It amazes me at times when I reflect on what propels certain people on the path to fame and fortune.  Of particular interest to me is when I find out how an actor/actress got there start (and in some cases, witnessed it).  Most people know Adam Sandler as one of those guys who made the leap from SNL to movies; however, few remember his time on MTV as a bit player on the game show, Remote Control.  Even more famously, how many saw Tom Hanks on Happy Days prior to his Bosom Buddy days and thought to themselves, “that guy is going to win back-to-back Oscars in 20 years” ?

Which brings us to Mark Wahlberg.

Wahlberg started off as a young kid trying to hop on the fame train his older brother was riding with New Kids on the Block.  Of course, back then he was Marky Mark, leader of the Funky Bunch.  Then Wahlberg got smart.  He dropped the Marky and started focusing on acting.  A few forgettable roles, and then, WHAM, he connects with George Clooney for Three Kings.  For a few years, the two were inseparable and Wahlberg’s star continued to rise.  Boogie Nights helped establish him as someone with skills.  The Italian Job showed that he didn’t need Clooney to help nail a movie.  The Departed cemented his acting credibility.

According to many stories, The Fighter has been a personal project of Wahlberg’s for many years.  He finally got casting and studio support after proving himself.  And when I say he got casting support, he got it like Hanks collects Oscars.

Wahlberg plays Micky Ward, a boxer trying to make it; the movie is based on a true story.  Christian Bale plays Micky’s brother, Dicky, who had a shot and failed.  When the movie opens, we see the brothers working on boxing with a film crew following them.  The audience is led to believe that they are making a documentary on Dicky’s comeback as he trains his little brother.  What we soon find out is that they are doing a documentary on the effects of crack cocaine.  What follows is deep, raw look into the Ward family dynamic as Micky fights in and out of the ring to survive and succeed.  The language is not for the faint of heart, but none of it is gratuitous.  The entire feel of the movie is that it is real life.  Amy Adams turns in an extraordinary performance as a barmaid who falls in love with Micky and helps him to find his inner strength.  If you think they made a mistake in casting the “princess from enchanted,” then you are blind to what you see on-screen.  Even the small parts, like the Ward sisters, were well-played and genuine-feeling.

I grew up in the time of Rocky – I never saw Raging Bull or On The Waterfront.  Stallone tried to create some of this drama, but it still always felt slightly fake.  The Fighter achieves what Stallone couldn’t with Rocky.  I now must make it a point to watch Raging Bull and On The Waterfront to see how they compare with The Fighter.

My advice: see it at full price – easily one of the top 10 movies of 2010…

Who knew when JK Rowling released the first Harry Potter book in 1997 that the world would have 7 books, 8 movies, and a theme park area by 2011?  This is the one case where “synergy” is an appropriate term.  I do not feel that the books would have gained popularity without the movies, and I do not think all of the movies would have been made had the books not been so good.  What is also unique about this time is that we have a book series and a film series that has appealed to everyone and that has a whole generation that has grown up with it.  This an amazing phenomenon.

What has also been good is that the movies have matured as the characters have matured.  This has led to more dynamic movies with complex plots.  Had all seven books been the same level as the first one, this series would not have made it past three movies.  So it is fitting that with the final book we get the darkest, most complex of movies.

Many other have indicated how this is the “Empire Strikes Back” of the series and I agree.  The main characters are on the run and each victory they have incurs a great price.  Emma Watson has been getting a lot of notice for her acting in this movie and rightly so.  For a movie that was essentially a set-up for the explosive final movie, there is a lot of action and a lot of good imagery.

My advice: pay full price, but no need to pay extra for IMAX or (when it is released, 3-D); the movie is big enough on normal screens to satisfy any moviegoer…

Ever since the days of Hope and Crosby, moviegoers have been suckers for the “buddy comedy.”  We gladly went with the duo on their many adventures in the “Road” pictures, but soon we wanted something different, but the same.  Enter Martin and Lewis, who remind us of the days of Laurel and Hardy.  Over the years, we see the group expand and contract, but one constant has remained as a thread from the “Road” pictures to Smokey & The Bandit to Midnight Run to Eurotrip to Harold & Kumar Go To The White Castle – get from point A to point B while encountering as many absurd roadblocks as possible.

So here is our latest entry – Due Date.

Due Date is the story of an uptight business man (Robert Downey, Jr.) who encounters a free-spirit actor (Zach Galifinakis) while trying to get home in time for the birth of his baby.  What follows is supposed to be a road trip filled with absurdity and laughter.  Unfortunately, much of this was covered specifically with Planes, Trains, and Automobiles and Tommy Boy.  There are funny moments, but not enough to call it a decent plot.  Unlike the other movies I have named in this review, Due Date is filled with forgettable moments.  Most people will have forgotten this movie exists within the next 5 years.

My advice:  Dollar theater or matinee – I was glad I did not pay full price for this one…

There are some things in life that are as predictable as the sun rising in the east, but none moreso than Disney picking an underdog sports story and turning it into a motion picture.  Over recent years, they have given us The Rookie, Remember the Titans, and Miracle.  For 2010, Disney gives us Secretariat.

Sunday afternoon of my visit to LA found Spaldy and I headed to the Arclight Cinema in Sherman Oaks. Spaldy had been raving about how nice a theater this was and wanted me to experience a movie here.  The only thing playing that neither of us had seen was Secretariat.  After picking up our tickets with assigned seats, we grabbed our concessions and then settled into the theater for a relaxing afternoon.

Secretariat is based on the events surround his birth and the first 3 years of his life. For those not familiar, Secretariat was the last horse to win the Triple Crown.  Diane Lane plays a housemother suddenly thrust into the world of horse-racing, with fading support from the family.  John Malkovich turns in a fun performance as the trainer and helps lighten the mood.  Disney tried to position this as Oscar-bait for Diane Lane, but there was nothing extraordinary about her performance.

My advice:  See it on the big screen — worth full price; solid movie, just not Oscar-worthy…

From 1985 until about 1994, I had the golden touch at winning radio contests.  I could be the 8th caller for WPFM 107.9 any time I tried — pretty remarkable since the number was 234-0000 and I was using a rotary-dial phone.   At least 1/4 of my music collection came from that station in the form of records, tapes, and CDs.

So what does this have to do with movies?

Well, the very first thing I ever won was the soundtrack to Back To The Future on record.  My dad hated having to drive me out to pick it up since it was on the beachside and traffic was always bad.  Needless to say, I got the album and the rest was history.

In addition to loving the soundtrack, I have always loved the movie.  So imagine my reaction when I found out that AMC was going to have a special showing in all of its theaters to celebrate the 25th anniversary.  Now increase the reaction tenfold when I found out it was going to be while I was visiting my number one movie buddy, Spaldy, in LA.

She took care of getting the tix and we went over to the AMC on Saturday morning.  They let us in and we got great seats.  Stacy (friend of Spaldy’s) showed up and we worked on getting amped up on overbuttered popcorn, sodas, and candy.

Then the lights went down….

They used the Blu-Ray print for the special showing and the movie looked great.  Crystal-clear — it was as if I was viewing it opening weekend in 1985 for the first time.  AMC and Universal did a great job in making this event happen.  As we left, we were each given a limited edition BTTF 25th anniversary poster.

My advice: get the Blu-ray set when it drops this week and enjoy a great classic.