I was really surprised with Stay. I had expected a mildly entertaining Sixth Sense or Jacob’s Ladder retread. Instead I got a thought provoking, cleverly woven story with exceptional cinematography and fascinating visual tricks. I had never noticed Ryan Gosling before this film, but he, Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts and Bob Hoskins were a great cast. I’m surprised there wasn’t more buzz about this film.
1. Children of Men
2. Stay
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Even if Children of Men had been worthless, it would still make the #1 slot by virtue of being the first film I’ve seen in 2007. Fortunately, it is a work of art.
Absolutely devastating, at once horrific and beautiful. One of the most frightening movies I have seen in quite a while. We absolutely cannot let the world get anywhere close to the one in this movie.
At the very least, this is the Oscar for best cinematography. There is a single take that is one of the most astonishing things I’ve ever seen on film. It goes on forever, impossibly choreographed, flawlessly executed.
1. Children of Men
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Although I might catch “Children of Men” before the year’s up, I think the top 10 list is locked up for 2006. I’ll take a stab at what the 2007 list will look like.
1. The Fountain
2. Stardust
3. Stranger Than Fiction
4. Pan’s Labyrinth
5. Dusk Watch
6. Hot Fuzz
7. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
8. Transformers
9. 300
10. Spider-Man 3
I’m sure there will be some surprises in there, foreign and indy films that show up via Netflix.
I feel like I’ve just had a spiritual experience where information was communicated to me at a root level, data I have only begun to process. It’s as though Aronofsky understood my wordless inner dialogues and somehow translated them into cinematic language. The Fountain is a wonderful piece of art that is too beautiful to be called a film.
Outside the theater everything seemed quiet and desaturated. I moved through the supermarket, ghostlike, wanting to have a conversation with anyone at all or just sit down in the middle of the produce section and cry because some part of my spirit that doesn’t know English was trying to tell me something.
1. The Fountain
2. Brick
3. Inside Man
4. Day Watch
5. Night Watch
6. Howl’s Moving Castle
7. The Departed
8. Crash
9. Uzumaki
10. Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny
Tenacious D is a glorious rock opera, oozing with comedic genius. Its awesomeness was evident within about 5 seconds when Meatloaf appeared as young JB’s father. The film then proceeded to rule.
1. Brick
2. Inside Man
3. Day Watch
4. Night Watch
5. Howl’s Moving Castle
6. The Departed
7. Crash
8. Uzumaki
9. Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny
10. The Prestige
Aaron Russo’s documentary, America: Freedom to Fascism is now available on DVD at his website: FreedomToFascism.com. You can also watch it for free on Google video.
While the first half, having to do with the income tax law, is debateable, the second half has very important info about the national ID card and RFID tags.
If you see only one period drama involving magicians, see The Prestige. This is one of those films you need to see early before someone spoils it for you by revealing the secret.
1. Brick
2. Inside Man
3. Day Watch
4. Night Watch
5. Howl’s Moving Castle
6. The Departed
7. Crash
8. Uzumaki
9. The Prestige
10. The Chronicles of Riddick
I had to think about this one for a few days, whether or not it made the list. But I think the fact that it has gripped my mind for so long tells me something. I ordinarily do not like straight out horror films, but there is something about Japanese horror films which lure me. They never try to pretty them up. Sometimes, as in Ju-On (The Grudge), they are a straightforward account of inevitable doom. There is no mystery to be solved, no way to fight the darkness, no way to win. *That* is horror.
That’s what Uzumaki is. But it also manages to throw in humor, imagination, and a puzzling entity that engages the mind like a David Lynch creation. If I had to pick a favorite horror movie, it would be Uzumaki.
1. Brick
2. Inside Man
3. Day Watch
4. Night Watch
5. Howl’s Moving Castle
6. The Departed
7. Crash
8. Uzumaki
9. The Chronicles of Riddick
10. The Illusionist
1. Brick
2. Inside Man
3. Day Watch
4. Night Watch
5. Howl’s Moving Castle
6. The Departed
7. Crash
8. The Chronicles of Riddick
9. The Illusionist
10. Lady in the Water
I finally got around to watching my copy of Done the Impossible. I guess I had put it off because I knew it would just make me sad, and it did. But it also evoked such wonderful feelings and thoughts. I’ve never been as affected by a TV show as I was with Firefly. I think it is due to the way it resonates with people and connects on this deep level. It’s not just a show. It’s important. It’s art. I can’t fully account for this passion for fictional characters. I feel like I somehow know the actors and Joss, like we could sit down and have a beer. I have these fantasies of winning the lottery and giving the money to Joss so he can keep telling the story.