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Stephen King Picks The 10 Best Movies Of 2008!!

First? and.. by billypilgrimisunstuck	Dec 12th, 2008 07:22:40 PM
Synecdoche number 2? That irks me for some reason.
King has exquisite taste by blue1622	Dec 12th, 2008 07:24:33 PM
Dark Knight, Funny Games, Death Race and LakeView Terrace were all spectacular.
"Let the Right One In" by nolan bautista	Dec 12th, 2008 07:26:27 PM
i thought Stephen King would include that (unless they didnt have a screening up in Maine)
Death Race?! by Obscura	Dec 12th, 2008 07:27:13 PM
im sorry, did i just slip into opposite land where death race wasnt utterly shite? and wheres The Dark Knight on the times list? did they just not understand it like the rest of the planet did? even people who hate it like it!
The main man forgot "REC" by bongo123	Dec 12th, 2008 07:27:14 PM
best horror in ages
So Glad Speed Racer Is On Any Best Of List by georges garvaren	Dec 12th, 2008 07:28:17 PM
In less it's the Best Worst Movie List. SR was wonderful to watch with children or by myself or high or drunk. Also, YAY! for My Winnipeg. Madden rules.
it's cool that the Dark Knight was his #1 by birdy birdman	Dec 12th, 2008 07:28:18 PM
Some revamped, dark heady reimagining could really revitalize his work in the cinematic world.
King thought Kubick's "The Shining" sucked by I Dunno	Dec 12th, 2008 07:28:19 PM
And made his own version with the guy from "Wings". Who gives a fuck what he thinks?
huh? by Genre_Baby	Dec 12th, 2008 07:28:26 PM
No Iron Man? Well at least Downey Jr. got some love with Tropic Thunder. that's King's opinion...not mine.
Okay, Stephen King said it, so it must be true... by The Dum Guy	Dec 12th, 2008 07:29:06 PM
Fuck the Dark Knight haters.
Kubrick, that is by I Dunno	Dec 12th, 2008 07:29:25 PM

It's hard to take anything seriously from the man who didn't get by MattyBoomStar	Dec 12th, 2008 07:31:01 PM
I agree with I dunno. Ever since I found that out it's hard for me to respect anything he says... or writes. Shame. Not recognizing Kurbick's genius is hands down the easiest litmus test for sub-intelligence.
... the Shining by MattyBoomStar	Dec 12th, 2008 07:31:24 PM

Love King but... by hollywoodsummers	Dec 12th, 2008 07:31:55 PM
his taste in film is lacking. Seriously, Death Race? Come the fuck on. Perhaps he still needs to see a few films foe this year.
Happy-go-lucky? by Harrow	Dec 12th, 2008 07:35:10 PM
Donde esta that?
Does Stephen King not know about independent film? by DarthCorleone	Dec 12th, 2008 07:35:36 PM
Don't get me wrong. I'm a King fan, and I have respect for those with "guilty," seemingly lowest common denominator pleasures. But he really just must not have bothered seeing anything with subtitles or a release of less than 1000 screens this year.
Steven King directed Maximum Overdrive... by Quake II	Dec 12th, 2008 07:36:54 PM
His opinion means nada. And as another poster stated, King HATED Kubrick's Shining, which is a masterpiece. Period.
when will AICNs top 2008 list be up? by lex romero	Dec 12th, 2008 07:39:13 PM
When will you guys be putting up your lists? They're always a good read.
O.k. Funny Games... by DarthCorleone	Dec 12th, 2008 07:40:35 PM
...was probably less than a thousand screens. But that film was crap.
King changed his mind about The Shining over time... by The Dum Guy	Dec 12th, 2008 07:41:53 PM
He mainly didn't like how Kubrick strayed from his book.
King changed his mind about The Shining over time... by Quake II	Dec 12th, 2008 07:43:15 PM
He had to change his mind to save his credibility.
a solid list... by The Amazing G	Dec 12th, 2008 07:45:23 PM
except for Funny Games and Death Race (maybe replace that with Pineapple Express), but major props for including Tropic Thunder
Stephen King by The Amazing G	Dec 12th, 2008 07:45:36 PM
rocks by the way
Stephen King should of put Slumdog Millionaire at Number by samuraiyao	Dec 12th, 2008 07:46:56 PM
Uno... Danny Boyle yet with another masterpiece...
The Dum Guy by MaxTheSilent	Dec 12th, 2008 07:47:11 PM
Is that true? THE SHINING has always been King's most personal work, dealing with his rampant alcoholism. But since Kubrick completely ignored that aspect he has hated the film. So are you telling me that King has finally re-appraised Kubrick's wonderful film?
It's so very very rare that I agree with popular opinion. by beastie	Dec 12th, 2008 07:52:34 PM
It's probably the same with the rest of the nerds on this site. But -- seriously -- The Dark Knight was that fucking good. It was a once in a generation film that will ultimately end up summing up this era of film making. GOD DAMN!!! That movie was good and gets better with subsequential viewings. I have yet to see Slumdog Millionaire and being a fucking major Boyle fan, I anticipate a masterpiece, but I still don't expect it to top The Dark Knight.
IN BRUGES???? by neophool	Dec 12th, 2008 07:53:36 PM
didn't make anyone's list?
Speed Racer? by yubnubrocks	Dec 12th, 2008 07:54:02 PM
Let me tell you a story. My wife and I took my 7-year old son to see this opening weekend. With about 45 minutes left of the movie, my wife turns to me and says, "give me the car keys." I'm like "what??" She says again "give me the keys" with a glare in her eye that I haven't seen since I fucked up our checkbook beyond belief many years ago. I hand her the keys and she spends the remainder of the movie, sitting in our car, smoking. 'Nuff said :)
Redbelt? Redbelt?! by Garbageman33	Dec 12th, 2008 07:54:47 PM
What a complete piece of shit that movie was. "Hey, the guy from the local karate dojo just beat up a bunch of security guards and now he's fighting the UFC champ. Really? Well, turn the camera on them. Hurry". Oh my god, and then his idol gives him some symbolic thing that he's the greatest fighter on earth. All this despite the fact they don't know him from Adam. He's just some guy who came in off the street beating people up.
He's on point about Lakeview Terrace by terry1978	Dec 12th, 2008 07:54:55 PM
The advertising made it come off as a goofy, campy type of thing, which to an extent it was, but it was basically a 1980s thriller done in a 2008 setting, and done well at that.
King v. The Shining by johnnyangel	Dec 12th, 2008 07:56:06 PM
King didn't like the way Nicholson played the main character. In King's book, he goes crazy over an extended period of time because of the evil house. In the movie, he seems crazy from the beginning, because, well, Jack is just crazy. I liked both so I got no dog in this fight.
yubnubrocks... I haven't seen the film... by beastie	Dec 12th, 2008 07:56:27 PM
... but that was a funny anectdote. Thanks. The same probably would have happened to me.
yubnubrocks... by DarthCorleone	Dec 12th, 2008 07:57:31 PM
Great story. Great username, too. :- )
Kubrick's Shining by yubnubrocks	Dec 12th, 2008 07:57:50 PM
was a great movie but deviated from the book big time. King's was a little closer but even he changed a bit, especially the ending.
1. Let The Right One In. by Damien Chowder	Dec 12th, 2008 07:58:20 PM
2. Dark Knight 3. Iron Man 4. Red Cliff 5. Wall-E 6. Tropic Thunder 7. Wanted Those are all I've seen worth mentioning.. Though I'm still waiting for a subbed Mirageman which may make my top 10.
I third (or fourth) the motion by johnnyangel	Dec 12th, 2008 07:59:55 PM
That King of all people should have included Let The Right One In. You lost some horror cred there, Stevie.
Oh yes REC. Number 8. by Damien Chowder	Dec 12th, 2008 08:00:04 PM

I know that look, yubnubrocks by Garbageman33	Dec 12th, 2008 08:00:12 PM
It's the same look I got when Randal got shit on while filming the anal sex scene in Zack and Miri.
I love him. by mr.brownstone	Dec 12th, 2008 08:02:40 PM
That's all.
Should've titled this "From the director of MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE" by JackPumpkinhead	Dec 12th, 2008 08:04:45 PM
"...comes the list of what he considers great films. Just don't look for anything by Stanley Kubrick on it!"
MaxTheSilent by The Dum Guy	Dec 12th, 2008 08:08:39 PM
Stephen King has been quoted as saying that although Kubrick made a solid film with memorable imagery, it was not a good adaptation of his novel. The author's animosity toward Kubrick's version appears to have dulled a bit over the years; during an interview segment on the Bravo channel King admitted that the first time he watched Kubrick's adaptation he found it to be "dreadfully upsetting". According to Wikipedia, although I can't remember where I read that he originally (prior to the film being finished) almost hated the script, but he has (as stated above) found the film to be a good film, but you are right about the whole alcoholism angle, which was the main point he was making in the book. You know, I've read alot of King, but I've never read the Shining...
Who the fuck puts Iron Man in the top 10? by antonphd	Dec 12th, 2008 08:09:57 PM
It was a power rangers movie with only one ranger and A list actors. It was fun. So is a roller coaster. But it wasn't even close to the best films of the year. The makers of the film wouldn't even list it in there top 10. It wasn't meant or made to be anything but fun. Fun can make a top 10 list easily, but not this year with the great films that have released.
He has every right to dislike Kubrick's film by superunknown85	Dec 12th, 2008 08:10:27 PM
Imagine if you're an author and a director comes along and completely butchers your story. The Shining was a good film, but it WAS a horrendous adaption of King's novel, and I think you guys are way out of line condemning his viewpoint on the film.
correction: I meant I haven't read the entire book... by The Dum Guy	Dec 12th, 2008 08:10:27 PM
It was years ago, and I never got to the part at the end where (supposedly) the garden comes to life. Anyone else find it funny that The Mist wasn't on his list?
9. Hellboy 2 by Damien Chowder	Dec 12th, 2008 08:18:39 PM

Time Picked Speed Racer but not The Dark Knight? by UCB Agent1	Dec 12th, 2008 08:18:58 PM
How is that possible? Speed Racer was enjoyable, but in what universe is it actually a better film, script, acting, etc, than Dark Knight? No wonder print criticism is dying.
Oh, and The Mist came out last year by UCB Agent1	Dec 12th, 2008 08:20:05 PM
Last November, right? That's probably why King kept it off his list, The Dum Guy
My Winnipeg!! by buffywrestling	Dec 12th, 2008 08:20:32 PM
Did you guys know I'm Winnipeg's answer to a Geisha?
CRITICS CHOICE had mostly good movies in the wrong order by YotzVonFrelnik	Dec 12th, 2008 08:21:18 PM
Frost/Nixon, Dark Knight and Milk should all be higher there.
King is right about the Shining by bullet3	Dec 12th, 2008 08:22:29 PM
Once you read the book its impossible to watch Kubrick's version. The book is deeply personal about King's alcoholism which is what makes the character in the book seem so sincere and tragic when he starts to succumb to the house (again very gradually). Also, it really isn't very frightening to watch a man very slowly limping towards the camera in a long take, I agree with King on that as well.
I swear a couple of weeks ago by buffywrestling	Dec 12th, 2008 08:24:09 PM
I was thinking about what theme song was the "Most Apropos" to the film material - it was probably after dwelling on Ironman and the kick ass way they introduced Sabbath at the end - and AC/DC' s "Who Made Who" for Maximum Overdrive was the tops.
UCB Agent1, my mist-take by The Dum Guy	Dec 12th, 2008 08:27:02 PM
Your right, I guess I was thinking of the the black & white DVD version or for a second there I thought I was living in Latvia...
The Shining! by beastie	Dec 12th, 2008 08:28:30 PM
The book and the movie were separate masterpieces. Both fantastic works of art in different mediums by different artists. The rivalry comes from the fact that one was based on the other. This is SO what I'm hoping for with Watchmen.
Speed Racer is a Damn Good Film...Can I Hear a Credible Argument by grungies	Dec 12th, 2008 08:33:49 PM
Because, with very few exceptions, I've yet to hear one person explain why this film is so bad.
beastie by yubnubrocks	Dec 12th, 2008 08:33:52 PM
You're exactly right. I saw the movie first (kubrick) and I remember how surprised I was at how different the book played out.
grungies by yubnubrocks	Dec 12th, 2008 08:34:44 PM
You'll have to ask my wife :)
Spot on, King by kafka07	Dec 12th, 2008 08:34:51 PM
and Richard Corliss is a fuck face
I think critics are officially completely out of touch. by IndustryKiller!	Dec 12th, 2008 08:36:28 PM
Let the Right One In? The Visitor? In Bruges? Where are these films? And it really looks like many of them are STILL relegating Dark Knight to the category of "great pop" when its so so much more. In ten years its going to be fucking absurd that Dark Knight didnt take every major Best Picture accolade of the year.
grungies part 2 by yubnubrocks	Dec 12th, 2008 08:39:02 PM
Ok, to be serious, it's a genre thing. A few years back I finally watched Gone With The Wind. Horrible. Seriously it was awful YET it's regarded as this masterpiece. Hey, not my cup o' tea. I've met many people who hate Star Wars. Again, not there thing. The problem with Speed Racer is that the style of that movie cut off a huge chunk of the movie-going public - not a mainstream movie. at. all. No, it's not bad, but if you're not ready for about 137 minutes of neon candy-colored some kind of anime chimps and cars... well, it's a looonng movie.
YotzVonFrelnik...the Critics Choice awards are alphabetized... by FuckMichaelBay	Dec 12th, 2008 08:39:05 PM
...notice the lack of numbering next to the list dipshit. A winner will be choosen from said list in case you were wondering what happens next.
Your wife isn't here, yubnubrocks by grungies	Dec 12th, 2008 08:39:19 PM
By the "'Nuff said," I'd assumed you agree with her. Do you not?
But what's the difference between that and Iron Man? by grungies	Dec 12th, 2008 08:41:44 PM
It wasn't like Iron Man was any more serious in tone (despite some level of social commentary) and people seem to love that film.
While SPeed Racer is not a bad film, its not a good film by IndustryKiller!	Dec 12th, 2008 08:42:07 PM
A bland lead performance. Special effects that are more impressive for what they are trying to accomplish than what they do accomplish. Weak script. Racing action that loses its luster more and more with every passing one. I could elaborate on all of these but we've all heard the arguments a thousand times before. It's one of those movies that is going to strike people in a certain happy way and thats more for its unique look than any substance. I appreciate what the Wachowskis were trying there, they really deserve accolades for the effort and taking a risk, but the whole thing was still too inorganic to be truly absorbing. ALmost like a giant inside joke that if you dont embrace immediately will just leave you behind rather than take you into the fold. No one is wrong or right to love or hate this movie. Personally I cant see hating it, there just isnt enough there to hate and as I said the effort is a solid one. But just because a few people love it that doesnt make it a good film, just something tailored to their fancy.
I'm confused by Leafy McPlantsalot	Dec 12th, 2008 08:44:10 PM
when did my nine year old brother start reviewing movies for time magazine? Yes, generations from now people will finally sit down and watch Speed Racer and be completely bored by a possibly neat 90 minute kids movie turned into a two and half hour bore fest. My favorite quote from Corliss came at the end of his 4 months, 3 weeks, 2 days write up where he says he's glad he lives in a country where abortion doesn't have to lead to anyone losing their life... well said sir. well said
So King is the only one to pick "TDK" #1... by Chewtoy	Dec 12th, 2008 08:44:16 PM
But he's the only sane one, huh?
Iron Man had Downey Jr. grungie by IndustryKiller!	Dec 12th, 2008 08:46:13 PM
I think we all need to realize that with Downey Jr. Iron Man just isnt as good a film. he carries it and I suppose Favreu deserves a ton of credit for sitting back and allowing that to happen. Aside from ledger int eh Dark Knight I think Downey gives easily the best performance in a superhero film to date. Unfortunately the bad third act keeps the film from being brilliant. Theres a lot of room for awesomeness in the sequel though. Speed Racer has no such performance, in fact I think Hirsch drops the ball badly with a dour passionless performance in a film that required more exuberance to truly serve the material. He's just a total bore to watch.
yea grungies... by yubnubrocks	Dec 12th, 2008 08:46:18 PM
well, someone had to stay with my son in that theater. Again, not my cup of tea.
difference in Iron Man and Speed by yubnubrocks	Dec 12th, 2008 08:49:05 PM
IM just had better characters. Not that it was realistic but it was a bit easier to relate to.
another thing with Speed by yubnubrocks	Dec 12th, 2008 08:51:30 PM
it was created for CHILDREN, therefore it should have had an 80 minute running time. That alone might have saved it from the scathing reviews.
yes by Leafy McPlantsalot	Dec 12th, 2008 08:54:20 PM
like I said, it's about an hour too long. They had a neat visual style and a simple story that they extended to try and give the whole thing a deeper meaning, but who gives a shit about deeper meaning in speed racer!?
Not Sure About Deeper Meaning... by grungies	Dec 12th, 2008 08:59:33 PM
But Speed Racer did need a story to make its action scenes work, which they most certainly did.
The man directed "Maximum Overdrive" by catlettuce4	Dec 12th, 2008 09:00:08 PM
...and hated Kubrick's adaptation of "the Shining." I don't think we can say he has that much more credibility than the Golden Globes.
Speed Racer... by MCVamp	Dec 12th, 2008 09:00:49 PM
Yeah, really was too long. But on Blu-Ray it looks PHENOMENAL. Like an acid trip mixed with a video game mixed with, well, a Speed Racer cartoon.
What's with Herc's personal vendetta against Mamma Mia? by seppukudkurosawa	Dec 12th, 2008 09:04:17 PM
It was pretty good... (And no, I'm not held up at gun-point by my girlfriend as I type this).
He didn't "hate" Kubrick's version by buffywrestling	Dec 12th, 2008 09:05:41 PM
it just wasn't what he expected and he expressed that. Try not to be a douchebag and foist your opinion as fact.
IndustryKiller by grungies	Dec 12th, 2008 09:08:31 PM
"Just because a few people love it doesn't make it a good film, just one tailored to their fancy." What the hell does that mean?
Herc seems to be the only one on duty by buffywrestling	Dec 12th, 2008 09:08:35 PM
as all the other folks - expect Mori - are at BNAT. BW: What are you going to do today, Herc? HtS: Same as yesterday, Buffy. Take over the world.
hey grungies by yubnubrocks	Dec 12th, 2008 09:13:19 PM
"just because a few people blah blah" I think I explained that before. We're talking summer movies, popcorn movies, movies LOTS of people will enjoy. Speed Racer was.not.one.of.those.movies. That happens, ok? Remember the movie A.I.? I loved that movie. Most people hated it. Does that make it a "great" movie? Depends? I thought so, the critics didn't...
Jonathan Rosenbaum Loved A.I. by grungies	Dec 12th, 2008 09:35:08 PM
And he's considered one of the foremost film critics. I agree with him on that masterpiece.
by bullet3	Dec 12th, 2008 09:40:19 PM

bullet3 is right on the money with this one by Leafy McPlantsalot	Dec 12th, 2008 09:43:48 PM
well put bullet3
Speed Racer was Shit by bullet3	Dec 12th, 2008 09:45:28 PM
You want some reasons? How about a total of maybe 25-30 minutes of actual action scenes in a 2.5 hour movie. How about racing scenes shot so poorly its impossible to tell what's happening. How about such shitty cgi and physics for the most part that its impossible to be involved in the action to begin with. How about bland acting and awful dialogue. How about an annoying ass chimp and fat kid sidekick. Yes, the movie absolutley sucked, and I'm completley baffled by people trying to defend this monstrosity as "fun" entertainment. You guys bash Indy 4 but you think Speed Racer is one of the best movies of the year? What the fuck are you all smoking?
Right on Redbelt. WRONG on The Ruins. by HoboCode	Dec 12th, 2008 09:47:10 PM
Terrible.
New litmus test: DEATH RACE or MAMMA MIA? by Drath	Dec 12th, 2008 09:49:27 PM
The wrong answer will get you plucked bald by wild monkeys, skinned with rusty switchblades, and hanged by your scrotum over a vat of boiling oil mixed with acid all to the sound of accordion music and nails on chalkboards. The right answer is whatever I liked more and conforms to my personal limited perception about what is cool. Go ahead, make your choice.....
Mamma Mia was a horror film by buffywrestling	Dec 12th, 2008 09:59:41 PM
For creeps, Bronson's singing is equal to Goldsmith's Poltergeist theme.
I second the IN BRUGES love by Jarek	Dec 12th, 2008 10:03:19 PM
It's sad how this film is being forgotten around this time of year due to it's much earlier release date. What a great flick.
Speed Racer. by loodabagel	Dec 12th, 2008 10:06:16 PM
I think that the simple fact of the matter is that if you don't find yourself smiling when you watch this, then a part of you is dead and you're smart enough to know what part that is… and honestly that's probably the most important part of oneself to hold onto. Life's no fun if you don't have that part of you anymore. Maybe it's why I love movies the way I do.
Charyoutree! Charyoutree! by CharyouTree	Dec 12th, 2008 10:10:11 PM
Where's the tower movies steve please?
Hope Forgetting Sarah Marshall gets top 10 love... by Pennsy	Dec 12th, 2008 10:10:16 PM
Because this was one movie from the House of Apatow that really worked since the 40-Year Old Virgin.
King on Kubrick by ufoclub1977	Dec 12th, 2008 10:11:13 PM
King has explicitly gone into detail of his complaints about the incredible film "The Shining". He stated that there was a fundamental flaw in Kubrick being qualified to make a supernatural story when in fact Kubrick was an atheist and didn't believe in the supernatural. King also went into a detailed criticism of Kubrick having lost his chance for a sudden "bump" scare when Jack appears and discovers Wendy reading his manuscript. Kubrick chose to have Jack slowly creep in the foreground of the frame. King points that this illustrates Kubrick's lack of understanding of the horror genre. Well... all you have to do is watch the newer faithful version of The Shining (that King was much more of a creative force on) to see who has the superior cinematic muscle. On the flipside, I used to read King novels in the 80's and I think he is the closet literary relative to Spielberg's cinematic talent for the realistic modern visceral interpretation of established genre cliche's. They both include pop culture, brand names, and everyday "Americana" experience to make cliche stuff seem fresh and new and often intensely emotional. They both weave stories with events and climaxes that seem gripping and spectacular in physical and emotional scale.
loodabagel by bullet3	Dec 12th, 2008 10:16:34 PM
If you mean the part of me that lets me criminally lower my standards, then maybe you're right. I would have probably forgiven the annoying characters and visual style if the car chase scenes were any good. Even Death Race had far more exciting racing scenes (and more action, and it was an hour shorter).
The man does have good taste- his picks are valid by Robstar	Dec 12th, 2008 10:25:46 PM
And those are all films that, while flawed, will still be just as good ten or twenty years down the road. (The Ruins was pretty forgettable though.)
Ebert's Former Sidekick's Top 25...and Bottom 10 by mjgtexas	Dec 12th, 2008 10:28:40 PM
. "Slumdog Millionaire" 2. "The Dark Knight" 3. "The Wrestler" 4. "In Bruges" 5. "I've Loved You So Long" 6. "Gran Torino" 7. "Milk" 8. "The Visitor" 9. "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" 10. "Frozen River" 11. "Doubt" 12. "Snow Angels" 13. "Frost/Nixon" 14. "The Reader" 15. "Seven Pounds" 16. "Iron Man" 17. "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" 18. "W." 19. "Henry Poole Is Here" 20. "Burn After Reading" 21. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" 22. "WALL-E" 23. "The Bank Job" 24. "Tropic Thunder" 25. "Che" WORST MOVIES OF 2008 (NO. 1 BEING THE WORST) 10. "You Don't Mess With the Zohan" 9. "Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay" 8. "Over Her Dead Body" 7. "Fly Me to the Moon" 6. "Funny Games" 5. "88 Minutes" 4. "10,000 B.C." 3. "The Women" 2. "What Happens in Vegas" 1. "The Love Guru" Seven Pounds seems to be showing up on both best and worst.
Small town picks by lovek	Dec 12th, 2008 10:32:26 PM
King lives in small town Maine. Since TPTB in the movie world assume small-town people don't want to see anything not mainstream (WRONG!), it can be very hard to find those films until they hit Netflix. So no, he probably hasn't seen much of anything from this year that didn't have subtitles or open on less than 1000 screens. Also, since no one could bother to link the article, I'll assume these are his favorite movies, not necessarily what he thinks are the "best" movies. Those aren't always the same thing. Personally, I'm glad to see someone shine a light on some of the films from '08 that might not be "considered" by other critics.
The Ruins?! by D.Vader	Dec 12th, 2008 10:33:34 PM
Bleh. The man lost some of my respect with that choice.
Did anyone actually see Mamma Mia? by D.Vader	Dec 12th, 2008 10:42:07 PM
Or are we just bashing it bc it's a musical with a female antagonist? Well I had to watch it, and surprisingly it ended up being a very enjoyable experience.
I read the novel Dreamcatchers... by ballsmcretard	Dec 12th, 2008 10:43:10 PM
...Stephen King is no longer relevant - that novel killed my soul. I nominate Rambo to be in the top ten. The end scene where he was making Spaghetti-o's out of people with the 50 caliber?! Goddamm that was awesome. It's a rarity to see like 8 whole minutes of one person maiming and murdering masses of generic bad army guys these days. This is my case - I hope you will see fit to include this in the Best of 2008.
How can I put this delicately... by Le Vicious Fishus	Dec 12th, 2008 10:45:10 PM
Stephen King is a mediocre writer with rare moments of pseudo-greatness. He is not a genius by any stretch of the imagination and has in fact only produced one or two novels that haven't broken down into cliched gobbledygook before their plots' conclusion. And, yes, MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE was King's hideously disfigured baby. And it was perhaps the worst movie I've ever seen--not even worth its camp value. As a writer, King is usually the very quintessence of hackitude. And this is coming from someone who loved his work as an adolescent. I grew up.
I loved LAKEVIEW TERRACE by NoPIX	Dec 12th, 2008 11:14:54 PM
Ebert and King are my friends on that one
So can we all agree on worst movie of the year? by jimmay	Dec 12th, 2008 11:26:43 PM
Or are we going to be divided by our hatred for either The Happening or 10,000 B.C.?
Stephen King by Cinemanimetal	Dec 12th, 2008 11:28:06 PM
I think its interesting how a celebrity is associated with one thing (horror) and therefore every thing else they do has to be related. Some poster's are shocked not to see their favorite horror movies of the year on his list. It's like when someone meets a comedian and is disappointed when they don't make them laugh. He's a human being not just a horror writer. He's allowed to like anything he wants (including Death Race). On the other hand Death Race would probably be closer to my bottom ten then my top ten. However, it was good to see someone not bashing Funny Games for once since I loved that one. On another note I am glad to see someone had the balls to put Iron Man on their top ten and not Dark Knight. I'd never do that since Dark Knight was my favorite of 2008 so far (and Iron Man would be on their somewhere too), but its a sign to me that his list is a very personal one and not just a rehash.
SPEED RACER: Golden Shower Of The Year by BurnHollywood	Dec 12th, 2008 11:48:58 PM
You know, I expected the Wachowskis to drop the ball (like they did with the ending of V FOR VENDETTA and the last two MATRIX movies), but to say, "Fuck it...why not?" and outrightly piss in the audiences' face when the studio wagered $120 million on a hit...that takes some serious balls. ...And for the record, I was grinning from ear to ear all through WALL-E. Now THERE'S a true family movie.
Hypocrites... by loserguy3000	Dec 12th, 2008 11:48:59 PM
So King directing a relatively 'bad' movie makes his opinion mute? Really? Forgive me, but this website SWIMS in bad taste, giving such trash as Bubba Ho Tep (loved it) and Army of Darkness (loved it) an audience that normal types would have otherwise ignored. So what if King once hated the Kubrick version? He WROTE the damn thing, so his opinion matters more than anyone else in the world. Plus, I'm not such a Kubrick fan myself...boring, insufferable ego cinema trips that sound great to talk about, just not enough to watch repeatedly. 2001 is a 'great' film, but what would you rather watch, that or Star Wars? Seriously? Last...again, so what if we directed a bad film, something you say makes his opinion 'ineligible'. So fucking what. Roger Ebert wrote bad movies, does that make his opinion ineligible? Plus - and you dimwits here amaze me - considering that none of you bastards have accomplished a damn thing in film, shouldn't that make all YOUR opinions ineligible? Shut the hell up, you fucking babies!
"Let the Right One In" sucks... by Deuce Hexx	Dec 12th, 2008 11:54:27 PM
... almost as much as [Rec]. I am getting used to people accepting Let the Right One In (even though no one seems to grasp that despite being well shot, it is a conflicted mess of a movie) but seriously? You guys think [Rec] should be on anyone's top ten list? I'm pretty sure that was the very worst movie I saw this year.
Of course King has all the credibility in the world..... by Your Moms Box	Dec 13th, 2008 12:08:11 AM
he put the Dark Knight at #1. Any magazine or critic that doesnt do otherwise is no more than barnacle on the ass of a sperm whale in the eyes of this fucking site. A solid summer flick with a plodding final 20 minutes with a wonderful final performance by a dead actor isnt best picture worthy. get over it.
lol death race? by BurgerKing	Dec 13th, 2008 12:09:46 AM

The Ruins... by Anti-fanboy	Dec 13th, 2008 12:11:54 AM
Could have easily been a story in Skeleton Crew. The girl carving herself up... best "fuck me" movie moment I had all year. Loved it.
Mom's Box by Ted Brautigan	Dec 13th, 2008 12:13:33 AM
I think you nailed it. Would this list have been deemed worthy of a post if TDK wasn't #1? I doubt it.
Thanks, 'The Dum Guy' by MaxTheSilent	Dec 13th, 2008 12:15:05 AM
Both King's book and Kubrick's adaptation are great, But both are completely separate at the same time. And LET THE RIGHT ONE IN is, without question, the best film of this year.
So, "Disaster Movie" is not on anybodys top 10? by otm shank	Dec 13th, 2008 12:20:04 AM
I'm shocked.
JackPumpkinhead. . . by BroVinny	Dec 13th, 2008 12:29:39 AM
Would you put any of Kubrick's films on a Best of 2008 list? Just curious.
Fuck yes!! by Series7	Dec 13th, 2008 12:51:22 AM
The times got it right. They gave Speed Racer a shot. Finally some old people get it. Though I don't know why King put Funny Games on the list??? Its the same fucking movie, just not as good, which isn't saying much because the first one was just....just horrible. Not horrible in the OHH I'm upset. Horrible in the my god that dad is a huge pussy and this movie is not as qoy and funny as it thinks it is and 20 minutes of a women crying???? Really? Why the fuck was that made twice?
buffywrestling if your here by Series7	Dec 13th, 2008 01:09:08 AM
YOU liked they way they introduced Ironmans the song over the end credits like it was some lame new pop rock song created for the movie? That was sooooo fucking weak. WAY WEAK! If there was one thing Ironman was lacking other then action it was a good score. But that should have been the easiest fucking thing! They had the song right there, and according to the previews they had the money for the rights. The trailers handled the song correctly. That fight scene should have had a moment where Tony stood up close to dying and you heard that I AM IRONMAN! Then that would have been fucking bad ass. But no they saved it for the end like they were trying to boost single sales on the billboard chart. This wasn't fucking Hero, or Vindicated it was Iron Man I don't think it needed to make any more money. They should have played it during the fight scene. If they were trying to have seperation from the song, that would just be too fucking immpossible and dumb. The song is fucking bad ass and Ironman is suppose to be, and should have had a rocking bad ass theme song. How is it that only the original Superman and Batman movies are the only ones that have handled the score correctly? Shit Hellboy 2's score came close to greatness, much better then TDK. Begins use of the score was much better. I don't even think there was music in Hulk 1 and 2 and X-Men 1-3. Of course everyone knows about the Daredevil soundtrack because of the Evanesance song, but still even in that movie all the songs were handled terribly. The worst offender of this is End of Days, they had a pretty good soundtrack with some original tracks form Korn, Limp Bizkit and Guns and Roses and you here all of them in a row during this like 30 second scene its really badly done. Though Ironman had a bonafied bad ass rock song and they blew it, literally failed on the easiest part of making that movie.
loserguy3000 by Series7	Dec 13th, 2008 01:14:40 AM
Hey there is one Talkbacker who directed a movie. Harry mentioned it in his DVD colum. Its called Inside, not the french movie. Its a pretty good little indie horror movie. Kind of Hitchcock, its a haunting movie more then a blood and guts. As for me, I've done nothing, hooah!
The Bank Job by Series7	Dec 13th, 2008 01:19:27 AM
Did anyone really think that this movie was really that good? Didn't you just wish you were watching Snatch instead? It was ok and all, had it not been Statham, or had been badass Vinnie Jones instead no one would've given a shit. Anyone see the bad ass deleted scenes though?
D.Vader.. by LOTGA	Dec 13th, 2008 01:21:07 AM
I saw Mamma Mia. The best part of the entire movie was the five year-old girl behind my girlfriend and I who, with about five minutes to go in the movie, said "This movie goes on and on!"
So, Slumdog Millionaire will be best picture? by JoeSixPack	Dec 13th, 2008 01:22:36 AM
Looks like this is the only consensus choice for one of the best films of the year.
Maximum Overdrive by LOTGA	Dec 13th, 2008 01:24:50 AM
Am I the only person who enjoys that film on some level? Yeah it's a piece of shit, but it's one of those guilty pleasure flicks I always found myself watching when it aired on TBS and was happy to pay five bucks for when I fund it in the bargin bin at Wal-Mart.
LOTGA by Series7	Dec 13th, 2008 01:38:04 AM
No I like Maximum Overdrive as well. And I don't really care if King didn't like the Shinning. Alan Moore fucking hates anything mildly related to his work and no one calls him out about it. And Maximum Overdrive is a hell of a lot better movie then Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.
Anyone who calls Stephen King a hack is a cockamammie poophead. by crazybubba	Dec 13th, 2008 01:48:18 AM
Most everything he does is very original. He may pull up short on the follow thru, but there is nothing hackneyed about his writing.
REDBELT is the shit by caruso_stalker217	Dec 13th, 2008 01:57:45 AM
Best film of '08, motherfuckers.
Speed Racer and Death Race? by Motoko Kusanagi	Dec 13th, 2008 02:00:27 AM
What is this? Top 10 list of the lamest car action flicks in history? Death Race was dumb, unimaginative and totally fucking boring - like almost all of Paul WS Anderson's flicks. Speed Racer had nice visuals but wooden actors, many flaws in storytelling, a dumb story and fucking chimp jokes from the 80s.
The Thing About King... by Skraggo	Dec 13th, 2008 02:14:05 AM
... is he's not a fucking movie snob. Or music snob. Or even book snob. He is, in his own way, the American Everyman who likes good rock-n-roll radio, baseball, a decent paperback thriller, and (before he climbed on the wagon) a cold beer. As for the Kubrick thing, as others have pointed out --- King WROTE the fucking Shining in the first place, so his opinion of it actually means more than any of you sad, pathetic, wanking fucks on this Talkback who think you fucking know it all. King has every fucking right in the world to be critical of what is in many ways a very less-than-faithful adaptation. Sure, Kubrick was a brilliant filmmaker, and taken as its own thing, for what it is, his version of The Shining is pretty damn great. But if you come to that film after finishing King's book, you have to brace yourself and check your expectations. And if you happen to have WRITTEN the novel -- and only Mr. King can claim to have done that -- yeah, I can absolutely see where you might have some issues with the movie. So until someone adapts one of YOUR novels into a movie, kindly fuck off criticizing King for his opinion. Besides, shouldn't you all be lining up to suck King's dick for placing "Dark Knight" at the top of his list??? Isn't that what keeps you warm at night?
Cool list... by sonnyfern	Dec 13th, 2008 02:22:22 AM
Redbelt was a damn good movie, like the main character it's really old fashioned in the way it presents it's hero and ideas. The Ruins was brutal but kind of forgetable. I thought Bank Job was amazingly entertaining. I haven't seen Death Race or Funny Games or Slumdog Millionaire. But there is no doubt that The Dark Knight was a breakthrough movie and will be remembered more than any other movie this year will. Ledgers performance during that interegation scene is the stuff of legends. I don't think it's a perfect movie...but it is a movie that has turned the tide of the industry.
Speed Racer... by Anti-fanboy	Dec 13th, 2008 02:26:29 AM
...fucked my eyeballs in '08, and I loved every minute of it.
Richard Corliss Sucks : by PTSDPete	Dec 13th, 2008 02:32:57 AM

Musical Score by TOGSolid	Dec 13th, 2008 02:45:01 AM
I have to agree in part about the musical score in Iron Man and TDK. Both were really lacking a rousing score. TDK just kinda rehased the first movie's themes and Iron Man had nothing really memorable. While I don't think they should have played the actual Iron Man song during the movie, the score definitely could have used some steroids. It wasn't bad, just nothing that made me go "holy crap I must get that."
WhinyNegativeBitch by Series7	Dec 13th, 2008 02:46:14 AM
So what is the best movie of 08 then? Prom Night?
Slumdog Millionare was incredible. by Sakurai	Dec 13th, 2008 02:48:27 AM
I dont know about best picture, but if Boyle doesn't win best director I will be pissed.
Go Speed Go!!! by onezeroone	Dec 13th, 2008 03:33:22 AM
Though disagree venomously with TIME's Top 10 Games of The Year list [no MGS4? Fallout3???] but Speed Racer gets them a free pass from me. Speed Racer will become a cult classic over the years... just wait and watch.
Series7 - I'm back by buffywrestling	Dec 13th, 2008 03:37:06 AM
You may have wanted to hear Sabbath in the beginning or in the middle; you might have thought that it would have tagged better in certain scenes. But ever since I saw the trailer, and there was the tiny blip of Sabbath, I was stoked for it. It was like having a movie called War Pigs, then playing War Pigs. I was aching to hear Sabbath's I Am Ironman during the entire film. And when RDjr stood up at the end and said, "I am IronMan", then the tune played -- I came. Soaked the chair. Because I waited for it. The anticipation (nay, foreplay) was tight as balls. And it made me scream.
Redbelt and Let The Right One In... by Kirbymanly	Dec 13th, 2008 03:38:12 AM
along with Cloverfield and WALL*E... have been my faves of this year.
Redbelt by Bloo	Dec 13th, 2008 03:53:47 AM
FTW a great movie in the tradition of samaruai flicks. great great great movie, written and directed by David Motherfucking Mamet! and to the TB above who said about getting the belt even though noone knew him, he was fighting his brother in law (the champ) but not for a belt but for honor and had to fight his way there and he got the blet from his father in law dumbass
RED BELT... by drwynninblack	Dec 13th, 2008 04:00:00 AM
So proud to be able to say I was featured in that movie. And got to work with Mamet himself...who told me, quote, "You looked fucking awesome in the dailies, man." True story.
Considering King can't write anymore by BenBraddock	Dec 13th, 2008 04:25:34 AM
why should I want to read his Top Ten Movies list?
I've always enjoyed Kings work by TheMandrakeRoot	Dec 13th, 2008 04:45:14 AM
And I've always thought he was a pretty good writer too. Maybe not the best, but still loads more visual and intelligent then most of the other mainstream writers out there. His list however, was kinda of embarrassing. Some really poor choices, and I mean who couldn't of guessed he'd place TDK up top. Funny how people say it's legitimate cause of that. It amazes me that most people on this site can't comprehend how not everyone thinks it's a masterpiece. Some people need to seriously get over it. Personally, I'd like to see Snow Angels, In Bruges, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall get a little more love. Glad to see all of em were on that "Ebert sidekick" list that was posted.
King sucks. by uberfreak	Dec 13th, 2008 05:04:49 AM
He can't conclude a story. I've never read anything he wrote that made me go WOW at the end. Examples, the STAND, DARK TOWER. Meh. He has got great literary style and characterization but just can't bring his stories to a satisfying conclusion. TDK is over-rated. Ooh boy, he made a pencil disappear. Oscar! bah!
The Dark Knight by slowgraffiti	Dec 13th, 2008 05:08:27 AM
I really can't believe there are so many haters for that movie on here. I mean, Iron Man was a cute movie. I loved it. It played upon all the neat little ways you can love a film, but none...as in zero of the big ones. The best scene in Iron Man was Stark and Potts switching out his heart magnet. The small things were pefect, but what was that movie about? Fighting Jeff Bridges? The Dark Knight suceeds as a film on such a grander scale because he contained both the small scale things that make films enjoyable and the big ones. I mean, when the Joker was falling to his death and laughing, I got choked up the first time!!! I thought, here goes this great actor in his last scene and here goes this amazing charactor...then Batman saved him. I mean, can we really line up Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhart, Heath Ledger and Sir fucking Michael Caine against Robert Downey Jr. and Jeff Bridges? I mean, I love those two guys, but they don't come from the disciplined school of acting that the main cast of TDK does. Another strong point is the script as in the foundation of these films. The Dark Knights script was inctricately woven while Iron Man...well, I would have to say that the script was very poor and saved by a brilliantly witty performance by RDjr. Okay, I don't know why I went off in comparing the two. They are two different films. People get upset when they feel like they 'have to' like something great. But that's there problem in themselves. It's like running into people who hate the Beatles or something. It's gonna happen and that's life, but not for us. Just for them, so feel lucky. Is the Dark Knight one of the best movies ever? Top 100, maybe...but the thing that makes people who love it question those who find it passable, is that The Dark Knight was for us. The talkbackers, the IMDB hounds, the fans, the hopeful, the critics, the popcorners, everyone who cares about film and movies. To see that we, for fucking once in this dreary ass Hollywood world, got exactly what we have all been clamouring for...and it was more than we could have hoped for. It's puzzling that, not all people, but anyone who comes to this site out of interest in the movies they cover here and AICN would say, "meh". "Meh"? Come on.
at AICN not and by slowgraffiti	Dec 13th, 2008 05:10:40 AM

at AICN not and by slowgraffiti	Dec 13th, 2008 05:10:41 AM

I mean... by slowgraffiti	Dec 13th, 2008 05:12:33 AM
Fucking Gladiator won the Best Picture Oscar. That pretty much means that The Dark Knight is Citizen Kane if a shit pile of a Braveheart knockoff can win best picture. Perspective.
FUNNY GAMES=HUGE PLIE OF SHIT by Broseph	Dec 13th, 2008 05:17:49 AM

Omg, WhinyNegativeBitch... by Motoko Kusanagi	Dec 13th, 2008 05:36:59 AM
...I laughed so fucking hard about your Speed Racer post that I almost choked myself. "A fucking train wreck cluster fuck disaster of Ishtar proportions" nails it pretty much down. Well said, Sir!
on thing about the TDK by Bloo	Dec 13th, 2008 07:20:00 AM
that might get me into a little bit of trouble I lvoed The Dark Knight, think it still holds up, but I do have to say that it owes a lot to Micheal Mann's work, espically that opening scene which feels alot like Heat to me
ZOMBIE STRIPPERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! by alice 13	Dec 13th, 2008 07:29:27 AM

If you've read SK's EW column, you'd know one thing... by SoylentMean	Dec 13th, 2008 07:37:59 AM
The man ain't much of a moviegoer. Which is understandable as he's a big celebrity and attended by the demons of hell. So, if I remember correctly, SK's selections are merely from the entertainment value he perceived from each film. The guy doesn't watch hundreds of movies a year. I'm interested in seeing Lakeview Terrace and Death Race now because of that list. Just to see if there's any redeeming value to those "films".
King's Own Words: "I am not to be trusted!" by blackmantis	Dec 13th, 2008 07:47:31 AM
He says right in the EW article that his taste in movies is not to be trusted. He knows he likes shlock and admits it freely. Read people! READ!
Bloo, watch who you're calling dumbass by Garbageman33	Dec 13th, 2008 08:29:18 AM
Especially because you couldn't be more wrong. Not just in your opinion, but in the facts of the movie. The club owner was her brother. Not the fighter. Go back and watch it again.
Quantum Mechanics = Studio Excuse by adiehardfanwithalethalweapon	Dec 13th, 2008 09:00:23 AM
By the end of the interview it was just too obvious they'd found a "loop hole" that would allow them to fuck shit up (e.i. modernize it) while still pandering to us nerdy types. I'm no hater but it just seemed like an exscuse.
Ack! by adiehardfanwithalethalweapon	Dec 13th, 2008 09:01:27 AM
Man did I just make an ass outta myself.
DARK KNIGHT!!! by crashbarbarian	Dec 13th, 2008 09:02:56 AM
quit being a high budget, big production, block buster hater!!!! 10 times better than the last big production movie to win 10 freaking oscars! Give this movie it's due, it's only the second biggest movie ever!!!!
Wall•E is NOT very good, people by SnowDogs	Dec 13th, 2008 09:12:11 AM
It's essentially the story of a retarded kid winning the heart of Adriana Lima--yeah right. It's a treehugger film. And Wall•E's "death" and resurrection was completely forced. I'm an animation fan, and Wall•E is one of only two Pixar films I don't have on DVD. I do not understand everyone falling all over themselves to praise this movie.
King by rogueleader66	Dec 13th, 2008 09:13:01 AM
Anyone who says "Fuck what King thinks about Kubrick's vision" is an asshole. It is KINGS book, and if he was not pleased with the finished version of the movie, that is his right, the Kubrick movie, as good as it was, left out so much from the book and I can understand King's dissatisfaction with the movie. Let's see what you would think if a novel you were so proud of and was deeply personal to you didn't get the treatment you felt it deserved.
Wall-E is better than Dark Knight by D.Vader	Dec 13th, 2008 09:17:35 AM
BAM!!!
WERE the Mist & Cloverfield not 2008? by FILMFUNK	Dec 13th, 2008 09:39:04 AM
i'd have thought King would have found those nice for obv reasons maybee im incorrect coz UK waited ages for The Mist!?
Yeah, Wall-E was better at telling a visual story... by rbatty024	Dec 13th, 2008 09:39:57 AM
than The Dark Knight. Is it better? I have to watch them both again to tell. Sometimes I feel like Nolan relies too heavily on dialogue, but I guess that has been the case with just about every new director of the past decade so I shouldn't single him out. The Joker's plan was awfully convoluted and didn't really make much sense in the end, but I shouldn't be too critical since it was a comic book movie. More than that it was a really good one.
The Fall by phantom_of_teh_paradise	Dec 13th, 2008 09:46:47 AM
Did everybody forget about it or am I pretty much the only one on the planet who thought it was a masterpiece? And thank you, Time Magazine, for not letting My Winnipeg disappear into a similar fate. Also, it's nice to see Synecdoche awarded some credit as well.
"The Ruins"??!! by Pdorwick	Dec 13th, 2008 09:47:19 AM
Fuckin' terrible movie; almost as bad as Mamma Mia. King should stick to writing novels.
hypocrits by crashbarbarian	Dec 13th, 2008 09:51:01 AM
i dare you who claim wall-e is better than the dark knight to watch it even 1/5th the times you will TDK! I dare you!
Mr. Zeddemore by rbatty024	Dec 13th, 2008 10:01:16 AM
The Dark Knight was awfully nihilistic. I felt beat down by the end of the film. That's not to say it wasn't a good movie, because it was, but my guess is that I will in fact watch Wall-E more in my lifetime than The Dark Knight. The last fun, lightweight action-adventure film I can remember was the original Pirates of The Caribbean. Even the sequels became a big depressing mess. Why can't directors make those kind of films anymore?
Good to see Redbelt love. by HoboCode	Dec 13th, 2008 10:01:57 AM
I thought it was awesome. The last fight is the shit. And a perfect ending.
Quantum of Solace is # 1 by dieanotherday	Dec 13th, 2008 10:11:10 AM
There is nothing cooler than a villan diying by drinking motor oil and getting shot in the head twice! TDK was boring & Wall.E was a snooze fest!
Here is my top ten list of 2008 movies.. by Leafar the Lost	Dec 13th, 2008 10:24:28 AM
1. "The Love Guru" 2. "The Hottie and the Nottie" 3. "Mad Money" 4. "What Happens In Vegas" 5. "10,000 B.C" 6. "Babylon A.D." 7. "You Don't Mess With The Zohan" 8. "Rambo" 9. "Witless Protection" 10. "Beverly Hills Chihuahua"
It's all just opinion... by johnnyangel	Dec 13th, 2008 10:28:15 AM
Some guy above says that Let the Right One in was a conflicted mess. In some ways it was, but overall it had a lot of creativity and that counts a lot for me. On the other hand, there is tons of love for In Bruges in this talkback that I just don't get. I thought the movie was a tedious reimagining of some of the lesser scenes out of Pulp Fiction. But that's just my opinion.
Is Pennsy Jason fucking Segal? by mr_macphisto	Dec 13th, 2008 10:31:30 AM
Or whatever the fuck his name is? I mean, what the fuck? Who the fuck is that obsessed with "Forgetting Fucking Sarah Fucking Marshall?" Fuck.
Deuce Hexx by smackfu	Dec 13th, 2008 10:32:52 AM
ok, I'll bite. How exactly is 'Let the Right One In' a conflicted mess? I'm left to assume that what happened in that film was simply beyond your grasp, because it was one of the most subtly creepy narratives I've experienced in a long, long time. Just to make sure we're clear, you realize it wasn't actually a 'romance' between a vampire and a human, but actually a vampire choosing it's new 'Renfield', right? It's the story of a male child vampire, who's castrated himself and poses as a little girl, enticing men to fall in love with it as to provide a guaranteed 'Renfield' type protector that will guard and feed it for the next 50 or so years. When it's 'companion' is no longer able to fulfill what 'she' requires from it, 'she' chooses a suitable replacement starts a relationship with him.
No love for Jake & The Fatman: The Early Years? by Rocco Curioso	Dec 13th, 2008 10:36:33 AM
True, it did come in well under the radar, but still...
phantom_of_teh_paradise by streakerfreak1983	Dec 13th, 2008 10:38:18 AM
Don't worry, I thought it was one of the years best too.
Holy Shit, Smackfu! by johnnyangel	Dec 13th, 2008 10:43:12 AM
Where do you get that the little girl vampire was a self castrated boy?
Ah! Redbelt. by gotilk	Dec 13th, 2008 11:00:25 AM
Good for you, King. Redbelt was an overlooked gem.
TDK is way overrated and The Ruins was not in the top 50. by Rupee88	Dec 13th, 2008 11:04:33 AM
The Ruins did succeed by being a cut above the usual derivative horror films...but it didn't delver much more than that. I haven't heard of most of the others on the list, which means I should check some out.
SRs plot is better constructed than TDK by lex romero	Dec 13th, 2008 11:32:56 AM
There I said it. TDK may be the better film but Speed Racer's plotting is far better constructed and put together. Look at some of those early scenes, the use of flashbacks during the first race, how much information do we get in such an organic and smartly compressed manner? It's brilliant. TDK's story telling got very clumsy towards the end as too much was going on. Also why does everyone say Speed Racer was 2.5 hours long? My UK DVD is 2 hours long. Did the US get an extra 30 mins? Also Speed Racer's action was brilliant. Again it was better than TDKs "ooh lets have the camera right up in Batman's face and spaz it around during the fights". The Wachoski's are brilliant at filming action scenes. They're exciting, well put together and have a clear sense of geography. I've no idea how people can think they're shit, they're ten times better than the majority of action films car chases/martial arts fights in the last decade. Speed RAcer is so bizarrely schizophrenic. It has fantastic visuals, great action then plot is well constructed. Yet the dialogue is shit, the attempts at comedy are terrible and the characters (other than racer x) are boring. I don't understand how it can be so extremely shit and extremely great at the same time. Oh and it suffers from The Phantom Menace Syndrome. "what, you think jar jar is annoying? But its a kids film! Kids love that comedy! Star wars has always been a kids film you can't criticise it for jar jar! Oh the plot? Well that's about trade federations putting a tax embargo on naboo..." ZZzzzz. How can it be a kids film if the plot deals with complex "adult" business problems?
STEVEN KINGS MEDICATION'S TOP FILMS OF 08 by dr.bulber	Dec 13th, 2008 11:34:05 AM
i dont wanna know what books/prescription labels hes reading.
Kubrick's THE SHINING Is VASTLY Superior To The Source Material by LaserPants	Dec 13th, 2008 11:40:26 AM
Its SO much better than the novel King wrote as to make it almost totally irrelevant.
In Bruges wasn't good!!! by BackRiverCatfish	Dec 13th, 2008 11:42:59 AM
I'm sure the same people who thought it was one of the best movies of the year think Boondock Saints is a masterpiece.
The Fall by jimmay	Dec 13th, 2008 11:51:05 AM
Roger Ebert loved it, but I found it sadlly wanting. It looked great of course, but the story, either one, failed to engage me.
Speed Racer Ruled by dennyzartman	Dec 13th, 2008 12:05:51 PM
Awesome movie, a misunderstood pop art masterpiece. It even has an extended flash forward, and that's not something you see in movies very much at all. Great casting all around, and a truly international vibe. I'm picky about movies, and I never liked the original cartoon, but the Speed Racer movie blew me away and I loved pretty much every minute of it. It has a lot of heart, plus it looks and sounds amazing (fantastic score too.) People who didn't dig it missed out. I'm very glad to see that it's getting a little love both here and in TIME. I thought Speed Racer was one of the most purely enjoyable and solidly entertaining films I've seen in years.
maxium overdrive... by darthwaz1	Dec 13th, 2008 12:14:59 PM
is a fucking great movie!!
BackRiverCatfish by Jarek	Dec 13th, 2008 12:21:41 PM
Actually, I loved IN BRUGES and rather dislike Boondock Saints. The writing and classical directing style is what sold me on In Bruges... plus great performances across the board. It's one of the best films of the year.
'In Bruges' is fantastic by Laserhead	Dec 13th, 2008 12:27:02 PM
And "Boondock Saints" is utter shit. In Bruges had great performances, tight writing, killer wit, and even a bit of emotional resonance. Martin McDonagh is a great writer, and I can't wait to see what he makes next.
People's taste in music can really take them by gotilk	Dec 13th, 2008 12:27:54 PM
down a notch. Coldplay, King? Coldplay? Still think he's great, but wow. And I gotta agree with Laserpants, the film is vastly superior. I spent years apologizing for that film to people after recommending it. No more. I stopped a while back. People who think it's too slow, not "scary" enough.. something is missing inside them. The book was fine, but just not as great as the film was. Even back when it was originally on theatres, I was a kid. I remember walking out with my friend and we were both blown away by it. All around us were people bitching and moaning about it, how it wasn't scary... it was boring and slow. Hrmph. They got what they deserved, a mega-dose of crapstacy. Shitty directors making shitty slasher films for years. From that point forward, I always kept my eyes open for the name Kubrick.
"I'm going to scare the hell out of you." by Bartleby T. Scrivener	Dec 13th, 2008 12:34:15 PM
-Stephen King, during a commercial for Maximum Overdrive. Indeed Mr. King.
I fucking LOVE Speed Racer! by Powers Boothe	Dec 13th, 2008 12:41:17 PM
I'll go to my grave not understanding the hatred for that film.
Smackfu - Why I think LTROI is conflicted by Deuce Hexx	Dec 13th, 2008 01:02:33 PM
I didn't catch the 'castrated vampire boy' part, but other than that I agree with you. In fact, you are one of the few people I've seen express their opinion who realizes that the movie isn't romantic and sweet. Most reviews and all the people I've talked to who have seen it all seem to think that it is romantic and sweet, so obviously the filmmakers either didn't do a good job of conveying what was going on, or they themselves thought it was romantic. Hey look, I found some evidence: (From AICN's interview with the director) "For me, it’s the love story. This is a love story with horror elements woven into it. ...I would think he would be a very dangerous person, this Oskar, in the future. Or in the near future, if he doesn’t find a way through this. So... it’s quite simple. If you give love to a child, that child will be quite loving. If you give anger to a child, that child will be very angry. It’s very simple mathematics, this. " He thinks that Eli is saving Oskar from becoming a monster through their love. When actually she has turned him into her familiar. The tone of the film was completely inconsistent with what was happening on screen. That said, I did enjoy aspects of the movie, I just don't think it deserves the level of praise it has been getting.
DeathRace and Ruins?!? WTF! by Stalkeye	Dec 13th, 2008 01:13:03 PM
Isn't it a bit too early for april fools day stevie?
Definately Speed Racer by Toonol	Dec 13th, 2008 01:42:17 PM
I'm not sure what my top 10 movies for the year are, but Speed Racer would clearly be one of them. It would be one of the top five, actually. I've never seen a movie get such an undeserved kneejerk rejection by so many people.
I realized The Ruins sucked... by D.Vader	Dec 13th, 2008 01:47:59 PM
When none of the characters were going to even attempt to set the damn plants on fire.
Dear American Public by Sgt.Steiner	Dec 13th, 2008 01:50:55 PM
You may have elected Obama, but all the "Slumdog Millionaire" Love proves you are still susceptible to mass delusion. Corny, thudding dialogue, gimmicky(as opposed to the assuredness of "Trainspotting") direction, inappropriate musical cues(MIA? Give me a break), a lack of suspense(He's going to lose, right?), one-dimensional stick figures posing as characters(good brother, bad brother, degraded female) and the most pompous self-congratulatory end credits in recent memory. Utter twaddle. You want honest sentimentality? Go see "Benjamin Button". It is one the more moving studio pictures in recent years.
Another thing by Deuce Hexx	Dec 13th, 2008 01:56:34 PM
A 12 year old boy probably isn't the most useful "Renfield".
Mr. Zeddemore by rogueleader66	Dec 13th, 2008 01:58:50 PM
I realize that once you sign the rights away you have no say, but King still has the right to submit his dissaproval of how his material was handled, granted he can't do anything about it, but he can still voice his opinion is all I am saying.
I Love SPEED RACER Too by LaserPants	Dec 13th, 2008 02:07:23 PM
I'm not surprised that it bombed, and it was way too long, but I loved it. Its one of my faves of the year. Almost purely based on the nostalgia factor, and the fact that it looks so totally insane, cartoony, and psychedelic. Its literally an anime come to life. It's unfortunate that it bombed, but I'm surprised that it bombed. You know what probably would have been better, if it was done more in a retro style, a little more on the cheap, maybe similar, in terms of technique, to Sin City. Then, really ham up the camp factor and direct the humor more towards the adults that grew up with it. So, have two layers of humor going -- the obvious layer for the kids, and the wink-wink nudge-nudge double entendre stuff for the adults. That went on there a little bit, but not as much as it should have been.
Yep, give him a break by Dapper Swindler	Dec 13th, 2008 02:18:25 PM
The Shining was an extremely personal story to King - moreso than anything else he had written. He really put himself out there and made it about his alcohol abuse. So when Kubrick deviated from the plot and made it about something else, can't you understand why that would have pissed him off? It didn't matter how good Kubrick's film was, it wasn't what King had in mind, it was different. The reason he admits later he likes it is because he was able to get over that grudge and look at the film objectively for his own merits. This shouldn't have to be explained to you.
Speed Racer by Asaraiel	Dec 13th, 2008 02:23:54 PM
... is bizarrely polarizing. I think some people just can't handle all that imagery at once. While our generation has a patience factor of about 0 in media, SR is still just a step above it - so much is communicated visually at once in so many shots. But, underneath all that, it's a wonderful film about family, and how important a good family is. That's rare to see and I appreciated it. Moreover, once it start blending the racing in the movie with the concept of finding what you're born to do and doing it for the right reasons, it's totally got me. It's in my top 5 all time list, personally, though I'm not sure where yet. I never get tired of watching it. I'm glad someone took notice.
Birth of a Nation = Black Dynamite by ChocolateJesusMan	Dec 13th, 2008 02:33:18 PM

It's not that he's usefull (yet) by smackfu	Dec 13th, 2008 02:34:55 PM
but he's devoted. To the point where he will do anything for her, and nothing she does will be too extreme to turn him off and send him packing. She just has to coddle him for a few years and she'll have the perfect familiar.
A few I'm shocked got no mentions are by Sick Fixx	Dec 13th, 2008 02:50:51 PM
Quantum of Solace, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Semipro, Eagle Eye, Burn After Reading (if only because it's a new Coen Brothers film) and Hellboy II.
Maybe by Frisbeetarian	Dec 13th, 2008 02:51:00 PM
He only saw eleven movies this year?
I insist that a better edit of SPEED RACER would've by JDanielP	Dec 13th, 2008 03:07:48 PM
...done wonders. For box office returns and the quality of the finished product. (As you could say the same for STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE)
Wall-E=OVER-RATED by TiNSeLToWN TeRRoR	Dec 13th, 2008 03:23:06 PM
Kung Fu Panda Was definately better.
WALL-E?!?!? by jdb1972	Dec 13th, 2008 04:09:59 PM
I mean, maybe if you're s msianthropic, self-flagellating leftist, but otherwise, no. It wasn't even a decent, let alone good, let alone top, film. It wasn't even close to the top animated film, as Kung-Fu Panda was ten times better.
uberfreak - on the subject of King's suckage by smackfu	Dec 13th, 2008 04:10:02 PM
I agree, most of his stories endings fall very short of the buildup. But I disagree on the Dark Tower ending. I thought it was the most perfect ending to an epic story I've ever read. Not only did it preserve the mystery of the Dark Tower, but it added a whole new level to Roland's character and struggle, to know that he's been doing this forever, and will continue to do it forever. Also, the Tower in a way rewards him for saving it by granting his deepest wish...for the journey to not be over. His entire life has been an obsession with reaching the Tower, there is nothing else for him, he has no place in the world without his quest. So the 'Roland' door boots him back to the beginning of his quest so he can do it all over again. Again, that's just speculation as it's not clearly spelled out, but my point is, what seems like a simple cop-out ending, is actually profound on many levels depending on how you interpret it, but at the very least, it's far more profound than any conventional wrap-up that could have been written.
Garbageman33 by caruso_stalker217	Dec 13th, 2008 04:11:19 PM
Redbelt's wife has two brothers. One owns the club, the other is the fighter.
Funny Games...fuckin awful..one gag stunt horror by quantize	Dec 13th, 2008 04:16:06 PM
the moment the (remote) jig was up that movie blew massive chunks..felt like that kind of embarrassing retarded shit Von Trier was doing in Dogville...self conscious contemporary commentary bullshit
At least King doesnt insult anyones intelligence with Cloverturd by quantize	Dec 13th, 2008 04:17:19 PM
At least King doesnt insult anyones intelligence with Cloverturd
Let the Right One In / In Bruges should be in all the lists by quantize	Dec 13th, 2008 04:19:14 PM
...pathetic and dumb choices on show in these lists.
Speed Racer...your kids like it if they have ADD by quantize	Dec 13th, 2008 04:20:53 PM
because that was one bucket of lifeless droll moronic shit that no kid with a genuine sense of wonder would like...
Boondock Saints total shit...In Bruges - f awesome by quantize	Dec 13th, 2008 04:22:25 PM
so that blows that fuckwad theory.
smackfu by CharyouTree	Dec 13th, 2008 04:29:48 PM
Finally someone else who likes the Dark Tower ending, and as you say the fact he "this time" has the Horn of Jericho, gives hope. I cant agree more its the only way that tale could finish.
Dark Knight and Speed by Chuck_Chuckwalla	Dec 13th, 2008 04:34:36 PM
These end of year lists are pointless. I won't say the best because I haven't seen everything and nobody sees everything unless you're a movie critic. And even they don't see everything. My own personal favorites are Dark Knight, WALLE as the best I've seen this year with Tropic Thunder and Iron Man runners up. I don't necessarily think Dark Knight is without it's flaws but it hit's me on a visceral level that no other movie has in a long time. And I wish folks would stop comparing it to Iron Man, they're totally different animals. Yeah, Iron Man is a fun popcorn movie and for what it is, it's great. And even though I loved the Speed Racer cartoon as a kid and still do, I don't get the love for that flick. It was so vacuous and ridiculously over the top I just couldn't buy into that world. I would say that Dark Knight is on one side of the visceral spectrum, while Speed Racer at the completely opposite end.
I guess he didn't see Benjamin Buttons... by Roketopunch	Dec 13th, 2008 04:36:40 PM

Agreed, the ending to Dark Tower was great. by johnnyangel	Dec 13th, 2008 04:50:03 PM
It was the first time King had surprised me in a long time. Good work, King! And I may be just an old grump here, but isn't Wall-e just a cartoon for children? I'll admit that it is brilliantly executed and yet it is still just a children's cartoon. Unless you guys praising it are all 8, I don't get it.
I love that he picked Death Race... by Bill Clay	Dec 13th, 2008 05:03:28 PM
Steve proves he's Joe Sixpack (without the political connotations)!
Kung Fu Panda fucking sucked by D.Vader	Dec 13th, 2008 05:16:39 PM
Espcially compared to Wall-E. If you don't like Wall-E, you either have no soul, or you're a consevative that thinks it's liberal propoganda. Or, more likely, you're both. And I'll happily explain why Panda sucks. Like Panda all you want, it's still inferior on all levels compared to Wall-E.
King has not been the same since the accident... by Leafar the Lost	Dec 13th, 2008 05:39:28 PM
I know that King is nuts, but since he was hit by that idiot with the dog in his van the quality of his work has suffered. The man is super rich, and yet he was taking a 2 mile walk on the side of a road. King, did it ever dawn on you to buy a treadmill? That tells me that before the accident his judgment was off, and now it is totally off. I was one of his biggest fans. I read ever book he wrote as a teenager. But, I haven't read a King book in years.
porn should win best picture by noiretblanc	Dec 13th, 2008 05:40:26 PM
and be on top of everyone's list. or on the bottom. or doggystyle even.
smackfu, I c ur point by uberfreak	Dec 13th, 2008 05:51:12 PM
but I just feel it as another lame example of existentialism after a long drawn out journey filled with neat concepts making me think it is going somewhere I hadn't thought about. I think that's why I enjoy short stories for sci-fi and fantasy these days more than epic novels. They get to the point quick and avoid the long build up to themes that never really hit me in the gut hard enough.
BackRiverCatfish by neverhed	Dec 13th, 2008 06:03:24 PM
I thought "In Bruges" was easily in the top three films of the year, and although I enjoy "Boondock Saints," I don't consider it on nearly the same level. Actually, to compare the two aside from their dark sense of humor and, perhaps if you're fucking dense, the Irish connection, you'd have to be unbelievably ignorant and generally unable to critically view film.
THE MIST?? by Diablo77	Dec 13th, 2008 06:06:12 PM
apols if ive missed this mentioned, but it seems a shocking oversight that King hasnt mentioned the best adaptation of one of his own books in years...
Death Race? by kwisatzhaderach	Dec 13th, 2008 06:41:16 PM
Yeah, ok Steve.
Funny Games is AWESOME by StrokerX	Dec 13th, 2008 06:45:35 PM
any of you who didnt like the MASTERPIECE that is Funny Games is a retard. That movie was freaking awesome. Haneke is GOD. Just recently saw Benny's Video & The Piano Teacher...once again...Haneke...is....God.
And The Ruins was great too by StrokerX	Dec 13th, 2008 06:55:04 PM
maybe not top 10 great. But one of the better Horror films to come out this year. I remember seeing the directors short film on Atom Films way back when...it was different...so I knew the film would be more than just some teeny bopper shit. Good solid horror.
King hated how Kubrick changed so much from the book by BigTuna	Dec 13th, 2008 07:24:18 PM
He never really said he thought the movie was crap. I understood his point. IT was "STanley Kubrick's The Shing", not Stephen King's
Speed Racer was unwatchable by BigTuna	Dec 13th, 2008 07:26:24 PM
Beautiful to look at, yes, but it has NOTHING else to offer. Terrible story, bad acting, no real characters, nothing. And on top of that it's 2Hrs.20 minutes. WTF? It should have been 90 minutes with it's story. NO wonder it bombed horribly.
I thought The Ruins was great... by BigTuna	Dec 13th, 2008 07:28:17 PM
One of the few times I agreeed spot-on with Harry. It's creepy, and despite them being on that damn temple for 98% of the film, it's very entertaining. Best horror film of 08'.
dioxholster by TheHumanBeingAndFish	Dec 13th, 2008 07:55:39 PM
"The Golden Compass" was, I think, officially a 2007 movie - it came out before Christmas last year. Maybe not where you live? Oh well, doesn't matter, who cares. Anyway, I, for one, will stick to "The Fall" as the best movie of 2008.
I do not understand the love for WALL-E... by JackIsLost	Dec 13th, 2008 08:48:19 PM
It's not a terrible film by any means but I'd say it's fairly mediocre. I love the opening 20 minutes which are and bold story-telling but the rest is as conventional as you can get. THE INCREDIBLES, RATATOUILLE, & FINDING NEMO are all far superior and there are about 20 films released in 2008 that are better.
Yep, Wall-E losses it's magic once the fat humans are introduced by BigTuna	Dec 13th, 2008 09:12:09 PM
Great first half hour, then it's VERY cliched.
In Bruges was shit by BackRiverCatfish	Dec 13th, 2008 09:18:24 PM
I just think it wasn't as good as everybody said it was and it reminded me of all the retards who said Boondock Saints was great. The dramatic scenes were cheesey and Ralph Fiennes' character was a total rip-off of Ben Kingsley in Sexy Beast.
Finding Nemo by Series7	Dec 13th, 2008 09:26:21 PM
Is better then Wall-E? Really? I guess if your a little girl and your under the age of five.
Wall-E by jdb1972	Dec 13th, 2008 09:39:20 PM
Is Finding Nemo better than Wall-E? Yes. Heck, Cars is better than Wall-E. A Bug's Life is better than Wall-E. Monsters Inc is better than Wall-E.
I Am Legend by jdb1972	Dec 13th, 2008 09:41:41 PM
Can we agree to forget most of I Am Legend that happens after Will Smith kills his dog and call it one of the top 10 films of the year? Can't we just pretend random characters didn't arrive to provide a tacked-on stopping place for the movie?
JDB, you lean right, so you're biased against Wall-E by D.Vader	Dec 13th, 2008 09:47:05 PM
Honestly, branding those who like it as "leftists" shows your bias. And oh yeah, Kung Fu Panda sucks. The only interesting character in the whole movie is the villain and his relationship with Shifu.
Ok, all of you bashing Wall-E have something wrong with you by bullet3	Dec 13th, 2008 09:47:35 PM
Its BY FAR the best pixar movie, and I'm shocked that people are trying to dismiss it as mediocre. And I actually found the second half to be just as fun and interesting as the first half (if the whole movie was on Earth it would be boring).
wall eis half a great movie and half a boring run of the mill mo by slappy jones	Dec 13th, 2008 10:16:35 PM
first half amazing. once they get on the ship BOOOORRRRRIIINNNNGGGGGGG
phantom_of_teh_paradise by Dingbatty	Dec 13th, 2008 10:19:42 PM
Agree about The Fall.
AND I WOULD LOVE TO TELL YOU why speed racer is so bad by slappy jones	Dec 13th, 2008 10:20:33 PM
but i couldn't sit through it. I watched 45 minutes of it and walked out. not only was I bored to tears the acting was appalling and the whole style they went for for me didn't work. It looked ugly and I could never for one minute accept anything was real or actually happening. there was not one moment I saw in that first 45 minutes that was in anyway cool or interesting. I hated what I saw but I would not say I hate the film as I have not seen the entire thing nor do I wish too. But I saw enough to know it wasn't for me.
and in bruges is the most over rated film in years. by slappy jones	Dec 13th, 2008 10:21:55 PM
Ralph fiennes I have two words for you DON LOGAN.
StrokerX stick to stroking... by quantize	Dec 13th, 2008 10:50:38 PM
because your film taste is pure ASS...Funny Games was the goofiest most retarded stunt I can remember seeing in a film...
Top Ten for 2008 (so far) by waitingimpatientlyforingloriousb astards	Dec 13th, 2008 11:49:51 PM
1, Let the Right One In 2, In Bruges 3, Tell No One 4, The Dark Knight 5, The Visitor 6, Burn After Reading 7, Rachel Getting Married 8, Iron Man 9, Synecdoche, NY 10, Mongol
CARS is better than WALL-E... by JackIsLost	Dec 13th, 2008 11:50:32 PM
And CARS is not very good either.
slappy jones by BackRiverCatfish	Dec 13th, 2008 11:51:44 PM
Thanks for seconding my opinion, I knew I couldn't be the only one out there.
In Bruges is the most UNDER-rated movie of the year... by waitingimpatientlyforingloriousb astards	Dec 13th, 2008 11:52:41 PM
Wall-E is by far the most overrated... Even though it was the best animated film this year, it is nowhere near Best Picture material.
"In Bruges" Over-rated. by neverhed	Dec 13th, 2008 11:55:42 PM
That is an unbelievable new level of elitism that I have scarcely seen, even at AICN. Who the fuck is even TALKING about "In Bruges," let alone actually seen it if they so much as know it exists? If you don't like it, that's one thing-- you just don't have taste. Claiming it's over-rated, though? You're just simple.
Damn straight! Some recognition for Speed Racer! by Johnno	Dec 14th, 2008 12:25:32 AM
Although I'm puzzled that TIME would nominate Iron man over Dark Knight... Anyway Speed Racer OWNS YOUR ASSES! The performances were great and worked for the film. I think haters of Speed are just Transformers fans pissed off that the Wachowskis contrary to every other attempt at adaptations, even Shining, managed not only to be faithful to the source material, but elevated it greatly, of course considering it's Speed Racer as the source material, elevating it wouldn't have been hard to do, but they just fucking took it to a whole other level whereas lazier people would've settled for a bland experience in live action. You fuckers bore me with your inane attempts to put this film down. Yeah yeah, basically you couldn't handle the visuals, I can understand that, it's pretty overwhelming in a theatre, but it's a fucking awesome experience on blu-ray! Truly something where I can say, "There's something I haven't seen before!" Great effects and the transitions were awesome! Spectacular! I bet the FX and compositing people must've loved working on this! I could follow the races and action pretty dman well. What the fuck was wrong with the rest of you? Do we need to retard everything and put you in the slow class? You want a map and commentator to help you? The only thing I'd agree on is that the humor involving the kid and monkey wasn't blah... and it could've been a bit shorter, but otherwise the story itself was very fitting. If this movie was left up to you cretins it would've been Fast and the furious on a regular formula 1 racetrack. Fuck that and fuck you! GO SPEED GO!
Hard to believe that Mark Osborne by Sick Fixx	Dec 14th, 2008 01:01:25 AM
went from making the powerful five minute short film 'More' (which said what most movies take two and a half hours to say) to Kung Fu Panda. Not exactly what I'd call progress. It's almost like he sold out. Watch 'More' on youtube and you'll see what I mean.
Sick Fixx, I liked "More" better when... by D.Vader	Dec 14th, 2008 01:42:40 AM
...When it was reworked as a music video for Kenna's "Hell Bent". I saw that in college at the Student Rec Center playing on College TV or whatever station they had on. Its a beautiful short, and at the time I was very drawn to stories of lost innocence and was feeling nostalgic for my own childhood, so it hit me hard. Great film.
I AM LEGEND Is 3/4s Of An Amazing, Powerful, Heartbreaking Movie by LaserPants	Dec 14th, 2008 01:49:10 AM
And 1/4s crap. The first 3/4s are so good, tho, that it makes the awfulness of the final 1/4 irrelevant.
IRON MAN by BirdMcMonster	Dec 14th, 2008 02:13:37 AM
#1
also Speed Racer by BirdMcMonster	Dec 14th, 2008 02:14:30 AM
was decent
Hate to dwell on Speed again... by DougMcKenzie	Dec 14th, 2008 02:19:22 AM
The Wachowski's selection of mise-en-scene for that movie was just astounding. What they packed into that movie visually was not topped by any other film this year. However the acting (aside from Goodman was was passable), was a a complete disaster. Matthew Fox was miscast, plain and simple. Hirsch had a horribly distracting lack of passion in the role. The character was played with about as much enthusiasm as Duvall playing Frank Burns in MASH. In other words, stilted and boring. No movie tops Redbelt for me, but I'm a Mamet and Ejiofor nut and that movie played to my tastes.
Holy fuck! The army of morons defending Speed Racer by Motoko Kusanagi	Dec 14th, 2008 04:22:50 AM
is growing alarmingly. Looks like the 8 yo's have taken over this site.
The performances in Speed Racer were great? by Motoko Kusanagi	Dec 14th, 2008 04:26:35 AM
Yeah, but the chimp ownd them all, Johnno. Right? Plus, the action scenes had ZERO physics. ZERO. That's why they sucked so much and bored me to tears.
Shit, thought I was alone with love for In Bruges by alucardvsdracula	Dec 14th, 2008 04:46:23 AM
I've been screaming about this fucker since it first came out and nobody has even heard of it!!! Best film of the year, along with Old Darky Knight. Nice to see I'm not a-fecking-lone.
The Visitor by TheMandrakeRoot	Dec 14th, 2008 05:15:01 AM
One heck of a good film that deserves more recognition. I'd even say Richard Jenkins performance is Best Actor worthy.
Blow Speed Racer Blow..! by Stalkeye	Dec 14th, 2008 05:48:34 AM
I could not watch more than the first 15 minutes of this florescent crap.It's as painful as the Crash TV series.(And that's fucking painful!)I can imagine more Anime bastardization down the pipeline:Robotech,Voltron,Akir a,etc.Shudders
Go Stephen by speedroc	Dec 14th, 2008 07:37:54 AM
Death Race rocks!!! Also agree with Tropic Thunder and The Ruins. Would also put Pineapple Express and my #1 movie this year, WANTED on the list.
King's recommendations always blow. by Ringwearer9	Dec 14th, 2008 07:39:35 AM
But he did warn us at the beginning. But that being said, I really distrust his Jump On the Bandwagon inclusion of "The Dark Knight". He just wants to prove he's hip, and with-it, and still relevant to today's youth, as when he jumped on the Harry Potter bandwagon in time to review the last Potter book (and tied his Dark Tower series to it). I fucking hate the drug and booze damaged moron now. And I used to be a huge fan. That love began to die with the retarded ending to the original STAND and that kiddie gang bang scene in IT and I lost complete respect for him with TOMMYKNOCKERS. He never really came back.
Best movies are the following. by Penetron	Dec 14th, 2008 08:04:49 AM
1. Let The Right One In. 2. My sister's honeymoon video. She shows her tits and vag.
Yeah, But You Never Saw SPEED RACER, Motoko! by LaserPants	Dec 14th, 2008 10:03:27 AM
If you saw it and hated it, fine, I can understand. But you never did! You saw the trailer, realized it wasn't T2: WE WUB WOO ROBODADDY, and declared it the worst movie of all times. Hench: zero credibility.
That Is To Say... by LaserPants	Dec 14th, 2008 10:04:03 AM

That Is To Say... by LaserPants	Dec 14th, 2008 10:04:19 AM
Hence: zero credibility.
Speed Racer bitchaz by Volllllume3	Dec 14th, 2008 10:34:35 AM
Underground cult hit slowly but steadily gaining a massive fan base. The Dark Knight: convoluted, self-important piece of shit that's a cop movie pretending to be a comic book movie pretending to be a cop movie. Plus it's aging about as fast as Heather Locklear's face.
If Speed Racer wasn't Ignored by the Public... by BigTuna	Dec 14th, 2008 10:52:01 AM
Would you geeks be cumming over it? Honestly, it's unwatchable crap. And In Bruges did suck.
Time Magazine loves speed racer? by The Nothing	Dec 14th, 2008 11:08:20 AM
I didn't see it, so I'm not going to say its a bad movie, but to put it on a list that doesn't even include the Dark Knight, or to say in any way that it is better smacks of insanity. I might be late to this conclusin, but Time Magazine just lost any type of credibility it may have had with me.
King thoughts by Le Vicious Fishus	Dec 14th, 2008 11:22:49 AM
I don't think he's a bad writer, and I'm actually fond of some of his novels (such as, in fact, THE SHINING), but I don't think he's one of the greatest writers of our lifetime in any respect. Historically speaking, popular literature does not equal great literature. King's material, like William Goldman's, is best suited for the silver screen, imo, because his plots and characters, though sometimes interesting, cannot be sustained in a longer prose form. His plots tend to fall apart and his characters tend to be of the cliched, cookie cutter variety. King isn't bad writer -- he's just not great one. My point is that I feel there are any number of writers out there that can and do exceed King in both plot and characterization. In fact, I have never found a King character memorable unless it was heavily revised and adapted by another writer. For example, take Goldman's MISERY or Kubrick's THE SHINING. In the latter, at least, the product was only like the original in outline -- if King had had full control over these projects, they would have been forgettable failures. This is a demonstrable fact. Also, both of these movies had wonderful actors and acting (which Stephen King's version of THE SHINING and King's MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE certainly did not have). In regards to King's endings, I must point towards the classic example of a terrible King ending -- THE STAND. [SPOILER WARNING] In the climax, as you recall, the villain is blown up by a nuclear device set off with what appears for all the world to be "the finger of God." This was not only a complete letdown after struggling through so many meandering pages (which should have been edited out), it was also a cheesy cop out, imo, as if King didn't know what else to do so he went for the Deus Ex Machina solution. IT had a similar feel to me, as if he couldn't make up his mind how he could possibly end the book, so he decided on the pseudo-spiritual God-saves-the-day approach. There are exceptions to his endings, of course, my favorite being an early work, THE LONG WALK. Typically, though, King doesn't (usually) know when or how to wrap things up. Don't get me wrong. King is a fine writer, and I hope that more of his stories are brought to film by creative screenplay writers and directors, but there are many other authors that I would rather read than Stephen King. Just my two cents.
My 2 Fave Movies Of The Year Are DARK KNIGHT & SPEED RACER by LaserPants	Dec 14th, 2008 11:58:57 AM
Yes, it is possible to like both an operatic, brooding masterpiece and a colorful pop-art explosion; each for different reasons on their own merits.
neverhed everyone i know fucking raves about in bruge by slappy jones	Dec 14th, 2008 12:54:49 PM
everytime I hear about it which is a lot its generally a fucking rave review. my favorite critics have gone mental for it, all of my friends and family pretty much claim its the best film of the year. Sorry but where I am it is fucking everywhere and i have heard more about from my circle of then any film all year. even my wifes dad who very rarely talks about films told me I had to see it. So I did. And it wasn't very good. it was average at best.
if speed racer had been a massive hit by slappy jones	Dec 14th, 2008 12:58:37 PM
instead of the complete close to career destroying flop that it was would you guys be defending it and talking about in such you have to be fucking kidding me glowing terms? and to the guy who said racer haters must be transformers fans well for the record transformers was garbage too. Speed racer was just a little bit worse. but they were both crap.
I appluad King for his honesty! by Powers Boothe	Dec 14th, 2008 01:10:49 PM
The snobbery toward King's list is hilarious. It's HIS bloody list. Go make your own list if you're so offended by his 'lowbrow' tastes. Why should everyones "best of" list be the same? Are only lists that include Revolutionary Road, The Reader & Frost/Nixon valid? It's all about personal taste. Also: Isn't it amusing that now Iron Man's on DVD people are giving it a second look and realising it wasn't worthy of all those great reviews back in May? I really feel Iron Man was the most overpraised film of 2008. PS: I just watched the 4hr version of Soderbergh's Che...and I gotta tell you...it's fucking fantastic. Gotta love folk who compile "best of" lists BEFORE they've seen all the big films of the year. I'll wait until January to put mine together.
I would have. by Flea Circus	Dec 14th, 2008 01:11:51 PM

FUNNY GAMES Was Good... by LaserPants	Dec 14th, 2008 01:13:55 PM
but it didn't blow me away. I was a little disappointed by the lack of on-screen violence. Yes, I know that was the point, and that it was basically a scathing satire/critique of exploitation / torture porn kinda movies, and people like me who enjoy them, but I would have preferred it to be more exploitative. Mostly because I want to see Naomi Watts in graphic distress. Is that wrong? Am I a bad person for getting turned on by Naomi Watts weeping, disheveled, and sexually vulnerable? I guess Hanneke would say something like, "Yes, you crass, boring, stupid American! For shame!"
I would have loved for speed racer to be a huge hit by Flea Circus	Dec 14th, 2008 01:25:12 PM
then more of the great things they did do in speed racer would become part the lexicon unlike other all green screen movies they used it to make a movie that could only be made they way they did it. As for my speed racer experience I've been through both places, I took my daughter to watch it in the imax we left after 45 minutes. I rented it, because I wanted to see how it ended. On video she loved it and by the end I loved it. It was a new film experience. A mixed bag for sure but there was no film I saw this year that I want watch more again than speed racer.
slappy jones by neverhed	Dec 14th, 2008 02:23:05 PM
Well, it might not be unfair to say you went in jaded. I know from experience, if THAT many people around me are raving about something, I'll find a reason to dislike it. I just find the phenomenon odd. You must have a lot of film-aware acquaintances.
Only assholes dont like In Bruges by quantize	Dec 14th, 2008 03:27:58 PM
...its a quality film, lots of humor (especially in Feinnes performance)...
and only assholes like Speed Racer.. by quantize	Dec 14th, 2008 03:28:37 PM
which makes a couple of you semi assholes..
Read King's article before slamming his list.. by Atropos	Dec 14th, 2008 03:33:19 PM
...he clearly states that he's not to be trusted and that he knows he's insane for including two Statham movies, but that he's effectively gay for Statham and can't help it. I may be wrong, but aren't these involuntary man-crushes on certain actors part of the magic of cinema? Like the way I would rent anything with Christian Slater just because he was in Heathers? I know it makes no fucking sense, but there you go, It shouldn't be about logic, that's why we call it an opinion, instead of, uhmm, "brainion". Or something. Also, "Let the Right One In" ruled and "In Bruges" disappointed me (since I'd heard so many people rave about it). That's just my opinion of course. Luckily, MY opinion is the right one.
...oh, and on EW and Let The Right One In by Atropos	Dec 14th, 2008 03:40:04 PM
...even if King had seen LTROI, I doubt he'd be allowed by Entertainment Weekly to include it in his list, or even mention it. Their critic Owen Gleiberman quite amusingly reviewed the movie without watching it a while back, and since then they've refused to touch it, comment on it, or even update the review-page to reflect the "Reader's Average" (A+ or somewhere therabouts) or the critics' average (A- or therabouts), a script-based process that is usually automatic and has to be intentionally shut off. Made me lol myself a little bit :-)
Taste is indeed subjective by The StarWolf	Dec 14th, 2008 04:08:41 PM
That IRON MAN isn't near the top of most of those lists demonstrates this very well.
Why I love Speed Racer... by nick b - london	Dec 14th, 2008 04:30:18 PM
IT'S THE NEW FUCKING TRON!!!! Remember when you saw Tron. Remember it bombed too! Speed Racer is the next stop, for the kids of today. I love Tron, even got those Adidas Trainers they released.. but its not the best film ever made, but one I'll always enjoy. I decided based on the reviews to not see it at the cinema. I caught it on DVD and was blown away. Yeah, storyline is piss poor, but as a piece of art, OUTSTANDING! It will be looked fondly upon and will be a cult classic. Also like tron, ahead of its time. This is not a chance to big something up so to not appear to be a sheep. I enjoy it for what it is. A fun and entertaining film. Not for its character art or plot twists, just for pure entertainment! Just Like Be Kind Rewind, Cloverfield, Son Of Ranbow and Tropic Thunder. Oh and as for TDK, Ledger was amazing and as a cop film it was great. But as a comic book movie It was good, no more no less and definetly not the second coming!
THE DARK KNIGHT #1 and IRON MAN #2 by JDanielP	Dec 14th, 2008 05:09:05 PM
And since I can't get enough comic book inspired escapism in Hollywood, THE INCREDIBLE HULK is #3.
SPEED RACER Totally Is This Generation's TRON by LaserPants	Dec 14th, 2008 05:14:11 PM
Expect nostalgia reboot / revisit in 10, 20 years.
King even admits he's not a great writer by Chuck_Chuckwalla	Dec 14th, 2008 05:45:04 PM
I've heard him interviewed where he admits he's the writers equivalent of McDonalds fast food. So, don't take this list seriously.
About King's "populist" tastes by sideshowbob	Dec 14th, 2008 06:10:29 PM
Remember he lives in Bangor, Maine, and he is not a critic, so he hasn't seen a ton of the more obscure and/or artsy movies this year. Stuff like Doubt, Frost/Nixon, The Wrestler, Synedoche, and so on. They probably won't screen in his neck of the woods until next year, if at all.
Know what I want? by a rolling stone	Dec 14th, 2008 06:24:00 PM
TDK was the shit. The other delah movies can go todash with the chimes to another when, do ya ken? Thankeesai. DARK TOWER MOVIE ALL UP IN THIS MOFO!!!!
Slumdog Millionaire = WAY Overrated by Admiral Nelson	Dec 14th, 2008 07:27:54 PM
It's not bad, but it's nowhere NEAR the great film that the critics would have you believe. "Slumdog" is essentially an R-rated, overly violent and unnecessarily grim British version of a Bollywood movie that omits that genre's sense of romantic cheese -- but along with it, its magic, sense of fun and even its musical numbers, except for a token one over the end credits. It's not that the film is "bad" per se; it's just that, if you've seen even handful of real Bollywood films, you'll peg "Slumdog" as surprisingly unoriginal. My only conclusion is that all the U.S. critics who are inexplicably heaping praise on this film have never seen any other Bollywood movie, because they'd recognize "Slumdog's" formulaic plot in, oh, perhaps a few hundred Bollywood films made during the last 30 years. You want to see Bollywood films that really work for Western audiences? Then go rent TAAL, or the classic "curry Western" SHOLAY, or the dynamite (and really funny) DIL CHAHTA HAI, or the Academy Award Nominee LAGAAN, which is goddamn epic, and one of my favorite films of all time. But SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE? It's the equivalent of CROACHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON for those people who've never seen another Hong Kong wuxia film, or THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN for those who've never seen SEVEN SAMURAI. It's not bad, but it's nowhere near unique. It's Danny Boyle (a director I like) trying to meld a gritty, realistic drama with Bollywood film conventions, and ending up with a hybrid that's a pale (and unfortunately off-kilter) copy of the genre.
a rolling stone is right by CharyouTree	Dec 14th, 2008 07:41:01 PM
this Ka-tet needs a movie, (but by J.J Abrams)?
IN BRUGES. by Gilkuliehe	Dec 14th, 2008 08:01:30 PM
I saw it purely based on its small fanbase here and I must agree with all you fuckers here: It's great. Exquisite writting, acting and direction, and a very welcome reference to DON'T LOOK NOW. Shit, it's much more than a reference, but without being distractive or metapostmodern bullshit that takes you out of the picture. Thanks to all recommending it: Now I've joined you and will spread the word.
Another Shitlist: King like Coldplay for years best music. by Flip63Hole	Dec 14th, 2008 08:54:24 PM
King has no taste. Tropic Thunder? Death Race? Kill me now, please...
Ringwearer9, stop being a snobbish douchebag. First of all by Coughlins Laws	Dec 14th, 2008 09:06:48 PM
Stephen King has pretty much praised the Harry Potter books from the beginning, not in time for his review of the last book. He has talked down about snobs like you for not liking those books since almost the first one. Secondly, I doubt very much you've even read most of his books lately. I do agree that alot of the time he has trouble ending his stories (trust me, I thought the ending of The Stand was very anti-climactic as well) but usually the ride more than makes up for the end. But, for you to name his two most praised books as examples of his not being a good writer makes you sound like an asshole. I just love people who rip other people's opinions and then lists their opinions as facts as if their opinions should trump all others. Fiction is very subjective. What moves one person bores the next person. But, other than alot of his protagonists being writers, I don't see how anyone can say all his characters are cookie cutter. I think the reason Stephen King is popular with so many people is because he is very good at writing flawed characters that people can relate to. But alot of you people who keep stating who is "relevant" and who is "irrelevant" are pompous, snobbish dickheads. Who are you to be the people who say who matters and who doesn't. Calling someone irrelevant is the ultimate form of vanity and self-importance. You are basically anouncing to the world that your opinion is more valuable and credible than anyone else's. By using the word "irrelevant" you are conceding you are an arrogant prick who not only thinks your opinion matters more than others, but you also believe you have the right to tell whoever is reading what you wrote what they should like and be interested in. So, just so you know, I can easily pick out the assholes on this site by those of you who call the most popular author of the last 30 years "irrelevant".
Coughdrop's Laws calling someone... by Skyway Moaters	Dec 14th, 2008 10:08:48 PM
"Vain and self-important"?! "Hello pot? This is kettle. You're black".
Motoko Chimp Chump Kusanagi by Johnno	Dec 15th, 2008 01:07:53 AM
Sounds like not only didn't you see the movie Motoko, but you failed to read what I posted too! Well a typo did slip in there... I didn't care for the chimp or kid. And as for the races having zero pyhsics... ummm NO SHIT??? What did you think it was going to be? Realistic??? You idiot! As for actor performances, I insist they're great, not Oscar academy award winning drama, but good in the vein of campy fun for the whole family, what was campy worked and the moments of seriousness and sadness also came through well enough! That's all Speed Racer was going to be, what the Wachowski's intended it to be and advertised as being. Nobody's saying it's better than Dark Knight, however I can tell you right now I'll be re-watching it more times than I'll ever re-watch Dark Knight! Speed Racer already fucked our eyeballs in 2008! Who cares about Motoko's uninformed and misguided opinion? No-fucking-one!
My reaction to King's top 10 list by Halloween68	Dec 15th, 2008 08:04:21 AM
For what it's worth. Not sure I'd be arguing credibility with King knowing film, because he obviously doesn't. Every film he's taken a direct involvement in has turned out crappers. The great King adaptations were the one's he had nothing to do with other than providing the source material. CARRIE, THE SHINING, CHRISTINE, PET SEMETARY, CUJO, etc. All this said, I'm not disputing King's knack for a good story. He's obviously a brilliant story teller. Just doesn't have the foggiest of how to translate that same story to screen. On to his list. I like his list for the most part. Now while I didn't particularly find TROPIC THUNDER all that funny, I can see why some people did. It's Ben Stiller humor. It's CABLE GUY in vietnam. I laughed some of the time, but I didn't laugh more often than I did. Thought there were better movies this year. Actually thought GET SMART was better. Also, THE BANK JOB. I'm a big Jason Stratham fan, and I was expecting a whole lot going into THE BANK JOB, but upon seeing it, I was very underwhelmed. Good movie, but not great. THE RUINS I thought was okay. CABIN FEVER on a Aztec pyramid in South America. A little bit of flavor of TURISTAS. I don't know. Didn't see anything in it I hadn't seen anywhere else. Again, saw better movies in 2008. Incedentally, I did think BANK JOB was better than IN BRUGES. BRUGES had a better story, but BANK JOB was better executed. All around, it was a better movie experience. My point is there were are just better flicks out there if you're talking top 10. Where's SON OF RAMBOW? That movie was a lot of fun. Very original. Lastly, DEATH RACE? I haven't seen this one, but didn't this get widely panned by nearly everyone? I intend on seeing it, but I'm not expecting anything. Should I be?
THE GUY by cocolopez	Dec 15th, 2008 08:41:31 AM
who has Mick Garris adapt the greatest portion of his work- his opinion is to be taken seriously on film? What a joke. My left nut can direct better than Mick Garris.
People keep forgetting... by Atropos	Dec 15th, 2008 10:12:16 AM
...that King also wrote the stories that were the basis for "Apt Pupil", "Stand By Me", "Shawshank Redemption" and "The Green Mile"... The non-supernatural stories always seem to work better as films, simply because King is a fuckin' master at making ridiculous shit seem real, whereas you need a master filmmaker to translate it to the screen. Strangely, he seems to have no problem "ending" his non-horror stories either...
People keep forgetting... by Atropos	Dec 15th, 2008 10:12:20 AM
...that King also wrote the stories that were the basis for "Apt Pupil", "Stand By Me", "Shawshank Redemption" and "The Green Mile"... The non-supernatural stories always seem to work better as films, simply because King is a fuckin' master at making ridiculous shit seem real, whereas you need a master filmmaker to translate it to the screen. Strangely, he seems to have no problem "ending" his non-horror stories either...
How is The Green Mile a non-supernatural story? by Coughlins Laws	Dec 15th, 2008 01:22:43 PM
I don't understand the hate on this site for Stephen King. He tried his hand at direction and it turned out to be a failure. Well, we all can't be good at everything. But do you guys really want to go down the road where you have to have directed a 4 star movie to make a top ten list or even criticize a movie? That doesn't even make sense. Sites like this wouldn't exist and there would be no rottentomatoes. Add to that the fact that Hollywood Directors tend not to criticize each other's work. The points you're making don't make sense. Does the fact that I made a horrible 5 minute movie with my GI Joes trying to recreate an episode of the cartoon make every single Top 10 List I make "irrelevant"? I think it's really interesting to see what a guy like Stephen King ejoys. Don't you? He didn't say these are the defintive Top Movies of 2008. He said they were his favorite. Opinions can not be right or wrong. It's what he liked the most...
WALL*E by frozen01	Dec 16th, 2008 11:36:11 AM
Were my husband and I the only two people who thought this movie was incredibly boring? Yes, I got it. It was cute. It was sweet. It was a "cautionary tale". It also played like a 90-minute-long Pixar short. Every time the robots spoke it felt like someone was dragging my ears over a cheese grater. And I really didn't care to watch 30 minutes of a robot rolling around collecting trinkets and building skyscrapers out of garbage blocks, or 10 minutes of two robots swirling around each other in space. Yes, it's cute and funny that WALL*E used a fire extinguisher as propolsion... move on, please!
frozen01 by terrytips	Dec 16th, 2008 11:56:36 AM
Might you be forgetting that this was a film aimed primarily at children?
Stephen King is a talented writer with one foot in a mansion by skimn	Dec 16th, 2008 12:52:51 PM
the other in a mobile home. He's a millionaire a kagillion times over, but probably enjoys a Big Mac or Whopper (washed down with a Schiltz, back in his drinkin days) over a 5 star meal any day of the week. And these films are just his opinions. One I remember is Snyder's Dawn Of The Dead remake the year it came out. And King is a close, close friend of Romero. He just liked it. Did he get a chance to see EVERY film this year like a critic? Doubt it very much. I could see him liking JCVD if he saw it, but whatever. As the man once said, opinions are like assholes, everyones got one.

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Stephen King Picks The 10 Best Movies Of 2008!!

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