Talking movies with Estevan Vega
You are in for a TREAT today my friends! Estevan Vega, author of both Arson and the new short story compilation When Colors Bleed is here for YOU! I’d like to say he’s here for me, but let’s be honest, he’s here to share with you.
And he rocks.
That’s all I’ll say. Enjoy his post, since I know I did, and I’ll give you some more info on his books at the bottom!
*****
Wait, Did We Just Become Best Friends? These Are My Top Five Flicks…For Now
By Estevan Vega
This is the second week of the WHEN COLORS BLEED blog tour, and it’s been absolutely awesome! I’ve had great hosts, great reviews, and have had the pleasure of connecting with readers old and new. Having done several guest posts about writing already on this tour, Jessica and I figured we’d take it up a notch and get a bit personal. For those of you wondering whether or not I engage in the peculiar habit of watching chick flicks and dancing to Shakira with my shirt rolled up just to show off my abs, you’ll have to wait for another post. Instead I want to talk about some of my favorite movies. And hopefully by the end of this post, they’ll be your favorite movies too.
First and most strange on my list would probably be The Fountain. If you’ve seen this movie, you probably know one of the main killer aspects about this one is that it is shot so beautifully it’s almost impossible to not think the film is magical despite its constant grieving nature. There’s one moment in particular when we see a shot of a car, but it’s from an upside-down perspective, so it almost appears spacey, with the traffic lights acting as stars. Another aspect I fell in love with was the story’s “realness.” It exudes from this piece as its central characters struggle to hold onto their very lives. It’s moving. Granted, to the film’s disadvantage, it relies too much on crowd interpretation throughout, and many of the scenes, because of the film’s non-linear approach, tend to be confusing. But I think Darren Aronofsky had the potential of a masterpiece here, even if some spots weren’t divinely executed. Nevertheless, the film is breathtaking in scope and feel and color. Visually and mentally stimulating, I fell in love with it when I saw the trailer, and then I went on to watch the film several times. Like the brilliant The Matrix, this one may take a few watches to fully appreciate before it becomes your indie guilty pleasure.
Life as House is another one of my favorites. It troubles me to discover that most people don’t have a clue what movie I’m talking about. But that’s okay. If you’re one of those clockwork oranges, I’ll forgive you, and hopefully you’ll forgive my shameless, unsubtle reference to Kubrick’s strange opus. I love Life as a House for its frail qualities. The film is basically about the relationship between a father and a son. When it was released, I was in seventh grade and the film’s stiff R-rating gave my mother the impression that she could forbid it from me. But I sneaked it in at different occasions over the years until eventually I got to enjoy it from start to finish with my father, with whom I have a great relationship. The story relies on characters, tons of emotions, and heartbreak. I love that. It’s not a gushy romantic piece or a shoot-em-up action flick, but it gets the job done in a fun, albeit sentimental way. And it’s one of the few films Hayden Christensen was attached to where he decided to act.
If you haven’t seen Inception, there is something wrong with you. One of my friends recently mentioned his distaste for the movie and I almost de-friended him right then and there. It’s that good. Granted, it’s one of those movies where if you miss one crucial detail, you might be lost for the next twenty minutes, but just pay attention. Leonardo has shed his boyish, Titanic skin and has become one of the best actors around. In fact, the entire cast is awesome here. I love Ellen Page, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Tom Hardy freaking rock! Visually, the film pleases even the hungriest of appetites. The script is ahead of its time. The music puts you in the moment. And the ending will have you biting your nails. I loved The Matrix, but this bad boy took The Matrix and squared it. Sorry, Keanu. If you haven’t seen it, go out and do so now. This is Nolan’s best film to date, better than even The Dark Knight and his earlier, mind-bending thriller Memento, both of which were awesome.
Number four slot goes to Transformers…the series. As I eagerly anticipate the third and possibly final movie in the franchise, I am saddened. Will it do okay since Megan’s departure? Optimus and Shia tell me it should. We’ll see. (And yes, I do have one of the un-released T3 posters, duh!) I know everybody harps on Michael Bay for just about anything, but he makes some decent popcorn gems. Yes, there are explosions. Yes, there are a few stupid characters. Yes, there are often ridiculously gorgeous people doing incredible things. But take all of that and make it even more awesome because Optimus Prime is kicking names and taking a…I mean, the other way around. T1 and T2 rocked. I went to see Transformers 2 four times in theaters. And of course, I now own it. Working on the Blue Ray edish. Back in ’07 when my friend and I saw the official trailer for the original, I, along with a few others, clapped. Oh, yeah…it’s that kind of awesome. And for those of you who are interested, there is a killer song called “Allspark” by the band I, the Breather that is equally awesome! July can’t come quick enough.
And slot five goes to a spoof comedy called Airplane. This film is probably my favorite spoof ever. It beats the Scary Movie films, the Naked Guns, and any of the insipid spoofs of the last few years. This movie practically originated spoof comedy, and the jokes are still funny three decades later. If you don’t know where “I am serious, and don’t call me Shirley” comes from, go watch this flick immediately and you’ll be an instant convert. You’ll have a drinking problem and be talking jive in no time. Seriously, go watch this! Good luck, we’re all counting on you!
For now, these are my top five. Now, I don’t want to hear anything about my squeezing in a few extra titles in my tops list, because this is my list and I can do whatever I want. But if you’re a wise person you’ll check these awesome flicks out. And if you’ve seen them already, give yourself a big, authorly hug from me. Wait, did we just become best friends? Okay, I’m stopping. I’m stopping.
-E
*****
So do you now think Estevan Vega is as fantastic as I do?
If not, you should. That’s only slightly hostile. I promise.
Here is some more info about each of Estevan’s books, which you should put on your reading list ASAP. I’ll stop bugging you now. Thanks for stopping by!
WHEN COLORS BLEED is a collection of short stories by the author of ARSON. This collection features three unique stories with universal themes of love, loss, and regret. Watch the colors bleed.
— See more at Goodreads
Arson Gable feels like a freak. He can create fire. He never asked for it. He never wanted it. But he can’t shut it off.
— See more at Goodreads
