day 89 - Team America: World Police

Ok film fans, I have an early day tomorrow so we're going to make this short and sweet.

Team America: World Police is a film starring puppets. Lots of puppets. In the grand tradition of the Thunderbirds, idiot savants Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the loose cannons behind the South Park TV show, have created an elaborate joke at the expense of self-aggrandizing actors, America's overwhelming sense of nationalism and the "War" on Terrorism. It also makes fun of such wacky icons as Jong-il Kim, Saddam Hussein and Matt Damon.

The plot (oh yes, there is one) has talented actor Gary Johnston being recruited by Team America, a globetrotting military gang of freedom loving, Democracy enforcing ass-kickers. The team needs someone who can infiltrate the terrorist organizations and reveal their next big target. After a terrorist attack on the Panama Canal, Gary feels responsible, leaving the team just before they face their biggest challenge, Jong-il Kim. But, with Team America captured and the threat of weapons of mass destruction being used, Gary is forced back into action.

There is no subtle humor here; the guys from South Park wear their hearts on their sleeve. It's also rather notorious for two unique scenes; a puppet sex scene and a puppet vomit scene. Either you find this type of humor offensive or it leaves you laughing out loud, a lot. That I dressed up for Halloween as Gary (in this image) right after it came out, pretty much tells you which camp I'm in. If you like twisted satire concealed by kinda creepy lookin' herky-jerky marionettes, you'll love this film.

day 88 - "Round Midnight

OK film fans tonight for some unknown reason I'm feeling sentimental. Perhaps it's because spring has sprung and love will soon fill the air. Then again it could be the post dinner jazz and Scotch I've treated myself to this evening. With nothing on TV, good, bad or otherwise, I've delved into my catalog of DVD and DVR goodies and come up with a classic film about obsession, passion, acceptance and of course, great jazz.

Round Midnight is a remarkable, Oscar winning film about an African-American Jazz saxophonist ex-pat living and playing music in Paris. Dale Turner (jazz icon Dexter Gordon in a hauntingly reflective Oscar nominated performance) is a jazzman playing the The Blue Note in 1959. He's a struggling alcoholic and drug user who has seen his patches of sobriety become fewer and fewer, each one bringing him closer to his end. He is aware of own mortality and tries as much as possible to absorb everything around him as this might be his last gig. We see Francis Borler, a young Frenchman listening from outside the club. He believes Dale is the greatest sax player alive and doesn't care if he has to stand in the rain just to hear him play.

The film centers around the relationship built between these two men when Francis encounters Dale out on the streets in a bad way and offers to help him. The overwhelming sense of loneliness Dale has about him from having to move to Paris to make a living, being policed by his landlady and the club owner to show up sober and missing his life back in the states, is easily picked up by Francis, himself a struggling artist who is also dealing with life as a recently single father. But this is not a plot heavy film, it is a film about the end of a jazzman's career and the music he has devoted himself to. For me, it's easily the greatest jazz film made (with the wonderful Bird playing backup) and understands rightly that you can't simply tell the story of a jazzman's life in words; you need the music as well. As such, it has more music than just about any film you'll encounter, filmed live as the artists created it rather than the hollow prerecorded music you hear so often in the background.

As my Guru pointed out in his amazing review, which is almost as beautiful as the film itself, "You do not need to know a lot about jazz to appreciate what is going on because, in a certain sense, this movie teaches you everything about jazz that you really need to know." The simple truth of the matter is that this film is a benchmark. If you see it and fall in love with the music you already do or probably will love jazz for the rest of your life. If you don't, well, to each their own.

Sometimes when you see a film it's like meeting a person; you don't know immediately that the film will become a great friend and be there for you to lean on through the years. I don't remember the first time I saw tonight's film, however I had started getting into jazz a few years prior.  I think that's what prompted me to stretch my film boundaries. I have seen it more than a dozen times since, but I can't really put a number on it.

I don't recall where I bought the soundtrack, just that I remember having to track it down and was ecstatic when I found it. Oddly enough I recall it was the same place I found my favorite Fishbone CD as well. Since that purchase not a single month has gone by where I haven't listened to its songs. Not one. For years I would listen to it every night as I would fall asleep. Now I listen to it when I do the dishes or when nights grow dark. I hope that I never grow weary of its sad, tender and hopeful notes, but I don't think I ever will.

day 87 - High Fidelity

OK film fans, the streak continues but despite spending some quality time in the cube farm I'm still feeling very blah. I think that's the best word I could think of to describe today because the tank is just running on empty. I'm severely bummed that I didn't get to see Hot Tub Time Machine and I still have John Cusack films running through my very sore and tired head. It got me to thinkin', I've never really explained my frequent use of clips John Cusack when posting my Top 5 Lists. Tonight, I make amends.

High Fidelity is the epitome of films Hollywood fails to get. It's a film about real people in real situations who act realistically. There are no explosions or chases or even a "big" message and yet we still find ourselves not only entertained but interested in the choices made by the characters and what the outcomes will be. The film's pace is unforced, allowing us to discover the personalities of the characters layer by layer.

Rob Gordon (Cusack), our 4th wall narrator, has just been dumped by his live-in girlfriend Laura (Danish gem Iben Hjejle). Rob owns a record store with the prerequisite employees, vinyl nerds whose minds are filled with factoids of importance only to them and others like them. Dick is the quiet and shy clerk while Barry (Jack Black in his breakout performance) is the know-it-all loudmouth. They were hired as part time workers for a three day shift each, both show up six days a week. There's a comfort level here for anyone who is or knows people like this. It doesn't matter what the field is, records, videos, books, coffee, health food or tattoo's; these are those people depicted as they are in real life.

Rob seems to be at a crossroads in his life but he can't seem to get out of the groove his life has worn into. Laura has moved out and is "staying" with a male friend. He decides to reflect further on his failing relationship by tracking down his Top 5 Break-up girlfriends to find out what went wrong. In most cases it was nothing earth shattering, like is the case in most of our lives. In youth much of dating is simply window shopping or practice for when we find the real thing. When you break-up you feel remorse, get sad and then get over it and move on to the next encounter. Rob seems to have made a second career out of being forlorn, valuing the relationship more in the aftermath than he did during its life.

Slowly, after seeing what his life has become with and without Laura, in addition to getting a fresh reminder that things aren't always as they seem, he begins to realize the rut he's in. Albert Einstein, a fairly smart guy, has a quote roughly stating that "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity." A light seems to come on for Rob, albeit dimly at first. He starts making different decisions, becoming more engaged in his life and changes his pattern of behavior. He soon reaps the benefits of that change. I've often be cynical about happy endings in films, especially those in the stereotypical big budget Hollywood releases. But here it feels right. It's a natural outcome that again feels organic and unforced. Plus we get a really good soundtrack and a Jack Black performance as good as anything in Tenacious D.

I saw this film when I was in the middle of a long relationship, neither in the blush of discovery nor in the winter of discontent. At the time I related more to Rob's career struggles, what to do with your life when you feel like you've reached a dead end. Now, several years after that relationship ran its course, I see this film in a new light and recognize that sometimes it's difficult to see the insanity of your choices when the rut you're in is ten feet deep. But even then, there's still light visible, reminding you of the direction you need to go.

day 86 - Superman Doomsday

OK film fans it looks as though yesterday was just the tip of the iceberg and today the real extent of this malady is making itself known. Since I've spent the better part of the day in bed it's made me feel like a sick little kid and nothing goes better with that than cartoons. Now I'm sure this isn't a shock but as a kid I had a rather sizable comic book collection and was a secret comic book nerd in high school. Once in college I had neither the funds nor the time to spend on such extravagances and spent my funds more wisely on girls, pizza and beer.

Even though I no longer collect comics a few years ago I heard about a graphic novel called "The Death of Superman." I actually own a copy of the reprinted collection which stands as the last comic I've purchased. I still find that a little odd since I was always more of a Marvel kid. It was a spin off story about Superman's fight to the death with a creature whose only goal is the destruction of all life, regardless of its form. It was decent, but not exciting. My age had caught up with me and I no longer thought these endless permutations of characters were that interesting. But while lying in bed today, looking for something to watch on my laptop so I could keep the streak alive while feeling both sick and run down, I came across something that would have restored my energy as a kid.

Superman Doomsday is one of the growing collection of straight to DVD films aimed today's kids who are fans of the comic icons like Superman, Batman and Spider-Man. Feeling quite ill I thought "what the hell" this might cheer my day up some. Unfortunately I'm not a kid anymore. What's worse, the story is so dark and heavy, dealing with death, loss, morality, genetic engineering and so forth, that I can't imagine a kid like my 8 year old nephew finding the whole thing interesting. It's a bit much for kids and far too little for adults. It still feels like a Saturday morning cartoon that was expanded to 80 minutes and threw in some scarier imagery. I'd like to say I enjoyed this but I ended up wishing I had just sucked it up, walked downstairs and grabbed my copy of Iron Man.

day 85 - Grosse Pointe Blank

OK film fans I'm very disappointed I wasn't able to see Hot Tub Time Machine to day but my sinuses are killing me and my head is thumping so the last thing I wanted to do was go to a theater. But since I'm still in a John Cusack 80s kind of mood here's another variation on that theme Cusack has played before.

Grosse Pointe Blank is a crime comedy set in 1997 with a heart from the 80's. Martin Blank (Cusack) is a professional assassin who's at a crossroads in his career. Just as he's having issues with Grocer (Dan Ackroyd) another assassin who wants to start a union, having difficulties with his shrink and being followed by some feds, he gets an invitation to his 10th high school reunion an a new mission in his hometown.

Despite his secretary, Marcella (Cusack's sister Joan) having misgivings about his returning to his hometown in his current state Martin senses it's the opportunity to get some closure on his past. As he visits past friends and his mother we get the background on Mr. Blank. His family life appears to have been non-existent, he was a bright student and he disappeared from town to join the military the night of his prom, standing up his girlfriend Debi Newberry (Minnie Driver) in the process. It turns out Debi was the only real ties he had to his life and she's the only one he really wants see upon his return.

Once he's reconnected with Debi and they go to the reunion Martin finds himself awash in self discovery, face to face with his past and the life stories of people he knew as a youth. His moment of enlightenment is shattered when his life catches up to him and all hell breaks loose. The final act of the film finds Martin trying to make amends for his past as it threatens his chance at redemption and a new life with Debi. So if you're in the mood for some 80's tunes, comedy, romance, bullets and kickboxing you've found your film.

day 84 - Top 5 John Cusack Films of the 80's

OK film fans it's Friday night and I'm still being sidetracked by March Madness. However, since this weekend is the release of Hot Tub Time Machine I am planning to tear myself away from hoops long enough to check it out. I'm quite sure that my heightened level of anticipation instantly dates me so allow me just let the cat out of the bag. I went to high school and college in the 80's and it's a time I look back on both fondly and with utter disdain.

In honor of Hot Tub's star, John Cusack, who earned his bones in the teensploitation films of the 80s, I think now is the perfect time to post my Top 5 John Cusack Films of the 80's. I've got to be honest here; these are all going to be comedies because I didn't watch any of his serious roles until after his amazing performance in The Grifters in 1990. John was kind enough to get out of the rain for a moment to stop by and explain how this list works.

5. One Crazy Summer - 1986 One of three teensploitation films from director/writer Savage Steve Holland (of which two starred Cusack), this oddball story lives in my mind as the moment Demi Moore and Bobcat Goldthwait appeared in a film together and the world didn't plunge into the 7th Circle of Hell. Even by 80's standards this film was lame, but Cusack showed an ability to play the straight man and still get laughs in this stinker.

4. Hot Pursuit - 1987 Kind of another 80's stinker but Cusack shows some nice range as the film goes from basic teen comedy to some kind of hybrid Rambo flick. Oddly enough the funniest scenes in the film come from Robert Loggia.

3. The Sure Thing - 1985 Now were talking! Here's a classic road trip film where Cusack's Walter Gibson travels cross country with fellow student Alison Bradbury (Daphne Zuniga). She's on her way to visit her boyfriend and he's after what any red-blooded teenage boy is after, a sure thing. In true road trip fashion sparks fly as they get closer to their destination. Cusack gets to play both the ham and the wistful boy, talent's that would serve him well later in his career.

2. Better Off Dead - 1985 There's a special place in my heart for this film. My boys and I saw this in the theaters when it was released and many of the classic lines from it still pepper our conversations to this day. All I have to do is say, "Didn't ask for a dime" and any one of my boys will respond, "two dollars". While it's by far the best of the Savage Steve Holland films, everything from the hideous clothing to the Van Halen Claymation daydream scene is so uniquely 80's it's scary. From what I hear there's some spoofing of this film in the new Hot Tub Time Machine film, should be interesting to see which of his 80's films get a nod.

1. Say Anything - 1989 If this was a surprise pick you definitely need to brush up on your 80's teensploitation. This classic Cameron Crowe film turned Cusack into a cult icon and minor star. It tells the story of a classic underachiever who charms his class valedictorian into a summer romance after their graduation. Unlike most teensploitation films the characters are multi-dimensional lending more depth and credence to their relationship. The highs and lows they go through ring as true to a teen as they do to anyone who fell hard when they were a teen. This was the culmination of his work in the 80's and created one of his most endearing and enduring characters. Cusack's career has taken many paths and he's played a wide variety of characters but much like in this, his break out film, he seems to be made to play the lovelorn nice guy who still manages to get the girl. And after all, what would the children of the 80's have done without Lloyd Dobler.

day 83 - Blazing Saddles

OK film fans, I had some running around to do tonight so I got home kind of late. After doing a little dance to celebrate the demise of Syracuse in the March Madness tournament (the evil arch-nemesis of my beloved G-town) I made a little dinner and sat down to relax. Of course before I knew it I looked up and it was almost 10:30. Since being exhausted and not having a lot of time left in the night precludes getting to watch a new film I guess we'll just go with an old favorite of mine.

Blazing Saddles was the first of two films, the second being Young Frankenstein, released in 1974 by comedy master Mel Brooks. If you don't know who Mel Brooks is or are unfamiliar with his comedic genius I truly feel sorry for you. I hope the coma you've been in hasn't left you with any permanent damage. Meanwhile the rest of us have been fortunate enough to bask in the humor of his films for quite some time now.

Blazing Saddles is the decidedly raunchier of the two films and used humor to do something that had never been done in Hollywood prior to its release; create a film that directly made fun of racism. Mel Brooks is the master of low brow comedy (with the occasional high brow aside) which, in his own words, "rises below vulgarity." Essentially a comedy western the plot is merely a pretense for setting up the comedy scenes created by Brooks and co-writer Richard Pryor. Pryor was originally set to star in the film but the Hollywood head honchos didn't like the idea of their film starring a controversial comedian and opted for the rising actor Cleavon Little.

The basic story line centers on shady Attorney General/land developer Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman), who needs to run a railroad through the town of Rock Ridge and run the current residents out of town so he can take over. Hoping to anger the residents and prevent opposition to his plans he arranges for the town's new sheriff to be a slave named Bart, a.k.a. Black Bart (Little), who was scheduled to be hung (yes, Brooks goes there). Upon his arrival as sheriff Bart befriends Jim, a drunkard who was the former fastest draw in the West known as The Waco Kid.

Despite their initial anger he manages to win them over with his defeat of Mongo (Alex Karras), a hired tough man sent to expedite the town's revolt. With Hedley's beast defeated he next tries to defeat Bart with a beauty named Lili Von Shtupp (the amazing Madeline Kahn). When this fails he sends in a gang of criminals to blah, blah, blah. Seriously, I'm amazed I made it this far. It's a Mel freakin' Brooks comedy making fun of racism, Westerns and has a notoriously extended fart scene, do I really have to expound on the virtue of the plot? Just see the damn film, it's hilarious and responsible for a ridiculous number of one liners (for example: here, here, here and here) that set the standard and have survived the test of time. If you need some awesomely vulgar low brow comedy, and who doesn't, this is your film.

day 82 - Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters

OK film fans, hump day is here and the downhill run towards the weekend has officially begun. Since my mind is completely shot tonight I'm feeling in need of a little boost. So tonight we're going to go light and hit up a comedy. And I'm not joking when I mean light.

Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters is an inexplicable mess of a film. It literally makes no sense. But if you've ever seen the Aqua Teen Hunger Force (ATHF) show on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim late night programming, you would already know this. If you haven't you are either under 12, over 21, have a spouse and children or some combination thereof. Being someone who finds the nonsensical absolutely hilarious this show has been a favorite of mine for years. Its cult appeal stems from its use of morbid and surreal non sequitur comedy with episodes that usually abandon the formal plot structure as soon as it has been established. There is little rhyme or reason to the plot of the episodes and little continuity in the series other than the main characters appearing in the same form at the start of each episode regardless of how they ended the last episode. They also infamously brought Boston to a near standstill when a marketing campaign was mistaken for a bomb scare.

For some reason, despite its small but devoted fan base, the creators released a full length film based on their TV show which only runs 15minutes per episode. If you're looking for a plot breakdown you shouldn't, but I'll give it a try. The film follows the ATHF gang, Frylock, Master Shake and Meatwad, as they seek information about their origins. This leads them to a mystical piece of machinery; an immortal piece of exercise equipment known as The Insane-O-Flex. See, I told you so.

If you're wondering why I like this craptastic piece of cinema first let me say that, surprisingly, I'm not alone. And secondly, much like Hot Rod, it comes down to a single scene. Before the credits even start and we see anything at all, we get a taste of the perversion of the minds we're dealing with. Oh yeah, baby. Oh yeah.

day 81 - Julie & Julia

OK film fans, we've got a near blizzard coming down on us, which made for an interesting drive home, and after a bowl of mediocre chili I'm ready for tonight's film. And given my feelings about this little experiment it seems apropos.

Julie & Julia is a film of two women's lives, Julie Powell (Amy Adams) and Julia Childs (Meryl Streep, the greatest living actor in the world. The former is an aspiring writer, unable to finish her novel and stuck in a cubicle call center job, who starts a blog with the goal of cooking 542 dishes in 365 days. The dishes come from Julie Child's revolutionary cook book Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

The film starts with Julie's average and unfulfilled life and ends with her achieving success far beyond her goals. She starts the blog, with some coaxing from her husband, as a way to cope with a life that doesn't seem to have lived up to her potential after college. We witness both her euphoria in crafting a fine meal and her meltdowns as both the meals and her marriage suffer disappointments. Amy Adams is an actress whose cheerful manner can make anything seem better, to wit Junebug.

Despite Amy Adams' performance, Julie isn't really the star here. Streep's Julia Child is truly something to marvel. She not only captures Julia for those of us old enough to recall her from her TV show, she captures her brave and unyielding spirit as well. It brings to life a Julia Child I never knew and made me wish this entire film was about her life, which is far more interesting than Julie's.

This is a cute film with a charming premise, which is why Julie Powell's blog lead to her becoming published and ultimately the creation of this film based on her simple decision to write about something she liked doing. But it's also a film about achieving your goals when the only thing standing in your way is yourself.

After seeing this I get why my sister brought up this film and the blog idea to me this past Thanksgiving. My family has always been supportive of my more artistic fantasies and my sister thought that a blog might be a good outlet for me. You see, I too am a cubicle farmer in a call center. Without question I am not now, nor have I in some time, living up to my potential. Around the same time as my sister's suggestion a co-worker of mine overheard me talking about film with another co-worker and offhandedly commented that "you sound like you should have a blog on film."

And with those two suggestions, a lifetime of film watching, a couple of semesters of film classes and a desire to do something creative, this blog was born. Only I'm beginning to worry about my little project. I realize this is not a flashy site with lots of gossip and pictures of celebrities, but I really thought I might find some other film lovers who would be interested in taking this journey with me. Otherwise this is beginning to feel like I'm just posting my personal journal online and that feels little embarrassing. Then again maybe I'm just getting in my own way.

day 80 - Away We Go

OK film fans, the least anticipated day of the week, Monday, has come and just about gone, but before it fades into the background I want to share my thoughts on a film I just finished watching. As you may have noticed recently I've been leaning heavily on the indie films for my blog and this is no mere coincidence. Hollywood is constantly churning out mindless dreck, so much so that it sometimes makes it hard to find films of value that can be both entertaining and stimulate your mind. This is never truer than in the months between Oscar season and the start of the summer blockbusters from February through May. I encourage you during this time shun the theaters and look at DVD releases from the prior year; you'll never know when a little gem will pop up and make your day.

Away We Go came out in June of 2009 the same week of The Hangover. It was met with decidedly mixed reviews and lasted only 11 weeks in the theaters. I saw the commercials and read some of the reviews when it came out, decided it was a rental and went to see its competition instead. In doing so I passed over steak and Scotch with friends at Morton's for a burger and a coke in a drive thru. Both of those will get the job done, but only one will you remember years later.

Burt (The Office's John Krasinski) and Verona (an amazing performance by Maya Rudolph) are well educated, self-employed, thirty-something's who could easily be living in the suburbs but seem stuck in a post college alternative lifestyle rut. When Verona becomes pregnant they realize it's time to put down roots but aren't sure where or how they should settle down. Since Verona's parents are deceased they had planned on leaning on Burt's folks, for whom they had moved to be closer to even before the pregnancy. However, Burt's parents have decided to move to Antwerp a month before their grandchild is expected to be born and are completely wrapped up in their own lives.

Since the couple is unencumbered they begin a road trip of sorts where, rather than meeting strangers on their journey they visit friends in different cities across the nation in search of a place to settle. Each visit takes on its own pace, measured by the couples in various states of happiness and parenthood. The first stop is Phoenix with Verona's former boss Lily (Allison Janney). She's a wildly inappropriate, liquored up and completely oblivious to the distance her husband and kids have created as a buffer to her cruelty. After a quick stop to visit Verona's sister, their next visit in Madison is with a childhood friend of Burt's, Ellen (now LN) who's a college professor that puts Boulderite New Age tree huggers to shame with her antics. Burt bites his tongue while she espouses feminist alternative child raising theories but finally loses his calm when her flaky husband mocks his career resulting in one the funniest scenes in the film. You'll have second thoughts every time you see a kid in a stroller.

From there they visit college friends Tom and Munch in Montreal who seem to have created a perfect life. They have a wonderful Brownstone filled with adopted children of different ages and ethnicity. Their house is filled with love and laughter. In Burt's conversation with Tom we discover the couple's hearts are breaking as Munch deals with her most recent miscarriage, the latest in a series of attempts to have their own children. Their final stop is an emergency visit to Burt's brother whose wife has abruptly abandoned him and their young daughter. This final visit shakes Burt's confidence and leads to a beautiful conversation between the couple where they reaffirm their love with each other and their unborn child. When they finally realize where they need to go to raise their daughter it feels as right to us as it does to them.

Verona and Burt's relationship is perhaps a bit idyllic but they are not an uncommon or unbelievable couple. The sentiments in the film are heartfelt, honest and touching in a way few films capture. Director Sam Mendes has a way with family dynamics and you don't have to look much further than the married screenwriters to find the wellspring of Burt and Verona. Dave Eggers and his wife Vendela Vida, thirty-something authors and essayist with two kids, are even more amazing than the couple at the center of the film. As always, if a film has a good tone you can be sure the soundtrack is good as well. With its folksy, mellow vibe it's a keeper and now part of my collection.

It seems that most of the reviewers who panned the film focused on the couple's so-called sense of superiority, that they are constantly looking down on other couples and judging them. The bottom line is they are. That's the point. Burt and Verona is the couple we admire, envy and hate all at the same time because they are emphatically in love. They remind us what happens when two people are the perfect complement for each other. The charm here is that despite their wonderful relationship, there are still lessons to be learned from each couple they encounter.

It's not a perfect film, there are scenes that don't completely work and some characters are pretty one dimensional. But the cast is superb throughout and if the film had been a little stronger I could have seen Rudolph being Oscar nominated, it's that good of a performance. I felt this film in a way that surprised me. It was loving ode to something I'm still searching and hoping for; love, family and a place to settle down.

day 79 - Gigantic

OK film fans Sunday night is upon us and I've got to get up at the crack of dawn instead of at a leisurely pace. That means I'm off to bed soon so let's hit it and quit it.

Gigantic is an indie flick that should be the equivalent of a slow pitch in my strike zone. It has all the elements I usually find interesting in indie films. Quirky and original story, check. Quirky and lovable lead actress, check. Interesting casting including a mainstream actor making a surprisingly nice departure from their norm, check. Cool soundtrack, check. Ultimately though, they just don't add up to more than an average film.

Brian (Paul Dano) is a quiet, ordinary guy who works as a bed salesman. He has loving parents and supportive brothers but he cannot relate to them, partially because he appears to have been a "surprise" child when his folks thought their child raising days were behind them. When they get together he often seems distant and preoccupied. After selling a bed to outspoken Al (John Goodman), Brian meets his daughter Happy (Zooey Deschanel) when she comes to make arrangements for its delivery. Happy works with her father and her self-centered sister in the family business. She talks sparingly with her estranged mother, who is living in Florida and is rather disconnected from her former family. Happy is the type of girl who's a little desperate for attention but also a little skittish and immature.

Brian and Happy begin a physical relationship almost as soon as they meet, but the emotional side seems like a long shot given Happy's general instability and Brian's preoccupation with adopting a Chinese baby. Yeah, you read that right. The film's quirky point is that a 28 year old single, white male is attempting to adopt a baby from another country. Needless to say this is a bit more than Happy is ready for. Then there are his periodic fights with a homeless man (Zack Galifianakis) who may be real or may just be a representation of his inner demons and his struggle to overcome them.

This film is trying a little too hard. Even though everyone in the film gives solid performances (especially Ed Asner and Jane Alexander has Brian's parents) everything feels disjointed. The pace is uneven and not all of the scenes seem to work or actually go anywhere. And don't even get me going on the swimming pool scene between the new couple, it just seemed pointless.

Unfortunately this is a case of an indie film that's too preoccupied with being indie. It's too bad though because there was a good film in there, someone just forgot to focus on making a real story first.

day 78 - Worst Films of the 2000s

OK film fans, I'm a little fried tonight. I was hoping to relax, catch some hoops and a new film but my Jeep's breaks decided to explode and that kind of chewed up the day. Since I'm tired and little poorer than I was this morning I'm going to make this quick. Some films will leave you feeling tired and much poorer in spirit after seeing them. To no one's surprise, Hollywood churned out a ton of crappy films over the last decade. Here are my Top 5 Worst Films of the Last Decade. In fairness to the other craptastic films, I'm only going to list the cinematic putrescence I had the misfortune of experiencing.

5. Envy Jack Black and Ben Stiller seem like a comedy duo that would be good as gold. Turns out that really isn't the case. This epic turd bomb was shelved for 2 years and released after the success of Black's School of Rock. Tim (Stiller) and Nick (Black) are neighbors and pals. Nick has an idea for inventing a dog poo vaporizer and Tim declines the offer to get in on the scheme. When it becomes a huge success Nick becomes rich overnight much to the envy of Tim. There are literally no laughs, just dog poop and sadness.

4. The Wicker Man What happens when you take a bizarre 70s British cult film about social norms and religious morals, remake it starring Nic Cage and have it directed by a guy with some issues with women? You get a film so bad it's actually laughable. Oh MST3K where are you when I need you?

3. Bewitched Oh dear God how I hate this movie. Once again the mindless group thinking mouth breathers of Hollywood got together and came up with the brilliant decision to bring a hit TV show (from the 60s!) to the silver screen. Will Ferrell's performance is painful to watch and Nicole Kidman might have gotten Botox injected into her brain for this role. If I hadn't seen this while on a date with my ex I would have burned the theater to the ground, salted the smoldering earth and had a priest bless the remains so evil could never return.

2. The Love Guru After taking a well deserved 5 year hiatus from appearing in film Michael Myers returned with this. Why? It was like someone had sucked out all of his talent. As for this series of unfunny sketches loosely combined to waste 85 minutes of your life, it just sucks.

1. Battlefield Earth If this was John Travolta's chance to show the world the talented vision of his beloved L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the cult known as Scientology, he failed miserably. This film appears in just about every top 10 list of the worst films you can find. It's so bad it's not even worthy of being mocked. It's just the epitome of bad film making. And one more thing, Scientologists can suck it.

Editor's Note: Once again the auto save mechanism has failed me. I assure you this post was completed and originally posted on Saturday, March 20th before this website screwed me over. Thank you, come again.

day 77 - Bodies, Rest & Motion

OK film fans, it's late on a cold and snowy Friday night, perfect weather for starting a fire, grabbing a blanket and enjoying a little quality couch time. On a night like this I usually would go with a more serious drama, something that really pulls you in and demands your attention. But it's been a long week and the drive in the snow has only made me tired so I'm going to settle for one I've seen before.

Bodies, Rest & Motion is a slice of life Generation X slacker film from the early 90s I saw when I was young, restless and unburdened by life experience. I saw it originally after an unusually bad break up in my 20s; it struck a nerve and has remained a favorite of mine. Converted from a play by Roger Hedden, who also co-wrote the 90's slacker film Sleep With Me which contained Quentin Tarantino's finest acting moment (hint: it's about Top Gun - jump ahead 38 seconds and you'll see), it tells the story of four twenty something's whose lives are intertwined yet heading in different directions. The title refers to Newton's first Law of Motion and it explains a great deal about the characters we are about to see.

Nick (Tim Roth) has convinced his girlfriend Beth (Bridget Fonda) that they should leave their dead end jobs in rural Enfield, Arizona behind and get a fresh start in Butte, Montana, "the city of the future." Beth decides to follow simply because she isn't very good at creating her own path. He waits until the last minute to spring the news on his neighbor Carol (Phoebe Cates), Beth's best friend and Nick's ex, who he had moved to Arizona with originally. Carol is a bit more dynamic, more assertive than Beth and in it we can see both a connection between her and Nick as well as the source of their breakup. Sid (Eric Stoltz) is a painter who meets Beth in traffic and then coincidentally shows up to paint her house before the new tenants move in the next day. Sid has never left his home town and has no desire to. His explanation is that "if you stay in one place, then your luck knows where to find you."

Unfortunately for Beth, Nick is an overbearing, selfish and feckless punk who fancies himself an adventurous rogue. The day before he and Beth are ready to pack up and move he bolts to Montana without her, grinning like a fool as he drives into the desert. Surprisingly, he calls Carol and makes her break the news to Beth. Beth panics, realizing that she is alone and must move out by the next day. Unsurprisingly, Beth makes a poor choice, gets a little stoned with Sid and ends up in bed rather than focusing on her situation. Sid is ecstatic the next morning while Beth is distraught. The conversations they have that follow are some of the most heartfelt, honest and incisive you will see on film.

As you can tell from the description here this is not a story about big significant moments nor is it an escapist film. It is however free of cliches and filled with subtly effective acting and characters facing realistic dilemmas with believable outcomes. Much like The Shape of Things this film retains much of its play like qualities. It's a dialogue driven film interested in revealing character flaws rather than solving them. If you're looking for a traditional spoon fed ending you will not enjoy this film. But if you're in the mood for a play and you can't make it out to the theater, say on a snowy night like this, Bodies, Rest & Motion can fit the bill.

day 76 - Joe Versus the Volcano

OK film fans, this was going to be an extremely short post due to the opening day of March Madness. I was looking forward to settling in and catching up on all the basketball I missed during the day since I'm chained to a cubicle. It was going to be the start of two weeks of bracket tracking hoop drama. And then Georgetown lost.

Joe Versus the Volcano is an underrated little gem of a film released 20 years ago this month. When I first saw it I thought it was a pleasant little Tom Hanks comedy with a fairly obvious subtext about managing the path your life takes. But I was just becoming a man when I saw this film and now, after a little more life experience, it's a delightful little Tom Hanks comedy with a humbling message about the path in life most people take. Rarely do Hollywood comedies insert this much philosophy/theology into its message.

Joe Banks (Tom Hanks in between Big and Philadelphia) is a miserable man. He works for a miserable company in a tiny, fluorescent lighted, miserably drab basement for a miserable jackass of a boss. The dialogue in the first scene between Joe and his boss Mr. Frank Waturi (Dan Hedaya) tips us off to the fact that there may be more to this little comedy than meets the eyes.

Mr. Waturi: And what's this about a doctor's appointment? You're always going to the doctor.
Joe Banks: I don't feel good.
Mr. Waturi: So what? You think I feel good? Nobody feels good. After childhood it's a fact of life. I feel rotten. So what, I don't let it bother me. I don't let it interfere with my job.
Joe Banks: What do you want from me Mr. Waturi?
Mr. Waturi: You're like a child.

Let it be known that John Patrick Shanley, the writer/director of this little film happens to have 2 Oscars for Best Screenplay and he knows how to write snappy dialogue that carries a punch. What's more impressive here is that the dialogue doesn't sound like something we've heard before. And the sets don't look familiar either, since many where created for the film by the same set designer who created the sets for Beetlejuice. The whole film just feels unique.

Joe is a hypochondriac and at his doctor's appointment he discovers that he only has 5 or 6 months to live. Like many of us would, the first thing he does is quit his job. This is one of the most interesting monologues in film, relegated to a cult film that was barely seen. The speech is the embodiment of everyman, blue collar workers and office drones, the heart of America, realizing that their life has been sold to the lowest bidder. And it was sold, not out from underneath him, but rather by him out of no other reason than fear. Oh Hollywood, no wonder it took the writer another 18 years before his next Oscar.

Joe's burst of energy leads to an enlightening date with the girl from his office, De De (Meg Ryan), to whom he confesses that he "thought he had seen her before" when they first met. When Joe reveals the source of his new found strength, De De flees his tiny apartment. She is still a part of the world consumed by fear and unable to process anything else.

The next day Joe gets a visit from Samuel Graynamore, a wealthy business man who offers to fund his remaining days in high style if he will jump into the proverbial volcano to help him win some mineral rights on an island in the South Pacific. Having nothing else Joe agrees and sets out on an amazing journey that leads to self discovery. Along the way he meets two more women, Graynamore's daughters Angelica and Patricia (both still Meg Ryan). Angelica is an empty, LA trust fund girl, bereft of anything other than thoughts of what she can do to ensure her daddy will continue to pay her bills. She too is living in fear and has nothing to offer Joe on his journey.

Patricia on the other hand has spurned her father's demands to create her own life. She has been lured into his service (because everyone has their price) with the promise she can keep the yacht she's using to deliver Joe to the volcano. Her outlook on life is the opposite of Joe's former hypochondriac, negative and fear filled life. And with the struggles that lie ahead, she's just what Joe needs to stay the course. In route to the island the boat sinks, leaving Joe and Patricia afloat in the ocean. It leads to Joe realizing just how much he loves the life he's taken for granted.

This is truly an uplifting, wonderful little Tom Hanks comedy, written by an Oscar winning writer who laces the film cleverly with repeating themes. In the end the film is a reminder of what we need to do to feed our soul and is a beautifully scripted representation of a sentiment we all struggle to remember: The present, even if it is arduous, can be lived and accepted if it leads towards a goal, if we can be sure of this goal, and if this goal is great enough to justify the effort of the journey. (Pope Benedict XVI)

However, if I can get a typhoon, a volcano and a good woman and perhaps I too can end up away from the things of man.

day 75 - The Quiet Man

OK film fans it looks as if I've had my first visit from the long, long arm of the Internet law (sort of). Fortunately for me I'm keeping my nose clean and respecting the powers that be. After all we've seen what RIAA will do to folks and I got enough problems as it is. Now since this is St. Patrick's Day and there aren't really any famous films about this holiday (Jennifer Aniston's Leprechaun notwithstanding) I'm going to skip to a classic film I like to watch every year once the green beer has subsided.

The Quiet Man is an epic romantic drama/comedy filled with sentimentality and sense of nostalgia only a master like John Ford could make convincingly. Filmed almost entirely on location in Ireland this tribute to Ford's ancestry and homeland won him an Oscar for Best Director and was also rewarded with an Oscar for Best Cinematography. Despite being known primarily for filming westerns in Monument Valley, both in black and white (Stagecoach, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance) and color (The Searchers), Ford actually won all of his directing Oscars for family oriented dramas.

Sean Thornton (John Wayne!) is an American returning to his home town of Innisfree with the intentions of settling down for good. Having left the town as a youth he wants to by his ancestral home so he can retire on the small farm in the beautiful, idyllic village. Despite the fact the current owner, the well off Widow Sarah Tillane, has no problems with this arrangement the original buyer, and her suitor, "Red" Will Danaher is rather put out by the idea. Red is the big man in town and he doesn't like this yank trying to take "his" land. To make matters worse the young woman that's caught Thornton's eye, Mary Kate (Maureen O'Hara), just happens to be Red's younger sister. Since her parents are deceased, he'll need Red's permission to court her. Of course, Red is still holding a grudge from the farm land incident and refuses permission, breaking his sister's heart.

However, Thornton has ingratiated himself with ease and the town folk like him both for his generous easy going personality and for getting the best of Red on the land deal. Since it seems Red has managed to belittle just about everyone in town they get together and hatch a plan to help Thornton and Mary Kate court. Inevitably there will need to be a showdown between the two, but Thornton has a secret in his past that prevents this from happening sooner rather than later.

Since I first saw this film I've been fascinated by Ford's effortless ability to be nostalgic without being corny. Every scene lingers lovingly on the costumes, buildings and faces of the town. We get breathtaking visuals and a glimpse at customs long forgotten in "modern" society. And of course there are also his iconic "frame within a frame" shots that capture the essence of a film, its key emotions, in a single beautiful picture (starting at 1:15). Sure it's a little quaint and the storytelling is a little formulaic, but it's tough to find a more heartfelt ode to a bygone era, one that was even looked back upon longingly in the 50s when this film was released. If ever there was a film that cries out for modern high definition TVs it's this one. You'll be hard pressed to see it on St' Paddy's Day and not long for a trip to the Emerald Isle.

day 74 - Buffalo '66

OK film fans, if it seems like the posts are starting later and later you are correct and overly observant. The truth is it's taking me longer and longer to unwind at the end of the day, leaving me less time to figure out which gems to polish and display here. Tonight's film is one you may not be familiar with, directed by an actor whose personal exploits you might have heard about, causing you to avoid him like the hot mess he is. But his work, both as a director and an actor, is always original and often interesting.

Buffalo '66 was writer/director/actor/composer/producer Vincent Gallo's first full length feature film. After nearly a decade working as an actor in indie and experimental films Gallo culled these experiences and combined them with his own strange life growing up in Buffalo. The result is an unconventional story about the redemptive powers of love. Unfortunately, Gallo's second film, 2003's The Brown Bunny, is so universally hated and reviled it may be another decade before he'll get another chance to helm even an indie film. And that's unfortunate because while The Brown Bunny was an overly self indulgent mess, it wasn't a horrible film, the notorious scene aside (and by notorious I mean x-rated!).

Billy Brown (Gallo) has just gotten out of jail after serving 5 years for something he didn't do. When he gets out he has only two things on his mind: visiting his mom and dad and exacting some payback for his prison time. After taking care of some urgent business (remember to go to the bathroom before they let you out of prison) he promptly kidnaps Layla (Christina Ricci) from her tap dancing class. He informs her that she will need to pretend to be his wife when he visits his folks. We never really learn anything about Layla's background or why she would go along with this request. Is she bored or is she slightly damaged goods like Billy? Regardless, the film moves along quickly and with enough pathos that we never really wonder what she sees in him, we just realize that she seems to like the attention and the oddity of it all.

Billy's folks are worse than you can imagine (although perhaps not for Gallo since he has admitted to portions of the film being autobiographical as a Buffalo native raised my Sicilian immigrants). His mother Jan (the iconic Anjelica Houston) is obsessed with the Buffalo Bills to the point of derangement while his father Jimmy (the always menacing Ben Gazzara) is both an enabler and lecherous to boot. During the disastrous visit we come to understand that Billy has been on his own for a very long time before his jail stint, which he kept from hidden from his parents, hence the rouse of her being his wife. After years of neglect he still only wants attention and adoration from his parents, but none is forthcoming.

At this point it is no longer a suspicion that Layla is smitten by the lonely, sad and haunting Billy. Like someone rescuing a puppy from a dog pound she's found choice and makes up her mind to save him. Billy however still has revenge on his mind. We discover that Billy, in an ill conceived plan of becoming a hero in his mother's eyes, bet $10k on the Buffalo Bills to win the Super Bowl. His nightmare began when the kicker for the Bills shanks the game winning kick and loses the game (a la the real life '91 Bills team). His bookie (Mickey Rourke) agrees to forgive his debt if he serves time for one of his associates. But Billy is not after the bookie, he's after the kicker who ruined his chance of impressing his mom.

Billy has plans about killing the despised kicker in a strip club he now owns. The visualization Billy has of the attack is one of many scenes depicting how much Gallo had absorbed from the filmmakers he had worked with. In the end the only thing that can save him is Layla. It's almost endearing that such a narrowly accessible indie film that deals primarily in isolation, despair and depression, is in fact a story about the power of love. Gallo has captured a conventional theme in a starkly intriguing and unconventional manner. What's more astonishing is that after being subjected to such unrelentingly belligerent and unlikeable characters we are willing to go along for the ride to see if love can conquer all.

day 73 - Winter Passing

OK film fans I'm still feeling rundown on this blah Monday. A few nights back I had a little Will Ferrell post where I mentioned tonight's film. Since I had been thinking about ever since I decided to give it another viewing and see what I thought of it now, a few years since my last viewing.

Winter Passing is a solemn, quite Independent Film that tries, almost too earnestly, to deliver the poignancy found in lives filled with lonely desperation. Reese Holden (yep, it's Zooey Deschanel again in another low key but wonderful performance) lives in NYC and is a struggling actress working occasionally in small plays and as a bartender. She smokes, drinks, sleeps around and occasionally, when her depression becomes too much, she slams her hand in a drawer. She's approached by a literary agent looking to score a coup and publish letters written between Reese's father Don Holden (Ed Harris), a famous novelist and now drunken recluse, and her mother, a recently deceased famous novelist. Despite the sizable sum offered to procure the letters Reese is hesitant to return to her childhood home, something she hasn't done since she left, not even for her mother's funeral. But she needs the money and we soon discover she doesn't really have anything holding her down in the city.

When she finally makes the trip she is met at the front door by Corbit (Will Ferrell), her father's handyman/protector with a strange history as a guitarist for a Christian rock band. Before he will let her in he asks her for some ID. Corbit lives in the house along with Shelly, a former student of Don's when he was teaching in the University of Iowa's acclaimed Writers Workshop (go Iowa!). They seem a rather odd collection until Reese spends some time in the house and realizes that a small surrogate family has been formed as each hides from the world for their own personal reasons. They tend to Don as he struggles to write, crippled by the lost of his wife and attempting to drink his depression away. Of the cast listed here it is Ferrell who surprises by creating a believable character, peculiar, shy and encapsulated in deep set fears

Reese's arrival creates a disturbance of the dynamic in the house. She is still angry with her father over her stilted childhood and the time spent being ignored in a house of two creative geniuses. But eventually the confrontations seem to awake everyone in the house, creating a new dynamic and changing the directions of everyone in the house. This is not a feel good Hollywood happy ending kind of film. Writer/Director Adam Rapp has only made a few films and is better known as a playwright, a feeling you get in the intimate scenes that build on emotional realism.

Ultimately, once we get past the requisite indie pain and suffering, this is a film about hope and perseverance in the face of depression brought on by unmet expectations and the accompanying sense of hopelessness. You cannot be made whole from the losses you accumulate in life, but this film tries to capture the struggle to overcome them and make it through the day with a desire to see tomorrow. The pace and tone of the film reminds me of a few other favorites, films like Love Song for Bobby Long and Wonder Boys. If you look up the film on Rottentomatoes.com you'll see it has a rather low approval rating, but as usual, the one critic I value the most nailed down not only the film, but why most people overlook a film like this.

In the words of my Guru, Roger Ebert, you get the essence of the film and a little lesson as well. "This is the kind of movie routinely dismissed as too slow and quiet by those who don't know it is more exciting to listen than to hear. It is sure to disappoint those attracted by the promise of a Will Ferrell comedy -- disappoint, puzzle, maybe enrage. What you hope for are those Ferrell fans who are open to a new kind of film they may not have seen before. That's how you grow as a filmgoer; your favorite stars lead you by the hand into deeper waters."

day 72 - Ong bak 2

OK film fans it's been a rainy, cold day and I'm feeling under the weather. When I'm home sick I usually go for an old favorite or something simple like a comedy or action flick. So tonight I have a little something quick and fun before the Nyquil kicks in.

Ong bak 2 is a semi-coherent martial arts film by the phenomenally talented Tony Jaa. Jaa directs and stars in this film about betrayal, revenge and honor, but doesn't have anything to do with the first Ong bak. Tien (Jaa) is the son of a regional Lord killed by his own general who has betrayed him for another more power hungry lord. Tien escapes but is abducted by slave traders. When he proves to be unruly they send him, gladiator style, to fight a crocodile barehanded in a muddy pit. Just as his battle begins the slave traders are attacked by an infamous pirate gang (seriously, this is the plot). Intrigued by his fighting spirit they take Tien with them and teach him their skills, a combination of fighting style from all over Asia. The first glimpse at what the film has to offer comes when the boy has grown and faces a series of test to take his place as a full member of the pirates. Tien displays a mastery of several martial arts and weapons in brutally realistic fashion.

Now a master of martial arts, Tien promptly leaves the pirate fold to seek revenge, first against the slave traders and then the lord that wiped out his family. The last 30 minutes of the film have some of the most amazing martial arts fights ever filmed. The complexity of the fight sequences are astonishing, far beyond what Hollywood serves us up with films like The Matrix and The Transporter. I'm not the biggest martial arts fan but as guy I've seen my fair share of them and the stuff Jaa does in this film is just ridiculous. The only person making films who's even in the same category is the legendary Jet Li (and they both have created great fight scenes around Nathan Jones).

Unfortunately part way through filming Jaa had a nervous breakdown, speculated as being a combination of stress from being a first time director and financial problems with the production, and disappeared from shooting for 2 months. While he did return to finish the job the final product is uneven and disjointed, including a surprising twist and the cliffhanger ending. But to be honest, who cares? They could just film this guy kicking ass for 90 minutes and I'd still watch it. So if you're looking for pure escapism, and someone cracking skulls, Jaa is your man.

day 71 - Waking Life

OK film fans I woke up today feeling pretty blah, sinus' killing me, stomach growling and basically just feeling like crap. Even though I had a gazillion things to do I went back to sleep hoping I would wake up feeling better. When I woke up the second time not only did I feel crappier but I also carried with me vague memories of a completely bizarre dream about vampires, blood and politicians. Freud is actually laughing his ass off as I type this sentence. I came downstairs and bundled up on my retro 60s (and only comfortable for short stretches) couch and started surfing the web, floating from one web site to the next.

Befitting my groggy, semi-awake state I happened across this amazing convergence of illustrations and music. It consists of a 50 foot illustration by Ira Marcks which is slowly revealed to the entire concept album March 3 by The Few Moments (read the lyrics, all the songs are parts of a continuous story). When I first started to listen to the music, it had a dreamy, futuristic feel to it, kind of like Radiohead's OK Computer. Combined with the illustrations (blow it up to full screen and put some headphones on for optimum transportation) it reminded me of the film Pink Floyd The Wall (Do you know Floyd? I know Floyd.) But the more I watched, in my still hazy consciousness, the more it made me think of another film.

Waking Life is an animated film equivalent of a combination of interpreted dreams, "enhanced" college philosophical debates and the rambling monologues of homeless prophets. This is one of my favorite films from director Richard Linklater, who often explores what he calls "the youth rebellion continuum." The title he's chosen for this film reveals exactly where he's taking us with this exploration. It's a reference to a quote from Spanish Philosopher and Essayist George Santayana, "Sanity is madness put to good uses; waking life is a dream controlled." (George was a pretty bright guy, also providing two famous quotes often attributed to other geniuses throughout history.) Our nameless main character (who in essence becomes the viewer) is lost in a lucid dream-state, not quite in control of the dream and unable to wake up. As he wanders though his dreams everyone he encounters has something to say either about life, dreams or how to discern the difference between the two.

Now, this is a fairly pretentious film, but not in a bad way. It's not artsy for art's sake, nor is it condescending. It simply talks about topics directly that you rarely see in Hollywood films, either overtly or as subtext. Even films that hit on one of the subjects discussed here are usually served at a slow pitch. Waking Life has fun breaking conventions; it discusses the concepts of dreams vs. reality, individuality, existentialism, post humanity, violence, love, free will and the meaning of life in both serious and comical tones. It also asks tough questions without providing answers, and Hollywood is nothing if not a "happy ending" factory. Agree or disagree it doesn't matter; this film is about the journey we're all on and the myriad of opinions on how best to enjoy it. I've thrown some of my favorite clips in here for you to test the waters and see if you find them accommodating. If you're up for the swim it's a fun way to immerse yourself in various philosophical debates and in one of my favorite side effects of good films: introspection.

day 70 - Swingers

OK film fans it's Friday night and the air is just right for drinking (now that's a random film quote!). And since I'm about to get my drink on, we're gonna make this short.

Swingers is the seminal film that, for good or bad, unleashed both Vince Vaughn and "you're so money" on us. At the same time it revealed the talents of the writer and co-star, Jon Favreau, and the director, Doug Liman. While Favreau gave us Iron Man and Liman gave us Mr. and Mrs. Smith (and thus Brangelina) Vaughn gave us uh, well mostly he just gave us Vince Vaughn. But I bring it up tonight because it remains one of the most entertaining and accurate representations of the American male in search of the elusive American female and the less elusive American Buzz.

Most of the scenes in this film feel like they could have been tailing me and my friends back when we were young and on the prowl. Ah the memories, the drives out into the boondocks in search of a great party, each in our own cars of course; the bar crawls and of course the inevitable "Boys in the Hood" moment. The Vegas scene, the video games before going out, getting shot down, par 3 golf played with a hangover and 2 clubs and a little diner action at the end of a long Friday night; I swear it's like watching a documentary. Of course none of us ever came up with a line as cool/cruel as "Business Class", hooked up with a Heather Graham look-a-like after a little swing dancing or left an epic failure of a voice message.

Like generations before us, time marches on and catches us all. Most of my friends are married now and their wives have joined the crew on Friday nights. And that's cool, it's what all those nights out carousing are for, searching in the dark for someone to calm your restless soul. Tonight I may not soothe my soul, but like the guys in Swingers, sometimes it's just as good to hang out with your crew. Besides, this place is dead anyway man.

day 69 - Will Ferrell's Top 5 Films

OK film fans I'm just about to call it a night, need to rejuvenate my spirit to prepare for the onslaught. Fortunately the weekend is almost upon us so I may see if I can sleep for 24 to 36 hours. Straight. But until then I thought I might soothe my mind with some senseless comedy. As I was trying to figure out which film to watch several of Will Ferrell's films came to mind because that's his bread and butter. Then it dawned on me, I haven't whipped out a Top 5 in while. So let's get the formalities out of the way and get this mutha started.

Actually, before we get started I'd like to point a few of my favorite things Will has done that aren't film related. Most of us know him from his skits on SNL, which included a little cowbell action. Then he had a nice moment on the Oscars a few years back. Recently he's hit (literally) with online videos and an HBO show. Unfortunately, he hasn't had as much success recently with his film roles. Despite that I think you'll find he's got more than enough good work to fill out my Will Ferrell's Top 5 Films list.

Honorable Mention. Step Brothers See, what did I tell you? I couldn't even narrow it to 5 films. This may not be his most accessible role, but as seemingly low IQ step brothers, Will and John C. Reilly are unrelentingly stupid. The premise is so outlandish it makes me laugh every time I watch it.

5. Talladega Night: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby The first time I saw this I really didn't think it was very funny. But thanks to it playing for 8 straight months on HBO it began to grow on me.

4. Blades of Glory Leave it to Will, who's 6'3'' and decidedly pudgy, to play an Olympic level ice skater/ bad boy/sex addict who teams up with a waif-ish Jon Heder to skate as a pair after both get a lifetime ban from skating as singles. Will plays Chaz Michael Michaels as part Craig the Spartan cheerleader and part Robert Goulet, always on and mostly sleazy.

3. Stranger Than Fiction Come on, did you honestly think I wasn't going to slip one non-comedy role in here? This was a tossup with Winter Passing, mostly because it also stars Zooey Deschanel, but Stranger Than Fiction is a better film. Will plays Harold Crick, a straight laced IRS auditor whose life takes major turns when he begins to hear his life being narrated. If you haven't seen this it's definitely worth a rental.

2. Elf Will's first crossover film showed he was more than just a comedian. He shows some real skill in this film as a man-child in transition. It doesn't hurt that this is the most recent addition to the catalogue of Christmas classics.

1. Old School/Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy I couldn't really pick between the two listed here so since's it's my damn blog I picked them both! Frank the Tank is the seminal culmination of Will's supporting roles in other films. After creating such an unforgettable characterture of the Peter Pan Frat boy he graduated to the Peter Pan Newsman in his first starring role. Both are priceless comedy creations that are some of the funniest characters of the past decade.

day 68 - Logorama

OK film fans I'm feeling pretty run down today so I'm going to keep this short, literally. Tonight's very brief post is this year's Oscar winner for Animated Short Film. Leave it to the French (writers and directors) to comment satirically on the most visible by-product of capitalism and end up with one of our biggest awards.

Logorama is a clever and somewhat viscous critique of the decidedly American gift to the world. We are obsessed with logos; our culture increasingly defined by those in your possession. We have them plastered everywhere; on signs, TV commercials, print ads, clothing and just about every building you walk into. Logos in American have led kids to kill each other over shoes. They are an instantaneous way to differentiate social status. Are you a Mac or a PC? Coke or Pepsi? Nike or Adidas? Hyundai or Mercedes? Never mind that these items are essentially the same, the brand makes all the difference and your logo tells all.

But it is fun to watch. I imagine this is how our world would look to an alien visitor. On a side note, if you every get a chance to watch the amazing film Crumb, about underground Comix pioneer of the 60s and 70s Robert Crumb, there's a moment in the film where he talks about the differences of logo use in America vs. Europe. It also reminds me of his series of drawings entitled "A Short History of America."

Anyway, Logorama is a mash-up of film noir mood, buddy cops and Tarintino-esque violence with a touch of Bruckheimer destruction. To see how much you can say and do in just 14 minutes, do yourself a favor and check it out in its entirety. But even though it didn't win an Oscar, my favorite short animated film is still this one.

day 67 - Food, Inc.

OK film fans tonight we've got a new film and a continuation of a theme on the Oscars. Like any good documentary tonight's film will leave your mind swirling with frightening information, your heart feeling a little heavier with disappointment in our government and your mind preparing for a steely resolve to change what you can in your own life.

Food, Inc. was nominated for best documentary but lost out to The Cove, a documentary about dolphin hunting. At the time I didn't take much note of it and didn't really care who won. But today I happened to read an article regarding the Japanese fishing village that is targeted in The Cove. It seemed to me like they went after the easiest target they could and made a documentary reviling a small village with minimal impact to the notorious whaling industry of Japan. It also turns out that the fishing village has been practicing this hunt since the 1600s. Since we are a country addicted to superficial stories it doesn't surprise me that the idiot voters of the Oscars (and most of America) would chose a film about people who killed a bunch of flipper look-a-likes over the truth about what happens in our own country every day on a scale even Orwell couldn't have imagined.

Food, Inc. is perhaps the scariest thing I've encountered since reading American Theocracy (hint: it's about more than religion). It starts with some of those wonderful numbers that people in documentaries always throw out and which invariable those on the other side say are false or skewed. Except I haven't been able to find much on the companies fighting back because, as you find out in the film, they really don't have to. Quite honestly, you don't scare them and neither does this documentary. In 1970 5 beef packing companies controlled about 25% of the beef we ate; today 4 companies control about 80% of our beef. The main reason behind this can be traced back to our love of hamburgers. In the 1950s the McDonald brothers closed their successful family restaurant, complete with roller-skating car hops, and reopened it a few months later with a new concept, the application of a factory assembly line mentality to food preparation. It spawned a hugely successful format.

Today, the McDonald's corporation is the largest purchaser of beef and potatoes in America. It also is among the leaders in purchasing chicken, pork, lettuce, tomatoes and even apples. The importance here is that McDonald's wants their food to taste the same no matter where you are and the amount they purchase allows them to dictate who they work with and how they produce their products. Then there's my beloved corn. As an Iowan I have always loved corn but I had no idea as to the extent of which corn dominates our lives.

Next time you go to the supermarket take a good look around you. About 80% of the products you see are made from corn by products. The starch in corn has been engineered to make things like ketchup, cheese, batteries, salad dressing, Coke, charcoal, diapers, Motrin and peanut butter. And then there's items like baking powder, ascorbic acid, gluten, citric acid and of course High Fructose Corn Syrup. This final product has become a staple for the industrialized food complex. But as a result of its near omnipresence we now have this wonderful little fact: 1 in 3 Americans born after 2000 will contract early onset diabetes; in minorities it will be 1 in 2. I wonder if health care will be important to them since it will be considered a pre-existing condition rendering them basically uninsurable.

I would like to talk about the section on beef but as the film points out, in Colorado it is a felony if you are convicted of criticizing beef products under the current "veggie libel laws." Since I don't want to go to jail for bitching about beef (I did work in the meat cutting industry for a time and I also contracted a strain of e. coli as a result) and I'm not Oprah, I'll just leave it to the film. As this is a documentary I hope you'll pardon me concerning myself more with its presentation of "facts" than with its film making prowess. In a great documentary I believe the message should outweigh the delivery, a point that must have been lost on the Oscar voters.

There are an amazing number of disturbing topics in this film that will have you reviewing your eating lifestyle and carefully considering all the changes you can make in your life. I am usually hesitant to claim a film is a must see as we all have our own personal tastes in art. That doesn't apply here. Unless you are an android (I'm looking at you Graham), we're all eating the same food and the messages here are important to all of us. We have made great strides in feeding the world, but some of our decisions are putting that ability in serious question. I would love to provide more examples here and we could easily spend hours and days of posts on this topic so I urge anyone who's read this far to see this film.

I can't resist giving you one last example before you go. Have you ever heard of Monsanto? I assure you that if the anti-christ returns to this world he will be the CEO of this company. Google this company and you'll see what I mean, these are some scary bastards. It's almost bizarre that their headquartered in Creve Coeur, which in French translates to Heartbreak Ridge. They also happen to be the first company to patent life. That's correct. In the 80's they got a patent on a genetically engineered soybean seed, a practice that had previously been undertaken by agricultural colleges and considered public domain. In 1996 only 2% of soybeans were their seeds, in 2008 it was 90%.

From 1976 to 1979 Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas was an attorney for Monsanto. In 1991 he wrote the majority opinion on a case that allowed companies like Monsanto to prevent farmers from saving seeds to plant the following year. Read that again. This has been the practice of humans for thousands of years now, plant seeds, see what crops grow well, save those seeds and plant them the following year. But now we have a government that's in bed with the very companies it's regulating, helping them to create a monopoly of seeds. Sleep well kiddies and try not to think about what Monsanto is up to next.

day 66 - Oscar Review, The Hurt Locker vs. Inglorious Basterds

OK film fans its Monday night, I'm tired, my stomach's been grumbling all day and the Oscar's were another celebration of mediocrity. Since this isn't a blog about sleep or eating disorders I guess I'll rant about the Oscars. For the most part is was just boring. The Guru got all of the big picks minus the screenplay awards. To be honest, as little as I cared for or was surprised by the Oscars it still bothers me that The Hurt Locker won best screenplay over Inglorious Basterds. I was reading one of the many sites that obsesses over all things Hollywood and one comment struck me as both truthful and an explanation for why the Oscars suck. The guy was bitching about the Oscars (sounds familiar) when he mentioned that most of the people voting probably never read all the nominated screenplays. Afterward he joked about how that could be the only explanation for things like Transformers II getting made. But I think it's a very salient point.

Think about this for a moment. The nominations were announced February 2nd which gave the voters about a month to read the 10 screenplays nominated for best original and adapted screenplay. Again, the key here is they would need to read it, not watch it. Now presumably these folks in the biz are actually interested in film so we would assume that they would have seen a majority of the films associated with the big categories like best film, actor, actress and so on. Leaving out best foreign film and documentary, there were 33 films nominated in the main categories. So on top of voting for cinematography, editing, sound mixing and makeup based on seeing all of the nominated films, they needed to also read 10 scripts.

With all of the other categories you can go back in your memory and mentally compare them against each other. Hell, you can listen to the nominated songs and figure out which you think works best in less than an hour. But how many of the approximately 1311 members (22% of the voters) who are actors, notorious for reading only what applies to their character, actually bothered to read each and every screenplay that was up for an award.

I'm way to tired tonight to review Inglorious Basterds, there's just too much going on to give a casual review (unlike The Hurt Locker), but I do want to clarify my point about the screenplays. When I think of a great screenplay, an Oscar winning screenplay, I think of writing that not only creates opportunities for great visual scenes filled with interesting subtext, but also wonderful monologues or dialogues. The Hurt Locker is a fine film and because of its serious issues and timely appearance I can begrudgingly see why it won its awards. But let's compare some scenes. Since both are war films that inherently revolve around tension let's take an example from each film.

For space issues I'm going to post the clips rather than transcribe them, but pay close attention to the scene and the primary tool used to create tension. First up, a scene from The Hurt Locker focusing on the tension inherent in a job defusing bombs. Next we have a scene (the first half is subtitled so you'll have to read and watch unless you're fluent in German) from Inglorious Basterds with a standoff in a bar between a German officer and some undercover allied soldiers. Putting the differences in realism aside (the tones of the two films are for the most part quite divergent), the difference between the two scripts which appear here are consistent throughout each film.

The Hurt Locker is a film about the ongoing Iraq war and a man who diffuses bombs. Very little of the tension or insight we gain about the characters comes from dialogue. This is more of a testament to Kathryn Bigelow's skill as a director than it is the power of the script. Inglorious Basterds creates tensions not only with the threat of physical danger but also with complex scenes of dialogue between waring adversaries who are testing each other for signs of weakness. It doesn't hurt to point out that the lone Oscar presented to Quentin Tarantino's film was best supporting actor for the role of Col. Hans Landa, one of the most memorable and best written characters of the last decade. Instead, one of films most clever and talented purveyor of cinematic delights lost out to a screenplay written by a one-trick pony that most assuredly will disappear as soldiers began a backlash against his exploitative (and not as authentic as you think) film. Congrats again Hollywood, when it comes to both understanding war and honoring talent you almost always manage to screw it up.