Best Movies of 2012

I've undoubtedly become more busy this year, which means that I haven't had as much time for things that I love: Jeopardy!, golf, and movies. I'm not sure why those were the first things to go (actually I'm quite certain that I could think of plenty of other activities that I no longer partake in as much), but while I'm definitely not as intelligent or as good at golf as a byproduct I don't think that watching fewer movies has made me less of a movie critic. I think it's actually made me more picky about the movies I choose to see, and has thus honed my critical eye.

Due my self-proclaimed skills as an evaluator of films I've decided to add a new feature to this post. Have you ever read a book/movie/album review where the critic uses words that you've never heard of to explain the deeper meaning of what the work is actually about? I will attempt to reveal the themes of each movies in their simplest form. I may use some big words while employing this reductionist method, but deal with it.

Here are the top 10 movies that I saw in 2012 (3 of them were released in 2011)


10.) Total Recall



I usually hate re-makes (Total Recall was originally released in 1990 and starred Arnold Schwarzenegger), but when you put Jessica Biel and Kate Beckinsale in a movie I'm going to watch it. This may have made the list because my expectations were extremely low and I came out of the theaters pleasantly surprised, but I remain convinced that it's worth the two hours of your time.

What is this movie actually about? class warfare and the corruption of power


9.) Bachelorette



It could be called a Bridesmaids knock off, but I really enjoyed it (again, expectations were low). The humor is a bit raunchy, so don't watch it with mom and dad, but it appeals to both genders. I love Lizzy Caplan and she's both hot and hysterical in this film.

What's this movie actually about? female jealously


8.) Skyfall



This is not my favorite Bond film of all time. In fact, it's only my 2nd favorite of the Daniel Craig films. I still enjoyed it, though, because you know what you're going to get when you see a Bond film; action, guns, crime, sex, and espionage.

What's this movie actually about? the duality between modernity and the past


7.) Drive (2011)



I was pretty sure that Ryan Gosling's performance in this film was going to garner an Oscar nomination last year and I'm still stunned that it didn't. He knocked his understated, reserved role out of the park. He barely said a word throughout the entire thing, which accentuated the quality of his performance. The movie is a neo-noir piece about a heist that goes wrong. There's action, murder, confrontation, and a love interest (the sneaky hot Carey Mulligan).

What's this movie actually about? loyalty, loneliness, and body language


6.) Ted



It's essentially a two hour episode of Family Guy, which means it's hysterical (and obviously funnier if your high). People will be quoting lines from this movie for years to come.

What's this movie actually about? the bond of friendship, growing up, and the effects of marijuana


5.) A Separation (2011)



This Iranian work won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film last year and I heard positive review after positive review, so I finally saw it. It's intense, stirring, and filled with deeper meanings. I doubt that any of you will take the time to see it, but if you do it will definitely force you to think and isn't that what all movies should do?

What's this movie actually about? the many sides of the truth and loyalty to family


4.) Lincoln



I'm a bit of a politics/history freak, so I know that I probably like this movie more than most, but it's worth seeing solely for Daniel Day-Lewis' portrayal of Honest Abe. Halfway through I had to remind myself that it was actually Day-Lewis on the screen and not Lincoln. My main takeaway as I exited the theaters was, "That movie was two and a half hours? It sure didn't seem that long."

What's this movie actually about? our 16th president not slaying vampires


3.) The Dark Knight Rises



There was a lot about this film that I liked and a lot that I didn't, but at the end of the day there's no question that it was incredibly entertaining. It should also be noted that it was next to impossible to live up to The Joker, but Bane came damn close.

What's this movie actually about? privacy, obligation, fate, and coping with loss


2.) Argo



I love politics and I love Ben Affleck. There was almost no chance that I wasn't going to love this movie. Sure the ending is over dramaticized, but the story is still incredible.

What's this movie actually about? faith in a federal bureaucracy and having conviction in a singular idea


1.) Midnight in Paris (2011)

 

On the surface this Woody Allen movie is about a writer who finds inspiration from magically spending time with the likes of Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemmingway, Gertrude Stein, etc. It also features a great cast with Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, and the intoxicating Marion Cotillard. What it's actually about is how everyone looks to a past point in history or their own lives and thinks of it as the glory years. Everyone wishes they could go back to a certain time or place, but what they don't realize is that those good times aren't as good as they seem. The further we're removed from the past the more we glorify it. We choose only to remember the positives.

What's this movie actually about? romanticizing the past


I also enjoyed- The Avengers, Flight

I want to see- The Master, The Hobbit, Zero Dark Thirty, Silver Linings Playbook, This is 40, Django Unchained, On the Road


Here are my Week 17 NFL Picks (our national nightmare is finally over)

Jets +3 at Bills
Dolphins +10.5 at Patriots
at Bengals -2.5 vs. Ravens
Browns 0 at Steelers
at Colts +7 at Texans
Jaguars +4 at Titans
Eagles +7 at Giants
Cowboys +3 at Redskins
at Lions +3 vs. Bears
Packers -3.5 at Vikings
Bucs +4.5 at Falcons
at Saints -5 vs. Panthers
Chiefs +16.5 at Broncos
at Chargers -10 vs. Raiders
Cardinals +16.5 at 49ers
Rams +11 at Seahawks

Last Week- 7-9
Season- 109-129-3

Hollywood Bracket

I'm just realizing now that 1.) March is almost over (2012 is flying by) and 2.) I have yet to supply you with a bracket. Clearly I was a little too caught up in the actual bracket with Syracuse being a pre-tournament favorite. Now that Syracuse has lost, let's get to a bracket.

As some of you may know, I was essentially the committee chairman of this bracket. What you probably don't know is that because of my lunch routine I was a member of the committee for this bracket. It's the second bracket that I'd like to focus on. For those of you that are too lazy to click on my links it's a bracket of actors. The goal of this so-called "Hollywood Bracket" is to find out who the best actor is. The criteria is a bit hazy because it's not the best actor of all time. And it's not the best actor of this very moment. For my purposes, I will make it the best living actor. I've re-seeded the bracket, adjusted the name of one of the regions, and here's what I've come up with.


Marlon Brando Region

1- Jack Nicholson
16- Scarlet Johansson

8- Robin Williams
9- Warren Beatty

5- Sean Penn
12- Angelina Jolie

4- Johnny Depp
13- Jeff Bridges

6- Glenn Close
11- Edward Norton

3- George Clooney
14- Michael Caine

7- Tim Robbins
10- Mark Wahlberg

2- Morgan Freeman
15- Reese Witherspoon


The Humphrey Bogart Region

1- Meryl Streep
16- Kevin Costner

8- Philip Seymour Hoffman
9- Colin Firth

5- Will Smith
12- Ryan Gosling

4- Kevin Spacey
13- Jamie Foxx

6- Gene Hackman
11- Julianne Moore

3- Al Pacino
14- Judi Dench

7- Michael Douglas
10- Russell Crowe

2- Leonardo DiCaprio
15- Natalie Portman


The John Wayne Region

1- Denzel Washington
16- Kevin Bacon

8- Javier Bardem
9- Halle Berry

5- Julia Roberts
12- Paul Giamatti

4- Brad Pitt
13- Hilary Swank

6- Anthony Hopkins
11- Tommy Lee Jones

3- Matt Damon
14- Ben Affleck

7- Harrison Ford
10- Christian Bale

2- Clint Eastwood
15- Michelle Williams


The Jimmy Stewart Region

1- Tom Hanks
16- Anne Hathaway

8- Samuel L. Jackson
9- Bruce Willis

5- Daniel Day-Lewis
12- Daniel Craig

4- Tom Cruise
13- Nicole Kidman

6- Robert Redford
11- John Malkovich

3- Kate Winslet
14- Liam Neeson

7- Dustin Hoffman
10- Penelope Cruz

2- Robert Deniro
15- Benicio Del Toro

I'm sure there were plenty of snubs (some were probably egregious). Feel free to let me know who I unintentionally slighted. I skew young and towards actors instead of actresses. Deal with it. Either way, it's now time for my picks. In some matchups I attempted to briefly explain why one actor/actress should advance. In others I simply used a famous movie quote from either participant. Hopefully you'll be able to follow along.


Marlon Brando Region



First Round

1- Jack Nicholson over 16- Scarlet Johansson- Jack’s taking ScarJo down to Chinatown (1975)

8- Robin Williams over 9- Warren Beatty- Williams’ non comedy acting career is wildly underrated (4 Oscar noms, 1 win).

5- Sean Penn over 12- Angelina Jolie- Jolie might outdo him when it comes to humanitarian efforts (although then again she might not) and media fanfare, but Penn has a lot more range and more accolades. Speaking of humanitarian efforts, if they made a movie about U2 Penn would be a lock to play Bono, right?

4- Johnny Depp over 13- Jeff Bridges- Bridges has been better of late (back to back Best Actor noms in 2010-11), but Depp will Blow (2001) by him.

11- Edward Norton over 6- Glenn Close- They both have outstanding performances, but I like Norton’s (Primal Fear (1996)) more than Close’s (Fatal Attraction (1987).

3- George Clooney over 14- Michael Caine- Caine has the edge in credentials, experience, and longevity, but Clooney has the star power that Caine’s never possessed.

7- Tim Robbins over 10- Mark Wahlberg- Wahlberg is a very successful producer as well as a respected actor, but at his core he’s a wanna be rapper from Boston. Guess what Tim Robbins was doing when he was young? Acting.

2- Morgan Freeman over 15- Reese Witherspoon- Witherspoon has one great performance (Walk the Line), but Freeman has more depth and experience.

Second Round

1- Jack Nicholson over 8- Robin Williams- Closer match up than you’d think, but, “Heeeeerrrrre’s Johnny!” is a little more iconic than, “Gooooooooood Morninggg Vietnam!”

5- Sean Penn over 4- Johnny Depp- Since 1995 Sean Penn is the only man to win Best Actor twice (Mystic River, Milk) and he leads all actors with 5 nominations.

3- George Clooney over 11- Edward Norton- I love me some Ed Norton, but Clooney was outstanding in The Descendants, Up in the Air, and Michael Clayton. How he didn’t win Best Actor for any of those roles just baffles me.

2- Morgan Freeman over 7- Tim Robbins- I have to give Freeman the edge in the Shawshank showdown because not only was he the one nominated for Best Actor, but I think it also launched his voice-over career.

Regional Semi-Finals

1- Jack Nicholson over 5- Sean Penn- Penn is outstanding, but Nicholson is a legend and he delivered one of my favorite lines in the history of cinema. In As Good as it Gets (1997) Nicholson plays a writer suffering from a severe case of OCD. He’s asked how he writes women so well and he says, “I think of a man and I take away reason and accountability.”

3- George Clooney over 2- Morgan Freeman- You could argue that Freeman has been the better actor (I’d still lean toward Clooney), but Clooney gets the edge because of how well he’s taken to writing/directing. Need evidence? Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) and The Ides of March (2011) both garnered Oscar recognition.

Regional Finals

1- Jack Nicholson over 3- George Clooney- You’re God damn right he ordered the Code Red!


The Humphrey Bogart Region



First Round

1- Meryl Streep over 16- Kevin Costner- She has the most Academy Award nominations of all time. Plain and simple.

8- Philip Seymour Hoffman over 9- Colin Firth- They both have Best Actors Oscars, but Hoffman steals the show in just about everything else that he’s in.

12- Ryan Gosling over 5- Will Smith- Will Smith is definitely a more talented entertainer, but Gosling is clearly the better actor.

4- Kevin Spacey over 13- Jamie Foxx- Spacey was the suave badass in LA Confidential (1997) long before Jamie Foxx came around.

6- Gene Hackman over 11- Julianne Moore- Julianne Moore doesn’t get the credit she deserves, but there’s no way that she’s knocking out Norman Dale.

3- Al Pacino over 14- Judi Dench- Dench actually has a great resume, but I know her best as M in James Bond films. Pacino is best known as Michael Corleone and Tony Montana. Simple as that.

7- Michael Douglas over 10- Russell Crowe- “The point is ladies and gentlemen, that greed, for the lack of a better word, is good,” against, “What we do in life echoes in eternity,” and “Are you not entertained?” Close, but I have to go with Douglas.

2- Leonardo DiCaprio over 15- Natalie Portman- Portman is an Israeli minx with a Best Actress Oscar on her resume, but I like Leo in a rout. Do you concur?

Second Round

1- Meryl Streep over 8- Philip Seymour Hoffman- I was rooting for the upset here, but I just couldn’t pull the trigger on it. I hate Streep (she’s very pretentious) and love Hoffman, but it’s really not even close.

4- Kevin Spacey over 12- Ryan Gosling- “What sick ridiculous puppets we are / and what gross little stage we dance on / What fun we have dancing and fucking / Not a care in the world / Not knowing that we are nothing / We are not what was intended”

3- Al Pacino over 6- Gene Hackman- “Hooah!”

2- Leonardo DiCaprio over 7- Michael Douglas- “When you kill a king, you don't stab him in the dark. You kill him where the entire court can watch him die.”

Regional Semi-Finals

4- Kevin Spacey over 1- Meryl Streep- Sorry Meryl, but Keyser Soze isn’t going down to a female.

2- Leonardo DiCaprio over 3- Al Pacino- I’m obviously biased because I’m only 26 and didn’t get to enjoy Pacino in his prime, but Leo’s performance as Billy Costigan in The Departed (2005) is legendary.

Regional Finals

2- Leonardo DiCaprio over 4- Kevin Spacey- “Well dreams, they feel real while we're in them, right? It's only when we wake up that we realize how things are actually strange. Let me ask you a question, you, you never really remember the beginning of a dream do you? You always wind up right in the middle of what's going on.”


The John Wayne Region



First Round

1- Denzel Washington over 16- Kevin Bacon- “King Kong ain’t got shit on me!”

9- Halle Berry over 8- Javier Bardem- All she wants is someone that can “make me feel good.”

5- Julia Roberts over 12- Paul Giamatti- Paul Giamatti is brilliant, but he can’t hang with this Pretty Woman.

4- Brad Pitt over 13- Hilary Swank- “Fight Club was the beginning, now it's moved out of the basement, it's called Project Mayhem.”

6- Anthony Hopkins over 11- Tommy Lee Jones- Hopkins polishes him off with “some fava beans and a nice chianti.”

3- Matt Damon over 14- Ben Affleck- Just like in Good Will Hunting (1997), Damon is the one with all the talent.

10- Christian Bale over 7- Harrison Ford- I'm already bracing myself for some venom coming from my friend Frank, but let me attempt to explain. This is clearly an upset. If logic prevailed Ford would advance in a heartbeat. Here's the thing though, logic doesn't always prevail in the NCAA Tournament. That's why they play the games. Harrison Ford has had a much better career (I mean, he’s Indiana Jones and Han Solo), but he’s never had a performance like Bale’s in The Fighter (2010).

2- Clint Eastwood over 15- Michelle Williams- “Get off my lawn.”

Second Round

1- Denzel Washington over 9- Halle Berry- The first African-American male to win Best Actor against the first African-American female to win Best Actress? I gotta go with “My man.”

4- Brad Pitt over 5- Julia Roberts- She was good in Ocean’s 11, but he was better. “You look down, they know you're lying and up, they know you don't know the truth. Don't use seven words when four will do. Don't shift your weight, look always at your mark but don't stare, be specific but not memorable, be funny but don't make him laugh. He's got to like you then forget you the moment you've left his side.”

3- Matt Damon over 6- Anthony Hopkins- “You’re right Teddy. The ace didn’t help. I flopped the nut straight.”

2- Clint Eastwood over 10- Christian Bale- “You’ve got to ask yourself one question. “Do I feel lucky?” Well, do ya, punk?”

Regional Semi-Finals

1- Denzel Washington over 4- Brad Pitt- “We the only two people up. Me, you and Michael Jordan. That's the only people. Everybody else in the world is asleep.”

2- Clint Eastwood over 3- Matt Damon- “Go ahead. Make my day.”

Regional Finals

1- Denzel Washington over 2- Clint Eastwood




The Jimmy Stewart Region



First Round

1- Tom Hanks over 16- Anne Hathaway- “Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.” Well, in this matchup Hanks got a cupcake.

9- Bruce Willis over 8- Samuel L. Jackson- Who’s the one that figured out the water puzzle in DieHard with a Vengeance? That’s right, John McClain.

5- Daniel Day-Lewis over 12- Daniel Craig- Day-Lewis’ (My) Left Foot (1989) is a better actor than the current version of everyone’s favorite British agent.

4- Tom Cruise over 13- Nicole Kidman- Ah, the battle of the exes. Kidman is taller and more talented, but Cruise has a better track record and puts the fannies in the seats.

6- Robert Redford over 11- John Malkovich- Hard to compete with Redford who played the Sundance Kid, started the Sundance Film Festival, and starred in two of my favorite movies of the 2000s (Spy Game (2001), The Last Castle (2001).

3- Kate Winslet over 14- Liam Neeson- Liam Neeson plays the same character in every movie that he’s in. Sure he’s a bad ass, but Winslet is extraordinarily gifted.

10- Penelope Cruz over 7- Dustin Hoffman- Hoffman’s most famous role is in The Graduate (1967) where he has an affair with his neighbor and then falls in love with her daughter. The notion that a girl would run off with a guy that had an affair with her mother is so incomprehensible to me that I’m giving the nod to Cruz.

2- Robert De Niro over 15- Benicio Del Toro- In case you were wondering, De Niro improvised one of his most famous lines (from Taxi Driver (1976), "You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? Then who the hell else are you talkin' to? You talkin' to me? Well I'm the only one here. Who the fuck do you think you're talking to?"

Second Round

1- Tom Hanks over 9- Bruce Willis- Hanks knows the tournament motto. Survive and advance, “I had to keep breathing. Even though there was no reason to hope. And all my logic said that I would never see this place again. So that’s what I did. I stayed alive. I kept breathing.”

5- Daniel Day-Lewis over 4- Tom Cruise- You “want the truth”? There Will Be Blood (2007) in this one because Day-Lewis slaughters Cruise in a Best Actor competition.

3- Kate Winslet over 6- Robert Redford- “Too many guys think I'm a concept, or I complete them, or I'm gonna make them alive. But I'm just a fucked-up girl who's lookin' for my own peace of mind; don't assign me yours.”

2- Robert De Niro over 10- Penelope Cruz- “Never rat on your friends and always keep your mouth shut.”

Regional Semi-Finals

5- Daniel Day-Lewis over 1- Tom Hanks- “Houston, we have a problem.” They don’t call him “The Butcher” (Gangs of New York) for nothing.

2- Robert De Niro over 3- Kate Winslet- If you mess with the (Raging) Bull (1980) you get the horns.

Regional Finals

2- Robert De Niro over 5- Daniel Day-Lewis- They are both supremely gifted actors, but Day-Lewis can’t touch De Niro’s portrayal of a young Vito Corleone in The Godfather II.


Final Four

2- Leonardo DiCaprio over 1- Jack Nicholson- I've said it before and I'll say it again. I don't think I've seen a better acted scene than this one. I'm not sure how much credit goes to Leo and Vera Farmiga, how much credit goes to Scorsese, and how much credit goes to whoever chose the absolute perfect song to complement it all, but it's outstanding.



2- Robert De Niro over 1- Denzel Washington- They've both played a boxer (Raging Bull/The Hurricane), a gangster (Good Fellas (to pick one)/American Gangster), a concerned father (A Bronx Tale/John Q), and a neurotic, self-possesed man who thinks he's invincible (Taxi Driver/Training Day). De Niro was better in all of them.


Finals

2- Robert De Niro over 2- Leonardo DiCaprio- "Every man... every man has to go through hell to reach paradise." De Niro's just been through the wars and Leo hasn't. Guess how many Oscars Leo's has? Zero. De Niro has endured the snubs by the academy (Taxi Driver being the most notable) and has persevered. We're still waiting for Leo to completely break through.

Top 25- Actors

I always used to say that Denzel Washington and Leonardo DiCaprio were 1 and 1A when it comes to male actors. I still think the world of them both, but I don’t think it’s accurate to put them on that kind of pedestal. Case in point, Denzel hasn’t been in a good movie since Dejavu (2007) and that’s a stretch and DiCaprio has never, I repeat never, won an Academy Award. That said, I think it’s time that I accurately rank the best actors in Hollywood much like I’ve ranked the best actresses twice.

Here are the criteria that I will use:

-Talent- How good of an actor are you? Can you play multiple roles? Have you been typecast? Do your performances stand out and have a lasting impact?
-Prestige- Is your name big enough to sell a movie? Does your acting resume stack up? Have you been nominated for, or won, big time awards?
-Exposure- Do I know who your wife/girlfriend is? If so, how hot is she? Are you all over the tabloid magazines? How much are you in the public eye?
-Wealth- What kind of price tag do you have on you? What do you make per movie?
-Recent Activity- What have you done for me lately? When I hear your name can I easily recall the most recent movie that you've been in? If so, was that movie successful?

Top 25

1.) George Clooney- I think you’d be hard pressed to find someone that doesn’t like Clooney. He’s as big of a big wig as there is in Hollywood. He’s all over the news whenever it comes to actors contributing to disaster relief efforts. It’s almost unfathomable because he’s been around for so long, but I would argue that Clooney is still in his prime. His acting resume just keeps getting better. He’s been nominated for Best Actor twice (Michael Clayton (2008), Up in the Air (2010) and should garner another nom for The Descendants (2011), he’s won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor (Syriana (2005)), and he’s directed some quality films in Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) and this year’s political thriller The Ides of March (2011).

Clooney also deserves a lot of credit for his dating resume. He wisely dates attractive women that are only tangibly famous. He’s always the more famous one in the relationship, so when he runs through girlfriend after girlfriend there is no sob story from the ex because people only her as the girl that dated Clooney.



The perfect illustration of Clooney’s power and fame involves his new girlfriend and former WWE Diva Stacy Keibler. Kebiler, who I want to say was also on Dancing With The Stars, has an appearance fee of $10,000 (absurd, I know). Basically she gets paid 10 large to show up to events and be hot (she has legs for days). Since she started dating Clooney her attendance fee has increased to $25,000. That means that Stacy Keibler became 150% more famous only because Clooney’s taking her to Pound Town.

2.) Leonardo DiCaprio- Not exactly a huge drop from 1 or 1A, but as I noted earlier, Leo’s biggest weakness is that he’s never taken home the hardware at The Oscars. He’s been nominated twice for Best Actor and once for Best Supporting Actor, but has never really been in the discussion to win. It’s almost hard to believe because DiCaprio rarely swings and misses. He once ran off the following stretch in consecutive order.

Gangs of New York (2002)- nominated for Best Picture
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
The Aviator (2004)- Best Actor nomination
The Departed (2006)- won Best Picture
Blood Diamond (2006)- Best Actor nomination

His only real flop was Revolutionary Road (2008) in which he starred alongside Kate Winslet, and I actually thought it was a pretty good movie. He should garner another Best Actor nom for his portrayal of the first director of the FBI in the biopic J. Edgar (2011), but I don’t think that he’ll win. Leo is like the Indianapolis Colts from 1999-2006. They were always good, sometimes dominant, but they could never win the big one.

While Leo has never won the big one for his work on the silver screen he’s more than made up for it with his work off of the screen. He dated various models and actresses in the 90’s, but what he’s done in the past 10 years is virtually unprecedented. He dated supermodel and current Mrs. Tom Brady Giselle Bundchen from 2001-2005 when she was probably the most attractive woman in the world, then moved on to the woman that took her place in supermodel Bar Refaeli and dated her from 2005 until May of this year.



Since May Leo reportedly dated up and coming smokeshow actress Blake Lively.

3.) Brad Pitt- First and foremost, he was married to the woman that’s #2 on my list of actresses, but he upgraded and he’s now married to the woman that’s #1. Pitt has mellowed in the past few years, but he’s often thought of as one of the rock star actors. His celebrity has been off the charts for years. What gets lost in the shuffle of Pitt’s good looks and female conquests is that he’s actually a pretty good actor. He’s not great or transcendent by any means, but he’s certainly above average. He’s been nominated for two Oscars, most recently for Best Actor for his role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), and he’ll most likely be nominated for Best Actor for his portrayal of Billy Beane in Moneyball (2011).

4.) Sean Penn- Penn is a polished actor who’s seemingly done it all over the course of his career. From comedy (Fast Times at Ridgemont High) to mentally challenged (I Am Sam) to high drama (Mystic River) his range is just incredible. He’s the only man to win Best Actor more than once since Tom Hanks in the mid 90’s.

He’s also been married to Madonna and Robin Wright (Jenny in Forrest Gump), he’s dated Jewel, and he’s been spotted with Scarlett Johanssen. On top of all of that Penn is like the Bono of actors when it comes to political and social causes.

5.) Matt Damon- Damon is just incredibly likeable. He was the bad guy in The Departed (2006) and the first time I saw the movie I found myself rooting for him. He’s perhaps best known for his breakout performance in Good Will Hunting (1998) and The Bourne trilogy, but he’s been in plenty of other quality films. For example, Ocean’s Eleven (2001) Syriana (2005), True Grit (2010), and I really liked his performance in The Adjustment Bureau (2011).

6.) Colin Firth- His name doesn’t carry a lot of cachet, but the good natured Brit has been nominated for Best Actor in back to back years including a win for his role in The King’s Speech last year.

7.) Denzel Washington- My man. Denzel, where have you been lately? His work in Training Day (2001) and Man on Fire (2004) is iconic, but the best African American actor of all time will continue to slide down these ranking unless he gets it going again.

8.) Ryan Gosling- He’s come a long way since The Notebook (2004). You know that Gosling’s acting ability is legitimate because he’s gotten recognition for his work in indie films. He’s never really had a huge production firm totting his work. He was nominated for Best Actor in 2007 for playing a high school teacher who smokes pot in Half Nelson and he was one of the biggest Oscar snubs last year for playing a deadbeat husband opposite Michelle Williams in Blue Valentine (2010). He’s also having a great 2011 starring in the critically acclaimed action film Drive as well as playing the lead in George Clooney’s political thriller The Ides of March.



To top it all off he's reportedly been dating the sultry Eva Mendes.

9.) Javier Bardem- Bardem seemingly came out of nowhere, but it doesn’t look like he’s going away anytime soon.



He fathered a child this year with his smoking hot wife Penelope Cruz, he won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 2008 (No Country for Old Men), and he was nominated for Best Actor for his work in a film that not many people, including me, have seen (Biutiful).

10.) Johnny Depp- People love Johnny Depp. I am not one of them. Either way he gets paid a boatload of money for every movie he stars in and the public remains fascinated with him regardless of the quality of his work. He is unquestionably one of the most elite actors in Hollywood.

11.) Christian Bale- He can be the lead in a movie (American Pscyho), he can serve his purpose in a movie (The Dark Knight), and he can steal a movie with one of the best performances that I’ve ever seen (The Fighter). He’s also a hot head that I often forget is from across the pond.

12.) Jeff Bridges- What a resurgence for the dude. Bridges won Best Actor in 2010 for his role in Crazy Heart and followed it up with another Oscar nomination for Best Actor this year for his role in True Grit.

13.) Philip Seymour Hoffman- He’s won an Oscar for Best Actor (Capote), but he’s at his best in a supporting role. He was hysterical in Along Came Polly (2004), great in Oscar nominated roles in Charlie Wilson’s War (2007) and Doubt (2008), and I expect him to be fantastic in Moneyball (2011) and The Ides of March (2011).

14.) Joseph Gordon-Levitt- I hatttted him when he was on 3rd Rock From the Sun. In fact, I hated 3rd Rock From the Sun. Gordon-Levitt has come a long way since then, though. He was outstanding in (500) Days of Summer and Inception and I’ve heard nothing but positives from 50/50.

15.) Jeremy Renner- I can’t say that I’m a big fan of Renner. It’s not that I don’t like him, but the Academy seems to love him and I can’t figure it out. He was nominated for Best Actor for his role in The Hurt Locker (2009) and nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Town (2010).

16.) Robert Downey, Jr.- The only member of the Brat Pack that’s still relevant. Downey, Jr. partied hard through the 80’s, got hooked on drugs in the 90’s, and now he’s back and better than ever.

17.) Mark Wahlberg- I still can’t get over the fact that he originally broke onto the scene as a rapper, but Wahlberg has worked tirelessly to reinvent himself on multiple occasions.

18.) Ben Affleck- Don’t ask me why, but I’ve always been a huge fan of Affleck. He also gets bonus points for being married to Jennifer Garner.

19.) Viggo Mortensen- Easily the most underrated actor in Hollywood. He was awesome as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, amazing in A History of Violence (2005), and electric in his Oscar nominated role in Eastern Promises (2008).

20.) James Franco- Franco has some serious talent and he’s driven to excel across multiple platforms. He was horrendous as a co-host of The Oscars, but his future is still bright.

21.) Liam Neeson- He’s 59 years old and I think it’s safe to say that he’s the best action star going right now.

22.) Bradley Cooper- He’s been everywhere since his breakout performance as Sack in Wedding Crashers (2005).

23.) Jamie Foxx- No, there isn’t a quota that requires me to include more than one African American on this list. Foxx is a badass. Not only is he cool, but he’s won an Oscar and he has a rap career.

24.) Ryan Reynolds- He’s funny, attractive (don’t judge me), and he’s all over People magazine and US Weekly. Reynolds makes these rankings based solely on his history with other actresses. He married Scarlet Johannssen and has been linked to Sandra Bullock and Blake Lively.

25.) Daniel Craig- This list wouldn't be complete without James Bond. That role has enough cachet to almost guarantee cultural relevance.
Others receiving votes: Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti, Josh Brolin, Andrew Garfield, Jake Gyllenahll, Will Smith, James McAvoy, Jude Law, Gerard Butler, Matthew McConaughey, Jason Bateman, Edward Norton, Shia LeBouf, Daniel Dey-Lewis, Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe

Shake and Bake

Pop culture encompasses many different areas of entertainment, including: music, film, art, and sports. The personalities that make up these genres are often lauded by their fans, which generally consist of the masses. They are looked up upon as if they exist in their own world. Rarely do we see that they too, are fans. Sure celebrities are often seen at major sporting events. For example, we know that Ben Affleck is a Boston Red Sox fan, that Ashley Judd is a Kentucky Wildcats fan, and that Jack Nicholson is a Lakers fan. But is Dustin Pedroia, like I am, an Affleck fan? Is Jodie Meeks an Ashley Judd fan? And is Kobe Bryant a Jack Nicholson fan? You want the truth? I have no idea. If I had to guess I'd say that Pedroia likes Affleck but thinks he's a pussy, Meeks has no idea who Ashley Judd is, and Kobe would say that he's a Nicholson fan but can't name 5 movies that he's in. Can you?

Last night, Will Ferrell sat front row at the world's most famous arena for a New York Knicks game. Is he a Knicks fan? He was born in California and is often spotted at Laker games sitting court side which, just like it is at the garden, is basically just a publicity stunt. While Ferrell's fanhood is still in question, he witnessed a great show last night by one of his fans.




Now this is not the first time Nate has referenced Talladega Nights.



Nate, after his performance in the dunk contest and now this, has shown that his personality belongs in New York (I hope you're listening Lebron). He may have reached his ceiling as a player because he will most likely never be a starting point guard in the NBA, but he is perfect for New York. Just imagine how insignificant Nate would be if he played for the Charlotte Bobcats.

This story has personal resonance for me not only as a Knicks fan, but also as a big fan of Talladega Nights. When it first came out I was not too excited to see it. In fact, I chose to see Beerfest over Talladega Nights when they were in theaters. I don't regret that decision for a minute, because the latter was virtually always being played on DirecTV during my senior year of college. My roommates and I embraced its pervasiveness and it paid off. The movie literally gets funnier every time you see it.



It should also be noted that, John C. Reilly (Cal Naughton Jr.) has pulled off a rare feat in acting. Most actors, like Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell, come on to the scene because of their comedic talents and then try to venture off into more serious roles (Sandler in Reign Over Me (2007) and Ferrell in Stranger Than Fiction (2006)). Reilly has taken the reverse path. He made his way onto the scene by playing minor roles in serious movies (The Thin Red Line (1998), Chicago (2002) and The Hours (2002)) before branching off into comedy.

Affleckted (I know it's terrible)

Even though the media and all of these so-called critics bag on him for being a terrible actor, I'll be honest with you, I'm a Ben Affleck fan.



Here are the three reasons that I am a fan

1.) He's a hunk

Sure he's suffered through some tough times, but in true college dude form he essentially puked and rallied his way through it. After splitting with that lucious Latina, Affleck was brilliant in choosing his next fiance (this one would actually go on to marry him and bear his child) in that he was able to successfully dodge any sort of media scrutiny (which of course was the downfall of his relationship with J Lo) by employing the old Double Jeopardy tactic. As you all should know, the paparazzi had dubbed he and Jennifer Lopez 'Bennifer'. By hooking up with another Hollywood Celebrity named Jennifer (Garner), Affleck assured himself much less media coverage because (to finish the metaphor) he had already been convicted of that crime. I'm sure it also helped that Garner is one of those lovable women that has the "it" factor. The unexplainable girl next door/something about her/marriage material quality.

2.) He has a little bit of talent

Despite all the media criticism (everyone knows Matt Damon is the better actor, Ben's over it), Affleck has still managed to have a very good Hollywood career. Obviously we all know who Ben is because of the 1997 classic Good Will Hunting that he and Damon co-wrote and starred in. Affleck actually has the best line of the entire movie (starts at the 2:15 mark), although some would argue that this line is better. A few of his other career highlights include playing the badass Fred O'Bannion in Dazed and Confused, showing his romantic side in Armageddon, delivering what I thought was a very good performance in an underrated movie in Paycheck (his next film after the disaster that was Gigli), and who can forget this scene from Boiler Room.



"Ear to ear, baby"

Not to mention that one of my favorite movies Gone Baby Gone was his directorial debut. I swear you could teach an entire Ethics course based solely on that movie. I was sold on it before I even saw it because the book was written by the same guy that wrote Mystic River, Dennis Lehane.

3.) He's funny

Surprisingly, Affleck is has a knack for being hysterical. Just a few weeks ago, Affleck delivered a pretty good impersonation of former Sportscenter anchor and current MSNBC bleeding heart liberal host Keith Olbermann. That clip is a little long, but if you've ever watched a minute of Countdown you will appreciate it. This impersonation is actually more spot on. You might also remember that Affleck teamed up with Jimmy Kimmel in one of the best retorts of all time.



How either one of them was able to keep a straight face, I will never know.