So, with out more grandstanding, here are my top ten favorite films for 2009
10. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
I freely admit that I LOVE the works of Nic Cage. There are a lot of people that say hes a hack, but I say different. He's got a classic method actor type to him, and the man plays batshit crazy like no one else working today. Bad Lieutenant teamed Cage with batshit director Werner Herzog, and gave us the story of a cop who breaks his back saving a jailed inmate after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. The injury leads him to start smoking crack, weed, and more uppers and downers than what was in the trunk of Raoul Duke's car. Just everything about this film is insane, to a degree that it cannot but helped to be loved. Hell, even Eva Mendes was grand in it! But when you have Nic Cage strung out on crack, and hasn't slept for almost 4 days, telling a drug kingpin to shoot a guy who's dead on the ground because "HIS SOUL IS STILL DANCING" (and you see the soul break dancing next to the body) you know you've witnessed a masterpiece that only few dare dream.
9. G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra
I think I was the only person in the world that had nothing but great expectations for this film BEFORE it came out. I love the post Deep Rising works of Stephan Sommers, and when I heard he was making G.I. Joe, I knew it was going to be something off the wall. While many others balked at my claims, and proclaimed that Transformers 2 would be the Hasbro film of the year, I was eventually vindicated when this bad boy hit the screens. Much like last years Speed Racer (which was my favorite film of 2008) G.I. Joe knew what it was, and ran with it. Sure, it's kinda silly, but the film embraced the greatness of G.I. Joe the cartoon, and ramped it up for a real world take..if you can call booster suits real world. While Channing Tatum left a little to be desired as Duke, everyone else was a blast in this film. With Snake Eye's jumping over flipped cars, the Effie tower being destroyed and a massive underwater battle being waged underneath the arctic circle, G.I. Joe Rise of Cobra proved to be the purest form of escapism this year.
8. The Hurt Locker
I really don't give a shit for the post 9/11 war films. Most usually just wallow in self loathing of how we're ruining everyone life being over there. While my political views don't line up necessarily with that statement, Kathryn Bigelow threw that shit out the window and gave the world an old fashion war film in a modern setting. Jeremy Renner as the biggest lose cannon nut job that's just too damn good at what he dose to be kicked out of the army. And what dose he do? He diffuses fucking BOMBS! And he's damn proud of his work! Following him through his year deployment in Iraq was the edgiest ride of the year!
7. Crank High Voltage
Do I really need to explain why I love this film. It's Jason Statham literally fucking some bullets! Add that to Giant Monster Statham, Robo Statham, and Hyper Fire mode Statham. Add a touch of public sex at Hollywood Park along with a stripper having her tits delfate after they're pierced by a bullet, all shot on a Sony HD min cam, and you've got the makings of possibly the most chaotic movie of the year.
6. Where the Wild Things Are
Though I only waited 3 years for this movie, I've really been waiting for this film since I was 4 years old. I'm really glad that I'm the age I am when I viewed this near masterpiece, as it really hits a new cord with me. Beautifully shot, fantastically scored, Spike Jones could not have made a better film out of the book. You actually believe that Max Records is shooting his scenes with REAL Wild Things that the production crew some how manage to trap, train to act and emote on a level that will just tug at the strings of your soul.
5. Black Dynamite
2 years ago, Grindhouse came out. That film tried to be a loving tribute to the classic grindhouse era of film. They never came as close to that tribute as Black Dynamite did with its off colored tribute to the Blaxsploitation films of the 70's. A triumphant return of Michael Jai White to baddassery that he once held after Spawn. I will forever utter the phrase "WHO DARES INTERRUPT MY KUNG FU" in the halls of my home!
4. Worlds Greatest Dad
Bobcat Goldthwait, the weird dude from those police academy movies. The man who lit Jay Leno's chair on fire on the Tonight Show. No. I'm talking about Bobcat Goldthwith one of the most surprising writer/director working today. Worlds Greatest Dad is such a dark, yet touching film. Superbly acted by Robin Williams, as a failed writer who happens to be the loving father of a duchbag son. Things go awry and unlikely success stems from a great tragedy. While I always though of Bobcat as just a funnyman comic, if he continues to produce work like this, he may well go down in film history as a dark horse of brilliant filmmakers.
3. Coraline
All hail stop motion. The art is not dead, and Henry Selick is the man keeping the art alive. While CG animation might be the thing right now, there is a life and a soul in Coraline that could only be brought to the surface through stop motion animation. Combine that with the work of Neil Gaiman and watch as brilliance dances on the screen before your very eyes. The film is wild and imaginative, and never afraid to go to a darker place than normal kids fare!
2. The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Number 2 on my list is also another stop motion feature. This time from one of my favorite filmmakers working today. Wes Anderson. Based on the Roald Dahl book, Wes took the material, infused it with his own style, and brought it to life through stop motion. To Coraline's state of the art stop motion techniques, Mr Fox is the opposite. Going for an old school style akin to the greatness of Gumby, or Rankin Bass specials.
1 UP
Pixar can do no wrong..plain and simple.. All I have to say is that if you hate this movie, you truly have no soul and a black heart.. OH, and be ready to get in line behind all of the murders and rapists because they're getting into heaven before you! Up is just...perfect.
I like to also give a nice shout out to the following:
Avatar, Zombieland,Watchmen, Knowing, Cloudy with A Chance of Meatballs, Outlander, Fanboys, The Hangover, The Brothers Bloom, District 9, The Haunted World of El Superbesto, Paranormal Activity, Sherlock Holmes, and of course, Inglorious Basterds, which almost made this list..
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