Battle of the 00s - Voting Thread

[Watashi]

1. The Incredibles
3. The Departed
4. Both are pretty bad, so no vote

[Spinal]

Me and You and Everyone We Know 1

And this one person has been repped.

[Raiders]

1. The Incredibles
2. N/A
3. King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
4. Me and You and Everyone We Know

[Qrazy]

1. The Incredibles
3. The Departed
4. Both are pretty bad, so no vote

How is Nobody Knows bad? That's just absurd.

[Llopin]

1. The Incredibles
2. -
3. The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
4. Nobody Knows

[Sycophant]

And this one person has been repped.
You know, Spinal, I simply adore Me and You and Everyone We Know; it was very near the top of my 2005 list. But, uh, Nobody Knows is better.

[Eleven]

1. The Incredibles
2. xxx
3. The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
4. Nobody Knows

[Spinal]

But, uh, Nobody Knows is better.

I look forward to seeing it.

[DSNT]

I look forward to seeing it.
You really should. I know that there are a lot of Asian film followers at these forums, but Nobody Knows is a different kind of movie, with themes that resonate just as much here as they do there.

I like the Miranda July film too, but Nobody Knows is nearly a perfectly executed film.

[DSNT]

These are pretty much settled, so I'm ending this round.

Final Scores:
The Incredibles 12 vs. Hero 7
The Man Who Wasn’t There 2 vs. Red Road 3
The Departed 5 vs. The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters 9
Nobody Knows 8 vs. Me and You and Everyone We Know 2

New Battles:
1. Batman Begins vs. Hot Fuzz
2. Pan’s Labyrinth vs. Michael Clayton
3. Talk To Her vs. 12:08 East of Bucharest
4. Shaun of the Dead vs. Waking Life

I'll keep this one active until Monday afternoon in order to give the weekday people a chance to vote.

[Spinal]

1. Both are fairly lame. I abstain.
2. can't vote
3. can't vote
4. Shaun of the Dead

[Russ]

I know that there are a lot of Asian film followers at these forums, but Nobody Knows is a different kind of movie, with themes that resonate just as much here as they do there.
Added to queue. Sounds like a wonderful movie.

[Melville]

Too bad about The Man Who Wasn't There. I guess I should see Red Road.

1. Hot Fuzz (both are fairly lame, but Batman Begins is lamer)
2. Michael Clayton (tough choice)
3. Talk to Her
4. Shaun of the Dead (Waking Life is an abomination)

[DSNT]

1. Hot Fuzz
2. Michael Clayton
3. 12:08 East of Bucharest
4. Shaun of the Dead

[Stay Puft]

1. Hot Fuzz
2. Pan's Labyrinth
3. Talk to Her
4. Shaun of the Dead

[ledfloyd]

1. Hot Fuzz
2.
3.
4. Shaun of the Dead

[Kurosawa Fan]

1. Batman Begins
2. Pan’s Labyrinth
3. 12:08 East of Bucharest
4. Shaun of the Dead

[Watashi]

1. Hot Fuzz
2. Pan’s Labyrinth
4. Shaun of the Dead

[Llopin]

1. Hot Fuzz
2. Pan’s Labyrinth
3. 12:08 East of Bucharest
4. Shaun of the Dead

[BirdsAteMyFace]

1. Hot Fuzz
2. Pan’s Labyrinth
3. -
4. Shaun of the Dead

[Hugh_Grant]

1. Batman Begins
2. Pan’s Labyrinth
3. 12:08 East of Bucharest
4. n/a

Go Bucharest!

[Sycophant]

1. Hot Fuzz
2. Pan’s Labyrinth (tough call)
3. n/a
4. n/a

[DSNT]

Scores So Far:

Batman Begins 2 vs. Hot Fuzz 8
Pan’s Labyrinth 7 vs. Michael Clayton 2
Talk To Her 2 vs. 12:08 East of Bucharest 4
Shaun of the Dead 9 vs. Waking Life 0

[Lazlo]

1. Batman Begins
2. Michael Clayton
3. Talk To Her
4. Shaun of the Dead

[Sven]

Jot me down for a vote on both those Wright films.

FUZZ
SHAUN

Amen. Talk about easiest two choices ever.

[soitgoes...]

1. Hot Fuzz
2. Pan’s Labyrinth
3. Talk To Her
4. Shaun of the Dead

[Boner M]

1. Hot Fuzz
2. Michael Clayton
3. Talk to Her
4. Waking Life

WTF, I though WL had its supporters here...

[Melville]

WTF, I though WL had its supporters here...
What did you like about it? It was just a bunch of jerks spouting half-witted philosophy. I liked the guy driving around ranting over a loudspeaker, but that's about it.

[Russ]

WTF, I though WL had its supporters here...
Yeah, I thought the same thing.

I'm not one of them, tho.

[Boner M]

What did you like about it? It was just a bunch of jerks spouting half-witted philosophy. I liked the guy driving around ranting over a loudspeaker, but that's about it.
Have to admit I'm drawing a blank here, especially since I last saw it 6 years ago, and the philosophical musings were quite illuminating to a 16-year-old. I found the panorama of speakers highly engaging, the animation stunning, and the music score still gets high rotation on my iPod to this day. And the 'Holy Moment' bit is one of my all-time favorite movie scenes.

[Derek]

1. Hot Fuzz
2. Michael Clayton
3. Talk to Her
4. Waking Life

WTF, I though WL had its supporters here...

I'm a big fan, so I'll throw it a bone.

1. Hot Fuzz
2. Pan’s Labyrinth
3. Talk To Her
4. Waking Life

[Sven]

1. Batman Begins

Could I request a map of your rationale in this choice?

[Boner M]

Yeah, BB is the dreariest movie that ever dreared.

Good thing meg doesn't post in this thread. Although he probably reads it.

[Melville]

Have to admit I'm drawing a blank here, especially since I last saw it 6 years ago, and the philosophical musings were quite illuminating to a 16-year-old. I found the panorama of speakers highly engaging, the animation stunning, and the music score still gets high rotation on my iPod to this day. And the 'Holy Moment' bit is one of my all-time favorite movie scenes.
I just watched the 'Holy Moment' scene on YouTube. It's definitely funnier than I remember the film being, and the animation is nice (although the 'clever' bits, like the clouds at the end and the sparks from the speaker's hands, were too cute for my liking), but I'll stick by my assessment of the film as a whole. The philosophy, if not completely half-witted, is discussed at such a superficial level that it comes off as being half-witted. If an entire movie is going to consist of talking heads, those heads better be saying something damn interesting. And people generally can't convey ideas of any complexity as well in speech as they can in writing, so the whole idea of the film seems misguided to me. (Although Derrida managed to be pretty interesting.)

Oh, well. To each his own.

[Melville]

Yeah, BB is the dreariest movie that ever dreared.
I'll always be baffled by the wide acclaim for that movie. Everything about it was just so flat and lifeless...except for when Bale adopted that growling voice, at which point his lips took on a ridiculously curling life of their own.

[Duncan]

2. Michael Clayton
4. Shaun of the Dead

[Derek]

Could I request a map of your rationale in this choice?

Sure. I liked the film a lot back in the early 90s when I last saw it and Hot Fuzz gets a bit more love than it deserves, though I do like it.

[Sven]

Sure. I liked the film a lot back in the early 90s when I last saw it and Hot Fuzz gets a bit more love than it deserves, though I do like it.

Early 90s? You do know that it's BEGINS, not RETURNS, no?

[Derek]

Early 90s? You do know that it's BEGINS, not RETURNS, no?

Woops, I clearly wasn't paying much attention. Begins sucks, vote changed.

[Sven]

Woops, I clearly wasn't paying much attention. Begins sucks, vote changed.

My job here is done.

:transubstantiates:

[ledfloyd]

Woops, I clearly wasn't paying much attention. Begins sucks, vote changed.
Battle of the 00s sir. 00s!.

I like Waking Life a great deal but Shaun is way too much fun not to vote for.

[Raiders]

1. Hot Fuzz
2. Pan’s Labyrinth
3. N/A
4. Shaun of the Dead

Go Pegg!

[Derek]

Battle of the 00s sir. 00s!.

I'm a n00b in this thread, plus this is at least the 4th or 5th time I'm mixed up Begins and Returns.

[Qrazy]

1. Batman Begins
2. Pan’s Labyrinth
3. -
4. Waking Life

(Shaun probably achieves it's aims more admirably and I quite like the film, but in spite of some shoddily written segments, I find myself more drawn to Linklater's work both in style and tone. It's uniquely beautiful and often very funny, an while it stumbles with it's episodic structure, there is a narrative to be found in the film, and once unraveled the protagonist's journey becomes that much more emotionally affecting... particularly in relation to the Tosca Tango orchestra's excellent soundtrack.)

[Mysterious Dude]

1. Batman Begins
2. Michael Clayton
3. 12:08 East of Bucharest
4. Waking Life

[Qrazy]

I just watched the 'Holy Moment' scene on YouTube. It's definitely funnier than I remember the film being, and the animation is nice (although the 'clever' bits, like the clouds at the end and the sparks from the speaker's hands, were too cute for my liking), but I'll stick by my assessment of the film as a whole. The philosophy, if not completely half-witted, is discussed at such a superficial level that it comes off as being half-witted. If an entire movie is going to consist of talking heads, those heads better be saying something damn interesting. And people generally can't convey ideas of any complexity as well in speech as they can in writing, so the whole idea of the film seems misguided to me. (Although Derrida managed to be pretty interesting.)

Oh, well. To each his own.

I'm not going to go out on a limb and endorse Linklater as a brilliant philosopher, because that's almost certainly false. I've seen nearly all of his work and those undercooked 'grunge' philosophy conceits seem relatively continuous throughout. However, while I find he often overreaches himself intellectually (in the babbling, hand waving explanation sense), he still tends to excel artistically. While I doubt his understanding of the concepts discussed in Waking Life is much deeper than what is presented in the film, that issue aside, if you interpret the film through the lens of the central character and his way of thinking and looking at the world, as a young adult who is most likely either dreaming or dead, and perceive the concepts discussed not as uniquely philosophically brilliant or astounding, but in the context of the boy's own youthful thought process when he's faced with the difficulty of being trapped within his own dreams... then I find the film becomes much more rewarding and interesting. I find it's interesting to break it down into a series of short films (like a Paris Je T'aime and the like... given nearly every section is animated by someone different) and then see how well they work on their own and reflect on one another, rather than to only view the work in it's totality. For instance if you broke the film down into it's constituent parts, how would you rate each short film within the film? I agree that there are a couple of segments that are pure face/face gobbledygook, but even those have moments of animated excellence. Furtheremore, I think there may be less talk than you may remember (or rather while there is a lot, the entire film isn't talk). Like with most films, it's in it's quiet moments that Waking Life shines. Also I find there something to be uniquely hilarious about many of these characters ranting their half-baked philosophies at the protagonist and I think Linklater both recognizes and capitalizes on this humor.

[soitgoes...]

Yeah I think Waking Life is a great film too. Just not as good as what its up against. It's one that I would like to watch again fairly soon.

[DSNT]

Scores:

Batman Begins 5 vs. Hot Fuzz 13
Pan’s Labyrinth 11 vs. Michael Clayton 6
Talk To Her 6 vs. 12:08 East of Bucharest 5
Shaun of the Dead 14 vs. Waking Life 4

This is still going until tomorrow.

[Melville]

if you interpret the film through the lens of the central character and his way of thinking and looking at the world, as a young adult who is most likely either dreaming or dead, and perceive the concepts discussed not as uniquely philosophically brilliant or astounding, but in the context of the boy's own youthful thought process when he's faced with the difficulty of being trapped within his own dreams... then I find the film becomes much more rewarding and interesting.
I don't know. I thought that the central character was such a non-entity that his "youthful thought processes" would only help tie the film together if one easily identified with them. And the film didn't really capture a sense of dreaming for me. Dreams, in my experience, are simultaneously half-realized and concrete, and my perspective quite frequently shifts from a subjective one to one in which I view myself (or a character that I somehow identify myself with) as if from the outside. For all its wiggly animation and narrative jumps, the film just didn't capture that feeling for me.


I find it's interesting to break it down into a series of short films (like a Paris Je T'aime and the like... given nearly every section is animated by someone different) and then see how well they work on their own and reflect on one another, rather than to only view the work in it's totality. For instance if you broke the film down into it's constituent parts, how would you rate each short film within the film?
That's basically how I viewed the film. But I didn't care for most of the constituent parts.

[Gizmo]

1. Batman Begins
2. Pan’s Labyrinth
3. n/a
4. n/a

[Sven]

I think that Waking Life does excel as an animation. Its look is totally bonkers, and it absolutely (to me) captures that dreamlike feeling of lucid absurdity.

However, when the characters start talking, its one of the most irritating and snarky films I've ever seen.

[Ezee E]

1. Batman Begins
2. Pan’s Labyrinth
3. Talk To Her
4. Shaun of the Dead

[Sven]

1. Batman Begins
2. Pan’s Labyrinth
3. Talk To Her
4. Shaun of the Dead

Welcome back!

[Ezee E]

Welcome back!
Thanks! I dig the new av.

[Qrazy]

I don't know. I thought that the central character was such a non-entity that his "youthful thought processes" would only help tie the film together if one easily identified with them. And the film didn't really capture a sense of dreaming for me. Dreams, in my experience, are simultaneously half-realized and concrete, and my perspective quite frequently shifts from a subjective one to one in which I view myself (or a character that I somehow identify myself with) as if from the outside. For all its wiggly animation and narrative jumps, the film just didn't capture that feeling for me.


That's basically how I viewed the film. But I didn't care for most of the constituent parts.

Fine. If your first viewing of it was when you were younger, you likely would have liked it more. That shift in perspective is there though, even if you didn't feel it was executed unsuccessfully (reasonable since Linklater is no Fellini, Tarkovsky, Bunuel, Bergman or even Lynch when it comes to dream logic).

The main character becomes an entity over the course of the film as he begins to recognize his plight, but yeah Linklater certainly wanted him to act primarily as a tabula rasa for the viewer coming into the film and his identity only really develops in the context of the half remembered thoughts and experiences he encounters within the film itself (a car accident, childhood reflections, impermeance).

Tonally I didn't feel the film was snarky since there's so much humor and varied ideological content. It's often needlessly pontificatory and verbose but it pokes fun at itself as often as not for that. I can understand why someone wouldn't like it though for it's flotsam and jetsam approach to the material, I had similar problems with Slacker, but here the animation is interesting enough to me that my complaints are pushed aside.

[Melville]

Fine. If your first viewing of it was when you were younger, you likely would have liked it more. That shift in perspective is there though, even if you didn't feel it was executed unsuccessfully (reasonable since Linklater is no Fellini, Tarkovsky, Bunuel, Bergman or even Lynch when it comes to dream logic).
How young should I have been? I was only 18 or 19 when I saw it. I would have to watch it again to explain more fully why I think it didn't capture the features of dreaming that I described; but in the meantime, I'll just agree that the other directors you mentioned (especially Tarkovsky, Bergman, and Lynch) all did a much better job of it.


Tonally I didn't feel the film was snarky since there's so much humor and varied ideological content.
Yeah, I don't know where iosos is getting that snarky stuff from.

[origami_mustache]

Waking Life

haven't seen Batman Begins, Michael Clayton or 12:08 East of Bucharest

[Qrazy]

How young should I have been? I was only 18 or 19 when I saw it. I would have to watch it again to explain more fully why I think it didn't capture the features of dreaming that I described; but in the meantime, I'll just agree that the other directors you mentioned (especially Tarkovsky, Bergman, and Lynch) all did a much better job of it.


13-16 or little exposure to philosophy... it's a 101/gateway type film, if you've already passed the threshold of it's interests/concerns it will seem facile in comparison... which in a way doesn't speak highly of the film, but in another way these types of thresholds can be both handy, useful and necessary in expanding the horizons of young viewers. Just as I wouldn't start a young adult on James Joyce or Faulkner, I also wouldn't start them on Tarkovsky or Bergman (granted some kids can make the leap immediately but the majority will be turned off by the extreme culture shock). I readily admit there's a lot of nonsense to Waking Life but it also serves as a good entry point for an expanding interest in both film, reflection and philosophy.

[DSNT]

Final Scores:

Batman Begins 7 vs. Hot Fuzz 13
Pan’s Labyrinth 13 vs. Michael Clayton 6
Talk To Her 7 vs. 12:08 East of Bucharest 5
Shaun of the Dead 15 vs. Waking Life 5

New Battles

1. Bloody Sunday vs. A Tale of Two Sisters
2. Cache vs. Big Fish
3. Half Nelson vs. Millennium Actress
4. There Will Be Blood vs. Bus 174

[Qrazy]

1. -
2. Cache
3. -
4. There Will Be Blood

[Raiders]

1. A Tale of Two Sisters
2. N/A
3. N/A
4. There Will Be Blood (very difficult)

[Kurosawa Fan]

1. Bloody Sunday
2. Cache
3. Millennium Actress
4. There Will Be Blood

Aside from #2, which was one of the easiest we've done thus far, those were pretty brutal. I'm ashamed that I didn't vote for A Tale of Two Sisters and Bus 174, but I can't vote any other way.

[DSNT]

1. Bloody Sunday
2. Big Fish
3. Millennium Actress
4. Bus 174

By the way, for anyone who hasn't seen Bus 174, you can see it in its entirety here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBGIQ7ZuuiU).

[dreamdead]

1. n/a
2. Cache (one of Haneke's strongest vs. Burton's most maudlin... too easy)
3. Half Nelson (I suspect Kon will win, so I'll go with my gut here)
4. n/a

[Sven]

The first round where I got nothin'. I've seen one from each pair.

And re: Waking Life, perhaps "snarky" is too harsh. Maybe "hoity-toity". Not necessarily a BAD thing, but with its lofty pretensions, it was kind of insufferable.

[Llopin]

1. Bloody Sunday
2. Cache
3. Millennium Actress
4. There Will Be Blood

[dreamdead]

By the way, for anyone who hasn't seen Bus 174, you can see it in its entirety here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBGIQ7ZuuiU).

Um, I don't wanna be rickrolled...?

[Bosco B Thug]

By the way, for anyone who hasn't seen Bus 174, you can see it in its entirety here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBGIQ7ZuuiU). Come on man! Abuse of authority!

I need to see more movies.

[Spinal]

1. can't vote
2. Cache
3. Millennium Actress
4. can't vote

[Rowland]

Damn... of course Big Fish has to go against Cache. *sigh* Big Fish won't win, so I'll show it some support anyway.

2. Big Fish
3. Millennium Actress

[Hugh_Grant]

1. n/a (Son of a gun, one of my favorite films of recent memory is up against one of these Asian films I've never seen. :( )
2. Big Fish
3. n/a
4. Bus 174
__

[Spinal]

1. n/a (Son of a gun, one of my favorite films of recent memory is up against one of these Asian films I've never seen. :( )


The Asian cult strikes again!

I really liked A Tale of Two Sisters. I thought it was tense, captivating and stylish.

[Russ]

The Asian cult strikes again!

I really liked A Tale of Two Sisters. I thought it was tense, captivating and stylish.
QFT. You should give it a try, HG.

[Boner M]

1. n/a
2. n/a
3. Millennium Actress
4. There Will Be Blood

h/s the Greengrass or Burton films.

[Ezee E]

1. Bloody Sunday vs. A Tale of Two Sisters
No brainer.

2. Cache vs. Big Fish
Both probably in need of a rewatch.

I haven't seen Millenium Actress

4. There Will Be Blood vs. Bus 174
Are you serious? I hate voting against Bus 174.

[Watashi]

2. Big Fish
3. Millennium Actress
4. Milkshake

[Mysterious Dude]

1. ~
2. Cache
3. Half Nelson
4. There Will Be Blood

[BirdsAteMyFace]

1. -
2. Cache
3. Millennium Actress
4. -

[Sycophant]

1. (seen neither)
2. (fell asleep during Caché, though I'm sure I like it more than Big Fish)
3. Millennium Actress (damn, damn, damn you for putting this up against Half Nelson)
4. (haven't seen Bus 174; have seen "Never Gonna Give You Up," which would win)

[Melville]

1. haven't seen Bloody Sunday
2. Cache
3. Half Nelson (tough call)
4. haven't seen Bus 174, unless that Rick Astley video counts

[DSNT]

Scores:

Bloody Sunday 4 vs. A Tale of Two Sisters 1
Cache 8 vs. Big Fish 5
Half Nelson 3 vs. Millennium Actress 9
There Will Be Blood 8 vs. Bus 174 2 (Rick Astley 2)

If there were another Guy Maddin flick in the pool, you all would have been rickrolled. :twisted:

Edited for Melville.

[Sven]

ANOTHER VOTE FOR RICK ASTLEY

[Stay Puft]

1. A Tale of Two Sisters
2. Cache

[Boner M]

Can't believe this thread was my intro to the rickroll phenomenon.

[Kurious Jorge v3.1]

1. -
2. Cache
3. Half Nelson
4. There Will Be Blood

[Lazlo]

1. Bloody Sunday
2. Big Fish
3. Half Nelson
4. Rick Roll

[DSNT]

Final Scores:

Bloody Sunday 5 vs. A Tale of Two Sisters 2
Cache 10 vs. Big Fish 6
Half Nelson 5 vs. Millennium Actress 9
There Will Be Blood 9, Rick Astley 3, Bus 174 2

New Battles:

1. I'm Not There vs. The Piano Teacher
2. Good Night and Good Luck vs. Last Life in the Universe
3. Ghost World vs. Grindhouse
4. The Royal Tenenbaums vs. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

[Spinal]

1. The Piano Teacher
2. Curse you, Asian Cult!!!!!
3. Ghost World
4. The Royal Tenenbaums

[DSNT]

1. N/A - saw about 15 minutes of I'm Not There
2. Good Night and Good Luck - tough one
3. Ghost World
4. The Royal Tenenbaums

[Rowland]

2. Last Life in the Universe
3. Ghost World
4. The Royal Tenenbaums

[Sven]

Grindhouse (by such a long shot)
The Royal Tenenbaums (by an even longer shot maybe)

[Sycophant]

1. (no music lessons for me)
2. Last Life in the Universe
3. Ghost World
4. The Royal Tenenbaums

[origami_mustache]

I'm Not There
Ghost World
The Royal Tenenbaums

haven't seen Last Life in the Universe

[MacGuffin]

1. I'm Not There
2. Last Life in the Universe
3. Ghost World

[Raiders]

1. N/A
2. Last Life in the Universe
3. Ghost World
4. The Royal Tenenbaums

[Gizmo]

I've only got one this round.

4. The Royal Tenenbaums

[Rowland]

These new battles may have the least voting variation yet.

[Sven]

Preferring Ghost World to Grindhouse is almost as nauseating to me as conflating "viking" with "champion".

I've got to stop getting upset about the little things.

[Rowland]

Preferring Ghost World to Grindhouse is almost as nauseating to me as conflating "viking" with "champion".

I've got to stop getting upset about the little things.Really, genuinely upset in the nauseated sense? You're an odd one.

[Raiders]

Preferring Ghost World to Grindhouse is almost as nauseating to me as conflating "viking" with "champion".

I agree that "viking" and "champion" are not synonyms, however I think "Grindhouse" and "nauseating" may be.

[Sven]

Really, genuinely upset in the nauseated sense? You're an odd one.

Nah. I'm just being melodramatic. Although I do hate Ghost World quite a bit. However, the viking thing does make me :frustrated:

[Qrazy]

1. I'm Not There
2. -
3. Grindhouse
4. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (extended edition)

[Rowland]

However, the viking thing does make me :frustrated:Thankfully I don't take it half as seriously as almost everyone else seemed to, yourself apparently included. :lol:

[Qrazy]

Conflating "viking" with "champion".


Does this happen frequently?

[Rowland]

4. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (extended edition)This was a close call for me. The Extended Edition is a considerable improvement over the Theatrical Cut, and in my estimation very nearly a masterpiece.

[Sven]

Does this happen frequently?

It did about a year ago. Goddammit.

[Sven]

Thankfully I don't take it half as seriously as almost everyone else seemed to, yourself apparently included. :lol:

The trend seemed to be that the sane ones (ie, myself, ie, the ones that read the quote as a literal expression) were much less tolerant of the opinion that it could mean "champion".

[Melville]

1. The Piano Teacher (only one other person has voted for this?)
2. haven't seen Last Life
3. do I need to have seen both halves of Grindhouse to vote against it? 'Cause I'd really like to.
4. The Royal Tenenbaums

[TrippyRamone]

1. haven't seen The Piano Teacher, but I really liked I'm Not There
2. haven't seen Last Life in the Universe either
3. Ghost World (close call though)
4. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (extended edition)

first post btw...

[Sven]

first post btw...

You're on my list with those last two choices, but I welcome you regardless! Have some rep.

[MacGuffin]

1. The Piano Teacher (only one other person has voted for this?)

Yeah, it's unfortunate that it was placed against I'm Not There as oppose to say, Grindhouse. It's been over a year since I've seen it, but I'm appreciating it more each day, I think. Mostly because I've probably seen more Michael Haneke movies since then, and I can understand how he makes a movie, but also because of Isabelle Huppert's amazing performance.

[Boner M]

1. The Piano Teacher
2. Good Night and Good Luck
3. Ghost World
4. The Royal Tenenbaums

Easy 'uns.

[BirdsAteMyFace]

1. The Piano Teacher
2. Last Life in the Universe
3. Ghost World
4. -

[TrippyRamone]

You're on my list with those last two choices, but I welcome you regardless! Have some rep.

Thank you very much :). I've been reading here for awhile, but I figure I might as well start posting a little bit

[dreamdead]

1. n/a (missing Haynes' film still)
2. Last Life in the Universe
3. Ghost World
4. The Royal Tenenbaums

[DSNT]

3. do I need to have seen both halves of Grindhouse to vote against it? 'Cause I'd really like to.
I think it's fair to vote for/against based on seeing one of the halves. They were only combined because so many votes were split.

It'll probably be eliminated this round, so I guess it doesn't matter.

[Bosco B Thug]

1. The Piano Teacher

[trotchky]

1. The Piano Teacher [although these are both in the top five of the decade and it's a shame they had to be matched up so early]
2. Last Life in the Universe
3. Ghost World
4. The Royal Tenenbaums

[Duncan]

2. Good Night and Good Luck
4. The Royal Tenenbaums

[Derek]

1. I'm Not There
2. Good Night and Good Luck
3. Ghost World
4. The Royal Tenenbaums

[ledfloyd]

1. I'm Not There
2.
3. Ghost World
4. Two Towers

[Watashi]

1. I'm Not There
2. Good Night and Good Luck
3. Grindhouse
4. Royal Tenenbaums

Derek is getting so much rep from me for voting for Hayne's and Clooney's film.

[Lucky]

1. Hero
4. Nobody Knows

[Derek]

1. I'm Not There
2. Good Night and Good Luck
3. Grindhouse
4. Royal Tenenbaums

Derek is getting so much rep from me for voting for Hayne's and Clooney's film.

Nice. Both of those were pretty close, but not too tough to pick. I was actually less impressed with Last Life in the Universe when I saw it a second time (though I still like it) and while I hate voting against top tier Haneke, that's just a outright shitty draw.

[Spinal]

I didn't have trouble with the first match-up at all seeing as one film is approximately a billion times better than the other.

[Derek]

I didn't have trouble with the first match-up at all seeing as one film is approximately a billion times better than the other.

Funny I was thinking the same thing when looking at your signature :):


Smiley Face (Araki, 2007) ***
In a Year With 13 Moons (Fassbinder, 1978) **1/2

[DSNT]

Scores So Far:

I'm Not There 5 vs. The Piano Teacher 5
Good Night and Good Luck 4 vs. Last Life in the Universe 7
Ghost World 12 vs. Grindhouse 3
The Royal Tenenbaums 13 vs. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 2

[Kurosawa Fan]

1. I'm Not There
3. Ghost World
4. The Royal Tenenbaums

[Ezee E]

1. The Piano Teacher (barely, not enthusiastic about either, despite liking them)
2. n/a
3. Grindhouse (although Ghost World would have a chance if the films were separated)
4. The Royal Tenenbaums (same as #1)

[Lazlo]

1. n/a
2. n/a
3. Ghost World
4. The Royal Tenenbaums

[EvilShoe]

1. The Piano Teacher
2. Good Night and Good Luck
3. Ghost World
4. The Royal Tenenbaums

[Lucky]

1. Hero
4. Nobody Knows

Wow, I was a lot more drunk than I thought I was last night. Apparently page 8 comes before 13.

[Llopin]

1. The Piano Teacher
2. Last Life in the Universe
3. Ghost World
4. The Royal Tenenbaums

[SirNewt]

awwww, I sukz

4. LotR: TTT

[DSNT]

Final Scores:

I'm Not There 6 vs. The Piano Teacher 8
Good Night and Good Luck 5 vs. Last Life in the Universe 8
Ghost World 16 vs. Grindhouse 4
The Royal Tenenbaums 18 vs. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 2

New Battles:

1. United 93 vs. George Washington
2. Once vs. Atonement
3. In America vs. Minority Report
4. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford vs. Downfall

[Sven]

1 George Washington, because it is good, whereas United 93 is bad.
3 In America, because Ms. Morton looks more bangable in that one.

[Sycophant]

Haven't seen United 93 or Downfall.

2. Once
3. In America

[Raiders]

1. George Washington (by such a wide margin it ain't even funny)
2. Once
3. In America
4. N/A

[trotchky]

2. Atonement

[origami_mustache]

George Washington
Downfall

haven't seen Atonement or In America

[Derek]

New Battles:

1. George Washington (for the same reason as iosos)
2. Once
3. Minority Report (not a big fan of either, though I do love teh Morton)
4. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

[Llopin]

1. United 93
2. Atonement
3. Minority Report
4. Downfall

[Qrazy]

1. George Washington
2. -
3. -
4. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

[Ezee E]

1. United 93
2. Atonement
3. Minority Report
4. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

[dreamdead]

1. George Washington (but only by a narrow margin, since I rather like Greengrass' film)
2. Once
3. In America (ditto iosos here)

[Watashi]

1. United 93
2. Once
3. Minority Report
4. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

[DSNT]

1. United 93
2. Once
3. In America
4. Downfall

[Kurosawa Fan]

2. Atonement
3. Minority Report
4. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

[Stay Puft]

3. In America

[Rowland]

1. need to watch George Washington again
2. Once
4. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

[ledfloyd]

1. George Washington, for the reason iosos posted
2. n/a
3. Both Suck
4. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

[Rowland]

4. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert FordPulling a Boner here, but I don't recall you seeing this. Not that I don't trust you, I'm just wondering what you gave it.

[SirNewt]

George Washington
N/A
In America
Downfall

[Hugh_Grant]

Wow, what's up with the United 93 hate? It's my favorite film of the decade so far. (I haven't seen DGG's film, so I can't vote in round.)

2. Once
3. Minority Report

[Spinal]

1. United 93
2. Once

[Watashi]

Pulling a Boner here, but I don't recall you seeing this. Not that I don't trust you, I'm just wondering what you gave it.
****

[Melville]

1. George Washington (not because United 93 is bad, but because George Washington is incredibly good)
2. haven't seen Atonement
3. Minority Report
4. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

[BirdsAteMyFace]

1. George Washington
2. -
3. Minority Report (not much of a fan of either, though)
4. Downfall

[Silencio]

1. United 93
2. Atonement
3. Minority Report
4. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

[Boner M]

1. George Washington
2. Once
3. In America
4. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

[Duncan]

2. Once
3. Minority Report
4. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

[soitgoes...]

1. United 93
2. Once
3. In America
4. Downfall

[DSNT]

Scores So Far:

United 93 7 vs. George Washington 11
Once 11 vs. Atonement 5
In America 9 vs. Minority Report 10
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford 11 vs. Downfall 6

[SirNewt]

Just taking a look back. . .

The Departed 5 vs. The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters 9

What the hell?

[Spinal]

Just taking a look back. . .

The Departed 5 vs. The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters 9

What the hell?

Yeah, why did five people vote for The Departed? :crazy:

[MacGuffin]

I haven't seen George Washington, but I imagine that it can't get much worse than United 93. I know, I know, Slant Magazine. Shut your mouth. :evil:

[Lazlo]

1. George Washington
2. Once
3. Minority Report
4. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

[Sven]

Did people not like In America or what?

[Derek]

Did people not like In America or what?

I liked it enough and could really go either way in that match-up. It was a bit too saccharine for my taste, but Morton and Considine sold it for me.

[Watashi]

Did people not like In America or what?
It's one of my favorite movies.

Though Minority Report is my favorite Spielberg.

[SirNewt]

Yeah, why did five people vote for The Departed? :crazy:

hehehe, I guys it wasn't too popular around here. It has it's problems, and I enjoyed, 'The King of Kong' but it seemed a pretty standard documentary about an interesting little niche.

I should see 'The Departed' again.

[Qrazy]

Yeah, why did five people vote for The Departed? :crazy:

The Departed has it's stumbling blocks but overall it's pretty damn strong filmmaking.

[Qrazy]

'The King of Kong' but it seemed a pretty standard documentary about an interesting little neeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrddddddd dlolllllllllllllllllllzors.


Fixed.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Did people not like In America or what?

Meh.

[Spinal]

hehehe, I guys it wasn't too popular around here. It has it's problems, and I enjoyed, 'The King of Kong' but it seemed a pretty standard documentary about an interesting little niche.


I thought King of Kong was an exceptional documentary filled with humor, suspense and humanity, whereas The Departed is truly the "pretty standard" film in this match-up with its tiresome there's-a-fine-line-between-a-cop-and-a-criminal runaround.

[SirNewt]

I thought King of Kong was an exceptional documentary filled with humor, suspense and humanity, whereas The Departed is truly the "pretty standard" film in this match-up with its tiresome there's-a-fine-line-between-a-cop-and-a-criminal runaround.

'The Departed' definitely relied on it's standbys and conventions but it was still very technically sound. Watching Kong I felt like emotions were being constructed where they didn't really belong. Let me say it another way, as it progressed I started to see the man behind the curtain.

[DSNT]

Final Scores:
United 93 7 vs. George Washington 12
Once 12 vs. Atonement 5
In America 9 vs. Minority Report 11
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford 12 vs. Downfall 6

New Battles:
1. Amelie vs. In the Bedroom
2. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring vs. Amores Perros
3. Best In Show vs. The Aviator
4. Children of Men vs. Road to Perdition

[Spinal]

1. Amelie
2. Amores Perros
3. Best In Show
4. Children of Men

[Rowland]

2. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
4. Children of Men

[DSNT]

1. In the Bedroom
2. Amores Perros
3. Best In Show
4. Children of Men

I'm afraid In the Bedroom might have gotten the draw from hell. Too bad.

[Watashi]

1. In the Bedroom
2. FOTR
3. The Aviator
4. Road to Perdition

Damn Children of Men...

[Hugh_Grant]

1. In the Bedroom
2. n/a
3. The Aviator (don't really like either choice)
4. Road to Perdition (love both)

[origami_mustache]

Amores Perros
Children of Men

haven't seen In the Bedroom or The Aviator

[Sycophant]

1. In the Bedroom
2. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
3. (damn my Guest deficiency!)
4. Children of Men

[Watashi]

How many more sets of battles are there before Round 2 starts?

[Stay Puft]

4. Road to Perdition

[Sven]

1 In the Bedroom, because Amelie is nothing
2 Amores Perros, even though Inarritu is a total hack
3 The Aviator, despite Guest's fine attempts (I probably would've voted for A Mighty Wind)
4 Children of Men, because Road to Perdition is Cadbury Creme Egg without the Cadbury Creme

[Spinal]

1 In the Bedroom, because Amelie is nothing
2 Amores Perros, even though Inarritu is a total hack


Oh, you big silly.

[Boner M]

1. In the Bedroom
2. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
3. The Aviator
4. Children of Men

[Spinal]

I'm afraid In the Bedroom might have gotten the draw from hell.

Or not.

[Qrazy]

1. -
2. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
3. The Aviator (hate Guest with a passion)
4. Road to Perdition (quite hard for me)

[Mysterious Dude]

1. Amelie
2. Amores Perros
3. ~
4. Children of Men

[ledfloyd]

1. Amelie
2. LOTR
3. Best in Show
4. Children of Men

[Duncan]

1. Amelie
3. The Aviator
4. Children of Men

[Qrazy]

Like Road to Perdition more you sphincters.

[Eleven]

1. ~
2. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
3. Best In Show
4. Children of Men

[Hugh_Grant]

3. The Aviator (hate Guest with a passion)

I thought I was the only one...

[DSNT]

How many more sets of battles are there before Round 2 starts?

4

[Melville]

1. In the Bedroom (because, as iosos said, Amelie is nothing)
2. Amores Perros (because LOTR robs Tolkien's stories of everything that makes them interesting)
3. The Aviator (because it's the second best movie of the decade, and Best in Show isn't the best)
4. Children of Men (for no particular reason)

[Spinal]

(because, as iosos said, Amelie is nothing)

This is not even a legitimate opinion. It's an objectively false statement that I could disprove in a court of law.

[Melville]

This is not even a legitimate opinion. It's an objectively false statement that I could disprove in a court of law.
Bah. Those judges don't know what they're doing.

[Silencio]

1. In the Bedroom
2. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
3. -
4. Children of Men

[dreamdead]

1. In the Bedroom
2. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
3. n/a (seen neither, actually)
4. Children of Men

[Rowland]

(because LOTR robs Tolkien's stories of everything that makes them interesting)
Silliness. How do you figure?

[Raiders]

1. In the Bedroom
2. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
3. The Aviator
4. Children of Men

[Melville]

Silliness. How do you figure?
The novel is an epic simulacrum, using the language and archetypes of Medieval mythology to create a new, Christianized mythic saga. The films are just big adventure stories, with none of the world-making and sense of cataclysmic transformation of the novel. Also, the films make almost half of the characters into irrelevant comedy relief (e.g. Gimli) and remove the archetypal nature of others (e.g. Aragorn). And even on a scene-by-scene basis, the films simply aren't as well constructed as the novel (e.g. the chase in the mines of Moria, which is brilliantly paced and laden with a sense of claustrophobia and doom in the novel, is interrupted by a silly set-piece and has essentially no mood in the film).

[Sven]

e.g. the chase in the mines of Moria, which is brilliantly paced and laden with a sense of claustrophobia and doom in the novel, is interrupted by a silly set-piece and has essentially no mood in the film).

Remember in The Two Towers when Legolas surfs down the castle railing on a shield? Heh.

[Melville]

Remember in The Two Towers when Legolas surfs down the castle railing on a shield? Heh.
Yes. Yes, I do. (Although I think it was just a staircase, not a railing. And I actually think The Two Towers worked pretty well as an over-the-top adventure film.)

[Raiders]

For what the films are, I think they're just about perfect. The books on the other hand I just can't get into. Not my style of literature at all.

[Rowland]

I think the movies are thick with the weight of a realized fantasy universe and the palpable moral weight therein. The narrative is immersive, never overwhelmed by the grandiosity of Jackson's telling. The movie is more compelling and poignant than the book.

[Rowland]

For what the films are, I think they're just about perfect. The books on the other hand I just can't get into. Not my style of literature at all.I liked the books, but they are messy, dry, and often unforgivably digressive. Jackson injects the text with an awe-inspiring vitality.

[Melville]

I think the movies are thick with the weight of a realized fantasy universe and the palpable moral weight therein. The narrative is immersive, never overwhelmed by the grandiosity of Jackson's telling. Hell, the movies are more compelling and poignant than the books.
I think it's undeniable that the novel has a much more richly detailed world, particularly in its sense of history and geography. In the films, the fantasy universe is primarily there to create an immersive experience, while it has much broader utility in the novel. And the immersiveness of the narrative isn't my primary interest in the novel; I didn't find the narrative in either medium to be all that poignant. (Although I think the movies, especially ROTK, end up losing a lot of poignancy by trying so hard to be poignant, and Jackson's style definitely overwhelmed the narrative for me.)

[Rowland]

I'll agree that by the third movie, Jackson is pushing too hard. But I still think the first movie works like gangbusters, and the second isn't far behind.

[SirNewt]

Yes. Yes, I do. (Although I think it was just a staircase, not a railing. And I actually think The Two Towers worked pretty well as an over-the-top adventure film.)

The staircase pales in comparrison to his taking down of an elephant in the third film. The scene breaks down visually which is downright shameful for a film with practically unlimited budget.

[SirNewt]

Oh and. . .

4. Road to Perdition (this was incredibly difficult for me)

[Raiders]

The staircase pales in comparrison to his taking down of an elephant in the third film. The scene breaks down visually which is downright shameful for a film with practically unlimited budget.

Unlimited? It wasn't even 100 million if pro-rated with the other two films. Not that it is a small amount, but still.

I don't really mind either scene. Seems to me a massive action/adventure epic ought to have some cool action sequences, even if they verge on cheesy. Really, the whole thing is a little cheesy and overstated. But, like the books, there's an almost Biblical heft I think that I love about them.

[Melville]

Unlimited? It wasn't even 100 million if pro-rated with the other two films. Not that it is a small amount, but still.

I don't really mind either scene. Seems to me a massive action/adventure epic ought to have some cool action sequences, even if they verge on cheesy. Really, the whole thing is a little cheesy and overstated. But, like the books, there's an almost Biblical heft I think that I love about them.
Don't you think the cheesiness detracts from the Biblical heft? I agree that the action scenes suit the epic action/adventure tone, but they seem at odds with the attempts at seriousness. Although the attempts at seriousness were even cheesier, so I guess the whole thing is pretty consistent in that sense.

[Sven]

Remember when Jesus invented the dinner table? Now THAT was cheesy.

[SirNewt]

Unlimited? It wasn't even 100 million if pro-rated with the other two films. Not that it is a small amount, but still.

I don't really mind either scene. Seems to me a massive action/adventure epic ought to have some cool action sequences, even if they verge on cheesy. Really, the whole thing is a little cheesy and overstated. But, like the books, there's an almost Biblical heft I think that I love about them.

The second scene was little more than cheesy to me. It just didn't work at all.

EDIT: Also, I have to say that if you got a Biblical tone from the films than the films don't do much service to the tone of the books. Tolkien's style is kind of 19th century. 'The Silmarillion', though, that reads very much like the first books of Ovid's Metamorphoses or The Old Testament of the Bible.

The total budget was $270 mil right? Divided three ways that's $90 mil per film but they, of course, saved a lot of money by doing them all at once. Unlimited is a major exaggeration but I still feel there should've been plenty of cash to make that scene look good.

Also, the books aren't quite as overbearing as the films. If the films are pastels than the books are water colors.

[Kurosawa Fan]

1. Amelie
2. Amores Perros
3. Best In Show
4. Children of Men

1 & 4 were pretty tough.

[Melville]

Remember when Jesus invented the dinner table? Now THAT was cheesy.
:lol:

Indeed.


EDIT: Also, I have to say that if you got a Biblical tone from the films than the films don't do much service to the tone of the books. Tolkien's style is kind of 19th century. 'The Silmarillion', though, that reads very much like the first books of Ovid's Metamorphoses or The Old Testament of the Bible.
From LOTR:
"Great was the clash of their meeting. But the white fury of the Northmen burned the hotter, and more skilled was their knighthood with long spears and bitter." Hardly typical Victorian English. The prose in LOTR, while largely operating in 19th century style, frequently mimics Medieval style to give the sense of a last resurgence of ancient days, mirroring the hobbits' journey from a fairy tale type story into an epic legend. And you can't really deny the biblical significance that Tolkien imbues the story with.

Have you read The Children of Hurin? It's much more overt in its emulation of Medieval legends and in the purposeful twists it puts on their style.

Edit: I meant to say "you can't really deny the biblical heft that Tolkien imbues the story with, even if he doesn't use a Biblical tone or style."

[Lazlo]

1. Amelie
2. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
3. The Aviator
4. Children of Men

[DSNT]

Scores So Far:

Amelie 6 vs. In the Bedroom 10
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 11 vs. Amores Perros 7
Best In Show 5 vs. The Aviator 9
Children of Men 17 vs. Road to Perdition 5

[SirNewt]

:lol:

Indeed.


From LOTR:
"Great was the clash of their meeting. But the white fury of the Northmen burned the hotter, and more skilled was their knighthood with long spears and bitter." Hardly typical Victorian English. The prose in LOTR, while largely operating in 19th century style, frequently mimics Medieval style to give the sense of a last resurgence of ancient days, mirroring the hobbits' journey from a fairy tale type story into an epic legend. And you can't really deny the biblical significance that Tolkien imbues the story with.

Have you read The Children of Hurin? It's much more overt in its emulation of Medieval legends and in the purposeful twists it puts on their style.

Not yet, my fervor for Tolkien has wained in the last year or so. The last thing I think I read was 'The Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle Earth'.

It sounds interesting. A more medieval Tolkien suites me. The way LotR was always peering into its characters minds seemed very 19th century. The influence of Middle English, however, cannot be understated.

I think it Biblical only in the way Hugo or Dickens are Biblical. In that, through the narration they weight their characters and judge them against a kind of Christian morality.

from earlier:

"The films are just big adventure stories, with none of the world-making and sense of cataclysmic transformation of the novel."

I truly agree with this. There is an excellent moment in the first film, however, in which Gandalf speaks the first words of Mordor ever spoken in Rivendale. The sky grows dark and the earth gives a small quake. The place itself is changed at the very sound of the words. I thought this an excellent inclusion in the film. Many early written fairy tales and legends were deeply rooted in oral traditions and still carried an affinity for speaking things into being.

[Qrazy]

The novel is an epic simulacrum, using the language and archetypes of Medieval mythology to create a new, Christianized mythic saga. The films are just big adventure stories, with none of the world-making and sense of cataclysmic transformation of the novel. Also, the films make almost half of the characters into irrelevant comedy relief (e.g. Gimli) and remove the archetypal nature of others (e.g. Aragorn). And even on a scene-by-scene basis, the films simply aren't as well constructed as the novel (e.g. the chase in the mines of Moria, which is brilliantly paced and laden with a sense of claustrophobia and doom in the novel, is interrupted by a silly set-piece and has essentially no mood in the film).

There is an abundance of world building, it's excellently integrated into the visuals and subplots. If you want even more world building (although in two of the three at the expense of pace, which is why the cuts made in the novel/film translation are essential) watch the extendeds.

No mood? Please, the mines has a potent sense of place and mystery. Gandalf's speech to Frodo and his final stand against the Balrog are two scene highlights in all of fantasy cinema.

[Qrazy]

Although the attempts at seriousness were even cheesier, so I guess the whole thing is pretty consistent in that sense.

False.

[soitgoes...]

1. Amelie
2. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
3. Best In Show
4. Children of Men

[EvilShoe]

1. Amelie
2. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
3. Best In Show
4. Children of Men

[Gizmo]

Amelie
Amores Perros
The Aviator
Children of Men

[Ezee E]

1. Amelie
2. Amores Perros
3. The Aviator
4. Children of Men

[Sven]

Qrazy, I never figured you for a Rings fan. Weird.

[Rowland]

Qrazy, I never figured you for a Rings fan. Weird.I've noticed that Qrazy's tastes are eclectic, he isn't easy to pin down. Good for him, since he's right of course, along with the rest of us who recognize the many attributes in Jackson's adaptation. But you know, shield surfing, lol. ;)

[Sven]

I've noticed that Qrazy's tastes are eclectic, he isn't easy to pin down. Good for him, since he's right of course, along with the rest of us who recognize the many attributes in Jackson's adaptation.

In all honesty, I'm a little befuddled that you like the movies as much as you do, too. They seem so streamlined and passionless. Rote, even. It all looked like a fantasy should look, which made it entirely predictable. Jackson's imagination isn't enough to sustain 10 hours of unique storytelling... by Return of the King, every movement of the camera, every battle, every dramatic scene, every sweeping panoramic landscape, we had seen before. Heck, by the end of Fellowship I was beginning to tire of seeing the same thing over and over.

I don't know what these "many attributes" could be, other than something defaulted by the necessity of its behemoth length, which is not something I would say is inherently a good thing.

[Llopin]

1. Amelie
2. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
3. -
4. Road to Perdition

[Qrazy]

Qrazy, I never figured you for a Rings fan. Weird.

Yeah I have a geek streak fo sho. :)

[DSNT]

Scores so far:
Amelie 11 vs. In the Bedroom 10
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 14 vs. Amores Perros 9
Best In Show 7 vs. The Aviator 11
Children of Men 21 vs. Road to Perdition 6

I'm going to end this one in a couple hours. Get your votes in!

[DSNT]

Well, there's no activity to speak and the weekend's coming, so the scores above are final.

New Battles:
1. No Country for Old Men vs. Monsters Inc.
2. Pride & Prejudice vs. Spider-Man 2
3. Grizzly Man vs. Werckmeister Harmonies
4. Dogville vs. Almost Famous

[Sven]

Monsters Inc, although I do love Bardem's haircut
- I haven't seen the Austen film, and I care not a whit for Raimi's
- I need to get off my ass and see some Tarr already
Dogville, because Almost Famous is dreck

[Watashi]

1. No Country for Old Men
2. Spider-Man 2
4. Almost Famous

It hurts me to vote against Pixar. :(

[Qrazy]

1. No Country for Old Men (one of pixar's weaker efforts)
2. -
3. Werckmeister Harmonies
4. Dogville (for formal skill and invention alone)

[Spinal]

1. No Country for Old Men
2. Spider-Man 2

4. Dogville

[DSNT]

1. No Country for Old Me
2. Pride & Prejudice
3. N/A - haven't seen Werck ..
4. Almost Famous - tough choice; went with Almost Famous because it has aged better with me.

[ledfloyd]

1. No Country for Old Men
2.
3. Werckmeister Harmonies
4.

[Derek]

New Battles:
1. No Country for Old Men
2. Pride & Prejudice
3. Werckmeister Harmonies
4. Dogville

[Spinal]

1. No Country for Old Me


Ah, don't be so tough on yourself.

[Duncan]

1. Monsters Inc. (A vote for NCfOM is a vote against children. Think about that before you do anything reckless.)
3. Werckmeister Harmonies (terrible match up)
4. Dogville

[Ezee E]

1. No Country for Old Men
2. Spider-Man 2

4. Dogville

[Kurosawa Fan]

1. No Country for Old Men
2. Pride & Prejudice
4. Almost Famous

[MacGuffin]

1. No Country for Old Men
4. Dogville

[DSNT]

Ah, don't be so tough on yourself.
Oh snap .. well it's truer than you might think, although my version would have American Idol and Paris Hilton.

Scores So Far:
No Country for Old Men 8 vs. Monsters Inc. 2
Pride & Prejudice 3 vs. Spider-Man Two 3
Grizzly Man vs. Werckmeister Harmonies 4
Dogville 7 vs. Almost Famous 4

Poor Grizzly Man, brutal matchup.

For the 2nd round, I'm going to try and put the movies with the least votes at the bottom of the pile in case people want to fill up their Netflix queues.