Top 9 + 1
Signs - I did not care for the denouement, but I still loved this movie. It was probably my favorite of the whole year. It was genuinely scary, plus it dealt with fate/purposelessness of the universe in a really interesting (and unexpected, to me) way. Very excellent.
Insomnia - A mystery where you know the Who, How and Why. What's left is a fascinating exploration of ethics. Very original, and I would like to add here an apology for not having seen the actual original. Plus I love Maura Tierney, always, without reservation, because she is lovely and from Heaven.
Kissing Jessica Stein - Who doesn't love this movie. I liked that I thought it was going to end in one place, but then it kept going, just to wrench your heart a little bit. Lovely.
The Count of Monte Cristo - I wasn't expecting much but this one really turned out okay. Very engaging, start to finish. I would have preferred more of a tragic Shakepearean ending though. Where the wife dies, or the son kills the dad, or something.
Monsoon Wedding - This was a great movie. I don't have anything in particular to say about it, but I liked it a lot.
Spider-Man - While this wasn't Sam Raimi's best work ever, I still went forward with my plan to name my first-born child after him.
The Bourne Identity - Good action/adventure. This year everyone was talking about how Halle Berry injected much-needed life into the Bond series and how she'll get her own spin-off, but I would much rather have a Franka Potente spy series. The best part was where Matt Damon rides the dead guy down through the staircase and shoots the other guy. Dear James Bond: This movie kicked your British ass.
Lilo & Stitch - Wait, I really liked a Disney movie? Is this Bizarro World? This movie was hilarious, that's all I know. I was even able to overlook the lame Wynonna/Elvis stuff.
Catch Me If You Can - Wait, I like a Spielberg blockbuster starring Tom Hanks? AND Leo DiCaprio??? Who cares, this was good, good fun. Pure entertainment, pure Fun At The Movies. The joy of watching this movie is what people must have felt in the theaters when movies were first invented. I would like to say, however, that Jennifer Garner (my most favorite actress in the whole world) was not in it nearly enough. I seriously thought she was going to have a bigger role.
The Wrong Guy - This is an honorable mention, because it is actually from 1996, but it was only just released on video this year. Why this film was forgotten and allowed to languish is beyond me. This was the hardest I laughed all year, particularly during the canned hams scene. And the cop, marveling at the strength and genius of the killer. ("He pulled himself up into an air vent...I never woulda thought of that.")
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Bottom 10 + 2
Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course - The worst movie I saw all year.
Men in Black II - The worst movie I saw all year.
The Mothman Prophecies - Seriously, the worst movie I saw all year.
Murder by Numbers - Wait. The worst movie I saw all year.
C.Q. - Okay, this was the worst movie I saw all year. Yay, another whiny movie about a young white male trying to find his place in the world. Added bonus: HE'S A COPPOLA!!! Shut the hell up you privileged fuck. Go have Daddy buy you another Italian villa.
Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones - I remember liking one part right at the beginning, but I can't recall the specifics. Everyone associated with this movie needs to stop making movies.
Notorious C.H.O. - Listen, I enjoy people impersonating their Asian mothers as much as the next guy, but enough is enough. I remember one time in college Mojo Nixon came to play a show. There were about 20 people in the audience, and his between-song banter was material like "Why the heck do you have to be 21 to drink? That's ridiculous!" [Crowd cheers]. It was a really embarrassing display of pander. That's how this movie made me feel. She had one button marked "Topical Gay Issues" and one marked "Asian Mom." I believe that she is a funny person, I am just asking for some actual proof.
Die Another Day - More like Crap Another Day, ha ha ha. The only interesting part was in the Underground where you could see the alligator from Octopussy and other references to past movies. If the movie had just been that scene and nothing else, it would have been wonderful.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - Okay. This was my worst movie VIEWING experience the entire year. Rarely have I met such a candy-unwrapping, cellphone-ringing, pager-beeping, chatty-Cathy audience. Plus the aspect ratio was set wrong for the previews, and the faces were all long. PLUS the sound kept cutting out for the first 2 hours, even after I complained to one of the teenagers working that day, and we kept missing snippets of dialogue. All of that aside, it was still an incredibly boring movie. Why the critics have given this movie such a pass is far beyond me. Legolas is the only character I was at all interested in. Please tell me Tolkien wrote a spin-off just based on him.
Amy's Orgasm & All About The Benjamins - Honorable mentions, because they were both so awful I could not get past the first 15 minutes.
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Middle 8 (movies I liked pretty good but didn't totally blow me away)
Scotland,PA - Maura Tierney kicks ass and has lovely outfits in a movie that kind of drags. Christopher Walken, in a shocking twist, portrays someone slightly odd.
Super Troopers - Funnier than I expected. I wasn't blown away, but I'll see their next movie.
Panic Room - Previews for this movie actually gave me nightmares, but in the end it wasn't as scary (or interesting) as I'd hoped.
The Importance of Being Earnest - Entertaining, but nothing to gush over.
Minority Report - Eh. You could see the plot points looming way out on the horizon, but it was entertaining enough.
Crossroads - Not as bad as everyone said, but still.
Eight Legged Freaks - Way better than I expected, but still.
Austin Powers in Goldmember - Would have made the Worst-Of list, except I loved the prison rap scene.
2002
LISTS
dan
kevin
jeremy
alex
sujan
dave n.
sarah f.
juhi
genna
shawn
chris larry
mitch
chris m.
donovan
marc
jim
