blogger.com 2009-2009

i just found tumblr and it kicks the crap out of blogger, so i'm making the jump, from now on i will be at http://aaronking21.tumblr.com/.

Music Find of January - Pomplamoose

one of my best friends found an indie band on youtube called Pomplamoose and sent them my way. i wish i could embed their video but i guess they don't allow that? honestly, i don't blame them because their music is fantastic. check them out, and then follow their header link to myspace for some free song downloads.

http://www.youtube.com/user/PomplamooseMusic#p/u/2/s_b0I4KVpFk

the brilliance of Pixar

below is a clip from UP, i believe that it's one of the most moving scenes/montages from any film ever. it's amazing that carl and ellie's entire relationship is conveyed here with only images and music. i'm posting this because recently i had someone tell me that they didn't understand why anyone would ever want to watch a "cartoon movie" of the sort Pixar thrives in and i in return almost lost my mind. haha.

LOST meets 24: the flight 815 crash in real time

Up In The Air review

up in the air is a new age classic film. the overall story here isn't anything new, but the way it gets to its ending is totally unique. i love what it has to say about the world constantly become more and more connected, yet disconnected, through technology. of course clooney's character is the extreme of disconnected but how many of us can truly relate to his philosophy on life? very witty, blatantly honest, and with an interesting take on the state of modern man, up in the air was a fantastic watch. a late year gem, one of 2009's best films.

Avatar: The Making of the Bootleg

my top 10 films of 2009

For anybody who doesn't know, I love movies. I consider myself a film buff and one of my favorite things is to sit down and run through 3 or 4 films on a lazy Saturday. So far this year I've seen 58 movies, now that might sound like a shockingly high number to some but in all honestly it's rather modest considering that I saw 93 last year, and 123 in 2007. I have Meredith to thank for my lower number this year, and I do mean thank! She undoubtedly saved me many dollars and hours just by being around this year. I'm looking forward to watching her turn into a film critic just like me.

so here is the list, my top 10 films of 2009.

10. Paranormal Activity

Scariest, creepiest film i've seen in years. I loved it! it's an intense ride, and a nice, small gem of a film. to think that the budget was so small, and it's not even got a noticeable face or name in it, so much fun. i had to get up and walk away several times while watching this, i was physically shaken by this film and that is powerful stuff, the exact reason i love the horror genre.

9. Away We Go

it's great to see that sam mendes, who's recent films have all been insanely serious, can still craft a charming, sweet film like this. away we go is the perfect mix of humanity and laughs, staying serious enough to show the growth of its characters while not wondering down the normal pitfalls of most romantic comedies. seemingly an odd pairing at first, krasinski and rudolph are amazing here. their journey takes them all over north america as we meet a cast of characters that help form the kind of people and parents they want to be. touching and funny, away we go makes you wonder why so many other films miss this kind of wonderful simplicity.

8. Moon

moon is an excellent character piece that just so happens to be based in a futuristic, sci-fi world. rockwell is outstanding here! he certainly has the chops to pull off this kind of a one man show and his quirkiness perfectly balances the bland backdrop of a space station. i also really loved how paced and close to the vest all the major twist are, nothing is ever thrown in front of our faces as if to convince us of how great the film is. it takes its time, it tells a moving story and then leaves us wondering, and that is really all you can ask from a hard sci-fi film.

7. Up

another fantastic film from pixar, no surprise there. out of nowhere this film studio continues to show vast improvements in the quality of their animation as well as maturity in their story telling. UP hit more adult/life themes than any pixar film ever has and the end result was a fun and sweet look at how even a normal every day life can be a great adventure. i really liked it and while i still prefer wall-e and the incredibles, UP was great.

6. Drag Me To Hell

one of my most anticipated films of the summer and it did not disappoint! the movie was SICK! i haven't seen a truly American horror film this great in years. it was the most fun i've had in a theater since the star wars: episode 3 premiere. the audience was eating it up, laughing one second and jumping out of their seats the next. it was just full of intensity, campy-ness and scares. if you are at all a horror fan, check it out ASAP.

5. 500 Days Of Summer

500 days of summer is my new favorite rom/com since garden state. its presented as somewhat of a puzzle that the viewer has to experience, and it honestly takes a while to digest, to really cover the weight of the relationship between tom and summer and then see the genius of the performances and direction. so many very cool, creative moments highlight this film, the opening narration is absolutely perfect, the dance scene is my favorite scene of any film this year so far, and the expectations versus reality scene was an amazing way to get really get into a characters head. also, the soundtrack is awesome. so after a few days to review this film in my head, i can't stop think about it now. it's a great piece of art and i would easily call it one of my favorites of '09.

4. District 9

Freaking awesome, awesome, awesome movie! I love films that manage to flawlessly blend multiple genres and serious moral issues. sci-fi, documentary, thriller, normal guy thrust into a extraordinary situation... D9 is a mesh of ideas that combine into a completely original film that actually feels like the best video game movie ever, yet it's not based on a game! it also feels like what hitchcock might have done had he ever gotten into a sci-fi film. incredibly realistic CG, some of the best alien work in film history. plus, the acting, just unbelievable to think that sharlto copley isn't an actor, he was easily the highlight of the film. his fresh face brought a sense of reality to the story, where a name actor would not have had the same impact at all. microsoft has to kicking themselves for canning HALO now, as blomkamp absolutely knocked this one out of the park. i freaking love this movie, and i can't wait for the sequel.

3. The Hurt Locker

the critics are getting this one right! the hurt locker is one of the most intense, interesting and character driven films i've ever seen. words can not describe the enjoyable torture this film's action scenes put you through, they dare you to look away but know that you can't. along with a brilliant performance from renner, as well as the rest of the cast, tie together a stellar war film with no overt political agendas. this one could be a sleeper come oscar time, and might just propel renner into permanent leading man status. A MUST SEE FILM!

2. Star Trek

an awesome film! it was a blast to see these characters and this series back and relevant again. a great setup for the reimaging of the trek universe too. i loved chris pine, the dude is going to be a huge star. he has sort of a matt damon/harrison ford vibe going for him. in fact, the entire cast was amazing, the FX were nearly perfect too, it's a great movie, perfect rewatch quality too, i can't wait for more. my only complaint was the lens flare effect choice, it was a bit too much.

1. Avatar

AVATAR is a GREAT film. it's an epic sci-fi story that undoubtedly and immediately draws parallels to other great films, yet distinguishes itself by the very apparent years and years of conceptualization. the CGI being amazing goes without saying, but the level of detail along with the slow-motion style action scenes, is breath-taking. finally a director heard the cries of the people and didn't just make a jumbled mess out of the action shots. i loved the film, it's an instant game changer among the landscape of CGI effects and sci-fi in general. my only real complaint was the score, it just wasn't epic or unique enough to fit the greatness on the screen. also, the 3D tech was truly amazing, but it's still not practical for anything outside of theater viewing and sadly it's still rather uncomfortable. i think i would enjoy the film far more in 2D.