Best/Worst of 2007

[ChronoGrl]

I was trying to come out with the BEST movies of the year, so far (that have come out and that I've seen), and I compiled...

CHRONOGRL'S TOP 10 LIST:
(in no particular order)

Paprika (http://imdb.com/title/tt0851578/)
This anime actually came out last year in Japan, but its US release is 2007, so I have to put it on this list... It's beautiful, whimsical, dark, and gothic... Explores the line between dreams and reality in a little different way than we've seen in a while. I was pleasantly surprised.

28 Weeks Later (http://imdb.com/title/tt0463854/)
One of the best horror movies that I've seen in a long, long time. It takes not only what 28 Days started, but also what the zombie mythos started oh, so long ago. I thought that the concept of post-apocalyptic quarantined London was fantastic and the scares were great.

Across the Universe (http://imdb.com/title/tt0445922/)
Not a perfect movie by any means, but it definitely showcases Julie Taymor's directorial expertise at putting together a true period piece of the 60s through a fancifal musical featuring Beatles songs... I was a HUGE fan.

Darjeeling Limited (http://imdb.com/title/tt0838221/)
I definitely have a soft spot for Wes Anderson, 'tis true, and this is not nearly as good as his Tenenbaum opus, but I thought that he was more focused in this film than he was in Life Aquatic and Owen Wilson and Jason Schwartzman were just... Incredible. Bill Murray makes an appearance, which was brilliant.

The Host (http://imdb.com/title/tt0468492/)
Originally released in South Korea in 2006, this film was released in the US in 2007. Definitely THE best giant monster movie in recent history. Great special effects, fantastic writing, and excellent acting. Wonderful balance between comedy, horror, and drama. I was impressed.

Grindhouse (http://imdb.com/title/tt0462322/)
There's no denying it: Two great directors brought together, combined with beautifully interwoven fake trailers is a mixture for success. Honestly, I enjoyed Planet Terror more than Death Proof, but I would say that the movie experience of the two of them together was simply... Incredible.

Hot Fuzz (http://imdb.com/title/tt0425112/)
What can I say? I love Simon Peg and Edgar Wright. This was a very well-constructed policemovie spoof with some genuinely good laughs. I was REALLY impressed.

Borderland (http://imdb.com/title/tt0452592/)
One of the 8 Films to Die For, I thought that this was an overall impressive movie... I've already ranted about it a few times on this forum, so I'll leave it be for now.

Crazy Eights (http://imdb.com/title/tt0470993/)
Another of the 8 Films to Die For, this was a very clean, very chilling horror movie. Definitely deserves more attention than just being swept under the After Dark rug.

Mulberry Street (http://imdb.com/title/tt0473514/)
Yet ANOTHER of the 8 Films... Great use of the zombie mythos to create a pretty well-done monster movie. I've already said it, but I definitely recommend.


...

Top-10 Best list contenders (but only omitted because I have conflicting reports of whether or not they were 06 or 07):
Bug (http://imdb.com/title/tt0470705/)
Fido (http://imdb.com/title/tt0457572/)


....

As for the WORST, I'm not sure yet...

Beowulf (http://imdb.com/title/tt0442933/) was pretty bad.

And the other 5 movies of the 8 Films to Die for were pretty abysmal as well:
Nightmare Man
Lake Dead
Tooth and Nail
Unearthed
Deaths of Ian Stone (brought to this list ONLY because of the terrible TERRIBLE ending)


What do you think? And while you're at it, what are YOUR best movies of 2007? Do you agree/disagree with the above?

Let's discuss.

[Yellow Jacket]

The Best (in no particular order)

Knocked Up
Superbad
Michael Moore's Sicko
Live Free or Die Hard
Grindhouse
Hot Fuzz
Bug

The Worst
Evan Almighty
License to Wed
Shrek the Third
Ratatouille (that's right, I said it)
Epic Movie

If I think of any more, I'll post them.

[fortunato]

IN PROGESS...

best of 2007

grindhouse
the most fun i've had in a theatre since i can remember.

bug
i'm really surprised more of you around here didn't like this. i thought it was so incredible.

the darjeeling limited
i agree with you here, chronogirl. not my favorite of his, but so so good.

no country for old men
this is my favorite film of the year so far, just blew my mind.

ratatouille
not sure, something about this just clicked to me.

hot fuzz
totally did not disappoint. it was everything i wanted it to be.

futurama: bender's big score
i'm a big fan of the show, but usually cartoon show movies fall way short. this one was everything a movie like that should be. it fit in perfectly with the series, the pacing was great (which is another common problem in cartoon show movies), and it just felt like watching a futurama episode. the simpsons, family guy, etc. could all learn a lesson from this one.

eastern promises
the best cronenberg film in quite a while. also one of the most bad-ass fighting sequences. but all around, a very solid film.

behind the mask: the rise of leslie vernon
i didn't think this was 2007, but if it is, then it's on my list as well.
just terribly clever, pretty spectacular acting, and overall a wonderful tribute to the genre.

honorable mention
across the universe
fido
american gangster

movies that i haven't seen yet but feel will make this list
there will be blood
before the devil knows you're dead
sweeny todd

worst of 2007

the hills have eyes 2
sorry, chronogirl. i have to agree with everyone else here, too.

the invisible
for the love of everything that is good and right in this world, i wish i hadn't seen this movie. i can't think of a list of negative adjectives long enough to appropriately describe this piss-job.

skinwalkers
boring trash.

transformers
one of the most poorly written movies i've ever seen, probably. as chronogirl said, this should have been an easy movie to make pleasing, but it just wasn't.

rob zombie's halloween
i had hoped rob zombie would have known better.
he didn't.

dead silence
eye rolls-a plenty.

i'll add more later as i think of them.

[ChronoGrl]

Also, I sincerely HOPE that I Am Legend makes this list...

...

futurama: bender's big score
i'm a big fan of the show, but usually cartoon show movies fall way short. this one was everything a movie like that should be. it fit in perfectly with the series, the pacing was great (which is another common problem in cartoon show movies), and it just felt like watching a futurama episode. the simpsons, family guy, etc. could all learn a lesson from this one.

I didn't even KNOW that they made a Futurama movie... I'll have to check that out...

bug
i'm really surprised more of you around here didn't like this. i thought it was so incredible.

Yes, yes, yes... I think this film was INCREDIBLY underrated... Good to see someone else caught it (I partially blame the VERY poor advertising campaign... Then again, you wouldn't want to reveal TOO much while pitching it).

Ok, so if Bug DOES make the 2007 cut...

If that's the case, then I would substitute it in for Mulberry Street... Two excellent indie horror movies, but oh, so little room in a top 10 list.

...

Interesting to see Ratatouille Making both a Best and a Worst list so far... I saw it and thought it was mediocre... I was trying to think of more animated films that came out this year, but sadly there is a clear dearth.

I have yet to see...
No Country for Old Men, but I have heard very, VERY good things about it.

My honorable mentions:

The Hills Have Eyes 2 (http://imdb.com/title/tt0800069/)
I thought that the movie stepped away from the exploitative scenes of the first movie and got more involved in a pure siege film. Also, like the second Alien film, the "victims" here are all army men and women, so I find it more frightening in a way that they are just as helpless as the civilians in the first movie (in the first movie, having civilians that are so clearly supposed to be weak and vulnerable is just like shooting fish - painful).

Disturbia (http://imdb.com/title/tt0486822/)
Not a perfect movie, but definitely a really good nod to Hitchcock. I thought it was a very well-done teen horror flick. And Shia LaBeouf was definitely convincing. I definitely enjoyed it and thought the direction was fantastic.

Stardust (http://imdb.com/title/tt0486655/)
I always enjoyed the fantasy films when I was younger: Time Bandits, Princess Bride, Never Ending Story... I always found it difficult to find any that compare in these modern times... I thought that Stardust was incredibly well done and acted. The costumes and make-up were great (and Ricky Gervais has a GREAT cameo) I am actually reading the novel right now (I am a HUGE Neil Gaiman fan), and so far the movie has been true to it...

[joshaube]

The Hills Have Eyes 2 was certainly terrible.

Fido was 2007, if your considering theatrical releases. It came out Spring 2007 up here in Canada, and Fall 2007 in the US, no? It may have hit some festivals in Fall / Winter 2006... but with your notes on Paprika, I see no reason to not consider it.

[ChronoGrl]

The Hills Have Eyes 2 was certainly terrible.
hee hee... Oh, come ON... THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!

...

Fido was 2007, if your considering theatrical releases. It came out Spring 2007 up here in Canada, and Fall 2007 in the US, no? It may have hit some festivals in Fall / Winter 2006... but with your notes on Paprika, I see no reason to not consider it.

That's what I thought... The IMDB entry said 2006, though, so I thought that mayhaps my first source was wrong...

Fido gets an honorable mention (agreed with Fortunado).

How about you, Josh? Your picks?

[newb]

Ahh...yes...I knew Chronogrl was gonna be a good contributor to this forum.

Although I will disagree on her pick for "The Hills Have Eyes 2"....was very dissapointed in this one. I hated pretty much all the characters and was wishing they would all die......not good in a horror movie.......ya need a sympathetic character to root for.

I will agree with fortunano on "Fido"......a very underated movie and a "must" see for zombie fans.

[fortunato]

Yes, yes, yes... I think this film was INCREDIBLY underrated... Good to see someone else caught it (I partially blame the VERY poor advertising campaign... Then again, you wouldn't want to reveal TOO much while pitching it).


yeah, the advertising for that movie was pretty wretched. even the stuff on the box makes it seem like it's something completely different.

[roshiq]

Best:
3:10 to Yuma
28 weeks later
Eastern Promises
American Gangster
Rescue Dawn
Zodiac
P2

Worst:
30 days of night
War
Skinwalker
I know who killed me
Dragon wars

Haven't seen yet:
No country for Old man
SAW 4
Death sentence
Knocked up
The Mist
The Darjeeling limited

[ChronoGrl]

Best:
3:10 to Yuma
Eastern Promises
American Gangster
Rescue Dawn
Zodiac
P2

Worst:
30 days of night
War
Skinwalker
I know who killed me
Dragon wars


I haven't seen most of those...

I saw "Zodiac"... A lot of people LOVED it... Honestly, I found it... boring. It was advertised as a horror/thriller, when, really, it was more of a period/ensemble piece. I thought that the movie was incredibly uneven (the beginning being more of an ensemble piece while the latter half being more of a character exploration).

HOWEVER... The direction was clean (REALLY good) and the acting was fantastic (I love Robert Downy Jr.)... I wouldn't count it as the Best, but I wouldn't count it as the Worst, either...

Wow - 30 Days of Night... That bad? Honestly, I thought it was flawed, but had its merits... Fantastic direction, great makeup for the vamps... I liked how they were more like Monsters than the vamps that we've been seeing the past 20 years or so. Overall, I was disappointed with the movie, though.

...

I just thought of ANOTHER of the WORST...

SPIDERMAN 3.
Honestly, I like comic books. And I like good comic book movies (GOOD comic book movies)... But Spiderman 3 makes Peter Parker out to be the ultimate pussy, and by the end of the movie ALL MALE LEADS ARE CRYING. Seriously. I'm sorry, but I just can't take a villain seriously if they're sobbing. Oh, and the Peter Parker dance scene was just... silly.

If there was more Venom and/or more Bruce Campbell, perhaps I wouldn't be so reluctant about forfeiting those 2 hours in the IMAX theater.

[Roderick Usher]

Best
Grindhouse
Fido
Hot Fuzz
No Country For Old Men
3:10 to Yuma
Hatchet
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon


Honorable Mention
Wrong Turn 2
Bug
Zodiac
300

Worst
Transformers
The Hills Have Eyes 2
Hannibal Rising

[ChronoGrl]

You know, I was actually REALLY disappointed with Beyond the Mask... Honestly, I thought that the deconstruction was absolutely intelligent, clever, and well-written (did a better job in this regard than Scream). I thought that Nathan Baesel played an AMAZING Leslie.

HOWEVER, I thought that the movie was really uneven... The beginning was fantastic, but when it got into the "horror," I thought it was predictable (I know that was the POINT but this was the weakness in the film) and really poorly done. Oh, and his mask was silly (again, possibly the point, but to what end?)

Pros: AMAZING cameos by Robert Englund and Zelda Rubinstein... I liked the use of the term "Ahab," but that was really it.

I just didn't think that the movie did the transition very well. I was disappointed.

...

Oh, how could I FORGET Transformers?!

WORST of 2007
This was a softball. Should have been an easy movie - Great cast and good special effects... But what a FLOP! For a movie that's supposedly about GIANT ROBOTS... there just wasn't enough... Giant robots. And we needed more Megatron.

[_____V_____]

Best of 2007 (so far) -

(Horror and related)

Grindhouse
1408
28 Weeks Later
Disturbia
Hot Fuzz
Hatchet
Fido
Zodiac
Wrong Turn 2: Dead End
The Mist
30 Days of Night
Resident Evil: Extinction


(Non-horror)

No Country For Old Men
Bridge To Terabithia
Death Sentence
3:10 To Yuma remake
Shoot 'Em Up
We Own The Night
The Brave One
Sunshine
Blades of Glory
Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer
The Bourne Ultimatum
Live Free Or Die Hard
300
Death Of A President
Curse Of The Golden Flower


Worst of 2007

(Disappointments in horror and overall)

Rob Zombie's Halloween
Spider - Man 3
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Ghost Rider
Captivity
Vacancy
The Host
Shrek 3
Return to House on Haunted Hill
The Invasion
D-War
The Hills Have Eyes II
Harry Potter and The Order Of The Phoenix
Dead Silence
Pathfinder
The Reaping
Saw IV

[X¤MurderDoll¤X]

Top 10

The Living in the Home of the Dead
1408
knocked up
death at a funeral
no country for old men
the mist
fido
the girl next door
hot rod
3:10 to Yuma

I;ll do bottom 10 later.

[ChronoGrl]

Best of 2007 (so far) -

(Horror and related)

Grindhouse
1408
28 Weeks Later
Disturbia
Hot Fuzz
Hatchet
Fido
Zodiac
Wrong Turn 2: Dead End
The Mist
30 Days of Night
Resident Evil: Extinction


(Non-horror)

No Country For Old Men
Bridge To Terabithia
Death Sentence
3:10 To Yuma remake
Shoot 'Em Up
We Own The Night
The Brave One
Sunshine
Blades of Glory
Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer
The Bourne Ultimatum
Live Free Or Die Hard
300
Death Of A President
Curse Of The Golden Flower


Worst of 2007

(Disappointments in horror and overall)

Rob Zombie's Halloween
Spider - Man 3
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Ghost Rider
Captivity
Vacancy
The Host
Shrek 3
Return to House on Haunted Hill
The Invasion
D-War
The Hills Have Eyes II
Harry Potter and The Order Of The Phoenix
Dead Silence
Pathfinder
The Reaping
Saw IV

You're right... Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End was pretty God awful.

...

Second time Hatchet was mentioned in the BEST.

I'm going to have to check it out.

[The STE]

1: No Country for Old Men
Probably the Coen brothers' best film- and I love Fargo. Beautiful camera work and cinematography, fantastic acting, and Chigurh. If you've seen the movie, just saying "Chigurh" is enough. If not, then I can't describe how brilliant Chigurh is.

2: The Lookout
For a long time this was #1. Marketed like a heist movie, but in reality a fantastic character study. Strong performances all around, especially Jeff Daniels in what will probably be an overlooked Oscar worthy performance.

3: American Gangster
Could've been #2, but Crowe's first parts dragged. But I would hold this up as being the antithesis of Scarface, and in 10 years time, if this isn't rap's new favorite movie instead of Al Pacino doing his Cuban Blackface, then I give up on the genre.

4: Zodiac
For a movie where arguably nothing happens to the main characters, this one can build some tension. I could see where someone would think it's boring, since the two big payoffs are about what isn't said, and in one of the instances, something that was said like halfway through the movie and never mentioned again. When the staredown IS the big payoff, and it works, then you know you're watching some top-quality filmmaking.

5: Eastern Promises
Viggo Mortensen should work with Chronenberg forever. I'd only seen him in GI Jane, the LOTR movies, and parts if Hildago. Then I saw A History of Violence and found out he could act (sorry, but it's hard to tell when the roles you've seen someone in require 0 range). And then I saw this, and my GOD. It's a shame he seems to be persona-non-grata for the Oscars, because Nikolai is all kinds of awesome in this.

6: Rescue Dawn
Christian Bale continues to suffer for our entertainment. If going from The Machinist to Batman Begins wasn't enough, he's basically doing the same thing again, only with a Western thrown in.

7: Superbad
"I'm gonna give you the best blow-J. With my mouth." The initial viewing had me about falling off the chair, and while subsequent viewings aren't as laugh-out-loud funny, they hold up quite well.

8: 3:10 to Yuma
Crowe is better here than he was in AG. And Bale is Bale. But for me, the real story of the movie is fucking Ben Foster. He's another guy who should be getting award attention for his performance but will probably be overlooked. The ending didn't QUITE work for me, but it's all great up until that.

9: Bug
Unpleasant, occasionally nauseating, and exhausting. But still, it's a hell of a movie, and again there are great performances. I would love to see the play this was based on, I can't imagine the intensity of seeing it live.

10: Futurama: Bender’s Big Score
Here I was thinking it was going to be a lame year for animation. But then Futurama comes and saves it. Everything I loved about the show is present in the movie; emotional moments, catchy musical numbers ("Going to War" is awesome), and a staggeringly wide array of styles of humor. Off the top of my head, I can't think of many other places you'd see math jokes, puns, goofy rhymes, physical humor, and dick jokes blended together.


Looking back, this has been one of the best years for acting in a long-ass time. I still have yet to see Juno or There Will Be Blood, and both of those could be top 10 contenders.



Worst movie I saw was Shrek the 3rd, but I am pretty selective about what I see in theaters.

[Yellow Jacket]

bug
i'm really surprised more of you around here didn't like this. i thought it was so incredible.

I knew I forgot something. I just added it. I thought the film was a perfect mix of drama and horror. The "on-the-run" criminal per-se and the bug infection storylines blended very well. Thanks for reminding me fortunato.

[fortunato]

I knew I forgot something. I just added it. I thought the film was a perfect mix of drama and horror. The "on-the-run" criminal per-se and the bug infection storylines blended very well. Thanks for reminding me fortunato.

no problem.
i just couldn't believe how much that film took me by surprise, especially after the miserable ad campaign it got.

[alkytrio666]

Did no one see Gone Baby Gone?! Easily my favorite film of the year (though I have not seen No Country for Old Men yet).

Besides that, I liked:
American Gangster
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Michael Clayton
Grindhouse (Not Planet Terror, not Deathproof...Grindhouse)
Zodiac
Live Free or Die Hard
The Bourne Ultimatum
The Mist

[Yellow Jacket]

no problem.
i just couldn't believe how much that film took me by surprise, especially after the miserable ad campaign it got.

I know. I watched the previews and thought it was going to be shit. I remember renting it hesitantly. I'm glad that I did rent and watch it. Now, I just need to go out and buy it.

[fortunato]

I know. I watched the previews and thought it was going to be shit. I remember renting it hesitantly. I'm glad that I did rent and watch it. Now, I just need to go out and buy it.

same here. although i'm trying to hold out until christmas


Michael Clayton


i still haven't seen this, but i really, really want to. i've heard many good things about it.

[Roderick Usher]

2: The Lookout
For a long time this was #1. Marketed like a heist movie, but in reality a fantastic character study. Strong performances all around, especially Jeff Daniels in what will probably be an overlooked Oscar worthy performance.


I really liked this one, but felt weird about it. I'm not sure what it is, but something about the film rubs me the wrong way. The acting is great, the characters are fantastic, the dialog was well thought out, the structure was solid, the imagery was cool - especially the crash sequence.

It's completely irrational, I know. It's a really good film, It just doesn't seem like something I'd want to watch again...

Does that make any sense?

[fortunato]

I really liked this one, but felt weird about it. I'm not sure what it is, but something about the film rubs me the wrong way. The acting is great, the characters are fantastic, the dialog was well thought out, the structure was solid, the imagery was cool - especially the crash sequence.

It's completely irrational, I know. It's a really good film, It just doesn't seem like something I'd want to watch again...

Does that make any sense?

haha, actually i have to admit i felt the same way about it. i wanted to put it on my list, but couldn't. i can't find anything specific about the film so say "i didn't like this. i didn't like that," but something just left me feeling unsatisfied, i guess? i don't know, haha, but i know what you mean.

[alkytrio666]

RE: Michael Clayton


i still haven't seen this, but i really, really want to. i've heard many good things about it.

It's got this eerie, smooth style to it that's just really awesome to sink into. Highly recommended.

[fortunato]

RE: Michael Clayton


It's got this eerie, smooth style to it that's just really awesome to sink into. Highly recommended.

awesome. thanks for the recommendation. i think i might still be able to catch it at one of the cheapo theaters around here.

[X¤MurderDoll¤X]

10 BEST (Updated)

1. The Living in the Home of the Dead
2. 1408
3. knocked up
4. death at a funeral
5. no country for old men
6. the mist
7. fido
8. the girl next door
9. dead silence
10. 3:10 to Yuma

10 WORST

1. Epic Movie
2. Epic Movie again
3. Spider - Man 3
4. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
5. Ghost Rider
6, Return to House on Haunted Hill
7. The Hills Have Eyes II
8. Saw IV
9. Hannibal Rising
10. Haunted Forrest

[GorePhobia]

Top 10 Best of 2007 in no specific order:

1. Grindhouse
2. Superbad
3. Hot Fuzz
4. No Country For Old Men
5. Knocked Up
6. American Gangster
7. Zodiac
8. 300
9. Smokin' Aces
10. 28 Weeks Later

Honorable Mentions:
The Bourne Ultimatum
30 Days of Night
Shoot Em' Up


Top 10 Worst of 2007 in no specific order:

1. Hannibal Rising
2. Rob Zombie's Halloween
3. I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
4. Epic Movie
5. The Comebacks
6. Hostel: Part II
7. Blood & Chocolate
8. Delta Farce
9. Evan Almighty
10. Norbit

[Disease]

I'm haveing a hard time with my lists, most movies I have seen this year didn't get realesed this year...

I'll give it a go...


Some of the best...

Panet Terror
Control
Mr Beans Holiday


Some of the worst

Transformers
The Reaping


I will update this later, It's a difficult list to make up for me...

[ChronoGrl]

I really liked this one, but felt weird about it. I'm not sure what it is, but something about the film rubs me the wrong way. The acting is great, the characters are fantastic, the dialog was well thought out, the structure was solid, the imagery was cool - especially the crash sequence.

It's completely irrational, I know. It's a really good film, It just doesn't seem like something I'd want to watch again...

Does that make any sense?

I really need to see The Lookout... Joseph Gordon-Levitt is seriously starting to grow on me (I thought that he was brilliant in Brick)... I'll have to update my Netflix queue.

...

I just realized today that 2007 - BAD YEAR FOR BLOCKBUSTERS

All making my WORST MOVIES OF 2007 LIST:

Pirates of the Caribbean
Honestly, I thought that the first movie was boring and had WAY too much Orlando Bloom and WAY too little Johnny Depp... The SECOND movie, however, I thought was a lot of fun... The CGI was fantastic and Johnny Depp seriously outdid himself... So when the abysmal third movie came out, I was SO incredibly disappointed... The story was needlessly complicated (who was double-crossing WHOM?! Answer: WHO CARES)... And Chow Yun-Fat was INCREDIBLY underused. Sadly.

Spiderman 3
Not enough Venom. Not enough Bruce. ALL MALE LEADS WERE CRYING IN THE LAST 30 MINUTES. And Peter Parker's a pussy.
...
Bad writing. Terrible acting, and lame Big Bads. What a disappointment.

Beowulf
Bad writing. Weird CGI people. Not even a "fun movie." Waste of a perfectly good 3D experience.

Transformers
It's been brought up once... I've seconded, but I think it should be mentioned again, how AWFUL this film was... With a premise as simple as GIANT ROBOTS ATTACKING EACH OTHER, I find it hard to believe that the Big Bad wasn't introduced until the last 10 minutes... Sure, the special effects were great, but the writing was really terrible. It should NOT have been a coming of age story. I wanted to see robots battle. But I was disappointed.

[newb]

I don't agree with all the Pirates bashing.....sure it wasn't the best of the three...but it tied everything up very nicely and I thought it was entertaining.


I don't want to make a list because there are too many movies I haven't seen...i.e. No Country for Old Men, American Gangster,3:10 to Yuma.

[jenna26]

I don't want to make a list because there are too many movies I haven't seen...i.e. No Country for Old Men, American Gangster,3:10 to Yuma.

That's me as well, just haven't watched enough to make either list yet. I'm always so behind. :(

[joshaube]

BEST
Across the Universe
Fido
Grindhouse
Hatchet
Hot Fuzz
Knocked Up
Superbad
Zodiac

BEST? (YET TO SEE)
3:10 to Yuma
American Gangster
Eastern Promises
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood


WORST
The Hills Have Eyes 2
Skinwalkers
Death Sentence
I Know Who Killed Me
Pathfinder
The Reaping

[The Mothman]

death sentence was really one of the worst?
im really excited to see that.

[joshaube]

It wasn't terrible. I'd say, watch it once. Rent it, certainly don't buy it. It has some good things going for it, but ultimately, it left me very disappointed. Maybe if they didn't hype a "SAW-like twist ending." It really was a poor excuse for a twist, and so tacked on. So... irrelevant. It's as if they shot the film, then said... hm, it's okay, but let's try and imitate the twist effect from our SAW films! And they did a twist reshoot in 3 hours and edited it in.

[The Mothman]

i kinda dislike twists all together now...its done far too many times. but from the trailer it looked friggin great. i love violent revenge flicks.

[The Mothman]

BEST? (YET TO SEE)
3:10 to Yuma
American Gangster
Eastern Promises
No Country for Old Men





all four of these should probasbly find their way into your top films of the year.
i dont see Gone Baby Gone mentioned, did you manage to catch that?

[The Mothman]

Did no one see Gone Baby Gone?! Easily my favorite film of the year (though I have not seen No Country for Old Men yet).


whew. i was looking through this thread searching desperatley for someone who had seen this. finally.

BEST
-No Country For Old Men
-Bug
-Gone Baby Gone
-Grindhouse
-American Gangster
-3:10 To Yuma

need to see
Fido
Hatchet
Rise Of Leslie Vernon

[joshaube]

So I was about to reply to your previous post saying: "Uh, Death Sentence ISN'T a revenge flick..." and then I realized, wait... I'm not talking about Death Sentence. I'm talking about DEAD SILENCE. My mistake, sorry about that! I actually really want to see Death Sentence as well.

I was just reading the press release for Gone Baby Gone. Looks like a good one, worth checking out. Consider it added to the potentials list.

[alkytrio666]

RE: Gone Baby Gone

whew. i was looking through this thread searching desperatley for someone who had seen this. finally.


I can't believe we're the only ones to have mentioned it. The film was damn perfect.
Ben will get a Director nomination, Casey will get an Actor nomination, the film will get a Picture nomination, and the screenplay will get a writing nomination.

[fortunato]

RE: Gone Baby Gone



I can't believe we're the only ones to have mentioned it. The film was damn perfect.
Ben will get a Director nomination, Casey will get an Actor nomination, the film will get a Picture nomination, and the screenplay will get a writing nomination.

really that good? i had a friend see it and tell me it was pretty good, but that's about it.
well now i'm definitely looking forward to seeing it.

[alkytrio666]

really that good? i had a friend see it and tell me it was pretty good, but that's about it.
well now i'm definitely looking forward to seeing it.
I've noticed we have similar tastes in movies, and I thought this was brilliant, so I'm positive you'll dig it.

[ChronoGrl]

So I was about to reply to your previous post saying: "Uh, Death Sentence ISN'T a revenge flick..." and then I realized, wait... I'm not talking about Death Sentence. I'm talking about DEAD SILENCE. My mistake, sorry about that! I actually really want to see Death Sentence as well.

ha... I kept doing the same thing... Glad I'm not the only one. Every time I saw "Death Sentence," I immediately thought "Dead Silenece" and what a disappointing film it was... Honestly, the concept of creepy dolls = cool. Execution and "twist," I agree - Lame.

Death Sentence, however, haven't seen.

Movies that I am hoping will make the BEST:
Juno
I Am Legend

I also want to see...
No Country for Old Men
Romance and Cigarettes (http://imdb.com/title/tt0368222/)... I love John Turtoro.

Curious about seeing, but not sure yet...
Gone Baby Gone
American Gangster

There were a few people who said those last two were the "BEST"... Tell me about them, please. I want to hear more. :)

[fortunato]

I've noticed we have similar tastes in movies, and I thought this was brilliant, so I'm positive you'll dig it.

excellent, can't wait.
thanks for the advice.

[Zero]

for what its worth:

Tops:
No Country for Old Men
Eastern Promises
Darjeeleng Limited

Worst:
300
1408
Hannibal Rising

[ChronoGrl]

for what its worth:

Tops:
No Country for Old Men
Eastern Promises
Darjeeleng Limited

Worst:
300
1408
Hannibal Rising

Yeah, I'd add 1408 to the worst, hands down... Honestly, I thought that the first half hour was brilliant, well directed, acted, and the concept was incredible... but it just melted from there, sadly.

[GorePhobia]

I don't know how you can say 300 was bad.....

[joshaube]

Yeah, I thought that odd. 300 certainly wasn't one of the worst. And while I'm not as in love with it as most of the teenage male population, I can admit that the visuals alone warrant a watch. It's chock full of cheese, however. Maybe that's why he didn't lick it? Personally I laughed my ass off, and sat back and enjoyed the light show.

[alkytrio666]

While I wouldn't call it bad, 300 was the biggest dissapointment of the year, in my opinion. I expected so much and got so little.

[hellfire1]

300 was easily one of the best of the year, for me. It didn't try to be anything it wasn't. It's not historically accurate, and it didn't take itself too seriously. It's a big action flick filled with testosterone, incredible images, great one liners and that's what I expected going into the flick. That's what I got and more. It's very faithful to Miller's comic, and while there are some things that were added in, it all works well in the end.

This being said, I can't make a damn list cause most of the movies you all are listing still haven't been released here (that's the bitch about living in a foreign country).


EDIT : Can add in a worst, though: Dead Silence.... good lord, I even fell asleep in the theatre. Woke up just in time for the Saw-like twist, and left. Maybe I should check it out again...

[jenna26]

Yeah, I thought that odd. 300 certainly wasn't one of the worst. And while I'm not as in love with it as most of the teenage male population, I can admit that the visuals alone warrant a watch. It's chock full of cheese, however. Maybe that's why he didn't lick it? Personally I laughed my ass off, and sat back and enjoyed the light show.

Oh, it really is hilarious, we even own it now, because I think it is great fun, as long as you don't take it too seriously. I can see why some would be disappointed by it though for sure. I just don't expect too much from most movies anymore, and as long as I am entertained, that's the best I can hope for. And it certainly was entertaining. All the guys looked like male strippers, and the way they were always posing....it was soooooo silly, good stuff....:p

[fortunato]

Can add in a worst, though: Dead Silence.... good lord, I even fell asleep in the theatre. Woke up just in time for the Saw-like twist, and left. Maybe I should check it out again...

nah, don't bother. you're not missing anything.

[Angra]

I saw most of Death Sentence last night.

Could someone explain to me what the big twist in the end was, coz I didn't see it..

[ChronoGrl]

Dead Silence (http://imdb.com/title/tt0455760/)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v623/Chronogrl/10m-3.jpg

vs.

Death Sentence (http://imdb.com/title/tt0804461/)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v623/Chronogrl/10m-4.jpg



Dead Silence was a terrible haunted-dolls film by the creator of Saw.

Death Sentence - I haven't seen that one yet... But now I'm going to make sure I can tell them apart. :confused:

...

RE: 300

I wouldn't say that it was THE BEST, but I don't think that it's THE WORST, either... Honestly, the visual effects were hot (I'm sorry, but I canNOT consciously argue with 300 men with bulging biceps running around in loincloths :p )... It was pretty to watch.

The story and dialogue was pretty lame, but that's not what I came to... see... hee hee

I guess I wanted MORE over-the-top visuals, but overall, it was a really fun experience.

[GorePhobia]

See I went in to 300 knowing it would be over the top because it was based on the graphic novels and I knew it would have cheesey one liners and just fun action. I enjoy all those kind of things in a movie. If a movie doesn't take it self too seriously then it will be amazingly fun. For example go see Shoot Em' Up if you haven't yet because that is mindless action that is so over the top and cheesey it doesn't hurt itself by taking itself too seriously. I highly recommend it.

[jenna26]

See I went in to 300 knowing it would be over the top because it was based on the graphic novels and I knew it would have cheesey one liners and just fun action. I enjoy all those kind of things in a movie. If a movie doesn't take it self too seriously then it will be amazingly fun. For example go see Shoot Em' Up if you haven't yet because that is mindless action that is so over the top and cheesey it doesn't hurt itself by taking itself too seriously. I highly recommend it.

I pretty much agree. I didn't know the graphic novels. But no, it didn't take itself too seriously, and that is OFTEN a problem I have with movies. Movies where the people responsible for them just seem to think they are better or more clever than they really are. 300 didn't come across that way at all.

[ChronoGrl]

Ooo! Ooo! Ooo!

Another to add to the WORST of 2007!!!

Captivity (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0374563/)

Who knew that making a torture-porn movie would be so difficult?

Just... Abysmal.

[Amalthea_unicorn]

Best:

Shrek the Third
Ratatouille
The Messengers

Worst:

The Reaping

[ChronoGrl]

I was impressed by The Messengers, to tell you the truth, though the ending was pretty damn lame.

Other than that, it was a really well-constructed little ghost story. Not to mention, the special effects and the portrayal of the ghost themselves (does anyone know if there's an actual technical term for those kind of special effects?) always creep me out.

[Angra]

Best:

Dead Silence
Hot Fuzz
Children of men
30 days of night
Blades of glory
Apocalypto
Dynamite Warrior


Worst:

1. Freakshow!!!

House on haunted hill 2
2 days in paris

[X¤MurderDoll¤X]

yay someone else who enjoyed dead silence

[Angra]

Hell yes.

To me, Dead Silence was THE best horror movie to come out of 2007.


Nice blend of horror and fairytale.

[X¤MurderDoll¤X]

I agree with it being the best horror movie to come out of 07, no idea why a lot of people didn't like it.

[joshaube]

SPOILER FOR THE TWIST.

For those who missed it... the twist was, that the main character's father - who we see him interacting with repeatedly through the course of the film, always around his female partner (he is on a wheelchair and it is assumed he needs her assistance in even the simplest of tasks.) - is actually dead, and being controlled like a puppet. The female partner has gutted him, and stuck a stick in the back where his spine would be located, which moves his jaw.

Not only did this has very little to do with the plotline, minus the fact that the movie had something to do with puppets, but it was also tacked on to the ACTUAL ending, VERY VERY VERY poorly. It's like... you read a novel and you have a beginning, middle, and end, and then all of a sudden you there is an additional 7 pages that feels like a misprint, because the fucking thing already ended the way it should have.

It's like, the movie ends in a somewhat satisfying manner, and then... it's not actually over. You get a 1.5 minute little "twist" scenario coming out of NOWHERE. It feels like an epilogue more then a continuation. It's just poor film-making. Again, it's as if they decided last minute to add this twist ending. "The film's not good enough to go to theatres. *shelves*" "B-but... I added this!" "Oooh. Twists = ticket sales! SEND OUT THE PRINTS! Oh, and reference SAW in the promotional material."

It ruined the whole film for me, it was just a cop-out.

[ChronoGrl]

Honestly, I thought that the movie was pretty poor from the get-go.

Then again, honestly, I'm not that much into investigative horror, but I thought that the scares weren't that great, the dialogue was TERRIBLE, all of the characters were charicatures, not people. You have THE COP. THE RICH FAMILY. THE SMALL TOWN. THE MORTICIAN. Not to mention, the acting was poor, and the use of the doll was just, well, more cheesy than effective.

I really liked the concept of a small-town children's fairy tale coming to life... And I thought that some of the visuals were definitely powerful and chilling (the flashback to her stageshow, pretty much all of the scenes in the mortician's house, not to mention the "deserted" amphitheater). But I never really thought that the concept really came into fruition.

And I agree with Josh... The "twist" was really really terrible. As if we didn't have enough reveals, this contrived ending was capped on, simply out of nowhere, that took the level of cheesiness to a whole new extreme (because, at THIS point I realized that the movie was taking itself VERY seriously and that this was supposed to truly be High Art and, you know, "intellectual" - Guess you didn't see THAT coming! boy oh boy).

Dead Silence is one of those films in where its spectacle is outweighing function... It's too over-the-top to the point where I simply can no longer suspend my belief. I mean, I realize it's essentially a ghost story, but you have to be able to suspend your belief to REALLY get into a ghost story... And this one just seemed ridiculous to me.

[jenna26]

I agree Dead Silence was more than a tad ridiculous, and I don't think it was one of the best of the year. But I also don't think it was one of the worst. I actually enjoyed it more than I expected to, considering I am NOT much of a Saw fan (I actually feel Saw is one of those films guilty of thinking it is far more clever than it really is, and taking itself far too seriously). I didn't care for some of the special effects, and a lot of it was cheesy, but I actually found myself having fun with it.

[fortunato]

okay,
i was disappointed (bigtime) with dead silence as well, and i wasn't even expecting much.

to its merit, however, (since plenty of cons have been addressed) i thought that the mood and atmosphere of the movie were both really well-done. very creepy and foreboding, despite copious cheese. it had a very-old fashioned horror movie feel to it, and i really appreciated that.
another thing i appreciated was the fact that it had an overtly reoccurring musical theme. horror movies seem to have gotten away from this and i liked seeing that.

those are about all the redeeming qualities i can think of, though.

[Yellow Jacket]

Dead Silence was a good time-killer, but it was too boring to keep up with. I don't think that much happened. As to the ending, I actually liked that. I'm not going to ruin it, but it did catch me by surprise (not a Saw surprise, but a surprise nonetheless). I owuld pick it up if it was on the 4 for $20 deal at BlockBuster, but that's about it. Nothing to get excited over. Now, 1408 on the other hand, was a great one-man show, and had some creepy moments to it. And the ending was classic!

[joshaube]

There is actually more then one ending to 1408. The theatrical, and the Director's Cut. I saw the latter, and didn't bother investigating the prior. I probably should, as I am rather curious.

[fortunato]

spoilers below, just in case.














i only saw the theatrical ending, but was impressed with it. i liked the fact that they heard his daughter on the tape recorder, and the devastating explosion of emotions that must have conjured up in the both of them, and you can see it on their faces, then it's over. i really liked that.

the movie to me was so-so. nothing spectacular. i don't envision myself ever really wanting to watch it again, but i guess it was fun to see on a date.

[ChronoGrl]

There is actually more then one ending to 1408. The theatrical, and the Director's Cut. I saw the latter, and didn't bother investigating the prior. I probably should, as I am rather curious.

Huh. I was unaware of that... I've only seen the Director's Cut (that's what was On Demand), and in regards to the ending, I thought, well, that it fit the movie (though as a whole I thought the movie was weak).

My boyfriend and I had a discussion, though, as in What was the theatrical release like?

It manifested from me asking, "HOW did 1408 get such good reviews??" because, honestly, while it started strong, I thought that it really got boring. I'm wondering if maybe there was a LOT left in the Director's Cut that was just tripe that might have been cut out of the theatrical release, making the release a better movie.

Now I'm kinda curious too.

[joshaube]

I agree. I really went into 1408, ready to love it. Everything was going well, right up until the film began repeating itself. As if they had ran out of material. After he "woke up" and found his wife, the film took a massive drop. I became bored. I also thought that the ending was rather, eh, poor. Though the theatrical ending sounds excellent, as described by fortunato above.

[ChronoGrl]

I agree. I really went into 1408, ready to love it. Everything was going well, right up until the film began repeating itself. As if they had ran out of material. After he "woke up" and found his wife, the film took a massive drop. I became bored. I also thought that the ending was rather, eh, poor. Though the theatrical ending sounds excellent, as described by fortunato above.

Oh, I agree, that part was TERRIBLE... I kept asking myself, "Ok, WHEN are we supposed to get back into the room??"

It was one of those scenes that the boyfriend and I discussed afterward... I wonder if it was cut significantly shorter in the theatrical release, because it definitely changed the pacing of the film - and not in the good way... Up until that point, the film was fairly quickly-paced and creepy, but at that point, it slowed down and REALLY started to get ridiculous.

[fortunato]

Oh, I agree, that part was TERRIBLE... I kept asking myself, "Ok, WHEN are we supposed to get back into the room??"

It was one of those scenes that the boyfriend and I discussed afterward... I wonder if it was cut significantly shorter in the theatrical release, because it definitely changed the pacing of the film - and not in the good way... Up until that point, the film was fairly quickly-paced and creepy, but at that point, it slowed down and REALLY started to get ridiculous.

i'm not sure how long it was on the dvd release, cause i only saw the movie in theaters, but the whole part where he was "out" of the room and reconnecting with his wife was pretty long in when i saw it too. you're absolutely right, it really screwed with the pacing in a bad way. that slowness stuck right there in the middle of the faster-paced "scary" parts definitely made it draaaaaaaag. i'm really confused by 1408, though. in the end, it kind of seemed like they had a good idea that was messed up by trying to make it a blockbuster (i.e. trying to please as many people as possible: the death of many potentially great movies).

[X¤MurderDoll¤X]

I loved 1408, while it did kind of repeat itself a bit it was on a whole really good. What was the other ending? I mean not the theatrical ending.

[Yellow Jacket]

Normally, I'm one to hate repitition, but in 1408, it worked. The ghosts probably ran out of things to do after an hour, since they're not used to people lasting longer than that. *SPOILER* And as far as Cusack going back into the room, thinking he escaped, I thought that worked perfectly. *END OF SPOILER* 1408 is a great movie, in my opinion, and is one of the best horror movies in recent years.

[stenchofdeath]

These are just "some" of the dvd's and movies at the cinema i have seen this year.

The Best:

28 Weeks Later
Knocked Up
Clerks 2
Live Free Or die hard
The Hitcher (remake)
Zodiak
Altered
Black book
Death at a funeral
This Is England

The Worst:

Vacancy
Ghost Rider

[Yellow Jacket]

Clerks 2

That was released in 2006. I do agree that it is a great movie though.

[Doc Faustus]

These are just "some" of the dvd's and movies at the cinema i have seen this year.

The Best:

28 Weeks Later
Knocked Up
Clerks 2
Live Free Or die hard
The Hitcher (remake)
Zodiak
Altered
Black book
Death at a funeral
This Is England

The Worst:

Vacancy
Ghost Rider
I'm totally with you on Black Book. Verhoeven surprised me.

[BH14]

Best:
28 Weeks Later<---------------------Best Horror Movie of the Year
Planet Terror/Death Proof
Disturbia
Dead Silence
Wrong Turn 2
The Messengers
Vacancy


Worst:
The Hitcher (remake)
1408.... It wasnt horrible but I was disappointed by it. The trailer and reviews built it up.
The Hills have Eyes 2.... An ok film.
Bug... It was getting rave reviews but I found it to be an ok film. Not horrible!
Breed... I caught 10 mins of this on television!
Hannibal Rising

BEST OVERALL MOVIE: Knocked Up

[joshaube]

I just watched 28 Weeks Later and it certainly was one of the best horror movies of the year.

[Angelakillsluts]

= Best =

Knocked Up
Death Proof
Planet Terror
Eastern Promises
Hot Fuzz
1408
Dead Silence
28 weeks Later
Resident Evil: Extinction (It pains me to put a Resident Evil movie on a best list)
Death at a funeral

= Worst =

Epic Movie
the hills have eyes 2
skinwalkers
transformers
rob zombie's halloween
War
Saw 4
Captivity
Spiderman 3
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

[joshaube]

Oh my god. You did not watch the same movie as me then, because the Resident Evil: Extinction I saw was pretty much the worst thing to be churned out in a while.

[stenchofdeath]

28 Weeks Later, yeah, i think the best horror that i have seen this year. Relentless, vastly superior to 28 days later.

[Yellow Jacket]

= Worst =

Epic Movie


I forgot to put this on my list. Then again, it was nice not remembering this piece of shit.

[joshaube]

^ My thoughts exactly.

[ChronoGrl]

My revised Top 10 of the year (in no particular order):


Paprika
28 Weeks Later
Across the Universe
Darjeeling Limited
The Host
Grindhouse
Hot Fuzz
Borderland
Bug
Juno


Newest addition to the list: Juno.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v623/Chronogrl/10m-13.jpg

Easily one of THE best movies of the year, this film is more than your typical coming-of-age film. It's definitely quirky, odd, and droll. Ellen Page plays an incredible 16-year-old preggo, and Michael Cera plays the loveable baby's daddy. Jason Bateman and Allison Janney are wonderful, as usual, and Jennifer Garner was surprisingly touching.

I actually cried a little. Honestly, it's well-done, well-written, and incredible well-acted. I would see it again and/or own it in a heartbeat.

...

Some More Honorable Mentions:

I Am Legend
Here's the thing: I am a natural-born sucker for the post-apocalyptic genre. I am particularly geektacular about well-DONE post-apocalyptic movies... I thought that the first half of the movie was definitely good, while Will Smith played a very convincing sympathetic yet strong hero. I liked the concept, I liked the setting, I loved the first part of the movie. The second part, however, happened very VERY quickly (the action and "threat"... To tell you the truth, I did not get much of a sense of "threat" until the last 20 minutes or so, which is way too late). AND, the ending sucked. Seriously sucked. I have my hopes up for the book.

Sweeney Todd
Here's the thing: I am a sucker for the macabre musical (LOVED Buffy's Once More With Feeling). I love over-the-top sweeping singing and dancing (if done well). I love Tim Burton. And I love Johnny Depp. Therefore, this was pretty much a softball in regards to ChronoMovies. I thought that Depp was incredible, as well a Helena Bonam-Carter (I've always been so/so about her, but this movie REALLY sold her for me).
Downside: While SOME of the movie is over-the-top, some of it... Well, isn't. There are scenes just where Depp and Bonam-Carter are standing around and singing, as though with nothing to do... Other times, there was sweeping direction and amazing costumes (though though costumes were great throughout). Overall, I think it's just because muisicals, in general, are just difficult to convert to film.
Other downside: Sweeney Todd is a fairly lame musical in general. While the theme is different, it definitely suffers from musical sacarine... But I forgive it. And would see it again in a heartbeat. But I'm not sure it's for everyone.

There's a hole in the world like a great black pit
And it's filled with people who are filled with shit
And the vermin of the world inhabit it.
But not for long...

They all deserve to die.
Tell you why, Mrs. Lovett, tell you why.
Because in all of the whole human race
Mrs Lovett, there are two kinds of men and only two
There's the one they put in his proper place
And the one with his foot in the other one's face
Look at me, Mrs Lovett, look at you.

Now we all deserve to die
Tell you why, Mrs. Lovett, tell you why.
Because the lives of the wicked should be made brief
For the rest of us death will be a relief
We all deserve to die.

Really, how could you NOT love that?





P.S. This is NOT a movie to see with your mom (BOY was she disappointed... and slightly horrified... Burton does NOT hold back from the blood).

[joshaube]

I really want to see JUNO.

[ChronoGrl]

I really want to see JUNO.

Do. Yes, definitely do. It's a little more dark an edgy than your usual coming-of-age movie and definitely handles the topic of teen pregnancy in a way that isn't at all preachy, but instead creates a believable and moving character piece.

Honestly, Ellen Page was incredible and Jason batemen really outdid himself.

Go see it.

[Despare]

Oh my god. You did not watch the same movie as me then, because the Resident Evil: Extinction I saw was pretty much the worst thing to be churned out in a while.

Extinction was a really fun action flick... not really a horror but that's ok. I guess I'm just not one of those people who go into a movie with a preconceived notion that the movie will suck because it's based on a videogame. Oh, and I'm a fanboy.

[joshaube]

Oh, don't get me wrong. I love the Resident Evil video game series. I love survival horror video games in general (my favourite being Silent Hill, if you could label it so...) I am also not the type to judge a movie just because it's based on a comic book / video game, or if it is a sequel or a remake / re-imagining. I liked the first RE movie, I liked the second RE movie, and I had somewhat imagined that I would at least like this movie... but by god, it was bad. There were some redeeming moments, but those were only redeeming due to the cheese factor and unintentional funniness.

Chronogirl, I've been wanting to see JUNO for a long time... but living in a small town, it's not coming here. :(

[Angelakillsluts]

Extinction was a really fun action flick... not really a horror but that's ok. I guess I'm just not one of those people who go into a movie with a preconceived notion that the movie will suck because it's based on a videogame. Oh, and I'm a fanboy.

I hated the other resident evil movies, I thought this one was quite entertaining though.

[massacre man]

I can't really form a list so I'll put it simply.

Favorite movie of 2007: Knocked Up.
Least favorite movie of 2007: Transformers.

Still haven't seen (But want to): Sweeney Todd, No Country For Old Men, Juno.

[ChronoGrl]

Oh, don't get me wrong. I love the Resident Evil video game series. I love survival horror video games in general (my favourite being Silent Hill, if you could label it so...) I am also not the type to judge a movie just because it's based on a comic book / video game, or if it is a sequel or a remake / re-imagining. I liked the first RE movie, I liked the second RE movie, and I had somewhat imagined that I would at least like this movie... but by god, it was bad. There were some redeeming moments, but those were only redeeming due to the cheese factor and unintentional funniness.

See, I went into it thinking it would be awful, awful, AWFUL... But my boyfriend is a diehard zombie fan and just HAD to watch the first two movies (in the theater of course), which followed, naturally, that he HAD to see the third one. And, me, being the supportive wonderful girlfriend that I am, agreed to go with him (he's a lucky man... I see the lame action films, and have no interest in the hyper-girly-chickflick films, so there's nothing I can trade in for watching Resident Evil III, Spiderman III, and Ghostrider in the theater. :( )... That being said, I thought that Resident Evil III honestly wasn't all that bad... I saw it as a simple action, post-apocalyptic zombie film. And I enjoyed it. Mind you, that's without ANY sort of frame of reference whatsoever... No exposure to the video games or the first two movies. Without that frame of reference, I thought that the movie stood up fairly well on its own. She was a pretty badass superhero, and I liked the sort of RoadWarrior themes running throughout... Then again, I have said before that I AM a sucker of the post-apocalyptic... Honestly, I thought that the scene with the crows (which I know that you hated), was really well-done and the concept of [*SPOILER*] birds eating the rotting meat and becoming zombies definitely made sense... I mean, there were zombie-dogs... Why not zombie-birds? [*/SPOILER*]

So I'm not sure that Resident Evil deserves the bad rep that people give it. It was just entertaining, action gore. I had LOW expectation... And it surpassed them (it helps to have low expectations - I truly try to live my life that way). Oh, and I REALLY liked the beginning. Though the ultimate big bad at the end was kinda lame (as you already noted).

Chronogirl, I've been wanting to see JUNO for a long time... but living in a small town, it's not coming here. :(

Oh, Honey... Suck. I know you've been wanting to see it, too (something I noticed and immediately decided I LIKED about you). Though, I've noticed that Juno's been making it to some major theaters out here (sure, I'm near Boston, but it's moving beyond the Dirty Water)... It's already up for a Golden Globe for Best Comedy; I have a feeling that it'll be up for Oscar-nominations, at which point it should circle the major theaters and even reach out to the po-dunks. :p I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

[Castlewood]

Hey guys... I just joined!! Good to be here.

My favorite films of 2007 are:

- The Mist
- 300
- Zodiac
- Rob Zombie's Halloween
- Smokin' Aces
- Live Free or Die Hard


Yes, I know some of them are labeled as "sucky"... but I particularly loved The Mist and Zodiac

[ChronoGrl]

Hey guys... I just joined!! Good to be here.

My favorite films of 2007 are:

- The Mist
- 300
- Zodiac
- Rob Zombie's Halloween
- Smokin' Aces
- Live Free or Die Hard


Yes, I know some of them are labeled as "sucky"... but I particularly loved The Mist and Zodiac

Welcome!

You know, I've actually wanted to hear back from the people who LIKED Rob Zombie's Halloween... I'm not a huge fan of Zombie, so, to tell you the truth, I want to hear more about the appeal. If you please, I would like to hear more about what you like about the movie... Either here or the Rob Zombie's Halloween Thread, also in Modern Horror Movies.

[Despare]

I want to hear more about the appeal. If you please, I would like to hear more about what you like about the movie... Either here or the Rob Zombie's Halloween Thread, also in Modern Horror Movies.

I liked Zombie's Halloween but I think the best thing about the film wasn't actually "in" the movie at all. Remakes are pouring out of Hollywood now and the biggest problem with them is the lack of creativity used in reshaping the original. Zombie reimagined the film and wasn't afraid to add a lot of material of his own to flesh out the story and make the film truly his. I'm not against remakes at all, if they interest me I'll watch them and if they're good I'll buy them... if they're bad I won't. I feel the same way about remakes as I do cover songs, if the artist makes the material their own and really embraces it then there's a chance the outcome will be decent. If not then they're just shoveling more crap down our open throats trying to make the most money with the least work. Now I'm not suggesting that simply changing the original as much as possible is the way to go but some imagination and willingness to contort the source material is a must. The same goes with Asian translations. To paraphrase Chan Woo Park, I hate when they make an American remake by simply changing the actors and locations to their American counterparts but some remakes can be good and maybe even great. Ummmm, so yeah, I liked the Halloween remake and even though the backstory was weak the story still played out well. I think he even did a good job holding back with his giant Michael, sure he used more brute force than the original did but he still stalked his prey and I liked that. I bet Zombie held back there and I really think he could have turned Michael into more of a beast and less of a monster. Also, I liked the theatrical release MUCH more than the workprint and before anybody judges the film they should have scene the theatrical release.

[Castlewood]

Welcome!

You know, I've actually wanted to hear back from the people who LIKED Rob Zombie's Halloween... I'm not a huge fan of Zombie, so, to tell you the truth, I want to hear more about the appeal. If you please, I would like to hear more about what you like about the movie... Either here or the Rob Zombie's Halloween Thread, also in Modern Horror Movies.

Thanks for the welcome!

Well, I thought Rob Zombie's direction was very good. I HATED his first two movies, and well, I had very low expectations about his Halloween... but I was proven wrong.

I think what separates this film from its predecessor's is two things:

1. Michael's origin.. which is fresh and new.
2. The increase in horror.

When I say "increase", I simply mean that the level of intensity and suspense was raised quite a bit. I'm not dissing Carpenter's vision (since I believe Carpenter's film is still the best), but it feels like Rob Zombie tastefully brought the story into a modern world for an audience that craves more blood and guts.

I also think this generation of movie-goers has a lower attention span than back in the 70's.... so I think Rob Zombie's vision mirrored that. I personally don't mind "slower" films - in fact I prefer them - and I love the original Halloween films... but I think Zombie treated the material with great respect.

The original is always superior, though. :cool:

[alkytrio666]

Hey guys... I just joined!! Good to be here.

My favorite films of 2007 are:

- The Mist
- 300
- Zodiac
- Rob Zombie's Halloween
- Smokin' Aces
- Live Free or Die Hard


Yes, I know some of them are labeled as "sucky"... but I particularly loved The Mist and Zodiac
Zodiac was brilliant...it's really too bad that the general public has their collective head up their ass and let masterpieces like this whiz by...

The 2-Disc director's cut comes out on Tuesday!

[ChronoGrl]

I liked Zombie's Halloween but I think the best thing about the film wasn't actually "in" the movie at all. Remakes are pouring out of Hollywood now and the biggest problem with them is the lack of creativity used in reshaping the original. Zombie reimagined the film and wasn't afraid to add a lot of material of his own to flesh out the story and make the film truly his. I'm not against remakes at all, if they interest me I'll watch them and if they're good I'll buy them... if they're bad I won't. I feel the same way about remakes as I do cover songs, if the artist makes the material their own and really embraces it then there's a chance the outcome will be decent. If not then they're just shoveling more crap down our open throats trying to make the most money with the least work. Now I'm not suggesting that simply changing the original as much as possible is the way to go but some imagination and willingness to contort the source material is a must. The same goes with Asian translations. To paraphrase Chan Woo Park, I hate when they make an American remake by simply changing the actors and locations to their American counterparts but some remakes can be good and maybe even great. Ummmm, so yeah, I liked the Halloween remake and even though the backstory was weak the story still played out well. I think he even did a good job holding back with his giant Michael, sure he used more brute force than the original did but he still stalked his prey and I liked that. I bet Zombie held back there and I really think he could have turned Michael into more of a beast and less of a monster. Also, I liked the theatrical release MUCH more than the workprint and before anybody judges the film they should have scene the theatrical release.

I think that that's a really good point... Remakes definitely interest me too. I think that I agree that the backstory was crap, but it was interesting to see how Rob Zombie made that crux of the film, the older Mike Myers part I found significantly more interesting than the backstory because I enjoyed RZ's take. I thought that the death scenes were pretty brutal and, honestly, there were a couple of slashes that really SHOCKED me.

Also - Those last 3 minutes or so... I thought were pretty damn amazing, and I would say that, if you were going to change the ending of a movie, that's the damn way to do it. I think that if he had ignored the concept of creating a past and just focused on JC's movie, the remake would have been pretty strong. But, MAN did the "past" suck. I thought that little Mikey Myers was just... laughable.

I woulda beat him up.

...

Thanks for the welcome!

Well, I thought Rob Zombie's direction was very good. I HATED his first two movies, and well, I had very low expectations about his Halloween... but I was proven wrong.

I think what separates this film from its predecessor's is two things:

1. Michael's origin.. which is fresh and new.
2. The increase in horror.

When I say "increase", I simply mean that the level of intensity and suspense was raised quite a bit. I'm not dissing Carpenter's vision (since I believe Carpenter's film is still the best), but it feels like Rob Zombie tastefully brought the story into a modern world for an audience that craves more blood and guts.

I also think this generation of movie-goers has a lower attention span than back in the 70's.... so I think Rob Zombie's vision mirrored that. I personally don't mind "slower" films - in fact I prefer them - and I love the original Halloween films... but I think Zombie treated the material with great respect.

The original is always superior, though.

But did you actually like the origin tale?

I definitely agree with the intensity... Zombie's films are definitely raw and bring a bit more to the slasher genre then some of his predecessors. And I thought that there were some aspects of the intensity that definitely added to the film...

But at least you agree about the far superior Original. :p


...


And back on topic... I finally saw No Country For Old Men.

My take: A very pretty, artistic, action film. Definitely makes me want to read the book (has anyone read it)? I feel as though it examines three men with three different objectives, and attempts to examine and call into question their separate purpose and obsession on their objects of striving.

It was pretty, intense, a little slow, but ends REALLY well. Tommy Lee Jones is spectacular.

...

But I am NOT sure that I would necessarily put it on my BEST OF 2007 list.

Anyone want to discuss why it made theirs?

[joshaube]

ChronoGrl, you'll be happy to hear that my theatre finally received JUNO, and I will be going to see it in approximately 20 hours.

I'm looking forward to seeing not only JUNO, but Gone Baby Gone. I'm sure both will make my top films of 2007 list.

[ChronoGrl]

ChronoGrl, you'll be happy to hear that my theatre finally received JUNO, and I will be going to see it in approximately 20 hours.

I'm looking forward to seeing not only JUNO, but Gone Baby Gone. I'm sure both will make my top films of 2007 list.

YAY!

I KNEW it would happen... Of course, you'll have to report back.

[alkytrio666]

Has anyone seen Atonement yet?!
It's so good it's rediculous.

[ChronoGrl]

I'm so good it's rediculous. :p

...

Haven't seen Atonement, but I just saw a movie last night that SERIOUSLY needs to make Honorable Mention (Runner Up) at the VERY LEAST.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v623/Chronogrl/10m-16.jpg


Shoot Em Up

Not just an action movie. Not just a parody. Just just an homage. It's an actiody-mage.

Not just decent action, but EXCELLENT action - a strict homage to the action greats, and incredibly well done too! The writing is quirky and clever and over-the-top just enough without getting to be too ridiculous.

The story IS ridiculous, but only in as much as to create an enjoyable nod to previous films.

But what makes it one of this year's BEST is the fact that it's just really really well made. I was impressed. I'd definitely own it.

[joshaube]

Shoot Em Up was excellent. It was stylish, fast-paced, and so over-the-top you couldn't help but be filled with both laughter and adrenaline. Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti are two excellent actors, and you can just tell they had fun the entire time they were making this film. Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, he whips out a carrot. He fights and manuevers while being inside of a women. He spews out numerous one-liners. Someone tries to back over a baby. Ahhh... such fun.

I'll post the final versions of my list this upcoming Friday. :)

[GorePhobia]

I'm so good it's rediculous. :p

...

Haven't seen Atonement, but I just saw a movie last night that SERIOUSLY needs to make Honorable Mention (Runner Up) at the VERY LEAST.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v623/Chronogrl/10m-16.jpg


Shoot Em Up

Not just an action movie. Not just a parody. Just just an homage. It's an actiody-mage.

Not just decent action, but EXCELLENT action - a strict homage to the action greats, and incredibly well done too! The writing is quirky and clever and over-the-top just enough without getting to be too ridiculous.

The story IS ridiculous, but only in as much as to create an enjoyable nod to previous films.

But what makes it one of this year's BEST is the fact that it's just really really well made. I was impressed. I'd definitely own it.

I couldn't agree more. Movie was awesome!

[massacre man]

I've been catching up on some movies lately and here is my top 5 for the year:

5.Juno
4. Grindhouse
3. Sweeney Todd
2. Knocked Up
1. No Country For Old Men

Honorable mentions: Hot Fuzz, The Simpsons Movie, Superbad.

[alkytrio666]

Alky's Updated List:

1. No Country For Old Men
2. Atonement
3. Gone Baby Gone
4. Grindhouse
5. Zodiac

[fortunato]

Alky's Updated List:

1. No Country For Old Men
2. Atonement
3. Gone Baby Gone
4. Grindhouse
5. Zodiac

hmmm, i'd really like to see atonement. i still NEED to see the diving bell and the butterfly, before the devil knows you're dead, and there will be blood!

[alkytrio666]

hmmm, i'd really like to see atonement.

Giddyup! Now!

i still NEED to see the diving bell and the butterfly, before the devil knows you're dead, and there will be blood!]

Me too. Especially There Will Be Blood.

[joshaube]

I've managed to convince a few people to go see Atonement. I'm on a mission to see all the Oscar-buzz films this year. After seeing a mere 2 or 3 last season.

[newb]

I'm so good it's rediculous. :p

...

Haven't seen Atonement, but I just saw a movie last night that SERIOUSLY needs to make Honorable Mention (Runner Up) at the VERY LEAST.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v623/Chronogrl/10m-16.jpg


Shoot Em Up

Not just an action movie. Not just a parody. Just just an homage. It's an actiody-mage.

Not just decent action, but EXCELLENT action - a strict homage to the action greats, and incredibly well done too! The writing is quirky and clever and over-the-top just enough without getting to be too ridiculous.

The story IS ridiculous, but only in as much as to create an enjoyable nod to previous films.

But what makes it one of this year's BEST is the fact that it's just really really well made. I was impressed. I'd definitely own it.



Great fun

another over the top action movie--------->http://jayfan.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/crank.jpg

[joshaube]

I couldn't do a numerically organized "best films of 2007" list, since I suck at prioritizing... but I do consider the following films to be "the best films of 2007." Give them all a watch, and decide your own order. But they are all great.

Zodiac

Gone Baby Gone

Atonement

No Country for Old Men

JUNO

---

I have a strong feeling that There Will Be Blood will make it's way on to this list... but my theatre is, as I've been told, NEVER getting it. So it will be a while until I get a chance to see this (aka... DVD... in April. :()

I also want to see Michael Clayton, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and The Darjeeling Limited... but it's the same predicament as above.

I never got a chance to see Grindhouse in it's theatrical state.

As far as indie horror goes... Fido, Hatchet and Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon were pretty notable.

I'm waiting for The Lookout on DVD.

Superbad was the best comical buddy film of the year... were there any other contenders?

---

Did anyone mention Balls of Fury on their WORST list?

[bwind22]

Best

28 Weeks later
Grindhouse
Live Free or Die Hard
Mr. Brooks
The Simpsons Movie
Wrong Turn 2

Worst


Balls of Fury
Blades of Glory
Dead Silence
Evan Almighty
Ghost Rider
I Know Who Killed Me
The Messengers
TMNT




Everything else I've seen from 07 was somewhere in between best and worst.

[fortunato]

i recently watched both juno and once, and i'll be adding those two to my favorites of 2007. i was really really impressed with both of them.

[Castlewood]

I still stand by The Mist as being the best of '07.

[hellfire1]

I still stand by The Mist as being the best of '07.



Seriously ?

[Castlewood]

Seriously ?

Seriously. It just hit me harder than any film this year.

[hellfire1]

Seriously. It just hit me harder than any film this year.


Maybe I should see it again, since I've only seen it once, but the ending kinda ruined it for me. Found it good, but in no way the best I've seen this year (though I haven't seen many).

[Castlewood]

Maybe I should see it again, since I've only seen it once, but the ending kinda ruined it for me. Found it good, but in no way the best I've seen this year (though I haven't seen many).

It's the acting, the direction, the atmosphere... all spot on. This is the best King adaptation ever.... and Frank Darabont is a freakin' genius.

[Despare]

This is the best King adaptation ever....

Wait, so you're saying it's better than The Green Mile AND The Shawshank Redemption??

[_____V_____]

The Mist was good, but in no terms better than The Green Mile, much less The Shawshank Redemption.

That and 1408 were better King adaptations of recent times (more so 2007)...BUT, among all King adaptations, nothing (I repeat NOTHING) beats The Shawshank Redemption.

[joshaube]

As far as I'm concerned, The Shawshank Redemption is the best Stephen King adaptation out there. Including The Shining. Perhaps it's because the film is a favourite of my parents, and I've sat through it with them at least 8 or 9 times.

[fortunato]

for those of us who saw it and loved it, there will be blood is going to be released on dvd (as a 2-disc special edition) on april 8th.

something to look forward to.

[ChronoGrl]

I'm excited to see it. For a belated Birthday present, my boyfriend is taking me out to dinner and then to see There Will Be Blood tomorrow.

I'm psyched. PT Anderson is one of my all-time favorite directors.

[joshaube]

Now that I've seen everything I needed to... my favourites...

JUNO
Atonement
Zodiac
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood
Gone Baby Gone
Superbad
Planet Terror / Death Proof

King of Kong was the best documentary I saw.