2008: The Year In Movies

[estranged4life]

I only saw 2 movies made in 2008...but only on DVD:

Hellboy 2
The Forbidden Kingdom

[Steviefan49]

Originally Posted by trackaghost

Calling them "atrocities" seems rather extreme to say the least.


I've seen loads of films this year but my favourites are as follows:

1. The Wrestler
2. The Mist
3. Step Brothers
4. There Will Be Blood
5. Slumdog Millionaire
6. Rachel Getting Married
7. Cloverfield
8. Lars And The Real Girl
9. In Bruges
10. Iron Man
11. Synecdoche New York
12. No Country For Old Men
13. The Fall
14. The Dark Knight
15. Changeling
16. Wendy & Lucy
17. The Orphanage
18. Gomorrah
19. Gonzo: The Life And Work Of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
20 Che Parts 1 & 2

Special mentions to Eden Lake, Be Kind Rewind, Country Wedding (Sveitabrúðkaup), Happy-Go-Lucky, Frost/Nixon, Gone Baby Gone, CSNY: Deja Vu and Pineapple Express

Worst films: Cassandra's Dream, Chemical Wedding, Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Elite Squad (how did this win the Golden Bear at Berlin?!), Mamma Mia (I'm really sorry, I found it a struggle!), Deception, Botched and...
The Secret (Kala), which was an Indonesian thriller I saw at the London Film Festival. It was crazy but not in a good way, starting out like a film noir crossed with a serial killer thriller it turned into this weird supernatural mystery and finally like some kind of fantasy adventure a la Highlander. I only stayed to the end because I wanted to know what weird way it was all going to turn out. It certainly was full of surprises, I guess.


Biggest disappointments: Quantum Of Solace, Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, Semi-Pro and W.

I also LOVED Iron Man, and Dark Knight! I agree that Chronicles of Narnia sucked this time.. The first one seemed SOOO much better, IMO.. Also, "Day the Earth Stood still" was a big dissappointment, as the other one, made back in the day seemed to run rings around this one, we thought. My boyfriend and I felt they relied too much on the special affects, and back then, they relied on the true acting! I don't know what it is about some of these re-makes, but they just don't seem to be what the "originals" were.. Again, (IMO)..

[Steviefan49]

Originally Posted by estranged4life

I only saw 2 movies made in 2008...but only on DVD:

Hellboy 2
The Forbidden Kingdom

Oh WOW.. Both GREAT ones!! I loved both of those!

[David]

Iwai's HANA & ALICE is the greatest film of the past five years. It speaks truthfully about young people, & the story is treated with quietly joyful idiosyncrasy, great charm, & complexity.

Other near-great films of the past few years include Winterbottom's TRISTRAM SHANDY & the deracinating NOBODY KNOWS by Koreeda. Stacy Peralta's RIDING GIANTS (2004) contains remarkable compositions & stunning suspense.

Paul Black's AMERICA BROWN (2005) is an honest failure, but SAHARA (2005) is a dishonest & a reprehensible one on every level. Francesca Annis gave her greatest performance yet in the made-for-TV CRANFORD (2007).

Woody Allen's SCOOP (2006) gave me a measure of confidence in contemporary mainstream cinematography, which I thought was previously a lost art. Agnieszka Holland's ballyhooed COPYING BEETHOVEN was more than a disappointment -- it was an embarrassment, with scenes of inappositeness of style, cauliflower ear for dialog, & glaring lack of originality.

Mention to Christopher Plummer, who in Doug McGrath's NICHOLAS NICKLEBY (2002) created a death scene of searing incandescence of almost classical tragicomic proportion. The most interesting music documentary was Bruno Monsaingeon's PIOTR ANDERSZEWSKI: BEETHOVEN (2001). Shot in 2001 in a recording studio in Switzerland, we trace the young pianist's (only partially successful) attempt to invest with renewed personal vigor the greatest work of piano variations in the Western tradition -- the Diabelli Variations. The scene in which Anderszewski discusses how he came to the Variations by way of the Missa Solemnis, & then sings & plays his way through the great Credo fugato, left an everlasting impression.

[trackaghost]

Originally Posted by Steviefan49

I also LOVED Iron Man, and Dark Knight!

Iron Man was great wasn't it? I'm in the minority because I actually liked it more than The Dark Knight.

Originally Posted by David

Other near-great films of the past few years include Winterbottom's TRISTRAM SHANDY & the deracinating NOBODY KNOWS by Koreeda. Stacy Peralta's RIDING GIANTS (2004) contains remarkable compositions & stunning suspense.

Have you seen Dogtown And Z-Boys, David? It's just as good as Riding Giants.
I was totally puzzled by what Tristram Shandy so I looked it up on the imdb and it was called A Cock And Bull Story here in the UK! Great film.

[Zombie]

Originally Posted by trackaghost

Iron Man was great wasn't it? I'm in the minority because I actually liked it more than The Dark Knight.

I suppose people put them both in the same category because they were both based on comics, but I don't think they should be compared. Iron Man was fun, and The Dark Knight was serious.

Thank goodness Nolan took the Batman franchise somewhere around where it needed to be instead of leaving it back there with Jack Nicholson prancing all over it.

Not that I mind Jack Nicholson, of course, but the Joker is NOT a prancing man.

[David]

Originally Posted by trackaghost

Have you seen Dogtown And Z-Boys, David? It's just as good as Riding Giants.

I haven't but I'd like to. But you know me & waves!

[Steviefan49]

Originally Posted by trackaghost

Iron Man was great wasn't it? I'm in the minority because I actually liked it more than The Dark Knight.



Have you seen Dogtown And Z-Boys, David? It's just as good as Riding Giants.
I was totally puzzled by what Tristram Shandy so I looked it up on the imdb and it was called A Cock And Bull Story here in the UK! Great film.

Hey Sharon..

Well, my boyfriend John is with you on the "Iron Man" vote, as he's a bigger fan of that one, like you, then the Dark Knight, but I loved both, as I truly loved Heath Ledger - It was hilarious, at the time Iron Man came out, as John "ate, drank and lived" Iron Man. I even went out and bought him a Iron Man tshirt LOLOL.. He has a lot of the Iron Man comics, and at the time we had to go to our comic shop and buy more Iron Man stuff. He took me to his comic shope in Newcastle- UK several years ago when I went to meet his Parent's, and boy.. it's awesome! It was really huge, compared to the one we have here. But I think he's just a kid at heart, and it cracks me up! LOLOL.. Now, he's looking forward to Wolverine, of the Xmen to come out next year..Oy..LOL

Hugs and love,

Arlene

[Steviefan49]

Originally Posted by Zombie

I suppose people put them both in the same category because they were both based on comics, but I don't think they should be compared. Iron Man was fun, and The Dark Knight was serious.

Thank goodness Nolan took the Batman franchise somewhere around where it needed to be instead of leaving it back there with Jack Nicholson prancing all over it.

Not that I mind Jack Nicholson, of course, but the Joker is NOT a prancing man.

I gotta agree with you on the Iron Man and Dark Knight theory. Even tho they both were based on comics, they were, a little different. I really, personally, loved them both in their own perspective ways, you know? I've always been a Heath Ledger fan, and it really hurt when he left us. And I also love Robert Downey Jr. also, and am SOOOO glad to see him be back on top again ! I also LOVED him in Tropic Thunder, which we "LOL'd" throughout almost the entire movie! He was hilarious in that! LOL.. My only wish, on a lot of the "re-makes" are.. that in the era of the special affects, that somehow, they could tone that stuff down a pinch, and improve on the acting a bit.. I think when that happens, it's gonna be SOOO much better.. IMO..

[Zombie]

Originally Posted by Steviefan49

I gotta agree with you on the Iron Man and Dark Knight theory. Even tho they both were based on comics, they were, a little different. I really, personally, loved them both in their own perspective ways, you know? I've always been a Heath Ledger fan, and it really hurt when he left us. And I also love Robert Downey Jr. also, and am SOOOO glad to see him be back on top again ! I also LOVED him in Tropic Thunder, which we "LOL'd" throughout almost the entire movie! He was hilarious in that! LOL.. My only wish, on a lot of the "re-makes" are.. that in the era of the special affects, that somehow, they could tone that stuff down a pinch, and improve on the acting a bit.. I think when that happens, it's gonna be SOOO much better.. IMO..

I thought the effects in The Dark Knight were very well done. They actually flipped that semi, and broke one of only 4 IMAX cameras in the world in the process of filming that scene. I also thought the acting was great - particularly on Ledger's part. It depresses me that we finally got such a perfect Joker, and then...no more. :-(

Christian Bale's goofy voice thing bothers me, but I can overlook it because everything else was so good, lol. I hope Nolan will go ahead and do another Batman, though before Ledger passed away, I'd figured they'd do something with The Long Halloween...now, I'm not so sure how they'd work that.

I haven't seen Tropic Thunder yet, but I have heard it was funny, and I think that it is nice to see Robert Downey, Jr. upright and making some semblance of sense. I've always been a fan of his.

The Hellboy films are also great additions to the comics adaptation set, particularly since their story lines are original. And del Toro is an AMAZING director. I love him.

[Steviefan49]

Originally Posted by Zombie

I thought the effects in The Dark Knight were very well done. They actually flipped that semi, and broke one of only 4 IMAX cameras in the world in the process of filming that scene. I also thought the acting was great - particularly on Ledger's part. It depresses me that we finally got such a perfect Joker, and then...no more. :-(

Christian Bale's goofy voice thing bothers me, but I can overlook it because everything else was so good, lol. I hope Nolan will go ahead and do another Batman, though before Ledger passed away, I'd figured they'd do something with The Long Halloween...now, I'm not so sure how they'd work that.

I haven't seen Tropic Thunder yet, but I have heard it was funny, and I think that it is nice to see Robert Downey, Jr. upright and making some semblance of sense. I've always been a fan of his.

The Hellboy films are also great additions to the comics adaptation set, particularly since their story lines are original. And del Toro is an AMAZING director. I love him.

OMG.. I completely forgot about talking about the Hellboy movie! It was WONDERFUL! I SOOO loved that story.. both of those were great- Hellboy I and Hellboy II! I guess on the special affects, and re-makes movies, I was talking more about stuff like "Day the Earth Stood still" instead of any of these.. sorry bout that.. That didn't come out right there.. LOLOLOL. - I completely agree that on these, the special affects were wonderful! I also miss Heath, as boy.. he was one hell of a "Joker" wasn't he? It's SOOO sad.. as he will surely be missed!

Hugs,

Arlene

[Zombie]

Originally Posted by Steviefan49

OMG.. I completely forgot about talking about the Hellboy movie! It was WONDERFUL! I SOOO loved that story.. both of those were great- Hellboy I and Hellboy II! I guess on the special affects, and re-makes movies, I was talking more about stuff like "Day the Earth Stood still" instead of any of these.. sorry bout that.. That didn't come out right there.. LOLOLOL. - I completely agree that on these, the special affects were wonderful! I also miss Heath, as boy.. he was one hell of a "Joker" wasn't he? It's SOOO sad.. as he will surely be missed!

Hugs,

Arlene

Haha, I feel the Hellboy films are often overlooked when people discuss comics movies - I can't wait for the 3rd to come out.

I stayed away from The Day the Earth Stood Still, but I will have to watch it eventually to review it for my website. From the trailer, it looks like they went in a way different direction from the first one, and I don't think that's a good idea.

But, then again, I don't think remakes in general are a good idea. If the original movie was good, why mess with a good thing? If the original movie was bad, why bother? Oy.

[rubytuesday]

Originally Posted by Zombie

I haven't seen Tropic Thunder yet, but I have heard it was funny, and I think that it is nice to see Robert Downey, Jr. upright and making some semblance of sense. I've always been a fan of his..

I thought that film was ok but wsas just one joke repeated for two hours. The one I loved in it was Steve Coogan, he's always brilliant. I wasn't laughing much but the one scene in it where he meets his end, I was laughing so hysterically you know how when you're laughing about something 5 minutes later when it's innappropriate but makes it harder to keep in. I'm laughing about that scene now.

[David]

Originally Posted by Zombie

But, then again, I don't think remakes in general are a good idea. If the original movie was good, why mess with a good thing? If the original movie was bad, why bother? Oy.

Why don't we start a thread -- Favorite Remakes?

A few that come to mind in my case:
THE MALTESE FALCON (Huston)
THE WIZARD OF OZ (Fleming)
THE LETTER (Wyler)
HIS GIRL FRIDAY (Hawks)

I put the director name to specify which version I mean.

[Zombie]

Originally Posted by rubytuesday

I thought that film was ok but wsas just one joke repeated for two hours. The one I loved in it was Steve Coogan, he's always brilliant. I wasn't laughing much but the one scene in it where he meets his end, I was laughing so hysterically you know how when you're laughing about something 5 minutes later when it's innappropriate but makes it harder to keep in. I'm laughing about that scene now.

Haha - those are always the best moments. I always find those in the oddest places, and they always make my day. I will have to check the movie out.

Originally Posted by David

Why don't we start a thread -- Favorite Remakes?

A few that come to mind in my case:
THE MALTESE FALCON (Huston)
THE WIZARD OF OZ (Fleming)
THE LETTER (Wyler)
HIS GIRL FRIDAY (Hawks)

I put the director name to specify which version I mean.

Mine will be a VERY short list. It would consist of THE THING (Carpenter) and...uh...uhm...yep.

If you do a "Not-Favorite Remakes," though, I can whine all over that til the cows come home. Sean flippin' Bean in The Hitcher, anyone? Rob Zombie's atrocious mangling of Halloween?