Monday, June 28, 2010

Half year report

Incredible as it seems, 2010 is half over. My memory of the new films I've seen this year makes me think this has not been a stellar year for quality movies. After going through my Kinetoscope log I find that to be true--2010 has been a woeful year for new films!

I've got more clearcut possibles for worst movie of the year than I do for the best of category with Dear John and The Last Song pulling a double feature of proof of just how sucky Nicholas Sparks is as a novelist. I know that guy is popular but the film versions of his stories feel me with annoyance, frustration and anger at how he wants to tug those heart-strings.

There are only three films I've seen that could possibly be in consideration for my tops in '10 list: The Ghost Writer, Dogtooth and Exit Through the Gift Shop. The Ghost Writer has no chance unless the rest of the year is truly wretched but had to have at least three films worthy of consideration for the past five months or I would have been even more depressed at what 2010 has had to offer. Dogtooth is a haunting, strange movie from Greece that has been stuck in my brain for months. Exit Through the Gift Shop is a faux-documentary (or is it real?) from the creative mind of street artist Banksy. That's it. Three films.

Pick it up 2010. And hurry.

3 comments:

Eva said...

Oh, that's too funny - *wants* to tug at heartstrings. That's exactly what he does, and there are few things more embarassing and clumsy than when you notice it, aren't there? Personally, I stopped after Nights in Rodanthe (I didn't have to review it, why did I watch it??), surely it couldn't have gotten worse? Yeah, sometimes that'll work: heartstring A = reaction A, heartstring B = reaction B. Apprently when you tug at them all at once, and in chronological order it's multiple organ failure, not without some heaving, seizures and foaming at the mouth first. Oops, I'm trying to create disgust here, is it too obvious?

Anonymous said...

Looks like you're up to 4 w/ Toy Story - hang in there! At least you are paid for some of those you
wouldn't choose to view on your own.
- sd

Joshua Blevins Peck said...

Toy Story 3 is definitely a favorite of 2010.

Eva--Sparks is way too obvious when he goes for the heart. You might have described some plot of his: organ failure w/ some tragic love element that is farfetched and ridiculous. He probably would leave out the foaming at the mouth bit though, ha.