Thank you for supporting me and this site for the length of its existence. While I’ve enjoyed writing for it, I’ve really loved bringing in other minds and making it a collaborative effort.

However, given the format (long-form essay) it has been a challenge maintaining a consistent stream of content. And instead of updating the site once a month, I’d rather just say goodbye. If a thing can’t be done right, it isn’t worth doing at all.

I have already moved my efforts over to a new web endeavor entitled: Should I Go See It?

I encourage you to check it out, bookmark it, add it to your RSS reader, leave comments, whatever.

Hope you all enjoyed the ride. Perhaps you’ll hear from us again at this location, but not in the foreseeable future.

Thanks again.

-Mr. Bill George, Founder / Editor / Contributor

And to be honest, I like a lot of them. As I get older, I find myself liking what I see more and more and there are a few reasons for that. One, I’m starting more and more to look for value than for criticism. I feel no need to validate myself by pointing out flaws. Focusing on the positive is much more productive. A.K.A. I’m going soft in my old age.

Secondly, I select what I see based on what I’m interested in and what I’m predetermined to like. I used to see movies just for the sake of seeing them and being able to review them, which lead to a lot of wasted time and unnecessary aggravation.

Finally, I think movies are getting a bit better as well. It just feels like more things are coming out that I’m into than before. (Obviously I have no way to substantiate that claim or back it up, it just feels that way.)

With all that being said, only a few movies (out of the many hundreds that I really like or love) have truly spoken to me. Only a choice group have affected and actually changed me.

Don’t get me wrong, Casino Royale, Star Trek and Sherlock Holmes are entertainment of the highest caliber and I adore them, but I don’t think differently or live life differently because of them or their message.

But there are some movies that once you see them, you cannot picture a time before them. I can’t imagine what life was like when I hadn’t seen Batman Begins or Vanilla Sky. Those are just two examples and they may seem like odd choices but I’m sure you have your own. I’m not saying Vanilla Sky deserved Best Picture, I’m merely saying that I, Bill George, connected with it. There are some others (Apollo 13, A Few Good Men, About Schmidt, Cast Away) but today, I am adding another one to the list:

Up in the Air

I would write a straight review for it but I’ll spare you the pure gushing that would ensue. In a nutshell: not only was the movie technically sound, scratch that, flawless, but the script was astounding and Clooney’s performance was masterful. I hung on every word, every image, every sound, every cue.

But the best part is: I can’t really explain why. It just spoke to me. I’m sure it had to do with the brilliance of all the aspects listed above combined with my general personality and everything that has happened in my life leading up to the point of viewing. But it isn’t worth pinpointing, sufficed to say the film is now a part of me. A part of my life.

I don’t know how others have reacted to it or will react to it, and I certainly can’t guarantee the same results, but it earns my highest recommendation. See it as soon as possible.

While both are ‘big’ movies with not an insignificant amount of marketing power behind them (more so in the case of the former) they both left indelibly different tastes in my mouth and only one demands a subsequent viewing: Sherlock Holmes.

Holmes succeeds in a number of places that Avatar fails. Most importantly having a strong lead actor playing a mesmerizing character, coupled with a riveting and thought provoking narrative. Granted, Avatar is a visual marvel and is aesthetically stunning. The motion capture, the 3D, the amount of detail. There’s never been anything like it before. Period. (But Holmes is no slouch either, with Ritchie providing a nice stylization all his own.)

However, at the end of Holmes I felt fulfilled. While Avatar left me empty. The story was so dragged out and shallow that I’m convinced the film as a whole will not stand the test of time as anything more than a tech demo.

Where Avatar was a feast for the eyes, Holmes was a feast for the mind. It’s a smart movie with clever plotting and an unmistakable wit, all the while being carried by a leading man who is nothing short of riveting. Downey Jr. is an inspired choice to play the titular character, capturing Holmes’ essence in a way no other actor could. And his chemistry with Jude Law’s Dr. Watson is enthralling.

Every piece of Avatar‘s story has been done before in other movies and done better. So many of the subplots and twists are cliches and even the dialogue feels stale. Yet everything in Holmes feels fresh and adventurous.

I understand I’m being very vague and I apologize for it. Part of the reason is because I don’t want to delve into too much detail surrounding either film so has not to spoil any part of them. The other reason is that my feelings stretch far beyond words. I can’t adequately describe how amazing Sherlock Holmes made me feel, bizarre as it sounds, but I know it did move me. And let’s just say Avatar had no such effect.

What did everyone else think? Sound off in the comments.

Makingof.com is a well crafted site that is regularly updated with videos featuring interviews with notable directors/writers/production-crew and behind-the-scenes bits on current and up-coming movies. All of the videos are very high quality and the site is updated surprisingly fast. As I perused the site I was a bit perplexed as to why the community section was so dead. The forum posts were few and far between. Which leads me to believe this site hasn’t exactly caught on yet and is also causing me to try to spread the word. I was even further perplexed when I found out that Natalie Portman co-founded the site and that I hadn’t heard of it through one of my film site avenues beforehand.

Sure you can find interviews and pieces on many films and directors out there on youtube and such but “makingof.com” consolidates the material in an easy to navigate fashion so you have a bit more direction if you are looking to gain insight into the world of film. So if you are an aspiring film-maker or just a movie-buff I think you might like this site and I recommend giving it a check-out.

http://makingof.com/

[Editors Note: Thanks Matt. Good find. Also on my (Bill George's) radar as far as new movie sites go: http://movieclips.com/. It's a neat way to view, embed, and share scenes and clips from popular films. Much easier and higher quality than YouTube.]

That being said, here are a few things I’ve been thinking about lately that aren’t quite worthy of their own TIAW posts. However, I still feel like sharing them and it’s a good way to get a post up to keep the site active.

2012 - Roland Emmerich’s latest disaster (of a) film is certainly a ‘visual effects extravaganza’… for an hour or so. But the hour and half following that is anything but. It’s, well, boring. Very boring. It’s supposed to be an action blockbuster but it clocks in at a staggering 158 minutes. The pacing is horrific. The action beats are so far apart you forget why you’re watching it.

There are countless subplots that simply do not need to exist. At all. For any reason. Nothing would be lost with the cutting of half the film’s cast. Nobody goes into this film expecting anything besides what the trailers promise: destruction. There were a couple breathtaking sequences but otherwise it felt totally flat.

Enjoyable at times? Sure. Do those times make up for the other two hours that must be endured? Not even close.

Phrazes For The Young – I’m not usually much of a music critic. I’ve written a handful of album reviews in my day but I always feel out of my element. Film has always been my bag and music is more of a hobby. I excel at picking music to use in movies but that’s the extent of my expertise. (Well, unless you count playing Rock Band on expert I suppose.)

But with music, just like everything else, I know what I like. And I love this album.

It’s a solo album from Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas. I don’t really know how to describe it or how to put into words why I love it so much, I just do. So I wanted to share it with everyone in case there are people out there like me.

Receipt Surveys - Another thing that I’ve been up to lately are surveys on receipts. You can find them typically on restaurant checks but they are common in retail as well. The idea is you go online and fill out a survey about the business and provide them with feedback in exchange for being entered into a sweepstakes to win money. (Typically $1,000.)

Now, someone has to be winning this money. They can’t just lie and not give it out. In fact, they often list past winners on their sites. So I thought to myself, “I’m on the computer all the time anyway. Why not take a few minutes and put myself in a position to possibly win some extra money?”

So I have.

Not only do I fill out the survey just to get it done, but I take the time to really think about the feedback I’m giving and, in the grand scheme of things, help these companies improve.

People warn me about the privacy issue (at the end of these surveys you must provide a phone number, email address, or both in order to be made aware of your winnings and presumably these companies sell that information)), however, if I get on an email list I simply unsubscribe. And I’m on the ‘do not call list,’ so anyone who messes with that will be in big trouble when I contact the commonwealth about it.

I think it’s a win-win. I basically get a free lottery ticket and the company gets some valuable feedback. All while I’m doing my usual music listening, email checking, chatting and browsing.

So my question is this: Am I crazy? Am I the only one doing these things? Or are you all filling them out occasionally as well?

My disposition towards the game vendor has slowly festered to a blackened husk, and my resentment to myself only grows as I keep returning there to buy games. It’s not that they don’t have a great selection, or that their prices are too high, quite the contrary actually. Typically when I go to GameStop I leave with the product I wanted for the price that I was expecting. What makes me want to beat the employees to death with the claw end of a hammer is the goddamn INCESSENT nagging about reserving games and taking advantage of their used game selection. As time wears on I regard these two policies as affronts to humanity, though I realize my position may be seen as somewhat extremist.

I used to go to GameStop, get my games, and be content. When they first started the reservation policy it was actually convenient, no more worries about having to wait for a new shipment to come in for popular games. But now it has devolved to the point where the employees seem to be trying to harangue you into believing that it is a privilege for you to buy these games from them. That they are a rare commodity that must be “reserved” lest you miss out on the initial release. WTF is that? They are a video game retailer they should be well stocked with video games.

My rage for this reservation system began with the release of the first “Gears of War.” I had reserved the game a month prior, eager for “E-DAY” as the clever marketing advertisements painted it. I received a call from the automated Gamestop calling system telling me that my copy had arrived and it could be picked up during store hours. So I make the drive to the mall, fight my way through throngs of people, get to the store, and…. “Out of stock.” “Sorry,” they say, but I’ll have to wait for the next shipment, “come back tomorrow.”

Disheartened I made my way to Best Buy in the hopes that they might have the product I sought. Upon 5 minutes in the store I saw displays with DROVES of copies of the game. So I bought it, returned to Gamestop, patiently explained that they could fuck off, and got my reservation deposit back. Since then I have scorned the idea of reserving a game.

I’ve been jaded towards GameStop ever since, yet I keep returning to buy games from them for they are the closest video game distributor in my area and I don’t abhor the policy enough to spend more gas money.  I do refuse to reserve games however and I also refuse to buy used games since they are usually priced only 5 dollars lower than a brand spankin’ new copy. I spent five minutes one day arguing with a employee on why I wanted a new Little Big Planet and not simply a used one. I tried to laugh it off and chuckle about how I like opening the shrink wrap but I resolved to giving him an icy stare and uttering, “Just give me the new copy” between gritted teeth and a twitching cornea.

The other day I went in to pick up Uncharted 2 and when I asked the clerk “Could I got a copy of Uncharted 2?”  he responded with,

“Did you reserve it?” with the undertone that I was stupid if I didn’t.

“No,” I replied.

“…. Well we have one right here, you got lucky.”

So I kind of just gave him a “wtf” look and paid my total. I’m sure that he must say such things lest he be sodomized by the corporate entities behind the individual retail stores but I still can’t help but want to spew ulcerous fluids at such encounters. Maybe because I was such a whore once for Staples and such exchanges bring to light suppressed memories of being a puppet for those empty and tainted policies that my hatred is both internal and external. Nightmares resurfacing of dancing to the strings of some malevolent entity running the company from afar, his invisible eye ever present.

I just can’t seem to be okay with the idea of supporting a company that buys games from little kids and confused parents for a pittance of the original costs, sells them for $5 less than retail robbing the developers of money, and then creates this disillusionment that every new game NEEDS to be reserved or else the customer will miss out. I’m not even going to delve into the new gimmick of giving away special in-game features with reservations for fear of bursting into flame. I DON’T WANT YOUR STUPID SPECIAL IN-GAME BASEBALL BAT, LEFT 4 DEAD 2!

… Yes I do

Sorry to be so forward but I figured I’d get the ugly truth out of the way up front. Also, early on I’d like to acknowledge the things that weren’t terrible about the movie, so as to have a clear conscience when I proceed to ridicule it.

Spike Jonze is a visionary director, there’s no doubt about that. I consider Adaptation a masterpiece and he maintains his visual flair here too. The CGI animated faces on the real bodies of the wild things works extremely well. His casting choices, such as James Gandolfini as Carol, are also impressive.

But none of that changes the fact that this movie is nothing but noise.

Our protagonist, an insufferable brat named Max, runs around screaming in the opening of the film (foreshadowing!). As soon as he runs away from home and into the world of his imagination, where the wild things preside, he continues to run and scream. And after he and the wild things run around and scream, they proceed to run around and scream some more, whilst throwing things at each other. And finally he runs home.

The end.

If you’re thinking to yourself that in that synopsis I didn’t mention anything that remotely sounded like a plot, you’re exactly right. Nothing happens in this film.

The vast majority of the film is either, as mentioned, Max and the wild things running around, screaming and having a good time, or bickering with one another. Each wild thing has a distinct personality and each one could be viewed as a reflection of a different aspect of the psyche of a child. Meaning the wild things themselves act like children.

Newsflash: Children are annoying.

Hence, I was cringing throughout the duration of the film. In no way was this immature nonsense something I wanted to (or for that matter would willingly pay to) sit through.

Are there more layers to it? Is there depth and symbolism to be had here?

Perhaps. I didn’t read much into it right off the bat but if you have the patience to withstand the onslaught of noise that it is embedded in, maybe you’ll find something to appreciate that I simply could not.

And to answer the question you may be pondering: no, I haven’t read the book. I remember it from my childhood, the cover at least, but I don’t recall its content. But that is neither here nor there. The film must be able to stand on its own as an individual product. If I read the book it may have set my expectations differently but I still would have had a headache leaving the theater.

(For the record, I expected the kid to go through some actual tragedy and escape to where the wild things are. Then move back and forth between real and fake. The trailer sure made it look that way at least.)

What this movie needs is, well, a storyline. But even more importantly: profanity.

If this movie had some harsh language in it, then I’d be a little more interested in some of these fiery exchanges. Towards the tail end of the film, when I’ve already sat through an hour of pointless fighting and KW steps on Carol’s face and they bicker again I really needed to hear someone say, “Oh yea? Well Fuck you Carol! What have you done for me lately you prick?!”

I have to admit, I became so disinterested in the film toward the end that in between my constant thoughts of “Why am I watching this?” I began to fantasize about the American Military swooping in and carpet bombing the damn island and running a block-ops extraction mission to get the kid out safe. Seeing a laser-sight dot appear on Judith’s head would have made my night.

Okay, I’m exhausted from typing with such vitriol. I’ll sum up the movie by saying the execution was there but I found the content to be unwatchable. Unless of course you don’t mind being audibly assaulted for 1.5 hours.

Sadly, in the wake of the sequels, their hype and the endless parodies that have followed, the quality of the original Matrix and its status as a landmark action film have been lost. I am here to right this wrong.

Believe it or not, I remember March 31st, 1999 like it was yesterday. Those who know me know my memory (or lack thereof) is borderline clinical, but I’ll never forget the excitement I felt in the theater the opening day of The Matrix.

All I had seen going into the film was the teaser trailer, predominately featuring Keanu Reeves dodging bullets on the rooftop (using a filmmaking technique that would latter be dubbed ‘bullet time’). Not only that, but it featured a voice over of Laurence Fishburne saying that “no one can be told what the matrix is… you have to see it for yourself.” Not to mention using the web address www.whatisthematrix.com. If that doesn’t get you into the theater, I don’t know what will.

As you know, most films open on a Friday and this one was no exception. Yes, it was a school day, but being the student I was and having the parents I have, I was dismissed at lunch time for this particular occasion. Keep in mind that I was a 13 year old American male… A.K.A. one of the exact demographics I’m sure this film was aimed at. And by God did it deliver.

Until this time I had never seen an action movie with a legitimate, thought-provoking storyline. (With the exception of the Terminator series.) I was in total awe throughout the experience. Starting with the badassery of Agent Smith showing up to apprehend Trinity and informing the officer in charge that the men he sent up to do the job were ‘already dead.’ Her escape in that scene is as riveting as it comes for an opening set piece.

Looking back on it and adding it all up you realize just how iconic every scene in that film is and how much it has become a part of pop culture. Red pill vs. blue pill. The dojo. The rooftop. The subway. The construct. And of course: the lobby.

The lobby shootout scene was a watershed moment in my life. (Again, I was 13.) I had never seen anything like it before… ever. Think about it: almost every action movie released since has used slow motion, techno music and/or bullet time. The Matrix changed the way action sequences are filmed. Period.

The other thing about the film that makes it stand out in my mind on a personal level is the fact that I saw it in theaters. Granted, seeing something in theaters versus at home doesn’t have much of an affect on how much you’ll like it. A number of what I’d consider my favorite movies I didn’t discover until they were released on DVD. But still… there’s something special about seeing it in theaters, especially considering the fact that the majority of my peers did not have the pleasure. I’m guessing most of them were not as hip to the movie watching scene at age 13 as I was and they missed out. But now I talk to people who love it and hold it just as dear as I do… but I saw it in theaters. And frankly, that makes me feel special (regardless of whether it should).

So, now that I’ve revisited it in my mind, I’m going to revisit it on disc. I probably should have watched it prior to writing this (that would make this column make sense). But I just had it on my mind and wanted to let it out. Now that I’ve done that, I’m dying to watch it again. By the way, before I let you leave thinking that I think it’s a perfect movie, I readily admit it isn’t. The end is schmaltzy, some of the performances could be better and it could be a bit tighter lengthwise. But there is no doubt that it is a thinking man’s action flick and a landmark film for the genre.

—

Shiny Toy Guns - Burning For You (Lincoln)

Tom Hedden - Finale (Cambell’s Soup)

Morphine - Buena (Nissan)

Feist - 1234 (iPod Nano 3rd Gen)

Miss Li - Bourgeois Shangri-La (iPod Nano 5th Gen)

The Caesars - Jerk It Out (iPod Shuffle 1st Gen)

Chairlift - Bruises (iPod Nano 4th Gen)

Judy Garland - Get Happy (Gap)

Tammany Hall - Always On Sunday / Wait For You (HBO)

Charles Trenet - Boum (I Forget)

Royksopp - Remind Me (Geico)

The Cure - Pictures Of You (HP)

Cat Stevens - If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out (MyTouch3G)

—

What other tunes have people gleaned from the tube?

Shark Tank [ABC, Tues. 8pm] – My favorite show right now by far. Five self-made millionaires are pitched ideas by small business owners, upstarts, inventors et al in the hopes that the sharks will invest some money in their idea. What makes the show are the sharks. They are always engaging to watch, especially when they interact with each other and fight over deals. Plus, I love hearing people’s ideas for products and services and businesses. The only pitfall of the show is the fact that one or two contestants per episode are throwaways. They have a terrible idea that is only on the air because it’s funny to watch the sharks rip them apart. Sort of like American Idol auditions. Other than that, it can’t miss.

Glee [FOX, Weds. 9pm] – After waiting ages for this show to start after its phenomenal pilot air months ago, we are finally in full swing. More than a handful of episodes in and it still has me looking forward to it every week. There were a few rough patches and one or two stinkers but overall the season has been solid and it’s worth watching every week for the music numbers alone.

Mad Men [AMC, Sun. 10pm] – Not gonna lie, a few episodes into this season I thought I was getting a bit tired of the show. But boy have things ramped up. I am enthralled now. I know everyone talks about this show constantly, but it’s for a reason. The acting, character development and directorial style are all top notch. The production values are just through the roof.

Curb Your Enthusiasm [HBO, Sun. 9pm] – I watched the first four seasons of this show but missed out on five and six. We just started seven and I’m glad I’m back on board. The hype surrounding this season has to do with the Seinfeld cast reunion that is taking place on the show. The genius of it is the fact that in this show they are putting together an actual reunion show for NBC, so in the process they are reuniting but for Curb.  There should be a couple more episodes as part of this story arc and if they are anywhere near the level of the first we are in for quite a treat.

FlashForward [ABC, Thurs. 8pm] – I’m only two episodes in on this one (the third is waiting on my DVR for when I finish this post) but I’m enjoying it so far. I’m not hooked in the sense I must see it immediately every week but I’m definitely following it. I find myself much more interested in the event itself and how it happened and what its effects were etc, more so than each person fulfilling or not fulfilling their destiny.

Entourage [HBO, Off] – This season just wrapped up a few weeks ago and I somewhat enjoyed it. The second half certainly had more meat to it than the first. In fact, the finale was by far the best episode of the year and it actually made me want more. Which is something no previous episode this season accomplished. I just kept watching because I felt an obligation to.

Bored To Death [HBO, Sun. 9:30pm] – More like Boring To Death. I gave up on this one. Got through 2.5 episodes and starting questioning why I was wasting my time. No thanks.

What is everyone else watching?