Posts Tagged ‘Grindhouse’

Wilmington on DVDs: The Thin Red Line, Mid-August Lunch, Grindhouse, The Twilight Zone, A Nightmare on Elm Street … and more

Wednesday, October 6th, 2010

PICK OF THE WEEK: CLASSIC

The Thin Red Line (Two Discs) (Four Stars)

U.S.; Terrence Malick, 1998 (Criterion Collection).

Let‘s talk about a really great American movie that has been somewhat underrated and neglected, and shouldn’t be any more, not after this superb new Criterion two-disc release. The movie is Terrence Malick‘s 1998 film of James JonesThe Thin Red Line. Bravo. Bravo again. As many goddamned “Bravos” as the page will hold.

The Thin Red Line was Jones’ (also underrated) 1962 novel about the soldiers of C-for-Charlie Army Rifle Company in the U. S. attack on the Japanese fortifications on Guadalcanal in 1943, most of it dealing with the capture, at the cost of many lives, of a fictitious hill. It’s a great American war novel: terse, blunt, profane, violent, compassionate, tremendously well-informed and battle-savvy, historically knowing, full of believable characters melding into a convincing whole. Overall, it’s a book that paints an unforgettable picture of a crucial military event and of guys that fought it, men who, as we read, live and breathe and die on the page.

Jones fought and was wounded on Guadalcanal; he knew what went on there. As the novelist who firmly and irretrievably put the word “fuck” into American literature — and who fills the pages of The Thin Red Line with it — Jones obviously isn’t a writer to mince words, gild lilies, wave flags or hand us the phony-baloney public relations garbage Guadalcanal diary-show-shit we might expect. Jones gives us the war and he gives us the soldiers, straight up, scared, guns blazing and trying to stay alive for another day, another hour, another minute. Some of them do.

The Thin Red Line was made into an okay 1962 movie by director Andrew Marton (he’s the peerless second-unit director who made the Ben-Hur chariot race) with Keir Dullea and Jack Warden as Witt and Welsh, the roles played for Malick by Jim Caviezel and Sean Penn.

Unfortunately nobody introduced Jones to Anthony Mann, whose Men in War Jones praises (with reservations) in a 1963 Saturday Evening post critique on several then-recent American war movies, an article published in “Line’s” special booklet.

Yet maybe it’s a good thing that Mann didn’t make The Thin Red Line back then instead of Marton, because he couldn’t possibly have done a better job than Malick does here — and neither could Sammy Fuller, Howard Hawks, Arthur Penn, David Lean, Sergei Bondarchuk, Raoul Walsh (who had a crack at Mailer‘s The Naked and the Dead and fucked it up), John Ford, or (probably) Akira Kurosawa. (The only time I flinched in that list was when I wrote Kurosawa, but likely the “sensei” would have done it from the other side anyway.)

Malick does an incredible job here, makes an incredible movie. In the Thin Red Line DVD booklet, David Sterritt calls The Thin Red Line “the greatest war movie ever made,” and if that seems hyperbole now, I guarantee it’ll ring a lot truer, and cut a lot deeper, after you watch this Criterion disc. Malick is a different kind of storyteller that Jones. He‘s a great poet where Jones is a great prose reporter and storyteller, and he gives us the poems and the songs that Jones couldn’t have sung, just as Jones gives us the narrative stuff that Malick couldn’t have experienced or imagined.

Every frame that Malick stages, that the actors play, that Jack Fisk designs and that cinematographer John Toll shoots, is beautiful, turbulent, and/or hellishly exciting, from the moment we see Witt (Caviezel) relaxing A. W. O. L. in a native village, to the scene where Welsh (Penn), his friendly nemesis, finds and arrests him, saves his ass, and gets him on the boat that‘s taking them all to Guadalcanal.

Here’s just part of the roster we kibitz on during the story‘s warfare: Privates Witt, Bell (Ben Chaplin), Doll (Dash Mihok), Tills (Tim Blake Nelson), Dale (Arie Verveen), Tella (Kirk Acevedo), Sico (Robert Roy Hofmo), Beade (Nick Stahl), Ash (Tom Jane) and Train (John Dee Smith); Corporal Fife (Adrien Brody); First Sergeant Welsh (Penn), and Sergeants Keck (Woody Harrelson), Storm (John C. Reilly), and McCron (John Savage); Captains Staros (Elias Koteas), Bosche (George Clooney), Gaff (John Cusack); First Lieutenant Band (Paul Gleeson); Lieutenant Colonel Tall (Nick Nolte); and Brigadier General Quintard (John Travolta).

Now, that’s a hard group to keep track of in any theater, especially since the movie has a lot of poetic narration and mystical, rapt voice-over, some by characters like Train, who don’t seem that important — which is why this DVD is such a Godsend. Almost all the characters of Thin Red Line are identified in the subtitles when they first speak, and some later as well, and the booklet has a huge full cast list that should keep you always on top of the story and the roster, of who lives and who dies. Remember, this is an extremely complex movie that can be watched several, or even numerous times, so it’s damned good to have that kind of watcher’s aid.

The story is basic. C-for-Charlie, according to the brass, has to take the hill; the Japanese are dug in and firing away. Brig. Gen. Quintard (Travolta) is a peacock-proud cynic and politician who orders the assault. Lt. Col. Tall (Nolte) is a callous bastard who keeps hurling his men into battle sometimes without enough water and supplies or adequate backup, roaring “inspirational” encouragement and patting his “boys” on the back, boyishly desperate himself to win his spurs after a lifetime of being passed over. (This part by the way, deserved an Oscar, or at least a nomination. Nolte will never be better, and few others will either.)

Capt. Staros (Koteas — and the character was “Stein” in the novel) is a good decent, competent, together officer who refuses to sacrifice his men needlessly and bravely stands up to the half-nuts Tall; of course, he gets screwed.

Bosche (Clooney) is a smoothie, totally in charge when he gets there. Gaff is a good guy who watches and listens and helps take the hill. Bell (Chaplin) dreams fondly of his wife (Miranda Otto), while death and chaos rage around him; he‘s in for a shock. Keck (Harrelson) has a death scene that will haunt your fucking dreams for years. Storm is a classic pop-off; his best scene was cut, is in the DVD annex, and should be put back in. (So should Bosche’s edited advice to Bell.) Band is a slimy jerk who deserves to be court-martialed by boa constrictors. Fife is scared shitless. Aren’t we all?

That’s the stuff of the story; men fight and die, shoot and climb, lie and survive. But what makes Malick’s Thin Red Line special, what makes it great (I think I may end up agreeing with Dave Sterritt if I watch it again and think it over), what puts it on the level of Seven Samurai and War and Peace and They Were Expendable, and maybe past them, is the astonishing lyrical sensibility which Malick brings to the story: the way he sees the world.

As in Days of Heaven and Badlands, we’re entranced, ravished. Like the water Tall cheats his men out of, it restoreth our soul. Those tableaux of Malick’s are piercing, heart-stopping. The deep greens of the forest, the blue of the faraway skies, the ocean lapping the beach as men disembark, the waving grasses on that bloody hill, the way a defeated Japanese soldier clutches his comrade‘s head, the way men see past the sky as they lie dying, Witt‘s hurt soft eyes as he watches the native villagers turn from him, the way night bleeds into day and back again.

The key to James Jones and the brilliance of his war novels, is something he often mentioned, and that his novelist daughter Kaylie recalls during an interview she gives on the bonus disc. He loved soldiers. He hated war. That’s why he and Malick are in a locked-step, lock-heart synch we couldn’t have imagined before this movie, and that we may have missed back in 1998, the first time through.

Jones tended to repeat his character types. He has said that Line’s Witt and Welsh, the rebel and the cynic, are different versions of the two From Here to Eternity characters Prewitt (played in the movie by Montgomery Clift) and Warden (Burt Lancaster), and that the story is kind of eternal. That fits Malick’s poetic conception and it completes the story. The Thin Red Line, like almost any great movie, is a world you enter, some lives that you share, a skin you slip into for a while. But, like the Iliad or Blowin’ in the Wind, it’s also a song you can sing.

Amen. Bravo again. Fuckin’ great.

(This Criterion two-pack boasts an excellent batch of extras.)

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PICK OF THE WEEK: NEW

Mid-August Lunch (Pranzo di Ferragosto) (Three and a Half Stars)
Italy; Gianni Di Gregorio, 2008 (Zeitgeist)

Gianni Di Gregorio, co-writer of the great Italian crime film, Gomorra, here executes a bewitching lovely, warm and funny change of pace.

With Matteo Garrone, the director of Gomorra and The Embalmer (another Di Gregorio script), as his producer, Di Gregorio has written, directed and stars in Mid-August Lunch. It’s a delicate, wry, brilliantly observed comic tale about a unemployed 50ish bachelor in Rome named Gianni (played by Di Gregorio). Gianni has just one friend, drinking buddy Viking (Luigi Marchetti). He spends most of his day caring for his 93-year-old mother Valeria (played by Gianni’s mother, Valeria De Fransiscis) — cooking for her, helping her daily doings, reading Dumas‘ The Three Musketeers to her at night.

Behind in his rent, sweltering in the dog days of summer, Gianni is solicited by condominium-owner and manager, Alfonso (Alfonso Santagata), and asked to wipe out part of his condo debt by temporarily caring for Alfonso‘s mother Marina (Marina Cacciotto) and his aunt Maria (Maria Calli).

Improbably enough, Gianni’s doctor (Marcello Ottolenghi) also drops by that same day, examines him, and then requests that the now crowded caretaker, for that night, also take in the doctor‘s mother Grazia (Grazia Cesarini Sforza). This leaves the gentle, considerate Gianni without a bed, but with plenty of opportunity, aided by Viking, for his culinary talents to flourish — as long as he doesn’t violate Grazia‘s stringent dietary restrictions. (The lure of a macaroni casserole demolishes those anyway.) The four women are at first a little contentious, especially about the custody of the TV. But finally family, friendship and pasta conquer all.

That’s it. No car-chases. No shootouts. No hanky-panky. No vampires. No glamour-pusses. But lots of food and laughs. I’ve seen several films recently about older people, and this is by far the best: wittily and wisely written, subtly and beautifully made. By showing us what happens when these marvelous old ladies are treated well, and lovingly, it emphasizes how badly old people are often treated elsewhere. But this is not a sad movie. It’s joyous. The acting, some by non-professionals, is superb. It made me laugh, fondly. (In Italian, with English subtitles.)

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PICK OF THE WEEK: BLU-RAY

Grindhouse (Blu-Ray) (Three Stars)

U.S.; Quentin Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez, 2007 (Vivendi)

Includes: Terror Planet (U.S.; Robert Rodriguez, 2007) (Two and a Half Stars). Rodriquez’ amusingly sleazy spoof of an old-fashioned, unintentionally funny, unintentionally sleazy, science fiction horror movie. The first half of the modern Grindhouse double feature Rodriquez and Quentin Tarantino open up here.

Also: Death Proof (U.S.; Quentin Tarantino, 2007). Three Stars. The longer version of Tarantino’s half of his Grindhouse pastiche double feature stunt with Robert Rodriguez, Death Proof is a feminist car-chase sadistic romp with a Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill!-style ensemble of tough girl drivers (Rose McGowan, Rosario Dawson and others) battling it out with the evil Stunt Man Jack (Kurt Russell.) Nasty fun. Extras: Extended and unrated footage, featurettes, trailer.

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PICK OF THE WEEK: BOX SET

The Twilight Zone: Season One (Blu-ray) (Five Discs) (Four Stars)

U.S.; Various Directors, 1959-60 (CBS/Image)

There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity…

Portrait of a man, smoking a cigarette at a cocktail party, on the edge of an abyss. His name is Rod Serling, he is 36 years old, and he makes his living writing serious, hard-hitting contemporary television plays for picky network executives and hard-to-please sponsors, working in the toughest, cruelest entertainment arena of them all, American network TV.

Serling’s teleplays, with titles like “Patterns” and “Requiem for a Heavyweight” and “A Town has Turned to Dust,” win prizes and big audiences and critical hurrahs. But Mr. Serling is not satisfied. He is not really enjoying himself at this loud party in a swanky penthouse on the 36th floor overlooking glamorous, exciting New York City — despite the drinks and the food and the important people and the beautiful women all around him.

Instead, he is remembering the smaller city where he grew up — Syracuse, New York — and all the small towns on all the train stops along the way, in the quieter days and more peaceful times before World War 2. Mr. Serling is envisioning his boyhood, in the land of the past.

But he is also thinking, as he stands smoking reflectively in the party din, with jazz on records played by Dave Brubeck or Miles Davis, of the nightmares that may await in the land of the future: of astronauts lost on strange planets and distant asteroids, of robots who fall in love, of a monster on the wing of a plane, of the folly of making bets with the devil, of a man whose life turns into a movie set, and of another man whose lovers are the figments of fancy in his scripts. He is thinking of a woman bedeviled by her exact double in a lonely bus station, of beautiful trumpet solos and lost souls in Manhattan traveling between life and death, and of an empty world after a nuclear attack with full libraries and only one broken pair of glasses.

Rod Serling doesn’t know it, but that world is closer then he realizes. It is nearer than he imagines. Only a typewriter away. The very next stop on an imaginary train. (A stop named Willoughby.) Behind the shadows in a room he doesn’t yet see, it lies, waiting for him. As that fresh cigaret burns in his hand and the people and ladies carouse around him, something odd, something frightening, is about to happen. The stars blaze and the children are calling and the monsters await and another world is opening up on the patio overlooking the night below, a world that will soon entice and dazzle him — and then take over his life forever.

It is the world Mr. Rod Serling will soon recognize … as The Twilight Zone.

Rod Serling’s original show The Twilight Zone is one of my four or five all-time favorite TV series, and also, I think, one of TV’s greatest creations. (My other personal favorites, by the way, include I Love Lucy, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Andy Griffith, Maverick, Playhouse 90, and the various Sid Caesar shows. Like Serling, you see, I treasure my boyhood.)

Obviously I also think that this Blu-ray box set, beautifully packaged by people who clearly love the show too — and a set that covers what may have been the series’ best season of shows — is an essential, a treasure. Like Serling and his cigarettes, you’ve just got to have it.

Twilight Zone, of course, is the classic anthology program of half-hour fantasy and science fiction dramas, mostly original, that Serling mostly wrote and always introduced — with his eloquent, crystal-clear words and unmistakable sonorous, punchy delivery — on CBS from 1959 though 196-. The inspiration for the series probably was that superb editor Anthony Boucher’s classy genre story-periodical The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (maybe a bit of H. L. Gold’s Galaxy and John W. Campbell’s earlier Astounding too); F. & S. F. published exactly the kind of stories Serling now chose to write, and also supplied him with one of his two most frequent fellow Twilight Zone scripters, Richard Matheson. (Serling’s other prime collaborator, Charles Beaumont, mostly wrote for Playboy.)

The Serling Zone teleplays were Ray Bradbury-Theodore Sturgeon sort of tales, little gems of suspense and horror and lyrical fantasy, which seemed to be originating in bad dreams that suddenly took over real life, or, we soon discovered, had been “real” life all along. Wish fulfillment gone awry and recurring nightmares were two of Serling’s recurring dream-themes. His tales were fables, fairytales, prediction and horror, in slices or sections.

The show was absolutely brilliantly produced (Serling was the exec), wonderfully written and cast, loaded with top actors like Jack Warden, Jack Klugman, Ida Lupino, Ed and Keenan Wynn, Gig Young, and Burgess Meredith, and stunningly shot in crisp black and white noir-style photography and eerie images that have never aged, mostly by George Clemens (like Serling, a “Zone” Emmy winner). The early signature theme and many of the early shows were scored by the best composer you could possibly get for suspense music: Bernard Herrmann.

The roster of directors in Season One — including strong new “50s talents (Ted Post, Stuart Rosenberg, Douglas Heyes, Jack Smight, Ralph Nelson) and a solid core of movie and film noir veterans (John Brahm, Mitchell Leisen, Robert Parrish, Robert Florey) — was stellar, and it continued to be one of the show‘s strengths.

Serling knew his helmsmen (his most collegial ‘50s collaborator had been John Frankenheimer, who‘d gone to the movies by Zone time ) and he knew the kind of scripts and stories that would draw them in. Brahm was the best Zone director of all in the ‘59-’60 season. He’s the guy who guided the best Zone show of all, the masterly “Time Enough At Last,” the irony-laden librarian/broken glasses fable that starred Meredith. But, surprisingly, Parrish was a great Zone director too, and so was Florey (no surprise), while Post, Rosenberg, Stevens, Don Medford, Nelson, Smight and a few others were all top-of-the-line.

Serling‘s most famous and awarded ’50s teleplays were often liberal message dramas about subjects like corporate cruelty (“Patterns“), brain-washing (“The Rack“), exploitation (“Requiem for a Heavyweight”), and lynching (“A Town has Turned to Dust”). He was notable for a special blend of street-smart toughness (Serling was a World War 2 paratrooper and a big sports and jazz fan) mixed with heartfelt compassion.

Few of the great ’50s TV tele-playwrights, not even Paddy (“Marty”) Chayefsky, had a softer heart for their characters than Serling. He continued that warm vein of compassion and that unabashed, unafraid liberalism though the years of Zone, a show never afraid to attack racism, bigotry, or exploitation, to decry the nuclear arms race, to empathize strongly with the little guy, the old, the dying, or to stand behind the worthier progressive causes of his day. (How ironic then, that Serling’s special private paradise was usually in the faraway past.)

I have a lot of respect for Stephen King’s taste in horror, but I just don’t understand how King can say that The Outer Limits was the best show of its kind (a very clear nudge at Twilight Zone). Outer Limits was a top-notch, scary show, and it was certainly a haven for noir writer Joseph Stefano (Psycho) and for director Gerd Oswald (A Kiss Before Dying) and I‘m sure King would love to have written for it. Its hour length, which Serling had wanted for Zone, is more flexible. But Twilight Zone is in a class by itself. Even, eventually sad to say, for Serling himself.

Serling was 36 when he started The Twilight Zone, exactly the same age as a lot of the talented, oddball or tormented male characters he would quickly and indelibly sketch for us in those unforgettable, inimitable introductions. That, and the several years of Zone that followed, were the writer/host’s inarguable peak, his great seasons of imagination. Rod Serling died at 50 in 1975 of heart disease, after decades of chain-smoking the nicotine sticks that must have killed him, that killed Bogie too. We’d like to think, of course, that his death was as kind as the ones he liked to give his most special characters — even if it probably wasn‘t. We’d like to think he finally made it there, wherever he wanted to be, that the last thing Rod Serling heard may have been the “All Out” for the stop at Willoughby.

And also, of course, for the last stop in The Twilight Zone.

( All shows are U.S. TV productions. They’re all good. The sign * indicates a show of special interest, ** indicates a classic. All Rod Serling scripts are indicated; some are adaptations.)

Includes (on Disc One): *“Where is Everybody” (Robert Stevens, 1959) with Earl Holliman (Writer: Serling). **”One for the Angels” (Robert Parrish, 1959) with Ed Wynn and Murray Hamilton (Serling). A great one. “Mr. Denton on Doomsday” (Allen Reisner, 1959) with Dan Duryea (Serling); **“The Sixteen Millimeter Shrine” (Mitchell Leisen, 1959) with Ida Lupino and Martin Balsam (Serling); *“Walking Distance” (Robert Stevens, 1959) with Gig Young (Serling); *“Escape Clause” (Leisen, 1959) with David Wayne and Thomas Gomez (Serling); *”The Lonely” (Jack Smight, 1959) with Jack Warden and Jean Smart (Serling).

Disc Two: **“Time Enough at Last” (John Brahm, 1959) with Burgess Meredith (Serling). My nominee for the best of all Twilight Zones. **“Perchance to Dream” (Robert Florey, 1959) with Richard Conte (Charles Beaumont). **“Judgment Night” (Brahm, 1959) with Nehemia Persoff (Serling). *“And When the Sky was Opened (Douglas Heyes, 1959) with Rod Taylor (Serling). **“What You Need” (Alvin Ganzer, 1959) with Steve Cochran and Ernest Truex (Serling). **”The Four of Us are Dying” (Brahm, 1960) with Don Gordon and Beverly Garland (Serling). *“Third from the Sun” (Richard L. Bare, 1960) with Fritz Weaver (Serling, based on Richard Matheson). *I Shot an Arrow Into the Air” (Stuart Rosenberg, 1960) with Dewey Martin (Serling).

Disc Three: “The Hitch-Hiker” (Alvin Ganzer, 1960) with Inger Stevens (Serling). **”The Fever” (Robert Florey, 1960) with Everett Sloane (Serling). “The Last Flight” (William Claxton, 1960) with Kenneth Haigh (Matheson). “The Purple Testament” (Bare, 1960) with William Reynolds (Serling). “Elegy” (Heyes, 1960) with Cecil Kellaway (Beaumont). **”Mirror Image” (Brahm, 1960) with Vera Miles and Martin Milner (Serling). *”The Monsters are Due on Maple Street” (Ron Winston, 1960) with Claude Akins (Serling).

Disc Four: **“A World of Difference” (Ted Post, 1960) with Howard Duff (Matheson). *“Long Live Walter Jameson” (Anton Leader, 1960) with Kevin McCarthy (Beaumont). **”People are Alike All Over”
(Leisen, 1960) with Roddy McDowall (Serling). “Execution” (David Orrick McDearmon, 1960) with Albert Salmi (Serling). *“The Big Tall Wish” (Ron Winston, 1960) with Ivan Dixon (Serling). **”A Nice Place to Visit” (Brahm, 1960) with Larry Blyden and Sebastian Cabot (Beaumont). * “Nightmare as a Child” (Ganzer, 1960) with Janice Rule (Serling). **“A Stop at Willoughby” (Parrish, 1960) with James Daly (Serling). Another great one.

Disc Five: “The Chaser” (Heyes, 1960) with George Grizzard. ** “A Passage for Trumpet” (Don Medford, 1960) with Jack Klugman and John Anderson (Serling). “Mr. Bevis” (William Asher, 1960) with Orson Bean (Serling). *“The After Hours” (Heyes, 1960) with Anne Francis (Serling). **“The Mighty Casey” (Parrish & Ganzer, 1960) with Jack Warden (Serling). **”A World of His Own” (Ralph Nelson, 1960) with Keenan Wynn, Phyllis Kirk and Serling (Matheson).

Special: *“The Time Element” (Allen Reisner, 1958), with William Bendix and Martin Balsam (Serling). This is the hour-long Twilight Zone pilot show, about frantic psychiatrist patient Pete (Bendix), in 1958, who keeps dreaming himself back to December 7, 1941, on Pearl Harbor, and is afraid he won’t wake up before the Japanese attack — as shown on “Desilu Playhouse” and introduced by Desi Arnaz.

Extras: Interviews with Serling, Matheson, Clemens and others; Commentaries by Taylor, Holliman, Post, and others; Radio versions of the shows; Isolated music scores; Serling network pitch and promos.

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OTHER CURRENT OR RECENT DVD RELEASES

A Nightmare on Elm Street (One and a Half Stars)

U.S.; Samuel Bayer, 2010

Twenty-six years ago, I walked into the only theater that ever stood on the very same block where I lived — the Vogue in Los Angeles on Hollywood Boulevard between La Brea and Cherokee — and got the living Hell scared out of me, by a new movie called A Nightmare on Elm Street. This 1984 Wes Craven horror super-shocker, was about a grinning school janitor with a hideously burned face named Freddy Krueger, who wore a tacky striped sweater, a dirty fedora and had steel-claw fingernails — a wise-cracking homicidal maniac who ran amok in the dreams of the local high-schoolers, taunting and killing them in both fantasy and reality. The movie was so murderously effective, I was almost afraid to walk home. And home was only a block away.

I still think that first Nightmare has one of the great scare horror movie premises ever: a killer who looks like an evil clown, haunts everyone’s dreams at will, can’t be caught and takes obscene, hilarious relish in all his murders. A monster who lives in your dreams and is always there, ready to slash. You can keep away from the haunted mansion and the Bates Motel. You can lock the doors on Halloween, maybe avoid maniacs, fly away from the Living Dead and even elude the Terminator. Maybe. But how can you stop yourself from falling asleep? And meeting Freddy again? And again? (Unfortunately, the runaway success of Craven’s Nightmare prompted more than a few too many sequels.

Now, decades later, there have been eight more trips to Elm Street, and any teenager who goes anywhere near that tree-lined block, probably belongs in a padded cell — where they will almost certainly fall asleep and find Freddy waiting for them. The cheerfully murderous Mr. Krueger, played by genial Robert Englund, has ripped off so many nasty quips and killed so many promising young actors, including Johnny Depp in the first movie, that he probably qualifies as an honorary Hollywood producer or talent manager. But, of those eight other trips, only the 1987 Nightmare 3, and the other one directed by Craven — 1994‘s Wes Craven‘s New Nightmare — were worth a damn.

Now comes the lavishly budgeted modern remake that, as with other recent remake atrocities — the new Last House on the Left and the new Friday the Thirteenth — bids to re-start the whole nightmare cycle all over again: a super production with lots of splatter but without Craven, without Englund, without Depp, without Heather Langenkamp, Patricia Arquette, Chuck Fleischer and all the rest of the gallery of the nightmare-ridden and slashed — and most importantly, without shame. This movie isn’t even worth half a damn.

Co-written without inspiration by Wesley Strick (of the Scorsese Cape Fear), half-stylishly directed by Samuel Bayer (of numerous rock videos), and with Jackie Earle Haley bravely replacing the seemingly irreplaceable Englund, the new A Nightmare of Elm Street purports to tell us what really happened way back when, to fill in the complete backstory that sent Freddy off on those endless bloody rampages.

SPOILER ALERT

It seems that Freddy is a friendly pedophile with an unquenchable lech for comely young artist Nancy Holbrook (Rooney Mara), that he was burned alive by a mob of angry parents led by Clancy Brown as Alan Smith (ee?), that Smith‘s boy Quentin (Kyle Gallner) also has the hots for Nancy, that the two of them plan to foil Freddy by half-falling asleep in his old haunts. (Fat chance, suckers.) And that Freddy probably gained entry into everybody’s nightmares because of his passion for the Everly Brothers‘ ‘50s ballad “All I Have to Do is Dream,” which, played under the credits, provides this movie‘s unquestioned high point. (But why not also give us Bobby Darin’s great “Dream Lover?“ Or Mama Cass‘s “Dream a Little Dream of Me?”)

END OF SPOILER.

Now that you know the awful truth, you are spared the necessity of seeing this awful movie, and New Line has been spared the horrific duty of preparing eight more horrendous sequels. Poor Robert Englund has been spared the torment of watching Jackie Earle Haley scratching his steel claw fingernails against blackboards, furnaces, bedroom walls and nubile flesh — those fingernails, that flesh, that should be his, his! (Why couldn’t Englund be granted at least a cameo here? Playing, say, the high school psychiatrist?)

As for Haley, a fine actor who, in this movie, lacks Englund‘s gusto, he can now return to more plausible perversions in artier films like Little Children, and be forever spared the chore of showing up at shopping malls and fan conventions in his striped sweater, cackling “Hey! I’ll take a stab at this!” and dipping his fore-fingernail into inkwells for autographs.

A Nightmare on Elm Street is slick but empty, flashy but familiar, bloody but bowed. I wasn’t scared walking out of it this time. I should have been scared, walking in.

Secretary (Two and a Half Stars)
U.S.; Steven Shainberg, 2002 ( Lionsgate )

A shy-looking boss (James Spader) hires a quiet secretary (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who develops a taste for degradation. Daring, but overrated.

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Sunday, January 6th, 2008
Link to the List

Scott Renshaw
Charleston City Paper

1 No Country for Old Men
2 Once
3 My Kid Could Paint That
4 Joshua
5 The Host
6 The King of Kong
7 Into the Wild
8 Day Night Day Night
9 Walk Hard
10 There Will Be Blood
Link to the List

Keith Cohen
Sun Publications

1 Sweeney Todd
2 Hairspray
3 Ratatouille
4 Little Children
5 Enchanted
6 Elizabeth: The Golden Age
7 In the Shadow of the Moon
8 After the Wedding
9 Volver
10 Hurricane on the Bayou
Link to the List

Cole Dabney
Community Times

1 There Will Be Blood
2 Juno
3 Into the Wild
4 Knocked Up
5 American Gangster
6 Sweeney Todd
7 Ratatouille
8 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
9 No Country for Old Men
10 3:10 to Yuma
Link to the List

Larry Katz
Community Times

1 American Gangster
2 Away from Her
3 The Great Debaters
4 Hairspray
5 Into the Wild
6 Michael Clayton
7 A Mighty Heart
8 Ratatouille
9 Sicko
10 Sweeney Todd
Link to the List

Matt Sheehan
Morris Daily Herald

1 No Country for Old Men
2 Juno
3 Gone Baby Gone
4 Hot Fuzz
5 Talk To Me
6 Eastern Promises
7 Rescue Dawn
8 3:10 to Yuma
9 The Mist
10 The Bourne Ultimatum

Keith Cohen | Cole Dabney | Larry Katz | Scott Renshaw | Matt Sheehan

Page 26

Sunday, January 6th, 2008
Link to the List

Bob Strauss
LA Daily News

1 I’m Not There
2 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
3 Away From Her
4 The Bourne Ultimatum
5 Control
6 Offside
7 Atonement
8 Gone Baby Gone
9 Grindhouse
10 Juno/Lars and the Real Girl
Link to the List

Glenn Whipp
LA Daily News

1 There Will Be Blood
2 I’m Not There
3 No Country for Old Men
4 Ratatouille
5 The Bourne Ultimatum
6 Knocked Up
7 Assassination of Jesse James
8 Sweeney Todd
9 The Darjeeling Limited
10 Once/Walk Hard
Link to the List

Germain Lussier
Times Herald-Record

1 There Will Be Blood
2 Sweeney Todd
3 The King of Kong
4 Grindhouse
5 Zodiac
6 Juno
7 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
8 Into the Wild
9 Beowulf
10 Atonement
Link to the List

Larry Ratliff
San Antonio Express

1 Away From Her
2 Juno
3 La Vie en Rose
4 Charlie Wilson’s War
5 In the Valley of Elah
6 The Kite Runner
7 No Country for Old Men
8 Beowulf
9 Sweeney Todd
10 The Great Debaters
Link to the List

Matthew Lucas
The Dispatch

1 Into the Wild
2 The Lives of Others
3 Assassination of Jesse James
4 Sweeney Todd
5 Zodiac
6 No Country for Old Men
7 Ratatouille
8 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
9 Lust, Caution
10 Michael Clayton
Link to the List

Burl Burlingame
Star Bulletin

1 Michael Clayton
2 Ratatouille
3 The Kite Runner
4 Waitress
5 Assassination of Jesse James
6 Stardust
7 Across the Universe
8 300
9 La Vie en Rose
10 The Mist
Link to the List

Scott Feinberg
And the Winner Is …

1 Juno
2 Superbad
3 God Grew Tired of Us
4 Gone Baby Gone
5 In the Valley of Elah
6 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
7 Sicko
8 Lars and the Real Girl
9 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
10 The Kite Runner
Link to the List

Marcy Dermansky
About.com

1 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
2 There Will Be Blood
3 The Darjeeling Limited
4 Atonement
5 Away from Her
6 Persepolis
7 After the Wedding
8 Blame it on Fidel
9 Talk to Me
10 Lust, Caution
Link to the List

TC Kirkham
Subject: Cinema

1 Across the Universe
2 Air Guitar Nation
3 Beowulf
4 Black Irish
5 Fierce People
6 Hairspray
7 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
8 The King of Kong/Man in the Chair
9 Once/Ratatouille
10 Sweeney Todd/Wristcutters
Link to the List

Kim Brown
Subject: Cinema

1 3:10 to Yuma
2 Air Guitar Nation
3 Fierce People
4 Hairspray
5 Hot Fuzz
6 I Am Legend
7 The King of Kong
8 Once
9 Sweeney Todd
10 Wristcutters

Kim Brown | Burl Burlingame | Marcy Dermansky | Scott Feinberg | TC Kirkham | Matthew Lucas | Germain Lussier | Larry Ratliff | Bob Strauss | Glenn Whipp

Page 25

Sunday, January 6th, 2008
Link to the List

Joe Morgenstern
Wall Street Journal

1 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
2 Ratatouille
3 There Will Be Blood
4 Atonement
5 Into the Wild
6 Juno
7 Lars and the Real Girl
8 Manufactured Landscapes
9 Once
10 Waitress
Link to the List

David Poland
Movie City News

1 I’m Not There
2 Lake of Fire
3 Michael Clayton
4 No Country for Old Men
5 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
6 Day Night Day Night
7 Ratatouille
8 Lars and the Real Girl
9 Superbad
10 The Savages
Link to the List

Aaron Mesh
Willamette Week

1 There Will Be Blood
2 No Country for Old Men
3 Superbad/Knocked Up
4 I’m Not There
5 Margot at the Wedding
6 Offside
7 The Host
8 King Corn
9 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
10 Breach
Link to the List

Victor Diaz
News 8 Austin

1 Juno
2 Once
3 Lars and the Real Girl
4 Eastern Promises
5 The Bourne Ultimatum
6 No Country for Old Men
7 Gone Baby Gone
8 There Will Be Blood
9 300
10 Talk to me
Link to the List

Stephen Becker
Dallas Morning News

1 Once
2 Juno
3 Knocked Up
4 American Gangster
5 Atonement
6 Margot at the Wedding
7 Eastern Promises
8 Gone Bably Gone
9 Beowulf
10 No Country for Old Men
Link to the List

Chris Vognar
Dallas Morning News

1 The Savages
2 American Gangster
3 Juno
4 Persepolis
5 The Bourne Ultimatum
6 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
7 There Will Be Blood
8 The King of Kong
9 Talk to Me
10 Assassination of Jesse James
Link to the List

Pat Graham
Chicago Reader

1 Inland Empire
2 Silent Light
3 Tears of the Black Tiger
4 Margot at the Wedding
5 Los Muertos
6 Colossal Youth
7 The Man From London
8 Flanders
9 The Taste of Tea
10 I’m Not There/Brand Upon the Brain
Link to the List

Brad Brevet
Rope of Silicon.com

1 The Bourne Ultimatum
2 Atonement
3 Assassination of Jesse James
4 Michael Clayton
5 Once
6 Things We Lost in the Fire
7 Reign Over Me
8 Zodiac
9 Sweeney Todd
10 The Orphanage
Link to the List

David Hudson
Greencine

1 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
2 Zodiac
3 Assassination of Jesse James
4 Yella
5 Duchess of Langeais
6 Persepolis
7 Ratatouille
8 Madonnas
9 Hannah Takes the Stairs
10 The Bourne Ultimatum
Link to the List

Noah Forrest
Movie City News

1 The Darjeeling Limited
2 There Will Be Blood
3 Zodiac
4 No Country for Old Men
5 Michael Clayton
6 Margot at the Wedding
7 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
8 Once
9 Into the Wild
10 The Devil Came on Horseback

Stephen Becker | Brad Brevet | Victor Diaz | Noah Forrest | Pat Graham | David Hudson | Aaron Mesh | Joe Morgenstern | David Poland | Chris Vognar

Page 24

Sunday, January 6th, 2008
Link to the List

The Austin Chronicle

1 No Country for Old Men
2 The Lives of Others
3 There Will Be Blood
4 Persepolis
5 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
6 Juno
7 Atonement
8 3:10 to Yuma
9 The Bourne Ultimatum/Eastern Promises
10 Ratatouille
Link to the List

Geoffrey Cheshire
Independent Weekly

1 Into the Wild
2 Into Great Silence
3 The Lives of Others
4 Grindhouse
5 No End in Sight
6 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
7 Persepolis
8 Black Snake Moan
9 Sicko
10 Great World of Sound
Link to the List

Stan Urankar
Cleveland Sun

1 Eastern Promises
2 Enchanted
3 The Hoax
4 300
5 Zodiac
6 No Country for Old Men
7 Talk to Me
8 Hairspray
9 Dan in Real Life
10 A Mighty Heart
Link to the List

Shawn Edwards
Fox-TV

1 I Am Legend
2 Hairspray
3 Transformers
4 American Gangster
5 Atonement
6 Assassination of Jesse James
7 300
8 Michael Clayton
9 The Great Debaters
10 Enchanted
Link to the List

John Urbanich
Cleveland Sun

1 Into the Wild
2 Atonement
3 Away From Her
4 Once
5 Juno
6 Stardust
7 Eastern Promises
8 Hairspray
9 Lust, Caution
10 No Country For Old Men / Assassination of Jesse James
Link to the List

Gerry Shamray
Cleveland Sun

1 No Country for Old Men
2 Juno
3 The King of Kong
4 Sicko
5 The Lives of Others
6 Grindhouse
7 Hairspray
8 Ratatouille
9 The Bourne Ultimatum
10 Hot Fuzz
Link to the List

Dann Gire
Chicago Daily News

1 Juno
2 Michael Clayton
3 Atonement
4 No Country for Old Men
5 The Orphanage
6 Away From Her
7 Knocked Up
8 Ratatouille
9 Waitress
10 There Will Be Blood
Link to the List

Mike Scott
New Orleans Times Picayune

1 No Country for Old Men
2 Assassination of Jesse James
3 3:10 to Yuma
4 Gone Baby Gone
5 Sweeney Todd
6 Sicko
7 Zodiac
8 Hairspray
9 Waitress
10 In the Shadow of the Moon
Link to the List

Devin Faraci
CHUD

1 Once
2 Zodiac
3 No Country for Old Men
4 Into the Wild
5 Assassination of Jesse James
6 There Will Be Blood
7 Hot Fuzz
8 I’m Not There
9 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
10 Gone Baby Gone
Link to the List

Ray Pride
Movie City News

1 There Will Be Blood
1 Once
3 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
4 Ratatouille
5 Zodiac
6 Away From Her
7 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
8 The Savages
9 Assassination of Jesse James
10 Sweeney Todd

Geoffrey Cheshire | Austin Chronicle | Shawn Edwards | Dann Gire | Devin Faraci | Ray Pride | Mike Scott |Gerry Shamray | Stan Urankar | John Urbanich

Page 23

Sunday, January 6th, 2008
Link to the List

Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing

1 No Country for Old Men
2 Gone Baby Gone
3 Juno
4 Two Days in Paris
5 No End in Sight
6 The King of Kong
7 Ratatouille
8 Across the Universe
9 Assassination of Jesse James
10 Lake of Fire
Link to the List

Jeremy Smith
CHUD

1 No Country for Old Men
2 There Will Be Blood
3 Assassination of Jesse James
4 Into the Wild
5 Grindhouse
6 Juno
7 Lake of Fire
8 I’m Not There
9 Ratatouille
10 Zodiac
Link to the List

Al Alexander
The Patriot Ledger

1 No Country for Old men
2 Knocked Up
3 Sweeney Todd
4 Black Box
5 Zodiac
6 I’m Not There
7 The Hoax
8 Hairspray
9 Juno
10 Lars and the Real Girl/Once
Link to the List

Michael Wilmington

1 No Country for Old Men
2 There Will Be Blood
3 Away From Her
4 Eastern Promises
5 Private Fears in Public Places
6 The Host
7 Rescue Dawn
8 Black Book
9 The Namesake
10 Sweeney Todd
Link to the List

David Ehrenstein

1 I’m Not There
2 Regular Lovers
3 I Don’t Want to Sleep Alone
4 There Will Be Blood
5 La Vie en Rose
6 Sweeney Todd
7 The Man of My Life
8 Away from Her
9 Syndromes and a Century
10 Terror’s Advocate
Link to the List

Peter DeBruge
Variety

1 Atonement
2 Manufactured Landscapes
3 Romance & Cigarettes
4 There Will Be Blood
5 No Country for Old Men
6 Private Property
7 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
8 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
9 Lake of Fire
10 Juno
Link to the List

Nathan Lee
Village Voice

1 Southland Tales
2 Zodiac
3 Syndromes and a Century
4 I’m Not There
5 Pitcher of Colored Light
6 Regular Lovers
7 Rabbit Hunters/Colossal Youth
8 Black Book
9 Eastern Promises
10 I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
Link to the List

Larry Gross

1 Syndromes and a Century
2 I’m Not There
3 Zodiac
4 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
5 I Don’t Want to Sleep Alone
6 There Will Be Blood
7 Into the Wild
8 No Country for Old Men
9 Southland Tales
10 Youth Without Youth
Link to the List

Gary Dretzka
Movie City News

1 The Devil Came on Horseback/Darfur Now/Sand and Sorrow/War-Dance
2 Away From Her
3 Ratatouille
4 The Namesake
5 Once
6 Into the Wild
7 Ten Canoes
8 Red Road
9 Zodiac
10 Blame it on Fidel
Link to the List

Kevin Williamson
Ottawa Sun

1 No Country for Old Men
2 Assassination of Jesse James
3 Atonement
4 Zodiac
5 Ratatouille
6 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
7 The Kite Runner
8 The Bourne Ultimatum
9 Superbad
10 Sweeney Todd

Al Alexander | Matt Brunson | Peter DeBruge | Gary Dretzka | Larry Gross | J. Hoberman | Nathan Lee | Jeremy Smith | Kevin Williamson | Michael Wilmington

Page 22

Sunday, January 6th, 2008
Link to the List

Tom Charity
CNN

1 There Will Be Blood
2 Into the Wild
3 Zodiac
4 Assassination of Jesse James
5 No Country for Old Men
6 Once
7 Black Book
8 Persepolis
9 Syndromes and a Century
10 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
Link to the List

Alonso Duralde
MSNBC

1 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
2 Away From Her
3 There Will Be Blood
4 Assassination of Jesse James
5 Persepolis/Meet the Robinsons
6 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
7 Zodiac
8 Paris je t’aime
9 Grindouse
10 Knocked Up
Link to the List

Armond White
New York Press

1 The Darjeeling Limited
2 Private Fears in Public Places
3 Hot Fuzz / Bubble
4 Lions for Lambs / Diggers
5 I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
6 The Brave One
7 War/Rescue Dawn
8 No Country for Old Men
9 Amazing Grace
10 Romance & Cigarettes
Link to the List

Scott Weinberg
Cinematical

1 The Orphanage
2 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
3 There Will Be Blood
4 This is England
5 No Country for Old Men
6 Sweeney Todd
7 Hot Fuzz
8 Zodiac
9 The Bourne Ultimatum
10 Juno/Knocked Up/Waitress
Link to the List

Melissa Anderson
Time Out New York

1 Southland Tales
2 I’m Not There
3 Lady Chatterley
4 Syndromes and a Century
5 There Will Be Blood
6 Bug
7 Regular Lovers
8 Away From Her
9 Zodiac
10 Persepolis
Link to the List

Joshua Rothkopf
Time Out New York

1 Zodiac
2 The Bourne Ultimatum
3 Away from Her
4 Lake of Fire
5 I’m Not There
6 Syndromes and a Century
7 Black Book
8 Knocked Up
9 Offside
10 The Mist
Link to the List

Ben Kenigsberg
Time Out Chicago

1 Zodiac
2 There Will Be Blood
3 Black Book
4 No Country for Old Men
5 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
6 Superbad
7 Southland Tales
8 Lake of Fire
9 Eastern Promises
10 It is Fine! Everything is Fine!
Link to the List

Hank Sartin
Time Out Chicago

1 There Will Be Blood
2 Zodiac
3 No Country for Old Men
4 Assassination of Jesse James
5 Once
6 Knocked Up
7 I’m Not There
8 Into the Wild
9 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
10 My Kid Could Paint That
Link to the List

Brent Simon
LA Citybeat

1 Zodiac
2 No Country for Old Men
3 No End in Sight
4 Ratatouille
5 Once
6 Michael Clayton
7 American Gangster
8 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
9 Reign Over Me
10 Eastern Promises
Link to the List

Kristian Lin
Ft. Worth Weekly

1 Talk to Me
2 Hot Fuzz
3 Juno
4 The Host
5 Paprika
6 The Savages
7 Once
8 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
9 Sweeney Todd
10 Michael Clayton

Melissa Anderson | Tom Charity | Alonso Duralde | Ben Kenigsberg | Kristian Lin | Joshua Rothkopf | Hank Sartin | Brent Simon | Scott Weinberg | Armond White

Page 21

Sunday, January 6th, 2008


Link to the List

Peter Hartlaub
San Francisco Chronicle

1 The King of Kong
2 Atonement
3 Grindhouse
4 The Savages
5 Knocked Up
6 The Host
7 Juno
8 Ratatouille
9 Michael Clayton
10 No Country for Old Men
Link to the List

Phil Parker
Albuquerque Tribune

1 American Gangster
2 There Will Be Blood
3 Rescue Dawn
4 Sweeney Todd
5 Eastern Promises
6 Grindhouse
7 The Lookout
8 Stardust
9 Lars and the Real Girl
10 28 Weeks Later
Link to the List

Mick LaSalle
San Francisco Chronicle

1 Waitress
2 Atonement
3 Assassination of Jesse James
4 No Country for Old Men
5 Redacted
6 Dan in Real Life
7 Flanders
8 Golden Door
9 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
10 Revolution Summer
Link to the List

Peter Ranier
Christian Science Monitor

1 Breach
2 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
3 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
4 Hairspray
5 Into Great Silence
6 The Namesake
7 No Country for Old Men
8 No End in Sight
9 Offside
10 Persepolis
Link to the List

John Lekich
Georgia Straight

1 Across the Universe
2 American Gangster
3 Away from Her
4 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
5 Deep Water
6 Fracture
7 No Country for Old Men
8 Sicko
9 Ratatouille
10 Waitress
Link to the List

Patty Jones
Georgia Straight

1 Once
2 No Country for Old Men
3 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
4 Assassination of Jesse James
5 Ratatouille
6 Charlie Wilson’s War
7 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
8 Juno
9 No End in Sight
10 The Lives of Others
Link to the List

Mark Harris
Georgia Straight

1 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
2 Black Book
3 No Country for Old Men
4 The Wind that Shakes the Barley
5 Elizabeth: The Golden Age
6 Brand Upon the Brain
7 Inland Empire
8 Across the Universe
9 The Host
10 La Vie en Rose
Link to the List

Ron Yamauchi
Georgia Straight

1 Knocked Up
2 Stardust
3 Sunshine
4 I Am Legend
5 No Country for Old Men
6 Black Book
7 300
8 Death Sentence
9 The Lookout
10 Rescue Dawn
Link to the List

Ken Eisner
Georgia Straight

1 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
2 The Savages
3 Once
4 Across the Universe
5 The Darjeeling Limited
6 Juno
7 No Country for Old Men
8 Avenue Montaigne
9 Lars and the Real Girl
10 Knocked Up/Superbad/Walk Hard
Link to the List

Janet Smith
Georgia Straight

1 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
2 La Vie en Rose
3 No Country for Old men
4 Grindhouse
5 Juno
6 Severance
7 Things we Lost in the Fire
8 The Lives of Others
9 Atonement
10 Assassination of Jesse James

Ken Eisner | Mark Harris | Peter Hartlaub | Patty Jones | John Lekich | Mick LaSalle | Phil Parker | Peter Ranier | Janet Smith | Ron Yamauchi

Page 20

Sunday, January 6th, 2008
Link to the List

Geoff Pevere
Toronto Star

1 Assassination of Jesse james
2 The Darjeeling Limited
3 Eastern Promises
4 Inland Empire
5 Into the Wild
6 Michael Clayton
7 No Country for Old Men
8 Superbad
9 The Wind that Shakes the Barley
10 Zodiac
Link to the List

Colin Covert
Minn-St. Paul Star Tribune

1 Atonement
2 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
3 Eastern Promises
4 The Host
5 Into the Wild
6 Juno
7 Michael Clayton
8 No Country for Old Men
9 Once/Sweeney Todd
10 Zodiac
Link to the List

John Serba
Grand Rapids Press

1 Once
2 Juno
3 Ratatouille
4 Into the Wild
5 Lars and the Real Girl
6 There Will be Blood
7 Hot Fuzz
8 The King of Kong
9 Sunshine
10 Lust, Caution
Link to the List

Nicolas Rapold
New York Sun

1 Day Night Day Night
2 There Will be Blood
3 Ratatouille
4 Syndromes and a Century
5 No Country for Old Men
6 Away from Her
7 Zodiac
8 I’m Not There
9 Hot Fuzz
10 Killer of Sheep
Link to the List

Andrew O’Hehir
Salon

1 Bamako
2 Joe Strummer
3 Romance and Cigarettes
4 Regular Lovers
5 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
6 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
7 Red Road
8 Forever
9 Zodiac
10 Killer of Sheep
Link to the List

David Elliott
San Diego Union

1 Atonement
2 Offside
3 In the Valley of Elah
4 The Lives of Others
5 Youth Without Youth
6 Colma: The Musical
7 Talk to me
8 Juno
9 Crazy Love
10 Ratatouille
Link to the List

Dana Stevens
Slate

1 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
2 Away From Her
3 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
4 The Host
5 Killer of Sheep
6 No End in Sight
7 Once
8 Persepolis
9 Ratatouille
10 There Will be Blood
Link to the List

Todd Hill
Staten Island Advance

1 There Will be Blood
2 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
3 Zodiac
4 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
5 Michael Clayton
6 Juno
7 Away from Her
8 Into the Wild
9 Superbad
10 The Savages
Link to the List

Jeffrey Ressner
Politico.com

1 No End in Sight
2 The Lives of Others
3 Breach
4 Sicko
5 In the Valley of Elah
6 The Kingdom
7 A Mighty Heart
8 Persepolis
9 Charlie Wilson’s War
10 The Bourne Ultimatum
Link to the List

Mary Pols
San Jose Mercury News

1 No Country for Old Men
2 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
3 There Will Be BLood
4 The Savages
5 Zodiac
6 Superbad
7 Ratatouille
8 Atonement
9 Rescue Dawn
10 In the Valley of Elah

Colin Covert | David Elliott | Todd Hill | Andrew O’Hehir | Geoff Pevere | Mary Pols | Nicolas Rapold | Jeffrey Ressner | John Serba | Dana Stevens

Page 19

Sunday, January 6th, 2008
Link to the List

Jim Slotek
Toronto Sun

1 Juno
2 Sweeney Todd
3 Letters from Iwo Jima
4 The Lives of Others
5 The Host
6 Grindhouse
7 Offside
8 Ten Canoes
9 3:10 to Yuma
10 Gone Baby Gone
Link to the List

Liz Braun
Toronto Sun

1 Away from Her
2 No Country for Old Men
3 The Italian
4 After the Wedding
5 Atonement
6 300
7 No End in Sight
8 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
9 I’m Not There
10 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
Link to the List

Gene Seymour
NY Newsday

1 Ratatouille
2 There Will Be Blood
3 Once
4 Eastern Promises
5 Persepolis
6 Juno
7 No End in Sight
8 Syndromes and a Century
9 Superbad
10 The Namesake
Link to the List

Robert Butler
Kansas City Star

1 Sweeney Todd
2 Once
3 Things We Lost in the Fire
4 Into the Wild
5 No Country for Old Men
6 Lars and the Real Girl
7 Juno
8 There Will be Blood
9 Away From Her
10 Michael Clayton
Link to the List

Bob Mondello
NPR

1 Sweeney Todd
2 No Country for Old Men
3 Assassination of Jesse James
4 Charlie Wilson’s War
5 Ratatouille
6 Persepolis
7 The Lives of Others
8 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
9 The Savages
10 Once
Link to the List

Jan Stuart
NY Newsday

1 There Will Be Blood
2 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
3 Eastern Promises
4 Once
5 The Savages
6 Knocked Up
7 Lars and the Real Girl
8 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
9 Live-In Maid
10 Michael Clayton
Link to the List

Michael Drakulich
Southtown Star

1 Atonement
2 No Country for Old Men
3 Sweeney Todd
4 Away From Her
5 Across the Universe
6 La Vie en Rose
7 The Hoax
8 Juno
9 The Italian
10 A Mighty Heart
Link to the List

Patrick Walsh
Cinematical

1 No Country for Old Men
2 Knocked Up
3 Into the Wild
4 Gone Baby Gone
5 Assassination of Jesse James
6 In the Valley of Elah
7 The Lookout
8 The King of Kong
9 The Mist
10 Michael Clayton
Link to the List

Tim Lammers
KNBC 4

1 Enchanted
2 Hairspray
3 Sweeney Todd
4 Grindhouse
5 Dan in Real Life
6 300
7 Transformers
8 Michael Clayton
9 There Will Be Blood
10 Knocked Up
Link to the List

Ethan Alter
Giant Magazine

1 There Will be Blood
2 The Lives of Others
3 Hot Fuzz
4 Lust, Caution
5 No End in Sight
6 After the Wedding
7 I’m Not There
8 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
9 Into the Wild
10 Beowulf

Ethan Alter | Liz Braun | Robert Butler | Michael Drakulich | Tim Lammers | Bob Mondello | Gene Seymour | Jim Slotek | Jan Stuart | Patrick Walsh

Page 18

Sunday, January 6th, 2008
Link to the List

Kyle Smith
New York Post

1 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
2 Once
3 Knocked Up
4 Into the Wild
5 Superbad
6 Ratatouille
7 No Country for Old Men
8 The Lives of Others
9 Margot at the Wedding
10 Meet the Robinsons
Link to the List

Lou Lumenick
New York Post

1 Atonement
2 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
3 No Country for Old Men
4 Juno
5 Ratatouille
6 Zodiac
7 American Gangster
8 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
9 Hairspray
10 There Will Be Blood
Link to the List

Amy Longsdorf
Allentown Morning Call

1 Into the Wild
2 Atonement
3 No Country for Old Men
4 The Savages
5 Zodiac
6 Sweeney Todd
7 Gone Baby Gone
8 Michael Clayton
9 Away From Her
10 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
Link to the List

Christopher Borelli
Toronto Blade

1 I’m Not There
2 Superbad
3 Zodiac
4 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
5 No Country for Old Men
6 Live Free or Die Hard
7 There Will Be Blood
8 Summercamp
9 The Savages
10 Once
Link to the List

Clint O’Connor
Cleveland Plain Dealer

1 Juno
2 After the Wedding
3 No Country for Old Men
4 Away from Her
5 Into the Wild
6 Assassination of Jesse James
7 Two Days in Paris
8 Across the Universe
9 3:10 to Yuma
10 Once
Link to the List

Josh Larsen
Southtwon Star

1 Into the Wild
2 The Astronaut Farmer
3 28 Weeks Later
4 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
5 Juno
6 Away from Her
7 Ratatouille
8 No Country for Old Men
9 The Darjeeling Limited
10 The Simpsons Movie
Link to the List

Peter Sobczynski
efilmcritic.com

1 Zodiac
2 There Will Be Blood
3 No Country for Old Men
4 I’m Not There
5 Black Book
6 Grindhouse
7 Redacted
8 Eastern Promises
9 Juno
10 Romance & Cigarettes
Link to the List

Craig D. Lindsey
Raleigh News & Observer

1 Assassination of Jesse James
2 The Bourne Ultimatum
3 The Host
4 Knocked Up
5 Superbad
6 Michael Clayton
7 No Country for Old Men
8 No End in Sight
9 Once
10 Quiet City
Link to the List

VA Musetto
New York Post

1 12:08 East of Bucharest
2 The Host
3 Exiled
4 Away from Her
5 Rescue Dawn
6 Glass Lips
7 Flanders
8 The Band’s Visit
9 The Wayward Cloud
10 The Good Times Kid
Link to the List

Forrest Hartman
Reno Gazette Journal

1 Sweeney Todd
2 Zodiac
3 Assassination of Jesse James
4 Into the Wild
5 Charlie Wilson’s War
6 Ratatouille
7 Harry Potter & Order of Phoenix
8 The Bucket List
9 Spider-Man 3
10 Eastern Promises

Chrotopher Borrelli | Forrest Hartman | Josh Larsen | Craig D. Lindsey |Amy Longsdorf | Lou Lumenick | VA Musetto | Clint O’Connor | Kyle Smith | Peter Sobczynski

Page 17

Sunday, January 6th, 2008
Link to the List

Ty Burr
Boston Globe

1 I’m Not There
2 No Country for Old Men
3 No End in Sight
4 There Will Be Blood
5 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
6 Ratatouille
7 Michael Clayton
8 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
9 Zodiac
10 Lake of Fire
Link to the List

Wesley Morris
Boston Globe

/ No Country for Old Men
/ Zodiac
/ 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
/ Bamako/Syndromes and a Century
/ I Don’t Want to Sleep Alone
/ Golden Door/Day Night Day Night
/ The Host /Ratatouille
/ The Lives of Others/Eastern Promises
/ Killer of Sheep
/ There Will Be Blood/Grindhouse
Link to the List

Jay Stone
Montreal Gazette

1 Atonement
2 No Country for Old Men
3 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
4 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
5 I’m Not There
6 Charlie Wilson’s War
7 The Bourne Ultimatum
8 Gone Baby Gone
9 Ratatouille
10 Juno
Link to the List

Michael Sragow
Baltimore Sun

1 Ratatouille
2 The Lives of Others
3 Killer of Sheep
4 In the Shadow of the Moon
5 Wind that Shakes the Barley
6 No End in Sight
7 Pan’s Labyrinth
8 Starting Out in the Evening
9 No Country for Old Men
10 Atonement
Link to the List

John Beifuss
Memphis Commercial

1 Killer of Sheep
2 Assassination of Jesse James
3 Children of Men
4 Pan’s Labyrinth
5 Zodiac
6 Ratatouille
7 Grindhouse
8 The Host
9 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
10 Waitress/Juno
Link to the List

John Griffin
Montreal Gazette

1 Once
2 Juno
3 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
4 Into the Wild
5 The Lookout
6 Assassination of Jesse James
7 In the Valley of Elah
8 Away From Her /I’m Not There
9 Red Road/Eastern Promises
10 No Country for Old Men/4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
Link to the List

James Verniere
Boston Herald

1 Zodiac
2 Eastern Promises
3 The Bourne Ultimatum
4 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
5 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
6 The Orphanage
7 Ratatouille
8 Things We Lost in the Fire
9 Once
10 There Will Be Blood
Link to the List

Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald

1 Ratatouille
2 Lars and the Real Girl
3 Sicko
4 Once
5 No Country for Old Men
6 Knocked Up
7 Hot Fuzz
8 Rendition
9 Hairspray
10 American Gangster
Link to the List

Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

1 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
2 No Country for Old Men
3 Paranoid Park
4 The Edge of Heaven
5 Hallam Foe
6 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
7 This is England
8 Ratatouille
9 The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
10 I’m Not There
Link to the List

Michael Janusonis
Providence Journal

1 Sweeney Todd
2 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
3 Into the Wild
4 Michael Clayton
5 No Country for Old Men
6 Hairspray
7 Enchanted
8 You Must Be This tall
9 Knocked Up
10 Gone Baby Gone

John Beifuss | Ty Burr | Rich Cline | John Griffin | Michael Janusonis | Wesley Morris | Michael Sragow | Jay Stone | James Verniere | Jeffrey Westhoff

Page 16

Sunday, January 6th, 2008
Link to the List

Kirk Honeycutt
The Hollywood Reporter

1 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
2 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
3 The Kite Runner
4 Ratatouille
5 Michael Clayton
6 The Bourne Ultimatum
7 The Savages
8 No Country for Old Men
9 Charlie Wilson’s War
10 Eastern Promises
Link to the List

Andy Gray
Tribune Chronicle

1 Zodiac
2 No Country for Old Men
3 Once
4 Juno
5 Ratatouille
6 Charlie Wilson’s War
7 Sweeney Todd
8 American Gangster
9 Gone Baby Gone
10 Away From Her
Link to the List

Ken Chanko
The Stephen Holt Show

1 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
2 Into the Wild
3 The Lives of Others
4 No End in Sight
5 Michael Clayton
6 The Savages
7 Juno
8 Eastern Promises
9 No Country for Old Men
10 There Will Be Blood / Youth Without Youth
Link to the List

Chris Hewitt
St Paul Pioneer Press

1 Away From Her
2 Zodiac
3 Michael Clayton
4 The Bourne Ultimatum
5 My Kid Could Paint That
6 Pete Seegar: Power of Song
7 Superbad
8 No Country for Old Men
9 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
10 Once
Link to the List

Roger Durling
Santa Barbara Independent

1 Assassination of Jesse James
2 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
3 No Country for Old Men
4 Zodiac
5 Ratatouille
6 There Will Be Blood
7 Knocked Up
8 Sweeney Todd
9 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
10 Atonement
Link to the List

George Lang
The Oklahomian

1 No Country for Old Men
2 Zodiac
3 Juno
4 Michael Clayton
5 Grindhouse
6 Atonement
7 Gone Baby Gone
8 American Gangster
9 Knocked Up
10 The Bourne Ultimatum
Link to the List

Gene Triplett
The Oklahomian

1 No Country for Old Men
2 Atonement
3 Eastern Promises
4 The Savages
5 Zodiac
6 There Will Be Blood
7 3:10 to Yuma
8 Martian Child
9 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
10 The Lookout
Link to the List

Katharine Monk
Montreal Gazette

1 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
2 3:10 to Yuma
3 Into the Wild
4 Juno
5 Charlie Wilson’s War
6 There Will Be Blood
7 Away From Her
8 Control
9 Hairspray
10 American Gangster
Link to the List

Prairie Miller
News Blaze

1 Assassination of Jesse james
2 Away From Her
3 The Great Debaters
4 Hairspray
5 Juno
6 The Savages
7 Sicko
8 Talk To Me
9 Superbad
10 There Will Be Blood
Link to the List

Sean Means
Salt Lake Tribune

1 I’m Not There
2 No Country for Old Men
3 Once
4 Juno
5 Michael Clayton
6 Offside
7 Knocked Up
8 The Host
9 Jindabyne
10 Into the Wild

Ken Chanko | Roger Durling | Andy Gray | Chris Hewitt | Kirk Honeycutt | George Lang | Sean Means | Prairie Miller | Katherine Monk | Gene Triplett

Page 15

Sunday, January 6th, 2008
Link to the List

Frank Sheck
The Hollywood Reporter

1 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
2 There Will Be Blood
3 No Country for Old Men
4 Sweeney Todd
5 Eastern Promises
6 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
7 Into the Wild
8 The Savages
9 Michael Clayton
10 Sicko
Link to the List

Sheri Linden
The Hollywood Reporter

1 Zodiac
2 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
3 The Savages
4 Deep Water
5 Syndromes and a Century
6 In the Shadow of the Moon
7 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
8 Control
9 The Water Horse
10 Wind that Shakes the Barley
Link to the List

Michael Rechtshaffen
The Hollywood Reporter

1 No Country for Old Men
2 Atonement
3 Juno
4 There Will Be Blood
5 Blame it on Fidel
6 Ratatouille
7 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
8 No End in Sight
9 Once
10 I Don’t Sleep Alone
Link to the List

Stephen Farber
The Hollywood Reporter

1 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
2 I’m Not There
3 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
4 The Kite Runner
5 The Lookout
6 Juno
7 Gone Baby Gone
8 Michael Clayton
9 Wind That Shakes the Barley
10 Eastern Promises
Link to the List

Sean Burns
Philadelphia Weekly

1 I’m Not There
2 No Country for Old Men
3 There Will Be Blood
4 Assassination of Jesse James
5 The Bourne Ultimatum
6 Zodiac
7 Superbad
8 Linda Linda Linda
9 No End in Sight
10 Bug
Link to the List

Ray Bennett
The Hollywood Reporter

1 Assassination of Jesse James
2 The Band’s Visit
3 I Served the King of England
4 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
5 Atonement
6 Michael Clayton
7 The Bourne Ultimatum
8 The Savages
9 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
10 Zodiac
Link to the List

Ella Taylor
L.A. Weekly

1 There Will Be Blood
2 Manufactured Landscapes/The Host
3 Away from Her/The Savages
4 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
5 Lake of Fire
6 Ratatouille
7 Once
8 Persepolis
9 Knocked Up
10 The Band’s Visit
Link to the List

Scott Foundas
L.A. Weekly

1 There Will Be Blood
2 Colossal Youth/Regular Lovers
3 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days/Lake of Fire
4 Zodiac
5 Ratatouille
6 No Country for Old Men/Assassination of Jesse James
7 Eastern Promises/Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
8 Margot at the Wedding
9 Knocked Up/Superbad
10 Redacted and No End in Sight and The Wind That Shakes the Barley
Link to the List

Jackie Cooper
41NBC/MGT

1 Atonement
2 Hairspray
3 Breach
4 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
5 Sweeney Todd
6 Into the Wild
7 In the Valley of Elah
8 Michael Clayton
9 August Rush
10 Transformers
Link to the List

Stephen Whitty
The Star-Ledger

1 Assassination of Jesse James
2 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
3 Juno
4 The Lives of Others
5 No Country for Old Men
6 The Orphanage
7 Persepolis
8 Reservation Road
9 Sweeney Todd
10 There Will Be Blood

Sean Burns | Ray Bennett | Jackie Cooper | Stephen Farber | Scott Foundas | Sheri Linden | Michael Rechtshaffen | Ella Taylor | Stephen Whitty

Page 14

Sunday, January 6th, 2008
Link to the List

Craig Outhier
Orange County Register

1 There Will Be Blood
2 Sweeney Todd
3 Eastern Promises
4 Golden Door
5 The Bourne Ultimatum
6 Into the Wild
7 Once
8 Beowulf/300
9 Superbad/Knocked Up
10 No Country for Old Men
Link to the List

Leonard Klady
Movie City News

1 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
2 Assassination of Jesse James
3 Into the Wild
4 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
5 Lake of Fire
6 The Lookout
7 I’m Not There
8 Once
9 La Vie en Rose
10 Away From Her
Link to the List

Sean Elliott
iF Magazine

1 Sweeney Todd
2 Enchanted
3 Elizabeth: The Golden Age
4 The Martian Child
5 Spider-Man 3
6 Pirates of the Caribbean 3
7 Ratatouille
8 300
9 The Host
10 Transformers
Link to the List

Anders Wright
San Diego CityBeat

1 Assassination of Jesse James
2 Atonement
3 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
4 Juno
5 Knocked Up
6 No Country for Old Men
7 Once
8 Ratatouille
9 The Savages
10 There Will Be Blood
Link to the List

Southeastern
Film Critics

1 No Country For Old Men
2 There Will Be Blood
3 Atonement
4 Juno
5 Michael Clayton
6 Zodiac
7 Assassination of Jesse James
8 Gone Baby Gone
9 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
10 Into the Wild
Link to the List

Robert Horton
The Herald

1 No Country for Old Men
2 There Will Be Blood
3 Assassination of Jesse James
4 Margot at the Wedding
5 Grindhouse
6 Eastern Promises
7 Lady Chatterley
8 Exiled
9 Black Snake Moan
10 Once
Link to the List

Kent Jones
Film Comment

1 Zodiac
2 There Will Be Blood
3 Black Book
4 Regular Lovers
5 The Darjeeling Limited
6 I’m Not There
7 Private Fears in Public Places
8 Southland Tales
9 The Simpsons Movie
10 Bug
Link to the List

Kristin M. Jones
Film Comment

1 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
2 Southland Tales
3 No Country for Old Men
4 Zodiac
5 Eastern Promises
6 Syndromes and a Century
7 Margot at the Wedding
8 I’m Not There
9 The Savages
10 The Bourne Ultimatum
Link to the List

Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader

1 Black Book
2 Bamako
3 Colossal Youth
4 The Silence Before Bach
5 Away from Her
6 My Brother’s Wedding
7 Blade Runner
8 Private Fears in Public Places
9 Honeydripper
10 In the Valley of Elah
Link to the List

Susan Gerhard
SF360

1 Once
2 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
3 Pesepolis
4 Into the Wild
5 The Host
6 Sicko
7 The Bourne Ultimatum
8 I’m Not There
9 I Don’t Want to Sleep Alone
10 The Golden Compass

Sean Elliott | Susan Gerhard | Robert Horton | Kent Jones | Kristin M. Jones | Leonard Klady | Craig Outhier | Jonathan Rosenbaum | Southeastern Film Critics | Anders Wright

Page 13

Sunday, January 6th, 2008
Link to the List

Peter Brunette
Screen International

1 No Country for Old Men
2 Atonement
3 Assassination of Jesse James
4 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
5 4 Weeks, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
6 Gone Baby Gone
7 In the Valley of Elah
8 Michael Clayton
9 Into the Wild
10 Lars and the Real Girl
Link to the List

J.R. Jones
Chicago Reader

1 Atonement
2 Away From Her
3 Gone Baby Gone
4 In the Valley of Elah
5 Into Great Silence
6 Lake of Fire
7 My Kid Could Paint That
8 Reservation Road
9 There Will Be Blood
10 Things We Lost in the Fire
Link to the List

Michael Phillips
Chicago Tribune

1 Once
2 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
3 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
4 Ratatouille
5 There Will Be Blood
6 No End in Sight
7 Margot at the Wedding
8 The Bourne Ultimatum
9 Assassination of Jesse James
10 Knocked Up/Juno
Link to the List

Donna Bowma
Nashville Scene

1 Ratatouille
2 Once
3 No Country for Old Men
4 The King of Kong
5 Atonement
6 12:08 East of Bucharest
7 Into the Wild
8 Zodiac
9 Into Great Silence
10 3:10 to Yuma
Link to the List

Tom Tangney
KIRO Radio – Seattle

1 There Will Be Blood
2 Assassination of Jesse James
3 Once
4 No Country for Old Men
5 Sweeney Todd
6 The King of Kong
7 Juno
8 Away From Her
9 A Mighty Heart
10 The Lookout/Zodiac
Link to the List

N.P. Thompson
MoviesIntoFilm.com

1 Wind that Shakes the Barley
2 Killer of Sheep
3 Scott Walker: 30 Century mann
4 Cats of Mirikitani
5 I’m Not There
6 Syndromes and a Century
7 The Violin
8 Delirious
9 Goya’s Ghosts/Belle Toujours
10 Tekkonkinkreet
Link to the List

Stephanie Zacharek
Salon

1 I’m Not There
2 Control
3 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
4 Persepolis
5 Away From Her
6 Ratatouille
7 Grindhouse
8 Once
9 Joe Strummer
10 No End in Sight/Redacted
Link to the List

Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound

1 No Country for Old Men
2 Juno
3 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
4 Eastern Promises
5 Once
6 The Hoax
7 Into the Wild
8 No End in Sight
9 Atonement
10 Gone Baby Gone
Link to the List

Utah Film Critics

1 3:10 to Yuma
2 Assassination of Jesse James
3 No Country for Old Men
4 I’m Not There
5 Into the Wild
6 Juno
7 Knocked Up
8 Michael Clayton
9 Once
10 There Will Be Blood
Link to the List

Kevin LaForest
Montreal Film Journal

1 There Will Be Blood
2 Beowulf
3 Daisy Diamond
4 Death Proof
5 I’m Not There
6 Spider-Man 3
7 Black Snake Moan
8 Hot Fuzz
9 The Darjeeling Limited
10 Eastern Promises

Donna Bowma | Peter Brunette | J.R. Jones | Kevin LaForest | Joe Lozito | Michael Phillips | Tom Tangney | N.P. Thompson | Utah Film Critics | Stephanie Zacharek

Page 12

Sunday, January 6th, 2008
Link to the List

Jeffery M. Anderson
Combustable Celluloid

1 Assassination of Jesse James
2 No Country for Old Men
3 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
4 Offside
5 Private Fears in Public Places
6 Eastern Promises
7 Bug
8 The Host
9 I’m Not There
10 12:08 East of Bucharest
Link to the List

Josh Tyler
CinemaBlend

1 Sicko
2 The Lookout
3 The Bourne Ultimatum
4 Stephen King’s The Mist
5 The Namesake
6 Knocked Up
7 No Country for Old Men
8 There Will Be Blood
9 Eagle v. Shark
10 I Am Legend
Link to the List

Maitland McDonah
TVGuide.com

1 Antonia
2 Atonement
3 Away from her
4 Black Book
5 Eastern Promises
6 Michael Clayton
7 Persepolis
8 Private Fears in Public Places
9 Shoot ’em Up
10 The Wind that Shakes the Barley
Link to the List

Susan Granger
SSG Syndicate

1 Atonement
1 The Bourne Ultimatum
1 The Darjeeling Express
4 Juno
5 The Kite Runner
6 Michael Clayton
7 No Country for Old Men
8 Sweeney Todd
9 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
10 There Will Be Blood
Link to the List

Cynthia Fuchs
Popmatters.com

1 Assassination of Jesse James
2 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days
3 The Golden Door
4 The Host
5 Killer of Sheep
6 My Kid Could Paint That
7 Nice Bombs
8 Offside
9 The Prisoner
10 There Will Be Blood/Zodiac
Link to the List

Thelma Adams
US Weekly

1 Atonement
2 No Country for Old Men
3 Eastern Promises
4 Knocked up
5 I’m Not There
6 Sweeney Todd
7 Hairspray
8 Zodiac
9 Juno
10 A Mighty Heart
Link to the List

Edward Douglas
Comingsoon.net

1 Once
2 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
3 Vitus
4 The Host
5 Hot Fuzz
6 Superbad
7 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
8 Lars and the Real Girl
9 3:10 to Yuma
10 I’m Not There
Link to the List

James Rocchi
CBS-5 San Francisco

1 No Country for Old Men
2 Persepolis
3 No End in Sight
4 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
5 The Bourne Ultimatum
6 Great World of Sound
7 Assassination of Jesse James
8 I’m Not There
9 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
10 There Will Be Blood
Link to the List

Oklahoma
Film Critics

1 No Country for Old Men
2 Juno
3 Zodiac
4 Atonement
5 Michael Clayton
6 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
7 King of Kong
8 Gone Baby Gone
9 Once
10 Eastern Promises
Link to the List

Steven Rea
Philadelphia Inquirer

1 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
2 The Bourne Ultimatum
3 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
4 Eastern Promises
5 I’m Not There
6 Into the Wild
7 Margot at the Wedding
8 Michael Clayton
9 No Country for Old Men
10 La Vie en Rose

Thelma Adams | Jeffrey M. Anderson | Edward Douglas | Cynthia Fuchs | Susan Granger | Maitland McDonagh | Oklahoma Film Critics | Steven Rea | James Rocchi | Josh Tyler

Page 11

Sunday, January 6th, 2008
Link to the List

Susan Wloszczyna
USA Today

1 No Country for Old Men
2 Ratatouille
3 Away From Her
4 Atonement
5 Juno
6 Sweeney Todd
7 The Savages
8 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
9 Michael Clayton
10 Enchanted
Link to the List

Kim Voynar
Cinematical.com

1 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
1 Juno
1 Zodiac
4 No Country for Old Men
5 No End in Sight
6 Persepolis
7 Sweeney Todd
8 Away From Her
9 War/Dance
10 For the Bible Tells Me So
Link to the List

Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer

1 Across the Universe
2 American Gangster
3 Away from Her
4 Enchanted
5 The Great Debaters
6 Into the Wild
7 Juno
8 The Namesake
9 No End in Sight
10 The Savages/The Lives of Others
Link to the List

Jennifer Merin
New York Press

1 Away From Her
2 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
3 Eastern Promises
4 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
5 The Golden Door
6 Into the Wild
7 Nanking
8 Persepolis
9 Shoot ’em Up
10 Sweeney Todd
Link to the List

Anne Thompson
Variety

1 No Country for Old Men
2 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
3 There Will Be Blood
4 Lust, Caution
5 Atonement
6 The Bourne Ultimatum
7 Sweeney Todd
8 The Savages
9 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
10 Juno
Link to the List

Shelli Sonstein
Q1943 AM

1 Into the Wild
2 No Country for Old Men
3 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
4 Away From Her
5 28 Weeks Later
6 Charlie Wilson’s War
7 The Bucket List
8 Redacted
9 Introducing the Dwights
10 The Bubble
Link to the List

Lexi Feinberg
Big Picture Big Sound

1 Juno
2 Away From Her
3 Sweeney Todd
4 Knocked Up
5 Atonement
6 Into the Wild
7 My Kid Could Paint That
8 Starter For 10
9 No Country for Old Men
10 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Link to the List

Mark Slutsky
Montreal Mirror

1 There Will Be Blood
1 No Country for Old Men
1 Zodiac
4 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
5 Knocked Up/Superbad
6 The Bourne Ultimatum
7 Control
8 Paprika
9 Election
10 Zidane
Link to the List

Matthew Hays
Montreal Mirror

1 Eastern Promises
2 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
3 Away From Her
4 No Country for Old Men
5 God Grew Tired Of us
6 Rendition
7 Sicko
8 Zoo
9 Up the Yangtze Yung
10 The Lives of Others
Link to the List

Malcolm Fraser
Montreal Mirror

1 Killer of Sheep
2 Eastern Promises
3 Margot at the Wedding
4 The Host
5 No End in Sight
6 Paprika
7 No Country for Old Men
8 Superbad
9 After the Wedding
10 Grindhouse

Lexi Feinberg | Malcolm Fraser | Matthew Hays | Jennifer Merin | Carrie Rickey | Mark Slutsky | Shelli Sonstein | Anne Thompson | Kim Voynar | Susan Wloszczyna

Page 10

Sunday, January 6th, 2008
Link to the List

A.O. Scott
New York Times

1 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days
2 Ratatouille
3 There Will Be Blood/Sweeney Todd
4 I’m Not There/Joe Strummer
5 No End in Sight/Terror’s Advocate
6 12:08 East of Bucharest / Live In Maid
7 Into the Wild/Diving Bell and the Butterfly
8 The Lives of Others/Michael Clayton
9 The Savages/Away From Her
10 Knocked Up/Superbad/Juno
Link to the List

Stephen Holden
New York Times

1 There Will Be Blood
2 The Lives of Others
3 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
4 Persepolis
5 Starting Out in the Evening
6 No Country for Old Men
7 Sweeney Todd
8 Atonement
9 Across the Universe
10 Juno
Link to the List

Matt Dentler
SxSW Festival Producer

1 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
2 There Will Be Blood
3 Killer of Sheep
4 No Country for Old Men
5 The King of Kong
6 Persepolis
7 In the Shadow of the Moon
Link to the List

Christopher Kelly
Star Telegram

1 The Bourne Ultimatum
2 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days
3 Ratatouille
4 Once
5 Michael Clayton
6 This is England
7 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
8 Alpha Dog
9 My Kid Could Paint That
10 No Country for Old Men
Link to the List

Saul Austerlitz
Boston Globe

1 The Lives of Others
2 Ratatouille
3 Eastern Promises
4 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days
5 No End in Sight
6 Michael Clayton
7 Offside
8 I’m Not There
9 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
10 Southland Tales
Link to the List

Bob Longino
Atlantic Journal Constitution

1 No Country for Old Men
2 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
3 Atonement
4 There Will Be Blood
5 The Bourne Ultimatum
6 Knocked Up
7 Assassination of Jesse James
8 Lars and the Real Girl
9 Gone Baby Gone
10 Ratatouille
Link to the List

Ben Lyons
E Online

1 There Will Be Blood
2 Zodiac
3 No Country for Old Men
4 Persepolis
5 The Host
6 Exiled
7 The King of Kong
8 The Darjeeling Limited
9 Black Snake Moan
10 Hot Fuzz
Link to the List

Manohla Dargis
New York Times

1 There Will Be Blood/Zodiac
2 Into Great Silence/I’m Not There
3 Killer of Sheep/Bourne Ultimatum
4 Eastern Promises/Michael Clayton
5 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days/I Don’t Want To Sleep Alone
6 Lady Chatterley/Colossal Youth
7 Monika/Superbad/Southland Tales
8 No End in Sight/Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
9 This is England/The Savages/Year of the Dog
10 Paprika/The Host/The Kingdom
Link to the List

Richard Roeper
Chicago Sun Times

1 American Gangster/The Brave One
2 Breach/Charlie Wilson’s War
3 Eastern Promises/Gone BabyGone
4 Grindhouse/The Hoax
5 Into the Wild/Juno
6 Knocked Up/The Lookout
7 Michael Clayton/A Mighty Heart
8 No Country for Old Men/Once
9 Paris Je T’aime/Superbad
10 Sweeney Todd/Zodiac
Link to the List

Jason Anderson
Eye Weekly

1 Lady Chatterley
2 Syndromes and a Century
3 There Will Be Blood
4 Zodiac
5 Paprika
6 Offside
7 Black Book
8 Forever
9 Ten Canoes
10 I’m Not There

Jason Anderson | Saul Austerlitz | Manohla Dargis | Matt Dentler | Stephen Holden | Christopher Kelly | Bob Longino | Ben Lyons | Richard Roeper | AO Scott

Page 9

Sunday, January 6th, 2008
Link to the List

Chuck Stephens
Film Comment

1 No Country For Old Men
2 Colossal Youth
3 Grindhouse
4 The Host
5 I Don’t Want Sleep Alone
6 Los Muertos
7 Syndromes and a Century
8 There Will Be Blood
9 Zodiac
10 Tears of the Black Tiger
Link to the List

Peter Keough
Boston Phoenix

1 Diving Bell and the Butterfly
2 Across the Universe
3 The Bourne Ultimatum
4 Red Road
5 Eastern Promises
6 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
7 Zodiac
8 12:08 East of Bucharest
9 Ratatouille
10 Assassination of Jesse James
Link to the List

Owen Glieberman
Entertainment Weekly

1 I’m Not There
2 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
3 Michael Clayton
4 Superbad
5 The Lives of Others
6 Grindhouse
7 Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis
8 Once
9 No End in Sight
10 Zodiac
Link to the List

Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly

1 There Will Be Blood
2 No Country for Old Men
3 I’m Not There
4 Persepolis
5 No End in Sight
6 Zodiac
7 Lady Chatterley
8 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
9 Assassination of Jesse James
10 Knocked Up
Link to the List

Andy Klein
LA Citybeat

1 Exiled
2 The Host
3 Hot Fuzz
4 Killer of Sheep
5 No Country for Old Men
6 The Orphanage
7 Private Fears in Public Places
8 Ratatouille
9 The Simpsons Movie
10 Sweeney Todd
Link to the List

Mark Keizer
LA Citybeat

1 The Savages
2 Once
3 There Will Be Blood
4 No Country for Old Men
5 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
6 Lake of Fire
7 I’m Not there
8 Blame it on Fidel
9 Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
10 3:10 to Yuma
Link to the List

Wade Major
LA Citybeat

1 La Vie en Rose
2 Assassination of Jesse James
3 After the Wedding
4 A Mighty Heart
5 Jindabyne
6 Once
7 Exiled
8 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
9 No Country for Old Men
10 Zodiac
Link to the List

Amy Nicolson
LA Citybeat

1 Alpha Dog
2 Confessions of a Super Hero
3 The Hunting Party
4 I’m Not There
5 Juno
6 The King of Kong
7 Live Free or Die Hard
8 My Kid Could Paint That
9 No Country for Old Men
10 2 Days in Paris

Owen Glieberman | Peter Keough | Andy Klein | Mark Keizer | Wade Major | Amy Nicolson | Lisa Schwarzbaum | Chuck Stephens