Oscars...

Well another year has gone by and another Academy Awards has commenced, only this time with more snooze & booze. The Academy has once again reminded the people of their predictability & unwillingness to accept the change in films these days.

My major two case-in-points: The Kings Speech winning Best Picture over The Social Network & Christopher Nolan not getting an Oscar nod for Inception.

While it is a fine film, The Kings Speech follows a very formulaic format that for some reason the Academy has been fond of. After witnessing The Hurt Locker winning Best Picture last year, I had hope for the future. No longer will the Academy show favoritism to these idealistic films that seem to be repeating themselves. Previous winners such as No Country For Old Men, Slumdog Millionaire, & Chicago all had this same formulaic plan that is popular among the Academy members. While I loved No Country For Old Men, there was never a scene that grab ahold of me like There Will Be Blood continuously did. Slumdog Millionaire may have had a feel good plot to it, but it couldn't match the emotion and force that Milk or even The Dark Knight contained. I'm not going to even touch the atrocity that is Chicago winning Best Picture. The most deserving picture that won the prestigious award was The Departed, while it too followed this same format, all-around solid performances & big name director, it brought the emotional punch and brute force that any great film contains. The Social Network had all the makings to be maybe one of the best Best Picture winners ever, but now it will go down as the best Best Picture runner-up. It contained brilliant performances all-around, especially from Armie Hammer, beyond amazing script (courtesy of Aaron Sorkin), and a tone and theme presented in a way that is original and courageous.

All in all, Academy you have taken 3 steps back!

Just in case...

I become this multimillionaire, please disregard what I say on here so a movie isn't based on what I blog!

I'm looking at you David Fincher!

ASTEROID HEADED TO EARTH!?!?!?

Someone call up Ben Affleck and Bruce Willis because we gotta solve this immediately!

Weren't we supposed to die from an asteroid that was the size of Mississippi like 10 years ago?

OOOORRRRRR......are we already dead and this is heaven?

I don't know but I think JJ Abrams could make a movie or tv show out of this idea!

Now blogging....

From my phone. Technology will destroy me one day. Til then I'm gonna abuse the hell out of it

The Fighter Review...

I'm going to review the film The Fighter in as little words as possible.

Best acted film in awhile!

Thank you

I should update more often...

I typically love blogging, yet I have seriously shown very little love to my account.

So from here on out, I am going to make a change and TRY to increase my attention toward this blog.

That is all

- Garrett

My Most Prized DVD's

Blade Runner Extended Edition Blu Ray

The Dark Knight Blu Ray

Seven Collectors Edition

Knocked Up 2-Disc Edition

Watchmen Directors Cut

Mallrats 20th Anniversary Edition

Original Star Wars Trilogy Widescreen Edition

Spiderman 2.1

I've taken into consideration that while I love this place, I do really need to get out. There's no certain grande excuse behind it, I just want to visit other places such as Boston, Portland, Seattle, Philly, and New York. Yes, I've never been to New York, shocker. I don't hate Arizona, I fairly love it for what it offers. Many people don't realize there are a lot of cool places to go. I just want to see what lays beyond the four corners.

My Top 15 Albums of the Year

15. Thursday - Common Existence

14. New Found Glory - Not Without A Fight

13. Brand New - Daisy

12. Two Tongues - Two Tongues

11. A Day to Remember - Homesick

10. Gallows - Grey Britain

9. Set Your Goals - This Will Be The Death Of Us

8. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

7. Say Anything - Say Anything

6. Mastodon - Crack the Skye

5. Converge - Axe To Fall

4. Tegan & Sara - Sainthood

3. Manchester Orchestra - Means Everything To Nothing

2. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

1. EVERY TIME I DIE - NEW JUNK AESTHETIC

Top 25 Movies of the Year

25) Monsters vs Aliens

24) Paranormal Activity

23) Public Enemies

22) New York, I Love You

21) Zombieland

20) Adventureland

19) It’s Complicated

18) The Hurt Locker

17) 500 Days of Summer

16) Funny People

15) Drag Me To Hell

14) Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

13) Invictus

12) UP

11) Where The Wild Things Are

10) District 9

9) Star Trek

8) I Love You Man

7) Avatar

6) Sherlock Holmes

5) Watchmen

4) The Hangover

3) Inglorious Basterds

2) Away We Go

1) UP IN THE AIR

The Place for Me

I can't even begin to describe how amazing my trip to San Francisco was.

I got to see my best friend Jaimie which was awesome.

I got to see the Golden Gate Bridge, Fishermans Warf, The Exploratorium, The Full House houses' and just overall a gorgeous city.

I know all this sounds cliche because everyone knows that San Fran is an amazing place, but being someone who doesn't travel all too much, and if I do it's typically to Denver, no place will ever be cliche to me.

What Am I Paying For?

Why am I paying about $6,000 a year to attend classes taught by lackadaisical people? I feel completely uninspired by the humans teaching these courses. Of course I don't understand what kind of stress they are under, whether it's with outside life or the stress of teaching multiple classes, but they CHOSE this profession.

I also hate the fact that I have to take "mandatory" classes for my major that have nothing to do with it. I'm wasting my fucking time in classes that I frankly don't give a shit about. What the hell am I going to do with my "society in environment" class info? NOTHING.

If I am paying this much to go to classes, I should have the freedom to arrange what classes I need to take in order to further my knowledge of the subject that I want to perform as my career.

10 things that sucks/rules to be an arizonan

In no particular order

SUCKS:

Always being asked,"How can you stand this heat?"

Dealing with the heat

SCORPIONS

45 year old Scottsdale women

Bro Dawgs (guys that wear affliction, ed hardy, etc...)

Shitty Music Venues

Horrible public transit system.

We're surrounded by mountains yet Phoenix can't seem to get snow.

Bandwagon Sports Fans

TUCSON

RULE:

Zoolights

Zia Records

San Diego, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas are only 5 1/2 hour drives away

Casinos

Consistent Weather

Salt River

Monsoon Season

The Meteor Crater up north

Phoenix is the easiest place to get around

The lego exhibit at the science museum 

Favorite's of the Film Industry

Top 5 Favorite Actors

5. Patrick Wilson - His performances are always astonishing and is very selective on what films he does which is a rarity these days.

4. Denzel Washington - The most versatile actor around.

3. Ryan Reynolds - Completely natural at what he does. Unfortunately, he has been pigeon-held into comedies. He'll take over the world when The Green Lantern comes out.

2. Joseph-Gordon Levitt - After seeing The Lookout and 500 Days of Summer, I am convinced he is the next big thing.

1. Christian Bale - He invests so much into his character portrayals. Why hasn't he won an oscar yet?

Runners up: Billy Crudup, Brad Pitt, & Casey Affleck

Top 5 Favorite Actresses

5. Amy Adams - Sky's the limit for her. Has already been nominated twice for an oscar.

4. Jennifer Connelly - I always seem to be so satisfied with each of her performances. 

3. Zooey Deschanel - Can anyone resist her amazing charm? If you can, see All The Real Girls, Yes Man, & 500 Days of Summer, and you will go weak in the knees.

2. Cate Blanchett - The female equivalent to Marlon Brando. Is there anything she can't do?

1. Natalie Portman - How many girls have shaved her head for a role? She is awkwardly amazing in every role she has ever portrayed. 

Runners up: Laura Linney, Rachel McAdams, & Alison Lohman

Top 5 Favorite Directors

5. Martin Scorsese - All of his films are instant classics. Can anyone debate his genius.

4. David Fincher - His dark visions can even be portrayed in a lighter film (Curious Case of Benjamin Button). 

3. Christopher Nolan - Has such a unique vision for films which results in spectacles.

2. Judd Apatow - Has a daring look on comedy where rather creating absurd and far fetched situations, he relies on natural occurences.

1. Cameron Crowe - Never exploits his genius and never over does it. His films showcase his attention to detail.

Runners up: Frank Darabont, The Cohen Brothers, and Wes Anderson

Top Ten Current Shows

10. Chuck - Great mix of action and comedy without feeling repetitious.

9. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia - One of the few shows that can translate "dumb" humor to the small screen.

8. Weeds - Witty dialogue and insane situations is what makes this cable show a hit.

7. Californication - David Duchovny's portrayal of a struggling writer can be the only reason to watch this show, thank god it's not the only reason to.

6. Lost - Hate to love this show. Intense back stories bring a much needed depth to the show.

5. Scrubs - John D. Dorian (Zach Braff) may be one of the best sitcom characters ever.

4. 30 Rock - Going to go down as the best sitcom since Seinfeld.

3. Dexter - Michael C. Hall is brilliant as covert serial killer protecting the public from the corrupt.

2. Entourage - Extremely hilarious one-liners and spot on performances may turn this into HBO's best show ever.

1. The Office - A team effort all around create this all-too-familiar 9-5 show seem as if you may know a thing or two about the characters lives. Get over the british version, this is nothing like it.

Top 5 Movies/CD's So Far This Year

5) Star Trek - Certainly the surprise hit of the summer. I've never been a fan of Star Trek but how could I doubt JJ Abrams.

4) Away We Go - The most heartfelt comedy since Little Miss Sunshine. 

3) I Love You Man - Even though it wasn't produced by Judd Apatow, his crew brings the magic in his absence.

2) Watchmen - The most visually stunning film in a long time. Great character portrayals all around.

1) The Hangover - By far the funniest fucking film this decade.

CD's

5) A Day To Remember - They have taken over the popcore genre

4) Set Your Goals - The wait for this album was well worth it. They perfected their sound.

3) Two Tongues - The combo of Chris Conley and Max Bemis can only be compared to the combo of peanut butter and jelly.

2) Thursday - They keep on getting better which each album. They continue to strengthen their sound.

1) Manchester Orchestra - The most complete album I've heard since Underoath's Define The Great Line.

Away We Go Review

Score: A-

After witnessing the ultra-depressing "Revolutionary Road," I didn't think Sam Mendes could pull of a dramedy (drama/comedy), but its time to insert my foot in my mouth.

"Away We Go" is the best dramedy film I've witnessed since "Little Miss Sunshine" hit the screens almost 3 years ago to the day. 

The film capitalizes best on creating situations that are not too far fetched. No scene or dialogue is over the top. 

Traveling to different area's to see what location is best to raise a child is a concept that is surprisingly original and amazing. The locations (Phoenix, Wisconsin, Montrael and Miami) beautifully play into the story.

Character portrayals are spot on here. Maya Rudolph actually rests her comedic personality and displays a serious side I didn't know she had. Her character is the perfect compliment to the scene stealing Burt, hilariously portrayed by the boy next door John Krasinski. 

After numerous dull and boring roles in Leatherheads and License to Wed, Krasinski finally is able to perform to the fullest extent of his abilities. His character is down to earth, hilarious, caring and hilariously obnoxious. All of which I'm sure Krasinski is in real life. I was unable to find a moment where I didn't want to be his character Burt. On a side note: His beard is magical.

The movie would not be complete with all the side-splitting cameos from Maggie Gyllenhaal, Allison Janney, Jeff Daniels and Catherina O'Hara (respectively perfectly portraying Krasinski's mid life crisis parents). 

Witty dialogue, obscene and awkward one-liners, amazing location shots and perfect chemistry turned "Away We Go" into a genre-defining film.

New Ears

Sometimes when I'm listening to my ipod stereo in my car, I kind of have the tense feeling of shutting it off. I have 3,955 songs on my Ipod. With that amount, one would be foolish to be bored with what they have, but sometimes I do. I just get the feeling of boredom and start to loathe the repeating of my playlists. But who doesn't get sick and tired of what they listen to? I guess that's why bands typically release an album every 2 years or so.

Sometimes I wish I could erase my memory of some albums I've listened to and re-listen to them so I can remember the feelings I had when I heard that first guitar riff or that machine gunned double bass pedal kick. To re-collect that feeling of awe is something worth reliving.

So in response to that feeling, I've come up with the top ten albums I would want to re-listen to.

10. Minus The Bear - Menos El Oso

9. Taking Back Sunday - Where You Want To Be

8. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

7. Alkaline Trio - Goddammit

6. Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American

5. Finch - What It Is To Burn

4. Underoath - Define the Great Line

3. The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound

2. The Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eye's Ahead

1. Set Your Goals - Mutiny!

Of course I could make a list probably up to 50 but I usually top ten's get the meaning across.

God I love top ten lists.

As I am

I was in a coffee shop the other day trying to wake up out of a funk that was occupying my body at the time when I saw a women reading a book. She held the book so tightly you would think it was her child she was holding onto. She was completely tranced by the book that I don't think a flasher could distract her. I knew how this woman was feeling at the time because I get the same way after listening to The Helio Sequence's "Keep Your Eye's Ahead" album. As I forgot that I was staring at her, she caught sight of my stare and questioned if something was on her. I told her no and that must be a good book to hold your attention that well. She said it was and asked me if I like to read. Unconfidently I said yes. I grabbed my coffee, bid the reader a good day and drove off. 

I took more thought into the question she had asked me, "Do I read?" The truthful answer should be no, cause I don't read books, I read comics and graphic novels, which some people would see that as "immature." What-the fuck-ever. About ten years ago, I fell in love with a character named Peter Parker, who is also known as Spiderman. I was completely mesmerized by this agitated character who was a bumbling high school student one minute and an take-no-prisoners hero the next. After delving into other comics such as Iron Man, The Flash and Captain America, I gave up reading books. I focused all my literature attentions to comics. I fell in love with characters such as Dan Dreiberg, Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark. I got ridiculed for my obsession with comics, but I never understood why. Even when I would talk to shoppers at the local used bookstore, they would smug with their pretentious attitudes, thinking to themselves how better they are then me cause they spend 5 bucks on used literature thats just gonna decorate their bedroom and collect dust. Society feels like they have to "dumb" their selves down in order to accept comics as thoughtful and insightful material. 

WHY?

Terminator Salvation Review

Score: B

You really can't come into this movie expecting any surprises since the plot has been referenced by its predecessors, but Terminator doesn't worry too much about being original.

This is the film that every Terminator fan has been waiting for. The fight against the machines has unraveled and it is a brutal one to say the least. 

I was extremely concerned for the franchise after the piece of shit that was T3. I had never been that disappointed in a film, until I saw Spiderman 3, so I wasn't too concerned with this film because they had no where to go but up. And how can you argue with the casting of Christian Bale as John Connor. I didn't think he could take on another larger then life character. But what really got me hooked was James Cameron giving the ok to McG on the film and Paul Haggis (Crash) polishing the script.

Christian Bale's portrayal of John Connor is definitely the best out of the major 3 actors that have taken a swing at the character. He transfers Connors distraught and confusion of this battle he has been preparing and known about his whole life. He is keen on finding his future "father" Kyle Reese (Anton Yelchin) throughout most of the film and his determination is felt just as much as his anger was felt when he cussed out the production guy. His interaction with his wife Kate Connor, played by Bryce Dallas Howard, takes a back seat to his eagerness to find Reese. I do wish there was more interaction between the two, and when there was I was hoping for more passion from Bale.

The guys that steal the film are Sam Worthington, playing the don't-fuck-with-me-I-have-a-bad-past Marcus Wright and Yelchin as Reese. James Cameron personally recommended Worthington to McG for the part that was offered to James Brolin. This guy is THE next big action star. He brings so much more depth to a character that could have be written off as a sidekick. I was skeptical about casting Charlie Barlett, aka Anton Yelchin, as Kyle Reese, due to his lack of size and his unproven action abilities, but he blew me away. He brought justice to the character. 

McG took the machines look to a whole new level. They look like the ignored offspring of Megatron. They make Optimus Prime look like a Tonka Truck. The flawless interaction and scenes with the machines are brilliant.

Overall, the film reminds everyone what a pure action film should be.