My movie year is a blog meme hosted by Andy, at Fandango Groovers Movie Blog. As a participant, I am supposed to present to you my personal favorite year of movies, and share my top 5 films from that year.
I can't think of a stronger year of cinema than 1999. 13 years ago now, I was 18-19 year-old, and could hardly believe my luck! Was also at a stage in my life when I began to open my eyes to film not just as entertainment, but as an art form as well.
Many of the top directors put out quality films. In several cases, they released in my estimation the best film of their career: David Fincher, Wachowski Brothers, Paul Thomas Anderson, Spike Jonze, Tom Tykwer, Sam Mendes, Majid Majidi)
1999 will undoubtedly also be remembered for the much-hyped Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. Granted, the film has a devoted fan base, especially amongst kids, but the majority who love the holy trilogy (1977-1983) were disappointed with the direction Episode 1 took.
Here are my picks. Honestly, I would have been happier to do a top 20 instead!
1.) Fight Club (my review)
2.) Magnolia
3.) The Matrix
4.) Ghost Dog
5.) Girl, Interrupted
Best of the rest:
Being John Malkovich, The Color of Paradise, Run Lola Run, Eyes Wide Shut, Election, Following, The Straight Story, The Talented Mr Ripley, American Beauty, Arlington Road, Anywhere But Here, The Sixth Sense, The Blair Witch Project, Sweet and Lowdown, Three Kings, The Green Mile, Bringing Out the Dead, The Ninth Gate, The Hurricane, In China They Eat Dogs, Snow Falling on Cedars, Forces of Nature. (Unseen: Rosetta, Topsy-Turvy, All About My Mother, The Iron Giant, Dogma, Spring Forward, My Voyage To Italy )
I also considered other years, which were great, just arguably didn't have the same depth as 1999 going beyond the top 5:
1980 (The Shining, The Elephant Man, Ordinary People, Empire Strikes Back, Flash Gordon)
and 1982: (Blade Runner, ET, Sophie's Choice, The Wall, Poltergeist)
Is a great idea for a blogathon, though got me thinking that if someone had seen 100+ acclaimed films from each and every year, then would they all be good cinematic years ? ( :
Readers, any thoughts on the above? What is your movie year?
That's a good year to choose Chris, Fight Club is one of my all time faves, and really enjoyed the Matrix and Magnolia. Just saw Ghostd Dog for the first time. I a was actually thinking of writing up a reveiw for it.
ReplyDelete@threeguys1movie: Jim Jarmusch is very hit or miss with me, Ghost Dog is my favorite he directed. Has a mood all of its own!
DeleteGreat choice! Fight Club was in my top 5 every since I saw it.
ReplyDelete@Sati: Thanks! Fight Club knocks your socks off, especially the first viewing or two.
DeleteNice picks, I love The Matrix and Fight Club. Boy there are tons of great movies in 1999!
ReplyDelete@Ruth: Yes, what a year for film, I'm going to take a look what years other bloggers picked. Thanks for dropping by!
Delete1999 is my 2nd choice (I have a late thought). It seems the number 9 IS a lucky year. I too love Fight Club and Run Lola Run. Excellent choices, Chris!
ReplyDelete@Andina: Thanks, lucky number 9 indeed ( : Run Lola Run sure is exhilarating to watch, and with the inventive editing I can see why would appeal to you.
Delete1999 would be my favourite year. I too turned 18 that year and Fight Club blew my freaking mind! I have never been the same since. Add The Matrix and American Beauty and it felt like everything I thought I knew was shifting and becoming unstable. Great year, great films! Still need to see Ghost Dog and Girl, Interrupted though.
ReplyDelete@Pete: Fight Club, ha, never been the same since either, what a film, I do think it's a life changer. Something about the story speaks to the mind of a teenager, or the late 20s/early 30s office guy.
DeleteGreat post! What a fun idea!
ReplyDeleteMy year would have to be 1966. My top 5 films from that year (and some of these are my top ever made) are:
1. Daisies
2. Persona
3. The party and the Guests
4. Closely watched trains
5.Masculin feminin.
Even though the French new wave is my favourite era, so many amazing films came out of Czechoslovakia in 1966 - if I have to pick 1 single year, it would be because of that.
This was fun! great post!
@Lisa: Thanks for sharing your movie year, and top 5. Yes, a lot of fun to take part! Of those mentions, I have seen only Bergman's Persona, which I found very cryptic. I will look into the other titles, and see if they are for me.
DeleteI just did a quick Ctrl+F search here on the blog, and my
top 5 of 1966 would be:
1.) The Face Of Another
2.) Hunger
3.) Seconds
4.) Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
5.) Persona
OH! Those are all great choices.
DeleteI liked your choice of year by the way.I agree that there is something special about one of those years you get to see a bunch of amazing films. One of those for me was 1986. I got to see Aliens, Ferris Beulars Day Off, 91/2 weeks, Blue Velvet, Big Trouble in little China, Hannah and her sisters, Highlander, heartburn, Jean de Florrette, Little Shop of Horrors, The Mission, Mona Lisa, Sid and Nancy, Pretty in Pink and Stand by Me just to name a few. Some years are just incredible for film!
@Lisa: I agree, there is something special about one of those years you get to see a bunch of amazing films. 86 indeed was a very solid year!
DeleteGhost Dog, nice! I still need to see Magnolia and Girl, Interrupted, but I am with you on the rest. Nice list, Chris!
ReplyDelete@Eric: Magnolia is a must-see, can't go through life without seeing that ( :
ReplyDeleteI will have The Ten Best Actors of All Time [Relay Race] post up today or tomorrow.
Great list, Chris. I was going to either choose 1999 or 2009 for my list but thought they would be too popular. "The Matrix" and "Fight Club" are in my top 10 movies of all time. Can't say I've ever heard of "Ghost Dog" but sounds interesting. I'll have to watch it now!
ReplyDelete..and thanks for adding me to your blog list!
@Shala: Thanks, I was also hesitant about picking 1999, as Andy at Fandango Groovers has already done so, but I thought what the hell.
DeleteGhost Dog is an indie by Jim Jarmusch, I don't usually go for gangster movies at all(as I find them to be about the same themes over and over), but I would heartly recommended Ghost Dog due to the humour, and interesting Samurai elements.