The Year in Movies: 1923

1923

Back to the '20s. I'm watching these as fast as I can, but I'm still a bit lacking.

Number of Movies I've Seen: 3

Number of Movies from my original top 365:  none

Oscar Winner:
Didn't exist yet.

Box Office Winner:
The Covered Wagon -  Oregon Trail: The Movie. Exactly what you would expect. This was quite impressive for being nearly 100 years old. It does take some interesting turns and I was entertained. What more could you want?

My Top Ten:
1. NEXT POST!

2. Safety Last - Harry Lloyd's classic comic stunt film. It is most famous for the scene pictured above and the rest of the movie is really just a slapstick setup for that particular scene. It is worth the watch for anybody interested in movie history and is certainly the most famous movie from this year.

3. The Covered Wagon 

Best of the Year: 2012 - Beast of the Southern Wild

J

Just after this movie came out on DVD I showed it to my AP Environmental Science class on a day where we were missing kids due to testing. About a week later we were on a nature walk behind the school and one of the students jumped into the water and exclaimed: "Look at me! I feel like Hushpuppy!" It warmed my heart they he had actually paid attention to the artsy film I showed them, but it also demonstrated how this movie can get underneath your skin. We all have a little Hushpuppy inside of us.

Hushpuppy (if you haven't already figured it out) is the little girl in the picture above (potrayed brilliantly by an 8 year-old Quvenzhane' Wallis) and the main character in Beasts of the Southern Wild, my favorite film from 2012. This movie is a beautiful visual poem about rising from the ashes of destruction, the innocence of youth, and victory over our demons no matter how imposing. This was Benh Zeitlin's first film and he didn't make another until this year (Wendy). Reading his biography he has a real love for filmmaking that goes beyond churning out productions. For example he spent time interning in Prague at an animation studio and he has worked at a Manhattan elementary school teaching students to make their own films. Pretty cool stuff.

The Year in Movies: 2012

2012

A decent, if a bit forgettable, year in movies

Number of Movies I've Seen: 66
Still admirable considering I had a 4-year-old movie partner at the time.

Number of Movies from my original top 365:  none

My original blog only went up to 2011.

Oscar Winner:
Argo - Probably the most deserving Oscar win in the past decade. This is a really solid movie that tells the story of a pretty miraculous real-life event. I think if Affleck had not cast himself as the lead/hero it would be remembered more fondly.

Box Office Winner:
The Avengers -  I remember walking out of the theater after seeing Joss Whedon's comic book masterpiece thinking: "That was perfect.... now let's stop making these." Super-hero fatigue has definitely caught up to me and save for Into the Spiderverse I haven't really loved one since this pinnacle. Endgame just didn't do it for me and in my opinion swung the pendulum back to movie fan service over comic fan service.

My Top Ten:
1. NEXT POST!

2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I have tried to talk Abby into checking this one out with me. It is one of the best "coming of age" high school movies in recent years. 

3. Ruby Sparks - A writer falls in love with his character who he realizes he has formed into actual existence. The title character is played brilliantly by Zoe Kazan. This film is also the second of only three films from husband and wife directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (the other two being Little Miss Sunshine and Battle of the Sexes). These guys need to make more movies!

4. Moonrise Kingdom - Another director that you can expect to see a bit from on these lists is Wes Anderson. I'm not sure this is his best, but it may be my favorite. Adorable young love told in the most quirky way possible.

5. Argo 

6. Silver Linings Playbook - David O. Russell is a director that I struggle with. Sometimes I love his stuff (I Heart Huckabees, The Fighter) and sometimes he misses pretty wide (Joy, Accidental Love). This one had the right combination of heart, acting acumen, and a story that focuses on a rare subject (love in the face of mental illness).

7. The Avengers 

8. The Sessions - A beautiful tale of love told in one of the strangest ways imaginable. Sex surrogates are doing the Lord's work and Helen Hunt perfectly captures this occupation with a rare glimpse into a unique vocation.

9. The Impossible - Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts portray a husband and wife who get separated along with their two sons during the 2004 Thai tsunami. It is beautiful, heartbreaking, and will pry every last tear from your eye.

10. Mud - Probably my favorite film from Jeff Nichols (and his second unit DP Neil Moore). This movie makes you feel its setting in a visceral way that most movies don't come close to. A mystery complete with islands, swamps, cheap hotels, and Matthew McConaughey.

Best of the Year: 2002 - Far from Heaven

I present to you the best film of 2002: Todd Haynes' Far from Heaven. Dennis Quaid and Julianne Moore are flawless as the perfect 1950s suburban couple that, upon further investigation, isn't all that perfect. Todd Haynes direction is breathtaking and the cinematography is as beautiful as the real human tragedy that unfolds. It pains me how this movie has been a bit forgotten because it definitely deserves a spot on a list of the best films of the new millennium. Here's my take on it on the original blog.

The Year in Movies: 2002

2002

I was in college (undergrad) from 1999-2003. East Coast Music and video had a running deal of Rent 1 get 1 free for DVDs for nearly all that time. I also spent nearly every weekend at the theater. So, yeah, I've seen these films. For that reason my top 10 is going to be the most fleshed out, unique, and diverse for these years. Enjoy!
Number of Movies I've Seen: 92
Now we are talking!

Number of Movies from my original top 365:  20

Oscar Winner:
Chicago - meh... This movie isn't really all that bad. I just don't like the story. It's too dark and mean to be believable as female empowerment, it certainly doesn't have much in the way of romance, and it only has a couple of good songs. The best song and performance ("Mr. Cellophane" from John C. Reilly) come from a secondary character who gets lost in the final act. The only one of the five films nominated for best picture that I didn't like (the others: The Pianist, Gangs of New York, The Hours, The Two Towers)

Box Office Winner:
Spider-Man - Folks like to point to 2008's Iron Man as the start of modern comic book cinema, but I point to this one. Sure, it wasn't the first, but, for me, it was the first that wasn't afraid to be a comic book. Superman, Batman, and X-Men all took comic book properties and made them into movies. Sam Raimi didn't change the spider suit or Peter Parker's origin (save for the web-slingers). I remember leaving the theater thinking that was the first time I had seen a movie that felt like a comic book rather than a comic book character shoehorned into a movie. 

My Top Ten:
1. NEXT POST!

2. City of God - pictured above. This movie is a masterpiece. Fernando Meirelles transports the viewer to the slums of Rio in the 1970s as children and young adults are being recruited into the gangs that would dominate the area for decades to come. This movie is heartbreaking, exciting, and genuinely tough to watch, but may be the best movie I have ever seen about the tragedy and necessity of gangs in poor communities. I must've been sidetracked a bit in 2011 because I didn't really say much.

3. In America - I think maybe this movie was a decade and a half ahead of its time. It tells the story of Irish immigrants trying to make it in modern New York. I desperately need to rewatch this one with Abby. I remember adoring it and especially loving the performance Djimon Hounsou as the family's neighbor (and sometimes conscience). My post from the original blog.

4. Heaven - This is pretty funny. I said 9.5 years ago I needed to rewatch this movie. I still haven't.... oops.

5. Antwone Fisher - Somehow I forgot to include this movie on my "365". It is an absolute powerhouse of emotion. Derek Luke and Denzel Washington give some of the most moving performances of the new millennium. 

6. Punch-Drunk Love - You're going to see plenty of Paul Thomas Anderson on my top 10s from the last 25 years or so. This is maybe his most accessible film. That is not to say it is conventional. Adam Sandler plays a "Aspergers-esque" man who is overly obsesses about odd things and falls in love with an introverted young lady played by Emily Watson. Jon Brion's beautiful and haunting score really set's this film apart. My 365 post.

7. Rabbit-Proof Fence - Three Aboriginal girls escape from their forced "training" camp and walk 1500 miles across Australia to return to their family. This is a true story. Try to find this movie if you can. I would recommend it to pretty much anyone. From the first blog.

8. The Rules of Attraction - On the other hand, this one is definitely not for everyone. This is the mainstream directorial debut of Roger Avary who wrote much of the screenplays for Pulp Fiction, American Psycho, and True Romance. It is an odd tale of college student debauchery... and maybe aliens... I love it.

9. Lilo & Stitch - I really hope this one gets remembered as one of the last great films of traditional animation. It is so much fun and really quite timeless. When I wrote this, I'm pretty sure I still had a mini-Stitch hanging from my truck's antennae.

10. Death to Smoochy - In the mood for a dark comedy? Like really dark? Like Robin Williams and Edward Norton playing murderous feuding children's television hosts dark? Then you should watch this. Otherwise you should probably steer clear. It genuinely surprised me and I couldn't help but mention it here.

Best of the Year: 1992 - Malcolm X

Please excuse my slight dabble in conspiracy here for a second...  This movie is rated PG-13, tells about the life of a man who was integral to United States 20th century history, has arguably one of the best acting performances of the decade, and is pretty darn entertaining. Why was this movie not all over cable in the 90s? Why didn't we watch it in school? Why did I not see this until I was in my 30s?  Yes, it is long, but so is Shawshank and Titanic and you couldn't avoid seeing those movies while flipping channels. Heck, we watching My Fair Lady over what felt like two weeks in middle school music class. Could it be that the powers that be didn't want us know THIS history specifically? Like it or not people learn history from movies. If "the man" can keep us watching Gone with the Wind and Driving Miss Daisy rather than Malcolm X or Reds, then maybe they can keep us in line a little easier....  just a thought.

Thanks for humoring me. I still haven't seen a bad Spike Lee movie and I admittedly have plenty of catching up to do. Do the Right Thing may be his most important movie, but I firmly believe that this is his masterpiece. Malcolm X is heartbreaking, surprising, and moving cinema. It transcends the traditional biopic with Lee's deft film-making eye and transports the viewer to the times and places that laid the groundwork for our current state of things. Why, nearly 30 years after this film and 55 years after Malcolm X's death, are we still having the same discussions and disagreements? We are so scared of learning our real history and that causes us to repeat it. The more you learn, the more you can see that race relations in the USA isn't about two disagreeing sides, it is about right and wrong. Too many folks are hellbent on keeping the wrong side alive and it is way past time that we offered its eulogy. Let's start by not hiding our important history. Let's learn about slavery. Let's tear down the celebrations of sedition. Let's dismantle the racist systems that still exist to this day without hesitation. Let's love one another, but let's start by understanding how much we have collectively hated one another and hidden the truth.

#BlackLivesMatter

The Year in Movies: 1992

1992

Number of Movies I've Seen: 36
Probably more, but this is what I have logged on Letterboxd

Number of Movies from my original top 365:  7

Oscar Winner:
Unforgiven - This is probably my favorite Clint Eastwood movie... I am not a fan. I get it, and I see why people dig him. He just isn't for me. I want to yell at him: "Stop scowling and go love somebody!!!"

Box Office Winner:
Aladdin - This is probably my least favorite of the big four Disney Renaissance films (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King being the other three). That is not to say I don't really like this movie.  While the story and romance are a bit lacking, two words make this film timeless: Robin Williams. His turn as the Genie is jawdropping. I don't think we realized what a treasure we had in him until he was gone. No one else can do what he did. Depression sucks...  Read what I wrote about Aladdin in 2010 here.

My Top Ten:
1. NEXT POST!

2. Sneakers - If I had made this list 10 years ago, this would've been my easy choice for the top pick of the year. I love this movie in a pretty personal way. In a way I didn't connect with other "geeks grown up" movies like Ghostbusters. This movie feels like my middle school/high school friend group. To some extent, this movie feels like the science teachers at my school (affectionately known as "the square"). Techno-Robin Hood with Robert Redford, Dan Akroyd, Sidney Poiter, Ben Kingsley, Mary McDonnell, James Earl Jones, David Straitharn, and River Phoenix.

3. A League of Their Own - It isn't often, but every once in a while a strange mix of ingredients yields a movie close to perfection. Penny Marshall, Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Madonna, Rosie O'Donnell, baseball, World War II.... That is certainly a strange mix, but boy does it work. I said as much ten years ago.

4. Aladdin

5. Reservoir Dogs - I can't hear "Stuck in the Middle with You" without thinking of Michael Madsen singing into a dismembered ear. Thanks Mr. Tarantino... Original post.

6. The Last of the Mohicans - Something I failed to mention in my 2010 post was how beautiful this soundtrack is. It is still one of my absolutely favorite sources of "study/reading music".

7. Strictly Ballroom - I really need a rewatch on this one. I remember loving it, but I definitely haven't seen it since I wrote this in the original blog.

8. Ferngully: The Last Rainforest - I'm not sure how this one missed my original 365, but on a recent rewatch I admittedly didn't make it all the way through. It has not aged well, and definitely deserves it's place as Robin Williams semi-forgotten animated comedic performance of 1992.

9. Baraka - It's been 10 years since I last wrote about this movie, and I still have yet to see any of Ron Fricke's other films.... I need to get on that right away.

10. Husbands and Wives - Another Woody Allen film sneaks onto the list. Tough to watch, uncomfortable, and a bit sadistic. This is Allen's last film with Mia Farrow... after they broke up.... during the time she discovered that he was having an affair with her adult adopted daughter...just before she would accuse him of molesting their 7-year-old adopted daughter...  Hey, I didn't say this was easy... 

Best of the Year: 1982 - E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial

We haven't hit a year yet in which a Star Wars movie was released. When we do, you will not see it listed on this blog. I decided a while back that the part of my fandom that adores Star Wars is a separate entity to the part that adores film. For that reason, I can't bring myself to rank movies from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away alongside other films. When deciding on my favorite movie from 1982, I was presented with a similar dilemma: Do I pick the movie I grew up with that holds a nostalgic place in my heart (E.T.) or the one I believe is brilliant adult filmmaking that I discovered only in the past year (Sophie's Choice)? Should E.T. be relegated to the movie blogging sidelines like I have done with the Star Wars films? Nah...

In thinking about my favorite movies of my childhood, I didn't love them because I was a child. I loved them because they are brilliant films. This movie moves me both literally and figuratively. I acted out scenes, road my bike from invisible cops, looked at the stars wondering what could be out there, and loved my family and friends more because of E.T.. That makes it the best film of 1982.

Read what I wrote about it ten years ago here.

The Year in Movies: 1982

1982

Number of Movies I've Seen: 14
Hey! This is still only my second year of life!

Number of Movies from my original top 365:  1

Oscar Winner:
Gandhi - I put off watching this one forever because of the length and because I figured I knew exactly what it was. I was right. This movie is great, but mainly because Gandhi was great. Kingsley does an exceptional job and Attenborough's direction is flawless to a fault. It doesn't really feel like a movie, but, instead like a PBS special on the life of an extraordinary man. I see why it won Best Picture, but I also see why it doesn't get brought up much when remembering great movies.

Box Office Winner:
NEXT POST!

My Top Ten:
1. NEXT POST!

2. Sophie's Choice - (Pictured above) I watched this for a podcast that I listen to about the AFI 100 best American films list. I had never seen it because I figured (much like Gandhi) I knew what it was. Unlike Gandhi, boy was I wrong. This movie is a masterwork and I actually struggled between this film and my pick for best film of 1982. I just wish they had given it a different title because the movie is so much more than that heartwrenching scene.

3. The Secret of Nimh - Don Bluth shows up quite a bit on this blog, but for some reason this film doesn't stick with me quite as much as some of the others.

4. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn - I really need a rewatch on this one. I know most view it as the best Trek movie and I remember digging it, but it has been a while.

5. Fast Times at Ridgemont High - I watched this in college and it was not what I expected. I was coming up during the "golden age" of teenie bopper comedies (American Pie, Road Trip, etc.), and this is definitely not that. It is a very good movie though, and much darker than high school movies of today.

6. Tron - This movie gets extra points for blowing my pre-teen mind. It also was in my top ten most rented movies days of visiting Woody's video store in downtown Grifton.

7. The Thing - I've only seen this once and I dug it, but I need a rewatch with Abby so I can reassess.

8. Annie - Another movie that I watched many times as a kid. I always wanted to climb the train trestle because of this movie.

9. Blade Runner - I respect it. I loved the sequel. But I admit... I don't get the love for this one.

10. The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas - Classic Dolly Parton and Bert Reynolds in a movie about a brothel with a heart of gold. Pretty mind blowing that this movie/musical actually got made. I haven't watched since #metoo, but I imagine it wouldn't fare well...

Best of the Year: 1972 - Aguirre, The Wrath of God

Werner Herzog has been one of my most prized discoveries during my film journey. Today most probably know him as the bad guy with the thick accent who hires the Mandalorian to capture baby Yoda, but he is so much more. Since the late 1960s, Herzog has alternated seamlessly between scripted films and documentaries and may be the most interesting and consistently unique filmmaker of his era. He never went to film school and instead stole a camera from a German university. He then made a few low-budget movies before traveling to South America with a skeleten crew, a handful of actors, and a few pages of script. This movie simply feels so real. Herzog pulls this off because it sort of was real. He did trudge through the jungle with carriages and full Spanish metal armor. He did put both actors and crew on handmade rafts careening down the Amazon. And he did hire natives to play natives. This realism coupled with the absolutely unhinged performance by Klaus Kinski as the title conquistador make Aguirre one of the best films of the 70s and welcomes the arrival of one of my favorite directors.

The Year in Movies: 1972

1972

Number of Movies I've Seen: 8
Movin' on up!

Number of Movies from my original top 365:  none

Oscar Winner:
The Godfather - pictured above. I just don't get it. I respect the fact that people love this film (and its plethora of offspring, both direct and indirect), but it is simply not for me. Technically it's darn near perfect: the acting from icons who would lay claim to Hollywood for a generation, the direction that would cement Coppola on the forefront of Hollywood's modern renaissance, the Nino Rota score that is as recognizable as any in film, the cinematography is sublime, and the camerawork is oftentimes quite beautiful... but... why do I care??? Where's the romance? mystery? adventure? passion? Fans exclaim how rewatchable this movie is, but why do I want to give it another shot? Why do I want to spend any more time with these despicable humans?  Once again, I respect its spot in movie history, but it ain't my bag.

Box Office Winner:
The Godfather 

My Top Ten:
1. NEXT POST!

2. The Godfather - I know what you're thinking... I just ripped it apart above. As I said, it isn't at all a bad film. Also, 1972 was a pretty crap year for film from what I've seen.

3. Pink Flamingos - This movie is wild. John Waters is a genius. This movie may be a bit TOO wild.

4. Everything You Wanted to Know about Sex *But Were Afraid to Ask - You will find out soon enough that I am a Woody Allen devotee. I have seen about half of his films, and I love most of them. Creepiness aside, I honestly think he is the greatest living screenwriter. That being said... this is probably one of my least favorite from him. It is too silly and episodic and ventures too far away from what works best for Allen.

5. Behind the Green Door -1972 was a pretty transformative year for pornography. Deepthroat was the sixth highest grossing film of the year. Where Deepthroat was silly comedy, Behind the Green Door is an artsy mind-trip. It is intriguing how nearly 50 years ago the line between filmmaker and pornographer was so blurred. I'm not sure I would call it's distinction today progress.

6. Conquest of the Planet of the Apes - Angie and I binged this series when we first got married. This is the fourth of five. It is fine...

7. Fritz the Cat - Another raunchy early '70s product. Ralph Bashki grabs your attention with cartoon boobs, sex, and drugs so that he can lay down a groovy commentary about racism and politics. I would've probably loved it if I had seen it in 1972, but it simply hasn't aged well at all.

8. Cabaret - A boring musical that doesn't fully commit to any of its "themes" (queer rights, anti-fascism, women's rights, love vs. war), is downright ugly to watch, and has a grand total of one good song ("Maybe this Time"). Fight me...

Best of the Year: 1962 - To Kill a Mockingbird

I think I have seen this To Kill a Mockingbird three times now from start to finish. All three times I have genuinely expected the jury foreman to say "not guilty" in the trial of Tom Robinson. Not just "suspension of disbelief" such as maybe the Titanic will miss the iceberg this time, but genuinely remembering the story incorrectly. Either that or I have so much respect for Atticus Finch that my subconscious refuses to accept a narrative where anyone could disagree with him. On this latest watch I played closer attention to the relationship between father (Atticus) and daughter (Scout) because it does a pretty good job at mirroring my relationship with Abby. I try to emulate many great fathers in my life (including my own), but I still have so much to learn from Atticus' steady hand in the face of controversy.

It saddens me that in 1962 (and even today in some respects) writers and filmmakers felt that audiences needed a white avatar (Boo Radley) to represent the misunderstood black experience. It is also incredibly painful that the story centers on the lessons learned by the white characters rather than the pain endured by the black ones. We still have a long ways to go, but Atticus Finch's words still ring true: "In the name of God, do your duty! In the name of God, believe... Tom Robinson"...George Floyd... Trayvon Martin.... Eric Garner.... Sandra Bland... Tamir Rice... Breonna Taylor... and every other person that is still crushed under the weight of an unjust justice system.

Read what I wrote 10 years ago here.

The Year in Movies: 1962

1962

Number of Movies I've Seen: 6
C'mon guys... I still wasn't alive yet.

Number of Movies from my original top 365:  3

Oscar Winner:
Lawrence of Arabia - pictured above. So, I hear you want to start watching "old Hollywood epics". This is where you should begin. It is beautiful (maybe the best cinematography in movie history), exciting (action-packed adventure in the desert), and moving (the characters have to make tough ethical decisions and it is easy to empathize with them). It approaches 4 hours, but I never wanted it to be over. You also get to see Obi-Wan Kenobi as King of Syria which might sound like brown-face (and probably is), but Alec Guinness is so good I've never heard anybody complain about it. Here's my take from my original 365.

Box Office Winner:
The Longest Day - I really need to see this one. It's just.... well... long...

My Top Ten:
1. NEXT POST!

2. Lawrence of Arabia

3. The Manchurian Candidate - this is the third movie on my original 365. It may be one of the timeliest movies of the 1960s for today and I urge you to check it out if you haven't already (make sure you watch this one though. Denzel is fine and all, but the remake doesn't add much and Angela Lansbury is divine.). Read what I wrote about it 10 years ago here.

4. The Miracle Worker - It skirts awful close to "Lifetime movie" world, but the performances from Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke elevate the film and make it essential viewing.

5. Dr. No - Sean Connery isn't my favorite Bond... what can I say? This movie is solid for getting the franchise rolling, but it doesn't compare to later installments.

6. The Music Man - I saw this on stage my first year teaching put on by my high school's theater department. I really dug it. I think a big part of my enjoyment was being overwhelmed with how talented my students were. Watching the film, I didn't get the same vibe and was pretty bored for a musical that is a bit too long. It is also incredibly front loaded as I don't think there is a good song after about the 45 minute mark (Pickalittle is the last good song; Shipoopi is trash and just a nonsense excuse for a dance number).