Movies...

One of my earliest memories growing up are my dad taking me to movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark and Superman so I grew up being a huge movie buff. Lately, there have been some terrible movies that have been released (Indy and the Skull of Shittyness and Hulk) so I started thinking about movies that I get excited to watch even if I’ve seen it 10 times. These are movies either I own or watch anytime I catch on TV. I thought I’d limit it to movies that have been made in the last 10 years so at least if you are at Blockbuster, you might find it there if your first and second choice is out. I left out Oscar winners like BrokebackMountain and Saving Private Ryan because I assumed most people have seen them already.

So here goes:

Fight Club: Probably my favorite movie of the last 10 years. Brad Pitt in his best role as a “fuck you” Soap salesman and Ed Norton, a insurance claims specialist who create a club for guys who need to well fight to get through the mundaness (made up word) of everyday life. I loved the book so to see it translate so well onto the big screen was a bonus for me. Fincher and Pitt at their finest, even better than Se7en imo.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: I always fuck up the title but the movie is brilliant. Charlie Kaufman has written a bunch of great scripts like Being John Malkowich and Confessions of a Dangerous Mind but this is by far his best “feel good” script and more than that, it’s a beautiful love story set within a non traditional storyline. I’m not a huge fan of Jim Carrey but as a broken down man who wants to literally forget the love of his life he does a great job, and it’s a great script and directed with a lot of soul by one Michel Gondry.

Office Space: Before Steve Carrel made middle management a one liner, this movie made me realize I wasn’t the only one out there with a moron for a boss. So many good one liners in this movie and easily one of the funniest movies of the last 10 years. “I'm thinking I might take that new chick from Logistics. If things go well I might be showing her my O-face. "Oh... Oh... Oh!" You know what I'm talkin' about. "Oh!"”

Memento: Before he blew up big with Batman Begins and now Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan made a name for himself with this murder mystery that really should’ve been nominated for an Oscar. I’m not even doing the movie justice in my description and I’d love to say more but I don’t want to ruin it. Just go rent it if you can’t find what you’re looking for in Blockbuster. You won’t be sorry.

In The Company of Men: Ok, this movie breaks the 10 year rule since it was from 97, but I have this on DVD and couldn’t ignore it. Two execs who are friends make a bet and go out of their way to ruin a woman’s life. Sounds cruel I know but I was amazed how honest the movie was. I actually think it paints men in a true light…for the most part.

Magnolia: People tend to either love P.T. Anderson movies or hate em and I love love loved this one. Huge cast, big story involving multiple characters that gets revealed at the end. You have to go into this movie with an open mind because it does tend to wander into the surreal for a bit but it’s worth the ride. Oh, Tom Cruise actually does a good job in this movie which you can’t say too often.

Requiem for a Dream: I don’t know which I love more, the score by Clint Mansell or the movie by Aronofsky. Story is about 4 characters that get into drugs in very different ways and how their lives are incredibly and completely ruined by it. If you want kids to stop using drugs, make em watch this movie. Brilliant and scary.

Oldboy: Korean movie about a man who is kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years then released and he has 5 days to discover his kidnappers. Now this sounds like any normal Hollywood movie until you watch the style and the way its shot. The pain that the character endures throughout the movie, not just the physical kind is overwhelming.

28 Days Later: I realize the Boyle will forever be known for Trainspotting but this movie imo is the best Zombie movie made in the last 25 years. Easily. Scary, fun, hopeful, and well directed. A zombie movie that makes you think. MMMM Brainz.

Well that’s it for now; hope everyone has a great weekend.