Tag: district 9

The Top 21 Movies of the 21st Century……So Far!

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It’s one thing to come up with a list of the best movies in any given year, but the best movies of a century that’s just in its 16th year? We Are Movie Geeks polled a group of 30 carefully-selected (and mostly St. Louis-based) movie critics, movie bloggers, movie academics, movie promoters, and just plain old movie fans and asked for a list, in order of preference, of their Top Ten Favorite Films so far this century. Somewhere among the endless superhero blockbusters, franchise reboots, and sequels, some really great movies have come out in the last 16 years. And some of them were indeed superhero blockbusters, franchise reboots, and sequels! The 21st century has another 84 years to go, and there’s no doubt that these choices will change as the years go by, but since it’s doubtful any of those polled will be around when the century ends (unless Stephen Tronicek – born in 1999 – makes it to 101), we might as well do this now. To come up with our top 21, a super-scientific algorithm was generated….just kidding! We simply scored each movie based on its rank in any given list. If a movie was #1 on any list, it received 10 points, #2 received 9 points, and so on (a movie ranked #10 received 1 point – get it?). Of course, all of these lists are highly subjective and some favorite titles will be omitted, so prepare to argue with the selections of these 30 film buffs (and yes, we’re naming names!).

HERE ARE THE RESULTS!:

21. GLADIATOR (2000 – Ridley Scott)

20. UP (2009 – Pete Docter)

19. THE LEGO MOVIE (2014 – Phil Lord)

18. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (2007 – The Coen Brothers)

17. 12 YEARS A SLAVE (2013 – Steve McQueen)

16. THE REVENENT (2015 – Alejandro Innaritu)

15. INSIDE OUT (2015 – Pete Docter)

14. ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOLESS MIND (2004 – Michel Gondry)

13. O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU? (2000 – The Coen Brothers)

12. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (2009 – Quentin Tarantino)

11. THE AVIATOR (2004 – Martin Scorsese)

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10. SYNECEDOCHE, NEW YORK (2008 – Charlie Kaufmann)

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9. MEMENTO (2000 – Christopher Nolan)

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8. THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS  (2001 – Wes Anderson)

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7. BOYHOOD (2014 – Richard Linklater)

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6. LORD OF THE RINGS  RETURN OF THE KING (2003 – Peter Jackson)

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5. THE DEPARTED (2006 – Martin Scorsese)

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4. MAD MAX FURY ROAD (2015 – George Miller)

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3. PAN’S LABYRINTH (2006 – Guillermo Del Toro)

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2. THERE WILL BE BLOOD  (2007 – Paul Thomas Anderson)

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1. MULHOLLAND DRIVE  (2001 – David Lynch)

Directors Martin Scorsese and the Coen Brothers each had two films on this list, as did writer Charlie Kaufman and Pixar director Pete Docter. Nothing from beloved directors Clint Eastwood, Ang Lee, Darren Aronofsky, Woody Allen, Cameron Crowe, Alexander Payne or David Fincher, but the all of them were well-represented on the individual lists, all of which are presented here:

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 Tom Stockman  (We Are Movie Geeks)

10. THE AMERICAN (Anton Corbijn)

9. BLUE JASMINE (Woody Allen)

8. GRAN TORINO (Clint Eastwood)

7. THE DEVIL’S REJECTS (Rob Zombie)

6. CITY OF GOD (Fernando Meirelles)

5. LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA (Clint Eastwood)

4. APOCALYPTO (Mel Gibson)

3. INGLORIOUS BASTERDS (Quentin Tarantino)

2. LIFE OF PI (Ang Lee)

1. MAD MAX FURY ROAD (George Miller)

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Andrew Wyatt   (St. Louis Magazine, Gateway Cinephile)

10. UNDER THE SKIN (Jonathan Glazer)

9. THE TURIN HORSE (Bela Tarr)

8. OF TIME AND THE CITY (Terence Davies)

7. ZODIAC (David Fincher)

6. CERTIFIED COPY (Abbas Klarostami)

5. THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD (Andrew Dominik)

4. INLAND EMPIRE (David Lynch)

3. THE MASTER (Paul Thomas Anderson)

2. SYNECDOCHE NEW YORK (Charlie Kaufman)

1. CACHE (Michael Hanake)

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Stephen Tronicek   (FilmAnalyst)

10, ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (Michel Gondry)

9. BIRDMAN (Alejandro Innaritu)

8. CLOUD ATLAS (Tom Twyker, The Wachowski Brothers)

7. UP (Pete Docter)

6. A SERIOUS MAN (the Coen Brothers)

5. INTO THE WILD (Sean Penn)

4. REQUIEM FOR A DREAM (Darren Aronofsky)

3. PANS LABYRINTH (Guillermo Del Toro)

2. ALMOST FAMOUS (Cameron Crowe)

1. BOYHOOD (Richard Linklater)

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Dana Jung

10. SIN CITY (Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller)

9. THIS IS THE END (Evan Goldberg)

8. AVATAR (James Cameron)

7. DISTRICT 9 (Neill Blomkamp)

6. APOCALYPTO (Mel Gibson)

5. MULHOLLAND DRIVE (David Lynch)

4. HUGO (Martin Scorsese)

3. INSIDE OUT (Pete Docter)

2. MAD MAX FURY ROAD (George Miler)

1. LORD OF THE RINGS RETURN OF THE KING (Peter Jackson)

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Mathew DeKinder   (Suburban Journals of St. Louis)

10. THE HURT LOCKER (Kathryn Bigelow)

9. THE TREE OF LIFE (Terence Malick)

8. MAD MAX FURY ROAD ROAD (George Miller)

7. ROAD TO PERDITION (Sam Mendes)

6. THE DARK KNIGHT (Christopher Nolan)

5. INGLORIOUS BASTARDS (Quentin Tarantino)

4. ANCHORMAN (Adam McKay)

3. LORD OF THE RINGS RETURN OF THE KING (Peter Jackson)

2. THERE WILL BE BLOOD (Paul Thomas Anderson)

1. 12 YEARS A SLAVE (Steve McQueen)

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Jim Batts   (We Are Movie Geeks)

10. KILL BILL (Quentin Tarantino)

9. THE ARTIST (Michel Hazanavicius)

8. THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN (Judd Apatow)

7. CAPTAIN AMERICA THE FIRST AVENGER (Joe Johnston)

6. AMERICAN SPLENDOR (Shari Springer Berman)

5. LORD OF THE RINGS RETURN OF THE KING  (Peter Jackson)

4. GHOST WORLD (terry Zwigoff)

3. THE INCREDIBLES (Brad Bird)

2. SPIDERMAN 2 (Sam Raimi)

1. PANS LABYRINTH (Guillermo Del Toro)

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 Lynn Venhaus   ( Belleville News-Democrat, Webster-Kirkwood Times)

10. (500) DAYS OF SUMMER (Marc Webb)

9. NEBRASKA (Alexander Payne)

8. 28 DAYS LATER… (Danny Boyle)

7. INSIDE OUT (Pete Docter)

6. THE DEPARTED (Martin Scorsese)

5. BOYHOOD (Richard Linklater)

4. THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS (Wes Anderson)

3. THE SOCIAL NETWORK (David Fincher)

2. THE DARK KNIGHT (Christopher Nolan)

1. MULHOLLAND DRIVE (David Lynch)

THE REVENANT Copyright © 2016 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved. THE REVENANT Motion Picture Copyright © 2016 Regency Entertainment (USA), Inc. and Monarchy Enterprises S.a.r.l. All rights reserved.Not for sale or duplication.

Kent Tentschert   (Webster-Kirkwood Times)

10. THE DESCENDANTS (Alexander Payne)

9. THE DARK KNIGHT (Christopher Nolan)

8. BIUTIFUL (Alejandro Innaritu)

7. UP (Pete Docter)

6. THE READER (Stephen Daldry)

5. NIGHTCRAWLER (Dan Gilroy)

4. INCEPTION (Christopher Nolan)

3. THE PRESTIGE (Christopher Nolan)

2. GLADIATOR (Ridley Scott)

1. THE REVENANT (Alejandro Innaritu)

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Rob Garica  (HEC-TV)

10. THE TREE OF LIFE (Terence Malick)

9. OVERNIGHT (Tony Montana)

8. BAMBOOZLED (Spike Lee)

7. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MAN (The Coen Bothers)

6. THE DEPARTED (Martin Scorsese)

5. CITY OF GOD (Fernanso Meirelles)

4. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (Tomas Alfredson)

3. TALK TO HER (Pedro Almodovar)

2. PANS LABYRINTH (Guillermo Del Toro)

1. MULHOLLAND DRIVE (David Lynch)

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Sam Smucker  

10. WINTER SLEEP (Nuri Ceylan)

9. IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (Kar Wai Wong)

8. LORD OF THE RINGS RETURN OF THE KING (Peter Jackson)

7. BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (Benh Zeitlin)

6. BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR (Abdellatif Kechiche)

5. CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON (Ang Lee)

4. THE LOOK OF SILENCE (Joshua Oppenheimer)

3. THE PAST (Asghar Farhadi)

2. SILENT LIGHT (Carlos Reygadas)

1. BOYHOOD (Richard Linklater)

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Robert Hunt   (The Riverfront Times)

10. AMERICAN SNIPER (Clint Eastwood)

9. PANS LABYRINTH (Guilermo del Toro)

8. THE TRIP (Michael Winterbottom)

7. SITA SINGS THE BLUES  (Nina Paley)

6. NOTRE MUSIQUE (Jean-Luc Godard)

5. 2046  (Wong Kar-Wai)

4. WHAT TIME IS IT THERE? (Ming-Liang Tsai)

3. I’M NOT THERE (Todd Haynes)

2. WENDY AND LUCY  (Kelly Reichardt)

1. CARLOS (Oliver Assayas)

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Sam Moffitt  

10. OH BROTHER WHERE ART THOUGH? (The Coen Brothers)

9. WHIP IT! (Drew Barrymore)

8. THE BABADOOK (Jennifer Kent)

7. MEMENTO (Christopher Nolan)

6. SLITHER (James Gunn)

5. THERE WILL BE BLOOD (Paul Thomas Anderson)

4. BLACK SNAKE MOAN (Craig Brewer)

3. MOON (Duncan Jones)

2. DRIVE (Nicolas Winding Refn)

1. SYNECDOCHE NEW YORK (Charlie Kaufman)

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Michael Haffner   (We Are Movie Geeks)

10. THE TREE OF LIFE (Terence Malick)

9. DRIVE (Nicolas Winding Refn)

8. IN BRUGES (Martin McDonagh)

7. LOST IN TRANSLATION (Sophia Coppola)

6. BOYHOOD (Richard Linklater)

5. ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (Michael Gondry)

4. MAD MAX FURY ROAD (George Miller)

3. THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS (Wes Anderson)

2. MULHOLLAND DRIVE (David Lynch)

1. THERE WILL BE BLOOD (Paul Thomas Anderson)

No Merchandising. Editorial Use Only Mandatory Credit: Photo by c.Miramax/Everett / Rex Features ( 508110r ) 'THE AVIATOR', Leonardo Dicaprio 'THE AVIATOR' FILM STILLS - 2004

Renee Hirshfield   (Webster University, Southwestern Illinois College)

10. AMERICAN SPLENDOR  (Shari Springer Berman)

9. AMELIE (Jean-Pierre Jeunet)

8. TALK TO HER (Pedro Almodovar)

7. HUGO (Martin Scorsese)

6. INSIDE OUT (Pete Docter)

5. EX MACHINA (Alex Garland)

4. CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS (Andrew Jarecki)

3. INTERSTELLAR (Christopher Nolan)

2. THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS (Wes Anderson)

1. THE AVIATOR (Martin Scorsese)

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Sarah Hirshfield   (Mount Holyoke College)

10. MONEYBALL (Bennett Miller)

9. ELEPHANT (Gus Van Sandt)

8. SNOWPIERCER (Bong Joon Ho)

7. A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT (Ana Lily Amirpour)

6. 4 MONTHS 2 WEEKS AND 3 DAYS (Cristian Mungiu)

5. SUPER 8 (J.J. Abrams)

4. INSIDE OUT (Pete Docter)

3. EX MACHINA (Alex Garland)

2. PANS LABYRINTH (Guillermo Del Toro)

1. THE SOCIAL NETWORK (Davis Fincher)

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Kathy Kaiser   (Matinee Chat)

10. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (Quentin Tarantino)

9. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL (Gore Verbinski)

8. DJANGO UNCHAINED (Quentin Tarantino)

7. IRON MAN (John Favreau)

6. CAST AWAY (Robert Zemeckis)

5. THE IMITATION GAME (Morten Tyldum)

4. THE REVENANT (Alejandro Innaritu)

3. THE DEPARTED (Martin Scorsese)

2. THE AVIATOR (Martin Scorsese)

1. 12 YEARS A SLAVE (Steve McQueen)

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Melissa Thompson   (We Are Movie Geeks)

10. BILLY ELLIOT (Stephen Daldry)

9. A MIGHTY WIND (Christopher Guest)

8. FANTASTIC MR. FOX  (Wes Anderson)

7. HAIRSPRAY (Adam Shankman)

6. ELF (John Favreau)

5. SPIRITED AWAY (Hayao Miyazaki)

4. PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL (Gore Verbinski)

3. MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (Woody Allen)

2. MOULIN ROUGE! (Baz Luhrmann)

1. LADY IN THE WATER (M. Night Shyamalan)

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Pete Timmerman   (Webster University)

10. THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS (Wes Anderson)

9. ADAPTATION (Spike Jonze)

8. REQUIEM FOR A DREAM (Darren Aronofsky)

7. PUNCH DRUNK LOVE (Paul Thomas Anderson)

6. CHILDREN OF MEN (Alfonso Cuaron)

5. TROPICAL MALADY (Apichatpong Weerasethakul)

4. THE ACT OF KILLING (Joshua Oppenheimer)

3. DOGTOOTH (Yorgos Lanthimos)

2. EVERYTHING WILL BE OK (Don Hertzfeldt)

2. IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (Wong Kar Wai)

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Michelle McCue  (We Are Movie Geeks)

10. GRAVITY (Alfonso Cuaron)

9. FANTASTIC MR. FOX  (Wes Anderson)

8. AN EDUCATION (Lone Scherfig)

7. THE LADY IN THE WATER (M. Night Shyamalan)

6. THE HURT LOCKER (Kathryn Bigelow)

5. ROAD TO PERDITION (Sam Mendes)

4. THE LORD OF THE RINGS FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (Peter Jackson)

3. LOST IN TRANSLATION (Sofia Coppola)

2. MOON (Duncan Jones)

1. GLADIATOR (Ridley Scott)

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Tim Venhaus  

10. THE MASTER (Paul Thomas Anderson)

9. SUPERBAD (Greg Mottola)

8. KILL BILL (Quentin Tarantino)

7. BOYHOOD (Richard Linklater)

6. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (The Coen Brothers)

5. WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER (David Wain)

4. THE DEPARTED (Martin Scorsese)

3. REQUIEM FOR A DREAM  (Darren Aronofsky)

2. THE ROYAL TENENBAUM’S (Wes Anderson)

1. ADAPTATION (Spike Jonze)

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Travis Keune   (We Are Movie Geeks)

10. THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD (Andrew Dominik)

9. PANS LABYRINTH (Guillermo Del Toror)

8. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (Quentin Tarantino)

7. DRIVE (Nicolas Winding Refn)

6. MAD MAX FURY ROAD (George Miller)

5. THE WRESTLER (Darren Aronofsky)

4. OH BROTHER WHERE ART THOUGH? (The Coen Brothers)

3. MEMENTO (Christopher Nolan)

2. ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (Michel Gondry)

1. THERE WILL BE BLOOD (Paul Thomas Anderson)

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Cate Marquis   (We Are Movie Geeks, The Jewish Light)

10. 12 YEARS A SLAVE (Steve McQueen)

9. A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT (Jean-Pierre Jeunet)

8. THE DEPARTED (Martin Scorsese)

7. AMELIE (Jean-Pierre Jeunet)

6. THE PIANIST (Roman Polanski)

5. GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (Wes Anderson)

4. PAN’S LABYRINTH (Guillermo Del Toror)

3. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (Quentin Tarantino)

2. OH BROTHER WHERE ART THOUGH? (The Coen Brothers)

1. MEMENTO (Christopher Nolan)

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Matt Myers  (Allied Advertising)

10. LORD OF THE RINGS THE TWO TOWERS (Peter Jackson)

9. THERE WILL BE BLOOD (Paul Thomas Anderson)

8. FANTASTIC MR. FOX (Wes Anderson)

7. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (The Coen Brothers)

6. ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (Michael Gondry)

5. MAD MAX FURY ROAD (George Miller)

4. MULHOLLAND DRIVE (David Lynch)

3. AMÉLIE (Jean-Pierre Jeunet)

2. KILL BILL (Quentin Tarantino)

1. SYNECDOCHE NEW YORK (Charlie Kaufman)

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Max Foizey (ZekeFilm)

10. (500) DAYS OF SUMMER (Marc Webb)

9. OH BROTHER WHERE ART THOU (The Coen Brothers)

8. CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON (Ang Lee)

7. ATONEMENT (Joe Wright)

6. UP (Pete Docter)

5. CLOSER (Mike Nichols)

4. BLACK SWAN (Darren Aronofsky)

3. THERE WILL BE BLOOD (Paul Thomas Anderson)

2. MULHOLLAND DRIVE (David Lynch)

1. THE LEGO MOVIE (Phil Lord)

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Sandy Olmsted

10. THE FAIRY ( Dominique Abel)

9. THE ARTIST (Michel Hazanavicius)

8. PARANORMAN (Chris Butler)

7. PAN’S LABYRINTH (Guillermo Del Toror)

6. MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (Woody Allen)

5. LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE ( Jonathan Dayton)

4. HUGO (Martin Scorsese)

3. FRUITVALE STATION (Ryan Coogler)

2. HOCOLAT (Lasse Hallström)

1. BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (Benh Zeitlin)

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Carl Middleman (KFTK – 97.1FM)

10. BLACK SWAN (Darren Aronofsky)

9. MULHOLLAND DRIVE (David Lynch)

8. (500) DAYS OF SUMMER (Marc Webb)

7. ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (Michel Gondry)

6. CLOSER (Mike Nichols)

5. UP (Pete Docter)

4. OH BROTHER WHERE ART THOU? (The Coen Brothers)

3. CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON (Ang Lee)

2. MEMENTO (Christopher Nolan)

1. THE LEGO MOVIE (Phil Lord)

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Jim Tudor  (ZekeFilm, ScreenAnarchy)

10. BUBBA HO-TEP (Don Coscarelli)

9. HOLY MOTORS (Leos Carax)

8. ALMOST FAMOUS (Cameron Crowe)

7. MAD MAX FURY ROAD (George Miller)

6. MULHOLLAND DRIVE (David Lynch)

5. HER (Spike Jonze)

4. THE INCREDIBLES (Brad Bird)

3. STAR WARS EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH (George Lucas)

2. TOY STORY 3 (Lee Unkrich)

1. THE TREE OF LIFE (Terence Malick)

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Dane Marti

10. INTERSTELLAR (Christopher Nolan)

9. INLAND EMPIRE (David Lynch)

8. THE HURT LOCKER (Kathryn Bigelow)

7. MINORITY REPORT (Steven Spielberg)

6. THE REVENANT (Alejandro  Iñárritu)

5. THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD  (Andrew Dominik)

4. LINCOLN (Steven Spielberg)

3. THE AVIATOR (Martin Scorsese)

2. LORD OF THE RINGS RETURN OF THE KING (Peter Jackson)

1. THERE WILL BE BLOOD (Paul Thomas Anderson)

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Ian McDonald  (Allied Advertising)

10.THE LIFE AQUATIC (Wes Anderson)

9. DJANGO UNCHAINED (Quentin Tarantino)

8. CABIN IN THE WOODS (Drew Goddard)

7. PAN’S LABYRINTH (Guillermo del Toro)

6. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (Tomas Alfredson)

5. HOT FUZZ (Edgar Wright)

4. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (The Coen Brothers)

3. MAD MAX FURY ROAD (George Miller)

2. SPIDERMAN 2 (Sam Raimi)

1. THE DEPARTED (Martin Scorsese)

 

 

Middle-Earth Coming to Wizard World Comic Con in St. Louis – THE WETA WORKSHOP

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It looks like Christian Kane won’t be the only special effect on display at Wizard World Comic Con in St. Louis the weekend of May 22nd – 24th. The multi-Academy Award® winning New Zealand design studio and physical manufacturing facility Weta will show off some of their best work at the  show at its visually striking Exhibitor Booth. Weta Workshop’s body of work includes movies like The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Avatar, District 9, Chappie and many more.

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Fans can meet Warren Dion Smith , international multi-award-winning hair and makeup artist at all three shows and have an opportunity to get a pair of Hobbit ears applied by one of the best in the business.

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Warren Dion Smith

Fans who want to learn more about the makeup and prosthetics craft should also attend the Weta panels where Warren will perform a major Middle-earth makeup transformation on stage while fielding questions from the crowd.

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In addition, VIP attendees will receive an exclusive limited edition art print by The Hobbit concept art director and world renowned Tolkien artist John Howe.

Weta Workshop's 'creations'.

Learn more about Weta Workshop at https://www.wetanz.com

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Wizard World Comic Con events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, cosplay, comics, television, sci-fi, toys, video gaming, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. Wizard World is also the place for cosplay, with fans young and old showing off their best costumes throughout the event.  Fans dressed as every imaginable character – and some never before dreamed –  roam the convention floor.

Wizard World, Inc. (http://www.wizd.me/PR ) produces Comic Cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, television, cosplay, comics, graphic novels, toys, video gaming, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. A first-class lineup of topical programming takes place at each event, with celebrity Q&A’s, comics-themed sessions, costume contests, movie screenings, evening parties and more. Wizard World has also launched CONtv, a digital media channel in partnership with leading independent content distributor Cinedigm™ (NASDAQ: CIDM). Fans can interact with Wizard World on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and other social media services.

The 2015 Wizard World Comic Con schedule is available at: http://www.wizd.me/PRSchedule2015 .

TOP TEN TUESDAY: Kirk’s Top 10 of 2009

2009, for any number of reasons, was a long year.  It had its definite ups and its definite yada-yada-yada.  I’m not worried about that last part right now.  I’m more concerning myself with the happier times, the times I left the theater thinking to myself, “My God, this is why I love doing what I do.  This is the reason I love movies, and I cannot wait until the moment I have this invigorating feeling yet again.”  All of these movies gave me that feeling, some of them more than just once.  Here are my choices for the top 10 movies (my favorite or what I consider the best, take your pick) of 2009.

10. THE HANGOVER

When I left the theater the first time seeing THE HANGOVER, I knew I had just watched a very funny movie, a great comedy that made me laugh more and harder than any film I had seen in years.  What didn’t occur to me until I viewed the film a second time is just how nuanced and successful it is as a film.  The relationships between the characters are superb, and the dynamic of the group as a whole is what makes just about every aspect of the film work wonderfully.   Here are four guys, three goofballs of varying degrees and one straight man, the glue, if you will, who holds it all down to some kind of socially acceptable level.  Now take the straight man out and force the other three to find him.  It’s such a basic idea, and one that writers Jon Lucas & Scott Moore and director Todd Phillips execute with stunning clarity.  Besides, any film that features Mike Tyson air drumming to Phil Collins can never be bad in my book.

SCOTT’S FULL REVIEW

9. DISTRICT 9

If you were not sold that DISTRICT 9 was going to be something not to miss when you heard Peter Jackson had taken it and writer/director Neill Blomkamp under his wing, you had to have been when you saw that first teaser.  Just that awe-inspiring (and it inspired awe in me a great deal) first shot of the teaser when you saw the ship hovering above Johannesburg was selling point enough.  We knew we were in for an exciting thrill ride.  What we weren’t expecting was one of the most enjoyable and unforgettable action films to come along in ages.  Blomkamp’s film has so much more going on under the surface of the surface-level and highly bloody action.  2009 was a stellar year for sci-fi, and DISTRICT 9 was just a very important part of that.  Blomkamp and star Sharlto Copley are going to take off huge in the coming years, but it is going to be extremely difficult for either of them to top the work they put into this film.

MY FULL REVIEW

8. THE COVE

Before seeing THE COVE, all I knew was that it was about a dolphin massacre in Japan and that some considered it a horror film in the truest sense of the word.  What I didn’t realize until I sat down to watch the film was just how moving and incredibly executed an informative story it turned out to be.  Director Louie Psihoyos is not a film director by choice.  He is an activist, and his passion for what he does is seeped into every frame of this film.  It touches on so many aspects of the central story, renown dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry and his crusade to make aware the brutality going on Taiji, Japan.  The film is so  heart wrenching, particularly the final 10-15 minutes, which some animal lovers may not even be able to stomach.  Eye-opening, moving and even quite suspenseful in some places, THE COVE is a film that effortlessly succeeds in the areas every documentary should be aiming.

7. A SERIOUS MAN

I have to be honest, I was not a huge fan of Joel & Ethan Coen’s follow-up to NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN.  I felt BURN AFTER READING was comical in places, very stupid in others, and an outright let-down in even more.  With A SERIOUS MAN, they craft a thinking man’s comedy, one that has so much going on just under the surface and hands you very little in the area of tangible narrative.  It is a film that digs deep into the nature of theology, of the eternal questions that make up the universe and the overlying equation that holds us all together.  We aren’t supposed to know the answers.  We aren’t supposed to figure things out.  Just when we think we have some sort of grasp on what the universe is going to throw our way next, a tornado comes out of nowhere, and our world cuts to black.  It’s the difference between knowing the answer and understanding the equation.  The Coens get that, and that, among other things (the casting in this film is spot-on brilliance) is what makes A SERIOUS MAN such an amazing film.

TRAVIS’ FULL REVIEW

6. UP

Can we just accept the fact that, every year, without question, whatever film PIXAR has to offer will instantly go somewhere on the best of the year list?  I’m sure others have grasped that concept long before I have.  I was a naysayer.  I remember hearing about UP and its premise, seeing the first trailer, and thinking it was going to be an ever-loving borefest.  I love, love, love when I find myself wrong on that side of the coin upon seeing a film.  UP is such a heart-warming picture, an adventure of the mind, the body, and the spirit that is made for anyone who has ever dreamed of something greater.  I’ll give you a little hint about that.  Everyone, at some point in their life, has had that dream.  PIXAR knows this, and that is why they make such effortlessly brilliant films for everyone.  An adventurous and moving piece of film making, UP is yet another grand success from a an animated studio who seems able to churn out brilliant story ideas like an assembly line.

MY FULL REVIEW

5. AWAY WE GO

I knew very little about this film going in, just that it was Sam Mendes, a director who I have been following like a loyal dog since 2002’s ROAD TO PERDITION graced before my eyes, and it starred Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski.  Coming out the other side, I knew I had just seen the most uplifting and genuinely optimistic film I had seen all year.  Most “feel good” films are saccharine beyond belief, so full of fake emotion and blithesome idiocy that their hold on the audience is never more than past the first knuckle.  AWAY WE GO takes hold of you, charges you, and spits you out with an ear-to-ear grin across your face.  It does it, too, without false promises, without the hammy movie magic that makes up most films that are considered heartfelt.  It does it with three, simple things: heart, heart, and heart.  The compatibility between Krasinski and Rudolph is astounding, and they embody characters who are the ultimate antithesis to Frank and April Wheeler, the couple in Mendes’ last film, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD.  AWAY WE GO is yet another clear-cut home run from a film maker who knows how to grasp his audience and simply make them feel.  Whether that feeling is going to be cheerful or not is up to him, but, whatever he decides to do, he succeeds.

TRAVIS’ FULL REVIEW

4. FANTASTIC MR. FOX

Say what you want about the controversy surrounding how Wes Anderson handled the direction on FANTASTIC MR. FOX.  What he has achieved here is a next level, in my opinion, in stop motion animation, beautifully crafted characters and environments that aid a truly hilarious screenplay.  What’s more, FANTASTIC MR. FOX is a great film for the family, not a “family film.”  It is, in no way, dumbed down to be more user friendly or acceptable for general audiences.  If you don’t get the humor found in this film, then you simply don’t get it.  Personally, I thought it was non-stop hilarity throughout, and the voice work by actors like George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, and Jason Schwartzman, in particular, is just one more element of FANTASTIC MR. FOX that makes it the best, cussing, animated movie of the year.

TRAVIS’ FULL REVIEW

3. MOON

If your personal tastes in movies run parallel to mine in any way, then you love it when an independently backed science fiction film is on the horizon.  They have to rely more on story than the complex special effects that  overburden  even the simplest of narratives.  Writer/director Duncan Jones’ MOON is one such film, an incredibly compelling and emotionally driven science fiction story that is aided in no small part by luxurious yet practical effects and a hauntingly staggering performance by Sam Rockwell.  This is one film that benefits from going in blind.  The less you know about it before viewing, the better, as every twist and turn Jones’ story takes is both conceivable and unanticipated.  As confidently crafted a film as MOON is, you would not think that A) it is considered a low-budget film and B) it is Duncan Jones’ first attempt at feature film making.  Be on the lookout for this man in the future, because, dare I say it, I feel we may have another Christopher Nolan on our hands.

MY FULL REVIEW

2. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

After watching, or should I say “experiencing”, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS for the first time, I couldn’t help but think I had just seen Quentin Tarantino’s best written film since PULP FICTION.  Now, some months and a few more viewings of the film later, I am of the opinion that this could easily be the best film yet of an auteur who holds back on nothing.  INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS is an outstanding film driven by both amazing dialog (as if there was any question of that) and visually stunning action.  The scenes Tarantino crafts in his first endeavor into the genre of war are filled with so much suspense and anxious expectation that he often teases you with the notion that nothing may happen.  He’s also a film maker who loves playing with his audience, and just as you are about to rest comfortably, all hell breaks loose.  Without revealing too many spoilers for the film, I will say that, for a man who loves bending and breaking the rules of film making, I cannot imagine the look of glee on Tarantino’s face when it dawned on him to break the rules of history, as well.  INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS is an amazing achievement in film craftsmanship from a writer/director who seems poised to top himself every time out of the gate.

SCOTT’S FULL REVIEW

1. 2012

Shit blowed up real good!

REAL #1. (500) DAYS OF SUMMER

If there were 1000 words that all meant emotional and genuine, I would use each and every one of them here to describe (500) DAYS OF SUMMER, probably the most authentic and moving look at a relationship in years.  Director Marc Webb, another first-time director, and screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber have created and executed a luring and eloquent tale of the real way we think back on past loves.  We don’t remember them from beginning to end, from meeting to the final look upon one another.  Past loves are remembered in fits and starts, happy times here and gloomier days there, and, sometimes, even the same moments are remembered differently depending on our own attitudes at the time.  The film makers behind (500) DAYS OF SUMMER get this.  They know that, somedays, you feel like dancing in the street, like everyone around you is dressed in the same shade that matches the eyes of the person you love.  Other days, you feel like standing in your kitchen and unemotionally smashing every dish in your cupboard.  What’s more, the performances of Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel are flawless, and they are easily two of the best actors working today.  Throw in a few, exquisite songs by Regina Spektor and one of the most revealing and realistically affecting scenes that compare real life to expectation, and you have not only my favorite film of the year, but, perhaps, one of the most amazing films about love I have ever seen.

MY FULL REVIEW

Also, check out this music video that is not found in the film, but serves as a brilliant companion to it:

PANIC ATTACK Director Going to the Ghost House

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It hasn’t even been a week since we showed you the short PANIC ATTACK from director Federico Alvarez.  The five-minute short about alien robots blowing hell out of a South American city.  It reportedly cost $300.  I’m sure, given the latest news, that Alvarez’s next film will have a much more significant budget.  El Pais is reporting (and Film Junk was kind enough to serve as translator) that Alvarez has struck a deal with Sam Raimi’s production company Ghost House.  Alvarez’s upcoming feature film debut is looking to have a budget of between $30-40 million.  It is reportedly going to be a sci-fi film, though there is no word if, like Neill Blomkamp and DISTRICT 9, Alvarez’s first film will be a feature version of his own short.

According to the El Pais article, Raimi will be to Alvarez what Peter Jackson was to Blomkamp, shielding the director from the business side of things while Alvarez can worry solely on making the best, possible film.  The feature film is to be shot in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Montevideo, Uruguay.  The project came about after an hour and a half phone conversation between Raimi and Alvarez.  Alvarez has stated he does wish to include robots in the feature film in some capacity.

This is great news, as DISTRICT 9 was an excellent film from a first-time director.  Here is hoping production companies and Hollywood producers continue scouring the Internet for fresh, directing talent with the skills to make superb motion pictures.

Nigeria Calls for Ban of ‘District 9’

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You’d think if there was to be a call to arms against ‘District 9,’ it would have come from the prawn community.   That small group of Decapods are sure to have been insulted by the usage of their names to classify the alien race that take refuge in South Africa.

But, no, a ban against the film is in order, but it’s not from the shrimp community, it’s from Nigeria whose information minister, Dora Akunyili, has asked movie houses in the country’s capital of Abuja to cease screenings of the film.   The minister believes the film puts Nigeria in a bad light and does not approve of the depiction of the people of Nigeria as gangsters and cannibals.   This news comes to us today from the Associated Press by way of Hitfix.

Akunyili had this to say about the call to ban:

We have directed that they should stop public screening of the film.   We are not happy about it because it portrays Nigeria in bad light.

We have written to the producer and distributor of the film, Sony Entertainment, expressing our displeasure and demanded an apology.   We have asked that the areas where Nigeria and Obasanjo are mentioned should be edited from the film.

The “Obasanjo” in question refers to the film’s main, Nigerian villain and gangster, Obesandjo, whose name closely resembles that of former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo.   Akunyili and other Nigerian government officials first saw the film last Wednesday in a private screening.

Neither the Sony head office nor a representative of the prawn community have commented.

Review: ‘District 9’

district 9

In the world created in ‘District 9,’ Neill Blomkamp’s highly original and thoroughly exciting debut film, we are fast approaching the 30th year aliens have come to Earth.  Not only was 1982 the year of 1000, great, sci-fi films, it was the year an alien mother ship entered Earth’s atmosphere and gently rested hundreds of feet above Johannesburg, South Africa.  After boarding the ship months after its arrival, humans discovered it was inhabited by refugees from a faraway world.  Naturally, the South African government, tolerant as ever, detains the million or so alien visitors in a camp known as District 9.

The events of Blomkamp’s film take place in the year 2010.  The camp is controlled by a corporation known as MNU (Multi-National Unit), and violence within the camp is at an all-time high.  The MNU decides it is time to take action and move the aliens from District 9 to a newer camp.  Leading this mass movement of alien creatures, who are referred to as prawns, is Wikus van der Merwe, played by Sharlto Copley, a field operative who is more company man than alien drover.  Things go from halfway decent to bad to even worse once Wikus comes across a strange vial.  To say more would be to give too much away.

Blomkamp’s film, which is a feature adaptation of his 2005 short, ‘Alive in Joburg,’ is a masterpiece of creation, expanding the themes Blomkamp briefly touches on in his short.  Told through a mix of mockumentary-style, found footage and standard narrative filmmaking, it takes a bit of getting used to in the start.  Blomkamp’s decision to inconsistently switch between the cinema verite feel and the straight storytelling is not ideal.  He does ease any adjustments you may need to make in comfortably watching the film by going in headlong.  You never sense he is second-guessing any decisions he makes, and, because of that, you trust him.  Having said that, the film definitely grasps you from the very opening moments and never lets up to its explosive finale.  There is a deep-rooted story at the core of ‘District 9,’ a multi-faceted structure that challenges the viewer but never gets too far ahead that it loses you.  However, this isn’t a flat, talking heads kind of film, either.  In fact, about halfway through the film, the action kicks in, and it is nonstop all the way to its riveting climax.

The film is also an astounding piece of cinema given that its budget is not even in the range of the $100 million+ most alien movies receive.  Blomkamp does so much with what little he has, and he makes it work to its fullest extent.  You can clearly see what Peter Jackson, who serves as producer on the film, saw in Blomkamp’s vision for this film.  There is so much working for this film from the story and its themes, to the character development Blomkamp and co-writer Terri Tatchell have put together, to the breathtaking computer effects that bring the aliens and their ships and weapons to life.  The special effects in the film really are a wonderment.  There is so much that directors of those $100 million+ box office behemoths can learn from filmmakers like Neill Blomkamp.  To see a film such as ‘District 9,’ you wonder why a films budget ever need be more than $30 or $40 million for its creators to get the job done.

The action in the film is magnificently exciting, as well.  The aliens have dozens of varying weapons.  They all seem to do something different, but the end result is always the same.  The human being shot simply explodes in a massive shower of blood and lifeless body parts.  Blomkamp never pulls any punches in ‘District 9’s violence, and the gritty realism of some of it can be quite jarring at first.  By the time the film erupts into one, giant action sequence, you’ll be throwing popcorn in your mouth and gleefully reeling in all the entertaining carnage that surges from the screen.

Not only does the film incorporate incredible special effects and some amazingly badass action sequences, it has a heart, as well, that is missing from its big-budget brethren.  Blomkamp’s protagonist is a man who goes through changes throughout the film, in more ways than you can imagine.  It is the emotional changes Wikus goes through that makes his story so appealing.  At first, he is apathetic to the prawns, doing his due diligence to get the job done no questions asked.  He flat out doesn’t care what happens to the aliens in the first parts of the film.  The character changes Wikus goes through brings to life the aliens themselves.  He befriends an alien named Christopher Johnson, a prawn who seems to have more going on mentally than what the humans believe the aliens capable of.  By the later moments of the film, the two are friends, working together for a common goal, even if their reasons for doing so vary.

Christopher Johnson, like all the prawns in ‘District 9,’ is a completely CG generated character, and the people at Weta digital have done it again.  Much like their work in ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘King Kong,’ they have crafted completely non-human characters who capture all the human qualities that make them feel so alive.  It’s not a slight against the secondary characters in ‘District 9,’ but Christopher Johnson is absolutely one of the most fully realized characters in the film.  This isn’t to say the CG found in ‘District 9’ is across-the-board flawless.  Groups of prawns running through the camp are not perfectly realized.  Neither is a shot of a small ship crash-landing.  These are minor flaws in an otherwise spotless feat of special effects creation, but they are definitely noticeable.

Much of the humanity that comes from the Christopher Johnson character is also due to the outstanding performance by Copley.  He never falters in projecting the different aspects of his character.  A torpid slave to the corporation he works for in the film’s opening moments, he alters as the film progresses, moving to fearful and disconcerted through the middle, and, finally, heroic in the film’s last half.  Copley, all the while, does a commendable job, never feeling the slightest bit behind in his character’s attitudes and always in command.  You genuinely believe every action this character makes.

The work Neill Blomkamp has created in ‘District 9’ is groundbreaking, a tremendous fusion of gritty and realistic action, character-driven morality, and all the sci-fi bells and whistles that are sure to have fanboys around the world cheering in their seats.  It very well could be the best aliens coming to Earth film in decades.  To say it is the best of all time is a little premature, but the thought is definitely in there somewhere.  Blomkamp is sure to be a filmmaker on the rise.  Here is hoping that, with a bigger budget, he can keep the same level of story crafting and confident filmmaking that is found here.

Hidden Phone Number in ‘District 9’ Trailer

Last night I was watching the new trailer for District 9 and I came across a phone number on a bilboard in the trailer. It was 1-866-666-6001. Feel free to call it yourself. It was quite a surreal experience and one of the better pieces of viral marketing. I hung up quickly though and decided to share my experience with you.

Here’s my video:

I later went to the website mentioned. www.MNUSpreadsLies.com and found that it was website done by one of the non-humans located in the slums of district 9. This is slowly becoming my most anticipated film of the year, and I can’t help but feel the excitement I did when I was entangled in all the Cloverfield mysteries from last year.

Could District 9 be this years Cloverfield? Who knows. Check out the video. Sorry if I seem hyper, I was just excited.

If you have any more cool viral marketing on this film please post it in the comments. I’d love to see what else is going on.

‘District’ R

districtr

With word coming out today that ‘District 9,’ the Neill Blomkamp-directed/Peter Jackson-produced, alien invasion drama, would be rated R, I felt it was time to go back and take note of some other alien invasions movies that were for restricted audiences.   Surprisingly, there are very few, and the ones that are even worth noting rank in even fewer numbers than that.

As out-and-out alien invasion films go, PG-13 is a tower when standing next to the anthill made up of all the ones rated R.   The ‘Independence Day’s and the ‘War of the World’s far outnumber the ‘Faculty’s or the ‘Body Snatcher’s.

In fact, look at those two groupings of film.   The PG-13 films are more about world domination.   The R-rated films are of smaller stature, centering on a small group of people during a rather quiet invasion tactic.   The aliens that come in with lazer beams blowing wiping out city after city are, evidently, more kid-friendly than the aliens who choose their targets more selectively.   The adult-oriented alien invasions are the ones where aliens take over the human race one person at a time.

Of course, this is saying nothing to the fact that ‘District 9’ isn’t even your typical alien invasion plot, though, I’m sure, Roland Emmerich’s depiction of this same story would be drastically different.   What we have with ‘District 9’ is more of a subdued story about how humans perceive aliens landing.   There is nothing to indicate from the film’s trailer that, at any time, do the aliens turn their weapons on the human race.   It looks to be more a film about the rights of all intelligent beings than a film about massive fireballs plowing through New York City.

However, those shots from ‘District 9’ of the alien’s massive ship hovering in the sky cannot help but call to mind the monster trend of alien invasions films that ran from the late ’90s to just a few years ago.   The aliens, or the blurry images of what little could be made out of them, look like the CG creatures that could have popped up in the middle of ‘Men in Black.’   For that reason alone, people are surprised today to hear the news of the MPAA’s decision to give the film an R rating.

However, these people seem to only be taking the film’s premise at face value.   ‘District 9’ is a film about so much more than a simple alien invasion or even a simple alien crash landing.   In fact, the whole thing is going to be playing like a documentary about the rights of these aliens and how the people of South Africa, where the aliens are being held as refugees, perceive these creatures.   I’m sure the film is going to be loaded with savage violence against both human and alien alike, as well as real-life dialogue between military and civilians.   This isn’t the kid-friendly military we’ve seen in other alien films.   I don’t think Will Smith is going to be among their ranks screaming out “Darn it all to heck” whenever he gets hurt.   Expect the F bomb to get thrown around in this one.

Something else that may be surprising people about the film’s R rating is Jackson’s name being attached.   Granted, he has become a household name for the casual moviegoer for his more recent works, four films (two if you count ‘Lord of the Rings’ as a whole) that were each rated PG-13.   However, if you look at his record pre-2001, you will see five feature films all rated R, some of them incredibally gory or offensive.   Anyone seen ‘Meet the Feebles’?   That film alone puts Jackson outside the “Walt Disney-esque” category right away.

Of coure, all of this could be moot tomorrow morning if the film decides to shoot for an appeal.   Columbia/Sony also had a film that was briefly rated R earlier this summer, ‘Year One.’   However, that film was re-cut and appealed down to a PG-13.   Some doubted the distributor would even release the film had it stuck with an R.   Most of us will never know for sure, though it is easy to speculate.   Granted, ‘Year One’ cost upwards of $75 million and ‘District 9’s price-tag is around $30 million, so the chances of it keeping its R rating is better than slim.   Of course, last year’s ‘Cloverfield’ had a budget in that similar ballpark, and it shot for a PG-13.   The thought of ‘District 9’ appealing to get a more audience-friendly rating isn’t completely unfathomable.

Here is hoping, however, that the film keeps its R.   Even if that wasn’t the rating they were aiming for initially, there is a satisfactory feeling in going to see something you know isn’t going to be watered down just for the sake of getting into more theaters.   For now, ‘District 9’ is rated R, and, although it might not be the expected rating for a film of this nature, it is very, very welcome.

‘District 9’ Pics Invade

district-9

I guess considering a month ago I didn’t really know anything about Neill Blomkamp’s ‘District 9,’ I can’t really say the unveiling of information is either quick or slow.   However, I like what I’ve seen so far.   That teaser was incredible, and, today, we bring you these new photos.

Check ’em out:

district-9-2district-9-1district-9-3

Of course, if this film ends up being a hit for Blomkamp, the chances of him, along with Peter Jackson as producer, getting a ‘Halo’ film off the ground increase greatly.

‘District 9’ comes out on August 14th.

Source: SlashFilm