Friday, March 12, 2010

Top 5 Films of 2009


1. Watchmen

You know how people never forget where they were when Elvis died, or when they saw Star Wars for the first time? Going to the midnight screening of Watchmen will probably be that memory for me. This was, hands down, the most excited I’ve ever been for a film in my life. I bled the book for years, and lived through the marketing leading up to the release. It did not disappoint me, a scrutinous Watchmen fanboy. Though the debate rages on still, I stand firm when I say that director Zack Snyder did it. He filmed the un-filmable, and beautifully.

2.Best Worst Movie

The documentary about Troll 2, the “worst film ever made”, created by the child star of said film, is one of the most endearing, heart-felt and funny films of 2009. It’s a shame this film hasn’t yet received a wide-release, because given the chance I’m certain audiences of all walks will leave the theater feeling a mile high. Whether you are in on the kitsch or not, Best Worst Movie is unreasonably entertaining.

3.Avatar

James Cameron’s years-in-the-making sci-fi fantasy could be one of the most hyped films of all time. There’s no doubt that the film is blowing people’s minds worldwide, with most reviews on Twitter consisting of at least one four-letter word. While the film is far from perfect, it most certainly is an unparalleled movie-going experience. When you cut the bologna, Avatar is a ton of fun and a stand-out film of the year.

4.Drag Me To Hell

A lot of people touted Drag Me To Hell as Sam Raimi’s comeback to horror, as if he had somehow left. Granted he hadn’t done much in the genre, asides from producing several unremarkable horrors, since Evil Dead II. Drag Me To Hell proved though, that Raimi didn’t come back, he was always there, and wearing a crown. Seeing Drag Me To Hell is the most fun I’ve had in a theater for years. Sam Raimi is such a wonderful story-teller and mood-setter and he makes this film so easy to fall in love with from the first minute. While I wouldn’t want Raimi to stick solely to this horror-comedy genre he’s carved, as I do think hhe has proved he is more than capable of directing in various genres, I would love to see him return to what he does best every now and then. Drag Me To Hell is a loud love letter to Looney Tunes and gross-out horror.

5.Inglourious Basterds

What happens when you give Quentin Tarantino an over-sized World War II history book, an eraser, a pencil, and two cans of Jolt Cola? You get one of the best films of the year, an indelible, addicting, outrageous passion project from one of the most creative directors alive. Inglourious Basterds works on every single level. It’s entirely silly and poetic at the same time. The characters are intensely turned up to eleven while delivering amazing performances and giving us lines we will no doubt be quoting still ten years from now. This film will be considered a classic.

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