New Drew Struzan drawn poster for INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL(2008).
© Paramount Pictures
Top 5 Genre Films of 2007, Top 5 Anticipated Films of 2008
By: Jarrod Sarafin, News EditorDate: Tuesday, January 01, 2008
The end of 2007 has come and gone. We’re now in the first day of 2008 and whether this year will be better or worse than the previous year, nobody knows. You don’t. I don’t. Even Thor doesn’t know and he’s a fictional god (depending on your beliefs). By the way, Happy New Year you fellow Maniacs.
I’ve been hesitant about even typing this out. I’ve been debating it.
I’ve seen some sites type out 5 different “Top films of 2007”...Or “Worst films of 2007” and you want to know my thoughts on it? Well, I’ll say it anyway…
A lot of it feels like pretentious bullshit.
Sure, I can come in and say...There Will Be Blood is the #1 film of the year! I can follow it with some other 5 films that were very limited releases. I could do all of that but I know what I am. I know that I love genre films and most genre films are wide released tent poles at the end of the day. That most of those genre films are pure jokes in critical circles.
So, what do I do?
If I want to be considered some true critic, I could go with the rest of mob and talk you to death on having to see The Kingdom or There Will Be Blood. Hell, they may actually be truly wonderful movies. Here’s the truth though…I haven’t seen them. I'll probably pick them up on DVD when they come out...
Or I could just speak what’s on my mind and treat this like a Mania Blog. Why not, right? We can all sit down when we log in and say whatever’s on our mind in our various blogs. If you can make a comment, you can make a blog here at Mania. We can all point out the “Worst 10 Genre Movies of All Time” because they’re our opinions on the matter. What can you say in response other than “I don’t agree with you?”…
When fellow Maniac Merin wrote out his blog on his Worst Movies of All Time, he knew he would have some disagreements on it. In fact, he messaged me saying as much with “I wrote this out and I know you won’t agree with at least two of those.”
He was right.
I thought he was effing nuts. I still do. I’ve read Merin’s Mania blog a thousand times and I still disagree. I loved Transformers for being a popcorn flick and no matter how many times I hear SonymanSwallows say "Pigformers" (even when I type out a news story on a horror flick, Sony will find a way to fit it in...) or Merin bring it up, they won't change my mind on it. Opinions and all that…
It’s all about opinions on any of these “Best of” or “Worse of” lists. It’s the 1st day of 2008 and no matter what we all agree or disagree on; I’m going to publish this for better or worse. As with every other official news article, I welcome your thoughts on the subject. If you think my list sucks balls, tell me. If you like it, tell me that too. I like different opinions and I do keep up with our comments on every single news article I write up just to make sure someone doesn’t have a particular question thrown my direction over something…
So, here it is. I’ll keep the pretentious bullshit out of the below lists.
My Favorite Genre Films of 2007:
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1. Grindhouse: Look, I know it’s 3 hours and 20+ minutes. I knew beforehand it had absolutely no shot being released on Easter weekend. In fact, I’ve wondered frequently why the hell the “obvious” wasn’t pointed out to someone over at the Weinstein Company. I mean, seriously, releasing a hard R rated film on Easter weekend that is 3 hours+ against 3 different PG-PG13 films which were only 1 hr & 30 minutes each? Not to mention each of those films having at least 1,000 more screens? It doesn’t take a mad genius to work out the box office mathematics. The press was all over this film because it teamed Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino together and it was one of the major genre releases of 2007. It was high profile so we all covered it all the way to release.
In the end, it failed. In fact, it’s safe to say, it failed miserably. I type out the box office report every weekend and this film failing put me in some pretty dark thoughts, folks. For 5 consecutive weeks, I had to talk about Wild Hogs doing so excellent and for three weeks after, I had to talk about a movie I truly loved failing miserably. That’s my job, keeping my opinions out of the matter but I can say that typing out this failure truly sucked.
No, I wasn’t impressed with the Deathproof segment of this film. Other than the very end when my hero Kurt Russell was acting like a bitch (the ultimate payout for me), I wasn’t very impressed with Tarantino’s part of the film. I can admit that but going to a theatrical film is about the experience. That’s why people go to the theater. I have a kick ass home entertainment center so if a film draws me to a theater, it better be worthy of it. Grindhouse was one of those experiences which I truly loved and it’s from the whole deal here. Even the Deathproof segment of the film. I loved Planet Terror. I dug the cheese aspect of it all and Freddy Rodriguez’s character had me laughing in stitches at times. Let’s not forget that Michael Biehn is in the film. As an 80’s genre film super-fan, that man will always have a place in my old school fan boy thoughts He will always be known as Connor’s father (time paradox or not). He will always be “Hicks”. Any film which has him in some 80’s cheese has me loving it and his roles in Planet Terror and the faux trailers had me loving the experience of Grindhouse.
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2. The Bourne Ultimatum: Remember when Matt Damon was just some Jersey boy dork from Kevin Smith films? How the times change…I remember watching Bourne Identity and laughing my ass off at the thought of Damon playing some action hero. Going into Identity, I thought the film would turn into a joke. Thanks to director Doug Liman and star Damon, I was flat out wrong, not to mention that small cameo of Clive Owen. The thespian played an engaging character and he definitely pulled off the action sequences given to him in all three films. Sure, I’ll always giggle when Damon falls that flight of stairs on top of that guy in Identity and think “totally fake” or "defiance of laws of gravity" but the movie itself is terrific.
Same goes for the sequels done by Greengrass. I don’t like the handicam method unless it’s necessary. I just can’t stand that method of filming with a handheld unless it’s absolutely needed. It drives me nuts and the action sequences in Supremacy and Ultimatum drive me insane at times but at the end of the day, it’s all about the story. And Damon continues to pull off the Jason Bourne character in a story which is truly engaging. Ultimatum ranks up there for me because of Damon himself. Never mind the fact that half the film of Ultimatum is done before the ending of Supremacy, it’s the story and the various action sequences which keeps me into it. He did an outstanding job and shaky-cam or not, I was into it.
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3. Hot Fuzz: I know quite a lot of people who don’t agree with me on this baby. They thought it was too slow. They came in expecting Shaun of the Dead and they left the theaters disappointed. Not me. I effing loved the film. I liked the slow build up and the ultimate payoff, the last 40 minutes of this piece of gold. Edgar Wright came out and told me what to expect in the later action sequences that would happen and whether that’s cliché or not, I liked it. The whole point of Fuzz is to poke a little fun at 80’s action films (or later films) and I saw it for what it was. I still find it unfortunate that Rogue decided to release Fuzz on only 800 screens here in the states. I mean, come on, it could have had at least 2,000 prints, Rogue Pictures. You released some rather shitty films on 2,500+ theaters and yet release Fuzz on only 800? Give me a break.
The film itself is awesome and I totally dug the references that Wright threw in. I’ll say that my favorite part will always be Rev. Phillip Shooter saying “Oh, fuck off, grasshopper!” Paul Freeman was Rev. Shooter in the film and Mr. Freeman will always be Belloq to me from Raiders of the Lost Ark. There are just too many references to name in Hot Fuzz but this scene alone has me loving the film. As soon as I saw Freeman, I couldn’t stop laughing. ‘Hey, that’s Belloq!!”. Love this film and while it’s nowhere as funny as Shaun of the Dead, it will always have a soft spot in my 80’s action-fanatical heart.
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4. Ratatouille: I’ll admit it. When I found out Pixar was doing a movie about a rat cook in France, I thought “WTF”. How could I get any enjoyment out of this film at all? Well, I went in with low expectations and I came out pleasantly surprised. The film did connect with me and whether that’s Patton Oswalt voicing the character perfectly or the overall story, I’m not sure. My mind says it’s the story itself. It’s the fact of the overall theme. Anybody can do something if they love it which resonates with the “Anyone can cook” references throughout the film. I know a lot of people hate on Cars but I loved it because it connected with me since I was on the road for 6 straight years. I traveled through some old towns where their hearts were long dead but you could see glimpses of them being alive at one point in the distant past. I have to say Ratatouille connected with me in the same way and I have no earthly ideals about good cooking. Not one clue, folks. But the characters and the story did connect with me. Pixar made a movie about a rat, not to mention cooking & France and made it worth the price of admission and for that, they deserve a top spot among my favorite films of 2007.
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5. Live Free or Die Hard: I don’t think I’ll ever forget our Maniac Brian Thomas giving this film a C+ in his review. I guess I shouldn’t say anything because I think Thomas does a great job but for this particular movie, I was baffled by his review and his grade. In fact, I find myself baffled at other reviews on our site though I usually don’t comment on them. After all, my job title is “News Editor” and I don’t do anything else. I see movies sometimes a week ahead of time but you won’t find me reviewing it because that’s not my job and there’s a reason. We have critics. We have Brian. We have Abbie...We have Rachel for that aspect of it. My job is bringing the news and without opinions on the matter. So, yes, I usually keep my mouth shut but I did respond to Brian on this one and this film belongs on my top 10 list because it’s a movie which connected with me.
Yes, I know the theatrical version was PG-13 and not Rated-R. I say “So what?” to the rating…I knew I would get an unrated cut in DVD and sure enough, I did get it. McClane said “Motherfucker” within 10 minutes on DVD and I liked it because that’s the character I remembered but the theatrical cut still came out great. It still connected with me and I still loved Live Free or Die Hard. In fact, I’ll say it right here (much to the chagrin of some of you). LFODH was my favorite movie of the summer. Does that say all that needs to be said?
I went into Pirates 3 expecting Gold and I got Bronze instead…I went into Spider-Man 3 expecting Silver and didn’t even get a medal. I went into Live Free or Die Hard expecting John McClane and I got what I wanted. Sure, John (Willis) didn’t curse in the edited theatrical version but the film itself is relatable to my generation. I loved the fact that McClane was in total control throughout the film. He’s been in this situation before so I did not want him depicted as a "fish out of water" as in his previous three installments. By now, he’s one tough son-of-a-bitch going up against a computer nerd. I wanted him calm. I wanted him in control. In short, he was both. He was in control throughout the film and all it took was one bullet in the end game so I feel it stayed true here. To me, the film was honest even without the obvious edited curse words.
Hah, that’s why I love this song…
John McClane will always someone I can relate to... We bought a copy for my father and I knew what he would say about the flick after watching it.. I told him straight up that Live Free or Die Hard was my 2nd favorite of the series behind the original and I knew already it wouldn’t be for him. Sure enough, he said he loved the latest but still liked Die Hard with a Vengeance more…and I knew the answer why. It’s age demographics. Die Hard 3 fits more with his demographics than Live Free or Die Hard, a film which translates better with my generation because of computers and such.
My Highest Anticipated Genre Films of 2008:
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Well, that’s easy for me to discuss. Again, some of you may agree and some of you may disagree. Either way, feel free to talk your mind in our comment section. That’s what it’s there for…
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1. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: I’m sorry, I don’t give a damn if Harrison Ford is near wheel-chair status, this film has me in fan boy saliva status.The picture above alone gave me goosebumps the first time I gimpsed it. It may be 10 years too late but the photos that I have seen of this film keeps my fan boy self highly excited, whether it’s the poster art recently released or the picture of Harrison in fully Indy gear with a gun in one hand and the whip in another. I’m excited. I can’t wait for it. May 22, 2008 won’t come soon enough for me.
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2. Iron Man: Robert Downey Jr is an outstanding actor whom has had emotional highs (literally) and lows throughout his career. As such, I trust him taking some serious roles and this comic character can be described as perfect for the actor.. Perhaps it’s the fact that I just watched Kiss, Kiss Bang Bang for the 1,000th time or it’s the fact that I see him playing the Tony Stark character to a “t”. I can’t wait for this film to hit theaters and like Indy IV; it’s hitting theaters in May. Can’t wait to see what director Favreau gives us at the theater and I highly doubt this will be some cheese ball film like so many comic-adapted films of the past. The trailers alone have me highly anticipating this beauty.
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3. The Dark Knight: Do I really need to say anything here? In fact, I’m pretty sure I’ll get shit for listing this as 3rd on this list here.You just watch, I'll get some shit for listing this below Indy and Iron Man. You may be one of them. It’s just the way I see it, folks. I’m more excited about Indy (20 effing years) and Iron Man (hasn’t been done before) but that doesn’t take away from my anticipation of this flick. Nolan is a genius with Memento, let alone his efforts in the original Batman Begins. Saying nothing about the ensemble cast of this sequel, the story alone looks to have me in the best seats of the theater on opening day. I truly can’t wait to see Heath Ledger as the Joker given all the sinister pics we’ve seen of him over these last two months. Yes, I know he won’t be as humorous as previous depictions of the Joker but really, I don’t need him to display that aspect of personality. All I want is a truly engaging Batman film with a raving psychotic as a villain and with the promos that I have seen; I think that’s going to happen.
I do wonder one thing though…With every news article I write out on this film, I see the fellow excitement about this sequel. I’m curious at times whether we’re going to get a Matrix scenario here, folks. That’s the only truly frightening thoughts on the film. You guys know what I’m talking about here.
Expectations…
When a film blows someone away, they automatically expect more with the follow ups. A lot of people were blown away with BB. A lot of people were blown away The Matrix. I have to wonder what people here will be saying on July 19-22 when Abbie, Rachel or someone else reviews The Dark Knight. Expectations can be so high that the film has nowhere to go but down….
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4. The Incredible Hulk: Like Robert Downey Jr, Edward Norton is one of those actors very easy to respect. Do I need to say anything else? I loved his performance in Primal Fear. Same thing applies to American History X. I…cannot…wait…to see him as Bruce Banner. The fact that he loves the character and he has definite references with the original show, not to mention great villains…Well, I can’t wait to see what he does with the character and the franchise. Don’t get me wrong, I liked Ang Lee’s version. I’m still confused on Liv Tyler replacing Jennifer Connelly since Jennifer is such an uber-hottie but I’m definitely curious about this film. I can’t wait to see how Norton adapts the character’s inner turmoil and having Tim Roth as the villain is never a negative. If there’s one thing that drives me nuts about this film at this time, I’ll say it next…Like you, I wait the day when I can write up a “news” story on footage showing the new CGI-Hulk in action. Hopefully, in the next month, there will be post-production footage to show of the new "Hulk" in action...
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5. Hellboy II:The Golden Army: I loved the original film even if some friends didn’t. I respect Guillermo del Toro and I cannot wait for this flick to hit theaters. The only thing going against it is the fact that it hits theaters exactly seven days before the Batman sequel. I can’t say shit about that because I thought the studios were absolutely nuts about last summer’s release schedule and most of those films did fine even with the packed releases in the middle of the summer. Still, whether the film does under-expectations in future box office reports or not, I can’t wait for the film. The first teaser trailer alone has me excited for this flick. Ron Perlman rocks and this film will be a genre action masterpiece in my opinion.
If you’re wondering where Star Trek, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Cloverfield, James Bond 22 and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor are at, don’t worry, I’m anticipating those films as well. In fact, they’d be #6, #7, #8, #9 and #10 on the list if I went further. Perhaps, I’ll write them up for another day but right now, the top 5 films are the movies mentioned above.
Agree? Disagree? Speak your mind, Maniacs. Which films are you anticipating for 2008? In the same context, what do you think of my Top 5 Genre films of 2007? You think I’m full of it? Well, let me know!
Come On Dude !
Marvel films come and go and are cranked out these days like hotdogs.
But the cliff hanger ending Nolan left us with in Batman Begins, has kept my mouth wet for 3 years.
But BATMAN in third spot ....... you can now consider your expected $H!T ... served !