Hey folks, Harry here... Quint sent in his list and he's on crack to have OLDBOY that low on the list, he claims it is because of rewatchability... he's seen it once, I've seen it about 5 times now and it gets better. The more you watch those performances... hell, that fight scene I could watch on a continuous loop for days. Anyway... other than that, he's not too crazy... well, maybe a little...
Ahoy, squirts. The crusty seaman, Quint, here with a little list of flicks that really got me this past year. It's a rather odd list. I have 20 films that are all over the map that I loved in one way or another. Some films are obvious (especially the last few), some not so obvious, some haven't come out yet, but I saw them theatrically at the American Film Market early in the year.
I had originally planned on doing Two Top Ten lists, like I did last year. One the Top 10 best movies of the year and the other the Top Ten most fun movies of the year. It wasn't working for me because so many from the Top Ten Fun list deserved a place in the Top Ten Best, so I just mashed them together. This list isn't concrete as I haven't seen a few of the biggest "IT" films due to either me spending 2 months out of the country this year or just being busy with side movie stuff. Most notably missing are MYSTIC RIVER, SCHOOL OF ROCK, 21 GRAMS and AMERICAN SPLENDOR. I know I will love AMERICAN SPLENDOR and SCHOOL OF ROCK, but I just missed 'em.
At any rate, here are my picks.
20. THE BIG EMPTY
This is a little flick that got a small push at the end of the year. I saw it at the AMERICAN FILM MARKET and had a lot of fun with it. Jon Favreau, Sean Bean, Rachel Leigh Cook (gggrooowr), Daryl Hannah and Kelsey Grammer all turn in great performances in this destined to be cult classic flick about aliens, bowling and Baker, California.
19. A DECADE UNDER THE INFLUENCE
A film lovers dream of a documentary about the single greatest decade in film history, the 1970s. This flick was started by Ted Demme and Richard LeGravenese and contains interviews with just about everybody you could wish for.
18. FINAL DESTINATION 2
I know, it's a weird pick, but I had so much fun with this movie it wasn't even a joke. It's clever, well shot and filled with the best big budget money shots in the last year. It'd take the fun cheese of FINAL DESTINATION 2 over the pretentious, over baked remake of CHAINSAW MASSACRE any day of the week.
17. OLDBOY
This Chanwook Park flick played BNAT. I've recently submitted my review (along with the 40,000 other BNAT reviews that popped up). This flick is magical. The only reason it is this far up my list is rewatchability factor. It's a great movie and was exciting to see unfold, but it's not a movie I think I would watch over and over and over again. But that first time... Wow.
16. DOWN WITH LOVE
Fun, fun, fun, fun. That's what this movie is. It's kinda gotten swept under the rug, but Ewan McGregor and Rene Zellweger chew the scenery in this throw back to the glory days of sex romp flicks.
15. MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD
Masterfully done chase flick with huge fucking boats. The fantastic miniature and digital effects by WETA steal this movie. I can not believe they didn't have real, full scale ships built. I just can't fathom that what I saw were mini-ships and 1s and 0s. Outstanding on all fronts.
14. INFERNAL AFFAIRS
Another flick I saw at AFM, out of Asia. Smart, gritty cop story. Asia has the market cornered as far as I'm concerned with horror and crime genres. They are very much in their '70s, producing the most off the wall and real stories. INFERNAL AFFAIRS already has a sequel and prequel out. I am so behind! I need to see them!
13. ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO
Yet another fun flick. This movie might not have made it on to this list if it wasn't for the inspired casting of Johnny Depp as Agent Sands. He steals the movie right out from under Antonio's (Too sexy!!!) nose and Salma Hayek's boobalies. Johnny Depp was on a role this year and confirmed what I've always known: He's a megastar and one of the best actors in the business.
12. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL
Who woulda thunk that a live action Disney flick based on a theme park ride stood a chance of being a great movie? Admit it, you guys weren't sure, either. A very pleasant surprise and one of the most fun flicks of the year.
11. INTOLERABLE CRUELTY
I can't understand supposed "Coen fans" who don't get this film, just I didn't understand supposed "Kubrick fans" that shat upon EYES WIDE SHUT. EWS was pure Kubrick and INTOLERABLE CRUELTY is pure Coen Bros. The Coens are blessed filmmakers who can do no wrong, it seems. They have a way with actors and situations that make them immediately fresh and insanely interesting.
10. IRREVERSIBLE
More than any other film this year, IRREVERSIBLE effected me the most deeply. Some people hate this film with a furious passion and I can totally understand why. This film takes you to a place you really don't want to go, but that doesn't negate the brilliant filmmaking that carries us through the film. I still believe that they killed that dude with the fire extinguisher. They just paid a bum on the street and beat him to death. That's the only way I see they did that. Not high on rewatchability, but in terms of actual feeling and involvement this film takes the cake.
9. X2: X-MEN UNITED
That's a nice jump. From small art house flick about the near fatal rape of a young woman to the big budget, asskicking superhero sequel of the year. X2 trumps X-MEN and sets the board for a kick-ass sequel. Brian Cox as the main villain and Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler were masterstrokes. It's decisions like casting those two, below the radar actors, that prove Bryan Singer is the best man for the job here. Can't wait for X3!
8. PLOTS WITH A VIEW
This is another film I saw at the AFM back in March. This is a little film out of Wales starring Doc Ock (Alfred Molina) and Christopher Walken. It's a romantic comedy in the most skewered way imaginable. It's light, but it's about a funeral parlor owner (Molina) who finds out that the love he's held from afar for a local woman is reciprocated. They have to figure out how to make it look like she's been murdered so her cheating husband can move on and she and Molina can live together forever. Throw in Walken as an enterprising American Funeral Parlor owner who is trying to steal away all of Molina's business using flashy '60s Vegas-esque wakes. Great little movie that supposedly Miramax bought up. It's sitting next to SHAOLIN SOCCER and the 100,000 other movies Miramax buys then doesn't release, I guess.
7. BIG FISH
Ewan McGregor again on the list. BIG FISH really impressed me. It's great to see Tim Burton back in his element: that of the modern fantasy. All the emotion of EDWARD SCISSORHANDS with some of the fun of PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE.
6. BAD SANTA
This will probably end up being one of my most rewatched films from this year. I can't get enough of Billy Bob's drunken, foul-mouthed, ass-fucking Santa. Tony Cox rules the earth as well as the dwarf sidekick. Great last performance from John Ritter as well. In terms of "laugh out loud" funny, it's my pick of the year!
5. JU-ON: THE GRUDGE
Yet another film I saw at AFM that seriously creeped my shit out. I don't think I've ever been as nervous in a dark theater than while watching this film... well, maybe that time when I was 5 and Uncle Fred made me sit on his lap while watching 9 1/2 WEEKS... Anyway, this flick shows that Asia is still where horror is at currently. Let's hope the American re-make starring Buffy doesn't suck donkey balls.
4. KILL BILL v1
It's no surprise to me that this film made the list. I have been attending Tarantino's QT Fests where he shows all sorts of obscure revenge flicks, spaghetti westerns, Italian horror and giallo films, etc since I was 15 years old. In fact, he revealed at the last one that he purposely has been using those fest to gauge audience reaction specifically for KILL BILL. I love the QT Fests, so it's no surprise I love KILL BILL. It's filled with all the above genres plus Tarantino's trademark pop culture directing. The music can't be beat. Bang Bang can never again be heard without thinking about Uma Thurman getting capped in the head.
3. PETER PAN
This was a surprise. I really fell in love with this movie. It might be that I wasn't expecting it to be anything but passable with a small hope for "good." It really blew me away. Lucious Malfoy as Hook was perfect. Pan, Wendy and all the Lost Boys are note perfect as well. A magic telling of the classic tale.
2. LOST IN TRANSLATION
I know it's kinda the "It" thing to love this movie now, but when I first saw it there was no buzz on the film at all. I knew I wanted to see it because I love, love, love Bill Murray and I think Scarlett Johansson is one of the most beautiful women ever put on the planet. That's what I thought of her before seeing the movie. After seeing it, I thing "the most beautiful women ever put on the planet" is an understatement. She radiates beauty in the film. She's a sun, shining God Light on us unworthy mortals. Plus she digs Bill Murray, so she's the coolest there, too. This film will go down as one of the best love stories of all time, take my word for it.
1. WHAT COULD IT BE????? OH, YEAH... LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING
Surprise, surprise, surprise. The last two topped my BEST OF lists of their years and this one is no exception. In the over all view of things, I think at this very moment FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING: EXTENDED EDITION is the best film of the series, but from I saw in New Zealand (most of which got cut) I can guarantee that this supposed 5 hour EXTENDED EDITION of RETURN OF THE KING will be the ultimate film of the series. What else can I saw about the movie? It has all the emotion of the smallest, most personal art house film and all the spectacle of the biggest budgeted flicks. Well done, you glorious NZ bastards!
I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO PUT THIS AWARD OF THE YEAR 2003 GOES TO:
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
I had planned on including this in my Top 20 list, but I thought twice. When Mel Gibson was doing his Q&A at BNAT after showing the film, he made mention of some CG work and shots that he was planning on including in the final cut... The thing I love the most about this film (as an Agnostic) is how it doesn't beat you over the head. The movie presents the last hours of Christ's life without being preachy. Some of these new additions could shift the balance for me and make it a movie that I won't care to watch. As it stand, if we saw the final cut of the film it would have nudged in after LOST IN TRANSLATION as my #3 best film of the year.
Now for my top 10 worst films of the year, from 10 to 1!
10. HOUSE OF THE DEAD
9. HOUSE OF THE DEAD
8. HOUSE OF THE DEAD
7. HOUSE OF THE DEAD
6. HOUSE OF THE DEAD
5. HOUSE OF THE DEAD
4. HOUSE OF THE DEAD
3. HOUSE OF THE DEAD
2. HOUSE OF THE DEAD
1. HOUSE OF THE DEAD
It really is that bad. I'd watch any other movie made in the last year... ANY MOVIE but this pile of crap. Not even DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS or BATTLEFIELD EARTH funny terrible. Just bad, bad, bad, bad. It should be illegal for Uwe Boll to pick up a movie camera. He made a terrible movie out of a fun shoot 'em up game and looks to be making another shitty video game flick that actually had a great story to adapt. So far, ALONE IN THE DARK looks like a mutated drooling window-licking 'tard of a film and it hurts more this time because unlike HOUSE OF THE DEAD, he could have made a really great, scary, atmospheric film. Instead we have Christian Slater who never seems ever be either ALONE or IN THE DARK. Sheesh....
That's it from me, squirts. Take a look at the above list... Agree, disagree, poop in you hand, whatever. These are just one person's feelings and my personal tastes in film. I hope all your New Years are off to a great start! I'll be back soon with some smaller items to pass the time until I am in Santa Barbara covering the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Til that day, this is Quint bidding you a fond farewell and adieu.
-Quint
