Top films of 2011 (so far)
I keep seeing critics put the same damned movies at the top of 2011. Hugo: Overrated teal and orange love letter to old movies. The Artist: Overrated lazy love letter to old movies. The Tree of Life: Every critic loves Malick simply because he took a 20 year vacation. The Descendents: Sappy dysfunctional family movie full of indie cliches such as quirky characters, terrible narration, and traveling. The Hedgehog: crappy French film about shitty characters who don't even follow through on their promises (I'm looking at you, little girl!). War Horse: Everybody loves Spielberg but me; I'm just gonna skip it. Drive: OK, Drive is amazing, and I'm really really surprised it made it to critic's top 10s.
Here's my top 10 in no particular order:
Rubber
Rubber has been making it onto some top 10 lists, and it deserves it. It is a cult movie lover and film student's wet dream. There is no other audience for it, really. It's a movie about a "movie" about a killer tire...it's Waiting for Godot meets The Car minus the car. (Also, if you haven't seen The Car, you really should) It's a bizarre non-sensical movie that takes the piss out of everything in it, including itself.
The Last Circus
This movie is going to miss everybody's top 10 list, because Magnet went STRAIGHT TO FUCKING DVD with this piece of awesomeness. Not even a midnight run! Not even an indie house run! WTF?! Anyways, its a gorgeous piece of gruesome gothic-sideshow theater about clowns and the people they hurt. The imagery of the movie is off the charts stunning, and not a single other film this year has had me visually stunned like this one.
Thunder Soul
You want a documentary that tells you the POSITIVE effect that school can have on kids? Do you really want one that is lighter and also has national attention? This is the movie. It is about a 1970's high school band that got record deals, and now has collectors finding their records. It's about the impact this band has in a relatively impovershed community. Thunder Soul is a moving piece of cinema that should be seen by music lovers and educators. A little manipulative, but its still cool.
Kaboom
OK, its not perfect. It nearly is. An 80 minute bullet of nothingness from Gregg Araki. Its a better version replacement for Nowhere. Its main message is that queers can make weird movies too that aren't completely about coming out or the gay lifestyle. There aren't many like that. Most are about homosexual separatism, while this one encourages bisexuality, homosexuality, and general intergration into society...wrapped in a plot about the end of the world and cult leaders and witches. Yeah...
Sound of Noise
OK, so this movie didn't come out here yet. And, it doesn't have a release date. And, it's French and Swedish. But, its a fun punk rebellious lark about making music out of anything. It's like Stomp goes live, but with a story about the tyranny of the expected. It's hard to explain, so I'll just let the short predessor film do its speaking: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVPVbc8LgP4&feature=related.
Detention
Yes, this movie is slated for release in 2012. But, really...I saw it in June, so it counts. IT IS AMAZING. You want a stupid high school movie about time travel, bears, murder, body switching, and cliches that is also on cocaine? This is your movie. Nothing more needs to be said. Go find it.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
What is this movie doing among all these other weirdos? A high budget movie from an established director based on a book that became a phenomenon? Well, the director is Fincher, and while it's no Se7en, it is an amazing movie. Warning: Graphic rape scene.
Trollhunter
Found footage docu-horror meets trolls in a hilarious mashup out of the Nordic area. No, really, see it.
Drive
OK, Drive, yes, amazing. It's probably the only film that will make more than 3 top 10 lists. It's bare bones 80s action movie style only had one fault: not enough driving! This is no Fast/Furious movie, this is a more condensed anti-hero movie from the 70s with 80s style, and it is awesome.
Human Centipede II (Full Sequence)
OK, this one is going to bite me in the ass. But, it was...quite frankly, astounding. Where the first was a relatively boring, sedate genre piece a la Hostel with a nifty concept, Human Centipede II is a psychotic gonzo gross-out to end all psychotic gonzo gross-outs. In a visual style of Eraserhead, this becomes a Theater of the Absurd, Theater of the macabre, Grand Guignol balls-out assault on your senses and taste. You know the line that movies don't cross. The one that even Human Centipede I merely toed? Number 2 saw the line, took a shit on it, poured gasoline on it, burned it, then went so far that the fire looked like a mere speck in the distance. Don't get me wrong: It's not good. It's not trying to be good. It's awful. It's fucking awful. But, it isn't good because it's awful. It's good because its brilliant.
There's a lot I haven't seen that I should: The Devil's Double, Moneyball, The Skin I Live In (ALMODOVAR!), A Dangerous Method (CRONENBERG!), Contagion (SODERBURGH!), Tucker and Dale vs Evil (ALAN TUDYK), Fast Five, Bad Teacher, Attack the Block, etc etc etc...but of the ones I saw these are the my favorite 10 of the year.
Here's my top 10 in no particular order:
Rubber
Rubber has been making it onto some top 10 lists, and it deserves it. It is a cult movie lover and film student's wet dream. There is no other audience for it, really. It's a movie about a "movie" about a killer tire...it's Waiting for Godot meets The Car minus the car. (Also, if you haven't seen The Car, you really should) It's a bizarre non-sensical movie that takes the piss out of everything in it, including itself.
The Last Circus
This movie is going to miss everybody's top 10 list, because Magnet went STRAIGHT TO FUCKING DVD with this piece of awesomeness. Not even a midnight run! Not even an indie house run! WTF?! Anyways, its a gorgeous piece of gruesome gothic-sideshow theater about clowns and the people they hurt. The imagery of the movie is off the charts stunning, and not a single other film this year has had me visually stunned like this one.
Thunder Soul
You want a documentary that tells you the POSITIVE effect that school can have on kids? Do you really want one that is lighter and also has national attention? This is the movie. It is about a 1970's high school band that got record deals, and now has collectors finding their records. It's about the impact this band has in a relatively impovershed community. Thunder Soul is a moving piece of cinema that should be seen by music lovers and educators. A little manipulative, but its still cool.
Kaboom
OK, its not perfect. It nearly is. An 80 minute bullet of nothingness from Gregg Araki. Its a better version replacement for Nowhere. Its main message is that queers can make weird movies too that aren't completely about coming out or the gay lifestyle. There aren't many like that. Most are about homosexual separatism, while this one encourages bisexuality, homosexuality, and general intergration into society...wrapped in a plot about the end of the world and cult leaders and witches. Yeah...
Sound of Noise
OK, so this movie didn't come out here yet. And, it doesn't have a release date. And, it's French and Swedish. But, its a fun punk rebellious lark about making music out of anything. It's like Stomp goes live, but with a story about the tyranny of the expected. It's hard to explain, so I'll just let the short predessor film do its speaking: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVPVbc8LgP4&feature=related.
Detention
Yes, this movie is slated for release in 2012. But, really...I saw it in June, so it counts. IT IS AMAZING. You want a stupid high school movie about time travel, bears, murder, body switching, and cliches that is also on cocaine? This is your movie. Nothing more needs to be said. Go find it.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
What is this movie doing among all these other weirdos? A high budget movie from an established director based on a book that became a phenomenon? Well, the director is Fincher, and while it's no Se7en, it is an amazing movie. Warning: Graphic rape scene.
Trollhunter
Found footage docu-horror meets trolls in a hilarious mashup out of the Nordic area. No, really, see it.
Drive
OK, Drive, yes, amazing. It's probably the only film that will make more than 3 top 10 lists. It's bare bones 80s action movie style only had one fault: not enough driving! This is no Fast/Furious movie, this is a more condensed anti-hero movie from the 70s with 80s style, and it is awesome.
Human Centipede II (Full Sequence)
OK, this one is going to bite me in the ass. But, it was...quite frankly, astounding. Where the first was a relatively boring, sedate genre piece a la Hostel with a nifty concept, Human Centipede II is a psychotic gonzo gross-out to end all psychotic gonzo gross-outs. In a visual style of Eraserhead, this becomes a Theater of the Absurd, Theater of the macabre, Grand Guignol balls-out assault on your senses and taste. You know the line that movies don't cross. The one that even Human Centipede I merely toed? Number 2 saw the line, took a shit on it, poured gasoline on it, burned it, then went so far that the fire looked like a mere speck in the distance. Don't get me wrong: It's not good. It's not trying to be good. It's awful. It's fucking awful. But, it isn't good because it's awful. It's good because its brilliant.
There's a lot I haven't seen that I should: The Devil's Double, Moneyball, The Skin I Live In (ALMODOVAR!), A Dangerous Method (CRONENBERG!), Contagion (SODERBURGH!), Tucker and Dale vs Evil (ALAN TUDYK), Fast Five, Bad Teacher, Attack the Block, etc etc etc...but of the ones I saw these are the my favorite 10 of the year.