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I make art. Compulsively. Every day. Here the website dedicated to my art
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Lately I have been riffing on the cityscape.

93 - 95 The Best of 2012

Presenting 93,94,and 95 on my list of the top 100 movies...

2012 was a good year for film. Some quality flicks include; "The Master," "Flight," "Moonrise Kingdom," "Looper," "Brave," "Wreck-it-Ralph," and "Life of Pi." A few just narrowly missed making my list. "Zero Dark Thirty" didn't make my list because it was about 40 minutes worth of torture too much. "Django Unchained" was entertaining, and Tarantino will be well represented on my list, but it didn't make the cut because the whole revenge fantasy note has been played by Quentin too many times. His next film will likely have a bunch of native Americans mutilating pilgrims, or maybe he'll remake "Revenge of the Nerds" but this time there will be a slaughter. Three films from 2012 rose above the rest.

93. Silver Linings Playbook



I jumped on the David O. Russell train early when I saw "Spanking the Monkey." Who knew he would become one of those directors whose every movie gets a best picture nomination? He followed up "The Fighter" with this quirky picture about damaged people seeking redemption. Outstanding performances from DeNiro, Bradley Cooper, and America's new sweetheart, Jennifer Lawrence, carry the film. It was the year's best, narrowly edging out...

94. Argo



Okay, so Affleck tweaked some historical elements to give the final scene some additional tension. I don't care about that. When I go see a historical drama, I don't expect to see history faithfully represented, I'm going to see a story. Argo delivered a fully drawn world. It had me on the edge of my seat at times, literally, my butt was on the edge of my seat. The characters were believable, the circumstances were intriguing, and the film was well done all around. So he fudged a little bit. It's entertainment. Good job, Ben.

95. Beasts of the Southern Wild



"Beasts" makes the cut due to its uniqueness. I can't think of another movie to compare it to. I like it when films render an interesting universe all its own. I don't know anything about life at the end of the world on the bayou, but now I have an image in my head and it looks a lot like the bathtub. I'm glad that Quvenshane Wallis didn't win best actress, because I don't know how much credit a six year old should get for climbing around in the mud in her underwear, but I'm glad that the film got some much deserved attention during award season. It is a beautiful and heartbreaking world.

96-100 My Wife's Favorite Films

The first installation in my list of "The Top 100 Movies I want to write about."

Okay, I'm married. That means that my wife owns me and she occupies a part of my brain. She is very attached to her top five favorite movies. She made this list when she was fourteen and she has stuck with it. Only two of these films would have made my top 100 (Fast Times. Stand By Me) but all five make the list now due to marital obligations...



96. Fast Times at Ridgemont High



Fast Times may have been the first movie that showed me cinematic boobs. Spicoli will always be the first character I think of when I think of Sean Penn. A classic.

97. Stand By Me



This one made my list without the assistance of my wife, and it might have ranked higher than the late 90's on the list, but in the interest of keeping these together, here it is. A classic coming of age picture, and the film River Phoenix will most be remembered for. It has buddies, a quest, greasers, projectile vomiting, sick balls, etc. A great and massively entertaining film.

98. Beautiful Girls



My wife loves movies that feature a character returning to his/her home town. That is the premise for this picture and it is well executed. It has a great cast featuring jailbait Natalie Portman. Ice fishing.

99. Ordinary People



Best known for winning the 1980 Academy Award for Best Picture over Raging Bull, Ordinary People also collected Oscars for Robert Redford in his directorial debut and Best Supporting Actor for Timothy Hutton. Mary Tyler Moore and Judd Hirsch also got nominations. It is a well done film for sure, featuring tremendous performances. It is a DRAMA. It shows a family falling apart in the wake of one tragedy and the debilitating effect of depression. Lots of yelling and tears. My wife loves movies and shows that feature people in therapy. This one is her all time favorite.

100. The Lost Boys

I was never, nor will I ever be, a teenage girl. Therefor "The Lost Boys" was not initially on my list. I did enjoy it back in the day and even now. Was this the beginning of sexy vampires? It was at the peak for sexy sax players.

The Top 100 films I want to write about

I have been working on a compilation list of my favorite 100 movies for a while. Like most people, I love movies, and in this age of streaming, I watch several movies a week. And, like virtually everyone, I have an inflated opinion of my taste. Have you ever heard anyone brag about their terrible taste? Even people who love the Transformers franchise think they have great taste. To set the record straight, however, I do have great taste. It's just a given.

Originally I was going to call the list "My favorite 100 movies," but that was too limiting, and I'm certainly not going to claim to represent the "100 Best films." There wont be any Ingmar Bergman films or anything made before 1940 on my list. Of course these are great cinematic achievements, but I don't think I'll be sitting through a screening of "The Birth of a Nation" anytime soon. The movies on my list are the movies I love, and some that I am just compelled to write about. I will add links to this entry as the posts are made.... Here is the AFI's top 100 films, if you want a more scholarly list that a board voted on. Gigli did not make the cut

Jimmy Butler

The Chicago Bulls are having a surprisingly successful season in the absence of their best player, Derrick Rose. One of the key reasons is second year swingman, Jimmy Butler. Butler was drafted with the 30th pick in last year's draft. Not much is usually expected from such a late draft pick in the NBA. Most guys chosen that late don't amount to much more than deep bench players that bounce around the league for a couple of years before going on to play overseas. Butler is proving to be worth much more.

Jimmy didn't get much playing time last year, but he did show that he had some potential, especially as a defensive player. He was clearly very raw, but he looked like he could possibly become a rotation player. His role going into this year was to replace the outgoing Ronnie Brewer, a quirky but average NBA swingman. Butler's upside has recently become much higher. Due to some injuries that have led to increased playing time, Butler has has gotten more opportunities and he has taken full advantage. He now looks as though he could be a starter in the NBA, and maybe even a star.

Not only is he an elite perimeter defender, but his offensive game is really coming along. His shot looks really nice. He plays under control, is remarkably athletic, and shows great instincts. Ask any serious Bulls fan who their favorite player is this year, and "Jimmy" is likely to be the answer. What makes his story all the more intriguing is his difficult past and the way he has carried himself and improved through hard work. He was essentially homeless in high-school, after his mother kicked him out because she didn't like the look of him. Different people deal with hardship in different ways, and Butler seems to have dealt with his difficult circumstances in the best possible way. Here is an interview where Jimmy tells his tale.



a more in depth article on Butler's game in Grantland

Cardboard Bike

A $12 cardboard bike. Sign me up!

On Black

I have been working on a new series on black canvas. The colors really pop when I use a variety of paint pens. These are fun to do and I can make them fast.

Reviews of Random Movies

Netflix. I watch it. Here are some reviews of random stuff I recently watched. Why, because this is a personal blog and I consider myself an authority on all things cultural. This post could also be called, "three pretty good but not amazing movies that I recently sat through."

Haywire

Haywire is a stylish spy/revenge flick from Steven Soderbergh, the kind of movie that unfolds out of order, and where lots of people die. A genre flick, and not a terrible one. I was entertained. It has a tremendous cast: Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas, etc. The lead is played by Gina Carano. Who? Exactly. She plays the super bad ass spy lady that beats the shit out of people. I had to stop the movie halfway through and look up who she is. It wasn't that she was terrible, and she is an attractive woman, but she her presence didn't scream, "Leading Lady." Turns out she is a kick-boxer, and pretty much the toughest woman on earth. Aha. That is interesting and it increases the plausibility of her character's ability to kick ass. I give this movie three stars on the Netflix five star scale. Maybe three plus. Worth a watch if you like the genre.

Newlyweds

Edward Burns wants to be Woody Allen. That much was evident in this movie. Edward Burns is one of those guys that writes, directs, and stars in all of his films, with mostly marginally positive results. This movie shows the effects of outside influences on a newlywed couple in New York. The embodiment of these forces takes the form of Edward Burns character's long lost half sister, played by Caitlin Fitzgerald, who shows up and starts fucking shit up. She is the test. Will the couple pass? All in all entertaining. A thought or two was provoked. I'll give this one three stars as well.

Goats

Goats takes you by the shoulders and screams "I am an indie film!" It is a mostly successful portrayal of a dysfunctional family and a likable teenage boy in particular. He is torn between his flaky desert dwelling hippie mom who has raised him and his successful east coast father who is making an effort to reconnect. The most influential figure in his life is possibly his stepdad-ish goat-herding, pot-harvesting, freeloading, friend and dependent of his mother, played by David Duchovny. The movie in part focuses on the selfishness of the adult figures in the kid's life, and their struggles to grow past their own imperfections. Just when you are about to lose hope in all of them, one of the adults steps up and redeems themselves by giving the kid advice that isn't self-serving. Worth a watch. I enjoyed it. I give this one another three plus stars.

Barry McGee at the Berkeley Art Museum

I was in the bay area last week and I took the opportunity to check out a Barry McGee retrospective at the Berkeley Art Museum. Amazingly, this is his first career retrospective show. He is a hugely influential artist on myself and many others and the show was fantastic. Well worth the trip to the east bay.

Nate Otto Merch

I have some stuff for sale here. Prints, iPhone cases etc...

Health Design Challenge

This caught my eye. There is a design challenge with over $50,000 in prizes to redesign the Patient Medical Record form. The current form is essentially a text list with no informational hierarchy or design of any sort. This is an important document that needs to be read and comprehended quickly by a wide variety of people. Here is an opportunity for design to come to the rescue! To enter go here. This contest is sponsored by the government and it has the possibility of affecting change in a positive way. The old layout:

Powers of Ten

Here is the iconic Eames office Powers of Ten film.

Nateotto.com

Introducing nateotto.com I am now a full time professional artist and I needed a site to reflect that fact. Feast your eyes!