My Best Films of 2008
I decided to do one of these because, last year, I viewed more new films at the theater than I have ever before.
The Films Viewed (Unless otherwise stated I viewed these in theaters):
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
The Bank Job
Cloverfield
The Dark Knight
Diary of the Dead
Doomsday
The Foot Fist Way
The Forbidden Kingdom
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Funny Games
Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
The Incredible Hulk
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Inside (DVD)
Iron Man
JCVD
Kung Fu Panda
Let the Right One In
The Midnight Meat Train (on Demand)
Pineapple Express
Ping Pong Playa
Punisher: War Zone
Quantum of Solace
Quarantine
Rambo
Religulous
Role Models
The Ruins
Semi-Pro
Sex Drive
The Signal
Step Brothers
The Strangers
Sukiyaki Western Django
TimeCrimes
Tropic Thunder
Wall-E
Wanted
The Wrestler
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Judging Criteria:
Entertainment factor: This is how much I enjoyed watching a film for the first time, and how willing I would be to rewatch it again and again. To what degree is a movie viscerally thrilling and will it hold up to repeated views?
Emotional Impact: How deeply did a particular film affect me as a viewer? Why did a film stick with me?
Originality: Did this film stretch the boundaries of a given genre, or of the film medium? Does this film explore a scenario or experience previously unforeseen to the viewer?
Best of 2008:
10. Punisher: War Zone
I know I'm going to catch a lot of flack for putting this on a "Best of 2008" list, but I enjoyed the hell out of this. Technically, this is a bad movie with some clunky dialogue, scenery chewing like there's no tomorrow, and sadistic violence, but this makes it through on pure entertainment factor alone. This is a film I would enjoy rewatching again and again in various states of sobriety with a group of friends.
Being the best of the three Punisher films made thus far (which really isn't saying much), the film is lean and mean with only a minute and a half tops of origin story. In addition, it's also very true to Garth Ennis' characterization of Frank Castle in the comic. The Punisher isn't a complex figure requiring an in depth psychological analysis here. He simply kills criminals because he hates them. There is something refreshing about a film like this that dispenses with pretense and ruthlessly entertains.
It's not just a bad movie, it's a great bad movie.
9. Role Models
This film deftly handles an issue that has always bugged me about certain comedies like "Napoleon Dynamite." In "Napoleon Dynamite," the main characters are social outcasts (without many redeeming qualities) being held up as objects of derision. There is an air of cruelty to comedies attempting to milk laughter in this manner that hamstrings my enjoyment.
This is not so in "Role Models." A significant portion of the plot in the film involves "LARP-ing" (Live Action Role Playing) which, in terms of coolness, is only a step or two removed from grown men fucking in fursuits. The film unexpectedly celebrates the pastime and gains a lot by laughing with the LARP-ers, and not necessarily at them. It's a very mature approach to a film centering around some very immature (but understandably so) characters.
And it also feature little kids swearing like sailors.
8. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Great Comedy. Great Characters. Even the antagonists are well-fleshed out.
7. Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Even relatively light Guillermo Del Toro fantasy is good fantasy. You will care about a fishman's love life.
6. Iron Man
Robert Downey Jr. makes this film great.
5. Rambo
The most gloriously, realistically, and unrepentantly violent movie I've ever seen in theaters. This movie has balls for miles. The greatest guilty pleasure of the year.
4. The Wrestler
Mickey Rourke gives the lead performance of a lifetime. Aronofsky keeps his directing style simple and effective here, like he's playing unplugged.
3. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
This is a little Romanian drama showing a slice of life in the 80's. It caught me off guard because it was damn near perfect. Not usually my cup of tea, but it won me over completely.
2. The Dark Knight
Heath Ledger as the Joker is one of the best cinematic villains ever.
1. Let the Right One In
Pure god damn perfection. One of my favorite movies in years. The best vampire movie ever, and one of the purest and best romances to ever grace my eyes. Quiet, meditative, and poetic. I bothered to watch it twice and read the novel. This film may be one of the few that is arguably better than its source material.
The pool scene is one of my favorite film scenes of all time.
Watch this film ASAP.
P.S. Feel free to respond and argue with me, and even berate me for why Wall-E isn't on my list.
I decided to do one of these because, last year, I viewed more new films at the theater than I have ever before.
The Films Viewed (Unless otherwise stated I viewed these in theaters):
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
The Bank Job
Cloverfield
The Dark Knight
Diary of the Dead
Doomsday
The Foot Fist Way
The Forbidden Kingdom
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Funny Games
Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
The Incredible Hulk
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Inside (DVD)
Iron Man
JCVD
Kung Fu Panda
Let the Right One In
The Midnight Meat Train (on Demand)
Pineapple Express
Ping Pong Playa
Punisher: War Zone
Quantum of Solace
Quarantine
Rambo
Religulous
Role Models
The Ruins
Semi-Pro
Sex Drive
The Signal
Step Brothers
The Strangers
Sukiyaki Western Django
TimeCrimes
Tropic Thunder
Wall-E
Wanted
The Wrestler
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Judging Criteria:
Entertainment factor: This is how much I enjoyed watching a film for the first time, and how willing I would be to rewatch it again and again. To what degree is a movie viscerally thrilling and will it hold up to repeated views?
Emotional Impact: How deeply did a particular film affect me as a viewer? Why did a film stick with me?
Originality: Did this film stretch the boundaries of a given genre, or of the film medium? Does this film explore a scenario or experience previously unforeseen to the viewer?
Best of 2008:
10. Punisher: War Zone
I know I'm going to catch a lot of flack for putting this on a "Best of 2008" list, but I enjoyed the hell out of this. Technically, this is a bad movie with some clunky dialogue, scenery chewing like there's no tomorrow, and sadistic violence, but this makes it through on pure entertainment factor alone. This is a film I would enjoy rewatching again and again in various states of sobriety with a group of friends.
Being the best of the three Punisher films made thus far (which really isn't saying much), the film is lean and mean with only a minute and a half tops of origin story. In addition, it's also very true to Garth Ennis' characterization of Frank Castle in the comic. The Punisher isn't a complex figure requiring an in depth psychological analysis here. He simply kills criminals because he hates them. There is something refreshing about a film like this that dispenses with pretense and ruthlessly entertains.
It's not just a bad movie, it's a great bad movie.
9. Role Models
This film deftly handles an issue that has always bugged me about certain comedies like "Napoleon Dynamite." In "Napoleon Dynamite," the main characters are social outcasts (without many redeeming qualities) being held up as objects of derision. There is an air of cruelty to comedies attempting to milk laughter in this manner that hamstrings my enjoyment.
This is not so in "Role Models." A significant portion of the plot in the film involves "LARP-ing" (Live Action Role Playing) which, in terms of coolness, is only a step or two removed from grown men fucking in fursuits. The film unexpectedly celebrates the pastime and gains a lot by laughing with the LARP-ers, and not necessarily at them. It's a very mature approach to a film centering around some very immature (but understandably so) characters.
And it also feature little kids swearing like sailors.
8. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Great Comedy. Great Characters. Even the antagonists are well-fleshed out.
7. Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Even relatively light Guillermo Del Toro fantasy is good fantasy. You will care about a fishman's love life.
6. Iron Man
Robert Downey Jr. makes this film great.
5. Rambo
The most gloriously, realistically, and unrepentantly violent movie I've ever seen in theaters. This movie has balls for miles. The greatest guilty pleasure of the year.
4. The Wrestler
Mickey Rourke gives the lead performance of a lifetime. Aronofsky keeps his directing style simple and effective here, like he's playing unplugged.
3. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
This is a little Romanian drama showing a slice of life in the 80's. It caught me off guard because it was damn near perfect. Not usually my cup of tea, but it won me over completely.
2. The Dark Knight
Heath Ledger as the Joker is one of the best cinematic villains ever.
1. Let the Right One In
Pure god damn perfection. One of my favorite movies in years. The best vampire movie ever, and one of the purest and best romances to ever grace my eyes. Quiet, meditative, and poetic. I bothered to watch it twice and read the novel. This film may be one of the few that is arguably better than its source material.
The pool scene is one of my favorite film scenes of all time.
Watch this film ASAP.
P.S. Feel free to respond and argue with me, and even berate me for why Wall-E isn't on my list.
