Hey folks, Harry here with Capone's Best of list... Interesting choices, some that I really don't agree with, some that I do, and yet a couple that I have yet to even see. Now before you get too hard on Capone for being late with his list. Remember, Moriarty still hasn't turned in his. In fact, I hear it's right on the hard drive with the 90's list. So fret not, it's almost here.
Hey, everyone. Capone in Chicago here, a little later with my Best (and Worst) of 2004 list, but not as late as usual. I saw nearly 420 films in the theatres in 2004, and in my usual overachieving manner, I've boiled my favorites down to 30, with additional lists for documentaries, re-releases, and worst of 2004. Here it is will very little commentary.
Best Films of 2004
1. ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND-Managed to be the most originally told film of 2004, while being the most traditional and pure love story I've seen in many years.
2. MILLION DOLLAR BABY-Sublime, straight-forward filmmaking that packs as much of an emotional punch as I've ever seen from director Clint Eastwood.
3. SIDEWAYS-No explanation needed. If you haven't seen this film yet, something's wrong with you.
4. THE AVIATOR-Best of the end-of-year bio flicks we were bombarded with in '04. Leonardo DiCaprio reminds us once again what he's capable of as an actor. And Scorsese slam dunks every aspect of the direction. The most complete portrait of a man who was both highly disturbed and utterly brilliant; in other words, a visionary.
5. RAY-See above, but insert Jamie Foxx's and Tayor Hackford's names. This was a tough call, what RAY lacks in sweeping scope, it makes up for in its detailed personal story. And then there's that lovely music...
6. KILL BILL, VOL. 2
7. HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS
8. THE INCREDIBLES
9. GARDEN STATE-Second best love story of the year.
10. SPIDER-MAN 2
11. NOBODY KNOWS-Should be making its way through the art-house theatres of America in the first quarter. The latest stroke a magnificence from Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda (AFTER LIFE; MABOROSI) about four young children left to fend for themselves in a small apartment when their mother essentially abandons them. The film is overwhelmingly touching and quietly devastating, and, not surprisingly, based on a true story.
12. A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT
13. HOTEL RWANDA
14. KINSEY
15. BAD EDUCATION
16. NAPOLEON DYNAMITE-For those of you who think THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST polarized a nation, think again. This hilarious film about nerds sparked more debates about its merits among movie geeks than any other film this year. I saw it months before its theatrical release knowing absolutely nothing about it, and it made me laugh non-stop. My favorite comedy of the 2004.
17. SAVED-Of all the early 2004 releases, this is the one that has been all but ignored by critics looking back at the year's best. I find this shocking, since the film got such overwhelmingly good reviews and was fairly well attended. If you didn't catch it in the theatres, it's absolutely worth the rent.
18. SHAUN OF THE DEAD
19. SPANGLISH
20. VERA DRAKE
21. THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES
22. MARIA FULL OF GRACE
23. SPRING, SUMMER, FALL, WINTER...AND SPRING-From Korean director Ki-duk Kim (THE ISLE, BAD GUY), this story of an old monk and young boy who like on a tiny island in a lake follows the pair over the course of many years. You've never seen anything like this. Available on DVD. You will love it.
24. THE WOODSMAN-Scariest movie of the year.
25. ENDURING LOVE
26. I'M NOT SCARED-From Italy, this tale of a young boy who discovers another boy held captive in a pit deep in the ground was one of the most frightening of the year. The boy is afraid monsters are involved, but the real threat is all too human
27. THE ASSASSINATION OF RICHARD NIXON
28. TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE
29. THE BOURNE SUPREMACY
30. COLLATERAL
Best Documentary: This was a phenomenal year for documentaries, particularly ones of a political nature, but in considering the year that has past, the one film that stuck with the longest, the one I wished I could see the hours of raw source material for is METALLICA: SOME KIND OF MONSTER. I don't own a single album by the band, and I probably never will, but this documentary was so engaging and so gut-wrenching, that I just wanted to thank each band members for opening up their lives so completely. I'm sure they've regretted the decision from time to time, but the world owes them a debt of gratitude for showing what goes into making something that touches so many people's lives. Was Metallica a more worthy subject than the election or the war in Iraq? Absolutely not, but that's not what this is about. I defy you not to by affected by this film, maybe even shed a tear or two on their behalf.
Runners Up: ARAKIMENTARI; BORN INTO BROTHELS; BRIGHT LEAVES; BUKOWSKI: BORN INTO THIS; CONTROL ROOM; THE CORPORATION; THE END OF THE CENTRY: THE STORY OF THE RAMONES; FAHRENHEIT 9/11; GOING UPRIVER; MY FLESH AND BLOOD; THE NOMI SONG; OVERNIGHT; RIDING GIANTS; THE SOUVENIERS OF MR. X; SUPER SIZE ME; THIS SO-CALLED DISASTER; TOUCHING THE VOID; WORD WARS;
Best Restoration/Reissue
THE BIG RED ONE: THE RECONSTRUCTION
Runners Up: DONNIE DARKO: DIRECTOR'S CUT; GODZILLA; THX-1138: DIRECTOR'S CUT
Worst Film of 2004: VAN HELSING-A colossal disappointment on every conceivable level. The more I thought about it after seeing it, the more it pissed me off. A close second goes to TAXI, of which I had the lowest expectations, and it still managed to surpass my worst nightmares of bad filmmaking. I kept dreaming up ways the film might get better or be bearable, and TAXI kept slamming these hopes back in my face. Come to think of it, these films are tied for 2004's worst film.
Runners Up--There were plenty of bad movies last year, but these are the ones I wish could erase from my memory: AFTER THE SUNSET; THE ALAMO; ALIEN VS. PREDATOR; ALONG CAME POLLY; ANACONDAS: SECRET OF THE BLOOD ORCHID; AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS; BLADE: TRINITY; BROTHER TO BROTHER; CHRISTMAS WITH THE KRANKS; THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK; DARKNEESS; ENVY; EXORCIST: THE BEGINNING; FAT ALBERT; FIRST DAUGHTER; GARFIELD; THE GRUDGE; HIDALGO; HOME ON THE RANGE; JOHNSON FAMILY VACATION; LITTLE BLACK BOOK; NATIONL TREASURE; NEW YORK MINUTE; THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA; THE PRINCE AND ME; THE PRINCESS DIARIES 2; RAISING HELEN; SEED OF CHUCKY; SHARK TALE; SOUL PLANE; THE STEPFORD WIVES; SURVIVING CHRISTMAS; TORQUE; WELCOME TO MOOSEPORT; WHITE CHICKS; THE WHOLE TEN YARDS; WITHOUT A PADDLE
Capone
You think he's a genius, while you think he's a cad! Well, don't keep it to yourself, drop him a love/loathe letter!
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