In Contention

Tag: Thanksgiving

  • OFF THE CARPET: Giving thanks

    As we move into turkey (or tofurkey, if that happens to be your speed) week 2010, it seems proper, if a tad bit obvious, to take a moment and give thanks. So in lieu of a proper analysis of the season’s progression this week, allow me to express my boundless, breathless appreciation for the following:

    The filmmakers.

    I’m thankful for Mike Leigh’s consistently maturing perspective on life and how he manages to gift that to film audiences each and every time out, for Peter Weir’s tenacity in the face of an unfortunate shift in cinema investment and for Darren Aronofsky’s well-rewarded (in the form of a two-year studio deal) efforts pushing the envelope.

    I’m thankful for Danny Boyle’s energetic perspective on the cinema and his obsession with filling his frame with that passion, as well as for Christopher Nolan’s determination to take studio goodwill and prove that there is an audience and payoff for pricey originality.

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  • Happy Thanksgiving

    (from left) Steve Martin and John Candy in Planes, Trains and AutomobilesIt’s that time of year.

    I’ve got about a dozen heads coming over for a Thanksgiving feast.  Parade.  Football.  Screeners (a LOT of ’em).  A full day of cheer.  But I’d like to, of course, take a moment to hand out my thank yous.

    At the top of that list are my fellow contributors here at In Contention; Guy, Gerard, Chad, John, you help me keep the ship afloat.  It’s a different place without you.

    Ditto the readership.  Each of you keeps things lively and in motion.  Without that we’re just crying out in a void.

    I’m thankful for those I deal with professionally on a daily basis.  Sometimes we butt heads, other times we serve separate, diametrically opposed masters, but I’d like to think we maintain our humanity, if sometimes not our sanity.  And I’m happy to call many of you my friends.

    Thanks, of course, to my family, who indulged the movie bug in me way back when.  And to my lady, April, for the consistent patience you seem to pull out of your hat day in and day out.  I’m a handful.

    Thank you.  And Happy Thanksgiving.  The floor is yours today.

  • An invitation to dinner

    In case you were wondering, these British (but American-accented) critters apparently celebrate Thanksgiving. Globalization is happening everywhere you look. Anyway, cute marketing gimmick — click the image for fun and games. More “Fantastic Mr. Fox” talk to come tomorrow, from the press junket I attended last month. You seen the film yet?

    Fantastic Mr. Fox

  • To you and yours

    I’m taking a serious vacation for the next four days.  Minimal updates if any.  I know, scandalous.  A blogger taking the risk of losing traffic by ducking out for more than 24 hours.  WTF??  But you know what?  I deserve it.  And you do too.

    So go do what makes you happy and enjoy Thanksgiving.  Not to get all corny, but I’m certainly thankful for the spike in interest this year and hope that readers new and old are getting something out of our little contribution.  And I’m more than thankful to my modest staff of writers, doing what we can to keep you interested in the mundane particulars that inspire us to write.  So thanks to Gerard, John, Guy, Brian and Blake.

    We’ll reconvene next week.  For now, I’m off to San Francisco for some much needed anti-L.A. time, so be safe, be merry, pop in “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” and soak it up.  The Oscar crush is coming.

    Happy Thanksgiving from In Contention

  • Grace

    A little something to get you in the spirit. (Remember Christina Ricci’s cool days? I miss those.)

    No holiday for me, of course — lousy unthankful non-American that I am. So I’ll be holding fort around here for the next few days, while Kris takes a well-deserved breather. It’ll be quieter than usual, but feel free to keep me company.