5. (500) Days of Summer.
4. Up.
3. Adventureland.
2. Avatar.
1. Up In the Air.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Top Ten of 2009 (intro)
As we reach the end of 2009, we... what, that was six months ago? Oh well, better late than never.
Eligibility for this list is that it needed to play its first booking in the Dayton-Springfield area (where I reside) in the calendar year 2009. This means 2009 Oscar films such as Crazy Heart, The White Ribbon, or The Last Station are not eligible until the 2010 list.
Before unveiling my choice for the ten films of 2009, here, in alphabetical order, are my 10 runners-up:
Away We Go. I found Sam Mendes' road movie totally engagin, and the pairing of Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski totally engaging. And I was geniuinely moved by the ending, of finding the home they were searching for.
District 9. I'm kind of surprised it didn't crack my top ten too. Certainly the most original of the big sci-fi hits of the year. Sharlto Copley take a character which inspires derision at the begining of the film, and then sympathy, and pity, and finally a rooting interest. One of the true acting feats of the year.
Every Little Step.
The Fantastic Mr. Fox.
Food, Inc.
The Hangover.
Moon.
Ponyo.
The Princess and the Frog.
A Serious Man.
Eligibility for this list is that it needed to play its first booking in the Dayton-Springfield area (where I reside) in the calendar year 2009. This means 2009 Oscar films such as Crazy Heart, The White Ribbon, or The Last Station are not eligible until the 2010 list.
Before unveiling my choice for the ten films of 2009, here, in alphabetical order, are my 10 runners-up:
Away We Go. I found Sam Mendes' road movie totally engagin, and the pairing of Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski totally engaging. And I was geniuinely moved by the ending, of finding the home they were searching for.
District 9. I'm kind of surprised it didn't crack my top ten too. Certainly the most original of the big sci-fi hits of the year. Sharlto Copley take a character which inspires derision at the begining of the film, and then sympathy, and pity, and finally a rooting interest. One of the true acting feats of the year.
Every Little Step.
The Fantastic Mr. Fox.
Food, Inc.
The Hangover.
Moon.
Ponyo.
The Princess and the Frog.
A Serious Man.
Monday, May 31, 2010
The list movies seen
I am not going to publish the full list of the 3800 movies that I want to see. But to document my journey so far, here are the 22 films I have seen since the list was completed, and the list it was on.
The Mummy (1999) Need to See II
Little Women (1933) Need to See I
Star Trek The Motion Picture (1979) Need to See II
Flash Gordon (1980) Need to See III
The Music Box (1932) Need to See I
42 Up (1999) Need to See II
Rip Van Winkle (1896) Need to See I
Westinghouse Works (1904) Need to See I
The Matrix Revolutions (2003) 2003 List
Cool Hand Luke (1967) Need to See I
Superman II (Richard Donner cut)(2006) 2006 List
Logan's Run (1976) Need to See II
Rollerball (1975) Need to See III
The Thing From Another World (1951) Need to See I
Star Trek II (1982) Need to See III
City Lights (1931) Need to See I
The Seven Year Itch (1955) Need to See II
An American In Paris (1951) Need to See I
Harvey (1950) Need to See I
American Graffiti (1973) Need to See I
Sherlock Jr. (1924) Need to See I
On The Town (1949) Need to See I
The Mummy (1999) Need to See II
Little Women (1933) Need to See I
Star Trek The Motion Picture (1979) Need to See II
Flash Gordon (1980) Need to See III
The Music Box (1932) Need to See I
42 Up (1999) Need to See II
Rip Van Winkle (1896) Need to See I
Westinghouse Works (1904) Need to See I
The Matrix Revolutions (2003) 2003 List
Cool Hand Luke (1967) Need to See I
Superman II (Richard Donner cut)(2006) 2006 List
Logan's Run (1976) Need to See II
Rollerball (1975) Need to See III
The Thing From Another World (1951) Need to See I
Star Trek II (1982) Need to See III
City Lights (1931) Need to See I
The Seven Year Itch (1955) Need to See II
An American In Paris (1951) Need to See I
Harvey (1950) Need to See I
American Graffiti (1973) Need to See I
Sherlock Jr. (1924) Need to See I
On The Town (1949) Need to See I
The movie list
In 2006, I put together a list of the films I had not seen that I most wanted to see. Or more accurately, three lists. It was inspired mostly by the book 1001 Movie You Should See Before You Die. The number of films on that list I has seen was in the high 300s. I wanted to see more. So I started off to make lists.
My cutoff was last century. Any film from 2000 forward was not on the lists. Instead, I made a general list of 100 films missed each year since 2000, after a couple of years to reflect. At this date, the last of the yearly lists in 2007.
Also, since I already had a Disney list, no Disney film was on the list. However, since the Disney list concluded at January 1, 2000, Disney films can be on the yearly lists.
The second list, also 1000 films, included notable films from each year, primarily Oscar nominees, with a few box office hits sprinkled in.
The third list was just my curiousity factor. Films I an interest in, or was just curious, or something notable, or just what I pleased. Also 1000 films.
I am not crazy. With the yearly lists, these films number 3800. I'll never see them all. But its a fun goal.
But I haven't been heading to the goal much. From the end of 2006 to the end of 2009, I had only watched 22 films. So part of my idea behind this blog is to motivate myself to watch more of these films. So I will note these films, none of which I have seen, under the new label movie list.
My cutoff was last century. Any film from 2000 forward was not on the lists. Instead, I made a general list of 100 films missed each year since 2000, after a couple of years to reflect. At this date, the last of the yearly lists in 2007.
Also, since I already had a Disney list, no Disney film was on the list. However, since the Disney list concluded at January 1, 2000, Disney films can be on the yearly lists.
The second list, also 1000 films, included notable films from each year, primarily Oscar nominees, with a few box office hits sprinkled in.
The third list was just my curiousity factor. Films I an interest in, or was just curious, or something notable, or just what I pleased. Also 1000 films.
I am not crazy. With the yearly lists, these films number 3800. I'll never see them all. But its a fun goal.
But I haven't been heading to the goal much. From the end of 2006 to the end of 2009, I had only watched 22 films. So part of my idea behind this blog is to motivate myself to watch more of these films. So I will note these films, none of which I have seen, under the new label movie list.
Sunday 5/30/10
PIXAR'S GREATEST
I purchased Pixar's Greatest Hits album, a compilation of its greatest music through Up. A few random thoughts:
1. There are nine songs. If you listened to them, I think most people would need four or five picks before idenitfying the one that won the best song Oscar, If I Din't Have You from Monsters Inc. I think all of the other nominated songs are better (You've Got A Friend In Me, When She Loved Me, Out Town, and Down to Earth).
2. The score for a bug's life is underrated. There's some really good score cues from that movie. So is the song Our Town. It beautifully sums up the themes of the film.
3. Someone needs to explain to me again why The Incredibles was not nominated for score. That may be the best music on the album.
4. I love Slumdog Millionaire, but listening to the beauty of the arrangements in the score for Wall-E, it clearly in my ming should have beat Slumdog Millionaire for the Oscar for original score.
5. Yes, Pixar's writing is better than anyone else in animation. But listening to the care put into the music, well, there's a reason they are the best.
SEASON ENDERS
All of my fiction TV shows finished the season this week. I enjoyed two of them as normal (Parenthood and The Big Bang Theory) but it was Chuck that packed a wallop. They really know how to finish a season.
ANOTHER SEASON ENDER
The Springfield Thunder U-11 boys season concluded its season 7-1 with a 6-4 vistory over SC Alliance, winning its division this year. As assistant coach, it has been fun to see the players improve this year, and I look forward to the fall season. I also note the one game we lost was the one game I missed this season, so obviously I was the key to the season. Right?
I purchased Pixar's Greatest Hits album, a compilation of its greatest music through Up. A few random thoughts:
1. There are nine songs. If you listened to them, I think most people would need four or five picks before idenitfying the one that won the best song Oscar, If I Din't Have You from Monsters Inc. I think all of the other nominated songs are better (You've Got A Friend In Me, When She Loved Me, Out Town, and Down to Earth).
2. The score for a bug's life is underrated. There's some really good score cues from that movie. So is the song Our Town. It beautifully sums up the themes of the film.
3. Someone needs to explain to me again why The Incredibles was not nominated for score. That may be the best music on the album.
4. I love Slumdog Millionaire, but listening to the beauty of the arrangements in the score for Wall-E, it clearly in my ming should have beat Slumdog Millionaire for the Oscar for original score.
5. Yes, Pixar's writing is better than anyone else in animation. But listening to the care put into the music, well, there's a reason they are the best.
SEASON ENDERS
All of my fiction TV shows finished the season this week. I enjoyed two of them as normal (Parenthood and The Big Bang Theory) but it was Chuck that packed a wallop. They really know how to finish a season.
ANOTHER SEASON ENDER
The Springfield Thunder U-11 boys season concluded its season 7-1 with a 6-4 vistory over SC Alliance, winning its division this year. As assistant coach, it has been fun to see the players improve this year, and I look forward to the fall season. I also note the one game we lost was the one game I missed this season, so obviously I was the key to the season. Right?
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
With some of the hype around the classics, it can be hard to watch them without prejudging. It's a princess movie, it's a classic story, it's beautiful.
It IS beautiful. The backgrounds may the most detailed work Disney's ever done. It's like fine art, really. You can spend most of the running time of the film just admiring the backgrounds.
That's a good thing, because in the foreground is not one of Disney's best works. Let's start with the main character. What is Princess Aurora known for? She has a lovely singing voice. And she sleeps for a long time. And that's about it. She doesn't do anything. She is completely unmemorable.
Which is more than I can say for Prince Whathisname. He is even less memorable. The king is so overdone as comic relief that he's unwatchable. Short of the fairies, who aren't bad, and of course the glorious Maleficent, the characters are too one dimensional.
The other major flaw is the story. Princess falls asleep. Is kissed. Wakes up. This is not exactly a feature length idea. And the attempt to make it a love story by adding some secret romance just doesn't work.
So despite some incredible animation, and a stunning music, this all adds up to rare Disney animated film I can't quite recommend. Grade: C
It IS beautiful. The backgrounds may the most detailed work Disney's ever done. It's like fine art, really. You can spend most of the running time of the film just admiring the backgrounds.
That's a good thing, because in the foreground is not one of Disney's best works. Let's start with the main character. What is Princess Aurora known for? She has a lovely singing voice. And she sleeps for a long time. And that's about it. She doesn't do anything. She is completely unmemorable.
Which is more than I can say for Prince Whathisname. He is even less memorable. The king is so overdone as comic relief that he's unwatchable. Short of the fairies, who aren't bad, and of course the glorious Maleficent, the characters are too one dimensional.
The other major flaw is the story. Princess falls asleep. Is kissed. Wakes up. This is not exactly a feature length idea. And the attempt to make it a love story by adding some secret romance just doesn't work.
So despite some incredible animation, and a stunning music, this all adds up to rare Disney animated film I can't quite recommend. Grade: C
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