First of
all, I blew it and forgot to include the internet meme 2004 “Bunker Scene” from
Downfall. Throw it in the hopper.
2007
Top Grossing
1.
Pirates of the Caribbean:
At World’s End
2.
Harry Potter and the Order
of the Phoenix
3.
Spider-Man 3
4.
Shrek the Third
5.
Transformers
6.
Ratatouille
7.
I Am Legend
8.
The Simpsons Movie
9.
National Treasure: Book of
Secrets
10.
300
Best Picture
Award
No
Country for Old Men
Atonement
Juno
Michael
Clayton
There Will
Be Blood
Worst
Nomination: Atonement. The English Patient Part 2. Second verse, same as the
first. A little bit weirder and a little bit worse.
Most
Overrated: 300. The 300 gets Thermopylae wrong by trivializing it in three
unforgivable ways. One is to force Frank Miller’s contemporary politics onto
the storyline, diluting the real battle’s power in favor of that tritest of all
art forms, the political cartoon. He then goes on to erase some of the most
famous Spartans from the battle, the ones about whom legends are told, in favor
of completely invented characters of inferior narrative merit (Look up Dienekes
and Eurytus for examples of who got cut). Worst of all is the concept of making
the Spartans comic book heroes. By trivializing the warriors as superhuman,
their sacrifice and courage is meaningless. Now we have to wait decades for
someone to make a movie of the much superior novel, Gates of Fire.
Most Underrated (Then): Grindhouse: Deathproof. For reasons not
entirely clear, two movies titled Grindhouse, from different directors, were
released right on top of each other. Planet Terror is the bad one not directed
by Quentin Tarantino which you’re probably more familiar with because it has a
one-legged girl with a machine gun prosthetic. Deathproof is the really good
one that is directed by Tarantino and that has Kurt Russell as the bad guy but
no chick with an M4 leg. It seems the lesson is that no matter how cool the
idea of having an assault rifle leg is, Tarantino > Robert Rodriguez when it
comes to pulp movies.
Most
Underrated (Now): Michael Clayton. A
half decade later, court room drama is an all but dead genre in film. Law &
Order: Everywhere has apparently gainfully employed every lawyer-cum-writer. Which
is too bad for the blandly titled Michael Clayton, which is the genre at its
best.
Most
Influential: 300. What the 300 did get right was the art direction, which
is brilliant, and which has justly become the much-copied standard for epics.
Most
representative of the decade: Superbad. What, are you trying to be an Irish
R&B singer? Badabupbabaaaaaa. McLovin’ it.
Best Scene
(Plus one):
The 300 –
This. Is. Sparta.
The Bourne
Ultimatum – I’m sitting in my office
The Great
Debaters – The time for justice is always, is always now
Grindhouse:
Deathproof – The lap dance
Once – The first
duet
There Will
Be Blood – I drink your milkshake
Winner: Wow
is that a strong field. I’m going for an upset here – The Great Debaters. This
scene always gets to me. Her cadence is pure MLK, his is pure Malcolm, and the
way she draws Denzel in. Genius.
Top 10
Movies (plus one):
1.
Juno
2.
The Great Debaters
3.
Hot Fuzz
4.
There Will Be Blood
5.
Once
6.
Knocked Up
7.
No Country for Old Men
8.
Grindhouse: Death Proof
9.
Superbad
10.
Ratatouille
11.
The Bourne Ultimatum
