IMO, "Finding Nemo" is far and away the best movie of the year.

Well, I've only seen three films at the theater this year.

1. Terminator 3: Rise of The Machines
2. Matrix: Reloaded
3. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

I'm sure LOTR: ROTK and the re-release of Alien will end up at the top of my list.

Finding Nemo has a sheer lock on the top spot unless something absolutely extraordinary comes out during the next five months.

Bend It Like Beckham would be in my Top 10 if not Top 5.

And while Pirates was a nifty little flick, I still don't see how it is so "FRESH", unless "fresh" now means "big-budget Hollywood summer blockbuster that actually didn't suck."

This has been a pretty weak year (I'm seeing Whale Rider tomorrow night, haven't seen Seabiscuit, and Elephant was really, really good but not great), but I'd at least rank the Big Budget Blockbusters as follows:

1. The Matrix: Reloaded
2. X2
3. Terminator 3
4. Pirates of the Caribbean
.
5. Bruce Almighty
.
6. Daredevil
.
.
7. 28 Days Later (not "big budget", but work with me)
.
.
.
8. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen/Bad Boys 2 (tie)
.
.
9. Dreamcatcher (wretched)

Have not seen yet: Hulk, Spy Kids, Italian Job, Charlie's Angels, Seabiscuit, Whale Rider, Sinbad

Will not see under any circumstances: American Wedding, Tomb Raider, Gigli, Legally Blonde 2, Daddy Day Care, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Dumb and Dumberer

Whale Rider
Finding Nemo
Pirates of the Caribbean
28 Days Later
T3
X2
The Hulk

So far...

1. Hulk
2. Pirates: Legend of the Black Pearl
3. X-2: X-men United
4. Terminator 3
5. Bruce Almighty
6. Finding Nemo
7. Daredevil
8. Matrix Reloaded
9. The Recruit
10. Phone Booth
11. Identity
12. Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas
13. Italian Job
14. Hollywood Homicide
Shanghai Knights
Tears of the Sun
Spy Kids 3D Game Over
Basic
Just Married
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Gods and Generals

Whoa I just realized.. Hulk, X2, T3, Spiderman 2: Daredevil, Rave Scene Reloaded.. and the upcoming Rave Scene Revolutions and Return of the King.. how many dork movies are they releasing this year? Kill Bill probably counts too.

Haven't sorted my list yet but going by ranking and by alpha...

10/10 : none yet
9/10: American Splendor, Divine Intervention, Hero, Irreversible, Ten
8/10: Bus 174, Capturing the Friedmans, Friday Night, His Brother, Rabbit Proof Fence

I left out films like Spider and Russian Ark which I think actually came out in 2002.

1. Ten
2. Public Toilet
3. Friday Night
4. The Twilight Samurai
5. Finding Nemo
6. Divine Intervention
7. Hero
8. Irreversible
9. The Son
10. Japon

1. To Be and To Have (scheduled Sept release in NYC)
2. City of God
3. Russian Ark (limited release began 2003, three US film festival screenings: Telluride, Chicago, and AFI in 2002)
4. In This World
5. Ten
6. American Splendor
7. Man Without a Past
8. Onibus 174 (General release slated for Fall of 2003)
9. Whale Rider
10. Vendredi Soir (Friday Night)
11. 25th Hour (limited one-week LA/NYC 'Academy Awards requisite' engagements - Dec 2002, wide release was in 2003)
12. Dracula: Pages from a Virgin's Diary
13. Winged Migration
14. Swimming Pool
15. Divine Intervention
16. Spellbound
17. Irreversible
18. Raising Victor Vargas
19. Blue Car
20. Stevie
21. Jet Lag
22. Spider
23. Finding Nemo
24. Magdalene Sisters
25. Man on the Train
26. The Girl from Paris
27. Holes
28. I Capture the Castle
29. L'Auberge Espagnole
30. All The Real Girls



________________________

other than spiderman 2, which i'm not even sure is in production yet, that pretty much describes what i'll see in the theater this year. I'm more of a home theater guy...ahem...dork now.

from what little i've seen thus far:

1. Matrix Reloaded...I know it's cool to hate it, but it just kicked ass
2. X-Men 2...unlike reloaded, better than the original
3. T3...much better written than I would have guessed
4. Hulk...this year's godzilla, interesting, but should've ended 20 minutes earlier
5. Daredevil...just didn't work for me for some reason

I'd be shocked if RotK and Revolutions didn't move up to 1 and 2 (in that order) by the end of the year.

2003: Good year to be a dork.

1. chicago
2. spirited away
3. cowboy bebop
4. seabiscuit
5. bad boys 2
6. phone booth
7. matrix reloaded
8. daredevil
9. italian job
10. t3

bottom 4
1. punch drunk love
2. x-men2
3. the pianist
4. biker boyz

Off the top of my head:

1. 28 Days Later
2. Spellbound
3. Bend it Like Beckham
4. The Shape of Things

Although I did miss some stuff. Giles, how is Rasing Victor Vargas? I wanted to see it.

I thought Raising Victor Vargas was a very simplistic and naturally acted movie that brought out great subtle acting from all of the cast and the story that could have been cliched but ended up being non-tradionational and different (in a good way).

You know, Hollywood films aren't entirely evil.

Anyway, from the movies I've seen, I thought these were the most enjoyable:

L'Auberge Espagnole
PotC
Spellbound
28 Days Later
Whale Rider
The Italian Job
Seabiscuit

And to a lesser degree:

X2
T3
Reloaded

And am I the only one who thought that Winged Migration was pretentious crap?

so besides listing Winged Migration as one of my favourite movies of the year, why are you singling out my list? Other members know that the current crop of Hollywood films aren't my cup of tea, but I am not going to say that all of Hollywood is 'crap'. The only Hollywood movies that have impressed me(so far) (and as denoted as such) have been "Finding Nemo" (avid Pixar fan), "Holes" and "X2" (falling just outside my top thirty).

oh by the way, I thought "Seabiscuit" was way overrrated and cliched - entertaining but predictable.

Because out of 25 films, 23 are indie films. The only other person with such a list was sundog. You were easier to quote; I didn't have to back scroll. But sure, the same goes for sundog.

Winged Migration had nothing to do with you being quoted. My WM comment goes to everyone who listed it as one of their favorites.

If this really is your film preference, that's cool. But I can't help thinking that you're going to miss out on some great films simply because they are making bucks and seeing larger releases.

Let me assure you that Giles, in essence my "film compadre" on this forum, and I don't shortchange Hollywood because of box office or exposure. For me, they're just one facet of the world cinema scene. There's the good and there's the bad, same as any other country or studio. I see so many movies in a year that I couldn't ignore an entire moviemaking entity if I tried. My top 25 on the first page is just 1/6 of what I've seen in the theater this year (including shorts, revivals, festivals, and of course, popular releases).

Thanks Sundog




What could I possiby be currently missing that would warrant my time and money? I like Sundog see a lot of movies, the summer batch of Hollywood movies have yet to impress me - maybe that's why my list is compiled of indie and revivals (see full 'Rate Them' 2003 list). You can sure bet by the Fall, when Hollywood DOES in fact start to releasing their "better" films I'll be there, with money in hand.

Just got back from watching Whale Rider and it definitely is my #1 now (until LOTR: ROTK of course ). Beautiful movie.

Hands down the film that blew away everything else thus far as of 8-9-03 is, to me, X2.

You're not alone on that one. When the trailer came out, I was one of the many people making jokes about how the film was "First Blood: The Fugitive 3". But my friend and I caught it at a $1 budget theater and it wasn't bad at all in my opinion. I think this is one of those movies helped by low expectations. I went in thinking it would most likely suck, but ended up enjoying it, especilly Del Toro's acting and the fights. Like you, I found them to be incredibly realistic, especially in their brutality. And I would definitely see this one before I would ever even consider plunking down another penny to see Bad Boys 2.

I think my top 10 for the year so far (although I am way behind and still need to see Pirates of the Carribean, Whale Rider and more and I hope to finally catch Assasination Tango and 28 Days Later this week) would be:

1. Seabiscuit
2. X-2
3. Down With Love
4. The Good Thief
5. Old School
6. Owning Mahowny
7. Matrix Reloaded
8. Bulletproof Monk (seriously )
9. T3
10. The Hunted

damn, am I the only one who truely hated x2?

Only seen three at the theater so far this year:

1. Finding Nemo 9/10
2. Matrix 2 8.5/10
3. 28 Days Later 8/10

Also interesting.... Just about everyone who has Whale Rider on their list has it at #1. I might have to check this one out.

Damn straight-I LOVED it!