Whatta fuggin’ movie. It’s a Wonderful Life
Filmed with such clarity, so ahead of it’s time from a shot making and lighting perspective, never mind the eggsellent story-telling.
For gawd’s sake, watch this movie at least once a year. Have a couple of egg-nogs too. With bourbon.
Weller’s or better. You don’t want to mix the Pappy with the nog, but don’t be ashamed to use Maker’s.
As for the market, I like [[TBT]] here, as it’s busted over the 200 day EMA after a long while. It’s a bit overbought here, but I think we’re looking at higher rates going into 2010.
You know what it means when the rates are rising, and the dollar is getting fat. It’s a Wonderful Life. Let’s not screw it up, eh?
Be sure to move to Bedford Falls, and soon.
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Bah, humbug. That movie triggers my gag reflex.
Often.
(Maybe I’m just too jaded for my advancing youth.)
fwiw, the only Christmas movie I can watch over-and-over is A Christmas Story…if only for the “You’ll shoot your eye out kid!” line, as delivered by Santyclaws [sic]. (And it was filmed in Terre Haute, IN – my college town – and my geography prof. plays an extra in the “leg lamp” scene.)
Honorable mentions go to Bad Santa, The Ice Harvest, Home Alone, and (of course) Die Hard.
My mistake, it was filmed in Cleveland. But the Haute does make an appearance via a throwaway mention/joke.
Christmas, in general, will trigger one’s gag reflex, with an eggnog-flavored Technicolor yawn rolling forth with the realization that the elf you dreamt had been polishing your yule log the night before after the company “Holiday Party” was actually the cute temp receptionist you’re pretty sure was a high school, not college, c-level-exec-related intern.
But I digress.
“Home Alone” is obviously an enduring contemporary classic. “Wonderful Life,” remains relatively digestible, despite its annual force feeding, tho your point is taken. From the time I first saw “Christmas Story” as a child, I hated the, for me, gag-inducing tongue-in-cheek style of the story-telling and the cheap, fucktarded cheat of the narration. I want “Bad Santa” and “Bad Lieutenant” (both 1 and 2) to kick the holiday shit out of everyone in that film.
“Die Hard” was so beautifully made, so well conceived and so imitated I just hope its director, John McTiernan, has television privileges to see it in the prison in which I believe he’s still serving time for lying to the FBI about paying a sleazy Hollywood private eye to wire tap a sleazier Hollywood producer.
THAT is a Christmas story the whole family can enjoy.
Merry Christmas to all, with special thanks to the tribe of Mr. K.C. Bill for giving us the birthday boy around whom this holiday revolves. Now it’s time to wrap those last minute gifts I could not pay or con anyone else into wrapping.
Night-night.
Bad Santa is one of few movies that still makes me laugh out loud every time I watch it.
I played Billy Bob Thornton in a one-on-one basketball game and skunked him in front of his girlfriend a few years ago. Absolute truth. I believe he fashioned his character in that movie after the loser I made him. (Actually a very nice guy, at least in our time together.)
Hammy, I’m guessing you’re stateside for the holidays, but God bless you, your men and your families wherever you are. Thanks isn’t nearly enough, but “Thanks.”
Billy bob thornton is not a nice guy but a big puzzy hawllywood diva.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJWS6qyy7bw
Yikes, whatta douche. Did he think he was being “funny?” (quotes intentional).
Some people call me a douche-blade
Other peope call me a Kaiser-douche…
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Lol, did not know that about McTiernan. The bigger crime, for me, is that he later directed , one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen…
And on 2nd thought, maybe I should’ve put Bad Santa on the pedestal instead.
“Is Granny spry?”. Rofl…
The fact that he did that “RollerBall” remake is, in itself, prison-worthy. When I was a kid I couldn’t wait till rollerball caught on as a real sport. Of course, I’d have worse knees than I already do if it had.
Have a good Christmas, Peezy. The two movies I think everyone will want to see this holiday are “Avatar” and “Up In The Air.” See the 3D version of Avatar, I’m told.
Hell, I say see the 3D version of them both.
To say that I was blown away by Avatar would be an understatement. See my gushing “review” over at the KoPG.
Same to you, AC. As Jake said, don’t be such a stranger. The cattle gun can wait.
Don’t be such a stranger, eh?
What’re you, working on a movie or something?
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You tawkin’ tuh ME?!
Been busy, but checking in here more often in 2010 is on my resolution list, for sure. To say that I’ve been working on a movie would be the height of pretension, however.
Besides the socialism slant (which I’ll grant, given the context in which this movie was made), I love “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Depending on how much I’ve had to drink and how many of my own family is present, I occasionally shed a tear at the ending, and feel like a better man for having done so.
Yeah, I have to admit… the wife got it on CD just recently, the only other times I’ve ever seen it was on tv, and — get this — never all in one sitting..
This is the first time I saw it in all it’s restored, unedited glory, and I have to say, after years of having “seen” it, this is the first time I’ve ever really seen it. From a film-making standpoint — given it’s issue date (1946) — it’s really something else, the whole story aside.
With regard to the story itself, I always knew the outline, but never really considered it holistically. Of course you wonder why Potter never gets caught, but the real burr in my saddle was this:
Why not take the job Potter offered? It’s not like the old lizard is going to live forever? In three years, you’ve made $60k (or over $708k in 1945 dollars), no matter if the guy has you sweeping hallways (he mentions an employment contract remember), and you could always go back and seriously recapitalize a NEW Building and Loan (sans idiot Uncle) after that.
What’s more likely, you’ll end up the CEO of Potter’s company when he croaks it (which if you look at that drunk Barrymore, ain’t gonna be long), and then you can REALLY do some good for the town.
Of course, that populist crap works better for the audience at the time, I guess.
The thing that grated me most was the ridiculous concept of Potter calling customers “suckers.” Aaargh that’s so Red it should be dead.
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Capra was King Populist.
This movie makes me itch.
I MUCH prefer ‘Scrooged’ as an annual Christmas movie.
Tomorrow with some eggnog plain, let the toddler open her gifts, see which Stephen King book I got this year and settle down with some good old Bill Murray with Mrs. Cuervo.
Merry Christmas gentlemen and gentle women of iBankCoin.
Merry Christmas to you, too, Yogi & Boo Boo.
And to everyone else as well.
And for those who are remembering lost friends and loved ones ~~ (this brought tears to my eyes, but a smile to my face, as I remember my beloved little brother, Michael)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qQ_pQAgKS8
Jake, it’s been a pleasure to read your blog this year. Thank you for all your, and the other bloggers, hard work!
Merry Christmas to you too, Chanci, and you’re welcome, it’s been a pleasure.
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Been shorting TLT when I can get it . Dont like time decay……
TBT’s not too hard to trade. I just pay close attention to the 10-yr and 30 yr yield as a proxy for the underlying index. I ignore changes in the slope of the yield curve (at least for now). Rates seem to trend pretty nicely, so you don’t have the “chop” and compounding that kills the other inverse ETF’s. Disclaimer: all of the above observations are purely empirical and are not backed by any statistical studies, except for the seat of my fat Yogi bear behind. My TBT trades, such as they might be, are posted in the PPT for all gentlemen/ladies to see, and I currently am long from $42.74 on 10/18/2009.
Agreud with all, save one minor change — it should read: “… fat Cardinal Boo Boo behind. “
Come on Jake, you know Boo Boo’s only four years old and patiently awaiting Santa. BTW, Capra’s classic is still my favorite. I guess, I’m showing my age. And before I forget, a personal merry Christmas to you and your family. Thanks for making the year profitable, and keeping me on my toes, during this “Great Recession”. Even though the job search has been fruitless, and riddled with dead ends, there’s been plenty here and in the PPT to keep me going.
Oh and a special request to Santa: May the Giants make the playoffs.
That might be too special, even for Santa.
I did not know you were looking for a job. Send me an e-mail at [email protected], I may have some suggestions.
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Keep the faith Yogi.
I got hit for five & half months this year and ended up employed after all Thank God.
new commdity bull run in the making:
Telegraph UK: On Wednesday, traders claimed the Chinese Ministry of Commerce recently said that the country should increase its imports of commodities for its strategic reserves at an “appropriate” time. Dealers took this as a hint that the country could start buying in the New Year.
According to brokers, the reserve targets are said to be 1m tons of aluminium, 400,000 tons of copper, 400,000 tons of zinc, and 20,000 tons of nickel, as well as the equivalent of 90 days’ oil consumption.
As a result, base metal producers peppered the leaderboard. Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation climbed 33 to 901p while Rio Tinto perked up 156p to £32.96.
Jake, Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Incredible work on this here blog. Lets have a great 010!!!
I think 2010 will be even more work than 2009, if you can believe it.
Merry Christmas to you and yours as well, KC.
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Canplats Resources rec’d another bid from a Mexican company, Frisnillo (56% owned by Newmont) at $4.40 a share. And I think GG offered $3.40. 🙂
Should be a very interesting 2010 for the junior gold minors.
Oh, I think so.
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Geez, and I thought you would have termed Wonderful Life a commie movie …what with Mr. Potter being vilified and all.
Best line …I think it is from that movie: “Youth is wasted on the young.”
It is quite commie, but that’s not central to the story (see above).
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Merry Christmas Jake,
My wife got that for me several years ago and I watch it every year. Just watched it a couple days ago.
Unfortunately, I watch it by myself as either my wife’s not as sappy as me or just can’t stand the redundancy.
I figure I’ll have the lines memorized in a couple of years.
Funny, my wife insisted on purchasing it, as that, and A Christmas Story were her Holiday Traditions.
Pretty funny, as neither were in mine… we were more hard-core Rankin-Bass-o-philes. I do think I can probably repeat every word of both the Heat Miser and Cold Miser songs.
In key.
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The other “Christmas season” movie of my youth (besides the Albert Finney musical Christmas Carol production, which is awesome) was the now obscure Laurel and Hardy classic March of the Toy Soldiers, which scared the beejeezus out of me as a youth, but I loved anyway.
I think MetroMedia (Channel 5?) in NY must’ve owned the right (free) to that thing, much the way It’s a Wonderful Life’s teevee rights somehow got sent out free as well (hence it’s always on during Christmas, as it’s a no cost filler to stations, interesting, no?).
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Jake. alll the best..merry christmas…enjoy the great work on the blog…i am with you on shorting long treasuries…and i think our PM names especially on the midcap junior side will explode..they have not felt much pain on the drop compared to the big boys…look at ANV close to 52 week highs (and some of my small Cdn names are at highs like CRK)….check out Eric Sprott latest comment very interesting and supports TBT thesis…and the debt ceiling gets raised on Christmas eve..
To you too, RHill.
I know (regarding the debt ceiling), what a great Christmas Present for the kids, no?
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Jake,
Thanks for all of the hard work and time you have devoted this year. I’ve been amazed (and profited) by your calls. Well done!
Hope you and your family have a great Christmas
bless you Jake and many thanks for your blog
Thanks, fellahs, my best to you and yours as well.
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