Ten Best Films of 2009

The year 2009 has come to an end, and I admit I got to enjoy a bunch of superb films, even though the movie year wasn't necessarily as powerful in terms of quality as some other recent years.

That said, these are my favorite flicks of 2009. Please note I picked these movies from all those I've seen this year. I really tried to watch as many as possible, but I admit I did miss a few in the end.

To keep a long story short, enjoy these picks and feel free to comment on them or post your own top 10. Thanks for stopping by, and here's to a new year filled with awesome cinematic experiences.

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2009 Screening Log Movie Awards Nominations!

The nominations for the 1st annual Screening Log Movie Awards are in! I've selected the best of 2009 and narrowed them down to less than a dozen per category. Winners are announced Dec. 28, 2009.

A few notes on the process: These nominations reflect my selection of the best films I've seen this year. I've enjoyed many excellent movies this year, and I engaged in this process to honor my favorite ones of '09.

Over the course of this week, I will be looking more closely at each category and pick the ones I personally believe deserve to win. Please know these are solely my own, personal favorites of the year!

Let's get to it then! Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker" took home four nominations, and "Up in the Air" received seven nominations. Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" earned six, and "The Road" took five.

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New York online critics name 'Avatar' best of '09

It has begun! James Cameron's anticipated spectacle "Avatar" was screened for us critics last week, and the New York Film Critics Online on Sunday named the upcoming sci-fi action epic the best film of 2009.

"Avatar," however, only took home one award. It was Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" that was named winner in four different categories, starting with best screenplay by Quentin Tarantino.

The violent WWII drama also won best cinematography for Robert Richardson, and actor Christopher Waltz took home the awards for best supporting actor and breakthrough performer. That's good to hear!

Jeff Bridges was named best actor for his role in "Crazy Heart," while Meryl Streep won in the best actress category for "Julie & Julia." Mo'Nique took home the award for best supporting actress for "Precious."

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Five best films of 2009 (so far)

5. THE SOLOIST
Even though Joe Wright's "The Soloist" did not impress me as much as I expected, I still ended up loving it, particularly because of its unforgettable story, gorgeous photography, stellar cast and marvelous soundtrack. As a film about the power of friendship and the struggle for redemption, "The Soloist" worked really well, and what I enjoyed most was Robert Downey Jr.'s honest and heartfelt performance.

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Box Office: ‘Hannah Montana’ delivers solid $34M

Weekend of April 10 – 12, 2009

Walt Disney’s “Hannah Montana: The Movie” soared to the top of the North American box office this weekend with $34 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Directed by Peter Chelsom, the film is based on Disney’s popular television series and stars Miley Cyrus as an energetic teenager who gets to reexamine her hectic double life as a famous pop star during a trip to her hometown.

Last week’s winner “Fast & Furious” collected another solid $28.7 million in second place, reaching a cumulative gross of $118 million after a strong two-week run. In the Justin Lin-directed action flick, Paul Walker and Vin Diesel team up to infiltrate the operations of a ruthless drug lord.

Meanwhile, DreamWorks Animation’s latest family adventure “Monsters vs. Aliens” dropped to No. 3, taking home $22.6 million and bringing its domestic total to $141 million. In the film, a group of eccentric monsters assist the U.S. government in battling a hostile alien planning to take over the world.

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Movie Review: “Adventureland”

Seen on: April 4, 2009

The players: Director: Greg Mottola, Writer: Greg Mottola, Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Martin Starr, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig

Facts of interest: Mottola also directed "Superbad."

The plot: A recent college grad realizes he doesn't have enough money for his Europe trip and decides to take a job at a local amusement park.

Our quick thoughts: Greg Mottola’s “Adventureland” is a wonderful ride, and I loved every minute of it. A sincere, intriguing look at teenage love and all the hurdles that can come with it, the film boasts a bunch of passionate characters, a solid dose of subtle humor and a classic soundtrack that all together make for a wildly entertaining viewing experience you’ll want to revisit again and again.

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Box Office: ‘Fast & Furious’ delivers stunning $72M

Weekend of April 3 – 5, 2009

“Fast & Furious” easily outraced its competition at the North American box office this weekend with a stunning $72.5 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The return of Vin Diesel and Paul Walker in the lead roles proved to be quite lucrative, as the fourth installment in the popular series delivered a better opening weekend than any of its three predecessors.

Also doing pretty well this weekend was DreamWorks Animation’s “Monsters Vs. Aliens,” which took home another $33.5 million for a domestic total of $105.7 million after only two weeks in release.

At No. 3, “The Haunting in Connecticut” pulled in $9.5 million, reaching a total gross of $37.2 million. Starring Virginia Madsen, the Peter Cornwell-directed horror thriller follows a family experiencing supernatural events in their new home.

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'Fast & Furious' wins Friday b.o. race with $30M

"Fast & Furious" raced to the top of the North American box office Friday with a whopping $30.1 million in ticket sales.

The fourth installment in the popular series easily beat the $9.7 million opening day gross of its predecessor, "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift." In the Justin Lin-directed film, Vin Diesel and Paul Walker team up to infiltrate the operations of a drug lord. 

Things didn't go so well for "Adventureland," this week's second wide release. The Greg Mottola-directed comedy starring Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart finished in sixth place and only pulled in $2.1 million. The movie follows a recent college grad who takes on a crappy job at an amusement park.

At No. 2, DreamWorks Animation's "Monsters vs. Aliens" took home another $8.9 million, lifting its total gross to $81.9 million. Following in thid place with $3.6 million was "The Haunting in Connecticut," which brought its domestic total to $31.3 million.

Meanwhile, "I Love You, Man" collected $2.7 million at No. 4, reaching a cumulative gross of $44.1 million. Nicholas Cage's latest thriller "Knowing" took home $2.6 million for a total of $52.7 million.

Source: Box Office Mojo (www.boxofficemojo.com)

'Adventureland' web reviews

"Superbad" director Greg Mottola returns to the big screen with "Adventureland," a comedy that is set in 1987 and follows a recent college grad as he takes on a boring job at an amusement park. Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig star, and here is what the Web's critics say:

• Erik Davis at Cinematical: "Once on the grounds of Adventureland, the film really takes off -- reminding us not only of the summer-fling films of our youth, but also introducing a wicked ensemble cast who put the funk back in funktastic."

• Cinema Blend's Katey Rich: "But the movie is funny enough, and an enjoyable ride overall, and most importantly evokes those familiar nostalgic feelings that get you looking over old camp photos one random night."

• RopeOfSilicon's Brad Brevet: "The only negative I can come up with is that it does have a few moments where it drags, but I appreciate the effort by writer/director Greg Mottola to tell a story as opposed to only offering enough plot to get the story to the next punchline."

• Joblo's JimmyO: "I really loved Adventureland. I watched the trailers and I was expecting something else, but I certainly wasn’t expecting something as warm and honest as it turned out to be."

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This week's new movie releases - April 3, 2009

This week, we're only looking at two wide releases: Greg Mottola's comedy "Adventureland" with Jesse Eisenberg, Ryan Reynolds, Kristen Stewart and Bill Hader, and Justin Lin's "Fast & Furious," starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster:

FAST & FURIOUS

Synopsis: When a crime brings them back to L.A., fugitive ex-con Dom Toretto reignites his feud with agent Brian O'Conner. But as they are forced to confront a shared enemy, Dom and Brian must give in to an uncertain new trust if they hope to outmanuever him. And from convoy heists to precision tunnel crawls across international lines, two men will find the best way to get revenge: push the limits of what's possible behind the wheel.

First thoughts: I enjoyed "The Fast and the Furious," but I wasn't at all impressed by "2 Fast 2 Furious." I haven't even seen "Tokyo Drift." Anyway, the return of the original cast does souns appealing, and I am really interested to see whether Walker and Diesel can steer this franchise back into the right direction.

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