Greenville's free alternative weekly

By Fred Richardson

Last year saw fewer dead spots than most years when it comes to quality film, but as usual, the release schedule was back-loaded for the Oscar hunt. I was able to cram in quite a few movies into December, and lots of them fall into the top and bottom lists so I’ll toss in a mini-review where I can. Still, lots of things I wanted to see fell through the cracks. Most problematic was the inability to see P.T. Anderson’s There Will Be Blood, by many accounts the best movie of 2007. Luckily it opens here this Friday (Jan. 18th) and will be included next time around.

Best of 2007 (In order of current personal opinion. Ties resultant from inability to repeat-view each and compare/contrast or just being lazy/greedy with the list in general.)

1. (3-way tie)

   No Country for Old Men

   A Masterpiece. Up there with the Cohens’ other great works like Fargo, Raising Arizona, and Miller’s Crossing. See this movie NOW. Or see it again.

   Michael Clayton

   Zodiac

   (Yes, it was released in 2007)

   1. Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead

   2. Ratatouille

   3. Juno

      Charming, smart and funny. I know people who think the kids, particularly the title character, have dialog that seems too “written” or beyond the years of those speaking. I think they just hung out with a stupider crowd when they were young. The performances are nothing short of brilliant. Even when the story is a little predictable, the actors bring enough depth and emotional resonance to lift things up to the level of greatness. See it and have fun.

   4. Knocked Up

   5. 300

   6. Sunshine

      For some damn reason, this movie didn’t get a full U.S. release. Director Danny Boyle didn’t knock it out of the park this time like he did with Trainspotting, but it’s at least as good as 28 Days Later. Maybe it’s because it’s a mix of a good movie with a terrible one- 2001 meets Event Horizon. All the acting is good, particularly Fantastic Four’s Chris Evans showing he should get some real acting work sometime in the future. Rent this movie, or better yet buy it sight unseen like I did.

   7. 28 Weeks Later

   8. The Mist

10.(2-way tie)

  Stardust

  The Simpsons Movie

Special Dual Prize for movies that opened on the same day and I saw and want to talk about even though they didn’t make the lists.

Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

As far as musicals go, I’ll put this in my top 10. As far as Tim Burton films, it’s in the middle of the pack, though that’s not a bad place to be. It’s bloody fun, but not really for everyone. I loved some of the songs so much, I picked up the soundtrack, but you’re more likely to hear me listen to a few cuts than the whole thing. I’ll also most likely pick up any special edition DVD when it’s released, I probably won’t watch the thing as often as I would Sleepy Hollow, but more often than Mars Attacks. See it if you like blood and music in equal measure.

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Not nearly as good as I expected from those involved. John C. Riley was good mostly, brilliant occasionally, but dull too often. Tim Meadows was only funny a fraction of the time he should have been and Kristin Wiig surprised me by being generic. Still, even when it’s not so great, it’s better than the latest American Pie straight to DVD fiasco. The Beatles scene is great fun and Jack White of the White Stripes as Elvis is only bested by Willem Dafoe’s Jesus. Or maybe not. Also, Jonah Hill deserves an Oscar for imagining what someone’s who never existed would be like if they survived being cut in half and aging for decades as a ghost in the imagination of the boy who killed him after he became a man. Of course I mean the imagination of the killer, cause the dead kid wouldn’t have an imagination being dead and all.

Worst of 2007 (numbers are as arbitrary as the list deserves.)

1. The Number 23

2. A-v-P: Requiem

   Crap. It just sucks. Avoid it. Rent it if you have quality drugs maybe or can see it for free.

3. Live Free or Die Hard

4. Death Sentence

5. The Golden Compass

   Cruddy adaptation of a passable fantasy trilogy installment. Wait for DVD.

Most anticipated movies of 2008

1. Cloverfield

2. (3-way comic book tie)

Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr. is perfect casting for Tony Stark.)

The Dark Knight (Heath Ledger’s Joker looks to truly capture the spirit of the character.)

The Incredible Hulk (Not as much a sequel as a re-boot with Puny Ed Norton as Puny Banner)

1. WALL-E (Pixar can do no wrong, can they?)

2. Star Trek XI (I think it’s up to 11…)

3. Rambo (??? !!!)

4. Semi-Pro (Will Ferrell and basketball. What’s not to love?)

5. Horton Hears a Who! (I’ve resisted the previous Dr. Seuss travesties, but this one just feels different.)

6. Speed Racer (The Matrix guys doing a live action version of the classic anime)

7. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (No word regarding the inclusion of the Mastodon song)

8. Midnight Meat Train (Based on the Clive Barker short story)

9. The Day The Earth Stood Still (The most unnecessary remake of a great film that I hope isn’t the travesty I expect. Starring Keanu Reeves. Really? Let me try to be the first in print to say: Keanu, barada nikt-whoah.)