Blog of Much Holding

THIS is fantastically funny. Hat-tip to CHUD for this:

It seems that everyone is wrapping up this year by posting their top 10 film list of the decade, even though technically the decade has a little over a year to go… so I thought I’d post my list. Here it is, in no particular order (Though I would have to say that one choice, directed by a certain Brad Bird, would be close to my number one).

One obvious note – these are MY top 10 of the decade, and I am completely certain that other movies are probably superior to my list. The thing is, I see a lot of movies, but I don’t see EVERY movie so… keep that in mind.

Up

I am unapologetic in my absolute love for this movie, a film I plan on returning to again and again because it is just So Damn Good. Cross my heart.

Shaun of the Dead

I LOVE this movie, and the first time I was able to share it with my oldest son was a moment of sheer joy. A classic.

The Lord of The Rings: Return of the King

Even though it had twelve different endings, it is still on my top 10 of the decade. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful – and the joy it brought me made the soulless King Kong even harder to accept.

The Incredibles

“If everyone is special, then no one is.”

If any movie reflected my personal vision of life more than this one, I will rush longingly to it. Until such a movie is revealed to me, I will comfort myself in the arms of The Incredibles.

The Dark Knight

Yes, the plot is full of holes that Batman’s Tumbler could drive through. Yes, Christian Bale’s Batman voice is annoying. Yes, this one hasn’t aged well. Nonetheless, the movie still affects me, especially in its final moments. Christopher Nolan realized that the best way to do Batman was as James Bond with a cape, and he made it work magnificently. Which brings us to…

Casino Royale

Bond is back, baby, in a movie that made me giddy with delight. Fleming would be proud at the wonderfully gritty film that resets the Bond franchise in a way that is both true to the original character and embraces the cinematic Bond with open arms. Perfect? No. But that last scene, as Craig becomes the Bond we know and says The Line as the music builds… THAT was perfect. If only the follow-up film had matched it’s quality and tone.

Adaptation

Charles Kaufman writes the best screenplay of the decade and finds the best cast of the decade to make it real. Nicholas Cage can do margarine commercials after this and I would still consider him one of the world’s greatest actors. An overlooked masterpiece.

Spider-Man

Incredibly flawed, but for a life-long Spidey fan, to see the original material treated straight, with numerous hat-tips to the classic Ditko/Lee comics, made this fanboy’s heart swell with joy.

Star Trek

Another movie that is far from perfect, but the sum of its parts made this trekkie Very Very happy. JJ Abrams took the best of Trek and made it work and made an incredibly entertaining and, yes, even moving movie. Can’t wait to see where they are taking this franchise next.

The Wrestler

Mickey Rourke’s performance. Period. The best since Brando’s in The Godfather. And yes, I mean that.

HONORABLE MENTION:

The Hurt Locker

Fantastic. The main character, flaws and all, is a Gorram Super-Hero.

I am filled with joy. Check out this preview of the Mythbusters taking on Star Trek:

I’d pay TOP DOLLAR to see this movie actually made:

Since I have been traveling quite a bit lately I have started reading more, to fill flight time. I have always been fond of biographies because they provide interesting “behind the scenes” perspectives, and I usually focus on biographies of actors and moviemakers because, well, I’m a geek. I just finished one biography and am working on another, and wanted to post my quick thoughts on both.

The View from the Bridge by writer/director Nicholas Meyer is a great look at his career, from writing the great Holmes novel The Seven Percent Solution all the way through his writing and directing of the Best Star Trek Movie Ever, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and the subsequent sequel Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Anytime you hear someone say “only even-numbered Star Trek movies are good,” you can point to Nick Meyer as the main reason for that (he also co-wrote Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home).

Meyer is witty, self-deprecating and tells some great yarns about his career (his segment on how to direct Shatner is worth the price of the book in and of itself). If you are a Trek fan, or a fan of Meyer’s work outside of Trek (his Time After Time is an underrated classic), you need to get this book. Highly recommended.

Roger Moore has put out a great biography, My Word is my Bond, and if you know anything about the witty and charming Moore then you will know that all that brilliance is on display in his bio. From his early days as a contract player, all the way through the Saint and (of course) James Bond, Moore covers it all and is also very very funny. Buy it if you can.

Here’s some shots I took for my latest business trip to Sydney, still in process.