November 26, 2002

THE SIXTH ANNUAL THINGS I’M THANKFUL FOR

I’M THANKFUL THAT I’ve had the same URL for over eight straight months.

That people continue to push The Hot Button five days a week… except this week, in which I will only be doing three columns. 

That Movie City News has sprung to life in the midst of the great internet recession. 

That Soderbergh, Jonze, The Weitz Brothers, Brad Silberling, Fernando Meirelles, Alfonso Cuaron, Todd Haynes, Doug Liman, John Stockwell, Mark Romanek, Michael Caton-Jones, PT Anderson, Roman Polanski, Michael Moore, Alexander Payne, Denzel Washington, Christopher Nolan, Phillip Noyce and Joe Carnahan have all made quality films about the human condition instead of loading theater screens with so much more junk.

That Sam Raimi did Spider-Man right.

That there haven’t been any more major terrorist attacks in this country… which must have been because of the idiotically excessive security at the studio lots. 

That Jim Gianopulis had the nerve to greenlight Solaris.

The Michelle Pfeiffer got to strut her A-level stuff in White Oleander.

That Samantha Morton came along before Emily Watson started making commercial crap like Red Dragon. 

That Aussie producer Michael Hirsh (The Dish, The Castle) not only has access to tapes of “I’m Alan Partridge,” but that he also sent along some episodes of the great cartoon series, Quads, based on the cartoons of John Callahan, that should be aired here in the U.S.

I’M THANKFUL FOR Universal’s movie line-up this year, even if it didn’t perform terribly well at the box office… it was an inspired collection of films.

For Lilo & Stitch… even if it didn’t perform as well as I thought it could have at the box office.

For “It’s not who loves you, it’s who you love.”

For the Inspiration of Anne Thompson, Nikki Finke, Jeff Wells and Len Klady in the creation of Movie City News.

For the Cutest Little Publicist In All Of L.A. (you know who you are).

For Elmer Bernstein, still going strong at 80 years of age.

For Fox Searchlight, which is giving us The Good Thief and In America next year.

For/To Sony Marketing for showing the unbridled passion that they have for Adaptation.

For David Thomson, adding a respectable wildness to the art of criticism. 

MY THANKS ARE EXTENDED TO the filmmakers and executives who have taken time to participate in this column, anonymously or otherwise.

To the critics who will still fight with me by e-mail.

To Undercover Brother for making me laugh harder than any other film this year.

To Halle Berry’s DNA.

To a few morons in Miami, who proved to me that they are more interested in their own egomania than in the growth of an independent film movement in Miami.  Sadly, the citizens of the city are more prepared to grow than their leaders are.  Still, a valuable object lesson.

To Steve Martin for agreeing to take on Oscar again. 

To the once and future THB advertisers who will allow this enterprise to continue without forcing me to whore the site.

To Joey Berlin of the BFCA for encouraging me to be a voice of dissent in a tough BFCA room… well, tough for me. 

I’M THANKFUL YET AGAIN FOR my long suffering webmaster, who puts up with more from me than anyone could ever expect.

For “movie friends.”

For Tom Luddy’s brain…. still one of the brightest and most eclectic minds in the movie industry and for his allowing me to pick at his tree of knowledge.

For movies that allow my mind to race and my heart to soar.

For Dave Wannstadt, who hired Norv Turner, drafted Randy McMichael and traded for Rickey Williams. 

For Bingham Ray, who is still generating interesting, important work at United Artists.

For Every Publicist Who Understood The Point Of This Column And Approached It With Smarts And Not Fear.

THANKFUL IS AS THANKFUL DOES TO Len Klady & Ray Pride, who have brought so much to Movie City News.

To Winona, for putting it all in perspective at a cost of just a few thousand dollars and enormous personal humiliation.

To Julie Taymor, who turned an artist’s life into a high-end Cinemax soft core film.

To my critic brethren who bought into 8 Mile, Punch-Drunk Love and Femme Fatale.

To Bill O’Reilly, for inviting me on his show to discuss a movie that he hadn’t even seen.

To MTV’s Movie House, which should be renamed MTV’s Movie Whore House. 

I HAVEN’T FORGOTTEN TO BE THANKFUL FOR Francis Coppola allowing me to screen One From The Heart on the beach of Miami. 

For my health… around my hair.

For The Oscar effort at Paramount, which has included a chance to sit down and chat with some great talent.

For the glorious stupidity of Eight Legged Freaks.

For the friends I sometimes forget that I have. 

For Peter Jackson’s unquenchable passion and proficiency. 

The people I have to thank most of all are you, the loyal readers of The Hot Button.  Some of you have been with me for years…. others for just days.  But I like to think that we have a community of taste and intelligence gathering here each day.  You keep be hopping.  You keep me honest.  You keep me in line.

The meat of 2002 is finally close.  Take a bite.  Chew thoroughly.  Rinse. Repeat.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.  And for those of you who are in other countries… have a happy Thursday.

See you Monday… for daily updates, check out www.moviecitynews.com.

Thanks again,
David