Mobius Archives Volume 2

There's a lot of good reading here as this thread attempt to sweep up the body of MHVF's infamous annual poll, the place where readers come to vent their spleen about the best and worst releases of the year. Scroll through these thoughts from 2002 and see if there's any titles you missed. If I can find them, more years will appear in this same thread.
............................................

Mobius Best of 2002 -

Mobius Best of 2002 Individual Ballots: A through C

Bill Alexander
Film
1)ATANARJUAT (THE FAST RUNNER)
2)SPIRITED AWAY
3)ADAPTATION
4)TALK TO HER
5)THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS
6)GANGS OF NEW YORK
DVD
1)COME DRINK WITH ME (Hong Kong R3)
2)BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: THE SECOND SEASON BOX SET
3)EUGENIE...THE STORY OF HER JOURNEY INTO PERVERSION
4)DJANGO
5)THE TOOLBOX MURDERS
6)THE IMAGE

Collin Armstrong
TOP 10 DVDS OF 2002 (well, 8 DVDs and 2 VHS titles!)
*Viewed on original videotapes imported from Japan
1) QUENTIN TARATINO ON MIRAMAX DVD (vote goes to JACKIE BROWN) - It took the brothers Weinstein long enough, but they finally got around to offering up spiffy editions of QT's 2nd and 3rd films! I had deliberately been avoiding both PULP FICITION and JACKIE BROWN for several years, and finally seeing them again confirmed my original gut feelings: Tarantino is hands down the best major American filmmaker to emerge in the last 20 years. I favor JACKIE over PULP because I think it's a much better showcase of QT's maturing talent - find me a scene in any film from the last 4 years as simultaneously energizing and heartbreaking as Robert Forester quietly singing along with the Delfonics in his car and prove me wrong! Jeers to Artisan for their horrible mishandling of RESERVOIR DOGS - here's hoping we'll see a decent transfer of this pic someday soon!
2) LOTR: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING SPECIAL EDTION - A meticulously crafted extension of an already meticulously crafted film. Along with New Line, director Peter Jackson provides heaps of additional footage and supplementary materials chronicling the massive efforts put forth by many, many individuals in bringing Tolkien's epics to the big screen. I found this set to be a little overwhelming at first, but diving in headfirst proved to be the best strategy - there's just so much to enjoy here!
3, 4) *JU-ON 2 & JU-ON (VHS, Japan, Toei Video) - Below-low budget nightmares courtesy of Kiyoshi Kurosawa prot??Takashi Shimizu. Both films take full advantage of their made-on-the-fly feel, creating an infinitely spooky environment where literally anything can and most likely will happen. I'm more partial to 2, since its shifts in time and space are even more random than those in part 1, upping the nightmarish vibe. Believe the hype, and then tack on a little more for good measure - these are the scariest pictures since RING.
5) VOLCANO HIGH (R3, South Korea, CJ Entertainment) - My pick for "Cinematic Sugar Rush of the Year!" The sort of snarky, bizarre, intelligent event movie Hollywood will likely never be able to make was a welcome treat this summer. I prefer the fuller cut of the film, although I understand arguments in favor of the shorter, international version. In my case, the added character development was a plus. I was duly impressed with its presentation on DVD, as well. South Korea seems to love the format, and VOLCANO HIGH was one of the best discs I had my hands on last year.
6) BRIGHAM CITY - Regional filmmaking at its finest from Mormon auteur extraordinaire Richard Dutcher. The film, which managed to fly waaay under even the most sophisticated sets of filmlover radar, allows an objective look at Morman life while delivering an incredibly taut, well-crafted and acted (by a mostly amateur cast) suspenser that heaps on tension and plot twists with aplomb. The DVD includes a Dutcher commentary track that rates as a must.
7) THE EYE (R0, Hong Kong, Panorama Entertainment) - The Pang Brothers' celebrated ghost story was a nice antidote to the suggestive terror tropes that had prospered in Asian countries over the last few years: it arrived as a noisy, special effects-driven shocker that actually shocked. Everything on screen - from the performances to the editing to the gorgeous location photography - jelled together perfectly, resulting in a crowd-pleaser of above-average intelligence. Panorama's DVD presentation is light on extras, but the film looks and sounds excellent. New special editions of this title continue to pop up, so keep your eyes peeled.
8) SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE (R3, South Korea, CJ Entertainment) - Park Chan-Wook's mean follow-up to JSA was like a slow-burn nightmare that I perversely didn't want to end. Everything from the performances to the tech credits were outstanding in this film; the soundscape - full of violent metal clanging on factory floors and deep-roaring electricity coursing through human flesh - has proved particularly hard to shake from my memory. The DVD is well put-together, with the film's transfer a high point.
9) RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD - In my misspent youth there were afternoons when I'd watch this high-water mark for camp horror twice in a row; seeing it again with a shiny new transfer and a nifty (albeit short) interview with writer/director Dan O'Bannon was a home video highlight for yours truly this year.
10) S?NCE ON A WET AFTERNOON - In the dictionary under "atmosphere." All apologies to my current fave helmer Kiyoshi Kurosawa and his S?NCE (KOREI), but there's no improvement to be made to the on-screen parental anxiety suffered by Kim Stanley and Richard Attenbourogh in Bryan Forbes' classic suspenser. A wonderful transfer of both the film itself and John Barry's score, courtesy of Home Vision.

TOP 10 FILMS SEEN IN THEATERS IN 2002

* Seen at the Prince Theater in Philadelphia - Halloween Program ** Seen at the Walter Reade Theater - "Film Comment" Selects Series *** Seen at the Philadelphia World Film Festival - Danger After Dark Program
1) MINORITY REPORT - Spielberg seems to be using the mid-life angst he's harboring to produce a string of great pictures (A.I., this, and CATCH ME IF YOU CAN) that are at once incredibly fun rides and adult-minded treatises on the break-up of the American Family. MINORITY is the standout of this trio, a very well directed and acted, keenly observant event picture that doesn't pander to entertain.
2) WENDIGO - Gotham-based filmmaking hyphenate Larry Fessenden's parable is ostensibly about a legendary Indian creature terrorizing the denizens of a small upstate New York vacation spot; as with all his films, once the deftly-constructed outer layers are peeled back you're left with something much more - an intelligent, sad examination of the ways society uses myths to explain its shortcomings.
3) *DRACULA: PAGES FROM A VIRGIN'S DIARY - Neighbor to the north Guy Maddin's take on the Winnipeg Ballet's "Nosferatu" is everything you would expect his first dabble in digitally-enhanced filmmaking to be - a beautiful, moving concoction of cinema old and new. The camerawork and usage of color are outstanding as always, and the grand style of the dance numbers fits right in with Maddin's loving flair for the melodramatic.
4) LOTR: THE TWO TOWERS - The second installment of Peter Jackson's massive adaptation wasn't quite on par with the first film, but still stands a high achievement for large-scale filmmaking. After a number of false starts and misfires by other filmmakers, Jackson successfully integrated a CGI character in his film that added to the story's emotional punch instead of distancing audiences.
5) BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE - I've always been a sucker for Michael Moore's work, but this film felt different in a very good way. Moore finally stops pretending to have all the answers and finds himself in the middle of his first important project since ROGER & ME. Critics seem to enjoy picking on Moore because they say he doesn't stand up to the greats of essay filmmaking, but so what if he doesn't? Who else is doing this sort of work in America right now, let alone pushing to get it seen by the masses?
6) **ICHI THE KILLER - As gonzo over-the-top nipple-slicing crazy as they come, I think Takashi Miike made one for the ages with this; he also likely smashed the mold to pieces on his way out. ICHI came during a year that also saw the director unleash protracted yakuza potboilers and slapstick musical comedies, and it seems here he spliced those genres in along with several others to boot. This is a loud, angry, forceful film that would be hard for any filmmaker to top in my book, but there's little I put past Miike. Can't wait to see what this year holds in store!
7) TROUBLE EVERY DAY - Clair Denis' shocking, sad "horror" film sets it characters loose on the cloudy, rain-soaked streets of Paris to probe the depths of the human libido. To me the film is really about the ways in which love can repress desire instead of liberating it, but hey - at the end of the day you still get to see a decent number of people eaten alive, so make of it what you will. Not an easy film to watch, and an even harder one to forget.
8) ***PISTOL OPERA - Utter cinematic madness from the one and only Seijun Suzuki! Indelible characters and color schemes abound in the aged director's loose sequel/remake of his own BRANDED TO KILL. That these ideas spilled out of the 80-year old-plus brain of Suzuki is amazing enough - how he got them alive and breathing up on screen is entirely something else to marvel at. To me PISTOL OPERA is about filmmaking, from a person very obviously driven to spend their life in film.
9) THE RING - Blasphemous that I'm including this on a "10 Best" list you say? Bah! The reverence shown for the original RING by director Gore Verbinski (no more MEXICAN for you - stick to things going bump in the night... or inside the television) warmed this fanboy's heart. The film's look, feel, and most importantly performances were all top-notch, and these days there's little more you can ask for from a U.S. genre film, let alone a remake.
10) FRAILTY - "Bill Paxton" and "subtly" - words not often used side by side. But with his directorial debut, Paxton showed remarkable restraint with material that others could have very easily taken over the top. Having grown up in an idyllic southeastern corner of the midwest, I can say with some authority that Paxton nailed his hay wired family's environment to a tee, creating some of the best atmosphere in any film I saw this year.

Peter Avellino

Best of 2002
I'm not quite sure what "Best Of" really means anymore. Maybe some of these don't belong on that list. Sometimes I can't help but wonder, even if it is being pretentious, What are films? What have films been? What can films be? What kind of people can we be? That's one of the things that ABOUT SCHMIDT asks. And, obviously, FAR FROM HEAVEN. And yes, FEMME FATALE. In some ways, they each ask these questions. But more than anything, I guess you could say that these are the ten films that reminded me, more than anything, just why I love movies. I won't add additional comments about them. They each speak for themselves.

1. ABOUT SCHMIDT
2. FAR FROM HEAVEN
3. FEMME FATALE
4. ADAPTATION
5. PUNCH DRUNK LOVE
6. GANGS OF NEW YORK
7. THE PIANIST
8. BLOOD WORK
9. THE QUIET AMERICAN
10. ABOUT A BOY

deserving to be on this list: 25TH HOUR, SPIDER, BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE, THE KID STAYS IN THE PICTURE, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, THE ROOKIE, CQ, PANIC ROOM, and, what the hell, SPIDER MAN.

TOP TEN DVDS
I've seen more new movies in the theater this year than new DVDs. So there's plenty I still haven't seen. And I know I'm forgetting something. Anyway, these are the first ten that came to mind.

CONTEMPT
THE USUAL SUSPECTS
TRAFFIC CRITERION COLECTION
PULP FICTION
JACKIE BROWN
THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS
TRUE ROMANCE
SUNSET BOULEVARD
TIME AFTER TIME
VICTOR/VICTORIA
and, though it's a TV show, special mention for the
SPORTS NIGHT DVD COLLECTION
And even though it's got no special features, THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT, which in some ways is better than any of them.

Chris Barry
1. FAR FROM HEAVEN--Pure, lush cinema. From Todd Haynes' impeccable direction, Dennis Quaid's bold performance, Julianne Moore's tragic heroine, Dennis Haysbert's stoicism, Edward Lachman's rich cinematography and, finally, to that heartbreaking score by Elmer Bernstein and Max Lichtenstein.
2. ADAPTATION--Crazy and hilarious, mind bending and intelligent. Absolutely grabs the writer's torment. Nicholas Cage is a revelation. Meryl Streep, I'm finally convinced, is one of America's best actresses.
3. AUTO FOCUS--Paul Schrader's transcendental film about a nice guy (Bob Crane) enveloped in an uncontrolled depravity. Searing, terrific performance by Greg Kinnear.
4. PUNCH DRUNK LOVE--One of the most misunderstood films of the year! P.T. Anderson and Adam Sandler portray a broken hearted man finally able to find love--even though he's not exactly the perfect man--in fact, he's far from it. But, in all honesty, who hasn't beaten up an inatimate object in the name of love?
5. LORD OF THE RINGS-THE TWO TOWERS--Saw it twice in one week and found myself at first overwhelmed and, ultimately, seduced by Peter Jackson's unbelievable vision of something once thought "unfilmable."
6. 25TH HOUR--Spike Lee's most assured film to date. Beautiful New York story without dismissing 9-11--intense, sad and all too human. Edward Norton is mesmerizing.
7. THE ROAD TO PERDITION--Heartbreaking, intense, brooding. Tom Hanks stretches his wares even further. Plus a large part of it was filmed in my hometown--Geneva, IL.
8. ONE HOUR PHOTO--The American nightmare stuck in a K-mart world. Robin Williams is at his creepiest. Filmed against a backdrop of fluorescent lights and phony family values. Unpredictable.
9. BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE--Michael Moore's knee-jerk documentary is self-indulgent, at times illogical, manipulative, funny, sad--in a word, brilliant.
10. AUSTIN POWERS IN GOLDMEMBER--What can I say? I laughed my ass off.

John F. Black
My list of favorite 2002 DVDs begins with my favorite, and then descends in exact order (#2 is my second favorite, #3 is my third favorite, etc.).
1. EUGENIE...THE STORY OF HER JOURNEY INTO PERVERSION
2. HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD
3. SPIRIT:STALLION OF THE CIMMARON
4. DINOTOPIA
5. THE SARAGOSSA MANUSCRIPT
6. WILD GUITAR/THE CHOPPERS
7. SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON
8. HOMICIDAL
9. THE VIKINGS
10. SECONDS

Michael Blanton
2002 FILM
1. Femme Fatale
2. Brotherhood of the Wolf
3. Time Out
4. Gangster No. 1
5. Narc
6. 25th Hour
7. Wendigo
8. Happiness of the Katakuris
9. Osamu Tezuka's Metropolis
10. 'R Xmas
Other films I enjoyed listed alphabetically:
Audition, Auto Focus, City of Lost Souls, CQ, Cure, Dog Soldiers, Far >From Heaven, Frailty, Human Nature, Merci Pour le Chocolat, The Piano Teacher, Punch Drunk Love, Read My Lips, Scarlet Diva, Spy Kids 2:Island of Lost Dreams, Storytelling, Spirited Away, and Y Tu Mama Tambien.
2002 DVD
1. Viva la muerte (Region 0 Cult Epics)
2. Belle de jour (R1 Miramax)
3. Polanski's Macbeth (R1 Columbia)
4. Battle Royale (NTSC R0, Tartan, Great Britain (G.B.))
5. Tears of the Black Tiger (R2 PAL, Pathe, G.B.)
6. The Saragossa Manuscript (R1 Image)
7. Down by Law (Criterion)
8. Delicatessen (R2 PAL, G.B.)
9. DellaMorte DellaMore (R2 PAL, Medusa, Italy)
10. Paris, Texas (R2 PAL, Anchor Bay, G.B.)
Cyberhome completely altered my ten fave DVDs for 2002. Other discs I enjoyed this year:
Afraid to Die, Alucarda, The American Friend, And Soon the Darkness, Audition, Blade II, Bob le Flambeur, CQ, Cat People, The Collector, Contempt, Decameron, The Devil's Backbone, Don't Look Now, The Duellists, Fat City, Frailty, Freeze Me, From Hell, Giallo Collection, Giants & Toys, Grave of the Fireflies, Guy Madden Collection, Heavenly Creatures, Juliet of the Spirits, The King of Comedy, Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye, The Long Goodbye, Lost Highway (R2 PAL Germany 2.35:1 anamorphic with 5.1 audio), McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Modesty Blaise, Mulholland Drive, The Ninth Configuration, No Telling, Pulse, Rashomon, Romeo is Bleeding, Spaghetti Western Collection, Street of No Return, Sunset Blvd., Thief of Bagdad, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, Wendigo, Wild Strawberries, Zipang (PAL R0), all theTakeshi Miike DVDs, Miyazaki R3 DVDs, Claude Chabrol Collection (R2 PAL France), Criterion DVDs, Anchor Bay DVDs, Synapse Films, MGM's Midnight Movies, and all the other great releases ad infinitum. DVD disappointments: 'R Xmas 5.1 audio mix; The Ninth Configuration's non-anamorphic transfer (while all the extras are anamorphic), Mulholland Dr's BLUR, and The poor quality of DVD transfers by NewYorker.

Dave Bohnert
My Top 10 Films of 2002
1. Gangs of New York
2. Spirited Away
3. Punch-drunk Love
4. Bowling for Columbine
5. Chicago
6. Auto Focus
7. Signs
8. The Ring
9. Far From Heaven
10. Sex and Lucia

Robin Bougie
Editor and publisher of CINEMA SEWER.
Vancouver BC. Canada
Here's my top ten for 2002:
In theaters
1.Spirited Away
2.Adaptation
3.Bowling for Columbine
4.Storytelling
5.Metropolis
6.Jackass: The movie
7.L.O.T.R. The two towers
8.Punch Drunk Love
9.Lilo and Stich
10.The Powerpuff Girls movie
DVD
1.Glengary Glenross
2.Near dark
3.The Mack
4.The image
5.Royal Tennenbaums
6.Top Secret
7.Reservior Dogs Spec. ed.
8.U.H.F.
9.Toolbox Murders
10.Jackie Brown spec. ed

Owi Briegleb
Berlin, Germany
My Top Ten films of 2002:
01. SEXY BEAST
02. BLACK HAWK DOWN
03. FULLTIME KILLER
04. SPIDER MAN
05. THE TWO TOWERS
06. ABOUT A BOY
07. RED DRAGON
08. MONSTERS INC.
09. PACTE DES LOUPS (Brotherhood of Wolves)
10. HEIST
Better than some reviewers thought: K-19, SUM OF ALL FEARS, CHANGING LANES, ORANGE COUNTY
Missed, among others: MONSTERS BALL, BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE, GOSFORD PARK
Fun movie 2002: ARAC ATTACK
Guilty pleasure: ALI G. IN DA HOUSE
Not many in my DVD compartment, so my 10 pts go to
TWIN PEAKS SEASON ONE (Ed. Note: This was a 2001 release)

Randy Byers
I didn't even see ten new movies from 2002, so I'm going to skip the Best Films of 2002 list. Here is my list of the ten best DVDs of 2002:
Top 10 DVDs of 2002

1. LEGEND: ULTIMATE EDITION -- The longer version made a guilty pleasure into a guilty, fruity passion. Blix, Gump, Una, and Meg Mucklebones are far more fey and fascinating than Lily and Jack, although the face-off between Lily and Darkness (in a sparkling, sentient room straight out of Cocteau) is still hot. Pity the Wild Dance sequence is lost, but now we can see that it is Jack, and not Lily, who is the Innocent. What care I for human hearts -- as soft and spiritless as porridge!
2. DIE NIBELUNGEN -- Another movie with restored footage, and perhaps it is even a distant forebear of LEGEND via Cocteau and THE WIZARD OF OZ. Dreamy and beautiful at first, stunningly fierce in the end. It's a blast out of an ancient, fatalistic Nordic past. As dark and complex as M in its own way, but pre-Raphaelite rather than Bauhaus. I can also see John Cleese as Siegfried, and Terry Jones as Kriemhild, which I admit doesn't help.
3. COME DRINK WITH ME (Region 3, Hong Kong, Celestial Pictures) -- The Shaw Brothers vaults have finally reopened, and this disk is a revelation. The colors and detail of the compositions are finally clearly visible, and, after all, with King Hu the smallest gestures matter. The stylized choreography of the fighting now has the space and depth to show its patterns. But whatever the quality of the print, Cheng Pei Pei has always riveted the eye as the young, two-fisted swordfighter.
4. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN -- I'll resist the urge to quote a song. One of my all time favorite movies, and a beautiful DVD. Of the extras, my favorites are the excerpts of songs from their first appearances in older movies. Let's get some musicals from the '30s and '40s out on DVD! I also got to see a restored print of this movie at the Cinerama here in Seattle -- on of my happiest theater experiences in 2002.
5. HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD -- I saw my first Bava movies this year, and the other two I saw, BLACK SUNDAY and PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES, are both better than this one. But this peplum still has a rich feeling of the otherworld, like the other two -- and like LEGEND and the Siegfried part of DIE NIBELUNGEN. The image of the oracle and her reflection in the liquid black floor is one of the eeriest in anything I watched last year, and I'm also a big fan of the ubiquitous pillars in their ever-mutating arrays.
6. NIGHT OF THE DEMON/CURSE OF THE DEMON -- Another movie I hadn't seen before. I watched CURSE first and didn't like it much, but I kept reading all these rave reviews. So I gave NIGHT a try -- and had to watch it again almost immediately. I've always been a huge fan of OUT OF THE PAST, and it was a delight to discover another beautifully composed and constructed movie from Tourneur. There are a number of eerie, magical moments, and now I know where the sample from Kate Bush's "Hounds of Love" comes from.
7. WAXWORKS -- It has Conrad Veidt in it, what more do you need to know? I watched quite a few silent German movies from the '20 last year (about half of them by Lang), and this lesser known movie by Paul Leni was a pleasant discovery. Like Lang's DESTINY, it's an anthology that ties together three stories from three different places and eras, and the production design is properly baroque for that era of German film-making. The stories here are about legendary or historic figures of evil, prompted by statues in a wax museum at a carnival. (I also enjoyed THE CAT AND THE CANARY -- one of Leni's Hollywood movies, but not a 2002 disk.)
8. CASTLE OF BLOOD -- I discovered the pleasure of the crypt in 2002, at the advanced old age of 42. This movie does not have the best crypt I saw this year (that would be in either BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN or BLACK SUNDAY), but it does have a crypt full of glowing fog -- another of my new gothic pleasures. The kinkiness of this movie is an old kink, almost archaic, and thus still powerful. I can't watch the snake killing scene, it makes me nauseous just to think of it, the kind of thing I did when I was cruel as a kid. It is somehow appropriate that the dub moves back and forth between English and (subtitled) French.
9. EUGENIE ... THE STORY OF HER DESCENT INTO PERVERSION -- I've never cared much for Sade and his highly intellectualized perversions. I had never seen a Jess Franco movie before. I understand that this is an asymptomatic Franco film, but I found it visually seductive ... and then enthralling. It certainly is Sadean, and I still don't understand or perhaps accept the fever-dreamy leap from desire to evil. It's all very orthodox, isn't it? But this is a sexy, troubling, trippy movie.
10. FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (Extended version) -- I was seriously disappointed by THE TWO TOWERS, and it has left me feeling sourer about this movie, too. Not that I loved it whole-heartedly before, but I liked the theatrical release enough to see it three or four times in the theater, including a couple of times at the Cinerama. I liked this version even better. It still seems to me that this first part moves more coherently than the second part, possibly because the narrative isn't as divided. Much is improved in the longer cut, but most important is the Lothlorien sequence. And Boromir's death scene remains a powerful cinematic moment.

Robert Cashill
THEATRICAL
1) ALIAS BETTY
A sociological thriller, from a Ruth Rendell novel, that captured my imagination back in September and has yet to leave it. Claude Miller directs; Wellspring will release on DVD this spring after a way-too-limited release. Please rent.
2) THE PIANIST
A triumph for Roman Polanski, with an amazingly still and observant performance from Adrien Brody.
3) Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN
Oh, to be 17 again, to do exactly what these guys did. The repercussions of their actions are as stimulating as the actions themselves.
4) LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS
What's to explain? Bring on the KING, Mr. Jackson.
5) NARC
Possibly the best policier I've seen, in that the Ray Liotta character strongly reminded me of my uncle, an NJPD cop who killed himself shortly after retirement. About 10 years after the sad fact I saw him again in Liotta's face.
6) 25th HOUR
The most thoughtful of the year's requiem for America dramas, narrowly edging out CHANGING LANES.
7) THE SON
The year's least compromised drama, very tightly focused. I didn't breathe once and my faculties were amply rewarded with a beauty of an ending.
8) SOLARIS
Any movie that initiates such passionate discussion on the board can't be all bad, even if you hated it.
9) BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF
An enchanting brew of history and horror. France did well by me in 2002.
10) MINORITY REPORT
It fades in the closing stretch but it's the journey and not the destination that counted with me.
11s (alphabetized)...ABOUT A BOY, ABOUT SCHMIDT, ADAPTATION, AUTO FOCUS, THE CAT'S MEOW, CHANGING LANES, CHICAGO, 8 WOMEN, ENIGMA, FEMME FATALE, HUMAN NATURE, INSOMNIA, INTACTO, KISSING JESSICA STEIN, THE LADY AND THE DUKE, METROPOLIS (Lang reissue), PERSONAL VELOCITY, THE QUIET AMERICAN, ROGER DODGER, SIGNS, SUPER TROOPERS, and 24-HOUR PARTY PEOPLE.
DVDs
1) LORD OF THE RINGS: EXTENDED EDITION
The DVD of the year...and of the format itself.
2) DIE NIBELUNGEN
The LOTR of its day, stirringly restored.
3) USED CARS
A welcome release of a personal favorite with a great commentary track.
4) THE ALEC GUINNESS COLLECTION
Ealing gems every one of them.
5) THE OUTER LIMITS COLLECTION VOLUME 1
Control, bring on Vol. 2.
6) SHINER
John Irvin's tough and tangy noir, recommended by DVD Savant Glenn Erickson. He was right. Michael Caine should have a few legs broken at Miramax for not releasing this to theaters.
7) BRIDES OF BLOOD
A trash classic from the Sixties makes for a delightfully nostalgic disc for anyone who saw the film on Saturday afternoons.
8) WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO SOLANGE?
Another sight-unseen title, a giallo I ended up loving.
9) CURSE OF THE DEMON/NIGHT OF THE DEMON
Another classic nicely disinterred from the vaults.
10) HEAVENLY CREATURES
Miramax makes up for a few sins with a restored version of Peter Jackson's haunting 1994 drama.

John Charles
Canada
Domestic Theatrical Releases
I haven't seen enough of them to offer a comprehensive Top Ten, so I'll just do a Top Four:
1. SPIRITED AWAY (Walt Disney)
2. BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE (Odeon)
3. BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF (TVA)
4. HAPPY TIME (Mongrel Media)
Video (all DVDs)
1. IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (Criterion)
2. THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP (Criterion)
3. THE OUTER LIMITS: THE ORIGINAL SERIES VOL. 1 (MGM)
4. THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (MGM)
5. LAST HOUSE ON DEAD END STREET (Barrel)
6. NAKED KILLER (Hong Kong Legends -- UK)
7. THE KILLER (Hong Kong Legends -- UK)
8. VINCENT PRICE: THE SINISTER IMAGE (All Day)
9. BATTLE ROYALE (Tartan -- UK: NTSC Version)
10. USED CARS (Columbia Tristar)

Dave Cheung
Film
1. Ichi the Killer
For those who can look beyond the (sometimes gleeful) sadistic violence and dark humor, Takashi Miike made a strong statement on life's unfulfillment somewhere.
2. Pulse (Kairo)
This existential horror really shook up this mediocre computer science student.
3. Roberto Succo
C?ric Kahn's fact-based drama on serial killer Succo, an Italian who terrorized southern France in the 90's, is refreshingly unsympathetic and uninterested in handing out easy, cheap insight on the criminal mind. Kahn tries an "objective" approach and refuses to show the murders onscreen (we only see their violent aftermath in photos or with the police at the crime scene), never letting the viewer to share Succo's viewpoint. This deserves an American release.
4. 25th Hour
A poignant character study and paean to New York City. Watching this at a multiplex located blocks away from Ground Zero (UA Battery Park 16) is a strange experience: the opening credits alone, accompanied by Terence Blanchard's music, put me to tears (also the finale).
5. July Rhapsody
6. Time Out (L'Emploi du temps)
7. Changing Lanes
This intense morality tale almost self-destructs with a silly ending. I felt the movie was overlooked and this deserves some praise for a Hollywood flick that actually asks the audience worthwhile questions on personal responsibility. It'd been more interesting if the religious angle haven't have been toned down during post-production and better if the original ending was used.
8. Punch-Drunk Love
I still don't understand why this disturbing "comedy" is so moving after 2 viewings.
9. Devdas
10. Adaptation
Probably too clever for its own good and much better read on paper than seen as a movie. Might be placed higher after another viewing.

DVD
1. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Platinum Series, extended cut)
A longer cut that greatly improves the theatrical cut with overwhelming amount of extras covering all aspects of the production. (probably the most comprehensive coverage ever). Still haven't gone through the whole set yet.
2. In the Mood for Love (Criterion)
The best DVD version of this Wong Kar-Wai masterpiece.
3. Don't Look Now (Paramount, R1)
4. The Image (Synapse)
Best evidence that sometimes pornography IS art.
5. The Magic Blade (IVL/Celestial, R3) 6. The Teahouse (IVL/Celestial, R3)
Many of the Shaw Bros. releases are revelations. These 2 out of the many impressed me the most. BLADE have great performances from Ti Lung and Lo Lieh, a brisk plot, colorful characters, awesome swordfights, and beautiful photography sets. TEAHOUSE gives us a glimpse of tough HK street life in the 70's that benefitted from shooting on authentic locations and audacious, stylish photography from Yi Chi. (Watch for the amazing opening shot that introduces all the characters and the long 2-minute scene of Cheng & Co. entering/exiting elevator to meet the real estate developer.)
7. The Atomic Cafe (Docurama)
8. Last House on the Left (MGM, R1)
Finally available uncut with valuable extras. And only $10! Much kudos to MGM, unlike othe majors, for not chickening out in releasing graphic films (this, SPETTERS, and THE DECAMERON).
9. My Life as McDull (Universe)
I'd have put this love letter to Hong Kong on my 2002 top ten but I've already put two 2001 movies on it already...
10. Three Brothers (Facets)
It's great to have this Francesco Rosi 1981 masterpiece on video. (But where's THE MATTEI AFFAIR (still owned by Paramount?), ILLUSTRIOUS CORPSES (United Artists/MGM?), SALVATORE GIULIANO...?) Too bad the video quality is shoddy: there are obvious jagged edges on outlines of objects (bad PAL-to-NTSC conversion)?
Worst DVD: Momento (Special Edition)
Decent extras aside, this special edition as game is dumb and tedious, forcing the viewer to go through a series of complex navigation of the "psychological quizzes" to get to each of the special features. Going through Something Weird's "Monsters Crash the Pajama Party" disc is not as complicated as this and, at least, it was charming. Christopher Nolan's sorry attempt at creative DVD presentation comes off more like he's punishing curious cinephiles.

Tom Clay
UK
BEST OF 2002:
Criteria: Any film with a theatrical world premiere in 2002 is eligible.
1. DIVINE INTERVENTION (Suleiman/Palestine)
Of such high quality that the Academy refused to even consider it for nomination, Suleiman's film recalls Godard, Tati and Fellini at their best. Topical as hell, this also contains more invention, wit and spirit than the rest of the year's releases combined.
2. PIANIST, THE (Polanski/Poland-France-Germany) *
Traditional storytelling at its best. Unsentimental, unheroic, restrained and morally complex, Polanski has crafted that rarest of films - a truly European blockbuster. Also the best argument for HD cinematography I have so far laid my eyes on.
3. 10 (Kiarostami/Iran) +
Removing the script and almost all sense of conventional direction, Kiarostami brings a new level of truth to his fiction. A director of lesser renown would be unlikely to get this minimalist digital experiment beyond the walls of their own television set - but kudos to Kiarostami nonetheless.
4. IRREVERSIBLE (Noe/France)
Hollow, simplistic and juvenile. IRREVERSIBLE must nevertheless be applauded for its sheer flamboyance and stylistic bravura. Consistently breathtaking in its ROPE-like antics, this is the art-house equivalent of a rollercoaster ride - with added rape. 'Shallow masterpiece' of the year.
5. VIE NOUVELLE, LA (Grandrieux/France)
File with IRREVERSIBLE and DEMONLOVER under Gaulish avant-noir. With a minimum of plot and dialogue, Grandrieux and co. push at the boundaries of what is possible on 35mm film stock. The results are one-note, but photographically brilliant. I hate to think what this will look like on DVD.
6. MAROONED IN IRAQ (Ghobadi/Iran)
Another installment in Ghobadi's saga of Kurdish life, MAROONED IN IRAQ picks up where A TIME FOR DRUNKEN HORSES left off, employing many of the same locations, shots and themes. Initially more humourous than its predecessor, this eventually only serves to heighten the quietly devastating denouement. Thoroughly depressing, in the best sense of the word.
7. LILJA-4-EVER (Moodyssohn/Sweden)
Also thoroughly depressing, though a little more obvious in its subject matter. Predictable and prurient, too. That LILJA-4-EVER still retains a great capacity to move is a testament to Moodyssohn's sense of detail and the strong performances of his young actors.
8. BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE (Moore/USA) *+
Not a great film, but an essential one. Amidst all the ad-hominem bluster, Moore somehow manages to provide the only effective opposition to the Bush administration west of the Atlantic. Further, his use of 9-11 footage is iron-necked, vital and rigorously poetic.
9. DEMONLOVER (Assayas/France)
Confused by Assayas' narrative dislocations and shifting characterizations, critics deemed DEMONLOVER the turkey of Cannes. In fact, this post-modern dream film is what MULHOLLAND DRIVE could have been had David Lynch not lost his nerve. No wonder Lynch's Jury also failed to give Assayas his fair dues.
10. ATTACK OF THE CLONES (Lucas/USA) *+
With Gandalf the White busy preaching the benefits of pre-emptive action, ATTACK OF THE CLONES opts to warn us against such Machiavellian scheming (global or intergalactic). The digital mis-en-scene is unique and effective, too. "I killed them all. Not just the men, but the women and the children too."
Runners-up: MORVERN CALLAR (Ramsey/UK) *+, ALL OR NOTHING (Leigh/UK) +, RUSSIAN ARK (Sokurov/Russia)
Oedipal bore award: SPIDER (Cronenberg/Canada)
Taranteenie award: CIDADE DE DEUS (Meirelles/Brazil-US-France)
Scorseseenie award: GANGS OF NEW YORK (Scorsese/US) *
Silver-spoon award: HUKKLE (Palfi/Hungary)
Birth of a Nation award: LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS (Jackson/NZ-US) *+
* Films with US theatrical distribution in 2002
+ Films with UK theatrical distribution in 2002
DVD
1. MEPRIS, LE (Godard/Switzerland) - Criterion, US
2. STALKER (Tarkovsky/USSR) - Ruscico / Artificial Eye, UK
3. EALING COMEDY DVD COLLECTION (Hamer-MacKendrick-Crichton/UK) - Studio Canal, UK
4. NIEBELUNGEN, DIE (Lang/Germany) - Kino, US
5. ELOGE DE L'AMOUR (Godard/Switzerland) - Optimum, UK
6. PIANISTE, LA (Haneke/Austria) - Artificial Eye, UK
7. JACKIE BROWN (Tarantino/US) - Miramax, UK
8. TOKYO OLYMPIKKU (Ichikawa/Japan) - Criterion, US
9. MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH, THE (Roeg/UK) - Studio Canal / Warner, UK
10. KOYAANISQATSI (Reggio/US) - MGM, US

Ted Cogswell
Top ten films of 2002
1. The Good Girl (Miguel Arteta)
2. Storytelling (Todd Solondz)
3. Adaptation (Spike Jonze)
4. Catch Me If You Can (Steven Spielberg)
5. Sunshine State (John Sayles)
6. The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys (Peter Care)
7. Y tu mama tambien (Alfonso Cuaron)
8. Heaven (Tom Tykwer)
9. Gangs of New York (Martin Scorsese)
10. Britney, Baby One More Time (Ludi Boeken)
Top ten dvd’s of 2002
1. The Complete Monterey Pop Festival (Criterion)
2. Extra Weird Sampler (Something Weird)
3. Fingers (Warner)
4. Jackie Brown (Buena Vista)
5. Barfly (Warner)
6. Blue Velvet: Special Edition (MGM)
7. The King of Comedy (Fox)
8. Masque of the Red Death/The Premature Burial (MGM)
9. Joe (MGM)
10. Blood Freak Special Edition (Image/SWV)

David Colton
Best films (In order):
1. Spider-Man
2. The Pianist
3. About Schmidt
4. Signs
5. SWII: Attack of the Clones
6. The Hours
7. Gangs of New York
8. Adaptation!!
9. Minority Report
10. Frida
Best DVDs (in order):
1. Curse of the Demon/Night of the Demon
2. Outer Limits box set
3. Invaders from Mars (1950s)
4. It Came From Outer Space
5. Invasion U.S.A.
6. Spider-Man
7. Fellowship of the Ring (Expanded edition)
8. E.T.
9. SWII: Attack of the Clones
10. Monsters We've Known and Loved (DVD-R from Creepy Classics)

Ben Croll
Montreal, Qc
Canada
Theatrical
1. Adaptation.
What more can be said?
2. City Of God*
A movie so effective you feel guilty by being entertained by it. Funny, scary and moving.
3. The Kid Stays In The Picture
While it is a 'vanity piece' through and through, it is so exceptionally well crafted it doesn't really matter.
4. About A Boy
The best comedy of the year. It is too bad it was over powered by the mammoth that is Star Wars. Hopefully, it will find its audience on video.
5. Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers
While not as good as the first, it is still light years better than any other action movie released this year.
6. Metropolis (Anime)
Its final scene, reminiscent to that of Dr. Strangelove, is the most beautiful display of massive destruction since "When Buildings Fall Down" (Simpsons reference).
7. Road To Perdition
Sam Mendes has made another masterpiece. I couldn't think of a better last movie for Conrad Hall. His work in this is beyond sensational.
8. Bowling For Columbine
Michael Moore being Michael Moore, to hilarious and thought-provoking effect.
9. The Pianist
The movie Polanski has been waiting his entire life to make. It was worth the wait. A harrowing experience, nonetheless one that should be taken.
10. (tie) Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind & Chicago
The polar opposites of The Pianist, these two are wonderful examples of well-made movies whose only goal it is is to entertain. And they succeed with flying colors.
*City Of God played at the Montreal International Film Festival during the summer.
Didn't make the cut
11. Minority Report
12. Gangs Of New York
13. Rabbit-Proof Fence
14. Far From Heaven
15. Spirited Away
16. One Hour Photo
17. 8 Mile
18. Catch Me If You Can
19. Punch-Drunk Love
20. Insomnia
21. Hell House
Movies I haven't seen
25th Hour
Narc
Talk To Her
The Quiet American
Antwone Fisher
Solaris
Full Frontal
Y Tu Mama Tabien
El Crimen Del Padre Amaro
Rules Of Attraction
Unfaithful
Secretary
The Comedian
Lost In La Mancha
Bloody Sunday
DVDs
1. Lord Of The Rings: Fellowship Of The Ring Extended Edition
This Extended Edition not only improves on an already outstanding movie, but its incredibly informative special features actually give you a new found respect for the movie itself as well as being extremely entertaining and easy to navigate. Truly the best DVD ever released.
2. The Evil Dead: Book Of The Dead Edition
The definitive edition of Evil Dead, this DVD has the best transfer yet as well as a healthy does of extras (including Bruce Campbell's sidesplitting commentary and his documentary Fanalysis). Plus, the neat packaging.
3. The Royal Tenebaums: Criterion Collection
One of last year's best movies released by Criterion on a great 2-disk set. The Peter Bradley interview is priceless.
4. Warner Bros.' 2 disk special editions
Their releases of Amadeus, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Singing In The Rain, Unforgiven and True Romance are not stacked with extras. They chose quality over quantity and opted for informative documentaries and commentaries (the best of which being Quentin Tarantino's on True Romance). Not to mention, the didn't use the snap case (Like the JFK DVD). Next year comes GoodFellas, The Color Purple, and more.
5. Monsters, Inc.
A huge crossover hit, the Monsters, Inc DVD not only had games and fun for children, but also wonderful insight into the making of the movie and the way Pixar operates, while still remaining as accessible to children as it is to adults. Harry Potter take note.
6. Blue Velvet and Mullholand Drive
Two of Lynch's best movies released with excellent transfers and sound quality. If only so much could have been said about the extras (although the documentary on BV was great).
7. Memento Special Edition
Last years' best movie was finally given the release it deserves, with a Christopher Nolan commentary and the ability to watch the movie in chronological order. If the menus weren't so annoying, this would have been higher up on the list.
8. The Man Who Wasn't There
Not only one of the best Coen Brothers movies, but one of the best film noirs in the last 20 years. This DVD has the Coens' first commentary track and it is one of the best ones in recent memory. Their anecdote about Guy Pines had me in tears.
9. TV shows on DVD
This year saw the releases of numerous classic TV shows as well as some excellent new ones on DVD. Studios saw the potential to attract new viewers to a show by releasing the first season on DVD before the second season was to start (done with 24 and The Shield).
10. The Devil's Backbone & Blade 2
Guillermo Del Toro's 2 latest horror movies are complete opposites, tag and hide & seek, as he calls it, yet both are well made and actually scary. On both DVDs he gives a great commentary.
DVD Disappointments (In no order)
1. Spider-Man
A wonder DVD could have been made, but instead they through on a couple of promotional features and some comic book cover.
2. Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown
We know QT can record a great commentary, look at Dusk Till Dawn or True Romance. But how come he didn't do one for his own movies?
3. Still no Star Wars or Indiana Jones
That speaks for itself
4. Heavenly Creatures 'Bare Bones' DVD
No features, no commentary, nothing but a trailer.
5. Memento SE
Great disk, crappy menu.
¡¦¡¦¡¦¡¦¡¦¡¦¡¦¡¦¡¦¡¦¡¦¡¦¡¦¡¦¡¦¡¦¡¦¡¦¡¦¡¦¡¦¡¦¡¦¡¦¡¦.

Mobius Best of 2002 Individual Ballots: D through G

William D'Annucci
New York, NY USA
Getting my list in at the last second. I have much I could say about all of these listed. Hopefully there will be some spirited discussions on picks later on. I also have missed a bunch of popular films (THE PIANIST, ABOUT SCHMIDT, etc) which may eventually shake up my top 10. I'll just add an extra shout out for the utterly fun BLADE 2 DVD, which would have easily been my best 2002 disc if the FELLOWSHIP EE set wasn't simply the best DVD ever.
BEST OF FILM 2002
1. SPIRITED AWAY
2. LOTR: THE TWO TOWERS
3. GANGS OF NEW YORK
4. ADAPTATION
5. SPIDER-MAN
6. BLADE 2
7. FEMME FATALE
8. SPIDER
9. LOST IN LA MANCHA
10. SOLARIS
BEST OF DVD 2002
1. LOTR: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING - EXTENDED EDITION
2. BLADE 2
3. DON'T LOOK NOW
4. HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD
5. STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN - THE DIRECTOR'S EDITION
6. THE PRODUCERS
7. CURSE/NIGHT OF THE DEMON
8. HORROR OF DRACULA/THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (tie)
9. CASTLE OF BLOOD
10. HEAVENLY CREATURES

David Decameron
UK
1 - Contempt/Le mepris (Jean-Luc Godard, US, Criterion)
Classic film beautifully presented, with fascinating extras that would be almost worth the price on their own.
2 - Austin Powers In Goldmember (Jay Roach, UK, EIV)
The controversy over whether or not the AP films are funny (which they obviously are) is masking the fact that Roach and Myers have constructed the greatest back-lot universe since the 'golden age'. Pure Cinema.
3 - Eugenie...The Story Of Her Journey Into Perversion (Jess Franco, US, Blue Underground)
A revelation, even to this long-time Franco fan.
4 - Mullholland Drive (David Lynch, US, Universal)
The DVD is sparse, but the film is incredible.
5 - Last House On Dead End Street (Roget Watkins, US, Barrel Entertainment)
I refused to believe this film even existed until the DVD dropped though the door. A horrible piece of misanthropic grue, I loved it.
6 - Happiness Of The Katakuris (Takashi Miike, HK, Fortex)
Stunningly inventive and entertaining musical comedy.
7 - Yakuza Papers aka Battles Without Honour And Humanity (Kinji Fukasaku, UK, Eureka)
The best of Eureka's mostly poor Fukasaku/Yakuza releases, and a great, seminal, film.
8 - Ed Wood (Tim Burton, UK, Touchstone)
I love this film, plain and simple. Possibly the third best film about film-making (after Contempt and Boogie Nights). The DVD adds a raft of interesting extras.
9 - Hitch-hikers Guide To The Galaxy (Alan Bell, UK, BBC Worldwide)
The normally lazy BBC pull out all the stops to bring the complete, unexpurgated series, even with some unshown material. The extras are all essential. The on-screen production notes are a great alternative to a commentary.
10 - Eloge De L'Amour (Jean-Luc Godard, UK, Optimum)
On first viewing, this seems little different to Godard's other work of the last 15+ years - i.e. an incomprehensible, barely watchable, doodle. Repeat viewing shows this to be one of Godard's most brilliant and poignant films, and I am delighted that Optimum bothered to release it on DVD.
Honourable Mentions
Complete Brass Eye (UK), Phoenix Nights Series 1 (UK), Twin Peaks Season 1 (UK), French Connection Box Set (UK), Fudoh The New Generations (US), Dead Or Alive (UK), Justine (US), Come Drink With Me (HK)

Doug Dillaman
I think I've seen everything I'll have a chance to before the deadline. Believe it or not, I haven't listed every 2002 film I saw this year below, only the ones that struck me as worth mentioning in some way, positive or negative.
Top Ten Films of The "Year":
1. ADAPTATION
2. GANGS OF NEW YORK
3. 25TH HOUR
4. PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE
These four could be in just about any order on this list as far as I'm concerned. They're all great American films, each unique and powerful achievements that astonished me in one way or another, and are all horribly misunderstood by many, from the third act criticisms of ADAPTATION to the people who couldn't get past the "re-editing" rumours about GANGS OF NEW YORK to the inexplicable critical indifference to 25TH HOUR to the friends who still ask me "you liked an Adam Sandler film?" when I mention PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE. They're also remarkable because I had negative feelings about the recent work of each of the directors excepting Jonze (never having been a P.T. Anderson fan and having been disappointed by recent Spike Lee and Scorsese films), and also having been disappointed by Kaufman's HUMAN NATURE and CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND. There's been a number of interesting films this fall/winter, but these four redeemed this year for me.
5. LATE MARRIAGE - the best marriage film of the year, and by far the best speech at a wedding reception. (Sorry, Jack Nicholson.) Apart from that, this is a wildly overlooked film that deserves everyone's attention. The opening scenes look like a good-natured farce - MY BIG FAT ISRAELI WEDDING, perhaps - but where the movie winds up is anything but.
6. LANTANA - technically a 2001 release lost in the cracks, this winding film binds a group of lives together in an amazing artful and understated way.
7. ATANARJUAT: THE FAST RUNNER - one of my friends put it best - "films are supposed to take you to another world, and they don't anymore, but this one actually did." Some have sniped that it got a pass because of its origins as the first Inuit feature, but the fact that it's still playing to packed houses in Portland 7 months after it opened speaks for itself.
8. LILO & STITCH - I've written about this before, but let me re-iterate: this is a damn fun and damn funny movie, and if you're ignoring it because it's Disney, you're missing out.
9. HEAVEN - I might be overrating this because I love Kieslowski so much and because it's been so criminally underrated (and poorly distributed, to boot). There's a couple clunky lines here and there, but there's also some knockout scenes (particularly the opening) and artful photography, and Cate Blanchett's performance was one of the best of the year and her absence from any major award consideration is completely baffling to me. And Tykwer and Kieslowski's sensibilities merge surprisingly well.
10. FEMME FATALE - and I'm no DePalma fan (not that I have a major grudge, either), but this movie was just so much fun that I was laughing with delight at plot twists near the end. I'm not convinced that it makes a damn bit of sense regardless of what explanation you come up with, and I don't really care.
Eleven-Way Tie For 11th, with no disrespect intended to any and no order implied in the listing: RABBIT-PROOF FENCE, TIME OUT, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, READ MY LIPS, Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN, BLOODY SUNDAY, LOVELY AND AMAZING, DAUGHTER FROM DANANG, SPIDER-MAN, METROPOLIS, TRIBUTE
Thirteen films too frustrating or uneven to fairly make the above lists but still noteworthy:
SOLARIS - an incredibly sensuous sight and sound experience (Insane Clown Posse song very withstanding), but didn't really come together for me on a first viewing. I wanted to give it a second viewing, but it vanished without a trace after a few weeks.
BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE - probably the only time where the fans of the film convinced me it was a deeply flawed film by accident, as this was on my top ten coming out of the theater. I still think Moore's portrait of gun problems in America is more nuanced than people (both pro- and con- the film) give him credit for, but the cheap shots wind up misbalancing the film and misdirecting the viewer from the actual issues at hand.
LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS - FELLOWSHIP would have made my top twenty last year, but this was interminable to me at points, and I am so freaking sick of Gimli making bad jokes that it's not funny. And yet there are just some amazing scenes, some of the most awe-inspiring pieces of film that I've ever seen.
SPIRITED AWAY - did absolutely nothing for me on a narrative level, with a relatively vacant protagonist being pushed through an arbitrary plot. At some point I started wishing it would stop trying to have a narrative altogether, because the best parts of the film for me were when it tried least and just reveled in the joy of goofy-looking monsters going to a bath-house.
8 MILE - not a totally satisfying film in any sense, but the closing rap battle was thrilling (particularly as an ex-Detroit area resident who got to catch the references to area codes and Cranbrook).
NARC - a bit too indebted to cop-movie cliches - the cop who's in too deep, the cop who'll break all the rules for justice - but when it's firing on all cylinders, it's incredibly engaging and stylish and potent.
CQ - my favorite net review of this (at Home Theater Forum) described Jeremy Davies thusly: "his uncharisma is astounding". Which is dead-on, and it burdens this movie. But there's so much to love - from the DAVID HOLZMAN'S DIARY rip-offs/tributes to the BARBARELLA tribute to Depardieu's insane director to Jason Schwartzman just tearing the place apart - that I want to see it again to figure out why I didn't come out of it liking it better than I did.
SEX AND LUCIA - I don't think this Alice in Wonderland tale is nearly as important as it seems to think it is, but it's still a fun ride at many a point and also, ah, very appealing to those base desires, ahem.
SIGNS - yes, the plot and themes are ludicrous and not worthy of serious discussion. but I turned my brain off about ten minutes in and treated it like a rollercoaster, and I had a fun ride.
THE RING - some awful acting and/or dialogue (couldn't tell if the actors were doing their best with bad dialogue or just gave up because of it), but I really dug the ambiance and the fake end/real end set up.
SECRET BALLOT - easily the slowest movie I saw this year, and I was about to go mad after five minutes. but once it picks up, the insights into Iranian electoral process are pretty fascinating, at least to me.
13 CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ONE THING - the stagy dialogue didn't sit well with me, but maybe I should see it again. Regardless Alan Arkin is pretty great.
IGBY GOES DOWN - a horribly misjudged opening five minutes almost caused me to leave. Once the film stops trying to be quite so shocking it gets to be pretty interesting and intermittently even great, although it never quite transcends the shallowness of its milieu.
Fifteen solid films that may not have been flawless but I nevertheless enjoyed with no significant reservations: NINE QUEENS, BARAN, INTACTO, WHAT TIME IS IT THERE?, SCRATCH, SECRETARY, ABOUT A BOY, UNDERCOVER BROTHER, KISSING JESSICA STEIN, LEFT SIDE OF THE FRIDGE, HOME MOVIE, THE KID STAYS IN THE PICTURE, PANIC ROOM, ITALIAN FOR BEGINNERS, KIRA'S REASON
Ten films that I appreciated to some extent but just don't get the hype on (in decreasing level of personal appreciation):
THE PIANIST - a film that I have absolutely no complaints about other than I didn't get involved in it for even a second. Perhaps I need another viewing.
FAR FROM HEAVEN - I'm really not sure how an interesting academic experiment, reasonably well executed, turned into the most acclaimed film of the year.
MINORITY REPORT - some great fun techno-geek parts to this film, but some stupid narrative turns (including the world's worst revenge scene ever, featuring Peter Stormare) and a horrible finale that's straight out of MURDER, SHE WROTE. (Not as bad as the ending of AI, but still.)
CHICAGO - why do you make a movie full of people dancing and then never show them dancing for more than 1.5 seconds before cutting to a different shot? I'm not a big musical fan, but I thought that was kind of the point. Also not sure why people are into this film in general - its only real point seems to be that flashy tactics obscure the underlying reality, which sort of acts as a metaphor for the film itself.
ROGER DODGER - sure, Campbell Scott's performance is good, but the screenplay just didn't do much for me narratively (and the best lines were in the trailer), and the whole cinematography/editing style felt badly misjudged to me.
ABOUT SCHMIDT - as a fan of CITIZEN RUTH and ELECTION, I sat slackjawed as this film ricocheted around without a buildup in suspense or plot and just arbitrarily switched tone as seemed relevant for the scene in question. Some funny parts, and the very ending was somewhat affecting, but that this won best screenplay at the Globes over ADAPTATION is just unfathomable to me on every level.
THE RULES OF ATTRACTION - not that it got great mainstream reviews, but the online folks (see: AICN) defending this mess as a "satire" seem to be horribly confused. What, precisely, is that suicide scene supposed to be satirizing, for instance? A couple knockout scenes, definitely, but not the world-beater some seemed to think it was.
8 WOMEN - shrill catfighting interspersed with mediocre non-diagetic musical numbers is many people's idea of entertainment, judging from the popular response, but not mine, although Ludivine Sagnier's performance and cuteness kept me sane amidst all the sniping. Best line: "What now? Another dramatic revelation?" Summarizes the whole movie, pretty much.
CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND - "wildly uneven" is the description a friend used, and that's just about right. The wildly jarring photographic styles didn't work for me at all, nor the wildly contrasting tones.
BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF - thud. thud. thud. that's this movie hitting me over the head with loudness and quick edits and stuff. I think it's the only movie of 2002 to give me a headache. Monica Bellucci is very pretty, though, and some intermittent scenes were quite entertaining. Still, it seemed wildly overrated to me by its fans.
Four great performances in otherwise very disappointing films: Paul Newman in THE ROAD TO PERDITION, Robin Williams in ONE HOUR PHOTO, Nicky Katt in FULL FRONTAL and Edie Falco in SUNSHINE STATE
DQ'd in reservation for 2003 lists: GERRY, CITY OF GOD, MAN ON THE TRAIN
DQ'd because I don't know how to count the release date (first seen on DVD in 2002 or 2003 but don't know when the DVD was first released), but all would be strong candidates for top twentydom: AVALON, INUGAMI, PULSE, DARK WATER, JSA
Thirteen Worst:
ATTACK OF THE CLONES (IMAX edit) - I stupidly thought that the IMAX format, by cutting the film down by 21 minutes, might remove the most painful parts. Which it may have, but it makes the inanity of the plotting even more evident, not to mention radically re-shaping the frame in an incredibly unpleasing manner.
RAIN - a little bit of nice photography didn't save this deadly dull coming of age story
MONSOON WEDDING - hands down the most horribly over-rated film of the year. I really have no idea what people saw in this uninterestingly photographed film (barring the very first shot), with soap-opera plotting and acting that would've never got distribution if it were set with, say, a Catholic wedding as a backdrop. I suppose if you've never seen a foreign film before, the ethnographic components might be interesting, but that's about it.
NAQOYQATSI - and this is from a huge fan of the first two QATSIs. When I saw the 1's and 0's coming down the screen, I started to cringe. When I saw the dollar signs coming down the screen and realized that I had seen the same idea with better implementation at "Laser Pink Floyd" in 1992, it was clear I was in real trouble. At least the Glass score was okay.
WAYDOWNTOWN - this film is why DV has a bad name. this film is why "influenced by Kevin Smith" has a bad name. this film was just shockingly awful.
FRAILTY - this just felt like an insult to my intelligence
HUMAN NATURE - this is why only Spike Jonze should direct Charlie Kaufman scripts, because otherwise you get ludicrous exercises in style. That said, there were still some pretty unfortunate components to the screenplay.
ORPHAN OF ANYANG - easily the most tedious film I saw in 2002. Nothing happened whatsoever, I'm pretty sure.
NO SUCH THING - what the hell happened to Hal Hartley? Might not have made the worst ten if I didn't have higher expectations of him, but this was a freaking mess.
FESTIVAL IN CANNES - alternately inducing headaches with its handheld camera and tedium with its narcissistic dialogue, I've thankfully forgotten most of the specifics of this movie.
Dishonorable mention: WELCOME TO COLLINWOOD, HOLLYWOOD ENDING, STORYTELLING, SCARLET DIVA
The "not seen for consideration" list:
-------------------------------------
Still haven't opened in Portland and MIA on video, but could have wound up on the top ten from what I've read: THE QUIET AMERICAN, ARARAT, SPIDER, RUSSIAN ARK, TULLY, SONGS FROM THE SECOND FLOOR, INVINCIBLE, A GRIN WITHOUT A CAT, PAID IN FULL, MORVERN CALLAR, LOVE LIZA, BLACKBOARDS, DEVILS ON THE DOORSTOP, THE GUYS, TROUBLE EVERY DAY
Really wish I'd been able to see before making this list, but there's only so many hours in the day: ALL ABOUT LILY CHOU-CHOU, BIGGIE AND TUPAC, CHANGING LANES, DOGTOWN AND Z-BOYZ, ELLING, ESTHER KAHN, FRIDA, GANG TAPES, GANGSTER #1, THE GOOD GIRL, HAPPY TIMES, HELL HOUSE, I AM TRYING TO BREAK YOUR HEART, I'M GOING HOME, IN PRAISE OF LOVE, LAN YU, MAELSTROM, MURDEROUS MAIDS, THE PIANO TEACHER, POSSESSION, 'R X-MAS, RESIDENT EVIL, SCOTLAND PA, STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF MOTOWN, TALK TO HER, 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE, THE WAY HOME
Doesn't really bother me that I didn't see before making this list, but you never know: BIRTHDAY GIRL, DAS EXPERIMENT, PERSONAL VELOCITY, THE SALTON SEA, UNFAITHFUL, RED DRAGON, THE CAT'S MEOW, ENIGMA, ANTWONE FISHER, AUTO FOCUS, THE HOURS, INTERVIEW WITH THE ASSASSIN, MOONLIGHT MILE, THE DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTAR BOYS, CHERISH, PUMPKIN, TADPOLE, MAX, NICHOLAS NICKELBY, KNOCKAROUND GUYS, ALL OR NOTHING, REAL WOMAN HAVE CURVES, MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING, THE LAST KISS, SKINS, COMEDIAN, JACKASS, EL CRIMEN DE PADRE AMARO, THE WEIGHT OF WATER, MOSTLY MARTHA, BARTLEBY, and a bunch of things I can't imagine liking under any circumstances (EVELYN, THE HOT CHICK, SCOOBY-DOO, etc.).

DVD List:
1. DOWN BY LAW (Criterion) - pretty much everything a special edition should be, with thoughtful and interesting extras as well as just a number of unexpected and clever things. And the film looks beautiful, and is one of my favorites by Jarmusch.
2. IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (Criterion) - I could probably fill this list with Criterions, but I'll limit myself to two. Another great Criterion 2-disc set.
3. DONNIE DARKO (Fox) - A terrific film that gets better with repeated viewings, and chock-full of fun commentary and good extras.
4. LOTR: FOTR EXTENDED EDITION (New Line) - one of the best examples of a director's cut that's better in just about every way. Might have ranked higher if I'd seen any of the extras, but I'm sure plenty of others will acknowledge this.
5. THE SIMPSONS: SECOND SEASON (Fox) - while it's still early on, the show was starting to hit its stride here. Fox has done great work collecting these and presenting them, plus good extras. (Now if they'd only have a "Play All On Disc" option ...)
6. ATANARJUAT: THE FAST RUNNER (Seville) - fans of the film should definitely import the 2-disc set, which provides great insight into the making of the film and the story behind the film.
7. DON'T LOOK NOW (Paramount) - I wanted to include one film that I had never encountered before DVD, and this was probably my favorite new discovery on DVD of the year.
8. PROJECT GREENLIGHT (Buena Vista) - this was just like crack to me. So insanely addictive. Yes, the reality is dubious and blown out of proportion, and the resulting film wasn't all that great, but I had an incredibly entertaining time watching this.
9. WAKING LIFE (Fox) - an ideal film that you can put on and walk away and come back to and sample, plus interesting commentaries and extras, including the "Snack and Drink" short.
10. WILD STRAWBERRIES (Criterion) - oh, never mind, I can't limit myself to 2 Criterions. And why should I, with beautiful transfer of one of my all-time favorite films?
No offense intended towards: CONTEMPT (which might have made it had I had time to wade through all the supplemental features), TOKYO OLYMPIAD, THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS, THE PRODUCERS, METROPOLIS, OCEAN'S ELEVEN, or Z, all of which might have made it on a different day, or the dozens of discs that I didn't get to watch this year (including some that are on my "to-watch" shelf like SOLARIS, LATE MARRIAGE, EARTH, the 2 QATSI films, and COME DRINK WITH ME), or the ones that I'll kick myself for forgetting when I see other people's ballots.
And, finally, the top twenty older films that I saw for the first time in 2002, in no particular order: BLOW-OUT, SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS, LES ENFANTS DU PARADIS, DON'T LOOK NOW, QUAI DES ORFEVRES, LESSONS OF DARKNESS, ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST, SANS SOLEIL, THE DEVILS, OUT OF THE PAST, FASTPITCH, TOKYO OLYMPIAD, L'ARGENT, WILL SUCCESS SPOIL ROCK HUNTER?, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, BELLE DE JOUR, FEMALE CONVINCT SCORPION AREA 41, REPULSION, THE BIG CARNIVAL (ACE IN THE HOLE), and the short films of Peter Hutton.
[Ed. Note: Bravo, Doug!]

Travis Dockweiler
1. Eureka (r2, Artificial Eye)
2. A Touch of Zen
3. Oasis (r3, CJ entertainment)
4. Public Enemy (r3, cinema service)
5. Little Cheung (r0, ??)
6. Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance (r3, CJ entertainment)
7. Just One Look (r0, Tai Seng)
8. July Rhapsody
9. Hollywood Hong Kong (r0, Asia Video Publishing)
10. The Eye (r0, Panorama Entertainment), Runaway Pistol

Damian Dugdale
1. Graveyard of Honour - Japan, Takashi Miike
2. Sympathy for Mr.Vengeance - South Korea, Park Chan-wook
3. Suicide Club - Japan, Sion Sono
4. Oasis - South Korea, Lee Chang-dong
5. Agitator - Japan, Takashi Miike
6. A Snake of June - Japan, Shinya Tsukamoto
7. Bad Guy - South Korea, Kim Ki-duk
8. Blue Spring - Japan, Toshiaki Toyoda
9. City of God - Brazil, Fernando Meirelles
10. Dead or Alive: Final - Japan, Takashi Miike
Note to webmaster:-
All films were released theatrically or on home video/DVD in their country of origin during 2003.


Jon Eisen
California, U.S.A.
Best Films of 2002:
1) 25th HOUR
2) ADAPTATION
3) Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN
4) HAPPINESS OF THE KATAKURIS
5) BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE
6) PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE
7) JACKASS
8) MORVERN CALLAR
9) MY LEFT EYE SEES GHOSTS
10) SIMONE
Best DVD's of 2002
1) WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER
2) CONTEMPT
3) MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 COLLECTION VOLUME 1
4) FULLTIME KILLER
5) BROADWAY DANNY ROSE (Ed. Note: this is a 2001 release)
6) THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS
7) BRUCE CAMPBELL VS. ARMY OF DARKNESS BOOTLEG EDITION (Ed. Note: this is a 2001 release)
8) MCCABE AND MRS. MILLER
9) D.W. GRIFFITH BIOGRAPH SHORTS
10) TREASURES OF THE AMERICAN FILM ARCHIVES (Ed. Note: this was a 2000 release)

Bob Engesser
Top two films for 2002 (I can't think of another 8 films that are in the same class):
1. ELOGE DE L'AMORE (IN PRAISE OF LOVE) by Jean Luc Godard
2. LASSEZ-PASSER (SAFE CONDUCT) by Bertrand Tavernier
Top ten DVDs for 2002:
1. PROJECT A (R2 Hong Kong Legends 2 disk special edition)
2. THE CRIMINAL (R1 Anchor Bay)
3. MODESTY BLAISE (R1 Fox)
4. to 8. CINQ FILMS DE CLAUDE CHABROL BOX SET (POULET AU VINAIGRE, INSPECTEUR LAVARDIN, MASQUES, BETTY, L'ENFER) (R2 MK2 ALL HAVE ENGLISH SUBTITLES)
9. to 10. MICHEL AUDIARD/LINO VENTURA/ GEORGES LAUTNER BOX SET (LES TONTONS FLINGUEURS, LES BARBOUZES with bonus Audiard documentary) (R2 Gaumont NO ENGLISH SUBTITLES ON ANY OF THESE)
Thanks for allowing me to vote!

Steve Erickson
1. PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE
2. TIME OUT
3. FAR FROM HEAVEN
4. TROUBLE EVERY DAY
5. ESTHER KAHN
6. Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN
7. LATE MARRIAGE
8. SOLARIS
9. MORVERN CALLAR
10. SCARLET DIVA

Eleanor Farrell
Down to the wire! Well, I had to see Phillip Noyce's newest flick before I could vote, and it just opened here in SF. Anyway, here's my list (naturally personally eclectic and biased toward Asian films) of "Best of 2002" for the annual poll, ranked in a somewhat organized manner mostly because I'm afraid of the wrath of Todd.
1. Rabbit-proof Fence
2. Musa
3. Spirited Away
4. The Quiet American
5. Adaptation
6. Inner Senses
7. July Rhapsody
8. Catch Me If You Can
9. Lan Yu
10. Spider-man
I saw all of these films theatrically in San Francisco or environs. Will rely on the pollmasters as to whether the eligibility is accurate.
Sorry for the lack of comments but voting at the last minute tends to make one less articulate (but you can read my post on the Asian forum of my favorite films seen in 2002 ...)

Jeff Flugel
As I've spent the past 7 months or so in Seoul, Korea, I've missed out on many year-end releases that may have potentially made my list (like ABOUT SCHMIDT, CHICAGO, GANGS OF NEW YORK, THE HOURS, etc.)
For similar reasons, my whole sense of the past year in DVD has been erratic enough to cause me to opt out of that portion of the poll.
That said, the best films from last year that I was able to see are as follows (in no particular order):
TEN MINUTES LATER: THE TRUMPET
An excellent set of seven 10-minute short films by famed directors. Highlights include Spike Lee's very funny documentary "We Wuz Robbed," about the last days of the Al Gore presedential campaign, and Chen Kaige's haunting "One-thousand Flowers Hidden Deep."
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS
Not quite as streamlined a beauty as last year's FELLOWSHIP, but still a wonderful and ambitious piece of work. The segment with the Ents attacking Orthanc sent shivers down this Tolkein fan's spine.
POSSESSION
Despite my reservations about Gwenneth Paltrow so frequently appearing as a Brit when England is chock-full of superior actresses, I was captivated by this film. Though still dark, this is an unusually lush and sensually romantic picture from the otherwise caustic Neil LaBute. It's also nice to see the thrill of academic discovery so well-presented on film. Aaron Eckhart is terrific in the lead, too.
BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM
One of the rare treats of living in another part of the world is the occasional chance to see films before they are released in North America. This and HERO are two examples. BILB is pure entertainment from start to finish, as a young Indian woman living in the London suburbs struggles in reconciling her love of soccer with the demands of her strict, traditional family. A sports movie, a romance, a family drama -- all rolled into one. Plus lots of mesmerizing Indian music.
THE RING
This Hollywood remake of the famed Japanese original (which I haven't yet seen) delivered the most honest-to-God scares of any horror flick I've seen since THE EXORCIST. The pacing was relentless, Naomi Watts made a fine, intense lead, the dark, rain-drenched Northwest locations were perfect, and the "horse on the ferry" scene was unforgettable. Who would have thought that Gore Verbinski (of MOUSE HUNT fame) had a film of this caliber in him?
SIGNS
Another intense, suspenseful gem from the fertile brain of M. Night Shyamalan. This tale of extraterrestrial invasion is in equal measure intimate, scary, funny, thoughtful and rousing. Mel Gibson and Joaquin Pheonix turn in excellent performances, as does the newest Culkin on the block, Rory. Marred only by an overly simplistic plot device at the end.
SPIRITED AWAY (Sen to Chihiro no kamikakusi)
Mesmerizing animated fantasy from the God of anime himself, Miyazaki Hayao. Utterly spellbinding and original, with every frame packed with imagination and beauty. The man is indeed a genius.
NEIDER FISCH, NEIDER FLEISCH (Neither Fish Nor Fowl)
A winning, effective little drama, about a Korean orphan raised by white German parents. He's as Western as can be in mannerisms and mindset, but suffers a crisis of identity upon meeting a cute Korean girl with traditional parents in the Korean community in Hamburg. Authentic complications ensue. Saw this at the Seoul European Film Festival many months back, and it's still sticking with me.
SPIDERMAN
Despite some flaws (including an uninspired costume design for the Green Goblin) this box office monster did enough things right to squeak into my list. The first hour or so is terrific, with Tobey Maguire very appealing as Peter Parker, coming to grips with his new-found superpowers. Joins SUPERMAN and X-MEN on the very short list of serious, quality superhero movies.
As for rankings (as on further thought it occurs that the poll probably requires this), I'd put THE TWO TOWERS at the top of my list, followed closely by SPIRITED AWAY and TEN MINUTES LATER: THE TRUMPET.

Dave Garrett
FILM: This year, I'm reserving commentary on individual titles for my DVD list, and simply presenting an unadorned list for theatrical releases. There are still quite a few much-discussed films from 2002 that I have yet to see; the "not yet seen" list appended to my top ten are the ones that initially come to mind. As for the top ten themselves, I've fiddled with the order several times before settling on this one, and I'm sure I could keep adjusting films up or down a notch or two till the cows come home, given the chance to do so.
1. CHICAGO
2. SPIRITED AWAY
3. GANGS OF NEW YORK
4. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS
5. FAR FROM HEAVEN
6. 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE
7. MINORITY REPORT
8. SPIDER-MAN
9. CQ
10. THE CAT'S MEOW
Not yet seen:
25TH HOUR
ADAPTATION
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND
FEMME FATALE
THE PIANIST
PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE
SOLARIS
TALK TO HER
Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN
DVD: It was a very good year, with two films perennially on my all-time top ten list receiving much-needed DVD makeovers and an embarrassment of riches when it came to classic TV series compilations to choose from.
1. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING - This 4-disc set raises the bar for DVD production, not only adding a significant amount of material to the theatrical cut of the film but interweaving a staggering amount of extras into the mix as well. One can only ponder what kind of super-duper box set may lie in store for DVD fans once the entire trilogy has been released.
2. THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP - One of Powell & Pressburger's finest efforts finally gets a long-needed update from Criterion's older laserdisc transfer. Gorgeous and absolutely essential.
3. SUNSET BOULEVARD - Finally, I can retire my elderly Paramount laserdisc. This is one of those titles that seems to have never been served well in previous video releases, probably because most film prints currently in circulation that I've seen never looked too good either. That will never be said of this DVD, which benefited from much digital cleanup and a decent amount of extras including the famously excised morgue prologue.
4. THE HERZOG/KINSKI COLLECTION - The fact that this set is a repackaging in slimline cases of titles previously released separately in no way diminishes its significance. As a document of one of cinema's most profoundly electrifying partnerships, it's without peer.
5. THE ALEC GUINNESS COLLECTION - Anchor Bay delivers the goods with this eagerly-awaited set covering Guinness' classic Ealing films in nice new transfers.
6. UFO (sets 1 & 2) - Gerry Anderson's first live-action series makes its DVD debut in 2 box sets, and they look spectacular. The existence of these sets is a testament to DVD's continuing impact and the economies of scale that make it feasible to release complete runs of TV series that may have previously seemed doomed to obscurity. Formerly available in its entirety on disc only in Japanese laserdisc box sets that typically fetched in excess of $1000, UFO can now cultivate new fans and allow oldones to reacquaint themselves with SHADO at a far more modest price.
7. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN - Warner may take what seems like an eternity when it comes to cranking out sought-after catalog titles, but when they do, they're often spectacular. Such is the case with their anniversary edition of SINGIN', which would have instantly rendered the older MGM disc obsolete even if it didn't have a second disc of extras.
8. The Mary Tyler Moore Show: The Complete First Season - It seems like it's been longer than September since Mary made her DVD debut. My only question is, when are the other seasons coming?
9. THE ULTIMATE CARSON COLLECTION - This 3-disc set hasn't gotten much attention, probably because it's not available via the usual retail channels, only through Johnny Carson's website at a fairly steep price (although it can be had for much less at eBay). But it's well worth seeking out for Carson fans, as it not only replicates the content of the earlier laserdisc set but adds quite a bit more material that wasn't on the LDs. Perhaps the only caveat is that I'd like to have seen more complete episodes, instead of the best-of snippets typically on display here. But that's a minor complaint for what is a very nice set.
10. SPEED TRIBE - This clever melding of impressionistic documentary footage from the 24-hour race at Le Mans and electronic music courtesy of the guys behind Front 242 seems to have slipped under most people's radar, but race fans and techno types should seek out a copy posthaste.
Honorable Mention:
Walt Disney Treasures: Behind the Scenes at the Walt Disney Studio
I Spy box sets 1-3
Space: 1999 Mega-Set
Thunderbirds Mega-Set
JACKIE BROWN
CAN'T STOP THE MUSIC
SERPICO
The Best Arbuckle-Keaton Collection
Educational Archives: On the Job and Driver's Ed
Most Significant DVD event of 2002:
Celestial's inaugural release of discs from the massive Shaw Brothers catalog, the first wave of hundreds of discs to follow in a project whose scale boggles the mind (if not the wallet). I haven't included these on my lists for the simple reason that I haven't yet ordered any due to a combination of a post-holiday financial hangover and an already-huge backlog of unwatched discs, but I hope to remedy that situation soon and dip into what promises to be a revelatory series that will take years to digest fully.

Kit Gavin
Rome
1/ Lord of the Rings (Fellowship of the Ring) 4 disc set
2/ Giallo Box Set (Anchor Bay)
3/ Kinski Herzog Box Set (Anchor Bay)
4/ Eugenie The Story of Her Journey into Perversion (Blue Underground)
5/ Fantomas (France) (Ed. Note: this is a 2001 release)
6/ Cannibal Apocalypse (Image)
7/ Straw Dogs (Freemantle)
8/ Jungle Holocaust (Shriek Show) (Ed. Note: this was a 2001 release)
9/ Delirium (Delirio Caldo) (Anchor Bay)
10/ Justine (Blue Underground)

Donald Gray
Brooklyn, NY
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
THE BEST OF 2002
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
*Theatrical*
I didn't really see too many movies this year, as compared to years past. The second half of my list, films 6-10, were quite difficult to rank. I can't say that the order in which I've ranked them has a great del of personal meaning to me. Still, I thought a 5 way tie for 6th would be the coward's way out, so....
1. (tie) Time Out/Emploi du temps, L' (Laurence Cantet/France/2001)
- limited engagement at The Screening Room in NYC 2002 -
What Time is it There? (Tsain Ming-liang/Taiwan/2001)
- limited release 2002 -
3. A Grin Without a Cat (Chris Marker/France/1977/2002)
- limited release at Film Forum in NYC 2002 -
4. Kairo/Pulse (Kiyoshi Kurosawa/Japan/2001)
- Very limited engagement at Lincoln Center/Walter Reade in NYC 2002 -
5. Les Destinees Sentimentales (Olivier Assayas/France/2000)
- limited release at Cinema Village in NYC 2002 -
6. The Piano Teacher (Michael Haneke/France/Austria/2001)
- limited release at Cinema Village in NYC 2002 -
7. Morvern Callar (Lynne Ramsay/Scotland/2002)
- limited release at Cinema Village in NYC 2002 -
8. ABC Africa (Abbas Kiarostami/Iran/2001)
- limited release at Cinema Village in NYC 2002 -
9. Far From Heaven (Todd Haynes/USA/2002)
- released nationally -
10. Murderous Maids (Jean-Pierre Denis/France/2000)
- limited release at the Quad in NYC 2002 -
Honorable Mention -- Undercover Brother (Malcolm D. Lee/USA/2002)
- released nationally -
p.s. What a great year for Cinema Village, huh?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
THE BEST OF 2002
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
*DVD*
I know, I know! We're only supposed to rank 10. I just couldn't do that this year. There were too many discs I liked. Just give points for the first ten, and consider 11-20 and the honorable mentions a rant!
1. (tie) The Merchant of the Four Seasons (Rainer Werner Fassbinder), The Young Girls of Rochefort (Jacques Demy)
3. Singin' in the Rain (SE) (Donen/Kelly)
4. The Long Goodbye (Robert Altman)
5. Contempt (Criterion) (Jean-luc Godard)
6. The Thief of Bagdad (Michael Powell)
7. The King of Comedy (Martin Scorsese)
8. Curse of the Demon/Night of the Demon (Jacques Tourneur)
9. The Best Arbuckle Keaton Collection (Image)
10. Black Christmas (SE) (Bob Clark)
11. Giants and Toys (Yasuzo Masumura)
12. Secret Defense/Gang of Four (two by Jacques Rivette)
13. The Horror of Dracula (Terence Fisher)
14. Counselor at Law (William Wyler)
15. Tabu (Milestone) (F.W. Murnau/Robert Flaherty)
16. Ratcatcher (Criterion) (Lynne Ramsay)
17. Guy Maddin Collection: Twilight of the Ice Nymphs/Archangel/The Heart of the World (Guy Maddin)
18. The Bad and the Beautiful (Vincente Minnelli)
19. Hercules in the Haunted World (Mario Bava)
20. Schoolhouse Rock (SE)
HONORABLE MENTION: George Washington (Criterion), The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, Katzelmacher, D.W. Griffith: Years of Discovery, Miami Blues, The Quiet Man (SE), Mysterious Island, Them!, Casino Royale, Dahmer, The Golem (Kino), Near Dark (SE), A Hard Day's Night (SE), Kind Hearts and Coronets, The LadyKillers, Angels Over Broadway, Masque of the Red Death/The Premature Burial, Seconds (SE), Stroszek, The Larry Sanders Show (The First Season), Slap Shot (SE), Bob le Flambeur (Criterion), Fox and His Friends, Tokyo Olympiad (Criterion), Big Wednesday, In Like Flint, Our Man Flint, Code Unknown, McCabe and Mrs. Miller, Monkey Business (Hawks/1952), and the Slapstick Encyclopedia.

Mobius Best of 2002 Individual Ballots: H through L

Todd Harbour
FILM
Spidey kicked Yoda's ass at the box office in 2002 as this viewer yawned from the sidelines at yet another humdrum year of top 10 moneymakers. It was indeed the year of SPIDER-MAN, a gargantuan beast of popularity and marketing tie-ins. Despite its huge commercial success, the film confirms yet again the sad reality that comic book films are a colorless strain of straightjacket cinema securely buckled to timeworn "origin" stories and unremarkable superhero conflicts sanded over to appeal to the summer popcorn crowd and not piss off Comic Book Fan. Hooray for middle-of-the-road! I look forward to the sequel, and anxiously wait for THE HULK to tide me over. Although I couldn't drag myself to see it ?I can tune in limp sitcoms on TV for free, thanks ?God bless MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING for upsetting the Hollywood studio conglomerate apple cart and showing the fat cats that indie film still matters. Meanwhile, THE LORD OF THE RINGS films have their rabid legion of fans, but I just ain't one of them. Back in 2001, after enduring three hours of FELLOWSHIP sitting next to a woman dressed in knee-high leather boots and full chainmail that sounded like a shaken jar of pennies every time she gasped in delight at the film, I realized that the passionate and occasionally unorthodox fandom interested me more than the actual adventures of Middle Earth did, although I tip my hat to Peter Jackson and crew for their monumental filmmaking effort and technical accomplishments. Besides SPIDER-MAN and ICE AGE (which I caught up with on DVD), SIGNS was the only other top 10 box office film I saw last year; while it had the promise of substance going in, it was nothing more than a junk food mishmash of urban myth and religion served up to fill audiences with an empty sugar buzz of hope and comfort. Blech!
Moving beyond the lackluster blockbuster, what really fizzed and invigorated in 2002? What showed ideas, creativity and spark? DAHMER is a low-budget gem, a film that skips the expected gore and sleaze sledgehammers and reworks the serial killer bio-pic formula as a low key character study of an alienated young man using non-traditional means to regain control of his life. Gore and sex isn't subdued in TROUBLE EVERY DAY, a French genre film from the adventurous Claire Denis that resonated for me as a study of the emotionally bloody, soul-searing pain of infidelity. Back in America, THE GOOD GIRL looks at infidelity as a misguided way of mentally escaping the suffocating drudgery of small-town America, and provided one of the year's best female performances in Jennifer Aniston. ROGER DODGER made me both proud and ashamed to belong to the male gender while ricocheting through some of the freshest, most insightful dialogue of the year. The American low budget horror WENDIGO barely had distribution, but it's one of the bleakest and most effective horror films of recent memory, leaving the contrived gimmickry of FRAILTY in its snow-encrusted dust. LANTANA is an amazingly skilled and insightful film about intimacy and trust in four different relationships that masquerades itself as a mystery thriller. NARC isn't exactly the '70s throwback that everyone claims it is, but that's definitely not a bad thing ?beyond its highly touted, explosive opening, it brings imagery of men cradling children and accepting personal responsibility in family relationships in a way rarely seen in the crime genre, especially not in the '70s.
And those are just some films that bubbled under my top 10. The end of the year brought a heavy crush of even higher quality films, and I tried to see as many of them as I could, while I could. Most did not disappoint; it was a great month of film.

1. Y TU MAM?TAMBI?
Don't let the sex fool you. It's a searing look at class struggle ?sometimes allegorical, sometimes not ?and a beautiful and telling journey through contemporary Mexico. I had the pleasure of seeing this film at The Charles Theatre in Baltimore while on a business trip, and both the venue and viewing experience were a highlight of my year at the movies.
2. ADAPTATION
A self-loathing and mind-bendingly hilarious attack on Hollywood, and a film that bundles the rules of formulaic screenwriting and snaps them over its knee. Or does it?
3. NO MAN'S LAND
An observant and comical distillation of the self-serving politics, frustrating futility, and utter absurdity of the Bosnia/Herzegovina conflict in the former Yugoslavia. Probably a 2001 movie to most, but it didn't reach Austin until well into 2002.
4. ABOUT SCHMIDT
I left ELECTION depressed as hell and hating Alexander Payne for the pain and agony he dumped on the audience in the film. But Payne finds the right tone in ABOUT SCHMIDT, and it really makes a world of difference. I recognize ABOUT SCHMIDT's poignancy, but I truly loved it for its humor. It was one of the best theatrical crowds I've experienced since an advance screening of AM?IE a few months after 9/11, and I haven't laughed so hard in a long time.
5. BLUE VINYL
My favorite documentary of the year, a "toxic comedy" and deeply personal story from Judith Helfland about the human health risks of manufacturing of polyvinyl chloride products. I saw BLUE VINYL on film at the 2002 SXSW Film Festival, and it premiered on HBO on May 5th. I didn't love it for its environmental politics; I loved it for its heart, its humor, its spirit, and its personality. It's the film BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE could have been.
6. SOLARIS (2002)
Steven Soderbergh strips Tarkovsky's SOLARIS down to its bare chassis, reworks it with a contemporary backstory and sensibility, and sprays on a sleek European art film aesthetic to serve up one of the most interesting and stubbornly unclassifiable Hollywood studio films of 2002.
7. CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND
Did George Clooney really direct this film? Maybe it's evidence of a Charlie Kaufman bias in me, but I really couldn't find much wrong with CONFESSIONS, and Sam Rockwell was simply fantastic as Chuck Barris.
8. DAUGHTER FROM DENANG
Skip ahead to my next blurb if you haven't seen this Oscar-nominated documentary ?it's best going in absolutely cold. But more than anything, this film shows how absolutely screwed up Americans are culturally when it comes to money. And that's just one of this film's many poignant reflections of who we are as Americans, both good and bad.
9. GANGS OF NEW YORK
[Spoilers ahead.] This film lost my interest right about the time Butcher Bill figured out who Amsterdam really was, and in many ways I found the whole thing to be a glorification of a despicable and unfortunate chapter of American history that we should be absolutely ashamed of, but the imagery of this particular era of New York City, sans skyscrapers with wood, leather, billowing black smoke, raw meat and grime, was absolutely intoxicating.
10. FESTIVAL IN CANNES
A delicious send-up of contemporary Hollywood in all its manipulative, narcissistic glory.
--

Tied for 10th Place, Although No Points Were Awarded (in alphabetical order): 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE, ALIAS BETTY, BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, THE CAT'S MEOW, DAHMER, THE GOOD GIRL, LANTANA, MAI'S AMERICA, MINORITY REPORT, NARC, PUMPKIN, ROGER DODGER, TALK TO HER, TROUBLE EVERY DAY, WENDIGO

Other Favorite Releases (in random order): CQ, HOME MOVIE, CYBERMAN, JOURNEYS WITH GEORGE, THE RING, ABOUT A BOY, RABBIT-PROOF FENCE, ICE AGE, BLADE 2, RESIDENT EVIL, CHANGING LANES, THE ROOKIE, READ MY LIPS, NINE QUEENS, SCRATCH, MONSOON WEDDING, SHIRI

Seen, But Nowhere Near As Crazy About As Everyone Else Seems To Be: BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE, SPIRITED AWAY, PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE, 25TH HOUR, FEMME FATALE, KISSING JESSICA STEIN, 13 CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ONE THING, ESTHER KAHN, THE DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTAR BOYS, LILO & STITCH, AUTO FOCUS, SIGNS, INSOMNIA (2002), SPIDER-MAN, FRAILTY, HELL HOUSE
Not Seen: THE PIANIST, THE HOURS, CHICAGO, FAR FROM HEAVEN, THE ROAD TO PERDITION, TIME OUT, LATE MARRIAGE, THE FAST RUNNER (ATANARJUAT), THE QUIET AMERICAN, LAN YU, HEAVEN, IGBY GOES DOWN, HAPPY TIMES, WHAT TIME IS IT THERE?, BLOODY SUNDAY, THE TRIALS OF HENRY KISSINGER, WAR PHOTOGRAPHER, THE KID STAYS IN THE PICTURE, STORYTELLING, and of course, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS

The worst film I saw in 2002 was Ethan Hawke's CHELSEA WALLS. From a technical standpoint, it looked like garbage. Ethan Hawke shot the film on digital video (with a low-grade consumer DV camera, I'm hoping!), and I saw it digitally projected. The film's plentiful dark scenes swarmed like bees around a fat honey hive with large, blocky artifacts. Narrative-wise, the film generally irritated me. The clich? stereotype of struggling writers, musicians, singers, etc. seeking to tap the artistic brilliance of writers like Thomas Wolfe and Dylan Thomas by living in the run-down Chelsea Hotel where Thomas wrote and drank himself to death is just a real turn-off. The gutter chic characters in this film are little more than pathetic misfits or drunks themselves, and I didn't find any of them interesting in the least, especially Kris Kristofferson's character, which was absolutely repellant. The whole affair is just really tired and pretentious, and I didn't much care for the music featured in the film, either. I really felt bad for Jimmy Scott. On an unrelated note while I'm passing out raspberries, a special "worst actress of the year" award goes to Rebecca Romijn-Stamos for her inept double-whammy of ROLLERBALL and FEMME FATATE. Rant over!

DVD
1. THE CIVIL WAR: A FILM DIRECTED BY KEN BURNS
This epic American documentary series makes an extremely impressive debut on DVD with a significant upgrade in video and audio from the earlier laserdisc box set. The video restoration is reference quality ?check out the documentary called "Civil War: Reconstruction" in the special features content to see what work was done. The special features also include a number of insightful interviews, and select episodes of the series contain equally insightful audio commentaries by Ken Burns. This is a precious edition to my DVD library, and highly recommended.
2. IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (Special Edition)
An incredible film made all the better on DVD. What more could you ask for in this package?
3. NABI (Limited Edition) (Pop Asia, South Korea-R3)
A Korean STALKER-esque quasi-science fiction film shot entirely on handheld digital video. The film contains one of the most powerful and poignant scenes in recent contemporary cinema, Korean or otherwise. Although its identified as Region 3 on its packaging, it's actually all-region. Look for a full review on Mobius soon.
4. RASHOMON (Special Edition)
My second favorite Kurosawa behind THE SEVEN SAMURAI in a reference quality transfer from Criterion.
5. MEMENTO (Limited Edition)
Most people seemed to be irritated or driven crazy by the concept behind this disc. I think it's FANTASTIC, and a perfect artistic compliment to the film. Of course it doesn't hurt that the disc is a reference quality upgrade of the previous bare-bones release. (By the way, I've used the words "reference quality" a number of times on my list so far ?I want to stress that I don't throw this term around lightly, and I really mean it when I say it.)
6. MINORITY REPORT (Widescreen Special Edition)/A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (Widescreen Special Edition)
I gave MINORITY REPORT the points for our DVD poll, but both Spielberg releases deserve a place here, and both discs are reference quality. The more I watch MINORITY REPORT, the less I care about the narrative and the more I just get totally lost in the technology, the production design, the cinematography, the imagination, and just the world that's been created for the film, almost in a BLADE RUNNER kind-of-way. I really don't enjoy discussing anything Spielberg-related at MHVF as so many people despise his films from the depths of their soul, so I'll leave it at that for now.
7. BATTLE ROYALE - NTSC 5.1 Version (Tartan, UK-R0)
I have a few minor quibbles with the film and am not quite as orgasmic about it as many are, but it's definitely an exemplary final film from Kinji Fukasaku and a great one to have on a quality DVD until it finds distribution in the U.S.
8. SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE (CJ Entertainment, South Korea-R3)
The burning pit I felt in my stomach during SYMPATHY's final scenes isn't something I feel very often. While the whole trend of "dark" films concentrating on the grim, sinister elements of humanity through a visually explicit language of sadistic pain and/or slick or kinky violence is growing very tired and losing its effectiveness, SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE's characters really grabbed me in a way that's difficult to describe.
9. HAINE, LA (Starmax, Korea-R0)
This Starmax Korean release of this 1995 French film as part of its "Masterpiece Collection" line kind of snuck under the radar ?I'm not even real sure if it's still in print ?but it's highly recommended, as is the film.
10. LITTLE DIETER NEEDS TO FLY
My Werner Herzog pick of the year.
--
Other Favorite Releases (in alphabetical order): AM?IE, ARDILLA ROJA, LA (SOGEPAQ, Spain-R2), BAD GUY (CJ Entertainment, South Korea-R3), BOB LE FLAMBEUR, BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF (3 Disc Collectors' Edition) (TVA, Canada-R1), COME DRINK WITH ME (IVL, Hong Kong-R3), DELIRIUM, EAT DRINK MAN WOMAN, EUGENIE... THE STORY OF HER JOURNEY INTO PERVERSION, EVIL DEAD: THE BOOK OF THE DEAD (Limited Special Edition), FRIENDS: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON, FRIENDS: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON, GIALLO COLLECTION, GRAPES OF DEATH, HEAVENLY CREATURES, HORROR OF DRACULA, THE JOY LUCK CLUB, THE KINGDOM AND THE BEAUTY (IVL, Hong Kong-R3), LAST HOUSE ON DEAD END STREET (Special Edition), LUMUMBA (Special Edition, Original French Version), MULHOLLAND DR., MUSA: THE WARRIOR (Special Edition 2-Disc Set) (CJ Entertainment, South Korea-R3), NEAR DARK (Special Edition), ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (Special Edition), SIMPSONS - THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON, THE (Special Edition) (TV), SOLARIS (1972), SPETTERS (Special Edition), THEM, TIERRA (SOGEPAQ, Spain-R2), TRUE ROMANCE (Special Edition), VACAS (SOGEPAQ, Spain-R2), WENDIGO (Special Edition), WEREWOLF SHADOW

David Harold
UK
1. Mullholland Drive (DVD PAL R2)
No chapter stops. No real extras. Digital fogging at a cruicial point. This disc had a lot against it. Thankfully it had a marvellous, haunting film and a standout performance from Watts - enough to list it no.
2. Straw Dogs (DVD PAL R2)
Walking all over the Anchor Bay DVD release though probably destined to be eclipsed by the forthcoming Criterion edition this DVD was up there with the very best of what R2 DVD has to offer, alongside The Wicker Man.
3. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (UK Cinema Release)
The shortest 3 hours of my life. Then the shortest 6. Then 9. And I can't wait for the DVD so I can devote days to this perfect joy of a film. I've seen the battle of Helm's Deep!
4. Irreversible (UK Cinema Release)
This came close to being a list with no cinema releases, not because I didn't go sit in the dark this year, but because DVD has certainly become my primary source of viewing-pleasure - the point where cinema visits are pretty much just my auditioning films for later purchase. Irreversible is an odd case. I actually don't know if I'll purchase this film, or indeed ever watch it again. Nonetheless, for the impact it had on me on first viewing it makes the top 10.
5. The Damned (DVD PAL R2 ITALY)
My VHS copy is now, thankfully, obsolete. The longest version. Adequately realised on disc. I'd still like to see it improved upon though.
6. Zombie Flesh Eaters 2 aka Zombie 3 (DVD PAL R2)
Why so high on the list? I suprised myself with this one. It's not a great film. It's not on a par with Zombie. However it was emblematic of the UK's more relaxed stance on what we used to call "video nasties" and, for once, a decent disc from the much maligned black-sheep of UK DVD, Vipco. I had a blast watching it, though I doubt it will be as much fun the second time through.
7. 24 Hour Party People.
The film of the background to my youth (I'm a Manchester boy). But even for those who've never heard of Joy Division, Happy Mondays or Tony Wilson this film is a must see. Best British film of the year, easily
8. Whisper of the Heart (DVD PAL R2 JAPAN)
The only animation on the list, though the R2 DVD of Sleeping Beauty came closem, despite the fact that I consume anime DVDs by the skip-full. I dreamt of cats after seeing this. A league above most anime fayre.
9. Ichii The Killer (DVD NTSC R3)
Still waiting to see this uncut on the forthcoming R2 disc. Nonetheless this compromised R3 version sneaks into my 10, though the film is on here more for the amount of debate it's given me with friends in the pub this year rather than its up and up quality. Film should be talked about, no?
10. Volcano High (DVD NTSC R3)
Just piping the R1 Canadian DVD of Brotherhood of the Wolf into the top 10. A live action version of the trad anime high school / grand battle tropes. Rousing fun.

Jason L. Hatfield
1.Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
To me, it was something I had been waiting twenty years to see, a new Star Wars movie. An incredible return to form.
2.The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
I was awestruck for almost the entire running time.
3.Gangs of New York
Every bit the epic I hoped it'd be.
4.Far From Heaven
For me, it was more than a formal exercise, the film worked on an emotional level for me as well.
5.Lilo & Stitch
6.Adaptation
7.Storytelling
8.Brotherhood of the Wolf
9.Sex and Lucia
10.The Rules of Attraction
DVDs
1.The Royal Tenenbaums
2.Blue Velvet Special Edition
3.Donnie Darko
4.A.I. Artificial Intelligence
5.The Simpsons: Season 2
6.The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai
7.E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
8.Monsters Inc.
9.Amelie
10.Say Anything

Lindsay Herron
A note on my criteria:
After much anguish over whether a film I saw qualifies or not, I¡¯ve decided to throw caution to the winds (a little, anyway) and take advantage of the flexibility of the guidelines. My Top Ten Films of 2002?list includes anything I saw in a theater in 2002 that I¡¯m reasonably sure was not screened previously in the US and, as far as I can tell, was not available on DVD prior to 2002. I¡¯ve also included one film I saw in 2003, but it was first screened in the US in 2002.... I guess it¡¯s a ¡®screened somewhere in the US in 2002, but not before then¡¯ list. These are the movies that took my breath away (though not all of them are films I¡¯d watch again and again).
1. THE FAST RUNNER
Breathtaking. Entrancing. Beautiful.
2. PUBLIC ENEMY*
This dark comedy makes me grin every time I think about it! It¡¯s a ¡®breathtaking contention between a shrewd killer and a corrupted cop¡¯ according the publicity release; but that doesn¡¯t even begin to describe the film¡¯s effective, enjoyable mix of humor and horror.
3. ONE TAKE ONLY*
An underrated offering at the 2002 San Francisco International Film Festival, this wonderful Thai film is sort of a cross between RUN, LOLA, RUN and MADE IN HONG KONG in its editing, music, basic storyline, and memorable fantasy sequences. I laughed; I cried; I sat mesmerized in my seat until the end.
4. SHIRI
Resembling in many ways LA FEMME NIKITA (one of my favorite films), this movie is frequently more explosive, action-packed, and trenchant than its French predecessor.
5. QUITTING
Exquisite long takes, memorable shots that highlight artifice and distance the viewer from the film, and a fascinating plot based on a true story made this film one of the highlights of my year.
6. demonlover*
I was bowled over by the intelligence and subtle horror of this film, which tends to stick in your mind like the squashed cat you passed on the way to work. It¡¯s the story of a corporate rivalry--but not really. It¡¯s the story of a corporate mole--but not really. It¡¯s about supply and demand and prurient fascinations... Yeah, that¡¯s a little closer to the reality....
7. SPRINGTIME IN A SMALL TOWN*
Tender, poignant, and featuring beautiful, memorable camerawork.
8. TIRANA YEAR ZERO*
At a time when young people are leaving this small Albanian town in droves, one young man is determined to stay. Eccentric characters and a giant statue of Stalin make this film wonderfully memorable.
9. LAN YU
Sweet and shadowy, this movie is as much about what it doesn¡¯t show as what it does....
10. TAKE CARE OF MY CAT
Tied for 11th place: CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, the last hour of LOTR: THE TWO TOWERS, THE TURNING GATE*, UNKNOWN PLEASURES*, XXX.
(And if ICHI THE KILLER qualifies, please put it at #1 and bump everything down one space!!!)
* Saw it in a festival; might not have had qualifying US release.

Top Ten DVDs
I never get particularly excited about bonus material on DVDs; but all other things being equal, the higher quality DVDs with better goodies are ranked above others.
1. PUBLIC ENEMY (Korea, R3, Cinema Service)
See above. Darn fine film, groovy double-disc set with lots of neat extras (not subtitled, alas)
2. NABI (Limited Edition)
Great package, exquisite film.
3. 2002
Even my little brothers enjoyed this one! (Their first petulant question was, “Am I going to have to read this movie?? but their last question was, “Hey, can you get me a copy?? Nice transfer, great sound, small selection of fun extras, great soundtrack.
4. TIRAMISU
Decent transfer, nice sound, good soundtrack. (Nicholas Tse really stinks at acting deaf, but the rest of the movie makes up for it.)
5. NEAR DARK
It¡¯s about time this came out on DVD!
6. XXX
This movie makes up for a limpid plot with a delightful abundance of fast cars, throbbing music, exciting stunts, and wisecracks (with not so much ¡®wise¡¯ in them). Loved every minute of it!
7. PRINCESS D (Director¡¯s Cut)
Nice transfer, lovely film, pretty package.
8. MY LEFT EYE SEES GHOSTS
Decent transfer, few extras, but what a wonderful film!
9. THE IRRESISTABLE PIGGIES
10. MONSTERS, INC.

Christopher Hyde
short and sweet for me. just the list and a couple extras.
Films:
1. What Time Is It There?
2. The Piano Teacher
3. All About Lily Chou-Chou
4. Far From Heaven
5. Spirited Away
6. Adaptation
7. I'm Going Home
8. Solaris
9. Time Out
10. The Town Is Quiet
DVDs:
1. Singin' In the Rain Special Edition
2. My Sassy Girl
3. Re-Animator: Millenium Addition
4. Grave of the Fireflies Special Edition
5. Come Drink With Me R3 DVD
6. Fritz Lang's Der Nibelungen (Kino)
7. The Adventures of Prince Achmed
8. In the Mood For Love
9. Blue Velvet Special Edition
10. La Ville est Tranquille R2
Still awaiting these in my town: Russian Ark, Morvern Callar, The Quiet American
Most Overrated: Y Tu Mama Tambien
Reissue of the Year: Pepe le Moko

Michael Kerpan
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Movies
1. Miyazaki -- "Spirited Away". My favorite movie of the year (of those seen in a theater).
All my favorite films made in 2002 are still unreleased in the US, so I guess they need to go into the DVD section.
DVDs
1. Akihiko Shiota -- "Gaichu" -- largely ignored in Japan (though it has recently come in no. 1 in a poll of less hidebound Japanese critics) and undistributed in the West (other than a couple of festival screenings). Just the same, i consider this the very best film of 2002. The DVD, though unsubtitled, is the only way to experience this tremendous film of a girl betrayed (instead of sustained) by the adult world around her.
Japanese R2 NTSC -- Artist Film
2. Yoshifumi Kondo -- "Whisper of the Heart" -- My favorite Studio Ghibli DVD of the year. This story of a middle school girl discovering romance and seeking a goal for her life is absolutely delightful. The animation is not quite as spectacular as Miyazaki's very best (probably due to a lowere budget), but effective and moving.
Japanese R2 NTSC -- Buena Vista Japan
3. Hayao Miyazaki -- "Spirited Away" . "Red tint", notwithstanding, a wonderful DVD of an excellent movie.
Japanese R2 NTSC -- Buena Vista Japan
4. Abbas Kiarostami -- "The Wind Will Carry Us" -- The French DVD of this film is gorgeous, and full of interesting extras.
French R2 PAL -- mk2
5. Jacques Rivette -- Box set of 6 films from the 80s and 90s (including the first non-slashed version of "L'amour par terre", the full version of "Belle noiseuse", "Gang of Four", "Secret defense", "Haut bas fragile" and "Wuthering Heights"), plus a disc full of extras. I got this 8 DVD set for around $68 when it first was released. Despite the lack of subtitles, the best DVD bargain of the year.
French R2 PAL -- Arte
6. Hou Hsiao Hsien -- Box set -- 4 Films from the 80s. Almost as much a bargain as the above. Not as wonderful transfers, but passable subtitles. "Boys from Fengkuei". "Summer at Grandpa's", "Time to Live, Time to Die" and "Dust in the Wind".
Taiwanese R3 (R0) NTSC -- Sinomovies
7. Werner Herzog -- Herzog Kinski Collection. Another outrageously wonderful deal -- Aguirre, Fitzcarraldo, Nosferatu, Woyzeck, Cobra Verde and "Mein liebster Feind" -- most with Herzog's superb ccommentaries.
American R1 NTSC -- Anchor Bay
7. Aki Kaurismaki -- "Man Without a Past" I guess this will reach the US this year, but the Finnish DVD (with English and Swedish subtitles) was a real treat for those who just couldn't wait.
Finnish R2 PAL -- Sandre Metrodome
9. Agner Varda -- "Gleaners and I" (plus an hour-long companion piece that follows up her initial film). Quirky, but delightful essay on the film maker -- and people who "glean" food -- and other things.
American R1 NTSC -- Zeitgeist
10. Makoto Shinozaki -- "Not forgotten" -- Takes a batch of wonderful Japanese veteran actors (most notably Tomio Aoki, a child actor in Ozu's 1930s films) and a few fresh faces -- and puts them in a story of old people getting conned by corporate slicksters -- and fighting back. (Alas --unsubtitled).
Japanese R2 NTSC -- Toshiba

Sarah Knight
2002 DVDs
All are Hong Kong or Chinese DVDs listed in order with a brief comment on something I liked about each movie.
1. CHINESE ODYSSEY 2002. Delightful movie. What a treat to hear Faye Wong & Tony Leung singing Yellow Plum Opera. William Chang's costumes are so beautiful and rich looking.
2. JULY RHAPSODY. Anita Mui gives a wonderfully understated performance. Newcomer Karena Lam and Jacky Cheung are excellent too. Story is touching and dramatic without being melodramatic.
3. BIG SHOT'S FUNERAL. Ge You gives a great performance as a camerman with lots of marketing ideas.
4. HOLLYWOOD HONG KONG. Zhou Xun as a con artist gives almost as good a performance as she did in SUZHOU HE. Her red dress is terrific.
5. INNER SENSES. Leslie Cheung is supurb. Can't wait to see what Karena Lam does next.
6. JUST ONE LOOK. Well done coming of age movie with the Twins. Footage of older HK movies enriches the movie. Anthony Wong's scene on the beach with his young son made me cry. Is the black bra really Shi Qi's?
7. UMAN. A fun movie with some very silly scenes. Anthony Wong and Sam Lee work well together. Anthony Wong running around in a priest's robe is very funny.
8. THREE. Going Home. A creepy tale made creepier by Leon Lai's deadpan performance. And I think he IS acting.
9. MY WIFE IS 18. This fluff movie with Ekin Cheng & Charlene Choi of the twins was a lot of fun to watch. Is Charlene Choi too cute or too annoying for words in this movie?
10. PRINCESS D. Stylish movie with another wonderful performance from Anthony Wong.

Benjamin Lamb
U.S.A.
Top 10 Film Releases Of 2002
01. Far From Heaven
02. Igby Goes Down
03. Bloody Sunday
04. Adaptation
05. Gang's Of New York
06. The Pianist
07 Minority Report
08. Road To Perdition
09. Blade II
10. (Tie) Insomnia / The Ring

Top 10 DVD Releases Of 2002
01. Outer Limits: Volume 1 (MGM Home Video)
02. Solaris (Criterion Collection)
03. The Devil's Backbone (Columbia)
04. The Blue Angel (Kino Video) (Ed. Note: this was a 2001 release)
05. (TIe) To Catch A Theif / Sunset Blvd. (Paramount)
06. (Tie) The Mechanic (MGM) / Contempt (Criterion Collection)
07 Curse of the Demon / Night of the Demon (Columbia /Tri-Star)
08. Masque of the Red Death / The Prematre Burial (MGM Double Feature)
09. (Tie) The Fog: SE (MGM) / Jackie Brown (Miramax/Buena Vista)
10. (Tie) Nightmare City (Anchor Bay) / Hard Day's Night (Miramax/Buena Vista)

Marty Langford
DVDs
1.) Evil Dead: Book of the Dead
2.) Lord of the Rings: Extended Edition
3.) Jackie Brown: SE
4.) An Evening w/ Kevin Smith
5.) Groundhog Day: SE
6.) Simpsons, The: Season Two
7.) South Park: Season One
8.) Image, The
9.) Ice Age
10.) Last House on Dead End Street

Movies:
1.) Adaptation
2.) Punch-Drunk Love
3.) Femme Fatale
4.) Brotherhood of the Wolf
5.) Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
6.) Solaris
7.) Minority Report
8.) Lilo & Stitch
9.) Undercover Brother
10.) Hollywood Ending
Unseen: Gangs of New York, Spider, The Hours, Far from Heaven, Spirited Away, 25th Hour, One Hour Photo, Y Tu Mama Tambien
Seen and disliked: Chicago, About Schmidt

Rob LiCalsi
Here we go. Forgot about the difference in time and now I have to rush this list (ok, not really. My lists take weeks to compile). So here are the top films I've seen so far.
1.) Chicago - Ahhh, the musical. Tough year for me to pick a number 1, but this film completely took me in all aspects. It was fun, it was colorful, it was creative. The musical numbers were tight, the dancing was great, and the women were hot. From start to finish the pace never slowed down. Renee, Catherine, Richard, John C., Queen Latifah, and even Mya were outstanding. I felt like I was at a Broadway musical and not in a theatre.
2.) Bowling from Colombine - Rarely do films evoke social change anymore. Maybe this one didn't either, but it attempted to in ways that films need to start doing again. Michael Moore is a rouge journalist who isn't afraid of big business or the media. And that's what his film is all about anyway, fear. Sure gun control, gun laws, kids with guns, and terrorism all are issues within the film but the real theme is how we as Americans live in fear. We are a country founded on fear. And it is that fear that dictates our individual and communial decisions. It's Moore's film that helped me in understanding my own fear and trying to face it.
3.) Lord of the Rings : The Two Towers - This one was way more fun that the first. I still have never read any of the books, but I completely was engrossed in this film. It had more emotion and heart than the first and provided many more memorable characters. There should be a new acting category at the Oscars for non-human performances. They could nominate the voice actor, the animators, and the human insprirations. I think everyone knows who from this film would get the nom.
4.) Y Tu Mama Tambien - I first saw this film at a festival in early 2002 and all year I couldn't get it out of my head. It made me want to explore Mexico. It made me want a roadtrip in the pure sense of it. From the narration to the photography this was an original picture for a non-original genre.
5.) Catch Me If You Can - Spielberg's still got it! This movie was fun all around. And the fact that it was true? More fun! Leo and Hanks were perfect foils for each other and there should be noms for both. I felt as though I was watching something from the 70's as opposed to a period piece in 2002.

6.) 25th Hour - Man, Spike Lee rocks!. Maybe it's because I'm a native New Yorker. Maybe it's because I've had nights like that. Maybe it because I love every Lee movie he's made (except Jungle Fever, uggghhh). But the music, the look, the emotion, how it was a gripping and moving film. While the end could've been tighter, it didn't completely fall apart and it accomplished its message of the American Dream and how far we all are from actually living it.
7.) 8 Mile - Ok. I know, I know. But you have to really appreciate hip-hop to really appreciate this film like I did. Back in 1992/93 (when this took place) rap was at a crux. It was the tightest it had ever been and just broke into the popular mainstream. Little nuances and dialogue added to a fun film that COULD inspire some. And I challenge anyone to say that the battle scenes weren't flawless.
8.) Confessions of a Dangerous Mind - Similar to "Catch Me.. ", this movie was straight outta the 70's. Clooney can direct for sure. It looked like "Three Kings", played like "Ocean's 11", and completely fucked with the audience just as Barris has fucked with audiences for years. I'm not any closer to knowing the truth of his life, but I know that he's one crazy *%#$^&.
9.) Blue Crush - I have got to be the only person putting this on their top 10. And I don't care. I love surfing and I love girls. What's not to like about a simple film like this that combines both of them. The photography was also something of a masterpiece. Films like "In God's Hands" and "The Freedom Riders" had the magnificent photography, but no story or acting. This film DID have a story and it DID have the acting. And technology has now allowed real surfers to do the actual surfing without blue screen effects. Ok, I've said way to much about a film that only I like.
10.) Gangs of New York - I am sure that this film will continue to climb on my list the more I watch it. A year from now I'll probably consider this to be the number 2 or 3 pick of 2002. The only problem I had with it¡¯s too long. But everything else was amazing. I want to watch the opening sequence over and over and over. For now though, I've put it at the bottom so that I won't be disappointed after the next viewing when I realize it should be higher.
Films that just missed the list:
Punch-Drunk Love
The Ring
Dangerous Lives of Alter Boys
Solaris
One Hour Photo
Signs
Road to Perdition
Films that might make the list (once I get to see them):
Adaptation (I'm positive this will be Top 5)
Narc (this too)
About Schmidt
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
The Hours
Far From Heaven
Sexy Luisa
Standing in the Shadows of Motown
The Pianist
Spirited Away
Worst Films (in no order, bad films are bad films):
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.
Insomnia
Red Dragon
Changing Lanes
High Crimes

Tim Lucas
1. CONTEMPT (Criterion Collection) This has long been one of the most desperately needed films on disc; only a cropped and badly dubbed version has been previously released on VHS and LD. Not only has Criterion delivered the ideal anamorphic, subtitled transfer, but also a wealth of extras (including two promotional films scripted by Alain Robbe-Grillet). And the menu screen gives you Georges Delerue's main theme in its entirety -- and in stereo.
2. EUGENIE - THE STORY OF HER JOURNEY INTO PERVERSION (Blue Underground) The most eagerly awaited "lost" film in the annals of Eurocult finally arrives, and manages to exceed one's baited expectations. How wonderful to make the acquaintence of a new classic that already exists in its definitive presentation. Plus Tim Lucas's best liner notes of the year.
3. JULIET OF THE SPIRITS (Criterion Collection) Criterion's 8 1/2 was similarly mind-blowing, but being a December 2001 release, it just misses consideration. But here, even moreso, is a case where Presentation equals Revelation. JULIET had never been one of my favorite Fellini films before, but I had never seen a print this complete and in its intended Technicolor hues before. And the interview in which Fellini discusses the importance of LSD to his 1960s work is fascinating.
4. DANGER MAN (A&E box sets) Now here's a dark horse! But virtually every episode in this multi-box set stands as a miniature masterpiece of British filmmaking and espionage cinema. An important recovery of a series nearly forgotten by most Americans.
5. THE COMPLETE MONTEREY POP FESTIVAL (Criterion Collection) I love this release, but I had to knock it down a notch or two because it doesn't deliver what the title promises. This isn't the entire weekend festival, but it's three discs capturing a critical moment in 20th Century cultural history. I would probably have paid the asking price for any one of the three discs included here, but the nearly two hours of outtakes is even more exciting than the new 5.1 remix of the main feature.
6. THE OUTER LIMITS (MGM) Season One of the most literate and beautifully crafted fantasy series of all time.
7. DEATH CURSE OF TARTU / STING OF DEATH (Something Weird) Not great movies, but I have to include this because STING OF DEATH stands out as the year's most important genre restoration. The original negative was covered in mold when SWV found it, but the movie looks like it couldn't be farther away from the brink of extinction. And STING OF DEATH is infininitely superior to DEATH CURSE, and comparable in entertainment value to, say, SHRIEK OF THE MUTILATED. To have never seen it I would have considered a great personal loss. (Ed. Note: this was a 2001 release)
8. CASTLE OF BLOOD (Synapse Films) It's not perfect, and the movie itself has its creaky moments, but it's wonderful to have the French version available -- and the subtitles point out footage omitted from the US release that no one ever suspected was missing!
9. THE OBLONG BOX / SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN (MGM) These are better films than horror fans commonly acknowledge, and MGM has very quietly issued this Midnite Movies double feature disc (priced under $15!) with two restored remasters. OBLONG contains footage never before seen in America (including some nudity), and SCREAM contains the original soundtrack, finally jettisoning that pesky Kendall Schmidt rescore that haunted its VHS and cable incarnations for a full decade.
10. HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD (Fantoma) As the world awaited Image Entertainment's indefinitely postponed KILL... BABY, KILL!, Fantoma stole top honors for the year's best Mario Bava release. Their source material may be missing the film's prologue, but this release --which offers the English dub, or the Italian version with English subs (much, much better) fills a crucial gap in every Bava fan's collection -- and education about how even this film was altered for US consumption. Eye candy of the first order.

Christopher Lupold
USA
DVD
In order to be able to list only ten DVDs, I decided that the best candidates were those that changed my perception of the film (and TV show) in question. So that meant Criterion's Solaris, Fox's King of Comedy, and the SE's of Fellowship of the Ring and Singin' In the Rain - all excellent releases of excellent films - were out. My top ten