The Best of 2008/09 With Ben Lyons

16 January 2009

0Comments | Comment on this Article

The last time I spoke with E! Entertainments resident film critic Ben Lyons was back in April of last year just before blockbuster fever swept through cinemas.

So after expressing excitement for the release of Ironman, The Dark Knight and comedy Tropic Thunder so how did 2008 pan out for him was it as successful as box office figures state?

"2008 to me was a great year at the movies Helen there was something for everyone there were the big events movie like a Batman or an Ironman, there were the small indie movies such as The Wackness, starring Ben Kingsley, which was well received and there were also great comedies like Tropic Thunder and Pineapple Express so there was something for everyone.

"A lot of directors who are above the title directors, which means you go to see these films because you want to watch the director, Spike Lee, Danny Boyle, David Fincher, M.Night Shyamalan these guys all had films Ron Howard, Gus Van Sant, Christopher Nolan, the best director's in the world, Michel Gondry with Be Kind Rewind, Frank Miller, even though The Spirit was very well received if you were a graphic novel fan those kind of comic book movies were really big this year so there was something for everyone which I really really enjoyed.

"There was Darren Aronofsky as well, the director of The Wrestler, everybody is talking about Mickey Rourke but it was Aronofsky's belief in that project which made it work he fought so hard for Mickey Rourke, the studios all wanted Nicholas Cage to play the role which would have been awful, not that Cage is a bad actor but it wouldn't have been The Wrestler and we wouldn't have had that wonderful performance from Rourke."

However Ben was quick to identify that 2008 lacked the standout more 'classic' movies that seemed to dominate cinema screens and the award ceremonies the year before.

"It wasn't the year of classic cinema like 2007 was with the likes of Into The Wild No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood, those were real cinematic movies, 2008 was a year of really good entertaining movies with Burn After Reading from the Coen Brothers and Vicky Cristina Barcelona from Woody Allen.

"There's another couple of directors to mention, we have mentioned every big director except Scorsese, oh and we had a Spielberg movie with Indiana Jones so every big director worked this year and that is something to remember."

And while there is no doubt that this summer the blockbuster ruled as The Dark Knight stormed to a massive $997 million at the global box office is 2009 going to follow in it's footsteps?

"2009 you are going to see big huge franchise movies coming out; Star Trek is coming out and there's another Harry Potter film, another Transformers movie and GI Joe so you are going to have the return of the huge summer franchise films, not just a big movie because it's the first one in a franchise, but the ones that have been around for a while main brands that are salivating over.

"I know that Martin Scorsese has another movie with Leonardo DiCaprio coming out called Shutter Island which should be a cool one and there's a very funny film, that I went to the set of in New Mexico, called Year One, directed by Harold Ramis, it’s with Jack Black and Michael Cera and they play guys who are walking round in the year one A.D.

"But times are tough with the economy in the States and around the world but the fact that people still want to go and see movies is a good sign that they are making good movies and stuff for everyone to enjoy.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw

Catch Ben Lyons on Live from the Red Carpet: The 2009 Academy Awards on Sunday, 22nd February at 11pm only on E! Entertainment Television (Sky: 151/ Virgin Media: 156)

0Comments | Be the first to comment!