2006 TOP TEN MOVIES/ALBUMS (#1)/ACADEMY AWARDS CHOICES & PREDICTIONS

So, here we are at number one. Without wasting any time, here they are...

#1

The Departed directed by Martin Scorsese

-Martin Scorsese's triumphant return to the crime-genre that made him is yet another star-studded masterpiece by one of my favourite living directors. Everything about this film is fantastic and it deserves no less than a full-star review; anyone who gives it a lower grade isn't giving the film the film what it truly deserves. This film has all the elements of a great gangster film: hard-boiled action, raw intensity and believable performances; on top of that, it is also very, very funny. The cast of this film is incredible. Leonardo DiCaprio gives one of the best performances of his career, Jack Nicholson continues on the road of great performances, Matt Damon is excellent and Martin Sheen and Mark Wahlberg provide fantastic supporting roles. This film deserves to win each and every award the Academy has to offer. Scorsese, one of the greatest living film-makers, shines yet again providing his fans with yet another fantastic film to go with his other masterworks such as Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Mean Streets, etc. I have seen this film four times in theaters alone; it remains exciting and fresh every time I see it.

Bob Dylan Modern Times

-Much like Scorsese, Bob Dylan is a master of his craft. Modern Times is a masterpiece the way only Dylan can make 'em. Like the #2 on this list, Orphans, this album is beyond description. One has to listen to the album if he really wants to understand what I am saying about it. One of the greatest songwriters of all time shows that he has no intention of stopping or even slowing down. Whether it be starring in commercials for Victoria's Secret or iPods or casting Scarlett Johansson in the video for "When the Deal Goes Down," Dylan remains a master in all aspects of music. There is nothing that can stop this man; he can do whatever he wants.

ACADEMY AWARDS PREDICTIONS The Oscars are almost upon us again.It is a well-known fact that the Oscars have never had enough guts to truly surprise an audience; that much is clear from this year's nominees (i.e. no Borat). The least we can hope for this year is that The Departed wins best picture and that the rightful winners win in each category, though I fear that will not be the case. Here are the Oscar nominations, who I want to win and who I think will win.

-

Best motion picture of the year

BABEL ($)

THE DEPARTED (*)

LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE ($)

THE QUEEN

Note: This category could go both ways. If the Academy wants to keep it safe, they will choose Babel. If the Academy wants to "surprise" the viewer, then Little Miss Sunshine will win; a real surprise would be seeing The Departed get the recognition it deserves.

-

Achievement in directing

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu-BABEL

Martin Scorsese-THE DEPARTED (*) ($)

Clint Eastwood-LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA

Stephen Frears-THE QUEEN

Paul Greengrass-UNITED 93

Note: This could/should be Scorsese's year.

-

Performance by an actor in a leading role

Leonardo DiCaprio - BLOOD DIAMOND (*)

Ryan Gosling - HALF NELSON

Peter O'Toole - VENUS

Will Smith - THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS

Forest Whitaker - THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND ($)

Note: Where's Sacha Baron Cohen?

-

Performance by an actress in a leading role

Penélope Cruz - VOLVER

Judi Dench - NOTES ON A SCANDAL

Helen Mirren - THE QUEEN (*) ($)

Meryl Streep - THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA

Kate Winslet - LITTLE CHILDREN

Note: It is almost guaranteed that Mirren will win. She is a great actress and deserves the Oscar.

-

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

Alan Arkin - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE

Jackie Earle Haley - LITTLE CHILDREN

Djimon Hounsou - BLOOD DIAMOND

Eddie Murphy - DREAMGIRLS ($)

Mark Wahlberg - THE DEPARTED (*)

Note: If Murphy wins, they will be giving an Oscar to the same man who plays Norbit. Where is Jack Nicholson?

-

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

Adriana Barraza - BABEL

Cate Blanchett - NOTES ON A SCANDAL

Abigail Breslin - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (*)

Jennifer Hudson - DREAMGIRLS ($)

Rinko Kikuchi - BABEL (*)

Note: I would like to see either Breslin or Kikuchi win over Hudson; in my opinion, they had better performances.

-

Best animated feature film of the year

CARS(*) ($)

HAPPY FEET

MONSTER HOUSE

Note: Happy Feet gets a nomination but A Scanner Darkly doesn't?

-

Original screenplay

BABEL ($)

LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE

PAN'S LABYRINTH (*)

THE QUEEN

Note: A film with as much imagination as Pan's Labyrinth deserves to win.

-

Adapted screenplay

BORAT: CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN (*)

CHILDREN OF MEN

THE DEPARTED (*) ($)

LITTLE CHILDREN

NOTES ON A SCANDAL

Note: I want Borat to win this Award, but I also would like The Departed to win.

-

Best foreign language film of the year

AFTER THE WEDDING

DAYS OF GLORY (INDIGÈNES)

THE LIVES OF OTHERS

PAN'S LABYRINTH (*) ($)

WATER

Note: Where the hell is Volver?

-

Best documentary short subject (?)

THE BLOOD OF YINGZHOU DISTRICT

RECYCLED LIFE

REHEARSING A DREAM

TWO HANDS

Note: I haven't seen any of the above films.

-

Best documentary feature

DELIVER US FROM EVIL

AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH (*) ($)

IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS

JESUS CAMP

MY COUNTRY, MY COUNTRY

Note: Al Gore for president in 2008!

-

Achievement in film editing

BABEL ($)

BLOOD DIAMOND

CHILDREN OF MEN (*)

THE DEPARTED

UNITED 93

Note: With the way Children of Men Was put together, it definitely deserves to win.

-

Achievement in art direction

DREAMGIRLS

THE GOOD SHEPHERD

PAN'S LABYRINTH (*) ($)

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST

THE PRESTIGE

Note: The art direction in Pan's Labyrinth was fantastic. If Dreamgirls wins, I will be Extremely disappointed.

-

Achievement in cinematography

THE BLACK DAHLIA

CHILDREN OF MEN

THE ILLUSIONIST

PAN'S LABYRINTH(*) ($)

THE PRESTIGE

Note: The cinematography was also excellent in Pan's Labyrinth.

-

Achievement in costume design

CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA

DREAMGIRLS

MARIE ANTOINETTE (*) ($)

THE QUEEN

Note: Who else could win?

-

Achievement in visual effects

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST (*)

POSEIDON ($)

SUPERMAN RETURNS

Note: How does a film like Poseidon get nominated for an Oscar; I thought they were prestigious.

-

Achievement in makeup

APOCALYPTO

CLICK

PAN'S LABYRINTH (*) ($)

Note: Pan's is fantastic.

-

Achievement in sound editing

APOCALYPTO

BLOOD DIAMOND

FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS

LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA (*) ($)

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST

Note: Does anyone really care who wins the sound awards?

-

Achievement in sound mixing

APOCALYPTO

BLOOD DIAMOND

DREAMGIRLS ($)

FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS (*)

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST

Note: Again, no one cares about the sound Awards.

-

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

BABEL ($)

THE GOOD GERMAN

NOTES ON A SCANDAL

PAN'S LABYRINTH (*)

THE QUEEN

Note:I hope Pan's wins.

-

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

"I Need to Wake Up" - AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH (*)

"Listen" - DREAMGIRLS($)

"Love You I Do" - DREAMGIRLS($)

"Our Town" - CARS

"Patience" - DREAMGIRLS($)

Note: Damn you, Dreamgirls!

-

Best animated short film (?)

THE DANISH POET

LIFTED

THE LITTLE MATCHGIRL

MAESTRONO

TIME FOR NUTS

Note: I haven't seen any of the above films.

-

Best live action short film(?)

BINTA AND THE GREAT IDEA (BINTA Y LA GRAN IDEA)

ÉRAMOS POCOS (ONE TOO MANY)

HELMER & SON

THE SAVIOUR

WEST BANK STORY

Note: Haven't seen any of these either.

-Alex

2006 TOP TEN MOVIES/ALBUMS (#4-2)

Continuing on my list of top tens, here numbers four through two...

#4

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan directed by Larry Charles

-What is there left to say about Borat that hasn't already been said. There is no excuse for not having seen this film. This film is funny, seriously funny. One of the funniest films of all-time is not only ridiculous and disgusting (which it is), it is also clever. Sacha Baron Cohen is a born satirist; using all his characters to make fun of all sorts of subjects. I am not about to go into a description of everything in Borat that is funny; this being that it would take too long and the experience of seeing the images is far more satisfying than reading about them. I urge anyone who has yet to see Borat to go out and find some way of seeing the film. I guarantee that, whoever understands the comedy behind Borat's mannerisms, will find the film to be fantastic. It is disappointing that Cohen didn't receive a Best Actor nomination because, although everyone knows that the Academy Awards would never give and Oscar to Cohen, he deserved it more than any other actor this year.

Beck The Information
-Beck, one of my favourite artists, has once again put out a great record. It is impossible to deny Beck's influence on music. He has had such a prolific career that he remains almost impossible to categorize; he changes with each album. This album wins the award for most extras to ever come with a regular album; it includes: a DVD with videos made for each and every song on the album (one includes Devendra Banhart) and stickers in order to decorate the blank cover. The album itself is fantastic; fusing together all the elements of Beck's career. This album has everything: electronic sounds, beautiful music and great lyricism. I look forward to seeing what Beck does next; in the meantime, I'll enjoy what is, in my opinion, one of Beck's greatest albums.

#3

Casino Royale directed by Martin Campbell

-This film is easily one of the best films in the James Bond series; a series in need a revitalization after its recent misses. This film gives the franchise what it needs: a great new Bond, a fantastic new Bond girl and all-out action like never before. Forget the old way of beating up villains, Craig's Bond chooses to use his hands as his weapons; opting for a rougher style of combat. Daniel Craig is so good that, had the Academy had any guts, he should have been nominated for Best Actor. Craig brings a new essence to the film; an essence that is reminiscent of the old Connery days. Craig goes down as one of the greatest Bonds ever to grace the screen. Along side Craig's Eva Green, an enormously talented French actress who is perhaps my favourite Bond girl of all time. Green brings depth to the character of Vesper; something unseen in the last few films (example: Halle Berry). I won't dodge the fact that Green is also very attractive, which she is, but it's her acting abilities that truly compliment the character. Danish born Mads Mikkelson plays a great villain Le Chiffre, a man who literally cries tears of blood. This film is fantastic; if you haven't seen it, go see it and if you have seen it, go see it again.

The Arctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

- Yes, the Arctic Monkeys do have a stupid name but that shouldn't discourage anyone; The Monkeys are great. Their debut disc is fantastic; it has been out for a year and I still find myself listening to it. It is the perfect music for hitting up a pub with your friends. It blends the garage-rock beats of band like the Libertines and mixes them with catchy lyrics. It seems as if every week I am changing my mind to which song I like the most; this week it seems to be "Mardy Bum," due to the fact that I keep listening to it over and over again. Although the Actric Monkeys may seem like just another band ripping off the success of bands like the Libertines, they are their own band. They may have influences that they proudly show, but they never attempt to mimic anything. The took the U.S. by storm earlier this year and still haven't loosened their grip. I wish a long and prosperous music career to these lads from Sheffield, a town I myself lived near during my time living in England.

#2

United 93 directed by Paul Greengrass

-No other film this year has had such a profound emotional effect. While in the theater, I noticed people who began to cry; I myself almost had a few tears fall. It is difficult to avoid being emotionally stirred by such a film. Many argued that it was too soon to make a film about this topic and that it is impossible to truly know what happened on board the airlines that were hijacked on that fateful day of September 11, 2001. This film easily could have become a sappy film filled with cliche American-pride, but it didn't; rather, it opted for a realistic approach to the topic. This film, standing as a true achievement in the careers of all the many people who dared involve themselves in the picture. The film may be fictitious, but it feels real. All the actors appear truly scared as the final, heart-wrenching scene occurs. There are reasons why we honour all of the men and women who died on that tragic day of events; it is for the same reason that this film was made.

Tom Waits Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards

-Tom Waits, a man who has had perhaps one the best and most important careers of all time, released a project that included over fifty songs on three discs. Orphans, referring to the songs that have hitherto had no true "home," goes down as one of Waits' finest albums. Waits is able to combine all of his influences into one supreme masterpiece. One must listen to the album to truly get a feel for Waits' rough vocals and kicking beats. The length of this album may frighten off some listeners, but those are the kind of listeners that do not appreciate a rare artist like Waits. I am not about to say that this album is for everybody because it isn't, but to the few who enjoy Waits' music will adore this album, complete with the almost real scent of alcohol combined with an ashtray full of smoked cigarettes. How do you know when you have truly made your presence on the music scene? When none other than Scarlett Johansson wants to make an album of covers devoted solely to you.

-Well, that was the numbers four to two. Who will be number one? You'll have to wait and see.

-Alex

2006 TOP TEN MOVIES/ALBUMS (#7-5)
Continuing on my list of top ten movies and albums, her is numbers SE7EN* through five. Enjoy.

*I'm sorry, I couldn't resist.

#7
Flags of Our Fathers/Letters From Iwo Jima directed by Clint Eastwood

-Flags of Our Fathers and its companion piece, Letters From Iwo Jima, tell the story of the famous battle
between the Japanese and the Americans from both
views. A average director would have only filmed the
American version of the battle, providing the viewer
with only half of the spectrum. Clint Eastwood does
not take the easy road in making the film only from
the "winners" of the battle, he shows each side from a sympathetic view-point: two opponents united by
their similar situation. Eastwood's saga may seem as
an anti-war film due to it's shameless depiction of the horrors faced everyday by the brave soldiers that
fought for their country, but it is quite the
contrary. The films are able to blend honour for the
soldiers who risked their lives to stand up
for what they believed in with a certain distrust for
the governments who start these wars, all
while depicting the true horrors of war. The result: a
harrowing master-work from one of the finest
directors alive.

Johnny Cash American V: A Hundred Highways
-The first album from the last recording session of the late, great Johnny Cash is at once a masterpiece and a heart-wrenching performance. The "Man in Black," on his deathbed during the recording of this album, hides nothing. Listening to the album, you feel as if this man is baring his soul to anyone who will listen. Cash's sickness is clearer here more than ever; you can hear it in his voice. Although listening to the album after Cash's untimely death is difficult but also rewarding: you are able to hear one of the greatest artists of all time in action once more. For any one artist to get a giant number of celebrities to perform in his video is a task in itself; for a dead artist to get a giant number of celebrities to perform in his video is nearly impossible. Not for Johnny Cash. In the video for "God's Gonna Cut You Down," celebrities such as Kanye West, Bono, Chris Martin, Kate Moss, Johnny Depp, Brian Wilson, Mick Jones, Rick Rubin, Owen Wilson, etc. lined up to star in the three-minute black and white clip. For anyone else this would be impossible; not for Johnny Cash. R.I.P.

#6
Pan's Labyrinth directed by Guillermo del Toro
-At face value, this film may seem like a fairytale intended for all ages; it isn't. Quite the contrary, this is a fairytale intended for adults. The film follows the life of Ofelia, a young girl with a exceptional taste for fairy tales. Ofelia, whose father recently died in the war, is on her way to meet the equivalent of Schindler's List's Amon Goeth (Ralph Fiennes). Ofelia's mother has married Captain Vidal, the man in charge of killing people who rebel against Fascism. Ofelia discovers that she is in possession of the spirit of the princess of an underground civilization and is offered to join the eternal civilization if she can complete a series of surreal tasks. The film is beautiful and disturbing and brilliant all at once. Del Toro shows that he is at the forefront of creativity in film.


TV on the Radio Return to Cookie Mountain

-How do you know that your band is good? When the "Thin White Duke" tells you that you're good. David Bowie contributes to this fantastic album by providing vocals to "Province," a song that is only made better by the addition of Bowie's vocals. The album is absolutely fantastic in every way imaginable. The album never falls into the trap of using too much distortion like many others have. "Wolf Like Me," which sounds similar to David Bowie circa. Low, is by far the greatest song on the album. For anyone who hasn't heard of this band, which I am sure there are several people, should not hesitate to purchase this album immediately; it is worth every penny.

#5
Volver directed by Pedro Almodovar

-When it comes to reading emotions, no one matches Almodovar. No other director is able to blend such a wide variety of emotions into each and every frame of film used. Penelope Cruz, who has never performed better, stars as a woman who is tangled up in murder, love and haunting all near the beginning of the film. Carmen Maura as the "dead" mother is fantastic. While watching this film, the heating was out at Centre Cinemas resulting in a freezing cold cinema, this film made me forget the fact that it was so cold and forced me to pay attention throughout. On surface level, this film looks like a straight forward tale; this opinion changes once you begin viewing the film. There are a surprising number of twists that engulf the film to the point where you become confused and have no idea what is really happening--Is her mother dead and back in spirit, or is she alive?--these questions only add to the eerie mood this film emits. Almodovar is able to get the most out of all his actors and sculpts their performances into a masterpiece of modern cinema.

The Raconteurs Broken Boy Soldiers
-If the Raconteurs is a side project for Brendan Benson and Jack White, what would this album sound like if it were a main project? This album may be a side project, but what a side project! the album makes you feel like you are back in the 70's listening to some band play in their garage. Jack White, king of modern day garage rock bands, brings his signature style while Brendan Benson brings the pop vocals and Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler bring the pounding bass that completes the package. It's modern day band playing 70's Camaro-rock. Blues, rock, pop all occur on the album and sometimes even occur in the same song. The Raconteurs have made an album that may even rival select albums by the White Stripes.



I'll be back in a few days to post numbers four to one on the list. Also, I am currently reading Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut; it is fantastic.


-Alex

2006 TOP TEN MOVIES/ALBUMS (#8-10)
I am finally getting around to posting my top ten movies/albums list for the year of 2006. Although no 2005, this year has been fairly good for movies thanks in part to Martin Scorsese, Pedro Almodovar, Clint Eastwood and all the others film makers that helped to bring quality cinema to the big screen.

This year has also been good for music. Some old faces returned to make great records, meanwhile a few new faces came out with equally great records.

Hopefully this list will shed some light on a few of the many great movies/albums of the year. I may have forgotten a few films or albums that were also very good; if this happens, which I am sure it will, feel free to leave a comment saying so. Here it is, the best films/albums of 2006 (#8-10).

#10

Marie Antoinette directed by Sofia Coppola

-My choice for the number ten best film of 2006 is Marie Antoinette, the new film by Sofia Coppola. No other film of last year matched Marie Antoinette for visual beauty, due to the fact that it was shot on location at the palace of Versailles. The film tells the story of the young Antoinette and how she was married of at a young age. The film doesn't try to be as historically accurate as possible (case in point, New Order and The Strokes highlight the soundtrack), rather it tells a story that happens to be set in the past. Also, this film features one of the year's finest soundtracks. As I mentioned earlier, it features songs by everyone from New Order and The Strokes to Adam and the Ants and Aphex Twin. This film was a very enjoyable work from one of today's great directors.





The Strokes First Impressions of Earth
-Many will argue that this album wasn't as good as it's predecessors, and I would agree, but this was still a good album from one of my favourite bands. The first single, "Juicebox," didn't do much to catch my attention, but after listening to the album in it's entirety, I realized that, although not as good as Room on Fire or Is This It, it was still a good album. Tracks such as "You Only Live Once" really highlight how good the band is. This album may have been a slight disappointment, but it was still good enough to warrant a spot on this list.






TIED WITH...



Gnarls Barkley St. Elsewhere
-This was an album that, judging from the success of "Crazy," everyone can agree to liking. This album proved to be one of the most infectious albums of the year; no matter how hard one tried to avoid listening to it, it was inevitable. Why someone would want to avoid this album is beyond me; it was fun to listen to and impossible to categorize. Thanks to Danger Mouse's production and Cee-lo's vocals, this turned out to be one of my favourite albums of last year.





#9

The Prestige directed by Christopher Nolan

-The title refers to the last stage of a magic act; knowledge of this prior to the film's release is unnecessary. Even if it hadn't been explained to the viewer at the start of the film, there is too much happening, leaving no room for contemplation. This is Nolan's way: he throws events at the viewer to distract them from figuring out the end. Having seen Nolan's past work, I was anticipating this film quite a bit and it certainly wasn't a let down; everything in this film was perfect. The performances were top notch, the mood was perfect, the pacing was correct and the scenery was magnificent. Nolan's puts so much care into his films that they inevitably turn out to be great. It will be great to see what a fine director like Nolan is able to do with the upcoming Batman sequel: The Dark Night.





Thom Yorke The Eraser


-Being the Radiohead fan that I am, I was anticipating this album quite a bit. Although I had only heard vague details of the album prior to it's release, I was still expecting a great album from one of the most innovative figures in modern day music. I wasn't disappointed at all; the album is filled with a sound reminiscent of Kid A. The album which features songs that appeared in A Scanner Darkly, is a great solo debut album. Although I like this album and think that Thom Yorke could possibly have created the roots of a strong solo career, I still prefer Radiohead and hope that they will be making music for a long time to come.



#8

A Scanner Darkly directed by Richard Linklater

-After watching Waking Life, the one thought that went through my mind was that Rotoscoping, the process of applying animation on top of previously filmed elements, was the coolest technique ever invented. Although Waking Life lacked the unity of A Scanner Darkly, it was still a good film. A Scanner Darkly has the before-mentioned unity, making it a great film. It is based on the novel by Philip K. Dick, who's novel was supposedly based on his own experiences. The film may change certain details but it stays true to the meaning of the novel. The performances are great in this film. Keanu Reeves perfectly embodies his character, Robert Downey, Jr. provides great comedic relief as an undertone to his fantastic performance, even Winona Ryder, who has starred in some questionable films in the past few years, is perfect for the role she plays. Rory Cochrane and Woody Harrelson both provide great supporting performances that only add to the film's flare. This is a film that combines the best qualities of both Linklater and Dick, resulting in a great movie that is able to be enjoyed by lovers of the novel and people who've never read it.

Goldfrapp Supernature
-Whoever thought that dance-pop was dead needs to listen to this album. Goldfrapp are able to combine great melodies with all sorts of computer beats to create records that are enjoyable throughout. Allison Goldfrapp's sexy vocals ignite every song and give them a certain vibe that is impossible to resist. Supernature gives everything that an album should give and more. It goes beyond expectations and into the realm of dance-pop greatness. It works as the perfect soundtrack for all occasions; whether it be relaxing at home alone or using it as the music for a party, Supernature works in every way.







So there you have it, my top ten list of movies and albums from number ten to number eight. I will post again in the next few days to finish off the list.




-Alex