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THE AICN-DOWNUNDER ANNUAL 2006!!

still stupid to suggest anti-semitism... by grendel824	Dec 31st, 2006 12:11:41 AM
... based off of the movie. Later drunken rants don't make previous insipid accusations any smarter, just correct for the wrong reason.
Very VERY ordinary List. POTC2? Bugger off. Awful. by The Wrong Guy	Dec 31st, 2006 12:16:07 AM
The Departed was the best film I saw this year too. But The Descent had every right to be on that list, whereas POTC had every right to be put in the same league as The Da Vinci Code. Awful. Shame, Lat. Also, LMS should've been higher. And Inside Man was awesome.
I was so with you, Lat!! by BadMrWonka	Dec 31st, 2006 12:24:37 AM
up until the departed. I liked it alright, but there's always that twinge of unhappiness in my mind when a great movie, that happens to have been made in another country and another language, and an american director remakes it a few years later with white actors, in english, and it overshadows the original (Vanilla Sky, anyone?) the departed was just Internal Affairs in English. it had some Scorcese moments, but it just wasn't that amazing to me. still don't get it. why redo a movie that's not really that old, if not just to capitalize (not just monetarily, but artistically) on someone else's originally great idea? Fuck Vanilla Sky...
JSA by CelestialPudding	Dec 31st, 2006 12:28:33 AM
I reckon Park Chanwook's best film is actually JSA.
wrong guy by BadMrWonka	Dec 31st, 2006 12:30:54 AM
good on you. dissing POTC, which was a fun KID'S movie that obviously appealed to a lot of people, not just kids, in the same sentence you give a pat on the back to The Descent (as horrendous as The Grudge, except in a cave and with somehow even WORSE characterization). you must have drunk some expired milk. I saw the descent on the reccomendation of this site, and I was so disappointed, I almost walked out of the theater. non-sensical ridiculous shit. here's a hint: putting a bunch of women in your movie doesn't make it an inspirational female empowerment vehicle. you actually have to make them into characters, not stereotypes. and you say, "hey it's a horror movie, they never have characterization!" well fine, but other than the fact it was all women, and half the movie was in pitch black (saved a lot of $$$) what else was there? bat people gnawing on flesh? awesome.
The Prestige ... by bender7	Dec 31st, 2006 05:44:19 AM
I don't know if I feel this was the best movie of the year, but it's one of my favourites and was something really different so it deserves a top spot. Chirstopher Nolan's movies really can mesmerise you.
TOO SILVER!!! by Col. Tigh-Fighter	Dec 31st, 2006 07:16:44 AM
The 30 pieces Laturo got for shilling POTC:DMC and Lady Vengence, that is.
Vanilla Sky is awesome by barnaby jones	Dec 31st, 2006 11:08:54 AM
I've watched 'Abre los ojos' several times, the music and performances in comparison just aren't as good, oddly enough that includes Ms.Cruz.
brick was awesome by So-Crates	Dec 31st, 2006 11:49:19 AM
If you haven't seen it, check it out. And great call on Tristram Shandy, Lat. I watched based on a friends recommendation and loved the hell out of it. Coogan rules.
And a Happy New Year to you, Bad Wonka. And to Lat too! by The Wrong Guy	Dec 31st, 2006 07:39:30 PM
Descent was awesome though. Proabably heightened expectations would spoil some of the fun of it, but in comparison to any other horror movie released in the last 15 years, it's enormously effective at scaring the shit out of the viewer. I thought the female characters were fleshed out just enough, too, so I don't really agree with any of those criticisms. But whatever...it's 07 now. Hurrah. Or something...
This film is not yet rated was one of the best too by half vader	Jan 1st, 2007 03:23:19 AM
although I'm not sure if it qualifies as a doco when it changes tack. Thanks for reminding me about Tristram Shandy. Great stuff. My memory sucks Lat (and so does AICN's search function), but weren't you arguing back then that Passion was an anti-semitic film, rather than Gibson being an anti-semitic filmmaker (one doesn't necessarily follow the other)? Seeing as Passion is a love-letter to a Jew, I'm on the 'no' side for that film (yes I realise you're Jewish), and also the people criticising it for not including other 'happy' stuff are sort of missing the point. That's just IMHO. There are plenty of movies about that other stuff, and this was always meant to be specifically about the stations of the cross. Mel I think, is all sorts of fucked up though. Which makes him more perfect than ever for one more Mad Mel/Max film. Oh well. Agree to disagree with you, wrong guy. "Fleshed out" characters? Holy crap! Loved the rest but seriously some of the worst characterisation in the last 15 years. Again IMHO. Anyway having said my bit, that part near the start where the chick nearly gets crushed and loses her pack almost made me claustrophobic all by itself. I wanna 'test' Oldboy on some of my friends to see if I'm insane or not. I hate to be one of those "I think it sucked 'cause you all liked it" losers, but (COURTEOUS SPOILER ALERT) I really enjoyed it until the familial 'revelation' which everybody here felt to be genius but my jaw dropped with the supreme laughable implausibility of it. Again IMO it's just impossible to have a kid and not recognise traits and mannerisms even if they don't look anything like you or your partner and even if you've been separated from them for years. Look, I'll admit I can't really even articulate it, but... wow. Does CWP have kids? Or parents? Yes. I guess I'm crazy. Happy new year to our Northern Hemisphere friends who've now caught up!
One more question by half vader	Jan 1st, 2007 03:24:48 AM
Are Hilltop Hoods the guys from Katoomba that won the JJJ unearthed thing?
i agree with most of that list by ephor	Jan 1st, 2007 04:00:31 AM
My top 7 would be 7. The Departed 6. Volver, 5. The Prestige, 4. Little Miss Sunshine 3. Children of Men, 2. Pan's Labyrinth, 1. V for Vendetta. Though looking at it now I am not so sure. they're all very close. Another thing. I found the tension was better handled in Infernal Affairs, but Departed had a more complete story. Of course this is because it was really a remake of all three IA films (the sequels were quite awful! I couldn't even get through the third film. They were dull and incoherent)
half vader by ephor	Jan 1st, 2007 04:03:32 AM
I think they're from adelaide. I don't know if they won unearthed but they recently won the J Award for best Australian Album if that is what you're thinking of... which I thought was undeserved but anyway.
anti-semantism by Latauro	Jan 1st, 2007 04:16:05 AM
Just to respond to half-vadar's query (and not to start another flame war on the topic), but you're quite right to make the distinction between Gibson being anti-semitic and his film being anti-semitic. One does not necessarily lead to the other. However, aside from the fact that it gives me a lot of good opportunities for jokes, I don't care what Gibson thinks about Jews or, really, what he thinks about anything. Regarding the film, it's less of a love letter to a Jew, more of a love letter to a soft-featured father of Christianity.
The Bazura Project by Leedrick	Jan 1st, 2007 05:46:18 AM
I just got around to watching the first episode on the web (I'm in Perth) and I thought it was great. Well done, it's a really funny and interesting show. I see no reason why it couldn't be picked up by the ABC or SBS. A good replacement for the glass house.
Mel Gibson is anti-somatist by Leedrick	Jan 1st, 2007 05:50:02 AM
I heard he threw a phone at a psychiatrist.
Yeah sorry wasn't trying to stir things up again by half vader	Jan 1st, 2007 08:48:16 AM
What something like Mel Gibson and a Rabbi walk into a bar/two men enter one man leaves sorta thing? Sorry that's a bit feeble after your subject line. Rimshot! - And proceed directly to the video shop and get Kenny. An Oz comedy that's actually funny - will wonders never cease?! Don't hurt yourself trying to see Jindabyne though. Man that film pissed me off almost as much as the mindboggling wankfests Book of Revelations (might have been high expectations after Head On & so many great actors in it) and 3 dollars which most seem to love (I think you did Lat?) but I ended up hating with a passion. I really tried to see Suburban Mayhem but with the weird-arse session times they had I never managed. Leedrick, right on but do you reckon they'd do that with The Movie Show and At the Movies already on those two? Actually, what was that show that Lee whatsy from Saw (shudder) had on Eat Carpet? There was a great episode where he showed how the Matrix fights were basically a 'best of' all Yuen Wo Ping's previous HK stuff with a compilation clip. Love to see that again. God I can ramble on.
Did Tideland actually come out yet in Oz? by half vader	Jan 1st, 2007 08:50:48 AM
I really hope I didn't miss it on the big screen.
latauro by BadMrWonka	Jan 1st, 2007 12:43:55 PM
gibson's politics DO matter to me, only because I know his rich ass (rich off of a christian snuff film, which I thought to be completely over-wraught and poorly done) is going to personally finance all of his ridiculous vanity projects from now on. it just means that when I saw Apocalypto, I bought a ticket for something else and went into that theater instead. no way he get any of my money. but I was happy to give "stranger than fiction" double the money for the one viewing I got. everybody wins! list of people that will never get any of my money: Paul Haggis Mel Gibson Tom Cruise Pat Buchanan fuck Haggis!
Half Vader by wolfy666	Jan 1st, 2007 02:13:27 PM
Tideland hasn't been released in Oz yet, but it did play the Film Fantastic festival on the Gold Coast
AUSTRALIA GOTTA EAT by Pound Sand	Jan 1st, 2007 04:07:39 PM
See ya at Bondi Beach. I'll be the hairy guy with the big floppy hat and speedo.
re: sponses by Latauro	Jan 1st, 2007 05:01:55 PM
To answer stuff at random, I did really like 3 Dollars, but I acknowledge that I met it halfway. I loved the first half, and the second went a little off the rails, but I forgave it. Tideland played at both MIFF and Film Fantastic (where I introduced it!), and I'm praying it gets a release down here. And thank you for the kind words about Bazura. I agree that someone should give us an awful lot of money to do it on a network...
half vader by Leedrick	Jan 1st, 2007 05:28:31 PM
I don't know if it is likely to be picked up on the ABC, but I'd watch both this and At the Movies. I'd be happy if it replaced the hip new Movie Show on SBS.
Man of Gore by half vader	Jan 1st, 2007 10:54:59 PM
If only you spent as much effort on your film as you do trolling maybe someone would want to watch it. Bah. Leedrick, you're sure right about the triplej/Movie Show. Blehh. Go Lat. And Shannon with the pink cap (and nerdalert shirt)!
DEADMAN'S CHEST and LADY VENGEANCE by Halloween68	Jan 2nd, 2007 10:39:58 AM
Don't belong on a list for top 10 films of the year. I saw LADY VENGEANCE about a month ago, and you know what, I can't remember a single thing about the movie. That's not good. I remember every film that leaves an impression on me. DEADMAN'S CHEST was a sequel. It felt like a sequel. All the dialogue felt watered down. The running gags felt overused. The relationships between the characters felt strained. The only thing I felt worked about this film was Davey Jones and his ship-load of misshapened goons, not to mention the Kraken. The running wheel scene ran way too long. That said...I liked the film and I look forward to seeing the third. But this is a top 10 films of 2006 list. There's got to be something else out there you felt was better than these two. I haven't seen CANDY or THE WORLD'S FASTEST INDIAN so I can't comment on those, but the rest of the list is right on.
Top 10 by Leedrick	Jan 2nd, 2007 07:31:13 PM
I wouldn't have put pirates in my list either. It was a fun film, that I found more enjoyable than the first, but I think even Children of Men is a more worthy replacement. I'm still amazed at how different my reaction to The Prestige was to so many of you. I felt that the "prestige" act was spoiled by too much being revealed in the second act. It's as if Nolan forgot how much the audience already knew. I agree with The Departed at the top spot, and I loved The Fastest Indian. Like you Lat, I didn't think it was going to be anything special, and was pleasantly surprised. I absolutely loved Brick. Actually I agree with all the other films in the list that I have seen.
The Three Burials by Leedrick	Jan 2nd, 2007 07:32:33 PM
was also better than pirates.
The Hilltop Hoods by Leedrick	Jan 2nd, 2007 07:47:45 PM
It's rare that we get lyrics as good as those in The Hard Road. "It's your round if you're hangin' at the back of the bar" really strikes a chord in me.
4 in a row by Leedrick	Jan 2nd, 2007 07:57:11 PM
Did anyone else feel like stabbing their own face off during The New World? I don't mind slow films, but I just couldn't get anything out of this one. The Thin Red Line was one of only 2 films that caused me to walk out of the cinema.
Hilltop Hoods lyrics by Latauro	Jan 2nd, 2007 10:03:05 PM
You should run from me, fuck battling aint nothing sweet, Cos I won’t beat you to the punch I’ll punch you to the beat, Don’t get offended by the rubbish that we pump in the street, My foots always in my mouth I just cant stomach defeat... Love it.

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THE AICN-DOWNUNDER ANNUAL 2006!!

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