comment #1

raskimono says ...

No Breach, Michael Clayton, Eastern Promises, Persepolis. What gives?

comment #2

p.Vice says ...

If by that comparison you mean another year of overrated films that age from cheap wine to stale vinegar, that's a spot on comparison. Fight Club? American Beauty? The Limey? Pathetic.

For my money, 2000 (Cast Away, Werckmeister Harmonies, Platform, In the Mood for Love, Yi Yi, Ghost World, Requiem for a Dream), 2002 (Stevie, Gangs of New York, Design, All or Nothing, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Talk to Her), and especially 2004 (Before Sunset, Sideways, Head On, Life Aquatic, House of Flying Daggers, Eternal Sunshine, 2046, A tout de suite) are all far more impressive. Even 2006 turned out pretty good and I still haven't even caught up with some of the delayed releases that are still making the rounds.

comment #3

York "Budd" Durden says ...

Life Aquatic? No.

comment #4

Joe Leydon says ...

I would add Patrice Leconte's magical Girl on the Bridge to that 1999 list. Well, unless you want to be a stickler for US release dates (it didn't start theatrical release here until 2000).

comment #5

christian says ...

And of course, THE IRON GIANT, GALAXY QUEST and I would consider RUSHMORE part of the 99 wave too.

comment #6

chrispol says ...

So...why does Jeff have Sweeney Todd included already as a first-rate release? Hmm...

comment #7

jeffmcm says ...

I agree that 1999 was an excellent year (and Wells predictably left Toy Story 2 out of his list) but I don't see a lot of evidence to support this year being more than above-average. American Gangster I would call mediocre and In the Valley of Elah is legitimately bad, IMHO.

comment #8

corey3rd says ...

Straight Story

comment #9

LostContacts says ...

p.Vice--are you actually saying "Cast Away" is a great film? That's absurd. A great performance by Hanks, perhaps. As a film it's a piece of shit. The unintentional laughter provided by the volleyball sharing a name with Hanks' real-life wife is my only happy memory from that wasted eight dollars. No way it's better than "Fight Club" or "American Bauty." (I will, however, add that "Beauty" has not aged well.)

comment #10

York "Budd" Durden says ...

Indeed, Beauty's star has fallen, but Fight Club for me has only gotten better with time.

comment #11

Doug Pratt says ...

You left out Topsy Turvy, Bertolucci's Beseiged, End of the Affair, Titus, Cookie's Fortune, Hideous Kinky, The Winslow Boy, Loss of Sexual Innocence, Buena Vista Social Club, the South Park movie, Sleepy Hollow, Toy Story 2, the Talented Mr. Ripley, 42 Up, Dogma, and Princess Mononoke, and even Notting Hill, Double Jeapordy, eXistenZ, True Crime, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Anaylyze This, Jawbreaker, and Office Space

comment #12

jeffmcm says ...

DOUBLE JEOPARDY?
Yeesh.

comment #13

berg says ...

any foreign film with BRIDGE in the title

comment #14

ZacharyTF says ...

The inclusion of Sweeney Todd and Charlie Wilson's War on Jeff's list leads me to believe that he has seen both and loves them. Accept or Deny? :)

comment #15

rocco says ...

Wow...I agree with almost every film on the list...'American Beauty' is almost laughably bad (I hated it then, too, nice to see others coming around) but the one I have a real problem with is 'The Thin Red Line'?

Really?? 'The Thin Red Line'??? If that had been directed by anyone other than Terrence Malick EVERYONE would have hated it, not just those of us who don't have our heads up Malick's ass.

Besides, it was a '98 release.

comment #16

JD says ...

Doug, while I like many of the films on your list, I strangely agree with Jeff's decision not to include any of them (except maybe Ripley). Not sure why, but none of them seem major to me. I am a little perturbed, however, that Jeff only saw fit to include 2 or 3 (lesser) foreign language films on his list. What about Rosetta? The Dream Life of Angels? My Best Fiend? L'Humanite? It's probably best to qualify this list (and 1999 in general) as a great year for American films if you're going to exclude the rest of the world and make room for dreck like Any Given Sunday.

comment #17

VoiceOfReason says ...

the thin red line was 1998.

comment #18

Doug Pratt says ...

After Eyes Wide Shut, Topsy Turvy was the best film of that year, and Beseiged was one of the ten best; Hideous Kinky is way under-appreciated; and Double Jeapordy has turned into one of those great channel surfing films that locks you in every time you happen upon it.

comment #19

christian says ...

I still dig AMERICAN BEAUTY. Too many good scenes and acting along with sweet Conrad Hall imagery. Come on, it's one of Spacey's great roles. "I rule!"

comment #20

gr81lives says ...

I honestly do not remember a year like this where there are so many questions for the Oscars. At least in 1998 we had Saving Private Ryan, Shakespeare In Love,Life Is Beautiful, etc.

Don't get me wrong there have been some good movies so far this year. But there are so many questions. American Gangster good movie but compared to previous years movies with Oscar Buzz this wouldn't be even in the same league.

Without seeing Sweeney Todd yet and Charlie Wilson's War (which seems like a disaster) I think this is going to be a very unrememberable year for movies when we look back at 2007.

One last thing. I loved 3:10 To Yuma. The mistake was releasing it to early. Crowe is a great in it and the rest of the cast gave great performances

comment #21

JackTorrance says ...

You've seen Sweeney Todd?

comment #22

Geoff says ...

I want to say American Beauty has faded too, but I just can't. The theme of "looking closer" and just stopping to appreciate the subtle things in life still resonates. And Kevin Spacey is amazing to watch.

comment #23

rocco says ...

"look closer" is an excellent mantra for one to follow...however, in my humble opinion, 'American Beauty' fails as a vehicle for this message...however noble its intentions may have been, it is crass, vulgar, and unintentionally comical. Crass and vulgar I can live, but not when it's completely egregious AND gratuitous. I was a big fan the first time I saw it...then the second time it hit me how absurd the whole thing is. Great performances, terrible script.

comment #24

corey3rd says ...

I always thought the message of American Beauty is if you don't screw the teenage cheerleader, God will send his agent of vengence in the form of a gay ex-marine.

This movie would not be approved by Chris Hansen.

comment #25

Dunderchief says ...

It always saddens me that my favorite film of 1999 is always left of these lists. American Movie was tremendous when I first saw it and it only gets better upon each viewing.

comment #26

D.Z. says ...

"The current consensus is that 2007 has come close to being another 1999 -- an exceptionally rich and bountiful year in terms of sheer quality."

Um, 1999 was a fairly mediocre year, actually. It just got a lot of hype, because of that millennium/Y2K garbage, and most of the winners(such as American Beauty, American Pie, The Sixth Sense, and the Blair Witch) haven't held up since then. But, hey, that was just one year out of a decade of eating shit and loving it, which is why Tarantino lasted that long.

p.Vice: Ghost World is from 2001.

Doug: Mononoke actually came out in Japan in 1997, but Harvey's hatred of Asians forced it to be delayed for two years.

Oh, and Happiness > American Beauty.

comment #27

Josh Massey says ...

With the possible exception of Fight Club, the one 1999 movie that has only gotten better with time is South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut. That film impresses me more each time I see it.

comment #28

D.Z. says ...

Josh: Hell, yes. It's a shame they'll never do a sequel, though. But maybe it's for the best.

comment #29

StewartforPresident says ...

Movies in your list that were not good: Any Given Sunday, Magnolia, The Thin Red Line, Eyes Wide Shut, Cradle will Rock and The Blair Witch Project(fucking awful). The only reason the first movies are on the list I assume is due to the marquee directors attached to them not because they were good.

The only movies anyone will be watching 20 years from now, Fight Club, The Matrix(maybe, depends on how fast the sequels are forgotten), The Insider, and Being John Malkovich(cult favorite)

comment #30

BurmaShave says ...

D.Z. you're back, and crazier than ever.

2001 is my favorite year for film in this decade for MULHOLLAND DRIVE, SEXY BEAST, GHOST WORLD, THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS, OCEAN'S ELEVEN and MEMENTO. Maybe not a cavalcade, but all of those films mean a lot to me. 2007 really has been extraordinary though, and may become my favorite year as time goes on.
A banner year without a doubt:

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, ZODIAC, ONCE, THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD, INTO THE WILD, MICHAEL CLAYTON, EASTERN PROMISES, RATATOUILLE, KNOCKED UP, THE DARJEELING LIMITED, SICKO, AMERICAN GANGSTER, THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM, YOU KILL ME, AWAY FROM HER, THE HOAX, BREACH, THE KINGDOM, OCEAN'S THIRTEEN, THE BRAVE ONE, PARIS J'TAIME, GRINDHOUSE, BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD(flawed and tremendously overrated, but still worthy) and 3:10 TO YUMA (GREAT genre picture almost sunk by its insane ending... you fanboys go crazy for this but hate NO COUNTRY?)

comment #31

gr81lives says ...

No Country is a great film.. Even with an ending like it had. Every performance is A++. People wake up and go see it.

3:10 To Yuma even with the ending it has is still a good movie. Better than what's coming out now.

comment #32

jeffmcm says ...

It's actually something of a relief to see a DZ post that consists mostly of his own inane opinions and not obviously refutable facts so that I don't have to waste time illustrating the details of why he's wrong. I can just simply say that 1999 was a great movie year, that Tarantino is a great filmmaker, and that The Blair Witch Project was the best horror movie of that year.

So, in closing: Shut up, DZ.

Burma: I agree with everything you said except that I never got into Ghost World.

comment #33

D.Z. says ...

jeff: "I can just simply say that 1999 was a great movie year, that Tarantino is a great filmmaker, and that The Blair Witch Project was the best horror movie of that year."

Too bad most people on here disagree.

comment #34

jeffmcm says ...

You are not most people.

comment #35

jeffmcm says ...

I would be happy to have a discussion on any of those issues, but I know that your mind is already firmly made up on all subjects and you are not interested in conversation.
Prove me wrong if you like but otherwise it's the same old soapboxing that you always, only indulge in.

comment #36

swordandpen says ...

I would add the little seen "Liberty Heights" as one of 1999's best movies. "The Blair Witch Project" was mediocre then and got worse over time, in my opinion, though. Horror movies should never be so dull and one note.

About this year, there have been a lot of good movies, but they have been concentrated over the last 2 1/2 months for the most part and I would take the top five movies of each of the last few years over everything I've seen so far in 2007, "No Country" being my favorite at this point.

As good as "No Country" is, it doesn't come close to "Fight Club", "Malkovich" or "Three Kings".

comment #37

jeffmcm says ...

Three Kings: now there's a movie that is excellent for most of its length and then is undone by a disappointing ending.

comment #38

Dan Revill says ...

What?! No love for The Phantom Menace?!

*ducks*

comment #39

StewartforPresident says ...

Good Movies from 1999 not mentioned so far: Boys Don't Cry, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Bowfinger, Ghost Dog, Office Space and The Big Kahuna(Spacey and De Vito).

comment #40

BurmaShave says ...

BOWFINGER is another 1999 film that gets no love.

comment #41

adorian says ...

Please, let's not forget "La vie en rose" and "Hairspray." I loved both of them...on DVD.

comment #42

WJ says ...

About half of the films you mention as "great" from '99 either haven't aged well or weren't that great to begin with (the obvious ones have already been pointed out). Out of all of them, Office Space (you failed to mention) is perhaps more relevant and effective today than in 1999, while the others have seen major decay.

2006 was really a fantastic year for film. The problem was that most of the great films from last year were either foreign or genre films and, therefore, weren't well recognized by the Academy and its pundits/prediction freaks.

I haven't seen many of the prestige films from this year, so I can't really judge. So many people complain that the "great films" fail at the box office, but most of them aren't released nationwide or get in-name-only "wide" releases (>1500 theaters). I really wanted to see Jesse James and Into the Wild, but they didn't play at any theaters near me. Meanwhile, No Country is playing 40 miles away this week. An hour's car ride to the theater and back is not an inviting prospect to most people (myself included), especially on Thanksgiving.

Anyway, that was my rant for the day.

comment #43

Lee says ...

SUPERBAD will wear better than AMERICAN BEAUTY, which is hard to watch anymore as anything but an audition tape for SIX FEET UNDER.

comment #44

adaml says ...

Is someone mentioning Double Jeapordy and god film in the same sentence?

Really? That Ashley Judd thing? The female fugitive nonsense? Worst film I saw that year by a distance.

Best 1999 films not yet mentioned: Go and Lake Placid.

Oh and Bowfinger's a great film.

comment #45

StewartforPresident says ...

1999 also brought us Freaks and Geeks.

comment #46

JackTorrance says ...

I'm still curious about Jeff adding Sweeney Todd and Charlie Wilson's War to his list of films.

comment #47

BurmaShave says ...

And not mentioning ATONEMENT.

comment #48

westegg says ...

I didn't read through all the comments, but 1999 also brought TOPSY TURVY, a brilliantly done Gilbert & Sullivan romp from director Michael Leigh.

comment #49

OddDuck says ...

I've got nothing substantive to add other than to pile on some more disgust at whoever brought "Double Jeopardy" into the thread. Easily the seventh dumbest thing I've ever seen on this site.

comment #50

westegg says ...

I didn't read through all the comments, but 1999 also brought TOPSY TURVY, a brilliantly done Gilbert & Sullivan romp from director Michael Leigh.

comment #51

christian says ...

BLAIR WITCH gets better, more resonant and remains a horror film that is actually ABOUT SOMETHING. It's still the most inlfluential American horror movie of the past 10 years.

OFFICE SPACE should be on there fer sure. Missed it in the theater even when I was in Austin.

I'd put SW: TPM on the 99 list because it's SW and because of John Williams superb score and a great light saber battle. Geek.

comment #52

actionman says ...

It's funny Wells, I thought the same thing a few weeks ago, that 2007 was shaping up to be a new 1999.

comment #53

lipranzer says ...

I think 1999 stands out as a great year in movies, although 2001 and 2003 stand pretty close as well (2006 had a lot of great movies packed into the last few months, but wasn't consistently great). I'm not ready to confer status onto this year yet. Sure, I have 11 contenders for my top 10 list right now (maybe 12; I haven't quite made up my mind about I'M NOT THERE), and since I missed a lot of movies over the summer because I had to move, I have plenty of catching up to do, but as has been stated already, there have been plenty of disappointments as well. IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH, LUST, CAUTION, AMERICAN GANGSTER, and MARGOT AT THE WEDDING all disappointed, and while I liked EASTERN PROMISES, it also disappointed somewhat.

Oh, and to put my head on the chopping block:

My Top 10 for 1999, in order: THREE KINGS, MAGNOLIA, EYES WIDE SHUT, BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY, TOPSY TURVY, AMERICAN BEAUTY (yes, it's not original, but it's well acted and yes, I think it's well told), THE INSIDER, BOYS DON'T CRY, and THE DREAMLIFE OF ANGELS.

My Honorable Mentions for 1999, in alphabetical order: AN AMERICAN LOVE STORY (PBS doc about interracial family that was released theatrically at New York's Film Forum), BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (though I haven't seen it in a long time), COOKIE'S FORTUNE, THE IRON GIANT, LIMBO, THE LIMEY, MAN ON THE MOON, MR. DEATH: THE RISE AND FALL OF FRED LEUCHTER, RIDE WITH THE DEVIL, RUN LOLA RUN.

In addition, there are plenty of movies that just missed that list that I nonetheless found enormously satisfying, including CRADLE WILL ROCK, LIBERTY HEIGHTS, THE SIXTH SENSE, THE CIDER HOUSE RULES, OFFICE SPACE, SOUTH PARK: BIGGER LONGER & UNCUT, ELECTION (though I find it a bit overrated; Chris Klein's performance has grated over time), MY BEST FIEND, TOY STORY 2, and simply too many other movies to name. That list would NOT include, however, DOUBLE JEOPARDY, which I thought quite stupid (though it could have been worse; someone could have sung the praises of WILD WILD WEST or THE GENERAL'S DAUGHTER, the two worst movies of the year).

comment #54

dangovich says ...

Good calls on Office Space and American Movie.

Except for Kevin Spacey, American Beauty was shite. Annette Bening's shrill performance was like nails on a chalkboard, and the self-hating gay Marine subplot was ridiculous.

Blair Witch certainly worked on a visceral level. It would have been so much better if the three characters had been interesting and intelligent.

comment #55

Doug Pratt says ...

Actually, Double Jeopardy isn't any more stupid than The Fight Club, and it has a happier ending.

comment #56

Jack Price says ...

Awesome discussion. I always love to talk about how uniformly groundbreaking and exciting 1999 was for filmgoers. 2007 has had some outstanding films, but it's primarily been concentrated towards the end of the year. 2006 also had some extraordinary films scattered about; same for 2004.

Fight Club used to be one of my favorite movies, period. The only thing it came close to was The Graduate; completely altering my perspective of what was possible in film. Granted, I was also a freshman in high school during this time.

Now, perhaps due to seeing it far too many times, but the film has lost a great deal of it's holding power with me. The line "Our great war, is the spiritual war. Our great depression, is our lives," is a time capsule statement which has nowhere near the same relevance that it did during its release. If given the opportunity to rewatch Fight Club or Seven, I'd go with Seven.

Anyone here feel that Fight Club has aged well comparative to its initial release?

comment #57

BurmaShave says ...

Was ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER in 1999? If so, put it on the board.

comment #58

Josh Massey says ...

I remember Bruce Greenwood ripping into Double Jeopardy during our interview at the junket, laughing about how stupid it was. The young Paramount rep's head practically exploded. I've loved the guy ever since.

comment #59

Josh Massey says ...

Other movies not yet mentioned: I actually really liked Disney's Tarzan, which came out in '99. And 99's Varsity Blues is probably my favorite guilty pleasure ever.

comment #60

Joe Leydon says ...

"My Honorable Mentions for 1999, in alphabetical order: AN AMERICAN LOVE STORY (PBS doc about interracial family that was released theatrically at New York's Film Forum), BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (though I haven't seen it in a long time), COOKIE'S FORTUNE, THE IRON GIANT, LIMBO, THE LIMEY, MAN ON THE MOON, MR. DEATH: THE RISE AND FALL OF FRED LEUCHTER, RIDE WITH THE DEVIL, RUN LOLA RUN."

Except for Limbo -- which, I'm ashamed to admit, I've never seen -- I respond: YES!!!!!!!!!! (Especially for An American Love Story.)

comment #61

OddDuck says ...

Bruce Greenwood's an awesome actor. One of my favorite movies is The Sweet Hereafter, and he's great in it - completely inhabits his character. There's a scene where he threatens a man with violence and it is just about as genuine and scary expression of suppressed rage as I can recall on film.

And I love that he ripped into Double Jeopardy during the junket! Is this Doug Pratt fellow trying to make a joke? If not that is truly some kind of bizarre love of the mundane he's exhibiting here.

Already been mentioned, but just wanted to chime in on Ride with the Devil, which despite starring numerous actors who I kinda hate, definitely belongs on any best of '99 list. Beautifully shot, great score, decent acting all around and probably my favorite performance ever by Jeffrey Wright.

comment #62

JohnCope says ...

"The line "Our great war, is the spiritual war. Our great depression, is our lives," is a time capsule statement which has nowhere near the same relevance that it did during its release."

I'm curious, Jack, do you believe this is so due to 9/11 and everything after? Personally I think this line (and Fight Club generally) is just as relevant as ever to a certain segment of society. The mere existence of the war convinces some that it is a highly relevant feature of all our lives and I just don't believe this to be so. Van Sant's Paranoid Park deals with this theme a little; Tom Clay's brilliant Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael deals with it even more.

comment #63

D.Z. says ...

christian: "BLAIR WITCH gets better, more resonant and remains a horror film that is actually ABOUT SOMETHING. It's still the most inlfluential American horror movie of the past 10 years."

If you haven't seen Ringu or Cannibal Holocaust, then sure...

"I'd put SW: TPM on the 99 list because it's SW and because of John Williams superb score and a great light saber battle."

The POTC flicks have better sword-battles and LOTR has a better score...

Jack: "Awesome discussion. I always love to talk about how uniformly groundbreaking and exciting 1999 was for filmgoers."

It was neither. Though it looked like filmmakers were saying something back then, because they opted for "edgy" that year. But Mendes and Shyamalan aren't any bolder than Linkin Park...

"IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH, LUST, CAUTION, AMERICAN GANGSTER, and MARGOT AT THE WEDDING all disappointed, and while I liked EASTERN PROMISES, it also disappointed somewhat."

I haven't seen most of those, but the trailers I've seen of them at least come off more appealing and more serious than the '99 junk.

"The line "Our great war, is the spiritual war. Our great depression, is our lives," is a time capsule statement which has nowhere near the same relevance that it did during its release. If given the opportunity to rewatch Fight Club or Seven, I'd go with Seven."

Seven's decent, but the ending doesn't have the same impact on a second viewing as many of the climactic scenes from Fight Club. (Maybe because I don't like Paltrow, I dunno...) I'll admit if anything was forgettable from that film, it'd be that line, but I'm guessing there was some satirical intent in its application. Therefore, it wasn't entirely meant to have as much weight as other lines from the film.

"Anyone here feel that Fight Club has aged well comparative to its initial release?"

It hasn't necessarily aged "well", but it still has some bite.

comment #64

K. Bowen says ...

I'm not going to go into the 1999 stuff too far, but I think when you look back, the years from 1998 to about 2001 composed a great run, and probably the high mark of late indie era filmmaking. 2000 to me was a high point, at least at the highest level (Amores Perros, George Washington, In the Mood for Love, Requiem for a Dream, Ratcatcher, etc.)

I generally haven't been as high on this year's films as some, and even I think it is turning into a banner year. A couple not mentioned yet: THE NAMESAKE; 28 WEEKS LATER. I personally like, for all its studio-induced flaws, THE INVASION, as well. Not that that's a commonly held opinion. But there's usually one critically-blasted film that I enjoy every year. I don't think anyone grasped that the Hirschbiegel portions are basically Kubrick-ian.

comment #65

source188 says ...

I've always championed 1999 as a standout year in film history. American Beauty has indeed faded away (The Insider deserved Best Picture)and now Little Children should rightfully take it's place among the "Deconstruction of Modern American Suburban Life" sub-genre. The Thin Red Line is a 1998 release. The Talented Mr. Ripley is among the great '99 cavalcade in my opinion. As for 2007, Micheal Clayton, Eastern Promises and perhaps even Rescue Dawn definitely belong among the mentioned.

comment #66

jeffmcm says ...

To sum up-

Everybody: Discussion Discussion? Dialogue question answer reasonable statement.

DZ: You're all wrong and I have total disdain for all opinions that aren't my own.

comment #67

D.Z. says ...

I'll admit if there's one thing I liked about '99, it was the Yellow Submarine theatrical re-release. Seeing it in theaters is completely different from seeing it on home video!

comment #68

MAGGA says ...

"It always saddens me that my favorite film of 1999 is always left of these lists. American Movie was tremendous when I first saw it and it only gets better upon each viewing."

I love that film. Used to think it was hillarious, now it hits close to home in a way, as I too have cinematic ambitions that may be beyond my reach. The guys in the film feel like brilliant charicatures of a certain type of driven person, but the fact that they are real is fantastic. Heroic moron would sum up the star of the film well.

comment #69

christian says ...

I adore AMERICAN MOVIE too. My friend thought the film was taking easy shots at Mark Borchardt, but "heroic moron" sums it up. He did what most people couldn't.

As for AFFLICTION and LIMBO, no films were more aptly titled.

comment #70

Bilge says ...

Jeff, just out of curiosity, at what point did you suddenly start liking EYES WIDE SHUT again? Last I checked, you were praising some random audience member for yelling "Bullshit" during a screening for that one, and even as late as 2006 you were referring to Kubrick as "a once-great director who, I feel, lost it at the end of his career."

comment #71

calvados says ...

So far the great films of 2007 are:

Atonement, No Country For Old Men, Once, 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days, Zodiac, Michael Clayton, Ratatouille, The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford & Superbad.

comment #72

donthx78 says ...

I still feel that American Beauty was one of the most overrated films of the 90's. It's funny that over time when you talk to people that they remember more about Fight Club, The Matrix, South Park Bigger Longer, Being John Malkovich, Sixth Sence and Magnolia. Ask then if they rememeber anything about American and most draw a blank. I still think that Sixth or Insider should have won for Best Picture because over time they have grown on me and not lost any of the power since the first time I saw them.

comment #73

christian says ...

AMERICAN BEAUTY has a few scenes still in the public mind. The flying bag for one and the roses etc. Still parodied to this day.

comment #74

AJW says ...

D.Z.: "Oh, and Happiness > American Beauty."

I just saw Happiness for the first time through Netflix a couple weeks ago and when it was over that was what immediately popped into my head. I bought it and re-watched it over the weekend with my girlfriend and it held up well upon a second viewing.

I think the first two acts of Fight Club have aged well, but that final third really ruins the film for me now. It's like the Usual Suspect. After seeing the movie a second time so you can go "Ohhh, look at the clues!", the next viewings then become "Wow. The twist that's coming in 1.5 hours really doesn't make any sense".

comment #75

pchu says ...

A little late on this. 1999 is a great year for movies. I don't think 2007 is close to that level.

Anyway, my favorite in 99 was Boys Don't Cry, followed by American Beauty, The Insider, Office Space, Being John Malkovich, American Movie, Three Kings, Magnolia, Run Lola Run.

2007 is not in the same league. Not too many remarkable movies there. I am not as crazy about Zodiac and The Assisanation of Jesse James as most people here. The best so far are: Ratatouille, Gone Baby Gone, Before the Devil Knows You Are Dead, Diving Bell and the Butterfly, No Country For Old Man, Away From Her, Lives Of Others, The Lookout and Into the Wild. If I have to pick the best one, it would probably be Gone Baby Gone.