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The Mad Doc's Fave Movies of 2004Jan 21 '05 (Updated Apr 06 '06) Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line The Bottom Line doesn't look as good in a skirt as Brad Pitt does.... Time for another end-of-year list already? I'm embarassed to say that I've not had the chance yet to see everything that I wanted to see. For that reason, this list is tentative and may very well be re-arranged many times. For the time being though, this is my top ten favorites of the ones I have seen. As usual, in no particular order: I Heart Huckabees ~ I Heart Huckabee's is a completely sarcastic, irreverant, warped and decidedly deviant flick. Right up my alley, all right. I wasn't sure what to expect when I walked into the theater, but I came out with aching sides. You've got Jason Schwartzman (Spun, Rushmore) as a tree hugger who is being displaced from his position as head of the local swamp saver organization by a charismatic Jude Law (Wisdom of Crocodiles, Gattaca) who actually is a corporate exec for Huckabee's.... except the movie isn't all that straight forward. Just flat brilliant. De-Lovely ~ I'd heard of Cole Porter, of course, but wasn't really very familiar with him other than knowing he was some guy that wrote a bunch of songs. By the end of the movie I was quite familiar with him and was experiencing a myriad of mixed feelings. That I adored this movie was not in question though. It's done from the perspective of Porter being shown his life via a stage play, but most of the movie is actually movie form... if that makes any sense. We flit back and forth here and there and are shown large chunks of Porter's life. It is, indeed, a most interesting life. Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd. Ella Enchanted ~ Oh who doesn't love a good Cinderella story? Especially when it's been turned on it's ear just a tad? Well, I do. I really enjoyed this one a great deal. We have little Ella living in a land of fairies, ogres, elves and giants. As a baby her God-Mother fairy gives her a gift: The gift of obedience. How much does that suck? Yep, Ella is doomed to having to do exactly what anyone tells her to do. Is that some kind of set up or what? Cary Elwes, Anne Hathaway, Hugh Dancy, and Minnie Driver. Shrek 2 ~ Shrek and Fiona are once again voiced by Mike Meyers and Cameron Diaz, much to my delight. Donkey is of course Eddie Murphy and an integral part of the laughs. All do an outstanding job once again. Honestly, I went in expecting it to be good, but somehow a bit less than the first one. I was pleasantly surprised to find I enjoyed this sequel every bit as much as the first and I hope they find a way to make a story for a third. Troy ~ Now, I know that some folks don't much care for the liberties taken with the traditional saga of the Trojan War epic. I also realize that some of these liberties were more than just minor changes. I also would have greatly liked to have seen a bit more of the Greek Gods. But yanno what? Movies are for entertaining, not educating.. and I got just a butt load of entertainment value. This movie was freakin fun, damn it. Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom, Diane Kruger, and Sean Bean. The Stepford Wives ~ In this remake, we have the gorgeous and talented Nicole Kidman in the role of Joanna Eberhart, a very successful business woman who is having some difficulties with her marriage. This time around she's a big time TV exec though instead of a photographer. They do still move to the apparently idyllic town of Stepford though to get away from the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple. Couldn't learn the first time around.. oh no. Dolts! Nicole Kidman, Divine Miss Bette Midler, Matthew Broderick, Christopher Walken, Faith Hill, and Glenn Close. Van Helsing ~ Stephen Sommers (writer/director) decided to take several of our favorite childhood creature features and meld them together. I must say that it worked for me. We have Frankenstein's Monster, A brief bit with Jeckyl/Hyde, the anticipated Dracula and his wives, and werewolves. Oh my! In this version, Van Helsing is serving a secret sect of the catholic church by going around doing away with evil creatures like only he can. The twist here, really, is that Van Helsing has amnesia and has no idea who he really is... Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ~ I don't normally care much for Jim Carrey, but I really liked this one quite a bit. This one deals with erasing memories, and how that effects a person's life. Pretty deep subject matter here. It will make you think, and Carrey is not over-the-top-stupid like he is usually. Also stars Kate Winslet, Elijah Wood and Mark Ruffalo. 50 First Dates ~ Henry Roth (Adam Sandler) is a Marina Vet and part time womanizer. He likes dating tourist chicks because they eventually leave... and it allows him to pretend to be someone else, like a government agent. heh. Lucy Whitmore (Drew Barrymore) is a cute little gal who was in a car accident and loses her ability to store short term memory. This results in her reliving the same day over and over. She remembers nothing that occurs any time after that accident. The two come together over breakfast. Hilarity ensues. #1: Hotel Rwanda ~ It is a rare thing for me to leave a movie theater really angry. It is even rarer that this anger is a good thing. I have a habit in my old age of becoming complacent and taking an outsiders view of events. Hotel Rwanda smacked me upside the head in a major way and reminded me that this is a dangerous stance sometimes. It made me cry. It made me want to scream. It made me think. It made me want to take notice and get involved. Read the full review on this one. ~~~~~Also Rans~~~~ A Dirty Shame Wimbledon Ray The Passion of the Christ In Good Company Butterfly Effect King Arthur Garden State Saved! I,Robot Hidalgo Bridgette Jones: Edge of Reason Christmas With The Kranks The Ladykillers The Terminal Manchurian Candidate The Aviator The Forgotten Shawn of the Dead Limony Snicket Surviving Christmas ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Not Seen, But May Cause Future Rearrangement... Collateral, Dawn of the Dead, Bad Education, Hero, House of Flying Daggers, Alexander, 13 Going on 30, Kinsey, National Treasure, Motorcycle Diaries, Kill Bill Vol. 2, Before Sunset, Seed of Chucky, The Life Aquatic (and I'm sure there are others, so nyah!) ~~~~Other Lists~~~~ Best of 2003 http://www.epinions.com/content_3740704900 Best of 2002 http://www.epinions.com/content_3464732804 Best of 2001 http://www.epinions.com/content_3464667268 Best of 2000 http://www.epinions.com/content_3395133572  |
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- Top 100 by Stephen_Murray
by cripper
by dangbro
