The Hot Blog

Poland's most awesomely weird line ever:

"Zambarloukos clearly has a DP crush on Ms Seyfried, who is shot in such warm close-ups that you almost want to spread her face on your toast."

HOT.

And then, sometimes, Poland throws a curveball.

I'm a big fan of MCN and this blog and can say that your review of "Mamma Mia" is dead on what I expected. I should have made wagers (I was especially prepared for "I was ready to embrace the goofy fun, but I could not."). Dave, you've got a cynical streak a mile wide and that's not meant as an insult, it's just a fact. I've heard it in your voice (when you used to guest on Marc Maron's Air America morning show, R.I.P.) and I hear it in your writing. So, I don't expect to hear that you stood and danced in the aisles at ANY movie, let alone one with a built in cheese factor like "Mamma Mia".

I am so excited about this movie, I can barely stand it (for reasons that maybe only my parents and my therapist can truly understand). And the one thing I'm confident in is, the reviews of this movie aren't going to matter one bit to those who already know they're going to enjoy it. It's going to do very, very well domestically and around the world.

PS: I've seen a couple interviews with Streep discussing the unusually low budget they had for production, so that might answer some of your questions about green screen problems.

"Their performances and some wonderful moments in other performances are a distraction from the filmmaking mess"

This sounds like a 'glass is 1/4 full/ 3/4 empty" kind of distinction to me, if that makes sense. How about, the filmmaking mess is a distraction from some wonderful moments?

I'm fine with your opinion on me, hepwa... though I am endless confused by how when my "cynical streak" goes away over good cheese, I am a sucker for musicals.

Great cheese on Broadway right now include Xanadu, Boeing Boeing, and The 39 Steps. Mediocre cheese includes In The Heights.

Truth is, I am a massive sentimentalist. And I feel every inch of the hopefulness that the talent went into this production with in their fearless performances. But it’s just not there.

If the budget was kept tight, Universal made a very smart call.

But I hope you love it. Based on reactions last night, you will.

The irony in hepwa's complaint is that musicals are the one type of movie of which David could be criticized for not being cynical enough.

streep has two scenes/songs back-to-back that are as impressive as any scenes she's ever done (imo)...the rest of the film is just strange....it brought to mind titles like 'sgt. pepper's lonely hearts club band', 'xanadu' (the film) and even 'popeye'.....
and your appraisal of brosnan's singing is right on the money....it was amazing (and not in a good way).....

Sorry you didn't like it, Dave. I have a hard time imagining it being worse than Rent, though. I don't think any of the numbers in that movie were pulled off well. (But the soundtrack is fine to listen to.)

Breaking out into song at weird times? DREAMGIRLS... DOMINO.

IO must be thinking Bollywood. There are 3-4 megaplexes near me that show pix from India.

OTOH this man thinks ABBA is cool but won't see "Mamma Mia!" Universal has been obligated to sandbag the trailer with the phrase that pays . . . "Academy Award Winner Meryl Streep". Oscar-Whoring! For a Summer Movie! RUN! RUN!

But wait, there's more! The
website and all other promo materials now contain a warning box which reads "This Film Contains Depictions of Tobacco Consumption". Yes, Hollywood has gotten Politically Correct. Somebody get me a barf bag!

Surprise, surprise...
So just to reiterate, five words in the trailer are more of a negative than David Poland's lengthy, detailed, thumbs-down review for Mr. Chucky, right? And if not for those five words, ABBA would be enough to bring him in?

Wow, Dave, you are NOT a happy camper, this summer - is there ANYTHING you have liked besides Speed Racer?

Not to say I disagree with you on everything - you were dead-on on Indiana Jones and I agree with you about the mediocrity of Hulk, but....

Iron Man????

You were really digging for flaws in that movie - it's a well-written fun movie, actually geared toward adults. I know, dead issue.

But I am getting the sense that you disliked Wall-E, which is quite vexing (I loved it and it was the first movie I took my 3 year old daughter to) and you were very quick to dismiss Get Smart - what's so bad about that movie? The casting is just about perfect, the writing is funny and clever, and the action is entertaining - not a worldbeater, but right along the lines of S.W.A.T, which you were quick to defend a few years back.

Could we possibly be heading towards some Ebert-type revisionism, later this year? Like when he re-evaluated his negative review of Unforgiven, because it came out right before his wedding and he was distracted? I truly hope so - I just find it hard to believe how you disliked Iron Man so much.

Truly dreading your review of Dark Knight.....

He called Wall-E a masterpiece, but then got distracted by, uh, his wedding.

Whoa, Poland liked S.W.A.T.? AWESOME.

S.W.A.T. OWNED.

Chuckey should be a in a straightjacket. He's a crazy person. Legitimately.

IRON MAN is over-rated.

Get Smart was better than SWAT.
Iron Man was better than SWAT.
Hancock was better than SWAT.
Iron Man, from the director of Elf and Zathura.

swat owned.

I loved the first 2/3 of SWAT. The characters were fun and the training stuff was entertaining. Plus, when the action started, it was completely believable and plausible (a stated intent, according to the filmmakers) and the body count was realistically low. The film dragged a bit once the escape occurred, but it's still a terrifically low-key action film where you can actually believe your eyes. I've been a Clark Johnson fan since the very start of Homicide and I was thrilled to see him knock his first studio picture out of the park. Didn't care much for The Sentinel, but we all make mistakes.

I actually didn't think that Mama Mia! was that horrible, but then I had really low expectations. At the screening I was at people did laugh at Pierce's singing. It was pretty bad.

Slumming around Boxofficemojo.com I was shocked to find that Sex & The City had made $200 million in foreign alone. I guess I mostly thought of it as a USA phenom only. Go figure.

S.W.A.T. is one of the more underrated action films of recent years - pretty amazing that Colin Farrell, Michelle Rodriguez, and LL Cool J have all rarely been that appealing. And like most recent other roles, it was obviously another paycheck part for Samuel L. Jackson, but it just fit him like a glove.

The movie did well enough - kind of surprised that Sony did not seek out a sequel, considering they have sequelized pretty much everything else that's made some bucks.

"Yes, Hollywood has gotten Politically Correct. Somebody get me a barf bag!"

How many decades do we have to go back to find a time when Hollywood was not PC?

is Mama Mia worse than Love Story 2050?

Haven't seen Love Story 2050 yet, but--and pardon my LexG moment--Priyanka Chopra owns. Totally the hotness in Aitraaz and Don, and not a bad actress either. But wouldn't be surprised in 2050 being bad as the trailers make me scratch my head, and not impressed with that new guy they're launching with it.

Haven't seen Mamma Mia! the film either, but having seen the show on stage and based on what I have seen of the film, it does seem to me that Lloyd is chasing a Bollywood aesthetic--not the slickly elevated production values of a number of films now, but the more generic candyfloss slapdash vibe of the number of nondescript "timepass entertainers" that pass from screens to DVD almost instantly in any given week. Actually I can see B'wood easily giving this one a go (they already kind of have, as in the '90s there was a Rekha-starring redo of Bueno Sera, Mrs. Campbell, the admitted inspiration for the MM! plot)--Madhuri Dixit in the Streep role, Amrita Rao as the daughter, and (if they're willing to play their actual age, which of course is a question) Shahrukh Khan, Anil Kapoor, and Sanjay Dutt as the daddy candidates.

Nicol-

Just two. The 80s was ripe with primo sterotyping and rampant bad behavior. Then there's the 70s. Whoo!

I'm not really complaining. One of my favorite moments in THE EXORCIST (now that I've seen it too many times to be shocked) is when the doctor lights up outside the examination room.

Wow. If David hates Mamma Mia, I don't hold out much hope. That's like me hating a gory slasher movie.

Though I do like Abba songs better than most show tunes.

Nicol, agreeing with Chucky is no way to build cred.

Despite earning 00WANGE status via masterworks MEAN GIRLS and ALPHA DOG, it is with great sadness that I must revoke Amanda Seyfried's LICENCE TO OWN (note British spelling) for appearing in this bullshit.

I am sure she is heartbroken.

I can't even believe BROSNAN is in this. That's like Sean Connery turning up in Godspell in 1973.

Wouldn't 'quotation marks' work as well as CAPS?

No.

But as always, thanks for asking.

Hey, Jeff, get on THE SPACE, son, and send an ADD. Or hit me up on Yahoo Messenger sometime.

cheers.

I also want to make a point about that chick that AFRAME was talking about.

HOLY SHIT I have NO idea who that is because I don't see foreign movies unless it's NIGHT WATCH or something, but that Priyanka Chopra chick OWNS. Straight-up just fucking OWNS based on the GIS results. HELLZ yes.

I always hear about that old-ass Ashwariya Rai or whatever, and she's massively overrated, but this chick is indeed THE HOTNESS.

Lex: Sean is the star of Zardoz. So... really... this has already happened, but we are just repeating it over and over again!

I know I came to the RENT party late, and I'm no Chris Columbus fan, but I've never gotten the hate for that film. I thoroughly enjoyed it. And my theatre geek friends LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it, and even convinced me to program a "sing-along" screening of it. I've since seen it on stage and still don't understand why folks dislike it so. Different strokes...

When you watch the trailers to "Mamma Mia!" and "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2" back-to-back (as has happened to me in the theater as I go see big girl movies, now!), you can't help but think it's all one trailer and on one side of the Greek island, it's all singing and dancing and farce while on the other side, the friends of Seyfried are facing all sorts of teen probs. Bizarre juxtaposition.

And I had little hope for this movie as I think the "musical" itself ("musical" in quotes as it's kind of an insult to musicals - this said as an ABBA and "Chess" fan) is pretty terrible, but I'll still be there opening day to watch Streep. Her singing in "Prairie Home Companion" made me think she could've had some kind of fun, Bette Midler-esque side career out there, but I guess "Mamma Mia!" is the closest we'll see to that.

L.B.

That you are defending the greatest form of censorship in the arts for two generations is just sad and bears no further comment.

The 90's and 2000's have been perhaps the worst decades in cinema history because of political correctness.

Jeff,

I have - no - credibility in these parts and to me that is a badge of honor.

It will be interesting to see how "Mamma Mia" opens, and most importantly, what kind of legs it has. While it must've seemed like a good counter-programming move at the time, opening against "The Dark Knight" may prove to have been a mistake. TDK is tracking phenomenally with both men and women, and with the July 25th opening films not being particularly strong (X-Files and Step Brothers), TDK may end up taking the top box office spot two weeks straight. "Mamma Mia" has a tough road ahead.

"Mamma Mia" will be one of the top ten domestic films of the Summer (maybe the entire year). Of course, I predicted "Son Of Rambow" would be one of the top five of the Summer, too, so there's that.

But you can't judge its box office by opening against "The Dark Knight" (which I think will be the number one movie of the year). It's like saying Madonna shouldn't release a new cd on the same day as Bruce Springsteen. Different audiences (and the musical reference dates me, I know).

It's been a pretty sad Summer for movies (only highlights being "Iron Man", "Wall-E" and "The Visitor"), so Batman and Meryl on the same day let alone the same season is going to be a treat.

Nicol: maybe I'm dense, but I don't see anything in L.B.'s post that constitutes a defense of political correctness. Seems to me he was just answering your question in a humorous way. He even said he has no complaints with the un-PC (pre-PC?) 70s and 80s. Seriously, am I missing something?

Don't know? Sounded like a defense to me.

... opening against "The Dark Knight" may prove to have been a mistake.

Batman = fanboy. "Mamma Mia!" = female appeal. Good timing as "Sex and the City" is winding down its run.

After "Mamma Mia!" women have to wait for "Brideshead Revisited" -- a platform release -- and then "Vicky Cristina Barcelona".

"Mamma Mia!" doing "Phantom" numbers? I.e. $51 million? That's very hard to believe. Even if it's awful, there's a large mid-life women/gay men audience that's going to be underestimated, just as it was for "SATC:TM." I bet it gets to $51 in less than two weeks.

Yes Nicol D. With Political Correctness, filmgoers of the era were deprived of RESERVOIR DOGS, PULP FICTION, WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE, DO THE RIGHT THING, SPANKING THE MONKEY, MULLHOLLAND DRIVE, and GOODFELLAS, among others.

"When you came pulling in here, did you notice a sign out in front of my house that said Dead African-American Storage?"

Nicol,
A) L.B. was, I would say, arguing your point "Hollywood has always been PC" and stating that he enjoyed the non-PC movies of the '70s and '80. I'll go further and say that Hollywood has a long non-PC streak going as far back as Birth of a Nation up through today.
B) "Greatest form of censorship in the arts for two generations" is meaningless hyperbole. What, because people are smoking less in movies?
C) Likewise "worst decades in cinema history" is likewise ridiculous nonsense. I'd say the '80s were easily a poorer decade of cinema.
D) I think it's a shame that you're reveling in your inability to communicate with others and share your ideas. It's perverse and juvenile as well.

Hey, hey, don't fight over me. I can fight over myself just fine.

Nicol, I was actually neither arguing your point or defending PC. Just pointing out that you don't have to go back too far to get a face full of non-PC Hollywood. I was answering the question from my perspective and didn't realize I was comitting an offense that "bears no further comment". Jeez. Calm down. PC really didn't become a factor at all until the late-80s. That was my point. You asked, I answered.

But christian makes a good point. Even with the increase in PC, it's not like there's not plenty of un-PC in movies (going back- as jeff says to the start of cinema. Though you could argue that Birth of a Nation was "politically correct" for its time. In that it aligned with the cultural attitude of the time, unfortunately. And I think it featured several smokers.) Just last year we had an enormous tentpole summer movie where a black character goes all bug-eyed when the cops arrive and runs screaming through a sliding-glass door and into a pool because...I don't know, I guess because black people go all kee-razy when the cops show up. So, it's not like everything out of Hollywood dances to the same tune. To me it's like anything else- if you choose to abide by it when you make a film, that's your choice. There's always going to be someone else who doesn't abide.

I don't take the smoking thing very seriously. (And I'm a smoker.) So, they're trying to crack down on it in movies. Okay. In the 50sw and 60s it was common to have characters walk into a house and immediately make a drink. You don't see that so much anymore. Times change, mores change. Smoking's like that. It's on the downswing and really should be discouraged. As much as I love doing it, it's a horrible habit. But I'm not going to get my panties in a bunch over its portrayal in movies. It's not like it's affecting me.

In the decades match up I'd definitely take the 90s over the 80s, but I'd take any given 80s summer over any given 00s summer. And I'd trade them all in for the 70s any day of the week. (Towering Inferno included.)

To tip the hat to the official subject of this thread: I wouldn't see MAMMA MIA! if you put a gun to my head.

I'm going to see Mamma Mia! and I don't care how the review is. Girl from Mean Girls + Boss from Prada + Mr. Darcy = hotness!

And you will love Christine Baranski as Meryl Streep in Prada and the boy who loves the girl from Mean Girls and, indeed, Mr Darcy, bucket.

Hey now, LexG, Aishwarya Rai will always own ( http://youtube.com/watch?v=LVgS44ifK0M ). At least to me.

Now back to the regular Hollywood box office discussion...

"Slumming around Boxofficemojo.com I was shocked to find that Sex & The City had made $200 million in foreign alone. I guess I mostly thought of it as a USA phenom only. Go figure."

I'm sure you're not interested, but here in Australia after being out for six weeks, the film is still #4 at the box office and is still making more than $1mil a week (the equivalent of making $10mil at the American box office).

Also, while I'm not sure about America, I can guarantee Mamma Mia going to be big overseas. There's a joke going around that if Mamma Mia can't be a hit in Australia then it won't be a hit anywhere. We're famous for being ABBA nuts, of course.

As much as I loooove ABBA I couldn't bring myself to forking over so much money to see a jukebox musical (the worst kind). But I'll definitely be seeing the movie version. I love hearing Meryl sing (remember her beautiful "Amazing Grace" in Silkwood? Or her work in Prairie Home Companion and Postcards from the Edge?) and I always enjoy seeing Julie Walters and Christine Baranski on screen. And, well, the music is just amazing, isn't it? ABBA are pretty much the perfect pop group.

"Mamma Mia!" opens today in Oz and tomorrow in the U.K. That's because ABBA were much bigger there than in the States.

I mean, ABBA?

Chucky, thanks for that amazing piece of history. It's as if I'm just learning it for the first time.

LOL

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