Thanks to everyone who voted!

UNOFFICIAL MOBIUS 2006 POLL
THEATRICAL FILMS

Casino Royale 122.5
Departed, The 112
Pan's Labyrinth 85
Scanner Darkly, A 66
Prestige, The 60
United 93 56
Host, The 55
Children of Men 42
Volver 39
Descent, The 38
Army of Shadows 37
Queen, The 37
Death of Mr. Lazarescu, The 33
Proposition, The 33
Borat 29.5
Exiled 29
Linda Linda Linda 29
Crank 28
Inconvenient Truth, An 27
Inland Empire 27
Little Miss Sunshine 26
Inside Man 25
Lights in the Dark 25
Idiocracy 23.5
Princess Raccoon 23
Cache 22
Snakes on a Plane 21.5
Thank You for Smoking 21
Lunacy 20
Letters From Iwo Jima 19
Dreamgirls 18
V for Vendetta 18
Brokeback Mountain 17
Feather in the Wind 15
Hostel 15
Last King of Scotland, The 15
Lonesome Jim 15
Lunar Seas 15
New World, The 15
The Science of Sleep 15
49 Up 14
Curse of the Golden Flower 14
Good Night and Good Luck 14
Hidden Blade, The 14
History of Violence, A 14
L'Enfant 14
Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man 14
Manderlay 14
Miami Vice 14
Munich 14
Still Life 14
Bittersweet Life, A 13
Brick 13
Citizen Dog 13
Isabella 13
Little Children 13
My Name is Fame 13
Wind That Shakes the Barley, The 13
Woman on the Beach 13
Congo River 12
Flags of Our Fathers 12
Hanging Garden 12
Invisible Waves 12
Piano Tuner of Earthquakes, The 12
Stranger Than Fiction 12
Wild Blue Yonder 12
Always: Sunday on Third Street 11
Blokada 11
Bloody Sunday: A Derry Diary 11
I Am a Sex Addict 11
Intruder, The 11
Kekexili: Mountain Patrol 11
Prairie Home Companion, A 11
Rocky Balboa 11
When the Levee Broke: A Reqium in Four Acts 11
Abominable 10.5
Beerfest 10.5
Clerks II 10.5
Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World 10.5
Slither 10.5
This Film is Not Yet Rated 10.5
Boys of Baraka 10
Funky Forest: the First Contact 10
Great Yokai War, The 10
Hana yori mo naho 10
Jackass 2 10
Joyeux Noel 10
Omkara 10
Perfume 10
Tideland 10
U.S. vs. John Lennon, The 10
Babel 9
Broken Trail 9
Curiosity Kills the Cat 9
Fearless 9
Good Shepherd, The 9
Heading South 9
Illusionist, The 9
Longing 9
Sheitan 9
Welcome to Dongmakgol 9
12:08 East of Bucharest 8
Bardo 8
Duelist, The (Hyeongsa) 8
Election 2 8
Iraq in Fragments 8
Matador, The 8
Monster House 8
Notorious Bettie Page, The 8
Pervert 8
Wassup Rockers 8
Clean 7
déjà vu 7
Forgiveness 7
History Boys, The 7
Notes on a Scandal 7
Painted Veil, The 7
Take 10 7
Daisy 6
Devil Wears Prada, The 6
Fountain, The 6
Old Joy 6
Running Scared 6
Three Times 6

UNOFFICIAL MOBIUS 2006 POLL
DVD’S

Seven Samurai, The 66
Passenger, The 51
Gojira 39
Conformist, The 33
Complete Mr. Arkadin, The 33
Canterbury Tale, A 32
Sgt. Bilko - The Phil Silvers Show - Ultimate Collection 27
Petulia 27
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls 27
Texas Chain Saw Massacre - Ultimate Edition 26
Sam Peckinpah Westerns Set 25
Black Belly of the Tarantula, The 25
Viridiana 23
Emilio Miraglia Killer Queen Box Set, The 23
Astaire & Rogers Ultimate Collection 23
Equinox 22.5
Virgin Spring, The 22
Double Indemnity 22
Rockford Files, The: Season 2 21.5
Kingdom of Heaven Directors Cut 20
Young Mr. Lincoln 19
Vice Squad 19
Apocalypse Now: The Complete Dossier 19
Poseidon Adventure, The 18.5
Spirit of the Beehive 17
James Bond, Ultimate Collection, Volumes 1 - 4 17
Whisper of the Heart 15
Trailer Park Boys: Seasons One & Two 15
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance 15
Superman II: the Richard Donner Cut 15
Raise the Red Lantern 15
Fantastic Planet 15
Dazed and Confused 15
Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., The 15
Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition 14
Street Trash: Meltdown Edition 14
Ride the High Country 14
Morning Musume Concert Tour 2006 Spring Rainbow 7 14
John Ford - John Wayne Collection 14
Double Life of Veronique 14
Chuck Berry - Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll 14
Blonde Venus 14
April Snow 14
Wild Bunch, The 13
When the Levee Breaks: A Requiem in Four Acts 13
Small Gauge Trauma 13
Seduced and Abandone 13
Ribbon No Kishi 13
Miss Eire 13
Luciano Ercoli's Death Box Set 13
Kind Hearts and Coronets 13
Humphrey Bogart: The Signature Collection Volume 2 13
Exiled 13
Dying Gaul.The 13
Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection, The 13
Black Pit of Dr. M, The 13
Voltron: Defender of the Universe (Vol. 1 & 2) 12
Red Angel 12
Mothra vs. Godzilla 12
Let's Scare Jessica to Death 12
Lavender Hill Mob, The 12
Koda Kumi Live Tour 2005: First Things Deluxe Edition 12
King and the Clown 12
Don't Look Now Special Edition 12
Cache 12
Astro Boy - Ultimate Collector's Edition DVD Sets 1 & 2 12
3 Dev Adam 12
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 Gruesome Edition 11
Pokemon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew 11
Nana 11
Munich Limited Edition 11
Lady and the Tramp 11
La Bete Humain 11
Hollywood Legends of Horror Collection 11
Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales 11
Desert of the Tartars 11
Creation of the Humanoids / War Between the Planets 11
Wonderful World of Puss 'n Boots 10.5
River's Edge, The 10.5
Office: Season 2, The 10.5
Network 10.5
Emperor of the North 10.5
Black Swan, The 10.5
All the President's Men 10.5
Saturday Night Live: The Complete First Season 10
Quiet Earth, The 10
Pretty Poison 10
Loved One, The 10
Longest Day, The 10
Late Spring 10
Fifth Cord, The 10
Election 2 10
Dune: Extended Edition 10
Dead, The 10
Barefoot Gen: The Movies 1 & 2 10
Yellow Sky 9
United 93 9
Preston Sturges Collection, The 9
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid 9
Mobile Suit Gundam Seed: The Empty Battlefield 9
Mission Impossible: The Complete First Season 9
Koko: a Talking Gorilla 9
Justice League Unlimited - Season One 9
Jezebel 9
Clerks II 9
Brazil - Criterion Remaster 9
Bittersweet Life, A 9
Wild Blue Yonder, The 8
Strangers With Candy: The Complete Series 8
Seinfeld Season 7 8
Samurai Jack - Season Three 8
Perry Mason, Season One 8
Perhaps Love 8
Oh What a Lovely War 8
Modern Romance 8
Kwaidan 8
Exorcism of Emily Rose, The 8
14 Amazons, The 8
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? 7
Towering Inferno, The 7
My Name is Kim Sam-Soon 7
Man of Iron 7
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang 7
Jayne Mansfield Collection 7
Elevator to the Gallows 7
Awful Truth, The 7
Wanda 6
This Island Earth 6
Superman: the Theatrical Serials Collection 6
King Kong Special Collector's Edition 6
Hands Over the City 6
Groundwalk 6
Good Night and Good Luck 6
Descent, The 6
All the Mornings of the World 6
24, Season Five 6

INDIVIDUAL BALLOTS A - C


CHRIS BARBOUR

10 Best DVD Releases 2006

1. THE PASSENGER

2. THE VIRGIN SPRING

3. THE DYING GAUL

4. LET'S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH

5. DOUBLE INDEMNITY (2 Disc Special Edition)

6. THE QUIET EARTH

7. THE EMILIO MIRAGLIA KILLER QUEEN BOX SET

8. THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE

9. VICE SQUAD

10. THIS ISLAND EARTH


DOUG BASSETT

No dvd picks -- I don't watch enough for this to be relevant to
anybody.

10. BRICK

It's an empty exercise in style, really -- Sam Spade in a highschool,
played as straight as they could make it. The thing is, it's a really
great empty exercise in style. If you like hardboiled motifs at all --
and I really love them -- you'll love this picture.

9. CRANK

In a pretty good year for B movie attempts -- I more or less liked
SLITHER, THE DESCENT, and SNAKES ON A PLANE too --I think this is the best,
the only action movie I've seen recently that genuinely seems to be
thinking about new ways to present action.

8. LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE

I think this is an underappreciated movie in a lot of ways, actually.
It looks like a movie, not a television sitcom writ large, and for that
alone it would merit a place here. But it's also well acted and best of
all well structured, with the biggest laugh perfectly placed at the
climax.

7. THE DEPARTED

On the other hand, as much as I liked it this has to be the most
overrated movie of the year. Essentially a genre piece writ large, it
features a fantastic performance by DiCaprio, maybe the best thing he ever
did, a decent performance by Damon, some great lines and some good tough
guy posturing. It also has Nicholson in full-on hambone mode and is
probably twenty minutes to a half-hour too long. I've seen enthusiasts try
to make cases for grand statements of this that or the other, but I
dunno, feels like reachin' to me.

6. VOLVER

I became a big Almodovar fan last year -- I really like smart genre
blending and he does it to a "t". Sort of a ghost story that turns into a
reconciliation drama with a dash of black humor and a few absurdist
moments. Sort of. Penelope Cruz is fantastic and, as I said here on
Mobius, something of a special effect in her own right; catch this on the big
screen if you can.

5. CASINO ROYALE

Look, I'm skeptical of this approach for a lot of reasons, but you
can't gainsay the quality of the film itself. It's superbly choreographed,
superbly acted up and down the line, faithful in all the important ways
to the source material. I still don't think Craig is really playing
"Bond" but I was wrong to be generally skeptical, he's great in the role
and just spilling over with charisma. Any fan of the series owes it to
himself to check this out -- you can quibble afterwards.

4. CACHE

I think people have generally misunderstood this movie, and have been
too quick to impose a simplified political message on this. In fact, I
think this is a movie about the act of interpretation itself, and I
think it's a very complex view of the subject. That's the point of the
much-discussed ending, I think -- it's a challenge to the audience, to make
of it what you will. And to understand what that really involves.

3. A BITTERSWEET LIFE

Saw this as the Philly Film Festival and it was easily my favorite
movie there. A "heroic bloodshed" movie torn inside out, it both manages to
succeed as a fine story in the tradition and to comment on it at the
same time -- no mean trick. Incredible acting job by the hero, fantastic
action throughout, lushly romantic cinematography. If there's such a
thing as an emotionally restrained heroic bloodshed movie, which almost
seems a contradiction in terms, it's this.

2. UNITED 93

I'm not surprised the movie didn't do well at the box office -- it's a
tough movie to watch, especially alone in the dark. Some parts of it
had me literally squirming in my seat. I'm not sure, even now, if the
movie really is that powerful in it's own right or if we bring our
personal knowledge of what happened to what we see. But I can say that nothing
I saw last year affected me as powerfully.

1. THE PRESTIGE

I think this is an eccentric choice, but I think this movie's
reputation will grow over the years. An extended metaphor of the artist's
struggles ala PERFUME, but it's a helluva lot better than PERFUME, I think
it's a perfect expression of how creators create, why they create, what
it costs them to create, what the rewards are, etc. I think it's
incredibly smart, and with the exception of Scarlett Johannsen (who isn't
awful, but isn't, admittedly, great) incredibly well acted. Maybe this
movie just hit me at a time in my life when I was really ready for it, but
it blew me away. (There's a scene with Hugh Jackman bowing that I think
perfectly portrays the glories and pains of the artistic life. The
movie is completely successful in talking about a very hard thing to talk
about -- creativity.)

Honorable mention: ARMY OF SHADOWS. I still think it's flat out
cheating to put it in, but it is a great film.


MICHAEL BLANTON

Favorite 2006 Films

1. The Science of Sleep
2. Pan's Labyrinth
3. The Proposition
4. The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes
5. The Intruder
6. Cache
7. Heading South
8. Volver
9. Army of Shadows
10. Lunacy

Next 10 in no particular order – Brick, Clean, The Three Burials of
Malquiades Estrada, Manderlay, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, A Scanner Darkly, The
Black Dahlia, The Prestige, The Host, Classe Tous Risques

Also enjoyed – The World, Curious George, Don’t Come Knocking, Whales
(Imax), Strangers with Candy, Akeela and the Bee, An Incovenient Truth,
Hollywoodland, The Illusionist, X-Men: The Last Stand, This Film is not
Yet Rated, Tideland, Casino Royale, The Wild Blue Yonder, Down in the
Valley, Apocalypto, Dreamgirls, The Good Shepherd, Fast Food Nation,
Idiocracy

Didn’t see – Inland Empire, Half-Nelson, The Departed, Babel

Favorite 2006 DVDs

1. The Passenger (Sony)
2. The Complete Mr. Arkadin (Criterion)
3. Seduced and Abandoned (Criterion)
4. Viridiana (Criterion)
5. Desert of the Tartars (No-Shame)
6. Seven Samurai (Criterion)
7. The Conformist (Paramount)
8. The Virgin Spring (Criterion)
9. Spirit of the Beehive (Criterion)
10. Hands over the City (Criterion)

Also enjoyed – Sam Peckinpah's The Legendary Westerns Collection,
Preston Sturges The Filmmaker Collection, Double Indemnity, Gojira,
Singapore Sling, Reflections in a Golden Eye, Goyokin, Goto Island of Love,
Marebito, Mixed Blood, Jigoku ,Cisco Pike, Tracks, Double Life of
Veronique, La Bête Humaine, Dune, Scorpion: Beast Stable, Elevator to the
Gallows, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane,1900, Seven Men from Now,
Pickpocket, Satan’s Blood, The Gardener, Fallen Angel, Don’t Deliver us from
Evil, The Curse of the Crying Woman, I Wake up Screaming, Scarlet Street,
The Black Pit of Dr. M, Petulia, Track of the Cat, The Naked Spur, Red
Angel, Sheitan, The Illustrated Man, The Loved One, The Fallen Idol and
Clean Shaven


BRIAN CAMP

Ten Best DVDs of 2006

WHISPER OF THE HEART (1995, Disney)
Finally out on DVD in the U.S. The finest animated movie I’ve ever
seen. From Studio Ghibli. Produced by Hayao Miyazaki, but not directed by
him.

MORNING MUSUME CONCERT TOUR 2006 SPRING RAINBOW 7
Morning Musume in performance at a concert based on their album of
2006, “Rainbow 7” (see my Amazon.com review of the CD). Nonstop fun and
excitement. The girls are just awesome. Opens with the rousing “How Do You
Like This Japan?”

RIBBON NO KISHI (Princess Knight) – Morning Musume stage musical (2006)
The girls put on a stage musical based on an old comic by Osamu Tezuka.
Set in the French court of the 18th century in full costume. Includes
songs, dances, and swordfights. One of the greatest things ever. The
Tezuka comic was animated in the 1960s.

KODA KUMI LIVE TOUR 2005: FIRST THINGS DELUXE EDITION (2-discs) (2006
“2nd Live DVD”)
Forget Beyonce, Christina and Britney. Koda Kumi is the real deal.
J-pop for the red-blooded men in the audience. Look her up. You won’t be
disappointed.

POKEMON: LUCARIO AND THE MYSTERY OF MEW (2006, Viz Media) (includes
second disc with “Pokemon: The Mastermind of Mirage Pokemon”)
Continues in the tradition of fine Pokemon movies of the last few
years. This one has a kind of “Lord of the Rings” vibe (but is 1/7 the
length!).

BAREFOOT GEN: THE MOVIES 1 & 2 (1983, 1986)
Two-disc set containing two Japanese animated movies based on
heart-wrenching manga about a boy and his mother who survive the Hiroshima
A-bomb blast.

MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM SEED: THE EMPTY BATTLEFIELD (2006, movie)
A movie compiled from the first 20 eps. of “Gundam Seed,” the 2002
entry in the long-running Mobile Suit Gundam Japanese animated franchise.

THE 14 AMAZONS (1972, Celestial)
Remember the Yang Clan’s women from 8-DIAGRAM POLE FIGHTER? Well,
eleven years earlier they were featured in this nonstop, almost all-female
battle action adventure starring Ivy Ling Po. The real Shaw Bros. find
of the year.

MAN OF IRON (1972, Celestial)
Chen Kuan Tai in a gangster/kung fu follow-up to BOXER FROM SHANTUNG.

SUPERMAN: THE THEATRICAL SERIALS COLLECTION (SUPERMAN, 1948, and ATOM
MAN VS. SUPERMAN, 1950)
The two Superman serials in one package. ATOM MAN is the prize here.


BOB CASHILL

I adapted some of this from my blog, at www.robertcashill.blogspot.com.
But I did rank my theatrical selectons here. And the DVD picks are
Mobius-exclusive.

THEATRICAL:

1) Army of Shadows

2) A Scanner Darkly

3) The Hidden Blade

4) Casino Royale

5) Pan's Labyrinth

6) The Queen

7) The Death of Mr. Lazarescu

8) Iraq in Fragments

9) The Painted Veil

10) The Devil Wears Prada

Quality Hollywood releases pretty much pulled their usual, aggravating
no-show from January-March, and were notably scarce over the summer.
But there was still much worthwhile to sift through.

It's not a terribly surprising list, for which I make no apologies.
There is sometimes sense in consensus, though The Devil Wears Prada (the
only movie I saw twice theatrically last year) and particularly The
Painted Veil strike me as undervalued. The only unfamiliar title for
veteran Top 10 watchers might be The Hidden Blade, Yoji Yamada's excellent
samurai picture that I saw as a screener DVD, a good thing, as like so
many arthouse releases and foreign films it died theatrically. Look for a
roll call of the dead below, under noteworthy films I missed; many are
documentaries, which seem to be press-screened far more than actually
exhibited, and if I blinked, I had no choice but to Netflix them.

A few things. I had no problem putting Army of Shadows, the best film
of 1969 released in 2006, on my list; it is, in this country, for all
intents and purposes a new release, for which we can thank New York's
Film Forum. But the decision by many critics to put Spike Lee's When the
Levees Broke on their lists strikes me as flat-out wrong; true, it was
shown at the Venice and Toronto film festivals, but it was an HBO
picture shown otherwise on HBO, and doesn't count as a feature film release.
It's an outstanding documentary, to be sure, but it's superb
television, not cinema.

My underrated releases could easily be filed as "Certain Regard"
pictures, but one of their attributes was how they slid under the critical
radar. I was glad to find them. My overrateds, however, aren't
necessarily terrible; it's just that one of their attributes was how needlessly
fussed-over they were, particularly the enervating Eastwood war
pictures, which between them have maybe three or four inspired scenes. Into a
category called "Unresolved" I filed a few pictures that I can't quite
shake, but can't quite define, either, like Hostel, which I'm (almost)
sure is a bad movie but captures the contemporary horror zeitgeist
better than its ilk.

One thing I can say with certainty is that my worst pictures are all
pretty horrible. Some of the wounds were self-inflicted; did I really
need to watch the remake of When a Stranger Calls on Starz? The worst of
the lot was the posturing, excruciating Miami Vice. That bad experience
I will quantify for you.

On with the show:

11s (close, not quite there): Borat, Children of Men, Happy Feet, Notes
on a Scandal.

UN CERTAIN REGARD: Blood Diamond, The Bridge, Candy, The Departed, The
Descent, Down in the Valley, Dreamgirls, Duck Season, Edmond,
Gabrielle, Half Nelson, The House of Sand, Inside Man, jackass number two, Lady
Vengeance, L'Enfant, Le Petit Lieutenant, Monster House (in 3D),
Mountain Patrol: Kekexili, Night Watch, Our Brand is Crisis, Running Scared,
Shortbus, Sisters in Law, Sophie Scholl--The Final Days, State of Fear,
Thank You for Smoking, Tropical Malady, United 93, Venus, Volver, Why
We Fight.

WORST: Babel, Beowulf & Grendel, Bloodrayne, The Da Vinci Code, The
Good German, The Good Shepherd, The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things,
Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World, Manderlay, Miami Vice, The Omen,
Running with Scissors, Trust the Man, When a Stranger Calls, The Wicker
Man.

OVERRATED: Brick, Flags of Our Fathers, The Last King of Scotland,
Letters from Iwo Jima, Little Children, Little Miss Sunshine, A Prairie
Home Companion, The Prestige, Unknown White Male, V for Vendetta.

UNDERRATED: The Bridesmaid, District B13, Excellent Cadavers, Find Me
Guilty, Hard Candy, Heading South, Home of the Brave, Hollywoodland,
Infamous, Lemming, The Motel, The Road to Guantanamo, Scoop, Slither,
Superman Returns.

UNRESOLVED:(out there, vexing, but with merit): The Fountain, Hostel,
Inland Empire, The Proposition, 13 Tzameti, Tideland.

SEE YOU LATER (noteworthy movies, for better or for worse, I missed):
Bobby, Come Early Morning, Death of a President, Deliver Us From Evil,
The Devil and Daniel Johnston, Fast Food Nation, 51 Birch Street, For
Your Consideration, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, The Ground Truth,
Idiocracy, An Inconvenient Truth, Jesus Camp, The Journals of Knud
Rasmussen, Lady in the Water, Mutual Appreciation, The Pursuit of
Happyness, Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles, The Science of Sleep,
Sherrybaby, Shut Up and Sing, Stranger Than Fiction, This Film is Not Yet Rated,
The U.S. vs. John Lennon, Who Killed the Electric Car?

ONES TO WATCH FOR THIS YEAR (based on screenings and festival
viewings): Black Book (March 9), Exiled (June), The Hoax (Apr. 6), The Host
(March 9), Poison Friends (March 30), Tales of the Brothers Quay
retrospective (Jan. 19), Triad Election (Apr. 25). Tears of the Black Tiger, a
2001 film finally set free, is also worth a look.

DISTRIBUTOR WANTED: The wrenching, Cambodia-set child prostitution
drama Holly, the best film I saw at the Montreal World Film Festival last
August. Someone in the U.S. should take a chance on the fine Spanish
crime melodrama Round Two as well.

DVDs:

I could probably fill this list with nothing but Criterion and WB
releases, but I tried to hold back.

1) Sam Peckinpah Westerns Set, which got 06 off to a great start. An
amazingly gratifying year from WB, which looks set to continue in 07.

2) John Ford-John Wayne Collection, ditto.

3) The Black Pit of Dr. M. Discovering, or rediscovering, these
Mexi-monster gems via Casa Negra made for some of the year's most pleasurable
viewing.

4) Kingdom of Heaven DC. A true epic in its best form, staggeringly
well-documented.

5) The Seven Samurai. The best of the year's (many, maybe too many)
double-dips, and a Criterion classic.

6) Pretty Poison. Welcome to the format.

7) The Preston Sturges Collection. Laughs aplenty.

8) Modern Romance. Another welcome debutante.

9) Gojira. Back and better than ever.

10) Vice Squad. Teen-years sleaze to titillate my graying self.

So much other good stuff to enjoy. If I had to pick 10 more (I could
easily pick 20) they would be, in alphabetical order, the Astaire-Rogers
Set (Complete), the Best-Buy exclusive Classic Sci-Fi Set, Equinox,
It's Always Fair Weather, King Kong (05) Extended Edition, 1900, Police
Squad!, Richard Pryor Live in Concert (HBO Video), Street Trash, and Yi
Yi (Criterion). I wonder if other lists will mention Fred Astaire and
Street Trash in the same paragraph?

INDIVIDUAL BALLOTS D - J

WILLIAM D'ANNUCCI

New York City

TOP 2006 FILMS

1. CHILDREN OF MEN
2. PAN’S LABYRINTH
3. THE DEPARTED
4. THE PRESTIGE
These first four films are all tied for first place in my heart. In
another year, any of them would’ve gone Number One with a Bullet on my
list. I’ve only ranked them with great effort in finding miniscule
reasons to place one over the other. All four are shining examples of truly
passionate cinematic art. But Cuaron takes the top with his
masterpiece, much like the best of Kubrick with a unique and spiritual
compassion. Bravo.

5. A SCANNER DARKLY
This film is only a couple years of dorm room tubings and midnight
screenings away from being acclaimed as the distopic sci-fi classic it is.
Linklater is becoming one of the great American filmmakers. It’s great
to see.
6. TIDELAND
Gilliam comes out of his corner swinging with this gritty nightmare, as
close to a horror film as he’s ever made. Uncompromising and
unforgettable, with a fascinating performance by Jodelle Ferland.
7. CASINO ROYALE
The most pleasant surprise of the year. I can’t believe a Bond flick
is in my top ten! Wonderful bad-ass entertainment. A James Bond movie
for grown-ups. Thank you EON Productions, thank you so very much.
8. THANK YOU FOR SMOKING
A comedy with a brain, which made me laugh harder the more I thought
about each gag. Reitman may have outdone his dad with his first film.
9. THE DESCENT
It didn’t matter that THE DESCENT wasn’t totally original or relied on
many expected horror techniques… it was ten times scarier and
emotionally cathartic than any 20 other horrors seen most years. A classic.
10. THE FOUNTAIN
Although it affected me more intellectually than emotionally, I admire
THE FOUNTAIN greatly for bucking the usual trends in sci-fi to deliver
us something to really think about while pleasing our eyes with its
gorgeous visuals.

THE NEXT 10 BEST
Normally, quite a few of these would be in the top ten. But, it’s been
an uncommonly good year for movies I really love.

SUPERMAN RETURNS, JET LI’S FEARLESS, NOTES ON A SCANDAL, THE QUEEN, THE GOOD SHEPHERD, V FOR VENDETTA, BORAT, HAPPY FEET, DISTRICT B-13, EDMOND

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
LITTLE CHILDREN, THE GOOD GERMAN, THE ILLUSIONIST

NOT SEEN YET
BRICK, BABEL, VOLVER, UNITED 93, LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA, DREAMGIRLS,
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, ARMY OF SHADOWS, CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER, THE
HOST (only due to a delayed US release)

TOP 2006 DVDs

Generally, DVD is where we keep trying to find the perfect “Ultimate
Extended Collector’s Edition” of a film we already love. But I’m glad
DVD introduced me to two new loves: KISS KISS BANG BANG and DOCTOR X.
The latter really entertains me, precisely because of endless early 30s
Hollywood nonsense that should work against its favor. “Synthetic
Flesh!” “How about me?!? A hopeless paralytic!” “Ahh! It’s The Killer!”
Not to mention Fay Wray and that rather unique depiction of the
Hamptons.

1. SEVEN SAMURAI - Criterion Collection
2. THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE - Ultimate Edition
3. GOJIRA - Collectors Edition
4. MOTHRA VS GODZILLA
5. Hollywood Legends Of Horror Collection
6. Sam Peckinpah’s Legendary Westerns Collection
7. BRAZIL - Criterion Remaster
8. Samurai Jack – Season Three
9. KISS KISS BANG BANG
10. THE DESCENT (The US version came out in December ’06, but it was
the UK 2 Disc with the full bitrate DTS that awed me.)


RUNNER-UP DVDs:
A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE
A SCANNER DARKLY
THE DEAD ZONE – Special Edition
DOUBLE INDEMNITY (a winner, save for the price-pumping and unnecessary
second disc…and the most puzzling menu music of the year. Guys, it’s
DOUBLE INDEMNITY, not SESSION 9!)
BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS/THEM! Sci-Fi Double Feature


DOUG DILLAMAN

Well, that was strange: my top ten rather neatly paired into sets of
two.

1. THE DEPARTED
2. A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE

Two returns to form by masters, and the two most electric experiences I
had at the movies. THE DEPARTED is the only movie I've seen twice
theatrically in a long time, and is one of my favorite pieces of movie craft
ever. And A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE (2K6 release in NZ) is a minor miracle
of tone, skillfully skirting back and forth to the edge of absurdity
without ever losing the emotional wallops.

3. THE HOST
4. WILD BLUE YONDER

Two wildly divergent takes on science-fiction. Does anybody need me to
sing the praises of THE HOST anymore? I assume not. But WILD BLUE
YONDER is a much neglected genius piece of work by Werner Herzog, craftily
combining Antarctic underwater footage, NASA footage, and Brad Dourif
ranting in small Texas towns into something alchemical and, to me,
utterly beguiling.

5. I AM A SEX ADDICT
6. AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH

And two wildly divergent takes on documentary form. Caveh Zavedi's a
name I've known for a long time, but for some reason thought would always
be tediously self-obsessed. Well, I was half-right; self-obsessed, no
question, but anything but tedious. I AM A SEX ADDICT is simultaneously
incredibly funny and astonishingly layered in its levels of
self-reflexivity (on-camera comments to the audience within staged recreations)
while always completely assured in its filmmaking despite its shoestring
resources. AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, meanwhile, is not only one of the
most important films of the year, but despite the hype as being a
90-minute slideshow, actually an incredibly engaging and well-crafted film.

7. LONGING
8. 12:08 EAST OF BUCHAREST

Two slices of European anomie: LONGING is a seeming trifle about a love
triangle, but there's a simultaneous detachedment and engaging quality
that stuck with me like no film since YI YI - there's something that
feels very real about it, even with an ending scene that completely
reconfigures the film. 12:08 EAST OF BUCHAREST, meanwhile, is a great bit of
low-key Romanian absurdism that only gets funnier and more poignant as
it goes on.

9. DEJA VU
10. THE PRESTIGE

And, finally, two of the twistiest thrillers of the year. THE PRESTIGE
had my mind smiling with its twists, probably had the most depth, and
definitely made more sense, but I've got crazy love for DEJA VU, which
has an emotional pull that THE PRESTIGE never quite had.

(An honorable thirty runner-ups, roughly in order: OUT OF THE BLUE,
MIND GAME, MUNICH, CASINO ROYALE, THE SQUID AND THE WHALE, WHO'S CAMUS
ANYWAY?, THE BEAT MY HEART SKIPPED, NIGHT WATCH, THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP,
BLACK SUN, TALLEDEGA NIGHTS, DAVE CHAPPELLE'S BLOCK PARTY, YOU'RE GONNA
MISS ME, MONSTER HOUSE, A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION, CHILDREN OF MEN,
CRANK, WOMAN ON THE BEACH, INSIDE MAN, IT'S ONLY TALK, JACKASS 2, FEARLESS,
MARIE ANTOINETTE, IDIOCRACY, BRICK, NO. 2, HALF NELSON, MIAMI VICE,
THREE TIMES, THE US VS. JOHN LENNON.)

Only film I walked out of: THE BLACK DAHLIA.

Films I should have walked out of: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 2, THE WIND
THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY, RIVER QUEEN.

Special "what the heck WAS that" commendation: FIGHT CLUB: MEMBERS
ONLY.

And a special shout-out to THE WIRE. I watched seasons 1 and 2 this
year, and it's the best thing I've seen all year in any medium.

No DVD list this year; haven't really been keeping up, not even sure I
have (or have seen) ten DVDs that came out this year. But I would
single out MAREBITO, which scared the hell out of me.



DAVE GARRETT


DVDs:
1 Dazed and Confused (Criterion)
2 Petulia (Warner)
3 Astaire & Rogers Ultimate Collector's Edition (Warner)
4 Sgt. Bilko: The Phil Silvers Show - 50th Anniversary Edition
(Paramount)
5 Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales (Criterion)
6 Saturday Night Live: The Complete First Season (Universal)
7 A Canterbury Tale (Criterion)
8 Gojira (Classic Media/Sony Wonder)
9 Jayne Mansfield Collection (Fox)
10 The Complete Mr. Arkadin, A.K.A.: Confidential Report (Criterion)


Honorable Mention:
The Busby Berkeley Collection (Warner)
Peckinpah Westerns Collection (Warner)
John Wayne: John Ford Film Collection (Warner)
Bogie & Bacall: The Signature Collection (Warner)
Warner Brothers Tough Guys Collection (Warner)
Humphrey Bogart: Signature Collection - Volume 2 (Warner)
Charlie Chan Collection: Volumes 1 & 2 (Fox)
Mr. Moto Collection: Volume 1 (Fox)
The Rodgers & Hammerstein Collection (Fox)
Seijun Suzuki- Taisho Trilogy (Kino)
The Dick Cavett Show: Comic Legends (Shout! Factory)
The Dick Cavett Show: Hollywood Greats (Shout! Factory)
Gunsmoke 50th Anniversary Collection (Paramount)
The Wild Wild West: The Complete First Season (Paramount)
The Time Tunnel - Volumes One & Two (Fox)
Hill Street Blues: Seasons One & Two (Fox)
The Best of the Electric Company (Shout! Factory)
Sesame Street Old School: Volume 1 - 1969 - 1974 (Sony Wonder)
That Girl: Season 1 (Shout! Factory)
Ultraman: Series One, Volume One (BCI Eclipse)
Pink Panther Classic Cartoon Giftset (MGM)
Tomorrow Show: Punk & New Wave (Shout! Factory)
Stormy Weather (Fox)
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (Fox)
Valley of the Dolls (Fox)
Grand Prix (Warner)
We Jam Econo - the Story of the Minutemen (Plexifilm)
Elvis Presley: The Ed Sullivan Shows (Image)
Forbidden Planet (Warner)
Kissology - Vol. 1 (1974-1977) (VH1 Classics)
Frank Capra Collection (Sony)
Playboy After Dark (Morada Vision)
Henri Langlois: Phantom of the Cinematheque (Kino)


Yet to be watched, but have high expectations for:
Jigoku (Criterion)
Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll!: Special Edition (Image)
La Commune (Paris 1871) (First Run Features)
They All Laughed (HBO)
Edward R. Murrow: The Best of Person to Person (Koch Vision)
Elizabeth Taylor & Richard Burton Film Collection (Warner)
Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis Collection - Volume One (Paramount)
When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (HBO)


Films:
1 THE NEW WORLD (limited release in NY/LA 12/25/05, everywhere else
1/20/06)
2 MIAMI VICE
3 THE DEPARTED
4 A SCANNER DARKLY
5 A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION
6 LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
7 CASINO ROYALE
8 DREAMGIRLS
9 AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
10 IDIOCRACY


Honorable Mention:
CARS
JACKASS NUMBER TWO
BORAT



PAUL IANNONE

1. LUNAR SEAS – Likely to be perceived as an elitist or pretentious
pick it also happens to be an honest one. I discovered this film, posted
by the filmmaker (Kristian Zaklynsky), on a wonderful torrent site I
frequent. This non-narrative masterpiece served as his thesis film for
the Iceland Academy of the Arts. It consists of 32 segments, all
varying in length, tone, and technique – too varied, in fact, to go into
detail here (I plan on writing about it at length in the near future). A
true example of film as art, it was the most involving and rewarding
filmic experience I had all year.

2. THE DEPARTED – Scorsese’s use of Irish themed punkers The Dropkick
Murphys during the belated opening title sequence attests to his ability
to remain current even into his sixties. This, his first great film
since GOODFELLAS, owes much to the brilliant performance of Leonardo
DiCaprio and the rest of the cast. A relatively rare, plot driven endeavor
that preserves some flashes of vintage Marty, makes for the most
entertaining film of the year.

3. LIGHTS IN THE DUSK – Bressonian subtlety utilized in a somber noir
comedy from director Aki Kaurismäki. Unique in its lyrical restraint,
sparse dialogue and refreshingly economic storytelling; the magic
resides in the details. This was my first experience with Kaurismäki. He
revealed himself as a master of the language of film, my favorite example
being the communication of a pending double cross communicated using
nothing more than the timely application of make-up. It’s moments like
these that make me love film.

4. INVISIBLE WAVES – Another first for me, this time it was with Pen-Ek
Ratanaruang. Again, I was very impressed even with the high
expectations. INVISIBLE WAVES was a surreal, sometimes comedic, mystery which
rewarded the viewer with new discoveries (and mysteries) with every
viewing. This is the type of movie you want everyone to see so you can hear
their interpretation of it.

5. BLOKADA – A pastiche of unbelievably well shot archival footage,
from the blockade of St. Petersburg in the early ‘40s, arranged into a
haunting and devastating 52 minute meditation. Long takes of marching
soldiers create a hopeless hypnotic trance, a la Béla Tarr’s WERKMEISTER
HARMONIES, a feeling that permeates the entire film. Think Resnais
NIGHT AND FOG sans narration.

6. THE HOST – The best popcorn movie of the year, so good in fact I
don’t think it’s a popcorn movie at all. Unforgettable images and
unpredictable plot twists. Another glossy big budget effort from Korea, so
this isn’t Hollywood - no one is safe. The deployment of the orange
chemicals and the chaos that ensues at the end of the film was the grandest
closing sequence of the year.

7. SHEITAN – Crazy and fun with a terrific young cast lead by veteran
Vincent Cassel who some how manages to make a racist and insane
character cute and likable. Contradictory blends of adjectives like these
define the film and help set it apart from the trickle-soon-to-cum-deluge of
horror product spilling out of the contemporary French scene.

8. PERVERT! – A low budget tribute to Russ Meyer splashed with cheesy
horror elements that are truer to the spirit of yesteryear’s exploiters
than anything by Tarantino thus far (and I’m a Tarantino fan). Quite
possibly the CITIZEN KANE of shot-on-video genre trash.

9. THE QUEEN – An involving docudrama accentuated nicely with Frear’s
use of actual footage. Delightfully less dry than I was anticipating,
it managed to create interest for a subject I prior had none.

10. OLD JOY – An American indie with a European ethos. I think it
would have been better served without the music from Yo La Tengo, allowing
the natural sounds to take over during the contemplative transition
montages. That aside, OLD JOY does a fantastic job of connecting the
audience, not with the characters, but rather the situation. My experience
with this film felt more like a hike to the hot springs than a trip to
the cine.

INDIVIDUAL BALLOTS K - L


MICHAEL KERPAN

Best Films

1. Linda Linda Linda (Yamashita)
2. Exiled ((To)
3. Woman on the Beach (Hong)
4. Lights in the Dusk (Kaurismaki)
5. The Host (Bong)
6. Hana yori mo naho (Kore'eda)
7. Curiosity Kills the Cat (ZHANG Yibai)
8. Curse of the Golden flower (Zhang Yimou)
9. A Scanner Darkly (Linklater)
10. Three Times (Hou)

Honorable mentions

11. Nana (Otani)
12. Riding alone for Thousands of Miles (ZHANG Yimou)

Individual awards

Actor

Anthony Wong (Exiled); RU -- Ken Takakura (Riding Alone)

Actress

BAE Doo-na (LLL); RUs Carina Lau (Curiosity Kills the Cat), GONG Li
(Curse), SHU qi ((3 Times), JO Hyeon-geong), Rie Miyazawa (Hana), Mika
Nakashima (Nana)

Supporting Actor

BYUN Hee-bong (Host); RU -- Roberrt Downey Jr (Scanner)

Supporting Actress

Yu Kashii (Linda); RU -- Aoi Miyazaki (Nana)

Director

Johnny To (Exiled); RUs -- Yamashita (Linda), Hong (Woman on the
Beach), Kaurismaki (Lights)

*******

Greatest Discoveries of old films during 2006

Mikio Naruse's Haru no mezame / Spring Awakens / (less poetically)
Puberty (1947) amazing slice of life story of a girl (very young future
star, Yoshiko Kuga) in her last year of high school.

Tomy Uchida's Chiyari Fuji / Bloody Spear at Mt. Fuji (1955) the best
samurai film since Yamanaka's Humanity and Paper Balloons. ;~}


SARAH KNIGHT

Best of 2006-Movies

These movies were seen at the Hong Kong International Film Festival,
the New York Asian Film Festival, Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal or
theaters in those cities during the festivals. It was difficult to
choose just 10 so I decided to pick ones I still think about months later.

1. FEATHER IN THE WIND a. k. a. GIT. Korea 2004. Jang Hyeon-Sung ,
Lee So-Yeon. directed by Song Il-Gon. Shot on digital video for not much
money this charming film is both a romantic comedy and commentary on
love remembered, lost and found. A screen writer returns to an island
where 10 years earlier he’d promised to meet up with a former
girlfriend. He stays at a run down hotel whose owner hasn’t spoken since his
wife left and his niece does all the work. There’s a peacock and a piano
too. Does his former girlfriend show up, does he develop relationships
with the locals, the peacock, the piano? A lovely movie.

2. LEONARD COHEN: I’M YOU MAN. USA 2005. Directed by Lian Lunson.
This musical tribute to Leonard Cohen by singers he’s influenced is
interspersed with interviews with the man himself. Rufus Wainwright is
wonderful as always but best part of the movie were the interviews with
Cohen. I saw this in Cohen’s hometown, Montreal, which made the home
movies of Cohen as a child even more poignant. I was amused by the ever so
cool U2 who blathered on & on about Cohen. Who is the coolest- U2 or
the old guy dressed in a business suit?

3. ISABELLA. Hong Kong 2006. Chapman To , Isabella Leong, directed
by Edmond Pang Ho-Cheung. Set in Macau just before it’s return to the
motherland, Chapman To stars as a crooked cop who may or may not be the
father of Isabella Leong. Pang sets a moody tone to the movie as we
watch the relationship between the two develop. Both actors are well
cast. I enjoyed seeing Chapman To as the star in a drama rather than a
supporting cast member.

4. PRINCESS RACCOON a. k. a. OPERETTA TANUKI GOTEN. Japan 2005. Zhang
Ziyi, Joe Odagiri directed by Seijun Suzuki. Supposedly Suzuki’s last
film and if so what a way to go! Even more bizarre than FUNKY FOREST
this combo live action, stage play, tells the story of a love affair
between a man and a Tanuki, played in her human form by Zhang Ziyi.
Clever with wonderful sets this movie was so much fun to watch.

5. ALWAYS: SUNSET ON THIRD STREET. Japan 2005. Hidetaka Yoshioka,
Shin’ichi, Tsutsumi, Maki Horikita directed by Takashi Yamazaki. Based
on a manga, set in 1950’s as Japan recovers from the war, this old
fashioned movie about life on third street is sentimental, funny, touching,
and thoroughly engaging.

6. FUNKY FOREST: THE FIRST CONTACT. Japan 2005. Tadanobu Asano,
Susumu Terajima, Andrew Alfieri, directed by Katsuhito Ishii. Wow!
Tadanobu Asano is great as Guitar Brother in this over the top, disjointed,
episodic hard to describe movie. It’s hysterically funny, gross,
romantic and never a dull moment. More fun to see in a theater with an
audience.

7. WELCOME TO DONGMAKGOL. Korea 2005. Jun Jae-Youong, shin Ha-Kyun,
Kang Hye-Jeong, directed by Park Kwang-Hyun. Another sentimental movie
which is touching, entertaining, well scripted and acted. The movie
takes place in a remote village in which the people have no idea there
is a war going on. Visually fun to watch with an anti-war message. I
laughed and cried as did the people sitting around me.

8. BARDO. Taiwan 2005. directed by Lin Tay-jou. This short film
made a large part of the audience squirm in their seats. It seemed to go
on forever so I was surprised when I found out it was only 10 minutes
long. I can still remember it’s gruesome images months later. As it’s
title says the movie is about BARDO, the period between death and
waiting for rebirth, and it depicts the violence, suffering and awful things
happening to its inhabitants. I don’t know if many of the audience
knew what the title meant as they seemed surprised (or maybe just made
uncomfortable) by content of this short film. Very graphic and memorable.

9. TAKE 10. Hong Kong 2006. Produced for Hong Kong’s Phoenix TV’s
10th anniversary. 5 min short. Very clever short. Is it real or part
of a film-a sniper firing from a roof top, a young man fighting off a
Triad gang, and a ghost- is it real or not?

10. DAISY. Korea 2006. Jeon Ji-Hyun, Jung Woo-Sung, Lee Sung-Jae,
directed by Andrew Lau Wai-keung. Jeon Ji-Hyun plays a young woman
street painter in Amsterdam where her grandfather owns an antique shop. Two
men fall in love with her, one an assassin the other a policeman,
natch. A very predictable story with three fine actors. I enjoyed the
acting, the cinematography and the almost MTV video mood the film created.



DVDs -Best of 2006. The following movies were available on DVD in
2006.


1. SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE A. K. A. LADY VENGEANCE. Korea. 2005.
Lee Young-ae, Choi Min-sik directed by Park Chan-wook. The third in
Park’s vengeance trilogy was also my favorite. Lee Young-ae is wonderful
playing against type as a woman wronged and now released from prison
she’s looking for revenge and redemption. Choi Min-sik gives a terrific
performance as the man who forced her to confess to a murder she didn’t
commit. Best viewed in the version that fades to black and white (with
a little red eye makeup).


2. APRIL SNOW. Korea 2005. Bae Young-jun, Son Ye-jin directed by Hur
Jin-Ho. Bae Young-jun plays a man whose wife and lover are involved
in a car crash. He and the lover’s wife arrive at the scene and slowly
piece together the affair. They must deal with their reactions and then
the growing feelings they have for each other. What intrigued me about
the movie was the casting of mega star Bae who is best know for his
melodramatic K-drama roles with a director known for his subtle portrayal
of human emotions and interpersonal relationships. Bae’s performance
is understated, touching and very believable.


3. EXILED. Hong Kong 2006. Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, Francis Ng, Nick
Cheung, Lam Suet, Roy Cheung, Josie Ho directed by Johnnie To. A
wonderful ensemble piece set in Macau with lots of stylish gun fights,
posing & violence. The actors are superb, especially Anthony Wong, the
story is predictable gangster fare but visually fun to watch unfold.
Classic To.


4. KING AND THE CLOWN. Korea 2005. Kam Woo-dung, Lee Jun-gi, Jeong
Jin-yeoung directed by Lee Jun-ik . A 16th century period drama about
two street entertainers who must make the king laugh in order to avoid
execution. The jesters entertain, enlighten, and taunt the king. His
reactions to them and their subsequent relationship with its homosexual
overtones makes for a highly entertaining movie. Wonderfully colorful
costumes too.


5. NANA. Japan 2005. Mika Nakashima, Aoi Miyazaki, Yuta Hiraoka
directed by Kentaro Otani. Based on a popular manga this is a fun filled
movie of how two very different girls become friends and their adventures
with life and love. Fun, happy, entertaining, smile generating movie.


6. ELECTION 2. Hong Kong 2006. Simon Yam, Louis Koo, Lam Suet, Nick
Cheung directed by Johnnie To. A very good sequel. A chilling
portrayal of behind the scenes goings on of a triad election with all the
infighting, double crossing, brutality than one would expect from a top
notch Johnnie To film.


7. A BITTERSWEET LIFE. Korea 2005. Lee Byung-heon, Kim Yung-cheol,
Shin Min-ah directed by Kim Jee-woon. Lee Byung-heon as a brutal gang
enforcer who allows the unfaithful girlfriend of his boss go. Of course
the boss finds out and brutally punishes Lee who then decides to stand
up for himself. A stylish gangster film.


8. PERHAPS LOVE. Hong Kong 2005. Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhou Xun,Jacky
Cheung Hok-Yau, Ji Jin-Hee, directed by Peter Chan Ho-Sun. A predictable
love story, attractive actors,beautiful costumes, Bollywood dancers,
singing, dancing all add up to an enjoyable old fashioned movie musical.


9. MY NAME IS KIM SAM-SOON. Korea 2005. Kim Soen-ah, Hyeon Bin,
Daniel Henney directed by Kim Yoon-cheul. A very funny Korean Drama about
a pastry chef and her adventures in love and life. Kim Soen-ah is
wonderful as the feisty, almost 30, not married overweight (not your usual
petite depressed K-drama heroine) and clumsy heroine in this 16
episode TV show.


10. GROUNDWALK. Hong Kong 2006. Fiona Tang, Anne Marie directed by
Gilette Leung. This shot on video indie film is a fun sweet story about
two women who decide to play tourists in their hometown, Hong Kong.
They begin at the airport as if newly arrived and spend the day roaming
around the city visiting places like Central Market and the Peak at
night. They do a lot of eating and talking as they begin to fall in love.
I hope Ms. Leung makes more movies and has bigger budgets.



PATRICK LEFCOURT

FILMS:

1. Lonesome Jim
2. Manderlay
3. Casino Royale
4. A Scanner Darkly
5. Rocky Balboa
6. The Great Yokai War
7. The Departed
8. The Notorious Bettie Page
9. Clean (Assayas)
10. Curse of the Golden Flower

DVDs:

1. Raise the Red Lantern (remastered Hong Kong edition)
2. The Emilio Miraglia Killer Queen Box Set
3. Luciano Ercoli's Death Box Set
4. Voltron: Defender of the Universe (Vols. 1 & 2)
5. The Black Belly of the Tarantula
6. The Fifth Cord
7. Apocalypse Now: The Complete Dossier
8. The Wild Blue Yonder
9. The Passenger
10. good night, and good luck.

INDIVIDUAL BALLOTS M

IAN MAGUIRE

Theatrical Films.

1 Hostel
2 Crank
3 Borat
4 Stranger Than Fiction
5 Snakes on a Plane
6 An Inconvenient Truth
7 Casino Royale
8 Little Miss Sunshine
9 Idiocracy
10 Thank You For Smoking

For all the talk about how 2005 was a bad year for movies, I felt there were a number of very compelling dramas released to theaters. In contrast, there was no such talk in 2006, but the dramatic films receiving accolades this past year were pathetic when compared to the likes of GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK, CAPOTE, and SYRIANA. For all the disappointment brought on by the likes of THE DEPARTED, BABEL, UNITED 93 (aka: the movie with no character development and lots of guys in uniforms yelling), and their kin, 2006 was a fantastic year for the genre films that “serious” filmgoers usually dismiss out of hand. I strongly believe that some of the best movies ever in their respective sub-genres were released in 2006, those being: romantic comedies, activist documentaries, cult films, action/exploitation, and the greatest gore movie ever made.

Films I wanted to see, but didn’t have the chance: APOCALYPTO, FACTOTUM, FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, SCOOP, TSOTSI.

I also want to give an honorable mention to THE PROTECTOR, which would have made the 2nd half of the list if the Weinstein’s hadn’t cut out all the plot.


ALAN MAXWELL

Most of the DVDs I thought were 2006 were actually 2005 and a lot of
the ones that were 2006 I’ve not watched yet! Here are some that
definitely are 2006 releases though, so this is my list (didn’t quite make it
to a top ten), starting with #1, the best.

FANTASTIC PLANET (Eureka, UK)
BLACK BELLY OF THE TARANTULA (Blue Underground, US)
MISE EIRE (Gael Linn, Ireland)
3 DEV ADAM (Onar Films, Turkey)
CREATION OF THE HUMANOIDS/WAR BETWEEN THE PLANETS (Darksky, US)
THE DEAD (Network, UK)
KOKO:A TALKING GORILLA (Criterion, US)
KWAIDAN (Eureka, UK)
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? (Warner, UK)

And here are my picks for the top ten films of 2006, starting again
with #1, my favourite.

THE PRESTIGE
Another triumph for Nolan. Great cast, great visuals and a story that
hooked me from start to finish by being complicated without being clever
for the sake of clever.

GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK.
Makes it into my list by virtue of it not being released in the UK
until 2006. Immaculate moviemaking that shows Clooney as a filmmaker of
great talent and integrity. Gripping and relevant – why can’t more films
be made to this standard?

THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY
Understandably stirred up some controversy on this side of the pond,
but this is Loach at his very best, telling a tale that manages to be
both intimate and epic at the same time.

CONGO RIVER
Thierry Michel’s documentary sees him once more return to the land that
has already provided him with three documentaries (including an
ambitious portrait of Mobutu) and it’s difficult to see him making another
that will top this. A stunning history of the river and the country that
shares its name. Saw it at a festival in 2006 and as far as I know it
has yet to appear in cinemas here.

BLOODY SUNDAY: A DERRY DIARY
This is another documentary that I saw in 2006 which again has not made
it as far as cinemas, to the best of my knowledge, though it has
apparently aired on TV in some countries. It’s passionate yet manages about
as balances a viewpoint as could be expected on the subject. Combined
with my number 3 choice it probably doesn’t make for a comfortable
double-bill for Brits.

THE U.S. VS JOHN LENNON
The third and final documentary in my top ten. Given the subject
matter, I thought there’d be a lot more interest in this documentary here but
it seemed to pass by without a whisper. It’s a shame because it’s as
enthralling a portrait of Lennon and his political surroundings as I’ve
seen.

PAN’S LABYRINTH
Nobody on Mobius needs to be told anything about this movie. Del Toro’s
masterpiece, utterly captivating from start to finish and haunts you
long after the titles roll. This’ll be a must on DVD.

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
Just slips in there by virtue of its theatrical release date in the UK
being early in 2006. It’s a grand, epic story of unrequited love across
decades and I loved it. The attention was obviously on the gay angle
but frankly that was an entirely irrelevant point and anyone focusing on
that as the be all and end all of the movie missed the point
completely.

THANK YOU FOR SMOKING
Probably the funniest film I saw this year, though I seemed to be at
odds with the rest of the cinema audience over which bits were/weren’t
funny. One moment in particular raised nary a titter from everyone else
but had me literally crying with laughter for several minutes. That’s
not something too many comedies have managed of late.

V FOR VENDETTA
It probably helped that I had extremely low expectations, but this was
something I really hadn’t seen on the screen before. As far as chilling
visions of future Britain go, I’d take this over CHILDREN OF MEN any
day. Of course, it had a great piece of source material but it made a
surprisingly faithful adaptation while updating here and there. It’s the
kind of blockbuster movie I thought Hollywood had forgotten how to make.


JAMIESON MCGONIGLE

Top 10 films of 2006:

1. United 93
2. Inland Empire
3. The Proposition
4. The Prestige
5. When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts
6. Dreamgirls
7. The Queen
8. Children of Men
9. Brick
10. Borat! Cultural Learnings For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of
Kazakhstan

Top 10 DVDs
1. Seven Samurai 3 Disc Criterion Collection
2. Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition
3. The Complete Mr. Arkadin Criterion Collection
4. Don't Look Now Special Edition (R2)
5. Munich Limited Edition
6. Apocalypse Now The Complete Dossier
7. United 93
8. Seinfeld Season 7
9. When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts
10. King Kong Special Collector's Edition

Films regrettably not seen in time for consideration
Pan's Labyrinth
Letters From Iwa Jima/Flags of Our Fathers
Deliver Us From Evil
Notes on a Scandal
Babel
Casino Royale
Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple
Shortbus


MARTY MCKEE

Top 10 DVDs of 2005 (in alphabetical order):

THE ADVENTURES OF BRISCO COUNTY, JR.: THE COMPLETE SERIES
Finally, the “coming thing” makes it to DVD. I heard rumors back in
the 20th century that this short-lived Fox television series was coming
out and that star Bruce Campbell had recorded commentary tracks for all
27 episodes. Whether those rumors were unfounded or Warner Brothers
got nervous at the thought of testing the TV-on-DVD waters with a cult
show that hardly anyone had ever heard of, who knows? The point is, this
ambitious and wildly entertaining science-fiction/western/comedy is
finally available and well worth the wait.
An unusual blend of genres (so unusual that you can sense Fox’s
discomfort and continual attempts to meddle with the show as the episodes
progress), BRISCO COUNTY starred cult fave Campbell (the EVIL DEAD trilogy)
as a Harvard-educated bounty hunter who roams the West in search of
evil John Bly (semi-regular Billy Drago), who murdered Brisco’s father in
pursuit of a mystical orb with strange powers. The show was filled
with serial-style thrills, pun-filled comedy, Campbell’s nimble skills at
both slapstick and action, and meaty guest star roles for performers as
diverse as Stuart Whitman, R. Lee Ermey, Sheena Easton, John Astin,
James Drury, Robert Fuller, John Pyper-Ferguson, John P. Ryan, Don Stroud,
Gary Hudson (as Elvis-impersonating sheriff Aaron Viva), Cory Everson,
Morgan Woodward, Ian Ogilvy, Terry Bradshaw and the scrumptious Kelly
Rutherford as Brisco’s alluring sometimes-love interest Dixie Cousins.
The beneficiary of a Friday-evening timeslot, Fox invested much
promotional expense on the series; ironically, it mostly ignored the show
immediately following BRISCO on Fridays: a soon-to-be-a-smash SF show
mysteriously titled THE X-FILES. For whatever reason, BRISCO didn’t catch
on (Fox’s constant fiddling with the format didn’t help; a young
hotheaded protégé played by Jeff Phillips later joined the cast in a
perceived attempt to gain more young viewers, I guess). Reruns aired on TNT
Saturday mornings for a couple of years, but Warner’s box set allows you
to watch each episode uncut and commercial free. Among the extras are
a commentary track by Campbell and executive producer Carlton Cuse, who
went on to NASH BRIDGES and LOST.

BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS
Who would have believed this notorious X-rated 20th Century Fox movie,
which was written by young film critic Roger Ebert and directed by
auteur Russ Meyer, his first for a Hollywood studio, would receive a lavish
2-disc Special Edition? Part rock musical, part action, part
psychedelia, part comedy, part soft porn, part parody and part soap opera, BEYOND
THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS is a sex- and sleaze-filled riot about a female
rock-and-roll band (called The Carrie Nations) trying to make it big in
Hollywood. BVD is really a bizarre mess with typically (for a Meyer
movie) stunning photography and editing, as well as memorably campy
performances and kickass tunes co-written by Stu Phillips (THE MONKEES).
Ebert provides one of two audio commentaries that is one of the best
ever recorded for a DVD. His memory is strong and he has great tales of
getting involved in the unusual production and of his friend and mentor
Meyer. Much of the surviving cast reunites for a second yak track, and
Fox heaps on the featurettes and other extras that do an excellent job
of putting this box office flop into context. The movie is fun (and
seeing it in its original aspect ratio is essential to ingesting Meyer’s
eye candy photography), but the extras make Fox’s DVD a must-own for
fans of cult movies.

THE CLASSIC SCI-FI ULTIMATE COLLECTION
Its clunky title and garish cover art notwithstanding, this set of
Universal-International science fiction thrillers of the 1950s is great
fun. It collects five never-before-on-DVD hits, including the eagerly
awaited THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN, a thoughtful adventure penned by
Richard Matheson that stands as one of the decade’s best SF films.
Director Jack Arnold is represented three times: SHRINKING MAN, TARANTULA
and MONSTER ON THE CAMPUS. The goofy MONOLITH MONSTERS and the
not-so-hot MOLE PEOPLE comprise the other two titles. Unlike its releases of
its Frankenstein, Mummy, Dracula and Creature from the Black Lagoon
films, Universal did not see fit to lavish this set with a bunch of extras,
which is disappointing, though the trailers are fun.
If for the Arnold films only, this three-disc set, which is very
reasonably priced, is well worth owning.

EQUINOX
Perhaps Criterion’s most unlikely release, EQUINOX is a 2-disc set
offering two quite different versions of a 16mm monster movie filmed in
the late 1960s by a group of film fans including Dennis Muren and Jim
Danforth, both of whom went on to become two of Hollywood’s greatest
visual effects artists. Originally released only after producer Jack Harris
and director Jack Woods bought the rights and added newly shot footage
to it, EQUINOX is presented here in both the theatrical version and the
original pre-Harris cut. In addition to watching the evolution (or,
perhaps, de-evolution if, like me, you prefer the original version) of an
un-classic that found many devoted fans during its frequent late-night
TV airings, Criterion has provided a treasure trove of extra features,
including commentaries, new interviews with the cast and—best of
all—several short films and featurettes focusing on EQUINOX’s creators. If
you can shake the nagging feeling that EQUINOX, which is a fun b!
ut hardly essential SF movie, isn’t quite worth the effort Criterion
put into it, you’ll find this disc to be as educational as it is
entertaining.

GOJIRA
Another long-awaited science fiction classic, Classic Media’s 2-disc
set contains, not just the familiar American version of GODZILLA, KING OF
THE MONSTERS, but also, for the first time ever in the U.S., the
original Japanese cut known as GOJIRA. Both are excellent films, but this
disc is worth owning for GOJIRA (which isn’t actually its title; the film
is GODZILLA on both sides of the ocean), an effectively stark and
brooding allegory with an eye-raising anti-nuke stance filmed less than a
decade after Allied forces dropped bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
American producers brought in director Terry Morse and character actor
Raymond Burr to “spice up” the movie for U.S. consumption, and it’s a
tribute to all involved that the extra footage feels unobtrusive and
well-integrated.

JAMES BOND ULTIMATE COLLECTION, VOLUMES 1—4
At least until their inevitable release on either HD-DVD or Blu-Ray,
these MGM/UA box sets appear to be just about the best presentations the
James Bond series could expect. Comprised of four sets of five films
each, all twenty 007 adventures (the 21st, CASINO ROYALE, is still in
theaters) come with spruced-up video quality and audio tracks, as well as
a cornucopia of extra features. Many of them are ported over from
MGM’s earlier DVDs, but several are exclusive to the Ultimate Collection,
most notably entertaining commentary tracks by Roger Moore. Each film
boasts up to 6 hours of additional material, and just about everything
you’d ever want to know about the James Bond movies are here. I
consider this release to be just about perfect, although some fans may be
dismayed that the films are randomly scattered throughout the sets, meaning
one may have to buy a film he doesn’t like in order to get another he
does. I also slightly prefer the menus on the previous sets, but!
that’s a small nit to pick. Well done, 007!

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE: THE COMPLETE 1ST SEASON
One of my favorite all-time television series comes to DVD for the
first time. Even though I already had all 28 episodes, recorded uncut from
old TV Land airings, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to upgrade.
Sadly, Paramount provided no extras, even though nearly all the cast is
still alive, but there’s no arguing with the remastering job the studio
has done. For a forty-year-old TV show, M:I looks fantastic with bold
coloring. And even though I’m not a fan of juicing up old mono tracks
with new 5.1 remixes (THE MONKEES, in particular, sounds awful on
Rhino’s DVDs in 5.1), it feels good to experience Lalo Schifrin’s exuberant
theme pounding out of my speakers.
M:I’s initial season is one of its best with barely a clinker in the
bunch. Anchored by top-billed Steven Hill’s intensity and dexterous
Martin Landau’s warmth and range, the well-written and produced shows
(executive producer Bruce Geller routinely went over budget) hold up
extremely well today, particularly in the “gotcha” department as another rogue
agent or corrupt ruler is foiled by an Impossible Missions Force con
job.

THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE/THE TOWERING INFERNO
Quite possibly producer Irwin Allen’s finest achievements, these two
enormously profitable 20th Century Fox adventures single-handedly created
a new genre—the disaster film. Fox released both on the same day to
capitalize on POSEIDON, the 2006 remake of THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE.
POSEIDON was a rotten film and has already been forgotten, while fans will
continue to appreciate its big brother on cable TV airings and, most
likely, this colorful 2-disc DVD. Both THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE and THE
TOWERING INFERNO, clichéd but taut all-star melodramas with exceptional
special effects, receive audio and video overhauling, as well as
super-cool extras, such as commentaries, new and old documentaries, trailers
and even lobby card replicas and copious liner notes.

VICE SQUAD/CLASS OF 1984
Also arriving simultaneously were these two 1982 exploitation classics.
The great thing about DVD is that these sleazy melodramas, awash in
over-the-top violence, can receive virtually the same lavish care from an
independent company like Anchor Bay as big-budget box-office smashes
like THE TOWERING INFERNO do from 20th Century Fox. Fondly remembered by
grindhouse audiences who saw them 25 years ago, as well as genre fans
who caught them on grimy VHS tapes and late-night HBO showings, VICE
SQUAD and CLASS OF 1984 are genuinely suspenseful, well-crafted
entertainment that deliver the goods. It’s clear that the filmmakers looked upon
their assignments with great affection and took the time to invest the
scripts and production with extra attention. VICE SQUAD is even
photographed by the great John Alcott (BARRY LYNDON), for heaven’s sake,
quite likely the most notable cameraman ever to shoot a movie with an
antagonist named Ramrod. Trailers and commentaries by each film’s !
respective director provide much-appreciated insight into the
concepts, origins and production of these well-remembered favorites.

THE WILD WILD WEST: THE COMPLETE 1ST SEASON
It somehow seems fitting that I should begin my list with THE
ADVENTURES OF BRISCO COUNTY, JR. and end it with THE WILD WILD WEST. Premiering
on CBS in 1965, this far-out western series was an obvious influence on
BRISCO, as its heroes, Secret Service agents James West (Robert Conrad)
and Artemus Gordon (Ross Martin), battled an array of kinky villains in
often-campy plots that may have fit STAR TREK almost as well. Zombies,
invisible villains, shrinking men, megalomaniacal midgets—THE WILD WILD
WEST had them all and plenty of anachronistic gadgets and gasses with
which to combat them. Although the series didn’t really hit its stride
until Season 2 (its first in color), Season 1 has the series’
trademarks well in place. Paramount recruited Conrad to perform audio
introductions to all 28 episodes and dug deep into the vaults to present other
extras, including Conrad’s famous Eveready battery commercial from the
‘70s. I have no idea why Paramount didn’t invest as much att!
ention on MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE as it did THE WILD WILD WEST, not that
I’m complaining about this set.


The ten best that I did see are (alphabetically):
Abominable
Beerfest
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation
of Kazakhstan
Casino Royale
Clerks II
Idiocracy
Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World
Slither
Snakes on a Plane
This Film Is Not Yet Rated

10 Worst:
Crash Landing
The Cutter
The Hills Have Eyes
Mercenary for Justice
Poseidon
Shadow Man
Shockwave
Striking Range
Superman Returns
X-Men: The Last Stand


LENNY MOORE

Film:

1. Pan's Labyrinth
2. The Hidden Blade
3. Children of Men
4. The Death of Mr. Lazarescu
5. Casino Royale
6. Inside Man
7. The Illusionist
8. Monster House
9. The Descent

DVD:

1. Seven Samurai--- After placing the first disc into the player, my
10-year-old boy asked if it was in black and white and made a face upon
being told that this was so. I also added that it was in Japanese with
subtitles. At that, he sat back on the couch and proceeded to be
completely enraptured for the entire 3 hour and 27 minute running time.
Hope springs eternal...
2. The Double Life of Veronique
3. Humphery Bogart: The Signature Collection Volume 2
4. Cache (Hidden)
5. Double Indemnity
6. The Longest Day
7. Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid
8. Kingdom of Heaven: Director's Cut
9. Elevator to the Gallows
10. When the Levees Broke---Remember New Orleans...

INDIVIDUAL BALLOTS N - R

ERIK NELSON

FAVORITE THEATRICAL RELEASES 2006

1. THE DEPARTED
2. 49 UP
3. VOLVER
4. FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
5. CASINO ROYALE
6. JACKASS 2
7. BROKEN TRAIL
8. THE MATADOR
9. THE PROPOSITION
10. RUNNING SCARED

OTHER REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL: Dream Girls, Fearless, Find Me Guilty, Miami Vice, Little Miss Sunshine, Duck Season, Born Into This, Blood Diamonds, X-Men: Last Stand, Scanner Darkly, 12 and Holding, Art School Confidential, The New World, Prairie Home Companion, Feast, Abomination, Slither, United 93, Brick, Cars, Beerfest, Half Nelson, Clerks II, Inside Man

NOT SEEN, NOT YET: Pan’s Labyrinth, Lights in the Dusk, Army of Shadows, Letters From Iwo Jima, The Prestige, The Painted Veil, Tristam Shandy, Notes on a Scandal, L’Enfant, Little Children, Inland Empire, The Good Shepherd, Curse of the Golden Flower, The Queen, Flushed Away, many Asian films I’ll see on other lists.

CARY GRANT IN HIS GIRL FRIDAY, "I DON’T GET IT" – Borat, The Black Dahlia, Marie Antoinette, Superman Returns, Babel, An Inconvenient Truth, Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World, The Devil Wears Prada, Lucky Number Sleven, Snakes on a Plane, Nacho Libre.

Highlights for me were Scorsese’s surprising return to form, the bittersweet 49 UP, the continuing streak of remarkable movies by Almodovar (with a stunning Penelope Cruz) and Eastwood, the revitalization of James Bond (masterfully crafted by Martin Campbell), and a wonderful western consigned to cable tv. My biggest regret was not seeing JACKASS 2 in the theaters, with the right crowd. As far as indie comedies with Greg Kinnear go, I enjoyed THE MATADOR more that LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE – and I thought it was a sweeter film. (It was also a terrific vehicle for Pierce Brosnan, who should have worked on more Bond films directed by Martin Campbell.) RUNNING SCARED makes a nice bookend to THE DEPARTED. I thought Vera Famiglia was far more impressive in RUNNING SCARED, Paul Walker was very good, and the supporting cast was perfect. One too many twists at the end (THE DEPARTED was more accomplished in that regard), but still a very promising film for writer / director Wayne Kramer.


TOP DVD RELEASES OF 2006

1. SGT. BILKO – 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION – Downside is that they went for a collection (certainly not a “best of” as there was much prime Bilko episodes which aren’t on this set) instead of a full season collection. Upside is that this was released at all and with such care. Each episode has a verbal introduction by Allan Melvin, who was also a second banana on THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW, GOMER PYLE U.S.M.C., and ALL IN THE FAMILY / ARCHIE BUNKER’S PLACE. Melvin provides a commentary on one episode, and commentaries are also provided by fellow players Mickey Freeman, Larry Storch (!!), Dick Van Dyke, and George Kennedy. Kennedy is a surprise – very personable and informative, with no dead space; would love to see him talk over some of his feature films. There is also an alternate pilot – with Jack Warden as one of Bilko’s corporals - and several other priceless Bilko and Silver bits from the past couple of decades (including Silver’s appearance on Ed Sullivan with a sneak peak of the show and Silver’s last televised interview), One or two lesser episodes are on the set, but most of this is prime Bilko from the Nat Hiken era (which is comparable to the best sitcoms ever) with several from the year the show was overseen by Aaron Ruben (below genius level, but still masterful). I have no idea how sales were on this set, but I’m anxiously awaiting other sets. I want more Bilko on my Philco!

2. CHUCK BERRY – HAIL! HAIL! ROCK & ROLL! – Speaking of American geniuses from the 50’s, this is a wonderful tribute to one of our national treasures who is still rocking = look on You Tube for a recent clip of Chuck with the E Street Band. Like Peter Jackson, director Taylor Hackford is a packrat, and there are three discs of remarkable extras. Favorites are Chuck Berry going through a scrapbook and reciting the tale of King Ozymandias to an awestruck Robbie Robertson, and the complete interviews Hackford performed with Jerry Lee Lewis (endlessly fascinating!), Roy Orbison, Ahmet Ertugun, Sam Phillips, Little Richard, and Bo Diddley. At the heart of the documentary is one of the best rock concerts ever; after watching it three times this year – it’s the one I’ve seen the most often. Hackford had the brilliant idea to recruit Keith Richards to form the backing band, and Richards had the brilliant idea to reunite Berry with Johnny Johnson. All of the performances are stellar, and the less than perfect ones compensate with contextual richness (e.g., Julian Lennon).

3. BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS – Much discussed on the board, this was perfection. No time to comment on my other selections....

4. ASTRO BOY – ULTRA COLLECTOR’S EDITION DVD SET, VOL. ONE

5. THE ROCKFORD FILES – SEASON TWO

6. ASTAIRE & RODGERS – THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION

7. JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED – SEASON ONE

8. PERRY MASON – SEASON ONE

9. JAMES BOND ULTIMATE COLLECTIONS

10. 24 – SEASON FIVE

Other reasons to be cheerful: great noirs from 20th Century Fox and Warner Brothers; ULTIMATE SUPERMAN COLLECTION (for me, more attractive for the extras than the featured films – I like the first and second films, the third has a couple of nice scenes with Annette O’Toole, and the fourth is as bad as SUPERMAN RETURNS), Mexican horror films in their original, pristine state, STREET TRASH and the other wonderful releases from Synapse, PETULIA, PRETTY POISON, THE CONFORMIST, THE PASSENGER, CREATION OF THE HUMANOIDS, GOJIRA, all of the Warner box sets especially the classic horror one, Tom Snyder sets, Dick Cavett sets, MATCH GAME, EQUINOX, VIRIDIANA, SPIRITS OF THE BEEHIVE, A CANTERBURY TALE, COMPLETE MR. ARKADIN, Randolph Scott triple features, LOONEY TUNES, VOL. 3, various Cartoon Network releases, SUPERMAN: THE SERIAL COLLECTION and SIGN OF THE WOLF and all of the other remarkable, handmade releases of serials from the Serial Squadron.


VINCENT PEREIRA

Haven't seen nearly as many films this year as I probably should have,
but I do have a solid top three of what I did see:

1. 12 AND HOLDING (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0417385/)
2. IDIOCRACY (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387808/)
3. THE DESCENT (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0435625/)

Fave DVDs:

1. SUPERMAN II: THE RICHARD DONNER CUT (Warner Bros.)
2. STREET TRASH: Meltdown Edition (Synapse)
3. SMALL GUAGE TRAUMA (Synapse)
4. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: Ultimate Edition (Dark Sky)
5. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE PART 2: Gruesome Edition (MGM)
6. DUNE: Extended Edition (Universal)
7. CLERKS II: 2-disc set (Weinstein Company)
8. STRANGERS WITH CANDY: The Complete Series (Paramount)


ROBERT RICHARDSON

In terms of attending the cinema 2006 marked the fewest times I
actually went to the theater to see a film since 1976. Much of what clogged
the screens didn’t interest me, and the movies that I did want to see
didn’t seem to make it out of a few select theaters in the city and
filter out my way. While I did see X-MEN 3, TALLADEGA NIGHTS, TRAILER PARK
BOYS: THE MOVIE, and ROCKY BALBOA – and enjoyed all four – I didn’t
think them worthy of a “best of the year”. Several movies that I was keen
to see – PAN’S LABYRINTH, NOTES ON A SCANDAL, LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA –
opened here in 2007. I did plan to see CHILDREN OF MEN this past
weekend but missed it; I’ve got a feeling it would be worth inclusion.

What did I see that was worthy?

1. THE DEPARTED. Top-notch entertainment all around, Scorsese delivers
a crackling thriller filled with sharp performances from top to bottom.

2. MUNICH. A film from 2005 that didn’t open here until 2006. Steven
Spielberg remakes SWORD OF GIDEON, and despite his misstep at including
a ridiculous sex scene towards the end this is a superb thriller.
Exceptional work by Eric Bana, Ciaran Hinds, and Geoffrey Rush.

3. CASINO ROYALE. Daniel Craig’s debut outing as James Bond is the
best entry in the series that I’ve seen theatrically and stands with the
very best of the original outings. It felt the Bond series had finally
re-awakened after a long slumber.

My top 10 DVDs of 2006, in alphabetical order:

1. ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN (2 disc Special Edition)
Robert Redford’s first commentary is just the icing on the cake for
this feature-packed deluxe edition. One of the key films of the 1970s.

2. THE BLACK SWAN
Fox gives this 1942 Henry King swashbuckler the “Studio Classics”
treatment. Maureen O’Hara at her most beautiful – and she’s even onboard
for a commentary.

3. EMPEROR OF THE NORTH
Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine square off in Robert Aldrich’s terrific
movie, finally making its DVD debut and even sporting a few special
features

4. EQUINOX
Call it the little student film that could. Made by a group of monster
kids who in turn became some of the biggest names in the visual effects
industry, EQUINOX was a TV staple for many years, an early video
release (as THE BEAST), and now it lives again in a thoroughly loaded 2 disc
Criterion edition.

5. NETWORK (2 dsic Special Edition)
Still mad as hell after 30 years indeed. The prescient Lumet /
Chayefsky satire seems to get better – and more relevant – with each passing
year.

6. THE OFFICE: SEASON 2
The funniest show on television, and its brilliant second season hits
all the right notes. That’s what she said.

7. THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE
Fox had previously released the Irwin Allen original but following two
disastrous remakes it brought it back in a deluxe, jam-packed edition
to show how capsizing a ship should be done. Pretty much everything any
fan of the film could ask for.

8. THE RIVER’S EDGE
No, not the Keanu / Dennis / Crispin movie….this is a consistently
interesting 1957 suspense yarn from director Allan Dwan starring Ray
Milland, Anthony Quinn, and Debra Paget. Fox gives it the Studio Classics
treatment, and it looks beautiful.

9. THE ROCKFORD FILES: SEASON 2
The more Jim Rockford the better, and this includes the original pilot
film.

10. THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF PUSS ‘N BOOTS
Discotek Media resurrects this wildly fun 1969 Toei production which
made the television rounds over the years courtesy of A.I.P. Featuring
key animation by Hayao Miyazaki PUSS N’ BOOTS has never looked as good
as it does here, in an anamorphic widescreen transfer that includes both
the original Japanese language version as well the Fred Ladd dubbed
version that anyone who saw it on TV will be familiar with.


DAVID ROSINGER

Theatrical Releases:

1. THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND – No, it’s not just the spellbinding
performance by Forest Whitaker. It’s the terrific retelling of the Faustian
legend. Must viewing for our intellectual class which sells itself to
the devil all too regularly.

2. UNITED 93 – The most horrific event of our recent past handled with
extraordinary grace and insight.

3. LITTLE CHILDREN – Todd Fields’s remarkable follow-up to his IN THE
BEDROOM of 2001. Here is a master portraitist at work. The director is
interested in the lies we tell ourselves more than the lies we tell
others. Kate Winslet will not win but fully deserves the Best Actress
Oscar.

4. PAN’S LABYRINTH – An R-rated THE WIZARD OF OZ for our times,
complete with heroic little girl, hourglass, red shoes, and perilous tasks to
fulfill. This time, Dorothy (Ofelia) doesn’t want to get back to
Kansas (Nationalist Spain), for a War on Terror is going on there and the
suspects are being tortured to death. (Alberto Gonzales is taking
notes.)

5. THE QUEEN – Director Stephen Frears has made a silk purse out of a
sow’s ear. No person strikes me as more uninteresting than Elizabeth
Windsor, yet in Helen Mirren’s brittle and hilarious impersonation, I
could not get enough of her.

6. PERFUME – One of those rare movies that manage to follow a single
artistic vision from start to finish. An intoxicating and unsettling
recreation of 18th Century France – on all social levels (unlike the dull,
superficial MARIE ANTOINETTE by Coppola fille.)

7. BABEL – Telling three intersecting stories on three continents seems
a folly on the scale of D.W. Griffith’s INTOLERANCE, but González
Iñárritu makes it work and handles the small moments with such a deft touch
that they are even more powerful than the heart-pounding action scenes.

8. LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA – Who knows how Clint Eastwood directed a
movie in a language he doesn’t speak? However he managed it, the result is
one of the most powerful testaments to the futility of war captured on
film.

9. THE HISTORY BOYS – This movie version of the sly, irreverent stage
play reminds us of how seldom we hear smart, elegant dialogue in films
anymore. If musicals can make a comeback, why not clever repartee?

10. CHILDREN OF MEN – Not a great science fiction film, but a chilling
near-future depiction of hell on earth. Don’t examine the premise too
carefully. (Why would England suffer a wave of Third World immigrants
if the population and demand for food and other resources are declining
in every nation?) But enjoy it as an escape thriller that sets a new
standard of realism in action sequences.



DVDs:

1. A CANTERBURY TALE
2. BLONDE VENUS
3. KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS
4. THE LAVENDER HILL MOB
5. LADY AND THE TRAMP
6. THE LOVED ONE
7. JEZEBEL
8. OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR
9. THE AWFUL TRUTH
10. ALL THE MORNINGS OF THE WORLD

INDIVIDUAL BALLOTS S - Z

BRANDON CRAWFORD SMITH

Still living in the boonies, so my theatrical experience is rather
tepid again this year. Lots of disappointments, but there are many films I
am interested in seeing that will be arriving on DVD in February.
Here's a top 7

Films:

THE INSIDE MAN

CASINO ROYALE

UNITED 93

THE DESCENT

A SCANNER DARKLY

BOYS OF BARAKA

THE DEPARTED

WASSUP ROCKERS


I've been plowing through an always near 500 title Netflix queue for
over a year (I received over 200 films via the service last year) and I
keep forgetting to put new releases of catalog titles at the top of the
list. Here are the best of what I have seen that was released in 2006.

DVD:

TRAILER PARK BOYS: SEASONS 1 & 2

RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY

THE WILD BUNCH

YOUNG MR. LINCOLN

LA BETE HUMAIN

SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE

THE CONFORMIST



WADE SOWERS

10 favorite films . . .

ARMY OF SHADOWS
L'ENFANT
INLAND EMPIRE
THE DEATH OF MISTER LAZARESCU
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
PAN'S LABYRINTH
THE GOOD SHEPHERD
VOLVAR
NOTES ON A SCANDAL
THE DESCENT


10 favorite DVDs . . .

THE CONFORMIST
THE PASSENGER
PETULIA
RED ANGEL
VIRIDIANA
LATE SPRING
YELLOW SKY
A CANTERBURY TALE
YOUNG MR. LINCOLN
WANDA

This has been a great year for director sets . . .

THE CECIL B. DeMILLE COLLECTION
JOHN FORD
JOHN FORD FILMS WITH JOHN WAYNE
3 FILMS BY LOUIS MALLE from Criterion, plus the wonderful ELEVATOR TO
THE GALLOWS which came out by itself . . .
ROHMER'S MORAL TALES
THE FILMS OF PETER WATKINS
VALERIO ZURLINI (VIOLENT SUMMER)



YVONNE TEH

Please see below for my top 10 choices of best theatrical film of 2006.
(No votes for best DVD of 2006 though as I'm not good at keeping track
of DVD release dates.)

For the record: I actually viewed all but one of my ten picks in
theatres; and six of those nine outside of film festivals. Also, that, as it
turns out, my top two overall picks -- both of which I viewed during
their regular theatrical runs -- and one of the film festival viewings
were viewed outside of my home country (Hong Kong, to be exact)!


1) EXILED (Hong Kong, 2006)
Director Johnnie To’s stylish quasi-sequel to his artful THE MISSION
(Hong Kong, 1999) is a filmic masterpiece which is laden with virtuosic
set-pieces and rich references to Milkyway Image movies past that’s
guaranteed to awe, please and even exhilarate those of us who are already
his fans (even while being unapologetically obtuse for those folks who
still are not).

2) STILL LIFE (Mainland China, 2006)
The deserved winner of the Golden Lion at the 2006 Venice Film
Festival, this bravura Jia Zhangke offering’s strengths lie in its: willingness
to show more than tell; and ability to pretty much seamlessly
incorporate fanciful visuals – like a UFO and flying building! – into what
generally feels like a revealing along with contemplative documentary-style
look at a rapidly changing China.

3) MY NAME IS FAME (Hong Kong, 2006)
In a perfect world, this compelling portrait of the
down-but-still-alive-and-kicking Hong Kong film industry would be director Laurence Lau
(AKA Laurence Ah Mon), actor Lau Ching Wan and the local film industry’s
“come-back” movie. Since it’s far from being that, I’ll settle for
this earnest offering being recognized as one of 2006’s better along with
more admirable and well-meaning cinematic efforts.

4) V FOR VENDETTA (U.S.A.-U.K., 2005)
Viva V! A major English-language blockbuster with a dramatic plus
subversive political message, this big budget offering comes across as a
courageously combustible as well as seriously resonant work in more ways
than one. All in all (and I trust that Hong Kong film fans will
appreciate this piece of high praise), this James McTeigue-helmed work both
reminds me, and rivals that, of those from Tsui Hark at his very best.

5) PRINCESS RACCOON (Japan, 2005)
If you thought that Seijun Suzuki’s PISTOL OPERA (Japan, 2001) was
already amply weird and wonderful…here comes one more highly entertaining,
wildly fantastical and gorgeously surrealistic “performance art” piece
from surely the most imaginative – and amusingly mischievous? –
octogenarian auteur on the planet! :b

6) JOYEUX NOEL (France-Germany-U.K.-Romania, 2005)
This tri-lingual World War I drama from director cum scriptwriter
Christian Carion which re-creates a seemingly improbable real-life event
provides a timely and lump-in-the-throat reminder of what people who are
on opposing sides at particular moments in time – but at peace at others
– can have in common, for good as well as bad.

7) FEARLESS (Hong Kong-Mainland China, 2006)
Serious in tone, instructive in intention and uplifting in spirit, this
historical bio-pic from director Ronnie Yu also happens to be a
hard-kicking martial arts extravaganza that’s a superb showcase for the action
talents of Jet Li, the wushu master who, for all of his attempts to
become a Hollywood star, is so much better utilized and more charismatic
in Chinese language works.

8 ) ELECTION 2 (Hong Kong, 2006)
A thought-provoking sequel that not only makes sense but also actually
trump s the first ELECTION (Hong Kong, 2005), this forceful political
offering with triad drama trappings from director Johnnie To, an auteur
who currently is at his absolute peak, is a brave and substantive work
which successfully chills and horrifies on more than one level.

9) FORGIVENESS (South Africa, 2004)
The winner of the Human Rights and Youth Jury prizes at the 2004
Locarno International Film Festival (as well as a nominee for the Golden
Leopard award), this understated movie with the intensely powerful story
about truth, reconciliation and forgiveness is all the more effective
because it smacks of absolute reality.

10) THE HOST (South Korea, 2006)
Who would have thought it (possible)? Here’s a monster movie from
director Bong Joon-Ho that, unexpectedly and much to its credit, possesses
gobs of humor and some spot-on sarcastic political criticism along with
proficient acting from the leads (and some of the support players),
great swathes of pathos, thrills and spills, an environmentalist message,
plenty of action and wicked special effects. Oh, and a rather
interesting acting plus looking monster too! :D


JENNIFER YOUNG

All films listed were seen theatrically only.


1. THE HOST (GWOEMUL) (2006, Bong Joon-ho)
2. LINDA LINDA LINDA (2005, Nobuhiro Yamashita)
3. CITIZEN DOG (MAH NAKORN) (2004, Wisit Sasanatieng)
4. HANGING GARDEN (KUCHU TEIEN) (2005, Toshiaki Toyoda)
5. KEKEXILI: MOUNTAIN PATROL (2004, Lu Chuan)
6. OMKARA (2006, Vishal Bharadwaj)
7. BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (2005, Ang Lee)
8. THE DUELIST (HYEONGSA) (2005, Lee Myung-se)
9. CRANK (2006, Mark Neveldine/Brian Taylor)
10. THE DESCENT (2005, Neil Marshall)
11. WATER (2005, Deepa Mehta)
12. HIDDEN BLADE (KAKUSHI KEN ONI NO TSUME) (2004, Yoji Yamada)
13. MEMORIES IN THE MIST (KALPURUSH) (2005, Buddhadev Dasgupta)
14. ARMY OF SHADOWS (1969, Jean-Pierre Melville)
15. LADY VENGEANCE (CHINJEOLHAN GEUMJASSI) (2005, Park Chan-wook)
16. EVE & THE FIRE HORSE (2005, Julia Kwan)
17. GHOST OF MAE NAAK (2005, Mark Duffield)
18. NIGHT WATCH (NOCHNOI DOZOR) (2004, Timur Bekmambetov)
19. TRAIN MAN (DENSHA OTOKO) (2005, Masanori Murakami)
20. A BOLD FAMILY (GAN-KEUN GAJOK) (2005, Jo Myeong-nam)
21. GRAIN IN EAR (MANG ZHONG) (2005, Zhang Lu)
22. UNITED 93 (2006, Paul Greengrass)
23. BREAKING NEWS (DAAI SI GIN) (2004, Johnny To)
24. CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER (MAN CHENG JIN DAI HUANG JIN JIA) (2006,
Zhang Yimou)
25. PRINCESS RACOON (OPERETTA TANUKI GOTEN) (2005, Sijun Suzuki)


Also notable:
50 WAYS OF SAYING FABULOUS
CLEAN
DUMA
KABUL EXPRESS
LETTER FROM AN UNKNOWN WOMAN
THE LINE OF BEAUTY
A LONG AND WINDING ROAD
MURDER, TAKE ONE
ONLY THE BRAVE
PERPETUAL MOTION
THE PROPOSITION
RED DOORS
RIDING ALONE FOR THOUSANDS OF MILES
SILMIDO
YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE

Best oldies seen for the first time:
BOXER FROM SHANTUNG
COMPANY
DIRTY HO
THE MAN WHO CHEATED HIMSELF
SHOLAY
THE TERRORIST
THIEVES HIGHWAY

Best trash:
DHOOM 2


Bollywood “songs” that gave me joy:

DHOOM 2 – Dhoom Again
As long as he gets worthwhile choreography Hrithik Roshan will top my
dance charts. In superior physical shape this year’s superhero stylishly
conquers the most complex set of moves (besides Crazy Kiya Re) this
year.

DHOOM 2 – Crazy Kiya Re
A trimmed down Aishwarya Rai (like she’s fat?) in black patent leather
and corn rows throwing mad skills to some sick ass steps.

OMKARA – Beedi
In a tent full of whistling, cheering, drunken roughnecks a trimmed
down but still incredibly curvy Bipasha Basu brazenly informs her chilly
lover to “light his cigarette from the heat of her heart”. Yowza.
Composer/director Vishal Bharadwaj’s uses the song’s passionate playact
bewtween BB and Vivek to underscore the passion in the film’s chief
relationship.

UMRAO JAAN – Salaam
This lilting Anu Malik piece is seamlessly integrated into the film by
introducing the young courtesan to her suitors in lavish period costume
and featuring seemingly flawless classical dancing. Graceful Aishwarya
hovers just above the ground like the angel she is, inspiring awe and
envy while trading fiery glances with fiancé-to-be/co-star Abhishek
Bachchan.

DON – Main Hoon Don
Shah Rukh Khan channels a James Bond styled bad boy guzzling expensive
Champaign, nuzzling scantily clad beauties, waving his gun around, and
incinerating a cigarette by breathing fire onto it (a reference to
SRK’s endorsement of the industry’s recent ban on smoking in films?).

TAXI NO. 9211 - Meter Down
Angel voiced Adnan Sami puts away his love ballads to belt out this
funky, chunky, jazz soaked diddy while John Abraham, Nana Patekar, and
Sameera Reddy vamp it up ‘Guys and Dolls” style on a stagey, neon sign
filled soundstage.

RANG DE BASANTI – Rang De Basanti
This number showcases cinematography, setting, and A.R. Rahman song as
the film’s characters take part in a colorful festival. I never hear
this song without thinking about that amazing image of a man spinning his
large macramé wheel at dusk.

36 CHINATOWN - Aashique Ye Meri
In a super shiny, color filled, Asian themed nightclub that looks like
it’s been ripped straight out of a Busby Berkeley musical slick newbie
Upen Patel gets his Michael Jackson on.

ZINDAGGI ROCKS – Meri Dhoop Hai Tu
The steady gaze of Sushmita Sen’s startling beautiful eyes hypnotizes
the viewer while she and a handful of backup dancers gracefully
bellydance, ala Shakira, in skintight white halter tops and hiphuggers and some
guy soaks in a hot tub fully clothed. There’s also a slight nod to
Sush’s famed item number ‘Mehaboob Mere’ from FIZA (also composed by the
prolific Anu Malik) updating the costume, choreography, set, and props.

TAXI NO. 9211 – Ek Nazar Mein Bhi
John Abraham sets the bar on fire (literally and figuratively) as he
dances seductively in tight leather jeans with a hundred drooling
beauties. Things don’t even cool off when it starts pouring down rain inside
the bar!

That's it! Please let me know of any errors, and I'll correct ASAP. Sorry, Brian for mucking up your # 1 choice, but I've corrected it.

I deleted Brian's post and two other short posts that popped up while I was posting the lists. This was only done to maintain the uninterrupted integrity of the list, and those posts would have been otherwise okay. Sorry!

For the record, the only judgement call I deliberately made in the tabulation was only counting Marty McKee's first 10 choices on DVD. (Look at Marty's very entertaining ballot to see what I mean. I dropped CLASS OF 1984 and THE WILD, WILD WEST to keep the list at 10.) It was an arbitrary choice, which had a minor effect on the final results.

Also, as I stated last night, I used the method of assigning 15 points to the first item, 14 points to the second item, all the way down to 6 points for the tenth item. This caused me to arrive at a total of 105 points. This was consistent with voting last year. For the few people that ranked all of their choices equally, I assigned 10.5 points to each, to arrive at the total of 105.

I had a hunch that CASINO ROYALE was gonna take the top slot. It's the film that most likely wasn't voted #1 by anybody, but a majority of voters probably put it at 5th or better. With Erik's system, it was hard to beat. That's why they call 'em crowd-pleasers, kids.

The big surprises for me were the low rankings of Hollywood Legends Of Horror DVD box and particularly THE FOUNTAIN, crushed all the way near the bottom of the list.

And THE DESCENT places in the Mobius top ten for two years in a row!

Thanks for all the hard work, Erik!

Good work again this year Erik.

I love reading the lists as well as everyone's comments.

Lots of titles escaped me this year, I had to have my Netflix account open in another tab so that I could add films to my queue as I read through the list.

Thanks for all the hard work, Erik. Some great, detailed write-ups too.

I'm pleased that CASINO ROYALE took the top spot. It was such a great year for genre cinema that I'm glad a nice, bloody action flick was recognized. I wasn't really sure what to expect for the list, but I thought we'd see a little more love for BORAT and not as much for UNITED 93. Doug Bassett wrote an insightful writeup on the latter of these two films, which, at least for me, explains why some people hold this film in very high regard.

My own suspicion is that the first generation of film fans that did not live through the terrorist attacks will have a low opinion of this film, as they will not feel emotionally attached to either the actual events of 9/11/2001 nor the characters in the film (who are not developed at all by director Greengrass).

As for BORAT, I don't know... perhaps I just like watching Jews getting slurred, and naked men wrestling more than the average Mobian :P .

EDIT: I also wanted to mention that in addition to Doug's comments, I particularly enjoyed reading the write-ups from Bob Cashill and Marty McKee.

Thanks for all the hard work Erik!

Surprised to see that no else even mentioned Gondry's SCIENCE OF SLEEP, but nice to see the PAN'S LABYRINTH, the most well made film last year IMO, was third.

Great year for Criterion DVDs, 7 made my list, and I'm usually, a Synapse, Blue Underground, No-Shame sorta feller.

Quite an accomplishment, and much interesting reading from all who participated. I was hardly alone in mashing up STREET TRASH with Fred Astaire. We should create a "Moby" and send it on to the producers of the winning films and DVDs.

CORRECTION TO TOP 10 DVD

Tip of the hat to William D'Annucci, who pointed out that I had listed TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE - ULTIMATE EDITION in two separate listings (with slightly different spellings). This has been corrected. The combined total for both is 26, which moves the two DVDs which were tied for tenth down a notch. There is now a little symmetry as you have two improved re-releases as bookends on the top 10 list.

Sorry for the confusion, but most of my energies were spent on double checking votes on THE DEPARTED, THE DESCENT, THE PRESTIGE, and THE PROPOSITION.

Fascinating reading as always, particularly Lenny Moore's SEVEN SAMURAI story, since the exact same thing happened with the son of a friend of mine, who has since gone on to seek out, and enjoy, numerous other Kurosawa flicks.

I must say that while it's interesting to see everyone's differing views of the big films, the most interesting thing for me is reading about the films that only one person voted for (and I know I'm responsible for at least a couple).

Thanks to everyone who took part, for a very enjoyable read; and of course especially huge thanks to Erik for all the hard work. A labour of love, I hope!

Or at least consider renaming the annual poll! Perhaps some would view it as too derivative of the host of other annual awards/polls named via the simple expedient of pluralizing various proper nouns, but I have to admit that the "Moby" (or "Mobi"? would the plural be "Mobys" or "Mobies"?) has a nice ring to it.

Dave