Paroxysm's top 101 films of 2007

[Paroxysm]

Here we go kids. Minimal commentary for the bottom 10 and top 10. This list is comprised of every films I saw at the cinema this year with a few additional entries from public screenings I put on myself for films that did not have Australian distribution.


The worst 10 of 2007!


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101. Reno 911
I will admit I'd never seen an episode of the television series before the film although oddly enough I did see one the week after viewing this film. The opening credits of the television show had more humour than the entire feature film and that is not an endorsement of the show.


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100. Amazing Lives of Fast Food Grifters (Tachiguishi retsuden)
Mamoru Oshii (director of Ghost in the Shell) debut's his new experimental animation style he dubs "Super Live Animation" in a series of satirical tales of how people have grifted fast food throughout Japanese history. It's a pretty easy sell and when I saw this film the audience was packed when I saw it. Little did we know ahead lay one of the most boring experiences of our lives.

The crazy new animation process is basically just cut out puppets of photographic sources but that looked quite nice. Unfortunately all the animated sequences in the film probably comprise about 4 minutes of the run time and the rest is made up of stills accompanied by a dry voice over explaining the philosophy of those who stole fast food. This is supposed to be quite funny apparently so at first we thought it was just a bad translation. Of course on noting a good portion of the audience was Japaneses and they weren't laughing either we just started looking at our watches a lot.


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99. Shrek 3

Gone is any parody or originality... Oh but did you catch the references?!?!

"I sucketh"


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98. The Last Mimzy

I really wanted to like this film. I love a good kids fantasy but there's is just too much that can't be ignored in this train wreck and it isn't the kids. The adults in the film are unbearably stupid and quite frankly insulting to the viewer to deal with. I think there's a good film in this idea but it certainly isn't there in the form we see here.


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97. Hostel 2

I am overly harsh on Eli Roth. This film is better than the first. Of course syphilis is better than aids. It's an adequate gore film (although tame when compared to the rest of the genre) but it's nothing more than what I'd pick up from a 2 dollar bin to watch on our annual valentines day b-grade trash fest. It's right up there with Nightman (superhero and worlds greatest Jazz musician. His brain is tuned to the frequency of evil).

Perhaps if Eli Roth wasn't such a grade a wanker spouting crap about him "bringing intelligence" to the genre and other such drivel I'd simply forget these films instead of despising them.

[Paroxysm]

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96. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer

There's nothing actually "bad" in this film really mainly because it doesn't try to do anything. It's like the superhero version of one of those midday sitcoms where maybe the twist is the dog is a professor of linguistics.


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95. Rush Hour 3

Every time Chris Tucker opens his mouth a fairy dies. Every piece is ruined by that unfunny git opening his fat gob to deliver some kind of obnoxious "urban" dialog. Frankly he should be ashamed.

Chan is always delightful though.


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94. Shattered Soul

A split personality serial killer film! With the production values of Inspector Rex! What's not to like! BTW the three main personalities of the main character are a priest, a whore and a mother. This film is deep like a little kiddies paddling pool (full of piss).


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93. 12:08 East of Bucharest

I feel kinda bad having this film so low. It's just one of those things I didn't get. A Romanian film in which a television presenter and a few guest debate on air whether or not there was actually a revolution in their town that brought an end to communism 16 years earlier. There is some extremely light humour that basically fall under slap stick and that's basically it. If I was more aware of this area of history or simply had more knowledge about the country perhaps I would have got more from it.


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92. The Illusionist

Whichever of the main interpretations you adhere to (if it was all a set up or not) there are just too many wild coincidences for it to feel satisfying. By relying on obvious cgi they robbed any real feeling of "magic" from the tricks performed and no one in the ensemble seemed to be trying to me.

Next up 91- 11! No commentary cause I'm not that bored but impression can be posted if you really get worked up over a placement.

[Paroxysm]

91 - 11

Pretty much even the bottom of this list I started feeling positive towards. I prefer to enjoy everything even if I am critical about it.

91. 30 Days of Night
90. Spiderman 3
89. Fracture
88. Halloween
87. Ghost Rider
86. Sicko
85. Rogue
84. The Reaping
83. The Other Half
82. Death Proof
81. TMNT
80. Disturbia
79. Death at a funeral
78. Babel
77. Apocalypto
76. Man Of The Year
75. The Number 23
74. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
73. Dr Plonk
72. Curse of the Golden Flower
71. Next
70. Half Nelson
69. Die Hard 4.0
68. The Bourne Ultimatum
67. The Simpsons Movie
66. Taxidermia
65. Hitman
64. Shooter
63. Blades of Glory
62. Gone
61. Saw IV
60. The Brave One
59. Transformers
58. 1408
57. 13 (Tzameti)
56. Reign Over Me
55. Resident Evil: Extinction
54. Across the Universe
53. Paris, Je T'aime
52. Meet the Robisons
51. Black Sheep
50. 300
49. Beowulf
48. Planet Terror
47. Sunshine
46. Day Watch
45. Knocked Up
44. Black Snake Moan
43. The Last King Of Scotland
42. Notes On A Scandal
41. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
40. AVP2
39. Hot Fuzz
38. Romance & Cigarettes
37. Marie Antoinette
36. Blood Diamond
35. The Kingdom
34. StarDust
33. Inland Empire
32. Waitress
31. Severance
30. The Golden Compass
29. The Science of Sleep
28. This film is not yet rated
27. 28 Weeks Later
26. Rescue Dawn
25. Scoop
24. The Dajeerling Limited
23. Perfume
22. Breach
21. The History Boys
20. POTC3
19. Atonement
18. Superbad
17. Eagle Vs Shark
16. Eastern Promises
15. Deja Vu
14. Hairspray
13. Bridge To Terabithia
12. Mr Brooks
11. Stranger Than Fiction

[Paroxysm]

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10. Ratatouille

I frankly didn't think this would make it into my top 10. I thought it was great at first and an obvious step up from Cars but aside from Ego the characters just seemed too resolve a little too cleanly to be satisfying for me... I got over that though. It's a gorgeous film (a visual feast if you will) which really seperates itself from the occasionally vomit inducing talking animal sub genre.


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9. Zodiac

Frustrated that there were no answers? So were they.

Really mature film from Fincher with fantastic performance from everyone involved. The structure can be frustrating but it's completely appropriate.


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8. Pan's Labyrinth

A cruel and beautiful fairy tale. That's the BEST kind.


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7. The Fountain

I go back and forth on this film (came out the beginning of the year in Aus and it's been up and down this list ever since) but frankly the conclusion is so mind blowing and original it alone is enough to keep its placement for me. The big problem was that it failed to sell the relationship to me, everything else worked marvelously. It's a big flaw but very few films have ever convinced me of the validity of their primary romance probably because I'm a cynical jerk.


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6. Michael Clayton

Michael Clayton is a replicant. Those are the first words to pass my lips at the end of the completely surprising film and every person around me laughed. What does it mean? We're all complete film nerds.

It really is a film that puts everything in the background. There are a huge number of side narratives in this film which are touched on from the bleedingly obvious to the incredibly subtle. It really rewards the viewer with wanting to watch more

[Paroxysm]

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5. Brand Upon the Brain!

To give a quick impression of this film is difficult. It is the kind of film we would be seeing if colour and sound had never been invented. There is a beautiful soundtrack (the orchestra also does foley work) and a strange voice over from Isabella Rossellini that comes in and out narrating, reciting poetry and.. well whatever strikes it fancy really.

It is the best film about harvesting orphans and a bisexual love triangle involving a cross dressing fictional character ever.


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4. The Host

There is one thing everyone can agree with on this film. It tries to do EVERYTHING! It's a horror, monster movies, family drama, comedy, political satire, tragedy. Now if one or more of these threads don't work for you the film is a huge mess for me however everything landed pitch perfect and I loved the hell out of it.


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3. No Country for Old Men

When I saw the Ladykillers I knew there would always be a hole in my Coen Brothers dvd collection that I will refuse to fill. I sure hope No Country has a really big box set so you don't notice the gap so much. There has been so much talk about this film of late that I don't think I can add much to it. It really is perfect up until the "climax" but then it kicks into a different mode which is somewhat disconcerting at first but the content of that final act is what pushes this up from just a great thriller to a film of real worth. This wouldn't be my favourite Coen but that's not really an insult as I still see it as an iconic classic.


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2. Special

I didn't really know what this film was going to aim for. I just expected a indie comedy. What I got was one of the most touching dramas about a friend losing his mind and modern apathy... mixed with black indie humour. The film has that grainy shallow focus look that a lot of indies adhere to but I think it's a standout from the rest of the pack. Mature use of limited special effects and an emphasis on character and emotion. I'd love to talk about a few scenes but due to the limited release of this film I'd rather just encourage people to see it.


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1. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

I loved Chopper. Andrew Dominik knocked it out of the ballpark but then when we first heare about his follow up... well Chopper was hip and cool and adhered to Tony Scott's "let's bleach the **** out of the film" sensibility. I really didn't see what he could bring over from his debut that would work in the context of Jesse James. Then we started getting all those negative reports, the studio sticks it on the shelf and eventually it comes out with little fanfare...

What the ****! My friend and I spoke about this film non stop for 5 hours straight afterwards then we slept and I reworked a new song my band was working on (it was called sycophantic so it was already appropriate) to be about it and oh god we just can't get enough.

To pick a standout of this film made by masters at the top of their game seems impossible.. but it's not. Casey Affleck's performance is unbelievable. The scene where he goes into his room to find his treasure box being looked through and laughed at. The shame, embarrassment, pathetic anger he shows there I have never seen that conveyed so powerfully. When we first meet Robert Ford I thought he would drive me mad. He is now perhaps my favourite character and greatest performance of all time.

Films like this don't come around often. I will always love many different types of film but when I see something like this it reminds me where my passion came from in the first place. It's art like this that can drive your life.

[Bushido]

I was genuinely let down by your number one pick :(


I would've at least chose The Last King of Scotland...

[thefly]

It was a pretty crappy year for the theater.

[Paroxysm]

Well the Last King of Scotland made it into the top 50 :P It's a very solid film with some great performances but it doesn't really do anything for me on an emotional level and everything aside from the lead performance by Whitaker is pretty average.

Still I regard it pretty highly. This list is not just about technical quality but long lasting impact (where Last King is at a disadvantage considering it was one of the first films I saw this year) and just my general enjoyment. It's also hardly absolute. When you've got 60 or so films you "liked" ordering them is a bitch.

[Paroxysm]

It was a pretty crappy year for the theater.

Yeah aside from all the absolutely amazing films in both the mainstream and independent scenes. So yeah if you discount the movies released I'm sure lots of people will agree with you.

[Bushido]

Well the Last King of Scotland made it into the top 50 :P It's a very solid film with some great performances but it doesn't really do anything for me on an emotional level and everything aside from the lead performance by Whitaker is pretty average.

Still I regard it pretty highly. This list is not just about technical quality but long lasting impact (where Last King is at a disadvantage considering it was one of the first films I saw this year) and just my general enjoyment. It's also hardly absolute. When you've got 60 or so films you "liked" ordering them is a bitch.

..and I'll be honest: I've never seen your number 1 or number 2 movie before... :D

[Marty]

being a Cronenberg fan, i thought you would have put Eastern Promises in the top 10 :D

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

Go see pirates of the carribean 3... it would be in the 90 to 101 range.

[ADM]

Interesting that you don't have Children of Men there.. well I guess it's a 2006/2007 movie (06 release in Aus and 07 release in America). It's that good I'd include it again.

[Grande 3:16]

You go to the movies too much! :tinyted: I didn't do my annual movie list for 2007 because I hardly saw any movies (and my list would have paled in comparison)

I used to go at least once a week, and usually critique them. Now I'm lucky if I go to a dozen a year. :(

[Jiminator]

wow, you have seen 100 flicks? thanks for the reviews, i'll have to try your #1

[Paroxysm]

Go see pirates of the carribean 3... it would be in the 90 to 101 range.

It's number 20 actually.

Interesting that you don't have Children of Men there.. well I guess it's a 2006/2007 movie (06 release in Aus and 07 release in America). It's that good I'd include it again.

Children of Men was last years number 1. Yes it is very good :)

being a Cronenberg fan, i thought you would have put Eastern Promises in the top 10 :D

I expected so as well but although I enjoyed it I found it to be a much lesser work from Cronenberg. It really dwells too much in stereotypes in cliche's without enough subversion of those elements going on beneath the surface.


You go to the movies too much! :tinyted:
You don't go enough! I thought you were in film school now. Work the festivals and you'll see plenty! And anyway should still be time to get to the cinema once or twice a week :) Join the ranks of the cinephiles!

[hiob]

What did you think about Inland Empire?

[Bludd]

I really want to see Michael Clayton and Paroxysm's #1 pick.
Same with No Country(...).

P-rox and I have kinda similar tastes in films and I like to compare my ratings with his in the Flixter Movies app on Facebook. :D

[Damien_Azreal]

I consider your list insulting as you placed Blades of Glory higher than (or on the list as all) Bourne Ultimatum and Die hard 4.0.

But to each his own... nice list for the most part. But at times I seriously have to question it. But Blades of Glory's place really astounds me... that movie was horrid, just terrible.

[Paroxysm]

What did you think about Inland Empire?

Inland empire is a real oddity. It's Lynch's most abstract and uncompromising work which makes it REALLY hard to absorb especially due to it's long run time. It starts off simple enough with a relatively straight forward linear narrative but once it ventures off the tracks it totally loses almost all cohesion. Sure you can draw meaning into most of the elements (although you'll be reaching for a lot of it) but the structure is maddening. I actually fell asleep briefly since due to its length it all becomes a bit numbing.

The film is also hideous being shot on Mini DV. You can see plenty of beauty that would be there if it'd been shot on film with some decent latitude.

And with all that said it's an incredible powerful and haunting work that WILL get under your skin. It's very funny in places and is a genuinely unsettling film. I you like lynch or just avant grade feature film it's definitely worth a look. Satisfaction is far from guaranteed but it's certainly lynch at his rawest so worth experiencing.

[Paroxysm]

I consider your list insulting as you placed Blades of Glory higher than (or on the list as all) Bourne Ultimatum and Die hard 4.0.

But to each his own... nice list for the most part. But at times I seriously have to question it. But Blades of Glory's place really astounds me... that movie was horrid, just terrible.

Eh Blades delivered exactly what it promised. It's just a very silly comedy from the Will Farrel camp. You should know if you're going to be into their stuff or not before you chose to go in.

Bourne doesn't get much placement because the series doesn't really interest me. Shakey Cam doesn't annoy me but it does ruin some potentially good fight choreography. It's a solid film but as I'm not into the story it's not going to rate high. Was just a solid but forgettable mindless action fest.

Die Hard 4 was... Some parts were cool... Unfortunately things like driving a car through a level of a building into an elevator shaft, taking out a helicopter with launching a car, going one on one with a harrier jet, mac kid side kick, Kevin Smith still being a tool, Bruce Willis saving the entire country from destruction single handedly and other smaller pieces of retarded cinema that shat all over the roots of the franchise. I did enjoy the movie on the whole(I pretty much enjoy all movies on some level) but it's hardly a good film.

[Damien_Azreal]

While I knew Blades was going to be a silly comedy... it was just a bad film. Silly or not, I didn't find it funny... I thought it was simply stupid.

But just me.

[Phait]

one on one with a harrier jet

F-35 is not a Harrier.

:D

[Destructor]

I saw some pretty crappy films this year. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Harry Potter, POTC3, National Treasure: Secret Book; all pretty sub-standard. I did enjoy Spiderman 3 quite a bit (which I saw in Gold Class) and, well, that's about it. Didn't see that Pixar rat movie or Bourne Ultimatium or anything else. I'm looking forward to the new Indiana flick this year - will go see that in the movies for sure.

[Zztx]

Movies I saw this year at the movie theater/cinema/local nickelodeon, ranked:
#1: No Country For Old Men
#2: Juno* (I'm tempted to put these two into a tie)
#3: Grindhouse
#4: The Simpsons Movie

And I'll throw the last three into a lump:
- Aqua Teen Hunger Force Movie Film for Theaters
- Transformers
- The Bourne Ultimatum

A bunch of good movies came out this year, but I didn't have the cash to see many of 'em. :(

*I actually saw Juno on January 6th, but it came out last year, and I didn't want my list to be too depressing to look at.

[Paroxysm]

I only got to see "Aqua Teen Hunger Force Movie Film for Theaters for DVD" because "Aqua Teen Hunger Force Movie Film for Theaters" didn't come to Australia

[Grande 3:16]

The Good:
The Simpsons Movie
Die Hard 4.0
Transformers
Rocky Balboa
Ocean's 13
Ratatouille

The enjoyable (but ultimately disposable):
Rush Hour 3
Hot Fuzz
Wild Hogs
The Bourne Ultimatum

I didn't really see any movies I thought were "bad", just disappointing:
Pirates Of The Caribbean 3
Spiderman 3
Shrek 3

I only got to see "Aqua Teen Hunger Force Movie Film for Theaters for DVD" because "Aqua Teen Hunger Force Movie Film for Theaters" didn't come to AustraliaI had to watch Aqua Teen Hunger Force Movie Film for Bootleg. :tinyted: