Your Top Ten of 2008 (so far)

[Qrazy]

He said he sees them because he doesn't want to let anything slip through the cracks. Because An American Carol just might be the best movie ever.

Yeah I suppose, but that to me seems like more of a justification of his compulsive need to go to the theater than his primary reason for doing so.

[Duncan]

I am a busy person. I don't have time to watch all the films I sincerely would like to see. There is no way I will go see even something like Iron Man in theatres, which got fairly positive reviews, unless I'm with a group of people and this is the consensus choice. There are too many things I enjoy doing that are more worthwhile and cost less than $10.

[Watashi]

I am a busy person. I don't have time to watch all the films I sincerely would like to see. There is no way I will go see even something like Iron Man in theatres, which got fairly positive reviews, unless I'm with a group of people and this is the consensus choice. There are too many things I enjoy doing that are more worthwhile and cost less than $10.
Hint: Make friends at your local movie theater.

I saw tentpole films like Iron Man and WALL-E by myself.

[Qrazy]

Hint: Make friends at your local movie theater.

I saw tentpole films like Iron Man and WALL-E by myself.

I think his point was he doesn't give a shit about Iron Man.

[Watashi]

I think his point was he doesn't give a shit about Iron Man.
His loss.

[Duncan]

His loss.

I prefer to think of it in terms of opportunity cost.

[Melville]

Iron Man sucked. Hard. Pretty much every movie I see with my friends is terrible. We've been seeing bad movies together for so long, it would seem strange to end the trend now.

[Watashi]

Iron Man sucked. Hard. Pretty much every movie I see with my friends is terrible. We've been seeing bad movies together for so long, it would seem strange to end the trend now.
You've been full of wrong lately.

I see nearly every movie by myself unless it's something like The Dark Knight. I never understood the point of going to a movie with a bunch of friends just to watch how terrible it is.

[Qrazy]

Uhh... did the last 3 posts get modded?

[Duncan]

Uhh... did the last 3 posts get modded?

I didn't notice anything disappear.

[Qrazy]

Nevermind those were in a different thread... *slaps forehead*.

[Winston*]

By obessively seeking out every movie you can in the hopes you'll see every great one, you're really missing your chance on seeking out every pastry in existence in the hopes of trying every delicious one. You're never going to be on your death bed wishing you had seen more great movies, but you'll almost certainly wish you'd eaten more delicious pastries.

[Qrazy]

And/or key lime pie.

[Winston*]

And/or key lime pie.

You just don't get it Qrazy.

[eternity]

Not sure what you mean by "entire field" but based on your top/bottom 10's, I'd curious to see what the ratio is between American to non-American films you see.American films for the first eight or nine months of the year predominantly, with all of the foreign fare coming when they are finally on the torrents or on DVD.

My list transforms usually around March or April of the next year when everything is readily available.

[eternity]

The way I see it, it is inevitable that I will one day be at someone's house when they bust out a copy of, say, Fool's Gold (!), and so at least I'll be able to get shit-faced drunk and mock it just once, rather than having to live with the wrenching stain on the soul that watching shit like that twice in a lifetime would produce.

In other words, you should let the movies that are obvious tripe find you, rather than seek them out on the off-chance McConaughey's pecs lend a devastating critique on the perils of vicarious existence in a wired society.I was dragged to Fool's Gold and most of the movies on there. The only one without an actual excuse would be Disaster Movie, I watched it online out of sheer masochistic joy.

[Qrazy]

You just don't get it Qrazy.

No you don't get it!

Twas a Dexter reference.

[Melville]

I never understood the point of going to a movie with a bunch of friends just to watch how terrible it is.
I don't do that either. But somehow I end up in the theater, watching how terrible a movie is.

[Watashi]

I don't do that either. But somehow I end up in the theater, watching how terrible a movie is.
Which Iron Man wasn't.

[The Mike]

Which Iron Man wasn't.
Correct.

[Qrazy]

Ehh I fall in the middle. In the context of the Superhero genre Ironman is above average. In the context of film in general it's pretty average and kind of shallow... enough with the Tony Stark private jet, charity events, blah blah. I also agree with whoever said in another thread that two 'Ironmans' fighting each other is a pretty visually boring match-up.

[Melville]

Which Iron Man wasn't.
I'll meet you half way: it was mediocre to the point of sucking. Hard.

[Rowland]

I found Iron Man engaging but fairly mediocre when I saw it in theaters, but another viewing on video improved my opinion of it considerably. Hell, if I watch The Dark Knight again, I may find myself preferring Iron Man...

[eternity]

Both Iron Man and The Dark Knight are hovering around average superhero films that aren't particularly great but aren't bad by any real stretch. They have far more merits than a film like Fantastic Four or other more throwaway summer blockbusters.

[Melville]

Superhero movies rated:

Spider-Man 2 - 8
Unbreakable - 7
X2 - 7
The Dark Knight - 7
Batman - 6.5
Spider-Man - 6.5
The Crow - 6
Spider-Man 3 - 6
X-Men - 5
Superman - 4.5
Iron Man - 4.5
Superman Returns - 4
The Shadow - 4
Batman Begins - 3
Batman Returns - 3
Hulk - 3
Superman 2 - 3
Blade 2 - 2.5
Blade - 2.5
X-Men: The Last Stand - 2
The Phantom - 2
Batman Forever - 2
The Punisher (1989) - 2
4: Rise of the Silver Surfer - 2
Superman 4 - 2
Superman 3 - 1.5
Daredevil - 1.5
Spawn - 1.5
Batman and Robin - 1

So, if the numbers don't lie, and I presume that they don't, Wats is right: Iron Man is not terrible. Now I'll ponder why I've seen so many superhero movies.

[soitgoes...]

But what if the movies that are "considered" good don't fit someone's interests?

I'd rather take a flier on something that might be less regarded and looks interesting to me than just say "Oh, this movie about incestuous polish cobblers got four stars from Ebert! Must see!"Well, I don't know if my interests are broader than yours, but there are thousands of films I have an interest in seeing before Fool's Gold.

[The Mike]

Well, I don't know if my interests are broader than yours, but there are thousands of films I have an interest in seeing before Fool's Gold.

Oh, I agree with you there. I could talk myself into it for Kate Hudson in a bikini, but I'd probably turn to the thousands of films that had less attractive women nude first.

[Ezee E]

I have no problem going to movies by myself. For many of them, it's too hard to explain it to them if I myself haven't seen the preview. Scheduling, etc... It's just easier, and in the end, you're still watching a movie silently...

[eternity]

1. Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (Frankowski)- Was taking a class at the time and decided to write an extra credit essay on the "Evolutionist/Creationist War", this was one of the prompts, I didn't create it. Let's just say that I regret that.

2. Twilight (Hardwicke)- [edited for Spinal's sanity]

3. Quid Pro Quo (Brooks)- Good tomatometer, I liked the actors, I was expecting this to be rather good. I was really dead wrong.

4. An American Carol (Zucker)- Republican friend wanted me to watch this with her because she downloaded it, and because she wanted to see Mr. Uber Liberal squirm. She hated it too, and I got the last laugh.

5. The Happening (Shyamalan)- Wolfy at RT was in it, the big RT Chat watched it together. I participated.

6. Disaster Movie (Friedberg, Seltzer)- There's no excuse here, it was on MegaVideo and I felt masochistic.

7. Fool's Gold (Tennant)- When mom's want to go to the movie theater for their birthday, you can't say no.

8. Max Payne (Moore)- MegaVideo at 3 am, I liked the game, wanted to see how they did, knowing it probably wouldn't be too good, but it was worth a try, since the trailer seemed to make the film have some damn good cinematography. Not good, at all.

9. Never Back Down (Wadlow)- MST3K'd this with friends, it was exactly what it was supposed to be.

10. Untraceable (Hoblit)- It was on Starz, I had nothing better to do, I was mildly intrigued by its concept when it was out, decided to give it a watch. Meh.

Oh, and #11 is The Reader, Oscar bait.

[Ezee E]

I'm glad eternity explained himself on every movie.

[Pop Trash]

Updates!

8/10
1. Paranoid Park
2. My Blueberry Nights
3. Wall-E
4. The Dark Knight
5. Redbelt
6. Stuck
7. Pineapple Express
8. Synecdoche, New York
9. Milk
10. Man on Wire


11. Rachel Getting Married
12. Burn After Reading

7/10
13. Cloverfield
14. Shotgun Stories
15. Snow Angels
16. Gran Torino
17. The Strangers
18. Baghead
19. Encounters at the End of the World
20. The Last Mistress
21. Indiana Jones/Crystal Skull
22. Iron Man
23. Diary of the Dead
24. In Bruges
25. Be Kind Rewind
26. Son of Rambow
27. Hamlet 2
28. Zack and Miri Make a Porno
29. Vicky Cristina Barcelona

6/10
30. Slumdog Millionaire
31. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
32. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
33. The Wackness
34. Teeth
35. Choke
36. Tropic Thunder
37. Shine a Light
38. Funny Games USA

5/10
39. Speed Racer
40. Swing Vote
41. Step Brothers

4/10
42. The Ruins
43. Rambo

[megladon8]

Update...

1.) The Dark Knight
2.) Let the Right One In
3.) Iron Man
4.) Cloverfield
5.) The Incredible Hulk
6.) Pineapple Express
7.) Diary of the Dead
8.) The Machine Girl
9.) ...


I'm hoping it will drastically change as I see more films from the year. Ones I'm hoping to make an appearance:

The Wrestler
Wall-E
The Fall
Redbelt

[Watashi]

You haven't seen WALL-E yet?

What the hell, meg?

[megladon8]

You haven't seen WALL-E yet?

What the hell, meg?


I know. :sad:

I'm thinking it'll be a family BluRay viewing over the Christmas holidays.

[Grouchy]

4. An American Carol (Zucker)- Republican friend wanted me to watch this with her because she downloaded it, and because she wanted to see Mr. Uber Liberal squirm. She hated it too, and I got the last laugh.
Did you at least fuck her?

[eternity]

Did you at least fuck her?

No(t yet).

[Qrazy]

No(t yet).

Put it in her brownie.

[Amnesiac]

:| ... :rolleyes:

[Sven]

Put it in her brownie.

Do you mean, like... it it? In a brownie?

[Milky Joe]

Put it in her brownie.

I don't need details!

[eternity]

Re-ordered it a little.

Top 10:
1. Cloverfield (Reeves)
2. Hamlet 2 (Fleming)
3. Speed Racer (Wachowski)
4. Snow Angels (Green)
5. Wall-E (Stanton)
6. My Blueberry Nights (Kar-Wai)
7. JCVD (El Mechri)
8. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (Kuenne)
9. Burn After Reading (Coen)
10. Choke (Gregg)

Bottom 10:
1. Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (Frankowski)
2. Twilight (Hardwicke)
3. Quid Pro Quo (Brooks)
4. An American Carol (Zucker)
5. The Happening (Shyamalan)
6. Disaster Movie (Friedberg, Seltzer)
7. Fool's Gold (Tennant)
8. Max Payne (Moore)
9. Never Back Down (Wadlow)
10. The Reader (Daldry)

[ledfloyd]

1. Vicky Cristina Barcelona
2. Wall-E
3. Happy-Go-Lucky
4. Let the Right One In
5. Tropic Thunder
6. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
7. Transsiberian
8. Leatherheads
9. Iron Man
10. Forgetting Sarah Marshall

[ledfloyd]

1. A Christmas Tale
2. Vicky Cristina Barcelona
3. Wall-E
4. Happy-Go-Lucky
5. Let the Right One In
6. Frost/Nixon
7. Tropic Thunder
8. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
9. Transsiberian
10. Forgetting Sarah Marshall

[Ezee E]

Let The Right One In is resonating well. It's moved up.

1. The Dark Knight
2. Rachel Getting Married
3. The Fall
4. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days
5. Blindness
6. Let The Right One In
7. Redbelt
8. Iron Man
9. My Blueberry Nights
10. Standard Operating Procedures

The Other Great Movies of 2008: W., Cloverfield, The Strangers, and Snow Angels

[Amnesiac]

1. A Christmas Tale


Wow. Now I want to see this even more.

[Ezee E]

Wow. Now I want to see this even more.
Only played for a week here. :(

[Derek]

Only played for a week here. :(

It's playing now on "IFC in Theaters" on my digital cable OnDemand, so you could try that.

[Amnesiac]

It's playing now on "IFC in Theaters" on my digital cable OnDemand, so you could try that.

Is that Rogers OnDemand?

Because if so, sweet.

[Derek]

Is that Rogers OnDemand?

Because if so, sweet.

I have Time Warner Cable, but I assume as long as your OnDemand has "IFC in Theaters" it'll be available there.

[Boner M]

I wish I liked In the City of Sylvia more. It struck me as term paper fodder and little more.

EDIT: That was supposed to go in the Critics' lists thread. Well, I think Derek and Nick loved the film. So boo-urns to them.

[ledfloyd]

It's playing now on "IFC in Theaters" on my digital cable OnDemand, so you could try that.
yep, this is how i saw it.

[eternity]

Re-ordered it a little.

Top 10:
1. Cloverfield (Reeves)
2. Hamlet 2 (Fleming)
3. Speed Racer (Wachowski)
4. Snow Angels (Green)
5. Wall-E (Stanton)
6. My Blueberry Nights (Kar-Wai)
7. JCVD (El Mechri)
8. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (Kuenne)
9. Burn After Reading (Coen)
10. Choke (Gregg)

Bottom 10:
1. Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (Frankowski)
2. Twilight (Hardwicke)
3. Quid Pro Quo (Brooks)
4. An American Carol (Zucker)
5. The Happening (Shyamalan)
6. Disaster Movie (Friedberg, Seltzer)
7. Fool's Gold (Tennant)
8. Max Payne (Moore)
9. Never Back Down (Wadlow)
10. The Reader (Daldry)

Top 10:
1. Cloverfield (Reeves)
2. Hamlet 2 (Fleming)
3. Speed Racer (Wachowski)
4. Milk (Van Sant)
5. Snow Angels (Green)
6. Wall-E (Stanton)
7. My Blueberry Nights (Kar-Wai)
8. JCVD (El Mechri)
9. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (Kuenne)
10. Burn After Reading (Coen)

Bottom 10:
1. Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (Frankowski)
2. Twilight (Hardwicke)
3. Quid Pro Quo (Brooks)
4. An American Carol (Zucker)
5. The Happening (Shyamalan)
6. Disaster Movie (Friedberg, Seltzer)
7. Fool's Gold (Tennant)
8. Max Payne (Moore)
9. Never Back Down (Wadlow)
10. The Reader (Daldry)

[NickGlass]

I wish I liked In the City of Sylvia more. It struck me as term paper fodder and little more.


But, but, it's also so, so pretty. Your comment makes it sound like a "serious" conceptual enterprise, but I found the experience refreshing. I may, however, admit that it's a short film that is stubbornly protracted to further prove one of its many points.

[dreamdead]

Updated! All '08 U.S. release dates...

1. Still Life -- 91
2. Rachel Getting Married -- 90
3. Woman on the Beach -- 85
4. Wall-E -- 82
5. The Flight of the Red Balloon -- 78
6. The Dark Knight -- 78
7. Boarding Gate -- 73
8. Kung Fu Panda -- 72
9. Australia -- 70
10. Speed Racer -- 70


Finally turning out to be a decent year.

[Kurosawa Fan]

One more time!


1. Burn After Reading - 9.5
2. Speed Racer - 9.0
3. Tropic Thunder - 9.0
4. Wall*E - 8.5
5. Mad Detective - 8.5
6. The Pineapple Express - 8.0
7. The Dark Knight - 7.5
8. Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 7.5
9. Cloverfield - 7.5
10. My Winnipeg - 7.0

After seeing Happy-Go-Lucky and Role Models, my list remains the same. I might be seeing A Christmas Tale tonight, and hopefully that will change things up a bit.

[Duncan]

1. The Silence Before Bach
2. Synecdoche, New York
3. Wall*E
4. Still Life
5. Man on Wire
6. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
7. Alexandra
8. Rachel Getting Married
9. Happy-Go-Lucky
10. Speed Racer
10. The Flight of the Red Balloon
10. Milk

I can't decide.

[Ezee E]

Where'd you see My Winnipeg K-Fan?

[Watashi]

Where'd you see My Winnipeg K-Fan?
The entire film is on YouTube.

[Ezee E]

The entire film is on YouTube.
Good quality?

[Kurosawa Fan]

Where'd you see My Winnipeg K-Fan?

It was on IFC OnDemand a few months back. I wouldn't waste my time watching a movie on YouTube unless I had already seen it, and even then I'd probably pass.

[Ezee E]

It was on IFC OnDemand a few months back. I wouldn't waste my time watching a movie on YouTube unless I had already seen it, and even then I'd probably pass.
Agreed.

Damn, I wish I had comcast just for that onDemand deal. This movie and A Christmas Tale are ones I'd really like to see.

[Kurosawa Fan]

1. Burn After Reading - 9.5
2. Speed Racer - 9.0
3. Tropic Thunder - 9.0
4. Wall*E - 8.5
5. Mad Detective - 8.5
6. The Pineapple Express - 8.0
7. The Dark Knight - 7.5
8. Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 7.5
9. Cloverfield - 7.5
10. My Winnipeg - 7.0

1. Burn After Reading - 9.5
2. Speed Racer - 9.0
3. Tropic Thunder - 9.0
4. Wall*E - 8.5
5. A Christmas Tale - 8.5
6. Mad Detective - 8.5
7. The Pineapple Express - 8.0
8. The Dark Knight - 7.5
9. Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 7.5
10. Cloverfield - 7.5

[Derek]

5. A Christmas Tale - 8.5

Rep.

[Boner M]

1. Hunger (McQueen) 85
2. Flight of the Red Balloon (Hou) 83
3. My Winnipeg (Maddin) 80
4. Wall-E (Stanton) 79
5. Ballast (Hammer) 78
6. The Tracey Fragments (McDonald) 78
7. Woman on the Beach (Hong) 77
8. Gomorrah (Garrone) 77
9. Silent Light (Reygadas) 76
10. Baghead (Duplass) 76

[Kurosawa Fan]

1. Burn After Reading - 9.5
2. Speed Racer - 9.0
3. Tropic Thunder - 9.0
4. Wall*E - 8.5
5. A Christmas Tale - 8.5
6. Mad Detective - 8.5
7. The Pineapple Express - 8.0
8. The Dark Knight - 7.5
9. Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 7.5
10. Cloverfield - 7.5

Oh, I meant to do a slight reorder with my update.

1. Burn After Reading - 9.5
2. Wall*E - 9.0
3. Speed Racer - 9.0
4. Tropic Thunder - 9.0
5. A Christmas Tale - 8.5
6. Mad Detective - 8.5
7. The Pineapple Express - 8.0
8. The Dark Knight - 7.5
9. Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 7.5
10. Cloverfield - 7.5

[Spaceman Spiff]

3. Speed Racer - 9.0
4. Tropic Thunder - 9.0
5. A Christmas Tale - 8.5

Wha??

1. Wall-E 9.0
2. A Christmas Tale 8.5
3. Burn After Reading 8.0
4. Pineapple Express 8.0
5. The Dark Knight 7.5
6. Milk 7.0

The other 5 or so films I've seen, I don't like enough to rate. Will probably catch Synecdoche and Rachel Getting Married this weekend, if this blasted snowstorm dies down a bit.

[thefourthwall]

I apologize to everyone who has posted before me. When I first joined the forum and saw this thread, I thought "what weirdo determines a top ten when the year's only half way through?" So, I resolutely decided to wait until a sensible time like next January to determine a list. Recently though, every time I see this thread updated, a wave of panic sweeps over me as I try to imagine putting such a list together.

This seemingly overwhelming task began with me trying to list every 2008 film I've seen. Even now, I'm sure the list I compiled was incomplete, and since until recently I've never recorded or ranked/rated the films I do see, I'm left with half good records and then a yawning abyss. Clearly I need more precise bookkeeping practices. How do you all do it? A start probably would have been starting a working list back when I was scoffing. So again, I am sorry for all the unkind thoughts I had--I wish I had been so industrious as to begin earlier.

My list as is...

1. Rachel Getting Married 94
2. The Dark Knight 92
3. Wall-E 90
4. Happy-Go-Lucky
5. My Blueberry Nights 88
6. Australia 84
7. The Duchess
8. Kung Fu Panda 80
9. Speed Racer
10.Sex and the City

[Watashi]

I apologize to everyone who has posted before me. When I first joined the forum and saw this thread, I thought "what weirdo determines a top ten when the year's only half way through?" So, I resolutely decided to wait until a sensible time like next January to determine a list. Recently though, every time I see this thread updated, a wave of panic sweeps over me as I try to imagine putting such a list together.

This seemingly overwhelming task began with me trying to list every 2008 film I've seen. Even now, I'm sure the list I compiled was incomplete, and since until recently I've never recorded or ranked/rated the films I do see, I'm left with half good records and then a yawning abyss. Clearly I need more precise bookkeeping practices. How do you all do it? A start probably would have been starting a working list back when I was scoffing. So again, I am sorry for all the unkind thoughts I had--I wish I had been so industrious as to begin earlier.

My list as is...

1. Rachel Getting Married 94
2. The Dark Knight 92
3. Wall-E 90
4. Happy-Go-Lucky
5. My Blueberry Nights 88
6. Australia 84
7. The Duchess
8. Kung Fu Panda 80
9. Speed Racer
10.Sex and the City
I start a blong and just list and rank every movie I've seen in a year. Nothing is definitive and I move movies up and down when I reflect on them.

[Ezee E]

I start a blong and just list and rank every movie I've seen in a year. Nothing is definitive and I move movies up and down when I reflect on them.
Yup. I'll even look back at my lists from years ago, and wonder why the heck is something so low on my list?

[eternity]

Top 10:
1. Cloverfield (Reeves)
2. Hamlet 2 (Fleming)
3. Speed Racer (Wachowski)
4. Milk (Van Sant)
5. Snow Angels (Green)
6. Wall-E (Stanton)
7. My Blueberry Nights (Kar-Wai)
8. JCVD (El Mechri)
9. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (Kuenne)
10. Burn After Reading (Coen)

Bottom 10:
1. Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (Frankowski)
2. Twilight (Hardwicke)
3. Quid Pro Quo (Brooks)
4. An American Carol (Zucker)
5. The Happening (Shyamalan)
6. Disaster Movie (Friedberg, Seltzer)
7. Fool's Gold (Tennant)
8. Max Payne (Moore)
9. Never Back Down (Wadlow)
10. The Reader (Daldry)
T10:
1. Wendy and Lucy (Reichardt)
2. Cloverfield (Reeves)
3. Hamlet 2 (Fleming)
4. Speed Racer (Wachowski)
5. Milk (Van Sant)
6. Snow Angels (Green)
7. Wall-E (Stanton)
8. My Blueberry Nights (Kar-Wai)
9. JCVD (El Mechri)
10. Burn After Reading (Coen)

B10:
1. Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (Frankowski)
2. Twilight (Hardwicke)
3. Quid Pro Quo (Brooks)
4. An American Carol (Zucker)
5. The Happening (Shyamalan)
6. Disaster Movie (Friedberg, Seltzer)
7. Seven Pounds (Muccino)
8. Fool's Gold (Tennant)
9. Max Payne (Moore)
10. Never Back Down (Wadlow)

[origami_mustache]

1. Speed Racer
2. Still Life
3. Blindness
4. My Winnipeg
5. Milk
6. Tokyo Sonata
7. The Flight of The Red Balloon
8. Pineapple Express
9. The Wrestler
10. Synecdoche, New York

11. Tokyo!
12. Slumdog Millionaire
13. WALL-E
14. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
15. Sukiyaki Western Django
16. The Dark Knight
17. Burn After Reading
18. Mister Lonely
19. My Blueberry Nights
20. Snow Angels
21. Doubt
22. Encounters At the End of the World
23. Paranoid Park
24. Be Kind Rewind
25. Cloverfield

24 City
Tropic Thunder
Step Brothers
Semi-Pro
Diary of the Dead
Silent Light
Hancock
Beautiful Losers
The Strangers
Leatherheads
Lakeview Terrace

[Ivan Drago]

Added Slumdog Millionaire, Bolt and Four Christmases.

[Ezee E]

Added Slumdog Millionaire, Bolt and Four Christmases.
...to your worst list. Obvious choices.

Wait...

[Ivan Drago]

...to your worst list. Obvious choices.

Wait...

:|

I'm not sure what this means...but on the 2nd page my original post is an archive of all the movies I've seen this year and Four Christmases is at the bottom.

Didn't know if you meant something else...

[Ezee E]

:|

I'm not sure what this means...but on the 2nd page my original post is an archive of all the movies I've seen this year and Four Christmases is at the bottom.

Didn't know if you meant something else...
Ah, misread ya by not even looking at your top ten. heh. Never assume.

[dreamdead]

Updated...

1. Still Life -- 91
2. Rachel Getting Married -- 90
3. Woman on the Beach -- 85
4. Summer Palace -- 85
5. Wall-E -- 82
6. The Flight of the Red Balloon -- 78
7. The Dark Knight -- 78
8. Boarding Gate -- 73
9. Kung Fu Panda -- 72
10. Australia -- 70

[Melville]

Everything I've seen from this year (at least as far as I can tell based on scanning through a few pages of this thread):

1. Synecdoche, NY - 9
2. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days - 8.5
3. Burn After Reading - 8.5
4. Still Life - 8
5. My Winnipeg - 7.5
6. The Dark Knight - 7
7. Encounters at the End of the World - 7
8. Man on Wire - 6
9. Happy Go Lucky - 6
10. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - 5
11. Slumdog Millionaire - 5
12. Iron Man - 4.5
13. The X-Files: I Want To Believe - 4.5
14. Quantum of Solace - 4.5

[Dead & Messed Up]

Taking a cue from Melville. Everything I've seen this year:

The Exemplary:

1. In Bruges
2. The Dark Knight
3. The Fall
4. Wall-E
5. Pineapple Express
6. Cloverfield
7. Iron Man
8. The Midnight Meat Train

The Acceptable:

9. Tropic Thunder
10. Get Smart
11. Zack and Miri Make a Porno
12. Hellboy II: The Golden Army
13. The X-Files: I Want to Believe
14. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
15. The Ruins
16. Step Brothers
17. The Happening

The Unacceptable:

18. The Strangers
19. Diary of the Dead
20. Quantum of Solace
21. Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
22. Doomsday

I really, really want to see Let the Right One In, Rachel Getting Married, Encounters at the End of the World, and Slumdog Millionaire (gotta love that Boyle). And I suppose I'll see Benjamin Button as well.

[NickGlass]

I've seen roughly 50 films from 2008 so far and quite a few impressed me. Among them are:
Jellyfish
The Edge of Heaven
Reprise
Encounters at the End of the World
Paranoid Park
My Winnipeg.

Then there's the next tier, including My Blueberry Nights, Crawford, In the City of Sylvia, The Last Mistress and Funny Games.

It appears that 2008 ain't too shabby.

Hm, so this is how it's looking now (alphabetically):

4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
The Class
The Edge of Heaven
Encounters at the End of the World
Jellyfish
Let the Right One In
Milk
My Winnipeg
Paranoid Park
Reprise

Yeesh, I just realized the high amount of foreign films on my list. Thank America for Gus Van sant.

[number8]

I'm actually having a dilemma on whether or not to put The Class on my list, because it's only released on NY and LA as an Oscar qualifying thing and it's not expanding til 2009.

[Derek]

I'm actually having a dilemma on whether or not to put The Class on my list, because it's only released on NY and LA as an Oscar qualifying thing and it's not expanding til 2009.

It's been showing up on a lot of critics '08 lists. I'm not sure I've seen anyone using the US release as a guideline but including only wide, and not limited, release date. So, I'd say you're good to include it.

[eternity]

T10:
1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Fincher)
2. Cloverfield (Reeves)
3. Wendy and Lucy (Reichardt)
4. Hamlet 2 (Fleming)
5. Speed Racer (Wachowski)
6. Snow Angels (Green)
7. Wall-E (Stanton)
8. Milk (Van Sant)
9. My Blueberry Nights (Kar-Wai)
10. JCVD (El Mechri)

B10:
1. Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (Frankowski)
2. Twilight (Hardwicke)
3. Quid Pro Quo (Brooks)
4. An American Carol (Zucker)
5. The Happening (Shyamalan)
6. Disaster Movie (Friedberg, Seltzer)
7. Seven Pounds (Muccino)
8. Fool's Gold (Tennant)
9. Max Payne (Moore)
10. Never Back Down (Wadlow)

[The Mike]

1a. Iron Man
1b. The Fall
3. Tropic Thunder
4. Hellboy II: The Golden Army
5. Redbelt
6. Be Kind Rewind
7. The Dark Knight
8. Hamlet 2
9. Doomsday
10. Step Brothers

Re-updated.
Re-re-updated? :confused:

[dreamdead]

Updated...

1. Still Life -- 92
2. Rachel Getting Married -- 91
3. Reprise -- 90
4. Woman on the Beach -- 85
5. Summer Palace -- 85
6. Wall-E -- 82
7. The Flight of the Red Balloon -- 78
8. The Dark Knight -- 78
9. Boarding Gate -- 73
10. Kung-Fu Panda --72

[eternity]

T10:
1. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Fincher)
2. Cloverfield (Reeves)
3. Wendy and Lucy (Reichardt)
4. Hamlet 2 (Fleming)
5. Speed Racer (Wachowski)
6. The Wrestler (Aronofsky)
7. Snow Angels (Green)
8. Wall-E (Stanton)
9. Milk (Van Sant)
10. My Blueberry Nights (Kar-Wai)

B10:
1. Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (Frankowski)
2. Twilight (Hardwicke)
3. Quid Pro Quo (Brooks)
4. An American Carol (Zucker)
5. The Happening (Shyamalan)
6. Disaster Movie (Friedberg, Seltzer)
7. Seven Pounds (Muccino)
8. Fool's Gold (Tennant)
9. Max Payne (Moore)
10. Never Back Down (Wadlow)
Updated.

[Melville]

Update:

1. Synecdoche, NY - 9
2. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days - 8.5
3. Burn After Reading - 8.5
4. Still Life - 8
5. My Winnipeg - 7.5
6. Paranoid Park - 7
7. Encounters at the End of the World - 7
8. The Dark Knight - 7
9. Man on Wire - 6
10. Happy Go Lucky - 6

[Spinal]

Haven't done this in a while:

1. Let the Right One In
2. City of Ember
3. Burn After Reading
4. Vicky Cristina Barcelona
5. California Dreamin'
6. The Last Mistress
7. The Gits
8. The Edge of Heaven
9. Repo! The Genetic Opera
10. Speed Racer

[baby doll]

Premieres:

1. Adoration (Atom Egoyan, Canada)
2. Happy-Go-Lucky (Mike Leigh, UK)
3. Le Frontière de l'aube (Philippe Garrel, France)
4. Burn After Reading (Joel and Ethan Coen, USA)
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

U.S. Release Dates:

Boarding Gate (Olivier Assayas, France)
Burn After Reading (Joel and Ethan Coen, USA)
The Fall (Tarsem Singh, USA)
La France (Serge Bozon, France)
Happy-Go-Lucky (Mike Leigh, UK)
The Man From London (Béla Tarr, Hungary)
My Winnipeg (Guy Maddin, Canada)
Paranoid Park (Gus Van Sant, USA)
Silent Light (Carlos Reygadas, Mexico)
Still Life (Jia Zhang-ke, China)

[MadMan]

Maybe by next year this list won't fail so much.

1. The Dark Knight-98
2. Burn After Reading-95
3. Tropic Thunder-93
4. Cloverfield-90
5. Iron Man-90
6. Get Smart-88
7. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull-85
8. Step Brothers-85
9. Quantum of Solace-85
10. The Incredible Hulk-79

[EyesWideOpen]

1. Let the Right One In
2. Wall-E
3. Speed Racer
4. Slumdog Millionaire
5. The Dark Knight
6. The Happening
7. Cloverfield
8. Hellboy II: The Golden Army
9. Tropic Thunder
10. Step Brothers

newest update

[dreamdead]

Updated...

1. Still Life -- 92
2. Rachel Getting Married -- 91
3. Reprise -- 90
4. Woman on the Beach -- 85
5. Summer Palace -- 85
6. Up the Yangzte -- 83
7. Wall-E -- 82
8. The Flight of the Red Balloon -- 78
9. The Dark Knight -- 78
10. Boarding Gate -- 73

[Rowland]

1. Stuck (Stuart Gordon)
2. Redbelt (David Mamet)
3. My Blueberry Nights (Wong Kar-Wai)
4. Rogue (Greg McLean)
5. Wall•E (Andrew Stanton)
6. Mad Detective (Johnny To & Wai Ka-Fai)
7. CJ7 (Stephen Chow)
8. Be Kind Rewind (Michel Gondry)
9. Rachel Getting Married (Jonathan Demme)
10. The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan)

Out with In Bruges, in with My Blueberry Nights.

[balmakboor]

I don't keep lists of what I watch, but thankfully Netflix does. Here are the top 25 films I saw for the first time in 2008 through Netflix (starting with most recently viewed):

Hail Mary
La Chinoise
The Coca-Cola Kid
Scenes from a Marriage
The Small Back Room
The Burmese Harp
Paranoid Park
Salò
Vengeance is Mine
Death in Venice
Holy Mountain
Coffy
The Spirit of the Beehive
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Smiley Face
I Was Born, But...
Zodiac
Passing Fancy
Sunshine
Halloween (Zombie)
The Darjeeling Limited
To Kill a Mockingbird
Sweet Movie
Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One
Phanton India

Pretty damn good year!

(Note: My last new one of the year will be In Praise of Love. Been catching up on Godard lately.)

[Pop Trash]

1. Stuck (Stuart Gordon)
2. Redbelt (David Mamet)
3. My Blueberry Nights (Wong Kar-Wai)

Out with In Bruges, in with My Blueberry Nights.

Your top three is the shit. Yous a'ight kid.

[Ivan Drago]

Added The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Doubt.

[ledfloyd]

last update of the year

A Christmas Tale
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Happy-Go-Lucky
Let the Right One In
Wall-E
The Wrestler
Wendy and Lucy
In Bruges
Flight of the Red Balloon
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

[thefourthwall]

1. Rachel Getting Married 94
2. The Dark Knight 92
3. Wall-E 90
4. Happy-Go-Lucky
5. My Blueberry Nights 88
6. Australia 84
7. The Duchess
8. Kung Fu Panda 80
9. Speed Racer
10.Sex and the City

1. Rachel Getting Married 94
2. The Dark Knight 92
3. Wall-E 90
4. Happy-Go-Lucky
5. My Blueberry Nights 88
6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 85
7. Australia 84
8. The Duchess
9. Kung Fu Panda 80
10. Speed Racer

[Rowland]

1. Flight of the Red Balloon (Hou Hsiao-Hsien)
2. Stuck (Stuart Gordon)
3. Redbelt (David Mamet)
4. My Blueberry Nights (Wong Kar-Wai)
5. Rogue (Greg McLean)
6. Wall•E (Andrew Stanton)
7. Mad Detective (Johnny To & Wai Ka-Fai)
8. CJ7 (Stephen Chow)
9. Be Kind Rewind (Michel Gondry)
10. Rachel Getting Married (Jonathan Demme)

Out with The Dark Knight, in with Flight of the Red Balloon.

[Kurosawa Fan]

1. Burn After Reading - 9.5
2. Wall*E - 9.0
3. Speed Racer - 9.0
4. Tropic Thunder - 9.0
5. A Christmas Tale - 8.5
6. Mad Detective - 8.5
7. The Pineapple Express - 8.0
8. The Dark Knight - 7.5
9. Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 7.5
10. Cloverfield - 7.5

1. Burn After Reading - 9.5
2. Wall*E - 9.0
3. Speed Racer - 9.0
4. Tropic Thunder - 9.0
5. A Christmas Tale - 8.5
6. Mad Detective - 8.5
7. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - 8.0
8. The Pineapple Express - 8.0
9. The Dark Knight - 7.5
10. Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 7.5

[Duncan]

1. The Silence Before Bach
2. Synecdoche, New York
3. Wall*E
4. Still Life
5. Man on Wire
6. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
7. Alexandra
8. Rachel Getting Married
9. Happy-Go-Lucky
10. Speed Racer
10. The Flight of the Red Balloon
10. Milk

I can't decide.

1. The Silence Before Bach
2. Synecdoche, New York
3. Wendy and Lucy
4. Wall*E
5. Still Life
6. Man on Wire
7. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
8. My Winnipeg
9. Rachel Getting Married
10. Happy-Go-Lucky
11. Speed Racer
12. Alexandra
13. A Christmas Tale
14. The Flight of the Red Balloon
15. Milk

[Ivan Drago]

Updated with Valkyrie.

[The Mike]

After this weekend, I'm not sure how I rank this year anymore. So here's a Top 10 in alphabetical order.

Be Kind Rewind
The Dark Knight
The Fall
Gran Torino
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
In Bruges
Iron Man
Redbelt
Slumdog Millionaire
Tropic Thunder

I do know that Dark Knight and In Bruges were the last two on, followed closely by Blindness, Doomsday, Hamlet 2, and Step Brothers.

[MadMan]

Hmm I've seen way too many comedies this year.

1. The Dark Knight-98
2. Burn After Reading-95
3. Tropic Thunder-93
4. Pinapple Express-91
5. Cloverfield-90
6. Iron Man-90
7. Get Smart-87
8. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull-85
9. Step Brothers-85
10. Quantum of Solace-85

HM: The Wackness-85

[Kurosawa Fan]

1. Burn After Reading - 9.5
2. Wall*E - 9.0
3. Speed Racer - 9.0
4. Tropic Thunder - 9.0
5. A Christmas Tale - 8.5
6. Mad Detective - 8.5
7. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - 8.0
8. The Pineapple Express - 8.0
9. The Dark Knight - 7.5
10. Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 7.5

Goodbye Dark Knight, welcome back Cloverfield.


1. Burn After Reading - 9.5
2. Wall*E - 9.0
3. Speed Racer - 9.0
4. Tropic Thunder - 9.0
5. A Christmas Tale - 8.5
6. Mad Detective - 8.5
7. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - 8.0
8. The Pineapple Express - 8.0
9. Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 7.5
10. Cloverfield - 7.0

[Boner M]

1. Hunger (McQueen) 85
2. Flight of the Red Balloon (Hou) 83
3. Let the Right One In (Alfredson) 81
4. My Winnipeg (Maddin) 80
5. Wall-E (Stanton) 79
6. Ballast (Hammer) 78
7. The Tracey Fragments (McDonald) 78
8. Woman on the Beach (Hong) 77
9. Gomorrah (Garrone) 77
10. Silent Light (Reygadas) 76

Bye bye Baghead.

[ThePlashyBubbler]

Getting around to a lot of what I missed during the year.

1. A Christmas Tale
2. Still Life
3. Rachel Getting Married
4. Synecdoche, New York
5. Reprise
6. Man on Wire
7. Burn After Reading
8. The Fall
9. WALL-E
10. My Winnipeg

Hopefully getting around to Jellyfish, Woman on the Beach, The Witnesses, and The Wrestler this weekend.

[SirNewt]

Here is my predictive list from Qrazy's thread.

1. Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea
2. The Argentine/Guerrilla
3. 4 months, 3 weeks, 2 days
4. WALL-E
5. The Changeling
6. Burn After Reading
7. Blindness
8. Flight of the Red Balloon
9. Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden
10.Iron Man

current list
1 Man on Wire (easily)
2 The Dark Knight
3 The Counterfeiters
4 WALL-E
5 Vickie Christina Barcelona
6 Doubt
7 Burn After Reading
8 My Blueberry Nights
9 Forgetting Sarah Marshal
10 Ironman


Kung-Fu Panda

[soitgoes...]

1. You, the Living (Roy Andersson)
2. Burn After Reading (Joel Coen)
3. Paranoid Park (Gus Van Sant)
4. WALL-E (Andrew Stanton)
5. My Winnipeg (Guy Maddin)
6. The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan)
7. Man on Wire (James Marsh)
8. The Fall (Tarsem Singh)
9. At the Death House Door (Peter Gilbert, Steve James)
10. Redbelt (David Mamet)

1. Let the Right One In (Tomas Alfredson)
2. Burn After Reading (Joel Coen)
3. Paranoid Park (Gus Van Sant)
4. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (Kurt Kuenne)
5. WALL-E (Andrew Stanton)
6. My Winnipeg (Guy Maddin)
7. The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan)
8. A Christmas Tale (Arnaud Desplechin)
9. Man on Wire (James Marsh)
10. The Fall (Tarsem Singh)

You, the Living has been removed since it never got a 2008 US release.

[Rowland]

1. Flight of the Red Balloon (Hou Hsiao-Hsien)
2. Stuck (Stuart Gordon)
3. Redbelt (David Mamet)
4. My Blueberry Nights (Wong Kar-Wai)
5. Rogue (Greg McLean)
6. Wall•E (Andrew Stanton)
7. Mad Detective (Johnny To & Wai Ka-Fai)
8. CJ7 (Stephen Chow)
9. Be Kind Rewind (Michel Gondry)
10. Doubt (John Patrick Shanley)

Out with Rachel Getting Married, in with Doubt.

[Raiders]

Out with Rachel Getting Married, in with Doubt.

Ugh.

[dreamdead]

Updated...

1. Still Life -- 92
2. Rachel Getting Married -- 91
3. Reprise -- 90
4. Woman on the Beach -- 85
5. Summer Palace -- 85
6. Up the Yangzte -- 83
7. Wall-E -- 82
8 The Edge of Heaven -- 80
9. The Flight of the Red Balloon -- 78
10. The Dark Knight -- 73
10a. Boarding Gate -- 73

[Rowland]

Ugh.Rest assured, I'm just as disgusted by some of your rankings. :P

[Mal]

1. Wall-E
2. The Wrestler
3. Frozen River
4. Milk
5. Vicky Christina Barcelona
6. Redbelt
7. Rachel Getting Married
8. Iron Man
9. The Visitor
10. Sex and the City: The Movie

[SirNewt]

any foo without 'Man on Wire' somewhere on their list should be kidney punched.

[Spinal]

any foo without 'Man on Wire' somewhere on their list should be kidney punched.

I liked it, but I clearly wasn't as enraptured by it as most people have been. I guess I just wasn't really invested in the ultimate goal. It's not an action that I envy, nor one that really inspires too much admiration in me. An interesting story, but that's about it.

[Duncan]

1. The Silence Before Bach
2. Synecdoche, New York
3. Wendy and Lucy
4. Wall*E
5. Still Life
6. Man on Wire
7. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
8. My Winnipeg
9. Rachel Getting Married
10. Happy-Go-Lucky
11. Speed Racer
12. Alexandra
13. A Christmas Tale
14. The Flight of the Red Balloon
15. Milk

1. The Silence Before Bach
2. Synecdoche, New York
3. Wendy and Lucy
4. Wall*E
5. Still Life
6. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
7. My Winnipeg
8. Man on Wire
9. Happy-Go-Lucky
10. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
11. Rachel Getting Married
12. Speed Racer
13. Alexandra
14. A Christmas Tale
15. The Flight of the Red Balloon
16. Milk
17. The Wrestler

I guess this is just turning into a list of movies I saw that I would recommend to people. I think numbers 8 through 16 are pretty much interchangeable.

[Raiders]

I think numbers 8 through 16 are pretty much interchangeable.

Especially 8 and 12.

[Pop Trash]

New #1!

8/10
1. The Wrestler
2. Paranoid Park
3. My Blueberry Nights
4. Wall-E
5. The Dark Knight
6. Redbelt
7. Stuck
8. Pineapple Express
9. Synecdoche, New York
10. Man on Wire


11. Milk
12. Rachel Getting Married
13. Burn After Reading

7/10
14. Cloverfield
15. Shotgun Stories
16. Snow Angels
17. Gran Torino
18. The Strangers
19. Baghead
20. Encounters at the End of the World
21. The Last Mistress
22. Indiana Jones/Crystal Skull
23. Iron Man
24. W.
25. Diary of the Dead
26. In Bruges
27. Be Kind Rewind
28. Son of Rambow
29. Hamlet 2
30. Zack and Miri Make a Porno
31. Vicky Cristina Barcelona

6/10
32. Slumdog Millionaire
33. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
34. Revolutionary Road
35. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
36. Nick and Norah's Infinate Playlist
37. The Wackness
38. Teeth
39. Choke
40. Tropic Thunder
41. Shine a Light
42. Funny Games USA

5/10
43. Speed Racer
44. Swing Vote
45. Step Brothers

4/10
46. The Ruins
47. Rambo

[soitgoes...]

Especially 8 and 12.
He was afraid of getting kidney punched by SirNewt.

[SirNewt]

He was afraid of getting kidney punched by SirNewt.

I learned something today, a brilliant new social skill that will surely see me to the top.

[Duncan]

Especially 8 and 12.

Ha, just seeing if you guys were paying attention.

Fixed.

[dreamdead]

1. Still Life -- 92
2. Rachel Getting Married -- 91
3. Reprise -- 90
4. Woman on the Beach -- 85
5. Summer Palace -- 85
6. Up the Yangzte -- 83
7. Wall-E -- 82
8. Jellyfish -- 81
9. The Edge of Heaven -- 80
10. The Flight of the Red Balloon -- 78

Not a bad year. Not a bad year at all.

[Melville]

1. Synecdoche, NY - 9
2. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days - 8.5
3. Burn After Reading - 8.5
4. Let the Right One In - 8
5. Still Life - 8
6. My Winnipeg - 7.5
7. Paranoid Park - 7
8. Encounters at the End of the World - 7
9. The Dark Knight - 7
10. Man on Wire - 6

[Ezee E]

Let The Right One In is resonating well. It's moved up.

1. The Dark Knight
2. Rachel Getting Married
3. The Wrestler
4. Let The Right One In
5. The Fall
6. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days
7. Blindness
8. Iron Man
9. Redbelt
10. My Blueberry Nights

The Other Great Movies of 2008: Standard Operating Procedures, W., Cloverfield, The Strangers, and Snow Angels

Updated.

[The Mike]

Updated (in alphabetical order):

Be Kind Rewind
The Dark Knight
The Fall
Gran Torino
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Iron Man
Redbelt
Slumdog Millionaire
Tropic Thunder
The Wrestler

In Bruges is bumped, but it's quite possible it or Repo! The Genetic Opera could bump The Dark Knight or Be Kind Rewind off at any minute.

[Kurosawa Fan]

1. Burn After Reading - 9.5
2. Wall*E - 9.0
3. Speed Racer - 9.0
4. Tropic Thunder - 9.0
5. A Christmas Tale - 8.5
6. Mad Detective - 8.5
7. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - 8.0
8. The Pineapple Express - 8.0
9. Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 7.5
10. Cloverfield - 7.0

1. Burn After Reading - 9.5
2. Wall*E - 9.0
3. Speed Racer - 9.0
4. Let the Right One in - 8.5
5. A Christmas Tale - 8.5
6. Mad Detective - 8.5
7. Tropic Thunder - 8.5
8. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - 8.0
9. The Pineapple Express - 8.0
10. Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 7.5


One case of reordering, and one new addition.

[Ivan Drago]

Big update for Gran Torino, Frost/Nixon and Milk.

[trotchky]

FINAL LIST

1. Synecdoche, New York
2. The Wrestler
3. Role Models
4. Reprise
5. Body of Lies
6. The Witnesses
7. The Tracy Fragments
8. The Flight of the Red Balloon
9. Splinter
10. W.

[dreamdead]

1. Still Life -- 92
2. Rachel Getting Married -- 91
3. Reprise -- 90
4. Woman on the Beach -- 85
5. Summer Palace -- 85
6. Up the Yangzte -- 83
7. Wall-E -- 82
8. Jellyfish -- 81
9. Paranoid Park -- 81
10. Burn After Reading -- 80

I also bumped The Edge of Heaven down off the list. The more I thought about it, the less I liked the contrivances of characters just missing one another. I'll take Hou's annoyingly overt commentary on film over it, I guess.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Finally feel I can post a decent list:

1. Synecdoche, NY -- 92
2. Wall-E -- 90
3. Adoration -- 87
4. Rachel Getting Married-- 83
5. Burn After Reading -- 81
6. Let the Right One In -- 78
7. My Winnipeg -- 75
8. Pineapple Express -- 72
9. The Dark Knight -- 71
10. A Christmas Tale -- 66

Still really need to see Man on Wire, Encounters, JCVD, Still Life and Gran Torino (amongst others). I don't expect 7-10 to make the final cut.

[Melville]

1. Synecdoche, NY - 9
2. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days - 8.5
3. Burn After Reading - 8.5
4. Let the Right One In - 8
5. Still Life - 8
6. My Winnipeg - 7.5
7. Paranoid Park - 7
8. Encounters at the End of the World - 7
9. Milk - 7
10. The Dark Knight - 7

Rachel Getting Married should probably be on there, but I found it almost too successful: it made me feel the way I would if I were actually attending the wedding—anxious and desperate for it to end.

[Derek]

My best of the year write-up (http://www.cinematicreflections.com/bestof2008.html) is done...2-3 months earlier than the last few years!

[Watashi]

My best of the year write-up (http://www.cinematicreflections.com/bestof2008.html) is done...2-3 months earlier than the last few years!
Hey, not one film I hate!

Good job. I still have lots to see.

[dreamdead]

Definitely gonna use your thread for recs, Derek. Can I ask about what kept Lee's film about the top 20? I've still only seen Peppermint Candy and Oasis, so while I (none too patiently) wait for Secret Sunshine to get released in a R1 I am a bit interested in the deficiencies that you saw.

[jesse]

My best of the year write-up (http://www.cinematicreflections.com/bestof2008.html) is done...2-3 months earlier than the last few years! How did you see Sylvia?

[Mysterious Dude]

1. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
2. Paranoid Park
3. The Dark Knight
4. Let the Right One In
5. Burn After Reading
6. Cloverfield
7. Boy A
8. The Counterfeiters
9. Synecdoche, New York
10. The Tracey Fragments
I can't believe I haven't updated my list since December 1.

1. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
2. The Fall
3. Waltz With Bashir
4. Let the Right One In
5. The Dark Knight
6. Reprise
7. Paranoid Park
8. The Edge of Heaven
9. The Wrestler
10. Burn After Reading

Definitely an improvement, but I'm still kind of disappointed by 2008.

[Melville]

1. Synecdoche, NY - 9
2. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days - 8.5
3. Burn After Reading - 8.5
4. Let the Right One In - 8
5. Flight of the Red Balloon - 8
6. Still Life - 8
7. My Winnipeg - 7.5
8. Paranoid Park - 7
9. Encounters at the End of the World - 7
10. Milk - 7

[Derek]

Definitely gonna use your thread for recs, Derek. Can I ask about what kept Lee's film about the top 20? I've still only seen Peppermint Candy and Oasis, so while I (none too patiently) wait for Secret Sunshine to get released in a R1 I am a bit interested in the deficiencies that you saw.

I can't really list any specific deficiencies (ie, here's why it's not a masterpiece), but I'd simply say it drags where the other two Lee's I've seen, the two you mentioned, rarely did. Peppermint Candy had the built-in advantage of the reverse structure in allowing every scene to continue accumulating momentum and Oasis had Moon So-Ri among other things. It's deliberate pace and occasional meandering are purposeful and make the few moments/scenes that punctuate the narrative all the more heartbreaking, but that also prevented it from being wholly engrossing as well. It would benefit from a second viewing since revelations later in the film inform everything that comes before, but even with that, I don't think it'll come too close to Oasis for me.


How did you see Sylvia?

Got the Spanish DVD through Karagarga. It was actually one of the first films I saw it '08 so I watched it again recently to see if it holds up. It does. It's a Jesse film for sure! Also would be interested to see how you take to Hunger. There are shades of Bresson, in the fragmentation, and Denis in its careful attention to flesh (though given the subject matter, it's obviously not of a sensual nature). And obviously you must see A Christmas Tale. :)

[Ivan Drago]

Updated for Revolutionary Road and The Reader.

[Watashi]

The Reader is so much better than Revolutionary Road.

[eternity]

The Reader is so much better than Revolutionary Road.

Revolutionary Road has at least a few redeeming qualities...

[MadMan]

1. The Dark Knight-98
2. Frost/Nixon-95
3. Burn After Reading-95
4. Tropic Thunder-93
5. Gran Torino-92
6. Pinapple Express-91
7. Cloverfield-90
8. W.-90
9. Iron Man-90
10. Get Smart-87

HMs: Step Brothers-85, The Wackness-85, Quantum of Solace-85, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull-85

New update, even though it doesn't matter. This list will proabably be incomplete three years from now. Heh.

[Boner M]

So, I'm gonna be tallying up the top 10's soon and doing my annual countdown thread. Think I'll start another thread at the end of the week so people can post their official list (as well as the 5 worst), making it easier for me to count 'em all. Anyone object?

[Pop Trash]

So, I'm gonna be tallying up the top 10's soon and doing my annual countdown thread. Think I'll start another thread at the end of the week so people can post their official list (as well as the 5 worst), making it easier for me to count 'em all. Anyone object?
Yeah I would just start a new thread since this one is a bit of a mess.

[Sycophant]

Boner, I support the shit out of that idea.