Relapse

I was doing so well, you know? I hadn't thought about her (at length) in at least like 2 days, I wasn't compulsively checking her blog anymore, I was talking with other girls. But here I am, 2:30 in the morning, 4.5 hours until my alarm goes off, awake. It's like a damned zombie movie. I'm relaxing in my house, satisfied with the defenses I've built up. Then out of nowhere, for no reason and with no warning, she's kicking through the 2x4's I nailed to the door-frame. I know it will all be over in the morning, and I just have to get through the night. The nostalgia, like an undead mob, will be shot through the brain or rounded up and burned in piles, and I'll go back to regular life only slightly shaken. Roll credits. The only thing I have to worry about now is when the sequel hits. Fortunately, just like the "Of The Dead" series, the sequels are getting further and further apart.


Thank God she isn't on AIM right now.

2007 wasn't too bad, as far as years go. Here are some things that I liked, and a few things I didn't.

Top 10 Movies of 2007:

#10
First-time director Ben Affleck does a surprisingly good job telling the story of a missing girl from South Boston and the people trying to find her. He, along with co-screenwriter Aaron Stockard, handles the issues of race and class that come up with an amount of fairness and tact that is seldom seen in this kind of movie. The movie doesn't pull any punches with its moral dilemmas, either. Ben's little bro Casey, however, delivers the intense and powerful performance that a transforms a good film into a great one.





#9
The Lives of Others presents a story that would be great even without the spectacular acting and haunting visuals. The characters give away so much of their thoughts and feelings through their actions and facial expressions that they never have to spell it out for the audience (which is good, since the subtitles are pretty terrible). I've probably spent more time thinking about this movie in the days and weeks after seeing it than any other movie this year (with the possible exception of my #1).





#8
I really can't recommend this sorta-kinda biopic to anyone who doesn't know who Robert Zimmerman is, but people who love Dylan's music and are familiar with his life story will find a lot to love here. Instead of presenting a beginning-to-end narrative, director Todd Haynes tells us about Bob through a series of vignettes, each with a different actor (or actress) portraying a different aspect of the man (or myth). Haynes handles it with such unique style that the film as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts, instead of becoming just a series of vignettes (see: Coffee and Cigarettes).




#7
I'm totally gay for good sci-fi, so this pick wasn't a tough one. Danny Boyle's foray into the genre features a great ensemble cast of "that guy"'s and brilliant camera work (virtually the only time the camera leaves the ship is when a character does) that thoroughly express the claustrophobia, dementia and animosity that would develop on the kind of isolated mission the Icarus II is sent on. The ending is one of those "love it or hate it" sort of things, but I thought that it fit perfectly with the direction the body of the film was going.





#6
Best comedy/adventure/coming of age/tale of friendship set in high school this year. Superbad is constantly hilarious, but it's also a great story about friendship and transition. Jonah Hill is good as an exaggerated version of himself, but Michael Cera really outshines every one else in the cast.










#5
Juno was not at all what I was expecting, and it took me until the second viewing to really appreciate it. I was expecting an Apatow knock-off with a healthy dose of indie-chic. What I got was a warm, honest, (mostly) serious, and touching movie about growing up and figuring yourself out. I also got an incredible soundtrack. The first time I saw Juno, I was a bit off-put by the titular (lol, titular) character's manner of speech. The argument could be made that the script was overwrought and tried too hard to be cool, but I think that it was a deliberate effort on Diablo Cody's part to show Juno's progression from pretentious hipster to young adult.



#4
You can see my full review for this movie just one post down, so I'll be brief. Atonement deserves this spot for its incredible story and how expertly it's told to us.












#3
I'm a sucker for a good documentary, but when the subject matter involves classic gaming, I am powerless in its grasp. Fortunately for the rest of the movie-watching public, the film effortlessly transcends the backdrop of video games and depicts one of the greatest rivalries in movie history. Billy Mitchell is the best villain of year; you will hate him far more than Bardem's Chigurh. The King of Kong is a personal, emotional movie. My only complaint is that I wanted to learned more about the peripheral people involved with this competition, such as head referee Walter Day. I know this wasn't on a lot of peoples' radar, but just forget that it's about Donkey Kong and check it out.



#2
Judd Apatow, moreso than any other writer or director working today, knows how men talk to each other. He has also surrounded himself with a stable of incredible actors who can execute his ideas perfectly. Because of this dedication to realism in his characters, his movies make an impression on me that goes beyond the subject matter. Knocked Up came at a time that made it very relevant to me. Not so much the actual pregnancy part, but the themes of life after college, male friendship, dating, marriage, having kids, growing up, and responsibility that the movie explores are all things that are on the minds of guys my age. Apatow handles these subjects with a reverence and humor that I haven't seen since, well, The 40 Year-Old Virgin.



#1
Big surprise, right? I can't help but jump on the great big bandwagon the Coen Bros are driving through everyone's year end list. This film is about as perfect as films get. The setting, tone, acting, humor, (lack of) music, script, and cinematography all come together to produce my favorite movie-going experience this year. Go see it a second time and see if Jones' opening monologue doesn't shake you up a bit.


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Honorable Mentions:

Rescue Dawn
Zodiac
Black Snake Moan
Bourne Ultimatum
Charlie Wilson's War
Once

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Biggest Disappointments:

Ratatouille - I just plain didn't care. None of the characters stood out to me, and the plot was pure boilerplate kiddie movie. Sorry Brad...we'll always have The Iron Giant.

American Gangster - I wanted to love this one a little too much, I think. Scott, Denzel, and Crowe do their best to tell us this "true" story, but they just didn't give me anything to sink my teeth into.

Hot Fuzz - I absolutely loved Shaun of the Dead, so I had high hopes for Hot Fuzz. Sadly, most of the jokes were big misses for me, and the plot didn't interest me in the least.

Spiderman 3 - Dear Sam Raimi, what the hell? I was on board as soon as I saw the teaser image with the black symbiote suit, but you really blew it. How do you screw up VENOM? Why is Kirsten Dunst allowed to come within 100 yards of the set? You broke my heart.

I Am Legend - It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. The first half of movie is amazing; I loved seeing Smith's day to day life in post-apoc NYC. After that, it kinda fell apart for me. Why were the "dark seekers" totally CG, and bad CG at that? Those guys would have been waaay creepier if they had used good, old-fashioned make-up and prosthetics.

The Lookout - I was hoping for Brick meets Snatch. Not even close.

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Pile of Shame (movies that might have made the top 10 if I had seen them):

There Will Be Blood
Lars and the Real Girl
Into the Wild
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
The Darjeeling Limited
Michael Clayton
The Savages

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Best Music of 2007 (in no particular order):

Against Me! - New Wave
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
The National - Boxer
Feist - The Reminder
Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
Peter, Bjorn and John - Writer's Block
Band of Horses - Cease to Begin
Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass
Daft Punk - Alive 2007
Rogue Wave - Asleep at Heaven's Gate
Working for a Nuclear Free City - Businessmen and Ghosts

Atonement Review

Atonement (2007)

Directed by: Joe Wright
Starring: James McAvoy, Keira Knightly

Joe Wright's newest film begins with the simple and recognizable sound of a typewriter's carriage sliding into position, ready to start the story. For this film, that sound, followed by the sound of the letters A-T-O-N-E-M-E-N-T being punched, is synonymous with an orchestra tuning up. It was at this point that the movie grabbed and held my attention for the entire 130 minute duration, thanks largely to the extraordinary sound and music. Every effect is deliberate, every piece of music is meticulously placed. Even the distinction between "sound" and "score" is repeatedly destroyed as one deftly transforms into the other. As good as it is, however, the sound design never upstages the fantastic story, direction, acting, cinematography, or set design. Every scene and every movement within it is important and calculated. The acting, with one distracting exception, is absolutely spot-on. Knightly's performance seems forced and over-acted at times. She is made to look like an amateur in the presence of such strong performances from every other single person in the cast. My only other quibble is that we aren't allowed to spend nearly enough time with the supporting characters. Unlike writers like Kevin Smith or Judd Apatow, who fall in love with their characters then overexpose them throughout the film, Wright went too far the other way and left me wanting to know more about everyone. I guess that's what the book is for, right?


Despite an encouragingly strong field of competition in 2007, Atonement easily claims a place for itself in my Top 5.

Review of Rock Band for Xbox 360

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You Have 37 New Zombies Invitations

I like the new facebook features such as Zombie and Movie Quiz, because it helps me keep track of which of my friends are morons.

Big Ol' Movie Ho-Down!

I don't have very many things going on in my life right now ("now" being the holidays), so I've been watching a whooole lot of movies. I don't have the motivation to write formal reviews for them, but I wanted to share my general impressions with you.

Atonement (2007) - Stunning in every way. Easily slides into my Top 5 of the year.

I'm Not There (2007) - A refreshingly original take on the biopic genre, but anyone unfamiliar with the Dylan mythos may feel very left out.

Charlie Wilson's War (2007) - A great story and script (supported by some of the year's best acting) are brought down (slightly) by mediocre film-making.

Eastern Promises (2007) - Cronenberg's very disappointing follow-up to A History of Violence. There really aren't many nice things to say about this one.

Sweeney Todd (2007) - Finally! A musical with Tarantino-esque violence! Worth a rental, if you're into one or both of those, I guess.

3:10 to Yuma (2007) - A great western, but one that sadly does not transcend the genre.

Once (2007) - Fantastic music, very unique direction / cinematography, and a disappointing ending. Note that my opinion of the ending may change on repeat viewings.

The Heartbreak Kid (2007) - Anyone who's seen the trailer could write an accurate and detailed review of this movie. "Formulaic" is not nearly a strong enough word.

Eagle Vs. Shark (2007) - I imagine the pitch for this indie-scene darling went something like: "It's Napoleon Dynamite, all growed up!" Avoid.

Hot Rod (2007) - Keep your expectations low, and you'll have a good time.

Rescue Dawn (2007) - There's a lot to love here, but some wonky directorial and editing decisions don't make it easy. This film is in desperate need of a director's cut or re-edit.

Futurama: Bender's Big Score (2007) - Yeah, yeah, it's straight-to-DVD, but GOSH DARNIT FUTURAMA IS BACK. A few stale jokes litter an otherwise triumphant return.

Primer (2004) - The absurdly good story of two friends who accidentally invent a time machine. This is my favorite sci-fi flick in years, and it's beautifully shot, just to rub it in. Did I mention it was made by 4 guys for $7000?

Caddyshack (1980) - Like most comedies of its era, the appeal is completely lost on me.

Network (1976) - A fascinating and jarring (not to mention "over-the-top") study of the corruptive power of the media. Could stand to lose a sub-plot or two, but still great.

I'll post full reviews of a couple of these and some ones that didn't make it on here...eventually.