Tarnation

I hate Jonathan Caouette

Reason 1:
He made the personal documentary I’ve always wanted to (albeit with a very different subject matter and aesthetic sense than I would have chosen).

Reason 2:
He stole my soundtrack. Anyone who knows anything about me knows how much music rules my day-to-day life. I have very discerning tastes and when I watch a movie I'm usually pulled out of the drama by the filmmaker’s crap music. That's not the case with Tarnation. Bands he chose include: Mark Kozelek (of The Red House Painters), Low, Iron and Wine, and Magnetic Fields. These same artists have had heavy rotatation on my iTunes for the last couple of years. Even songs I wasn’t familiar with: Cocteau twins, Lisa Germano and Marianne Faithful were expertly selected for this very stylized doc.

Reason 3:
One of my favourite filmmakers, Gus Van Sant was an executive producer. This is the dream of all young filmmakers: to have your first movie recognized by one of the greatest working directors of our time.

Reason 4:
He is so articulate and so friggin’ well spoken in the DVD commentary. This F—er is to-the-point and just goddamn succinct when it comes to explaining the themes and the overall construction of the film

Reason 5:
He put this film together using iMovie from Mac. Yes, the free software that comes with every Mac. I haven’t even opened that program on my Mac, cause I thought it was a mickey-mouse piece o’ junk. I might use it for my next short form project. Simplicity is sometimes best; that’s what Jonathon’s lesson is.

I Love Jonathan Caouette