It's that time of year. When all of us decide to put together lists recapping the year gone by. I don't want to disappoint, so without further ado, onto the year that was 2004. I shall start off with the meat of my lists, theatrical films. That will be followed by less extensive listings for DVD's and CD's. If you would like to see my recap of the first 6 months of 2004, click here, or my 2003 list first, click here.
First up some stats about my viewing this year.
- Total Movies: 131
- Films seen solo: 116
- 2003 Releases Seen in 2004: 13
- Movies Eligible for Best/Worst lists: 118
Film Length:
- Shortest: 80 minutes
- Average: 105 minutes
- Longest: 175 minutes
Theater Breakdown:
- Regal(Poughkeepsie): 65
- Regal(Fishkill): 19
- Destinta: 18
- Loew's: 1
- Showtime: 4
- Silver Cinema: 6
- Upstate Films: 18
Genre Breakdown: Based on primary choice
- Action/Adventure: 14
- Animated: 6
- Comedy: 36
- Documentary: 10
- Drama: 26
- Fantasy: 4
- Foreign Language: 6
- Horror: 9
- Science Fiction: 7
- Suspense/Thriller: 11
- Various Shorts: 1
MPAA Rating Breakdown:
- G: 1
- PG: 15
- PG-13: 52
- R: 49
- NC-17: 1
- Not Rated: 10
My * Rating (Subject to change):
- *: 2
- *.5: 0
- **: 17
- **.5: 29
- ***: 51
- ***.5: 25
- ****: 6
- ****.5: 0
- *****: 1
Most common star:
- Jude Law: 3 movies
- Nicole Kidman: 3 movies
OK, enough of that. Now onto the film lists. Each list will count down from low to high.
Top 10 Films of the Year
- 10. Bad Education. A surprise, much like 21 Grams last year, this film with a labyrinth for a plot is well worth trying to figure out. The layers all start to come together later in the film, plus it features some excellent performances.
- 9. Spider-Man 2. One of the best superhero films ever made. Sam Raimi has crafted a film that has plenty of action, yet has an underlying story and well developed characters.
- 8. The Aviator. Scorsese strikes again giving us this look into the bizarre world of Howard Hughes. This is one of the better bio-pics I've yet seen. Leonardo Dicaprio proves that he is a talented actor. Also features fine supporting acts.
- 7. The Saddest Music in the World. Here is a movie which surprised me. It is one of the most bizarre films I've seen. I'm not sure I could adequately describe this great movie.
- 6. Sideways. Alexander Payne weaves a tale of real people and real situations. Great performances and dialogue highlight this comic drama.
- 5. Garden State. Who knew Scrubs' Zach Braff had this in him? He has come out as a new voice for the big screen. I look forward to what he does next. I can't recommend this enough.
- 4. Hero. Easily the most gorgeous film I've seen this year. I know this was actually released back in 2002, but it finally made it to the US screens. Jet Li stars in this martial arts epic.
- 3. Kill Bill Vol. 2. The completion of an epic revenge tale stands alone as it takes The Bride's quest to an end. Tarantino has taken many of his influences and put his own stamp on it.
- 2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. This film blew me away. It's visual inventiveness and emotional resonance are second to none. There was no way to predict how this would connect with me. A definite must see for anyone who likes movies, or has known the feeling of lost love.
- 1. The Passion of the Christ. An absolutely incredible experience. Beautifully shot and acted. Please see it before making up your mind.
- Runner Ups: Closer, Kinsey, Shaun of the Dead, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, The Incredibles, Ray, I'm Not Scared, Collateral, The Terminal, Super Size Me, Finding Neverland
Article comments
1 - Aaman
Excellent, well-detailed list. Which was the 5-star rated film in your list?
Also, seeing Sideways appear across the board reminds me of A O Scott's gripes about the film in this Sunday's NY Times - he perceives the film as being a critic's favorite because the lead character has the temperament of a critic. He is not a big fan of the film.
2 - Chris
Thanks!
The 5 star film was The Passion.
As for Sideways, I haven't checked out too many other lists yet, but when I walked out of the theater, I loved how the film seemed to be filled with real world characters in a situation that was more or less realistic, it just struck a chord.
3 - Eric Olsen
super job of boiling things down and coming to conclusions - thanks Chris!
4 - Aaman
welcome back, Eric - I guess we'll see more of you hereabouts now?
5 - Eric Olsen
Thanks Aaman, I am deciding how interesting the many obstacles to my participation in the electronic world over the last 10 days or so would be to hte world at large - I'm sure I'll do something on it
6 - Eric Berlin
I'm impressed with your incredibly detailed breakdown of the year in film. This list reminds me, above all others, how many fine films I manage to miss annually.
I agree that you should include your star ratings for each film. For instance, I'd like to see where the Surprises and Guilty Pleasures match up against the Best (and Worst).
Eric Berlin
Dumpster Bust: Miracles from Mind Trash
http://dumpsterbust.blogspot.com
7 - Chris
Eric,
I'll do that. When I am home at my own PC. If you visit my blog, there is a link on the left side which will show you the complete list of films I have seen. I originally thought about ranking and posting the entire list, but there are so many films in the middle that could go in a variety of directions. Maybe I will post the list with a one line review each?
8 - Eric Berlin
I think you could do a separate post listing all 100+ movies with a one-line review and your rating. That would be a great way for people to get a quick read on your take from the entire year in film. Personally, I'd like to see your 5 stars, 4.5s, 4s, etc. separated out, then alphabetized.
But that's just the opinion of one (just graduated) academic librarian...
Eric Berlin
Dumpster Bust: Miracles from Mind Trash
http://dumpsterbust.blogspot.com
9 - Chris
Congratulations!
I'll be putting something up, keep your eye out!
10 - Jon Sobel
That's a great roundup! I missed a lot of these movies, but I'll be using this list to help me decide what to try and catch while it's still playing.
11 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
Excellent list. I'm in the process of putting my own together. I know how much sweat and blood went into all those stats, man. This isn't a task to be taken lightly. And happy new year and such to you all.
12 - Chris
I haven't gotten to start the one line review quick guide to my viewing '04, hopefully by the weekend.