Karina on SpoutBlog

On last week’s episode of FilmCouch, I admitted that I can’t really defend myself against the criticisms that I tend to be friendlier to smaller films than blockbusters; as I pointed out, as of the recording of that episode, the highest grossing film that had a real chance of making my Top 10 of 2008 list had so far been out-grossed by 39 other films. Today, I took another look at Box Office Mojo’s 2008 box office chart, and noticed two things. 1) the film in question, Burn After Reading, has dropped to #41 for the year, likely due to the assent of Twilight into the Top 20; and of the 40 films that outgrossed the Coen Brothers film (which, for them, was a big hit), I’ve only even seen two: Iron Man (#2) which I did like, and 27 Dresses (#31) which … uh… all I can say is that I have insomnia and it was on HBO really, really late.

I know that I need to remedy this. I need to see some of the year’s highest grossing films, if my cheerleading for some of the lowest-grossing is to be taken as, at least, informed elitism, and not elitism of the knee-jerk variety. But I simply can’t watch all 38 films in the next four weeks. So where to begin? I know that I should have seen The Dark Knight (#1) and Wall-E (#5) over the summer, and I’ll definitely watch both on DVD before the year is out. I do not have much faith that Get Smart (#15) or What Happens in Vegas (#28) will be able to knock A Christmas Tale out of its tentative top slot on my personal Top Ten, but the populist argument would maintain that I have to see them before I dismiss them out of hand, right?

Or not? Basically, I need you help. Look at the list here, and tell me which high-grossing films you think I absolutely must see before the end of 2008 in order to be able to accurately assess, as a whole, The Year in Movies. I’ll do what I can to catch up with the consensus choice, and will report back on my impressions.

Aasif Mandvi, Daily Show correspondent and host of tomorrow night’s Gotham Independent Film Awards in New York, was recently named one of FILMMAKER Magazines 25 New Faces of Independent Film. No, silly, not because of his role as a dentist alongside Ricky Gervais in Ghost Town––actually, Mandvi is finishing up production on 7 to the Palace, a feature film in which he stars and co-wrote, loosely based on his own one-man show. Submitting to our Media Diet questioning after the jump, Mandvi gives shout-outs to Slumdog Millionaire and Grey’s Anatomy, and names the only living filmmaker who could possibly capture the Michael Jackson concert experience on film.

What films have you seen recently? Which ones stuck with you and why?

I just saw Slumdog Millionaire and I think Danny Boyle is a genius. It just got me excited about making movies and telling stories about India.

Aside from The Daily Show, what do you consider can’t-miss TV? Any guilty pleasures?

I’m a huge Family Guy fan and I have to say… my big guilty pleasure is Grey’s Anatomy. What can is say, I love my stories!!!

How often do you read fiction, and what have you read lately?

I’m a terribly undisciplined reader but I am reading Taher Shah’s The Sorcerers Apprentice which i am enjoying a great deal.

Is newsprint dead? Where do you get your news?

I think all print media is shifting to the internet and in the near future we may have a paperless society altogether, which would be great for the environment…but bad for paper boys all over the country.

What are your five take-to-a-desert-island bands? What music are you listening to lately?

Bruce Springsteen
The Beatles
The Brothers Gibb
Coldplay
Elton John

If you could collaborate with one filmmaker, who would it be and why?

I would love to work with Tom McCarthy.

What would be the ideal pairing of filmmaker and musician for a concert film?

Wes Anderson and Michael Jackson.

What was the last thing you saw on YouTube that blew your mind?

It was a game show, and it was from Japan…’nuff said.