2001 was the year that started the snowball of big budget series rolling. The top 3 grossing movies of the year were Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Shrek. I enjoyed all three of these movies, and I have enjoyed the subsequent movies that have been made after the originals, but I feel that these movies have shifted film making away from solid scripts and good acting, and instead have pushed Hollywood into an era where they are looking to come up with the next money making saga.
I'm not sure if the reason I thought that there were so many good movies in this year can be attributed to the fact that I was in college and basically saw everything, or if in fact, they were actually really good movies. Either way, here is my list.
10) Snatch
- The follow up to Lock, Stock and 2 smoking barrels from Guy Ritche was really good. You can't understand a damn word Brad Pitt says, and it was funny. Americans found out that there are actually black people in England, and their accents are funny. Guy Ritchie's movie making style of combining multiple characters who have never met until one final ending is great, and it was funny. Total it all up and the movie is pretty damn hilarious. Tyrone the rally car driver is hands down my favorite person in the movie. The editing of the movie is really exceptional with random cut aways to explain backgrounds of people. All together it was a really good script that was well acted.
9) Training Day
- Denzel Washington playing a villain was awesome. If anyone else plays this role, this movie because a little above average, but because it was Denzel, you were mesmerized the entire movie. It would be like if you had just found out that instead of being wholesome, Tiger Woods was actually a cheating dirt-bag. Every scene that Ethan Hawke is in over his head you are gripped with suspense, like when he gave his gun to the Latino gang bangers. Also it is really difficult to base a movie on a single day, and that shouldn't be overlooked in this movie. I just wished that they had come up with a better line than "King Kong ain't got shit on me!" Such a great movie, and then you throw in such a middle school line. Seeing Eva Mendes completely naked is truly awesome, for that alone, this movie is rewatchable many times.
8) Black Hawk Down
- It seems like it would be really easy to make great movies based on wars and the military because there are so many stories that no person who has never been in combat would be shocked and moved by seeing. However, many movies that are made in this genre miss because they try to add too much to the story. Black Hawk Down is based on a book that was written about true events, and it is just gritty combat scenes. It is heart breaking and awesome at the same time. The mark of a good war movie is that when you finish watching the movie, you wish that you had half the balls of the people who actually were in that situation. There was nothing in the movie that didn't need to be there, and the combat scenes were really well done. For instance, if they had added some unrealistic scenes that showed Josh Hartnett being a total badass, then the movie would have been completely unbelievable, instead they just showed everyone being a soldier and doing what they are trained to do.
7) Zoolander
- I saw this movie for the first time in the theatre, and I absolutely hated it. It was weird, and seemed kinda stupid. Upon rewatching this movie about 400 hundred times in college, I gained a appreciation for how unbelievably dumb and hilarious this movie actually was. This was a perfect Will Ferrell role, which we wanted more of. Unfortunately in a 2 year stretch, Ferrell gave us more than we could handle, and now it has become boring. I actually witnessed a walk-off during an exam in college as a fraternity prank, and it was hilarious. In the middle of the exam, a guy pulls out a stereo, starts playing Michael Jackson and screams "It's a walk-off!!" Two guys jump out of their seats and start posing as they walk up and down the aisle. It was amazing. Makes me wish that we hazed more.
I'm not sure if the reason I thought that there were so many good movies in this year can be attributed to the fact that I was in college and basically saw everything, or if in fact, they were actually really good movies. Either way, here is my list.
10) Snatch
- The follow up to Lock, Stock and 2 smoking barrels from Guy Ritche was really good. You can't understand a damn word Brad Pitt says, and it was funny. Americans found out that there are actually black people in England, and their accents are funny. Guy Ritchie's movie making style of combining multiple characters who have never met until one final ending is great, and it was funny. Total it all up and the movie is pretty damn hilarious. Tyrone the rally car driver is hands down my favorite person in the movie. The editing of the movie is really exceptional with random cut aways to explain backgrounds of people. All together it was a really good script that was well acted.
9) Training Day
- Denzel Washington playing a villain was awesome. If anyone else plays this role, this movie because a little above average, but because it was Denzel, you were mesmerized the entire movie. It would be like if you had just found out that instead of being wholesome, Tiger Woods was actually a cheating dirt-bag. Every scene that Ethan Hawke is in over his head you are gripped with suspense, like when he gave his gun to the Latino gang bangers. Also it is really difficult to base a movie on a single day, and that shouldn't be overlooked in this movie. I just wished that they had come up with a better line than "King Kong ain't got shit on me!" Such a great movie, and then you throw in such a middle school line. Seeing Eva Mendes completely naked is truly awesome, for that alone, this movie is rewatchable many times.
8) Black Hawk Down
- It seems like it would be really easy to make great movies based on wars and the military because there are so many stories that no person who has never been in combat would be shocked and moved by seeing. However, many movies that are made in this genre miss because they try to add too much to the story. Black Hawk Down is based on a book that was written about true events, and it is just gritty combat scenes. It is heart breaking and awesome at the same time. The mark of a good war movie is that when you finish watching the movie, you wish that you had half the balls of the people who actually were in that situation. There was nothing in the movie that didn't need to be there, and the combat scenes were really well done. For instance, if they had added some unrealistic scenes that showed Josh Hartnett being a total badass, then the movie would have been completely unbelievable, instead they just showed everyone being a soldier and doing what they are trained to do.
7) Zoolander
- I saw this movie for the first time in the theatre, and I absolutely hated it. It was weird, and seemed kinda stupid. Upon rewatching this movie about 400 hundred times in college, I gained a appreciation for how unbelievably dumb and hilarious this movie actually was. This was a perfect Will Ferrell role, which we wanted more of. Unfortunately in a 2 year stretch, Ferrell gave us more than we could handle, and now it has become boring. I actually witnessed a walk-off during an exam in college as a fraternity prank, and it was hilarious. In the middle of the exam, a guy pulls out a stereo, starts playing Michael Jackson and screams "It's a walk-off!!" Two guys jump out of their seats and start posing as they walk up and down the aisle. It was amazing. Makes me wish that we hazed more.
Ben Stiller should have to make at least 1 movie with his father every 2 years because Jerry Stiller is funny as shit. The cameos are perfect in this movie. If it weren't for Zoolander, then nobody would know who the shit Billy Zane is, and I'm pretty sure that Vince Vaughn never says a word as Derek's brother, yet he is fantastic. As good as all of that was, the movie is great based on the scene where Zoolander goes to Hansel's apartment. That scene was probably one of the best comedy scenes of the decade. Midgets, Spider Monkeys, bread baking, it had everything!!
6) Spy Game
- Spy Game was really good because it wasn't your typical spy movie where you have twists and turns that you try and figure out. In this movie, you are riding along with all of the twists and turns as the story is told to someone else. Movies like this make you believe that Brad Pitt is one of the Top 5 actors of our time. Has anyone ever other than Johnny Depp tried so hard not to be a sex symbol.
6) Spy Game
- Spy Game was really good because it wasn't your typical spy movie where you have twists and turns that you try and figure out. In this movie, you are riding along with all of the twists and turns as the story is told to someone else. Movies like this make you believe that Brad Pitt is one of the Top 5 actors of our time. Has anyone ever other than Johnny Depp tried so hard not to be a sex symbol.
It is cool to see how spies actually operate, even though this movie might not be an accurate representation. I can watch this movie at anytime and still enjoy the shit out of it. The manipulation that you see in this movie makes you truly wonder if there are actually people out there that can get someone to sacrifice their life for your own motives (aside from terrorists). I'm sure this is true, and it freaks the hell out of me. On a side note, most movies don't ever live up to the trailer, but in this case, I think the trailer completely missed the mark. The movie was not about the action, it was more the intrigue. Trailer = Bad.
5) Ali
- Great movie about the greatest boxer of all-time. This movie accomplished one huge feat. It showed people who never watched the Jamie Foxx show that Foxx could act. Just kidding, the Jamie Foxx show was horrible, but Jamie is a great actor. As much as I don't like Will Smith, he did an amazing job not only playing Ali the fighter, but Ali the man. He truly lived an amazing life and this movie does an excellent job explaining everything. Like I said about The Legend of Bagger Vance, I think that they might have found somebody who could play this role better. I feel that because Denzel is getting older, Will Smith is the go to for a younger black actor, and that is a shame because there are much better actors out there. Not a whole lot to say about this movie, you can look up Ali and figure out the rest, or just watch this movie. On a side note, you should definately watch the ESPN 30 for 30 episode with Ali, it was fantastic.
4) Blow
- I love this movie!! I think this is Johnny Depp's best role. Somehow he makes one of the largest drug dealers in the history of the United States seem like a victim. Watching the rise and fall of George Jung is entertaining and frustrating at the same time. Every woman in this guy's life screws him over one way or another, except for the one that dies with Cancer. I'm sure the movie took some liberties as far as George's life actually goes, but it is fantastic from start to finish.
5) Ali
- Great movie about the greatest boxer of all-time. This movie accomplished one huge feat. It showed people who never watched the Jamie Foxx show that Foxx could act. Just kidding, the Jamie Foxx show was horrible, but Jamie is a great actor. As much as I don't like Will Smith, he did an amazing job not only playing Ali the fighter, but Ali the man. He truly lived an amazing life and this movie does an excellent job explaining everything. Like I said about The Legend of Bagger Vance, I think that they might have found somebody who could play this role better. I feel that because Denzel is getting older, Will Smith is the go to for a younger black actor, and that is a shame because there are much better actors out there. Not a whole lot to say about this movie, you can look up Ali and figure out the rest, or just watch this movie. On a side note, you should definately watch the ESPN 30 for 30 episode with Ali, it was fantastic.
4) Blow
- I love this movie!! I think this is Johnny Depp's best role. Somehow he makes one of the largest drug dealers in the history of the United States seem like a victim. Watching the rise and fall of George Jung is entertaining and frustrating at the same time. Every woman in this guy's life screws him over one way or another, except for the one that dies with Cancer. I'm sure the movie took some liberties as far as George's life actually goes, but it is fantastic from start to finish.
Before this movie, I'm pretty sure nobody our age could tell you who sang "Black Betty", but after this movie, every where you went, you heard it. Listening to Depp do the voice overs really adds to the movie, and the music in the movie is fantastic. Ted Demme made 3 of my favorite movies of all-time in Blow, Beautiful Girls, and The Ref, but sadly he died during a pick-up basketball game a few years after Blow. The irony of his death was that he had cocaine in his system when he died. Only a genius though could have a movie that had Pee-Wee Herman and Bobcat Goldthwait in it and not have the movie completely suck. I will never understand how people thought either of them were funny. This movie also introduced me to Jamie King who I have had a huge crush on ever since (Watch Sin City again). 5 things I learned from this movie.
1) Never make promises to your kid that you can't keep.
2) Never marry a Colombian girl, especially if she was already engaged to a Colombian drug dealer.
3) Don't ever tell your friends who your dealing connections are.
4) Don't sell drugs.
5) All male hairdressers are gay.
3) The Royal Tenenbaums
- A great follow-up to Bottle Rocket and Rushmore by Wes Anderson. The Royal Tenenbaums was the first comedy that I watched that was based solely on dialogue and story that I truly appreciated. Sure Best In Show was like this, but that had a ridiculous premise. This movie was bases solely on a disfunctional family that really had nothing overly entertaining about them. I love Wes Anderson because nothing about his movies would be funny in real life. He creates a completely unorthodox situation and the acting makes it funny. It is the opposite of slapstick. For instance when he shoots his son with the bb gun. In a normal comedy that would be funny based on it being an unusual situation and it would be physical comedy, but they make it a recurring joke based on the dialogue. Also Margo being adopted. This isn't funny except for the fact that Royal always refers to her as "My adopted daughter Margo Tenenbaum." With Wes Anderson it is funny because of how Gene Hackman interacts with each other person after the fact. Best line of the movie is " Hell of a damn grave......wish it was mine" No one in the history of movies could make looking at at a headstone funny except for Wes Anderson.
The severe lack of emotion from everyone, and then subsequent show of emotion from everyone is amazing. My favorite character is obviously Royal, that is besides Bagoda. I'll let you in on a little secret; Indian people love any other Indian that is in an American film. We will watch anything that has an Indian. I'm sure it is hard for most people to understand, except Yerk. I'm sure Yerk watches anything that has a Cuban in it who isn't portraying Fidel Castro.
2) A Beautiful Mind
- Movies that deal with different types of emotional or metal problems always make me uncomfortable. After I watch them, I always feel like I should be much more appreciative of the fact that I am not stricken with such as ailment. My worst problems are that I am obsessed with Illinois sports, and I might drink too much. At least I don't hallucinate. Anyways, A Beautiful Mind was extremely well done, and it is a very good story. A lot has been made of how the movie wasn't very accurate, but movies aren't supposed to be the exact same as real life. If they were, then people would have to pay to watch the news. Either way, the biggest inaccuracy was probably that no woman as hot as Jennifer Connelly would fall in love with such a dork. It's not like John Nash was a billionaire.
Russel Crowe was really good in this movie, and the movie did a fantastic job of not letting you know what was real and what was just a delusion of John Nash's mind. It was kinda like The Sixth Sense, but without the dead people and better acting. Actually I would really like to watch this movie again soon.
1) Memento
- I have to say, this is the coolest movie of the decade, and quite possibly the best movie I have ever seen. I can't even begin to fathom how someone could even come up with an idea like this. Whenever you ask someone what there Top 5 favorite movies of All-Time are, they never think of this movie. I never do, but I really think this is the most creative, clever movie I have ever seen. The fact that Christopher Nolan not only wrote and directed this, but also did Batman Begins and Dark Knight makes you believe that he is the best writer out there right now. The only problem with this movie is that you can't really watch it multiple time. I haven't seen this movies for at least 5 years, and as I am writing this, I am really dying to watch it again. Since I haven't watched it for such a long time, and really only watched it a couple times, I can't really write that much about it. All I know is that when I first saw this movie, I never thought that I would watch another movie that was so clever and well done. To date, I still really haven't.
You know how everyone has a couple things that they can't wait to expose their kids to when they have kids? Well this is one of them for me. Here are some others.
1) First Cubs game
2) Teaching them to throw a football, and then coverages and hot reads.
3) The history of Illinois sports, and why we hate Indiana, Duke, Bruce Pearl and Digger Phelps
4) How to make the perfect snowball
5) How to play craps
6) Teaching them everything there is to know about Michael Jordan
7) Watching Godfather 1 and 2, and then telling that Godfather 3 will just let them down.
1) Never make promises to your kid that you can't keep.
2) Never marry a Colombian girl, especially if she was already engaged to a Colombian drug dealer.
3) Don't ever tell your friends who your dealing connections are.
4) Don't sell drugs.
5) All male hairdressers are gay.
3) The Royal Tenenbaums
- A great follow-up to Bottle Rocket and Rushmore by Wes Anderson. The Royal Tenenbaums was the first comedy that I watched that was based solely on dialogue and story that I truly appreciated. Sure Best In Show was like this, but that had a ridiculous premise. This movie was bases solely on a disfunctional family that really had nothing overly entertaining about them. I love Wes Anderson because nothing about his movies would be funny in real life. He creates a completely unorthodox situation and the acting makes it funny. It is the opposite of slapstick. For instance when he shoots his son with the bb gun. In a normal comedy that would be funny based on it being an unusual situation and it would be physical comedy, but they make it a recurring joke based on the dialogue. Also Margo being adopted. This isn't funny except for the fact that Royal always refers to her as "My adopted daughter Margo Tenenbaum." With Wes Anderson it is funny because of how Gene Hackman interacts with each other person after the fact. Best line of the movie is " Hell of a damn grave......wish it was mine" No one in the history of movies could make looking at at a headstone funny except for Wes Anderson.
The severe lack of emotion from everyone, and then subsequent show of emotion from everyone is amazing. My favorite character is obviously Royal, that is besides Bagoda. I'll let you in on a little secret; Indian people love any other Indian that is in an American film. We will watch anything that has an Indian. I'm sure it is hard for most people to understand, except Yerk. I'm sure Yerk watches anything that has a Cuban in it who isn't portraying Fidel Castro.
2) A Beautiful Mind
- Movies that deal with different types of emotional or metal problems always make me uncomfortable. After I watch them, I always feel like I should be much more appreciative of the fact that I am not stricken with such as ailment. My worst problems are that I am obsessed with Illinois sports, and I might drink too much. At least I don't hallucinate. Anyways, A Beautiful Mind was extremely well done, and it is a very good story. A lot has been made of how the movie wasn't very accurate, but movies aren't supposed to be the exact same as real life. If they were, then people would have to pay to watch the news. Either way, the biggest inaccuracy was probably that no woman as hot as Jennifer Connelly would fall in love with such a dork. It's not like John Nash was a billionaire.
Russel Crowe was really good in this movie, and the movie did a fantastic job of not letting you know what was real and what was just a delusion of John Nash's mind. It was kinda like The Sixth Sense, but without the dead people and better acting. Actually I would really like to watch this movie again soon.
1) Memento
- I have to say, this is the coolest movie of the decade, and quite possibly the best movie I have ever seen. I can't even begin to fathom how someone could even come up with an idea like this. Whenever you ask someone what there Top 5 favorite movies of All-Time are, they never think of this movie. I never do, but I really think this is the most creative, clever movie I have ever seen. The fact that Christopher Nolan not only wrote and directed this, but also did Batman Begins and Dark Knight makes you believe that he is the best writer out there right now. The only problem with this movie is that you can't really watch it multiple time. I haven't seen this movies for at least 5 years, and as I am writing this, I am really dying to watch it again. Since I haven't watched it for such a long time, and really only watched it a couple times, I can't really write that much about it. All I know is that when I first saw this movie, I never thought that I would watch another movie that was so clever and well done. To date, I still really haven't.
You know how everyone has a couple things that they can't wait to expose their kids to when they have kids? Well this is one of them for me. Here are some others.
1) First Cubs game
2) Teaching them to throw a football, and then coverages and hot reads.
3) The history of Illinois sports, and why we hate Indiana, Duke, Bruce Pearl and Digger Phelps
4) How to make the perfect snowball
5) How to play craps
6) Teaching them everything there is to know about Michael Jordan
7) Watching Godfather 1 and 2, and then telling that Godfather 3 will just let them down.
Some things that mom is going to teach them about
1) How to use the toilet
2) Sex
3) How to study properly, because lord knows I have no clue
Now on to the near misses:
Oceans 11
- This could have been in the top 10, but it was a remake. I really did like the movie a lot though, and then the next 2 were terrible.
Vanilla Sky
- This movie was very strange, and had a really good concept, but it was over the top. It took crazy too far, but I really like the story a lot. I guess this was when people started realizing that Tom Cruise was an over-actor. When you do a movie that revolves around a person losing their mind, you don't need to over do it. People that act as crazy as Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz acted in this movie don't end up in an asylum, they end up begging for change on an on ramp of the Dan Ryan.
I Am Sam
- This was such a sad, depressing movie for pretty much the entire thing that I never wanted to watch it again. I saw this for the first time with my sister who is: 1) A Special Education teacher 2) A crier and 3) A movie talker. So needless to say, she was a god damn mess through out the entire movie. Between her sobbing uncontrollably, and her screaming at the TV while uncontrollably sobbing, I could barely watch the damn movie. It was extremely good, and Sean Penn was amazing. No matter how old Michelle Pfeiffer gets, she will still be in my all-time Top 5, so I will always like movies that she is in. As great as the acting was, I just couldn't put it in my top 10 of the year.
Guilty Pleasure Movie of 2001
Out Cold
- One of my favorite comedies of all-time. Since I was a little kid, I always loved ski movies, and this was the 2000's attempt at an old B movie set on the ski slopes. The only way that this movie fell short from the originals from the 80's was that there was no nudity, but besides that, this movie is hilarious. Most people now know about Zach Galifianakis because of The Hangover, but before that he was being hilarious in Out Cold. The pranks that him and his brother play on each other are great. This movie is nothing more than 90 minutes of entertainment, so don't bitch at me if its not funny enough for you. This is my guilty pleasure, not yours.
1) How to use the toilet
2) Sex
3) How to study properly, because lord knows I have no clue
Now on to the near misses:
Oceans 11
- This could have been in the top 10, but it was a remake. I really did like the movie a lot though, and then the next 2 were terrible.
Vanilla Sky
- This movie was very strange, and had a really good concept, but it was over the top. It took crazy too far, but I really like the story a lot. I guess this was when people started realizing that Tom Cruise was an over-actor. When you do a movie that revolves around a person losing their mind, you don't need to over do it. People that act as crazy as Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz acted in this movie don't end up in an asylum, they end up begging for change on an on ramp of the Dan Ryan.
I Am Sam
- This was such a sad, depressing movie for pretty much the entire thing that I never wanted to watch it again. I saw this for the first time with my sister who is: 1) A Special Education teacher 2) A crier and 3) A movie talker. So needless to say, she was a god damn mess through out the entire movie. Between her sobbing uncontrollably, and her screaming at the TV while uncontrollably sobbing, I could barely watch the damn movie. It was extremely good, and Sean Penn was amazing. No matter how old Michelle Pfeiffer gets, she will still be in my all-time Top 5, so I will always like movies that she is in. As great as the acting was, I just couldn't put it in my top 10 of the year.
Guilty Pleasure Movie of 2001
Out Cold
- One of my favorite comedies of all-time. Since I was a little kid, I always loved ski movies, and this was the 2000's attempt at an old B movie set on the ski slopes. The only way that this movie fell short from the originals from the 80's was that there was no nudity, but besides that, this movie is hilarious. Most people now know about Zach Galifianakis because of The Hangover, but before that he was being hilarious in Out Cold. The pranks that him and his brother play on each other are great. This movie is nothing more than 90 minutes of entertainment, so don't bitch at me if its not funny enough for you. This is my guilty pleasure, not yours.
Coming up tommorow is 2002.
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