Top 100: 90-81

     Last week I started counting down my 100 favorite movies, revealing 100-91, and now this week I'm back at it again, counting down ten more movies (90-81). This week has an interesting mix of movies, leaning heavily towards newer films. After last week's heavy dose of the 1970's (seven out of the ten films were from the 1970's), I get much more up-to-date this week with half the films coming from the 2000's, one film from this year (in fact, the first film I reviewed for this blog), and all but one of the films coming from after 1990. In terms of genres, there isn't one that sticks out as much as comedy did with last week's batch, although four out of the ten films are bio-pics (biographical films). For at least three out of the four films though (and even the fourth film to some extent), they are not you're typical bio-pics. Instead of simply chronicling the events of the subjects life, each of these films mirror the personality of the subject, staying truer to the idea of the protagonist's life as an artist, which is the reason I enjoy the films so much. Finally, from the auteur's perspective, there are two films from the visually artistic Tim Burton. I'm not a fan of much of his recent work, but these two films show why he became a household name. Now on to the countdown!

Review: Skyline

     Every era in cinema history has its version of B-movies. Whether it is "Reefer Madness" of the 1930's, "Plan 9 from Outer Space" of the 1950's, "Silent Night, Deadly Night" of the 1980's, or "The Room" of the 2000's, no decade can escape the inevitable B-movie. As time goes on, I keep thinking there will be some point where the B-movie will disappear like some worn out old custom, because the evolved "modern man" will see how backwards and outdated movies with terrible acting and dialogue are. I mean, no one is "thrown into the gallows" anymore. We don't use torture devices like the iron maiden, we don't hold witch trials, and most countries don't even hang people in this day and age, so at what point can we permanently bury the B-movie. Well, for anyone hoping that this might be the decade where we could wave goodbye to the B-movie will be sorely disappointed, because now, even at this very early age of the 2010's, I can confirm this decade has at least one terrible B-movie in "Skyline".

News: Daniel Day-Lewis Set to Play Honest Abe

     Steven Speilberg has been preparing to direct an Abraham Lincoln bio-pic for about a decade now, but has consistently delayed it to direct something else. Well, it finally looks like Spielberg may be ready to get the project under way, as it was announced this week that Daniel Day-Lewis is set to play the famous sixteenth president. Apparently, Day-Lewis is checking out Lincoln's old stomping grounds in Illinois to research the role. Ever since the project was announced, Liam Neeson has been attached to be the film's star, but for some reason or another Daniel Day-Lewis has now taken over the role. I'm personally happy to see the change, but I am still skeptical about the project. Spielberg has the tendency to over-simplify things in his historic films, and even with Daniel Day-Lewis, I'm betting the film will be incredibly reverential, but we will have to wait and see. If you want to read more about the casting, clcik here.