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MiraJeff has one of those Top 10 list thingies...
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with MiraJeff's rundown of 2005... I agree with a lot of it and disagree with some of it, too... especially that part about respecting that young-ass Quint guy as a reviewer. What crack is he smoking? That guy's a douche. Read on for MiraJeff's gibber-jabber and then make some gibber-jabber yourownselves below!
Greetings AICN, MiraJeff here with my Best of 2005 List, but before I get to that, I’d like to quickly respond to the talkbacks from the 80 Most Anticipated List. I know that 22 years old may be too young an opinion for some of you to trust, but I’m first and foremost a movie lover, and a film critic second. I’ve only been writing for AICN for a year, but yes I do write for them (I think), as I attend press screenings, junkets, and film festivals under the AICN credential. I’m not being paid money like Quint or Mori are, but then again, Quint isn’t much older than me, and he’s a critic I think you and I both trust. I appreciate you, the large audience that AICN affords me, and I only hope you will reciprocate that feeling. Right or wrong, low-level reviewers like me and first-time scoopers do (occasionally) work hard on the pieces they send in, so just show a little more respect in the talkbacks and AICN will be a much more positive community. The point is that I, like the rest of the writers at AICN, am passionate about movies. They’re the one thing I truly (like to think I) know. You might disagree with me, and that’s totally within your rights, but I’m going to continue to write about what I know and love, and hopefully you’ll continue to read it. Your choice. With that, onto the list.
The Top Ten Films of 2005
10. Capote- Yes, we know Phillip Seymour Hoffman is a brilliant actor and yes, he deserves an Oscar. But I don’t think he will win this year and I don’t think he even should. Sheldrake has some cool Truman Capote stories but I never knew the guy, so I can’t say how perfect Hoffman’s performance was. Bennett Miller’s movie speaks for itself. This guy is a filmmaker to watch. I think the whole Catherine Keener parade is getting a bit out of control. She didn’t do much for me as Harper Lee. The best supporting performances came from Chris Cooper and Clifton Collins Jr, who was absolutely haunting as Perry Smith. A great movie with some truly powerful moments.
9. Murderball- I’m a crier. If a movie can make me cry, it earns its standing in my book as a great movie. Murderball made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me look at the world a different way, and it was definitely the best documentary of the year. Forget March of the Penguins (snooze!), this movie was an absolute tour-de-force. Joe Soares and Mark Zupan are such intense, compelling personalities, that honestly, I was a little intimidated by them to the point where I turned down the opportunity to interview them. I just wouldn’t know what to say, or what to ask. It’s easy to interview celebrities because there’s a natural idea of how the interview/conversation will go. Soares and Zupan seemed larger-than-life to me, and I’m happy to leave it at that. This is a must-see.
8. A History of Violence- A brutal, uncompromising film. This is the best work David Cronenberg and Viggo Mortensen have ever done. As Tom Stall, Mortensen shows off the animal inside each and every one of us. Every frame in this film is saying something. Even the uncomfortable silences are filled with dread. Ed Harris is creepy as the one-eyed heavy and William Hurt chews some serious scenery as a ruthless, unforgiving Mob boss, but it’s Maria Bello who is the anchor of this supporting cast. She’s incredible as a woman whose life gets flipped upside down and smacked backwards, and those sex scenes with Mortensen may be the hottest of the year.
7. King Kong- By far the most entertaining film of the year, although it’s not perfect. Adrien Brody feels a little miscast. Jack Black hams it up a little too much. But everything else is pitch-perfect. Naomi Watts is heartbreakingly beautiful and King Kong gives the film’s most impressive performance. Peter Jackson and his team of animators have laid claim to the best use of CGI ever seen onscreen. You have to give credit to a movie that gives you such a rush of adrenaline that you nearly fall out of your seat (The Vines sequence), and manages to make you cry (Central Park, Empire State Building). I know I’ll hear about this one from all the LOTR fans out there, but this is the crowning achievement of PJ’s career. My bootleg copy is already on its last leg.
6. Cinderella Man- I haven’t revisited this film on DVD yet and I have a feeling it might jump even higher once I do, but I remember Ron Howard’s film delivering an uppercut to my jaw. His camera makes you feel every punch absorbed by Russell Crowe’s Jim Braddock, and I haven’t been this overwhelmed by a boxing movie since Raging Bull. But on top of the boxing, this is a film about survival when all hope seems lost. It’s about family and the lengths a man will go to to provide for and protect his own. Crowe delivers a gut-check performance that merits another Oscar nomination, and so does Renee Zellwegger as his wife who is just barely holding things together. An under-appreciated film that should be a part of everyone’s DVD collection.
5. The Squid and the Whale- Noah Baumbach’s script deserves Best Original Screenplay. The characters seem more like real people than products of the writer’s imagination. The writing is truthful and full of pain and humor. Jeff Daniels does the best work of his career as a man struggling to keep his family afloat through the trying time of divorce. Jesse Eisenberg and Owen Kline are godsends as his two children who each deal with the circumstances their own way. Laura Linney is her usual strong self and Billy Baldwin proves that brother Alec isn’t the only one who can still act. Although it’s a family drama at heart, this is the most original comedy of the year.
4. Match Point- Woody returns with his best film in over a decade, shedding the gritty, neurotic streets of Manhattan for the plush countryside of England. The story is straight out of Crimes and Misdemeanors, but the performances are unlike any you’ve likely seen in an Allen film. This is really Jonathan Rhys-Meyers’ breakout role, and the supporting cast (Brian Cox, Matthew Goode, Emily Mortimer) is equally as good. And despite its predictable but ultimately entertaining, twist-filled third act, the film’s biggest surprise, for me at least, had to be Scarlett Johannson. I have written on AICN before about how I think she is criminally overrated. But I finally “got” her here, and I’ll be damned if Nola Rice isn’t one of the sexiest characters of the year. I strongly urge you to buy a ticket to this film, and the less you know about it going in, the better it will be.
3. Munich- It wasn’t quite what I expected and was certainly far from perfect, but it’s definitely Spielberg’s best film of the year, right? The fact that Munich went from production to release in something like 6 months, is incredible. Spielberg again shows us he is the world’s most gifted storyteller, and this tale vengeance and soul-searching is absolutely riveting. Eric Bana completely redeems himself for The Hulk, and Crimson Rivers director Matthieu Kassovitz deserves an Oscar nomination for supporting actor. The fact that Syriana’s George Clooney is considered the front runner for that award is almost as tragic as the story this movie tells. Spielberg’s most compelling film since Saving Private Ryan.
2. Brokeback Mountain- As a 100% straight guy, I can honestly say I loved this film. If you could pick only one word to describe it, I think it would be beautiful. A beautiful movie. I’ve seen it twice and I cried even harder the second time. It’s a superbly acted, gorgeously shot love story that just happens to be about two guys. As good as P.S. Hoffman was as Capote, Heath Ledger gives the year’s best performance in any medium as Ennis Del Mar. Ledger owned the role, and as modern and liberal-thinking as this movie was, it’s like a throwback to the 70’s. Ledger may as well have been Paul Newman or Steve McQueen because this is his Cool Hand Luke. For a full-fledged rave, you can search for my review of the film here on the site, but in short, it’s simply breathtaking. Ang Lee and Rodrigo Pietro have given life to the lyrical words of Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana’s screenplay, and the entire film is wrapped in a blanket by Gustavo Santaolalla’s gorgeous score.
1. Crash- I might take a lot of flack for this one, but in the end, it wasn’t even a tough call. I knew it was the best film I’d see all year when I saw it at a press screening in April. As the lights went down, the Reverend himself, Al Sharpton, sat down right in front of me, and I knew Paul Haggis’ directorial debut would speak for itself if Lion’s Gate was inviting the big names like the Reverend. I felt dirty after watching Matt Dillon’s racist cop humiliate and sexually harass an innocent African-American couple. I was physically shaking as I watched Dillon rescue his victim from an automobile accident. I cried just about anytime Michael Pena’s character and his daughter were onscreen. And “I re-experienced all of these emotions when I watched Crash on DVD. And that’s the mark of a great movie. I consider it this year’s Traffic, with racism substituted for drugs. What completely blows my mind is how many detractors this film has. There are a lot of people out there who hate it. They griped about characters just perpetuating stereotypes, and not working to end them. They complained about too many coincidences and caricatures and basically a lot of things that just aren’t there. I don’t mean to toot my own horn here but there’s a reason Ebert picked Crash as his #1 also. And if you can’t see why, then you just don’t get it. The performances are powerful from top to bottom. I’d swap Michael Pena, Terrence Howard, or Shaun Toub for Don Cheadle in all the Oscar talk, even though it’s Dillon’s statue to lose. I’d ixnay the Sandra Bullock talk and pour all my resources into campaigning for Thandie Newton. I’d show Mark Isham some props for his gripping score that had me holding my breath during some scenes. And I’d like to personally congratulate Haggis and co-scribe Bobby Moresco for writing the most important film of the year. And with that, I’m done. Well, almost.
Honorable Mention: Good Night and Good Luck, Bubble, The Constant Gardener, Hustle and Flow, Broken Flowers, Mysterious Skin, The Upside of Anger (Joan should win!), High Tension, Sin City, The Beautiful Country, Wedding Crashers, 40 Year-Old Virgin, Pretty Persuasion, The Baxter, Hooligans, Everything Is Illuminated, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Layer Cake, Unleashed, Walk the Line, Jarhead, Narnia, The Matador, Me and You and Everyone We Know, Batman Begins, Private, The Weatherman, Hostel, Night Watch, Dead Man’s Shoes, and of course in true AICN fashion, Sympathy For Lady Vengeance, because even though Oldboy was released here this year, it’s so 2004, right?
The Top 8 Best Documentaries Besides Murderball: 1. Grizzly Man 2. My Date With Drew 3. The Aristocrats 4. Inside Deep Throat 5. Based on a True Story 6. How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It) 7. Special Thanks to Roy London 8. March of the Penguins
The Best of the Rest (Thumb Up): Assault on Precinct 13, Hitch, Ong Bak, Melinda and Melinda, Sahara, Fever Pitch, Amityville Horror, House of Wax, Star Wars: Episode III, Lords of Dogtown, Mr. And Mrs. Smith, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Happy Endings, The Devil’s Rejects, November, Red Eye, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Thumbsucker, Flight Plan, Corpse Bride, Waiting, Where the Truth Lies, Saw II, Jesus Is Magic, Chicken Little, Just Friends, The Kid and I, Transamerica, The Family Stone, Shutter, Grandma’s Boy, Into the Blue, Hostage, Premontion, Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story, Antibodies, Kontroll, Hoodwinked, and Syriana, I guess.
The Rest: (Thumb Down) Constantine, The Pacifier, Be Cool, The Interpreter, State Property 2, House of D, The Ring 2, Mindhunters, The Longest Yard, Land of the Dead, War of the Worlds, Fantastic Four, The Island, Bad News Bears, Cry Wolf, The Ice Harvest, Wolf Creek, Elizabethtown, Proof, and indies like 9 Songs, Reeker, My Big Fat Independent Movie, Long Distance, Infection, Pulse, and I (Don’t) Love Your Work.
Once Is More Than Enough (AKA: The Ten Worst List)
10. Domino 9. Last Days 8. Mindhunters 7. The Chumscrubber 6. Derailed 5. Hide and Seek 4. Dark Water 3. Undead 2. Daltry Calhoun 1. Cursed (what else is new?)
And Finally, Movies I Regret Not Seeing
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Kung Fu Hustle, North Country, Paradise Now, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, Three Extremes, Wallace and Gromit, Serenity, Shopgirl, Cache, Iowa, Palindromes, The Thing About My Folks, Junebug, Kingdom of Heaven, Steamboy, Ballad of Jack and Rose, Lord of War, Howl’s Moving Castle, Cronicas, Secuestro Express, Millions, The Jacket, Assisted Living, the list goes on….
That’ll wrap up 2005 for me. Here’s to Heath Ledger, Joan Allen, Thandie Newton, and hopefully Michael Pena, though the entire cast of Crash deserves some kind of special award. Here’s to Brokeback Mountain’s screenwriting team and Noah Baumbach for screenwriting Oscars. And as for Best Picture and Director, it’s anyone’s guess. All in all, I thought it was a pretty good year at the movies, even though the box office slump would have Hollywood think otherwise. That’s all for now. I’ll be back in a couple weeks to catch up on reviews of Tristram Shandy and Bubble, two films from the NY Film Fest. ‘Til then folks, this is MiraJeff signing off.
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Another top ten list?
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Jan 11, 2006 3:48:13 AM CST
I was a North American Fall Webworm in my past life. Those were
by hideo kojima
What were you in your former life?
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A straight guy wouldn't put Brokeback Mountain on a list of his favorite movies of the year. And it isn't because the movie is about two guys fucking, it's because it's a fucking chick flick. At what age did he become a eunich?
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Jan 11, 2006 4:02:08 AM CST
Lecturing the TBers on their manners in a review is a bit like s
by alonzo mosely
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Unless you are a 90 pound 15 yr old girl. nobody should cry twice at the same movie. This article has made me rethink you as a review from "promising" to "gay". Seriously!!
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But i've heard there are almost no Dinosaurs and/or explosions? Will I still enjoy it?
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Jan 11, 2006 4:28:28 AM CST
the only thing more worthless than this list is "Crash" on UMD.
by blue1622
Seriously...how big of a fag are you if you're watching Crash on your psp?
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Jan 11, 2006 4:31:29 AM CST
Damn straight you should regret not seeing Wallace and Gromit!
by the wrong guy
Funniest movie all year is funnier than anything Pixar has done.
Favourite film of the year. I adore it. As you can tell. -
Pretty straightforward. Not a bad thing, just very academy friendly. www.unseenfilms.com
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Jan 11, 2006 5:21:17 AM CST
Can't wait for Brokebutt 2: Reacharound Rump Rangers and the
by felatiohornblowr
Being filmed back-to-back, if you know I'm sayin'.
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Anyhoo, thanks for the list MiraJeff. Did anybody see the documentary 'Overnight?' Not sure whether or not that came out this year or last year, but I'd give it an honorable mention.
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Jan 11, 2006 6:03:13 AM CST
Thank God, I thought no one on this site would weigh in with a b
by citizen arcane
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As a 100% gay man i can still enjoy movies with a man/woman/ape relationship in it (not much choice there). Getting tired of reviewers/actors stressing how straight they are when discussing Brokeback tho. I guess seeing a movie with gay main characters, in which they're not prancing around decorating and dancing, is still pretty rare for most hetero audiences though, so maybe it's fair enough. Hats off to Ang Lee for making a film that's doing great business in so-called red states, in an age of bible-bashing fundamentalists.
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Best line in that movie.
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Good point (weird way of making it though). Although I think the line was "supposedly we all are."
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The "100% straight man" line struck me as odd too, MJ. It's irrelevant and you betray a lot about yourself by feeling the need to assert that classification before discussing this movie. Otherwise, your list isn't bad - way to stick to your guns with CRASH.
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*cue Deliverance theme*
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Jan 11, 2006 8:44:24 AM CST
I just love it when a critic's defense of a pick ultimately
by excaliburffolkes
Such inciteful reasoning. I'm surprised he didn't use, "Because I said so."
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You don't have to subscribe to the far right or far left to appreciate this documentry about soldiers in the run-up to the media-covered Falluja..Don't get me wrong I liked Murderball too, but this to me is more important of a documentry...
Here's the trailers:
http://tinyurl.com/au623 -
Mirajeff is one of the WORST contributors to this site. A 2006 preview without MARIE ANTOINETTE, APOCALYTO, or INLAND EMPIRE. I don't even know why he writes anymore other than to give me a place to put my rage.
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Jan 11, 2006 9:37:36 AM CST
OH BUGGER OFF MAN - guy trying to jump on the recent CRASH bandw
by spacesheik
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I can respect opinions, but to put Crash as the best film of the year shows:
A: Lack of Taste
B. An intellect the size of a pea
C. That he's purposely trying to get on my nerves.
Uggghhh. Crash. This movie separates the men from the whiny bitches who need to be spoon fed an idea in the most blatant way possible.
No offense. -
For lack of a better insult, that movie sucked ape. The only 'best of' list it should be on is 'Best Waste of Money for 2005'. Although a close #2 is betting on the Seahawks to win it all, but that's a different matter entirely.
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Jan 11, 2006 11:14:26 AM CST
"Films I regret not seeing - PARADISE NOW and JUNEBUG" Dumbass -
by lilogre
And this guy reviews movies for AICN?!? To say nothing of placing CINDERELLA MAN on his top ten. Harry and Mori please, as Josh Town implores, fire this guy immediately.
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Jan 11, 2006 11:27:38 AM CST
"If hating CRASH is wrong, I don't want to be right..."
by tony mike hall
Right? Wrong. Is it the best picture of 2005? Not even close. Is it the fetid piece of horseshit everyone on these boards makes it out to be? No. There were far worse films than this. It's just become everyone's favorite target.
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I agree mostly with the exception being Crash as number 1? Definitely not the best. But, I do consider Brokeback one of the greatest movies of the year. Yeah, it's a fantastic movie. I do agree now that it's kind of being pushed down heterosexuals throats who don't desire to see it. If you don't want to, you don't have to. They are all not homophobic. I was really pissed after I saw it and was so moved...and then hearing people bash the shit out of it, when I don't think they had even seen it. I still think that's incredibly ignorant, but, who am I? I got something from the movie, it moved me, so if you don't want to see it, I'm all for you not seeing it. But, remember, it's a movie more than anything. IF you like movies, then I can't see you being moved by it. If you haven't seen it and want to say funny, hee-hee gay jokes at me, so be it, I can't argue with you if you haven't seen it. That all being said, great year for movies. And if anybody is making a checklist, I'm a strait guy.
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It wasn't the best, but it also wasn't the worst. I'm suprised no ones list on this site has so far made a comment about the movie 'Rent'. I enjoyed it much more than 'Chicago'(which felt like one long broadway-themed music video).
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Stay cool, I think you write well, and I can relate to your taste in movies. You putting A BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY in your list was great... I guess a lot of americans missed out on that film, eventhough it's a haunting story all about America. Should've been seen by more people.. hey - it has got Tim Roth and Nick Nolte doing some of the best stuff in years. Haven't seen CRASH, should probably get to it.
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That thing was a mess. And the ending was the worst since A.I.
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He's only 22. He should be applauded for being able to type through all the splooge on his keyboard. Not a bad list - nothing revolutionary about it one way or another. Hey MJ, how 'bout this - how 'bout you carve a niche for yourself on this site as the one reviewer who doesn't waste words on justifying your existence to us? I didn't need to know how old you are - if you write well. Which you do. Except you're a little ingratiating. Work on it.
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Jan 11, 2006 12:48:36 PM CST
first there was MiraJeff's 800 movies he wants to see in 06,
by chickychow
who is this guy anyway? why do i care about his opinion? why am i on this talkback?
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Two things though: 1. Don't tell people that they "just don't get it". It's condescending and raises animosity against you as a reviewer, and that can nullify the good points in your review. If someone didn't like something there's a fair chance that they didn't "get it", but they don't need to be told that. 2. Wedding Crashers was ass. Keep up the good work.
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Jan 11, 2006 2:09:35 PM CST
Crash is not good. Great performances, but it's not good.
by darthcorleone
And I do get it.
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Just joking. I know this has been beaten to death but after seeing King Kong I can't figure out why the giant gorilla is just perfectly rendered and truly amazing yet the bronto scene looks so horrible. It looked like some of the characters were jogging in place in front of a blue screen at a Chuck E. Cheese.
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therefore, I immediately give his opinions absolutely zero weight.
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Jan 11, 2006 3:39:01 PM CST
Can't somebody edit this kid's fucking lists before they
by liberty valance
MiraJeff's lists remind me of King Kong: bloated and self-indulgent. First that ridiculous "Top 80" most anticipated list (because apparently there's a huge difference in his anticipation between #'s 51 and 76) and now this "Here's where I rank every single movie I saw last year." Dude, no one gives a shit what you thought of Chicken Little or Just Friends. A top 10 is exactly that: the top TEN. No one's going to lose sleep wondering where you ranked The Constant Gardener outside your 10 best. Keep it simple, keep it brief and maybe you won't get as much shit from these fickle-ass talkbackers.
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Even though I'm a devout homophobe, Brokeback Mountain is the best film of the year. I highly recommend it.
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Viggo Mortenson and VIOLENCE
Okay. So I really liked HISTORY OF VIOLENCE. I'd definitely put it up there as one of my favorite films of the year (not quite as high as some of these other guys...but still, I'd put it up there (my wife hated it)). I had a few problems with the film that keep me from outright loving it. First, and probably most important: the family gave up on the father way too easily. As much as were expected to believe that the wife kid"s" loved Viggo's character, I don't buy that they would just give up on the guy as quick as they do...that they would just lose all trust in him that quickly without any doubt whatsoever. The first time Ed Harris walks in the diner and questions Viggo's identity, Maria Bello's character instantly had this look on her face like she totally believed this screwed up looking dude with play-do for a face. The older kid was the same way. The only character that never swayed or at least showed any faith in Viggo was the little girl. And I'm guessing we're supposed to believe that she was too young to doubt. My second complaint, which I admit is pretty petty, is a complaint none-the-less. The name Joey. Are we supposed to believe that Viggo is Italian? If so, the part was terribly miscast. Look, I would have been fine, with Joe, or Mike, or even Puddinghead. I would have been alright with anything except Joey. Well, okay... Juan and Susan would have probably been out too. I'm not trying to typecast here. But, Joey is traditionally an Italian name. And when you start talking about organized crime and hit men... You do the math. Viggo just doesn't look or sound like any Joey I've ever known.
PJ's Crowning Achievement
I don't take exception to the comment about Peter Jackson's crowning achievement. That's because I don't think LORD OF THE RINGS is his crowning achievement. Nor do I think KONG is either. The only perfect films Jackson has ever made are BRAINDEAD (aka DEAD ALIVE) and HEAVENLY CREATURES. While both LOTR and KONG are mind boggling huge in what they are, and while they are the likeliest things he'll ever be remembered for in cinema history, I'm a firm believer that filmmakers should be remembered for their best work. BRAINDEAD and HEAVENLY CREATURES is his best work to date. These are his crowning achievements. Adaptations are adaptations. They don't mirror what's inside.
Spielberg's best of 2005 is WAR OF THE WORLDS. MUNICH is just as flawed but without the brilliant story to back it up. SAVING PRIVATE RYAN was overrated. There were plenty memorable scenes. But as a film, as a whole, SPR was full of wholes. And the very ending was just god awful. I much prefer A THIN RED LINE, which came out at roughly the same time. I bring this up because if you have to compare WOTW to the best Spielberg film in decades, how about throwing out there THE TERMINAL, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN or AI. These were all on par with MUNICH. WOTW is the best film he's done since SCHINDLER'S LIST.
Overlooking BATMAN BEGINS
Why are all these top ten lists making no mention of BATMAN BEGINS? (I realize it's in the honorable mentions of this one; but I'm referring to the actual "Top Ten") BATMAN BEGINS is either the first or second on mine. I can't decide if I like it or KONG more. And yes, I've seen many of the most heralded independent entries. I'm including quite a bit of Oscar bate as well. I'm just so fond of BB. The look and feel of that film has me excited over Batman for years to come. Look, there's not a film out there that didn't have it's problems. This one included (ie Katie Holmes and some of the hokey dialog). But BATMAN just succeeded on a far different level than the rest of the films that came out this year. Other than KONG, SIN CITY is another film that really pushed my buttons this year. If you haven't already, I highly recommend seeing SIN CITY in the new director's cut...the way Miller intended the stories by portrayed. It gives you a much different perspective.
Best Fantasy Film of the Year - Not TLTWATW (ie NARNIA)
I'm not quite sure why THE LION THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE is getting so much love this year. Unless the Disney marketing machine is working in overdrive. I'm one of the biggest backers of the Narnia series you'll ever meet. They were the very first book series I ever read as a child. They are what first inspired me to be the avid reader that I am. If it wasn't for Narnia, I would have never found Tolkien. If it wasn't for Tolkien, I wouldn't be the person I am today. I certainly wouldn't be doing what I'm doing today. That said, I'm not all that big a fan of Harry Potter. I think what Rowling writes has been done time and time again by better writers than her. But for some reason, the public has latched itself onto her wagon. I've made peace with it. Moviewise, I thought the first 2 films were absolute crap. Not since DRAGONHEART has there been a fantasy film so tepid as these two. HP3 however was outstanding. The story didn't really hold up, but the movie itself was brilliant. The newest, HP4, absolutely blew me away. My point in all this? Where NARNIA is getting all the publicity and critical acclaim, the most recent Harry Potter movie is infinitely better.
Sandra Bullocks
I really can't stand Sandra Bullock. I think she's very plain looking and I don't think she can carry anything more than a supporting role in a romantic comedy. I'm not quite sure where she gets all the hooplah and has the fanbase that she does. Is MISS CONGENIALITY 2 a cult film? When has she proven she's anything more than what she is: an okay actress that kinda stumbles into her roles. She was the same way in college too. When she was discovered, she wasn't even the best actress on the stage that night.
UNDEAD
UNDEAD rocks. If you don't like UNDEAD watch it again. I saw something in it, bought it when it was released to DVD, showed to a bunch of my friends and absolutely had a blast with it the 2nd and 3rd time I saw it. Once you know what it is, you can't help but get taken in by it. It's more like SHAUN OF THE DEAD that many of you would believe. -
Good to see a sports reference on the site. After his last game, geezz..understandable since he's retiring, but get a grip.
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Jan 11, 2006 4:14:41 PM CST
Have to disagree with ya, Halloween, Terminal, Catch me if you c
by vinceklortho
I'm a huge Spielberg homer, so I'll give you something for being original, but I think most people will agree with me on this assessment. I did like WOTW A LOT too. Munich and WOTW seem like two crazily different movies. Which is why Spielberg kicks so much ass.
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Hulk is my favorite superhero movie of this century. Every thing I read about Munich has to put something in it about Eric Bana redeeming himself in it after Hulk. I guess no one wants to say something about Troy which came out between Hulk and Munich. I think Hulk is better than X-2, the Spiderman movies, Batman Begins. All of them. I don't understand why so many people hate it. I guess I am different than most film geeks. I also love A.I., another movie that gets little love. Well, at least my favorite movie of 2005 is Brokeback Mountain which is getting a lot of attention. I am not used to loving a movie that gets a lot of attention.
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I agree. I liked the HULK and I thought Bana was good in it too. I really liked AI and I loved Catch Me if you Can as well. The Terminal, I admit, sucked huge donkey balls. Keep up the good film geekyness. OH, and Ebert puts up a nice defense of CRASH, one he ranked his favorite movie as well. Doesn't mean I agree with Ebert, but it shouldn't be listed the worst movie of the year.
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You are right man, I don't get it. I thought it was contrived, over played and overtly obvious. Even then i didn't hate it, cause it does have strong points. I just thought it was a somewhat average movie. And yet here we are, another number one. Am i so out of touch with the rest of humanity...? No.... It's humanity that's wrong. You voted for bush and you like crash, Fuck you humanity.
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And I'll repeat myself, it is not the best film of the year. But it is not a worthless pile of dung either. READ THIS - I know, I know, Ebert sucks, but this is most impassioned this guy has been in years. It's not his review, it'sa response to all you fucking haters that have ridiculed him: http://www.suntimes.com/output/otherviews/cst-cont-crash08.html
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I still have problems with Crash, but Ebert did a good job of defending it... he's right that it certainly isn't the year's WORST film. I'd give it 3 out of 4 stars, nothing brilliant but certainly worth watching.
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Jan 11, 2006 8:25:53 PM CST
I think the real question is: If Angelina Jolie is pregnant wit
by vinceklortho
discuss...
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I liked HULK as well. I had some huge problems with it (Nick Nolte's character, Hulk dogs, the stupid giant ass electro-man sequence at the end), but overall, I was thoroughly entertained from start to almost finish. I think the biggest problem with the film was Ang Lee's involvement. The man freely admitted that he had never ever read a Hulk comic before he started working on the film. He didn't know anything about the character. Ang Lee's a brilliant director with a great visual style...but they should have gotten someone who is more passionate about the core story to direct. HULK is fun, but it's no SPIDERMAN or BATMAN BEGINS. These were films for genre fans by genre fans. I will give you though, HULK is infinitely more better than FANTASTIC FOUR. At least Ang Lee wasn't out to destroy the story of The Hulk. He just didn't know that much about it.
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He puts Capote on his top-ten list then spends his review talking about how Phil Hoffman and Catherine Keener really aren't that great. And I guess Crash is a great movie because he saw it with Al Sharpton. Harry, don't post this shit.
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Talk about an overrated movie.
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Jan 12, 2006 8:12:16 PM CST
I can't believe Land of the Dead and War of the Worlds is in
by craiggers
I mean, come on! Land of the Dead was Romero at his finest if you ask me. He hasn't missed as step. Though it certainly isn't a great movie by any means, it sure is a fun ride and you'd have to kind of a cinesnob to lump it with true crap like Fantastic Four. As for War of the Worlds, lord knows its not fashionable to declare any love for a fun Spielburg summer movie staring Tom Cruise but that was a damn good movie. It may not be Munich, but it certainly entertained without being totally moronic. Not to say it's not without its flaws, but it's totally out of place in that list. I pretty much agree with everything else he listed.
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So a crappy movie that appeals solely to frat boys beats out land of the dead, yet rubs elbows with Corpse Bride? Also, Into the Blue, Grandma's Boy, THESE movies you give thumbs up to??? What kind of fucked up list is this anyway? Do you HAVE a brain stem?
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Turns out I don't agree with pretty much everything else cause everytime I post something, I find something else that bugs me. Now, I'll start by saying Crash was a great movie. But its message was a bit heavy handed and the plot was absurd at times. The movie just struck me as a PSA about racisim than anything.
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But I was kinda let down by LAND OF THE DEAD. I didn't think it was all that great. I mean, I own it on DVD because it's a Romero picture...and if I'm going to own THE CRAZIES I'm going to own LOTD. That and I'm a sucker for zombie movies in general. But overrall I felt there was something lacking with the film. 'Can't quite put a finger on it either. Maybe it's the whole sci fi feel to it. I know I was more than a little put off by it because it didn't have the gritty, 16 mm, low budget, independent, over-the-top make-up effects, 60's/70's look to it. (I don't think Romero looks like Romero in the digital age with CGI and shit. I felt the movie was overproduced.) Even with all this said though, I still think there was more to me being disapointed by it than that. Maybe part of it was that it was too short. Not enough story. Dialog. Character development/interaction. That's the one thing that really makes the original for me...the great dialog between all the characters in the house. And then that great scene in the basement with the little girl. There's nothing LOTD even remotely like that. There's nothing as memorable as the bikers in the mall in DAWN or any of the scenes with Bub in DAY. Hey, I hear the sequel to LAND has been greenlit. If that's the case, hopefully Romero will get back to his roots and makes something better and more thought provoking. I'm still a big fan of Romero. Just not so much of the latest in the DEAD series.
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Truly, see this film and tell me its not one of the best sci-fi actioners in years.
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