Films of 2009.

Here is part 2/4 of my top 10s of 2009. Films. There were a bunch of films I didn't get a chance to see that I wanted to see. They kind of snuck up on me and it's just too expensive to see everything in the theater. So here we go. Possible spoilers, but I will keep them to a minimum, if any.

10. Fantastic Mr. Fox



Taking up the end of the list is this animated gem that I found myself enjoying more than the kids I took to see it. I had wanted to see it, but thought of it as a two-birds-with-one-stone situation. I loved the not-so-smooth stop animation as a welcomed break from the shiny and clean pixar-esque films this year. This film also kept me laughing all through out which is rare for a "family" film.


9. The Hangover



A piss-and-fart-joke comedy that took me by surprise. I wasn't expecting too much when I walked into the theaters to see this bad boy, but I found myself laughing more at this movie than any other comedy this year. Upon watching it a second time, I was still in stitches. I loved all the characters and almost how episodic it was.


8. (500) Days of Summer



Just recently watched this on our new HDTV. I had wanted to see this since before it came out so I had an inclination that I would enjoy this film, but not to this extent. I'm emotional and enjoy a good romantic story, which this was. But I wouldn't say it's a love story because that would insinuate a happy ending...at least to me it would. I love their love for The Smiths. It also has an amazing cameo by a certain someone from the Star Wars trilogy.


7. District 9



Here is another movie I went into with mediocre expectations which were exceeded almost immediately. The way the material was handled was clever in the sense that they fused the mockumentary style with sci-fi narrative. The central character is another main reason for my love of this film. He is flawed and viewed pretty much as a racist, but he has such...charm, I guess, that we are rooting for him anyway. Also had an awesome and unique ad campaign. This film is incredibly fun.


6. The Road



Having read the book of the same name by author Cormac McCarthy and it being in my top 5 books of all time, I was somewhat skeptic about this film. Also, the fact that it was shelved for almost a year due to sub par reviews and some reconstruction of story elements did not help either. That said, Viggo and John Hillcoat (the director who also did 2005's The Proposition which was an excellent jaunt back into the western genre) were two reasons I was willing to still give it a shot. Whatever they did in that year of down time worked, because the film, while straying a little bit from the book managed to have the same dark tones and themes while keeping the majority of the emotion that the book had.


5. The Hurt Locker



This film had me on the edge of my seat and holding my breath from the first scene. About an Army bomb squad unit, Jeremy Renner plays a good smart-ass-tough-guy with the sensitive guy on the inside character. An interesting look into an occupation we so rarely get to see. Beautifully shot and gripping all the way through. I can't wait to see this again since I saw it earlier this year.


4. Where The Wild Things Are



A book that I didn't have when I was a kid and one I didn't read until in my 20's, Where The Wild Things Are came and kicked my heart my chest and handed it back politely when it was finished. Everything from the costumes and sets, to the boy Max who played Max and Karen O and the Kid's heart warming soundtrack, this is the kind of film that you want to live inside with all your friends. I feel like this is a kid's film made for adults and can't wait to watch it on blu-ray under my covers in the confines of my own home.


3. Up In The Air



This film has more heart than most people I know. I guess ultimately this film can be categorized as a "romantic comedy" which it is to some extent, but it's also so much more than that. This is the role that George Clooney was born to play. I'm sure I read that somewhere, but that's because it's true. He's also surrounded by an excellent comedic cast who don't try and steal screen time, but instead compliment Clooney's performance. Overall, this movie had me from the get go. I did not want this movie to end.

2. Moon



Some will say District 9 was THE science fiction film of the year. Others will say Avatar (which I have yet to see) is it. For me though, this quiet space story directed by David Bowie's son, Duncan Jones, grabbed this spot. It's lack of special effects as well as Sam Rockwell's performance shaped this film to be out of this world (pun intended). The drab colors and the space station's calming celebrity voice instantly reminded me of Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey in only the best of ways.


1. Inglourious Basterds



This years number one film for me was Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds (spelled differently for his own unknown reasons). Being an avid Tarantino fan and it being about scalping Nazis, I thought I was in heaven. A simple misunderstanding though. Brad Pitt's accent and delivery of his lines had just the right amount of humor in it, while Christoph Waltz playing the die hard Nazi hunter will almost for certain win an Oscar. Completed with voice cameos by Tarantino favorites Samuel L. Jackson and Harvey Keitel, this film delivers 110%. While I'm still up in the air about this being QT's masterpiece, I would definitely say it is one of my top 3 QT films.


So close...

Drag Me To Hell
The Watchmen
Zombieland
Up
The Cove


There are a number of films I have yet to see that just might or might not influence this list. Those are:

Avatar
A Serious Man
A Single Man
An Education
The White Ribbon
Precious
The Informant!
Ponyo
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
Nine
Anvil
Crazy Heart
Food Inc.
The Messanger
Invictus
Anti Christ
This Side of the Truth

Always the same old taste just new injury.

2009. Turn of the decade. This was probably one of the best years of my life. That being said, I will begin this list-ful blog with a list of my top five moments from this year. I'll jump right in...


10. Thorns of Life



Thorns of Life was a short lived band fronted by Blake Schwarzenbach of Jawbreaker fame. A pop punk band that just killed it at Gilman in Berkeley in late January. It didn't hurt that we were waiting in line to get in directly behind Davey from A.F.I.

9. Rafting!



Kim and her family invited me to go rafting down the Sacramento river the week before we left for Europe (later in the list). I've only been once when I went to Costa Rica after graduating high school and I had a blast so of course I was in. We went up in the mountains and camped on their site (sleeping on tables because we weren't about to sleep with ants and other insects...not that big a camper). It was an all day excursion led by a great guide (his name escapes me at the moment) who couldn't have been more catered to us as a group. Thanks again for inviting me!

8. Sunny Day reunion tour



Sunny Day Real Estate has been one of my favorite bands since early high school. I had a chance to see them about 10 years ago, but it was after they released How It Feels To Be Something On so needless to say, they played the majority of that album. I do like that album, but it's not my favorite. When I heard about their reunion tour and them playing at the Fillmore, I had to go. While working at Quest this summer, Kim and I met Patrick who also was really into Sunny Day and going to the show. We met up with him while there and enjoyed the hell out of the show. They played only songs off of Diary and LP2 excluding one new song (!!!!) and the track How It Feels... To top it all off, The Fillmore was handing out posters after the show!

7. Tin Can girls and 19.



Tattoos. I was really excited to get these. The girls with tin cans and strings are from the Far album Tin Cans With Strings To You... and the significance of that album is it reminds me of the time period around early high school. I had a specific set of friends who are all still friends today. It's kind of for them and the times we had...as cheesy as it sounds. As for the 19, well it's just one of those things. You know...THOSE things?

6. Finishing The Dark Tower series/reading in general.



The Dark Tower series, if you don't know, is an epic spanning 7 books (soon to be 8!!!), one short story, and 3+ graphic novels. All of which I've read and have fallen in love with. I honestly feel like I know Roland, Eddie, Detta, Odetta, Susannah, Jake, and adorable little Oy and am part of their ka. I love that sensation that reading gives you introducing you to these people and moments in their life; real or not. Every time I look at my bookshelf I get excited with all the adventures I've yet to have.


5. Far/Hottub at Slim's.



Far, one of my favorite bands, played their first show in 10 years in the bay area earlier this year. With a new album coming out on Vagrant records early next year and hopefully another tour shortly following that, they don't seem to seem to be slowing down any. Kim and I got to lend our shouting vocals for a track on their upcoming album At Night We Live via a youtube video and Jonah mentioned in various places about two tracks he's released previously that will most likely be redone for the album, but I digress, their energy that night was through the roof. Hottub was a surprising opener consisting of 3 girls being part of a hip hop act who really got the audience all riled up, including me being a part of a game of paddycake with 2/3 of the mc's. Once Far came out, it was like they didn't take a 10 year hiatus. It felt so natural on all accounts. One of the most emotionally filling shows I've ever been to.

4. Ampersand!



Kim and I recently rescued a kitten from the euthanasia line and she is adorable. Her name is Ampersand (see Y: The Last Man) and she likes to cuddle.

3. NIN's second to last show/Backstage and soundcheck at the Shoreline.



It's hard only posting two pictures because there are so many good ones. Kim and I donated money to be able to go to NIN's soundcheck as well as Street Sweeper Social Club's soundcheck. NIN played songs they didn't play that night including a cover of David Bowie's I'm Afraid of Americans, The Good Soldier, Meet Your Master, and Joy Division's Dead Souls. After the soundchecks, we were able to go back stage and meet NIN and talk with them for a little bit as well as get some autographs and photos. As for NIN's second to last show in LA, a 3 hour show filled with special guests was well worth the drive. Incredible!

2. Europe!



Paris. Walking. Duner! The Little Prince. Space invaders. Girlfriend in a Coma. Gypsies. Cemeteries. Good views. Amelie. Berlin. Slaughterhouse Five. Strawberry crepes. Monopoly. Fish. Playgrounds. Slides. Spider bites. Art. More cemeteries. Ketchup pasta. Bunkers. More Duner. Grass covered cars. Nazis Auf Maul! Tuttlingen. Rain. Old castles. Cherry Jam. Apple water. Cola mix. Tubingen. Stupid showers. Stuttgart. Zurich. Jens. Giger bar. Dwarfed.

1. Jonah playing my bday party / dating Kim (tie...go hand in hand)



Hands down the best moment of the year...possibly even my life! Everyone met at Ocean beach in San Francisco and we were all just talking and what not. Kim said she has to go up to get something out of her car and a few minutes later, I heard someone strumming a guitar lightly behind me. I turned around to the left and then to the right, both times Jonah ducking behind me. Finally, he steped and went into 14-41. I started to tear up a bit. Not gonna lie. Then Jonah said "Happy birthday, Miles" and continued playing. He ended up playing for a little over an hour. He played the following all at my request :)

14-41
Every Mistake
Are You Sure?
Stay
Man Overboard
Yr Letter
Smile
Purple Rain
Crush On Everyone
Wings
Halo
Livin' Small

In between some of these songs, Jonah said some of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me. I wish I had recorded it so not only would I have the performance, but also what he said. I'm really happy my mom was there to witness this so she could see Jonah and even meet him. Kim set the bar pretty damn high and every time I think of that night my eyes float a little bit. I can't thank her enough and will never forget that night. Ever since Kim and I started dating, I've been so happy. She is so easy to talk to and I'm so comfortable when I'm around her which is pretty much why she and her actions top the list. I'm sure 2010 will be even better!

Runner ups:

-Wondercon '09 / The Walking Dead




Wondercon this year was a blast. It usually is, but accompanied by Daniel (and his various cousins) and Kim, made it fun as ever. One of my favorite combinations of people. Anyway, with the upcoming release of The Watchmen and Terminator: Salvation, the panels promised a wide variety of celebrities. Also, my getting back into reading graphic novels made it all the more exciting. This is also where I was introduced to The Walking Dead. That itself should earn a spot on here with how incredible it is. I highly suggest you read it. Now. Seriously. If you want to live.





Top ten films, books, albums in the next blog

I need a windshield built for war that can withstand my confidence

Holidays rolling around. Love the weather and smells, hate the crowds and traffic. Not too much going on. Went to an open mic last Saturday which was a spectacular experience. Mainly went for Iamani but ended up enjoying everybody who participated thoroughly. Some were intense and piercing, some were political and thought provoking, and others were light hearted and humorous. All were heartfelt and entertaining. It was an amazing way to spend a Saturday night with friends and experience it with them. Every 3rd Saturday of every month. Let me know if you'd like to join us.

As far as typical live music, besides the open mic which was part music, there haven't been too many shows. The Revival Tour was in early November which was pretty awesome. Chuck Ragan, Frank Turner, Jim Ward, and others made for a fun night. Also saw Jonah in the crowd up front and participating which was nice to see. It's great to see other artists in the audience showing their support. Last night I got tickets to see A.F.I. in Santa Cruz at The Catalyst. The venue is pretty small and I am really looking forward to this show immensely. It's been a while since I've seen A.F.I. at a proper venue. Last time I saw them was at a festival at Shoreline. Our seats weren't too bad, but...they were seats. The time before that was a pretty large venue in S.F. but Tiger Army did open for them which was rad. The Catalyst however, is a good sized venue that isn't very big and parking is not a problem.

Films.

Fantastic Mr. Fox - Great fun. Hilarious. Warm. One of my favorites this year, hopefully it can hang in the top 5.



The House of The Devil - Throwback to '80's horror films was greatly welcomed. Stands apart from the typical "shock" horror films. The pacing is a little slow but it builds and builds and I felt like it was a decent pay off. Huge fan of Tom Noonan.



The Road - Dark. Heartfelt, but the kind of heart strings being pulled here play a sad sad tune. Somehow though, it's uplifting. Based on Cormac McCarthy's book by the same name.



Been playing some PS3 games. Far Cry 2, Rock Band 2 (which is always in rotation), Prince of Persia (the latest one), Final Fantasy 7, and occasionally the demo of Fat Princess and Katamari Forever. I'm having a blast with every one of these games. For the first time in a long time there are a bunch of games in my queue to play and all of them are great.

Books.

Currently reading...
- Helter Skelter: A shocking account of the murders and everything surrounding them done by the Manson family. It's incredibly interesting but disturbing at the same time. I'm loving it though.

- Under the Dome by Stephen King: His latest opus coming in at just under 1100 pages. I'm a little over 100 pages thus far, but loving it and enjoying getting to know everyone in town.

- Conversations with Walter Murch: One of the most famous film editors (Apocalypse Now...need I say more?). It's interesting to read about how he edits and views editing. Fascinating guy.

Music.

A.F.I. - Crash Love: At first I felt this would be a better album if AFI didn't put it out, but then it grew on me with a vengeance. I'm really digging this album. It's poppy and really catchy. I'm curious to see what direction they go after this album.

Portugal. The Man - I'm still trying to get all their stuff. The one album (Censored Colors) I do have is incredible though. Somewhat bluesy and indie. Almost sounds like it could be an offspring of MGMT...not Kids or Electric Shock MGMT, but Handshakes MGMT. There's also male and female vocals which is always beautiful.



Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca: As with Portugal. The Man, I'm bummed I found out about them when I did because they had recently played a show in my area and I would have loved to catch both of those shows. Anyway, I heard their track with David Byrne on the Dark Was The Night compilation and proceeded to check out this album which I love. Beautiful and interesting female vocals. Very different from the other stuff I'm currently listening to which is always good.

I wanted to be them, but instead I destroyed myself.

Now that I'm back in the swing of work and the cool weather is here (not sure what the weather has to do with this...)I have more time to read. During the summer, especially the past few summers, I have been bogged down by the energy hoarder known as Quest Camp. During Fall though, given the gloomy weather and what not, it's prime time to get your read on. Currently finishing up Pygmy and just started Jesus' Son which I'm already in love with. I recently finished Everything is Illuminated and enjoyed it. It was told from a few different perspectives and over many years. It was confusing at times when it was telling the story of the hero's relatives back in the 1700 and 1800's. Overall though it was highly enjoyable. I had seen the film that was based on the book a few years back and it took me by surprise how much I liked it. I knew next to nothing about it, but was very pleased with it. Now that I finished the book and it's been a while since I saw the film, I wouldn't mind seeing it again actually.



Last Tuesday Kim and I were lucky enough to go and catch Sunny Day Real Estate at the Fillmore. They've been pretty much for almost 10 years. With all the original members, they took the stage playing primarily songs from their first two releases Diary and LP2 with one new song and one song from How It Feels To Be Something On. Diary is one of my favorite albums ever so for them to play a nice chunk of songs from that record was pretty exciting for me.



They sounded incredible and this show was exactly what I needed. Every one in the audience was excited to be there and there were no assholes...not around us anyway which is pretty rare.



The fact that they played a new song gives me hope that they are working on a new album which hopefully means another tour. With them though, you never know. Spanning 4 albums and 1 live album, they've broken up multiple times, sometimes bringing in new members, which fortunately is not the case this time.

I really want to see Paranormal Activity, Where The Wild Things Are, The Informant, and A Serious Man. Soon enough. I'm moving through my netflix at a steady pace. Most recently:

Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill - Not too bad. Interesting, but kind of boring to me.
Coraline - Good animation, but not all that great. Didn't live up to the hype I was subject to.
Eastbound and Down: Season 1 - Funny for the first 10 minutes, but pretty repetitive and tiresome.
Revolutionary Road - Great performances. Great costumes and set pieces. Decent film. I'm assuming the book is far superior.
Crank 2 - Highly entertaining. More below in the previous entry.
Away We Go - Funny and heartfelt. I wanted the best for the main characters. Great soundtrack as well.
Sunshine Cleaning - Funny, but more serious than funny. Kind of falsely advertised. A good rental though.
The Dirty Dozen - Best thing I've rented in quite a while. Great cast and complete fun all throughout.
The Education of Charlie Banks - Meh at it's best. I didn't really care about the characters, just hated some.
Broken English - Meh as well. A good rental if you can't find anything else. Parker Posey is awesome as always so it was fun to watch her. I'm also a fan of Justin Theroux.

Still today I have so much to burn.

I decided I'm not going to take a photo every hour for the first of the month. Been doing it for over a year and meh...I'm done with it. I would like to write more in here. I do enjoy that. I've been writing in some sort of blog for the past 12 years or so and it's never gotten old to me.

I'm getting over a cold that ravaged my system for almost a week. Now that it's coming to an end, my car won't start so I got a new battery. I have yet to put that in. I probably should do that sometime soon. I always hate car problems. Car problems and printer problems = the worst. Well I hope the battery is the only thing that's the matter.

Kim and I watched Crank 2 the other night. Let me preface by saying that I had only put this in my queue because Maynard James Keenan and Danny Lohner had cameos in it as dog walkers and I had to check that out. About 15 minutes into the movie I had completely understood its tone and what it was trying to accomplish. It did just that. This film was so much fun to sit back and laugh at. Totally over the top and a characiture of itself, Crank 2 caters perfectly to it's ideal demographic. Aside from the cameos previously mentioned, it has appearances from David Carradine, Geri Halliwell (yeah...a fucking Spice Girl!), Ron Jeremy, Corey Haim, and more. I recommend it for some fun.



I've been playing a lot of video games recently. Kim and I got a PS3 a while back and I've played through Resistance: Fall of Man, Mirror's Edge, Bioshock, and Rockband 2. Still playing Rockband 2, downloading new songs, and gaining more trophies. Same goes for Bioshock. I want to play through it on Hard and I downloaded the bonus levels this morning, but have yet to play them. I can't wait to play through these levels. While playing through Bioshock, it quickly found it's place on my top 5 favorite games. The plot, graphics, voice work, sounds, and every other aspect all are top notch. I can't get enough of this game. I especially like the color scheme.



I'm glad as hell that I don't have to wait forever for the sequel which comes out in February.

I also downloaded Final Fantasy VII which I'm excited to play through again. I ran through it when it first came out for PS and haven't played it since.

I guess it has cut into my reading time, which is ok by me, but I would like to read more often. Soon enough...after all this sickness and shit passes.

Nothing in there but sunshades for the blind

I keep meaning to write in here, but time just gets lost with my change in the couch. Kim and I recently went to LA to see Nine Inch Nails' second to last performance. We drove down in the morning and got there around 2:30pm. We met up with my best friend Andy, who I rarely see due to proximity which was awesome. After a tasty Johnny Rockets meal, Kim and I headed over to the Henry Fonda Theater to get in line for the show. Doors were at 6:30 (but got bumped to 7) and Health came on shortly after. The only thing I really have to say about them is that their drummer was fucking a maniac. Kind of reminded me of Animal from The Muppets.



Once Health was finished, smoke machines filled the stage and built up the atmosphere and not too long after that, the lights went down. Before any of NIN came out, the beginning of Head Like a Hole started playing with lights that were most complementary. Here is the set list that spanned 3 hours...



1. Head like a Hole
2. Terrible Lie
3. Sin
4. March of the Pigs
5. Piggy
6. Echoplex
7. Reptile



8. I'm Afraid of Americans
9. Survivalism
10. Head Down
11. 1,000,000
12. Letting you
13. Burn
14. Gave Up
15. Eraser
16. Just like you Imagined (w/ Mike Garson)



17. The Becoming (w/ Mike Garson)
18. I Do Not Want This (w/ Mike Garson)
19. Down in the Park (w/ Gary Numan, Mike Garson, and Eric Avery) [Gary Numan cover]
20. Metal (w/ Gary Numan, Mike Garson, and Eric Avery) [Gary Numan cover]



21. Cars (w/ Gary Numan, Mike Garson, and Eric Avery) [Gary Numan cover]
22. Anthrax (w/ Gary Numan, Health, Mike Garson, and Eric Avery) [Gang of Four cover]

Encore One
23. Heresy (with Danny Lohner)
24. Get Down, Make Love (with Danny Lohner)
25. Mr. Self Destruct (with Danny Lohner and Greg Puciato)



26. Wish (with Danny Lohner and Greg Puciato)
27. The Hand that Feeds

Encore Two
28. Atmosphere [Joy Division cover]
29. Dead Souls [Joy Division cover]
30. The Day the World Went Away
31. Hurt



Here is a video of Wish taken by Synthentikz from the NIN forums...



I was literally one person behind this guy who filmed the majority of the show. I suggest checking out the other videos he took from that night because it was the best NIN show out of all ten times I've seen them.

They had all sorts of special guests. Mike Garson, who is most famous for being David Bowie's pianist and playing with NIN and Smashing Pumpkins, Gary Numan, Eric Avery (the bassist from Jane's Addiction), Danny Lohner (former guitarist/bassist for NIN), and Greg Puciato (lead singer of Dillenger Escape Plan), as well as having Health come out to play the Gang of Four cover. Seeing as previously on this small club date they played The Downward Spiral in its entirety, when they opened with Head Like a Hole and went into Terrible Lie, I thought they were going to play through Pretty Hate Machine all the way through which would have been awesome.

A few highlights of the night would have to be Just Like You Imagined which is easily one of my favorite NIN tracks and Mike Garson sounded flawless. Also getting to see Mr. Self Destruct which I've never seen them play live before was amazing. Greg's voice just added to the urgency and anger of the song. After the show Kim and I ended up driving home due to me having to work the next day. Ended up getting home around 5:30am. Needless to say we were exhausted, but it was so worth it.

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Watched The Informers last night. The acting was horrible, they picked some of the weakest stories out of the book to transform into the film, and it seemed terribly disjointed. I basically watched it for the performances of Billy Bob Thornton, Mickey Rourke, and Chris Isaac. The rest of the movie was spent waiting for them to come back on the screen.



I do highly recommend It Might Get Loud. It's a documentary on the guitars, history and styles of Jimmy Page, Edge, and Jack White. It's incredibly entertaining and funny.



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On a last little side note, I thought this was pretty awesome...

http://jonahmatranga.com/shows/souvenirs.html

scroll down past the set lists...this made me day!

Something more than borders on a map...

I've kind of been neglecting this blog. Not on purpose mind you, but my lack of internet has kept me away. I recently went to Los Angeles to see Jonah play as Onelinedrawing. Onelinedrawing was what Jonah used to tour and record under. He has about 60 OLD songs which he played through alphabetically over 3 nights in a row at the Knitting Factory. Since Kim and I worked on Thursday and Friday, we were only able to make it to the final show, but it was so worth it. We had also made a little Jonah figure for his birthday which was earlier that week. I think he liked it.





The two opening acts were incredible in their own ways. Gardening, Not Architecture was a lone woman playing in front of a panel (about the size of a door) filled with lights. The lights go on and make little patterns and designs while she played. She only played 3 songs, but I can't wait to hear the rest of her material.



Iamani hit the stage next and immediately asked for people to come up close. I knew right away that he would be very friendly and interactive with the audience. I was right. He was so kind and positive and just overall the nicest guy. It also turns out he's from Oakland which is pretty awesome since it's the next city over from where I live. Hopefully he will be playing sometime soon.



Shortly after Iamani's set, OLD took the stage R2 and all. Jonah was obviously having a blast and so was the crowd. I heard whispers from various people around me that had attended all 3 nights that this was their favorite night. After playing for a good amount of time, he offered to play a few more songs in the parking garage (after of course, we all helped him load his stuff in his car). After a little security snafu, he ended up playing Mother Mary and Lukewarm by the entrance to the Knitting Factory. It felt good to belt the last lines of Lukewarm with everyone at the top of our lungs while various families and the mini-steam punk convention went back to their cars.

(and you can see Iamani on the right with the "Gardening, Not Architecture" and the gray hoodie totally into it which is awesome)

Kim and I will be going to see NIN on September 3rd in LA for their 3rd to last performance ever (or so says Trent). I will also try to update more frequently even if nothing big like this happened.