20 Favorite Movies

I find that the reason we all love movies so much and participate in discussions like these is because everyone literally has their own emotions/fears/baggage we bring so that no two people can have the same top 20 list. I watch a lot and find my favorite movies are ones I remember watching with my family, friends or a film that broke my understanding of physics and imagination. here they are:




1. King Kong (1933/2005) - the ultimate epic fantasy that shows how far we'll go for women



2. Jaws - Spielberg's masterpiece of editing/tension



3. The Wizard of Oz - the only movie my family watches every time it's on



4. Pan's Labyrinth - a child's innermost dreams come true was like a view straight in ours & GDT's mind



5. Raiders of the Lost Ark - the best action movie ever made



6. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy - i consider this one film, one story, and the biggest production ever accomplished



7. Speed Racer - this polarizes people but to me the visuals enhance the family values and incredible score might be Giacchino's masterpiece



8. Monty Python and the Holy Grail - the funniest film of all time



9. Jurassic Park - the first time i realized the possiblities of movies



10. Pulp Fiction - every time you notice something different that connects each story



11. Se7en - understanding how serial killers work made me understand the horrors to which people are capable of



12. Saving Private Ryan - Spielberg's ultimate war film that was an appreciation for all our troops do



13. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - i've been that messed up before and it gets it sooo right



14. Terminator 2 - apocalyptic stakes with a heart



15. Up - I love dogs and sometimes talk to them



16.Forrest Gump - My name is Bubba, literally. nuff said.



17. Hot Fuzz - the greatest you have to be in on the joke movie that is hilarious every time



18. The Matrix Reloaded -something about not having to explain the rules & just going crazy makes me smile



19. The Sound of Music - my family prob sings this more than anything



20. There Will Be Blood - A meditation of a film that almost represenats the language of film in a bottle



other honorable mentions: Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Blade Runner, Fight Club, Wall-E, Shawshank Redemption, Dances with Wolves, The Brothers Bloom, Seven Samurai, Zodiac, Goodfellas, The Lion King. Man i could prob list 100 movies that are all my favorites, this is tough - good luck everyone

6/28 - Jeunet's always impresses

Movies I watched:
She's Out Of My League Blu-Ray - 6/10 - Same old nice guy gets hot girl formula
Ride With The Devil Blu-Ray - 8/10- Audio Commentary with Ang Lee was good, his first action film
Micmacs - 10/10 - Jeunet has done it again with a hilarious attack on weapons companies

TV I watched:
Brazil/Portugal match, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Conan's Writer's Live

Music Listening To:
STS9 at Wakarusa, Cloverfield Score by Michael Giacchino

Book I'm reading:
Dean Koontz's Frankenstein: Lost Souls

Videogames Played
Fifa 08

Other cool stuff: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows trailer!
http://movies.yahoo.com/premieres/20590295/standardformat

6/23 - Toy Story IMAX3D The Sequel

Movies I watched:
Dreamscape Blu-Ray - 6/10 - Old school 80's about entering dreams, very Inception-like
Twin Peaks S1 DVD - 8/10 - weird David Lynch series
Toy Story 3 IMAX3D - 10/10 - second time was even better

TV I watched:
USA soccer match - epic, unforgettable game

Music Listening To:
Toy Story Soundtracks, new Cypress Hill album, Reflection Eternal

Book I'm reading
The Art of Toy Story 3

Videogames Played
Fifa 08

Other cool stuff
Scott Pilgrim Avatar Creator - http://www.scottpilgrimthemovie.com/avatarCreator/

6/22 - A Knight of a Day

Movies I Watched
- Private Lives of Pippa Lee Blu-Ray - 7/10 - Robin Wright, Keanu Reeves, Blake Lively
- Mystery Team DVD - 7/10 - it's alway funny seeing dorky people swearing in strip clubs
- Knight and Day - 9/10 - Tom Cruise/Camerion Diaz had great chemistry, best action film this year

TV Shows Watched
- The Good Guys
- Memphis Beat - (premiere)
- Jimmy Kimmel laptop show w/ Seth Rogen

Music Listening To
- The Roots "How I Got Over", Toy Story 3 OST, STS9 Wakarusa

Coolest thing on the internet?
new Inception featurette http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKeNqEws47o&feature=player_embedded

6/21 - Just another Monday

Movies I watched
- Management Blu-Ray - 6/10 - with Steven Zahn and Jennifer Aniston.
- Unthinkable Blu-Ray - 6/10 - with Samuel L Jackson, Michael Sheen, Carrie Anne Moss
- Invictus Blu-Ray - 8/10- with Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon

TV I watched
- Treme finale - fantastic ending to "The Wire" creator's new series.
- Dr. Steve Bruhle Check It Out - John C. Reily is so weird you just can't help but laugh

Music Listening To:
Eminem Recovery, Umphrey's McGee UMPHBOWL, Glitch Mob - Drink The Sea

Book I'm reading
- War Horse (Upcoming Speilberg movie)

Videogames Played
- Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

Other cool stuff
- Green Hornet trailer premieres online after blackout at Jimmy Kimmel
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808411967/video

What LOST meant to me.....

So after taking a significant time off I found it only fitting to start the blog back up again to speak about something that meant a lot to me….LOST.

Here is why I think it succeeded in what it set out to do so screw all you haters.

Each of my friends know that when I get obsessed about something that I push myself to the extreme where I’m not satisfied filling up on everything the show/movie has to offer until after it’s over. With the Lost mythology, there was almost too much to handle but spread over 6 years made it doable. Leading up to the finale of LOST, I read every message board, every article and interview with “Darlton”, saw the NY Times Interview in the movie theatre, rewatched all the past seasons with commentary and every bonus material on the Blu-Rays. So I thought I was prepared. But now that’s over, I realize that for all effort I took into guessing how it would end and completely immersing myself in the story aspect, I forgot to prepare myself for the emotional punch of the ending and the reality of losing a show that really was one of the most important staples of my entertainment filled life.

When I think back about why I loved LOST so much, the first thing that comes to mind is that it was unpredictable. With the mass amount of multi-tasking, internet filled spoilers and procedural drama cookie-cutter shows that we see every week, I could never have imagined that I would be taken on a ride like LOST where it was so original and dense that I could never predict what might happen to these people, I just had to go along for the adventure. And what a thrill it was. From the flashbacks to the flashforwards, the unraveling mystery of why each characters on LOST was there turned out to be the most important aspect of the show and just when I thought I knew who these characters were, they did something amazingly heroic or sad that turned the show on its head. Like. Real. People.

It seems with movies and TV shows today, the writers and directors map out every little detail of the script, concept art, staging, cast and pace of the piece that it almost becomes a paint-by-numbers approach where you could swap anyone in and they could basically come up with the same finished project. Not LOST. Every once in a while a piece of entertainment and creativity comes along that takes on a life of its own. I love that Darlton planned out the outline of the show and knew where it was headed but along the way accepted that the show was not perfect and had to evolve to the fans concerns and that they actually listened to the audience so that it could be the best show possible. By giving the fans little bits of information over the course of the 6 seasons, it could have been frustrating but to me it was actually a relief to not get them all at once because it felt like it was a slow release of the details of the show so that it never diminished what had already come before but built upon what I already knew. Even though each season had its own theme of time travel or reason for uncovering the mysteries of the show, that wasn’t the most important part. It was using this big unexplainable setting of an island to show the true nature of people and that in the end we are geared more toward good than bad.

The reason that I continue to argue LOST worked was because it gave us a simple but very important formula and stuck to it. What would normal people do in extraordinary situations? The decisions they made on the show I felt like I was making with them and would have done if I was in that position. With each struggle for survival and meaning they were faced with, I was so emotionally invested in the outcome that as events unraveled I was not only worried that it adhered to the answers we had already been given but seemed like it opened up a bunch of new ones that seemed even more important. The theme of redemption and “live together, die alone” is something I hope exists in a world constantly at war where I wish to learn from my mistakes and move forward by being around people I trust and treating others like I would want to be treated. It seems a lot of people were so caught up arguing how implausible the whole scenario was or how they thought the creators were just making it up as they went along that they forgot to appreciate the contrast of human emotions and connections that surfaced in a supernatural and otherworldly setting which reinforced a positive view of humanity.

Besides the emotional payoff LOST gave me by seeing a happy ending to the connections and “constants” that were created, the show also needs to be praised for the phenomenal production aspect of it as well. As we all know, sight AND sound are crucial to a full TV show/movie experience. With the perfect setting of taking place on Hawaii, the locations were a character of their own to the show and gave it a much needed dose of realism so that I never questioned the setting each these extraordinary events took place. On top of the scenery, Michael Giacchino is currently my favorite composer and his work on LOST’s soundtrack stood out as the backbone and core of the emotional rollercoaster I went on and I couldn’t be more thankful. I still listen to the scores when they come on and believe he found a true revelation that scoring it with a live orchestra brought even more credibility and inspiration to it.

For some reason I keep going back to JJ Abrams’ interview where he talked about his childhood “Mystery Box” as a fitting idea to a show which he started and then let loose. In his speech he said that the power of not knowing what’s inside the box was even more powerful than knowing what was in it because then it wouldn’t be as special to him anymore. LOST was a special show to me in that it truly had all the aspects I would want in a series. Humor, action, sci-fi, love and social commentary. It kept it’s answers so close to its chest that it became even more powerful by allowing me to stretch my mind and accept that once everything is explained, I would stop using my greatest gift: imagination. To me, my imagination of what was happening was so much more powerful than anything I can read or see on TV and I see a lot. As much as I like to know who is directing a movie or show, who wrote the script or who is the DP so I can prepare to understand the “language” they use, I still believe that uncovering something for the first time as it is occurring is crucial to the enjoyment and respect it deserves.

LOST will always be THAT show that I will remember and tell my kids about when I think back about this time in my life not only because it made me a better person by appreciating TV as art but because it taught me that I don’t need to know everything in this world and that the most important things in life like Love can’t be explained, you just have to believe in it. LOST was profound for the way it didn’t just give us the answers but made us talk with others around the watercooler or with my twin brother who was just as obsessed as I was. This idea that there are bigger forces at work in the universe bringing us all together is something I firmly believe in. So with LOST, it was like a show was speaking to me directly, taking the core themes we all want to accept as true in the world and made me ponder what everything means and if we truly are content not knowing all the answers but just living for the moment.

There are people who are pissed at the ending because it seemed too “metaphysical” and “afterlifey”. I respectfully disagree. After all the polar bear cages, food drops, hydrogen bombs, button pushing, submarines and everything else that was so crucial to understanding the history of the island and why these characters were brought there, in the end none of it truly mattered if they didn’t all end up together to be able to remember their character arcs and internal change they accomplished together. I absolutely loved the flash-sideways revelation because these characters who had been through so much together seemed to be meeting again for the first time, their emotions and memories flooding with all the heartbreak and sacrifice that was needed to get them to where they were so they could move on. By reintroducing each person’s “constant” in the finale, it made everything else that had happened on the island that much more important because I knew who these people were even though they didn’t. I for one cried like a baby at the ending but it was only because the characters on LOST were so good at sticking to who they were through it all and confirming the hopes that we had from the beginning that they would come out better for crashing on the island than they would of if they lived their lives without one another.

In the end, LOST proved to be something that was more rewarding the more you were into it. Anytime we put in an effort to embrace a form of entertainment, we do so in hopes that it will be worthwhile. That LOST become a bridge to making my life happier, being creative, or just thinking that everything happens for a reason is something that will stick with me until I hopefully meet everyone who has meant something to me in the afterlife as well. I doubt any show will be able to make me care about something as deeply as I cared about LOST but in thinking positively, I think there will.

To some LOST was just another TV show trying to be edgy by giving tons of mystical questions and playing with an audience by not answering them when we wanted them. That’s a shame. To me, LOST will always be in a league of its own for the way it encapsulated the very themes of storytelling and character that are found in even the most ancient tales. When something unexplainable occurs, we tend to get so caught up in trying to figure out why it happened and what I did to deserve this that we never stop to appreciate who we get to go on the adventure with and how these obstacles occur for a reason in order to shape us for the better so that we can truly appreciate what we have and how lucky we are to live in a world with such great entertainment.

I look forward to introducing as many people as possible to LOST and I hope you do too.

G.I. Joe (2009) (Theatrical) - 8/10

The definition of a summer popcorn flick, G.I. Joe is actually better than it should have been thanks to a good looking cast that takes it seriously and Stephen Sommers' over the top action sequences that really allow the special fx to enhance the action but not overpower the acting.

The Soloist (2009) (Blu Ray) - 6/10

I was anxious to see The Soloist on Blu Ray after missing it in theatres but I was ultimately disappointed by this obvious Oscar bait for the way it intentionally tried to influence the audience by being over emotional one minute and then comedic the next. Joe Wright won me over on Atonement's one take long shot but in this he tries a more realistic approach to uncover the homeless problem in L.A and give Jamie Fox another role to act like part retard/part musical savant who is befriended by a columnist for the LA Times. I like some of the musical pieces Fox plays and the relationship they build but it ultimately seems forced and not fleshed out as much with the supporting cast to be worthwhile. The extras and commentary talk about the real life people they used in the slum scenes and interviews with the real guy who's life this is based on. Overall, a big letdown.

The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005) (Blu Ray) - 9/10

I'm a sucker for underdog sports movie so this Disney flick with Shia Labeuf playing the amateur golf who wins the US Open is a thrilling ride and a treat to see in all it's Blu Ray glory. I like that director Bill Paxton switched over from acting to create a truly original editing and golf ball technique so that it keeps the action in focus while feeling like your'e really there. An inspiring movie that had 2 separate commentaries with even more insight into the actual history of the event.

Constantine (2005) (Blu Ray) - 8/10

It was fun to rewatch this supernaturl thriller again with the new Blu ray extras and PIP window which dove into the making of the visual effects and casting process. Cool to see Shia Labeuf as a young taxi driver and Rachel Weitz is always hot. Fun if not forgettable movie.

Race to Witch Mountain (2009) (Blu Ray) - 6/10

Race to Witch Mountain is one of the bigger missteps in the Disney canon and I'm surprised by how little I liked it. I usually love The Rock but in this it seemed like he was just reading his cue cards right outta the script, not to mention the alien-like dialogue which came off as wooden and forced by the kids. The music is inspiring at some points but the stereotypical govt. bullies and pursues them throughout the movie like a bunch of dumbasses and the bounty hunter dude is so indestructable yet we never hear where he's from or even how he got here. Going to Vegas and making fun of comic book nerds didn't win me over either, though I liked the CGI of the alien ships and car chase scene. In the end, this movie is just a repetitive nod to it's original and the director even says he hid the original actors and props inside the movie for the fans of the old ones. Either way, Disney lost out on this b/c they cast the Game Plan director instead of someone who can balance action and humor. Instead, this comes off like a bad ripoff where we just can't wait for it to be over. Oh well...

Green Lantern: First Flight (2009) (Blu Ray) - 7/10

Another of the DC universe's animated movies, Green Lantern: First Flight is a fun introduction to the character and has some decent enough action scenes to make this worthwhile. I had never read any comics of Green Lantern but have heard they're hopefully making a live action movie so i figured now is as good a time as ever to get into this backstory. The movie looks pretty good for recent animation and Hal Jordan gets the ring in the first few minutes so the story charges right out of the gate. With great voice work and fun explorations of univeral themes, this movie had some cool extras and camera techniques to make it the best I could have hoped for.

Sin City (2005) (Blu Ray) - 10/10

Sin City is a marvel of green screen and acting, the most realistic graphic novel representation that Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez could have made and it's violent, funny, and awesome all at the same time. The Blu Ray is stacked with extras but most importantly, the Cine-Explore mode which is amazing, you really have to see it to believe it. With pop up panels from the graphic novels, behind the scenes green screen footage as well as a full running commentary by the directors, it's one of the most immersive movie experiences i've seen in a while. For me, this movie is almost the antithesis of Speed Racer but just as imporant. The way that they use color so sparingly and as a "weapon" they call it to overemphasize certain things like blood and such is genius. Such an ensemble cast could almost never be done again in Hollywood and everyone knew that they were getting into something epic from the start. Recreating exact props and shots to match the stories, a movie completely shot on green screen had never been done before like this and watchin the extras they show you it's almost like the actors were on a stage performing with blocks and cheap props to add 99% of the world in after the fact. Everything about this movie is kick-ass and it was a real treat to go into every aspect of how they made it to refresh my memory of why i love it so much. this movie was the start of the comic adaptations and one that works.

Mad Men: Season 2 (2008) - 9/10

I've been watchin the second season of Mad Men with director commentary to get ready for the start of the 3rd season and have to say, this show is excellent. With amazing costumes and characters straight out of the past, the production design and dialogue is great in the advertising agency as well as in the homes of all these trouble people. The director and writers are hilarious on the commentaries telling us how they can't make these beautiful people look bad but still try, and how their choice of music to end the different episodes all makes a different to how they want the audience to feel. Showing adultry, racism, sexism, and harrassment as just another day in the office, Mad Men is one of the most fascinating character studies on AMC and TV for that matter and I can't wait to see what they come up with next.

Fast & Furious (2009) (Blu Ray) - 8/10

Though not as good as the original, at least they brought back the cast and have bigger action scenes this time out. Fast & Furious is exactly what the title says and actually starts with a pretty impressive action scene of stealing gas tankers and then goes downhill from there. The racing scenes are not repetivite at least and they crash enough cars to keep me interested but there wasn't enough balance b/w action and character development to really see the changes they go through as honorable. I like the cars, girls, rap music they play to keep the story moving but the villians is predictable and the cops are just cut out losers who are beaten by a bunch of meatheads. Fun movie to turn your brain off and it looks fantastic in Blu Ray, nevertheless I don't think it's the last and best this series has to offer.

Twilight (2008) (Blu Ray) - 1/10

Hahahahaha, I don't even know what to write on this one. I watched this in the background of working today just to see what all the fuss is about. Not only is this the most teeny bopper, emo music, goth-centric crap to come out in a while, it seriously dumbs down the vampire genre and only makes Hollywood pander to these crappy kids with more of the same fish out of water love story high school prom crap. Twilight should be banished from all schools and film history, I am sorry I even watched this at all.

Rec (2007) - 7/10

Rec is the movie that Quarantine was based on and even though it does bring the horror and realism a little bit better, it still underwhelms by the annoying secondary characters who basically are only there to be killed. I liked the documentary structure of talking to the camera and following the fire crews around but once the pathogen takes over and people start turning into infected flesh eaters, the sets really don't change and the attacks are pretty one note. Though the shaky cam works well to make it seem like the wounds and blood are happening in real time, the movie is ultimately too small and unrememberable to show any true action or enduring heroes. The main female even dies at the end which makes you wonder why you even were supposed to like her in the first place. Still interesting for it's subtitles and trying to change the genre but the small budget is felt and there's not enough light to see what's happening half the time.

Knowing (2009) (Blu Ray) - 6/10

For some reason Knowing didn't do it for me in theatres and once again looking great on Blu Ray, it didn't make any lasting impact other than the fact that I slowly am starting to hate Nic Cage. Alex Proyas has done some decent work with movie like Dark City but with this he's trying to take on the end of the world, aliens, and a set of numbers that predict all the major global disasters but he never gives us characters who we care if they live or die. The bad acting overpowers any of the dramatic action scenes and we're constantly being preached to by Cage's character as to what he "thinks" is going on, only to basically get creeped out and never have everything fall together until it's too late. This movie has an interesting concept and the BR audio and video are excellent but there is just too much fake CGI and laughably bad moments to take it seriously. Too bad..

Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade (1989) - 10/10

Saw Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade at Film on the Rocks tonight and it was glorious. Red Rocks is such a great place in the first place but when you add one of my favorite movies of all time, it gets epic. For me, this is the best of the Indy series and the one of the highpoint of John Williams/Speilberg collaborations, showing that you can bring together a great cast in exotic locations and still make it bigger than the original. Nothing much to say on this one other than I'm glad it didn't rain, and when will this be out on Blu Ray?!

Memento (2000) (Blu Ray) - 9/10

Memento is such a hard movie to understand that each time I watch it there is just something about the way it's structured that keeps you wanting more and engaged from start to finish. I listened to the commentary track by director Christopher Nolan and was glad to get inside his head to see how he came up with this backwards story and why he chose to give us an unreliable protagonist who by the end we clearly find out is the bad guy. This movie slowly gives us the details that we think are right only to constantly pull the rug out from under as we find out no one's intentions are genuine, something Nolan credits to the acting and script which he went over and over to make sure it could flow straight too. This movie really shows off the editing techniques Nolan likes and the story structure that is a lot different than the Dark Knight which I appreciate more for it's originality.