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  • 14 Jan

    And the Oscar Goes To…

    We are about two weeks away from the Oscar nominations, a chance to debate the year that was in movies.

    Thanks to Netflix, I think I saw no more than two movies in the theater this year. But also thanks to Netflix, I will be able to catch up on all the best films once they hit DVD.

    The other day I watched The Reader, one of the five films nominated for Best Picture last year. The others, in case you have forgotten, were Frost/Nixon, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Milk and winner Slumdog Millionaire.

    Having seen all except Benjamin Button, I can say I am glad I didn’t have to cast a vote in that category. I still agree with the Slumdog pick, but any of the others are a great way to spend a few hours. Throw in Changeling, Rachel Getting Married and The Wrestler and we’re talking about a stellar year in film.

    The previous year was also strong with Best Picture nominations going to Juno, Michael Clayton, Atonement, There Will Be Blood and winner No Country for Old Men. There weren’t as many top flight films, especially compared with what we got in 2008.

    Then again, 2007 did bring us The Simpsons Movie and Superbad.

    The latter I saw at 10:45 a.m. in a theater that featured myself, my brother and three other adults. Before our show, they had some sort of discount children’s movie day. The place was packed to the gills with little kids and their parents.

    As soon as they filed out of the theater, we started to go in just as everybody does when the previous showing lets out. We were downright yelled at by a theater employee who said we couldn’t go in yet. He even went as far as putting up a little rope to prevent five adults from disobeying his verbal warning.

    Then again, he did have to clean up tons and tons of spilled candy/popcorn from all those damn kids.

    By cjhannas movies Netflix Uncategorized
  • 03 Dec

    Great Googily Moogily

    Quick–name three of the greatest actors of our generation.

    According to a trailer for the new movie “Brothers” that list includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire and Natalie Portman. I think the brains behind this marketing campaign figured out how crazy their claim seems, since I haven’t seen that version of the trailer in about a week.

    It is, of course, a pretty subjective list to create. We all have actors we like and loathe, and often they appear on both sides of that divide depending on whom you ask.

    Let’s take this group, for example. It’s pretty popular to rag on Gyllenhaal, possibly because of the double-L and double-A thing in his name. But he has been in some solid films: “Jarhead,” “Proof,” “Brokeback Mountain” and “Donnie Darko.” For the sake of full disclosure, I haven’t seen the last two but list them based on their reputation. Let’s also not forget he was nominated for an Oscar for his “Brokeback” performance.

    Maguire was Spiderman, so that’s clearly a plus on his resume. However I got stuck there. I couldn’t think of a single other movie he was in until I looked on IMDB (not counting Spiderman sequels of course). Looking down the list, I’ve only seen two of his other films: “Pleasantville” and “Empire Records.” Certainly those are OK films, but nothing to schedule your day around. I dare say Gyllenhaal has had a more impressive career.

    That brings us to Portman. I won’t even build the suspense or put on any airs here–I adore her. There are some great movies you probably know, like “Garden State,” “V for Vendetta” and “Closer” (for which she garnered her own Oscar nomination). There are also some lesser known roles that you should certainly see: “Free Zone,” “My Blueberry Nights” and “Anywhere But Here.”

    Should any of them be called “one of the greatest actors of our generation”? I’ll take the easy way out. The problem with the question is defining “our generation.” I can’t be sure of this, but I don’t think they have the technology to target that trailer at individual viewers. You could have a room full of people from a number of defined generations (Gen X, Gen Y, Millenials, GeneratioNext).

    So until they more clearly define the question, I’ll reserve my judgment.

    By cjhannas movies Uncategorized
  • 21 Oct

    If You Say So, Netflix

    Netflix is my friend.

    At least, it’s trying to get to know me and give advice to improve my life.

    That’s what led to today’s recommendation — The Crow — which Netflix served up to me in a category called “Visually-striking independent films.” How very specific of them. Of course they had to base that recommendation on something, and in this case it was my high rating of Rachel Getting Married and Slumdog Millionaire.

    I would make more fun of them trying to guess what I would like, but they happen to be right a lot of the time. Even when it comes to movies they don’t think I’d care for, they have those ranked appropriately.

    Take for example the list of movies released in the last month. Netflix says I would give 5 stars to 30 Rock: Season 3, 4.25 stars to both Man vs. Food: Season 1 and Waltz With Bashir. I can confirm that I thoroughly enjoy the first two, and I’m pretty sure I’d like the third.

    But the system isn’t perfect. It puts Best of SNL: Amy Poehler (3.25) far too close to The World According to Miley Cyrus (2.75). Barney Fun on Wheels (2) isn’t all that far behind, though Netflix is correct that I’d be much more likely to watch a singing Miley than a singing purple dinosaur at this stage of my life.

    It even gives a suggested rating for movies that haven’t even hit theaters yet. I’m happy to report Netflix thinks I would really enjoy Boondock Saints 2: All Saints Day. Considering that learning of this movie’s existence was the highlight of that particular day, I’d agree.

    By cjhannas movies Netflix Uncategorized
  • 03 Sep

    You Look Like Someone I Know

    Thanks to my friends at Netflix, my Wednesday night was spent with a wonderful movie spoken exclusively in French.

    Fortunately, “The Class” had English subtitles so I could actually follow what was going on. It also had a lead actor who looked far too much like my roommate from freshman year of college.

    For those of you who didn’t live in at Susquehanna University’s Smith Hall room 315, here’s what my roommate Shawn looked like.

    Of course, that Shawn is not to be confused with the other kid named Shawn I lived with for the other three years at SU. For clarity sake, I’ll refer to them as Shawn R. (freshman year) and Shawn L. (sophomore, junior & senior years).

    Life with Shawn R. was definitely an experience. When we first talked on the phone a few weeks before we moved in, I quickly figured out we weren’t really running in the same circles. He asked what stuff I was planning on bringing and I mentioned my Sega Dreamcast.

    “What’s that?” he asked.
    “It’s a video game system.”
    “Oh.”

    The biggest thing you need to know about Shawn R., he was very neat. I mean, I may be considered a neat freak by regular standards, but living with Shawn R. made me feel like a slob.

    He was also from Maine, which meant that on short breaks–the 3 and 4-day weekends–he didn’t go home. I got back to our dorm after one of those breaks and noticed my bed was made. I didn’t think much of it, though I probably made my bed twice the whole year. Then I got an IM from my friend Mindy, who happened to live just down the hall with Shawn R.’s girlfriend.

    “Notice anything about your room?”
    “Um, no….”
    “Look at your bed.”
    “My bed is made.”
    “He MADE your bed!”

    Apparently, after a day or so of sitting in our room and looking at my unmade bed, Shawn R. just couldn’t stand it anymore and had to make it. That’s what I call neat. Though maybe I should have expected something like that from a freshman male who mopped our floor on several occasions.

    That made the Sprite incident all the more interesting.

    Mindy and I frequently ordered food with Shawn L. and ate down in her room. After one of our meals arrived, I went back to my room to grab a plastic bottle of Sprite from our fridge. It was the last one, so I opened my closet and grabbed two more bottles so there would be a cold one for later.

    And then it happened. I used my left hand–already holding two bottles–to close the closet door. Like the genius that I am, I also left part of my hand in the quickly closing door. The door and my hand tried to occupy the same space, which resulted in quite a deal of pain. It also caused my hand to forget it was holding two plastic bottles, sending them crashing to the ground.

    One of the bottles was unharmed. The other exploded. Actually, I’m not sure exploded is the right word. There may not be a word for what happened to the contents of that bottle. The second–and I mean iota of a second–the bottle hit the ground, a slit the size of a splinter opened up in the bottom. In an instant, Sprite mist coated every corner of the room. I barely had time to blink. My eyelid started to come down, my eye looking over a perfectly clean room. By the time it closed and reopened, the clear, sticky mess was everywhere.

    The ceiling was covered with little dots of soda. The mirror on the other side of the room looked like I had just sprayed it with some sort of cleaner. My shirt looked like I had just been hit in the chest with a water balloon. Shawn R.’s CD rack looked like I had dumped the bottle all over it. His computer screen…his desk…you get the picture.

    I had to make the long walk back to Mindy’s room with a sense of utter dread. Not only was I not going to be enjoying my food, but now I also had to borrow all available cleaning supplies and spend the rest of my day scrubbing.

    I’d be willing to bet there’s still a fine mist of Sprite on the ceiling in Smith 315.

    By cjhannas movies Netflix Susquehanna Uncategorized
  • 25 Jul

    Oh Computers…

    I just finished watching Apocalypto, which I highly recommend. I went to my Netflix list to set up my next string of movies and to browse for some new selections.

    You can rate movies, and based on what you’ve liked they’ll give you some suggestions. The best part is that they’ll tell you why they recommend a certain title. And that’s where the fun of computers made my day.

    Suggestion: Cocaine Cowboys- a documentary about cocaine smuggling in Miami in the ’80s.
    Because you liked: The Office (Season 2)…and my favorite- Blow.

    Ok, I can sort of understand Blow. I liked a movie that was all about cocaine trafficking. That doesn’t necessarily mean I like cocaine or want to see more movies about its distribution, but at least there’s a connection there.

    But The Office? Maybe this is the season where someone finds a blunt in the parking lot and everyone in the office has to go through drug testing to find out the identity of the company pothead. But how on Earth does that mean I’ll like a documentary about cocaine trafficking?

    The other picks make a bit of sense. I liked The Simpsons Season 6, so I might like The Simpsons season 3. It gives me Toy Story because I liked Monsters, Inc.

    And then there’s this gem: All Deliberate Speed. It’s a documentary about the Brown v. Board of Education case, and frankly one I actually am interested in seeing. But the three movies I rated that led to this recommendation are Glory, All The President’s Men and Bowling For Columbine. Not too sure what those have to do with Brown v. Board…

    By cjhannas movies Netflix Simpsons Uncategorized
  • 05 Jul

    Why not Live it Up, and Do the Thing You’re Meant to Do?

    “Why not live it up, take the risk, and do the thing you’re meant to do.”

    The final quote in the movie 10mph, a documentary about a team of people who quit their jobs to ride a Segway across the United States.

    I seem to be drawn to things like this lately, or maybe I just notice them more. I’m currently reading Thoreau’s Walden, a book he wrote while living on hiatus from society in a cabin he built himself next to a pond.

    Now I’m not too sure I could build a cabin if I wanted to, and I am pretty sure I would injure myself trying to ride a Segway. But those were other people’s quests. I don’t know what mine is, or what it could be. That will sort itself out.

    For now, I’m relishing the opportunity. After spending the last year completely wasting away in something that was completely unfulfilling and not only didn’t lead to personal growth, but rather regression, I quit. That period is done. Tomorrow I head to the beach for nine days with absolutely no commitments other than a few rounds of golf. The rest is just going to happen how it happens, where it happens and when it happens.

    Sitting on my beach partner’s deck the other day eating grilled hot dogs, I said “I feel great about life right now. I’m unemployed and feel better than I have in a long long time.”

    How often do you hear those things in the same sentence? That’s what happens when you get sidetracked by certain aspects of life and lose focus on the rest. I know exactly what I don’t want to do in life, and if it took a year of disappointment and frustration to better elucidate that in my head, I’m glad I went through that experience.

    I’d like to think what I went to school for is what I’m supposed to be doing. It’s something I enjoy and something I think I’m pretty good at. But who knows. There’s an infinite world of possibilities out there, and after nine days of cleaning the slate, we’ll see what the next round of chalk has in store.

    I’ve spent many hours talking with some of you about this experience. You’ve gone through the same thing, or are right behind me in the boat manning the oars. Nobody told us it could be this way right? It seemed like we got on the right path, went to school, did the unpaid internships and were supposed to be picked up into the system. But then came the special requirements about the experience we don’t have and that seemingly ubiquitous other candidate that they’re going to go with instead.

    That’s fine. There’ll be another opportunity. The bills beckoned, so we changed the focus to a stop-gap. And that sucked.

    At the same time, our friends got jobs before they left school or right after they got back from that great vacation. They found fulfilling work and loved their bosses. We kept trying.

    At some point I started to see rejection as a sign of something else. It was like being in a video game and thinking I’d finished a level, only there was something I didn’t pick up or some button I still needed to press for the game to let me move on. I was at the building, circling it like a hawk looking for a meal, but just couldn’t find the damn door to get inside. I’d go to work and try to take a step back and see what lesson I could glean from a seemingly dead-end situation. What was I supposed to be learning before I got my chance? Who was I supposed to meet? What conversation was I supposed to have?

    I’m not sure I ever had that moment or that lesson, or if it even exists. But in that process of stepping back I was able to see the ridiculousness of what I was doing. Life’s too short to hate what you’re doing. Unless of course that’s something quick and simple like eating lima beans. Eat your lima beans. But if it’s day after day, encounter after encounter that just makes you want to run from the building, lace up your shoes and get out.

    I’m a fan of the band Barenaked Ladies, and on of the first cds I ever purchased they have a song called “Never is Enough.” The chorus goes, “I think never is enough yeah never is enough, I never want to do that stuff.” It talks about backpacking through Europe, working in retail, etc. I’ve heard the song a hundred times, and it wasn’t until a few weeks ago that one line really hit the essence of my situation: “You get your Ph.d, how happy you will be, when you get a job at Wendy’s and are honored with employee of the month.” (yes I quoted that a few days ago, sorry). Now I’m a step below Ph.d, but I like to think I was a step above Wendy’s so it all averages out. Oh and my company didn’t do employee of the month. I might have lost to one of the mannequins.

    But when your situation is used as an argument in a song about the ridiculousness of what people are doing with their lives, it’s hard not to laugh at yourself and commit to the change you’ve been wanting.

    So nine days of decompressing and pondering what lies ahead.

    Maybe Thoreau will teach me how to build a cabin.

    By cjhannas mall movies Uncategorized
  • 26 May

    Interesting Sunday

    My nemesis has reared its ugly head again. I sat down for a relaxing Sunday morning with the Washington Post, nobody in sight, responsibilities far from my mind.

    I made it through the first section with no difficulty, some big words, but no concepts beyond my grasp. Next on Sundays is the Outlook section, an expanded Op/Ed section with nicer graphics than the usual daily opinion fare. There was an article about how fewer and fewer people are getting married, a trend strongest in the black community especially among black women.

    It was a pretty good piece with some interesting points, but just before the end I encountered a startling piece of wordery…that’s right, panacea. The word that will not go away. I officially dub it The Word of 2006…

    Speaking of trends…Later on Jason was flipping through the channels and came across The Sandlot, one of the greatest movies of all time. We were discussing how the “fat kid” really didn’t look that fat in the movie, and Jason asked if any of the kids had big roles after their Sandlot appearance.

    Naturally, I turned to our good friend IMDB and started checking up on the child stars. None went on to great stardom after The Sandlot, but a surprising number followed the same post-Sandlot path…to Boy Meets World. Five of the nine kids who starred on the misfit team of backyard baseball players appeared in at least one episode of Boy Meets World–thus explaining the brilliance of both the movie and the show.

    The most successful Sandloter is arguably Brandon Adams, who not only starred in Mighty Ducks, D2 Mighty Ducks, but also Moesha, Sister Sister and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. If that’s not success, I don’t know what is. He also got his acting start portraying “baby Michael Jackson” in the film Moonwalker.

    By cjhannas movies Uncategorized
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