Best Film of the Decade?

The best film of the decade is…meh. How do you pick one movie as the best in a ten-year span? It is an impossible task, so I think it would be more fun to discuss the best films of the 2000’s by genre.

Superhero

The Superhero movie genre wasn’t new, but this decade saw more entries than ever before. Where the 90’s housed some of the worst superhero movies ever made, it was the opposite in this decade. In 2000, the first film that showed how well a comic could be adapted was 2000’s X-Men. Finally, after years of development, someone (Brian Singer and crew) figured out how to make the necessary changes to a classic comic book without compromising the core themes, and what made them great. X-Men lead to 2002’s Spider-Man and then we were off to the races. Two high-quality, very successful big-budget superhero movies allowed the genre to grow this decade. I think studios saw that big directors were not needed to make a great superhero movie, and the formula has proven to work pretty well.

X-Men and X2, and Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 are the best of the whimsical, flashy superhero stories. Yet, Spider-Man’s introspection lead to two phenomenal Batman movies that focused on deconstructing the hero. Unbreakable was a great example of this idea. A popular theme from the eighties in comic books was peeking behind the superhero’s mask. The “Watchmen” mini-series changed the comic book industry in the same way X-Men and Spider-Man changed the film genre. Yet, "Watchmen’s" ideas certainly influenced these two films as well as the two Batman films. Finally, Watchmen was adapted into a film which, ironically, borrowed from the films the source material influenced.

So, as this genre had it’s high points: Iron Man, The Incredibles, Sin City; it also suffered low points: X-Men 3, Spider-Man 3, Daredevil, Ghost Rider.

So, my best again are: X-Men and X2, Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, Unbreakable, and Watchmen.

Romance

The Romance genre saw an ungodly amount of “romantic comedies,” most of which starring either or both Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. Aside from that, there were a handful of great love stories in the past decade. I tend to enjoy the movies that deconstruct and examine a relationship rather than a “will they? won’t they?” love story.

My favorite movie in this genre was Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. This movie dismantles a relationship and slowly pieces it back together giving the audience a clear idea of the good and bad moments of love. Another film, I really responded to, The Constant Gardener was a perfect blend of romance and politics. I really liked the idea of a man who assumed things about his wife, and as he investigates her murder, falls in love with her again.

Other notable "romantic" movies I enjoyed: Slumdog Millionaire, Lust/Caution, Once, Brokeback Mountain, Adventureland, and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.

Sci-Fi

There were a few decent Sci-Fi entries this decade and pardon me if I forgot one or two. I am writing this about a month from the release of Avatar. Will it be one of the best Sci-Fi films of the decade? I doubt it. Anyhow, I think Children of Men, Wall-E, and District 9 were the best films in this genre this decade. I would put Watchmen on this list as well, but I’ll keep it in the “Superhero” genre. District 9 was fantastic, original, and creative. I also really enjoyed the gritty, dystopian Children of Men. We sci-fi fans were given 2 new Star Wars prequels this decade. Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. Attack of the Clones was just horrible in every way. The acting was bad, special effects over-used, and the story was confusing. On the other hand I enjoyed Revenge of the Sith. Yes, it is unnecessary, but it exists and I was entertained by it. If this were the only prequel, I think Star Wars fans would have been a lot more excited.

Another notable "Sci-Fi" movie was Francis Ford Coppola's Youth After Youth. It's very strange, dark and confusing, but I was engrossed by it. It's like a weirder and much better version of Benjamin Button.

This was a severely overlooked genre this year. But with the success of Star Trek, and the most likely success of Avatar, I hope Sci-fi will be the Superhero genre of the 2010’s.

I still have more genres to roll through. So stay tuned.

Shaking my fist: A few nuggets about what is pissing me off right now

This is another example of our society trying to hold athletes to a higher standard than ourselves. Serena Williams, and her sister for that matter, are phenomenal tennis players. Most likely the greatest female players ever. Serena lost her cool during that U.S. Open match, no question. Should she be fined for yelling at a referee? Probably, but maybe not. I can only imagine what baseball players or football players say to referees every game with impunity. Yet, the media rushes to vilify Serena Williams for losing her cool. I think the media needs to move on and let it go, the constant analysis and commentary is tiring. It’s funny how it takes an incredibly talented tennis player losing her temper to take attention away from the Yankees or Brett Favre. ESPN! The MTV of sports.

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S.C. Rep. Joe Wilson is another guy getting too much attention. Joe Wilson is the Republican from S.C. that heckled Obama during his healthcare speech. The problem I have is that he was forced to apologize. I personally think Wilson is an idiot, and shouldn’t have blurted out ANYTHING during the President’s speech. But he did and why dwell on it? (Wilson was also wrong when he shouted that Obama was lying about illegal immigrants being eligible for healthcare under the bill. Obama stretched the truth here and there, but not about that.) Either way, Wilson shouted, and shouldn’t be forced to apologize. He should just stand by his actions and let we the people judge him.

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Another stupid thing right now is MTV’s outdated awards show and the “shocking unscripted” moment of Kanye West interrupting a 19 year-old girls acceptance speech.

First of all, MTV abandoned music a long time ago. They are more interested in themselves and celebrating dumb behavior and empty personalities.

Secondly, the entire concept of the “Video Music Awards” is a self-serving pat on their own back. Awards are handed to famous people who star in their own music videos, and rarely have any creative involvement. I guess it’s not cool to bring attention to the creative filmmakers who actually make the videos.

Over the years, the popularity of MTV and their awards shows has dwindled. That’s why I have a hard time believing that Kanye West’s interruption wasn’t orchestrated in some way. No one would have been talking about that stupid awards show had Kanye West not interrupted the show. Think about it. MTV has a history of orchestrating “outrageous unscripted” moments (see any other VMA show, Janet Jackson Super Bowl concert.) I don’t believe it for a second. But look who is benefiting. Pretty much everyone involved, Taylor Swift the victim, Kanye the apologetic villain, Beyonce the humble sympathetic matriarch, and MTV the ratings whore.

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Anti-Obama protests and the heathcare debate are dominating political news. I’m loving Obama’s presidency right now. I love how hypocritical the conservative right looks right now. The conservative right has organized two big protests now in Obama’s first year practically sponsored by Fox News. I think it’s great. That’s the beauty of America. We get to voice our opinions as loudly as we want. But if you were awake the past eight years, and if you protested the President you were deemed un-American and a traitor. What was the big debate? Starting a unnecessary war with Iraq that we are still fighting. A needless war fought for some erroneous idea that it was for America’s protection.

What are we debating now? Providing healthcare to every citizen in the U.S. It seems warped to me. It seems silly that George Bush was a hero who left our country broke and fighting two wars, and Obama is a villain for trying to come up with a better health plan for us. It shows me that money is more important to conservatives than our own citizens.

I get it. I know conservatives are afraid that it will cost us too much money. Conservatives are scared that the healthcare system will be different. Well, I’d rather my tax dollars help our citizens rather than kill Iraqis. I refuse to believe Obama could come up with ANY plan that conservatives would like. I don’t like ALL of the ideas, but I trust that the doomsayers at FOX News are wrong when they say that the fabric of our nation is under assault. That’s the beauty of America. If the new healthcare system doesn’t work, then we’ll elect someone who has a better idea. I haven’t heard any good ideas out of the right. Just blind opposition.

Crying Wolf

The news story that has riled me up this week is the one about Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates’ wrongful arrest. The more I read about it, the more ridiculous it gets. There were only two people there when the events unfolded that ended with Gates in jail. There are only two people who can offer a real account of what actually happened. What we can assume from the facts, A Cambridge police officer responded to a possible break-in, Gates was offended that a white police officer would dare ask him to identify himself and acted belligerently towards him. Enough so, presumably, the officer decided to arrest him for disorderly conduct. It sounds like there were people milling around the area watching Gates freak out and to save face, the officer slapped the cuffs on him.

I can understand Gates’ point of view, why should you have to deal with this in your own house. But he twisted the situation into a racist encounter and became unnecessarily defensive. On the surface, it seems like the police officer had no reason to arrest Gates, because all Gates had to do was identify himself and clear up any confusion. But Gates was so desperate to play victim that he made something out of nothing, and waited too long to comply. A cool-headed person, black or white, could have cleared this up without any hubbub.

The internet has turned Gates into a martyr. The oppressed black man under the heel of racist white cops. Continuing to proliferate the mistrust of the police by the black community. You have to dig deep, but there are a few blogs and articles that refuse to champion Gates, and good for them. It seems to me that it is Gates who is the racist.

This wasn’t a case of racial profiling, this was a misunderstanding. How would Gates react if a white officer arrested a black man trying to break into his house? Did it matter to Gates that the description of the suspects were black males, and the officer was just doing his job? Did the accused racist cop race over to the scene so he could oppress the black suspects?

This just wasn’t a case of a white cop oppressing a black man. This is a case of a police officer dealing with an asshole.

I’m not pretending that racism doesn’t exist, just look at the sect within the GOP fanning the flames of the “Obama birth certificate” movement. It just doesn’t help the cause of Anti-racism when you cry wolf and twist any situation into one that fits.

How's your job?

I watched Walk the Line again recently and was reminded of the moment when he sees the little kid shining shoes which prompts Johnny Cash to write "Get Rhythm." Johnny Cash was not a real cynical guy. He typically looked at the positive aspects of the lives of people. Especially criminals.

The thought that popped into my head when watching that scene was very different than Johnny's. My thoughts are way darker and more cynical. Here is an illustration to show how dark my mind is.

Click to make bigger:

Motivation

I want to talk about motivation for a second. I have little or none really. My life is a long list of things I’ll get to at some point. I want to get back into painting at some point. I have all the supplies, but have yet to touch brush to canvas. I have a pile of unread books and a pile of unfinished or projects that I have not yet started. I’ve been trying to exercise more regularly, but not often enough. Anyhow, it’s getting to me now that I’m approaching my 29^th year in a few days.

So Monday, I decided to change the game a little. I decided to wake up fifteen minutes early, go on a run, come home a fix my lunch for the day and get to work early so I could leave early. Over the July 4^th weekend I had developed a slight cold so I decided running might not be the best idea with my throat feeling like it was on fire. That fine, it’s a legitimate excuse. Everything else went according to plan. My lunch, which involved baking chicken, was prepared, and I was on my way to work fairly early.

I was 12-15 minutes into my trip when I noticed my car was overheating, a first in the 8+ years I have been driving it. I decided to try to get the car to work and figure out what to do from there. 5 minutes after that decision the engine light popped on and the car lost power and limped along. I was able to get the car off the road and noticed my cell phone battery was only at one bar. It actually held out remarkably well, given all the calls I had to make. I was, funny enough, on an access road full of car dealerships. None of which were Ford, and only one was American. I noticed then I was across the highway from a auto repair shop.

That’s lucky I guess. Like getting shot and stumbling into a hospital. Everything worked out well, and quickly getting the car towed over to the shop. Then the diagnosis. My car had blown a radiator hose, but everything else in my engine will probably suffer the same fate soon. The mechanic pointed out a ton of problems and potential problems with my 8 year old car, totaling over a thousand dollars plus more to come. According to Kelly Blue Book my car is kind of worth $1,600, but it is probably less than half of that. How much money should I pour into an old car? I can afford a new car, with a lot of adjustments to my budget.

After a lengthy discussion we decided to try to live on one car. My wife’s 3 year old car with an outrageous monthly payment. I paid to fix the radiator hose that burst and parked my car where it will sit until I figure out what I want to do.

So do I look at this negatively and say, “Geez, as soon as I get motivated THIS happens.” Or do I just chalk it up to another day of unexpected circumstances and you deal with what is handed to you. It’s tough to stay motivated, I know that much.

The day was up and down. Car broke down, but in front of a repair shop. The problem wasn’t insanely expensive, but there is a lot more work that needs to done. I went to Katie’s Pretzels to get a Garlic Parmesan pretzel, but I forgot the dipping sauce. When I went back to the car, I found a little over 40 cents and ran back and got the pizza sauce. I never did make it into work.

Rant about The Rant

I listened to the portion of The Rant about MJ, which had a lot of great moments, but I take a lot of umbrage with my cousin’s opinion of Michael Jackson, The Beatles, and popular music in general. He lumped Michael Jackson in a group with Beyonce and Usher in the genre of “Pop” music. Which by his definition is “blandest thing ever” and meant to appeal to the masses.

The whole point of making music, for the most part, is so people will listen to it. A painter paints and a filmmaker makes movies so people will take part in their art. It takes a rare breed of talent to transcend almost every demographic and get the whole world buying your albums by the millions. It’s not something that will ever happen again, not on that level. When you wave off his influence on Pop music, you are ignoring that fact that he did in fact revolutionize “Pop” music, or whatever name you want to give it. The name of the genre is bland, but it’s a moniker that is attempting to describe multi-genre mainstream songs.

Music videos changed because of him. Dancing, concerts, costumes, and yes, music changed after he hit the scene.

“Devo was making 11 minute videos before he made Thriller.”

What?!! That comparison is far from apt. Devo is/was an art project. Devo’s purpose was to be off-putting and to break down convention. Devo took popular songs and twisted them into something unrecognizable. Devo forced you to “get” them. Which is something else entirely. We can’t expect every artist and musician to create projects that shoot for a small audience. The few that do, and do it well like Devo, get the response they seek. Michael Jackson hired a famous film director and made a short film of one of his songs, which is now commonplace. Now music video directors are making the jump to feature films, with varying degrees of success.

Another big part of music is influences. There is always someone who has “done it before.” Especially in the case of The Beatles and Michael Jackson. The same can be said about Elvis, Johnny Cash, The Rolling Stones, or ANY BAND EVER. To brush off the The Beatles because there is a legacy behind them is incredibly arrogant. Again, they are part of a rare breed that can transform a combination of influences into something that transcends race, age, and nationality.

Just because it’s popular doesn’t mean it sucks. There is a lot of popular stuff that sucks, but popularity is not the cause.

Music Video

I made a music video for "Psycho." I thought it needed one.

Tragic

We have become a society that feeds on public ridicule. The creative forces behind network and cable television channels have given up on telling original stories and instead create inexpensive, repetitive programs that serve as a platform for the public to point and laugh at our fellow citizens. I suppose it feeds a feeling of superiority, and really requires no commitment of deep thought.

Public ridicule infiltrates our news resources as well. Entertainment news is built on public ridicule, but regular news is guilty as well. It’s not always a bad thing. Oddly enough, we have plenty of stories from this week to use as examples. The story about S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford is an instance where I think the public ridicule is fair. The news is presenting the story as is, and they really aren’t invading a Governor’s privacy any more than they should. With Sanford’s erratic and stupid behavior compared to his political morals, he brought the attention to himself.

The ugly side is what, to me, makes Michael Jackson’s death so tragic. There are a million tributes and opinions and jokes pouring out, and most are probably better than mine will be, but I am deeply saddened by his death. I’m like a lot people my age. I grew up worshiping Michael Jackson. He was the epitome of cool, and his music was amazing. I’m happy to say that my wife and I recently rediscovered Michael Jackson a little over a year ago. The guy just made great music. I don’t know how technically proficient it was, or how thought provoking it was, but he had a knack for writing harmless and entertaining songs that resonated with just about every demographic.

He became Elvis famous. Then he became the butt of everyone’s jokes. Comedians made fun of his voice, his wardrobe, and his personal life. Entertainment news tried to invade every facet of his personal life. I suppose there is no room for eccentricity anymore. Sure the guy was eccentric, he wasn’t the first eccentric celebrity, and he won’t be the last. I understand the attraction, but the fact that he became famous for writing a bunch of songs doesn’t permit us access to his life. Yet the public feeds on the unfortunate aspects of famous people’s lives.

His continued eccentricity gave the entertainment press more material to present so the public could laugh at him. Why is that acceptable? Why is it acceptable that there is a market for the invasion of privacy? I have seen, maybe, one Lindsey Lohan movie; which means I really shouldn’t know who she is. Yet her every move is studied and ridiculed with no abandon. Average people enjoy seeing someone who has written a song or acted in a movie fall down. I know a lot of modern celebrities have done bad things or even committed crimes, but their situations are not really there for any of us to judge.

Michael Jackson is finally getting some respect again, but it comes after years of public ridicule and invasive press coverage. Every hack comedian has made a lot of jokes at his expense, and with continue to do so because he is an easy target.

The tragedy is that Michael Jackson became famous because he was a songwriter. He was so good at it, that everyone wanted a piece of him, and as a result, couldn’t live in our society. You are not allowed to live a normal life if you create something that everyone loves. I really, truly believed that he was on the verge of a comeback. He would release a new album that blew everyone away with a huge world tour to follow. It’s just sad.