Top 50 Movie Related Things I Love/Hate

1. Soft focus lighting as the open transition to scenes

2. Paul Thomas Anderson

3. Philip Glass soundtracks

4. Vintage movie posters. Even when the movies aren't actually that old.

5. Robert Richardson

6. Jansuz Kaminski

7. Robert Elswit

8. Dylan Tischenor ACE

9. Scorsese

10. Cool end credits.

11. Roger Ebert Reviews/Tweets

12. Reading screenplays/shooting scripts online

13. Billy Wilder

14. Steve Buscemi

15. HBO Shows that feel like movies.

16. Eating popcorn with that cheddar powder while watching movies.

17. Talking about my favorite scenes repeatedly...often to the same people.

18. Kids movies that never stop being great (The Sandlot, Mrs.Doubtfire..)

19. Director commentaries

20. Director of photography commentaries

21. Stylish dutch tilts

22. The occasional use of the wilhelm scream

23. Ensemble casts that include Philip Baker Hall, Julianne Moore, and William H Macy

24. Catching things I missed the first time. Or the first 50 times.

25. Roger Deakins and the Coen Brothers working together

26. Sydney Lumet

27. Writing

28. Previews before theatrical releases (the first time)

29. John C Reilly

30. Criterion collection films.

Not so much love going to...

31. Commercials before theatrical releases.

32. Remakes

33. Sequels...I mean really?

34. People whose favorite movie of all time is any of the following: Ghosts of Mars, The Duplex, or Gigli.

35. Michael Bay.

36. Really great trailers with really bad movies...bummer!

37. French titles right under the English titles on DVD spines. UGLY!

38. E.T. being re-released with all this fancy CGI stuff all these year later.

39. Blu Ray

40. Ensemble casts that include the Wayans Brothers, Natasha Lyons, and Amy Sedaris

41. People who talk in movie theatres. Especially the ones who make YOU feel like the jerks for "shushing" them.

42. Overused corporate dutch tilts

But a little more love to:

43. Happy endings

44. Unhappy, but realist endings (Marty)

45. Good biopics

46. The anticipation of a favorite directors upcoming release!

47. Alan Ball

48. Charlie Kaufman

49. Seeing through the influences of your favorite filmmakers

50. Being able to recite word for word my top films of all times because Ive seen them so many times. Ahhhhhh films....

Light up your light!

I just watched American Beauty with the commentary by Alan Ball and Sam Mendes and basically the whole thing was a tribute to Conrad Hall's incredible lighting throughout the whole film. If you have the DVD I would highly recommend watching it. It's no secret that its a beautifully shot movie, but I was just blown away by some of the detail. The scene where Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) is being interviewed for the job at Mr.Smileys was shot night for day and its unbelievable.

Speaking of amazing lighting, let me just unload about Kaminski's work on Catch Me If You Can. If I can give you a fair estimate as to how many times I've watched it, I'd probably say 18-20. It's a good, fun movie, good story, good performances, blah blah blah. But one of my favorite things about it is the scene where Frank comes home and finds his mother having an affair and sits down on the couch. He's in the foreground, she's in the background in the kitchen, and the daylight is blasting through a kitchen window being beautifully highlighted by a fogged room. LOVE IT. It's just a static wide shot for the whole last half of the scene, and its amazing. I tried to find a still from this scene online with no luck, but just watch the movie. Really.

Super keen on/amped up for PTA!

Ok. The blog hibernation is over. I don't have much to say today except that Paul Thomas Anderson is in the middle of casting his next film and that's pretty much the most exciting thing ever. He's making a movie about scientology. I'm already stoked. If its half as good as his worst film it will be great. If its his best film I'll probably cry and hug strangers. Who am I kidding? I'll hug strangers anyhow!

Let's just recap shall we? Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love, There Will Be Blood. I feel badass even typing all those together, and this is one person's resume?? Right on. Coming 2011.

Kathryn Bigelow. Fact.

This is the post where I talk about my excitement over what just happened at the Oscars. K.Big is the first woman to ever win the Oscar for Best Director. This was the highlight of 2010 for me so far. The presenter of this award is usually a bit of a giveaway (anyone remember Scorsese's win? Who else would Spielberg, Coppola, and Lucas all stand up for!) When Babs Streisand walked on stage I lost it. In a good way.

It made me feel so inspired and able and I hope I never forget how I felt in that moment. It's not just a big deal because Im a woman filmmaker, it's a big deal for anyone involved in film. You think Avatar was progressive? In 82 years and 410 nominees only 4 women have been nominated. I realize the ratio of woman directors to man directors is a rather large gap, but those numbers are powerful. This little girl in New Brunswick, Canada feels like anything is possible right now.

I said K.Big or go home last night, and I shall drink to that!

Last call for Avatar/Hurt Locker chit chat

Ok. So this is the main reason I think The Hurt Locker should win Best Picture tomorrow night.

The problem with Avatar is that its an epic movie watching adventure, but then that's it. It's like a roller coaster ride. They're fun, and they give you a rush, but you don't spend your day to day life i eager anticipation of the next time you'll ride. Avatar is a visual experience- similar I imagine to what the first IMAX experience was years ago. But once you've seen it, you've seen it, and as momentous as it is, it's over.

My vote would go to Hurt Locker. It's the war movie of the decade and not because it simply tried to be. March 7th 2010- K. Big. or go home!!

Who's Wilder than Kubrick? So glad you asked.

Alright, so it appears that "A History of Nothing" has challenged "The Good Stuff" to a blog war. Right off the bat I think I should win based solely on the names of our blogs. Friend- it's on.

My dear friend Darcy Cameron and I rarely disagree on good films and nearly never miss a beat on what we feel are "the cinematic greats". The one topic on which we really can't find a common ground is Stanley Kubrick. Darcy hails Kubrick as the greatest filmmaker of all time. Don't be fooled- I know that Kubrick can back it up, and I know he's more than made his contribution. Truth is, I've just always been fairly indifferent to him. I don't particularly like, nor dislike him, I just havn't had much interest in watching his films.

Darcy has thrown "Dr.Strangelove" at me. "...only Kubrick could have done and gotten away with - a COMEDY about a general who orders a nuclear attack on Russia...keep in mind, this was made at a time when people were actually afraid of this sort of thing". That's a very valid point Darcy. Too bad Billy Wilder already set that precedent by releasing "Stalag 17" in 1953. This brilliant little war film is also a COMEDY depicting American POWs in Nazi prisoner camps. This was made at a time when even DRAMAS weren't being made about WWII as the subject was considered too "serious". Wilder took a serious and taboo issue, created out of a history of violence and rocked the proverbial casbah. Oh and it stars William Holden. Perhaps you've heard of him, he's only one of the most notable and brilliant actors in history.

Kubrick's got charisma. But Wilder had it first.

Because donuts don't wear alligator shoes.

So. Let's talk about Black Dynamite and how much fun it is. First of all every single scene is hilarious. That alone should be a good enough review for anyone, you dig? It exudes one part parody and one part homage which I really think is the best way to try and ace its overall objective. Nothing really makes sense, continuity is completely out of whack, there's actually a moment where Black Dynamite throws three men out a glass window and then proceeds to fight a room full of people- including the three men he just tossed who are magically back in the same room! The whole film is chock full of deliberate jump cuts, replaced actors, and ode-tos. You've got to be a pretty kick ass filmmaker to make something so awful so wonderful. And don't be fooled- it is wonderful.

"Ha! I threw that shit before I walked in the room". Need I say more? Oh and not to ruin the fun, but two seconds later that guy is on fire. Hilarious.

I did not expect to like it, let alone love it and now I find myself wondering how I ever lived without it.