i am a big fan of the frames, but i wouldn't have much interest in once.
i can't say that i saw any particular memorable movies this year that were made this year.
― darraghmac, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 12:37 (sixteen years ago) link
Yep, it worked. I will write you back later today.
― Eric H., Wednesday, 14 November 2007 12:41 (sixteen years ago) link
That my top 3 most memorable "movies" of the year were each about two minutes long -- the three Grindhouse trailers -- is my movie year in a nutshell.
― Eric H., Wednesday, 14 November 2007 12:43 (sixteen years ago) link
good stuff.
i pretty much agree w/ darraghmac. the only thing i loved from 2007 was INLAND EMPIRE even though i found swathes of it very flawed. my highlight of the year was definitely the new print of Distant Voices, Still Lives.
"Away from Her" was easily my least favourite film of the year.
― jed_, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 12:45 (sixteen years ago) link
xpost
2007 stands out as a year that i used to catch up on movies that i really should have seen before and didn't.
last night was serpico with a pizza. the other option was stardust. easy really.
next week- dirty harries, maybe french connections again. i'm in a hard boiled 70's cop place right now.
― darraghmac, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 12:53 (sixteen years ago) link
i'd watch stardust over serpico!
― jed_, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 12:55 (sixteen years ago) link
it may come to that yet, my local video store isn't all that.
― darraghmac, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 12:57 (sixteen years ago) link
There are five films that loom very large for me:
INLAND EMPIRE Into The Wild (which I saw last night am still sort of shaking from) The Namesake The Science Of Sleep (wasn't released in the UK till this year) The Heartbreak Kid (I am probably alone here, but I don't get why. So much more interesting than all those Judd Apatow gang comedies)
This is beserk. His awful music was the thing that spoiled Once for me. If you like The Frames, you should definitely see it.
I'll go and see Anna M. next week, which I hardly know anything about, but which for some reason I have a funny, positive feeling about making my favourites of the year. 2007 has been a really great year for me. So many films made such a deep impression on me.
― Alba, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 13:02 (sixteen years ago) link
2007 may end up going down as the year 1990s auteurism went down hard. I skipped theatrical showings of new movies from David Fincher, Wes Anderson, David Cronenberg, et al.
― Eric H., Wednesday, 14 November 2007 13:09 (sixteen years ago) link
Industry crisis!
― Alba, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 13:23 (sixteen years ago) link
went down hard for YOU, blogger-in-exile!
I was 'chuffed,' as our Brit friends say, that I wasn't allowed to vote for Killer of Sheep, but that Inland, a 2006 work, made the Stylus list 2 years in a row.
― Dr Morbius, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 14:22 (sixteen years ago) link
also, I steered clear of Once even before Eric dissed it, bcz someone wrote it's "the film equivalent of a John Mayer song, but that's not a bad thing."
― Dr Morbius, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 14:28 (sixteen years ago) link
Hey, I blogged a couple weeks ago and might again before the end of the month.
― Eric H., Wednesday, 14 November 2007 14:31 (sixteen years ago) link
thx; one gets out of the habit of checking!
― Dr Morbius, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 14:33 (sixteen years ago) link
Better, but even I'm surprised by Children Of Men at #2.
― Eric H., Wednesday, 14 November 2007 14:35 (sixteen years ago) link
ugh, not better. Forget my disgust at Before Sunset & Y Tu Mama -- I like You Can Count on Me, but one of the decade's best???
Also, they screwed Munich in the scoring.
― Dr Morbius, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 14:41 (sixteen years ago) link
How so?
I guess I merely meant that Mulholland isn't a totally embarassing #1 like Once.
― Eric H., Wednesday, 14 November 2007 14:43 (sixteen years ago) link
Dr Morbius, "chuffed" means "pleased", you know?
― Alba, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 14:53 (sixteen years ago) link
just the reverse of what I'd remembered in my morning coma; thx, Alba. Pissed, then (the US meaning).
jaymc did the math on the Stylus scoring, I should have put it in a LOL thread. (in brief, it was on 2 lists including a #1)
― Dr Morbius, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 14:58 (sixteen years ago) link
Jed has stolen my thoughts upthread re: Inland Empire and Distant Voices - by a mile my two cinematic highlights of 07.
― Stevie T, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 14:58 (sixteen years ago) link
Too many films I haven't seen and will likely catch on DVD – that's why I didn't vote in the Stylus thread. Away From Her and ....Barley are two faves, but hardly top five material.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 15:00 (sixteen years ago) link
From that Stylus thing:
take your crush to see Once. Just remember to thank me when you’re rounding third base.
Ew. What was that he was saying about cynicism?
― Alba, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 15:04 (sixteen years ago) link
EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
― da croupier, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 15:06 (sixteen years ago) link
"When you're rounding third base, think of me!"
THE David Holmes?
― da croupier, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 15:07 (sixteen years ago) link
Death Proof but not Planet Terror = List Can Eat Its Own Ass
― da croupier, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 15:08 (sixteen years ago) link
With Death Proof it’s different, because I just don’t think while it’s on.
evidently!
― da croupier, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 15:09 (sixteen years ago) link
from the Variety article:
"2007 was an incredibly strong year for independent film," said Michelle Byrd, exec director of IFP. "Ranging from the small gems produced on micro-budgets to extraordinary films from specialty divisions, the nominees all share the type of creative vision and risk-taking that are a hallmark of independent film."
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 15:09 (sixteen years ago) link
I prefer to round third base after Fight Club.
Giving my credit paydowns and Hollywood and indieland's piss-poor 21st-century track records, I am going to repertory and museum fare more than ever.
oh, those daredevil conglomerate specialty divisions
― Dr Morbius, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 15:10 (sixteen years ago) link
http://animatedtv.about.com/library/graphics/ralph.jpg
Yay! I'm a specialty division!
― da croupier, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 15:10 (sixteen years ago) link
Thanks to speciality divisions, we'll NEVER miss a little sunshine.
― da croupier, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 15:12 (sixteen years ago) link
http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/MMPO/MyBigFatGreekWedding.jpg
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 15:13 (sixteen years ago) link
no one wants to bet vs. Once securing that Little Sacchaine Pill That Could best picture nomination, right?
― Dr Morbius, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 15:18 (sixteen years ago) link
I wasn't mad about Once but I don't think it's fair to call it saccharine.
― Alba, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 15:27 (sixteen years ago) link
If we're talking Oscar predictions, Hal Holbrook in Into The Wild looks odds-on to win best supporting actor. He deserves it, too.
― Alba, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 15:29 (sixteen years ago) link
yeah, he should've won for Wild in the Streets.
― Dr Morbius, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 15:31 (sixteen years ago) link
i saw one of those wild on! specials, i didn't think the acting was that good in it.
― darraghmac, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 15:34 (sixteen years ago) link
Alba, looking forward to seeing "Into The Wild" - i wasn't sure if i was going to check it out but i definitely will now.
Stevie T - i'm so glad we agree!
― jed_, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 16:00 (sixteen years ago) link
I like You Can Count on Me, but one of the decade's best???
Yes.
― jaymc, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 16:03 (sixteen years ago) link
I've seen practically nothing this year but am hoping to catch up soon. I think I'm gonna see Before the Devil Knows Your Dead on Friday. And Away From Her is sitting atop my DVD player, waiting for me.
― jaymc, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 16:04 (sixteen years ago) link
[You're]
― jaymc, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 16:06 (sixteen years ago) link
There is nothing that has even the whiff of innovative/adventurous cinematic tehnique in YCCoMe, which disqualifies it from that level of praise. It's the old "film-imitates-lit-fiction" template.
― Dr Morbius, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 16:08 (sixteen years ago) link
i saw before the devil... last night. god i hate ethan hawke.
― impudent harlot, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 16:16 (sixteen years ago) link
I agree with everything in your post, Dr. Morbius, except "which disqualifies it from that level of praise." I found the acting marvelous.
― jaymc, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 16:17 (sixteen years ago) link
I usu hate Hawke too, but less so when he plays rogues -- Hamlet, the guy in Tape. I'll be seeing that Lumet Monday it seems.
― Dr Morbius, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 16:22 (sixteen years ago) link
I predicted that a couple months ago, stopped a month ago when I realized how completely, irreparably insignificant the movie is, and am now back to predicting it again.
― Eric H., Wednesday, 14 November 2007 16:32 (sixteen years ago) link
Spielberg said he loves it.
― Dr Morbius, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 16:33 (sixteen years ago) link
LOL
― jed_, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 16:36 (sixteen years ago) link
Yeah, but ... there's crap-looking of the Little Miss Sunshine variety and crap-looking of the Once variety. The latter makes dogme movies look like Vincente Minnelli.
― Eric H., Wednesday, 14 November 2007 16:38 (sixteen years ago) link
There is nothing that has even the whiff of innovative/adventurous cinematic tehnique in YCCoMe, which disqualifies it from that level of praise.
small-minded bullshit
― da croupier, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 16:41 (sixteen years ago) link
oh so you're using Cannes like a Rex-Reed-O-Meter, now?
― Dr Morbius, Tuesday, 5 February 2008 18:26 (sixteen years ago) link
No, more like Rosenbaum.
― Eric H., Tuesday, 5 February 2008 18:28 (sixteen years ago) link
You must've been real excited when Michael Moore won a few years back, right?
not particularly, tho he makes good-enough screeds. I liked the speech better than F9/11.
― Dr Morbius, Tuesday, 5 February 2008 18:33 (sixteen years ago) link
On that, we can agree.
― Eric H., Tuesday, 5 February 2008 18:34 (sixteen years ago) link
I am an Eminem fan tho! (at least the first 3 albums)
― Dr Morbius, Tuesday, 5 February 2008 18:34 (sixteen years ago) link
On second thought, that woman whose son died in Iraq did make me tear up. So F9/11 was better than Chats perchés, at least.
― Dr Morbius, Tuesday, 5 February 2008 18:40 (sixteen years ago) link
Will you never shut up?
― Eric H., Tuesday, 5 February 2008 18:59 (sixteen years ago) link
LADIES, LADIES
― impudent harlot, Tuesday, 5 February 2008 19:03 (sixteen years ago) link
we're just doing vintage Siskel-Ebert (w/ extra helpings of bitch)!
― Dr Morbius, Tuesday, 5 February 2008 19:06 (sixteen years ago) link
Morbs, you and I finally have a shared favorite film of the year, and Eric reminded me why I was mistaken to change the channel one Saturday afternoon in November when Red Dawn was playing.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Tuesday, 5 February 2008 19:13 (sixteen years ago) link
o_O
the 4th is better than the 3rd, btw
― gabbneb, Tuesday, 5 February 2008 19:16 (sixteen years ago) link
yes
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Tuesday, 5 February 2008 19:17 (sixteen years ago) link
Gone Baby Gone on my Netflix queue, all set for next week. Boy, am I gonna be upset if it's Oscar prole-bait.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Tuesday, 5 February 2008 19:18 (sixteen years ago) link
maybe I miscounted MM albums, I'm not a "muso."
I have Black Book from the library.
― Dr Morbius, Tuesday, 5 February 2008 20:08 (sixteen years ago) link
Senses of Cinema's World Poll:
http://www.sensesofcinema.com/
― Dr Morbius, Thursday, 7 February 2008 16:07 (sixteen years ago) link
The International Cinephile Society?
http://www.awardsdaily.com/?p=1363
― Dr Morbius, Tuesday, 12 February 2008 16:12 (sixteen years ago) link
Finally saw Gone Baby Gone. The first two-thirds are so gripping that it makes the last implausible 30 minutes more offensive. Amy Ryan pretty good (best line: "I feel like 9-11 now") but everyone except a muted Michelle Monaghan was terrific.
Casey Affleck does all kinds of tricks with that gurgled voice of his. What strange screen presence.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Tuesday, 12 February 2008 23:18 (sixteen years ago) link
I actually felt kinda the opposite - the opening hour or so was fantastic, then it felt needlessly oppressive and dull for a little stretch in the middle, then pulled out a surprisingly effective ending. I didn't mind Monaghan except that she was a little too conspicuously more attractive than all the other women in the film.
Also the audience I saw it with roffled when Morgan Freeman's character made his first appearance on the TV press conference.
― Simon H., Tuesday, 12 February 2008 23:23 (sixteen years ago) link
And yes Affleck was great to watch, as was Harris.
Gone Baby Gone was pretty great until the big quarry scene and from the following narration on things got gradually more and more off key. By the time Casey Affleck is ranting at Morgan Freeman it gets into serious stfu territory.
-- da croupier, Saturday, December 8, 2007 5:01 AM (2 months ago) Bookmark Link
SO OTM. this movie sucked and was endless after the first 40 minutes
my fav line was that the mother's alibi involved her going across the street to see Wife Swap, her fav show
― johnny crunch, Wednesday, 13 February 2008 03:56 (sixteen years ago) link
also, SPOILER i guess . . . . . . . . . . . there was a moment somewhere abt that 40 minutes in mark where i was like there better not be some gay the cops are in on it twist or im gonna wreck some shit
― johnny crunch, Wednesday, 13 February 2008 03:58 (sixteen years ago) link
As far as movies that try to redeem hokey thriller material with that old Strained Seriousness, GBG is at least leagues preferable to Michael Clayton.
― Eric H., Wednesday, 13 February 2008 04:01 (sixteen years ago) link
Also, wau this thread passed the 1K mark.
man i will take everything about michael clayton over gone baby gone
― johnny crunch, Wednesday, 13 February 2008 04:03 (sixteen years ago) link
There's nothing in GBG as egregious as Tilda Swinton's sweaty 'pits.
― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Wednesday, 13 February 2008 04:07 (sixteen years ago) link
Or the entire plot of Clayton.
― Eric H., Wednesday, 13 February 2008 04:08 (sixteen years ago) link
johnny crunch, did you really think Ed Harris would be cast as a virtuous cop?
― Dr Morbius, Wednesday, 13 February 2008 14:30 (sixteen years ago) link
yeah i guess not. there was too much backstory coming out abt his character & the goatee just made him look dubious.
― johnny crunch, Wednesday, 13 February 2008 15:06 (sixteen years ago) link
I hope you Film Comment reader got your poll ballots in.
― Dr Morbius, Tuesday, 19 February 2008 21:37 (sixteen years ago) link
(except nrq)
― Dr Morbius, Tuesday, 19 February 2008 21:38 (sixteen years ago) link
wow, glad I missed the Indie Spirits -- a Junofest. and the not-too-funny guy from The Office hosting.
― Dr Morbius, Monday, 25 February 2008 15:43 (sixteen years ago) link
i'm a contributor, dogg.
― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Monday, 25 February 2008 15:44 (sixteen years ago) link
I'm glad I didn't know.
― Dr Morbius, Monday, 25 February 2008 15:45 (sixteen years ago) link
FC readers poll -- same top 3 as crix, Gone Baby Gone is highest non-critic entry, Barleyup 11 spots.
― Dr Morbius, Friday, 7 March 2008 17:21 (sixteen years ago) link
http://www.filmlinc.com/fcm/poll/07extendedma.html
Alpha Dog is great....realllly great.
― Tape Store, Monday, 24 March 2008 02:13 (sixteen years ago) link
EVERYONE SHOULD GO WATCH IT. IT'S STARTING IN, LIKE, 20 MINUTES ON SOME MOVIE CHANNEL. (is there really no thread about this movie?)
― Tape Store, Tuesday, 25 March 2008 01:32 (sixteen years ago) link
I'm Not a Puppy, Not Yet a Dog
― omar little, Tuesday, 25 March 2008 01:35 (sixteen years ago) link
I just watched it a second time. I kinda think they should have ended it w/ SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER fat SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER sharon stone
― Tape Store, Tuesday, 25 March 2008 04:41 (sixteen years ago) link
right before maybe. surely someone else loved this?
― Tape Store, Tuesday, 25 March 2008 04:52 (sixteen years ago) link
Michael Sicinski top 17:
http://academichack.net/2007topten.htm#2007
Yet one more prompt for Eric to view I'm Not There.
― Dr Morbius, Tuesday, 15 April 2008 14:19 (sixteen years ago) link
http://tedpigeon.blogspot.com/2008/08/year-that-was-year-that-is-cinema-2007.html
― Dr Morbius, Thursday, 28 August 2008 14:49 (fifteen years ago) link
Is the point that his list isn't affected by end-of-year hype? Cause most of those movies he chose were pretty much the same ones being forced down everyone's throats during critics' awards season.
― Eric H., Sunday, 14 September 2008 16:20 (fifteen years ago) link
Most Lars and the Real Girl comments seem to lead here...Not what I thought it was going to be--I expected a comedy, not a somewhat morbid mood piece. I could never really accept the film's central conceit, the idea that the whole town would play along, but other than that, some nice moments. I remembered Paul Schneider from All the Real Girls--he's really good, not sure why he doesn't get bigger parts or more attention. Kelli Garner and Emily Mortimer very good too. Gosling, I don't know--kind of mannered.
― clemenza, Saturday, 31 May 2014 13:51 (ten years ago) link
The Muriels' 10-years-later poll ... Zodiac tops.
http://www.murielawards.org/07anniv.html
1. Zodiac (dir. David Fincher) [193 points / 30 votes]
2. There Will Be Blood (dir. Paul Thomas Anderson) [193 points / 28 votes]3. No Country For Old Men (dirs. Joel and Ethan Coen) [174 points / 27 votes]4. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (dir. Andrew Dominik) [71 points / 11 votes]5. Death Proof (dir. Quentin Tarantino) [62 points / 10 votes] 6. I’m Not There (Todd Haynes) [48/8]7. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (Cristian Mungiu) [34/6]8. Silent Light (Carlos Reygadas) [33/5]9. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Julian Schnabel) [31/5]10. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Tim Burton) [30/6]
Kind of a shit year, actually.
― "Minneapolis" (barf) (Eric H.), Friday, 23 February 2018 14:31 (six years ago) link