2010 - Year In review Part. 1 (Life, Movies, TV)

I'm happy to leave certain things in my past while wondering how certain things stayed left behind. Started with two jobs and ended with freelancing in San Diego and looking for permanent employment.

RIP: Guru, Teena Marie, John Wooden, Bob Feller, George Steinbrenner, Jose Lima, Teddy Pendergrass, Lena Horne,  Gary Coleman, Dennis Hopper, Leslie Nielsen, Howard Zinn, Bro. Mack and many more.

Biggest News Stories

1. BP destroying the Gulf Coast (5 years after Katrina, this could have even more crazy long-term damage)

2. Haiti earthquake (you might have it on the backburner, but we won’t forget)

3. SB 1070 – AZ going back to the Stone Age of immigration.

4. Dems get smashed in November (Christine Donnell’s loss aside, the Tea Party made gains and somehow we still kept talkin bout Sarah P’s celebrity self)

5. Wikileaks making Jullian Assange either the new Woodward/Bernstein or the biggest renegade in years.

6. Health care passing – Hoping this will benefit folks who need it.

7. Iraq war quietly ending (If you blinked you missed it, but it's time to say Hallelujah)

8. Chilean miners (A great story but I hope one day, miners is a outdated job)

9. Korean flare up – the No. 1 story to watch in 2011. Please believe it.

Finally read A People’s History of the US and Lies My Teacher Told Me and my mind was blown further into smithereens. As much as I knew, there was a whole lot I didn’t. Must-read books by any American who wants to truly know their history. I owed it to Mr. Zinn to honor his life by buying that book and I don't regret either purchase

Movies

Inception might be the one of the greatest summer blockbuster films ever. It’s rare to find a film that grossed so much money, attracted 6 Oscar winners or nominees to star in and dominate and be a well-executed film in every facet of the word. Christopher Nolan can say that he not only has two of the highest grossing films of the last 5 years, but two of the best summer movies ever in Dark Knight and Inception.

For someone like me who loves the idea of dreams, this movie was almost like eating cheesecake with raspberries. And it may not get any Oscar love thanks to brilliant films like Social Network and The Fighter but I hope that it gets at least a nomination for Best Picture. It’s one of those movies that’ll make you think with so many layers involved. Was it just about dreams or was it a film about filmmaking creating a world for us to be in? Reminded me a lot of “The Matrix”

Book of Eli and The Town were also great films I watched. But this year moviewise, I finally watched some classics for the first time in Godfather 1&2 and Shawshank Redemption.

Television.

No TV moment impacted me more than the end of 24. The first show I watched from start to finish. The show that defined the post-9/11 era as far as terrorism and our fascination with the government’s inner workings. If Jason Bourne updated the James Bond model, Jack Bauer did the same in a different way as the super agent who goes to distance to serve his country but isn’t afraid to challenge them in the name of the greater good. My Mondays will feel boring in 2011 now.

I never saw The Wire so my penance is watching David Simon’s latest slice of genius “Treme”  - a great show I loved about New Orleans post Katrina. I also watched another dose of HBO goodness in “Boardwalk Empire”, well-acted and delivered week by week. Law and Order: Los Angeles steps in the shoes of its ancestors perfectly. 

I finally started watching Modern Family this year and loved it as one of the hilarious shows on TV. Hopefully I’ll finally get into 30 Rock more and maybe in 2011, I’ll finally catch up on Mad Men

CSI said goodbye to Grissom and hello to Dr. Ray Langston – I’ve said it before that Gil Grissom is one of the best characters of the last decade and history will prove that.

Also, I realized that as good TV shows slowly come back, the rise of reality shows isn't slowing down. The next decade is probably gonna see more great shows on TV but the water cooler/Twitter talk will probably revolve around To Catch a Predator or Jersey Shore or the like. Sign O'The Times like the Purple One said.

And of course, the best commercial of the year. The Old Spice Guy - darn near had a 6 month viral campaign. Brilliant marketing!



Next up, Music and Sports.

Christopher Nolan vs. M. Night Shyamalan - Who's The Real Genius? (Hype vs. Substance)

Consider this a followup to my last blog - this is a story about two directors born in 1970 who show the danger of premature hype and the satisfaction of slow building success.

Back in the fall of 1999, a little monster called The Sixth Sense came out. It had a lot of buzz and I remember going to see it with my Dad and sister. It scared the crap out of me and I don't scare easily. It was a thriller that played on your mind and had a twist you didn't see coming.

It also became one of the highest grossing films of all time as well as one of the most critically acclaimed with 6 Oscar Nominations. It now ranks at 89 on AFI's 100 Top Films of All Time and is hailed as one of the greatest thrillers ever. It's also one of my favorite movies.

The new director/writer/producer was hailed as the next Spielberg or Kubrick. M. Night Shyamalan became the new Hollywood wunderkind at 29 and bright things were expected of him.

Two years later, an indie film came out called Memento. I remember hearing a crazy buzz about the inventive plot and it seemed like everybody said it was one of the most original movies around (And I'm still waiting to see it)

Although it made 1/10th of what Sixth Sense, it too was nominated for some Oscars (Best Original Screenplay and Editing) and it's hailed as one of the best films of the 2000's. The director, Christopher Nolan, was called the next David Lynch for the psychological nature of his filmmaking.

Who knew that 10 years later, both Shyamalan and Nolan's careers would converge this summer with expensive projects. Yet they're going in two wildly different directions that makes me wonder who's really the genius.

Shyamalan hasn't made a decent movie since Signs - I remember watching that on a date a few days before I started college. The Village, Lady in the Water, The Happening all gave me high hopes that this would be the film that would be a return to form. Never saw them because the buzz turned into negative reviews that made me think I'd be wasting my time.

And with Last Airbender being the worst reviewed blockbuster in years, it's safe to say that it's time to say Good "Night" to his respectability (Shout to my Cali Tweep @merc80 for that piece). He's still probably a great screenwriter but it's going to take a minor film to slowly rebuild the goodwill he earned a decade ago. The fumes from 6th Sense are just empty vapors now.

Meanwhile Nolan has only reinvigorated the Batman series with Batman Begins, forever changed the superhero film genre with The Dark Knight, and made one of the most original psychological thrillers in some time with Inception. I still want to see The Prestige and I remember hearing Insomnia was another great movie.

Nolan's star has risen meteorically and he's far overdue for a Best Director Oscar nomination. His films are multilayered experiences that satisfy the viewer, make money and challenge the conventions of what films can do.

Basically he's doing what Shyamalan hasn't done since Signs. Challenge the viewer and make good movies. Like I said in my previous blog. He's the most consistent filmmaker in Hollywood right now. Inception will be his 5th consecutive movie to gross $100M and will be in line for award gold come next winter or else Hollywood is a joke.

Predictions are funny - nobody could have seen this coming and it's a sign that hype is a killer. Shyamalan was hailed as a genius before he turned 30 or proved his merit besides one film. But it's Nolan who should be hailed as a true genius before he turns 40 with his best days ahead of him because of his track record.

Inception - Summer Brilliance

When I went to see Inception on Sunday, I had high hopes. The summer movies haven't been really appealing outside of Toy Story 3. NO chance on Earth I'd go see Twilight and I was iffy on the A-Team. Last Airbender is probably going down as the worst reviewed movie to gross $100M so I was hoping Christopher Nolan would help Toy Story save the summer.

Plus I had to convince my crew to go see this. We were supposed to see it Friday but we had to postpone it. I told them there's NO way we are missing this movie so find some cash and make it happen. Happy to say we rolled up 10 deep to see it.

All I have to say is: WOW!!!!! Intense, complex, intelligent, layered, original, mindblowing! I left the theater stunned with a headache and a loss for words. Did a movie like that really make $60 million last weekend in this era of popcorn fare?

I won't spoil anything but I'll start with the fantastic acting. Leonardo DiCaprio is in a class of his own when it comes to greatness. Already made a great movie in Shutter Island earlier this year and now he did another fine job in this with his command.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt has come a long way from Angels in the Outfield and showed why he might be the most underrated actor of my era. In some scenes, he outshined Leo with his restraint. Ellen Page was a perfect newbie sidekick while Marion Cotillard was captivating (much better than she did in Public Enemies). Well-acted film but that's no surprise with 6 Oscar nominees or winners.

(That Murderer's Row doesn't even include Oscar nominees Tom Berenger and Ken Watanabe.)

The concept was original and well-executed. I'll just say that Freud would've been proud of how they looked at dreams and it had me thinking about what it could all mean. A metaphor for filmmaking? Either way you'll look at your dreams differently because it does well capturing the psyche that Freud discussed so well.

I heard somebody say it borrowed some concepts from the Matrix. If anything it added to the idea of an alternate universe.

It's a film that engages you the viewer and forces you to watch closely. It showed why Christopher Nolan (who allegedly thought of this movie at 16) might be the best director in Hollywood right now. He pretty much told peer M. Night Shyamalan, "This is how you make a smart, well-done thriller with twists and layers. Back to the drawing board, son!"

Just like "Dark Knight" - everything about the film tells something about the story. The background, visuals, relationships, atmosphere all relate to the plot and it's absolutely stunning filmmaking.

In short, GO. SEE. THIS. MOVIE. You don't see movies like this come out to critical acclaim and box office success. If it doesn't get any award love, something is wrong with the critics. It's like a good album, don't bootleg it - pay for it. Your mind will thank you! Virgo guarantee.