Tweet

TOP TEN FILMS OF 2008 by Bryan Layne

RELIGULOUS (Thousand Words / Lionsgate)

Comic Bill Maher and director Larry Charles examine several of the more popular religions around the world. One of the bravest and funniest documentaries ever made.

CHOKE (ATO Pictures / Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Based off the book by Chuck Palahniuk and directed by Clark Gregg, this was the best comedy from last year. A sex-addicted scumbag feigns choking on food in restaurants in order to gain a financial edge against the hospital caring for his ill mother. CHOKE is vulgar, nasty and offensive–it’s also a very, very well made comedy.

GRAN TORINO (Warner Bros Pictures)

The second title released by director Clint Eastwood last year, who stars as Walt Kowalski, a recently widowed Korean War veteran with a distaste for most of society. He befriends the Vietnamese family that lives next door to him, and when he makes the decision to use violence, he believes it’s with the best of intentions. Kowalski is one of Clint Eastwood’s greatest characters.

POULTRYGEIST: NIGHT OF THE CHICKEN DEAD (Troma)

Lloyd Kaufman’s best film, at least since THE TOXIC AVENGER. It’s he and the Troma crew doing what they do best. Full of cheap and disgusting effects, Mr. Kaufman went with a musical this time around and the songs are actually quite entertaining. As usual, he crams his film with scatological, racist and sexist humor. A fast food restaurant is built upon an old Indian burial ground. The chickens they serve up begin to wreak havoc upon the employees and customers alike. POULTRYGEIST is far better than it needs to be.

THE X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE (20th Century Fox)

I was growing uninterested in all of the conspiracy theories and UFO encounters THE X-FILES continued to touch upon between the first film and the continuing television show. Luckily, they totally abandoned everything tiresome about the series. A missing FBI agent brings the retired Scully and wanted Mulder back into the offices in Virginia. Their latest encounter revolves around psychic abilities, pedophile ex-priests, dogs and a multitude of severed body parts. This may not be what hardcore X-File fans wanted, but it stands alone as entertainment for those not familiar with Chris Carter’s creation.

MY NAME IS BRUCE (Dark Horse Entertainment / Image Entertainment)

Bruce Campbell’s second feature as a director where he portrays himself as a raging alcoholic who hates everything: his fans, his ex-wife, his endless B-movie roles, his dog and–of course–his agent. He’s a profane coward who has an attraction to hookers. A small town in Oregon kidnaps actor Bruce Campbell in order to destroy Guan-Di, the Chinese god who protects the dead miners in the local cemetery. The decision to play himself as an ungrateful bastard is bold by Campbell, but anyone who’s interested in this feature previously knew he’s been one of the most indebted and popular cult movie stars for nearly thirty years. Short on plausibility, but epic on laughs.

VANTAGE POINT (Columbia Pictures)

The President of the United States takes a bullet in Spain and two bombs quickly follow. These events are told and retold among a handful of different characters, most notably, Dennis Quaid as Secret Service Agent Thomas Barnes. I like Quaid and he’s great in this one, but this film is simply a mediocre story revolved around one badass car chase waiting to happen in the last reel. If you get the DVD for your home theater, turn up the volume as loud as you can take it as Agent Barnes tears through the streets of Spain in a foreign car made of aluminum.

GONZO: THE LIFE AND WORK OF HUNTER S. THOMPSON (HDNet Films / Magnolia Pictures)

A hardcore Thompson fan will probably learn nothing new from this documentary. However, the tons of rare footage and unseen photographs that director Alex Gibney includes, makes the film well worth your time. It’s an entertaining look at one of American literature’s wildest characters and greatest journalists.

TRANSSIBERIAN (Filmax Group / First Look International)

Director Brad Anderson’s (SESSION 9 and THE MACHINIST) very slow moving thriller about the well-known train that travels from China to Russia. An American couple encounters two strangers who are obviously up to no good. One of the four winds up dead and Russian police officers were already pursuing the victim. A good, creepy thriller, lacking sufficient publicity, that seemed to come and go throughout cinemas.

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (EFTI / Magnet Releasing)

A vampire film imported from Sweden. Bullies constantly pick on Oskar at his local middle school. Eli is the new girl who moves in next door to him. They help each other survive in their world. This is the one straight-up horror film I saw more than once and enjoyed it even more upon repeat viewings. The swimming pool scene was so simple, yet perfectly executed. The American version may be released by 2010.

---

2008 TEN BEST FILMS by Victoria Alexander

HUNGER: Terrifying and ultra-realistic.

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN: The best creepy vampire movie.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON: Because I never felt sorry for Benjamin.

THE READER: Winslet plays a role no other actress would.

JCVD: A clever script and the best comeback of the year.

THE STRANGERS: Scared me!

FUNNY GAMES: Cruel and brilliant.

TROPIC THUNDER: Best comedy of the year.

TOWELHEAD: Fearless.

THE WRESTLER: Because Rourke shows he has nothing to lose so he said, why not?

---

Continue to Oren Shai’s picks…

Continue to page: 1 2 3 4