# Top favorite lists for 2007 films



## Confusticated (Mar 20, 2008)

Favorites Updated list:

There Will be Blood
3:10 to Yuma
Into The Wild
300
Sideways
Eastern Promises
Shoot Em Up
Planet Terror
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Death at a Funeral
The Darjeeling Limited
I'm Not There
Eastern Promises
the Assassination of Jessee James
Hot Fuzz
American gangster

Yet to see:

[strike]American Gangster[/strike]
The Last King of Scotland
The Brave One
We Own the Night
Rescue Dawn
[strike]The Bucket List
Atonement[/strike]

Biggest let downs:

Shooter
Death Proof
Live Free or Die Hard


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## Mike (Mar 20, 2008)

Favourites:

Stardust
The Simpsons Movie
I am Legend

...and that's about it. Both Beowulf and 300 proved to be downers for me.


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## Persephone (Apr 18, 2008)

My favorite films for 2007 are:
Spiderman 3
The Transformers
The 300
Blades of Glory
Bridge to Terabithia
The Golden Compass
The Simpsons Movie
Stardust.
..In that order


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## Ithrynluin (Apr 22, 2008)

*Of the ones mentioned so far*:

Spiderman 3 - total snooze fest

Transformers - abysmal, can't quite wrap my mind around the fact it's loved and lauded by so many people.

Blades of Glory - okay...ish.

The Golden Compass - satisfactory.

*Good*:

A film that leaves a lasting impression is Jack Ketchum's The Girl Next Door. Highly recommended, but it's difficult to stomach, mind you.

[REC] - great Spanish horror flick. I hear they're making an American remake. 

Halloween - By far the scariest and most disturbing movie of the series.

Vacancy - enjoyed this one.

Zeitgeist: The Movie - A kind of documentary dealing with three separate (but not quite so) stories: Christianity, 9/11 and the Federal Reserve. Found that last bit the most shocking, disquieting if it's all true...Recommended.


*Mediocre*:

28 Weeks Later - Pretty bland sequel to an excellent horror movie.

Tooth & Nail - Average.

*Bad*: 

Knocked Up - What a load of tripe, again I fail to see what has captivated so many people to give it such high marks. I didn't find it in the least bit funny and the main actor guy drives me up the wall. 

Wind Chill - Boring and uninspired.


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## Confusticated (Apr 22, 2008)

Halloween huh? I'm not a fan of Rob Zombie's films - too graphically horrible and up close. My boyfriend loves him, but still hasn't finished Halloween. Sometimes I like a horror that leaves the worst unseen, left to be imagined. _Dead End_ is one of the best examples of this off the top of my head. The way you don't get to see the dead victims, only the reaction of the living to the sight of the dead. In fact the original Halloween and its first sequel are some of my favorite scaries.

Last night I watched _There Will be Blood_ half way through, going to finish it today. So far it is excellent! As good as anything on my list for 07.

I also thought _The Simpsons_ was good. I was afraid it would be worse, being of the opinion that the film was coming at least 8 years late. Surprise!


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## Confusticated (Apr 23, 2008)

Finished _There Will BE Blood_. Not one complaint concerning it. Unlike every film in the list in my opening post - not one suggestion of how it could have been better. Easily one of the best films I have ever seen. Its one of those rare experiences that you just love! I tried to tell someone how good it is and I just said - *"watch it"*, and shook my head. 

Story, acting, soundtrack, camera work, characters, timing... every thing. There is a scene in particular that ranks up there with my other favorite scene (From Good, Bad & ugly) were without a word you suddenly know what someone is thinking and you can feel the most tension I can recall feeling in a film, and man is it something. Films this good are one of the best joys of life IMO right behind the obvious things. It goes beyond the level of entertainment, it becomes the appreciation of a truly superb work of art.

And on the subject of good films, I recently watched _Legends of the Fall_. Don't know why I hadn't watched this years ago, kind of a hidden gem for me I guess.

You mention Vacancy Ithrynluin, did you also see 1408 by chance?


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## Ithrynluin (Apr 25, 2008)

I got about halfway through _1408_, and got bored with it. The movie is too long for a horror movie IMHO, and I just didn't much care for most of the things that were happening. _Vacancy_ was much more suspenful, it took place in the middle of nowhere with only a few people around and even those turned out to be...

It did not entertain me, is the bottom line.

Rob Zombie's _Halloween_ does get pretty graphic, that's true, but that's not why I thought it was scary, at least not for the most part. Graphic scenes tend to gross me out, not scare me, in any case. I'm not especially faint of heart, however.

_There Will Be Blood_ and _No Country For Old Men_ are on my to-see list.


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## Confusticated (Apr 25, 2008)

Even though the character in 1408 was not far from civilization distance-wise, to me he came to feel impossibly alone at times. But it's all in a difference of perspective.

Get back to me on There Will be Blood, will ya?  I need someone to think as highly of it as I do with  Even though I doubt it will be you based on what I know of our difference in film tastes. 



Tho we did both enjoy Whistlestop...


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## Persephone (Apr 26, 2008)

I hate patronizing the Oscars. I mainly watch movies for entertainment. Horror films don't entertain me as well as depressing films about evil people winning all the time. If I want to be depressed, I'll read Harry Potter instead.

I forgot to add Pirates of the Caribbean: at world's end to the list. Mainly because it's not as good as the second one. Also, National Treasure: Book of Secrets. This one because it feels rushed.
But I watched them more than once in the movie house and bought the DVDs, and saw them again a few times with my kid. Entertaining.


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## Ithrynluin (May 1, 2008)

*There will be snoring*

Just finished watching.

Day Lewis's acting was very good, but otherwise the film just did not resonate with me at all, the music was annoying, most scenes were far too drawn out, the story & subject matter did not interest me, etc.

I see on IMDb that people either love or hate this movie. I don't hate it, I just did not care for it at all.


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## HLGStrider (May 2, 2008)

I really liked the first National Treasure, but the second was so much like the first that it really failed to surprise me and with a "clever twists and puzzle" movie, that's really what I was hoping for. The mindless entertainment factor was pretty good on it and I really liked all the characters still. 

Rattatoile was very very very sweet. 
Meet the Robinsons was also sweet and funny and made me almost cry because I am sappy that way.

I always have a hard time sorting out which movies were actually released in 07 and which I just watched then. . . for instance, Charlotte's Web was an 06, wasn't it? It made me cry too, either way.

Most of the big name films I saw came across as "OK." I liked Spiderman III (mainly unfortunately because Topher Grace is one of the few actors I actually like looking at . . . I'm not sure why) but didn't love it. Pirates just had too many twists, too much plot and not enough story. The plot thickened or twisted every five seconds and by the end I really didn't care whose side Jack was on as long as he stayed there for five minutes. Fantastic Four was ok, again mindless. Oh, and unless you really really really find Tim Allen falling off a bike funny, don't bother seeing Wild Hogs. Blades of Glory was cute. OK. Did anyone see Ghost Rider? That was AWFUL.

I don't really watch horror movies, so I didn't see about half of the above listed. 


Now I really liked Live Free or Die Hard. Maybe it is because I haven't really seen any of the other ones or maybe I'm just a sucker for smart mouthed action. It makes my top list.
The Harry Potter movie was fun.
Mr. Maggorium's Wonder Emporium was an absolute treat. Again, I'm pretty sure I cried . . . but I was also 7 months pregnant so that could be why.
I also liked Transformers a lot. The point being it is so bad it is good. You could predict every moment of it. It didn't take itself seriously but at the same time it did everything the way it should've been done. I laughed at every bit of awful dialog. 

Stardust is probably my favorite of all the releases last year. It was probably better than the book.


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## Confusticated (May 2, 2008)

I just realised that _Sideways_ from my ten list was not from 07. Hehe...ah well.

Mr. Magoo's Wonder Emporium is still on my list to see. I watched the first 20 minutes and it looked to have a lot of potential.

I think I might have enjoyed the new Die Hard more if I hadn't watched and been a fan of the other three. Maybe I expected too much from it.


Ivan, The character of Daniel Plainview was enthralling to me. It was a film about a man more than anything else IMO. But his character coupled with extraordinarily good film-making, the style was brilliant IMO but I can see it being drawn out too some. Good Bad & Ugly gets the same complaint frequently. I like a film that can tell a story well without relying on dialog to do it. Too many films these days are dumbed down with dialog, or contain dialog that feels planted and contrived. Daniel was frequently so subtle in his displays of emotion, so poignant. I credit his acting and the directing.


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## Ithrynluin (May 26, 2008)

Nóm said:


> Sometimes I like a horror that leaves the worst unseen, left to be imagined. _Dead End_ is one of the best examples of this off the top of my head. The way you don't get to see the dead victims, only the reaction of the living to the sight of the dead.



It's not a 2007 movie, I know, but don't tell me you actually enjoyed this piece of garbage? I hate horror/comedy crossovers, they try so hard (or not) and end up failing miserably on both counts. The only good thing in this are the few moderately funny scenes with the mother (like when she's lost it and is stuffing her face with pie).


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## Confusticated (May 26, 2008)

I did like it. It's also one of the spookiest films I've seen. Especially those high shots of the vehicle moving through the woods, and the sense of desperate isolation.

All the horror and in the end...



STOP NOW TO AVOID SPOILERS!!)




The "monster" was something VERY real, grizzly car accident. Which happens to be one of my own biggest fears in life. They can happen at anytime, and they happen without warning, taking the lives of loved ones who were just running out to the store, or just coming home from work - never to be seen alive again. You know how people can't help but look at accidents? I can. I actually cover my face and will not look. I can't even look at a _badly_ wrecked car without it ruining my day.


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## Ithrynluin (May 27, 2008)

I'm perplexed this is one of the spookiest films you've seen, as to me it was just cheap and laughable all the way through. But I guess arguing about taste is pointless.

Let me try to coam this sieve of a memory to find movies that I thought were genuinely scary/spooky:

The Others: This is not just a great _scary_ movie, but also a superb movie in its own right.

The Grudge and its sequel. I hear the original Japanese versions are better, but I haven't seen those, so I can't say.

Silent Hill was also pretty damn creepy, from what I remember. 

28 Days Later - this I think is also a good movie overall, not just a great scary movie. The way the camera moves makes it really suspenseful and frightening.

Wrong Turn - Pretty cliched (inbred hillbillies) but I found it scary.

Wolf Creek is creepy because it is quite realistic, being loosely based on real events.

[REC] - Again, it's the realistic camera that adds heaps to the creep-factor. I wasn't _especially_ scared by the *SPOILER!!!* "zombies", but the thing in the end...

Have you seen any of those? Maybe you could check some of them out, if you get the chance. Not least so that we can stop recommending movies to one another altogether, if you don't like any of the ones listed above. 

Oh, by the way, since you liked the "_high shots of the vehicle moving through the woods, and the sense of desperate isolation._" (I like that kind of atmosphere too, but it ain't enough) you may want to see Wind chill that I mentioned a few posts earlier. A lot of the stuff is the same or similar as in Dead End, but I thought the story & explanation were half-baked. 

Lemme know what ya think, willya?


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## Confusticated (May 27, 2008)

The Others - Seen it, thought it was excellent. Not scary though, more sad than anything.

The Grudge - Won't go near it. Didn't like what I seen on the previews and clips, but if it is ever placed right in front of me and I've nother better to do I will try it.

Silent Hill was creepy, when that siren goes off? Man oh man! Frightening and terribly saddening.

28 Days Later - I enjoy this from time to time. You know, I love the whole end of the world as we know it theme. The character of the father played by Brendan Gleeson was one of the best points for me. But what those military guys did seemed more like the actions of men who had been in the hopeless scenario far longer than one month. I also enjoyed 28 weeks later, unlike many fans of the first one. 

Wrong Turn - To me it was just a run of the mill Chainsaw rip-off. Nothing new, nothing impressive. Young people get lost in the country where maniac hillbillies use them for sport. Originally an effective theme, but I tired of it long ago.

Not familiar with Wolf Creek? Oh wait, is that the one where those kids take along their younger brother's bully for a birthday celebration in a boat? I watched it, horrible thing that happened. 

What is [REC]?

--------

I forgot to mention that I watched Atonement a while back. Knocked it off my list of to-see. Real _nice_ style, but for me it set too high a standard for the story - disappointing ultimately.

Last Night I watched Death at a Funeral - best comedy I have seen in a while. I recommend it for those who like comedy.

PS - Any Romero fans? IMO Dairy is worth seeing, better than Land.


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## Ithrynluin (May 27, 2008)

> The Grudge - Won't go near it.



Why not? You think it'll be ****? Or you think it will be too gruesome? It is neither.



> Silent Hill was creepy, when that siren goes off? Man oh man! Frightening and terribly saddening.



Yes!



> Wrong Turn - To me it was just a run of the mill Chainsaw rip-off. Nothing new, nothing impressive. Young people get lost in the country where maniac hillbillies use them for sport. Originally an effective theme, but I tired of it long ago.



Oh yeah, I sort of agree, but I was entertained nonetheless. I haven't seen as many movies of that type as I think you have, so it wasn't as tiresome to me.



> Not familiar with Wolf Creek? Oh wait, is that the one where those kids take along their younger brother's bully for a birthday celebration in a boat? I watched it, horrible thing that happened.



Neigh, this one features three college kids whose car breaks down in the Australian outback and...(no, they don't get attacked by degenerate Australian hillbillies..., well, not degenerate and not plural in any case.)



> I also enjoyed 28 weeks later, unlike many fans of the first one.



I didn't think it was really bad, but I wouldn't watch it again (unlike the first one that I did watch more than once).



> What is [REC]?



A Spanish horra.


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## Confusticated (May 27, 2008)

The Grudge previews just didn't interest me.

Ah Wolf Creek. I know what it is now, I was thinking of Mean Creek or something similar. We rented it once some time ago, but I fell asleep shortly after it started. Can't remember my opinion of it.


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## Mike (May 28, 2008)

I used to live in a Country Residential subdivision called "Wolf Creek". There was also a "Wolf Creek North". Of course, this was in Canada (Whitehorse, to be exact), though there was a share of manic hillbillies.


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## Confusticated (Sep 25, 2010)

Editted to Include:

Death at a Funeral
The Darjeeling Limited
Hot Fuzz
I'm Not There
Eastern Promises
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford


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## Mike (Sep 26, 2010)

> The Darjeeling Limited



Hey, I just watched that film today!


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## Confusticated (Sep 26, 2010)

Well did ya like it?:*D


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## Mike (Sep 26, 2010)

Yes, I did.


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