tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75410523881014633082012-02-08T04:47:37.997-08:00(...because movies are films too.)Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.comBlogger421100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-37542954986397495492012-02-08T04:29:00.000-08:002012-02-08T04:47:38.139-08:00

[I recommend just clicking through to YouTube and going fullscreen to watch the video.  As convenient as Blogger's YouTube-embedding thing is, the resultant player is just ridiculously tiny.] I've worked at a small movie theatre since 2005.  Most years we play the Oscar Nominated Short Films in the weeks leading up to the Academy Awards.  Of all the films I've seen over the course of

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-65744960144594878932011-12-21T04:11:00.000-08:002012-02-08T04:46:11.455-08:00

The Apartment (1960) ...Dir. Billy Wilder Four or five Decembers ago, I saw The Apartment for the very first time. I was home for the holidays and had stayed up late watching TV with my dad (we’re both notorious night owls). The Apartment was scheduled to play on some old-movie channel (AMC, TCM... you know the sort) and when I told him that I’d never heard of it, he knew immediately that

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-20444524445013292592011-02-25T00:48:00.000-08:002011-02-25T02:18:33.948-08:00

The Oscars are on Sunday! Holy cats!Who will win? Who should win? Who cares? (I do! Apparently!)LEADING ACTORAnd the winner will be: Colin Firth, The King's SpeechBetter choices: Ryan Gosling, Blue Valentine / Michael Shannon, My Son, My Son, What Have Ye DoneLEADING ACTRESSAnd the winner will be: Natalie Portman, Black SwanA better choice: Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine (A pair of crazy

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-54252906753457147752011-02-08T04:28:00.000-08:002011-02-08T14:28:47.340-08:00

I'm done calling my year-end film lists "Best of". I don't buy it anymore. There are simply too many diverse criteria at play for it to be safe to call one great film better than the next great film. These movies are all great, but for wildly different reasons. This list should really be called: "Colin saw these films during 2010 and liked them a lot based on their possessing some combination

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-71539310867284998242011-01-26T02:51:00.000-08:002011-01-26T03:03:19.904-08:00

After viewing Alamar last week, one question was stuck at the front of my mind. As I began writing tonight, it seemed natural that I should use the question to frame a discussion of the film. And, if I knew that everyone who might read this post had already seen the film, that question is exactly where I would start. But I've got a feeling that relatively few people have seen Alamar, and I

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-40208717949008597242011-01-24T04:42:00.000-08:002011-01-24T04:54:07.968-08:00

Two years and a few days ago I saw a film called Revolutionary Road at the E Street Cinema in Washington, D.C. I had been looking forward to seeing the movie for quite some time but had put it off because: a)I was living in Savannah, GA at the time and Savannah--for no good reason at all--is devoid of the sort of movie theatres which release interesting films in a timely manner, and b)I was

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-35395902309637974542011-01-20T04:34:00.000-08:002011-01-20T15:53:52.202-08:00

Whenever I'm out of Seattle and away from the near-endless supply of filmic entertainment available from the Seattle Public Library and Scarecrow Video, I make a point of reactivating my usually latent Netflix account. Maintaining a Netflix account that I hardly use is sort of silly, I admit, but I find it comforting to know that a massive DVD catalog is readily available should I choose to

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-66904534298560825272011-01-16T03:26:00.000-08:002011-01-16T03:35:07.158-08:00

Starts slow. Real slow.Primarily pretty pictures.Truly beautiful father-daughter relationship.Gorgeous girls galore.Los Angeles light looks great on film. (Washington Winter-gloom antidote?)Black Ferrari.

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-25056446218146561842011-01-13T00:31:00.000-08:002011-01-13T00:32:32.863-08:00

Over-the-top horrorart cinema.Better than The Wrestler.So many mirrors!

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-25667322956580401672010-12-31T04:12:00.000-08:002010-12-31T13:28:19.506-08:00

About a million years ago, give or take a coupla days, I started counting down what I think to be the best movies created between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2009. #10-6 look like this: 10. In the Mood for Love9. United 938. Sexy Beast7. The Royal Tenenbaums6. INLAND EMPIREIn the interest of wrapping this sucker up before 2010 officially ends, I've decided to go ahead and lump the Top 5

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-7226596586899800492010-03-07T04:23:00.000-08:002010-03-07T23:34:43.592-08:00

...my Oscar picks! I'm admittedly doing some of these at the last minute, so regrettable decisions may be made. But time's a-wasting--The Academy waits for no man.(Quick disclaimer: Just because I include "A better choice" with most categories doesn't necessarily mean that I think my predicted winner is undeserving. For instance, Jeff Bridges' performance is terrific. Of the nominated actors,

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-16482548768041076042010-02-15T06:15:00.000-08:002010-02-16T00:44:19.887-08:00

(2006) ...Dir. David LynchI do not envy David Lynch. Yes, he is an absolute genius. Yes, he has made some of the most incredible films of all time. And yes, he is a transcendental meditation aficionado. (That last bit isn't just for bonus points. Lynch insists that TM has become an indispensable part of his creative process.) But the stuff that comes out of his head has a tendency to be

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-70809641779616660242010-01-29T02:54:00.000-08:002010-01-29T02:54:47.449-08:00

(2001) ...Dir. Wes AndersonI know, I know. Being a Royal Tenenbaums fan is way played-out. Everybody and their brother and their brother's dog loves this movie, right? Well there's a reason for that. Reason: it's a great movie.I could take this opportunity to redundantly list the merits and achievements of this film, but that'd be lame. Instead, I'd like to solicit answers to the following

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-41377705873739077632010-01-27T05:32:00.000-08:002010-01-27T05:41:50.954-08:00

(2001) ...Dir. Jonathan Glazer"Oh yeah. Bloody hell. I'm sweating here. Roasting. Boiling. Baking. Sweltering. It's like a sauna. Furnace. You can fry an egg on my stomach. Ohh. Who wouldn't lap this up? It's ridiculous. Tremendous. Fantastic. Fan-dabby-dozy-tastic."Sexy Beast opens with what may be my favorite first scene in film history. When I started making this list, I was a little bit

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-65893226112346144342010-01-21T02:48:00.000-08:002010-01-21T02:48:42.284-08:00

(2006) ...Dir. Paul GreengrassSome people are able to watch films and detach themselves completely from the subject matter. They just observe the images and sounds, see how they're put together, and decide if the movie works or doesn't work. Me? I'm not very good at that.So when United 93 opened in April 2006, I made a conscious decision to avoid it. Not because I was disinterested, but

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-20527231783516454342010-01-20T03:38:00.000-08:002010-01-20T04:08:06.736-08:00

(2001) ...Dir. Wong Kar-WaiThe first time I tried to watch In the Mood for Love, I fell asleep (such is the price of staying up to watch movies while the rest of the world has already gone to bed). Fortunately, I had the good sense to try again.The second-most beautiful film of the decade (to Flight of the Red Balloon), the second-best love story of the decade (to my as-yet unnamed but perhaps

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-27997993288479501812010-01-17T21:20:00.000-08:002010-01-18T12:22:37.681-08:00

11. The American Astronaut (2001) ...Dir. Cory McAbee--Criminally underseen. Make your world a better place; watch it tonight.12. Caché (2005) ...Dir. Michael Haneke13. Amélie (2001) ...Dir. Jean-Pierre Jeunet14. Lake of Fire (2007) ...Dir. Tony Kaye--Ever seen a documentary which caused you to seriously reexamine a belief you had previously considered unassailable? I have. It's called

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-68017005167166036902010-01-13T05:24:00.000-08:002010-01-18T12:21:13.622-08:00

The problem with making a decade-spanning "Best of" list of any kind is that, after enough time has passed, memory begins to corrupt reality. Guess that applies to everything, really. Life's weird, huh? Anyway, once I began consciously considering which movies do and do not merit inclusion on my Best Films of the Decade list, I found myself struggling mightily to separate actual films from my

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-91490359850067318682010-01-06T01:43:00.001-08:002010-01-06T02:30:23.911-08:00

A nice little three-movie day. Titles above, in the order I watched them.The Girlfriend Experience is terrific. My homey Jason Ryan (I linked to his old short story blog, so you all can enjoy some real good reading--you're welcome) mentioned earlier this year in 2009 that he really liked it, that it might be one of the best he's seen this year saw in 2009. Admittedly, I had my doubts. But I

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-79738376551876792682010-01-05T02:21:00.000-08:002010-01-05T04:15:52.384-08:00

Watched two movies today. One of them was good.Invictus wasn't the good one. Invictus isn't a bad movie, either, but it is a little dull, and clumsily constructed. I initially thought it odd that Matt Damon was cast as former South Africa Rugby captain Francois Pienaar. It seemed to me that a capable South African actor must be available to play the part. Anyway, my concerns were unfounded;

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-26599812627285574212010-01-04T03:22:00.000-08:002010-03-07T03:53:04.973-08:00

First off, I hope anyone who actually reads my blogs can forgive me for being such a garbage blogger. I'm tempted to make some sort of empty promise about "getting better about that," but, as I like to tell the truth whenever possible, I'll settle for a sincere apology: I'm sorry, Readers. I love you dearly.Secondly, the title of this post probably deserves some explanation. It should be

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-11740037198497957842009-07-23T00:09:00.000-07:002009-07-23T00:59:06.799-07:00

If you can get past the sometimes gag-inducing Hipster self-love, the occasionally contrived dialogue, and the WAY-too-cutesy(but not in the way you think) ending, (500) Days of Summer is filled with many genuinely clever, sexy, moving, heartbreaking, honest moments.That said, I don't encourage you to spend $9+ to see this movie in the theatre. But if somebody else is paying, or you can get in

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-68441352442089547982009-05-02T01:07:00.000-07:002009-05-02T01:08:07.051-07:00

A couple weeks ago, my sister, my brother-in-law, and I took a trip to Atlanta to catch some NHRA drag racing.  But instead of just driving up to the dragway and back, we decided to make a weekend of it and spend Saturday in Atlanta.  And I gotta say, Atlanta's pretty dope.  Should you ever find yourself down this direction, be sure to check it out.  For my money, it's the greatest big city in

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-29443581507196862972009-04-10T22:04:00.001-07:002009-04-10T22:06:58.983-07:00

Wow.I stopped my list at the end of July the other night.  Where the Wild Things Are doesn't open until October 16th.  But I can't keep this trailer from you.When I heard last year that Spike Jonze was directing this movie, I was psyched--I felt that of all the filmmakers active today, few if any stood a better chance of bringing this book to life.  If the two or so minute sample below is any

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-1419534994657643892009-04-09T03:37:00.012-07:002009-05-01T17:47:55.194-07:00

[05.01 UPDATE: Official Moon trailer linked. 04.26 UPDATE: Added All the Boys Love Mandy Lane(07.17) and The Cove(07.31).]I know I've said it before, but I feel compelled to say it again: Savannah, GA's film-exhibition scene is less-than-ideal.  And that's putting it mildly.  You would think that the hometown to one of the biggest (if not the biggest) film schools in the United States could

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-43602955433950979512009-03-10T20:24:00.006-07:002009-03-10T21:47:38.430-07:00

It's been almost two weeks since my last post.  (That sort of sounds like the opening words of an AA meeting, doesn't it?)  I've been focusing more on my other blog lately, but I've also been slacking off pretty severely in my movie-watching endeavors.  Anyway, here's a brief rundown of most of the films I've watched over the past couple weeks.  I'll try my best to stay more up to date going

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-28864411449215633702009-02-25T22:42:00.001-08:002009-02-25T22:43:53.093-08:00

So Film Year 2008 is officially wrapped. Two months after the year itself came to a close. For the past three or so years, I've regarded the Oscars both as my Film Year capstone and my cue to compile and reflect upon the best films of the previous year. It's a pretty goofy deal, I guess, but its fun for me.The post-Oscar period is notorious for being the time of the year when all the crap movies

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-25652334245698460702009-02-23T19:26:00.002-08:002009-02-23T20:38:40.171-08:00

That's right, folks. Either I am more of an Oscar prediction expert than I thought, or the awards were just that predictable. I'd err on the side of the latter.My five missteps were in the following categories:DOCUMENTARY FEATURE. I gambled on Trouble the Water and lost. Obviously, I should have trusted my head and gone with the favorite (and, ultimately, the winner), Man on Wire. But

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-74636326117438470432009-02-22T15:11:00.000-08:002009-02-23T21:40:22.576-08:00

Finally, my Oscar predictions! There's a little more going on here than straight-up prognostication, but it's all pretty cut-and-dried.All 24 Oscar categories are listed below. For each category, I've made three entries. First and foremost is the person or film which most deserves to win that award. Second is the most deserving candidate from each list of nominees. And third is my actual

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-74855609798445315772009-02-22T00:42:00.005-08:002009-02-22T16:54:16.553-08:00

I first saw Synecdoche, New York last November at the Lucas Theatre in downtown Savannah, GA. Only one screening was scheduled, at 11:30am, and--despite my general distaste for waking up earlier than noon--I made a point of being there. It was playing as part of the Savannah Film Festival and was, by far, the most important screening of the week to me. I watched the film with great interest and

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-34939995384039054192009-02-19T00:31:00.001-08:002009-02-20T19:34:18.107-08:00

Most beautiful film of the year. Period. But if you rely solely on a clear-cut plotline to guide you through a movie, Flight of the Red Balloon might not be for you. Like a number of great films, Flight of the Red Balloon is much more about atmosphere and tone and feeling than it is about story. In fact, one could argue that there's not much story in Flight of the Red Balloon at all.Flight of the

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-10103464360366729202009-02-18T00:57:00.001-08:002009-02-19T01:05:38.437-08:00

I think my dad said it best: Milk is not a movie about gay rights. Milk is a movie about human rights.Yes, Milk is about a gay man (Harvey Milk) who rose to a position of prominence and esteem (City Supervisor) in a major American city (San Francisco). And yes, he championed a number of gay causes along the way. But there is so much more to Milk than that most basic of plot outlines. Milk is a

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-57066649543823316792009-02-18T00:55:00.001-08:002009-02-19T01:00:08.340-08:00

Two and a half months ago I flew back to Seattle to visit friends and family before the holidays. Of course there are perks inherent to returning to your former-theatre-employee stomping ground; notably, (nearly) free movies. So when I had eight hours to kill in the University District before meeting up with my dad, I naturally headed straight for the Metro to catch an afternoon movie. My film of

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-6902273130881249442009-02-16T23:54:00.001-08:002009-02-18T16:20:39.460-08:00

I don't think WALL-E really requires an introduction anymore. It seems like everyone and their brother has seen it by now (rightfully so) and that most of us agree that the movie is nothing short of terrific (again, rightfully so). As such, in the interest of saving you from my habitual long-windedness and me the trouble of rehashing the same praise hundreds of critics have already bestowed upon

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-44538903884059773922009-02-15T22:47:00.002-08:002009-02-18T16:16:36.605-08:00

(For your viewing pleasure, I recommend hovering over the arrow in the bottom-right corner of this video and clicking "HQ". After you've pressed play. You won't be regret it.)Tunt.Sounds dirty, right? Well it's not what you think. In fact, the word isn't dirty at all, at least not explicitly.George Washington Winsterhammerman works at Jeffers Corporation. He is a visioneer--specifically, a Level

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-57008498269465176562009-02-15T00:34:00.002-08:002009-02-18T16:15:27.252-08:00

Great writing + great acting=Doubt.As noted on the poster itself, Doubt is "based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play" of the same name. Written for the screen and directed by John Patrick Shanley (who also penned the original material), Doubt is an ethically complex and ultimately ambiguous story.Set during the mid-1960s in a Bronx Catholic church and school, the narrative tracks the

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-24818412265748368612009-02-14T00:30:00.007-08:002009-02-18T16:13:18.179-08:00

I've already received a bit of flak for bestowing what I believe to be justified praise upon Iron Man, so I already know that this pick won't be popular with my entire readership (however few of you there may be, thanks for reading!) But of what worth would a list of this nature be if it didn't generate a dissenting opinion or two? And anyway, it's my list, right? I've gotta be honest with my

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-61708195911692356742009-02-13T00:17:00.013-08:002009-02-18T16:09:47.383-08:00

"Summer 1994. The girls were fly. The music was dope. And Luke was just trying to deal."So reads the tagline of The Wackness. And, really, little more could be said to sum up The Wackness's basic story. It's a coming-of-age film, as you might have guessed, but it's a somewhat unconventional buddy movie, as well. Then again, it's also a story of young love and the first broken heart that

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-62628326962099679842009-02-11T21:18:00.009-08:002009-02-18T16:07:02.079-08:00

Early June in Seattle means one thing to me: SIFF (the Seattle International Film Festival, to the uninitiated). I've been completely hooked since my first SIFF back in 2005. Given a chance to see a grip of films before they officially hit theatres, and a handful which might never see U.S. distribution at all, I simply cannot resist.So it stood to reason that I would find myself sitting in the

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-50946709901530746902009-02-10T18:38:00.001-08:002009-02-18T16:04:32.457-08:00

In advance of my no doubt eagerly anticipated "Best Films of 2008" Countdown, here is an inevitably incomplete list of some other very good movies I saw this year. Each movie listed, though not 'great' in my eyes, is nonetheless more-than-recommendable. If you're trying desperately to catch up on the cream of last year, or simply desire some fresh flicks for your Netflix queue (or your Scarecrow

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-29335718400129265782009-02-05T00:45:00.003-08:002009-02-18T16:18:50.933-08:00

What a hypocrite I would be if I were to unceremoniously criticize the Academy's nominees without providing some of my own in return. Listed below are my answers to the 81st Annual Oscar nominations.As you'll soon see for yourself, I altered the categories a bit to suit my perspective. For one thing, my acting nominations are not split into "Leading" and "Supporting"sub-categories. I've never

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7541052388101463308.post-1781263372795028832009-02-01T05:49:00.001-08:002009-02-18T15:56:41.738-08:00

Generally speaking, I don't watch TV with much more than a passing interest. Excepting 30 Rock and Seahawks games, I greet the vast majority of television programming with little more than indifference.There are, of course, exceptions. Twice a year, every year, I put the rest of life on hold to sit in front of a television. Two television events--both annual, both longer than they need to be--

Colinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02228252312300424887noreply@blogger.com7