Taken as a whole, I think Harry's list covers all the bases. While the order is sure to be disputed, he's included basically every really good film of the year. In that sense, drawing up a Top 30 instead of a Top 10 is a bit of a cheat. On the other hand, I think the calibre of the year, in general, justifies a larger list than most years. The incredible quality and variety of the films on Harry's list go along way to indicating what an exceptional year it has been. At the same time, I think the only criticism one could offer of Harry's list is that it almost boringly populist. There aren't really any controversial inclusions, and the list effectively walks the tight-rope between art pics and "entertainment"-oriented product (like "Star Wars"). It seems that while Harry has probably successfully limited the amount of flaming he'll receive in Talk Back, his choices aren't particularly daring. But in general, I think the list is solid, and a fine crystallization of 1999's best. And since everybody is going to do it, here's mine: 1. Fight Club 2. Eyes Wide Shut 3. American Beauty 4. The Talented Mr. Ripley 5. The Insider 6. Three Kings 7. The Matrix 8. Any Given Sunday 9. Magnolia 10. Run Lola Run (Note: I have seen every movie on Harry's list except for Man of the Century.)

But the Talented Mr. Ripley, Princess Mononoke, Run Lola Run and American Beauty were the best films of the year, but nothing held a candle to the first 15 minutes of The World Is Not Enough.

When I manage to make the first posting, for once in my life (actually, it's the second time), and the order is all screwed up so I end up at the bottom. The only more frustrating experience on AICN is listening to goofballs slag "Eyes Wide Shut" or "Magnolia".

Wow, Harry, I full came to this article expecting to totally disagree with you but my faith is restored. Very good picks, I especially loved the inclusion of the wrestling documentary Beyond the Mat. I only disagreed with you for putting on The Phantom Menace and The Blair Witch Project, two horribly disappointing films.

Great list Harry. I havent seen all these films, but I will try. THe ones that I have I totally agree with you. Its good to see someone giving The Iron Giant the credit it deserves. There are a couple movies I was dissapointes didnt make your list though. I thought Arlington Rd was great, and what about Dogma? And A Simple Plan, with Bill Paxton, but I think that might have come out in really late 1998, but Im not sure. A couple of films that probably werent good enough for the list, but deserve credit all the same I think are 8mm with Nic Cage, which was very underrated, and Office Space, which I thought was just pure bliss for anyone who is tired with their life. It reminded me of American Beauty, one of my favorite films, but not as good or fucked up. Again, good job, and I look forward to anything you post on the site.

Mr. Ripley had the worst ending of the year, which is to say, the ending that did the least justice to what preceded it. There was no purpose for the last murder, or the coincidence that led up to it. The movie's strength lies in character and performances, and the last murder was completely out of character. The previous behavior fit the movie, the last murder resolved nothing for Mr. Ripley. Now he'd have to pretend to be Dickie, reviving the idea that he is alive, bringing attention back to him, and most certainly, insuring that he will be caught. What with this being the third murder he was involved in, and questions about his involvement have already been raised. It's a very silly Hollywood ending to a very well thought out film.

Cant say I liked the Insider. I TRIED to get emotionally involved in the film but eventually found the material to be tiresome and repetitive. Looking forward to Magnolia (doesnt open here in AZ til Friday!). Toy Story 2 was pretty good. Loved the Green Mile. Now i know why updates are scarce some days: apparently Harry has been out watching GM multiple times. I am an 18 year-old slacker and even I dont have that much time on my hands. Fight Club was awesome and so was the book. Man, the Mallrats Special Edition DVD deserves a spot on SOME list, ANY list. The commentary track is the funniest I've heard. South Park was good and it is the best film this year to watch in a sold out theater of rowdy teenagers. Election was good (anyone read the book? That was good too). Why does Harry write in bold purple font? I didn't like Talented Mr. Ripley. Rushmore didnt open here til February so I name it one of 1999's best. I like Three Kings ALOT, more than most movies I see. TOP TEN OF MOVIE STUFF (in no particular order): 1.Mallrats DVD, 2.Three Kings, 3.Fight Club, 4.Being John Malkovich, 5.Green Mile, 6.Go, 7.Magnolia(?), 8,9,10. I dont know. I'm tired I'm going to bed. Go 2000!!! Galaxy Quest was actually pretty good.

very close to my list. Check out my top 20 of 1999 at www.directorscut.com/topten1999.html or just go to www.directorscut.com

Here's my top 5 list: 1) FIGHT CLUB - best movie ever, has inspired the recent netculture saying "Norton and Fincher for (insert anything here) and makes you think about shit you never nightmared about 2) EYES WIDE SHUT - flawed, yes, but made me think almost as much as Fight Club. A dream, beautiful, London never looked so New York, and the best use of Steadicam ever. This movie has three things going for it that nothing else can come close to, the lighting, Nicole Kidman, and the soundtrack 3) TOY STORY 2 - never have I seen a universally-likable movie like this... 4) AMERICAN BEAUTY - Kevin Spacey eats up the screen like no-one else has in years 5) SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER, AND UNCUT - I though Matt and Trey couldn't do it, but they took it a step higher with the word "uncle-fucker" and song "Blame Canada" Honorable mentions: THREE KINGS, SIXTH SENSE FILMS I HAVE NOT SEEN YET BUT WILL SO DON'T FLAME ME: The Green Mile, Man on the Moon, Magnolia, Run Lola Run, The Straight Story, Being John Malkovich, Election Final Word: The Matrix is overrated because I've seen every second of that film somewhere else; i.e. John Woo (for the love of God people, go rent Face/Off or Hard Boiled), Dark City, Jet Li movies etc. PLUS, I'd like for you to explain what's so "visionary" about Trinity's sudden love for Neo, and the horrible cheesy moments seemingly thrown in for no good reason. Thanx for reading, happy Christian New Year, and see you at LOTR, MI2, X-Men, and the rest.

Well here is my top ten, didn't see a whole helluva lot, but here we go: 1. Fight Club (the first time I saw it.....can't wait for the dvd HOLY SHIT!!!!!!! GO SEE THIS MOVIE) 2. Toy Story 2 (for a kids movie I laughed too damn much) 3. Fight Club (the second time i saw it they're so much you just don't catch the first time ya see it) 3. The 6th Sense 4. Fight Club (the third time i saw it.....still kickin asss) 5. The Matrix 6. The Phantom Menace 7. End of Days (told ya i didn't see alot) 8. Sleepy Hollow (some people said it was great...just wasn't all that exciting 9. Blair Witch Project (not all that scary...but the ending makes you think) 10. *i wanna go see magnolia if that counts*...oh yea

"Entertainment" Weekly often lists readers' replies to lists in short form, so here's mine: ...Virs? ...The Mummy? ...Deep Blue Sea? ...Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me? ...Jakob The Liar? ...Pokemon: Episode I? ...10 Things I Hate About You? ...Bowfinger? ...The Rage: Carrie 2? ...Wild Wild West? ...Life? ...She's All That? ...Mystery Men? ...Arlington Road? ...Runaway Bride? ________ I kid, of course. These where all totally overrated or completely underwhelming or both. Even though Hollywood can still make out some good stories, they are few and far between most of stupid pandering bullsh_t that gets churned out at an incredible rate. You picked most of the good ones, though Harry, and knew quality where it counted. Let's hope the films of G-Deuce (=2000, slang) will be even better.

I would first like to thank you Harry for this list which is one of the most accurate (in my opinion) I have see so far. I am happy to see you weren't afraid to pick TS2 as number 1 when most other reviewers won't even include it on their top 10 lists no matter how much they enjoyed it. But anyway..... What about Princess Mononoke? Maybe not the best film of the year, or even in the top ten, but certainly it belongs in the top thirty.

I belive Harry has done an excellent job in his selection of the thirty best films, and fully can understand the necessity for thirty choices... 1999 has been a year for quality filmmaking. However I do have one gripe with the positioning of the films. After reading your review of "Being John Malkovich" Harry seemed sure it was the best film of the year and I completely agree. To me it was a great film, and the best of the year. It was such a pleasure and a pain to watch. The screenplay was jam packed with weirdness and outrageous wit. It was by far the most innovative film of the year and freshest. The cast is top notch with all three leads superb and Keener shining through. What is so great about the film is that it is hilarious and disturbingly tragic at the same time. Take for eaxample **SPOILER** the sequence in which Cusack's character locks his wife (played superbly by Cameron Diaz) in a cage and tapes her mouth shut. This sequence is so quirky and funny but so disturbing when we are let to think about how obsessive these seemingly normal have become all because of a bizarre portal. Another great thing about the film is how it handles the bizarre plot and plants it firmly in reality. The look of the film, compiled by the set, costumes and cinematography really do give us the feeling that the whole thing is really happening. A wonderful movie and my pick for best of the year. I assumed by Harry's review that he agreed. Certainly I loved Toy Story two a lot! But for me it comes and equal third on my list of best films along with Blair Witch. Another placing I disagree with was "Election". ANother brilliant film which is my second best of the year. A pleasure to watch. A marvellosuly smart and witty satire. Witherspoon's performance is so dead on that it is spooky. When one comes out of the cinema they don't say "Reese Witherspoon's character was such a bitch!" they remember the character as a three dimencional person and forget the star behind her and say "Tracy Flick was a bitch!" I believe that Reese's performance is one of the best of the year and I hope the academy and Golden Globes acknowledge this and do not dismiss her as another boring teen actress. Her character becomes a real person and really live on the screen.

Top thirty!? There were barely thirty movies last year even worth going to see, and they're all on your list Knowles! Grow some balls.

You're right, Bruce. It belongs on most critics' top ten list, and if not, then at least the top thirty! Ok, unless you go on and say "Well technically, it wasn't a new film this year, it was just released in the US...its actually two years old." But has anyone else noticed that this film has just vanished from the scene and from most people's minds (except for Ebert)? There was all this hustle and bustle and anticipation, and the film actually did turn out to be quite good, but after the release, you hear nothing about it, and people just stop talking. There's the occasional "By the way, what the hell happened with the Minneapolis wide release?" because even that angle wasn't followed up on. What gives? Think about the best animated films of 1999. Honestly, do people consider South Park to be more worthy of a spot in the top ten than Princess Mononoke or even Tarzan? Argh. Of course, this is just Harry's list and he's entitled to his own opinion of course, it just frustrates me that people seem to have brushed off a truly original and great film.

I would like to thank harry for this column. I kinda forgot how good 1999 was (film wise.) I loved the Matrix. Toy Story 2 great. To be fair in his top ten I've only seen four. (I'm into all the junk food like movies.) If you ask me (which you didn't) I would have put Fight Club up a little higher. It's my favorite Brad Pitt movie. (It's the only one I remember seen next to Seven without my girlfriend dragging me out.) Also cool to see beyond the mat on somebody list besides mine. You may go on with your lives the Bigbody is done.

I Find it particularly funny that Harry came in his pants over "Fight Club", "Eyes Wide Shut", and "Star Wars: Episode One." Then he shits on them when his list comes round because the other critics didn't like them as much. Anyone remember "Mesa luv Jar-Jar Binks?" From reading his reviews I would think that those three movies would be his friggin top three. I guess Harry just gets caught up in the moment, or he's just a fucking hypocritical bastard who is afraid to go out on a fucking limb.

My short list of the top five movies of 1999: 1. FIGHT CLUB - "This is your life, and it's ending one minute at a time." So many quotes it's immpossible to list them all. 2. The Matrix - "I know kung-fu." 3. The Iron Giant - "Superman..." 4. American Beauty - "I RULE!" 5. The Green Mile - "There's no such place as mousville..." I haven't yet seen Magnolia (opens here next Friday), Run Lola Run, Being John Malkovich, or the Talented Mr. Ripley. And the worst movie of the year? WILD WILD WEST! AUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

I agree with the rest of the posters, a TOP THIRTY? Come on HArry, that about covers everyone's fave movies this year. And now I've gotta share with ya'll my Top 5...1)Fight Club - Totally blew me away in terms of originality in areas of direction, cinematography, and storylines. A very surprising and entertaining flick. 2)Three Kings - Once again, direction and cinematography not only blew me away but had me holding my sides in laughter. 3)Lola Rennt - Notice a recurring theme here? Anyway, few films can match the energy of this hyper-gift from Germany. 4)The Phantom Menace - People either loved it or hated it. For those that hated it or were disappointed in it, I think you will all appreciate it a little more when the next two films are made, many things will become clearer. I just went along with it and had lots of fun, over and over and over again... 5)The Blair Witch Project - Again, I went in there knowing nothing and had a great time. 6) American Beauty - I had to throw it in there. It was awesome. Well, for what its worth, that's my list...BUT...what we all wanna hear is your BOTTOM 10!!! Harry, you've told us your faves, now let us know which flicks were the most disappointing! And my LOW 3 are...1)Eyes Wide Shut - I should've kept my eyes shut. 2)Sleepy Hollow - Made me wanna go to sleep. The plot was horrendously ridiculous and Walken as the headless horseman?!? 3)Godzilla - It sucked that much...

... And please stop talkink about Fight Club. I agree with you guys - it's an incredible movie, 1999's answer to CLOCKWORK ORANGE - but you guys are starting to sound like born-again whatevers. Oh and Harry: what did you mean with that comment on LIBERTY VALENCE? You weren't dispareging my favorite western, were you?

Seriously, I wouldn't even be able to classify movies like this, it seems like such a slap in the face to it all, but I guess every reviewers got to do it to please the masses. My only problem with Harry's list is "Notting Hill." I watched the movie, but it was awful. I could not even finish it. Maybe it gets a whole lot better from the middle to the end. If someone else has seen it and can tell me if it does get better, I would really appreciate it, because what I saw was a predictable piece of trash. I also don't think "Episode 1" deserved to be on a list with the rest of these movies. As long as your not still in denial about this movie, you have to admit it was not really a great movie. I now think that it might have been better if Lucas had just made the original 3, and left it at that. Now he has made a terrible 4th installment, and ruined the whole thing for me. But, you know, opinions are like odd rashes, everyones got one.

I would've left out the following films: 1)Being John Malkovich - The most unfunny, overhyped, piece of shit I've ever seen, and that's saying alot. I saw this film strictly on this site's endorsement. I got burned. 2)Episode 1 - I was fooled by the 1-sheet. This film had the honor of having the worst dialogue AND the stiffest performances in a film this year. I hear that Terrence Stamp actually had to act opposite a broom stick, cuz Mr. Lucas wanted to give Natalie Portman some time off. Also, you know you suck as a director, when you can't get a good performance out of Sam Jackson. I also hear that this film (along with Cool Runnings) will open the Jamaican Pride Film Festival. Jar Jar Binks is scheduled to speak. 3)The Matrix - Great special effects, weak story. It's sad cuz I saw the first half hour of the film, slept through everything up until the last half hour, and still felt like I didn't miss a thing. 4)The Blair Witch Project - I compare the succes of this indie hit with the story of, The Emperor's New Clothes. Call me crazy, but to me it looked like 3 kids pretending to shoot a documentary. Only 2 people had the balls to go on the record, and diss this movie. 1)Bingham Ray : "I don't care if it makes $200 million, it's still shit." 2) Chris Rock "People say oh it only cost $6o,ooo dollars to make....well somebody's walking around with $59,000." 5)Eyes Wide Shut - Slow, slow, slow, with one of the worst endings ever. I saw this on a Saturday night in a packed theater, and not only did 22 people walk out, but the ones who stayed let out a collective groan when it ended. A small French film named Romance, by Catherine Breillat handled the same theme in a much more interesting manner. 6)The Limey - What the fuck was so great about this film? 7)Magnolia - Great acting. Poorly written. You could've easily cut 3-4 minutes(plus a whole subplot, and 2 characters) from each scene without losing anything. Wasn't On Harry's list, but still got (I feel way too much critical praise): 1)Limbo - I must be the only one who doesn't see the genius of John Sayles. And that ending? 2) Bringing Out The Dead - This film has waaaaaay too much in common with Taxi Driver. Except for a great actor playing the lead. Best Film that everyone forgot about? Summer Of Sam. Not one critic mentioned it in their top 10 list. What a shame. A great film, especially Adrien Brody's performance. I do agree with Harry's praise of the following films: 1) American Beauty, 2) Three Kings, 3) All About My Mother, 4) Election, 5) The Insider, 6) The Sixth Sense, 7)Liberty Heights. All of these films have 3 things in common: strong writing, strong acting, and strong direction. I really believe The Hurricane should be on that list. Most Mediocre Film of 1999: Tie Man On The Moon Fight Club Actors to look out for: 1) Haley Joel Osment (someone please give Jake Lloyd this kid's number) 2) Russel Crowe 3)Does anyone know his name? - He was in that classic torture scene in Three Kings. And I don't mean Marky Mark. "What is the problem with Michael Jackson?"

While its true Princess Mononoke actually is a few years old now, it didn't make its U.S. debut until this year. I would just assume that makes it "legal" for consideration for one of the best movies released in 1999, but you know what they say happens when you make an assumption ..............I, like you, just hoped that a truely origional, epic example of filmaking like Princess Mononoke would be given more praise and attention then it has received.

In fact, Payback was the first good movie I saw in '99. Great list otherwise. Not too crazy about the order though.

well, I haven't seen Magnolia yet, or The Green Mile for that matter... and i'm still a little behind on my art-house stuff-- Boys Don't Cry probably next week, but i'm not sure if The Straight Story is still around here.... aside from that, well i've seen about 70 1999 movies, and the cream of the crop was pretty fucking big this year. here's my top ten and beyond (so far): (1.) Star Wars: Episode One-- Sorry, I loved it. Actually, the top three movies could really be in any order here, I sort of abrtirarily chose Star Wars for #1 because I saw it the most and it meant a lot to me. But to me, these top three are very close to equal and all quite flawless. (2.) American Beauty: could've been so playlike, so cheesy, so obvious... but it wasn't. Totally beautiful, funny, sad, wonderful, amazing comedy-drama-whatever. (3.) Toy Story 2: And I love this one too. I had a blast at this movie. I was amazing entertained. I was delighted. (4.) Fight Club: a few too many self-conscious stabs at catchphrases in the middle, but it all adds up, and it's a hell of a twisted, fascinating ride. (5.) Being John Malkovich: brilliant, strange, hilarious. (6.) The Matrix: derivative of John Woo and anime? sure. lots of fun, very confident and energetically well-done? hell yes. (7.) Go: Like The Matrix without FX, in terms of that speed-rush kinda feeling. (8.) Three Kings: out-Stoning Oliver Stone with a challenging, dark, funny... just really unique war picture. (9.) The Iron Giant: made me cry! one of the best animated features ever. (10.) Bringing Out the Dead: sadly underrated-- great acting, photography, atmosphere. And some runners-up, which are all quite worthy: (11.) Run Lola Run (12.) Election (13.) Dogma (14.) The Insider (15.) Eyes Wide Shut (16.) Mystery Men (17.) The Blair Witch Project(18.) The Talented Mr. Ripley (19.) Tarzan (20.) Sleepy Hollow

My God, I want to see this film. And I hope you're right Harry (in telling us to go see it now). But where is it?!?! Where, oh where! Seriously, name one theater in Texas (preferably in either the Dallas area or Austin) and I'll check it out. Oh yeah, I meant to talk about your emotional "draining" while watching American Beauty. Why do so many people find this film depressing?! Now, granted, the original/alternative ending WOULD have left me a wreck (kids get nailed for Lester's murder), but how can you not see that this movie can really bring your soul together? Lester is HAPPY in the end! He is in a world where he lives out his most beautiful memories and more. If anything, this movie should make you A. steal some weed from your friend's cigar box B. blow all your money on a cool car C. pump iron and D. learn the proper way to live life.

Check it out at www.charles.soule.com - on the Soule Report link. Also, if you are in the mood to hear some music, hit www.charles.soule.com/mp3.htm.

I almost have to completely agree with the list. Though my own order may vary a little. The only thing I can truly disagree with is Magnolia at #2? A very good movie, sure. I honestly did enjoy it and eagerly look to P.T.A.'s next work. But... It was much too long with many scenes that needed to edited or removed completely. I mean after the first couple of minutes of Tom Cruise's praising the manhood in his lecture, we get it. Some characters could have been completely eleiminated. The game show scenes were very lenghthy and slow. Again, loved the movie, should be on the list, but #2?

dear dr. mojo, you need to see "Mr. Ripley" again. the ending is perfect. he was finally happy, but the only way he could keep up his show was to kill again. unless you're implying it would have been easier to kill the girl and her whole family on the boat..?? ripley was like one of those anti-confrontational folks--except that the only confrontation he dreaded was people seeing the real him. and, in the end, his complex/evil/lunacy wins him over again INSTEAD of giving into a typical Hollywood ending. wonderful movie.

HArry's list officially makes Magnolia the most overrated film of the year. #2? Are you kidding me??? The film clearly invites comparisons with Robert Altman's "Short Cuts" which was much better and more effective. The acting was not nearly as good as people are talking about (With the exception of John C. Reilly as the cop). Just becuase actors are given emotional scenes where they get to swear a lot does not mean they are giving a good performance. Almost no subtlety in either the acting or the film as a whole.

1. American Beauty 2. Fight Club 3. The Talented Mr. Ripley 4. Arlington Road 5. Any Given Sunday 6. Go 7. The Green Mile 8. Dogma 9. The Matrix 10. Election

Well, I haven't seen lots of the movies Harry said were his top 30 of the year, so here are the top movies I've seen this year. 1: The Talented Mr. Ripley - such an incredible movie. Absolutely mesmerizing. Some of the best performances ever. And the ending leaves you shaking. 2: Bringing Out The Dead - What can I say, it's Martin Scorsese. And Nicolas Cage. And Tom Sizemore. And Patricia Arquette. 3: Three Kings - This movie had so many things going on in one singular scene. It was a sight to behold. 4: eXistenZ - There are so many reasons why this movie rocked, but the biggest is that it's pure David Cronenberg. And it's up for best picture oscar in Canada's version of the Academy Awards. 5: Summer of Sam - Critics completely missed the boat on this one. It was so incredible. Spike Lee eloquently articulated the fears of a community into an interesting study of human interaction. And Adrien Brody's hair. 6: Bowfinger - A hilarious romp. Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy. They make a great duo. 7: Go - Pulp Fiction for Generation X. Amazing cast. Great story. 8: True Crime - This critically panned movie really was excellent. 9: The Matrix - Keanu kicks ass. So does everyone else in this film. Especially Carrie-Anne Moss. 10: The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc - Despite what others think, I loved this visually stunning movie. And Milla Jovovich shows that she can really act. 11: Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels - I'm not sure if this was a 1999 movie, but it was so very cool. And the few horrible ones: 1: Sleepy Hollow - The most disappointing excuse for a movie that I've ever witnessed. The ending completely blew it. 2: Universal Soldier: The Return - One word can accurately describe this thing. Crap. 3: Inspector Gadget - Just so very stupid. Horrible.

OK, I fully realize that no one but me cares what my 10 favorite movies of the year were, but hey, it's fun to type it. 1. The Blair Witch Project 2. American Beauty 3. Three Kings 4. Rushmore 5. 10 Things I Hate About You 6. October Sky 7. Election 8. The Sixth Sense 9. Toy Story 2 10. The Green Mile And I have to say this: I was REALLY looking forward to Fight Club but it really wasn't that great. The last 20 minutes were awesome, but up until then I was just really bored. And don't even get me started on how bad The Phantom Menace and The Messenger were.

This list is just right, every movie. Good work.

top 10(not in any particular order): 1.matrix 2.eyes wide shut 3.fight club 4.3 kings 5.toy story2 6.the 6th sense 7.magnolia 8.being john malcovich 9.american beauty 10.dogma

my mate has Lola Rennt on video. But I don't care really. Happy New Year. Thirty films in one year can sound like a lot but it's not. I also have the dubious pleasure of seeing that at least 6 or seven haven't been released in the UK yet. But I'm seeing Sleepy Hollow tonight. So.

His cockney accent REALLY pissed me off, and I watched it with some Americans and they just laughed at me when the script has a go at the English. Scarred for life. And when he says, re his daughter, she always liked the sea...she was born on an island! AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Living in the UK is not living on an island! Manhattan is an island! The Isle of Wight and Guernsey are islands! And his accent still pissed me off. I think it was a OK story with good directing...but for me the directing didn't compensate. But ole Stamp was pretty cool, and I could believe Fonda was a worn out ageing hipster.

if it's because Jane Campion's "Holy Smoke" hasn't been released nationwide in the US nobody has mentioned it, but it's a freakin' amazing film. Just GO SEE IT when you all get the chance. And when you have, you will realize that underneath all the satire and irony this is a film with one of the most powerful messages this year. It's deserves to be on everyones top 10 list.

My Top Ten of 1999 were: 1. Ghostbusters 3 2. Predator 3 3. Indiana Jones 4 4. Back to the Future 4 5. Back to the Future 5 6. Terminator 3 7. Terminator 4 8. Rocky VI 9. Dirty Dancing 2 10. Die Hard 4 These movies rocked!! What did you think of them?

How the hell can you place the Sixth Sense above Fight Club and the Matrix? Harry, you must have realised that this film has more holes in it than an American GI in Vietnam. Questions: Why does Willis' wife's breath only go cold in the last scene. What about the restaurant? If he doesn't know he's dead, doesn't he feel paranoid that everyone is ignoring him? How does he get Cole's case notes? Social services don't really assign stiffs to council young boys. He changes clothes for one scene, so how does he miss his bullet hole? What the hell was he doing for 9 months before he met Cole? Now don't get me wrong, in terms of entertainment it was enjoyable. But on refletion it's merely an average film when compared with the sheer brilliance of Fight Club and The Matrix.

Why is Mr. Ripley #5 on Harry's list and not in the poll? Why is End of Days in the poll? Why is Eyes Wide Shut not in the poll? I think having a poll before the majority of the states in the country have seen all the films is pretty stupid. Harry, why are you following the rest of the lemmings and rushing your year-end crap? Magnolia doesn't open wide until January 7th, and I doubt the majority of the film geeks have digested all the recent releases yet. We haven't been able to see things 3 times like Episode 1, Matrix, etc. And if you look at the current poll results, those previous two are at the top! C'mon! I loved Phantom Menace, and spent hundreds of dollars on merchandise, but best film of the year? Get a fucking opinion! Oh, I'm sorry, is it COOLEST film of the year? Harry, swallow your pride and take this poll off for a couple weeks. You're not meeting a press deadline for Christ's sake. Eliminate the crap at the bottom of the list that in all seriousness would be no one's best of the year (End of Days) and pick the great films from great directors, throw in some rookie films and sleepers, and let us vote on a selection of films we've had time to view, review and analyze! It's just sad that people who are gigantic Tim Burton fans, or gigantic Star Wars fans may feel compelled to vote for films that clearly are not the "Best" in terms of total artistic merit. Granted it's subjective anyway, but can we retain some integrity? I love Scorsese more than any current director, but Bringing out the Dead isn't the best film of the year, maybe an argument for top 10. I'll shut up now, because my #1 was on the poll list, and I'm glad to see it's near the top.

well answer me knowles, why was this awesome film not in the top thirty???? and why was fight club not in top 10? some people may say that its not like real life at all, neither is the sixth sense (which is way over-rated, my frineds and i complained because 'the best twist since the usual suspects' was spotted in the first 10 minutes and we were still expecting a bigger twist) and the only people who can say fight club is unrealistic and a pile of crap if you have never worn a 'label' clothing and have never bought something because it was calvin kline. i'm a sick and depressed snowflake, am i unique?

Good to see someone sticking up for 'October Sky'. It deserves to claim the award for most neglected gem of '99 (closely followed by 'Office Space'). Not too sure about some of the others on the list though. 'Notting Hill'? A merely competent exercise in romcom theatrics that bears little or no relation to the Britain that I know and live in (unlike the films of Boyle, Leigh, or Loach), but blanded up for middlebrow fortysomethings. Comedies of the year were the pithier 'Analyze This' (the first decent Crystal film since 'City Slickers') and more anarchic 'Big Daddy'. I agree that 'Matrix' has been horribly overpraised (I suspect that many who say they loved the film are really only talking about the grandstanding last half hour, when the Wachowskis finally unleashed their spectacular box of tricks, forgetting the draggy midsection and wooden perfgormance from Reeves ("A.I.? You mean - artificial intelligence?", spoken with all the conviction of a refugee from a '50's Ed Wood programmer) that preceded it). I would nominate 'Deep Blue Sea' (stop laughing) as the year's best pure crowdpleasing action romp, partly because whatever criticisms can be laid at Harlin's door, he knows how to handle effects, pyrotechnics and set pieces, and partly because the film had the smarts to mess with the genre slightly, with the two best known actors being the first to get chomped, and in one such instance the film provided what was for me the biggest jump-out-of-seat 'Jaws' style thrill of the year. Seeing as everybody else is doing it, here's the top 10 according to me: 1. Star Wars : TPM - enough said elsewhere. 2. The Sixth Sense - The break-in, the church, 'upset words', the restaurant, the spiral staircase, 'I see dead people', the red doorknob, "I'm feeling much better now", the videotape at the funeral, the confession in the car and the wonderful work of Haley Osment and Toni Collette, the realisation.... on and on it goes, and seeing it three times has been nothing but a treat. 3. Three Kings - This year's Armageddon (and yeah, i do mean that as a compliment), a pure kinetic rush of action with an anarchic sensibility. Great fun. 4. The Blair Witch Project - the first film i have ever seen where rank amaturishness actually helps the atmosphere. One imagines the movie remade with Freddie Prinze Jr., Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Skeet Ulrich, and shudders. It seemed real enough for me, and the acting hasn't got the credit id deserved. 5. Analyze This - see above. 6. Deep Blue Sea - and again. 7. The Mummy - got the tone between drama and parody just about right, and provided a reminder to the likes of 'The Haunting' (ugh!!) and Godzilla (with it's baffling drive for rain-sodden, concrete-filled realism) of what a big crowd-pleasing romp is suppose to make paramount: a sense of fun. 8. The Insider - it's too thin a tale to justify nearly 3 hours (unlike the multilayered 'Heat')but Crowe, Pacino, Plummer still rocked. 9. Election - one of the best high school movies ever made, marred only by some predictable scenes (i.e. the adulterous tryst that goes horribly wrong). 10. Go - just how exactly could this not place in the top thirty, Harry??!! So that's it, but please let me say that i haven't seen 'American Beauty', 'Toy Story 2' or 'Green Mile' yet. Honourable mentions go to 'Payback', 'Blast From the Past', 'October Sky', 'Life', 'Still Crazy', and 'The General's Daughter'.

Perhaps I didn't see as much as Harry, but here are the ten movies I enjoyed most in theaters. Perhaps the aren't the "best" or "finest" films in terms of artistic merit, and creativity but I really enjoyed these movies: 1. The Phantom Menace 2. Toy Story 2 3. Dogma 4. Man on the Moon 5. The Green Mile 6. Sleepy Hollow 7. American Beauty 8. Galaxy Quest 9. South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut 10. The Sixth Sense

OK, bearing in mind that I haven't seen Fight Club, Toy Story 2, or most of the Oscar hopefuls, here's my top five movies of the last year of the millenium. The Phantom Menace - even with all its flaws, this excited, dazzled and, yes, moved me more than any other film this year. Note to bashers - there's two more coming out and you can't do anything about it! Sleepy Hollow - Tim Burton delivers yet again. This has to be among the top three gothic horror films of all time. The Sixth Sense - even tho I saw the twist coming, I was still impressed by the flawless acting and suspense. The Matrix - slightly overrated, IMO, but about as good as empty, effects-packed action movies get. The Iron Giant - a wonderful movie that got screwed by the marketing people. Maybe if it had been live action it would have outgrossed ET. That's it. Feel free to disagree, but I don't really give a fying fluck.

What do you mean goat that GB isn't an island? ITS ONE BIG ISLAND! According to Rand McNally- "An island is a land mass that isn't connected." Stamp's performance was brilliant because it was subdued. He relied on a lot of reaction shots. For example when he the hood stars whispering dirty things about his daughter in his ear and they kick his ass throwing him out on the street. He takes that second gun out and that look on his face before and after he does them in is great. Just don't fuck with the old guys! Also, Fonda was totally believable and hit it on the head about the sixties reference. That "totally cool" time period was really on a year and a half. But, Barry Newman's performance as a sleaze was even better. What a dirtbag! Great acting because he always played heroes on tv(i.e. "Primus" and "Petrocelli"). The use of the old footage from "Poor Cow" was smart and fit in nicely. My top three picks: 1. AMERICAN BEAUTY, 2.) THE MATRIX, 3.) THE LIMEY.

to an audience of about seven people, including me and my two friends. We all thought it was quite excellent. NOTTING HILL was notting to write home about -- what an awful use of music, hitting us over the head with its literal lyrics. GO is an idiot's delight -- its exclusion from any list is a true delight. SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER & UNCUT is far more than a set of dirty lyrics set to showtunes -- it's the most uncompromised wide-released cinema of the decade, and a hell of a satire. ELECTION was almost as good. THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY can only be described as laughably misguided... PURPLE NOON is, I know, different, but oh, so much better. OFFICE SPACE is one of the best of the year, along with THREE KINGS, BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, and blah blah blah Matrix blah blah American Beauty blah blah Rushmore blah blah Run Lola Run blah blah TOY STORY 2. Despite PHANTOM MENACE and BICENTENIAL MAN and JOEL SCHUMACHER coming out with two films, 1999 was a pretty great year for movies.

I'm with Harry on most picks, but I haven't heard one teeny weeny bit on AICN this year about David Gray's FABULOUS This Year's Love, or Gabriele Muccino's But Forever in My Mind (Come te nessuno mai). Surely some of you must have been to ONE film festival this year? Anyone make it to the TIFF?

Still shaking my head over SMOKE SIGNALS, but if it worked for you..... My Top Five (without having seen MR. RIPLEY, ANY GIVEN SUNDAY, and THE HURRICANE to name a few:) 1) TOY STORY 2 - Harry got it right. Absolute perfection. Should win a truckload of Oscars, but probably won't be nominated for one. 2) BEING JOHN MALKOVICH - That it even got made is a miracle. That it turned out to be so deeply moving is what elevates it above the gimmickry and tiresome rhetoric of FIGHT CLUB in this year's Filmmaking Ingenuity Sweepstakes. How is it possible that Carter Burwell has composed some of the most memorable scores of the last ten years, but has yet to see an Oscar nomination? 3) MAGNOLIA - Messy, frustrating, and so epiphany-filled that it exhausts by hour two. So what? We should get on our knees and thank PT Anderson for serving up Altman on speed. 4) THE WINSLOW BOY - Guess Harry didn't see this one. Not many people did. Too bad, 'cause they missed the most quietly remarkable film of the year. Who would've thought that David Mamet *and* David Lynch would've delivered "G" rated films in the same year. Both were great achievements, but I'll give the edge to Mamet for his trademark precision, and the year's best final scene (and line.) 5) THE LIMEY - Liked it when I saw it, but appreciated it so much more upon reflection. Soderberg employs the same flashback technique that made OUT OF SIGHT one of last year's best films to much more poignant effect, and coaxes a performance from Peter Fonda that puts his overpraised work in ULEE'S GOLD to shame. And what of the 1999's worst? In no particular order..... 1) VIRUS 2) WING COMMANDER 3) THE HAUNTING - If only production design were everything. 4) LEGEND OF 1900 - Utter garbage. 5) STIGMATA This year's Best Guilty Pleasure. Hands down DEEP BLUE SEA. Thank you, Saffron Burrows, for realizing that, to electrocute that shark, you'd have to remove your wetsuit. You are a woman of many talents. Unfortunately, as your pair of Mike Figgis movies proved this year, *acting* is not one of them. Predictions for 2000: GLADIATOR will rule. DINOSAUR will make a mint. JOE GOULD'S SECRET will surprise. Spielberg will make Harry Potter's acquaintance. X-MEN will disappoint, and die a quick B.O. death. Harry will receive his usual talkback evisceration when he posts his positive X-MEN review. FINAL DESTINATION will do what FIGHT CLUB failed to achieve; cause post-screening riots. All involved with said film will be employed at Arby's following its opening weekend. The Cleveland Indians will win the World Series. Dreamworks will greenlight my Chester A. Arthur biopic with Nigel Hawthorne in the title role. Rachel Leigh Cook will engage in a torrid love affair with yours truly. And, on the eve of 2001, Stanley Kubrick will come out of hiding, expose his death as a hoax, and screen the now-finished A.I., which will win Best Picture of 2000.

Notting Hill!!! NOTTING FUCKING HILL!?!?! That movie makes you just want to go hang yourself. You had me agreeing with you until then. Notting Hill!? Oh yeah, and Fight Club WAS the best movie of the year. And Deep Blue Sea ruled as well as Lake Placid. Long live the campy funny killer mutant animal genre!

I literally fell asleep during Eyes Wide Shut because it was so dull, Phantom Menace was the biggest disappointment of the Decade in terms of plot/dialogue/character development, Fight Club started going downhill the moment it left the 12 step programs and turned into "Let's make an army and destroy society as we know it", and where the hell are foreign flicks like 'Afterlife', 'Dreamlife of Angels' and especially 'Open Your Eyes'? Did these all come out in 1998 or something? Plus, I thought Rushmore was a 1999 release. I'll just do a top five in no particular order: 1) Being John Malkovich, 2) Three Kings, 3) Iron Giant, 4)Election, 5) Straight Story

I really liked Iron Giant. It even made me a little misty-eyed, but why does everyone have to disparage E.T. in order to laud it? E.T. is a better movie. In fact, Iron Giant probably wouldn't exist without it! I don't mind that Iron Giant touches on similar themes, but everything from the story construction to individual scenes and moments is copied directly from E.T. I think people feel the need to justify their love for the film even though they know it's a carbon copy of a previous movie. E.T. has dated!? Because it looks like it was made in the early 80's? It was made in the early 80's! Who friggin' cares! 2001 is as dated as movie's get, and guess what, it's still great. I bet you Blade Runner will look dated in 2017, and it will still be great too.

I have never heard Harry mention anything about the amazing Spanish film entitled, Open Your Eyes, directed by Alejandro Amenabar. Maybe this flick doesn't count for "Best of 1999," since it was made in 1997, but to my knowledge, it was just released in the U.S. this--or, I guess now, last--year. I went to see it because it was touted as the "Spanish Matrix." Although it lacks the great kung-fu of the Wachowski brothers film, it is much more subtle and effective in asking the question, "What is REAL?" Check it out!

Don't get me wrong, there was a lot to like about this movie, but if you have a brain in your head you might notice that the 'surprise' ending actually creates the biggest plot hole in film history. It makes absolutely no sense. Are we really supposed to believe he worked in an insurance office AND made soap? Or that a guy beating the shit out of HIMSELF somehow evolves into TWO people fighting each other? If he started Fight Club alone wouldn't it just turn into other people beating the shit of themselves? Fincher needs to keep in mind that it helps to have twist endings that make sense. Of course maybe not. Half the people in this talkback are gizzing all over the movie anyway. Doesn't take much to impress you people.

thanks Harry for praising my favorite movie. i also love "Fight Club", but "Run Lola Run" was the best movie. in fact, it was so good they stole some of the music from it to put in "Any Given Sunday". since when do you yank music score pieces (almost all of Lola's music was made specifically for the film) from another movie that came out the same year? well, i suppose it was the best thing in oliver stone's movie...

It's a lotta fun, but it's not PERFECT. Come on Harry ! Some scenes are indeed greatish and will make anyone laugh a lot or even shed a few tears, but then again, a lot of the film is just entertaining but hardly PERFECT slapstick and kiddie humor. And to go with the flow, here's my top ten : 1-FIGHT CLUB 2-AMERICAN BEAUTY 3-BEING JOHN MALKOVICH 4-BOYS DON'T CRY -- waitaminute : HARRY! What is it, you rednecks are afraid to watch movies with 'gay' elements ? This isn't even in your top 30 and Notting motherfucking Hill is? 5-SOUTH PARK : Bigger, Longer & Uncut 6-MAN ON THE MOON 7-ELECTION 8-THE IRON GIANT 9-RUN LOLA RUN 10-THE MATRIX I also loved EYES WIDE SHUT, BRINGING OUT THE DEAD, THE GREEN MILE and THREE KINGS, and can't wait too get my MAGNOLIA screener tape this week.

I thought I'd be shaking my head over your list, but this is pretty identical to my own with a few exceptions (Notting Hill????????).. You know it's a good year when those top 7 slots are justifiably interchangable.. every one of those movies is near perfect and worthy of the top slot. Rather than go with the talkback and produce my own list I do want to say: in an exciting year of film I was never more excited than watching Run Lola Run and The Matrix. Say what you will about The Matrix, but damn was that ever fun, if you were willing to go along for the ride. Both of those are movies I probably wouldn't have seen if not for AICN, or not the way I did (immediately)(which is the best way to see it, before the bitching snob crowd attacks it), ditto Iron Giant and Blair Witch, so big thanks to all the guys who put the site together. Now I suppose I'll have to go see Man of The Century.

No one else pointed this out, so I thought I would. Although I didn't like "The Talented Mr. Ripley" at all, it was not because of any lack of logic. SPOILERS follow. The situation facing Tom at the end is that Cate Blanchett and her party (at least 2 others and maybe more) believe that his name is Dickie. Only one person on the ship knows that his name is Tom. Because a ship is a small place, Peter is bound to run into one of the others and Ripley's scheme will be revealed. The only way to prevent a meeting is to kill one half of the potential meeting. It is much easier to murder the one person Peter than all of Cate's party. Actually, I pretty sweet ending when I think about it, maybe the picture was better than I thought. On another subject, if you want to like "Fight Club", go ahead and be a damn idiot. But do not compare it to one of the greatest films ever made by one of the greatest directors who ever lived. I'm referring to constant references to fight "Fight Club" as a "Clockwork Orange" for 1999. "Fight Club" is nothing like the Kubrick film. Unlike the latter picture, "A Clockwork Orange" actually meant something and had things to say about society. Nor did Kubrick need to 'Keyser Soze' his audience to get a response. The only film that deserves to be called a Clockwork Orange for 1999 is "A Clockwork Orange". It's not dated and is as perfect today as it was in 1971.

The music of Notting Hill was terrible. The story was uninspired. The movie was rather boring.

How else to explain the curious omission of 'Mighty Peking Man?'

NOBODY EVER READS WHAT I WRITE...First the Bible...and now my top 30 list...SO WHY START NOW ??? Because NOBODY mentioned American Pie. I laughed my ass off. Remember the hurricanes off the Atlantic Coast last year? Yep !! That's why ! I laughed so hard I peed my pants.

There are still several films I have to see (The Hurricane, Cradle Will Rock, Man on the Moon) but here's my current top 10 film list: 1. Magnolia (A beautiful, moving film that I can't wait to see again) 2. Limbo (John Sayles scripts are a thing of beauty) 3. Eyes Wide Shut (A final, dreamy farewell, a meditation on fantasy and love) 4. The Iron Giant (You are who you choose to be) 5. King of Masks (A wonderful Chinese film about an old performer's search for an heir) 6. The Straight Story (A vision of America the way it should be and the painful tales of a lifetime) 7. American Beauty (The despair that lurks within us, juxtaposed with the beauty all around us that we fail to see) 8. Run Lola Run (Love is a powerful, living force in the coolest movie of the year) 9. Boys Don't Cry (A heartbreaking story powered by Swank's devastating performance) 10. Election (A perfect re-creation of high school as a microcosm of society in general. Honorable Mentions: The Limey, Toy Story 2, South Park, The Red Violin, Last Night, The Dreamlife of Angels, All About My Mother, Princess Mononoke, Sleepy Hollow, Guinevere

Well, since everyone else is doing their own lists, why don't I? Ok, here's my faves... (1) The Mallrats DVD (DarthJoe your are absolutely right on this one.) (2) The Matrix (3)Man on the moon (4) Green Mile (5) Dogma (6) American Bueaty (7) Run Lola Run (It never came to a theatre here and so I just watched it last week for the first time and loved it) (8) American Pie (9) SLC Punk (10) october Sky (11) Star Wars Episode 1: The phantom Menace (12) Go!

...because it was so much fun. There was something new to see or hear every time I saw it, and it adds so much to the existing mythology. Naysayers, flame away, I thought it was terrific, and everything I hoped it would be. Since everyone else is doing it, here's my top ten: 1) STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, 2)FIGHT CLUB, 3)THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, 4)THREE KINGS, 5)TOY STORY 2, 6)THE GREEN MILE, 7)AMERICAN PIE, 8)SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER, UNCUT, 9)THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY, 10)GO..... The most over-rated and/or disappointing movies of the year: 1)AUSTIN POWERS: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME, 2)EYES WIDE SHUT, 3)THE HAUNTING, 4)THE MATRIX, 5)BRINGING OUT THE DEAD. ****Please note: I have not yet seen MAGNOLIA, BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, THE IRON GIANT, RUN LOLA RUN, or THE INSIDER, and look forward to perhaps adding them to the "best of..." list. Anyway, my two cents. It was a great year for movies. Keep up the good work, AICN. Love the site, Harry.

And please, some jerkoff tries to name Summer Of Sam as one of the top 5 of the year,WTF???? God that film is on my top 5 worst of the year, what a freaking mess! was I the only one who thought "13TH Floor" was actually better then the Matrix even though it bombed? South Park was awesome, Tarzan isn't even in its league.

Am I the only one here who thinks that Stir of Echoes was just as good if not better than Sixth Sense? I found it to be a blue-collar Exorcist: eary and gritty, if somewhat predictable. And what about Altman's Cookie's Fortune? This was a terrific movie that has him, again, on the top of his game after the studio butchering of 'Gingerbread Man'. And let's not forget Office Space, the funniest movie most people haven't seen. I found this to be twice as funny and twice the satire of South Park. I'd take Mike Judge over Parker and Stone any day. Let's face it, without Beavis and Butthead would there be South Park? BTW, good call on The Limey, though I think this is one of the top 5.

This movie was hilarious!!

Sleepy Hollow rocked! That movie was just so damn entertaining, I mean what the fuck were you people expecting? Notting Hill was also very good, the best romantic comedy I saw this year and extremely enjoyable. Fight Club was the best film of the year, no question and if you don't think so, well, YOU'RE WRONG!!!! I agree with most of the films being great except Three Kings. Did anyone else think Three Kings was shit? Probably not since everyone seemed to love it but I'm just asking. To these people who are putting Any Given Sunday on their list, I must ask, why? Though incredibly acted, I just thought Stone's directing method got in the way at many points in the film and if he just had toned it down a little, it could have been great. Jamie Foxx's performance was surprisingly very good. I hope he doesn't waste his acting talents doing bad movies that Martin Lawrence passes on. My top ten: 1)Fight Club....2)The Green Mile....3)Toy Story 2....4)The Talented Mr. Ripley....5)The Matrix....6)Arlington Road....7)The Insider....8)Stir Of Echoes....9)Sleepy Hollow....10)South Park. Honorable mentions were Office Space, Dogma, and The Blair Witch Project. Worst of the year is a close race between Wild Wild West and The Haunting. Oh dear God those movies were unholy and evil.

Harry, here's my list. More detail to be posted soon on www.cinemajoel.com. 1.The_Talented_Mr. Ripley 2.The_Insider 3.Being_John_Malkovich 4.Election 5.Man_on_the_Moon 6.Eyes_Wide_Shut 7.Boys_Don't_Cry 8.The_Sixth_Sense 9.The_Green_Mile 10.American_Beauty

I just saw Three Kings. Wow. It really succeeds at what Fight Club tried to deliver. The two movies are really similiar in their cinematography and their deeper message. Three Kings though is by far the finer film. Completely took me by surprise*** Composer of the decade? Of the past several decades? Why John Williams, of course. I've got the Born on the 4th of July soundtrack in the player right now and it is excellent. Menacing and vibrant at the same time.

What's wrong with you people? Fight Club was totally lame. Now, any supporter of Fight Club is thinking in his head right now that I didn't understand the movie. On the contrary, I fully understood and still have no idea what it has to offer. I have to admit, I liked the last 25-30 minutes of it (from the Robert Paulsen stuff on) but everything before that was just a lame excuse to try and make an intelligent movie for idiots. <<SPOILER ALERT>>As for the twist, I really liked it. Whoever posted before saying it didn't make sense should remember that Durden was whoever was winning the battle between the bad Pitt and the good Norton, looking like Norton all the time.<<END OF SPOLIER ALERT>> All in all, this movie was not bad, because it was well made and somewhat clever. But it is not higher in my book because of a skewed message and a lack of a great story.

I really can't remember if it came out at the end of '98 or the start of '99 but without a doubt The Thin Red Line is up there with the best of the best. It's one of these films that you either love or hate depending on how you approach it (a bit like Eyes Wide Shut, which forces you to think about whats happening on the screen instead of shoving it in your face). Apart from that I'm kinda pushed to think of any other movies I saw that I really liked. TWINE was good, if not excellent, and the Matrix was up there in terms of technical achievement at least. The same applies to Star Wars Ep1 which was a great movie-going experience but a lesser movie-leaving experience. As for this year, I'm looking forward to Three Kings (criminally delayed for UK audiences) and Gladiator. Happy New Year y'all...

I have to say that I think Harry's top thirty list is actually pretty good. I think one thing that everybody can agree on is the fact that 1999 was one hell of a good year for movies. Am I right? Anyway, since everybody else is doing it, here's my top ten films of the year. 1.Run Lola Run 2.Being John Malkovich 3.Autumn Tale 4 The Limey 5.Existenz 6.American Beauty 7.The Iron Giant 8.The Matrix 9.Eyes Wide Shut 10.Mansfield Park Honorable mentions would include; Three Kings, South Park: Bigger, Longer etc, Princess Mononoke, Sleepy Hollow, The Insider, The Talented Mr.Ripley and Fight Club. Regrettably, I have yet to see Magnolia or Topsy Turvy.

10. Rushmore: Private School has never looked so fun. Bill Murray is better than ever. 9. Payback: Gritty + Tough + Rough + Anti-hero + Dark Comedy + Film Noir = Great Fun 8. The World is Not Enough: James Bond...enough said. 7. Sleepy Hollow: The best movie ever made about lopping off heads...period. 6. Man on the Moon: Surprising performance by comedy guru Jim Carrey makes this Kaufman bio-pic a winner. 5. The Sixth Sense: Bruce has never been better and that Haley Joel Osment kid can act. Great ending. 4. Fight Club: Tyler Durden will go down in history with such memorable characters as Travis Bickle, John McClane, and Harry Callahan. But like the first rule says, I can

First off, I just saw THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY, which was so fucking brilliant, it now ranks at number two on my list; thus, bumping THE LIMEY. Which leads me to my second thought..... NormK, please think before you post, or at least do your homework. Harry had THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY, the main character of which is homosexual, on his top ten list. Minghella's film practically brims with homoerotic themes. And as for TOY STORY 2 not being perfect, did you find some hole in the airtight script that I didn't? Dismissing it as a children's film is a distressingly shallow reading of an exceedingly well-crafted work.

Fight Club. Sorry to all of you haters.. we will have to get your balls-- if you have any. And give me a break with Sixth Sense, the damn kid saved the movie from a natural Bruce Willis time-2-time flop. Star Wars was not as bad as people say, but not to be in a Top 5 of any serious reviewer. Here is my top 5. -= 5. =- Go. (I really enjoy this movie.. and so did I enjoy Swingers.) -= 4. =- Man on the Moon (Andy Kaufman was/is a genius.) -= 3. =- American Beauty -= 2. =- The Matrix (Give me a break with Reeves acting and watch Godfather 3) -= 1. =- Fight Club (what a naughty boy I am) One thing for sure about Fight Club. Either you love it to the bones, or hate it with all your heart.

...I forgot an honorable mention for Election, one of the smartest and funniest films of the year.

Stop putting it in your top 10 list please people!

Good Choices Harry, I personally thought Green Mile was numero uno but thats just me. One question. Where is 13th Warrior. And knew nothing of this film and went in expecting nothing. I came out with a rocking- kick ass movie. Am I the only one who liked this flick?????

This year started as the year of Star Wars, Harry couldn't wait. Everyday there was another Star Wars post. Everyday we would here how much Harry loves Star Wars, and how the script was great. Now its the end of 1999 TPM is #27 on Harry's top 30 list and here is all he has to say:#27. STAR WARS EPISODE ONE: THE PHANTOM MENACE And this one too. I think thats hilarious, one year from now we will have heard everything about LOTR possible from Harry, and the when his 2000 list comes out it will say #30 LOTR- I liked this movie a lot!

I'm sure no one gives a shit but these are my favorite films of 1999. Before I get assaulted I have not seen EWS or Man on the Moon yet. Although I'm a huge Jim Carrey fan so I;m sure I'll love it. In no particular order: 1. American Beauty 2. Fight Club 3. South Park 4. The 6th Sense 5. SLC Punk 6. Deep Blue Sea (so, so stupid but damn fun to watch) 7. The Matrix 8. Three Kings 9. Dogma 10. Galaxy Quest Worst: 1. House on Haunted Hill (easily on of the worst films of the decade) 2. Entrapment 3. Any Given Sunday 4. The Phantom Menace 5. The Haunting Honorable mention for the worst of 1999: the Denver Bronco's losing season. End of a dynasty. There's always the 2000 season, right guys? The check's in the mail. Jack Burton

this is my top ten list in no particular order being john malkovich, three kings, toy story 2, star wars, eyes wide shut, rushmore (didnt come out here untill feb.), election, bringing out the dead, and american beauty magnolia and sweet and lowdown (huge woody allen fan) havent been released here, so im waiting

I personally thought the matrix &election were a bit overrated. Election was great in the first half but kinda sucked in the 2nd. Matrix is a film that film geeks will cream their pants over but really offered us nothing new other then some neat F/X. And don't even get me started over Blair Witch and Phantom Menace...

The fact is, the movie should have already been over before Meredith shows up again. If it progresses that far, then Tom Ripley either confesses to Peter (who would NOT have told) and stays in the room to avoid Meredith, or embarks on further killings, which WILL get him caught. Remember, he's already been investigated, and Marge blames him. Regardless, killing Peter is, by far, the worst decision he could have made. There were options. Killing neither party made sense. In any case, the ending is all wrong. It should have been COMPLETELY different, or, simply cut off. Sometimes, people don't know when their movie is over.

Everyone's always bitching about Harry liking every movie he sees. But, considering that he doesn't seem to have any plans to make a "worst of" list, maybe everyone is right. Harry wouldn't want to piss off any of his new hollywood "friends". I want to see Harry do a "worst of" list.

not a bad list Harry, but I do disagree with a few things. Instead of bitching, I'll just make my own top fifteen list. Here goes: 1) American Beauty-my favorite, Spacey rules, has since See No Evil, Hear No Evil Go-I enjoyed this movie SO much when I first saw it, although upon third viewing, it lost much of it's charm. Run Lola Run- The coolest movie movie of the year by far, regardless of how hot she is (and she is hot) Toy Story 2- Probably the only film except for Aliens and The Road Warrior and MAYBE Empire Strikes Back better than the original. Damn funny. Phantom Menace- The most fun I've ever had at a movie-the 12:30 AM show kicked ass. This movie rocked, and it gets better every time I see it. South Park- The first half an hour of the movie is one of the funniest things I've ever seen, though it kinda gets old after that. Three Kings-Slick shit. Mark Whalberg can act, regardless of what anyone says. Funny, suspenful, and touching and ultra-cool. Brining Out the Dead-Scorcese. 'Nuff said. The Muse-Funny, funny, funny. Steven Wright craked me up. Payback-I enjoyed the hell out of Mel Gibsons badass performance, and that chick was pretty hot too. A great ending. The World is Not Enough-Bond still rocks. This one had good scenes, but didn't flow very well. but I enjoyed the beginning so much I had to put it on. Austin Powers 2-Not a good movie, sucked when I saw it at home, but damn funny on opening night with a packed theater.

What leads you to draw the conclusion that Peter would not have attempted to turn in Tom? Tom had, up to that point, completely deceived Peter; ergo, the discovery that his new lover was in fact every bit the murderer Marge alleged would've come as quite a shock. Tom's only recourse was to kill Peter, which makes for quite a wrenching finale, ties up the story perfectly, and leaves us with a final image that, to my mind, was every bit as powerful as Al Neri closing the door to Michael's den at the end of THE GODFATHER. And to suggest that Minghella, a filmmaker with few equals (at least, living,) doesn't know when to end his movie is a tad ludicrous. I found THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY a masterful work.

Sorry 'bout that.

IMHO, the top 15 of 1999 were Being John Malkovich, The Blair Witch Project, Bowfinger, Boys Don

Bid Daddy was definitely the WORSt film of the year. it was so damn phoney and sappy and manipulative. 13th Floor was very good it was far from one of the worst.

Okay. If you're still reading this far down (no, haven't seen The Hurricane, Talented Mr. Rip., Cradle Wll Rock, or Magnolia), here goes - I know this is the top ten list you were waiting for. 10. South Park - sheer satire, and funny as shit. 9. The Sixth Sense. John Malkovich won't get the Best Supporting nod this year, face it. Haley Joel Osment still turned out the best child performance in many years. 8. The Insider. Good stuff, with a great performance by Russell Crowe. The film could have been shorter, though. 7. Three Kings. Underrated, and still brilliant. 6. Toy Story 2. The Oscar clip should be Buzz and the gang crossing the street. 5. American Beauty. Kevin Spacey should win Best Actor - simple as that. 4. Being John Malkovich. 3rd best mindfuck movie of the year. 3. Iron Giant - this was my number 2, and I still think it's the best animated film of the decade, but... 2. Run Lola Run - watched this one last night (2nd best mindfuck movie of the year) and the sheer exhilaration of this movie - if you haven''t seen it, DO SO NOW. This is a classic that will be rented by stoners for the next hundred years. I guarantee it. 1. Fight Club. Best mindfuck of the year. Plotholes? How about this? THE GUY'S FUCKING INSANE. YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE WORLD THROUGH HIS EYES. NOTHING IS STATIC. EVERYTHING IS FALLING APART. Great movie. HONORABLE MENTIONS - Man on the Moon (A great performance by Jim Carrey in a merely good movie.) Star Wars Episode 1 (Fuck you.) The Matrix (Fuck you, too.) Election (Although I liked it, there was something...off about it for me. Maybe because I knew many Tracy Flicks in my high school.) Go (Sheer fun. Rent this one at midnight with the pals.) WORST FILM - Still Wing Commander. I can smell it from here.

I found 1999 to be one of the best movie-going years I've ever had hile this may seem insignificant since I'm 17, but I'm a HUGE movie buff. Hear I will post my top 10 of the year, my hopeful Academy picks, and a little bit extra. 1) Toy Story 2-What can be said that Harry hasn't? This movie is honestly perfect in every sense. I've always been a big Disney fan and Toy Story beat Lion ing as my favorite Disney movie. I found my feelings after this to just be pouring out. I was laughing hysterically at some parts but then was getting misty at others. I saw it twice and then saw it a third time with the lame excuse "I want to see the out-takes". Gets better every time. 2) Fight Club- What began as a book that seemed impossible to make a movie out of soon became one of the greatest movies I've ever seen. David Fincher's subversive, nihilistic look at society was stunning. THe first viewing just stuns you. As brutal and dark as this was it was also a terrific comedy (who didn't laugh at the liposuction dump scene). 3)American Beauty- What lies beneath? This movie tore away the facade of a suburban family to expose what was beneath them. Kevin Spacey is one of my favorite actors and is excellant in this film. 4) The Green Mile- I loved book in its original serialized form and the form was very true to its form. Darabont is masterful at times in this picture and Michael Clarke Duncan is magical as the simple-minded giant John Coffey. 5)Three Kings- I first thought this movie would turn out to be a mess. How can action, adventure, comedy, and drama be put in one film. David O Russell pulled it off with extreme ease and made a war film like no other. The cinematography here is stunning. The slow-motion shoot out and the tear gas bombing were some of my favorite scenes this year. 6) Go- Pulp Fiction for Generation X. This film came out of nowhere and was fantastic. Rent the DVD for an experience. 7) Election- A razor-sharp satire that took no prisoners. Reminded me of last years Rushmore. 8) Dogma- As a Kevin Smith fan from the beginning, Dogma doesn't dissappoint. Smith's dialogue is matched by none as he creates a great theological trek in his own ViewAskew universe. Jay & Silent Bob prove to be unbeatable entities. 9) Man On The Moon- Milos Forman bring to the screen one of the greatest entertainers of our time. Jim carrey has become an amazing actor with his jaw-dropping depiction of Kaufman. The movie also had a perfect beginning and the ending really attached to me. 10) Lock, Stock, and 2 Smoking Barrels- While this is a 98 flick, I feel it deserved recognition. I would've place this in my top 3 but put it down hear because it was released last year. A Tarantino like film with multiple storylines and characters that come together to the tightest and most satisfying conclusin I've ever seen. MOVIES I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT MIGHT BE INCLUDED ON THIS LIST-Magnolia, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Being John Malkovich, The Insider, and Run Lola Run. MY OSCAR PICKS- Best Picture: I pray Fight Club gets this but it'll be too nihilistic for them. American Beauty is my pick beside it. Best Actor: Jim Carry-Man On THe Moon- I love Kevin Spacey but Jim Carrey deserves this more then anybody. He literally becomes Andy Kaufman. Best Actress: Reese Witherspoon- Election. Best Supporting Actor: Michael Clarke Duncan- The Green Mile. Best Score:Fight Club- The Dust Brothers prove electronica can make for a great score. The Phantom Menace or Sleepy Hollow also deserve recognition. Best Original Screenplay: Kevin Smith-Dogma. Best Adapted Screenplay: Fight Club. Best Director- David Fincher- Fight Club. Best Cinamatography- Three Kings. EXTRA AWARDS AND SUCH: BEST ACTION SEQUENCE: The lobby scene in The Matrix. BEST DEATH SEQUENCE: Delacroix's botched execution in The Green Mile. BEST OPENING: Man On The Moon. BEST TWIST: Fight Club. FUNNIEST MOVIE THAT BARELY ANYONE SAW: Drop Dead Gorgeous. BEST STONER EVER PUT ON SCREEN: Jason Mewes and Jay in all Kevin Smith movies. BIGGEST CROCK OF SHIT THAT I WAS HOPING TO BE A GUILTY PLEASURE: Deep Blue Sea (God did this just flat out suck).

Watching Roger Ebert's show this weekend reminded me of the absurdity of compiling critical lists. No matter how much one critic may think of a film and how well they can articulate why they believe it's an excellent, important, thought-provoking work of art, all it takes is the nit-wit in the seat next to you (in this case, Janet Maslin) to come back with some half-assed comment about how they didn't think the film pulled off its ambitions or such-and-such a movie didn't have anything new to say...etc., etc.. Then of course that critic will go on to say why their picks are REALLY the best films of the year - even though their carefully selected choices are no less subjective and no less prone to irrational personal bias as anyone else's. But anyhow...to get a jump on Harry's twenty most anticipated projects of 2000, my own personal to-watch list (genre-wise, at least) would be (in no special order) Gladiator, Chicken Run, X-Men, Mission: Impossible 2, The Hollow Man, Ghosts of Mars, Shadow of the Vampire, Monkey Bone, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Unbreakable, American Psycho, Bless the Child, Romeo Must Die, Bruiser, What Lies Beneath, Blade 2 (if in fact it's going to go into production soon enough for a release next year), Hannibal (ditto), Reqieum for a Dream, Jason X (a guilty pleasure I wouldn't even try to say no to), and Mission to Mars (even though it looks damn iffy so far). And as much as there is to look forward to, the cool thing is there's always something that you had no expectations of whatsoever that will turn out to be one of your surprise favorites of the year. It always happens.

Hi everyone, fist time posting... here they are. Any comments(good or bad) , feel free to e-mail me: American Beauty, The Talented Mr. Ripley, The Green Mile, Go, Being John Malkovich, Man On The Moon, The Sixth Sense, Three Kings, Election, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, The Matrix, Sleepy Hollow, Toy Story 2, The Iron Giant, October Sky, 200 Cigarettes, The Mummy, Bicentennial Man, Bowfinger, Galaxy Quest, ED TV, Dudley Do-Right, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Tarzan, Never Been Kissed, 10 Things I Hate About You, The World Is Not Enough, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Analyze This, Mystery Men, Entrapment, Wild Wild West, Big Daddy, Inspector Gadget

Quoth the Warrior, "Get a pair of balls, Knowles..."

Listen, Harry is Harry, and I've learned to live with that. Sometimes I agree with him and sometimes I don't. Normally, I wouldn't care how he did his list and what came where, but there are a few things about this list that I feel need to be spoken up for. It may have been already mentioned in some of the posts, but I think just about anyone who saw the movie would agree with me that Princess Mononoke is AT LEAST one of the 30 best films of the year. I'm hoping Harry either considered it as a 1997 film or a foregn film and thats why it didn't make the list, because I mean come on, the film was at least as good or better than frigg'n Notting Hill or even the Matrix for that matter. Same with Dogma, I think this is at least one of the best 30 films put out this year!! Please Harry, you need to do more for this list, give us some explanation on why these and other well deserved movies didn't make your list!! Please do a follow up to this list! Who else is with me on this? Please voice your opinion in your post!!

1. Eyes Wide Shut 2. American Beauty 3. eXistenZ 4. Fight Club 5. Election 6. The Loss of Sexual Innocence 7. Being John Malkovich 8. The Acid House 9. The Source 10. The Matrix 11. Go 12. Titus 13. Playing By Heart 14. Breakfast of Champions 15. Toy Story 2

While everyone goes on about the artisticly best 10 of 1999, here is someone who despises the quality of a film for the enjoyment of a film. Here are the best 10 mainstream flicks of 99'. 1) Cruel Intentions 2) The Sixth Sense 3) Arlington Road 4) Entrapment 5) The Bone Collector 6) The Deep Blue Sea 7) Bowfinger 8) Ten Things I Hate About You 9) Deep End of the Ocean 10) The World is Not Enough Followers: Austin Powers 2, The Story of Us, Being John Malkovich, Sleepy Hollow, American Pie, Go, Big Daddy, The Thomas Crown Affair, Analyse This and Mystery Men What I Havent Seen Yet, which could distort the list: American Beauty; Three Kings; anything released lately; Fight Club. THE WORST: Hmmmm, Star Wars, The Matrix, anything with Robin Williams, Notting Hill, Mickey Blue Eyes, The Thirtenth Warrior, Message in a Bottle, Life, and oh yeah, The Blair Witch Project, admirable but utterly boring

Hey what about STIR OF ECHOES? That was Kevin Bacon's best, it was so good. AND THE LAME TPM WAS ON THERE FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! And why is THE MATRIX 16 and TOY STORY 2 1? Come on Harry, cartoons can only go so far, I was dissapointed to SLEEPY HOLLOW was down so low too. This doesn't completely ring true.

What was the last good movie he actually directed ? American Graffiti ? How long ago was that ? Episode one sucked ass . It had everything a bad movie needs . No building interest in the characters . Bad pacing in the action scenes . Terrible dialogue . Hell , the main reason the characters were doing anything was a trade embargo !!! That should say it all . I'd love to see it on MST3K , ooops , too late for that .

Top 10 movies that I thank all that is holy and good for NOT seeing this year: Dudley-Do-Right, House on Haunted Hill, Lost & Found, Wing Commander, Wild Wild West, The Haunting (I think I deserve extra points for resisting such a heavily hyped sack of garbage) & Inspector Gadget. On the other hand, I did have the misfortune to actually see Plunkett & Mcleane (A born to be cult item for no reason other than it's spectacular failure in creating something intersting out of excess), The General's Daughter and Big Daddy. Is it just me or is each new Sandler movie becoming less and less coherent/funny/watchable, et al? As for major league mind-fucks, get off your ass and rent 'Open Your Eyes'. You think David O Russell did a Helluva job juggling action, drama, comedy and political statment in Three Kings? Well, this movie pulls off being a romantic drama, a major league thriller, an identity crisis, and some heady sci-fi concepts. And the whole damn thing is seamless. A major cinematic feat. Better than fucking Fight Club with its plot holes you can fly a god damn Scud missle through. So Norton's character is a screwball? No kidding. It still doesn't explain how he gets legions of followers from watching him beat the shit out of himself out in a parking lot behind a bar. What's Fincher saying with that, huh? All American Males sre so fucking idioctic that they'd follow a schizo like that?

I see I only listed 7 movies that I was thankful for not seeing. I seemed to have left out: Bicentenial Man, Message in a Bottle and that damn Robin Williams Holocaust Movie that I-can't-remember-the-name-of-because-I've-already-blocked-it-out-of-my-mind.

whether or not Peter would have turned Ripley in, whether or not he would have been caught, and despite ANY other options he had available, the point of the end of The Talented Mr. Ripley was that Ripley could only be someone else. what i liked so much about the ending was that i also thought Peter would except the truth, but i was tensed up in my seat waiting to see if Ripley could actually break down and be just Ripley. he couldn't, and so the evil goes on... mrbeaks in right, and mr. minghella should be nominated for an oscar. ???: did Harry do a Mr. Ripley review?

I like the list but most of those films still haven't even been released in Ireland. I want Bringing Out The Dead as a lover of Scorsese and a reader of the book in advance. The Green Mile has perhaps been what I've been waiting for most and I'm sure, as I've read it, I won't be dissapointed. Nice one Harry, anyway. You love the movies. Who can argue against that? The Movies are beautiful. So let us say "HEY!!!!!" to newness and wonderfulness and "FUCK THAT" to that shit that keeps going on and gives us no respect.

I like the list but most of those films still haven't even been released in Ireland. I want Bringing Out The Dead as a lover of Scorsese and a reader of the book in advance. The Green Mile has perhaps been what I've been waiting for most and I'm sure, as I've read it, I won't be dissapointed. Nice one Harry, anyway. You love the movies. Who can argue against that? The Movies are beautiful. So let us say "HEY!!!!!" to newness and wonderfulness and "FUCK THAT" to that shit that keeps going on and gives us no respect.

By saying that you despise quality in favor of entertainment, I am assuming that you are implying that people who like movies that artistic prefer quality to entertainment. In truth, intelligent people are entertained by smart, artistic, quality films. In other words, they despise the films on your list for quality films that entertain them.

Fight Club did some very innovative things in terms of storytelling, cinematography, and editing, and Edward Norton is the best thing to happen to the cinema in a long time, but overall Fight Club left me very disappointed. What exactly was it that made everybody sit up and say, "Wow!" The anti-consumer society message? That's nothing new...Jean-Luc Godard did that much better through most of his films. The theme of self-awareness was undermined by the trick ending, while the whole concept of Fight Club (the club, not the film) lapsed into hypocrisy. Come on -- anarchic individualism through fascist rhetoric? Ultimately, Fight Club is just lousy philosophy for a generation too ignorant to realize that the message doesn't hold up in the end. Think about it for a second. What does the film say? Because of consumerism, men have become women and should rebel? The Man Show on Comedy Central takes a much more honest look at the same issue and is, not coincidentally, more effective in getting its message across. What else? Organized government has failed us and so we should form underground pseudo-fascists groups to combat it? Watch Triumph of the Will if that's the message you got out of Fight Club. Ah, I'm through ranting. I'm just sick of hearing the orgasmic claims of post-pubescent males that Fight Club is the be-all, end-all of both film and modern philosophy. All flames gladly accepted at greedo1028@hotmail.com

I'm not putting a top 10 list of mine this far down on a talk back (for those of you that are eagerly awaiting it--haha), but I felt like making a few remarks: I read recently (I'm usually good with quoting sources, but I forgot this time) that the truly great films are the ones you remember all the little great moments from. Certain shots, looks, lines. The more of these a film has, the better. Now I still feel the whole should be greater than the sum of the parts, but I rarely think of a great film as just a big lump of greatness. The reason I love The Big Lebowski is because I say about 10 different lines from the film every day. It also happens to be a masterpiece of genre-blending and inside joke-dropping, but it is an acquired taste, as we saw from the critical bashing it god. But if you haven't seen the Phillip Marlowe film of "Murder My Sweet" with Dick Powell you're missing one of the funniest references in the film. But I digress...the reason I bring this up is because I'm preparing my own list and I think I'll try to defend a couple flicks one last time before I shut up. The Phantom Menace can in truth only be described as a disappointment, with the qualifying statement that the expectations and hype never should have reached the level they did. That isn't fair. I remember being even more disappointed by the promise of Return of the Jedi. But however anyone here feels about the film as a whole, there's a whole bunch of lines, scenes, shots, and effects that still make me reflect fondly on the film. I'll segue here to Eyes Wide Shut and Fight Club, along with TPM the two most divisive films of the year. I just don't understand why Being John Malkovich can be great for its acid trip story, while Fight Club does the same trick on you, except it attatches some social criticism. Attacking consumerism isn't any more trite than the anti-suburbia of American Beauty. Just different generations. The vitality inherent in Fincher's work left me gasping and questioning my own limits as a current and future filmmaker. It was a dare of sorts, Fincher laying down a gauntlet for other filmmakers to follow him into the future of visual assault. Kubrick went the opposite way, but again, the images, the shots, the lines. There are so many little individual BITS of greatness that perhaps the whole does not have the same punch. But again, time will look favorably on this. It is not an attempt (as most films are) to fuse art with entertainment. It is art alone, on its own terms, and if you don't bring something to the table, you surely won't leave with anything. Works like these are not easily and quickly understood. Give it time. The shot in the prostitute's apartment with Cruise's profile on the right side of the screen, with the jazz in the background, and the girl's face slowly approaching his from the left to kiss him. It is not something one can easily put into words. It just makes me feel...honored to watch. J'invite.

C'mon...humor me. This was the best comedy of 1999.

Fight Club is one of my favourite movies of all times, it is not only entertaining, but its brilliant way of attacking mass consumerism while blatantly advocating it (see the web site) is brilliant. I mean come on, Brad Pitt rants on how people should not hope to become movie stars when they grow up. How brilliant is that. Many missed it at the theatres but I have a feeling it could become a massive hit on video. Judging by the postings on the internet, I see that I am not alone.-------- Ok, I saw The Hurricane yesterday. It's subject matter was good, the acting was good but the movie itself was extremely horrible. I mean I cant really explain it but I was extremely bored, I even fell asleep. The boxing scenes were ok (20 years after Raging Bull and this is all they could come up with ?????) but come on the sluggish pace of the story needed to be worked on. I know this is a pure drama and it is somewhat supposed to be depressing, but cant they cut some scenes out then. A 2 hrs and 20 min, flick on a sluggish pace can be life threatening to the audience. Seriously see Magnolia and then learn to how to make a good movie. It is 3hrs and 8 mins long and I saw the 8:30 pm show. It ended at 12 am and I did not even yawn once. That was AWESOME. The movie had humour and drama, good performances, good stories, and awesome pace. The movie just kept getting better and better and when the end came, I was really disappointed that it came too soon. I could have sat in there for another two hours or so. I have not seen other Norman Jewison movies so I dont know his style, however for The Hurricane, he should really do something about his pacing. One note though, Denzel does deserve an oscar nomination for his portrayal - it was very good indeed. But most likely Jim Carrey or Matt Damon will get it even though Edward Norton (for FC) or Tom Cruise (for EWS) deserve it.-------- OK, for my top ten here it is 10) The Blair Witch Project - scary shit; 09) The Sixth Sense - an actually good ghost story; 08) Austin Powers - The Spy Who Shagged Me - Very shagadelic indeed with more laughs than the first one; 07) Magnolia - it's such a shame that this cant be placed any higher - damn you Hollywood for making such excellent movies; 06) American Beauty - this one is sort of a tie with Magnolia and I will have to see these movies again to decide on who really wins but for now AB seems more moving; From now on I dont think I can change the order because the top 5 movies are FUCKING EXCELLENT 05) The Talented Mr. Ripley - A very unique and extremely satisfying thriller, better than the original Psycho, IMHO; 04) Any Given Sunday - had to include this, good acting but extremely entertaining football action, sort of a guilty pleasure in this list but a fine film nonetheless, did I mention that FOOTBALL RULES!!!!! 03) The Matrix - you knew it was coming, crying that I cant put this one higher, a good movie with a good story and awesome special effects; 02)Eyes Wide Shut - Definately belongs in my top ten list of all time, the second best Kubrick film behind A Clockwork Orange, this movie is so mesmerizing, I still dont really know as if I watched it or realize it, the scene where Tom Cruise walks into the party has got to be the most AWESOME scene ever filmed and not for the obvious reasons but for the mood and the camera angles and the awesome soundtrack from Jocelyn Pook. Man this was a great fucking movie. I thought this would be higher when along came 01) Fight Club - DAMN!!! I saw this three times and I could see it again and again for a million plus infinity years. You people ROCK who say this is the best movie of all time. For me it's 3rd behind Trainspotting and the best - Braveheart. Some honourable mentions (most of which were better than anything made in the last 3-4 years) were Iron Giant, The Insider, Three Kings, Being John Malkovitch, Election, and sorry I have to say this - End of Days :) It is so awesome for Arnold to come back and pretty soon reclaim his throne!!!!! I am with you ABKing!!!!!!!!!!-------Ok now for the worst ten movies of the year, I really cant put these in any order except to say that all of these suck in my opinion, every single movie here is not really worth any penny that is put to see them and are never worth watching ever, even for free --- 10)Inspector Gadget; 09) Anna and the King 08)Mystery Men (EWWWWWWWWWWWWWW); 07)The Bone Collector (why see this when you can see Seven or Silence of the Lambs); 06)Message in the bottle (Why the fuck does Costener die - what the fuck is up with that - sorry for language); 05) The Other Sister (why did I see this crap - my mommy wanted to see it :( ; 04) Arlington Rd. - what the fuck, what is the message, either your neighbour is a terrorist and you should commit crimes when investigating their lives or that terrorists are the actual good guys and they always win; 03) The General's Daughter - What happened to Travolta, really ? 02) Wild Wild West - You really wanna discuss this shit - It was BORING!!! 01) Of course this is The Hurricane because this is the most recent shitty movie I saw. Denzel is now two shit movies for two so he better start making good movies again - like Virtuosity and even that christmas movie The Bishop's Wife or something like that with Whitney Houston.------- It is now 5 am so I will be sleeping soon but before I go i wanna hear some of your opinions on the Matrix. Which fight or FX sequence do you guys think is the coolest ? I think right now the helicopter battle and the subway fight is the coolest while my bro thinks that when Neo comes back to life and possesses the main baddie is the coolest. WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK ? YOU TOO HARRY !!!!!

When I said that I dont know if i watched it or realized it, I actually meant to say that I don't know if I actually watched it or dreamt about it. Man, I seriously have to see it again. BRING OUT THE DVD OF EYES WIDE SHUT WARNER AND PLEASE MAKE IT ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN!!!!!!!!

Sorry man, but you keep contradicting yourself :)

Harry, you uncultured cur! HOW can you have the audacity to suggest that RUN LOLA RUN was the third best film of the year when your idol, Roger Ebert, was able to cite over *50* 1999 films that were BETTER?! LOLA better than MUMFORD?! What drugs are you *really* on? At least the both of you had the good sense to omit LOCK STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS and ANY GIVEN SUNDAY from your lists ... that's something, I guess.

Mononoke?

Soderbergh is on a roll with Out of Sight (great DVD by the way) and The Limey. The Limey should be seen by everyone if for no other reason than the hitman Nicky Santino. This guy stole the fuckin show. Terrance Stamp exudes coolness and is it just me or does Luis Guzman (Boogie Nights, Out of Sight) give anyone else the giggle fits? I loved this movie.

What is happening in America? Are you not able to see the true genius of filmmaker Jim Jarmusch - GHOST DOG!!! Haven't it been released at all? It plays pretty well in Norway right now. Besides that, FIGHT CLUB is the best American film of '99, and the French film L'HUMANIT

Of course, with a subject like that, I can just run up and down the aisles like a homemaker with a gift certificate and fill the basket with just about anything... right?

Great job on the Top 30 list Harry! The films you listed are all truly great in there own ways. But I can't believe you left out DOGMA and THE HURRICANE. DOGMA was a brilliant satire on religion and THE HURRICANE, along with Denzel's performance, just floored me with its emotional impact. I hope you possibly haven't seen THE HURRICANE yet because I can't imagine you leaving it out of your list. As for DOGMA, perhaps Im the only one that considers it one the year's 10 best?

Did anyone in the States, or indeed the rest of the world-see the above movie?-for us Brits, especially Londoners like myself, this was OUR film of the year-it epitomised everything about what England is ,believe it or not, really like sometimes. Unfortunately Harry, we won't get to see the majority of the above movies until they appear in our favourites of 2000(or even 2001, it has been known!)-take for instance, the Limey-a central figure who is British and we will have to wait until the movie turns up on video,to buy in about October this year. I wish someone would explain the unacceptable time delay in movies released in the States and in Britain, we are a nation of quite obssesive film goers and when you sit down to watch a movie for the second time upon it's video release in your country please remember-us Brits are possibly still wating for a Cinema release date!!!!

Thank you so much for including Liberty Heights on your list, Harry! I know what a great year it's been and I've felt I was the only one in the country who'd even seen this wonderful film (my favorite of the year). At this point the only thing in its favor is word of mouth. I don't know why Warner Brothers seems to have buried it from the start. But anyone out there like me who loves Levinson's Baltimore films (Diner, Tin Men, Avalon), this one is just as great,and as Harry said, maybe better.

Didn't that come out last year? If so, I assume its not on the list for the very same reason Mononoke Hime is not on the list, and that's because it wasn't released in the US this year and had its original list elsewhere. Otherwise Harry should change the title to the Thirty Best U.S. Films since everyone seems to be forgetting all the great imports we've been having.

Why wasn't it on your list? I mean it was one of the best films this year...racking up there with Iron giant Cremlian

This had to be one of the toughest years ever to come up with a top ten list, but Miyazaki-san's masterpiece has to be my favorite (followed closely by Fight Club, Toy Story 2, and BJM). He's one of if not the best storyteller ever seen in the medium of film animation, and Mononoke is his crowning achievement. It was an incredible, utterly engrossing and transporting feat of singular vision and imagination on an epic, otherworldly scale. From Miyazaki-san's brain to the screen, that's what animation can offer to storytellers and visual artists and that's what we got. The fact that one person was largely responsible for the entirety of this amazing film is eclipsed by the fact that many critics, including Harry, didn't even mention it.

It is hard to believe when you choose the top 30 films of the year that you could leave off Boys Don't Cry and Go, but then you liked such drivel as End of Days and Bicentennial Man so I guess you have already established your ineptitude in judging films.

I don't know why I'm surprised, but Harry's taste in movies is dead-on. Actually, if you melded my brother & I into one person, we'd be Harry Knowles. Except, neither of us would put a Julia Roberts movie in our list!!

C'mon- NOTTING HILL on the list, while David Cronenberg's smart and funny look at artists and realists clashing is nowhere to be seen? Did I miss something?

I believe it's called a Macguffin - the thing that must be possessed.

I am a 14 year old critic, and here are my ten favorite films of the year. Take in mind that many films I'd love to see, such as "The Insider", "American Beauty", "The Straight Story", and "Being John Malkovich", never opened anywhere near me, and I never got to see them. Anyway, here goes with the list: 1. "Fight Club" 2. "The Blair Witch Project" 3. "Run Lola Run" 4. "The Green Mile" 5. "The Mummy" (don't knock it, it's dang good fun) 6. "Toy Story 2" 7. "Finding Graceland" (the most underrated movie of 1999) 8. "The Matrix" 9. "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut" 10. "The Iron Giant" The five runners-up: "Election", "Go", "The Haunting" (once again, don't knock it...neat flick), "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels", "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace". Honorable mentions include "Arlington Road", "The Sixth Sense", "The Thirteenth Floor", "Ravenous", "eXistenZ", "She's All That", "8MM", and many more. Your thoughts?

I am a 14 year old critic, and here are my ten favorite films of the year. Take in mind that many films I'd love to see, such as "The Insider", "American Beauty", "The Straight Story", and "Being John Malkovich", never opened anywhere near me, and I never got to see them. Anyway, here goes with the list: 1. "Fight Club" 2. "The Blair Witch Project" 3. "Run Lola Run" 4. "The Green Mile" 5. "The Mummy" (don't knock it, it's dang good fun) 6. "Toy Story 2" 7. "Finding Graceland" (the most underrated movie of 1999) 8. "The Matrix" 9. "South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut" 10. "The Iron Giant" The five runners-up: "Election", "Go", "The Haunting" (once again, don't knock it...neat flick), "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels", "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace". Honorable mentions include "Arlington Road", "The Sixth Sense", "In Dreams", "Ravenous", "eXistenZ", "She's All That", "8MM", and many more. Your thoughts?

I can't believe the Hugh-One didn't put Galaxy Quest in his top 10. Harry did think it was his favorite film of all time after all. What the hell happened? He must of had a brain fart or something to forget to include Galaxy....,.

I wish I could have seen each film on Harry's list but, I didn't so you'll just have to bare with me. And in no particular order: Star Wars Ep 1, Eyes Wide Shut, Go, October Sky, American Beauty, Three Kings, Fight Club, Dogma, South Park, The Iron Giant, Toy Story 2, Being John Malkovich, The Green Mile, and Man on the Moon. I can't wait for Magnolia and The Hurricane to open wide so I'll hold off on my Oscar Picks. Mommy's Little Monster out!

You're not even old enough to see almost all those films on your ten best list! Geez...

Top 30, my friend. No, I don't think so. I give you my Top 5 Favorite Movies of 1999. Bare in mind, I haven't seen FIGHT CLUB yet, but from these comments, I might just see it this weekend at the discount theatre. And so, without further ado, my Top 5 Favorite of 1999: 1. END OF DAYS, 2. THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH, 3. PAYBACK, 4. MAN ON THE MOON, 5. THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR. C'mon people, END OF DAYS is my favrotie Schwarzenegger flick since PREDATOR. Yeah, T2 was good, it was cool, but PREDATOR RULES! Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, & Jesse Ventura..."I ain't got time to bleed." Gabriel Byrne was damn good as the Prince of Darkness, no Pacino (DEVIL'S ADVOCATE), but good nonetheless. Arnold was great, the kind of Arnold I like, more or less, an ordinary man thrown into an out-of-this-world situation. Arnold was great because he was more real, no larger than life, even though some may say that's the kind of Arnold they like, but I prefer the former, not the latter. Although, if you want larger than life, then you're talkin' about Bond, James Bond. THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH was a GREAT Bond film, the best I've seen yet. The story was great, the women, some of the hottest yet, and the action is simply Bond. And the humor, well, it's simply Bond as well, simply Bond. You want Bond, you better see this one because it's the best Bond yet, simply unmatched. Pierce Brosnan delivers once again as Bond. Anyway, you've also got PAYBACK. Simply genius, I LOVE THIS FLICK! Classic film nior, bad guys getting their asses kicked by a really bad, bad guy. I enjoy more than LETHAL WEAPON, but it's close. Mel Gibson is great, the cast is awesome, and the humor is unmatched. Porter, that's all I've gotta say. Now, MAN ON THE MOON was great. I even came close to crying near the end. Emotional, funny, and brilliant. Jim Carrey was the ONLY choice for this film, and Danny DeVito was good as well. I'm just disappointed in it coming in 6th at the Box Office, opening weekend. Just saddening. Oh, and the Tony Clifton scenes were GREAT as well. And finally, THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR was great action, some might compare it to Bond, but this was a brilliant work, and Brosnan reprising the role originally played by king of cool himself, Steve McQueen (BULLIT rocked). It was hot, sexy, and simply a genius script, and of course, my favorite, Denis Leary. For more of my choices, goto http://www.michalak.org/homepage/index.html -NJM

1. The Phantom Menace 2. The Matrix 3. Anywhere But Here 4. South Park 5. Austin Powers 6. The Phantom Menace (3rd viewing) 7. Bowfinger 8. The Phantom Menace (5th Viewing) 9. Being John Malkovich 10. Sleepy Hollow

Fight club was brilliant and i hope it gains the recognition it deserves at the oscars. The camera work and all the innovative effects made this movie unlike anything Ive ever seen.

Fight club was brilliant and i hope it gains the recognition it deserves at the oscars. The camera work and all the innovative effects made this movie unlike anything Ive ever seen.

God that film sucked bad and so did Austin Powers for that matter. And was I the only one who was dissapointed by man On The Moon? I don't think Carrey, while very good is as great as people are saying and the film just seemed a little confusing about events in Kaufman's life. And why was Devito playing a different character other then himself like the other Taxi cast? It seemed a little out of place and distracting.

You're absolutely right man!!! Not to say that Iron Giant was bad though (probably one of the best animated movies I've seen), but E.T. is so much better.

5) Galaxy Quest - I was dragged to this movie kicking and screaming...I came out laughing my ass off. I liked it so much that I knocked off American Beauty from my list. 4) The Matrix - I wanted to hate this movie, but found myself watching it over and over on DVD. It will stand through time for its FX and action, but not the acting. I love it now. 3) Iron Giant - a damn good movie. I had to watch it twice on DVD in one night before returning it. 2) Toy Story 2 - Just barely above Iron Giant, but I loved returning to Woody and Buzz. This one was equal, if not better, than the first, which I treasure as one of the greatest animated movies ever. And FINALLY... 1) Fight Club - only saw it once, and it was well worth it. I remember my friends and I looking at each other after the movie and saying, "fuuuuuuck...that was messed up". Now for the movies I need to see for praise alone: Being John Malkovich, Run Lola Run, Pokemon: The First Movie (come on, it can't be THAT bad!).

Some people say The Matrix sucked, then in the next breath they say Blair Witch is their favorite of the year! Others say Phantom Menace or Fight Club blew, but they couldn't get enough of Stir of Echoes! And Harry's top ten still baffles me. What a spectrum of movie tastes we have here in Talkback. At least Bicentenial Man isn't on anyone's list, which renews my faith in humanity. Here's my top 15 in a rough order. I still need to see Magnolia & Being John Malkovich but I saw just about every other release this year, skipping stuff like WWW, Inspector Gadget, & Godzilla2. 1.The Matrix 2.The Phantom Menace 3.Iron Giant 4.Fight Club 5.South Park 6.Toy Story2 7.The Insider 8.American Beauty 9.Sleepy Hollow 10.Payback 11.Run Lola Run 12.Dogma 13.Notting Hill 14.Three Kings 15.Eyes Wide Shut -- And I thought these were the absolute worst ten of the year(some making my worst of the decade list) 1.The Blair Witch Project 2.The Mod Squad 3.Cradle Will Rock 4.Stir Of Echoes 5.Bicentennial Man 6.Virus 7.The World is Not Enough 8.In Dreams 9.The 13th Warrior 10.Beloved (I know it's from 98, but damn it was bad) --

question, with a not much info to go on, but maybe someone can help: early in '99, i think before siskel died, he and ebert talked up what they called a beautiful film that i noted as wanting to see (but of course quickly forgot)... all i remember of it was that it was made in vietnam, i believe harvey keitel was in it (though i could be confused), and they played a beautiful image from the film of blowing leaves along a gorgeous road...can anyone remember what i'm talking about? if so please help...bduroche@darcyww.com... thanks!

How to Quantify Movie Goodness. My hypothesis is that it is possible to quantify "Movie Goodness" and therefore make "best of" lists more scientific. The formula is quite simple: A+B+C+D+E-(2H)-O=MG All integers are ranked on a 1-10 scale, 1 being not likely and 10 being certain. Let the variables be: A: The Screenplay; what are its chances of working itself into a college film course's curriculum? B: The actors; will any actors be nominated for or will win golden globes or Oscars (c)? Even more importantly, what are the chances of an actor being robbed of an academy award and therefore become a legend? C: The Box Office; will this movie generate a lot of money? Will the movie not generate a lot of money, but quadruple it's production cost? D: Teenagers; will this movie change the vernacular or fashion sense of the American teenager? (This is scientific law of the film industry: The influence of a movie on the American Teenager is more important than it's influence on any critic.) E: Historical/Political Correctness; does the movie deal with real issues and social problems and sum up the results with a heartwarming, American values laden happy ending? H: Movie Length; Is the movie too long? This seems to be a big issue with today's movie going public. Apparently, television has managed to dictate the timing of American bladders. O: Paulie Shore; Does Paulie Shore have much screen time? Try out the formula and make your own top movies of 1999 list at home! --jg

was better than at least half the movies on this list

I enjoyed the countdown and pretty much agree... (though Sleepy Hollow should be further up...) but next time start from number 30 and work to 1. I almost lost interest after finding out what your fav. '99 film was.

I dont care what anybody says. Eyes Wide Shut was hands down the best film of the year, no question.

Darth Siskel, I must say I agree very much with your list. I agreed with most things, except for Matrix ( a film I really did not enjoy). My number one of the year was The Phantom Menace, but I agree with most of your other choices. Especially where you say Blair Witch is worst of the year. I wholeheartedly agree! I dont understand how ANYONE could like it! I just thought it was god awful. And anyone who says its creative watch THE LAST BROADCAST!

We're getting guys in here saying Phantom Menace was one of the top ten of the year, and even someone saying it was the best??? What's up with that? You guys must not get out much. I'd like to hear what exactly quantifies a "good movie" for you. For me, it has to have an interesting plot, you have to care about the characters, the actors give good performances, its original, or spectacularly technical. Now while "interesting plot" may be arguable for the Phantom Menace, NO ONE can reasonably say that there was ANY characterization whatsoever! And face it, a movie that doesn't draw you into the characters or what's happening to them, SUCKS!! The movie spent no time at all developing its relationships! These aren't opinions, face it, you can't find a time where the relationship between mentor and apprentice, beit Obi Wan and Quigon's or Maul and Sidious's. They didn't even say anything that explored their personalities, all the dialogue did was propel the plot forward! Sorry, I don't want this to turn into another TPM suck/rocks debate, but it seems like putting it on a top ten list is doing a GREAT injustice to alot of other films.

I was blown away that you would pick this movie as NUMBER THREE. Of all the movies this year?! RUN LOLA RUN? You say "this is the film that most makes me want to make a film this year". What the fuck does that mean? Are you harboring some illusions that Harry Knowles will soon be a motion picture director? You are cracked. I'm smelling ball sweat sweeter than that. After all your shit, it better be better than GODFATHER II, Harry.

I'd say people that put TPM in their top ten are people that love Star Wars enough that they can get past the flaws. It had some bad flaws(Anakin in general), but it had alot of really great stuff as well. I liked the character development of the Jedi, the Queen & Palpatine, and I liked the overall story. It also had some brilliant moments, like the end sequences of the saber battle, QuiGon meditating, the tension when ObiWan couldn't help, when JarJar gets kicked in the nuts by a pit droid. Come on! TPM is a flawed but great movie. A movie doesn't need to be perfect to get on my top ten list. I know I can watch TPM many times over and still enjoy it. Most movies would make me sick by the third time. I certainly wouldn't watch Talented Mr. Ripley, Green Mile or Man on the Moon more than once every five years.

Why do you people feel the need to list your favorite films of the year in "TalkBack"? News flash -- NO ONE FUCKING CARES. Stop imitating your Geek God Harry Knowles and get a life.

What was so "high school" about Election? What boring little world did you live in where popularity was such a concern (I was busy smoking big bomber joints so maybe I missed out on your banality). Somebody please tell me what was so good about Election other than Reese Witherspoon. I might even concede the Ferris Bueller role reversal thing, but what a BORING PIECE OF SHIT. Harry, what flavor of crack are you smoking? NottingHill? Were you dumped and do you still pine for a woman who "should" love you? As for the "redneck homophobia" comment earlier on the list, get a grip, I am a bonafide member of the country club who LOVED Mr. Ripley and Go. Parting shots: the last murder in Ripley "being the worst choice Ripley could have made because he had already gotten away with it" NO SHIT. That is the point, Ripley is a PSYCHO. He doesn't make good choices. And: by God, I loved 13th Warrior, it could have used Poledouris, yes, it could have used a 3 hour run time, yes, Jesus, everyone and their grandmother is making a 3 hour movie why not a 3 hour movie of kickass whupass?

The General should be in the top ten Mr. Ripley was a poor imitation of Purple Noon The best film of the year was The Limey

annette overacts her ass off I havent seen scene chewing like that since Jacks riddler top 5- is all the year deserves 1. the general 2. the limey 3. magnolia 4. 6th sense 5. eyes wide shut (minus the orgy scene)

You're thinking of THREE SEASONS, from Vietnamese-American, San Francisco indie/doc film maker, Tony Bui. Lest we forget, it won the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the '99 Sundance Film Festival (which is unprecedented.) I missed it too, but I think it's out on video - thanks for the reminder.

That was the best fucking post ever !!!!!!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for: 1. Seeing the movie. (Which apparently nobody else did) 2. Squeezing it in your Top 10 at No.9. The Red Violin is an incredible film! I still marvel at the "mysterious" red varnish and how well it was written into the story. The tragedy is, The Academy will fuck up again this year and nominate the "latest and the greatest" and ignore what happened in the previous eleven months. I really would like to see this film recognized and win something!

I dont have any real order but these are the films i really enjoyed, and why. in 99, however i havent seen American Beauty yet but im going tomorrow, and i assume it will join this list. 1.Fight Club 2.South Park 3.Dogma (those are in order, the rest are randomly placed) 4.the matrix 5.austin powers 2 6.Bowfinger 7.Mystery Men(probably the most underated film of the year) 8.Office Space(another very smart, and underated film) 9.Payback(although it seemed like a generic action flick this movie was much better then the average blow-up movie 10.Rushmore 11.Hurlyburly(or was this from 98?) 12.EdTV(seemed like a truman show rip off, but was very funny) 13.Blair Witch Project(this film was not scary at all, but i still felt it was very orginal and pretty good) 14.The 6th Sense(the only movie that ever made me jump. also has one of the best endings of the year) 15.Idle Hands(i think i was the only person on earth who loved this movie) 16.Summer Of Sam(why did this movie do so poorly in theaters?)

I think we can agree that although this was a very good year for film, it isn't impossible to whittle that down to 10 choices. Had Harry done the smart thing and given a Top 10 list, there wouldn't be any stupid inclusions, and there wouldn't really be enough room to complain about all the glaring omissions. Well, it's too late now, but it isn't to late to explain what the hell is going on with this idiotic poll. On this 3rd version we have some of the worst films of the year listed. I hope, like the Magnolia trailer advertises, this will all make sense in the end. I'd like a talkback where we can weed out the idiots who voted for Wild Wild West and EdTV as their favorite films of the year. If you're afraid to come out of hiding, at least do the world a favor and don't reproduce. Of course, you probably already have kids if you voted for that crap. Are people thinking they are supposed to vote once for each film they like on there? And how many people are voting a million times for one movie? I say compile one sensical list, put it up for 24 hours, and take it off. The people who frequent the website will catch it. The Matrix is leading, and while it may be the "coolest" film of the year, it doesn't have any more of a claim to being the "best" film than Phantom Menace does. Yeah I'll probably watch TPM a 100 times more than anything else on the list, but candy always goes down better than vegetables. Guess what? Vegetables are better for you.

Hey bro no doubt -- "Run Lola Run" if not very orginal, (multiple endings, techno score)was without a doubt the most entertaining movie of 1999.

This year I enjoyed TPM the most, I do not believe that it is the finest and most artisticly round addition to film this year. It is my favorite though. I really enjoyed it more than anything else this year or decade for that matter. Jurassic Park and TPM brought the biggest smiles to my face this decade. Perhaps thats because I have loved Dinosaurs and SW ever since I was five. As for TPM, I was just awed. And thats my opinion. The three best films in terms of artistic merit etc. I think those would be The Green Mile, Man on the Moon and American Beauty.

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While Harry feels that he needs a list of 30 films to describe his feelings about the year, I will now proceed to create a list of only three films. You see, I only feel that there are three films this year that are truly brilliant, important pieces of work. These films are so far above any other film I've seen in the last two years, that a top ten list is ridiculous. Each one of these three is in my top ten of the decade. And, in my opinion, these three highly underrated, underappreciated films will be considered classics of the 90s in ten years. Now, people are looking at dreck like Three Kings or Being John Malcovich or The Insiderand screaming classic. People: compared to the three on my list, those films remind me of what I see in the toilet after I take a shit.You see, strangely enough, two of these films were not accepted by critics (save for a few) or audiences ( save for some of the people on this site.) As a matter of fact, one of them was considered a monumental disappointment. The third has split audiences and critics down the center. Here they are (keep in mind that while I place them in order, they are all pretty much even). 1. MAGNOLIA: Widely understood by many critics, this is the full realization of PT Anderson's talent. Boogie NIghts has always been one of my personal favorite films: somehow, PT has managed to create a film more mature, more profound, and..well...better than Boogie. This is one of two films I've ever cried in: I cried over the pure beauty in the filmmaking, writing, acting, and the stories themselves. (The other film was Schindler's List for obvious reasons.) This film is like heaven for true movie fans, and those who are calling the film a mess deserve to be spanked: just because it's long, and ambitious does not mean it's a mess. Everything, as Harry says, is deliberate and planned in the film, and the last thing it is is a mess. A modern masterpiece, a classic of American cinema, and miles better than its major companion piece, Short Cuts. 2. FIGHT CLUB: What can I say. This is original. Not Being John Malcovich. This film constantly shocks, surprises etc. It is like a masturbation of film: every image, line, plotpoint: it's the future of film, and no one seems to realize it. Fincher and Anderson are the two most important directors working today: they are young (well, Fincher is a bit older, but still young), and understand what makes a great film. This has Norton's and Pitt's best performances. The plot "twist" isn't so much a gimmick like in the 6th Sense, but another plot point that propells the film into a new surreal territotry. MUST BE SEEN TWICE!!!!!!!!! (The best second viewing of any movie) Another masterpiece and American cinema classic. 3. EYES WIDE SHUT: This is a hypnotic, beautiful, amazing final film from the greatest of all directors, Stanley Kubrick. Everything in the film is realized, and it works like a surrealistic dream/nightmare, with all of the thematic elements falling into their places. This needs to be seen twice as well, if only to fully appreciate what Kubrick has given us. The best thing about the film is that it's startling....Kubrickian. The man directs like it was 1971: he hasn't remotely lost his sense of pacing, lighting, and beauty. The film wasn't accepted upon its release, but like every other Kubrick film , in time it will be regarded as a classic. And all of its original detractors will change their opinions etc., just like practically every other film the man has every made. ONe more time, say it with me: A modern masterpiece, and a classic of American (although it's actually British in a sense) cinema. I also really enjoyed Man on the Moon, Green Mile, and American Beauty, although all of them are highly flawed. I really didn't like Being John Malcovich, Insider, Three Kings, Bringing Out the Dead, toy Story 2, Iron Giant: all because of their critical and audience hype and the extreme disappointment I felt at each one, especially the dreadful Malcovich, the most overrated film in years.

Having not seen Man On The Moon or Magnolia... 1. American Beauty 2. The Green Mile 3. Three Kings 4. Being John Malkovich 5. The Sixth Sense 6. Arlington Road 7. Election 8. Fight Club 9. The Thomas Crown Affair 10.Sleepy Hollow Most Disappointing: 1. Bats 2. Lake Placid 3. Dick 4. Big Daddy 5. Entraptment 6. The Talented Mr. Ripley (probably gonna get reamed for that one.) 7. Instinct 8. Austin Powers 2 9. Any Given Sunday 10.The Phanton Menace Pleasantly Surpised: 1. House on Haunted Hill 2. Deep Blue Sea 3. Galaxy Quest 4. The Bone Collector 5.10 Things I Hate About You (was not nearly as bad as i had expected.)

Well this talk back is a bit stale, but if anyone's still reading...I have to agree with Fidelio's three choices, although I would bump Magnolia to 3rd place, with Fight Club on top. I've hesitated in posting a favorites list, but I will agree that my top three are pretty far above my 4-10. I absolutely LOVED Mr. Ripley, but I don't think it resonated to the bowels of my soul like the other 3. I've seen Magnolia twice, EWS 3 times (it was pulled from theatres too quickly), and saw FC for the 5th time tonight, at a second-run theatre with a very cool audience. I am still discovering things about the film, like the parallels to the final segment of Apocalypse Now. The scene after the car crash where Norton is "Recuperating" in his bed with Pitt talking to him. The light fading in and out reminds me of where Brando is sermonizing to Sheen. Like Apocalypse, FC is a journey to an eventual meeting and understanding of another man. In FC the journey is not apparent until it is over, and he must kill his evil half. In Apocalypse, Willard must "become" Kurtz to kill him, or more to the point, he must understand him before he can kill him, and the final image of the film implies part of Kurtz has been absorbed into Willard. So the outcomes of the films are different, but there are definitely parallels, and I'm interested to hear Fincher's DVD commentary and see if he references AN. "Apocalypse Now" would have been a perfect title for Fight Club. I thought Fight Club, even though it may spiral out of control by the end (and isn't that just how an apocalyptic film should be?), but the sheer visual inventiveness of the visuals and story made it the film I wish I had made myself. And I can't pay a higher compliment. Eyes Wide Shut is a new friend that I feel I will get to know more and more every year and will come to love more than I already do. I think Magnolia is transcendent cinema, but it is sloppy. I wish every young maverick would aim so high, but I think EWS and FC are much more realized. PTA shouldn't be ashamed of anything, however. I'll stop now, no one's probably reading anyway....

Damn you, Paul Thomas Anderson. Magnolia was fucking brilliant. I MUST see it again. This beats Fight Club by a considerable margin. In fact, other than Schindler's List, Magnolia may just be the best of the decade. This will grant controversy. And not everyone will like this, I can guarantee you that. This is not for the sheep - this one's for the shepherds.

I went to see Magnolia last night. I soooo wanted to like this movie! Boogie nights was such a great flick and I had heard so much raving about Magnolia that I thought this was a done deal, that I was going to experience something grand, transcendent... Well, I didn't. Granted, there was much promise in the different storylines but PTA never seemed to be willing to get them home. I kept waiting to be swept off my feet, like during that interminable scene during the quiz show where you could feel the tension rising and rising in the different storylines... I kept telling myself "this is going come together in such an incredible way..." But, it never did ! When the end finally came, I felt cheated out of three hours of my life. I don't consider myself to be a complete moron but was there something I didn't get ? It seems to me that PTA went so out of his way to make this film non-obvious that in the end it just imploded. As far as emotions are concerned, I felt so removed by the time the film got to the Cruise-Robards scene that I couldn't feel a thing... It was poignant but, by that time, all my senses had been dulled by the endless expectation! If you want to see a really poignant movie, then run to see "Boys don't cry"; I was completely floored by the end of that film and it's a shame that it was not given the recognition it deserves!

Magnolia is about how parents scar their children, and how we must get past that, and forgive. This film had such a personal resonance to me, as a survivor of cancer. No, I didn't have it but my father did. This is a movie about how the past must not just be resolved, but understood, and how life seems to throw curve balls when you are praying for a slow pitch. The apocalyptic ending, which I won't spoil here, was a wake up call that "it's not going to stop till you wise up." Magnolia was beautiful, and I will be seeing it again.

Thanks for finally redeeming yourself as regards Three Kings. It is the best movie I have seen this year, qualifying this with an admittance of not having seen several of the other said "top" movies. I was awed by this film and was ddeply disturbed by your review. Your new, miniature version is much better. However, I am dissapointed and perplexed by it's low rating. Then you have the gall to rate pieces of crap like The Matrix ahead of it. In any case, you're doing better. Also, next time you do a list, please start at the bottom. This is a much better format, I'm sure we'ld all enjoy better. It wouldn't be very fun if the Academy started with Best Picture, now would it. I like your site, and it's more than satisfactory.

i can't believe not one person including you harry doesn't have american history x on their list. this was by far one of the best and most powerful movies of the year the acting kicked ass. I also thought go was one hell of a movie also.

Attention simple minded person who posted above me, American History X came out in 1998. Last year was 1999. Get a calendar and stop sniffing glue.

This was a very nice list. Most of my fav's are present. My order is a bit different. To spare your readers, I'll only list a few of mine. American Beauty!!!!!!! Wow. I have not been so taken by a film in many years. (Do the Right Thing?) I am the age of Kevin Spacey in the film. The movie and he spoke to me. Likewise, my friends and associates. Hand out the Oscar(s) now and we won't have to watch the show. Sixth Sense. Before Am Beauty, I thought this was the best the year could offer. Imagine an intelligently written "horror" film. What will they think of next? Run Lola Run. I don't think I had more fun at the movie this year. You just know the people behind this movie were enjoying themselves. Beside The Blair Witch Project, no movie was quite as imaginative. The Blair-Witch Project. Whenever a clump of weeds hanging from a tree can scare the crap out of me I know I'm seeing a great movie. Forget the hype and all the other nonsense, this was grade A movie making. Being John Malkovich. No better writing this year. The 1/2 floor element was pure genius. John M was a real trouper to have participated. After a number of years of drought, 1999 was a good year for film. For about thirty years I've been predicting the Oscar race. This is going to be a tough one. I wish they were all this difficult. Nice site. Keep up the good work!

This was the greatest year for movies EVER. It's never been so hard to make a top ten list. Well, here's mine along with my Oscars. (1)All About My Mother (2) Magnolia (3)American Beauty (4) South Park (5)Run Lola Run (6) Being John Malkovich (7)Toy Story 2 (8) Tumbleweeds (9) Boys Don't Cry (10) The Talented Mr Ripley, BEST ACTOR- Kevin Spacey (American Beauty), BEST ACTRESS- Janet McTeer (Tumbleweeds, the best of the year), BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR- Tom Cruise (Magnolia), SUPPORTING ACTRESS- Toni Collette (The Sixth Sense), BEST DIRECTOR- Tim Burton (Sleepy Hollow) Once again, this was the year that defined the end of old school movemaking and the introduction of the Paul Thomas Anderson new school of genius filmaking. Responces? Thoughts? Email me at Disney109@aol.

1- Fight Club: The perfect guy movie didn't make a shit load of money or anything but was pure brilliance Edward Norton plus Pitt plus Fincher equals Genius!!! 2- Toy Story 2: Better than the original, my little brother and I both could enjoy this movie not just a kiddie flick 3- Matrix:Wow! or should I say Whoa! Can't wait for the sequels 4- The Talented Mr. Ripley: Matt Damon as a psycho awesome he deserves another Oscar. Loved how he got away with it. 5- The Green Mile: Never been happier with a Stephen King adaptation As for 6-15 here they go... 6-Three Kings 7- The Iron Giant 8-American Beauty 9-Man on the Moon 10-The Sixth Sense 11-Blair Witch Project 12-The Limey 13-The Cedar House Rules 14-Magnolia 15-The Insider

1. American Beauty: Without a doubt, the best film of the year. A believable plot, and everyone involved gives great performences especially Kevin Spacey. 2. Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace: This film lived up to it's hype, and beyond. It's plot is suprisingly complex, but flew over many peoples heads. It's a shame, but in 20 years people will be looking at this movie more rationally instead of slamming it because it didn't live up to their huge expectations. 3. Green Mile: A very involving film that is very faithful to the book. Not a waste of 3 hours at all. The cast as a whole is excellent, and Michael Clarke Duncan should be nominated for an Academy Award for his role as John Coffey. 4. Sixth Sense: This movie was excellent even before the ending. It's scary without throwing things at you (ie. The Haunting) and the acting is excellent, especially Haley Joel Osment. 5. Fight Club: Not for all tastes but I thought it was well made and the acting was good. Very good plot twist at the ending that I didn't see coming. 6. The World Is Not Enough: I can't believe how underrated this movie is. It's the best Bond in years. It had a lot more talking than the previous Bond's so I guess that's why people didn't like about it. 7. Iron Giant: This is what Disney SHOULD be. Brilliant. I can honestly say that this was the best animated movie since The Lion King, and that was 5 years ago. 8. Toy Story 2: This was very good, but not as good as the original. Still, it had a better plot than most of the movies this year. I'm glad it didn't go straight to video. 9. The Matrix: Overrated, but still very good sci-fi film. Obviously a lot of thought was put into the story and unlike other sci-fi films of recent past, this film actually HAS a plot to go along with it's special effects. 10. Galaxy Quest: Finally some comic relief from all the doom and gloom of movies in 99. Everyone should have a good time at this movie and enjoy it for what it is. It's even funnier when you know all about Star Trek, and can catch all of the in jokes.

I'm a bit late with this, but after reading some peoples thoughts on the worst of '99, I was amazed. I know everyone has their own opinions, but I think people are forgeting (and rightfully so, I suppose) the TRUELY worst films of the year. When I see people saying The Phantom Menace, Notting Hill, The Matrix, Eyes Wide Shut, etc., as one of their worst of the year, I think they have forgotten about some of the following: Lake Placid, Universal Solider: The Return, Chill Factor, Three to Tango, True Crime, The Rage: Carrie 2, 8mm, Gloria, Bats, Drive Me Crazy, Wing Commander, Wild Wild West (ok...so no one really forgot how bad this was), The King and I & Anna and the King...I'm not sure which was worse, Simply Irresistible, Virus, The Haunting, Brokedown Palace, Teaching Mrs. Tingle, and perhaps three of the worst films EVER made: Dudley Do-Right, The Mod Squad, and BABY GENUISES!!! There are many more that I hated, such as American Pie and The Blair Witch Project (original my Ass...nothing but a rip-off of The Last Production!) but even I wouldn't call them as bad ass some of the dreck we recieved this year. Seems like Hollywood is still batting about .200 when it comes to enjoyable movies.

where is boys don't cry on the list? magnolia sucked.

C'mon Harry!!! I may be late in responding to your list but there are two listings (just two) that I have to quibble with: THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT and THE PHANTOM MENACE. Yes TBWP is significant in its marketing stragety but that's it. The film is, in and of itself, a JOKE! It was THE biggest ripoff of the year! It was boring and NOT SCARY IN THE LEAST! Not only that but it was stupid. I mean the characters, the situation, the ending were all moronic! I would have thought that you OF ALL PEOPLE would have been able to see this. This would not even come close to my top 500 of ALL TIME! The fact that you cannot see what a disgrace this film was puts serious doubts on your ability to look at film intelligently. The only thing that TBWP proved to Hollywood and the film making community in general is that you DON'T need big stars or big budgets to sell your movie. Tell enough people that crap tastes good and they'll eat it. Well people ate this up with a big SPOON! And as for the Phantom MenASS, where should I begin? Do I even have to justify my stance on this film? In all your Spiderman Posts you keep talking about character and story and casting and that effects don't make a film. So HOW is TPM on your list? I'm not talking about the hype or expectations. How about wanting the first chapter in the Star Wars Saga to be a great film? Or a good film? Or how about a mediocre film? Instead it was PURE UNADULTERATED TRASH. Did you see ANY character development? Any cohesive story? NO I say again NO!!! So what was great about this film. The design? C'mon, big deal!!!! The effects? I've seen VIDEOGAMES that had designs and effects that were JUST AS GOOD as TPM. Not to mention the title! I don't get it Harry. I really don't. I consider myself a fanboy as well but I don't want to see movies with ABSOLUTELY no thought put into them! Why don't we just cast Nick Cage as Superman and call it a day. TPM wasn't a movie it was a commercial! Apparently you thought differently. I respect you Harry, I think you have a true love of film. But, man, when you put these two films (which basically spit on the concepts that good filmaking is built upon) on ANY top-whatever list I think you HAVE to go back and take a GOOD LOOK at the fundamentals of film. Oh, yeah, one more thing: The end to THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY really sucked. Talk about a movie being just 10 minutes too long...

I was very dissappointed to see Fight club before the "Matrix", I understand some people thought it was overated, but it was the best sci-fi thriller in years, much more worth the money than, Episode One. David

I've already listed my top 15 the only movies i deemed worthy of watching this entire year. Here are my Honorable Mentions American Pie, The Iron Giant, Go!, Man on the Moon and The Hurricane 10 Worst 1- The Haunting 2- The Phantom Menace 3- Wild Wild West 4- Deuce Bigalow Male Gigalow 5- A midsummer Night's Dream 6- Analyze This 7- Office Space 8- Never Been Kissed 9- Eye Wide Shut 10-(tie) Stir of Echoes and Being Jon Malkovich Films that i look foward to seeing- The Beach, X-Men, The Patriot, Scream 3, Lord of the Rings, Titan A. E., Dinosaur, and Blade 2

It amuses me when people say TPM would have flopped if not for the hype. Blair Witch and AP2 had far more hype, and less longevity at the box office. TPM didn't insult anyone's intelligence. Most people didn't even understand the title! BTW, where the hell is part 2 of Moriarty's review of the 90s?

Hey Harry, Haven't you seen The Hurricane yet? It should be in your top 5; it's incredible.

What about GO?!? I would have thought it would be on the list for sure! It was way better than Run Lola Run.

Cheers for including October Sky in your top 30. Very well done. 1)Green Mile 2)Arlington Road 3)Toy Story 2 4)Blair Witch 5) October Sky 6)Fight Club

I have just read your list and generally good work fella. However some choices made me so angry I began to twitch and dribble. Firstly Toy Story 2. It is well made and the technique is still just about new enough to be innovative, and it pisses on every Disney cartoon in the the last 20 years...but to say its the film of the year.Noooo. This has been the best year of important, innovative or just plain breathtaking films for god knows how long. American Beauty was stunning, Fight Club was the biggest head fuck I have ever seen, The Matrix made my eyes bleed but The Phantom Manace was so fucking bad it sapped my will to live. But my biggest problem with your list was Run Lola Run how was that so high. If you look up style over content in the dictionary there will be a picture of this very film. Having a techno (80`s but Germans are slow to catch on) sound track and a punk (70`s but Germans are slow to catch on) running around does not make a film a breath of fresh air. Were you a lesser critic I would suggest that that you were merely being pretentious by including a foreign film that few people have seen, but I know you are not that shallow. I am bitter that I have not yet seen Magnolia ( I am from the U.K. but come over about once a month with work and catch up on films).I also felt that the brilliant energetic funny British gengster flic Lock,Stock and Two Smoking Barrels should have get a place. I was delighted to see that Tim Burton`s brilliant Hammer horror tribute Sleepy Hollow was present.I am sorry that it may sound if I am taking your decisions to pieces but I guess this site is about daring to have opinions. I agreed with most other things..except the Iron`fucking`Giant...but that`s a different story all together.

How could you leave Go out of your top 30, and have crap like Notting Hill, Eyes Wide Shut, and Phantom Menace in it. Pulp Fictionesque, Doug Liman(I love "Swingers", guess Doug has a thing for movies with LA and Vegas) and Katie Holmes. The portrayal or raves and ecstasy were kinda off, but everything else was absolutely hilarious.

I don't care how good the acting and direction is, if the story isn't good, then the movie won't do it for me. That was 3 hours of my life I'd love to have back.

Way to narrow it down, Harry.

Other than the obvious hassle of all these people ranking on your own thoughts, I think you do this service for people to the Nth degree. My critique is no critique at all. The picks for the top 30 are very commendable. I even agree with Notting Hill, because it was, and I admit it, an entertaining movie, and that's what movies are all about. Toy Story 2 is a strong critics choice as well, and the only flick I'd put higher is Fight Club, because I found myself spellbound by it(and that in any Ed Norton flick i.e. Rounders, People Vs. Larry Flint, American History X, Primal Fear, etc, etc, etc....)and I don't want this to seem like a Norton Praise Sheet but it IS only a mater of time before the kid from the Ivy Leauges starts making some REEL noise with the academy. So, just to end before I go off on a total tangent, I commend you, Harry, on the great selection of movies to don the award of best picture... Keep up the great work on the best job on the planet...

Definitely agree that TPM rules the top of the list.... all the hype all the bitchin and all the Jar Jar shit... nobody remembered that everyone got into StarWars.. I loved the film, and i didn't mind Jar Jar Either... A different topic though... that guy that says Starship Troopers is the worst movie of all time, i guess you haven't seen Thin Red Line yet huh?

You don't need to be a die hard Woody fan to love this one. In fact, I saw this film with a group of friends who loathe Allens previous work (blasphemy in my eyes) and our reviews all equaled each others. We LOVED it! Sean Penn gives undoubtedly the best performance of the year as a fictitious jazz musician in the 20's. After you see this movie, you'll swear there really was an Emmet ray. For as many great movies you incorporated into your top 30 (mainly in the top ten) i am shocked to see this one absent from your list, Harry.

It was originally released in North America in November of 1998. In fact it won multiple 1999 Genie Awards (covering movies released in the previous year) a year ago.

IMDB---- 10/9/98 - Toronto Film Festival 22/5/99 - Seattle Int'l Film Festival

I can understand 10 best or in this case 30 best lists. I feel occasionally tempted to do them myself. What I disagree with is this obsession with ordering. Me, I think it isn't so important that a film shows up at a certain number... ...it's that it shows up. I don't disagree with numbering, since it simplifies things greatly, but it's not the most important aspect of a ten (or thirty) best list. But that's my opinion.

I must admit, putting "Magnolia" at the #2 spot on the list is atrocious. Some of the other movies on there ("Fight Club," "Three Kings," "Malkovich," "South Park," etc.) are so worthy of being placed higher, and instead the space is taken by P.T. Anderson's mock-drama, merely because he pretends it's epic filmmaking. I'd like to refer everyone to the LA Times Calendar Section from Sunday, January 30th. In it, Stephen Farber eloquently writes about how overrated "Magnolia" is and how Anderson has been hailed a new force in cinema prematurely. I couldn't begin to bring as much coherence and sense to the argument as Farber, because I'm still clouded with rage over the arrogance and arbitrariness of the film. Otherwise, a well-done list.

Denzel gave one of the best performances of the year, and that's a pretty Great movie too, I'd say. I agree with Timmer33. Harry, you no see? Best Movie of the year: American Beauty - I didn't really expect it to have such an emotional impact on me (and everyone else I talked to about it), but it did, HELLUVA movie! Kevin Spacey Rules. Biggest Disappointment of the year for me: Any Given Sunday - I wouldn't say it was crap, but I thought Oliver and Company would have made a better movie, that's all. Some times his directing style works, sometimes it don't. Biggest suprise for me was Three Kings, it kicked so much ass, while making us care about who was kicking it, (or vice versa) another suprise: this came out of nowhere: The Sixth Sense I don't understand why Fight Club was a Financial Disappointment, everyone seems to love it! I can't wait to see it, It's pathetic that I haven't. I want to see it so bad! The other movie I can't wait to see is the Insider(Heat Rules), and to a lesser extent Man on The Moon and Dogma AWESOME movies - Sleepy Hollow The Matrix I think I forgot some movies...so don't take this to seriously. P.S. Blair Witch kinda sucks now, sorry.

uhm....October Sky should be a LOT higher on the list. The feelings invoked from this movie are the cornerstone of why films should be made in the first place. Parralleling the American Dream, it provides us all with the inspiration of life itself and giving us a greater purpose towards our own every day lives. Rather the inspiration last the 2 hours of the film, or the rest of our lives from viewing such a movie, that is what film does and it shows the power that it can evoke on viewers. Film, pure entertainment or more? I vote for the more and I look for the meaning the writer and director want to invoke in me and I enjoy it to the max.

Here goes(not in order except for top 5) 1. Magnolia 2. American Beauty 3. Fight Club 4. Being John Malkovich 5. Election 6. Three Kings 7. The Matrix 8. Arlington Road 9. The Green Mile 10. October Sky 11. The Hurricane 12. Man on the Moon 13. Talented Mr. Ripley 14. Cider House Rules 15. Bowfinger 16. Dogma 17. Eyes Wide Shut 18. Go 19. The Limey 20. The Sixth Sense 21. Toy Story 2 22. The Blair Witch Project 23. Phantom Menace 24. Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels 25. South Park 26. Stir of Echos 27. Brining ou the Dead 28. The Insider 29. Summer of Sam 30. The Straight story top 5 worst: 1. Simon Sez 2. Double Jeopardy 3. Wild Wild West 4. The Haunting 5. Stuart Little

Hey, I think Harry has a good grip on things. Heres my 10 Best of the Year. 1.American Beauty 2.Magnolia 3.The Insider 4.Toy Story 2 5.Dogma 6.Man on the Moon 7.The Blair Witch Project 8.Bowfinger 9.The World Is Not Enough 10.The Matrix Since I am a HUGE Star Wars fan, TPM is disqualified, because I would have said it was the best of the year, since I saw it 20 times. I think most of you who didn't like Magnolia or TBWP have short attention spans and no imagination. Don't take it to heart.

Hell I think Harry Coped out puting TPM so low on his list. Now I won't say TPM is the best film of 1999 but it was by far my favoirte movie of the year and I'm danm proud to shout it from the mountain tops. What do I care what other people thing?

Can't say that I agree with EVERYTHING on the list, but anybody who says they do must be kissing your ass... But you know, I gotta hand it to you, I think Notting Hill was one of the best movies *I* saw this year, too. Maybe it's just me, but I haven't seen that many romantic comedies in recent years that were convincingly romantic. Or funny, either, for that matter. I liked this movie, perhaps the first film to properly show Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts to their best advantage.

I am surprised by the recognition of some strong small films like Election and The Limey. I also thing Beauty and Sense deserve the attention. And I am deeply disturbed by the thoughtlessness of two films on the list. To place Phantom Menace and Eyes Wide Shut on any list in a desire for those films to fulfill the expectations of audiences, critics and other filmmakers. It did none of those things.

American Beauty is #1, period. The Blair blah blah is a piece of...

Don't some of you wanna-be's have enough maturity to disagree with someone without insulting the guy? Gotta love the net.

The Matrix. It was amazing. I don't know how much I can say except that it should easily be in the top three. It was a brilliant film with a serious plot able to support its special effects. Many sci-fi movies have people jumping from roof to roof and being able to do a triple kick eight feet in the air without ropes for no reason, they are simply "Real strong" which does not make sense, The Matrix explains WHY they are able to make these incredible leaps and reach amazing speeds. Easily beating out the noisy kiddi-fest entitled "The Phantom Menace" this film, though completely different from the other top five I'd select, should be rated among The Sixth Sense, American Beauty, Being John Malkovich, and The Mummy(Which I can understand why some people disliked that one, though I can not comprehend people's negative opinions and comments on The Matrix.)

so where is end of day? i know everyone slagged off this film and its not a masterpiece but harry raved about. i think he has left it out because its not "cool" to like arnold schwarzenegger anymore as with many of the people who have posted on the talk back section of the end of days review. And anyway even if you think the film is utter shit its still better than utter crap that is "the red violin", how can harry dare put that in his top 30?

Have I missed something regarding the Sixth Sense? The film I saw was badly acted (Bruce Willis looks like he's straining for a S*** through the whole film) with a 'shock' twist that I saw coming from the opening twenty minutes of the film, yet Harry includes it in his top thirty and it gets nominated for Best Picture. And as for the inclusion of the abysmal Phantom Menace...

1. Being John Malcovich 2. Magnolia 3. Man on the Moon 4. American Beauty 5. The Straight Story 6. South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut 7. Fight Club 8. Election 9. Three Kings 10. Dick 1. Being John Malcovich. Every single person on this planet should be forced to watch this movie clockwork-orange style. It is by far the best movie of the year, and has even made it on my top ten films of the ninties list (Don't worry, fools, you'll be inundated with that one soon enough). Spike Jonze has become my new movie idol for the year. I've always liked him from his work in music videos (remember Sabotage), and he also has the distinction of having directed my all time favorite commercial, an ER scene in which everyone begins singing "Tainted Love" to the beat of the heart moniter, but this year he's really shined. Not only did he steal the show in Three Kings playing Tanner but Being John Malcovich is one of the funniest and easily the most original movie I've seen in years. I will be really upset if the Academy doesn't recognize it. I imagine it will get nominated for the screenplay and probably for Best Supporting Actress, but in an ideal world Jonze would win for Best Director and John Malcovich should win a Best Actor award for his portrayal of John Malcovich. Go see this movie, it's really an amazing one. Also, every year I end up getting a screenwriter to idolize, and this year it's Charlie Kaufman. Being John Malcovich is his first screenplay, and for his follow up he's writing a movie about the guy that hosted the Gong show, only in the movie he's going to be an international assassin by night and Gong show host by day. The original script for Being John Malcovich has a climax that features a forty foot tall Harry Truman puppet that breathes fire and is controlled by Satan. Unfortunatly that ending was changed in rewrites, but its still a damn fine script. Go see this movie. I saw it in an arthouse theater in Boston and have seen it about 3 times since. It's a fucking great movie. 2. Magnolia Another movie that got dissed by the academy. This one is from the writer/director of Boogie Nights, and has one of the best ensemble casts in years. It's a really powerful movie about trying to regain love through indirect avenues. I'm not going to bore you with my analysis of the movie, and I will add a disclaimer. A lot of people were turned off by this movie because it's very long and very complex, but in my opinion it is well worth the time and the effort. 3. Man on the Moon. Well, this is at least a movie that some of you droogs have probably seen. A lot of people complained that the movie was pointless, but I disagree. It's similar to The Doors in that it portrays a fallen hero in a way the fallen hero depicted everything else. The Doors used the Oliver Stone high paced drug induced style, and Man on the Moon used the comedic sensitivity of Andy Kaufman. Both movies captured the styles and the men perfectly. My pick for best acting performance of the year is Jim Carrey in Man on the Moon, by the way. It's creepy how much he becomes his character. Jim Carrey is an actor who comes with so much baggage. I didn't buy him in The Truman Show precisly because he was Jim Carrey. I kept seeing him talking out of his ass. But in Man on the Moon you completly forget you're watching Jim Carrey. He absolutly becomes the character. And the movie itself is a drama about what it's like being a comic. That theme in itself, the drama of comedy, is worth the $7.50. 4. American Beauty Lately I've been backlashing against this movie because it seems like it's been snubbing Being John Malcovich, and that pissess me off. It reminds me of Forest Gump versus Pulp Fiction. American Beauty is the movie EVERYONE likes, but Being John Malcovich is the one that will have the biggest impact on the medium. I do thing, for the record, that Being John Malcovich is nearly as good as Pulp Fiction. But for all the backlash American Beauty is still a damn fine film, and had it come out in any other year besides this one I would be 100% behind it. The script--sharp, witty, and incredibly blunt and caustic--will be a template for aspiring screenwriters for generations. Even though I want Spike Jonze to win for Being John Malcovich I would say that Sam Mendes probably deserves the Best Director Oscar. He does a really fine job of capturing the insides of the actors, and they were damn fine actors to boot. A really great movie, and, like I said, would have been my favorite of the year in any other year but this one. 5. The Straight Story The Straight Story is one that I just happened to see, knowing absolutly nothing about it. It turned out to be the most charming pictures of the year. It's a David Lynch movie but a lot more down to earth than most of his other pictures. David Lynch, for those who don't know, is the certifiable nut behind Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, and The Lost Highway. Basically the movie is about an old guy who drives a long way in a tractor. That's it. Not to complicated, is it. But it's kind of like Babe in the sense that you would swear you would never like this kind of movie and then leave it wiping tears from your eyes. Everything in this movie is so deliciously understated, and everything works so well in synthesis with each other, that the movie is a really tight package. This movie may not be for you, it is a real sentimental, quiet picture, but if you give it a chance I guarantee you you'll be nicely surprised. 6. South Parker, Bigger, Longer, & Uncut. Putting South Park on my list was a bit of an agonizing decision. I know damn well that it won't win any awards and most critics were a bit turned off by it, but god damn that was a fucking funny movie. I've seen it about ten times already and I laugh my ass off every single time. It's also one of the best musicals of the ninties. And if "Uncle Fucker" doesn't get a nomination for best original song, someone's going to get hurt. By the way, after I sent that to my friends we had a big discussion on the songs from it that should be nominated but wouldn't be in a million years. I for one shit my pants when I heard "Blame Canada" actually did get nominated. A few more words on the film. The more I think about it the more I realize that this is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. It's on par with Airplane and Something About Mary. I was laughing my ass off every other minute. And, not to put too fine a point on it, there is something to be said for the satire about it. The movie Dogma, for example, was simply a toned-down live action version of this movie. 7. Fight Club This spurred a lot of debate among my friends, and film critics in general. I still can't put my finger on what it was I liked about this movie, but I really enjoyed it a lot. Okay, kiss my ass all you nay-sayers. I was really impressed with this movie. I went to it expecting Bloodsport but it turned into a really, really bizarre movie. I'm a sucker for really, really bizarre movies. It has a really strange but very compelling nihilistic worldview, and is just so raw that I left the theater absolutly amazed at what I had seen. I couldn't believe that this movie had been made by a major studio with two A-list hollywood stars. It's a very twisted testosterone-fest but a hell of a good one. A real fucked up movie, which is what I think appealed to me. 8. Election. Election was also a great movie. The top three billed actors in the film give outstanding performances creating really complex shallow characters, a paradox which really doesn't make sense until you've seen the movie. I'm not a huge Matthew Broderick fan but this is certainly the best performance of his career, and Reese Witherspoon deserves and Oscar nomination. This film deserves to bee seen for the acting alone. But acting alone is not what makes this movie so cool. I was really surprised how fucking dark it got. It looks like it's going to be a little teenage comedy and turns into a pretty dark comedy. If it were up to me the script would win some awards itself, it really drew out great stories from the characters, instead of the other way around. That's a difficult thing to do, especially in a movie. 9. Three Kings. Three Kings was another surprise. I wouldn't have expected a film starring George Clooney, Marky Mark, and Ice Cube would be very well acted, but it was. It is also the best Gulf War movie I've ever seen, although I can only think of one other Gulf War movie (Courage Under Fire for those of you keeping score at home). This is THE movie about the Gulf War. Anyone else wishing to do a movie about that particular war should just pack up and do something else. The treatment of the Gulf War was just right on. I loved how it handled the relationship between the media and the soldiers, and the relationship between politics and war. "Are we shooting today?" I've already mentioned Spike Jonze in this movie. He gave one of the better performances of the year and really stole the show. He was the fourth king, the hick guy, and was just funny as hell, but he never stretched too much to get a laugh, like Jim Carrey for example. And the directing was also worth noting. Let me just say that in general I hate Oliver Stone. He tries to get "cool" with the camera, using weird lens and angle work, combined with strange cinematography, and Stone sees it as adding to the movie. He single handedly ruined Natural Born Killers, a great script by Tarantino. He also ruined Any Given Sunday, which had some great acting but you'd never know it through the direction. I generally think Oliver Stone is trying to be the star of all his movies by making his directorial touch so goddamn prevelant. I mention Oliver Stone in relation to Three Kings because the directing styles are similar. Only in Three Kings I feel the directing works, that it actually does add to the movie. The shots of bullets piercing organs, the way heat and sand are used, and the hustle of the camera during action scenes. The direction in this movie is Oliver Stonish, but doesn't suck. 10. Dick Alright, I got a lot of shit for this one too but I'm sticking with it. Dick was a surprisingly fun movie. My experience seeing it was similar to seeing Blast From the Past and Slums of Beverly Hills, two really good movies that I went to see thinking "this is going to suck." Dick, for those who don't know, is about Watergate, and works on a lot of different levels. For the political junkies it provides explainations for every single minute detail of the scandal, from the identity of Deep Throat--two fifteen year old girls who serve as official White House Dog Walkers--to why 18 minutes of the Nixon tapes are blank. On that level it's a surprisingly intelligent manipulation of history and was just really witty in the way that it told the story of Watergate, filling in explainations to every single mystery, but never got too bogged down in it. The Watergate scandal was almost like a setting and a side plot. On the other level it works as simply being a really funny movie. Not only is it rife with terrific dick jokes, but the supporting cast is incredible. By my count it contained three cast members of Saturday Night Live, two from The Kids in The Hall, one from the Simpsons, and one from Upright Citizen's Brigade. It was a terrific surprise of a movie that didn't get a lot of recognition but should. Some honorable mentions: 11. Go Gets a lot of shit for being a lot like Pulp Fiction but fuck off, I like Pulp Fiction. A really fine cast with good performances all around, and even though the script is formed a lot like Pulp Fiction, it still works and the stories are still different enough that I didn't mind. 12. Dogma Holy shit was I looking forward to this movie. The next movie featuring Jay and Silent Bob. The last one was Chasing Amy, another of my picks for best of the ninties. This film wasn't as good as Chasing Amy but was still a damn fine movie nontheless. Chris Rock as the 13th apostle, Linda Fiorentino as the protagonist, Jay and Silent Bob as prophets, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck as fallen angels, and Alanis Morisette as God. It would have been really fucking hard to screw up this movie. And, for the record, any film the Catholic Church hates is automatically in my cool book. 13. The Matrix Although it could have been better, it was still near flawless. Just a really fucking COOL movie with a pretty meaty sci-fi plot. I still have no idea what the whole Oracle thing was about, but that's okay Some of the best effects of the year, a great soundtrack, and really fucking cool action scenes. Well, just thought I'd weigh in. I'd be interested in seeing Harry's top ten of the ninties. Ebert and Scorcese just did theirs and it really opens up a lot of discussion. If Harry ever does that, rest assured I will thrown down the gauntlet again. Sincerelly Paint CHiPS

No no no! American Beauty #1 Man on the Moon #2 Eyes Wide Shut #3 What the hell is Notting Hill doing up there?

1. THE MATRIX 2. FIGHT CLUB 3. TOY STORY 2 4. AMERICAN BEAUTY 5. THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME And the worst: 1. Blair Witch 2. Star Wars Ep 1 (loved the originals!) 3. American Pie (Unfunny) 4. Notting Hill (Piece of Shit) 5. The Mummy ---- And worst film of 2000 : Lake Placcid (Utter crap) _____ Oh, and "The Green Mile" was too long and episodic and "The Talented Mr Ripley" better that Psycho? Don't make me laugh...

Well Boys and Girls the moment you all have been waiting for my top ten 1.Magnolia 2.Being John Malkovich 3.Boys Don't Cry 4.The Fight Club 5.Sweet and Lowdown(I can't believe nobody mentioned this one) 6.Eyes Wide Shut 7.The Straight Story 8.The Three Kings 9.Bringing Out the Dead 10.The Limey Hon Mention- The Blair Witch Project, Summer of Sam, The War Zone, Man on the Moon, Election, Office Space, The Dreamlife of Angels, Open Your Eyes, The Talented Mr. Ripley, South Park, Sleepy Hollow, Limbo, Run Lola Run and to all you who hated Fight Club, Eyes Wide Shut, and The Blair Witch Project-Fuck yall, you ignorant poseurs, trying to go against your own judgement, and or stupidity!

1. Three Kings: Wow, what a movie. Only once before (in the form of 2001) has my life been changed by a movie, but this suceeded. 2. Being John Malkovich Amazing, for merging funny, original, art house, drama, and romance. The most original film of 1999. 3. Magnolia Paul Thomas Anderson is a #$*(@ genius, man. The way he artfully bases entire scenes on songs, and conveys character's emotions, is just amazing. 4. The Insider Easily the second scariest movie of the year, and it wasn't even concieved as a horror film! Russel Crowe is amazing, and the script is riveting. 5. Fight Club An excellent film dealing with the stuff that nightmares are made of. Edward Norton is dazzling in this groundbreaking film. 6. American Beauty No matter how overrated it may seem, still a fabulous example of modern film making. 7. Run Lola Run A dazzling film. Enough said.

1999 WAS A GREAT FUCKIN' YEAR FOR MOVIES! 2000 HAS SUCKED ASS IN COMPARISON!WHAT QUALITY-AND QUANTITY! MY FAVES WERE AMERICAN BEAUTY, BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, MAGNOLIA, TOPSY-TURVY,TOY STORY 2,THREE KINGS, THE INSIDER, THE STRAIGHT STORY, ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER, ELECTION, GO, SLEEPY HOLLOW,THE MATRIX, BOYS DON'T CRY,AND A FEW OTHERS. '99 WAS A GREAT TIME TO BE A MOVIEGOER!!!!!

1999 WAS A GREAT FUCKIN' YEAR FOR MOVIES! 2000 HAS SUCKED ASS IN COMPARISON!WHAT QUALITY-AND QUANTITY! MY FAVES WERE AMERICAN BEAUTY, BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, MAGNOLIA, TOPSY-TURVY,TOY STORY 2,THREE KINGS, THE INSIDER, THE STRAIGHT STORY, ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER, ELECTION, GO, SLEEPY HOLLOW,THE MATRIX, BOYS DON'T CRY,FIGHT CLUB AND A FEW OTHERS. '99 WAS A GREAT TIME TO BE A MOVIEGOER!!!!!

1) Magnolia: As a young kid that dreams of becoming a filmmaker one of these days, this film just inspired me like no other. No movie has ever made write my ass off for weeks, monthes to come. After viewing this magnificent true piece of art I was overwhelmed, which is why I went staright out and stole Short Cuts from my local video store. So I could watch it over, and over again, and over again. Which then led to me renting Nashville. Oh my fucking god. I'll leave it at that. 2) Being john Malkovich: I have never laughed so hard at a movie, and then a half an hour later felt truly full of pain for characters. Brilliant piece of creative art. I really like this one, this movie should be a classic, just as Magnolia. 3) Election: True pice of satire art, not one character in this movie, doesn't get made fun of, everyone is 3-dimensional in their actions. Really brilliant, i beleive the maker of this film (i can't remember his name, I'm too lazy to go get the box uptairs)will become the greatest satirist of this generation of fimmakers. Really brilliant stuff, and Matthew Broderick kicks ass! 4) Boys Don't Cry: Very moving, and at the same time very interesting to watch the character unfold as she becomes more accepted. It was obvious that in that small town she thought being gay was a horrible thing, therefor she had to mask it by pretending she was a guy, when at heart she was just a lesbian. There is nothing wrong with being either. Really great performances, and filmmaking. 5) Three Kings: So fucking cool. I can't analyse this film, I just think its cool. Cool enough to make number 5. 6)Run Lola Run: One of the most fascinating visual movies I have ever seen. Really great filmmaking, never a scene in the movie where i felt like i was going to explode from tension. 7) American Beauty: This movie wins on the cinematography alone. I will say I did not admire some of the scenes with the actors, I thought the dialog got a little cheesy. But I still can't help crying when Ricky is talking about the bag. "Sometimes it feels like I can't take, like my heart is going to cave in." Really beautifull. 8) Eyes Wide Shut: I like this movie a lot. The whole movie plays out like a dream. i can just picture someone explaining a dream just like that movie. "I had this weird dream, the streets were kinda empty, there was this guy following me" 9) All About My Mother: I truly have great respect for this movie. A movie with son unconventional characters, that could hvae been played out as comedic stereotypes, were not that to say the least. Truly beautifull love of a directors characters. Really cool camera shots also. 10) The Idiots: Lars Von Trier's follow up to one of the best films ever made Breaking the Waves would be on of my top 5, but since it was relesed in Europe in something like 1998 and didn't get here till now, bumped it back a notch, cause I'm sort of cheating. But anyway truly great experimental filmmaking. He wrote the script in 4 days, its the second installmant into the dogme 95 and its great. Really different, I recomend anyone who respects a filmmaker that battles what cinema expects to make true art. It's really great. Many movies in 1999 have gone unseen by me, but these are the best I've seen.