It took me a little longer than I intended to get back to this project. Work has been busy this month and the last few weekends have been a little bit of a bender. I would be writing about that, but unfortunately it isn't possible to have the same openness that I did in the old Geocities days. Why not? Glad you asked:
1) Newer Friendships - Back in the olden times, I felt like I had a pretty good sense of how far I could push each of my friends. For example, I could write basically anything about Alex or Hari, most things about Jennifer or Michelle, and anything short of direct involvement in felonious activity about Jeff and Aaron. I didn't realize at the time how not normal that was. Most people don't seem to like having all of their embarrassing stories shared in an online forum for the amusement of others.
2) Aging - Drunk party stories from a thirty-year-old are a good deal sadder than those from a twenty-two-year old.
3) The Rise of Social Media - These days, my bosses and, gulp, my parents read this blog on occasion. That makes me a little more careful about what I write. This hasn't completely censored me. I made a very small joke about one of my bosses in this post...I'm hoping that she either doesn't catch it or takes it in the good humor that it was intended. Still have to gamble sometimes..
Movies I Enjoyed...With a Reservation or Two
40) Whip It - This film never met a cliche it didn't like, but it was done in a fun, earnest way. Very enjoyable.
39) Drag Me To Hell - I imagine that this has to be one of the all-time best "Movies High School Students Rent if They are Going to Have a Not-Quite-Girlfriend Over to Their Place to "Watch a Movie" in Hopes That the Girl will Get Scared and Scoot Closer and Grab Your Arm Which Will Eventually Lead to a Make-out Session". In other words, this movie would win an Oscar if the Association of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was populated by 15-year-old virgins.
38) Observe & Report - This movie pulled a major bait and switch...it was marketed as Paul Blart: Mall Cop for hipsters, but it turned out to have much more in common with Taxi Driver.. The whole time I was watching this movie, I kept thinking that I couldn't believe it was made in a major studio. This one is only for those who appreciate comedy that is darker than Luol Deng.
37) Precious - Fantastic performances, chilling scenes, and an admirable attempt to shine a light on some horrible topics, but I would rather attempt to go through childbirth than watch this film again. It is good, but I couldn't help but feel manipulated...it was just a little too much.
36) Blind Side - I read and loved the book, and this movie had very little in common with the book. The movie was overly sentimental and cliched, yet I still found myself really enjoying it. Sometimes I feel like critics use the phrase "feel-good movie" as an insult, but is that really so bad?
35) Duplicity - This is a smart, fun movie starring Julia Roberts and Clive Owen that didn't make much noise at the box office and is completely forgotten 10 months later. I'm sure a few Hollywood producers are as confused as I am.
34) Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince - By this point in the movie franchise, you don't even have to be embarrassed any more. This was most definitely NOT a kids' movie.
33) Invictus - This was only a pretty good movie, which is a little disappointing because it is based on such a great story. Clint Eastwood can't seem to decide if he wants to make a Mandela biopic or a sports underdog movie, and ends up failing at both. It isn't that the movie is bad, it just lacks any depth.
32) Funny People - AHHHHHH!!!! This one frustrated me. Funny People is that gorgeous, intelligent, vivacious girl you dated for three months in college. The first two months were unbelievable. You were traveling together, you went to all of the best parties, it was the best sex of your life...you were pretty sure you were falling in love. After eight weeks, though, things started to go wrong. Money was disappearing, phone calls weren't being returned, people abruptly stop talking every time you enter the room. By the end of the third month, your bank account was empty, she had slept with most of your friends, and she "accidentally" set fire to your apartment. So does an awful last third of the relationship make you forget all of the good things about the first two thirds? Maybe not, but it sure tempers your excitement when you are recommending her to others.
31) State of Play - There is something very old-fashioned about this movie...it reminds me of a modern day cross between 1970's classics All The President's Men and Three Days of the Condor. Smart, if unsubtle, this would be the perfect movie to rent with your parents next time you are home for a long weekend.
30) Star Trek - This one was about as good as you get this year for a summer popcorn flick. I've never been a Star Trek fan, but this one was exciting and entertaining.
Arthouse Movies I Liked, With a Side of Pixar and Galifianakis
29) The Messengers - Somber, tense, beautifully acted movie about two soldiers whose job it is to inform people that their loved ones had died in combat. Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson both play down their tendency to go "big" and give understated, nuanced performances.
28) World's Greatest Dad - Who knew Bobcat Goldthwait (all of my younger reader are saying "Who?") would turn into a good director or that Robin Williams still had such a strong performances in him. Sad, shocking, and quite funny, this one gets better as it goes along. Hopefully, Williams never feels the need for another nude scene again. God, I wish I was kidding.
27) Anvil: The Story of Anvil - For me, this documentary was a great reminder of how much my own mood affects the movie-going experience. Every review I read talked about how hilarious this was. I didn't laugh much...I only saw the sadness. That's said, it totally worked for me...even if in a much different way than it did for most people. I only saw the pathos in these two aging (almost) rock stars still striving to make it big. Maybe I'd view it differently if I see it again, but I wasn't ready to laugh at these guys who are "pathetic" for not giving up on their dreams.
26) Moon - Small, claustrophobic movie that is almost like a one-man play. Sam Rockwell is fantastic in this very elegant piece of science fiction.
25) Up - Pixar returns with another animated movie that isn't really a kids' movie at all. The first 5 minutes might be better than anything else this year.
24) Two Lovers - Does anyone remember the good old days, when Joaquin Phoenix was just an actor before he became either an Andy Kaufman-esque homeless rapper or just completely lost it? I didn't either, until C.J. recommended this movie to me. The story is basic (do you choose the partner that "fits" you or the one you feel passionate about) but it is done very well.
23) Brothers Bloom - Director Rian Johnson's first movie Brick is one of my absolute favorites and I love con man movies in general, so this film was right in my wheelhouse. I enjoyed it, but their were so many twists that I am not sure if I am overrating or underrating it. This is one that I definitely want to go back and re-watch.
22) Big Fan - Wow...Patton Oswalt is actually a very good actor. Alternately funny and tense, scary and sad...anyone who doubts the veracity of the world that this movie creates only needs to watch a Cowboys game with Valencia.
21) The Hangover - The most quoted movie of the year, one of the funniest, and likely one of the most re-watchable, The Hangover is probably the comedy that most people will remember from 2009. Even if it is just a Vegas-set remake of Dude, Where's My Car?
What I'm Listening To: Warm Heart of Africa - The Very Best (featuring Ezra Koenig), Who Knows, Who Cares - Local Natives, 315-329-6673 - Jason Segel & The Swell Season
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