Word of Mouth, The Propellers to Success

James Cameron's Avatar continues to astonish at the box office, grossing an estimated $68.3 million in its third weekend of release, that is only a 10% drop from last weekend which was only a 3% drop from the film's opening weekend. Not only does this keep the film number one at the box office for three weeks now, but it improves its domestic total to an estimated $352 million, putting it in prime position to easily reach $400 million and become the highest grossing film of the year domestically, surpassing Transformers. (On a side note, Avatar just recently passed the $1 billion mark worldwide, making it only the fifth film of all-time to amass such an honor, and it could very easily wind up taking the number two spot of all-time just behind Titanic).

I'll be honest, after I first saw Avatar, I questioned as to how well it would play to the casual audience. The story is very bizarre, kind of out there at times, and you do have to have a pretty hefty imagination to keep up, but these types of numbers at the box office are quailing those thoughts. For the film to be maintaining such strength at the box office, then it can't be attributed to the film's marketing, cause if that's the case the opening weekend would have been far bigger. No, it's because of that mystical power source that is known as, word of mouth.

The film continues to uphold its box office take, week after week, and that rarely happens. While the film opened solidly, it was by no means the runaway success that it has become. Much like last summer's The Dark Knight, Avatar is benefiting from actually being a good film. As more people go to see it, they leave the theaters and tell their friends about it, then those friends see it and tell their friends, and so on and so forth. That is how word of mouth works, and it's the only attribute that could keep Avatar on the radar for this long.

In all actuality, I believed word of mouth to be dead. I thought the days of a film being able to reach success such as this through weeks upon weeks of solid box office, were just like the dinosaur. In recent years, it's become the trend in Hollywood that a film has to make a killing, sometimes at least half of its eventual total gross on opening weekend in order to be qualified as a success and not a failure. We've seen this practice many times, from Spider-man 3 to The Dark Knight to Transformers, it doesn't matter whether the film is good or not, it just matters that it is marketed well and they get butts in those seats opening weekend. Perhaps Avatar bringing back the advent of word of mouth is a good thing.

Word of mouth can only be attributed to a film's quality in and of itself, and while Avatar wasn't my personal favorite film of last year, I still liked it and plan on buying it when it comes out on DVD. What is definitely helping this film is the fact that the only way to truly get the Avatar experience is to see it in theaters, where you can see it in 3-D, so in those regards the marketing is a success, but people wouldn't be going in droves if the story wasn't any good. Maybe the studios will see this success and realize, "Hey, we need to start making more movies, from original stories, and actually make sure that they're good films as well so we can have this type of success!"

My Wishlisht in Film for this New Decade

A decade ends, another begins. I ended this last decade, a 19-year-old guy, and I'm facing in just five months time, entering my 20s and experiencing them throughout this next decade. I find it kind of odd, I'm no longer a kid, I'm at that age where it's about time to venture into adulthood.

I make no excuses that I've been a sheltered child. I'm the youngest of four children, the baby of the family, and I've never had a legitimate job that payed me on a regular basis. There are many things that will be changing in my life over the course of this next decade, but seeing as how no human has the gift of foresight, I don't know what those changes will bring. I've just got a great feeling, as one typically does at the start of anything new. I feel a great sense of promise and hope for this new decade (2010-2019).

Seeing as how one of my great passions in life is film, I'd like to make out a wishlisht of sorts for what I'd like to see happen in film over the course of this new decade. There are a great many things I'd like to see occur within the film industry over the next ten years, from the small to the big, such as at least one more classic film from my favorite filmmaker, Steven Spielberg.

I'd love to see a general return to old school movie trickery, using CGI in a more limited fashion, as it was done in 2009's Star Trek and Where the Wild Things Are. Rather than a barrage of CGI, I'd love to see more of a return to model work, make-up effects, and classic stunt work. I believe many are using computers as a crutch nowadays, and there was a time when films were made without their assistance, and made pretty darn well I might add. Now I'm not saying CGI should go the way of the dinosaur, I'd just love to see more of a balance between old school effects work and CG.

On a similar note, I'd love to see the film industry become less oriented around movie stars and special effects and more story oriented. The film studios are too concerned with who's in a movie and how many big, flashy action sequences it will have (3-D, anyone). Seriously, I'd love to see a return to story-first, everything else-second mentality, the mentality that ruled the cinema in its inception and in the 70s. Though, my next point is what could bring about this mentality.

I want to see the rise of a new class of talent, both in front of, and behind the camera. The last time a new wave of talent really rose up and took the world of cinema by storm was the late 80s and 90s, kind of stalling out at the turn of the millennium. For over the past few decades, the film industry has been subsiding on old talent, the talent of the likes of Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Tom Hanks, and Meryl Streep, these guys and girls from their generation are all growing older, and it is time for some fresh blood. Over this past decade, there was really no one that rose up to the caliber of those in the generation previous to them, and that is what the film industry needs to come into this next decade. We're already seeing a small vanguard of younger actors and actresses and directors, such as Jason Reitman and Carey Mulligan, but that still isn't enough. In order for a revolution of sorts to occur, there needs to be more than one or two people, leading into my next, and final wish for this new decade.

I desperately want to make it in the film industry, and when I say make it, I don't just mean as a member of a film's crew or whatnot, I want to have begun writing and directing feature length films that are being released in movie theaters by the end of this new decade. I know that this is a lofty wish, but it's my dream, and I genuinely feel this is what I'm meant to do with my life, so for that reason alone, I know I can make it. So as a new decade begins, it's time to start living in the now and try to make these wishes a reality. What are your wishes in film for this new decade?

The Decade: 2000-2009

I find it so hard to believe that it's been a decade already, it just feels like yesterday that I was in fifth grade and my only concerns in the world were whether I'd win a drawing contest between a fellow classmate and myself, and whether Dragonball Z was coming on that afternoon. So much has changed. Back when I was 10, I wanted to be a comic book writer/artist, and my favorite things in the world were video games, Dragonball Z, and Harry Potter. Now, I'm 5 months away from 20, pursuing a career in filmmaking, and I'm still obsessed with video games and Harry Potter (some things never change).

Over these past 10 years there have been so many great films. The decade saw the rise of comic books in film, a rejuvination of the blockbuster, and a soft decline for the Oscars and typical Oscar fare, where films that wouldn't usually get Academy attention were jumping into the race. As the decade wore on, CGI and special effects became the big draw for filmgoers and movie stars are less important now than they were back at the start of the decade.

To me, this decade has a special meaning. It was when I really became obsessed with film and started to track films as a hobby. Since this decade was so special to me, I've decided to do something a little different than your usual 10 Best Films of the Decade List. While I am doing my own version of a 10 Best Films of the Decade List, rather than listing the films in a numerical order, trying to say which film goes above the other, I've decided to name the Best Film of Every Year of Film, from 2000-2009. Then, I will name which year I think was the Best Year of Film of the decade, and top it off with naming my personal favorite film of the Past 10 Years. As a note, any foreign film on the list, I'm counting them based upon their U.S. release and not their foreign release. Now, let's wrap up this decade in style:

2000 - Memento
Memento sparked what this decade was going to be all about, originality, and a lean more towards entertainment and less towards esoteric thought. Memento was a brilliant noir-thriller, with a twist ending that you never see coming. The film is told backwards and forwards simultaneously, unraveling the mystery behind a man named Leonard, who is searching for his wife's killer, but he has this condition that prohibits him from forming new memories, so he forgets everything about every five minutes. The film is mind-bending, and established director Christopher Nolan as a prominent figure in the film industry.
(Runner-up: Gladiator)

2001 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
It's a pun, yes, but there is no other way to describe Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone other than as pure movie magic. The film was the adaptation of the first book in the ever popular, and extremely endearing, book series. This faithful interpretation, directed by Chris Columbus, perfectly visualized the first installment of the story, telling it with whimsy and heart. The film is filled to the brim with adventure, comedy, mystery, friendship, and love. But putting the beautifully told story aside, the key to this film's success was it's perfect cast. Seriously, try and imagine anyone other than Daniel Radcliffe playing Harry?
(Runner-up: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring)

2002 - Catch Me If You Can
Steven Spielberg's finest film since the original Jurassic Park. He managed to bring back that good ol' Spielberg-charm that I love so much. Catch Me If You Can tells the story of the most successful conman in the history of the United States, Frank Abagnale, Jr., who swindled $20 million all before his 21st birthday. The film features wonderful performance from Leonardo Dicaprio and Tom Hanks, and they clearly have a lot of fun in this story that is all about growing up, the excitements of those lingering days of innocence, and the life lessons one must learn in order to lead an ordinary, adult life.
(Runners-up: Spider-man, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Spirited Away, and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers)

2003 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings films finally reached their pinnacle with Return of the King, the final installment in the storied trilogy. Frodo finally manages to reach Mordor as the final battles over the one ring to rule them all ensues. What made this installment stand out above the first two really isn't the story, but what made this one better is just the overall polish. The acting is the best here out of any of the three films, the special effects are the most breathtaking in this third installment, and the general scope of this film is five times bigger than the first two combined, it actually feels like a world at war. Regardless, the entire trilogy is a series of cinematic masterpieces.
(Runner-up: X-2: X-Men United)

2004 - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Eternal Sunshine is the film that took originality the next step and laced the proceedings in the form of a romantic comedy. Jim Carrey rarely gets the credit he deserves as an actor, but here he delivers his greatest performance. In the film, a corporation has developed a way to erase memories from the minds of their clients. Jim Carrey's character, Joel Barrish, signs up to have his memories of his relationship with Clementine (Kate Winslet) to be erased, but as he learns inside his mind while the memories are being erased, he doesn't want these memories to depart. This was the film that really kickstarted director Michel Gondry's career and showed that he was a director willing to tackle original material that was unique, but also full of heart.
(Runners-up: Spider-man 2, and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)

2005 - (Tie) Howl's Moving Castle/ Batman Begins
I usually hate ties, but I really couldn't decide which out of the two I liked more, they both presented such good cases, so I just figured I'd let them share the spot. Howl's Moving Castle is Japanese animator, Hayao Miyazaki's masterpiece. While I love Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away, Howl was just Miyazaki's finest balance between heart, humor, and thought. The story, involving the romance between a bewitched human and a selfish wizard was magical. Then, there was Batman Begins, director Christopher Nolan's reboot of the Batman franchise. Batman Begins is the greatest comic book film of all-time, partially based off of the comic series, Batman: Year One, it told the origins of Batman in a faithful way, infusing the proceedings with emotion and good-old-fashioned action and adventure. Not to mention, Christian Bale is the best screen Batman of all-time, and Gary Oldman shines as the future Commissioner Gordon.
(Runner-up: King Kong)

2006 - The Departed
Director Martin Scorsese finally won the Best Director Oscar for The Departed, what I believe to be his finest accomplishment. This cat-and-mouse remake of the Hong Kong film, Internal Affairs, is about an undercover cop hiding out in the Irish mafia in Boston whilst being chased by a mafia mole hiding inside the police department. The film is smart, tense, and has everything one could want out of a Scorsese film. The film to me, kind of just took all of the things I like about Scorsese and just has them all within this one package, but also, unlike Taxi Driver, this film doesn't glorify the violence, but Scorsese shot it in a more artistic way that is less graphic, and for that reason it is far more accessible.
(Runner-up: Casino Royale)

2007 - Hot Fuzz
Movies don't get much funnier than this. Hot Fuzz is a parody of the action movie genre, but rather than being a straight up spoof, it channels the best of the action movie genre while telling its own rip-roaring action story with some highly original, and wildly amusing comedy. The comedic duo of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are my new favorite comedians, and while some prefer their previous effort, Shaun of the Dead, this film is just more up my alley.
(Runner-up: No Country for Old Men)

2008 - Slumdog Millionaire
This was such a special film, one that no one saw coming when it hit. Slumdog Millionaire tells the story of a young Indian slum kid, Jamal, who finds his way onto the Hindi-version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Jamal is only one question away from 20 million rupees when he's interrogated by the police under suspicion of cheating, and he must explain how he knew all the answers to the questions from moments in his life. The film is a marvelous modern day fairy tale, telling a Dickensian story of a young street kid who manages to find something worth fighting for, the love of his life, Latika, and fights to ensure that they can live happily ever after. This is director Danny Boyle's masterpiece.
(Runner-up: The Dark Knight)

2009 - Star Trek
Director J.J. Abram's smart and savvy reboot of the Star Trek franchise took us back to the early days of the U.S.S. Enterprise and showed us how the original crew came together and how Kirk assumed the role of Captain all whilst undergoing their first Trek adventure. The film was a stylish, slick action/adventure blockbuster film that was tense, exciting, and above all else, fun. The film had comedy, and moments of deep emotional resonance. It was an emotionally involving adventure yarn, the likes of which are really only seen once a generation.
(Runner-up: Departures)

The Best Year of the Decade - 2002
Seriously, this year found itself with the highest number of memorable films out of any other year this past decade. From Hayao Miyazaki's Academy Award-winning stunner, Spirited Away, to the second installments of storied franchises like Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, reaching to Spielberg's double whammy of Minority Report and Catch Me If You Can, all the way to the film that kind of kicked the superhero craze into overdrive with Spider-man. It was just a year that seemed as if there was a fantastic film around every corner, and if you kept your eyes peeled you'd most likely discover a new film that was well worth your time.
(Runner-up: 2004)

The Best Film of the Decade - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Few films can genuinely earn the status of being an instant classic, but this is one of those select few. This is a children's classic for the modern age, much like The Wizard of Oz or E.T., it appeals to both children and adults alike, and that is why it is such a special film. Personally, I'm a huge fan of the books, and I love these adaptations so much, in many ways they only helped increase my adoration for this world in which J.K. Rowling has created. As well, this film had something special about it that no other movie from this decade genuinely had. Whenever I view this film, I am always reverted back to my childhood, back to when I first saw it in a darkened movie theater with my older brother. This film has many great memories for me, being kind of the high point of my childhood. I just remember talking on end with my friends about Harry Potter at school, and what will happen next in the series. Though, not only all that, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is such a special film in so many ways primarily because, no matter how many times I watch it, I am always moved by it, and that is why it's my favorite film of this past decade.

(Runners-up: 2. Howl's Moving Castle; 3. Batman Begins; 4. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; 5. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; 6. The Departed; 7. Catch Me If You Can; 8. Hot Fuzz; 9. Spider-man 2; and 10. Slumdog Millionaire)

Okay, I cheated a bit there. I don't care. Wont hurt my feelings.

Movies are Movies

Entertainment - (n) the act of entertaining; agreeable occupation for the mind; diversion; amusement.

Those of a pretentious mind always tend to frustrate me. In all honesty, I try to avoid being lumped into such quarters, but very often it is hard not to whenever you are passionate about anything, as I am passionate about movies.

There are so many pretentious filmmakers, critics, and filmgoers out there that it is hard not to be in a state of constant frustration whenever you are a fan of film. What so many pretentious folk consider what's "artistic" and what's not, is such a thin line that it is a wonder that they ever get any enjoyment out of movies whatsoever. This mindset has me sitting here wondering, what makes a movie "artistic"? I decided to go back to the beginning of this concept, "What is art?"

The official definition of art is," the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance." To put it simpler, art is whatever one person finds emotionally moving or satisfying, or something that has meaning to that person. What's funny, is emotion is often misinterpreted as simply meaning catharsis, or in other words that big weeper moment, but in actuality it means, "any of the feelings of joy, sorrow, fear, hate, love, etc." If this is emotion, and art has all to do with whatever emotionally satisfies a person, then wouldn't that make the spectrum as to what is "artistic" and what isn't a whole heck of a lot bigger?

Very often, the pretentious will disregard a large blockbuster purely because it isn't what they consider to be "artistic". Just because the film is full of explosions and has no real moments that provoke thought, doesn't mean it isn't "artistic". Art, as displayed above, isn't all about provoking thought, while it is included in the definition, so is emotion. There are many emotions, and is joy not one of them? If you find joy watching a film, then has that film not been transformed into a piece of art, regardless as to whether it is Sherlock Holmes or a foreign language-favorite like, A Prophet? This is where the pretentious fall off their high horse, because how can you argue a case such as this. Sure, you can not enjoy the big blockbusters, but why try and discredit the rest of us filmgoers by claiming we have no tastes in regards to movies purely because we enjoy something that you find deplorable?

I'm just going to go back to how I started this in talking about entertainment. Entertainment is anything that is, "an agreeable occupation of the mind." What is agreeable to one might not be agreeable to the other, so if I happen to find a blockbuster entertaining and coincidentally justify it as a piece of art, this does not mean that these are the only films in which I like, it just means that for the duration of that film I found the occupation of that film agreeable, as I very often do with what the pretentious tend to deem more "artistic" fare. So what is my point? Is that movies are movies, they are what they are and at the end of the day it doesn't matter what someone else thinks is "artistic" or not, purely what you think is "artistic" or not, and hopefully you will find some like-minded people to share those views.

Top 10: The Best Films of 2009

Happy New Year! It's a New Year, a New Decade, but before anything else, it is time to officially finish of 2009.

This is it, the moment I've been waiting for since the end of 2008, my list of the Ten Best Films of 2009. All of the precursors I've been posting are just all in anticipation for this, and as it is, this comes only once a year, so I've tried to make the best of it by spreading it out as long as possible, but it's now time to hang up 2009 and look forward into 2010, but before I can do that, I've gotta deliver my list. I will say this, the top 6 spots were really tough to place, all 6 of them had a good claim as to why they should take the top spot in my books, but at the end of the day I had to do the heavy lifting and decide which films I truly thought were better. So to not prolong this introduction with any more stupid pleasantries about the year in film that I've already stated in previous posts, I'm just gonna jump straight into the list. Let's go!

10. An Education (Dir. Lone Scherfig)- A charming coming-of-age story that manages to defy all of the typical expectations for these kinds of stories. It is the story of 16-year-old Jenny who begins an affair with a thirty-something man, who is oddly mysterious, but extremely charming. Jenny goes along with all of this, not out of naivete, but knowingly; she wants to experience the world outside her sheltered existence, and for this reason, for Jenny's knowledge of the horrible events that she is letting happen, the film never is stilted or awkward, but turns out in the end to be moving and emotionally satisfying. Featuring a marvelous performance from 24-year-old actress Carey Mulligan, this film has born a new star.

9. Avatar (Dir. James Cameron) - James Cameron's first feature in over ten years. It was hyped up to be the "gamechanger" of 3-D cinema that would make 3-D a staple in the marketplace. At the moment, it is too early to call, but it is safe to say that Avatar is a highly thrilling and uniquely original science fiction/fantasy. The story of a paraplegic ex-marine finding another life by linking his mind into an organic body called an avatar (which mixes his DNA with that of the indigenous alien race). He befriends the alien race on the planet of Pandora and joins their side in the impending war against humans. It is kind of a big screen anime in that the CGI, while not as impressive as other films this year, still tells the story and serves it well. While the CGI was a touch lacking, the motion capture work was stunning, perfectly relaying the actor's performances, 1:1. Though it was Cameron's ability to blur the lines between sci-fi and fantasy that allowed me to be swept away to Pandora and just enjoy the thrills that ensued.

8. Sherlock Holmes (Dir. Guy Ritchie) - I never thought I'd put a Guy Ritchie film on a list like this, but he deserves it here. This re-imagining of the famed detective really attracted me from the very first frame. It was knowingly different than any other Sherlock Holmes film done before, but it had enough similar to keep one familiar. Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law were surprisingly good as Holmes and Watson, respectively, and their chemistry makes one clamor for sequels. Not to mention the film was a fun action/adventure in the vein of Indiana Jones. Toss in a creepy villain obsessed with the supernatural, and you have one of the more fun blockbusters of the year.

7. Up (Dir. Pete Docter) - Pixar is known for delivering top notch animated entertainment that is both appealing to children and adults, so to me it was no surprise to see them uphold their almost perfect track record with Up. The story of a widowed 78-year-old man who attaches balloons to his house and flies away to South America to his and his wife's childhood dream, Paradise Falls, and what ensues is a grand adventure where a geriatric is the hero and a 9-year-old Asian boy scout is his sidekick as they battle an obsessed old adventurer who trains dogs to do his dirty work. The film is possibly Pixar's funniest film to date, but it also deals with some pretty heavy subject matter, so don't be fooled by its G-rating, but of course the film isn't a downer, but rather it takes all of the drama and delivers hope.

6. Ponyo (Dir. Hayao Miyazaki) - This is master animator Hayao Miyazaki's latest film, and it is definitely another poetic masterpiece to add to the collection of already fantastic works from the famed Japanese filmmaker. Ponyo tells the story of a young goldfish named Ponyo who wishes to become a human and befriends a 5-year-old boy named Sasuke in hopes of achieving that dream, but she must beware because her transformation could disrupt the balance of nature as we know it, and -- gasp! -- a typhoon is coming! The film is told with so much heart, that while it is so much more simple than just about any other Miyazaki-classic, it is all the more charming due to that simplicity. It is cute, lovable, and deeply moving for a film told from a child's point of view, and don't worry Miyazaki fans, he still managed to work in his ecological messages within this film.

5. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Dir. David Yates) - As a Harry Potter fan, this one was a kind of return to form. The fourth and fifth outings were a touch lacking, but they returned with this sixth outing with a renewed vigor, and as cheesy as it sounds, brought the magic back to Harry Potter. The story was all about teenage romance and the impending war in the wizarding world as Harry learns of a way to defeat his arch-nemesis, Lord Voldemort. The movie dealt with the romance, delicately and beautifully; it had countless high octane action sequences, that were thrilling and wonderfully realized; and the mystery as to who Voldemort is, was extremely well laid out and told. Featuring marvelous performances from the entire cast, who just seems to get better with every film, this was an outstanding adaptation that was as emotional as it was satisfying.

4. Up in the Air (Dir. Jason Reitman) - A film that really speaks to the times. It is the story of a downsizing expert played by George Clooney who fires people for a living. The film rings a bell that is very relevant to our current economic crisis, but aside from all of that, the film is all about people and the concept of connection. George Clooney gives probably the finest performance of his career that really reflects the inner being of his soul, and Anna Kendrick shines as Clooney's young protege. Director Jason Reitman should really be applauded for making a film about such serious subject matter, and actually kind of funny due to some well-done satire, but in the end it is an emotionally rewarding experience.

3. (500) Days of Summer (Dir. Marc Webb) - A fresh and unique romantic comedy (bet ya never thought to hear those words connected to a rom. com.). The film tells the story of Tom, a greeting card writer, and Summer, the object of his affection. We follow their tumultuous relationship over the course of 500 days, and watch as Tom's own thoughts on love are challenged in the process. The film has been hailed as, "The Annie Hall of its time," and in a way I see the similarities. Much like Allen's masterpiece, the film is a romantic comedy told for the guys in the audience rather than the girls, and for that reason alone I was so enthralled by the story, but not only that, the film is probably one of the funniest I think I have seen in the longest of time.

2. Departures (Dir. Yojiro Takita) - Whenever a film is bold enough to explore the concept of death, it is always very touchy as an audience member, but somehow with the Japanese film Departures, the filmmakers found a way to make it beautiful and emotional. The film tells the story of an encofiner in Japan who readies dead bodies for cremation in front of the deceased's family. The film was so marvelous to watch, partly because the rights and rituals of another country that in appearance are very similar to us, are in all actuality extremely different. Of course, the film is universal in its approach of dealing with the concept of death, but they never deal with it in a unfashionable sort of way, but in the way of beauty, pathos, and often, humor. This was a film that lingered with me long after the credits rolled, and I think it will stay with me for a long time.

1. Star Trek (Dir. J.J. Abrams) - For me, this was the finest old school adventure film I had seen since probably when I first saw Star Wars or Indiana Jones. I was never a Star Trek fan before seeing this reboot of the franchise, but this film has made me a believer. This retelling of how the Enterprise crew came together and how Kirk assumes the Captain's chair, was smart, slick, and very stylish. Not only that, it was highly thrilling, with an emotional resonance that many big blockbusters such as this tend to lack. With a marvelous cast that had great chemistry, this was a good old-fashioned adventure film that any fan of film should be proud of.