My favorite films

 

Clever girl...

I was asked by my co-workers to compose a list of my 25 favorite films and my 10 least favorite films. Apparently, everyone in the office had to do it as sort of an initiation into the company. The only key stipulation was that these are “favorite films”, NOT “best” films. If we were all forced to list of the best films, Citizen Kane would probably be at the top of everyone’s list, and we all know how much fun that would be…

 

I tried to think about it in terms of what films I could watch any time, no matter what. Films that I am always in the mood for. Films that when played on TV, I just have to leave them on. For the bad ones, I tried to think of films that I never want to see again for the rest of my life. It was hard to narrow down.

So, without further ado:

Top 25 Films (in no particular order):

1. Jurassic Park
2. Aliens
3. Harold and Kumar Go to Whitecastle
4. Leon: The Professional
5. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
6. The Secret of Nimh
7. The Thomas Crowne Affair (remake)
8. Fight Club
9. Goldeneye
10. Held Up
11. Kickboxing Academy
12. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
13. The Fifth Element
14. Mononoke-hime
15. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
16. Goodfellas
17. Better Luck Tomorrow
18. Interview with the Vampire
19. The Big Lebowski
20. Forrest Gump
21. Manichitrathazhu
22. Battle Royale
23. True Romance
24. Cabin Fever
25. The Truman Show

 

Bottom 10 Films (in no particular order):

1. Pearl Harbor
2. Battlefield Earth
3. Cheaper By The Dozen
4. Pretty Woman
5. Diary of the Dead
6. Elizabethtown
7. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (and all other prequels)
8. Wild Wild West
9. Aeon Flux
10. Stepmom

Feel free to yell in anger or approval in the comments.

The Hollywood Guide, Part 1

Finding an apartment:

Getting a place in LA can be more difficult than you would think. Prices are high, very high. If you imagine the average prices in most medium-sized cities in the U.S., roughly double them and you’ll have an expectation of what to pay in LA. Also, a key point to remember is that the farther west you go (near the beaches) and the farther north you go (the really nice beaches), the more expensive things get. The neighborhoods also get nicer too, allowing for greater walkability to local conveniences, an important factor in this city.

If you can’t afford to fly out and check apartments, your best place to start would be <www.westsiderentals.com>. This is what all the locals use to find apartments in LA. Registration is a cheap $60, which you can typically earn back through members benefits and discounts they offer. For that price, you get access to a more exclusive list than the typical Craigslist fare and they’ll let you search by neighborood, price, amenities, etc.

Otherwise, Craigslist can also be a good source, but be careful who you talk to on there. Unlike Westside Rentals, Craiglist is home to plenty of scammers who will rob you quicker than you can say “Nigerian bank account.”

The best method though? Roaming. Simply find a neighborhood you like and wander around. There are always plenty of apartments advertising vacancies. This will also give you a chance to see the actual apartment, which can often be very different from its online perception.

Price-wise, roommates are always a plus, if you can find others willing to move in with you. Be aware though that the more people you have, the harder it can be to find a good place, as with any city. Also, if you’re looking for a roommate online, WATCH OUT FOR THE CRAZIES! There seem to be an even higher number of them in LA than in other cities.

Switch Gallery

This week’s photo theme is courtesy of Switch Gallery, an experimental art gallery that recently opened in the heart of Gallery Row in downtown Los Angeles. The gallery was founded by my friends, Alex Benzer and Steffen Reichstadt. You can view their other pieces here: http://www.switch.la/. All the work is for sale and it goes to a good cause: supporting starving art students. Show them some love and be sure to check out the gallery on the LA Art Walk on the second Thursday of every month.

EDIT:

The picture is different now due to the new style of the site. I’m going to try and keep the “image theme of the week” thing going though.

Welcome to The Director’s Reel: Your Guide to Surviving Hollywood

Hello and welcome to my new blog. My name is Ranjit. After graduating from film school, I drove about 2000 miles (2,103 to be exact) to get to Los Angeles, CA in pursuit of my dream to be a writer/director in Hollywood.

After being here for a month, I’m now holding down two jobs and I’ve got an apartment close to Beverly Hills. Things may be looking up, but I’m new to this town and I’ve still got a lot to learn. Read along as I explore Hollywood and maneuver through the film industry. It is my hope that this blog could someday serve as a guide to LA-newcomers and aspiring filmmakers around the world. Enjoy!

-Ranjit