Best Films Of 2009

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Top Ten (12) List.

Inglourious Basterds
A Tarantino masterpiece and an ode to film and filmmaking. Hilarious, tragic, and beautifully violent. Great acting, brilliant score, superbly written. Tarantino alters history. Great King Kong conversation. This film should easily win all awards in my opinion. Hands down.

Where The Wild Things Are
A Spike Jonze Masterpiece about the complexities of being a child. Visceral. Haunting. Amazing. I saw this with my mom. We both cried. Beautiful music. Karen, I love you.

Hunger (Technically 2008, but US release 2009)
True story of IRA hunger strike in the 1981. Michael Fassbinder starves himself to death for this role. The real Bobby Sands refused to eat for 66 days and died at age 27. Brutal. Powerful. I also had the privilege to see Steve McQueen's video art installation at the Venice Biannale which was amazing too.

Music That Moved Me When I Was 27

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Move to California - Times New Viking

Hint hint.

Testament - the Wake

This is one of my favorite songs from the past few years. Beautiful music. Beautiful lyrics. The entire tone is just perfect.

The Ghost - James Yuill

Tones of protection of and optimism that made this song a good companion for the Fall 2008 election season when everything looked rather peachy and hopeful.

Olympic Airways - Foals

I remember watching this video at the library when I was inundated with work but dreaming of freedom, and then feeling that freedom over the summer as I drove on Highway 89 along Lake Tahoe - the same song blaring from my stereo.

Plays John Cassavetes, Pt. 2 - DJ /Rupture v. Ekkehard Ehlers

Since I began listening to him in 2002, DJ /Rupture has matured a great deal. Like a marriage or friendship, I am happy to be sharing part of my (musical) life with him.