December 6th, 2008

Everyone knows “A Christmas Story,” “Rudolph,” and “It’s a Wonderful Life,” but these are considered “classic” for a reason – they’re from the last century. Below are five films that’ll bring those “Classic Holiday Movies” lists into the modern era.

Elf – Released before Thanksgiving 2003 “Elf” grossed $220,443,451 just in theaters. The site Box Office Mojo ranks it the #3 Christmas movie. But it’s a favorite because real life man child Will Ferrell does what he does best in the starring role – goofs offs and plays. Who can resist the grown-up Santa helper stuck in NYC? Also showing off their talents is Zooey Deschanel with a couple of solos. There’s even a special appearance by Santa.

The Polar Express – What can put a person in the Holiday mood more than a bright eyed child searching for the true spirit of Christmas? That’s the spirit behind “The Polar Express” and what makes it a classic Holiday movie. What makes it modern is how the movie was made. It’s one of the first films to use performance capture technology for the animation and used star Tom Hanks in five different roles, including Santa.

Love Actually – This touching film’s central theme is that “love is all around us.” The beauty of this movie is the many scenarios it takes us through…from newlyweds to a grieving step dad and son, secret crushes to inner office romances, love at first sight for movie stand ins to the Prime Minister and a misunderstanding with the President of the United States. This film has everything including a ton of today’s hottest stars.

The Holiday – “The Holiday” features four of the biggest names in the 21st century – Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet are our dynamic damsels and Jack Black and Jude Law are the heroic hunks that complete this timeless new movie. Who doesn’t need a break from their life? And that’s the central plot – Diaz steps back in time by taking over Winslet’s pad in snowy and quiet England where Winslet finds comfort in Diaz’s uber-modern house in warm LA. There’s love and families, snow and attractive people – what more does a Holiday movie need?

Last Holiday – It’s an inspring film about love and living a full life. A woman, told she has brain tumors and will die soon without surgery, desides to liquidate her assests and live out her days by living it up in the Czech Republic. Living without money worries or insecurities she inspires many along the way and finds true love – and life – in the end. This is a modern classic Holiday film due to the touching performances by the entire cast and the uplifting feeling you’ll have after watching them.

Barbara Walters presented her 16th annual edition of “The Ten Most Fascinating People” Thursday night with a list of some obvious choices and a sprinkling of “huhs?”.

The most obvious choice for No. 1 was President-elect Barack Obama. As Walters said herself, “Who are we going to pick other than President-elect Obama, I mean really?”

Viewers heard more about how Obama is a symbol of hope for America and asked him if the expectations for him to cure the economy and save the planet are too high to which he replied, “I can meet expectations of a government that is competent and honest and every single day is trying to make lives of ordinary Americans better.”

One new thing we learned, however, is that Obama never expected to be President – he wanted to be an architect, basketball player or judge.

Someone who does think he could be President is No. 10 on the list, Will Smith. He could potentially play a President because he said Obama would want Smith to play him in a movie; but, Smith also said if he really wanted to be President he could. “If I absolutely chose to, absolutely,” he said. “But I’m not ever going to choose to. I like being in movies.”

In fact, he’s starring in “Seven Pounds” opening in two weeks, which seemed to be the only reason why he was on Walter’s list.

Tom Cruise, who came in at No. 2, also seemed to be on the list because of his upcoming movie, “Valkryie.” Walters said this time interviewing him he appeared to be a “weathered and wiser Tom Cruise.” He is now keeping mum on his previously outspoken Scientology beliefs and, as Walters said, “He is no longer the boy wonder we fell in love with, the cocky young stud who finds his heart at the last minute or the hero who defeats evil with ease. Now he’s grown into something far more daring and interesting.”

While Smith and Cruise are uber-famous stars, Walters put a low-profile actor, Frank Langella, on her list at No. 4. And surprise, he’s also in a movie coming out: “Frost/Nixon.” Langella is not a star, but Walters said he has finally found stardom with his Tony Award for playing Richard Nixon in a play and now his role in the screen adaptation.

If Walters wanted to pick an actor who has finally made success, she should have picked the No. 1 comeback actor right now, Robert Downey, Jr.

But, at least Langella is honest. In regards to if he wants to win an Oscar he said, “It would be disingenuinous and absurd for an actor to say it doesn’t matter. Of course it does. Very few people win an Oscar. Wouldn’t it be great to be one of them?”

Someone who has won quite a lot of accolades is record-breaking Olympic swimmer, Michael Phelps, who won eight gold medals this year. Enough said there.

Enough also said with No. 8 on the list. Teen sensation Miley Cyrus has her own hit TV show, her new solo album not as Hannah Montana and a hit movie, “Bolt.” Not to mention that little scandal with the photos in “Vanity Fair.” She did admit that she sometimes worries, “Am I just it for now? But I live for the moment so I’m loving this and taking it all in.”

And it wouldn’t be a recap of 2008 without talking about Sarah Palin and her uncanny impersonator, Tina Fey. Walters put Palin at No. 3 because she showed that the celebrity lifecycle applies to politics as well. In under three months she went from, “hopeful unknown, to white hot star, to tarnished disappointment, to comeback tour.”

Fey, who came in at No. 7, didn’t think her impression was mean or sexist towards Palin: “There’s a strange double standard of a woman portraying another woman,” she said. “We stuck to things that at a lot of times she herself said.”

Another political commentator, Rush Limbaugh, made the list at No. 6. The conservative radio host appeared to make the list simply because he was a popular commentator on this year’s election who was one of the few to defend Palin. After some grilling on Walter’s part regarding his opinion on Palin, women aging in our culture and his contract of $38 million a year, Limbaugh described himself as “a harmless, lovable little fuzzball.”

Lastly, the pregnant man, Thomas Beatie, appeared on the list at No. 5. We’ve heard all about how Beatie became a man but used his female reproductive organs to give birth to a baby girl in June. What we did learn, however, is that the pregnant man is now pregnant once more. “You’re going to go through this again?” Walters asked.

All in all, a list of some obvious picks and also some “so whats?” Joy Behar, Walter’s co-host on “The View” also had some bones to pick with the show when she appeared during the end credits.

“What exactly do I have to do to get on this show? Miley Cyrus is 16 years old. I have brassieres older than her. Should I skin a moose? Become a man and then get pregnant? Maybe I’ll jump over a couch.”

Maybe next year, Joy.

The Grammy nominations were announced Wednesday in a new live concert format. Performers included Christina Aguilera, Foo Fighters, and John Mayer with B.B. King. The leading Grammy nominee this year is Lil’ Wayne with eight nominations. (I know what you’re thinking: Lil’ Wayne?!?! The rapper?) Yep.

Wayne’s album, Tha Carter III is this year’s biggest selling album and fittingly, the second biggest sellers, Coldplay, had the next most nominations with seven. The album of the year category looks like this: Weezy (Wayne) with “Tha Carter III;” Coldplay with “Viva la Vida;” Radiohead with “In Rainbows;” Ne-Yo with “Year of the Gentleman;” and Robert Plant/Alison Krauss with “Raising Sand.”

My pick for album of the year is Coldplay’s “La Vida” but knowing the Grammy’s, don’t be surprised to see Robert Plant and Alison Krauss win with an album nobody wants to hear. Sue me for that last comment.

The awards will be announced February 8 on CBS. Go Weezy!

U2 lead singer Bono launched a new music download service this week, and for just $5 a month, fans get lots and lots of great new music.  But forget about that.

Proceeds from redwire.com go toward fighting preventable disease in Africa, diseases like AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.  Bono has long been associated with charitable acts on behalf of the African people, but this may be his most revolutionary move.

The music is distributed weekly: a track from a major artist like Jay-Z, Coldplay, Sheryl Crow, R.E.M., Cat Power, Ziggy Marley, John Legend, or Bob Dylan, and a track from an up and coming artist.  Subscribers also get a bonus video, perhaps someone reading poetry or telling a story.  And subscribers get updates on the direct positive effect their money is having for Africa.

The first artist to contribute a song is U2, of course, covering a Christmas tune called “(I Believe In) Father Christmas.”  The launch site red.msn.com features a video for the song.

At a time when some download services still restrict the use of their music even when it has been purchased, redwire.com allows fans to OWN the music and do whatever they want with it: share it, burn it to CD, or put it on any portable player. 

But that’s not the important part.

Heidi Montag’s mom dished to Us Weekly about her outlook on the quickie marriage between her daughter and Spencer Pratt, two stars from MTV’s The Hills.

“I think it’s the biggest mistake Heidi’s ever made,” Darlene Egelhoff, 46, told Us.

“He’s manipulative and seems to have power over Heidi,” she said in an exclusive interview from her home in Crested Butte, Colorado the day after Montag, 22, blew off Thanksgiving with her family to stay with Pratt, 25, in Cabo San Lucas., the site of her November 20 elopement.

“Spencer has tried to cut everyone out of her life,” Egelhoff told Us. “I’ve been honest with Heidi, and it’s caused our relationship to decline. I’m more devastated about that than the marriage, because I’m confident the marriage won’t work out.”

She suspects the marriage will be over by six months.

“I want the best for my daughter – and he’s definitely not it. I think Spencer wants to possess Heidi more than marry her.”

The new issue of Us Weekly reports, Montag’s attitude toward her mother, “She should be happy I found someone I love,” she said, “Some people go their entire lives without finding that.”

Adds Pratt, who famously calls Egelhoff “Stalker Mom”: “I think her mom needs to take a real fat chill pill and be happy for her.