PHATFLICK OF THE YEAR: "ARGO" / TOP 10 PHATFLIX of 2012

Quite a piece of work, really. Ben Affleck directs this stunning thriller based on real events, about the life-or-death covert operation to rescue six Americans, focusing on the little-known role that the CIA and Hollywood played—information that was not declassified until many years after the event. "Argo" moves you like good cinema should. Also has the best running joke in a film, ever.

#DontCallMeShirley. #I'llBeBack #I'mWalkin'OverHere!

TOP 10 PHATFLIX OF 2012

1. ARGO
2. DJANGO UNCHAINED
3. BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
4. ZERO DARK THIRTY
5. DARK KNIGHT RISES
6. THE AVENGERS
7. MOONRISE KINGDOM
8. TED
9. CHRONICLE
10. CABIN IN THE WOODS

SKYFALL falls short of maintaing 007 "Escapist" factor

SKYFALL, the latest installment of the James Bond 007 franchise, seems to be breaking records all over the world. Yet for it's flashy trailers and ad claims of hugeness, the 23rd "official" film in the series of Ian Flemming's british secret agent fails to entertain on the WOW level of it's predecessors. 

SKYFALL relies heavily on the popularity of it's casting rather than it's suspension of disbelief; reaffirming the power of marketing appeasing to existing fan bases rather than innovating.

As an example of the power of marketing, the classic 007 cocktail (martini-shaken, not stirred) has been replaced by beer. Yes, beer. Heineken USA has signed a reported $45 million partnership agreement with Sony Pictures for the use of Heineken products. 

I am not ashamed to say that this is the kind of news that leaves me, an avid Bond fan, shaken AND stirred.

Ian Flemming's handsome, playboy secret agent usually engages in numerous sexual encounters with gorgeous scantly-clad women who we've come to know as "Bond Girls". This kind of promiscuous romping has been replaced by more sexual suggestive activity, no doubt a nod toward the softer PG-13 rating and a way to get more ticket sales. Even the female silhouettes in the opening credits are less sexually suggestive than the earlier films, which are now visually edited when they play on television.

Bond villans are no longer interested in world domination via death ray or blowing up earth and creating a master race on a space station, favoring instead to exact revenge on Britain's intelligence community or cornering the market on real estate. Gimmie a guy who has a shark that wears a lazer. Thank god for Dr. Evil!

Comic relief from 007's gadget master "Q", MI6's brilliant curmudgeon technical advisor/inventor has been replaced by a young computer nerd (Ben Whishaw) whose snappy quips are unfunny hipster commentary on how current technical advancements overshadow the British intelligence's "bygone era" tools of the trade. And, of course, he messes up. Betcha he won't get fired. #BringbackJohnCleese.

OK. Don't get me wrong. Skyfall is a great film, Sam Mendes does a great job handling the new James bond franchise with break-neck action sequences, amazing cinematography and great acting by Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes and Javier Bardem. 

But it seems that the JAMES BOND franchise more resembles the JASON BOURNE films in it's affirmation of current-world politics and technology, and less of the over-the-top, cartoonish charm that gave film-goers a much-needed shot of cinematic escapism. 

The acting range of Sean Connery, Roger Moore and Pierce Bronson encapsulated a sexually-charged, macho bravado as well as comic timing, adding a wide range of emotions to the James Bond character. 

Without taking anything away from Daniel Craig, the role of 007 could be played by a more seasoned actor like Liam Niesen, who has shown by his gritty performance in "TAKEN" that he may also have the swagger to fill her majesty's favorite tuxedo.

But current audiences, weaned on "reality" entertainment, seems to favor a humorless  no-nonsense 007 and story lines that mirror current news instead of escapist fiction.

Oh, well. There's always The Avengers.

Skyfall is rated PG-13: for intense violent sequences throughout, some sexuality, language and smoking.

Director: Sam Mendes

Cast: Daniel Craig, Helen McCrory, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Judi Dench

Studio: 2012 Columbia/MGM

Website: Official site for Skyfall.

The Black Dude Dies First

(Re-posted from "TV TROPES.ORG)

Pretty self-explanatory trope: in a film which involves a lot of character deaths, it seems like the black actor will inevitably be the first to go.

In the past this perception was because there were few black leads in big-budget films outside of those that focused specifically on race or used it to make a point. Historical moviemakers were generally writing to white audiences, so it was natural (at least in their opinion) for whites to get more screen time. And if the writers throw in a Token Minority to give the cast more believable racial balance, who do you think is going to die first, them or the folks who have a bigger role in the script?

A notable subversion of this trope came from the 1971 film Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song. Nowadays the film is known more for popularizing Blaxploitation films, but most of those films were popular with audiences at the time for ignoring this trope all together. As more black people with money to spend went to theaters, more and more prominent black characters and more big-name black actors emerged-none of which were likely to get killed off quietly. Studios had also finally accepted that white audiences are not generally as racist as was once assumed, and do not need to have a white protagonist. In other words, if you're gonna go after the black man nowadays, you might want to check the credits to see who's playing him. If it's no one you've actually heard of, they're probably fair game. Tony Todd? Go for it. Samuel L. Jackson? You can take your chances. Rosario Dawson? Yeah, good luck on that. Denzel Washington? Bad idea. Morgan Freeman? You should give up. Will Smith? Run away and hide.

As black actors became more common in significant roles, this trope found new ways to stay relevant. Films would take a Scary Black Man, turn him into The Big Guy, and kill him off to show how strong their monster is. In horror films, the afflicted main character might have a sassy Black Best Friend that gets killed off to show that this is no laughing matter. 80s horror shows were good at this, and film makers had growing backlash against all the exploitation films.

Will Trayvon Martin tragedy effect "Neighborhood Watch" box office sales?

Will the Trayvon Martin tragedy effect the box office sales of the new movie "Neighborhood Watch" starring Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill?

The comedy centers around a bunch of suburban dads who form a neighborhood watch group to get time away from their families, only to discover a plot to destroy Earth

The film's trailer shows a van full of white men driving slowly through a residential neighborhood as Jonah Hill's character mimics a gun with his fingers out the mini van's window. All this is in slow motion using a slow Hip Hop beat as a sound track.

Will contemporary events in the news like the Trayvon Martin or Sean Bell tragedies cause the trailer or film to be edited to show more "sensitivity"?

Films have been changed before. "Return Of The Jedi" was supposed to be billed as "Revenge Of The Jedi" and was changed at almost the last minute because revenge is an emotion unbecoming of a Jedi, sending the wrong message.

The film also stars Richard Ayode (The I.T. Crowd) and was written by Seth Rogan Evan Goldberg. Akiva Schaffer directs. Opens in July.