Quoted from Sandra Elstree. Now you should tell us why. Sandra

If you have seen it you wouldn't have to ask that. If you haven't then "Lamest plot EVER" springs to mind, "Most wooden acting EVER" also suits this movie. I really like Shamalan's earlier pictures but I don't know what the hell he was thinking when he wrote and directed this. In fact I was fairly surprised that someone at Fox, after watching the dailies, didn't go: "Hmmm, M. Night, this really really sucks. Can we have our money back please?".

I'd like to add a number 6 to my list of "Best of 2008"

6.- The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor- This, for me, is the single most surprising film of 2008. It's a very fun popcorn film and is easily the best of the Mummy series. I had more fun watching this than I probably should have.

~Zack~

My 5 most stand out  movies for me of 2008 would be- in no particular order
  

1.  Wall E

2. Sweeny Todd

3. Dark Knight

4. Kung fu Panda

5. Spiderwick Chronicles.

didn't Sweeney Todd come out last year?

Not in Australia, where Glenn is from.

Quoted from sniper If you have seen it you wouldn't have to ask that. If you haven't then "Lamest plot EVER" springs to mind, "Most wooden acting EVER" also suits this movie. I really like Shamalan's earlier pictures but I don't know what the hell he was thinking when he wrote and directed this. In fact I was fairly surprised that someone at Fox, after watching the dailies, didn't go: "Hmmm, M. Night, this really really sucks. Can we have our money back please?".

No, I haven't seen it. I wonder how it could turn out so badly? Strange. Maybe his personal life was turned upside down and thus...

Sandra

I didn't think The Happening was that bad.  It certainly was not his best movie and Marky Mark's acting was a bit on the stiff side.   But I didn't find the plot lame.   At least not as lame as that one he did about the fake monster in the forest, Signs, or Lady in the Water.

I didn't see many films this year at the cinema.  The only films that come to mind are:

Dark Knight Rocks

And

Max Payne Sucks.  I've already reviewed this poor excuse for a film.

and to add to my best of the year list

2. The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

Oh Jayrex, how could you not have gone to the movies much? This was an outstanding year for movies. I never been to the cinema so many times and seen so many enjoyable movies. It was week after  week of one good movie being released.

The last time I remember a year packed with so many trips to the cinema and being rewarded with a great movie would have been 1982 when I was a child.

2005 comes close, I went and saw a lot movies but not as much as this year.  

Quoted from Sandra Elstree. I don't know myself because I haven't seen it, but my daughter saw Burn After Reading and said it was the stupidest show she'd ever seen bar none.

Well, the film is a Coen trademark. Many argue that the film is not at the level of the others but i think this is great movie. The things are misunderstood in the film like in Blood Simple.

Does your daughter like The Love Guru?

Quoted from tonkatough Oh Jayrex, how could you not have gone to the movies much? This was an outstanding year for movies. I never been to the cinema so many times and seen so many enjoyable movies. It was week after  week of one good movie being released.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_in_film

I had to look at all the films released this year to remind me and I have seen seven listed on wikipedia.  I do have Cloverfield on DVD but still haven't got around to seeing it and I plan to see The Day The Earth Stood Still at the IMAX.  That makes nine in total, if I see the other two.

So I can't have a 5 best & 5 worst.  I would've liked to have gone out more often.  Shame.

Quoted from jayrex I had to look at all the films released this year to remind me and I have seen seven listed on wikipedia.  I do have Cloverfield on DVD but still haven't got around to seeing it and I plan to see The Day The Earth Stood Still at the IMAX.  That makes nine in total, if I see the other two.

Dude, a serious bit of advice that you can take or leave. See more movies!

Seriously, I know that people will tell you to read scripts and write scripts and read books and read blogs etc.. But in my humble opinion nothing is more important to anyone trying to learn how to write scripts than watching movies. And I know it is not always easy or affordable but watching a movie in a cinema is something you should do as often as you can, the feedback you can get from seeing how people react to certain scenes, lines of dialogue etc... is invaluable. I make it a mission to go to the cinema at least once a week, I go on my own if I have to (my wife can only take so much) and watch at least another 3-4 movies a week on DVD or from my collection of favorites. Scripts are great but movies are much better.

Quoted from jayrex I didn't see many films this year at the cinema.

I would like to say that I didn't see ANY films at the cinema this year, however, after checking my rather self-indulgent list of every movie I've ever seen, I find that despite seeing 0 films at the theatre, I watched 38 films listed as 2008 in IMDB (I rent A LOT of DVDs). I know there are some on my list from 2006 and 2007 though that I know only *came out* this year, but let's see what I remember about my best and worst.



In no particular order, my top handful would be:

WALL-E - Kind of a cool heroes journey with a warm fuzzy ending

Dark Knight - what else can be said about this one?

Iron Man - I just loved the technology and I want his computer

Cloverfield - I loved Blair Witch too, and this one was a ton better. The first person perspective made a lot of things forgivable, since it aided the suspension of disbelief a lot.

Tropic Thunder - if you have ever dealt with the moviemaking process, this one is twice as funny.  (I especially loved the bit where the actors not only hadn't read the novel, but hadn't read the script either...it's funny because it's true)

Vantage Point - I really enjoyed the different angles of the same situation for the first part  although they let all that go in the the third act  to finally just let the story play out.



Bottom would be:

Pulse 2 - Wow, they took a poorly conceived idea and made a poorly conceived sequel. I have little doubt that I would add Pulse 3 to this once I watch it (I'm a glutton for punishment and bad horror)

One Missed Call - Not a bad idea, really, but they really screwed it up in the end.

Smart People - Who came up with this title that completely fails to describe the people in this movie?

Prom Night - Not only was it not a remake of the original (no semblance of the Jamie Lee Curtis film remained, so don't let the title fool you), but it served as the same old slasher movie crap that we're all accustomed to. Find an uncreative way to isolate people, and then make them remain that way for no good reason until killed.



Neither here nor there list:

Here are the films that weren't great and they weren't really that bad either.

Spiderwick Chronicles - I read the books and when I finished the rather short series, I was kind of like, "meh." After I watched the movie, I was kind of like, "meh." So I can say this was a very faithful adaptation.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - Gotta love the old guy, but the alien thing just made me wonder what they were thinking. Still, it was fun to watch.

The Happening - I just thought I'd mention it since everyone else was dissing on it. If you let the disbelief go, the beginning is exceptionally weird, and you have to wonder what the hell is going on during the film. I found it didn't really end that badly either. The threat just "went away," but it really didn't as it occurs elsewhere in short order. And I kind of liked The Village. Sure, it loses the rewatchability factor after the first time through, but it wasn't too bad.

I'd like to add "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" to my list of best movies of the year. I just got back from the theaters and wow. This is a masterpiece. This had better win some awards... hell, it'd better win ALL of the awards. Best movie of the year!

~Zack~