Friday, December 28, 2007
Top 10 Most Awesome Movies of 2007
Notice that doesn't say "Best Movies of 2007". That's because I have really bizarre taste in flicks. In fact, my number one choice will delight a handful of you, and probably violently enrage the rest. These AREN'T the best flicks of 2007; well, not ALL of them. But the most awesome? you bet your sweet bippy.
10. WE ARE THE STRANGE
This wasn't really shown in too many theaters; only at Sundance and at personal engagements with the Director. But Christ, what a mind-bendingly freaky flick! Combining stop-motion animation, computer animation, 8-bit video game graphics and some anime; this one dude (whose stage name is M dot Strange...yeah, I know how pretentious that sounds. Just, get past that) spent 3 years locked in his bedroom with a bunch of computers and old dismembered action figures single-handedly creating one of the most stunning, unique-looking movies I've ever seen. Trust me on this one; you won't see anything else like this in your life. The whole thing has a seriously creepy vibe, even though the storyline (and very much the ending as well) is done in the anime-style. Good vs. Evil, giant killer robots, the whole nine yards. He actually had the whole thing up on youtube awhile ago, not sure if it's still there ( I shelled out for the DVD) but I highly suggest you check it out at least once.
09. RATATOUILLE
Pixar keeps topping themselves with every film. Seriously, it's getting fucking scary how good these movies are getting. At this rate, Wall-E might might change our whole notion of animation as we know it. With all the other computer-generated garbage being flung into the theaters, it just makes Pixar's films seem that much better. This film, for instance, stars Patton Oswalt (so it already had a spot on this list before I even saw it) as a rat who loves to cook, and proves himself to be the worlds's greatest chef in a world full of humans. Sounds like a pretty boring script, I know, but it ended up being one of the best reviewed movies in recent history and one of the best animated movies I've ever seen. Seriously, tons of character development, plot, depth...it's amazing.
08. BLACK SNAKE MOAN
This one got missed or outright ignored by a lot of people, but I think it's one of Samuel L. Jackon's best performances to date. He finds a beaten, abused nymphomaniac passed out on the side of the road, and attempts to cure her and save her soul by chaining her to his radiator and teaching her about the blues. That's the movie, but the music is SO good, and the performances of the actors are SO on point, you don't even mind that you're watching a flick with Justin Timberlake in it.
07. THE SIMPSONS MOVIE
Let's face it, most of the good reviews are comparing it to the shitty, shitty seasons the TV show has had for the past 4 or 5 years. But still, after a decade of waiting, we finally ge the payoff for our patience, and it turns out to be a really funny flick. Continuing the series' running gags of poking fun at Fox, religion and pop culture, and generally being a smarmy bastard, the full length movie feels like more than just 3 episodes strung together, it feels like a cohesive work of really goddamn funny art.
06. THE HOST (GWOEMUL)
Great movies have been coming out of Korea for years, but this one just might take the cake. The Host is one of the most fantastic-looking monster movies I've seen since Jaws. The opening attack on the beach is beautiful and gruesome at the same time. Three generations of a poor Korean family are affected when a monster created by American pollution runs amuk, capturing and eating innocent bystanders before diving back into the river; and then the hunt begins, despite the government's constant interference. It's hysterical, heart-breaking, scary and moving all at the same time. Highly suggested if you're in a sci-fi monstery-type of mood.
05. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END
Fuck everyone, this is one of my favorite movie trilogies ever. Sometimes, you just want a really fun movie to watch, and I find that movies like these work best with a nice big enthusiastic theater full of fans. This was the perfect ending to every story arc in the first 2 movies (despite how surreal it got in this installment....and surreal is a GROSS understatement) and was chock full of piratey action and excitement. Swashbuckling, magic, sword-fighting, giant ship battles, incredible growing Jamaicans, cannons, plot twist after unbelievable plot twist, fucking tentacle monsters...AWESOME. Every word out of Barbossa's mouth is GOLD. Fuck, I love this movie.
04. HOT FUZZ
If these guys were more prolific, they'd be the British equivilent of Judd Apatow. So far they're two for two (plus their TV shows are all hysterical, albeit short-lived) and, in my opinion, can do no wrong. In this movie, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost turn their Shaun of the Dead-eye for parody on hard-boiled action flicks, and the payoff is fantastic. After using half the movie to squash all the buddy-cop action movie cliches, they play into every stereotype in hilarious fashion, making the wanton, unnecessary violence work on a whole other level. Plus, there's that swan.
3. (tie) KNOCKED UP & SUPERBAD
I just couldn't decide between the two. Seriously, two of the funniest films to come out in about a decade. There is no hyperbole in that statement. I don't even know what to say, just see these movies if you haven't already; and if you have, see them again. Fantastic. Knocked Up is everything a mid-20's growing up sex comedy is supposed to be, and Superbad is everything a high school, coming-of-age sex comedy is supposed to be. Very prominent, memorable characters, infinitely quotable lines, moments of sincere tenderness surrounded by the filthiest cock jokes you can think of. If nothing else, these movies prove that Seth Rogen needs to be in more movies, and SOON. Also, McLovin is the much, much funnier version of Napoleon Dynamite.
02. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
Wow. No other movie this year stuck in my mind more afterwards than this. I watched this the second weekend it was out (when it was only playing in 2 theaters in the state of Connecticut) with a theater full of people who were seemingly oblivious as to what they were about to witness. The very stark ending after a heart-rendingly somber monologue left the audience quite confused (some were quite upset) and, I'll admit, I didn't get it at first. But that ending stuck in my head for weeks, and I've analyzed everything I can remember every which way. After a movie featuring a lot of vivid imagery, beautiful landscapes, and jarring, violent action, for a simple, softly-spoken monologue to stick in my memory is a testament to the script, the directors, the actors and everyone involved....this was a moving film, both physically and mentally. One of the best movie-going experiences of my life; I've just been waiting for the opportunity to see it again. Can't recommend this highly enough. "Where'd you get that pistol?" "At the gettin' place." Sublime.
In every respect, No Country For Old Men should be the number one movie on my list and, indeed, is the "Best" Movie of 2007, but there is one that I just can't ignore, one that gave me the filmgoing experience of a lifetime. Ladies and Gentlemen (hell, let's face it: Bums, Bastards, and Other Bums), the Most Awesome Movie of 2007:
01. GRINDHOUSE
Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarentino found a way to distill awesomeness into it's purest form, and poured it onto film stock to create the coolest goddamn flick of the year. Film burning out, blaring rock music, extreme jarring violence, awesome dialogue, fantastic fatally-flawed characters, the projectionist stopping the movie and turning up the house lights at various intervals, the audience screaming with every headshot, laughing out loud with every joke, quip and gag, reacting to everything onscreen with shock, horror or wide-eyed amazement, the crazy trailers, MACHETE!, machine-gun legs, a jar full of testicles, Kurt Russell being the most untouchable badass in film history for about 2 hours before degenerating into a snivelling pussy, hot chicks, fast cars, smoking guns, lap dances, the most epic car chase I've ever seen in my life, sex drugs and rock 'n' roll!!!! Everything an awesome movie should be. Nothing else comes close.
Special Award For Most Badass Flick: Out of Contention For This List
LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD
It's motherfuckin' Bruce Willis in a DIE HARD movie! He blows up a helicopter by driving a CAR INTO IT. He outruns an F-1 fighter jet with a tractor-trailer. He flies another helicopter without ever having flown anything before in his life! If I included it on this list, it would take up the first 5 spots, and then glance menacingly at the other 5 flicks on the list with steely blue eyes and scare them away, leaving numbers 6-10 blank. And I wanted a full list of 10, so that's why Live Free or Die Hard is here.
When there is a choice between movies starring Bruce Willis and movies not starring Bruce Willis, the former always wins.
"I was out of bullets." FUCK YEAH!
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Notice that doesn't say "Best Movies of 2007". That's because I have really bizarre taste in flicks. In fact, my number one choice will delight a handful of you, and probably violently enrage the rest. These AREN'T the best flicks of 2007; well, not ALL of them. But the most awesome? you bet your sweet bippy.
10. WE ARE THE STRANGE
This wasn't really shown in too many theaters; only at Sundance and at personal engagements with the Director. But Christ, what a mind-bendingly freaky flick! Combining stop-motion animation, computer animation, 8-bit video game graphics and some anime; this one dude (whose stage name is M dot Strange...yeah, I know how pretentious that sounds. Just, get past that) spent 3 years locked in his bedroom with a bunch of computers and old dismembered action figures single-handedly creating one of the most stunning, unique-looking movies I've ever seen. Trust me on this one; you won't see anything else like this in your life. The whole thing has a seriously creepy vibe, even though the storyline (and very much the ending as well) is done in the anime-style. Good vs. Evil, giant killer robots, the whole nine yards. He actually had the whole thing up on youtube awhile ago, not sure if it's still there ( I shelled out for the DVD) but I highly suggest you check it out at least once.
09. RATATOUILLE
Pixar keeps topping themselves with every film. Seriously, it's getting fucking scary how good these movies are getting. At this rate, Wall-E might might change our whole notion of animation as we know it. With all the other computer-generated garbage being flung into the theaters, it just makes Pixar's films seem that much better. This film, for instance, stars Patton Oswalt (so it already had a spot on this list before I even saw it) as a rat who loves to cook, and proves himself to be the worlds's greatest chef in a world full of humans. Sounds like a pretty boring script, I know, but it ended up being one of the best reviewed movies in recent history and one of the best animated movies I've ever seen. Seriously, tons of character development, plot, depth...it's amazing.
08. BLACK SNAKE MOAN
This one got missed or outright ignored by a lot of people, but I think it's one of Samuel L. Jackon's best performances to date. He finds a beaten, abused nymphomaniac passed out on the side of the road, and attempts to cure her and save her soul by chaining her to his radiator and teaching her about the blues. That's the movie, but the music is SO good, and the performances of the actors are SO on point, you don't even mind that you're watching a flick with Justin Timberlake in it.
07. THE SIMPSONS MOVIE
Let's face it, most of the good reviews are comparing it to the shitty, shitty seasons the TV show has had for the past 4 or 5 years. But still, after a decade of waiting, we finally ge the payoff for our patience, and it turns out to be a really funny flick. Continuing the series' running gags of poking fun at Fox, religion and pop culture, and generally being a smarmy bastard, the full length movie feels like more than just 3 episodes strung together, it feels like a cohesive work of really goddamn funny art.
06. THE HOST (GWOEMUL)
Great movies have been coming out of Korea for years, but this one just might take the cake. The Host is one of the most fantastic-looking monster movies I've seen since Jaws. The opening attack on the beach is beautiful and gruesome at the same time. Three generations of a poor Korean family are affected when a monster created by American pollution runs amuk, capturing and eating innocent bystanders before diving back into the river; and then the hunt begins, despite the government's constant interference. It's hysterical, heart-breaking, scary and moving all at the same time. Highly suggested if you're in a sci-fi monstery-type of mood.
05. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END
Fuck everyone, this is one of my favorite movie trilogies ever. Sometimes, you just want a really fun movie to watch, and I find that movies like these work best with a nice big enthusiastic theater full of fans. This was the perfect ending to every story arc in the first 2 movies (despite how surreal it got in this installment....and surreal is a GROSS understatement) and was chock full of piratey action and excitement. Swashbuckling, magic, sword-fighting, giant ship battles, incredible growing Jamaicans, cannons, plot twist after unbelievable plot twist, fucking tentacle monsters...AWESOME. Every word out of Barbossa's mouth is GOLD. Fuck, I love this movie.
04. HOT FUZZ
If these guys were more prolific, they'd be the British equivilent of Judd Apatow. So far they're two for two (plus their TV shows are all hysterical, albeit short-lived) and, in my opinion, can do no wrong. In this movie, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost turn their Shaun of the Dead-eye for parody on hard-boiled action flicks, and the payoff is fantastic. After using half the movie to squash all the buddy-cop action movie cliches, they play into every stereotype in hilarious fashion, making the wanton, unnecessary violence work on a whole other level. Plus, there's that swan.
3. (tie) KNOCKED UP & SUPERBAD
I just couldn't decide between the two. Seriously, two of the funniest films to come out in about a decade. There is no hyperbole in that statement. I don't even know what to say, just see these movies if you haven't already; and if you have, see them again. Fantastic. Knocked Up is everything a mid-20's growing up sex comedy is supposed to be, and Superbad is everything a high school, coming-of-age sex comedy is supposed to be. Very prominent, memorable characters, infinitely quotable lines, moments of sincere tenderness surrounded by the filthiest cock jokes you can think of. If nothing else, these movies prove that Seth Rogen needs to be in more movies, and SOON. Also, McLovin is the much, much funnier version of Napoleon Dynamite.
02. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
Wow. No other movie this year stuck in my mind more afterwards than this. I watched this the second weekend it was out (when it was only playing in 2 theaters in the state of Connecticut) with a theater full of people who were seemingly oblivious as to what they were about to witness. The very stark ending after a heart-rendingly somber monologue left the audience quite confused (some were quite upset) and, I'll admit, I didn't get it at first. But that ending stuck in my head for weeks, and I've analyzed everything I can remember every which way. After a movie featuring a lot of vivid imagery, beautiful landscapes, and jarring, violent action, for a simple, softly-spoken monologue to stick in my memory is a testament to the script, the directors, the actors and everyone involved....this was a moving film, both physically and mentally. One of the best movie-going experiences of my life; I've just been waiting for the opportunity to see it again. Can't recommend this highly enough. "Where'd you get that pistol?" "At the gettin' place." Sublime.
In every respect, No Country For Old Men should be the number one movie on my list and, indeed, is the "Best" Movie of 2007, but there is one that I just can't ignore, one that gave me the filmgoing experience of a lifetime. Ladies and Gentlemen (hell, let's face it: Bums, Bastards, and Other Bums), the Most Awesome Movie of 2007:
01. GRINDHOUSE
Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarentino found a way to distill awesomeness into it's purest form, and poured it onto film stock to create the coolest goddamn flick of the year. Film burning out, blaring rock music, extreme jarring violence, awesome dialogue, fantastic fatally-flawed characters, the projectionist stopping the movie and turning up the house lights at various intervals, the audience screaming with every headshot, laughing out loud with every joke, quip and gag, reacting to everything onscreen with shock, horror or wide-eyed amazement, the crazy trailers, MACHETE!, machine-gun legs, a jar full of testicles, Kurt Russell being the most untouchable badass in film history for about 2 hours before degenerating into a snivelling pussy, hot chicks, fast cars, smoking guns, lap dances, the most epic car chase I've ever seen in my life, sex drugs and rock 'n' roll!!!! Everything an awesome movie should be. Nothing else comes close.
Special Award For Most Badass Flick: Out of Contention For This List
LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD
It's motherfuckin' Bruce Willis in a DIE HARD movie! He blows up a helicopter by driving a CAR INTO IT. He outruns an F-1 fighter jet with a tractor-trailer. He flies another helicopter without ever having flown anything before in his life! If I included it on this list, it would take up the first 5 spots, and then glance menacingly at the other 5 flicks on the list with steely blue eyes and scare them away, leaving numbers 6-10 blank. And I wanted a full list of 10, so that's why Live Free or Die Hard is here.
When there is a choice between movies starring Bruce Willis and movies not starring Bruce Willis, the former always wins.
"I was out of bullets." FUCK YEAH!
