Yeah, that's how I see it as well... excellent post. I have Clerks 2 in my top 5 of the year, I know it's not as skillfully acted, written, or directed as a lot of movies this year, but it made me laugh hard, it got to me emotionally, and I loved the characters. That's enough for me. After all, how do you define best? Is a movie that reaches you emotionally and makes you laugh hard, not better than a film with strong acting and writing that bores you(Babel!)? Technically the second film may be above it... but who's to say it's better? Movies are escapism, something that makes you laugh and be touched is no worse than a strongly written movie. Taste is relative, obviously we all grade movies different, for most critics the movies they like more are the ones with better acting, writing, etc., because that's their job and they like 'better' movies.

If you liked Clerks 2, you liked Clerks 2, sing it from the rooftops. If you liked Snakes on a Plane, shout it.

There were a lot of us who liked films like The New World and some who did not. Every time someone tries to second guess someone's motivations for liking a film I want to just scream. People accuse others of being "caught up by hype" or feeding off critics or being brainwashed by the liberal media or anything... I'm totally guilty of it too, but I've seen it FAR too much lately from others.

Should I not like The Fountain because someone on this site is going to think I'm brainwashed because I do? Or United 93 because we've (apparently!) been fed "propoganda by the White House"? Is this the kind of dialog that we are going to have on this site, in every single movie topics? Where we hold back so we don't have to argue about every miniscule little detail? Where we can only express hatreds for certain films but not say, "hey, I really liked this one, even though Roger Ebert did too... no please, I totally discovered it all by myself!".

If people liked the film, they liked the fucking film. Discussion of film topics starts from a position of respecting someones outlook on the film and then (if they want to) exploring issues with it. No matter what fantasy reasons you come up in your noggin for why you couldn't like a film that someone else loved.

Shack wrote:

Yes yes yes yes yes.


That's not a logical assumption to me, really. They like different movies because of who they are, their experiences, and the amount they've seen. They aren't going to respond to cranked out teen horror films, but they are usually (as a whole) good at recognizing the ones that are different. That's what we fail to acknowledge.

Yes, you could argue that they may be lorded over by a controlling editorial staff or money or may not even really like most movies anymore and are writing for an audience. I'd bet a few are like that, but there's no possible way with what we have available to prove any of that.

Most critics are also journalists who are 30+ and different movies are going to appeal to them in general. This is a given. Your taste does (and will) change with every new film you take in, and not every critic is the same (even the worst of the worst movies get some positives, even on RT).

It's just something you have to accept, but nobody should feel that they are inferior because they like certain things and can't get into others. I definately could not watch a horror movie and appreciate it 10 years ago, and I've actually grown a fair amount of respect for musicals and action movies lately myself.

God, I think this my last post for awhile, maybe a week. I dunno. After this weekend with dolcevita and a few unnamed people, some I wrote out posts and deleted them whole... I'm just too wound up on this subject.

KJ has become an incredibly unfriendly place lately, and people (me included) should not get away with pushing people around, they should be called on it. I am not in a position where I can judge people. We've been around each other long enough that we should not have to put up with all of this second guessing about people's motivations.

Hmmm... I don't know how I didn't see da torri's original post.

I'd love to comment seeing as though da torri is so worried about my movie taste

I'm in the group of people that does separate best from favorite. I know alot of people don't and I know alot of people don't understand the difference, and others do understand but don't participate.

I don't want to tell people what should constitute a favorite film and a best film because, to be honest, sometimes I don't even know. And I'm sure if people read through enough of my film reviews or top lists and what not, you'd find contradictions.

To me, my best list (I dont think I've talked about my favorites of 2006 yet on this site) is made up of the films that I acknowledge as great achievements in film-making. I respect them. I respect the effort, the acting, the skill, many things. Above all, they are well made films. And well rounded. They do need some heart in there. I always find myself unable to grade too harshly because I too often get hooked on the emotional part of the film or see the effort or what was meant through the bad end-product (so rarely do you find me give C's and almost never any D's).

Favorites, for me, are ones that don't have to be great works of film-making but often-times movies that I immensely enjoy watching. They are movies that I can watch over and over again. Movies that I watch for certain moods I'm in because I knwo they'd accomodate that mood.

Most of the time, my favorites coincide with my opinions of the best. Sometimes they don't. It's a mixed bag. Above all, they are almost always movies that I have ALOT of emotions invested in. Movies that I've made a personal connection with.

Take a look at my top 10 favorite movies of all time. (Side note: I've never managed to really make a top 10 best of all time... I don't know why I just can't... yet).

1. Before Sunset (I do consider Before Sunset one of the greatest films made though. It's pure perfection. It makes me smile like no other movie and it makes me think about certain aspects of life and my own life like no other movie.)
2. Kill Bill (Also, in my opinion, one of the best made)
3. Lord of the Rings (probably only franchise I can call myself a fanboy of. As a whole, it's a monumental movie achievement but the best of the best? Probably not. If all 3 were as good as fellowship... maybe. But they weren't.)
4. Titanic (I was in 5th grade and saw it 4 times in theatres... a tied record)
5. Erin Brockovich (ya, I just love this movie and I love Julia in it but certainly not one of the best films of all time)
6. The Little Mermaid (yes, I sing the songs too)
7. The Hours
8. Stepmom
9. The Family Stone (I don't even think it was in my top 10 best of its year but I'm a complete sap for family dramedies liek these... reminds me of my family, well sort of... and the fact that I could relate to one of the storylines myself puts it way up there)
10. Signs (This is one of the rare films that I find myself unable to "agree to disagree" with people who don't like it or think other Shyamalan films were better. This was an incredible movie. Very moving. I'm not religious at all but I think this is one of the most religious films I've ever seen (as in it makes you question your beliefs)
11. Entrapment (this one's is just pre entertainment and it's usually in my top 10 and I may finally bump it out because I have a more personal connection with Signs and all the other movies on the lisr than this one)

I usually switch em around after the top 5. But as you can see... some of them are childhood favorites that have become a part of my life. some just had an impact on me (The Hours, Erin B.)/ Some are overly sappy (Stepmom) but I love em to death.

So, as for this inquiry into Letters being my best of the year. I was sincerely moved by Letters. It was intensely emotionally gripping and sometimes when a movie grabs you in like that, it could end up on your favorites list. Letters might end up in my favorites of the year but it won't rank high because it's not the sort of movie that I made a deep personal connection with and it's not the type of movie I'd watch over and over again. There may be years in which I didn't REALLY connect with any one movie (2006 being one) so it's the one I most enjoyed watching. I haven't thought too much about it but my favorite of this year might be Devil Wears Prada or Little Miss Sunshine (or Departed).

Probably one of the rare excpetions that an overly depressing and utterly gripping and/or draining drama (like Letters) ends up on my favorites list is The Hours. Looking at the rest of the list, it definitely feels out of place but I fell madly in love with it and sometimes when I feel depressed I just pop it in. My top 30 (Night mare Before Christmas, Best Friend's Wedding, As Good as it Gets, The Notebook) might be a better representation of what I mean by "movies I enjoy a great deal" because my top 10 is full of, as I said over and over, films I'm personally very attached to. In all honesty, I don't think any film can dethrone my current favorite of all time, Before Sunset. And Kill Bill may be a tough cookie to crack as well.

So, there you go. Long explanation for such a small little thing and those who did read through all that know alot more about me, personally, than maybe some friends/family I have. .... and I hope none of you think I'm weird or anything.

1. Children of Men
2. The Departed
3. The Queen
4. Pan's Labyrinth
5. Venus
6. The Prestige
7. Casino Royale
8. A Prairie Home Companion
9. Dreamgirls
10. Monster House

Still some to see, but here we go, updated:


01 Children of Men
02 The Prestige
03 The Departed
04 The Proposition
05 A Scanner Darkly
06 The Black Dahlia
07 Rocky Balboa
08 The Fountain
09 Blood Diamond
10 The Devil and Daniel Johnston

I'm getting really pumped for Children of Men. A patient at the physical therapy office I work at came in and said she saw the movie and thought it was very good.

I'm seeing it Saturday hopefully. And I think Christian will be catching it on Saturday too.

Newly added is Little Miss Sunshine. Although some minor quirks, I loved that movie (A-). And I have to say I am truly shocked that the Guilds and what looks like the Academy too are going to reward this film with a nomination. Truly shocked. This is not an Oscar type film, but it's been getting all of the requisite attention. Pretty cool.

1. United 93
2. Children of Men
3. The Departed
4. Little Miss Sunshine
5. V for Vendetta
6. Inside Man
7. Babel
8. Thank You For Smoking
9. An Inconvenient Truth
10. Cars

Peace,
Mike.

Updated:


1. Babel
2. Shortbus
3. Le Temps Qui Reste
4. Volver
5. Half Nelson
6. Marie Antoinette
7. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
8. Casino Royale
9. The Descent
10. Hard Candy

Still way too many to still see but for now....

1. The Prestige
2. Casino Royale
3. The Departed
4. Children of Men
5. Babel
6. Blood Diamond
7. Russian Dolls
8. V for Vendetta
9. Inside Man
10. Volver

An excellent crop of films so far. Hope to see Dreamgirls and The Queen very soon. Still need to see The Fountain, Little Miss Sunshine, Half Nelson, Letters from Iwo Jima, Last King of Scotland, Pan's, Little Children and Rocky Balboa. That's enough to totally replace my top 10.

Great choice. I'm keeping it in my top ten for the year. :-)

I dig your list alot too. Little Children is now my most antecipated film for the rest of the year along with Notes on a Scandal.... and The Fountain, I keep forgetting that one!


I don't exactly consider The Departed to be worthy of all the attention and the #1s, but it's still a very good movie (and Scorsese's best in a decade) - a little bit like some people think about Babel here. That's cool. And The Devil Wears Prada is just a fun movie with great performances that I don't mind too much seeing constantly in top 10 lists either (still rooting for Streep).


Still haven't seen United 93 yet, lool. Maybe f it gets nominated for something... just kidding That one and The Queen I just can't get too excited, and I don't know if I'm scared of the consensus or something like that...

1. The Departed
2. Blood Diamond
3. Pan's Labyrinth
4. The Illusionist
5. Borat
6. Little Children
7. Inside Man
8. The Proposition (was 2006 here in the US)
9. Little Miss Sunshine
10. The Queen

I'd like to push something off for The Fountain, but it was more of a arty film than a movie. Great one at that, but not really much plot wise.

Only movie I haven't seen yet is Letters to Iwo Jima. Didn't even get a DVD screener of it for some reason.

I saw Children of Men back in November and didn't really think much of it. I'm kinda shocked there is a lot of love for it amongst the forums I frequent now that its in wide release. It was entirely predictable and anti-climactic, at least for me.

Update after seeing Letters, still missing Blood Diamond and The Queen

*Updated*

1. The Departed
2. Little Miss Sunshine
3. United 93
4. The Queen
5. Little Children
6. Children of Men
7. Shut up and Sing
8. V for Vendetta
9. Babel
10. Casino Royale

Still have a lot to see, but...

1. Little Miss Sunshine
2. Little Children
3. Marie Antoinette
4. United 93
5. Friends with Money
6. V for Vendetta
7. The Prestige
8. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
9. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
10. A Prairie Home Companion

I know, loyal. At least we'll have that and Half Nelson to cheer together (and many others)






Another person with Marie Antoinette on the list!

Some tweaking.

1. Little Children (A+)
- Children of Men (A+)
3. The Departed (A)
4. Volver (A)
5. The Queen (A)
6. Casino Royale (A-)
8. Little Miss Sunshine (A-)
8. Babel (A-)
9. Shortbus (A-/B+)
10. The Devil Wears Prada (B+)

I really liked Marie Antoinette, too. It's probably in my top 15.

I get the feeling this list is final:

1. United 93
2. The Departed
3. Dreamgirls
4. Little Miss Sunshine
5. Little Children
6. The Devil Wears Prada
7. Borat
8. Notes on a Scandal
9. The Holiday
10. V for Vendetta

Almost Final. Last King of Scotland and Iwo Jima are the only ones left to see.

10. Borat
9. An Inconvenient Truth
8. Blood Diamond
7. The Devil Wears Prada
6. Little Miss Sunshine
5. Rocky Balboa
4. Casino Royale
3. Little Children
2. The Wind that Shakes the Barley
1. Children of Men

My final list for 2006:

10. The Queen
9. Casino Royale
8. Superman Returns
7. The Illusionist
6. The Prestige
5. V For Vendetta
4. The Fountain
3. The Departed
2. Pan's Labyrinth
1. Children of Men

I haven't been this satisfied with a top ten, probably ever. :O
Science of Sleep and Marie Antoinette this week and next on DVD, and I'll be done (except the super small stuff like Half Nelson, Shortbus, Venus and foreigns/docs...and Dreamgirls (which, despite being really excited almost straight up to opening weekend, I can't for the life of me bring myself to see :/))

01. Children of Men
02. The Prestige
03. The Departed
04. Pan's Labyrinth
05. The Fountain
06. Curse of the Golden Flower
07. Little Children
08. Volver
09. The Proposition
10. The Black Dahlia

and the next...
11. A Scanner Darkly
12. Rocky Balboa
13. Blood Diamond
14. The Devil and Daniel Johnston
15. Brick
16. The Illusionist
17. Lady in the Water
18. The Hills Have Eyes

1. Casino Royale
2. Jackass: Number Two
3. Clerks 2
4. Little Miss Sunshine
5. The Departed
6. Running Scared
7. Click
8. X-Men: The Last Stand
9. Poseidon
10. Volver

Still have to see a couple more movies... Pan's, Letters, Last King of Scotland, Venus, and some more.

I can't believe I had to drop Casino Royale Damn...

And The Descent went up a few spots.


Well, considering my not-so-high expectations for movies like The Queen and Blood Diamond, I don't see anything else making it, honestly. I mean, I just dropped Casino Royale off the list!