Oh, you're right. I forgot Christopher Nolan didn't have the chance to shit out two bricks of corn-riddle mediocrity.

Shoddy filmmaking knowns no countries.

I would say it was an above average year for movies in general, and a startlingly exceptional year for American filmmakers. The foreign filmmakers were really bring the weak sauce this year, though I haven't seen The Diving Bell yet.

Persepolis could maybe sway me a bit, too.

2006 had only two movies I would even consider maybe applying "masterpiece" to, and it'd be a big stretch (The Black Dahlia and Miami Vice). 2005 had The New World and (to a lesser extent) A History of Violence. From what I've seen this year, I'd say there are two absolute masterpieces, and a couple others that are toeing the line.

No Nolan movie aside (this makes Squee a sad panda ) this was actually one of the best years for movies EVER!

Whoa, that wouldn't be a big stretch. A ginormous stretch is more like it.

No Munich? *Just finished reading review thread from two years ago*

Munich is one of those movies I loved two years ago, but merely like a lot now. You see more (hopefully better) movies, your tastes evolve. I've seen some pretty embarrassing shit I've written about certain movies in my three years here.

Miami Vice?

But to be honest, I can also find myself trapped on the outside of my own reviews. It's pretty shameful to be super raving for a couple weeks and then a month later downgrade it to merely good. I just don't like exposing myself that way. I feel silly. It becomes like the down syndrome child you want to hide from everyone. I gave movies like Ratatouille, Transformers, American Gangster A+ this year, and while they remains hanging around somewhere in my top 10, I realized later they were slightly flawed enjoyable blockbusters that have since been surpassed by a number of movies.

PS Have you guys seen The Lives of Others? Or are you all counting it as a 06 movie.

Oh, and Munich's boring. And way too long.

Munich is damn fine at its current length.

...Well, IMO four hours after watching it. *Fears the preordained hyperbole*

You know, screw the all, the writers and the studios alike. While I agree that the studios have reached the point of being pretty much morons, I can't bring up a single ounce of sympathy for the writers either and if this goes on with no TV shows and stuff, the American public will slowly, but gradually turn on them as well.

YAY! if the strike lasts long enough perhaps the studios will find new writers and the guild collapse.

You mean pull what the NFL did to the players in 87? They used replacement players that year and it destoryed the players union creating the current system used by the league. I am wondering if the studios are thinking about that. They aren't losing any money so they could be.

sounds good

Yeah, that'll teach 'em stupid uppity writers to try getting an extra few cents on their DVDs! Fuck 'em all!

This is slightly different. If the studios started drafting in non-union writers, then the other guilds (dga and sga) would simply refuse to sign onto any non-guild affiliated script. Essentially, the AMPTP would have to start the entire business again from the ground up, drafting in people with barely any experience or discernable talent to take control of their mutli-million dollar productions.

The studios aren't feeling too much pressure at the moment. They're sitting pretty on piles of money and a backlog of scripts. But the moment the films stop being made (i.e., this summer) is the moment they'll start feeling the pressure from advertisers and theatre owners to make a deal.

It sounds like a deal with the DGA might done. I wouldn't be shocked to see that one to happen first. The DGA is easier to negotiate with for some reason. I think right now the Studios are banking on that to happen and then work with the other two next.

I'm just surprised that the actors made a universal decision to ditch the Globes. Wouldn't there be at least one or two people who're like, "Fuck the writers, I wanna go to the Globes"?

And risk what it would do to their reputation? Heh, I think not.

It makes sense, no Union!!!!!!

Kind of like the industry awards, in the heyday of radio.

Well, that kind of sucks. The Globes are sometimes lame but often fun.

I'm really worried the Oscars...aren't going to air or something.

Wait, this is all happening tonight?

Nope. I thought that for a second, too. It's the 13th.