Archive for the 'Lists' Category

The Best Films Of 2004, According To…Me!

Published
by
James McNally
on January 7, 2005
in Lists
. Closed

Well, I’ve finally come up with my lists. That’s right, lists plural. I decided that since I see so many documentaries now, that I’d give them a separate list. All films were released in 2004, though I saw a few of them in 2005. A few of the foreign films may not have been released in North America yet, but I saw them at film festivals. The first number following the title is my IMDB rating (out of 10) and the second is the current average among all IMDB voters. Clicking an asterisk will take you to my review of the film (usually only for films seen at the Toronto International Film Festival).

Best Films

  1. Sideways — (10/8.2)
  2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind — (10/8.6)
  3. The Aviator — (9/8.0)
  4. The Incredibles — (9/8.3)
  5. Crimen Ferpecto (Spain) — (9/6.2) *
  6. Les Choristes (France) — (9/7.6) *
  7. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou — (8/7.4)
  8. The Door in the Floor — (8/6.9)
  9. La Mala Educación (Spain) — (8/7.5) *
  10. Open Water — (8/6.1)

Best Documentaries

  1. Super Size Me — (9/7.8)
  2. Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson — (9/9.3) *
  3. A League of Ordinary Gentlemen — (9/6.8)
  4. Fahrenheit 9/11 — (8/7.9)
  5. Mondovino — (8/7.1) *
  6. Control Room — (8/7.9)
  7. Tying the Knot — (8/9.4)
  8. Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession — (8/6.0) *
  9. Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism — (8/7.7)
  10. Salvador Allende — (8/7.2) *

What were some of your favourites?

Film Lists A-Plenty!

Published
by
James McNally
on January 4, 2005
in Lists
. Closed

Here is an interesting thread discussing the National Society of Film Critics’ list of “100 Essential Films”. And if that’s not enough, here’s a whole page of film lists. (bless you, rebecca)

And for those of you who are waiting with baited breath for my own “Top Films” list, I refuse to disappoint. But, gimme a few more days, will ya? I’m still seeing some stuff.

And the “Essential 100″? I’ve seen 32.2. I’ve watched two of the episodes of the Decalogue so far. Plus, I tried watching another on the list and turned it off after half an hour (Happy Together? How ironic!).

Overlooked 90s Films

Published
by
James McNally
on August 9, 2004
in Lists
. Closed

The Online Film Critics Society’s list of the Top 100 Overlooked Films of the 1990s. I’ve seen 35. Overlooked, indeed. (via tbit)

Faith and Film

Published
by
James McNally
on July 2, 2004
in Lists
. Closed

You know how I love these film lists! Here’s an interesting one. Well, interesting to me anyway. Arts and Faith has assembled a list of the Top 100 Spiritually Significant Films. I’ve seen 41.2. The fraction is due to their decision to count multiple film sets as one choice (ie. Kieslowski’s Three Colours trilogy, Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, Kieslowski’s Decalogue). I’ve only seen 2 of the 10 segments of Kieslowski’s Decalogue.

(via dashhouse)

AFI’s 100 Years, 100 Songs

Published
by
James McNally
on June 23, 2004
in Lists
. Closed

Brooke and I watched the AFI 100 Years, 100 Songs special on television last night. No real surprises, but I did learn something. I’d always assumed that “New York, New York” was an older song, from the ’40s or ’50s, but it was actually written for Martin Scorsese’s musical flop of the same name in 1977! Yeah, right in the middle of the punk explosion! I was gobsmacked.

In the same vein, where was the Ramones’ “Rock ‘n Roll High School”?