First of all I'd like to say please pardon my absence from livejournal.  I have been doing well and I hope you have been well as well.  Well, as for movies this year, I could probably make a solid top 15 countdown right now.  But instead I'm gonna do something a little different.  Since I have become quite famous for my top 30 lists, I'm going to make a top 30 remaining movies I'm looking forward to in final four months of 2007.  Just to give you all a little heads up of what coming up and to keep it as a reminder for myself.  Plus it'll be fun to look back at how accurate I was and how many disappointments there were.  Now, I'm sure I have left several movies out, so feel free to enlighten me after you look it over.


SIDE NOTE:  For everyone that reads this that is a lover of cinema as I am, you are truly missing out if you do not go to see the movie, "Once".  It's a little indie flick that's playing at Baxter Ave. in Louisville and at Lexington Green 8.  It's a fantastic film and more people should be making an effort to go see it.

With that said, here we go...

30. The Heartbreak Kid (10/5)

Personally I’m not a big Ben Stiller fan.  Every now and then he’ll find himself in a decent movie but he’s one of the most typecast actors out there.  However the Farrelly brothers have yet to make a movie I didn’t really enjoy so this one’s definitely got potential.

29. The Brave One (9/14)

Not a big Neil Jordan fan but Jodie Foster is one of those actresses that picks her scripts wisely.  And Terrence Howard is definitely a 27%er (a new lingo term I just heard about – it means whenever a 27%er is in a movie, it makes the movie 27% better).

28. Across the Universe (9/21)

I’ve seen the trailer for this movie 100 times and I still couldn’t really tell you what it’s about.  It leaves me with one of those confused, but interested feelings.  We’ll see.

27. Sweeney Todd (12/21)

Tim Burton’s musical.  You can only expect the unknown.  Burton’s right hand man, Johnny Depp is the lead, so bring it on.

26. Fred Claus (11/9)

Santa Clause’s brother is Vince Vaughn.  Wedding Crashers director directs.  I’m expecting Paul Giamatti to carry it in order for it to be good.

25. The Golden Compass (12/7)

Daniel Craig teams up with his main woman from his last two movies – Nicole Kidman and the love of my life, Eva Green (and she can fly!)  Expect this to score big with the youngsters (the Narnia, Harry Potter type).

24. The Hunting Party (9/14)

Richard Gere and Terrence Howard are journalists running through the streets of Bosnia with explosions and things.  Very exciting.

23. Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (11/16)

Natalie Portman needs to get her rear in gear.  I still love her, but in her last few movies you can tell she’s trying too hard.  Dustin Hoffman is great though and he’s probably going to make this movie.

22. Margot at the Wedding (11/16)

Noah Baumbach made a fantastic movie back in ’05 called The Squid and the Whale.  A lot of times though, the sophomore movie isn’t as good (See Jared Hess).  In any case, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jack Black (please see Jared Hess) are on his cast.

21. Elizabeth: The Golden Age (10/12)

Oh I love my Cate Blanchett.  While 1998’s Elizabeth is a peculiar movie to make a sequel of, it still has all the things that made it great plus Clive Owen.  Let’s hope it comes complete with a good story too.

20. Dan in Real Life (10/26)

Oh I love my Steve Carell.  Yes, Evan Almighty was horrible but it wasn’t his fault.  I think he’s an absolute delight on screen and this looks like the type of movie he can run with.

19. I Am Legend (12/14)

Definite box off hit because of Will Smith, yeah.  But I have a feeling that, like most of his movies, the visuals will be the real draw.  If the story is there, it’ll be good one. 

18. Gone Baby Gone (10/19 limited)

I never did abandon the Ben Affleck bandwagon.  He’s already won himself an Oscar for writing, now he’s taking a shot a directing.  He cast his little brother in the lead role.  I’m looking forward to it.

17. Leatherheads (12/7)

George Clooney is a good filmmaker and he’s picked an interesting story and a great cast for this movie.  John Krasinski, my favorite from The Office and Rene Zellweger make up the cast in this 1920s football movie.

16. Beowulf (11/16)

I would feel weary about this movie if it weren’t for the fact that Robert Zemeckis is directing it.  He’s one you can always count on.  Using the same type of animation he used in The Polar Express, he offers his take on the epic tale.

15. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (9/21 limited)

I’m worried about this movie.  When I heard about it several years ago, I couldn’t wait.  But, it has been on the shelf for a very long time and that is almost never a good sign (See All the King’s Men).  Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck play the two title characters.  Keep your fingers crossed that it lives up to its potential.

14. Enchanted (11/21)

Okay first off, this movie just sounds cool.  Characters from an old Disney animated film find themselves real life and in New York City.  If you’ve seen the trailer though, it is hilarious.  Not to mention my love, Amy Adams playing the lead.

13. Lust, Caution (9/28 limited)

Now that Ang Lee has one of the best love stories ever depicted on film under his belt, he goes back to his native country to make another forbidden love-type WWII movie.

12. Cassandra's Dream (11/30 limited)

Match Point was one of the most ingenious movies in recent years.  Woody Allen’s new project looks like it might follow in its steps.  Collin Farrell and Ewan Mcgregor are the two leading men.

11. Michael Clayton (10/12)

Clooney’s best performance of the year will come in this political thriller.  Prepare to have no idea what is happening on the screen (but seriously, it’s Clooney, how important could it be?)

10. 3:10 to Yuma (9/7)

You can’t beat a good western.  James Mangold should have been given much more credit for his brilliant directing of Walk the Line.  With him, you can expect two great performances given by Russell Crowe and Christian Bale in what is probably one of my favorite genres.

9. Into the Wild (9/21)

I think the best directors out there are the directors that were at one point an actor.  That’s why I can’t wait to see how one of the best actors out there, Sean Penn, does in his big return to the director’s chair.  Emile Hirsch and Vince Vaughn play the lead roles.

8. Lions for Lambs (11/9)

Robert Redford is proof of my previous statement.  His seventh try at directing sees him along with Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise, both decent actors, in this big time political drama.

7. The Kite Runner (11/2)

I’ve been trying to say for years now how awesome of a director Marc Forster is.  No big time actors in this, just what I’m sure will be an incredible story.  And after this film he’ll put a James Bond movie under his belt.

6. Eastern Promises (9/21)

David Cronenberg is great at the dark feeling movie.  Eastern Promises is his follow-up to 2005’s A History of Violence and it also features his main man, Viggo Mortensen along with Naomi Watts.  Expect guns, blood, murder, etc.

5. American Gangster (11/2)

I’ve gotten hyped up for each of Ridley Scott’s last three movies, Matchstick Men, Kingdom of Heaven, and A Good Year, all of which were quite disappointing.  Again I find myself so excited for this movie.  Russell Crowe and Denzel are two of the best in the business.  Can’t wait to see ‘em together.

4. No Country for Old Men (11/21)

The Coen brothers are in the exact same boat.  Neither Ladykillers nor Intolerable Cruelty were much count.  But with a really cool title and Javier Bardem looking so freakin’ spooky in the trailer, I’ll think it’ll be worth it.

3. The Darjeeling Limited (9/29 limited)

Wes Anderson is not only an underrated and underappreciated director, but his writing is some of the best there is.  I watched the trailer for this movie and laughed out loud a few times.  Plus he’s already got Owen Wilson pulling publicity stunts for it.

2. In the Valley of Elah (9/14 limited)

Paul Haggis movies win awards.  What was practically his directorial debut went on to win the Academy Award for best picture.  Fellow Oscar winners Tommy Lee Jones and Charlize Theron star in this Iraq war mystery-type movie.

1. Charlie Wilson's War (12/25)

Tom Hanks is probably my favorite working actor.  He does everything right in every role.  He stars here, for director Mike Nichols, along with Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman (all four Oscar winners might I add) and my formerly mentioned love, Amy Adams in a film about the 1980s Soviet Union/Afghanistan struggle.

The 2nd Annual Kris Awards

Winners listed in bold

The Top 30 Movies of 2006

#1 (tie)


I hadn’t planned on doing this until about 4:00 earlier today. I took one last look at both these films and I determined that I couldn’t refer to either of them as number two. Few years down the road when I make up my top 30 of the decade, then I’ll probably have decided which I liked better. But tonight it ends in a tie and if you have a problem with it, you can contact customer service.

One critic called The Departed “A new American crime classic.” That’s exactly what it will be, a classic. It will be the movie you think of when you think of 2006 and in my head, it’s the only movie you can give the best picture award to. The story was perfect. It’s entertaining, funny at times, and it keeps you interested every second. This has to win best screenplay; the dialogue was ingenious. Martin Scorsese is a master at what he does and is finally going to get himself the Oscar that has been long overdue to him. Leonardo DiCaprio should have been nominated for this film and should have won it for this film. Jack Nicholson deserved a supporting nomination, in addition to Wahlberg who also deserved the one he got. If this movie does not win best picture, then the Academy has made two major, major mistakes in as many years. They need this to win.

United 93 is one of the most powerful movies ever made. It made a little bit of a push close to Oscar season, but only got two nominations and that still makes me happy. As I’ve already said, it has an impact on us now because we all remember that day. I remember in Algebra II, Curtis Marshman turned around and said, “They’re gonna make movies about this.” Back when I was an aspiring filmmaker I wanted to make a movie called Flight 93. It’s just a story that you make a movie about. Somebody called it the first victory in the war on terror. The passengers on board were heroes that sit down as strangers and stood up together to make a stand against evil. About the film – it seems like it’s happening in real time. It starts out at the beginning of the day when the terrorists are getting ready and goes all the way until the crash of the flight. Makes you feel like you’re reliving the day, only you’re there and you’re witnessing it all, the confusion, the fear, the astonishment, the sadness and even that adrenaline rush as they get ready to retake the plane. The beginning was a little slow as everyone was starting out their days, but by the end I was literally on the edge of my seat, completely into it. Even though everyone knows what’s going to happen that just raises the suspense that much more. After I saw this movie I was so stunned that I called everyone I knew and made them go see it that night, then I went to see it again. SO incredible.

And there you have it.  Watch the Academy Awards tomorrow night and I'll see you guys in 11 months!

3 Days and counting until the Academy Awards.

The Top 30 Movies of 2006

#3


When Little Miss Sunshine came out this past summer I knew it would be the movie that got overlooked.  I thought for sure that it would linger around for a while and people would love it, but by the time Oscar season came it would get lost in the shuffle and maybe earn a screenplay nomination at most.  No thank you says Fox Searchlight and they push this movie through to multiple nominations, which it deserves, and a very good shot at a best picture win.  Let me say this, I don’t think it should win, but I would be tickled silly if it did.  If you’ve been reading my blogs here, you’ll know that I’ve already named like, four movies the make-you-feel-good movie of the year, but I’m retarded.  Little Miss Sunshine merits that award hands down and I swear this is the final time I’ll give it out.  I’m seriously a sucker for a movie like this and I kind of hate that it’s only number three on my list.  It’s a simple story about a family that goes on a road trip and it just happens to bring them closer together.  Been there right?  No.  It’s one of the very few movies that made me smile so big I wanted to tear up.  But it also had me bent over laughing a few times.  Abigail Breslin got herself a nomination and I think I called that or I meant to if I didn’t.  She deserves it and frankly, of the nominees, I think she deserves to win it.  I thought it should have had more acting nominations.  All of the main actors should have been nominated, with the exception of maybe Paul Dano.  I freakin’ love Steve Carell – he wanted to kill himself at the beginning of the movie and at the end HE is the one running through the lobby of the hotel for his family.  Oh geez.  And notice how every time they push the van as a family, they get a little closer together.  Brilliant!  Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.  I loved it man.  I loved it.

4 Days and counting until the Academy Awards.

The Top 30 Movies of 2006

#4


I haven’t seen a movie quite as brilliant as Babel.  It makes me feel a little guilty saying this, but deep down I really think Alejandro González Iñárritu deserves to win for best directing.  He sculpted together a true masterpiece in the form of film.  He tells multiple stories, as he normally does, that all interconnect somehow in the end.  Can’t say enough about him and his filmmaking.  Babel got two acting nominations and while I especially liked Rinko Kikuchi, you can’t beat Brad Pitt.  This was his best performance ever and he deserved a little attention for it I think.  And another thing, something I learned in film school was that the best type of editing is the type you never notice.  Well I did notice the editing here, but I thought it was astonishing.  I just really admired the flow of the different shots and thought it was put together very well.  I had this movie pegged at number two for the longest time but there has been a little bit of a shuffle here in my top five.  I hope I don’t regret bumping it down but I’m thinking I’ve got it right.  We’re almost there!

5 Days and counting until the Academy Awards.

The Top 30 Movies of 2006

#5


Children of Men was a beautiful spectacle from beginning to end.  I think its cinematography will be good enough to win it an Oscar because for two hours, you are in the future living every moment out along with the characters.  There’s no arguing that this is one of the best and most original stories of the year.  Twenty years down the road, woman can’t have babies and the world is ending because of that.  The film is almost constantly coming from Clive Owens’ character’s perspective.  He is an outsider – not really taking one side or the other, not really completely familiar with what all is going on, right where we are as viewers.  So maybe it’s not completely the cinematography to credit it’s the entire storytelling aspect.  I don’t know.  Clive Owen is perfect in the lead and his acting should have earned him more attention.  I normally wouldn’t want to see him get beat up because he plays such a tough guy in his other films, but he makes a pretty good imperfect hero too.  This is one of those movies where I just get all flustered up trying to tell about how much I loved it and I end up not making any sense.  It’s a great movie though.

6 Days and counting until the Academy Awards.

The Top 30 Movies of 2006

#6


Letters from Iwo Jima was the second chapter of Clint Eastwood’s Iwo Jima movies.  Along with Flags of Our Fathers, these movies complement each other brilliantly, but are also ingenious on their own.  Letters was the better of the two.  The story, told from the perspective of the Japanese Army, focused more on the war and preparation than the aftermath.  Ken Watanabe is just about the most recognized actor used in either of the films and probably gives the best performance.  He plays a general that is assigned to bring organization and motivation to a helpless army that expects defeat.  Because the film shows the opposition’s perspective, some thought this would downgrade Americans or their involvement in the war, and make a statement about war in general but Eastwood doesn’t take a side.  He doesn’t make one side look better than the other – he tells the story like it is, two great armies at war.  I’d say this is probably the best war movie I’ve seen since Saving Private Ryan.

One week and counting until the Academy Awards.

The Top 30 Movies of 2006

#7


Leonardo DiCaprio is getting to be the best actor out there.  Look at the last few movies he’s been in – all ingenious performances.  I’ll go on and say now that I think probably both of his performances this year were award-worthy and that I think he deserves him one of those statuettes.  I say he’ll have one in the next five years or sooner.  Not only did DiCaprio stand out, but the supporting performance by Djimon Hounsou was astonishing.  At the time, I was hoping he’d be the favorite come Oscar night, but then came Eddie Murphy and now I really think they’re both equally deserving of the award.  Now then, Blood Diamond was one of the best movies of 2006 thanks to not only its two performances but also a knockout story.  It’s always a good thing when you can manage to make a political thriller that people like me can understand.  We not only leave the theater having been entertained, but we leave feeling smarter.  And one last thing, has anyone else noticed that almost every Ed Zwick film gets critical praise yet his directing always goes unmentioned?  Well, not in this blog.