2010's Best(and Worst)

Ah, yes, another year has passed us by and that means thousands more films have been released.  I will take a look at the films that I felt to be the best and the worst of this year.  Anyways, in no particular order, here are my favorites...

TRON: Legacy
It is a rare, almost impossible, occasion when
a sequel comes out that gives the fans exactly
what they want.  This one did just that.  I was
completely blown away.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One
I am a fanboy, it's true.  But as far as the film series
has gone, this is definitely the best effort yet.
The script follows the book insanely close and
most of the best scenes are captured.  It's
enough to make any die hard Harry fan happy.

The Social Network.
Very few films have effected me in the way
that David Fincher's The Social Network did.
I was frozen and glued to the screen even when
the credits began to roll.  My only problem:
Justin Timberlake.

Buried
I know I didn't put these in any sort of order
but if I had, this would have been my pick for
the best movie of the year.  The entire movie takes
place inside of a coffin and it is still one of the most
intense, gut-wrenching films of all time.  Not many
filmmaker are able to pull that off.

The Town
Ben Affleck may not be the best actor
of all time but he is one hell of a director.
Somewhat in the vein of The Departed,
The Town is one of the craziest crime
thrillers of the year and definitely the best
one.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
I had my doubts about this film.  Okay, I
confess, I thought it was going to suck
completely.  Thankfully, I was totally wrong.
Edgar Wright is one of this generation's
best directors and it really shows in this one.
Not to mention, this is one of Michael Cera's
best movies in what feels like ages.

Cherry Tree Lane
You all knew a horror movie would be
popping up in this list sooner or later
and if you didn't, then you don't know me.
This is one of the best films of its kind to
come out in years.  Think Funny Games
meets Rear Window.  It's a winner in my book.

True Grit
It is one of the year's best, but it is not
THE best.  I really enjoyed the story, the
acting, and especially the dialogue.  However,
I think I was expecting much more than I actually
got.  All in all, it's a great film, but it isn't quite up
to par with No Country for Old Men or The Big
Lebowski.

Black Swan
Anyone who tries to say that Black Swan
is not a horror movie, clearly does not know
what a horror movie is.  I loved this film.  It
felt like a throwback to 70's Italian cinema.
It still doesn't take the place of Buried for me
but honestly, it's a close second.

Devil
A very promising start to a three-part
series of films entitled "The Night
Chronicles."  This one reminds me a lot
of some of Hitchcock's earlier work.  Oh,
and no matter what anyone says, I still
love M. Night Shyamalan.

Catfish
As a filmmaker, this was definitely the most
inspiring film of the year.  Made for nothing
and shot mostly on cheap retail cameras,
Catfish is one of the best and most real
documentaries I have ever seen.  In my
opinion, every aspiring filmmaker should see
this.

Shutter Island
Martin Scorsese is the man.  There's not
much more to say.  His new films is a new
direction for him.  Shutter Island will twist
and turn your mind until you have no idea
what just happened to you.





And now the part you've probably all been waiting for.  The worst films of 2010.  I won't go as all out as I did for my favorites but here they are...

• Alice in Wonderland - This was easily one of the biggest letdowns of the year for me.  I usually am a big fan of Tim Burton's work, even though it's rarely original, but Alice went no where.  There were so many amazing ways the story could gone but instead it played out like a knock off of the Narnia series.
  
• Skyline - Written and directed by the two geniuses that came up with Aliens vs. Predators: Requiem.  Need I say more?
  
• Twilight: Eclipse - Now, I know most women are going to see this film on the list and say something like "you just don't understand it because you're not a girl."  However, I do understand that this series has turned a classic horror icon, the vampire, into a girly, neutered version of itself.  It also plays out like a Disney Channel Movie.  I knew girls liked romance, I didn't know they like moronic movies.
  
• A Nightmare on Elm Street - Yay, another unnecessary horror remake brought to you by Michael Bay!  No, but seriously, this movie take all the subtleties that made the original a beautiful film and urinates all over them.  I truly wish Michael Bay and all his friends would be beaten to death in the streets.
  
• The Lovely Bones - Talk about high profile, Hollywood garbage.  This picture has one of the sloppiest scripts I've ever seen translated to film.  It jumps too quickly between disturbing violence and the main character's overly happy world.
  
• Saw 3D - This would be my pick for the worst movie of the year.  I honestly hope this is the last entry in the Saw series because this one was unbearable.    

Here are some honorable mentions.  Movies I liked but didn't think were groundbreaking...

• Toy Story 3
• Predators
• She's Out of My League
• Kick-Ass
• Star Wars Uncut
• Inception
• Machete
• The Fighter
• Get Him to the Greek
• The Other Guys