the many secrets of District 9

i've decided to break my thoughts on district 9 down into two parts.

part 1: what makes it great.
part 2: what makes it even greater.

let us begin.

for those of you who haven't seen it, please do. i believe this to be one of the most original works i have seen in quite some time. the premise is this:

aliens have broken down on earth. more specifically, south africa. we have decided to oppress them, segregate them, and eventually seperate and seclude them. much like we did with african americans. much like hitler did with the jews. and much like the struggles currently going on in south africa today.

the fact of the matter is, this is a social commentary about the prejudices of people. somehow a film about aliens is able to turn the mirror to society and show us an ugly truth. and if you're anything like me, it hits you at the core.

seriously, it's a movie about aliens but at the same time, it's not at all. there's awesome guns and robot suit things and blood and guts. and then there's deep felt emotion, intense feelings of anger, and yet extreme empathy for the characters. and yes, still an alien movie.

let me also touch on this: the documentary style filming works flawlessly. better than any mocumentary/docudrama i've ever seen. from the random experts to the tv station logo in the corner. perfect.

alright, that was part 1: what makes it great.

now for part 2: what makes it even greater.

writer/director: Neill Blomkamp
age: 29
previous work: 6 minute short called Alive in Joburg
district 9 budget: $30 million

to put that differently, here is a very young first time director who has never directed or written a full feature film working with a very low budget (as far as the movie business concerned)
and he creates an amazing amazing film. and by the way, even with the smaller budget comparatively, still some of the most amazing special effects i've seen to date.

that's unheard of.

so there's part 2.

combine with part 1, you've got yourself something you need to see.

go see it.

how am i not myself?

my purpose from this point on:

to write about movie films. i see one, i write about it. i don't see one, maybe i write about an old one. either way, i write about it.

your purpose from this point on, if you choose to partake:

you say "yes, agreed" (lame).
or you say "no, disagreed" (better).
or you say "something else entirely" (that's fine).

the point is, i like talking about movies. i don't know why, i just do. so this will be my outlet.

i am not a professional movie critic, so i will not pretend like that's what i'm trying to be. i'm merely trying to inspire conversation around one of the most influential art forms of today.

we all watch them.
we all have opinions on them.
i'd like to talk about them.

commence.

::oh yeah, i'll be writing my opinions on The Hurt Locker and District 9 very soon, so check back to call me an idiot::

the oscar blog

i just realized that the oscars are tonight and i never posted my oscar picks (actually i haven't posted anything at all in forever....i suck). so, i am now sitting at work realizing i need to post these and becoming very saddened by the fact that i will miss the majority of the oscars tonight due to training for a missions trip. you're welcome, God.

so since i'm missing them for a holier purpose, i pray that God will hear my cries for these wins. we shall see...and we shall hope. and we shall pray.

so, without further ado, i present my last minute, readers digest version of my oscar picks. and the winners are...

ACTOR IS A LEADING ROLE: Mickey Rourke (though i'm worried Sean Penn may steal this one)

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Heath Ledger (deserves it)

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE: Meryl Streep (i'm gonna punch someone if Winslet gets it)

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE: Taraji P. Henson (or Viola Davis. i'm lovin me some soul this year)

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM: Wall-E (again, punching people if this doesn't win. but it will)

ART DIRECTION: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (i'm gonna be throwing a lot of these awards Benjamin's way. they would be well deserved)

CINEMATOGRAPHY: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (see? told ya)

COSTUME DESIGN: Australia (it's not gonna win....but i'd like it to)

DIRECTING: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Slumdog may take this one...but i loved what David Fincher did here)

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: Man on Wire (looked good...this is a shot in the dark for me)

DOCUMENTARY SHORT: The Final Inch (sure, why not)

FILM EDITING: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Fincher and his digital editing...brilliant)

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: The Class (heard good things)

MAKEUP: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (hard to argue this one)

MUSIC (SCORE): Slumdog Millionaire (really enjoyed the score here)

MUSIC (SONG): "O Saya" Slumdog Millionaire (no idea which one this is, but i liked the music and it has a 1 in 3 chance of winning. pretty good odds)

BEST PICTURE: Slumdog Millionaire (i think so. The Reader has no chance, neither does Benjamin. Frost/Nixon, doubt it. Milk....maybe. just maybe)

SHORT FILM (ANIMATED): Presto (only one i've seen)

SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION): Auf Der Strecke (solid german name...sounds good)

SOUND EDITING: The Dark Knight (it deserves something)

SOUND MIXING: The Dark Knight (it deserves two somethings)

VISUAL EFFECTS: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt as an old man child? winner)

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY): Slumdog Millionaire (perfectly done)

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY): Milk (i'm goin with my gut here, since i've only seen Wall-E out of these. i could see Happy-Go-Lucky taking it here too, though)

Closing Thoughts...

there are a few things i wanted to say before i close this blog. first off, i'm upset that The Wrestler didn't get a best pic nod and that The Reader did. stupid stupid stupid. second, i've been getting a lot of people asking "how do you feel about the dark knight not getting a best pic nod?" honestly, not surprised. i wasn't expecting it so i'm not dissapointed by it. not that i don't think it was worthy of it, but that's not how the academy works. never has been. i think the big contenders this year are going to be Milk and Slumdog Millionaire. i know there's been a lot of talk about Benjamin Button and it has 13 nods (one less than record Titanic, i believe. correct me if i'm wrong, though. i don't feel like looking it up) but i think most awards it will receive will be directing and effects and stuff like that. well deserved, too. one of my dreams is to see Brad Pitt win an oscar. isn't gonna happen this year. oh well. other than that, i think its obvious i guessed at a lot of these. that's okay. i didn't get to see nearly as many of the films this year as i wanted to, but times are busy. but i've read quite a bit, and i feel pretty confident at least about my main category choices. if there are some films that come from behind, that's gonna be exciting as well.

so feel free to play along at home and bash me on here come tomorrow when everything i guessed ends up being wrong.

sorry i won't be there tonight. say hey to hugh jackman for me.

enjoy.

dogs and rams

so i've been meaning to put something on here for awhile, because i feel like i have a lot to put down. pending on how this goes, i may get it all in one, or i may post two, maybe even three when all's said and done.

but the things i want to talk about are 1. the wrestler 2. slumdog millionaire 3. the oscar noms in general. we'll see how far i get.

let us begin...

THE WRESTLER

i just saw this last night, and i've been thinking a lot about it. now typically i like to think a good 3 days at least about a film before i really express how i feel about it. but in this case, i think one day is enough.

i loved it. possibly more than anything i've seen for last year.

don't hold me to that.

but emotionally, it got me more than anything else has in a long time. now, a movie can grab you emotionally in many different ways. SLUMDOG, for example, grabbed me emotionally in a great way.

WRESTLER did not. now when i say good way, i don't mean in a well done way. because believe me, it was a very, very well done film. but i mean in a feel good way. because when you leave that theater, the last thing you feel is good.

but at the same time, you love this character....so much. and all i wanted to do was hold this giant wrestler of a man in my arms. sounds weird, but you'll understand.

it's the story of a washed up wrestler and the up and down journey we go on with him through the latter years of his life. and it feels so real. which makes it hurt so bad when he's hurting.

i feel like i've been talking quite a bit lately regarding this idea of relating to characters. i think i'm finding that more. and the more relateability i find in a character, the better the film is by default. maybe it's because of lack of originality...that's for another time.

here, though, is a man as real as the come.

mickey rourke = oscar for best actor

hands down he should. cast my vote. seal that envelope. nothing will change my mind about that.

it should have had waaay more oscar noms. way more. i'll save that for a different blog as well.

perfect movie? possibly. either way, hella good one for sure.

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

this movie has been getting a lot of hype.

won best drama, golden globe.

some refer to it as a borderline indy film. just with a wide release.

boderline foreign, at that. technically uk, so....kind of foreign i guess. about as foreign as a canadian film.

so, the question of the hour: does slumdog millionaire live up to it's hype? is it...

a. yes
b. no
c. maybe
d. it is written

(i thought that was clever. i was hoping to think of something better for c. but i decided not to waste my time with something that wasn't terribly important. oh and if you haven't seen it, then d. means nothing to you)

i would say a. yes. it certainly does.

beautiful film. beaaaauuutiful. contending with benjie button beautiful.

great directing. great visually. great sound. beautiful.

but my favorite thing about SLUMDOG?

original.

such a cool way to tell a story, it really was. the whole time i was just thinking "this is awesome. what a great idea."

gripping, heart wrenching, and completely uplifting, all at the same time.

you don't find that too often these days.

is it a contender for best picture? yes. a big one.

for anything else? i might give danny boyle a shot at best director. and a worthy go at cinematography. and song since its up for 2 (although i'm not sure which ones they were and i'm extremely pissed that Springsteen's song from THE WRESTLER didn't get nominated. whatever.)

but i think it will do very well.

and anything and everything it wins, i will be so very happy for. because i loved this movie.

DISCLAIMER: if you do decide to see this movie, please, as soon as the film ends, leave the theater. i mean immediately. don't look back at the screen or you will turn into a pillar of salt and die. this is so important, please trust me. remember, as soon as the movie ends and you see the first credit, turn and run. thank you.

with that being said, go see it.

and THE WRESTLER.

that is all.

i'm gonna do the oscar noms later. for now i'm gonna go party like a fireman.

effinel, man. effinel.

we've been re-watching FNL. which, for those of you who don't know stands for Fajita's Never Lose.

i don't know why i said that. i was trying to be clever.

Friday Night Lights. 

not the movie.

the show. which is nothing like the movie. so don't be afraid.

but after watching it again, i feel like i can say with confidence that it is quite possibly the best drama on television.

fine, on network television. 

it's so well written, very well directed, and some of the more convincing performances on television.

but more than all of that, it's just so....good. i feel so good watching it. i feel like i'm watching real people, and i feel like i'm rooting for them. i feel like i want to be like them. i feel like i want to help them.

i think it's rare for people to find closeness to characters like that.

my favorite show of all time would possibly be Deadwood, which is an amazing amazing show that was on HBO and then the stupids of the world cancelled it for the show everybody loved so much John from "who-cares-where because this show sucked so bad it barely made it one season."

anyways, the reason i bring that up is because as much as i love that deadwood, i never felt like i related to any of the characters (probably mostly because i'm not living in the lawless black hills of 1860's).

but with FNL, i do. and because of that, i love this show.

so, with that all being said, watch it. even if you don't like football, even if you don't like small town texas, even if you don't like high school drama, watch it.

because i didn't like any of those things when i started watching it. now look at me.

new season starts tomorrow.

which means you have 1 day to catch up.

better get to it.

doubt

so i'm realizing nobody reads this and am quite okay with it.

i saw doubt today.

good. so good. so very, truly, too good.

i rarely see performances that good. so convincing.

and i like how the convincing performances are always the hard to watch performances.

they're always the gut wrenching ones.

i've been thinking a lot about this film. about what i think. about what the writer was trying to say.

assuming he was trying to say something.

and i have to process it some more. there was a lot there.

the folks in it better get some oscars. or at least several nods.

i was thinking how nothing lasts, and what a shame that is...

so i saw it. 

my most anticipated film for the past 6 months. i saw it.

and i loved it.

and as i was watching it, i was thinking "my goodness this reminds me a lot of forrest gump." then afterwards found out it was from the same screenwriter. then found out some critics were giving it grief for lack of originality due to its gump like similarities.

but after thinking about it, and texting about it with a comrade of mine, i decided i don't care. i don't care if screenwriter eric roth took the same formula that worked so well with gump and used it here. and you know why i don't care?

because it worked. and because i loved the movie.

i recently saw charlie kaufman's new film, Synecdoche, New York. and guess what? it confused the hell out of me. i wanted to enjoy it, because he's one of my most favorites, but i just couldn't. sure, it was extremely original. sure it was innovative. but did i enjoy the experience? no. no i didn't. as much as i hate to say it, i didn't.

but yet here with have this extremely original idea (for which credit must be given to f. scott fitzgerald) with a very unoriginal overarching story line, that i absolutely loved.

so i say, that as much as originality helps, it is not the end all of film making. if it ain't broke, don't fix it. i think eric roth got that right.

so go see it. please. it's a beautiful film. and don't compare it. don't think it's like this or that. just view it for the wonderful film that it is.

and also enjoy the character who gets struck by lightning seven times.