The Best Films of the Decade, 2000-2009

My pick for the best movie of the decade: City of God (Brazil, 2002)

by Matt Poyner,
The Poyner File

The “Aughts”. The “Zeros”. The “2000s”. Whatever you want to call the decade that has just come to a close,  I’m sure you have your own opinion on what films were the best of the past ten years. At the very least, you have your favorites, even if it’s not necessarily a “best of” list.

1999 was a great year for film, and 2000 kicked off the next decade with a bang. Two actors took full advantage of the exposure given to them by their breakout roles in L.A. Confidential a year earlier. Russel Crowe was given the role that made him a superstar in Gladiator. A really good epic (though not without its flaws), Gladiator gave us a rousing sword and sandals story for a new generation. Guy Pearce (also from  L.A. Confidential) starred in Memento, directed by Christopher Nolan (who certainly left his mark on this decade of film). Memento turns linear narrative on its head, using its reversed plot to create one of the most unusual movie going experiences of the decade. Pearce and Nolan both show up more than once in my list of the best films. With Unbreakable, M. Night Shyamalan created what was the best comic book movie made until Nolan’s The Dark Knight blazed onto screens in the latter part of the decade. The Coen Brothers released Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?, one of my personal favorites from them. Requiem for a Dream, The Discrete Charm of the Bourgeoisie, Almost Famous, Best in Show, High Fidelity, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon add to the list of memorable films from the first year of the millennium.

Multiple appearances is definitely a theme of  my top ten/honorable mentions lists. Nolan and the Coens each appear twice for writing/directing, Pearce shows up twice, Charlie Kaufman penned the scripts for 3 films (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Adaptation, and Synecdoche, New York), and Pixar Studios has three animated films represented. Even Shyamalan shows up twice, which illustrates how far he’s fallen from his “the next Spielberg” days.

Putting together my list of the decade, I was surprised how the mix of independent, big-budget, small-budget, and foreign-language films combined to make an extremely entertaining mix of great movies. My list is full of movies that entertained me. For the most part, they aren’t “art house” flicks that no one really likes. These are great movies that kept my attention from start to finish.  This was a great decade for well-made, yet easily accessible films that could be appreciated by critics and regular moviegoers alike.

This is my list. These are my favorite movies of the past ten years. Your list should, and most likely will, look different.

NOTE: I’ve sort of cheated by putting a lot of films into my list of honorable mentions, but I felt like all of these deserved some mention. I found it VERY hard to cut this list down to 20, let alone 10. Many of the honorable mentions easily could have been in the top 10.

1. City of God [Trailer] – This trailer doesn’t do it justice at all. In fact, it’s misleading to some degree. This movie is a masterpiece. You must check it out if you are yet to see it. It’s brutal, real life in a notorious neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro.
2. Lord of the Rings [Trailer 1] [Trailer 2] [Trailer 3]
3. Synecdoche, New York [Trailer]
4. Memento [Trailer]
5. Pan’s Labyrinth [Trailer]
6. Ratatouille [Trailer]
7. There Will Be Blood [Trailer]
8. The Proposition [Trailer]
9. The Dark Knight [Trailer]
10. Children of Men [Trailer]

Honorable Mentions (no particular order):

• The Departed
• Inglorious Basterds
• Amelie
• Gladiator
• No Country for Old Men
• Inglorious Basterds
• Oldboy
• Adaptation
• Signs
• Unbreakable
• The Incredibles
• Wall-E
• In Bruges
• Shaun of the Dead
• Punch-Drunk Love
• The Pianist
• Let the Right One In
• The Royal Tenenbaums
• Oh Brother Where Art Thou
• Time Out
• Triplets of Belleville
• The Last King of Scotland
• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
• The Lookout

So, there you have it: my “best of” list. There may be a few honorable mentions I’ve forgotten, and there are without a doubt a few films that I have yet to see. But, this is my list. Let me know why I’m wrong. I want a debate! In fact, please feel free to post your own top 10 list in the comments section.

UPDATE: I re-ordered my top ten slightly. I think I probably shouldn’t even have an order to them, possibly. It’s very hard to say one is better than the next. I know that City of God is my favorite of the decade, though.

Game Review: Free Realms

Have you seen Free Realms advertised on TV, or seen it on the internet? It is a Role Playing Game created by Sony Online Entertainment that is playable for multiple gamers simultaneously. Having played and enjoyed Free Realms, I wanted to share the review HERE.

Say What?? Mom calls police for help in dealing with video gaming son.

The Borton Herald reported that a single mom had to call police to get help dealing with her son. He was playing a Grand Theft Auto game in the middle of the night, after he had been told to stop multiple times. The mom appearently reached her limit in dealing with his defiance when she called 911 to get some back-up.

You can read the entire report HERE.

This is a very unfortunate circumstance for this family. But one that could have been avoided. First, it is important for parents to set limits and stick to them. Kids need to know how often and how long they can play their games. Secondly, parents need to be involved in the games being played by their kids. There is no excuse for a teenager to be playing a Grand Theft Auto title. Games like Grand Theft Auto are rated Mature for a reason.

Agree? Disagree? Please let me know your thoughts.

Game Review: NBA 2K10

The annual debate of best simulation NBA basketball game has been a short conversation for most of the past decade. The NBA 2K series, from 2K Sports, has dominated the competition year in and year out and NBA 2K10 keeps that streak alive. Even with the improvement from other NBA games, 2K10 does enough to keep the title of Champion. 2K Sports touted a “raising of the bar for authenticity” with NBA 2K10, and they did not disappoint. NBA 2K10 provides the great gameplay we are accustomed to with the NBA 2K series, and also receives several new features.

The NBA 2K series has been known for superb gameplay, and NBA 2K10 is no different. The flow of the game and interaction of the players on the court has the feel of a real NBA game. Perhaps the first change gamers will notice is the improved turbo system. In previous basketball games, players could run up and down the court using the sprint or turbo button with little regard to fatigue. The new turbo system in NBA 2K10 forces the gamer to determine when it necessary to sprint up and down the court. Players have new turbo and stamina meters that influence their overall fatigue, based on how much turbo is used on the court. I was pleasantly surprised by the implementation of the new turbo system, as it worked better than anticipated. 2K integrated it in such a way that it not only fits into the already solid gameplay, but also improved the feel of the game.

NBA 2K10 is rich with fantastic animations and graphical presentations. The player models are some of the best in any sports game to date. I often found myself using the replay option to watch the stunning player animations over and over. Also enhanced this year is the crowd’s interaction with the flow of the game. It is noticeable the crowd responds more appropriately to the action on the court. This is a minor update, but one that does contribute to the authenticity of the NBA experience. One thing that did stand out to me was the cloth mechanics. During some close up and some sideline shots the jersey would look out of place and not properly worn by the player. While the jersey miscues were not overwhelming, it was a distraction when compared to the otherwise astonishing graphics.

Adding to the realistic presentation, Signature Play allows for the players to express the emotion of the moment within the game. You will see players grimace if an easy shot is missed, or get excited about a game-changing basket. It is now easier to manager the play calling system within the flow of the game. There are multiple play calling options, but be sure to watch the clock and the defense – you may run down the 24 clock or get caught sleeping and have the defense pick your pocket for an easy transition basket.

Making its debut in the 2K series this year is the new My Player game mode. My Player allows you to create a player and take them from a rookie trying to make a team to an NBA All-Star. The task is long and not for the faint of heart. There is such dept to My Player that you will be have to be committed to hours of gaming to see any return on your investment. For instance, after spending three and a half hours in my career I found myself having improved only 2 skill points (from 39 to 41) and not even making the Spurs after the Summer league. There is a lot to like about My Player, including the option of running drills between training camp games. This is a good foundation to build on next year. All in all, the new My Player mode will give those interested in true career simulation hours and hours of enjoyment…

To read the rest of the review click HERE.

Top 5s: Favorite Movie Characters

Here is the list of the top 5 movie characters according to my humble opinion. Let the debate begin.

1. John Keating / Robin Williams – Dead Poets Society
2. Joker / Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight
3. John Nash / Russell Crowe– A Beautiful Mind
4. Indiana Jones / Harrison Ford– Indiana Jones
5. Billy Costigan / Leonardo DiCaprio– The Departed

Say What?? Woman sees Jesus on her iron?

Not sure what to think about this. Let me know your thoughts.

Chick HERE.

Game Review: Hello Kitty Party

Looking for a party on your Nintendo DS? Then your search may be over. Hello Kitty Party, from Majesco Entertainment, brings the charm of the Hello Kitty franchise to the DS using a variety of fun and entertaining mini-games. Have an enjoyable time with Hello Kitty and her friends: The Little Twin Stars, My Melody, Badtz-Maru and many more.

Hello Kitty Party contains more than 25 easy to play mini-games. Gamers can sew, cook, match and play memory games. The games are separated into 6 different scenes, or tabs. The tabs are numbered across the top from 1 to 6. Access to each scene is granted by simply clicking the appropriate number (they do not have to be played in order). The different tabs set the characters in a specific environment such as a kitchen. From there different mini-games are available for choosing by selecting different characters, and that is where the Party begins.

The controls for the mini-games are simple and very easy to learn. The face buttons on the DS are not used at all. All controls for navigation and gameplay are via the bottom touch scene. The stylus will be used to cut vegetables, go through mazes and match colors. The simplicity of the controls will allow even the youngest of gamers to adapt to the gameplay and have fun. Majesco Entertainment did great job representing the Hello Kitty world. The characters and environments are both well done. The graphics are crisp and colorful. The voices and soundtrack are fitting for the genre, but the sound effects can grow a little tiresome for older gamers…

Check out the rest of the review HERE.

Top 5s: Sci-Fi Movie Franchises

Here are my thoughts on the Top 5 Sci-Fi movie franchises (non-horror). Feel feel to share your thoughts.

1. Star Wars – ranking based mostly on Episodes IV, V and VI
2. Terminator – “I’ll be back”…enough said.
3. Star Trek – Thanks to J.J. Abrams the franchise received a much needed boost.
4. Matrix Trilogy – The original was ahead of it’s time…the second and third kept the Trilogy from being higher on the list.
5. Ninja Turtles – “Turtles in a half-shell, and they’re green.” That was some serious green ooze.

Agree? Disagree?

Game Review: Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2

Activision has teamed with Marvel to bring all of our favorite Marvel heroes back for another round of bad guy bashing, in Ultimate Alliance 2. If you played the original Ultimate Alliance, then you will be very familiar with the layout and gameplay in Ultimate Alliance 2.  What separates Ultimate Alliance 2 from its predecessor is the storyline and some awesome new features.

Activision brings to life two very successful comic book series to give us the plot for Ultimate Alliance 2 – Secret War and Civil War. The game begins with Nick Fury (the Shield Commander) leading Captain America, Iron Man, Wolverine, and Spider-Man into a “Secret War”. When the bad guys retaliate by attacking an American city, people began to request the heroes register and give up their secret identities – which leads to a “Civil War” within the Marvel universe. There is a point in the game where you will have to choose which side you are on.

The presentation of the Marvel universe is great, and does well to support such a strong storyline. Gamers will be pleased with the updated menu screens over the original Ultimate Alliance. The main menu flows smoothly from one option to another. From making changes to the Team, to upgrading powers; Ultimate Alliance 2 provides a much more fluid experience.

Character models are almost flawless. Each one having the necessary attention to detail that brings there animated self to life. They each have their own personality as shown in the comics. If you have always wanted to be Iron Man or Captain America, this experience may be as close as you will ever get…

Read the rest of the review HERE.

Say What?? Officer they took my xbox!

A boy calls 911 after his parents take his xbox to punish him …Say What??

Click here for the full story.