William’s Top Ten of 2009

So, your humble Movie Nerdfighter has joined a collab project on YouTube called “In the Great Perhaps”

This week, we’re all sharing a list of top ten for the past year.  The choice of list items was completely left up to us.  Of course, I had to share my Top Ten Movies of 2009:

In no particular order:

– The Hurt Locker
– Inglourious Basterds
– A Serious Man
– Up In the Air
– Sherlock Holmes
– Star Trek
– Where the Wild Things Are
– District 9
– (500) Days of Summer
– The Hangover

A few honorable mentions that didn’t make the list:

– Avatar: A visual effects game-changer
– Observe & Report: Great dark comedy from Jody Hill
– Whip It: Love, love, love this movie

There you have it.  Those are my picks.  Thoughts?  Do you agree?  Disagree?

New goal for this year, to post much more regularly to this and my other blogs.

William, the Movie Nerdfighter

who really seems to enjoy making lists about movies

Where the Wild Things Have Issues

First, for all those interested, I’ve said the things that needed to be said and I think things are better.

At least, it seems that way to me.

Tonight, I finally went to see Where the Wild Things Are. SUCH A GOOD MOVIE!!!! I mean, I had faith, of course I did, but I was still a little blown away by it.

The look of the Wild Things was PERFECT! I remember reading the book way back when and later comparing the Wild Things to Jim Henson’s monsters (considering them essentially the same type of fantastical beast), so seeing a combination of practical “man in suit” character design mixed seamlessly with digital effects for facial expressions makes these beasts seem completely real to me.

Then there’s the story. While I always loved the story from the book, I did wonder what they were going to add to make the movie stretch out to a feature length. Because, let’s be honest, it’s a really short book. But, leave it to Spike Jonze to find all the right stuff to add.

Just like all of us, the Wild Things deal with depression, loneliness, anger, fear, and love. However, unlike most of us, they have a unique way of dealing with these issues. Mostly, they fight, bite, slash, claw, dismember, and even devour each other to solve their problems. This makes sense, they ARE monsters after all.

It’s funny, I forgot how much I had in common with Max growing up. While I didn’t run around in a wolf costume “causing mischief”, I did (and still do) a lot of things that only seemed to make sense to me. Even other kids my age didn’t really “get” me. I can’t say that I blame them, there are a few things that I did (and, again, still do) that make sense at the time, but moments after even I would think “what the hell was THAT about?”

I’ve always been one of those “seemed like a good idea at the time” kinda guys.

I also still have quite a bit in common with Max, and the Wild Things.

Of course, I think we all do.

I mean, that’s the point, right?

William, the Movie Nerdfighter

who wants to have a Wild Rumpus as soon as possible.