the end: 2007

2007
1. There Will Be Blood, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
2. The Assassination Of Jesse James by The Coward Robert Ford, directed by Andrew Dominik
3. The Bourne Ultimatum, directed by Paul Greengrass
4. Zodiac, directed by David Fincher
5. Michael Clayton, directed by Tony Gilroy
6. I'm Not There, directed by Todd Haynes
7. The Diving Bell And The Butterfly, directed by Julian Schnabel
8. 2 Days In Paris, directed by Julie Delpy
9. No Country For Old Men, directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
10. Killer Of Sheep, directed by Charles Burnett
11. Before The Devil Knows You're Dead, directed by Sidney Lumet
12. Superbad, directed by Greg Mottola
13. This Is England, directed by Shane Meadows
14. No End In Sight, directed by Charles Ferguson
15. Southland Tales, directed by Richard Kelly

the end: 2006

2006
1. Children of Men, directed by Alfonso Cuaron
2. Half Nelson, directed by Ryan Fleck
3. Little Children, directed by Todd Field
4. Marie Antoinette, directed by Sofia Coppola
5. The Departed, directed by Martin Scorsese
6. When the Levees Broke/Inside Man, directed by Spike Lee
7. Casino Royale, directed by Martin Campbell
8. Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story, directed by Michael Winterbottom
9. Pan’s Labyrinth, directed by Guillermo Del Toro
10. Volver, directed by Pedro Almodovar

the new years dilemma

Robert Geller Tuxedo Shirt
Short Sleeve, $207
Long Sleeve, $235 (currently on sale at Odin for $69)
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I will refrain from repeating the story of how I got home for the holidays. Let's just say there were flight and train cancellations, public transportation workers with terrible attitudes, and tiny seats that don't allow for much comfort, but I made it back to Louisville and I couldn't have been more relieved when I could put my things down and fall into my queen size bed. In a fit of frustration and rage directed at Southwest Airlines for canceling my flight and not refunding my money, I decided to take a quick trip to Odin to pick up something for New Years before my rescheduled flight was to leave on Christmas Eve morning. The racks parted and there was a Robert Geller long sleeve tuxedo shirt on sale for $69. Not much thought had to go into the purchase. I saw the short sleeve version on Confederacy's website a couple of weeks ago (pictured above), but the long sleeve version will be better suited for the sub-freezing temperatures predicted for the big night. I've seen people in New York wear tux shirts casually with a pair of jeans or even shorts in the summer time, so I can hold on to this shirt for all occasions. Maybe wrecked travel plans aren't so bad.

the end: 2005

2005
1. Brokeback Mountain, directed by Ang Lee
2. 2046, directed by Wong Kar Wai
3. The New World, directed by Terrence Malick
4. The Constant Gardener, directed by Fernando Meirelles
5. Junebug, directed by Phil Morrison
6. Match Point, directed by Woody Allen
7. King Kong, directed by Peter Jackson
8. Capote, directed by Bennett Miller
9. A History of Violence, directed by David Cronenberg
10. (tie) The Beat That My Heart Skipped, directed by Jacques Audiard/ Head-On, directed by Fatih Akin

the end: 2004

2004
1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, directed by Michel Gondry
2. Before Sunset, directed by Richard Linklater
3. The Motorcycle Diaries, directed by Walter Salles
4. The Door in the Floor, directed by Tod Williams
5. Dogville, directed by Lars Von Trier
6. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring, directed by Ki-duk Kim
7. Closer, directed by Mike Nichols
8. Bad Education, directed by Pedro Almodovar
9. I Heart Huckabee’s, directed by David O. Russell
10. The Incredibles, directed by Brad Bird

want: kaboom

Christopher Kane Explosion T-Shirt
$248
I normally wouldn't say my tastes are aggressive, but there's something immediately appealing about this t-shirt. Christopher Kane's graphic approach to womenswear is the kind of evocative design that you wonder why no one has ever thought to do what he's created. I really loved the "Planet of the Apes" show from Spring 09 and the creepy nuclear clouds from Resort 10. That same intensity has obviously translated to menswear in which the image of a mushroom cloud is at once strikingly bold and in your face, but oddly minimal, bare, and discreet. I'll throw this on my last minute wish list that a very wealthy Santa should leave under my tree.

attack of the 50 ft. woman

Doutzen Kroes
photographed by Philip Riches

To my darling little Doutzen,
Happy Holidays and warmest wishes for the new year.
With all my love,
W.

final countdown

"Le Mans"
directed by Lee H. Katzin
1971

Things to note about this movie:
1. Steve McQueen.
2. There's not a touch of dialogue for the first thirty-seven minutes of the film.
3. This scene might seem indulgent, but damn if it's not entertaining.
4. Steve McQueen racing cars.
5. Early 70's Steve McQueen.

song of the week: one life stand

"One Life Stand"
Hot Chip
directed by Roel Wouters

The shoulder seesaw dance is the new Chicken Noodle Soup with the soda on the side.

the end: 2003

2003
1. Lost in Translation, directed by Sofia Coppola
2. 21 Grams, directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inaritu
3. Kill Bill Vol. 1, directed by Quentin Tarentino
4. The Station Agent, directed by Tom McCarthy
5. City of God, directed by Fernando Meirelles
6. American Splendor, directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini
7. Spellbound, directed by Jeffrey Blitz
8. Capturing the Friedmans, directed by Andrew Jarecki
9. Whale Rider, directed by Niki Caro
10. Triplets of Bellville, directed by Sylvain Chomet

the end: 2002

2002
1. Talk to Her, directed by Pedro Almodovar
2. 24 Hour Party People, directed by Michael Winterbottom
3. About A Boy, directed by Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz
4. Y Tu Mama Tambien, directed Alfonso Cuaron
5. Bowling for Columbine, directed by Michael Moore
6. Spirited Away, directed by Hayao Miyazaki
7. Punch Drunk Love, directed Paul Thomas Anderson
8. Far From Heaven, directed by Todd Haynes
9. Catch Me If You Can, directed by Steven Spielberg
10. 25th Hour, directed by Spike Lee

song of the week: night by night

"Night by Night"
Chromeo
directed by Jeremie Rozan/Surface 2 Air

Midday dance party in an abandoned warehouse with multiple partners? YES, PLEASE!

want: tequila sunrise

Corzo Tequila, $48
Yes, a nice,warm adult beverage can get you through the cold doldrums of a long, dreary winter, but I've found that tequila still has that warm sting when you drink it any time of the year. I wish I was more of a tequila connoisseur (a New Year's resolution for 2010, perhaps?) and knew more about the complexities of the spirit, but it was Corzo's simple, yet bold bottle design that struck me enough to be worthy of a try (Fabien Baron designed it, 'nuff said). And the best part is you can have your name engraved on the bottle, a big proud red flag that this elegant bottle is all yours. Consider this my ideal stocking stuffer.

the end: 2001

2001
1. Waking Life, directed by Richard Linklater
2. Memento, directed by Christopher Nolan
3. Ocean’s Eleven, directed by Steven Soderbergh
5. Royal Tenenbaums, directed by Wes Anderson
6. Gosford Park, directed by Robert Altman
7. In the Bedroom, directed by Todd Field
8. Mulholland Drive, directed by David Lynch
9. L.I.E., directed by Michael Cuesta
10. Donnie Darko, directed by Richard Kelly

the jacket (pt. 286)

Shipley & Halmos
Belgrade Two Button Blazer, $395
The perfect movie. The perfect t-shirt. The perfect drink. The perfect weather. The perfect bacon cheeseberger. The perfect pair jeans. Will I ever be satisfied? Probably not, but the fun in searching for the perfect fill in the blank is the quest of trying each new candidate on for a size that will someday embody the title of perfect yada yada yada. In my eternal quest for the perfect black blazer (because yes, a black blazer is very different than a navy, gray, or khaki blazer and requires a different set of detective skills), I came across Shipley & Halmos's Belgrade Blazer from Fall 2009. Cotton twill, cut slim without drawing comparisons to sausage casing, unexpected, yet cool slant pockets, and without vents, it felt like my sartorial aspirations were realized. It's the perfect seasonless piece that I could own forever, or until the next life-changing black blazer comes my way and with this blazer currently in my closet, I don't see that happening for some time.