The Films | The Albums | The Songs | The Disappointments
Let The Right One In
While I prefer to keep these lists unordered, I’ll come right out and say this was my favorite film of the year. A horror entry of the highest caliber, effortlessly gliding across every mood in the spectrum, adding up to one of the most charming and twisted vampire tales to ever hit the screen.
The Dark Knight
I thought Nolan’s second Batman film would take the crown this year for sure, but the unfortunate blemishes of some questionable editing and a few script malfunctions brought it down the slightest bit. Still, he elevated the superhero genre even higher with this epic, and there’s simply no words worthy of Heath Ledger’s performance. With no Joker to bring back in part three, the brothers Nolan have their work cut out for them.
Iron Man
John Favreau really got my attention with Zarathustra, relying heavily on practical FX to nail the classic sci-fi look despite living in a digital age. I knew he’d do right by Iron Man, and he didn’t let me down. And it goes without saying that casting Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark was the second most inspired choice in a superhero film this year.
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Hellboy is a close runner-up to Batman as far as my favorite comic book characters go, and no filmmaker knows him as well as Guillermo Del Toro. He does fantasy like most director’s only dream, and his love of film creeps out of every subtle reference and painstakingly crafted set-piece.
Slumdog Millionaire
Danny Boyle is one of his generation’s true masters of cinema. He’s thrown almost every film genre in the book at the screen now and made it work, when some director’s have trouble finding their way around just one. This particular entry defies classification, but it is just about as kinetic and heart-felt as films get. And everything about it, from the pulsing soundtrack to the rich color work, is spot on.
Milk
Gus Van Sant’s body of work is, in my opinion, largely hit and miss. Milk falls firmly in the former camp, proving just how capable a director he can be when the mood strikes, and featuring Sean Penn in an award-worthy performance. Just don’t be surprised if you find yourself a bit depressed over how well a film documenting the gay-rights movement in the 70s mirrors events happening today. You crazy bigots, when will you learn?
Gran Torino
This was one of the year’s biggest surprises for me, as I expected to enjoy Gran Torino, but never thought it would be sneaking on to my best-of list. Sadly, unlike Sean Penn, Clint Eastwood won’t be up for many awards with the role of bitter old racist Walt. And that is a damn shame.
Frost/Nixon
Not every production survives the transition from stage to screen, but Ron Howard is here to show us how it’s done. It doesn’t hurt that Frank Langella is simply astounding as Nixon, with a performance that feels remarkably faithful, while still being far more magnetic than the actual man ever was.
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
Benjamin Button is a true epic. An exceptionally paced journey that takes a truly fantastic tale and turns it into one of the most poignant and meaningful films of the year. Why this film has divided critics to any degree is beyond me.
Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer
Here’s one you won’t be seeing on every best of 2008 list, but I am glad to have it on mine. Jack Brooks is a direct-to-dvd horror-comedy that would quite likely be a cult-classic if it had actually been made in the 80′s, instead of just seeming like it was in all the best ways possible. This world managed to crap out four sequels to Saw, so somebody sure as hell better green-light the follow up to this little slice of genius.
Burn After Reading
Few filmmakers can do absurd black-comedy like the Coen brothers. This is the spy-thriller turned on its head, with a ridiculously talented ensemble cast doing their best to out-crazy one another. It also has one of the most memorable final scenes of the year.
Wall-E
Wall-E likely smells like a garbage pile and is covered in rust and dents, yet he’s still cuter than your baby is. Pixar’s latest smash was easily the animated film of the year, and stands as one of their finest. In fact, it was so good I am now willing to forgive them for the inept NASCAR ad parading as a country-fried pile of diarrhea that was Cars.
Pineapple Express
Team Apatow’s latest put most of this year’s comedies to shame (the tightest competition coming from their other production, Forgetting Sarah Marshall). Seth Rogen and James Franco make for a formidable comic duo, and once Danny McBride gets tossed into the mix, things just go off-the-charts funny. What is even more impressive is how well these guys can ad-lib, and their obviously unscripted final scene rivals Burn After Reading‘s for most memorable of the year.
The Films | The Albums | The Songs | The Disappointments
The disappointment section is my favorite. Hilarious.
“[Fringe] was supposed to be the new X-Files. It’s not even fit to be the new Manimal. And that’s all I am going to say on that subject.”
Amen.
i was going to ask what the name of that band you were playing in the car the other day was: gentle touch. ill definitely check it out. thanks, supreme music lord!
I actually know someone who loves Fringe. No lie. And they didn’t help make it or anything.
And the Gentle Touch CD is most definitely worth the checking out. It’s the perfect soundtrack to painting your nails black, or writing about Robert Smith riding a unicorn in your dream journal. Not that I know from experience.
At first I was a bit offended by the subtly mocking tones of the title Supreme Music Lord, but now I’m starting to like it. Do you think my dad would be offended if I got my name legally changed to that? I’d only be doing it because it’s easier to spell than Szymkowiak, I swear.
i do hate Fasciinatiion, it’s a damn shame
Is Rob the “someone who loves Fringe”? Or has he seen the error of his ways? Or do we need to stage a series of interventions?
It’s actually not Rob, believe it or not. Though I think his tolerance for Fringe ran much deeper than mine, he doesn’t seem to have missed it much after our Monday night sessions ended.
hold up – they changed the lampshades?!?!!
hanging with mr. cooper made me uncomfortable, but only cause mark curry’s face looks like silly-putty.
I’ve never noticed that, but Mr. Curry’s face does have a surprisingly silly-putty-esque quality to it. Now every time I see him on TV (which is approximately never), I’m going to sit and think about flattening his face on a Family Circus comic.
Didn’t realise Automaton Industries was up and running again boys, excuse me for missing out on so much. Cheers
Swell blog! I share your opinion on Glavegas being one of the best albums of the year.