Thursday, December 28, 2006
The year's top films
CNN.com movie reviewer Tom Charity has put out his list of best films (as well as three of the worst).
And something worth watching: David Daniel's piece on the year's biggest flops. What were some of the best (or worst) films you saw? (My worst, from an admittedly limited pool: "Firewall," which was laughable because it was so rote -- right down to a car explosion straight out of a bad late-'70s TV cop show.) 142 Comments
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Best: "Joyeaux Noel" - Despite being romanticized interpretation on a historic event (The Christmas Truce of 1914), the film storyline was presented in such a way that I was willing to put aside criticisms and just enjoy the presentation. Since there are only rare glimpses of First World War footage in colour, the cinematography used in the film felt like living history - that is, seeing 1914 through a contemporary filtre. In addition to certain lines having underpinnings with current events (especially the final sermon and call to arms at the end of the film), I was surprised and delighted to find little snatches of humour throughout the film, as we tend to only look at the gravity of conflicts in history.
From what I have seen, my best for the year goes to The Prestige. The movie was clever and I felt that it came full circle quite well. As an avid fan of romances, I found that The Holiday stands out within its genre. The unexpected teaming of Jack Black with Kate Winslet worked out surprisingly well. And for childrens movies, I believe the best this year was Night At the Museum. It was cute, light-hearted, and taught a good lesson for children, be proud of your parents.
From your best films article:
"... It's worth remembering that the year's most profitable film surely must have been "Borat," which probably cost about $700 and change to make, and has pulled in over $230 million worldwide to date -- more than enough to cover those lawsuits." Point taken, but Borat was not a low-budget film. It was an $18M film made to look like a low budget film. Fooled you! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443453/business Looks like your box office number had a "dramatic license" factor in it too.
Sweet Land and Little Children top my list of best films this year but I haven't yet had the opportunity to see two that may get added to the list: Children of Men and Notes on a Scandal
Undoubtedly, Casino Royale. Daniel Craig redefines � or more accurately, finally defines � James Bond. He's a man's man, unrelenting, resourceful, occasionally tender, frequently cruel, ultimately heroic. Though the film was probably 15-20 minutes overlong, its departure from the franchise's increasingly campy, gadget-heavy, sfx-reliant outings was refreshing and well-needed.
The worst film of the year was "Deck the Halls." If I had to go on talk shows to promote it, I would have been drunk too (Danny DeVito).
A few good movies this year. "The Departed" has to rank as the best movie of the year.
"Rocky Balboa" has to be the most pleasant surprise of the year. Fantastic movie.
I enjoyed your list until I saw The legend of Ricky Bobby on your best of the year. Next time watch it sober, it's not very good.
Instead of Tallageda nights, i would have chosen Stranger Than Fiction, for a Will Ferrell picture. talladega lost momentum quickly, never to be regained. Stranger Than Fiction had an amazing rising action to a solid conclusion. I thought it was great.
Well surprise omission from Tom's best list, "The Departed", I think is one of the best movies of the year; not only in terms of solid acting by all the leading casts but also from the point of view of story-telling and directing. To me it's by far the most entertaining movie of this year.
Also in my best list are "United 93" and "Thank you for Smoking".
Being an avid and long-time fan of Robert Penn Warren's "All The King's Men", having read it several times over the past 25 years, I eagerly anticipated the movie with Sean Penn. What a major disappointment. For some odd and unnecessary reason, they switched the time period to the 1950's from the book's pre-WWII 1930's. Then they never explained the flashbacks to the main character's (Jack Burton) teenage years with his two best friends (Anne and Adam Stanton), all of whom of course did not look a day older when the movie returned to the "present" day. Patricia Clarkson is a fine (and very attrative) actress, but she failed to bring the ugly ferocity of Sadie Burke's character to the screen. I kept waiting for the movie to capture the intensity of Willie Stark's transformation from a meek country bumpkin to a fanatical and corrupt governor, but it never happened. I think James Gandolfini, who played the minor role of Tiny Duffy, would have done a better job at portraying Willie Stark. Sean Penn is an excellant, Oscar-winning actor but he does not have the on-screen charisma to play the larger than life real Governor Huey P. Long (who the book was modeled after). All in all a big disappointment and a waste of a $7 admission ticket and another $7 for popcorn and a drink.
Best: The Queen. Nuanced and understated. Amazing how much can be conveyed by so little.
I feel like the Departed should be on every top list. I'd also like to see more attention given to Pan's Labyrinth and The Fountain. I thought Talladega Nights was somewhat funny, but nowhere near as funny as some people think. The laughs just seemed too easy.
Best Film: Little Miss Sunshine
Best Animated: (tie) Over the Hedge & Curious George Worst: The Wicker Man Worst Animated Film: The Wild
My 9 year old found 'Night at the Museum' to be "OK, but 'Flushed Away' was better. He's generous. Insomniacs unite...at this movie. You'll sleep well.
I am obviously extremely biased as I have not seen many of the films that are being consistently rated as "the best", but my favorite of the year was undoubtedly "The Descent". I'm a huge horror movie buff, and this film kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. I have not been so thoroughly frightened in a long while. I had nightmares for three nights...and I loved every minute of it.
Worst Film of the year: "Harsh Times" with Freddy Rodriguez.....oooh, absolutely awful, buddies on a bennder movie. Best comment afterwards, from my father: "I feel like I need to go hom and watch Mary Poppins or something just to redeem myself.
Best film of the year: "Bobby" Admittedly, I was not alive in 1968. But, as far as evoking the feelings and emotions from a bygone era, I felt chills running down my spine during the flashbacks to news footage of RFK.
I disagree with your pick of M. Night Shyamalan's latest, Lady in the Water, as being one of the year's worst films. His work is always a treat and well worth the watching!
I think that the best, most majestic, most moving film of the year, for me, was THE FOUNTAIN. I anticipate it being in my all-time top 10 films.
I have to put The Departed among the worst. A bunch of awesome actors that I love, sabotaged by yet another uninspired but bloody Martin Scorcese fade-out: great plot set-up, too much effort to solve, so kill everybody instead. As an unknown person behind me in the theater said when it was over: "Well, that SUCKED."
I have to disagree on the inclusion of "The Good Shepherd" in the list of the best films of the year. I was really excited about seeing this movie, particularly after hearing it referred to as "'The Godfather' of CIA movies". I found it to be dull and overly-long. After the first half-hour or so, I was almost constantly checking my watch to see how much longer I was going to have to watch a movie where nothing was really happening.
I liked "The Departed" quite a bit, but felt like the last 30 minutes of the movie were rushed--as though Scorsese was just ready to be done. I did think it was clever and had some nice twists. "The Prestige" was good. Christopher Nolan is always a good bet. "Casino Royale" was fantastic. Finally, a worthy successor to Connery. I found "For Your Consideration" to be very clever and funny (though not in a "laugh out loud" sort of way). Catherine O'Hara should really be nominated for her performance, but how ironic would that be? "Little Miss Sunshine" was very good.
I enjoyed "Lady in the Water." Not Oscar-worthy or anything, but a solid flick. I even asked for, and received, the DVD for Christmas. The characters are interesting, the music is beautiful and it has a good story arc, slowly giving the viewer more information about a magical world.
Ricky Bobby does not deserve to be on the list. The ignorance-makes-arrogance-OK argument doesn't work, and the character was obnoxious throughout. I only laughed once, when the cougar was put in the car to help him overcome his fear. Other than that, I wouldn't have cared if he died while pleading to Oprah for help. They could have done the whole show in 10 minutes, that's how deep the character was.
Can't believe you left out dream girls. during my viewing the audience cheered and women asked for tissues. I don't just mean the singing - Jennifer Hudson is a star - she lights up the screen every time the camera is on her, and I see Eddie Murphy in a whole new light. Bravo!
The best films I saw this year goes like this: 1. Pan's Labyrinth, 2. The Fountain, 3. Children of Men, 4. The Prestige, 5. The Proposition, 6. Hard Candy, 7. V for Vendetta, 8. Letters from Iwo Jima, 9. The Descent, 10. Running Scared.
I was a huge fan of "The Departed" and was unbelievably surprised by how great "Dreamgirls" was. It's not my kind of movie, but it was so well written and produced that I was swept away by it.
I concur with many here - "The Departed" was great. Even though this was a remake of an Asian (I believe Chinese) movie, Jack Nicklaus and Matt Damon both do well to give this move an edge and Leonardo Dicaprio (spelling?) does well to give it a conscience. Tight plot, well acted, and great direction. Unfortunate this films doesn't make your list but Will Farrell's NASCAR film does.
The Good Shepherd is the best film I have seen in many years!!! Superbly acted and directed. DeNiro has a smash here.
A best list without THE QUEEN????? Off with your head!!!!
I saw more films than usual this year. The best, by far, was "The Descent". It transcended the horror genre; it was just great filmmaking. I ended up seeing it three times, and it had impact every viewing.
My best films: (I admit I didn't go to movies much this year)
-Little Miss Sunshine -Pursuit of Happyness -Dreamgirls -The Departed -Inside Man -Devil Wears Prada Worst: -The Break-up -The Black Dahlia -X-Men III
Hollywoodland reminded me of the old black and white Robert Mitchem movies of the late 1940's and early 50's and I loved it.
Best Film _ Shirt Bus, It was thought provoking and a real feel good movie. Sure it had sex scenes that would horrify the flyover states but this film is better than 90% of the films on your list.
Hands down..........Little Miss Sunshine!!!
I can't believe it's not on every list for best, favorite, funniest movie of the year!!!
My personal favorites and probably the best films of the year in my book would have to be The Departed and Casino Royale. I cannot lie - I love big budget, star-cast films that make your mind do a little work. On the other end of the spectrum, Borat and Lady In The Water take an equal share of the "What were they thinking?" pie (if it had a name) as worst films of the year. Mindless, leave-your-brain-at-home fluff.
I think leaving out Departed is a shame. Little Miss Sunshine was a very good movie as well. I thought that Talladega Nights was a big disappointment. I saw it a few days after Miami Vice which made me swear to never again see a film in which Colin Ferrell is the leading role. He, along with several other bad actors, made the movie a huge let down.
Tom Charity's selections are very poor. What does he know about cinema?
While I will admit that 'Lady in the Water' is not Shamalyan's best work...I would like to hear for once that it was a movie based on creativity that was well rounded with humor and whit, suspense and originality. Anyone with a quarter of an imagination would enjoy it. No, it's not Oscar worthy. It is simply a piece of motion picture art that is meant to be enjoyed. Maybe there should be a subtitle...Lady in the Water: Please Don't Take Me too Serioulsy.
I don't understand how anyone could possibly enjoy lady in the water, let alone put it in their top 15. That was by far the worst movie I have ever seen. I expected great things from M. Night being a fan of a few previous movies, but that movie was just plain awful.
I would definitely add Little Miss Sunshine to the Best list for this year. I never expected that a story about a disfunctional family could turn into a feel good movie, but it certainly did. And it was just plain funny.
L'enfant had me reaching for the remote, then I realized I was at the movies and on a date; so had to sit there. Terrible movie, but the date survived.
I can't believe Scorsese's The Departed isn't on Charity's top 10, what the @#$%!!
'The Departed' has to be one of the top movies this year. It has been a while since a movie has kept my interest as much as this movie did. A great cast and they all played their roles perfectly.
L'Enfant was also very good and one of the best this year. Pan's Labyrinth (or El Laberinto del Fauno) is rightfully not included in this list. I don't understand the love for this movie...unnecessary violent.
1. The Departed
2. Good Shepherd 3. Casino Royal 4. Devil Wears Prada 5. Little Miss Sunshine 6. Borat In all fairness, I haven't seen The Queen, Prestige, Pan's Labyrinth, The Fountain, Letters from Iwo Jima, Babel, nor L'Enfant.
Best Movie of the Year...
V for Vendetta... worst... You,Me and Dupreee
Pirates Dead Man's Chest with Johnny Depp. Entertaining with good fantasy and music. The people spoke with their pocketbooks. Can't wait for #3.
My top 5 movies of the year
1.V for vendtta 2.Borat 3.Lucky number slevin 4.The deprated 5.Rocky babloa
Stope telling us how much a movie grossed at the box office...is that supposed to inform us to the artistic value of the film?!
My favorites of an uneven year: The Queen, Almodovar's Volver, Casino Royale, Little Miss Sunshine. The worst: Just about everything else
Little Miss Sunshine was definitely the best movie I saw this year. Streep's performance in The Devil Wear Prada deserves mention as well, although it's not quite a solid movie. Also, I'd like to commend the movie V for Vendetta, both for its cynical story and timely arrival.
Best: Borat, The Departed, Casino Royale, Bobby (still waiting on The Queen, Devil Wears Prada, Dreamgirls, Children of Men and Letters from Iwo Jima).
Talledega Nights was far better than Anchorman and still far worse than Wedding Crashers and the 40-Year-Old Virgin... both, of course, which paled compared to Borat. Not that's it's their fault. Something being not as funny as Borat is a huge compliment--it's just that Borat is possibly the funniest film ever made. Shyamalan sucks. Didn't see Lady in the Water but if it's anything like The Village or the Sixth Sense... didn't need to!
The Illusionist, should have been mentioned, since The Prestige is not nearly the film, and it was put as a favorite. Babel Was Also a Personal Favorite.
I'd have to say Little Miss Sunshine was the best, most original movie of the year. Stranger Than Fiction was also a strong contender. I just have to ask, did everybody, including all the critics, forget that V For Vendetta came out this year. It should be right up at the top of every movie buff's list. Even if you don't agree with the message you have to admit the story, acting and art direction are superb.
Wow. Did you really include the Borat movie and Talladega Nights, but not The Departed -- arguably Scorsese's second-best movie? ....Again, wow.
I don't understand how you can put out a list like this and not even mention "The Departed". It was the best movie I've seen many years.
Oh yeah, and I like how it was mentioned in a previous post that Jack Nicklaus was great in the movie. He's a great golfer AND a great actor.
You didn't mention The Last King of Scotland with Forrest Whitaker. GREAT movie and my pick for the best of the year! Whitaker deserves the best actor award - hands down!!!
My favorite film of the year was definitely Little Children. It had great acting across the board, and Todd Field's directing was superb!
Best Movie: V for Vendetta
Timely, thought-provoking subject; fantastic acting by all - Natalie Portman in particular. It is on my all time top ten list.
My absolute favorite film this year, not mentioned in any comments as of yet, it 'The Nativity Story'. Besides the timeliness of it's release, the portrayal of this fantastic story was beyond anything I could have anticipated. A definate Must See and Own!
I am most likely to be the only individual on the planet who is going to mention "The Guardian" as one of the most interesting, informative and intense movies I have seen in a very long time. And, yes, I also saw 'The Departed' and many of the others and consider myself a movie buff.(I predict Martin Scorcese will win the Best Director Oscar 'because'...) But,when a film deeply moves me; remains in my thoughts for days afterwards; and teaches me something of which I had no prior knowledge - it has worthiness. Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher definitely had chemistry; the special effects were very minimal; and the Coast Guard 'stunt people' - so to speak - were phenomenal. Regardless of your personal opinions of these actors' capabilities - you would do well to learn more about what it takes to become a member of the United States Coast Guard. I came out of the theater thinking 'Navy Seals and Marines have it easy'.
How did you over look dream girls. This has got to be Eddie murphy's greatest performance. Not to mention the new kid on the block Jennifer Hudson. Wasn't she great for a first timer? Her deliverance was impecable! The whole cast was polished! The feeling in the theater was great!
The best, Man of the Year, probably because it is something we have all dreamed of, a comedian as president.
"Lady In The Water" is NOT one of the worst films of the year. It's not Shyamalan's best work, but it definitely was NOT one of the worst films of the year.
"United 93" and "World Trade Center" were very well made and respectful. "The Nativity Story" was excellent and gave an honest portrayal of Mary and Joseph and the Jewish culture of the time. "Over The Hedge" was the best animated film this year. I can watch it again and again and still laugh my head off. Steve Carell deserves an Oscar just for his voicing of Hammy! "Little Miss Sunshine" was a disappointment to me. The acting was impressive. However, the pervert grandpa was creepy and teaching the 10 year old granddaughter to dance like a stripper was disturbing. There's enough problems in this world with sex being foisted on young children and the harm that it does....we don't need a movie glorifying it and making it acceptable, even if the family is "disfunctional"..... all in the name of entertainment. "Dreamgirls" is great and will make a star out of Jennifer Hudson. I knew she'd go places when I saw her on "American Idol". But her acting was superb and she clearly outshines Beyonce, who seems to be gettting too much press over her OK acting. Hudson is clearly the star of this picture and deserves an Oscar as Best Supporting Actress. Just my humble opinion everyone.....have a Happy New Year!
I am so surprised not to see "Blood Diamond" in this Blog. I thought it was quite good and excellently acted. Leonardo DiCaprio was superb.
I am not understanding all the love for Little Miss Sunshine. I thought it was one of the worst comedies I had ever seen my in my life. Steve Carell was under utilized. Alan Arkin's character was a cliche of every outspoken older relative ever written. I would definitely add it to my worst list.
Does no one think that "History Boys" was the best movie of the year? (Or has no one seen it?)
How about the best thing we *didn't* get to see? Children of Men hasn't seen wide release... IMDB claimed it was coming out the 29th, nobody else has any other dates, and it's nowhere to be seen in the entire Northeast Ohio area. This when it's already been released in practically every other major country in the world! After all these good reviews, you'd think they'd want to let people actually see the thing. I've been looking forward to it for months... and still looking, I guess. Fingers crossed that they decide to actually let us see it in January.
maybe its because i just saw it, but Dreamgirls was AMAZING.
Other faves this year were Little Miss Sunshine and Devil Wears Prada.
Based on everyone's selections, it seems like the movies didn't open until the fall! No nominations from the first half of the year??
What about United 93??????
The worst movie I saw this year with Nacho Libra (it hurt to watch it). Also I saw Borat; though I enjoyed the concept, I was not a good movie.
Casino Royale for sure should be in the top 10. OMG Daniel Craig is it! I was shaking in my boots when left the audience knowing the the James Bond series had been re-defined.
the worst by far was the pirates of the caribbean sequel. i have seen the original more than 20 times & was amazed the sequel was so depressing, unfunny....and boring!
Best movie: The Prestige
Borat????? am i the only person in America that thought this movie was ridiculous? and i absolutley love 'crap' humor, but i just found nothing funny about this
I agree with the other comments that "The Descent" was greatly underrated. Great, classic horror film. Probably the best since "The Ring."
My favorite movie this year hands-down was Children of Men. Not only was it the most beautifully shot film released this year, but it was also the most thought-provoking and politically relevant work to be released in years. I enjoy movies that make me think about the world, as well as keep me entertained, and Cuaron certainly accomplished that. He deserves a Best Director nom for his work. Also, Little Miss Sunshine and V for Vendetta were two of my other favorite movies this year.
Worst? Unquestionably Lady in the Water. I'm a huge M. Night fan and loved all his previous work. However, that movie was the most pretentious, drawn-out piece of garbage ever. It was a bedtime story for his kids apparently...and it did its job. It put me to sleep.
Best film? Some may say nay, some may say yay...Pirates of the Caribbean II, just for the performance of Johnny Depp alone.
The special effects were huge, the ensemble cast worked together like spokes of a wheel, the scenery filmed majestically, the action and dueling sequences swashbuckling, but without Johnny Depp's performance it would be just another pirate special effects driven movie. While not the kind of film that Oscar usually leans towards, certainly Depp's performance is of worthy of an Oscar. Depp IS Jack Sparrow and I doubt that any male actor could have pulled off that kind of performance. Could you see John Travolta, Nic Cage, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Daniel Craig, Leonardo DiCaprio or Tom Cruise in the role? It's sheer brilliance for Depp to be able to convince the Disney suits that he knows what he is doing and to trust him. Unparalleled in today's corporate world of the bottom dollar. And the Studios of course are in it for the almighty dollar. But trust in Depp they did. Then for Depp to receive an apology from those same Disney suits who balked and questioned the mind of a genius, that is virtually unheard of from any studio let alone Disney. Sure, this year DiCaprio stood out. His performance in Blood Diamond even astounded me at how good and polished this actor has become. He has come along way from Titanic. However, he has more to learn. His time will come and it will come soon. But Depp, on the other hand, is brilliant in all of his performances no matter if the film is a hit or miss, Depp is straight on all the time. I think of him as our American version of the great British actor Alan Rickman. Over in Britain it is said that there are three things an actor should be wary of- working with children, animals and Alan Rickman. The legendary actor is notorious for scene stealing, quite unintentionally. Rickman chooses his roles carefully and each one is very different from the last, (except of course the Harry Potter series) and is spot on in each of them. Just like Rickman, Depp is a master of his own craft. It should be interesting to see them both act together in the movie version of Sweeney Todd filming in February. Sweeney Todd just could be the best film of 2008.
I can't believe Little Miss Sunshine was so highly acclaimed. I found it to be morbid, over-done, and highly annoying. Add all that to the over-used "no-one is perfect" moral of a story to make a movie easily among the worst I've ever seen. A great movie with the same dysfunctional family premise is Royal Tenenbaums.
My choice for best is American Blackout, an award winning documentary that wakes up Americans in time to safe our democracy by assuring that the votes of all citizens count. Very informative and well done.
Little Miss Sunshine was great and Blood Diamond was superb.
who ever said the sequal to pirate of the carribean was boring was way wrong it was the best film of the year...the charactor jack sparrow was made for
johnny Depp..he need an oscar nod for that by the way...and orlando bloom and kira knight you have a big trio of talent..i cant wait unitl the third one come out..i am literly counting the days...love the movie..."Hide the rum"
surprised that Pirates of the Carribean 2 was not mentioned any more than it has been. Our whole family enjoyed it very much (anything with Johnny Depp it good anyways!!) and we can't wait for the 3rd one.
the best of year should have included Little Miss Sunshine. I have never laughed as hard as I did during that film. It was for me the best movie of the year of 2006. I LOVED IT! the best feel good movie ever!!!!
The best film I saw this year, by far, was "The Fountain"., but I have yet to see "Inland Empire", "Tideland", "Pan's Labrynith", or "Children of men" which all sound like they have the potential of being great.
I can't believe anyone would think that The Good Shepherd deserves anything but the "Slowest Movie of the Year" award. You would think that a movie about the CIA might have some intrigue, but in this movie, all you get is a pseudo-gay relationship between the main Russian spy and Matt Damon's charactrer. I mean no disrespect to Mr. De Niro, but he should stick to the comedic portrayals of CIA agents like Meet the Parents.
The best movie I saw this year is undoubtedly 'Babel'. I am sure it's a frontrunner for the Oscars. Hollywood does make 'thinking' movies for the thinking man/woman and this is certainly one of the best ever.
Half Nelson is one of the best movies I've ever seen. It shows the power of being there for someone when they need it and celebrates the mystery of where that friendship can sometimes come from.
pirates of the ... was gosh awful. painul to watch a pure formula movie. lady in the water was soo bad. the funniest movie i saw this year was " feast". little miss sunshine was most excellent.
I really don't understand how you left Dreamgirls off of the list. Thye showing I was at had people clapping and giving a standing ovation for the players - notably Jennifer Hudson who should win the Oscar for her performance.!!
You remember the stories of "flim flan men" who drift into a town and run their scam and get out never to be seen from again. They can't show their faces because everyone knows the scam.
That is Borat. He did the same with Ali G. He is basically a flim flam man... He uses other people to ridicule and scam. In the stock market they call it pump and dump... You have been scammed...
Hard to pick a "best" movie or "worst" movie since everything is entirely subjective, but if I had to pick an absolute favorite, it would certainly be "A Prairie Home Companion": excellence from top to bottom and left to right.
I just read through the blog, and it demonstrates two things to me: [1] how diverse the interests of movie goers are; and [2] the absence of three films my wife and BOTH REALLY enjoyed. They are:
Night With The King Goal: The Beginning We Are Marshall
The big miss on the Best Movie List...."The Departed." It soars on every level. Acting, writing, cinematography, editing, use of music...How could Tom Charity not include this? Maybe Scorsese will finally win his Oscar.
Best Movies: Borat, Apocalypto, LA Riot Spectacular
Worst Movie: Dreamgirlz
My top 3 list.
1. Talladega Nights 2. Casino Royale 3. 16 Blocks
the best movie this year is "The Searchers" with John Wayne.
I don't know that I necessarily would use this as the standard of what is the best vs favorite vs whatever, but the only movie I've seen in the theatre more than once this year was Casino Royale.
The Chicago Film Critics Association just announced The Departed for the best picture award. And this film wasn't worthy of Tom Charity's top ten list? Not even a single mention in his article?!
Jackass Number 2 was the most disgusting, vile, disturbing movie ever. With leaches on the eye, a fishhook through the mouth, someone eating horse manure, someone drinking horse sperm, and a plethora of random acts of violence, I cannot understand why this movie isn't on anyones top 10 list. One of the funniest movies ever...if you can watch it.
You have Borat up there and yet you dont have Pans Labryinth? hahaha, sick joke
BEST MOVIE: The Death of Mr. Lazerscu
MOST OVERRATED: The Departed WORST MOVIE: Miami Vice
The PIRATES OF THE CARIBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST, of course. How could anyone not like this, even my grandson fell in love with it.
I just finished watching "An American Haunting". I already knew of the bad reviews but rented it anyway because I was in desperate need of a decent scary movie, and plus, I wanted to know why Sissy Spacek and Donald Suthlerand could end up trapped in an atrocious movie. Well, I didn't get any answers after watching the movie. All I know is that it was awful, that Spacek and Sutherland had to have signed up expecting that it would be a lot better, and that it was so bad that when one of the main characters asked if they're going to die, I said out loud, "Yes please die so this movie can end." Thank you, good night.
I'm not a big fan of the passive entertainment provided by movies, and I loathe the entertainment industry. Therefore, I saw only two movies this year, and only when dragged to the theatre by my family on two of a handful of rainy Florida Saturdays.
One was "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." Okay, I'll confess that I went willingly to this one. It was a superb experience, as usual. Awesome effects. Spot-on performances. The other film was "Talladega Nights." I felt like I needed a shower after I left the theatre to wash the stench off my body. It stank. The only amusing lines in the film came from the trailers. The most amusing part of the film was the idea that the lifestyle depicted is a reality for such a broad population of the United States.
I didn't see it, but I heard Steaks on a Plane was ridiculous.
For one thing, the premise is completely unrealistic: The only food I ever get on an international flight is chicken or salmon.
The Good Shepherd was quite possibly the most boring movie I have ever seen. By the time the movie got interesting I had been sitting in the theater for 2 hours and just wanted it to end. Watching the entirety of this movie was more painful than completing a marathon (and took more time too).
My choice as best film of the year was Clint Eastwood's poetic masterpiece "Letters from Iwo Jima" with his other war film "flags of Our Fathers" coming in #2. The worst film I saw in 2006 was the embarrassing "The Benchwarmers". Awful, incompetent and not funnny at all.
The worst film I saw was "Rumor Has It" I felt like I was watching an extended episode of Friends but it wasn't as good as a Friends episode.
My favorite movies of 2006 are : The Last King of Scotland,The DaVinci Code, Winter Passing,Hoodwinked, Nacho Libre, Little Miss Sunshine, V for Vendetta, Brick, Clean, The Illusionist, The Notorious Bettie Page, Down in the Valley, The Devil and Daniel Johnston, Beowulf and Grendel among may others. It was a good year. I feel the best movie was THE PROPOSITION. Brilliant!
Best:
1. The Fountain 2. Little Miss Sunshine 3. The Departed 4. Babel 5. Blood Diamond 6. V for Vendetta 7. Huo Yuan Jia (Fearless) 8. Stranger than Fiction 9. Jackass Number Two 10. Prestige Worst: 1. The Science of Sleep 2. A Scanner Darkly 3. Flags of our Fathers 4. Borat 5. Apocalypto
Best Film: Cars, yeah that's right, an animated movie - great for people of all ages, good theme, feel good film with great messages of anti-materialism and anti-"immediate self-satisfaction".
Most Overrated: Little Miss Sunshine - can someone please explain to me how this was supposed to be funny?..okay, I chuckled at some parts, but if anything this movie is a satire; maybe this is one of those "smart" movies. No, to me, this movie was just boring. Most Underrated: Rocky Balboa - even though it received fairly good reviews, the negative stigma surrounding it was surpassed by the superb writing and acting; this movie was done the best it could've been. Most Disappointing: The Good Shepherd - again, probably one of those "smart" movies that just turned out boring..should've focused more on the Cuban Missile Crisis and should've been cut by 40 minutes.
"The Fountain" is the only movie I have ever walked out on. Let me preface your high brow comments about how I know nothing about film or cinematography, blah blah with that I know what I like and don't like and a bucket of peyote instead of popcorn was needed to enjoy this film. I was embarrassed to see a bald Hugh Jackman floating through space in a snow globe and I call the bluff that this movie has any real meaning at all.
My Top 2 Films
1)We Are Marshall (they waited along time to tell this story but they did it right) 2)Casino Royale (It was by far the best Bond Film no gadgets just raw action)
Dear Sir,
My wife and I take offense to you naming "The Sentinel" and "Firewall" as two of the worst movies. We enjoyed both of them. If you wouldn't try and disect each scene and try and second guess the Directors over each scene, you may actually enjoy them. They were entertaining and they held our interests. What more should you ask of a film? You can't "save the world" or cure all of the earth's ailments on the silver screen. Why not enjoy a film for what it is......ENTERTAINMENT!!! Jack Wilson Budapest Hungary |
