Script Frenzy
Every November, there’s an online event called National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Hundreds of thousands of people commit to writing a novel in a single month, starting with 0 words and ending with at least 50,000 by November 30. You don’t “win” anything, per se–just the joy that you completed a novel. It’s basically a [...]
My Favorite Movies of the Decade
In alphabetical order, here are my favorite movies….of the decade.
Almost Famous
Brokeback Mountain
Children of Men
City of God
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Definitely, Maybe
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Incredibles
Inside Man
Iron Man
Let the Right One In
Lost in Translation
Memento
Old School
The Prestige
Primer
Seabiscuit
Sideways
Superbad
A few notes:
There are no movies on this list from 2009. [...]
Confession #8
I am intentionally single.
For those of you who have been reading my confessions, this revelation may come as no surprise. But I want to talk about it today in the context of the movie Up in the Air (for which there will be no spoilers).
The movie is about many things, but one major theme is [...]
What I'd Do If 2012 Were Real
There’s not a single part of me that believes that the world will end in late 2012. But as I watched the movie the other day, in which a few scientists and government officials know about the impending doom but don’t tell the general public, I started to wonder: What would I do if I [...]
Six Movies I'm Looking Forward to in 2009
Where the Wild Things Are (October 16): The book has 11 sentences. The movie’s going to be so much more.
Avatar (December 18): It’s supposed to be a revolution and a revelation in 3D.
Up in the Air (): Filmed in St. Louis, looks like a movie that’ll make me think…and feel.
Fantastic Mr. Fox (November 13): The [...]
Six Movies for Home Viewing
I don’t think I’ve watched a minute of summer television other than the Daily Show. What have I been watching instead during dinner, you ask? Movies. Specifically, parts of movies. I’ll split a 90-minute comedy between two dinners; a 150-minute drama between three meals. Thank goodness for Netflix.
I don’t necessarily recommend all of these movies, [...]
What Are You Allowed to Do at Your Bachelor Party?
I saw The Hangover this weekend and really enjoyed it. It wasn’t as funny or timeless as Old School (same director), but there were plenty of laughs, three-dimensional characters, and an amazing sequence at the end when the credits are rolling.
The movie is about a bachelor party (more specifically, the day following a bachelor party). [...]
The Future of Telecommuting
Every once in a while an unknown movie comes along that nearly makes me burst with curiosity and wonder. Last year that movie was Let the Right One In. But that was based on early, extremely positive reviews (and they were correct). All I’ve seen of Sleep Dealer is a mediocre trailer and a brief [...]
Driving on Revolutionary Road in a Gran Torino
I saw two movies this weekend, both of them quite good. Below are my reviews.
Gran Torino
Rating (out of 10): 8
Good: The movie is mainly a character study of ageless Eastwood, a man who knows death but not life, but there’s just enough plot to keep you wondering what’s going to happen next. The movie is [...]
Football in 3D
I was at the movies yesterday (Marley & Me, actually good, maybe a post on that later) when I noticed a poster advertising tonight’s BCS Football Championship Game (Florida vs. Oklahoma) in 3D at the theater, live. I was intrigued…not intrigued enough to go dish out $9.50 to watch the event, since I can watch [...]
2009 Resolutions
After reviewing my 2008 Resolutions, I realized that a number of them were hard to quantify. And I love to quantify things. I look at things objectively, not subjectively. So this year my goals will be more concrete, more measurable. Here we go, in no particular order:
Write 12 short stories (1 a month, if possible)
Travel [...]
The First Movie I Watched in 2009
When Slumdog Millionaire started getting press and awards, I was dubious. How could a movie about a kid on India’s version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” trying to find his destined love be all that special?
After spending 2 hours with that kid, I know why his story makes such a special film. It’s [...]
My Favorite Movies I Watched in 2008
As is my way, my list of the top movies of 2008 includes any movies that I saw this past year, even if they came out in 1942. One thing I noticed about a lot of the movies I saw this year is that they transcended the categories I’ve blocked them into here—Iron Man isn’t [...]
Milking the Opera Scene
Today my girlfriend and I went to see the movie Milk. It’s about Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in America. It’s a fascinating movie, well plotted, written, and acted, and as is always the case, I was moved to tears by all scenes involving crowds of people [...]
My Comments on Your Comments
Today the comments board on my blog was more active than ever before, so I’m devoting today’s post to the good Americans, Canadians, and Indians who took the time to type out their thoughts (and none of them anonymously! You guys are awesome) about the blog.
“Definitely clip [six-pack rings]–they will probably still be around in [...]
The Movie I'm Most Looking Forward to This Year
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
I had heard about this movie but didn’t know it would end up looking like such a wonderful, transporting fairytale. Wow this looks amazing. Watch Trailer 2. This is going to be a heartbreaking masterpiece.
http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/thecuriouscaseofbenjaminbutton/
The Dark Knight
“So this is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object.”
Most superhero movies feel like a few action set pieces strung together by scenes that involve a lot of talking. This year, Iron Man did a great job of entertaining viewers throughout the movie, even in scenes that didn’t involve fights and explosions. [...]
The Batman in Arkansas
Before I get to my spoiler-free review of The Dark Knight, which I had the pleasure of seeing Saturday night in Mountain Home, Arkansas, I’d like to tell a quick story of something that happened while I was watching the movie. Something that will forever define me. Something that transformed me from a simple North [...]
A Fool’s Bargain
A friend of mine called the other night with a query. He had encountered a situation at a dinner gathering and couldn’t figure out how to handle it. So he dialed The Truth.
Here’s the situation: My friend, who I’ll call Poughkeepsie Bill, was at a restaurant with 15 people, only a few of whom he [...]
A Tip for Movie Preview Editors
While recovering from strep and my old friend the abscess this weekend, I saw two movies: Wall-E and Hancock. Two very, very different films, but they did have one thing in common: Their trailers and previews showed clips from the first third of the movie, no more.
This, I have to say, was a delight. Oftentimes [...]
JoshVision–It’s Not the Years, Honey. It’s the Mileage.
There are certain advantages to having JoshVision. I can always tell just before a waitress is about to spill a beer on me. I can also sense when someone is uncomfortable at a party. And on occasion—and this is the rarest of occasions—I get a glimpse into the future.
Tonight I used this power for [...]
I Am Iron Man
I’ve been hiding something from you, faithful readers, for the last four months. This secret keeps those around me safe while danger lurks nearby. The mask I wear hides my true identity from the world, an identity that the world may not be ready for. An identity that I, myself, may not be ready to [...]
Summer Movies: August
Pineapple Express (August 8): This is a pot movie. I’m usually not amused by pot movies because they’re so clearly written by people who were high and though anything was funny, but this is different. This is a Judd Apatow joint. It’ll be worth it just for the scene in the trailer where James Franco [...]
Summer Movies: July
Hancock (July 2): As I said the other day, Will Smith doesn’t make bad movies. After seeing the trailer, this looks like a great popcorn flick.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (July 11): I really enjoyed the collision of reality and fantasy in the first Hellboy, and I expect more of the same in this one. [...]