Top 10/20 films this decade?

[Sirwastealot]

Personal Top 20 from 2010-2018

2. Dredd

Good call on Dredd, that would make my top 10 as well. One of the best action movies i've seen in a long time, and it seems to have flown under the radar a little bit.

 

[Deleted member 110072]

I really wanted to like Dredd more than I did but I can definitely see a lot of potential to take that further with a TV series, the film almost feels like a feature length pilot.

 

[europe1]

I wish I could edit him out.

You vile vampire! I know that you posted that just to coax an reaction out of me. Well it isn't going to work! I'm not going to fall for a low trick like t—

He is imperative to the bloody film! It brings to the forefront the absolutist Catholic creed that the main character must follow, that everyone deserves and should be granted absolution and forgiveness under any circumstances. His flip-floppiness explores the implications of that. It also accentuates one of the themes running through the film of human beings being more base creatures, filled with reactionary vacillations through their lives, their emotions and positionings being more frightened reactions to the situations they find themselves in instead of following some religious convictions or mandate. Weakness of the flesh and all that. What is the meaning of holding a creed of Absolute Forgiveness if that is the nature of many men?

 

[Sirwastealot]

I really wanted to like Dredd more than I did but I can definitely see a lot of potential to take that further with a TV series, the film almost feels like a feature length pilot.

Yea i wouldn't mind a sequel.

It's hard to say what i liked about the movie so much, but i know i'd like to see more action movies like that. It felt like a throwback to older action movies, more about the action than about making some kind of statement or having a complex, convoluted plot. They didn't spend a lot of time setting up the world or the characters, it was more like we were just following dredd on another day at work. I got a similar feel from mad max.

 

[Deleted member 110072]

Perhaps part of it was the similarity to The Raid which would be closer to my list.

Honestly its disappointing looking at that just how few blockbusters there are or mine and many others lists, there would almost certainly be more every decade from the 70's to the 00's I'd say.

 

[chickenluver]

I'm still not really sure how I feel about Inherent Vice, as I said in the other thread its hard to watch that kind of film without expectations from The Big Lewbowski plus I spose the plot itself can act as a bit of a distraction in its complexity.

I was reminded of TBL while watching IV, although not to IV's detriment. To me IV is less goofy but more funny than TBL.

I've been watching noir for a while, and I got used to disregarding plot. In those types of movies I just take each scene as it comes.

He is imperative to the bloody film! It brings to the forefront the absolutist Catholic creed that the main character must follow, that everyone deserves and should be granted absolution and forgiveness under any circumstances. His flip-floppiness explores the implications of that. It also accentuates one of the themes running through the film of human beings being more base creatures, filled with reactionary vacillations through their lives, their emotions and positionings being more frightened reactions to the situations they find themselves in instead of following some religious convictions or mandate. Weakness of the flesh and all that. What is the meaning of holding a creed of Absolute Forgiveness if that is the nature of many men?

Fair enough. I understand his place in the film. I still found him annoying. Something about the way he spoke, moved, and his behavior in general. He was like a cartoon character in an otherwise serious movie.

 

[Deleted member 110072]

I was reminded of TBL while watching IV, although not to IV's detriment. To me IV is less goofy but more funny than TBL.

I've been watching noir for a while, and I got used to disregarding plot. In those types of movies I just take each scene as it comes.

As with Lebowski the plot itself is arguably not the real drive of the film but its hard not to be somewhat distracted by following it on first viewing.

On one viewing I'm not sure I'd say it was funnier for me (although Bigfoot and the Golden Tooth's Lawyer certainly were) but you could perhaps argue it pushed its drama a bit harder, Shasta most obviously is played straight most of the time as a kind of lost hippie dream.

 

[europe1]

more about the action than about making some kind of statement. . . . . They didn't spend a lot of time setting up the world or the characters, it was more like we were just following dredd on another day at work

I actually think that Dredd is a splendid example of seamlessly making a statement just by showing the characters and the world they inhabit. The world in Dredd is a degraded, dilapidated shit-show. There is so much urban squalor and social inequity that it's no wonder gangsterism has surmounted Mega City One. Unlike in many normal action movies, Dredd isn't really "solving" problems by shooting his gun, he is just holding the inevitable tide back, pushing down on the gangsterism without solving it's root causes. The shit-show isn't really going to improve in any way that really matters because what he has done. He's a man pushing down the over-swollen trash-bag instead of an problem-solving action-man.

The use of slow-mo also highlights an interesting tidbit in this world. What does slow-mo do, really? It makes the world look beautiful. Their world is such an urban shithole but under the influence of slow-mo even if looks mesmerizing. Even a woman as cruel-hearted as MaMa just wants to lie in her tub, splashing the water, watching waterdrops glitter gorgeously in midair. There's is an interesting contrast at play here.

Obviously, the action is just dope too.

And Thirlby... Yes Thirlby very much.

 

[Sirwastealot]

I actually think that Dredd is a splendid example of seamlessly making a statement just by showing the characters and the world they inhabit.

Obviously, the action is just dope too.

Yes i agree with that, it was very understated and let us pick up on it rather than pushing it on us. That's a sign of good story telling. Everything was understated and done tastefully, which is not something i expected going into it.

They also didn't spend a lot of time building the world or the character motivations, these are all things we pick up on as the movie goes along. Even the action was understated compared to most action movies you see nowadays, used sparingly to move the story along. Too many movies use over the top action sequences to try and wow audiences and just feel out of place.. justice league being a recent example.

Thirlby didn't do much for me tbh, but i did like her dynamic with Dredd. Another cliche this movie sidestepped not trying to force a love interest. I'd like to see them back in a sequel.

 

[pookiyama]

I saw the devil
The Yellow Sea
The Wailing
Inception
Interstellar
The Drop
Wolf of Wall Street
Her
Scott Pilgrim
Moonrise Kingdom
Grand Budapest Hotel
Whiplash
The Hunt
Drive
The American
The Big Short
Three Billboards
Rush
13 Assassins
Nightcrawler

 

[xenomorph4prez]

Kill List
A Field in England
Bone Tomahawk
Brawl in Cell Block 99
Take Shelter
Dredd
The VVitch
Let the Right One In - 2008
Blade Runner 2049
Watchmen

 

[Deleted member 110072]

The True Grit remake is one of the best films I've seen period. I don't think I've seen a remake elevate everything across the board so substantially from the original. The only thing that is close is the performances from Robert Duvall and Barry Pepper.

Its actually a good deal closer to the source material I believe so rather like Carpenters version of The Thing not really being a remake of the original film.

 

[aus101]

Personal Top 20 from 2010-2018

1. Silence
2. Dredd
3. Blade Runner 2049
4. Fury Road
5. Gone Girl
6. Arrival
7. Looper
8. The Artist
9. Nightcrawler
10. Snowpiercer
11. John Carter
12. The Witch
13. Interstellar
14. Manchester by the Sea
15. Inglorius Basterds
16. The Revenant
17. Bridge of Spies
18. Birdman
19. Black Swan
20. 12 Years a Slave/Ex Machina/True Grith/Sicario

Worst: Independence Day 2

Creating lists is fun.

Plus whatever I forgot, of course.

Lol love future set sci fi huh, I’m the same. Got them (and pretty much every major sci fi) all on blue ray.

Every year since 2001 a space oddessy (or even the year earlier with planet of the apes) Hollywood has pumped out at least one relatively high profile future set sci fi, and each one tells a modern viewer much about the time period in which it was made.

 

[Twelve75]

i'm not much of a movie guy, but this thread has me thinking, I have seen a movie made in this decade ?



ah, the planet of the apes reboots and a god awful star wars effort.

 

[Deleted member 110072]

Lol love future set sci fi huh, I’m the same. Got them (and pretty much every major sci fi) all on blue ray.

Every year since 2001 a space oddessy (or even the year earlier with planet of the apes) Hollywood has pumped out at least one relatively high profile future set sci fi, and each one tells a modern viewer much about the time period in which it was made.

Honestly I tend to think that sci fi and fantasy really aren't as different as there often talked up as. The former might often look to show realistic future advancements but really the main focus tends to be that it allows you do take a present social/moral issue and isolate it in order to play it up more successfully.

Again what stands out on a lot of these lists for me is just how few blockbusters are present for this decade. To me that kind of highlights the "good enough" culture that exists today with very few(something like Logan being an obvious example) blockbuster films really having a high level of ambition.

Looking back to previous decades I think you'd see a lot more...

00's - All three LOTR films, The Dark Knight, etc
90's - The Matrix, Terminator 2, Jurrassic Park, etc
80''s - Empire Strikes Back, Back to the Future, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Aliens, Terminator, Predator etc
70's - Jaws, Starwars, Alien etc

 

[HenryFlower]

The Tree of Life
The Forbidden Room
The Turin Horse
Hard to Be a God
The Master
Amour
The Hunt
Inherent Vice
Phantom Thread
Rubber
Weekend
Before Midnight
A Separation
Spring Breakers
Force Majeure
The Lobster
The Handmaiden
Anomalisa
The Witch
Drive Angry

this thread has reminded me of a lot of films I have been meaning to see but have yet to get around to.

 

[Sir Galahad]

In an effort to save the thread I'll go with a somewhat rushed and unordered top 20 of....

Mad Max: Fury Road
Black Swan
The Lobster
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri
The Hateful Eight
Under The Skin
Logan
Cavalry
True Grit
13 Assasins
Blue is The Warmest Colour
Drive
Ex Machina
Inside Lywin Davis
The Handmaiden
The Master
Her
Dogtooth
Nightcrawler
Two Days, One Night

 

[Deleted member 110072]

I must be the last person on Sherdog not to have watched that.

You can trust me to include Drive on most lists though.

 

[Fork]

in a vague kind of order

Under the Skin
Tree of Life
Mad Max: Fury Road
Blade Runner 2049
Her
The Witch
Arrival
Annihilation
Guardians of the Galaxy
War for the Planet of the Apes

 

[Deleted member 110072]

The Tree of Life
The Forbidden Room
The Turin Horse
Hard to Be a God
The Master
Amour
The Hunt
Inherent Vice
Phantom Thread
Rubber
Weekend
Before Midnight
A Separation
Spring Breakers
Force Majeure
The Lobster
The Handmaiden
Anomalisa
The Witch
Drive Angry

this thread has reminded me of a lot of films I have been meaning to see but have yet to get around to.

Good to see another Lobster mention, I think Sherdog's perhaps too wary on that film as some kind of extreme arthouse weirdness, I mean the concept is obviously very oddball but for me its really not that hard to get into, you'll be pushed to find a film that moves from hilarious to tragic and back again quite as often.

Spring Breakers is something I must get around to as well although its one of those films I don't see much middle ground on, people either seem to love it or hate it.

Amour is still in my pile of DVD's to watch but I'v been skipping over it for months until I'm in the mood to be seriously depressed.