The MacGuffin

Well, what a weak year it has been. Not that there haven’t been movies and performances that I have liked, but nothing is easy to point to and say: “this is a great piece of cinema that deserve accolades and will be talked about years from now.” The Academy has done little to help here, with many random—and, in some cases, dismal—nomination choices. But still, they have to give these awards to someone. So, here are my guesses and personal choices for the Academy Awards.

I saw that everyone else was doing a top 10 for 2011 and wanted in on the fun, but then I realized I didn’t actually see all that many new movies in the theater last year. It turns out that I’ll see anything for a review, but when it comes to viewing for my own pleasure, I tend to stick to older movies or weird stuff. So, I’ve decided to create a top ten new-to-me list. These are movies that I saw during 2011 that I had never seen before that, for one reason or another, impressed the hell out of me. While I did have fun compiling this list, I need to keep better track of what I’m watching from now on. There was a lot of “What the hell did I watch last year?” going on. (I have started a spreadsheet for 2012.) What were your new-to-you favorites last year?

With 2011 officially in the books, it’s time once again to look back and reflect on some of the best films that have come out in the past year. As with all movie writers, coming up with a list like this is usually expected, but also damn near impossible. To me, reading and writing these types of articles are only beneficial in spreading word about titles that really had an effect on me, while stirring up debate between those who strongly agree with my choices, or vehemently disagree. No one list is ever truly definitive; what is considered great to one may not register the same way to another. The only real truth is that 2011 had a wide range of very interesting and fascinating films, and just like every year, there’s always a good handful worth noting.

I love the Oscar race! Just looking at the potential films and seeing which will become major contenders sends excitement coursing through me, especially for Best Picture. I try to figure out the films that the Academy will love and, more importantly, which films will I love as well. I always hope that I will agree with the Academy, because despite what my feelings might be about the Academy, them giving a movie Best Picture helps a movie become more well known and helps people embrace it. So, when they give it to something less than deserving (or worse), it is like they are hurting film. This is an intense love/hate relationship for me, but I keep coming back and right now we have reached the end of summer and are entering the fall. This is usually the starting point for the Oscar season.

Another Top 5 segment from The MacGuffin. This time Brandi and Allen share their top 5 ensembles.

This segment is also available on Stitcher, iTunes, and Zune. The audio version can be downloaded directly from here. After you’ve watched the video please vote in our poll and share which one you think is the best.

Another Top 5 segment from The MacGuffin. This time Brandi and Allen share their top 5 movies about movies.

This segment is also available on Stitcher, iTunes, and Zune. The audio version can be downloaded directly from here. After you’ve watched the video please vote in our poll and share which one you think is the best.

What I’ve Been Watching

Movies:

Captain America was a lot of fun. After everyone’s initial trepidation, it turns out that Chris Evans filled Cap’s boots admirably. And casting-wise, the big highlight was Hugo Weaving as the Red Skull. He is carving himself quite a career as a menacing figure with a rich voice behind it. The young comic book geek inside of me is getting awfully excited about all of these pieces for the upcoming Avengers movie continuing to come together. Does it all make for groundbreaking storytelling? No. But it is smile-inducing.

The MacGuffin crew discuss , from director/writer/actor Woody Allen and co-starring Diane Keaton.

This episode can be played online via the flash player below or it can be downloaded from here. It is available on iTunes, Zune, and Stitcher.

Woody Allen begins his film Annie Hall (1977) with a monologue in which he addresses the audience directly. Within this speech, he describes a joke that he first attributes to Groucho Marx, saying that he would never want to be a part of a club that would have him as a member. This joke, with its classic Woody Allen self-deprecating humor and wit, is the theme that will run throughout the course of his romantic comedy classic. It will be the theme that he uses to deconstruct and analyze the course of his relationship with the woman he would come to find is the love of his life. But if she was “the one” to him, why did things turn out the way they did? If he had happiness in his grasp at one point, how could he have let that slip away? Would he have been satisfied allowing himself to be a part of a club that would have him as a member, or is he only happy when he is unhappy?

How nice it would be if the things we wanted just fell directly in to our laps.  Never needing to work hard for it, never having to sacrifice anything, being rewarded for apparently no reason.  Man, that would be nice.  Well, that’s exactly what happens to the lead character of Easier with Practice (2009), an independent film written and directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez.  In it, a lonely and struggling writer yearns to have some emotional connection with another person, and despite having plenty of opportunities to fill that void in his life, the one person he wants to be with is the one person he knows nothing about, don’t you hate it when that happens?