Movie Round up

You'd think someone with about 600 DVD's would go to the cinema more often.

Copying Holz's idea (or "stealing" as the RIAA would no doubt have it) I ran down through the list of top 150 US movies of the last year. I saw 21 of them. Sounds like very few, but then, I obviously can't include non-US movies there.

My top 10 for 2004 (from the list)

10. Collateral
I wasn't expecting much from this, but it was a nice surprise of a movie. No main surprises, but well acted, well lit, well directed. And Tom Cruise dies in the end. An all too rare event these days. Saw it twice in the cinema, just to know that it wasn't a fluke.

9. Hellboy
I had not read Hellboy the comic, until word of this movie started to hit the net. Then I searched out some trade paperbacks. What I found was an interesting story, not particularly scary, but with some keen writing and characters. Word was that the movie was going to be true to the source.

I can't really say if it was or not, as I don't know the material that well. But what there was, was a fun fun movie. I liked this in the same "check your brain at the door" way that I liked Independence Day. But this was much better. Don't think about it. Don't try to understand it. Just enjoy it.

8. Spider-Man 2
Some plot holes aside, this was a great sequel for Spidey. Sam Raimi was able to improve on the first by jumping straight into the action. Doc Ock is a much better villain than the Green Goblin though there was a superb cameo at the end by William Defoe. This was a hopping good movie that made me really want to see the third one done ASAP.

7. Fahrenheit 9/11
Every one has an opinion on this movie, even those who haven't seen it.
Unfounded accusations of lies and distortions abounded. I went through the eponymous list of 57 falsehoods or whatever. They were crap. Those who criticised the facts really had not got a leg to stand on. There is one (repeat one) deliberate distortion in the movie that I am aware of, and it is minor, appearing in the middle of a whole host of other facts. It could be snipped out (3 seconds) and the movie would be factually flawless.

6. Super Size Me
Let's just say I was never planning to eat at a McDonalds ever again anyway.
I'm not a fast food or junk food type person. Never have been. The closest thing to it in my semi-regular food intake would be the occasional pizza. And then I prefer to make my own. Or at least have it home made.
This was a real eye-opener though, on just how nasty and bad for you, fast food is.
After this movie, I read "Fast Food Nation" and "Fatland". One was good, the other not so much. Can't remember which was which now, but the one about McDonalds history was the bad one. The one about America in general (including declining PE classes in schools) was the better one.

5. The Chronicles of Riddick
I can't defend this. So I won't. Pitch Black is a brilliant movie, and if you don't think so, you're just wrong. Chronicles had many flaws, but god-damnit, it's Riddick. It's Riddick. And Gwen Raiden as Jack. And Riddick.
Just make the damn trilogy already.

4. Kill Bill Vol. 2
Darryl Hannah needs a career again, in the way that Travolta got his second chance. Uma was amazing. And David "Bill" Caradine is the fucking man. The Superman aside is worth the price of admission.

3. Shrek 2
Everyone's favourite animated comedy. I laughed so hard at this. That five minute section of the movie which has the C.O.P.S. piss-take, is just gut-bustingly funny. Puss-n'-Boots is a character that has enriched the world of animation, just as with Homer Simpson and Eric Cartman and Stewie Griffin. I can't imagine animation without 'em.

2. The Incredibles
Simply Pixars best movie ever. Holly Hunter's accent has never been sexier. The kids were not annoying (so hard for kids). Edna Mode stole every scene she was in. The Wallace Shawn voiced character looked like Rick Moranis (perfect) but Ricks voice would never have worked. Frozone's arguments with his wife made me cry laughing. And the plot... dear lord, the plot, the story. It works. It all works. It's just incredible. This was my Christmas Day movie this year.

1. Shaun of the Dead
If you like Clerks, or Kevin Smith type movies, see this. If you like Bruce Campbell, Ash, and the Evil Dead movies, see this. If you like British comedy (like Black Books, Father Ted and The Office) see this. If you are a fan of SPACED, see this. If you don't know these references, see this.
Only if you dislike all of the above, could you fail to like this movie.
Me, I loved it.

And to show that copying never stops at one, therefore must be called "stealing" and stamped out using the full force of American judicial system... I'm copying the next part from Holz as well.

My top 3 worst movies of the year: (Only 3 because they were really in a league of their own...)

3. The Ladykillers
Now, I generally like the Coen brothers movies. The Big Lebowski and Fargo are my two favourites, but they're generally good and quirky and funny. But this was just awful. Awful in the way that Charlies Angels 2 was awful. It was racist, stupid, patronising, dull, contrived, and just plain sucked. That said, Tom Hanks did his level best with what he had. I normally don't like his choice of material, but this made me remember why he's an ACTOR and commands such a high salary.
2. Team America
I really really wanted to like this movie. I'm such a huge fan of SouthPark and the SouthPark movie is my favourite comedy ever. But this movie wasn't funny.
It seemed almost a given that when I mentioned this to people they assumed I didn't like it because it skewered the left. To which I say, bullcrap. I don't identify myself with "The Left" and the only thing in the movie that made me smile was "Matt ... Damon...".
No, what I hated was that this movie was just not funny. Not. Funny. And that's a crime for a comedy.

"How do you know?"
"Because he sucked my dick outside in the limo"

That's the level of humour we're dealing with here. Idiots who decry Southpark or Kevin Smith movies as being just about "dick and fart jokes" would be absolutely right on the money here.

If you want to make a comedy skewering the left, there's LOADS of material. But none of it wound up in this movie.
1.Alexander
I wanted Harry Knowles to be right about this. He said the critics got it wrong. This was a wonderful movie. That America was too homophobic (see recent election stuff) to take a bisexual hero to heart.

Bollox.

This was the worst movie I had seen in the last 10 years. And I'm including Matrix Revolting in that. Oliver Stone should never make another movie. There's 3 hours of my life I just KNOW I'm going to be regretting on my deathbed. The way Stan felt after The Passion? That's how I feel now.

Fuck you Oliver Stone. I want my money back. Your movie sucked ass.
posted by Manchild at 1:00 PM