1. Grizzly Man
2. We Jam Econo
3. 3-Iron
4. Mysterious Skin
5. Me and You and Everyone We Know

Grizzly Man deserves the #1 spot because it impressively succeeds in portraying the many dimensions of one character while simultaneously maintaining (for the most part) an objective voice. So much of the available footage could have been strewn together in the worst possible way, but it is the care that Herzog put into weaving it together, and filling us in on his
process, that it is tough to walk away and not pick up a sense of Treadwell’s enthusiasm, inner struggles, and absolute dedication to his own cause whether right or wrong.

We Jam Econo seems odd for #2 but I felt it was a really great portrait of a friendship between two people in an otherwise unsuspecting band documentary. You come to realize that music is a direct reflection of those band members that create it, and how solid it sounds or how good it gets depends very much on that unspoken connection between them.

Pick #5 was hard so I settled on Me and You because it’s one of the movies that stands out in my head over the last year, and not just because of the ))(( scene. Just exploring the idea that everyone is in their own isolated bubble, but some are trying desperately to extend a hand outward in an attempt at some social contact seemed refreshing in the face of so many other films that portray the troubled anti-social psyche, and more relevent than ever in our increasingly electronically connected-but-distant world.

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what i really meant to say about Grizzly Man was that on a personal level, it was refreshing to be taken into the world of someone who really felt he had a connection with animals. you could tell he was genuine and honest, but perhaps too headstrong to back down. it’s always an annoyance to see the interaction between humans and animals being portrayed everywhere as just owner and pet, rather than two simple creatures trying to live in the same pocket of the world. and obviously a great deal of that angle in the documentary comes from herzog’s work on it–i don’t think treadwell’s footage alone or edited merely by himself would have done himself the justice he deserved.

My solution to the SIFF dilemna is to get the 20 pack of tickets. I think that’s a good number of films to see over three weeks and it’ll only cost me $130 if I get it under the SIFF member early bird special. That’s just over $6 a ticket, which is pretty good.

Hey is this layout ugly? I feel like its maybe a little too in your face.

I can’t wait for SIFF this year. It’ll be great to be here for the entire fest. If only I wasn’t working an 8-5 job.