By Aaron 6/15/2008

I don’t know what your father’s day plans are – maybe you’re going to a baseball game, maybe you’re going to a cookout or maybe you’re doing nothing. Either way you know we at SaltyStix always have your back. So if you need something to span the whole day or just something to watch after dinner when dad wants to lay out, enjoy our grab bag of movies to fit each and every occasion.

Liar Liar – starting off with an easy one this is lots of laughs, lots of Jim Carrey, and it shows what a drag kids can be sometimes. Just kidding. But really, it’s a light flick that isn’t too light that dad would regret popping it in the DVD player because remember, there’s that really hot partner Carrey screws right before his son steals his lying power.

Field of Dreams – so you’re a little older than the son who pops in Liar Liar and you didn’t quite make it to the ball field. No problem! Kevin Costner built when for you – just for you to come and play! It’s just like going to the ball field except no one talks about steroids and hot dogs don’t cost $8!
 
Man of the House – at first glance this is a cheesy Chevy Chase movie (enough for many to stop reading) but on father’s day this flick is pretty good – especially if you’re a stepson and you want to show dad that you’re not nearly as much of a brat as JTT. But then you’d have to explain JTT. And then you’d wonder, what ever happened to JTT?

“Arrested Development” – from cheap Chevy, laughs to best – this offers a whole day marathon for the dad (and son) who just wants to lie on the couch and bother mom for food all day. And think how good you’ll look when you can say, “at least I’m not Gob,” or “at least I’m not George Michael,” or finally, “at least I’m not Steve Holt.” Because in the end, Father’s day is really just about you looking good in your dad’s eyes which is what EVERY character on this show tries to do.

The Pursuit of Happyness – we need SOME sentimental ones just in case mom wants to sit down on the couch too! But really, you could take a teary break and say, “I don’t take you for granted dad.” And then you don’t even have to buy a gift! He’ll remember it forever and think of all the money you saved!

Big Fish – speaking of not appreciating your dad, that’s what this movie is all about – Billy Crudup finally realizing what his dad meant to him. Sure dad tells some crazy stories about the good old days of walking two miles in the snow to school but maybe that actually happened. Or maybe it’s Father’s Day so you sure as hell better humor him. This is a must see if your dad looks like Albert Finney.

There Will Be Blood – maybe your dad is intense? Not this intense? Probably not. But if your dad has high standards for movies (and is not me, or my dad) he might like this movie about a father who works with his son “HW.” At the very leas you’ve seen the preview. And he is a family man…

Kicking and Screaming – remember when dad coached your sports team? Did he ever bring Ditka in? Probably not. Remember when dad was addicted to coffee? Did he ever get kicked out of the local coffee shop? Hopefully not. But if dad were as funny as Will Ferrell, you’d probably be on a reality show. You should read this last bit of rambling nonsense as meaning that this movie is hilarious and is about father’s losing sight of what matters and only being reigned back in by their sons.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade – this summer (and the Crystal Skull) made me realize that this movie features one of the best father son relationships. Sure, it doesn’t have the “cool” moments of slicking back hair, leather jackets, and motorcycles like Shia and Harrison do, but it has James Bond and Han Solo doing their best to drive each other crazy. Then there are some Nazis, and Holy Grails and its sweet. You could make this into a backwards trilogy watching funfest.

The Godfather – the father of them all – the one we can’t refuse to put on our list. A movie, that at its heart is about a boy who runs from what his father is only to find out that he only wants to be the man his father is. One of the best of all time is the best you can do for dad – and if you’re both up for it, you could watch all three…by the end you’ll be asking mom for spaghetti for dinner.

Honorable mention: The Lion King, He Got Game, Mr. Mom, Vacation, and The Great Santini

Hope you liked the list, if not hit back below or as always, shoot your complaints (or errors) to aaron.saltystix@gmail.com! Have a good Father’s Day!

Could “Avatar” Win Best Picture?

By Brett Hogan

 

Last week, the trailer for James Cameron’s sci-fi experiment “Avatar” debuted. While initially unimpressed with the teaser, I began to wonder: Could this film win best picture? 

 

Buzz has been generating for this movie for years. Years. The technology to make this movie didn’t exist when Cameron conceived it, so he invented it. When is the last time you heard of a director spearheading the invention of anything? The casting started in 2005. Most movies these days, even epics, are done in half that time. I could go on. 

 

The most important thing to take away from all of this is that people are saying this will be the future of movies. Now, I don’t agree with the idea that CGI will become more prevalent than it already is. But I do believe that this will set the bar miles higher for sci-fi. I mean, that is what Titanic did. And that won some awards if memory serves.

 

I’ll bet you’re asking yourself, how can you even suggest that a film like this will win Best Picture when the initial trailer was nothing better than visual stimulation? Well, there are a couple of reasons. First, the Academy has expanded Best Picture to ten films. This doesn’t guarantee anything other than improved chances for most films on the cusp.

 

Second, after last year’s Oscars debacle, which saw the best film of the year, “The Dark Knight,” not only get shafted in awards but nominations as well, the Academy is pulling out all the stops to appease those with the loudest voices in the film industry, the fanboys. Now, the Academy probably didn’t lose anything because of that other than some viewers of the award show. Perhaps if people are again outraged with the winners or nominees, the heads of the Academy would lose their jobs. So this is all about the Academy protecting itself, which is not so outrageous.  

 

 

Third, there is an economic motive here. I’ve heard this film will cost $190 million, not counting the R&D costs associated with Cameron’s inventions or the cost of getting 3-D cameras into every theater in the country. The Academy will do everything in its power to get people into the seats and make this the next “Titanic” or “The Dark Knight.” But the Academy doesn’t have much power, besides nominating and awarding, so they will slap the “Nominated for Best Picture” moniker onto every commercial and print ad to get the people who didn’t believe the critics to relent and see this movie.

 

Of course, all of this is pure conjecture, and no revolutionary film (Terminator 2, Jurassic Park, etc.) has ever won the Best Picture category because it changed the game. Except maybe Titanic. But still, could this movie actually win? My answer is no but a nomination is certain and who knows what could happen from there. We’ll know more come February 2010.