Cake.
With Soul Coughing, they're my favourite band that I always forget exists.
I wanted to add a few of their songs to my phone playlist this week - namely Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps, Never There, Sheep Go To Heaven, Cool Blue Reason, their cover of Black Sabbath's War Pigs, Satan Is My Motor, She'll Come Back To Me, Open Book and, of course, The Distance:
The 1990s were great about introducing us to acts that didn't all resemble each other, what with the boom in indie labels and the traveling festivals. All bands didn't have to be big at the same level, either; Cake had one extremely successful album - 1996's Fashion Nugget, with their cover of I Will Survive - but also enjoyed moderate success with 1994's Motorcade Of Generosity and 1998's Prolonging The Magic, building a fanbase that would remain loyal to them to this day. Like Pearl Jam, but on a much smaller scale.
In many ways, Cake was similar to Soul Coughing, both containing elements of deadpan-delivery spoken word, rock, humour, poetry, irony, sarcasm; the main difference was the flavouring: Cake was based on country (particularly clearer after the departure of guitarist Greg Brown and his distinctive tone) whereas Soul Coughing's love of jazz was the underlying essence behind the composition.
Showing posts with label 1990s. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1990s. Show all posts
Sunday, April 2, 2017
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Video Of The Week: Liz Phair
Ah, the 1990s. It was a time where there was an equality of sorts in so-called "alternative rock", which I now realize is regular rock with an open mind, considering women and people of colour seem to have to somehow defend themselves for being musicians nowadays.
None of that makes sense to those of us who grew up in the 1980s and were teens in the 1990s, when people were just people and they could be judged by their character or quality of output. There were signs that women were attending universities at a higher rate then men, so it was believed the one place where gender inequality still prevailed - the workplace - would see a reversal come the New Millennium...
Oh well, so much for that, eh?
These thoughts are in my mind, constantly. And these days, Liz Phair is often in my headphones. So I figured why not add 2+2 and get her "biggest hit" on here to close off January, from 1994's Whip-Smart album, Supernova:
She directed the video herself, and the imagery is somewhat akin to that of The Breeders' Cannonball, which was directed by Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon and acclaimed director Spike Jonze, proving Phair had enough talent in more than one artistic endeavour.
She still tours, to this day, and there are rumours that she will soon embark on a tour headlining for a half-original Smashing Pumpkins acoustic tour (featuring main songwriter Billy Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, but missing guitarist James Iha and bassist D'Arcy Wretzky).
None of that makes sense to those of us who grew up in the 1980s and were teens in the 1990s, when people were just people and they could be judged by their character or quality of output. There were signs that women were attending universities at a higher rate then men, so it was believed the one place where gender inequality still prevailed - the workplace - would see a reversal come the New Millennium...
Oh well, so much for that, eh?
These thoughts are in my mind, constantly. And these days, Liz Phair is often in my headphones. So I figured why not add 2+2 and get her "biggest hit" on here to close off January, from 1994's Whip-Smart album, Supernova:
She directed the video herself, and the imagery is somewhat akin to that of The Breeders' Cannonball, which was directed by Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon and acclaimed director Spike Jonze, proving Phair had enough talent in more than one artistic endeavour.
She still tours, to this day, and there are rumours that she will soon embark on a tour headlining for a half-original Smashing Pumpkins acoustic tour (featuring main songwriter Billy Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, but missing guitarist James Iha and bassist D'Arcy Wretzky).
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Video Of The Week: Rush
When I shared Chops playing over Rush's Tom Sawyer earlier this week, I kind of made my bed as to what band I'd be featuring later, though I opted for the title track from their 1991 album Roll The Bones, the first song of theirs that I was truly acquainted with:
It has a lot of what made the 1990s cheesy, from the fast rock intro-slow chorus mix to the ''rap'' near the end, but done early enough in the decade that it still comes off as genuine and experimental. Kind of.
It has a lot of what made the 1990s cheesy, from the fast rock intro-slow chorus mix to the ''rap'' near the end, but done early enough in the decade that it still comes off as genuine and experimental. Kind of.
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Video Of The Week: N.W.A.
A couple of weeks ago, I went and saw Straight Outta Compton, the biopic telling the tale of rap group N.W.A., and figured I'd feature the song that inspired the title. But time passed, and I went a week without doing so.
Now is that time.
I recommend seeing the movie; as far as biopics go, I put it in the same category as Ray and Walk The Line, as good movies that tell a tale while taking a bit of liberties with history to make the story fit a two-hour time frame narrative. But if you're curious to find out about how Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, and MC Ren got started (and got in trouble), how their relationships were torn apart, how hip hop feuds can get violent, the arrivals of Snoop Doggy Dogg, Suge Knight, Da Lench Mob and The D.O.C. to the mix and just the ambiance of early-1990s West Coast rap in general.
However, I'd already featured Straight Outta Compton at the time of the album's 20th anniversary, so instead I opted to show Express Yourself this week, featuring a lead rap by Dr. Dre and samples from the eponymous classic by Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band and a sweet cameo from Tone Loc:
Now is that time.
I recommend seeing the movie; as far as biopics go, I put it in the same category as Ray and Walk The Line, as good movies that tell a tale while taking a bit of liberties with history to make the story fit a two-hour time frame narrative. But if you're curious to find out about how Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, and MC Ren got started (and got in trouble), how their relationships were torn apart, how hip hop feuds can get violent, the arrivals of Snoop Doggy Dogg, Suge Knight, Da Lench Mob and The D.O.C. to the mix and just the ambiance of early-1990s West Coast rap in general.
However, I'd already featured Straight Outta Compton at the time of the album's 20th anniversary, so instead I opted to show Express Yourself this week, featuring a lead rap by Dr. Dre and samples from the eponymous classic by Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band and a sweet cameo from Tone Loc:
Monday, January 27, 2014
1997 In Film
Until I looked back at my notes (and these lists) about a month ago, I was under the impression that 1997 was a bad year for great movies, but a fine one for better-than-average films, I guess because that piece of shit Titanic won all the Oscars and Boogie Nights got all the magazine covers. It was the year in which so many films of the turn-your-brain-off-and-enjoy, rainy Sunday variety were released (think Men In Black and Jackie Brown, which I have grown to appreciate more since)...
But it turns out there actually were real gems, including three of my all time favourites (Chasing Amy, The Ice Storm, and Lost Highway).
Should you wish to look back at some of my previous lists, look no further: 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, and 2005.
Top 25 Films:
25. BOOGIE NIGHTS, Paul Thomas Anderson (USA)
24. PRIVATE PARTS, Betty Thomas (USA)
23. EVE'S BAYOU, Kasi Lemmons (USA)
22. TASTE OF CHERRY, Abbas Kiarostami (Iran)
21. MONONOKE HIME (PRINCESS MONONOKE), Hayao Miyazaki (Japan)
20. THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK, Steven Spielberg (USA)
19. THE GAME, David Fincher (USA)
18. THE BUTCHER BOY, Neil Jordan (Ireland/USA)
17. THE BOXER, Jim Sheridan (Ireland)
16. MEIN HERZ - NIEMANDEM! (MY HEART IS MINE ALONE), Helma Sanders-Brahms (Germany)
15. L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, Curtis Hanson (USA)
14. DONNIE BRASCO, Mike Newell (USA)
13. THE SWEET HEREAFTER, Atom Egoyan (Canada)
12. KARAKTER, Mike Van Diem (The Netherlands/Belgique)
11. AS GOOD AS IT GETS, James L. Brooks (USA)
10. COP LAND, James Mangold (USA)
9. ABSOLUTE POWER, Clint Eastwood (USA)
8. JACKIE BROWN, Quentin Tarantino (USA)
7. WAG THE DOG, Barry Levinson (USA)
6. CUBE, Vincenzo Vitali (Canada)
5. THE FIFTH ELEMENT, Luc Besson (France)
4. DECONSTRUCTING HARRY, Woody Allen (USA)
3. LOST HIGHWAY, David Lynch (USA/France)
2. THE ICE STORM, Ang Lee (USA)
1. CHASING AMY, Kevin Smith (USA)
Top 25 Directors:
25. GREGG ARAKI, Nowhere
24. MIKE LEIGH, Career Girls
23. STEVEN SPIELBERG, The Lost World: Jurassic Park
22. PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON, Boogie Nights
21. JOHN WOO, Face/Off
20. JEAN-JACQUES ANNAUD, Seven Years In Tibet
19. HELMA SANDERS-BRAHMS, Mei Herz - Niemandem! (My Heart Is Mine Alone)
18. CURTIS HANSON, L.A. Confidential
17. MIKE VAN DIEM, Karakter
16. FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA, The Rainmaker
15. CLINT EASTWOOD, Absolute Power
14. DAVID FINCHER, The Game
13. BARRY LEVINSON, Wag The Dog
12. ROBERT ZEMECKIS, Contact
11. NEIL JORDAN, The Butcher Boy
10. OLIVER STONE, U Turn
9. MARTIN SCORSESE, Kundun
8. QUENTIN TARANTINO, Jackie Brown
7. VINCENZO NATALI, Cube
6. WOODY ALLEN, Deconstructing Harry
5. ABBAS KIAROSTAMI, Taste Of Cherry
4. ATOM EGOYAN, The Sweet Hereafter
3. ANG LEE, The Ice Storm
2. LUC BESSON, The Fifth Element
1. DAVID LYNCH, Lost Highway
Top 25 Lead Actors:
25. DENNIS FARINA, That Old Feeling
24. WOODY ALLEN, Deconstructing Harry
23. TUPAC SHAKUR, Gridlock'd
22. ROBERT FORSTER, Jackie Brown
21. ROBERT DUVALL, The Apostle
20. MORGAN FREEMAN, Amistad
19. MICHAEL DOUGLAS, The Game
18. JEREMY PIVEN, Just Write
17. EAMONN OWENS, The Butcher Boy
16. BILL PULLMAN, Lost Highway
15. VING RHAMES, Rosewood
14. SEAN PENN, She's So Lovely
13. PETER FONDA, Ulee's Gold
12. LARENZ TATE, Love Jones
11. KEVIN KLINE, The Ice Storm
10. HOMAYON ERSHADI, Taste Of Cherry
9. SAMUEL L. JACKSON, Eve's Bayou
8. KEVIN SPACEY, Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil
7. JARED LETO, Prefontaine
6. IAN HOLM, The Sweet Hereafter
5. GUY PEARCE, L.A. Confidential
4. AL PACINO, Donnie Brasco
3. JACK NICHOLSON, As Good As It Gets
2. DUSTIN HOFFMAN, Wag The Dog
1. DANIEL DAY-LEWIS, The Boxer
Top 30 Lead Actresses:
30. TIE. KATRIN CARTLIDGE, Career Girls
CATHERINE O'HARA, Waiting For Guffman
29. KATE NECKINSALE, Shooting Fish
28. BAI LING, Red Corner
27. SHERILYN FENN, Just Write
26. MILLA JOVOVICH, The Fifth Element
25. RACHEL TRUE, Nowhere
24. TONI COLLETTE, Clockwatchers
23. NIA LONG, Love Jones
22. JOEY LAUREN ADAMS, Chasing Amy
21. MARY MCCORMACK, Private Parts
20. KATE WINSLET, Titanic
19. LIV TYLER, Inventing The Abbotts
18. JULIA ROBERTS, My Best Friend's Wedding
17. MISCHA BARTON, Lawn Dogs
16. LENA STOLZE, Mei Herz - Niemandem! (My Heart Is Mine Alone)
15. PATRICIA ARQUETTE, Lost Highway
14. ALISON FOLLAND, All Over Me
13. JUDI DENCH, Mrs. Brown
12. FARRAH FAWCETT, The Apostle
11. HELENA BONHAM CARTER, The Wings Of The Dove
10. JENNIFER LOPEZ, Selena
9. ASHLEY JUDD, Kiss The Girls
8. PATRICIA RICHARDSON, Ulee's Gold
7. JODIE FOSTER, Contact
6. PAM GRIER, Jackie Brown
5. DOMINIQUE SWAIN, Lolita
4. SARAH POLLEY, The Sweet Hereafter
3. JOAN ALLEN, The Ice Storm
2. EMILY WATSON, The Boxer
1. HELEN HUNT, As Good As It Gets
Top 25 Supporting Actors:
25 - TIE. SAM ROCKWELL, Lawn Dogs
ERIC STOLTZ, Highball
24. WOODY HARRELSON, Welcome To Sarajevo
23. GARY OLDMAN, Air Force One
22. GARY SINISE, Albino Alligator
21. TIM ROTH, Gridlock'd
20. JÜRGEN PROCHNOW, Air Force One
19. STUART TOWNSEND, Shooting Fish
18. GARY OLDMAN, The Fifth Element
17. STANLEY TUCCI, Deconstructing Harry
16. DENIS LEARY, Wag The Dog
15. ROBIN WILLIAMS, Good Will Hunting
14. PETE POSTLETHWAITE, The Lost World: Jurassic Park
13. CHRISTOPHER WALKEN, Suicide Kings
12. DANNY DEVITO, The Rainmaker
11. RUSSELL CROWE, L.A. Confidential
10. JOHN MALKOVICH, Con Air
9. AL PACINO, The Devil's Advocate
8. DON CHEADLE, Rosewood
7. BILLY CONNOLLY, Mrs. Brown
6. JASON LEE, Chasing Amy
5. JOHNNY DEPP, Donnie Brasco
4. ROBERT DE NIRO, Wag The Dog
3. SEAN PENN, The Game
2. SAMUEL L. JACKSON, Jackie Brown
1. BILLY BOB THORNTON, The Apostle
Top 25 Supporting Actresses:
25. CAMERON DIAZ, My Best Friend's Wedding
24. PARKER POSEY, Clockwatchers
23. KAREN BLACK, Dogtown
22. AISLING O'SULLIVAN, The Butcher Boy
21. LAURA LINNEY, Absolute Power
20. MIRANDA RICHARDSON, The Apostle
19. KATHLEEN ROBERTSON, Nowhere
18. PENELOPE ANN MILLER, Little City
17. JULIANNE MOORE, Boogie Nights
16. JENNIFER CONNELLY, Inventing The Abbotts
15. EMILY LLOYD, Welcome To Sarajevo
14. ELISE NEAL, Rosewood
13. DEMI MOORE, Deconstructing Harry
12. SINÉAD O'CONNOR, The Butcher Boy
11. ANNE HECHE, Wag The Dog
10. JENNIFER TILLY, Liar Liar
9. ALISON ELLIOTT, The Wings Of The Dove
8. JOAN CUSACK, In & Out
7. DEBORAH KARA UNGER, The Game
6. DEBBI MORGAN, Eve's Bayou
5. KATHLEEN QUINLAN, Breakdown
4. TARA SUBKOFF, All Over Me
3. KIM BASINGER, L.A. Confidential
2. KATHLEEN QUINLAN, Lawn Dogs
1. SIGOURNEY WEAVER, The Ice Storm
Top 25 Screenplays:
25. VONDIE CURTIS-HALL, Gridlock'd
24. ED SOLOMON, Men In Black
23. CURTIS HANSON & BRIAN HELGELAND, L.A. Confidential
22. MELISSA MATHESON, Kundun
21. JOHN HODGE, A Life Less Ordinary
20. DAVE FOLEY & DAVID ANTHONY HIGGINS & JAY KOGEN, The Wrong Guy
19. JAMES MANGOLD, Cop Land
18. PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON, Boogie Nights
17. PAUL ATTANASIO, Donnie Brasco
16. GREGG ARAKI, Nowhere
15. LUC BESSON & ROBERT MARK KAMEN, The Fifth Element
14. BEN AFFLECK & MATT DAMON, Good Will Hunting
13. TERRY GEORGE & JIM SHERIDAN, The Boxer
12. ATOM EGOYAN, The Sweet Hereafter
11. QUENTIN TARANTINO, Jackie Brown
10. MIKE LEIGH, Career Girls
9. NAOMI WALLACE, Lawn Dogs
8. PATRICK MCCABE & NEIL JORDAN, The Butcher Boy
7. ANDRÉ BIJELIC & GRAEME MANSON & VINCENZO NATALI, Cube
6. JILL SPRECHER & KAREN SPRECHER, Clockwatchers
5. HILARY HENKIN & DAVID MAMET, Wag The Dog
4. WOODY ALLEN, Deconstructing Harry
3. JAMES SCHAMUS, The Ice Storm
2. KEVIN SMITH, Chasing Amy
1. DAVID LYNCH & BARRY GIFFORD, Lost Highway
Top 25 Cinematographers:
25. MICHAEL BALLHAUS, Air Force One
24. ROLAND DRESSEL, Mein Herz - Niemandem! (My Heart Is Mine Alone)
23. DON BURGESS, Contact
22. JACK N. GREEN, Absolute Power
21. EDUARDO SERRA, The Wings Of the Dove
20. JOSEPH MONTGOMERY, Hugo Pool
19. GUILLERMO NAVARRO, Spawn
18. PAUL SAROSSY, The Sweet Hereafter
17. BILL POPE, Gridlock'd
16. BRIAN TUFANO, A Life Less Ordinary
15. DANTE SPINOTTI, L.A. Confidential
14. ROBERT ELSWIT, Boogie Nights
13. DONALD PETERMAN, Men In Black
12. JANUSZ KAMINSKI, Amistad
11. ADRIAN BIDDLE, The Butcher Boy
10. AMY VINCENT, Eve's Bayou
9. GUILLERMO NAVARRO, Jackie Brown
8. DEREK ROGERS, Cube
7. FREDERICK ELMES, The Ice Storm
6. JANUSZ KAMINSKI, The Lost World: Jurassic Park
5. ROBERT FRAISSE, Seven Years In Tibet
4. ANDRZEJ BARTKOWIAK, The Devil's Advocate
3. ROGER DEAKINS, Kundun
2. PETER DEMING, Lost Highway
1. THIERRY ARBOGAST, The Fifth Element
Top 15 Villains:
15. JIM CARREY, Liar Liar
14. BENICIO DEL TORO, Excess Baggage
13. JACK NICHOLSON, As Good As It Gets
12. TIMOTHY HUTTON, Playing God
11. JON FAVREAU, Dogtown
10. SINÉAD O'CONNOR, The Butcher Boy
9. ALEKSANDR BALUEV, The Peacemaker
8. BILLY CRUDUP, Inventing The Abbotts
7. PAUL GIAMATTI, Private Parts
6. ROBERT BLAKE, Lost Highway
5. DEBRA JO RUPP, Clockwatchers
4. JOHN MALKOVICH, Con Air
3. AL PACINO, The Devil's Advocate
2. GARY OLDMAN, The Fifth Element
1. GARY OLDMAN, Air Force One
But it turns out there actually were real gems, including three of my all time favourites (Chasing Amy, The Ice Storm, and Lost Highway).
Should you wish to look back at some of my previous lists, look no further: 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, and 2005.
Top 25 Films:
25. BOOGIE NIGHTS, Paul Thomas Anderson (USA)
24. PRIVATE PARTS, Betty Thomas (USA)
23. EVE'S BAYOU, Kasi Lemmons (USA)
22. TASTE OF CHERRY, Abbas Kiarostami (Iran)
21. MONONOKE HIME (PRINCESS MONONOKE), Hayao Miyazaki (Japan)
20. THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK, Steven Spielberg (USA)
19. THE GAME, David Fincher (USA)
18. THE BUTCHER BOY, Neil Jordan (Ireland/USA)
17. THE BOXER, Jim Sheridan (Ireland)
16. MEIN HERZ - NIEMANDEM! (MY HEART IS MINE ALONE), Helma Sanders-Brahms (Germany)
15. L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, Curtis Hanson (USA)
14. DONNIE BRASCO, Mike Newell (USA)
13. THE SWEET HEREAFTER, Atom Egoyan (Canada)
12. KARAKTER, Mike Van Diem (The Netherlands/Belgique)
11. AS GOOD AS IT GETS, James L. Brooks (USA)
10. COP LAND, James Mangold (USA)
9. ABSOLUTE POWER, Clint Eastwood (USA)
8. JACKIE BROWN, Quentin Tarantino (USA)
7. WAG THE DOG, Barry Levinson (USA)
6. CUBE, Vincenzo Vitali (Canada)
5. THE FIFTH ELEMENT, Luc Besson (France)
4. DECONSTRUCTING HARRY, Woody Allen (USA)
3. LOST HIGHWAY, David Lynch (USA/France)
2. THE ICE STORM, Ang Lee (USA)
1. CHASING AMY, Kevin Smith (USA)
Top 25 Directors:
25. GREGG ARAKI, Nowhere
24. MIKE LEIGH, Career Girls
23. STEVEN SPIELBERG, The Lost World: Jurassic Park
22. PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON, Boogie Nights
21. JOHN WOO, Face/Off
20. JEAN-JACQUES ANNAUD, Seven Years In Tibet
19. HELMA SANDERS-BRAHMS, Mei Herz - Niemandem! (My Heart Is Mine Alone)
18. CURTIS HANSON, L.A. Confidential
17. MIKE VAN DIEM, Karakter
16. FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA, The Rainmaker
15. CLINT EASTWOOD, Absolute Power
14. DAVID FINCHER, The Game
13. BARRY LEVINSON, Wag The Dog
12. ROBERT ZEMECKIS, Contact
11. NEIL JORDAN, The Butcher Boy
10. OLIVER STONE, U Turn
9. MARTIN SCORSESE, Kundun
8. QUENTIN TARANTINO, Jackie Brown
7. VINCENZO NATALI, Cube
6. WOODY ALLEN, Deconstructing Harry
5. ABBAS KIAROSTAMI, Taste Of Cherry
4. ATOM EGOYAN, The Sweet Hereafter
3. ANG LEE, The Ice Storm
2. LUC BESSON, The Fifth Element
1. DAVID LYNCH, Lost Highway
Top 25 Lead Actors:
25. DENNIS FARINA, That Old Feeling
24. WOODY ALLEN, Deconstructing Harry
23. TUPAC SHAKUR, Gridlock'd
22. ROBERT FORSTER, Jackie Brown
21. ROBERT DUVALL, The Apostle
20. MORGAN FREEMAN, Amistad
19. MICHAEL DOUGLAS, The Game
18. JEREMY PIVEN, Just Write
17. EAMONN OWENS, The Butcher Boy
16. BILL PULLMAN, Lost Highway
15. VING RHAMES, Rosewood
14. SEAN PENN, She's So Lovely
13. PETER FONDA, Ulee's Gold
12. LARENZ TATE, Love Jones
11. KEVIN KLINE, The Ice Storm
10. HOMAYON ERSHADI, Taste Of Cherry
9. SAMUEL L. JACKSON, Eve's Bayou
8. KEVIN SPACEY, Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil
7. JARED LETO, Prefontaine
6. IAN HOLM, The Sweet Hereafter
5. GUY PEARCE, L.A. Confidential
4. AL PACINO, Donnie Brasco
3. JACK NICHOLSON, As Good As It Gets
2. DUSTIN HOFFMAN, Wag The Dog
1. DANIEL DAY-LEWIS, The Boxer
Top 30 Lead Actresses:
30. TIE. KATRIN CARTLIDGE, Career Girls
CATHERINE O'HARA, Waiting For Guffman
29. KATE NECKINSALE, Shooting Fish
28. BAI LING, Red Corner
27. SHERILYN FENN, Just Write
26. MILLA JOVOVICH, The Fifth Element
25. RACHEL TRUE, Nowhere
24. TONI COLLETTE, Clockwatchers
23. NIA LONG, Love Jones
22. JOEY LAUREN ADAMS, Chasing Amy
21. MARY MCCORMACK, Private Parts
20. KATE WINSLET, Titanic
19. LIV TYLER, Inventing The Abbotts
18. JULIA ROBERTS, My Best Friend's Wedding
17. MISCHA BARTON, Lawn Dogs
16. LENA STOLZE, Mei Herz - Niemandem! (My Heart Is Mine Alone)
15. PATRICIA ARQUETTE, Lost Highway
14. ALISON FOLLAND, All Over Me
13. JUDI DENCH, Mrs. Brown
12. FARRAH FAWCETT, The Apostle
11. HELENA BONHAM CARTER, The Wings Of The Dove
10. JENNIFER LOPEZ, Selena
9. ASHLEY JUDD, Kiss The Girls
8. PATRICIA RICHARDSON, Ulee's Gold
7. JODIE FOSTER, Contact
6. PAM GRIER, Jackie Brown
5. DOMINIQUE SWAIN, Lolita
4. SARAH POLLEY, The Sweet Hereafter
3. JOAN ALLEN, The Ice Storm
2. EMILY WATSON, The Boxer
1. HELEN HUNT, As Good As It Gets
Top 25 Supporting Actors:
25 - TIE. SAM ROCKWELL, Lawn Dogs
ERIC STOLTZ, Highball
24. WOODY HARRELSON, Welcome To Sarajevo
23. GARY OLDMAN, Air Force One
22. GARY SINISE, Albino Alligator
21. TIM ROTH, Gridlock'd
20. JÜRGEN PROCHNOW, Air Force One
19. STUART TOWNSEND, Shooting Fish
18. GARY OLDMAN, The Fifth Element
17. STANLEY TUCCI, Deconstructing Harry
16. DENIS LEARY, Wag The Dog
15. ROBIN WILLIAMS, Good Will Hunting
14. PETE POSTLETHWAITE, The Lost World: Jurassic Park
13. CHRISTOPHER WALKEN, Suicide Kings
12. DANNY DEVITO, The Rainmaker
11. RUSSELL CROWE, L.A. Confidential
10. JOHN MALKOVICH, Con Air
9. AL PACINO, The Devil's Advocate
8. DON CHEADLE, Rosewood
7. BILLY CONNOLLY, Mrs. Brown
6. JASON LEE, Chasing Amy
5. JOHNNY DEPP, Donnie Brasco
4. ROBERT DE NIRO, Wag The Dog
3. SEAN PENN, The Game
2. SAMUEL L. JACKSON, Jackie Brown
1. BILLY BOB THORNTON, The Apostle
Top 25 Supporting Actresses:
25. CAMERON DIAZ, My Best Friend's Wedding
24. PARKER POSEY, Clockwatchers
23. KAREN BLACK, Dogtown
22. AISLING O'SULLIVAN, The Butcher Boy
21. LAURA LINNEY, Absolute Power
20. MIRANDA RICHARDSON, The Apostle
19. KATHLEEN ROBERTSON, Nowhere
18. PENELOPE ANN MILLER, Little City
17. JULIANNE MOORE, Boogie Nights
16. JENNIFER CONNELLY, Inventing The Abbotts
15. EMILY LLOYD, Welcome To Sarajevo
14. ELISE NEAL, Rosewood
13. DEMI MOORE, Deconstructing Harry
12. SINÉAD O'CONNOR, The Butcher Boy
11. ANNE HECHE, Wag The Dog
10. JENNIFER TILLY, Liar Liar
9. ALISON ELLIOTT, The Wings Of The Dove
8. JOAN CUSACK, In & Out
7. DEBORAH KARA UNGER, The Game
6. DEBBI MORGAN, Eve's Bayou
5. KATHLEEN QUINLAN, Breakdown
4. TARA SUBKOFF, All Over Me
3. KIM BASINGER, L.A. Confidential
2. KATHLEEN QUINLAN, Lawn Dogs
1. SIGOURNEY WEAVER, The Ice Storm
Top 25 Screenplays:
25. VONDIE CURTIS-HALL, Gridlock'd
24. ED SOLOMON, Men In Black
23. CURTIS HANSON & BRIAN HELGELAND, L.A. Confidential
22. MELISSA MATHESON, Kundun
21. JOHN HODGE, A Life Less Ordinary
20. DAVE FOLEY & DAVID ANTHONY HIGGINS & JAY KOGEN, The Wrong Guy
19. JAMES MANGOLD, Cop Land
18. PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON, Boogie Nights
17. PAUL ATTANASIO, Donnie Brasco
16. GREGG ARAKI, Nowhere
15. LUC BESSON & ROBERT MARK KAMEN, The Fifth Element
14. BEN AFFLECK & MATT DAMON, Good Will Hunting
13. TERRY GEORGE & JIM SHERIDAN, The Boxer
12. ATOM EGOYAN, The Sweet Hereafter
11. QUENTIN TARANTINO, Jackie Brown
10. MIKE LEIGH, Career Girls
9. NAOMI WALLACE, Lawn Dogs
8. PATRICK MCCABE & NEIL JORDAN, The Butcher Boy
7. ANDRÉ BIJELIC & GRAEME MANSON & VINCENZO NATALI, Cube
6. JILL SPRECHER & KAREN SPRECHER, Clockwatchers
5. HILARY HENKIN & DAVID MAMET, Wag The Dog
4. WOODY ALLEN, Deconstructing Harry
3. JAMES SCHAMUS, The Ice Storm
2. KEVIN SMITH, Chasing Amy
1. DAVID LYNCH & BARRY GIFFORD, Lost Highway
Top 25 Cinematographers:
25. MICHAEL BALLHAUS, Air Force One
24. ROLAND DRESSEL, Mein Herz - Niemandem! (My Heart Is Mine Alone)
23. DON BURGESS, Contact
22. JACK N. GREEN, Absolute Power
21. EDUARDO SERRA, The Wings Of the Dove
20. JOSEPH MONTGOMERY, Hugo Pool
19. GUILLERMO NAVARRO, Spawn
18. PAUL SAROSSY, The Sweet Hereafter
17. BILL POPE, Gridlock'd
16. BRIAN TUFANO, A Life Less Ordinary
15. DANTE SPINOTTI, L.A. Confidential
14. ROBERT ELSWIT, Boogie Nights
13. DONALD PETERMAN, Men In Black
12. JANUSZ KAMINSKI, Amistad
11. ADRIAN BIDDLE, The Butcher Boy
10. AMY VINCENT, Eve's Bayou
9. GUILLERMO NAVARRO, Jackie Brown
8. DEREK ROGERS, Cube
7. FREDERICK ELMES, The Ice Storm
6. JANUSZ KAMINSKI, The Lost World: Jurassic Park
5. ROBERT FRAISSE, Seven Years In Tibet
4. ANDRZEJ BARTKOWIAK, The Devil's Advocate
3. ROGER DEAKINS, Kundun
2. PETER DEMING, Lost Highway
1. THIERRY ARBOGAST, The Fifth Element
Top 15 Villains:
15. JIM CARREY, Liar Liar
14. BENICIO DEL TORO, Excess Baggage
13. JACK NICHOLSON, As Good As It Gets
12. TIMOTHY HUTTON, Playing God
11. JON FAVREAU, Dogtown
10. SINÉAD O'CONNOR, The Butcher Boy
9. ALEKSANDR BALUEV, The Peacemaker
8. BILLY CRUDUP, Inventing The Abbotts
7. PAUL GIAMATTI, Private Parts
6. ROBERT BLAKE, Lost Highway
5. DEBRA JO RUPP, Clockwatchers
4. JOHN MALKOVICH, Con Air
3. AL PACINO, The Devil's Advocate
2. GARY OLDMAN, The Fifth Element
1. GARY OLDMAN, Air Force One
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
1998 In Film
As I'm about to take two hours out of my life to watch Sharknado, I figured I'd knock another ''Best Of'' list off my bucket list with one of my favourite movie years of all time, 1998.
Don't let the ''official'' award ceremonies fool you, 1998 was amazing. To hell with Shakespeare In Love, Elizabeth, Saving Private Ryan (well, almost) and Pleasantville; it was a year of unbelievable performances, incredible storytelling and stuff that was out of the ordinary. On the other hand, it was also the year of god-awful Bruce Willis movies (The Siege and Mercury Rising, both on the heels of the end-of-1997 flop The Jackal), a dozen dog movies, and the heyday of direct-to-video films - not all of which were terrible, believe it or not.
Again, I have so far published my tops of 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2001, and 2005. Feel free to look them up.
Top 25 Films:
25. LA VITA È BELLA, Roberto Benigni (Italia)
24. BUFFALO 66, Vincent Gallo (USA)
23. A SIMPLE PLAN, Sam Raimi (France/USA)
22. A BUG'S LIFE, John Lasseter (USA)
21. CENTRAL STATION, Walter Salles (Brazil/France)
20. FOLLOWING, Christopher Nolan (UK)
19. AMERICAN HISTORY X, Tony Kaye (USA)
18. LAST NIGHT, Don McKellar (Canada)
17. HIGH ART, Lisa Chodolenko (Canada/USA)
16. THE QUIET FAMILY, Kim Ji-woon (South Korea)
15. THE TRUMAN SHOW, Peter Weir (USA)
14. APT PUPIL, Bryan Singer (USA)
13. LE DÎNER DE CONS, Francis Veber (France)
12. BULWORTH, Warren Beatty (USA)
11. GODS AND MONSTERS, Bill Condon (UK/USA)
10. RUN LOLA RUN, Tom Tykwer (Germany)
9. PI, Darren Aronosky (USA)
8. LE VIOLON ROUGE (THE RED VIOLIN), François Girard (Québec/Italia/UK/Austria)
7. THE THIN RED LINE, Terrence Malick (USA/Australia)
6. UNAGI (THE EEL), Shohei Imamura (Japan)
5. LE NAIN ROUGE (THE RED DWARF), Yvan Le Moine (Belgique)
4. THE BIG LEBOWSKI, Joel Coen & Ethan Coen (USA/UK)
3. YOUR FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS, Neil LaBute (USA)
2. HAPPINESS, Todd Solondz (USA)
1. FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS, Terry Gilliam (USA)
Top 25 Directors:
25. VINCENT GALLO, Buffalo 66
24. CHRISTOPHER NOLAN, Following
23. WARREN BEATTY, Bulworth
22. SAM RAIMI, A Simple Plan
21. ROBERTO BENIGNI, La Vita È Bella
20. ROBERT MORIN, Quiconque Meurt, Meurt À Douleur
19. PEDRO ALMODOVAR, Carne Trémula
18. EMIR KUSTARICA, Black Cat, White Cat
17. CLAUDE LELOUCH, Hasards Ou Coïncidences
16. BILL CONDON, Gods And Monsters
15. FRANÇOIS GIRARD, Le Violon Rouge (The Red Violin)
14. NEIL LABUTE, Your Friends & Neighbors
13. GUY RITCHIE, Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels
12. SHOHEI IMAMURA, Unagi (The Eel)
11. BRYAN SINGER, Apt Pupil
10. TOM TYKWER, Run Lola Run
9. STEVEN SPIELBERG, Saving Private Ryan
8. GASPAR NOÉ, Seul Contre Tous (I Stand Alone)
7. LARS VON TRIER, Idioterne (The Idiots)
6. JOEL COEN & ETHAN COEN, The Big Lebowski
5. DARREN ARONOFSKY, Pi
4. YVAN LE MOINE, Le Nain Rouge (The Red Dwarf)
3. TODD SOLONDZ, Happiness
2. TERRENCE MALICK, The Thin Red Line
1. TERRY GILLIAM, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
Top 25 Lead Actors:
25. JOHN TRAVOLTA, Primary Colors
24. DENZEL WASHINGTON, He Got Game
23. ROBERTO BENIGNI, La Vita È Bella
22. JAVIER BARDEM, Carne Trémula
21. PARK IN-HWAN, The Quiet Family
20. DON MCKELLAR, Last Night
19. GEORGE CLOONEY, Out Of Sight
18. SAMUEL L. JACKSON, The Negotiator
17. WARREN BEATTY, Bulworth
16. LARENZ TATE, Why Do Fools Fall In Love
15. JEAN-YVES THUAL, Le Nain Rouge (The Red Dwarf)
14. IAN MCKELLEN, Gods And Monsters
13. NICK NOLTE, Affliction
12. DANNY GLOVER, Beloved
11. KOJI YAKUSHO, Unagi (The Eel)
10. VINCENT GALLO, Buffalo 66
9. JONATHAN RHYS MYERS, Velvet Goldmine
8. JOHNNY DEPP, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
7. JACQUES VILLERET, Le Dîner De Cons
6. JEFF BRIDGES, The Big Lebowski
5. IAN MCKELLEN, Apt Pupil
4. AARON ECKHART, Your Friends & Neighbors
3. JIM CARREY, The Truman Show
2. DYLAN BAKER, Happiness
1. EDWARD NORTON, American History X
Top 25 Lead Actresses:
25. MIRA SORVINO, Lulu On The Bridge
24. ROXANA ZAL, Broken Vessels
23. ROBIN TUNNEY, Niagara, Niagara
22. ALFRE WOODARD, Down In the Delta
21. INGRID RUBIO, El Faro (The Lighthouse)
20. ALESSANDRA MARTINES, Hasards Ou Coïncidences
19. ELIZABETH GONDEK, Dead Leaves
18. MISA SHIMIZU, Unagi (The Eel)
17. KATE WINSLET, Hideous Kinky
16. CHLOË SEVIGNY, The Last Days Of Disco
15. FANNY ARDANT, La Cena
14. ALEX KINGSTON, Croupier
13. BODIL JORGENSEN, Idioterne (The Idiots)
12. CATE BLANCHETT, Elizabeth
11. CHRISTINA RICCI, Buffalo 66
10. FERNANDA MONTENEGRO, Central Station
9. RADHA MITCHELL, High Art
8. FRANKA POTENTE, Run Lola Run
7. MONIC HENDRICKX, The Polish Bride
6. CATHERINE DENEUVE, Place Vendôme
5. ANITA EKBERG, Le Nain Rouge (The Red Dwarf)
4. SANDRA OH, Last Night
3. EMILY WATSON, Hilary And Jackie
2. JANE ADAMS, Happiness
1. CATHERINE KEENER, Your Friends & Neighbors
Top 25 Supporting Actors:
25. OLIVER PLATT, Bulworth
24. DON CHEADLE, Out Of Sight
23. ROBERT DUVALL, A Civil Action
22. BRENDAN FRASER, Gods And Monsters
21. CHARLES S. DUTTON, Blind Faith
20. STEVE BUSCEMI, Armageddon
19. ED HARRIS, The Truman Show
18. WILLIAM H. MACY, Pleasantville
17. BILLY BOB THORNTON, A Simple Plan
16. BILL MURRAY, Rushmore
15. DONALD SUTHERLAND, Without Limits
14. BRAD RENFRO, Apt Pupil
13. CALLUM KEITH RENNIE, Last Night
12. JAMES COBURN, Affliction
11. BILLY CONNOLLY, Still Crazy
10. KEVIN SPACEY, The Negotiator
9. ETHAN SUPLEE, American History X
8. JOHN TURTURRO, The Big Lebowski
7. THIERRY LHERMITTE, Le Dîner De Cons
6. BENICIO DEL TORO, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
5. JASON PATRIC, Your Friends & Neighbors
4. JON LOVITZ, Happiness
3. JOHN GOODMAN, The Big Lebowski
2. BEN STILLER, Your Friends & Neighbors
1. PHILLIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN, Happiness
Top 25 Supporting Actresses:
25. LIV TYLER, Armageddon
24. ALEXANDRA VANDERNOOT, Le Dîner De Cons
23. JENNIFER CONNELLY, Dark City
22. ANNABELLA SCIORRA, What Dreams May Come
21. CARLA GUGINO, Judas Kiss
20. MAURA TIERNEY, Primary Colors
19. STEFANIA SANDRELLI, La Cena
18. GINA MCKEE, Croupier
17. JEMMA REDGRAVE, The Acid House
16. CATHERINE KEENER, Out Of Sight
15. JUDITH GODRÈCHE, The Man In The Iron Mask
14. JEMIMA ROOPER, Owd Bob
13. AMY MADIGAN, A Bright Shining Lie
12. ANGELA MOLINA, Carne Trémula
11. EMMANUELLE SEIGNER, Place Vendôme
10. AMY BRENNEMAN, Your Friends & Neighbors
9. MARIA DOYLE KENNEDY, The General
8. NASTASSJA KINSKI, Your Friends & Neighbors
7. KATHY BATES, Primary Colors
6. KATE BECKINSALE, The Last Days Of Disco
5. ALLY SHEEDY, High Art
4. JULIANNE MOORE, The Big Lebowski
3. LYNN REDGRAVE, Gods And Monsters
2. RACHEL GRIFFITHS, Hilary And Jackie
1. LARA FLYNN BOYLE, Happiness
Top 25 Screenplays:
25. ROBERTO BENIGNI & VINCENZO CERAMI, La Vita È Bella
24. FRANK MILITARY, Blind Faith
23. TAMARA JENKINS, Slums Of Beverly Hills
22. SCOTT FRANK, Out Of Sight
21. PETER BERG, Very Bad Things
20. DON MCKELLAR, Last Night
19. DEE SNIDER, Strangeland
18. THOMAS VINTERBERG & MOGENS RUKOV, Festen (The Celebration)
17. LISA CHODOLENKO, High Art
16. DON MCKELLAR & FRANÇOIS GIRARD, Le Violon Rouge (The Red Violin)
15. DARREN ARONOFSKY, Pi
14. TERRENCE MALICK, The Thin Red Line
13. ANDREW NICOL, The Truman Show
12. CHRISTOPHER NOLAN, Following
11. KIM JI-WOON, The Quiet Family
10. BILL CONDON, Gods And Monsters
9. BRANDON BOYCE, Apt Pupil
8. TERRY GILLIAM & TONY GRISONI, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
7. CONSTANTIN WERNER, Dead Leaves
6. WARREN BEATTY & JEREMY PIKSER, Bulworth
5. YVAN LE MOINE, Le Nain Rouge (The Red Dwarf)
4. NEIL LABUTE, Your Friends & Neighbors
3. FRANCIS VEBER, Le Dîner De Cons
2. JOEL COEN & ETHAN COEN, The Big Lebowski
1. TODD SOLONDZ, Happiness
Top 25 Cinematographers:
25. JOHN SCHWARTZMAN, Armageddon
24. CHRISTOPHER DOYLE, Psycho
23. PETER SUSCHITZKY, The Man In The Iron Mask
22. VITTORIO STORARO, Bulworth
21. ROBBIE KONDOR, Happiness
20. NANCY SCHREIBER, Your Friends & Neighbors
19. JUN'CHIRO HAYASHI, Ringu (The Ring)
18. CHRISTOPHER NOLAN, Following
17. PETER LYONS COLLISTER, The Replacement Killers
16. NEWTON THOMAS SIGEL, Apt Pupil
15. PAUL SAROSSY, Affliction
14. JANUSZ KAMINSKI, Saving Private Ryan
13. TAMI REIKE, High Art
12. ALFONSO BEATO, Carne Trémula
11. DANNY ELSEN, Le Nain Rouge (The Red Dwarf)
10. DARIUSZ WOLSKI, Dark City
9. MATTHEW LIBATIQUE, Pi
8. ALAR KIVILO, A Simple Plan
7. MARYSE ALBERTI, Velvet Goldmine
6. JOHN TOLL, The Thin Red Line
5. ALAIN DOSTIE, Le Violon Rouge (The Red Violin)
4. ROGER DEAKINS, The Big Lebowski
3. TIM MAURICE-JONES, Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels
2. NICOLA PECORINI, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
1. EDUARDO SERRA, What Dreams May Come
Top 10 Villains:
10. VINCENT GALLO, Buffalo 66
9. PETER STORMARE, The Big Lebowski
8. LEONARDO DICAPRIO, The Man In The Iron Mask
7. ED HARRIS, The Truman Show
6. RICHARD O'BRIEN, Dark City
5. DEE SNIDER, Strangeland
4. CHRISTIAN SLATER, Very Bad Things
3. IAN MCKELLEN, Apt Pupil
2. JASON PATRIC, Your Friends & Neighbors
1. DYLAN BAKER, Happiness
Don't let the ''official'' award ceremonies fool you, 1998 was amazing. To hell with Shakespeare In Love, Elizabeth, Saving Private Ryan (well, almost) and Pleasantville; it was a year of unbelievable performances, incredible storytelling and stuff that was out of the ordinary. On the other hand, it was also the year of god-awful Bruce Willis movies (The Siege and Mercury Rising, both on the heels of the end-of-1997 flop The Jackal), a dozen dog movies, and the heyday of direct-to-video films - not all of which were terrible, believe it or not.
Again, I have so far published my tops of 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2001, and 2005. Feel free to look them up.
Top 25 Films:
25. LA VITA È BELLA, Roberto Benigni (Italia)
24. BUFFALO 66, Vincent Gallo (USA)
23. A SIMPLE PLAN, Sam Raimi (France/USA)
22. A BUG'S LIFE, John Lasseter (USA)
21. CENTRAL STATION, Walter Salles (Brazil/France)
20. FOLLOWING, Christopher Nolan (UK)
19. AMERICAN HISTORY X, Tony Kaye (USA)
18. LAST NIGHT, Don McKellar (Canada)
17. HIGH ART, Lisa Chodolenko (Canada/USA)
16. THE QUIET FAMILY, Kim Ji-woon (South Korea)
15. THE TRUMAN SHOW, Peter Weir (USA)
14. APT PUPIL, Bryan Singer (USA)
13. LE DÎNER DE CONS, Francis Veber (France)
12. BULWORTH, Warren Beatty (USA)
11. GODS AND MONSTERS, Bill Condon (UK/USA)
10. RUN LOLA RUN, Tom Tykwer (Germany)
9. PI, Darren Aronosky (USA)
8. LE VIOLON ROUGE (THE RED VIOLIN), François Girard (Québec/Italia/UK/Austria)
7. THE THIN RED LINE, Terrence Malick (USA/Australia)
6. UNAGI (THE EEL), Shohei Imamura (Japan)
5. LE NAIN ROUGE (THE RED DWARF), Yvan Le Moine (Belgique)
4. THE BIG LEBOWSKI, Joel Coen & Ethan Coen (USA/UK)
3. YOUR FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS, Neil LaBute (USA)
2. HAPPINESS, Todd Solondz (USA)
1. FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS, Terry Gilliam (USA)
Top 25 Directors:
25. VINCENT GALLO, Buffalo 66
24. CHRISTOPHER NOLAN, Following
23. WARREN BEATTY, Bulworth
22. SAM RAIMI, A Simple Plan
21. ROBERTO BENIGNI, La Vita È Bella
20. ROBERT MORIN, Quiconque Meurt, Meurt À Douleur
19. PEDRO ALMODOVAR, Carne Trémula
18. EMIR KUSTARICA, Black Cat, White Cat
17. CLAUDE LELOUCH, Hasards Ou Coïncidences
16. BILL CONDON, Gods And Monsters
15. FRANÇOIS GIRARD, Le Violon Rouge (The Red Violin)
14. NEIL LABUTE, Your Friends & Neighbors
13. GUY RITCHIE, Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels
12. SHOHEI IMAMURA, Unagi (The Eel)
11. BRYAN SINGER, Apt Pupil
10. TOM TYKWER, Run Lola Run
9. STEVEN SPIELBERG, Saving Private Ryan
8. GASPAR NOÉ, Seul Contre Tous (I Stand Alone)
7. LARS VON TRIER, Idioterne (The Idiots)
6. JOEL COEN & ETHAN COEN, The Big Lebowski
5. DARREN ARONOFSKY, Pi
4. YVAN LE MOINE, Le Nain Rouge (The Red Dwarf)
3. TODD SOLONDZ, Happiness
2. TERRENCE MALICK, The Thin Red Line
1. TERRY GILLIAM, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
Top 25 Lead Actors:
25. JOHN TRAVOLTA, Primary Colors
24. DENZEL WASHINGTON, He Got Game
23. ROBERTO BENIGNI, La Vita È Bella
22. JAVIER BARDEM, Carne Trémula
21. PARK IN-HWAN, The Quiet Family
20. DON MCKELLAR, Last Night
19. GEORGE CLOONEY, Out Of Sight
18. SAMUEL L. JACKSON, The Negotiator
17. WARREN BEATTY, Bulworth
16. LARENZ TATE, Why Do Fools Fall In Love
15. JEAN-YVES THUAL, Le Nain Rouge (The Red Dwarf)
14. IAN MCKELLEN, Gods And Monsters
13. NICK NOLTE, Affliction
12. DANNY GLOVER, Beloved
11. KOJI YAKUSHO, Unagi (The Eel)
10. VINCENT GALLO, Buffalo 66
9. JONATHAN RHYS MYERS, Velvet Goldmine
8. JOHNNY DEPP, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
7. JACQUES VILLERET, Le Dîner De Cons
6. JEFF BRIDGES, The Big Lebowski
5. IAN MCKELLEN, Apt Pupil
4. AARON ECKHART, Your Friends & Neighbors
3. JIM CARREY, The Truman Show
2. DYLAN BAKER, Happiness
1. EDWARD NORTON, American History X
Top 25 Lead Actresses:
25. MIRA SORVINO, Lulu On The Bridge
24. ROXANA ZAL, Broken Vessels
23. ROBIN TUNNEY, Niagara, Niagara
22. ALFRE WOODARD, Down In the Delta
21. INGRID RUBIO, El Faro (The Lighthouse)
20. ALESSANDRA MARTINES, Hasards Ou Coïncidences
19. ELIZABETH GONDEK, Dead Leaves
18. MISA SHIMIZU, Unagi (The Eel)
17. KATE WINSLET, Hideous Kinky
16. CHLOË SEVIGNY, The Last Days Of Disco
15. FANNY ARDANT, La Cena
14. ALEX KINGSTON, Croupier
13. BODIL JORGENSEN, Idioterne (The Idiots)
12. CATE BLANCHETT, Elizabeth
11. CHRISTINA RICCI, Buffalo 66
10. FERNANDA MONTENEGRO, Central Station
9. RADHA MITCHELL, High Art
8. FRANKA POTENTE, Run Lola Run
7. MONIC HENDRICKX, The Polish Bride
6. CATHERINE DENEUVE, Place Vendôme
5. ANITA EKBERG, Le Nain Rouge (The Red Dwarf)
4. SANDRA OH, Last Night
3. EMILY WATSON, Hilary And Jackie
2. JANE ADAMS, Happiness
1. CATHERINE KEENER, Your Friends & Neighbors
Top 25 Supporting Actors:
25. OLIVER PLATT, Bulworth
24. DON CHEADLE, Out Of Sight
23. ROBERT DUVALL, A Civil Action
22. BRENDAN FRASER, Gods And Monsters
21. CHARLES S. DUTTON, Blind Faith
20. STEVE BUSCEMI, Armageddon
19. ED HARRIS, The Truman Show
18. WILLIAM H. MACY, Pleasantville
17. BILLY BOB THORNTON, A Simple Plan
16. BILL MURRAY, Rushmore
15. DONALD SUTHERLAND, Without Limits
14. BRAD RENFRO, Apt Pupil
13. CALLUM KEITH RENNIE, Last Night
12. JAMES COBURN, Affliction
11. BILLY CONNOLLY, Still Crazy
10. KEVIN SPACEY, The Negotiator
9. ETHAN SUPLEE, American History X
8. JOHN TURTURRO, The Big Lebowski
7. THIERRY LHERMITTE, Le Dîner De Cons
6. BENICIO DEL TORO, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
5. JASON PATRIC, Your Friends & Neighbors
4. JON LOVITZ, Happiness
3. JOHN GOODMAN, The Big Lebowski
2. BEN STILLER, Your Friends & Neighbors
1. PHILLIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN, Happiness
Top 25 Supporting Actresses:
25. LIV TYLER, Armageddon
24. ALEXANDRA VANDERNOOT, Le Dîner De Cons
23. JENNIFER CONNELLY, Dark City
22. ANNABELLA SCIORRA, What Dreams May Come
21. CARLA GUGINO, Judas Kiss
20. MAURA TIERNEY, Primary Colors
19. STEFANIA SANDRELLI, La Cena
18. GINA MCKEE, Croupier
17. JEMMA REDGRAVE, The Acid House
16. CATHERINE KEENER, Out Of Sight
15. JUDITH GODRÈCHE, The Man In The Iron Mask
14. JEMIMA ROOPER, Owd Bob
13. AMY MADIGAN, A Bright Shining Lie
12. ANGELA MOLINA, Carne Trémula
11. EMMANUELLE SEIGNER, Place Vendôme
10. AMY BRENNEMAN, Your Friends & Neighbors
9. MARIA DOYLE KENNEDY, The General
8. NASTASSJA KINSKI, Your Friends & Neighbors
7. KATHY BATES, Primary Colors
6. KATE BECKINSALE, The Last Days Of Disco
5. ALLY SHEEDY, High Art
4. JULIANNE MOORE, The Big Lebowski
3. LYNN REDGRAVE, Gods And Monsters
2. RACHEL GRIFFITHS, Hilary And Jackie
1. LARA FLYNN BOYLE, Happiness
Top 25 Screenplays:
25. ROBERTO BENIGNI & VINCENZO CERAMI, La Vita È Bella
24. FRANK MILITARY, Blind Faith
23. TAMARA JENKINS, Slums Of Beverly Hills
22. SCOTT FRANK, Out Of Sight
21. PETER BERG, Very Bad Things
20. DON MCKELLAR, Last Night
19. DEE SNIDER, Strangeland
18. THOMAS VINTERBERG & MOGENS RUKOV, Festen (The Celebration)
17. LISA CHODOLENKO, High Art
16. DON MCKELLAR & FRANÇOIS GIRARD, Le Violon Rouge (The Red Violin)
15. DARREN ARONOFSKY, Pi
14. TERRENCE MALICK, The Thin Red Line
13. ANDREW NICOL, The Truman Show
12. CHRISTOPHER NOLAN, Following
11. KIM JI-WOON, The Quiet Family
10. BILL CONDON, Gods And Monsters
9. BRANDON BOYCE, Apt Pupil
8. TERRY GILLIAM & TONY GRISONI, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
7. CONSTANTIN WERNER, Dead Leaves
6. WARREN BEATTY & JEREMY PIKSER, Bulworth
5. YVAN LE MOINE, Le Nain Rouge (The Red Dwarf)
4. NEIL LABUTE, Your Friends & Neighbors
3. FRANCIS VEBER, Le Dîner De Cons
2. JOEL COEN & ETHAN COEN, The Big Lebowski
1. TODD SOLONDZ, Happiness
Top 25 Cinematographers:
25. JOHN SCHWARTZMAN, Armageddon
24. CHRISTOPHER DOYLE, Psycho
23. PETER SUSCHITZKY, The Man In The Iron Mask
22. VITTORIO STORARO, Bulworth
21. ROBBIE KONDOR, Happiness
20. NANCY SCHREIBER, Your Friends & Neighbors
19. JUN'CHIRO HAYASHI, Ringu (The Ring)
18. CHRISTOPHER NOLAN, Following
17. PETER LYONS COLLISTER, The Replacement Killers
16. NEWTON THOMAS SIGEL, Apt Pupil
15. PAUL SAROSSY, Affliction
14. JANUSZ KAMINSKI, Saving Private Ryan
13. TAMI REIKE, High Art
12. ALFONSO BEATO, Carne Trémula
11. DANNY ELSEN, Le Nain Rouge (The Red Dwarf)
10. DARIUSZ WOLSKI, Dark City
9. MATTHEW LIBATIQUE, Pi
8. ALAR KIVILO, A Simple Plan
7. MARYSE ALBERTI, Velvet Goldmine
6. JOHN TOLL, The Thin Red Line
5. ALAIN DOSTIE, Le Violon Rouge (The Red Violin)
4. ROGER DEAKINS, The Big Lebowski
3. TIM MAURICE-JONES, Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels
2. NICOLA PECORINI, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
1. EDUARDO SERRA, What Dreams May Come
Top 10 Villains:
10. VINCENT GALLO, Buffalo 66
9. PETER STORMARE, The Big Lebowski
8. LEONARDO DICAPRIO, The Man In The Iron Mask
7. ED HARRIS, The Truman Show
6. RICHARD O'BRIEN, Dark City
5. DEE SNIDER, Strangeland
4. CHRISTIAN SLATER, Very Bad Things
3. IAN MCKELLEN, Apt Pupil
2. JASON PATRIC, Your Friends & Neighbors
1. DYLAN BAKER, Happiness
Friday, January 3, 2014
1993 In Film
With 2013 coming to a close, many critics have released their 'Best of 2013' film lists, but I've been unable to do so this year because I have seen very few films in theaters this past year, in part due to today's prohibitive cost of movie-going, and partly because of lack of time. Also, in the past 5 years, I've enjoyed TV shows a lot more than actual films...
That being said, I plan on making up for lost time in the next month and a half or so, so I can eventually make up a comprehensive list.
And so, I once again look at my past notes to pass judgement on a previous year, 1993.
Already featured: 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2005.
Top 25 Films:
25. GROUNDHOG DAY, Harold Ramis (USA)
24. THIRTY-TWO SHORT FILMS ABOUT GLENN GOULD, François Girard (Canada/France)
23. NAKED, Mike Leigh (UK)
22. THIS BOY'S LIFE, Michael Caton-Jones (USA)
21. MALICE, Harold Becker (USA/Canada)
20. GERMINAL, Claude Berri (France)
19. ARIZONA DREAM, Emir Kustarica (USA)
18. SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION, Fred Schepisi (USA)
17. A BRONX TALE, Robert De Niro (USA)
16. TROIS COULEURS: BLEU, Krysztof Kieslowski (France/Poland/Switzerland)
15. WOMAN SESAME OIL MAKER, Xie Fei (China)
14. FARAWAY, SO CLOSE, Win Wenders (Germany)
13. A PERFECT WORLD, Clint Eastwood (USA)
12. FALLING DOWN, Joel Schumacher (USA/France/UK)
11. IN THE LINE OF FIRE, Wolfgang Petersen (USA)
10. DAZED AND CONFUSED, Richard Linklater (USA)
9. THE AGE OF INNOCENCE, Martin Scorsese (USA)
8. THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, Henry Selick (USA)
7. FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE, Chen Kaige (China)
6. SHORT CUTS, Robert Altman (USA)
5. TRUE ROMANCE, Tony Scott (USA)
4. CARLITO'S WAY, Brian De Palma (USA)
3. STALINGRAD, Joseph Vilsmaier (Germany)
2. SCHINDLER'S LIST, Steven Spielberg (USA)
1. MENACE II SOCIETY, The Hughes Brothers (USA)
Top 25 Directors:
25. JOHN MCTIERNAN, Last Action Hero
24. PIERRE FALARDEAU, Le Temps Des Bouffons
23. JANE CAMPION, The Piano
22. JONATHAN DEMME, Philadelphia
21. MIKE LEIGH, Naked
20. GUILLERMO DEL TORO, Cronos
19. CLAUDE BERRI, Germinal
18. HENRY SELICK, The Nightmare Before Christmas
17. RICHARD LINKLATER, Dazed And Confused
16. JOEL SCHUMACHER, Falling Down
15. CLINT EASTWOOD, A Perfect World
14. EMIR KUSTARICA, Arizona Dream
13. XIE FEI, Woman Sesame Oil Maker
12. ROBERT DE NIRO, A Bronx Tale
11. KRYSZTOF KIESLOWSKI, Trois Couleurs: Bleu
10. WIM WENDERS, Faraway, So Close
9. CHEN KAIGE, Farewell, My Concubine
8. TONY SCOTT, True Romance
7. WOLFGANG PETERSON, In The Line Of Fire
6. ROBERT ALTMAN, Short Cuts
5. MARTIN SCORSESE, The Age Of Innocence
4. BRIAN DE PALMA, Carlito's Way
3. JOSEPH VILSMAIER, Stalingrad
2. THE HUGHES BROTHERS, Menace II Society
1. STEVEN SPIELBERG, Schindler's List
Top 25 Lead Actors:
25. SEAN ASTIN, Rudy
24. LIAM NEESON, Schindler's List
23. DAVID THEWLIS, Naked
22. LESLIE CHEUNG, Farewell, My Concubine
21. STEVE BUSCEMI, Ed And His Dead Mother
20. NICOLAS CAGE, Red Rock West
19. LEONARDO DICAPRIO, This Boy's Life
18. GARY OLDMAN, Romeo Is Bleeding
17. JEFF BRIDGES, American Heart
16. COLM FEORE, Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould
15. LAURENCE FISHBURNE, What's Love Got To Do With It
14. GÉRARD DEPARDIEU, Germinal
13. THOMAS KRETSCHMANN, Stalingrad
12. JEFF BRIDGES, Fearless
11. DANNY GLOVER, Bopha!
10. VINCENT D'ONOFRIO, Household Saints
9. TYRIN TURNER, Menace II Society
8. TOM HANKS, Philadelphia
7. DANIEL DAY-LEWIS, The Age Of Innocence
6. ANTHONY HOPKINS, The Remains Of The Day
5. CLINT EASTWOOD, In The Line Of Fire
4. ROBERT DE NIRO, A Bronx Tale
3. AL PACINO, Carlito's Way
2. MICHAEL DOUGLAS, Falling Down
1. WILL SMITH, Six Degrees Of Separation
Top 25 Lead Actresses:
25. MEG RYAN, Sleepless In Seattle
24. MARISA TOMEI, Untamed Heart
23. ELLEN BARKIN, This Boy's Life
22. ASHLEY JUDD, Ruby In Paradise
21. JULIET STEVENSON, The Secret Rapture
20. CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG, The Cement Garden
19. LINDA FIORENTINO, Acting On Impulse
18. EMMA THOMPSON, The Remains Of The Day
17. LORI LOUGHLIN, Empty Cradle
16. SHERILYN FENN, Boxing Helena
15. SIQIN GAOWA, Woman Sesame Oil Maker
14. PHOEBE CATES, Bodies, Rest & Motion
13. GONG LI, Farewell, My Concubine
12. VANESSA REDGRAVE, Un Muro De Silencio
11. SOPHIE MARCEAU, Fanfan
10. JULIANNE MOORE, Short Cuts
9. JULIETTE BINOCHE, Trois Couleurs: Bleu
8. MARY STUART MASTERSON, Benny & Joon
7. CATHERINE DENEUVE, Ma Saison Préférée
6. REBECCA DE MORNAY, Guilty As Sin
5. PATRICIA ARQUETTE, True Romance
4. JODIE FOSTER, Sommersby
3. HOLLY HUNTER, The Piano
2. NICOLE KIDMAN, Malice
1. ANGELA BASSETT, What's Love Got To Do With It
Top 20 Supporting Actors:
20. OLIVER PLATT, The Three Musketeers
19. JOHN MALKOVICH, In The Line Of Fire
18. GABRIEL BYRNE, A Dangerous Woman
17. JEFF GOLDBLUM, Jurassic Park
16. TOMMY LEE JONES, The Fugitive
15. WILLEM DAFOE, Faraway, So Close
14. MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY, Dazed And Confused
13. VAL KILMER, Tombstone
12. ROBERT DE NIRO, This Boy's Life
11. ROBERT DOWNEY JR., Short Cuts
10. CLINT EASTWOOD, A Perfect World
9. CHRISTOPHER REEVE, The Remains Of The Day
8. CHAZZ PALMINTERI, A Bronx Tale
7. CHRISTOPHER LLOYD, Twenty Bucks
6. CHRIS PENN, Short Cuts
5. COURTNEY B. VANCE, The Adventures Of Huck Finn
4. HARVEY KEITEL, The Piano
3. RENAUD SÉCHAN, Germinal
2. SEAN PENN, Carlito's Way
1. LARENZ TATE, Menace II Society
Top 20 Supporting Actresses:
20. HOLLY HUNTER, The Firm
19. KATE JACKSON, Empty Cradle
18. JENNIFER JASON LEIGH, Short Cuts
17. MEG TILLY, Body Snatchers
16. ROSIE PEREZ, Fearless
15. VALÉRIE LEMERCIER, Les Visiteurs
14. FAYE DUNAWAY, Arizona Dream
13. JOANNE WHALLEY-KILMER, The Secret Rapture
12. ALLY SHEEDY, Chantilly Lace
11. LAURA LINNEY, Dave
10. DANA DELANY, Tombstone
9. CLAUDIA KARVAN, Broken Highway
8. TARAL HICKS, A Bronx Tale
7. LILI TAYLOR, Household Saints
6. PENELOPE ANN MILLER, Carlito's Way
5. LARA FLYNN BOYLE, Red Rock West
4. LAURA DERN, A Perfect World
3. WINONA RYDER, The Age Of Innocence
2. MARTHE VILLALONGA, Ma Saison Préférée
1. JADA PINKETT, Menace II Society
Top 20 Screenplays:
20. THE PIANO, Jane Campion
19. INDECENT PROPOSAL, Amy Holden Jones
18. WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT, Kate Lanier
17. RED ROCK WEST, John Dahl & Rick Dahl
16. MENACE II SOCIETY, Tyger Williams
15. UN MURO DE SILENCIO, Graciela Maglie & Gabriela Massuh
14. DAVE, Gary Ross
13. GROUNDHOG DAY, Danny Rubin & Harold Ramis
12. MI VIDA LOCA, Allison Anders
11. NAKED, Mike Leigh
10. SMOKING/NO SMOKING, Agnès Jaoui & Jean-Pierre Bacri
9. SHORT CUTS, Robert Altman & Frank Barhydt
8. DAZED AND CONFUSED, Richard Linklater
7. WHAT'S EATING GILBERT GRAPE, Peter Hedges
6. THE SECRET RAPTURE, David Hare
5. CARLITO'S WAY, David Koepp
4. A BRONX TALE, Chazz Palminteri
3. ARIZONA DREAM, David Atkins & Emir Kustarica
2. MALICE, Aaron Sorkin & Scott Frank
1. TRUE ROMANCE, Quentin Tarantino
Top 20 Cinematographers:
20. DONALD PETERMAN, Addams Family Values
19. VIKO FILAC, Arizona Dream
18. DICK POPE, Naked
17. WALT LLOYD, Short Cuts
16. STUART DRYBURGH, The Piano
15. JEFFREY L. KIMBALL, True Romance
14. RENATO BERTA, Smoking/No Smoking
13. ROBERT RICHARDSON, Heaven & Earth
12. GU CHANGWEI, Farewell My Concubine
11. JANUSZ KAMINSKI, The Adventures Of Huck Finn
10. GUILLERMO NAVARRO, Cronos
9. FÉLIX MONTI, Un Muro De Silencio
8. KEES VAN OOSTRUM, Gettysburg
7. BOJAN BAZELLI, Body Snatchers
6. BAO XIAORAN, Woman Sesame Oil Maker
5. DARIUSZ WOLSKI, Romeo Is Bleeding
4. JANUSZ KAMINSKI, Schindler's List
3. SLAWOMI IDZIAK, Trois Couleurs: Bleu
2. YVES ANGELO, Germinal
1. PETE KOZACHIK, The Nightmare Before Christmas
Top 10 Villains:
10. RON PERLMAN, Cronos
9. TOBIN BELL, Malice
8. PARKER POSEY, Dazed And Confused
7. ROBERT DE NIRO, This Boy's Life
6. MICHAEL DOUGLAS, Falling Down
5. LARENZ TATE, Menace II Society
4. SEAN PENN, Carlito's Way
3. DENNIS HOPPER, Red Rock West
2. GARY OLDMAN, True Romance
1. LAURENCE FISHBURNE, What's Love Got To Do With It
That being said, I plan on making up for lost time in the next month and a half or so, so I can eventually make up a comprehensive list.
And so, I once again look at my past notes to pass judgement on a previous year, 1993.
Already featured: 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2005.
Top 25 Films:
25. GROUNDHOG DAY, Harold Ramis (USA)
24. THIRTY-TWO SHORT FILMS ABOUT GLENN GOULD, François Girard (Canada/France)
23. NAKED, Mike Leigh (UK)
22. THIS BOY'S LIFE, Michael Caton-Jones (USA)
21. MALICE, Harold Becker (USA/Canada)
20. GERMINAL, Claude Berri (France)
19. ARIZONA DREAM, Emir Kustarica (USA)
18. SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION, Fred Schepisi (USA)
17. A BRONX TALE, Robert De Niro (USA)
16. TROIS COULEURS: BLEU, Krysztof Kieslowski (France/Poland/Switzerland)
15. WOMAN SESAME OIL MAKER, Xie Fei (China)
14. FARAWAY, SO CLOSE, Win Wenders (Germany)
13. A PERFECT WORLD, Clint Eastwood (USA)
12. FALLING DOWN, Joel Schumacher (USA/France/UK)
11. IN THE LINE OF FIRE, Wolfgang Petersen (USA)
10. DAZED AND CONFUSED, Richard Linklater (USA)
9. THE AGE OF INNOCENCE, Martin Scorsese (USA)
8. THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, Henry Selick (USA)
7. FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE, Chen Kaige (China)
6. SHORT CUTS, Robert Altman (USA)
5. TRUE ROMANCE, Tony Scott (USA)
4. CARLITO'S WAY, Brian De Palma (USA)
3. STALINGRAD, Joseph Vilsmaier (Germany)
2. SCHINDLER'S LIST, Steven Spielberg (USA)
1. MENACE II SOCIETY, The Hughes Brothers (USA)
Top 25 Directors:
25. JOHN MCTIERNAN, Last Action Hero
24. PIERRE FALARDEAU, Le Temps Des Bouffons
23. JANE CAMPION, The Piano
22. JONATHAN DEMME, Philadelphia
21. MIKE LEIGH, Naked
20. GUILLERMO DEL TORO, Cronos
19. CLAUDE BERRI, Germinal
18. HENRY SELICK, The Nightmare Before Christmas
17. RICHARD LINKLATER, Dazed And Confused
16. JOEL SCHUMACHER, Falling Down
15. CLINT EASTWOOD, A Perfect World
14. EMIR KUSTARICA, Arizona Dream
13. XIE FEI, Woman Sesame Oil Maker
12. ROBERT DE NIRO, A Bronx Tale
11. KRYSZTOF KIESLOWSKI, Trois Couleurs: Bleu
10. WIM WENDERS, Faraway, So Close
9. CHEN KAIGE, Farewell, My Concubine
8. TONY SCOTT, True Romance
7. WOLFGANG PETERSON, In The Line Of Fire
6. ROBERT ALTMAN, Short Cuts
5. MARTIN SCORSESE, The Age Of Innocence
4. BRIAN DE PALMA, Carlito's Way
3. JOSEPH VILSMAIER, Stalingrad
2. THE HUGHES BROTHERS, Menace II Society
1. STEVEN SPIELBERG, Schindler's List
Top 25 Lead Actors:
25. SEAN ASTIN, Rudy
24. LIAM NEESON, Schindler's List
23. DAVID THEWLIS, Naked
22. LESLIE CHEUNG, Farewell, My Concubine
21. STEVE BUSCEMI, Ed And His Dead Mother
20. NICOLAS CAGE, Red Rock West
19. LEONARDO DICAPRIO, This Boy's Life
18. GARY OLDMAN, Romeo Is Bleeding
17. JEFF BRIDGES, American Heart
16. COLM FEORE, Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould
15. LAURENCE FISHBURNE, What's Love Got To Do With It
14. GÉRARD DEPARDIEU, Germinal
13. THOMAS KRETSCHMANN, Stalingrad
12. JEFF BRIDGES, Fearless
11. DANNY GLOVER, Bopha!
10. VINCENT D'ONOFRIO, Household Saints
9. TYRIN TURNER, Menace II Society
8. TOM HANKS, Philadelphia
7. DANIEL DAY-LEWIS, The Age Of Innocence
6. ANTHONY HOPKINS, The Remains Of The Day
5. CLINT EASTWOOD, In The Line Of Fire
4. ROBERT DE NIRO, A Bronx Tale
3. AL PACINO, Carlito's Way
2. MICHAEL DOUGLAS, Falling Down
1. WILL SMITH, Six Degrees Of Separation
Top 25 Lead Actresses:
25. MEG RYAN, Sleepless In Seattle
24. MARISA TOMEI, Untamed Heart
23. ELLEN BARKIN, This Boy's Life
22. ASHLEY JUDD, Ruby In Paradise
21. JULIET STEVENSON, The Secret Rapture
20. CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG, The Cement Garden
19. LINDA FIORENTINO, Acting On Impulse
18. EMMA THOMPSON, The Remains Of The Day
17. LORI LOUGHLIN, Empty Cradle
16. SHERILYN FENN, Boxing Helena
15. SIQIN GAOWA, Woman Sesame Oil Maker
14. PHOEBE CATES, Bodies, Rest & Motion
13. GONG LI, Farewell, My Concubine
12. VANESSA REDGRAVE, Un Muro De Silencio
11. SOPHIE MARCEAU, Fanfan
10. JULIANNE MOORE, Short Cuts
9. JULIETTE BINOCHE, Trois Couleurs: Bleu
8. MARY STUART MASTERSON, Benny & Joon
7. CATHERINE DENEUVE, Ma Saison Préférée
6. REBECCA DE MORNAY, Guilty As Sin
5. PATRICIA ARQUETTE, True Romance
4. JODIE FOSTER, Sommersby
3. HOLLY HUNTER, The Piano
2. NICOLE KIDMAN, Malice
1. ANGELA BASSETT, What's Love Got To Do With It
Top 20 Supporting Actors:
20. OLIVER PLATT, The Three Musketeers
19. JOHN MALKOVICH, In The Line Of Fire
18. GABRIEL BYRNE, A Dangerous Woman
17. JEFF GOLDBLUM, Jurassic Park
16. TOMMY LEE JONES, The Fugitive
15. WILLEM DAFOE, Faraway, So Close
14. MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY, Dazed And Confused
13. VAL KILMER, Tombstone
12. ROBERT DE NIRO, This Boy's Life
11. ROBERT DOWNEY JR., Short Cuts
10. CLINT EASTWOOD, A Perfect World
9. CHRISTOPHER REEVE, The Remains Of The Day
8. CHAZZ PALMINTERI, A Bronx Tale
7. CHRISTOPHER LLOYD, Twenty Bucks
6. CHRIS PENN, Short Cuts
5. COURTNEY B. VANCE, The Adventures Of Huck Finn
4. HARVEY KEITEL, The Piano
3. RENAUD SÉCHAN, Germinal
2. SEAN PENN, Carlito's Way
1. LARENZ TATE, Menace II Society
Top 20 Supporting Actresses:
20. HOLLY HUNTER, The Firm
19. KATE JACKSON, Empty Cradle
18. JENNIFER JASON LEIGH, Short Cuts
17. MEG TILLY, Body Snatchers
16. ROSIE PEREZ, Fearless
15. VALÉRIE LEMERCIER, Les Visiteurs
14. FAYE DUNAWAY, Arizona Dream
13. JOANNE WHALLEY-KILMER, The Secret Rapture
12. ALLY SHEEDY, Chantilly Lace
11. LAURA LINNEY, Dave
10. DANA DELANY, Tombstone
9. CLAUDIA KARVAN, Broken Highway
8. TARAL HICKS, A Bronx Tale
7. LILI TAYLOR, Household Saints
6. PENELOPE ANN MILLER, Carlito's Way
5. LARA FLYNN BOYLE, Red Rock West
4. LAURA DERN, A Perfect World
3. WINONA RYDER, The Age Of Innocence
2. MARTHE VILLALONGA, Ma Saison Préférée
1. JADA PINKETT, Menace II Society
Top 20 Screenplays:
20. THE PIANO, Jane Campion
19. INDECENT PROPOSAL, Amy Holden Jones
18. WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT, Kate Lanier
17. RED ROCK WEST, John Dahl & Rick Dahl
16. MENACE II SOCIETY, Tyger Williams
15. UN MURO DE SILENCIO, Graciela Maglie & Gabriela Massuh
14. DAVE, Gary Ross
13. GROUNDHOG DAY, Danny Rubin & Harold Ramis
12. MI VIDA LOCA, Allison Anders
11. NAKED, Mike Leigh
10. SMOKING/NO SMOKING, Agnès Jaoui & Jean-Pierre Bacri
9. SHORT CUTS, Robert Altman & Frank Barhydt
8. DAZED AND CONFUSED, Richard Linklater
7. WHAT'S EATING GILBERT GRAPE, Peter Hedges
6. THE SECRET RAPTURE, David Hare
5. CARLITO'S WAY, David Koepp
4. A BRONX TALE, Chazz Palminteri
3. ARIZONA DREAM, David Atkins & Emir Kustarica
2. MALICE, Aaron Sorkin & Scott Frank
1. TRUE ROMANCE, Quentin Tarantino
Top 20 Cinematographers:
20. DONALD PETERMAN, Addams Family Values
19. VIKO FILAC, Arizona Dream
18. DICK POPE, Naked
17. WALT LLOYD, Short Cuts
16. STUART DRYBURGH, The Piano
15. JEFFREY L. KIMBALL, True Romance
14. RENATO BERTA, Smoking/No Smoking
13. ROBERT RICHARDSON, Heaven & Earth
12. GU CHANGWEI, Farewell My Concubine
11. JANUSZ KAMINSKI, The Adventures Of Huck Finn
10. GUILLERMO NAVARRO, Cronos
9. FÉLIX MONTI, Un Muro De Silencio
8. KEES VAN OOSTRUM, Gettysburg
7. BOJAN BAZELLI, Body Snatchers
6. BAO XIAORAN, Woman Sesame Oil Maker
5. DARIUSZ WOLSKI, Romeo Is Bleeding
4. JANUSZ KAMINSKI, Schindler's List
3. SLAWOMI IDZIAK, Trois Couleurs: Bleu
2. YVES ANGELO, Germinal
1. PETE KOZACHIK, The Nightmare Before Christmas
Top 10 Villains:
10. RON PERLMAN, Cronos
9. TOBIN BELL, Malice
8. PARKER POSEY, Dazed And Confused
7. ROBERT DE NIRO, This Boy's Life
6. MICHAEL DOUGLAS, Falling Down
5. LARENZ TATE, Menace II Society
4. SEAN PENN, Carlito's Way
3. DENNIS HOPPER, Red Rock West
2. GARY OLDMAN, True Romance
1. LAURENCE FISHBURNE, What's Love Got To Do With It
Monday, December 30, 2013
1992 In Film
While everybody else is busy making their ''Best of 2013'' lists, I decided to go way back to 1992 for my year in film. Sign of the times (grunge rock, the final year of a long run of Conservatives in power in the U.S., Canada and England), a lot of them are of the depressing variety, though, so not films you'd want to watch over and over again.
Previous posts: 1994, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2005.
Top 25 Films:
25. STAY TUNED, Peter Hyams (USA)
24. DEATH BECOMES HER, Robert Zemeckis (USA)
23. GAS FOOD LODGING, Allison Anders (USA)
22. TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME, David Lynch (USA/France)
21. RAISE THE RED LANTERN, Zhang Yimou (China/Hong Kong/Taiwan)
20. C'EST ARRIVÉ PRÈS DE CHEZ VOUS, Rémy Belvaux & André Bonzel & Benoît Poelvoorde (Belgique)
19. EL MARIACHI, Robert Rodriguez (USA)
18. CHAPLIN, Richard Attenborough (USA/Japan/Italy/France)
17. ALADDIN, Ron Clements & John Musker (USA)
16. HARD BOILED, John Woo (Hong Kong)
15. BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA, Francis Ford Coppola (USA)
14. BARAKA, Ron Fricke (USA)
13. BATMAN RETURNS, Tim Burton (USA)
12. HOFFA, Danny DeVito (France/USA)
11. EL VIAJE, Fernando Solanas (Argentina)
10. THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE, Curtis Hanson (USA)
9. OF MICE AND MEN, Gary Sinise (USA)
8. LÉOLO, Jean-Claude Lauzon (Québec)
7. MALCOLM X, Spike Lee (USA)
6. THE CRYING GAME, Neil Jordan (UK)
5. GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, James Foley (USA)
4. UNFORGIVEN, Clint Eastwood (USA/Canada)
3. NAKED KILLER, Clarence Fok Yiu-leung (Hong Kong)
2. RESERVOIR DOGS, Quentin Tarantino (USA)
1. RAISING CAIN, Brian De Palma (USA)
Top 20 Directors:
20. ERNEST R. DICKERSON, Juice
19. ROBERT ALTMAN, The Player
18. ROBERT RODRIGUEZ, El Mariachi
17. DAVID LYNCH, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
16. FERNANDO SOLANAS, El Viaje
15. LOUIS MALLE, Damage
14. JOHN WOO, Hard Boiled
13. GARY SINISE, Of Mice And Men
12. NEIL JORDAN, The Crying Game
11. FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA, Bram Stoker's Dracula
10. RON FRICKE, Baraka
9. TIM BURTON, Batman Returns
8. SPIKE LEE, Malcolm X
7. DANNY DEVITO, Hoffa
6. CLINT EASTWOOD, Unforgiven
5. ROBERT ZEMECKIS, Death Becomes Her
4. CLARENCE FOK YIU-LEUNG, Naked Killer
3. QUENTIN TARANTINO, Reservoir Dogs
2. BRIAN DE PALMA, Raising Cain
1. ZHANG YIMOU, Raise The Red Lantern
Top 20 Lead Actors:
20. WESLEY SNIPES, White Men Can't Jump
19. LAURENCE FISHBURNE, Deep Cover
18. CHOW YUN-FAT, Hard Boiled
17. JAMES WOODS, Straight Talk
16. JOHN RITTER, Stay Tuned
15. GARY OLDMAN, Bram Stoker's Dracula
14. WILLEM DAFOE, Light Sleeper
13. JEREMY IRONS, Damage
12. JOE PESCI, My Cousin Vinny
11. CLINT EASTWOOD, Unforgiven
10. STEPHEN REA, The Crying Game
9. EDWARD JAMES OLMOS, American Me
8. HARVEY KEITEL, Bad Lieutenant
7. DANIEL DAY-LEWIS, The Last Of The Mohicans
6. JACK NICHOLSON, Hoffa
5. AL PACINO, Glengarry Glen Ross
4. GARY SINISE, Of Mice And Men
3. JOHN LITHGOW, Raising Cain
2. ROBERT DOWNEY JR., Chaplin
1. DENZEL WASHINGTON, Malcolm X
Top 20 Lead Actresses:
20. PENELOPE ANN MILLER, The Gun In Betty Lou's Handbag
19. ANÉMONE, Le Petit Prince A Dit
18. DOLLY PARTON, Straight Talk
17. LOLITA DAVIDOVITCH, Raising Cain
16. EDIE FALCO, Laws Of Gravity
15. MARIE TRINTIGNANT, Betty
14. DEMI MOORE, A Few Good Men
13. SHARON STONE, Basic Instinct
12. JANE MARCH, L'Amant
11. MIRANDA RICHARDSON, The Crying Game
10. ROMANE BOHRINGER, Les Nuits Fauves
9. CYNDA WILLIAMS, One False Move
8. CHINGMY YAU, Naked Killer
7. JENNIFER RUBIN, A Woman, Her Men, And Her Futon
6. CATHERINE DENEUVE, Indochine
5. JOHANNA TER STEEGE, Sweet Emma, Dear Bobe
4. ANGELA BASSETT, Malcolm X
3. SHIRLEY MACLAINE, Used People
2. VANESSA REDGRAVE, Howards End
1. SUSAN SARANDON, Lorenzo's Oil
Top 20 Supporting Actors:
20. ERIC ROBERTS, Final Analysis
19. ALAN KING, Night And The City
18. JEFF GOLDBLUM, Deep Cover
17. WOODY HARRELSON, White Men Can't Jump
16. MICKEY ROURKE, White Sands
15. ROBERTO BENIGNI, Night On Earth
14. GÉRARD DEPARDIEU, Tous Les Matins Du Monde
13. DELROY LINDO, Malcolm X
12. DANNY DEVITO, Hoffa
11. MORGAN FREEMAN, Unforgiven
10. CHRIS PENN, Reservoir Dogs
9. STEVE BUSCEMI, Reservoir Dogs
8. JAYE DAVIDSON, The Crying Game
7. JACK LEMMON, Glengarry Glen Ross
6. WILL SMITH, Where The Day Takes You
5. ALAN ARKIN, Glengarry Glen Ross
4. MICHAEL MADSEN, Reservoir Dogs
3. JACK NICHOLSON, A Few Good Men
2. FOREST WHITAKER, The Crying Game
1. JOHN MALKOVICH, Of Mice And Men
Top 20 Supporting Actresses:
20. JEANNE TRIPPLEHORN, Basic Instinct
19. WINONA RYDER, Bram Stoker's Dracula
18. ROSIE PEREZ, White Men Can't Jump
17. RICKI LAKE, Inside Monkey Zetterland
16. MADELEINE STOWE, The Last Of The Mohicans
15. RICKI LAKE, Where The Day Takes You
14. GERALDINE CHAPLIN, Chaplin
13. FRANKIE THORN, Bad Lieutenant
12. IONE SKYE, Gas Food Lodging
11. FAIRUZA BALK, Gas Food Lodging
10. CARRIE NG, Naked Killer
9. JULIANNE MOORE, The Gun In Betty Lou's Handbag
8. BÉATRICE DALLE, Night On Earth
7. MARISA TOMEI, My Cousin Vinny
6. MIRANDA RICHARDSON, Damage
5. HELENA BONHAM CARTER, Howards End
4. ELSA ZYLBERSTEIN, Beau Fixe
3. EMMANUELLE SEIGNER, Bitter Moon
2. SHERILYN FENN, Of Mice And Men
1. REBECCA DE MORNAY, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle
Top 20 Screenplays:
20. WHITE MEN CAN'T JUMP, Ron Shelton
19. REQUIEM POUR UN BEAU SANS-COEUR, Robert Morin
18. HOFFA, David Mamet
17. NAKED KILLER, Wong Jing
16. LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE, Laura Esquivel
15. NIGHT ON EARTH, Jim Jarmusch
14. EL VIAJE, Fernando Solanas
13. UNFORGIVEN, David Webb Peoples
12. GAS FOOD LODGING, Allison Anders
11. GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, David Mamet
10. A FEW GOOD MEN, Aaron Sorkin
9. THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE, Amanda Silver
8. HUSBANDS AND WIVES, Woody Allen
7. C'EST ARRIVÉ PRÈS DE CHEZ VOUS, Rémy Belvaux & André Bonzel & Benoît Poelvoorde
6. ONE FALSE MOVE, Billy Bob Thornton & Tom Epperson
5. THE LAST DAYS OF CHEZ NOUS, Helen Garner
4. LÉOLO, Jean-Claude Lauzon
3. THE CRYING GAME, Neil Jordan
2. RAISING CAIN, Brian De Palma
1. RESERVOIR DOGS, Quentin Tarantino
Top 20 Cinematographers:
20. WANG WING-HENG, Hard Boiled
19. ANDRZEJ SEKULA, Reservoir Dogs
18. ROBERT RODRIGUEZ, El Mariachi
17. IAN WILSON, The Crying Game
16. ERNEST R. DICKERSON, Malcolm X
15. STEPHEN H. BURUM, Raising Cain
14. TONY PIERCE-ROBERTS, Howards End
13. MICHAEL BALLHAUS, Bram Stoker's Dracula
12. DONALD MCALPINE, Patriot Games
11. PETER PAU & WILLIAM YIM, Naked Killer
10. ZHAO FEI, Raise The Red Lantern
9. STEPHEN H. BURUM, Hoffa
8. JAN DE BONT, Basic Instinct
7. STEFAN CZAPSKY, Batman Returns
6. JACK N. GREEN, Unforgiven
5. ARTHUR WONG, Once Upon A Time In China II
4. KENNETH MACMILLAN, Of Mice And Men
3. STEVEN BERNSTEIN & EMMANUEL LUBEZKI, Like Water For Chocolate
2. ANDRÉ BONZEL, C'est Arrivé Près De Chez Vous
1. RON FRICKE, Baraka
Top 10 Villains:
10. DANNY DEVITO, Batman Returns
9. PETER MARQUARDT, El Mariachi
8. TONY TODD, Candyman
7. TOMMY LEE JONES, Under Siege
6. MERYL STREEP, Death Becomes Her
5. HARVEY KEITEL, Bad Lieutenant
4. GILDOR ROY, Requiem Pour Un Beau Sans-Coeur
3. JENNIFER JASON LEIGH, Single White Female
2. MICHAEL MADSEN, Reservoir Dogs
1. JOHN LITHGOW, Raising Cain
Previous posts: 1994, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2005.
Top 25 Films:
25. STAY TUNED, Peter Hyams (USA)
24. DEATH BECOMES HER, Robert Zemeckis (USA)
23. GAS FOOD LODGING, Allison Anders (USA)
22. TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME, David Lynch (USA/France)
21. RAISE THE RED LANTERN, Zhang Yimou (China/Hong Kong/Taiwan)
20. C'EST ARRIVÉ PRÈS DE CHEZ VOUS, Rémy Belvaux & André Bonzel & Benoît Poelvoorde (Belgique)
19. EL MARIACHI, Robert Rodriguez (USA)
18. CHAPLIN, Richard Attenborough (USA/Japan/Italy/France)
17. ALADDIN, Ron Clements & John Musker (USA)
16. HARD BOILED, John Woo (Hong Kong)
15. BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA, Francis Ford Coppola (USA)
14. BARAKA, Ron Fricke (USA)
13. BATMAN RETURNS, Tim Burton (USA)
12. HOFFA, Danny DeVito (France/USA)
11. EL VIAJE, Fernando Solanas (Argentina)
10. THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE, Curtis Hanson (USA)
9. OF MICE AND MEN, Gary Sinise (USA)
8. LÉOLO, Jean-Claude Lauzon (Québec)
7. MALCOLM X, Spike Lee (USA)
6. THE CRYING GAME, Neil Jordan (UK)
5. GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, James Foley (USA)
4. UNFORGIVEN, Clint Eastwood (USA/Canada)
3. NAKED KILLER, Clarence Fok Yiu-leung (Hong Kong)
2. RESERVOIR DOGS, Quentin Tarantino (USA)
1. RAISING CAIN, Brian De Palma (USA)
Top 20 Directors:
20. ERNEST R. DICKERSON, Juice
19. ROBERT ALTMAN, The Player
18. ROBERT RODRIGUEZ, El Mariachi
17. DAVID LYNCH, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
16. FERNANDO SOLANAS, El Viaje
15. LOUIS MALLE, Damage
14. JOHN WOO, Hard Boiled
13. GARY SINISE, Of Mice And Men
12. NEIL JORDAN, The Crying Game
11. FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA, Bram Stoker's Dracula
10. RON FRICKE, Baraka
9. TIM BURTON, Batman Returns
8. SPIKE LEE, Malcolm X
7. DANNY DEVITO, Hoffa
6. CLINT EASTWOOD, Unforgiven
5. ROBERT ZEMECKIS, Death Becomes Her
4. CLARENCE FOK YIU-LEUNG, Naked Killer
3. QUENTIN TARANTINO, Reservoir Dogs
2. BRIAN DE PALMA, Raising Cain
1. ZHANG YIMOU, Raise The Red Lantern
Top 20 Lead Actors:
20. WESLEY SNIPES, White Men Can't Jump
19. LAURENCE FISHBURNE, Deep Cover
18. CHOW YUN-FAT, Hard Boiled
17. JAMES WOODS, Straight Talk
16. JOHN RITTER, Stay Tuned
15. GARY OLDMAN, Bram Stoker's Dracula
14. WILLEM DAFOE, Light Sleeper
13. JEREMY IRONS, Damage
12. JOE PESCI, My Cousin Vinny
11. CLINT EASTWOOD, Unforgiven
10. STEPHEN REA, The Crying Game
9. EDWARD JAMES OLMOS, American Me
8. HARVEY KEITEL, Bad Lieutenant
7. DANIEL DAY-LEWIS, The Last Of The Mohicans
6. JACK NICHOLSON, Hoffa
5. AL PACINO, Glengarry Glen Ross
4. GARY SINISE, Of Mice And Men
3. JOHN LITHGOW, Raising Cain
2. ROBERT DOWNEY JR., Chaplin
1. DENZEL WASHINGTON, Malcolm X
Top 20 Lead Actresses:
20. PENELOPE ANN MILLER, The Gun In Betty Lou's Handbag
19. ANÉMONE, Le Petit Prince A Dit
18. DOLLY PARTON, Straight Talk
17. LOLITA DAVIDOVITCH, Raising Cain
16. EDIE FALCO, Laws Of Gravity
15. MARIE TRINTIGNANT, Betty
14. DEMI MOORE, A Few Good Men
13. SHARON STONE, Basic Instinct
12. JANE MARCH, L'Amant
11. MIRANDA RICHARDSON, The Crying Game
10. ROMANE BOHRINGER, Les Nuits Fauves
9. CYNDA WILLIAMS, One False Move
8. CHINGMY YAU, Naked Killer
7. JENNIFER RUBIN, A Woman, Her Men, And Her Futon
6. CATHERINE DENEUVE, Indochine
5. JOHANNA TER STEEGE, Sweet Emma, Dear Bobe
4. ANGELA BASSETT, Malcolm X
3. SHIRLEY MACLAINE, Used People
2. VANESSA REDGRAVE, Howards End
1. SUSAN SARANDON, Lorenzo's Oil
Top 20 Supporting Actors:
20. ERIC ROBERTS, Final Analysis
19. ALAN KING, Night And The City
18. JEFF GOLDBLUM, Deep Cover
17. WOODY HARRELSON, White Men Can't Jump
16. MICKEY ROURKE, White Sands
15. ROBERTO BENIGNI, Night On Earth
14. GÉRARD DEPARDIEU, Tous Les Matins Du Monde
13. DELROY LINDO, Malcolm X
12. DANNY DEVITO, Hoffa
11. MORGAN FREEMAN, Unforgiven
10. CHRIS PENN, Reservoir Dogs
9. STEVE BUSCEMI, Reservoir Dogs
8. JAYE DAVIDSON, The Crying Game
7. JACK LEMMON, Glengarry Glen Ross
6. WILL SMITH, Where The Day Takes You
5. ALAN ARKIN, Glengarry Glen Ross
4. MICHAEL MADSEN, Reservoir Dogs
3. JACK NICHOLSON, A Few Good Men
2. FOREST WHITAKER, The Crying Game
1. JOHN MALKOVICH, Of Mice And Men
Top 20 Supporting Actresses:
20. JEANNE TRIPPLEHORN, Basic Instinct
19. WINONA RYDER, Bram Stoker's Dracula
18. ROSIE PEREZ, White Men Can't Jump
17. RICKI LAKE, Inside Monkey Zetterland
16. MADELEINE STOWE, The Last Of The Mohicans
15. RICKI LAKE, Where The Day Takes You
14. GERALDINE CHAPLIN, Chaplin
13. FRANKIE THORN, Bad Lieutenant
12. IONE SKYE, Gas Food Lodging
11. FAIRUZA BALK, Gas Food Lodging
10. CARRIE NG, Naked Killer
9. JULIANNE MOORE, The Gun In Betty Lou's Handbag
8. BÉATRICE DALLE, Night On Earth
7. MARISA TOMEI, My Cousin Vinny
6. MIRANDA RICHARDSON, Damage
5. HELENA BONHAM CARTER, Howards End
4. ELSA ZYLBERSTEIN, Beau Fixe
3. EMMANUELLE SEIGNER, Bitter Moon
2. SHERILYN FENN, Of Mice And Men
1. REBECCA DE MORNAY, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle
Top 20 Screenplays:
20. WHITE MEN CAN'T JUMP, Ron Shelton
19. REQUIEM POUR UN BEAU SANS-COEUR, Robert Morin
18. HOFFA, David Mamet
17. NAKED KILLER, Wong Jing
16. LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE, Laura Esquivel
15. NIGHT ON EARTH, Jim Jarmusch
14. EL VIAJE, Fernando Solanas
13. UNFORGIVEN, David Webb Peoples
12. GAS FOOD LODGING, Allison Anders
11. GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, David Mamet
10. A FEW GOOD MEN, Aaron Sorkin
9. THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE, Amanda Silver
8. HUSBANDS AND WIVES, Woody Allen
7. C'EST ARRIVÉ PRÈS DE CHEZ VOUS, Rémy Belvaux & André Bonzel & Benoît Poelvoorde
6. ONE FALSE MOVE, Billy Bob Thornton & Tom Epperson
5. THE LAST DAYS OF CHEZ NOUS, Helen Garner
4. LÉOLO, Jean-Claude Lauzon
3. THE CRYING GAME, Neil Jordan
2. RAISING CAIN, Brian De Palma
1. RESERVOIR DOGS, Quentin Tarantino
Top 20 Cinematographers:
20. WANG WING-HENG, Hard Boiled
19. ANDRZEJ SEKULA, Reservoir Dogs
18. ROBERT RODRIGUEZ, El Mariachi
17. IAN WILSON, The Crying Game
16. ERNEST R. DICKERSON, Malcolm X
15. STEPHEN H. BURUM, Raising Cain
14. TONY PIERCE-ROBERTS, Howards End
13. MICHAEL BALLHAUS, Bram Stoker's Dracula
12. DONALD MCALPINE, Patriot Games
11. PETER PAU & WILLIAM YIM, Naked Killer
10. ZHAO FEI, Raise The Red Lantern
9. STEPHEN H. BURUM, Hoffa
8. JAN DE BONT, Basic Instinct
7. STEFAN CZAPSKY, Batman Returns
6. JACK N. GREEN, Unforgiven
5. ARTHUR WONG, Once Upon A Time In China II
4. KENNETH MACMILLAN, Of Mice And Men
3. STEVEN BERNSTEIN & EMMANUEL LUBEZKI, Like Water For Chocolate
2. ANDRÉ BONZEL, C'est Arrivé Près De Chez Vous
1. RON FRICKE, Baraka
Top 10 Villains:
10. DANNY DEVITO, Batman Returns
9. PETER MARQUARDT, El Mariachi
8. TONY TODD, Candyman
7. TOMMY LEE JONES, Under Siege
6. MERYL STREEP, Death Becomes Her
5. HARVEY KEITEL, Bad Lieutenant
4. GILDOR ROY, Requiem Pour Un Beau Sans-Coeur
3. JENNIFER JASON LEIGH, Single White Female
2. MICHAEL MADSEN, Reservoir Dogs
1. JOHN LITHGOW, Raising Cain
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Video Of The Week: Danzig
I spent the week in Ohio (Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Green, Springfield) visiting my mom for Christmas, and had a decent time. But because I'm a night owl and insomniac - and there's little to do over there at night if you don't have a valid driver's license - I resorted to watch a lot of late-night TV, mostly on Adult Swim, which means I got a healthy dose of Family Guy and American Dad.
I'm also a huge fan of The Cleveland Show, and the ad promoting it was from the episode where Rallo's band sings Danzig's Mother, which means I heard it at least 200 times. And considering my brother and I were there to see our mom, it actually represents my Holidays better than any Christmas song would, which explains this:
Danzig is fronted and was founded by Glenn Danzig, who also founded then-punk band The Misfits and horror-metal band Samhaim. Though not an artist I listen to every day (apart from maybe his duet/collaboration with Melissa Auf Der Maur), I'd say he's a pretty big deal and would probably make my top-25 list of influential metal musicians, which makes me feel bad every time I laugh at him getting his pretentious ass kicked by Danny Marianino backstage on YouTube.
I'm also a huge fan of The Cleveland Show, and the ad promoting it was from the episode where Rallo's band sings Danzig's Mother, which means I heard it at least 200 times. And considering my brother and I were there to see our mom, it actually represents my Holidays better than any Christmas song would, which explains this:
Danzig is fronted and was founded by Glenn Danzig, who also founded then-punk band The Misfits and horror-metal band Samhaim. Though not an artist I listen to every day (apart from maybe his duet/collaboration with Melissa Auf Der Maur), I'd say he's a pretty big deal and would probably make my top-25 list of influential metal musicians, which makes me feel bad every time I laugh at him getting his pretentious ass kicked by Danny Marianino backstage on YouTube.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
1994 In Film
Not that I'm going reverse-chronology or anything, here is the third in my series of ''best-of'' lists for film, but you can find the first two here: 1995, and 1996.
Today, 1994, a great year in high-end films, with special nods to Quentin Tarantino and independent film-making:
Top 20 Films:
20. HATED: GG ALLIN AND THE MURDER JUNKIES, Todd Phillips (USA)
19. THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, Frank Darabont (USA)
18. THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT, Stephan Elliott (Australia)
17. THE LAST SEDUCTION, John Dahl (UK/USA)
16. KILLING ZOE, Roger Avary (France/USA)
15. HEAVENLY CREATURES, Peter Jackson (New Zealand)
14. FARINELLI (IL CASTRATO), Gérard Corbiau (Italy/Belgium/France)
13. FORREST GUMP, Robert Zemeckis (USA)
12. ASHES OF TIME, Wong Kar-wai (Hong Kong)
11. EXOTICA, Atom Egoyan (Canada)
10. TRUE LIES, James Cameron (USA)
9. HOOP DREAMS, Steve James (USA)
8. ED WOOD, Tim Burton (USA)
7. THE CROW, Alex Proyas (USA)
6. CRUMB, Terry Zwigoff (USA)
5. CLERKS, Kevin Smith (USA)
4. LÉON: THE PROFESSIONAL, Luc Besson (France)
3. THE LION KING, Roger Allers & Rob Minkoff (USA)
2. NATURAL BORN KILLERS, Oliver Stone (USA)
1. PULP FICTION, Quentin Tarantino (USA)
Top 20 Directors:
20. IAIN SOFTLEY, Backbeat
19. TODD PHILLIPS, Hated: GG Allin And The Murder Junkies
18. BOAZ YAKIN, Fresh
17. KEVIN SMITH, Clerks
16. ROGER AVARY, Killing Zoe
15. ROBERT ZEMECKIS, Forrest Gump
14. GÉRARD CORBIAU, Farinelli (Il Castrato)
13. JAMES CAMERON, True Lies
12. TERRY ZIGOFF, Crumb
11. ALEX PROYAS, The Crow
10. ROMAN POLANSKI, Death And The Maiden
9. GIUSEPPE TORNATORE, A Pure Formality
8. CLAUDE CHABROL, L'Enfer
7. WONG KAR-WAI, Ashes Of Time
6. TIM BURTON, Ed Wood
5. ATOM EGOYAN, Exotica
4. ANG LEE, Eat Drink Man Woman
3. LUC BESSON, Léon: The Professional
2. OLIVER STONE, Natural Born Killers
1. QUENTIN TARANTINO, Pulp Fiction
Top 20 Lead Actors:
20. BRIAN O'HALLORAN, Clerks
19. JIM CARREY, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
18. DENIS LEARY, The Ref
17. JOHN TRAVOLTA, Pulp Fiction
16. STEPHEN DORFF, Backbeat
15. BRENDAN LEE, The Crow
14. TOM HANKS, Forrest Gump
13. JOHNNY DEPP, Ed Wood
12. JEAN RENO, Léon: The Professional
11. ALBERT FINNEY, The Browning Version
10. WOODY HARRELSON, Natural Born Killers
9. DANIEL AUTEUIL, La Séparation
8. STEFANO DIONISI, Farinelli (Il Castrato)
7. ALLEN PAYNE, Jason's Lyric
6. PAUL NEWMAN, Nobody's Fool
5. MORGAN FREEMAN, The Shawshank Redemption
4. HUGO WEAVING, The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert
3. GARY OLDMAN, Immortal Beloved
2. JOHN TURTURRO, Quiz Show
1. SAMUEL L. JACKSON, Pulp Fiction
Top 20 Lead Actresses:
20. DANA DELANY, Exit To Eden
19. TARA FITZGERALD, Sirens
18. MIA KIRSCHNER, Exotica
17. MADELEINE STOWE, Blink
16. LARA FLYNN BOYLE, Threesome
15. JANE MARCH, Color Of Night
14. GRETA SCACCHI, The Browning Version
13. KATHLEEN TURNER, Serial Mom
12. JODIE FOSTER, Nell
11. JAMIE LEE CURTIS, True Lies
10. SIGOURNEY WEAVER, Death And The Maiden
9. ISABELLE HUPPERT, Amateur
8. SUSAN SARANDON, The Client
7. ISABELLE HUPPERT, La Séparation
6. EMMANUELLE BÉART, L'Enfer
5. JADA PINKETT, Jason's Lyric
4. JESSICA LANGE, Blue Sky
3. LINDA FIORENTINO, The Last Seduction
2. DEMI MOORE, Disclosure
1. ISABELLE ADJANI, La Reine Margot
Top 15 Supporting Actors:
15. GARY SINISE, Forrest Gump
14. SAMUEL L. JACKSON, Fresh
13. ERNIE HUDSON, The Crow
12. BOKEEM WOODBINE, Jason's Lyric
11. DON McKELLAR, Exotica
10. CHAZZ PALMINTERI, Bullets Over Broadway
9. VING RHAMES, Pulp Fiction
8. TOM SIZEMORE, Natural Born Killers
7. TERENCE STAMP, The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert
6. JEFF ANDERSON, Clerks
5. MARTIN LANDAU, Ed Wood
4. PAT MORITA, Even Cowgirls Get The Blues
3. KEVIN SPACEY, The Ref
2. ROBERT DOWNEY JR., Natural Born Killers
1. GARY OLDMAN, Léon: The Professional
Top 15 Supporting Actresses:
15. NATALIE PORTMAN, Léon: The Professional
14. AMANDA DONOHOE, The Madness Of King George
13. SARAH POLLEY, Exotica
12. JOHANN CARLO, Quiz Show
11. JENNIFER TILLY, Bullets Over Broadway
10. ROBIN WRIGHT, Forrest Gump
9. MAGGIE CHEUNG, Ashes Of Time
8. JULIE DELPY, Killing Zoe
7. SHERYL LEE, Backbeat
6. DIANNE WIEST, Bullets Over Broadway
5. CAMERON DIAZ, The Mask
4. SALLY FIELD, Forrest Gump
3. HELEN MIRREN, The Madness Of King George
2. KATE WINSLET, Heavenly Creatures
1. JUDY DAVIS, The Ref
Top 20 Screenplays:
20. DISCLOSURE, Paul Attansio
19. DEATH AND THE MAIDEN, Ariel Dorfman & Rafael Yglesias
18. JASON'S LYRIC, Bobby Smith Jr.
17. ED WOOD, Scott Alexander & Larry Karazewski
16. THE BROWNING VERSION, Ronald Harwood
15. LÉON: THE PROFESSIONAL, Luc Besson
14. SERIAL MOM, John Waters
13. THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, Frank Darabont
12. KILLING ZOE, Roger Avary
11. AMATEUR, Hal Hartley
10. HEAVENLY CREATURES, Frank Walsh & Peter Jackson
9. FRESH, Boaz Yan
8. QUIZ SHOW, Paul Attansio
7. THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT, Stephan Elliott
6. ASHES OF TIME, Wong Kar-wai
5. EXOTICA, Atom Egoyan
4. EAT DRINK MAN WOMAN, Ang Lee & James Chamus & Hui-Ling Wang
3. CLERKS, Kevin Smith
2. NATURAL BORN KILLERS, Oliver Stone & Dave Veloz & Richard Rutkowski & Quentin Tarantino
1. PULP FICTION, Quentin Tarantino
Top 10 Cinematographers:
10. TONINO DELLI COLLI, Death And The Maiden
9. PHILIPPE ROUSSELOT, La Reine Margot
8. BERNARD LUTIC, Le Colonel Chabert
7. THIERRY ARBOGAST, Léon: The Professional
6. ANDRZEJ SEKULA, Pulp Fiction
5. DON BURGESS, Forrest Gump
4. CHRISTOPHER DOYLE, Ashes Of Time
3. DARIUS WOLSKI, The Crow
2. BRIAN J. BREHENY, The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert
1. ROBERT RICHARDSON, Natural Born Killers
Top 10 Villains:
10. PETER GREENE, The Mask
9. KEVIN BACON, The River Wild
8. SCAR (JEREMY IRONS), The Lion King
7. SEAN YOUNG, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
6. JEROEN KRABBÉ, Farinelli (Il Castrato)
5. VING RHAMES, Pulp Fiction
4. RODNEY DANGERFIELD, Natural Born Killers
3. MICHAEL WINCOTT, The Crow
2. DENIS LEARY, The Ref
1. GARY OLDMAN, Léon: The Professional
Today, 1994, a great year in high-end films, with special nods to Quentin Tarantino and independent film-making:
Top 20 Films:
20. HATED: GG ALLIN AND THE MURDER JUNKIES, Todd Phillips (USA)
19. THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, Frank Darabont (USA)
18. THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT, Stephan Elliott (Australia)
17. THE LAST SEDUCTION, John Dahl (UK/USA)
16. KILLING ZOE, Roger Avary (France/USA)
15. HEAVENLY CREATURES, Peter Jackson (New Zealand)
14. FARINELLI (IL CASTRATO), Gérard Corbiau (Italy/Belgium/France)
13. FORREST GUMP, Robert Zemeckis (USA)
12. ASHES OF TIME, Wong Kar-wai (Hong Kong)
11. EXOTICA, Atom Egoyan (Canada)
10. TRUE LIES, James Cameron (USA)
9. HOOP DREAMS, Steve James (USA)
8. ED WOOD, Tim Burton (USA)
7. THE CROW, Alex Proyas (USA)
6. CRUMB, Terry Zwigoff (USA)
5. CLERKS, Kevin Smith (USA)
4. LÉON: THE PROFESSIONAL, Luc Besson (France)
3. THE LION KING, Roger Allers & Rob Minkoff (USA)
2. NATURAL BORN KILLERS, Oliver Stone (USA)
1. PULP FICTION, Quentin Tarantino (USA)
Top 20 Directors:
20. IAIN SOFTLEY, Backbeat
19. TODD PHILLIPS, Hated: GG Allin And The Murder Junkies
18. BOAZ YAKIN, Fresh
17. KEVIN SMITH, Clerks
16. ROGER AVARY, Killing Zoe
15. ROBERT ZEMECKIS, Forrest Gump
14. GÉRARD CORBIAU, Farinelli (Il Castrato)
13. JAMES CAMERON, True Lies
12. TERRY ZIGOFF, Crumb
11. ALEX PROYAS, The Crow
10. ROMAN POLANSKI, Death And The Maiden
9. GIUSEPPE TORNATORE, A Pure Formality
8. CLAUDE CHABROL, L'Enfer
7. WONG KAR-WAI, Ashes Of Time
6. TIM BURTON, Ed Wood
5. ATOM EGOYAN, Exotica
4. ANG LEE, Eat Drink Man Woman
3. LUC BESSON, Léon: The Professional
2. OLIVER STONE, Natural Born Killers
1. QUENTIN TARANTINO, Pulp Fiction
Top 20 Lead Actors:
20. BRIAN O'HALLORAN, Clerks
19. JIM CARREY, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
18. DENIS LEARY, The Ref
17. JOHN TRAVOLTA, Pulp Fiction
16. STEPHEN DORFF, Backbeat
15. BRENDAN LEE, The Crow
14. TOM HANKS, Forrest Gump
13. JOHNNY DEPP, Ed Wood
12. JEAN RENO, Léon: The Professional
11. ALBERT FINNEY, The Browning Version
10. WOODY HARRELSON, Natural Born Killers
9. DANIEL AUTEUIL, La Séparation
8. STEFANO DIONISI, Farinelli (Il Castrato)
7. ALLEN PAYNE, Jason's Lyric
6. PAUL NEWMAN, Nobody's Fool
5. MORGAN FREEMAN, The Shawshank Redemption
4. HUGO WEAVING, The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert
3. GARY OLDMAN, Immortal Beloved
2. JOHN TURTURRO, Quiz Show
1. SAMUEL L. JACKSON, Pulp Fiction
Top 20 Lead Actresses:
20. DANA DELANY, Exit To Eden
19. TARA FITZGERALD, Sirens
18. MIA KIRSCHNER, Exotica
17. MADELEINE STOWE, Blink
16. LARA FLYNN BOYLE, Threesome
15. JANE MARCH, Color Of Night
14. GRETA SCACCHI, The Browning Version
13. KATHLEEN TURNER, Serial Mom
12. JODIE FOSTER, Nell
11. JAMIE LEE CURTIS, True Lies
10. SIGOURNEY WEAVER, Death And The Maiden
9. ISABELLE HUPPERT, Amateur
8. SUSAN SARANDON, The Client
7. ISABELLE HUPPERT, La Séparation
6. EMMANUELLE BÉART, L'Enfer
5. JADA PINKETT, Jason's Lyric
4. JESSICA LANGE, Blue Sky
3. LINDA FIORENTINO, The Last Seduction
2. DEMI MOORE, Disclosure
1. ISABELLE ADJANI, La Reine Margot
Top 15 Supporting Actors:
15. GARY SINISE, Forrest Gump
14. SAMUEL L. JACKSON, Fresh
13. ERNIE HUDSON, The Crow
12. BOKEEM WOODBINE, Jason's Lyric
11. DON McKELLAR, Exotica
10. CHAZZ PALMINTERI, Bullets Over Broadway
9. VING RHAMES, Pulp Fiction
8. TOM SIZEMORE, Natural Born Killers
7. TERENCE STAMP, The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert
6. JEFF ANDERSON, Clerks
5. MARTIN LANDAU, Ed Wood
4. PAT MORITA, Even Cowgirls Get The Blues
3. KEVIN SPACEY, The Ref
2. ROBERT DOWNEY JR., Natural Born Killers
1. GARY OLDMAN, Léon: The Professional
Top 15 Supporting Actresses:
15. NATALIE PORTMAN, Léon: The Professional
14. AMANDA DONOHOE, The Madness Of King George
13. SARAH POLLEY, Exotica
12. JOHANN CARLO, Quiz Show
11. JENNIFER TILLY, Bullets Over Broadway
10. ROBIN WRIGHT, Forrest Gump
9. MAGGIE CHEUNG, Ashes Of Time
8. JULIE DELPY, Killing Zoe
7. SHERYL LEE, Backbeat
6. DIANNE WIEST, Bullets Over Broadway
5. CAMERON DIAZ, The Mask
4. SALLY FIELD, Forrest Gump
3. HELEN MIRREN, The Madness Of King George
2. KATE WINSLET, Heavenly Creatures
1. JUDY DAVIS, The Ref
Top 20 Screenplays:
20. DISCLOSURE, Paul Attansio
19. DEATH AND THE MAIDEN, Ariel Dorfman & Rafael Yglesias
18. JASON'S LYRIC, Bobby Smith Jr.
17. ED WOOD, Scott Alexander & Larry Karazewski
16. THE BROWNING VERSION, Ronald Harwood
15. LÉON: THE PROFESSIONAL, Luc Besson
14. SERIAL MOM, John Waters
13. THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, Frank Darabont
12. KILLING ZOE, Roger Avary
11. AMATEUR, Hal Hartley
10. HEAVENLY CREATURES, Frank Walsh & Peter Jackson
9. FRESH, Boaz Yan
8. QUIZ SHOW, Paul Attansio
7. THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT, Stephan Elliott
6. ASHES OF TIME, Wong Kar-wai
5. EXOTICA, Atom Egoyan
4. EAT DRINK MAN WOMAN, Ang Lee & James Chamus & Hui-Ling Wang
3. CLERKS, Kevin Smith
2. NATURAL BORN KILLERS, Oliver Stone & Dave Veloz & Richard Rutkowski & Quentin Tarantino
1. PULP FICTION, Quentin Tarantino
Top 10 Cinematographers:
10. TONINO DELLI COLLI, Death And The Maiden
9. PHILIPPE ROUSSELOT, La Reine Margot
8. BERNARD LUTIC, Le Colonel Chabert
7. THIERRY ARBOGAST, Léon: The Professional
6. ANDRZEJ SEKULA, Pulp Fiction
5. DON BURGESS, Forrest Gump
4. CHRISTOPHER DOYLE, Ashes Of Time
3. DARIUS WOLSKI, The Crow
2. BRIAN J. BREHENY, The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert
1. ROBERT RICHARDSON, Natural Born Killers
Top 10 Villains:
10. PETER GREENE, The Mask
9. KEVIN BACON, The River Wild
8. SCAR (JEREMY IRONS), The Lion King
7. SEAN YOUNG, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
6. JEROEN KRABBÉ, Farinelli (Il Castrato)
5. VING RHAMES, Pulp Fiction
4. RODNEY DANGERFIELD, Natural Born Killers
3. MICHAEL WINCOTT, The Crow
2. DENIS LEARY, The Ref
1. GARY OLDMAN, Léon: The Professional
Friday, September 27, 2013
My Friends Are So Distressed
Our friendship started in late 1990, except it wasn't exactly friendship at first: we were sharing a dormitory with 100 other 7th-graders, and his bunk was next to mine. And that fucking Alexandre Paul, known to his friends as Po Paul, was a heck of a snorer. So eventually, I started throwing water at him when he snored - I fought fire with... water.
Maybe the water was an omen.
Anyhow, before the school year was over, we were inseparable buddies, part of a group of like-minded music aficionados, with a tendency bent towards hard rock. Sure, we had our differences - he preferred Nirvana and solo Ozzy Osbourne, I loved Pearl Jam and the first Black Sabbath line-up. Ultimately, though, we could agree on the important things: Guns N' Roses kicked ass.
We also got along outside of school, spending most of our weekends walking day-long treks from my house in the Western part of Montréal, through downtown with countless stops at HMV, Burger King, Sam The Record Man's and Labyrinthe, all the way to his folks' place, in the East end. If the night included a sleepover, we'd watch Saturday Night Live together.
The son of a fireman whose nickname he inherited, Po Paul always wanted to do whatever he could to help ensure he and we would be able to live in a better, fairer, safer, cleaner world, and so it was a match made in heaven when he joined Greenpeace some 15 years ago. From door-to-door canvasser to supervisor to rider of the sea, his ascension throughout their ranks is exceptional.
Then again, he's a pretty awesome guy to begin with.
I'm often asked why Montréal is home to so many activists and great artists, and my answer is usually two-fold and quite simple: it's an awesome place full of utopian potential, yet it was led to being a complete shithole by profiteers who took advantage of the people's good hearts. And so many are fighting to make it - or the rest of the world - a better place.
Po Paul's journey was put on pause recently when he and 11 other activists were arrested in Russia on charges of piracy, for attempting to board an oil rig; they were denied bail and the investigation will last 60 days, though they have yet to actually be charged with anything.
Greenpeace is protesting and appealing, but as we've seen with the Pussy Riot trials and the recent ''anti-gay-propaganda'' extravaganza, Russia - like Russians - couldn't care less about political or outside pressure; they beat to their own drum, and they drum loudly.
Which is the main reason why Po Paul's mom is freaking out, seeing as he's facing a possible 15 years ofgulag jail time if he is indeed found guilty. For trying to make a difference, and almost standing in the way of Big Oil.
We'll know in a couple of months whether this farce will taste like Justice or Abuse Of Power, but there are lots of reasons to be scared.
Godspeed, my friend, and best of luck. You've been in our thoughts all week, and we're keeping you there front and center.
Maybe the water was an omen.
Anyhow, before the school year was over, we were inseparable buddies, part of a group of like-minded music aficionados, with a tendency bent towards hard rock. Sure, we had our differences - he preferred Nirvana and solo Ozzy Osbourne, I loved Pearl Jam and the first Black Sabbath line-up. Ultimately, though, we could agree on the important things: Guns N' Roses kicked ass.
We also got along outside of school, spending most of our weekends walking day-long treks from my house in the Western part of Montréal, through downtown with countless stops at HMV, Burger King, Sam The Record Man's and Labyrinthe, all the way to his folks' place, in the East end. If the night included a sleepover, we'd watch Saturday Night Live together.
The son of a fireman whose nickname he inherited, Po Paul always wanted to do whatever he could to help ensure he and we would be able to live in a better, fairer, safer, cleaner world, and so it was a match made in heaven when he joined Greenpeace some 15 years ago. From door-to-door canvasser to supervisor to rider of the sea, his ascension throughout their ranks is exceptional.
Then again, he's a pretty awesome guy to begin with.
I'm often asked why Montréal is home to so many activists and great artists, and my answer is usually two-fold and quite simple: it's an awesome place full of utopian potential, yet it was led to being a complete shithole by profiteers who took advantage of the people's good hearts. And so many are fighting to make it - or the rest of the world - a better place.
Po Paul's journey was put on pause recently when he and 11 other activists were arrested in Russia on charges of piracy, for attempting to board an oil rig; they were denied bail and the investigation will last 60 days, though they have yet to actually be charged with anything.
Greenpeace is protesting and appealing, but as we've seen with the Pussy Riot trials and the recent ''anti-gay-propaganda'' extravaganza, Russia - like Russians - couldn't care less about political or outside pressure; they beat to their own drum, and they drum loudly.
Which is the main reason why Po Paul's mom is freaking out, seeing as he's facing a possible 15 years of
We'll know in a couple of months whether this farce will taste like Justice or Abuse Of Power, but there are lots of reasons to be scared.
Godspeed, my friend, and best of luck. You've been in our thoughts all week, and we're keeping you there front and center.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
1995 In Film
Continuing on a theme I started two weeks ago, I'm publishing lists I'd compiled to celebrate achievements in film. For some reason, I decided to start with 1996. Here is the prequel to that, 1995, a year with sad and intense performances, and with dark, hard films:
Top 20 Films:
20. LEAVING LAS VEGAS, Mike Figgis (USA)
19. THE CROSSING GUARD, Sean Penn (USA)
18. BAD BOYS, Michael Bay (USA)
17. UNDERGROUND, Emir Kustarica (France/Hungary/Yougoslavia/Germany/Bulgaria)
16. DESPERADO, Robert Rodriguez (USA)
15. GHOST ON THE SHELL, Mamoru Oshii (Japan)
14. TOY STORY, John Lasseter (USA)
13. KIDS, Larry Clark (USA)
12. THE USUAL SUSPECTS, Bryan Singer (USA)
11. ANTONIA'S LINE, Marleen Gorris (The Netherlands)
10. FALLEN ANGELS, Wong Kar-wai (Hong Kong)
9. DEAD PRESIDENTS, The Hughes Brothers (USA)
8. STRANGE DAYS, Kathryn Bigelow (USA)
7. THE LAST SUPPER, Stacy Title (USA)
6. SE7EN, David Fincher (USA)
5. THE BASKETBALL DIARIES, Scott Kalvert (USA)
4. LE CONFESSIONAL, Robert Lepage (Québec)
3. LA CITÉ DES ENFANTS PERDUS, Jean-Pierre Jeunet & Marc Caro (France)
2. LA HAINE, Mathieu Kassovitz (France)
1. 12 MONKEYS, Terry Gilliam (USA)
Top 20 Directors:
20. MAMORU OSHII, Ghost In The Shell
19. MICHAEL MANN, Heat
18. SEAN PENN, The Crossing Guard
17. SCOTT KALVERT, The Basketball Diaries
16. ROBERT RODRIGUEZ, Desperado
15. ROB EPSTEIN & JEFFREY FRIEDMAN , The Celluloid Closet
14. AGNÈS VARDA, Les Cent Et Une Nuits De Simon Cinéma
13. JOHN SINGLETON, Higher Learning
12. JOHN LASSETER, Toy Story
11. WONG KAR-WAI, Fallen Angels
10. ALBERT HUGHES & ALLEN HUGHES, Dead Presidents
9. MARLEEN GORRIS, Antonia's Line
8. LARRY CLARK, Kids
7. EMIR KUSTARICA, Underground
6. DAVID FINCHER, Se7en
5. JEAN-PIERRE JEUNET & MARC CARO, La Cité Des Enfants Perdus
4. KATHRYN BIGELOW, Strange Days
3. ROBERT LEPAGE, Le Confessional
2. MATHIEU KASSOVITZ, La Haine
1. TERRY GILLIAM, 12 Monkeys
Top 15 Lead Actors:
15. RON ELDARD, The Last Supper
14. BRUCE WILLIS, 12 Monkeys
13. AL PACINO, Heat
12. RALPH FIENNES, Strange Days
11. MASSIMO TROISI, Il Postino (The Postman)
10. LOTHAIRE BLUTEAU, Le Confessional
9. JACK NICHOLSON, The Crossing Guard
8. GARY SINISE, Truman
7. STEVE BUSCEMI, Living In Oblivion
6. LEONARDO DICAPRIO, Total Eclipse
5. VINCENT CASSSEL, La Haine
4. ROBERT DOWNEY JR., Home For The Holidays
3. LEONARDO DICAPRIO, The Basketball Diaries
2. SEAN PENN, Dead Man Walking
1. NICOLAS CAGE, Leaving Las Vegas
Top 15 Lead Actresses:
15. SALMA HAYEK, Desperado
14. JUDITH VITTET, La Cité Des Enfants Perdus
13. N'BUSHE WRIGHT, Dead Presidents
12. MERYL STREEP, The Bridges Of Madison County
11. MADELEINE STOWE, 12 Monkeys
10. WILLEKE VAN AMMELROOY, Antonia's Line
9. ROBIN WRIGHT, The Crossing Guard
8. ROSE McGOWAN, The Doom Generation
7. CHLOË SEVIGNY, Kids
6. CATHERINE KEENER, Living In Oblivion
5. SUSAN SARANDON, Dead Man Walking
4. DEMI MOORE, The Scarlett Letter
3. ANGELA BASSETT, Strange Days
2. JULIANNE MOORE, Safe
1. CAMERON DIAZ, The Last Supper
Top 15 Supporting Actors:
15. SAID TAGHMAOUI, La Haine
14. PHILIPPE NOIRET, Il Postino (The Postman)
13. SAMUEL L. JACKSON, Die Hard With A Vengeance
12. ROBERT DE NIRO, Heat
11. MORGAN FREEMAN, Se7en
10. JOE PESCI, Casino
9. DOMINIQUE PINON, La Cité Des Enfants Perdus
8. CHRIS TUCKER, Dead Presidents
7. LAURENCE FISHBURNE, Higher Learning
6. GUILLERMO DIAZ Stonewall
5. STEVE BUSCEMI, Desperado
4. BILL PAXTON, The Last Supper
3. BRUNO KIRBY, The Basketball Diaries
2. BRAD PITT, 12 Monkeys
1. KEVIN SPACEY, The Usual Suspects
Top 15 Supporting Actresses:
15. GINA GERSHON, Showgirls
14. MIRA SORVINO, Mighty Aphrodite
13. JOAN ALLEN, Nixon
12. KATHLEEN QUINLAN, Apollo 13
11. JENNIFER CONNELLY, Higher Learning
10. HOLLY HUNTER, Copycat
9. TÉA LEONI, Bad Boys
8. SOPHIE MARCEAU, Braveheart
7. SHARON STONE, Casino
6. ROSARIO DAWSON, Kids
5. MARIA GRAZIA CUCINOTTA, Il Postino (The Postman)
4. KAREN MOK, Fallen Angels
3. ANNABETH GISH, The Last Supper
2. ANJELICA HUSTON, The Crossing Guard
1. ELS DOTTERMANS, Antonia's Line
Top 20 Screenplays:
20. LES CENT ET UNE NUITS DE SIMON CINÉMA, Agnès Varda
19. THE CROSSING GUARD, Sean Penn
18. HEAT, Michael Mann
17. DEAD PRESIDENTS, The Hughes Brothers & Michael Henry Brown
16. LEAVING LAS VEGAS, Mike Figgis
15. THE BASKETBALL DIARIES, Jim Carroll & Bryan Goluboff
14. SAFE, Todd Haynes
13. LE CONFESSIONAL, Robert Lepage
12. STONEWALL, Rikki Beadle-Blair & Martin Duberman
11. HEAVY, James Mangold
10. ANTONIA'S LINE, Marleen Gorris
9. SE7EN, Andrew Kevin Walker
8. STRANGE DAYS, James Cameron & Jay Cocks
7. KIDS, Harmony Korine
6. THE DOOM GENERATION, Gregg Araki
5. LA HAINE, Mathieu Kassovitz
4. LA CITÉ DES ENFANTS PERDUS, Gilles Adrien & Jean-Pierre Jeunet
3. THE LAST SUPPER, Dan Rosen
2. 12 MONKEYS, David Peoples & Janet Peoples
1. THE USUAL SUSPECTS, Christopher McQuarrie
Top 10 Cinematographers:
10. JIM FEALY, The Doom Generation
9. RALF BODE, Don Juan De Marco
8. GUILLERMO NAVARRO, Desperado
7. ALEX NEPOMNIASCHY, Safe
6. ALAIN DOSTIE, Le Confessional
5. DARIUS KHONDJI, Se7en
4. MATTHEW F. LEONETTI, Strange Days
3. CHRISTOPHER DOYLE, Fallen Angels
2. DARIUS KHONDJI & ERIC CARO & PHILIPPE LeSOURD, La Cité Des Enfants Perdus
1. PIERRE AIM, La Haine
Top 10 Villains:
10. QUENTIN TARANTINO, Four Rooms
9. VIGGO MORTENSEN, The Prophecy
8. TOMMY LISTER JR., Friday
7. TCHÉKY KARYO, Bad Boys
6. MICHAEL WINCOTT, Strange Days
5. GINA GERSHON, Showgirls
4. ROBERT DUVALL, The Scarlett Letter
3. JOE PESCI, Casino
2. CHRIS PENN, To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar
1. BRUNO KIRBY, The Basketball Diaries
Top 20 Films:
20. LEAVING LAS VEGAS, Mike Figgis (USA)
19. THE CROSSING GUARD, Sean Penn (USA)
18. BAD BOYS, Michael Bay (USA)
17. UNDERGROUND, Emir Kustarica (France/Hungary/Yougoslavia/Germany/Bulgaria)
16. DESPERADO, Robert Rodriguez (USA)
15. GHOST ON THE SHELL, Mamoru Oshii (Japan)
14. TOY STORY, John Lasseter (USA)
13. KIDS, Larry Clark (USA)
12. THE USUAL SUSPECTS, Bryan Singer (USA)
11. ANTONIA'S LINE, Marleen Gorris (The Netherlands)
10. FALLEN ANGELS, Wong Kar-wai (Hong Kong)
9. DEAD PRESIDENTS, The Hughes Brothers (USA)
8. STRANGE DAYS, Kathryn Bigelow (USA)
7. THE LAST SUPPER, Stacy Title (USA)
6. SE7EN, David Fincher (USA)
5. THE BASKETBALL DIARIES, Scott Kalvert (USA)
4. LE CONFESSIONAL, Robert Lepage (Québec)
3. LA CITÉ DES ENFANTS PERDUS, Jean-Pierre Jeunet & Marc Caro (France)
2. LA HAINE, Mathieu Kassovitz (France)
1. 12 MONKEYS, Terry Gilliam (USA)
Top 20 Directors:
20. MAMORU OSHII, Ghost In The Shell
19. MICHAEL MANN, Heat
18. SEAN PENN, The Crossing Guard
17. SCOTT KALVERT, The Basketball Diaries
16. ROBERT RODRIGUEZ, Desperado
15. ROB EPSTEIN & JEFFREY FRIEDMAN , The Celluloid Closet
14. AGNÈS VARDA, Les Cent Et Une Nuits De Simon Cinéma
13. JOHN SINGLETON, Higher Learning
12. JOHN LASSETER, Toy Story
11. WONG KAR-WAI, Fallen Angels
10. ALBERT HUGHES & ALLEN HUGHES, Dead Presidents
9. MARLEEN GORRIS, Antonia's Line
8. LARRY CLARK, Kids
7. EMIR KUSTARICA, Underground
6. DAVID FINCHER, Se7en
5. JEAN-PIERRE JEUNET & MARC CARO, La Cité Des Enfants Perdus
4. KATHRYN BIGELOW, Strange Days
3. ROBERT LEPAGE, Le Confessional
2. MATHIEU KASSOVITZ, La Haine
1. TERRY GILLIAM, 12 Monkeys
Top 15 Lead Actors:
15. RON ELDARD, The Last Supper
14. BRUCE WILLIS, 12 Monkeys
13. AL PACINO, Heat
12. RALPH FIENNES, Strange Days
11. MASSIMO TROISI, Il Postino (The Postman)
10. LOTHAIRE BLUTEAU, Le Confessional
9. JACK NICHOLSON, The Crossing Guard
8. GARY SINISE, Truman
7. STEVE BUSCEMI, Living In Oblivion
6. LEONARDO DICAPRIO, Total Eclipse
5. VINCENT CASSSEL, La Haine
4. ROBERT DOWNEY JR., Home For The Holidays
3. LEONARDO DICAPRIO, The Basketball Diaries
2. SEAN PENN, Dead Man Walking
1. NICOLAS CAGE, Leaving Las Vegas
Top 15 Lead Actresses:
15. SALMA HAYEK, Desperado
14. JUDITH VITTET, La Cité Des Enfants Perdus
13. N'BUSHE WRIGHT, Dead Presidents
12. MERYL STREEP, The Bridges Of Madison County
11. MADELEINE STOWE, 12 Monkeys
10. WILLEKE VAN AMMELROOY, Antonia's Line
9. ROBIN WRIGHT, The Crossing Guard
8. ROSE McGOWAN, The Doom Generation
7. CHLOË SEVIGNY, Kids
6. CATHERINE KEENER, Living In Oblivion
5. SUSAN SARANDON, Dead Man Walking
4. DEMI MOORE, The Scarlett Letter
3. ANGELA BASSETT, Strange Days
2. JULIANNE MOORE, Safe
1. CAMERON DIAZ, The Last Supper
Top 15 Supporting Actors:
15. SAID TAGHMAOUI, La Haine
14. PHILIPPE NOIRET, Il Postino (The Postman)
13. SAMUEL L. JACKSON, Die Hard With A Vengeance
12. ROBERT DE NIRO, Heat
11. MORGAN FREEMAN, Se7en
10. JOE PESCI, Casino
9. DOMINIQUE PINON, La Cité Des Enfants Perdus
8. CHRIS TUCKER, Dead Presidents
7. LAURENCE FISHBURNE, Higher Learning
6. GUILLERMO DIAZ Stonewall
5. STEVE BUSCEMI, Desperado
4. BILL PAXTON, The Last Supper
3. BRUNO KIRBY, The Basketball Diaries
2. BRAD PITT, 12 Monkeys
1. KEVIN SPACEY, The Usual Suspects
Top 15 Supporting Actresses:
15. GINA GERSHON, Showgirls
14. MIRA SORVINO, Mighty Aphrodite
13. JOAN ALLEN, Nixon
12. KATHLEEN QUINLAN, Apollo 13
11. JENNIFER CONNELLY, Higher Learning
10. HOLLY HUNTER, Copycat
9. TÉA LEONI, Bad Boys
8. SOPHIE MARCEAU, Braveheart
7. SHARON STONE, Casino
6. ROSARIO DAWSON, Kids
5. MARIA GRAZIA CUCINOTTA, Il Postino (The Postman)
4. KAREN MOK, Fallen Angels
3. ANNABETH GISH, The Last Supper
2. ANJELICA HUSTON, The Crossing Guard
1. ELS DOTTERMANS, Antonia's Line
Top 20 Screenplays:
20. LES CENT ET UNE NUITS DE SIMON CINÉMA, Agnès Varda
19. THE CROSSING GUARD, Sean Penn
18. HEAT, Michael Mann
17. DEAD PRESIDENTS, The Hughes Brothers & Michael Henry Brown
16. LEAVING LAS VEGAS, Mike Figgis
15. THE BASKETBALL DIARIES, Jim Carroll & Bryan Goluboff
14. SAFE, Todd Haynes
13. LE CONFESSIONAL, Robert Lepage
12. STONEWALL, Rikki Beadle-Blair & Martin Duberman
11. HEAVY, James Mangold
10. ANTONIA'S LINE, Marleen Gorris
9. SE7EN, Andrew Kevin Walker
8. STRANGE DAYS, James Cameron & Jay Cocks
7. KIDS, Harmony Korine
6. THE DOOM GENERATION, Gregg Araki
5. LA HAINE, Mathieu Kassovitz
4. LA CITÉ DES ENFANTS PERDUS, Gilles Adrien & Jean-Pierre Jeunet
3. THE LAST SUPPER, Dan Rosen
2. 12 MONKEYS, David Peoples & Janet Peoples
1. THE USUAL SUSPECTS, Christopher McQuarrie
Top 10 Cinematographers:
10. JIM FEALY, The Doom Generation
9. RALF BODE, Don Juan De Marco
8. GUILLERMO NAVARRO, Desperado
7. ALEX NEPOMNIASCHY, Safe
6. ALAIN DOSTIE, Le Confessional
5. DARIUS KHONDJI, Se7en
4. MATTHEW F. LEONETTI, Strange Days
3. CHRISTOPHER DOYLE, Fallen Angels
2. DARIUS KHONDJI & ERIC CARO & PHILIPPE LeSOURD, La Cité Des Enfants Perdus
1. PIERRE AIM, La Haine
Top 10 Villains:
10. QUENTIN TARANTINO, Four Rooms
9. VIGGO MORTENSEN, The Prophecy
8. TOMMY LISTER JR., Friday
7. TCHÉKY KARYO, Bad Boys
6. MICHAEL WINCOTT, Strange Days
5. GINA GERSHON, Showgirls
4. ROBERT DUVALL, The Scarlett Letter
3. JOE PESCI, Casino
2. CHRIS PENN, To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar
1. BRUNO KIRBY, The Basketball Diaries
Sunday, September 8, 2013
1996 In Film
When I was in film school (1995-96, then 1998-01), I kept lists of the best films, performances, cinematography, direction and screenplays in journals, next to bits of screenplays. The idea was to have certain characters or types in mind - usually more underground or independent fare - to inspire me, and a side of creating a comprehensive critical ''dictionary'' of films complete with yearly awards (this was before IMDB, mind you, when paper still mattered).
It didn't materialize, but the lists remain. Here's the first:
Top 15 Films:
15. SLEEPERS, Barry Levinson (USA)
14. BREAKING THE WAVES, Lars Von Trier (Denmark/Scotland)
13. MARS ATTACKS!, Tim Burton (USA)
12. BASQUIAT, Julian Schnabel (USA)
11. LE POLYGRAPHE, Robert Lepage (Québec)
10. CRASH, David Cronenberg (Canada)
9. BOUND, The Wachowski Brothers (USA)
8. FROM DUSK TILL DAWN, Robert Rodriguez (USA)
7. TREES LOUNGE, Steve Buscemi (USA)
6. RIDICULE, Patrice Leconte (France)
5. THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT, Milos Forman (USA)
4. FARGO, Joel & Ethan Coen (USA)
3. SLING BLADE, Billy BobThornton (USA)
2. DEAD MAN, Jim Jarmusch (USA/France)
1. TRAINSPOTTING, Danny Boyle (UK)
Top 20 Directors:
20. BARRY LEVINSON, Sleepers
19. DOUG PRAY, Hype!
18. BILLY BOB THORNTON, Sling Blade
17. STEVE BUSCEMI, Trees Lounge
16. THE WACHOSWKI BROTHERS, Bound
15. ROBERT RODRIGUEZ, From Dusk Till Dawn
14. PETER JACKSON, The Frighteners
13. LARS VON TRIER, Breaking The Waves
12. JULIAN SCHNABEL, Basquiat
11. ANG LEE, Sense And Sensibility
10. TIM BURTON, Mars Attacks!
9. PATRICE LECONTE, Ridicule
8. NEIL JORDAN, Michael Collins
7. JOEL COEN & ETHAN COEN, Fargo
6. MILOS FORMAN, The People Vs. Larry Flynt
5. GILLES MIMOUNI, L'Appartement
4. DAVID CRONENBERG, Crash
3. ROBERT LEPAGE, Le Polygraphe
2. JIM JARMUSCH, Dead Man
1. DANNY BOYLE, Trainspotting
Top 10 Lead Actors:
10. RON ELDARD, Bastard Out Of Carolina
9. EWAN McGREGOR, Trainspotting
8. WILLIAM HUTT, Long Day's Journey Into Night
7. JOHN TURTURRO, Box Of Moonlight
6. JOHNNY DEPP, Dead Man
5. STEVE BUSCEMI, Trees Lounge
4. GEOFFREY RUSH, Shine
3. WOODY HARRELSON, The People Vs. Larry Flynt
2. BILLY BOB THORNTON, Sling Blade
1. JEFFREY WRIGHT, Basquiat
Top 10 Lead Actresses:
10. HELEN HUNT, Twister
9. KATHY BATES, The War At Home
8. OYANKA CABEZAS, Carla's Song
7. GINA GERSHON, Bound
6. VIVIAN WU, The Pillow Book
5. MARTHA HENRY, Long Day's Journey Into Night
4. MARIE BRASSARD, Le Polygraphe
3. CATHERINE KEENER, Walking And Talking
2. EMILY WATSON, Breaking The Waves
1. FRANCES McDORMAND, Fargo
Top 15 Supporting Actors:
15. CHEECH MARIN, From Dusk Till Dawn
14. CALLUM KEITH RENNIE, Hard Core Logo
13. STELLAN SKARSGARD, Breaking The Waves
12. PETE POSTLETHWAITE, Romeo + Juliet
11. JOHN LEGUIZAMO, Romeo + Juliet
10. WILLIAM H. MACY, Fargo
9. ALAN RICKMAN, Sense And Sensibility
8. JOHN RITTER, Sling Blade
7. TONY SHALHOUB, Big Night
6. EDWARD NORTON Primal Fear
5. ROBERT CARLYLE, Trainspotting
4. GARY FARMER, Dead Man
3. KEVIN BACON, Sleepers
2. JON FAVREAU, Swingers
1. SAMUEL L. JACKSON, A Time To Kill
Top 15 Supporting Actresses:
15. SALMA HAYEK, From Dusk Till Dawn
14. KELLY MACDONALD, Trainspotting
13. DIANE VENORA, Romeo + Juliet
12. TÉA LEONI, Flirting With Disaster
11. ASHLEY JUDD, A Time To Kill
10. ANNE HECHE, Walking And Talking
9. KATE WINSLET, Sense And Sensibility
8. JUDITH GODRÈCHE, Ridicule
7. FANNY ARDANT, Ridicule
6. JENNIFER CONNELLY, Mulholland Falls
5. JENNIFER TILLY, Bound
4. HOLLY HUNTER, Crash
3. CHLOË SEVIGNY, Trees Lounge
2. MARTHA BURNS, Long Day's Journey Into Night
1. COURTNEY LOVE, The People Vs. Larry Flynt
Top 15 Screenplays:
15. SWINGERS, Jon Favreau
14. SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, Emma Thompson
13. FROM DUSK TILL DAWN, Quentin Tarantino
12. SECRETS & LIES, Mike Leigh
11. BREAKING THE WAVES, Lars Von Trier & Peter Asmussen
10. THE FIGHTENERS, Fran Walsh & Peter Jackson
9. SLEEPERS, Barry Levinson
8. CRASH, David Cronenberg
7. BOUND, Andy Wachowski & Larry Wachowski
6. FARGO, Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
5. TREES LOUNGE, Steve Buscemi
4. TRAINSPOTTING, John Hodge
3. DEAD MAN, Jim Jarmusch
2. LE POLYGRAPHE, Robert Lepage & Marie Brassard
1. SLING BLADE, Billy Bob Thornton
Top 10 Cinematographers:
10. BILL POPE, Bound
9. LLOYD AHERN, Last Man Standing
8. PETER SUSCHITZKY, Mars Attacks!
7. ROGER DEAKINS, Fargo
6. GUILLERMO NAVARRO, From Dusk Till Dawn
5. JOHN BLICK & ALUN BOLINGER, The Frighteners
4. ROBBY MULLER, Dead Man
3. BRIAN TUFANO, Trainspotting
2. DONALD M. McALPINE, Romeo + Juliet
1. CLAUDE NURIDSANY & MARIE PÉRENNOU, Microcosmos
Top 10 Villains:
10. QUENTIN TARANTINO, From Dusk Till Dawn
9. JAMES SPADER, Crash
8. WILLIAM H. MACY, Fargo
7. CHRISTOPHER WALKEN, Last Man Standing
6. IGGY POP, Dead Man
5. ROBERT CARLYLE, Trainspotting
4. WOODY HARRELSON, The People Vs. Larry Flynt
3. VINCE VAUGHN, Swingers
2. KEVIN BACON, Sleepers
1. RON ELDARD, Bastard Out Of Carolina
It didn't materialize, but the lists remain. Here's the first:
Top 15 Films:
15. SLEEPERS, Barry Levinson (USA)
14. BREAKING THE WAVES, Lars Von Trier (Denmark/Scotland)
13. MARS ATTACKS!, Tim Burton (USA)
12. BASQUIAT, Julian Schnabel (USA)
11. LE POLYGRAPHE, Robert Lepage (Québec)
10. CRASH, David Cronenberg (Canada)
9. BOUND, The Wachowski Brothers (USA)
8. FROM DUSK TILL DAWN, Robert Rodriguez (USA)
7. TREES LOUNGE, Steve Buscemi (USA)
6. RIDICULE, Patrice Leconte (France)
5. THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT, Milos Forman (USA)
4. FARGO, Joel & Ethan Coen (USA)
3. SLING BLADE, Billy BobThornton (USA)
2. DEAD MAN, Jim Jarmusch (USA/France)
1. TRAINSPOTTING, Danny Boyle (UK)
Top 20 Directors:
20. BARRY LEVINSON, Sleepers
19. DOUG PRAY, Hype!
18. BILLY BOB THORNTON, Sling Blade
17. STEVE BUSCEMI, Trees Lounge
16. THE WACHOSWKI BROTHERS, Bound
15. ROBERT RODRIGUEZ, From Dusk Till Dawn
14. PETER JACKSON, The Frighteners
13. LARS VON TRIER, Breaking The Waves
12. JULIAN SCHNABEL, Basquiat
11. ANG LEE, Sense And Sensibility
10. TIM BURTON, Mars Attacks!
9. PATRICE LECONTE, Ridicule
8. NEIL JORDAN, Michael Collins
7. JOEL COEN & ETHAN COEN, Fargo
6. MILOS FORMAN, The People Vs. Larry Flynt
5. GILLES MIMOUNI, L'Appartement
4. DAVID CRONENBERG, Crash
3. ROBERT LEPAGE, Le Polygraphe
2. JIM JARMUSCH, Dead Man
1. DANNY BOYLE, Trainspotting
Top 10 Lead Actors:
10. RON ELDARD, Bastard Out Of Carolina
9. EWAN McGREGOR, Trainspotting
8. WILLIAM HUTT, Long Day's Journey Into Night
7. JOHN TURTURRO, Box Of Moonlight
6. JOHNNY DEPP, Dead Man
5. STEVE BUSCEMI, Trees Lounge
4. GEOFFREY RUSH, Shine
3. WOODY HARRELSON, The People Vs. Larry Flynt
2. BILLY BOB THORNTON, Sling Blade
1. JEFFREY WRIGHT, Basquiat
Top 10 Lead Actresses:
10. HELEN HUNT, Twister
9. KATHY BATES, The War At Home
8. OYANKA CABEZAS, Carla's Song
7. GINA GERSHON, Bound
6. VIVIAN WU, The Pillow Book
5. MARTHA HENRY, Long Day's Journey Into Night
4. MARIE BRASSARD, Le Polygraphe
3. CATHERINE KEENER, Walking And Talking
2. EMILY WATSON, Breaking The Waves
1. FRANCES McDORMAND, Fargo
Top 15 Supporting Actors:
15. CHEECH MARIN, From Dusk Till Dawn
14. CALLUM KEITH RENNIE, Hard Core Logo
13. STELLAN SKARSGARD, Breaking The Waves
12. PETE POSTLETHWAITE, Romeo + Juliet
11. JOHN LEGUIZAMO, Romeo + Juliet
10. WILLIAM H. MACY, Fargo
9. ALAN RICKMAN, Sense And Sensibility
8. JOHN RITTER, Sling Blade
7. TONY SHALHOUB, Big Night
6. EDWARD NORTON Primal Fear
5. ROBERT CARLYLE, Trainspotting
4. GARY FARMER, Dead Man
3. KEVIN BACON, Sleepers
2. JON FAVREAU, Swingers
1. SAMUEL L. JACKSON, A Time To Kill
Top 15 Supporting Actresses:
15. SALMA HAYEK, From Dusk Till Dawn
14. KELLY MACDONALD, Trainspotting
13. DIANE VENORA, Romeo + Juliet
12. TÉA LEONI, Flirting With Disaster
11. ASHLEY JUDD, A Time To Kill
10. ANNE HECHE, Walking And Talking
9. KATE WINSLET, Sense And Sensibility
8. JUDITH GODRÈCHE, Ridicule
7. FANNY ARDANT, Ridicule
6. JENNIFER CONNELLY, Mulholland Falls
5. JENNIFER TILLY, Bound
4. HOLLY HUNTER, Crash
3. CHLOË SEVIGNY, Trees Lounge
2. MARTHA BURNS, Long Day's Journey Into Night
1. COURTNEY LOVE, The People Vs. Larry Flynt
Top 15 Screenplays:
15. SWINGERS, Jon Favreau
14. SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, Emma Thompson
13. FROM DUSK TILL DAWN, Quentin Tarantino
12. SECRETS & LIES, Mike Leigh
11. BREAKING THE WAVES, Lars Von Trier & Peter Asmussen
10. THE FIGHTENERS, Fran Walsh & Peter Jackson
9. SLEEPERS, Barry Levinson
8. CRASH, David Cronenberg
7. BOUND, Andy Wachowski & Larry Wachowski
6. FARGO, Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
5. TREES LOUNGE, Steve Buscemi
4. TRAINSPOTTING, John Hodge
3. DEAD MAN, Jim Jarmusch
2. LE POLYGRAPHE, Robert Lepage & Marie Brassard
1. SLING BLADE, Billy Bob Thornton
Top 10 Cinematographers:
10. BILL POPE, Bound
9. LLOYD AHERN, Last Man Standing
8. PETER SUSCHITZKY, Mars Attacks!
7. ROGER DEAKINS, Fargo
6. GUILLERMO NAVARRO, From Dusk Till Dawn
5. JOHN BLICK & ALUN BOLINGER, The Frighteners
4. ROBBY MULLER, Dead Man
3. BRIAN TUFANO, Trainspotting
2. DONALD M. McALPINE, Romeo + Juliet
1. CLAUDE NURIDSANY & MARIE PÉRENNOU, Microcosmos
Top 10 Villains:
10. QUENTIN TARANTINO, From Dusk Till Dawn
9. JAMES SPADER, Crash
8. WILLIAM H. MACY, Fargo
7. CHRISTOPHER WALKEN, Last Man Standing
6. IGGY POP, Dead Man
5. ROBERT CARLYLE, Trainspotting
4. WOODY HARRELSON, The People Vs. Larry Flynt
3. VINCE VAUGHN, Swingers
2. KEVIN BACON, Sleepers
1. RON ELDARD, Bastard Out Of Carolina
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Video Of The (Past) Week: Slaughter
When I was growing up, the ''Classic Rock'' category included all rock-and-roll made prior to that soul-less, God-less, taste-less and balls-less decade known as the 1980s, from The Rolling Stones to Led Zeppelin, from Foreigner to Kansas, from Cream to Gentle Giant - it encompassed prog rock, psychedelic-based, blues-inspired, country-tinged, and was used from every merchant from Sam The Record Man to HMV to the ''music-by-mail'' Columbia House.
Now, among many blasphemies, it also includes shit from the 1980s and (here's the sign I'm getting old)... the 1990s. We already had classifications for those types of rock, chiefly ''hair metal'' for the ones prior to Guns N' Roses, and ''grunge'' for all things post Nirvana and Pearl Jam until, say, 1998 and the rap-metal craze...
I was playing a music quiz with friends lately, and the category was ''classic rock'', and the answer was the video I'm featuring today, Slaughter's Fly To The Angels, the band's highest-charting song - and I was appalled. I got it right, but I had to spend 15 minutes explaining how Slaughter was in no way ''classic''.
On the glam rock scale from 1 to 10 where 1 is Trixter, 5 is Ratt, 10 is Motley Crue and 11 is Poison (all that make-up did make up for something), Slaughter would probably rate a 4 - both impact-wise, and popularity-wise. Far from being Bon Jovi (a definite 9), they barely rank higher than Nelson...
Formed from the ashes of the Vinnie Vincent Invasion (who had overextended their line of credit with their record label, Chrysalis!), Slaughter consisted pretty much of singer-guitarist Mark Slaughter, bassist Dana Strum and guitarist Tim Kelly with a revolving door of drummer that somehow always seems to revert back to Blas Elias despite his never appearing on the band's first album, and the band even now booking shows without his being present. Kelly died in a car crash in 1997 and has since been replaced by Jeff 'Blando' Bland.
Having turned 12 at the end of 1990 - with everything that implies - and being a member of the Columbia House record club (they'd give you 12 cassettes or CDs by mail for a penny - plus $10 shipping - in exchange of which you agreed to purchase 6 more at $20 apiece - yeah, I know - in the next two or three years), I gave Slaughter's first two releases a chance on the basis of their covers alone, both featuring the same model, Laurie Ann Carr, a December 1986 Playboy playmate and former wife (divorced in 1991) of a member of Ratt:
Stick It To Ya:
Stick It Live:
I didn't mind the music so much, but I was a real big fan of the covers. Truth be told, throughout the years, I probably looked at them more often (and longer) than I listened to them, though it was probably close to even at first.
This song appears on both releases, of course:
Their follow-up full-length, The Wild Life, was released in 1992, and featured a harder, heavier sound - an evolution also made by contemporaries Skid Row. Whether it was a natural progression or dictated by the rise of grunge acts and their straightforward, no-nonsense (and definitely no make-up or hairspray) approach remains unanswered, but the Western market did not embrace them anymore. They were, however, huge in Japan, as were Mr. Big.
They now mostly perform on nostalgia tours and cruises. And Laurie Ann Carr is now a chiropractor.
Now, among many blasphemies, it also includes shit from the 1980s and (here's the sign I'm getting old)... the 1990s. We already had classifications for those types of rock, chiefly ''hair metal'' for the ones prior to Guns N' Roses, and ''grunge'' for all things post Nirvana and Pearl Jam until, say, 1998 and the rap-metal craze...
I was playing a music quiz with friends lately, and the category was ''classic rock'', and the answer was the video I'm featuring today, Slaughter's Fly To The Angels, the band's highest-charting song - and I was appalled. I got it right, but I had to spend 15 minutes explaining how Slaughter was in no way ''classic''.
On the glam rock scale from 1 to 10 where 1 is Trixter, 5 is Ratt, 10 is Motley Crue and 11 is Poison (all that make-up did make up for something), Slaughter would probably rate a 4 - both impact-wise, and popularity-wise. Far from being Bon Jovi (a definite 9), they barely rank higher than Nelson...
Formed from the ashes of the Vinnie Vincent Invasion (who had overextended their line of credit with their record label, Chrysalis!), Slaughter consisted pretty much of singer-guitarist Mark Slaughter, bassist Dana Strum and guitarist Tim Kelly with a revolving door of drummer that somehow always seems to revert back to Blas Elias despite his never appearing on the band's first album, and the band even now booking shows without his being present. Kelly died in a car crash in 1997 and has since been replaced by Jeff 'Blando' Bland.
Having turned 12 at the end of 1990 - with everything that implies - and being a member of the Columbia House record club (they'd give you 12 cassettes or CDs by mail for a penny - plus $10 shipping - in exchange of which you agreed to purchase 6 more at $20 apiece - yeah, I know - in the next two or three years), I gave Slaughter's first two releases a chance on the basis of their covers alone, both featuring the same model, Laurie Ann Carr, a December 1986 Playboy playmate and former wife (divorced in 1991) of a member of Ratt:
Stick It To Ya:
Stick It Live:
I didn't mind the music so much, but I was a real big fan of the covers. Truth be told, throughout the years, I probably looked at them more often (and longer) than I listened to them, though it was probably close to even at first.
This song appears on both releases, of course:
Their follow-up full-length, The Wild Life, was released in 1992, and featured a harder, heavier sound - an evolution also made by contemporaries Skid Row. Whether it was a natural progression or dictated by the rise of grunge acts and their straightforward, no-nonsense (and definitely no make-up or hairspray) approach remains unanswered, but the Western market did not embrace them anymore. They were, however, huge in Japan, as were Mr. Big.
They now mostly perform on nostalgia tours and cruises. And Laurie Ann Carr is now a chiropractor.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Video Of The Week: Suicidal Tendencies
Many people judge Suicidal Tendencies on the basis of their name, which used to scare parents and entice teenagers; others see them classified as ''crossover thrash'' (a term used to define when hardcore punk meets speed metal with thrash) and decide to move on.
Big mistake.
Throughout their career - which started in 1981 - they've evolved and experimented a lot, and it just accelerated when Robert Trujillo (now of Metallica) joined the band in the late 80s, incorporating funk in the mix - which would lead to brother band/side project Infectious Grooves running a parallel career for nearly a decade.
Their most acclaimed effort may have been Lights... Camera... Revolution!, but I feel 1992's The Art Of Rebellion (released on Sony's own Epic Records, a label that also distributed Michael Jackson, Pearl Jam, Ozzy Osbourne, Rage Against The Machine and Alice Cooper - all artists with clear visions) went even further, incorporating psychedelia, ballads and spoken word poetry in the mix. It even had thrash metal songs with the rhythm played on... acoustic guitar.
That's where this video comes in: it's two songs merged into one, with I Wasn't Meant To Feel This feeling a tad like a Syd Barrett piece, and Asleep At The Wheel as the pièce de résistance, catchy, smart, but with an undertone of subdued anger that warrants a second listen. And a third. Then gets incrusted in your brain.
Big mistake.
Throughout their career - which started in 1981 - they've evolved and experimented a lot, and it just accelerated when Robert Trujillo (now of Metallica) joined the band in the late 80s, incorporating funk in the mix - which would lead to brother band/side project Infectious Grooves running a parallel career for nearly a decade.
Their most acclaimed effort may have been Lights... Camera... Revolution!, but I feel 1992's The Art Of Rebellion (released on Sony's own Epic Records, a label that also distributed Michael Jackson, Pearl Jam, Ozzy Osbourne, Rage Against The Machine and Alice Cooper - all artists with clear visions) went even further, incorporating psychedelia, ballads and spoken word poetry in the mix. It even had thrash metal songs with the rhythm played on... acoustic guitar.
That's where this video comes in: it's two songs merged into one, with I Wasn't Meant To Feel This feeling a tad like a Syd Barrett piece, and Asleep At The Wheel as the pièce de résistance, catchy, smart, but with an undertone of subdued anger that warrants a second listen. And a third. Then gets incrusted in your brain.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
NY Is A No-Go
Apparently, things aren't what they were in the late 1990s when I made the move to NYC to further my own music career.
According to Patti Smith, they aren't even what they were in the late 1970s... she blames high rent prices and overall cost of living, and suggests trying Detroit or Poughkeepsie instead, perhaps sarcastically.
Anyway, in this day and age, with the internet and ''the music business'' being what they are, you can live (and record) in a shed in Montana and have pretty much the same odds of ''being discovered'' or ''making it'' as almost anyone in New York or Los Angeles whose parents haven't paved the way for them.
Which is for the best, really, because why would you want to jump in on/in someone else's scene when you can create your own, à la Portland, Gothenberg, or even what we did here in Montréal?
According to Patti Smith, they aren't even what they were in the late 1970s... she blames high rent prices and overall cost of living, and suggests trying Detroit or Poughkeepsie instead, perhaps sarcastically.
Anyway, in this day and age, with the internet and ''the music business'' being what they are, you can live (and record) in a shed in Montana and have pretty much the same odds of ''being discovered'' or ''making it'' as almost anyone in New York or Los Angeles whose parents haven't paved the way for them.
Which is for the best, really, because why would you want to jump in on/in someone else's scene when you can create your own, à la Portland, Gothenberg, or even what we did here in Montréal?
Monday, December 31, 2012
Video Of The Week: The Breeders
It's hard to know exactly what to make of The Breeders: Pixies side-project (leader/singer/guitarist/songwriter Kim Deal was the Pixies' bass player and her twin Kelley Deal was almost their drummer), twin sisters' excuse to take drugs (Kelley went to rehab for heroin in 1995; Kim went to rehab in 2002, mostly for alcohol, but she also had drug issues), or one-hit wonders with other interesting - albeit less catchy - tracks?
The term ''breeders'' comes from the gay community: it is how they refer to heterosexuals; this has led to a wide acceptance of the band in their circles. Kim Deal is often said to be ''a straight man and lesbian woman's ideal girl'', although personally, I find Kelley to have aged much better.
In any event, Last Splash may have been their big hit record, but I'll always remember purchasing Pod, their first, in a bargain bin at a record store in 1993, at a mom-and-pop record store somewhere in Connecticut, near a rest stop where we stopped for some Burger King (I asked for "ham-boogers and French flies"... I thought I was hilarious, the cashier didn't care for my brand of 14-year old comedy) on the way back from winning a hockey tournament in Boston.
This song, Divine Hammer - which refers either to heroin or a wonderful penis - was the third single from Last Splash, and its video was co-directed by Spike Jonze, Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon, and transgressive filmmaker Richard Kern.
Kim Deal also tried to start a movement with All Wave, a means of returning music recording back to a time without computers, auto-tune, and all that digital crap. She even got a logo made for it, which I'll have to put on one of my releases someday:
The term ''breeders'' comes from the gay community: it is how they refer to heterosexuals; this has led to a wide acceptance of the band in their circles. Kim Deal is often said to be ''a straight man and lesbian woman's ideal girl'', although personally, I find Kelley to have aged much better.
In any event, Last Splash may have been their big hit record, but I'll always remember purchasing Pod, their first, in a bargain bin at a record store in 1993, at a mom-and-pop record store somewhere in Connecticut, near a rest stop where we stopped for some Burger King (I asked for "ham-boogers and French flies"... I thought I was hilarious, the cashier didn't care for my brand of 14-year old comedy) on the way back from winning a hockey tournament in Boston.
This song, Divine Hammer - which refers either to heroin or a wonderful penis - was the third single from Last Splash, and its video was co-directed by Spike Jonze, Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon, and transgressive filmmaker Richard Kern.
Kim Deal also tried to start a movement with All Wave, a means of returning music recording back to a time without computers, auto-tune, and all that digital crap. She even got a logo made for it, which I'll have to put on one of my releases someday:
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