More Everything!

All I wanted to do was 'Unfollow' them...

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 09:51:00 -0400

Most people who know me, know that I really enjoy keeping abreast of whats going on in the world of Technology news, be it watching TWiT netcasts, browsing various blogs (such as Engadget, Gizmodo, BGR, AppleInsider, CultofMac, 9to5Mac, Techcrunch, ThisIsMyNext) subscribing to ConsumerReports, etc…I love knowing what’s coming next, Apple Rumors, etc. So I was really excited when Ryan Block, the former editor-in-chief of Engadget, and Peter Rojas, the founder of both Gizmodo and Engadget, launched their new site, GDGT, in mid-2009.

I spent a some time on the site after its launch and never could really figure out what it was supposed to be. A place to brag about what you just bought? A wishlist for what you wanted to buy next? A message board? A rumor mill? It didn’t seem to do any of those things well. So I moved on. I figured I would continue to follow @GDGT and @Ryan on Twitter, as I thought they had some interesting things to say and I hoped at some point they might announce an overhaul or new objective for the site.

Over time, though, it seemed like most of what I saw on those Twitter feeds were some plugs for Ryan’s appearances on other shows, which I do appreciate, and lots of announcements of meet-ups, usually these appeared to be ads for the companies that were sponsoring the meet-up (T-mobile, ATT, HTC, etc.) I finally got tired of it and decided to unfollow both accounts. So I wrote the following:

@jwreeve: Finally unfollowed @gdgt and @ryan - I still haven’t figured out what that site is supposed to be. Seems like mostly just spam for meet-ups.

A few minutes later I received the following response:

@ryan: @jwreeve yes. gdgt has no concept, and all I want to do is spam those foolish enough to follow me. Nailed it!

First, I was taken aback, that someone with 45K followers would choose to respond to me. But, then, I had a thought: I bet this isn’t the first time Ryan has heard that before. I bet there are a lot of tech-interested people out there that really respect Ryan and Peter, but have no idea what GDGT is trying to be or accomplish. Perhaps I was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Anyway, I will continue to periodically check-out GDGT and see if it has morphed into something I might use. In the meantime, I will continue to visit the sites that do offer me content that I am excited about (I can’t wait for the ThisIsMyNext team to launch their new site).

In the end, I did respond to Ryan with the following:

@jwreeve: @ryan Didn’t mean to sound like a troll. I was a big fan of your work on @engadget. I guess I am not target demo for @gdgt. Good Luck!

No response yet…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-jNbSr3Yw0&t=3m14s

Mon, 23 May 2011 14:49:35 -0400

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-jNbSr3Yw0&t=3m14s:

I read was reading this quote from Zach Galifianakis in an interview he did here: www.shortlist.com/entertainment/films/the-hangover-part-ii-interview

I had a talk show [2002’s Late [World] With Zach]. We had this actor come in and we were like, “Let’s just put one person in the audience and act as if nobody wants to come to our show.” The actor got so p*ssed. The interview had happened and we had the laugh-track of a six-year-old girl. It was the creepiest thing, it was the greatest thing.

Who was the actor?

His name is… He did a movie. He’s Jewish. And I want to say his name’s… Adam. I don’t know his name. He was so p*ssed, and then I saw him years later and he was like, “I got what you were doing.” And I was like, “Oh, you did? I don’t know what we were doing.”

So I did some quick youtube searching and sure enough I found the clip. It turned out that ‘Adam’ was Adam Goldberg and this segment is one of the oddest, yet greatest, comedy bits I have ever seen. It plays out like the pilot or proof-of-concept of Galifianaki’ “Between Two Ferns” shows that he would later do for Funnyordie.com. Only, as one youtube commenter observed, “with production value.”

"On The True Authorship of Hearts of Darkness: “I think the more appropriate way to look at it..."

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 13:27:55 -0400

“

On The True Authorship of Hearts of Darkness:

“I think the more appropriate way to look at it is that Hearts of Darkness is Eleanor Coppola’s story. It’s not her film. Hardly. It’s her story. But that’s because I decided to make it her story.

“When I got involved with this project 20 years ago, Showtime was going to make it a one-hour TV special called Apocalypse Now Revisited. It was going to be basically an hour-long special about how they did the war pyrotechnics. It was going to be dull and stupid.

“At the time I told Steve Hewitt and my partner Fax Bahr that “nobody cares about a making of movie, especially one that is 14 years old.” I argued that the film had to have an emotional component. At the time, no one was familiar with Eleanor’s diary ‘Notes.’ My father had purchased it for me on my 16th birthday. I ate it up.

“When I got involved with HoD, I advocated using her diary as the narrative thread. I got incredible resistance from Showtime, and I got initial resistance from Eleanor. Not much, but some.

“Once I was able to convince everyone that the film would best be told through her narrative voice, it was then and only then it became her story.

“Eleanor did shoot the footage in the Philippines back in 1976, but she only stepped twice into our cutting room on the back lot of Universal. Twice. For a total of eight hours. I was there for a year, 15 to 18 hours a day. So it’s not a film by Eleanor, but I guess it’s sexier from a marketing angle to make it look that way.”

”

- George Hickenlooper (1963 - 2010), http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/2010/10/hickenlooper_in.php

I was really bummed to read about the death of George Hickenlooper this weekend. I will always credit HIS and Fax Behr’s documentary, “Hearts of Darkness,” with opening my eyes to the idea that what went on behind the camera, could not only be relevant to what was captured on film, but could also be an equally thrilling adventure. I always felt bad that he and Fax did not get more credit for such a masterpiece of documentary film-making. I send my condolences to his family and loved ones.

As an aside - George would frequently comment on Jeffrey Wells’ Hollywood Blog (www.hollywood-elsewhere.com) and it was always interesting to see an insider’s point-of-view as it would cut through most of the PR-bullshit-speak that Entertainment Industry lackeys usually speak in.

iTunes Genius Mix Craziness!

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 10:56:54 -0400

I am trying to figure out the logic for the Genius mix that iTunes created today based on Lindsey Buckingham’s Big Love:

Silver Springs by Fleetwood Mac (makes sense) ->
The Royal Scam by Steely Dan (ok, same time period) ->
Band on the Run by Paul McCartney and Wings (hmm?) ->
You Only Live Twice by Nancy Sinatra (maybe because Wings did a Bond theme, too?) ->
Summer Breeze by Seals and Croft (What?) ->
She’s Like the Wind by Patrick Swayze (Now you lost me!) ->
Celice (Paul Van Dyk Remix) by Aha (Ok, now this is just crazy!).

DVD Purging - DONE!!!!

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 11:46:00 -0400

As I previously mentioned, here is the list of DVDs I was considering purging and links to the reviews I wrote:

Storytelling (d. Todd Solondz) DISCARD
Good Night, and Good Luck (d. George Clooney) DISCARD
Punch-Drunk Love (d. Paul Thomas Anderson) DISCARD
Timecode (d. Mike Figgis) DISCARD
The Fountain (d. Darren Aronofsky) DISCARD
American Splendor (d. Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman) KEEP
Your Friends & Neighbors (d. Neil LaBute) DISCARD
Wonder Boys (d. Curtis Hanson) DISCARD
Way of the Gun (d. Christopher McQuarrie) DISCARD
American Beauty (d. Sam Mendes) KEEP
The Princess and the Warrior (d. Tom Tykwer) DISCARD
Amores Perros (d. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu) KEEP

Amores Perros (d. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu)

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 11:44:22 -0400

Watching ‘Amores Perros’ is like watching a ticking time bomb. You know how it will end, but you delude yourself into thinking there might be a happy ending. Then *BOOM!*

The bomb in this film is a car crash that ties three different stories together into one tragic opera about life in Mexico City. It’s as if you are watching a documentary unfold. Several times while viewing it I had to remind myself that I was watching a work of fiction. Everything seems so real.

With a two and half hour running time, things are given the chance to unfold. The lighting all seems natural. Effects are seemless (especially the dog-fighting scenes and the aftermath of carnage left behind - very hard to watch).

I give credit to all involved. From the director, Alejandro González Iñárritu, to the writer, Guillermo Arriaga, who make the film feel so fresh and raw. Also, the lead actors Gael Garcia as Octavio, who starts fighting his dog to raise enough money to run-away with his sister-in-law; Goya Toledo as Valeria, a model who’s new perfect life is shattered after she is injured in an accident; and, Emilio Echevarría as El Chivo, a homeless man who surrounds himself with stray dogs, rather than his family who he abandoned; all give extraordinary performances.

Throughout the course of the film, the characters all experience life as it unfolds and they realize that you ‘can’t always get what you want’ but life can always get worse!

‘Amores Perros’ is a film you have to sit back and experience. Let its thoughts and ideas gestate. Think about what your priorities are and how quickly life can change.

I look forward to watching again ever few years and reminding myself about what is important in life. KEEPING

One More to Go! (Another DVD Purging Update)

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 13:24:56 -0400

As I previously mentioned, here is the list of DVDs I am considering purging and links to what I have reviewed so far:

Storytelling (d. Todd Solondz) DISCARD
Good Night, and Good Luck (d. George Clooney) DISCARD
Punch-Drunk Love (d. Paul Thomas Anderson) DISCARD
Timecode (d. Mike Figgis) DISCARD
The Fountain (d. Darren Aronofsky) DISCARD
American Splendor (d. Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman) KEEP
Your Friends & Neighbors (d. Neil LaBute) DISCARD
Wonder Boys (d. Curtis Hanson) DISCARD
Way of the Gun (d. Christopher McQuarrie) DISCARD
American Beauty (d. Sam Mendes) KEEP
The Princess and the Warrior (d. Tom Tykwer) DISCARD>
Amores Perros (d. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu)

Der Krieger und die Kaiserin [The Princess and the Warrior] (d. Tom Tykwer)

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 13:22:19 -0400

‘The Princess and the Warrior’ was German writer/director Tom Tykwer’s follow-up to his international smash-hit ‘Lola rennt’ (Run Lola Run). Unlike his prior film, it has a much more conventional story-line and linear narrative structure. It stars Franka Potente as Sissi, a nurse in a Psychiatric Hospital, who, through either fate or her own personal decisions, becomes involved with Bodo (Benno Furmann), a petty criminal with a….you’ll never guess… mysterious past.

Even though the film is told in linear fashion, it does go on little tangents that explore Bodo’s relationship with his deceased wife, Sissi’s experiences in the Psych Hospital where she works and lives, and a crime that Bodo and his brother Walter (Joachim Krol) are planning.

Like all of Tom Tykwer’s recent films, it is photographed beautifully by Frank Griebe, with most of the stand-out shots revolving around the scenery of Wuppertal, Germany. Tykwer loves the spectral overhead trains of the Schwebebahn Wuppertal and spends a lot of time showing the town off as we follow the winding paths of the trains above the cities rivers.

Ultimately, the film listfully arrives at its conclusion and ties everything up in a nice, albeit surreal, bow as the heroes, litterally, ride off into the sunset.

I am not sure if the film really serves much of a purpose, other than to show that Tykwer can make a slow and leisurely paced film that is the antithesis of ‘Run Lola Run.’ If so, it succeeds in that goal.

This film is an important part of Tykwer’s development as a great director, but I don’t think this film will warrant another viewing. I will, however, continue to be excited when Tykwer releases new projects. Keeping in the DISCARD pile.

Almost Done (Another DVD Purging Update)

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 12:49:09 -0400

As I previously mentioned, here is the list of DVDs I am considering purging and links to what I have reviewed so far:

Storytelling (d. Todd Solondz) DISCARD
Good Night, and Good Luck (d. George Clooney) DISCARD
Punch-Drunk Love (d. Paul Thomas Anderson) DISCARD
Timecode (d. Mike Figgis) DISCARD
The Fountain (d. Darren Aronofsky) DISCARD
American Splendor (d. Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman) KEEP
Your Friends & Neighbors (d. Neil LaBute) DISCARD
Wonder Boys (d. Curtis Hanson) DISCARD
Way of the Gun (d. Christopher McQuarrie) DISCARD
American Beauty (d. Sam Mendes) KEEP
The Princess and the Warrior (d. Tom Tykwer)
Amores Perros (d. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu)

American Beauty (d. Sam Mendes)

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 12:47:16 -0400

American Beauty, is one of those films that seems to exist perfectly at its point in time. It is a snapshot of the late 1990s, yet doesn’t feel dated. You watch it and are instantly transported into that year of events that is happening on screen, yet it feels like it could be happening today, tomorrow, or even 20 years from now. It just feels right! There are so many stories and ideas on the screen, but none feel rushed or under-utilized, even though there really is no clear resolution. It mirrors life so well, we go about our days, meet new people, grow, change our views and then we are gone.

The film follows Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) as he lives out his final year of life in a beautiful suburb with his wife (Annette Benning) and daughter, Jane (Thora Birch). He announces during the opening naration that he will be dead in a year.

What follows is a pretty standard story of the middle-aged man going through a mid-life crisis. He has fallen out-of-love and into apathy with his wife. His daughter, a pseudo-goth-lite teenager, has no respect for him, etc, etc, etc. But the story doesn’t get stale. All of the charcters are fleshed out so fully. The supporting cast is amazing, with many heavy hitters (Allison Janney, Chris Cooper, Peter Gallagher, et al). Even though most of the characters have very little screen-time, you feel their pain and struggles as they attempt to live their lives. The film is a great mix, of wonderful writing (Alan Ball’s script), great direction and scene composition (Sam Mendes’ first time behind the camera) and lush photography and lighting (one of Conrad L. Hall’s last films as cinematographer).

Chris Cooper’s turn as Jane’s boyfriend’s father, is some of the most powerful, yet restrained acting, I have ever seen. He makes it look so easy, to play someone so torn and conflicted. The scene with Lester in the garage, during the rain, is so moving, I could teach a master class on acting with that!

And I can’t not mention Annette Benning’s portrayal of Lester’s wife. She takes what was most like a typical supporting role and elevates it to that of an equal.

Right before the ‘shocking conclusion’ is my favorite scene of the film. Lester is in the kitchen talking to Jane’s friend Angela, and he asks:

Lester Burnham: How’s Jane?
Angela Hayes: What do you mean?
Lester: I mean, how’s her life? Is she happy? Is she miserable? I’d really like to know, and she’d die before she’d ever tell me about it.
Angela: She’s… she’s really happy. She thinks she’s in love.
Lester: Good for her.
Angela: How are you?
Lester: God, it’s been a long time since anybody asked me that… I’m great.
Angela: I’ve gotta go to the bathroom.
Lester: I’m great.

Lester is able to confirm that his daughter is living her life the way she wants to. She has problems, she thinks she’s in love, but she is living life. Life goes on. And with that he realizes, that that is what makes him happy.

American Beauty is a film I imagine revisiting often. I wonder what parts of the movie I will connect with when my children are older and starting to live there independent lives…I can’t wait to find out. KEEPING this DVD (maybe even upgrading to the BLU-RAY!)

More DVD Purging? Sure!

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 15:42:35 -0400

As I previously mentioned, here is the list of DVDs I am considering purging and links to what I have reviewed so far:

Storytelling (d. Todd Solondz) DISCARD
Good Night, and Good Luck (d. George Clooney) DISCARD
Punch-Drunk Love (d. Paul Thomas Anderson) DISCARD
Timecode (d. Mike Figgis) DISCARD
The Fountain (d. Darren Aronofsky) DISCARD
American Splendor (d. Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman) KEEP
Your Friends & Neighbors (d. Neil LaBute) DISCARD
Wonder Boys (d. Curtis Hanson) DISCARD
Way of the Gun (d. Christopher McQuarrie) DISCARD
American Beauty (d. Sam Mendes)
The Princess and the Warrior (d. Tom Tykwer)
Amores Perros (d. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu)

Way of the Gun (d. Christopher McQuarrie)

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 15:40:00 -0400

Honey honey. She’s got a big mouth but she’s not kidding. I’m gonna whip you silly and I’m gonna fuck you stupid. You wanna do the man dance? First dance is yours.

I’ll start with the plot summary: Two criminals (Benicio Del Toro and Ryan Philippe) looking for a quick buck kidnap a pregnant surrogate mother (Julliette Lewis), who is being paid to carry a gangster’s baby (James Caan). Mischief, mayhem, and bloody hijinks ensue. At least that is what the back of the DVD box claims. I watched this movie for over 30 mins and felt like nothing had happened. Sure there were some shoot-outs, a few clever one-liners and Benicio Del Toro doing his thing (which, I grant you, is always cool). But, I still feel like nothing was happening. I am willing to invest time in a movie, even if it has a gingerly paced opening (see 2001: A Space Odyssey, etc), but I really felt like The Way of the Gun wasn’t going anywhere, and where ever it wasn’t going, I didn’t want to go with it.

I remember being so pumped up for this movie when it first was released. I am a huge fan of The Usual Suspects, but Christopher McQuarrie (the writer of that film and writer/director of this film) just really didn’t make something that appealed to me. I am not saying it is a bad film, just not one that appeals to what I like in films (“sex or guns or car chases, you know… or characters, you know, learning profound life lessons or growing or coming to like each other or overcoming obstacles to succeed in the end.”)

The one thing I did take away from this viewing was a much greater appreciation of Kill Bill Vol II. I really feel that Tarantino was able to make the the film that McQuarrie was aiming for (in style, look, substance and dialogue). I am sticking with my initial choice and DISCARDing this DVD.

Editors Note: I was only able to make it about 35 mins into this movie before I turned it off. Also, Nicky Katt is such an awesome actor (go rent The Limey). Why hasn’t he worked since The Dark Knight?

Coconut Curried Tofu!

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 15:05:00 -0400

Coconut Curried Tofu with Green Beans and Coconut Rice

I needed an excuse to get the Double Down off the top of my blog, so I figured I would mention this great recipe I made last night. I substituted low-fat coconut milk and it still tasted great. I highly recommend if you are looking for a nice, fresh, recipe to use up some Tofu on!

amandalynferri: I’ve been a vegetarian for 16 years, but this...

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 15:35:11 -0400

amandalynferri:

I’ve been a vegetarian for 16 years, but this just seems too retarded not to eat.

I have only been meat free for a 3 years or so, but I have to admit this does seem pretty out there.

And for those not in the know, the Double Down is a new sandwich at KFC that uses two pieces of Fried Chicken as the ‘Buns,’ and cheese and bacon as the filling.

DVD Purging (still going strong...)

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 14:27:12 -0400

As I previously mentioned, here is the list of DVDs I am considering purging and links to what I have reviewed so far:

Storytelling (d. Todd Solondz) DISCARD
Good Night, and Good Luck (d. George Clooney) DISCARD
Punch-Drunk Love (d. Paul Thomas Anderson) DISCARD
Timecode (d. Mike Figgis) DISCARD
The Fountain (d. Darren Aronofsky) DISCARD
American Splendor (d. Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman) KEEP
Your Friends & Neighbors (d. Neil LaBute) DISCARD
Wonder Boys (d. Curtis Hanson) DISCARD
Way of the Gun (d. Christopher McQuarrie)
American Beauty (d. Sam Mendes)
The Princess and the Warrior (d. Tom Tykwer)
Amores Perros (d. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu)

Wonder Boys (d. Curtis Hanson)

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 14:23:00 -0400

Stop looking so smug!!!

She was a junkie for the printed word. Lucky for me, I manufactured her drug of choice. ~ Grady Tripp

Wonder Boys is a pleasant film. But, I am not really using ‘pleasant’ as a compliment, more like an apathetic desciption. It sort of floats around from one nice scene to another. Everyone in it does a good job and seems to be having fun and then it’s over and you feel nice and warm and happy that you watched it.

The film follows an English Professor at a small liberal arts college in Pittsburgh through a few hectic days in his life as he deals with his literary agent who is hounding him to finish writing a follow-up book to his fame making masterpiece, an affair with the Dean’s wife, and watching over a brooding student who is probably a better writer than he is.

That being said, I feel like there was a really good film in there trying to get out. You have all of the right components: Great Lead Actors (Michael Douglas, Frances McDormand), really great supporting actors (Robert Downey, Jr., Tobey Macguire), circa-2000 Katie Holmes, a great Director, Curtis Hanson, following-up his greatest critical and commercial succes (L.A. Confidential), a top-notch writer, Steve Kloves, a great cinematographer, and much more.

All of these components should be able to craft a really great film. Instead, we end up with a pleasant film that just moves through its paces and gets from the beginning to the end. I am not sure where it went wrong. I imagine that with talent like that both in front and behind the camera, there was a severe shortage of constructive criticism on this project. I mean, who is going to second guess Curtis Hanson? Or Scott Rudin? Or Steve Kloves? And then this is what you end up with. Which, surprising enough, is still better than 90% of the other films that came out that year! It still just that it feels too comfortable for its own good.

I can’t help think about the what could-have-beens! How about a scene showing what went on in the bedroom with Downey, Jr. and Maguire. Or a scene building some tension when they are at Tripp’s soon-to-be ex in-law’s house. Or a scene that makes Katie Holme’s character seem talented or wise beyond her years, why should Tripp listen to her advice? Or or or or…I feel like I could go on and on and on. I can see myself watching this film again every few years and trying to challenge myself as to what I would have done differently. But, that is exactly what Netflix is for! DISCARD.

DVD Purging (et al.)

Sun, 28 Mar 2010 16:40:00 -0400

As I previously mentioned, here is the list of DVDs I am considering purging and links to what I have reviewed so far:

Storytelling (d. Todd Solondz) DISCARD
Good Night, and Good Luck (d. George Clooney) DISCARD
Punch-Drunk Love (d. Paul Thomas Anderson) DISCARD
Timecode (d. Mike Figgis) DISCARD
The Fountain (d. Darren Aronofsky) DISCARD
American Splendor (d. Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman) KEEP
Your Friends & Neighbors (d. Neil LaBute) DISCARD
Wonder Boys (d. Curtis Hanson)
Way of the Gun (d. Christopher McQuarrie)
American Beauty (d. Sam Mendes)
The Princess and the Warrior (d. Tom Tykwer)
Amores Perros (d. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu)

Your Friends & Neighbors (d. Neil LaBute)

Sun, 28 Mar 2010 16:33:18 -0400

Mary: Life is complicated. It’s a funny world. People can’t communicate. And you couldn’t keep your erection.

I came away from my viewing of Neil LaBute’s ‘Your Friends & Neighbors’ with a few observations:

Ben Stiller looks like David Mamet’s twin (and I really wish he had written this movie).
This movie reaffirms my belief that Catherine Keener hates all men.
Aaron Eckhart really has range. To go from his character in ‘In the Company of Men’ to this, is such an huge change. It’s hard to believe this is the same guy.
Nastassja Kinski was really cute, why hasn’t she been in more movies lately?
I am convinced that Amy Brenneman’s Mary is supposed to be the same person as her character in Daylight, so this film is really a prequel to the Stallone Tunnel Collapse movie (which is one of my guilty pleasures!). The actions in YF&N are what drive her to finally try and leave New York in Daylight!
Jason Patric was convinced he would get an Oscar nomination for his ‘Steam Room’ speech in the movie (probably why he produced the film, too). The speech is written so well, but his delivery seems so self-aware. Like he knows how crazy it sounds, and is thinking ‘I’ll see you on stage next February!’ Instead, he didn’t work again for 4 years and his most recent film is entitled, ‘The Losers.’
The film goes in a circle and by the end, I really didn’t care what just had happened. I really didn’t care what happened to the characters or where they were going. I was just happy it was over.
I guess I must have enjoyed this movie more the first few times I watched it, but more likely, I liked saying I had a collection of Neil LaBute films.
I am going to DISCARD this DVD.
I am going to watch Daylight again (I think it streams instantly on Netflix). That scene where Stallone punches the C-4 into the wall of mud, while holding himself with one arm is sooo cool!

DVD Purging (still going strong...)

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:28:29 -0400

Here is the list so far (you can read my thoughts in the entries below:

~~Storytelling (d. Todd Solondz)~~ DISCARD
~~Good Night, and Good Luck (d. George Clooney)~~ DISCARD
~~Punch-Drunk Love (d. Paul Thomas Anderson)~~ DISCARD
~~Timecode (d. Mike Figgis)~~ DISCARD
~~The Fountain (d. Darren Aronofsky)~~ DISCARD
~~American Splendor (d. Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman)~~ KEEP
Your Friends & Neighbors (d. Neil LaBute)
Wonder Boys (d. Curtis Hanson)
Way of the Gun (d. Christopher McQuarrie)
American Beauty (d. Sam Mendes)
The Princess and the Warrior (d. Tom Tykwer)
Amores Perros (d. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu)

American Splendor (d. Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman)

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:25:55 -0400

“I felt more alone that week than any. Sometimes I’d feel a body lying next to me like an amputee feels a phantom limb. All I did was think about Jennie Gerhardt and Alice Quinn and all the decades of people I had known. The more I thought, the more I felt like crying. Life seemed so sweet and so sad, and so hard to let go of in the end. But hey, man, every day is a brand new deal, right? Just keep on working and something’s bound to turn up.”

Wow…I had completely forgotten what a great film, American Splendor really is. It so rare to find a completely original film, that just grabs your attention and keeps hold for 101 minutes. It is really hard to describe the film, but I guess I will go ahead and do it anyway: The film is a look at Harvey Pekar, a hospital file-clerk from Cleveland, who decides to start writing underground comic books about his life. No super powers, no costumes, just everyday life, since “Ordinary life is pretty complex stuff.”

Paul Giamatti plays Pekar during most of the film (I say most, since there are some quasi-documentary parts that involve the real Pekar and also some animated sequences that are torn from the pages of the comic books) and he nails it. No matter what Giamatti is doing in this film, you want to see what happens next. Hope Davis also stars, as his 3rd wife Joyce. She so gets this complex role, that she turns this odd woman into such a lovable person, you are willing to embrace and accept her.

The film has such a unique look and moves seamlessly through its different styles. I give lots of credit to the two directors and am sad that they really haven’t worked much since the making of this film (The Nanny Diaries?!?!).

I had such a good time watching this film that I kept thinking, I can’t wait until my son is older and I can show him this movie and tell him that not all movies are about giant robots and caped crusaders. Some of them are just about living life, but they are still just as exciting!

My first DVD that I am going to KEEP.