Tag Archives: Jack Poessiger
New Jack City: K.C. Critics Deliver 2010’s Best On Film!
It’s the social event of the movie season! (could be to some….)
Kansas City’s Film Critics’ Circle’s annual Best on Film awards ceremony!
This group represents Kansas City and regional critics who review on a regular basis for area radio, TV, newspaper and online outlets. It’s one of the oldest such critic’s groups in the country.
We came.
We dined.
We socialized.
We discussed.
We campaigned – and then we voted.
Here are the winners for 2010 in the top 11 catagories selected by our 24 attending KCFCC critics:
NEW JACK CITY: Top Movie Picks For 2010
We shoveled a lot of Tinseltown’s manure earlier this week which made some of you wonder whether I’ve lost that lovin’ feeling and gotten grumpy.
Jaded? Maybe. Grumpy? Not so much. I still know what I like and what stinks.
What’s good and what blows.
To prove my point I proudly submit my top 10 picks of favorite movies during the past year.
This time, the criteria is that I attended the particular screening going in expecting just another movie. Instead I was MORE than just pleasantly surprised by the picture’s all-around entertainment value!
First runner-up at # 11—THE GHOST WRITER—Roman Polanski’s political thriller of sexual intrigue starred Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Cattrell, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Hutton and Eli Wallach.
If you’re among the many who missed this film during its limited release in Kansas City, be sure to check it out on DVD.
# 10: DESPICABLE ME—A terrific good vs. evil animated feature for all ages.
# 9: CONVICTION—Hilary Swank’s best performance since MILLION DOLLAR BABY and Sam Rockwell worthy of a best supporting actor nomination as her wrongly convicted brother.
# 8: IRON MAN 2—Worthy sequel with Robert Downey, Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow and Mickey Rourke delivering above expectations!
# 7: THE KING’S SPEECH—Colin Firth as King George VI with speech malfunction nails it. Meanwhile Geoffrey Rush as his speech therapist is great. Both should and WILL be nominated for Oscars!
New Jack City: Shoveling out Hollywood’s Manure – Worst Movies of 2010
Everybody does year-end lists. So why not me?
Here’s mine. My 10 WORST movies of 2010!
My criteria?
It had to have been a film for which I had some sort of expectations going in but came out wondering why I gave up two hours of my life on this cinematic Creme de la-crap?
Barely missing my line-up of livid losers at # 11: SEX AND THE CITY 2. I wanted Sex in the CITY – not in the desert!
# 10: KILLERS—A bad chick-flick stays a bad chick-flick, with or without Katherine Heigl and Ashton Kutcher.
Jack Goes Confidential: THE KING’s SPEECH—As Good As It Gets!
If you’ve been wondering what’s become of great performances by gifted actors, here’s your movie!
THE KING’s SPEECH tells the little known but true story of the Queen of England‘s father and his remarkable friendship with maverick Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue.
Following the death of the domineering King George V and his older brother’s abdication of the throne in favor of marrying American divorcee Wallis Simpson, the crown was handed by default to George VI—known to his close friends as Bertie.
There was just one problem…and it was a big one!
Bertie suffered from a major case of mechanical difficulties with his speech. Translation: Severe stuttering.
Jack Goes Confidential: LITTLE FOCKERS Coulda, Shoulda but Didn’t!
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Critics can be extremely cruel to convey their distaste for a movie across to their readers or listeners.
One of the most extreme examples we’ve seen lately is the opening paragraph in THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER’s review of the new comedy LITTLE FOCKERS.
Allow me to share.
"LITTLE FOCKERS is focking dismal. Clearly nothing but a paycheck project for all concerned, this is definitely the least and hopefully last of a franchise that started amusingly enough a decade ago but has now officially overstayed its welcome."
JACK GOES CONFIDENTIAL:Coen Brothers Deliver Motherload with True Grit
Ever since it became public knowledge that Paramount was redoing director Henry Hathaway’s 1969 western TRUE GRIT, purists have been up in arms.
After all, this was the film that won John Wayne his only Oscar–even though some might suggest that it was merely a career achievement award.
But if there was any filmmaker (or filmmakers) who could successfully attempt a remake of this classic western, it would be Joel and Ethan Coen.
No, but they didn’t actually remake the movie! They crafted a new film of the Charles Portis book by transferring the novel directly to the screen – lifting its period dialogue verbatim and staying TRUE to its grit.
Jack Goes Confidential: New Romantic Ensemble Comedy Falls Flat
Every so often Hollywood rolls out one of its super star romantic ensemble comedies.
Most of the time they work—like last Christmas when Universal paired Meryl Streep with Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin, Rita Wilson and Mary Kay Place in IT’S COMPLICATED. Or think back to Disney’s THE PROPOSAL with Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, Betty White, Mary Steenburgen and Craig T. Nelson.
Now Sony’s gone and done it with HOW DO YOU KNOW.
They’ve teamed perky Reese Witherspoon with Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd, Jack Nicholson and Kathryn Hahn. Quite a payroll! On top of that, they put one of the industry’s true heavyhitters James L. Brooks (AS GOOD AS IT GETS, BROADCAST NEWS, TERMS OF ENDEARMENT) behind the camera to produce, direct and write the screenplay.
There’s just one problem here. This movie doesn’t work!
Jack Goes Confidential: THE FIGHTER Scores 4-Finger Cinematic Knockout
I usually don’t pay much attention to Golden Globe nominations..
But when it comes to THE FIGHTER, they got it right!
Earlier this week the film was nominated for Best Picture and
Mark Wahlberg is in the running for Best Actor. Christian Bale is a Best Supporting Actor nominee. Amy Adams is nominated for Best Supporting Actress. And David O. Russell was named as one of this year’s five Best Directors for the film.
New Jack City: Chic, New Vegas High-Rise The Cosmopolitan a KC Magnet
Even during this recession Las Vegas ranks right at the top of the favorite getaway destinations for Kansas Citians.
It’s still relatively affordable, features great and ever-changing attractions and it’s easy to get to—even though Southwest‘s non-stop flight frequency has been cut back to just four these days.
And after years of seemingly unstoppable growth, Vegas this week welcomes what may be the last mega resort to open there in the forseeable future, THE COSMOPOLITAN.
Jack Goes Confidential: Jolie / Depp Serve Up Lame Romantic Thriller
Looking for a picture perfect postcard / travelogue bursting with beautiful people?
Then THE TOURIST is your movie.
For everything else…read on and be warned.
New Jack City: Gift Cards that Take; No Mas
Nothing makes me happier than receiving gift cards for Christmas…
Especially when they’re not from a specific retailer but universally branded so that they can be used about anywhere.
So Hearne, please make it a Visa or American Express gift card for me this year.
In the past, many of us have been ripped off by fees and charges levied against such cards by unscrupulous merchants.
But that’s all been changed since the government recently evoked the new ‘Card Act’ which is now in effect.
New Jack City: Deck The Halls with Popcorn and 10 Holiday Hits!
It’s the annual In-Between Week at the movies…
The weekend after the Thanksgiving releases and the weekend before the Christmas rollout of new movies which gets underway next weekend.
Here then are Hollywood’s 10 major Christmas offerings and opening dates at Greater Kansas City’s MegaPlexes:
JACK GOES CONFIDENTIAL: Flix Pix for Catch-up Weekend!
There isn’t a day that goes by that someone asks me, "what’s good at the movies," or "what should I go see this weekend?"
Tough questions! What I like may not be your bag.
But since this is an in-between weekend at the movies with no major studio releases set to open in K.C., I’m spotlighting my choices in various genres from amongst all motion pictures currently showing throughout the metroplex.
Remember this is a great time to play catch up before the holiday fare starts to hit next week.
New Jack City: Jack’s Off to the Movies for Holiday Blitz
Here’s how the long five-day holiday weekend played out at the movies.
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Your top 10 ranking of Thanksgiving releases at the box office:
Still # 1—HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS
#2 —Disney’s animated TANGLED, a close second!
# 3—MEGAMIND
# 4—BURLESQUE
# 5—UNSTOPPABLE
New Jack City: THE HANGOVER 2 What Happened in Vegas Moves to Bangkok
Next to the conclusion of the Harry Potter franchise in July, one of the most anticipated movie events of this summer will be the arrival of THE HANGOVER – PART 2 on local screens.
Will producer/director Todd Phillips pull it off again? Or better yet, will he be able to top himself with the sequel?
Guess we’ll know soon enough when Warner Brothers releases the most anticipated (adult) comedy for Memorial Weekend on May 26th!
There have been leaks about the production – like former President Bill Clinton making a cameo appearance in the movie.
And today, Warner Brothers released a brief synopsis of the film. And when I say brief, I mean brief.
JACK GOES CONFIDENTIAL: ‘127 HOURS’ Reduced To 95 Minutes of Tension
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There’s no denying that Academy Award winning director Danny Boyle is not an everyday predictable moviemaker.
He proved it at the last Oscar ceremony when his SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE was crowned Best Picture.
So what’s Boyle’s follow-up act? Try 127 HOURS on for size.
It’s his gripping adaptation of Aron Rolston’s heart-pounding book ‘Between a Rock and a Hard Place’ in which he documents his incredible perseverance and ultimate shattering action that, in the end, saved his life.
Jack Goes Confidential: Harry Potter Gets Down, Dark & Sexy!
Am I really truly qualified to review Part 1 of the final chapter in the most successful film series in motion picture history?
Probably not.
After all I haven’t read any of the books and have never really gotten into all that wizardry stuff.
However I do know a good movie from a bad one and HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS-PART 1 is definitely impressive!
And make no mistake about it this is the beginning of the end!
NEW JACK CITY: Mickey Puts Cuffs On Texting!
It absolutely amazes me.
Despite all the warnings and potential fines from the law, we still see idiots texting in their cars while in front of you, passing you, or rear-ending you.
Luckily for them, they don’t work for ESPN, ABC TELEVISION or any of the other companies in the Mickey Mouse empire.
According to the entertainment site Deadline Hollywood, the Walt Disney Company issued a company-wide ‘distracting driving’ memo targeting employees using mobile devices while behind the wheel.
Jack Goes Confidential: Unstoppable Delivers Non-Stop Popcorn Thrills
UNSTOPPABLE is this fall season’s only certified, balls-to-the-wall, take no prisoners popcorn flick!
It’s SPEED on a train, SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT on rails and RUNAWAY TRAIN all rolled into one.
Come to think of it, it’s popcorn with plenty of real butter on it and worth every dollar you’ll spend at the boxoffice.
UNSTOPPABLE is an hour-and-a-half nailbiter from action maestro Tony Scott (DAYS OF THUNDER, CRIMSON TIDE and THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3), teaming veteran railroader Denzel Washington with new kid on the block, STAR TREK’s Chris Pine to stop an unmanned runaway freight train that’s racing through the Pennsylvania countryside.
Jack Goes Confidential: Morning Glory Anchorman Meets Mary Tyler Moore
You know MORNING GLORY is pure fiction when the lowest-rated network TV news show pairs a couple of has beens like Diane Keaton and Harrison Ford to try and breathe life back into the ratings.
Would never happen in real television.
But that’s what’s in store when perky 28 year old Becky Fuller (Rachel McAdams) is hired by news boss Jeff Goldblum to become IBS-TV’s lackluster Daybreak’s new executive producer.
