tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-115598572024-03-07T03:50:59.845-05:00More about Movies (and More)More about Movies and media from Nell Minow, who reviews movies each week for Yahoo! Movies and radio stations across the U.S. and in Canada and writes the Media Mom column about families and popular culture for the Chicago Tribune.Nell Minowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314988484518839998noreply@blogger.comBlogger478125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11559857.post-24376091106445688312011-10-11T08:17:00.000-04:002011-10-11T08:17:12.335-04:00The Other F-Word<a href="http://blog.beliefnet.com/moviemom/2011/10/trailer-the-other-f-word.html">Trailer: ‘The Other F-Word’</a>Nell Minowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314988484518839998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11559857.post-10852097315437304742007-12-15T17:22:00.000-05:002007-12-15T17:22:27.811-05:00A critic comes in from the coldThe Financial Times on my <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/dff01868-a81e-11dc-9485-0000779fd2ac.html">switch to Beliefnet</a>.Nell Minowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314988484518839998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11559857.post-23933549162149169092007-11-18T21:26:00.000-05:002007-12-15T16:59:42.096-05:00I'm moving.....I'm delighted that from now on my reviews, interviews, features, commentary, and blog will all be in one place: Please visit me <a href="http://blog.beliefnet.com/moviemom/">there</a> and let me know what you think!<br /><br />Update:<br /><br />Here's the official press release:<br /><br />"THE MOVIE MOM” MOVES TO BELIEFNET<br />Nell Minow, Trusted Advisor to Parents about the Best Kid-Friendly Movies,<br /> TV and Web Entertainment Settles in at a New Online Home<br /><br />New York, NY – December 10, 2007 – Beliefnet.com, the leading online<br />community for spirituality and inspiration, today welcomes popular author<br />and parental entertainment advisor, Nell Minow, to its roster of<br />contributing bloggers. Blogging as “The Movie Mom,” Ms. Minow will provide<br />reviews, quizzes, tips and advice about which movies, DVDs, television<br />programs and Internet sites are most appropriate for children of varying<br />ages. Originally hosted by Yahoo!, “The Movie Mom” will now take up<br />residence on Beliefnet’s entertainment channel and will be accessible from<br />www.beliefnet.com. Visitors to www.moviemom.com will be automatically<br />redirected.<br />Nell Minow, as “The Movie Mom” has been featured in The Chicago Sun-Times,<br />USA Today, The Chicago Tribune, Parents, Family Fun and other publications.<br />She has been profiled by The New York Times, The Economist, Forbes, The<br />Chicago Tribune and Ladies Home Journal. Her book, The Movie Mom’s Guide<br />to Family Movies, has helped parents from all over present their children<br />with entertainment that is both safe and fun.<br />“Beliefnet is the best possible place for me because it allows me to write<br />about movies and popular culture in the context of family, community,<br />values and meaning, which is where it belongs,” says Nell Minow. “Movies<br />are our modern-day myths, our sagas, our dreams made real. They reflect<br />our history and culture back to us and reinforce and pass on—for better or<br />worse—those values to our children. I am very happy to have a place to<br />write about those issues and to enter into conversations with families to<br />understand how these influences are transmitted and to help them respond.”<br />In her blog, Nell Minow guides parents through all the hype, and helps them<br />reach an educated decision before they arrive at the theatre. Ms. Minow<br />also provides reviews for holiday DVDs to ease the pressure of shopping for<br />appropriate gifts for children.<br />“We’re so glad to have Nell’s expertise to offer Beliefnet readers. She’s<br />recognized, loved and respected by families in every community,” said<br />Deborah Caldwell, Managing Editor for Beliefnet. “She’s full of wise,<br />creative and fun advice to help parents navigate the often rocky terrain of<br />parenting in today’s media-saturated world.”<br />Beliefnet blogs offer thought-provoking commentary and inspiration from a<br />variety of spiritual voices, and cover a wide range of topics including<br />politics, parenting, pop-culture, mental health and more. In addition to<br />“The Movie Mom,” current offerings include:<br /> Beyond Blue, A Spiritual Journey to Mental Health by Therese J.<br /> Borchard<br /> Flower Mandalas, A Blog About Mandalas, Art, Healing and<br /> Transformation by David J. Bookbinder<br /> Casting Stones, Beliefnet’s political mashup; A Boistrous Conclave on<br /> Faith and Politics<br /> God-O-Meter, Analysis of the 2008 Presidential Candidates’ use of<br /> Religion in the Race to the White House, in Partnership with TIME<br /> magazine<br /> Crunchy Con, Conservative Politics and Religion with Rod Dreher<br /> God’s Politics, by Jim Wallis and Friends, a partnership with<br /> Sojourners<br /> J-Walking, a Christian view of Jesus and Politics with David Kuo<br /> Conversations With God, a Blog with Neale Donald Walsch<br /> Feiler Faster, the Blog of Bestselling Author and Commentator, Bruce<br /> Feiler<br /> Idol Chatter, Beliefnet’s Pop-Culture and Religion Entertainment Blog<br /> Virtual Talmud, Rabbis Blogging for the Sake of Heaven<br />In addition, an examination of holiday culture wars is back by popular<br />demand for 2007’s December Dilemma Watch. Members of the new social<br />network Beliefnet Community—the world’s largest multi-faith social<br />network—are adding user generated content and posts around the clock.<br /> ###<br />About Beliefnet<br />Beliefnet, winner of the 2007 National Magazine Award for General<br />Excellence Online, is the largest online community for spirituality and<br />inspiration. Its mission is to help people find and walk a spiritual path<br />that instills comfort, hope, clarity, strength and happiness for people who<br />are exploring their own faith or curious about other spiritual traditions.<br />Beliefnet offers a wide variety of resources including social networking<br />tools, articles, quizzes, devotionals, sacred text searches, photo<br />galleries and intimate interviews with noted politicians, celebrities and<br />spiritual leaders. Beliefnet has approximately three million unique<br />visitors each month and a daily email newsletter readership of nearly 11<br />million subscribers. The company, which is a subsidiary of Fox Digital<br />Media and Fox Entertainment Group, is not affiliated with any spiritual<br />organization or movement, and has partnerships with TIME magazine, Yahoo!,<br />and Chicken Soup for the Soul.Nell Minowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314988484518839998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11559857.post-22976070915542584592007-11-02T19:31:00.000-04:002007-11-03T08:41:26.598-04:00Movies that make you cry (or sob or blubber uncontrollably)Desson Thomson has a wonderful <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/02/AR2007110200650.html">piece</a> in this Sunday's Washington Post about movies that make us cry, and a <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/02/AR2007110200682_pf.html">list</a> of some examples sent in by readers. The usual suspects are there, from "Dumbo" to "Field of Dreams," but some surprises, including Adam Sandler's "Click" ("Never thought I would cry at an Adam Sandler movie -- I usually don't even admit to even going to one."), "Star Trek: The Search for Spock," and "Terminator 2: Judgment Day." I admit to tearing up at the end of that one, too. Some of the other movies that have made me cry: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FCUZ3A?ie=UTF8&tag=nellminowthemovi&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000FCUZ3A">Waterloo Bridge</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=nellminowthemovi&l=as2&o=1&a=B000FCUZ3A" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/6304698623?ie=UTF8&tag=nellminowthemovi&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=6304698623">A Little Princess</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=nellminowthemovi&l=as2&o=1&a=6304698623" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004TJKK?ie=UTF8&tag=nellminowthemovi&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00004TJKK">Steel Magnolias</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=nellminowthemovi&l=as2&o=1&a=B00004TJKK" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/>, the one Thomson refers to as "that Michael Keaton movie" (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000F5MN?ie=UTF8&tag=nellminowthemovi&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00000F5MN">My Life</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=nellminowthemovi&l=as2&o=1&a=B00000F5MN" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/>) and yes, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00007JMDF?ie=UTF8&tag=nellminowthemovi&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00007JMDF">An Affair to Remember</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=nellminowthemovi&l=as2&o=1&a=B00007JMDF" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/>. <br /><br />Be sure to listen to Thomson's graceful <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2007/11/01/GA2007110101330.html?sid=ST2007110201586">audio commentary</a> on his own list, with such classic choices as "Old Yeller" and "Terms of Endearment." I enjoyed the quotes from experts, especially Professor Mary Beth Oliver of Penn State, who said that these movies<br /><blockquote>cause us to contemplate what it is about human life that's important and meaningful. . . . Those thoughts are associated with a mixture of emotions that can be joyful but also nostalgic and wistful, tender and poignant. Tears aren't just tears of sadness, they're tears of searching for the meaning of our fleeting existence.</blockquote><br />Just reading those words made me a little damp-eyed. Sorry, I just need a minute here.<br /><br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=nellminowthemovi&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0001WANCM&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=nellminowthemovi&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000EYK4GW&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=nellminowthemovi&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000055ZF6&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=nellminowthemovi&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00005RRG4&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>Nell Minowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314988484518839998noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11559857.post-41896300624733315602007-11-02T13:20:00.000-04:002007-11-02T20:24:12.451-04:00Hot Pick<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-pc7qf_aIq0/Ryu_h01MomI/AAAAAAAAATM/VScqcNERMkA/s1600-h/martian+child2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_-pc7qf_aIq0/Ryu_h01MomI/AAAAAAAAATM/VScqcNERMkA/s320/martian+child2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5128403188529799778" /></a><br />Thank you <A HREF="http://www.rottentomatoes.com">Rotten Tomatoes</A>! My "Martian Child" <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/click/movie-1169394/reviews.php?critic=columns&sortby=default&page=1&rid=1685461">review</a> is their "<a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/martian_child/">hot pick</a>" of the week.Nell Minowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314988484518839998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11559857.post-25567676116117463802007-11-02T06:52:00.000-04:002007-11-02T07:03:16.442-04:00Last Lecture of Randy PauschThe "Last Lecture" is an academic tradition. It is supposed to be theoretical, a sort of intellectual "desert island discs," what the professor would want to say as a summation of his or her life and ideas. In the case of <a href="http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/">Professor Randy Pausch</a>, it is literally a "last lecture" because he recently learned that his pancreatic cancer prognosis gives him only a few more months to live. The 47-year-old father of three young children talks about what makes life worth living, about achieving his childhood dreams and helping others achieve theirs. The lecture is thrilling, engrossing, inspiring, hilarious, meaningful, unforgettable. <br /><br /><embed style="width:400px; height:326px;" id="VideoPlayback" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=362421849901825950&hl=en" flashvars=""> </embed>Nell Minowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314988484518839998noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11559857.post-72035855193963385832007-10-24T16:01:00.001-04:002007-10-24T16:07:33.350-04:00A Big Hand for the Little Lady<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgas-2k6nMQgicWjZQD8-9dTG0kXS-Xuo9-AL1Kp9Tmy_IBbnXnxmfC4EfMgN_hQNesNhRmYq8Nin_nO6i6hrueUY4X4vT0e3RPpLQINbAUDsNZV4yDPPkt6lrJCQzgNNIDtXqJqw/s1600-h/big+hand.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgas-2k6nMQgicWjZQD8-9dTG0kXS-Xuo9-AL1Kp9Tmy_IBbnXnxmfC4EfMgN_hQNesNhRmYq8Nin_nO6i6hrueUY4X4vT0e3RPpLQINbAUDsNZV4yDPPkt6lrJCQzgNNIDtXqJqw/s320/big+hand.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124997400230004402" /></a><br />I'm delighted to see that a neglected gem is out on DVD, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000UPMZ1W?ie=UTF8&tag=nellminowthemovi&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000UPMZ1W">A Big Hand for the Little Lady</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=nellminowthemovi&l=as2&o=1&a=B000UPMZ1W" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;"/>. It has a powerhouse cast including Oscar winners Jason Robards, Henry Fonda, and Joanne Woodward and a bunch of top character actors like Kevin McCarthy, Paul Ford, and Burgess Meredith. And it has one of the best surprise endings ever filmed. <br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=nellminowthemovi&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000UPMZ1W&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>Nell Minowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314988484518839998noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11559857.post-49464651345817014682007-10-24T09:59:00.000-04:002007-10-24T10:01:48.099-04:00Ansen's list (8000 and counting)Newsweek critic David Ansen began compiling his <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/id/57347">list</a> of every movie he saw when he was 12. It is now 146 handwritten pages with almost 8000 movies. The essay is a little list-y but fun to read, a sort of time-lapse photography of the last five decades.Nell Minowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314988484518839998noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11559857.post-82256608653329068892007-10-23T22:13:00.000-04:002007-10-24T16:09:25.623-04:00Spoiler Alert: Sad Dads go Bowling and Get Traffic Tickets<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGRWhdYqGinXkfKQmMzVPUNnNS6Wk_1p9VH9WkfB8-zrw46IgFgBDYBCj_78PygVPIqyoNKCy-IBpl-ZQhED5FqpBbSYjlmO1No46zGOuTlMHDVwxdQ3MdS-30J3Y_2lFx13BNzA/s1600-h/martian+child.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGRWhdYqGinXkfKQmMzVPUNnNS6Wk_1p9VH9WkfB8-zrw46IgFgBDYBCj_78PygVPIqyoNKCy-IBpl-ZQhED5FqpBbSYjlmO1No46zGOuTlMHDVwxdQ3MdS-30J3Y_2lFx13BNzA/s320/martian+child.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124723905302529698" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGccoIBkpw8H4EOiMOMEHdI7kwblOuePdfE0do1U1MWxTNPYBhTyJB0MVbynKYX3zfkXH1ioFHMl37Y72AKz-NWwB7DL-gFcxcCdnRs84rTmYNRCiNo5ZMTTJmRw7fz9ohEuJ5GQ/s1600-h/dan+in+real+life.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGccoIBkpw8H4EOiMOMEHdI7kwblOuePdfE0do1U1MWxTNPYBhTyJB0MVbynKYX3zfkXH1ioFHMl37Y72AKz-NWwB7DL-gFcxcCdnRs84rTmYNRCiNo5ZMTTJmRw7fz9ohEuJ5GQ/s320/dan+in+real+life.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124723699144099474" /></a><br />Two movies in two weeks feature widower dads learning to move on with (not from) loss. In "Dan in Real Life," Steve Carrell feels that he might be able to love again for the first time since his wife died when he meets life force Juliette Binoche (she laughs, she listens, she cooks, she hugs, and she's great with kids). In "Martian Child," John Cusack feels that he might be able to love again for the first time since his wife died when he takes steps to adopt a child who is either odd or disturbed but qualifies as a life force because he is a child and therefore does not have to cook or hug or anything except for be young and need love. <br /><br />The movies have some other similarities. Both use bowling(!) as a marker for happy-fun-bonding time (has the bowling association banded together for product placement? Both feature rattled and sheepish dads getting stopped by the police for traffic violations. Both have someone show up at exactly the wrong time, creating consternation and misunderstandings. But that probably happens in more movies than not. Cusack is going to be bereaved again soon. His next film, "Grace is Gone," is about a man whose wife is killed in Iraq.Nell Minowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314988484518839998noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11559857.post-13773199486308421022007-10-23T09:21:00.001-04:002007-10-23T09:22:27.828-04:00Even Jar-Jar Binks looks good made of LegosThis <a href="http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1137819692/bclid1155151521/bctid1243684713">clip</a> of the new Star Wars Lego Game is adorable.Nell Minowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314988484518839998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11559857.post-63803715735061164422007-10-21T21:53:00.000-04:002007-10-21T22:33:13.927-04:00Interview with Charles HorakMy MMI colleague Charles Horak <a href="http://www.ktep.org/program_detail.sstg?id=30">interviewed</a> me for his NPR show. It was so much fun to talk to him about family movies -- and family and movies.Nell Minowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314988484518839998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11559857.post-70947690457410708552007-10-21T17:22:00.000-04:002007-10-21T17:29:52.600-04:00Blu-ray must be seen to be believedI have seen the future and it is in super hi-def with all kinds of great extras. There was a Blu-Ray demo at Tyson's Corner, Virginia this weekend and the quality of the picture was stunning, especially with the digitally created images in the Pixar movies. The extras include some terrific interactive features. I liked the way that kids watching "Cars" could play a game without leaving the movie, helping them with pattern recognition and encouraging active watching. I felt like Tommy Lee Jones in "Men in Black," looking woefully at the new super-small cds made with alien technology: "Now I'm going to have to buy the White Album again."<br /><br /><br /><br />The rest of the tour: Oct. 26-28 -Burlington Mall, Burlington, Mass. Nov. 9-11 -King of Prussia, King of Prussia, Pa. Nov. 16-18 -Circle Centre, Indianapolis Nov. 23-25 -Lenox Square, Atlanta Nov. 30-Dec. 2 -The Galleria, Houston Dec. 7-9 -Barton Creek Square, Austin Dec. 14-16 -Chandler Fashion Center, Chandler, Ariz. Dec. 21-23Nell Minowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314988484518839998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11559857.post-38772368852517631842007-10-18T20:37:00.001-04:002007-10-18T20:46:06.251-04:00Quotes of the Week -- Rendition<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAFC8xQC5f7DxapZS6Fx0BEb7G5F2kJlIP-jX-vgOPnzat_xou_Lj1ZSacwnLL2pIfaRG0Ei20DDVw8fKg0itEmW09OnKrumpjbvEKqy_2hjreM6AH2eZvJfjOGs5hpt7UvBkdeA/s1600-h/renditionposter.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAFC8xQC5f7DxapZS6Fx0BEb7G5F2kJlIP-jX-vgOPnzat_xou_Lj1ZSacwnLL2pIfaRG0Ei20DDVw8fKg0itEmW09OnKrumpjbvEKqy_2hjreM6AH2eZvJfjOGs5hpt7UvBkdeA/s320/renditionposter.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122842207115708034" /></a><br /><blockquote>Hollywood—particularly during Oscar season—functions on the assumption that no trauma has entered the national consciousness until it's been undergone by a flaxen-haired gamine with major box-office draw.</blockquote> <a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2176193/fr/flyout"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Dana Stevens, Slate</span></a>Nell Minowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314988484518839998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11559857.post-23142601923165296742007-10-18T08:15:00.000-04:002007-10-18T08:21:28.936-04:00No more fine print?A bank once put a sentence deep inside the pages and pages of mandated disclosures: "If you bring this page into the bank we will give you $10." Not one person took them up on it. No one reads that stuff. Almost no one reads manuals, disclaimers, contracts, leases, waivers, any of that dense, boring, small print stuff. <br /><br />But would you pay attention if it was on You Tube? And less than two minutes? <br />And funny? Can a video be worth a million words? Visionary cyber-wizard Esther Dyson is <a href="http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/cookiecontest/">offering $5000</a> to find out. Submit a video explaining cookies, covering:<br /><br />What is a cookie? <br />How do cookies work? <br />How can cookies be used? <br />How is the data from cookies used with data collected in other ways, including from third parties? <br />How can cookies be misused? <br />What options does a user have to manage cookies and their use?<br /><br />The winner gets $5000 and a trip to Washington DC to attend a workshop at the Federal Trade Commission on "Ehavioral Advertising."Nell Minowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314988484518839998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11559857.post-90782004174455254582007-10-15T14:36:00.000-04:002007-10-15T14:41:28.428-04:00'The Feel-Good Movie Blurb Credit of the Year'Paul Fahri of the Washington Post did a little <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/12/AR2007101200490.html">investigative reporting</a> and answered a question I have wondered about for a long time. Who are these critics who love all these awful movies? It turns out there is considerable affiliate inflation in movie ads, and small- and mid-market TV critics are often listed in ads as representing the views of their networks. <br /><blockquote>Marc Doyle, co-founder of the Web site Metacritic.com, which tracks critics' opinions, says the studios prefer the more impressive network title, even if it isn't quite accurate, because would-be film patrons might not be very impressed by a blurb from a reviewer from "some outlet they've never heard of."<br /><br />But Paurich says titles aren't really important. "This might reflect badly on me and everybody else in this business, but unless you're Roger Ebert, people don't necessarily check the name beneath the quote [in the ad]. The quote is going to matter more to [a moviegoer] than the source of the quote."</blockquote><br />The real motivation is in Fahri's last line: <br /><blockquote>As for critics, he says they like to be blurbed: "It's nice to see your name in the New York Times or in a TV commercial. It's flattering. It's still a kick." </blockquote>Nell Minowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314988484518839998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11559857.post-78103873890386378372007-10-11T12:39:00.000-04:002007-10-11T12:43:45.307-04:00Simply IrresistibleI get several questions a month through <a href="http://www.allexperts.com/cl1/41/Movies/">Allexperts</a>, usually about half-remembered films (many questions begin: "I might have made this up, but I sort of remember..."). I get a big kick out of identifying the films when I can. Sometimes that is not possible -- one recent query could provide no details other than it was a scary movie that included a scene of someone running out of a dark house screaming.<br /><br />But for some reason, the most frequent movie I get asked about is a minor romantic comedy about a chef with magical powers called "Simply Irresistible." For some reason, people love that movie. I guess it is...irresistible. <br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=nellminowthemovi&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000067J1O&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>Nell Minowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314988484518839998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11559857.post-69049994214185465572007-10-11T09:17:00.001-04:002007-10-11T09:24:30.030-04:00Women On Movies/Women In Movies/Women About MoviesSalon has an <a href="http://www.salon.com/ent/feature/2007/10/11/hollywood_women/">article</a> with an extended version of a discussion in this month's "Elle" magazine by women film-makers. <br /><blockquote>The panel was moderated by one of Tinseltown's great brains, producer Lynda Obst ("Contact," "Sleepless in Seattle," "How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days"). She nimbly guided panelists Nora Ephron (screenwriter, director, "When Harry Met Sally," "Sleepless in Seattle"), Laura Ziskin (writer, producer, "Hero," "To Die For," "Spider-Man"), Callie Khouri (screenwriter, director, "Thelma & Louise," "Something to Talk About"), Patty Jenkins (writer, director, "Monster"), Cathy Konrad (producer, "Walk the Line," "3:10 to Yuma"), Kimberly Piece (writer, director, producer, "Boys Don't Cry"), Andrea Berloff (writer, producer, "World Trade Center"), Margaret Nagle (writer, producer, "Warm Springs"), and that rarest of Hollywood breeds, a female studio head, Universal president of production Donna Langley, in a conversation that touched on issues that cut to the heart of the Robinov story. They spoke of the remaining handful of female movies stars as if they were the last hope of the Jedi order -- Luke ... Leia ... Julia ... Reese -- and maybe they are. If these female machers are to be believed, the business of making movies for women remains one of constant juggling between progress and regress, of compensation and compromise.The panel was moderated by one of Tinseltown's great brains, producer Lynda Obst ("Contact," "Sleepless in Seattle," "How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days"). She nimbly guided panelists Nora Ephron (screenwriter, director, "When Harry Met Sally," "Sleepless in Seattle"), Laura Ziskin (writer, producer, "Hero," "To Die For," "Spider-Man"), Callie Khouri (screenwriter, director, "Thelma & Louise," "Something to Talk About"), Patty Jenkins (writer, director, "Monster"), Cathy Konrad (producer, "Walk the Line," "3:10 to Yuma"), Kimberly Piece (writer, director, producer, "Boys Don't Cry"), Andrea Berloff (writer, producer, "World Trade Center"), Margaret Nagle (writer, producer, "Warm Springs"), and that rarest of Hollywood breeds, a female studio head, Universal president of production Donna Langley, in a conversation that touched on issues that cut to the heart of the Robinov story. They spoke of the remaining handful of female movies stars as if they were the last hope of the Jedi order -- Luke ... Leia ... Julia ... Reese -- and maybe they are. If these female machers are to be believed, the business of making movies for women remains one of constant juggling between progress and regress, of compensation and compromise.</blockquote><br /><br />A lot of the discussion is the usual (and inevitable) "if a man goes home because his kid has an ear infection, he's a hero, but if a woman does it, she's unprofessional" but I loved the discussion of "Knocked Up."Nell Minowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314988484518839998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11559857.post-22080568361478476012007-10-11T08:34:00.000-04:002007-10-11T08:49:37.900-04:00Paul Schneider<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqBlUx-z7KOzHo_A2stbGOBzTccFxCiPLcJifOgnNNigFS4WGwss6KCmfbK_8fWgZzFth_7fHC1zz05Xh7Zbp6zl4nUwmBVEuBhybsyxaijNu-SO_p0DBPW3mHPCVI2vre6UsQg/s1600-h/paul+schneider.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqBlUx-z7KOzHo_A2stbGOBzTccFxCiPLcJifOgnNNigFS4WGwss6KCmfbK_8fWgZzFth_7fHC1zz05Xh7Zbp6zl4nUwmBVEuBhybsyxaijNu-SO_p0DBPW3mHPCVI2vre6UsQg/s320/paul+schneider.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120057380465971570" /></a><br />Two of the best performances I have seen this year were from the same actor, Paul Schneider. In the broody western "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" he played Dick Liddil, the ladies' man of the James Gang. He brought maturity and depth to the seduction of a young wife and the description of his conquests to the other men, both scenes that could easily have been mishandled and become slick or snickery. And in the lovely little indie "Lars and the Real Girl" he plays brother to the title character, who believes that a "fun doll" is his girlfriend. Many actors would not have been able to resist a sit-com vibe in reacting to this gentle delusion, but Schneider again shows a range of often conflicting emotions with great restraint, delicacy, and humanity. I see he is now directing a film based on his own screenplay and that he has assembled an extraordinarily appealing cast, including Paul Giamatti, Billy Crudup, and SNL's Kristen Wiig. Sounds wonderful.Nell Minowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314988484518839998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11559857.post-83858635083374510762007-10-08T18:06:00.000-04:002007-10-10T16:49:42.282-04:00Southland Tales -- at last<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUvEPI5heCm_MS1xUnz7qdZw-GNz_JAtLKYDpOiXvdjcIDplDaH3RxnR1VyHIiD5N6moyKUvqudOhKP4Eouu3FaHNBIzvASjq2-40lITsvg-mQi-miHqA4Yovx6VUKGHfcDPhnFQ/s1600-h/Southland-7.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUvEPI5heCm_MS1xUnz7qdZw-GNz_JAtLKYDpOiXvdjcIDplDaH3RxnR1VyHIiD5N6moyKUvqudOhKP4Eouu3FaHNBIzvASjq2-40lITsvg-mQi-miHqA4Yovx6VUKGHfcDPhnFQ/s320/Southland-7.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5119095367921209698" /></a><br />I am really looking forward to "Southland Tales," the much-discussed, often-delayed second film from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006GAOBI?ie=UTF8&tag=nellminowthemovi&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0006GAOBI">Donnie Darko</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=nellminowthemovi&l=as2&o=1&a=B0006GAOBI" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />'s Richard Kelly (he also co-wrote the script for the movie star's daughter-model-turned-bounty hunter movie "Domino" about which no more need be said). I was a little concerned after footage at Comic-Con in 2006 was a little disappointing. Then there were the delays, and did I mention "Domino?" But the <a href="http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809233751/video">trailer</a> for this one is a knock-out and the movie looks like it will fulfill the promise of the masterful "Donnie Darko." It has a sensational cast including "Darko" alums Holmes Osborne and Beth Grant, SNL stars Cheri Oteri, Jon Lovitz, Amy Poehler, and Nora Dunn, and other luminaries from The Rock to Justin Timberlake. Can't wait!Nell Minowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314988484518839998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11559857.post-13026839007888465382007-10-03T10:06:00.000-04:002007-10-04T08:47:55.588-04:00Showing and TellingI've seen four movies based on books in the past week and all made me think about the perils of adapting novels to the screen. I once heard Peter Hedges speak about the difference between plays, novels, and movies. His novel, <em>What's Eating Gilbert Grape</em>, was adapted into a fine movie by Lasse Hallström, and he described the experience as a master class in understanding the difference between print and film. He said that novels are about what people think and feel, plays are about what they say, and movies are about showing what the characters think and feel, most often without saying anything. <br /><br />I did not think much of the book <em>The Jane Austen Book Club</em>. If any other author's name was in the title, it would not have been a best-seller. The movie version is far better, genuinely enjoyable. <em>Feast of Love</em> and <em>O Jerusalem</em> did not live up to their source material. <em>The Dark is Rising</em>, The book that inspired "The Seeker" was so diluted in the final script that it had the same relaitonship to the source material that a homeopathic remedy has to its active ingredient. And the result was less efficacious. <br /><br />It is not just about the acting. "The Jane Austen Book Club" has first class actors who bring more subtlety and complexity and life to the characters than the author ever did, but "Feast of Love" has Morgan Freeman, Jane Alexander, and Greg Kinnear, who all do the best they can but never make the relationships on screen feel immediate or alive. It just has to do with showing, not telling, and "The Jane Austen Book Club" manages that act of alchemy where the others fail.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=nellminowthemovi&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0020425651&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=nellminowthemovi&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0671038540&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=nellminowthemovi&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000EWBNNC&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>Nell Minowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314988484518839998noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11559857.post-32922625813833977422007-09-26T20:06:00.000-04:002007-09-27T16:46:24.916-04:00DVD picks for kidsRecommended new DVDs for kids:<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=nellminowthemovi&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000S8CLT2&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=nellminowthemovi&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000S8CLTC&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /><br />Great Moogly Moogly! The intrepid adventurer and her best friends salute the power of imagination and the joys of friendship.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=nellminowthemovi&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000OLGCI4&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /><br />The last animated film personally supervised by Walt Disney himself has some of Disney's most memorable songs, including "The Bear Necessities" sung by Phil Harris and "I Wanna Be Like You" by the inimitable Louis Prima.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=nellminowthemovi&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000UFIYOO&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /><br />One of the freshest surprises of the summer of 2007 was this animated mockumentary about surfing penguins starring the voice talents of Shia LeBoeuf ("Transformers"), Jeff Bridges, and Jon Heder ("Napoleon Dynamite").<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=nellminowthemovi&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000TUDFE4&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /><br />As in Dorothy's famous story, this is the tale of someone who thought found that there's no place like home.Nell Minowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314988484518839998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11559857.post-37018875242451699392007-09-25T09:08:00.000-04:002007-09-25T09:10:14.953-04:00Simpsons movie parodies<a href="http://www.joeydevilla.com/">This site</a> has some great shot-by-shot comparisons of Simpsons episodes to the movies that inspired them, including "Citizen Kane," "Steamboat Mickey," and "2001: A Space Odyssey."Nell Minowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314988484518839998noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11559857.post-49515654114745932912007-09-24T08:33:00.000-04:002007-09-25T07:24:43.429-04:00Emile Hirsch goes Into the Wild<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4UAQjhyxxFW8VvDoPzWkyXd_RksWmiGfW18vzRNp_coYcya1e36YUI2Xb4qHNzxOnEp__JlAnEktOWPE5TAHT_GIGBB4Rb0GVSJGfDaUmnuwpG9REfwpm-FMKH1d7oAmxggAKg/s1600-h/IMG_0057.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4UAQjhyxxFW8VvDoPzWkyXd_RksWmiGfW18vzRNp_coYcya1e36YUI2Xb4qHNzxOnEp__JlAnEktOWPE5TAHT_GIGBB4Rb0GVSJGfDaUmnuwpG9REfwpm-FMKH1d7oAmxggAKg/s320/IMG_0057.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5113819713562644818" /></a><br />Emile Hirsch gives a magnificent performance in one of the year's best films, <a href="http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809698364/parentsguide">Into the Wild</a>. I met with him in Georgetown to ask him about making the film.<br /><br /><br /><strong>What does Sean Penn as an actor bring to directing?</strong> <br />He has that whole wealth of experience since he's done it on the actor's side. So you trust him so much. Everything he asked me to do, certain things I was hesitant to do, he did first. He ate squirrel. He went first on the Colorado River. He let me know I could do it. Sean was an incredible director. He let me learn for myself, He helps you bring out the best in yourself and there's no greater gift. <br /><br /><br /><strong>All of the movies Penn has written and directed are in some way about lost children. Why do you think that is?</strong><br />He is a man of high intellect but also a very keen instinct. A lot of his choices are on an instinctual level in a very pure way. One of the things I admire about him so much is the kind of strong-willed instinct that he has and the confidence to trust that instinct and move forward. Where so many people are in the back rubbing sweaty palms, he is doing it. He wanted to do this movie because he always had a really strong wanderlust, as do I. It was infectuous, the idea that you want to go out and live your life all the way and have more meanng, live it while you have it. <br /><br /><strong>You play a real-life character who died of starvation in Alaska. Did he have poor judgment? Was he self-destructive? Where would he have gone next? </strong><br />He made a couple of really crucial errors, not bringing things with him like a map. But he purposefully did not bring them because he wanted to shave he margin of error. He shaved it a little too much. He had amazing wanderlust and also had a lot of personal problems. <br /><br /><strong>Did he learn from the people he met or were they just way-stations on his journey to sever all ties?</strong> <br />He was very determined. The people on the road started to open his eyes, but it took the total solitude for him to find himself and what the meaning of his life could possibly be. <br /><br /><strong>It's quite a contrast to go from this film to your next film, "Speed Racer." How do you prepare for such different genres? </strong><br />The directors of "Speed Racer," the Wachowski brothers, the guys who did <a href="http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1800019594/parentsguide">The Matrix</a>, have a particular sensibility about performances they expect. It was like being in a sauna for eight months and jumping into an ice bath without a break -- with the lid locked!<br /><br /><strong>Were there elements of the real-life story that were especially meaningful to you in portraying Chris McAndless? </strong><br />The abandoned bus he lived in, which he called "the magic bus." It was like a waystation, always symbolzing the journey, Where he learns about himself. It symbolizes the question, "Where is he going?" And I read the books he was reading, Walden by Thoreau, Emerson, Dr. Zhivago by Pasternak, Jack London's Call of the Wild. What Chris did was very similar to what Thoreau did.Nell Minowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314988484518839998noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11559857.post-15516331921400383762007-09-23T13:25:00.000-04:002007-09-23T13:25:27.619-04:00About.com Guide to Documentary FilmsMy colleague from the MMI Film Critic Institute, Jennifer Merin, has established a new <a href="http://documentaries.about.com/">About.com Guide to Documentary Films</a>, an immediately indispensible resource for fans of this vitally engaging category of movies. Her initial selection is superb and I was especially glad to see one of my recent favorites, "The King of Kong" on her list. And I'm glad to hear that she'll continue with her work for the <A HREF="http://www.nypress.com">New York Press</A> and the online magazine <A HREF="http://www.awfj.org">Women on Film</A> as well.Nell Minowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314988484518839998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11559857.post-67608983369302177612007-09-21T09:59:00.000-04:002007-09-21T10:00:06.153-04:00Quoted by Peg RosenParentCenter's Peg Rosen has some <a href="http://parentcenter.babycenter.com/0_seven-ways-to-break-the-tv-habit_66833.pc?Ad=com.bc.common.AdInfo%4033eca2d0">thoughtful advice</a> for parents about television and families and I am honored to be quoted.Nell Minowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314988484518839998noreply@blogger.com0