A New Hollywood?

A New Decade. A New Hollywood. That's what the new issue of Vanity Fair says. It's kinda making me sad. I mean, seriously, Abbie Cornish? Why, VF, why? Kristen Stewart is talented, but has been around since 2002's Panic Room. She feels out of place surrounded by the ethereal beauties. Of course, K-Stew alone sells more copies than the other girls combined thanks to Twilight.

Carey Mulligan has some serious buzz surrounding her, but I haven't seen her in anything so I can't really say much about her. Lovely Amanda Seyfried has been working steadily since 2004's Mean Girls, but it's Mamma Mia that introduced her to a broader audience. She has serious leading lady potential and with Dear John around the corner, I'm not surprised she's on the cover.

Rebecca Hall. I haven't seen Vicky Christina Barcelona yet. I'm sure she's wonderful, but I haven't witnessed it yet. Mia Wasikowska has Alice in Wonderland coming up that will shove her into the spotlights. Nice call on that one, VF.

Emma Stone is doing well for herself. I haven't seen her in anything, but she doesn't make me want to stab myself when I read about her (*coughcornishcough*, so points for that. Evan Rachel Wood has been a force to be reckoned with for a decade. She was also on the cover of VF's 2003 Young Hollywood issue. Interesting choice to include her for 'A New Hollywood.' Anna Kendrick looks very pretty and I'm sure is very talented. I haven't seen her in anything.

If we're really going for the 'A New Hollywood' angle, then I get Mulligan, Hall, Wasikowska and Kendrick. They got the critical praise working for them. I can even get Stone and Seyfried, who are more mainstream, but have potential. Stewart and Wood have been around too long to be fresh faces despite their young ages. Cornish, I just don't understand at all. VF should've replaced her with Saoirse Ronan.

Oh how I miss the early 00's. Penelope, Wes, Mena, Marley, Chris, Selma, Paul, Jordana and for some reason, Sarah Wynter. Followed by the tween craze of 2003, starring Amanda, the Olsens, Mandy, Hilary, Alexis, EVAN, Raven and Lindsay.

I want this poster #2

This poster for the latest Nicholas Sparks novel turned movie, Dear John, is not perfect, but it is lovely. The image itself is beautiful as are the movie's stars Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum. I'm just not too crazy about the font and the font colors. They don't really stand out from the background, making it hard to read certain letters.

Overall though, I wouldn't mind having this poster on my wall.

Trailer Park: Dear John

I loved every second of this trailer! I almost cried watching it! Amanda Seyfriend and Channing Tatum are perfect for this adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks novel (A Walk to Remember, The Notebook). Dear John is moving high up my must see list of 2010!

Review: Mamma Mia!

Despite the super cheesiness of the trailer, I went to see Mamma Mia! a week before it officially opened here. How I suddenly got so excited to see this movie.. I don't know. But let me tell you this now, it's great!

Sophie (the luminous Amanda Seyfried) is getting married and dreams of finding her father. She invites her three potential dads (Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgard and Colin Firth) to the wedding without informing her mother Donna (Meryl Streep). Singing, dancing, ABBA songs and hilarity ensues.

When I first heard about Mamma Mia! the movie and the cast was announced, I was really looking forward to it. Then I saw the trailer and I got a little scared. It just looked like this big cheese-fest. Since I was still recovering from last year's overly quirky Hairspray that left me with a toothache and in a vomit induced state, I was planning on avoiding this in theaters. But somehow I did end up watching it and I am pretty damn sure this movie will end up on my favorites of 2008 list at the end of the year.

I was hooked from the moment Amanda Seyfried starting singing "I have a dream..." She really impressed me. Sure she was fab as the ditzy blond in Mean Girls, but here she showed a lot of range. It was an endearing and brave performance. How could you not fall in love with her? Her voice was amazing as well. While Meryl Streep seems a bit old play Sophie's mother (if Sophie is 20, she should have given birth to her in her late 30s - so why wouldn't she be allowed to come home. She's an adult; old enough to make her own decisions), she IS Meryl "f*ckin" Streep and she can play whatever the hell she wants to play. And she was excellent and her singing was amazing too! I smell a Golden Globe. Supporting turns by Julie Walters and Christine Baranski as Donna's friends were great too. Both are funny ladies and Baranski especially impressed. Pierce Brosnan seemed a bit bland, but Stellan Skarsgard and Colin Firth seemed to have a good time and did the best they could do with their roles. Now that I think about it, all the male roles were a bit underwritten. Hmmm.. that probably explains why Dominic Cooper barely left an impression.

The writer did a good job including all those ABBA songs into the story. There's only one sequence that I thought was truly awful: the "Money Money Money" dream sequence. Yikes! The movie quickly recovered after that, but seriously, they could have left that part out. Overall, I really liked Mamma Mia! and my fellow audience members as well. If this movie doesn't want to make you sing and dance, you're dead inside. Probably the most enjoyable movie out there this summer. STAY FOR THE CREDITS! A 4/5.