Megan's Decade: 2009

My list for 2009 is in flux, but as we’re still in 2009 it’s a little early to tell exactly what films will stick with me. I even think that perhaps, a few of the films that I haven’t seen yet this year will be the ones that stick with me for years to come.

Avatar: I am a 3D hater. I think it's a fad just like it was 50 years ago and it will die. However, what James Cameron has done with 3D in Avatar is unlike anything I have ever seen. He uses 3D not as a gimmick but for what I think it was originally envisioned as - a tool to pull you into the world you are watching. In Avatar this works so effectively that you literally feel like you are walking on Pandora with everyone else. This would be a wonderful achievement on it's own, but after taking 12 years to make another movie Avatar totally delivers the complete pacakge, and is an utterly amazing movie.

The Soloist: I was moved by this film. So moved that I bought the book after seeing it and picked up and watched the DVD the day it came out. This is a beautiful film that reminds me there is something we can do to make our cities and our world a better place.

Star Trek: JJ’s Trek is going to stay with me. Never in my life did I think it would be cool to like Star Trek or that it would be referenced in a favorable way by pop culture or the masses. As if that weren’t enough, this is just a dang good movie; a franchise piece that remembered it wasn’t just one in a chain of mythology, but had to be a movie, and a good one at that, on it’s own merit.

Up In The Air: I'm a member of the statistic. I was laid off in 2009. Watching Ryan Bingham travel company to company to get rid of employees should have been a horrible thing for me to experience, but it wasn't. This movie touched me in a way I never expected - it understood what my year had been like and treated it with respect. As if that weren't enough it's another Jason Reitman home run, and is an incredible movie with a master craftsmans touch.

Through these posts I hope I’ve clued you into a few films that perhaps you haven’t seen and that you’re thinking about the films that have stuck with you through the years.

With that said I am going to leave you with the closing lines from one of my favorite films of the past decade, and if you don't know what movie it is...then maybe you should see a few more films on my list.

“Thanks for coming, please stay for the end credits, if you're wondering who the best boy is, it's somebody's nephew, um, don't forget to validate your parking, and to all you good people in the Midwest, sorry we said f--k so much.”

Megan's Decade: 2008

2008 is a year that was filled with the most imporant personal goal of my life so far - I shot my first feature film. I scrapped, saved, cheated and assembled a great tem but I proved to myself that I can make a movie...now I just need people to see it.

Bottle Shock: This movie is just happy and it makes me happy. You watch it and you’re inspired to follow your passion. It’s a little film, slightly fictionalized, about a real winery in Napa that took part in a wine competition in France in 1976. I get a bit choked up every time Jim Barrett runs through the law office screaming in celebration.

Charlie Bartlett: This movie is the best high school comedy since Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and no one saw it. Charlie Bartlett is the odd ball high schooler that just wants to fit in, but in reality he does anything but; instead he offers counseling to all students in the boys bathroom and becomes the hero of the school. See it and fall in love with Anton Yelchin.

Iron Man: It’s no secret that I love this movie. If I could make a Superman film that does what this film did for its namesake I would die a happy director. I love Jon Favreau for making this movie and giving us back Robert Downey Jr. on an epic scale again.

Tropic Thunder: I know I am obsessed with movies about movies, but Tropic Thunder is one of the best Hollywood satires of the past century. Ironically, by playing a racially confused, pig-headed actor Robert Downey Jr. earned his first Oscar nomination since Chaplin.

Megan's Decade: 2007

2007 was a bit of a strange year for me. I made 3 short films. I was stuck in a horrible customer service job when my contract at Paramount ended, and yet a few fun, fantastic films helped pull me through.

Grindhouse: I don’t know if there was anything more creatively inspiring to me in 2007 than spending an afternoon in the theatre with the imaginations of Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez. I still hope that one day the back to back versions, with trailers will be released on DVD.

Stardust: This movie is The Princess Bride for a new generation, and just like the later film Stardust went unnoticed. This is fantasy film at its finest, a fantastic fairy tale, and a film that should inspire your imagination.

Megan's Decade: 2006

This is hands down the single best year of movies in the decade that passed. I thank God for that because it also contained the single hardest event of my life so far, my younger brother almost died. I was very glad to have the escape of the movies then and if you ignore all of the other films I suggest you have to see the movies I remember here.

Children of Men: This isn’t just one of my favorite films of the decade, but one of my favorite films of all time. I’ve written about it before. If you haven’t seen it yet stop the excuses and see it.

The Fountain: During the credits of this movie it hit me; if I never fell in love it would be okay, because I know what love is really like because of The Fountain. This is not a film most people will understand, or want to see; however, if you can open your mind and just let the movie happen you might just finish the credits wondering why this movie wasn’t nominated for best picture.

The Lives of Others: I’ve never quite seen a movie like this one. People were mad at me when I was excited The Lives of Others beat Pan’s Labyrinth for the Oscar for Best Foreign Film, but this film is better.

Once: An Irish kitchen sink musical. If you had told me such a movie existed I would have laughed at you. Once is one of the most fantastic movies I’ve ever seen and everyone should see this movie.

Superman Returns: I don’t think this was a great movie, and in fact it’s a pretty dang bad Superman film – it commits some cannon follies big time. However, my little brother was in the hospital when this film came out, and I am such a boy blue fan & needed to escape reality, so the movie that I saw whenever things got too heavy was Superman Returns. The fact that this film came out when it did helped me get through one of the hardest times in my life and I will forever be thankful that it did.

Megan's Decade: 2005

To date 2005 might be one of my favorite years in cinema. There were many more films I could have included here, but in the end I had to choose the ones that I talk about or pop into my DVD player constantly. It was also a great year because it's the year I graduated college, and got a jobs at Paramount..but on the downside it's the year Christopher blew an ulcer and was hospitalized between those events...so I guess my year had a three act structure.

Batman Begins: This is the film that reinvented the DC movie franchise and rescued Batman from the cheese ball films that he was being treated with. Batman Begins made me appreciate Batman and his plight in a way I never had before and brought Christian Bale and Christopher Nolan to the forefront of cinema and I am very happy about that.

Brick: I bought my ticket for Brick, was handed a glossary of the slang used in the film and walked into the theatre completely unaware that I would be seeing one of the most groundbreaking little films of the decade. I walked out of that theatre a different filmmaker than I walked in.

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang: If I was forced to narrow this list down, this is one film that could not be taken off. Shane Black created a pitch perfect action/noir/comedy hybrid and it’s such a stunning directorial debut that I want him to try again. Val Kilmer & Robert Downey Jr. are a perfect pairing and I think this film has my favorite narration of any film, ever.

Thank You for Smoking: I once heard Jason Reitman describe this film as a joyful movie about lung cancer. That totally fits. I adore this movie and find myself quoting Jeff Magall all the time and saying: “But it's an easy fix. One line of dialogue. 'Thank God we invented the... you know, whatever device.'” I use this and a line for The Great Muppet Caper to explain things when I direct.

Megan's Decade: 2004

In 2004 I was finally being exposed to more film than I ever had in my life and because of school and a great cinematic year my film appreciation expanded exponentially. I love being able to watch a big budget blockbuster, an indie hit or even a tiny, no budget film and being able to appreciate them all for their uniqueness and craftsmanship.

EuroTrip: I knwo this is a silly movie, a teen comedy in the style of National Lampoons. But nothing you can say can make me love it less. Matt Damon makes an amazing cameo and steals the film’s opening. Also, remember “Scotty doesn’t know.” If you don't know what I'm talking about, maybe you should rent the movie.

Garden State: I saw this film in the theatre, mainly because of Scrubs and I fell in love. Zach Braff proved he’s as good of a director as he is an actor. This film is the definition of the quarter-life crisis. I think I identified with this movie then and will be able to love it my entire life.

The Machinist: This is the movie Christian Bale went down to about 100 pounds for & was a living skeleton. His commitment to this part is what enabled this film and the world of cinema is better for it. I was astounded by this film; it is a unique vision and fascinating to watch.

Megan's Decade: 2003

I don't know if I have a lot of films that moved me in 2003, and I think part of why might be this was a huge transition in my life. I started film school. I always had a great film vocabulary, but that year I spent more time watching films for class and working two jobs than I did at the theatre. I'm sure if I try I could come up with a few more, but as these two movies are what immediately popped to mind I know they are the films that I'll remember from 2003 for years to come.

Elf: “I just like to smile, smiling's my favorite.” It took me a long time to see Elf but I am so glad I did. Not only do I love Jon Favreau as a director, but I truly think that Buddy will be one of the classic characters that’s remembered from this decade.

Seabiscuit: I don’t own this movie, but I should. This movie will stick with me forever. It’s the only time I’ve been in the theatre and seen an audience cheer at a race happening onscreen the way you would actually cheer if you were there.

Megan's Decade: 2002

I'm pretty sure by 2002 I knew my heart belonged to the movies because by the end of 2002 I was looking into film school. I know for a fact that there three films carried me through that year, when I was still afraid of telling people what my major was.

Equilibrium: This is a movie that wasn’t advertised, no one heard of it and to this day most people don’t know what it is. Let me tell you that you’re missing out. Christopher dragged a bunch of us to this movie after seeing it once and I am so glad he did; I now rank this film with Blade Runner as one of my favorite visions of a dystopic future. The director even invented his own martial art style for the film.

Minority Report: Two of my favorite things – Spielberg & Sci-fi – what’s not to like? I can still pull out shots in this film that I adore and I don’t know when I watched it last. It is absolutely visually stunning.

Signs : I loved this film and I still remember going to Comic-Con in 2002, only a few days after it came out and seeing people who had made the tin foil hats. This is the movie that makes me desperately hope Joaquin Phoenix will keep acting. I’d enjoyed M. Knight Shyamalan’s other films but for me third time was the charm – Signs is my absolute favorite of his work and so many other people agree that I feel the need to quote Merrill and say “The nerds were right.”

Megan's Decade: 2001

I spent most of 2001 wandering through college not sure what to do with my life. I loved movies but it hadn't dawned on me yet that I more than enjoyed movies, I didn't realize I had a passion for them.

A Knight’s Tale: Paul Bettany plays the absolute best character in this film, but if you miss Heath Ledger this is definitely a film to watch. It is unique, fun and a movie that I think of every time I hear certain Queen or David Bowie songs.

Moulin Rouge!: Baz Lurhman can do no wrong, and this movie is his best. When it didn’t get nominated for a best directing Oscar Whoopi Goldberg called the Academy out during the broadcast with one of my favorite one-liner’s ever on an Oscar broadcast – “Moulin Rouge, apparently the film that directed itself.” I also still remember that while this film was in limited release it was not advertised as a musical. The musical was dead. So when Christopher & I found a theatre playing it we were thrilled but within the first 5 minutes of the film people started to walk out of the theatre...Lurhman got the ultimate revenge of course. When the film hit wide release it was a hit.

Oceans 11: Soderbergh really managed to bring the coolness of the Rat Pack to a modern film. This had the coolest cast of any film in 2001 and not only that, it’s a dang good heist film. This film also launched the working relationships of many actors, and George Clooney is the Man and always will be.

Snatch: This is Guy Ritchie at his best, before Madonna, before Swept Away and before 9/11. He does the heist film new glory in this twisted, hyperbolic tale of British underground boxing and the multitude of con-artists that fund it, and if you have the DVD you can have fun by subtitling the Pikey.

Megan's Decade: 2000

In 2000 I graduated high school and moved on the the world of higher learning. I was a proud member of the first class of the new millenium even though the great debate still rages about the round year (00) or the odd years (01) ending or start a new decade, millenium etc. All the numbers on the calender changed for us dude. That was significant. Deal with it. While I was going through that great transition, these movies stuck with me.

O Brother Where Art Thou: A Coen retelling of The Odyssey set in the depression. This is what happens when you let the Coen’s loose and I love what they produced.

Pitch Black: If you can invent a new science fiction film I will adore you forever. David Twohy did and this film is perfect. It’s disguised as a horror film set in space, but in reality it’s a tale of redemption unlike any I’ve ever seen.

Wonder Boys: I really can’t describe how much I love this movie. The tale of a lost professor and his lost students trying to navigate their lives is moving and downright hysterical. Wonder Boys is one of Curtis Hanson’s finest, and one of the most subtly witty films of the decade.

The Decade

Everyone seems to be making their best of the decade lists but me. I tend to not do things like that because while I believe in awarding great films & great people for their work, I tend to have difficulty in ranking one film against another. Since I tend to have this issue I decided instead of doing a best of the decade list, I would look at what are my favorite films of the past decade…in no particular order because asking me to rank them in order would be like asking me to rank my favorite chocolates. It’s just not gonna happen. However, this is the decade I graduated from high school, went to film school, worked at a movie studio, made my first films and movies changed my life so I the films that stuck with me through all that need to be recognized.

So, over the next week or so, come back every day to see a new post and find out what films stick with me the most out of each year of cinema.