Some delays....

There will be a few day delay on the marathon as some things are hindering my ability to update as regularly. I will have everything back on track with my previous schedule by the time Salesman is to be posted. Sorry to the two people that might be following this marathon, I wanted to make sure I did the films justice and not rush through these reviews.

I may be adding another 5 or 6 doc's that I feel I have missed out on and are important to a study on the genre of documentary film.

Keep checking back, updates will be posted soon.

It's Alive! It's Alive!

As previously noted in last months blog post, I have been a busy man. I recently had another article published in CityBeat and should be having more in the near future.

This article is about a great local group called Okay Lindon.

Check it out here.

In regards to this here blog, I am excited to say I have found a little time to start movie watching again. I am organizing my Documentary film study as we speak and will start posting those in June. I am going to attempt to make it a monthly thing with each genre, but as far as documentaries are going I have so many I want to see that it will probably spill over into July.

Here is a current list of the Doc's I plan on studying, I have separated these into different topics I wish to cover them under:

Filmmaking:
Hearts Of Darkness
American Movie
Lost In La Mancha

The American Dream:
Hoop Dreams
Salesman
Harlan County, USA
Roger and Me

Under a Microscope:
Bob Dylan: Don't Look Back
Little Dieter Needs To Fly
Crumb
The Times of Harvey Milk

Quirky is the New Normal:
Capturing The Friedman's
Vernon, Florida
Gates Of Heaven

Injustice:
Born Into Brothels
Hearts and Minds
The Thin Blue Line

So stay tuned because in the coming weeks I will have my schedule up for this thing.

Anyone and Everyone

I am aware that probably everyone who reads this here blog is already taking park in Ibetolis' wonderful 2000's series. I wanted to do a little advertising. so go here and read how it's all going over there. Sometime soon you may see a piece by me to disregard and continue reading all the great write ups on some of 2000's best films.

In news with my blog, I am still keeping it pretty slow as I am writing a little more for CityBeat, which I will continue updating you guys on whenever something new is published. I am also working on finishing up with school and will be writing some essays on films, so I will probably post those on here as well. And whatever I write for Ibetolis will eventually be up here after everyone floods his page with traffic.

My plan to do some more film studies will be resuming once I get a chance. I am going to be studying documentaries first. I plan on doing that as soon as possible but it might be June before I get to do so with any regularity.

Lastly, I recently saw Adventureland and because I'm not sure I will get a chance to actually review it, I must say, it is worth a ticket. It's sad that it's getting nowhere financially, but I hope it finds a life on DVD because Greg Mottola seemingly poured his heart into making this film and you can see it on the screen.

It's me! It's me!

So, in a fit of shameless self promotion I bring you my official published DVD review in CityBeat.

http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/article-17576-the-boy-in-the-striped-pajamas-(miramax).html

This is really nothing at all. I was just excited, and thought I would share it with you all.

Update Shmupdate....

So it has been nearly 2 months since I have updated this here blog. Honestly, I miss it, and will have some updates in the near near future, but for now, can I please have the floor to give you all a laundry list of possible excuses? Thank you.

Well---these aren't so much excuses as much as they are a way to let you all know what I have been up to recently.

I started working for a local film company set in Columbus, Ohio called Cut Throat Entertainment. We are set to start filming our first project in May, with hopes of completion by July. Along with that we have a number of other short films we are working on, including one I am a sort of honorary co-writer on due to a friends kindness, because he constantly asked my opinion on every aspect of his screenplay. So there is that excuse...

I also am gearing to finally get a one year certificate in Media Criticism and Journalism from the University of Cincinnati, too bad it only took me three years to attain it. Now the decision of whether or not to continue going in the journalistic direction I have started needs to be made.

I have also been interning for a local alt-weekly newspaper set in downtown Cincy called CityBeat and will actually have some writing published in there next week. It is a DVD review of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. And I will be continuing my writing and internship there for at least the duration of the school year.

This along with being a pizza delivery guy, married man, and all around just plain lazy, does not make a good blogmaster. Truth be told, I have seen a few movies this year, mostly lackluster. I would categorize them as good/decent(Watchmen, I Love You, Man), watchable(Taken) and just plain Godawful (Underworld 3). While I have felt compelled to jot down some words about these films and call it a review, every time I get the chance I decide to watch some unwatched episodes of The Office or Freaks and Geeks, or pull out some newly bought DVDs like Synecdoche, New York or Role Models and watch them and their special features, or even finally start reading Death of a Salesman.

Wow, I just typed a whole lot just to say that I cannot believe I haven't updated this thing in nearly two months. Please tell me you haven't forgotten about me?

The Nominations.

So the Academy Award nominations are in and I must say, I am relatively underwhelmed.

I won't rehash them for you as I'm sure those who are reading this have already seen the list, what I will say is one thing. I am so damn happy that The Dark Knight isn't up for Best Picture or Best Director. Everyone and their mother thought it was a lock, but I knew that if a black man can be the President than it's possible.

I'd like to thank my parents, my agent, and most of all the Academy voters for actually not making a similar mistake to the one they made with Titanic. Sure, I was really pulling for Wall-E and The Wrestler for best picture but at least something worked out to my advantage.

In the coming year...

So I posted my supposed list of film genre's on the side here, and will add links as soon as I finish each study. I also have a poll up where you can vote on which study I will tackle first. In regards to the decades I also added on there, that is for any films I happen to miss from that decade that I wish to tackle. I know some decades are ripe with more films I am a little more excited about seeing(50's-70's for example). And, although I have tons of films that will be listed in each category I'm sure there will be those I miss, and they will be added into those categories.

I hope I can actually accomplish all of this. I need ya'll to root for me.

"Wormser is a master of aerodynamics. He has engineered the javelin to complement Lamar's limp-wristed throwing style."

Of Up and Coming Monarchs

Although my quest to review a lot more films by years end is noble, I just don't think I have it in me. I will be seeing all the DVD releases I said I had yet to see, but to write out a review for each of them would just kill any outside life I have that doesn't already involve work, school and family. I know, I know, I can hear all the sighs of disappointment from my adoring fans, but no need to fret. I will write reviews of the slew of theatrical films I plan on seeing in the coming month and having some sort of year end list of all things film by mid-January. I know it's totally cliche', but I am a total sucker for those things and have always wanted to make my own. I know I'm lame.

On another note, some new plans are ahead for the new year. I figured out that as someone who enjoys writing about film, and considers himself somewhat(and I mean that in the lowest amount someone can say somewhat) of a film geek, I have seen entirely to few movies. To remedy this situation I have come up with the following plan. Instead of going forth and studying more directors(as I did Hitchcock) I am going to disband that for now and look into genre. I am going to watch 10-12 films a month from a certain genre and offer a write up on them. The thing is, these are going to be classics that I have never seen, ranging from silent comedies to modern thrillers. It'll be a credibility crusher admitting all the amazingly well revered films of which I have yet to accustom myself, but if I wish to become a better film lover, maker, and writer it's something I need to really accomplish.

Yes, that was all exaggerated for giggles, but I will have some genres up in a poll soon, and the entire list I am going to begin peaking into up on a sidebar.

Anyways, until next time. Godspeed.

Catching up...

So I decided, since there is only one month left in the year, I have seen only roughly 50-60 films released this year. There are about 10-15 I haven't seen that I wish to see that have already been released, and most are on DVD. I would really like to have an expansive view of 2008, and be able to look back on the year with a top ten list and such and actually have a real opinion on a lot of films. So I can be sure of my opinions on this years films that I will be watching a whole lot of this month, I will be writing reviews for each one. The films I have yet to see that are released on DVD that I plan on getting into are:

Paranoid Park
The Visitor
Transsiberian
Man On Wire
Red Belt
Bigger Stronger Faster
Standard Operating Procedure
The Flight of The Red Balloon
The Bank Job
The Hammer
The Band's Visit
Funny Games
Son of Rambow

I will still be trying to get in weekly reviews of theatrical films, soon enough Twilight and Milk will be given the Deadpan rundown.

Another note I wanted to make on my Man Crush list. I am so upset that I totally forgot to add Jack Lemmon to the list. He would easily be top 2 or 3.

Update

So, if you haven't noticed lately I have been slacking. I have two film analysis' due this weekend, and I am here to tell you they will be published either late monday night or tuesday morning. I won't be home basically at all this weekend so time has eluded me.

In regards to the current Hitchcock series. If you hadn't noticed I am up to date as I have published both North By Northwest and Rear Window, but they are out of order(Rear Window being the last one published. Thanks to anyone who is keeping up with the series.

In other news, I came across a really fun and interesing website called For The Reels. It is full of film-parody web comics and is generally very funny, Mel Brooks style stuff. I suggest checking on the Schindlers List, The Departed and V For Vendetta parodies for a healthy dose of laughing your butt off.

Until next time. Godspeed.