You can listen to us discussing these films at length on the podcast on the show, but please do check out the list below for perpetuity. Sam’s list is annotated and included below, Tom’s is not annotated and its right here. This just means you will have to check out the podcast to hear Tom’s viewpoints. So check out Sam’s choices after the jump, along with a few choice thoughts and honourable mentions. Enjoy!

10. Fish Tank

Andrea Arnold’s excellent second film is not quite the match of the stunning Red Road, but the performance from Katie Jarvis and the touch of the director in the interpersonal scenes elevates this to somewhere that the script doesn’t quite merit, notably given the slight overcooking towards the end. Some amazing scenes, however, and some beautifully constructed and openly-interpretive moments between characters make this nigh-on unmissable.

9. Star Trek

Easily the best blockbuster of 2009, this film is not far off perfect, outside of the terrible scene involving the original Spock. Delete that and you have an indecently entertaining film with, perhaps, the best ensemble cast of the year. The character moments, especially those involving Chris Pine’s Kirk and Karl Urban’s McCoy, are charming and packed with charisma and comedy. Unexpectedly, a Star Trek movie was the most accessible and entertaining action film of the year.

8. Up

Though it’s somewhat messy for the most part, the first ten minutes of this film are enough to give it a solid top ten spot. The ‘life’ sequence at the start, wordless and annotated only by music and tiny personal moments, is completely breathtaking but the rest is a rag-tag road movie with a terrific sense of adventure, just a slight lack of focus. The character moments are sweet and touching, the story itself, focusing on the Pixar-favoured topic of fatherhood, is perfectly pitched and the animation, and imagination involved in that, is wonderful. Forgetting Cars, will they ever truly misstep?

7. Let the Right One In

A very Swedish take on the vampire movie, this was another driven by likeable characters and a sweet romance, but oh so much more bite and existential interest than that other abominable vampire movie. The performances from the two child leads are perfect, but the best thing here is Alfredson’s filmmaking, his camera retaining a stillness throughout which mean that the explosions of violence and disturbing themes are allowed to breathe enough to get under the skin of the audience.

6. Funny People

I wasn’t completely alone in loving this film, but I might be completely alone in loving the film as much as I did. Adam Sandler gives a great performance in this sprawling, hyper-personal exploration of comedy by Judd Apatow. Sandler’s character seems oddly close to his own life, which Apatow is intimately familiar with, and is used to examine the psychological make-up of comedians and the mindset they hold which prevents them from truly connecting. It’s not about all comedians per se, but it explores that mindset held by those who need to keep misanthropy a part of their act. Beyond that, the character interplay is perfect and there are just plenty of fascinating, emotionally open scenes. It’s Apatow’s passion project and, for whatever reason, I just connected completely.

5. Fantastic Mr Fox

Unexpectedly, a huge return to form from Wes Anderson. Ostensibly taking Roald Dahl’s tale as a starting point, Anderson imprints his own style on the source material without losing the overall spirit of the original. The voice performances are perfect, especially the great Jason Schwartzmann, but the star of the show is Anderson’s directorial choice-making. Plenty of great jokes and, in the stop-motion, the best choice he has made in his whole career, completely suited to his minutiae-fetishism on one level and just so aesthetically-pleasing on another. It’s also the first of his films since Rushmore where he seems to genuinely like his characters, a difference which is so important in how much love you can build up for the film.

4. Synecdoche, New York

I love achingly personal filmmaking and this, from the cavernous mind of Charlie Kaufman as both writer and director, is self-examination to the point of borderline insanity. The film drives from meta level to meta level, getting further and further lost inside itself but never, for me, losing the neurosis at its centre: the need to be remembered for something great. It evokes the madness of attempting to create great art, the subjectivity of the world which prevents this from ever being truly possible and the intense need and desire to achieve something, whatever it may be, before death.

3. Where the Wild Things Are

A mad mess of ideas and inspiration, Spike Jonze proved himself once more to wholly understand the spirit of his story, creating a narrative which takes Maurice Sendak’s book and expands it into a swirling, mad imagination picture. It captures the moment when children begin the journey to adulthood, when they realise that they are no longer the centre of the world and have to compromise to the needs of others. Max may well be a disturbed and troubled young child, but I think the feelings and thoughts that he has just capture those that most children would have at that age in his situation, just more vividly than may would perhaps have liked. It’s slightly self-indulgent in places, but it evokes and engages with childhood in ways that modern movies simply never even try. All that and the soundtrack is the absolute best of the whole year.

2. The Wrestler

Low-key and often too close to stereotype in the script, this is a film elevated an enormous amount by the amazing performances, direction and cinematography. Aronofsky shifted away from the insane ambition of The Fountain to deliver and measured, appropriate directing job to prove his versatility, Marise Alberti’s cinematography captures the cold isolation of the characters and the supporting players, notably the ever-brilliant Marisa Tomei, are superb. But, come on, the star of the show is Mickey Rourke. His performance goes somewhere beyond acting onto a meta level that suggests this will be a once-in-a-lifetime role. If that’s the case, he took his chance with both hands and booked his place back amongst the greats after all those year’s in the wilderness.

1. The Hurt Locker

Iraq filmmaking has proved itself a difficult art. The shift has gone from those explicitly exploring the experience of soldiers with a heavy political stance to those exploring the soldiers coming home with a heavy political stance. None of them have been absolutely awful (outside of Redacted and Stop-Loss) but none have managed to explicitly understand the experience of soldiers from an entirely apolitical viewpoint. The Hurt Locker is not only the most exciting, tense film of the year, but it’s understanding of the psychology of the soldier, and its focus upon this, captures what is actually important about Iraq. This was Jarhead with a boatload of action and without the showy visuals, though the visual style here is gripping. Kathryn Bigelow should and hopefully will win the director Oscar this year, not just for the construction of scenes and her understanding of space, but for her focus on the relationship between the lead characters and subsequently their relationship to the warzone. Emotionally and physically, this is a breathless film.

Honourable Mentions

District 9 – Thrilling allegorical sci-fi, only let down by reliance on genre traits.

Milk – Stately and finely-tuned biopic, excellent acting, slightly ponderous in some places.

Slumdog Millionaire – Overrated undoubtedly but still extremely entertaining and sweet. Superb direction.

(500) Days of Summer – Arrival of a talent in Marc Webb and career-best performance from Zooey Deschanel.

Moon – Lovely, charming sci-fi with immense central performance and best performance by Kevin Spacey in years.

Zombieland – Hugely fun and rollicking zombie ride.

Rachel Getting Married – Career-maker for Anne Hathaway, only dips because of hyper-long wedding sequence.

Bronson – Tom Hardy’s performance dominates but Winding Refn’s work is, as always, bracing.

In the Loop – Satire at its highest, only let down because it never quite reaches the Strangelove-ian heights it’s going for.

Anvil: The Story of Anvil – Heartfelt, sweet hair metal homosocial love story.

Doubt – ACTING! And more ACTING!! Stagey at times but otherwise nye-on perfectly judged.

Drag Me to Hell – Raimi returns to horror with fun, cheeky ride with great horror performance from Alison Lohman.

A Serious Man – Obtuse, uber-Coen exploration of Book of Job. For fans only, maybe. If you’re a fan though, world class.

Talk About a Misleading Title

Funny People takes a painfully long time to say nothing and go nowhere. It’s the kind of screenplay that should have been cut in half, redrafted and then sent back to film school for notes. Unfortunately Judd Apatow is now at the point in his career where, as he put it plainly at last year’s Comic-Con panel, he has the studios by “one ball” if not both. This would explain why at the hour-and-a-half mark of a movie about comedians in Los Angeles the film pointlessly transplants itself to San Francisco to become a love story about Apatow’s wife, actress Leslie Mann, and conveniently reiterates how desirable and talented she is. While Mann is admittedly very funny and generally skilled at conveying a point, this movie is not and should be chastized heavily for leading its audience down two distinct and contrary trails, neither of which resolves itself or lives up to the funny promised in the title.

I don’t want to sound like an Apatow-hater. The man has done more for comedy than Bill Clinton’s dick. But at some point, like an aging musician who survived a whirlwind of success in his youth, old dog Apatow got lazy and started shoveling out anecdotes and instances in lieu of story and character. If you’ve seen the theatrical trailer for Funny People you know exactly what happens in the movie, point-by-point. The only things you’re missing are the briefly hilarious moments featuring Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman as Seth Rogen’s roommates, performers in one of the best sitcom parodies ever conceived. Everything else in this film is ancillary. The love story, the medical drama, the relationship between Rogen and Sandler- none of these threads result in anything funny, touching or particularly memorable. Whereas 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up had heart, Funny People has a gaping void where the soul should be, throbbing in agony as it listlessly stumbles to its conclusion.

I’d like to write more positively on the subject, but I really don’t know what to say. Many of my friends have claimed that Funny People is two movies in one, to which I reply, “Yeah, two bad movies.” If either movie was valuable on its own, we might have something to work with here, but neither Rogen’s or Sandler’s journeys are particularly noticeable or interesting. While Rogen is back to basics as a sweeter version of himself (after a brief and tremendously lousy stint with acting in Observe & Report), the real culprit here is Sandler, a generally fantastic performer capable of intense and powerful characterizations (i.e. Punch-Drunk Love) as well as moments of shocking hilarity (i.e. You Don’t Mess With the Zohan). In Funny People, Sandler transforms into an old Hollywood douchebag, the kind of person we hope he’ll never be in real life. It’s neither fun or compelling to see him fill this role, and it’s almost a shame we don’t get to see him transform into a baby or portray a Merman like he does in the fake movie clips within Funny People. While patently retarded, at least those concepts have more legs/fins to stand on than Funny People, a movie that never decides what it wants to be, what it has to say (if anything), and why it deserves to exist other than to pat Apatow and his wife on the back for all the better movies they’ve made. By the time we reach the third act (of twelve) and Apatow shuffles all of his old comedy cohorts into one of many needless cameo compilations, the whole thing seems more self-indulgent than anything even Wes Anderson could have concocted. Rather than too-precious characters, we’re dealing with characters and a universe that aren’t precious enough, with nothing remarkable or interesting to take away from it. In the same way that Charlie Kaufman’s Synechdoche, New York perfectly simulated real life by being both terrible and boring, Funny People perfectly simulates the life of a comedian in Los Angeles: it’s painful, not as funny as it looks, and you definitely lose money on the deal.

Grade: C- *

* This grade is slightly higher than it should be because of the Jason Schwartzman factor. Plus Aziz Ansari, while painfully underused, is featured in this movie. Like twice. That has to count for something.

Yesterday we gave you the definitive list of the funniest comedians of the decade. Today, NPI continues its look at the comedy of the Aughts by looking at the ten funniest films of the decade. Evaluating comedies can be tricky. Is the sheer number of laughs more important than the overall quality of the movie? This list aims to balance those concerns: It is a list of the funniest films, and not the best comedies, but at the same time, the best comedy often comes out of a good story. So what is the funniest film of the Aughts? Well, here’s the list:

10. Meet the Parents (2000)

Time has been a little unkind to Meet the Parents. An unfortunate sequel, the overexposure of Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, and a rather disappointing decade from Robert De Niro all conspired to reflect poorly on this film. These considerations, however, are generally unfair; they ignore the fact that Meet the Parents was one of the Aughts’ first great comedies and that Stiller was one of the best comic actors of the first part of the decade. Meet the Parents showcased his ability to play the understated, slightly belligerent everyman that he would later tone down to a bland, traditional romantic comedy lead. This, combined with De Niro’s excellent and persistent deadpan, led to some truly great comic scenes, like the discussion of “Puff the Magic Dragon” in the car and the lie-detector scene.

9. The Hangover (2009)

Before I saw this film this summer, a friend called to recommend it to me: “I don’t want to oversell certain parts…well, there’s pretty much no way I can oversell Zach Galifianakis’ performance.” And he was right. Even with all the hype Galifianakis was getting, his performance in The Hangover was still one of the most satisfying comedic performances of the decade. Galifianakis’ role was the standout, but the entire cast, including Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper, and Jeffrey Tambor, helped take a movie with a rather generic premise—a bachelor party gone awry—to new heights. Even a cameo from Mike Tyson was handled rather well (I’m on board with any excuse to include “In the Air Tonight” in a movie). Nevertheless, without Galifianakis—the one-man wolf pack—this movie wouldn’t have even sniffed the Top Ten.

8. A Mighty Wind (2003)

Christopher Guest movies are known for a consortium of characters who are completely unself-conscious and oblivious, but one character usually stands out. In Waiting for Guffman, it’s Corky; in Best in Show, it’s Fred Willard’s announcer. But it’s the dueling performances of Eugene Levy and Fred Willard in A Mighty Wind that set this one apart. Levy, as folk legend Mitch Cohen, is arguably the heart of the movie, but it’s Willard as Mike LaFontaine, the former star of “Wha’ Happened?”, who has the funniest lines. This, of course, shouldn’t minimize the contributions of Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer as The Folksmen, or John Micheal Higgins as the head of the New Main Street Singers. As usual in Guest’s films, the entire cast gets laughs, but none as much as Willard and Levy. And of all the films on this list, A Might Wind has by far the best soundtrack: So it’s got that going for it, which is nice.

7. The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)

6. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

5. Knocked Up (2007)

How you feel about comedies during the Aughts—or at least since 2005—comes down largely to how you answer the “Judd Apatow question.”* Judd Apatow films, and his style, have dominated the comedy landscape in the second half of the decade, so it’s hard to escape his influence. If you find the movies tiresome, redundant, one-dimensional, too long, or any other of the myriad complaints lodged against these films, then you’re probably not happy about this influence.

*It also, I guess, has a lot to do with how you answer the “Vince Vaughn question.” My answer to that question has always been, “No.”

I, for one, have no problem with Judd Apatows movies. In fact, I think they represent a breakthrough in romantic comedies, an otherwise stale genre. Apatow and his crew have such an ear for dialogue, and such a wry yet sympathetic take on relationships, that his films have an earnestness and realism that make the humor even more powerful. It also doesn’t hurt that his films star some of the funniest actors in the world, like Jason Segel, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, and Steve Carell.

The order of these three films is inevitably going to be somewhat arbitrary; I love all three and have seen each of them dozens of times. If you reversed the order, or changed it any way, I probably couldn’t object much.

If I had to pick a favorite of these three, I’d probably go with Knocked Up, thanks largely to Rudd’s performance as Pete. It also showcases Rogen at his best and the most fully depicted relationship of any of the films. Scenes like the pregnant-sex scene—“I do not want you to fuck me like a dog!” “It’s doggie STYLE. It’s  just a style….We don’t have to go outside or anything”—, their fight scene—“Fuck you, hormones. You are a crazy bitch, hormones”—,and the dinner scene—“I’m pregnant.” “With….emotion?”— are especially funny because they feel so realistic.

Having Said That, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and The 40-Year-Old-Virgin are classics in their own right. Forgetting (which isn’t directed by Apatow, but was produced by him and featured many Apatow actors) finally gave Jason Segel, maybe the funniest leading man of all these films, an opportunity to shine; as I’ve said, I’d listen to Segel sing in any movie. Russell Brand, Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, and Jonah Hill also don’t hurt.

And The 40-Year-Old-Virgin features the guileless Steve Carell—“You know how when you grab a woman’s breast and it feels like a bag of sand?”—and great scenes like the “You know how I know you’re gay?” exchange and David’s attempt to bring Andy his porn collection: “Here it is: Boner Jams ’03. It’s a mixtape I made of some scenes I was really into in the summer of 2003.”

4. Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

This cult classic doesn’t need realism—it’s just a continuous string of absurdity and satire. The ensemble cast, made up largely of alums from MTV’s The State (the film was also directed by The State alum David Wain), manages to turn the ridiculous farce of a story into one of the funniest films of the decade. Working with such tropes as high-speed chases, natural disasters, and children in peril, as well as broad genres like underdog sports movies, teen romance/romantic comedy, and summer camp movies, Wet Hot American Summer undermines practically every cinematic conceit. There’s Coop’s speech before the “culminating climactic softball game against evil Camp Tiger Claw” in which he tells his team of his plan to “try to come from behind at the last minute with some weird, trick play that we made up,” and the team responds that “it sounds like pretty well-worn territory” and that “the whole thing feels kind of trite.” The overall silliness is sold by a great cast of comic actors who would go on to big things in the Aughts: Paul Rudd, Michael Showalter, Amy Poehler, Bradley Cooper, and A.D. Miles.

3. Anchorman (2004)

Wow, we managed to make it through 70% of this list without a single Will Ferrell movie. Ferrell certainly passes Apatow and Vince Vaughn as the most polarizing comic figure of the decade: Some people think he’s a glorified buffoon who plays the same kind of idiot in every movie, while others think he’s an extremely funny buffoon who plays the same kind of idiot in every movie. It’s true that Ferrell has made a career out of repeating the same shtick, but this is largely because he has, with pretty much every movie since, tried to duplicate the success of Anchorman. Ferrell’s brand of arrogant, unrestrained fool was never more hilariously embodied than it was in Ron Burgundy. I don’t know how to put this, but he’s kind of a big deal. Anchorman also features a stellar supporting cast, with Paul Rudd as Brian Fantana (“60% of the time, it works every time.”), Steve Carell as Brick Tamland (“I love lamp!”), David Koechner as Champ Kind (“I miss you so damn much. I miss being with you; I miss being near you. I miss your laugh. I miss your scent; I miss your musk.”), and Fred Willard as Ed Harken (“I have no idea where he would have gotten a hold of German pornography.”). Really, though, it’s thanks to Ferrell’s skill with improvisation, and his ability to bring lines like, “Milk was a BAD choice!” and “They named it San Diego, which of course in German means ‘a whale’s vagina’” into the public consciousness, that makes this movie so great.

2. Zoolander (2001)

The similarities between Anchorman and Zoolander are obvious: They are both movies about incredibly successful and confident, yet incredibly stupid, people. They both feature a rich cast of comic actors—Will Ferrell’s role as Jacobim Mugatu may be even more inspired than his portrayal of Ron Burgundy. And they each left an indelible on the culture in the form of absurd lines that can be quoted at pretty much any time for a cheap laugh: “A ‘eugoogolizer’: One who speaks at funerals. Or did you think I’d be to stupid to know what a ‘eugoogoly’ was?” “Sting would be another hero of mine. The music he’s created over the years…I don’t really listen to it, but the fact that he’s making it. I respect that.” “I’m pretty sure there’s more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking.” Zoolander, however, gets the #2 spot because it was probably slightly funnier overall, and it had a more compelling plot. Plot may seem almost irrelevant to movies like this, but Zoolander’s somewhat absurd assassination plot manages to include a Derek Zoolander trip to coal country, a secret graveyard meeting with David Duchovny, and the great brainwashing scene. 

1. Superbad (2007)

The last three movies on this list may indicate that I prefer absurd humor to realistic humor, but this is not the case; both styles have their appeal, and a comedy’s quality is more dependant on how well it operates within its own version of reality. Superbad, the funniest movie of the Aughts, is almost disturbingly realistic in its depiction of high school life and language. The characters of Seth and Evan, and the friendship between the two of them, are deep and compelling, lending a strain of pathos to the humor—a strain both leads, particularly Michael Cera, exploit well. Cera, who has been caught in a Will Ferrell-like dilemma of his own in his attempt to capture George Michael Bluth in every movie, has probably never given a funnier performance than he gives as Evan. During a scene early in the movie, when Seth gets spit on by the mullet-wearing bully, Cera lingers in the background, bobbing his head; even as a blur lurking in the background, though, Cera manages to steal the scene. For his part, though, Jonah Hill as Seth gives what would be the breakout performance of almost any other comedy. While he lacks Cera’s subtlety, Hill probably gets the more outright hysterical lines: “Look at Jules’ dating record: […] Jason Stone who looks like fucking Zack Morris, and Matt Mayer. Matt Mayer: He’s the sweetest guy ever. Have you ever stared into his eyes? It was like the first time I heard The Beatles.” And none of this even includes Christopher Mintz-Plaatz’s breakthrough as McLovin, or Seth Rogen and Bill Hader as the cops; you’d have a pretty difficult time coming up with a better secondary story in a comedy. It’s Cera and Hill, though, and their ability to seem like plausible high school students and best friends, that manage to turn Superbad into the funniest film of the decade.

Comedy is a broad subject. It’s not confined to any one medium, genre, style, or format. It’s hard to define and almost impossible to quantify. But here at NPI, we take comedy very seriously. The comedy of the Aughts in particular will always have an important role in shaping our senses of humor. So today we present a list, in no particular order, of people who helped to truly shape the comedy of the decade. This is not a list of people who were funny once or twice, but people with a body of work that is both rich and impressive. This means that a lot of people had to be cut. Great stand-up comics (Louis C.K., Aziz Ansari), some hilarious supporting comic actors (Paul Rudd, Jason Schwartzman), and even some groundbreaking comic teams (Flight of the Conchords, Stella), couldn’t make the list. And that’s because the following individuals/groups reached a level of success, both in terms of popularity and quality, that helped define the comedy of the decade.

The cast of Arrested Development

Arrested Development has the funniest ensemble cast in the history of comedic television, and it’s way ahead of whatever’s at #2. Tim has already extolled the virtues of Jason Bateman as Michael Bluth, but the fact is that the main character is about the sixth-funniest cast member on the show. Michael Cera gave a breakout performance for three years as George Michael, completely selling every awkward quirk of the character, including (and especially) his love for his cousin. David Cross played Tobias’ obliviousness and physical awkwardness to perfection, conveying every sexual inadequacy and illicit implication (“She said ‘single,’ right?”). Will Arnett made a magician named Gob come off as arrogant, creepy, and sympathetic. Portia Di Rossi played Lindsay’s self-righteousness and laziness as mutually coexisting. Jeffrey Tambor, as the family patriarch, managed to make the character so memorable that they had to keep him as a regular, even though he was supposed to remain a guest after the pilot. Tony Hale’s Buster, Jessica Walter’s Lucille, and Alia Shawkat’s Maeby, rounded out the cast, ensuring the show didn’t have a single weakness. Even guest stars, like Henry Winkler, Ed Begley, Jr., and John Michael Higgins, manage to turn their characters into memorable comic stars.

Most important, though, was the way the cast interacted. Plenty, if not all, great comedies have breakout characters and star performers, but few entire casts have had the chemistry that this cast had. Exchanges between Michael and his son, for example, are so great not just because of the dialogue and each character’s eccentricities, but because of the interplay between the two characters. Their ability to talk over each other, fill in each other’s awkward gaps, and respond nonverbally to the other’s lines are as funny as anything in the script.

Will Ferrell

In terms of pure popularity and commercial success, no comedian on this list has had a better decade than Will Ferrell. When the Aughts began, he was an underappreciated member of the Saturday Night Live cast, probably best known for playing Alex Trebek in Celebrity Jeopardy sketches, alongside Darrell Hammond’s Sean Connery. Now, he is one of the most highly paid, and perhaps the single most overpaid, stars in Hollywood.

And while his recent string of movies (Land of the Lost, Semi-Pro, Step Brothers) has not met with the kind of cultural response as some of his earlier work, it’s impossible to deny his imprint on the comedy of the decade.

Here’s a brief overview of comedy phenomena that Ferrell has had an integral hand in bringing to life this decade: his definitive impression of George W. Bush, More Cowbell, Jacobim Mugatu, Frank the Tank, Ron Burgundy, the Little Landlord, etc. This list still omits over half of his films, and plenty of his SNL sketches and viral hits. While some (myself included) think pretty much that whole list is comedy gold, it’s hard to really find anyone who doesn’t appreciate at least something there. Ferrell’s comedy sometimes gets criticized for being too broad or over-the-top, but the truth is that Ferrell’s ability to embody a comic persona so completely leads to just as many subtle, clever moments as big, outlandish ones. It’s the big, crazy ones that get remembered, of course, but even comedy elitists should be able to appreciate Ferrell’s unparalleled ability to make unfunny material sound hilarious.

Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant

You know who doesn’t get enough credit? Stephen Merchant. Ricky Gervais is a worldwide celebrity, but Merchant is a more or less unknown face. Without Merchant, though, Gervais’ impact on the comedy of the decade would not be as unmistakable as it is. His film career is rather forgettable on the whole; his stand-up, while very good, is not good enough to make this list on its own.

The real reason, of course, for Gervais and Merchant’s inclusion on the list is The Office. Possibly the most groundbreaking series of the decade, The Office was the first show to successfully use the documentary format in a series, the format since aped by the American version, Arrested Development, Parks & Recreation, etc. Even more important, though, is the way the show mined silence, awkwardness, and self-deception for rich comedy. The show, by veering more directly into the misanthropic than pretty much any other comedy, created one of the funniest series of the Aughts.

Extras, their follow-up, was an almost equally brilliant examination of celebrity and vanity. Extras was also noteworthy for finally giving Merchant the opportunity to share the screen with Gervais (with one small exception in The Office); given the opportunity, Merchant steals almost every scene.

Jon Stewart and The Daily Show writers

It’s weird to think that Jon Stewart was not the original host of The Daily Show, or that Stewart almost left to host a network show that ultimately went to Jimmy Kimmel, since Jon Stewart is, at this point, so linked to his show. It’s hard to imagine anyone else hosting it because Stewart’s mix of humility, indignity, intelligence, and relatability are so integral to its success. The Daily Show has survived the departure of so many star correspondents—Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Rob Corddry, Mo Rocca, Ed Helms, etc.—because Stewart is such a strong foundation for the show.

Stewart’s cultural relevance—his ability to take down Crossover, to tear apart Jim Cramer—often cloud how funny the show has been throughout the decade. While it has a tendency to rest on its laurels—and Stewart’s ability to sell a mediocre joke—the show still knows how to bring the smartest satire to news and cable programming. Every election season, the show seems to hit a new stride. In fact, the comedy generated out of politics is almost taken for granted as an intrinsic part of politics now; it is hard to imagine the current political landscape existing without Jon Stewart and The Daily Show.

Stephen Colbert

Unlike The Daily Show, in which Jon Stewart serves as an anchor for a large cast of correspondents lampooning the entire spectrum of political coverage, The Colbert Report is really all about Stephen Colbert. Colbert’s character of Stephen Colbert is what sells the comedy on his show. What Colbert has done, then, is probably more impressive than what Stewart has done, particularly when you consider that The Colbert Report is, at this point, more consistently funny and relevant than The Daily Show. Colbert has made such an art of getting politicians and public figures to embarrass themselves that he’s had to more or less abandon “Better Know a District,” one of his funniest features, due to the refusal of Congressmen to meet with him.

Stephen Colbert is best known for his own show—and for his use of the character in other venues, like Ben & Jerry’s flavors, and the White House Correspondence dinner—but, of course, he has had a strong career outside of it. He was the best correspondent on The Daily Show during his time on that show, bringing such highlights as “This Week in God” and “Even Stevphen.” And I would be remiss if I omitted the cult hit Strangers with Candy, which he co-wrote, co-created, and co-starred in. The majority of that series aired in 2000, to little audience reaction but high quality, and the film adaptation came out in 2006. Colbert’s comic talents have a wide range, but the character he has fashioned on his own show is clearly him at his most memorable.

Dave Chappelle

It’s probably easily forgotten at this point, but when Chappelle’s Show premiered in 2003, it generated buzz in a way that no show has really done since. Usually, comedians who get a lot of attention for “controversial” treatment of racial subjects are using taboo material as a crutch for bad jokes (read: Carlos Mencia). Chappelle, however, is to racial humor what Woody Allen was to Jewish humor, or The Daily Show is to political humor: He did it in a way that was completely clever, original, and, most of all, funny. Skits like “The Racial Draft” and “The Black White Supremacist” went beyond traditional “black people are different than white people” tropes, and managed to find new ways to mock racial sensitivity. The show also had plenty of forgotten gems that hardly touched on race, such as “Better in Slow Motion,” “The Three Daves,” and “Great Moments in Hookup History.” 

Of course, all anyone seems to remember from Chappelle’s Show is “I’m Rick James, bitch!” which was basically why he walked away from the show after two seasons. Truthfully those 25 episodes would have probably been enough to get him on the list, given their cultural impact, but Chappelle was also one of the best stand-up comics of the decade. Killing Them Softly and For What It’s Worth are two of the best specials of the decade, including his bit on Sesame Street and his trip to the ghetto.

Mitch Hedberg

It may be mildly surprising that Mitch Hedberg is on this list, being that he passed away halfway through the decade. For anyone who knows his material, though, Hedberg’s impact on stand-up comedy, even given his unfortunately early death, is unmistakable.* Hedberg was so personable and distinctive in his voice and mannerisms that he managed to create a memorable stand-up persona, despite the fact that his material is basically a series of unconnected one-liners. His deftness with punchlines, though, made his jokes some of the most memorable ones of the Aughts.

*When I first heard about Hedberg’s death, on March 30, 2005, I convinced myself it was an elaborate and early April Fools’ joke for almost a week.

Strategic Grill Locations, Hedberg’s first CD, technically came out in 1999 but didn’t start circulating widely until 2000 (it was originally self-published). It very quickly, however, established Hedberg’s voice and wit, including lines like, “A severed foot is the ultimate stocking-stuffer,” and “I opened up a yogurt and underneath the lid it said, ‘Please try again,’ because they were having a contest I was unaware of. But I thought I might have opened the yogurt wrong. Or maybe Yoplait was trying to inspire me.” His follow-up, Mitch All-Together, was released in 2003, and continued Hedberg’s warped brand of observational comedy. Losing arguably the best stand-up comic at the age of 37 was probably the worst tragedy to afflict comedy in the Aughts.

Zach Galifianakis 

Until 2009’s The Hangover, Zach Galifianakis wasn’t really a household name, or even a name you could really be sure other comedy fans had heard of. Now, though, even if people don’t know his name, they know of “the guy from The Hangover.” But this doesn’t mean that Galifianakis wasn’t producing great comedy throughout the decade; it was merely that none of his projects ended up catching on, usually because they weren’t the right fit for his talents. His Comedy Central Presents was hilarious and original, but very offbeat, featuring a 12-piece a capella group at the end. His VH1 talk show had some great moments, but forced him to be too mainstream. His appearances as Seth Galiafinakis never really had a big platform. He excelled on Dog Bites Man, but the show was cancelled after one season on Comedy Central.

In every one of these venues, though, Galifianakis brought his brilliantly absurd style of comedy to the project, making it both original and funny. The things that bear his pure creative stamp, including his stand-up comedy and his talk show, Between Two Ferns, were consistently unpredictable and hilarious.

Larry David

Obviously, we here at NPI are big fans of Curb Your Enthusiasm, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that Larry David makes the list of funniest people of the decade. As the star and creative force behind one of the best comic series of the decade, David’s stamp on the comedy of the Aughts is unmistakable. Curb Your Enthusiasm, in fact, may be the best series to run the full length of the decade (although that’s a little unfair, since HBO allows David to take large gaps between the seasons). The improvisational style leads to great moments from Jeff Garlin, Cheryl Hines, Bob Einstein, J.B. Smoove, Susie Essman, and the rest of the cast, but it’s Larry that holds the show together. As the social misanthrope who isn’t afraid to challenge any cherished societal convention, Larry David has produced a character who is relatable and likable, despite the fact that so much of what he does is so detestable. 

Curb Your Enthusiasm has both extended the Seinfeld-style of humor and left an even stronger “Larry David” signature on the world of comedy. When David starred in Woody Allen’s Whatever Works this summer, it was an example of two stars of Jewish comedy coming together. But what it really demonstrated was how much more natural and innovative David’s own style seems, at this point, than someone even as groundbreaking as Woody Allen.

Trey Parker & Matt Stone

South Park really peaked in popularity in the late 1990s, shortly after the show debuted. The show was a phenomenon right from the start, thanks to the crude humor of Cartman and the rest. Even the movie South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut came out in 1999. It was during this decade, however, that the show hit its creative stride. Since the show is so well-known for its fart jokes and scatological material—which it has never abandoned—the cleverness of its wit and satire is often overlooked.

The ability of Trey Parker and Matt Stone to satirize and mock things like the reaction to Hurricane Katrina, World of Warcraft, and elections shows that they are really the smartest and most original social commentators on television right now. 

Parker and Stone are also admirable for their willingness to go after things that aren’t generally criticized, like anti-smoking backlash and the comedy of Family Guy. Their show, in addition to being one of the most consistently funny shows on television, is one of the few comedies that actually makes a strong and persuasive argument about something, on occasion. This, of course, is not a requirement of comedy, but it does make satire funnier when it comes from a real place.

Judd Apatow

Judd Apatow has had a hand in some of the funniest movies of the decade. His work on television from the early part of the Aughts—Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared—is often heralded as a more mature kind of comedy, but Apatow’s real strength would be in movies. He directed and co-wrote The 40-Year-Old Virgin; he wrote and directed Knocked Up. He was also the producer on Anchorman, Talladega Nights, Superbad, Walk Hard, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Pineapple Express, as well as a few others.

His effect on the world of comedy, though, extends far beyond his own films. He has helped make stars out of Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, and Paul Rudd. He has helped revive the career of Adam Sandler (for better or for worse). He has developed a certain style and tone of male dialogue that will be ripped off for years, and his role in shaping the modern romantic comedy genre is unmistakable.

Conan O’Brien

The recent press around Conan O’Brien’s move to The Tonight Show has not been good: His ratings have fallen and many people are already predicting his demise as host. In some ways, this just confirms the feelings of Conan’s biggest fans: Most people don’t get him. Conan has never shied away from the fact that his style of humor is somewhat more outlandish and goofy than that of other late-night hosts. This means that the audience that tuned in to hear Jay Leno make generic jokes about current events might not find the appeal of Conan’s attempts to alienate every country.

But for many, particularly in younger demographics, Conan continues to be the funniest and most exciting late-night host. He single-handedly resuscitated Chuck Norris’ career, he made the most of his trips to Chicago and Finland, and, of course, he explored the intricacies of old-timey baseball. His willingness to do these absurd features makes him totally unique among late-night hosts.

I meant to write this a few days ago but I chose to wait until the start of this week because there are more readers during the weekdays. Because everyone have lives to live on the weekend. My blog has done surprisingly well so far and thanks to all the people who are reading this. Let me know if you’re enjoying it! Here are the second half of my Top 10 Movies of the 2000s.

The Lives of Others (2006)

After watching this movie William F. Buckley reportedly told his friend that it was the best movie he’d ever seen. And William F. Buckley was really old and had seen a lot of movies. I don’t know if this is the best movie I’ve ever seen but it’s pretty darn high on the list. The film takes place in East Germany during the 1980s and focuses on a group of anti-communists and the Stasi agents who are listening in on them. It’s a fairly complicated plot (the details of which escape me) but is highly evolving and, although slow moving, holds your attention. When I think about the camerawork and writing it’s hard for me to believe that it was really the writer/director’s first film. If you enjoy history, politics, or realistic spy movies check this one out. It may be the best movie you’ve ever seen!

Mulholland Dr. (2001)

What can I say about this one? It’s a masterpiece. One of the greatest films ever made and, although this list is not ranked, it is without question the greatest film of the 2000s. After a career of masterpieces David Lynch managed to create his most hypnotic, engrossing, erotic, and world expanding film yet. Everything about this film works: the gorgeous colors, the score, the themes, the mobius strip of a story, and even the set designs. Betty (Naomi Watts in her best performance) arrives in Hollywood to become an actress and meets Rita (Laura Elena Harring) who is suffering from amnesia. Together they attempt to piece together what happened to Rita but reality has other plans. Halfway through the film everything flip flops – the personalities, the story, everything. What does that mean? I don’t know. Does anyone? It doesn’t matter. From botched hit jobs to lesbian love scenes to Billy Ray Cyrus as the pool guy – this film has it all. WATCH IT.

The Saddest Music in the World (2004)

The story is this: in order to make money during the American prohibition a Canadian beer baroness (with glass legs full of beer) decides to hold a contest to find the saddest music in the world. It’s an extravaganza of a contest with every culture doing their best to show the world their music is the saddest. The protagonists of the film are two Canadian brothers who have drifted apart all the way to different places – America and Eastern Europe. The American brother is the quintessential Hollywood producer of the 1920s. GLITZ! The Eastern European brother is the quintessential tortured musician. Although the plot is strange it definitely drives the movie, which is filmed in the style of a silent film (with sound of course). Guy Maddin is my new favorite director and this is one of the only (or the only?) non silent film he’s made. The movie is touching, funny, toe tapping, and beautiful to look at. An absolute joy.

Superbad (2007)

After eight art house movies that got your attention didn’t it? But it shouldn’t. As my girlfriend put it – “Superbad changed everything.” Well…maybe not just Superbad but the works of Judd Apatow and his crew of actors certainly did. Before 2005 we were forced to deal with lousy Will Ferrel movies and misogynistic chick flicks. Apatow has given us comedies that appeal to men and women with characters we relate with, get frustrated with, and love. What’s most funny about his comedies is that practically no one over 35 cares too much for them. But everyone around my age does. Sure, Seth Rogen may be a little divisive at times but who doesn’t like Paul Rudd or Jason Segal? Apatow’s films have given us them along with Jonah Hill, Leslie Mann, Elizabeth Banks, and reminded us how funny Jason Schwartzman and James Franco can be. Also – Jane Lynch? I don’t need to tell you the plot of Superbad. Chances are you’ve seen it before. But before we go let me give you a run down of what else Judd Apatow and his collaborators (even when he’s not involved) has given us: The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Pineapple Express, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Role Models, I Love You Man, Funny People, and the list keeps growing. They’re not going anywhere soon folks – and thank God for that!

Zodiac (2007)

My friend John and I saw this when it came out in the theater. We had both heard good things about it and were not disappointed. I think I can speak for both of us when I say its one of our favorite movies. Like all of these movies the cast is great, the script is good, and the camerawork is phenomenal. The most impressive thing about this movie is how David Fincher successfully makes the Zodiac Killer a killer for his time and place. Donovan is playing on the radio, Dirty Harry is in the theater, and the newspaper is still an important source of information. Images from this movie stick with me. Zodiac garbed in black walking down the sunny hill to the couple he is about to kill. Robert Downey Jr. wearing an “I’m Not Paul Avery” button. Jake Gyllenhall in the basement of a creepy man’s house. Looking up at the ceiling, hearing the creaks, seeing the footsteps between the cracks, and realizing there is someone else in the house. Other directors would have made this film move faster but Fincher is patient and weaves a complex and character driven story. The result is the greatest serial killer film of all time. It’s a jarring film that deserves repeated viewing but you owe it to yourself to watch it at least once.

Well. That’s that. Like I said there were plenty of movies that almost made the list but didn’t. Here are some of them.

You Can Count on Me, No Country for Old Men, Dogville, In the Bedroom, Borat, Black Book, Brick, Monsters Inc., Bad Santa, Shaun of the Dead, American Splendor, Iron Man, and The Royal Tenenbaums. This was a good decade for movies. I’m sure there were more that I didn’t think of. 

By Margaret Hedderman

An urchin is a complex creature of the phylum book-annelida. Upon initial observation, an urchin may appear ill adapted to their environment: elitist, highbrowed, snobbish, eggheaded, sentimental, fluffy, or even… ‘smart.’  Gasp! Regardless of whether the above are true, our environment is clearly not suited for such qualities. An urchin is inherently and genetically obligated to create change in their surroundings. By introducing an urchin to a new ecosystem, the urchin will immediately begin changing that environment (a fluffy, elitist, highbrowed betterment, of course.) The following is part one of the Urchin Survival Guide: an extensive How-to look at urchinising the world.

1. Drive on the Left Side of the Road.

Believe me, those other cars will just get out of your way. And soon, everyone will drive like you. Either that or you’ll go to jail. But that is a sacrifice I’m willing for you to take. Change can start with one person. You.

2. Drink Sam Smith.

But not while driving on the left side of the road. Or the right. Best not to combine steps one and two at all. Maybe this shouldn’t have been step two…

3. Purge the World of the Heathen Apatow.

Judd Apatow defiles Urchin environment like an ill-timed ‘toot’ in yoga class. Yes, that’s right. I said a ‘toot.’ His inane, scatophilic, misogynist, blockbuster-whoring ‘films’ block creativity like a toilet after Thanksgiving. Roto-rooter your environment! Re-sanctify the world. Destroy all Judd Apatow influences in your close proximity. Then take a plunger to your friend’s house. United, we can save the world.

*Editor’s Note: The Urchins do NOT condone any moron driving on the left side of the road. Unless you live in the U.K. In that case, we love you. Also, don’t drink and drive.

VERDICT:
8/10 World’s Creepiest Posters

Works surprisingly well for a movie that’s essentially one running gag for two hours straight.

The 40 Year-Old Virgin is about a 40 year-old endearing nerd who still hasn’t had sex – he’s come close a couple times, but, no, still hasn’t sealed the deal. Then one day his co-workers find out about this utter crime against humanity and make it their mission to get this guy laid.

Believe it or not, there’s actually a lot more heart here than the synopsis would lead to you believe. Judd Apatow seems to have this formula of “crude + caring = everybody wins” down to a science at this point, but still, it gets pretty damn crude. I know some folks who absolutely hate this movie because of its gross-out factor, and even though it all just had me laughing me ass off, I can appreciate how this might not be everyone’s thing.

But outside of the physical gags and the constant sex jokes, the real selling point here is Carell and Apatow’s script. The writing here is great in a number of aspects, but the thing I always find myself impressed by is that it never gets old. It successfully manages to not just be a movie about dick jokes and awkward sexual/non-sexual encounters because the comic writing is so damn strong and because the main character, Andy (the freak up on that poster), actually wants a relationship and isn’t just trying to pop his cherry. Aside from the waxing scene, I don’t think a whole lot of people leave this movie talking about the cringe-worthy stuff, but rather the fresh and hilarious dialogue coming from the mouths of a really solid cast of newcomers.

And even though a lot of the lines were ad libbed and whatnot – which isn’t a bad thing in the least, as long as it’s done well – all the stuff about donkey shows and Michael McDonald hate and hoodrats are easily my favorite part of this movie as it outshines everything else that’ll make your face turn sour. Every new scene is these guy brewing up conversations that are even crazier than the last, and, yeah, it can be a little rough around the edges, but it’s too good to not appreciate.

The other big thing Apatow has going for him here is his characters. Whether they’re on-screen for two seconds or two hours, they’re all totally memorable and have their own great personalities. Just look at Jonah Hill’s cameo, he’s in here for a blink of an eye playing some kid who just wants to buy a pair of platform shoes with fish in them and even he has a great line or two.

It’s not often that a movie serves as such a significant launching pad for so many careers, but good lord, the proof is in the pudding with this one.

My favorite is still Seth Rogen, but you’ve also got Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Kat Dennings, Leslie Mann, Jane Lynch, and a bit role by Mindy Kaling from The Office, too. I think we all know this gang by now, you can thank Judd Apatow for that one. And even though it’s kinda hard to think of Steve Carell outside of Michael Scott nowadays, the dude has always been hilarious from back in his Daily Show years and it was about damn time he got his due.

And thank God it finally put Apatow on the map. I like to think it’s karma for whoever came up with the brilliant idea to cancel Freaks and Geeks.

Only problem here is the bizarro ending. “Age of Aquarius”? Where the hell did that come from?

Back in ‘05, the debate between my friends and I was always between this and Wedding Crashers, and even though I think Wedding Crashers is a damn funny movie, it’s no 40 Year-Old Virgin. I was expecting to laugh as hard as I did when I first saw this, and it still has me laughing today. Great characters, great writing, and just a wicked sense of humor to back it all up.

“Hoodrats”, man. Too good.

This past decade in film was kind of underwhelming, but through all the fat, I’ve managed to pick my 20 favorite.  I have to admit, most of the selections here I picked from my DVD collection, but that only makes sense, because why else would I buy them?  So, this isn’t Ebert’s list, or the ghost of Siskel’s….this is mine.  Who the hell am I?  Thanks for asking…

I’d also like to point out that you won’t see one selection from 2009.  Unfortunately, I haven’t been to the movies much this year, so I have failed to see some “possible choices” like Inglorious Basterds or District 9. I did see Star Trek however, and thought it was actually kind of awesome…

Like my 20 Favorite Albums… post, I’m using the one film per director rule.  I was very close to including Grindhouse on the list, but at the last minute remembered Kill Bill.  I also chose not to put Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny on the list since Tenacious D got the # 1 spot on albums.  It is one my favorites though.

So, without further distraction, here’s the list of my 20 favorites films that came out between 2000-2009: (SPOILERS AHEAD)

20.  Land of the Dead (2005)

Land of the Dead is living dead mastermind George A. Romero’s big budget zombie-fest.  There were a few problems with the film, and one was the story, which just wasn’t as interesting as the survival tales of Romero’s previous three Dead films (Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead in case you were living under a rock pillow).  Why does it make my top 20?  Because it’s a big budget Romero zombie flick!  Slightly better than his 2007 effort Diary of the Dead (which got lost in its editing), Land…brings to the table smarter zombies, a nefarious villain in Dennis Hopper, and Dead Reckoning, a military transport turned weapon.  It also had the courtesy of not being too cheesy or over the top (well, for a zombie film), unlike this decade’s other zombie contenders, Dawn of the Dead (Remake) and Zombieland.  Land also featured Romero’s trademark satire; this time a take on the zombie apocalypse in a post 911-world.

19.  Rescue Dawn (2006)

Rescue Dawn kind of came out of nowhere;  a war film with a big star (Christian Bale) that didn’t really have a large budget or release.  It’s not so much a war film as it is survival, taking place in the jungles of a war-torn Vietnam.  Then, there are the camp scenes, where regular comedic-actor Steve Zahn steals the show as a frantic POW.

The movie is elevated by its cinematography; its natural force pulls you into the setting.  The characters do the rest.  And, when the film ends and the main character is rescued, it makes it that much better, because you were along for the experience.  And that makes it kind of uplifting.

18.  The School of Rock (2003)

Quite possibly Jack Black’s finest moment in film, The School of Rock is a funny and touching movie that celebrates the best of three worlds:  the children’s film, comedy and rock and roll.  All of the characters shine (especially the kids) and Jack Black is a force to be reckoned with as the maestro; teacher by day, slacker by night.  Ultimately, the children change him, and he changes the children, and it’s a big, fat, sappy hug at the end.  Oh, but what a hug!

17. Kill Bill Vol. 1/2 (2003/2004)

Ok, I know I’m cheating here (and I will later on, too – spoiler alert), but I’m going to count the Kill Bill films as one selection.  One cannot exist without the other.  If Kill Bill Vol. 1 was a standalone film, then there would be many questions left unanswered.  If Kill Bill Vol. 2 was standalone, there would be many questions…

Quentin Tarantino’s revenge-epic is many different things; an homage to 1970’s Asian and grindhouse cinema, a mash-up of styles (split screen, animation, music, violence, color, etc.) and a weird sense of feminism.  Ok, so maybe Tarantino isn’t a feminist the same Joss Whedon is, but  it would be remiss to deny that aspect.

Kill Bill Vol. 1 kicked ass both times I saw it in theaters and is just an explosive, exciting picture.  Kill Bill Vol. 2 is a little more low-key, a little more laid-back, but full of intense scenes (coffin, anyone?) that lead up to Kiddo killing Bill.  (SPOILER ALERT:  She kills Bill.  But, it’s kind of underwhelming).

16.  Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Eternal Sunshine…is the kind of film that sticks with you for days after watching.  It also deserves multiple viewings.  It’s brilliantly written by Charlie Kaufman, and directed by Michel Gondry, and their talent together is worthy of the Kaufman/Jonez team (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation).  Kaufman and Gondry also worked on Human Nature together, another amazing slice of cinema.

Everything is top notch here, from Gondry’s directing style, to the soundtrack selection and most of all, the acting.  Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Wilkinson and Kirsten Dunst all make the story come to life and emerge as believable.

Eternal Sunshine…isn’t worth explaining, it’s worth seeing.  Go see it now, if you haven’t.  You won’t forget it.  Your mind won’t let you.

15.  Casino Royale (2006)

Casino Royale pumped new blood into the struggling Bond franchise and woke it up like a shot of adrenalin to the heart.  Daniel Craig’s Bond was a different kind of Bond, a more vulnerable Bond.  This made for an interesting story.  There was also the romantic tension, the tension of the card game, and the stunning set pieces.  Also, the explosive action sequences.  The opening chase scene has to be one of the best action sequences of the last ten years, if not more.  Some short-changed this movie, but that’s because they’re afraid of change.  Open your mind and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

14.  The Dark Knight (2008)

There’s not much to say about The Dark Knight that hasn’t been said already.  Heath Ledger’s performance is worth the price of admission.  There’s also Aaron Eckhart, who was overshadowed by Ledger, but still pulled off a worthy performance, full of sadness and tragedy.  The story and theme are equally interesting, and the set pieces make Gotham come alive.  Batman Begins changed what a superhero movie could be in terms of story and structure, but The Dark Knight changed them in terms of moral ambiguity and character.  I hope Nolan and co. do make another Batman film, but where can they go from here?

Of course the backlash is, we’ve now got legions of fanboys asking “Why so serious?”.  Well, if there’s one thing I never do, it’s let the fans get in the way of the product (I’m looking at you Star Trek franchise).  I also read comic books.  Do the 40-year-old virgins of the world turn me away from comic books?  Hm….excellent segue into # 13…

13.  The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)

The 40 Year Old Virgin jump started the careers of three major forces in modern comedy:  Steve Carrell, Seth Rogan and Judd Apatow, turning them from cult status (Freaks and Geeks, The Daily Show) to box office champions.  The movie’s also hilarious; and even with all of the dick jokes, there’s an underlying theme of love.  Who does Steve Carell’s character ultimately lose his virginity to?  Not the drunk chick or the skank, but the lady he loves.

12.  The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

In my opinion, the best Western to come out this past decade was The Assassination…  Not to say it was the only good one – The Proposition was decent (Nick Cave wrote that one, he did the score to Assassination), Appaloosa had its moments, and the remake of 3:10 to Yuma was actually a pretty good film, but The Assassination had everything going for it:  brilliant script, score, cinematography, direction, set pieces and acting.  And I refer not only to Brad Pitt (Jesse James), but also to Casey Affleck (Robert Ford) who proves he has the acting chops in the Affleck family.  It’s a tragic tale about envy and legacy, and Jesus Christ!…what a beautiful film!

11.  No Country For Old Men (2007)

This was a Coen brothers film?  Where are the Coen trademarks like quirky characters and dialogue, or larger-than-life situations?  No Country was a change of pace for the Coens (probably most similar to their debut film – the thriller Blood Simple) in more than one way.  It was the first of their films to be based on a novel (yeah O Brother, Where Art Thou was based on Homer, but really more inspired than based).  There wasn’t an emphasis on score (a minimal score reminiscent of Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode “The Body”).  It was also mindblowingly intense…a real thriller with a truly evil villain.  Some of the film seemed a bit confusing (like Josh Brolin’s offscreen demise), but what it lacked in coherency, it made up for in suspense.

10.  Shaun of the Dead (2004)

When I first saw Shaun of the Dead during its inital U.S.-theater run, I have to admit I was pretty let down.  I had read some over-hyped reviews on a film forum I frequented (try saying that one, three times fast:  Film Forum I Frequented) and I guess I was expecting a different kind of zombie-comedy; one that I think could be compared to Zombieland. I wasn’t expecting a great movie…just a gory film with jokes.  During that first viewing, I didn’t see the greatness of it…it just all felt mediocre.

A year or so later, K.’s mother lent us Spaced (British comedy series featuring writer/actor Simon Pegg, actor Nick Frost and director Edgar Wright of Shaun of the Dead), and after falling in love with that show, I first saw the genius of Shaun of the Dead.   I re-watched it, and saw a completely different film.  The creators (Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright) love their zombie films (and their action films according to 2007’s Hot Fuzz), but they also love a good story with real emotion.  It wasn’t just a “romantic-comedy-zombie-flick”, it was a film that had zombies in it but also characters going through emotional turmoil; and not only because of the zombie apocalypse, but because of their “real world” despair such as relationship trouble.  Oh, and the zombies don’t run…always a plus in my hypothetical book.

9.  The Departed (2005)

More than just a long “Gimme Shelter” music video, Martin Scorsese’s The Departed is a moving web of lies, that wraps you in with its deceit and depravity.  Most of the characters are first class scumbags only in it for themselves, and only a minimal few prove otherwise by the end of the film.  But, these liars and con artists (not literally) pull us into their world and we can’t help but watch.  What will Frank Costello aka Jack Nicholson (played by Jack Nicholson) do next?  How deep will Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) go?  Where does Colin Sullivan’s (Matt Damon) loyalty belong?  What the fuck is up with Dignam (Mark Wahlberg)?  The actors bring the characters to life and into the Boston P.D., and the Boston mob, and the city itself.  It’s a Scorsese classic (already) and earned the filmmaker the Oscar he so rightfully deserved (in the past for better films).  But, did he really need the Oscar?  Of course not.  No award (at least in the entertainment business) can vindicate a filmmaker’s talent.  The filmmaker has to prove this with their movie, which Scorsese has done countless times.  Who cares if he gets a shiny, naked man statue?

8.  Mulholland Dr. (2001)

David Lynch is a rare sort of filmmaker.  He seems to only make movies for himself (self-indulgent?), but they always end up connecting with an audience (some more than others).  No matter how strange or bizarre the ride may get, you usually want to stay and see it out until the end.  Something in his work resonates, and stays buried inside your subconscious.  They’re like paintings.

Mulholland Dr. is like a bright, neon-lit painting, but scattered about are very dark and mysterious blotches.  It’s up to us, the viewer to connect the dots, to scratch at the surface and understand ourselves what the film means.  As stated before, like a painting.  There’s no dictation of what the film means.  To some people, this is an experience; to others, a  chore.

On the surface, Mulholland Dr. is about a young actress-to-be moving to Hollywood, who coincidentally meets a strange woman with amnesia.  It takes a dive into a dark world with hitmen, strange cowboys, freaky midnight magic shows, dumpster monsters and two star-crossed lovers in tangle.  About 3/4 into the movie, it makes a sudden and drastic shift, and plays with our senses, as characters turn to be not who we thought they were.  It’s a weird, wild ride, but in the end, worth for the viewing experience alone.  It’s also worth multiple re-watchs, so you can figure your own theory in your head.  It’s not homework, it’s thinking, and that’s just as important as diet and exercise.

7.  Wall-E (2008)

Who else but Pixar could make you feel for a trash compactor?  Fuckin’ no one else is the correct answer.  Since Toy Story (another brilliant film!), Pixar has been on the forefront of modern animation – but not just in terms of style, technique and presentation, but story!  They know how to tell a good story.  They don’t make “children’s films”, but films for people…we can all relate to the trash-compactor robot.  It displays human emotion:  loneliness, sadness and then love, and finally triumph.  If for some reason you’re not watching Pixar films because you think they’re “for kids”, then you, sir or ma’am, are an idiot (as Dwight would say)!  Do yourself a favor and pick one up (Toy Story or Wall-E will do just fine).

6.  Children of Men (2006)

Children of Men took the “dystopian-future” Sci-Fi subgenre and turned it on its head, creating a future so bleak, mankind was well on its way to extinction.  The cinematography takes you there, which make the intense “action sequences”  seem too real.  There’s also that extended single shot at the end which raises the level of fiction authenticity to downright terrifying.  In the end, however, a glimmer of hope is revealed and all could be right in the world again.  Like many films on this list, it’s full of despair, but there’s that guiding light of hope.  And isn’t that part of human nature? Times are hard, economically and ecologically, but we hang on to hope, for a better day, better month, better year.

5.  Zodiac (2007)

David Fincher’s Zodiac is an intense thriller full of intrigue, but there’s no real ending, no killer caught, no problem solved…and this is how it is in real life.  The Zodiac was never caught.  There were suspects, but nothing ever proven.  The movie doesn’t try to answer the question of “who was the Zodiac” (although it points a stiff finger at one particular suspect), but instead gives us a glimpse inside the frantic world of ambitious journalists and misconstrued cops.  There’s also the cartoonist working for the paper who would become one of the leading Zodiac experts.  We see how the Zodiac Killer ruined his life, without ever laying a finger.  The movie exists within its own universe and story, and us, the audience, are in for the ride.  It’s one that’s not necessarily satisfying, at first, anyway, but look further, and you’ll see Fincher hit all of the chords:  cinematography, score, writing, directing…all constructed in such a classy way, that Zodiac rises above all other “serial killer flicks” and becomes a masterpiece.  The viewer gets sucked into the warped story and lives there, probably their whole life.

4.  Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

Like any good fantasy, Pan’s Labyrinth is escapism at its core; a little girl lost in a fairytale that brings her purpose and joy because her real life is too painful to bear without it.  Her mother is sick, she has a wicked stepfather (in the form of a brutal Spanish military captain), and so the world of the labyrinth she escapes to is a world worth living, where she is important; a princess in fact.  And even though the “fantasy world” has its share of danger (she has to go through many deadly obstacles to prove she is the princess), it’s still a welcome alternative to the terrible truth.

The movie ends with Ofelia, our princess, dying at the hands of her stepfather, but we see her in her after-life, claiming the throne of princess along with her biological father and mother (who passed on earlier in the film).  Did this really happen in the world of the movie, or were the labyrinth, the faun, the pale man all figments of her imagination?  It’s up in the air.  Was it just her death that brought her happiness, or was she truly reunited with her parents as the royal family of the underworld?  A great fantasy, Pan’s Labyrinth plays with our emotions and never lets up.

3.  Serenity (2005)

So, when Joss Whedon’s Sci-Fi/Western series Firefly got cancelled by Fox, the world pretty much died.  Okay, sorry for the dramatics…I meant the world in Firefly died.  A vast world that should have been explored throughly through many seasons.  It only got one.  It’s like it didn’t even have a chance.  Whedon went back to Buffy and Angel (casting Firefly alumni in these shows) and I can only guess forgot about Firefly for the time being.  This was in 2002.  Three years later, a film would come out – Serenity – the big budget, epic Firefly movie!

Serenity is everything you could possibly want in a Firefly movie, and more.  Obviously, all of the great actors/characters are back, but there are also reavers (seen for the first time), River finally finding her full potential, and unexpected Whedon-y deaths.  It all comes in a nice glossy package reminiscent of a summer blockbuster.

Serenity, this time around more sci-fi opera than space western, was a mighty feat in its own right.  Based on the facts above, cancellation and all, Whedon and Co. managed to make a big-budget action/adventure flick.  With help from DVD sales, an Emmy (for Outstanding Visual Effects) and fan support, Serenity came to be, and damn, was it all so worth it.

2.  Almost Famous (2000)

Almost Famous is great for a lot of reasons:  it’s a testament to its time (early 70’s), featuring a classic rock soundtrack and the Led Zeppelinesque fictitious band Stillwater.  There’s also an oddball love triangle-thingy between a 15-year-old rock journalist, a groupie, and Stillwater’s guitarist.  The film is full of memorable scenes such as the impromptu sing-along of “Tiny Dancer” on the tour bus or the unbosoming near-death experience on the airplane between the members of Stillwater.  At the center of it all, the 15-year-old journalist, based on writer/director Cameron Crowe’s own experience as a young journalist for Rolling Stone.  It’s kind of feel-good film, a comedy/drama, but it really shouldn’t be classified.  It’s simply a story with heart that transcends any need for genre labeling.

1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King) (2001-2003)

Remember when I said I’d cheat again?  Well, I saved it for # 1.  However, counting The Lord of the Rings trilogy as one pick seemed logical.  Yes, they are three separate films, but all part of the same story.  That’s why it’s acceptable, for me at least, to condense all three down to the same selection.

The Lord of the Rings were to the 00’s as Star Wars were to the 70’s; powerhouses in the fantasy genre.  They were both epic trilogies that struck gold at the box office.  Additionally, there’s the “quest” or “hero’s journey”, Luke Skywalker and his quest to become a Jedi and defeat the Galactic Empire, or Frodo and his quest to rid the ring and save Middle-earth.

There’s no denying the technical skill put into LOTR, such as the set pieces, costumes and action sequences.  It’s no wonder why Peter Jackson monopolized the 2003 Academy Awards.  Yet, there’s a wonderful journey as well, based  on the books written by J. R. R. Tolkien.  Sidebar:  Led Zeppelin used to sing about LOTR.

LOTR also has a slew of great characters; from wizards, elves, hobbits, orcs, humans and all.  Peter Jackson assembled the ultimate cast (and crew for CGI) to bring Tolkien’s characters to life.

LOTR gets my pick for favorite film of the past decade because it happens to surpass my expectation of what a movie can be.  There’s an epic journey at the heart, massive action and battle scenes, and the revelation that this is larger-than-life.  LOTR reminds me of why movies were made in the first place…to escape.  LOTR is among the best when it comes to storytelling as escapism.  It’s also an achievement in film, and rightfully so, for all of the heart and soul obviously put into this “labor of love”.  Maybe that’s why audiences responded to it.  Or maybe it was only the “fight scenes”?

If you read this article on Yahoo! Shine, you can say goodbye to greatly needed punctuation:

There’s no need for the hyphen after an adverb ending in -LY. But it’s nitpicky error compared to this:

Is that really meant to be a tribute to Farrah Fawcett?  Maybe misspelling Farrah Fawcett’s name isn’t personal; clearly the writer has trouble with names, like Judd Apatow’s:

A misplaced comma is a minor annoyance (in the U.S., it belongs before the closing quotation mark). More than an annoyance is the remainder of the sentence, which hurts my brain:

Paying a tribute to fallen stars? If so, start paying attention to your writing.

I found this awesome quote from the NY Times film critic Manohla Dargis. She was being interviewed about the lack of progress in movies for and about women. (tip: Jim Emerson)

On why so many romantic comedies are so terrible: One, the people making them have no f**king taste, two, they’re morons, three they’re insulting panderers who think they’re making movies for the great unwashed and that’s what they want. I love romantic movies. I absolutely do. But I literally don’t know what’s happening.

I think it’s depressing that Judd Apatow makes the best romantic comedies and they’re about men. All power to Apatow, but he’s taken and repurposed one of the few genres historically made for women. ….We had so few [genres] that were made specifically for the female audience and now the best of them are being made by Judd Apatow.

Dargis elegantly summed up the state of romantic comedies in a few sentences. Kudos, Manohla, for being refreshingly honest.

Source

After reading Manohla Dargis’ piece in the New York Times and her subsequent interview with Jezebel.com, I felt the need to write the following open letter to the heads of all the feature film studios in the United States.

Dear Sirs (+ the one madam co-chair):

I would like to introduce myself. My name is Ashley, I am one of your customers. One of your 51 percent, to be exact. Ironically, I’m also on the cusp of two age brackets that seem to allude you. Being 28 years old, I’m just edging past your “Twilight” audience and will soon hit your 35+ when-its-a-hit-it-must-be-a-fluke audience. Not only am I one of your customers, but I also happen to be one of you, albeit a very low-level one of you. I feel this puts me in a unique situation, I know your audience because I am your audience; AND, because I’m somewhat of an insider, I’ve struck upon a solution to your problem. A solution that will make you even more money than you’re making now. I’m talking Twilight, The Dark Night, and Mamma Mia kind of money. Believe-it-or-not, it’s not as hard as you think and it’s actually something you know how to do already: make movies. But not just any movies; movies that 51 percent of your audience can relate to and which feature the work of those members of our 51 percent who make their careers in feature film.

Don’t get me wrong, I know you get cross-over audiences. I’m just as likely to see a romantic comedy as I am the next Bourne movie, but I’m even more likely to see a Bourne movie directed by Kathryn Bigelow. I’d probably even go back for seconds if you decided to expand Julia Stiles’ character or give Joan Allen’s more of a back story. Like Bourne, I want to know what taunts them, what makes them tick and what makes them want to find Jason Bourne (because, let’s face it, it’s beyond just their professional duty at this point).

I like stories with style and substance, but I also like action, chase scenes and even my fair share of violence. My favorite movie is “The Silence of the Lambs.” “SOTL” is a great example of how to make a movie that grabs 100 percent of your adult audience: follow the hero’s journey. In this case, the hero just happens to be a 5′ tall heroine and her unlikely leading man is a serial killing cannibal. There’s blood, guts, gore and most importantly, STORY. Both men and women alike invest in these characters because we learn what makes them tick. But women have an extra investment in this particular story (this is the reason why we go back to see it again, recommend it to our friends, buy it, download it, etc.) we see ourselves up on the screen, a lone woman among men in an elevator. Every woman has experienced that moment, just as every woman’s secret desire (like Agent Starling’s) is to save the world.

I also like my romantic comedies to be smart. Yes, I do like to see pretty things and pretty people on a screen, but I’m not an idiot either. I’d trade in a beautiful set and a character’s designer wardrobe for a really good story. Make more movies like “When Harry Met Sally.” Those characters had a story and they had great conversations about things we all discuss at dinner parties or over the phone with friends. Many elements of the script came from actual conversations between Rob Reiner and Nora Ephron. And guess what? That movie appealed to men as well. Why? Two reasons: 1) They saw themselves in Billy Crystal: he is the every man and he got the girl; 2) Insight into women. Yes, we sometimes fake orgasms. Now you know.

The “Buddy Movie” (now recoined as the “Bromance” or “A Judd Apatow”) We, the 51 percent of your audience, have only one of these movies to stick a flag in and call our own: “Thelma and Louise.”  This movie was made in 1991. Oh, wait, there was another female buddy movie! In 2002, producer Cathy Konrad put out a hilarious flick (penned by Nancy Pimental) called “The Sweetest Thing.” I was in college. I saw it two times on opening weekend with seven other female friends. It still remains the closest we’ll ever get to “The Hangover” for women. Speaking of which, if  ”The Hangover” was pitched with an entirely female cast, it would never have gotten made. Though I have no doubt there would have been an audience for it — made up of both genders.

The drama (aka “The Oscar movie” or “The Meryl Streep”). In their current state, these movies have a slightly better shot at appealing to me and my fellow 51 percenters because they feature more screen time for women (usually women who can no longer wrinkle their foreheads, but that’s a different letter for another day). The funny thing about these movies is that they’re rarely directed and/or written by women. Though I love men who can write wonderful parts for women (hello, Michael Cunningham), they are not women, and, as such, they will always leave the character with an unexplored territory. It’s one thing for a woman to be mysterious, but another thing to leave 51 percent of us knowing there is so much more to the story that needs to be told. “The Hours” has a great scene which touches upon this, when Clarissa Vaughn talks to her daughter about a moment in her youth:

“I remember one morning getting up at dawn, there was such a sense of possibility. You know, that feeling? And I remember thinking to myself: So, this is the beginning of happiness. This is where it starts. And of course there will always be more. It never occurred to me it wasn’t the beginning. It was happiness. It was the moment. Right then.”

Contained within those lines are two potential movies for two generations of women, “the sense of possibility” movie, reaching audiences from their late teens – 30s, and “the moment looking back” movie, for the 40/50/60 female audience. I want to know what that woman sees as both a 20-something and then as a 50-something woman. Romantic comedies offer shades of these moments as well, though they are even fewer and farther between.

I believe women go to rom coms and dramas because they crave any glimmer of seeing their lives reflected back at them, no matter how fleeting of a moment it may be. We women store up a mosaic of these moments and play them back in our minds when we need them. A “greatest hits” if you will. They are our touchstone, our reminder that we are seen, we are remembered; we do serve a purpose. But wouldn’t it be even better if we didn’t need a highlights reel? If the marquee at our local theaters advertised movies where we saw ourselves and our husbands/boyfriends/friends/girlfriends/teens depicted by someone like us who knows the way we think, the way we see, who gives us not “women’s movies” but movies from our perspective? And, maybe even a woman who gives us male viewpoints just as dramatically or funny as the Michael Manns or Judd Apatows of the world, but from a fresh perspective.

I am one of your 51 percent. And, I am also your colleague. I want to see a reflection of myself on a screen just as much as I want to see my name in the credits. I am a part of both sides of this letter. And, I will keep moving forward both from my seat and on a set, until my voice is heard. Because when it finally is, there will be 51 percent of the world’s population behind it. I hope you start listening.

-Ashley Van Buren

I first discovered this guy as Tom Haverford on Parks & Recreation. So I decided to follow him on Twitter. This guy is HILARIOUS. His comedy is just refreshing and the fact that he’s friends with Kanye West is enough for me. You can check his YouTube Channel for other videos of him.
Also check out his character RAAAAAAAANDY from Judd Apatow’s “Funny People” here.

No. That’s not a new Judd Aptow movie although….

It is my new featured blog, which came to me in a dream. No. Not really. Unless, of course, you consider JenX67’s blog a dream. And you know what, I kind of do…<sigh>

Anyhoo…. JenX67 has a post about GenX men and how, because of the economy, GenX men are heading back to school — college/university not beautician, although…. (NOTE: post also brings up how GenX men have gotten the shaft [my word not hers] in the workplace)

That’s what I’m doing come winter semester. And I, as you know, am a GenXer. If you don’t then you’re NOT PAYING ATTENTION! Wake up dagnabit!

I’m taking an Environmental Science course. Thought I’d see what all the hubbub/ballyhoo/tom foolery is about. Who knows where it might lead. And, like the rest of Generation X, I aint getting any younger; don’t want to be back in school at 50-plus. Plus I’d like to be ahead of the curve or at least on the first wave of this new job market.

Actually, I had thought I might return to school once I was in my dotage but it would be for leisure not out of necessity. Silly GenXer, leisure learing is for Boomers!

Anyway, maybe I’ll blog about returning to school at age 42 (my age when class begins). It could kind of like that new TV show, Community, since I’ll be taking my class at a community college, the one I started at when I graduated high school and after I dropped out of two universities — sorry about that Mom and Dad. I’ll be the funny/snarky/cynical GenXer and I can poke fun at the graying Boomer (portrayed in the TV show by Chevy Case). I’ll call the due Pierce — he won’t know where I’m coming from.

Laughter is a reflex. And it’s contagious. And universal.

All around the planet people enjoy a good joke. Most of the time seeing someone slip on a banana peel it’s enough to provoke a burst of laughter. But “Funny People” it’s not about that kind of laughter.

George Simmons (Adam Sandler) is a successful stand-up comedian who made lots of money starring in silly box-office movies. One day he find out that he has a rare disease and it’s time for him to reconsider his life. What follows is a sweet and tender  look at the internal laboratory of stand-up comedians.

George is very rich but lonely.  Ira (Seth Rogen) has friends, but is struggling to survive working in a deli shop and sleeping on the couch of his friend Mark (Jason Schwartzman) who has a steady and well paid job on a crappy sit-com. And there’s Leo (Jonah Hill) who’s somehow a better comic than Ira and is a regular at the local comedy club.

The world of professional comedians is a tough one and very competitive. At times you wonder if there’s a place for real friendship among this people who make a living by telling jokes. Could it be that by exposing the nakedness of the emperor, by breaking  rules and taboos, by revealing what is usually kept behind closed doors the stand-up comedian doesn’t leave room around him for genuine feelings?

The director Jude Apatow (Knocked-up, The 40-year old virgin) did a nice move by casting his wife (“How can you cheat on me?  I was so hot?”) and kids on this movie. No complains here: Leslie Man is very hot indeed and the little girls are filling naturally the screen. Adam Sandler proves again that his great performance in “Punch Drunk Love” was not a one-time hit. Plus, we have the chance to see an incredible funny Eric Bana.A virtuoso display of the universal appeal of sexual humor didn’t hurt much this tender sneak inside the internal working of some special kind of people. Funny people.

"Why can't you just let me watch The Hills in peace?!"

One of the things I love about my boyfriend is that we have a lot in common. We both like football, video games, movies, and music. However, we have a few differences as to what exactly we like.

Over the summer we went out to go see Funny People because we both like Judd Apatow movies and we thought it’d be really good. I thought it was really funny and that while, yeah it dragged a little bit, I enjoyed it. Matt on the other hand, HATED IT. And he felt the need to list every. single. reason why. All I heard for the rest of the night was Matt trashing the movie that I actually liked. Naturally, I was annoyed.

It’s not like I can’t handle a little opposition, it’s just that it’s little hard to take sometimes. Whenever he goes off on one of his rants about something I like, I can never tell if I should keep my mouth shut and question his taste in my head or if I should stand up for myself and my opinions. If I just sit there, I end up just internalizing thoughts like, “my boyfriend is an idiot and I’d really like to throw something at him right now,” when that’s the last thing I should be thinking about the guy I love. And the breakable things I also love. I also know that if I speak up and defend things I like, I’m most likely going to spend the next 3 hours arguing, and I just don’t always have the energy for that.

We have been able to come to a truce on some things. He doesn’t make fun when I watch Say Yes to the Dress, I support the Dallas Cowboys as long as he supports the Green Bay Packers (except for when they play each other – then all hell breaks loose), and Matt uses his iPod when he wants to listen to music he knows I don’t like. And it’s all made us a much happier couple.

But when you’re with someone, no matter how much you have in common and agree that Coke is far superior to Pepsi, there will be things that can’t be compromised. (And if there aren’t – well, that’s just boring.) The biggest thing I’ve learned from being one half of a couple is that you have to pick your battles. While there will be issues to stand up and fight for, some things are just not worth the long-winded-argument-that-leads-to-door-slamming-and-silent-treatment.

Yeah, I’ll still speak up if it’s really important or something I care passionately about, but let’s be honest – the world will not end if your boyfriend doesn’t agree that Lady Gaga is the best thing since sliced bread.

As I said before, I realised after posting the first installment of this list that I had missed off some films, and decided to pay homage to those movies in the intros. I’m annoyed at not including Christopher McQuarrie’s Way of the Gun as it’s a very impressive directorial debut that vanished after release and is only now starting to attract any attention years later.

Not enough attention, though. If you’ve not seen it and feel like watching a really uncompromising crime thriller that occupies a middle ground between Walter Hill’s  Johnny Handsome and Sam Peckinpah’s Bring Me The Head of Alfredo Garcia, then this is the movie for you. Benicio Del Toro and Ryan Phillippe play two scumbag criminals who kidnap a pregnant woman and end up bringing down a world of pain on themselves. It’s a gratifyingly dark movie, one of those movies made with the input of some well trained combat veterans (like Mamet’s Spartan and Michael Mann’s Heat) which is reflected in some tight and well-thought-out setpieces. It also features some superbly choreographed gunfights and one of the best opening scenes of the decade. I like this movie well enough to really regret missing it out, but if I were to include it now I would have to remove another movie from the list and I can’t really do that. If I were doing it over again, Way of the Gun would be definitely be included, and quite high up too.

Okay, remember the rules. Nothing from 2009 because blah blah and yes, some movies are a little lower than you would expect but I only saw them once and don’t feel familiar enough with them to assess them correctly, so I’m going with first impressions. Got that? Good.

75. Red Road

The feature debut of Andrea Arnold is one of the smartest thrillers to come out of Britain in decades. A sly commentary on the UK’s obsession with CCTV as well as being a gripping tale of revenge, the movie comes into its own with a surprising redemptive finale. Kudos also to Kate Dickie, who plays haunted protagonist Jackie with equal parts sensitivity and menace.

74. Speed Racer

Widely loathed by audiences and critics everywhere, the Wachowski’s put their reputations on the line with the boldest cross-format adaptation ever. Making the visual conventions and storytelling shortcuts of anime into vividly coloured flesh, Speed Racer offers the most consistently mindblowing visual assault of recent times, while the enthusiastic cast provide the heart. A pure triumph. Shut it, haters.

73. Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

It might be an impossibility to make a starring vehicle for John C. Reilly — complete with songs — that could fail. Certainly this was not a financial success, but in time a cult will gather around Jake Kasdan and Judd Apatow’s faux-biopic, and it will get its due for its perfect use of the genre’s conventions against itself. (Check out John Michael Higgins’ expression at 3:02. Genius.)

72. A Scanner Darkly

Perhaps the definitive Philip K. Dick adaptation, perfectly capturing his absurdist prose and paranoid, reality-denying worldview. Richard Linklater found the ideal vehicle for the unworldly rotoscoping animation that Bob Sabiston utilised so brilliantly in the also-impressive Waking Life (another contender for this list). Perfectly cast and beautifully animated, A Scanner Darkly humanises Dick’s abstract musings, something that his other interpreters have struggled with.

71. Spirited Away

Hayao Miyazaki’s hallucinatory childrens’ tale has the nightmarish morality lessons of Disney’s Pinocchio, and the matter-of-fact oddness of Lewis Carroll. By turning the real world upside down and creating a dreamland governed by rules and laws that have only a distorted relation to our own, Miyazaki has created a hazy fable for the ages.

70. The Wrestler

For much of its running time Darren Aronofsky’s adaptation of Robert D. Siegel’s tight screenplay looks like a standard comeback tale, but by the end we see what it really is: a tragedy about a man whose inability to adapt to the world around him dooms him. The final image is heartbreaking, iconic, and unforgettable. It also features what might be the comeback performance of the decade from a never-better Mickey Rourke.

69. Sideways

Alexander Payne’s delicate tale of friendship took critics by storm but in the most memorable Academy Award snub in recent memory, Paul Giamatti’s performance was not even nominated for an honour. For shame. His depiction of a man attempting to fend off the pain of life through booze and defensive snobbery is heartbreaking, his redemption quiet but moving.

68. Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence

One of the most underrated SF movies of the decade, Mamoru Oshii’s meditation on transhumanity may have fewer wow moments than his original adaptation of Shirow Masamune’s manga, but it follows the same themes into deeper holes. It’s easy to get happily lost in them.

67. Spider

Funding problems almost shut production down on this adaptation of Patrick McGrath’s novel, but it made it to cinemas, to an indifferent audience. Ralph Fiennes gives the performance of a lifetime in an exaggerated nightmare world of poverty, insanity, murder and grime. Cronenberg’s emotionally claustrophobic vision lingers long after the credits roll.

66. Iron Man

Possibly the most ambitious film project since Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, Marvel Studios’ attempt to create a complete onscreen universe a la the 616 got off to a terrific start last year. The Incredible Hulk was fun, but Iron Man was a near-total success. Light, exciting, and endlessly entertaining, it also propelled Robert Downey Jr. to the superstardom he has always deserved.

65. The King of Kong

Forget superhero movies. One of the decades greatest showdowns was between gaming enthusiasts Billy Mitchell and Steve Weibe. The roles of hero and villain were delineated so completely that Seth Gordon didn’t even need to meddle with the events through editing. We instantly knew who to root for, and who to hiss. I’d feel sorry for Billy Mitchell after news leaked of booing and hissing during convention screenings, but I don’t think he cares. He’s very successful, after all.

64. Spider-Man 2

Sam Raimi made a great origin film for Spidey, and then built upon that success to deliver a crowd-pleasing action epic, skillfully constructed for maximum emotional impact. For such a hectic film, praise is due to Raimi for making the quiet character revelations as memorable as the incredible setpieces. And when I say incredible setpieces, I’m thinking of the best superhero/supervillain fight yet committed to film:

63. Lantana

Ray Lawrence again, adapting Andrew Bovell’s play about the emotional turmoil affecting a policeman and the people around him. I’m ashamed to admit that my favourite part of this unmissable movie is not the sensitive direction, the thought-provoking screenplay, or the uniformly brilliant performances, but that Anthony LaPaglia’s character is called Leon Zat. What a name.

62. Redbelt

David Mamet’s best work is often about men and their self-aggrandising hostility towards each other. That gruffness is greatly softened here by the casting of Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mike Terry, a man whose reflective stillness and sense of honour sets him apart. Mamet expertly tightens the screws on his hero until he explodes with righteous fury in a finale of enormous emotional power.

61. Lost in Translation

After the inevitable backlash against Sofia Coppola’s semi-autobiographical tale of connection in a strange land, it’s easy to forget everything that made it work so well. It occupies a kind of netherworld between comedy and tragedy, reality and movie exaggeration, at once dreamlike and bluntly mundane. And oh my, that glorious soundtrack…

Ah, that worked out a lot better. WordPress worked fine. It was just Microsoft and their insistent Windows updates that nearly ruined it all. More tomorrow…

Aziz Ansari (Parks and Recreation, Funny People) is funny, people. See what I did there? Now I’m funny people. Anyway, Mr. Ansari is working on a mixtape with TV on the Radio member/super-producer Dave Sitek. According to the picture (and me reading the words on the picture), Aziz will be releasing the mixtape under his RAAAAAAAANDY moniker from the Judd Apatow flick Funny People. This has a lot of potential, as well as three guidelines from Aziz himself (via Aziz’s site)

1. Y’all ain’t ready.
2. Motherfuckers need to know.
3. Get yo’ shit.

Why ain’t y’all ready? I’m totally ready! Mixtape should be out sometime in February 2010.

Location: Bedroom D of Scott Village Building D Apartment 103. Omaha, Nebraska.

Hey guys, just a quick little update to let you know how Wednesday’s show went. It was fairly hectic this week. We completely underestimated the amount of content we had, and a late start thanks to a studio-related brianfart didn’t help the matter one bit. Here’s a summary of what went down:

1.Intro – Pulp Fiction Theme

2.We played all of Panama by Van Halen for Devin and Mark because they were a bit disappointed that we didn’t play the entire track on last weeks show.

3. In News and Reviews we spoke about how Paul Greengrass dropped out of directing Bourne 4.

4. The girl who claimed to be bitten at New Moon is actually just a bit of a slag.

4. Moviehole (gross) reports the possibility of a Zombieland sequel in 3D, and Bradley Cooper has apparently discussed the possibility of The Hangover 2.

5. New A-Team van pays homage to its predecessor.

Words cannot describe the awesome. (Thats why there's a picture)

6. Independent Spirit Award Nominee’s announced.

7. Fist Images of Harry Potter, Wolfman, Eclipse and Iron Man 2 released.

8. Played Iron Man by Black Sabbath (Iron Man)

9. Reviewed Harry Brown (Which was spectacular)

10. Played I Love London by The Crystal Fighters. (Harry Brown) (Who now follow us on Twitter. Thanks guys! Follow ‘em here)

11. Reviewed Paranormal Activity (The new Blair Witch?)

12. Played The Universal by Blur as a sort of mini-intro to Cult Classic w/ Ciarán and James.

13. The lads discuss Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange.

14. Played Singing in the Rain by Gene Kelly (A Clockwork Orange)

15. Youtube Video of the week was Ataque de Pánico; which is being made into a feature length by none other than Sam Raimi.

16. The Rant – New American Comedy: from Ben Stiller and the Frat Pack to Judd Apatow, Seth Rogan and friends.

17. Played Paper Planes by MIA (Pineapple Express)

We ended up finishing there because we totally ran out of time. The Metal Module guys were already in the station before we’d even started the Rant, so pretty boys/girls had to be forsaken this week.

Thats pretty much everything. We’re back next Wednesday with the penultimate Final Cut of this semester in which we’ll be reviewing Being Orson Welles and Nativity. Until then, I have assignments to avoid.

Later guys.

“The 40 Year Old Virgin Who Knocked Up Sarah Marshall and Felt Superbad About It” Movie Trailer (NSFW, via /Film)

I think I just vomited in my mouth, a little bit. In the vein of such terrible parody extravaganzas as Meet the Spartans, Epic Movie, and Disaster Movie, the film shown here is a frightening, shameless mishmash of the films of Judd Apatow: namely, The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Superbad. It appears director Craig Moss even hired lookalikes of all the actors of said films, but that doesn’t make this movie look any better. Watch the trailer and gape in awe at the sheer level of fail. According to IMDb, The 40 Year Old Virgin Who Knocked Up Sarah Marshall and Felt Superbad About It comes out next year. Thankfully (and fittingly), this will be released direct-to-DVD and soon relegated to the bargain bin in most stores, I suspect.

This masterpiece comes from Craig Moss, the genius behind Saving Ryan’s Privates. (/sarcasm)

Why?????

I recently watched an interview with producer, screenwriter, and director, Judd Apatow. He is well-known for making a distinct series of critically and commercially successful comedy films, including The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and Funny People. He has also produced films such as Superbad, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Step Brothers, and Pineapple Express. He recently directed Funny People. I found his interview fascinating as he shared his creative process and the journey as a filmmaker. For as successful as he is in a relatively short time, he is very humble, grounded, and authentic. Here is are some great quotes from his interview:

My biggest decisions I made early in my career was realizing that I was never going to be a great comedian like Adam Sandler (close friends growing up was Sandler)

As a young staff writer, I need to make myself the writer that could not be replaced

The root of all comedy is being subversive

I’m not making comedy but I make movies where people wrestle with doing the right thing.

In the creative process, I ask myself, is there a way to communicate serious matters in a funny way?

My friend, Seth Rogin is the better version of me.

I describe my style of filmmaking as “Human Comedy”