For anyone who cares, here is my list of the 10 best movies of 1999. This is my own completely biased opinion, so feel free to agree, disagree or send me your own lists. This was such a fantastic year for movies that there were probably twice as many movies that I wanted to put on the list, but I only had ten slots to fill, so there you go. Still, I would be remiss if I did not mention a few of the movies that almost made it on the list. THE SIXTH SENSE, ELECTION, and THE IRON GIANT were all excellent and deserve recognition.
But here is the main list...
#10) THE GREEN MILE: There's just something really uplifting about a Stephen King prison flick.
#9) THREE KINGS: A bizarre mix of War Movie, Buddy Comedy, and Art House Indie Flick. And it all works.
#8) GO: I loved how all of the dangling plot lines seamlessly converged. This movie was a ride.
#7) BEING JOHN MALKOVICH: A unique parable for anyone who's ever wanted to live in someone else's skin.
#6) SLEEPY HOLLOW: Sure, this film had all the sensibility of a Hammer horrer flick, but it was slick and well acted and it never failed to hold my attention. Come on. There were multiple beheadings and a windmill of destruction! That is just cool.
#5) RUN, LOLA, RUN: The movie that put forth the idea that life is a video game. Don't like how it ends? Put in a coin and start over.
#4) DOGMA: A lot of folks complained about the crass humor, but I thought this movie had a real spiritual heart and soul. Not to mention some genuine belly laughs.
#3) FIGHT CLUB: Brutal, brilliant, social satire.
#2) THE MATRIX: A Sci-Fi flick that really makes you think! This movie worked for me on so many levels that even after multaple viewings, I'm still not sick of it.
And the BEST movie of 1999...
#1) AMERICAN BEAUTY: A beautiful fable about the secret life of things.
And those are my picks, like it or not!
--John
Monday, January 10, 2005
John Michael Decker's Top Ten Films of 2000
Hey Everybody,
Overall I was under-whelmed with the selection of films we were offered in 2000. There just wasn't a lot of unique, on the edge, kind of movies like we saw in '99 (i.e. Fight Club, Being John Malkovich, Election, the Sixth Sense or American Beauty).
I was, however, able to put together a list of ten films which I have seen in 2000 that I can happily recommend to any of you. So now, without further ado, here is my list of the TOP TEN MOVIES OF THE YEAR 2000 in descending order...
#10) PITCH BLACK: When I first saw the preview for this movie I thought that it was just going to be another ALIEN rip-off. But thanks to some cleaver direction from David Twohy and some strong performances (especially by Vin Diesel) this turned out to be a really pleasant little surprise.
#9) CHICKEN RUN: Claymation chickens attempt to throw off the yoke of their evil overlords and stage an escape from the poultry coop. What more could you ask for?
#8) BEST IN SHOW: A hilarious mockumentary exploring the dog show sub-culture in America. Christopher Guest once again proves that he is the entertainment worlds greatest chameleon and Fred Willard is particularly funny as an announcer who doesn't know what the hell he is talking about.
#7) NURSE BETTY: An original plot, excellent performances by Chris Rock, Morgan Freeman and Renee Zellweger, and lots of neat plot twists make this a surprisingly good little movie.
#6) THE WAY OF THE GUN: A really excellent film about bad people. Great dialogue, intense action scenes and highly complex characters make this movie a winner.
#5) UNBREAKABLE: What if comic book laws of fate and destiny were applied to the real world? What if Alfred Hitchcock made a super hero film? See this movie to find out.
#4) GLADIATOR: Russell Crowe kicks ass in this sword and sandal epic.
#3) ALMOST FAMOUS: Not so much a story about Rock & Roll as it is about unrequited love. Funny and bitter sweet, this one really got to me.
#2) THE X-MEN: The best comic book to movie translation so far, bar none! And it's about damn time. Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen were born to play Professor X and Magneto, the Martain Luthor King and Malcolm X of mutant rights, but it is Hugh Jackman who steals the show as Wolverine, the ultimate macho brawler with a heart.
And the very best movie of the year 2000 is...
#1) CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON: Not only is this the best martial arts film I have ever seen, but it contains a beautiful story about following your own path, despite conventional wisdom on the matter, and the terrible consequences for those who do not. ChowYun-Fat is my new acting God.
And those are my choices for this year. Agree? Disagree? E-mail me and let me know. :-)
--JMD
Overall I was under-whelmed with the selection of films we were offered in 2000. There just wasn't a lot of unique, on the edge, kind of movies like we saw in '99 (i.e. Fight Club, Being John Malkovich, Election, the Sixth Sense or American Beauty).
I was, however, able to put together a list of ten films which I have seen in 2000 that I can happily recommend to any of you. So now, without further ado, here is my list of the TOP TEN MOVIES OF THE YEAR 2000 in descending order...
#10) PITCH BLACK: When I first saw the preview for this movie I thought that it was just going to be another ALIEN rip-off. But thanks to some cleaver direction from David Twohy and some strong performances (especially by Vin Diesel) this turned out to be a really pleasant little surprise.
#9) CHICKEN RUN: Claymation chickens attempt to throw off the yoke of their evil overlords and stage an escape from the poultry coop. What more could you ask for?
#8) BEST IN SHOW: A hilarious mockumentary exploring the dog show sub-culture in America. Christopher Guest once again proves that he is the entertainment worlds greatest chameleon and Fred Willard is particularly funny as an announcer who doesn't know what the hell he is talking about.
#7) NURSE BETTY: An original plot, excellent performances by Chris Rock, Morgan Freeman and Renee Zellweger, and lots of neat plot twists make this a surprisingly good little movie.
#6) THE WAY OF THE GUN: A really excellent film about bad people. Great dialogue, intense action scenes and highly complex characters make this movie a winner.
#5) UNBREAKABLE: What if comic book laws of fate and destiny were applied to the real world? What if Alfred Hitchcock made a super hero film? See this movie to find out.
#4) GLADIATOR: Russell Crowe kicks ass in this sword and sandal epic.
#3) ALMOST FAMOUS: Not so much a story about Rock & Roll as it is about unrequited love. Funny and bitter sweet, this one really got to me.
#2) THE X-MEN: The best comic book to movie translation so far, bar none! And it's about damn time. Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen were born to play Professor X and Magneto, the Martain Luthor King and Malcolm X of mutant rights, but it is Hugh Jackman who steals the show as Wolverine, the ultimate macho brawler with a heart.
And the very best movie of the year 2000 is...
#1) CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON: Not only is this the best martial arts film I have ever seen, but it contains a beautiful story about following your own path, despite conventional wisdom on the matter, and the terrible consequences for those who do not. ChowYun-Fat is my new acting God.
And those are my choices for this year. Agree? Disagree? E-mail me and let me know. :-)
--JMD
John Michael Decker's Top Ten Films of 2001
It's time, once again, for my annual Top 10 Films list. And without further ado, here is the 2001 list in descending order:
#10) MOULIN ROUGE: Normally musicals are not my bag, but this one won me over with its zany, in your face, style and great on-screen chemistry between Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman.
#9) THE TAILOR OF PANAMA: A fable about how a tailor's tall tales to a banished British spy leads to an international incident.
#8) SHREK: A dark animated comedy that turns the conventional fairy tale on it's ear. I especially enjoyed some of the not-so-subtle swipes at Disney. Good fun.
#7) JAY & SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK: This is a gift from director, Kevin Smith to his most loyal fans. A hilarious road movie with absolutely no socially redeeming value whatsoever.
#6) THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE: A modern film noir classic from the Coen Brothers. Billy Bob Thornton gives a brilliant, understated performance in this film which manages to be both funny and sad at the same time.
#5) AMELIE: Audrey Tautou is just enchanting as the shy but creative title character in this film about awoman who has an easier time helping strangers than dealing with real relationships.
#4) A.I.: A wonderful Science Fiction film that deals with the staggering cruelty of programing a machine to have human emotions. Kind of like an old Grimm's Fairy Tale with the darkness and the harsh lessons. Jude Law shines as Joe the android gigolo.
#3) MULHOLLAND DRIVE: An amazing, surrealistic, erotic, suspensful, puzzle-box of a movie with a star-making performance by Naomi Watts. Is this film a dream within a nightmare? A nightmare within a dream?A drugged out hallucination? I don't know. What I do know is that it was totally absorbing from beginning to end and well worth multiple viewings.
#2) MOMENTO: Easily the most clever movie of the year. A backwards running murder mystery with a protagonist with no short term memory. Also worth multiple viewings.
And my pick for the #1 best film of 2001...
#1) LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING: A beautifully shot, acted, and realized interpreation of the first book in J.R.R. Tolken's classic trilogy. Perhaps the greatest fantasy story ever written lovingly done justice to by Peter Jackson. Not at all an easy feat.
Looking over my list, I see that it was a better year at the movies than a lot of people thought it was. Agree with me? Disagree? Think I'm on crack? E-mail me and let me know. I'd love to hear from you. Hope you all had a wonderful New Year. I'll see you all on May the 3rd for the premier of SPIDER-MAN!
"And I'd have gotten away with it tooif it wasn't for those meddling kids!"
John Michael Decker
#10) MOULIN ROUGE: Normally musicals are not my bag, but this one won me over with its zany, in your face, style and great on-screen chemistry between Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman.
#9) THE TAILOR OF PANAMA: A fable about how a tailor's tall tales to a banished British spy leads to an international incident.
#8) SHREK: A dark animated comedy that turns the conventional fairy tale on it's ear. I especially enjoyed some of the not-so-subtle swipes at Disney. Good fun.
#7) JAY & SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK: This is a gift from director, Kevin Smith to his most loyal fans. A hilarious road movie with absolutely no socially redeeming value whatsoever.
#6) THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE: A modern film noir classic from the Coen Brothers. Billy Bob Thornton gives a brilliant, understated performance in this film which manages to be both funny and sad at the same time.
#5) AMELIE: Audrey Tautou is just enchanting as the shy but creative title character in this film about awoman who has an easier time helping strangers than dealing with real relationships.
#4) A.I.: A wonderful Science Fiction film that deals with the staggering cruelty of programing a machine to have human emotions. Kind of like an old Grimm's Fairy Tale with the darkness and the harsh lessons. Jude Law shines as Joe the android gigolo.
#3) MULHOLLAND DRIVE: An amazing, surrealistic, erotic, suspensful, puzzle-box of a movie with a star-making performance by Naomi Watts. Is this film a dream within a nightmare? A nightmare within a dream?A drugged out hallucination? I don't know. What I do know is that it was totally absorbing from beginning to end and well worth multiple viewings.
#2) MOMENTO: Easily the most clever movie of the year. A backwards running murder mystery with a protagonist with no short term memory. Also worth multiple viewings.
And my pick for the #1 best film of 2001...
#1) LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING: A beautifully shot, acted, and realized interpreation of the first book in J.R.R. Tolken's classic trilogy. Perhaps the greatest fantasy story ever written lovingly done justice to by Peter Jackson. Not at all an easy feat.
Looking over my list, I see that it was a better year at the movies than a lot of people thought it was. Agree with me? Disagree? Think I'm on crack? E-mail me and let me know. I'd love to hear from you. Hope you all had a wonderful New Year. I'll see you all on May the 3rd for the premier of SPIDER-MAN!
"And I'd have gotten away with it tooif it wasn't for those meddling kids!"
John Michael Decker
John Michael Decker's Top Ten Films of 2002
Friends,
It's time again to continue the quant little tradition I started in 1999, by listing my top ten favoriate films which I saw in the year 2002. Keep in mind that A) I didn't see every single film that came out so there are probably several great little movies that I missed totally and B) I am not a professional film critic, these are just my own very biased opinions. Feel free to agree with me or not. And now, without futher ado, here are my top 10 films of 2002 in decending order from 10 to 1.
10) XXX: The best James Bond film in 2002 wasn't a James Bond film at all. With all due respect to DIE ANOTHER DAY (which was a worthy installment in the Bond franchise) XXX was a lot more fun. What the filmmakers did was to take the James Bond formula that has been used for 40 years and amp everything up to the nth degree. Xander Cage is the anarchist super spy for the 21st century.
9) FEMME FATALE: Normally Brian DePalma films aren't my cup of tea, but this one won me over with a plot that was so twisted, so original and so ludicrous that it was fun to just hang on and enjoy the ride. I especially enjoyed the scenery chewing performances of Rebecca Romijn-Stamos as the title bitch and Antonio Banderas as the chump who didn't have a prayer of outwitting her.
8) ROAD TO PERDITION: Tom Hanks is excellent here playing against type as a hit man trying to avenge his family and at the same time save his son from following in his footsteps.
7) HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS: Both darker and more exciting than it's predecessor, director Chris Columbus has done an excellent job of translating J.K. Rowlings magical world to the big screen.
6) THE DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTER BOYS: A coming of age story with mountain lions, comic book superheroes and Jodie Foster as a one-legged nun. What more could you ask for?
5) FRAILTY: Easily the scariest film of the year. A family is torn apart by religious fanaticism, but the most frightening idea that this film puts forth is the notion that the Christian zealots of the world may be right. Big kudos to first time director Bill Paxton.
4) THE SALTON SEA: How far would a person go to avenge a loved one? And once you've crossed certain lines, can you ever go back? See this film for some compelling answers. Look for stand out performances byVal Kilmer as the morally compromised hero and Vincent D'Onofrio as the no-nosed drug dealer obsessed with the JFK assassination.
3) SIGNS: M Night Shyamalan's latest thriller deals with an ex-priest struggling with his faith and trying to hold his family together during an alian invasion. Keeps you in suspence til the very end.
2) THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS: Just as good as the FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING and perhaps a bit more epic in scale. Peter Jackson continues to do justice to Tolkiens great trilogy.
And my favoriate film of 2002...
1) SPIDER-MAN: Quite simply this is the movie that Ihave been waiting for them to make since I was about nine years old. Sam Raimi should give master classes in how to interpret the comic book art form on the big screen. Other's may argue that there were superior films made in 2002, but to me there was nothing greater than seeing the lives of Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson and Norman Osbourn come alive on the big screen. The secret to a great comic book film... stick to the source material, and this loving tribute to the genius of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko did just that.
Let the debates begin..
John Michael Decker AKA Johnny D
It's time again to continue the quant little tradition I started in 1999, by listing my top ten favoriate films which I saw in the year 2002. Keep in mind that A) I didn't see every single film that came out so there are probably several great little movies that I missed totally and B) I am not a professional film critic, these are just my own very biased opinions. Feel free to agree with me or not. And now, without futher ado, here are my top 10 films of 2002 in decending order from 10 to 1.
10) XXX: The best James Bond film in 2002 wasn't a James Bond film at all. With all due respect to DIE ANOTHER DAY (which was a worthy installment in the Bond franchise) XXX was a lot more fun. What the filmmakers did was to take the James Bond formula that has been used for 40 years and amp everything up to the nth degree. Xander Cage is the anarchist super spy for the 21st century.
9) FEMME FATALE: Normally Brian DePalma films aren't my cup of tea, but this one won me over with a plot that was so twisted, so original and so ludicrous that it was fun to just hang on and enjoy the ride. I especially enjoyed the scenery chewing performances of Rebecca Romijn-Stamos as the title bitch and Antonio Banderas as the chump who didn't have a prayer of outwitting her.
8) ROAD TO PERDITION: Tom Hanks is excellent here playing against type as a hit man trying to avenge his family and at the same time save his son from following in his footsteps.
7) HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS: Both darker and more exciting than it's predecessor, director Chris Columbus has done an excellent job of translating J.K. Rowlings magical world to the big screen.
6) THE DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTER BOYS: A coming of age story with mountain lions, comic book superheroes and Jodie Foster as a one-legged nun. What more could you ask for?
5) FRAILTY: Easily the scariest film of the year. A family is torn apart by religious fanaticism, but the most frightening idea that this film puts forth is the notion that the Christian zealots of the world may be right. Big kudos to first time director Bill Paxton.
4) THE SALTON SEA: How far would a person go to avenge a loved one? And once you've crossed certain lines, can you ever go back? See this film for some compelling answers. Look for stand out performances byVal Kilmer as the morally compromised hero and Vincent D'Onofrio as the no-nosed drug dealer obsessed with the JFK assassination.
3) SIGNS: M Night Shyamalan's latest thriller deals with an ex-priest struggling with his faith and trying to hold his family together during an alian invasion. Keeps you in suspence til the very end.
2) THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS: Just as good as the FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING and perhaps a bit more epic in scale. Peter Jackson continues to do justice to Tolkiens great trilogy.
And my favoriate film of 2002...
1) SPIDER-MAN: Quite simply this is the movie that Ihave been waiting for them to make since I was about nine years old. Sam Raimi should give master classes in how to interpret the comic book art form on the big screen. Other's may argue that there were superior films made in 2002, but to me there was nothing greater than seeing the lives of Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson and Norman Osbourn come alive on the big screen. The secret to a great comic book film... stick to the source material, and this loving tribute to the genius of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko did just that.
Let the debates begin..
John Michael Decker AKA Johnny D
Sunday, January 09, 2005
John Michael Decker's Top Ten Films of 2003
Greetings all.
So, without further ado, here is my list of the top ten films of 2003 in descending order...
#10) DAREDEVIL: Daredevil has always been my second favorite Marvel Comics character (after Spidey, of course), and so I was very pleased when director Mark Steven Johnson pulled the best elements from the works of Stan Lee and Frank Miller and put together an exciting, character driven, action flick.
#9) SEABISCUIT: The story of three men who are broken, and who are able to come together and heal through their connection to a remarkable horse. Beautifully shot, directed and edited.
#8) BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM: Parminder K. Nagra (as'Jess' Bhamra) and Keira Knightley (as Jules Paxton) are outstanding in this film about two English girls who confound their parents expectations by going against their traditional societal roles and following their dream of playing girls football.
#7) 28 DAYS LATER: By far the scariest, most unpredictable, horror movie of the year. The viewer is left with the question of what is more evil; mindless, flesh eating zombies, or human beings with no laws to hold their base natures in check.
#6) LOST IN TRANSLATION: Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson are wonderful in this film about two lost souls, rattling around a hotel in Tokyo, who make a connection because they both feel so disconnected and alone.
#5) BIG FISH: An amazing film about a son's attempt to understand his father and the power of storytelling. Tim Burton's weird sensibilities work really well in this movie.
#4) HOLES: Two family curses intersect in this incredible movie about fate and loyalty and finding hope and friendship in some very dark places. All this and yellow spotted lizards!
#3) KILL BILL: VOLUME I: Quentin Tarantino's loving homage to the exploitation and chop-suey films of the70s. A ballet of severed limbs and arterial spray.
#2) X2: X-MEN UNITED: A kick-ass, balls to the wall, action flick that surpasses the first X-Men film in every way (and I really liked that movie). AlanCumming is introduced as Nightcrawler (my favoriteX-Man), and Hugh Jackman, once again, rules as Wolverine. The first scene alone is worth the price of admission.
And now for my favorite movie of 2003...
#1) LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING: Peter Jackson has succeded brilliantly in creating one of the most epic trilogies ever put on the big screen. In the third installment, he does an amazing job of juggling multipal characters and story arcs and bringing everything together in a satisfying conclusion. J.R.R. Tolkien has been done proud.
And that is my list for the year. Agree with me. Disagree. Take me to task for my obvious omissions. Let me know what you think. I would love to hear from you.
Until next year...
"And I'd have gotten away with it too if it wasn't for those meddling kids!"
Johnny D.
So, without further ado, here is my list of the top ten films of 2003 in descending order...
#10) DAREDEVIL: Daredevil has always been my second favorite Marvel Comics character (after Spidey, of course), and so I was very pleased when director Mark Steven Johnson pulled the best elements from the works of Stan Lee and Frank Miller and put together an exciting, character driven, action flick.
#9) SEABISCUIT: The story of three men who are broken, and who are able to come together and heal through their connection to a remarkable horse. Beautifully shot, directed and edited.
#8) BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM: Parminder K. Nagra (as'Jess' Bhamra) and Keira Knightley (as Jules Paxton) are outstanding in this film about two English girls who confound their parents expectations by going against their traditional societal roles and following their dream of playing girls football.
#7) 28 DAYS LATER: By far the scariest, most unpredictable, horror movie of the year. The viewer is left with the question of what is more evil; mindless, flesh eating zombies, or human beings with no laws to hold their base natures in check.
#6) LOST IN TRANSLATION: Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson are wonderful in this film about two lost souls, rattling around a hotel in Tokyo, who make a connection because they both feel so disconnected and alone.
#5) BIG FISH: An amazing film about a son's attempt to understand his father and the power of storytelling. Tim Burton's weird sensibilities work really well in this movie.
#4) HOLES: Two family curses intersect in this incredible movie about fate and loyalty and finding hope and friendship in some very dark places. All this and yellow spotted lizards!
#3) KILL BILL: VOLUME I: Quentin Tarantino's loving homage to the exploitation and chop-suey films of the70s. A ballet of severed limbs and arterial spray.
#2) X2: X-MEN UNITED: A kick-ass, balls to the wall, action flick that surpasses the first X-Men film in every way (and I really liked that movie). AlanCumming is introduced as Nightcrawler (my favoriteX-Man), and Hugh Jackman, once again, rules as Wolverine. The first scene alone is worth the price of admission.
And now for my favorite movie of 2003...
#1) LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING: Peter Jackson has succeded brilliantly in creating one of the most epic trilogies ever put on the big screen. In the third installment, he does an amazing job of juggling multipal characters and story arcs and bringing everything together in a satisfying conclusion. J.R.R. Tolkien has been done proud.
And that is my list for the year. Agree with me. Disagree. Take me to task for my obvious omissions. Let me know what you think. I would love to hear from you.
Until next year...
"And I'd have gotten away with it too if it wasn't for those meddling kids!"
Johnny D.
John Michael Decker's Top Ten Films of 2004
Happy New Year, Everybody!
Well, you've been waiting for it all year and now, here it is! My top 10 film list from the last year. Actually, 2004 was a pretty good year for movies. I know this because for every movie that made it to my list there were about two movies that I wanted to put on my list. Movies like; ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, THE LADY KILLERS, OPEN WATER, GARDEN STATE, THE DREAMERS, FINDING NEVERLAND, TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE, HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN and THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE. All great flicks that I would gladly recommend. Just not good enough to make it to one of my coveted top ten spots (how pompous did that just sound?). Enough blather! Here is my list from 10 to 1:
#10) SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW: An extremely enjoyable little piece of escapist fluff. It managed to be both retro and original all at the same time. A neat trick.
#9) COLLATERAL and SPARTIN (TIE): Try as I might, I just couldn't decide which one of these movies l liked the best. So I declared a tie. Why not? It's my damn list. Both are thinking man's action flicks with complex, multi-dimensional characters exploring moral gray areas.
#8) SHAUN OF THE DEAD: A freaking hysterical send up of the George A. Romero zombie films. The protaganists in this flick are so dim that it talks them half the movie to figure out that England is over run with the flesh eating undead.
#7) FAHRENHEIT 9/11: One of the most important films of the year which, sadly, not enough people paid attention to. Sure this is a Michael Moore propaganda film, but it is filled with many scary truths that a lot of people just didn't want to deal with. I only wish that it had accomplished it's goal, to run George W. Bush out of Washington on a rail!
#6) DAWN OF THE DEAD: This re-make of the George A. Romero classic manages to surpass the original in many ways. Better acting. Better F/X. Scarier zombies. A thrilling action/horror masterpiece.
#5) THE VILLAGE: Many critics savaged M. Night Shyamalan's latest opus, but I loved it. I found the movie engaging, well acted, surprising and timely. An exploration of how a society can control it's people through fear.
#4) THE INCREDIBLES: You just can't go wrong with Pixar. This movie was incredible! Most super-hero films deal with the origin story, but this one was about how super-heroes deal with retirement. Equal parts Fantastic Four and James Bond were lovingly blended together to make this excellent flick.
#3) HELLBOY: The Hellboy comic book (written and drawn by Mike Mignola) contains within it elements of many of the things I love. Old school comic book action, pulp fiction, folk lore, Lovecraftian mythology and big monster fights. But at it's core it is about a really screwed up guy who decided to ignore his destiny and choose his own path. And I didn't think that anyone could gather these disparate elements together and turn them into a decent movie. Until director Guillermo del Toro did just that and surpassed my wildest expectations.
#2) KILL BILL: VOL. 2: Quentin Tarantino manages to surpass the excellent KILL BILL: VOL. 1 by adding some much needed characterization to the second part of his revenge/kung-fu/spaghetti western. David Carradine has never been cooler.
And the number one best film of 2004...
#1) SPIDER-MAN 2: This was a great year for sequels and re-makes to surpass the originals. Sam Raimi hit the ball out of the park with this, perhaps the best comic book film ever. As Peter Parker struggles to balance his responsibilties as Spider-Man with his responsibilties to his personal life, a new super villian enters the scene. Doc Ock, played by the wonderful Alfred Molina, becomes a tragic, multi-layered character. Far more interesting than the two dimensional mad man depicted in the comic book. And the movie ends with a great set up for another sequel.
So there you have it. Feel free to contact me and critique my choices. And this year we can look forward to BATMAN BEGINS, THE FANTASTIC FOUR, KING KONG, SERENITY and the re-make of WAR OF THE WORLDS starring yours truly as fleeing refugee #897.
See you at the movies.
Johnny D.
Well, you've been waiting for it all year and now, here it is! My top 10 film list from the last year. Actually, 2004 was a pretty good year for movies. I know this because for every movie that made it to my list there were about two movies that I wanted to put on my list. Movies like; ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, THE LADY KILLERS, OPEN WATER, GARDEN STATE, THE DREAMERS, FINDING NEVERLAND, TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE, HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN and THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE. All great flicks that I would gladly recommend. Just not good enough to make it to one of my coveted top ten spots (how pompous did that just sound?). Enough blather! Here is my list from 10 to 1:
#10) SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW: An extremely enjoyable little piece of escapist fluff. It managed to be both retro and original all at the same time. A neat trick.
#9) COLLATERAL and SPARTIN (TIE): Try as I might, I just couldn't decide which one of these movies l liked the best. So I declared a tie. Why not? It's my damn list. Both are thinking man's action flicks with complex, multi-dimensional characters exploring moral gray areas.
#8) SHAUN OF THE DEAD: A freaking hysterical send up of the George A. Romero zombie films. The protaganists in this flick are so dim that it talks them half the movie to figure out that England is over run with the flesh eating undead.
#7) FAHRENHEIT 9/11: One of the most important films of the year which, sadly, not enough people paid attention to. Sure this is a Michael Moore propaganda film, but it is filled with many scary truths that a lot of people just didn't want to deal with. I only wish that it had accomplished it's goal, to run George W. Bush out of Washington on a rail!
#6) DAWN OF THE DEAD: This re-make of the George A. Romero classic manages to surpass the original in many ways. Better acting. Better F/X. Scarier zombies. A thrilling action/horror masterpiece.
#5) THE VILLAGE: Many critics savaged M. Night Shyamalan's latest opus, but I loved it. I found the movie engaging, well acted, surprising and timely. An exploration of how a society can control it's people through fear.
#4) THE INCREDIBLES: You just can't go wrong with Pixar. This movie was incredible! Most super-hero films deal with the origin story, but this one was about how super-heroes deal with retirement. Equal parts Fantastic Four and James Bond were lovingly blended together to make this excellent flick.
#3) HELLBOY: The Hellboy comic book (written and drawn by Mike Mignola) contains within it elements of many of the things I love. Old school comic book action, pulp fiction, folk lore, Lovecraftian mythology and big monster fights. But at it's core it is about a really screwed up guy who decided to ignore his destiny and choose his own path. And I didn't think that anyone could gather these disparate elements together and turn them into a decent movie. Until director Guillermo del Toro did just that and surpassed my wildest expectations.
#2) KILL BILL: VOL. 2: Quentin Tarantino manages to surpass the excellent KILL BILL: VOL. 1 by adding some much needed characterization to the second part of his revenge/kung-fu/spaghetti western. David Carradine has never been cooler.
And the number one best film of 2004...
#1) SPIDER-MAN 2: This was a great year for sequels and re-makes to surpass the originals. Sam Raimi hit the ball out of the park with this, perhaps the best comic book film ever. As Peter Parker struggles to balance his responsibilties as Spider-Man with his responsibilties to his personal life, a new super villian enters the scene. Doc Ock, played by the wonderful Alfred Molina, becomes a tragic, multi-layered character. Far more interesting than the two dimensional mad man depicted in the comic book. And the movie ends with a great set up for another sequel.
So there you have it. Feel free to contact me and critique my choices. And this year we can look forward to BATMAN BEGINS, THE FANTASTIC FOUR, KING KONG, SERENITY and the re-make of WAR OF THE WORLDS starring yours truly as fleeing refugee #897.
See you at the movies.
Johnny D.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
