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Post by Return of the Thin Olive Duke on Jul 8, 2015 19:31:52 GMT -5
So, I'm convinced that 2007 is the greatest single year in American cinema. It was indeed the year that people in the media began to give television the recognition it deserved in earnest, but it was just as huge a year for film. It's funny, because 2007 was coming off a really dark period for Hollywood and led directly into the one-two punch of slavish devotion to established properties and total preoccupation with international revenue.
I'm a little biased because I turned 18 in 2007, and two of my five all-time favorite movies came out that year, but the sheer diversity of truly great films is really astounding. Even at the time, writers at TOS were making this declaration. So I'm kind of debating whether to do a series of movie reviews just of films from 2007. There's a ton of forgotten ephemera and famously terrible flicks in there. My only question is whether to review every movie from that year, or just every good movie, or just the really good ones and the really bad ones, or any film that had any kind of cultural impact. So I'm opening it up to requests. I'm doing chronological order. The following films I will definitely review, as I've either seen them before and/or they're such a big deal that I can't ignore them.
1. Zodiac
2. Grindhouse
3. Hot Fuzz
4. Spider-Man 3
5. Knocked Up
6. Ratatouille
7. Sicko
8. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
9. The Simpsons Movie
10. Hot Rod
11. Stardust
12. Superbad
13. 3:10 to Yuma
14. Eastern Promises
15. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
16. Into the Wild
17. The Darjeeling Limited
18. 30 Days of Night
19. Dan in Real Life (I just gotta know what all the fuss is about)
20. No Country for Old Men
21. Enchanted
22. I'm Not There
23. Juno
20. Charlie Wilson's War
21. Walk Hard
22. There Will Be Blood
Help me out, guys. Is it worth seeing how terrible Norbit and Epic Movie were, or how 300 bridged the gap between two eras of overprocessed Hollywood excess? What about I Am Legend, Black Snake Moan, whatever? Look up 2007 in Film on Wikipedia and let me know if I should add something in. Thanks.
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Post by ganews on Jul 9, 2015 11:17:18 GMT -5
Of the extras you listed Black Snake Moan is the only one to bother with.
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Post by NerdInTheBasement on Jul 9, 2015 11:34:05 GMT -5
The Simpsons Movie is indeed a great movie, glad to see someone else who thinks so!
And man do I love No Country For Old Men. That's such a well-crafted motion picture in every area from sound to acting to writing.
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Post by The Prighlofone on Jul 9, 2015 12:08:38 GMT -5
I can't wait to see your review of "Superbad"...unless you don't like it. If you don't like it, keep your thoughts to yourself.
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Post by Douay-Rheims-Challoner on Jul 9, 2015 12:27:45 GMT -5
Well if you only mean American cinema you can't count Hot Fuzz surely?
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Post by Lady Bones on Jul 9, 2015 12:38:07 GMT -5
Counterpoint to Dirk's suggestion, although his point is completely fair: Include other great 2007 foreign cinema as well, such as Persepolis, and Four Months, Three Weeks and Two Days.
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Post by Return of the Thin Olive Duke on Jul 9, 2015 13:19:48 GMT -5
I can't wait to see your review of "Superbad"...unless you don't like it. If you don't like it, keep your thoughts to yourself. is one of my all-time favorite films. It really captures the weird mix of futility and adventurism that comes with being a teenager, and it comes with a clear style that most comedies sorely lack, as well as some surprisingly good messages. |
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Post by Logoboros on Jul 9, 2015 13:32:13 GMT -5
I respect your 2007 project, but would just offer the counterpoint (as caught my attention with all the various anniversaries being celebrated this year) that 1985 has a hell of a good claim to great (maybe even greatest) year status, certainly of the second half of the 20th century. Back to the Future, Better Off Dead, Brazil, The Breakfast Club -- and that's just from the Bs. |
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Post by The Prighlofone on Jul 9, 2015 14:03:24 GMT -5
I can't wait to see your review of "Superbad"...unless you don't like it. If you don't like it, keep your thoughts to yourself. is one of my all-time favorite films. It really captures the weird mix of futility and adventurism that comes with being a teenager, and it comes with a clear style that most comedies sorely lack, as well as some surprisingly good messages. Agreed. I wrote a review of it myself a couple years back, if you want I could show it to you via PM. I tried my best to do it justice. |
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Pear
TI Forumite
Posts: 619 
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Post by Pear on Jul 9, 2015 14:26:23 GMT -5
Other movies of note: Bourne Ultimatum, Assassination of Jesse James, Michael Clayton, Gone Baby Gone,
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Post by Ron Howard Voice on Jul 9, 2015 14:28:58 GMT -5
2007 is pretty good, and I'mma let you finish, but
1964
Mary Poppins
My Fair Lady
Topkapi
Doctor Strangelove
A Hard Day's Night
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
The Pink Panther
Goldfinger
1968
2001: A Space Odyssey
The Lion in Winter
Romeo and Juliet (Zeffirelli)
Rosemary's Baby
The Producers
Bullitt
Planet of the Apes
Oliver!
1939
Gone with the Wind
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Stagecoach
The Wizard of Oz
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Post by Return of the Thin Olive Duke on Jul 9, 2015 15:20:39 GMT -5
1964 Mary Poppins My Fair Lady Topkapi Doctor Strangelove A Hard Day's Night The Umbrellas of Cherbourg The Pink Panther |
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Post by Ron Howard Voice on Jul 9, 2015 15:23:09 GMT -5
1964 Mary Poppins My Fair Lady Topkapi Doctor Strangelove A Hard Day's Night The Umbrellas of Cherbourg The Pink Panther Oh shoot, and Once Upon a Time in the West in 1968, too. |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jul 9, 2015 15:52:31 GMT -5
I'm glad you're covering Sicko. Outside of Roger & Me, I think's it's Michael Moore's best film and I'd argue it will age better than any of them.
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heroboy
AV Clubber
I must succeed!
Posts: 1,185
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Post by heroboy on Jul 9, 2015 16:54:31 GMT -5
I would throw in Shoot 'Em Up. This film is a ridiculous parody of action films and basically plays out like a live action cartoon.
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Tellyfier
TI Pariah 
Unwarned and dangerous
Posts: 2,552
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Post by Tellyfier on Jul 10, 2015 6:31:46 GMT -5
I hear your 2007, 1939, 1964 and '68 and raise you one 1982:
Blade Runner
E.T.
The Thing
Star Trek II - The wrath of KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!
The Verdict
Poltergeist
The Dark Crystal
Conan The Barbarian
First Blood
TRON
also Ghandi and Sophie's Choice for The Dissolved crowd.
*drops keyboard*
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Trurl
Shoutbox Elitist 
Posts: 7,699
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Post by Trurl on Jul 11, 2015 20:02:55 GMT -5
I respect your 2007 project, but would just offer the counterpoint (as caught my attention with all the various anniversaries being celebrated this year) that 1985 has a hell of a good claim to great (maybe even greatest) year status, certainly of the second half of the 20th century. Back to the Future, Better Off Dead, Brazil, The Breakfast Club -- and that's just from the Bs. As the year when both Brazil and Ran came out, 1985 has to be my favourite year for movies of all time. |
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Post by Logoboros on Jul 11, 2015 20:43:33 GMT -5
As the year when both Brazil and Ran came out, 1985 has to be my favourite year for movies of all time. 1985's big prestige movies (though I think they're still good) probably don't resonate that strongly with today's audiences ( The Color Purple, Out of Africa, A Chorus Line, Kiss of the Spider Woman, A Room With a View, Agnes of God), but it is truly remarkable for a slate of incredibly influential (and well-made) genre films: Clue, Commando, Cocoon (a bit of a joke now, but a big deal for revitalizing some elder statesmen actors' careers), Fletch, The Goonies, Legend, Lost in America, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Nightmare on Elm Street 2, Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Prizzi's Honor, Rambo, Return to Oz, Re-Animator, Teen Wolf, and some interesting paired films, like Flesh + Blood and Ladyhawke, Fright Night and Once Bitten, as well as Real Genius and Weird Science. Plus it has some of my own childhood favorites (which I also think largely hold up, even accounting for nostalgia): Explorers, Young Sherlock Holmes, Enemy Mine, Cat's Eye, Just One of the Guys, and Silver Bullet (plus ones I've already mentioned like Better Off Dead and Brazil and over half of the ones in the genre list above) .
It might be a bit weak on the Criterion Collection front, but it was truly an extraordinary year for the multiplexes. |
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eldan
TI Forumite
Posts: 800
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Post by eldan on Jul 13, 2015 1:48:22 GMT -5
The Brothers Solomon is outstanding, though I have very weird/particular taste in comedy. I'd say if you like Will Forte's style of humor, there's no reason you won't like it a lot.
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Post by Return of the Thin Olive Duke on Sept 15, 2015 17:23:32 GMT -5
Okay, guys. I'm ready to start. Freedom Writers is coming on Netflix. Unfortunately, this got way out of control. My current list is of 72 films; potentially more depending on whether it's instantly available on Netflix or Hulu Plus.
First stop: Freedom Writers.
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clytie
TI Forumite
Posts: 1,071 
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Post by clytie on Sept 20, 2015 22:47:11 GMT -5
Other contenders
1974
The Godfather Part II
Chinatown
Death Wish
The Conversation
Blazing Saddles
Young Frankenstein
Lenny
A Woman Under the Influence
1989
Drugstore Cowboy
Do the Right Thing
The Little Mermaid
say anything...
The Abyss
Heathers
sex, lies and videotape
Batman
The Big Picture
Parents
She-Devil
Roadhouse
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Post by Return of the Thin Olive Duke on Sept 21, 2015 0:29:16 GMT -5
Other contenders 1974 The Godfather Part II Chinatown Death Wish The Conversation Blazing Saddles Young Frankenstein Lenny A Woman Under the Influence 1989 Drugstore Cowboy Do the Right Thing The Little Mermaid say anything... The Abyss Heathers sex, lies and videotape Batman The Big Picture Parents She-Devil Roadhouse This'll probably sound very strange, but as a kid I always confused The Big Picture and Encino Man. |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2015 1:58:57 GMT -5
1997
Gattaca
Jackie Brown
Fifth Element
Princess Mononoke
Con Air
Boogie Nights
LA Confidential
Starship Troopers
Wag the Dog
Waiting For Guffman
Chasing Amy
Donnie Brasco
Hercules
Grosse Pointe Blank
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dＬᵒ
Prolific Poster 
𝓐𝓻𝓮 𝓦𝓮 𝓒𝓸𝓸𝓵 𝓨𝓮𝓽?
Posts: 4,533
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Post by dＬᵒ on Mar 28, 2016 23:19:14 GMT -5
Return of the Thin Olive Duke Hey since you've scraped the bottom of the 2007 barrel, go through the bottom and watch The Gene Generation. You won't regret it, I promise 
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Post by Return of the Thin Olive Duke on Mar 28, 2016 23:36:02 GMT -5
Return of the Thin Olive Duke Hey since you've scraped the bottom of the 2007 barrel, go through the bottom and watch The Gene Generation. You won't regret it, I promise Okay, I'm drawing a line. |
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