Your Top Ten of 2008 (so far)

[Watashi]

....

[Sven]

You know... I honestly think I've seen only one film from 2008.

Bottom 10:

1. Standard Operating Procedure.

Really?

[Winston*]

1. No Country for Old Men
2. There Will be Blood
3. Iron Man
4. Cloverfield

w00t!

[origami_mustache]

This is all I've seen this year...my #1 was actually my #10 for 2007 and the only thing I'd consider top ten material from 2008 so far.

My Winnipeg
The Flight of The Red Balloon
Speed Racer
WALL-E
The Dark Knight
Sukiyaki Western Django
Be Kind Rewind
Snow Angels
Cloverfield
My Blueberry Nights/Mister Lonely

[megladon8]

1.) Iron Man
2.) Cloverfield
3.) ...

[trotchky]

1. The Witnesses
2. Frownland
3. The Flight of the Red Balloon
4. Paranoid Park
5. Mister Lonely
6. The Duchess of Langeais
7. Fear(s) of the Dark
8. Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha
9. My Blueberry Nights
10. Silent Light

[Sycophant]

Only seen nine:

1. Speed Racer (Wachowskis)
2. The Visitor (McCarthy)
3. Cassandra's Dream (Allen)
4. Horton Hears a Who (Hayward/Martino)

Everything below this line is mehowulf or kinda sucks.

5. Cloverfield (Reeves)
6. Be Kind Rewind (Gondry)
7. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Stoller)
8. Iron Man (Favreau)
9. Falling (Dutcher)

[Mysterious Dude]

1. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
2. Paranoid Park
3. The Tracey Fragments
4. Katyn
5. Cloverfield
6. The Last Mistress

I'm not sure how many of those movies count.

[Philosophe_rouge]

1. Un conte de Noël
2. Vicky Christina Barcelona
3. Let the Right One In
4. The Duchess
5. Happy-Go-Lucky
6. Rachel Getting Married
7. In Bruges
8. Tropic Thunder
9. Wall-E
10. The Dark Knight



Bottom 10 (in progress)
6. The Other Boleyn Girl
5. Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
4. Journey to the Centre of the Earth
3. Prom Night
2. Rambo
1. Bangkok Dangerous

[Watashi]

5. Definetely Maybe
6. Speed Racer


*cries*

[Grouchy]

1. Speed Racer
2. Iron Man
3. Let the Right One In
4. CJ7
5. Aniceto
6. The Incredible Hulk
7. Shine a Light
8. Leonera
9. Rambo
10. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

[Bosco B Thug]

1. Diary of the Dead
2. Teeth
3. Speed Racer
4. Cloverfield

Weak. I wish I had caught Snow Angels at the theater.

[soitgoes...]

1. Cloverfield

That's all I've seen. Go me.

[origami_mustache]

1. Cloverfield

That's all I've seen. Go me.

not missing much

[Philosophe_rouge]

*cries*
I am sorry

[Spinal]

1. California Dreamin'
2. Boarding Gate
3. Speed Racer
4. Man's Job
5. Teeth
6. Kung Fu Panda
7. Horton Hears a Who!
8. Cloverfield

[transmogrifier]

1. tba
2. tba
3. tba
4. tba
5. tba
6. tba
7. tba
8. tba
9. tba
10. tba

[Kurious Jorge v3.1]

w00t, two movies!

1. My Winnipeg (75)
2. Burn After Reading (61)
3. The Visitor (55)
4. The Dark Knight (25)

[Duncan]

1. The Silence Before Bach
2. Still Life
3. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
4. The Flight of the Red Balloon
5. Paranoid Park

I definitely had one or two of those on my top 10 of 2007 list.

[Ezee E]

1. The Fall
2. Iron Man
3. My Blueberry Nights
4. Cloverfield
5. The Strangers
6. DOOMSDAY
7. Speed Racer
8. Funny Games
9. The Ruins
10. Indiana Jones IV

[Rowland]

Nothing remotely top 10 worthy yet. What I've seen:

Married Life **½
Iron Man **½
The Bank Job **½
Rambo **
The Forbidden Kingdom *½
The Other Boleyn Girl *½

[Boner M]

I already have a solid top ten, albeit none are 2008 releases. 1-3 will probably stay til the end of the year.

1. Flight of the Red Balloon
2. Woman on the Beach
3. The Tracey Fragments
4. Joy Division
5. Reprise
6. Secret of the Grain
7. Paranoid Park
8. Still Life
9. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
10. The Last Mistress

11. Be Kind, Rewind
12. The Edge of Heaven
13. Iron Man
14. Taxidermia
15. The Counterfeiters
16. Water Lilies
17. The Duchess of Langeais
18. Cloverfield

[Dead & Messed Up]

The four I liked are:

In Bruges
The Fall
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Cloverfield

I also saw Doomsday and Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, but they were pretty mediocre.

My best theater experience was seeing Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom on a big screen this past Saturday. Honestly, I teared up during the final forty minutes - they're just so perfect.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I've only seen four films from 2008, but my list thus far would be:

1. Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 7.5
2. Cloverfield - 7.5
3. Baby Mama - 7.0
4. Be Kind Rewind - 6.5


I'll be seeing Speed Racer and Iron Man sometime this week, hopefully.

[Pop Trash]

8/10
1. My Blueberry Nights
2. Wall-E
7/10
3. Cloverfield
4. Shotgun Stories
5. Snow Angels
6. Indiana Jones/Crystal Skull
7. Iron Man
8. Diary of the Dead
9. Be Kind Rewind
6/10
10. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
11. Funny Games USA
5/10
12. Speed Racer
4/10
13. Rambo

[Raiders]

I'll use US release dates:

1. My Blueberry Nights [79]
2. Cloverfield [77]
3. Be Kind Rewind [70]
4. Iron Man [68]
5. Snow Angels [57]
6. The Visitor [53]
7. The Bank Job [51]
8. In Bruges [46]
9. Speed Racer [34]
10. Leatherheads [31]

Hm, I've seen exactly ten. Not so good, so far.

[Silencio]

Using U.S. release dates:

1. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days
2. Funny Games
3. Paranoid Park
4. Water Lilies
5. In Bruges
6. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
7. Cassandra's Dream
8. Cloverfield
9. The Bank Job
10. Be Kind Rewind

[Ezee E]

4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days would be my #1 if we consider it 2007.

[Morris Schæffer]

1. Doomsday
2. Iron Man
3. Cloverfield
4. Rambo

That's all I've seen.

[lovejuice]

based on US released date, The Flight of The Red Balloon will probably be the only film worth mentioned in regard to the thread.

[Derek]

Worth mentioning so far:

1. In the City of Sylvia (Jose Luis Guerin)
2. Paranoid Park (Gus Van Sant)
3. The Man from London (Bela Tarr)
4. In Bruges (Martin McDonagh)

Only #1 has a realistic shot to make the top 10 by the end of the year.

[Doclop]

Ugh. I hate that I missed Paranoid Park. What's wrong with me?

Anyway, not crazy about this list, but it could be worse, I guess.

1. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
2. Funny Games
3. My Blueberry Nights
4. Derek
5. Iron Man
6. Stop-Loss
7. Speed Racer
8. Cloverfield
9. Cassandra's Dream
10. The Life Before Her Eyes

Pray the Devil Back to Hell was decent, too.

[eternity]

.

[Ivan Drago]

1. The Dark Knight 9.5
2. Revolutionary Road 9
3. Tropic Thunder 9
4. Cloverfield 8.5
5. Frost/Nixon
6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 8.5
7. W. 8.5
8. Burn After Reading 8.5
9. Doubt 8
10. Valkyrie 8

The Good:

11. Milk
12. Hellboy II: The Golden Army 8
13. Slumdog Millionaire 8
14. Quantum of Solace 8
15. Hamlet 2 8
16. The Incredible Hulk 8
17. Iron Man 8
18. Get Smart 8
19. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull 8
20. Zach and Miri Make A Porno 7.5
21. Bolt 7.5
22. Pineapple Express 7.5
23. WALL-E 7.5
24. Be Kind Rewind 7
25. Kung Fu Panda 7
26. Rambo 7

The Meh:

27. Step Brothers 6.5
28. Hancock 6.5
29. Speed Racer 6.5
30. Wanted 6.5
31. Yes Man 6
32. Righteous Kill 6
33. Semi-Pro 5.5
34. Gran Torino 5

The Crap:

35. The Reader 4
36. 21 3.5
37. Four Christmases 2.5
38. Eagle Eye 2.5
39. The Spirit 2.5

[Watashi]

Bump and updated in the first post.

[Philosophe_rouge]

I've just seen my 10th of the year, my list is all I've seen even though most are unworthy.

1. In Bruges
2. Standard Operating Procedure
3. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
4. Iron Man
5. Speed Racer
6. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
7. Be Kind, Rewind
8. Definetely Maybe
9. The Strangers
10. Sex and the City
Updated, I'm really unhappy with the ordering though.

[Raiders]

I'll use US release dates:

1. My Blueberry Nights [79]
2. Cloverfield [77]
3. The Fall [75]
4. Redbelt [72]
5. Be Kind Rewind [70]
6. Iron Man [68]
7. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull [64]
8. Snow Angels [58]
9. Forgetting Sarah Marshall [56]
10. The Visitor [53]

Updated.

[Rowland]

Cloverfield (Matt Reeves) 65
Married Life (Ira Sachs) 58
Iron Man (Jon Favreau) 56
The Strangers (Bryan Bertino) 56
The Bank Job (Roger Donaldson) 52
Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) 45
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Steven Spielberg, 2008) 44
The Other Boleyn Girl (Justin Chadwick) 38
The Forbidden Kingdom (Rob Minkoff) 37

Almost ready for a top ten... :|

[Ivan Drago]

Updated.

[Henry Gale]

Since I've now seen 10 movies from the year I actually like:

1.) Speed Racer (Wachowski/Wachowski)
2.) Cloverfield (Reeves)
3.) In Bruges (McDonagh)
4.) Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Stoller)
5.) Kung Fu Panda (Osborne/Stevenson)
6.) Be Kind Rewind (Gondry)
7.) Iron Man (Favreau)
8.) Definitely, Maybe (Brooks)
9.) Horton Hears A Who! (Hayward/Martino)
10.) The Bank Job (Donaldson)

[ledfloyd]

1. Cassandra's Dream - ***
2. Iron Man - *1/2

[eternity]

1. Cloverfield (Matt Reeves)
2. Speed Racer (Andy and Larry Wachowski)
3. Funny Games (Michael Haneke)
4. Charlie Barlett (Jon Poll)
___________________________
5. Iron Man (Jon Favreau)
6. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Nicholas Stoller)
7. Chaos Theory (Marcos Siega)
8. Recount (Jay Roach)
9. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Steven Spielberg)
10. Definitely, Maybe (Adam Brooks)

Haven't Seen:
-My Blueberry Nights
-Snow Angels
-Paranoid Park
-In Bruges
-The Fall
-My Winnipeg
-Mister Lonely
-The Visitor
-Quid Pro Quo
-Wall-E

[Lazlo]

1. In Bruges
2. The Visitor
3. Iron Man
4. Speed Racer
5. The Fall
6. Snow Angels
7. Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day
8. Summer Palace
9. The Business of Being Born
10. Forgetting Sarah Marshall

[transmogrifier]

1. tba
2. tba
3. tba
4. tba
5. tba
6. tba
7. tba
8. tba
9. tba
10. tba

Updated:

1. tba
2. tba
3. tba
4. tba
5. tba
6. tba
7. tba
8. tba
9. tba
10. tba

[Pop Trash]

I added Rambo to the bottom of my list. So congratulations Speed Racer! You're no longer the worst 2008 film I've seen.

[transmogrifier]

I added Rambo to the bottom of my list. So congratulations Speed Racer! You're no longer the worst 2008 film I've seen.


Oh yeah, I'd forgotten you didn't like Speed Racer.

[Spinal]

Updated:

1. tba


Overrated.

[transmogrifier]

Overrated.


Well, it's no Trapped in the Closet, but it does what it set out to do efficiently and with a minimum of fuss.

[Pop Trash]

Well, it's no Trapped in the Closet, but it does what it set out to do efficiently and with a minimum of fuss.
Trapped in the Closet is kind of amazing.

[eternity]

Trapped in the Closet is kind of amazing.

Best film of 2005.

[Boner M]

Might as well update my list, since match-cut's been dead recently and I've nothing to do at the moment.

By 2008 premiere:

1. Of Time and the City (Davies) 91
2. Tokyo Sonata (Kurosawa) 88
3. Hunger (McQueen) 85
4. Somer's Town (Meadows) 82
5. Wall-E (Stanton) 79
6. Sparrow (To) 77
7. Ballast (Hammer) 75
8. Happy-Go-Lucky (Leigh) 72
9. The Black Balloon (Down) 71
10. Night and Day (Hong) 69

US 2008:

1. Flight of the Red Balloon (Hou) 83
2. Import/Export (Seidl) 81
3. My Winnipeg (Maddin) 80
4. Wall-E (Stanton) 79
5. Woman on the Beach (Hong) 79
6. The Tracey Fragments (McDonald) 78
7. Joy Division (Gee) 76
8. Ballast (Hammer) 75
9. Encounters at the End of the World (Herzog) 75
10. Reprise (Trier) 74

[Philosophe_rouge]

1. Wall-E
2. Standard Operating Procedure
3. The Happening
4. In Bruges
5. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
6. Iron Man
7. Cloverfield
8. Get Smart
9. Speed Racer
10. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

updated

[Watashi]

updated

:pritch:

[Pop Trash]

1. Wall-E
2. Standard Operating Procedure
3. The Happening
4. In Bruges
5. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
6. Iron Man
7. Cloverfield
8. Get Smart
9. Speed Racer
10. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Yeah I updated my list with a certain robot movie at the top as well. But more interestingly...you are really going to bat for The Happening huh?

[Spinal]

1. California Dreamin'
2. The Last Mistress
3. Boarding Gate
4. Speed Racer
5. Wall-E
6. Funny Games
7. Man's Job
8. Stop-Loss
9. Tropic Thunder
10. Kung Fu Panda

[Watashi]

Yeah... Spinal doesn't get a pritch from me.

[Spinal]

Yeah... Spinal doesn't get a pritch from me.

Fascist.

[Watashi]

Fascist.
If EVE was a half-naked Asia Argento flirting around with WALL-E, it would be your #1.

You're about as predictable as I am when it comes to these things.

[Philosophe_rouge]

Yeah I updated my list with a certain robot movie at the top as well. But more interestingly...you are really going to bat for The Happening huh?
I'm all about the Happening, I've already seen it twice and can only see myself enjoying it more everytime.

[soitgoes...]

1. Cloverfield

That's all I've seen. Go me.
1. You, the Living (Roy Andersson)
2. At the Death House Door (Peter Gilbert, Steve James)
3. Cloverfield (Matt Reeves)
4. Iron Man (Jon Favreau)
5. In Bruges (Martin McDonagh)
6. [Rec] (Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza)
7. Cassandra's Dream (Woody Allen)
8. Mad Detective (Johnny To, Wai Ka-Fai)
9. Be Kind Rewind (Michel Gondry)
10. Teeth (Mitchell Lichtenstein)

A month and a half later, at least I've seen enough to populate a Top 10 list. Barring some catastrophic event, number 1 will be the only one around on this list a year from now.

[megladon8]

1.) Iron Man
2.) Cloverfield
3.) The Incredible Hulk
4.) Diary of the Dead
5.) The Machine Girl
6.) ...


Updated.

Really haven't seen much worth noting so far this year.

[Sycophant]

1. Walle-E (Stanton)
2. The Fall (Tarsem)
3. CJ7 (Chow)
4. Speed Racer (Wachowskis)
5. The Visitor (McCarthy)
6. Cassandra's Dream (Allen)
7. My Blueberry Nights (Wong)
8. Horton Hears a Who (Hayward/Martino)
9. Cloverfield (Reeves)
10. Son of Rambow (Jennings)

A second viewing of Wall-E will tell me if I'm right in displacing The Fall at the top spot. And the first four are the only ones that really have chances making it to the end of year, unless the rest of the year is inconceivably sucky.

[NickGlass]

Seeing a film as tonally incompetent and unredeemably trashy as Teeth on a Top 10 list makes my mind groan.

[Raiders]

Seeing a film as tonally incompetent and unredeemably trashy as Teeth on a Top 10 list makes my mind groan.

Quit whining and go watch WALL•E.

[NickGlass]

Quit whining and go watch WALL•E.

Next week, yes I will.

[Watashi]

Seeing a film as tonally incompetent and unredeemably trashy as Teeth on a Top 10 list makes my mind groan.

High and Low (Kurosawa, 1963): 6.0

So does this.

[Rowland]

Cloverfield (Matt Reeves) 65
Married Life (Ira Sachs) 58
Iron Man (Jon Favreau) 56
The Strangers (Bryan Bertino) 56
The Bank Job (Roger Donaldson) 52
Wanted (Timbor Bekmambetov) 48
Get Smart (Peter Segal) 45
Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) 45
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Steven Spielberg) 44
The Other Boleyn Girl (Justin Chadwick) 38
_____

The Forbidden Kingdom (Rob Minkoff) 37
The Happening (M. Night Shyamalan) 25

*groan*

[Watashi]

I take that back.

Rowland hasn't changed a bit.

[soitgoes...]

A month and a half later, at least I've seen enough to populate a Top 10 list. Barring some catastrophic event, number 1 will be the only one around on this list a year from now.


Seeing a film as tonally incompetent and unredeemably trashy as Teeth on a Top 10 list makes my mind groan.
:rolleyes:

[Sycophant]

Wow, Rowland. Wow.

[Rowland]

Wow, Rowland. Wow.To clarify, 50-60 is a mild recommendation, while 60-70 is a very solid recommendation. Anything over 70 is possible year-end top ten material.

And yes, I need to start watching better new releases.

[Sxottlan]

Now that we're officially half way through the year:

1. WALL-E: ****
2. The Fall: ****
3. Be Kind, Rewind: ***1/2
4. Iron Man: ***1/2
5. Horton Hears a Who: ***1/2
6. Cloverfield: ***
7. Kung Fu Panda: ***
8. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: ***
9. Appleseed: Ex Machina: ***
10.The Incredible Hulk: ***

That is the least number of 4-star films I've seen at this point in the year in a very long time. Hasn't been that great of a year.

Worst movie I've seen so far this year is Jumper.

[Bosco B Thug]

Seeing a film as tonally incompetent and unredeemably trashy as Teeth on a Top 10 list makes my mind groan. I thought Teeth had a surprising, consistently somber tone. The movie itself's pretty ordinary, but I thought it was very competently handled, with credit due to Lichtenstein and Weixler.


1. Wall-E - 8/10
2. Diary of the Dead - 7.5/10
3. Standard Operating Procedure - 6.5/10
4. Teeth - 5.5/10
5. The Happening - 5.5/10
6. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - 5/10
7. Speed Racer - 5/10
8. Cloverfield - 4.5/10
9. Mother of Tears - 4/10

[Spinal]

I was hoping Teeth would be the next May. It falls well short of that, but I still enjoyed the film's humorous moments and off-kilter tone. Once the cat is out of the bag (so to speak), the film doesn't really know where to go from there. No way it will be on my list in a few months, but I don't mind having it there in early July.

[TripZone]

Terrible year so far (note I haven't seen Wall*E, I live in Australia).

In Bruges is by far the best I've seen, followed by Indy or Funny Games.

[Ivan Drago]

Updated big time.

[SirNewt]

High and Low (Kurosawa, 1963): 6.0

So does this.


I take that back.

Rowland hasn't changed a bit.

WOW, Watashi, busting balls one post at a time! Well, I guess Nick brought it upon himself by taking a position that is indefensible.

Here is my predictive list from Qrazy's thread (http://www.match-cut.org/showthread.php?p=51026#post510 26).

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

Right now,

1.WALL-E
2 Iron Man
3 The Counterfeiters
4 Forgetting Sarah Marshal
5 In Bruges
. . .

. . .

10. leatherheads?

ughhhh not even Pixar could break this year open for me.

Oh well I can catch Flight of the Red Balloon, 4 months, and Where in the World soon on DVD. I also must watch this Mulberry move you all keep talking about.

[Lazlo]

1. In Bruges
2. The Visitor
3. Iron Man
4. Speed Racer
5. The Fall
6. Snow Angels
7. Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day
8. Summer Palace
9. The Business of Being Born
10. Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Updated:

1. WALL-E
2. In Bruges
3. The Visitor
4. Iron Man
5. Speed Racer
6. The Fall
7. Snow Angels
8. Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day
9. Summer Palace
10. The Business of Being Born

[Morris Schæffer]

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: **½
The Incredible Hulk: **½
Doomsday: **
Iron Man: **
Rambo: *½
Cloverfield: *½
The Happening: *½
George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead: *

None of these have been utterly worthless, but I'm appalled all the same. Bring on Wall-E and The Dark Knight!

[Rowland]

If Wall-E doesn't jump to the top of my list after I see it tonight, I think I'll shit my pants. Literally. There will be poop.

[Ezee E]

1. The Dark Knight
2. The Fall
3. Flame & Citron
4. Iron Man
5. My Blueberry Nights
6. The Good, The Bad, and the Weird
7. With A Little Help From Myself
8. City of Men
9. Adam Resurected
10. Cloverfield

[Boner M]

Terrible year so far (note I haven't seen Wall*E, I live in Australia).

In Bruges is by far the best I've seen, followed by Indy or Funny Games.
U from Sydney? Did you see IB and FG at the SFF? I saw enough awesome stuff there to make this year a mighty one so far.

[TripZone]

Oh hey. An Aussie!
No no, both were umm acquired by other means...

I also got The Band's Visit and your score disheartens me a little. I am to watch it pretty soon.

Oh, and I'm from Melbourne.

[Boner M]

Oh hey. An Aussie!
No no, both were umm acquired by other means...

I also got The Band's Visit and your score disheartens me a little. I am to watch it pretty soon.

Oh, and I'm from Melbourne.
66 is pretty damn good on my scale; invariably it means recommended, albeit with reservations. I mostly thought the deadpan Kaurismaki-esque comedy fell flat in the early stages, but it eventually evolves into quite a charmer. Definitely worth a look, especially since nearly everyone else loves it.

[TripZone]

66 is pretty damn good on my scale; invariably it means recommended, albeit with reservations. I mostly thought the deadpan Kaurismaki-esque comedy fell flat in the early stages, but it eventually evolves into quite a charmer. Definitely worth a look, especially since nearly everyone else loves it.
Yes, that's what I thought from At the Movies' clips and review.

I had to look up Kaurismaki. Never even heard of him, clearly his films don't get enough DVD releases, if any. But 66 seems right when put with your comments, it's just that everyone else, like you said, has been raving about it.


Sátántangó (Tarr, 1994) 94

One day. One day.

[Boner M]

I had to look up Kaurismaki. Never even heard of him, clearly his films don't get enough DVD releases, if any. But 66 seems right when put with your comments, it's just that everyone else, like you said, has been raving about it.
The Man Without a Past was a pretty big arthouse hit when it was released 5 years ago; I'd be surprised if you're not at least familiar with the title. Probably the best place to start with Kaurismaki, too.

[TripZone]

The Man Without a Past was a pretty big arthouse hit when it was released 5 years ago; I'd be surprised if you're not at least familiar with the title. Probably the best place to start with Kaurismaki, too.
No, I don't think so...weird.
But it looks great, noir/love story, right up my alley. Added to long list of must-see's.

Also, your Invasion score is too high! I'll admit, it wasn't boring, but my God it was awful. Not The Happening awful, but close.

[Boner M]

Also, your Invasion score is too high! I'll admit, it wasn't boring, but my God it was awful. Not The Happening awful, but close.
Heh, it was kind of a mess... but I'm such a sucker for the Body Snatchers template that I find it virtually indestructible to even the lousiest execution... although I did think a few scenes were actually pretty cool. And Daniel Craig's acting being the same before and after being snatched was a great source of amusement.

Thanks to The Happening being released a day prior to the US, I got to LOL at it before everyone else did! That's probably the best thing about the film.

[TripZone]

Heh, it was kind of a mess... but I'm such a sucker for the Body Snatchers template that I find it virtually indestructible to even the lousiest execution... although I did think a few scenes were actually pretty cool. And Daniel Craig's acting being the same before and after being snatched was a great source of amusement.

Thanks to The Happening being released a day prior to the US, I got to LOL at it before everyone else did! That's probably the best thing about the film.
Hehe, yes, it is certainly LOL-worthy! I watched a download last night (no way was I paying for it!), and the bad quality just made the campy experience that much sweeter. Why Zooey isn't getting as much crap as Wahlberg I don't know. Just...awful.

Yeah, the Body Snatchers template is the only reason why I watched The Invasion. The funniest bit was when Kidman picks up that little "snatched" kid (I think he was Asian), and throws him against the bed. I almost pissed myself.

[Pop Trash]

Updated:

8/10
1. My Blueberry Nights
2. Wall-E
3. The Dark Knight

7/10
4. Cloverfield
5. Shotgun Stories
6. Snow Angels
7. Indiana Jones/Crystal Skull
8. Iron Man
9. Diary of the Dead
10. In Bruges


11. Be Kind Rewind

6/10
12. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
13. Shine a Light
14. Funny Games USA

5/10
15. Speed Racer
16. Swing Vote

4/10
17. Rambo
18. The Ruins

[dreamdead]

Well, here's the first attempt at a list for me. All '08 U.S. release dates...

1. Woman on the Beach -- 85
2. The Dark Knight -- 84
3. Wall-E -- 83
4. Boarding Gate -- 73
5. Speed Racer -- 70
6. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull -- 44

[SirNewt]

1. The Silence Before Bach
2. Still Life
3. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
4. The Flight of the Red Balloon
5. Paranoid Park

I definitely had one or two of those on my top 10 of 2007 list.

Because he refuses to release his films as home entertainment I doubt I will ever have the chance to see this, though I want to badly.

[Dead & Messed Up]

The four I liked are:

In Bruges
The Fall
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Cloverfield

Slightly revised:

1) The Fall
2) The Dark Knight
3) Wall-E
4) In Bruges
5) Forgetting Sarah Marshall
6) Cloverfield
7) Iron Man
8) The Happening

The top three are great; the bottom three are solid. If I could split the first and second half of Indiana Jones, the first half would be above Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

[trotchky]

1. The Witnesses
2. Frownland
3. The Flight of the Red Balloon
4. Paranoid Park
5. Mister Lonely
6. The Duchess of Langeais
7. Fear(s) of the Dark
8. Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha
9. My Blueberry Nights
10. Silent Light

MID-YEAR UPDATE

1. The Witnesses
2. Frownland
3. The Flight of the Red Balloon
4. Paranoid Park
5. Reprise
6. Pageant
7. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days
8. Be Kind Rewind
9. My Winnipeg
10. WALL-E

Numbers 5, 9, and 10 will probably move up on repeat viewings!

[Pop Trash]

Updated:

8/10
1. My Blueberry Nights
2. Wall-E
3. The Dark Knight

7/10
4. Cloverfield
5. Shotgun Stories
6. Snow Angels
7. Indiana Jones/Crystal Skull
8. Iron Man
9. Diary of the Dead
10. In Bruges


I'm bumping this bad boy to see where TDK falls on all y'alls lists.

[Duncan]

Because he refuses to release his films as home entertainment I doubt I will ever have the chance to see this, though I want to badly.

Yeah, the MoMA had a whole retrospective on his career but I didn't go to any. Then I saw this one and I was like, well, fuck.

[SirNewt]

Yeah, the MoMA had a whole retrospective on his career but I didn't go to any. Then I saw this one and I was like, well, fuck.

I feel your pain.

:frustrated:

[megladon8]

1.) The Dark Knight
2.) Iron Man
3.) Cloverfield
4.) The Incredible Hulk
5.) Diary of the Dead
6.) The Machine Girl
7.) ...


Yep.

[Ezee E]

1. The Dark Knight
2. The Fall
3. Iron Man
4. My Blueberry Nights
5. City of Men
6. Cloverfield
7. Be Kind Rewind
8. The Strangers
9. Funny Games
10. Doomsday

They are almost all very good.

[EyesWideOpen]

1. Wall*E
2. Speed Racer
3. The Happening
4. Hellboy 2: The Golden Army
5. Cloverfield
6. The Dark Knight
7. Justice League: The New Frontier
8. Iron Man
9. Step Brothers
10. The Forbidden Kingdom

[Mysterious Dude]

1. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
2. Paranoid Park
3. The Tracey Fragments
4. Katyn
5. Cloverfield
6. The Last Mistress1. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
2. Paranoid Park
3. The Dark Knight
4. The Tracey Fragments
5. Katyn
6. Cloverfield
7. Flight of the Red Balloon
8. The Last Mistress
9. Mongol
10. Recount

Leaves a lot to be desired, but it has ten films on it!

[Kurosawa Fan]

I've only seen four films from 2008, but my list thus far would be:

1. Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 7.5
2. Cloverfield - 7.5
3. Baby Mama - 7.0
4. Be Kind Rewind - 6.5


I'll be seeing Speed Racer and Iron Man sometime this week, hopefully.

New list. I hope I'm not forgetting anything.

1. Speed Racer - 9.0
2. Wall*E - 8.5
3. The Dark Knight - 7.5
4. Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 7.5
5. Cloverfield - 7.5
6. Baby Mama - 7.0
7. Kung-Fu Panda - 6.5
8. Be Kind Rewind - 6.5

I refuse to put Indy on this list. Otherwise, I think that's everything I've seen.

EDIT: Also, I'm not sure [REC] counts either, considering it has no release date for the U.S., but it wouldn't make my list either.

[Sven]

Cloverfield, people? Really? Wow.

[Kurosawa Fan]

1. Speed Racer - 9.0
2. Wall*E - 8.5
3. The Dark Knight - 7.5
4. Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 7.5
5. Cloverfield - 7.5
6. Baby Mama - 7.0
7. Kung-Fu Panda - 6.5
8. Be Kind Rewind - 6.5


New update already.

1. Speed Racer - 9.0
2. Wall*E - 8.5
3. Mad Detective - 8.5
4. The Dark Knight - 7.5
5. Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 7.5
6. Cloverfield - 7.5
7. Baby Mama - 7.0
8. Kung-Fu Panda - 6.5
9. Be Kind Rewind - 6.5

I'm almost up to 10!

[Mysterious Dude]

Cloverfield, people? Really? Wow.
As a 2008 film that I have seen, it is on my list by default. Though I do like it.

[Raiders]

Cloverfield, people? Really? Wow.

Yes. Very much so.

[Pop Trash]

Speed Racer, people? Really? Wow.
Fixed that for you.

[Sycophant]

TOP TEN:

1. Wall-E (Stanton) 93
2. The Fall (Tarsem) 93
3. CJ7 (Chow) 91
4. Speed Racer (Wachowskis) 84
5. The Visitor (McCarthy) 79
6. Cassandra's Dream (Allen) 72
7. My Blueberry Nights (Wong) 72
8. Horton Hears a Who (Hayward/Martino) 71
9. The Dark Knight (Nolan) 70
10. Cloverfield (Reeves) 68

BOTTOM TEN:

8. Son of Rambow (Jennings) 66
7. Be Kind Rewind (Gondry) 62
6. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Stoller) 62
5. Iron Man (Favreau) 55
4. Then She Found Me (Hunt) 53
3. Falling (Dutcher) 46
2. Wanted (Bekmambetov) 38
1. Mamma Mia (Lloyd) 31

[EyesWideOpen]

1. Wall*E
2. Speed Racer
3. The Happening
4. Hellboy 2: The Golden Army
5. Cloverfield
6. The Dark Knight
7. Iron Man
8. The Forbidden Kingdom
9. Baby Mama

these are the only one's i liked enough to put on a top ten list.

I also liked You Don't Mess With the Zohan and Incredible Hulk but not enough for a top of the year list.

[Philosophe_rouge]

1. The Dark Knight
2. Wall-E
3. Standard Operating Procedure
4. In Bruges
5. The Happening
6. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
7. Iron Man
8. Speed Racer
9. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
10. Be Kind, Rewind

Bottom 10 (in progress)
6. What Happens in Vegas
5. The Other Boleyn Girl
4. Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
3. Journey to the Centre of the Earth
2. Prom Night
1. Rambo
Edited, and now including in progress bottom 10

[Sven]

Yes. Very much so.

I just do not get it. I don't know how tongue-in-cheek I'm being when I suggest to myself that this movement is the product of some kind of intellectual conspiracy.

[Watashi]

I'm with you iosos. Cloverfield would be in my bottom 5 of the year. It's completely devoid of excitement and thrills that is a full on exploitation flick for the YouTube generation. It's all pointless.

[Pop Trash]

I just do not get it. I don't know how tongue-in-cheek I'm being when I suggest to myself that this movement is the product of some kind of intellectual conspiracy.
Wha?

I rented Cloverfield on a whim, expecting it to be, at best, a mindless romp where I could see a giant whatever eat yuppies. It was actually better than I expected and managed to invoke 9/11 without ever invoking 9/11 directly. It also had a haunting ending. For what it was, it was pretty damn effective. I still can't quite say its great but it might make the lower end of my top ten for 2008 if this year continues to be as cinematically crappy as it as been (my top three aside)

[eternity]

Cloverfield, people? Really? Wow.
Still the best film of this year.

[Sven]

I rented Cloverfield on a whim, expecting it to be, at best, a mindless romp where I could see a giant whatever eat yuppies. It was actually better than I expected and managed to invoke 9/11 without ever invoking 9/11 directly. It also had a haunting ending. For what it was, it was pretty damn effective. I still can't quite say its great but it might make the lower end of my top ten for 2008 if this year continues to be as cinematically crappy as it as been (my top three aside)

What does it do with its 9/11 allusions other than cheapen them to further its narcissistic delusions of B-movie grandeur? Its geography is completely effed up, its inner logic nonsensical (how come we only see one person explode from the lice bites? They should be popping all over the place!), its characterizations completely devoid of personality (I fault the actors) or depth (I fault the script), its potential for an awe-inspiring neo-digital take on proliferated media horror dashed upon the rocks of clumsy staging (oh, so intentional!) and a transparently maudlin (and inconsistent) flashback gimmick.

There are ways this could've been done right. However, this poor excuse for a video game cut-scene is not it.

[Spinal]

Fortunately, I don't have much of a worst film list so far. Be Kind Rewind and Diary of the Dead. That's about it.

[Ezee E]

Recount and Diary of the Dead are on my bottom list.

[Winston*]

Cloverfield's the worse I've seen, Hunger's the best. I've seen like 5 movies in theatres (not counting TWBB and No Country)

[Pop Trash]

What does it do with its 9/11 allusions other than cheapen them to further its narcissistic delusions of B-movie grandeur? Its geography is completely effed up, its inner logic nonsensical (how come we only see one person explode from the lice bites? They should be popping all over the place!), its characterizations completely devoid of personality (I fault the actors) or depth (I fault the script), its potential for an awe-inspiring neo-digital take on proliferated media horror dashed upon the rocks of clumsy staging (oh, so intentional!) and a transparently maudlin (and inconsistent) flashback gimmick.

There are ways this could've been done right. However, this poor excuse for a video game cut-scene is not it.
This one of those cases where everything you site as a "fault," I see as exactly what the film is doing right. Why the hell should it have depth? It exists completely in the moment. What do want the script to do? Stop and pontificate about the situation at hand? Perhaps one of the characters can stop and deliver a soliloquy about the connections to terrorism and 9/11? Also the characters are supposed to be kind of douchey. I mean they are bros who probably work in financial analysis or something to support their lifestyle and have trendy would be model girlfriends and such.

[soitgoes...]

1. You, the Living (Roy Andersson)
2. At the Death House Door (Peter Gilbert, Steve James)
3. Cloverfield (Matt Reeves)
4. Iron Man (Jon Favreau)
5. In Bruges (Martin McDonagh)
6. [Rec] (Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza)
7. Cassandra's Dream (Woody Allen)
8. Mad Detective (Johnny To, Wai Ka-Fai)
9. Be Kind Rewind (Michel Gondry)
10. Teeth (Mitchell Lichtenstein)

A month and a half later, at least I've seen enough to populate a Top 10 list. Barring some catastrophic event, number 1 will be the only one around on this list a year from now.
1. You, the Living (Roy Andersson)
2. WALL-E (Andrew Stanton)
3. The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan)
4. At the Death House Door (Peter Gilbert, Steve James)
5. Cloverfield (Matt Reeves)
6. Iron Man (Jon Favreau)
7. In Bruges (Martin McDonagh)
8. [Rec] (Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza)
9. Cassandra's Dream (Woody Allen)
10. Mad Detective (Johnny To, Wai Ka-Fai)

Better, but still...

[Sven]

This one of those cases where everything you site as a "fault," I see as exactly what the film is doing right. Why the hell should it have depth? It exists completely in the moment. What do want the script to do? Stop and pontificate about the situation at hand? Perhaps one of the characters can stop and deliver a soliloquy about the connections to terrorism and 9/11? Also the characters are supposed to be kind of douchey. I mean they are bros who probably work in financial analysis or something to support their lifestyle and have trendy would be model girlfriends and such.

The "moment", as you defend it, is so artificially contrived that its entire existence is hollow to the core. No, a soliloquy about 9/11 would have been even worse, but the way it cheapens the horror of that event is certainly offensive enough. It's an example of exploitation for thrills. If the allusions to 9/11 are there (which they are), the picture's focus on thrills and chills - and the fact that nobody is saddened by this film, but rather excited and awed - is of the utmost reprehensibility. And yes, if you're going to be tackling a 9/11 parable, you'd better have depth and not be superficial about it.

This whole thing of "what you say is bad, I think is good" is slightly irritating, I have to say. Mostly because it seems you do not understand my criticisms, which I guess is probably my fault for not making them clearer.

[Duncan]

1. The Silence Before Bach
2. Still Life
3. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
4. The Flight of the Red Balloon
5. Paranoid Park

I definitely had one or two of those on my top 10 of 2007 list.

1. The Silence Before Bach
2. Wall*E
3. Still Life
4. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
5. The Flight of the Red Balloon
6. Paranoid Park
7. In Bruges
8. Up the Yangtze
9. The Dark Knight

[Raiders]

Where does Cloverfield cheapen 9/11? Because it is a silly monster movie, in which case your bias is against the genre, not the usage? Because it is a film about self-centered 20-somethings and not "important" enough to evoke those horrors? Or because it merely depicts the central tragedy? Isn't that the most respectful way? Isn't that what Spielberg did to great effect in War of the Worlds? I found the parallels quite sobering actually for a film I expected to be pretty much a standard monster movie, and you say all reactions are energetic and awed, not sad, but personally I was rather moved by much of the imagery. Maybe it is my own life as a person similar to those in the film, but I respected Rob's quest, his all out journey to hold onto something tangible from his life in the face of unthinkable terror and loss. Whoever said this was an exploitation flick for the Youtube generation was right. But, then again, I don't see that as an automatic negative. If the original Godzilla was a commentary on the nuclear age, then I look at this as a monster film for our post-9/11, internet age and find the images evoke just as much power.

[Lazlo]

1. WALL-E
2. In Bruges
3. The Visitor
4. Iron Man
5. Speed Racer
6. The Fall
7. Snow Angels
8. Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day
9. Summer Palace
10. The Business of Being Born

Updated:

1. The Dark Knight
2. WALL-E
3. In Bruges
4. The Visitor
5. Iron Man
6. Speed Racer
7. The Fall
8. Funny Games
9. Shotgun Stories
10. Snow Angels

[Ezee E]

Where does Cloverfield cheapen 9/11? Because it is a silly monster movie, in which case your bias is against the genre, not the usage? Because it is a film about self-centered 20-somethings and not "important" enough to evoke those horrors? Or because it merely depicts the central tragedy? Isn't that the most respectful way? Isn't that what Spielberg did to great effect in War of the Worlds? I found the parallels quite sobering actually for a film I expected to be pretty much a standard monster movie, and you say all reactions are energetic and awed, not sad, but personally I was rather moved by much of the imagery. Maybe it is my own life as a person similar to those in the film, but I respected Rob's quest, his all out journey to hold onto something tangible from his life in the face of unthinkable terror and loss. Whoever said this was an exploitation flick for the Youtube generation was right. But, then again, I don't see that as an automatic negative. If the original Godzilla was a commentary on the nuclear age, then I look at this as a monster film for our post-9/11, internet age and find the images evoke just as much power.
word.

It feels like we've had this talk already though.

[Rowland]

Yeah, I thought Cloverfield had many powerful moments, and its ending was clearly of the sobering sort; I was hardly jazzed up afterward. Iosos is erecting a straw man argument with that particularly reprehensible fact.

[Duncan]

Where do you guys think "straw man" ranks on this site's list of commonly used phrases? I never encounter it anywhere else.

[Rowland]

Where do you guys think "straw man" ranks on this site's list of commonly used phrases? I never encounter it anywhere else.Is it? I don't recall seeing it lately, but then I haven't been keeping up with all the discussion.

[Mysterious Dude]

I encounter the term quite often in other forums. It seems to be in vogue nowadays. I've even seen it in news articles.

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=%22straw+man%22&btnG=Search

[Spinal]

Straw Man is a fairly common term. Not sure that it is necessarily specific to internet forums.

[Duncan]

Yeah, it's definitely used elsewhere. I was being hyperbolous. I just see a lot of straw man argument this and straw man argument that going around. Something I've noticed we've taken a liking to is all. Or maybe my impression is inflated by one conversation where it took like five posts for one poster to explain what "straw man" meant to the other.

edit: "This is the strawiest straw man argument in the history of straw."
- Transmogrifier
That cracks me up.

[Ezee E]

I swear I've never come across the straw man term until now.

[D_Davis]

Spend some time on Fark.

I see the term used on a daily basis.

[Raiders]

Update:

1. WALL•E (Stanton)
2. Up the Yangtze (Chang)
3. My Blueberry Nights (Wong)
4. Cloverfield (Reeves)
5. The Dark Knight (Nolan)
6. The Fall (Tarsem)
7. Redbelt (Mamet)
8. Be Kind Rewind (Gondry)
9. Iron Man (Favreau)
10. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Spielberg)

I'm hoping by the end of the year to have replaced at least a couple of those at the bottom.

[eternity]

The "moment", as you defend it, is so artificially contrived that its entire existence is hollow to the core. No, a soliloquy about 9/11 would have been even worse, but the way it cheapens the horror of that event is certainly offensive enough. It's an example of exploitation for thrills. If the allusions to 9/11 are there (which they are), the picture's focus on thrills and chills - and the fact that nobody is saddened by this film, but rather excited and awed - is of the utmost reprehensibility. And yes, if you're going to be tackling a 9/11 parable, you'd better have depth and not be superficial about it.

This whole thing of "what you say is bad, I think is good" is slightly irritating, I have to say. Mostly because it seems you do not understand my criticisms, which I guess is probably my fault for not making them clearer.I wasn't as excited and awed (okay, I was awed a whole fucking ton) as much as I was saddened and sobbed like a pussy throughout.

Review (http://filmgasm.com/Cloverfield%20Review.htm)


Rant (http://www.neoavant.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=53)

[Sven]

Where does Cloverfield cheapen 9/11? Because it is a silly monster movie, in which case your bias is against the genre, not the usage? Because it is a film about self-centered 20-somethings and not "important" enough to evoke those horrors? Or because it merely depicts the central tragedy? Isn't that the most respectful way? Isn't that what Spielberg did to great effect in War of the Worlds? I found the parallels quite sobering actually for a film I expected to be pretty much a standard monster movie, and you say all reactions are energetic and awed, not sad, but personally I was rather moved by much of the imagery. Maybe it is my own life as a person similar to those in the film, but I respected Rob's quest, his all out journey to hold onto something tangible from his life in the face of unthinkable terror and loss. Whoever said this was an exploitation flick for the Youtube generation was right. But, then again, I don't see that as an automatic negative. If the original Godzilla was a commentary on the nuclear age, then I look at this as a monster film for our post-9/11, internet age and find the images evoke just as much power.

The biggest problem of the comparison to Godzilla is that Godzilla is ABOUT the nuclear threat, whereas Cloverfield simply USES 9/11. There, too, lies my answer of where Cloverfield cheapens the event. You know as well as I do that I think B-movies are capable of artistic greatness, so please do not attempt further to apply your rhetorical questions to my intentions.

1) I would like to know how simply "portraying the tragedy" is more respectful than trying to understand it. Neither approach, in my opinion, is inherently more tasteful than the other. And War of the Worlds isn't exactly the most effective trump card.

2) Audience sympathy of its central characters is only tangentially related to its "importance" as a piece about national tragedy, although it's specifically related to its "importance" as a narrative. When your camera centers on cipherous figures running around shrieking and crying, you'd better have a solid central artistic intentions you're going for. I realize that the "I didn't care about the characters" argument is as subjective as hell, but I've heard way too many defenses of the characters' vapidity to ignore it as a valid criticism.

3) You speak of a quest to retain something tangible in the face of loss and misery. Excellent. But I don't think the film presents that idea as a motivation for the guy. His quest is much more impulsive than this. Also, his relationship with the chick isn't exactly what I'd call "tangible", as it's not particularly active in any scenes but the intangible flashbacks. Finally, none of that matters anyway because what little "grace" (to borrow the Rowland applique copped from Chaw) we see is negated by its very pessimistic conclusion.

4) I could draw the conclusion from your last three sentences that you are fine considering this an exploitation film about 9/11. Perhaps this is a semantics issue a la Clipper Ship, but isn't that a bad thing? To champion something exploiting 9/11? Again, the movie USES the tragedy to evoke horror and to what end? To end on a "world is shit" note? Where's the rhyme in that? Grace? Give me a break. Cloverfield's got zilch.

[D_Davis]

1. The Fall


I think I've only seen 2 other 2008 films - The Happening and Doomsday, and both of these are terrible, terrible films.

Oh wait, I saw Cloverfield as well.

[megladon8]

I don't want to jump into your discussion, but I really don't see how Cloverfield exploited 9/11.

It presents an attack that is hectic, frightening, and for the people involved, incomprehensible.

They didn't know what was going on, or why it was happening.

I think that's a pretty accurate representation of how people felt while actually involved in the tragedy of 9/11, and I don't see it being exploitaitive.

[Sven]

Yeah, I thought Cloverfield had many powerful moments, and its ending was clearly of the sobering sort; I was hardly jazzed up afterward. Iosos is erecting a straw man argument with that particularly reprehensible fact.

Reprehensible? Really? Was my fact so far off base here to deserve the "reprehensible" adjective? Come on. Lighten up and come at me with some meat. If "I was hardly jazzed" is your proof of my incorrectitude, I advise you to read over the plethora of responses that confirm my suggestion: that Cloverfield exists as an edge-of-your-seat popcorn entertainment.

[soitgoes...]

1. The Fall


I think I've only seen 2 other 2008 films - The Happening and Doomsday, and both of these are terrible, terrible films.

Oh wait, I saw Cloverfield as well.
You saw Chocolate, and loved it, if I recall.

[Sven]

You also saw Stuck, D.

[soitgoes...]

You also saw Stuck, D.Iosos and soitgoes..., here to compile your Top 10 lists!!!

[D_Davis]

You saw Chocolate, and loved it, if I recall.

I thought this was 2007...

Thanks...I don't think it is a top 10 worthy film though. Good, and totally entertaining, but that's about it.


You also saw Stuck, D.

Oh yeah, that was good. I'll add that to #2.

UPDATE

1. The Fall
2. Stuck

[Raiders]

The biggest problem of the comparison to Godzilla is that Godzilla is ABOUT the nuclear threat, whereas Cloverfield simply USES 9/11. There, too, lies my answer of where Cloverfield cheapens the event.

Godzilla very much uses, just as Cloverfield does, recent atrocities for its heft. The bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima certainly linger over the film (characters cry out for using the bunkers again and what is Godzilla if not a rampaging, nuclear force?). It isn't about the nuclear threats as a film like Kurosawa's I Live in Fear is, but rather a film that uses horrific events and the ills of the time to create its monster and its narrative.


You know as well as I do that I think B-movies are capable of artistic greatness, so please do not attempt further to apply your rhetorical questions to my intentions.

Not what I was implying, but rather simply throwing out potential reasons I consider invalid.


1) I would like to know how simply "portraying the tragedy" is more respectful than trying to understand it. Neither approach, in my opinion, is inherently more tasteful than the other. And War of the Worlds isn't exactly the most effective trump card.

Well, personally, I find that taking a stance implies personal knowledge and that if we are to lament such an inhuman and rather incomprehensible act against humanity it might be best to simply let the viewers' recollections seep into their mind while watching. It is less meaningful and less risky, but I think it ultimately gives the film its link into our society without bogging down in needless, and tangential, exposition. I see no reason a film can't recall without offering specific insight, not to mention I think the viewpoint of people lost, trapped and wandering through the aftermath is its own form of "understanding."


2) Audience sympathy of its central characters is only tangentially related to its "importance" as a piece about national tragedy, although it's specifically related to its "importance" as a narrative. When your camera centers on cipherous figures running around shrieking and crying, you'd better have a solid central artistic intentions you're going for. I realize that the "I didn't care about the characters" argument is as subjective as hell, but I've heard way too many defenses of the characters' vapidity to ignore it as a valid criticism.

I guess I just recognize and accept these characters. I don't think they are any more or less vapid than most 20-somethings I know and I think given the style of the film (it exists very much in the moment--little back story can be given) I came to know and empathize with the characters as much as possible.


3) You speak of a quest to retain something tangible in the face of loss and misery. Excellent. But I don't think the film presents that idea as a motivation for the guy. His quest is much more impulsive than this. Also, his relationship with the chick isn't exactly what I'd call "tangible", as it's not particularly active in any scenes but the intangible flashbacks.

I think it is key that right before the initial explosion, Rob's brother tells him he isn't good enough and needs to prove himself worthy and also that after the bridge and just before the call, he...

... loses his brother. It seems then that his desperation to find Beth and to retain that part of himself goes through the roof.

As for his relationship, well, I think that though the flashback interludes are technically impossible, they are well placed throughout the film. I think that the personal crisis here is tangible and palpable enough that I don't need some great romance ahead of time and that their life-long friendship and their day at Coney Island provides the necessary respite and motivation.


Finally, none of that matters anyway because what little "grace" (to borrow the Rowland applique copped from Chaw) we see is negated by its very pessimistic conclusion.

Eh, I don't find it a very pessimistic ending.

Yes, they died, but the final words are "I love you." I think it is pretty optimistic that she was still alive in the apartment and that allowed for their union. One could argue that by leaving this world knowing they both love each other and never even having to face the difficulties that likely lay ahead (not to mention everyone they know is dead) is a bit of a small grace to bestow.


4) I could draw the conclusion from your last three sentences that you are fine considering this an exploitation film about 9/11. Perhaps this is a semantics issue a la Clipper Ship, but isn't that a bad thing? To champion something exploiting 9/11? Again, the movie USES the tragedy to evoke horror and to what end? To end on a "world is shit" note? Where's the rhyme in that? Grace? Give me a break. Cloverfield's got zilch.

Perhaps it is semantics since I don't think that a few instances recalling the 9/11 tragedy make this a full-on exploitation film, and in today's society, it seems to me that something like this is almost guaranteed to evoke that real-life tragedy. But, I do think that if the tragedies that befell Japan and the burgeoning nuclear world could lend themselves to Godzilla, then so can 9/11 and the age of YouTube lend themselves to Cloverfield.

[Spinal]

I didn't think Cloverfield was directly evoking 9/11 so much as was tapping into the zeitgeist.

[D_Davis]

and the milieu.

[Spinal]

and the milieu.

and the mise en scene.

[Raiders]

I didn't think Cloverfield was directly evoking 9/11 so much as was tapping into the zeitgeist.

Exactly.

[D_Davis]

and the mise en scene.

LOLZ

I was going to do that next.

[megladon8]

D, I see Cloverfield didn't make it onto your list, but did you all-out dislike it? Or just didn't find it "list worthy"?

I'd love to read your thoughts on that one!

[Watashi]

Didn't you see Speed Racer, D?

[D_Davis]

Didn't you see Speed Racer, D?

No. I want to though. Just waiting for the DVD.

[D_Davis]

D, I see Cloverfield didn't make it onto your list, but did you all-out dislike it? Or just didn't find it "list worthy"?

I'd love to read your thoughts on that one!

I thought it was kind of dull.

It was alright, and some of it was cool, but I found most of it forgettable and unremarkable.

When it was over, I was like, "Yep, that's a movie."

And then promptly forgot it.

[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.

[Ezee E]

and the mise en scene.
also the whatchamacallit

[D_Davis]

also the whatchamacallit

The raisin date

[Raiders]

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.

Still no WALL-E? Lame.

[Spinal]

The Last Mistress


It was pretty darn good.

[NickGlass]

Still no WALL-E? Lame.

Oh, I saw it already.

[Raiders]

Oh, I saw it already.

Even lamer.

[Sven]

Raiders, excellent thoughts all around. I'm only going to respond to one point, that being the Godzilla comparison. Godzilla is a creature born out of nuclear blasts--it is explicitly connected to the matter and therefore, semiotically, more clearly represents it. The Cloverfield monster benefits from no such consideration. The argument that I've heard made of the Cloverfield monster's origins being a mystery intensify the confusion of not understanding the nature of the terrorists' purposes rings fairly hollow to me as an appropriate ontological explanation. By never explaining the monster's existence more thoroughly, the filmmakers strip the metaphorical weight away from the creature, making it a lumbering tool of meaningless destruction, which I think cheapens the tragedy.

And the whole directly evoking 9/11 - tapping the zeitgeist comment I find to be kinda pussyfooting. The movie is about people running and screaming through downtown New York City as their buildings are being destroyed by an unknown force. If that's not a direct allusion, my name is Mister Magoo.

[Spinal]

And the whole directly evoking 9/11 - tapping the zeitgeist comment I find to be kinda pussyfooting. The movie is about people running and screaming through downtown New York City as their buildings are being destroyed by an unknown force. If that's not a direct allusion, my name is Mister Magoo.

Fair enough. I will be editing your username shortly.

[Sven]

Fair enough. I will be editing your username shortly.

Is this not enough?!

[Spinal]

Is this not enough?!

Receive my 9-point thunder.

[Rowland]

Reprehensible? Really? Was my fact so far off base here to deserve the "reprehensible" adjective? Come on. Lighten up and come at me with some meat. If "I was hardly jazzed" is your proof of my incorrectitude, I advise you to read over the plethora of responses that confirm my suggestion: that Cloverfield exists as an edge-of-your-seat popcorn entertainment.I was referencing your use of the term, so I was really implying that you need to lighten up. ;)

[Rowland]

Wall•E (Andrew Stanton) 74 (***½)
The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan) 69 (***)
Cloverfield (Matt Reeves) 64 (***)
Be Kind Rewind (Michel Gondry) 63 (***)
Married Life (Ira Sachs) 58 (**½)
Iron Man (Jon Favreau) 56 (**½)
The Strangers (Bryan Bertino) 56 (**½)
The Bank Job (Roger Donaldson) 52 (**½)
Wanted (Timbor Bekmambetov) 48 (**)
The Ruins (Carter Smith) 47 (**)

[Sven]

I was referencing your use of the term, so I was really implying that you need to lighten up. ;)

I think I'm still reeling from the time Qrazy called me a "reprehensible hypocrite". Stung a bit, that.

[MacGuffin]

Cloverfield sounds absolutely awful. I don't normally get offended by movies, but it sounds like it's in the ballpark of United 93.

[Raiders]

Cloverfield sounds absolutely awful. I don't normally get offended by movies, but it sounds like it's in the ballpark of United 93.

Huh? I didn't think much of Greengrass' film either, but what do they share in common?

This whole 9/11 angle is getting blown way out of proportion.

[MacGuffin]

Huh? I didn't think much of Greengrass' film either, but what do they share in common?

This whole 9/11 angle is getting blown way out of proportion.

Oh, iosos just made it sound similar; the whole attack on New York element can really be suspicious.

[Duncan]

Cloverfield sounds absolutely awful. I don't normally get offended by movies, but it sounds like it's in the ballpark of United 93.

United 93 was a great film.

[MacGuffin]

United 93 was a great film.

I thought it was disgusting exploitation, but whatever you say.

[Rowland]

I thought it was disgusting exploitation, but whatever you say.Well I think you're both poop heads.

[D_Davis]

United 93 was a great film.

Yes it is.

[soitgoes...]

Cloverfield sounds absolutely awful. I don't normally get offended by movies, but it sounds like it's in the ballpark of United 93.If United 93 was about a plane that got hijacked by lizard people then I can see where it might be seen as being in the same ballpark. Last time I checked bin Laden didn't unleash a giant dinosaur creature loose in Manhattan 6 years ago which happened to throw 2 planes into the WTC. I really don't see where the two films have any similarities. Why can't some films be made just for pure entertainment? Why do we need to search for underlying meanings? NYC is the iconic city in America. It will always be a target for destruction by filmmakers. I took it as an excuse for escapism, and I enjoyed it well enough for that.

[Sven]

If United 93 was about a plane that got hijacked by lizard people then I can see where it might be seen as being in the same ballpark. Last time I checked bin Laden didn't unleash a giant dinosaur creature loose in Manhattan 6 years ago which happened to throw 2 planes into the WTC. I really don't see where the two films have any similarities. Why can't some films be made just for pure entertainment? Why do we need to search for underlying meanings? NYC is the iconic city in America. It will always be a target for destruction by filmmakers. I took it as an excuse for escapism, and I enjoyed it well enough for that.

Cloverfield's 9/11 parallels are intentional: the filmmakers have said so, and it's absolutely blatant on the surface of the film itself. To suggest that the connection is a stretch is to admit to being seriously blind on a number of fronts.

[Sven]

This whole 9/11 angle is getting blown way out of proportion.


Last time I checked bin Laden didn't unleash a giant dinosaur creature loose in Manhattan 6 years ago which happened to throw 2 planes into the WTC. I really don't see where the two films have any similarities. Why can't some films be made just for pure entertainment? Why do we need to search for underlying meanings? NYC is the iconic city in America. It will always be a target for destruction by filmmakers. I took it as an excuse for escapism, and I enjoyed it well enough for that.

These are the kind of comments that inspired my "intellectual conspiracy" comment. Seriously? Really? "Way out of proportion"? It's what the stupid movie is about!

[soitgoes...]

Cloverfield's 9/11 parallels are intentional: the filmmakers have said so, and it's absolutely blatant on the surface of the film itself. To suggest that the connection is a stretch is to admit to being seriously blind on a number of fronts.

Both here (http://www.moviesonline.ca/movienews_12553.html) and here (http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1704356,00.html) Abrams says he wanted to make an American monster movie. I don't see where he says 9/11 parallels are intentional. If you have an article that says so, I'd like to read it. I'm off to work now, so I won't be able to respond right away. As far as I've ever heard, it has been reviewers that have claimed the 9/11 connections.

[Sven]

Both here (http://www.moviesonline.ca/movienews_12553.html) and here (http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1704356,00.html) Abrams says he wanted to make an American monster movie. I don't see where he says 9/11 parallels are intentional. If you have an article that says so, I'd like to read it. I'm off to work now, so I won't be able to respond right away. As far as I've ever heard, it has been reviewers that have claimed the 9/11 connections.

Well of course he wanted to make an American monster movie, silly goose. The question is whether or not they intended any 9/11 allusions within the film. In this article (http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1704356,00.html) he says:
With Cloverfield we were trying to create a film that would be entertaining and, as a by-product of the subject matter, perhaps be a catharsis. We wanted to let people live through their wildest fears but be in a safe place where the enemy is the size of a skyscraper instead of some stateless, unseen cowardly terrorist.

Personally, I do not take the words of creators as gospel about their creations, which, if they're any good, become their own entities. The only point I'm trying to make here, and I think I've made significant, tangible progress, is that denying the existence of the 9/11 allusions is short-sighted, at best. Plus, even if it was just the reviewers who made the connection, to cite that as an invalidation of its connection is intellectually dishonest. You can ignore it all you want, fine, but to attempt to chastise others for not ignoring it, or if you prefer, for seeing it in a different way, is to exercise anti-intellect. I hesitate to add that the rabidity of your response expresses a discomfort with the connection that you simply do not wish to confront.

Gosh, I'm feelin' sassy!

[Raiders]

I feel I have said all I can say. For my part, I have never denied the connections, but to say that is all the film is about is in my opinion equally as short-sighted. The majority of the film has the characters evading a giant lizard, smaller lice-like creatures and trying to get out of the city. It is a monster movie first, but one that is clearly impacted by those recent events. But, when a poster who has not seen it thinks the film is somehow reminiscent of the Greengrass film, I feel that it is valid to say this is getting out of proportion, and I don't think I should be lumped into some intellectual conspiracy.

[Sven]

For my part, I have never denied the connections, but to say that is all the film is about is in my opinion equally as short-sighted.

I never said that, for the record.


But, when a poster who has not seen it thinks the film is somehow reminiscent of the Greengrass film, I feel that it is valid to say this is getting out of proportion, and I don't think I should be lumped into some intellectual conspiracy.

I don't think the comparison is invalid at all, but I do think CSC should be less hasty in his presumptions. They can be connected in several ways, but I think the gauge of quality is a case-by-case issue. Out of proportion? Maybe, but not out of perspective.

[Spinal]

I'm not going to say that a comparison between Cloverfield and United 93 is entirely invalid. But it does tell me that one is relating to the material from an emotional perspective that I have difficulty relating to. That just wasn't where my head was at when I was watching it.

[Pop Trash]

Sorry to derail this fine thread about our favorite '08 films even further, but having seen both Cloverfield and United 93 I feel the need to chime in. When I watched Cloverfield I did think Abrams and the director might have been influenced by United 93. I thought that maybe it was some sort of weird hybrid of Blair Witch/Godzilla/United 93. But obviously this worked for me more than others. I don't think this film is any more exploitative than Godzilla was of Hiroshima/Nagasaki or Dr. Strangelove was of the extremely real threat of Soviet/US nuclear annihilation. 9/11 is such a giant part of our recent history that its going to manifest in all sorts of films, including giant monster movies, and we should just get used to that fact and judge the films on their own terms. Not on whether or not they are "exploitation" or not.

[Sven]

...and judge the films on their own terms. Not on whether or not they are "exploitation" or not.
But the exploitative nature of it is a direct product of the film's own terms.

[Pop Trash]

But the exploitative nature of it is a direct product of the film's own terms.
But you are clearly bothered by the films allusions to 9/11 which you feel is "exploiting" this historical event. Others are clearly not botherd by this and still others don't even see much of a connection between the two.

[Sven]

But you are clearly bothered by the films allusions to 9/11 which you feel is "exploiting" this historical event. Others are clearly not botherd by this and still others don't even see much of a connection between the two.

Yes. That is the case. It's called divergent interpretation and it happens when lots of people try to gauge works on their own terms.

[Pop Trash]

Yes. That is the case. It's called divergent interpretation and it happens when lots of people try to gauge works on their own terms.
Did you think 28 Weeks Later was exploitation? There were clear allusions to the Iraq War in that and more people died as a result of the Iraq War plus it's closer in time to be a more sensitive subject.

[Raiders]

divergent interpretation

I don't believe Mr. Magoo would know these words.

[Sven]

Did you think 28 Weeks Later was exploitation? There were clear allusions to the Iraq War in that and more people died as a result of the Iraq War plus it's closer in time to be a more sensitive subject.

Didn't see it. Want to.

[Derek]

Cloverfield's 9/11 parallels are intentional: the filmmakers have said so, and it's absolutely blatant on the surface of the film itself. To suggest that the connection is a stretch is to admit to being seriously blind on a number of fronts.

And considering the film is all surface, it should be all the more blatantly obvious methinks.

[soitgoes...]

Well of course he wanted to make an American monster movie, silly goose. The question is whether or not they intended any 9/11 allusions within the film. In this article (http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1704356,00.html) he says:

Personally, I do not take the words of creators as gospel about their creations, which, if they're any good, become their own entities. The only point I'm trying to make here, and I think I've made significant, tangible progress, is that denying the existence of the 9/11 allusions is short-sighted, at best. Plus, even if it was just the reviewers who made the connection, to cite that as an invalidation of its connection is intellectually dishonest. You can ignore it all you want, fine, but to attempt to chastise others for not ignoring it, or if you prefer, for seeing it in a different way, is to exercise anti-intellect. I hesitate to add that the rabidity of your response expresses a discomfort with the connection that you simply do not wish to confront.

Gosh, I'm feelin' sassy!Aren't all films "based" on something a form of exploitation? Every war movie has made money off the deaths of people. Why aren't these considered a taboo? Why is 9/11 such sacred ground? More people have died needlessly since 9/11 then on the day itself. Perhaps that's my problem. I've come to terms with the event of 9/11 and have moved on.

I'm not sure which post you find to be rabid. If it's the second one, then I apologize. I didn't mean to come off that way. I was trying to respond before having to leave. If it's my initial post, well I really don't see Cloverfield or United 93 being similar films at all. If there is a connection, whatever, I went into and took Cloverfield to be pure entertainment. I guess it has to do with what you want to get out of the film. Perhaps watching it again with my "new awarenesss" will give a different outcome. Insert whichever smilie makes me not come off as being snide.

[Sven]

Aren't all films "based" on something a form of exploitation? Every war movie has made money off the deaths of people. Why aren't these considered a taboo? Why is 9/11 such sacred ground? More people have died needlessly since 9/11 then on the day itself. Perhaps that's my problem. I've come to terms with the event of 9/11 and have moved on.

My issue is not that it incorporates 9/11, it's that it USES it to generate an awareness, but it doesn't DO anything with that awareness. It shows you the scenario, states implicitly "Hey, remember this?" then uses that recognition as the starting point (destruction of a national monument) for a special effects showcase. I do not require reverence or explicit handling of delicate subject matter, but I do think that if you're going to parallel a recent and unparalleled terrorist attack on your country with a monster, you'd better be more than "pure entertainment" because the connection is still real. And whether or not you've "moved on" (congratulations, by the way) shouldn't alter the case that the film is making titillating a national tragedy and trying to pass it off as "pure entertainment".


I guess it has to do with what you want to get out of the film. Perhaps watching it again with my "new awarenesss" will give a different outcome. Insert whichever smilie makes me not come off as being snide.

Actually, it has more to do with what you end up getting out of a film. "Want" has nothing to do with it. I'm not trying to change your mind, but I do hope, snide comments or not, that you will at least accept the fact that others (including the filmmakers OMG) see the connection.

[Kurosawa Fan]

1. Speed Racer - 9.0
2. Wall*E - 8.5
3. Mad Detective - 8.5
4. The Dark Knight - 7.5
5. Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 7.5
6. Cloverfield - 7.5
7. Baby Mama - 7.0
8. Kung-Fu Panda - 6.5
9. Be Kind Rewind - 6.5


I was really hoping this would land higher up my list.

1. Speed Racer - 9.0
2. Wall*E - 8.5
3. Mad Detective - 8.5
4. The Dark Knight - 7.5
5. Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 7.5
6. Cloverfield - 7.5
7. My Winnipeg - 7.0
8. Baby Mama - 7.0
9. Kung-Fu Panda - 6.5
10. Be Kind Rewind - 6.5

At least I'm up to 10 now. :|

[Raiders]

I swear if Speed Racer wins our 2008 awards or consensus list, I'm shutting this site down.

[Sven]

Yes, let's do get back on track:

1 CJ7
2 The Fall
3 Encounters at the End of the World
4 Still Life
5 Stuck
6 The Happening
7 Kung Fu Panda
8 Speed Racer

Almost got ten. I highly anticipate the NYFF to take care of things.

[Ezee E]

I swear if Speed Racer wins our 2008 awards or consensus list, I'm shutting this site down.
I think The Fall or Dark Knight would fare higher if we did one now.

It'll probably make the top ten though. :)

I have a feeling that The Road could end up being our top for the year.

[Watashi]

I think The Fall or Dark Knight would fare higher if we did one now.

It'll probably make the top ten though. :)

I have a feeling that The Road could end up being our top for the year.

Don't forget about The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

[Ezee E]

Don't forget about The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
D'oh!

[Pop Trash]

I think The Fall or Dark Knight would fare higher if we did one now.

It'll probably make the top ten though. :)

I have a feeling that The Road could end up being our top for the year.

I would think (and hope) that either Wall-E or TDK would win any '08 movie consensus anywhere at this time.

But, yes I predict Benjamin Button will win it unless it winds up being disappointing. I am curious how Fincher handles his first non-genre movie.

[Ezee E]

I would think (and hope) that either Wall-E or TDK would win any '08 movie consensus anywhere at this time.

But, yes I predict Benjamin Button will win it unless it winds up being disappointing. I am curious how Fincher handles his first non-genre movie.
Looks like a mixture of genre to me.

I wouldn't really label Fight Club into any genre either.

[Pop Trash]

Looks like a mixture of genre to me.

I wouldn't really label Fight Club into any genre either.

True, I thought of that but a lot of people would lump it into "action" movie though it kind of isn't (but the studio promoted it like that) I guess what I meant is this is Fincher's first non-violent/thriller type movie and as such probably has more Oscar chances.

[origami_mustache]

1. Speed Racer
2. Still Life
3. Blindness
4. My Winnipeg
5. The Flight of The Red Balloon
6. Pineapple Express
7. WALL-E
8. Burn After Reading
9. Sukiyaki Western Django
10. The Dark Knight

Be Kind Rewind
Snow Angels
Cloverfield
My Blueberry Nights
Mister Lonely
Encounters At the End of the World
Paranoid Park
Tropic Thunder
Step Brothers
Semi-Pro
Diary of the Dead
Silent Light
Hancock
Beautiful Losers
Leatherheads
Lakeview Terrace

[Bosco B Thug]

I've got 10.

1. Wall-E - 8
2. Diary of the Dead - 7.5
3. The X-Files: I Want To Believe - 6.5
4. The Dark Knight - 6.5
5. The Happening - 5
6. Teeth - 5
7. Speed Racer - 5
8. Cloverfield - 4
9. Wanted - 3.5
10. The Mother of Tears - 3.5


Omg PITIFUL.

[Cult]

Yes, let's do get back on track:

1 CJ7
2 The Fall
3 Encounters at the End of the World
4 Still Life
5 Stuck
6 The Happening
7 Kung Fu Panda
8 Speed Racer

Almost got ten. I highly anticipate the NYFF to take care of things.
Same, but replace NYFF with VIFF (Vancouver).

01. The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan)
02. Boarding Gate (Olivier Assayas)
03. Silent Light (Carlos Reygadas)
04. Cloverfield (Matt Reeves)
05. WALL*E (Andrew Stanton)
06. Paranoid Park (Gus Van Sant)
07. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Nicholas Stoller)
08. Mongol (Sergei Bodrov)
09. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Steven Spielberg)

[transmogrifier]

So far:

1. Kung Fu Panda (70)
2. Be Kind Rewind (67)

Cloverfield (64)
Speed Racer (57)
Iron Man (55)
The Dark Knight (55)
Hellcats (51)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (48)
Vantage Point (45)
Sex and the City (44)
The Happening (35)
Rambo (22)

Crappy year so far.

[Pop Trash]

Bumping this for some updates:

8/10
1. My Blueberry Nights
2. Wall-E
3. Pineapple Express
4. The Dark Knight
5. Redbelt

7/10
6. Cloverfield
7. Shotgun Stories
8. Snow Angels
9. Encounters at the End of the World
10. Indiana Jones/Crystal Skull


11. Iron Man
12. Diary of the Dead
13. In Bruges
14. Be Kind Rewind
15. Hamlet 2
16. Vicky Cristina Barcelona

6/10
17. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
18. Tropic Thunder
19. Shine a Light
20. Funny Games USA

5/10
21. Speed Racer
22. Swing Vote

4/10
23. The Ruins
24. Rambo

[Boner M]

Updated:

US 2008:

1. Flight of the Red Balloon (Hou) 83
2. My Winnipeg (Maddin) 80
3. Wall-E (Stanton) 79
4. Woman on the Beach (Hong) 79
5. The Tracey Fragments (McDonald) 78
6. Baghead (Duplass) 76
7. Joy Division (Gee) 76
8. Ballast (Hammer) 75
9. Encounters at the End of the World (Herzog) 75
10. Reprise (Trier) 74

By 2008 premiere:

1. Of Time and the City (Davies) 91
2. Tokyo Sonata (Kurosawa) 88
3. Hunger (McQueen) 85
4. Somer's Town (Meadows) 82
5. Wall-E (Stanton) 79
6. Sparrow (To) 77
7. Baghead (Duplass, 2008) 76
8. Ballast (Hammer) 75
9. Happy Go Lucky (Leigh) 72
10. The Black Balloon (Down) 71

[Grouchy]

1. The Dark Knight
2. WALL-E
3. Speed Racer
4. Iron Man
5. Let the Right One In
6. CJ7
7. The Ruins
8. Aniceto
9. Batman: Gotham Knight
10. The Bank Job

[Dead & Messed Up]

Slightly revised:

1) The Fall
2) The Dark Knight
3) Wall-E
4) In Bruges
5) Forgetting Sarah Marshall
6) Cloverfield
7) Iron Man
8) The Happening

The top three are great; the bottom three are solid. If I could split the first and second half of Indiana Jones, the first half would be above Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

And another revision.

01. In Bruges
02. The Fall
03. The Dark Knight
04. Wall-E
05. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
06. Cloverfield
07. Pineapple Express
08. Iron Man
09. The Ruins
10. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

[Kurosawa Fan]

1. Speed Racer - 9.0
2. Wall*E - 8.5
3. Mad Detective - 8.5
4. The Dark Knight - 7.5
5. Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 7.5
6. Cloverfield - 7.5
7. My Winnipeg - 7.0
8. Baby Mama - 7.0
9. Kung-Fu Panda - 6.5
10. Be Kind Rewind - 6.5



1. Speed Racer - 9.0
2. Wall*E - 8.5
3. Mad Detective - 8.5
4. The Pineapple Express - 8.0
5. The Dark Knight - 7.5
6. Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 7.5
7. Cloverfield - 7.5
8. My Winnipeg - 7.0
9. Baby Mama - 7.0
10. Kung-Fu Panda - 6.5


I'm expecting nothing below #3 or #4 to be on there by years end.

[Raiders]

Update:

1. WALL•E (Stanton)
2. Man on Wire (Marsh)
3. Pineapple Express (Green)
4. Up the Yangtze (Chang)
5. My Blueberry Nights (Wong)
6. Cloverfield (Reeves)
7. The Dark Knight (Nolan)
8. The Fall (Tarsem)
9. Redbelt (Mamet)
10. Be Kind Rewind (Gondry)

[megladon8]

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




Jumping on the update bandwagon.

[Silencio]

Using U.S. release dates:

1. Funny Games
2. Flight of the Red Balloon
3. The Dark Knight
4. Wall-E
5. Paranoid Park
6. In Bruges
7. The Band's Visit
8. Water Lilies
9. Cloverfield
10. Pineapple Express

[ThePlashyBubbler]

So far:

1. The Fall
2. WALL-E
3. My Winnipeg
4. Flight of the Red Balloon
5. Vicky Cristina Barcelona
6. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
7. Be Kind, Rewind
8. In Bruges
9. Pineapple Express
10. Speed Racer

Hopefully Man on Wire will break in somewhere when I see it next weekend.

[Duncan]

1. The Silence Before Bach
2. Wall*E
3. Still Life
4. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
5. The Flight of the Red Balloon
6. Paranoid Park
7. In Bruges
8. Up the Yangtze
9. The Dark Knight

1. The Silence Before Bach
2. Man on Wire
3. Wall*E
4. Still Life
5. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
6. The Flight of the Red Balloon
7. Paranoid Park
8. In Bruges
9. Up the Yangtze
10. Pineapple Express

[eternity]

1. Dziwka Kurwa (Bohrod)
2. Cloverfield (Reeves)
3. Speed Racer (Wachowski)
4. Step Brothers (McKay)
5. Wall-E (Stanton)
6. Sex and Death 101 (Waters)
7. Funny Games (Haneke)
8. Charlie Bartlett (Poll)
9. Tropic Thunder (Stiller)
10. In Bruges (McDonagh)

[trotchky]

1. The Witnesses
2. Frownland
3. Paranoid Park
4. The Flight of the Red Balloon
5. Reprise
6. Pageant
7. The Tracey Fragments
8. The Dark Knight
9. Teeth
10. Wall-E (alternate: What Happens in Vegas)

[Ezee E]

1. The Dark Knight
2. The Fall
3. Iron Man
4. My Blueberry Nights
5. City of Men
6. Cloverfield
7. CJ7
8. Be Kind Rewind
9. The Strangers
10. Funny Games


updated. out goes DOOMSDAY

[Sycophant]

10. Wall-E (alternate: What Happens in Vegas)
Painfully backhanded? Or was What Happens in Vegas grossly misjudged and unfairly overlooked?

[dreamdead]

Well, here's the attempt at a list for me. All '08 U.S. release dates...

1. Still Life -- 91
2. Woman on the Beach -- 85
3. Wall-E -- 82
4. The Dark Knight -- 78
5. Boarding Gate -- 73
6. Speed Racer -- 70
7. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull -- 44

Added Jia's film and dropped TDK.

[Sycophant]

Updated!

1. The Fall (Tarsem)
2. Wall-E (Stanton)
3. CJ7 (Chow)
4. Speed Racer (Wachowskis)
5. Get Smart (Segal)
6. Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Allen)
7. The Visitor (McCarthy)
8. Cassandra's Dream (Allen)
9. My Blueberry Nights (Wong)
10. Horton Hears a Who (Hayward/Martino)

[trotchky]

Painfully backhanded? Or was What Happens in Vegas grossly misjudged and unfairly overlooked?

I thought it was pretty good! While the movie never transcended its cliche/formulaic plot, it did handle that formula with surprising grace and tact, so even though the lead characters are a pair of myopic egotists they're rendered not just smart but also likable, and even endearing. Their repartee is fast, ductile, and actually, truly witty--which is to say, it's really fun to listen to!

Somewhat related to that is the film's prevailing sweetness, which is something of an air-thin miracle in this day and age of boundry-pushing PG-13 comedies; that a film with such an inane, "raunchy" center reflexively avoids ever milking vulgarity for its own sake or denigrating itself to the point of cheap "shock" laughs is nothing short of awesome; it's about as un-adolescent and even adult (with some, but not all, that that word implies) as you can reasonably expect a movie like this to be.

The other thing I wanted to say about that is that the movie's "sweetness" works because it isn't moralizing, nor does it ever pretend to stand apart from the inherent materialism (some would say shallowness) of the rest of the plot, and when resolution comes, it comes as just as assuredly a part of the outward-focused, materialist American-dream-ism of the movie's initial plot-hook as the entire-rest of the film unabashedly is. The fact that I actually laughed, multiple times didn't hurt either!

In short, it ended up being exactly what I wanted from it.

[eternity]

1. Dziwka Kurwa (Bohrod)
2. Cloverfield (Reeves)
3. Speed Racer (Wachowski)
4. Step Brothers (McKay)
5. Wall-E (Stanton)
6. Sex and Death 101 (Waters)
7. Funny Games (Haneke)
8. Charlie Bartlett (Poll)
9. Tropic Thunder (Stiller)
10. In Bruges (McDonagh)

Updated.

[Philosophe_rouge]

1. In Bruges
2. The Dark Knight
3. Tropic Thunder
4. Wall-E
5. Standard Operating Procedure
6. The Happening
7. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
8. Iron Man
9. Speed Racer
10. Deux jours Ã* tuer

Bottom 10 (in progress)
6. What Happens in Vegas
5. The Other Boleyn Girl
4. Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
3. Journey to the Centre of the Earth
2. Prom Night
1. Rambo
Updated, seeing The House Bunny tonight. Will it crack either list?

[Duncan]

1. The Silence Before Bach
2. Man on Wire
3. Wall*E
4. Still Life
5. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
6. The Flight of the Red Balloon
7. Paranoid Park
8. In Bruges
9. Up the Yangtze
10. Pineapple Express

1. The Silence Before Bach
2. Man on Wire
3. Wall*E
4. Still Life
5. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
6. Alexandra
7. The Flight of the Red Balloon
8. Paranoid Park
9. In Bruges
10. Up the Yangtze

I think this year has been exceptionally good, and we haven't even gotten to the big art-house season yet.

[Milky Joe]

Vicky Cristina Barcelona inspired me to get with it and make this list:

1. Vicky Cristina Barcelona
2. Pineapple Express
3. Wall•E
4. The Dark Knight
5. Tropic Thunder
6. Be Kind Rewind
7. Step Brothers
8. War, Inc.
9. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
10. Baby Mama

[Boner M]

Updates underlined.

US 2008:

1. Flight of the Red Balloon (Hou) 83
2. My Winnipeg (Maddin) 80
3. Wall-E (Stanton) 79
4. Woman on the Beach (Hong) 79
5. The Tracey Fragments (McDonald) 78
6. Silent Light (Reygadas) 76
7. Baghead (Duplass) 76
8. Joy Division (Gee) 76
9. Ballast (Hammer) 75
10. Encounters at the End of the World (Herzog) 75

Also, I read a few disparaging reviews of Of Time and the City (orginally #1 with 91) from both Jeremy Heilman and Mike D'Angelo who, while I disagree with them, make a few valid points that lead be to believe my initial wild enthusiasm was misplaced. Sooo....

By 2008 premiere:

1. Tokyo Sonata (Kurosawa) 88
2. Hunger (McQueen) 85
3. Of Time and the City (Davies) 84
4. Somer's Town (Meadows) 82
5. Wall-E (Stanton) 79
6. Sparrow (To) 77
7. Baghead (Duplass, 2008) 76
8. Not Quite Hollywood (Hartley) 75
9. Ballast (Hammer) 75
10. Happy Go Lucky (Leigh) 72

[origami_mustache]

Still Life took over my #1 spot...beautiful film.

Silent Light...biggest disappointment of the year so far.

[Amnesiac]

I found Jia Zhangke's The World to be a bit over-long and exhausting. It wasn't necessarily awful by any means but ... exhausting.

I hope Still Life ends up sitting better with me. Looks like it might, seeing as it's got the coveted position on most of your lists.

[Derek]

Silent Light...biggest disappointment of the year so far.

Awesome. I despised Reygadas' Battle of Heaven, but all of high praise thrown at this one along with comparisons to Dreyer, Malick and the like had me expecting something amazing. Nice to have a reason to keep my expectations in check when I get to it.


I found Jia Zhangke's The World to be a bit over-long and exhausting. It wasn't necessarily awful by any means but ... exhausting.

Hmm, I found it absolutely invigorating, but different strokes and all. I also loved Platform, so I really need to get around to Still Life ASAP.

[origami_mustache]

Awesome. I despised Reygadas' Battle of Heaven, but all of high praise thrown at this one along with comparisons to Dreyer, Malick and the like had me expecting something amazing. Nice to have a reason to keep my expectations in check when I get to it.



Well I mean, yeah visually I can understand the comparisons to Malick, as it looks a lot like Days of Heaven in some parts, but so what...it has to amount to something. I haven't seen Ordet, from what I've read he sort of copies a lot from that film. It also reminds me of Bergman's trilogy a little bit, but I don't see it as anything more than an amateur trying to mimic the greats, but failing to come up with something original let alone engaging.

[Pop Trash]

Hmm, I found it absolutely invigorating, but different strokes and all. I also loved Platform, so I really need to get around to Still Life ASAP.
I've seen both Unknown Pleasures and The World by Jia and liked both of them enough. I'd give them a 7/10 or "good." I suppose Asian auteur cinema (other than Wong who I have no problem with) can sometimes be trying in their formal rigidness and very slow shot lengths. I found myself pinching myself sometimes just to stay awake. But they both lingered in my mind after watching them, and I became more fond of them thinking about them afterwords than during the process of actually viewing them.

[eternity]

Updated.

1. Dziwka Kurwa (Bohrod)
2. Cloverfield (Reeves)
3. Hamlet 2 (Fleming)
4. Speed Racer (Wachowski)
5. Step Brothers (McKay)
6. Wall-E (Stanton)
7. Sex and Death 101 (Waters)
8. Funny Games (Haneke)
9. Charlie Bartlett (Poll)
10. In Bruges (McDonagh)

[Rowland]

1. Wall•E 73
2. The Dark Knight 67
3. Be Kind Rewind 65
4. Encounters At The End of the World 64
5. Cloverfield 61
6. Married Life 59
7. Iron Man 56
8. The Strangers 54
9. Street Kings 54
10. The Bank Job 52

Finally I have a top ten composed of films to which I gave positive scores!

Bottom Ten:

10. George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead 46
9. Rambo 45
8. Get Smart 45
7. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull 44
6. Step Brothers 43
5. The Other Boleyn Girl 39
4. The Forbidden Kingdom 37
3. The X-Files: I Want to Believe 35
2. The Signal 34
1. The Happening 25

[Watashi]

52 is a positive score? Lay off the D'Angelo whack, brother.

[Rowland]

52 is a positive score? Lay off the D'Angelo whack, brother.I like having a broad range of scores to work with. 50+ is positive.

[Ezee E]

I like having a broad range of scores to work with. 50+ is positive.
Street Kings better than Tropic Thunder? I have a feeling that cannot possibly happen.

[Ezee E]

1. The Dark Knight
2. The Fall
3. Flame & Citron
4. Redbelt
5. City of Men
6. Iron Man
7. My Blueberry Nights
8. The Good, The Bad, and the Weird
9. Cloverfield
10. Be Kind Rewind

Now it's starting to come together.

[Rowland]

Street Kings better than Tropic Thunder? I have a feeling that cannot possibly happen.I'm not a huge fan of comedies that aren't very funny.

[The Mike]

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

[Lazlo]

1. The Dark Knight
2. WALL-E
3. In Bruges
4. The Visitor
5. Iron Man
6. Speed Racer
7. The Fall
8. Funny Games
9. Shotgun Stories
10. Snow Angels

Updated:

1. The Dark Knight
2. WALL-E
3. In Bruges
4. Pineapple Express
5. The Visitor
6. Iron Man
7. Speed Racer
8. Man on Wire
9. Vicky Cristina Barcelona
10. The Fall

[Dead & Messed Up]

1. Iron Man
2. The Fall
3. Tropic Thunder
4. Be Kind Rewind
5. Hellboy II: The Golden Army
6. In Bruges
7. Doomsday
8. The Dark Knight
9. Charlie Bartlett
10. Step Brothers

Nice to see the love for Charlie Bartlett. It ain't great, but it's a good teenage flick where the kids have the decency to be actual teenagers with believable teenage hangups.

I should be upset about Iron Man above The Fall, but I'm too tired right now.

[The Mike]

I should be upset about Iron Man above The Fall, but I'm too tired right now.

If it makes you feel better, I have no doubt The Fall is the better film of the two. I just couldn't knock Iron Man down a notch.

At least I put it above Hellboy 2.

[eternity]

Nice to see the love for Charlie Bartlett. It ain't great, but it's a good teenage flick where the kids have the decency to be actual teenagers with believable teenage hangups.


Bartlett had a ton of potential and brought a lot of interesting twists to a familiar formula, but it gets caught up in cliches and being altogether condescending for it to be effective.

It's worth watching only because it has a lot of really fresh elements. Not bad.

[The Mike]

Bartlett had a ton of potential and brought a lot of interesting twists to a familiar formula, but it gets caught up in cliches and being altogether condescending for it to be effective.

It's worth watching only because it has a lot of really fresh elements. Not bad.

I partially agree on the cliches, especially early in the third act. However I thought there was enough charm in the actors to make it interesting, and Yelchin and Downey were great playing off each other.

Plus, I just couldn't resist sneaking a third Downey film onto the list, even if it meant bumping Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

[NickGlass]

Nice to see the love for Charlie Bartlett. It ain't great, but it's a good teenage flick where the kids have the decency to be actual teenagers with believable teenage hangups.


What film are you comparing Charlie Bartlett to when you call the characters realistic? Juno? The screenplay and tone of Bartlett are so off the deep end.

Let's take, for example, its depiction of a teenager losing his virginity. So, Charlie Bartlett throws some sort of party in a huge hall (I think it was a birthday party, but it looks more like senior prom or the Republican National Conventional: The Teen Years) --which the whole school comes to, even though he's just starting to become popular (first teenager issue hurdled within 4 minutes!). That's all irrelevant, though. The main point of this scene is to show Charlie and his new girlfriend fooling around in the balcony, where a vintage convertible is convenient located. So, they fuck, or whatever, and Charlie's a little nervous, but he ends up enjoying it, we think. Actually, we're positive he does, because after they finish and clean up (and the slow sappy music ceases), he goes to the front of the balcony and announces to the whole crowd that he just lost his virginity. Woo, go Charlie! [applause] But, wait, that girl he just slept with, she must feel so embarrassed, or--at the very least--a little bit used. So, the camera cuts back to her, to portray the trauma some teenagers face after having sex and then being exposed to the whole school. But, no, she's sitting there, smiling and giggling and clapping. Go Charlie, indeed.

Oh yeah, and doesn't Robert Downey Jr.'s character crack scripted jokes while drinking a bottle of Jack Daniels and aiming a gun at Charlie Bartlett?

Yeah, it really tackles the nuanced, serious issues afflicting teenage youth in an inspired way. It makes a mockery out of teenage psychological problems--and not in a self-aware manner.

[The Mike]

What film are you comparing Charlie Bartlett to when you call the characters realistic? Juno? The screenplay and tone of Bartlett are so off the deep end.

Let's take, for example, its depiction of a teenager losing his virginity. So, Charlie Bartlett throws some sort of party in a huge hall (I think it was a birthday party, but it looks more like senior prom or the Republican National Conventional: The Teen Years) --which the whole school comes to, even though he's just starting to become popular (first teenager issue hurdled within 4 minutes!). That's all irrelevant, though. The main point of this scene is to show Charlie and his new girlfriend fooling around in the balcony, where a vintage convertible is convenient located. So, they fuck, or whatever, and Charlie's a little nervous, but he ends up enjoying it, we think. Actually, we're positive he does, because after they finish and clean up (and the slow sappy music ceases), he goes to the front of the balcony and announces to the whole crowd that he just lost his virginity. Woo, go Charlie! [applause] But, wait, that girl he just slept with, she must feel so embarrassed, or--at the very least--a little bit used. So, the camera cuts back to her, to portray the trauma some teenagers face after having sex and then being exposed to the whole school. But, no, she's sitting there, smiling and giggling and clapping. Go Charlie, indeed.

Oh yeah, and doesn't Robert Downey Jr.'s character crack scripted jokes while drinking a bottle of Jack Daniels and aiming a gun at Charlie Bartlett?

Yeah, it really tackles the nuanced, serious issues afflicting teenage youth in an inspired way. It makes a mockery out of teenage psychological problems--and not in a self-aware manner.

Your point in regard to that scene is only valid if all teens are going to feel that way. I think many might feel that way, but I don't think it applies to these characters at all. Could they have had the reaction you described? Absolutely. Does anything we'd learned about these characters to that point in this movie suggest that reaction? Not really.

The point of the movie is that teens all have their own problems, and that they each have to deal with them in different ways. As someone who works with teens with serious psychological problems, it was easy for me to assume that these characters could exist, even if they would be an outlier to the all-too-assumed "norm".

[eternity]

What film are you comparing Charlie Bartlett to when you call the characters realistic? Juno? The screenplay and tone of Bartlett are so off the deep end.

Let's take, for example, its depiction of a teenager losing his virginity. So, Charlie Bartlett throws some sort of party in a huge hall (I think it was a birthday party, but it looks more like senior prom or the Republican National Conventional: The Teen Years) --which the whole school comes to, even though he's just starting to become popular (first teenager issue hurdled within 4 minutes!). That's all irrelevant, though. The main point of this scene is to show Charlie and his new girlfriend fooling around in the balcony, where a vintage convertible is convenient located. So, they fuck, or whatever, and Charlie's a little nervous, but he ends up enjoying it, we think. Actually, we're positive he does, because after they finish and clean up (and the slow sappy music ceases), he goes to the front of the balcony and announces to the whole crowd that he just lost his virginity. Woo, go Charlie! [applause] But, wait, that girl he just slept with, she must feel so embarrassed, or--at the very least--a little bit used. So, the camera cuts back to her, to portray the trauma some teenagers face after having sex and then being exposed to the whole school. But, no, she's sitting there, smiling and giggling and clapping. Go Charlie, indeed.

Oh yeah, and doesn't Robert Downey Jr.'s character crack scripted jokes while drinking a bottle of Jack Daniels and aiming a gun at Charlie Bartlett?

Yeah, it really tackles the nuanced, serious issues afflicting teenage youth in an inspired way. It makes a mockery out of teenage psychological problems--and not in a self-aware manner.
Juno is the most realistic teen film in years.

Charlie Bartlett is realistic in segments, it gets some parts incredibly well but it's incredibly contrived and out of place throughout a lot of its runtime.

[Derek]

Juno is the most realistic teen film in years.

If that's the case, I'm voting McCain/Palin because it's time to burn this motherfucker down.

http://i18.tinypic.com/2z6vvb7.png

[eternity]

If that's the case, I'm voting McCain/Palin because it's time to burn this motherfucker down.

http://i18.tinypic.com/2z6vvb7.png

Rep'd.