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 …

My #5 pick is The Dark Knight:

Don’t get me wrong … I love The Dark Knight but I really felt that, for me, there were a few movies that were better this year in terms of overall entertainment value. That said, Chris Nolan gave us a Batman that is worthy of the top awards that are handed out for outstanding achievement in film making. Heath Ledger was just stunning as The Joker … I absolutely contend that he would still be getting Oscar buzz if he hadn’t passed away last January. He is deffo my pick for Best Supporting Actor at the coming Academy Awards.

At #4 is Iron Man:

THE best superhero film of the year … funny and action-packed with loads of amazing special effects and a great story — this film had it all. The casting was pretty perfect … except for Terrence Howard as Jim Rhodes (who I did not care for at all) … especially Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts. Robert Downey, Jr. is just the man … there ain’t anyone else who could play playboy millionaire Tony Stark. It’s too bad he won’t win any awards for his work on Iron Man cuz he really deserves one.

My #3 is Slumdog Millionaire:

The perfect rags to riches story with a great modern twist. I laughed, I cried, I actually stood up and cheered at this movie. The youngest actors were BY FAR the best thing about this film. Believe the hype, Slumdog Millionaire is really as good as everyone says.

My second fave movie of the year is Sex and the City:

At long last, the Sex and the City Movie made it to the big screen and it did NOT disappoint. The movie was the perfect length to feel like a mini-season of the show. The fabulous clothes, the steamy sex scenes and the camaraderie between Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha and Miranda all conspired to make a far too entertaining movie. I saw this film 3 times in the theaters … and 3 more times since it came out on DVD. I just can’t get enough!

And my #1 fave movie of the year is Cloverfield:

OK … I’m sure a lot of y’all will not agree with me on this one but, in all honesty, this was my fave film of the year. Since it came out last January it really set the benchmark for me and, truth be told, I wasn’t as thoroughly entertained by anything else as much as I was by Cloverfield. I’m not saying it is the best movie of all time but for 2008, it was the perfect marriage of viral marketing, Internet savvy and fun movie-making that all came together IMHO perfectly. I still contend that it was as “real” as a monster invasion movie could be. It really had that Blair Witch Project magic that grabbed me entirely. I was actually surprised that so many people hated this film (mostly because of the shaky camerawork) because I loved it so entirely. While there were some pretty amazing films released this year, I have to say that my fave of the bunch was the one that made me believe the most.

Here are my Top TV Shows of 2008:

1. Skins
2. In Treatment
3. Battlestar Galactica
4. Gossip Girl
5. Project Runway (both seasons)
6. 90210
7. Breaking Bad
8. Torchwood
9. Saturday Night Live (mainly for the Tina Fey as Sarah Palin skits)
10. All the election coverage on CNN and MSNBC

Which films and TV shows were YOUR faves in 2008? Is anyone with me on Team Cloverfield?

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 …

Trust me, the movie is pretty amazing and should be seen even absent this scene in the film … but don’tcha think this is pretty nice inspiration to get y’all to come out and see it in theaters?

[Source]

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 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]

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]