The Year In Funny

year in review parts 1-7 tear-jerkers, music videos, worst films, gay characters and more...   Four LionsMichael C. from Serious Film here for a few good laughs.Any future film historians examining the tail end of 2010 will likely mark this year as dark days for screen comedy. Comedy icons Woody Allen and James L Brooks rolled twin gutter balls, while mainstream audiences lined up around the

Crybaby Countdown: The Tearjerk-iest Moments of 2010

year in reviewKurt here from Your Movie Buddy, getting honest about choking up. I live to cry at the movies, but it's so, so rare. It's like genuine belly laughs: they're great, but they just don't happen that much, especially for frequent, discerning filmgoers. My strongest recent memory of getting all sniffly would probably be during the candlelight vigil scene at the end of Milk. Such a

Year in Review: Music Videos a.k.a. Short Movie Musicals

I couldn't be happier that the music video has regained its cultural capital in the age of YouTube. There's something about the form that is just magical. Or maybe it's just that it's been the most reliable fix for movie-musical lovers during the past 30 years. You can pretend these 3 to 5 minute show stoppers are but one scene in a larger movie musical, can't you? At least that's what I do with

Cinematic Shame: Worst of the Year

year in review part 5 of severalCOME SEE THE NEW BLOG FOR THE FINAL CELEBRATION OF 2010 I thought it would be tasteless to drop this lump of coal on Christmas so I saved it one day. It's naughty, not nice. But before we get to the unsatisfying trends, performances, and movies of the year, some caveats. I didn't see everything and am not, generally speaking, paid to attend terrible movies. Even

Movie Thingamajigs. Put That In Your Stocking

year in review - part 4 of severalAre you ever stumped as to what to put in your loved ones Christmas stockings? Here are some ideas culled from this year's movies. Gadgets, random junk or magical objects that lingered after the credits rolled. (If you don't have time to use these ideas for Christmas, there's always birthdays.)Let them inspire gift giving!Tiny things are wonderful. How about some

Year in Review: Best LGBT Characters

year in review part 3 of severalWith 2010 about to wrap, let's do a top ten list albeit a very specific one. Let's make like Barbara Walters and choose The Most Fascinating (Fictional, LGBT) People. Barbara obviously uses a different criteria than "fascinating" in her annual roundup. Hers seems closer to "constantly in the news /has overworked publicist"  and our choices are also debatable.

Anticipation... The Year in Film Promotion

Year in ReviewNATHANIEL: Hey kids. So some time ago I was introduced to Mark Blankenship who writes The Critical Condition. I've been reading that blog ever since. Mark writes about everything pop culture -- I love his music posts especially -- and he's now officially a "talking head" having done a couple of Joy Behar Show gigs. We decided to have a little year in review convo. Part one is here

Box Office Blather: Spectacles, Star Vehicles, Subtitles and Easy $

Year in Review Pt 1 of ManyIt's time to wrap up 2010. You'll have to have patience since The Film Experience likes to do this piecemeal... and often! Let's do it every day at 10 AM or 10 PM or both when we magically have free time. How about that? We'll start with the US box office.Box office hits get much coverage in the media so let's just dispense that basic "smash hit" list quick-like and

Never Let Them Go. A Video Essay by Matt Zoller Seitz

Beautifully constructed video essay for L Magazine on 2010 cinema. Worth your ten minutes. I'd embed it here but it's one of those videos that starts immediately without pressing a button. Hate that!

Links: Dorff, Franco, Hendricks, Robyn

My Life as a Blog "Why I Want a Golden Globe" satiric piece on the greatest awards show gong of all.Vulture I'm not sure how I missed this enjoyable interview with Stephen Dorff but...My New Plaid Pants quotes all the funny bits about working on Tarsem Singh's Immortals Movie "abs, abs, abs, abs, abs."Self Styled Siren another look back at Blake Edwards, and three personal favorites.Cinema Blend

Critics Awards Cometh. Swan vs. Network?

Ballots were due today for the BFCA "Critics Choice Awards" so you can be sure I did my share of handwringing before I sent it in. My god, you think you know what you want to vote for and you stare at the ballot and it's just >gah< indecision! (It doesn't help that you can only vote for 3 items in each category, 5 for best picture). Those nominations will be announced on Monday.Tomorrow we'll be

It's Top Ten Time! (Not Here, But Elsewhere.)

Setting aside for a moment the personal view that people rush too quickly into naming their favorites every year (usually well before the annum is over) I do love reading a good top ten list. When those  lists are from magazines, they have a long lead excuse so let's enjoy them.The L Magazine, a local NYC offering ("the L"is a subway), has released their Best Films of 2010 and as usual there's a

November. It's a Wrap

2010 will soon be history. But it's not over until the fat lady sings. And by fat lady I mean critics and by sing I mean the mass publishing of top ten lists. Since I have screeners this year, I'll try to get started a bit earlier than usual and get my top ten list out to you in the final week of December. Until then, in case you missed anything... the best of November. Party Favor get your Oscar

The Top Tens Cometh. Will "The Social Network" Reign?

If you read In Contention and Awards Daily as I'm assuming a good hefty percentage of Film Experience readers, being Oscar obsessed, do, then you already know that The Social Network has landed its first major top ten list and #1 placement. Presumable many more will follow. It's that type of movie, both highbrow and mainstream enough to capture a good cross section of critical hosannas."One Top

October. It's A Wrap.

Oh, 2010. We're just getting to know you and you're already approaching history's grave. Stay a little while longer please? Two months... give us two months. Here are a dozen Film Experience highlights from October in case you missed 'em.Claremont & Hammerstein's "The Sound of Mutants"Jake Gyllenhaal Speaks a revealing evening with the star. Quotes on his three key movies.BPFTOI The popular

September. It's a Wrap

We've arrived at the last quarter of the year. How odd. Just yesterday, I was traipsing through the snow at Sundance. In case you missed the goodies as summer changed to fall, here's a sampling of my personal favorite moments from the month that was.Pandora's Box I love to get lost in the images of my second favorite silentLove... (The Poster) reactions to Gyllenhaal and Hathaway and their fig