60 response about Maybe 2008 wasn’t so Bad… »

1. 

   My Winnipeg would be on my top ten, and for sheer enjoyment, you need to see Pineapple Express.

   Comment by rot — December 2, 2008
2. 

   Man on Wire will easily be near the top of my top ten. It has been an oustanding year fr documentaries.

   The Ruins is an utter pile. Don’t waste your time on it.

   Comment by Matt Gamble — December 2, 2008
3. 

   My Winnipeg is Maddins best work to date. Enjoyed everything in it , but especially loved “Ledge Man”

   Comment by Colleeny — December 2, 2008
4. 

   I don’t know Gamble, “The Ruins” was alright for what it is. Think of this way John, had you been at TAD, it would’ve been a solid entry.

   Comment by Andrew James — December 2, 2008
5. 

   My top of the list is looking something like this (sort of ranked)

   Synecdoche New York
   Man on Wire
   Let the Right One In
   Rachel Getting Married
   Speed Racer
   Burn After Reading
   The Dark Knight
   Forgetting Sarah Marshall
   Kung Fu Panda
   WALL-E
   Son of Rambow
   Bigger Stronger Faster*
   Hellboy 2

   From then on there are movies I’m known around here to like but I couldn’t properly rank from here, its just a jumble:
   Role Models, Step Brothers, Iron Man, Indy 4, Standard Operating Procedure, Doomsday, Cloverfield, In Bruges, Mongol

   Still need to see:
   JCVD, Slumdog Millionaire, Doubt, Milk, Gran Turino, The Wrestler, Paranoid Park, Frost/Nixon, Transsiberian, My Winnipeg…

   Worst I saw of the year, and its a short list - I’m pretty good at avoiding what I think will suck. I don’t take too many chances and don’t get roped into group outings at any old thing: Postal, Wanted, Be Kind Rewind, Hancock, Incredible Hulk

   didn’t really like but think I could like the second time: Pineapple Express, hell even Tropic Thunder could be a lot better on DVD.

   Comment by Goon — December 2, 2008
6. 

   Thats right I forgot about Synecdoche New York which of course never showed up here.

   I generally don’t watch too many documentaries but Man on a Wire sounds interesting.

   I’m kind of kicking myself for not watchingn My Winnipeg when it came on TV. The Documentary Channel was showing it but I was busy with the kid

   Oh and Goon I actually really dug Hancock but I’ve got a thing for when movies change tone and still make sense. Other than Boyle’s Sunshine twist I’ve actually enjoyed his theme changes.

   I’ve also seen Postal which was meh and I liked Wanted but it wasn’t the most memorable movie. Hulk just annoyed me because I was sure I was watching Iron Man 2.

   I picked up Ruins for cheap. It will be one of those late night not wanting to think movies.

   Oh and I don’t think I’ve seen any Guy Maddin ever. My goal is for catch up on 2008 titles right now so I may do My Winnipeg but I won’t have time now for his other movies.

   Comment by John Allison — December 2, 2008
7. 

   I don’t know Gamble, “The Ruins” was alright for what it is.

   No, it is insultingly bad. Talking plants? Not to mention, what they hell was it living on? A plant the size of a pyramid sure as hell can’t live on insects or even birds and small mammals as the energy requirements just to sustain itself would be off the charts. And don’t get me started on the ending which was dumber then dumb.

   Comment by Matt Gamble — December 2, 2008
8. 

   My top ten so far will definitely include:
   Dark Knight, Rachel Getting Married, Man On Wire, The Visitor, and Milk.

   Other possible entries, and if they don’t make the final list, they will at least get honourable mentions because I’ve seen virtually nothing horrible this year:
   In Bruges, XXY (from Argentina), Save Me, Flash of Genius

   Guilty Pleasures: they didn’t get great reviews, but I still enjoyed them, for what they were:
   Get Smart, 21, High School Musical 3, Bottle Shock

   Worst Movie of the Year:
   Mamma Mia

   Still Planning to See:
   Australia, Frost/Nixon, The Wrestler, Revolutionary Road, Appaloosa, Slumdog Millionaire, Taken, Yes Man, Let The Right One In.

   Comment by Ashley — December 2, 2008
9. 

   Okay Matt, you have convinced me that I now have to watch The Ruins. Originally I was watching it based on Andrew liking it. Now I want to watch it as a bad movie. Unfortunately I have a feeling it will end up somewhere right in the middle of both your opinions.

   Comment by John Allison — December 2, 2008
10. 

    If the plant started singing “Mean Green Mutha From Outer Space” I might have actually enjoyed five minutes of it. But no.

    Comment by Matt Gamble — December 2, 2008
11. 

    Ok, first off. I’m not the only one. Horror fans in general really liked it. Serena enjoyed it and I know even Kurt had a good time with it.

    And actually, obviously “talking plants” is on the unplausible side, but not completely out of the realm of possible science. But really, I think that is nitpicking a horror movie.

    It’s fine you didn’t like it, I can see why it wouldn’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but for those of us who like fun little genre pics, it’s not bad at all.

    Comment by Andrew James — December 2, 2008
12. 

    http://www.rowthree.com/2008/04/07/review-the-ruins/

    Comment by Andrew James — December 2, 2008
13. 

    Any other there would be a wide enough variety of great films that our top ten lists would be distinct enough, but looking at what everyone so far has revealed, I am suspecting most of our top tens are going to be carbon copies of one another.

    Comment by rot — December 2, 2008
14. 

    It is out of the realm of possible science Andrew. So is the fact the plant is green (meaning it relies on photosynthesis, yet it lives in total darkness). And plants that eat meat are slow moving and rely on trapping of their prey because of the massive energy requirements involved with moving around and growing new leaves/vines and in digesting their food. Yet the plant on The Ruins is racing around like there is no tomorrow. That thing would have to be eating huge meals multiple times a day just to maintain it’s size, let alone swirling vines and singing showtunes to pass the time. The film is about as educated as a piece of petrified wood.

    And you, Serena and Kurt also like that awful film The Strangers too, which was all shaking the camera and running around only to shake and run some more. You know what else is entertained by shaking something and having them run around? My fucking cat, and she eats her own shit.

    And simply trying to label them fun genre pics is weak. You are elevating, praising and defending mediocrity and claiming it is a “genre” flick as a means to justify those actions. These are terrible films with poor plotting, absurdly awful character motivations and they rely on cheap and shameless scares rather then actual storytelling or building tension. Hell, even the cinematography is sloppy and lazy. They are studio shit being shovelled to the masses as decent fare and you going along with it. Fuck that. If you continue to accept mediocrity then you will never see anything else out of the genre.

    Comment by Matt Gamble — December 2, 2008
15. 

    I guess I don’t see the problem with veering off the realm of possibility. The pyramid might be possessed or under some sort of spell (as evidenced by the natives). It could even be an alien presence. I think hating on the film because the plant can move and “talk” is odd.

    It’s like saying “Slither” is a bad movie because slugs can’t take over someone’s mind and turn them into zombies or mutated abominations.

    Comment by Andrew James — December 2, 2008
16. 

    “I am suspecting most of our top tens are going to be carbon copies of one another.”

    I deliberately left off a few Asian and other foreign films that will probably end up being in my top 10. I can’t give everything away.

    “And you, Serena and Kurt also like that awful film The Strangers too,”

    Count me in that group also Matt.

    Comment by John Allison — December 2, 2008
17. 

    And on topic with this thread, 2008 has not been “bad” exactly. It just isn’t really good. And to be fair cinematically speaking, it’s hard to follow something as great as 2007.

    Comment by Andrew James — December 2, 2008
18. 

    Yea, THE RUINS was pretty solid. I dug the ratcheting of the tension and somewhat unexpected turn of events. More on this later.

    Yea, I liked The Strangers too.

    Neither of these films are ‘perfect’ genre entries, but they are pretty solid efforts.

    Comment by Kurt Halfyard — December 2, 2008
19. 

    I agree with Matt about the Strangers, I didn’t get it at all. The mis-en-scene was all it had going for it.

    Comment by Mike Rot — December 2, 2008
20. 

    It could even be an alien presence. I think hating on the film because the plant can move and “talk” is odd.
    

    If it was done intelligently like in say Little Shop of Horrors I wouldn’t care at all, yet somehow The Ruins managed to dumb down a 50 year old cult film. But then I guess that is all “fans of fun genre flicks” want nowadays, watered down and gentrified remakes of better, more intelligent films because they think that is the best they can get.

    Their are gaping plot holes all over The Ruins. Why don’t they burn the plant? Why if the plant is susceptible to salt do they not fill the pyramid with salt? Why don’t they post a guard since they are guarding people from the temple? All of those are simply glossed over because the screenwriters have written themselves into a corner so they keep slapping on gore in the hopes no one will notice. That is bad writing.

    That isn’t even taking into account the ridiculously trite ending, of which Little Shop of Horrors did far better and with more horrific results.

    Comment by Matt Gamble — December 2, 2008
21. 

    I also have yet to see Man on Wire and Transsiberian, both of which I’m dying too.

    I cannot recommend The Visitor highly enough. It’s in my top 5.

    Comment by Shelagh — December 2, 2008
22. 

    Still want to see Savage Grace, Boy A, Slumdog Millionaire, Milk and a number of other titles that slipped thru the cracks in 2008. But, yea - the year hasn’t been a total write off that things were looking like in May.

    I guess the simple act of building suspense in THE RUINS helped to overlook all the plot holes. When a film is working, it’s working. When a film is lost to you, it is hard not to nitpick it to death. I’ve been on either side of this equation too many times to count.

    All of that aside, something as slipshot as INDY IV, no amount of overlooking problems can save that.

    Comment by kurt — December 2, 2008
23. 

    “If the plant started singing “Mean Green Mutha From Outer Space” I might have actually enjoyed five minutes of it.”

    Classic!

    Where’s swarez with some love for Ragnar Bragasons doublefeature Kids/Parents? That’s up there with the best I’ve seen this year. Most of the stuff you north americans are mentioning is a long time away from here.

    Saw Hancock today and liked it quite abit. The explanation was boring, but the story had me for quite awhile. And The Incredible Hulk is ten times the movie Iron Man is. IN YOUR FACE GOON.

    Comment by Henrik — December 2, 2008
24. 

    Just picked up “Boy A” - scratch one more off Andrew’s list of “to see”.

    Comment by Andrew James — December 2, 2008
25. 

    ahhhh, more Iron Man bashing… Row Three, same as it ever was.

    Comment by rot — December 2, 2008
26. 

    I find 2008 hard to keep straight, I saw so many films at Festivals that haven’t been released, and then ones of previous festival years that I am fond of but they feel so far away.

    It’s been a great year for Docs:
    Up the Yangtze, Man on Wire, Bigger Stronger Faster*, All Together Now

    And Canadian:
    Amal, Continental Un Film Sans Fusil

    International Film:
    Boy A, JCVD, Let the Right One In, My Blueberry Nights, Son of Rambow

    But outta all the American films I’ve seen the only one that totally blew me over was:
    Rachel Getting Married

    I still need to catch up with quite a few though: Australia, Ballast, Happy-Go-Lucky, High School Musical 3, I’ve Loved You So Long, Killer, Milk and Slumdog Millionaire.

    And…we still have 4 Fridays worth of releases yet!

    Comment by Shannon the Movie Moxie — December 2, 2008
27. 

    Has anyone besides Kurt and I seen Stuck?

    Comment by Matt Gamble — December 2, 2008
28. 

    Awesome list Shannon - especially the Doc list. It’s been a FANTASTIC year for docs.

    @Matt - I saw Stuck a few weekends ago and really liked it. Not what I expected and way creepier than I thought it would be.

    Comment by Marina Antunes — December 2, 2008
29. 

    From what I have seen (and there is plenty I need to see), 2008 has been a pretty weak year overall. Some real gems, a few that will go down as classics I am sure, but weak overall - especially after 2007 and 2006 which were two years that were solid as hell.

    And rot, Iron Man kicked ass. Dave and myself were both very, very fond of it, remember?

    Comment by Jonathan B. — December 2, 2008
30. 

    I missed the 1 week run of Stuck here, mind you that was on purpose - the idea of it totally creeped me out!

    Thanks Marina! It has been an awesome year for docs. I’m growing to appreciate them more and more as time wears on.

    Comment by Shannon the Movie Moxie — December 2, 2008
31. 

    “And The Incredible Hulk is ten times the movie Iron Man is. IN YOUR FACE GOON.”

    I’m a Hulk defender, and I’d let a comparison to that slide. This new one though is flat out boring and choppy. I do think Norton makes a better Banner, but that’s it. I admit I got taken out of the film at times because the locations are identifiable Toronto landmarks that make me go “I walk by that place on the way to work!” but whatever. They both have the ‘fighting tougher versions of yourself’ thing at the end, and I compare both of them to Tranformers.

    I compare Hulk to the Transformers movie because both characters are fighting each other in a haphazard, debris filled ‘what the fuck is going on’ way that i cant stand.

    I compare Iron Man to the Tranformers because it actually did the dig dumb robot fight the way I wish Transformers did. It delivered what I failed to get 8 months earlier.
    I can accept that Favreau ‘hired handed’ his style in Iron Man, but he does it a hell of a lot better than Louis “Transporter 2″ Leterrier

    Comment by Goon — December 2, 2008
32. 

    btw, my second Iron Man viewing was anything but. I listened to it while I worked on my Halloween costume (Captain Vegetable!) nearby, and I was actually quite entertained by it even without any stunts, CGI or visual gags.

    Comment by Goon — December 2, 2008
33. 

    i don’t see what there isn’t to like about Iron Man.

    but overall, 2008 = pretty lame.

    Comment by murph — December 2, 2008
34. 

    I don’t treat Iron Man as anything more than a popcorn film, one done well enough that it ends up among the better superhero movies overall. I know people cite the percentage approval on RottenTomatoes as evidence of more nad justification for the backlash, but fuck it, that site is nothing more than a basic thumbs up thumbs down, and based on what Iron Man is intending to do, I don’t see why it could get a thumbs down, while at the same time refusing the accept it being listed in top 10 lists from people who have seen more then 30 or so decent movies. if thats so unreasonable, well fuck.

    Forgive me because i’m drunk, but in a recent podcast Kurt was defending something that was being called a ripoff that was kind of an obvious ripoff, but I always remember his absurd comparison of Iron Man to RoboCop, and ignoring the fact that Iron Man and Iron Monger existed long before RoboCop on the basis that RoboCop was a film first. I have to say its among the weirdest arguments against a film I’ve ever seen that didn’t come out of Henrik’s mouth.

    Comment by Goon — December 2, 2008
35. 

    I don’t think 2008 was lame at all. The great movies didn’t appear the same way people are used to, and some of the blockbusters were at the very least controversial or divisive, but I’m here at the start of December with a top 10 I’m not at all ashamed of with a half dozen or so movies that seem poised to take a slot. And like every year, there’s going to be about another dozen that I don’t end up seeing up until and maybe even beyond April. I think we look upon years in movies in a revisionist ways as if we see them all when they’re fresh. That’s simply not true.

    Comment by Goon — December 2, 2008
36. 

    I think Goon summed it up. Iron Man was a good for what it wanted to do. My problem with it is that it didn’t try anything new at all other than add a good actor. Marvel is really going to have to show me something more to get me excited now. Both Hulk and Iron Man followed pretty much the same basic story line and it was all by the numbers. Yes it hit those numbers well but it was still just by the numbers.

    The reason Dark Knight is so much better is that it strives to be more than just a paint by the numbers super hero action movie.

    Comment by John Allison — December 2, 2008
37. 

    Spppeeeeeddddd Racccceerrrrr

    Can The Hurt Locker count? Isn’t it out in Italy already?

    Comment by Peter — December 2, 2008
38. 

    I can understand people worrying about where Marvel is going if they’re going to try and become even more of a brand where each movie has a specific style, but a world where a movie can’t just be an entertaining summer action movie with better than average performances and effects is a world I don’t want to live in

    Comment by Goon — December 2, 2008
39. 

    By the way Henrik, I didn’t out and out hate the Incredible Hulk. It would be a 2.5/5 or so from me. It had its moments, it was occasionally entertaining. But that says more about me missing what I’d most surely hate in the theater. I usually catch the stuff that really sucks on DVD in some way or another. Sometimes I even seek it out just to share a point and laugh with friends.

    With that in mind, I still havent got to I Am Legend. That’s the kind of thing I’m talkin’ bout.

    Comment by Goon — December 2, 2008
40. 

    Goon, I can totally dig that. A lot of the times when I feel like popping in a movie, it’s late and I’m tired, so I want something light that I don’t have to think too much about. So I tend to grab action/sci-fi movies alot when I rent them.

    i.e. The Core, Doomsday, ID4, Mission to Mars, Beastmaster, etc… (actually, I OWN all of those, but you know what I mean).

    Comment by Andrew James — December 3, 2008
41. 

    If I’m hanging out with friends or I’m essentially eating up time, as in I’m too tired to properly concentrate, or if I knwo I’m only going to get to watch half of a movie before going to bed/work/etc - I am much more likely to pop in a comedy or an action movie than invest myself in a drama. I think that goes for most people. The dramas come out when I am in it for myself and the brain is demanding I turn the lights off and watch a movie. Then it could be anything.

    I watched Die Hard 4 again under that circumstances the other night. It was more of a Timothy Olyphant thing. Is the stupid still stupid? Yeah its still stupid. Does the unrated edition with the blood and the swearing that should have been there in the first place make up for a lot? Yes. Yes it does. And I hate Justin Long a lot less now than I did a year ago, so that helps.

    Comment by Goon — December 3, 2008
42. 

    …and the Core is one of my favorite drive in movies ever. Laughed so hard. The guy with the dramatic pauses. Mr. We Need More Hot Pockets.

    One of the things I really remember, and watch this:

    Eckhart is supposed to be Mr. Smart Guy hero, but he says NUCULAR, and they put it in the actual fucking TRAILER.

    (start it around 1:25 and it will play a few seconds later)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foAyvN6mVwQ

    Comment by Goon — December 3, 2008
43. 

    Oh wow. I felt like I had to take notes going down that list.

    Andrew - you’re in for a treat with Boy A. It’s fantastic.

    Ashely - I though XXY was interesting but I didn’t really enjoy it. Looked great, wonderful performances but overall, it was missing something.

    Guilty pleasure of the year: Twilight, Twilight, Twilight. Did I say Twilight?

    Still need to see: a whole whack of stuff including The Hurt Locker, HSM3

    Comment by Marina Antunes — December 3, 2008
44. 

    I guess we agree on Hulk then Goon. It would be probably a 2.5/5 for me as well. Where we differ is on Iron Man, which would be like a 0.5 or 1/5 for me. The stuff that lifts it is Tim Roth calling a woman a bitch, and the giant Sound Cannons. The sound cannons is the sort of comic book shit that I want in these films, I like sound cannons as much as I like tree elementals in Hellboy 2. And at least the villain in Hulk has some personal motivation, in Iron Man it’s just greed, the most boring of all concepts.

    Comment by Henrik — December 3, 2008
45. 

    You win, I mean on one hand you have Robert Downey Jrs hilarious performance, and on the other hand you have Tim Roth calling a woman a bitch.

    “nd at least the villain in Hulk has some personal motivation, in Iron Man it’s just greed, the most boring of all concepts.”

    Tony Stark is trying to redeem himself and make up for his life of greed. Did you turn Iron Man off partway through as well? Geez.

    Comment by Goon — December 3, 2008
46. 

    Hilarious? Really? I guess it surprises nobody that your taste in humour differs from mine.

    I wish I could have turned Iron Man off halfway through.

    Comment by Henrik — December 3, 2008
47. 

    Just watched Waltz with Bashir today, it’s like, way better then The Ruins.

    Comment by Matt Gamble — December 4, 2008
48. 

    “it’s like, way better then The Ruins”

    Hmmmmm, YEAH!

    Curious - did you cry at the end?

    Comment by Marina Antunes — December 4, 2008
49. 

    Nope, though I am sure the majority of people will. I know Anna would have lost it at the firebombed horses.

    Comment by Matt Gamble — December 4, 2008
50. 

    I cried uncontrolably for the last 5 minutes. So bloody heartbreaking.

    Comment by Marina Antunes — December 4, 2008
51. 

    This year’s Persepolis maybe. Can’t wait to see this!

    Comment by Andrew James — December 4, 2008
52. 

    No offense to Persepolis, which is a very good movie, but it blows Persepolis out of the water.

    Comment by Matt Gamble — December 4, 2008
53. 

    It’s a lot more ‘meta’ then Persepolis, and hits you in the face a lot harder. Waltz w/ Bashir is a pretty aggressive piece of filmmaking that demand your full attention.

    Comment by Kurt Halfyard — December 4, 2008
54. 

    I trust your word enough to see “Waltz…” but I just watched the trailer, and have to say I think the animation looks like shit.

    Comment by Goon — December 4, 2008
55. 

    Yeah everything I saw from Waltz with Bashir made me feel like throwing up. I can’t wrap my head around why it looks so weird.

    Comment by Henrik — December 4, 2008
56. 

    It looks like an ugly Flash video.

    Comment by Goon — December 4, 2008
57. 

    But I don’t understand why they did that weird thing and painted over it. Reminds me of the cartoon Jørgen Leth was forced to make in De 5 Benspænd, or those Keanu Reeves tripping movies.

    Comment by Henrik — December 4, 2008
58. 

    There are moments of poetry in the animation, but it is far from ’state of the art’ (It’s not even as ‘good’ as Waking Life for instance). Yet, the movie itself is compelling, and the ‘lets do it animated’ is more than a simple device, the ‘remove’ is central to the thesis of the film. It is a pretty interesting piece of work that works a lot better animated than if it was a straight-up documentary.

    Comment by kurt — December 4, 2008
59. 

    Kurt and I agree on this point - the animation adds a layer to the film. And it’s not Rotoscope. There’s a great interview with the film’s animator Yoni Goodman over at “Design Federation” where he talks about the making of the film:

    http://www.designfederation.net/interviews/yoni-goodman/

    Comment by Marina Antunes — December 4, 2008
60. 

    It is a pretty interesting piece of work that works a lot better animated than if it was a straight-up documentary.

    I doubt i could even have been made as a straight documentary, as their is an early line about how the narrator can draw certain aspects but is not allowed to film. The animation allowed the detachment for these people to be comfortable telling their “memories”.

    And the animation is outstanding. That it can even be confused with rotoscoping (and several sequences you’ll swear it is) is one hell of a feat. Rotoscoping is simply animating over actual movements, that traditional and Flash animators are able to pull this off well enough for it to appear that it is rotoscoped is quite simply unheard of.

    Comment by Matt Gamble — December 5, 2008

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