Monday, December 31, 2018

Eimer's Best Movies Experiences of 2018


Wow! More than 150 visits to my little old blog in little over a day thanks to this post, and this post. That never happens! Never! I always felt like I was writing to myself and maybe my mom and some other guy who found my blog while searching for 'buckets' in Germany. Nice to know I have a couple people who still enjoy some sarcastic ramblings.

So, rather than wait until a couple days from now, I thought I better strike while the iron is hot, and
release my Best Movie Experiences of 2018. Maybe I'll reach 300 hits today! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

If you're the one person that frequents my OneSentenceMovieReview Twitter feed, you'll see that I've been cramming in the movies like I've been studying for some sort of test. Judging from my picks, I definitely saved the best for last.

Keep in mind, I haven't seen those critical darlings like Burning, Black Panther, A Star is Born, If Beale Street Could Talk, The Favourite, Green Book, Vice, First Man, Can You Ever Forgive Me, Shoplifters, and - well - a lot of goddamn movies out there. But, in looking over my list, it seems very diverse, spanning across multiple genres with a tip of the hat to some interesting indie fare.

I think I was looking for those little gems that went above and beyond the norm. Those films that pushed the creativity, the innovation, and the storytelling to another level or, at least, an interesting level. The movies that made me jealous when I left the theater screaming "Why didn't I think of that?!!!" to my wife and kids. The films that make me ruminate one day, one month, one season, one year after they've passed by my eyeballs.

That said, I thoroughly enjoyed these ten flicks and highly recommend them to anyone out there willing to listen:



















Honorable Mentions - (aka 'The Next Top 10'):
  • The Post (2017)
  • I, Tonya (2017)
  • Bohemian Rhapsody
  • Mandy
  • Blockers
  • Deadpool 2
  • Mission Impossible: Fallout
  • Adrift
  • A Quiet Place
  • Coco (2017)

CHECK OUT MORE OF EIMER'S FAVORITES:
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Sunday, December 30, 2018

Eimer's Worst Movie Experiences of 2018



Anyone getting nauseated by all the pungent Superhero movies and sci-fi crap out there? How about those retreads and remakes that try to put a new fresh coat of lipstick on the same big, old, fat hairy pig? Oh, and those formulaic comedies that continuously get greenlit in hopes that the brainless lemmings will go to the theaters and stream on TV just because it's there.

And I know you went. Don't lie. I know you did. Because I saw you there lapping up the cinematic Hollywood bile with your eyes. And, sadly, so did I. But, I blame my 11- and 12-year old son and daughter. So, what's your excuse?

Welp, this past year I've witnessed a ton of big turds. In fact, the crap was so prevalent that I eschewed movies almost the entire spring and summer and replaced with hikes, books, TV shows, and copious hours of Angry Birds 2. But, despite my personal opposition, I still managed to watch some stinky stink.

So, let's take a trip down memory lane - courtesy of my Twitter feed #1SentenceMovieReview - to revisit some of my not-so-favorite cinematic movie experiences of 2018. Mind you, a few of these movies were released in 2017. I just didn't get around to watching them until 2018. Can you really blame me?














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Thursday, December 27, 2018

Eimer's Best Reads of 2018


When it came to book-reading in 2018, it was an okay year for me. Not good. Not bad. Just okay. For some odd reason, I would fall asleep after reading 1-2 pages of a book and then lose my spot. And then have to go back and read it again, and again, and again. Sigh. Besides listening to audiobooks, I didn't really get into a book-reading rhythm this year, which is a bummer because, well, it sucks.

In hindsight, I think it was the overall quality of the books as well. I look back on other years, like 2016 and 2014 and, even, 2009 in awe. I truly came across some great books in those years that stretched throughout the 365 days. Well, I guess, just like Billy Bob Thornton's Santa said to the chubby kid in Bad Santa, "They all can't be winners."

Nonetheless, even though it wasn't the best crop of books to pop into my cranium, it was an interesting grab-bag year of graphic novels (two by the same author and illustrator), marketing tomes, biographies and post-apocalyptic treachery. Sort of like the 'Potpourri' category on Jeopardy.

Well, I could keep writing, and I will--but it's going to be in the form of the reviews, so enjoy!

The Actor's Life: A Survival Guide by Jenna Fischer
I'm a big fan of the television show 'The Office' ... and Pam (played by Jenna Fischer). And, even
though I'm not an actor, I found this helpful survival guide very entertaining and informative. Fischer shares snippets of her career from high school to being tossed into the L.A. actor carousel including getting noticed, movie roles, firings and the endless disappointments that come with auditioning - and to her eventual acting role on The Office. But, this book is also a self-help book for up and coming actors who traveled from god knows where to Hollywood and then - bam! - they don't know what to do, or where to start. Very well written with fantastic tips and advice. For myself, it was nice to see a snapshot of this interesting industry through Fischer's eyes.

 The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story by Douglas Preston
Great biographic read. It's almost like David Grann's highly recommended adventure biographical
novel 'The Lost City of Z'. But, his one turned out to be a success. Just a blow-by-blow account of the history, the failed expeditions and, finally, to the last-ditch effort to find the fabled city using the latest technology. Wonderfully written book. If you're an adventure seeker, a backpacker, hiker, or someone that loves that 'Raiders of The Lost Ark' mentality of unearthing valuable unfound treasures - then this is the book for you. Not much more to say, but check it out!!

The Operator: Firing the Shots that Killed Osama Bin Laden by Robert O'Neill
If you're a history buff, a war buff, a hater of Osama Bin Laden & Al Qaida, or simply someone
that likes to pick up a biography and live someone else's life for a couple weeks - then this is the
book for you. Following Robert O'Neill through grueling Navy Seal training to multiple missions including Captain Phillips' rescue, followed by the grand finale - a blow-by-blow account of the killing of the most hated man in the United States. Just a well-written book that lets you experience what it's like to be Navy Seal. Makes my one-hour commute to cushy corporate life look like a daycare center. Also, it's going to motivate me to run that extra mile or do that extra pushup when I really don't feel like it. Hats off to these guys protecting our country. And thanks for Robert O'Neill writing this. I know he got a lot of crap for it from his Seal brethren, but it definitely puts an end to all of the conspiracy theories, lies and innuendo that you heard when President Obama told the entire nation of the Bin Laden's death. Now I want to watch Zero Dark Thirty again.

 Strange Weather by Joe Hill
Four unique, creepy, disturbing - yet entertaining - stories about four different weather patterns. Joe Hill is Stephen King's son, but he has his own voice steeped in 80's pop-culture references. The first story is - well - strange, but it shows some deep thinking about technology, about photography, and evil, and forgetfulness. The second story is the best of the four (in my opinion) about gun ownership and violence in America. Third story is a fun, fantasy that literally takes place in the clouds. Fourth story is just plain disturbing - like a 'what if' of weather, which sort of echoed the second episode of the new Netflix 'Lost In Space' series. Don't want to give the Strange Weather plot points away, but they're all worth a good read.

 Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol
Beautifully written and illustrated graphic novel by Vera Brosgol. A coming-of-age story about a tween female attending camp for the very first time ... warts and all. Perfect for the tween or female graphic novel enthusiast in your family. Heck, perfect for anyone. This is a fun, entertaining graphic novel.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Very interesting post-apocalyptic read about a traveling group of thespians who have come together
after a massive, deadly flu outbreak wipes out 99% of the world. They travel from town to town
along the Great Lakes (mostly Michigan) and put on Shakespeare productions to small cities. But it's
more than that. There's a whole sci-fi story called Station Eleven that comes into play as well as the
death of a famous actor prior to the outbreak while performing King Lear. Sounds odd, right? Well, it
is. But it all works. And each plot piece that's introduced has some sort of cosmic meaning that
comes to a crescendo at the end of the book. 

The Dog Stars by Peter Heller
I'm on a post-apocalyptic novel kick nowadays. It's not by choice, it's just the order that I have the
books in my Goodreads 'To-Read' slot. This novel features the post-apocalyptic odd-couple of two
men fighting off hordes of f'd up humans after a killer flu wipes out most of the United States. A mix
of 'The Road' and a previous novel that I had just read called 'Station Eleven', it's an interesting story
told matter of factly in first person narrative of a pacifist pilot that's forced to kill. A former army
marine that's trained to kill, and sort of likes it--all in the name of protecting the airport that they call
home. The two form a crazy, odd bond that works well in printed form. And probably could stretch
into a movie version with the right actors. It's sad. It's melancholy. It questions our humanity. I
praises relationships and kinships that form. And it adds a bit of warmth in this depressing,
despicable, lonely planet that the flu virus has left behind.

The Shining by Stephen King
Great haunted house/hotel thriller from Stephen King. I've read the articles. King hates Kubrick's
film adaptation. But I don't care, I loved the film. It's one of my all-time favorites. But, I enjoyed the book on its own. Some of the key differences that I've found awesome about the book were the wife was actually a character with feelings and heart, the creepy hedge animals, the fact that the Overlook wanted Danny more than Jack, Dick Halloran's backstory and overall importance to the plot, the ongoing references to wasps (the insects), and a nice sinister backstory to the hotel itself - which is explained in gory and sadomasochistic detail. Again, I loved Kubrick's movie more than this book (sorry Mr. King!), but that shouldn't stop you from picking this one up and checking it out. It's
very good, and creepy.

 The Power of Moments by Chip Heath & Dan Heath
A fantastic book sure to help any advertising or creative team out with marketing conundrums that 
may arise during their day-to-day brainstorms and strategy sessions. Figuring out those key 'moments' where you can surprise and delight your customers is key to any great marketing strategy. Not even for marketing. Human Resources. Print Facilities. IT. Small businesses. Agencies. Whatever business you have, you can pull something valuable out of this book to help support consumers, customers, and employees. Some of the key things I learned is that (a) it's okay to make mistakes as long as you learn from them (b) a good starting point to great strategy is to always look out for those key problem points or celebration points in your customer's or employee's journey and try to figure out ways to make them better and (c) customer experience should be mostly forgettable and occasionally remarkable - among other things. This book gave me a great idea to help out our creative group's onboarding strategy, which celebrates the new employees rather than tosses them into an empty cubicle watching endless corporate videos. I'll probably pick up this book again for more inspiration and ideas down the line.

Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol
Another well-written, fantastically illustrated female-centric graphic novel by Brosgol. Although I enjoyed 'Be Prepared' a tiny bit more for more personal reasons than anything else - I like that Brosgol took this story down a more fantasy, thriller route than just your normal coming-of-age, angst-ridden teen dramedy. Check it out for the visuals. Stay for the fun, creepyish plot.

Other Top Reads From Year's Past:
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