Hello lovely readers!
Many of you will be heading to the movie theater over the holidays. That’s awesome! Instead of seeing that vampire movie for the 7th time OR watching the sequel of a movie that wasn’t good to begin with, how about you check out something different? I’m not talking about eating your cultural vegetables. I’m not asking you to watch an eight-hour documentary on global warming. I’m just suggesting that you forego one mega-blockbuster (out of the hundred that are made every year) in favour of a more meaningful film. For example, I love a crappy rom-com and a gory horror film, but I’d GLADLY forgo them for any of these movies from my three favorite directors:
Alexander Payne – “The Descendents” – opened Nov. 18th
Alexander Payne directed “Election” and “Sideways,” two of my favorite movies. He’s a supporter of writers, often adapting indie or fringe books into award-winning films. Alexander’s films often focus on underdog characters: nerdy older men, complex women and flawed protagonists. “The Descendants” is about a man struggling to be a father when his wife becomes comatose after an accident. It stars George Clooney and it takes place in Hawaii…. how bad can it be? It looks fantastic. Here’s the trailer:
Cameron Crowe – “We Bought a Zoo” – opens Dec 16th
Cameron Crowe directs sporadically, often going four or five years without releasing a film. Despite this, he has a cult following of loyal fans. He often writes about uncool or misfit characters. He’s known for creating amazing soundtracks that are as popular as the films themselves. My favorite Cameron Crowe films are “Say Anything” and “Almost Famous.” I may also be the only person on earth who really loved “Elizabethtown.” “We Bought a Zoo” is exactly what it sounds like. It’s based on a true story about a man who bought a home for his family which happened to also be a zoo. Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson and a gaggle of adorable animals! The trailer is a little on the cute side, but Cameron Crowe movies are great because of the small moments that don’t make it into the trailer:
Jason Reitman – “Young Adult’ – opens Dec. 23rd
Jason Reitman became famous after the success of “Juno” in 2007. He also directed “Up in the Air,” one of my top 5 favorite films EVER. You may also know his first movie, “Thank-you for Smoking.” All of his films have done well critically and commercially. Side note: Jason’s dad is Ivan Reitman, the director of “Ghostbusters,” who happens to have attended the same Canadian university I did. Charlize Theron, a fluffy pomeranian and sarcasm, what could be better?:
What do you think? How about you support good filmmaking?
Remember when “Bridesmaids” was released and a viral internet campaign developed? Women were tweeting, blogging, e-mailing and calling every woman they knew and urging them to go see it. “Bridesmaids” became a feminist cause and women everywhere made sure that an all-girl comedy thrived at the box office.
I can’t guarantee these films will be amazing, but I do know that they’re the kind of films I love. I’d LOVE to see more of these films made so I’ll be supporting Alexander Payne, Cameron Crowe and Jason Reitman by purchasing movie tickets.
