Mr. November

I would like to thank the American populace for voting for hope today. I am excited to see what the next four years have in store for our nation. Congratulations President Obama!

Blindness

This review will be brief; however, I do plan to expand on it at a later time. On to the film!

It should first be noted that I have a slight bias towards the director of this film, Fernando Meirelles, as he is responsible for both City of God and The Constant Gardener, but with this stated, Blindness is a fantastic film. Altohugh not related to my thoughts on the film, I must say the reviews it recieved are rather shocking, and feel that part of the reason for the spite comes from misconseptions about the film, and this will be brought about shortly.

Although marketed as simply another sci-fi thriller, the film is really a meditation on the nature of man. This is where the problem lies. The main critique on the film appears to be that the film's subject matter is simply to dark, which is difficult to argue with. In fact, if one were to borrow from Thomas Hobbes, the film would basically describe the basic life of man to be "nasty, brutish, and short." While this is all true, one must understand that this is an adaptation of a novel of the same title, by Jose Saramago, and this film only scratches the surface of what is depicted in the book. This is no complaint, as few would be willing to subject themselves to viewing a film like that.

However, as dark as this tunnel is, the film offers the same glimmer of hope, thus asserting the goodness of man. While natural instinct may make us animalistic, we have the ability to pursevere of these raw sates and keep our humanity. This is the true meaning of the film.

As a quick note, the acting and technical aspects of the film were rather well done, although not nearly as inspired by previous efforts by the directer and crew.

B+/A-

Lessons on How to Disappear Completely

So, I make it no secret to those that I know that I absolutely love the band Radiohead. To say the least I wear my heart on my sleeve when it comes to describing this band....and care rather little about the controversy the fell upon them for the several years when they decided to experiment with the sound that made them endearing to the masses. This sounds can best be seen in the song "Creep"...an anthem for all those that feel alienated and wish to be loved

With a basic introduction out of the way, let us get to the heart of the post: the opportunity to see my favorite living music artists live.* To sum up my experience in one simple phrase: it was religious.

With a a catalog as rich as theirs (seven albums, several solo projects, and plenty of B-Sides), to put together a set list must be particularly daunting. So, they said to hell with it and played the songs the enjoyed from their older albums (played all of their last album, In Rainbows), which made the experience all the better because they really appeared to enjoy themselves on stage. It also helps that they played mainly music from their later albums, like Kid A (my favorite album by the band) and Hail to the Thief.

However the moment of the show....hell of my musical life...came when they came on to play a heartbreaking rendition of my favorite song: "How to Disappear Completely." This is a song that already has the ability to break down the emotions of your humble narrator and to see it live was bittersweet. It is a song that will leave its listener feeling cold, empty, and alone; however, a sense of light seems to stay, thus creating a perfect emotional balance.

Overall the concert was perfect, or as close to it as it gets. I really did not think the band could reach the expectations that I had for it, but I was wrong. Oh...has it never felt so good to be so wrong.

*Favorite musical artist is Elliott Smith, but he is not with us anymore.

The Future: Or What Could Be...

So I have finally been given a sign on what I should actually do upon finishing up with this whole college thing. For so long, I have wondered what to do immediately after the dreaded walk up the stage; however, with one email...I know that there may be some resemblance of an idea. What I speak of is the Fullbright program.

In all honesty, I have received information regarding this program since my first year in college (odd considering one must, at the very least, be a senor to even apply), so the program has always been in the back of my head. Other programs that have had this "back burner" status are the "Teach for America" program and Greenpeace; however, neither really offered a an ideal situation (not the best wording, but will have to due for now).

With this program I will have the opportunity to travel to Southeast Asia (paid for by the government) and teach. It is almost too perfect, which means it may be to good to be true, but that is life for you. I guess I should just take a shot and see what happens, eh?

Now to be honest...I mainly write this entry for myself...as I feel as though by simply putting it into writing (albeit over the internet), I will be more determined to actually put the plan into action. So there we have it...a future unknown.

28. High Fidelity

Rob: "What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?"

The year is 2000. That number alone signifies a new beginning for many across the globe, as well as fears of the world coming to an end (sorry Y2k). So what does a film about a music obsessed, moody, apathetic, and (most importantly) nostalgic shop owner have to do with any of this? Quite a bit actually.

Although it was most likely not the intention of the director of the film, much less its stars, High Fidelity is the perfect film to be released in the year 2000, as it is a visual presentation of several of humankind's basic feelings: longing for the past, depression, and love. You see, it is the first of those that make this film so perfect, as it goes against the prevailing thought of society (unless you count those that are far too into "vintage"), yet still succeeds at presenting humans. No matter the person, we are all Rob. Everyone on this planet carries their doubts, regrets, and past pains with them, which is what Rob embodies. It is these things, as well as our hopes and dreams, that make a person complete. As simple a character as Rob is, he is the embodiment of what it is to be human.

Now, I admit that I may be taking it a bit far for this film, as most would describe it as a clever comedy with a tale that all could relate to. Or.....maybe it was the fact that the director, Stephen Frears, did an amazing job adapting a British novel for the united States, thus proving the universal quality of music.

I guess the simple reason for my love for this film....comes in my ability to connect to Rob. It could stem from his constant over-thinking or his love of music (some really great music humor throughout the film). Overall tis a fantastic film that all music lovers can enjoy.

Top Thirty Film (Take-Two)

once again according to the Other Karamazov

30. Blazing Saddles (1974)
29. The Machinist (2004)
28. High Fidelity (2000)
27. Sid & Nancy (1986)
26. Half Nelson (2006)
25. 12 Angry Men (1957)
24. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
23. Chungking Express (1994)
22. Children of Men (2006)
21. Schindler's List (1993)
20. There Will Be Blood (2007)
19. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
18. Dancer in the Dark (2000)
17. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
16. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
15. Memento (2000)
14. Chinatown (1974)
13. The Graduate (1967)
12. Brazil (1985)
11.The Seventh Continent (1989)
10. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
9. Magnolia (1999)
8. Blade Runner (1982)
7. The Thin Red Line (1998)
6. Network (1976)
5. Toy Story (1995)
4. In the Mood for Love (2001)/ 2046* (2005)
3. City of God (2002)
2. Mulholland Dr. (2001)
1. Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

I promise not to see this through to the end and that this is my final list. Expect to see High Fidelity tomorrow.

A note from our sponsor

First a note on this misconceived project: I have decided to finish the project, but feel as though it is incorrect. Upon further reflection, I realized there were many films that I would have liked to place on the list or moved up/down the list; however, once the project began...it became impossible to "control z," which simply made it more difficult to update, as it felt like a lie.

So some notable omissions: Schindler's List, Do the Right Thing, Brick, The Elephant Man, Sid & Nancy, Psycho (1960), Half Nelson, and It's A Wonderful Life.

Movies I would leave out: Citizen Kane (gasp!), 8 1/2 (odd considering its placement, but upon more reflection on the film, I really need to review the film again, to warrant its placement), and the Third Man (an amazing film, that really only made it on the list for the most beautiful closing shot I've seen; however, the opening quarter really drags the film off the list).

So how shall we fix this....a new list of course. Alright, so the only two I wrote about stay where they are and the new list will be up shortly. See, this is why you do not compile a list in a hurry or with care of trying to have classics represented.