The Screengrab : thursday morning poll

Thursday Morning Poll for October 23, 2008

Paul Clark — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Reader Steve C. accused me of being a sadist due to last week’s poll, in which I asked readers which of George A. Romero’s Dead movies was their favorite. But (somewhat spurious) charges of sadism notwithstanding, the Romero poll saw perhaps the most decisive win of any Thursday Morning Poll to date. A full two-thirds of Screengrab readers selected 1978’s gorefest/consumerism satire Dawn of the Dead as their favorite of the franchise, followed by Night and Day. The more recent entries in the series, Land and Diary, received no love whatsoever, but while neither of them is up to the high standard set by the original trilogy, I have a soft spot for Land, which almost feels like the best John Carpenter movie that Carpenter never made. If nothing else, it’s the best Carpenter movie in the last two decades (since They Live, of course).

In conjunction with both the upcoming Presidential election and the recent release of Oliver Stone’s W., I thought a Presidential quiz was in order for this week. But while I struggled to come up with a suitable topic, it dawned on me that Josh Brolin wasn’t the first member of his family to portray an actual President. A few years ago Josh’s dear old dad, James “Paging Mr. Herman” Brolin, essayed the role of Ronald Reagan in a much-ballyhooed and controversial miniseries, The Reagans. In light of this realization, I decided this was the only logical question for this week’s quiz. So, I ask you- which Brolin do you think was more Presidential?

Which Brolin was more Presidential? | BuzzDash polls

As always, the comments section is open. So exercise your right to vote, and we’ll see you next week!

Thursday Morning Poll for September 16, 2008

Paul Clark — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Well, looks like the Russell Crowe name just isn’t what it used to be. In conjunction with last weekend’s release of Body of Lies, we decided to poll you folks on your favorite Crowe/Ridley Scott collaboration. But just as Body of Lies tanked at the box office, so most of you were less than enthusiastic about this poll subject. Predictably, our readers’ top choice was their Oscar-winning Gladiator, which brought in 45% of the vote. But more telling is that 36% of you voted for “none of the above.” What gives, folks? Was it the phone-throwing incident or the Thirty Odd Foot of Grunts fiasco that soured you on Crowe?

For this week’s poll, a question about one of the filmmakers most often associated with horror- George A. Romero. Romero has recently announced that he’s going to be making a sixth film in the Dead franchise. And although I think he might have gone to the zombie well one too many times already, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t eager to see what else he has up his sleeve. But until that film sees the light of day, we’ve still got five other entries- some classics, others not so much- to discuss and debate their relative merits. So, I’ll put it to you- what’s the best Romero Dead movie?

Which of Romero's DEAD films is your favorite? | BuzzDash polls

Try not to hurt your BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAINS! choosing a favorite. As always, the comments section is open. See you next week!

Thursday Morning Poll for October 9, 2008

Paul Clark — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Last week, in honor of Paul Newman, we run a poll to determine which of Newman’s performances was your favorite. Based on our findings, it appears that the resounding favorite of Screengrab’s readership was Newman’s work as Fast Eddie Felson in The Hustler. Newman’s iconic turn in Robert Rossen’s classic low-key poolroom drama was chosen by 40% of readers, followed by his autumnal performance as Sully in Nobody’s Fool (27%) and his work as the first of the two titles characters in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (20%). Bringing up the rear was a tie between the world-class SOB title role in Hud and the “wild, beautiful” protagonist of Cool Hand Luke. But can you really go wrong with any of these performances?

This week marks the release of Body of Lies, the fourth collaboration between filmmaker Ridley Scott and his star of choice, Russell Crowe. Since directing Crowe to an Oscar in Gladiator, the two have worked together three more times. So which of the films they’ve made together is your favorite?

Favorite Scott/Crowe collaboration? | BuzzDash polls

As always, the comments section is open. See you next week!

Thursday Morning Poll for October 2, 2008

Paul Clark — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:30:00 GMT

Last week, Screengrab’s intrepid writing staff unveiled its list of the greatest war movies ever made, and topping our list was Jean Renoir’s Grand Illusion. But when we asked the readers to pick their favorite, they settled upon something a little more American. So cue up the Wagner and break out your surfboard, because according to our readership, the greatest war movie of all is none other than Francis Ford Coppola’s incendiary Apocalypse Now, which outpaced Renoir’s film 33% to 25%. Tying for #3 were Robert Altman’s MASH and Stanley Kubrick’s Paths of Glory with 17% apiece, and bringing up the rear was Casablanca, a fine movie but undoubtedly the least war movie-ish of the bunch.

This week, we remember the late Paul Newman. Earlier today, we ran our picks of Newman’s greatest performances, and now we’ll let you choose your favorites from our top five choices. Which of these films represented Newman’s finest hours?

Favorite Paul Newman performance? | BuzzDash polls

As always, the comments section is open. See you next week!

Thursday Mor... er, Evening Poll for September 25, 2008

Paul Clark — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 22:30:00 GMT

Sorry about that, folks. Due to the massive wind storms that struck Ohio and surrounding states last week, my power was out for most of the week. Consequently, what with the scrambling to locate precious bags of ice, non-perishable food, and candles, I was unable to connect to the Internet to post a poll for you folks. Rest assured that I’ll do everything in my power not to let it happen again, although truth be told there wasn’t much I could do this time around. Anyway, moving on to the results of our last poll, which asked readers their favorite of the summer’s biggest moneymakers. Once again, Screengrab’s readership has shown its love for Pixar’s WALL-E, which brought in a mighty 60% of the vote, followed by The Dark Knight and Iron Man, with 20% apiece. No love whatsoever for Indiana Jones 4 or Hancock. As for the bonus poll asking you how many of the films in question you managed to see, 29% had seen all five, and everyone else polled had seen three or more.

This week’s poll is presented in conjunction with our list of the greatest war movies ever made. Now that the writing staff of The Screengrab settled on its choices for the top five war movies, it’s your turn. Which of Screengrab’s “best” war movies is your favorite?

Which is your favorite? | BuzzDash polls

As always, feel free to sound off in the comments section. See you next week (fingers crossed)!

Thursday Morning Poll for September 11, 2008

Paul Clark — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:00:00 GMT

With the year two-thirds over, we thought it was a good time to look back at some of the most acclaimed titles of 2008 so far. But while IMDb users and tough-talking bands of blog commenters are largely in agreement that The Dark Knight is pretty much the greatest thing ever (or at least since The Shawshank Redemption), it might come as a surprise that the Screengrab readership does not concur with this opinion. To wit: in last week’s poll of the top five best-reviewed major releases of 2008 (according to Rotten Tomatoes), the winner was Pixar’s latest contemporary classic, Wall-E, which brought in 39% of the vote. Furthermore, The Dark Knight actually tied for second (22% of the vote apiece) with a film that was never released on more than fifty screens at any given time, last year’s Palme d’Or winner 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days. As for me, I cast my vote for the James Marsh’s thrilling documentary Man on Wire, which came in a solid fourth (17%) but at least fared better than Best Foreign Language Film Oscar-winner The Counterfeiters, which garnered no votes whatsoever.

This week, in conjunction with my colleague Andrew Osborne’s run-down of the biggest hits and flops of the summer, we get your opinions on the hottest tickets from the last four months. As you might have guessed, two of the titles this week were also included in last week’s poll, but we’re hoping that perhaps some of you Iron Man fans out there were waiting for your chance to cast your vote here. So, which of the summer’s biggest box-office winners was your favorite?

Favorite of this summer's biggest blockbusters? | BuzzDash polls

In addition, we’d like to know how many of the summer’s reigning blockbusters you managed to see.

How many of the blockbusters in question did you see? | BuzzDash polls

As always, the comments section is open. See you next week!

Thursday Morning Poll for September 4, 2008

Paul Clark — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:00:00 GMT

As a companion piece to Woody Allen’s new film Vicky Cristina Barcelona, I used last week’s poll to spotlight the European works of Woody Allen. And while Woody has consistently begun making movies overseas in the past few years after more than three decades specializing in the New York scene, it should surprise no one that the favorite Euro-Woody film of Screengrab readers was the sole eligible film from his “early, funny” years, 1975’s Love and Death. Allen’s gag-filled satire of Russian literature brought in 53% of the vote, followed by his UK debut, Match Point, with 27%. Cassandra’s Dream and Scoop brought in 13% and 7% respectively, while Vicky Cristina garnered no votes whatsoever. So much for the persuasive power of Scarlett Johansson and Penelope Cruz kissing.

This week, as we look forward to the fall “prestige movie season”, it does us good to look back at the best movies of the first eight months of the year. Spring and summer 2008 have brought us a number of very good arthouse releases, plus a better crop of summer movies than we’ve seen in a while. But which are the best? I checked on Rotten Tomatoes to find the most acclaimed films of the year that have received a minimum of 100 rated reviews on the site. The five contenders this week are a diverse bunch, but which is your favorite of the five?

Which do you prefer? | BuzzDash

So, what’ll it be? The latest release from the Pixar animation juggernaut? The Palme d’Or winning Romanian abortion drama? An inventive documentary about the man who walked the tightrope between the Twin Towers? The Oscar-winner for Best Foreign-Language Film? Or will it be the most buzzed-about superhero blockbuster in, well, ever? You decide. And remember, the comments section is open. See you next week!

Thursday Morning Poll for August 27, 2008

Paul Clark — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Now that Tropic Thunder has ruled as America’s top grossing movie for two straight weekends, it’s clear that the Ben Stiller name still means box office. Yet amidst the hype for Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Cruise (and the free press courtesy of mental health advocates), it’s easy to forget that Stiller directed the film in addition to starring in it. But for all the audience love that Tropic Thunder has received so far, the Stiller-directed film that reigns supreme in the hearts of Screengrab readers is 2001’s Zoolander, which outpaced Tropic Thunder (35% to 25%) in last week’s poll. Coming in third with 20% was Stiller’s underappreciated dark comedy The Cable Guy, with Reality Bites and the pilot for the never-picked-up series Heat Vision and Jack bringing up the rear.

This week, in conjunction with the recent release of Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona, we take a look at the Woodman’s European period. Following a long career as the cinematic spokesperson for the neurotic, affluent New York mentality, Allen’s has made his last four films overseas with predominantly non-American crews and casts, Scarlett Johansson notwithstanding. For this week’s Thursday Morning Poll, we’re asking you which of Allen’s European films you prefer, taking into account his last four completed projects and an “early, funny” classic that also got made primarily outside the United States. So, which is your favorite?

Favorite European Woody Allen film? | BuzzDash

As always, the comments section is open. See you next week!

Thursday Morning Poll for August 21, 2008

Paul Clark — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:00:00 GMT

I had the chance to attend a talk given by David Gordon Green earlier this year, and like practically everyone else who’s seen him speak, I was charmed by his boyish, easygoing manner. Like Richard Linkater, Green sends out a very laid-back vibe that makes you want to listen to him, especially when he ventures from the ostensible topic of conversation. But none of this would matter if Green wasn’t also one hell of a filmmaker, which thankfully he is. When we polled Screengrab readers about their favorite Green film, his beguiling 2003 relationship story All the Real Girls narrowly edged out his feature debut George Washington, 43% to 36%. All of his other features- the Southern chase saga Undertow, 2007’s Snow Angels, and Green’s recent mainstream debut Pineapple Express- tied at 7%. Seems that Screengrab readers, by and large, prefer Green’s earlier works, although all bets are off after he makes his alleged next project, a quasi-remake of Dario Argento’s Suspiria.

Green might seem an unlikely filmmaker to direct a broad Hollywood comedy, but the same couldn’t be said of the subject of this week’s poll. With Ben Stiller’s Tropic Thunder recently becoming the first film in over a month to top the box office with a title that doesn’t rhyme with “The Clark Blight,” we figured the time was right to do a poll on movies Stiller has directed to date. We’ve included not only Stiller’s big-screen features but also his pilot for the never-picked-up series Heat Vision and Jack, which has become a kind of cult favorite. So, which film de Ben Stiller is your favorite?

Favorite Ben Stiller directorial effort? | BuzzDash

As always, the comments section is open. See you next week!

Thursday Morning Poll for August 7, 2008

Paul Clark — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:00:00 GMT

With Batmania at an all-time high, we took last week’s poll as an excuse to explore your reactions to the film. And while IMDb users are laboring under the impression that The Dark Knight is the greatest movie of all time, most Screengrab viewers believe otherwise. In fact, the majority of voters stated that the movie was either “pretty darn awesome” or “good, but not THAT good,” with each of those choices taking in 36% of the vote. The “balls-out masterpiece” contingent was represented as well, with 18%, whereas we received no votes whatsoever for “what’s the big deal?” As for the 11% of you who have yet to see the movie, I find myself a little taken aback that there’s Internet access under that rock where you’ve been living.

For this week’s poll, we consider the career of Pineapple Express director David Gordon Green. Prior to his unlikely alliance with Judd Apatow, Green specialized in independent dramas that weren’t widely seen but which won him a fiercely loyal fan base. So we ask you- which Green film is your favorite?

Favorite David Gordon Green movie? | BuzzDash

As always, the comments section is open. I’ll be on vacation next week, so the poll will return two Thursdays from now with more polling goodness. Enjoy!

Thursday Morning Poll for July 31, 2008

Paul Clark — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:00:00 GMT

On the heels of Quentin Tarantino’s recently announced Inglorious Bastards, we polled Screengrab readers about their favorite QT project to date. As expected, the favorite among our readers was his much feted 1994 Palme d’Or winner and Oscar nominee, Pulp Fiction. With 45% of the vote, Pulp bested all comers, with the second-place finisher, the Kill Bill saga, pulling in 27%, followed by a tie between Reservoir Dogs and Jackie Brown. Alas, no one went to the mat for Death Proof, which came across as second-tier QT to most fans and a summation of everything that rankled his detractors. Here’s hoping Bastards finds him at the top of his game again.

This week, we take on the Dark Knight hype, which has become more or less inescapable. As with many a pop culture phenomenon nowadays, Dark Knight fever caught on like wildfire, emerging atop the IMDb Top 250 Movies list by the end of its opening weekend. Then, just as quickly, the backlash began. Not even two weeks into its release, it seems like everyone around the blogosphere has an opinion on the movie, not to mention the hype. So, where do you stand?

Which most accurately describes your opinion of THE DARK KNIGHT? | BuzzDash

As always, the comments section is open. See you next week!

Thursday Morning Poll for July 24, 2008

Paul Clark — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:00:00 GMT

After a few hotly-contested polls these past weeks, I decided to go for a change of pace last week by posting a poll with a fairly obvious winner. In the race for which 18 July release would be pulling in the hard-earned dollars of the Screengrab readership, the clear winner was The Dark Knight, which took 53% of the vote compared to Mamma Mia’s 5%, tying it with “both of them” and Space Chimps for last place. As for me, my vote went to second-place finisher “Neither of Them”, but only because my schedule wouldn’t permit me to watch it with my girlfriend until Tuesday. I supposed I was a little behind the curve, but I won’t complain too much. After all, my girlfriend had no desire to see Mamma Mia!, or Sex and the City for that matter. Yeah, she’s pretty awesome.

Moving on to this week’s poll… ever since Quentin Tarantino actually set down the bong and wrote the screenplay to his long “in development” war movie Inglorious Bastards, the blogosphere has been abuzz about the possibility of an honest-to-goodness new QT movie. So this week, we’re looking back on his relatively short but nonetheless illustrious career. Which of his feature film projects is your favorite?

Due to space limitations (our polling software only allows us five choices), I’ve combined Kill Bill into one project, since QT was working on them simultaneously, and didn’t bother with Quentin’s supposedly lost “first film” My Best Friend’s Birthday altogether. Also, I didn’t include a “None of the Above” choice because if you don’t like any Tarantino movies, then you’re most likely at the wrong blog. Sorry, haters.

As always, the comments section is open. See you next week!

Thursday Morning Poll for July 17, 2008

Paul Clark — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Last week, I beseeched our readers to consider the damn-near-perfect filmography of actor John Cazale, star of five classics of 70s Hollywood cinema. And the readers responded accordingly, declaring their favorite Cazale performance to be in The Godfather, Part II. Cazale’s second incarnation of Fredo garnered an impressive 54% of the vote, with second-place finisher (and my personal favorite) Dog Day Afternoon scoring 19%. I suppose there’s a lesson here- quality aside, you really can’t mess with a Godfather movie. But at least you folks picked the right one, rather than his relatively small role in the original film.

This week brings two potential blockbusters that appeal to very different audiences. But which holds more appeal for the Screengrab readership?

As always, the comments section is open. See you next week!

Thursday Morning Poll for July 10, 2008

Paul Clark — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Last week, we celebrated Independence Day, which just so happens to be the name of both the holiday and the movie that made Will Smith a box-office titan. Yet when polled as to which July 4 Weekend release they preferred, Screengrab readers overwhelming chose his blockbuster from the following summer, 1997’s Men in Black. Alien-bustin’ beat out E.T-asswhuppin’ by a vote of 73% to 23%, with this summer’s Hancock accounting for the other 4%. At least no one voted for Wild Wild West or Men in Black II- that would’ve just been wrong.

This week’s poll is what you might call a real heartbreaker. A few days ago, I was having a conversation about actors with some friends when the question arose, “has there ever been an actor who never made a bad movie?” I thought for a few seconds, then it dawned on me- John Cazale. Not counting a 1962 short titled The American Way and archival footage from The Godfather, Part III, Cazale’s feature film career was one classic after another. Hell, even the Academy thought so, giving three of the movies Best Picture and nominating the other two for the same award. But while everyone has their favorite movie in which he appeared, I’m more curious as to what our readership’s favorite Cazale performance might be.

To me, this is a pretty easy question- one word: “Wyoming”- but you might disagree. And that, as always, is what the comments section is for. See you next week!

Thursday Morning Poll for July 3, 2008

Paul Clark — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:00:00 GMT

It took almost three months, but it’s finally happened- it’s a tie! When polled about their favorite of Entertainment Weekly’s Top 5 Movies of the last 25 years, Screengrab voters overwhelmingly chose the critics’ favorites over the crowd-pleasers. After a tight race, it was Blue Velvet (my pick) and Pulp Fiction in a dead heat, garnering between them all but two of the votes, which were claimed by the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Even with the release of WALL*E, it appears that Pixar’s inaugural feature Toy Story couldn’t get any love, and the Titanic reassessment is just going to have to wait until next year’s release of Jim Cameron’s Avatar.

Just in time for the holiday weekend, we’re getting’ jiggy with Mr. July 4th himself, Will Smith. After years of non-Independence Day releases, Smith returns to the weekend that made him a superstar to reclaim his throne. To commemorate the occasion, we’re polling you- our loyal readers- for your favorite of his movies released on the weekend of or preceding July 4, which rules out such later-July releases as I, Robot and Bad Boys II. Sorry, Nick Frost.

As always, the comments section is open for you to sound off on your thoughts. I’m especially curious to hear from anyone who would defend Wild Wild West because, I mean, come on.

Thursday Morning Poll for June 26, 2008

Paul Clark — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Well, it’s about time we had a close poll. After weeks of runaway favorite, last week’s question on your preferences re: the Hulk franchise failed to yield a definitive winner. Of the choices, 35% of respondents preferred Ang Lee’s take on the comic book, as compared to 25% for Louis Leterrier’s. 5% like them both about the same, while another 25% professed their shared displeasure for both films. Finally 10% of those answering showed their true colors (green, of course) by voicing their love for Lou Ferrigno’s incarnation of the character. What does this prove? You tell me. Maybe nothing.

Earlier this week, I took Entertainment Weekly to task for some of the, well, poor choices they made for their list of the 100 best films of the last 25 years. Yet some of the films they picked were deserving, right? So of EW’s top five films on the list, which do you prefer?

As always, the comments section is open, especially if, like me, you want to bitch some more about the list. Believe me, I understand.

Thursday Morning Poll for June 19, 2008

Paul Clark — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Back in 2000, M. Night Shyamalan boldly predicted that Unbreakable would be a smash hit like his previous film, The Sixth Sense. However, this didn’t happen, with the superhero-themed thriller drawing modest box office compared to its predecessor. However, judging by the results of last week’s poll, the film has a strong following, at least compared to Shyamalan’s other work, with Unbreakable bringing in an impressive 60% of the vote, and Signs a distant second. As always, Lady in the Water is the unwanted child in Shyamalan’s filmography, although the reaction to The Happening has been as negative as the critical reaction to Lady, if not more so. What did you folks think of his latest release?

This week, we’re asking for your thoughts on the relative merits of the Hulk movies. Does the new version smash Ang Lee’s, or does it just make you angry? Pick the choice that most closely reflects your thoughts on the franchise.

As always, the comments section is open for your thoughts. See you next week!

Thursday Morning Poll for June 12, 2008

Paul Clark — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:00:00 GMT

While Sex and the City has shaped up to be summer’s biggest surprise hit so far, it’s not getting much love from Screengrab readers. To wit: 60% of those polled stated that they would never see Sex and the City, “not even if you paid me.” The next highest vote-getter was “significant other dragged/will drag me”, and a whopping none of you chose “movie event of the summer!” As if the movie’s drop to #4 at the box office wasn’t indication enough, it appears that S&TC fervor has already peaked. Whether or not that’s a good thing I’ll let you decide.

This week brings the release of M. Night Shyamalan’s latest film, The Happening. Whether you’re a fan of Shyamalan’s work, it’s hard to deny that he’s made a dent in popular culture in the way few filmmakers do nowadays. Whether you think of him as the young tyro who turned a kid with a ghostly secret into the runaway success of The Sixth Sense, the filmmaker whose unique visual style is too often called upon to compensate for his overly gimmicky plots, or the tireless self-promoter whose ubiquity eventually began to eclipse his films, we’ve all got an opinion on the guy. Similarly, we’ve all got a favorite offering of his in the genre that made him famous, the thriller. So which Shyamalan suspense film is your favorite?

As always, comments like “never liked the guy,” “it all went downhill after Wide Awake,” “why didn’t you wait until The Happening came out in my opinion,” or any passionate defenses of Respect the Narf and Tame the Scrunt Lady in the Water are greatly appreciated.

Thursday Morning Poll for June 5, 2008

Paul Clark — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Well, the Rambo fans have spoken, and it’s been determined that Screengrab’s favorite Rambo adventures are First Blood and… er, Son of Rambow. The initial Rambo adventure- which some may recall was originally slated to star Dustin Hoffman and be directed by Mike Nichols!- eked out a win in last week’s poll, taking 46% of the vote. Coming in a close second with 38% was the Stallone-free Son of Rambow, a sweet little British movie about kids who decide to make their own low-budget version of the original. All well and good, I suppose, but why not more love for the awkwardly-titled fourth installment, Rambo? Yes, it was ridiculous to see the sixtysomething Sly sticking it to the Burmese military, but it was so violent and crazy that it was pretty irresistible. To me, anyway.

With the $57 million opening weekend gross for the Sex and the City movie, it’s become next to impossible for even the straightest of guys to deny that the film has become a phenomenon. As much ink as been spilled over the movie, both by people who’ve seen it and people who haven’t, it’s clear that everyone has an opinion on Sex and the City. So what’s yours?

“S.O.” stands for “Significant Other”, in case you couldn’t guess. And as always, feel free to share your thoughts in greater detail in the comments section below.

Thursday Morning Poll for May 29, 2008

Paul Clark — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:00:00 GMT

In what was the biggest landslide of any Thursday Morning Poll to date, Raiders of the Lost Ark was the runaway favorite among the Indiana Jones movies, as chosen by our faithful Screengrab readers. I could have predicted that, but what I could not have predicted was that 78% of you would go for it. Nor could I have predicted that there would be more non-Indy fans than defenders of Temple of Doom and Crystal Skull, to say nothing of Last Crusade, which garnered no votes whatsoever in the favorites poll. Meanwhile, in a somewhat closer race, Temple proved to be the least favorite installment of our readership, whose ears were no doubt still ringing from all that Kate Capshaw screeching. I don't necessarily agree, but I certainly can understand.

This week, we move from one aging action hero to another, to commemorate the release of Rambo on DVD, as well as the recent theatrical bow of the Sly-free Son of Rambow. So which Rambo adventure is your favorite?

As always, your remarks are welcome in the comments section.

Thursday Morning Poll for May 22, 2008

Paul Clark — Thu, 22 May 2008 14:00:00 GMT

As I suspected last week, there really aren’t too many good movies with Prince in the title. However, there were enough good ones to make last week’s poll fairly close. In a tight race, John Carpenter’s Prince of Darkness eked past Sidney Lumet’s Prince of the City by a single vote, with Lubtisch’s The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg trailing close behind in third. Along with also-rans Prince of Egypt and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, there was also some love shown to Hammer’s Dracula: Prince of Darkness, though none for the Mario Lanza version of Student Prince. And yeah, I totally forgot about The Prince of Tides. My bad.

Seeing as how this is Indiana Jones week, I thought the topic of this morning’s poll would be fairly obvious. After all, most of us love Indy, but nobody loves all of his movies the same. Which one is your favorite?

And since the first poll could very well be a landslide, go ahead and weigh in on your least favorite as well:

Naturally, I hope you folks will wait to see Crystal Skull before voting, but that’s up to you. And as always, feel free to chime in down there in the comments section.

Thursday Morning Poll for May 15, 2008

Paul Clark — Thu, 15 May 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Last week, we attempted to decide once and for all the ongoing battle between the fans of Paul Thomas Anderson and the Wes Anderson lovers of the world. The resultant poll yielded victory for P.T. (who benefited at least in part from his most recent film being better-received than Wes’), who got 55% of the vote to Wes’ 36%. Finishing a distant third was Sweden’s Roy Andersson, not a bad figure under the circumstances, especially considering he’s one of the few world-class directors who’s actually made fewer films than either PT or Wes. As expected, our attempts to turn Brad and Paul W.S. into the Ralph Nader and Lyndon LaRouche of the Anderson poll bore no fruit.

With Prince Caspian coming out this weekend, I took some time to think of other “Prince”-titled movies in film history, and I came to the conclusion that there really aren’t that many good ones. I suppose that makes a certain amount of sense- most movies are made by men, most men would rather be a king than a prince, “prince” sounds kind of childish and wussy, and so on. However, there have been at least a handful of memorable ones, some due to quality, others for simply being so damned ubiquitous on their original release that we couldn’t possibly forget them. So for this week’s pool- from this admittedly limited selection of “Prince”-ly movies, select your favorite.

As always, if you feel like we’ve left out something important (and I’m sure we have) or you just want to share your love for American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince or The Prince & Me, the comments are open.

Thursday Morning Poll for May 8, 2008

Paul Clark — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:00:00 GMT

With Iron Man rocking the box office last weekend, the summer movie season is officially in full swing. But with all of the goodies coming our way in the next three months or so, it’s pretty clear what the hottest tickets will be this summer, if your voting is any indication. Throughout the week, the poll for the predicted box-office champ this summer ran neck and neck, but in the end The Dark Knight prevailed, beating Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull by a 50% to 45% margin. The only other film to garner even one vote? The already-playing Iron Man. But you know what the best thing about this summer is? That no matter which of these three ends up on top, the winner is almost guaranteed to be better than last summer’s highest grossers: Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third, and Transformers.

As for the predicted losers, you folks ended up spreading the wealth a bit more, but the winner was no less clear: the atrocious-looking Mike Myers vehicle The Love Guru. Following it in descending order: The Happening, The Incredible Hulk, and Speed Racer. No one seemed to agree with us that Sex and the City will be a major bomb. No doubt you figured that the film will sell enough “fine, honey, if you insist” tickets to turn a profit. Personally, I'm with you folks, although I still think it’ll do most of its business on DVD. But then, what doesn’t these days?

Switching gears this week, it’s occurred to me recently that if you’re a filmmaker, now is a great time to be named “Anderson.” With Paul Thomas and Wes competing in many cinephiles’ minds for the title of “best director of their generation,” it’s a name that carries a good deal of clout. Add to the mix indie favorite Brad (director of The Machinist and this summer’s Transsiberian) and that’s some pretty good filmmaking. Of course, some of you gluttons for punishment might prefer the hacky stylings of Alien vs. Predator auteur Paul W.S. Anderson, and that’s fine too- I respect your opinion even if I don’t understand it. Finally, to bring in the world cinema crowd, I decided to cheat a bit and include Sweden’s Roy Andersson, commercial director extraordinaire and the creative mind who gave the world Songs from the Second Floor and You, the Living. So, I put it to you: which filmmaking Anderson do you love most?

As always, comments are strongly encouraged, particularly among you disenfranchised Thom Andersen fanboys. See you next week!

Thursday Morning... er, Evening Poll for May 1, 2008

Paul Clark — Thu, 01 May 2008 22:00:00 GMT

The people have spoken, and when it comes to Philip Seymour Hoffman's work in 2007, your favorite was... all of them, as "how can I pick just one?" took in 31% of the vote in last week's poll. Of the "just ones," the favorite of the bunch was his work as the sleazy, duplicitous Andy in Sidney Lumet's Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, followed by Jon in The Savages. My favorite of the bunch, his performance as the wonderfully salty Gust in Charlie Wilson's War, took in a mere 13%, bringing it even with the tally from the "I don't like him" contingent.

This week, we're back to looking ahead. This week's list found your intrepid Screengrabbers floating their predictions for the biggest blockbusters of this upcoming summer. Now it's your turn.

And as a bonus, take a crack at predicting this summer's Evan Almighty:

As always, feel free to sound off in the comments.

Thursday Morning Poll for April 24, 2008

Paul Clark — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Forbidden Kingdom's battle between martial arts superstars Jet Li and Jackie Chan is one that has been fought many a time in the hearts and minds of kung fu fans the world over these past two decades. However, in the year 2008, it's clear from last week's poll that Jet reigns supreme. In our head-to-head battle between Li and Chan, Li racked up an impressive 62% of the vote, compared to 31% for Chan (8% believed it was too close to call). This was to be expected, I suppose- neither of them is in the shape they once were, but Jet was always more of an asskicker while Jackie was more into physical comedy. Still, to quote Vern from Stand by Me, "it'd be a good fight, though."

This week, a salute to one of Hollywood's hardest-working and most respected actors, Philip Seymour Hoffman. 2007 saw Hoffman give three of his most acclaimed performances, all of which have arrived on DVD in the past two weeks. While we wait for the continued Hoffman goodness 2008 is sure to bring (with both Charlie Kaufman's Synechdoche, New York and John Patrick Shanley's Doubt on the way), we urge you to choose your favorite Hoffman performance of last year.

As always, feel free to sound off in the comments.

Thursday Morning Poll for April 17, 2008

Paul Clark — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:00:00 GMT

You know what they say- timing is everything. So perhaps it was unfair of me to wonder after your favorite Paul Thomas Anderson a scant two days after the DVD release of There Will Be Blood. In the end, the film walked away with a victory in last week's poll, racking up an impressive 44% percent of the vote. Running neck and neck for the runner-up spot were Boogie Nights and Magnolia. The comparatively modest Punch-Drunk Love and Hard Eight- awesome though they are- just couldn't keep up.

This week, in advance this weekend's release of The Forbidden Kingdom, we settle the age-old question that the film itself attempts to answer: who would win?

If you want to be more specific about your answer- say, "Jet circa Black Mask" or "Jackie in his Project A/Police Story days" feel free. You know what to do.

Thursday Morning Poll for April 10, 2008

Paul Clark — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Well, that fairly well. In the first week of our new Thursday Morning Poll, our loyal Screengrab readers overwhelmingly selected The Dark Knight as their most-anticipated comic book movie of this summer. Coming in a distant second was the similarly awesome-looking Iron Man, with Hellboy II and The Incredible Hulk in a virtual tie at #3. Wanted proved to be singularly undeserving of its title, receiving no votes whatsoever.

To switch gears a bit, this week's poll was inspired by Tuesday's DVD release of Paul Thomas Anderson's latest magnum opus, There Will Be Blood.

And remember, sound off in the comments about your favorites.

Introducing: The Thursday Morning Poll

Paul Clark — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Good morning, Screengrab readers. In our ongoing attempts to increase participation from our readership, we've decided to launch a new feature, called The Thursday Morning Poll, which is exactly what it sounds like. This week, we kick off the proceedings with a pretty basic question, but one that's on the mind of many a moviegoer.

If you'd like to choose the nonexistent options "Hey bud, didn't you know Speed Racer used to be a manga," "Wake me when Watchmen comes out," or simply "Other," feel free to do so in the comments section.