After a bit-too-long intermission, Two Guys, A Girl and a Movie are back with their thoughts on eight of the ten movies nominated for Best Picture.  An Education and Precious have yet to be screened (o.k. we ran out of time).

A Serious Man:
E:  A true Coen brothers flick – great writing, dark humor, and memorable characters wrapped around a morality play.  Similar to No Country for Old Men (case of money) and Burn After Reading (top secret files), A Serious Man forces the main character to look at the tangles of his life when he receives a bribe to change a student’s grade.  Not for all movie fans, don’t see it taking a statue, but entertaining.

S:  I thought it was very American Beauty-esque…a movie I liked, not loved.  I thought the story unfolded well but took a while.

District 9:
K:  A mild surprise to see this sci-fi nominated film over the higher grossing Star Trek. Neill Blomkamp brought fresh eyes to the genre that looked more impressive than many higher budget action/fantasy movies.

E:  You’re right on the ‘fresh eyes’ comment (which, considering what takes place in the movie may be a bit of a pun, K?).  Still, it has what OSCAR voters look for in Best Pics:  social commentary, great cinematography and a good story.  Won’t win, but still recommended for most (if you hate sci-fi, probably not for you).

S: Scary movie does not equal  S seeing to it.  Glad you both enjoyed it.

UP:
S: The first 20 mintues of the movie, I kept thinking, “Why is this marketed to young kids?” Rough subject matter for a Disney/Pixar creation.  But after, WOW what a fun ride (pun intended).  My favorite part was Doug the Dog.  I know it won’t win but I’d say it was my second favorite Oscar nominee!  See it if you haven’t already!

K:  Disney’s (Pixar’s) track record of quality movies in recent years is outstanding. The first 20 minutes of Up provides all you need to see just how deserving this Oscar nomination is. The rest of the movie is pretty entertaining too.

Up in the Air:
K:  George Clooney, Vera Vermiga, & Anna Kendrick nominations were well deserved.  May very well win an OSCAR for Adapted Screenplay.  Jason Reitman deserves kudos for his direction.  I had a good time seeing it but I can’t bring myself to see it win Best Picture.

Our Final Four for Best Picture

The Blind Side:
K:  Mix in Sandra Bullock’s commanding performance with football and elements of tone Crash and what do you have? An outperforming smash hit appealing to many in middle America-shocking many in Hollywood. An uplifting feel good movie that felt very Lifetime-like in overall film quality.

S: I’m not sure I agree with a Lifetime movie feel…I’ve never watched a full Lifetime movie and the only reason I’ve ever watched Lifetime is for Project Runway!  However, I will watch a football movie anytime, anywhere, any way I can!  I LOVED THIS MOVIE!  Can’t say enough how worth the time it was to see.  I will be Sandra Bullock’s character Leigh Ann Tuohy when I grow up.  No nonsense but with compassion to spare! Not sure if you can see this was my favorite of the nominees or not.

Inglourious Basterds:
K:  This writer/director came back with a vengence this year! Simply put the most divisive Best Picture nominee in this group.  People really love it or really are put off by Tarantino’s over the top pushing the envelope style of film making. I understand both sides of this argument. The opening scene & the bar basement scene are classic Tarantino. Expect a wild OSCAR acceptance speech should this movie win.  Christoph Waltz’s electric performance dominates when he’s on screen. He’s a probable shoo-in for Best Supporting Actor.

Avatar: 
E:  When S and I were getting popcorn before the 2D showing, we overheard the cashier saying the movie was “life changing.”  We had to chuckle.  Life changing – no.  Very, very good – yes.  Great story, easy to follow, amazing effects, it’s what a movie is supposed to be.

K:  Who knew that when I attended the midnight show before its opening day in December that it would become the all time highest grossing worldwide and domestic?  Simply put the greatest 3-D movie on the “environment” ever made (with my apologies to Al Gore). Even with James Cameron’s track record there were many a doubter saying this movie would flop on its face.  No movie has made more haters eat crow than on this one.  This film will win many or sweep the technical Oscars.  I thought the screenplay was average but Cameron more than made up for it in his outstanding direction.  Special mention to Stephen Lang and Zoe Saldena for their outstanding performances.  The favorite to win Best Picture in my opinion.

The Hurt Locker:
E:  This had OSCAR buzz from the minute it was released.  If you haven’t seen it, check your cable or satellite PPV – it should be there.

S:  We PPV’d it and was just as moving as seeing it in the theatre I’d expect.

K:  The “David” of the Best Picture nominees. Got a heck of a slingshot’s chance to win, however. Director Kathryn Bigelow sets a new standard for action directing, so much so she’s the favorite to win Best Director according to her ex husband James Cameron.  Kudos to  Jeremy Renner for his Best Actor nomination. (S:  Did you know he’s in a band and write music for keyboards and sings.  Ladies, he’s supposedly single!  Do you have your plane ticket to LA?)  No movie moved me in profound ways this year that this one. In many ways the best Hollywood made on the Iraq war and the least preachy politically.  I’ll be smiling if this one were to win Best Picture.

In the end, all are worth seeing but see these top 4 if you haven’t already!  It’s worth it to be ready for your local Oscar party!

Did you think you were crazy when you thought you saw KCRG-TV9’s Bruce Aune on a trailer for the new horror flick “The Crazies?’

Well. You’re not. Crazy that is.

Bruce Aune does indeed have a part as, what else, a television anchor on the movie, which takes place in the fictional town of Odgen Marsh, Iowa, where residents are suddenly plagued by insanity and then death after a mysterious toxin contaminates their water supply

The town may not be real, but the movie was shot in part in Iowa in Lenox and Winterset, both in the western part of the state.

Check out the trailer:

K=one guy                  E=other guy                  S=the girl

S: So let me start out by saying I was SO worried. The trailers were misleading and this movie was going to be S-C-A-R-Y!  But was hoping beyond hope that it was like one of my favorite movies, Shaun of the Dead.

K: I went in thinking, “Do we really need another zombie movie?” In the end, I’m glad I didn’t talk myself out of seeing it.

E: The set up is like any other zombie flick.  Virus goes wrong.  People start feasting on each other like a CiCi’s buffet.  A few stay untouched, band together, and try to find some sense of normalcy.

S: The gags and “The Rules” were what kept me engaged the entire time.  I was laughing my butt off!  “The Rules” reminded me of “going to the Winchester to get a pint” in Shaun of the Dead.

E: Rules like 2.  beware of bathrooms… 11. always check the backseat… 3.  always double tap (shoot ‘em in the head twice).  1.  Cardio.  30.  Never be hero.  Rules like that.

K: I enjoyed the zany, dark humor gags of Zombieland and the crazy, way over the top, gory tone of opening the scene. It sets up “The Rules” that Columbus (Eisenberg) follows to stay alive.

E: You had to love the running gag that Woody Harrelson was looking for the last Twinkie on earth.  And, it made S & me run to Hy Vee for some golden cake and creamy filled goodness after the flick.

K: Zombieland is essentially a road trip movie while parading the zombie movie genre. Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin each bring certain flair to their performances that keep the viewer engaged.

S: I loved Emma Stone in Superbad anyway but her rocker-chic look and kick-ass mentality was even better in this movie than that one.

E: And, for once, two really strong female characters in a creature feature.  That’s rare.

K: What made me really crack up unexpectedly was a terrific, out of the blue cameo by a legendary comedic actor towards the second half. The hilarious buzz worthy scene alone is worth seeing Zombieland!

S: I SO agree.  However, the end of the scene was the only thing that kind of made me a little uncomfortable.  I didn’t think it was quite the right end.

E: I think you’ve both said too much.  You’ll just have to see it for yourself (hint:  it’s not Russell Crowe, but he is the butt of a great joke).

K: Kudos for director Ruben Fleischer & the screenwriters for their creative vision for a fresh take on zombie movies.

S: I’d see this again and again and again and…

E: The ending was a little too Scooby Doo (monsters in an amusement park), but look past that for lots of laughs, a couple buckets of blood, a few one liners you’ll keep saying, and one last Twinkie.  So nut up or shut up and go see this thing.

Recommendation: Full Price for zombie movie geeks, Shaun of the Dead groupies and dark comedy fans.  Matinee if you really hate zombies.

• What: “Trucker”
• Stars: Michelle Monaghan, Jimmy Bennett, Nathan Fillion, Benjamin Bratt, Joey Lauren Adams
• Where: Starlight Cinema, 2401 Swan Lake Blvd., Independence; (319) 332-0200
• Rated: R
• Roger Ebert says: Four stars

There’s one of those perfect moments in “Trucker” when I’m thinking, ‘This is the moment to end!’ And the movie ends. It is the last of many absolutely right decisions by the first-time writer-director James Mottern, who began by casting two actors who bring his story to strong emotional life. Both of them show they’re gifted and intelligent artists who only needed a chance to reveal their talents.

Michelle Monaghan was on the brink of inhabiting forever the thankless role of the good-looking, plucky female in action movies about men. Jimmy Bennett, who was 11 or 12 at the time of shooting, has been good in heavy-duty projects before, but here shows a subtlety and command of tone that is remarkable. Together these actors create an abrasive relationship that sidesteps sentimentality.

Monaghan is Diane Ford, a trucker who just paid off her own rig. She’s 30ish, cold, hard-drinking, promiscuous, a loner. Bennett plays her son, Peter. She left him with his father, Len (Benjamin Bratt), soon after his birth, has stayed away, doesn’t like kids — or men, either, although she uses them. One man (Nathan Fillion) has been her best friend for four years, but that involves getting drunk together and never having sex.

Len gets sick. Colon cancer. He’s been living for years with Jenny (Joey Lauren Adams), who now needs time to care for him. It’s up to Diane to look after the kid. She doesn’t want anything to do with him. “Just for a few weeks,” Jenny pleads. Just until Len gets better. Sure.

You are anticipating, as I did, that “Trucker” would turn into one of those predictable movies where the mother and son grow to love one another. It doesn’t end with mutual hate and abandonment, but it damn near does.

I concede the story arc is fairly predictable, but Mottern and his actors take no hostages. Diane is hard and tough, and stays that way. Her son is angry and bitter, and stays that way. Do they need to love and be loved? Sure. By the end of the film, she hasn’t called him “Peter” and he hasn’t called her “mom.” He’s “kid” or “dude,” and she’s “you.” They have to be together whether they like it or not, and they know it.

That said, Monaghan makes Diane more sad than off-putting. She isn’t a caricature. She works hard, values her independence, is making payments on her small home, is living up to her bargain with herself. The movie spares us any scenes where she’s “one of the guys.” She doesn’t need to be nice with Peter, but one thing she does do: She’s always honest with him and speaks with him directly. Her performance clearly deserves an Academy nomination.

Peter is loved by his father and Jenny. He hasn’t been mistreated. He probably senses how sick his dad really is and knows he wasn’t parked with Diane because anyone wanted him there. He’s been told things about his mother that are, strictly speaking, true. She did leave him and Len soon after his birth.

What Mottern does is lock these two characters in a story and see what happens. Something will have to give. The supporting performances by Nathan Fillion, Benjamin Bratt and Joey Lauren Adams are precisely what is needed.

I value films that closely regard specific lives. I know they usually must have happy endings. Not always. But a film should earn it, not simply evoke it. “Trucker” sets out on a difficult and tricky path, and doesn’t put a foot wrong.

– ROGER EBERT

Winthrop native Michelle Monaghan can now add “truck driver” to her impressive resume.

After several years of pairing up with Hollywood bigwigs like Tom Cruise and Patrick Dempsey, she switched gears to make the big rig indie film, “Trucker.” It opens in limited release Friday, including at the Starlight Cinema in Independence near Monaghan’s hometown. The film keeps rolling through theaters nationwide the rest of October.

Monaghan, 33, has the lead role, a “female truck driver who loves the open road, loves being her own boss. She’s also a mother who has not had a relationship with her son for 12 years. As the movie opens, he turns up at her doorstep.

“She has to take her son in and develop a relationship with him and take responsibility. She is not prepared to do that,” Monaghan says by phone from New York City, where she now lives with husband Peter White and their daughter, Willow, born Nov. 5, 2008.

Monaghan grew up with one foot in town and one foot on the farm, but she hadn’t driven a truck before signing on to the film, shot in Riverside, Calif., in 19 days in 2007.

She got her commercial driver’s license so she could get behind the wheel for real and says driving a semi is “amazing.”

“I miss driving it,” she adds. “It’s an incredible challenge, scary, but a lot of fun.”

A self-described tomboy who likes to do her own stunts, she says, “Any opportunity to run, jump, shoot a gun, kiss a guy — any action I can get. I also have to throw a baseball in the movie,” she says with a laugh.

While Monaghan has made numerous studio films — “Eagle Eye,” “Made of Honor,” “Mission: Impossible III,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” and “The Bourne Supremacy” — she also enjoys the different feel of shooting an independent film.

“As an actor, you have a lot more creative control, you have more access to the cast and crew with independent films that you don’t have with studio films. You work at a really fast pace — it’s really exciting, like doing a high school film or a short film,” she says.

She’s also happy the film is coming home for its theatrical release.

She says the Starlight in Independence

is “a great little theater in a great little town. I hope people far and wide come to see it.”

“It’s a wonderful film, a small little poignant film,” she says. “Anybody who gives it a chance won’t be disappointed. I want to thank everybody for their support. I’m really proud to be from Eastern Iowa.”

She gets back to visit her folks, Bob and Sharon Monaghan, about every three months. Her parents still live in Winthrop, while her older brothers are nearby — John lives in Cedar Falls and Bob lives in Cedar Rapids.

In another month, she’ll start working on the comedy “Due Date,” the next project from Todd Phillips, director of the outrageous buddy flick, “The Hangover.”

Her co-stars are Zach Galifianakis, also from “The Hangover,” and Robert Downey Jr., who plays her husband.

“I’m nine months pregnant and these two leading men are in a mad rush to get home to me before the baby pops,” she says. “I’ve worked with Robert before. I’m really excited. I get to wear a pregnant suit, which I’m kind of excited about.”

— Diana Nollen, THE GAZETTE

K=one guy                 E=other guy               S=the girl

E:  The good news, you don’t have to file any TPS reports… the bad news, Extract doesn’t quite live up to Office Space.

S:  But I believe you still have my stapler. 

K:  I was interested in seeing Extract when I learned that this is a Mike Judge movie.  “Beavis and Butthead” cartoons are a guilty pleasure and Office Space (starring Cedar Rapids/Marion native Rod Livingston) is one of my favorite modern-day-sleeper-cult-classic-comedy movies. I actually saw it in the theater (most people have seen it on cable and on home video).

E:  Some also know Mike Judge for “King of the Hill.”  Extract had a little “Hill” feel… smaller town, some trucker caps and mullets, solving the world’s problems over a few beers… but overall it stayed true to Judge’s movies:  a commentary on the workplace and worker/boss relationship.

K:  Extract seems to be a complimentary follow up to Office Space from a management point of view.

S:  But it wasn’t nearly as quotable.

K:  I enjoyed the performances of Jason Bateman (good as always), Mila Kunis, Kristen Wiig, David Koechner, Clifton Collins, Jr. and Gene Simmons had an entertaining cameo role.

E:  Anything is better than those stupid Dr. Pepper commercials.  How ‘bout a KISS of shut up, Gene? 

S:  David Koechner is one of my favorite character actors.  His sports-caster in Anchorman  makes me giggle every time I watch it!

K:  For me Ben Affleck’s supporting role as bartender/shaman had me rolling in laughter as he gives “advice” on how Bateman should handle his marriage woes in the sack.

S:  This was one of the few times that I believed Ben Affleck actually acted!  It was a nice departure for him. 

E:  But, and not to give away the climax of the movie (slight pun intended), I left feeling a little uneasy.  I didn’t agree with how a one night stand can fix anything.

S:  I guess that should make me feel good knowing, as your wife, that made you feel uncomfortable.  I’m so lucky!

K:  Overall, I found Extract’s comedic pacing uneven, with a safe tone and only occasionally funny scenes.

S:  I agree.  The more acerbic humor in “Beavis and Butthead” and Office Space makes me laugh just sitting here!

K:  I much prefer the more biting humor of Office Space or the summer’s best comedy The Hangover in its raunchy tone. Extract is a mild disappointment despite good acting.

 Recommendation: Matinee or rental (let’s hope there are some great outtakes with David Koechner).

Tucker Max is good for the nation’s literacy rate.

Quite seriously, if the crowd at the Iowa premier of his semi-autobiographical movie I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell on Tuesday evening is any indication, an entire generation of twentysomethings are growing up having read nothing but the antics of a self-described narcissist.

“It’s the first book I’ve ever read in just two days,” said Sam Tucker, 20, who drove all the way from Ames and was first in line for the film three hours before the doors opened.

That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Max is an inventive and clever writer with a knack for telling a story, even if not a single one of those stories is reprintable in anything remotely resembling a family publication.

For the uninitiated, Tucker Max is a former law student who created a Web site based on stories he had written down for his friends. The stories mostly boast of his time spent boozing, sleeping around, making fun of people in some of the harshest ways possible, excreting on hotel floors, and generally causing problems for everyone around him.

As writing partner Nils Parker put it, “He’s a bulldozer of intention. A literal maniac in his 20s.”

From there, the Web site turned into a wildly offensive yet undeniably funny book of mostly unconnected stories, and the book into a mildly offensive and generally funny movie with loosely connected stories and a weak plot.

The movie is right in the wheelhouse for those who are already fans of Max. It’s hilarious in spurts, suitably off-color and politically incorrect (a large portion of what passes for the movie’s plot centers around Max’s search for a midget stripper so he can sleep with her, Jesse Bradford’s character makes numerous references to killing strippers, etc.), and can out-gross any other fecal matter scene this side of Zack and Miri Make a Porno. The movie delivers the funny easily on level with The Hangover, it’s most obvious recent comparison.

The real question is if anyone else will like it enough to give it the same mass appeal The Hangover enjoyed.

That the movie will do well with young males and likely young women is a given. The movie’s crew, however, says the film is testing surprisingly well with older women, which seems like it might be a bit farfetched. While Tucker and Parker certainly have a knack for biting one-liners and crude comedy, the movie sags in the serious moments and drags a bit when Tucker has a (minor) change of heart.

IHTSBIH purposefully, according to Max, leaves out many of the conventions of a Hollywood comedy, especially the redemptive ending.

“No one changes who they are in 10 days. This movie is about Tucker’s narcissism,” said Max. “The only thing he learns at the end of the movie is how to model appropriate behavior.”

In this way, the movie acknowledges that the attraction is and always has been Tucker Max himself, so why change him? A reliably self-reflective individual, Max seems to know he’s the show and has a solid grasp of exactly why people find him so interesting.

“After the comedy, the humor, the funny stuff, there’s an attraction to the fact that I’m real, authentic. There are many ways to be male, and I’m one of them,” said Max.

Tucker Max is how his fans are, were, or would like to be. In that way, Tucker Max represents a sort of odd wish fulfillment for his legions of die-hard fans, who don’t want to be superstar athletes or presidential candidates, but aspire to be the life of the party.

Lee Wilkins, a 22-year-old who skipped work to make the premier, summed up the feelings of most of the premier’s attendees: “I would definitely love to party with that guy.”

“The main question guys ask me is about being cool,” said Max. “The thing about cool is that it’s not the car you drive or the clothes you wear, it’s about being comfortable with yourself.”

But it’s not just men who try to emulate Max.

“I want to be him,” said Ali Warth, a 22-year-old graduate from Iowa City.

“I was him in college,” added her friend Joani Walton, 31.

But there’s something else going on. A sort of subtle message even Max likely didn’t intend. The movie, the book, the whole Tucker Max phenomenon tells his audience that you too can be boorish and narcissistic and still have a best-selling book and make a movie based on your life. It’s a truly interesting cultural phenomenon that will surely one day be the subject of a Chuck Klosterman essay.

– BLAKE

I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell

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I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell opens nationwide on Sept. 25.

Watch the trailer:

K=one guy E=another guy S=the girl

E: Some movies just make you feel good.Even if they’re kinda sad, you enjoy the experience.

S: Kind of like marriage…Sometimes it makes you feel sad or frustrated but you just have to get through it and enjoy the experience!

K: Ha Ha!I so enjoyed this movie! What a pleasant surprise! (500) Days of Summer is just one of those movies that every once in a while make a tired genre seem lively and fresh again. This is my favorite “chick flick” of 2009 that men and women will enjoy.

E: I can handle a little ’sap’ if the story is good.I’ll put (500) Days up there with Devil Wears Prada and …Not Just That Into You as movies I’ll admit I saw and enjoyed.

S: Oh you’ve seen some sap in your life…The Lake House, Hope Floats, A Walk in the Clouds are just a few.

K: In the first five minutes of this movie you know (in fact the movie tells you) that this won’t be your typical lovey-dovey romantic movie.The movie starts off with Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Tom) just devastated over being dumped by Zooey Deschanel (Summer).

K: The story timeline in (500) Days of Summer shifts around in an interesting way as we learn about the series of events leading back to be beginning of the movie.

E: I’m trying to remember the first time I saw a film told out of sequence.It may have been Pulp Fiction.Either way, it works very well for this movie.

S: For me it was my favorite movie in the drama category, The Usual Suspects.Or maybe Memento.Either way GREAT picks for a Sunday afternoon DVD experience.

K: Director Marc Webb uses occasionally offbeat scenes (at the workplace, a musical dance sequence, karaoke, use of black & white, park bench chats) to keep your interest with the back and forth timeline of Tom’s and Summer’s 500 day relationship.

S: My favorite scene of the movie was when they did an animated dance sequence in the park similar to Happily Ever After even with the animated bluebird!

K: A special shout out to both leads, particularly Zooey Deschanel! Her “fierce-put-it-out-there-blunt-honest-mysterious-independent-woman” performance is one of her best efforts. I hope Oscar voters will consider Zooey come nomination season.

E: K, I think you exceeded the number of hyphens you can use to describe a performance…

K: Joseph Gordon-Levitt was very good too in a sometimes tricky role many would go through the motions to portry.Boy did he take it from Summer for much of the movie.I really liked how his character matures near the end of the movie as Summer drops him a surprising fact about her character.

E: He’s come a long way from “Third Rock From the Sun!”

S: LOVED, LOVED, LOVED THIS MOVIE…YOU HAVE TO GO SEE IT!

Recommendation: Full Price For Sure

A guy, E, and a girl, S, want to welcome little Delores to the world.  K’s wife had a beautiful little girl recently so that has put a crimp in our movie reviews.  However, you will see a review for District 9 and (500) Days of Summer in the very near future!

E and S

The indie film “16 to Life” is having a red-carpet homecoming.

Shot in 2007 in McGregor, Marquette and Stone City under the working title “Duck Farm No. 13,” it will have its Iowa premiere during the Landlocked Film Festival in Iowa City. The red carpet will be rolled out at 7 p.m. Aug. 29 at the Englert Theatre, 221 E. Washington St., and the film will be screened at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $5, available only in the Englert lobby the evening of Aug. 28 and all day Aug. 29. Tickets are not being sold through the Englert Box Office, says Mary Blackwood of Iowa City, the film festival’s creative director.

“We’re trying to keep things as cheap as possible for people so they can come,” Blackwood says. With the red carpet and festive atmosphere, she says the state premiere “should be great fun.”

Star Hallee Hirsh and director Becky Smith, an Okoboji native, will attend, Blackwood says. She’s been told star Jaime Gomez also will be there and star Theresa Russell will attend if her work schedule allows. And Blackwood’s hoping a lot of the Iowa cast and crew members will come, as well.

The romantic comedy stars Hirsh (Rachel Greene on “ER”) as Kate, a rural American teen who is obsessed with books on eclectic subjects, currently the Cultural Revolution in China. She is turning 16 and has never been kissed. Her angst about her inexperience will drive a comic quest for love and understanding on her birthday. And she will learn what a 16-year old American girl has in common with a 16-year-old Chinese girl half a world, and a cultural revolution away.

The film’s Web site, www.16tolifethemovie.org, also lists two Sept. 3 showings in Elkader.