My Top Five Best Movies of the Year!

2010 has been a really bizarre year for film. During these past twelve months I have seen some of the best movies of my life and some of the worst. Everything has been a little topsy-turvy in terms of my tastes as well. I'm really not a big action movie guy, but I found myself really wrapped up in 2010's more fact-paced showings.

The year also did little to nurture my guilty pleasure of horror movies with Daniel Stamm's "The Last Exorcism" offering one of the most deflating and disappointing closing scenarios in the genre. Saw 3D, the conclusion to my ultimate guilty pleasure, was a colossal disappointment with lines of dialogue worthy of latenight Lifetime programs.

There are a lot of honorable mentions here, too. "Kick-Ass," the film adaptation of the graphic novel by the same name, was a hell of a movie. Directed by Matthew Vaughn, the man behind "Stardust" and "Snatch," offered a brutal yet fun movie with a lot of nice technical touches with its editing and Chloe Moretz had a memorable role. Adding to the off-kilter nature of this years films was a successful remake of "Let the Right One In," and hell, even the most recent Harry Potter movie was tolerable. Overall, this year has been great. Here are my choices for the best of the best:

#5 WINTER'S BONE | Directed by Debra Granik
"I'm Ree, my dad's Joseph Dolly... I got a real bad need to talk to him."

It drives me to great disappointment when I think about how little buzz "Winter's Bone" generated among thriller fans. Despite its resounding critical acclaim and impact at the Sundance Film Festival, I hear little conversing of this masterpiece. For that reason, I wish to not let slip even a plot synopsis. Out of the five movies on this list, this is probably the only one to have all of its secrets preserved and I would like to maintain that.

All you should know is that there is a inescapable air of danger and peril that haunt the later scenes of this film. Once the intensity starts rolling, the concept of a mere bathroom break becomes inconceivable. Don't be like the rest of nation - go see this movie!

#4 BLACK SWAN | Directed by Darren Aronofsky
"I just want to be perfect."

After the critical and financial crash that was Aronofsky's "The Fountain," it's wonderful to see his following efforts hit in such a big way. Even while keeping 2000's "Requiem for a Dream" in mind, I now consider "Black Swan" to be his most powerful and penetrating work to date. There are two primary reasons why this film is so effective. First off, Natalie Portman's depiction of distressed ballet dancer Nina is believable and a break-out performance for her career. The strains she experiences, both mentally, physically and sexually are disturbing and frightful.

The second bullet point to note is the fantastic utilization of handheld camera work. As the dancers spin about the stage, the audience is treated to a whirlwind of twirling costumes, blinding stage lights, and the shrill cries of orchestral strings, all while the camera perambulates around them, as if joining in the dance. These moments, and more, offer some of the most visually arresting moments of 2010 cinema. The closing scene in the film will ground you to your seat, breathless, horrified and utterly impressed.

#3 THE SOCIAL NETWORK | Directed by David Fincher
"The internet's not written in pencil, Mark. It's written in ink."

I believe that it's easy to watch the trailer for "The Social Network" and think to yourself, "Okay, here's a movie that wants to rake a few dollars off of the eCulture phenomenon Facebook; it probably sucks." To make such an assumption is not only incorrect, but also a disservice to what is one of the best screenplays I've had the pleasure of witnessing. Everyone is blisteringly quick and witty, sarcastic and intellectually profound. It's like watching a grand showdown of cognitive masters as they verbally smash and grind against each other - fantastic stuff.

I was surprised to see "The Social Network" nominated for its soundtrack this year, but upon reflection it actually feels well deserved. The music doesn't immediately harness attention but the solemn, reserved piano strokes play well alongside the eventual heartbreak towards the closing scenes of the movie. The script, excellent delivery and captivating momentum are all fantastic reasons to see this one - even if you know nothing about Facebook. Ultimately, "The Social Network" is a movie about people - and there isn't a soul alive who doesn't know about them.

#2 TRUE GRIT | Directed by Ethan Coen & Joel Coen
"There is nothing free but the grace of God."

I'll admit it, I have not loved the recent output of the brothers. While 2007's "No Country for Old Men" was well deserving of its best picture award, nothing since then has packed the same level of honest quality and regality. Although "Burn After Reading" was a successful black comedy romp, the characters and situations there expressed were so contrived and twisted that I had a great deal of difficulty getting immersed in the context.

I'm happy to announce that the drought is over and "True Grit" is here. While a remake of a popular John Wayne classic might not sound like the career stimulator that everyone expected, it absolutely is. "True Grit" tells the story of a young girl who hires a dangerous U.S. Marshall to hunt down the man who murdered her father. Hailee Steinfeld plays Mattie Ross, who sports a quick brain and an even quicker tongue. The interplay between her and the gruff, hardened Marshall (played by none other then Jeff Bridges) is entertaining and a joy to watch. The movie so comfortably oscillates between its sharp humor and its dark, intense action-based scenes. These swings in emotion never feel abrupt and are always appropriate. Additionally, no matter how dark the film became, it never lost the feeling of wondrous, grand scale adventure - in many ways, the film felt magical. It's just a damn good movie. The humor hits just as fast as the bullets and Steinfeld delivers the performance of a lifetime - and she's only in her teenage years. Kick back, and just witness what a good movie looks like, all the components are here.

Alright, here it comes.

My personal best movie of the year.

Ready?

I'm serious, this is it right here.

Best movie of the year.

3...

2...

1...

BOOM!

#1 INCEPTION | Directed by Christopher Nolan
"If we are to perform Inception we will need imagination."

What is Inception? What genre does it fall into - what audience is this intended for? While classifying it as an action movie is a quick summarization, it hardly acknowledges the sheer narrative juggernaut that this film is. All things considered, in the duration of the movie's almost three hour running time, one will witness a love story, a crime mystery, a drama, an intellectual's chew toy and yes, an action movie. The screenplay took Nolan roughly ten years to write and it shows. The film is incredibly precise about where it chooses to place its focus and at what point. It distributes its time in these genres so well that it all swells to one masterful, multi-faceted adventure that I won't soon forget.

Something so intriguing about "Inception" is its ability to bridge the gap in so many audiences. Yes, there are car chases. Yes, there are adrenaline rush, high-stakes moments and overall I would classify this as an action movie. However, these moments are running parallel to the films effectively powerful, sad, emotional core. This is one of the few instances a movie with the aforementioned car chases and high stake pinches has been able to incorporate honest emotion and relatable sentiment. The suffering of our main character, Dom Cobb, played by DiCaprio, is believable and real. The droning tension between himself and the memories of his deceased wife, Mal (played by Marion Cotillard) never hampers or holds back the momentous events that unfold; if anything it propels them forward.

"Inception" has everything I could ask for in a movie. Heart-pounding moments (both emotional and adrenaline induced), the cinematography is fantastic, the special effects are visually stunning, the score is appropriately powerful and strong, and the performances never waver. What I am left with is a film that I can only nit-pick at. This is result of years and years of work, needle-like precision and grand creativity. Nolan's ability to inspire some freshness into the most bloated genre in the industry is honorable.

Recently, Inception has become the movie that's "cool to hate." Despite some scattered negative feedback, the praise speaks for what the film truly is. Four golden globe nominations, a #3 spot on IMDb's Best-of list and millions of dollars later, one thing becomes instantly clear: "Inception" is not just a flavor of the week hit. This is a movie that will live among the pantheon of all-time greats. It is what I consider to be not just the best movie of the year, or my favorite action movie, but a film that sits comfortably in my top five favorites. Hot damn.

All right, well, thanks for reading! Inception haters can line up. :]

Fuck phones

Quick disclaimer: This blog has a ton of bitching. There will be real-life people hinted at but not directly mentioned in this blog post. If you at all feel offended -- please, don't be. This is just a personal venting.



I don't know why, but I have been having a really hard time being in-touch with people. I find that incredibly odd; I look around my room at my two computers, my phone and an iPad and I'm puzzled as to why such troubles would occur. I have every possible social-portal open, so what's going on here?

Allow me to give some statistics on how hard I have been phone ignored in the past two weeks:

1) Since last Wednesday, nobody has tried to call me. My recents list is filled to the brim with those little icons with the arrow going AWAY from the phone. Possibly symbolic of my feeling of losing something.

2) Almost all of those calls that I made were never answered, either going to voicemail or getting a quick, "Hey can I call you back?" *CLICK* Of course I never did get a call back.

3) Let's look at some text messages. Sifting through my messages since last Wednesday I have found that I have sent a total of 16 questions and/or cheerful messages; things that are easy to respond to. I have gotten four responses back. Most of those were from the same person.

4) Taking a break from the phone issue, just go take a look at my Facebook wall. Do you see very many people checking in? Seeing if things are going well? Good old digital pat on the back? Nope, ya' don't. It looks like it was designed by Narcissus himself as almost all the posts are by me. Just depressing.



I think a very natural reaction to reading this would be to say that its a non-issue, or that I'm being over-dramatic. If this is your natural response to this, then yes, normally I would agree with you. However, somewhere between the seventh or tenth voicemail or ignored call, I began to adopt a feeling of deeply-rooted sadness and loneliness. Why do I keep these doors open if no one ever wants to come in? I consistently feel like my hand is extended but rarely does one take it.

A popular word that is used amongst the hard-to-contact group is "busy." They are constantly applying that awful four letter word. Always they are busy with something be it work, friends, emotional upheavals or even lunch out. Truly, I can relate to that word because, hey, I'm busy, too. But guess what. I've never been that busy -- not in my whole life.

Never has my schedule been so incredibly clogged that I couldn't have a phone conversation, help a friend out, attend a quick dinner, never, never, never. People are too incredible to apply the ugliness of a schedule to them. People are, to me, the most important thing I have. Nothing, not even a job or personal project could ever change that.



I guess my final point brings me to post's title. Well, seriously, fuck phones. Fuck Facebook. Fuck Twitter. Fuck all those social networking systems. From my personal experience, all these devices designed to bring us together really only tear us apart. Here's why:

Let's imagine we are in the mid 1800's. A westward-bound boyfriend writes the love of his life a letter. This letter spans ten pages, it is thoughtful, constructed, meaningful and sincere. Now, can you see this happening? The love of his life receives the letter; we'll call her Bertha for now. Bertha pulls away the wax press that encloses the letter of the one she loves so much and she says to herself, "I'll get to that later."

Can you actually see that happening? I can't.

That's because the human experience was more valuable when it was felt more sparingly. To be accosted by someone was an honor -- you'd either be rude or have a well-versed reason to dismiss somebody. Now, being approached is no big deal. Just water under the bridge. That beautifully written ten page letter probably now manifests itself in a little red number you see in the upper-left hand side of your screen. It's not surprising. It's not shocking. It's just inglorious and trite.

We have felt each other through phones and internet so much that people have become unfazed by someone reaching out to them. This has had such a deep effect that when one sees my text message or missed call they can indeed say, "I'll get to that later."

None of those people are probably reading this; and that sucks. All the people who are, however, don't ever stop being enchanted by people. Be honored someone had enough desire and interest to contact you. Because honestly?

No one wants to talk with me right now; and I feel very, very alone.

Life: Time is quick

Everyday I come into work where I listen to my 70-year-old boss speak of what things were like when he was my age. He tells me stories of how he would tear through the streets of Phoenixville, racing with his friends. All the drinking he used to do at the bars, how his daughter needed to pick him up due to his intoxicated state. How he loved many girls.

I find his endless reminiscing a little annoying most of the time. Now that I'm here, in front of the computer, it actually seems really incredible. Here is this man who has experienced my life more then three times over and now he is here to tell me everything. He looks over at me, across the surface of the red table thinking how badly he wants to have my youth. My freedom, and all the time I have yet to use.

It's been said that time goes by faster when you have many things scheduled in your life. You start experiencing things in bite-sized chunks rather than in one, fluid span of time. If that is true then I am burning through leagues of time at an unrelenting pace. It's all about when I get off work. When I can get to the weekend. When that next cool "thing" comes out.



What can I do to combat something like this?

Do everything I have ever wanted to do. Everything I can predict I'll want to do. Do stupid things because life is too serious. Get reckless because I can't forever. If I am able to accomplish this then maybe things will be different when I am the older man sitting across the red table. Maybe I'll look at the youthful spirit just beyond my reach and I'll be fulfilled. I'll smile and respire knowing that I've done everything I wanted. I'm content, and shaking hands with the future has never felt better.

Film: Let's talk a little Dusk 2

I hate sequels. Just hate 'em. Not only does creativity often dissolve when a sequel is made but the whole idea hinges on revenue. Not exactly the greatest foundation of making a movie.

So naturally I was driving in my car about a month ago and I was like, "Dude, I need to make a Dusk 2. That'd be boss." I instantly started brainstorming and jotting down some quick ideas I had. Oh, and I made a logo! It's pretty BA.



Here are some quick things I'm sure about:
- Jonathan and Nathan will return and reprise their roles as Andrew and Dirk.
- This, like Dusk that came before it, will be a synthesis of drama and horror. Unlike Daniel's Attrition which is almost purely horror I want Dusk 2 to not forget its dramatic roots.
- I think I want to turn the gore up a few notches. With Dusk we were having trouble with content being accepted by the school where it was going to be shown, this won't be the case with it's sequel. The lock has been broken and nasty scenes will follow!
- Still, I wanna' make it darn scary without it feeling too much like Daniel's Attrition.
- Nathan (Dirk) will still be a demented and comedic character.
- Jonathan (Andrew) will be suffering from post-tramauatic stress and intense paranoia about Dirk's whereabouts.
- Editing and quality will squash that of the first Dusk.




Most importantly I hope people are excited to see the two demented widows return for another rounds of fear and madness. Jonathan Yatsky (Andrew) on the left, Nathan Rupp (Dirk) on the right.

Thanks guys. Hope we can make this happen!

Big Feel: Blog Introduction!

Hey there!

Lately I have been shuffling though different ideas on how I can have one central area to bring together important aspects of my life. I have been doing little Facebook Notes on the progress of my film Daniel's Attrition, but the journal-crave hasn't stropped there.

My memory, simply put, is pretty poopy. Days go by and I feel like I just chew 'em up and spit 'em out so that I can move onto the next appointment, big date, moment of excitement, etc. From a different perspective, this could be seen as a big ol' waste. A day might be easily digestible but it is still 24 precious hours! I think that if I start making a journal I can have a record of these precious, albeit meaningless moments. That way I can look back say say, "Yeah, I remember that."

I think I'll divide the blog into three separate sections! Allow me to explain:

LIFE:
Ever cracked open someones personal diary for a wee peak? In the words of Sierra Mist, "Yeah, it's kinda' like that." Just a simple little record of interesting moments or thoughts I might be having. While this may come off as one big narcissistic act, I hope others can enjoy my boring life.

WRITING:
... Has slowed down a lot for me. That doesn't stop me from wanting to discuss any ideas on any new projects I might have or writing itself. If I can ever get a piece done that I'm happy with then I'll most likely post it in here for all to read.

FILM:
All those little Facebook Notes I was talking about will now be moved to this page! Any production breakthroughs I may have will get posted right here.

WHY THE NAME "BIG FEEL?"
Those two words sound funny together. Also, its what I strive for in my writing, films and in myself. If I ever stop having and producing big feelings then my name isn't Eli!

I hope I'll be able to keep all of this up! Thank you to whoever is, might be or potentially will read this blog. :)