5 Films #7: Charlize Theron

For part 7 of my 5 Films series, I chose that sophisticated South African beauty, Academy Award winner Charlize Theron. Known for her portrayals of strong but vulnerable on the inside characters, Theron is the founder of the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Program and a strong activist for other important causes.

Like Catherine Deneuve and NIcole Kidman before her, Theron is one of the most beautiful actresses but one who takes on roles that critique her own status as cinematic beauty. Theron's most famous performances are ones that strip her of her vanity and allow her to get down and dirty with her characters. For that reason, she is one of the most surprising working actors.

1. The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001; Woody Allen)
One of Theron's pre A-list roles was as wealthy heiress Laura Kensington in Woody Allen's 1940s-set hypnosis comedy. She only has a handful of scenes, all almost exclusively with Allen himself. But her scenes with Allen consist of some funny verbal sparring and sexy banter and they liven up this film, which came during Allen's early 2000s/pre-Match Point slump. Her lively and wildly funny performance offers a glimpse of Theron's inherent charm and sense of humor, qualities that have helped her maintain strong goodwill within the industry and with audiences. Hopefully, Allen will cast her in a leading role in the future.

2. Monster (2003; Patty Jenkins)
Because the Academy Awards are so arbitrary and because it's no secret that campaigning and Hollywood politics have a lot to do with who wins, it's truly rare for an actor's winning performance to be also be their career-defining performance. Such honor goes to Charlize Theron's Oscar winning turn as real life serial killer Aileen Wuornos. Let's just put aside the physical transformation (which was magnificent). The reason why Monster is a true testament to Charlize Theron's talent is that she completely adopts Wuornos' mannerisms, vocal inflections and awkward, mannish gait. She completely assumes the persona of Wuornos, which we can all agree is worlds apart from Theron's own. What's even more brilliant is that this role completely catapulted her to superstardom. Most see the Oscar win as a peak in their careers; for Theron, it was just the beginning.

3. North Country (2005; Niki Caro)
Theron scored herself another Oscar nomination for her work as Josey Aimes, the real life woman who won a landmark sexual harassment case against her coal mining employers. Her performance in this film is quite strong. She maintains a remarkably nuanced balance between fighter against the system and broken bird struggling to survive. That's a common theme of her career, really. She likes playing these characters who have to put on a front just to get through the day. Balanced by a cast of respected character actors, North Country is another star performance from Theron. While not as memorable or unpredictable as Monster, it's still an interesting drama for Theron fans.

4. Aeon Flux (2005; Karyn Kusama)
Like so many Oscar winners before her, Charlize Theron's post Oscar career wasn't all apple pies and kittens. One of the few blemishes on her career is this adaptation of the 90s MTV animated show. She plays the title character, a solider of a revolution brewing beneath an idyllic but dangerous futuristic society. Visually, it's pretty striking but the script and story are both mind-numbingly dumb. Normally, I'd say that Theron does her best with the material but truthfully she looks comatose and withdrawn. She's just not having any fun with the character or action scenes. Her performance is so bad that I couldn't even believe it was her. Talented as she is in most roles, Theron's work in Aeon Flux demonstrates that she isn't infallible as an actor.

5. Young Adult (2011; Jason Reitman)
I mentioned earlier that Monster was Theron's career-defining performance. But her performance in Young Adult proves that she is still a surprising, unpredictable actor. As Mavis Gary, the divorced and delusional ex-prom queen, Theron offers a riveting, enthralling performance. Unlike Monster and North Country, however, she isn't stripped of her movie star glamor. In fact, her stunning looks are her greatest asset in the movie. Theron so masterfully conveys a not-so-tiny nervous breakdown beneath the fashionable clothes and stylish hair. Through Mavis's vanity, Theron bravely sheds her own and offers one of her ugliest but truly tragic characters. As you can probably tell, Young Adult is my favorite performance by Charlize Theron. She received many award nominations (though, sadly, not for the Academy Award) and this commanding performance truly deserved them.

Other remarkable films starring Charlize Theron:
1. Prometheus
2. The Italian Job
3. In the Valley of Elah
4. The Devil's Advocate
5. Snow White and the Hunstman (not all that remarkable but notable for Theron's work)

Hope you enjoyed the Charlize Theron installment of my 5 Films series. For part 8, I've chosen Mr. Southern Smiles himself, Matthew McConaughey. Stay tuned!

5 Films #6: Brad Pitt

It's been a while since I did a 5 Films blog but the time is right to finally post the 6th entry. At the end of the Scarlett Johansson edition of 5 Films, I had named 4-time Academy Award nominee Brad Pitt as the star of the 6th edition. Brad Pitt definitely has managed to overcome the side effects of being a hunky movie star by taking on a variety of fascinating roles, some as the lead and some as a supporting character.

I think this has to do with Pitt rising to prominence just before the Superhero Craze of the 2000s. I can imagine a world where he is the 1st on the list for Superman or Captain America or even Batman. But like his similarly chiseled but respected colleague Matthew McConaughey, he narrowly escaped the fate that awaits Henry Cavill or the Chris-es Hemsworth and Evans.

1.  Se7en (1995; David Fincher)
In the 1990s, Pitt established himself as a respectable supporting actor, and even earned his first Oscar nom for his work in 12 Monkeys. In Se7en, he plays Det. David Mills, the young hotshot cop contrasted to the more world-weary Somerset, played by Morgan Freeman. What's remarkable about Pitt's performance here is that it isn't very showy. I myself had trouble in figuring out how to describe and qualify it. Pitt is more concerned with making his character gel with his surroundings than putting in a show-stopper of a performance. Pitt is a surprisingly restrained actor but I think it's because he likes to really wow the audience when he drops the restrain like during the famous "what's in the box?" climax of Se7en.

2. Troy (2004; Wolfgang Petersen)
I mentioned earlier that Pitt gets taken seriously as an actor because he so rarely uses his looks as a crutch. Of course, the big counterpoint to that argument is Troy, where he is the most beautiful member in a cast that includes the crazy-hot ladies Diane Kruger, Julie Christie and Rose Byrne. In the grand scheme of his career, I can't quite place Pitt's performance as Achilles in this retelling of the Helen of Troy story (also called The Iliad). This is definitely a star performance but in a way that Pitt hadn't done before and hasn't really done since. This isn't Pitt disappearing into the character, this is BRAD PITT, MOVIE STAR in a toga carrying a sword. No, I wouldn't count his work here as some of his finest--but I think that's because this movie is focused on being epic and not on crafting fascinating characters and plots.

3. Burn After Reading (2008, Joel and Ethan Coen)
One thing that really fascinates me about Brad Pitt is that he can do a movie like Troy where he is the star of the show and then he can do a movie like Burn After Reading, where his role is just an extended cameo. Of course, one of the tricks of Burn After Reading is that it makes you think that Pitt is the star of the show and his departure from the film is one of its most shocking yet hilarious moments. As Chad Feldheimer, Pitt is playing such a ridiculous, cartoonish character and he really commits to the ditzy, dumb Chad and his quirks. For me, it was weirdly cool to see Pitt play a character that would normally go to someone less A-list. Like I said, Pitt so rarely goes over the top, but when he does in this movie, it's incredibly effective.

4. Inglourious Basterds (2009; Quentin Tarantino)
Pitt's commitment to his oddball character in Burn After Reading was really just a precursor to his brilliant work in Inglourious Basterds. As Lt. Aldo Raine, Pitt again brings out his goofy charisma but then mixes it with an unnerving menace. There are a lot of laughs to be found in his performance (like how he pronounces the word Nazi) but at the same time, there's something really unsettling about the glee he takes from scalping Nazis. Pitt's natural charm and A-list persona get us on his side but the danger in his performance confronts us with our own revenge fantasies. It is truly a sublime performance. At first I wondered why someone of Pitt's clout would take on such a small role, where he plays second fiddle to the unknown at the time Melanie Laurent and Christoph Waltz. His small role wasn't meant to dupe the audience like in Burn After Reading. Such a challenging balancing act between comedy and menace, however, required an actor of Pitt's calibre.

5. Moneyball (2011; Bennett Miller)
As in awe as I am of Pitt's work as Aldo Raine, his most grand achievement as an actor was as Billy Beane in Moneyball. What makes this performance better than the others listed is that it's incredibly naturalistic. His work feels lived-in and nuanced, as if he's been playing Billy Beane for years or, rather, has been Billy Beane for years. Though Pitt exploits his inherent charm and coolness in the role, underneath all that is the crushing disappointment of unrealized potential. Pitt channels the tragedy of Beane's past into his aggressive belief in the moneyball system. It's also quite ingenious the way Pitt shows Beane taking off his GM mask and becoming a devoted father when with his daughter. This suggests that his baseball team isn't everything, even though he's ready to put everything on the line to save it. I was severely disappointed when Pitt lost the Oscar to Jean Dujardin at the 2012 Academy Awards because his work here was effortless and authentic but I guess that's not the kind of thing the Academy goes for these days.

Other remarkable films starring Brad Pitt:
1. Ocean's 11, 12 and 13
2. Fight Club
3. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
4. The Tree of Life
5. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Look out for part 7 of "5 Films" starring the great and powerful Charlize Theron.

The Greatest Episodes of American Dad (part 2)

A few months ago, I listed the best episodes of American Dad seasons 1-4. Now I'm gonna do seasons 5-8. Enjoy!

Season 5, Episode 4: Brains, Brains and Automobiles
With Steve and Hayley away for the summer, Stan is dreading spending time alone with Francine out of fear that she'll discover how boring he is. Luckily they have a pansexual, alcoholic, drug addicted, disguise wearing alien in the attic. As Francine tries to get Roger to move on with his life, Stan interferes and sends Roger into a coma. The episode is goofy and takes a bizarre trip into Roger's mind which is as horrifying as you might imagine. A lot of people consider season 5 to be the show's best (an assessment I don't disagree with) and I think it's because the season achieves an inspired level of absurdity but with some real emotional stakes. This episode is a great example of that.

Season 5, Episode 15: Merlot Down Dirty Shame
This is another strong Stan-Francine-Roger episode with Fran and Rog going on a wine tour, getting twisted-drunk and accidentally kissing. But when Stan surprises by joining them, hilarity ensues. The writing on this episode is remarkably strong. Also, this episode maintains a frantic pace with Roger trying to keep Stan from finding out about the kiss. Then he tries to get Stan to kiss bartender Mia whom Roger is attracted to and repulsed by (this leads to one of my favorite moments in the show, Roger singing "lips are for kissing, uh, uh, uh"). The lucid dream plot with Steve, Hayley and Klaus is funny but ends in some gruesome dark comedy, which I'm not sure the episode needed. But that's a small blemish on this near perfect episode.

Season 5, Episode 18: Great Space Roaster
Season 5 concludes with Roger 1601st birthday and he wants a roast. Of course, being Roger, he can't take the jokes and goes on a murderous rampage against the Smiths. They are forced to go to Space to escape, leading to an inspired Alien parody. This is another especially well-written episode with the two roast sequences being major highlights. What I like about this episode is that there isn't a B-plot and it has the Smith family all together. These four plus Roger and Klaus have a zany chemistry together, a comic well that the show doesn't turn to as often as it could.

Other season 5 highlights: In Country...Club, Rapture's Delight, A Jones for a Smith, Don't Look a Smith Horse in the Mouth and Bully for Steve.

Season 6, Episode 10: Stanny Boy and Frantastic
Stan and Francine search for another couple to hang out with and end up trying to keep up with an active, younger couple. It's a funny episode, one that gives Stan and Francine a lot of material where they can bounce off each other and do crazy stuff together. That's one thing that Family Guy or The Cleveland Show misses out on because those shows always have the dumb husband/nagging wife combo. The B plot, with Steve and Roger put on hold for two weeks when calling a customer service line for a faulty product, is hysterical--especially when it interacts with the A plot a few times.

Season 6, Episode 11: A Pinata Named Desire
This episode has become one of my favorites because it is jam-packed. A lot goes on in this episode and it features many comic set pieces, each funnier than the last. Even so, the episode doesn't feel frantic or rushed. With Stan and Roger competing for the lead role in the pseudo-intellectual play Pinata Man and Steve and his friends planning one last sleepover, the show mines a lot of great jokes about male friendships and competitiveness. The Stan and Roger plot has a lot of great stuff but the final play scene is just perfect. The women on the show don't really get much to do except deliver a few solid one-liners but overall, this episode is an exceptionally strong half-hour.

Season 6, Episode 13: I am the Walrus
Stan and Steve have a father-son relationship that I at first didn't find all that interesting but now has become one of my favorite dynamics on the show. Stan is all about traditional norms of masculinity and Steve continues to fail to live up to that and it makes for some great material throughout the show. This episode has the two of them competing for masculine dominance in the animal kingdom that is the Smith home. It's hysterical, some truly rich jokes. The B plot has Hayley and husband Jeff go to marriage counseling with reliable funnyman Principal Lewis and their interactions are pretty funny. Even Francine has a lot of great stuff to work with in this Steve/Stan heavy episode, which makes it even better.

Other season 6 highlights: Stan's Food Restaurant, School Lies, Jenny Fromdabloc, Home Wrecker and Gorillas in the Mist.

Season 7, Episode 5: Virtual In-Stanity
One thing I touched upon a few times in the last American Dad blog post was that AD pulls off edgy, weird, racy humor quite well and Virtual In-Stanity, in which Stan makes himself a hot blond teenage girl robot avatar and seduces Steve in an effort to bond with his son, is just an out-there plot that only this show could pull it off. It features some excellent jokes, some of which really come out of nowhere and gives each character a few good moments. The whole thing ends with a random Avatar homage and a truly funny/exciting fight scene. The B plot has limo driver Roger stalking and murdering a group of frat boys who stiffed him the bill. It is one of my favorite late-season Roger plots because it is so ridiculous and over-the-top, these horrific murders become just hysterical.

Season 7, Episode 6: The Scarlett Getter
When Stan's old CIA crush Scarlett Reynolds (probably named after Tony winner Scarlett Johansson, formerly Reynolds) comes back to town, those old feelings come rushing back. Jealous Francine gets Roger to put on his most charming disguise, Dan Andsome-Handsome, and seduce Scarlett away from Stan.  Stan can be such a jerk that it's easy to forget what a great, funny character he is. This episode is really strong for him as his jealous act when Scarlett and Dan Andsome-Handsome are together is a total riot. The end of the episode is super strong also even though it gets a little gruesome. Steve's "lucky panties" B plot is also terrific, giving him, Snot and Hayley some really fun stuff to work with.

Season 7, Episode 14: Stan's Best Friend
I can imagine this episode being somewhat controversial as it makes a case for euthanasia, itself a controversial subject. And this episode features a lot of laughs but it does feature a strong emotional throughline about pets and the unconditional love they give. Stan's Best Friend also features a terrific one-shot character Dr. Lizzie, the psychotic lesbian alt-medicine veterinarian. Her character is truly awful but the writers made her kooky enough to be funny and memorable. There is some nice meta-commentary about the show's wobbly continuity and Steve's constant crying is another good running gag. The B plot with Jeff and Hayley is throwaway and is not all that memorable but it doesn't ruin the episode.

Other season 7 highlights: The Unbrave One, Stanny Tendergrass, Wheels & the Legman and the Case of Grandpa's Key, Old Stan in the Mountain and Ricky Spanish.

Season 8, Episode 5: Why Can't We Be Friends?
Stan's hard and fast rules for manhood have been touched on a lot in the show and there have been some great episodes where Stan gets to be a kid again (most notably in Season 5's Man in the Moonbounce). Here, Stan gets to know what it's like having a truly awesome best friend when he sends Steve's BFF Snot to a fake witness protection program but then becomes friends with Snot himself. It's a great episode about friendship, but what makes it even more remarkable is that the friendship between Steve and Snot is rich in unique but relatable details. The episode makes the effort to demonstrate why Steve and Stan value Snot so much as a friend. The episode is elevated to classic status with the B plot of Roger paying Jeff to clean the attic then robbing him later. It's classic AD B plot with the escalation of events getting even more ridiculous until a great over-the-top finale.

Season 8, Episode 6: Adventures in Hayley-sitting
Once the show dried up the well of political comedy and focused more on character-based sitcom hijinks, Hayley was given B plots, running gags or wasn't even featured at all. Part of that was due to Hayley's voice actress Rachael MacFarlane taking time off to raise her family. In this episode, Steve sneaks out to a party when Hayley makes fun of him and his friends, then she chases them all over town because she wants to show her parents that she's responsible. It's a great setup and the writing lives up to it. Nonstop gags, memorable supporting characters and some really solid one-liners make this one of the zaniest episodes yet. I didn't even mention the funny B plot with Stan and Francine being unable to keep their hands off each other while going to a Cavalia show .

Season 8, Episode 18: Lost in Space
American Dad invites you to become invested in the characters' personal journey, something missing from the other animated shows on Fox. Lost in Space is a terrifically moving episode. A few episodes before, Jeff had been beamed up to a spaceship from Roger's home planet, and this episode finds him trying to make his way back to Earth, by proving to Roger's home planet's Emperor that Hayley is his true love. The episode is very funny, even without most of the Smith characters. It features light parodies of sci-fi with some other clever jokes and fun characters. Such a big departure from the show's regular format was a huge risk but the episode works beautifully. Jeff escapes from the spaceship but still doesn't make it back to Earth at the end. This opens the door for the exciting prospect of a sequel episode or two.

Other season 8 highlights: American Stepdad, The Adventures of Twill Ongenbone and His Boy Jabari, Blood Crieth Unto Heaven, Max Jets and Spelling Bee My Baby.

So there you have it, the 12 best episodes of American Dad seasons 5-8. The 9th season of American Dad premieres Sunday, Sept. 29th at 9:30 pm on Fox. This will be the last season of the show to air on Fox; TBS has bought the show from the network and will air 15 original episodes starting in 2014.

In Honor of Blue Jasmine, My Top 10 Favorite Woody Allen Films

With Woody Allen's San Francisco-set drama Blue Jasmine garnering good reviews and strong box office numbers, it seems that Woody Allen's career is finally achieving the same peak he had in the 70s and again in the 80s. So to celebrate my #2 favorite director's latest success, here are my top 10 favorite Woody Allen movies. Admittedly, I haven't seen Everyone Says I Love You, Husbands and Wives, Sweet and Lowdown or Bullets over Broadway, all of which have strong critical followings.

10. Love and Death; 1975, with Diane Keaton and Woody Allen
I would call Love and Death one of Allen's goofiest, loosest comedies, if not the loosest and goofiest. Love and Death is a satire of Russian epic novels, with jokes about Ingmar Bergman and other intellectualist fodder thrown in. It's a zany, nonstop comedy with a remarkable performance from Diane Keaton, just a few years shy of her landmark role in Annie Hall. Some of the jokes went over my head but the entire enterprise is so light and breezy, it remains fun until the end.

9. Scoop; 2006, with Scarlett Johansson, Woody Allen and Hugh Jackman

tied with  Manhattan Murder Mystery; 1993, with Diane Keaton, Woody Allen, Anjelica Huston and Alan Alda

These 2 comedies, featuring a group of inept but plucky amateur detectives trying to get to the bottom of a mystery which may or may not exist, are what critics like to call "slight." They don't have any Grand Statements About Humanity. They give off the feeling that Allen got together with a bunch of friends or people he likes, threw a script together and went a-shootin'. Of course, the mysteries in these films are genuinely interesting and clever. Plus these movies are funny and they get funnier with time.

8. Deconstructing Harry; 1997, with Woody Allen, Billy Crystal, Kirstie Alley and Judy Davis
A twisted take on Ingmar Bergman's classic Wild Strawberries, Deconstructing Harry is perhaps one of Woody Allen's most "different" films. It features a large supporting cast, most of whom play characters written by Allen's character. The humor is edgier and R-rated and the film takes an extended trip into Hell. Deconstructing Harry is a bizarre but insightful comedy about what it takes to be a genius.

7. Match Point; 2005, with Scarlett Johansson, Jonathon Rhys-Meyers, Emily Mortimer and Matthew Goode
After a string of mediocre to bad comedies in the late 90s and early 2000s, Woody bounced back with this tense erotic drama-thriller about class and entitlement. With knockout performances, including one from a neurotic, shrewish Scarlett Johansson, and an air of claustrophobic paranoia, Match Point is unlike any other movie Woody Allen had ever made. It feels almost Hitchcockian with its suspense and convoluted but believable plot. I credit Match Point for reinvigorating Woody Allen's career and it is really a reminder that Allen has a lot of tricks up his sleeve.

6. Radio Days; 1987, with Seth Green, Mia Farrow, Danny Aiello and Dianne Wiest
Woody Allen has never been shy about quoting his influences in his films. And like he did with Ingmar Bergman and Alfred Hitchcock, Allen is directly referencing Federico Fellini's classic Amarcord here. Radio Days, about a young boy living in Brooklyn in the 1940s, is a series of vaguely connected vignettes about WWII America. It's a personal film, the closest Allen ever got to a full autobiography. The large cast and the sharp, insightful script make the 1940s come alive

5. The Purple Rose of Cairo; 1985, with Mia Farrow, Jeff Daniels and Danny Aiello
A sensitive, romantic but tragic piece, Purple Rose provides 80s-era Woody Allen favorite Mia Farrow with her best performance and role. It's a quiet film about the love of cinema and all that comes with it. The air of doomed romance hovering over this film gives it a melancholic beauty that had been missing in Allen's work since the late 70s. Purple Rose is a gem of a film, a sweet story with a dynamite ending.

4. Annie Hall; 1977, with Diane Keaton, Woody Allen and Tony Roberts
For a lot of people, Annie Hall is THE Woody Allen film. Its nonlinear narrative, use of flashbacks and split screens, fantasy sequences, musical selections and sad ending were all unique to the film industry at the time. What makes Annie Hall so special is just how ordinary it is underneath all the technical mastery. Annie Hall and Alvy Singer feel like two people you might see on the street. Of course, this is Diane Keaton's signature performance. Her work here as a woman who learns so much from her lover that she surpasses him professionally, intellectually and emotionally is especially brilliant. The script is as powerful as ever and the jokes remain fresh and funny.

3. Vicky Cristina Barcelona; 2008, with Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Rebecca Hall and Chris Messina
Using Spain as a backdrop, Vicky Cristina Barcelona is without a doubt the best looking film Allen has ever made. The vibrant colors and stunning locales make a perfect setting for this existential romance about five people all searching for something they can't identify. The cast is uniformly excellent, with Penelope Cruz and Rebecca Hall giving the best performances. The music is sublime, trading in Allen's usual  jazz for the Spanish guitar. Crushing doubt, insecurity and loss is at the center of this film, themes that Allen has touched on in a few of his previous films. Of course, Spain and the beautiful cast make such emotional crises look glamorously surreal.

2. Hannah and Her Sisters; 1986, with Mia Farrow, Dianne Wiest, Barbara Hershey, Michael Caine and Woody Allen
Hannah and Her Sisters is like the 80s version of Vicky Cristina Barcelona. But instead of the Spanish summer, this film covers an entire Manhattan year. Woody Allen movies tend to be a little on the cynical side or at least have some kind of bittersweet ending. But Hannah is a much more optimistic film, even though the characters suffer from a general malaise throughout. Dianne Wiest is the standout here as a neurotic, doubtful woman who comes into her own just before a total meltdown. This film is contemplative and thoughtful, with chapter headings and inner monologues. It plays out like a novel, going from character to character, subplot to subplot with ease and swiftness.

1. Manhattan; 1979, with Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Michael Murphy, Mariel Hemingway and Meryl Streep
Shot in a nostalgic black and white, Manhattan takes aninsightful look at the relationships of a few flawed but self-aware individuals. It features my favorite performance from Woody himself as a man who just can't seem to get it right when it comes to women. The soundtrack is absolutely magical, the dialogue is poetic and lyrical and the film has a sprawling epic feel even though its themes and situations are decidedly small-scale. Manhattan is famous for being loved by the public but inexplicably hated by Woody Allen. I'll never understand what Woody sees in Manhattan that makes him hate it so much. But for me, it is his definitive masterpiece.

With a career that goes back into the late 60s, it was extremely hard to pick just 10 movies for the list. I tried to take a few from each decade that represented his best from that period.

Here are some honorable mentions:
Midnight in Paris (2011)
Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
Broadway Danny Rose (1984)
Stardust Memories (1980)
Interiors (1978)

Blue Jasmine is now playing in NY and Los Angeles and should be heading into wide release either August 2nd or August 9th.

"This is the End": Satire of Celebrity Lifestyle

A comedy about a bunch of dudes who try to survive the Apocalypse. That was probably the pitch for "This is the End." And it stars a bunch of comedy actors who range from "oh, right, that guy" to A-listers: James, Franco, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, Danny McBride and Jay Baruchel.

That's a movie that could be made today. End of the world movies are hot right now and those guys are (relatively) likable. But the interesting thing about "This is the End" is that all these guys are playing themselves or, rather, fictionalized versions of themselves. And there are a bunch of cameos from other Hollywood types like Michael Cera, Rihanna, Mindy Kaling, Jason Segel, Kevin Hart, Aziz Ansari, Channing Tatum, Paul Rudd and Emma Watson.

Here's what I like about celebrities playing themselves in comedies: it shows a great deal of self-awareness and good humor. Some of the guest appearances, most of which are at a big Hollywood bash at Franco's house, make the star look kinda dickish. But it's really clever to do a self-deprecating cameo. You watch Michael Cera as Michael Cera being an asshole and you think there's no way he (or his PR team) would let himself be portrayed like a total jerk if he really were a total jerk. Playing yourself in such an exaggerated fashion is like saying to the audience "hey, I'm actually really cool because I can laugh at myself!"

The other cool thing about stars playing themselves is that you get to see them interact with each other in cool ways, like Jason Segel making jokes about HIMYM to Kevin Hart or Rihanna smacking Michael Cera pretty hard for touching her inappropriately. Because these are popular actors, musicians and comedians, they bring their careers and personas with them. It's like when random celebrities tweet each other and it's like wow they're all friends!

"This is the End" is a very funny movie. Seeing these six guys play off each other is great fun and the whole thing has a "let's put on a show" vibe. For a while, it avoids taking everything too seriously and almost plays like a stoner parody of an Ingmar Bergman movie. There's tension and claustrophobia and limited supplies and everyone goes a little crazy.

One of my favorite lines from the film is when the Apocalypse starts to begin and the guys all think it's just a massive earthquake. Jonah Hill figures that the first people to get rescued will be them because they're popular actors. "George Clooney, Sandra Bullock, me and if there's room, you guys" he says. This theme of celebrity entitlement hangs over the entire film. Because these guys are in the middle of the Rapture, the big joke of the movie is that no celeb at Franco's party got ascended into heaven because they're all bad people, even though they act like they're, to quote Brandy, sitting on top of the world (top of the world).

If that sounds really cynical to you, I definitely agree with you. One of the major flaws of "This is the End" is that its morality is way too heavy-handed. The stuff about the Rapture and being ascended into heaven is played way too straight. Mixed in with that is my least favorite trope of end of the world movies: the relentless bitching and nastiness that comes when a bunch of people are stuck in a place faced with utter destruction.

Like I said, the movie is absolutely hysterical but at the same time, it can get exhausting. 107 minutes is too long for a movie with such a thin premise. Writers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg try to stretch out the story with some friendship drama between the guys (though that stuff was done better in the pair's earlier movie Superbad and of course, Bridesmaids).

"This is the End" works as a satire of celebrity entitlement and it's funny, clever and inspired. But at the same time, it's really self-indulgent, believing that we the audience really care whether or not Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel (who, despite starring roles in How to Train Your Dragon and She's Out of my League, is still kind of a nobody) can mend their broken friendship and ascend into heaven. But perhaps that's part of the satire. These guys are so egomaniacal that they think they can get a hit movie out of airing their dirty laundry on the big screen.

It worked I guess. "This is the End" currently has grossed over $90 million off a small budget of $32 million.

What Can Hollywood Learn from Flops like The Lone Ranger (and White House Down and John Carter and After Earth and Jack the Giant Slayer and Battleship)?

The Lone Ranger has officially been declared a box office flop. The reboot of the 1930s radio series and 1950s TV series was made for a whopping $215 million and on opening weekend grossed a disappointing $49 million (plus an extra $24 million coming from foreign box office). That's a depressingly low number for an action movie directed by Pirates of the Caribbean helmer Gore Verbinski and starring his frequent leading man Johnny Depp.

Even with Depp as the star $215 million is too large a number for a film based on a property with little recognition these days. Compare The Lone Ranger to Oz: The Great and Powerful. That fantasy film also had a $215 mil price tag. But it grossed over $490 mil worldwide. Why is that?

The Wizard of Oz still has name recognition because it airs on TV a few times a year, many of its scenes have become iconic and it has an instantly recognizable soundtrack (if you've never heard of at least Over the Rainbow, then you're crazy and I will not talk to you). Not only that but Oz: The Great and Powerful has a big star cast: quintessential cool-girl Mila Kunis, ironic douchebag James Franco and legitimately respected actresses Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams. All of those things combined made O:TGAP a huge hit.

The Lone Ranger is not a known property. Maybe it has recognition for people over 45 but they're not the ones to rush out and see a movie in its opening weeks. As for stars, Johnny Depp is there but his star is waning. His complete physical transformations into his characters are more of a punchline than they are exciting. And after he hit his peak in 2007 with Sweeney Todd, his career took a creative nosedive with films like Alice in Wonderland and Dark Shadows.

Aside from Depp, the movie stars Armie Hammer. Okay, he's handsome in a yacht-owner kind of way (though that stupid mask hides his pretty-boy face). He was pretty good in The Social Network and even Mirror, Mirror. But he is not yet a box office star like Mila Kunis. The Lone Ranger even had Helena Bonham Carter to pull in audiences but the marketing hardly used her in the ads (I mean, she's no Robert Downey Jr but she did do 4 Harry Potter films, a handful of Tim Burton hits and she has 2 Oscar nominations).

The problem here is that The Lone Ranger was a risk and the studios didn't know it. But that's an unsolvable problem. Every movie in some ways is a risk. But the bigger problem is that history has been repeating itself over and over again and Hollywood still isn't catching on. The studios are failing to see the forest for the trees.

White House Down (budget: $150 million, worldwide total: $68 million) was the 2nd movie this year about the White House being attacked after Olympus Has Fallen. It technically had bigger stars than Olympus Has Fallen: Jamie Foxx was just in the Oscar-winning hit Django Unchained and Channing Tatum is coming off the hattrick of Magic Mike, The Vow and 21 Jump Street. All four of those 2012 films had budgets of $100 million or less. Both Magic Mike and Django were unique, well-made and award-winning films. The Vow was a romantic drama released on Valentine's Day weekend and starring likability queen Rachel McAdams. 21 Jump Street was an R-rated comedy based off a well-known 80s TV show.  Putting Foxx and Tatum in a generic-looking, overpriced, overlong action movie is just a recipe for undoing their goodwill with audiences.

My theory: audiences are having big-budget fatigue. When every year sees the release of a handful of big budget action movies (which usually cost over $150 mil and run over 2 hours), they all start to blend together. Especially if they star no-name actors like Nicholas Hoult (star of flop Jack the Giant Slayer), Taylor Kitsch (star of flops Battleship and John Carter, based on dubious properties: a board game and a novel from 1912) or Armie Hammer. After Earth is another example of an overpriced movie and one that stars a guy nobody really likes anymore and his non-ironic douchebag son.

Even movies that fall in between mediocre and above average can still make a lot of money. Take a look at The Great Gatsby: a smallish budget of $105 mil, features superstar Leonardo DiCaprio with somewhat well-known actors Tobey Maguire and Carey Mulligan, based on a well-known and relevant book, and directed by someone with a recognizable style. The Great Gatsby's worldwide total: $321 million and that's with average reviews.

Fast & Furious 6 has emerged as one of the biggest hits of the summer season, grossing a huge worldwide total of $695 million off a $160 million budget. Iron Man 3 (budget: $200 million, worldwide total: $1.2 billion) and Man of Steel (budget: $225 million, worldwide total: $586 million) both are doing really well. But these successes are not a surprise. All three have name stars (though the big names aren't in the lead role in MOS's case) and are reboots/sequels to well-known properties. One unexpected hit is Now You See Me, which grossed about $170 million off a $75 million budget because of the large cast (including Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Michael Caine and Melanie Laurent) and a cool concept (magicians who rob banks!).

 The Lone Ranger, White House Down, Jack the Giant Slayer, After Earth, John Carter and Battleship all had potential to be hits (and some even had the potential to be, you know, good) if they had smaller budgets. Small budgets force the filmmakers to rely on old-school ways of pulling in audiences: good acting and strong scripts. As much as audiences like eye-popping visuals and innovative use of IMAX, 3D and IMAX 3D, when a movie is bad, it's bad.

I doubt the failure of The Lone Ranger will be the straw that broke the camel's back. It seems with each new flop, the question isn't "how can we fix this broken business model?" but "what other old-school property can we remake?". It's like they keep digging for gold in the same spot because one guy struck it rich one time even though there's a huge pile gold untouched somewhere else.

**All budgets and box office totals are taken from Box Office Mojo.

Does "The Heat" Look Standard? Yeah, But It's a Good Thing

There's a tendency for feminist critics to project feminist ideals onto every film project which features women prominently either in front of or behind the camera. I'm guilty of it too. I used to think that every movie with a female director or screenwriter has to "say something progressive/positive/refreshing about women." Especially now that we're living in a post-Bridesmaids world, where there is a hyperawareness of the lack of feminine stories being told and of the depressing low numbers of mainstream female filmmakers.

So where does The Heat fit into all of this? Well, it's directed by Bridesmaids director and Emmy nominee Paul Feig. It's written by a woman Katie Dippold, best known for her work on Parks and Rec. It stars Oscar nominee and Emmy winner Melissa McCarthy, who is the rare female star without model looks. Her last starring role was Identity Thief (shared with Jason Bateman), which made about $135 million in the US despite mixed reviews. And it also stars Sandra Bullock, who remains one of the most powerful actresses in Hollywood. Her last starring role was The Blind Side, which won her an Oscar and made over $255 million in the US with marketing relying on her name only. Meryl Streep can do that but who else?

With a pedigree like that, The Heat has a lot of pressure on it. Can it recreate the Bridesmaids magic? It's possible. But, in my opinion, it doesn't have to. The Heat, which I haven't seen yet, looks like another entry into the buddy cop comedy genre. But instead of, say, Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan, it stars Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. Their characters, based on the trailers and TV spots, look like opposites forced to work together. Bullock is the by the book FBI agent and McCarthy is the wild rule-breaking cop who gets the job done.

I admit, I was a bit disappointed when I first saw the ads for The Heat. You have the director of Bridesmaids, Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy and a Parks and Rec writer and the best they could come up with was a run of the mill buddy cop action-comedy? Obviously, every movie should strive to be great and special. But when it comes to movies like The Heat, sometimes being entertaining is enough.

The Heat doesn't look like anything but a comedy starring two great comedians that promises a handful of quotable punchlines and zany actions scenes. That there are two 40+ women in the lead roles seems more like an added bonus than an attempt to revolutionize the action-comedy genre or something like that. The movie, again based on the ads, doesn't treat the gender of its stars as some huge shocker. They're law enforcement professionals who just happen to be women.

Right now the movie holds a 64% at Rotten Tomatoes, which is just a hair better than the 61% that Rush Hour has. I doubt The Heat will say anything profound about female friendships or women working in male-dominated careers. But Rush Hour or Men in Black or Beverly Hills Cop or 21 Jump Street weren't all that profound either. They were goofy, they were exciting. That's all The Heat aspires to be.

There's a big chance The Heat will be successful with the combined star power and talents of Bullock and McCarthy, It's opening against White House Down, a summer blockbuster action thriller starring 2012 Box Office Champ Channing Tatum but neither film is likely to overtake Pixar's Monsters University. And if The Heat is successful, more like it will probably come. Hopefully, with more female-oriented films like The Heat, the shock of seeing actresses as leads without a male co-star will eventually wear off and this discussion will become obsolete.