Bryce Zabel's FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH

Movie Smackdown presents. . . NEW YEAR'S EVE AT THE MOVIES

That clock is counting down to New Year's Eve but there's still time to watch a film or two to get in the mood. We have two Smackdowns for you over at MOVIE SMACKDOWN! -- that's a whopping four films, all with something to do with New Year's Eve.

Our Oregon-based SmackRef, Mark Sanchez dives into a couple of romantic comedies that both have scenes bringing in the New Year in his Smack, Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) -vs- When Harry Met Sally (1989). Plus, as an added bonus, it's a chance to remember one of the most famous scenes on film, the time when Megan Ryan fakes a, well, you remember...

Meanwhile, down here in Hollywood, Sherry Coben takes us back to New Year's Eve 1959 with her Smack, Diner (1982) -vs- The Apartment (1960). That's right, both of these films go back to a simpler New Year's and it's a trip down memory lane that's not to be missed.

It's been a busy month over at the Smack. We have film-on-film competition with almost all of today's films like Slumdog Millionaire, The Reader, Frost/Nixon, Revolutionary Road, Valkyrie, Milk, Defiance, Marley & Me, The Wrestler, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Twilight, Doubt and Gran Torino. It's your last chance to check it out this year!

To see an entire site devoted to Movie Smackdown Comix! like above, go to www.MovieSmackdown.tv.

MOVIE SMACKDOWN! - Two Reviews... One Film... No Holds Barred!

READY TO BELIEVE: Free MP3 of Obama Fight Song!

Last January, while we were still on strike as members of the Writers Guild of America, my wife Jackie and I sat down in a Los Angeles coffee shop with our good friend, musician Cherish Alexander.

Before the coffee was cold, we decided, improbably given the time frame -- as a couple of striking screenwriters and a singer-composer -- to write, produce and distribute the song you'll soon hear.  It happened over a five day period and we released it immediately before the California primary.

So far, "Ready to Believe" has cumulatively had its video versions viewed close to 100,000 times on YouTube.  Plus, it's available on iTunes.  You, however, don't have to buy it in the closing days of the 2008 campaign.  We want you to download it for free and to send it to your friends.

It was written to stand-up for Barack to the Clinton campaign's charges claiming he wasn't ready for the presidency.  We find that the need for this song is as solidly right-on today as it was last February (only Clinton is on the team now and the argument's being made by John McCain).  It needed rebuttal then, and it needs rebuttal now. 

Please give it a listen.  Click the link below to just hear it.  Otherwise,right-click to actually... we'll say it again... download "Ready to Believe" for free.  Again, you have our express permission to download it and to give it away. 

Download_Ready_to_Believe_Song.mp3

Some have asked for a PDF of the actual lyrics.  Here you are:

Download_Ready_to_Believe_Lyrics.pdf

Here's the You Tube version:

Please also visit the web-page of singer-composer Cherish Alexander (http://www.cherishalexander.com/ready_to_believe/) where all the goodies are also available.  She and fellow producer Damian Valentine did an awesome job with this project as you can hear for yourself.

We know the hour is late but if you support Barack Obama, we'd urge you to join us and expose as many people as you can to this song.  Especially Obama volunteers.  We've received a good deal of email from campaign workers who thought it was like an anthemic "fight song" for the cause.  That's certainly what we intended it to be.

Remember to vote.  Even if the polls say he's ahead, you have to vote.  Take nothing for granted. 

Still fired up and ready-to-go for Obama!

Cherish Alexander, Jackie Zabel, Bryce Zabel

Movie Smackdown Comix presents... WITHOUT LIMITS

"Without Limits" was released ten years ago, on September 11, 1998, the second film about Steve Prefontaine's life in as many years.

To read the full review, go to Without Limits (1998) -vs- Prefontaine (1997).  A reader's poll now has over 100 votes and has been tied many times, although currently "Without Limits" has a slight lead.  Express your own opinion.

MOVIE SMACKDOWN! - Two Reviews... One Film... No Holds Barred!

Review and Comix by Bryce Zabel.

Writing on the Wall?

Fighting Words

The program I write most of my scripts on is "Screenwriter."  It's got a great look and feel.  They have a new program they're marketing now called "Streamline" which, without cheating, gives writers input and tools about changes they might make to shorten their scripts.  This is good news because most methods of making a script shorter also make it look crammed and unreadable and, the truth is, anyone who knows anything about scripts knows it's been cheated anyway, so what's the point?

I digress.  In the mailing today about this new product are some words that could strike fear in the halls of Microsoft.

"Streamline 1.0 is available for Macintosh only.  Streamline for Windows is in development, but no release date has been announced."

That's right.  The program is built for Macs first.  Windows is the afterthought.  Wow.  Maybe that says something about how screenwriters favor Macs, but it struck me as the thought for the day.  "Macintosh only."

How to Throw a Pitch

You Will Be Creative in the Following Steps or Else! 

This essay was originally published by Lee Goldberg in A Writers Life. 

I'm going in to a major studio next week to pitch a TV series.  In advance of the meeting, the studio wants you to send them a very short log line of the concept, sort of the equivalent of a TV Guide listing. Assuming that they like the log-line, a few days before the meeting they will send you the "Drama Series Pitch" format that they expect you to follow for your verbal presentation. Here it is:

The Amazing Reality of "Reality" TV

Hollywood Sweat Shops

This column originally appeared in The Huffington Post.

First, a familiar story from America's past.

Around the previous turn of the century, the nation was plagued by sweatshops raking in outlandish earnings while their employees struggled under inhumane conditions. In one infamous example, a factory reported profits of $200 million, one proprietor taking in $50 million himself, yet its employees were discovered to be working loathsome 18-hour days, seven days a week. Lunch breaks weren't allowed, or rest breaks. No basic healthcare, and, obviously, no protective pensions were provided. The conditions of work mills were such a national embarrassment, the outcry so loud that the creation of government protections and unions were understood, even demanded by most of the compassionate nation. Today, we cringe at the memory, yet are proud for the basic protection America has long-since provided its workforce.

Okay, I have to admit that I wasn't totally honest there.

Insert Caption Here: Words & Pictures with Attitude

We get mail.  And some of you seem to really like the less-than-reverent way we treat the publicity stills that the studios put out to promote their films on our Movie Smackdown! sister site.

Armed only with an iMac, some Comic Life Magiq software, and a serious authority issue, we've been giving them the treatment for a few months now.

The idea is to take these common photos and spin the hell out of them so they make their own artistic statement independent of the reviews.  We want to present them in a way that you can't get anywhere else.  And we want to make movie stars and the characters they play say what we want them to say for a change, okay?

So now we've collected our first batch all in one place where you can look at them full-screen, download them or -- and this is the hot tip -- even play them as a slide-show (the button's right underneath the banner). Click on the photo to the left or the link below and see for yourself.  The actual Comix take a few seconds to load because they're high res (like we said, it's art, baby)... but it's worth it...

http://www.moviesmackdown.tv

Movie Smackdown Summer Session

Summertime and there’s action aplenty inside the MOVIE SMACKDOWN ring...

One thing you’ll notice immediately is our look is changing.  Graphic designer Nancy Tokos is working her magic for us on our banners and we’re experimenting to see which one we like the best.  Plus, we’ve upgraded our photos and captions to make them bigger and more fun using the great new Comic Life Magiq program.  We’re planning to get into the podcast, YouTube and even TV business as we grow.

We just heard from the United States Patent and Trademark Office that they have approved the registration of our service mark.  This means we are the one, true and only MOVIE SMACKDOWN!®  Accept no substitutes.  That’s a greenlight for us to really step on the gas promotion-wise.

Also, AMC has picked us as the “Site of the Week” and features us prominently on their site.  So here’s a shout-out to writer Christine Fall for finding us and seeing our quality.

Plus, we’re busy gearing up for more summer fun by adding new critics.  This month we’ll be welcoming Stephen Bell and Lorianne Tibbets to our already outstanding SmackRefs. 

Coming up over tonight and tomorrow:  Beau DeMayo smacks "The Incredible Hulk -vs- Hulk" and Stephen Bell smacks "The Happening -vs- The Sixth Sense."

Why do we do this?  Because some movies just need a good Smackin’...

Movie Smackdown: What a Difference a Year Makes!

Our companion site, Movie Smackdown, still has a long way to go in its quest to be a nationally recognized film review site, but based on what we're seeing on the SiteMeter it's hard to complain. This screen capture shows that every month this year has set a significant new record and, since last August, we've posted over a 600% increase in unique hits. Naturally, there are places that get what we get traffic-wise in a month in a day or an hour, but the trend's good. If we were a stock, we'd be on the cover of "Forbes."

If you're one of our regulars, thanks for dropping by and making us part of your entertainment experience. And tell your friends that "Movie Smackdown" is the freshest way to review movies since thumbs and stars.

 Two Films, One Review, No Holds Barred.

How'd You Like a Good Smack(down)?

While I'm off roaming the floor of the ever-more crowded San Diego Comic-Con and doing a signing session for Arts Alliance America as they release "The Crow: Stairway to Heaven" on DVD...

Let me invite you to visit our companion site, "Movie Smackdown!" -- Two Films, One Review, No Holds Barred. Here are the links to almost all of the cage fights currently on the site.

And don't muzzle yourself like Mr. Lecter -- please leave your own comments for our critics to respond to because, much as we hate to admit it, we're not always right...

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) -vs- Sunshine (2007) 
2. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) -vs- The Fountain (2007)
3. 28 Days Later (2003) -vs- Children of Men (2007)
4. 28 Weeks Later (2007) -vs- Aliens (1986)
5. 300 (2007) -vs- Sin City (2005)
6. A History of Violence (2005) -vs- Straw Dogs (1971)
7. Akeelah and the Bee (2006) -vs- Bee Season (2005)
8. Aliens (1986) -vs- 28 Weeks Later (2007)
9. All the President's Men (1976) -vs- Good Night, and Good Luck (2005)
10. Almost Famous (2000) -vs- Elizabethtown (2005)
11. American Dreamz (2006) -vs- Love Actually (2003)
12. American Pie (1999) -vs- The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)
13. A Mighty Heart (2007) -vs- Proof of Life (2000)
    
14. An Inconvenient Truth (2006) -vs- Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
15. Anchorman (2004) -vs- Talladega Nights (2006)
16. A Prairie Home Companion (2006) -vs- Nashville (1975)
17. Armageddon (1998) -vs- Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
18. Art School Confidential (2006) -vs- Ghost World (2001)
19. A Scanner Darkly (2006) -vs- Total Recall (1990)
20. Batman Begins (2005) -vs- Superman Returns (2006)
21. Bee Season (2005) -vs- Akeelah and the Bee (2006)
22. Bend It Like Beckham (2002) -vs- POTC: At World's End (2007)
23. Bewitched (2005) -vs- The Beverly Hillbillies (1993)
24. Black Book (2007) -vs- Europa, Europa (1990)
25. Black Robe (1991) -vs- The New World (2005)
26. Blade Runner (1982) -vs- Next (2007)
27. Breach (2007) -vs- Spy Game (2001)
28. Broken Flowers (2005) -vs- Lost in Translation (2004)
29. Bruce Almighty (2003) -vs- The Weatherman (2005)
30. Bruce Almighty (2003) -vs- Evan Almighty (2007)
    
31. Carmen (1983) -vs- Pan's Labyrinth (2007)
32. Casino Royale (2006) -vs- Goldeneye (1995)
33. Casino Royale (2006) -vs- On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
34. Catch Me If You Can (2002) -vs- Munich (2005)
35. Children of Men (2007) -vs- 28 Days Later (2003)
36. Chinatown (1974) -vs- The Good German (2007)
    
37. Collateral (2004) -vs- Miami Vice (2006)
38. Cool Hand Luke (1967) -vs- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
39. Crash (2005) -vs- Grand Canyon (1991)
40. Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) -vs- Matchpoint (2006)
41. Deja Vu (2006) -vs- Terminator II: Judgment Day (1991)
42. Die Another Day (2004) -vs- Mission Impossible III (2006)
43. Die Hard (1988) -vs- Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
    
44. Disturbia (2007) -vs- Rear Window (1954)
45. Dog Day Afternoon (1975) -vs- Inside Man (2006)
46. Elizabethtown (2005) -vs- Almost Famous (2000)
47. ET: The Extraterrestrial (1982) -vs- The Last Mimzy (2007)
48. Europa, Europa (1990) -vs- Black Book (2007)
49. Evan Almighty (2007) -vs- Bruce Almighty (2003)
    
50. Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) -vs- An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
51. Fantastic Four (2007) -vs- The X-Men (2000)
52. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) -vs- Armageddon (1998)
53. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) -vs- The Incredibles (2004)
54. Finding Neverland (2004) -vs- Neverwas (2005)
    
55. Flightplan (2005) -vs- Panic Room (2002)
56. Fracture (2007) -vs- Primal Fear (1996)
57. Frequency (2000) -vs- The Lake House (2006)
58. Friends with Money (2006) -vs- The Good Girl (2002)
59. Garden State (2004) -vs- In the Land of Women (2007)
60. Ghost World (2001) -vs- Art School Confidential (2006)
61. God of War II (2007) -vs- God of War (2005)
62. Goldeneye (1995) -vs- Casino Royale (2006)
63. Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) -vs- All the President's Men (1976)
64. Grand Canyon (1991) -vs- Crash (2005)
65. Grindhouse (2007) -vs- Pulp Fiction (1994)
66. Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) -vs- The Matador (2006)
67. Hairspray (1988) -vs- Hairspray (2007)
    
68. Hairspray (2007) -vs- Hairspray (1988)
    
69. Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire (2005) -vs- Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
    
70. Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix (2007) -vs- Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire (2005)
    
71. Independence Day (1996) -vs- Transformers (2007)
    
72. Independence Day (1996) -vs- War of the Worlds (2005)
73. Infernal Affairs (2002) -vs- The Departed (2006)
74. Inside Man (2006) -vs- Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
75. In the Land of Women (2007) -vs- Garden State (2004)
76. In the Line of Fire (1993) -vs- The Sentinel (2006)
77. Into the Blue (2005) -vs- The Deep (1977)
78. Introducing the Dwights (2007) -vs- Meet the Fockers (2004)
    
79. I Think I Love My Wife (2007) -vs- The Last Kiss (2006)
80. Jarhead (2005) -vs- Three Kings (1999)
81. Junior (1994) -vs- Knocked Up (2007)
82. Keeping Up with the Steins (2006) -vs- My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
83. Knocked Up (2007) -vs- Junior (1994)
84. Knocked Up (2007) -vs- The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)
85. License to Wed (2007) -vs- My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)
    
86. Little Miss Sunshine (2006) -vs- Transamerica (2005)
87. Live Free or Die Hard (2007) -vs- Die Hard (1988)
    
88. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) -vs- X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
89. Lost in Translation (2004) -vs- Broken Flowers (2005)
90. Love Actually (2003) -vs- American Dreamz (2006)
91. Lucky You (2007) -vs- Rounders (1998)
92. Match Point (2005) -vs- Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
93. Meet the Fockers (2004) -vs- Introducing the Dwights (2007)
    
94. Meet the Robinsons (2007) -vs- The Incredibles (2004)
95. Memento (2000) -vs- The Lookout (2007)
96. Miami Vice (2006) -vs- Collateral (2004)
97. Mission: Impossible III (2006) -vs- Die Another Day (2004)
98. Mission: Impossible III (2006) -vs- The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
    
99. Motel Hell (1980) -vs- Vacancy (2007)
100. Munich (2005) -vs- Catch Me If You Can (2002)
101. Music and Lyrics (2007) -vs- Once (2007)
102. Music and Lyrics (2007) -vs- Wimbledon (2004)
103. My Best Friend's Wedding (1997) -vs- License to Wed (2007)
     
104. My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) -vs- Keeping Up with the Steins (2006)
105. Mystery Men (1999) -vs- My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006)
106. My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006) -vs- Mystery Men (1999)
107. Nancy Drew (2007) -vs- Get a Clue (2002)
     
108. Nashville (1975) -vs- A Prairie Home Companion (2006)
109. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) -vs- The Family Stone (2005)
110. National Treasure (2004) -vs- The DaVinci Code (2006)
111. Neverwas (2005) -vs- Finding Neverland (2004)
     
112. Next (2007) -vs- Blade Runner (1982)
113. Ocean's Eleven (1960) -vs- Ocean's Thirteen (2007)
114. Ocean's Thirteen (2007) -vs- Ocean's Eleven (1960)
115. Ocean's Thirteen (2007) -vs- Ocean's Twelve (2004) -vs- Ocean's Eleven (2001)
116. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) -vs- Cool Hand Luke (1967)
117. Once (2007) -vs- Music and Lyrics (2007)
118. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) -vs- Casino Royale (2006)
119. Panic Room (2002) -vs- Flight Plan (2005)
120. Pan's Labyrinth (2007) -vs- Carmen (1983)
121. Papillon (1973) -vs- Rescue Dawn (2007)
     
122. Perfect Stranger (2007) -vs- Shattered Glass (2004)
123. Poseidon (2006) -vs- The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
124. POTC: Dead Man's Chest (2006) -vs- Spider-Man 2 (2004)
125. POTC: At World's End (2007) -vs- Bend It Like Beckham (2002)
126. Prefontaine (1997) -vs- Without Limits (1998)
127. Premonition (2007) -vs- The Gift (2000)
128. Pride and Prejudice (2005) -vs- Sense and Sensibility (1995)
129. Primal Fear (1996) -vs- Fracture (2007)
130. Proof of Life (2000) -vs- A Mighty Heart (2007)
     
131. Pulp Fiction (1994) -vs- Grindhouse (2007)
132. Ratatouille (2007) -vs- Toy Story (1995)
     
133. Ray (2004) -vs- Walk the Line (2005)
134. Rear Window (1954) -vs- Disturbia (2007)
135. Reign Over Me (2007) -vs- The Upside of Anger (2005)
136. Rescue Dawn (2007) -vs- Papillon (1973)
     
137. Rounders (1998) -vs- Lucky You (2007)
138. Rumor Has It (2005) -vs- The Graduate (1967)
139. Sense and Sensibility (1995) -vs- Pride and Prejudice (2005)
140. Serenity (2005) -vs- Star Wars (1977)
141. Shattered Glass (2004) -vs- Perfect Stranger (2007)
142. Sin City (2005) -vs- 300 (2007)
143. Spider-Man 2 (2004) -vs- POTC: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
144. Spider-Man 2 (2004) -vs- Spider-Man 3 (2007)
145. Spider-Man 3 (2007) -vs- Spider-Man 2 (2004)
146. Spider-Man 3 (2007) -vs- Superman III (1983)
147. Spy Game (2001) -vs- Breach (2007)
148. Star Wars (1977) -vs- Serenity (2005)
149. Straw Dogs (1971) -vs- A History of Violence (2005)
150. Sunshine (2007) -vs- 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
151. Superman: The Movie (1978) -vs- Superman Returns (2006)
152. Superman III (1983) -vs- Spider-Man 3 (2007)
153. Superman Returns (2006) -vs- Batman Begins (2005)
154. Superman Returns (2006) -vs- Superman: The Movie (1978)
155. Syriana (2005) -vs- Traffic (2001)
156. Talladega Nights (2006) -vs- Anchorman (2004)
157. Terminator II: Judgment Day (1991) -vs- Deja Vu (2006)
158. Thank You for Smoking (2006) -vs- The Insider (1999)
159. The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005) -vs- American Pie (1999)
160. The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005) -vs- Knocked Up (2007)
161. The Beverly Hillbillies (1993) -vs- Bewitched (2005)
162. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) -vs- Mission: Impossible III (2006)
     
163. The Conversation (1974) -vs- The Lives of Others (2007)
164. The DaVinci Code (2006) -vs- National Treasure (2004)
165. The Deep (1977) -vs- Into the Blue (2005)
166. The Departed (2006) -vs- Infernal Affairs (2002)
167. The Family Stone (2005) -vs- National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
168. The Fountain (2007) -vs- 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
169. The Gift (2000) -vs- Premonition (2007)
170. The Good German (2007) -vs- Chinatown (1974)
     
171. The Good Girl (2002) -vs- Friends with Money (2006)
172. The Graduate (1967) -vs- Rumor Has It (2005)
173. The Incredibles (2004) -vs- Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)
174. The Incredibles (2004) -vs- Meet the Robinsons (2007)
175. The Insider (1999) -vs- Thank You for Smoking (2006)
176. The Lake House (2006) -vs- Frequency (2000)
177. The Last Kiss (2006) -vs- I Think I Love My Wife (2007)
178. The Last Mimzy (2007) -vs- ET: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
179. The Lives of Others (2007) -vs- The Conversation (1974)
180. The Lookout (2007) -vs- Memento (2000)
181. The Matador (2006) -vs- Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)
182. The Matrix (1999) -vs- V for Vendetta (2006)
183. The New World (2005) -vs- Black Robe (1991)
184. The Omen (2006) -vs- The Omen (1976)
185. The Poseidon Adventure (1972) -vs- Poseidon (2006)
186. The Proposition (2006) -vs- Unforgiven (1992)
187. The Sentinel (2006) -vs- In the Line of Fire (1993)
188. The Upside of Anger (2005) -vs- Reign Over Me (2007)
189. The Weatherman (2005) -vs- Bruce Almighty (2003)
190. Three Kings (1999) -vs- Jarhead (2005)
191. Titanic (1997) -vs- United 93 (2006)
192. Total Recall (1990) -vs- A Scanner Darkly (2006)
193. Toy Story (1995) -vs- Ratatouille (2007)
     
194. Traffic (2001) -vs- Syriana (2005)
195. Transamerica (2005) -vs- Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
196. Transformers (2007) -vs- Independence Day (1996)
     
197. Unforgiven (1992) -vs- The Proposition (2006)
198. United 93 (2006) -vs- Titanic (1997)
199. United 93 (2006) -vs- World Trade Center (2006)
200. V for Vendetta (2006) -vs- The Matrix (1999)
201. Vacancy (2007) -vs- Motel Hell (1980)
202. Walk the Line (2005) -vs- Ray (2004)
203. War of the Worlds (2005) -vs- Independence Day (1996)
204. Wimbledon (2004) -vs- Music and Lyrics (2007)
205. Without Limits (1998) -vs- Prefontaine (1997)
     
206. World Trade Center (2006) -vs- United 93 (2006)
207. X-Men (2000) -vs- Fantastic Four (2005)
208. X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) -vs- Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Here are some "non-traditional" posts:

1. Next (2007) -vs- Harold and Maude (1971) -vs- Charade (1963) -vs- To Have and To Have Not (1944)
2. Remembering Joel Siegel
   
3. Spider-Man 3 (2007) -vs- POTC: At World's End (2007) -vs- X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) -vs- The Matrix Revolutions
4. The Power of Three: The Sequel After the Sequel (Commentary)