Director Wes Anderson puts a stamp on his films unlike any other director. Sometimes all you need to see is a single frame, or just an appearance by Bill Murray, to know it’s a movie from the man who gave us “Rushmore” and “The Royal Tenenbaums.”

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“Moonrise Kingdom,” Anderson’s first live-action film since the disappointing “The Darjeeling Limite,” five years ago, gathers a typically eclectic cast to tell a story that, well, it’s pretty hard to suss it all out.

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For movie geeks, 1998 is still remembered as the year that Harvey Weinstein’s lobbying and schmoozing led to the underdog “Shakespeare in Love” beating “Saving Private Ryan.” In writing this series, I’ve realized how much Oscar snubs, wins, and losses affect the consensus perception of certain movies.

In other words, had Weinstein’s movie been snubbed altogether, I think people would remember it more fondly than they do. If I recall correctly, no one was complaining much that the movie was nominated, but the win immediately changed the perception of the movie.

I loved a lot of movies released in 1998, but only one of them was nominated for Best Picture. It’s a very tough year for me to pick a favorite. The nominees:

“Shakespeare in Love” – Only saw it once, and I liked it. Costume dramas really ain’t my thing, but costume comedies? Well, that’s…wait, I don’t like them much either. But I guess this one’s alright.

“Elizabeth” – See above. Never seen it.

“Life is Beautiful” – Roberto Benigni winning Best Actor for this remains one of the great whiffs in Academy history.

“Saving Private Ryan” - The invasion sequence alone remains worth the price of admission.

“The Thin Red Line” – For my money, this is a pretentious mess. I’ve got a buddy who says it’s his favorite movie. I say he’ s trying to seem smart. But what do I know? I’m the guy who would have nominated…

“There’s Something About Mary” - Stalker? Big time.

“The Big Lebowski” - Am I wrong? Am I wrong? No, you’re not wrong, Walter, you’re just an assh*le.

“Out of Sight” - You don’t have an extra clip I can use, do you?

“Rushmore” - Never in my wildest imagination did I ever dream I would have sons like this.

“Saving Private Ryan” - The Statue of Liberty is kaput. That’s disconcerting.

This is really an absolute squeaker. Why? Partially, it’s because I love all of these movies so much. But mostly, it’s because I’m stupid. (more…)

On this week’s edition of the HomeVideodrome podcast, we talk about this week’s releases, the sad state of American independent cinema and film festivals, Troy Duffy’s bad attitude, and we give “Rushmore” a lot of love. We packed this one with more discussion than usual, so head on over to The Film Thugs to listen, and enjoy!

We’re all aware that we live in an era where blockbusters that are either remakes, sequels or based on comic books reign supreme. When a film based on any well-known property, you know studio castrati are taking no risks, going out of their way to make sure their multi-million dollar waste will appeal to everyone. This mainstream mentality makes me more inclined to champion a big film with an original story that isn’t banking to cash-in on a built-in audience.

“Super 8″ was a rare blockbuster this summer that wasn’t based on anything. There was no overt brand to sell it apart from the names of director J.J. Abrams and producer Steven Spielberg. I would have been most pleased if it were this year’s “Inception,” the original title that comes out of nowhere that knocks audiences out and shows that people want good stories and not cynical branding.

It’s too bad that “Super 8″ simply sucked rotten eggs down in the mud with the rest of fanboy crap.

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It’s hard to really notice eccentric people in a modern city the size of Los Angeles, where millions upon millions of residents tend to blur together as they rush past each other in their cars. But in rural America, the town oddballs still stand out, whether they’re lovably kooky, or – as is the case in the richly textured and highly entertaining new film “Get Low” – they’re seemingly antisocial recluses with an array of bad social skills.

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Starring Robert Duvall in one of his best and most colorful performances, as Appalachian hermit Felix “Bush” Brazeale, “Get Low” is a character-based dramedy that knows when to mine the comic gold to be had in exchanges between Duvall and his co-star Bill Murray, and when to pull back and allow a powerful yet quiet and deeply human story grab hold of viewers. Based on an improbable yet true Depression-era story, it follows Felix as he embarks on a highly unusual quest: to pay for his own funeral in advance, but not actually be dead in it.

Rather, Felix wants to be alive and watching what others say about him. There’s been a thousand legends created about him throughout the lonely decades of his life, but only some of them are true. The problem is, some of the worst tales may be the most accurate ones. (more…)

Friday was a list of films you were wrong about. Here are five I am wrong about. As a matter of fact, I’m so sure I’m wrong in not liking them, they each sit in my DVD collection and have been viewed frequently in the hopes that a repeat viewing will finally reveal what all the fuss is about.

But, no. Not yet. Can’t stand any one of them. What am I doing wrong?

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2001: A Space Odyssey – Some compare this to watching paint dry, but that’s unfair because when paint dries SOMETHING ACTUALLY HAPPENS. (more…)