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    <title>The Wackness's Recent Activity - Spout</title>
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      <title>The Wackness's Recent Activity - Spout</title>
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      <title>Film:The Wackness</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/films/The_Wackness/344383/default.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<table width='100%' style='font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><tr><td><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s344383.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' /></td>
<td>
<strong>Title:</strong> The Wackness<br/>
<strong>Year:</strong> 2008<br/>
<strong>Director:</strong> Jonathan Levine<br/>
<strong>Plot:</strong> A psychiatrist (<a href="/players/P____38383/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Ben Kingsley</a>) is put into a moral quandary when a young drug dealer that's been supplying him with pot in exchange for clinical treatment ends up dating his daughter in this comedy from <a href=/films/290308/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>All the Boys Love Mandy Lane</a>'s writer/director Jonathan Levine. Josh Peck, <a href="/players/P____35232/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Famke Janssen</a>, <a href="/players/P___126307/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Mary-Kate Olsen</a> and <a href="/players/P___265586/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Method Man</a> co-star in the Occupant Films production. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide<br/>
<strong>Times Tagged:</strong> 52<br/>
<strong>Number of Lists:</strong> 14<br/>
<strong>Number of blog posts:</strong> 19<br/>
<strong>Number of discussion threads:</strong> 7<br/>
<strong>SpoutRating:</strong> 3<br/>
</td></tr></table>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:58:43 GMT</pubDate><spout:Title>The Wackness</spout:Title><spout:Year>2008</spout:Year><spout:Director>Jonathan Levine</spout:Director><spout:Plot>A psychiatrist (&lt;a href="/players/P____38383/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Ben Kingsley&lt;/a&gt;) is put into a moral quandary when a young drug dealer that's been supplying him with pot in exchange for clinical treatment ends up dating his daughter in this comedy from &lt;a href=/films/290308/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;All the Boys Love Mandy Lane&lt;/a&gt;'s writer/director Jonathan Levine. Josh Peck, &lt;a href="/players/P____35232/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Famke Janssen&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="/players/P___126307/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Mary-Kate Olsen&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="/players/P___265586/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'&gt;Method Man&lt;/a&gt; co-star in the Occupant Films production. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide</spout:Plot><spout:TimesTagged>52</spout:TimesTagged><spout:taglevel>Tag Target (&gt;10)</spout:taglevel><spout:Numberoflists>14</spout:Numberoflists><spout:NumberOfBlogPosts>19</spout:NumberOfBlogPosts><spout:NumberOfDiscussionThreads>7</spout:NumberOfDiscussionThreads><spout:SpoutRating>3</spout:SpoutRating><spout:FilmCoverURL>http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s344383.jpg</spout:FilmCoverURL><spout:SpoutFilmDetailURL>http://www.spout.com/films/The_Wackness/344383/default.aspx</spout:SpoutFilmDetailURL><spout:type>Film</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Re:Weekly Theme for June 29: Summertime</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_June_29_Summertime/625/42883/1/ShowPost.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s344383.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/121669/default.aspx'>leeroy711</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/625/discussions.aspx'>Weekly Theme</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 7/1/2009 1:58:43 AM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> [quote user="mercurial"] I feel honored to post this week's theme as it will mark Weekly Theme's One Year Anniversary! Time has sure passed by quickly as it doesn't seem all that long ago that Emery asked me if I wanted to co-moderate this little brainchild of his. Anyways, here's to another year of weekly themes! Currently I'm sitting outside at my local coffeeshop where I come for the tasty caffeinated beverages and free Wi-Fi and am drenched from head to toe thanks to the blistering heat wave that is peaking now at 110 degress. Thusly I felt this week we should talk about all those movies about summer. Not just those movies that take place during the summer months, but the movies that might have been released during the summer or for whatever reason makes us reminisce about all the ups and downs associated with the season.  There are those staples of summertime cinema that make everyone (kids and adults alike) think about how exciting the idea of summer was as a kid. The Sandlot, Now and Then, My Girl and White Water Summer all remind me of how much time I spent thinking about summer during the school year and couldn't wait until that last day of school so that I could toss away my school books and spend three months doing absolutely nothing.  Getting a little older, Dazed and Confused became a start of summer ritual viewing for me as it perfectly captures those feelings of anticipation and all the possibilities that the summer months can hold. Some other films have tried to capture those same feelings with mediocre results. The Wackness was an interesting coming of age during the summer flick about a lackluster teenage drug dealer coping with the heat in New York after graduating high school. Adventureland had its moments with its colorful cast of outcasts running amuck at a summer amusement park as did Wet Hot American Summer but transplanted to a summer camp. My guilty pleasure summer flick is definitely Psycho Beach Party. Set in a 1950's Beach Blanket Bingo-like setting, this campy horror comedy gets me laughing every time (and a completely nude Amy Adams doesn't hurt either). But ultimately there are two movies that getting me thinking summer without a doubt. The first being one of the first summer blockbusters I saw and the other being because it takes place during summer. I vividly recall lining up to buy tickets for Jurassic Park and how amazed I was at how many people there were and how packed the theater was. Packed in a small hot theater, I was mesmerized by the movie and it still to this day makes me think of how great a summer movie can be. The other film is of course Jaws. I've gone into great detail in other discussions about how this film has pretty much ruined any summer trips to the beach for me (or any body of water for that matter) and I will forever love it for doing that. Any movie that can make a grown man go into hysterics when his friends joke around and push him over the side of a boat into a small lake during an afternoon of drinking deserves some major points. So break out the sun block and lets get talking! [/quote] Hooray for US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!... I've never really thought of this group as a brainchild but whatever works..............maybe like an adopted brainchild that Chris &amp; I decided to raise together in spite of constant adversity and redicule from our friends and family. We named that child Weekly Theme and raised him with all the love his "traditional family structure" never gave him. I'll never forget the day Daddy Chris took off Weekly's training wheels and ran along side of him as Daddy Emery cheerfully snapped photo after photo until he crashed into Mr. Woodril's hedges and skinned his knee. That child grew and grew, everyday becoming more and more of his own man............................. And that child's name was C. Thomas Howell.......    And NOOOW you know...... the RESSST of the story...   Anyway..... Summer movies are great. Evertime I hear that phrase I recall the time my family and I were standing outside in line for  Jurassic Park and a 15 year old girl passed out in front of us from the heat.. I think it was about 117 that day but the lines were packed. I would also mention a couple films that come to mind that I think are great examples of portrayels of the summer heat. Burtolucci's La Commare Secca takes place durring a particularly sweaty Italian summer.... Also, Chinatown is one of my alltime favorite films and it does a great job of showing a hot summer in LA.<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:58:43 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>leeroy711</spout:postby><spout:postto>Weekly Theme</spout:postto><spout:postdate>7/1/2009 1:58:43 AM</spout:postdate><spout:body>[quote user="mercurial"] I feel honored to post this week's theme as it will mark Weekly Theme's One Year Anniversary! Time has sure passed by quickly as it doesn't seem all that long ago that Emery asked me if I wanted to co-moderate this little brainchild of his. Anyways, here's to another year of weekly themes! Currently I'm sitting outside at my local coffeeshop where I come for the tasty caffeinated beverages and free Wi-Fi and am drenched from head to toe thanks to the blistering heat wave that is peaking now at 110 degress. Thusly I felt this week we should talk about all those movies about summer. Not just those movies that take place during the summer months, but the movies that might have been released during the summer or for whatever reason makes us reminisce about all the ups and downs associated with the season.  There are those staples of summertime cinema that make everyone (kids and adults alike) think about how exciting the idea of summer was as a kid. The Sandlot, Now and Then, My Girl and White Water Summer all remind me of how much time I spent thinking about summer during the school year and couldn't wait until that last day of school so that I could toss away my school books and spend three months doing absolutely nothing.  Getting a little older, Dazed and Confused became a start of summer ritual viewing for me as it perfectly captures those feelings of anticipation and all the possibilities that the summer months can hold. Some other films have tried to capture those same feelings with mediocre results. The Wackness was an interesting coming of age during the summer flick about a lackluster teenage drug dealer coping with the heat in New York after graduating high school. Adventureland had its moments with its colorful cast of outcasts running amuck at a summer amusement park as did Wet Hot American Summer but transplanted to a summer camp. My guilty pleasure summer flick is definitely Psycho Beach Party. Set in a 1950's Beach Blanket Bingo-like setting, this campy horror comedy gets me laughing every time (and a completely nude Amy Adams doesn't hurt either). But ultimately there are two movies that getting me thinking summer without a doubt. The first being one of the first summer blockbusters I saw and the other being because it takes place during summer. I vividly recall lining up to buy tickets for Jurassic Park and how amazed I was at how many people there were and how packed the theater was. Packed in a small hot theater, I was mesmerized by the movie and it still to this day makes me think of how great a summer movie can be. The other film is of course Jaws. I've gone into great detail in other discussions about how this film has pretty much ruined any summer trips to the beach for me (or any body of water for that matter) and I will forever love it for doing that. Any movie that can make a grown man go into hysterics when his friends joke around and push him over the side of a boat into a small lake during an afternoon of drinking deserves some major points. So break out the sun block and lets get talking! [/quote] Hooray for US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!... I've never really thought of this group as a brainchild but whatever works..............maybe like an adopted brainchild that Chris &amp;amp; I decided to raise together in spite of constant adversity and redicule from our friends and family. We named that child Weekly Theme and raised him with all the love his "traditional family structure" never gave him. I'll never forget the day Daddy Chris took off Weekly's training wheels and ran along side of him as Daddy Emery cheerfully snapped photo after photo until he crashed into Mr. Woodril's hedges and skinned his knee. That child grew and grew, everyday becoming more and more of his own man............................. And that child's name was C. Thomas Howell.......    And NOOOW you know...... the RESSST of the story...   Anyway..... Summer movies are great. Evertime I hear that phrase I recall the time my family and I were standing outside in line for  Jurassic Park and a 15 year old girl passed out in front of us from the heat.. I think it was about 117 that day but the lines were packed. I would also mention a couple films that come to mind that I think are great examples of portrayels of the summer heat. Burtolucci's La Commare Secca takes place durring a particularly sweaty Italian summer.... Also, Chinatown is one of my alltime favorite films and it does a great job of showing a hot summer in LA.</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Re:Weekly Theme for June 29: Summertime</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_June_29_Summertime/625/42880/1/ShowPost.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s344383.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/5353/default.aspx'>Risselada</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/625/discussions.aspx'>Weekly Theme</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 6/30/2009 6:39:43 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> [quote user="mercurial"] The Wackness was an interesting coming of age during the summer flick about a lackluster teenage drug dealer coping with the heat in New York after graduating high school.[/quote] I've never heard of this one, but when I think of a movie that conveys extreme New York summer heat the best, I think of Do the Right Thing.  You can feel the heat. Now if you want to feel the heat both literally and figuratively of being stuck inside and and just wanting to get out, check out 12 Angry Men.<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:39:43 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>Risselada</spout:postby><spout:postto>Weekly Theme</spout:postto><spout:postdate>6/30/2009 6:39:43 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>[quote user="mercurial"] The Wackness was an interesting coming of age during the summer flick about a lackluster teenage drug dealer coping with the heat in New York after graduating high school.[/quote] I've never heard of this one, but when I think of a movie that conveys extreme New York summer heat the best, I think of Do the Right Thing.  You can feel the heat. Now if you want to feel the heat both literally and figuratively of being stuck inside and and just wanting to get out, check out 12 Angry Men.</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Weekly Theme for June 29: Summertime</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Weekly_Theme_for_June_29_Summertime/625/42867/1/ShowPost.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s344383.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/119628/default.aspx'>mercurial</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/625/discussions.aspx'>Weekly Theme</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 6/29/2009 9:38:41 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> I feel honored to post this week's theme as it will mark Weekly Theme's One Year Anniversary! Time has sure passed by quickly as it doesn't seem all that long ago that Emery asked me if I wanted to co-moderate this little brainchild of his. Anyways, here's to another year of weekly themes! Currently I'm sitting outside at my local coffeeshop where I come for the tasty caffeinated beverages and free Wi-Fi and am drenched from head to toe thanks to the blistering heat wave that is peaking now at 110 degress. Thusly I felt this week we should talk about all those movies about summer. Not just those movies that take place during the summer months, but the movies that might have been released during the summer or for whatever reason makes us reminisce about all the ups and downs associated with the season.  There are those staples of summertime cinema that make everyone (kids and adults alike) think about how exciting the idea of summer was as a kid. The Sandlot, Now and Then, My Girl and White Water Summer all remind me of how much time I spent thinking about summer during the school year and couldn't wait until that last day of school so that I could toss away my school books and spend three months doing absolutely nothing.  Getting a little older, Dazed and Confused became a start of summer ritual viewing for me as it perfectly captures those feelings of anticipation and all the possibilities that the summer months can hold. Some other films have tried to capture those same feelings with mediocre results. The Wackness was an interesting coming of age during the summer flick about a lackluster teenage drug dealer coping with the heat in New York after graduating high school. Adventureland had its moments with its colorful cast of outcasts running amuck at a summer amusement park as did Wet Hot American Summer but transplanted to a summer camp. My guilty pleasure summer flick is definitely Psycho Beach Party. Set in a 1950's Beach Blanket Bingo-like setting, this campy horror comedy gets me laughing every time (and a completely nude Amy Adams doesn't hurt either). But ultimately there are two movies that getting me thinking summer without a doubt. The first being one of the first summer blockbusters I saw and the other being because it takes place during summer. I vividly recall lining up to buy tickets for Jurassic Park and how amazed I was at how many people there were and how packed the theater was. Packed in a small hot theater, I was mesmerized by the movie and it still to this day makes me think of how great a summer movie can be. The other film is of course Jaws. I've gone into great detail in other discussions about how this film has pretty much ruined any summer trips to the beach for me (or any body of water for that matter) and I will forever love it for doing that. Any movie that can make a grown man go into hysterics when his friends joke around and push him over the side of a boat into a small lake during an afternoon of drinking deserves some major points. So break out the sun block and lets get talking!<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:38:41 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>mercurial</spout:postby><spout:postto>Weekly Theme</spout:postto><spout:postdate>6/29/2009 9:38:41 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>I feel honored to post this week's theme as it will mark Weekly Theme's One Year Anniversary! Time has sure passed by quickly as it doesn't seem all that long ago that Emery asked me if I wanted to co-moderate this little brainchild of his. Anyways, here's to another year of weekly themes! Currently I'm sitting outside at my local coffeeshop where I come for the tasty caffeinated beverages and free Wi-Fi and am drenched from head to toe thanks to the blistering heat wave that is peaking now at 110 degress. Thusly I felt this week we should talk about all those movies about summer. Not just those movies that take place during the summer months, but the movies that might have been released during the summer or for whatever reason makes us reminisce about all the ups and downs associated with the season.  There are those staples of summertime cinema that make everyone (kids and adults alike) think about how exciting the idea of summer was as a kid. The Sandlot, Now and Then, My Girl and White Water Summer all remind me of how much time I spent thinking about summer during the school year and couldn't wait until that last day of school so that I could toss away my school books and spend three months doing absolutely nothing.  Getting a little older, Dazed and Confused became a start of summer ritual viewing for me as it perfectly captures those feelings of anticipation and all the possibilities that the summer months can hold. Some other films have tried to capture those same feelings with mediocre results. The Wackness was an interesting coming of age during the summer flick about a lackluster teenage drug dealer coping with the heat in New York after graduating high school. Adventureland had its moments with its colorful cast of outcasts running amuck at a summer amusement park as did Wet Hot American Summer but transplanted to a summer camp. My guilty pleasure summer flick is definitely Psycho Beach Party. Set in a 1950's Beach Blanket Bingo-like setting, this campy horror comedy gets me laughing every time (and a completely nude Amy Adams doesn't hurt either). But ultimately there are two movies that getting me thinking summer without a doubt. The first being one of the first summer blockbusters I saw and the other being because it takes place during summer. I vividly recall lining up to buy tickets for Jurassic Park and how amazed I was at how many people there were and how packed the theater was. Packed in a small hot theater, I was mesmerized by the movie and it still to this day makes me think of how great a summer movie can be. The other film is of course Jaws. I've gone into great detail in other discussions about how this film has pretty much ruined any summer trips to the beach for me (or any body of water for that matter) and I will forever love it for doing that. Any movie that can make a grown man go into hysterics when his friends joke around and push him over the side of a boat into a small lake during an afternoon of drinking deserves some major points. So break out the sun block and lets get talking!</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: 10 Movies Ruined by a Former Child Star</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/2/5/40271.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s344383.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/9325/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog on spout.com</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 2/5/2009 12:01:20 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> Are you one of the many sci-fi and comic book geeks who’d be more interested in Push were it not for Dakota Fanning? Sure, the precocious child star is now a teen actress (she’s about to turn 15), yet that probably makes you even more worried about her appearance in the movie. But what can you do? She’s literally everywhere this week – voicing the title character in the animated Coraline and starring in two new video releases, Hounddog and The Secret Life of Bees, both of which were released Tuesday. In the tradition of child actors continuing careers into adolescence, it’s only a matter of time before she ruins a movie that would have been better without her.
We’ll have to wait until this weekend to see if that time is now, with Push, but in the meantime let’s take a look at some of the past offenders in this tradition. Most of the following former child actors (our definition: actors that began their career below the age of 13) have done great things in their adulthood, but each has done at least one film that could have been better without him or her. You may disagree with some of these picks, and you may think we’ve forgotten some (was Christian Bale really the worst part of The Dark Knight? did Mary-Kate Olsen’s disturbing kiss with Ben Kingsley take away from The Wackness?), so do share your own thoughts on former child stars below. We just ask that you keep your comments somewhat tasteful and law-abiding.


BUtterfield 8 (1960)
Elizabeth Taylor won her first Oscar for her performance in this film, and that’s basically the problem. Everyone knew then as they know now that she only won the award because she came down with a near-fatal illness weeks prior to the ceremony. Of course, she was nominated without such sympathy being the reason, so shouldn’t that mean the performance is still great? Well, that’s certainly debatable, but many critics today claim this to be one of the worst best actress wins of all time. So, if you go into BUtterfield 8 expecting an Oscar-worthy film, it’s going to be ruined for you.

The Cat’s Meow (2001)

Kirsten Dunst, who made her debut at age 7 in Woody Allen’s segment of New York Stories, got to work with another ‘70s cinema great, Peter Bogdanovich, in this comedic telling of an infamous Hollywood scandal. She portrays silent film actress Marion Davies, who becomes the catalyst in the scandal when her boyfriend, newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst (Edward Herrmann), discovers she’s having an affair with Charlie Chaplin (Eddie Izzard). The irony is that Dunst is so annoying in the role that it’s hard to believe any guys would fight over her. Many Dunst fans continually defend her performance in the film, but if it’s not her acting that ruins The Cat’s Meow, it’s at least her singing, which can be heard during the closing credits.

Donnie Darko (2001)
Drew Barrymore may be the most adorable thing to happen to romantic comedies since Jean Arthur, but occasionally she tries to make us believe she can do other roles. Unfortunately, she’s just not fit for most jobs, and English teacher is certainly one of them. Somehow in Donnie Darko her awkward speaking voice is even worse than usual, and she comes off sounding like she knows this and is attempting to enunciate as best she can in spite of the problem. Well, Drew, there’s a reason Spielberg hasn’t cast you in a sci-fi flick since E.T., you simply can’t pull off the dialogue.

Garden State (2004)
Natalie Portman didn’t make her film debut until she was 13 (in Leon, aka The Professional), but she did begin acting three years earlier, so we’re allowing her to make the list. How can we not? There isn’t a Garden State hater out there who doesn’t blame Portman and her obnoxious, flaky love interest character for ruining the film. Yet she was once the young girl that made tons of these cinephiles relate to a questionably friendly Timothy Hutton in Beautiful Girls. A year after Garden State, fellow former child starlet Kirsten Dunst (see above) played a similarly obnoxious and flaky love interest in the similarly plotted Elizabethtown. But at least Dunst had Orlando Bloom to make her seem talented by comparison. Portman is all alone in her ruination here.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)
Ron Howard, child star-turned-Oscar-winning filmmaker, has a special circumstance that warrants his inclusion on this list. Unlike the other nine, he managed to ruin a movie he wasn’t even involved in. Notice both the title and the date above. Or click on the link. That’s the old animated adaptation of the Dr. Seuss holiday classic, which Howard ruined by directing his live-action version. You could also say that he ruined the book, and you could say that he ruined his own movie by making the latter so terribly horrendous. But it’s Chuck Jones’ earlier film that was most adversely affected by the release of 2000’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas (often listed simply as The Grinch), because how many children will now grow up with the ugly Jim Carrey-starring version instead of the wonderful Boris Karloff-narrated one?

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Shia LaBeouf, like Natalie Portman, barely makes the child actor cutoff, but he needs to be included because we need to keep chastising him for ruining not only the latest Indiana Jones movie, but also the whole franchise. Maybe there were indeed other faults with Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Plenty of people credit the “nuke the fridge” scene as the downturn in both the film and the series, for instance. But most of us were forgiving up until Shia swung through the trees like Tarzan. So, he’s clearly to blame. It’s quite a shame, too, because he’s pretty much the only thing that really saves the Transformers movies.


Inside Man (2006)
Jodie Foster has often seemed out of place in movies. She doesn’t feel right in period romances, such as Sommersby and Anna and the King, but she’s a good enough actress that she’s forgiven for such casting faults. As for Inside Man, well, even her Oscar-winning talent couldn’t keep her from appearing ill fit for her role. Part of the problem is the character itself, that of a woman who comes off far less intelligent and tough than she should (the same kind of character ruined The Bourne Supremacy a year earlier). You want Foster, a smart and strong woman in real life and typically on screen, to be more and do more. But she hardly contributes to the film and if anything slows it and dumbs it down too much. Hopefully the rumors are correct that her character will not return in Inside Man 2.

Monster (2003)
Christina Ricci is not really a good actress to begin with, but if you cast her opposite a great performance she comes off as seeming a downright terrible actress. This is what happened with Monster, in which Charlize Theron does her Oscar-winning best at becoming unrecognizable. Next to that transformation, Ricci just looks like Ricci, and a really untalented Ricci at that. For the amount of screen time Ricci’s lesbian love-interest character is allotted, Patty Jenkins really should have gotten someone better. Because not only does the performance end up awful next to Theron’s, it ruins a film that is otherwise worth watching for the acting.


Silver Screen Confidential (1996)
Scott Schwartz actually won an award for this adult film, in which he gives a non-sex performance. It wasn’t his first porn nor was it his last, but because of the recognition he received for this one, it’s being used as the exemplary title. While creepy people out there tend to count down to the day that female child stars reach the age of 18, probably in the hopes that the girls will quickly appear in their first legal nude scene, it is unlikely that anyone was waiting for the day the kid from The Toy, A Christmas Story and Kidco would enter a career in porn. To be honest, we haven’t actually seen any of Schwartz’s adult titles, but we can imagine his appearance is quite distracting to anybody who recognizes him as “Flick” while otherwise trying to get off watching Jenna Jameson. Still, Schwartz does star in his very own title, Scotty’s X-Rated Adventure, so maybe he’s somehow a draw?

X-Men (2000)
Anna Paquin is the prime reason why the Academy needs to stop allowing child actors Oscar nominations. Yes, Paquin was terrific in The Piano, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. But then look what happened: she grew up to be an irritating starlet who could ruin a film by Spike Lee, Cameron Crowe or Gus Van Sant with just a single whiny-voiced line while playing the same nymphet character over and over and over. So what if she can claim to have confirmed her talent with a recent Golden Globe win (for TV work)? That still doesn’t take back the fact that she stunk up the first X-Men, one of her rare deviations from her typecast Lolita roles, enough to make it a huge disappointment. Fortunately with the sequels, not even her lack of talent could depreciate X2, and she was far from the worst thing about X-Men: The Last Stand. Thankfully she won’t be in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, nor will she likely be given her own spin-off. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:01:20 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>SpoutBlog</spout:postby><spout:postto>SpoutBlog on spout.com</spout:postto><spout:postdate>2/5/2009 12:01:20 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>Are you one of the many sci-fi and comic book geeks who’d be more interested in Push were it not for Dakota Fanning? Sure, the precocious child star is now a teen actress (she’s about to turn 15), yet that probably makes you even more worried about her appearance in the movie. But what can you do? She’s literally everywhere this week – voicing the title character in the animated Coraline and starring in two new video releases, Hounddog and The Secret Life of Bees, both of which were released Tuesday. In the tradition of child actors continuing careers into adolescence, it’s only a matter of time before she ruins a movie that would have been better without her.
We’ll have to wait until this weekend to see if that time is now, with Push, but in the meantime let’s take a look at some of the past offenders in this tradition. Most of the following former child actors (our definition: actors that began their career below the age of 13) have done great things in their adulthood, but each has done at least one film that could have been better without him or her. You may disagree with some of these picks, and you may think we’ve forgotten some (was Christian Bale really the worst part of The Dark Knight? did Mary-Kate Olsen’s disturbing kiss with Ben Kingsley take away from The Wackness?), so do share your own thoughts on former child stars below. We just ask that you keep your comments somewhat tasteful and law-abiding.


BUtterfield 8 (1960)
Elizabeth Taylor won her first Oscar for her performance in this film, and that’s basically the problem. Everyone knew then as they know now that she only won the award because she came down with a near-fatal illness weeks prior to the ceremony. Of course, she was nominated without such sympathy being the reason, so shouldn’t that mean the performance is still great? Well, that’s certainly debatable, but many critics today claim this to be one of the worst best actress wins of all time. So, if you go into BUtterfield 8 expecting an Oscar-worthy film, it’s going to be ruined for you.

The Cat’s Meow (2001)

Kirsten Dunst, who made her debut at age 7 in Woody Allen’s segment of New York Stories, got to work with another ‘70s cinema great, Peter Bogdanovich, in this comedic telling of an infamous Hollywood scandal. She portrays silent film actress Marion Davies, who becomes the catalyst in the scandal when her boyfriend, newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst (Edward Herrmann), discovers she’s having an affair with Charlie Chaplin (Eddie Izzard). The irony is that Dunst is so annoying in the role that it’s hard to believe any guys would fight over her. Many Dunst fans continually defend her performance in the film, but if it’s not her acting that ruins The Cat’s Meow, it’s at least her singing, which can be heard during the closing credits.

Donnie Darko (2001)
Drew Barrymore may be the most adorable thing to happen to romantic comedies since Jean Arthur, but occasionally she tries to make us believe she can do other roles. Unfortunately, she’s just not fit for most jobs, and English teacher is certainly one of them. Somehow in Donnie Darko her awkward speaking voice is even worse than usual, and she comes off sounding like she knows this and is attempting to enunciate as best she can in spite of the problem. Well, Drew, there’s a reason Spielberg hasn’t cast you in a sci-fi flick since E.T., you simply can’t pull off the dialogue.

Garden State (2004)
Natalie Portman didn’t make her film debut until she was 13 (in Leon, aka The Professional), but she did begin acting three years earlier, so we’re allowing her to make the list. How can we not? There isn’t a Garden State hater out there who doesn’t blame Portman and her obnoxious, flaky love interest character for ruining the film. Yet she was once the young girl that made tons of these cinephiles relate to a questionably friendly Timothy Hutton in Beautiful Girls. A year after Garden State, fellow former child starlet Kirsten Dunst (see above) played a similarly obnoxious and flaky love interest in the similarly plotted Elizabethtown. But at least Dunst had Orlando Bloom to make her seem talented by comparison. Portman is all alone in her ruination here.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)
Ron Howard, child star-turned-Oscar-winning filmmaker, has a special circumstance that warrants his inclusion on this list. Unlike the other nine, he managed to ruin a movie he wasn’t even involved in. Notice both the title and the date above. Or click on the link. That’s the old animated adaptation of the Dr. Seuss holiday classic, which Howard ruined by directing his live-action version. You could also say that he ruined the book, and you could say that he ruined his own movie by making the latter so terribly horrendous. But it’s Chuck Jones’ earlier film that was most adversely affected by the release of 2000’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas (often listed simply as The Grinch), because how many children will now grow up with the ugly Jim Carrey-starring version instead of the wonderful Boris Karloff-narrated one?

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Shia LaBeouf, like Natalie Portman, barely makes the child actor cutoff, but he needs to be included because we need to keep chastising him for ruining not only the latest Indiana Jones movie, but also the whole franchise. Maybe there were indeed other faults with Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Plenty of people credit the “nuke the fridge” scene as the downturn in both the film and the series, for instance. But most of us were forgiving up until Shia swung through the trees like Tarzan. So, he’s clearly to blame. It’s quite a shame, too, because he’s pretty much the only thing that really saves the Transformers movies.


Inside Man (2006)
Jodie Foster has often seemed out of place in movies. She doesn’t feel right in period romances, such as Sommersby and Anna and the King, but she’s a good enough actress that she’s forgiven for such casting faults. As for Inside Man, well, even her Oscar-winning talent couldn’t keep her from appearing ill fit for her role. Part of the problem is the character itself, that of a woman who comes off far less intelligent and tough than she should (the same kind of character ruined The Bourne Supremacy a year earlier). You want Foster, a smart and strong woman in real life and typically on screen, to be more and do more. But she hardly contributes to the film and if anything slows it and dumbs it down too much. Hopefully the rumors are correct that her character will not return in Inside Man 2.

Monster (2003)
Christina Ricci is not really a good actress to begin with, but if you cast her opposite a great performance she comes off as seeming a downright terrible actress. This is what happened with Monster, in which Charlize Theron does her Oscar-winning best at becoming unrecognizable. Next to that transformation, Ricci just looks like Ricci, and a really untalented Ricci at that. For the amount of screen time Ricci’s lesbian love-interest character is allotted, Patty Jenkins really should have gotten someone better. Because not only does the performance end up awful next to Theron’s, it ruins a film that is otherwise worth watching for the acting.


Silver Screen Confidential (1996)
Scott Schwartz actually won an award for this adult film, in which he gives a non-sex performance. It wasn’t his first porn nor was it his last, but because of the recognition he received for this one, it’s being used as the exemplary title. While creepy people out there tend to count down to the day that female child stars reach the age of 18, probably in the hopes that the girls will quickly appear in their first legal nude scene, it is unlikely that anyone was waiting for the day the kid from The Toy, A Christmas Story and Kidco would enter a career in porn. To be honest, we haven’t actually seen any of Schwartz’s adult titles, but we can imagine his appearance is quite distracting to anybody who recognizes him as “Flick” while otherwise trying to get off watching Jenna Jameson. Still, Schwartz does star in his very own title, Scotty’s X-Rated Adventure, so maybe he’s somehow a draw?

X-Men (2000)
Anna Paquin is the prime reason why the Academy needs to stop allowing child actors Oscar nominations. Yes, Paquin was terrific in The Piano, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. But then look what happened: she grew up to be an irritating starlet who could ruin a film by Spike Lee, Cameron Crowe or Gus Van Sant with just a single whiny-voiced line while playing the same nymphet character over and over and over. So what if she can claim to have confirmed her talent with a recent Golden Globe win (for TV work)? That still doesn’t take back the fact that she stunk up the first X-Men, one of her rare deviations from her typecast Lolita roles, enough to make it a huge disappointment. Fortunately with the sequels, not even her lack of talent could depreciate X2, and she was far from the worst thing about X-Men: The Last Stand. Thankfully she won’t be in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, nor will she likely be given her own spin-off. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Oscar Predictions: Yours</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/1/19/39678.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s344383.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/9325/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog on spout.com</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 1/19/2009 5:01:05 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> With a few more days left before the Oscar nominations are revealed, it is time to look at what the non-professionals anticipate will be among those contenders announced Thursday morning. Last Monday, we posted our own predictions for the Academy Award nominees and invited readers to weigh in with their own forecasts. A lot of comments concentrated on what shouldn’t happen, like The Dark Knight shouldn’t be nominated for Best Picture and Dustin Lance Black shouldn’t be nominated for his screenplay for Milk. And apparently The Curious Case of Benjamin Button could be this year’s Dreamgirls. However, there were some interesting trends among the many who chimed in. Check out some highlights after the jump.


GRAN TORINO for Best Picture?
With a strong wide release, Clint Eastwood’s second film of 2008 has been gaining a lot of Oscar buzz in the last minutes before the nominations are announced. JonathonSaia says it might even make the top category: “I would be hard pressed to believe that Gran Torino will not sneak in the Picture or Direction category. Yes, they will give him an actor nod, but the Academy loves his work. I expect either The Dark Knight or Christopher Nolan to be nominated, but not both. The other will be Gran Torino.”

THE WRESTLER for Best Picture?
The other strong major category candidate missing from our predictions for Best Picture is The Wrestler, which may indeed be another possibility, yet not an “upset.” Says Paul DeBenedetto: “No real love for the Wrestler in the Best Picture or Best Director categories? It was my favorite movie of the year and I think Aronofsky in particular really knocked it out of the park. It could really step in and ruin both the Dark Knight and Boyle’s evenings. That being said at the very least I don’t think noms in those categories would be an upset.”
Nuttylichee agrees that the film will make the top five. Her reasoning: “simple story, a fantastic lead, great direction, better than revolutionary road (dear god, please don’t let revolutionary road get a best picture nod).”

ARNAUD DESPLECHIN for Best Director?
Anthony88 thinks David Fincher will be snubbed in favor of a foreign filmmaker, specifically the director of Un Conte de Noel (A Christmas Tale): “I know Desplechin is an out there pick but those few who have seen A Christmas Tale will surely agree. It has topped an impressive amount of critics’ lists. There is usually a room for a great film that is ineligible for best Foreign film (Letters From Iwo Jima, Talk To Her, Amélie, Vera Drake, Pan’s Labyrinth, Diving Bell and the Butterfly, City of God, and Cache).” [editor’s note: both Amelie and Pan’s Labyrinth received nods for Best Foreign Film; neither had a nod for Best Director. And Cache got no Academy love at all. But we get and agree with your point, Anthony.]

JOSH BROLIN for Best Actor?
Brolin’s portrayal of George W. Bush did make my wishlist for the Oscar nominations, but I think he’ll get snubbed in favor of his supporting performance in Milk. Michael disagrees: “Has everyone forgotten about JOSH BROLIN! His performance in W. was fantastic, say what you will about the overall film, he was brilliant and deserves a nod. He was a better Bush, than Langella was as a Nixon.”

THE CLASS for Best Adapted Screenplay? 
Anthony88 really does have an argument for the Academy having a greater love for foreign films in the directing and writing categories. Here he foresees Francois Begaudeau and Laurent Cantet being recognized for adapting Begaudeau’s book: “Being a weak category this year there shouldn’t be any surprises here other than Cantet’s The Class, which is a shoe in to win Best Foreign Film. It should garner enough love to go the extra mile.”

TROPIC THUNDER or THE WACKNESS or WALTZ WITH BASHIR for Best Original Screenplay?
Another possible surprise upset could come from one or more of the following nominations in the Original Screenplay category: Tropic Thunder (predicted by jeremy); The Wackness (predicted by Aaron); Waltz with Bashir (predicted by Nic). On the latter idea, though, Anthony88 disagrees; yet he acknowledges that it deserves the honor: “Unfortunately, Ari Folman’s Waltz with Bashir will be dismissed as a documentary screenplay. IT’S STILL A SCREENPLAY!!” Originally posted on:SpoutBlog<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 19 Jan 2009 22:01:05 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>SpoutBlog</spout:postby><spout:postto>SpoutBlog on spout.com</spout:postto><spout:postdate>1/19/2009 5:01:05 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>With a few more days left before the Oscar nominations are revealed, it is time to look at what the non-professionals anticipate will be among those contenders announced Thursday morning. Last Monday, we posted our own predictions for the Academy Award nominees and invited readers to weigh in with their own forecasts. A lot of comments concentrated on what shouldn’t happen, like The Dark Knight shouldn’t be nominated for Best Picture and Dustin Lance Black shouldn’t be nominated for his screenplay for Milk. And apparently The Curious Case of Benjamin Button could be this year’s Dreamgirls. However, there were some interesting trends among the many who chimed in. Check out some highlights after the jump.


GRAN TORINO for Best Picture?
With a strong wide release, Clint Eastwood’s second film of 2008 has been gaining a lot of Oscar buzz in the last minutes before the nominations are announced. JonathonSaia says it might even make the top category: “I would be hard pressed to believe that Gran Torino will not sneak in the Picture or Direction category. Yes, they will give him an actor nod, but the Academy loves his work. I expect either The Dark Knight or Christopher Nolan to be nominated, but not both. The other will be Gran Torino.”

THE WRESTLER for Best Picture?
The other strong major category candidate missing from our predictions for Best Picture is The Wrestler, which may indeed be another possibility, yet not an “upset.” Says Paul DeBenedetto: “No real love for the Wrestler in the Best Picture or Best Director categories? It was my favorite movie of the year and I think Aronofsky in particular really knocked it out of the park. It could really step in and ruin both the Dark Knight and Boyle’s evenings. That being said at the very least I don’t think noms in those categories would be an upset.”
Nuttylichee agrees that the film will make the top five. Her reasoning: “simple story, a fantastic lead, great direction, better than revolutionary road (dear god, please don’t let revolutionary road get a best picture nod).”

ARNAUD DESPLECHIN for Best Director?
Anthony88 thinks David Fincher will be snubbed in favor of a foreign filmmaker, specifically the director of Un Conte de Noel (A Christmas Tale): “I know Desplechin is an out there pick but those few who have seen A Christmas Tale will surely agree. It has topped an impressive amount of critics’ lists. There is usually a room for a great film that is ineligible for best Foreign film (Letters From Iwo Jima, Talk To Her, Amélie, Vera Drake, Pan’s Labyrinth, Diving Bell and the Butterfly, City of God, and Cache).” [editor’s note: both Amelie and Pan’s Labyrinth received nods for Best Foreign Film; neither had a nod for Best Director. And Cache got no Academy love at all. But we get and agree with your point, Anthony.]

JOSH BROLIN for Best Actor?
Brolin’s portrayal of George W. Bush did make my wishlist for the Oscar nominations, but I think he’ll get snubbed in favor of his supporting performance in Milk. Michael disagrees: “Has everyone forgotten about JOSH BROLIN! His performance in W. was fantastic, say what you will about the overall film, he was brilliant and deserves a nod. He was a better Bush, than Langella was as a Nixon.”

THE CLASS for Best Adapted Screenplay? 
Anthony88 really does have an argument for the Academy having a greater love for foreign films in the directing and writing categories. Here he foresees Francois Begaudeau and Laurent Cantet being recognized for adapting Begaudeau’s book: “Being a weak category this year there shouldn’t be any surprises here other than Cantet’s The Class, which is a shoe in to win Best Foreign Film. It should garner enough love to go the extra mile.”

TROPIC THUNDER or THE WACKNESS or WALTZ WITH BASHIR for Best Original Screenplay?
Another possible surprise upset could come from one or more of the following nominations in the Original Screenplay category: Tropic Thunder (predicted by jeremy); The Wackness (predicted by Aaron); Waltz with Bashir (predicted by Nic). On the latter idea, though, Anthony88 disagrees; yet he acknowledges that it deserves the honor: “Unfortunately, Ari Folman’s Waltz with Bashir will be dismissed as a documentary screenplay. IT’S STILL A SCREENPLAY!!” Originally posted on:SpoutBlog</spout:body></item>
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      <title>Spout Post: re: New movies 12/9 -- Bride wars and exorcisms</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/groups/Coming_Soon/re_New_movies_12_9_Bride_wars_and_exorcisms/216/39109/1/ShowPost.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s344383.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/2126/default.aspx'>spout</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/groups/Coming_Soon/216/discussions.aspx'>Coming Soon</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 1/5/2009 3:26:06 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> New to DVD 12/6  1. Pineapple Express -- Watch the trailer. Oh man, this was entertaining! We're giving away some Pineapple Express DVDs in Filmgaming.  2. The Wackness -- Watch the trailer. Read the review. Ben Kingsley is a therapist whose teenage pot dealer starts dating his daughter. Wackness ensues. 3. NetherBest Incorporated -- Watch the trailer. Darrell Hammond and Dave Foley star in this vampire comedy that looks better than Dracula: Dead and Loving It. 4. The Orphanage (El Orfanato) -- Watch the trailer. This extraordinary Spanish horror film is the closest I've ever come to screaming in the theater. It's been released on DVD once before, but I like it so much I had to mention it again. 5. Righteous Kill -- Watch the trailer. Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro together again, but I hear this is no Heat. 6. Eden Lake -- Watch the trailer. A couple's romantic getaway becomes a fight for survival when they're targeted by a group of malicious young men. 7. And something for the Blu-ray fans: Criterion Collection's The Last Emperor (Blu-ray). Watch the trailer.  <br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 05 Jan 2009 20:26:06 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>spout</spout:postby><spout:postto>Coming Soon</spout:postto><spout:postdate>1/5/2009 3:26:06 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>New to DVD 12/6  1. Pineapple Express -- Watch the trailer. Oh man, this was entertaining! We're giving away some Pineapple Express DVDs in Filmgaming.  2. The Wackness -- Watch the trailer. Read the review. Ben Kingsley is a therapist whose teenage pot dealer starts dating his daughter. Wackness ensues. 3. NetherBest Incorporated -- Watch the trailer. Darrell Hammond and Dave Foley star in this vampire comedy that looks better than Dracula: Dead and Loving It. 4. The Orphanage (El Orfanato) -- Watch the trailer. This extraordinary Spanish horror film is the closest I've ever come to screaming in the theater. It's been released on DVD once before, but I like it so much I had to mention it again. 5. Righteous Kill -- Watch the trailer. Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro together again, but I hear this is no Heat. 6. Eden Lake -- Watch the trailer. A couple's romantic getaway becomes a fight for survival when they're targeted by a group of malicious young men. 7. And something for the Blu-ray fans: Criterion Collection's The Last Emperor (Blu-ray). Watch the trailer.  </spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Re:Collaboration - Best Films of 2008</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/groups/Community_Recommendations/Re_Collaboration_Best_Films_of_2008/643/38302/1/ShowPost.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s344383.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/131367/default.aspx'>seven-ate-9</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/groups/Community_Recommendations/643/discussions.aspx'>Community Recommendations</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 12/12/2008 1:31:05 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> Delighted me:  (Sorry if a bunch of these are 2007, I have a one-year old and I'm just getting caught up) Redbelt (2008) Kung Fu Panda (2008) JCVD (2008) (In my opinion, Van Damme's "CopLand") Rocket Science The Fall The Promotion (SWS really impressed me) Chop Shop (Shows you a part of NYC I guarantee you haven't seen before) In Search of a Midnight Kiss (hysterical) Before the Devil Knows You're Dead Eagle vs. Shark Iron Man   Let me down: Pineapple Express Zack and Miri All the boys love Mandy Lane The Wackness Sex and the City Wanted (atrocious is too light a word)<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 12 Dec 2008 18:31:05 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>seven-ate-9</spout:postby><spout:postto>Community Recommendations</spout:postto><spout:postdate>12/12/2008 1:31:05 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>Delighted me:  (Sorry if a bunch of these are 2007, I have a one-year old and I'm just getting caught up) Redbelt (2008) Kung Fu Panda (2008) JCVD (2008) (In my opinion, Van Damme's "CopLand") Rocket Science The Fall The Promotion (SWS really impressed me) Chop Shop (Shows you a part of NYC I guarantee you haven't seen before) In Search of a Midnight Kiss (hysterical) Before the Devil Knows You're Dead Eagle vs. Shark Iron Man   Let me down: Pineapple Express Zack and Miri All the boys love Mandy Lane The Wackness Sex and the City Wanted (atrocious is too light a word)</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Re:Collaboration - Best Films of 2008</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/groups/Community_Recommendations/Re_Collaboration_Best_Films_of_2008/643/38152/1/ShowPost.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s344383.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/119628/default.aspx'>mercurial</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/groups/Community_Recommendations/643/discussions.aspx'>Community Recommendations</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 12/9/2008 6:30:49 PM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> Liked these (in no particular order): Cloverfield Incredible theatrical experience. Might be hampered watching at home. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist Cutesy teen flick. Had a great 80's feel to it. Hamlet 2 Perverse and just plain hilarious throughout. Great original music. House Bunny I'm a sucker for Anna Faris and she plays a ditzy Playmate perfectly. The Dark Knight A comic geek's wet dream. My Winnipeg Immensely creative, original film. A flurry of emotions in a bizarre little package. WALL-E Heartbreakingly sentimental love story; action packed galactic adventure. Iron Man Another comic geek's wet dream. And Robert Downey Jr. Nuff said. The Fall Just insanely wondrous film. Deserves the comparisons to The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. Speed Racer Seizure inducing fanboy fun.  Savage Grace Frightening 'Based on a True Story' film. Amazing performances. The Strangers Nothing new, but executed perfectly. Dark, abysmal terror. My Blueberry Nights Subtle, nuanced performances and beautiful direction. Packed with emotion. Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day Carefree, fanciful period flick. Amy Adams and Frances McDormand are a perfect slapstick duo on screen. Jumper Big budget Sci-Fi blockbuster without all the annoying garnishes.  Watching the Detectives Made for cinephiles about cinephiles. Hokey fun.   Movies that might be on my list that I haven't seen yet: Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Spirit Doubt The Wrestler The Brothers Bloom Revolutionary Road Repo! The Genetic Opera Humboldt County Just Buried Milk Australia Rachel Getting Married W. Fear(s) of the Dark Synecdoche, New York Zack and Miri Make a Porno Towelhead Vicky Cristina Barcelona The Wackness Brideshead Revisited Glass: A Portrait in Twelve Parts<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 09 Dec 2008 23:30:49 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>mercurial</spout:postby><spout:postto>Community Recommendations</spout:postto><spout:postdate>12/9/2008 6:30:49 PM</spout:postdate><spout:body>Liked these (in no particular order): Cloverfield Incredible theatrical experience. Might be hampered watching at home. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist Cutesy teen flick. Had a great 80's feel to it. Hamlet 2 Perverse and just plain hilarious throughout. Great original music. House Bunny I'm a sucker for Anna Faris and she plays a ditzy Playmate perfectly. The Dark Knight A comic geek's wet dream. My Winnipeg Immensely creative, original film. A flurry of emotions in a bizarre little package. WALL-E Heartbreakingly sentimental love story; action packed galactic adventure. Iron Man Another comic geek's wet dream. And Robert Downey Jr. Nuff said. The Fall Just insanely wondrous film. Deserves the comparisons to The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. Speed Racer Seizure inducing fanboy fun.  Savage Grace Frightening 'Based on a True Story' film. Amazing performances. The Strangers Nothing new, but executed perfectly. Dark, abysmal terror. My Blueberry Nights Subtle, nuanced performances and beautiful direction. Packed with emotion. Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day Carefree, fanciful period flick. Amy Adams and Frances McDormand are a perfect slapstick duo on screen. Jumper Big budget Sci-Fi blockbuster without all the annoying garnishes.  Watching the Detectives Made for cinephiles about cinephiles. Hokey fun.   Movies that might be on my list that I haven't seen yet: Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Spirit Doubt The Wrestler The Brothers Bloom Revolutionary Road Repo! The Genetic Opera Humboldt County Just Buried Milk Australia Rachel Getting Married W. Fear(s) of the Dark Synecdoche, New York Zack and Miri Make a Porno Towelhead Vicky Cristina Barcelona The Wackness Brideshead Revisited Glass: A Portrait in Twelve Parts</spout:body></item>
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      <title>Spout Post: Hancock Not Huge, But Good Enough. Trade Roughage 07/07/08</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/karina/archive/2008/7/7/32214.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s344383.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/19702/default.aspx'>Karina</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/karina/default.aspx'>Karina on SpoutBlog</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 7/7/2008 9:01:04 AM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> 
Hancock made $107.3 million over the five night weekend, giving the Will Smith fractured superhero tale the third best July 4th opening of all time. It’s considered a victory for Smith’s star power, but it’s still almost $50 million less than Spider-Man 2 managed in a similar time frame. Meanwhile, The Wackness enjoyed the highest per-screen average of the weekend, earning $24,177 on each of its 6 screens.
SAG is expected to make an announcement today about AMPTP’s “final offer”––although they might just announce that they need more time to think it over. Meanwhile, at a press conference at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival over the weekend, Robert DeNiro argued against a strike, accusing his fellow actors of not having “done their homework” on the economics. “I do not know if it is the right time to be doing this at all with the economy the way it is,” he warned.
The opera directed by David Cronenberg based on his movie version of The Fly is bombing with French critics. Though complaints regarding the score’s “lack of expertise and imagination” have damaged ticket sales somewhat, apparently “Cronenberg diehards, Paris’ trendy 30ish art crowd and a sprinkling of goth girls” are still coming out in full force.
 Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:01:04 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>Karina</spout:postby><spout:postto>Karina on SpoutBlog</spout:postto><spout:postdate>7/7/2008 9:01:04 AM</spout:postdate><spout:body>
Hancock made $107.3 million over the five night weekend, giving the Will Smith fractured superhero tale the third best July 4th opening of all time. It’s considered a victory for Smith’s star power, but it’s still almost $50 million less than Spider-Man 2 managed in a similar time frame. Meanwhile, The Wackness enjoyed the highest per-screen average of the weekend, earning $24,177 on each of its 6 screens.
SAG is expected to make an announcement today about AMPTP’s “final offer”––although they might just announce that they need more time to think it over. Meanwhile, at a press conference at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival over the weekend, Robert DeNiro argued against a strike, accusing his fellow actors of not having “done their homework” on the economics. “I do not know if it is the right time to be doing this at all with the economy the way it is,” he warned.
The opera directed by David Cronenberg based on his movie version of The Fly is bombing with French critics. Though complaints regarding the score’s “lack of expertise and imagination” have damaged ticket sales somewhat, apparently “Cronenberg diehards, Paris’ trendy 30ish art crowd and a sprinkling of goth girls” are still coming out in full force.
 Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Karina Longworth</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Post: Hancock Not Huge, But Good Enough. Trade Roughage 07/07/08</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/7/7/32213.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div><img align='left' src='http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s344383.jpg' hspace='10' style='height:80px;' />
<strong>Post By:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/members/9325/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog</a><br/>
<strong>Post To:</strong> <a href='http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/default.aspx'>SpoutBlog on spout.com</a><br/>
<strong>Post Date:</strong> 7/7/2008 9:00:35 AM<br/>
<strong>Body:</strong> 
Hancock made $107.3 million over the five night weekend, giving the Will Smith fractured superhero tale the third best July 4th opening of all time. It’s considered a victory for Smith’s star power, but it’s still almost $50 million less than Spider-Man 2 managed in a similar time frame. Meanwhile, The Wackness enjoyed the highest per-screen average of the weekend, earning $24,177 on each of its 6 screens.
SAG is expected to make an announcement today about AMPTP’s “final offer”––although they might just announce that they need more time to think it over. Meanwhile, at a press conference at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival over the weekend, Robert DeNiro argued against a strike, accusing his fellow actors of not having “done their homework” on the economics. “I do not know if it is the right time to be doing this at all with the economy the way it is,” he warned.
The opera directed by David Cronenberg based on his movie version of The Fly is bombing with French critics. Though complaints regarding the score’s “lack of expertise and imagination” have damaged ticket sales somewhat, apparently “Cronenberg diehards, Paris’ trendy 30ish art crowd and a sprinkling of goth girls” are still coming out in full force.
 Originally posted on:SpoutBlog<br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:00:35 GMT</pubDate><spout:postby>SpoutBlog</spout:postby><spout:postto>SpoutBlog on spout.com</spout:postto><spout:postdate>7/7/2008 9:00:35 AM</spout:postdate><spout:body>
Hancock made $107.3 million over the five night weekend, giving the Will Smith fractured superhero tale the third best July 4th opening of all time. It’s considered a victory for Smith’s star power, but it’s still almost $50 million less than Spider-Man 2 managed in a similar time frame. Meanwhile, The Wackness enjoyed the highest per-screen average of the weekend, earning $24,177 on each of its 6 screens.
SAG is expected to make an announcement today about AMPTP’s “final offer”––although they might just announce that they need more time to think it over. Meanwhile, at a press conference at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival over the weekend, Robert DeNiro argued against a strike, accusing his fellow actors of not having “done their homework” on the economics. “I do not know if it is the right time to be doing this at all with the economy the way it is,” he warned.
The opera directed by David Cronenberg based on his movie version of The Fly is bombing with French critics. Though complaints regarding the score’s “lack of expertise and imagination” have damaged ticket sales somewhat, apparently “Cronenberg diehards, Paris’ trendy 30ish art crowd and a sprinkling of goth girls” are still coming out in full force.
 Originally posted on:SpoutBlog</spout:body></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:love</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/love/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/love/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>love</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 12477</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 336</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 1476</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:46:17 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>12477</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>336</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>1476</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:romance</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/romance/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/romance/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>romance</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 7160</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 169</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 1002</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:50:40 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>7160</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>169</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>1002</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:friendship</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/friendship/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/friendship/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>friendship</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 6791</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 154</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 978</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:50:40 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>6791</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>154</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>978</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:music</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/music/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/music/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>music</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 4341</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 144</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 481</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:51:44 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>4341</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>144</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>481</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:drugs</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/drugs/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/drugs/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>drugs</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 1643</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 130</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 488</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 04 Dec 2009 01:36:00 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>1643</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>130</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>488</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:teenagers</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/teenagers/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/teenagers/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>teenagers</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 3025</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 97</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 398</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:13:43 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>3025</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>97</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>398</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:comingofage</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/comingofage/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/comingofage/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>comingofage</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 1186</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 72</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 219</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 2009 22:51:56 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>1186</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>72</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>219</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:marriage</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/marriage/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/marriage/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>marriage</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 3471</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 67</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 267</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 29 Nov 2009 15:39:11 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>3471</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>67</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>267</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:relationship</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/relationship/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/relationship/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>relationship</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 1090</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 50</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 189</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:18:01 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>1090</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>50</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>189</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:college</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/college/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/college/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>college</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 854</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 48</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 187</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:40:05 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>854</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>48</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>187</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:divorce</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/divorce/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/divorce/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>divorce</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 1042</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 45</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 121</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:35:44 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>1042</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>45</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>121</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:coming-of-age</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/coming-of-age/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/coming-of-age/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>coming-of-age</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 82</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 40</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 98</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:43:12 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>82</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>40</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>98</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:daughter</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/daughter/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/daughter/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>daughter</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 3658</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 40</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 138</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:01:02 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>3658</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>40</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>138</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
    <item>
      <title>Spout Tag:ocean</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/ocean/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/ocean/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>ocean</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 167</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 28</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 58</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:07:01 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>167</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>28</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>58</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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      <title>Spout Tag:newyork</title>
      <link>http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/newyork/MemberTagFilms.aspx</link><description><![CDATA[<div style='display:block;height:120px;width:400px;font:10px/10px Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;'><a href='/members/0/tags/newyork/MemberTagFilms.aspx'>newyork</a>
<strong><br/> Number of films tagged:</strong> 38</br><br/>
<strong>Number of people who tagged:</strong> 27</br><br/>
<strong>Number of times used:</strong> 46</br><br/>
</div>]]></description><pubDate>Sun, 28 Jun 2009 22:41:54 GMT</pubDate><spout:numFilms>38</spout:numFilms><spout:numPeople>27</spout:numPeople><spout:timesUsed>46</spout:timesUsed><spout:type>Tag</spout:type></item>
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