1. Anti-Crhist- Lars Von Trier
Supposedly Lars had made this film as a cathartic attempt deal with a long state of depression. While many might pop some Prozac Mr. Von Trier likes to contemplate getting hit in the taint with a log and ejaculating blood. Whatever works. Another masterpiece from a true Auteur.
2. Inglorius Bastards-Quentin Tarentino
Seems like actors who can play a decent Nazi always go far, ie Like Ralph Fiennes in Shindlers list. Christopher Waltz is no
exception, his icy and horrifyingly believable performance finally landed Tarantino on our list. We loved the whole Sergio Leone meets the Dirty Dozen vibe. So tired of hearing people cry foul over its historical accuracy regarding the real Bastards.
IT’S A FANTASY HITLER DIES IN A MOVIE THEATER FOR GODS SAKES. GET OVER IT.
3.The Box - Richard Kelly
This was good enough to get rid of the bad taste Southland Tales left in our mouths. A film worthy of the guy who made Darko.
Frank Langella just gets better with age, even with his face ripped off.
4.Coraline- Henry Selick
Once again our special relationship/love of NG comes into play. Who else but Neil would create a story about a little girl who escapes to another dimension only to find an exact copy of her family with their eyes ripped out and replaced with black buttons, and call it a kids film.
We are still waiting on the American Gods film Neil! Call US!
5. The Hurt Locker-Katherine Bigelow
We’ve been fans of Katherine Bigelow before it was cool. Near Dark Anyone? Strange Days was waaay ahead of its time. So it doesn’t surprise us that she got the gold. This was an extremely tense film that will be remembered as the first to do the Iraq war justice.
It also captured the difficulties of coming home afterwards without being preachy.
6.Bad Lt.(PCNO) -Werner Herzog.
Werner Herzog and Nick Cage. Why has it taken so long for these two kids to get together? This was a gritty decadent mess of a film with some odd shots of lizards and
plenty of drug use and abuse, just like its predecessor. It was nice to see Cage return to the quirky freak that make him great in Wild at Heart and Vampires kiss.
Wunderbar Werner!
7. Dead Snow - Tommy Wirkola.
Imagine going on a fun weekend getaway with your friends at a cabin in the middle of nowhere when things go terribly wrong bleah bleah bleah..This is the plot of almost half the horror films every made (ie Evil Dead, The Shining, Cabin Fever). Yet much like one of Scotts weekend stays in St. Paul, this film has NAZI + ZOMBIES.
Like Peanut butter and Chocolate, a deadly combination that ironically put smiles on our faces.
8. The Road-John Hillcoat
The most desolate, unsettling, depressing thing we’ve seen in a long time. Once again Aragorn comes through for us. This is what it will be like folks, forget the Road Warrior, or Book of Eli, there will be no heroism or divine saviors.
When the Teabaggers finally take over we will be eating each other.
9. Moon- Duncan Jones.
Imagine waking up in your house on Moland st. with what feels like terrible hangover. You get ready for work , and go out to your Toyota Camry only to find a half dead version of yourself laying in the drivers seat. Now set that on the moon. This great little indie film harkens back to the great 70’s sci fi of ideas (like 2001 or Silent Running) rather than fx.
Sam Rockwell pulls it off by making the absurd seem entirely feasible.
10. Where the Wild Things Are-Spike Jonze
Best thing from Spike Jonze since that wonderful Aphex Twin video.
Hard to believe kids would have liked this. Its unsettling and genius because of the way the giant Muppets are so very complex not only in how they speak but also
in the very human way they relate two each other. Whoever cast Tony Soprano as Carol gets our pick for best casting choice of the year
