List of 2009 movies - quality and money

Well it's that time of year again. The time when everybody creates a top 10 or best of list for 2009. And of course I will throw in my thoughts to the mix.

In terms of movies there isn't a lot to say. Most of the drivel from Hollywood is what we have been getting for quite some time now. Half thought out revisioned remakes of ideas done far better in the past. That goes for the revisioned comic books, movies, television shows and books that all hit the silver screen this year. But, against all odds there were a few movies that were actaully worth the money.

1. Watchmen - How could you not see this film? It was the rare exception of Hollywood taking a great story (from a comic graphic novel) and not revisioning it. The result was a beautiful and shocking twist on the concept of what is a superhero.

2. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - the kids are almost all grown up. The film continues the saga of Potter and friends, and it's still an interesting fresh movie several films into the series. The acting continues to improve and the story is modeled well after the books.

3. Angels and Demons - How can you go wrong with Tom Hanks and Ron Howard in a movie based on a Dan Brown book? It wasn't the DaVinci Code, but it sure beat the flood of films this year.

4. Sherlock Holmes - Yes I know it's not out yet. But I'm willing to bet on the acting ability of Robert Downey Jr. In addition his choices of films has been among the best in the industry. movie trailers can lie (and often do) but I'm willing to go with the talent and say this will make the cut.

And those are my top movies of 2009. But if you were wondering, here are the movies that made the most money (which has nothing to do with the quality of the film):

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - a movie only matched in its stupidity by the amount of CGI onscereen at any time. This is proof that hype can overwhelm quality if you throw enough money at a marketing campaign. $402 million

Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince - Number 2 on my list, it brought in $301 million. Proof that quality can make money too.

Up - Parents love to take kids to animated films. This one happened to be worth the time as well. $293 million

The Hangover - the surprise hit of the year. I never saw it, it seemed to sophmopric to me. But it brought in $277 million so there must be something to it. Likely to produce a sequel of some sort next year.

Star Trek - This revisioned make-over of the classic original television series was lauded long before it hit a single screen. But after seeing the film I found it more stilted than Shatner doing poetry. If this is the future of sci-fi I feel really bad for the next generation. $257 million. Revisionist sequel guaranteed.

A couple of other notable film revenues for the year:

Twillight: New Moon - just a question, has anyone over the age of 25 seen this film? No one I know over 25 has. $256 million and another film sure to come.

X-men Origins: Wolverine - Destroyed a great idea and character for big money. The only thing good about this film is the payday it made for Hollywood. But a sequel will happen to continue the pain. $179 million

Fast and Furious - Even Vin Diesel can't save a bad idea. Though it did make enough to guarantee Deisel will continue to star in a few more films. $155 million

GI Joe Rise of Cobra - Hype wins again. An insulting film that makes you want to see Wolverine again. Only exceeded in stupidity and boredom levels by Transformers. Sequel will happen even though anyone above 6 will cringe. $150 million

Angels & Demons - It made a respectable $133 million. Not bad for a sequel, though more was expected.

Terminator Salvation - Not the best continuation of the series. Christian Bale made a good John Connor, but the rest of the film was lazy and as bleak as the future it redises in. But the story ain't over yet. $125 million

Watchmen - Number 1 on my list only made $107 million. Perhaps it was just too much for audiences to take in. Especially compared to the low-brow low-quality films that topped the money list.

Tyler Perry's Madea Goes To Jail - Love or hate Perry 2 things are true. He is the biggest boost to getting Black actors in movies since Sidney Poitier and he makes money. What will Madea do next? $90 million

Michael Jackson's This Is It - The last tribute to the King of Pop. $72 million and it really isn't even a film.

Land of the Lost - People went to see this? $49 million

Notorious - The worst thing about this film is it probably made enough money to spawn equally bad expoitive cash grabs. $36 million and I have to wonder how doing anything (including sleeping) wasn't better than the film.

Pink Panther 2, Old Dogs, Halloween 2 (revisioned remake), SAW VI, Fame (revisioned remake) - I'm just amazed that none of these films, though all bad, did better than Notorious. I really hope that doesn't mean a trend of dead rapper movies.

Well that's my list, what do you think? Did I miss anything?

2008 - a year in overview

With the hours ticking away I wanted to go back one last time and look at the year 2008.

It has been quite the year. Barack Obama rose from a nuisance Senator for the Clinton machine to become the first Black President, 411 years after the first African slave was recorded in this land.

The financial system started the year with rising oil, depressed profits, and fears of inflation. Which quickly became a domino of failed institutions, buy-in, buy-outs, and bailouts - most funded by the Government. And the vortex of money sinking into the blackhole of political finger-pointing, and employment worries has yet to end. But inflation and oil are no longer concerns.

And focusing on entertainment we started the year with a mediocre talent that died from his own illogical action and was catapulted to superstardom for it. As the year progressed, serious acclaimed greats in literature, comedy, film, music, and other forms of entertainment passed - barely with attention. And it looks like even into 2009, the stupid actions of 1 man will dwarf the lifetime of achievement of dozens of others.

War continues to rage in the world and in the movies. While the atrocities in Darfur continue to be waged, the screens of America are filled with blame America-for-everything political wastes of time. These films are not bad because they are badly acted (though some are), or that the scripts are irrelevant (some are just too inane to imagine being greenlighted), or even because they don't like their home nation (one of the few in the world that allows criticism of every elected official without reprisal). They just failed to entertain.

Hollywood enjoyed a year that was filled with no surprises and even fewer attempts at innovation than the year before. More sequels, spin-offs, remakes, revisioned past favorites and direct copies on the big and small screen occurred than Bill Ayers on a LSD flashback remembering his past actions. And most were as entertaining - the new 90210 comes to mind.

Filling the void of intellect was fodder so unfit as to be like sugar mainlined into a 5 year old with ADHD. There was the usual "reality" programming that did nothing but allow the public to lose brain cells without the joy of a buzz. And there was the not so subtle loss of several programs that bucked the trend - The Shield, The Riches, among others.

Another loss to the small screen flies in the face of the change in politics in the nation. While America gains the first African American to ascend to our highest office, television descended to a vision of America not seen since 2000 (or more like 1970). Several Black actors in co-leading roles were removed, or shows canceled. Hispanics and Latinos remain virtually unseen and when seen reflecting a diversity that is easily confused with another ethnicity. Native Americans and Asians remain invisible, even in background scenery. And if that sounds bad, the environment behind the camera is 1/3 as diverse.

So in 2009 the schizophrenia will be that one of the few times a Black face will be on the national airwaves will be in the news and the rest of television will be whitewashed. The hypocrisy of Hollywood and its ultra-liberal views, as opposed to its staunch 1950's actions, is amazing to behold.

And the ethical void continues to grow. The nation was deluged with images and stories of entertainers doing the wrong thing and getting away with it. From the British Winehouse (aptly named I think) to our own disfunctional and potentially child-endangering Spears. We watched as entertainers were allowed to throw children into crowds from stages, admit drug use, carry illegal weapons, abuse animals and people alike, all without a hint of true reprimand.

And as the substitution of justice we had racial revenge. OJ provided the means for many White Americans to cry out "Justice at last" though his trial was a mockery of justice from start to finish. He may be a fool, and perhaps even guilty of past crimes, but his trial was as much a kangaroo court as in any movie.

And when it comes to the law the media was very consistent. African Americans that they labeled guilty were made to look horrible, and their claims (and even jury confirmation) of innocence went unheard - like Wesley Snipes. But for the people making the media money, in music videos and records and what some call movies, there was plenty of coverage hyping their minor convictions - like Akon and DMX.

2008 was quite the year indeed. So much happened all at once it was often hard to be sure what was the most important thing to track. And just as often what the media wanted us to watch was the least important of the issues at hand. But then again this was the year where the line between journalism and cheerleading was obscured from sight. The after-the-fact admissions of several media giants that they crossed the line, "a little", says nothing of the 'feeling in my leg' they poured into televisions and thus homes across the nation.

The news media was so bad that satirical comedy shows often were more objective and less political than the supposed "neutral" media. And networks like CNN and MSNBC wonder why their ratings are so bad.

2008 was a bad year in most every manner of accounting. From wasteful spending by the Government, to political polispeak that was fair and unfair. Even in moments of honesty - like polling from various agencies during the Primaries - America showed the world that the ugly underbelly of racism still held a grip in the nation.

I won't miss 2008 overall. While I am amazed and pleased with being able to say President Obama and that I am a homeowner, there is little else that occurred in this year that makes me wish to relive it even in memories.

But 2009 is just hours away. And with it will come a new President, with a very different set of objectives for America. The new year will usher in a new direction in American thinking, where some like it or not. And the media will be forced to adjust, because even in comic books the world is changing.

2008 was they year to say "I want change", 2009 will be the year it happens in. And we can all only hope that the change is better than the reality of the year that has ended.