James T Lawson favorite movies of the year 1980's.

James T Lawson is back with closing arguments on his fav movies from the 1980's. Hmmm...who could your favorite actor be?

1980: The Empire Strikes Back.    James T: "Empire Strikes Back for me is a no brainer!!! I don't need to praise or defend this film. It simply IS the best!! 1980 did bring us Superman II, even despite some cheezy moments, like him throwing the "S" from his chest as a weapon?... Still don't get that. 1980 also brought us two great comedies in Airplane and Caddyshack, one classic horror flick  The Shining, a adult movie epic entitled Caligula (classic), and three dramas worth noting, Urban Cowboy, Altered States, and The Elephant Man. I could not leave 1980 without mentioning Flash Gordon ....I don't care, I LOVE it!" 

1981: Raiders of the Lost Ark.    James T: "Raiders of the Lost Ark could easily be my favorite film of ALL time!!! I won't waste time discussing it, so I'll talk about some of my other favorites from this year like Excalibur. This movie is a beautifully shot epic with an AMAZING soundtrack, that puts you in King Arthur's world. 1981 gave us 3 comedies (Stripes, History of the World pt 1, Neighbors), 2 dramas (Mommy Dearest, Taps), 2 Sci-Fi classics (Escape From New York, Road Warrior), a Bond film (For Your Eyes Only), and 2 horror (The Evil Dead, Omen III). This year also gave us Heavy Metal, the greatest cartoon EVER!! What a year...damn!!"

1982: Blade Runner.   James T: "Blade Runner gets the nod here only because it has Harrison Ford (favorite actor). This was my hardest decision ever. I basically flipped a coin on 1982. Blade Runner and Conan the Barbarian are both in my top ten ALL time!!! Blade Runner's poster gets shown here, but you can't choose one child over the other can you? Both films also have two of my favorite soundtracks ever. It's not fair!! 1982 was amazing, it gave us Poltergeist, Airplane II, Creepshow, Star Trek II, Rocky III, The Thing, First Blood, and Officer and the Gentleman. Honorable mentions to 2 films you should find and see, The World According to Garp and Evil Under the Sun. GREAT year!"

1983: Return of the Jedi.   James T: " Return of the Jedi wins here because my heart won't let me choose against it, despite it's flaws. I'll move on through '83 which was a average year. It gave us 3 classic dramas (The Outsiders, Terms of Endearment, Scarface) 2 Bond films (Octopussy, Never Say Never Again), 3 Sci-Fi (Brainstorm, Something Wicked This Way Come, Twilight Zone) a cool little, I guess you would say horror (Videodrome) and one of the greatest comedies National Lampoon's Vacation. Honorable mention to Wargames..."Do you want to play a game."

1984: Dune.   James T: "Dune gets the poster put up, but let me say that like 1982, this was not fair. 1984 holds not one but 4 other movies on my ALL time list ( The Cotton Club, Temple of Doom, Purple Rain, Beverly Hills Cop). This year also gave us 3 Sci-Fi classics (2010, Dreamscape, The Terminator), the introduction of Freddy Kruger (Nightmare on Elm St.), action and adventure with (Romancing the Stone and Red Dawn) and the very well done Amadeus. Dune is such a childhood connection and I love the soundtrack! Honorable mention goes to Sixteen Candles and Police Academy.

1985: Year of the Dragon.   James T: "Year of the Dragon is the easy choice here, but not by much. What edges this film out over some of my other favorites from this year is Mickey Rourke. This is some of Mickey's best and if you haven't seen this film, you should. My 2nd choice for 1985 and it's also on my ALL time list, is The Breakfast Club. I can't tell you how many times I have watched this film. This was also a great year that gave us 3 great dramas (The Color Purple, Witness, Kiss of the Spiderwoman), 4 Sci-Fi (Mad Max 3, Cocoon, Back to the Future, The Goonies), a Bond film (A View to a Kill) and another Chevy Chase classic Fletch. Can't forget to mention RAMBO II and honorable mention to a film called Jagged Edge...look it up!

1986: Platoon.   James T: "Platoon is the clear winner here. One of the best, if not the best war film made. You loved or hated every character and you connected to the time and place. Oliver Stone literally put his soul in this film and was rewarded. 1986 also gave us 3 top notch drama/thrillers (Manhunter, The Mosquito Coast, Blue Velvet), 2 classic sci-fi (Aliens, Star Trek IV), 2 dramedies (Stand By Me, Jo Jo Dancer), the overrated Top Gun and the underrated Poltergeist II. Honorable mention goes to Running Scared starring the late great Gregory Hines and funny man Billy Crystal. Fun film for sure! Much love to Under the Cherry Moon. (Prince fan)."

1987: Angel Heart.   James T: "Angel Heart is on my ALL time list, so I won't discuss this film except to say once again...Mickey Rourke! This was an interesting year with some stand outs like Full Metal Jacket and Predator. It was mostly filled with good movies that werent highly spoke of. 1987 brought us 3 horror (Hellraiser, Elm St. 3, The Lost Boys), a good Bond film (The Living Daylights), and The Untouchables which stands as the only Kevin Costner film I can watch. Honorable mention to Suspect with Cher and Liam Neeson. It's a good little film. Did I forget to mention The Running Man?...(guilty pleasure)

1988: School Daze.   James T: "School Daze is the winner here with only competition coming from Die Hard. School Daze prepared me for college and then some... This was an ABSOLUTE horrible year for film. This was the year of Sequel overload, that lead to Sequel failure, just to name a few (Rambo III, Poltergeist III, Short Circuit II, Caddyshack II, Phantasm II, Crocodile Dundee II). Get the point...HORRIBLE and I left a lot off the list! I did however have a few shining examples like Willow, Working Girl, and Hellraiser II (actually better than the first). We also got the introduction of Chucky in Child's Play. Honorable mention goes to another Chevy Chase adventure Funny Farm...Love it!

1989: Dead Poets Society.    James T: "Dead Poet Society is the winner here and it's the oddest choice of them all. I picked this over The Last Crusade. This was a point in time, when my film taste changed and this was one of the films that spoke to me. A great story with solid performances lead by Robin Williams. This was a nice return after 1988's sad output. 1989 gave us 3 drama classics (Do The Right Thing, Driving Miss Daisy, Lean on Me), 5 comedy classics, two of them from Chevy Chase (Christmas Vacation, Fletch II, Uncle Buck, Parenthood and War of the Roses), 2 solid action, both with Stallone (Tango and Cash, Lock-Up), and a Bond film (License To Kill) Honorable mention goes to Pet Semetary for being a hell of a good horror flick."

Sarcazmos 7 random things involving movie plot twists.

Warning: Spoilers galore involving movie twists!!!

     Ever since The Sixth Sense, movie studios have come down with a serious case of twist fever. Which if not treated immediately (with quality twists), can turn into a bigger sickness and sometimes lead to amputation of the lower extremities. Or worse, someone loses their job because they back a sucky movie that has a quality twist.
     It seems nowadays movies have to have a twist to get the audience interested. Twists are now becoming the focus of  advertising campaigns (Shutter Island, A Perfect Getaway). The problem is, it gets people guessing. Real movie critics/fans like myself immediately set the wheels in motion and often in my case, guess the twist before they see the movie. Two movies this year I had serious hunches on the twists advertised (again Shutter Island and A Perfect Getaway). I got Getaways TWO MINUTES into the movie...I got Shutter Islands within 5 MINUTES...as soon as he reached in his pockets and was missing his cigarettes. This actually ruins movies for me as I am too smart to be twisted. Sarcazmo just may be "twist proof".  So in honor of the twist, I present Sarcazmo's top 7 random twist hi-jinx, shenanigans, and milarchy

7. The Sixth Sense. (Not gonna put it at 6 to show how clever I am) The movie that resurrected the twist is actually pretty solid. The best use of "clues"  in a movie maybe ever. Great story here about how a studio suit bought the script for $2 million on the spot without consulting his superiors, said superiors didnt believe in the movie, and kept only 13% or so of the films rights. The film went on to gross worldwide $672,806,292...oopsy poopsy.  The film also turned  actor Haley Joel Osment into the next big child star of tomorrow who grows up to do nothing today. 

6. From a Whisper to a Scream. Most gruesome/disturbing twist. Bad horror anthology movie, with one hell of a disturbing ending. A white trash  douche/scum-bag type on the lamb from mobster-types gets shot and stumbles into a swamp where he is saved from a shaman/witch doctor-type. While recovering, he discovers the man holds the secret to eternal life. Instead of being patient and learning the ways of the immortal, he drinks the life potion and sinks the witch doctor to the bottom of the swamp. The witch doctor returns though and kills the scumbag by means of amputating his limbs and burning him to death....only we find out that when the scumbag type got shot and was saved, the doctor ALREADY gave him the life juice...he had everlasting life the whole time. The last shot is mega disturbing. Douchebag guy is in hospital with doctors baffled as how is is stil alive, camera cuts to the guy who has no arms, no legs, and burnt to a total crisp. The final shot is of the only eye he has left and a tear rolls down his charred face knowing this is the rest of his life. Warning this movie is not good.

                                                                                                                                                                           5. The Dream Twist. The biggest cop out type twist is, "the whole thing was just a dream" twist.

        Obviously is was cool in The Wizard of Oz, and between 1985 and 1999 it was the cool twist to do, but nowadays its almost extinct. Its tired... literally and figuratively. To go a whole movie being awed and inspired only to be told the whole thing was a big sham in the end, that someone had milk before bedtime, thus causing a crazy movie dream...its weak. Hollywood  seems to have caught on though as you dont see it anymore. The worst dream twist actually came at the beggining of a movie...Robert Zombies Halloween 2. Yes a 20 minute chase sequence  ends up being a dream. One of the dumbest things I've seen. Cant believe Zombie would waste 20 minutes instead of spending the money and time on something fun, like expensive sets and clothes  for his wife to act badly in.

4. The House That Dripped Blood. Best twist from a movie you'll never see. The story here has an author, along with his wife, working on a novel in a secluded mansion.  As he writes, he begins to see the main character (a monster looking guy) in the novel appear and disappear.  The creepy guy monster, antagonizes, torments, and kills while only the author can see him. In the end though the twist turns out to be the monster guy is real and has teamed up with the authors wife to drive him to suicide. The authors wife pretended not to see the monster. Pretty clever. Movie was still a load of tripe though.

3. Mindhunters. Who is the killer twist.  Only The Caz a "5th degree  twist master" could guess this twist correctly. This $4.4 million dollar grossing FBI agents on an island and one of them is a  killer film, is fun. Guessing who the killer is pretty tricky. I thought outside the box on this and guessed correctly. The rules are usually a big star is the killer..why else would they take the role. Here though its different. One of the agents falls into a trap and ALMOST gets killed, thats when I guessed it was him. It happens right in the beginning though, so most people would forget.  Underrrated little movie here directed by Renny "A Nightmare on Elm Street 4" Harlin.   

                                               2. April Fools Day and The Game. Fun twists where no one gets hurt. Two movies whose stock will continue to go up in the next 10 years. The overlooked April Fools Day is...well...we need more movies like this . A bunch of kids go to an island house to party, only they're killed one by one by a mysterious killer, only its an April Fools joke.  Really cute little horror movie. The Game is solid, Michael Douglas thinks hes been scammed but in the end its just the best birthday present ever. Fun fact...Sean Penns role was originally Jodie Fosters.

1. Sarcazmo tells you how to spot the twist. I've become a "twist master" by adapting and studying my prey (Hollywood screenwriters). There are rules I think Hollywood follows, unfortunately the rules havent changed lately. Heres how to spot a twist.

1. The lead actors are usually involved. If a movie promises a twist and has name actors, its a safe bet they're part of the twist. You have to be shrewd here,  would the actor take a simple role or would they take a role that shocks the audience in the end. Examples: Johnny Depp in Secret Window, Mila Jovavich in A Perfect Getaway, Nicole Kidman in The Others, Tom Cruise in Vannila Sky, Brad Pitt in Fight club, etc.

2. Hollywood rarely uses dream twists and dead-the-whole-time twists anymore. When trying to figure out a twist, quickly eliminate dreams and deaths. The Sixth Sense and The Others used up the death twist. Boxing Helena, Vanilla Sky, The Devils Advocate and Mulholland Drive beat -to-death the dream twist.

3. Be weary of supporting roles starring name actors. Ever wonder why in some movies a big star is in a supporting role...they're in on the twist. Examples: Sean Penn in The Game, Kevin Spacey in The Usual Suspects, Mark Ruffalo in Shutter Island, Tim Robbins in Arlington Road.

Bonus Blog: The Twists I didnt get. I'm on at least a 6 movie twist streak where I've guessed the twist early. The last movies with rumored twists I didnt get, were The Village and High Tension. In the case of The Village I was thinking too hard. I knew there was a twist and I had 2 or 3 theories during the movie. My main twist guess was that the monsters...were really gonna be monsters.  It would have been a downer of an ending on an epic scale if after Bryce Howard is walking in the woods trying to find help,  she gets eaten alive by real monsters. The End.

High Tension. I didnt guess this ending because theres plot holes big enough to drive an ice cream truck thru. The "killer" at one point is riding in the back of the truck...who the hell is driving the truck???

Law Abiding Citizen. My twist guess here was that Gerard Butler and Jamie Fox were in cohoots the whole time.  I didnt guess that Gerards character tunneled a mile underneath the prison, while no one noticed.

Saw 1. No I didnt guess the end here either. One would think if you're laying there for hours straight, trying not to make a sound while two guys fight for their life, you'd have to  either breathe, flatulate, move, itch, scratch, sigh, stomach growl, sneeze, cough, piss, dump, laugh, moan, etc. That old Jigsaw sure can stay still. Maybe the best twist ever along with The Sixth Sense.

James T Lawsons favorite movies of the year 1990's.

James T Lawsons  opening statements on the best movies of the 1990's. Damn...James T and Caz agree on 4 of the 10.

1990: Goodfellas.    James T:  "Goodfellas, from the moment you hear, "As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster", this movie becomes a CLASSIC. If The Godfather (I,II) were the standard of MOB excellence, then Goodfellas raised the stakes. This should have been an Academy Award sweep, but Dances With Wolves was the victor. Talk about an overrated, piece of dull trash that film was. I guarantee you more people remember Goodfellas than they do Dances With Wolves. The Academy did recognize Joe Pesci for best supporting actor. I choose this over Misery which is also a CLASSIC. Note worthy mentions go to Die Hard 2, Jacob's Ladder, Presumed Innocent, King of New York, Total Recall and Flatliners and so many more. Fun Year!"

1991: The Silence of the Lambs.    James T:  "Silence of the Lambs is FLAWLESS! This is one of my favorite movies of ALL time. With that said, I'm going to give a little time to the noteworthies of '91. Terminator 2 is a distant 2nd place here and that's saying a lot because it too is pretty close to perfect. Also that year we had Cape Fear, Ricochet, New Jack City, Boyz N the Hood, Star Trek 6, Sleeping with the Enemy (the only good Julia Roberts film next to Flatliners) and The Doors which is also a classic. Honorable mention to a little Indie flick called Night on Earth...look it up!"

1992: Malcolm X.    James T: "Malcolm X is another FLAWLESS film that I think the Academy snubbed because of it's subject matter and it's director Spike Lee. Ranks on my ALL time list. Denzel embodied Malcolm X and should have won an Oscar for the portrayal. I choose this over Patriot Games, Bram Stoker's Dracula (Gary Oldman is AMAZING), Glengrary Glen Ross which is actually my 2nd choice, Basic Instinct, Bad Lieutenant, and A Few Good Men. Honorable mention goes to Candyman and Boomerang. A good year for film."

1993: The Fugitive.    James T : "The Fugitive is also one of those FLAWLESS films. It also ranks on my all time list. I'll take some time to mention some other heavy hitters of '93. The film Philadelphia was the first time we saw AIDS on film and portrayed in a scary but respectable and understanding light. Tom Hanks and Denzel are amazing in this CLASSIC and its easily my 2nd choice. 1993 also gave us Tombstone, True Romance, In the Line of Fire, What's Love Got To Do With It, Romeo is Bleeding and A Bronx Tale. I couldn't conclude without mentioning Michael Douglas in Falling Down. This is an underrated film and some of his best work."

                                         1994: Natural Born Killers.    James T: "Natural Born Killers is also, to me, a FLAWLESS film. It also lands on my ALL time list. This was not an easy choice though because '94 had four other films that rank my all time list. Pulp Fiction, Clear and Present Danger, Leon (The Professional) and without a doubt another FLAWLESS film The Shawshank Redemption. Shawshank is a very close 2nd choice. 1994 also gave us Forrest Gump, True Lies, Star Trek 7 and Serial Mom. Honorable mention goes to No Escape with Ray Liotta."

1995: Friday.   James T: "Friday is my odd choice and not necessarily the BEST movie, but one that I can identify with personally. I remember sitting watching this movie with friends and we all said that's our childhood. It was like walking through my neighborhood. I knew a Craig, a Smokey, a Deebo, a Big Worm, I might have even been one of them. Friday is a classic!! However...1995 produced some underrated hits that must be mentioned. Dolores Claibourne, Outbreak, Copycat, Clockers and Strange Days were overlooked by many. I must mention my 2nd choice which is REALLY the best movie. Casino is a CLASSIC from start to finish and would have been #1 if Friday was the sentimental choice."

1996: Sling Blade.    James T: "Sling Blade is such a good character driven film. Billy Bob Thornton creates a character that you can't help but  love. I instantly became connected with him and his story. I love this film because it doesn't rely on Hollywood gimmicks. Noteworthy performance to the late great John Ritter. 1996 was a TERRIBLE year, but I did have some goodies that rose out of the crap. 2 Days in the Valley, Kingpin, From Dusk Til Dawn, Star Trek 8, and Twister ( I like tornado's and this film). Honorable mention goes to Waiting For Guffman, such a fun and realistic view of Community Theater."

1997: The Game.   James T: "The Game is so underrated it's sad. This film has great re-watch value even once you've seen it and know the game. Michael Douglas turns in another great performance as well as Sean Penn. This was a close call, edging out The Devil's Advocate by a slim margin. 1997 continued where 1996 left off by not offering much quality. It did give us Air Force One, Event Horizon, Hoodlum, and Jackie Brown. Honorable mentions to Starship Troopers and Vegas Vacation (just can't knock a good Chevy Chase adventure)."

1998. Saving Private Ryan.   James T: "Saving Private Ryan is also a FLAWLESS film and ranks on my ALL time list. The most intense 25 minutes of film I have ever sat through. The Academy Awarded Shakespeare In Love the Best Picture. It still sickens me to the F**king core. 1998 did give us a better outing than the previous two, but all were underrated to a degree. American History X, Very Bad Things, Hurly Burly, Happiness were all good films. The heavier hitters like The Negotiator, Six Days and Seven Nights and Deep Impact were all fun. Honorable mention to A Thin Red Line, a decent war picture that got swallowed by Saving Private Ryan. Check it out!"

1999: Eyes Wide Shut.    James T: "Eyes Wide Shut is the final film from a directing God! This film unfortunately is a film you must watch a few times to fully get the ride your on. I saw this at the movie theater and was like what? I didn't know if I liked it or not. Clearly as time went on I recognized the genius of Stanley Kubrick. This is a visually stunning and disturbing film that does at times give you psychological chills. Kidman blows Cruise off the screen. I fought with this choice over the Matrix, which despite the HORRIBLE sequels, still stands on it's own. 1999 also gave us Being John Malkovich, Dogma, Fight Club, 13th Warrior, Any Given Sunday and American Beauty (overrated) Honorable mention to Bringing Out The Dead."

 

James T Lawson's favorite movies of the year 2000's.

The man with the plan, the sentence reducer, the bail producer, James T (entertainment attorney at law) Lawson makes his Funhouse blog debut with his favorite movies of the last 30 years.                                      

2000: American Psycho.    James T Lawson: "American Psycho gets the nod for satisfying the ever present dark side that's in each one of us. The character of Patrick Bateman, played brilliantly by Christian Bale, had you both rooting for him and despising him. His descent into madness, and back to reality, is captured very well in the now cult indie classic. This was a GREAT year for films... I choose this over Crouching Tiger, Pitch Black, Requiem For A Dream, Sexy Beast, Memento, Best In Show and Gladiator which is a great mass appeal film. All these films to me are classics of 2000."

2001: Y Tu Mma Tambien.   James T Lawson: "Y Tu Mama Tabien is a beautiful relationship story with two guys and a beautiful woman on a road trip to a magical beach. It's a coming of age story that is sexy and erotic. The film is subtitled so if you're a person that doesn't dig that, you might have a problem here. If you speak spanish, it's all good. This was not that difficult of a decision for me here, although this year had some goodies. I choose this over Black Hawk Down, Fellowship of the Rings, Jeepers Creepers, Donnie Darko and Gosford Park. Fast and the Furious gets an honorable mention as well."

2002: City of God.   James T Lawson: "City of God is a gritty, and at times scary, true story coming from the slums of Rio de Janeiro. It follows a young boy whose only desire is to be a photographer, this desire,  leads him into some life threatening situations. The cinematography for this film is excellent, with a very hot, as in temperature and intensity, look to it. Once again, like my choice for 2001, this movie is subtitled. If you speak Brazilian Portuguese you're good to go. 2002 was also a decent year despite having two of my childhood films (Star Wars: II and Star Trek: Nemisis) turn out to be crap.  Other notable films that  year... 25th Hour, 28 Days Later, Undercover Brother, The Two Towers, Bowling For Columbine, Stevie, and K-19: The Widow Maker."

2003: Kill Bill Volume 1.   James T Lawson: "Kill Bill vol. 1 is to me Tarantino's best. This film has amazing in character development and dialogue. It also carries with it, Quentin's gift to recreate that Drive-in style, old Kung-Fu, B-movie magic. Excellent editing and action sequences. This film pulls no punches and never has a dull moment. This movie has a very talented cast led by Uma Thurman and gets my kick ass vote. 2003 had a few other mentionable movies like my second choice The Cooler. It also had Mystic River, Open Water, Phone Booth and X-men 2."

2004: Crash.   James T Lawson: "Crash is my choice over Kill Bill vol 2 because I count the "Bill" movies together. Crash does what I love for films to do if executed properly, it takes different stories happening at the same time, and intertwines them. It touches on many of the human dramas Racism, Classism, and Discrimination. It asked many questions, including some we don't want to answer for fear we might admit a truth. Well acted by all parties in this classic that will always demand discussion. I choose this over many quality films. The Incredibles , Million Dollar Baby, Fahrenheit 9/11, Sideways, Ray, Man on Fire, Dawn of the Dead, and  Harold and Kumar."

2005: Memoirs of a Geisha.   James T Lawson: "Memoir's of a Geisha is a visually stunning film with an Oscar winning score by legend John Williams (my hero). This film is about a young girls thrust into the world of the Geisha and the love she discovers to set her free. High quality acting from the younger stars as well as the seasoned veterans. I choose this over more of my childhood destruction Star Wars: III which  had its moments, but then  gave in to stupidity. Notables for 2005 are Batman Begins, The Interpreter, Serenity, 40 year Old Virgin, A History of Violence and The Devil's Rejects (guilty pleasure)."

                                      

2006: The Prestige.   James T Lawson:  "The Prestige is such a solid film. From the story, to the direction by Nolan, and the acting by Jackman and Bale. It's a magical tale literally that takes you through twist and turns. The competition to be the best magician goes deep into the supernatural or does it. It's all an illusion and a GREAT film. 2006 may have been the worst year for me. There wasn't a lot of notables, but here are a few. United 93, Grandma's Boy, The Descent, Casino Royale, Hostel and Dave Chapelle's Block Party."

2007: 300.   James T Lawson: "300 gets the nod here because it had a revolutionary new look, an intriguing and exciting plot, and action galore. This even had a solid score to accompany this epic style film. For me a weak score can kill a film, this one enhances the passion of the film. 2007 had a few underrated films slip by, such as The Mist and Hannibal's Rising. I also must mention Grindhouse, 28 Weeks Later, The Simpson Movie, 1408, Sicko, There Will Be Blood, Why Did I Get Married (guilty pleasure), and No Country For Old Men."

2008: Rambo.    James T Lawson: "Rambo is my favorite of 2008 and I choose this over 5 powerhouse films and an honorable mention, which I'll get to in a minute. Rambo is a classic 1980's character brought back to life by the man who originated the role. Sylvester Stallone turns his... before, one man show, into a more reality based performance. We see Rambo aged and settled into a life without war only to be pulled back in again. This time he is joined by a group of mercenaries that travel into the war zone of Burma. This instantly became the best Rambo since First Blood in terms of realism. Violent action and explosions make this a classic. Many of you know 2008 also gave us The Dark Knight, The Wrestler, Religulous, Milk, Iron Man and honorable mention to Zach and Miri Make a Porno."

2009: Food, Inc.   James T Lawson: "Food Inc is the winner here, but only by the slimmest of margins. It's not often that a film can transform your personal life so dramatically as this did me. Food, Inc. is an eye opening and disturbing look at the very thing we need for survival...FOOD. I immediately, after viewing this movie, ran to tell anyone who would listen that this is a film you must see. 2009 was my toughest to speak of because the quality, of mostly underrated films, was great. I choose this over The Road (this film is a classic), Bronson, Black Dynamite, Moon, Orphan, Taken, Watchmen, The Goods and Sherlock Holmes which was surprisingly good."

Sarcazmo's favorite movies of the year 2000's.

2000: Gladiator. Not a great year for movies. Pretty rare that an almost straight up action film wins Best Picture, but the year was weak. The costumes of the Gladiators are what put this over the top for me, almost Mad Maxish.

2001: Donnie Darko. Nothing gets me going like good music used the right way in movies. It can and has been a deciding factor in choosing which movie I pic as my favorite of the year (Nightmare 4 , Dream a Little Dream). Darko has lots of hip new wave songs from the 1980's, and it could of had even better music if director Richard Kelly had the extra cash to buy the rights to certain songs he wanted for the original movie (West End Girls by the Pet Shop Boys....Never Tear Us apart-INXS). The best movies are the ones that leave you talking after you leave the theater, and Donnie Darko poses many a question. Sometimes dark, sometimes funny, Donnie Darko beats out Paradise Lost 2: Revelations, and Oceans 11 as the Caz's favorite film of 2001. 

  2002: Gangs of New York. First and foremost, biggest Oscar snub of all time probably.  If Daniel Day-Lewis didnt deserve the Acadamy Award, then Sarcazmo doesnt deserve a Blog. Weak year for movies, I have to go with Gangs of New York over, The 25th Hour, and Brotherhood of the Wolf.

2003: X-men 2: X-men United. Horrendous year for quality movies but that doesnt discredit X-men 2. Sitting high on the all time list of movies with the highest rewatch value, X-men 2 is one of the greatest superhero movies ever made. What sets X-men 2 apart is not huge explosions, great fights, fantastic special effects, or great stunts. Its the simple human elements of the film that make it memorable to me. Heres a mini list inside of a list...the top 7 little reasons X-men 2 is good. 1. The White House scene. 2. Wolverine just talking to Iceman and Iceman blows on his beer to make it cold. 3. When Nightcrawler tries to say hi to Wolverine and Wolverine has none of it. 4. After the jet almost crashes, I think Storm asks if everyone is ok and Wolverine says "NO". 5. The entire campfire scene where good/bad mutants are camping out together...PRICELESS. 6. Icemans house when they ask who Wolverine is, he says he teaches art. 7. Wolverine telling Cyclops thanks for the bike, fill it up with gas.  Its the little touches Bryan Singer puts in there that shows these big bad mutants are people too.

2004: Spiderman 2. In my opinion only two superhero movies are worthy of a best picture nomination in the history of cinema, The Dark Knight and Spiderman 2. Spiderman 2 just does so many things right and like X-men 2, it has a lot of human elements. Arguably the best scene in the movie is the "Raindrops Keep Falling On  My Head" montage...brilliant. Epic year for movies Troy, Kill Bill 2, The Butterfly Effect, Sideways, Million Dollar Baby, etc.

2005: The Descent. Beats out Wedding Crashers, Lord of War, Just Friends, Brokeback Mountain, and Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Tough choice here as I love rewatching parts of Sith, but   other parts of Sith (Grievous) annoy me. I also haven't rewatched The Descent but its probably the best horror movie of the decade. Stay tuned here, this ranking may change some day.

2006: The Prestige. Most difficult choice of the decade. Look at some of the movies that opened that year..The Departed, Inside Man, The Hills Have Eyes, V for Vendetta, the american release of The Descent. A rare glimpse of the supernatural stuff that Chris Nolan doesnt usually go for, The Prestige has enough quality to put it over the top for the year. David Bowie can act!

2007: Zodiac. Based on a book that I actually read, and I dont read books, Zodiac is pretty damn  faithful to its source material. One of the great unsolved crimes of modern times. Zodiac is just another example of why David Fincher may be the best director on the planet. He also has a tendency to put cool songs over the end credits.  Robert Downey Jr steals the movie..his performance here could be the main reason he got Ironman. Zodiac is entertaining, keeps things moving, and lets the audience know who they thought the killer was ...only...............SPOILERS........that suspect has now been cleared in real life based on his DNA test. ......END SPOILERS........... That does take away from the movie a little bit, but just a little. Other quality movies in 2007  American Gangster, Shooter, Death Sentence and King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters.

2008: The Wrestler. From start to finish almost a perfect film. The Wrestler beats out The Dark Knight, and Gran Torino as the years best movie. Mickey Rourke, is without a doubt, Sarcazmo's favorite actor. Sarcazmo likes wrestling. Wrestling plus Mickey equals quality.

2009: Trick or Treat. The only straight to dvd film on the list. How this movie didnt get a release in any October, while for 3 years it sat in a warehouse, shelved, next to the Ark of the Covenant, is beyond me. You would think a "PRODUCED BY BRYAN SINGER" credit would be enough, but it wasnt. The studio didnt know what to do with this film....why... because it was too good, and a good horror movie is box office poison. Now if it was a bucket of crap like Prom Night, I Know What You Did Last Summer, or the like.....then 3000 theaters instantly and a $25 million dollar advertising campaign. The movie looks fantastic, very Tim Burtonesque. The stories are solid, acting as well, and it has a few clever twists. This is definitely destined to be a cult classic, the kind you watch EVERY Halloween. All you have to do is make a trailer and have it say..."from the director of Xmen, Xmen 2, Apt Pupil...comes the next evolution in horror"...something cheesy like that. It would make $10 to $20 million its opening weekend, and the rest is gravy.