rob was here.

Hey. It's 1:30AM or 2:30AM on a sunday morning. I'm not sure which as time goes ahead tonight sometime. I just got home from school working on an artificial intelligence project. I was talking to some of my friends at school about my favourite movies (the movies i usually have to watch 5-6 times a year).. Most people I've talked to (besides a select few who seem to share my view) absolutely hate these movies. The discussion stemmed from me mentioning that I recently purchased and watched requiem for a dream. My girlfriend didn't take to it very well, and I don't blame her: the movie was very gritty and depressing. However, this is probably why the movie sticks in your mind and takes a hold on you. You feel uncomfortable watching movies like this.

Thinking more about it, I figured out some general themes and ideas which typically constitute my favourite movies:

1. No Hollywood Gloss. Typically, these movies are devoid of any of the seemingly required cliches of modern hollywood blockbusters. They don't typically attempt to claim a certain epicness with special effects and glam. No insanely orchistrated action scenes with mega explosions from multiple angles. No scantally clad women prancing about. No super fancy camera work. So as I put it: no hollywood gloss.
2. No Happy Endings. Your typical movie today will peak at its climax at around 20-15 minutes before the movie ends, leaving time to wrap up loose ends with the main characters to set them up for a happily-ever-after fadeout. Most of the movies I will list either have no climax whatsoever. In the events that they do, it usually flips to an anti-climax. I find these movies make more of an emotional impact, and bear a closer resemblence to reality.
3. Anti-Heros. Oh, how I hate the traditional perfect hero. What I even hate more than the perfect hero, is a perfect hero which passes some flaw off early in the movie, in an attempt to lure the audience into sympathising for them. Then later, this flaw or problem is remedied, and he is once again a perfect human being. I hate this more than anything. I like the centre characters of my movie to be at worst; a normal human being, and at best; a bewildered sociopath walking a fine line between indifference and evil. Yep, for some reason i like my anti-hero's to be completely miserable. Furthermore, as a look through my list of favourite movies, they seem to either have to die or become horribly maimed by the movies end...
   

So without further adue, here's my favourite movies in no particular order, starting with the movie I just talked about:

• Requiem for a Dream (2000)
• Ravenous (1999)
• Momento (2000)
• Fight Club (1999)
• The Machinist (2004)
• American Psycho (2000)

Thats all I can think of right now.. I was deeply considering adding movies like se7en or american history x to my list. However, even though these movies are amazing, they don't play out to the same psychological result as the occupants of my list.

That's my late night rant for this week.
School 17, Cuba 25.