What’s to be said about the “American Idol” Thursday night program, where 2 boys and 2 girls were axed?

General observations: I was glad to see Tyler Grady go, but, in a way, he was right when he said that the “advice” to quit being a Jim Morrison poseur came “too late” to help him. Kara absolutely crowed about how “cool” he was during the early stages of the competition, and I think Tyler had enough of a big head before that. The film of him practicing in cowboy boots, white socks and a bathrobe pretty much says it all. I was not sorry to see him go. The “cuteness” and “humbleness” factor saved the other lowest vote getter, Alex Lambert. It is poor Alex who had only performed about 3 times in local coffee shops, before his Idol audition. Obviously, Tyler has been posturing as the Lizard King and others for a while. Simon said he acted as though he had gone to “Rock Star School” on the boys’ night. So, good-bye, Tyler, and don’t let the door hit you in the fake leather pants on the way out.

The other boy eliminated was Joe Munoz. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy, but that didn’t work for him. He needed some of the animal magnetism of Casey James or the cute fresh-faced attractiveness that kept Tim Urban in the competition, when he was definitely one of the weakest, vocally.

Now, as to the girls’ elimination. Big mistake there. Eliminating Ashley Rodriguez, one of the prettiest of the girls who had the “total package” and who can be found singing as Ashley Benami online, seemed unfair. I have to admit, after saying that, that her farewell song did not really move me.  None of the girls really stood out much (although I liked Crystal Bowersox), except that Katy was way off key during her entire performance and seemed to be channeling her elderly grandmum. I do not understand how she was able to stay, while Ashley was voted off.

Last girl to go was the blonde rumored to be Tim Teabow’s (Florida quarterback) girlfriend, Janell Wheeler. There was a quick shot of Janell making a funny face, which just made her appear unattractive. Then a quick shot to Mom. Janell was never going to win this thing, so I can live with her sudden death in the competition, but she seemed better, to me, than some others.

As I was driving all the way across the state of Illinois (width, not length), I was listening to Adam Lambert’s album and to Melinda DoLittle’s album. I was immediately nostalgic for last year’s great talent, especially after both Allison Irahito and Chris Allen performed. This year’s crop looks very pale and dull, by comparison. I looked forward every week to seeing what outrageous thing Adam would do THIS week. And Allison, the gutsy Hispanic rocker chick, was equally intriguing. I even pine for the days of the Dueling Davids: David Cook and David Archuleta.

Even the “hits” on AC are down this year, which may be due to the Olympics in Vancouver, or it may just be that this year’s crop isn’t cutting it

There is no one in the entire crowd, with the possible exception of Crystal Bowersox (for the girls) and Lee DeWyze (of the boys) who I really even care to hear sing again. I’m not that “ga ga’ over Casey Jones. Big Daddy Mike Lynche isn’t doing anything much for me. I did enjoy watching Todrick Hall own the stage, but I had no idea what he was singing (and, as the judges said, neither did they).

I was happy to see 2 things I had said echoed by Simon Cowell: 1) Angela Martin should never have been cut and (2) this year, the girls are stronger, which he was quoted as having said in the New York Post.  After mentioning that, however, I am very disappointed in almost all of the girls, so far. I do think that Katelyn Epperly will step up, as Crystal Bowersox already has, but I really pine for the Dueling Davids and/or Adam Lambert/Allison Irahito days. And when Simon leaves? What then?

My impression that the female singers, this year, are stronger than the male singers, was seconded by the Judges on Wednesday, February 17, 2010, as the Final 24 were selected to be this year’s “American Idol” contestants.

In predicting, in fact, I even found it difficult to come up with the names of 12 strong male singers and was laboring under a couple of misperceptions:

1) Stories abound on the Internet that “Big Mike” Lynche was disqualified because his father let it slip that he had made the top 24. It’s a rule that is controversial and selectively enforced, like kicking Kevin Smith off an airplane for being too fat. So far, Mike Lynche is still “in,” as far as I know, but the stories persist that his mother works for a newspaper in Orlando and his father confirmed his presence among the top 12 male singers. (His brother made it pretty far in a previous Idol competition.) Supposedly, Dad’s phone number is now disconnected. I’m wondering what gives?

2)  Another misconception I had was that Tim Urban was gone after group week. Tim Urban made the final cut, and that was good news, to me.

Others among the men who made the Final 24 contestants were:

Tyler Grady – a Jim Morrison wannabe who said, “This is huge.”

Alex Lambert

Joe Munoz

Jermaine Sellers

John Park

Tim Urban

Alex Lambert

Andrew Young

Honestly, this year’s crop of men is far less memorable than the women. I do remember John Park, Jermaine Sellers and Andrew Young. It was hard not to remember Thaddeus Johnson. He spent most of this night sobbing on his mother’s shoulder. The judges generally lauded his onstage performances, but he was not the most physically appealing of the group. Tyler’s comments in leaving: “I killed it. I just thought it was my time.” When asked if his being cut was a big shock, he said, “Yes, it’s a big shock, because they acted like they loved me, but it was kind of fake.’ (Ouch!)

I found myself focusing more on this year’s female contestants, so much so that I only gave readers a “reminder” of which females were “best,” so far. My list was not too far off the mark (8 of 12). The ones I missed, were, quite frankly, almost unheard-of and not given any airtime as they auditioned. Those unheralded contestants, who made the list for the women were:

Paige Miles

Siobhan Magnus

Michelle Delamour (she was predicted to have made the cut on some Internet websites)

Those who made the cut who had been featured prominently and nearly all of who (m) I predicted were:

Lilly Scott

Janell Wheeler

Lacey Brown

Ashley Rodriguez

Crystal Bowersox

Haeley Vaughan

And Katie Stevens

I did remember Katie’s back-story about her grandmother with Alzheimer’s disease, and I did remember Tory Kelly, (who did not make it). I accurately predicted nearly all the contestants that we, the at-home audience, had been allowed to see.

The notable exception to my predicting would be the elimination of Angela Martin. Privately, I wonder if the 6 days in jail she did for “traffic violations” was an influence on the judges’ decision, but, again, it’s hard to comment on young women like Paige Miles, Siobhan Magnus and Michelle Delamour, whom none of us at home saw. [I was paying close attention, Folks].

So, admitting that the men, this year, are not as compelling, I’m feeling okay about predicting the following contestants: Janell Wheeler, Lacey Brown, Ashley Rodriguez (again, check her out on the posted Internet video), Crystal Bowersox, Lilly Scott, Haeley Vaughan, Didi Benami and Katelyn Epperly.

That’s 6 correct female picks—8 if you accept my hand-on-heart contention that I had picked both of the 2 announced on Tuesday night (Didi Benami and Katelyn Epperly). I missed 4 out of 12 for 2/3% accuracy.

The question can legitimately be asked whether Angela Martin should have been cut. Angela’s comments after her elimination, which involved an almost full-out counseling session with Judge Kara sitting with her in one chair, were “Music heals me. I can’t give it up.”

The judges obviously knew they were doing something that would be viewed as controversial when they cut Angela. Some savvy music executive might still pick Angela up as a client, and she could be one who has a career despite being eliminated (Jennifer Hudson, anyone?). While Thaddeus Johnson did not have the “look” that the judges are seeking, and was far too dependent on dear old mom for support at every turn, making him seem less than adult,  Angela had been through a lot and deserved a shot. For me, she was far superior to Haeley Vaughan (black C&W singer), who made it through. I had speculated that Courtney Vance might make it through, but, in my notes after her first appearance, I commented, “Very small voice. Will not go far.” That last part proved accurate.

[*Note to self: must start paying more attention to the male contestants, even if they aren’t as good as the girls.]

What if there were 10 nominees for Best Supporting Actress this year, as is the case for Best Film of the Year this year, rather than just five? Who would those 10 nominees be?

First, let’s consider the 5 that Academy members have already nominated:

1) Anna Kendrick for “Up in the Air.”

2) Vera Farmiga for “Up in the Air.”

3) Maggie Gyllenhaal for “Crazy Heart”

4) Mo’Nique for “Precious”

5) Penelope Cruz for “Nine”

Let’s consider, for a moment, the current official nominees and their chances. I have not seen Penelope Cruz in “Nine,” but I watched a Charlie Rose roundtable discussion of the film in which critics from both coasts described the movie as a mess. It seems obvious that the two fine actresses nominated for “Up in the Air” are likely to cancel each other out. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s movie, “Crazy Heart” has not been distributed nationwide until recently, so few have seen it. It is also not that “showy” a role, nor is she onscreen that long. Mo’Nique, who has Oprah pulling for her, is a virtual lock on this award, from the performances I’ve seen (4 out of 5). In a moment I’ll return to the actual nominees and tell you why I feel they are as deserving as the additional five I’ve been asked to pick.

The others that I would recommend to the Academy as good or better than the current crop of nominees would include these fine actresses, and my reasons for recommending their performances this year:

6) Samantha Morton in “The Messenger”- Samantha Morton (5/13/77) has been nominated for two Oscars previously, once for “In America” in 2002 for her role as Sarah, who has lost a child, and again for “Minority Report” with her role as Agatha, one of the future-telling floating mystics in the pool whom Tom Cruise consults. She has also had roles as Hazel in 2008’s “Synecdoche, New York,” a puzzling film by screenwriter Charlie Kaufman. In “The Messenger” Samantha plays Olivia Pitterson, the wife of a soldier killed in Iraq. Her co-star in the film, Ben Foster (as Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery) talked about how excited he was to be starring opposite an actress of Samantha Morton’s caliber when he appeared with the film at the Chicago Film Festival. At the time, said Foster, Morton had just given birth and was often busy nursing her newborn child when not onscreen. Samantha Morton is a serious, fearless actress who has earned an Oscar nomination, more than nominees #1 and #2, above.

7) Sigourney Weaver in “Avatar” – Weaver (8/8/49) has been nominated for 3 Oscars during a long career. (She turned 60 in August).  In 1987 she came to fame as Ripley in “Aliens,” for which she was nominated as Best Actress. In 1999, she was nominated for her part in the film “Working Girl.” In 1989, her last nomination, she was nominated for playing Dian Fossey in “Gorillas in the Mist.” Weaver has also earned plaudits, including Saturn and BAFTA awards for her roles in “Alien Resurrection” in 1997, “The Ice Storm,” and “Galaxy Quest,” a 2000 spoof of her “Alien” roles that won her a Saturn award. Surely an actress who has been doing good work this long deserves a nomination more than an actress whose only previous leading roles were in the teen vampire movies “New Moon” and “Twilight”? This year’s role of Dr. Augustine in “Avatar,” the best-selling movie ever, would seem to be as worthy as Anna Kendrick’s or Vera Farmiga’s, and she has paid her dues much more than either of those decades-younger actresses.

8) Amy Adams in “Julie and Julia,” opposite Meryl Streep, was criticized in the role, for reasons that seemed bogus, to me. As Julie Powell, the young girl who decides to make every single recipe in the Julie Child cookbook, she did a good job…at least as good as Maggie Gyllenhaal’s role in “Crazy Heart.” In addition, Adams has been on a hot streak. She co-starred (again, with Streep) in “Doubt” as Sister James in 2008 and had a role in 2007’s “Charlie Wilson’s War” as Bonnie Bach. She also appeared as Giselle in 2007’s “Enchanted” and as Brenda Strong in 2002’s “Catch Me If You Can” with Leonardo DeCaprio.

9) Natalie Portman (6/9/81) played Grace Cahill in this year’s “Brothers.” She was the stay-at-home wife of 2 small daughters, left behind on the home front as her husband, Toby Maguire went to war. Jake Gyllenhaal plays toby’s brother in the film. For reasons that can be attributed to post traumatic stress disorder, Toby’s character becomes convinced that his brother (Jake Gyllenhaal) has had a relationship with his wife (Natalie Portman) while he was off fighting in the war. Ultimately, Toby has a classic Oscar-worthy meltdown. Natalie, who has previously played roles as varied as the lead in “V for Vendetta” (2005) and in 2 “Star Wars” episodes, must project strength for her children’s sake and the stand-by-your-man attitude of a good woman who truly loves her troubled husband. Natalie did a great job, and her previous role as Alice in “Closer”, Sam in “Garden State,” Sara in “Cold Mountain” and in the film “Anywhere But Here” are just a few of the wonderful performances she has provided audiences with, prior to this year’s overlooked film, “Brothers.”

10) The 10^th spot as a nominee for “Best Supporting Actress” should go to one of two female supporting performances from the film “Precious.” The unknown actress Paula Patton, portraying Ms. Rain, the teacher who helps Precious discover her potential, is one possibility, but far more intriguing would be Mariah Carey, who eschewed all make-up and fancy wardrobe for her role as the social worker, Mrs. Weiss. At first, watching the film, you can hardly believe this is the same Mariah Carey whose plunging cleavage recently graced the Golden Globes. Carey’s debut film, “Glitter,” was an unmitigated disaster. Director Lee Daniels made sure that Mariah (and, for that matter, rocker Lenny Kravitz in a small role as a male nurse) really inhabited roles that are the antithesis of their normal rock star images. Carey was recognized for the good job she did as the disgusted social worker who can hardly believe the self-serving, narcissistic rantings of Mo’Nique as Precious’ mother. Not only did Carey win a Palm Springs Award for Breakthrough Performance Award for her part, but she also won a Capri (Hollywood) role for Best Supporting Actress. In addition, she was nominated (as part of the ensemble) for awards by the Washington, D.C. Area Film Critics Association, the Screen Actors’ Guild (cast nomination), the Broadcast Film Critics’ Association Best Acting Ensemble award, the Boston Society for Best Ensemble Award and was nominate for a Black Reel award.

If I ruled the Oscars and there were 10 nominees in the Best Supporting Actress category (rather than simply 5), these would have been my nominees. (And, no, I haven’t totally forgotten about Betty White’s turn as Ryan Reynolds’ grandmother in “The Proposal.”)

In response to a reader’s comment, I wanted to clarify that the review of  Hellfire and Damnation (www.HellfireandDamnationtheBook.com) that appears below, it was sent me by the reviewer, Adam Groves, who agreed to review the book in electronic format (early). As he states, it is posted on his his blog at this time, where you can (also) see it.

Just letting you know that my review of HELLFIRE AND DMANATION is now up at http://www.fright.com/edge/HellfireAndDamnation.htm

I liked the book a lot–hopefully my review will help spread the word!

–Best,
Adam Groves
On&off Productions

HELLFIRE & DAMNATION
By CONNIE CONCORAN WILSON (Sam’s Dot Press; 2009)

In horror fiction, as in most any other sort, true originality is an increasingly rare commodity.  But it does exist, as proven by Connie Wilson’s HELLFIRE AND DAMNATION, an anthology that is genuinely, blazingly original.

The collection is rigorously structured around the nine circles of Hell as laid out in Dante’s INFERNO, yet the contents couldn’t be more varied in subject matter.  What unites them is the unerringly rational, straightforward prose, which is unlike anything else in horror fiction (usually typified by subjective “you-are-there” descriptions).  Stylistically it’s not unlike Wilson’s previous book GHOSTLY TALES OF ROUTE 66, a journalistic compendium of American folklore that was likewise distinguished by its novelty.  HELLFIRE AND DAMNATION, however, far outpaces the earlier volume in every respect.

“Hotter Than Hell,” categorized under the Gates of Hell, starts things off.  Inspired by the final words of real death row inmates, it’s a gritty and depressing account of prison life.

From there we move into the first circle of Hell, where Pagan souls reside.  Illustrating this is “Rachel and David,” set in Webster Groves, Missouri, and apparently based on folklore from that region.  It’s about a young couple and their fateful meeting with two odd kids.

In Circle Two, Lust, we have three stories.  The first, “Love Never Dies,” is a strange little number set in ancient Rome and headlined by an undead prostitute!  “Konerak” takes a real-life incident, of the man who almost escaped the clutches of the late Jeffrey Dahmer, and spins a wild tale of Oriental sorcery emerging from the Hmong of Laos, who fought for the United States against the Viet Cong (obviously this is the only place you’ll find Eastern mysticism, Jeffrey Dahmer and the Vietnam War combined).  “Effie, We hardly Knew Ye!” is another folklore-based tale, this one of an Oklahoma City hotel haunted by the spirit of its founder’s wronged mistress.

Circle Three is Gluttony, as represented by “Amazing Andy, the Wonder Chicken.”  In this tale a chicken gets its head cut off and still lives–and I’ll leave you to discover the rest of it on your own.

From there it’s on to the circle of Hoarders and Wasters, with “The Lemp Mansion Curse,” a jaunty account of a family curse, and “Queen Bee,” about an all-too appropriate revenge taken on a woman whose personality and social standing are accurately encompassed by the title.

Circle Five is the Wrathful.  It contains “The Ghost Girl of Howard “Pappy” Litch Park,” set along the author’s favorite highway, Route 66.  Here, in what may or may not be a fact-based tale, a father’s wrath causes his young daughter to be whisked away…but glimpses of the girl can of course still be seen in the area.

Heretics populate the Sixth Circle, containing the quietly unnerving “Hell to Pay.”  It combines a look into Amish life with an intriguing speculation on the origins of schizophrenia and multiple sclerosis.  Also in the Heretics circle is “On Eagles’ Wings,” concerning a weird cultist, a young girl and an unhealthy obsession with birds.

Circle Number Seven is reserved for The Violent.  It begins with “Going Through Hell,” about a serial killer and his woman police officer victim, and continues with “Living in Hell,” about a young boy who visualizes a serial killer’s crimes in nightmares.  This tale is particularly shivery: the concept isn’t terribly original, but the nasty subject matter and clinical prose make for a skin-crawling read.

Circle Eight consists of The Fraudulent, represented by “Confessions of an Apotemnophile.”  That word refers to an person desiring to amputate his own limbs, in this case a man who’s harbored an all-consuming desire to lose his legs ever since conversing with a like-minded individual as a child.

Circle Nine is the final circle, featuring “An American Girl,” the collection’s creepiest story.  Its subject is the factual murder of a teenage girl in snowy Illinois, with the bulk of the tale taken up with a methodical depiction of the pubescent killers’ attempts at disposing of the corpse.

You won’t find another collection like this one.  Some readers, I’m sure, will be put off by its oddness, yet it fulfills most every expectation one might have for a horror anthology, being readable, entertaining and deeply unsettling in a manner unique to itself.

The Grammys. “Sasha Fierce” wasn’t quite fierce enough? The Groogrux King should drink Big Whiskey with the Kings of Leon, since royalty belongs together? Let’s begin with some historical perspective on the meaning with which other winners have imbued this esteemed award. What can you say about the Grammys? “The race goes to the swift,” as in Taylor Swift?

We could quote one of this year’s nominees for Best New Artist, Silversur Pickups frontman Brian Aubert who said of the group’s nomination  before they lost to the Zac Brown Band, “Does it really matter to us? No. Absolutely not.” (As quoted on www.spinner.com/2010/01/27/grammys-backlash/?ncid=webmaild12)

Some observations on the night’s program: I can’t get the image of Pink clad only in thin strips of fabric dangling from the ceiling out of my mind, especially when she finished her set dripping wet. (Did Tony Bennett ever have to do this to earn his Grammys?) Keith Urban, backstage later, said, of Pink, “She was killer.” He did not mean this literally, but he could have. Me? I was fearful that her sling would break and she’d literally be killed, falling from that height. [Hey! It happened to Ann Margret in Vegas. Look it up! Of course, in the redhead's case, she didn't get killed, but she did have to have her jaw wired shut for months, after she fell off a giant moon prop.]

I was more impressed with Dave Matthews singing “You and Me Together” after being introduced by Adam Sandler. Dave’s album this year, “Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King” is his best since “Under the Table and Dreaming,” IMHO. Dave agrees that it is his best, but he lost the Album of the Year award to Taylor Swift’s “Fearless,” which did nothing for my faith in the Grammys and leads me to yet another www.spinner.com quote (see above), this time from 50 Cent who, in 2009, after being nominated 13 times, “Man, f*** the Grammys! I couldn’t care less about the Grammy awards.”

Early in the evening, the front page of AOL was buzzing about the opening number that featured Lady Gaga singing her hit “Poker Face”, wearing sparkly green wings and sparkly green spikey boot shoes and a long blonde wig, with purple eye-shadow. After that, she was paired with Elton John, who wore a glittery mask. Each had black stuff all over their faces.  (I prefer Elton in full-on duck costume and I’ll lend them both a washcloth…or Pink can provide some water for the soiled singers.)

Stephen Colbert won for Best Comedy Album of the year at the 52^nd annual Grammy Awards for his Christmas album, and said he was there to celebrate “our most precious right: the right of celebrities to congratulate one another.” He got in a dig at “Glee” and then said to his teen-aged daughter (in the audience), “Have a good time, Honey. Stay away from Katy Perry.”

Taylor Swift won for Best Country Album for “Fearless,” which was not a surprise. She said, “I want to thank my record label for letting me write every song on my album” and likened her win to “an impossible dream.” Taylor always looks great. She sometimes does not sound as great, and that was the case when she and Stevie Nicks teamed up. Off-key is the kind description.

Beyonce put on quite a production number, backed up by dark-uniformed male dancers (she was wearing a black short flouncy skirt with a bustier top. On CBS’ “Sixty Minutes,” which preceded the Grammys, we learned that Beyonce began performing at age 9. Beyonce said, “Once I saw the Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson, I said, ‘Oh, my God.’ And I wanted to do that all day, every day.” Beyonce made $80 million dollars last year and was on 200 magazine covers, according to “Sixty Minutes.” She has performed in 12 countries and has given 110 sold out performances in countries like Korea, India, Egypt and Japan. I can see why she wants to “do that all day, every day.” [Later in the evening she would win a Grammy for her song “Put a Ring On It.”]

Seal announced Leonard Cohen as the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award. Before the night was over, others that would be awarded went to luminaries like Honey Boy Edwards, who (m) I did not know, and Andre Previn, whom I did know. (One-time husband to Mia Farrow).

Let’s hear a quote from another former nominee back in 1996, when he was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performer. Eddie Veddor (“Pearl Jam”) said, at that time, “I don’t know what this award is. I don’t think this means anything.” (www.spinner.com/2010/01/27/grammys-backlash/?ncid=webmaild12.)

“Kings of Leon”—whose CD “Use Somebody” is in my car right now, (along with the Dave Matthews aforementioned album) won for Best Record of the Year and gave one of the most refreshing acceptance speeches, saying, “We’re all a little drunk, but we’re happy drunk.” They proceeded to thank God, their family, RCA, their producers and “whoever else I forgot, I’ll buy you shots afterward.” Humorously, another member of the band stepped up to the microphone to speak, but was cut off. Backstage, one happy band member said, “We’re getting’ my mom wasted.” [Sounds like the Kings of Leon have their priorities straight: drink a lot.] The Nashville group also expressed the feeling that their success abroad is finally translating to success in their homeland.

Robert Downey, Jr., came out and gave another of his impromptu riffs. He’s becoming famous for them. This time, he said, “Thank God I’m here to attach some dignity and classical fare to what is otherwise this garish undertaking.” That remark led to Jamie Foxx, wearing boots and a military jacket, (with Slash on guitar), a little hit of faux opera, and his singing (with others).

I enjoyed Ringo Starr and Norah Jones coming out together and Ringo saying, “Thank you, Norah, for being shorter than me.” They announced a Lifetime Achievement Award for Bobby Darin and the camera quickly cut to son Dodd Darin, Darin’s son with former blonde movie starlet Sandra Dee. (Subject of a “Grease” song with the lyrics, “Look at me; I’m Sandra Dee.”)

Katie Perry and Alice Cooper came out and announced a Trustees Award for Florence Greenburn, whom I did not know. (What, exactly, is the distinction between a Lifetime Achievement Award and a Trustees Award?) Green Day then were announced as Grammy winners for “21^st Century Breakdown.” I liked “American Idiot,” and, right about now, the title seemed apropos.

Why did Chris O’Donnell intro the Zac Brown Band? Weird. Only thing weirder was a visibly heavier Quentin Tarantino’s appearance later in the evening screaming “Hip-Hop is forever!” Ryan Seacrest introduced Taylor Swift and Stevie Nicks singing a duet that was off-key. “You Belong with Me,” nominated for Record of the Year. Gack.

Lionel Richie introduced the 3-D extravaganza tribute to Michael Jackson, which featured Usher, Carrie Underwood, Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson and Smokey Robinson singing, after which Paris and Prince Jackson accepted an award “for Daddy.” Jackson created the 3-D video for “Earth Song,” his ballad about environmentalism.

When Bon Jovi —much touted as performers in the early stages of the evening—finally came out to sing 3 songs, one of which,  “Livin’ on a Prayer,”  had been selected by computer voters, and the band was  announced as having given 2,600 concerts to 34 million fans, I was struck, again, by how the band seems to be the Rodney Dangerfield of groups. “They don’t get no respect.” Although the mosh pit below them was enthusiastically dancing and waving their hands in the air, the audience of their peers, as a whole, sat on their collective hands. This group can’t win for losing. Of course, they’re still laughing all the way to the bank, and I’ll still go to see them July 30th in Chicago (for the second or third time).

It was interesting that a win for “Run This Town,” which was executive produced by Kanye West and featured Jay Z and Rihanna, was handed only to Jay Z and Rihanna , as Kanye was not in the house. (Taylor Swift: you can breathe easy.)

A tribute to stars who died this year, similar to that at the Academy Awards, gave me these names I knew:  Mary Travers of “Peter, Paul, and Mary;” Koko Taylor, Chicago’s lady who sang the blues; Louis Bellson, Moline (Illinois’) drummer well-known for his marriage to Pearl Bailey; Dan Seals; Teddy Pendergrass; Adam Goldstein, aka DJ AM; Stephen Bruton, who wrote many of the songs in “Crazy Heart,” collaborating with T Bone Burnett; composer Maurice Jarre; Arthur Ferrante of the piano duo Ferrante & Teicher; Ellie Greenwich, the composer of sixties hits; Al Martino, who played an Italian singer much like himself in “The Godfather;” and Les Paul, whose fender guitar is legendary. There were many more, but, for me, these were the ones that I knew.

The program ran long. It ended abruptly and unceremoniously, leaving me to wonder, after Taylor Swift was announced as the Grammy winner of Album of the Year for “Fearless” whatever had possessed Toby Keith to say recently, “The Grammys don’t respect country.” (www.spinner.com). (Keith was nominated as Male Country Vocal Performer of the Year in 2006.)

Weird.

“Dreamgirls,” the 1981 Motown musical by Henry Krieger and Tom Ewen which became the 2006 hit movie that made Jennifer Hudson (Effie) a star and garnered Eddie Murphy a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his role as James “Thunder” Early, a character based on James Brown blew into the Windy City on Tuesday, January 12^th for a mere two-week run. As I write this on Saturday, January 23, the play has a very short life in town left and will be gone before it can be appreciated as the best show Broadway in Chicago has mounted this season…so far (and there’s only one left, “101 Dalmations.”)

The play began at the Apollo Theater last fall, where it received rave reviews and there is buzz that it might have a full-on Broadway opening after the tour, which includes a month in Tokyo. The production “stars” Syesha Mercado in the movie’s Beyonce role as Deena Jones, said to be based on Diana Ross. The Supremes who back her up are played, first, by Moya Angela as Effie, the role that Jennifer Hudson took all the way to Oscar gold, and then byAdrienne Warren as Lorrell Robinson and Margaret Hoffman as Michelle Morris, the later “Dream” girls (after Effie is replaced).

In the movie, Jennnifer Hudson took the “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” song and belted it impressively, but Moya Angela is no less impressive. Her voice is impressive: massive and worthy of the starring role she portrays. Syesha Mercado’s stint as Deena Jones is good, also. After all, the singer was second runner-up in the 2007 “American Idol” tryouts, and, a graduate of the theater program of Florida International University, she received the prestigious South Eastern Theatre Conference’s Best Supporting Actress award even before that.
Deserving of special mention are the two male leads: Chaz Lamar Shepherd as Curtis Taylor and Chester Gregory, a Chicago native, in the Eddie Murphy role as James “Thunder” Early. Shepherd appears onstage more than any other actor, tying the entire plot together and he both acts and sings extremely well. He has appeared as Harpo on Broadway in “The Color Purple” and was on the Billboard charts 3 times in 2009. His soul/R&B album is to be released during the “Dreamgirls” tour. His gospel work was Grammy nominated in 2009.

The crowd favorite amongst the male leads, much as in the movie, has to be Chester Gregory, a graduate of Columbia College (BFA) who got his start at Chicago’s Black Ensemble Theater playing Jackie Wilson, courtesy of Jackie Taylor of that ensemble. Said Ms. Taylor, in a Chicago Tribune interview on Sunday, January 17, “I had been wanting to produce the Jackie Wilson story for a long time, but I always felt like I didn’t have a strong enough Wilson.  This was going to be a ride specifically for Chester.”

And what a ride it was! It took Chester Gregory (he has now dropped the II from his name) all the way to New York’s Apollo Theater, where he made enough of a mark, complete with a Wilson-like back-flip while onstage, that he has picked up work ever since with parts in “Hairspray,” “Cry-Baby,” “Tarzan,” and performing for Michael Jackson. In fall, 2011, Gregory has promised to reprise his star-making role as Jackie Wilson for his “theatrical mother” Jackie Taylor at the opening of the Black Ensemble Theater’s new North Side home. The play was the most popular and profitable the Black Ensemble has ever put on.

For his role as the womanizing James Brown-like James “Thunder” Early in “Dreamgirls” Chester Gregory gets the most memorable stage time (along with the part of Effie) if not the greatest amount of it. Manager Curtis Taylor, Jr., tries hard to tone down the soul brother, so that, at one point, the unhappy singer says, “Last time I was here three people thought I was Tony Bennett.” It’s Curtis’ plan to break the black acts into the Big Time, and he wants James to tone it down and behave because it’s hard to book black acts into places like Miami in the sixties. As one character says, “That place is so white they don’t even let our boys park the cars.”

Chester Gregory makes the most of his time onstage. At one point, he sticks the microphone into the front of his pants, and there is the famous scene (also in the movie) where he drops trou while playing a chi chi white club, causing Curtis to fire him and tell him, “Your time has passed.”

The character of Curtis (Chaz Lamar Shepherd) is described at various points as a “two-bit car salesman” and he certainly seems to be a huckster (called a “second class snake” by Marty, Jimmy Early’s first manager) who will woo whomever he must to get his way. However, Curtis does seem to have idealized and idolized Deena (Syesha Mercado), who eventually becomes his wife, as he sings to her, “I needed a dream but it all seemed to go bad. You were the only reason I had to go on. You are the things I can never be. They’ll never take my dreams from me.” Unfortunately, as Deena (Syesha Mercado) tells him, “I want to be an artist,” most specifically a film star. Curtis says, “You’ll do what I tell you.” Deena (Syesha Mercado) says, to Effie, in a scene of reconciliation, “I played the role he gave to me. Now I don’t know who I’m supposed to be.”

Special mention should be made of the singing, of course, but the dancing and costumes are just as outstanding. William Ivey Long did the costume design and the sparkly lavish costumes rival anything the real Dreamgirls (i.e., the Supremes) ever wore. There is even one very creative costume change (for Effie) that takes place while she is singing about changing, onstage. The spotlight focuses to just Effie’s (Moya Angela’s) face and, in a heartbeat, she emerges from “everyday” clothes she is singing in for an audition and is now clad in a lavender sparkly gown.

This was by far the best play of the series, so far, beating “In the Heights” by a mile and “Young Frankenstein” by a nose. I also liked it better than “The Addams Family,” which is supposed to take Broadway by storm. It’s just a shame that “Dreamgirls” is leaving Chicago so soon, as it definitely is worth Broadway theater ticket prices, with energy and talent to burn.

“The Lovely Bones” is Peter Jackson’s interpretation of the best-selling novel written by Alice Sebold. A 14-year-old girl who was murdered is still spiritually guiding her father from above as he continues to search for his daughter’s killer.

Jackson has become better-known in recent years for his CG extravaganzas like the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy or the most recent “King Kong” but there was a time (in a galaxy far, far away) when Peter Jackson could tell a murder story with the best of them, as he did with “Heavenly Creatures,” Kate Winslet’s film debut (1994).

If “The Lovely Bones” is any indication, that time has passed. Far from agreeing with Sean Patrick, who ended his review by saying “’The Lovely Bones’ is one of the most daring and original works in years and one of the best films of the last year,” I think the film was a semi-disaster, fairly slow-moving, and only good from the standpoint of the acting and the sets. I’m not alone in that assessment, with the objections I had being fairly widespread across the land.

Fortunately, “The Lovely Bones” had a great cast, especially in Saoirse Ronan, who plays the murder victim, Susie Salmon. (Saoirse has already been Oscar-nominated once for her part as the younger sister in “Atonement,” and rightfully so). Saiorse gives another wonderful performance here, as do Rachel Weisz and Mark Wahlberg as her parents, plus a toupeed Stanly Tucci (who also has some sort of fake teeth thing going on) is great as the murderer, George Harvey, the Salmons next-door neighbor who just happens to be a serial killer.

Saiorse has been nominated as Best Actress by the Critics Choice Awards (as was Stanley Tucci for Best Actor); won the Santa Barbara International Film Festival Virtuoso Award, won the Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Performance by a Youth, Female, and won the Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award, the Sierra Award, for Youth in Film (2009). She is very, very good, and I predict that she will do some amazing work in her upcoming films. Tucci, also, is Golden Globe nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role; has been nominated for a Broadcast Film Critics Association Critics Choice Award for 2010 for Best Supporting Actor; was nominated for the Chicago Film Critics Association Awards as Best Supporting Actor of 2009; is nominated for the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role by the Screen Actors Guild for 2010; and has been nominated by the Washington DC Area Film Critics Association as Best Supporting Actor for 2009. The above means that either or both could be Oscar-nominated for the March 7^th Awards show.

As George Harvey (Stanley Tucci) in “The Lovely Bones” says, “I took a risk and tried something new and discovered a talent I didn’t know I had.” Unfortunately, the talent George discovers seems to be killing girls and women, and the string started with his landlady Sophie Sanchetti in 1960 and continued through Jackie Meyer of Delaware, age 13; Leah Fox of Delaware in 1969; Lana Johnson of Bucks County, Pennsylvania; Flora Hernandez of Delaware in 1963; Denise Lee Ang of Connecticut, age 13; and our heroine, Susie Salmon of Norristown, Pennsylvania in 1973.

Let’s start with what’s good about the movie.

The cast is uniformly good…. in some cases (see above) outstanding. There is a minor quibble with the concept of having Susan Sarandon play a boozy Grandma Lynn. Her stint was more appropriate to insertion into the old television series “Malcolm in the Middle.” My husband read the book (I didn’t) and he doesn’t remember the grandmother in the book at all, nor was there so much emphasis on Susie’s status in the “In Between” after her murder (which I will address in a moment). On the positive side, I was struck time and time again by the careful attention to the details of 1973 life that the art/set director displayed. It is true that Susie’s schoolbooks bear the clearly visible legend “Fairfax County Schools” and that the clipping we see later is clearly labeled “Fairfax, Virginia,” while the voice-over tells us that this is Norristown, Pennsylvania, but you’d have to be semi-bored to be noticing these tiny little telling mistakes. Saiorse Ronan is an Oscar waiting to happen. She is luminous. The cinematography is also good, especially the creative scenes shot through the small dollhouse. The symbolic metaphor of ships-in-a-bottle, while useful, was not faithful to the source material and, ultimately, added to the problems that I am going to label “bad.”

The Bad:

In addition to the ships with bottles in them crashing on the shore, and Mark Wahlberg throwing the ships in the bottles to the floor to demonstrate how upset he is, the entire depiction of the strange “in between” world where Susie is now lodged did not fly, with me. Another critic mentioned it as being reminiscent of “What Dreams May Come.” I don’t have problems with using light and fake fog and weird other-worldly visions to illustrate this “in between” world, but maybe it would have been better for all of us if Jackson had stuck to telling the story, itself, without the special effects extravaganza stuff he has become known for in his latest films?

Here’s another “bad” thing. The 14-year-old girl is brutally murdered, (as were the others mentioned above). Her throat is slit. But all the victims turn up almost humming a happy tune like a Manson clan from the sixties or the cast of Big Love, in heaven, where there are lines like, “It’s beautiful, of course. It’s beautiful. It’s heaven. What are you waiting for? You’re free.” (*And, on behalf of “Field of Dreams,” I would like to remind all of you of the line that trumps any here, which is, “It’s not heaven. It’s Iowa.” So, maybe the In-Between is really Iowa? Naaaaah.)

I don’t think that we want to give anyone the incorrect impression that, once you are murdered, it’s all roses and fake fog and bright lines at the end of hallways. Lines like, “I began to see things in a way that let me see the world without me in it…Nobody notices when we leave.  At best, we might feel a whisper, or the wave of a whisper undulating down.” cloud the reality of a brutal death. I am certain that Susie Salmon felt a lot more than “a whisper or a wave of a whisper” as she was brutally murdered. (No spoiler there, as it’s a well-known fact that the book is narrated by a girl already dead.)

My husband, who read the book, tells me that this emphasis on the “in between” as a semi- Candyland and the annoying character of Asian Holly Go-Lightly who guides Susie in the In Between (actually a previous victim named Denise Lee Ang), were not in the book. I hope not.

The entire idea of a murdered girl finding happiness after her death (“These were the lovely bones that had grown around my absence.”) was, to be honest, off-putting to me as a parent.  This film is every parent’s worst nightmare, and it almost seems to be making light of the horrific. Of this year’s films, Jackson’s depiction of limbo, aka the in-between, reminded me most of the Terry Gilliam flop that featured Heath Ledger venturing into a similar fantasyland. (When Ledger died, Jude Law and Johnny Depp filled in for him, creating a very confusing film, indeed, called “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” one of the biggest messes of the year 2009.)

The other issue that divided critics across the land was the idea that Susie feels worst about her unfulfilled teenage yearnings for Ray Singh (Reese Ritchie), who was about to give her her first kiss. There are better reasons to stay alive than to be kissed. Staying alive is reason enough to stay alive, she said redundantly, echoing the song title.

The film was slow moving, rousing itself (again, after the initial murder takes place) only during the scenes when the younger sister, well played by Rose McIver, breaks into the neighbor’s house to search for clues to her sister’s murder. As always happens when there is someone in a vacant house looking for the piece of evidence that will nail the suspect, the homeowner returns and peril threatens. That part, however, was far too short. Also, the way Lindsey, the younger sister, reveals what she has found upon her return home was ridiculous. Any kid I know, possessing this kind of dynamite information, would enter his or her house yelling at the top of his or her lungs, but Lindsey is quite restrained…restrained enough, in fact, to allow the neighbor to slip through the grasp of the authorities. (My kids spent the first ten years of their lives standing on the end of diving boards screeching: “MOM! MOM! LOOK AT ME!” That’s why I can’t believe that Lindsey in the film waits so patiently and in such an unhurried manner to reveal what she has found.  So much for Dad’s years spent ferreting out the truth, which includes a near-arrest and a near-fatal beating. When you DO find out the truth, you hold on to the evidence so long that the suspect gets away? [As the British would say, “Not bloody likely.”]

To conclude: slow-moving, artsy, good acting, great sets and period furniture and costumes and posters, wonderful acting turns from Saioren Ronan and Stanley Tucci. A good rental, but not worth the price of admission at the theater.

And somebody urge Peter Jackson to return to his hard-edged telling of a murder, as related in the 1994 film “Heavenly Creatures.” Lose the fog. Lose the light effects. Forget about the miraculous leafy tree and the gazebo. Just the facts, Peter, just the facts.

[*With thanks to all the hard-working English teachers who collated and contributed the actual analogies and metaphors from their high school students’ essays into one hilarious article, which I am going to “lift” for my analysis of January 13, 2010’s “American Idol” Atlanta tryouts. If you are the nameless student, condolences and apologies.]

Mary J. Blige joined the regulars as guest host. Ellen DeGeneres won’t join the judges until February 7^th, when the contestants reach Hollywood.

First up this night was a 27-year-old African American singer (I use the term “singer” loosely) named Dawon Robinson who said that his uncle had discovered Gladys Knight and the Pips and his father was known as Motown Bobby.  Dawon kept pronouncing the word “lady” (while singing) as “lay tee.” The free associating thoughts Dawon shared tumbled in his head “like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.”

Another black male singer who sang in an extremely high voice, like someone who has undergone castration, followed Dawon. We were saved by the appearance of Keia Johnson, who wore bright lime-green pants and was once named Miss Congeniality in a preliminary to a Miss America contest. (Simon ventured that, were it him, he’d rather win the beauty part.) Keia sang the love song from “Titanic” and she sang well. Keia was given a golden ticket to Hollywood and was followed by singers named Meriam Lemnoumi and Noel Reese.

Then came one of the diamonds of the day, Tisha Holland, 18, of Georgia, a waitress. She was followed by another star, Germaine Sellers from Joliet, Illinois, a 17-year-old church singer who cares for his mother, who suffers from spina bifida. The comments? “I think that’s the best we’ve seen all day.” Germaine sang Joan Osborne’s “What If God Is One of Us.” He’s going to Hollywood. Mary J. Blige said, “You’ve got skills. Best we’ve seen of all the cities.  That was incredible. It was anointed.” Plus, Germaine has the all-important back-story that this year’s competitors seem to need. (Talent, alone, isn’t going to be enough, it seems.)

A TV hostess from “Hotlanta,” Christy Marie Agronow, then regaled the group with a Pat Benatar song. The revelation that the judges did not share her feeling that she was a great singer hit her “like a guy who goes blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.” She left in a huff. (“How dare they!”)

Next up was Vanessa Wolf, who shared the news “I jump bridges.” She is either from Baltimore, Tennessee or Vonore (population 658) and shared this sad statement: “I’m stuck in Vonore. I can’t get out.” She had purchased her dress for $4.50 at a Dollar General store in Smyrna, which I seem to remember was Julia Roberts’ birthplace. Tennessee must be so proud, at this point in time, of the way their state is being portrayed. Vanessa was very likeable, but “her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.”

Jessie Anison, 26, of Alabama, #99342, shared several near-death experiences he had recently endured, which allowed “American Idol” to make several “cheap dramatizations” related to Jessie’s riveting stories. Jessie grew on us “like he was a colony of e coli and we were room temperature beef.” As for his audition, it didn’t help that Jessie couldn’t remember any of the words in the song he had selected and had never before sung in public. Mary J. Blige collapsed in helpless mirth and had to be comforted by Kara. Jessie had a mind “like a steel trap, but one that has rusted shut.” ”The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you’re on vacation in another city and ‘Jeopardy’ comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30 p.m.”  Jessie, also, left in a semi-huff. He traveled down the 47 stories in the elevator, “hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.”

After Jessie and the “cheap dramatizations” (once, at band camp, Jessie was almost hit by a stray bullet or a falling flute or some damned thing) we were treated to Holly, age 27, who sang Loretta Lynn’s “You Ain’t Woman Enough to Take My Man.” Holly proclaimed, “I’m the next great thing.” She was as modest as Donald Trump during one of his Rosie O’Donnell rants. “She had a deep throaty voice like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.” Holly made it through to Hollywood.

At one point, Simon actually said, to one contestant, “You sound like a cat barking; it shouldn’t happen.” The gargling noise of contestant Hansel Enriquez was not well received. Blake Smith of Covington, California came to his audition attired in a tee shirt that read “Britney Spears Changed Her Life.” (It didn’t change Blake’s).  “Guitar Girl” (attired in a guitar outfit with guitar glasses) lucked out. She caught your eye “like a wet nose hair glistening after a sneeze.”

Tony Skiboski, contestant #91870, actually could sing, but his attempts to make himself sexually appealing, in the process of singing “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye were about as enticing as “ maggots just before you fry them in hot grease.”  When it was pointed out to Tony Skiboski that he was missing a letter on his shirt, he replied, “That’s what they’ve got discounts for.” Skiboski actually made it through, which seemed “as unlikely as a little boat gently drifting across a pond, exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn’t.”

We were treated to Loren Sanders, age 19, of Baxley, Georgia, and her BFF Carmen Turner, 19, also of Baxley, Georgia. Unfortunately, only Carmen sang well. The news that she was being cut from the competition hit Loren as a rude shock, “like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM machine.”

Police officer Bryan Walker sang “SuperStar” and earned a golden ticket to Hollywood, but he looked very old. “He looked as old as a 60-year-old retiree.” (Or as old as General Larry Platt).

Lamar Royal sang Seal’s “Kiss from a Rose” song. Before he went up in the elevator for his audition, Lamar was quite pleasant, saying how much he was looking forward to meeting Mary J. Blige. After Lamar delivered the loudest version of a Seal song ever heard and would not shut up (security had to be called to stop his audition), he changed his tune considerably and uttered the night’s most hostile remarks, yelling, “F*** Y’all” as he left. This earned him a round of applause from a passing carful of motorists. (At least Lamar said “Y’all”).

Last, and certainly least, General Larry Platt, age 62, sang his own original composition “Pants on the Ground.” “General Larry was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But, unlike Phil, General Larry actually works.” General Larry earned praise for his attempts to break dance for the judges, although, in his case, the word “break” is meant literally.

And congratulations to former contestant Jason Castro, who, in addition to his budding career as a performer, got married. I noticed his smiling dreadlocks on the “American Idol” website while scoping out the schedule, and it reminded me that I heard this news somewhere. Ah, young love.  “Jason fell for her like his heart was a mob informant and she was the East River.” Imagine “the star-crossed lovers racing across a grassy field toward each other, like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 66 mph; the other from Topeka at 4: 19 p.m. at a speed of 35 miles per hour.”

Stay tuned for next week’s shows on Tuesday, January 19^th, from Chicago and on Wednesday, January 20^th, from Orlando

I’ve gone back to the year 2000 and attempted to highlight the Best Films of the Decade, with the decade starting in 2000. [This means, of course, that I’m one year short of 10 years of films, since 2010 has just begun.]

The criterion, for me, in listing my Best Films was whether I enjoyed them the most at the theater. Sometimes, the most heavily promoted films are not really that enjoyable. There are some “Best Picture of the Year” nominees that leave you completely cold after you have spent time watching them, so much so that you wonder, “How did THAT get nominated as Best ________________?” (Fill in the blank here). You may appreciate the achievement of a film like, for instance, “The Queen,” but did you really enjoy it that much, acting expertise aside?

Also, will this film hold up over the years? There are some films that were “hot” movies of that year, but the year was so weak that to name them as the “best” is simply to acknowledge that they were the best of a not-so-banner year.

I am not a huge fan of animated films, but some made my list. I like humor, but it should be somewhat witty, avoid formulaic situations, and not be so lowbrow that every vehicle in the parking lot is a truck with a gun rack, a rebel flag and a NASCAR sticker on view.

While acknowledging that Peter Jackson’s LOTR trilogy represented a huge achievement, the films were not as faithful to the books as purists would have liked, and, quite frankly, I was pretty bored throughout. (I looked down the row and my sister-in-law was asleep, although she later denied this.) The same is true of all the Harry Potter movies, for me. And, more recently, the “Twilight” films, representing, as they do, a teen phenomenon, are going to fall into the same category.

Some years were, of course, better than others, and that is why many Honorable Mention(s) follow some of the Ten Best lists. Other years have no Honorable Mentions at all. I’m not trying to suggest that your list of the Ten Best Movies of the Decade (to date) will match mine, but at least you’ll have a referent point for (maybe) picking a few from the past 9 years that you night have missed.  I should also note that the films are listed in no particular order.

Enjoy!

Best Films of 2000:

“High Fidelity”

“Traffic”

“Memento”

“Almost Famous”

“Cast Away”

“Erin Brockovich”

“Gladiator”

“Wonder Boys”

“Frequency”

“Meet the Parents”/”Galaxy Quest”

Best Films of 2001:

“A Beautiful Mind”

“Lord of the Rings”

“Mulholland Drive”

“Black Hawk Down”

“A.I.”

“Training Day”

“Monster’s Ball”

“In the Bedroom”

“Bully”

“Hedwig and the Angry Inch”

Best Films of 2002:

“About A Boy”

“About Schmidt”

“Adaptation”

“Bourne Identity”

“Bowling for Columbine”

“Minority Report”

“The Pianist”

“Signs”

“Rabbit-proof Fence”

“Spider-Man 2”

Best Films of 2003:

“The Fog of War” (documentary)

“Mystic River”

“Cold Mountain”

“In America”

“Seabiscuit”

“City of God”

“Monster”

“House of Sand and Fog”

“Under the Tuscan Sun”

“Pieces of April”

(*Honorable mention to “Finding Nemo,” “Master & Commander,” “Thirteen,” “The Cooler,” “Bad Santa,” “Lost in Translation,” “The Last Samurai,” “Calendar Girls,” “Love, Actually.”)

Best Films of 2004:

“The Aviator”

“Hotel Rwanda”

“Million Dollar Baby”

“Ray”

“Closer”

“Fahrenheit 9/11”

“Sideways”

“Spanglish”

“The Sea inside”

“Collateral”

(*Honorable mention to “The Manchurian Candidate,” “The Notebook,” “Mean Girls,” “Super Size Me”)

Best Films of 2005:

“Capote”

“Brokeback Mountain”

“A History of Violence”

“Crash”

“Syriana”

“Batman Begins”

“Cinderella Man”

“The 40-Year-Old Virgin”

“Good Night, and Good Luck”

“Walk the Line”

(*Honorable mention to “King Kong,” “Jarhead,” “Match Point,” “Transamerica,” “North Country,” “March of the Penguins” and “Munich.”)

Best Films of 2006:

“Last King of Scotland”

“The Departed”

“Little Miss Sunshine”

“Pan’s Labyrinth”

“United 93”

“Flags of Our Fathers/Letters from Iwo Jima”

“Casino Royale”

“Dreamgirls”

“Bobby”

“Thank You for Smoking”

(*Honorable mention to “V for Vendetta,” “Blood Diamond,”  “Cars,” “Monster House,” “An Inconvenient Truth” (documentary), “The Queen,” “Babel,”
”Hollywoodland,” “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing” (documentary), “Who Killed the Electric Car” (documentary), “Children of Men,” “Little Children,” “A Scanner Darkly”)

Best Films of 2007:

“Michael Clayton”

“No Country for Old Men”

“Away from Her”

“Juno”

“In the Valley of Elah”

“Eastern Promises”

“American Gangster’

“Knocked Up”

“Charlie Wilson’s War”

“The Bourne Ultimatum”

(*Honorable Mention:  “The Savages,” “Gone Baby Gone,” “Waitress,” “Atonement,” “La Vie En Rose,” “The Diving Bell & the Butterfly,” “Elizabeth, the Golden Age.”)

Best Films of 2008:

“The Reader”

“Batman: The Dark Knight”

“Iron Man”

“Gran Torino”

“Slumdog Millionaire”

“Milk”

“The Wrestler”

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

“Doubt”

“Zodiac”

(*Honorable Mention:  “Burn After Reading,” “In Bruges,” “Frozen River,” “The Visitor,” “Tropic Thunder,” “3:10 to Yuma,” “Bourne Ultimatum,” “The Bucket List.”

Best Films of 2009:

“Up in the Air”

“The Hurt Locker”

“The Informant”

“Up”

“500 Days of Summer”

“Precious”

“Red Cliff”

“Avatar”

“Brothers”

“The Messenger”

(*Honorable Mention to “Star Trek,” “The Hangover,” “2012,” “Public Enemies,” “I Love You, Man,” and “Jennifer’s Body”)