December 28th, 2009 / 5:12 pm
Snippets

An interesting ‘Top 25 Films of the Decade’ list at Hammer To Nail, with a lot of surprising or limited release picks. Netflix.

54 Comments

  1. alan rossi

      absolutely love this list. Old Joy, Wendy and Lucy, Junebug, George Washington, Goodbye Solo. man. i’m surprised a bit to see Brown Bunny, just because it got panned so hard, but it is a good movie. i’d go for Buffalo ’66 there, instead. makes me happy to see these getting shouts.

  2. alan rossi

      absolutely love this list. Old Joy, Wendy and Lucy, Junebug, George Washington, Goodbye Solo. man. i’m surprised a bit to see Brown Bunny, just because it got panned so hard, but it is a good movie. i’d go for Buffalo ’66 there, instead. makes me happy to see these getting shouts.

  3. Alexis Orgera

      I loved Half Nelson. Just wrote about the new Fleck and Boden film, Sugar, at Bleacher Report. If you haven’t seen Sugar, I’d recommend it.

  4. Alexis Orgera

      I loved Half Nelson. Just wrote about the new Fleck and Boden film, Sugar, at Bleacher Report. If you haven’t seen Sugar, I’d recommend it.

  5. aaron

      I haven’t seen many on this list but those that I have, I’ve loved. Adding to the queue…

      Also: for those who loved “Old Joy” (Alan?) I’d rec “My Effortless Brilliance” which I just watched a couple weeks ago, and which I really enjoyed, and which I haven’t heard anything about at all. Then again, maybe I am just not listening in the right places.

  6. aaron

      I haven’t seen many on this list but those that I have, I’ve loved. Adding to the queue…

      Also: for those who loved “Old Joy” (Alan?) I’d rec “My Effortless Brilliance” which I just watched a couple weeks ago, and which I really enjoyed, and which I haven’t heard anything about at all. Then again, maybe I am just not listening in the right places.

  7. Matthew Simmons

      George Washington, Primer, and Old Joy would all be on my top, I think.

      But help me: Saddest Music in the World or Dracula, Pages from a Virgin’s Diary by Maddin?

  8. Matthew Simmons

      George Washington, Primer, and Old Joy would all be on my top, I think.

      But help me: Saddest Music in the World or Dracula, Pages from a Virgin’s Diary by Maddin?

  9. KevinS

      Wow. Indie dreamland here. I think All the Real Girls is better than George Washington and I think Junebug is overrated (and I’m a sucker for southern stuff). Children of Men may be my #1 pick though for the decade.

  10. KevinS

      Wow. Indie dreamland here. I think All the Real Girls is better than George Washington and I think Junebug is overrated (and I’m a sucker for southern stuff). Children of Men may be my #1 pick though for the decade.

  11. Matthew Simmons

      There was some hype for that on The Stranger’s blog, but, then, Sean Nelson is in it.

  12. Matthew Simmons

      There was some hype for that on The Stranger’s blog, but, then, Sean Nelson is in it.

  13. Ken Baumann

      cool, good link

  14. Ken Baumann

      cool, good link

  15. Paul

      ken, would you have taken a part in juno if given the chance?

  16. Paul

      ken, would you have taken a part in juno if given the chance?

  17. aaron

      Yeah. It’s a very NW-y movie. Which is maybe a) why I never heard anything about it, living in the middle of Illinois, and b) why I liked it so much, and c) why it kind of reminded me of Old Joy.

  18. aaron

      Yeah. It’s a very NW-y movie. Which is maybe a) why I never heard anything about it, living in the middle of Illinois, and b) why I liked it so much, and c) why it kind of reminded me of Old Joy.

  19. Michael Schaub

      This is so great. I’m psyched to see Andrew Bujalski’s movies on here, and Mysterious Skin. And Sita Sings the Blues is amazing, if you haven’t seen it; the director, Nina Paley, is one of the coolest people in the world. She’s a brilliant, kind human being.

  20. Michael Schaub

      This is so great. I’m psyched to see Andrew Bujalski’s movies on here, and Mysterious Skin. And Sita Sings the Blues is amazing, if you haven’t seen it; the director, Nina Paley, is one of the coolest people in the world. She’s a brilliant, kind human being.

  21. Ken Baumann

      Happy to see Ballast & Palindromes on this list.

  22. Ken Baumann

      Happy to see Ballast & Palindromes on this list.

  23. shane koury

      i feel like i’ve watched many of these at 3 am on ifc/sundance channel

      frownland and house of the devil sound good

  24. shane koury

      i feel like i’ve watched many of these at 3 am on ifc/sundance channel

      frownland and house of the devil sound good

  25. Adam R

      Good link. I’ve always wanted to be a completist, so I’m going to watch every movie here (some aren’t available, though, and some I watched already and didn’t like, so it’ll be a fun challenge).

  26. Adam R

      Good link. I’ve always wanted to be a completist, so I’m going to watch every movie here (some aren’t available, though, and some I watched already and didn’t like, so it’ll be a fun challenge).

  27. Jeff

      Interesting list. The criteria obviously make it a narrow selection but there are some real gems in there and several things I’ve overlooked and am excited to check out.

      I’ve got to say that I’ve never liked ‘George Washington’ though. To me it plays like ‘Gummo’ remade for the NPR crowd. It ripped off much of its visual style and ideas directly from Korine’s film and made them palatable to a more ‘cultured’ crowd. I know countless people who love that film and still think ‘Gummo’ is exploitative and repulsive. Drives me crazy. Sorry for the rant, but.

  28. Jeff

      Interesting list. The criteria obviously make it a narrow selection but there are some real gems in there and several things I’ve overlooked and am excited to check out.

      I’ve got to say that I’ve never liked ‘George Washington’ though. To me it plays like ‘Gummo’ remade for the NPR crowd. It ripped off much of its visual style and ideas directly from Korine’s film and made them palatable to a more ‘cultured’ crowd. I know countless people who love that film and still think ‘Gummo’ is exploitative and repulsive. Drives me crazy. Sorry for the rant, but.

  29. Jeff

      Maddin is Canadian so his film weren’t considered. He made a bunch of great work this decade. I also love Brand on the Brain and My Winnipeg.

  30. Jeff

      Maddin is Canadian so his film weren’t considered. He made a bunch of great work this decade. I also love Brand on the Brain and My Winnipeg.

  31. alan rossi

      hi aaron, thanks for the rec. netflixing it now.

  32. alan rossi

      hi aaron, thanks for the rec. netflixing it now.

  33. Stu

      Buffalo ’66 was the 90’s, but it was a good film.

  34. Stu

      Buffalo ’66 was the 90’s, but it was a good film.

  35. alan rossi

      oh shit, yeah. okay then, brown bunny can stay.

  36. alan rossi

      oh shit, yeah. okay then, brown bunny can stay.

  37. Stu

      Two Bujalski films? Ugh.

      “Raising Victor Vargas” has it’s charm.

      Overall, good list.

  38. Stu

      Two Bujalski films? Ugh.

      “Raising Victor Vargas” has it’s charm.

      Overall, good list.

  39. Matthew Simmons

      I was a little surprised to see two by that guy. Does that make him Mumblecore’s transcendent hero?

  40. Matthew Simmons

      I was a little surprised to see two by that guy. Does that make him Mumblecore’s transcendent hero?

  41. mike young

      dude, 1000% agreed. i have made this exact same argument and had the exact reactions you mention.

  42. mike young

      dude, 1000% agreed. i have made this exact same argument and had the exact reactions you mention.

  43. Patrick deWitt

      Momma’s Man!

  44. Blake Butler

      ditto

  45. Patrick deWitt

      Momma’s Man!

  46. Blake Butler

      ditto

  47. reynard

      i like this list. some cool films i never had a chance to see for my ‘to see’ list, but i have these comments:

      i kept old joy off my top ten list even though i like it. but what’s weird is that people often say it’s complex, when i think its lack of complexity is what makes it good. sure, there is rich subtext, etc. but i don’t think that makes the movie ‘complex.’ ultimately though, it wasn’t interesting enough in the right ways for me. maybe if i did 25.

      my list also had two mumblecore films but one bujalski (mutual appreciation) and one swanberg. i think to ignore swanberg, and particulary LOL is to have not really experienced the movement.

      no royal tenenbaums? i’m sorry but that’s just silly. it’s easy to be ‘over’ that movie but it is a masterpiece by any standard and i will go to my grave thinking that.

      palindromes over storytelling? okay, maybe i will switch sides. they’re both great; really doesn’t matter.

      i should have put george washington on mine. it really is a ridiculously fantastic film. i thought about that afterwards. maybe i will change my list. probably going to blog the full revised top ten with explanations tomorrow.

  48. reynard

      i like this list. some cool films i never had a chance to see for my ‘to see’ list, but i have these comments:

      i kept old joy off my top ten list even though i like it. but what’s weird is that people often say it’s complex, when i think its lack of complexity is what makes it good. sure, there is rich subtext, etc. but i don’t think that makes the movie ‘complex.’ ultimately though, it wasn’t interesting enough in the right ways for me. maybe if i did 25.

      my list also had two mumblecore films but one bujalski (mutual appreciation) and one swanberg. i think to ignore swanberg, and particulary LOL is to have not really experienced the movement.

      no royal tenenbaums? i’m sorry but that’s just silly. it’s easy to be ‘over’ that movie but it is a masterpiece by any standard and i will go to my grave thinking that.

      palindromes over storytelling? okay, maybe i will switch sides. they’re both great; really doesn’t matter.

      i should have put george washington on mine. it really is a ridiculously fantastic film. i thought about that afterwards. maybe i will change my list. probably going to blog the full revised top ten with explanations tomorrow.

  49. Paul
  50. Paul
  51. reynard

      nice, paul. a christmas tale is very good too. i really like interview magazine. the print version is so classy!

  52. reynard

      nice, paul. a christmas tale is very good too. i really like interview magazine. the print version is so classy!

  53. Paul

      it is very classy

  54. Paul

      it is very classy