Wednesday, December 31, 2008

i3109 - i1100 = 2009

Before listing my choices for the best films of 2008, I'll write a bit about me and movies. Over the last year, I've begun learning more about movie-making and trying to create my own projects... I've been pretty unproductive this far (something that WILL change in 2009). My interest in movies in the past has been purely based on video as a medium for entertainment... I've never cared what went into the making of a movie, just that the end result would be entertaining in some respect. This is why I've thought and continue to think Citizen Kane is a piece of shit (srsly). What's my favorite movie of all time? It's really hard to say. Although it probably erases any of my credibility on the subject, I might suggest Hot Rod (a movie that I find to be endlessly entertaining). The more I get into making my own videos, the more I start to take into account things like cinematography and the performances on screen versus the overall effect of a movie. This new appreciation certainly has a footprint in this year's list. I'm glad that I work at the Fleur Cinema & Cafe, as it has really opened a door to a lot of films that I would've never watched in the past. As it is, my list this year is comprised mostly of films I watched at work... despite my age and the ridiculousness of me making my primary income from a movie theater, I can't help myself but to be kinda stoked about his facet of my life. Best Billy Employer of 2008: Teh Fleur!

MY FAVORITE MOVIES OF 2008
Action/Comedy: Pineapple Express
(I love movies with Seth Rogen. This one just happens to be hilarious while packing some very respectable action)

Comedy: Role Models
(Absolutely hilarious; nothing made me laugh more all year)

Comic Adaptation: Iron Man
(While The Dark Knight was a great movie, I think Favreau's film was a much more entertaining adaptation of the comic it's based on)
Documentary: Man On Wire
(An amazing story in such a well-done documentary)

Drama: Slumdog Millionaire
(Barely topping Synecdoche, New York and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; chosen because it's so incredibly well done and lacking at no point in the film)

"Indie" Indie: In Search of a Midnight Kiss
(Probably the best indie film I've seen in recent memory; obviously well written, performed, and shot within my future home, Los Angeles, California)
Music Documentary: Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten
(I'm certainly not the biggest Clash fan, but this is a quality doc. featuring really great archive footage of Mr. Strummer and interesting interviews with his former bandmates)


Worst Movie Ever: Happy-Go-Lucky
(I've honestly never been so miserable in my entire life)


Biggest Surprise: The Promotion
(This would've been my "Indie" Indie pick if not for Midnight Kiss's charm; the performances are as great as the style throughout the film and has me looking forward to Chad Schmidt in 2010)
Most Disappointing: Hellboy II: The Golden Army
(Not only a bastardization of a great comic, but a shitty film relying on the giant plant fight completely)


Best Director: Charlie Kaufman
(Truly brilliant stuff; Synecdoche, New York)
Best Actor: Sean Penn
(A fantastic portrayl in the most socially relevant movie of 2008; Milk)

Best Actress: Anne Hathaway
(Not only incredibly beautiful, but able to portray an incredible range of emotions; Rachel Getting Married)
Best Soundtrack: The Wackness

(1994 featured some GREAT hip-hop)

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