REWIND & RANK: TOP 10 Movies of 2008

RANKING THE YEAR’S BEST: FROM OSCAR MOVIES TO BLOCKBUSTERS

WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE… AND LET THE MOVIE NERD DEBATE BEGIN.

LET’S REWIND TO 2008.

These are personal TOP 10s ranking Oscar-nominated movies right alongside popcorn-munching blockbusters, indie films, b-movies, and cult classics.You never know, you might even uncover a hidden gem or two.

2008 had one heckuva #1 blockbuster with THE DARK KNIGHT raking in $997 million worldwide, pleasing the critics just as much as the audience. While there are a couple of massive box office successes, my TOP 10 is littered with some impressive indie films that may have slipped under the radar.

As always, the year had its fair share of shiny turds like 10000 BC, BABYLON AD, THE HAPPENING, INDIANA JONES & THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL, THE LOVE GURU, MAX PAYNE, SPEED RACER, and THE SPIRIT.

MY TOP 10 IS FOLLOWED BY HONORABLE MENTIONS AND THE BEST OF ART VS POPCORN.

Let’s dig in…

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THE TOP 10

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NORTHLIGHT SCAN

10. FUNNY GAMES

Hard-edged psychological thriller. Stylishly directed unconventional narrative breaks some cinematic ‘laws’ in intriguing ways. Stars Naomi Watts, Tim Roth, and Michael Pitt.

9. THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES

A character piece coming of age story that leaves you with a nice feeling. Impressive ensemble cast with Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, and Alicia Keys.

Bons Baisers de Bruges In Bruges (2008) UK, Belgium Clémence Poésy, Colin Farrell Director: Martin McDonagh

8. IN BRUGES

Black comedy crime caper starring Colin Farrell, Ralph Fiennes, and Brendan Gleeson. Witty and violent. A surprise hidden gem. Hitmen are sent to Bruges to stay out of trouble since absolutely nothing happens there.

Film Title: Slumdog Millionaire

7. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Crowd-pleasing drama curled up in a romance. Stylishly directed by Danny Boyle (TRAINSPOTTING, 127 HOURS, STEVE JOBS, 28 DAYS LATER).

6. WALTZ WITH BASHIR

An incredible war documentary that uses animation to dramtaticize the past in very effective ways. Stunning visuals. Heart-breaking reflection. Entirely enthralling.

5. IRON MAN

Marvel Studios burst onto the scene with this mega-blockbuster. Filled with just as much laughter as action. A surprise success that worked on several levels.

4. THE WRESTLER

A brilliant character study about aging, centered around a fading wrestler reflecting on his life. An astounding return by Mickey Rourke. Marisa Tomei is also impressive in a co-starring role. Masterful storytelling and direction by Darren Aronofsky (REQUIEM FOR A DREAM, THE FOUNTAIN, PI).

3. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

Swedish vampire film that is a surprise character study centered around a young bullied loner. Stylishly directed with rich atmosphere and real scares. A morality tale wrapped up in an intense horror film. A hidden gem cult classic that got an American remake called LET ME IN starring Chloe Grace Moretz.

PHOTOGRAPHS TO BE USED SOLELY FOR ADVERTISING, PROMOTION, PUBLICITY OR REVIEWS OF THIS SPECIFIC MOTION PICTURE AND TO REMAIN THE PROPERTY OF THE STUDIO. NOT FOR SALE OR REDISTRIBUTION

2. REDBELT

The hugest surprise of the year is a taut thriller from legendary writer, David Mamet. Stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as an MMA instructor who follows an honorable code. Tim Allen and Hollywood swoop in to profit of his compelling teaching style and tournament structure. Emily Mortimer also stars adding a super intriguing thriller element from the opening minutes. This Hitchcockian mystery keeps unraveling like a page-turner. A true hidden gem worth tracking down for fans of David Fincher and John Le Carre.

AARON ECKHART stars as Harvey Dent, GARY OLDMAN stars as Lieut. James Gordon and CHRISTIAN BALE stars as Batman in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ action drama “The Dark Knight,” distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and also starring Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Morgan Freeman.PHOTOGRAPHS TO BE USED SOLELY FOR ADVERTISING, PROMOTION, PUBLICITY OR REVIEWS OF THIS SPECIFIC MOTION PICTURE AND TO REMAIN THE PROPERTY OF THE STUDIO. NOT FOR SALE OR REDISTRIBUTION.

1. THE DARK KNIGHT

One of the best superhero movies of all time. Heath Ledger’s Joker steals the show. Christopher Nolan keeps the focus on gritty realism giving us a hero without powers and a conflict centered on anarchy. Stylish action combines with interesting characters to make the perfect blend of Art and Popcorn.

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HONORABLE MENTIONS

BURN AFTER READING / CLOVERFIELD / DEFINITELY, MAYBE / FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL / HAMLET 2 / PINEAPPLE EXPRESS / RELIGULOUS / TROPIC THUNDER / VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA / WANTED

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THE BEST OF ART VS POPCORN

Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess, left) is recruited by Jill Taylor (Kate Bosworth, right) to join M.I.T.Õs blackjack team Ð a group of students that uses smarts and skills to take Vegas for millions Ð in Columbia PicturesÕ 21. Directed by Robert Luketic, the screenplay is by Peter Steinfeld and Allan Loeb, based upon the book “Bringing Down the House” by Ben Mezrich. The producers are Dana Brunetti, Kevin Spacey, and Michael De Luca. The film opens in theaters nationwide on March 28, 2008.

CITY OF EMBER, from left: Saoirse Ronan, Harry Treadaway, 2008. ©Universal

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

21 / ADULTHOOD / THE BANK JOB / BE KIND REWIND / BODY OF LIES / BOLT / CASSANDRA’S DREAM / CHANGELING / CHAPTER 27 / CHARLIE BARTLETT / CHE / CITY OF EMBER / THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL / DEATH RACE / DEFIANCE / DOOMSDAY / EAGLE EYE / HANCOCK / HAROLD & KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANAMO BAY / HELLBOY 2: THE GOLDEN ARMY / THE HOUSE BUNNY / THE INCREDIBLE HULK / INDIANA JONES & THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL / JUMPER / KUNG-FU PANDA / LAKEVIEW TERRACE / NICK & NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST / PARANOID PARK / PUNISHER: WAR ZONE / QUANTUM OF SOLACE / QUARANTINE / RACHEL GETTING MARRIED / RAMBO / REVOLUTIONARY ROAD / THE ROCKER / ROCKNROLLA / ROLE MODELS / THE RUINS / SEMI-PRO / SMART PEOPLE / STEP BROTHERS / THE STRANGERS / SYNECHDOCHE, NEW YORK / TEETH / TRAITOR / TRANSPORTER 3 / TWILIGHT / VALKYRIE / WALL-E / THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE / YES MAN / ZAK & MIRI MAKE A PORNO

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MY MUST-WATCH LIST

Sean Penn

The Visitor _ filmstill 3 (Left to right.) Richard Jenkins stars in Overture FilmsÕ The Visitor Photo Credit: JoJo Whildon © 2007 Visitor Holdings LLC. All Rights Reserved.

APPALOOSA / BOY A / BLINDNESS / THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS / CADILLAC RECORDS / THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON / DEPARTURES / DOUBT / THE FALL / FROST NIXON / GRAN TORINO / HAPPY-GO-LUCKY / MARLEY & ME / MILK / MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA / NOBEL SON / THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL / THE READER / SEVEN POUNDS / SON OF RAMBOW / TOWELHEAD / VANTAGE POINT / THE VISITOR / W.

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What do you think?

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