Below are the 7 most recent journal entries recorded in James Hansen's LiveJournal:

Wednesday, September 6th, 2006
2:22 am	Bye LJ Just to let everyone know, i have officially made the move to myspace. All blogs and future entries will just be posted there. So, find me on myspace manintheplanet is my display name I think. or something. i dunno. farewell LJ. it's been nice...kind of... (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Tuesday, January 24th, 2006
3:16 pm	Top 10 Films of 2005 With all the major releases now out, and now that I have seen basically everything I feel would contend for my top 10 list, I figure its time to go ahead and post. I will also list what I feel are the bottom 5 films of the year, though those will be without explanation, and should need none for the most part. 1. Cache- The single most gripping, intoxicating, powerful film I have seen in a long time. Haneke uses his stories and events, not to just keep us guessing, but in putting a stranglehold on the audience. And by not cheating himself and handing us a "sure fire" ending, as some have complained, he leaves us with the realization that the whodunnit is not the important part of this story. I know many of you who have seen this were upset at the ending, but to put a little more poetically, I'll leave you with a section from Roger Eberts 4 star review of the film, which explains my sentiments completely. "When "Caché" played at Cannes, some critics deplored its lack of a resolution. I think it works precisely because it leaves us hanging. It proposes not to solve the mystery of the videos, but to portray the paranoia and distrust that they create. If the film merely revealed in its closing scenes who was sending the videos and why, it would belittle itself. We are left feeling as the characters feel, uneasy, violated, spied upon, surrounded by faceless observers. The non-explanation supplied by the enigmatic last scene opens a new area of speculation which also lacks any solution or closure. And the secrets of Georges' past reach out their guilty tendrils to the next generation." (link to the enitre review for those interested... http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060112/REVIEWS/51220007/1023 ) 2. Junebug- This endearing, funny, touching, and unique film is the most underrated, underviewed film of the year. Maybe this film works even more for me coming from part of the South, and feeling like I honestly already knew each and every one of these characters. But even if you don't know the characters that are portrayed, this is one of the most honest films (excluding documentaries) ever made. The film is not afraid to show each and every one of the characters faults and put them front and center of their lives. But through it all, you get the true sense of family ties. Even more so, the film makes us realize that no matter the ties we had and people we used to be, when you change, you change. There's no turning back. And while this may separate you from some of your family, there are still plenty of people out there who will love you and want you by their side. 3. Best of Youth- Honestly, if a film makes me want to sit down for six hours straight and actually want and have to know what is going to happen, there is something great behind that film. Marco Tullio Girodano's 6-hour Italian epic spans the lives of a pair of brothers spanning from 1966 to 2000. We see major events in history, but we also see the nature of humans. We see how the events surrounding us all can mold us, shape us, and turn us into the people we are. Though the 366 run times is a daunting task, there is not a dull moment as we follow the paths of our characters. Totally engrossing and full of life, BEST OF YOUTH is a film everyone should see. 4. Last Days- I had a tough time with what to do with this film on my list. I mean, I LOVE this movie. But it really comes down to me respecting it, more than thinking that it has an engrossing story that everyone is going to love. The fact is though, Van Sant knows how film works. (OK, I know that is obvious, so let me explain) He understands the art of film for what it really is. He kows how to create images...rambling and disjointed, mumbling and incoherent as they are. He uses the moving picture to create his story for him. Michael Pitt in playing the guy who is and isn't Kurt Cobain uses almost no dialogue and we hear nothing about his situation. But through Van Sant's artistry, we get a since of who Blake is and why he is the way he is. And the fact that the film was so powerful in getting across its message, there is no denying that this is one of the great pieces of art this year. 5. Palindromes- I swear, I am really not just trying to put up films no one has seen. Todd Solondz's new film is an experiment and a challenge that any viewer can simply not get out of their head. In tackling the abortion issue, Solondz satirizes as he always does, but the films has a heart behind it, unlike, as some would argue, Solondz's previous films. Solozndz cares about his characters and he handles their situation delicately, for the most part. And instead of just going for the shocker, as he seems to do, Solondz gets his unique spin without treading into dangerous territory. In doing so, he left me with a film that I cannot stop thinking about. Though initially with this film and Junebug I would have never thought they would end up this high on my list, they left so much more with me than I ever expected. 6. Brokeback Mountain- You were getting nervous this wasn't going to show up weren't you?? Alas, it did. What can I say about this film. Its just so gorgeously made in every aspect and deserves absolutely every Oscar it gets. And if Heath Ledger doesn't win, it only further proves the point that they don't give Oscars for what is best, but rather for the multitude of work. This film is so well put together and structured, that even if you want to avoid the gay issue, has an overriding power of what love really is. And I know the film is about two men in love. But what makes this such a great love story is that it is applicable to so much more than that. Its the forbidden love, or a love that we all want so bad, but can never have. This film resonates much deeper than the Christian right or the people who just focus on the gay aspect give it credit for. Truly, this is one of the best romance film ever made. 7. Where The Truth Lies- Though this film has been lambasted for being a mistep by Canadian director Atom Egoyan, this film may become for me what Femme Fatale is for Rob. This film reveals itself and so slowly and has so many little details sprung about it, this ode to noirs achieves exactly what it wants to. Filled with great performances all around (yes, even from the overdone Alison Lohman) Egoyan has put together a mystery that is impossible to take your eyes off of, for more reasons than the obvious (if you know the events surrounding the films rating, you know what I am talking about) Anyways, this film is a great mystery with a lot of punch and bite. 8. King Kong- You are probably as surprised to see this on my list as I was to realzie how much I loved this movie. And it has nothing to do with me going into the film so skeptically. What this remake did for me was make me feel like I was a kid again and gave me faith and hope in "going to the movies." But even more than that, the film is so well crafted (some will argue that it takes to long to see Kong, but I think the first hour is where Jackson's true art and skills are) and Jackson is so patient with his actions and characters, that when the end comes, it has an emotional punch that I was not expecting. This film is fun, dazzling, and big. But even more than that its powerful, ingenius, and Peter Jacksons best film. 9. Syriana- Stephen Gaghan, writer of Traffic, matches himself here by creating the best political thriller since Traffic. There is so much going on here and so much ground that Gaghan covers in 2 hours and 10 minutes, its amazing that it works so well. The plot really does surround you in all the the going-ons, but when it reveals things, it does them slowly enough that we gain the sense of enormity of the actions and repercussions. Even in dealing with corruption in the oil industry, the film really does battle on both sides and present us with plenty to chew on. Despite being a film full of political dynamite, it never explodes onto its audience in the realm of being preachy and ridiculous.Then again, its kind of hard to do that when you are right. 10. The Squid and the Whale- This made an addition because Sex Addict I am now considering for 06 since it has an actual 06 release. Anyway, this is a hysterical, endearing film about a family going through a divorce. Noah Baumbach directs this perfectly and sets himself apart from Wes Anderson by having an element of realism that Anderson misses. Great performances, great script, and a pretty great film. The Next Ten (alphabetically): Grizzly Man, A History of Violence, Kings and Queen, Me and You and Everyone We Know, Mysterious Skin, Paradise Now, Saraband, Stay, Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were Rabbit, Yes Bottom 5 1. Deuce Bigelow: European Gigelow 2. Constantine 3. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 4. Lila Says 5. Eating Out (Comment on this)
Saturday, December 31st, 2005
9:58 pm	Top 20 Movies of My First 20 Years With 2005 coming to a close in just two hours Eastern Standard Time (as I begin typing this) people always reflect and look back on things. At the year, the things they have accomplished, the things they didn't, the people they know. While I have spent time thinking about these things tucked away in Morehead, Kentucky for the last three days with no friends around (turns out everyone really has left Morehead...) I've been reflecting on a lot. And I think you all know how much I love lists. And I love seeing and reading top 10 people, moments, events, etc. But this year, with my 20th year of life half way over, and since film and filmmaking has been such a big part of my life, I put the task upon myself to make a list of my 20 favorite movies from the past 20 years. I have to say making this list was really really difficult. My love for art-house and surreal cinema may be a bit evident, and you can definitely gain a sense of my movie taste. But before the list is written, I have to apologize and at least recognize Vincent Gallo, Won Kar Wai, Quentin Tarantino, Todd Solondz, Gregg Araki, and Alexander Payne. None of these filmmakers films have made my list and in many cases were just squeezed off. But as it is I constantly am watching films, I have a whole lot to choose from and am pretty sure they don't mind not seeing their films on a random film students favorite films lists. One further note: I realize I have left off many films and filmmmakers whom I love. Again, this is not to take credit away from them. This is just a list of the movies that have made me laugh, cry, made me think, and move me the very most. The list is done in alphabetical order. I was going to make notes about each film afterwards, but it would be a little repetitive, so I'll just let it be. Feel free to ask me about any of the films or why I think they are so amazing if you are wondering. But I'm sure this is just another fast LJ read, so just put as much stock in my opinion as you want. Pre congrats to the year 1999 for having four of the films. 2nd pre congrats to David Lynch, Lars Von Trier, and Michael Haneke for having two films on the list. American Beauty- 1999 Being John Malkovich- 1999 Blue Velvet- 1986 Boogie Nights- 1997 Breaking the Waves- 1996 The Celebration- 1998 Cinema Paradiso- 1989 Cache- 2005 Dead Ringers- 1988 Do The Right Thing- 1989 Dogville- 2004 Eyes Wide Shut- 1999 Fargo- 1996 George Washington- 2000 Junebug- 2005 Last Days- 2005 Mulholland Drive- 2001 The Piano Teacher- 2001 Twin Falls Idaho- 1999 Waiting For Guffman- 1996 Best Direction- David Lynch- MULHOLLAND DRIVE/ Michael Haneke- CACHE Best Performance by an Actor- Jeremy Irons- DEAD RINGERS Best Performance by an Actress- Emily Watson- BREAKING THE WAVES Best Screenplay- Charlie Kaufman- BEING JOHN MALKOVICH Best Cinematography- Pin Bing Lee and Christopher Doyle- IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE Best First Feature- Phil Morrison- JUNEBUG/ David Gordon Green- GEORGE WASHINGTON OK, that's enough accolades. Some of the years are slanted but I have 10 films from the 90's and 10 from 85-89 and 00-05 combined, so I think it's fairly split, not that it matters. Needless to say, I look forward for more and more great cinema to come. And if you actually read all of this, and care in the least, I really do appreciate it. Oh yeah...and for good measure... WORST FILM- Harmony Korine- GUMMO Have a Happy New Year!!!!!!! (6 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, September 18th, 2005
12:16 am	Telluride in full Here it is! At long last, the moment all you have been waiting for...my Telluride post! OK, so maybe you aren't excited. Well, i don't care. Just wanted to go through more films and more people I met and saw. So here you go... People I met: Michael Haneke, Dardenne Brothers, Neil Jordan William H Macy, Ken Burns, Don Delilo, Peter Sellars, Abu-Assad (director of Paradise Now) People I saw: Roger Ebert, Leonard Maltin, Aaron Echkart The movies HIDDEN (directed by Haneke)- Already stated by me as the best film of the year. Really darkly intense and thought provoking. A family is plagued by video tapes they are being sent of themselves. Very dark and a couple doozy scenes, as you can expect with Haneke, but totally intriguing and amazing. Comes out in December through Sony Picture Classics THE CHILD (directed by Dardennes Bros.)- This won the Palm at Cannes this year and for good reason. Dardennes style filmmaking (handheld camera always moving, always close up, chaotic) and a really powerful story. A young couple has a child, which is sold by the father. And only through getting the son back can he really become a father. That sorta thing, ya know? Really dramatic and powerful. Great film. PARADISE NOW- Probably seen trailers by nw. Israeli film about suicide bombers. Intense and stunning, without showing any violence (or little enough for pg-13) Really interesting film that may be the most important film of the year. Or something... BE WITH ME- Hard to describe this one based on memory. It's about people trying to find the people around them who help them feel alive, and make life worth living. Focuses mostly around a blind and deaf woman who is visited every week by a young man, whose father has been depressed since his mother died/left him. Gorgeous film. THREE TIMES- Ebert introduced this. Slammed on 2046 saying this is the same principle except much better. Has three different love stories from three different periods in time. 1966, 1911, and present day. Reminiscent of IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE. Superbly photographed, intriguing, and really really lovely, in a sort of depressing way. EDMUND- The one American film I saw all weekend! Based on the Mamet play, screenplay by Mamet, directed by Stuart Gordon (of RE-ANIMATOR fame) and starring William H Macy. So yeah, Mamet..lots of swearing and violence, but a really funny punch and bite to it. I really loved it, but most probably wouldn't. It's described as a neo-noir comedy, which fits it pretty well although that doesnt necessarily make sense. Couple really gruesomely violent scenes, but I laughed at them all, so...yeah...interesting film. SISTERS IN LAW- Feminist documentary!!! Woo hoo!!! It's about this court in Cameroon where women are being abused by their husbands (or children are being abused) and the court that is dealing with the crimes. Cameroon doesn't usually have justice, but these monumental cases free the women and families from the abuse they feared and had to live in for so many years. BREAKFAST ON PLUTO- Neil Jordan's new film. He made THE CRYING GAME. This was probably the biggest disappointment of the festival for me, although apparently Ebert loved it. Cillian Murphy play a transvestite...thats right, creepy Cillian Murphy. He is phenomenal, but the story is so episodic and so all over the place that I couldn't connect with the story or the message. It seemed to lose its focus amidst all the plotlines. I'd still give it a thumbs up and tell you to see it for Murphy, but I was disappointed. I'm done going into detail, but what else I saw was (I am doing this from memory so I don't have the list...I will edit this correctly if I forget any) OTHERS: Great Expectations short program, Calling Cards short program, Tribute to Charlotte Rampling, I Am King Kong, Chang (silent), Cottage on Dartmoor (silent), Army of Shadows (George P Melville), The Presidents Last Bang, Les Ponts Des Arts That's all I remember for now. It was truly an amazing trip though and I would give thumbs up to all of the films except for one feature and one short. Great great time and great films. I just hope that you guys get to see some of them at some point. And I'm sure you will, but the elitist in me hopes that you don't see them all so I feel more special. Oh well... (Comment on this)
Tuesday, September 6th, 2005
10:32 pm	Telluride...briefly As you can expect, I will have a longer post about my time at the Student Symposium at the Telluride Film Festival (in case you didn't know...I went...they select 50 students in the whole country to go, so if you are a film student and haven't gone...that means I am officially better than you), I don't want to write now for long because I am still wiped but below is my 2 official statements for the weekend: "18 movies...4 days...so tired...my eyes are burning..." "Cache (Hidden) is the best film of the year" (Comment on this)
Tuesday, April 5th, 2005
9:58 pm	OKay, here it is. The longest post I will ever post! Due to the requests of a few people, namely Char and Amie, I have below a huge list of films that everyone MUST see. Basically, if you see these you will have a crash course in film history not to mention seeing over 100 great films. Now I know some of these people won't enjoy and if you don't, let me know and I'll tell you while I value it. However, these are all important films. The older one are pretty much the basics for any film course, the more modern ones...well I have my own opinions on. But here they are. And aren't I so nice, I put them in chronolgical order, with the directors name out beside it so you can easily find it. Many films will have the same director because there are some directors you should just see a lot of, but I did not list those separately because, well, that would have been an even bigger pain in the butt. So here they are! (An asterick denotes that I own them) 1. THE BIRTH OF A NATION (1915) Directed by DW Griffith* 2. THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI (1920) Directed by Robert Wiene* 3. THE LAST LAUGH (1924) Directed by FW Murnau 4. METROPOLIS (1927) Directed by Fritz Lang* 5. THE GENERAL (1927) Directed by Clyde Bruckman and Buster Keaton 6. THE WIND (1928) Directed by Victor Sjostrom 7. THE MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA (1929) Directed by Dziga Vertov 8. UN CHIEN ANDALOU (1929) Directed by Luis Bunuel 9. ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (1930) Directed by Lewis Milestone 10. THE BLUE ANGEL (1930) Directed by Josef Von Sternberg 11. CITY LIGHTS (1931) Directed by Charlie Chaplin 12. M (1931) Directed by Fritz Lang 13. HORSE FEATHERS (1932) Directed by Norman McLeod 14. DUCK SOUP (1933) Directed by Leo McCarey 15. ZERO FOR CONDUCT (1933) Directed by Jean Vigo 16. IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934) Directed by Frank Capra 17. L'ATALANTE (1934) Directed by Jean Vigo 18. GRAND ILLUSION (1937) Directed by Jean Renoir 19. MODERN TIMES (1937) Directed by Charlie Chaplin 20. THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939) Directed by Victor Fleming* 21. THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940) Directed by John Ford 22. HIS GIRL FRIDAY (1940) Directed by Howard Hawks* 23. CITIZEN KANE (1941) Directed by Orson Welles 24. THE MALTESE FALCON (1941) Directed by John Huston 25. CASABLANCA (1942) Directed by Michael Curtiz 26. DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944) Directed by Billy Wilder 27. NOTORIOUS (1946) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock 28. THE BICYCLE THIEF (1948) Directed by Vittorio De Sica 29. SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950) Directed by Billy Wilder* 30. THE AFRICAN QUEEN (1951) Directed by John Huston 31. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952) Directed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly 32. I VITELLONI (1953) Directed by Frederico Fellini 33. GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (1953) Directed by Howard Hawks 34. ON THE WATERFRONT (1954) Directed by Elia Kazan 35. REAR WINDOW (1954) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock 36. THE SEVEN SAMURAI (1954) Directed by Akira Kurosawa 37. THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1957) Directed by David Lean 38. THE SEVENTH SEAL (1957) Directed by Ingmar Bergman 39. WILD STRAWBERRIES (1957) Directed by Ingmar Bergman 40. VERTIGO (1958) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock 41. FLOATING WEEDS (1959) Directed by Yasujiro Ozu 42. SHADOWS (1959) Directed by John Cassavetes* 43. SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959) Directed by Billy Wilder 44. THE 400 BLOWS (1959) Directed by Francois Truffaut 45. THE APARTMENT (1960) Directed by Billy Wilder 46. BREATHLESS (1960) Directed by Jean Luc Godard 47. WEST SIDE STORY (1961) Directed by Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise 48. YOJIMBO (1961) Directed by Akira Kurosawa 49. DR. NO (1962) Directed by Terence Young 50. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962) Directed by David Lean* 51. 8 1/2 (1963) Directed by Frederico Fellini 52. SHOCK CORRIDOR (1963) Directed by Sam Fuller 53. DR. STRANGELOVE (1964) Directed by Stanley Kubrick* 54. THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS (1965) Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo 55. PERSONA (1966) Directed by Ingmar Bergman* 56. WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? (1966) Directed by Mike Nichols 57. BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967) Directed by Arthur Penn 58. THE GRADUATE (1967) Directed by Mike Nichols 59. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968) Directed by Stanley Kubrick 60. FACES (1968) Directed by John Cassavetes* 61. A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971) Directed by Stanley Kubrick 62. HAROLD AND MAUDE (1971) Directed by Hal Ashby 63. CRIES AND WHISPERS (1972) Directed by Ingmar Bergman 64. DELIVERANCE (1972) Directed by John Boorman 65. THE GODFATHER (1972) Directed by Francis Ford Coppola 66. PINK FLAMINGOS (1972) Directed by John Waters* 67. BADLANDS (1973) Directed by Terrence Malick 68. CHINATOWN (1974) Directed by Roman Polanski 69. HEARTS AND MINDS (1974) Directed by Peter Davis 70. A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE (1974) Directed by John Cassavetes* 71. YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974) Directed by Mel Brooks* 72. JAWS (1975) Directed by Steven Spielberg 73. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOOS NEST (1975) Directed by Milos Forman* 74. MARATHON MAN (1976) Directed by John Schlesinger 75. NETWORK (1976) Directed by Sidney Lumet 76. 3 WOMEN (1977) Directed by Robert Altman 77. ANNIE HALL (1977) Directed by Woody Allen 78. ERASERHEAD (1977) Directed by David Lynch* 79. STAR WARS EPISODE 4: A NEW HOPE (1977) Directed by George Lucas* 80. APOCALYPSE NOW (1979) Directed by Francis Ford Coppola 81. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981) Directed by Steven Spielberg 82. FANNY AND ALEXANDER (1982) Directed by Ingmar Bergman 83. STRANGER THAN PARADISE (1983) Directed by Jim Jarmusch 84. BRAZIL (1985) Directed by Terry Gilliam 85. BLUE VELVET (1986) Directed by David Lynch* 86. FULL METAL JACKET (1987) Directed by Stanley Kubrick 87. ALICE (1988) Directed by Jan Svankmejer 88. DEAD RINGERS (1988) Directed by David Cronenberg* 89. WINGS OF DESIRE (1988) Directed by Wim Wenders 90. WOMAN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN (1988) Directed by Pedro Almodovar 91. DO THE RIGHT THING (1989) Directed by Spike Lee 92. GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES (1989) Directed by Isao Takahata 93. SEX, LIES, AND VIDEOTAPE (1989) Directed by Steven Soderbergh 94. GOOD FELLAS (1990) Directed by Martin Scorsese 95. BOYZ N THE HOOD (1991) Directed by John Singleton 96. SLACKER (1991) Directed by Richard Linklater 97. MALCOLM X (1992) Directed by Spike Lee* 98. RESERVOIR DOGS (1992) Directed by Quentin Tarantino* 99. THE PIANO (1993) Directed by Jane Campion 100. SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993) Directed by Steven Spielberg 101. PHILADELPHIA (1993) Directed by Jonathan Demme 102. ED WOOD (1994) Directed by Tim Burton 103. PULP FICTION (1994) Directed by Quentin Tarantino* 104. FARGO (1996) Directed by Joel Coen* 105. BREAKING THE WAVES (1996) Directed by Lars Von Trier 106. BOOGIE NIGHTS (1997) Directed by PT Anderson* 107. MA VIE EN ROSE (1997) Directed by Alain Berliner 108. THE SWEET HEREAFTER (1997) Directed by Atom Egoyan 109. TASTE OF CHERRY (1997) Directed by Abbas Kiarostami 110. THE CELEBRATION (1998) Directed by Thomas Vinterberg 111. BUFFALO '66 (1998) Directed by Vincent Gallo 112. HAPPINESS (1998) Directed by Todd Solondz 113. PLEASANTVILLE (1998) Directed by Gary Ross 114. PI (1998) Directed by Darren Aronofsky* 115. BEING JOHN MALKOVICH (1999) Directed by Spike Jonze* 116. THE INSIDER (1999) Directed by Michael Mann 117. MAGNOLIA (1999) Directed by PT Anderson* 118. SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER, AND UNCUT (1999) Directed by Trey Parker* 119. THE WIND WILL CARRY US (1999) Directed by Abbas Kiarostami 120. GEORGE WASHINGTON (2000) Directed by David Gordon Green 121. AMELIE (2001) Directed by Jean Pierre Jeunet 122. MULHOLLAND DRIVE (2001) Directed by David Lynch* 123. WAKING LIFE (2001) Directed by Richard Linklater* 124. WINGED MIGRATION (2001) Directed by Jacques Perrin 125. Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN (2001) Directed by Alfonso Cuaron* 126. RUSSIAN ARK (2002) Directed by Aleksandr Sokurov 127. TALK TO HER (2002) Directed by Pedro Almodovar 128. ELEPHANT (2003) Directed by Gus Van Sant 129. LOST IN TRANSLATION (2003) Directed by Sofia Coppola 130. BAADASSSSS! (2004) Directed by Mario Van Peebles* 131. THE BROWN BUNNY (2004) Directed by Vincent Gallo 132. DOGVILLE (2004) Directed by Lars Von Trier* 133. HOTEL RWANDA (2004) Directed by Terry George 134. PRIMER (2004) Directed by Shane Carruth 135. DOWNFALL (2005) Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel If you have any questions or comments on the films, please put comments on this board and let's start a huge board on these! I spent an hour typing this so you better print these off and use them or something!!! Enjoy the list and enjoy cinema! Rock hard!!! (7 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, February 1st, 2005
1:04 pm	Top 10 Films of 2004 Finally it has come! February 1st and my first officially recorded top 10 list of films. Below, you will find a list of my top 10 films of 2004 and can pretty much guess what I think should win Oscars from there. Not that any of you probably care, or really respect my views in film (maybe you do), you should defintitely check out these 10 (actually 15, with the special mentions.) If you have any questions about any of the films, feel free to contact me! Happy reading. PS- List is subject to change. 10. Baadasssss!- Melvin Van Peebles film about his father's creation of the balxplotiation film "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song." Totally captivating and engaging. Great, overlooked performances, especially from Van Peebles who is really dynamite. Defintitely a badass movie. 9. Primer- Most ingenious, unique, sci fi films in decades. Doesn't hurt that they made this for like $1500 which totally blows my mind. Maybe a bit confusing, but totally captivating, even while it is confusing. Great story, characters, and what they did for the price they paid to make this is really amazing. 8. The Saddest Music in the World- Visionary Guy Maddin creates a very odd, funny, and incredible film. Shot in grainy black and white creates a great mood for this WW2-era (I think) film. Great visuals, very memorable and ingenuitive. And Maddin is just incredible. 7. Kill Bill Volume 2- Though not as good as "Pulp Fiction", Tarantino film has loads and loads of energy and is a lot of fun. It also adds more depth to Volume 1 making it a better film, and with more character and more story, Volume 2 is pretty great. 6. The Brown Bunny- Vincent Gallo's controversial film about a motorcycle racer driving around the country to find his long lost love Daisy. Very minimalist, but fully engaging story with Gallo's great feel for poetically artistic imagery and one hell of a whopper of an ending. 5. The Aviator- This is Martin Scorsese's best film in a while. Leonardo DiCaprio was simply amazing. Made me crap my pants. The wonderful script creates the mystery behind Hughes and turns it into a great film. Amazing perforamnace, and Scorsese's incredibly big, grandiose, beautiful images create one of the best films of the year. Like most Scorsese, it will lose some impact on video, but alas, great for now. 4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind- All my friends have this higher, but I don't. Still a great movie. Jim Carrey and Kte Winslet are brilliant and a great portryal of relationships by Kaufman. I personally just thought the script was trying a bit too hard to hit the right notes it wanted to hit. Not as good as Kaufman's other two big films, but still damn good. 3. A Very Long Engagement- I am in love with Audrey Tatou. So pretty, just like this gorgeous film. Jeunet connects the audience to the story much more than in his earlier films, and with some whimsy out the window, he creates a beautiful powerful story that no one should miss. Just watch it and watch it and watch it. 2. Million Dollar Baby- I went into this film hearing how great it was, but i wasn't buying it. Sure, Clint can direct, but whatever. But ohhhh man was I wrong. Powerful powerful film, hit me on an emotional level and made me more emotional than any other film I have ever seen. Kept me close to tears for close to an hour straight. I don't want to give anything away about the film, so I can't say a whole lot. Brilliant performances (I didn't even mind Eastwood)...Swank and Freeman should both win Oscars. It just really leaves me speechless. 1. Dogville- Of course, the guy who was called a communist by politicalforum.com would like this movie. Lars Von Trier creates another ingenuitive visual style and has a total rock star cast. Nicole Kidman gives everything she has in this film which many people would consider an expolitation of her. But she gave herself, as did the rest of this cast, for a powerful, great film. Not to mention one of the most thoroughly satisfying (yet thought provokingly depressing) endings I have ever seen. I cannot say enough about this film. Special Mentions (alphabetically)- Birth, Before Sunset, The Dreamers, I Heart Huckabees, Sideways (10 Comments |Comment on this)