Best Of 2002... first half

[Quadinaros]

Okay, the year's half over. I thought we could share our favorite movies so far this year. This is my top 8, which represents the only 8 movies I've seen that I would recommend to others.

1. Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones
2. Minority Report
3. Spider-Man
4. The Bourne Identity
5. Unfaithful
6. Panic Room
7. Ice Age
8. Hollywood Ending

[Sanis Prent]

The Good

1. Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
2. Lilo and Stitch
3. Minority Report
4. Spiderman
5. Insomnia

The Decent

1. Undercover Brother

The Vomit-Inducing

1. The Time Machine

(I haven't been able to see many non-summer flicks at all)

[ReaperFett]

4. Blade 2
3. Ocean's 11
2. Black Hawk Down
1. Episode 2





Loved them all

[Sanis Prent]

Ice Age and Oceans Eleven were 2001

[Quadinaros]

Ice Age was 2002, Black Hawk Down was 2001.

But, anyway...

[JMK]

Maybe not in the UK, I've made that mistake before. ;)

1. Star Wars
2. Spider Man
3. Ice Age




and a distant number 4
Blade 2.

[ReaperFett]

Sorry Sanis, you're wrong. The important thing is what are the best films of 2002. O11 was released over here in 2002, and I saw it in 2002. Hence, it counts.

[Charley]

Its not my fault movies are released so late on your island.

[ReaperFett]

Well techically, I could have just seen them late :)


Wasnt BHD 2001 if you saw it straght away in the US?

[CMJ]

Well...I'm gonna do a top 5 because we're halfway through the year(instead on my annual top 10).

1. Attack of the Clones
2. Minority Report
3. Insomnia
4. Changing Lanes
5. Enigma

[ReaperFett]

See? Enigma was 2001 :)

[JonathanLB]

You should only call films that are ACTUALLY 2002 releases.

Anyway, The Time Machine was very good! I love that movie.

I've seen every movie released this year though, spare three smaller ones at the start of the year in January.

So far...

AOTC
The Count of Monte Cristo
Minority Report
Spider-Man
Changing Lanes
Blade 2
The Rookie

Those are the only movies thus far to receive FOUR stars. Just about one per month. I have many other notable mentions that are 3.5's, though. Resident Evil being the main one, plus Van Wilder is super funny, Orange County, The Time Machine, and Insomnia.

Here are this year's releases up until May:

http://www.jlbmovies.com/NewReleases.shtml

Some of them are not new movies, though, and that is noted next to the film. A few films were given a wide release only in 2002, but are 2001 films.

[ReaperFett]

You should only call films that are ACTUALLY 2002 releases

Why? It is MY choices from 2002. You want to discount them, that's your problem

[Admiral Lebron]

1. Star Wars Attack of the Clones
2. Spiderman
3. Blade 2

That's all I've seen worth rating.

[CMJ]

"Enigma" wasn't released here till like March or April...hell it's STILL playing in hardly any theatres.

So I guess I'll let Reaper's list slide, since I'm dealing with a similar dilemna. ;)

[ReaperFett]

Yep :)

[FLMKR4EB]

1.AOTC
2.Panic Room
3.Minority Report
4.Spider-Man

I can't make up a top five since I've been pretty disappointed.

But the worst of the year thus far has got to be Death to Smoochy. THat was pure and utter crap.

[Marcus Telcontar]

I havent seen enough movies this year to make a worthwwhile list.

[JonathanLB]

I'm not discounting your list, Reaper, just whatever there is not a 2002 release, that's all.

I have to make the same considerations on my lists. I couldn't call Black Hawk Down one of the best of 2002 because it's a 2001 movie and was nominated during that time frame. Nonetheless, it was a great film.

Death to Smoochy was not bad, come on. I thought it would be HORRIBLE. I was fully expecting the biggest crapfest in the history of the world, yet I was pleasantly surprised. The film was deserving of 2.5 stars and much, much better than I thought. Quite funny too.

[CMJ]

"Enigma" is interesting though...since it would be nominated for this year's award season(if it were to be nominated that is).

The Awards...at least here...track those films that were released in the USA in the given year. "Enigma" hence would be in THIS years season...though it came out last year in GBR.

(On another note the Academy Awards are considering moving the ceremony to late February instead of March)

[Jinn Fizz]

I've seen only 3 movies so far this year, so I'd rank 'em this way...

AOTC
Spider-Man
Ice Age


But I'll be seeing a few more over the coming weeks...I definitely want to see Reign of Fire, K19: The Widowmaker, and Signs. :)

[BUFFJEDI]

great awesome

1. attack of the clones
2-10 none

decent ok for a laugh

1. jason x
2-10 none


just plain sucks

1. spiderman

2-10 all the rest

[JonathanLB]

Dude, at the very least Spider-Man was an enjoyable blockbuster. I thought it was one of the best comic adaptations of all time. Just about on par with X-Men, maybe a bit better, and not quite as good as Batman, Superman, or Superman II, but better than the other three Batman films and two Superman films.

Jason X flat out SUCKS. It is one of the worst movies of the year. Is it funny? Obviously, it's funny how STUPID and HORRID it is. It's funny that a group of actors and actresses could possibly be so bad, and it's funny that a movie could be so corny and have such cliched, awful dialogue, but beyond that, the humor is entirely from the movie's wretchedness. It is a worthless movie, one of the worst movies ever made in terms of actual film value. Although I enjoyed it more than Ya-Ya Stupidhood or The Sweetest Thing (ugg, worst movie of the year still).

Jinn Fizz, 3 movies this year?!!?! Wow... Surprising.

On the average weekend, I see three different movies, lol.

I wonder if I'm at 100 showings yet for the year. I'm not quite sure, I'll have to figure that out, grr...

I must have seen probably 65 different movies this year at least, though, probably 70...

...and that's just in theaters!

[Ilyn Pyke]

1. Star Wars EP2: Attack of the Clones
2. Changing Lanes
3. Insomnia
4. Spiderman
5. Minority Report
6. Blade II

Shoot, can't think of any other movies worth putting on the list for the first half of this year. I have a feeling once this year is over TTT is either going to take second or share first. That will remain to be seen until December. We had some huge box office smashes but really this year was pretty poor and disappointing.

Worst film of the year: The Scorpion King

(At least Jason X had an excuse it didn't attempt to pretend to be anything than what it is ... B-movie horror. With that it excused itself, however, Scorpion King is left without excuses. What a blatant and shoddy CtB rip-off... a very pathetic film.)

[JonathanLB]

Well I enjoyed The Scorpion King, actually, for the type of movie it is. I mean, it had pretty horrid acting and a lot of the dialogue just blows, but actually a lot of the one liners are good and the overall action was enough to keep me engaged. I thought it was a solid three star movie. I had fun at it, so that is what matters.

Still, although I disagree with you there...

"1. Star Wars EP2: Attack of the Clones
2. Changing Lanes
3. Insomnia
4. Spiderman
5. Minority Report
6. Blade II"

That list rules! I gave all of those films 4 stars except Insomnia, which was 1 point away from four stars, hehe. I give it an 89/100, 90 being an A- (four stars), so I really liked that movie too. Insomnia is a very good movie! Your list there, in a different order, is basically like mine only I also really loved The Rookie...

[Ilyn Pyke]

This year's oscar race looks pretty anemic, IMHO, what is everyone else's thoughts?

[CMJ]

My thoughts are it's USUALLY anemic until November and December. ;)

[Quadinaros]

I would like to think that Minority Report has a chance at a Best Picture nomination. But it may be too Sci-Fi for the Academy to take it seriously.

[Ilyn Pyke]

Originally posted by Quadinaros
I would like to think that Minority Report has a chance at a Best Picture nomination. But it may be too Sci-Fi for the Academy to take it seriously.

I think it stands a fairly good chance to be a nominee, has the Spielberg brand and quite a conceptual piece. However, there are other films which bear stronger promise and greater Oscar-appeal which may leave no room for MR on the ballot. One I automatically assume will be a Best Picture nominee is "Road to Perdition"... this film has Oscar written all over it. I hope to see "Insomnia" and "Changing Lanes" on the nominee ballot too. Another film I feel can make a strong contention is "When we were Soldiers", Mel Gibson's piece. Yes, unfortunately, yet another war flick. There are also a few heavy dramas too ...

My favored longshot is The Two Towers... that would be awesome if it was a nominee for BP!!!

[JonathanLB]

I'd rather TTT wasn't, that way the LOTR fans wouldn't annoy us any further.

I don't know what Oscar race = anemic is supposed to mean. I'm more than willing to bet that most of the best movies of this year are out by the end of August. The best movies practically always come out in the summer, regardless of what the idiotic critics say. Most of the last decade, the best movie came from the summer or spring. NOT from fall (which sucks) or winter (which is great in November and December, but not because of those CRAPPY little independent movies).

When do the most high-profile movies come out? May, June, July, August, November, and December. FOUR of those are summer months. That's why most of the best movies of the year come out in the summer. Already this summer you got AOTC, which is the best of the year regardless of whatever else opens, and you got Minority Report, right up there, and Spider-Man. Those should all make my top 5 for the year probably, maybe not Spider-Man (could finish 6th or 7th because this year is especially strong with Road to Perdition and TTT plus maybe some surprises). I doubt anything this year, including TTT, will be better than The Count of Monte Cristo, so my top two for the year are more or less set unless Road to Perdition or TTT receive a perfect 100/100 rating, which is about as likely as me getting rid of all of my debt this year; possible, maybe, but unlikely.

[FLMKR4EB]

TTT, I don't think its a long shot. I'd be pissed if it didn't get nominated. FOTR was the best movie of last year, and TTT was made at the same time, since they filmed all three at once. The fact that it didn't win is just a testament to how crappy the past Academy Awards were. I can't remember the last time I was so pissed at the Academy's choices. I only agreed with 2. And Ewan Mcgregor getting passed over for at least the nomination of Best Actor for Moulin Rouge is a travesty.

Anyway, TTT will most likely get the nomination, I would also guess Road to Perdition, nothing else thats been released strikes me as worthy of the nomination, let alone the award.

But I think we are all forgetting a little film coming out this fall. Punch Drunk Love, P.T. Anderson's latest film. He won at Cannes for best director, and I had a friend who went and worked at Cannes and saw the film, said its excellent. Can't wait for that one, since he is one of my favorite directors.

[JonathanLB]

AOTC is worthy of WINNING best picture because any SW fan knows it's the best movie of the year, but that has never stopped the Academy from snubbing every Star Wars sequel/prequel no matter how good. Most critics call ESB better than ANH, yet it didn't receive any significant award nominations.

"The fact that it didn't win is just a testament to how crappy the past Academy Awards were."

I agree with that. Their choices were absolutely horrible. FOTR was the year's best movie, agreed, and it should have won. People loved it, critics loved it. That should be enough especially with its horrible competition in the Oscar race.

Gosford Park was awful, the dialogue was awful, yet it got a screenplay nomination. In the Bedroom, again, awful. Every movie they nominated last year was horrible basically. I don't know what they were thinking. They picked the WORST movies of the year and gave them awards. Why does that always seem to happen? Best picture should have included movies that are actually of high quality and merit, like: FOTR, A.I., Donnie Darko, etc. Instead it includes a bunch of this stupid trash that nobody likes except a few critics. If a movie fails to draw any audiences at the box office because NOBODY wants to see it, that's a pretty darn good indication the movie is lousy. It doesn't make it "great" because a few "intellectual elites" (more like pseudo-intellectuals) think that just because they are the only 500 people in the entire world who liked the movie, it is therefore the greatest movie ever.

I think there should be automatic qualifiers at the Oscars that would make it more realistic. The highest grossing movie of the year should automatically receive a best picture nomination, then if it fails to win in votes, so be it, but being the most popular film of the year obviously means it's the people's champion anyway. The nomination would be a constolation prize, and it would piss all of the critics off, so that's a double positive.

[FLMKR4EB]

If any movie other than FOTR deserved the award, Moulin Rouge did. Nicole Kidman alos deserved the Best Actress Award. I saw Monster's Ball and was appauled by it. It wasn't worth anything to me, but I don't make these choices. I think the films nominated for best picture were amopng the best of last year.

I love Star Wars, but Only ANH and ESB were worthy of nominations, I feel both were worthy of the award as well, but AOTC? Its a great popcorn movie. The script was atrociuos. Some of the dialogue was totally unforgiveable. I wish it would be nominated, and if it does, I'll be extatic, but the script was weak, and thus will be one of many things to keep it from getting the nomination. The digital effects should get the nod, and the films breakthrough useage would be enough for me to say Best Pic Nod, but Jurrasic Park and Titanic both got their academy recognition for digital effects in filmmaking as well, so its enough to carry the weight. To most people its just another advance in something that's been done, like an upgrade in software.
Plus, many, many filmmakers, which make up the academy, don't see difficulty in directing an entire movie in a computer, that's what the animation category was added for.
I agree with you that AOTC is a great movie, but its not just the Sci Fi genre that is holding it back, which is bunk, because BEST PICTURE should mean BEST PICTURe, the best over all movie of the year. Beautiful Mind was far from the best, maybe in the top ten or twenty, but far from number 1.

[JMK]

You're right, the script is what will hold it back. Although it should win at least for effects and score, it probably won't. I'd be surprised if it did any better than TPM at the awards.

[BUFFJEDI]

When I was old enough to realize that Annie Hall , beat STARWArs for best picture I knew then and there that the Oscar's where as phoney as wrestling (although I do like wrestling)the only thing they have ever gotten right was GWTW Titanic and the big shock Gladiator.

Maybe after the Oscar's for 2002 is over and done and AOTC does not win the best Effect's as TPM should have maybe people will start seeing thing's as I do ;) ie...they are bogus

[Quadinaros]

I actually don't expect AOTC to be nominated for anything, not even visual effects. I think TPM's losses to The Matrix were the Academy's final kick in the face to George Lucas, their way of saying "We don't like you!"

>D

[FLMKR4EB]

I love Lucas, but the Matrix did deserve that award. Bullet time was fresh, CGI was ground breaking, yes, but a rehash of an award given to ILM several times.

[JonathanLB]

The script for AOTC was absolutely awesome. I love all of the dialogue and I'm sorry you don't see the genius of the writing, but that's your problem, not Lucas's. It's a fantastic script just as all of the Star Wars movies have had. The dialogue is absolutely the best, and if anything, ROTJ had even more quotable lines than either ANH or ESB.

Star Wars dialogue is tops. No scripts compare as far as I'm concerned. The strongest aspects of all of the Star Wars movies are the PLOT and the SCRIPTS/Dialogue. The effects are great and have always been revolutionary, but they are just effects. I can see great effects in Godzilla or in Armageddon, but those movies lack any value as actual, intelligent filmmaking.

To call AOTC a "popcorn blockbuster" is absolutely insulting, not only to it, but to me. I don't go see a STUPID "popcorn" movie 30 times in theaters, and if you think I would do something like that, you're insulting not just AOTC but me. AOTC is an extremely deep, intellectually engaging movie with an epic plot that continues the greatest story ever told on film (and I believe in any medium. Period). I'd see it 3 times for the effects alone. I see it over and over again because I always discover new details about the movie and I always enjoy the plot of this great series.

To say that only ANH and ESB deserve nominations is absurd. The five Star Wars movies are the five greatest movies ever made. Every one of them deserved best picture for its release year.

Annie Hall over Star Wars, LOL, that had to be the worst decision the Academy has ever made, except maybe not giving TPM the effects award because, while "best picture" is subjective, best effects is NOT. It's entirely objective. TPM had better effects than The Matrix and that is a fact. They were more innovative, more numerous, and more developed. The range of effects used in TPM was greater than The Matrix, simply no debating it. I loved The Matrix too, it's one of my top 10 favorite movies ever, but the effects were not the reason I loved it. The plot was the strongest part, the effects were just nifty for keeping me interested in seeing it a few extra times, hehe.

I hope that AOTC is not even nominated for any awards. I really do. If it is nominated and loses, that's just more of an insult than not being nominated at all. If it were not nominated for effects, everyone would just laugh at the Academy's stupidity because everyone who saw AOTC realizes the effects are simply the greatest ever put to film, just as TPMs were in 1999 (and still ARE compared to anything but AOTC). I do not watch the Oscars anymore because I don't have any respect for their opinions. They wouldn't know a good movie if it ran up and bit them in the ass.

"I saw Monster's Ball and was appauled by it."

Yeah, that's because it sucked. It was easily one of the 20 worst movies of the year, yet it got all of this attention. It was so boring and utterly bad. I cannot believe anyone liked it.

[Quadinaros]

Visual Effects wasn't the only one, though. I think The Matrix beat TPM in 3 different categories. I can't remember which ones anymore.

Don't get me wrong, I love the Matrix. I just felt that TPM was more deserving of those technical awards.

[Quadinaros]

I looked into this further, and the Matrix beat TPM for Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Effects Editing, and Best Sound.

I personally feel TPM was superior in all three of those categories. I'm guessing the Academy just preferred The Matrix, so they gave it all those awards. >D

[JonathanLB]

Many older, jaded sci-fi fans prefered The Matrix, so they are SO stupid they think that just because they liked The Matrix better, that means it automatically was better in every way.

If Matrix was better than TPM, it was because of the plot or the concept, not because of the effects and sound. Everyone with even half a brain left can clearly tell which of those two movies had better sound and effects. Let's see here, was it ILM with a combined 22 Oscar wins and like 45 nominations among just the crew that worked on TPM, or was it The Matrix and their crew with -- wow -- ZERO Oscar wins. Let me think about that...

If you heard both movies, you also easily know which one has more impressive sounds. Which sounds were so good in The Matrix? Sure the sound was good, but I bet there were at least 10 movies that year with better sound, TPM being the best. The sheer number of extra sounds you have to create for something like TPM is mind-boggling.

To ammend an earlier comment, IF AOTC won like 5 Oscars in technical categories, I WOULD be very happy for Lucasfilm and for Star Wars and whatnot, but I just don't care. I do not need anyone else to affirm my love of the movie. I already think it's the greatest movie ever made and I am a huge moviegoer, so I really don't care what anyone else thinks. It's their problem. My problem is finding out how to turn around my Websites, or how to manage school, business, and writing, or how to finish my next book in a timely fashion, or whatever else of REAL importance, but other people's opinions of a movie is about last on the list. In my opinion, what I think of any given movie is all that matters. What everyone else thinks is their own issue, not my business.

[CMJ]

Man....so....much...to....comment....on.

Where do I start? Okay, I'm gonna briefly address a few of the issues, the sheer number I missed yesterday is mindblowing. ;)

Flmkr4eb....I was ecstatic FOTR did not win best picture(it was a good film but IMHO would have been the worst choice since "English Patient). I found "Beautiful Mind" to be the best of the nominted films(though not the best of the year) so it was a deserving winner.

As far as "Monster's Ball" and Halle Berry. MB...great flick....Berry...best performance by a female actor since Cate Blanchett in "Elizabeth".

Once again....this is why they make more than 1 film a year.

There's alot more I could comment on...and I could go really indepth...but I'm tired. I think I'm going back to bed.

[JMK]

Yeah, but I'm not letting you off the hook CMJ! I want to hear your comments later! :)

[BUFFJEDI]

Dude, at the very least Spider-Man was an enjoyable blockbuster. I thought it was one of the best comic adaptations of all time The only good things about Spiderman was

Macho man randy savage.

and I didn't pay to watch it . But of course that's just my opinion:)

[BUFFJEDI]

Bullet time was fresh, CGI was ground breaking, Yes But wasn't it ground breaking in BLADE???


also I want to add , that somewhere I state that LOTR sucks. Let me say that I put that wrong . I Hated it , it was boring and worth less , BUT It was a Very well made , Beutiful film. I just didn't like it .

[FLMKR4EB]

Forcing one's opinions on others is a horrible way to asert one's self. TMP, decent script-poor acting by the Jake, and midichlorians? Now that's insulting.
And I do feel that the AOTC script was week. Some of it was just so poorly written. I loved it, it was great, best movie of this year, thus far. But don't tell me my opinion is wrong. There is a reason why its called an opinion. Just like your feelings are right to you. I'm sorry you think I'm betraying Star Wars or something. I love Star Wars, its what made me want to be a filmmaker. THat's why I was dissapointed by TMP and am hard on AOTC. So lighten up.

CMJ, I respect your opinion, its well stated, and again quoting my friend Steve, who is a wise man, and a wise cinematographer.

[FLMKR4EB]

Oh yeah, EDIT: TPM did deserve the sound award. No movies since ever have had better sound editing than Star Wars. That's the truth.

Nice CGI in it, but Bullet time? New, refreshing, and copied to death. Award worthy as well.

[Quadinaros]

It's not TMP. It's TPM, you traitor! ;)

j/k ;)

[CMJ]

Just as I respect yours FLMKR4EB. :)

You don't have to agree all the time to still respect each other. You're very knowledgeable..and I can see that. :) I love discussing film with you.

Even if you're wrong. ;)

[FLMKR4EB]

Awsome. I know what you mean. It can be incredibly fun to debate movies as long as all parties are open to the idea of individuality and differencee of opinion. Monster's Ball was a film I discussed to death with my friends and associates when a friend got his academy screener DVD- Which are totally cool DVDs, save the scrolling "This is not for sale" logo every 15 min. I only know one other person who didn't like Monster's Ball besides myself. I just couldn't see anything in it other than a boring movie with a gratuitous sex scene. But I know how many people found it endearing. I just wish I could have found something in it worth while. But hey, more than one movie a year.

[CMJ]

Yeah I knew some people who got those Academy screener tapes and DVD's. I wish I coulda goten MY hands on some. ;)

[FLMKR4EB]

they're frickin awsome. I just got to watch a few. And at work we have some in our VHS library. Generally I like the covers/cover artwork on the Academy screeners more than on the public releases. They're simpler, more... pretty, i guess is a good word.

[CMJ]

I wish I was in just one guild during award season. You can get to see any movie for free practically(either the tapes or in theatres). :)

[JonathanLB]

No comment on other SW stuff, but it IS TPM not TMP. I have no idea what TMP is, some movie I've never heard of, but THE PHANTOM MENACE is TPM, always has been. :) Maybe you should see it before you judge it, LOL, j/k.

"boring movie with a gratuitous sex scene."

Yes, well that is pretty much dead accurate. It was boring and it had like 5 sex scenes in it including the ones with the hooker, which were just disgusting. I didn't need to see that nonsense. It truly was a worthless film. I cannot believe how many people liked it. I would love to have someone give me a frontal labotomy so then MAYBE I could somehow understand what is good about that movie, but sorry, it just wasn't there. The film sucks.

CMJ, The English Patient was a lousy best picture winner. A lot of movies are good, but that doesn't mean they need to win best picture. The English Patient winning best picture would be, to me, like We Were Soldiers winning. That movie was not well done at all and I was very disappointed. I had such high hopes for it too. A pretty decent war movie, but a very disappointing one nonetheless.

I would agree that as "best movie of the year" goes, LOTR was weaker than most years (I gave it a 98/100, yet it was my #1 film of the year; during every previous year for about five years, the top film has gotten a 100). Nevertheless, it VERY MUCH deserved best picture. It was an awesome movie and if they had actually gotten it RIGHT they would have given it best picture. It was the best movie of the year, but would they want to be right TWO years in a row with Gladiator AND LOTR? No. Of course not. That would set a new record for the Academy. They never get more than 2 movies right in an entire decade, and that's being generous because usually it takes several decades in between making good decisions, lol.

I don't know how you could think that Monster's Ball is better than Lord of the Rings. That is just unbelievable. This epic mythology that is the greatest literary story of the 20th century versus this idiotic porno movie, and by the way, Halle Berry was very mediocre in it. You are right, if it was a porno, she would have been great, but it wasn't. She does very little actual acting with her mouth and mostly just with her boobs. I hope she doesn't ruin the next Bond movie because already I'm very cautiously optimistic. I want it to be very good, like the last 3 Bond movies, but I just worry she could ruin it. Plus, Bond girls are supposed to be hot. Halle isn't. So that already screws it up. Then again, the chick from Tomorrow Never Dies wasn't hot either. It's off and on with Bond. God forbid they follow up Denise Richard with another hot girl. I mean, two in a row? Nope, again, they wouldn't want to do that.

A Beautiful Mind is one of the most overrated films of the last decade. I cannot believe how boring, poorly directed, and utterly useless that movie was. It just should not have been made. It has no value as a story at all. I really don't care about John Nash and the movie didn't make me care about him at all. He is a crazy lunatic who didn't deserve his own movie. Plus, they waste most of the film just making you THINK he is important and really onto something, which is why the trailer caught my eye and I thought it would be a great film, then I saw the movie and realized how badly they screw around with the audience all to end up telling you this movie is actually about a psycho who thinks he has imaginary friends. Gee, just what we needed, another movie along the lines of Forrest Gump. Been there, didn't like it, don't want more. A Boring Movie is what it should have been called. My dad and I checked our watches like 20 times in just the last 30 minutes. I was like, "Man when is this torture going to be over?" I can appreciate something good like The Rain Man, but A Beautiful Mind is pretty seriously boring.

[CMJ]

Jonathan...I will agree that FOTR was a really good film, but that's all I'll say. It wasn't in my top 10 films of 2001, which is why I'd say itm would've been the worst Best Picture winner since "English Patient"(even if it was FAR superior to EP). Every film "Titanic" through "Beautiful Mind" that has taken Best Picture has been in my personal top 4 for the year.

To call "Monster's Ball" a porno is a minor insult, but I won't go there. :)

[FLMKR4EB]

Those are harsh acusations. Howard is an established filmmaker, one I trust for his long standing run of decent to great films including Splash, Cocoon, Apollo 13, etc. Beautiful wasn't worthy of the trophy, but it was a decent movie, top ten, top 15. Crowe was awsoem as was Jennifer, who i wanted to win the Oscar.

I love Forrest, leave him out of this. ;-)

[BUFFJEDI]

I refuse to watch Monster's ball , due to the fact Halle gets it on with tha scuzzy Billy Bob :( Yikes!!!!

But I have heard from Many people that it was a soft porn, But I don't know:\

[FLMKR4EB]

I forgot about Resident Evil.

My NEW list is as follows.

1.Attack of the Clones
2.Panic Room3.Minority Report
4.Spider-Man
5.Resident Evil
6.Count of Monte Cristo

Those are my 6 fave films of the year thus far. Friday I'm gonna see Road to Perdition, and I want to see Nine Queens this week as well. Hopefully I'll get to see that Inuit film. Whats it called? The Runner? Its supposed to be amazing.

[JonathanLB]

I really liked Resident Evil. I saw it twice in theaters and once on Pay-Per-View so far (well, hotel spectravision basically). That's a DVD I am anxiously anticipating.

Monte Cristo comes to DVD Sept. 10. I think it is the best movie of the year except Star Wars, hehe. It just rocks. I saw it 3 times in theaters and still wanted more.

Actually, that is one of the only recent films I really think I could have done a Star Wars on and seen it like 15 to 20 times. I didn't have the means while it was out pretty much, because for a month there I was at college until I got home, where I saw it once and it was gone not that far after. If I would have seen it, say, three times per two weeks, I would not have gotten bored of it.

I could probably have watched Resident Evil 5 times in theaters easily too.

I could have seen The Matrix 15 to 20 times in theaters, if I had a car back then or if I really had the urge, but it was during school and my hardest school year ever, so no way. It was hard enough seeing TPM 8 times from May 19 to May 31 or something.

CMJ, I don't think it's an insult, it's just the truth. It's a lousy movie. I'm glad you liked it, though. We all should have the talent to appreciate awful filmmaking ;) lol, j/k you. Sorry I really hate that movie, even though it did get 1.5 stars instead of 0 like Gosford Park (which I didn't HATE, but it just bored me so badly that I had to give it 0).

I like Apollo 13 a lot, it's a great movie, but I don't think Ron Howard is a very good director. He is good... I respect him, but he's like Zemeckis: off and on. Way too inconsistent. Forrest Gump blows, but I won't say any more about that, hehe.

A Beautiful Mind, ugggg, I already said what should be said. Boring, useless, and poorly crafted. Not deserving of anything except maybe a Razzie or two. Like most overrated film ever made, for instance. Haha, j/k, but most overrated of the year perhaps.

CMJ, you must not have been watching carefully because the Academy has made LOTS of mistakes, like every year they screw up almost every single category, even the really easy ones, and giving FOTR the best picture trophy would have been one of their better decisions in the entire history of the Oscars. I don't think you would find too many critics who would agree with you on that. Almost all of them put FOTR in their top 10, usually top 3. It's just an AWESOME, EPIC film. How you could love Star Wars and not think LOTR is a truly great movie just amazes me. Watch it again or something because I don't know what movie you were seeing. I was watching the one with some of the greatest cinematography ever, absolutely excellent dialogue, based on one of the best stories ever told, tons of great actors, quite strong effects work, awesome sound, and great pacing. Not sure what exactly you saw but you might want to make sure you're not confusing A Beautiful Mind and FOTR ;)

[CMJ]

First off Jonathan about MB...it's not "the truth" just because it's your OPINION. That is downright funny...lol.

Moving on...it's not like "Beautiful Mind" didn't win any critic's organizations prizes for Best Picture. :p Yes critics liked FOTR, but many/most enjoyed ABM as well.

ABM won quite a few Best Picture prizes(not just the Academy). Do you really want me to list them all? I could if you'd really like me to. You might think the film was "boring" or "useless"(as those are OPINION type of things), but to call it "poorly crafted", please...give me a break.

If you want to talk about "mistakes" by the Academy...there really is NO SUCH thing. The reasoning, for everytime you disgree with a choice the organization makes there's gonna be people that AGREE with the same decision. IMHO FOTR would've been a lousy Best Picture winner...in yours it woulda been one of the best choices they've ever made. The beauty is we're BOTH right and that's why it's fun to discuss. Just don't try and "prove" to me that I'm wrong, cause it ain't gonna happen.

[JonathanLB]

Maybe not, but I can still think your opinion stinks, LOL. I really do not respect an opinion that has a stupid melodramatic movie above a great fantasy film. Sorry. You have every right to hold that opinion, but YES the film WAS poorly crafted. It was horribly crafted. I could have done better if I had that budget and those actors. At least I would have made the story obvious from the beginning and not screwed around with audiences making them THINK he is doing something important, i.e. work for the government, when really he is a freakin' nutcase not doing anything but wasting MY time while watching his stupid life unfold in a poorly written, poorly directed piece of trash movie. lol.

[CMJ]

Thats terrific Jonathan...really mature. I don't believe I've EVER belittled your opinion even if I disagree with it. I love the fact that it's your OPINION that it's poorly crafted and you speak as if it's the freaking gospel.

You could make a better film eh? Do you have ANY idea how HARD it it to make a movie? Even really BAD movies(and I've worked on some of those) are HARD as hell to make. The filmmaking process is not an easy one.

Hell even if you liked "Hard Rain"(truly I believe the worst film of all time) I wouldn't belittle your opinion as you seem to enjoy doing to others on this board. Therein lies the trouble.....

[FLMKR4EB]

Rodney King, Rodney King, Rodney King...

Whoops, wrong riot.