If I had to pick one word to describe the majority of the 66th Annual Golden Globes, I’d have to go with “drab.” There were a few surprises, and very few “sure things” in any category - even so, there was very little 
to get excited about. Blogger Nick Plowman of Fataculture put it thusly, in his Globes prediction article:
After its unavoidable departure into actual redundancy last year, there is no doubt in my mind that this year the [Hollywood Foreign Press Association] are going to suffuse their telecast with as much star power as is physically possible – which is the only reason one ought to watch it in the first place. It doesn’t help, however, that this year’s awards race is blindingly mundane even though it is very much an insecure deal.
Read more…
Popularity: 4% [?]
The Marvel Comics universe spans the decades and many different worlds, and it has given us some of the most memorable and fascinating characters of comics, film, and TV. But when it comes to the standout 
legends of Marvel, how are they similar? How are they different? And, most importantly, which one could be your secret alter-ego?
Spider-Man
The undisputed star of the Marvel Comics universe, Spider-Man has an appealing tale of zero-to-hero. It’s hard not to relate to his sense of duty and his crush on the ultimate girl-next-door, Mary Jane. Unlike many comparable heroes, Spider-Man never benefited from the training of a devoted mentor, and was forced to learn mostly on his own how to handle the great power and great responsibility. Created by Stan Lee in the ’60s, Spider-Man is one of the most popular and successful superheroes of all time - the star of many comics, television series, and three major motion pictures (so far).
Read more…
Popularity: 3% [?]
Whether you spend every weekend in the cool, comforting darkness of a movie theater, or just catch the occasional flick on Showtime, you are - and you can say this with a certain amount of pride - a movie fan. 
You appreciate the art of film. Or, at the very least, a movie that makes you laugh. Play our movie fan personality quiz to find out more about yourself!
Read more…
Popularity: 4% [?]
Well, it’s almost New Years. January 1st, 2009. Can you believe this decade is almost over? I swear it went twice as fast as the ’90s. And I still haven’t accomplished everything I meant to. Time’s speeding up every year, and unlike Benjamin Button, I’m not getting any younger. Last year, I didn’t even bother with resolutions 
- like most people, I figured there was very little chance of ever fulfilling any of them. Or even, necessarily, remembering what they were or where I wrote them by December 31st. The beginning of a new year might be an arbitrary point in time to get my life back on track, but it’s still as good as any.
This year, I’m going to do something a little different for my New Year’s Resolutions. I’m going to tack them to the fridge and actually do them. And if I start to slip and forget why they’re so important, maybe these movies can help me out.
Read more…
Popularity: 4% [?]
Stephanie Myers’ Twilight series is nothing less than a cultural phenomenon. No question there. Vampires a la Myers have become a symbol for adolescence and the first frightful pangs of love; the beauty of vampires 
is that they can stand for anything you want them to. Pick and choose the parts of the lore that suit you: superhuman strength, avoidance of sunlight, feeding off of human blood - not to mention the whole immortality thing. They can stand for anything we fear and desire. The first recorded usage of the word “vampire,” in fact, is in a metaphorical context. From their very origins, these mythical creatures have stood in for things we can only explain by analogy.
Those of you who’ve been drawn in by the Cullen family’s spell might want to consider expanding your horizons. Watch some of these movies and shows to find out what vampires have meant to other people - and how vampires have changed and stayed the same in each incarnation. It can’t hurt! Unless, of course, you get bitten…
Read more…
Popularity: 7% [?]
Those of you with a Netflix instant queue, sit up and take notice! When it comes to streaming entire movies on the interwebs, there are certain licensing issues that must be accounted for. And unfortunately, due to these, many of Netflix’s instantly-available titles won’t be instantly available after New Year’s. So those of 
you who’ve been letting your instant queue sit dormant, get on it! There’s a sell-by date!
Those of you who haven’t yet discovered the joy and wonder of Netflix’s instant queue yet, you really should think about it. Sure, regular Netflix is great too. There’s nothing quite like being able to rent movies in your pajamas (although you might want to bundle up before heading to the mailbox). But what’s even better than having your picks from a massive selection of popular and obscure DVDs to your door? Why, not having to wait 1-5 business days, of course!
Read more…
Popularity: 6% [?]
It’s that time of year again! And by “that time of year,” I mean “the time of year when you should have already finished all of your Christmas shopping.” Seriously. It’s not like it sneaked up on you; it’s the same day every year. You’re out of excuses, buster. But that’s okay - you still have a little time to fix things before you 
regain consciousness on the floor of Walmart at five p.m. on Christmas Eve, having just been elbowed by someone else reaching for the last copy of The Dark Knight with the extra special Bat Pod toy.
As usual, I advocate shopping online. While many merchants will charge you extra shipping for Christmas delivery, some places, like Deep Discount DVD and Amazon.com, still have time left. Amazon in particular is giving us an entire extra WEEK. If you don’t have the stomach to deal with retail crowds (and retail prices), this is clearly the way to go.
Read more…
Popularity: 4% [?]
We’ve all got our traditional Christmas movies - Miracle on 34th St, It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol - those enduring classics that are every bit as crucial to the holiday season as gingerbread cookies, baked ham, and stringing popcorn and cranberries onto garlands which we don’t do anymore because that’s perfectly good food you’re wasting, mister. Don’t you know we’re in a recession?
After a while, movies like this barely even qualify as entertainment. They’re just background noise, part of the indefinable quality of the holiday season. They’re as present yet unobtrusive as the smell of spiced cider. Every once in a while, you just want something fresh and new. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Luckily, there are plenty of movies that feature the holidays, but aren’t just the same old boring fare. Here’s some of the best.
Read more…
Popularity: 4% [?]
With a depression inches away and hurricanes and terrorists and pirates in Somalia and madmen running Iran and all the assorted whatnots and goings-on of the world around us, it’s hard to imagine how things could get any worse. Certainly, how things could get any weirder.
And then a new horror movie was announced. This by itself would mean almost less than nothing–such things are announced every couple of hours without the world exploding. So what’s got me so bent out of shape on this one? SImple. It’s the star of this particular horror movie, called Against The Dark, that’s set my head all a-spinning.
Read more…
Popularity: 12% [?]
Remember what I was saying a couple months ago about Blockbuster getting just truly desperate? Yeah…that hasn’t changed. No, not at all.
They’ve allied themselves with LiveNation to start selling their concert tickets in Blockbuster outlets. For the next three years, Blockbuster will have exclusive blocks of seating to various concerts and kick back a portion to LiveNation. And the funny part is? It’s not just Blockbuster’s desperation driving this deal–it’s Hannah Montana.
Read more…
Popularity: 9% [?]
