Saturday, January 23, 2010
at
4:32 PM
Posted by
Patrick Sullivan
Today I had the opportunity to stop by a charity event in West L.A. - 25 food trucks donating profits to Haiti, including my favorite: South Philly Experience.
Saturday, January 09, 2010
at
12:44 PM
Posted by
Patrick Sullivan
This is a tough task. Keep in mind these are personal favorites, not the unequivocal best or most important movies. Furthermore, I value re-watchability (I know it's not a word) very highly. Many movies are great on the first viewing, but if you wouldn't be pumped to watch it again why would you rate it as an absolute favorite?
It might be because of my enthusiasm for turning people on to movies they haven't seen, but as a result I've re-watched a lot of my favorites. This eliminates a lot of my film school favorites, the type of movies that blow you away on a first viewing, but are so violent, disturbing, or unusual that you'll pass on re-watching (see: everything from Haneke, Michael).
To the film snob, this list will mean my list definitely skews to the mainstream. To avoid the disappointment factor, here's a few more things you should be aware of:
1) I have not seen everything. Not even close. In fact, there are even particular directors whose films I've completely missed. This is only a list of what I have watched. Feel free to point out some great ones I missed out on. 2) I have a bias for sports movies. It shouldn't effect this particular list too much, but it does for my opinions in general. Hoosiers, Field of Dreams, The Natural, and Rocky are absolutely in my top 50 of all time. Sports movies just get the benefit of the doubt with me. 3) Like everyone, I have a bias against certain directors. You won't see Tarantino movies on this list. I've got many reasons, from lack of realism to plenty of pretension, but it does deserve a bigger debate due to his strengths. Either way, Kill Bill won't be on this list. Similarly, you won't see David Lynch movies on this list. I've never finished one of his movies. And I almost always finish movies. 4) I have seen precious few documentaries. They are unfairly underrepresented here. 5) You won't see the Lord of The Rings movies on this list. I'm in awe of the achievement, but I generally don't enjoy fantasy. And I really don't enjoy fantasy movies that do not very closely follow a pre-determined set of rules. We should never learn in the third movie of a trilogy that a major character has a previously unknown ability that is crucial to the plot. Watch this video (2 min long) if you don't already know what I'm talking about.
If you'd like to read an attempt to defend this, here's a post from a devoted fan. But it doesn't do much defending. Instead if calls you "smug" if you happened to notice this gaping hole. I can deal with smug I guess.
Back on topic now...
To complete the task, I'm going to have to narrow down my choices slowly.
I'll start with a list of movies I've rated highly (above a 7 on a scale of 10 on IMDB) and in the process might even re-think some of those ratings. Generally I see a movie in the theater and rate it that night or within a few days. It makes putting together a list like this much easier.
After re-considering each, I'll do another cut to narrow it down with the ultimate goal of choosing a top ten. If you'd rather cut to the chase, feel free to scroll to the bottom of the page to see the final verdict.
1st Cut Bold = advances to 2nd cut.
The 10s (None) - it's hard to rate any movie a 10 immediately after seeing it. Actually, I take that back. It's very, very easy to rate a movie a 10, but usually I regret it a little later. Over time you realize that as great as the experience might have been, the re-watchability level is slipping.
At different points in my life you'd have seen a number of movies with an initial 10 that are slightly embarrassing later. I'm pretty sure I counted Armageddon as my favorite movie of all time for a good month. Moving on...
The 9s
Children of Men (2006) -->the first movie I saw in LA. Contains two of the best tracking shots ever.
District 9 (2009) -->awesome CGI and great acting from a first time actor.
Eternal Sunshine (2004) -->this was one of those movies that keeps you in the theater for a while staring at the credits for a little.
Finding Nemo (2003) -->my favorite Pixar movie. Up and Wall-E don't even come close as both inexplicably become completely different and inferior movies halfway thru.
Hot Fuzz (2007) -->an almost perfect script. Reminds me of Back to the Future in that every line of dialogue in the first 20 minutes pays off later.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) -->this one caught me totally off guard. I haven't seen it since, but I loved the first viewing.
Michael Clayton (2007) -->awesome performances throughout and while it didn't stand a chance against the nihilistic duo of No Country and There Will Be Blood, I won't be watching either of those again.
Once (2006) -->it helps that Glen Hansard is the front man for my favorite band, but it's the only musical other than Singing In The Rain that I've ever enjoyed. Why? Realism.
Primer (2004) -->it's hard to explain this movie at all, but in a nutshell it's an extremely realistic look at time travel if you happened to invent it in your garage. Made on a dime, but won the audience award at Sundance.
The Hurt Locker (2009) -->IMDB lists as 2008. I disagree. For the record, my favorite movie of 2009.
The Squid and the Whale (2005) -->absolutely depressing, but extremely well written.
Up In The Air (2009) -->I don't think it's a perfect movie at all, but I enjoyed every character in the film. Second favorite of the year.
The 8s
The Dark Knight (2008) -->perfect example of slipping re-watchability. While I've seen it 5 times now, each time I question the plot holes more. The movie moves so fast that you don't notice them at all on a first viewing. Key plot hole: Think through the pre-planning that The Joker would have needed in order to get himself in and out of jail.
So Goes the Nation (2006) -->awesome documentary on the 2004 election.
25th Hour (2002) -->when Spike Lee makes movies with white people, I generally enjoy. On the flip side, the worst movie of the decade might be She Hate Me. Spike should really have had his "genius" questioned openly in the media after that one. Just embarrassing.
28 Days Later (2002) -->great theater experience. Horror movies, however, are generally an exception to my re-watchability belief. I'll watch them again, but I'm not as driven.
3:10 to Yuma (2007) -->first movie I saw at the Cinerama Dome in LA.Made me think about renting some Westerns from Netflix. That must mean something.
Adventureland (2009) -->I never worked at an amusement park, but jobs at a shoe store and a movie theater made me feel at home with this movie.
Almost Famous (2000) -->you forgot this was made in the Aughts didn't you? Well, not if you read Bill Simmons. WHy is this an 8 for me? Re-watchability. Like every Cameron Crowe movie, it's 20 minutes too long. Every single time I've re-watched it, it's felt longer.
An Education (2009) -->great movie. Not sure how many times I'll re-watch. If ever.
Atonement (2007) -->sometimes endings like this one seem like a cop out, worse a pretentious and obvious avoidance of something more satisying (cough Million Dollar Baby cough). But for some reason, I gave this one a pass.
Before Sunset (2004) -->sequel to Before Sunrise (1995), but it stands on its own.
Burn After Reading (2008) -->I'm a sucker for a clever screenplay and the quirky version of the Cohens are the best at it.
Cast Away (2000) -->It's on cable all the time, but I haven't watched it again since the theater experience.
Catch Me If You can (2002) -->an easy one to forget and it's too long, but still entertaining.
Charlie Wilson's War (2007) -->admittedly higher than most would have it. But Aaron Sorkin written anything gets good ratings from me.
City of God (2002) -->Awesome, awesome first viewing experience. No desire to re-watch. Anyone disagree.
Cinderella Man (2005) -->it's a fairly predictable, based on real life sports movie, with Renee Zelwegger looking like a different person than her Jerry Maguire days. But I don't care. Russel Crowe can act.
Closer (2004) -->plays very often make good movies. Pretty sure that only works one way.
Cloverfield (2008) -->awesome theater experience. Not sure that the best high def TV will stand up.
Dawn of the Dead (2004) -->when I saw this in the theater in Boston, someone brought a baby in with them. It cried as the lights went down, prompting a theater goer to yell, "Who the f*ck brought a baby to Dawn of the Dead?". The couple then left.
Dear Frankie (2004) -->amazing reveal at the end of a movie that was likely dismissed as a chick flick.
Dear Zachary (2008) -->absolutely brutal documentary. Don't watch this if you aren't prepared. Avoid spoilers, but read a synopsis first.
Finding Neverland (2004) -->tearjerker, but I haven't seen it since.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) -->honestly my favorite of the Apatow film universe.
Frost/Nixon (2008) -->great performances.
Funny People (2009) -->this one comes in second on my personal Apatow rankings, but in the end it might the one we remember most. Many reviews compared it to Broadcast News (1987), albeit because Apatow made the comparison first. But I think it's a dead on comparison. It's clearly the most personal of his efforts.
Gangs of New York (2002) -->I overrate this because of the incredible set work. I'm a sucker for that.
Gladiator (2000) -->holds up. And every Scott brother movie since seems like it aspires to be it.
Gone Baby Gone (2007) -->Should I have seen the ending coming? Sure. But I didn't. And thus loved it.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
High Fidelity (2000) -->I read the book, which definitely increased my love for the story, but John Cusack did it justic.
In America (2002) -->some absolutely heartbreaking individual scenes.
Igby Goes Down (2002)
In Bruges (2008) -->written by Martin McDonagh, an Irish playwright with a twisted sense of humor. If you dislike Colin Farrel, it might make you rethink that stance.
Inside Man (2008) -->Amazing what Clive Owen can do to a Spike Lee movie.
Iron Man (2008) -->Favreau did it right.
Jarhead (2005) -->If you know it's not an action movie going into it, you'll think differently.
Let The Right One In (2008) -->one of the better horror movies I've ever seen.
Amelie (2001) -->more inventive than almost everything Hollywood does.
Lord Of War (2005) -->guilty pleasure.
Lost In Translation (2003) -->It drags quite a bit through the Tokyo wandering and karaoke singing, but the individual moments still can't be beat.
Man On Fire (2004) -->I can understand dismissing the movie based on Tony Scott's style, but it's absolutely bad ass.
Minority Report (2002) -->Can't deny Spielberg a spot on a best of list.
Munich (2005) -->I don't necessarily agree with what Spielberg was trying to say, but it's quite a ride.
Ocean's Twelve (2004) -->Alright, so why do I like the one that everyone else hates? Because Steven Soderbergh decided to completely break the fourth wall in a movie that you'd never expect him to (thrillers usually aren't self conscious in the least). But really, a heist movie with Clooney and Pitt should absolutely be self conscious. And everything about the first one, from the wardrobes to the dialogue was headed there anyway. This is getting cut anyway, but I wanted to say that.
Little Miss Sunshine (2006) -->there's always a backlash movie that everyone loves and then gets tired of hearing about. Little Miss Sunshine tops that list for man, but I still know that I laughed a lot in the theater, cliches be damned.
Phone Booth (2002) -->I was extremely skeptical coming in, but enjoyed very much.
Road to Perdition (2002) -->the Paul Newman role would have been enough. But the shootouts made it.
Shaun of The Dead (2004) -->I'll be there opening weekend for everything Edgar Wright does.
Solaris (2002) -->a remake from Soderbergh/Clooney that takes its time, but it's a great sci fi movie.
Taken (2008) -->had to.
Thank You For Smoking (2005) -->still amazing that this is Reitman's first movie.
Pirate Radio (2009) -->Characters and music are so great that you'll forget there's almost no story structure.
The Departed (2006) -->I think this movie would have been even better if they could have gotten Jack to pump the brakes a little on his performance.
The Incredibles (2004) -->Ever since this movie I've wanted Pixar to make a rated R action movie. I don't think it's going to happen.
The Prestige (2006) -->I think there are a lot of people who look down on movies with any sort of twist. It creates a backlash for everything from The Sixth Sense to this one. And even though I don't believe that most of those people saw the twist coming, I can understand disliking a movie if you did.
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
The Wrestler (2008) -->It's unfortunate that we were deprived of a Mickey Rourke Oscar acceptance speech. Look up his Independent Spirit award speech on YouTube if you doubt me.
Unbreakable (2000) -->I was 16 when it came out and loved every minute
United 93 (2006) -->I didn't feel this movie needed to be made, but I'm glad that Paul Greengrass was the one to make it. I think this feeling will increase as time passes.
Walk The Line (2005) -->I often find that biopics fall short on re-watchability, but I've seen and enjoyed this several times.
Wedding Crashers (2005) -->The ridiculous montage to start the film had me very worried, but I love where they eventually take it.
Wonder Boys (2000) -->You sometimes forget that Tobey Maguire was great before Spider Man 3.
Zodiac (2007) -->an extremely long movie that is justified in its length. Without it, the viewer wouldn't understand the frustration of a never ending search for a killer.
Just missed the cut...
A Beautiful Mind (2001) -->doesn't hold up as well for me as I thought.
Babel (2006) -->really liked the first viewing, but can't imagine sitting through it again.
Juno (2007) -->one of those movies that you enjoy the first time through and less each time thereafter. Though it might have something to do with the dialogue.
Knocked Up (2007) -->Apatow's movies are always structurally a mess (usually two movies in one - first half for the guys, second half for the ladies), but I also think a lot of the line-o-rama type jokes fall flat in repeated viewings.
No Country For Old Men (2007) -->the ending.
Sunshine (2007) -->the ending. And it's a shame too, as I even loved the final twist, just not the final battle.
There Will Be Blood (2007) -->great visuals, great performance. But like No Country, an ending that makes you question why you watched.
The Good Shepherd (2007) -->so close for me. But it's so long and I'm not entirely sure it needs to be (this is where Zodiac differs).
Brick (2005) -->an awesomely inventive movie from a first time director. Would have been higher if it had been more accessible prior to the final 10 minutes.
Donnie Darko (2001) -->Between M. Night and Richard Kelly, this decade has some directors who have fallen hard from genius... more proof that The Auteur theory is vastly overblown.
Garden State (2004) -->not embarrassed to say that I loved this movie in the theater and it's fallen ever since. I don't think I'm alone in that opinion, but I also don't think I feel that way to fit in. Everyone has struggled with the dialogue on repeated viewings.
Intolerable Cruelty -->another quirky Cohen Brothers movie that isn't as highly thought of, but that I enjoyed very much.
Meet The Parents (2000) -->we sure did quote it a lot in my group of friends, and it's definitely great. Maybe it's Ben Still overexposure syndrome that lessened it in my eyes. Or the sequel I never saw. Not sure.
Mystic River (2003) -->I really like this movie and I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority at this point. Sean Penn's performance has been made fun of plenty, but I've seen the movie twice and it worked for me both times. If they had tied up a few plot points better, it might have been an all time favorite (specifically, why is Kevin Bacon in the movie?).
Observe and Report (2009) -->Well this one was interesting. A very mainstream promotional campaign with Seth Rogen front and center, but it's so far from mainstream that it's hard to describe. I'd be shocked if more than 10% of people who saw this in the theater left happy. But it's worth seeing.
Punch-Drunk Love (2002) -->Another great, weird one. Completely changed everything I knew about Adam Sandler.
Role Models (2008) -->Comedies clearly didn't get high priority in my list, but it's one of the better ones.
Sideways (2004) -->Another one that doesn't stand up for me. It might also be because I met Alexander Payne when he came to speak at Boston University and he was pretty pompous.
Slumdog Millionaire (2008) -->has to be on the "close" list because it was a serious Oscar contender. But it's pretty harmless and I've forgotten almost all of the plot points.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) -->despite having some absolutely amazing moments, it was very uneven. Another great theater experience that won't be repeated.
The Foot Fist Way (2006) -->a great introduction to Danny McBride.
The Mist (2007) -->take away the undercooked CGI and you have a sci-fi classic. Though I could have also done without the very tired crazy Christian character.
The Salton Sea (2002) -->dark, entertaining. Can't remember most of it though.
The TV Set (2006) -->awesome look at the creation of a TV show.
The Weather Man (2005) -->What happened to Nicholas Cage?
Thirteen Days (2000) -->no complaints.
Training Day (2001) -->Denzel deserved his Oscar.
Tropic Thunder (2008) -->over time I'm sure I'll like it less (the Tom Cruise cameo in particular), but a great theater experience.
Transsiberian (2008) -->feels like Hitchcock. Why aren't there more of these?
Memento (2000) -->Inventive. But would I watch it again? The answer so far is no.
And from the hey, while I'm at it department...
Most Overrated of the Decade
Million Dollar Baby -->an all time classic sports movie suddenly and inexplicably becomes a melodrama about the merits of life support. Sigh.
Lord Of The Rings (all 3) -->covered above.
Kill Bill (both of 'em) -->covered briefly above. The realism issue front and center. Flying ninja battles. Climbing out of a closed, buried casket how exactly? I know, I know, it's not supposed to be realistic. But wouldn't it have been better if it were?
Gran Torino -->baffled by the praise it got. I love racist Clint Eastwood too. But nobody else in the film can act.
Elephant -->I saw this on a few best of the decade lists. I hope it was for the inventive camera work and not the story, which was borderline insulting given the memory of Columbine.
Little Children -->We get it. You hate the suburbs Kate Winslett. (This led directly to my boycott of Revolutionary Road)
American Psycho -->We get it. The 80s were a little ridiculous. Great.
Batman Begins -->Sure they got the Batman reboot right, but the plot is awful. Do you remember that Batman went all ninja in Mongolia and that Liam Nissen is somehow the bad guy in the end?
The Reader -->guaranteed you will laugh at Kate Winslett's makeup when you see this movie.
V for Vendetta -->the most dumbed-down lesson in politics ever. Terrible adaptation of an excellent graphic novel.
Synecdoche, New York -->There's a great movie in there somewhere. I can't tell you where. And I don't believe Roger Ebert when he says he can.
Before The Devil Knows You're Dead -->whoa melodrama.
Crash -->Thankfully popular opinion has changed on this one. Notice that Paul Haggis appears on this list twice.
The Bourne Identity -->don't forget that the first movie was not directed by Paul Greengrass. And it doesn't compare.
Casino Royale --> a 45 minute poker scene that doesn't hold a candle to any scene in Rounders? Changing the formula up a little was great, but this movie crawls.
The 2nd Cut - The Dirty Thirty ...Eight. In no particular order...
1. Children of Men (2006) 2. District 9 (2009) 3. Eternal Sunshine (2004) 4. Finding Nemo (2003) 5. Hot Fuzz (2007) 6. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) 7. Michael Clayton (2007) 8. Once (2006) 9. Primer (2004) 10. The Hurt Locker (2009) 11. The Squid and the Whale (2005) 12. Up In The Air (2009) 13. The Dark Knight (2008) 14. 3:10 to Yuma (2007) 15. Adventureland (2009) 16. Almost Famous (2000) 17. Before Sunset (2004) 19. Dawn of the Dead (2004) 20. Funny People (2009) 21. Gladiator (2000) 22. High Fidelity (2000) 23. In America (2002) 24. In Bruges (2008) 25. Let The Right One In (2008) 26. Lost In Translation (2003) 27. Man On Fire (2004) 28. Minority Report (2002) 29. Munich (2005) 30. Shaun of The Dead (2004) 31. Solaris (2002) 32. Thank You For Smoking (2005) 33. The Departed (2006) 34. The Prestige (2006) 35. The Wrestler (2008) 36. Unbreakable (2000) 37. United 93 (2006) 38. Zodiac (2007)
The 3rd Cut - The Lucky Thirteen Still not in any particular order...
1. Children of Men (2006) 2. Eternal Sunshine (2004) 3. Hot Fuzz (2007) 4. Michael Clayton (2007) 5. Primer (2004) 6. The Hurt Locker (2009) 7. Almost Famous (2000) 8. Before Sunset (2004) 9. High Fidelity (2000) 10. Let The Right One In (2008) 11. Lost In Translation (2003) 12. Man On Fire (2004) 13. Zodiac (2007)
The Final Verdict Three cut to get to an even 10, and put in order, first to last.
1. Children of Men (2006) 2. Eternal Sunshine (2004) 3. Hot Fuzz (2007) 4. Before Sunset (2004) 5. Almost Famous (2000) 6. The Hurt Locker (2009) 7. Michael Clayton (2007) 8. Zodiac (2007) 9. Let The Right One In (2008) 10. Primer (2004)
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
at
7:05 PM
Posted by
Patrick Sullivan
I won passes (via Twitter no less) to see a screening of the pilot episode of NBC's new show Community, followed by a panel with the creator and the primary cast members. This basically boiled down to Joel McHale and Chevy Chase cracking jokes. Needless to say it was wildly entertaining.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
at
9:58 PM
Posted by
Patrick Sullivan
Following Harry Kalas and Gary Papa, longtime Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson has passed away after a battle with cancer. Apparently these things do happen in 3s.
In my lifetime I can't remember watching the Eagles line up on Sundays without Jim Johnson commanding the D. His heavy blitzing strategy will be forever linked with Philadelphia, fitting perfectly with the character of the city and its fans. Here's hoping Johnson's successor, while surely unable to fill his shoes immediately, will take his cues from the professionalism Jim Johnson brought to the job. And it surely wouldn't hurt if he perused Johnson's notes...
Today I had the opportunity to stop by a charity event in West L.A. - 25 food trucks donating profits to Haiti, including my favorite: South Philly Experience.
