Fahrenheit 451

Okay confession time…I have never read an entire novel. All through school I watched movies, I read Spark Notes, I studied with friends, I did anything I could to stay away from reading. I found novels so boring. I was purposeful in choosing the novel that I could read to complete #7 on my list.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury was a logical choice for this read. It is about a society that had made it illegal to read or own books. I was reading about a society that couldn’t read books and I have simply chose not to. Over time, people became like robots. No one ever thought about anything. People weren’t interested in having interaction with each other. The world was a cold, dark, individual place.

Many people say that this novel is about censorship. Bradbury denies this. He says that this novel is about a society that promotes television above reading books and a society that knows factoids and not knowledge. This rings a chord with me. It is one thing to know about something and it is DIFFERENT to experience it. I want to experience life. It’s not good enough just to know about it. At it’s heart, that’s what this list is all about.

Overall, I enjoyed reading F. 451. I think I may have found a new past time. Maybe in the next 11 months I will find more!

Here is an updated list…

Stay Warm,

Ryan

Fly Like Paper

Tonight I watched movie #3 of 10. It was the 2008 Academy Award Winner for best picture, Slumdog Millionaire. I will have to say that I was disappointed in this movie. To be fair, I had REALLY high expectations and it just didn’t meet them. I found myself bored with the story. I also had a hard time relating to the main character. Don’t get me wrong: It’s a good movie, but all of these 10 that I am watching are. I was disappointed, but see for yourself.

There were 2 aspects of this movie that I enjoyed. First, it is visually impressive. I don’t know any technical movie terms, but I thought that is was just very good visually. For what ever reason color is one of the aspects that is in my head right now. Secondly, THE MUSIC!!!! If you know me, you know that I am obsessed with music. The soundtrack and score was by A.R. Rahman. Until this movie I had never heard of Rahman, but apparently he has been a producer and scorer in Bollywood for a long time. He said that he wanted to mix “new” and “old” India. I have never had the opportunity to go to India, but there is an authenticity and creativity in this film’s music that I loved.

Lastly, Slumdog beat out The Curious Case of Benjamin Button for Best Picture. I just don’t see it. I really loved Benjamin Button. In fact, I watched it in theatres twice, which is a rarity for me.

Some great movies ahead. Can’t wait. By the way, I am going to accomplish other things on this list. I have been in a movie watching mood. What else is there to do in Iowa in December? I need accomplish #27: Have a Snowball fight…who’s in?????

All I wanna do,

Ryan

A Beautiful Mind

Tonight I watched my second of 10 Critically Acclaimed Films I have yet to see. I watched to 2002 Academy Award winner for Best Picture: A Beautiful Mind.

First off let me ask a question: Do all roads lead to Ed Harris? They say that there are 6 degrees to Kevin Bacon. I would argue there may only be 4 degrees with Ed. I thought tonight when I saw his face, “This guy is in every movie I have ever watched!?!?!?!” So when the film was over I did a little research. He, in fact, was not in every movie I have ever saw but he was in: The Firm, Apollo 13, The Rock, Absolute Power, The Truman Show, Radio, National Treasure 2, and Appaloosa, just to name a few.

Any way back to the movie. I never understood why my friend Lauren loved Jennifer Connely so much. I don’t believe I have ever watched a movie of hers that I even liked. Now that I have watched her most critically acclaimed role, I can say that she was one of, if not, the best part of this movie for me. I loved the way that she played that role. Unfortunately, for Jennifer, the very next role she took was Betty Ross in Hulk and I am not sure she ever recovered, but she and I share a birthday so go easy on her.

I’m not sure I would like Russell Crowe as a person, but I do love him as an actor. Cinderella Man, Quick and the Dead, and (MOSTLY) Gladiator are movies that I love!!!! This is as good of an acting job as I have seen him give. The Academy Award in 2002 for Best Actor went to Denzel Washington for Training Day. Without having seen Training Day, I can’t make a proper comparison and having loved Washington in almost every movie I have ever watched of his, I am sure he was deserving. However, this is as good as I have ever seen Crowe be.

I would encourage everyone to do some research on John Nash’s life. It seems that the movie differed from reality greatly. He and his wife seem to have had a unstable relationship. They were divorced and then got back together. The movie never mentions any of this. There are also several other odd events and speculations surrounding John Nash, that I will leave for you to find.

To update, I now have watched 2 of the 10 movies that I have to complete #17. I have some great ones picked out and can’t wait to get the opportunity to see why people keep saying that they are so good. I can also say that after 2 movies, I have not been disappointed.

Feelin’ Kinda Sunday,

ryan

Rebel Without a Cause

Today I started on #17 on my list: watch 10 critically acclaimed films I have yet to see. All ten films that I am going to watch either won a recent Academy Award for best picture or were on AFI’s Top 100 movies list. I am not a film critic, but sometimes I feel like I am surrounded by them! I have one friend in film school, one with a film blog, http://reeltoreel.wordpress.com and a third that watches more movies than humanly possible or healthy for that matter! So I am not going to wow you with technical talk about cut scenes or directing technique!!! Anyway on to the movie….

The movie that I watched this afternoon was Rebel Without a Cause (1955). I have heard references to this movie and to James Dean my entire life, but I have never taken the time to watch it. I think that there are some stories that will always intrigue us as people: What it mean to be in love, what it means to grow old, and what it means to grow up. This movie is an examination of the third: troubled youth and there relationship with their families and the rest of society.

Overall, I enjoyed this movie. AFI recognized it as the #59 movie on their Top 100 Films of All-Time. I am sure if I could have had the opportunity to watch it in its original context I would be able to appreciate it more. You always understand art better when you compare it to what is being produced at the time it is created. This movie is still relevant and even enjoyable.

James Dean suffered a fatal car crash one month before this movie opened. I can look at other entertainers from my generation and see this type of tragedy. I think these events always skew our opinions just a bit. It made me think of people like Kurt Cobain and Chris Farley and recently Heath Ledger. I always think two questions: Did their death add to their fame? & What would they have been capable of if they could have lived longer?

All that said, James Dean and Rebel Without a Cause had major influence on our society and I am glad to say that I now know why.

Happy Friday!

ryan

THE 31 LIST

I am convinced that I have the greatest friends on earth. As I think about them I realize that they all have one thing in common. We are storytellers! This is my favorite thing to do. Whether it is Buck and the boot kick to his backside or Phil and his field goal or Clay and well, anything that he does. No matter day or time, a classic story is always in order.

I have spent that last few days thinking about the tasks on The 31 List. I wanted to put together tasks that I thought would be enjoyable and hopefully give me some new stories to tell. Again, there aren’t really any crowning accomplishments here. Maybe I will tackle lion hunting or a marathon next year, but for now I came up with 31 things that will either make my life or the lives around me better. Some of these tasks I have done in the past, others are new to me. It’s going to be fun. I hope to include you all if I can. Life is better with friends…and…we’ll have stories to tell!

Here’s the list…

The 31 List

1. See a show at the Ryman Auditorium
2. Compete in a race
3. Participate a charity benefit
4. Order off the menu in Spanish
5. Set up a website or blog 12-12-09
6. Go pro sports stadium/park/arena that I have never been to
7. Read a book I should have already read
8. Volunteer at a shelter
9. Visit a capital city
10.Watch my favorite team play a road game
11. Go to see a band that I have never saw live
12. Give blood
13. See the Avett Brothers in concert
14. Sleep under the stars
15. Go to a live classical music performance
16. See the sunrise
17. Watch 10 critically acclaimed films that I have yet to see
18. Learn to ice skate
19. Begin to learn to play the banjo
20. Beat my father at golf
21. Buy and wear a suit
22. Go to a midnight movie premiere
23. Attend a parade
24. Try sushi
25. Take a road trip alone
26. Learn to make REALLY great gumbo
27. Have a snowball fight
28. Write a handwritten letter
29. Take my parents out to dinner
30. Travel to a new state
31. Finish losing 100 lbs.

Numbers

Our lives are filled of numbers. 911, 1776, 90210, 7-11, 3:16. No need for explanation and you all just thought about Ben Franklin, Tori Spelling, Jesus, and slurpees in the same thought! We all have years that are like this. If I asked you how you celebrated your 16th, 18th, and 21st birthdays and I am sure you could entertain me with story after story. On the brink of my 30th birthday I am finding that, now, we only pay attention when the first digit of our age changes, not so much the second.

I am a list maker, not a To-Do List maker. This blog is going to attempt to change that. I am compiling a list of 31 things that I want to accomplish before I turn 31. This is not going to be a Bucket List. No Jack Nicholson on this blog. I don’t plan on walking on The Great Wall of China, publishing a novel, or swimming with the sharks this year. However, I am compiling a very specific list of things that I want to experience.

I am going to publish The 31 List on December 12th. So come back then and check it out and to wish me a happy birthday!!!

Blessings,

Ryan