The Documentary Stigma

Here's the thing about documentaries. Admit it, once you saw the word documentary as the title of this post, you (all 2 of my readers) probably thought or did at least one of the following:

1) (Immediately navigate away from this page)
2) Documentaries...boring!!
3) (After skimming over the word Documentary you didn't realize you had read it because your mind has been trained, over the years, to just ignore it.
4) You really wanted to be interested because you feel like because it says documentary, there must be something important. You couldn't for the life you, make yourself interested.
5) You guilted yourself into reading this.

I really want to watch more documentaries. I really really do. But I can't bring myself to. Why is that? I always hear from people: You have to watch Bowling for Columbine, Food Inc, Man on Wire,

I can't think of anymore. Why can't I think of anymore? Anyway. It's something that I'd like to do.

A Tea Co. pt. I

I work at a place called A Tea Co. This is short for the Annapolis Tea Company. So yes, I work at a tea co. I heard about this job from one of my friends who worked there before me (Marcie). It was a great way to fill my Saturdays, and I get money at the same time.

At the tea co, we have over 130 varieties of tea, a full menu, and free wi-fi. Sometimes we don't get a lot done, but we enjoy each others' company for the slow periods of time. Because ATeaCo is tucked away in the corner of this plaza called the "Scottsdale village," It is not a well known plaza, and the tea company is even more unheard of. Most people that enter our doors wander upon the place as if it could only exist in some alternate reality, and they are lucky enough to find this hidden gem. That's what it is.

I've learned a lot about teas. I am still lacking so much knowledge in this area (and in many others.) Some things I've learned about tea:

1. Anything can be iced. Anything. I can put ice on anything and wala! There you go. Would you like some iced Yerba Mate? Yes I can go to the back, and get some green chili soup and serve it to you iced. [warning, the green chili will still be spicy.]
   
2. Add milk to anything and it becomes a latte (even tea), lattes are more expensive, lattes mean business. Moo juice=Moola.
   
3. Black Tea and Green Tea steep at different temperatures and at different times. I know there is good reason for all of this, I've done this wrong a couple of times. Good thing my boss is forgiving, and good thing the lady at the counter ordering doesn't know the difference. "Excuse me, I'd like my green tea steeped with the proper water at the proper time!." (Disclaimer: I steep tea properly 99.9% of the time.)
4. Red Tea is not tea at all. Well it isn't from the tea plant. It is from a bush called rooibos, from South Africa. No one knows how to properly pronounce it (except maybe my boss). I pretend to know how. (Roy boss) (Roo-E-Bos) in Spanish: (rrrruivos).
   
5. White Tea is not one of my faves. It is pretty and smells great, but give me something Green, or Black with some heavy cream. Yes I do take cream with my black tea. Not milk, haters.
   

One morning, I was sitting at the restaurant called "Anne's Soup Kitchen" which is just across the way from ATeaCo and I realized that it was filled with mostly senior citizens. "I am a lucky man," I said to myself. It took these people their whole lives to find the Scottsdale village, I managed to find it in my twenties.

The tea company attracts a lot of seniors [citizens] and women. One of the questions I was asked when Brian (my current boss) interviewed me was, "Are you good with elderly people?" I said yes. That is what you say at all interviews regardless of your capabilities. You say yes. Truthfully, I am frightened of old people. I basically don't know what to do with people who are below the age of 12 and older than the age of 70 unless I am related or acquainted. Even then it isn't all that easy. For the record, I have tried my best to interact in an un-alien-like manner (and by that I mean with the most respect I can muster) when interacting with seniors at the tea company. Besides, the older ladies think I'm foxy.

All in all, it has been a great place to work. Not only for the working environment, but also for the knowledge I'm gaining and for the good friends I've made.

Top Movies of the Decade

Everyone is posting their top movies of the decade, Here are mine for now, things might change as I remember, or decide that one movie is actually better or worse than the other. I haven't seen all the movies of the decade so it will be impossible and unfair for me to post things like Muhollad Dr., Zodiac, or No Country for Old Men (which I know, I should see it already.)

This list is subject to change as I see more wonderful films that I missed this decade. Also my taste often changes. Sometimes I go back and say to myself, "What was I thinking?" enjoy.

Here are some honorable mentions.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) Ang Lee.

Like I said, it opened the eyes of American moviegoers to the incredible work of Chinese filmmakers and it paved the way for a new era in Martial Arts epic filmmaking. (At least in the United States.) After Crouching Tiger movies like Hero and House of Flying Daggers and Jet Li's Fearless were released.

House of Flying Daggers (2004) Zhang Yimou

Speaking of Martial Arts epics. This one is a love story with lots of confusing twists and some intense fights involving bamboo and continuous punches and elbows to the chest. There is a scene where it seems like they fight so long the seasons change. There is some cheesiness to the film like the change of seasons. But it is a beautifully shot film and a twisted love tragedy.

The Prestige (2005) Christopher Nolan

Too bad that this and The Illusionist came out the same year. Too bad that I saw this before The Illusionist. This one stuck with me more. A story about achieving glory first and doing anything, even if it means something unethical to gain success and win the hearts of people. Wonderfully thought provoking. A nice Batman vs. Wolverine story.

Atonement (2007) Joe Wright

The first act of this movie is incredible. One of the best first acts I've seen. It is a film on its own. Almost. The rest of the film is not rich as the first act but it functions just fine.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2002)

Yeah I really do like this movie. And you do to, just admit it yourself. The sequels were a crazy mess of a visual joy ride in the land of pirates, but this one was a nice piece of Hollywood and Disney. It showed that Johnny Depp still exists to the world, Kiera Knightley is more than a beautiful woman in a corset, and that Orlando Bloom does in fact act the same in all his movies.

Pan's Labyrinth (2007) Guillermo Del Toro

Beautiful. This is my cousin's favorite film, and with good reason. The faun itself is something to look at and wonder how it was thought up and how a creature could be so terrible and yet so loving and beautiful. This movie boasts one of the scariest monsters and still most talked about monsters. My roommates often make impressions of the monster with the eyes on his hands.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) Michael Gondry

If only you could forget about things like pain and agony and your ex-lover. Jim Carrey....that's all I have to say. Kate Winslet can do anything, that goes without saying. It is not that Jim Carrey can only do comedy, or I was surprised by his take on a dramatic role, it's just that I'd never seen him in a dramatic role before, but this was a lovely piece of work.

The Lovely Bones (2009) Peter Jackson

A lot of people did not like this movie. I did. See it and tell my why you hated it. I will tell you why you're wrong.

Crash (2005) Paul Haggis

Not many people saw this film in theaters when it was released in May of 2005. They did see it when it was nominated and eventually won Best Picture at the Oscars. It was a "terrible injustice" to its rival Brokeback Mountian. Because Academy voters did not vote for Brokeback this made them "homophobic." Wouldn't it have made them racist if they didn't vote for Crash though?

Why The Return of the King and The Two Towers did not make my top 10.

?????????

??????

I decided to pick my favorite of the three and leave the other two out so that I can make room for the others on my list. Also because it is difficult to decide if they are one giant film or three individual films. Can one film stand alone with out the other? I've decided that since they're all so different in tone, to look at them as three different films in one long story. All the editors were different after all. It is as if you are handing one story to three different interpreters. It's not cheating. It's my list, i can do what I want. While these two films are incredible, and definitely will be remembered as some of the best in cinema history, the first one is the one that started them all and will have a special place in my heart. I remember leaving the theater with a life changing experience and eventually deciding to make movies because of Fellowship. It may not technically and theoretically be the best of the three--in fact, I think that The Two Towers is the neatest in terms of story--but Fellowship is certainly my fave.

And now, my Top Ten!

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) Alfonso Cuaron

Yeah, I know, Harry Potter is on my list, but you wanted to put this movie on your list too. I had to after all, this is the decade of Harry Potter, the boy who lived. Alfonso Cuaron was the first director to put some style into J.K. Rowling's world. He tilted the camera to the side slightly so you could see what else was going on outside of the narrow-minded eyes of Harry. This was my favorite book at the time and I had high expectations for the movie. It brings a perspective to the books that is so unique and valuable. Every Harry Potter fan who reads these books imagines Hogwarts and Hogsmeade a certain way. Cuaron's vision was like taking a book and a human imagination and letting the two sit together in a drawing room coming up with artistic solutions for a better picture.

The Hours (2002) Stephen Daldry

Some movies just stick with you more than others. I cannot explain to you why this film is in my top ten and others such as Pan's Labyrinth are left out. I can only say that it speaks so loudly about people who are trapped in something--marriage, sickness, brokenness, status, loneliness--that they cannot get out of. People will do anything to break free of what they are trapped in to gain happiness of some sort. Sometimes they will resort to the most selfish of choices to live freely, or to not live. It helps me see that it is in our nature to need a savior who will free us. We are broken in need of repair.

The Hours is wonderfully crafted. Three lives woven together with great care. Three incredible performances by Kidman, Moore, and Streep. Kudos to Ed Harris and the kid who plays the same character.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) Joel Zwick

One word: Funny. I think this is my favorite comedy of all time. It brings the heart of a large ethnic family crashing in on a regular "American" family. It shows the value of what family and food does for community in the Greek culture.

See this movie if you haven't. It was an indie that made it big because of word of mouth. This "says" a lot.

The Dark Knight (2008) Christpher Nolan

Or TDK as a lot of film bloggers like to refer to it. It is written about so much in film blogs and film websites. How do you make a batman movie in this day and age and have your audiences take it seriously when so many super hero movies are dismissed so easily? How can a superhero movie say so much about crime and politics and justice in one punch? Well here's what you do, you take two extremes: One is pure evil, or something that is pretty darn close to it and you take someone who will only stand for justice, you put them in the same city that is in dire need of repair, and wala!

I saw this with a large group of my friends. That was one reason it was so special.

The Fall (2008)

This film was shot on location in several countries, I cannot think of the number right now, but I'll get back to this later. It took place in silent-era Hollywood. (As if this is a very important time in history.) It shows the importance and value in living by showing that suicide is completely selfish. The "proper" way to kill one's self is to do it when you are sacrificing your life for someone else. This is one of the most visually stunning films I've ever seen. Every time I watch it, and I've seen it about 5 times, I pick something up that I never noticed before. There are so many gems hidden in this film that beg to be found. Not that it is a convoluted film with cluttered gems, but as a whole it is a large treasure chest. It is a beautiful story about how stories can create beautiful friendships and how friendships can save lives. It's about a lot of things.

Memento (2001) Chris Nolan

I've seen this once. People think that after you're done it begs you to watch it again so that you can fill in all of the plot twists that you missed. After all it is "backwards." I haven't had the pleasure of watching it again. Some films you watch over and over because you love them. Of course I'd watch it again, but some films are incredible the first time and they don't need to be seen again. This feels like that to me. It said what it needed to say.

So brilliantly written and presented by Chris Nolan. Watch it.

Funny. Smart. Cute. Brilliant. Beautiful. Heartwarming.

All one-word descriptions of a one-word title. (At least the American title.) The French title is translated as "The incredible adventures of Amelie Poulan" or something like that. But don't quote me on that .

I love these characters in this film. It is a character-driven movie. It is impossible not to love these people. The most vulnerable things about them are revealed the moment you meet them. "Amelie likes_____, she dislikes_________" etc.

Amelie (2001)

Hero Zhang Yimou

Just see it.

It tells an incredible story that is almost purely visual. It has the best use of color, to tell a story, in any film I've seen. Incredible martial arts and visually stunning. Masterful Cinematography.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) Peter Jackson

I think this will always be my favorite movie. There is no movie that will come along that can change that. I'm not saying that because of my pride or because I don't believe another movie that I will see can top this. I'm saying it because I literally fell in love with Fellowship of the Ring. When I think about the first time I saw this film I get emotional to this day. I can remember the same feelings I felt and the same suspense and wonder I felt. (I'm aware that I say feel and felt a lot but that is what happened.) I'm aware that there are much better films that have been made before and probably after Fellowship. But everyone always has a favorite and a guilty pleasure, this is both for me.

I don't need to explain in any more detail why this film is great. If you want to know, watch it with me. I will tell you. If you don't see it the way I do, ask the Academy of Motion Picture arts and Sciences why they nominated it for 13 Academy Awards. Take a look at how its sequel "Return of the King" holds the record (and is tied with other films) for the most wins (11).

I don't think I've seen another film series, or any film at all, that was created with such love and care. This film trilogy took 9 years to create. The cast and crew became a family. Everyone working on the film was concerned with the minute detail of every last film grain and pixel and brush stroke. Everything was treated with care.

Here are some links to other more interesting and more credible top ten lists:
Metacritic:
http://features.metacritic.com/features/2009/the-best-movies-of-the-decade/
Moviefone:
http://insidemovies.moviefone.com/2009/12/14/feature-page-10-1_three/
Cinematical:
http://www.cinematical.com/2009/09/25/now-its-the-50-best-movies-of-the-decade/
Rotten Tomatoes:
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/juno/news/1861944/rts_best_of_the_decade