"Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway." - Proverbs 8:34

Hey friends. So this blog is NOT ending! This is my personal blog and I will continue to update this on whatever I feel like. I do want to let you all know, especially those that get this in digest form, that I started a new movie blog and I hope you read it - and participate!

Here's the link: http://mymonthofmovies.blogspot.com/

Check it out! Peace.

"The empty-headed treat life as a plaything; the perceptive grasp its meaning and make a go of it." - Proverbs 15:21

It's a really nice Saturday morning, and I'm here on my laptop with a movie on in the background - the movie "Away We Go" to be exact. Now, if you've followed my blog, my Facebook, or my Flixster, you know I love that movie - this is about the sixth time I've watched it. It got me thinking - what is it about the movie that has me putting it in so often. A co-worker of mine went to see the movie "Couples Retreat" in theaters and told me that she loved it. I watched it on DVD and thought it was one of the worst comedies I've seen in a long time. To be fair, numerous critics, and my dad for that matter, HATED "Away We Go." I began thinking what is it about movies in general that makes one of us love them and another of us hate the same one?

The conclusion I've come to is that movies hit people at different moments in their lives. "Away We Go" is about a young couple trying to find the perfect place to start a family. Maybe for someone like my dad it's not something that concerns him so it just seems pretentious. Starting a family is still something that remains ahead of me, so it's interesting and entertaining for me to watch it depicted on film. I'm not in (or in need of) couples therapy so maybe I don't get the humor in a movie like "Couples Retreat" (although I still think it's lousy). I mean how many movies did you watch as a little kid and think what you were watching was AMAZING only to revisit as an adult and wonder how you ever liked something so silly (for me, it was the Disney TV movie "Cheetah). Maybe in ten years or so "Away We Go" won't be in my DVD player as often - but hopefully I still won't find "Couples Retreat" funny.

"Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred." - Proverbs 15:17

I have eaten meat one time since last Thanksgiving. If you had told me a year ago that I would practically be living the dietary life of a vegetarian, I would have thought you were insane. I love(d?) burgers, meatball & pepper pizza, bacon, and, well, bacon. Then I saw the movie "Food, Inc.", and while it alone did not sway my eating habits, it kind of visualized a lot of the things I had been struggling with in the past. I guess the movie was the feather that broke the camel's back.

I still truly do believe that humans have the right to eat animals. From both a religious and a just a social standpoint, there is nothing evil about being a carnivore. I may eat meat once again - I have actually been careful not to label myself a 'vegetarian' to anyone, because I don't want to feel guilty if I get the sudden urge to eat a chicken nugget or a turkey sandwich. To me it's not about killing an animal, it's about the cruelty that leads up to the animal's death. It's about the crap that is in the meat that could make me sick. It's about the disgusting companies tantamount to the big oil folks who are manipulating what we eat solely for profits and not worrying about the well-being of others.

When I decided to lose weight, in less than a year I shed 90 pounds. When I set my mind to doing something where I am the only thing in the way, I achieve it. Maybe that's why I wanted to play around with vegetarianism - and stop short of labeling myself with that title. We'll see how it goes, but I would encourage you to watch "Food, Inc." if you've been thinking about trying out eating less or no meat. Peace!

"An unlucky loser is shunned by all, but everyone loves a winner." - Proverbs 14:20 (The Message)

THE OSCAR POST

It's that time of year again - time for my annual predictions and thoughts on the Oscars. See, as a single guy, I find movies are a great way to pass the time. During the last movie year I saw roughly 75 movies in theaters, and many more on DVD. When the nominations were announced, I had already seen all ten of the best picture nominees - that's how geeky I am when it comes to this stuff. That being said, I am still getting to some of the nominees via DVD, and won't get to them all - no normal person would be able to in that amount of time - and some of the movies aren't even accessible to us yet. All right, here it goes:

For a Full List of Nominees, Visit: http://us.imdb.com/Behind/ballot/IMDb_RTO2010ballot.pdf

BEST PICTURE - I've seen all of the nominees.
Will Win: The Hurt Locker
Should Win: Inglourious Basterds
Shouldn't Be Nominated: A Serious Man, The Blind Side, District 9
Should Have Been Nominated: Away We Go, (500) Days of Summer, Crazy Heart
Quick Thoughts: This is seemingly a two-way race between Avatar and The Hurt Locker...but I really hope for a shocker and 'Basterds' or 'Up' take the win. Right now, I'd say Hurt Locker has the momentum, but I would say it's a coin toss. Another spoiler could be Up in the Air, but don't count on it. And can I just use this opportunity to once again hate on A Serious Man - it's terrible.

BEST DIRECTOR - I've seen all of the nominees.
Will Win: Katheryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker
Should Win: Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds
Shouldn't Be Nominated/Should Be Nominated: This is strong category once again.
Quick Thoughts: I think Bigelow has this one in the bag. Here's the thing though - most Oscar critics say that the best director/best picture award go hand in hand....meaning if Bigelow wins, The Hurt Locker will win Best Picture. Some years that is true, but others it's not. If she wins, it could be more about her being a worthy female, not the movie itself...meaning Avatar could still win best picture.

BEST ACTOR - I've seen all of the nominees.
Will Win: Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart
Should Win: Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart
Shouldn't Be Nominated: Jeremy Renner for The Hurt Locker
Should Have Been Nominated: Matt Damon for The Informant!
Quick Thoughts: This is a very strong category, including the likes of Morgan Freeman (Invictus) and Colin Firth (A Single Man) but it's Bridges that will win...it's almost a lock.

BEST ACTRESS - I've seen all of the nominees.
Will Win: Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia
Should Win: Helen Mirren for The Last Station
Shouldn't Be Nominated/Should Have Been Nominated: None - as much as I loved Zoe Deschenel in (500) Days of Summer, this is the right five.
Quick Thoughts: Bullock carried "The Blind Side", and she is favored to win by most, but my gut is telling me that Streep will take it - and she will have earned it. Not enough people have seen "The Last Station" but people, honestly, Helen Mirren rocked it - she really deserves to win.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - I've seen four of the five nominees.
Will Win: Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds
Should Win: Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds
Shouldn't Have Been Nominated: Stanley Tucci for The Lovely Bones
Should Have Been Nominated: Zach Galifianakis for The Hangover
Quick Thoughts: Thank goodness for Cristoph Waltz! This is one of the weaker categories overall, but his Nazi role in "Inglourious" was incredible. Tucci was fine in a terrible movie, so I wish the Academy would have thrown some love behind "The Hangover." Comedy always gets the Oscar shaft. I didn't see "The Messenger" as it never came near me - I was bummed because it looks really good. Oh well.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - I've see all of the nominees.
Will Win: Mo'nique for Precious
Should Win: Mo'nique for Precious
Shouldn't Have Been Nominated: Penelope Cruz for Nine
Should Have Been Nominated: Melanie Laurent for Inglourious Basterds
Quick Thoughts: Mo'nique gave the year's most powerful performance overall, and betting against her is foolish. She is the show's surest thing to a lock. If she doesn't win, there will be riots. I would say if you took the last ten years of supporting actress winners and put them up against Mo'nique, they would all lose. She was THAT good.

The Other Races:

WW: Will Win
SW: Should Win

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

The Hurt Locker (2008): Mark Boal
WW/SW Inglourious Basterds (2009): Quentin Tarantino
The Messenger (2009/I): Alessandro Camon, Oren Moverman
A Serious Man (2009): Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Up (2009): Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Thomas McCarthy


Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published

District 9 (2009): Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell
An Education (2009): Nick Hornby
In the Loop (2009): Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009): Geoffrey Fletcher
WW/SW Up in the Air (2009/I): Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner

Best Achievement in Cinematography

Avatar (2009): Mauro Fiore
SW Das weisse Band - Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte (2009): Christian Berger
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009): Bruno Delbonnel
WW The Hurt Locker (2008): Barry Ackroyd
Inglourious Basterds (2009): Robert Richardson

Best Achievement in Editing

Avatar (2009): Stephen E. Rivkin, John Refoua, James Cameron
District 9 (2009): Julian Clarke
WW/SW The Hurt Locker (2008): Bob Murawski, Chris Innis
Inglourious Basterds (2009): Sally Menke
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009): Joe Klotz

Best Achievement in Art Direction

WW/SW Avatar (2009): Rick Carter, Robert Stromberg, Kim Sinclair
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009): David Warren, Anastasia Masaro, Caroline Smith
Nine (2009): John Myhre, Gordon Sim
Sherlock Holmes (2009): Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer
The Young Victoria (2009): Patrice Vermette, Maggie Gray

Best Achievement in Costume Design

Bright Star (2009): Janet Patterson
Coco avant Chanel (2009): Catherine Leterrier
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009): Monique Prudhomme
Nine (2009): Colleen Atwood
WW/Don't Care The Young Victoria (2009): Sandy Powell

Best Achievement in Makeup

Il divo (2008): Aldo Signoretti, Vittorio Sodano
WW/Don't Care Star Trek (2009): Barney Burman, Mindy Hall, Joel Harlow
The Young Victoria (2009): John Henry Gordon, Jenny Shircore

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score

Avatar (2009): James Horner
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009): Alexandre Desplat
The Hurt Locker (2008): Marco Beltrami, Buck Sanders
Sherlock Holmes (2009): Hans Zimmer
WW/SW Up (2009): Michael Giacchino

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song

WW/SW Crazy Heart (2009): T-Bone Burnett, Ryan Bingham("The Weary Kind")
Faubourg 36 (2008): Reinhardt Wagner, Frank Thomas("Loin de Paname")
Nine (2009): Maury Yeston("Take It All")
The Princess and the Frog (2009): Randy Newman("Almost There")
The Princess and the Frog (2009): Randy Newman("Down in New Orleans")

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing

WW Avatar (2009): Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson, Tony Johnson
SW The Hurt Locker (2008): Paul N.J. Ottosson, Ray Beckett
Inglourious Basterds (2009): Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti, Mark Ulano
Star Trek (2009): Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson, Peter J. Devlin
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009): Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Geoffrey Patterson

Best Achievement in Sound Editing

Avatar (2009): Christopher Boyes, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
WW/SW The Hurt Locker (2008): Paul N.J. Ottosson
Inglourious Basterds (2009): Wylie Stateman
Star Trek (2009): Mark P. Stoeckinger, Alan Rankin
Up (2009): Michael Silvers, Tom Myers

Best Achievement in Visual Effects

WW/SW Avatar (2009): Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham, Andy Jones
District 9 (2009): Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros, Matt Aitken
Star Trek (2009): Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh, Burt Dalton

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year

Coraline (2009): Henry Selick
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009): Wes Anderson
The Princess and the Frog (2009): John Musker, Ron Clements
The Secret of Kells (2009): Tomm Moore
WW/SW Up (2009): Pete Docter

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year

Ajami (2009)(Israel)
WW Das weisse Band - Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte (2009)(Germany)
El secreto de sus ojos (2009)(Argentina)
SW Un prophète (2009)(France)
La teta asustada (2009)(Peru)

Best Documentary, Features

Burma VJ: Reporter i et lukket land (2008): Anders Østergaard, Lise Lense-Møller
WW The Cove (2009): Louie Psihoyos, Fisher Stevens
SW Food, Inc. (2008): Robert Kenner, Elise Pearlstein
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers (2009): Judith Ehrlich, Rick Goldsmith
Which Way Home (2009): Rebecca Cammisa

Best Documentary, Short Subjects

WW China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province (2009) (TV): Jon Alpert, Matthew O'Neill
The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner (2009): Daniel Junge, Henry Ansbacher
The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant (2009) (TV): Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert
Królik po berlinsku (2009): Bartosz Konopka, Anna Wydra
Music by Prudence (2010): Roger Ross Williams, Elinor Burkett

Best Short Film, Animated

French Roast (2008): Fabrice Joubert
Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty (2008): Nicky Phelan, Darragh O'Connell
La dama y la muerte (2009): Javier Recio Gracia
Logorama (2009): Nicolas Schmerkin
WW Wallace and Gromit in 'A Matter of Loaf and Death' (2008) (TV): Nick Park

Best Short Film, Live Action

The Door (2008): Juanita Wilson, James Flynn
Istället för abrakadabra (2008): Patrik Eklund, Mathias Fjällström
Kavi (2009): Gregg Helvey
Miracle Fish (2009): Luke Doolan, Drew Bailey
WW The New Tenants (2009): Joachim Back, Tivi Magnusson

"The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love." - Psalm 33:5

So I've been kind of bumming lately...about a lot of things. I would be lying if I said my life was where I thought it would be at this stage. Sometimes there are a million little irritating things that all pile up and create an overall level of "I'm going crazy." At work, I keep a "feel good folder." Inside of this folder, there are newspaper clippings, printed out e-mails, and letters written to or about me that are positive. When I'm feeling low, I just browse this folder and it makes me feel better. Last Friday night, a new addition to this folder was given to me. Working at the library, it's my job (among many others) to put on events for teens and 'tweens in the community. I hosted the second ever Youth Trivia Showdown. The event was a smash hit - I loved every minute of it. At the end of the night, one of the parents got up in front of the group and thanked me for all the work I did. It was really nice. She also gave me a small blue container. I didn't know what was in it, but it didn't matter - it was the gesture and the thankfulness that really hit home with me. Later as I was cleaning up, I opened the container and found.......money - I was blown away - and not just because I had literally just that day taken an ethics test which clearly stated what I was and wasn't allowed to accept as a gift (I was safe)! I couldn't believe the parents would do such a kind thing to reward me for simply doing my job. It really was touching. I donated the money to our teen group as I didn't feel comfortable keeping it for myself, but the thought behind the donation just blew me away. So that little blue container will be in my "Feel Good Folder" to inspire me along with the other items. I would suggest everyone for their sanity's sake keep some sort of collection of things that make them feel better. And look, I am at the end of a blog post and I didn't mention movies once!

Peace.

May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.

- Ruth 2:12

I feel like I've been a bad blogger lately, but now that I have seen most of the movies of the 2009 season (it runs from Feb to Feb every year for us normal folk due to limited releases and slow roll outs) I wanted to let you know which ten you really shouldn't miss. I have a couple movies left to see, so these selections potentially could be altered slightly, but I doubt it.

The Best of the Year

1. Inglourious Basterds

This is the best picture of the year. For me, when I go to the movies, I want to be entertained. From the suspenseful opening "chapter" to the slam bang Tarantino finish, for my money, "Basterds" is deserving of the honor of not only my best film of the year choice, but of the Oscar come March.

2. Away We Go

3. Up

4. (500) Days of Summer

5. Broken Embraces

6. The Hangover

7. Crazy Heart

8. Up in the Air

9. The Fantastic Mr. Fox

10. Food, Inc.

But what about....(movies I didn't forget to put on my list)

Avatar - I LOVED the experience of "Avatar" and I encourage everyone to see it. I am planning on seeing it at least one more time in theaters. When I watch a movie though, I need more than just special effects...even if they are AWESOME as in the case of "Avatar". I didn't hate the story here, but it's been done before. And with all of the other great stories, this movie just didn't crack my top ten. Think about this on DVD and not in theaters and it just loses something. It is a very good movie though...just not good enough.

The Hurt Locker - This movie was gripping, intense, and had a powerful ending that I can still remember even months after seeing it. This would have made my top ten (probably 2 or 3) if not for one HORRIBLE scene in an otherwise near perfect movie. The portion of the film where our hero runs off into an Iraqi village in search of a boy who may or may not be dead lost me completely. It was insulting and ill-conceived - and while it didn't ruin the movie for me, I cannot pretend I didn't notice.

District 9 - I reviewed this earlier on my blog. Great concept. So-so execution. When I wasn't being amazed, I was bored to death.

An Education - I can understand and appreciate this movie. Personally though, I don't have to love it. Quite frankly, it was the "ick factor" that did me in.

A Serious Man - Seriously overrated.

The Blind Side - The feel good film of the year. I really enjoyed it, just not good enough or original enough to crack my top ten.

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire - I really admire this movie, and it would be in the top 15 for sure. It's an important movie for some, and a hard one to watch for others.

The Worst of 2009:

Please note - I don't actively try to seek out crappy movies, so some of the dumb teen flicks and sappy rom-coms aren't on here. These are more based on how let down I was.

1. The Invention of Lying

2. The Last House on the Left

3. The Lovely Bones

4. The Ghost of Girlfriend's Past

5. The Ugly Truth (the only good thing about this movie is that Bobaloo from "I Survived a Japanese Game Show" has a cameo/extra type role in it!)

What were your favorites and least favorites? Peace!

"He says to himself, "Nothing will shake me; I'll always be happy and never have trouble." - Psalm 10:6

This past decade has been the first decade of my life where I could really watch most everything that I wanted to without parental restriction. I saw so many movies, and as it's that time of year, I thought I would jump on the list band-wagon yet again and name my top fifteen films of the decade. Now, what I love about movies is the way they evolve. Some movies for instance better with age - others lose some of their appeal. And while a four-star movie in my mind will always be a four-star movie, when we're talking the best of the decade, we've got to get it just right. So thinking back on things like rewatchability, creativity, story-telling, writing, acting, and directing, these are the fifteen films that totally blew me away. I want to apologize for sometimes getting too "uppity" in my language - I read too many movie reviews so pretentious words like "poignant" and "craft", among others, sometimes slip in. (And note, I could have written a top 50 or 100, but figured people wouldn't really care!)


15. Inglourious Basterds

Tarantino is a master filmmaker, and this movie is one I anticipate I will only love more with time. Rewriting history for our entertainment, QT tells a story of angry Jews off to kill nazis. It can be boiled down that simply, but the film is truly epic.

14. Traffic

Steven Soderberg crafts one of the best ensemble dramas I've ever seen in the riveting drug tale "Traffic." From Michael Douglas, to Benicio DelToro, to Catherine Zeta-Jones, the acting, directing, and writing are all something to behold.

13. Memento

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12. 28 Days Later

I don't get scared at movies, but this one was the closest to drumming up a bit of fear. Handling the topic of zombies in the most serious of ways, Danny Boyle crafts one of those films that has you thinking about it for weeks - in my case years - later. As the swine-flu breaks, one cannot help but think about the beginning of the film when an ailing chimp starts the virus underway.

11. Hustle & Flow

I didn't see this movie in theaters. It didn't appeal to me. It looked like an urban knock-off of "That Thing You Do!", and while the films share the plot of a music act looking to hit it big, "Hustle & Flow" takes a totally different approach. This gritty drama is realistic and heartfelt, and if you can put up with flowing profanity, you'll be rewarded with one of the most satisfying endings to any movie in the last decade.


10. Crash

This was the movie for the anti-gay crowd. The film that beat "Brokeback Mountain" for best picture solely because it wasn't about cowboys humping each other. Or at least that's what endless critics and advocacy groups tried to get us to believe. Maybe though that's not true - maybe it's just that "Crash" was a better movie. The strongest ensemble piece of the decade in fact IMHO. Numerous A-list stars turn in small parts that when combined create an unforgettable L.A. story.

9. Slumdog Millionaire

If you know me, you cannot be shocked to see this movie make the list. I loved it - I truly loved this movie. When a movie can take a game show and turn it into one of the most effective storytelling devices of all time, that to me is a winner. And two points now for Danny Boyle (see #12 on this list) who really was deserving of all the praise he earned.

8. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

I saw this movie in theaters three times, and countless more times on DVD. This movie shocked me in ways I didn't expect - and it helped that I knew very little about it going in. There were quite a few movies that tried to capitalize on this style of martial arts movies, but none topped this.

7. Sideways

Could it be more fitting that the movie on this list, to me, that only betters with age is a movie about wine? "Sideways" is one of the truly great movies of the last decade, and it had me, someone who doesn't drink, wanting to visit wine country (which I did! I went to a few of the places in the movie! nerdy! yes! I know!).

6. Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India

Bollywood films are a mystery to many, and they were to me until I put in this super-long film about cricket, taxes, government takeover, and did I mention it was super-long. Why I even was interested in this film - which is also a musical - is beyond me, but am I glad I did! This is truly a film that has something for everyone and then some.

5. Kill Bill Volumes 1 & 2

I cannot separate these two films. They were intended to be shown together anyways, so I don't feel like it's cheating. The tale of ******* *****, aka "The Bride", is told in epic fashion that takes viewers around the world all for the sake of revenge. I've seen both movies more times that I can remember, and every time I am in shock that these movies didn't garner more awards. It doesn't matter though - Quentin Tarantino has a strong group of fans that I am a loyal member of.

4. You Can Count On Me

Laura Linney, Matthew Broderick, and Mark Ruffalo turn in some of my favorite acting of the decade in this sad but ultimately uplifting story of siblings. Occasionally there is a movie that I see where I leave saying "Man, I wish I had written that." and this is tops on my list.

3. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

I am not a fantasy fan. I hate characters with weird names just for the sake of it. Made up dialects? Give me a freaking break. While I saw and was captivated by LOTR from it's onset, I was not looking forward to the first film at all. I hadn't read the books, didn't care about the storyline, but got caught up in the hype machine and was so glad I did. And again, I don't feel I'm cheating by lumping these together as ultimately the films tell one story.

2. Spirited Away

I love Pixar, but the best animated film of the decade and my favorite animated film of all time is "Spirited Away" from Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki. If I had a list of my top fifty films of the decade, his films would show up a couple of more times for sure. Telling the story of a girl trying to find her parents in an otherworldly land while working in a bath house, this haunting film is truly unforgettable.

1. Mulholland Drive

One critic says "It bursts like a whore's lip gloss." I have no idea what that means, but I agree completely. MD is a movie that makes almost perfect sense until the last half an hour, where it spins out of control in a way I've never seen in my life. While there are two scenes of graphic nudity which made me fear liking it as much, ultimately there was no film in the last decade that had me scratching my head and exclaiming "What the..." more than this. If you watch it on DVD, there is actually a clue card to help you put the puzzle of a film together. I've seen it over a dozen times and I still don't completely get it. And honestly, I don't think David Lynch, the director, gets it any better than we do. And it's my favorite film of the decade.