::Saturday, May 11, 2002::

NEW TOP TEN - Three years ago on this date I made a list of my favorite 100 hundred films. Every three months I try to revise the list. Looking at it this time I can't think of one film in the bottom ninety that I would change. They'd all stay there and none would be added. However the top ten has some change in it. Just for fun I'll post it here.

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1969)
Seeing this film last year in it's orginal 70mm format at the Angelicka in Times Square was the greatest movie experience of my life. Just sitting there in the 1200 seat auditiroum watching this film was breathtaking. I remember sitting there during the "To Jupiter and Beyond the Stars" final act and thinking it myself "This is the greatest film ever made." If you saw it the way I did, the way the great Stanley Kubrick intended, you would likely agree.

2. Citizen Kane (1941)
To list this film as my favorite would make me too much of a cinefile that I don't want to admit yet that I am. But still it's flawless in all it's respects. It's symbolism is beautifully simply complex. All the tools used by Orsen Welles in the film are easily understand yet we always see the deeper meaning.

3. Star Wars (1977)
Lucas is a genius and started a revolution with one film.

4. JFK (1990)
This film has everything and the kitchen sink. It throws everything at you and it all works.

5. Ran (1985)
It's strange to think that the greatest film ever made based on the works of Willie Shakespeare is a film by the most legendary Japanish director ever. Ran's final shot is probably the best in any film that I can think of.

6. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
No matter what time of year, no matter what age, no matter where this film always brings a smile to my face. Jimmy Stewart carries the film and it's the all-time American Classic through and through.

7. The Usual Suspects (1995)
Bryan Singer's twisting and turning masterpiece is a joy to watch again and again and again and again...Who is Keyer Soze?!

8. V (1983)
It might have aired on television back in the early 80's but it could have been a blockbuster film ijf it wasn't breaking every TV rating in the book. It's ensemble Scifi allagory of Hitler's Germany is a joy to watch and even more fun to try to figure out.

9. Pyscho (1969)
Hands down this is Hitchcock's best film. In the history of film there may not be a better performance then Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates (and his mother).

10. The Godfather (1972)
The ultimate epic is as good today as it was thirty years ago. Pacino, Brando, Caan, Keaton, Duvall and Coppola; those names are a list of the some of the finest people to ever work in the film business and they all combined on this crime family drama to end all family drama's.

No longer in the Top 10 but still some of the greatest ever: The Apartment (1960) which is Wilder and Lemmon's best work, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1934) a film that makes me stand up and cheer, and Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) (probably the funniest movie I've ever seen).
:: Posted by Citizen Ryan | 11:57:55 PM| Link This ::

IDIOTS OF HIGHER LEARNING - So by a four to one margin American's support Israel but don't tell that to Noam Chomsky and the liberal left wing academia. It seems they don't like Israel very much. Do these people really believe Israel is a terror state, like it says in the article? I mean are Israeli teenagers going into the Gaza Strip and blowing themselves up? Umm...no. In fact I think it's the other way around. But these college liberals don't really seem to care and there solutions show it. They want companies to pull money out of Israel and their Universities to stop supporting companies who are invested there. Now does this make any sense? Aren't these the same people who complain about the sanctions against Iraq because they hurt the people not the leadership? If companies pulled out of Israel wouldn't the same thing happen? However it seems these nuts don't want to stop there. They also want their universities and schools to pull millions out of the companies that support Israel. This is complete absurdity. Who will that hurt in the long run...the universities! It would hurt all the students even those who don't agree with the policy. The whole issue here isn't just ridiculous it reeks of tyranny.
:: Posted by Citizen Ryan | 7:19:18 PM| Link This ::

ANOTHER BAD BRAVES TRADE - The General Manger of the Atlanta Braves, John Schuelhortz, has made some terrible trades in recent years. The worst was probaby Brett Boone (finished second in the AL MVP last year) and Ryan Klesko (now an All-Star) for Quilvio Veras (released) and Reggie Sanders (played one year hitting .212 and signed elsewhere).

Now this winter when he traded Gary Shefflield for Brain Jordon (.806 OPS career) and Oldais Perez I thought he had made a fantastic deal. Jordon is a good player but Shefflied is one of the games top players and Perez (11-15 career record) was an often injured starting pitcher. It maybe too early to call my early instincts incorrect but so far Perez has pitched like a man possessed. He threw a one-hit, near perfect game, earlier this month and tonight just dominated the Braves for his 4th win. In a season where the Braves have already used 16 pitches they could certainly use the arm of Perez. Sheffield on the other had has not performed upto expectation because of a nagging hand injury. This is not the way things should be; Perez should be hurt and Shefflied dominating. I'm hoping that as the season fades into the summer this is the way things unfold. If they don't then it's another botched trade for Schuelhortz.
:: Posted by Citizen Ryan | 11:40:49 PM| Link This ::

SAY IT AIN'T SO - The producers of Godzilla bring you Independence Day 2! Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin want people to forget the joke that was Godzilla (1998) so they are going back to what made them the most famous George Lucas wannabes ever'; Will Smith acting like a jerk and blowing up lots of stuff. That's right, Independence Day 2 looks like it might happen. Just great, another blockbuster film everyone can love and I hate. There's just something about Apple laptop computers overrunning an entire Alien spacecraft that I just don't get. Seriously though, is there still a market for this film? It was huge back in 1996 but it doesn't seem to have had much staying power. People don't reference it much, I've hardly seen it on TV and the film presented no breakthroughs in FX or Science Fiction. The reasons for this are pretty clear I think. The film wasn't good. It didn't have those memorable moments, shots, characters or amazing technological achievements that endear a movie to the public enough to warrant a sequel. ID4 (even that title isn't cool anymore) was a fad in the summer of 1996. It had its moment. I don't think it can find it again.
:: Posted by Citizen Ryan | 1:39:52 AM| Link This ::

ONE LEGEND'S EVOLUTION - What famous scientist who changed the world with his theories could have wrote the following?

His intention to enter the ministry, he wrote, was never "formally given up, but died a natural death" when, on leaving Cambridge, he joined HMS Beagle as an unpaid naturalist.

If you guessed the anethisis of the Christian world, Charles Darwin, you are correct. The above quote is taken from a very interesting article concering Darwin's life and death. The central issue at hand is whether or not Darwin actually died a Christian. I remember about four years ago picking up a trac (pamphlet) in a local church that told of how Darwin laid on his death bed saying "I was a young man with foolish ideas." The track went on to say that Darwin, on his deathbed, recanted his evolutionary theories and presumably accepted Jesus or God as a supreme divinity. The above article is from a Christian Newspaper and rebukes this assumption. It concludes with:

It therefore appears that Darwin did not recant, and it is a pity that to this day the story occasionally appears in tracts published and given out by well-meaning people.

I'm glad a Christian newspaper had the courage to say that. It is, afterall, just the truth of the matter and you certainly don't want people coming to the Christian faith by hearing falsehoods.
:: Posted by Citizen Ryan | 12:43:58 PM| Link This ::

"SPIDER -MAN" VS. STAR WARS - I don't think there are many people out there who would have thought Spider-man was going to do 120m+ on its opening weekend. It's beyond thought almost. When Harry Potter failed to do it most of us thought we would have to wait for Attack of the Clones to see it finally happen. With all the talk, hype, news stories, sellouts and long lines for Harry Potter we all thought it was possible. When the numbers came in, we learned that the little wizard was 10 million dollars short of that magical box office weekend number.

But now with Spider-man it's happened. After 30 or so years of tracking box office results we have a film that achieved that magically round number of a 100 million dollars on it's opening weekend. And none of us saw it coming! Must of us were looking ahead to Mr. Lucas and May 16. So my question now comes...will Attack of the Clones best Spider-man? If so many millions of people can turn out for Spidey's opening weekend will more turn out for the more recognizable Attack of the Clones?

Now I know AOTC opens on a Thursday but with the massive business the film is guaranteed to generate on it's opening day we can consider that Thursday through Saturday it's opening weekend. I don't think anyone would have guessed Spider-man could have out grossed AOTC for it's opening weekend or for it's entire run, but that possibility now exits. It's like Harry Potter vs. LOTR all over again.

So what will happen (at least in MHO)?

AOTC opening: A smaller then Spidey opening of 110m.
AOTC final gross: It's a tougher summer then the one TPM faced in 1999 especially with bigger films opening right in it's wake were as in '99 it had a clean two week run. But then most indications are that AOTC is a better film then TPM. My guess for it's final gross - 425m
Spidey's total: With two weeks of free reign the sky is the limit for Peter Parker's alter ego. The question is will people come back a second time, like some will for sure to AOTC? I think not. My final guess - 400m

You can find more of this discussion on The Boss Board over at MovieBoss.com
:: Posted by Citizen Ryan | 11:58:03 PM| Link This ::

GOOD OLD JOHNNY - Hands down Johnny Carson is one of the greatest, must upstanding, respected, talented, unique and fascinating American entertainers, ever. 'Nuff said.
:: Posted by Citizen Ryan | 12:21:25 PM| Link This ::

ISRAEL IS JEWISH - Some of the best work by my friend John Tabin, can be found here in his newest article for the Northwestern Chronicle. John's statement concerning those who hate Israel struck me. I am not Jewish at all (unless you count dating a Jewish girl once), but I feel John's and others anguish when it comes to Israel. Israel is the symbol of all Jewish life. It is the substance of a culture, a religion and a way of life. And when people attack it they attack Judaism. Much like if someone burned an American Flag or flew planes into our must cherished buildings, most Jewish people feel about the nation of Israel. It is a home for them, a symbol of a substance that is the meaning of life. When people deride it or attack it they take action. And thusly anti-Israel rhetoric is anti-Semitic rhetoric.

I almost want to be Jewish, to truly love what Israel is and thus perhaps to understand the current conflict there. For fifty years the collective Arab world has hated, hated the Jews. Israel in return has sought nothing but peace. Yet we live in a world were most racism and bigotry has been destroyed in civilized countries. But still, as John experienced, we have those who hate the Jews and do so promptly. These bigots encompass large parts of the globe and likely number in the millions. It makes me think: why the anti-Semitism?

As I sit here and think about it the answer almost comes to me simply: envy. Just like socialists and modern liberals hate the upper classes and the businessmen of today much of the under-developed world hates the success of the Jewish nation. I remember a Jewish High School teacher telling me of a visit to the Middle East. He told of a road that divided the Israeli land from the Arab land. On the Israeli side there were trees and grass: a pleasure to look at. But the Arab side was harsh deep desert. Nothing grew there. It was an obvious statement of the two worlds. And perhaps this is why some Arabs and some class-warfare liberals hate Israel. They hate Israel because it has been an outstanding success as a nation. It has flourished economically and militarily while the Arab world around it has remained in a static state. As a result and much like the envy that motivates class-warfare, we have a conflict in the Middle East between the haves and have-nots. It is simply child-like behavior. One side (the Arabs) wishes they possessed what the other does (Israel) but refuses to work to achieve it as the others did and thus resent them for it. How do you counteract this? If you find out, make sure to let the Republican Party know also.
:: Posted by Citizen Ryan | 3:10:02 AM| Link This ::

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