Best Movies of the Decade - '00s

This was a heartbreaking work of staggering genius. We have reached the end of another decade and so many magazines and shows were putting together top ten lists for the decade and I decided, why not take a whack at it? It was not even anywhere remotely near easy. When I looked down at the bloody victors at my feet after I had so ruthlessly hacked away at the thousands of films that I have seen over the past ten years and the hundreds that deserved a spot on this list, there were so measly few remaining standing, but that number was still 35. I had to still deny 25 masterpieces eternal glory to reach the arbitrary number of "top ten". It was like killing babies. So I apologize to all the movies that didn't manage to make it to the final roundup. It was nothing personal.

Now, a word about how I made the list. I hate people who make lists and then choose their spots not by which movies they liked better than another, but rather which was the best of a genre, or some other capricious rule. For example, "I need to pick a Pixar movie on my list, which was the best?". If all ten of the best films of the decade happen to be made by Pixar, that is no reason to punish Pixar by canceling itself out of contention. It is very tempting to do, but categorically unfair. I started with a list that was nothing but a list of the films I liked best and narrowing it down using a bracket-like system until I had what I deemed the best. I was as surprised as anybody possibly could be.

So without further ado:

1. Children of Men (2006)
2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
3. Hot Fuzz (2007)
4. There Will Be Blood (2007)
5. Finding Nemo (2003)
6. Letters From Iwo Jima (2006)
7. Crash (2005)
8. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
9. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
10. Frozen River (2008)

My Favorite Bands

For a change of pace, I thought I'd let you know what kind of music I listen to, so here are my top 20 favorite bands of all time:

1. Blink-182
2. Ludo
3. Green Day
4. Mury
5. Alkaline Trio
6. SR-71
7. The Airborne Toxic Event
8. Bowling for Soup
9. American Hi-Fi
10. Single File
11. Sum 41
12. Billy Talent
13. The Offspring
14. Box Car Racer
15. Lucky Boys Confusion
16. Rise Against
17. Goldfinger
18. Weezer
19. The All-American Rejects
20. Good Charlotte

30 Seconds of Fame

Screw Andy Warhol, I'm up to a solid 30 seconds with my second Haiku Review to make it on "The Rotten Tomatoes Show"

Best Prison Movies

This list doesn't really have a connection anywhere, except I've watched a bunch of movies (and TV shows) recently featuring prisons, and I'm currently reading a book set in a prison, so it's on my mind. These are the best movies with a substantial portion of screen time set inside a prison.

1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
2. My Cousin Vinny (1992)
3. American History X (1998)
4. The Green Mile (1999)
5. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
6. Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
7. The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
8. The Great Escape (1963)
9. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
10. Midnight Express (1978)

Best Pixar Movies

Now that they've made ten films, each a masterpiece in its own respect, I figured it's time to rank them. Plus, it's just not fair to compare other animated movies to films of this caliber. They need a list of their own. I'll try to keep it updated well into the future.

1. Toy Story (1995)
2. Finding Nemo (2003)
3. Toy Story 2 (1999)
4. The Incredibles (2004)
5. Coco (2017)
6. Up (2009)
7. WALL·E (2008)
8. Monsters University (2013)
9. Inside Out (2015)
10. Onward (2020)
11. Cars (2006)
12. Toy Story 4 (2019)
13. Ratatouille (2007)
14. Brave (2012)
15. Incredibles 2 (2018)
16. Finding Dory (2016)
17. Cars 3 (2017)
18. The Good Dinosaur (2015)
19. A Bug's Life (1998)
20. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
21. Toy Story 3 (2010)
22. Cars 2 (2011)

15 Seconds of Fame

Check out this Haiku Review that I submitted to "The Rotten Tomatoes Show" television program on Current. They actually aired it on T.V.!

Ten Years Revisited!

Well, it's been a long ten years. Here's the movies I was into a decade ago:


1. The Cider House Rules
2. American Beauty
3. The Green Mile
4. The Iron Giant
5. Toy Story 2
6. Lola rennt
7. South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut
8. Galaxy Quest
9. The Blair Witch Project
10. Three Kings

Worst Harrison Ford Movies

Here's the flipside to the best list. It is shorter, though. Sorry. It's like I said, I cut him a lot of slack. A couple of these aren't even that bad.

1. Working Girl (1988)
2. More American Graffiti (1979)
3. Random Hearts (1999)
4. The Devil's Own (1997)
5. Frantic (1988)

Best Harrison Ford Movies

My wife thought I should throw some actors names in the ring, listing each of their best and worst films. I figured I'd start with my favorite actor, Harrison Ford. He also has a movie coming out this month, so it works on many levels. Just warning you now, he is my favorite actor, so I cut him a lot of slack.

1. The Fugitive (1993)
2. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
3. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
4. Air Force One (1997)
5. American Graffiti (1973)
6. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
7. What Lies Beneath (2000)
8. Clear and Present Danger (1994)
9. Witness (1985)
10. Regarding Henry (1991)

Worst movies of 2009

I've decided to start a new blog chronicling the worst movies I see each year. Keep in mind, I am not a critic. I am not paid to watch movies. I see what I think looks good and worth the roughly fifty bucks I'll end up shelling out on a night at the movies. Therefore, you will never (knock on wood) see a Olsen twins or Steven Segal movie on these lists. A couple of caveats: I do have a daughter, turning six this year, who will drag me to the occasional crap-fest (Doogal, The Tale of Despereaux), a wife who will drag me to a different kind of crap-fest (Twilight), and I, myself, am a sucker for 3D movies (see below), since (like decent popcorn) you can only get that kind of corny, greasy, bad-for-you fun in the theater.

1. Bride Wars
2. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
3. My Bloody Valentine 3D
4. Knowing
5. Adventureland
6. Paul Blart: Mall Cop
7. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
8. He's Just Not That Into You
9. Friday the 13th
10. The Uninvited

Best Movies of 2009

1. Moon
2. Up In The Air
3. Star Trek
4. District 9
5. Taken
6. Up 3D
7. Inglourious Basterds
8. An Education
9. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
10. Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Best Romantic Dramas

Next up: drama

1. La Vita è bella (1997)
2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
3. Moulin Rouge! (2001)
4. Casablanca (1942)
5. Jerry Maguire (1996)
6. Gone with the Wind (1939)
7. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
8. The African Queen (1951)
9. Sense and Sensibility (1995)
10. Stardust (2007)

Best Romantic Comedies

In honor of St. Valentine's day, I am putting together a "couple" (get it?) lists of romance movies. The first: comedy

1. As Good as It Gets (1997)
2. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
3. Love Actually (2003)
4. It Happened One Night (1934)
5. Annie Hall (1977)
6. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
7. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
8. Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
9. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
10. There's Something About Mary (1998)

Best Movies of 2000

1. Unbreakable
2. One Day in September
3. The Emperor's New Groove
4. What Lies Beneath
5. Meet the Parents
6. Frequency
7. The Perfect Storm
8. Erin Brockovich
9. Finding Forrester
10. Gladiator

Worst Oscar Nominees

Here's the worst list. It's not just winners to broaden the playing field, but they are all nominees for Best Picture.

1. Working Girl (1988)
2. Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)
3. Munich (2005)
4. Love Story (1970)
5. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
6. The Sound of Music (1965)
7. Elizabeth (1998)
8. A Man for All Seasons (1966)
9. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
10. Romeo and Juliet (1968)

Best Best Picture Winners

In honor of the Academy Award nominations, I will do a list of the best movies to ever win Best Picture and the worst movies to ever be nominated for it. First, the best list:

1. On the Waterfront (1954)
2. Crash (2004)
3. Casablanca (1942)
4. Amadeus (1984)
5. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
6. Gone with the Wind (1939)
7. It Happened One Night (1934)
8. Annie Hall (1977)
9. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
10. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)