Top Ten Movies of the Year - The Steven Edition

The Oscars are next week. I've been watching the show every year since "Unforgiven" won Best Picture, but this is the first time I'll be watching it live from the West Coast - a full three hours earlier! Exciting, right? Anyway, I think so.

Anyway, in anticipation of the Oscars, I am encouraging my friends and roommates (Brian, Angel and Patrick) to list their Top Ten Favorite Movies of 2008 here on this blog. I'm not saying the Top Ten Best Movies of 2008 --- we all know that "Four Christmases" was, empirically, the Best Movie of the Year --- I'm saying YOUR favorite movies of 2008. And I encourage you, the reader, to list some of your favorites as well.



And here we go...



First, let me list my two Least Favorite Movies of 2008...



2) FOUR CHRISTMASES --- It started as a joke. When Brian and I saw the trailer for "Four Christmases" we jokingly said to each other, "Oh we need to see that." Cut to, Thanksgiving Eve. Brian and I go to the Arc Light to see "Milk." "Milk" is very sold out. So, we decide, "Let's see 'Slumdog Millionaire.'" Also very sold out. So we both jokingly say, "How about 'Four Christmases'?" And we laugh and we laugh. Then, for some reason, we continue the joke and buy the tickets. And we laugh and we laugh. Then, we look down at the tickets. Fifteen bucks. We just spent fifteen bucks. To see "Four Christmases." The theater was packed. The movie started. The audience ate it up! The guy sitting next to me was literally sitting on the edge of his seat waiting to see what would happen next. Brian said the guy sitting next to him was literally slapping his knees, he was laughing so hard. But it didn't hit us. Nope. It bored us. To tears. It was painfully, painfully, painfully contrived and unfunny. And stupid! Just stupid!

1) INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL --- Do I really need to say anything more about what a piece of crap this movie was? Lucas, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me FOUR FUCKING TIMES. SHAME ON ME! At least we learned an important lesson from the film... If a movie opens with a CGI gopher coming out of a hole... it's going to be bad.





Now, on to the good.

MY TOP TEN FAVORITE MOVIES OF 2008!


10. NICK AND NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST - Now, let me explain. I hated the crap out of this director's previous film, "Raising Victor Vargas." My reasoning was simple--- The lead character spends all of his time either shirtless or in a wife beater. He eats at the dinner table with no shirt on. Maybe it's just me. Maybe it's because I always wear four or five layers and am uncomfortable with nudity. But still, I hated "Victor Vargas." So, I went into this movie a little hesitant. And, I ended up falling in love with it. Now, to be fair, there might have been some external factors which contributed to my love for "Nick and Norah." Namely, I was moving out of New York that week and a love story set against the backdrop of the Lower East Side made me realize just how much I was going to miss New York. I bought the DVD recently and didn't have that same magic feeling. But I'll put it on here for the way it made me feel the first time. Though, part of me is thinking I should exchange it for "Pineapple Express." Can we call it a tie?

9. BURN AFTER READING - I've stuck with the Coen Brothers. Sine "O Brother," they'd been in a real slump. I still saw them all --- even the god awful "Intolerable Cruelty." I knew there were brighter days ahead. Then came "No Country For Old Men," which I loved. Real, dramatic, twisted, vintage Coen Brothers. But I was really, really hoping for them to do another dark comedy. Then came "Burn After Reading"! I loved the style. I loved the tone. I loved the actors. I was laughing out loud all over the theater --- and I saw it alone.


8. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE - I really dug this movie. I dug the style. I dug the storytelling techniques. I think it's a fine, solid choice for Best Picture.


7. INCREDIBLE HULK - I love the Incredible Hulk TV show. My biggest problem with Ang Lee's 2003 "Hulk" movie (besides the comic book panels, the running time, the tone, the acting, the story and the leap frogging Hulk) was that it wasn't the TV show. So, when this movie came along and basically WAS the TV show (complete with Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno cameos), I was as happy as a Hulk Dog in Hulk shit. I saw this a second time with my Mom, also a big fan of the TV show, and we had the following conversation...

Mom: (Queens accent) It was nice that they referenced the TV show! That was my problem with the new "Batman" movie. They didn't even acknowledge the fans of the old TV show.

Steven: By "new Batman movie," do you mean the one that came out in 1989?

Mom: Yeah.





6. IRON MAN - What a great year for Marvel films! After coming off the colossally bad 2007 ("Spider-Man 3" and "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" - UCK!), they really shined this year with "Incredible Hulk" and this. I thought this flick was really smart. They took "Iron Man," a second tier hero, hard to adapt because he's basically a guy in a robot suit, and gave him one of the most charismatic leads ever in a superhero picture --- ROBERT DOWNEY FUCKING JR! And, to top it off, he has to fight The Dude. Kudos to Favs for directing the hell out of this movie. Kudos indeed.

5. SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK - I recommend this movie only for die-hard Charlie Kaufman fans. Otherwise, you'll be completely lost in this dense, complicated, confusing flick. I loved every second of it!

4. THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON - I didn't see this flick until yesterday, after hearing many, many, many mixed reviews. And, I can't believe it, but it really got to me. It almost played out like a really good book. That's why the running time didn't bother me so much. It's my choice for Best Picture, though I think "Slumdog" will win.

3. WALL-E - How did they make me care so much about a robot? How!? Was it Ben Burtt? Was it Pixar? Was it Andrew Stanton? Or was it just some sort of serendipitous merging of all the magical elements of the universe that made possibly the greatest animated film of all time? All I can say is, "MO!"





2. THE WRESTLER - Now, I love wrestling. I've read many autobiographies. Watched many documentaries. And have always known that the life of a wrestler isn't exactly easy. Then this movie comes along, and simply, beautifully, and naturally absorbs years and years worth of these stories and puts them all on the shoulders of Mickey Rourke. I really love this movie. And I'm so glad Marisa Tomei is also getting recognition. But, come on, Academy --- How did this movie (and "Wall-E" and "Dark Knight") not get a Best Picture nomination? It's certainly much, much better than the middle of the road "Frost/Nixon." It's a real shame. BUT GO MICKEY ROURKE!

1. THE DARK KNIGHT - This one's kind of a no-brainer, isn't it? I accurately predicted in my "My Favorite Movies of 2007" blog that "Dark Knight" would top my list next year, and here we are. The movie did not disappoint. It raised the bar for not only comic book movies, but traditional summer blockbusters. It was the "Batman" movie I've always wanted. So rich. So dense. So full of characters and ideas. And boy oh boy did I "Love that Joker." But even more than that, I loved that Harvey Dent. I'm waiting with baited breath to see where Nolan takes this series next. I only have two words. "RIDDLER. ROBIN."



So, that's the Stevie List. Bring it on, roommates!

dorm lifed.

Recently, at a gathering for internet media producers, we met the creators of the webseries "Dorm Life." "Dorm Life," as some of you may know, is a webseries that chronicles the misadventures of the 5 South dorm in a college. We had become aware of it over the summer, when they beat "We Need Girlfriends" in a poll for the best webseries. And after we started watching it, it quickly became our new favorite webseries. Check out one of our favorite episodes... here....



On Wednesday night, we were invited by one of the "Dorm Life" creators and actors Brian C. Singleton to the premiere of "Dorm Life - Semester 2" at UCLA. So, Brian, Brigitte and I went to the college campus and after having a helluva time finding visitor parking, we settled into our chairs and watched the first six episodes of Semester 2.

And they are HILARIOUS.

Each episode now runs around ten minutes, as opposed to the five minute episodes from Semester 1 and the new running time totally works. The writers of this show are incredibly talented. Expect great things from them.

Semester 2 premieres next month. Look out for it!

friday fever!

This Friday (the 13th) a new "Friday the 13th" film is hitting theaters.

AND FRIDAY FEVER IS SWEEPING THE APARTMENT!

Angel is, without a doubt, the biggest "Friday" fan in the apartment. He owns the Paramount "Friday the 13th" box set, as well as "Freddy vs. Jason."

This week, Brian, Angel and I were in Target, when Angel came upon the documentary "His Name Was Jason." He immediately bought it. He came home and we watched it. (A shout out to our friend Rob G of Icons of Fright, who is interviewed in the doc)

Since then, we've been popping in "Friday" movies on and off. We're all getting pumped.

Now, here comes the kicker.

This "Friday the 13th" happens to coincide with another holiday...

Valentine's Day.

Angel is going out of town. Brian is going out of town. Patrick's girlfriend is in town. Me, I'm cool. But the question quickly arose, "When are we going to see the movie?"

Angel said, "Wait for me and we'll see it on Tuesday when I come home." I said, "Are you crazy? We have to see 'Friday the 13th' on Friday the 13th!" Angel said, "Shit, you're right," and managed to talk his girlfriend into seeing it with him.

But if Angel and Brian were out of town, would that mean I'd have to see it alone?

Nope!

Trista came to the rescue!

Patrick's girlfriend, it turns out, is a "Friday the 13th" fan and she wants to see it THIS FRIDAY THE 13TH!

So, I'm set. Angel's set. Patrick's set. Trista is set. And Brian...

Well, to be honest, Brian doesn't care either way.

But this Friday, we are getting our Jason.

Slaves to the Tin: Part 1

We always had a problem. See, with over a thousand DVDs, fifty blu-rays, a 73 inch HD television and four people with an incredibly diverse taste in movies, we could never settle on what we should watch on those lazy nights when we're all home and have no desire to leave. It always turned into an argument.


"You want to watch 'The Rocketeer'? I don't want to watch 'The Rocketeer.'"

"Well, what do you want to watch?"

"How about 'Crank'?"

"No, 'Crank' sucks."

"Have you ever seen 'Crank'?"

"No."

"Then how do you know it sucks?"

"I've seen enough to know it sucks."

"Where did you see some of it? On HBO?"

"I don't know. I guess on HBO."

"HA! It was never on HBO! It was a trick question! You've never seen any of 'Crank'!"



And so on and so forth.

So, about a month and a half ago, Angel came up with a solution.

We would each write the names of ten moves on a slip of paper. We would put these slips of paper into a Christmas cookie tin, which would be securely placed on top of a DVD shelf, next to a framed photo of Skeletor...





Whenever the four of us were together, we would pull out a slip of paper. This would be the movie that we all had to sit down and watch together. We couldn't get up. We couldn't leave. We couldn't make an argument for another movie. We were SLAVES TO THE TIN.

Just before we sealed the tin, Brian and Patrick suggested a radical idea. We should each write down a movie that we've never seen, but have also never, ever wanted to see. Four incredibly bad movies. As I scanned through our DVD collection, I saw nearly a dozen awful movies I have never wanted to see. 'Red Sonja.' 'Kingdom of Heaven.' 'Domino.' Finally, I wrote down my choice... 'Varsity Blues.'

Now, it was time for the first tin pull. We decided to go in age order, from oldest to youngest, so Patrick pulled first. He shook the tin up, reached his hand inside and pulled out...





Patrick had actually written "From Russia With Love" down, so he was happy to pull it.

Next, I, Steven Tsapelas, stuck my hand in the tin. I mixed the pieces of paper around, clamped my fingers around one and pulled it out...

"Blackhawk Down."

I screamed.

Now, for years, Angel and I had been arguing about "Blackhawk Down." You see, when it came out in the Winter of 2001, I saw it in theaters and didn't like it. Angel also saw it in theaters, but looooooved it. One Friday night in college, Angel wanted to see the movie for a second time. However, he didn't have a car. So, he came into my room and asked if he could borrow my car to drive to the theater and see "Blackhawk Down" by himself. I told him, "No." This turned into an hour of back and forth whining where he said, "Come ooooooonnnnnnn Steeeeeeeevvvvvvveeeee." And I said, "No. Maybe if it was a good movie, I'd let you borrow the car," to which Angel replied, "You saw the 'Royal Tenenbaums' 10 times!" I said, "Exactly, that's a good movie," and Angel continued to bitch and complain that 'Blackhawk Down' was also good. I eventually gave him the car, but have disliked "Blackhawk Down" ever since.

So, that night, I was incredibly frustrated with myself for picking 'Blackhawk Down' And I was vocal about it. So Brian and Patrick came up with something called "lifelines."

Basically, if you don't like the movie you pulled, you have two lifelines.

One is called "THE TEAR," wherein you tear the sheet of paper, and it is never allowed to be viewed again.

The other is called "THE YANKEE SWAP," where you put the piece of paper back into the tin and get a second shot at pulling another movie.

Now, the interesting thing about the lifelines, is that we each only get to use them once in the entire run of the tin. So, if I "Yankee Swapped" 'Blackhawk Down,' I would never have another chance to use the Yankee Swap again.

Guess what? I used the Yankee Swap on 'Blackhawk Down.'

It wasn't just that I didn't want to watch 'Blackhawk Down.' It was that I couldn't believe I pulled it.

I reached my hand back into the tin and pulled out another movie...

"DICK TRACY."

Boom! I had actually written that down on a sheet of paper. I was as happy as a pig in shit.

Our first double bill went off pretty well. Sure, "From Russia With Love" bored everyone but Patrick, but the "Dick Tracy" follow up treated us all well.

Through the subsequent weeks, more movies were pulled.

Our second round led to a double bill of 'Good Night and Good Luck' and 'They Live.'

Our third round led to a double bill of 'Varsity Blues' and 'The Warriors.'

Our fourth round led to us watching 'Equilibrium.' Patrick wrote that one down. He loves 'Equilbrium.' Have you ever seen 'Equilibrium'? It sucks. It sucks really hard. Why didn't Christian Bale flip out on the set of that one?

Last week, however, the shit hit the fan.

See, somewhere along the line of the tin, we came up with a new lifeline.

It's called "THE COCK BLOCK."

Basically, if a movie is about to be put in that you didn't pull, but that you have no interest in watching, you can COCK BLOCK it from being put in. However, you only have up until the movie is in the DVD player.

So, around 5PM on Saturday, Patrick reached into the tin and pulled out "The Quiet Man." We had never seen "The Quiet Man," but it's one of Patrick's favorites. It's a John Ford movie which stars John Wayne. Multiple Oscar winner. A real classic. We were kind of excited to be watching it.

That is, until 8PM. When Angel, lying on the floor, half asleep, took action. Just as Patrick was kneeling down to put "The Quiet Man" into the DVD player Angel yelled, "COCK BLOCK."

On "The Quiet Man."

He COCK BLOCKED "The Quiet Man."

It was the first cock block ever used, so it was a big moment for us.

Patrick had to reach back into the tin and pull out a new movie. He pulled out "Better Off Dead." Patrick had also written this one down. He's apparently a big fan of "Better Off Dead." I'd seen it before. I think it's just, "Okay." Brian and Angel watched it that night. They also thought it was just "Okay."

It was around 10PM at this point and we decided we had enough time to pull another tin movie. It was my turn, so Brian shot this little video of the tin process...



The Goddamned Tin from Ragtag Productions on Vimeo.


The moral of this story is that while waiting for CBS to greenlight your pilot, you end up with a lot of free time on your hands.

Hollywood Web Television Meet Up

Last night, Brian and I went to the monthly Hollywood Web Television Meet-Up with our friend Patrick Flynn, who is behind the very funny webseries "Keith Powell Directs A Play." You should check it out! In fact, I'll embed it here...



The event was a blast. It was incredibly crowded and full of web content creators. We saw such internet celebrities as Tay Zonday, the singer of "Chocolate Rain," and Jessica Rose, best known as "LonelyGirl15."

We also got a chance to meet a lot of cool people, including our old friend Joshua Cohen from tilzy.tv, plus the creators of the full length internet pilot "Graduates," starring WNG's own Steve LaChioma. Check it out here... www.graduatespilot.com

We also met the really cool Fine Brothers, who have a lot of great ideas on how to unite internet content creators and produce stuff that can rival networks. All very eye opening stuff. You should check out the Fine Brothers at www.ravenstake.com

It's starting to feel like there's a real community developing for internet creators. We're digging it.

Merry Christmas from the Gang!

Things are moving along here in Los Angeles, but next week we're all headed back to our respective homes for the holidays.

This evening, however, we spent a good deal of time setting up a monopod to get a nice Christmas photo. After four tries, we finally got it right. Here it is, for your viewing pleasure.




HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Wifi in the sky!

Hello. You probably wouldn't believe it, but I am currently 36,000 feet in the air flying back to Los Angeles courtesy of American Airlines and Gogoinflight.com's WiFi service. Yes, I'm online and in the sky. Pretty freakin' awesome. I've already made two TURBULENCE references to Steve on iChat.



Only $13 for the entire 6 hour flight (but of course, laptop batteries don't last that long). It sure beats the inflight entertainment of FRED CLAUS. I can at least catch up my movie news, buy/sell stocks, and send some emails. Sweet.

Hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving break.