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Week Of November 20, 2006 - Mon / Wed
November 22, 2006
THE TENTH ANNUAL
THINGS I'M THANKFUL FORI AM THANKFUL FOR my wannabe enemies. Long may they whine.
I'M THANKFUL THAT after a decade of doing this, I can still meet new filmmakers and others in the business who remind me why my love for this has remained so strong. I am thankful for the movies that thrill me, inspire me, and confound me.
I AM REALLY THANKFUL that I am allowed to contribute in some small way to this community… a community that can be as frustratingly obscene as any gutter culture on earth and then rise to a level that seems almost spiritual.
MORE AND MORE, I AM THANKFUL for stolen moments of truth and simplicity.
I AM THANKFUL THAT Todd Field is an unrelenting hard ass about making the movies the way he wants to make them.
That Kirsten Sheridan and Julie Taymor both got greenlights for complex, challenging, emotional movies.
That Brett Ratner didn't completely fuck up the X-Men franchise.
That in spite of delivering deeply flawed movies this year, Alfonso Cuaron, Darren Aronofsky, M Night Shyamalan, Clint Eastwood, Bryan Singer, Wolfgang Petersen, Brian DePalma, Sofia Coppola, Emilio Estevez, Phillip Noyce, Woody Allen, Michel Gondry, Terry Zwigoff, Sidney Lumet, Albert Brooks, Michael Winterbottom, Kirby Dick, Steven Soderbergh, Ed Zwick, and Ron Howard will all keep swinging for the fences.
That Werner Herzog's Rescue Dawn is not only better than one could have expected of a feature remake of a doc, but that it is one of the most commercial, quality films of his career.
I THANK MY LUCKY STARS that First Look has become a shockingly smart and daring advocate for quality indies, including The Proposition and The Dead Girl.
That Magnolia released District B13… even if no one who could have squeezed more money out of it was willing.
That indieWIRE keeps going, no matter how tight the money gets.
That Dargis & Scott maintain as high as standard as their jobs suggest they should.
That Roger Ebert is home and getting stronger.
THANKS COME TO MIND NOW for every goddamned stupid moment of Borat and the way the memories of many moments in it still bring a stupid smirk to my face.
For days like Tuesday, where even in mourning, we can all agree to care about the loss of a giant.
For Andrea Berloff's pleasure with it all.
For Michael Mann's brilliant obsessions.
For the kindness of Bill Condon, who draws kind (and very talented) people to his side as a result.
For Joe Carnahan's wild streak.
For Francis Coppola's decision to get back to work.
For Robert Altman's spirit, which always informed what was best in his work.
For the genius and beauty of the Actresses of 2006.
I'M UNEXPECTEDLY THANKFUL for those who really do understand me.
For those who put up with me, even when I piss them off.
For the guys at the Farmers Market, who allow me to rest my jaw for an hour on the mornings when I show up, as I can just sit back, relax, enjoy the show (and gather the wisdom of years beyond my own).
For the people who are kind enough to put up with - and even challenge - my ideas, year in and year out.
For Scorsese's willingness to push and pursue new ideas in his work at the age of 65.
For the power I never asked for and the rage it engenders in so many… it keeps me from believing my own press.
For the people I love.
For marketing executives that have made such an art of selling absolute dogshit that critics and audiences are having to really think about it for the first time in years.
For the weekend.
MY THANKS ARE EXTENDED to the filmmakers and executives who have put up with my casual style of delivery and chosen to engage me and the column with honesty, passion and daring.
To Rolling Stone for calling The Hot Blog the Hot Movie Site of 2006… even though I hate quote whoring and often doubt the source.
To The Gurus o' Gold for delivering their opinions, on the record, for all to see, week in and week out during the award season.
To the commenters who have made The Hot Blog an interesting place to hang out.
I AM FOREVER THANKFUL for industry professionals who trust me enough not to be afraid of me.
For "movie friends."
For Bermuda, San Francisco, Seattle, Turks & Caicos, Park City, Toronto, Austin, New York, San Diego, Champaign-Urbana and the many other places that have engaged me in the pursuit of film gorging this year.
For the publicists I love, the ones who love me, and the ones who do such a great job of pretending that I don't make their skin crawl.
I'M ENDLESSLY THANKFUL TO the long-standing writing staff of Movie City News - Gary Dretzka, Len Klady & Ray Pride - as well as newcomers like Jami Bernard, Justine Elias, and Stephen Holt and occasional contributors like Larry Gross and Andrea Gronvall. Your contribution to the discussion is worth its weight in gold, even if you don't get paid in gold.
A SPECIAL THANKS to Laura Rooney, my partner in MCN.
AND TO YOU, the readers. Thanks for allowing me into your lives. Thank you for engaging me in an endless exchange of energy and ideas. You give me a reason to push to keep doing this, year after year.
Happy Turkey Day to you.
E Me.
Week Of April 3, 2006 - Life In the Bubble - Mon / Wed / Fri
Week Of April 10, 2006 - List Week - Mon / Wed / Fri
Week Of April 17, 2006 - Review Week - Mon / Wed / Fri
Week Of April 24, 2006 - Overlooked Week - Mon / Wed / Fri
Week Of May 1, 2006 - Mystery Week - Tue / Wed / Fri
Week Of May 8, 2006 - How We Watch Week - Mon / Wed / Fri
Week Of May 15, 2006 - Premature Week - Oscar Mon / Wed / Fri
Week Of May 22, 2006 - B-13 Mon / Inconvenient Wed / Fri
Week Of May 29, 2006 - Wed / Fri
Week Of June 5, 2006 - 666 Tue / Iraq Doc Wed / Seattle Fri
Week Of June 12, 2006 - SIFF Mon / SIFF Wed / Fri
Week Of June 19, 2006 - Cinevegas Mon/Deliver Us Wed/Prada Fri
Week Of June 26, 2006 - Pirates Mon / Super Again Wed / Fri
Week Of July 5, 2006 - Wed
Week Of July 12, 2006 - M. Night Mon | You, Me & Wed | Monster House Fri
Week Of July 17, 2006 - 8 A Year Mon / Water Wed / Revamp Fri
Week Of July 24, 2006 - Comic-Con Mon / Gossip Wed / Fri
Week Of July 31, 2006 - Mel G Mon / Talladega Wed / Fri
Week Of August 7, 2006 - Mon / Wed
Week Of August 14, 2006 - No Column Mon / Wed / Snakes Fri
Week Of August 21, 2006 - Snakey Mon / Anniversary Wed / Scoundrels Fri
Week Of August 28, 2006 - Mon Love / Berloff Wed / Fri
Week Of September 4, 2006 - Thur
Week Of September 11, 2006 - TIFF Mon / Bobby Wed / Fr
Week Of September 18, 2006 - Mon / TIFF 1 Wed / TIFF 2 Fri
Week Of September 25, 2006 - Mon / Wed
Week Of October 2, 2006 - Atonement Mon / Wed / Indie Fri
Week Of October 9, 2006 - Flags Mon / Wed / Fri
Week Of October 16, 2006 - Mon / Epagogix Wed
Week Of October 23, 2006 - TCIFF Mon / Wed / Catch A Fri
Week Of October 30, 2006 - Mon / Wed / Fri
Week Of November 6, 2006 - Mon / Dead Girl Wed / Fri
Week Of November 13, 2006 - Bond Mon / Wed / TomKat Fri
