October 24, 2001

7:53 PM

If I see one more ad for K-Pax, I'm going to snap. 2001, with the exception of Waking Life, has been an awful year for movies. And having this tired rehash of both Starman and The Fisher King (oh, Jeff, we can't always be The Dude, now can we?) being foisted on me is not helping. Are there any movies that you're looking forward to? Any you're actively loathing? Discuss.
posted by solistrato (83 comments total)

hello, ghost world
posted by moz at 7:55 PM on October 24, 2001

Go Pixar, Go Pixar.
posted by owillis at 7:57 PM on October 24, 2001

Memento. Amores Perros. Both good.

Looking forward to Ocean's 11.
posted by NoMoreLSAT at 8:00 PM on October 24, 2001

I haven't seen Mulholland Drive yet, but I am certainly looking forward to that as well as to Waking Life.
posted by Rebis at 8:02 PM on October 24, 2001

THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS is a film I'm looking forward to. I'd also like to second Moz's Ghost world, but thats been out for a while. And what about ...... LOTR!?!?! I'm definately excited about that but also alittle fearful.
posted by darkpony at 8:04 PM on October 24, 2001

I read K-Pax, and thought it was a very limp, very boring sci-fi book. When I saw the first ad for the movie, I almost fell off the couch.

Are they just letting anyone make a movie now-a-days?
posted by bshort at 8:05 PM on October 24, 2001

Oh my God, I'm glad you posted this---those K-Pax ads make me nauseus. It looks beyond bad, unless there's something about it that's good that the ads have manipulated into something horrid. As for this year, I thought "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" was the best...but not for everyone. I'm looking forward to "Lord of the Rings" and, like everyone else, I guess: "Harry Potter."
posted by adrober at 8:06 PM on October 24, 2001

Everyone I talk to says SW Episode II is supposed really really good. A lot better than Episode I.

They say.
posted by tomorama at 8:08 PM on October 24, 2001

Memento's one of my all time favourite movies ever since I saw it in May/June.

The current titles are really bad, like "From Hell." The commericials seemed good, but the title was a real bummer. "Iron Monkey" looks good, but same thing... bad title.

As for K-Pax, it feels overdone. Can't believe Spacey signed up for that one... ugh.
posted by hobbes at 8:09 PM on October 24, 2001

Mulholland Drive, Memento, Tennenbaums...and let's give it up for Zoolander folks, that was a good time! And even though it was a release/recut, Apocalypse Now Redux was amazing on zee big screen.

Other than Tennenbaums and Waking Life, I'm really not looking forward to seeing much. Maybe Harry Potter...
posted by kphaley454 at 8:12 PM on October 24, 2001

The last quarter of the year looks pretty promising, what with new movies from Lynch, Wes Anderson, the Coens, Linklater, the City of Lost Children fella, Scorsese, and Ocean's 11 by Soderbergh. A solid lineup of directors that I hope will make up for the rest of the year.
posted by jga at 8:18 PM on October 24, 2001

There are a lot of good movies coming out soon. It's a good time to be a movie fan.

But then, there's crap like this: The Black Knight.

Have you ever seen a trailer that made you weep for society? There are so many things wrong with this movie (judging by the trailer).

It makes you wonder how things like this get made.
posted by ColdChef at 8:24 PM on October 24, 2001

Harry Potter! Harry Potter!

I think I'm twelve today...
posted by fujikosmurf at 8:24 PM on October 24, 2001

But, but... Kevin Spacey eats a banana really weird... Gotta be good. :|
posted by jeffhoward at 8:24 PM on October 24, 2001

WRT Scorcese, it looks like we won't get to see Gangs of New York till first quarter '02. Grrr.

And as far as the rest of this years movies: Monsters Inc., Ocean's 11, Amelie, The Man Who Wasn't There, LotR, Harry Potter, Tenenbaums... lots of good stuff to look forward to.
posted by toddshot at 8:26 PM on October 24, 2001

Any Jack Black fans in the house?
posted by barkingmoose at 8:27 PM on October 24, 2001

yes... the new coen bros movie, aka The Man Who Wasn't There. With shots like this how could you not want to see it?

Also looking forward to the new Wes Anderson flick (need to see Rushmore again)...
posted by manero at 8:27 PM on October 24, 2001

oy! i just hope k-pax surprises everyone because i don't want to lose respect for spacey's brilliant acting career...and until now, seemingly brilliant judgement.

as far as good movies this year, they've been few and far between. except THE ONE, of course, which looks to have an extremely poignant plot line.
posted by athensltd at 8:28 PM on October 24, 2001

oh, memento was fantastic. amores perros was great. i recently saw from hell, and have to give props to the hughes brothers...good stuff.
posted by athensltd at 8:29 PM on October 24, 2001

Amores Perros (Love's a Bitch) is really a great movie, like nomorelsat said. Highly recommended. Entertain yourself, and brush up on your spanish simultaneously.
posted by dr_emory at 8:31 PM on October 24, 2001

Hello, The One, with Jet Li?
Because, you see, the only one who can beat Jet Li...IS JET LI.

okay, I'll sit down.
posted by starduck at 8:35 PM on October 24, 2001

mmm....sexy Jet Li....

actually, I will admit to really, really enjoying Iron Monkey. I didn't expect it to be quite so...Saturday afternoon serial. I laughed, lots, and it was a good thing.
posted by epersonae at 8:51 PM on October 24, 2001

Looking forward to: Lord of the Rings and The Man Who Wasn't There (and I loved that shot, too, manero). Memento was really good; otherwise it's been pretty slim.
posted by kirkaracha at 8:53 PM on October 24, 2001

The current titles are really bad, like "From Hell."

Hmm, I thought that was a fantastic title. Much better than 'jack the ripper'.

I see it friday, so I can't judge the actual picture yet.
posted by justgary at 8:57 PM on October 24, 2001

GLITTER was sublime, and THE PRINCESS DIARIES was the feel good movie of the summer! Big bit of kidding there. It has been a bad time for good movies, but just because the mainstream is polluted by trite runoff doesn't mean that foreign and independent films aren't sweeter than ever (Q.V. Amores Perros; Session 9). The Cineplex isn't the only place for film.
posted by sunsolid at 9:00 PM on October 24, 2001

'member when Spacey was cool? before "pay it forward"? i am very very excited about the royal tenenbaums and whatever they do with harry potter. and i loved zoolander, but i think it was just because i needed a good laugh so bad. (the gasoline fight? that was pure abercrombie and fitch.) But am I the only one who was sorely disappointed with ghost world?
posted by babydoll at 9:05 PM on October 24, 2001

Why does it seem like everyone has this conversation every year? You have to admit, 2001, with the likes of Momento, Shrek, Ghost World, L.I.E., and the upcoming Monsters Inc, The Man Who Wasn't There, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, etc. etc. etc., we have a lot more to look forward for the fall/winter wrapup than usual.

As for myself, I admit...I'm a Harry Potter and Pixar junkie and also a film production major (!). So I'm basically living at the theaters from Nov. 2 on.

Just out of curiousity then, since people are complaining about the lack of good movie releases, what are people planning on renting instead of going to the movies? My vote is for the unbelievably twisted Spanish Prisoner
posted by BurnedEve at 9:05 PM on October 24, 2001

We saw K-Pax at a pre-release a couple of weeks ago. It was two, two, two! movies in one. It's interesting for a while until the formula hacks took over. I swear it was like tag team screenwriting. Damn glad it was free. K-Rap.
posted by billder at 9:05 PM on October 24, 2001

oh but yes, Monsters Inc., Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, hurry up!
posted by billder at 9:06 PM on October 24, 2001

K-Pax is about the most annoying ad campaign right now, second only to that awful Pfizer commercial with that grating exercise bike noise that runs the entire time. Either of those makes me scramble for the mute button.
posted by MegoSteve at 9:08 PM on October 24, 2001

This summer was particularly bad, but I am looking forward to The One (Jet Li), Wind Talkers (Nick Cage), Royal Tannenbaums, LORD OF THE RINGS!!!!

In addition, recent and decent films include Bandits (Billy Bob Thornton) and the re-release of the the original Iron Money by Miramax
posted by agnok47 at 9:08 PM on October 24, 2001

There's a list of upcoming movies on the New York Times pages, though it starts at the beginning of September, and includes some movies that probably won't be released (Collateral Damage, for instance).

Will Smith as Ali?

Comic books into movies (not normally a good idea): Spiderman, From Hell, Metropolis

Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and the Time Machine (directed by the author's great-grandson)

There are a lot of others that look like they have a lot of potential on the Times site, and many others that look like they have the potential to be bad.
posted by bragadocchio at 9:16 PM on October 24, 2001

harry potter... that is all i have to say...


oh wait, no it's not.. iron monkey is actually worth seeing. my friend and i went into the movie mad at the movie at first, for taking advantage of guys like us who'd go to see ANY kung fu movie, just 'cause it's a kung fu movie. we were sure it was gonna suck and was just riding off Crouching Tiger's success, but... it was hilarious, and not to mention more kung fu action than you can shake a stick at. who knew?
posted by lotsofno at 9:16 PM on October 24, 2001

barkingmoose -- gweneth in a fat suit is just offensive. i'm sorry. i don't care if jack black is in it.

not to derail the conversation or anything, but what is up with fat suits suddenly being all the rage?
posted by palegirl at 9:20 PM on October 24, 2001

Glitter was sublime

Sublime like Ishtar? Or sublime like The Muppets Take Manhattan?

If there's one movie you couldn't pay me to see, it's Glitter.


Harry Potter, however...
posted by o2b at 9:25 PM on October 24, 2001

I am looking forward to "Death to Smoochy", which comes out in March.

Edward Norton, Robin Williams, and a purple rhimo costume. That's all I am gonna say......
posted by Windigo at 9:33 PM on October 24, 2001

looking forward to: harry potter and the lord of the rings.
posted by rebeccablood at 9:40 PM on October 24, 2001

By far my favorite movie of the year:
Ladies and Gentlemen, whether you like it or not, Hedwig And The Angry Inch!

And on a related topic, I'm also looking forward to Harry Potter (Hedwig the transexual East German rock singer, Hedwig the owl...get it?).

In other news, I have a grim interest in seeing On The Line, which stars less than one half of N'Sync.
posted by arielmeadow at 9:46 PM on October 24, 2001

Wait...what about these?

Eureka...Jump Tomorrow...Bread and Roses...Lumumba...Hedwig and the Angry Inch...Wet Hot American Summer...Together.

None are masterpieces (save, perhaps, Eureka), but all were very, very good.
posted by mapalm at 9:48 PM on October 24, 2001

If Lord of the Rings turns out to be as crappy as Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace was (and don't fool yourself, it was crappy), I think there will be blood running in the streets from the nerd/geek/netizen riots. Or at least a hell of a lot of angry messages on MeFi - /. - AICN - kuro5hin.

That said, Memento and (surprise,surprise) Heartbreakers were excellent movies this year.
posted by Grum at 10:02 PM on October 24, 2001

If you liked Iron Monkey, I can heartily recommend the Once Upon a Time in China movies — cinematically, they're wonderfully shot, and Jet Li is (of course) always fun to watch. Moreover, this series tells the story of the adult Wong Fei-hung (the boy in Iron Monkey) and the stories overflow with great action, comedy, and romance.
posted by Kikkoman at 10:06 PM on October 24, 2001

and don't fool yourself, it was crappy

Why am I fooling myself if I found Ep1 watchable? Why can't people just have different opinions about movies?
posted by toddshot at 10:08 PM on October 24, 2001

I liked Episode I as well, the Star Wars fans seem to have been looking for great art but if you re-watch New Hope you realize the whole Star Wars thing is silly-popcorn movie material not freaking Shakespeare.

Lord of the Rings looks like a big snore as well, but I've never liked "sword and sorcery" stuff.

Spider-Man, we await your entrance sir.
posted by owillis at 10:20 PM on October 24, 2001

I liked Zoolander. Serendipity was kinda nice. Corky Romano was ok. This year really didn't have a movie that sort of is "the" movie of the year. I mean I saw Driven because it was about open wheel racing, with some tricks stolen from Formula 1. Planet of The Apes was good but not that special. The Mummy Returns was a decent sequel. Rush Hour 2 was funny. Nothing that stands out actually.

I am looking forward to THE ONE, Time Machine (2001), and Shallow Hal.
posted by riffola at 10:22 PM on October 24, 2001

oh and The Royal Tenebnaums and Ocean's 11.
posted by riffola at 10:26 PM on October 24, 2001

I'm looking forward to A Beautiful Mind. Depressing, but fascinating.
posted by swerve at 10:27 PM on October 24, 2001

Harry Potter, Harry Potter, Harry Potter!!!
Then comes LOTR, then comes LOTR, then comes LOTR!!!
posted by Lynsey at 10:34 PM on October 24, 2001

The best review I read about "Glitter" (among all of the hysterical gems out there) included the line,

"Movies shouldn't be poo."

That said, I've got to join the Harry Potter bandwagon. I've read all of the current Potter pieces, books one through four, and the two charity pieces on Quidditch and Fantastic Beasts. I'm such a kid about these books! And to think, I didn't even give them the time of day until less than a month ago.

Silly me.

Lord of the Rings, I've been reading and re-reading, and am on reading #4. And like Harry Potter, I'd never read anything Tolkien until last month. Can't wait for the movie.

This post was much, much longer. I cut the rest and put it here.
posted by precocious at 10:36 PM on October 24, 2001

I have to admit being troubles by the Shallow Hal movie. I mean, are we still at a point where fat joke movies are funny? Have they ever been that funny?

I like Jack Black (and KG rocks too) and Gwenyth is fiiine. But the previews make be cringe.

And Episode 1 wasn't THAT bad. It was just diappointing.
posted by QrysDonnell at 10:37 PM on October 24, 2001

the Star Wars fans seem to have been looking for great art but if you re-watch New Hope you realize the whole Star Wars thing is silly-popcorn movie material

I agree. New Hope was a popcorn movie. But at no time do I watch New Hope and want to turn off the sound or look away from the screen. JarJar Binks and his Gunga friends are so annoying (to the eye and ear) that it completely contaminates the movie. If they only appeared in one section of the movie, I could tolerate it. Sadly, JarJar rarely goes 10 minutes without opening his big digital mouth and making my ears bleed.

I have no problem with the plot of the movie, just the fact that George Lucas decided to make this movie (and Return of the Jedi, with the Ewoks) into a kids movie. NH and ESB were aimed towards teens/adults, but that can't be said about RotJ and TPM.

That said, I'm looking forward to seeing how Lucas will handle Episode 2. I'm hoping for an ESB-type seriousness.
posted by Grum at 10:50 PM on October 24, 2001

I'm mildly embarrassed to admit that I'm taking a vacation day for the opening of LotR.

but I saw 2001 at the Cinerama in Seattle...woo boy! was that something else. some weirdly cheesy bits, of course, and a strange amount of nervous laughter at some of the famous lines ("open the pod bay doors, HAL"), but wonderfully overwhelming. (no, I still don't actually understand, but I managed to be swept up in it.)

which is to say...I saw the LotR preview at the Cinerama, and I must see that movie there, if at all possible. hence the vacation day.
posted by epersonae at 10:54 PM on October 24, 2001

I guess I'm lucky I don't watch network TV except for the late-night Simpsons. I only saw one trailer for K-Pax a good while ago, in the theater, and it looked cool. I'll have to see it to know which trailer is more accurate, but I'm glad I wasn't subjected to whatever horror is apperantly circulating.

I ask very little of Cineplex movies; just that that they don't make my physically ill (Corky Romano, anyone?), everything else is gravy. I'm really looking forward to HP and LoTR like everyone else, and The One looks fun. I -was- looking forward to K-Pax, now I'm wondering.
posted by Nothing at 11:01 PM on October 24, 2001

Yeah, these commercials are definitely getting annoying. Whenever I hear them, I think of PAX, the tv network, or Tampax.

I also vote for Hedwig and the Angry Inch as being an excellent film. The Princess and The Warrior (Der Krieger und die Kaiserin, auf deutsch) was pretty good, for fans of Tom Tykwer. A lot slower than Lola Rent (Run Lola Run), but good nonetheless. Memento was just mediocre.
posted by valerie at 11:17 PM on October 24, 2001

I actually hadn't seen a commercial for K-Pax until about two days ago. I'd seen the posted around everywhere, but never took a good look.

I thought it was an ad for a new hip-hop album. Look at it again.
posted by Su at 11:19 PM on October 24, 2001

I'm actually kind of dreading LOTR, because I just know I'll end up seeing it and hoping it doesn't contaminate the book for me.

Memento was really, really good. Mind blowing.

Amores Perros (which should actually translate as "Dog Loves", but I guess it asn't as catchy) was alright, though I felt the whole model-story was kind of pointless. Good first film, though.

And I liked "A Knights's Tale" a lot. I know it's campy and not historically accurate, but that's what made it fun, they could actually pull off playing a David Bowie song in the middle of a medieval dance. The fighting was a little trite, but great eye candy. Also the romance wasn't all that well developed, but still a great time.

And for the record, I think Star Wars (which I'll never call NH) is perfect, not just a cinematic masterpiece, but a narrative masterpiece up there with Gilgamesh and Mio Cid.
posted by signal at 11:56 PM on October 24, 2001

Loved Amelie - the feelgood movie of the year, no contest.
posted by wassock at 12:43 AM on October 25, 2001

one I haven't seen mentioned yet is Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, which I'm not actually sure if it's a new film or not, but it just recieved limited theatrical release in the states. shame it was a dub, but what can you do. Anyway it was kinda cheezy cyber-goth anime action, but the art was incredible.

mullholland drive was good too, i unfortunately missed the first half hour and saw the last half hour twice, due to a poorly designed theater. but i enjoyed it a lot more than lost highway.
posted by chrisege at 1:29 AM on October 25, 2001

Shrek, memento, together, amelie, audition (ewww!) were some of my favourites. Just saw George Washington, which was pretty darn good. Shrek was the best, though...

star wars:phantom menace I tried to watch a few days ago on DVD and I thought it totally sucked ass. Trade dispute? Who cares! Liam'N'Ewan were clearly embarrassed to be spouting gibberish, the pod race was ok. Planet of the Apes was ape-shit (in a bad way).

Looking forward to: Harry Potter (another recent convert, although Philip Pullman is still the master!), LOTR, new Coen brothers, Mulholland Drive, Monsters Inc, Gangs of New York, Ghost World, From Hell (Alan Moore rules! We want a Watchmen movie - come on Gilliam!), Spidey, Ice Age (funny trailer on Apple.com).
posted by rikabel at 1:54 AM on October 25, 2001

Went to see Amelie 3 times in 4 days, so I guess that makes it my favourite movie of the year so far. If you havn't seen it go and have a look, worth it just for the lead actress.

Eagerly awaiting the Man Who Wasn't There, and have been since about the first second of the trailer.
posted by iain at 2:07 AM on October 25, 2001

I hated Amelie. I'm so sick of that girl's face. Her expression never changed from cute, amused surprise. Now, Moulin Rouge, there was a film.
posted by Summer at 2:30 AM on October 25, 2001

I wanted to see Moulin Rouge but I had some pins to stick in my eyes.
I saw Crouching Tiger here in UK in January, so that's the one for me. Other than that, it has been a v.poor year.
Looking forward to Lord 'o' Rings and Potter.
posted by Frasermoo at 2:43 AM on October 25, 2001

We want a Watchmen movie - come on Gilliam!

Not gonna happen. The guy who (supposedly) wrote the X-Men movie, David Hayter, is now attached to write and direct an under-2-hour adaptation of the whole comic series. And Gilliam wanted to do a series of films. Sigh...

Oh, and Moulin Rouge was f'in' amazing.
posted by toddshot at 3:12 AM on October 25, 2001

Hurray! Yes, toddshot, it was. It's the only film I've been to where the Wimbledon Odeon audience burst into spontaneous applause afterwards. Usually they just talk through the whole thing then slouch out muttering "well it was alright, I spose".
posted by Summer at 3:37 AM on October 25, 2001

two words: joe dirt
posted by mb01 at 3:46 AM on October 25, 2001

I'm surprised that nobody complained about the recent near-diahrreal flow of "Corky Romano" ads in the month prior to release. And then they mutated. I swear, when this thing comes out on DVD, it's going to have at least THIRTY trailers on it.

I figure anytime a studio has to plug a movie to the point of ubiquity, it must be stinki-stinki-poopoo.

Of course, weren't most of these films made in preparation for a threatened actors' strike or something? I'm a bit fuzzy on the specifics, but I believe that someone predicted that there'd be a veritable flow of absolute crap as a result.
posted by tpoh.org at 4:49 AM on October 25, 2001

stinki-stinki-poopoo

that is the funniest thing i have read today.
posted by Frasermoo at 4:51 AM on October 25, 2001

i think the reason why no one complained about the corky romano ads is because you KNEW what was coming. there was no pretense that it would be art like there is with k-pax.

i'm looking forward to tenenbaums with a mixture of anticipation and dread. anticipation: wes anderson is a genius (and the future mr chelsea spear), rushmore was just incredible, this premise sounds good. dread: in three words, gwyneth fucking paltrow. as a "genius". as an award-winning playwright. yes, i know this was inspired by salinger's glass family stories, but sheesh. if there's anyone i can't stand, it's that woman, no matter how frannyesque she may be.

this was NOT a bad year for film, btw. hedwig, ghost world, the rerelease of bande a parte, and some cool-looking upcoming stuff made it so. in spite of crouching tiger last year was HORRIBLE, and while this wasn't an amazing year for film it was a good step up.
posted by pxe2000 at 5:26 AM on October 25, 2001

GHOST WORLD and HEDWIG were amazing, a terrific one-two punch about loneliness and growing up. i have heard good things about THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS from a friend who saw it a couple of weeks back. that 'gwynnie in a fat suit movie' will i hope die a horrible death at the box office. i am slightly interested in seeing WAKING LIFE, although i have a feeling it's going to be very ... boy. (oh, look, i am so sensitive, LISTEN TO ME SPEAK ABOUT MY EMOTIONS! this is why i don't buy records by modest mouse, thanks.) MULHOLLAND DRIVE was my first lynch movie and i really want to see his other stuff -- he's so good at setting a mood. THE FORSAKEN was a fun-crap buddy-pic thriller. MOULIN ROUGE surprised me a lot by being gleeful and touching like the best musicals. JAY AND SILENT BOB had me gasping for two hours. i liked the soundtrack for JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS, but seeing the movie itself would have probably been too much to bear.

and SHREK was the worst movie of the year, hands-down. how can you be sanctimonious about your superior morality and fill two hours with fart jokes and other bits of humor that are not funny except in the broadest joke-in-a-birthday-card sense? not to mention the fact that its 'embrace your inner beauty' message was torpedoed by the tall, blonde, perfect vocal talent who played the not-so-beautiful princess. (see also: the gwynnie in a fat suit movie. bleh.)

(snarky side note: i can't believe there are actually people who liked paid to see GLITTER, and who don't think robin williams should go back on the drugs ASAP.)
posted by maura at 5:36 AM on October 25, 2001

Count me in among the nerdlies who are taking the day off to see Fellowship of the Ring. I may take an afternoon off to see Harry Potter too. Tomorrow is my 12th birthday. Oh, I mean 29th birthday.

I thought this was a pretty okay year for movies. I saw Moulin Rouge more times than I can count (yeah, yeah... roll your eyes. People either loved it or hated it, and I loved-loved-loved it.) I also loved Jay and Silent Bob ("Zoinks, yo"), Iron Monkey, Zoolander ("Mer-MAN, dad! Mer-MAN!"), and The Others.

I thought Bandits was... eh, just okay. And don't get me started on From Hell, which I'm just getting ready to write about and I can't help wanting to call it "From Craptown." The best thing about it was seeing the trailer for Fellowship again.

Just the mere thought of Shallow Hal makes my stomach turn. If Hal was prejudiced against black people, and pretty Gwyneth's "outer" self was Gwyneth in some sort of latex blackface, would people laugh? Are fat jokes really any different than any other jokes at the expense of human differences?
posted by kittyb at 6:08 AM on October 25, 2001

Looking forward to LOR & HP, also to Shipping News.

Enjoyed Memento and Crouching Tiger.

But I laughed so hard at Rat Race I almost wet my pants.
posted by groundhog at 6:34 AM on October 25, 2001

Don't forget Basquiat's Downtown 81, as well as Amores Perros, L.I.E., Mullholland Drive, Momento, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

It was a great year for independent film!
posted by Benway at 6:42 AM on October 25, 2001

K-PAX reminds me a great deal of the film Man Facing Southeast, which I'm sure will turn out to have been the superior of the two.
posted by alumshubby at 6:48 AM on October 25, 2001

Good things: Under the Sand, Moulin Rouge, Ghost World, The Anniversary Party

Bad, bad, bad: Lisa Picard is Famous. Absolute TRIPE!

Looking forward to: Monsters Inc., Ocean's Eleven
posted by sbgrove at 7:05 AM on October 25, 2001

Uh-oh! Mr. Advice warns against ingestion of banana peel (scroll down).
posted by Carol Anne at 7:33 AM on October 25, 2001

Oh come on! Brother, Takeshi Kitano's first English language film, doesn't merit a mention? Jeezum crow.
posted by claxton6 at 8:02 AM on October 25, 2001

Not seen Brother yet, though I've liked every Kitano film i've seen so far.
posted by iain at 8:21 AM on October 25, 2001

I'm tired of all the whining about what a bad year for movies it was...that's only true if you actually believe the Hollywood hype and expect good things from "Corky Romano" and "Pearl Harbor." If you search out the good stuff yourself, there's plenty of reasons to cheer.

Together is my favorite this year so far, closely followed by With a Friend Like Harry. On the short list: Everybody's Famous, Ghost World, The Anniversary Party, Memento, Moulin Rouge, Before the Storm, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Panic, The Princess and the Warrior.
posted by muckster at 8:35 AM on October 25, 2001

Monsters, Inc. might be fun. Pixar's been really good at making kid-friendly stuff without too much adult-displeasing dreck.
posted by basilwhite at 8:48 AM on October 25, 2001

Three fabulously costumed cheers for Moulin Rouge. Just looking at this film puts me in awe.
posted by phoenix enflamed at 10:47 AM on October 25, 2001

Iron Monkey!

Iron Monkey!

Iron Monkey!

(...which is all I could say after seeing it. Twice. Iron Monkey!)
posted by RakDaddy at 11:12 AM on October 25, 2001

K-Pax: "Your world is so bright!"

Makes me gag every time I see that commercial.
posted by Sal Amander at 12:43 PM on October 25, 2001

No one's mentioned Reykjavik 101, which is out now and pretty darn good. Kind of a witty slacker-angst black comedy, done in a style that, together with the funky soundtrack, had me feeling I was watching the first movie of the 21st century (think Spanking the Monkey meets Run Lola Run): it just felt young and now more than a lot that's come along lately.

And, if you're thinking, damned if I'm gonna go see an Icelandic movie, it's got Victoria Abril. Oh, and Spaniards hanging out in Iceland don't speak Icelandic, but English, of course.

OK, let me finish with a thought provoked by the "damned if..." line of thought, and plug the very best four-hour ride of insanely funny, rivetingly thrilling movie that'll make you happier than taking drugs, and you won't even think about the fact it's in Danish (except in a hilarious good way): The Kingdom (all the genius of Lars von Trier, with none of the sometimes-pretentious, sometimes-hard-to-take experiments of some of his other work).
posted by Zurishaddai at 5:23 PM on October 25, 2001

P.S. That last recomendation, The Kingdom, was a rental suggestion (off thread vis-à-vis the idea of this year's movies).
posted by Zurishaddai at 5:24 PM on October 25, 2001