5 Best Films Set in Texas

I feel the very best about my home state of Texas when it's represented favorably in film. Otherwise, I'm ambivalent. I feel that the following films represent a wide range of some of my favorite aspects of the state. Friday Night Lights (not the movie) would probably be #1 if it only met the technical requirements of the list. I miss that show so much.

5. Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada 2005 (dir. Tommy Lee Jones)

The border patrol issue, in my opinion is a major point of embarrassment not only for the state of Texas, but the entire U.S. This film is my favorite portrayal of the Texas side of the conflict.

4. No Country for Old Men 2007 (dir. Joel and Ethan Coen)

I just think that this is the best, most exciting story ever told in a film set in Texas.

3. Death Proof 2007 (dir. Quentin Tarantino) 

Of all the great Tarantino flourishes represented in this film perhaps my favorite section is the more carefree first half where the focus is on the group of girls just hanging out in a dive bar in Austin taking shots and drinking Shiner. That is a Texas I'm very much familiar with.

2. Tree of Life 2011 (dir. Terrence Malick)

I may not have grown up in the 50s, but that sense of nostalgia Malick created for growing up in a Texas neighborhood around other kids and spending summer evenings getting into trouble was extremely palpable for me.

1. Paris, Texas 1984 (dir. Wim Wenders)

As far as pure Texas cinematography there is nothing better than Paris, Texas - from the desert landscapes to the sparse highway system and the city skylines. I don't think it's coincidence that it took a German director coming in from the outside to take notice of Texas' unique landscape like no other directer ever has. 

5 Most Boring Boring White Dudes in Movies

These boring white dudes could have been created in a lab.  They may actually be the same person.  Who am I to decide? I just know they are served best shirtless in order to showcase their perfect nipples and are most appreciated by 17 year old girls. I realize that it's probably unfair to judge them in this way, especially considering that several of them I've never seen in a single film, but I'm willing to take that chance. How well do you know your dudebro actors?

Channing Tatum
Featured in such riveting cinema as Dear John and The Eagle.

Garrett Hedlund
Blowing shit up real good and shit in Eragon and TRON: Legacy.

Chace Crawford
Blowing minds to shreds in films such as The Haunting of Molly Hartley and What to Expect When You're Expecting.

Liam Hemsworth
Flexing his man rack in films such as Thor and Snow White and the Huntsman. Actually, wait. Huh? There are two of them? I'm confused.

Alex Pettyfer
Removed his shirt a grand total of 36 times in movies such as I Am Number Four and Beastly.

Top 20 Anticipated Films of 2012, 5-1

5-1 are as follows:

5. Provizoriu (dir. Cristian Mungiu)

Christian Mungiu's 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days stayed with me way longer than most films do and that's always a mark of something great. Set in a Romanian convent, this is the story of a 23 year old girl's love for a girl inmate.

4. Like Someone in Love (dir. Abbas Kiarostami)

I just recently watched Certified Copy so it's very fresh on my mind. It was my first Kiarostami film and I plan on catching up on older films from the director very soon. I'm looking forward to this one in particular because while I enjoyed much of what Certified Copy had to offer, for some reason I felt very much as if I were on the outside looking in.  I found that I had a hard time relating to that particular couple's story. I don't think that's any fault of the filmmaking. This film, on the other hand, features a younger lead and a story set in Japan.

3. Django Unchained (dir. Quentin Tarantino w/Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Kerry Washington, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, etc., etc., etc.)

I don't think there is a more universally admired director right now than Quentin Tarantino and the story of a freed slave joining up with a German bounty hunter to track down his wife from her plantation owner sounds extremely promising.

2. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (dir. Peter Jackson w/Martin Freeman)

Nerd alert! I loved Lord of the Rings and I can't wait for this. That is all.  

1. The Master (dir. Paul Thomas Anderson w/Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Laura Dern)

Anderson is, after all, my favorite working director.  There Will Be Blood is a masterpiece. And this story that has strong ties to the founding of Scientology couldn't sound more interesting.

Top 20 Anticipated Films of 2012, 10-6

10-6 are as follows:

10. Only God Forgives (dir. Nicolas Winding Refn w/Ryan Gosling, Kristin Scott Thomas)

Like I said, kind of over Ryan Gosling for the moment, but I'm still all about Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive).  And considering Southeast Asia is my current dream travel location, pretty much anything set in any Asian country, I get really excited about.  This is a revenge story about a gangster living in Thailand where he runs a Thai boxing club as a front for his family's drug smuggling operation.  This one is supposed to be pret-ty crazy.

9. Laurence Anyways (dir. Xavier Dolan w/Nathalie Baye, Melvil Poupaud)

I sometimes feel that the style/substance ratio that I personally enjoy most in a film can sometimes lean a little too much towards style.  Based on this director's previous film Heartbeats, which I loved, Dolan may become a very good example of that for me.  Heartbeats was great and I even related to certain parts, but it was definitely heavy on style.  Screw it, I hope Laurence Anyways is just as indulgent.

8. Gravity (dir. Alfonso Cuaron w/Sandra Bullock, George Clooney)

This is the second sci-fi movie on this list. Weird.  I was just in awe of how Children of Men was filmed, Y Tu Mama Tambien is one of my favorite films of all time, and even Prisoner of Azkaban was the best of the Harry Potter movies.  This one is about two astronauts on an emergency return home after an exploding satellite accident. 

7. The Grandmasters (dir. Wong Kar-Wai w/Tony Leung, Song Hye-kyo, Chang Chen, Zhang Ziyi)

An action film (his first since Ashes of Time) from Wong Kar-Wai about Ip Man, the man who trained Bruce Lee.  What else do I need to say?

6. Untitled (dir. Terrence Malick w/Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Javier Bardem, Barry Pepper, Olga Kurylenko, Jessica Chastain, Rachel Weisz, Michael Sheen, Amanda Peet)

Who knows how certain that cast is, but if all of those actors make into the final cut - craziness.  You may have noticed that I didn't do a 'best of 2011' list because I've been more focused on looking forward, but if I had, Tree of Life would have been sitting somewhere around the three spot.

5-1 coming soon!

Top 20 Anticipated Films of 2012, 15-11

15-11 are as follows:

15. Love (dir. Michael Haneke w/Isabelle Huppert)

One half of an older retired music teacher couple suffers a stroke, is paralyzed down one side, and their love is put to the test. Sounds pretty uncharacteristic of Haneke, but I'm looking forward to it based on the strength of previous films (of course) which are some of my favorites. Cache? Anyone? 

14. Stoker (dir. Park Chan-wook w/Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode, Nicole Kidman, Dermot Mulrony, Jackie Weaver)

I'll be honest.  I just recently saw Oldboy (and no, I still haven't seen the other two in the trilogy).  I don't know why.  It's not like me to not watch something that's so culturally and critically admired.  And Korean!  Needless to say I kinda loved it.  I saw Thirst when it came out, which is to say, before I saw Oldboy and loved it as well.  I just hope he's able to hold on to his Kooky Korean Kraziness for this film and it's not too Americanized.

13. Untitled Bin Laden film (dir. Kathryn Bigelow w/Joel Edgerton, Jessica Chastain, Edgar Ramirez)

Obviously, this is based on pretty much nothing more than the success of The Hurt Locker.  I had absolutely no interest in that film when it came out and I was basically forced to watch it.  And then I enjoyed it - a lot.

12. Moonrise Kingdom (dir. Wes Anderson w/Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Frances MacDormand, Jason Schwartzman, Harvey Keitel)

I went through a phase with Anderson's last 2-3 films where I had almost lost all hope.  I just wouldn't allow myself to enjoy them.  I thought he was repeating himself too much.  I think I'm over that.  I've realized that it's just a near perfectly realized style that, honestly, works very well for him and as much as I try not to be, I'm always very much entertained by his films. 

11. Prometheus (dir. Ridley Scott w/Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Guy Pearce)

Here's that big budget I promised.  Honestly, I think I'm just looking forward to this one because it looks real cool.  If it's anything like Alien and nothing like Gladiator, that couldn't hurt.

10-6 coming soon!

Top 20 Anticipated Films of 2012, 20-16

Before I even start, I'm going to warn you.  There is one glaring omission from this list.  Without even saying actual titles, I will say that Christopher Nolan is not my favorite director and I think he's highly overrated as an action director. With that out of the way, I must admit that there are some really great looking movies coming out this year and I think my list represents a wide range - everything from small budget indie/foreign films to even a few huge budget event movies.

Inside Llewyn Davis (dir. Coen Brothers), Cogan's Trade (dir. Andrew Dominik), Simon Killer (dir. Antonio Campos), Argo (dir. Ben Affleck), Cosmopolis (dir. David Cronenberg), The Great Gatsby (dir. Baz Luhrmann), and Kiss of the Damned (dir. Xan Cassavetes) were all on the cusp but didn't quite make my very special and important list.

20. The Wettest County (dir. John Hillcoat w/Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Jason Clarke, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska, Guy Pearce, Gary Oldman)

Most, if not all, of my choices were made based upon the director and their previous work.  This is a great example of that.  This pick is based mostly on The Proposition (and not quite as much on The Road).  It is the true story of brothers who run a bootlegging gang threatened by authorities who want a cut.

19. Under the Skin (dir. Jonathan Glazer w/Scarlett Johasson)

Again, I was really impressed with Sexy Beast and I may even prefer Birth which I think is really underrated.  This one sounds a little odd, but in a good way.  Johansson is an extraterrestrial sent to earth by a greedy alien corporation?

18. Something in the Air (dir. Olivier Assayas)

Paris in the 70s from the director of Carlos and Summer Hours. 

17. A Place Beyond the Pines (dir. Derek Cianfrance w/Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Ray Liotta, Eva Mendes, Rose Byrne, Ben Mendelsohn)

I'm a little conflicted about this one because, while Blue Valentine was probably my favorite film of 2010, I'm a little tired of having Ryan Gosling shoved in my face. And the synopsis of a motorcycle stunt driver committing a crime in order to provide for his wife and child doesn't sound particularly enthralling to me.  Other than that, I'm sure it will be great. 

  

16. A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (dir. Roy Andersson)

I really enjoyed 2007s You, the Living.  Maybe a little more than I should have.  I just have really fond memories connected to watching that one, so I'm really looking forward this one which looks to be similar in tone. 

15-11 coming soon!

Top 5 Anticipated New Television Shows of 2012

Homeland was easily my favorite new show of 2011 and I think that show will continue to be one that I will be really invested in.  Enlightened and American Horror Story were also highlights.  I was really glad when I heard HBO had decided to continue with a second season of Enlightened even though I think I was the only person that watched it.  And when I heard that subsequent seasons of American Horror would feature entirely new story lines and characters, I became even more excited for what the show could become because, let's face it, some of that first season was only as good as it was because it was really pretty crazy awful. With that being said, some of the new shows of of 2012 are looking pretty promising.  My current top five anticipated new shows are:

5. Luck 

I will say that while the horse race themed plot doesn't seem like the most interesting concept, the hype has definitely gotten to me.  I mean, it's HBO.  Plus, it's from David Milch (Deadwood) and Michael Mann.  And Dustin Hoffman and Nick Nolte.  It's got to be decent, right?  Premieres January 29.

4. The River 

This will be another attempt (after American Horror Story) for horror television.  I wouldn't say American Horror's strength is in it's ability to "scare", but this one seems to be more focused on its ability to do just that.  I really like the thought of being scared shitless on a weekly basis with a one hour format.  I'm just not sure if it's possible.  The creator of Paranormal Activity, Oren Peli, will also be using the same found-footage style used in those films.  Premieres February 7 on ABC. 

3. Veep 
Coming in April from the creators of In the Loop, Veep stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a senator who becomes vice president. Cool.  Also on HBO.  

2. Alcatraz 
What can I say?  I miss Lost.  There's a void and it must be filled.  That is what this show has been created for.  Actually, you know what, Lost wasn't even that great a show.  There.  I said it and it's true.  Anyways, this premieres January 16 on FOX.

1. Girls 
This is from the director and star of Tiny Furniture, which was one of my favorite films of 2010 so I have high expectations for this one.  I just hope that it's closer in tone to that film and HBO doesn't try to make it into some weird Sex and the City replacement.  They wouldn't do that would they?  Premieres in April.

Next up: Top 10 Anticipated Films of 2012!  

Top 5 Anticipated Animated Films of 2012

In order to deflower Mediocre Nostalgia, I've decided to start out with one of my favorite things - a top list!  In fact, I will be doing a series of most anticipated films of 2012 lists.  First up is animated films.

2011 wasn't exactly the best year for animated films (I didn't even bother seeing the latest Pixar release, Cars 2, which is a first for me), but 2012 is looking much more promising.  A year with both an original Pixar story and something from Studio Ghibli can't be wrong.  Most of the films on my list happen to be from very well established animation studios, but that's not to say that there won't be one or two really great smaller films slip in there at some point.  If and when information becomes available for those types of animated films I will most likely feature them here.  In the mean time, my current top five anticipated animated films for 2012 are:

5. ParaNorman/The Pirates! Band of Misfits

I know! I'm already cheating.  This is no way to set precedent.  How will you ever take me seriously after this?  I just couldn't choose between these two.  Even based solely on previous movies by these filmmakers (i.e., Coraline and Wallace and Gromit and the Curse of the Were-Rabbit) these two films should be pretty great.  They also both happen to have really great trailers.

4. The Wolf Children Rain and Snow

This one may not even get a US release this year and that's not even an official US title, but it's from the director of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and Summer Wars so I couldn't not include it.  

3. Frankenweenie

I think we've all been a little disappointed with Tim Burton lately.  This may be my final hope.  It has so much potential. 

2. Brave

Everyone's pretty excited for this one.  Why not? It's Pixar.  It's an original story, not a sequel.  It has a female lead.  It's almost guaranteed to be super duper.

1. The Secret World of Arrietty

So I may have struggled a little bit with the placement of two and three, but my number one most anticipated animated film for 2012 is a no brainer.  I may be kind of a whore for anything Studio Ghibli does, and I may have a strange fascination for children's stories that feature tiny, palm-sized people.  I don't know what it is.  It's been there ever since I was a kid.  I have a similar fascination with mice-related entertainment.  So.  This looks awesome.  

Next up: Top 5 Anticipated New Television Shows of 2012!