After four rounds of competitive matches and over 200 total votes, March Movie Madness has finally come to an end, and the film you all have chosen as the greatest sports film ever made is….
March Movie Madness: We Have A Winner!
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Monthly Archives: March 2012
Anchorman 2: A Fan’s Suggestion To Help Make It A Worthy Sequel
The film world is buzzing today after Will Ferrell announced on last night’s episode of Conan that, along with producer Judd Apatow and director Adam McKay, he’s finally moving forward on the long-speculated-about sequel to the modern comedy classic, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Yes, you read that correct – Ron, Brian, Champ, and Brick will all be back together again on the big screen for Anchorman 2, and, honestly, I’m a bit excited at the possibilities in store for the gang that provided one of the most quoted comedy films of my generation. However, the news brings about an obvious question – is this a serious film decision or just another sequel to bring in some quick cash a la The Hangover 2?
March Movie Madness: THE CHAMPIONSHIP
While Louisville, Kentucky, Ohio State, and Kansas prepare to duke it out in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four on Saturday, March Movie Madness has finally arrived at the big showdown between the two sports films that you’ve chosen to compete against each other in the inaugural tournament’s Championship. Now, the only question remains, which of the two is the greatest sports film of all time? Before the Final round begins, let’s take a quick look at how this year’s Final Four turned out:
National Women’s History Month: My 5 Favorite Female Performances
When James Brown famously sang, “This is a a man’s world but it wouldn’t mean nothing without a woman or a girl,” he wasn’t kidding around, not in the slightest. Seriously, where would the world be without its women? Since March is National Women’s History Month, I got to thinking about women and film, and from Marilyn Monroe, to Kathryn Hepburn, to Meryl Streep, and more, it’s a fact that some actresses have given the film world some of its most prestigious performances. I mean, really, how can you forget about Elizabeth Taylor after watching Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? What about Jessica Tandy after Driving Miss Daisy? Or Vivien Leigh after Gone With The Wind? Or Tilda Swinton after We Need To Talk About Kevin? Clearly, the movies would be a very different place without the exceptional actresses that have graced the screen over time, and in honor of National Women’s History Month, here are five of my favorite female performances ever:
March Movie Madness (Final Four)
Before moving on to the March Movie Madness Final Four, I just wanted to take a quick moment to thank all of you for you’re enthusiastic involvement in this year’s inaugural tournament. I wasn’t expecting much when I decided to put this little game together, but thanks to all of your votes and comments, I have no doubt that March Movie Madness will finish strongly this year and continue next March with a new central topic – so thanks everybody! Now, however, let’s get to this year’s Final Four, a group of films that are all critically and popularly revered and that all strike sentimental chords thanks to their nostalgic qualities. First, let’s take a quick look at how Round Two played out:
21 Jump Street (2012): Hilariously Ridiculous ★★★
Ever since the widespread popularity and success of films like American Pie and There’s Something About Mary, the R-rated comedy has taken on a life and genre of its own over the years. Interestingly, as the R-rated comedy has grown in popularity, it has produced an innumerable amount of subgenres – there’s the outrageously vulgar R-rated comedy (Superbad, Role Models), the stoner R-rated comedy (Pineapple Express, Your Highness), the smart and witty R-rated comedy (Knocked Up, Bridesmaids), etc. However, ever since The Hangover, the ridiculous R-rated comedy has taken over – films that are so outlandish and unbelievably far-fetched that it’s pretty much impossible not to cry from laughter, and that, my friends, is the type of R-rated comedy that 21 Jump Street is.
March Movie Madness (Round Two)
Thanks in part to the large number of you who voted, March Movie Madness continues to round two. Of my original 16 favorite sports films only 8 remain, and it’s again all up to your votes to get your personal favorite a spot in the Final Four. Before you start this round’s voting, however, continue reading on to find out how each conference faired in Round One:
Bernard Herrmann: A Film Score Legend
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March Movie Madness (Round 1)
When you grow up in a house with a sports-addicted family like I did, March means only one thing: March Madness. Though I’ve never loved college basketball enough to fill out a bracket myself, I’ve seen my fair share of “bracketology” mayhem thanks to my brothers, and I’ve always watched the Final Four because, let’s face it, sporting finales are just so damn exciting. So, in honor of the annual event, I decided it might be kind of interesting to have a March Movie Madness, a tournament among sport films to find out which film is the genre’s ultimate king.
I’ve divided the tournament into four conferences – Baseball, Basketball, Football, Boxing – and I’ve picked 4 of my favorite films (all of which are also highly respected and popular sport films) in each conference to complete against one another (it’s like the “Sweet 16”). Each voting round will last for 4 days and, based on your votes, 16 will become 8, 8 will become 4, and so on until you’ve picked which film is simply the best sports film of all time by the end of the month.
Start voting and let March Movie Madness begin!
(Click page 2 below to start the first conference)
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Kathryn Hahn: More Than Just “That Girl”
Of the many wide ranging Hollywood stereotypes, one of the most frustrating ones for me happens to be the “that guy” or “that girl” – you know what I’m talking about: that actor or actress whose name you don’t know but whose face you immediately recognize because he/she has been in so many films (the response to seeing an actor like this is usually “Look! It’s that girl/guy!” – hence the stereotype title). While it’s not necessarily the viewers fault for not being able to name an actor, the stereotype is so frustrating because, more times than none, the “that girl/guy” is a seriously talented professional who deserves a hell of a lot more recognition. After recently watching Wanderlust, I came to the conclusion that it’s about time Kathryn Hahn ditch her “that girl” status and really lead a film – she’s not only a seriously funny lady, but she also is the comedy genre’s MVP, often stealing her films from underneath big name comedians.
SHARF @ THE MOVIES 