My Favorite Movies Of 2019

Don’t know why it took me so long to get to this:

1. JoJo Rabbit
2. Booksmart
3. Parasite
4. 1917
5. Joker
6. Prospect
7. Sisters Brothers
8. Peanut Butter Falcon
9. Dr. Sleep
10. Fighting With My Family
11. Us
12. Always Be My Maybe
13. John Wick 3
14. Crawl
15. Long Shot
16. Ford vs Ferrari
17. The Two Popes
18. Midsommar
19. Dolemite Is My Name
20. I Am Mother
21. Rocketman
22. Hole In The Ground
23. Irishman
24. Cats (if you’re drunk and heckling it)

My Favorite Movies of 2018

Last year I came in third for a national Oscar pool and won $75. This year I got ten wrong and got nothing. Chalk it up to my favorite films being largely composed of overlooked gems. Incidentally, I remember as the credits rolled for Green Book, turning to my date and saying "Well, that was obviously directed by a white guy."

1. Roma

2. The Favourite

3. Sorry To Bother You

4. Annihilation

5. Hereditary

6. Black Panther

7. Isle Of Dogs

8. Blackkklansman

9. Can You Ever Forgive Me?

10. Blockers

11. Upgrade

12. A Quiet Place

13. First Man

14. Ballad Of Buster Scruggs

15. Chappaquiddick

16. Ready Player One

17. Solo

18. A Star Is Born

19. Cargo

20. Deadpool 2/Colette

Movies I haven't seen yet: Unsane, Eighth Grade, Mid-90s, If Beale Street Could Talk, A Simple Favor, Disobedience, Don't Worry He Won't Get Far On Foot, Leave No Trace

Decor and design I love vs. hate

DECOR I LOVE:
Mid-Century
Victorian
Post-Modern
Reclaimed Minimalist
Tiki
Moroccan
Pop Art Solids

DECOR I HATE:
Americana
Shabby Chic
Hillbilly Prairie
Bohemian Antique
New Age Celestial
Athletic
Pastels
Corporate Industrial
Dirtbag Bachelor
Knick-Knack Hoarder

My Favorite Movies of 2017

It occurred to me I never listed my fave cinema from a couple years back, and since I'm about to drop my 2018 list before the Oscars, I figured I should get on it. Nobody really reads this or cares, but it's for my own posterity and failing memory. Movies have gotten so relevant and good lately, it's almost impossible to pick 20, and there's a long list of well-reviewed films I'm still trying to see.

1. Coco
2. Get Out
3. Wind River
4. Call Me By Your Name
5. Colossal
6. Molly's Game
7. American Made
8. Baby Driver
9. Lost City of Z
10. Three Billboards
11. Meyerwitz Stories
12. Detroit
13. Mom and Dad
14. Killing Of A Sacred Deer
15. Shape Of Water
16. Loving Vincent
17. War For The Planet Of The Apes
18. Big Sick
19. It Comes At Night
20. Okja/Good Time

Unlike the rest of the academy, I was underwhelmed by the biggest best pic nominees: La La Land (this year's old Hollywood wank-fest), Moonlight (where the protagonist almost never actually communicates) and Manchester By The Sea (where the protagonist experiences almost zero growth).

Acclaimed movies from 2017 I have yet to see: A Ghost Story, Endless Poetry, Personal Shopper, The Beguiled, A Quiet Passion, The Ornithologist, Nocturama, Brigsby Bear, Una, Sleight.

Winter Indie Music Playlist 2018

Hi, everybody! Cold enough for ya? Let's crank up the heater and go for a drive under bare arching trees, then drink hot tea by some beautiful fireplace in town. Hope this music helps. Below are the YouTube and Spotify links.

 

THE MOTHERLESS by Ron David Ray (2018 Shriekfest finalist)

Here's the PDF link to my script "The Motherless", which is a Shriekfest 2018 finalist.

WGA registered. Copyright 2018 Ron David Ray.

Summer Indie Music Playlist 2018

In spite of all the bad news and the worldwide rise of idiot fascism, you've still got me to bring you sunlight. To all the indie songwriters out there, I implore you not to write about your personal heartbreaks, or gripe about the state of the globe. WE KNOW. What we need now more than ever is uptempo joyful music to empower us. I'll keep excavating every year. Please make my job easier.

Thanks in advance. Song list after the YouTube embed (in case certain videos disappear).

P.S.: You can find all my playlists, spanning over the decades at "blanconada" on Spotify.

Summer Indie Music Playlist 2018
1. Parquet Courts - Wide Awake
2. Leon Bridges - If It Feels Good
3. Brazilian Girls - Let's Make Love
4. BØRNS - Man
5. Public Access TV - Metrotech
6. Shannon & The Clams - Onion
7. Culture Abuse - Bay Dreams
8. White Denim - Magazin
9. The Breeders - Wait In The Car
10. Field Music - Share A Pillow
11. Superorganism - Everybody Wants To Be Famous
12. Confidence Man - Don't You Know I'm In A Band?
13. Khruangbin - Evan Finds the Third Room
14. Twin Shadows & HAIM - Saturdays
15. Flasher - XYZ
16. EASYFUN - Be Your USA
17. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Time In Common
18. Kississippi - Cut Yr Teeth
19. Salad Boys - Blown Up
20. GUM - The Blue Marble
21. Jonathan Wilson - Miriam Montague
22. Andrew W.K. - You're Not Alone
23. Andrew W.K. - In Your Darkest Moments