Top 10 Dramatic Performances by Comedians

My friend and fellow film blogger, Sam Fragoso, recently asked me if I’d like to come on as a list man for his site, Movie Mezzanine. Because Sam is a fan of my movie lists, and I’m such an admirer of what he’s doing with the Mezzanine, I was honored to contribute. So, every Tuesday, I’ll be posting a list on Movie Mezzanine – some will be new, others will be face-lifts of lists I’ve published on this site years ago. I’m still going to post my own lists on And So it Begins, typically every Friday or, you know, whenever I feel like it – my Movie Mezzanine lists are just another portal into my movie freaked mind.

Dead Man Down

There’s something oddly reassuring about seeing a good, new movie in the theater during a season when good, new movies are not in the theater. As is customary, good movies aren’t released theatrically in the first months of the year. It’s the dreaded time after the studios have pushed for Oscars, but before they’re hitting us with summer blockbusters. So, while there’s no real mystery as to why late winter/early spring boasts a cinematic lull, that certainly shouldn’t take away from the pleasure of spotting a diamond in the rough.

Anthology Breakdown: To Each His Own Cinema

As part of the 60^th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival, 36 filmmakers were commissioned to each make a three-minute short film. Their direction: express your state of mind of the moment as inspired by the motion picture theater. The result as a whole is entitled To Each His Own Cinema and when broken down, it is an at-times fascinating examination of what inspired some of cinema’s finest talents. Like most all anthology films, some of the shorts below are less than stellar, while others are just plain pointless. But when one hits, damn, does it ever. (Big thanks to Steven from Surrender to the Void for being integral to making this post happen.)

My Top 10 Favorite Movies as a Kid

It’s a lot of fun looking back at the flicks I grew up with. Some of them are heartwarming gems that continue to comfort me, others are numbing romps that I haven’t bothered with in years. But a few of them are more. More than child-pleasing distractions, more than mindless entertainment. A few of the films listed below are partly responsible for my fascination with the medium. They made me realize that movies could be more than movies. So take a trip with me down the rabbit hole of my youth, and be sure to list some of your childhood favorite flicks in the comments.

In Character: Peter Stormare

Whenever I see Peter Stormare, I am instinctually reminded of his violence. Or, rather, the violence many of his characters bestow. But, like all great character actors, there is far more hidden beneath the surface. As my favorite Stormare roles will prove, the actor is capable of far more than physical ferociousness. There’s humor, depth, and, occasionally, tenderness. Still, noting all that, there’s always something hidden behind those slightly crossed eyes. There’s a danger lurking, even in his sensitivity. For that reason (and a handful of others) Peter Stormare will always remain endlessly watchable.

My Favorite Scene: Grizzly Man

Werner Herzog isn’t a man who is easily fazed. He makes films out of sport, rather than lasting creative impact. For him, eating a shoe, dragging a boat across a mountain, threatening to kill a lead actor, climbing an about-to-erupt volcano, filming on every continent – it’s all for the thrill of the chase. As in, Herzog seems to chase whatever idea he gets in his head, and bring it to life by any means necessary. Whether that involves dressing an actor up as Dracula, or documenting the oldest cave paintings known to civilization, if Herzog aims to tell a story, then the story will be told, hardships be damned.

Top 10 Careers Launched by Oscar Winning Short Films

When most people think about Martin McDonagh, they recall his hilarious, heartfelt and oddly poetic gem In Bruges. Not me. Whenever I see McDonagh – standing confidently in a perfectly tailored suit, sporting spiked white hair – I immediately think of the afternoon a few years ago when I discovered a hilarious, heartfelt and oddly poetic short film called Six Shooter. The film had just won the Oscar for Best Live Action short, and after watching it, it was obvious why. Since his Oscar win, McDonagh has carved out two feature films (one, in my opinion, wildly more successful than the other), making himself a household name in the comedy crime genre.

In addition to McDonagh, here are a handful of other filmmakers who saw great success after winning Oscars for their short films.

Breaking Down the Spike Lee Double Dolly Shot

Spike Lee is one of the most well known living filmmakers for a number of reasons. His controversial nature, the taboo subject matter of his films, his prolific filmography, and so on. But one thing that is discussed far too rarely is Lee’s technical style. This includes his penchant for changing aspect ratios, fluctuating film stocks, morphing color tones, and, of course, his signature double dolly shot.

In Character: Delroy Lindo

It says something of an actor who can capture the angst of Spike Lee, the vernacular of David Mamet, the humility of Lasse Hallström and the badassery of, well, anyone. But that’s Delroy Lindo. Made famous by delivering three stellar performances in Spike Lee films, Lindo has subtly been adding weight to “bigger” names for the better part of 20 years. Possessed with an undeniable charm, the ability to flex sudden terror, and a smile that can play as so many things, Lindo is one of the finest actors to have been involved in Spike Lee’s troupe. And any other troupe, for that matter.

Spike Lee in Person, Part 2: the Q&A

Spike Lee answers questions from students at VCU (photo from vcu.edu)

Welcome to Part 2 of Spike Lee’s recent visit to Virginia Commonwealth University. Yesterday, I chronicled the first part of Lee’s two and half hour discussion, in which he lectured the mostly young, black crowd about the importance of motivation, and the necessity of making education “cool” again. Lee’s words were inspiring, informative, and controversial, sometimes all at once. Thankfully, the Q&A portion of the evening allowed Lee to continue speaking his mind.

Plenty of questions were asked during the discussion, so I’ve split them into four distinct topics to help add separation to Lee’s thoughts.

For reference, feel free to check out my write-up about Spike Lee’s lecture at VCU. Enjoy!

Spike Lee in Person, Part I: The Lecture

Spike Lee at VCU (photo from vcu.edu)

The coolest thing happened to me last week. As I was leaving work last Thursday, I got online and noticed two tweets from Spike Lee, saying he was about to speak at VCU. Pessimistically assuming VCU meant anything other than what it inevitably did, I Googled to confirm, and sure enough, Spike Lee was going to be speaking at my alma mater, Virginia Commonwealth University, that evening.

The event was sold out, but at the literal last minute, a very kind professor took pity on me and gave me an extra ticket he had. Genuinely, it was one of the kindest, most random acts I’ve ever been privy too.

Oscar Week: My (Hopefully Not So) Dark Horse Oscar Picks

There’s a funny thing about Oscar Sunday: with every passing year, I seem to grow less and less interested in the crop of films that are nominated for Academy Awards. Don’t get me wrong, there are always some solid entries, but when compared to my personal favorite films of any given year, the Oscars simply don’t reflect my tastes. So here’s the funny thing. Despite my indifference toward the Oscar hopeful films, I’m still overly ecstatic for the big show. Why? Few reasons.

Oscar Week: Reasons to Watch the Independent Spirit Awards

I love the hell out of the Independent Spirit Awards. They always take place under a large tent nestled on the California coast, the day directly before the Oscars. And considering attendees are encouraged to dress casually, drink heavily, and basically have a genuine good time, the Spirits are, in many respects, the antithesis of the Academy Awards. Here are a handful of reasons you shouldn’t forget to watch tonight’s broadcast (if it’s available to you), tonight on the Independent Film Channel at 10 p.m. EST.

Oscar Week: Top 20 Oscar Speeches

Want to know why I love the Oscars? Well, there are a few reasons, but certainly the most valuable is watching someone achieve their dreams right before your very eyes. Occasionally, someone involved in the film business wins an Oscar and instead of incoherently listing names or reading a speech they’ve written out of annoying presumption, they dig deep and a take few minutes to unveil who they really are. There’s something I find very moving in that experience. I hope you enjoy my picks and forgive the absence of names like Field, Hanks, Palance, Moore and Gooding, Jr. Their speeches gained notoriety, but the ones below drew on sensitivity.

Oscar Week: Top 10 Best Actor Winners

If I learned one thing from my Top 10 Best Actress picks yesterday, it’s that I sincerely appreciate an actress’s ability to play a woman in peril. Similarly, the majority of my favorite Best Actor-winning performances are male characters at their most hopeless. Whether they’re battling revenge, insanity, alcoholism, or AIDS, most of the men below fought to remove themselves from situations they could not control. Some lived, some died, but they all won.