Top films you saw in 2011.

I'm working on my list. I'm not sure if it'll be ranked.

My list (alphabetical):

BLOW OUT (1981, dir. Brian De Palma)
THE DAY OF THE LOCUST (1975, dir. John Schlesinger)
DEAD RINGERS (1988, dir. David Cronenberg)
FEMME FATALE (2002, dir. Brian De Palma)
GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE (2004, dir. Mamoru Oshii)
HOUR OF THE WOLF (1968, dir. Ingmar Bergman)
THE MAGICIAN (1958, dir. Ingmar Bergman)
MYSTERIES OF LISBON (2010, dir. Raul Ruiz)
SENSO (1954, dir. Luchino Visconti)
SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS (1957, dir. Alexander Mackendrick)

are we talking about All Films we saw in 2011 including DVDs or are we talking about JUST the 2011 Theatrical releases?

My rough top ten of films I saw for the first time in 2011 (mostly DVD rentals), in alphabetical order:

ANOTHER YEAR (2010, Mike Leigh)

BLACK SWAN (2010, Darren Aronofsky)

THE DAY OF THE JACKAL (1973, Fred Zinnemann)

NORWEGIAN WOOD (2010, Tran Anh Hung)

THE PASSENGER (1975, Michelangelo Antonioni)

PRECIOUS (2009, Lee Daniels)

THE ROMANTIC ENGLISHWOMAN (1975, Joseph Losey)

SPLICE (2009, Vincenzo Natali)

SPRING, SUMMER, FALL, WINTER... AND SPRING (2003, Ki-duk Kim)

THE WOMAN IN THE DUNES (1964, Hiroshi Teshigahara)

j7wild wrote:

are we talking about All Films we saw in 2011 including DVDs or are we talking about JUST the 2011 Theatrical releases?

The former.

So, what's the point of the Rank The Films You've Seen in 2011 thread? Surely we can use that thread for discussion now...?

Not really. Merged.

Why have these threads been merged? I intended the thread I started to be a place to discuss 2011 theatrical releases only. I thought The White Tuxedo's thread was for anything we saw in 2011 regardless of the year it came out.

Loomis wrote:

Why have these threads been merged? I intended the thread I started to be a place to discuss 2011 theatrical releases only. I thought The White Tuxedo's thread was for anything we saw in 2011 regardless of the year it came out.

I'm confused!

This thread is for any film that you saw for the first time in 2011, regardless of when it was originally released.

Loomis' thread is for films released in 2011.

Precisely, but what about Rank The Films You've Seen in 2011? Surely that's the thread for any film you've seen this year, regardless of the film's release...

FieldsMan wrote:

Precisely, but what about Rank The Films You've Seen in 2011? Surely that's the thread for any film you've seen this year, regardless of the film's release...

This is for like a top 10.

I had no idea I'd cause a shit storm.

Whatever makes you happy:P

A selection:

Tropic Thunder (2008) & Hot Fuzz (2007) Those a big suprise and i think Tropic Thunder be the best Comedy i have seen in years. It be so good that i vergot i watch the movie with same format problems as The Dark Knight. 8/10 Hot Fuzz, Iam not realy a fan of not subtil ''British'' humor (Mr Bean) and horror, the only reasen that i whant give it a try be Timothy Dalton. But til my suprise it not realy whas not a horror or British movie in the way i expect it.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) 8.5/10. The 2 disc SE with sleeve stay's high on my wishlist in 2004, i pay € 11,00 back in 2004. But the anouchment of sequels, other movies, bored it take til this year. Iam afraid that like National Treasure 2 POTC 2 wil disapointed me.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) Afterall Ice Age 2 whas a disapointed, sti li think the first movie is the best. 8/10
X-Men: The Last Stand. It be realy freshing to see the other way around this time. 8/10

G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra (2009) & Taken (2008) 7.5/10 I expect a kind of DAD from G.I. Joe. My biggest problem with G.I. Joe be that the movie starts strange and possible be a set up for the second movie. Also whyle he playing oke i don't understand why American president is playing by English actor. Also some tv screen talking is strange. But i must say Joseph Gordon-Levitt is very good, this should have been his casting for TDK. From ''Taken'' i read before it be a kind of 24, the only thing i see link to that is Xander Berkeley and his actions. Also the movie screentime is with 85 minutes, 2 episodes. After Batman Begins this be my second movie with Liam Neeson i saw. Feels more like the introducing going to be more inportent then the easy plot, so like Jumper, the sequel is the actualy movie we wait for. So i like it, but it also missing something. Feels a bit empty after the to fast end.

Quantum Of Solace. Third view. 7/10 (Before that it also my third view for CR,, who i updated to 6/10)

Terminator Salvation (2009) & District 9 (2009) 7/10. District 9 is the better one from the 2. I wish the directer of that movie did Terminator Salvation. Because i think the effects of that movie also be better. Hancock 7/10. Nice movie if you don't expect to much. Running Scared (2006), a far from my beath movie. I remember from the promotion that there whas something i like, i think the actres who also playing in QOS be more on her place in this movie. 6/10

Ocean's 13 - 7/10

Quote :

Earlier about Ocean's 12 i wrote that the franchise be the creater of a good yuse of flashbacks, but over yused it in Ocean's 12. This third part it happend only once. The music don't over yused but more like part 1. The actors in Ocean's 12 be on the edge of corness, what made it a movie for the actors them self. Also this isn't in this third movie.

Is it the return to America insteed to be relax in Europe and it let think about the first movie movie feel. Sjure. It look like atleast this time there be more on there place. I am sjure this count for Matt Damon his chacter. The ambitation in his chacter is again avaible and get the change for a bigger part. You can say that there have workt to it.

The story is small, but after a dificult part 1 and a second movie with to much drama this movie be more in the medium one.

Julia Roberts and Caterina Zeta not be seen, but don't be mist eather. There chacters at the to much drama to second movie and discrit the movie from the story. This third part focus again on there goal.

Disapointed:

The Dark Knight (2008) 7/10 close 6/10. I saw the movie this year on tv. But experience not be very good. The movie is very slow

Quote :

Yester day 21 March 2011 whas the Dutch tv premiere of The Dark Knight, almost 3 years after the release in 2008.
But the movie be the worse tv premiere ever with only 550.00 viewers.

Note:
- The movie been cut for 1 minuut to give the movie the Dutch PG13 rank 12+ what it made it possible to give the movie at 08.30 PM. Offical the movie having a Dutch R rank 16+ and should get the movie a 10.00 PM time.
- With 2 years and 8 months, almost 3 years before it get his Dutch tv premiere. Those days that is very long, but Warner don't give permission to give it earlier and possible be responsible that the movie get the 08.30 time and the format. The movie original supost to be release as 16+ movie at the end of 2008 on Veronica (the third channel of the same company) and later as 16+ movie on Saturday 12 March with a news program in between.
- 20.30-23.26 include 5 comercials, made it a extra long sit with a movie who already be very slow,
- Since a whyle the channel send 2:35:1 movies from Warner in the original format with burn widescreen option. This means you get something simalar as with the Super-Man Returns premiere,but also on 16:9 tv it is not possible to yuse the zoom function what you normaly can do with the dvd. Stil be people with a 4:3 tv where it be worse.
- The movie not be the moost 2008 succesfull movie in The Netherlands that be Mamma Mia and QOS. On the edge the movie wins from The Kite Runner.

I bought the uncut movie (16+) a couple of weeks a go on dvd. I wil give it some time and then re-wach it. Uncut, in 16:9 and without standing up to skip comerials. I hope it wil be a a litle better view with in specialy those 2 inprovements. Iam veru curious or there mabey changed some audio things then only 1 minut of movie. stil i think the movie it self whas un needed to long. Over hyped. My favorite things be some remembers to Batman (1989) and favorite chacter is played by Gary Oldmen.

The Bourne Supremacy (2004) & The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) disapointed me. Partly it is my fault of the Bourne Supremacy. This second Bourne movie already be in my collection since 2005, but it take til 2009 i get Bourne Ultimatum in the collection. What i don't understand why it take 3 years for getting Bourne Ultimatum. I think it have working better if there be made back to back. Kind of i watch them back to back with a break of 6 weeks. 15 February - Bourne Supremacy 6/10 - 5 April: Bourne Ultimatum 6.5/10.

Worse movies:

Meet Dave (2008) 6/10
Ash Wednesday (2002) 4/10. Boring slow.
Armored (2009) 6/10
Crank: High Voltage (2009) 5/10
Gamer (2009) I not expect much from it. Gamer whasn't so bad expect, but the beginning with nerves camera style and the to fast end made that i give it 5.5/10.

Top 10 films I saw for the first time:

AND THEN THERE WERE NONE (1945, Clair)
THE CRIMINAL (1960, Losey)
EYES WITHOUT A FACE (1960, Franju)
THE FRIGHTENED CITY (1961, Lemont)
THE GETAWAY (1972, Peckinpah)
RADIO ON (1979, Petit)
REPULSION (1965, Polanski)
SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS (1957, Mackendrick)
VICTIM (1961, Dearden)
VILLAIN (1971, Tuchner)

I'd say Radio On is the best of the lot. Incredible film.

My 2011 viewing by the numbers.

Total: 214
New: 120

1920's - 1
1930's - 7
1940's - 14
1950's - 35
1960's - 38
1970's - 39
1980's - 26
1990's - 10
2000's - 35
2010's - 9

My ten favorite films I saw this year (give or take one or two that would change with mood).

Alphabetically.


The Apartment (1960)


The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) Best film I saw for 2011.


Blow Out (1981)


The Lion in Winter (1968)


A Man for All Seasons (1966)


McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971)


Midnight Cowboy (1969)


Seconds (1966)


The Train (1964)


The Trial (1962)

And the worst.

At #10...


Ocean's Eleven (2001)
These guys think they are so fcuking cool. For me I found no tension, no suspense, and a cast made up of good actors, but the only one I'd like to hang with would maybe be Elliott Gould. But Soderbergh is technically proficient. No lens flare, shaky cam, bad editing, etc.

At #9...


Ocean's Twelve (2004)
I will confess, I liked it okay in the first act. At least more than ELEVEN. But it went down hill. Fast. After a while, I stopped paying attention. I don't even remember what happened. Lucky me.

At #8...


Valley of the Dolls (1967)
I didn't even like it for it's supposed camp value! I never made it through BEYOND.

At #7...


Braveheart (1995)
I was frankly bored by it. Except for when McGoohan pushes the fagela out the window. One of my favorite scenes of the year that.

At #6...


The Fighter (2010)
It was either in my post about this, or the one about MILLION DOLLAR BABY, where I said that there should be a law (enforced through out the entire world... no the fcuking cosmos) that says that no one is allowed to make another boxing movie unless it's different from every other boxing movie that has ever been made. Punishment is being locked for two hours inside a small room with Mike Tyson on ecstasy. I hate boxing movies. I hate sports movies, but I especially hate boxing movies.

I will say that I actually liked some things in this film. Amy Adams, and not just for obvious reasons. I liked Jack McGee. Most everything else annoyed me.

At #5...


The King's Speech (2010)
I was more impressed by Firth in A SINGLE MAN. I liked Rush. I hated the direction. I found the story to be uninteresting Oscar bait.

At #4...


Gangs of New York (2002)
WTF happened to Marty? That could be a great documentary there.

At #III...


Mission: Impossible III (2006)
Directed by Rosemary's baby himself. Sheer. Torture. I hate this guy's "style", I hate his sensibilities. Reading up on him, he's the son of some industry bigshot. So that's how he got in.

At #2...


Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
The movie that made me hate the nation of India for about two hours. Frieda Pinto gets a big pass on that. If this movie hadn't won Best Picture, I wouldn't care. It's just "feel good", so it was popular and won the award. I found it grating in the extreme.

At #1...


Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Paul Haggis, he wrote the boxing picture that Barton Fink never could. This and CRASH all feel very cynical to me. He accidentally created WALKER, TEXAS RANGER, so in his quest to prove he's a big player in Hollywood he wrote a detestable racism movie for guilty white liberals and this parade of boxing movie cliches.

Now, some discoveries I made in 2011.



My newest favorite filmmaker, Brian De Palma. There was a time when I didn't like David Lynch. Then it clicked. I'll never forget it. I think I suddenly developed an eye for irony.

De Palma. I liked some of his films, but I'd only seen the more mainstream ones. In July I watched CARLITO'S WAY for the first time in a decade. I was stunned by it. I was still impressed by yet another viewing recently. And I watched a number of his better films. He's joined the ranks of directors that I look to, that I want to emulate.

Elia Kazan. I like his sense of life, the deep emotion of his films. The sympathy he has for his characters. The reality he can create. Billy Wilder for his sensibilities and his way with dialogue. Polanski. I like his sensibilities and his style. Frankenheimer. I like his blocking a lot. In his 60's films. And his political leanings are fine too. Hitchcock, his showmanship and his humor. There are a few others.

I like that De Palma understands and tries to tell stories in the language of visual cinema. I like that he has the balls to be operatic and to MAKE MOVIES. Many filmmakers today want their films to be like real life. De Palma doesn't.

Well, I guess that's the big discovery.

I'll just rap it up by listing some other films that stuck out for me personally for various reasons.

ACE IN THE HOLE (1951)
ANATOMY OF A MURDER (1959)
BODY DOUBLE (1984)
PRIME CUT (1972)

I hope to see more than 214 films in 2012, and a higher number of new (as in first time viewing) films wouldn't be bad either.

Total: 152
New: 140

1920's - 2
1930's - 3
1940's - 6
1950's - 25
1960's - 16
1970's - 20
1980's - 18
1990's - 14
2000's - 39
2010's - 15

Here is my Top and Bottom 10 of the films I watched for the first time.

Top 10

2046 (2004)
PANDORA'S BOX (1929)
SECRETS AND LIES (1996)
THE TREE OF LIFE (2011)
ANATOMY OF A MURDER (1959)
TOUCH OF EVIL (1958)
A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH (1946)
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP (1943)
DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965)
THE SEVENTH SEAL (1957)

Honourable Mentions: THE PIANIST, A FISTFUL OF DYNAMITE, THE FLY, THE RED SHOES , THE THING, GONE WITH THE WIND, RIO BRAVO.

Bottom 10

ALICE IN WONDERLAND (2010)
NINE (2009)
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (2009)
STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE (1999)
STAR WARS EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES (2002)
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT (2010)
BAD LIEUTENANT (2009)
ALIEN RESURRECTION (1997)
FUNNY FACE (1957)
SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE (1987)