In Other News: The Wolverine

All hopes of the Wolverine sequel being any good have now been thrown out the window with the news that Darren Aronofsky will no longer be directing Hugh Jackman as everyone's favorite metal boned mutant. Aronofsky's reasoning behind this is that working on the project would keep him out of the country and away from his family for too long, something he wasn't willing to do.
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Really, man? I can understand not wanting to be away from home for so long, but this was an opportunity missed. After the tidal wave of acclaim that came with Black Swan, Aronofsky's next logical move was to capitalize on said acclaim, and make a popcorn flick. At least, that was what the smart move was. Aronofsky could have kicked ass with the Wolverine character, finally giving the Marvel-verse its Batman, a dark, conflicted, brutal hero. Guess it's not to be.

Now, the film is set in Japan, so the current crisis there might have had something to do with this. Nature can be so troublesome sometimes.

No claws for this guy anymore...

Now, be honest. How much does this suck?

The LAMB Devours the Oscars: Best Director

My continued attempts to legitimize this blog continue to progress in big ways. For my first year of taking part in The LAMB Devours the Oscars, I have the good fortune of being tasked with covering one of the most major awards, Best Director. Want to see my thoughts on the race? Take a leap.

2010: The Retrospect: MVPs of the Year (Directors)

It's getting even more legitimate!

Though they are never seen on the screen, unless they're named Clint or Woody, but directors are the real artistic forces behind whatever film it is that you are watching. Actors can be bad, sure, but at the end of the day, most, if not all, of the blame will be placed on the director. Director's are closely scrutinized, aren't they? They'll make one great film, be heralded as a new master, and then tank on the next one. 2010 saw once great directors fall into a deeper pit of awfulness, once lackluster directors up their game, and the usual masters turn in their standard excellent work. There were some sour apples, to be sure. But, how can you complain when the sweet apples were sooooooo sweet. Here are FFTSBH's MVP Directors of 2010.

Before we go on, let's notice some that didn't make my list of ten. David Yates (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1). Mark Romanek (Never Let Me Go). Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 3). Joel and Ethan Coen (True Grit). Joseph Kosinski (Tron: Legacy). Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass). Zack Snyder (Legend of the Guardians). Floris Sigismondi (The Runaways)

But, you don't really care about that, do you? You want the real list. Take a leap, and enjoy!

Oh hell no!

On Point

Friggin' ballerinas, man! I mean, I've danced on stage before, and yeah, it's hard, especially given that when I dance on stage, it usually involves some combination of acting and singing. But, damn! I can't even begin to fathom how friggin' brutal the life of a professional dancer must be. The physical toll must be tremendous! And if Black Swan, the brilliant new film from Darren Aronofsky, is anything to go on, the psychological toll must be out of this world. Black Swan is, plain a simple, a great film, masterfully crafted, wonderfully atmospheric, with a slew of pitch perfect performances. It's also, quite possibly, one of the most scary and disturbing movies I've ever seen. This is one film that's gonna be sticking with me for awhile and one that easily finds a spot among my favorite films of the year. Black Swan is tough, but it is fantastic!

Sinew