WHAT I'M THANKFUL FOR IN THIS INDUSTRY

I've been in Los Angeles for five years, working in the industry in one way shape or form. It hasn't always been a blast, but when it's good, it's fucking amazing. I've seen things, done things, and met people that I never thought I would. And spoken with and regularly conversed with my idols. I wanted to offer up what I'm thankful for in this industry, this Thanksgiving season:

I am thankful that filmmakers like Michael Mann, Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott, Oliver Stone, David Fincher, Paul Thomas Anderson, Tony Scott, Brian De Palma, Werner Herzog, Joel & Ethan Coen, Michael Bay, Steven Spielberg, Spike Jonze, David Cronenberg, Zack Snyder, Paul Greengrass, Terrence Malick, Andrew Dominik, and Sean Penn have all recently made great films, and have some spectacular projects on the horizon.

I am thankful for my job in this industry, as it's shown me, with a few exceptions, how exactly NOT to behave in regular life.

I am thankful for the Arclight, for always providing an amazing movie-going experience.

I am thankful for Netflix, which has expanded my horizons and taste for all sorts of world cinema.

I am thankful for having such an amazing girlfriend, who will willingly submit her weekends to "double-feature Saturday" and then one more on Sunday, always with a smile.

I'm thankful for all of the incredible movies that have come out in 2007, including: THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD, INTO THE WILD, EASTERN PROMISES, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD, AMERICAN GANGSTER, MICHAEL CLAYTON, THE KINGDOM, THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE, 3:10 TO YUMA, THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM, GONE BABY GONE, WE OWN THE NIGHT, TRANSFORMERS, KNOCKED UP, RESCUE DAWN, IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH, THE DARJEELING LIMITED, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END, and RENDITION.

I'm thankful for my mother, father, and sister, for always allowing me to suggest (sometimes obsessively) a multitude of films for them to see. And even though I know they'll never see some of them, I still love that they at least allow me to humor them.

I am thankful for having such a nice widescreen television (thanks in large part to my father and girlfriend) to watch all of my dvds on and for having such a sick surround-sound system to piss off my neighbor with.

I am thankful for a movie like SOUTHLAND TALES, becasue even though it's not very good overall, it exhibits such a dazzling sense of creativity and exuberance that it's impossible to forget.

I am thankful for websites http://www.hollywood-elsewhere.com/, http://www.aint-it-cool-news.com/, and http://www.joblo.com/, because without them, I'd feel lost in trying to navigate the murky waters of movie development.

I'm thankful for the trade magazine Variety, which I've been reading since I was a teenager at the advice of my father, for always providing great info and informative reviews.

I'm thankful that Roger Ebert, one of the best and most important voices in American film criticism, is getting healthier and is back behind the keyboard banging out reviews.

I'm thankful for the guys who run http://www.rottentomatoes.com/ for providing such an invaluable research tool.

I'm thankful for so many things, and I look forward to another great year of movie watching.

Happy Thanksgiving!