Things That Thrilled Me In 2009: By Allison Anders
Published on January 4th, 2010 in: Best Of Lists, Books, Movies, Music |Allison Anders is a filmmaker, director, music fan, and lover of life. She has written/directed Gas Food Lodging, Grace Of My Heart, Sugar Town, and Things Behind The Sun. She is also the founder of the Don’t Knock The Rock film and music festival. Currently, she is working on a follow up to her film Mi Vida Loca called Smile Now Cry Later.
In no particular order. . .
1. A Serious Man, directed by The Coen Brothers
Sheer enjoyable, unreal brilliance. . . I too have been trying to pronounce Jorma’s last name since 1968.
2. Notorious, directed by George Tillman, Jr.
Cheo Hodari Coker’s script from his book on Notorious B.I.G. exhilarated me from start to finish!
3. Meryl Streep as Julia Child in Julie and Julia
An absolutely delicious performance, leaving me in a puddle of “loss for words” exactly as her Julia was upon tasting her first meal in Paris.
Boris Karloff in Targets, 1968
4. Diane Kruger in Inglourious Basterds
She reminded me of a classic movie star and I have been longing for that on the screen for decades!
5. Carey Mulligan’s arrival: the girl we’ve all been waiting for!
6. Kathryn Bigelow’s triumphant return to her sacred place behind the camera!
7. Eclipse Series 5: The First Films of Samuel Fuller: The Criterion Collection
It is both invigorating and daunting that anyone could craft such perfect and lean first films.
8. TCM‘s Sherlock Holmes marathon, and their movies from the American Film Revolution marathon . . . first time I ever saw Targets!
9. Dancing With The Stars
Kelly Osbourne was adorable and inspiring and so fun to watch! And I loved the New Wave segment of with Donny Osmond dressed as Adam Ant!
10. Saturday Night Live
Taylor Swift, Fred Armisen as Joy Behar, Bill Hader as Dateline‘s Keith Morrison, and. I don’t even know what to say about Kenan Thompson. . . everything he does is just brilliant. Kristen Wiig is off the hook as the world’s most surreal comedienne.
11. My continued, complicated, tortured relationship with Mad Men
It lures me, disappoints me, betrays me, enrages me, makes me jealous, excites me, two-times me, seduces me with promises and colorful Tupperware, knows me better than anyone else, and I break up with it only to return kissing the ground the following week.
12. Josh Olson’s essay in The Village Voice “I Will Not Read Your Fucking Script”
13. A Tree Is A Tree, by King Vidor
Yeah, it was actually written in 1953, but I only just read my tattered vintage copy this year, and it remains the best memoir ever written on making movies.
14. Megan Kelley Hall‘s books Sisters Of Misery and The Lost Sister; Victor Gischler‘s Vampire a Go-Go and Suicide Squeeze; Told by Simon Aboud; and Sarah Baker‘s Lucky Stars, the love story of Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell
15. Where The Action Is! Los Angeles Nuggets 1965-1968 boxset
A perfect collection and pop culture artifact, even though it signaled the sad exit of Rhino as we’ve known it.
16. F.J. McMahon’s Spirit Of The Golden Juice, a reissued lost master by Rev-Ola. (Thanks Tif and Joe!)
17. Kim Fowley’s show on Sirius Radio’s Little Steven’s Underground Garage
18. Apps on my iPhone
Skype is essential for chatting overseas! And the Yelp App—I use this for EVERYTHING! And to amuse your little ones: Smack Talk!
19. Insignia Speakers
Thanks Devon! I can hear my laptop sing! LOUDLY!
20. Tagine cooking, thanks to a gift from daughter Tiffany and endlessly great recipes!
21. Lodge Cast Iron Cookware
They’ve been around for over a hundred years but I got my first Dutch oven this year for my birthday from my boyfriend Terry and now I’m a diehard fan!
22. Henry’s Farmer’s Markets
A great cross between alternative and conventional supermarkets and the perfect alternative to Whole “If You’re Not Healthy and Wealthy Why Should I Pay For Your Health Care” Foods.
23. Wild Idea Buffalo Company
If you are a carnivore, this is the healthiest, most humane, and delicious way to eat. You can order all cuts of bison delivered to your door.
24. The Fitness Cafe in St John’s Wood, London
I went for an incredible lunch here with my friend Simon, unforgettable!
25. Breakfast at Square One on Fountain, Hollywood; dessert at Trails Cafe, Fern Dell Park
Click to read. . .
2 Responses to “Things That Thrilled Me In 2009: By Allison Anders”
January 19th, 2010 at 2:17 pm
[…] Simon Aboud posted a link to Allison Anders’ blog post “Things That Thrilled Me In 2009″ on his […]
December 31st, 2011 at 2:11 pm
[…] bidding and replaces it with the ability to buy original, unique, handmade items. I want to thank Allison Anders for hipping me to what could prove to be a very expensive pastime. (I should also mention Regretsy, […]
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