TOP 10 MOVIES OF 2005

Until a few years ago the Oscar ceremony was held near the end of March. This gave movie fans an extra 3 months to see most of the Oscar caliber films that were released mid November - December 31st. For example, THE WORLD"S FASTEST INDIAN, which was officially released near the end of December is just arriving to Madison's art houses this weekend. Because of this I view each movie year to consist of 15 months. Yes, there are a few months that overlap...But it's my world and I allow you to live in it. This is my blog and I make the rules. It is my duty to wait as long as possible to release my Top 10 list. However, my fans have spoken. Over the past few weeks I've received phone calls, emails, telegrams, and text messages expressing anticipation of the arrival of my annual list. Some of these communications have been from Hollywood insiders trying to convince me to include certain films on my respected list. Rest assured dear fans...I can not be bought or swayed. I will not bow to other's needs to push a political agenda or lifestyle into the main-stream through the much respected art of film making. The films on my list deserve their place and because of this I encourage you to rent or purchase these films on DVD.

I give you the TOP 10 FILMS OF 2005.

1. CRASH: FINALLY...OSCAR GETS IT RIGHT.
Over the years a few of my favorite films of a particular year were nominated for best picture. 2005 marked the first year that the academy gave the award to my favorite film. Finally...Oscar gets it right. CRASH is a great ensemble drama that deals with race and the high strung lives that we all live. Although the concept is simple: People's lives are so busy and hectic that we eventually "crash" into each other...OK...I can make it even simpler. Everybody needs to chill out. We all have bad days and although we live busy hectic lives the least we can do is respect our fellow man...No matter how much liberals piss us off. The film has several great performances. Matt Dillon, nominated for best supporting actor, plays a racist cop who eventually makes a right decision when he doesn't think about what he is doing. In a moment of panic he saves a black woman from a burning car. Sometimes you can't judge a book by its cover. The film also has the most gut wrenching scene of any movie of the past decade. If you've seen CRASH you know which scene I'm speaking of: The locksmith and his daughter. The scene will stay with you days after viewing it. CRASH is the best film of 2005.

2. THE 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN: MORE THAN JUST A ONE JOKE FLICK
Comedies are my least favorite genre of film for one simple reason...They're usually not funny. When I see a comedy that keeps me laughing through out the entire film I view it as a special event. "40" is hilarious. It has a good screenplay that turns a possible one joke movie into a heart warming love story . The movie contains a lot of adult humor. Put the kids to bed before viewing....Their virgin ears are not ready for the raunchy humor featured.

3. SIN CITY: ULTIMATE GUY MOVIE
Visually stunning, with a plethora of graphic violence and nudity. Can't wait for the sequel that is rumored to feature Angelina Jolie. For more info on this flick, check my blog entry from March 2005.

4. IN HER SHOES: CHICK FLICK WITHOUT BEEFCAKE = BOMB
In Her Shoes was a well reviewed film that was a box office bomb. Billed as a chick flick, it lacked audience buzz because the screenplay didn't involve a hot guy. SHOES is an engaging drama about 2 sisters...An ugly duckling and a beautiful swan. Unfortunately, without a hot leading man to satisfy female primal lust...Why would they want to take their husbands/boyfriends to this film?...And why would men want to go to a female drama that was only in theaters for a few weeks? The only way the film would have been more successful is if the the two sisters would have stripped down and had a pillow fight...Several times.

5. KING KONG: BIG BANG FOR YOUR BUCK
A co-worker of mine said it best after schilling out big bucks for a large popcorn, 2 large sodas, and 2 tickets to see KING KONG..."KING KONG was a big bang for my buck!" My co-worker is correct. KONG is 3 hours long and every minute was worth the price of admission. The voyage to Skull Island was awesome. Seeing KONG swing through trees and fighting 3 T-Rex' was stunning. The vision of a depression-era New York was breath-taking. If you didn't see KING KONG in a theater...Shame on you.

6. WAR OF THE WORLDS: SO WHAT IF CRUISE IS CRAZY?
When it comes to Hollywood, there are two things that I don't care about. I don't care to hear about their political beliefs and I especially don't care about their mental stability. Just entertain me, and entertain me often. Having said that, so what if Tom Cruise is off his rocker...Or sofa? WAR OF THE WORLDS is a great film. The ending is a little anti-climatic, but getting to the end was great fun. The film had several memorable human extermination scenes. The terror on screen felt real in the audience. War would have been number 5 on my list but it had Dakota Fanning in it. I wish she would go away...Far away...Or get exterminated by aliens.

7.WEDDING CRASHERS: CELEBRATION OF LAUGHS
Raunchy jokes, Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, and a crazy nymphomaniac...A great combination. This is the first year that 2 comedies made it on my top 10 list. Maybe the genre isn't dead after all. For more details on this film see my post from summer of 2005.

8. THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: HEAVEN ON EARTH
A relatively safe family movie with biblical overtones, NARNIA brought back many memories from my childhood. My fifth grade teacher read the NARNIA books to the class. If a public school teacher tried to do that today, the local ACLU chapter would be all over the situation. In 2005 box office receipts were down 7.9% from the previous year. NARNIA was the third highest grossing movie of the year. If Hollywood made more films like this their profits would soar so high that...They would feel that heaven is a place on Earth. No need to put the kids to bed for NARNIA. Encourage children to see the film and then purchase the books for them. Harry who?

9. MELINDA & MELINDA: FEATURING A FUTURE OSCAR NOMINEE
Prediction: Radha Mitchell, who plays the title character Melinda, will be nominated for an Oscar within the next 3 years. She's a great actress that brings a certain realism to her performances...Not to mention, she's easy on the eyes. Check out Melinda & Melinda if you like original screenplays. Also, Will Ferrell has a great supporting role in the film.

10. CINDERELLA MAN: THE MOST GAY-ISH TITLED MOVIE OF 2005 THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH DE-GENDERED MEN.
I'm always disappointed with myself when I enjoy a movie like CINDERELLA MAN. I hate happy endings. I hate sappy love stories. I hate cute children going hungry during depression era New York (I hate most all films that feature cute children). I hate when the audience that I'm viewing a movie with routinely claps and cheers through out the film because they are inspired by the actions of the protagonist. CINDERELLA MAN had all of the above. However, it did have great boxing sequences, and I must admit I was slightly inspired...But I was inspired quietly.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
UNLEASHED. Best martial arts film of the year. It has heart. It has a brain. It has Morgan Freeman as a blind man.
CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. I once heard that there are 3 sure fire things in life that are always funny; midgets, monkeys, and monkeys playing with their own feces. CHARLIE only has one of these, but it's still a damn good movie.
HISTORY OF VIOLENCE. Put the kids to bed because of the 2 near porn-ish sex scenes. Bloody as hell...The violence, not the sex scenes.
PROOF. Say what you want about Apple's rock-star loving mother, but she is a great actress who deserved an Oscar nomination for her work in this film.
MILLIONS. Ever wanted to know what would happen if Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, The Beach, 28 Days later) made a family film?
COACH CARTER. Shame on me for enjoying this guilty pleasure that is over 2 hours long! Sammy J. Can pull off anything...Anything but a plane full of snakes.
OLD-BOY. If you rent only one Japanese sub-titled movie...Rent this one.
LORD OF WAR. Nick Cage released 2 movies in 2005 and got married. I think he's done this 3 years in a row. LOW was the best of the two.