Film School Rejects » 2008 Year in Review

Oscars Shmoscars! We Pick the 2009 Scream Award Winners

Brian Salisbury — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:39:37 +0000

The wait is finally over. The anticipation all year long, the bittersweet uncertainty, the constant flaming of people that don’t like Twilight and Transformers 2 on the Internet, and having to actually sit through Spike TV programming have once again come to fanboy fruition. The nominees have been announced for the 2009 Scream Awards. Pause for applause. The fourth-annual Sci-Fi, Horror, Fantasy ceremony will air on Spike on October 27th. Sure, this event could be perceived as a ham-fisted box office stroke fest for people who can’t wait until next year’s MTV Movie Awards but I am choosing to see the small amount of merit here. There is something to be said for genre-based fan-loving award shows as an alternative to the stuffy, pretentious, now overly complicated Academy…..stroke-fest. If you want to read a masterful, comprehensive analysis of something that is boring as all hell, see Dr. Abaius’ breakdown of the new Oscar voting rules.

As much as I like to explore film as an abstract visual art medium, I am also a lover of genre and unmitigated badassitude. And as terrible as Summer 2009 was, we are on the threshold of a geek renaissance in mainstream cinema. Look at the bulk of the titles this year and set to be released in the next. We have not one, but two post-apocalyptic films, a score of vampire films, the adaptation of one of the greatest graphic novels of all time, a zombie comedy, and a film literally called: Ninja Assassin. Not only that, but Sci-Fi is really becoming auteur again with District 9 and Moon challenging us the way Science-Fiction was born to do. So for me, something like the Scream Awards presents an interesting venue for unrepentant movie geeks like me to measure our non-arthouse fare.

For full details on the the nominees and the categories, feel free to check out the full story at Coming Soon. But allow me to run down some of the categories, because they are in and of themselves fantastic, and provide both my choice and the film that will more than likely win. Because as much as I may be coming around on the idea of the Scream Awards, they do in fact rely on online and text voting to pick the winners so obviously there will be controversial decisions.

Best Horror Movie:

My Pick: Let The Right One In. Nuanced, thought-provoking, beautiful film.

Actual Winner: My Bloody Valentine. 3-D Va Jay Jay!

Best Science Fiction Movie:

My Pick: Moon. I’m assuming the only reason District 9 isn’t nominated is it was released too late. While I didn’t love Moon as much as everybody else, it’s a very smart, intense film and Rockwell knocks it right the fuck out of the park with his performance.

Actual Winner: Star Trek. I am very ok with this choice as I thought this was by far the best mainstream summer release this year.

Best Fantasy Movie:

My Pick: Up. I don’t really consider Watchmen fantasy so I have to go with Pixar’s heart-breaking, coming-of-age film (for the studio as a whole that is) that had me weeping like a tiny little girl.

Actual Winner: Twilight. Anyone who believes this piece of shit qualifies as a film is really living in a fantasy world.

Best Ensemble:

My Pick: Watchmen. This one was tough for me because I truly believe that the entire cast of Star Trek does a phenomenal job. But the source material given to the Watchmen cast was far more complex and their (overall) adherence to it and the subsequent caliber of performances makes them my pick.

Actual Winner: Twilight. Because people who read these books, who will comprise most of the voting audience, don’t know the word ensemble.

Best Director:

My Pick: Duncan Jones, Moon. This was tough for me as well. But this first-time feature film director adopts the massive undertaking of creating a quiet, cerebral sci-fi opus in a summer choked by sequels and spin-offs. The film is cool as all get out and Jones got a stellar performance out of his only actor who carries the film perfectly.

Actual Winner: I’m going to give the voters some credit here and assume Michael Bay will lose to Abrams.

Best Foreign Film:

My Pick: Let The Right One In. Much deliberation went into this one. I love Timecrimes, I got to see its premiere at Fantastic Fest two years ago. I think it is a phenomenal piece of storytelling. It is taut, captivating, and brilliantly subtle in both performances and overall execution. But Let The Right One In affected me more and I would re-watch it more readily than Timecrimes. Tough call.

Actual Winner: Let The Right One In is probably the only one the voters will have heard of.

Most Memorable Mutilation:

My Pick: Let The Right One In (Swimming Pool Scene). First of all, I love that I get to rate this. To avoid spoiling things, sufficed to say that the scene in the swimming pool is largely suggestive. The few bits we are privy to are terrifying and the scene concluded with me breathless.

Actual Winner: Saw V (Pendulum Trap). Honestly, why the fuck are they still making these? I love that they’ve run out of ideas for traps and are now plagiarizing Edgar Allen Poe.

Fight-To-The-Death Scene of the Year:

My Pick: Watchmen. The opening bout between The Comedian and his assailant is not only incredibly faithful to the graphic novel but also deeply moving and beautifully photographed. Say what you will about Snyder’s penchant for slow motion, but I always imagined a certain amount of slow, agonizing movements when I read it.

Actual Winner: X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Wolverine vs. Sabertooth). I don’t know why. Also, Kirk vs. Spock is nominated?!! Not to ruin the insanely obvious, but neither of them die in that exchange. In fact, there is never a moment when you actually believe one of them could die so that should not at all be nominated.

Holy S***! Scene of the Year:

My Pick: Knowing (Subway Crash). Another capital category here. I hate Knowing. Cage’s acting reaches new degrees of horrendous and the screenplay seems like the product of a writer who was clinically dead for four hours before coming around and penning the ending. That being said, the disaster sequences were honest and horrific and I could barely watch them.

Actual Winner: Knowing. Seriously, did you see this sequence?

So that’s it, my long-winded postulations regarding an award show most of us will not watch. I think it has a lot of potential, but will still likely be plagued by a juvenile core of voters. Thoughts?

Ten People to Watch in 2009

Adam Sweeney — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 21:00:59 +0000

2008 has come and gone, and so have the movie stars of it. Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man and Tropic Thunder? Freida Pinto in Slumdog Millionaire? Please, that’s old news my friends. In a country that has replaced the motto of “land of the free, home of the brave” with “make sure you Tivo it,” it only makes sense to throw away last year’s actors like a DVD of an Ashton Kutcher film at Christmas. But worry not, we’ve got you covered on who everyone will be talking about in 2009.

Malin Akerman

When Watchmen will hit theaters is anyone’s guess (thanks Fox), but when it does all eyes will be upon Akerman in her Silk Spectre II glory. Plus, she was beautiful and talented enough to make me sit through the otherwise pathetic The Heartbreak Kid, which proves she is a superhero in real life as well. Add a part in Jon Favreau’s latest script Couples Retreat and Akerman’s date stardom is fast approaching. Plus, you can thank her for your cute girlfriend dressing up in a skin tight suit next Halloween. So there’s that.

Chris Pine

How do you follow up acting next to Anne Hathaway and Lindsay Lohan in previous roles? You board the Starship Enterprise, of course and land the part of Capt. James T. Kirk , the second most beloved figure to a fanboy other than their mother, in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek. Add a part in Killing Pablo, the true story of how Colombian gangster Pablo Escobar was assassinated, with Christian Bale and Pine will be appearing on our radar at warp speed.

Mia Wasikowska

What is more impressive, Wasikowska’s acting ability or the fact that she managed to convince director Tim Burton not to cast Helena Bonham Carter or Winona Ryder as the lead in his adaptation of Alice in the Wonderland? While you ponder that question, think about this as well. Wasikowska is also showing up in Amelia, the story of legendary pilot Amelia Earhart. I smell Oscar buzz in this lady’s future. And if you get a chance, go on line and find her work in the zombie short I love Sarah Jane. It’s subtle and beautiful, like Wasikowska herself.

Sam Worthington

Let’s play a game called Six Degrees of Termination, starring this Australian actor in 2009. Worthington is the lead in Avatar, James Cameron’s first full length feature since Titanic, and James Cameron directed the first two films in the Terminator franchise, which Worthington now is a part of with Terminator: Salvation! When you’re a one man pop culture game you clearly deserve to be a person to watch.

Anna Kendrick

There aren’t many actresses that have the range to star in a Ben Stiller comedy, Jason Reitman’s follow-up drama to Juno and crime thriller in Elsewhere all in one year. But it’s no sweat for Kendrick, who appeared in Twilight but was truly a gem in Camp and Rocket Science. Oh, and she’s the 2^nd youngest person to be nominated for a Tony Award. Somewhere the former cast from Cats is cursing her name as they sit in their litter boxes.

Saoirse Ronan

Already adored by critics for her supporting work in Atonement, Ronan steps into her own this year as Susie Salmon, the slain teenager in Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones. It’s pretty good work for a 14 year old if you can get it. And I have heard that this Peter Jackson guy has a tendency to launch a few actors’ careers, so I’m betting Ronan sticks around for a while. Now if only we didn’t have to say the same for Orlando Bloom. Sigh.

Ben Barnes

So let me get this straight. Ben Barnes gets to be Prince Caspian in 2008, and in 2009 woo the unbelievably gorgeous Jessica Biel in Easy Virtue and star as the title character in the adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray? I hate this guy. And by hate I mean envy him for his talent. The only thing that could make this worse is if he was so incredibly good looking that he will make my movie date forget about me completely. (Looks at Barnes’ headshot.) Damn it!

Camilla Belle

When you star in the sci-fi thriller Push, a film that is everything Heroes should have been, you get points in my book. Add her lead role in Three Stories About Joan this year and you can see why Belle will be getting buzz from the Rejects. Even more impressive is her ability to make us almost forget other films she was in like 10,000 B.C. and When a Stranger Calls. Almost. But she tipped the scales in her favor by having a Walker: Texas Ranger appearance on her resume.

Emily Mortimer

You’ve may have seen Mortimer in Woody Allen’s Match Point, Lars and the Real Girl or even Redbelt. And she starred in last year’s Transsiberian, which made my list of films that flew under the radar in 2008. Still, Mortimer has never gotten her due as an extraordinary actress. That will all change when Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island comes to theaters. Remember Emily Mortimer’s name. I have a feeling she is going to stick around for a while.

Kodi Smit-McPhee

Any actor in a film based on a Cormac McCarthy novel is worth keeping an eye on, and Smit-McPhee will certainly do his part to entertain in the forthcoming The Road. Smit-McPhee dropped out of Wolverine: Origins to act with the cast of Viggo Mortensen, Charliza Theron, Guy Pearce and Robert Duvall. Smit-McPhee makes the list for being bold and special enough to hang with the heavyweights. Or maybe he is just too young to know better. He is only 12 years old after all.

Honorable Mentions: Daniel Barnz (director, Phoebe in Wonderland), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (actor, Kick-Ass), Mira Nair (director, Amelia).

Who will you be watching closely in 2009?

The Ten Most Memorable Scenes of 2008

Kevin Carr — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:30:16 +0000

There’s no doubt about it: 2008 was a memorable year. We had the second biggest movie of all time rip through box office records. We had a huge slate of CGI flicks, and many of them quite good – one might even say they were the best of the year. Superheroes rocked at the box office, and we got to see Laura Ramsey completely naked in The Ruins. (Okay, so I might be the only person championing that last one.)

With such a memorable year, it was hard to pick the top ten memorable scenes from all the films. Of course, to be fair, I had to choose only one scene from any given movie (otherwise, The Dark Knight would easily take five or six spots on the list).

So here are the most memorable scenes we had in the theaters this summer, for better or for worse. Here’s hoping 2009 is just as memorable.

10. Giant Robot in Hancock

As much as it pains me to put this turd of a superhero movie on this list, I cannot deny the buzz generated by the alleged giant robot that wandered through the climactic battle in Hancock. More people talked about this scene than anything else in the film, and it lit up the interwebs with controversy. Turns out, it was a guy on stilts, but nonetheless, it was something that we all seem to remember.

9. Scarlett and Penelope Lock Lips in Vicky Christina Barcelona

Woody Allen loves the ladies. (Yeah, that made me shrivel up a bit, too.) In his latest film, he got two hot, young starlets to make out on screen. I would have liked a little more skin in the scene, but I’ll take what I can get.

8. Brad Pitt’s Demise in Burn After Reading

Forget The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. My favorite performance this year by Mr. Jolie was the dim-witted gym employee Chad in Burn After Reading. It’s a shame he bought it so early in the movie, but it was a memorable sight, nonetheless.

7. The Space Dance in WALL-E

WALL-E was such a perfect film, it was hard to narrow it down to a single moment. But the space dance that WALL-E and Eve shared in the middle of the movie was a great way to symbolize two robots finding love in this tiny little universe of ours.

6. Shit Covered in Zack & Miri Make a Porno

Jeff Anderson is a trooper. I know it wasn’t real, but damn!

5. Rock Me, Sexy Jesus in Hamlet 2

Audiences didn’t flock to this film, but the “Rock Me, Sexy Jesus” number from the acerbic comedy Hamlet 2 still has me tapping my toes.

4. Nuking the Fridge in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

I know this was the point in the film where many fanboys threw up their hands and almost walked out of the theater. But you can’t say it wasn’t memorable. Hell, it became its own slang phrase, like Jumping the Shark.

3. Crossover Cameos in Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk

If there was anything that showed us that Marvel Studios was planning on weaving together their superhero stories, it was the appearance of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury at the end of Iron Man and Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark at the end of The Incredible Hulk. Thank God Hollywood is finally figuring out how to make these flicks.

2. Real Fake Trailers in Tropic Thunder

Yeah, there were a lot of memorable scenes in Tropic Thunder – from Steve Coogan snuffing it to Tom Cruise’s Golden Globe nominated booty dance at the end of the film. But the moments that stick out the most for me are the real fake trailers for movies like The Fatties: Fart 2, Satan’s Alley and the Scorcher series. Oh, and there’s that whole Simple Jack clip that caused all the R-word hubbub.

1. How About a Magic Trick? in The Dark Knight

This was the hardest choice of all. So much of this film lingers in our memories. One might be tempted to go with the huge, explosive scenes – like the Batpod chase or when the Joker blows up a hospital. But like Heath Ledger’s performance of the Clown Prince, it was the little things that were most powerful. And so, as voted by the Rejects themselves, the Joker’s making a pencil disappear is the most memorable moment of the movie… and of the year. (And don’t try this at home, kids.)

HONORABLE MENTIONS

What’s a list without a few honorable (and some dishonorable) mentions. Who can forget Angelina bare-ass naked in Wanted (or Jason Segal bare-junk naked in Forgetting Sarah Marshall)? And who doesn’t remember that freaky Hutt in drag from Star Wars: The Clone Wars? Finally, what about Dakota Fanning getting raped in Hounddog. (Just kidding on that last one. We all know that nobody saw that movie.)

Read More: 2008 Year in Review

What were your favorite scenes of 2008?

2008: The Cinescape. The Daily Diversion.

Neil Miller — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:33:47 +0000

You may remember last year when one adventurous fan created 2007: A Year for Drama, a pretty cool little video montage of some of the year’s more memorable films. That same guy is back this year with 2008: The Cinescape, a similar montage set to Sigur Ros. And while it isn’t the most breathtaking or thoroughly coherent montage we’ve seen, its creator does get an ‘A’ for effort. It is fun, for a moment or two, to try and name all of the movies shown in the film. Can you name all of the movies you see?

Have a video suggestion for The Daily Diversion? Of course you do. Just send that junk via electronic mail to Editors@FSR.

The 15 DVDs You Should’ve Bought in 2008

Brian C. Gibson — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:17:24 +0000

Editor’s Note: As part of our Year in Review, we’ve asked our resident DVDologist Brian Gibson to lay down his 15 favorite releases from 2008. For more of Brian’s DVD picks be sure to check out his DVDs I Bought This Week column every Tuesday.

It’s that time of year again, the time for our year in review coverage. Of course, it wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t put together the best DVD’s of 2008. These DVD’s have earned their stripes for things like packaging, presentation, special features and overall worth to a collection. Last year we saw some sleepers and some obvious contenders. This year, you can expect much of the same. My only hope, that we can bring some great DVD’s to your attention and that maybe you can do the same for us in the comment section below.

Click on any of the names to view more info about the DVD, courtesy of Amazon.

Band of Brothers (Blu-ray)

Well who didn’t own “Band of Brothers” in the first place? This was one of the best HBO series’ ever. If you haven’t seen it, which means you are my grandma, it is basically like a 12 hour World War 2 film, care of Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. Did you like Saving Private Ryan? Well while that may not be on Blu-ray yet, you can get the next best thing. An incredible transfer encased in an awesome tin that just cries for everyone to buy it. This is one of those TV series that Blu-Ray is made for.

Baraka

After Ron Fricke gave us a revolutionary look at time lapse photography with 1985’s Chronos. Then he took his camera skills to the most beautiful places in the world for Baraka. Shot in 24 countries, this is easily one of the greatest pieces of eye candy that any film would ever have to offer. I believe in balance, and in order to lower my adrenaline from flicks like The Incredible Hulk, I buy one like this. I promise you, this is one of the most visually arresting films you will ever see. Here is the money quote though – The best Blu-ray transfer, ever.

Cloverfield

Cloverfield was without a doubt one of my favorite studio releases of the year. It was just one of those reasons to run out to the theater. It was like an amusement park ride. The film had been shrouded in mystery since the teaser trailer, and there was still a sense of mystery even after seeing the film in theaters. This is definitely one of those “you need the DVD” films, because it can help to revisit things you may have missed. Multiple viewings and special features alone make this one a best of the year contender.

The Dark Knight

For starters, this was reason number three to buy a Blu-ray player this year. Even after I have bought and watched The Dark Knight, I think back on my multiple viewings and I’m still just amazed. The film is just layer upon layer of drama, action and suspense. The film is a masterpiece from the ground up. The meticulous and brilliant viral marketing campaign just gave us a taste of what to expect when the film actually hit audiences. Now the film is in an Oscar push, and also ready to overtake the number one spot as the highest grossing film of all time. So why buy this one? Because any responsible movie fan would.

Dexter Season 2

I would easily call “Dexter” one of the most pleasant surprises on television. Since the series is on Showtime, it doesn’t receive a lot of exposure. It should, or darkly dreaming Dexter will have to pay you a visit. Once I heard the premise, that it is basically like CSI except that the expert is a serial killer, I was hooked. With a tag line like “Takes life. Seriously”, it’s no wonder that Michael C. Hall is America’s favorite serial killer. Season two does not disappoint, but if you have not seen season one…don’t trek into the title without viewing Dexter’s dark beginnings. If you pay alot of attention to the show, there are alot of really cool homages paid to other genre bending serial killer characters/authors. The show frequently references Bret Easton Ellis, of ‘American Psycho’ fame. Season one was on last year’s list, so here is yet another reason to get your hands dirty.

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog

So what could be better than Neil Patrick Harris playing himself in the Harold and Kumar films? Maybe, Neil Parick Harris playing an evil scientist in a musical. Opposite Nathan Fillion as Captain Hammer, NPH’s Dr. Horrible sings of his love for a woman and his lust for power. The three part web-series was awesome enough, and to own it on DVD is a must. The commentary alone makes this one of the best DVD purchases of the year.

The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration

Why should this be on the list? I don’t have to tell you why…do you know why? Because the first two films are two of the highest rated and most critically acclaimed films of all time. The third, with the quasi-incestuous story-line, was a bit of a stinker…but this is cinematic royalty here folks. Don’t mess with this one or you will wake up in a pool of blood, cozying up to a dead horse’s head. Not literally of course, but you know what I mean. I digress, if you would like to see two of the greatest films ever committed to celluloid receive a royal restoration treatment…then here you go.

How the West Was Won: Ultimate Collector’s Edition

To begin with, How the West Was Won is easily one of the most revolutionary films of its time. Considering its filming process, cast, size of production and running time…this was one of the most ambitious projects of all time. The film never received a very good DVD treatment, but better late than never. The DVD features a really awesome Cinerama documentary and one of the best restorations I have ever seen. It’s pretty awesome to watch this in Blu-ray and catch the seams of the three reels coming together. This one is awesome, even if the film itself is mildly mediocre.

Iron Man

To paraphrase my little brother, “This was like the best, superhero movie ever. It was like funny, and like had some awesome effects.” I have to agree. It was like one of the best superhero movies ever made. Favreau really took a character that most people knew nothing of, and made him cool, lovable and marketable. This was one of my most eagerly awaited DVD releases of the year. This was reason number one of three to buy a Blu-Ray player this year.

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

One of the best, if not my favorite, DVD’s of the year would have to be King of Kong. This was one of my favorite movies of 2007, and one of my most highly awaited DVD’s. The epic battle between Steve Wiebe and Billy Mitchell is highly documented throughout this gem. If you aren’t schooled in the geek arts, you may not have heard of KoK yet. It is the story about the reigning world record holder in Donkey Kong (and douchebaggery), named Billy Mitchell. All-around nice guy, and family man, Steve Wiebe tries to take on the thrown as the world’s best. The DVD packs a punch with some awesome special features for gamers and non-gamers alike.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (Collector’s Edition)

I am one of those people who still have a sealed copy of the out of print special edition of the original DVD. It was one of those must own DVD’s for me, as it contained the rare and amazing DTS audio track. Well for the die-hard fans, it looks like the studio has heard your cry and created a magnificent special edition set that even includes a bust of Jack Skellington. A rare Burton short film, an awesome narration of the original poem done by Christopher Lee and some other amazing special features makes this an easy one for the list.

Short Circuit

Talk about a movie that I absolutely loved as a child, but despise in some ways as an adult. Short Circuit was an amazing movie to watch as a child of the 80’s, but it also created a misguided depiction of Arab people. C’mon, seriously what was more amazing? Fisher Stevens’ accent or Johnny Number 5? Either way, just like Monster Squad last year, some 80’s cheese needed to make my list.

Spaced

I guess that if you would like to see the origins of the men behind Shaun of The Dead and Hot Fuzz (Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost), go no further. This is one of the most highly rated shows to come from across the pond in a long time. Unless you are one of those “Doctor Who” fans. With some really cool artwork and some commentaries thrown onto the discs, this is the best thing to hit our shore since the bootleg versions.

Tropic Thunder

This was one of my favorite movies of the year and Ben Stiller and company did not skimp on making a great DVD. How about Downey Jr. playing Kirk Lazarus playing Lincoln Osirus for the DVD commentary? How about the Rain of Madness mockumentary? This DVD is filled to the brim with features that true movie fans can enjoy. I am still trying to decide though if I like the director’s cut or theatrical cut better. Either way, the DC is what is on this list because of the special features.

Wall-E

Why is it that Pixar can churn out film after film, and not lose a step along the way? I have bought every single film that Pixar has released. I’m sure that many movie fans have done the same. So other than the fact that every single other Pixar DVD has been fantastic, what makes this one of the years best DVD releases? Let’s talk eye candy here, this computer generated piece of awesome was the second reason to buy a Blu-ray player this year. Now as for supplements, much like Iron Man and Tropic Thunder…this one has more special features than you could truly absorb in a weekend.

Read More: 2008 Year in Review

What were your most coveted DVD purchases in 2008?

11 Great Films That Flew Under the Radar in 2008

Adam Sweeney — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:01:54 +0000

Every year there are films that somehow miss the moviegoer’s mark, receiving less exposure than a Cathy Bates sex tape. While there is good reason for us to avoid a sensual second helping of Misery with Bates, these films deserve better than to be relegated to second-hand status. The equivalent of the wallflower you knew in high school that blossomed into a college beauty, here are eleven films that flew under the radar in 2008.

Transsiberian

It was surprising how little fanfare Transsiberian received after the buzz of Brad Anderson’s previous film, The Machinist. Maybe that’s because it doesn’t feature a deathly thin Christian Bale, but this train-ride thriller does bring the goods in suspense and paranoia. It also displays the talent of Ben Kingsley, Woody Harrelson (who has had some nice roles lately in films like No Country for Old Men) and Emily Mortimer, an actress that always finds a way to stand out in the films she chooses.

Happy-Go-Lucky

An upbeat story about a 30-year-old school teacher might not sound appealing, but go see this film and I promise you won’t be disappointed. Sally Hawkins delivers a breakout performance, living life to the fullest without coming across as annoying. In a world that is currently beat down by pessimism, Hawkins’ portrayal of Polly will make you smile in spite of yourself, and Happy-Go-Lucky has the optimism equivalency of Amelie in 2001.

Son of Rambow

A testament to the beauty in the ambition of amateur filmmaking, Son of Rambow drew critical acclaim. It never drew people to the theaters, however, and so it is worthy of making this list. Will Poulter and Bill Milner’s young on-screen friendship is only rivaled by Azharruddin Mohammed Ismail and Ayush Mahesh Khedekar in Slumdog Millionaire. Plus, the film finds a way to blast the negative aspects of religion while propping up First Blood for the bad ass film it is.

The Signal

I’m a sucker for films that find fresh ways to tell stories, and The Signal falls into that category. The Signal is is a horror film written and directed in three different parts by David Bruckner, Dan Bush, and Jacob Gentry, offering a psychological study on society’s downfall in its dependence on technology. You won’t get to see the film adaptation of Stephen King’s The Cell for a while, and in all honesty you may be disappointed when you do. See The Signal instead.

Man on Wire

No, this wasn’t the alternate title for the interrogation scene in Slumdog Millionaire. This documentary tells the unbelievable story of Philippe Petit, who worked for seven years on a project that would shake the world, a high-wire walk 1,350 feet in the air between the Twin Towers in New York. James Marsh finds a way to turn this true story into one of the best heist stories in recent memory. Man on Wire reminds us both of the powerful symbol the Twin Towers once had, and the even more powerful statement a human being can make in individual artistic expression.

In Search of a Midnight Kiss

Appropriately placed on the list as we head towards New Year’s Day, Alex Holdridge wrote and directed this modern day romance that exposes the desperation and hope of a single late-20s male. Holdridge’s black and white cinematography helps hide the scratches many indie films are full of, and the film finds a way to offer insight into relationships today without dripping with Hollywood sap. Score one for the American independent filmmaker, as well as Austin, Texas native Holdridge.

In Bruges

If you’re like me, when you saw the trailer for In Bruges your initial reaction was, “Damn it. Not that blasted Colin Farrell again.” Lucky for me I decided to give the film and Farrell a shot, even though my Alexander-sense was tingling. What I received for my bold move was one the best films of 2008. The superb work of Brendan Gleeson is always a given, but Farrell breaks your heart as a remorseful hit man. But for some reason I didn’t hear anybody I knew talking about the fantastic directorial feature debut of Martin McDonagh. Now’s your chance. Get off your butt and go rent it.

I’ve Loved You So Long

This family drama may have done well in France, but I’ve yet to see indication that it is going to get the credit it deserves in the good old U.S. of A. Kristin Scott Thomas, who by now should be universally applauded as one of the finest actresses of her generation, gives an honest offering as Juliette Fontaine, a former prisoner thrown out into a world that has moved on without her, at the same time struggling to forgive herself for her past in order to live again.

The Orphanage

My pick for the best horror film of 2008, this ghost story will leave you clenching your fists in anxiety. Anybody who remembers the scene with the nanny in the street knows exactly what I am talking about.There aren’t a ton of films where I find myself holding my breath during the viewing, but The Orphanage fits the bill. Juan Antonio Bayona’s directing and the vulnerability of Belen Rueda’s acting draws you in until the bittersweet end, and let’s be honest, kids wearing flour sack masks are just creepy.

The Fall

When I saw The Cell in 2000, I was blown away by the colorful imagery, and I’m not talking about the sight of Jennifer Lopez in her panties. It wasn’t a flawless film by any means, but director Tarsem Singh’s colorful landscape helped an otherwise lacking film stand out. Singh returns to the world of fantasy and creates one of the most beautiful and surreal films of 2008. The chemistry between Lee Pace and newcomer Catinca Untaru is worth mentioning, and The Fall is a film worth watching multiple times, if only for respect of Singh’s ambitious film regimen. The Fall was filmed in 18 different countries. Maybe it should have been titled The Bitch of a Film to Make.

Hamlet 2

Yeah, this film got exposure at the Sundance Film Festival, but how was this not the Napoleon Dynamite of 2008? Steve Coogan and Catherine Keener chew up every scene they’re in, but even the Sexy Jesus Brigade at Comic-Con 2008 couldn’t get people pumped about this film. Maybe it was the conservative nature of Americans, who found a play featuring a “cool Jesus” to be a bit too much. Or maybe American moviegoers generally have shit for taste, as evidenced by the fact they went to see Passion of the Christ in 2004, or Hancock this year, and not this film. Memo to religious America: take the cross out of your ass and lighten up.

Honorable Mention: The Wackness

Read More: 2008 Year in Review

What films do you feel flew under the radar for 2008?

Editor’s Picks: The Ten Best Movies of 2008

Neil Miller — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:18:54 +0000

Holy hyperbole, folks. It is time to do the big top ten list. As is customary this time of year, it is my duty (and honor) to present you my list of the Ten Best Films of 2008. And in the past year we’ve seen an interesting range of films, have we not? We slowly dredged through the early months of the year, escaping with most of our moviegoing dignity. We were all incredibly excited about the start of the summer movie season, only to be blown away by a Batman movie two months later. And we’ve been timid through the fall and winter seasons, waiting patiently for a new classic to emerge as the Oscar frontrunner. And though a classic has yet to emerge from the pack, 2008 will be marked in the minds of film lovers as a year of good. A year that saw a lot of really good, but not necessarily great films. This fact alone makes it difficult to compile a list of the ten best, as everything seems to get smashed in together in the “good” pile. But I’ve done it, just for all of you — though, it stands to reason that few of you will agree with my top ten and proceed to lay it on thick in the comment area. But whatever, that’s just the way it is around here. So lets go forth and do this thing.

Before we drop into the top ten, I wanted to lay down ten honorable mentions. These are the films that were close, but didn’t quite make it:

Kung Fu Panda – Had it not been for the brilliance of WALL-E, Kung Fu Panda would easily be the best animated film of the year. Those damn Pixar people just cannot be topped. But with Kung Fu Panda, Dreamworks Animation appears to have finally closed much of the gap. It was beautifully animated and incredibly fun, a movie that I’ve both enjoyed and appreciated through multiple viewings.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – While I am still convinced that David Fincher spent way too much time playing with the shiny toy special effect of making Brad Pitt look old in the first act, there is no denying that Benjamin Button will go down as one of the more memorable films of the year. The performances were great and the visuals were awe-inspiring, more than making up for a relatively flat, slow story.

Timecrimes – Writer/Director Nacho Vigalondo definitely made a name for himself this year with this simple, yet incredibly engaging suspense thriller. It is quite possibly one of the most inventive and clever science fiction films of the past ten years. And considering it was made on a shoestring budget, it is all that more impressive an accomplishment.

Quantum of Solace – There are those who wished that this latest Bond film delivered the same level of character investment as its predecessor Casino Royale, but I am not one of them. I will trade a little bit of plot development for intense action any day. Fast-paced and brutal, Quantum of Solace captured the action-packed, retro aesthetic that I’ve always loved about the franchise.

Choke – Though my list contains many of the obvious picks, it does also include some of the most unsung films of the year, films that have made me feel as if I’m the tree in the forest that no one hears. One particular film is Choke, the deviously fun film from first time director Clark Gregg. It is as twisted a film as we’ve seen from the work of Chuck Palahniuk since Fight Club, and twice as sexy.

Tropic Thunder – This may not be the only time one of his movies makes the list, but Robert Downey Jr.’s most memorable performance might be as an Australian power-actor playing an African American soldier in a Vietnam platoon. Ben Stiller’s movie, an equal opportunity offender, was this year’s Hollywood equivalent of shock and awe, and boy wasn’t it fun?

Frost/Nixon – Normally I am ambivelent to many political dramas — and to be honest, I wasn’t that interested in Frost/Nixon going into it, but Ron Howard’s movie played out less like a boring historical piece and more like a big screen slugfest between two titanic personas. Played beautifully by Michael Sheen and Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon was one of the better character pieces we’ve seen all year.

The Promotion – Yet another great unsung comedy, The Promotion surprised the hell out of everyone at this year’s South by Southwest Film Festival. The perfectly pitched performances of Sean William Scott and John C. Reilly combined with an equally smart screenplay from writer/director Steve Conrad made for one of the most genuinely funny movies of the year.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno – It is no secret that I am a Kevin Smith fan — the man is a personal hero of mine. And I will defend to the end that Zack and Miri is among his better films, the film that he should have made instead of Clerks 2 in my opinion. Hysterical performances from a few newcomers to the View Askew world combined with familiar faces and a scene where someone gets shit on. That’s what I call fun at the movies.

Defiance - It is really sad that Paramount decided to hold this movie until the very end of the year, as it was easily the best World War II drama of the year. With respect to Tom Cruise and Brian Singer, they should really see Daniel Craig and Liev Schrieber’s performances and take some notes. They gave Edward Zwick’s movie a fantastic authenticity and a wealth of emotion, all of which made for an incredibly compelling WWII drama.

And now, without further ado, my top ten movies of 2008:

10. Iron Man

It would be incredibly hypocritical of me to leave Iron Man off of my top ten this year, seeing as I gooed all over it back in May. Well alright, to be fair I was dropping praise bombs on Jon Favreau’s awesome superhero flick long before it hit theaters. We knew it was going to be great at Comic-Con back in 2007. And it delivered. It delivered Robert Downey Jr. back to prominence and Marvel Studios into the spotlight, setting up for a series of films leading comic book fans to one of the genre’s holy grails, an Avengers movie in 2011.

9. The Fall

Perhaps one of the five most beautiful films of the year, Tarsem’s The Fall was equal parts adventure and fairy tale. It was also home to one of the more impressive and underrated performances of the year from Pushing Daisies’ Lee Pace. Imaginative and extraordinarily breathtaking, The Fall was certainly one of the most stylish films of the year and one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had at the movies in ‘08.

8. Let the Right One In

It would appear that Tomas Alfredson’s Swedish kiddie vampire flick has pulled off the trifecta, making both our Best Horror and Best Foreign lists earlier in the week as well as my own. Frightening, inventive and unlike any vampire movie we’ve seen, Let the Right One In had true horror fans scoffing at that other teen vampire movie that released this year. If you missed this one, then you probably already know that you should feel some shame. Every writer on the web is championing this movie, and I am no different.

7. The Wrestler

Mickey Rourke is back, baby. He’s back jumping from the top rope, living in a van down by the river and pouring tears all over our asses and it’s put him on a path for an Oscar nomination. And rightfully so, his performance was fantastic. But his performance was not the only great thing about Darren Aronofsky’s film. Aronofsky’s gift for camera as character delivers an authentic, gritty experience that is fun, even when it’s sad.

6. Son of Rambow

I love to fill my list with films that I consider to be underdogs, and 2008’s sweetest little underdog is Garth Jennings’ story of childhood friendship and amateur filmmaking. First and foremost, it is a damn funny and immensely charming story, illuminated with great performances from a cast of young actors, solidified with some 1980s nostalgia. I mean, who didn’t try to make their own version of First Blood back in the 80s?

5. Wall-E

My list would not be complete without at least one animated film. And there was no more impressive animated film this year than Pixar’s story about a little robot with a personality and big dreams. I will admit that I was one of the naysayers — how could a movie with two main characters who cannot speak be any good? Thankfully, I was not only proven wrong but pleasantly surprised at how beautifully animated and charming this one came out. A robot who can’t talk, winning over hearts and minds with bleeps and boops, now that’s a novel idea.

4. The Wackness

I can’t believe that I went through three drafts of this list without the inclusion of one of my favorite films from Sundance. But upon another viewing this past week on DVD, I have reconfirmed that Jonathan Levine’s drug peddling, nostalgic coming-of-age romp through 1994 New York and the world of a recent high school grad (Josh Peck) and his smoked out shrink (Sir Ben Kingsley) was one of the maddest dopest flicks of the year, and certainly one of the most overlooked.

3. The Dark Knight

Here it is, the film that everyone has been looking for in just about every top ten list that has shown up online. And there is no denying that Christopher Nolan’s second Batman film was something special, as it captivated its audience long before and after its July release. The performance of the late Heath Ledger will go down in history as one of the most memorable villains of all-time, the infusion of IMAX technology was unprecedented and the scale and execution of the story allowed The Dark Knight to transcend the comic book genre. It wasn’t just a good Batman movie, or a good comic book movie, it was a damn fine crime drama, and it shall forever be remembered as such.

2. Slumdog Millionaire

It took almost the entire year to find it, but 2008 did eventually deliver that one special movie with a story all its own. Danny Boyle’s Hollywood/Bollywood hybrid film was one of the few films this year that stopped me dead in my tracks. Its infectious energy, dazzling performances and biting realities gave it all of the complexities of the year’s best dramas, but did so with an incredibly simple and charming story. It delivered one of the most exciting and heartwarming experiences I’ve seen in a long time, one that holds up no matter how many times you see it. To put it simply, this movie warms my heart and shit.

1. Man on Wire

It seems fitting that for the second year in a row there is a really special documentary near the top of my list. Though unlike King of Kong last year, James Marsh’s rivetting documentary managed to squeak by some ridiculously tough competition to make it to the top. And its fitting, you know, because the film follows the story of a man who lived his life at the top, walking a wire between the two towers of the World Trade Center in 1974. Even more interesting than the accomplishment is the man behind the accomplishment, and the fact that his energy and passion translates so well, making this documentary the most engaging and emotionally moving film events of the year, hands down.

Read More: 2008 Year in Review

The Ladies of 2008: Ten Babes That Made Their Mark

Adam Sweeney — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:54:14 +0000

The 2008 film season brought us beauty in both traditional and unconventional ways. While there has been an argument that leading ladies are few and far between, I think there’s a strong case to be made against that. This list of ten female figures will hopefully offer proof of that. The criteria for making the list was based on a combination of beauty and how strong of an impression each performer left in my memory. So with all due respect to Angelina Jolie in Wanted or Scarlett Johansson in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, these are the true leading ladies of 2008.

Freida Pinto, Slumdog Millionaire

Not only is director Danny Boyle brilliant behind the lens, but he has the uncanny ability to choose leading females that stick with you once the credits have started rolling. Kelly McDonald still blows me away in Trainspotting. Pinto, who only had amateur theater experience before the film, is breathtaking as Latika in Slumdog Millionaire, a classic case of a talent seemingly coming from nowhere, at least to the average American film lover. She’s a natural talent, as well as a natural beauty. In my eyes, Pinto is arguably the actress who made the biggest mark in 2008.

Gemma Arterton, Quantum of Solace, RocknRolla

“Let me take you down because I’m going to Strawberry Fields,” wasn’t a line James Bond said in Quantum of Solace, but damn it if we all didn’t all want to write songs about Gemma Arterton anyway. Appearing in both Quantum of Solace and RockNRolla, Arterton got some publicity for having been born with six fingers on each hand. Even if she had hooves for hands, there isn’t a guy who’d turn her down. She’s a rising star, having already landed the lead opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. High five! Make that high six!

Elizabeth Banks, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, W, Role Models

Banks has been on my film radar ever since Wet Hot American Summer, the brilliant David Wain summer camp flick. She can pull off any look, whether she goes a little darker in stopping Peter Parker in his tracks in Spiderman or dulling herself down in Zack and Miri Make a Porno. 2008 was her coming out party and Banks has proven she has the skills to handle both over the top humor or a heavy drama. Oh, and she’s absolutely gorgeous. So she’s got that going for her, which is nice.

Anne Hathaway, Get Smart, Rachel Getting Married

We all have to start somewhere, and for Hathaway that initial jump on the launching pad came in The Princess Diaries. Sigh. She’s come a long way since then and is getting Oscar buzz for her performance as a drug addict headed home for her sister’s wedding in Rachel Getting Married. It’s not often an actress turns to the “Disney Side” and comes out on the other end. Hathaway is that rare gem. Plus, I will forever be grateful for her exposure in Brokeback Mountain, which afforded me the opportunity to say, “those are some Princess Diaries I wouldn’t mind reading!” Film watching is a shameless job, really.

Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky

Sometimes all you want in life is someone who will put a smile on your face, and Sally Hawkins fits the bill as Poppy. Hell, even her character’s name makes me want to do a cartwheel. Quirky, cute and colorful, Hawkins is beautiful on the outside, but her never take no for an answer optimism makes her shine on-screen. Her performance will grow on you like Audrey Tatou did in Amelie.

Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

She taught us that it’s hard out there for a pimp in Hustle & Flow. Now Henson is offering lessons on unconditional love in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Who wouldn’t want to date a woman named Queenie? Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett are getting the majority of the press for Benjamin Button but Henson’s acting is the real achievement in the film. If she doesn’t get an Academy Award nomination I will grow my hair out and begin a rapping career like Terrence Howard. Hell, after his removal from Iron Man I may be able to get him to lay down some tracks with me.

Kate Winslet, The Reader, Revolutionary Road

Is it me or are the best dramatic actresses of the past decade almost all foreign? Cate Blanchett and Keira Knightley come to mind, and now Winslet is likely going to get two more Oscar nominations for her work as both a Nazi war criminal in The Reader, and wife trapped by the idea of a domestic lifestyle in Revolutionary Road. If it is possible for a 5 time Oscar nominee to be underrated then Winslet is that actress. Plus, I have the utmost respect for her fighting the trend of Hollywood supporting stick thin actresses. There’s nothing fake about Winslet and for that she is only more striking.

Clemence Poesy, In Bruges

Resident Reject Rob Hunter’s top pick on The Ten Best Foreign Films of 2008 list, In Bruges brought us more of this French talent. Most Hogwarts fans know her as Fleur DeLacour in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. If you haven’t seen In Bruges yet, allow me to go James Lipton on you. Go now to a movie rental store and buy it or rent it, Clemence Poesy is a scrumtralescent delight, ha ha ha! And if you are a fan of foreign films you will fall in love, or at lust, with her in Bienvenue chez les Rozes. And we Americans always joke that nothing good comes from France except food. Idiots.

Amy Adams, Doubt, Miss Petigrew Lives for a Day

She was adorable in Catch Me if You Can, made me actually like princesses in Enchanted and had an endearing plainness about her in Junebug. Is there anything Adams can’t do? Apparently not, considering she is getting great reviews in the period piece Doubt. She may only recently be getting leading lady status, but she’s also near to my heart for her work on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Office and Smallville. She’s so cute I may be convinced to go see her in Night of the Museum 2. Now that is saying something. She also would be my choice for lead in nearly every script I write. I am sure Amy’s agent will be calling any day now. Cough.

Eve, Wall-E

Ladies and gentlemen, I offer you the wild card. Who knew that a robot in the vain of an Ipod would star in one of the most touching love stories of the year? She’s a lady of few words, but always gets her point across. She’s also strapped with a laser gun and sees past looks to the good inside. Can you say the same of Angelina Jolie in Wanted? Plus, she can store 3,000 MP3s in her memory, so you can have your own personal soundtrack to your relationship. Tell me that isn’t worthy of leading lady status.

Read More: 2008 Year in Review

Who were your favorite ladies of 2008?

The Ten Best Cinematic Fights of 2008

Robert Fure — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:06:03 +0000

We Rejects love our action and we sure as hell like watching men, women, monsters, and superheroes whip the crap out of each other on the big screen. This year didn’t have the all-out ass kickery of a 300 or the hardcore spy-beatdowns of a Bourne movie, but we found these fight scenes to be pretty memorable.

**10. Cloverfield – The Monster vs New York**

Cloverfield came through in a couple of ways this year, managing to live up to the hype and deliver a fun cinema experience best summed up with the word “Wow.” When this behemoth whipped through New York, smashing bridges and fighting off the military, we were overjoyed.

**9. The Wrestler – The Ram vs The Ayatollah**

While the fight itself isn’t anything amazing, the emotional impact of the scene had us former fight fans a touch weepy. A great movie about a wrestler with a lot of heart and nothing left outside the ring.

**8. Wanted – Wesley vs The Fraternity**

You may not have bought into the curving of bullets or appreciated the disappearance of some key aspects of the source material, but can you really argue with a guy running down a hallway, swapping out guns and blowing away bad dudes? Mysterious loom of stupidity fate aside, that was pretty cool.

**7. Doomsday – Pretty Much Any Scene**

Doomsday, with ultra-hottie Rhona Mitra, pretty much blew my shoes off. I was expecting a pile of crap, but what I got was a pile of bodies. Right from the get go there is an insane amount of shooting and violence. Couple that with some Apocalyptic hotties doing battle and you’ve got a winner.

**6. Punisher: War Zone – Frank Castle vs 200 Thugs**

The movie may not have been all that good, but when it came down to violence and killing lots of people in a graphic manner, this movie delivered. The final action sequence, with The Punisher parading through the building with guns blazing, was awesome, but unfortunately the only part really worth watching.

**5. The Incredible Hulk – The Hulk vs Super Blonsky**

A re-do that re-did it right, the final fight between The Hulk and The Abomination was alright, but a bit video-gamey. However, when The Hulk faced off against the military and a pumped up, but still human, Blonsky, we got an early look at what Captain America will probably be capable of, considering Blonsky was on what many think to be The Super Soldier Serum. That, and how awesome is it to see a human fist fight The Hulk?

**4. Hellboy 2: The Golden Army – Hellboy vs The Golden Army**

After watching this film a second time, I knew that the final fight had to be included on the list. It combined all the hallmarks of awesome – giant robots, a hot chick on fire, a big red devil warrior, and destruction. I love watching Big Red smash robots! Almost as much as I enjoy watching Selma Blair breath.

**3. Iron Man – Iron Man vs Terrorists**

The final fight between Iron Man and Iron Monger was cool, but it felt a bit short. The initial fight between the Mark 1 armor and a bunch of cave dwelling terrorists was awesome! I really loved the scene when Stark takes the Mark 3 armor out for a spin and, with attitude to spare, kills all the terrorists and blows up a tank with a rocket. When you look that cool kicking ass, you make the list.

**2. Rambo – Rambo vs Burma**

Let the bodies hit the (jungle) floor! There is no doubt that John Rambo is an ass-kicker. Hell, he didn’t even bother to take names or chew bubble gum. All he did was kill, kill, kill. Rambo with any weapon is dangerous, but Rambo + .50cal Mounted Machine Gun = Weapon of Mass Destruction. Pure awesome, pure violence.

**1. Step Brothers – Brennan & Dale vs Child Bullies**

I’m not even anywhere close to joking – this was my absolute favorite fight of the year. Those kids had it coming and they got served a heaping dose of fist justice! Why is this the best fight of the year? 1. They land in a helicopter. 2. They jump kick children. 3. Merry-Go-Round Roundhouse Punches. 4. They hit children, including nut kicks. 5. They hit children with other children. 6. Back to back spinning jump kicks in front of flying doves. So yeah, pretty much the best fight scene ever filmed. Ever.

And there it is, our look back on our favorite fights of 2008. Sure, there are some strange picks on there, but kicking ass is not just about putting boots to behinds – its also about attitude.

Read More: 2008 Year in Review

What was your favorite fight of the year? What did you think of these fights?

The Reject Report 2008 Box Office Review

John Cairns — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:38:36 +0000

Welcome to a special edition of the 2008 Reject Report Year in Review! This is our final look at 2008’s box office winners — and our final chance to roast some of the losers.

Above all else, 2008 will be remembered for one reason, and for one movie. It was undoubtedly the Year of the Dark Knight. Who would have thought it? It was fitting, too, that a movie with “Dark” in the title would win the box office title in a year as dark and miserable as 2008 was for people. It was a very dark year for Wall Street, for the automobile industry and for everyone else. Yet the movie box office held up, and a big reason was the Batman. The Dark Knight had the biggest opening ever and set one record after another during the summer of 2008. The momentum from that success just seemed to spur things on for the rest of the year at theaters, leading to a big November with three blockbusters (Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Quantum of Solace and Twilight) and the strongest Christmas opening ever (Marley and Me). While the rest of the economy — and for that matter, the rest of the entertainment industry — is suffering, movie gate receipts are not. At least, not yet.

But who knew that this would be the year of Batman at the start of 2008? A lot of people thought the return of Indiana Jones would be the box office story of the year. It was not, thanks in part to a certain fridge that got nuked. There were also people out there who thought that The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian would be a contender, but it did not come anywhere close to winning the box office race for the year ($141,621,490).

As well, prominent celebrity deaths had a direct impact on box office fortunes. Who knew going into 2008 that Heath Ledger would pass on so suddenly, or that the posthumous buzz over his performance as the Joker would drive up the anticipation for The Dark Knight?

No doubt about it: the success of The Dark Knight is the box office story of the year. But there were a lot of big stories in 2008. We will begin by running down the final Top Ten list of winners at the box office this year, starting at Number 10:

10. Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!

This CGI flick was the first movie of 2008 to really make a big, lasting dent at the box office. It opened at $45,012,998 and finished with a domestic haul of $154,529,439 for what looks like a tenth-place finish for the year — although some movies still in theaters (such as Marley and Me ) could still possibly catch up.

Horton ends the year just ahead of the Sex and the City movie, which female audiences rushed to in droves to the tune of $152 million.

9. Quantum of Solace

Quantum outperformed Daniel Craig’s winning debut as James Bond in Casino Royale by a large margin. It opened to a domestic haul of $67 million and its overall domestic gross now stands at $164 million. The movie also set box office opening records abroad in the UK and elsewhere. Before Daniel Craig took over as Bond, there were people around who were questioning the future of the franchise. Not anymore. Rest assured that James Bond will be back … soon.

8. Twilight

The vampire love story opened just one week after James Bond did, and to long line-ups. Its domestic opening haul was $69 million and its overall domestic gross of $167 million.

7. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

This was the most successful of a long line of what I call “nice clean movies” that dominated the fall schedule (including Beverly Hills Chihuahua and High School Musical 3). Its domestic haul was $174,862,381 and its $63 million opening weekend was way ahead of the original’s $47 million opening haul.

6. Kung Fu Panda

This turned out to be a big year at the box office for Paramount/DreamWorks, which not only hit it big again with the Madagascar animals but scored a hit with Jack Black voicing Kung Fu Panda. This flick’s domestic haul was $215 million after a $60 million opening.

5. WALL-E

This was the last of a long line of passion projects for PIXAR — and arguably its best. It opened to $63 million and its haul for the year stands at $223 million smackeroos. Not bad for a robot.

4. Hancock

Hancock was the latest Independence Day blockbuster to star Will Smith — and as it turned out, it may well be the last in a string of eight consecutive $100-million domestic hits in a row for him if Seven Pounds doesn’t start doing better business in the next couple of weeks. Hancock made almost $228 million.

3. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

I think the bigger story here is the fact that this movie finished number three for the year, and not first place where people thought it would finish before the summer started. A lot of the Indiana Jones die-hard fans were disappointed by the movie, though, and that might have been enough to stop this movie from shattering the record books. In the end, the box office was still nothing to sneeze at: a $100 million opening for a domestic haul of $317 million dollars. A hit is a hit is a hit.

2. Iron Man

Iron Man was a breath of fresh air for superhero fans and the box office story of the year before The Dark Knight showed up. This action-packed feature, starring Robert Downey Jr. in the title role, won raves from critics and kicked off the summer movie season with a massive $98 million opening. It was first at the box office for two weeks in a row and its domestic gross stands at $318 million.

Now — drum roll, please.

1. The Dark Knight

The domestic haul for The Dark Knight stands at $530 million as of this writing and if you throw in the international markets, the overall haul stands at almost one billion dollars! It’s also not done making money: this flick is going to be re-released wide in theaters in January for one last shot at reaching Titanic’s $600 million record. Right now The Dark Knight stands as the number two box office hit of all time, ahead even of Star Wars. Here’s a look at the records that The Dark Knight set this year:

Best opening weekend ever: $158 million
Widest domestic release ever: 4366 theaters
Best opening day/best Friday gross ever: $67 million
Top 4-Day Opening Gross: $182,904,796
Top 5-Day Opening Gross: $203,773,518
Fastest Movie to reach $200 Million (five days)
Fastest Movie to reach $300 Million (ten days)
Fastest Movie to reach $400 Million (18 days)
Four weeks at Number One at the box office
Only the second movie in history to reach $500 Million (along with Titanic) and the fastest to do so (45 days)

I’m sure there were a few other records that fell. Needless to say, there was no recession evident at the box office this year — not in July, anyway.

There were so many winners, and quite a few honorable mentions that didn’t make the top ten. Mamma Mia! had the biggest opening for a musical ever at $27 million — until High School Musical 3: Senior Year showed up and made $42 million in its opening. The Incredible Hulk’s haul of $134 million helped make 2008 the Year of the Superhero. It was also a big year for Angelina Jolie, who not only supplied her voice to the winning Kung Fu Panda but also starred in the hit Wanted, a movie that grossed $134 million.

Unfortunately, 2008 also had its fair share of box-office losers. Some were expected (Harold and Kumar again, with their sequel losing at theaters to Baby Mama), and some unexpected (Semi-Pro, Will Ferrell’s effort that surprisingly played to plenty of empty houses). Not even Megan Fox could help How to Lose Friends and Alienate People get off the canvas ($2.7 million gross). Paris Hilton didn’t even try to make money with her pathetic The Hottie and the Nottie piece of junk. It made $27 grand — yes, you read it right — before going straight to DVD in disgrace.

This year also marked the first time in living memory that a movie under the Star Wars banner flopped at the box office. The animated Clone Wars only took in $35 million.

Enough about those flicks, though. Not much was expected of them at the box office, and they sure didn’t deliver. What was most memorable was the spectacular failures of two movies that, for me, have both richly earned the title of co-Disappointments of the Year.

The first big disappointment for me was Speed Racer, a big-budget reimagining of the famous Saturday morning cartoon. It should have been a big, freaking success. It cost something like $150 million to make, though, and that cash went right down the drain. Speed Racer turned into the biggest, costliest flop of the year with a domestic gross of $43 million dollars! Yes, you read it right — that’s ALL that Speed Racer got. In its opening weekend it was swamped by Iron Man (in its second week out) and made only $18.5 million! What can I say? Speed Racer was road kill.

The second big disappointment was The Love Guru, which didn’t cost as much money to make as Speed Racer did. And a good thing, too, because it made even less money ($32 million), was clobbered in its opening weekend (at $13 million, it finished a distant fourth to Get Smart), and was absolutely trashed by critics fed up with Mike Myers and the toilet humor of his recent movies. So many people thought this looked like an unfunny imitation of his successful Austin Powers movies, but without laughs or any redeeming qualities whatsoever (except maybe Jessica Alba). There were even critics calling on Myers to completely give up on show business after watching this latest effort! That’s how big a stink this movie made.

On that basis I have to give The Love Guru props along with Speed Racer for Box Office co-Disappointments of the Year. I must admit, I went back and forth on whether to give the “Disappointment of the Year” title to one movie or the other, but in the end I chickened out and decided to dishonor both of these memorable box office turkeys. And why not? Both stunk up the box office, bigtime.

So 2008 is in the books! Not quite a record-grossing year, but close enough to keep everyone in Hollywood happy — at least, the ones who still have jobs. The question now is what is in store for 2009? Who will win at the box office? Angels and Demons? Star Trek? Harry Potter (again)? Terminator: Salvation? Transformers 2? What about the Watchmen — will they even make it to theaters?

Who knows what is in store for 2009. Maybe the big recession will make an impact yet.

Read More: 2008 Year in Review

The Honor Roll: 20 People That Made an Impact in 2008

Dr. Cole Abaius — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 06:22:01 +0000

We like to do things differently around here, and with every End of the Year Top Whatever List floating around the internet (which are bound by law to include The Dark Knight) and on our own site (which are bound by editorial edict to include Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo), we thought we’d take a fresh look at a different group of people.

So bust out the pomp and circumstance, because we’re presenting the people that made the biggest noise in 2008, the movers and shakers that either moved up the ladder into the spotlight or blew it up and took the elevator, the industry insiders and outsiders who made such an impact this year, that we’ll be looking for them to do even bigger things in 2009.

Since there’s no way to arbitrarily quantify moving and shaking, here they are in no particular order:

Amy Adams

After shining in supporting roles, Amy Adams had a big year by scoring a role in the forthcoming Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian, and appearing in Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Oscar magnet Doubt, and The Little Film About Suicide Clean Up That Could Sunshine Cleaning. Coming off buzz and award nominations for Enchanted, she capitalized in a big way and is moving toward solidifying her leading lady status.

JJ Abrams

Abrams scored big helping to bring Cloverfield – a bright spot in a wasteland beginning to the year – to the masses. The film grossed over $80 million in the US alone. While shepherding his television projects “Lost” and “Fringe” – which you may have heard of – he took the helm of his second feature film, Star Trek, and has since made a job of building buzz like a madman and irritating scientists. After conquering television, Abrams is set to conquer the film world from the director’s chair.

Marvel Studios

With the explosion of superhero and comic book films, Marvel decided to take control of their own cinematic destiny by starting their own studio. The first two films made by that studio? Iron Man – which features a person already on this list – and the relaunching of the Hulk franchise – which some would consider a vast improvement on Ang Lee’s flaccid efforts. They may be a new kid on the block, but they’ve come out swinging, proving that the creators of the characters are the best to adapt them for the screen, and creating anticipation for future films that extends all the way to 2011.

Robert Downey, Jr

In a year of major shifts, RDJ has made the most dramatic move of the year. This time in 2007, no one was quite sure whether Downey, Jr was doing regional theater or doing regional theater completely intoxicated. Now, we’re looking at the meteoric re-rise of a truly talented actor who carried Iron Man on his shoulders, boldly went where no actors since Al Jolson have gone in Tropic Thunder, and is now looking down the barrel of the Oscar Statue Gun (patent pending).

Martin McDonagh

If you don’t recognize the name, you soon will. After winning an Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film in 2006, McDonagh took his shot at a feature-length and came out with a quaint little film called In Bruges. The film has the distinction of earning the attention of critics and film fans alike while somehow retaining Sleeper Status. The writer/director has gotten the film world’s attention with three Golden Globe nomination including Best Picture and Best Performance nods for both Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson.

Mickey Rourke

Most generic newspapers will be dubbing this “The Year of the Comeback,” and some already have, based on the tandem efforts of Robert Downey, Jr and the Oscar-caliber performance given by Rourke in Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler. The actor has continued to work steadily, but hasn’t gotten the world’s attention quite like this in decades. Or ever. With his acting pedigree proven, this could be the start of a strong career for the second-comer.

Jason Segel

The comedic actor has been through the same ups and downs that Judd Apatow went through, hitching along for “Freaks and Geeks” and “Undeclared.” Staying along for that ride has paid off, especially this year, where Segel has come out in his own right as the writer and star of Forgetting Sarah Marshall. He’s parlayed that into several new projects including a new Muppets movie, and, we’re hoping, some sort of Dracula/Puppet/Musical.

Kristen Bell

Kristen Bell has been on the radar for a while with geek-goddess status surrounding her “Veronica Mars” and “Heroes” roles. She’s had several appearances in films, including a cool role in Roman, but this year she’s mixed her geekdom with a role in Fanboys with more mainstream fare alongside list-mate Jason Segel in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Here’s where I make an awful pun about “totally not forgetting about” this particular rising star.

Tomas Alfredson

Standing out in the horror genre is a feat in and of itself. Standing out in the vampire/horror genre, especially this year, is even more difficult. Now throw in the added impossibility of being a Swedish filmmaker, and it’s a testament to the strength and talent of this director that he’s made such an impact on the US film scene. Forget about Best Foreign Film nominations, Let the Right One In is reaching the top of Best Of lists up against the best this country has to offer. It’s scheduled for a remake (of course), but we’re hoping that Alfredson has more up his sleeve and that he’ll set up his director’s chair somewhere on this continent.

Kat Dennings

The young actress first caught our eye in The 40-Year Old Virgin, and this year she scored critical and commercial hits with Charlie Bartlett, The House Bunny, and Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Basically, she’s had a huge year without firing a miss whether in a supporting role or carrying a film on her shoulders.

Christopher Nolan

While not new to the scene in anyway, it’s impossible to overlook the impact that Nolan has made on the world, especially with The Dark Knight poised to make even more money at the box office next January. Whether or not it garners an Oscar nomination for Best Picture, it’s so ubiquitous that when Burger King asked citizens of remote countries whether they preferred the Whopper or Big Mac, everyone said they preferred Batman.

Andrew Stanton

Another established name, Stanton has made some incredibly memorable movies, and done it with astounding consistency. With Wall-E, Stanton has created an animated feature that resonated with a huge amount of fans and may stand amongst its live-action counterparts in contention for a Best Picture Oscar.

Danny McBride

The writer and star of The Foot Fist Way has played a supporting role in a few crappy comedies in the past few years, but he’s exploded into the public consciousness this year with his role in Tropic Thunder and his Thug Life main role in Pineapple Express - often stealing scenes from James Franco and Seth Rogen. He’s got several projects coming down the pipe, including a role in the new Land of the Lost adaptation.

Steve Coogan

Another veteran who is making his way out of supporting roles and into the spotlight, Coogan hit all the right sacrilicious notes in the musical Hamlet 2, and appeared as the egomaniacal, inexperienced director Damien Cockburn in Tropic Thunder while finding time to appear in the Could Have Been Made in the Mid-90s Indie Film Finding Amanda. He’s reprising his role as Octavius in the sequel to Night in the Museum, and we’re hoping with the talent he displayed playing Sexy Jesus, he’ll garner even more leading role attention in the coming year.

Eran Kolirin

This writer/director had his film The Band’s Visit hit Cannes in 2007, and he earned a limited release back in February. The film also earned 38 wins at festivals, making it a major winner for the year. It’s one of the few foreign films that’s busted through to major acclaim in the US.

Robert Pattinson

Somehow Pattinson transformed a small role in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire into a role in a phenomenon of his very own, starring as Edward in Twilight and winning the hearts of every tween girl in the country. He’s already received some positive buzz for his role as Salvador Dali in Little Ashes and has several projects in development. Some of our readers may scoff his inclusion in this list, but as of publication, he’s ranked #1 on IMDB as the most searched for film entity, and that’s hard to ignore.

Garth Jennings

Casting off the hit-and-miss response to The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Jennings set to work on an intimate story based on his own childhood experiences. That movie, Son of Rambow, rose above the noise to make a major impression on critics, audiences, and The British Independent Film Awards. In a year of blockbusters, his intimate film received an incredible amount of acclaim.

Josh Brolin

An actor that could have made this list last year, Brolin emerged from massive critical acclaim in No Country for Old Men and set to work playing President George Bush in W. and repeating his hobby of garnering massive critical acclaim with his supporting role in Milk. The rumor is that Brolin is set to play Jonah Hex in the forthcoming film adaptation of the comic, and he’s enjoying the buzz around possible Oscar nominations.

Elizabeth Banks

Using the highly scientific Starmeter from IMDB, which I assume was created by NASA, when she appeared in Wet Hot American Summer in 2001, Banks was listed at #9,206. At the release of Zack and Miri Make a Porno, she hit a respectable #68, and hit the top spot at #1 with the release of Role Models. She’s a fantastic comedienne who appeared in six movies this year ranging from the indie Lovely, Still to Oliver Stone’s W. We can’t even hold it against her that she was in Meet Dave. As if that weren’t impressive enough, she’s branching out, Executive Producing for the first time with a project next year titled Surrogates, and continuing to act.

Danny Boyle

Boyle has been making an impact ever since Trainspotting in 1996, but this year he’s come back even stronger than ever with Slumdog Millionaire – a film that’s already taken 20 awards, earned 4 Golden Globe nominations, and is poised to make waves at the Oscars. It’s also featured on a large amount of Best of the Year lists, almost universally loved by every audience lucky enough to see it. His next project is a thriller called Johannesburg that’s tentatively set for 2009.

Read More: 2008 Year in Review

Who do you think made the biggest impact in the world of film this year?

The Ten Best Foreign Films of 2008

Rob Hunter — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 16:20:06 +0000

Editor’s Note: To ensure the quality of our Year in Review feature, we’ve turned to our expert columnists to bring us Top Ten lists from their favorite genres. And when it comes to foreign films, Rob Hunter is our guy. To read more of Rob’s foreign perspectives, check out Foreign Objects every Wednesday.

This was a fantastic year for movies, both domestically and overseas. Neil’s Best Movies of the Year will soon be elsewhere on the site and worthy of a read, even if he is sorely mistaken on some of his choices. I’ve been tasked with presenting the Top Ten Foreign Films (and while you may think that some of my choices are mistaken as well, you would in fact be mistaken). You may also notice that it differs substantially from other foreign film ‘best of’ lists… this is due to two reasons. I’ve seen a shitload of foreign films this year, but there are several that I’ve missed (like France’s The Class) and several that just aren’t as good as other critics are claiming (like Italy’s Gomorrah).

When it comes to ranking the year’s best foreign releases though, we’ll have to use some guidelines. Most foreign films released in 2008 never reached US shores, so for our purposes, a film is only eligible for this list if it received a theatrical release of some kind in the US this past year. Keep in mind that “theatrical release” could include festival screenings and limited releases too… and away we go!

10. Son of Rambow (UK)

This is a sweet and funny coming of age tale that uses Stallone’s Rambo films as the creative spark that ignites two boys’ imagination and friendship. Scenes of adolescent joy come to life as the boys turn their dreams into an outrageous sequel of sorts where Rambo’s son saves his father from all manner of evil creatures and bad guys. The movie slowly trades much of that for a more traditional tale of friendship, but it always stays honest, light, and enjoyable.

9. JCVD (Belgium)

Witness the rebirth of Mickey Rourke Jean-Claude Van Damme as he stars as a real world version of… himself! Van Damme shows true acting ability and talent throughout the film (honestly), most poignantly in a scene where he literally rises above the set and talks from his heart directly to the viewer. Add in some truly funny dialogue and inside jokes for action movie junkies, and you have one of the most surprising movies of the year.

8. The Fall (Earth)

Sure this movie is from 2006, but it didn’t receive a proper (albeit extremely limited) release until this year. A simple story told with more beauty and extravagance than any ten other films. Writer/director Tarsem delivers a labor of love that appeals to both the heart and the eyes. And it also features one of the most intriguing performances from a child actor of the past few years.

7. Boy A (UK)

No matter your feelings on crime and criminals, Boy A will probably give you something to think about. A young man is released from prison after serving his childhood behind bars, and the film follows his attempt at a normal life. Andrew Garfield gives a heartbreaking performance as a man torn between desire for a future and guilt over the past.

6. The Chaser (South Korea)

This dark and twisted thriller is unconventional on almost every front. The protagonist is the ultimate antihero as he moves from ex-cop to pimp to would-be rescuer, and the movie goes places you’d never see in a more traditional thriller (which makes the upcoming US remake with Leonardo DiCaprio an interesting proposition). Gut-wrenching and suspenseful, The Chaser is an impressive debut for director Hong-jin Na and marks him as one to watch.

5. Tokyo Gore Police (Japan)

You’ll either love this movie or you’ll think it’s the stupidest piece of Japanese crap ever. It’d be a mistake however to write this off simply as crazy Asian exploitation or idiotic f/x fest. Director Yoshihiro Nishimura’s vision of the future has some sly social commentary up it’s sleeve, just imagine an absurdly over-the-top version of Robocop, and it delivers it alongside action, violence, and humor. And yes, lots of gore. It also has a fantastic sword fight between an oddly attractive policewoman and an (even more oddly attractive) quadruple amputee. Oh, and a golden shower scene that’s guaranteed to make you smile (or at least make your jaw drop…)

4. Tell No One (France)

Who knew the French were capable of producing such a smart and swift thriller reminiscent of the best Hollywood has to offer? Sure it’s based on a suspenseful and entertaining American bestseller, but credit for the film version rests solely with the French. A likable leading man is plunged almost immediately into a twisty tale of murder, lies, deceit, and danger as he searches for the truth behind his wife’s disappearance and death years earlier. It’s sharp and suspenseful, and surprises as one of the best love stories of the year.

3. The Good The Bad The Weird (South Korea)

Director Ji-woon Kim is one of South Korea’s top three directors (alongside Joon-ho Bong and Chan-wook Park). From the dark beauty of The Quiet Family to the creeping terror of A Tale of Two Sisters, Kim has shown himself to be a master of multiple genres. His latest film tackles the action western with style, grit, and pure cinematic joy. Spectacular vistas, speeding trains, and three crazy and charismatic lead characters make this movie a must-see.

2. Let the Right One In (Sweden)

Everything you’ve heard about this moody chiller from Sweden is true. It’s creepy and sweet, dark and humorous, and absolutely beautiful to look at. A bullied boy meets a troubled girl with a blood-thirsty secret. Young love has never been more interesting. One of the three best films of the year, foreign or domestic. Try not to read too much more about it, just go see it.

1. In Bruges (UK)

It was a close call between this and Let the Right One In for the top spot, but the deciding factor came down to multiple viewings. The Swedish vampire tale is well worth watching more than once (as are all the films on this list) but In Bruges manages one step better… it manages to surprise each time with dialogue that continues to bring a laugh or a smile. Colin Farrell’s performance is equally surprising (and probably the second funniest of the year behind Robert Downey Jr.’s in Tropic Thunder) as an amateur hitman in hiding from the police, the boss, and his own conscience. Brilliant movie, brilliant script… the closest comparison I have is Shane Black’s masterpiece Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Lofty praise yes, but well deserved.

Read More: 2008 Year in Review

What were your favorite foreign films of 2008?

The Ten Best Horror Movies of 2008

Robert Fure — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 15:52:01 +0000

Editor’s Note: As part of our Year in Review feature, we’ve tapped our resident horror expert Robert Fure for a list of the Ten Best Horror Movies of 2008. To read more of Robert’s horror reviews, check out The Coroner’s Report every Thursday.

Being a horror fan is tough business and some years are worse than ever. 2008 saw its share of lame PG-13 movies (Prom Night) and an influx of crappy remade Japanese films (Shutter), in addition to having some of the more anticipated films (Trick ‘r Treat) delayed from wide release once again. That said, we worked long and hard to scrounge up 10 Horror films worthy of recognition in 2008 and believe me, it wasn’t easy.

10. Jack Brooks Monster Slayer

The horror-comedy is quickly getting to be old-hat in most books, but Jack Brooks manages to kick some serious ass in the vein of Army of Darkness. Angry plumber Jack Brooks has a lot going wrong in his life ever since demons killed his family, but now he’s found his calling – whooping ass. Bonus points for great practical effects!

9. The Orphanage

An imported feature that was made in 2007, but didn’t come to the States until 2008. This Spanish ghost flick had some of our staff members clinging to their seat edges.

8. Inside

We’re big fans of blood and guts in our horror and if there is one thing Inside delivered, it was the red stuff. Best described as “incredibly violent,” this movie helped solidify France as one of the quality exporters of horror in the past few years.

7. The Strangers

A simple film that reminds us that the world is a scary places, ghosts or not. Regardless of the fact that a normal person could have escaped no fewer than six times, The Strangers was spooky and realistic enough to merit your attention.

6. Quarantine

A remake of the popular [REC], Quarantine substitutes in American actors and fleshes out the story a bit. Fans of the original generally look down on what was probably a needless remake, but the story is fast, frightening, and fun.

5. Seed

Uwe Boll is many things, though “good storyteller” is generally not among them. That said, in 2008 Boll had two films on my radar that I enjoyed, Postal and Seed. The latter is by no means a perfect film, but it does manage to keep your interest and provide what may have been 2008’s single most uncomfortable kill to watch, via slow, methodical hammer.

4. Let the Right One In

This Swedish film is on everyone’s radar (even making it into the IMDb top 250) though seeing it can prove a challenge because of it’s limited release. The story follows a young boy who overcomes his bullies with the help of the young girl next door, who just might be a bloodthirsty vampire.

3. Cloverfield

One of the few films that managed to live up to the hype, this monster mash-up was fun and had cool monsters, though I’m very hopeful that the whole character-hand-held camera genre is ready to call it quits. One great violent moment and some unexpected kills coupled with a cool, giant monster make it worth a view if you’ve got the stomach.

2. Midnight Meat Train

Perhaps the only author with a rougher cinematic track record than Stephen King, Clive Barker’s short story was done justice in 2008, though the film was unjustly kept out of a wide release. Featuring the awesome Vinnie Jones and some awe-inspiring, jaw crushing violence and tons of blood, I was down with this flick from start to finish.

1. Splinter

Splinter was easily my best reviewed film covered by The Coroner’s Report, and with good reason. The script was tight and fast, the run time and pace was excellent, and the blood and scares were great. A novel concept that channeled all of my favorites, from Alien to The Thing to Evil Dead II. This flick had what I thought was the coolest monster of the year, strong acting and generally kicked ass. Splinter will be available on DVD in early 2009.

Honorable Mentions: Dance of the Dead, Doomsday, Mirrors

Read More: 2008 Year in Review

Catching all the horror films released in a year, from festival-only screenings to direct-to-DVD films can be hard, please comment below on your thoughts on these films and any films left off the list. Some festival-only releases may be included in the 2009 list, if they receive wider distribution or DVD releases.

The Ten Worst Movies of 2008

Kevin Carr — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 22:10:36 +0000

We continue our jaunt through the world of film in 2008 by taking a turn for the worse — toward the bottom of the barrel. For every great movie there are at least ten bad ones released in a given year, and 2008 was no exception. So without further ado, here is our list of the Ten Worst Movies of 2008:

10. Meet Dave

Eddie Murphy should stop making movies. From the trailer stage of things, this movie looked like one of the biggest turds of the summer. And people stayed away in droves. Maybe Hollywood will take the hint next time they want this (cringe!) Oscar nominee to star in something.

9. Disaster Movie

Hands down, this was the most appropriately named film of 2008. And thank God the American audiences had some sense and refused to make this Seltzer/Friedberg flick a hit by any measurement. This was a national wake-up call that these movies just plain suck.

8. First Sunday

Ah, yes. Time to travel back to the doldrums of movie releases known as January and February. Tracy Morgan and Ice Cube teamed up to make this preachy mess of non-comedy. The only thing worth seeing in this movie was the always funny Katt Williams. Too bad the never-funny Tracy Morgan had to be there too.

7. Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins

And where there’s Tracy Morgan polluting movie houses, there’s Cedric the Entertainer trying to do the same. Another early release of 2008 that was so godawful that it will be remembered as one of the worst of the year.

6. Over Her Dead Body

Who told Eva Longoria that she could act? Sure, she’s pretty, but listening to her deliver dialogue is like listening to a Shakespeare table reading with Jennifer Tilly and Joey Lauren Adams. Over Her Dead Body was a ghost story with a psychic twist that made me want to kill myself.

5. The Secret Life of Bees

Here’s some Oscar bait from 2008 that has failed to turn any heads so far in award season. If you don’t remember which film this is, it’s the one where Dakota Fanning isn’t raped.

4. Wendy & Lucy

The utterly un-unique story of a girl and her dog. There’s enough plot in here to fill about six minutes. The rest is padding with a homely version of Michelle Williams walking a lot and moping about her lost dog.

3. In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale

Who can make a “Worst Films of the Year” list without giving a nod to Uwe Boll. The Uwe-meister struck early with this epic tale of miscasting, featuring Burt Reynolds as a king, Ray Liotta as an evil sorcerer and Matthew Lillard offering us his best Renaissance Festival accent.

2. The Love Guru

Remember when Mike Myers was actually funny? Those days are gone, now that The Love Guru ripped through the summer. Spoiler alert… the movie ends with two elephants doing it. If that’s not a metaphor for the film itself, I don’t know what is.

1. Funny Games

Michael Haneke re-directed his original German-language thriller shot-by-shot with bigger Hollywood names, and no one cared. It was torture porn for the art house crowd, featuring two young punks terrorizing and murdering a family on vacation. After interviewing Haneke, I hated the film even more because he insisted he wasn’t trying to include a message. What a douche!

RUNNERS UP

Delgo – This late-in-the-year CGI flop now has the distinction of the worst wide release gross in the history of time. And the filmmakers blamed the economy. I’m sure that’s why no one saw this movie.

Seven Pounds – I was tempted to put Hancock on this list… until Will Smith gave us this excruciatingly angst-filled ego piece featuring a lot of brooding and the most ridiculous plot since It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

DISHONORABLE MENTIONS

And a selection of movies from 2008 that sucked, but just didn’t manage to suck as bad as the preceding twelve: What Just Happened, Pride and Glory, Henry Poole Is Here, Witless Protection, Stop-Loss, W., Nights in Rodanthe, Strange Wilderness, Mad Money and One Missed Call.

Read More: 2008 Year in Review

What movies did you think were the worst of 2008?

The Ten Coolest Movie Posters of 2008

Brian C. Gibson — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 22:10:24 +0000

It is time once again for the FSR Year in Review, our annual week of lists and recaps, counting down the very best in film for the year. In between now and January 1st we will be bringing you the best and the worst, the uplifting and the depressing, the sexy and the geeky — all of the best, worst and otherwise notable moments in film from the past 365 days. We begin our quest with the place where most cinematic journeys start, with a great movie poster. The ten movie posters below not only got our attention, they also kept us interested, entertained and excited about the movies to come. These ten rose above all others to become the upper echelon of film’s most basic marketing device. Have a look at our list of The Ten Coolest Movie Posters of 2008 below (click the images to enlarge).

Cloverfield

When audiences saw Transformers last year, they were treated with a trailer for a film that told them only two things. One was that the film came out on 1/18/08. The second thing is that everyone heard something different, like “I saw it, it’s a lion, it’s huge!” What? Everyone threw in their theories as to what the film was about…from a Voltron movie to a new Godzilla. Then came the poster. Everyone studied it as closely as they could, just to find a clue about what J.J. Abrams had up his sleeve. No matter what though, look at the imagery. There are not a lot of things more powerful than a decapitated Statue of Liberty in front of a decimated New York City.

The Dark Knight

Remember when no one knew who was going to play the Joker? More importantly, do you remember when everyone found out that Heath Ledger would be playing the Joker? Loads of fan art, and fake production stills made their way to the webs and we all speculated as to how awesome or how bad Ledger’s Joker might be. One step at a time kids. I can remember the first time I saw this poster. I just stared and said to myself ‘This is so creepy, this is so awesome.’ Fans were delighted and curious. Eventually some real production stills of Ledger’s Joker were revealed…and from what I hear, his portrayal was pretty good.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Jason Segel just can’t win. He has been the red-headed stepchild of the Apatow gang for years. He had never been in the spotlight, until now. The guy finally starred in his own film…and then they took him off the posters. Poor guy, they actually took his mug off the posters because the studio found that his face didn’t test well with people…but it gave way to this fantastic marketing campaign. Why is this so fantastic? Do you have any idea how many real life Sarah Marshalls had to deal with seeing “You Suck Sarah Marshall”, “My Mom Always Hated You Sarah Marshall” and “You Do Look Fat In Those Jeans Sarah Marshall” all over town? Genius.

Harold and Kumar: Escape From Guantanamo Bay

This poster evokes one of two thoughts. 1) What kind of acid was in my popcorn? or 2) NPH, awesome. In their follow-up to the awesomeness of Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, our favorite stoner minorities took the extra step with this poster and gave audiences more of what they craved. All I know is that this poster is really something to be appreciated. That is why I love to see the expressions of middle-aged parents when they see Doogie Howser on a mighty steed. Little do they know, it is written that NPH will ride a mighty unicorn and heal the world.

Iron Man

I think that with movie posters, more is less. If you can make a statement with a single iconic image, it really says something about your movie. There it is, that one glowing eye surrounded by red and gold armor. It tells you that Iron Man is ready to hit theaters and become your new favorite superhero. Iron Man doesn’t need anything flashy to impress. When you can show people only 1/20th of the hero and they get excited, you know you have a hit on your hands.

Pineapple Express

Judd Apatow has started a trend with his ‘floating head’ movie poster marketing. Even though they have all followed the same recipe, each one has had a flavor all it’s own. This poster’s flavor might be smokey…or pineapple-ey. Nonetheless, the poster does a couple things in that it tells you it is a stoner movie, and it is going to make you laugh silly. I really appreciate that James Franco allowed himself to look like a dirty stoner for the integrity of the film.

Saw V

So I’d really like someone to try and make a poster creepier than this. And no, you can’t refer to the parodies of this poster that have John McCain’s face. Seriously though, what kind of sickness does someone need to have for them to think about putting a chubby hairy man wearing a human-face-mask on to a theatrical poster? Then again, this is a Saw film we are talking about.

Tropic Thunder

How can you not look at this poster and laugh? So not only did the movie trailer look hilarious, but it also featured Robert Downey Jr. in his most challenging role to date. He would be playing an Australian actor, playing a black Vietnam soldier. If I had told you this back in January, you might have thought I had gone crazy from Syphilis. But sure enough, Downey Jr. played a black man and this poster showed him in all of his black-face glory.

Wall-E

Pixar has a way with affecting people’s emotions. They have taken so many small things, and given them so much life. When they said that they would be taking a character who didn’t speak and try and make a film out of it, many people weren’t in their corner. However while this little guy can’t speak, as you can see from a poster like this one, his actions speak louder than words. I feel like a little kid again when I see these Pixar films. Wall-E, and his poster, just made me grin from cuteness.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno

Kevin Smith didn’t make it very easy for himself with the MPAA by naming his movie Zack and Miri Make a Porno, and also pissing them off with an unapproved trailer. Then they gave him a hard time over a couple lousy seconds. So what did he do? He didn’t get mad, he didn’t get even, he just played their game…but only better. He poked back at the MPAA and mocked their attempts at toning down a movie with the word Porno in the title. You have to admit, even in this poster Elizabeth Banks is smoking hot.

Read More: 2008 Year in Review

What were your favorite movie posters of 2008?

Film School Rejects » 2008 Year in Review

Oscars Shmoscars! We Pick the 2009 Scream Award Winners

Related Reading:

Ten People to Watch in 2009

Malin Akerman

Chris Pine

Mia Wasikowska

Sam Worthington

Anna Kendrick

Saoirse Ronan

Ben Barnes

Camilla Belle

Emily Mortimer

Kodi Smit-McPhee

Related Reading:

The Ten Most Memorable Scenes of 2008

10. Giant Robot in Hancock

9. Scarlett and Penelope Lock Lips in Vicky Christina Barcelona

8. Brad Pitt’s Demise in Burn After Reading

7. The Space Dance in WALL-E

6. Shit Covered in Zack & Miri Make a Porno

5. Rock Me, Sexy Jesus in Hamlet 2

4. Nuking the Fridge in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

3. Crossover Cameos in Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk

2. Real Fake Trailers in Tropic Thunder

1. How About a Magic Trick? in The Dark Knight

Related Reading:

2008: The Cinescape. The Daily Diversion.

Related Reading:

The 15 DVDs You Should’ve Bought in 2008

Related Reading:

11 Great Films That Flew Under the Radar in 2008

Transsiberian

Happy-Go-Lucky

Son of Rambow

The Signal

Man on Wire

In Search of a Midnight Kiss

In Bruges

I’ve Loved You So Long

The Orphanage

The Fall

Hamlet 2

Related Reading:

Editor’s Picks: The Ten Best Movies of 2008

10. Iron Man

9. The Fall

8. Let the Right One In

7. The Wrestler

6. Son of Rambow

5. Wall-E

4. The Wackness

3. The Dark Knight

2. Slumdog Millionaire

1. Man on Wire

Related Reading:

The Ladies of 2008: Ten Babes That Made Their Mark

Freida Pinto, Slumdog Millionaire

Gemma Arterton, Quantum of Solace, RocknRolla

Elizabeth Banks, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, W, Role Models

Anne Hathaway, Get Smart, Rachel Getting Married

Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky

Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Kate Winslet, The Reader, Revolutionary Road

Clemence Poesy, In Bruges

Amy Adams, Doubt, Miss Petigrew Lives for a Day

Eve, Wall-E

Related Reading:

The Ten Best Cinematic Fights of 2008

10. Cloverfield – The Monster vs New York

9. The Wrestler – The Ram vs The Ayatollah

8. Wanted – Wesley vs The Fraternity

7. Doomsday – Pretty Much Any Scene

6. Punisher: War Zone – Frank Castle vs 200 Thugs

5. The Incredible Hulk – The Hulk vs Super Blonsky

4. Hellboy 2: The Golden Army – Hellboy vs The Golden Army

3. Iron Man – Iron Man vs Terrorists

2. Rambo – Rambo vs Burma

1. Step Brothers – Brennan & Dale vs Child Bullies

Related Reading:

**10. Cloverfield – The Monster vs New York**

**9. The Wrestler – The Ram vs The Ayatollah**

**8. Wanted – Wesley vs The Fraternity**

**7. Doomsday – Pretty Much Any Scene**

**6. Punisher: War Zone – Frank Castle vs 200 Thugs**

**5. The Incredible Hulk – The Hulk vs Super Blonsky**

**4. Hellboy 2: The Golden Army – Hellboy vs The Golden Army**

**3. Iron Man – Iron Man vs Terrorists**

**2. Rambo – Rambo vs Burma**

**1. Step Brothers – Brennan & Dale vs Child Bullies**