Ok, now its time to get to business. For my second column, I’d like to introduce a regular feature (or I suspect it will become regular, but as this is my second column, you may have to cut me some slack) – the “SMART PICK OF THE WEEK” or SPOTW – I mean that really rolls off the tongue right? (yes, this is a work in progress).
The SPOTW will feature my top pick or picks of the week in the world of entertainment and pop culture – we are talking new movie releases, the latest on DVD/Blu-Ray, music, books (yes I assume people still read those, please please validate that assumption…please), videogames, iphone apps, etc. I mean it really can be anything and everything and since I’m the one making the rules of my own column (at least until further notice), whatever I feel can fit in this huge huge bucket of pop culture goodness will get singled out in this feature.
This weeks’ SPOTW is a no brainer to me. It is the newly released on DVD and magnificent Blu-Ray, UP. Shame on you if you missed UP in theaters over the summer. Apparently there weren’t many of you who did miss its initial theatrical run as its world-wide box office take is currently hovering above the half a billion dollar mark. Yes, I used the B word. When a film makes that much moolah, its hard not to take notice. The films’ across the board success really should not shock anyone as UP is the 10th film released by the magicians at PIXAR, and their track record in terms of box office knockouts is a perfect 10 for 10. Critically, the success of Pixar’s films might not be quite 10 for 10, but their batting average in that regard is well over .500 and the company that Steve Jobs helped build and John Lasseter has managed so successfully is the envy of all of Hollywood.
There was initially some worry when Disney subsumed Pixar that the magic culture within Pixar would disappear like some of Tinkerbell’s fairy dust, but in fact the films Pixar has released since being acquired by Disney back in 2006 have been among their most critically acclaimed – Ratatouille, Wall-E, and now UP. Kudos to Pixar for resisting any Disney-ification of their product.
Which brings us back to UP. This is the point in the column where I try to shoe-horn a lot of puns regarding things looking up for UP. Or maybe just one pun. In any event, UP merits SPOTW status for many reasons besides the obvious – that it is a brilliant, touching and funny film. Yes I called it a film, not a cartoon, animated feature or what-have you, because besides being an animated film, it is flat out one of the best films of 2009. And Pixar can thank the American Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gods for opening up the Best Picture race to 10 nominees this year, as UP seems all but assured of securing one of those 10 spots. What a coup it would be if UP not only won the Oscar for Best Animated feature, but also Best Picture. Not a very likely double daily scenario so don’t book that Vegas trip just yet, but the Picture is all but assured of the dual nominations, making it the first animated film nominated for Best Picture since Disney’s 1991 release Beauty and the Beast, and Pixar’s first feature to get recognized in the top Oscar category (Many feel Pixar was robbed last year when Wall-E wasn’t recognized, but I’m not going to argue with the nominations as The Reader did receive a Best Picture nomination and I can now cross off from my bucket list that I worked on a Best Picture nominee – now as for collecting one of those statues for my own self, that currently remains on the list…). Belle and the Beast couldn’t take down the beast which was and will always be Hannibal Lecter in the Silence of the Lambs which won the Best Picture statue that year, but if UP is nominated this year as I suspect it will, we will have a real race on our hands.
Simply stated its hard to imagine a more beautiful film competing against UP in this years’ Best Picture race. Yes I know its quite likely that UP will be competing against such deserving films as the much beloved and incredibly moving “Precious” (in theaters now and a must see!) and the tense and harrowing journey that is “The Hurt Locker” (coming soon to DVD and quite possibly a future SPOTW), but for a master-class in enthralling movie-making, I suggest re-visiting UP on DVD/Blu-Ray. You might have heard the movie’s log-line when it was initially released at theaters and scoffed, questioning how could a movie ever work that is about a septuagenerian who uses helium balloons to fly his house to South America in order to keep a promise to the love of his life, all the while accompanied by a stowaway over-eager, over-weight, motor-mouthed boy scout? I mean imagine that very scenario being pitched to studio heads all across Hollywood and tell me what you think the response would be. I’ll be kind and just say that I don’t think the response would include many words beyond please get the f*ck out of my office (with the “please” part being optional at best). Though if the pitcher emphasized to the studio heads that talking dogs would also be involved in the plot of the movie, that may have at least helped them save face. I mean we all know how much Hollywood loves talking dog movies. Aren’t we lucky? Personally, I can’t wait for Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 to answer all of the questions that remained unanswered from the original. If this were my 10th column, you would know for a fact right now that I’m completely kidding and pretty much despise the dreck (but oh so profitable that dreck is), that is talking animal movies – but I should state there is always an exception to the rule, and if somebody is going to do it right, you know its going to be Pixar (“SQUIRREL!!” “My name is Dug. I have just met you and I love you.” “I do not like the cone of shame”. – oh there are too many examples of talking dog brilliance in UP, so please just watch the movie!) So thank the heavens for Pixar, where originality is championed and a movie as unique and rewarding as UP can be produced and released, and then that creative risk taken by the studio executives can be rewarded many times over by an enthralled movie audience that gets to enjoy the wonderful journey that is UP. Go rent/buy/itunes download UP now. I know you won’t be disappointed. But if you are, please email me at smarthollywood@gmail.com and let me know your thoughts. I always love a good debate. Or just email me anyway so that I know that I have at least one reader besides my immediate family. And for the record Disney has not (yet) paid me to endorse this gem, so this is my pure un-biased recommendation. For the further record, while the thought of a nice juicy bribe is enticing, for the integrity of this column and any future I may have as a member of the NY State Bar Association, I will have to politely decline such cash bribes. Please note though that I am working on setting up an off-shore charity to handle such concerns. Kidding.
If I knew you were willing to read another 1000 plus words about UP, I could easily go on and on, but I’m thinking I will not push my luck. That said, I’m honored to make UP my very first SPOTW!
Until next time.
JF
