MZ's Top Ten Films of 2009 (plus six honourable mentions)...

[DjfunkmasterG]

Well I also expect to be praised in equal measure, because my list is awesome sauce. And at least an attempt at seeing it from my perspective would be nice too... Ok.... List is awesome aside from Avatar being ont he list and Gran Torino not making it in the top 10.

[capncnut]

My top ten for 2009: 1. Moon (Dir. Duncan Jones) Zowie Bowie's breathtaking psychological thriller set on (you guessed it) the moon. Sam Rockwell shines in the lead role and Kevin Spacey puts on a HAL-9000-tastic voice performance as GERTY. Gentle but unnerving. 2. Låt den rätte komma in (Dir. Tomas Alfredson) Wonderful vampire love story from Sweden that injects healthy doses of romance, beauty, and sheer bloodshed. Literally pipped to the post by Moon. 3. Me and Orson Welles (Dir. Richard Linklater) A flighty period piece from the director of Dazed & Confused, which is a semi-fictional account of Orson Welles and his production of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. It's not a film that will blow you off your seat or play on your mind forever after, but is the perfect example of 'there and then' cinematic pub grub. I want to see this one again. 4. Chelsea on the Rocks (Dir. Abel Ferrara) Abel Ferrara's star-studded documentary about the history and residents of the Chelsea Hotel is a real treat. Excellent interviews/insights from the likes of Ethan Hawke, Dennis Hopper, and Milos Forman, intercut with re-enactments and rare archive footage of William S. Burroughs, Sid Vicious, and Andy Warhol, makes Chelsea on the Rocks addictive viewing. 5. Gran Torino (Dir. Clint Eastwood) Korean war vet struggles with his Asian neighbours as Clint churns out his best film/role since Unforgiven. Poignant, engaging stuff. 6. Inglourious Basterds (Dir. Quentin Tarantino) As usual it's talky Tarantino tosh, but you gotta hand it to him - he's done it again! 7. District 9 (Dir. Neill Blomkamp) Peter Jackson produced sci-fi mockumentary about the struggles of an arthropod alien species stranded on Earth. Thoughtfully executed, fantastic effects and well directed. 8. Drag Me to Hell (Dir. Sam Raimi) At last, Raimi has temporarily halted these crappy superhero movies and returned to his roots. Equal amounts of jumps, gore and slapstick, Drag Me to Hell is a fine return to form. 9. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call: New Orleans (Dir. Werner Herzog) Talking of Abel Ferrara, Werner Herzog rehashes Ferrara's 1992 classic with a healthy dose of drugs, action and black comedy. Not a patch on the original but it's hypnotic nonetheless. Can't wait to see this 'properly', be it at the theater or on DVD. 10. Who Killed Nancy? (Dir. Alan Parker) Insightful documentary about the murder of Nancy Spungen, which (literally) throws up some interesting new evidence that points the finger away from the Sex Pistols bassist. Honourable mention goes to Enter The Void. Gaspar (Irreversible) Noe's three-hour hallucinogenic masterpiece, which follows the life and death of a drug dealer in Japan from a first-person perspective. I haven't seen this one yet, but it received an extended standing ovation at Cannes. This film will be number one in my 2010 list, I just know it.

[LouCipherr]

MZ's epic movie list of 2009, you know Lou's going to tear you a new one for that HONORABLE MENTION as well. Be prepared for a tongue lashing my good friend. I'm not saying a word.....yet. I'll save it for the show. You just wait 'till the next WNWR podcast is released MZ... Actually, I didn't think your list was that far off - matter of fact I'll mention here that I'm happy to see Drag Me To Hell because on there, 'cause I thought it was a damn fine movie and one of the few movies to come out in the past few years that actually got me to the edge of my seat! A rarity I must say. I'm still trying to convince a certain person <ahem>Dj<ahem> to watch it, but he seems to be hung up on this "there are no good pg-13 horror movies" - well, there is, you just refuse to watch it! We do, however, need to have a discussion about this "honorable mention" of GT...

[DjfunkmasterG]

I'm not saying a word.....yet. I'll save it for the show. You just wait 'till the next WNWR podcast is released MZ... Actually, I didn't think your list was that far off - matter of fact I'll mention here that I'm happy to see Drag Me To Hell because on there, 'cause I thought it was a damn fine movie and one of the few movies to come out in the past few years that actually got me to the edge of my seat! A rarity I must say. I'm still trying to convince a certain person <ahem>Dj<ahem> to watch it, but he seems to be hung up on this "there are no good pg-13 horror movies" - well, there is, you just refuse to watch it! We do, however, need to have a discussion about this "honorable mention" of GT... [Best leo Getz imitation] DMTH? whatever whatever. However, yes, we do need to have a discussion abut that HM of GT.

[AcesandEights]

Gents, you're both (this means you, as well, DJ) letting us down. What about the decade? I expect your picks and observations for top ten films of the decade on my desk by the striking of clock on New Year's Day. Sharpish, now.

[bassman]

Just curious if you have seen 500 Days of Summer? If I were to make a list, that one would have to go in there. You should check it out.

[AcesandEights]

Just curious if you have seen 500 Days of Summer? If I were to make a list, that one would have to go in there. You should check it out. Good to know, Bassman. I had wanted to see the film when it was out, but had a hard time finding other folks interested in seeing it.

[MinionZombie]

I do want to see (500) Days of Summer, definitely. Haven't seen it yet though, so I can only put things I've seen on my list, naturally. I'm sure it'll be a cool movie though - hell, it's got Levitt in it, so I'm sold. Drag Me To Hell - I too was sceptical about the PG-13 issue. But goddamn, that movie shat-me-up like screeds of R-Rated fare hasn't managed to in recent years (note that some have been able). Anyway, it was a great cinema audience experience too, everybody was into it, and it's a gross-out movie at times too. I was surprised they got away with some of the things they did in DMTH. Gross things that just get under your skin, rather than visceral gore ... not that I don't like visceral gore, because as you all know full well I fookin' loves it, but yeah, DMTH was awesome. And hey, Gran Torino did get an "honourable" mention. I'm surprised more hasn't been made of me giving Watchmen an honourable mention too. Not only that, but I've got the Dir Cut 2-disc R1 DVD on the way ... ... black is white, up is down ... I think I even saw a cat and a dog living together. Mass hysteria!

[LouCipherr]

Drag Me To Hell - I too was sceptical about the PG-13 issue. But goddamn, that movie shat-me-up like screeds of R-Rated fare hasn't managed to in recent years (note that some have been able). Anyway, it was a great cinema audience experience too, everybody was into it, and it's a gross-out movie at times too. That's what I've been trying to tell Dj for months now, but I can't get him to listen to me.

[DjfunkmasterG]

PG-13 is PISH when it comes to horror. Sorry but any decent horror film worth its weight in salt, sugar or COOVAN shouldn't be rated anything less than an 18 in the Uk or an R in the USA. Sam Raimi, a man known for his excesses sells out to the big hollywood studios and turns in a PG-13 horror flick. Spider-man 3, fine ok, I understand, but Raimi, horror and PG-13 shouldn't even be brought up in the same breath. It is by all accounts a fucking travesty to the genre.

[DubiousComforts]

List is awesome aside from Avatar being ont he list and Gran Torino not making it in the top 10. Both lists suck eggs given the inclusion of the shit-stinkin' Zombieland and the glaring omission of Invictus, which is just as powerful a film as Gran Torino. Clint Eastwood reigned supreme in 2009 even though his directorial style is subtle and unobtrusive, a polar opposite of the ham-fisted pud-whacking that currently passes for "popular film direction." A solid contender for director of the decade. Props to capncnut's list despite Let The Right One In being a 2008 film and the inclusion of some kooky Sex Pistols documentary over the most awesome, incredible, unbelievable NIGHT of the LIVING DEAD documentary to ever be released in the millennium.

[capncnut]

Props to capncnut's list despite Let The Right On In being a 2008 film... Added because it was released in 2009 in a few territories. ...and the inclusion of some kooky Sex Pistols documentary Kooky? Who Killed Nancy received some decent reviews in most of the major music magazines and tabloids here. It ain't doing so bad on IMDb either.

[AcesandEights]

Dubious, any chance we can get a top (or maybe bottom?) pick for Popcorn Flick of the Year? And, no, I'm not joking.

[DubiousComforts]

Kooky? Who Killed Nancy received some decent reviews in most of the major music magazines and tabloids here. It should be obvious that Nancy Killed Nancy. Dubious, any chance we can get a top (or maybe bottom?) pick for Popcorn Flick of the Year? Ooooh, you're forcing me to post a Most Hated List of the Decade. Must... fight... urge... will... strong... body... weak... Btw, "Let The Right On In" sounds like a Bill O'Reilly lovefest.

[capncnut]

It should be obvious that Nancy Killed Nancy. Quite agree. The film does have some half-assed theory at the end about a psychotic junkie roaming the Chelsea, but the wealth of information Parker dug up from the NYPD was incredible, including an interview with the Chief himself saying "Sid didn't do it. He would've walked." But yeah, if I'm honest, I reckon it was a drugged up botched death pact.