You gotta give 'em hope... at 11:06 AM

I've recently had an...um...change of heart...

For the past 5 years my favorite movie has undoubtedly been Cinema Paradiso. If you know anything about me and you know anything about this movie, then you know exactly why it held the number one spot in my heart.

If you haven't seen it, it's basically about a broken hearted filmmaker.

It's quite a depressing movie with little hope presented to the audience. Either way I identified with the main character more than any other character I'd ever seen in a movie. That's why I loved it so much.

However, I showed it to my fiancee, Alee, over Christmas break and the movie didn't feel the same. Whatever it was about the movie that made me love it so much for the past 5 years wasn't there upon this viewing. I didn't identify with Toto (the main character) anymore. It didn't make me feel the way it used to. The magic was gone.

I was scared to admit it at first, but I think I have to say that Cinema Paradiso isn't number one anymore. That doesn't mean I still don't think it's a great movie. I'm still convinced it's one of the greatest movies I've ever seen, but best does not always equal favorite.

So what has taken its spot on my list?

I think I'm in a place where I don't have one favorite movie. I have several. Here are my current top 5 in no specific order:

Casablanca.

Good Will Hunting.

The Untouchables.

The Best Years of Our Lives.

...and Slumdog Millionaire.

Yes, Slumdog Millionaire has replaced Cinema Paradiso.

I guess some might say that the explanation for this change is an easy one. I don't identify with a brokenhearted filmmaker anymore, because I'm no longer as brokenhearted as I once felt yaddah yaddah yaddah...but I think the explanation is deeper than that.

I think the change has something to do with what kind of movies I want to make in my life.

Like I said, Cinema Paradiso offers very little hope to its viewer. The viewer leaves the film feeling regret, sadness, and confusion. I don't want people feeling this way while leaving a movie with Nathan Willis' name on it.

When movies first came out they were a means of escape for people. People would go to the movies to forget their problems and laugh. Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin reminded people that there was still good in the world, and that there was still stuff worth smiling about.

This optimism in movies seems to have disappeared. All of the critically acclaimed movies don't make us laugh like they once did, they make us want to throw back the Prozac and eat the barrel of a gun.

For the past few years the movies that have taken the Best Picture statue home from the Academy Awards leave the audience feeling pessimistic about the world we live in.

Slumdog Millionaire is a much needed change of pace.

When I make a film I want people to realize that, yeah, life really does suck sometimes, but there is hope. You don't have to live in regret and self pity.

A girl broke your heart? There is hope.

Your mom died? There is hope.

You're poor? There is hope.

I think Slumdog Millionaire embodies this idea perfectly.

I don't want to watch/make movies where people look behind them to a past filled with heartache and remorse. I want people to look ahead to a future filled with hope and optimism.

That's the reason I fell in love with movies in the first place.

Let's Go, Jim! at 11:30 PM

I had a long night of video editing ahead of me, but my hard drive bit the dust. So I have nothing else to do but watch the local news and anticipate the second night of “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”.



I’ll be honest. I was not too excited when I heard that Jimmy Fallon was taking over Conan’s late night spot. I think Jimmy Fallon is funny only about 27% of the time, while Conan makes me laugh by just looking at the camera.

None of the promos Jimmy Fallon had on NBC for in preparation his show made me laugh; and as I watch older episodes of SNL I realize how unfunny he really is. So, needless to say, I was not pulling for Jimmy to succeed in the late night world. That was until yesterday afternoon.

As I was exploring Twitter I discovered that Fallon has an account that he updates pretty frequently. I began reading his tweets (I think that’s what they’re called) and discovered that he is the definition of a down to earth celebrity.

Reading his tweets you will discover that he still hasn’t gotten used to being a celebrity. He’s not arrogant or full of himself. In fact, he’s the exact opposite. He admits how nervous he was during the taping of his first show. He expresses how thankful he was for all the good luck calls he got from the likes of Jon Stewart and Jay Leno. He even uploaded a picture of a gift he got from Carson Daily.

Here is what he wrote before he went to bed the night of his first show: “Tonight is my last night of the unknown. By the time I go to bed tomorrow night I will know what it's like.” It sounds like the Facebook status of any one of my friends.

I'm pulling for you, Jimmy. Not because I think you’re very funny, but because I kind of just want to be your friend.