Best and Worst movies of 2008

I decided to leave this until the New Year just in case there was anything that might make the list at the last minute, and although I did see Tropic Thunder between starting this list and ending it (which put it in the running) it just wasn't that good bar the odd one or two hysterical bits. In the read more you will find my Top 10 films of 2008. Perhaps you may disagree on most and in particular my No. 1, but they're there for a reason and in a particular order. That reason and order is based solely on just how much enjoyment I got out of them at the time of viewing and how much they surprised me.

There's also a sub list for the movies that should have been savage but ended up being fucking desperate and the ones that I could have predicted would eat ass.

If you notice any glaring omissions this is perhaps because I didn't see them, then again its also perhaps due to you liking them more than me. Cloverfield placed lower than Speed Racer for instance.




10. Persepolis

Proof that traditonal animation has still a bit of life in it yet as this story of an Iranian girl growing up in Iran and France overcomes the trauma of being black and white to throw out a wholly entertaining and sometimes very funny little film.

Best bit: Marji grows up in a few seconds (below. Just ignore the intro)





9. In Bruges

Should also get on the list of Top Ten underdog movies of the year as well. Nobody saw this little beauty turn up especially those who doubted Colin Farrells ability to be funny, clearly they forgot his "best thing in a shite movie" turn in Intermission.

Best Bit: "Thats for John Lennon..." (below)

Clip is fucking disabled for embedding on Youtube but link here to where it is



8. Iron Man

A perfect movie by no means but makes the ten for the simple fact that I enjoyed the hell out of it more than most films this year. The reason for this can be summed up in three words: Robert. Downey. Junior. The chemical dustbin can do anything. Watch Tropic Thunder if you don't believe me. Or at least skip to the bits that he's in.

Best Bit: Taking out a tank like the baddest motherfucker ever (below)





7. Funny Games

Fantastic the way that Michael Haneke can take one of his own movies (itself a high fixture on my all time top ten) and remake it basically identical to the original (albeit in English with name actors) and it can still be almost (but not quite) as fucking amazing and disturbing as the original.

Best Bit: A remote control? YOU broke the rules you bastards (below)





6. Lars and the Real Girl

If you tell the premise of this to somebody (Man buys a sex doll on the internet and falls in love with it thinking its a real person), you'd be forgiven for thinking this is a sex comedy in the vein of American Pie etc. What you would not be forgiven for is ignoring one of the sweetest films ever thinking its low brow smut. Any of you who did this, its not too late you know.

Best Bit: Lars introduces Biance to his Brother and his Sister-in-Law (below)





5. Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Another one that you, no doubt, skipped. This time because you said "Fucking musicals, I hate them". Well if thats the way you want to be then fine but if you're open minded then you'll see some damn fine performance (not the least of which comes from Mr Depp himself), some class tunes and some even classier gore.

Best Bit: Helen Bonham Carter gets a little hot under the collar (below. Not great quality)





4. There Will be Blood

Slow. Pretentious. Long. Perhaps. But also Hypnotic. Mesmerising. Stunning. Ethereal. Beautiful. Horrific. And yet another reason why someday they're going to stop calling it "Oscar" and start saying "And that Daniel-Day goes to..."

Best Bit: Oil Well on fire (below. Not the full scene but you get the idea of the fucking amazing Johnnny Greenwood score from this clip)





3. The Dark Knight

Yeah yeah. Its great.

Best Bit: Jokers Pencil Trick (below)





2. No Country for Old Men

The Coen's finally get the recognition they deserve for 25 years worth of quality movie making, and its with one of their finest movies to date and one of the most psychotic screen films of all time. Still manages to be funny as hell though.

Best Bit: "Call it" (below)





1. The Mist

An odd choice for the number one film before but as I've so consistently pointed out this list is based purely on my enjoyment of the films at the time of viewing and the Mist did this several ways. It brings to life one of my favourite of the Stephen King stories I read as a youth. It looks fucking amazing. Its paced incredibly. And most importantly, its freaky as hell. It also has one of thepossibly the bleakest endings known to man. Frank Darabont proves that The Shawshank Redemption was no fluke as he continues his love affair with Mr Kings work.

Best Bit: Trip to the Pharmacy (below. In Black and white for some reason)





& THE WORST...

Of the 60 odd movies I saw that were released last year these were the 5 worst. Some because they're shite. Some because they were so fucking disappointing.



5. The Hottie & the Nottie

Why, after being told by pretty much every publication that this film was shite, did I then sit through the damn thing? Well mainly just to see if its as bad as they say. Is it the worst movie ever made? No not even close but its still pretty fucking bad.

Worst bit: The "Nottie" gets a makeover to reveal, Shock Horror, she's actually pretty hot herself, and in fact may be hotter than Paris Hilton. Actually, no maybe's about it, she is. (Not going to show the scene from the movie which I did actually find on Youtube, but here's a picture of her which is more enjoyable than any clip that I could find)





4. Hancock

Not a bad premise. Guys a superhero but he's a waster. Nice idea for a comedy. Then comes all the mystical mumbo-jumbo bullshit about his soul mate hating him and all that crap and all the fucking soul searching that went along with this waste of a movie.

Worst Bit: He has to leave for her to survive because together they're mortal. Weep weep. (Below)





3. Wanted

On the list because of the fact that based on all the clips I'd seen of this film, it looked like the greatest most retarded movie ever. Instead its loud and annoying and James McAvoy gives the worst performance of his career but whats worse is that we have so much of Angelina Jolie walking around with that smug cunt expression on her face that says "I know right fucking well I'm considered the best looking woman on the planet". The fucking wagon.

Worst bit: Any scene where Angelina adopts the aforementioned "Smug cunt" look (Not below. Just watch the trailer. You'll get the idea. How I never noticed the movie might be ruined because of it, I'll never know)





2. Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

CGI Prairie Dogs. Tarzan impressions. Training monkeys. Self-referential to the point of up-own-arsery. Trees taking the weight of trucks. Did I mention CGI. Its like they never bothered watching their own movies as Spielberg, Ford and (I suspect more than anybody else) Lucas take a big giant shite on their own legacy.

Worst Bit: Not Shia LeBoeuf as I had dreaded but instead Shia LeBoeuf swining through trees on vines, catching up with a truck chase and training monkeys to do his bidding in the process. (Not below. The swordfight that precedes the bit I'm on about is below but its almost as fucking retarded)





1. What Happens in Vegas

No way in hell this was ever going to be good. Look at them there. Ashton. Cameron. You know why they're laughing? Because they just took a big shit in my eyes thats why.

Worst bit: The part where I realised there was still 45 minutes left. Trailer below.