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Top Ten Film Lists

10 Ten Flicks of 2001

Ok, that title is a total lie. Because let's face facts you are gonna think I'm nuts for half my choices...and I don't have ten top flicks of 2001. I have five great flicks, Some DVD choices and some other notable below. But I would love to hear your feedback as to why you think I may or may not be right in the following picks.

Click on or scroll down for more info on each of the titles:

#1. Amelie,
#2. Moulin Rouge,
#3. Monsters, Inc.,
#4. Ginger Snaps,
#5. Lord of the Rings,
#6. Life As A House,
#7. Vanilla Sky,
#8. Memento,
#9. Sexy Beast,
#10. Rush Hour 2,
Honorable Mention: A.I.
Worst Movie of the Year: Shallow Hal
Best Guilty Pleasure #1: Josie And The Pussycats
Best Guilty Pleasure #2: Spy Game
Best 'In-Joke' of the Year: Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
Most Undeservedly Trashed Film: Novocaine
Biggest Missed Opportunity: Swordfish



1. Amelie:

Amelie If you don't agree with this assessment chances are a)you haven't seen the film or b) you hate anything quirky, innovative charming and romantic. I feel sorry for you. Click here for the DVDwolf review of Amelie.



2. Moulin Rouge:

A lot of my friends don't seem to be enjoying this recommendation I have given them but I still feel that this was one of the few films of 2001 that not only had a sense of the history before it but then proceeded to push the envelope by merging the realm of the rave with 19th century France. Click here for the full DVDwolf review of Moulin Rouge.



3. Monsters, Inc.:

Monsters, Inc. About halfway through this film I was beginning to think that the folks at Pixar had let me down with a strong premise and first half-hour before faltering. The faltering though, ever so slightly, disappeared from the radar and the result was a surprising and fast paced ending that really topped what I had expected going in. With a Pixar record of five for five, let's hope they never stop making unique and entertaining films. Click here for the full DVDwolf review of Monster's Inc..



4. Ginger Snaps:

Ginger Snaps This is the best horror flick to come down the pike in a long time. Not a perfect film but it does perfectly illustrate what is wrong with a Hollywood horror film. A low-budget but high quality look at the myth of the werewolf with a twist. Click here for the full DVDwolf review of Ginger Snaps.



5. Lord Of The Rings:

I've taken some flack for my praise on this film. Well, the praise was guarded and careful. I admit it's an episodic film, that perhaps it is not a solid film without having read the books but (and this is a big but) for the scope, for the gall of shooting three films at once, for really capturing the flavour of the book while occassionally straying from the text it is an achievement in film making that has not been seen in a long time. The makers of the Harry Potter films could learn from this. Click here for the full DVDwolf review of Lord of the Rings - Fellowship of the Ring.



6. Life As A House:

Here was a movie critics jumped all over for being overly sentimental, to 'American Beauty-ish, too contrived and too movie of the week...screw those critics. Did they gloss over the great performances to throw all their adjectives of praise at the over-glorified In The Bedroom? Either way, it's been on my list since first viewing. Click here for the full DVDwolf review of Life As A House.



7. Vanilla Sky:

Vanilla Sky You know, I am getting mad at myself for defending these choices. Cameron Crowe took a foreign film and did the unthinkable. Improved upon it greatly, sadly it required confusing audiences for a half hour in the middle of the film and that just didn't seem to go over well. If it wasn't for Tom Cruise's strong fan following the film might not have done the box-office it did. Click here for the full DVDwolf review of Vanilla Sky.



8. Memento:

A good film, perhaps a great one, but the reason it doesn't crack the top five is the re-watchable factor. Sadly, there are few thrillers or mysteries that can be re-watched simply due to the obvious fact, once 'the thrill' is revealed the movie is no longer fun to watch. The Usual Suspect being the best film I can think of that destroys my opinion. Click here for the full DVDwolf review of Memento.



9. Sexy Beast:

It may have come and gone at the box-office but this is one film that I believe will find it's legs in the video stores. Not only does Ben Kingsley give a performance that destroys any peaceful image of his role as Gandhi but Ray Winstone also comes out on top and holds his own against Kingsley. Full thumbs up on this dark, nasty gangster flick. Click here for the full DVDwolf review of Sexy Beast.



10. Rush Hour 2:

A Jackie Chan film breaking the top 10? Can you believe it!?! Simple reason, bad action film year until this chop-socky fun-flick blew away fans and box-office. Jackie Chan is having the career Bruce Lee and Buster Keaton should have had. Click here for the full DVDwolf review of Rush Hour 2.



Honorable Mention: A.I.

Artificial Intelligence An interesting mix of Spielberg and Kubrick that inevitably is unsatisfying. However, for trying to make a solid, carefully paced and plotted adult film and releasing it amongst the summer 'blockbusters' Spielberg gets the honorable mention. Click here for the full DVDwolf review of A.I. (Artificial Intelligence).



Worst Movie of the Year: Shallow Hal:

How in the world does Freddy Got Fingered make almost every critics top ten worst films when at least it chose to have a ball's out perspective towards comedy, pushing the Farrelly Brothers into apparently insipid territory. I had great hope for Jack Black as the next coming of a Bill Murray-ish talent. That hope is rapidly dwindling with outings like this and Saving Silverman. Click here for the full DVDwolf review of Shallow Hal.




Best Guilty Pleasure #1: Josie And The Pussycats

It tanked at the box-office due to mis-marketing but this little tongue-in-cheek flick based on the Archie comics has a nice light pace, some truly funny songs with a catchy soundtrack. Nothing brilliant but a lot of fun to sit and watch on a dull Sunday afternoon. Click here for the full DVDwolf review of Josie And The Pussycats.



Best Guilty Pleasure #2: Spy Game

Not a great action flick but the re-teaming of Pitt and Redford with a nice tight script that moves fast enough to cover some of the plot holes gets the adrenaline rush right up there. Click here for the full DVDwolf review of Spy Game.



Best 'In-Joke' of the Year: Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back Who the hell spends 22 million on an 'in-joke' movie. Thankfully Kevin Smith does while finishing off his View Askewniverse series with this film. Perhaps not the best in the series, well, obviously not the best (that goes to Chasing Amy) but a truly fun little romp for fans of Jay and Silent Bob. Click here for the full DVDwolf review of Jay And Silent Bob.



Most Undeservedly Trashed Film: Novocaine

This one hit a lot of the 'worst movie' lists for Steve Martin's performance, for the story and so on and so forth. I must have seen a different version because I liked it. So those other critics can kiss my movie-going ass. Click here for the full DVDwolf review of Novocaine.



Biggest Missed Opportunity: Swordfish

The opening scene, phenomenal. It gives a great set-up, it compares itself to Dog Day Afternoon, promises to top it and for all of five minutes that promise seems like it might be fulfilled. But then boy, howdy, does Director Domenic Sena and writer Skip Woods take the movie in a horrible, stupid direction that can not be recovered from. Too bad. Watch the first ten minutes and then shut it off. Click here for the full DVDwolf review of Swordfish.



Copyright© 2002 DVDwolf.com
Copyright© Staffwriter: Rob Paul

Evil Ash

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