweepstakes company and sets out to punish those responsible. Lee’s son, the local sheriff, is charged with stopping him. It’s Like: Falling Down splattered with No Country for Old Men. Status: Project is set up with Aversano Films (Failure to Launch).

5. The Low Dweller by Brad Ingelsby
It’s About: Charlie "Slim" Hendrick, a don’t-eff-with-me ex-con, returns home to find that his sweetie has moved on and his bitter brother has gambling debts. When a disfigured, dog-loving thug beats his sibling to death, Slim seeks vengeance. It’s Like: Unforgiven, only less geriatric. And much less forgiving. Status: Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way and Tony and Ridley Scott will co-produce.

6. F***buddies by Liz Meriwether
It’s About: Emma and Adam have the best relationship ever! They’re twentysomething pals who, you know, do it. A lot. But then Adam goes and falls in love with Emma and ruins everything. Can their perfect non-union survive? It’s Like: When Harry Met Sally… for the Juno generation. Status: Ivan Reitman’s company is developing it.

7. Winter’s Discontent by Paul Fruchbom
It’s About: After the death of his wife of more than 50 years, irrepressible horndog Herb Winter sets out, at age 75, to find sexual fulfillment with another woman. Or, if possible, several. It’s Like: Superbad set in a retirement community. Status: The film is set up at Sony. No director or star is attached.

8. Broken City by Brian Tucker
It’s About: The New York mayor asks private eye Billy Taggart to find out if the mayor’s wife is cheating on him. She is, with the campaign director of the mayor’s political rival, no less, who soon turns up dead. Did Billy’s investigation lead to murder? It’s Like: A modern L.A. Confidential peppered with Glengarry Glen Ross patois. Status: Being developed by the producing team behind Juno.

9. I’m With Cancer by Will Reiser
It’s About: Adam, a 25-year-old single Jewish dude, is diagnosed with spinal cancer. Hilarity ensues. Seriously. It’s Like: The 40 Year-Old Virgin with chemo. Status: Seth Rogen will produce and has signed on to play Adam’s best bud.

10. Our Brand Is Crisis by Peter Straughan
It’s About: A team of American political operatives moves to Bolivia to take on a flailing presidential campaign. Loosely based on the 2006 documentary of the same name. It’s Like: Primary Colors picked The Motorcycle Diaries as a running mate. Status: George Clooney’s company will produce it.

Frankly, none of these really excites me! However, what we have here are simply synopses. The finished products in the hands of the right filmmakers and casts could be worthwhile. Judd Apatow's influence is palpable.

via DHD/EW

LIST

100 Most Powerful Celebrities!

Posted on 9:28 PM comments (2)
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Hot off the presses, Forbes Magazine's list of the 100 most powerful celebrities. Not many surprises here, especially within the top 20 below. Other notable members of the club: Tyler Perry, ranked number 42, who reportedly banked $125 million in the last year alone... and 50 Cent, ranked number 26 with a whopping $150 million total payday. It's mind boggling the ridiculous amounts of money being made by the people on this list. I can't even fathom what it must be like to be sitting on an annual gross income of $275 million in Oprah's case. Even Will Smith's paltry $80 million (compared to Oprah anyway) is sublime!

The top 20 follow below. You can see the entire list of 100 people HERE and all the wonderful reasons why they are ranked.

1 Oprah Winfrey, 2 Tiger Woods, 3 Angelina Jolie, 4 Beyonce Knowles, 5 David Beckham, 6 Johnny Depp, 7 Jay-Z, 8 The Police, 9 J.K. Rowling, 10 Brad Pitt, 11 Will Smith, 12 Justin Timberlake, 13 Steven Spielberg, 14 Cameron Diaz, 15 David Letterman, 16 LeBron James, 17 Jennifer Aniston, 18 Michael Jordan, 19 Kobe Bryant, 20 Phil Mickelson.

"10 Sistas To Look Out For This Summer 2008"

Posted on 11:55 AM comments (4)
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In light of all the recent media attention on the unappreciated, under-represented female audience, initialized by the success of the Sex and the City movie - with the assistance of BlackFilm.com, 10 Sistas To Look Out For This Summer 2008 - a rather pathetic list of African American women with roles in summer studio movies (Plus my $.02 in parentheses, wherever I had anything noteworthy to say).

 1. Jennifer Hudson - plays an assistant to Sarah Jessica Parker's Carrie in 'Sex and the City: The Movie' (I heard her role was unapologetically stereotypical, and her performance just didn't work. A friend actually told me that J-Hud's scenes are cringe-worthy, not necessarily because of her performance, but because of the portrayal.)

2. Gabrielle Union - She joins Eddie Murphy in 'Meet Dave', out in July, about a crew of miniature, human-looking aliens who are seeking a way to save their doomed world. Murphy will play the human spacecraft they travel in as well as the ship's captain. (I'm getting a Pluto Nash/Osmosis Jones vibe from this. I think I'll have to pass altogether)

3. Naomie Harris - stars alongside Josh Hartnett in 'August,' in theatres July 11, a story of two brothers and their Internet start-up, two weeks before 9/11. (I like Naomie. Not sure what her role in this film is, but I'll be paying attention as the film's release date nears)

4. Paula Patton - stars with Kevin Costner in 'Swing Vote' August 1 and Kiefer Sutherland in 'Mirrors' August 15. (I believe she plays the love interest to both men in each film. She's got a Halle Berry thing going on in terms of looks as well as roles. She joins the club of other "passable" black women routinely playing opposite white men)

5. Mariah Carey - plays herself in 'You Don't Mess With The Zohan' out this weekend. (Yawn...)

6. Sanaa Hamri - The director of 'Something New' directs 'Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2,' out August 8. (Good for her, but just not a movie of interest to me).

7. 8. 9. Keke Palmer, Tasha Smith, Jill Marie Jones - the trio star alongside Ice Cube in 'The Longshots,' out July 25. (I posted the trailer and shared my thoughts on it as well HERE)

10. And lastly, Meagan Good - stars in Mike Meyers' 'The Love Guru' out June 20. (I believe she plays the wife of a professional athlete. Not much of a stretch, huh? Even though Deepak Chopra, whom I respect deeply, gave the film a thumbs up, I'll have to pass on it!)

For the entire list without my witty and insightful repartee, go to Blackfilm.com. Note - these are exclusively studio movies. Obviously, not much here for anyone to really get excited about! I'll say it again, Girlfriends: The Movie. Make it happen! I'm beating the drums... :o)
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