It's an ongoing consideration of the best '08 movies so far. There haven't been any 10s yet, sure, but what if, hypothetically, every single remaining release this year was a complete dud. In that case, we'd have been all over the best movies of the year way back now. I'm just messing around. Anyway, the point is: It's a "so far" thing.

Well I mean there's like..

The Visiter
The Edge of Heaven
The Flight of the Red Ballon

and so far these are either unreleased or just out of reach for me seeing them....

quote:

Originally posted by Monkey_Boy:
Well, J.J. ("DY-NO-MITE!" ), what I took from it was Stane had COMPLETE CONTROL of the company before Stark stepped in, and he had grown very comfortable with his seat. Sure, Tony created the best weaponry, but I'm certain that Stane had brung up doing backdoor deals with Stark at some point in the past and he had turned it down. It was all about money, and Obadiah saw MORE money in selling weapons to anyone and everyone that wanted 'em, Tony didn't want to do this. Thus, Stark had to be eliminated! That's how I saw it anyway.

I knew I could depend on you to clear that one up for me, MB I was talking about this with someone else and they also brought to my attention something that I didn’t notice, Stane was wearing one of the Mandarin’s rings??? Thus making him a member of some evil secret organization

I've liked 2 movies so far: The Visitor and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day.
The Visitor was far better and could be the best movie of the year so far. (though I haven't seen Paranoid Park) The story, the message, the characters; it was simply beautiful.
Miss Pettigrew had really excellent performances and energy, as well as breathtaking scenery. Though it wasn't that memorable and the story was just ok. I'd recommend both though.

quote:

Originally posted by Nick Jonas:
I've liked 2 movies so far: The Visitor and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day.
The Visitor was far better and could be the best movie of the year so far. (though I haven't seen Paranoid Park) The story, the message, the characters; it was simply beautiful.
Miss Pettigrew had really excellent performances and energy, as well as breathtaking scenery. Though it wasn't that memorable and the story was just ok. I'd recommend both though.

I haven't seen any of those, I'll have to look into them.

I have to say that I'm pretty disheartened by the state of movies today. I saw only three movies last year that I would even consider worthy of Best of 2007 status: There Will Be Blood, Michael Clayton and No Country For Old Men. I haven't even gone to a theater yet in 2008 because of how shitty movies have become.

Television is now the place to go for quality storytelling. Shows like Lost, House and The Office have better character development and plots and infinitely more heart than just about anything you can see in theaters. But that's just my opinion.

I would highly recommend Shotgun Stories, not because I think it's the best movie this year but because I think it won't receive as much attention as it deserves.
It was nothing like I expected based on the trailer and the title, so if you have written it off based on that I would suggest you give it a chance.

The only good 2008 movies I've seen are Be Kind Rewind, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Iron Man.

The King of Kong....and ummm...

I agree with the previous poster who was decrying the lack of quality movies this year.
I think the Academy would be hard-pressed to even find 5 films worthy of being nominated for Best Picture the way things are going. Hopefully,
some of the better films will be released by December for Oscar consideration.
The way it stands now, what would be the Best Picture of 2008? Redbelt? Savage Grace?
The Other Boleyn Girl? I don't think so.

This has been a terrible year for movies, but I think Iron Man shines as the best of '08; for me at least.

I just though that if the quality of movies doesn't improve, Wall-e should be viewed as a contender for real categories that aren't preceded by the term animated. It could be a protest vote of sorts for some critics.
Really who wouldn't like the see Wall-e win for something like best Director or picture, too bad it won't happen anytime soon.

quote:

Midnight Participant
Posted 29 June 2008 03:19 PM

I just though that if the quality of movies doesn't improve, Wall-e should be viewed as a contender for real categories that aren't preceded by the term animated. It could be a protest vote of sorts for some critics.
Really who wouldn't like the see Wall-e win for something like best Director or picture, too bad it won't happen anytime soon.

As technology continues to destroy the arbitrary line between real and imaginary, between live action and animation, soon there will be no noticeable difference between the two media forms. Keep your eye on the upcoming Beverly Hills Chihuahua in October as just another sign of how special effects/computer generated realism may become actual reality in our perception only. Whether this phenomena will be good or bad, a dangerous turning point or a grand transformation of the film industry remains to be seen.

The first half of 2008 has provided the audience with a mixed movie-going experience. There are fewer great quality classics like last year, but as the same time it has provided more general mainstream movies that are on average better than before. In short the movie industry is improving the quality of movies in general, but unable to come up with those fantastic movies that will live on. Bottomline, is it greatness or great entertainment that one is interested in experiencing?

quote:

Originally posted by tabuno:

quote:

Midnight Participant
Posted 29 June 2008 03:19 PM

I just though that if the quality of movies doesn't improve, Wall-e should be viewed as a contender for real categories that aren't preceded by the term animated. It could be a protest vote of sorts for some critics.
Really who wouldn't like the see Wall-e win for something like best Director or picture, too bad it won't happen anytime soon.

As technology continues to destroy the arbitrary line between real and imaginary, between live action and animation, soon there will be no noticeable difference between the two media forms. Keep your eye on the upcoming Beverly Hills Chihuahua in October as just another sign of how special effects/computer generated realism may become actual reality in our perception only. Whether this phenomena will be good or bad, a dangerous turning point or a grand transformation of the film industry remains to be seen.

Isn't it sad though that this amazing technology available today is being wasted on something like Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Haven't they learned anything from Kangaroo Jack?

quote:

Midnight Participant
Posted 30 June 2008 04:28 PM

Isn't it sad though that this amazing technology available today is being wasted on something like Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Haven't they learned anything from Kangaroo Jack?

In experiencing the trailers, while the visuals looked fantastic, there were obvious flaws and nagging oddities about it. I hope that when this technology turns towards something more meaningful that we don't get such artificial behavior. If so, there's a scene where Julie Christie's character in Fahrenheit 451 (1966) gets a chance to act in a televised scene from her home that is obviously faked but that society has been so brainwashed that she doesn't realize it.

quote:

Originally posted by L. R. William Spencer:

Television is now the place to go for quality storytelling. Shows like Lost, House and The Office have better character development and plots and infinitely more heart than just about anything you can see in theaters. But that's just my opinion.

Wall-E done proooooved you wrong, boy.

(But I do agree that this is a golden age for American television.)

Movies I've seen in theaters this year.

Great: Wall-E, Man on Wire, Forbidden Lies
Solid: Cloverfield, Iron Man, The Visitor, The Order of Myths, Audience of One
Fine: Gonzo; Bigger, Stronger, Faster*
Mediocre: American Teen, Bulletproof Salesman, Hancock, Wanted, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Teeth, Standard Operating Procedure
Bad: Baby Mama, The Incredible Hulk
Terrible: 21

I wasn't going to publish my opinion of 2008 movies until the end of the year. But at the half-way point of 2008, it seems there's enough out there to make a list meaningful. So far 2008 is shaping up not to be as delightfully rich as last year, but there are more mainstream movies that are moving up the quality landscape, narrowing the gap between good and bad movies while inching up the quality of movies overall.

1. Get Smart
2. The Chronicles of Naria: Prince Caspian
3. WALL*E
4. The Hulk
5. The Bank Job
6. Kung Fu Panda

Honorable Mention

Definitely, Maybe
Forbidden Kingdom
Horton Hears a Who
Made of Honor
Sex and The City

Good But Failed to Make the Grade

27 Dresses
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Bee Movie
Fool's Gold
Iron Man
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
Nim's Island
Stop Loss
Vantage Point
Wanted

Disappointments

21
Cloverfield
Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Hey, Tabuno, I noticed you and I differ on "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk". I'm sorry if you've already explained this, but what did you dislike about "I.M." and what did you like about "T.I.H."? I actually thought "I.M." was the better picture. It was truer to the comic (and more fun) than our new picture on the Green Goliath. "T.I.H." wasn't god-awful, but they ruined it for me by having his heartrate be the reason for his transformations (IT'S ANGER THAT TRIGGERS THE CHANGE! I can't believe they did that!), he didn't grow or become stronger with his anger (well, he seemed to get stronger at the end there, but they still made him look like an idiot after taking a punch from the Abomination and THAT is unforgivable! ) and they had him ripping cars apart with the intent of using the parts as sheilds & weapons (The Hulk uses his FISTS! ). They took everything from the Hulk that made him The INCREDIBLE Hulk to me.

I absolutely agree with "Wall-E" being on the list though.