She Likes to Watch

CGI: You’ve come a long way, baby

Twenty years ago, special effects were a relatively simple affair.

Build a few models and miniatures. Create elaborate matte paintings. Add stop-motion animation, makeup and prosthetics, and piece it all together with trick photography and creative camera angles.

Then came the Golden Age of CGI.

Early attempts like the stained glass knight in “Young Sherlock Holmes,” the morphing animal-woman in “Willow” and the denizens of the deep in “The Abyss” stretched the limits of computer-aided imagery. But it was “Terminator 2″ — James Cameron’s action-packed sequel — that really turned the FX industry on its head.

RottenTomatoes.com lists 20 of the most revolutionary CGI movies in the past two decades, starting with the mega-cool liquid metal T-1000 in “T2.”

Here’s the list. The films are ranked, not in order of importance, but chronologically.

1. “T2″ (1991)
2. “Jurassic Park” (1993)
3. “Toy Story” (1995)
4. “Titanic” (1997)
5. “The Matrix” (1999)
6. “Gladiator” (2000)
7. “Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within” (2001)
8. “Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” (2001)
9. “Finding Nemo” (2003)
10. “Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl” (2003)
11. “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003)
12. “The Day After Tomorrow” (2004)
13. “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” (2004)
14. “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” (2005)
15. “Batman Begins” (2005)
16. “War of the Worlds” (2005)
17. “King Kong” (2005)
18. “Sunshine”(2007)
19. “Beowulf” (2007)
20. “Wall-E” (2008)

As you can tell, computer-generated images have been a huge part of summer blockbusters and holiday season sensations since the mid-1990s.

In some, computer animation actually takes center stage — such as Golem in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy and the title giant ape in “King Kong.”

Without gross Grendel, there’d be no point to “Beowulf’s” 3D roller coaster ride. The same goes for General Grievous in “Revenge of the Sith,” or the alien craft in “War of the Worlds.”

But the CGI bats and bogeys in “Batman Begins”? They’re hardly more than background.

It’s also notable that many of these movies — although pretty — are not particularly good. The flop that was”The Day After Tomorrow” reveals the fallacy of relying on visual effects to carry a film, rather than pesky little things like plot or character development.

A few notable omissions do stand out from this list, such as “The Abyss,” James Cameron’s earliest foray into CGI.

What about “Cloverfield,” the monster movie that got bloggers in a tither earlier this year?

There’s also no mention of two of my favorite special effects extravaganzas of the summer, “The Incredible Hulk” and “Hellboy 2: The Golden Army.”

Could it be that CGI is finally blasé?

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Photo courtesy of MovieWeb.com.

It’s the Holy Grail of all auctions

Want to own a piece of Hollywood history?

This week, movie fans can bid online for props, costumes, scripts and posters ranging from The Lone Ranger’s pearl-handled revolvers (starting at $4,000 for the pair) to a mechanical Velociraptor from “Jurassic Park III” ($80,000).

The live Internet auction is being organized by Profiles in History of Calabasas, Calif.

How’d you like to get your hands on a phaser used by William Shatner in “Star Trek”?

What about a helmet from “CHiPs”? James Bond’s cufflinks? C-3PO’s feet from “Star Wars”? Or Lou Ferrigno’s prosthetic nose from “The Incredible Hulk” television series?

Even the Holy Grail used in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” is up for grabs. It’s a steal with bids starting at $20,000.

For as much as $50,000, you can purchase the “Ten Commandments” tablets that Moses himself (aka Charlton Heston) brought down from Mount Sinai.

Although most of the auctions items tend to run in the thousands of dollars, there are a few for relatively cheap. For instance, you could own a lobby card for 1962’s “Lolita” for a mere $200.

Click on this link for a closer look at the hundreds of items for sale. The auction ends 11 p.m. Thursday (Pacific Standard Time).

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You’ll notice that the same guy is modeling most of the men’s costumes up for auction, everything from Christopher Reeves’ “Superman” suit to the Sabertooth costume from “X-Men.” Lucky stiff.

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Photo courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com.

I love celebrity cameos.

Whenever famous faces pop up in films, I’m always abuzz with anticipation. What will they say? What will they do? Will they tap into a familiar on-screen persona or, even more delightfully, play themselves?

More often than not, they steal the show.

Naturally, whenever I get a great idea, the Onion A.V. Club has done it first. Better. And with video clips.

Click here for 19 stellar “one-scene wonders,” courtesy of the A.V. Club.

(A warning: Not all of these picks come with videos, but those that do feature occasional foul language. Headphones required.)

The short list, for all you lazybones out there, is as follows:

1. Alec Baldwin in “Glengarry Glen Ross”
2. Ray Charles in “The Blues Brothers”
3. Pamela Anderson in “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan”
4. Dean Stockwell in “Blue Velvet” (David Lynch film No. 1)
5. Janeane Garofalo in “The Cable Guy” (one of my personal favorites)
6. David Letterman in “Cabin Boy”
7. Billy Ray Cyrus in “Mulholland Dr.” (David Lynch film No. 2)
8. Ned Beatty in “Network”
9. Chris Rock in “I’m Gonna Get You Sucka”
10. Topher Grace in “Ocean’s Eleven”
11. David Spade in “Reality Bites” (another gem)
12. Sammy Davis Jr. in “Sweet Charity”
13. Vanessa Redgrave in “Atonement”
14. Charlie Sheen in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”
15. David Bowie in “Zoolander”
16. John Carroll Lynch in “Zodiac”
17. Charles Fleisher in “Zodiac” (That’s right, the voice of Roger Rabbit)
18. Samuel L. Jackson in “Kill Bill, Vol. 2″
19. William Hurt in “A History of Violence” (What a ham)

What do you think, readers? What celebrity cameos would make your list?

The last woman in America to see “Sex and the City: The Movie” weighs in

There is sex in “Sex and the City: The Movie,” and plenty of it.

Nudity abounds, from Miranda’s pale, freckle-flecked breasts to the bouncing buttocks and bosoms of Samantha’s naughty neighbors. We see much of Samantha’s famous cleavage, Carrie’s muscular stems and Charlotte’s taut tummy. There’s even a shadowy male organ, courtesy of the aforementioned next-door hottie.

Not bad for a show that hit the airwaves a decade ago.

Although the characters are older and, one would hope, wiser, “Sex and the City” plays like a thrill-filled season finale. There are shocking reveals, touchy-feely gabfests. Every woman in the film gets her Big Moment (or, in Carrie’s case, her Mr. Big moments).

Each scene fades black in a way that whispers “commercial break.”

Most importantly, the big-screen version of “Sex” has all the elements that made the HBO series such girly fun: the fashion, the shoes, the bedroom talk. (A cameo by “Dreamgirls” star Jennifer Hudson is particularly fun.)

It may be the made-for-TV format, however, that makes “Sex” ultimately forgettable.

Most of the movie’s biggest moments cruise by at breakneck speed. If growing up is the point of the movie — marriage, fidelity, children and all those thorny adult issues — why aren’t we allowed to watch the characters grow?

Instead we get two back-to-back episodes, glued together with occasionally jokey writing and a wandering script.

Also missing from the equation is New York City itself. Although “Sex” gives us a few glances of New York landmarks and carefully cordoned-off streets, the cast seems to spend much its time on soundstages or in thinly disguised California (Mexico? Ha!).

Where’s the grit? The heartbreak? All we get is bare boobs and a poop joke.

No matter how fabulous the gals look in their designer dresses and Louis Vuitton purses, “Sex” just doesn’t seem sexy enough to me.

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“Sex and the City: The Movie” is currently showing at Downtown Centre Cinema in San Luis Obispo, Regal Cinemas in Arroyo Grande and Park Cinemas in Paso Robles.

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Photo courtesy of MovieWeb.com.

Niiiice! Borat made the top of Rotten Tomatoes’ list.

With the big-screen adaption of “Get Smart” around the corner, it’s time once again to turn our attention to television.

Movie review site Rotten Tomatoes.com takes a look at the 50 best TV adaptations, examining shows that made the smoothest transition from the boob tube to the silver screen.

Although some of these picks are debatable (”Starsky and Hutch,” “Star Trek: Insurrection”) , others are pure cinema gold — “The Blues Brothers,” “Wayne’s World” and “Mission: Impossible” come to mind.

One of my personal favorites? That Technicolor camp classic, 1966’s “Batman: The Movie.”

Since Rotten Tomatoes does indeed list 50 films, I’ll give you a sneak peak at the Top 10. (A warning: The nerd factor is very, very high.)

10. “The Muppet Movie” (1979): Jim Henson’s plush creations make their big-screen debut in this lighthearted, funny family film. Celebrity cameos abound.

9. “The Wild Thornberrys Movie” (2002): Plucky Eliza Thornberry and her chimpanzee pal set out to stop evil poachers in the big-screen version of the popular Nickelodeon cartoon.

8. “South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut” (1999): Ruder, cruder and just as hilarious as the mega-popular Comedy Central series.

7. “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” (1982): Admiral Kirk and crew battle a megalomanic “superman” (Ricardo Montalban) with the ability to forge worlds. “Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!!”

6. “Star Trek: First Contact” (1996): The “Next Generation” crew of the Enterprise travel back in time to prevent mankind from making contact with nasty aliens. Naturally.

5. “Serenity” (2005): Joss Whedon’s short-lived but brilliant “Firefly” finds new life as a science fiction flick. Can you say “space Western”?

4. “The Fugitive” (1993): Action-packed thriller about a doctor (Harrison Ford at his finest) fleeing the law for a crime he didn’t commit.

3. “The Simpsons Movie” (2007): America’s favorite dysfunctional family dishes out satire, smarts and laughs in the feature-length version of Fox’s popular show.

2. “Traffic” (2000): Few remember the 1989 British mini-series, but this intense, in-depth look at the international drug trade is outstanding.

1. “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazahkstan” (2006): Sacha Baron Cohen is shamelessly hilarious in this no-holds-barred mockumentary about our nation’s social foibles.

What do you think? Do these movies deserve to be at the top of the list?

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Photo courtesy of MovieWeb.com.

What’s more romantic than a movie under the stars?

Shell Beach’s ultra-luxe hotel, Dolphin Bay Resort and Spa, is appealing to lovebirds this summer with Cinema Under the Stars.

Every other Wednesday, the seaside resort will screen a romantic film outdoors.

The series begins tonight with the classic “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” starring Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard. Next up is “West Side Story” on June 18.

Lawn seating is free and open to the public (no chairs allowed). Since there’s a ban on outside food or beverages, Dolphin Bay has a concession stand available.

Wealthier moviegoers may want to consider a three-course dinner and “preferred patio seating,” yours for $49 a pop, plus tax and gratuity. Meals are served at 7 p.m., an hour before the film starts.

“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” plays at 8 p.m. tonight at Dolphin Bay Resort and Spa, 2727 Shell Beach Road in Shell Beach.

For more information, call773-8900 or visit www.thedolphinbay.com.

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For those who prefer blood, guts and glory to all that mushy stuff, the Palm Theatre is screening Quentin Tarantino’s fierce “Reservoir Dogs.”

Part of the Palm Wednesday movie series, “Reservoir Dogs” centers around six crooks who turn on each other when a jewel heist goes awry.

With its high body count, retro soundtrack and hip anti-heroes , the 1992 movie launched Tarantino’s career as indie auteur and influenced scores of young filmmakers. Try finding a modern crime movie that doesn’t make a reference to anonymous hoods in matching black suits.

“Reservoir Dogs” also won a spot in cinematic history for one notably cringe-worthy scene: Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) cuts off a captive police officer’s ear and douses him with gasoline — all while singing along to “Stuck in the Middle with You” by Stealer’s Wheel.

Yuck.

As Madsen told The Tribune in March, much of the movie-going public still recognizes him as the sadistic Mr. Blonde.

“It’s pretty mind-boggling to me how this one performance I did years ago, has completely isolated itself in everyone’s mind,” he said. “I’ve made 72 pictures and 99 percent of the time the only one people actually want to talk to me about is ‘Reservoir Dogs.’”

To be fair, Madsen’s roles include the dad in “Free Willy,” mafioso Sonny Black in “Donnie Brasco” and a corrupt cop in “Sin City.” But Mr. Blonde definitely stands out.

Catch Mr. Blonde, Mr. Pink, Mr. Orange and all the other colors tonight at the Palm Theatre, 817 Palm St. in San Luis Obispo.

Shows are at 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. Tickets are $7.50.

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“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” poster courtesy of MovieWeb.com. “Reservoir Dogs” photo courtesy of MyFilmo.com.