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Just like it was for music, 2008 wasn’t really a great year for movies or television … the Writer’s Strike at the start of the year really decimated Hollywood and severely hurt television programming. That said, there were a few really amazing films (highlighted by really amazing acting performances) and a select few TV shows that really brought the entertainment this year. Here is my list of my Fave Movies of 2008 … I think the #1 pick might surprise you.

At #10 is The Incredible Hulk:

This movie may not have been the best superhero film of all time but it beat the hell out of Ang Lee‘s Hulk and really did a service to both the comic book series and the TV series from the ’70s. This film really paid homage to the beloved TV series for the first half of the film and then represented the comic books very well in the second half of the film. All I know is that I had a really good time at the movies watching this film … and isn’t that what’s most important?

At #9 is W.:

Oliver Stone films are really hit or miss and this one was a pretty nice hit. Josh Brolin played a superb GWB and managed to put our soon-to-be ex-president in real context. I am no GWB fan by any stretch of the imagination but this film actually made him a sympathetic character. Props to Oliver Stone for actually doing the impossible.

In the #8 position is Doubt:

This film is all about the acting. And among the amazing acting performances, Meryl Streep far outshines everyone else in this film. She absolutely turned in the most powerful acting performance this year … she absolutely deserves all the Best Actress awards and, IMHO, the Best Actor awards as well — she is that good in this film. I feel bad for Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams, who both turned in exceptional performances, cuz Streep just steals the spotlight. She made this movie such a delight for me to watch.

At #7 is Milk:

At long last, the story of Harvey Milk‘s life made it to the big screen … and Sean Penn did his memory a great service. Milk may not have been a blockbuster but it is a very important story that is told so expertly that I wish it had made more money at the box office. Penn‘s cast of supporting actors were also pretty phenomenal … as a whole they told a tale that an entire generation of people were hearing for the first time — which was eerily similar to the events that were playing out on the streets of SoCal this past November.

At #6 is WALL•E:

OMG … what can I say about WALL•E that hasn’t been said a million times before? The movie is just cute as hell and actually caused kids and grown adults alike to fall in love with a sweet little animated trash compactor. I had my doubts about this film before I saw it for myself … but man, once I saw it — I was hooked. WALL•E is absolutely the Best Animated Film of 2008.

After the jump, check out my Top 5 Fave Films of 2008 as well as my list of my Fave TV Shows of the Year …

Hottie James Franco stars as Scott Smith, the young lover of Harvey Milk, in the new Gus Van Sant film Milk (which is currently in theaters) and while I loved the film when I saw it for myself a few weeks ago, I thought I’d offer up a bit more information about the film to urge some of y’all to check it out in theaters … specifically, a few screencaps from a very integral scene in the film — the one where James Franco swims in the nude in an outdoor pool:

Okay, so mebbe the scene isn’t necessarily integral to the film but it is highly enjoyable and shouldn’t be missed. After the jump, check out a few uncensored semi-NSFW caps of Franco‘s pool scene …

Last night I met up with Steph and Alek for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory before we made our way to a special screening of Milk at the ArcLight Theater in Sherman Oaks, CA. Even tho I had/have a million things to take care of before I fly out for Connecticut today, I had to make time to see this movie. I’ve only read and heard about the amazing things that Harvey Milk accomplished when he was alive and I have been very anxious to see his life story translated to film by director Gus Van Sant and actor Sean Penn:

I mean, what can I say … this movie is just stunning. The powerhouse performances by ALL of the actor’s were very impressive. Sean Penn delivers another Oscar-worthy performance but his supporting cast is just as skilled at bringing their characters to life. The movie is set in the 1970s (think porn’stachapalooza) and Van Sant does everything he can to make the film look as authentically 70′s as possible. The film has a grainy look to it that makes it feel like archival footage. I normally don’t like conventions like these, but in this instance it works very well. The thing that struck me most about the film was the historical political parallel of the late 70′s (in regards to gay rights) to what is happening in our country today. There are many scenes that depict the fight for gay rights, highlighting protests that took to the streets of San Francisco in opposition to California Proposition 6 (which would’ve made it legal for gay teachers to lose their jobs for being gay). There are many scenes in the film that mirror the sorts of things that happened in the aftermath of the passage of Proposition 8 (banning same-sex marriage) just this month. In the 70′s, Milk and his campaign were successful whereas we were not today. If any lesson can be gleaned from the amazing life story of Harvey Milk it is that — win or lose — the struggle continues … even to this day, the struggle continues.

The movie is a tour de force for both Van Sant and Sean Penn … expect Academy Award noms to come. Milk is a powerfully important film, I cannot endorse it more fully. See this movie!

In a couple of hours, I jet off to the East Coast for the Thanksgiving weekend. I’ll be comin’ atcha for the next few days from the East Side, y’all. Remember, tonight is the bizziest drinking night of the year … be safe and have fun!!

Sean Penn and his Milk men James Franco, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin among others came out to the Academy Of Motion Pictures Arts And Sciences building in Beverly Hills, CA last night for the Hollywood premiere of his new film Milk (the biopic of San Fran’s first openly gay elected politician Harvey Milk). You may recall that Milk already premiered in San Francisco, CA last month but it was high time for the party to make it’s way to LA. Here are a few pics from last night’s red carpet arrivals:

Sean Penn was almost 20 minutes late for the Beverly Hills screening of his new movie, Milk. Living up to his reputation for not being a huge fan of the press, the Hollywood star arrived at the screening at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences at the last possible minute, ignoring TV crews. Sean’s young co-star Emile Hirsch seemed to be following in his footsteps – the Speed Racer star spoke to just a handful of reporters before disappearing inside. However, their co-stars Josh Brolin and James Franco were more willing to chat about the movie, which is based on the true life story of Harvey Milk (played by Sean), San Francisco’s first openly gay leader, who was slain 30 years ago. James said making the film had been a thrill. “It was incredible to be able to shoot in the exact places where this history was taking place, it was inspiring just as an actor and a special thing, a unique experience,” he said. The film is generating plenty of Oscar buzz, but director Gus Van Sant was reluctant to talk of possible Academy Award nominations. “I hope there’s such a thing,” was all he’d say. Stars who attended the LA premiere included Winona Ryder, Vanessa Redgrave and Elizabeth Banks. Relatives of Harvey Milk were also at the screening and Sean’s wife Robin Wright Penn was there to support her Oscar-winning hubby.

I’m very bummed at the timing of last night’s premiere. I was invited to attend but was unable to make it because of my flight home to Detroit. In any event, I deffo plan to see this film as soon as I can. Harvey Milk was a pioneer who paved the way for gays and lesbians to be represented in political office. To think that all these years after his death we are still fighting for equal rights for the GLBT community isn’t surprising, it’s just a shame that he can’t be here to join the struggle.

While reminds me, DON’T FORGET that tomorrow is the National Day of Protest Against Marriage Discrimination in all 50 States:

Head over to Join the Impact and find out where YOUR protest rally is being held in your State and find out what YOU can do to Stand Up for Marriage Equality.

[Photo credit: Wireimage; Source]

Director Gus Van Sant‘s new film Milk, the biopic on the life of San Francisco’s first openly gay leader, premiered at the Castro Theater on Castro Street in San Fran last night … bringing out all of the principal stars of the film, including Sean Penn, James Franco, Diego Luna and more. Here are a few pics from last night’s red carpet arrivals and some info on the film:

It was only fitting that “Milk,” the film about Harvey Milk’s life and death, premiere Tuesday night in the Castro. Milk, San Francisco’s first openly gay leader who was slain 30 years ago, used to call himself “the Mayor of Castro Street,” referring to the main drag through the neighborhood he represented on the Board of Supervisors and the center of the city’s gay and lesbian community. The world premiere of his biopic brought considerable star power to Milk’s beloved Castro Theatre, including director Gus Van Sant and stars Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch and Diego Luna. The film follows Milk’s rise to office and his and Mayor George Moscone’s assassination at City Hall by fellow Supervisor Dan White in 1978. Van Sant said he had been talking about making this film for 18 years. “He’s an American hero,” Van Sant said. “He’s a great example of a man representing his community and his city.” Milk received another tribute earlier in the day, when a historic streetcar featured in the film was dedicated to him. The supervisor had been a champion of public transportation. Tuesday night’s premiere also brought out many of Milk’s old friends who helped usher in the gay rights movement that has led, a generation later, to a fight over the right of same-sex couples to marry. Gay rights activist Cleve Jones, played in the film by Emile Hirsch, said Milk would have been thrilled at the film but angry that the fight over civil rights continued. He pointed across the street, where hundreds were rallying against Proposition 8, a Nov. 4 ballot measure that would rewrite the California constitution to deny same-sex couples the right to marry. “Harvey would be angry,” Jones said, “and he’d still be fighting.”

Harvey Milk was, indeed, a pioneer and very brazenly went against the grain to fight for the things that he believed in despite drawing the anger and hatred from discriminatory bigots. Every openly gay elected official in this country has Harvey Milk to thank for his trailblazing efforts to show that all Americans, regardless of minority status, can make a difference. I’m fairly certain that a large majority of this country have no idea who Harvey Milk was which is why I feel this film is so important. I have no doubt that Sean Penn, who is an amazing actor, will deliver a stunning performance in the role of Harvey Milk and I can’t wait to see this film for myself. We still have a long way to go to secure the basic rights and liberties of the GLBT community in this country (next Tuesday, California will vote on the matter of marriage equality) but, it can be argued, that we are on the right path to securing liberty and justice for all … and mebbe Harvey Milk‘s bravery helped get us on that path. I’m looking forward to seeing this biopic on this hero’s life.

[Photo credit: Wireimage; Source]