So I'm kind of excited to be writing this little post, because I'm going to be talking about something I love.... You guessed it folks, more movie talk from yours truly. Now originally I was going to talk about SEX because when you're not getting any, you tend to have a lot to say about it. But I think I'll save that one for another day (I know you are all disappointed) sorry. Anyways, I was thinking earlier this week that here in December there are going to be some awesome hard hitting movies coming out. Movies that I have been waiting all year to see. But before I get into all that I wanted to talk a bit about my top 5ish well lets just say 10 of this year so far. And I'll also talk a little bit about the duds that I've seen this year. So let's get this party started off with a bang. 10.MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING I can't tell you how happy I was to see a modern day retelling of my absolute favorite Shakespeare play. Alexis Denisof and Amy Acker as Benedick & Beatrice are both an absolute revelations. It is beautifully shot in black and white, and the fact that Joss Whedon shot this at his house over like a week long stretch or something ridiculous just makes me so jealous. Jealous of the genius of some of the people out there in the world. Even if you don't like Shakespeare (which makes you kind of an idiot) I promise you will enjoy the shit out of this movie. Much ado about nothing also has one of my favorite all time lines. "I do love nothing in this world as well as you; is not that strange."
9.World War Z I have to admit that I really was not excited to go see this movie. With all the talks of delays and re-shoots and all that hollywood stuff that normally sinks a movie, my expectations were at an all time low. And to be honest with you I'm so happy that they were, because I was completely blown away. This movie moves at an alarmingly fast pace and they don't fuck around with all the fluff that a lot of movies these days do and thank god. Because of the pace and the movie itself you have to pay attention because the things characters say mean something and they may not be saying much. And lets not even get into one of the most intense 3rd acts of a movie I've seen in some time. Oh yeah and there is always BRAD PITT.
8.DON JON Now I had to really debate over the next two films on this list and really and truly depending on the day the will switch back and forth. In the end Don Jon landed at 8 today. This movie is an awesome first movie for a guy that I really respect. If there were more movies made to this caliber every year, the movie industry wouldn't be is such big trouble. This movie hit home with me in a big way. I really do feel as though Joseph Gordon-Levitt made a movie especially about me and my generation of men and women in this one. This movie feel so right now in this moment for me and I just love it.
7.ABOUT TIME Here is the thing. I love Richard Curtis. There I said it and I'm not ashamed to admit it. His movies just always do it for me. Notting Hill, Love Actually, even Pirate Radio I just love them all. And this movie is no exception. I mean really the movie is made for me. Great romantic love story with awkward protagonist(Check). Corny gimmick like time travel(Check). Movie that helps you see the beauty in life(Check). Great father and son storyline(Check). And if that isn't enough to get you there it's got Bill Nighy.
6.THE GREAT GATSBY What can I really say about this movie? I love the book, and to be honest I love this movie even more. I mean Leonardo DiCaprio is Jay Gatsby, that's it, there is almost nothing more I have to say. Except for the fact that Baz Luhrmann just made that book jump off the page for me in this movie. I wanted to be a part of this lifestyle and go to these amazing parties Gatsby threw. When Leo and Carey Mulligan are on screen together it is pretty freaking electric. I suggest everyone go see it right now, before you even finish this.
5.THE WORLD'S END
If you haven't seen any of the movies of Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost, you are a sad sad individual. I mean seriously these guys are some of the best comedy filmmakers in the business right now. And this movie is a perfect example of that. It is the last movie in there self titled Cornetto Trilogy, the other movies are Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. Got out and get them all and watch them right away. It will change how you feel about comedy today. And this movie is just perfect for me. A group of friends getting together after years apart of finish a pub crawl they never could. A lot like my friends only we always finished.
4.THE WAY WAY BACK
This movie is at 4 on the list and to tell you the truth it could really be higher. This is such a beautiful story of that feeling that I know everybody has at some point in your life when you are just awkward and you really just don't fit in, until you find that thing or that place where you are completely accepted and everything just seems to change. I got lucky and found baseball that way. Steve Carrol is great playing against type in a very unCarrol performance and Sam Rockwell. I could probably write an entire blog about Rockwell himself. The guy just kills it in this movie. Go see it folks.
3.THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES This top 3 was super hard for me. I mean this movie right here just completely blew me away. I was completely captivated by this movie from the very beginning to the very end. And the score of this movie is absolutely haunting, I love it. The story lines in this movie are so hard and there really isn't a good or bad guy to speak of. Just a story about people in a moment in time in history. I can't tell people enough that they should see this movie. I want it to be the movie people are talking about when it comes out on DVD.
2.12 YEARS A SLAVE To be honest with you if there is one movie I want people to see this year, it is this one. I ha such a reaction to this film that I really couldn't be around people for like a week after I saw it. The performances in this movie are so moving to me there are times when I just couldn't take my eyes off the screen, even when I wanted to. Steve McQueen does a great job in this movie really hammering in the horrors of slavery without taking away from the movie. And to say that it was beautifully shot would be an understatement. Oscar nominations are definitely forthcoming with this one. And I will be giving this movie to white people I know just to play on there white guilt.
1.BEFORE MIDNIGHT The movie that tops my list of movies that I've seen this year is none other than Before Midnight. The final movie in Richard Linklater's Before trilogy is just absolutely fantastic. You would think that a movie about two people walking and talking about themselves and there relationship would bog down by the third movie and I say that it is almost the opposite. It might be more exciting than any movie in the series. I have such a thing for Julie Deply and French women because of this movie and this series in general. She is so freaking talented, and Ethan Hawke who I pretty much hate in every other movie he's in I love in this movie. If you love love like I do, then this movie is for you. I ask you all to get the complete series, you won't regret it. If you don't like these movies I'll pay for them, that's how I feel about this movie and the series itself.
So that's my list. I thought it was just going to be five movies but then I got started and I couldn't stop. Of course there are the movies that were not quite up to par this year whcih I will quickly go over, and then finish it all off with the movies that i am most anticipating to end this year. Brandon's Worst List 5.RUNNER, RUNNER--not Ben Affleck's Fault 4.MACHETE KILLS 3.PACIFIC RIM 2.SPECTACULAR NOW 1.ELYSIUM Brandon's Most Anticipated List 7.OUT OF THE FURNACE 6.ANCHORMAN 2 5.LONE SURVIOR 4.AMERICAN HUSTLE 3.THE WOLF OF WALL STREET 2.INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS 1.THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY
The Holidays are coming up and because of things that have happened, things that are happening I will find myself not able to be with family for the first time, well I guess the first time in my 28 years of existence. I am very sad by this fact, and I know that I will be even more sad a week from now and even sadder then when Christmas, My awful birthday, and New Years rolls around. But as they say that is life. I've been seeing a lot of posts from people saying what they are thankful for and I guess I'm going to use this time or rather this blog to list just a few of the things that I am thankful for. I should probably have waited and put the post out on Thanksgiving but tonight is when the mood struck me. I'm thankful for a mother that always told me I was the best even when I really sucked, I'm thankful for a father who was always a coach and hard ass hell on me and who will always be my hero. I'm thankful for a big sister that hated me, and picked on me, and then out of the blue decided she really loved me and is my very best friend. I'm thankful for friends that lifted me up and made me feel like more than I thought of myself, and that were smarter and more interesting than me, and that are constantly inspiring me to push myself a little bit further. I'm thankful for neighbors that would take me in like a stray and make me a part of their special world. I'm thankful for a family of black men that buck the stereotype and raised a generation of up right black men that can now teach their little ones the importance of family. I'm thankful for 216 stitches, because without baseball I would have never forged some of my greatest friendships. I'm thankful for all the women out there that have broken my heart(you know who you are)and the ones who will now doubt do a little breaking in the future. I'm thankful for all of my friend's healthy children who are all proof that miracles do exist. I'm thankful for the Iron Eagles, Top Guns, and Return of the Jedis that can still turn this grown man into a little kid and make me believe that dreams do exist and they are closer than you think. I'm thankful for personal failures that give you a strength that you never knew existed. I'm thankful for the nights drinking and celebrating with friends so hard that you promise yourself you'll never do it again the next morning. I'm thankful for all of my family past, present, and future. I'm thankful for rainy days and sunny beaches, I am thankful for every second I get to spend up right and on this earth. I know this sounds a little melodramatic but I don't give a damn, I'm thankful for all of it and even more. And to tell you the truth I've decided that there is only one way to live life.... Like it's a 3-2 count with 2 outs in the the bottom of the 9th of the 7th game of the World Series. Every second, every hour, every moment treated with concentration, excitement, and a little bit of fear. Because no matter how spectacular or how mundane they are there will never be another one quite like it.
It's Monday night, I'm in one of the greatest cities in the world and I'm here in my room watching She's All That! This is no lie folks, but the thing is that I am totally okay with that. I'm so happy that I picked this of all movies to watch on Netflix. Talk about your totally corny high school movies from the 90's. I mean what a great time for movies if you love corny high school movies. And can I just say that Freddy Prinze Jr. was the king of the 90's. (Where have you gone to Freddy?) So I went to the movies with my sister and saw this movie. I can't believe that I can remember that, but I can never remember where I put my keys or my hair pick. But I do, and I know that both me and my sister loved and still love this movie. There is so much of my movie or T.V. taste that I get from my sister and in no way is that disappointing to me. I mean when you grow up in a household where you have to watch Grease, Dirty Dancing, or Ghost any and every time it's on T.V. no matter what because your older sister loves these movies you become connected to the cornier things in movies and T.V. So thank you very much Tiffany. But really this movie made me think about something in the realm of how important movies are to me. I'm very forgetful. I can't remember where I put my keys most of the time, and people's birthdays, I'm the absolute worst. I really hate that about myself by the way, because sometimes it seem like I don't care at all. When really that's not even the case. Birthdays are just birthdays to me, hell I don't even really care that much for my own. But in all honesty I can almost remember every single movie that I saw with somebody else. It's the weirdest thing and I just realized it just a couple of years ago but it's true. Crazy as it sounds those are the things I hold near and dear to my heart. And I can give you so many examples of this and I guess that is really why I'm writing this. Sort of a thank you or a love letter to all of those that have watched a movie with me. It may have just seemed like some random thing that happened but it meant much more than that to me. So here are just a few and I know there are many more and know that I didn't forget any of you. Edmond Hooks- Me and you cut class our senior year to watch The Matrix Reloaded, such a great day. Cooper Hagedorn- Really there are too many to even name, but the best day was when we went and saw four in one day, three of them together in college. Gone Baby Gone, Into the Wild, and The Assassination of Jesse James. Tiffany Ponder- Another one I saw with you that was just fantastic, Clueless, I mean really as if. Samantha Morgan- It was a Sunday and I was frightfully nervous and we went to see The Muppets. Great movie, made me feel like a kid again. Brian & Jamie Neivar- The time we went to Harkins and watch Cowboys and Aliens. I really do love that movie and even more so because I saw it with you guys. Chris Ponder- I was in Junior High and my dad took me to see He Got Game. To this day it's gotta be in my top five. It had such adult stuff in it, but my dad trusted me to watch it and that I could handle it. Bryan Ozuna- I especially remember when we went and saw The Town. And not just because I love Ben Affleck, but because of the awesome reference to the TV show Bones in the movie that we always laugh about. Mary Hebert- My favorite was when we went to see The Wedding Date. I was not to happy about going to watch this movie, but now every time it's on TV I'll stop to watch it. Don Powers- Me and you got up on my birthday and went and watched Juno. As birthdays go for me that was a pretty good one. Drew & Jenna Hooper- It is always such a joy for me when I get to go to the movies with you guys, but I remember one of the movies that effected me the most was when we went and saw Bully together. Mike Wilkinson- We've gone to so many movies together and snuck into quite a few. There was the day Me, You, and Oz went and saw three together, but the only one I really want to mention is The Debt. There are so many more that I haven't even mentioned and like I said it's not because I don't remember, it's mainly because I'll be writing for the rest of the night. I just wanted to write this and let you know what it's all meant to me. I love you all and goodnight or good morning or good afternoon just depending on when you read this.
So I wanted to write a blog that was just short and simple, but I think you all know that I'm not short and simple. I'm long winded and quite complicated (all you ladies out there reading this). But anyhow, last week I went and saw JFK on the big screen along with a little Q&A with non other than Oliver Stone. I could go into detail about how life changing and just how wonderful this whole experience was. I mean JFK, there really isn't anything else I can say other than that. Even if you don't believe in the conspiracy of it all (if you don't I feel a little bad for you) just believe that this is one hell of a movie, with some of the best performances you'll ever see. So in conclusion if you haven't seen JFK, what the hell are you waiting for? Rent it, Netflix it, do whatever you have to do and see it this week. I mean really what else do you have to do, which the real housewives of where ever the fuck?
This next little bit is not something different, but something that I wanted to do none the less. I wanted to dedicate this little part to movie trailers that changed my day. Movie trailers that I just love and have watched so many times, or just trailers that when I saw them for the first time, just completely changed my day. Some of these are from this year, and some are from when I was in college, but they all had an effect on me, even if the movie didn't turn out quite as good. 1.Kingdom of Heaven- I dare you to watch this and not want to be knight.
2.Closer- The movie that made me really want to be a writer.
3.Secret Life of Walter Mitty- This trailer just makes me want to be alive, and really live.
4.Moonrise Kingdom- I love everything about this trailer, and the trailer doesn't even do the movie justice.
So here's the thing,(beware of reading anything that starts out, "So here's the thing.") some people say that the best revenge is living well. I know that some people say this because I've heard those idiots say it. Why do I call them idiots you might ask? Well I do so because I just feel that it is obvious that the best revenge is watching the light go out in that person's eyes as your hands are around their necks as you extinguish that last breath that they are ever going to take on this earth....WOW!! where in the world did that come from, am I right? But seriously this is in fact the best revenge, or at least something of this sort. I mean living well really?? I guess living well is the best revenge just like abstinence is the best from of birth control. Now I'm really off topic, I don't really know where all that revenge talk came from. It's not like I have an arch enemy that I will do everything in my power to eventually take them down, or do I??? No really I guess I started talking about revenge, because I was thinking about vengeance and vendettas and grudges this week. Now I know that all of these are different things but somehow they all kind of seem to fall along the same line to me. I brought it all up because earlier this week I talked to a great friend of mine. In this conversation we talked about all sorts of things, but the highlighted area was about fights with friends that end up ending the friendship. So I guess that falls into the grudge category. Now because I am a man of great introspect and retrospect this conversation had me thinking about my own personal grudges of which I have so so many. And right at the top of that list is Katherine Heigel. I mean honestly I wish I was a woman so I could fight you because I think you are just terrible. And you know what Will Smith, you have somehow jumped all the way up my list. And I know that most of you that really know me out there, and I do mean really know me are probably thinking. "Isn't that the guy that Brandon says is the greatest rapper of all time?" The answer to that question would be yes, it is. But when Quentin Tarantio writes the role of Django for you Will, you take the role. You don't go out and make After Earth with you snot nose kid that tried to ruin a classic already. (The Karate Kid) Sorry I know that last bit kind of got out of hand and believe me there are more, but that isn't what this is all about. I mean it would be interesting and you all out there would be surprise at who makes my list, but that is for another day. Probably for a part of my video will so that I can really let some of you people out there have it. I guess what I really want to say is just, Go back. Don't let it happen, with everything you have in you don't let it happen. Grudges are just so, not worth it. I mean it just really sucks the life out of you and for what reason. I know I've probably said it so many times now but we are all moving in the same direction and this time that we spend on this planet, well we are never going to get one second of that time back. So what's the point in holding all that hate and unkindness inside? You aren't doing anything that is helping anybody. There is this theory that I have recently come up with about grudges. And I want to take this time to explain it to all of you out there that happen to read this. So tell me or don't tell me if you think that I'm on the money. Sooooo...GRUDGES, I believe that they are counterproductive to a person and really and truly for a lesser evolved person. Now I like to think of myself as a pretty smart, and pretty much all around awesome person. (That's true Brandon you are both of those things) I also think that as such a person I have been fortunate enough to become friends with some pretty awesome and smart people. And from time to time I get into fights with these people. And I guess in my younger years I would be known to hold a grudge in a fight that went too far. But the nature of grudges, the nature of being so mad at someone that you don't want to talk to them, or see them or have anything to do with them just goes against all intelligence to me. You see the people that I'm friends with aren't just random people. I choose my friends very carefully, and the ones that are friends with me I would do anything for. I would run through a wall for them, and I believe they would do that for me. I know that sounds ridiculous but it's not to me. Because those are the people that I know, and those are the ones that I am friends with. Now with all that being said, does it really make sense to spend all of that time building something with these people? Building relationships with people that would run through a wall for you only to let something happen that makes you never want to talk to them again. I guess when I was younger and I thought I had all the time in the world it was easier, but the older I get the more that I realize just how important time is. So why in the world would I spend so much of my time building something with someone. Listening, learning, sharing so much of my life with someone if I could just get mad at them and not talk to them anymore. Because all of that time spent would be wasted. Time that I could never get back. Time that I could have spent bettering myself by reading books, or writing everything I could to better my story telling, or well anything really. Anyway, I don't know, I guess I just wanted to write something about relationships, because I think that all the relationships we build are kind of the foundation of who we are. And I always find it strange or maybe a red flag rather when I see these people that so easily give up these relationships because of little things, because in a since I feel like they are giving up a little bit of who they really are. Now obviously I know that there are some grudges that you'll just never let go of. Someone sleeps with your significant other, hurts your family, etc. But for all the other stuff out there, I just say let it go. Because in the scheme of things, it really just doesn't matter.
So I've been a little off my game the last few days. I guess some could argue the last few months and then others might even say the last few years. I don't know if that's true or not really. I just know that the last few days I've felt like laying in my bed with the covers over my head. I think they call that depression. But I don't really feel like I'm depressed, I just feel like I'm a little beaten. Not all the way down but enough to need to lean up against the ropes just a bit, before I just back in there to take a little more punishment. I recently went home. the funny thing about being away for a bit and then coming back home is that in some ways, not all of them, you might find that the thing that has changed the most is you. I mean it all feels very familiar and even exactly the way you left it and then in other ways it feels as if you just landed on the moon. Everyone is leading these lives that are very spectacular and where you use to fit in like the unsolved piece to their puzzle, you find that maybe after this bit of time your piece is to a different puzzle entirely. I haven't been gone for that long really and hear I am blubbering to all of you on this totally self involved blog. The day I was leaving Oklahoma I went to see a friend and have a chat. And somewhere along the line I began to cry. I know, I know but really that's natural because if any of you have ever read this or know me at all you know I am a bit of a crier. It all snuck up on me so fast because at that moment I realized that there are so many moments I'm going to miss. There is no doubt about it. And those moments with so many people that I love so much I'll never ever get back. But you know that's the thing about life isn't it. It's all about choices. You make the best ones you think you can and then you just have to live with them. I'm not sorry for the choice that I made to move out here I'm just sad about what I have to give up. And believe me if you knew any of the people that I know, if you know my friends and family you would know that I am giving up a hell of a lot. But here I am back here in L.A. chasing something that seems to be just out of my grasp. God that seems to be the story of my life. Close enough to touch, but just out of reach. And suddenly my life out here feels very foreign to me as well. I know that this is all just anxiety or what have you and that it is this thing that is building up in me that always seems to because I am and always have been more worried about the destination than the journey. I know that somewhere out there, there is somebody that feels exactly the same way about all these things as I do. I hope that by happenstance you stumble upon this little piece of what I like to call writing. I hope that you feel that you are not alone in all of this. I hope that you remember that even though it seems and feels hard and lonely at times that you can never stop pushing back. It's meant to be hard. If it was easy everybody would do it. It's the hard that makes it great.
