I just finished listening to a podcast over at the AV Club stating that summer movies kicked ass and 2008 summer movies did not (quality, not box office). When it started I didn't agree with that statement, they compared the 2 years throughout the podcast and I still didn't agree. Then I went back and looked at it statistically and still mostly disagree. I took every wide release movie (500 or more screens on week 1 of release) from May to August of the last 2 years.

2007-
liked: 15
disliked: 6
didn't see: 34

2008-
liked: 9
disliked: 4
haven't seen: 29 (Wall E being the only thing I really want to see, I may catch up with some others like House Bunny or Space Chimps)

I think part of the problem this year was every release was ginormous so nobody wanted to go head to head (the writer's strike may also had a slight impact). It was only blockbuster a and blockbuster b or blockbuster and counter programming to blockbuster. The weekend of July 11th was the first weekend to have more than 2 releases. Less choices usually means less movies I will like or see. Of course, neither arguement holds water. The Dark Knight came out in a 3 movie weekend and the last 2 Augusts have had a couple of 4 and 5 release weeks where I have seen none of the crap being released. But back to my main point against the podcast; the quality of the films. The 5 best wide release films of the summers of 2007 and 2008 are alphabetically:

Hot Rod (2007)
Knocked Up (2007)
Ocean's Thirteen (2007)
Pineapple Express (2008)
Ratatoullie (2007)

runners up (also alphabetically):
Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
Dark Knight (2008)
Iron Man (2008)
Simpsons Movie (2007)
Superbad (2007)
Transformers (2007)

8 of my top 11 would be from last summer. So far, I think films in general were better in 2007. My #1 for films released in 2008 so far: CJ7, wouldn't have been in my top 15 last year. Hell, I would take 2 guilty pleasures from last summer (the rest of the world hated) Hostel 2 and I Know Who Killed Me over Indiana Jones 4 or Tropic Thunder.

Let's face it blockbusters aren't made for me. I know this. Since the rest of the world liked this summer's movies better, probably means this was the better summer. Also, the summer is usually measured by the first film out of the gate and Iron Man was better than Spiderman 3.

top 5 for 8/29-9/4

1. Once (John Carney) Mass Ave Video Garden. Thurs only.
2. After The Wedding (Susanne Bier) Mass Ave Video Garden. Fri only.
3. The Pineapple Express (David Gordon Green)
4. Ghostbusters (Ivan Reitman) IMA. Fri only.
5. American Teen (Nanette Burstein)

No Hillary Swank around here

I clicked on an article today listing the best female performances of the decade and I figured it would be a bunch of over the top oscar bait. A nice surprise. it's not perfect, but interesting.

same old stuff (aka the top 5 films for 8/22-8/28)

1. The Pineapple Express (David Gordon Green)
2. Cemetery Man (Michele Sovai) Fri-Sun. Key.
3. American Teen (Nanette Burstein)
4. The Dark Knight (Chris Nolan)
5. Shaun of the Dead (Edgar Wright)Fri- Sun. Key.

It's funny because I'm probably going to go down to The Artcraft to see Goonies, but I wouldn't necessarily put it in my top 5.

the writing blah's and DVD's

Over at Beer Cannes, Troy writes about being in a funk concerning blog topics. I understand. My problem isn't really a funk as much as I would rather watch Big Love or water polo than write about anything.

DVD releases for this week:
No picks.

Since I liked Don't Touch The White Woman, I would be fine with seeing more of the Marco Ferreri collection that's out this week. Please Vote For Me sounds interesting. Or interesting enough to watch if it were on PBS. An American Crime received terrible reviews at Sundance 2007 (probably why it's going straight to video), but between Catherine Keener and the events taking place in Indiana, I have some interest.

top 5 films for 8/15-8/21

1. The Pineapple Express (David Gordon Green)
2. Ninotchka (Ernst Lubitsch) Fri-Sun. Key Cinemas
3. Dr. Strangelove (Stanley Kubrick) Fri. IMA
4. American Teen (Nanette Burstein)
5. The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan)

One performance that has been overlooked in reviews and comments on The Pineapple Express- Ed Begley Jr. The end of the scene where he's shooting at Seth Rogen and yelling "I will take you outside and fuck you in the street." Priceless.

dvd's 8/12/08

My DVD pick this week is CJ7 (Stephen Chow).

I don't have a lot of interest in anything else. I guess I want to see Brand Upon The Brain. Heather wants to see Irina Palm, I'd watch it. I almost have more interest in seeing CJ7 again than anything I haven't seen.

top 5 for 8/8-8/14

1. Devil In A Blue Dress (Carl Franklin) Friday only, IMA.
2. The Pineapple Express (David Gordon Green)
3. Grand Prix (John Frankenheimer) Friday and Saturday. Artcraft
4. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
5. The Visitor (Tom Mc Carthy) Friday-Sunday. Key

dvd releases 8/5/08

dvd picks- none. Nothing I'm too excited about seeing either. Here are a few titles I may check out:

Joy House (Rene Clement)
Love Story- about the band, not the Ryan O'Neil cancer movie (Chris Hall). This may have came out last week. No two places say the same thing.
Nim's Island (Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett)
Rogue (Greg Maclean)
Pete Seeger: The Power of a Song (Jim Brown- you know it would be a lot cooler if it were the football player who directed a documentary about a folk singer)
Heart: Live (Have no idea who directed it and it probably doesn't matter)

I'm still sucking at this whole linking thing and spelling the word Washington correctly

Let's try this again.

The star of Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 and Bratz: The Movie has something important to say

Has anyone else read this nonsense

Top 5 films 8/1-8/7

I'm going to bench The Dark Knight this week, not because I think any less of it. Everybody who wants to see it has and well I'd rather give time to movies that have made less money than the Gross National Product of some countries.

1. Strangers On A Train (Alfred Hitchcock) IMA. Friday only
2. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Nick Stoller)
3. Still Life (Jia Zhang-Ke) Indianapolis Art Center. Tuesday only
4. The Visitor (Tom Mc Carthy)
5. Enter The Dragon (Robert Clouse) Key Cinemas. Fri & Sat only

A blog called My Year in Lists, should have more lists. So here's my catchy pop songs that have made my summer a little brighter. Most are (semi)current songs, but not all. Enjoy.

Los Campesinos X2







Nick Lowe



Thrash Unreal version #1



Thrash Unreal Version #2




Black Kids




Noah and the Whale




The Teenagers




Throw Me The Statue




2 songs that I can thank the radio for playing about every 5 minutes and wearing me down until I decided that they were awesome...







This isn't exactly a song....



and Troy already posted this, but this puts a smile on my face every time I watch this...



Well that's my summer in songs and one last shout out to anything that comes out of Kanye West's mouth. Pretty much anytime he speaks in a public forum is awesome. He's exactly everything I want out of a rapper or any celebrity for that matter. As Kanye says 'Call him any name you want.... arrogant, conceited, narcissistic, racist, metro, fag whatever you can think of.... BUT NEVER SAY HE DIDN'T GIVE HIS ALL!'