CHRISTMAS SPECIAL! - The 12 Days of Pop Culture

For my final post of 2012, I thought I would do something special for Christmas (as it is in two days!).  I wanted to go through some of the things our wonderful Pop Culture has given us that are influences in my life.  Some of them are franchises, some of them are TV shows and some of them are just good plain fun!  So without further adieu, here is my special:

THE 12 DAYS OF POP CULTURE!

ON THE 12TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, POP CULTURE GAVE TO ME...

12 Star Trek Movies

There is a theory that certain Star Trek films (Wrath of Khan, Undiscovered Country, First Contact) are better than others (The Motion Picture, Generations, Insurrection).  And though I don't really disagree, overall I would say this franchise has certainly made me quite happy (flaws and all!).  And with the 12th Trek film (Star Trek Into Darkness) coming out in Summer 2013, I will certainly be one of the "Trekkies" standing in line on opening day!

ON THE 11TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, POP CULTURE GAVE TO ME...

11 Disney Princesses

Growing up with Disney as a major influence in my life, I certainly cannot ignore the numerous Princesses they have in their film line-up.  It was in the early 2000s though that someone in the Disney Marketing Department decided to turn these singing ladies into a diabolical money-making franchise.  They started with six initially (Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel, Belle and Jasmine).  They soon added Pocahontas and Mulan to the mix (despite the former only "technically" a Princess and the latter not being one at all!!!).  With the recent releases of The Princess and the Frog and Tangled, in came Tiana and Rapunzel.  And now with the Disney/Pixar flick Brave, lead character Merida will be added to the group come the new year.  (For those who agree with me and don't like counting Mulan, you can throw Enchanted's Gisele in her place despite that being mostly a live-action Disney film!)

ON THE 10TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, POP CULTURE GAVE TO ME...

10 Seth MacFarlanes

It seems like Seth MacFarlane is everywhere now!  He had a hit movie over the summer (Ted) and will be hosting the 2013 Academy Awards (censors be on guard!!!).  And, of course, we cannot forget his immensely popular TV empire: his FOX Animated sitcoms Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show.  Within this empire, MacFarlane himself voices 10 regular characters on all three shows together.  On Family Guy, he voices Griffin family members Peter, Brian and Stewie along with neighbor Glenn Quagmire, Carter Pewterschmidt (Peter's father-in-law), newsman Tom Tucker and Quahog's resident physician Dr. Hartman.  On American Dad!, he voices lead characters Stan Smith and alien Roger; while over on spin-off Cleveland Show, he voices neighbor Tim the Bear (if you've never seen the show, don't ask!).  That's a lot of personalities for one man to have inside him (and yes, I know what I just said!).

ON THE 9TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, POP CULTURE GAVE TO ME...

9 Christmas Specials

In my childhood, Christmas was a time to watch some great Holiday TV.  And there were 9 Animated ones that were musts in my family.  There was A Garfield Christmas and A Claymation Christmas Special that were new during my childhood.  There were always the Rankin/Bass specials, of which 3 were the best: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus Is Coming to Town and Frosty the Snowman.  There were two very important Animated versions of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol: Mr. Magoo's and Mickey Mouse's. But the two that were the most important were Dr. Seuss' classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas (not the Jim Carrey one!) and the beloved A Charlie Brown Christmas.

ON THE 8TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, POP CULTURE GAVE TO ME...

8 Harry Potters

He's protected a stone, escaped a secret chamber, hidden a prisoner, "gobletted" his way through a tournament, joined an order, studied a half-blood prince and even faced death itself.  No matter how you cut it, we're just wild about Harry Potter!  Though J.K. Rowling only wrote 7 books, the people at Warner Brothers decided to split the final book into two installments.  Therefore, they gave audiences 8 chances to put the boy wizard with the lightning scar and his friends in film franchise history as the biggest money-making movie series of all time.  However, this has now spawned a bunch of copycats in that they want to split a book (or a series' final book) into two or three films (see Twilight, The Hunger Games and The Hobbit!).

ON THE 7TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, POP CULTURE GAVE TO ME...

7 Star Wars Movies

Growing up, George Lucas' first three Star Wars films (Episodes IV through VI, if you're counting!) were like a religion in my household (thanks to my brother!).  And while the prequels have gone down as paling in comparison to the glory that is the original trilogy, I was still there on opening day of all three of those bastards!  And even though the Animated Clone Wars film made me want to throw an Ewok off the Endor moon, I'm still excited by the possibility of yet another Star Wars movie now that Disney has picked up the franchise and future development rights.

ON THE 6TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, POP CULTURE GAVE TO ME...

6 Different Bonds

I already spoke this year about my appreciation for the James Bond films.  And on that list, there was at least one film of each of the six actors who have taken on the role of the superspy (especially in George Lazenby's case!).

ON THE 5TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, POP CULTURE GAVE TO ME...

5 Muppet Show Seasons!

This one is fairly self-explanatory (and if it isn't, you can all brush up on your Googling!).

ON THE 4TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, POP CULTURE GAVE TO ME...

4 Jack Sparrows

Who knew Disney could manage to make a lot of money and some pretty exciting films (though the fourth one is kind of a tedious vehicle!) based on a singular Disney ride?  The popular attraction has now resurrected Johnny Depp as a bankable movie star and produced some very interesting characters (from Orlando Bloom's Errol Flynn-like Will Turner to Keira Knightley's lovely Elizabeth Swann or Geoffrey Rush's opportunistic Barbosa to Ian McShane's wicked Blackbeard!).

ON THE 3RD DAY OF CHRISTMAS, POP CULTURE GAVE TO ME...

3 Frodo Films

With the first of Peter Jackson's three Hobbit prequels out this month, I was greatly reminded of Jackson's brilliant trilogy which basically began the 21st Century.  All three films got nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award in their respective years and the final installment triumphed in winning all 11 of the categories for which it was nominated (including Best Picture!).

ON THE 2ND DAY OF CHRISTMAS, POP CULTURE GAVE TO ME...

2 Brothers Grimm

This one has a double meaning!  It is true that there were two Grimm Brothers (Jacob and Wilhelm) who helped to popularize the classic folk and fairy tales for Western Culture.  And it has been said that the two brothers were completely different in personality.  It is believed that elder brother Jacob, the philosopher, had an affinity for the darker side of the tales; while younger brother Wilhelm had a yen for the romantic side of them (as Romanticism was becoming quite popular throughout Europe at the time!).  And now it seems that things have come full circle as two extremely popular and extremely different drama series air on TV.  On NBC, Grimm modernizes the tales and fits them more into a dark and gritty crime procedural that Jacob might have enjoyed.  Meanwhile over on ABC, Once Upon a Time's modernization is mixed with the romanticism (and serial soap opera-style) of the fairy tale world that would have appealed to young Wilhelm.

AND..

ON THE 1ST DAY OF CHRISTMAS, POP CULTURE GAVE TO ME...

A Road Made of Yellow Brick!

And what Holiday season would be complete without a trip over the rainbow?  During my childhood, L. Frank Baum's glorious and magical land of Oz was quite a favorite of mine.  It was brilliantly showcased on the big screen in 1939's classic movie musical (a gem for all to see!) and has been adapted in several ways from books (novels and comic books!) to the stage (see Wicked!).  Sometimes I feel all I need is a walk down a Yellow Brick Road to make me feel in good spirits.  Perfect for any season (Holiday or no Holiday!).

HAPPY CHRISTMAKWANZUKUH!

AND SEE YOU ALL NEXT YEAR!

10 FAVORITES (66): Bond James Bond

In one week, the 23rd film in the James Bond movie franchise will be released.  Directed by Academy Award-winning director Sam Mendes and starring Daniel Craig (in his third outing as 007!), Skyfall has been long-awaited after financial difficulties with MGM Studios and script concerns (with Peter Morgan leaving to be replaced by John Logan).  The anticipation for this film has been stirring for a while (especially since Craig's appearance alongside Queen Elizabeth II in the 2012 London Summer Olympics Opening Ceremonies!), it now seems that everyone has Bond-fever.  Both Craig and Logan have already signed on for two more Bond movies following Skyfall and most box-office prognosticators predict that the film shall be one of the biggest openings of November (second probably to the final installment of The Twilight Saga).  But being as this is the 23rd cinematic Bond outing, I thought that maybe this week I would discuss some of the superspy's previous adventures and which ones were his absolute best.  So this week's 10 FAVORITES is dedicated to:

THE 10 BEST BOND FILMS

BOND FILM #10
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
James Bond played by: George Lazenby
Theme Song sung by: Louis Armstrong
I know you might want to laugh at this moment and you may even want to click to another site, but hear me out first!  George Lazenby had a very tough act to follow when Sean Connery decided to forgo playing 007 in the sixth Bond film.  Is Lazenby great? No, but he's not horrible and who could compare to Connery at that point? No one else had played the role (in any serious way).  Lazenby is helped by a very good supporting cast (which includes Diana Rigg and Telly Savallas) and a well fleshed out script (from one of Ian Fleming's short stories about Bond!).  Lazenby ends up getting a bad rap mainly because of the shoes he had to fill that he just (as simply a former model and not a seasoned actor) could not fill.

BOND FILM #9
Thunderball (1965)
James Bond played by: Sean Connery
Theme Song sung by: Tom Jones
This was Connery's fourth film as 007 and after the first three (which we'll get to!), you could see the strains of the franchise beginning.  But this slightly convoluted spy film (I mean what spy film isn't convoluted?!?) is still entirely enjoyable.  Plus the Tom Jones theme song sets you up for adventure...of the underwater kind!

BOND FILM #8
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
James Bond played by: Roger Moore
Theme Song sung by: Carly Simon
This was Roger Moore's third time in Bond's shoes and I almost added The Man With the Golden Gun (Moore's second Bond film) to this list.  But its this film's story that I have always found fascinating.  Even though there was an actual Ian Fleming novel with this title, the story of the film is in no way related to the narrative of that book.  Here, they have an evil recluse (played brilliantly by Curt Jurgens) trying to destroy the world and create a new one underwater (called Atlantis!) that revolves all around him.  It features another great Bond girl (Barbara Bach as the Russian Anya Amasova who allies with Bond) and an infamous villain sidekick (who can forget Richard Kiel's metal-mouthed Jaws?!?).

BOND FILM #7
Dr. No (1962)
James Bond played by: Sean Connery
Theme Song played by: The John Barry Orchestra
This was the first, the original, the "shot heard round the world" (so to speak!).  It perfectly set up the character as we know him (who doesn't remember the first time Sean Connery spoke the name "Bond James Bond?") and it has one of the most famous Bond girls of all-time (Ursula Andress grrr!!!).  This one's placement on this list is a no-brainer.

BOND FILM #6
Licence to Kill (1989)
James Bond played by: Timothy Dalton
Theme Song sung by: Gladys Knight
I may take a lot of flack for this one, but I really enjoyed this film (a lot more than Timothy Dalton's earlier Bond film The Living Daylights, yuck!).  And I think what I liked about it was the pacing and the mood.  It felt like a series finale.  And for a few years after this film came out, it felt like they were never going to do another Bond film again.  That might have to do with the fact that the year this film came out, it was up against other franchise fair like Back to the Future II, Lethal Weapon 2, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Batman and The Little Mermaid.  With those films making most of the box office money in 1989, its no wonder MGM considered this to be the last Bond film...for the time being (but we'll get to that in a bit!).

BOND FILM #5
Live and Let Die (1973)
James Bond played by: Roger Moore
Theme Song sung by: Paul McCartney
This was the first time Roger Moore stepped into the Bond role and it was very different from previous ones.  Here Agent 007 was up against the trappings of Caribbean voodoo and the mystery found in those American islands.  Moore proved himself quite up to the task of taking over for Connery and he had some great support.  Yaphet Kotto was well cast as the imposing villain Dr. Kananga and Jane Seymour (in her first major film role) is both sensual and mysterious as the psychic Solitaire.  And the thrilling theme song by Paul McCartney just empowers you!

BOND FILM #4
Casino Royale (2006)
James Bond played by: Daniel Craig
Theme Song sung by: Chris Cornell
There was a lot riding on this film.  It was based on one of Fleming's most famous 007 books which had never really had a serious film adaptation (a 1954 television episode and the satirical 1967 film do not count!).  It was also introducing a new actor as Bond, an actor that many people had never really heard of before.  But in the hands of director Martin Campbell (who had directed Goldeneye) and screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade (who have been with the franchise since The World Is Not Enough and have worked on the script for Skyfall alongside John Logan), this adaptation fully satisfies Bond fans who have been waiting for this title to be seriously adapted.  It was a good choice for Purvis and Wade to ally themselves on this film with Academy Award-winning screenwriter Paul Haggis (of Million Dollar Baby and Crash fame).

BOND FILM #3
From Russia With Love (1963)
James Bond played by: Sean Connery
Theme Song sung by: Matt Monro
When dealing with a superspy character that was created during the Cold War, at some point the films are going to have to deal with Soviet antagonists.  So the producers ventured the subject matter in the second Bond film and did so quite brilliantly.  It is highly considered one of the best Bond films of all time and it has one of the best screenplays with really well-developed characters.  Connery was becoming more comfortable in Bond's skin and it clearly shows.  Plus the villains are so well cast.  Robert Shaw gives a breakout performance as an assassin after Bond.  And then there's Lotte Lenya, who practically steals the movie as the truly ruthless Rosa Klebb.

BOND FILM #2
Goldeneye (1995)
James Bond played by: Pierce Brosnan
Theme Song sung by: Tina Turner
As I said before, in the early 1990s the studio considered not doing anymore Bond films.  But with growing interest and the casting decision of Pierce "Remington Steele" Brosnan, this became one of the most profitable and most enjoyable of 007 films.  Again, Bond is up against Soviet holdouts from the Cold War and has to stop a dangerous nuclear device from destroying the world.  But the addition of (SPOILER ALERT!) the traitorous Alec Trevelyan (known at MI-6 as 006!) played perfectly by Sean Bean was just the kick this Bond needed to make him fascinating.  It also didn't hurt that Famke Janssen played one of the more shall we say "interesting Bond girls," Xenia Onatopp (the deadliest legs in the Bond universe literally!).

AND...
BOND FILM #1
Goldfinger (1964)
James Bond played by: Sean Connery
Theme Song sung by: Shirley Bassey
What can I say?  Everything about this Bond film is perfect.  It has the best Bond actor (Sean Connery IS AND ALWAYS WILL BE 007!).  It has the best Bond girl (Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore...'nuff said!).  It has the greatest Bond villain (Gert Frobe is amazing as Goldfinger despite the German actor's voice needing to be dubbed by British actor Michael Collins).  It has the best villain sidekick (Oddjob and his deadly hat!).  And it has the greatest Bond theme song (belted by the amazingly talented Shirley Bassey!).  It is a brilliant piece of Bond cinema and is extremely hard to top!

Will Skyfall join this list?  Will Adele's already amazing theme song join the annals of great Bond themes alongside the likes of Shirley Bassey, Tina Turner, Paul McCartney and Tom Jones?  We will have to wait until next week to find out.

10 FAVORITES (58): Would You Like a Franchise With Your Movie?

Last week, I talked about how this Summer (just like some of the more recent Summers) is a season of "Franchise Films" being released in movie theaters.  And for some of my friends, it seemed like I was rather cynical about the quality of these types of films.  While I do question the studios insistence on rolling out sequel after sequel to films that clearly don't need them, there are several Movie "franchises" I quite enjoy.  Now, I put the word "franchise" in quotation marks because like a lot of the actors (and even some of the writers and directors!) involved in these films, the word does not do proper justice to some of these movies.  A "franchise film," for me, has more to do with the marketing surrounding a movie.  That includes all the toys, books, lunchboxes, sheets, backpacks, toaster ovens, weed-whackers and what-have-you that have that marketable title branded on their product box.  So because of all the paraphernalia that goes with most of these movies, they unfortunately get categorized as "franchise films," even if the term is rather condescending (I mean, the Oscars don't typically love these types of films!).  But there are certain "film franchises" that, no matter what, manage to turn my head in their direction (so to speak!).  This week's 10 FAVORITES is all about "film franchises" and how these particular ones have kept my attention (as well as the attention of many a movie-goer!) throughout the years.

THE 10 BEST

"FILM FRANCHISES"

OF ALL-TIME

"FRANCHISE" #10

Superman

In many online polls, The Man of Steel manages to top the list of America's Favorite Comic Book Hero (or at least eke into every top 3!).  And there are good reasons.  His story is the ultimate standard when it comes to origins, secret identity, complex villains, traditional values, etc.  The 1978 Richard Donner-directed film was quite well-done with its casting and its flow.  It was followed by a pretty good sequel ("Kneel before Zod!!!").  However, the franchise tended to drop off the radar with some poorly produced sequels (Superman IV was quite laughable!).  They did try a reboot and, despite some good buzz, Superman Returns was ultimately a misfire (I mean, The CW's Smallville was more liked by fans!).  Let's hope the next reboot will be slightly better.

"FRANCHISE" #9

Pirates of the Caribbean

Who knew that a Disney ride would yield such a delightful set of films?  The answer is: Those marketing geniuses at the House of the Mouse.  When it comes to marketing, no studio can hold a candle to Disney.  Colleges offer business courses on Disney's marketing model.  It's that powerful.  And with this "franchise," Disney has spared no expense.  And let's face it, without Johnny Depp, these films would not be as popular. His Oscar-nominated (!) characterization of Captain Jack Sparrow has become the stuff of legend.  While a fifth film as been announced (they really should have left it a trio!), the four they have done have made enough money to keep audiences happy for quite some time.

"FRANCHISE" #8

Spider-Man

For me, Spider-Man's origin story has always been more engaging than that of Superman's.  Maybe it's because I identified more with Peter Parker and I am quite moved by the Marvel mantra that is "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility."  The first Spider-Man film was fascinating and extremely enjoyable.  Like Superman, it was followed by a very good sequel (in fact, my brother likes Spider-Man 2 more than Spider-Man!).  The third one was a little much for my taste (Tobey Maguire's "version" of "Bad-Spidey" was just a big "Stop it!").  I am looking forward to the reboot coming this July, even if the trailers aren't enticing me in the way they should (most trailers these days suck anyway!).

"FRANCHISE" #7

The Muppets

You thought these delightful characters would be higher, didn't you?  Yes, I have made no secret about my love for the genius that was Jim Henson and the everlasting joy his creations will bring me.  The only reason that Kermit and friends don't make it into the Top 5 of this list is that I first fell in love with these guys through Television and their seminal variety series The Muppet Show.  All that said, The Muppet Movie and the two films that followed it will forever be on my "Rainy Day" watch-list.  They even charmed me with their post-Henson films (Christmas Carol, Treasure Island, etc.).  And their Oscar-winning comeback film from last year was touching and entertaining at the same time.  Good times...such Good times!

"FRANCHISE" #6

The Lord of the Rings

Talk about a series that has influenced all forms of media.  J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth has had an influence on Music (Led Zeppelin), Books (J.K. Rowling has cited Tolkien as a major influence), Stage (there was a moderately successful musical version of Tolkien's books), Television (where would Game of Thrones be without Tolkien?) and of course Film.  Peter Jackson's hugely successful trilogy is unlike any other and will always be revered by many.  While he is busy working on Tolkien's prequel The Hobbit (slated for release this Christmas!), we can marvel at the cinematic wonder that is The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

"FRANCHISE" #5

Star Trek

Like The Muppets, I got to know my pals from the United Federation of Planets through the landmark TV series (more from The Next Generation than the Original, but Rodenberry's influence was clear!).  But the films were ever-present in my childhood, especially the far superior Wrath of Khan and The Undiscovered Country (II and VI, respectively).  Though most of the odd-numbered Trek films have manage to tick off a lot of diehard fans, some of them are more enjoyable than one would think.  And J.J. Abrams 2009 reboot was just the charge the "franchise" needed to rekindle interest.

"FRANCHISE" #4

James Bond

Whether he looks like Sean Connery or Daniel Craig, Agent 007 is always smooth and cool.  After 23 films (with 24 AND 25 on the way!), Ian Fleming's James Bond has become the ultimate super-spy and everyone's favorite hero. If I had to pick a favorite Bond film, it would be a contest between the earliest ones (Dr. No, From Russia With Love and Goldfinger).  However, the two recent ones (starring the brilliantly reserved Daniel Craig) have been must-watches (especially Quantum of Solace!).  I have a feeling that we'll always have Bond to watch, either "shaken or stirred!"

"FRANCHISE" #3

Harry Potter

For a series that (compared to all the other "franchises" here) is pretty much the youngest of the group, this boy wizard and company have fared pretty high on this list.  J.K. Rowling's exciting and mega-successful (and I can't stress the "mega" enough!) novel series has enraptured a whole generation of young readers.  When Warner Brothers and British producer David Heyman embarked on making the film versions of her 7-book series, little did they know that it would become the most successful film series in the world.  In the United States alone, all 8 films (the 7th book having been split into 2 parts!) have grossed almost $3 million (Worldwide, the figure is about 3 or 4 times that!).  The series has made superstars of its 3 young leads (In his Broadway ventures, Daniel Radcliffe has managed to recoup investments within 3 months!).  And J.K. Rowling herself will never have to be on welfare ever again!  That's pretty good for character conceived on a delayed train.

"FRANCHISE" #2

Batman

When it comes to superheroes, it is The Caped Crusader who figures into my childhood quite prominently (For those who might disagree, blame my brother!).  Director Tim Burton had me spellbound with his take on the character.  Both Batman and Batman Returns were essential viewing into my young adulthood.  Though the "franchise" was almost destroyed by the work of director Joel Schumacher (Batman had a Bat-credit card, that's all I'll say!), it was resurrected to great glory by the brilliance of writer-director Christopher Nolan.  Nolan had an even darker and more psychological take on the character and his origin story.  Christian Bale has given new dimensions to Bruce Wayne and his alter-ego that have not been explored before.  And need I mention the ingenious Oscar-winning work of the late Heath Ledger as Batman's arch-nemesis, The Joker. I wait with baited breath the final installment of Nolan's Batman trilogy (with the always charming Anne Hathaway taking risks as the sensual Catwoman) and forever cementing Batman's place in my life.  (NOTE: I know I have utilized The Dark Knight Rises trailer a couple of times on this blog already, but I just love this trailer!!!)

AND...

"FRANCHISE" #1

Star Wars

For those who really know me, this cannot be a surprise.  In a sense, it is the "Mother of all Franchises" as it was one of the first major blockbusters and has amassed more money in merchandise than Batman, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings put together.  It is also a "franchise" that is completely original in that the entire universe that the series lives in was created in the mind of master filmmaker George Lucas (compare that to most of the other "franchises" on this list which are based on books, comic books or even rides!).  And even though I make fun of them a lot (and there are a lot of problems with them!), the prequels made in the early 2000s are somewhat enjoyable.  But they cannot hold a candle to the original series.  Both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi are brilliant pieces of American cinema, and the 1977 original is perfection when it comes to Fantasy storytelling.  When it comes to unique qualities, there is nothing like Lucas' world and the complex characters which inhabit it.