Zodiac
This is one of the most underrated movies of last year (2007). It got no nominations at the Oscars and was poorly received at the box office. It is, however, a great movie by the great David Fincher. The movie focuses on cartoonist Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal) and his obsession with the Zodiac killer and his letters to San Francisco newspapers in the 1970's. At over two and a half hours long, it becomes a pretty in depth look at both the murders and the obsession that they caused.
Fincher is a director known for crafting beautiful films that also plumb emotional depths that aren't expected from the view that isn't in the know. I can't say that he has taken a wrong step (although I have not seen The Game) and his upcoming The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (with returning collaborator Brad Pitt) looks to continue the stretch of outstanding movies.
Here is the Zodiac trailer (check out Robert Downey Jr.'s swanky threads!)
And a bonus! The Curious Case of Benjamin Button trailer:
We're 1/4th of the way there!
Blade Runner
I'm going to confess something that may shame me for forever and a day. I only saw Blade Runner this year. I know, I'm a 20 year old movie nerd who enjoys sci-fi and I haven't seen what is considered to be one of the best of the genre until I was 20. But I got the four disc DVD at Christmas and it is amazing.
Blade Runner is a noir-ish detective story focusing on a Blade Runner (the ever-awesome Harrison-get off my plane-Ford) who hunts down robots that look and act like humans. It's an age old story. Director Ridley Scott has made a sci-fi movie that still looks good today, a feat not so easy to accomplish. So watch it.
Here is the trailer for those who have not seen it:
and one of the best monologues of all time for those who have (SPOILER)
First of three films from this director to make my list, it's
Punch-Drunk Love
I watched Boogie Nights first, then Magnolia, then this, all in anticipation of There Will Be Blood in the second half of last year. Needless to say, Paul Thomas Anderson (PTA from now on) rocketed into my must-follow list. He is the best director working today.
This movie is like an Adam Sandler film brought down to earth, then spun around a bit and painted by a three year old. It's amazing. Take your typical Sandler character and make him a real person. He is child-like but not immature, at least not in the fart joke way. There is a girl and a harpsichord-thingie and a Phillip Seymour Hoffman. What more could you need. And it's beautiful.
Watch these two if you haven't seen it:
And this one if you have seen it to remember how amazing it is:
It's time to get serious.
Se7en.
David Fincher's 1995 detective film is the 17th best movie of all time. It stars 3 of my favorite actors (Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Spacey) and is meticulously directed. Detectives Pitt and Freeman hunt a serial killer who murders his victims in the style of the seven deadly sins. This is Law and Order taken to the extreme. The film starts off dark and gets even darker as we search for the killer. Even though the final sequence takes place in a wide open field on a bright sunny afternoon, it is perhaps one of the darkest sequences comitted to film in the last 20 years.
Check the trailer:
And the incredible title sequence. It sets up the tone of the film perfectly (warning! not for the squeemish):
Next up...
The Incredibles!
Congrats Basil.
Not only is this the best Pixar movie (until Friday, at least), and one of the best animated movies (there will be one more on the list), it is also the best superhero movie. Better than Batman Begins, better than Iron Man, and better than 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer.
So here it is. A family of undercover superheroes, while trying to live the quiet suburban life, are forced into action to save the world. Awesomeness ensues.
Here, watch this.
It has Sam Jackson in it. So...
Well, I was close to what I said on Monday.
#19: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Like Shaun of the Dead, this is a genre movie with a comedy twist. And it focuses on two guys with a girl. And there are dead people, but they aren't zombies. The genre this time is noir with a little bit of the buddy cop dynamics thrown in for good measure.
Harry (Robert Downey Jr.) is a crook who is mistaken for an actor. He teams up with P.I. Gay Perry (Val Kilmer) to learn the ways of the detective. Of course they get wrapped up in a twisting murder plot.
Most importantly, this movie is hilarious. With dialogue like
Perry: Merry Christmas, sorry I fucked you over.
Harry: No problem. Don't quit your gay job.
and...
Perry: Did your dad love you?
Harry: Only when I dressed up like a beer bottle, how about you?
Perry: Well, he used to beat me in Morse code, so it's possible, but he never said the words.
you can't go wrong. You must watch this movie as soon as you possibly can. Here's a scene because the trailer sucks.
A lot of you guys know me from filmspotting, but I don't know if I have ever made a "definitive" top 20 movies list. So I'm gonna do it here. Good luck to me!
#20: SHAUN OF THE DEAD
Directed by Edgar Frost and written by Frost and star Simon Pegg, this 2004 horror comedy is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. Not only is it insanely quotable (Shaun: As Mr. Sloan always says, there is no "I" in team, but there is an "I" in pie. And there's an "I" in meat pie. Anagram of meat is team... I don't know what he was talking about. ), it is also a damn good zombie movie. Here is the trailer for your enjoyment. Enjoy.
