10 Greatest Disney (2D) Animated Features of All Time, Pt. 2

You've waited maybe 24 hours ... wait no more. This is for those of you that didn't see Part 1 (10-6)

5. Cinderella (1950)

Ahh, another classic tale just brimming with positive social concepts about women. Cinderella, however, is just a better film than Snow White. It’s a lot more magical and captivating in that dreamy fantasy sense although the concept of a beautiful girl forced into a state of solitude and slave labor due to others’ jealousy who enlists the help of talking animals still applies. In general, however, Cinderella executes better. For example, we hate Cinderella’s stepmother and stepsisters with a fiery passion more than we ever hate the Queen who dresses as an old hag in Snow White.

Cinderella is frankly a more redeemable story in addition to the extravagance of the ball and the glass slippers (which in hindsight, ouch anyone?). She’s aware of her cruel treatment and aspires to overcome it. Her daydream of being free and falling in love being realized by the Fairy Godmother and coming to life is vicarious wish fulfillment for all of us in one way or another. The classic storybook opening at the beginning and end is also money.

4. The Little Mermaid (1989)

Here’s where this gets tough. In my own personal list, this is top two. This was another one of those Disney home videos I was addicted to and it was one of the first movies I ever saw in theaters at age 2. Personal feelings aside, however, this was the game-changer for Disney. This launched them into the hits of the ‘90s and proved their sustainability as a company. From this point forward, Disney becomes a true powerhouse by capturing the next generation.

It all started with a simple decision. To write the music for The Little Mermaid, Disney turned to a man named Alan Menken. With his collaborator, lyricist Howard Ashman, the two would write the greatest songs in film history before Ashman’s death from AIDS in 1991. Disney owes Menken almost everything, in my opinion. “Under the Sea” became the first hit of a new generation of Disney.

“Mermaid” borrows on those timeless Disney themes of a princess being confined by her oppressive father who yearns to be something she’s not (human) and is envied by an evil sea witch who tricks the naïve girl into giving up her beautiful voice for a pair of legs. Disney wisely took us somewhere new and unknown to us in a world under the sea, delivering us important themes about being happy about who you are and where you come from. The only thing that keeps this one down at No. 4 is a weak leading man in Prince Eric and animation that wasn’t quite up to 1990’s levels yet.

3. Aladdin (1992)

Disney’s first decision in modern times to push the multi-cultural envelope pays off tremendously. Aladdin takes us to Arabia, completely unfamiliar Disney territory but one that it handles smoothly. Aladdin is maybe the most fun Disney ever had. Its main character is a thief and a troublemaker and the writers surrounded him with wackier pals in Abu the monkey, a magic carpet with a mind of its own and an insane genie voiced by Robin Williams who is easily Disney’s most successful supporting character of all time.

Aladdin is a bit more superficial in ways. Of course Princess Jasmine is still held back by her father and longs to get out and see the world and the man vying for her affections is a “street rat” so you have the timeless forbidden romance motif, but Jafar is a total cross-gender wackjob. Here’s where you get that villain that wants to possess all the power in the world (and also marry our leading lady), which made him just okay. That’s why they gave him a talking parrot voiced by Gilbert Gottfried. I mean, seriously, who needs Gilbert Gottfried as a complement to their character?

The key to this one was possibly the addition of two writers that would be frequent Disney collaborators: Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio. These two would go on to write Shrek (not Disney but Dreamworks’ most successful product) as well as the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Musically, the fantastic Tim Rice stepped in as lyricist for the songs that Howard Ashman had yet to help write. With Menken, they wrote the greatest Disney power ballad of all time in “A Whole New World” as well as the fantastically jazzy “Friend Like Me,” “One Jump Ahead” and “Prince Ali.”

2. Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Perhaps Disney’s most powerful thematic message comes from the ’91 classic Beauty and the Beast. Here comes this gorgeous new Disney princess who a) loves to read books and b) falls in love with a hideous man-beast because she has faith that he’s a good person at heart and that what’s on the inside counts. As a four-year-old, I was like “huh?” Disney managed to apologize for years of preaching superficiality to young girls by giving us Belle, a hot nerd who wards off her obnoxious suitors and goes for a beast who is not all that likable.

If you look at The Princess and the Frog, Disney is recycling this theme. Characters in that movie are humans transformed into swamp animals. In “Beauty” it was a Family Feud-style list of “name an inanimate object found in a mansion.” There’s Lumiere, the candlestick aka second coming of The Little Mermaid’s Sebastian the Crab, Mrs. Potts and Chip the tea cups, Cogsworth the clock and more. The characters were never more inventive and that’s why Beauty and the Beast became a first-rate Broadway production as well. Transformation is a powerful archetype that really works in Disney films. Not only is it magical, but also its impact is more fully realized by children. The concept and consequent themes are easier to grasp because it’s so visually distinctive.

Musically, the Alan Menken/Howard Ashman tradition of at least one huge upbeat number and one gorgeous ballad (“Be Our Guest” and “Beauty and the Beast”) continued. “Gaston” is also one of my personal favorite songs, celebrating Disney’s villain who is not so much evil as he is selfish and stubborn, championing ego and unkindness instead of the traditional Disney villain desires of power. Just another example of the excellent values being embedded into the Disney films of the ‘90s.

1. The Lion King (1994)

I don’t think there’s any doubt that The Lion King is the most beloved Disney 2D animated film of all time. I don’t think I would call it my personal number one, but if you surveyed a wide group, I think you’ll find this twist on the Hamlet story atop a majority of people’s lists and it’s certainly deserving of being there.

The most interesting thing about The Lion King is the absence of human characters. Disney liked using animals as goofy supporting roles or in the case of Robin Hood giving animals anthropomorphic physicality. Everyone in The Lion King is as the animal would be minus talking. And what a cast it is; there isn’t a dull or pointless character in this entire movie. Disney’s most successful comic relief duo in Pumbaa and Timon came here. The ruthless Scar was formidable and he was complemented by three crazy hyenas that made henchmen staples of good vs. evil storytelling. Then of course Simba and Nala were as good as any human Disney prince and princess.

But the coup de grace, if you will, was the most emotional scene in Disney history: the death of Mufasa. Not since Bambi’s mother had Disney killed off a major good character. What an aggressive choice to risk something that could traumatize young children but instead ended up grabbing their attention and opening their eyes to difficult themes like revenge and forgiveness.

In addition, Disney took a break from Alan Menken and hired, -- gee – Tim Rice and Elton John, never missing a beat in terms of music. “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” match up with any other Disney song combo and “The Circle of Life” is simply breathtaking. And that’s leaving out “Hakuna Matata.” The Lion King also became Disney’s biggest Broadway hit and it wasn’t just because of the costumes.

So there you have it. Agree? Disagree? Pissed I left off Pocahontas? Feel free to comment! Just for fun, here are some superlatives.

Top 10 Songs

1. “A Whole New World” from Aladdin
2. “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas
3. “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid
4. “Be Our Guest” from Beauty and the Beast
5. “Friend Like Me” from Aladdin
6. “Beauty and the Beast” from Beauty and the Beast
7. “The Circle of Life” from The Lion King
8. “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” from The Lion King
9. “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid
10. “Go The Distance” from Hercules

Top 10 Villains

1. Scar from The Lion King
2. Captain Hook from Peter Pan
3. Cruella De Vil from 101 Dalmatians
4. Ursula from The Little Mermaid
5. Jafar from Aladdin
6. The Hunter from Bambi
7. Gaston from Beauty and the Beast
8. Evil Stepmother from Cinderella
9. Hades from Hercules
10. Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty

Top 10 Supporting Animals

1. Timon and Pumbaa from The Lion King
2. Sebastian and Flounder from The Little Mermaid
3. Jiminy Cricket from Pinocchio
4. Abu from Aladdin
5. Mushu and the Cricket from Mulan
6. Thumper and Flower from Bambi
7. Jock and Trusty from Lady and the Tramp
8. Meeko from Pocahontas
9. Gus and the Mice from Cinderella
10. Baloo and Bagheera from The Jungle Book

10 Greatest Disney (2D) Animated Features of All Time, Pt. 1

Almost everyone who grew up in the ‘80s and/or ‘90s has some kind of nostalgic attachment to a Walt Disney 2D animated feature. (It’s a sad world we live in now that “2D” is a required adjective in that sentence.) Hours of our childhoods were devoted to watching a singular Disney title over and over again and we wouldn’t trade it for anything.

An entire decade, however, missed out. Disney couldn’t churn out quality moneymaking 2D titles in the early 2000s having already opened the floodgates for CGI animation with Toy Story in 1995. Although 2002’s Lilo and Stitch found some love, the magic faded and ended in 2004 with the bust that was Home on the Range.

Kids born in the last few years, however, will have a chance at a more ideal childhood with Disney’s triumphant return in the form of The Princess and the Frog, which opens across the country on Friday. With African-American princess and a new “world” to explore in Jazz-Age New Orleans, Disney looks ready to reestablish itself as the class of meaningful, theme-driven entertainment in the age of A.D.D.

Also back is music. Longtime Disney collaborator Randy Newman has given “Frog” a southern Creole jazz soundtrack that fits the film and Disney perfectly. They might not be the Alan Menken-written showstoppers of the ‘90s, but in listening briefly on iTunes, they hold more promise than anything Disney’s done with music since then (with the exception arguably of the Phil Collins Tarzan soundtrack).

So thank you, The Princess and the Frog, for giving me an excuse to write about Disney classics and – more importantly – to rank them, which is always fun. Who hasn’t debated about which Disney movie is the best? Here’s my take. Feel free to argue.

10. The Jungle Book (1967)

I debated long and hard about which of many deserving films should grab that last coveted spot in my Top 10, and I had to award it to The Jungle Book, really the first of its kind for Disney. The Jungle Book was Disney’s first venture outside of that Caucasian comfort zone. Although certainly not a landmark for diversity in animated film by any means (they’d follow it up with plenty more white-centered features – plus thematically it preaches you should want to be a civilized human), it stands out as a unique achievement for Disney.

With a few great sing-a-long songs, namely “The Bear Necessities” and “I Wanna Be Like You,” The Jungle Book was one of Disney’s first easy-going, fun movies. Baloo the bear is a pretty lovable dude too. This is one of the first movies I’d like to revisit if I were to make a list of Disney films worth rediscovering as an adult.

9. Mulan (1998)

Mulan makes my list as the last Disney animated movie worthy of deeming a classic. Great music, same quirky supporting cast, wholesome family (albeit Asian) values – The Princess and the Frog would’ve been a great next step for them back at the turn of the century considering the diversity instead of heading down a non-princess path. Unfortunately, though the movie faired well, the relatively unknown story of a girl posing as a man conflicted with the cultural messages toward little girls and straight up baffled boys. Mulan the character as a result never achieved “princess” status.

“Reflection” was the ballad that gave rise to Christina Aguilera’s career. Why it didn’t get nominated for an Oscar baffles me, but then again the winner that year was The Prince of Egypt’s “When You Believe,” so that’s fair. Donnie Osmond’s performance of “I’ll Make A Man Out of You” was probably the best upbeat song in a Disney film since The Lion King. And who can forget the credits track “True to Your Heart” featuring Stevie Wonder and 98 Degrees? Yea, I totally rocked to that cassette tape.

8. Lady and the Tramp (1955)

If I were making a totally biased list that didn’t consider any thoughtful evaluation, Lady and the Tramp would make my top five. I was fascinated, I mean, completely entranced by this movie. It’s one of those films that has this quiet aura about it that’s slightly chilling but utterly captivating. The ups and downs of this movie were like a rollercoaster to me and just picturing them in my mind right now gives me goosebumps.

Looking back, I think what makes Lady and the Tramp sort of a cult favorite when it comes to Disney movies (along with The Fox and the Hound which I woefully had to omit from this list), is its perspective. The fact that it cuts all the humans off at the knees (with the exception of the Italian restaurant guy Tony) and really puts you in Lady and the other dog’s perspective makes it so easily identifiable for children. The dogs all vie for love and attention from the parental figures of the story and that is a connection children watching this film instantly make subconsciously that draws them in to feeling invested in the story. The happy ending to it all is the payoff that brings them back each time (though I should say I speak for myself).

7. Peter Pan (1953)

There’s a reason Tinker Bell became the iconic character of Disney. Peter Pan was really Disney’s first foray into action and fantasy. It began with Alice in Wonderland two years earlier, but this was the first successful attempt, namely because the story was also attractive to young boys. In fact, Peter Pan was the first entirely human male protagonist in a Disney animated classic. J.M. Barrie’s story was really perfect for Disney in the way that it had such a broad appeal to all children.

The execution is of course there too. That old-timey adult chorus singing “You Can Fly!” is memorable and one of Disney’s more effective “you can do anything if you put your mind to it” songs. Capt. Hook is one of the more formidable Disney bad guys and the whole fantasy world of Neverland is simply dreamy.

6. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Here’s where we get into the matriarchs of the Disney movies, the ones responsible for everything we ever got afterward that turned Disney into a powerhouse of children’s entertainment. Snow White of course was Disney’s first full-length animated feature. The first memorable children’s tunes in movie history came from this picture. Everything about it is classic.

Granted, when looked at with a skeptic eye, Snow White can seem horribly anti-feminist and kinda screwed up. I mean, a drop-dead gorgeous woman with the fairest complexion in all the world ends up in a house with seven disgruntled midgets, does all their bitch work while they go mine the caves during the day and, because of her own dumb ignorance, is forced to wait for the elusive Prince Charming to kiss her so she can truly live happily ever after. But nonetheless, these are classic story archetypes and we owe them everything for laying the foundation for future classics.

Part 2 on Friday!

Hit or Miss: Robert De Niro in the last 10 years

Everybody’s Fine hits theaters this weekend, a remake of a 1990 Italian film about a widower reconnecting with his kids (at Christmas time, of course), and it has most of us thinking: Yea ... so what good movies has Robert De Niro done lately? That’s a head-scratcher.

Past his prime, De Niro has yet to many find roles that both fit what he’s looking for while earning him more critical praise. He’s still considered a legend (and rightfully so) and his name on the marquee attracts a lot of attention (usually), but he hasn’t been nominated for an Academy Award in almost 18 years.

Will any of this change with this sensitive-man role in Everybody’s Fine? With a light release schedule, he could make a statement at the box office this weekend, but as for the critics? It’s split down the middle at this point, according to Rotten Tomatoes.

With these questions in mind, I thought it would be appropriate to not merely rank the best and worst of De Niro (what a debate that would be), but examine his film choices of the last 10 years (1999-present) and sort the bad from the good, in order to really see what Bobby’s career has really become.

I sorted through his credits on imdb and have listed the most notable ones in order from 1999-2009 and simply labeled them hit or miss. Can’t say I’ve seen all of these films (namely the misses), but my research is thorough.

Analyze This (1999) – HIT

How does the most iconic face in Hollywood crime drama transition to comedy? Play a mafia don who sees a psychologist (Billy Crystal) in order to get in touch with his feelings and rid himself of inner-conflict. When everyone takes you seriously as an actor and you want to do comedy, sometimes it works best to slide yourself in and it doesn’t hurt to have Harold Ramis directing. Analyze This took top spot at the box office two weeks in a row in March of 1999 and grossed more than $100 million. Clearly this was a good choice.

Men of Honor (2000) – MISS

This naval training inspiration drama about fighting the odds and racism was not one of De Niro’s most off-target misses of the last ten years, but it’s hard to look back on any film starring Cuba Gooding Jr. nowadays and say “now that’s a hit” unless it rhymes with “Ferry for Hire.” It was certainly a good fit for De Niro and the “fighting the obstacles” story always holds on to some merits, but nothing too memorable.

Meet the Parents (2000) – HIT

With the help of an up-and-comer in Ben Stiller, De Niro found box office success in his next comedy, easily his best. Not totally unlike playing a mafia don that can’t shake the quirks that come with that kind of role, Jack Byrnes is ex-CIA and uses his skills to interrogate his future son-in-law due to his overprotective and slightly paranoid nature. The writing was pretty funny but it was unveiling De Niro’s quirky side that made this comedy work on all levels and become the box office hit it was, grossing $330 million worldwide.

The Score (2001) - HIT

If you’re going to do a straight-up no-tricks heist movie, it can’t hurt to choose the one that would be Marlon Brando’s last film. Directed by Yoda himself, Frank Oz, “Score” teamed De Niro with the late Brando and a younger but esteemed Edward Norton. Adding his name to those two talents of different generations, De Niro was able to make something run-of-the-mill such as a young thief and a retiring one who agree to “one last heist” work. It might not have been special, but it did not tarnish De Niro’s resume.

Showtime (2002) – MISS

If someone asked me if I wanted to star alongside Eddie Murphy in a cop buddy comedy and the nearest calendar told me it wasn’t a year that started with 1,9 and 8, I would run for the hills. De Niro somehow didn’t, thinking that playing a detective was a natural step after quirky mafia don and ex-CIA father-in-law. The film was supposed to spoof buddy comedies, but it sort of fell into the genre it was spoofing. Possibly the biggest miss of the last ten years for De Niro and maybe one of the biggest of his career.

Analyze That (2002) – MISS

It was a bad year for Bobby in 2002. Not a good idea to press your luck with a sequel to a good but not an amazing comedy and certainly not a sequel-warranting one. You don’t see a whole lot of middle-aged-guy comedies let alone sequels these days for a reason. “That” was a massive flop, making half of what its predecessor did at the box office, a mere $55 million worldwide.

Meet the Fockers (2004) – HIT

Not as well-received critically, this sequel to Meet the Parents was solidly entertaining, particularly if you’re older and Jewish. Dustin Hoffman and Barbara Streisand made a great compliment to the Byrnes family and De Niro, while no different, was still good. Everything was good enough, however, to earn this film more than $500 million at the box office (partly thanks to its Christmas release.) This is one of those so-so movies that’s perfect and fun to watch on TV.

Hide and Seek (2005) – MISS

This was the movie that made everyone realize that the creepy child was an overused cliché in horror movies. Talk about stars of different generations, De Niro worked with the young Dakota Fanning in this horror movie about a widower and his daughter who, traumatized, creates an imaginary friend that gets a bit out of hand. I hope De Niro was paid well to be a fish-out-of-water in a genre he’d basically never experimented with before (unless you count when he played the creature in Kenneth Branagh’s Frankenstein). It did reasonably well at the box office, but not well enough to trump the mediocrity of the film.

The Good Shepherd (2006) – HIT

One of those aspiring Oscar films that didn’t measure up, “Shepherd” was an interesting story about the birth of the CIA and a fitting choice to get back into mainstream drama for De Niro, especially as he played a small supporting role and didn’t attempt to carry the film he also helped produce. A bit too long but chock-full of talent, De Niro certainly didn’t err here despite this film not winning heaps of praise.

Stardust (2007) – HIT

Completely underappreciated is Matthew Vaughn’s whimsical fantasy, which is capped off by De Niro’s brilliant turn as the captain, Captain Shakespeare to be specific, of a flying pirate ship. The role is so funny, that I dare not divulge anymore and suggest you find some time to rent this really enjoyable and easily digestible film. Although the box office numbers don’t back it up, Stardust was definitely a great cameo for De Niro even though it will remain a secret for most people.

Righteous Kill (2008) – MISS

This was a film in denial/thought De Niro and Al Pacino would pack the same menacing punch they did years ago. Critics and fans have wised up to the movie choices of those two actors over the last ten years. Unless the writing and direction give probable cause for quality, there’s no guarantee of money being made just because the marquee would have grabbed everyone’s attention in 1992.

The honest analysis (not to reference any of the above movies) is that nothing here except for the “Parents” movies is particularly memorable. Is De Niro just looking to pay the bills? Is he more concerned about producing and wants to act under his terms (and basic ones at that)? Hard to say, but even though my list has one more hit than miss, it could go either way. Certainly box office success has kept going in the positive direction whereas critics’ responses have gone the opposite. Everybody’s Fine could continue with that trend.

The 10 Reasons We Love Vampires

A little more than a month ago I posted a musing on how zombies have managed to become their own genre in film. Now it’s time to focus on the monster genre that has reigned supreme for centuries: vampires.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon comes out tomorrow or in most people’s case, at midnight tonight. But Stephenie Meyer’s books and their cinematic counterparts are merely the crowning achievement of the vampire in today’s day and age.

The fact that vampires have been around since before recorded history is impressive. In fact, it’s probably proof that vampires really exist, but that’s a topic for another day. Vampire lore and mythos, however, have undeniably remained immortal in that time, reaching a new zenith in our time with Twilight and HBO drama True Blood.

The appeal of the vampire to the human race and our culture is perhaps stronger than any other single thing of myth-based origin. Nothing has withstood the test of time in like the vampire – its appeal both cross-cultural and cross-generational.

There is a reason for this. In fact, I’ve come up with ten good reasons why we love vampires (and why we’ve loved them for so long.) No particular order, but they do tend to be more important later down the list

1. Fear Factor

The first and most obvious reason why vampires are popular is because they can be scary. They can transform from being human-like to bats or ridiculous-looking creatures (think 2004’s Van Helsing). We like being freaked out a bit and fangs, blood and bats will often satisfy that desire.

2. A Long History

I encourage you to look up vampire on Wikipedia for a wealth of vampire history, but because stories of vampires and in the more basic form of vampirism have existed as far back as what we have recorded of history itself, this only strengthens the appeal. The genre is so rich with depth and has its own historical context as deep as anything else in history. Vampires are all the more intriguing because of this extensive history and because they’ve maintained popularity all the way to the present day.

3. Early Branding

How early were you introduced to vampires? The Count on Sesame Street? Count Chocula Cereal? Plastic fang teeth? If you were on Family Feud and asked “name on creature associated with Halloween,” “vampire” would be the number one answer. We know what they are from a very young age, which later in life manifests itself as nostalgia, which is a very powerful agent when it comes to enjoying a story and also getting you to pay money for it.

4. Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Nosferatu

We can thank Stoker’s classic novel for the modern incarnation of the vampire as well as the German silent film Nosferatu for the first inclusion of “Dracula” in film. Naturally, vampires and their characteristics have evolved over some time and we have these to thank for the earliest modern depictions.

5. Immortality

We as humans are obsessed with the notion of our own mortality. It is the only thing we can never explain which has made the allure of immortality in fiction one of the most enduring themes. The Fountain of Youth has been a myth as long as vampires have and it continues to pop up in all art forms. Vampires possess immortality, so immediately that makes them interesting. We wonder what it’s like, what its downsides might be and ultimately if it’s worth it.

6. Association with Wealth

Think about this one. Have there been any stories about poor or working-class vampires? Even Edward Cullen of Twilight comes from a wealthy family. Part of this idea traces back to social critique in literature, but vampires have held power in more ways than just agelessness. The allure of power merely becomes another reason we’re intrigued by vampires. They have so much that we do not despite being demonic creatures in a sense.

7. Human Appearance

Vampires are more powerful than humans. They’re dangerous but also susceptible to things humans are not. Most importantly, however, they’re human in appearance and they can be either gender. Vampires are often times converted humans as well. It would be one thing if they were all bat-like creatures with wings and a distorted face, but they can live amongst us. Not only does that make them complex, but it also makes them more appealing to us and believable. The fact that they can be either sex too makes them appealing to a wider audience. We automatically ascribe certain characteristics and make certain assumptions when we see a human form and face. Vampire genre writers get to use that to their advantage and for vampire romance writers, it’s the very foundation of their success.

8. Sex Appeal

Ever wonder why the vampire genre has so easily blended with romance? Vampires are damn sexy. Just the notion of vampires sinking fangs into the necks of humans is sexual in itself. The neck is a major erogenous zone and whether we care to admit it or not, the sensations of pleasure and pain are interminably linked at the subconscious level at the least. There’s something so horrifying and satisfying at watching or reading about that one act. Make a vampire movie and put sexy-looking actors in it and it’s hard to ignore the appeal.

9. Forbidden Romance

Then there’s also the timeless theme of forbidden romance, which Twilight drains (pun intended) all it can from the genre. Vampires drink human blood, so they’re a threat to us, but at the same time, they look and act like us, making it feasible for the two to become romantically involved. Throw on top of that the idea that vampires live forever while humans die and vampire/human romance is ripe with great romantic drama. Will the human insist to be bitten and live forever or will the vampire refuse because immortality is far from desirable? Great thematic questions.

10. A Clear Set of Rules

The storytelling power of the vampire can be attributed to this chief reason: a clear set of rules that apply to the vampire. The rules we apply to our make-believe are what make it so believable. When we know exactly what an imaginary creature or character is or isn’t capable of, we can make plot predictions, formulate our own solutions on how to “defeat the creature” and we become invested in the fictional story.

Vampires are the single greatest example of a fictional creature adhering to rules. They have super-human ability: great strength, the ability to live forever and sometimes more, which makes them more interesting than humans. They also have a weakness that makes them fallible: fear of (or sometimes death because of) sunlight, hate of garlic, fear of the cross, can be killed with a silver stake to the heart, etc. There also are other characteristics like turning into bats, feeding only off blood, sleeping in coffins and more. There’s a clear definition for vampire and we all know what it is and these attributes make them interesting to us.

As you’ve noticed in your many vampire books and movies, different writers play off these rules in different ways, making so many unique possibilities for the vampire world. The opportunity for novelty with a sense of familiarity is abundant and that’s why the genre continues to evolve.

Holiday Movie Preview: 10 films worth seeing Pt.2

Here are the top five movies I recommend this coming Holiday season. If you missed numbers 6 – 10, CLICK HERE.

Keep in mind that Oscar-buzz movies got a bit of an advantage over the action blockbusters in this list.

5. Avatar (Dec. 18)

The Word: James Cameron, the father of technologically progressive filmmaking, returns with his first notable directorial effort since Titanic – and it’s in 3D. That’s right, live action 3D. Apparently production costs have reached the level of an unheard of $500 million dollars, so Fox is playing this one close to the chest. The film is also banking on star Sam Worthington, the Australian actor who Hollywood has unceremoniously anointed a star (he plays the lead, Perseus, in March’s Clash of the Titans) The film is a sci-fi adventure that takes place on the planet Pandora where Earth’s military is at odds with the native population, the Navi. Wheelchair-bound Lt. Sulley gets a chance to enter an Avatar of himself as a Navi to work his way in with the tall blue aliens. (View trailer)

My View: The anticipation of live-action 3D has always and might just be enough for Avatar to become the hit it absolutely needs to be. It’s a tough time to ask moviegoers to pony up the extra cash for 3D, especially when the premise isn’t based on any kind of source material or familiar concept, but Cameron has earned audiences trust when it comes to groundbreaking action movies. The hope is that even with a geeky sort of premise that Avatar will be remembered as a cinematic milestone. I can say, however, that it doesn’t easily land on my list if it’s not in 3D based on the trailer alone.

4. A Single Man (Ltd. on Dec. 11, Wide on Dec. 25)

The Word: If you have yet to hear about A Single Man, you’ll be as shocked as most people were to hear that Tom Ford, the fashion designer famous for making Gucci what it is today, directed and adapted this film about a gay English professor who suddenly loses his partner and struggles to go about business as usual. Star Colin Firth won best actor at the Venice Film Festival which jumpstarted Oscar talk and the buzz is also strong for co-star Julianne Moore. I probably don’t even need to mention that this ‘60s period drama is a surefire Best Costumes contender if not winner already, especially with the help it received from the Mad Men wardrobe department. (View trailer)

My View: The wordless trailer for this film, a late pick-up for The Weinstein Company, is breathtaking. If the ‘60s haven’t been deemed the pop culture retro fashion of the next decade yet thanks to Mad Men and the coincidentally similarly titled A Serious Man from the Coen brothers, they will be after this film makes some noise. If that’s not enough, A Single Man looks to finally bring homosexuality to the mainstream in a way that’s not too awkwardly forced (Brokeback Mountain) or issue-focused (Milk).

3. The Road (Nov. 25)

The Word: After being pushed around for a year and then scheduled to release in October 2009, The Weinstein Company moved The Road one more time to Thanksgiving week and relocating movie musical Nine to December. It looks like it’s finally staying put. Based on the Cormac McCarthy novel (author of No Country for Old Men), The Road stars Viggo Mortensen as a father and his son trying to survive after a fiery apocalypse chars the country. Director John Hillcoat’s film has won praise at film festivals, so The Road should be worth the wait.(View trailer)

My View: Finally. Having read the book a few months back followed by the praise at Toronto and other festivals, I’m really curious to see how this adaption of a very bleak novel pans out. This most recent trailer paints it as a feel-good film, which it really isn't, so don't go expecting that, please. If it constructs itself in powerful little moments between father and son like the book does, it could gain enough attention to land in the expanded ten-film Best Picture category at the Academy Awards. And we sure know the Weinsteins will try.

2. Invictus (Dec. 11)

The Word: For most super-early Oscar scouts, seeing the description “a Clint Eastwood directed biopic about Nelson Mandela starring Morgan Freeman” on the Holiday docket a year ago prompted us all to say “well, good luck to any films trying to compete with that.” If Invictus is anywhere near what critics expect, it could be a runaway Best Picture. The film is about how Mandela worked with a South African rugby team led by Matt Damon in attempt to unite post-Apartheid South Africa. (View trailer)

My View: You can’t challenge a single aspect of this film: Eastwood’s directing, Freeman as Mandela – it’s just not fair. Then again, Warner Bros. and Eastwood are setting their own bar extremely high for Invictus to be amazing (plus they changed the title to a Latin word – that’s badass). With a script from a relatively unknown Anthony Peckham, it will be interesting to see if a film with an unprecedented amount of Oscar hype can live up to the billing. Truthfully, however, we have no reason not to believe it will.

1. Up in the Air (Ltd. on Dec. 4, Wide on Dec. 25)

The Word: Jason Reitman (Thank You For Smoking, Juno) returns with his third buzz-generating film, which might be his most-rewarded when all is said and done. Up in the Air performed incredibly at Toronto and George Clooney is as hot (popularity-wise) as he’s ever been. Based on a Walter Kim novel, the every middle-aged woman’s fantasy stars as a corporate downsizing expert who travels all over the country and is about to hit 10 million or so frequent flyer miles when a young hot-shot (Anna Kendrick of Twilight) and the perfect frequent-flyer woman (Vera Fermiga from The Departed) enter the picture. (View trailer)

My View: Reitman’s films have been some of the best I’ve seen in the last five years. Juno is still the reigning indie comedy queen and “Smoking” revived the career of Aaron Eckhart. Toss Reitman a pro like Clooney and this seems like the perfect marriage of talents. Up in the Air promises comedy, romance and some new perspectives on life, a blend that we all dream for come the Holiday season. There are few guarantees in film, but this is one of them.

My honorable mentions will go up probably this weekend. I’m thinking Saturday would be a good time to check back.