Geekscape Does the Best and Worst Films of the Decade!!!
We may not be sure what to call the last decade (“Noughties” and “Oughties” are both ridiculous and popular, apparently), but it sure did have a lot of movies. Geekscapists all over were throwing down their hard-earned dollars throughout the last ten years, and at last, it’s time to put their mouths where their money is… or possibly “are.”
Here are our Best and Worst Movies of the Decade!!!
——- WILLIAM BIBBIANI ——-
BEST MOVIES OF THE DECADE
1. Punch Drunk Love
The decade’s best movie was also the film in which Paul Thomas Anderson finally came into his own as a filmmaker, instead of just acting like a young Robert Altman (although to be fair, Punch Drunk Love does owe a debt of gratitude to Popeye). Endlessly inventive storytelling, from the surprisingly complex sound design to the dazzling use of color, and pitch-perfect performances make this inexplicable gem the most original American film in memory.
2. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy – The next time you see a bad big-budget movie and start making excuses for its lack of quality (Oh, hello Avatar, I didn’t see you there…), remember that it can be done.
3. In the Mood for Love
4. United 93 – The best film of the decade that I never, ever want to see again. Yikes.
5. Wall-E
6. Brick – The decade’s best debut film stands alongside the best film noirs ever made. Yes, it’s a gimmick movie, but if you remove the gimmick it’s still a perfect mystery with incredible characters. Funny, exciting and most importantly sad.
7. The Dark Knight
8. Match Point
9. Battle Royale
10. Shaun of the Dead – The decade’s funniest comedy, funnest horror movie and finest coming-of-age tale.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: Adaptation, The Aviator, Black Hawk Down, Casino Royale, Crank, Ginger Snaps, The Incredibles, Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World, Primer, Taken, Team America: World Police, Time Crimes, 28 Days Later, World’s Greatest Dad, Zodiac
WORST MOVIES OF THE DECADE
1. The Spirit
Frank Miller apparently got a free pass after “directing” Sin City, but after his abysmal, boring, cheap, and laughably scripted take on Will Eisner’s The Spirit, he’ll probably be barred from touching a camera ever again. Ignoring Miller’s offensively inaccurate take on the comic, still considered one of the best and most influential comics in history, his film still has enough hair-pulling ideas and sequences to wax a yeti. The Spirit is immortal (dumb in and of itself), but spends several minutes of an elaborate action sequence trying not to fall off a building… something he did on purpose in the first few minutes of the film, just because he could. Eva Mendes inexlicably photocopies her own ass and leaves it at the scene of the crime, and when The Spirit finds it he not only recognizes it – despite not having seen said ass since she was maybe twelve years old (disturbing in and of itself) – but then shows the picture to everyone in town until it’s finally recognized by a midget, because… well, you figure it out. There are some bad, bad, bad, bad movies on this list, but none of them are worse than Frank Miller’s The Spirit.
2. Rent – I still can’t figure out what the biggest mistake was: Getting a cast of 40-somethings to play a group of 20 year olds, or getting Chris Columbus, quite possibly the least bohemian storyteller on the planet, to direct this slobbery, unbelievable mash-note to the lifestyle.
3. Resident Evil: Apocalypse
4. Ultraviolet
5. The Legend of Zorro
6. The Happening
7. Rollerball
8. Crossroads
9. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
10. Domino
DISHONORABLE MENTIONS: Avatar, Babel, Blade: Trinity, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, Elektra, Feardotcom, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Happy Feet, Men in Black 2, Mission: Impossible 2, Pay It Forward, Seven Pounds, Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Swordfish, X-Men: The Last Stand
BEST MOVIE EXPERIENCE OF THE DECADE
1. Spider-Man – The first time someone got a comic book movie (mostly) right
The first half of Superman: The Movie was pretty good, and Superman 2, Batman, and Batman Returns were good movies, but bad adaptations of their respective comic books. Blade got the tone right, but screwed up little things like the plot and dialogue. Then, Sam Raimi came in and knocked it out of the park… more or less. Yes, the Green Goblin outfit probably sounded better on paper, but at last we got a comic book adaptation that respected the character, didn’t take itself too seriously, and didn’t have to be apologized for. Spider-Man 2 was better, Spider-Man 3 was worse, but Spider-Man will live in my heart forever. I saw this thing five times in theaters.
2. Transporter 2 – Jason Statham removes a bomb from the bottom of his car by jumping a ramp, spinning through the air, and scraping the underside of his car on a skyhook
Because damn it, that’s what I would have done.
3. Up – A life in pictures
Try not crying. I dare you.
4. Grindhouse – The Theatrical Experience
I have no idea why we’re not allowed to watch Grindhouse on home video. I just want to see the Don’t trailer again! The coolest night at the movies may be a little bit cooler because some dickhead somewhere doesn’t want me to see it again.
5. The Dark Knight – Going into hysterics because the movie was so ridiculously good
I wasn’t the only one.
6. Shaolin Soccer – The best climactic sporting event ever
It’s more than a little sexist, keeping it well outside of my top ten, but that climax would knock anyone’s socks off.
7. District B13 – Introducing the world to parkour
Yes, yes, Casino Royale… ripped it off. Though not a great movie this energetic piece of French badassery introduced filmmakers and audiences to running really fast and not letting anything get in your way. Kind of obvious, in retrospect…
8. The Incredibles – The 500-Mile Dash
Rumor has it that David Goyer abandoned his adaptation of The Flash because he couldn’t figure out a way to outdo with incredible action sequence. I can’t say I blame him.
9. The Way of the Gun – Possibly the best shoot-out ever filmed
Perfect. Easy to follow, high stakes, and that fountain…? Dude, who could ever forget that fountain…
10. Gone Baby Gone – The debate movie of the decade
Ben Affleck’s directorial debut was a strong piece of filmmaking but not without its flaws. The ending, however, is not one of those flaws. The only movie of the decade that inspired a genuine debate afterwards… not about the quality of the film, but of the moral choices made within. Great stuff.
WORST MOVIE EXPERIENCE OF THE DECADE
1. Homeroom: Heart of America – Uwe Boll films a gang rape scene… and tries to make it sexy?
Dear God, you made me watch a few minutes of this film again to get a screen cap. Haven’t I suffered enough? Uwe Boll’s movie about the Columbine tragedy was a lot like Elephant, except that it totally sucks. The worst of the worst was a scene in which a recent high school graduate tells a really cool anecdote about this mentally handicapped girl he and his friends raped this one time. And I swear, you’d think Uwe Boll didn’t know it was creepy.
2. The Exorcist: The Beginning – Paul Schrader’s version sucks too
You may remember the controversy: Paul (Taxi Driver) Schrader directed a prequel to The Exorcist which was then recut – and largely reshot – by Renny Harlin. Renny Harlin’s version predictably sucked, but when Paul Schrader’s version finally came out it… also sucked. A bad day to be a film snob.
3. Something’s Gotta Give – The movie ends but then keeps going for over an hour
Something’s Gotta Give was a beautiful movie about two people finding each other despite what they would have considered their natures. Jack Nicholson’s dating Diane Keaton’s daughter Amanda Peet because, well, he can, and after a heart attack is forced to spend time with her disapproving mother. Those then two fall in love, and finally go their separate ways because life is complicated. Fade out… then fade in and go on for another hour or so because apparently Jack Nicholson didn’t learn a valuable enough lesson. A decent film turns into incredible trash right in front of your eyes.
4. Swordfish – The most misogynistic movie of the decade
Ignore the ridiculous “hacking” and even more ridiculous “flying bus” sequence, and focus on the fact that every woman in this film is a monster. How did this film even happen?
5. Crash – Every “Gotcha!” moment is more offensive than the last
You see, everyone’s a racist, but also a victim of racism… and also an offensive racial stereotype. And every scene in the decade’s worst Best Picture winner tries to hammer these points home with all the subtlety of, well, a hammer I suppose. From the otherwise dignified Terrence Howard’s audition for “Pimp #3” on an episode of Cops, to the obvious “revelation” that a gun was loaded with blanks (which still would have killed that little girl at that range), and finally the revelation that the only sympathetic character in the film would murder any black person at a moment’s notice, there is nothing in this film that isn’t trite, offensive, or stupid.
6. X-Men: The Last Stand – We had no reason to watch this. Really.
At the end of the film, the mutant cure doesn’t even work. Why did we they even film this?!
7. Aliens vs. Predator – The decade’s biggest cliché fest
We all wanted to see Aliens vs. Predator, not Resident Evil, Contact, Jurrasic Park and Stargate with Aliens and Predators in it.
8. Babel – CSI: Morocco
So these kids shoot a bus from a mile away. The bus keeps going, ruining any possibility of discerning the trajectory of the shot, but the cops nevertheless pinpoint the location to the top of a mountain covered in bullet-shaped and bullet-colored rocks, and then immediately find the bullet. Screw William Peterson, these guys are good…
9. Rollerball – An entire action sequence is inexplicably filmed in cheap Night Vision
AN ENTIRE ACTION SEQUENCE IS INEXPLICABLY FILMED IN CHEAP NIGHT VISION. It’s almost impossible to tell what’s going on, and there’s no motivation for the “creative” decision. Jesus Christ…
10. Alone in the Dark – Longest text prologue ever… and it’s redundant!
Alone in the Dark opens with a title scrawl providing what vital backstory… for what feels like five whole minutes… and then the film proceeds to convey the same information anyway. Alone in the Dark isn’t Uwe Boll’s worst movie, but by God this sort of thing helps make it one of his dumbest.
——- IVAN KANDER ——-
BEST MOVIE OF THE DECADE
1. Big Fish
Some movies just hit you. Big Fish hit me. Hard. I’m sure it’s an odd choice for some…I’m sure that people will call me crazy and ill informed, but few movies have affected me as strongly as this one. Whimsical, beautiful, heart-breaking, and a warm father-son relationship…what’s not to like? This is a movie about the magic of storytelling. And, for an aspiring narrative filmmaker such as myself it just doesn’t get any better than that.
2. The Incredibles
3. Memento
4. Almost Famous
5. Requiem for a Dream
6. Punch Drunk Love
7. Knocked Up
8. Mean Girls
9. The Dark Knight
10. George Washington
WORST MOVIE OF THE DECADE
1. The Wicker Man
To be honest I don’t know if this qualifies as the worst movie of the decade. Sure, it’s bad…probably the worst thing I’ve ever seen…but for some reason I just can’ turn away. Is that Nick cage punching a woman in a bear suit? Why is he screaming about bees? How’d it get burned? More importantly, how was this movie ever made?
2. Norbit
3. The Happening
4. Transformers 2
5. Catwoman
6. The Black Dahlia
7. I Know Who Killed Me
8. The Cat in the Hat
9. Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 3.
10. Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2
WORST MOVIE EXPERIENCE OF THE DECADE
1. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Yeah, South Park already covered it, but Trey Parker and Matt Stone are right…Spielberg and Lucas raped my childhood. What should have been the definitive adventure movie for a new generation was a poorly-scripted mess with nuked fridges and an army of CGI monkeys. I still shudder when I think about it.
2. Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man’s Chest (As a Disney fan, this felt like a kick in the nuts)
3. Catwoman
4. Fantastic Four
5. Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones (hold me like you did on Naboo)
BEST PERFORMANCE OF THE DECADE
1. Christian Bale – American Psycho
Before Christian Bale was psychotically cussing out cinematographers in real life, he was busy pretending to be a psychotic in a little ditty known as American Psycho. Although the movie was practically ignored upon its initial release, over time viewers have come to accept Bale’s stunning performance as serial killer Patrick Bateman for what it is—pure genius. *Takes out engraved business cards and puts on some Huey Lewis & the News*
2. Adam Sandler – Punch Drunk Love
3. Terrence Howard – Hustle and Flow
4. Javier Bardem – No Country For Old Men
5. Ellen Page – Juno
6. Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler
7. Amy Adams – Junebug
8. Ryan Gosling – Lars and the Real Girl
9. Naomi Watts – Mulholland Dr.
10. Hayden Christensen – Shattered Glass
BEST GEEK ADAPTATION OF THE DECADE
1. Spider-Man
To be honest, I think the Dark Knight is a better film. However, Spider-Man is a more important one. Spider-Man officially knocked down the gates of Hollywood, launching comic book properties into the stratosphere. And, guess what? It was actually good! Sam Raimi took our beloved character and perfectly adapted him for the big screen. Not to mention, he sort of paved the way for all other modern super hero classics in the process. Batman Begins? 300? Kick Ass? They wouldn’t have gotten green-lit without good ole’ Spidey. Remember folks, with great power comes great responsibility.
2. The Dark Knight
3. Spider-Man 2
4. Iron Man
5. Batman Begins
6. American Splendor
7. Sin City
8. Ghost World
9. Road to Perdition
10. Watchmen
——- CONNOR S. CHE ——-
BEST MOVIES OF THE DECADE
1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
The impossible was made possible when Peter Jackson and his band of New Zealand misfits decided that it was possible to A: con a studio into giving them enough money to adapt Tolkien. B: The Technology was available to pull it off. C: It was ok to admit that Tolkien wasn’t a perfect story teller and maybe fans wouldn’t kill them for changing some shit. They were correct on all accounts but they must have had ball of brass just the have the nerve to think about doing it. What was presented was three straight years of jaw dropping effects, emotional story telling and a trilogy elevated the fantasy genre from the dregs of Hercules and Xena to something actually cool. These movies were liked by everyone from nerds to jocks to dead beat dad to soccer moms. What these movies left behind was an expanded definition of the word “epic”
2. Pixar Films:
A: UP
B: Wall-E
C: The Incredible
D: Finding Nemo
E: Ratatouille
I know I’m cheating but if I didn’t half of my list would be all Pixar movies.
3. Amelie
4. City of God
5. Batman Begins and Dark Knight – I know they are two movies but if there was another Chris Nolan Batman movie I would have cheated with the Batman Trilogy.
6. Donnie Darko
7. Children of Men
8. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
9. The Vengeance Trilogy:
A: Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
B: Old Boy
C: Sympathy for Lady Vengeance
10. The Royal Tenenbaums
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Dancer In the Dark
The Prestige
Kill Bill 1&2
Unbreakable
Pan’s Labyrinth
A History of Violence
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood
Broke Back Mountain
Michael Clayton
WORST MOVIES OF THE DECADE
1. Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000
Everyone knows that the most powerful entity in Hollywood is not any studio but the Church of Scientology. So how is it possible with their pool of talent that are members they could have pulled from they manage to not only create the worst movie of the year, or of decade, but of all time? I remember starting up the DVD with hopes of something so awful that it turns to fun again (like the movie Showgirls) but what I got was the equivalent Chinese water torture for the eyes.
2. Lost Boys: The Tribe
3. Dragon Fly – A girlfriend made me watch this. It was an exercise to see who had better taste in movies. I brought something I loved and so did she. I won.
4. “Insert genre” Movie – Scary Movie, Date Movie, Not Another Teen Movie, and Meet The Spartans (It counts) they all prove to suck and proves that American general audiences have shitty taste because they still make money.
5. Fear Dot Com
6. Uwe Boll – I’m not even talking about his movies. He sucks.
7. Pulse
8. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
9. Transformer 2: Revenge of the Fallen
10. When a Stranger Calls (2006)
WORST MOVIE EXPERIENCE OF THE DECADE
My worst movie experience was getting into fight with my girlfriend while on vacation and while being forced to watch the horrible Whoopi Goldberg movie, Corrina Corrina.
BEST GEEK ADAPTATION OF THE DECADE:
1. Lord of The Rings Trilogy
2. Harry Potter Series
3. Iron Man
4. X2: X-men United
5. Spiderman 2
6. Batman Begins / Dark Knight
7. Watchmen
8. 300
9. V for Vendetta
10. Ghost World
——- NAR WILLIAMS ——-
NAR’S BEST (SCI-FI) FILMS OF THE DECADE
When I sat down to make my best films of the decade list, I realized that they were all sci-fi/fantasy films (with the exception of a few like There Will Be Blood, The Weather Man, Shaun of the Dead, and Traffic.) So… here’s my list for the decade’s best films, which all happen to be sci-fi!
1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
You may think it’s three movies, but it’s not. Watch Fellowship of the Ring, Two Towers, and Return of the King back-to-back (director’s extended cut ONLY) and you’ll see why it’s the very definition of cinematic bliss. Peter Jackson’s sprawling epic adapts J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved novels by deftly balancing grandiose visuals, intimate performances, and the most spectacular battle sequences ever seen. Wizards, hobbits, elves, monsters – this trilogy has everything I’ve ever thought was cool about Dungeons & Dragons and brings them to life in a way that will make you swear Middle-Earth is a real place. FRODO LIVES.
2. Children of Men (Alfonso Cuaron’s long, unbroken takes mesmerize in this captivating tale of a future with little hope.)
3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Charlie Kaufman and Michel Gondry tell a deeply personal story of love gone awry by using tech gone awry. A perfect film.)
4. Solaris (Steven Soderbergh’s cerebral thriller is a gorgeous remake of Tarkovsky’s 1972 film about a widower’s memories in the presence of a mysterious blue planet. Damn fine filmmaking.)
5. Batman Begins (Best comic book movie ever. Yes, better than Dark Knight.)
6. Moon (Duncan Jones delivers a story of isolation and paranoia like no other sci-fi flick I know of.)
7. Serenity (Joss Whedon’s action adventure is one of the most entertaining space flicks ever.)
8. The Fountain (Beautiful and haunting. Hugh Jackson’s performance is heartbreaking in this underrated rumination on mortality from Darren Aronofsky.)
9. Primer (Uber realistic and smart sci-fi that requires repeat viewing.)
10. The Prestige (Christopher Nolan turns this magician’s rivalry tale into a gripping sci-fi flick with the aid of Nikola Tesla.)
——- MARTIN SCHERER ——-
BEST MOVIE OF THE DECADE: Big Fish
Looking back at the decade there were a lot of great movies. But one movie will always stand out for me, and that is Big Fish. I have, and likely always will have a soft spot for movies that explore the father son dynamic. From Field of Dreams to Elf, there is something about narratives that explore this often complex relationship of projected dreams, hopes and fears that have will likely always touch my core. In Big Fish, I saw a movie that not only hit on this relationship, but also one the touched the idea of oral traditions from fathers to sons.
I wall always remember those seemingly long drives to my grandparents house and those nights where my father sat next to me and told me stories of his fictionalized life. I’m sure when he is long gone, and I have children of my own, I will sit by their bed and tell them the reason the Easter Bunny never visits, or the time that their grandfather literally stole candy from a baby. Big Fish is a movie that celebrates the tall tales we make of our lives and the roles they play in others.
I will also remember seeing this movie in the theatre, and the sheer joy of its imagery and its pathos. When the movie ended, and the credits rolled, I found myself having to sit in the emptying theatre and just cry.
OTHER MOVIES WORTH MENTIONING:
The Apatow Movies (especially Knocked Up and Funny People) – Sure they are marketed as comedy, but I think for my generation, they are cleverly disguised dramas.
Memento – Just for the sheer creativity in this narrative.
JCVD – You may not be a big fan of the Time Cop, but this movie is worth watching, if only for the soliloquy.
Not Another Teen Movie – Sure the whole farce movie franchise has grown out of hand, but this one, one of the first, was clever as it was crude. Where else can I watch one movie, and be reminded of all the great (and bad) teen movies from the past 20 years.
The Work of Charlie Kaufman (Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Adaptation, Being John Malkovich) – If you haven’t seen his work, shame on you.
WORST MOVIE OF THE DECADE: Attack of the Clones
A lot can be said about the prequels, and how these three movies made even that term a dirty word in our collective lexicon. To me the worst offender was not Jar-Jar Binks, or the whole midi-chlorians nonsense, but what they didn’t show: The Clone War.
Yes, I know they’ve done cartoons and TV series on it since, but you had one chance to make a first impression, and you wasted it by giving us a movie that had the promise of an epic war that essentially wiped out the Jedi, and what do they do? Not show it.
It was like watching a war movie, without the war. Or better yet, it was like watching George Lucas cutting corners and making a lot of money in the process.
WORST MOVIE EXPERIENCE OF THE DECADE: Memoirs of a Geisha
One time, I lived in a student town that had a great old theatre. Clearly it was at one time a focal point of the community– it was big, and at one point was a majestic building. So going there after walking by it for six years was exciting. Going with a girl made it a even bigger deal. The movie, her choice, ruined that whole experience.
I can’t really describe this movie, as I have blocked most of it from my mind. It was trying to be a sweeping epic, but wasn’t executing. It tried to have great visuals, but cinematography does not make a story. This similarly happened to a lesser degree with The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford.
After the credits rolled, I felt dirty. The ambience of this once imagined great theatre was lost to me forever, ripped by a subpar movie.
And as for the girl? Well despite her crappy taste in movies that night, I’ll be marrying her in the new year. So I guess somethings came out of that night.
BEST PERFORMANCE OF THE DECADE: Philip Seymour Hoffman
I can’t really pick one performance of his that stands out, but to me his name has become associated with quality. From his sleazy role in Punch Drunk Love, to the lovable DJ, The Count, in Pirate Radio, Hoffman has shown us that he can act in a wide range of roles. Looking at his varied body of work for the decade, I think its safe to say that he is, despite being a male, is the new Meryl Streep.
Honorable mention: The cast of Frost/Nixon
BEST GEEK ADAPTATION OF THE DECAD: Iron Man
The best adaption was Iron Man, hands down. It was a tight movie, that didn’t overstay its welcome by running too long (unlike Dark Knight). The movie’s balance of humor and action is a nice mix that holds up really well to multiple viewings.
This movie also literally changed so many things about comic movies. It showed that:
· A B-list character can be made into a franchise (which likely was one of the reasons that Disney bought Marvel, they had proven that they had more then just Spider-Man).
· To the public, that more superhero movies can be more then just the A-list characters.
· Marvel Studios can and will be a major player.
· Superhero movies don’t need to be buried deep in tragedy (Batman, Spider-Man) or dark to succeed. They can be made accessible, and not depend on familiarity of the origin story.
A big honorable mention goes to Spider-Man 1, the movie that blew open the door comic books being viable movie properties.
——- ERIC A. DIAZ ——-
BEST MOVIE OF THE DECADE
Ok, so disclaimer…these are my personal favorites here. Not necessarily the best, in the classic sense of the word. Do I really think that Kill Bill is better than an Oscar Winning film like Million Dollar Baby? (actually, I totally do, who am I kidding? Fuck Million Dollar “I belong on the Lifetime Network” Baby) These are the movies that are not only great, but get a frequent spin in my DVD player on a rainy day.
1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Only technically is this three movies-they were shot together, edited together and released only a year apart from each other. So I count it as one flick. Oh, and it really IS one story from the get go, as opposed to The Matrix or Pirates “Trilogies”. Peter Jackson started the decade of the Geek the right way.
2. The Dark Knight
When Batman Begins came out, I thought “well, that was awesome…and as good of a Bat flick as we are ever gonna get” So very glad I was wrong.
3. Kill Bill (Vol. 1 AND 2)
Like LOTR, this is really one movie. Inglorious Basterds may in fact be a better film, but I think this one will always be my favorite. Kill The Bride cannot come soon enough.
4. The Virgin Suicides
Everyone always talks about Sofia Coppolla’s Lost in Translation (which I like) but it is her debut film that cast a weird spell on me back in 2000 and never left my brain. My first indie pretentious film on this list.
5. The Incredibles
The best Fantastic Four movie ever made. Pixar spent this decade doing no wrong, and the only real reason that Incredibles is on here is that it is about Super Heroes, because WALL E, Ratotouille, Up, Finding Nemo and Monsters Inc, are all arguably just as solid.
6. The 40 Year Old Virgin
Up until this Judd Apatow flick, I hated most Hollywood comedies. When this movie hit, I finally felt there was a Hollywood comedy that fit my sense of humor, and thankfully led to many more, like Knocked Up, Superbad, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and more. But it is still The 40 Year Old Virgin that’s the best and holds up the most.
7. Iron Man
Dark Knight might be the best comic book movie, but Iron Man is hands down the most fun. This one hits every note right.
8. Mulholland Drive
My other pretentious arty flick on the list. To me, this was a return to form for David Lynch, and echoed his creative heyday of Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks and Wild At Heart. If his three hour long exercise in self indulgence called Inland Empire is any indication, Mulholland Drive may be the last Lynch movie I’ll ever like.
9. Shaun of the Dead
So rewatchable and quotable. I will always stop on this one when channel flipping and it turns up on Comedy Central (which I think is like every day at this point)
10. X2 –X-Men United
The first X-men was a decent movie and a good start, but Bryan Singer brought his A Game to X2. Sure, he borrowed liberally from other great sequels of the past (Empire Strikes Back and Wrath of Khan are all over this flick) but he managed to flesh out the secondary mutants and let each of them use their powers in cool way, give Wolverine a real chance to kick ass, and even introduce a new X-Man in Nightcrawler and make him matter. OK, so Cyclops got a bit of the shaft in this one. At least it wasn’t as bad for him as it would be in the next movie.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
COMIC BOOK MOVIES
We geeks may bitch and moan about the cheesy Fantastic Four movies, and the Spidey 3/X-Men 3’s of the world all we like, but this decade not only gave us some great super hero flicks in the form of the first two Spider-Man movies, the first two X-Men, the previously mentioned Batman and Iron Man, but non super hero comic book fare like Sin City and V for Vendetta as well. So think about those next time you bitch about Ghost Rider (like you even care about that character anyway) This decade, The good outweighed the bad.
HORROR
Even though we got that whole stupid torture porn and endless remake trends this decade, there WAS some quality horror out there, like The Descent, The Orphanage, 28 Days Later, The Others, The Ring and Dawn of the Dead (and yes, I’m aware that the last two are remakes…not saying ALL remakes are shitty, just most of them) 2009 alone gave us Drag Me To Hell and Trick ‘r Treat, so maybe next decade will be better for the horror genre.
SCI-FI
2009 was particularly good year for Sci Fi, with District 9. Moon, Star Trek, and Avatar. But the rest of the decade wasn’t too shabby either, with Children of Men, WALL E, Minority Report, Serenity and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Yes, it counts as Sci Fi dammit.
BEST PERFORMANCES OF THE DECADE
1. Heath Ledger as the Joker
Maybe there were better performances, but I’m a Geek, so this one wins.
2. Daniel Day Lewis as Daniel Plainview in There Will Be Blood
3. Ian McKellen as Gandalf in Lord of the Rings
4. Julianne Moore as Cathy Whitaker in Far From Heaven
5. Naomi Watts as Betty/Diane in Mulholland Drive
WORST MOVIE EXPERIENCE OF THE DECADE
Sitting in the theater, watching the abortion of cinema known as Queen of the Damned. Where there more terrible movies this decade? Probably. But with most of them I didn’t actually pay to see them. And what makes this one worst for me is what a huge fan of the source material (Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles) I am. The closest experience to this feeling for me was watching Batman and Robin in theaters back in the 90’s. The characters had the same names as their comic book counterparts, and sort of did some the same things, but everything else was terribly, horribly wrong. Just like Queen of the Damned. God, I hate this movie.
