Match-cut's Best & Worst of 2009 - COUNTDOWN!

[Boner M]

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll39/colpot10/benlyons.jpg

Hai guyz, its me again! Thingz aint been so gud since I left yall, two OLD UGLY DUDEZ WHO ACTUALLY LIKED MICHELLE WILLIAMS DOG MOVIE AND RED BALLOON MOVIE haz replaced me and now are telling da world 2 see gay boring moviez about feelingz and cooking and ballet and other wussy shit. LAME!!! I mean sometimez its OK to see movies about feelings and politix and socialisms and dat kind fo serious stuff biut in dis case it iz all they ever recmmend and I iz getting fed up wit it!

At least dey recommended da movie Avatar!!! Dat movie is so amazing dat after I saw it I wanted to kill myself becuz Pandora is soooo shiny and magical that it made the real world even more boring and stupid wen I got out of da theatre. Also cuz i iz homeless but mainy cos of pandora withdrawlz. Apparently lots fo ppl feel da same way cuz da news sed so, and when I went to da shrink to tell her about feeling sad she prescribez me a medissin cald ‘BENLYONSOXINE’ and she was like ‘well for a while everytime someone saw me if they is feeling sad it wuz usually cos they watched ur show so we named an antidepressent after u’, which soundz fair to me I gotta say. N e way I wish I cud stay and make funz of you for liking wimpy homo moviez but ive got to vizit Pandora again!!! PEACE OUT

DIS YEAR’S GEST HOST COMIN SOON!

HINT: It iz a sertain fox dat iz able to speak!!!

[Spinal]

HINT: It iz a sertain fox dat iz able to speak!!!

Chaos reigns!

[Pathétique]

S'weet

[Ezee E]

Hmm... I bet Meg would rather shag an actual fox before this Fox.

[B-side]

Yay.

[ledfloyd]

oh no, i had just gotten used to the absence of ben lyons in film criticism.

[eternity]

lol michelle williams dog movie

[Boner M]

Hmm... I bet Meg would rather shag an actual fox before this Fox.
http://open.salon.com/files/megan-fox_0811_1ea1242229018.jpg

I don't know who this 'Meg' is, but he's clearly intimidated by, and/or jealous of my sexuality. I mean, jesus Christ I'm fucking hot. And I speak my mind. And that makes me a threat, or something. WHAT THE FUCK IS UP WITH THAT? Why can't I say that I like oral sex in interviews? It's because of the sexist media and their double standards, that's why. I'm a maverick. I'm a rebel. I'm a threat to the system. And that's why I get crucified ALL THE TIME. But those people don't realise that I'm a MARTYR. They laugh at what I say now. And in 20, 50, 100 years time, they'll still be laughing. And then they'll be laughing so long that suddenly they'll realise that they were just SCARED to admit I was RIGHT. And so, for match-cut.org's 20 best films of the year, I'm going to speak the truth about each of them. Because I keep it real.

Also, boys have cooties.

[soitgoes...]

Also, boys have cooties.
And you have weird thumbs! :P

[Boner M]

But first! The worst films of 2009.

=10. The Unborn

http://www.savingadvice.com/images/blog/generic-beer.jpg

Just about the most generic horror film I've seen in a while. Oh, and I thought in was in bad taste to use the tragedy of the Holocaust and the concentration camps as some sort of cheap plot twist... "Let's finish what we started in Auschwitz" might be the most unintentionally funny line of the year though. – angry cinephile

=10. Up in the Air

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4IqAMwAGn1w/SfPi-0hNp7I/AAAAAAAAQEI/GUnd37JW9MQ/s400/smug.jpg.jpeg

This movie blew. Everything about it, from the progression of each scene to the dialogue to the character arcs, was just so obvious and shallow in its construction. Awful. - Melville

=10. The Hangover

http://everythingisjaded.files.wordpr ess.com/2009/03/frat-boys02.jpg

It sucks when comedies aren't funny. Good lord this was stupid. Waste of time. - Benny Profane

[Boner M]

7. Brüno

http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/jgeist/omg/fish_barrel.gif

Days have passed since I saw this movie and I think I grow to dislike it more and more. - number8 (oddly, this was the most negative response in the film's thread)

[Boner M]

6. Precious

http://www.generationq.net/bm.pix/drama-queen~s600x600.jpg

It really doesn't have anything to say beyond "life can be super hard, but keep on going" and spends 2 hours just trying to prove that in the most over-the-top manner possible, while doing absolutely nothing else. It's actually kind of pathetic how hard it begs for sympathy from the audience—which is the complete opposite of the character's supposed journey. Not to mention that the shit they pile on the girl are handled so callously that they feel more like a checklist of "bad things that can happen to you" than serious real-life problems. - number8

[Boner M]

5. Angels & Demons

http://mystic-waters.com/images/circle.gif

It's just fucking stupid. A lame-brained scavenger hunt with action following action, banal plot detail following banal plot detail. Oh, and the occasional obvious "religion vs. science" chitchat. Total nonsense. They're just using adult terms for child's play. I've had more of a mysterious, spiritual experience on a seven-year-old Easter Egg hunt. Anyone that takes this material seriously is a moron. - NickGlass

[Boner M]

4. Wolverine

http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/wp-content/2009/02/wolverine.jpg

It's bad. Awful in fact. Worse than the third X-men. The worst special effects I've seen in a film this year. Pirates 2 has better special effects. Bad editing. Bad dialog. Bad finale fight. Bad bad bad bad. - Dukefrukem

[Boner M]

3. Friday the 13th

http://www.online-casinos.com/casinopictures/golden-cashgrab-b.jpg

I've been thinking: if this remake is of any use, it'll make non-fans realize what relative (or absolute, if they really come around...) joys the 80s 'Friday' flicks were. The eccentric stupid slasher film, where part of the fun was their lampoon of an eclectic set of stereotypes and caricatures. God this movie was so dull. - Bosco

[Boner M]

2. G.I. Joe

http://www.foundshit.com/images/mutual-health.jpg

Oh gawd, this was just terrible. The final scene with Eccleston and Gordon-Levitt is just one of the most embarassing things I've seen in a movie for some time (let alone a huge Hollywood movie with a lot of money behind it). It also needs to be said that the really bad effects displayed in the trailer probably ended up being some of the strongest in the final film. There's a shot early on where a jet flies through the desert and makes its way into the G.I. Joe base that looks almost like it could have been pre-viz footage. – Henry Gale

[Boner M]

#1

http://www.dorsetforyou.gov.uk/media/images/7/b/Cans_1.jpg

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http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_g9Dol3VBYD0/Sal7Jsn4OUI/AAAAAAAAAo8/WkfQHNH-6mk/s400/Scrub_Me_Mama_watermelon.jpg

http://l.yimg.com/img.movies.yahoo.com/ymv/us/img/hv/photo/movie_pix/mtv/mtv_movie_awards_arrivals_2004 _photos/shia_labeouf/mtv3.jpg

http://www.celebritysmackblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/blow-up-doll.jpg

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[Ezee E]

If it were just pictures, I think I would've figured them all out except The Unborn and Bruno.

Strong work!

[ledfloyd]

i love the transformers pictures. they really capture the film's essence.

[Pathétique]

The Blind Side?

[The Mike]

Impressed that I only like 4 of the movies on the worst list. Match Cut must be getting soft.

[EyesWideOpen]

Impressed that I only like 4 of the movies on the worst list. Match Cut must be getting soft.

Me too. 4 of the list would probably be in my top twenty or thirty of the year.

[Rowland]

I've only seen two of the ten worst, and while I didn't like them (both were two-star ratings), I didn't necessarily hate them either. The Hangover and Angels and Demons were both highly flawed, but entertaining enough on their own dim-witted terms to not make my ten worst list.

[Winston*]

The Blind Side?

Has anyone actually seen that movie?

[Melville]

Awesome choices of pictures. I've only seen one of the top 10 worst. It wasn't very good.

[Pop Trash]

Has anyone actually seen that movie?

I believe Balmak saw it and hated it if I'm not mistaken.

[Stay Puft]

Of the worst list, I've seen:

Up in the Air - **
The Hangover - **
Wolverine - *½
GI Joe - *½
Transformers ROTF - *½

Some decent clunkers in there, for sure. Wasn't a terribly good year for summer films.

[The Mike]

Has anyone actually seen that movie?I actually did last night.

It is, in fact, a movie.

[Pathétique]

Has anyone actually seen that movie?
Not me. But when I saw the winking picture, I thought it might mean "Blind Side."

Haven't seen any of the films on this list, except parts of Wolverine, which was horrid.

[Spinal]

Only saw The Hangover and Bruno and liked them both.

[Boner M]

Oops, the bottom 10 was supposed to be the top ten, guys. My mistake.

Top 20 coming a little later. Megan's being a diva about it.

[eternity]

You guys should see more bad movies. A list without He's Just Not That Into You and The Ugly Truth is not a worst films of 2009 list.

[Boner M]

You guys should see more bad movies. A list without He's Just Not That Into You and The Ugly Truth is not a worst films of 2009 list.
Assuming that we would see either film rests on the fallacy that most match-cutters have girlfriends.

[MadMan]

Friday the 13th-63
Bruno-71
The Hangover-85
Up in the Air-95

Not sure what the last two are doing on that list. I can understand Bruno and F13th, though. I'm completely unsurprised to see Transfomers 2 on the list as #1. I realize that this point in my life I usually try to steer clear of the obvious crappy movies, although I watch a bad/weak movie once in a while. Simply because it leads to me appreciating the truly good/great films even more.

[eternity]

Assuming that we would see either film rests on the fallacy that most match-cutters have girlfriends.
I can't be the only single masochist on MC.

[Robby P]

I was subjected to both He's Just Not that Into You and The Ugly Truth. Both were painfully awful but the latter managed to be incredibly offensive and tasteless as well.

I agree with the implication that many of the movies on the 'worst' list were hardly bad, by any means.

[Mysterious Dude]

I had a little trouble coming up with my 'worst' list. I don't really hate any of the movies I listed on it (and none of them made the final list here). I just don't see movies that I know I'm going to hate like Transformers 2. Why did you guys see that movie?! I don't think I heard one good thing about it!

[MadMan]

Yeah I too don't understand why so many Match-Cutters, most of who despise Michael Bay, went and saw Transformers 2. I'll just chalk it up to curiosity, or maybe they went to make fun of it. The latter makes sense, but the former strikes me as unwise.

[Henry Gale]

The Unborn - *
Up In The Air - ***
The Hangover - ***
Brüno - ***
Precious - **½
X-Men Origins: Wolverine - *½
G.I. Joe: Rise Of Cobra - *
Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen - **

Sad thing is... the unintentional loolz in the majority of the movies found terrible probably make them more re-watchable than the ones I say I actually like. My three-star tends to act as a mild to merely solid "I liked it...!" more than the average person's may, so I can't say the list upsets me too much.

Bring on the better-liked!

[Ezee E]

Yeah I too don't understand why so many Match-Cutters, most of who despise Michael Bay, went and saw Transformers 2. I'll just chalk it up to curiosity, or maybe they went to make fun of it. The latter makes sense, but the former strikes me as unwise.
Summer event movies get me every time.

Also, what's the one with Paul Rudd/jason Segal? There's the occassional chick flick that ends up working out. You can usually tell ahead of time. It's just hoping that the girl won't drag you to such a bad one.

[MadMan]

Summer event movies get me every time.These days I try to avoid most summer movies. But hey I saw Inglourious Basterds in the summer, and that was one of the best movies of 2009.


Also, what's the one with Paul Rudd/jason Segal? There's the occassional chick flick that ends up working out. You can usually tell ahead of time. It's just hoping that the girl won't drag you to such a bad one.I Love You Man is the title. I heard that movie was quite funny, but its more of a buddy comedy imo. Still, I can foresee myself getting dragged to a crappy chick flick or rom-com by a pretty girl in the future. Then, if this message board hasn't gone the way of the dinosaurs, I can vent about how awful it was here.

[Sycophant]

I Love You Man is the title. I heard that movie was quite funny, but its more of a buddy comedy imo. Still, I can foresee myself getting dragged to a crappy chick flick or rom-com by a pretty girl in the future. Then, if this message board hasn't gone the way of the dinosaurs, I can vent about how awful it was here.

What.

I have seen the movie. It is called I Love You, Man. It is most decidedly a romantic comedy, though maybe not a chick flick.

[Raiders]

I have also seen it, and it is most certainly as much a bromance/buddy film as a romantic comedy. It's pretty decent. Paul Rudd is awesome.

[ThePlashyBubbler]

I Love You Man is the title.


What.
I have seen the movie. It is called I Love You, Man.

Can't we all just agree to agree?

[Ezee E]

Paul Rudd is awesome.

Duh.

I watched Role Models again recently and liked it a lot more. Although that may be more because of Jane Lynch's role in it than anything. But Paul Rudd remains awesome there too.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I also saw it, yet have nothing else to add to this conversation.

[MadMan]

Duh.

I watched Role Models again recently and liked it a lot more. Although that may be more because of Jane Lynch's role in it than anything. But Paul Rudd remains awesome there too.Role Models was funny, and strangely had a good message that was hidden because most of its intended audience probably would have been turned off by it. Even though I like that it sticks to said viewpoint. Rudd is good, but I agree that Lynch was better, and more funnier.


What.

I have seen the movie. It is called I Love You, Man. It is most decidedly a romantic comedy, though maybe not a chick flick.Eh, tomatoe, tamatoe :P

[monolith94]

I actually haven't seen a single thing from the "worst" list. I've been getting more picky as I age...

[eternity]

I Love You, Man is quite simply the sum of every other movie Rudd and Segel have ever been in. If you've seen the others, you've seen it, Joben.

[baby doll]

I liked Brüno, The Hangover, and Precious. Is it time I check out Transformers 2, or will I be lost not having seen the first one?

[eternity]

I liked Brüno, The Hangover, and Precious. Is it time I check out Transformers 2, or will I be lost not having seen the first one?

It throws all continuity from the first film out the window. But you will most certainly be lost no matter what you see.

[Boner M]

It begins.

20. Public Enemies

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll39/colpot10/public.gif

MATCH: By far my favorite of Mann's. The digital photography is great; it actually looks good, which I wouldn't have exprected from the trailers, and it does a lot more than just give the film a contemporary, "this is happening now" feel (though it does that really well). The whole take on the gangster genre is very interesting. Little things like the preponderance of woody terrain, when combined with the cinematography, distance the movie from typical gangster iconography. There's a lot of other very self-reflexive stuff too, with gangster movies appearing and Dillinger being filmed by newsmen. But it also manages to have a pretty compelling cast of characters and narrative, which I think Mann frequently fails to do. And there's a lot of interesting stuff with the FBI too, which is used to give the whole thing a feeling of witnessing a historical shift in crime and crime-fighting. There's a very intriguing collection of contrasting elements: the gangster tropes (which are definitely there even if they're being reinterpreted), the feeling of historical importance, the self-reflexivity, the gritty immediacy of the cinematography (with the best gunshots I've ever seen...bursts of light in the darkness), and the characters who are depicted as very real and flawed but simultaneously living on an epic scope. - Melville

CUT: The movie just didn't have any interesting ideas. Everything was dull (except for Depp) especially the ending. Bale was god awful. I could hear him fumbling over the 30's dialect and waiting for him just to say "fuck it" and speak with a British accent. Mann's worst film. - Dukefrukem

MEGAN, TELLIN' IT LIKE IT IS

http://jeffleyland.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/megan-fox-3-300x300.jpg

I didn't notice how it was shot, because I'm a girl and don't care about that geeky boy stuff. I was too busy rubbin' one out to Depp & Bale! Wait, why can't I say that? That's right, sexist media double standard. I'M JUS' KEEPIN IT REAL.

[Boner M]

19. Goodbye Solo

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MATCH: Goodbye Solo is the best film I've seen this year, and I feel confident enough to say right now that I'm fairly sure nothing will supplant it. It was amazing. The story develops so organically, and for such a quiet film it was intensely emotional. I'm just stunned right now. - Kurosawa Fan

CUT: I became increasingly disappointed by the middle act (particularly when it truly goes nowhere interesting) and the treatment of William who should have remained impenetrable (I hated the reveal of that diary--awwww, he cared after all). Solo also is a bit underwhelming a character, going through the standard motions and the ending completely stunts him as his own figure, instead choosing to let him remain defined only by his "friendship" with William... But, then the ending, which I'm torn between feeling it properly ended the story (particularly given the implication that Solo's failures as a parental figure can still be fixed whereas William's were unfortunately beyond mending) and that Bahrani never had much in mind for either of these characters; just a look at the disappointments of life, one old, weathered and finished and the other younger, spirited but by the end, somewhat disillusioned. I got the sense that Bahrani wanted to stress the cultural separation of these two characters and perhaps even the changing landscape of certain regions, but his style is so plain that he fails to really evoke any sense of place. - Raiders

MEGAN, TELLIN' IT LIKE IT IS

http://jeffleyland.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/megan-fox-3-300x300.jpg

This movie is bogus. Old people are gross and smelly and could hardly ever care about black people. Wait, why can't I say that? That's right, sexist media double standard. I'M JUS' KEEPIN IT REAL.

[Boner M]

18. Coraline

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll39/colpot10/coraline.gif

MATCH: But otherwise, the film is incredible, delightful, surprisingly dark and not afraid to wallow in the occasional grotesquerie. It's classical storytelling, executed with precision, and the world created is as enchanting and involving as any kid's film I've seen. Really, really dug this one. - Dead & Messed Up

CUT: Selick's best film, but that's not saying much. The character design is the highlight, particularly the Other Mother late in the film. Still can't help but feel it wasn't nearly as captivating and magical as it should have been. And the French and Saunders characters are just ... weird. - Spinal

MEGAN, TELLIN' IT LIKE IT IS

http://jeffleyland.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/megan-fox-3-300x300.jpg

When I was a little girl, I used to smuggle dope through airlines in my barbie dolls' heads. Wait, why can't I say that? That's right, sexist media double standard. I'M JUS' KEEPIN IT REAL.

[Bosco B Thug]

It took an intellectualist lampoon, but I do believe I'm more attracted to Megan Fox than I have ever been before. L. O. L.

So many 09 films I haven't seen... Goodbye Solo hasn't even been in my radar, I thought it was like a 2008 film.

[Boner M]

17. District 9

http://www.watblog.com/upload/Image/viralexample.jpg

MATCH: Yeah, this was pretty awesome. Caustic, politically aware satire, propulsive pacing, and agreeably unconventional in tone as summer tent pole releases are concerned... I had a great time. - Rowland

CUT: Oh man. What a terrible film. I can't think of another single film where every single element seems ill-advised. Lame inexplicable plot cliches, fractured action, politically foul, emotionally chortle-worthy. I like the scary black guys the best. - Sven

MEGAN, TELLIN' IT LIKE IT IS

http://jeffleyland.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/megan-fox-3-300x300.jpg

Hey Sven, black guys ARE scary. Wait, why can't I say that? That's right, sexist media double standard. I'M JUS' KEEPIN IT REAL.

[Boner M]

16. The Fantastic Mr. Fox

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll39/colpot10/fox.gif

MATCH: This was pretty great. I'm not even that big of a Wes Anderson fan but either he is growing on me or his style translates to animation rather well. A lot of the trademarks are still there (60s pop music and clothes, that deadpan thing where he holds a shot for a beat or two longer than seems necessary, God's-eye-view shots of books or papers on desks, and just an overall 'we're all in this together' humanist world view) but I guess I found it more endearing than The Darjeeling Limited or The Life Aquatic where it was feeling a bit stale and forced. - Pop Trash

CUT: I think my biggest issue is something I guess I should call "The Jimmy Neutron effect." That is, this guy screwed up EVERYONE'S lives, but since he pulled them out of the mess he made and did a few things to redeem himself, suddenly all is peachy again. - Fezzik

MEGAN, TELLIN' IT LIKE IT IS

http://jeffleyland.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/megan-fox-3-300x300.jpg

Animated movies are for wussy little mama's boys who can't get laid. 'Great year for animation'? Great year for VIRGINITY, more like it. Wait, why can't I say that? That's right, sexist media double standard. I'M JUS' KEEPIN IT REAL.

[Melville]

The first time Megan Fox said she's jus' keepin' it real, it didn't seem very funny. But by the third or fourth time, it was hilarious.

[Ezee E]

Cuteness reigns.

Gold.

[MadMan]

Public Enemies and District 9 both made my Top 10. Fantastic Mr. Fox didn't, but its in my Top 20. Haven't seen the other selections, yet.

[Adam]

http://jeffleyland.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/megan-fox-3-300x300.jpg

Holy flurking schnit, that's an actual tattoo Megan Fox has?!

[Spinal]

18. Coraline

CUT: Selick's best film, but that's not saying much. The character design is the highlight, particularly the Other Mother late in the film. Still can't help but feel it wasn't nearly as captivating and magical as it should have been. And the French and Saunders characters are just ... weird. - Spinal

For the record, I gave it three stars.

[Rowland]

Hmm, Public Enemies may have taken Goodbye Solo's position had I seen it before the list deadline. Oh well, to missed opportunities.

[Boner M]

For the record, I gave it three stars.
Softie.

[ledfloyd]

The first time Megan Fox said she's jus' keepin' it real, it didn't seem very funny. But by the third or fourth time, it was hilarious.
i feel the opposite.

[Boner M]

15. Avatar

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MATCH: Yes, the story is somewhat rote. There are elements from Dances With Wolves, Pocahontas, Ferngully and even Braveheart, but there were enough small differences where even the story felt somewhat fresh. It helped that Ney'Tira was one of the more endearing characters I've ever had the pleasure to watch. Zoe Saldana was amazing, and I don't say that lightly at all... Visually, everything you've heard is true. It's a sumptuous film, and the CGI and Live action were seamless and that 'line' was almost invisible. It truly is the Star Wars for this generation. But, most importantly, I found myself caring for the characters so much that even when I saw the inevitable ending coming from a mile away, I actually wished for it to come about rather than to be thrown a curveball. - Fezzik

CUT: You have a long slog through 2 hours of dopey narrative to get about 30 minutes of fairly solid action sequences. The lead character is thoroughly bland. In fact, most of the characters are. The willingness of the alien race to accept Jake over and over again strains credibility. The single-minded aggression of the military commander is lazy plotting. Occasionally the film stumbles across an interesting idea (about the tension between our reliance on machinery and our lost connection to nature) almost as if by accident. However, the exploration of those themes does not rise above the level of a moderately thoughtful Nickelodeon cartoon. The effects are integrated nicely. They do not feel overly showy. But I still don't like the design of the alien race. The facial features are bland and unappealing. Hair that jacks into other living creatures? Oh lord. - Spinal

MEGAN, TELLIN' IT LIKE IT IS

http://jeffleyland.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/megan-fox-3-300x300.jpg

James Cameron is no Michael Bay and never will be, unless the sequel has enslaved Na'vi chicks straddling motorbikes. Wait, why can't I say that? That's right, sexist media double standard. I'M JUS' KEEPIN IT REAL.

[Boner M]

14. Antichrist

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MATCH: This is a beautiful, haunting and courageous work full of resonant symbolism and dangerous thoughts. A horror film that is perhaps more horrifying after you have left the theater and have time to let the ramifications of what you have just seen sink in. It's true. Antichrist is jesus. - Spinal

CUT: add me to those who were left indifferent/disappointed. i actually really loved the first hour or so, but once it got to the stuff that's been talked about, the film lost much of it's impact for me. i also can't argue with the claims made about the film's misogyny. how it compares to trier's other work i can't say, as this was my first experience with him. - ledfloyd

MEGAN, TELLIN' IT LIKE IT IS

http://jeffleyland.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/megan-fox-3-300x300.jpg

Big deal, I mutilate my nether regions all the time. Wait, why can't I say that? That's right, sexist media double standard. I'M JUS' KEEPIN IT REAL.

[Spinal]

It's true. Antichrist is jesus.

:lol:

Is this a callback to the famous Wats review of Wall-E?

[Boner M]

13. The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans

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MATCH: This movie is amazing in the most sincere form of the word. Unintentionally hilarious whuzzuhhuh? I will be surprised if I see a better movie this year. - Sven

CUT: I wish these [Herzog and remake people] die in Hell. I hope they’re all in the same streetcar, and it blows up. - Abel Ferrara

MEGAN, TELLIN' IT LIKE IT IS

http://jeffleyland.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/megan-fox-3-300x300.jpg

Herzog is crazy and has a stupid accent. Wait, why can't I say that? That's right, sexist media double standard. I'M JUS' KEEPIN IT REAL.

[Boner M]

:lol:

Is this a callback to the famous Wats review of Wall-E?
Indeed it is.

[Boner M]

12. Summer Hours

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MATCH: This was wonderful. I love the sparing use of music. There are only three, maybe four tracks in the entire film, and they're used to wonderful effect. Particularly during the tour of the art works as the museum prepares them for display. The subsequent scene of Frédéric walking around the public display (no music) is also great, kind of like the entire film in a single movement, as we get the students who take the tour (the one guy seems casually indifferent, would rather be watching a movie), the curators with specific historical knowledge, and Frédéric with his personal, sentimental meanings. It's an intelligent, observant film that traces the multifarious ways that material objects can come to mediate relationships (or more accurately, have those meanings projected onto them). And, yeah, the last ten to fifteen minutes are wonderful. I love how the film develops the daughter, particulary that last scene with her boyfriend. - Stay Puft

CUT: GRR I HAVE NEGATIVE THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THIS MOVIE - No one

MEGAN, TELLIN' IT LIKE IT IS

http://jeffleyland.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/megan-fox-3-300x300.jpg

NOBODY CARES ABOUT YOUR TUPPERWARE, YOU BORING ASSHOLES. Plus, French people eat snails... gross! Wait, why can't I say that? That's right, sexist media double standard. I'M JUS' KEEPIN IT REAL.

[Spun Lepton]

Wait, why can't I say that? That's right, sexist media double standard. I'M JUS' KEEPIN IT REAL.

What is this, a Saturday Night Live sketch?

[Boner M]

11. The White Ribbon

http://i50.tinypic.com/30ndfva.gif

MATCH: Probably the closest Haneke has come to making an Oscar-worthy prestige pic, this is nonetheless no way a bid for mainstream attention after the punkish stunt that was the Funny Games remake. It's as austere and stark-looking as ever, with every moment fraught with dread. Dialogue gracefully establishes and builds upon themes, performances are impeccable all-round, but perhaps most gratifyingly is that the characters here feel looser, laughier and generally less like puppets for a thesis than ever before. The themes of hereditary evil and the return of the repressed might not be new to his work, but the level of formal and narrative mastery are taken to a whole new level. I can't wait to see where he goes next. - Me

CUT: But, the man just doesn't understand humanity or warmth. The schoolteacher meant to counterbalance the town's emotional stagnation is a rather dull pushover and hardly a convincing argument. Perhaps that is Haneke's point, that in this time in this country, those who were capable of tenderness and emotion were peripheral and useless in the wake of the oppressive social regime. But still, I was left nodding my head in appreciation (particularly in light of the admittedly terrific craft) but thoroughly unmoved. I would also add that I suspect Haneke's comments regarding this film as a picture of the root of all fascism is very reductive and certainly an incomplete equation, but that's neither here nor there. - Raiders

MEGAN, TELLIN' IT LIKE IT IS

http://jeffleyland.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/megan-fox-3-300x300.jpg

I did it. Wait, why can't I say that? That's right, sexist media double standard. I'M JUS' KEEPIN IT REAL.

[Boner M]

10-1 tomorrow. Off to see Shutter Island.

[ledfloyd]

summer hours is too low.

[Raiders]

Damn. I've been the "cut" twice. Just call me Mr. Meanie.

[Spun Lepton]

Damn. I've been the "cut" twice. Just call me Mr. Meanie.

Once we reach the _______ Movie movies, I'm sure we'll start seeing you Matched more than Cut.

/readies himself to be banned

:D

[Watashi]

Too bad Up won't be here, because that would make an interesting Match/Cut.

[Watashi]

I was going to rep boner for calling back to one of my famous quotes, but he forgot a word (http://match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=75605&postcount=174) in the sentence. Fail.

[number8]

I had no idea this thread existed until about ten minutes ago. And I'm quoted twice! My vanity is slipping.

[Boner M]

10. Tokyo Sonata

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll39/colpot10/tokyo.gif

MATCH: This was really great. What surprised me most is that even though it is not a horror film, it still retained a lot of the eerie, apocalyptic feeling that I enjoyed so much about Pulse. And more there's more humor than I expected. Perhaps it is because economic crisis is so much a part of the current zeitgeist, but those scenes with the unemployed businessmen drifting around the city are haunting. I love that he shoots them almost like he's telling a ghost story. So many great scenes, but the confrontation about the piano lessons was the highlight for me. - Spinal

CUT: Two points I didn't like: a subplot with a fellow down-and-out businessman is a distraction, and there is another subplot involving American involvement in Japan that seems more suited for the broad social satire of The Host than this film. It's kind of thuddingly presented, but this particular plot point ultimately leads to a very clear-mindedly progressivist and moving conclusion - an evaluation that probably applies to the film as a whole. - Bosco (who liked the film overall)

MEGAN, TELLIN' IT LIKE IT IS

http://jeffleyland.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/megan-fox-3-300x300.jpg

Piano lessons are GAY. Wait, why can't I say that? That's right, sexist media double standard. I'M JUS' KEEPIN IT REAL.

[Boner M]

9. The Hurt Locker

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll39/colpot10/hurt.gif

MATCH: Some terrifically gripping sequences (the sniper shoot-out especially), and a sense of cinematic grammar that outpaced the occasionally irksome jitter-cam. I also appreciate the film's refusal to examine any of the larger consequences of the war; there's a nice, clear focus, and the story never overreaches... My favorite moment: the split-second before the suicide bomber blows, when he sings a swatch of what I assume is a Muslim hymn. For some reason, that really moved me. Probably more than anything else in the film. - Dead & Messed Up

CUT: Anyway, I found the first 90 or so minutes very tense and well made. From that point forward, basically when they go to survey the possible suicide bomb area, the film just fell apart for me. That sequence was messy, as was the conclusion and aftermath (especially the scene at the departing helicopter). Fell into silly cliches with James (showering with clothes on, sitting in front of TV with static, etc.), and kind of floundered to its conclusion, which was inevitable. Lacked the emotional punch the film deserved. Not a bad film, but not one I was impressed with either. - Kurosawa Fan

MEGAN, TELLIN' IT LIKE IT IS

http://jeffleyland.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/megan-fox-3-300x300.jpg

Kill all them towelheads. Wait, why can't I say that? That's right, sexist media double standard. I'M JUS' KEEPIN IT REAL.

[Boner M]

8. Bright Star

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll39/colpot10/brightstar.gif

MATCH: I've said it before, and I'll say it again: it's the best evocation of romantic love—the feeling of it, the textures and moods, if not the details of the relationship—ever put to film. Between this and Two Lovers, 2009 offers a pretty great survey of what film can express about romance. - Melville

CUT: I found this a sumptuously tactile, emotionally unconvincing slog rendered moderately engaging by grace notes Campion peppers throughout, but they aren't enough to dispel the air that she is somehow restrained by reverence to the inevitability of history and the spoken word of Keats' poetry here. I'll take In the Cut any day. - Rowland

MEGAN, TELLIN' IT LIKE IT IS

http://jeffleyland.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/megan-fox-3-300x300.jpg

I wrote a poem once, it rhymed 'vagina' with 'coal miner'. Wait, why can't I say that? That's right, sexist media double standard. I'M JUS' KEEPIN IT REAL.

[Boner M]

7. Up

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll39/colpot10/up.gif

MATCH: Up is about love. It’s about companionship. It’s about interaction. It’s also about mortality and legacy—who or what you leave behind when you die—a profound topic that Up doesn’t take lightly, kids movie or not. Often we’re so obsessed with that legacy that we forget to enjoy the adventure. It isn't a new idea, but it's rarely executed so well. Do we want to waste life chasing a lasting legacy like Muntz, or do we want to lead a fulfilling life of love like Carl? It’s a brilliant choice for the film to have the death montage so early in the film, because it shares that potent impact on related scenes, like when Carl finally realizes what his true adventure was. I don’t want to be “that guy” and say this is the best Pixar film yet, because I keep finding each of their output to be so stellar. But what can I say? It’s true. They’ve raised the bar yet again. Up is even more ambitious and impressive than Wall•E. I’d like to see if the so-called Best Picture contenders this year can match up to it. - number8

CUT: Wow, this was really disappointing. Maybe Pixar really isn't all that great. Guess it's time for me to move on. Besides, who needs animation when you've got Straub & Huillet? - Wats

MEGAN, TELLIN' IT LIKE IT IS

http://jeffleyland.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/megan-fox-3-300x300.jpg

I've had my say about animation, so I'll just say that I really like playing with myself. Wait, why can't I say that? That's right, sexist media double standard. I'M JUS' KEEPIN IT REAL.

[Boner M]

6. Moon

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll39/colpot10/moon.gif

MATCH: Devastating stuff. The film was much different than I thought it would be, and that's a good thing. Pretty much everything clicked for me, especially the score. Rockwell was unbelievably good. I've been a fan for years, but I wasn't aware he had a performance quite that convincing in him. - Kurosawa Fan

CUT: I'm still reeling from being so thoroughly underwhelmed. If you're gonna call it a throwback to a bygone era of sci-fi flicks, fine, but where's the ambition in Moon that all those other films you're comparing it to had? It's especially damning that, for a movie working on such a small scale, Moon never manages to come up with enough new or interesting ideas to fill even its own limited scope. And it's not like its too engaging on a visual or any other technical level. I don't even think Rockwell's all that impressive in the film, though he is the only thing that makes devoting 3.5 hours of life to this ruckus anywhere near almost worth it for me. And I sound like I hated it, but I didn't, really. Just seems like a total waste - Adam

MEGAN, TELLIN' IT LIKE IT IS

http://jeffleyland.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/megan-fox-3-300x300.jpg

I'm Angelina Jolie's clone. Wait, why can't I say that? Because the scientists won't let me.

[Melville]

Big deal, I mutilate my nether regions all the time. Wait, why can't I say that? That's right, sexist media double standard. I'M JUS' KEEPIN IT REAL.

Wow, this was really disappointing. Maybe Pixar really isn't all that great. Guess it's time for me to move on. Besides, who needs animation when you've got Straub & Huillet? - Wats
This thread is gold.

[Boner M]

5. Adventureland

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll39/colpot10/adventureland.gif

MATCH: Pretty wonderful. I in particular loved the way the film gave us a lot of great characters without resorting to using them as a means to an end. As an example, the film gives us Em's parents, a situation which is never resolved, and clearly uses them as a reasoning for her clinging to the, however false, attention from Connell but never feels the need to have this spelled out. As a whole, it felt very "honest," however cliche that may sound. - Raiders

CUT: This was meh. Didn't really cover any new ground. No compelling new performances. I kept on wishing I was watching Some Kind of Wonderful instead (PIttsburgh 1987 as well) or All The Real Girls. - Yxklyx

MEGAN, TELLIN' IT LIKE IT IS

http://jeffleyland.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/megan-fox-3-300x300.jpg

Thank god I'm hot enough that I never had to work a summer job. Wait, why can't I say that? That's right, sexist media double standard. I'M JUS' KEEPIN IT REAL.

[Rowland]

Wow, I'm surprised by the placement for Adventureland. I've been meaning to revisit it, wondering if I may have overrated it a bit, but I stuck to my guns for the top ten list.

[Boner M]

4. Where the Wild Things Are

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll39/colpot10/wild-1.gif

MATCH: I loved it. Amazing design and cgi and voicework and photography and set design and music and writing and acting and directing...holy shit, I didn't expect to keep typing that sentence, but it illustrates the point... Elemental stuff, by turns tender and terrifying. This just floored me, more upon reflection than upon impact, but I want to see it again posthaste. - Wryan

CUT: For me, the literalness seemed a very bland, limited approach to the film's themes, preventing the fantasy world from having any sense of wonder, richness, or scope. With the fantasy-world story dealing so literally with the relationships, feelings, and themes of the real-life story, I'd prefer the film to just stick with the real-life story. - Melville

MEGAN, TELLIN' IT LIKE IT IS

http://jeffleyland.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/megan-fox-3-300x300.jpg

I never was a kid. I was animated as a barely legal Jolie-clone, remember?

[Boner M]

3. Two Lovers

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll39/colpot10/two.gif

MATCH: All of Gray’s protagonists have been notorious mama’s boys, usually rushing to their mothers’ sides in times of medical crisis or else, in We Own the Night, emotionally stunted by their absence. Rossellini’s multivalent presence, sometimes conveying sternness, playfulness, or shrewdness, sometimes all at once, is part of the film’s rich texture of character. To wit, what makes Two Lovers the writer/director’s most accomplished and bittersweet film to date is that there aren’t any real villains, except perhaps for Leonard’s recognizably human desires that threaten to veer him from his life’s preordained trajectory. - Eleven

CUT: I couldn't help but be a bit disappointed by the pervading cliches of overbearing parents and the love story that was very predictable. I had similar issues with We Own the Night. Perhaps I'm missing something. - Brightside (who liked the movie)

MEGAN, TELLIN' IT LIKE IT IS

http://jeffleyland.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/megan-fox-3-300x300.jpg

I once loved a man dearly, but alas, the tidal waves of fate took their toll. I mean, err, his penis was small. Wait, why can't I say that? That's right, sexist media double standard. I'M JUS' KEEPIN IT REAL.

[Melville]

CUT: I couldn't help but be a bit disappointed by the pervading cliches of overbearing parents and the love story that was very predictable. I had similar issues with We Own the Night. Perhaps I'm missing something. - Brightside (who liked the movie)
Say what? The movie is smashing you in the face with emotional truth, and you're talking about predictability? Also, the parents were concerned about their suicidal son. Hardly seemed overbearing.


I once loved a man dearly, but alas, the tidal waves of fate took their toll. I mean, err, his penis was small. Wait, why can't I say that? That's right, sexist media double standard. I'M JUS' KEEPIN IT REAL.
:lol:

[Rowland]

Safe to assume what the last two entries will be, which means I've only seen 11 of these top 20. *sigh*...

[B-side]

Say what? The movie is smashing you in the face with emotional truth, and you're talking about predictability? Also, the parents were concerned about their suicidal son. Hardly seemed overbearing.

Maybe it was that smashing that bugged me? And yes, predictability was a bit of an issue.

[Ezee E]

Just missing Tokyo Sonata, Summer Hours, and Mr. Fox

[Boner M]

2. A Serious Man

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll39/colpot10/serious.gif

MATCH: One of the Coens' best films. Like Trier's Antichrist, this films confronts truths that are almost unbearably painful. While Trier uses a dreamy landscape that often steps outside of reality, the Coens operate within the realm of the tedious and mundane. It's not really a grand gesture that brings down Larry Gopnik (omnious finale notwithstanding), it's an accumulation of smaller details. Burn After Reading was funnier. No Country for Old Men was more harrowing. But A Serious Man might ultimately score the most direct hit. This one stings. - Spinal

CUT: I'm just starting to feel like the Coen's non-ending endings are becoming something of a crutch. When it ended I was like "oh, they are doing that again? OK."... It's just become their schtick. Lebowski, while having something more of an ending than A Serious Man or No Country, also added up to a clusterfuck of nothing much (same goes for Burn After Reading), which is obviously their point. I guess from how gaga a lot of film nerds went over this, I was expecting it to go in a more profound direction and it kind of didn't. - Pop Trash (who liked the movie)

MEGAN, TELLIN' IT LIKE IT IS

http://jeffleyland.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/megan-fox-3-300x300.jpg

Hey, here's an ending! Larry gets laid, problems solved. Wait, why can't I say that? That's right, sexist media double standard. I'M JUS' KEEPIN IT REAL.

[Melville]

Maybe it was that smashing that bugged me? And yes, predictability was a bit of an issue.
But how is predictability relevant? It's not trying to outwit you, or to present a novel situation. It's trying to present a feeling, a mood, a situation, an event with directness and purity, to make their inner essence manifest.

[B-side]

But how is predictability relevant? It's not trying to outwit you, or to present a novel situation. It's trying to present a feeling, a mood, a situation, an event with directness and purity, to make their inner essence manifest.

In this case, predictability goes hand in hand with a feeling of deja vu. I felt like I'd been there before. Granted, Two Lovers did it better, but that didn't stop it from feeling too familiar.

[Winston*]

Seen 12 out of the 20. Only ones I didn't like were Public Enemies and kind of Up. Looking forward to seeing the rest.

[Boner M]

dum
dum
dum

1. Inglourious Basterds

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll39/colpot10/inglourious.gif

MATCH: Inglourious Basterds is not only probably Tarantino's best film to date -- at this point in time, I'd say it is -- but more importantly it is a film that I never would have thought him capable of creating. Though certain stylistic flourishes remain, Tarantino drops a few of his crutches (namely the mixtape soundtrack and the barrage of pop culture fetishism) and tackles his subject matter with something his work, even the good stuff, has rarely possessed in the past -- a desire to communicate an important idea.

The film melds Tarantino's mastery of surface pleasures with a newfound commitment to layered, sophisticated thematics and the result is an exhilarating film that is not only a rewrite of history, but in some ways an actual argument in support of historical inaccuracy. Tarantino argues that we have had enough films in which we see the repeated images of strong, powerful Nazis hounding terrified Jews and executing them mercilessly. Those films have their place in telling a history, but what are the consequences of having those images barrage us every year around Oscar season?

Like the film's Nazi propagandists who realize that the cinema can be used to rally a nation and inspire pride, Tarantino audaciously suggests that a film with a band of ruthless Jewish spies who put terror into the hearts of their enemies might have real life value in the way it alters our perceptions. Instead of using cinema to kill the Jews over and over and over, why not use it to burn the idea of Nazism in effigy? Only Tarantino would be so cocky as to use the final line of his film to insinuate that he knows that the film he has created is fantastic. But I have to say that I agree with his assessment.

Inglourious Basterds is a film that is exciting not only because it is perhaps the pinnacle of Tarantino's cinema. It is exciting because it suggests that Tarantino may have reached a new stage in his career. It took him 15 years to live up to the enormous hype of Pulp Fiction. Let's hope it takes far less time for him to match this one. - Spinal

CUT: I'm aware that the movie is primarily conversational long-takes interrupted by casual bouts of graphic violence. Unfortunately, I found most of these scenes to be largely long-winded, self-indulgent and simply uninteresting. My point, however, was that I do not accept the argument that this movie is intended to be an indictment of violence as some reviewers I've skimmed have suggested. I don't believe the movie is intended to force the audience to question their moral codes or lust for vengeance. If that was the intent, it was communicated very clumsily, in my opinion. I felt the movie was more interested in simply eliciting an emotional response through its displays of graphic violence than postulating any meaningful philosophical questions. The intent was titillation, in my opinion, not self inflection. - Robby P

MEGAN, TELLIN' IT LIKE IT IS

http://jeffleyland.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/megan-fox-3-300x300.jpg

WW2 represented a job well done by the Nazis and it's offensive that Tarantino would posit an alternate history. Wait, why can't I say that?



Oh, right. Sorry.

[Boner M]

Just realised how many Spinal blurbs I've used in this thread. He's now banned from next year's countdown.

[Boner M]

FULL LIST!

1. Inglourious Basterds – 541
2. Serious Man – 337
3. Two Lovers – 256
4. Where the Wild Things Are – 229
5. Adventureland – 189
6. Moon – 180
7. Up – 171
8. Bright Star – 161
9. The Hurt Locker – 154
10. Tokyo Sonata – 145
11. The White Ribbon – 144
12. Summer Hours – 138
13. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans - 137
14. Antichrist – 114
15. Avatar - 113
16. The Fantastic Mr. Fox – 110
17. District 9 - 90
18. Coraline – 87
19. Goodbye Solo - 71
20. Public Enemies – 70
21. Still Walking - 68
22. 35 Shots of Rum – 61
23. (500) Days of Summer – 60
24. In the Loop - 59
25. The Limits of Control - 57
26. Ponyo – 57
27. Drag Me To Hell – 50
28. Thirst – 50
29. Up in the Air – 47
30. Sugar – 45
31. Observe & Report – 45
32. Star Trek – 43
33. LORNA'S SILENCE - 41
34. Watchmen – 38
35. The Hangover – 35
36. A Single Man - 34
37. Broken Embraces – 31
38. Police, Adjective – 28
39. Julia – 28
40. The Box - 27

41. Revanche – 26
42. Humpday – 25
43. The Brothers Bloom - 25
44. Knowing - 24
45. The Road – 23
46. The Headless Woman - 22
47. You, the Living – 22
48. My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? – 20
49. Sita Sings the Blues 19
50. State of Play – 17
51. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - 17
52. Big Man Japan - 17
53. Zombieland – 15
54. Adoration – 15
55. The Maid - 14
56. Taken - 14
57. Tony Manero – 14
58. Import/Export – 13
59. The House of the Devil – 12
60. Crank 2: High Voltage – 12
61. 24 City – 12
62. 2012 – 12
63. Of Time and the City – 11
64. $9.99 – 11
65. Silent Light - 11
66. Astro Boy – 10
67. Angels & Demons – 10
68. Funny People - 10
69. Whatever Works - 9
70. The Men Who Stare at Goats – 9
71. The Informant! - 9
72. Tetro - 9
73. FILM IST: a girl and a gun – 9
74. Sherlock Holmes - 8
75. I Love You, Man - 8
76. Paranormal Activity - 8
77. A Perfect Getaway – 8
78. Away We Go - 8
79. La Frontière de l'aube – 8
80. World's Greatest Dad - 7
81. The Taking of Pelham 123 – 7
82. Birdsong - 7
83. The Princess and the Frog - 7
84. Brothers – 6
85. Precious – 6
86. The Cove - 6
87. The Last House on the Left - 6
88. Beeswax (Bujalski) - 6

[Derek]

Just realised how many Spinal blurbs I've used in this thread. He's now banned from next year's countdown.

Maybe I'll make it into one next year...:cry:

[ledfloyd]

not a bad list, quite eclectic. glad to see adventureland so high. the top three are all pretty money as well.

[Derek]

In this case, predictability goes hand in hand with a feeling of deja vu. I felt like I'd been there before. Granted, Two Lovers did it better, but that didn't stop it from feeling too familiar.

What films did it feel overly familiar to?

[B-side]

What films did it feel overly familiar to?

Not the film as a whole, just the progression of the relationships. I knew exactly where it was going and was hoping something different would've been done with it. Then again, there's only 2 other ways I can think of those relationships going, and neither sound better in my head than the one Gray chose.

[Melville]

In this case, predictability goes hand in hand with a feeling of deja vu. I felt like I'd been there before. Granted, Two Lovers did it better, but that didn't stop it from feeling too familiar.
I don't know. You've lost me. It's a purposely classical film. In so perfectly capturing the heart of the story, the feeling of it, the inner life of its protagonist, I think it does more than just tell its story better than other films about unhappy, restrained men pursuing liberating women. It captures a whole world of feeling that is absent in most traditional romantic films. Perhaps you just don't feel much connection with the romance?


EDIT: did Winston do the scrawlings?

[B-side]

I don't know. You've lost me. It's a purposely classical film. In so perfectly capturing the heart of the story, the feeling of it, the inner life of its protagonist, I think it does more than just tell its story better than other films about unhappy, restrained men pursuing liberating women. It captures a whole world of feeling that is absent in most traditional romantic films. Perhaps you just don't feel much connection with the romance?

It's possible. I wanna rewatch it, anyway.

[Boner M]

EDIT: did Winston do the scrawlings?
Yeah. I chose the text, though. He still deserves rep.

[Melville]

It's possible. I wanna rewatch it, anyway.
Well, this time it better rock your world. :P

But seriously, I would think you'd like it just for Phoenix's performance as an anxious, despairing, desperate-for-something-else guy. He's brilliant in it.

EDIT: ok, Winston gets rep too.

[Boner M]

I've gotta say, after The Dark Knight, No Country, The Departed, and (I think) A History of Violence, I'm disappointed that match-cut went with another violent boys movie as our best of the year. Granted it has a prominent female role in it, and lacks the cynicism of the other 4 films, but c'mon... let's set ourselves apart from the crowd for a change.

[B-side]

Well, this time it better rock your world. :P

But seriously, I would think you'd like it just for Phoenix's performance as an anxious, despairing, desperate-for-something-else guy. He's brilliant in it.

I loved him in it.

[B-side]

I've gotta say, after The Dark Knight, No Country, The Departed, and (I think) A History of Violence, I'm disappointed that match-cut went with another violent boys movie as our best of the year. Granted it has a prominent female role in it, and lacks the cynicism of the other 4 films, but c'mon... let's set ourselves apart from the crowd for a change.

None of those are my #1 of their respective years. Basterds is the only #1 I share in this group.

[Melville]

I've gotta say, after The Dark Knight, No Country, The Departed, and (I think) A History of Violence, I'm disappointed that match-cut went with another violent boys movie as our best of the year. Granted it has a prominent female role in it, and lacks the cynicism of the other 4 films, but c'mon... let's set ourselves apart from the crowd for a change.
The key difference between those movies and Inglourious Basterds is that I like Inglourious Basterds a lot more. Anyway, a consensus list like this, coming from a group this size, is probably always going to end up hewing somewhat close to the crowd, just by virtue of averaging. As far as getting recommendations and whatnot, I find individual users' lists a lot more useful. But overall, I think we ended up with a good, relatively diverse list.


I loved him in it.
:pritch:

[Watashi]

I have no idea who Straub and Huillet are.

[Watashi]

The Departed was our #1 of 2006? Really?

Looking back, that was a really weak year.

[Boner M]

The Departed was our #1 of 2006? Really?

Looking back, that was a really weak year.
Actually, I'm remembering now that it was actually Children of Men.

[Spinal]

Just realised how many Spinal blurbs I've used in this thread. He's now banned from next year's countdown.

Wait, why can't I say that? I'M JUS KEEPIN IT REAL.

[Llopin]

21. Still Walking - 68

Bollocks.

[Bosco B Thug]

Actually, I'm remembering now that it was actually Children of Men. Aha! As Watashi said, a weak year.

Seriously, though, looking back myself, I went and saw a lot of clunkers that year. Ghastly year for horror films, for instance.

[Eleven]

Two Lovers blurb! Hellz yeah!

Also, I saw 37 of the top 40, and 9 of my top ten were in the top 40. Do I have a fairly representative taste for MC, then?

[Pop Trash]

Wow, I'm surprised by the placement for Adventureland. I've been meaning to revisit it, wondering if I may have overrated it a bit, but I stuck to my guns for the top ten list.
I've seen it twice now and it was even better the second time. I could really see myself buying this and it becoming a perennial fave.

[baby doll]

Because I don't have time to bitch...

1. Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino) / ***1/2
2. A Serious Man (Ethan and Joel Coen) / ****
3. Two Lovers (James Gray) / ***
6. Moon (Duncan Jones) / ***1/2
7. Up (Pete Doctor) / ***
8. Bright Star (Jane Campion) / ***1/2
9. The Hurt Locker (Kathryn Bigelow) / ***1/2

13. The Bad Lieutenant—Port of Call: New Orleans (Werner Herzog) / ***1/2
14. Antichrist (Lars von Trier) / ***1/2
15. Avatar (James Cameron) / ***
16. Fantastic Mr. Fox (Wes Anderson) / ****
17. District 9 (Neill Blomkamp) / **

Actually, I don't know what I'd have to bitch about. Aside from District 9 (which I blogged about here (http://chuck-a-luck.blogspot.com/2009/11/montreal-film-diary.html)), I like all of the top twenty movies I've seen. The only relative weak spots are Two Lovers, which seemed to me a significant step down from The Yards and We Own the Night; Up, which was cute but forgettable (certainly nothing to rival Fantastic Mr. Fox or Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea); and Avatar, which was pretty but pretty stupid.

[Stay Puft]

2. A Serious Man - ***½
3. Two Lovers - ***
6. Moon – **½
8. Bright Star – ***
9. The Hurt Locker – **½
10. Tokyo Sonata – ***½
11. The White Ribbon – ***
12. Summer Hours – ***½
13. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans - ***
15. Avatar - **½
17. District 9 - **
18. Coraline – ***
19. Goodbye Solo - ***
20. Public Enemies – ***

Pretty good from what I've seen.

[number8]

Good stuff.

I had completely forgotten I wrote that about Up. I like it.

[eternity]

Moon and Adventureland!

[Pathétique]

I don't really get the love for Adventureland. I haven't been overwhelmed by anything I've seen from 2009, but I've yet to see more than a handful of films.