Call off the dogs -- and don't forget to leave a note...

Call off the dogs, because as far as I'm concerned, 127 Hours is the movie of the year. Granted, I haven't seen Inception or The Black Swan yet, but those movies are going to have to get out in the driveway and detail my car in order to impress and rock my soul as hard as Danny Boyle's latest piece of astonishing craftsmanship.

Adapting the true story of Aron Ralston into a feature film was a pretty audacious idea -- which is maybe why Danny Boyle is the perfect choice to take this journey. This is easily Boyle's best move since 28 Days Later -- and I loved Slumdog Millionaire. But this story clearly inspired the hell out of Boyle. More likely awed him. Once you've seen it you'll understand why. The filmmaking on display here is immediate, immersive and totally compelling. At a furious 93 minutes, 127 Hours is a master class in economy, editing and use of sound. Much ink has been spilt about the intensity of being a witness to what Ralston decided he had to do. If that is even remotely keeping you on the fence about seeing this, please believe that the "violence" here is in no way extreme or sensationalized. Given what happened and the courage Aron Ralson found, it's note perfect. Everything serves telling this story in a realistic way, even the brushes with fantasy and delerium that begin to take their toll after the five longest days a man ever endured.

But it would all fall apart and the illusion would turn to powder if it weren't for the phenomenal central performance of James Franco. Gone forever is any reference to "that good looking James Dean guy from Spider-man." Franco will need mantle space very soon, as this is such a mature, open, exposed performance. There's no star puffery, no BS -- it's all real, every facet of man's emotional extremes laid bare -- hubris, ego, terror, tenacity, madness, love...belief -- there are pieces of Aron Ralston we can all relate to, even if we've never climbed anything but a staircase. Franco does superb work here and will now be stealing scripts away from Brad Pitt and George Clooney.

If you love filmmaking, if you love bravery, if extreme stories of survival such as Into Thin Air or The Endurance have ever captured your imagination... you miss this film at your peril. It's the best movie I've seen this year, hands down and I'll be rooting like hell for it come Oscar time.

But when you do see this picture, don't go alone, and if you do...please leave somebody a note.

The beginning of The End...of an era...

Thank you, thank you, visiting relatives, for generously offering to babysit so we had the opportunity to get to the theater and revel in the latest Harry Potter movie. I’m wearing my heart on my sleeve, I feel that these films just keep getting better and more mature and The Deathly Hallows doesn’t disappoint. I think it was a great move on Warner Brothers to split the 7th novel into two films. The Deathly Hallows dares to take its time and focus on character, which fans of the novel are bound to appreciate. There is plenty of smoldering suspense – and lots of novel atmosphere. We don’t even get so much as a glimpse of Hogwarts! We do, however, get our most sustained look at He-Who-Must-Not, who is positively chilling.

The most marvelous things to behold in this wondrous film are the performances of Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliffe. They have truly grown up and delivery beautifully nuanced performances here, packed with emotion.

Bill Nighy has a great scene early in the film as Minister of Magic. The role of Luna Lovegood’s father, Xenophelius, is somewhat awkwardly cast, which adds a somewhat creepy dynamic that probably wasn’t intended. The ending will have you foaming at the mouth for the final chapter – but one can’t help feeling a little nostalgic knowing this is the last holiday season that will see a Harry Potter film. Every since Goblet of Fire, these stories have just felt so much a part of the winter season. Summer just doesn’t feel like it does them justice. So go and be dazzled, go and be moved. The faithfulness to Rowling’s work is a wonder to behold and the enchantment will prove impossible to resist.

"It's a good day to be dead!"

What kind of champagne do zombies like? Better ask 'em over at AMC, where Halloween's premiere of the Frank Darabont/Andrew Kirkman horror series The Walking Dead delivered AMC's highest original series premiere numbers ever.

How big was it? Season 4 of Mad Men debuted with 2 million viewers. The Walking Dead averaged 5.3 million viewers last night, with a heavy 3.6 million made up of the coveted 18-49 year-old demo, making for... the best series premiere in that demographic for all of cable in 2010!

"It's a good day to be dead," said AMC President Charlie Collier. Reviews were extremely positive across the board. I'll just say that for me, there is this certain type of property where you really love it and just worry to death that someone won't get it and will screw it up. Lord of the Rings, for example. It's something you cherish and you're kind of holding your breath. Well, if you haven't seen The Walking Dead yet, what the hell are you doing reading this?!? It's without a doubt one of the most intense things I've seen in ages. It is just staggeringly well done and Darabont basically shows the rest of the horror world how it's done here. The cinematography in the pilot (Days Gone By) by David Tattersall is remarkable. They keep making choices that favor realism over contrivance, particularly in a wonderful supporting turn by Jericho fave Lennie James that is as human as it gets.

Watch this series!!! This is work that needs to be supported. And if you haven't sampled Kirkman's comics, there are years worth to get crazy with -- he's an amazing talent. My very high expectations were surpassed in ways I am still recovering from. This is the real McCoy and I can't wait for next Sunday night...

Zom-pocalypse NOW!

"When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the Earth..."

This Sunday -- Halloween -- brings the debut of a new series I've been eagerly salivating over for ages now -- The Walking Dead. Incredibly, AMC, the network that's given us such critical triumphs as Mad Men and Breaking Bad has had the cojones to turn Robert Kirkman's jaw-dropping comic into their next high profile TV series! I've enjoyed all 78 heart-stopping issues of this comic -- so I've written about the news of this series before and been waiting with baited breath.

But on Sunday the 31st, this baby finally debuts, shepherded into reality by none other than Frank Darabont, the maestro who gave us The Mist, which for my money was the best horror film in ages -- it's such a dream come true. Because if you're thinking this is going to be a nonstop gore-o-rama, you don't know The Walking Dead, as these are character-driven stories, first and foremost, and with both Darabont and Kirkman involved, I just have the feeling were about to witness the birth of something truly special.

Real horror that's not something to be embarrassed of comes along so rarely these days. We're about to see something raw and shocking and true to its source. I absolutely can't wait...

So lock your bloody doors...

No sh!t -- SHERLOCK!!!

Massive cause for celebration with the discovery of the completely stupendous British television series Sherlock, that dares to reimagine Holmes and Watson in 21st century contemporary incarnations. Created by Doctor Who scribes Steven Moffat and Mark Gattis, Sherlock is just fantastic on every level. It seems an idea doomed to failure, but works brilliantly well, a modern world filled with mobile phones and tweets in no way diminishing Holmes' abilities and eccentricities. This Holmes maintains a blog on deductive reasoning and consults for detective Lestrade -- and he needs a roommate! All the glorious tropes are there, 221B, Mrs. Hudson... Moriarty...but rendered in such a fresh way as to seem more true to the original Conan Doyle than any version in ages.

While there was a lot to like about Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes, this series (3 90+ minute movie/episodes per season) is premiering on PBS currently and beats other recent versions by a mile, thanks largely to the stupendous casting. Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes is a revelation. And most excitingly, Watson provides most of us our first look at Martin Freeman, recently cast (as last, officially!) as Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit. This Watson is back from a traumatic tour in Afghanistan, and Freeman seems a perfect choice to embody Baggins the elder.

So on so many levels, this Sherlock is a true eye-opener and cause for great celebration among Conan Doyle fans everywhere. This first season is already available on Amazon but do enjoy them as they air over the remaining two weeks on PBS, Sunday nights. This is an inventive labor of love at the highest level -- you miss it at your peril, Watson!

Astonishment out of nowhere!!!

Highly anticipated fall movies? Hereafter? 127 Hours? Red? FORGET 'EM!!! The most amazing movie out there is one you've probably never heard of, the skeptically titled Monsters. This is one of the best, most inventive no-budget science fiction movies in ages.

Get used to hearing the name of director Gareth Edwards, as this is a case of two man crew using off the shelf software and equipment filming entirely on location -- often with no advance permission (astonishingly, the budget Edwards spent was only $15,000) and it looks like it cost millions. The cinematography, effects, editing (all Edwards) are simply top flight. Mark my words, you'll be hearing about this guy at the helm of a major tentpole studio picture very soon. Mounting a remake of Forbidden Planet? Need someone who can balance effects, suspense and always keep the human element at the forefront? CALL THIS GUY!

You may be tempted to think of this as District 9-inspired -- except Edwards never saw District 9 until after he finished Monsters. Moods attempted with Cloverfield and The Ruins are far surpassed here, with some escalating, seriously effective suspense -- and always unpredictable. So often you hear about a cool sounding Indie movie that has a nifty idea but upon viewing seriously disappoints (hello, Valhalla Rising) -- but Monsters exceeded my wildest expectations. And by no means is that because this is all effects-driven craft. If it was just that, I wouldn't be writing this. No, Monsters continually insists that the characters drive the film. That they be realistic and heartfelt and unpredictable. Just like everything else in this gem of a picture. Every time you think it's going to run off the rails and collapse or veer towards cliche, the movie makes a hard left turn and goes in the opposite direction.

Trust me, you won't see this one coming. Monsters is probably not a movie you've heard much about and I encourage you to keep it that way and charge in blindly. Let it knock you out of your chair.

Monsters opens in theaters next month, but incredibly it's part of a new (Comcast) OnDemand feature where it's available on cable before it's out in theaters! Amazing news for the babysitter-dependent movie fan who can't get to the theater as easily.

Whatever your venue, don't let anything keep you from experiencing this film. Monsters is on its way to bonafide classic status. It's simply an astonishingly inventive picture that never runs out of imagination.

The Omega Glory...

One is advised to tread cautiously when attempting to review a novel like The Passage. You certainly want to intrigue and convince people to dive in, but you don’t want to give anything away, either. So that said, the hole in this bed sheet is going to be awfully small…

It’s been ages since I’ve enjoyed a book this much. Justin Cronin is a new name to me. With a background that includes Pen/Hemingway and Stephen Crane awards, one can’t help but wonder what his tenured tweedy colleagues thought when they learned he’d gone over to the dark reaches of apocalyptic horror. And go over he did. Cronin has delivered a vast, compelling epic – the first of a proposed trilogy – that starts wonderfully small and reels towards no lesser a precipice than the very end of the world as we know it.

The Passage has the DNA of Richard Matheson’s I am Legend in its bones (more Charlton Heston's Omega Man than Will Smith) along with Stephen King’s opus The Stand. 28 Days Later and Let the Right One In may also echo in these hallways. But this is not some hybrid pastiche capitalizing on the current Stephanie Meyer/True Blood wave of renewed interest in things that bite. There’s no pale wallflowers here, no tween-friendly introspection. The Passage evokes what Peter Benchley did in Jaws, taking conventions you thought you knew and freaking you out in new and nightmare-inducing ways.

The events of The Passage will have you turning pages with the same ravenous fervor as the viral hoards within. As visceral and immediate as this read is, you may be taken aback at times by the effortless craft of the writing, the heart of the characters. You sign on for the duration immediately and the path Cronin takes to get there will satisfy and surprise you.

Director Ridley Scott is developing The Passage as a feature film. Let’s just say that Ridley has a lot to work with here. Here’s hoping he delivers the epic saga this book deserves. Make no mistake – I’ll be buried in book II the first day it comes out.