468 replies to this topic

[Elemeno P.T.]

After a great year for film in 2007, general consensus is that 08' has paled in comparison...yet, with greater accessibility to free downloads, it seems that more films will have been viewed by SOMBIES than ever before, and will likely yield a number of surprise gems. In the last month, I've caught up with a handful of films that never played any local theater but will show up in my top ten. So while big name/budget Oscar contenders may not be on par with past years, hopefully in this thread and in the suggestions thread, SOMBIES will influence each other to catch up in this final three weeks with the ones that may otherwise get away, and yield a final list as compelling as those that have come before.

Like last year, please try to limit your lists to films which you'd rate at least a 7.5 out of 10. In other words, fight the urge to fill out a top 10 or 20 with films you thought were mediocre. Such selections bias the final list with films most widely seen, even more so then is already the case. Unlike the music list, there are quite a few less voters in the movie poll so the final list is more susceptible to bias. So list your top 20...10...5...or even one movie.....

...but if you list less than 10, please assign a rated # (like Pitchfork). .

Scoring will be the same as last year in that in lists of less than 10, points will be assigned based on how the film is rated using the 10 point scale. Films rated as 9.0 or better will be ranked as top 5 material; 8.5-8.9 will be considered 6-10; 8.0-8.4 will be 11-15; and 7.5-7.9 will be scored as 16-20.

Here's an example of the scoring difference. Sombie A has seen only 6 movies in 08 and disliked two of them so lists only 4:
1. Wall-E
2. The Dark Knight
3. Frost/Nixon
4. In Bruges

Sombie B has seen, say, 40 movies in 08 and has listed a top 20 of which the top 4:
1. Frost/Nixon
2. The Visitor
3. Burn After Reading
4. In Bruges

Under the old system of a few years back, both lists would be given the same amount of points based on list placement. Under the current system, Sombie A, whose list is potentially biased based on seeing such a small number of films, would rank their list, for example:
1. Wall-E 9.5
2. Dark Knight- 9.0
3. Frost/Nixon 3- 8.0
4. In Bruges- 7.5

Sombie A's # 1 and #2 would get the same amount of points as Sombie B's #1 and #2.
Sombie A's #3 and #4 would get less points than Sombie B's #3 and #4. Sombie A's #3 would score equal to Sombie B's #11 film...and Sombie A's #4 would score equal to Sombie B's #15.

Keep in mind, if you only rank 5 movies and you thought they were all 4 star films- just rank them 1-5 and give them all at least a 9.0 and your list will be scored the same as someone who lists 20 movies.

This worked well last year, but pm or post in this thread with any questions or criticisms. Seems that scoring this way makes the final results more of an accurate reflection of SOMBIE opinion.

Open to debate on whether I should keep the countdown teaser/game contest going. I reviewed the thread from last year and it read as if there were maybe a handful of people who thought it muddied up the thread. While some no doubt simply didn't participate in that aspect, or comment...a majority seemed to enjoy it, even though it was, admittedly, at times coming from my arcane brain.
As is obvious to those who've participated in the past, I run through the thread at a much slower pace than Paul, averaging 3-5 filma a day, as the countdown plays out for 2-3 weeks. I'm biased, sure, but feel that the slower pace allows for more discussion and a better read. If SOMBIES want a thread that is simply easier to read, I could eliminate the contest, if consensus demands...and/or I can always pick up the pace a bit and try and run through it in less than 2 weeks. Open to suggestions.



Lists up to 30 long will be counted....but don't list films you wouldn't give a 7.5 to.

Update

Eligibility
The new rule is all films with a US release date of 2008 (refer to IMDB) are eligible. Also, we will include all movies regardless of whether or not they primarily appeared on television.

[worrywort]

is it too late to vote?

[theremin]

If people are gonna bitch about the discussion, just make two threads. Is there a way to make a thread locked to all but one poster?

[caley]

I never, ever get the trivia questions right...ever. But, I like 'em. It keeps people interested, even if they're only interested in the trivia, and it keeps things from getting a little too stuffy. Also, I like the pace. I love Paul's polls, but I find the results come so fast and furious, that by the time you're commenting on one thing's placement, two more have gone by. I think with so many of us windbags with lots to say, the slower pace works much better. It gives us all a chance to feel important. How many blurbs are you going to be soliciting? The SOMB-blurbed films are much more interesting than the ones with random movie critics. There's so many good movie writers-abouters here (Off the top of my head: Asher Ford, LMNOPT, Tracy Jacks, Slackmo, Ogawa, Brobee, Loblaw, Paves, theremin, Magnus (If he ever comes back) that I'm wondering if having the entire Top 50 blurbed is a possibility, or too much? Just throwing it out there. Lastly, it was a pretty damn good year for comedies. My list will probably have more comedies on it this year than a long time (Hamlet 2, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Tropic Thunder, Be Kind Rewind, Burn After Reading, The Foot Fist Way, Run Fatboy Run (Maybe), Pineapple Express, Step Brothers (Maybe?).

[Campaigner]

Awesome. Now I've just got to do my list up.

[Ogawa]

I have around 20 more pictures to see and a couple to re-watch before I make a list.

[Elemeno P.T.]

I never, ever get the trivia questions right...ever. But, I like 'em. It keeps people interested, even if they're only interested in the trivia, and it keeps things from getting a little too stuffy.

Also, I like the pace. I love Paul's polls, but I find the results come so fast and furious, that by the time you're commenting on one thing's placement, two more have gone by. I think with so many of us windbags with lots to say, the slower pace works much better. It gives us all a chance to feel important.

How many blurbs are you going to be soliciting? The SOMB-blurbed films are much more interesting than the ones with random movie critics. There's so many good movie writers-abouters here (Off the top of my head: Asher Ford, LMNOPT, Tracy Jacks, Slackmo, Ogawa, Brobee, Loblaw, Paves, theremin, Magnus (If he ever comes back) that I'm wondering if having the entire Top 50 blurbed is a possibility, or too much? Just throwing it out there.

Lastly, it was a pretty damn good year for comedies. My list will probably have more comedies on it this year than a long time (Hamlet 2, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Tropic Thunder, Be Kind Rewind, Burn After Reading, The Foot Fist Way, Run Fatboy Run (Maybe), Pineapple Express, Step Brothers (Maybe?).

I'll put the feelers out to see how many people are willing to blurb, and for how many movies...getting a top 50 might be difficult as there are very few top 5 individual votes in the 35-50 range so peeps are probably less likely to want to write a blurb. Maybe we'll shoot for blurbs in the top 35 as we did blurbs for the top 25 last year.
Loved Burn After Reading, though it's a picture that lacks a clear genre. I still need to see Foot Fist, Run Fatboy (maybe) and Hamlet 2 (really?) but I've been dissapointed in comedies this year except Burn After Reading, Baghead (though not entirely a comedy) and to a much lesser extent Step Brothers. None were as classic comedy as Superbad from last year...or Hot Rod, for that matter.

I have around 20 more pictures to see and a couple to re-watch before I make a list.

Add Baghead and American Teen to your list, as I suspect not many have seen those.

[Ogawa]

None were as classic comedy as Superbad from last year...or Hot Rod, for that matter.

Or Hot Fuzz!

Add Baghead and American Teen to your list, as I suspect not many have seen those.

Seen Baghead, haven't seen American Teen. I'll add it to the top of my queue. I've actually done really well this year in terms of the number of films I've seen. 87 from 2008 so far. I've somehow managed to keep my unwatched stack relatively small, whereas I still have huge stacks from 2006 and 2007 that I need to get through.

[Damo Suzuki]

Top 20 of 2008 for me: 20. Zack & Miri Make A Porno 19. Flight of the Red Balloon 18. Che 17. Role Models 16. 24 City 15. Wendy & Lucy 14. Happy-Go-Lucky 13. Let the Right One In 12. Milk 11. Doubt 10. Vicky Christina Barcelona 09. Wall-E 08. Encounters at the End of the World 07. Man on Wire 06. The Dark Knight 05. The Wrestler 04. My Winnipeg 03. Synecdoche, New York 02. Rachel Getting Married 01. Paranoid Park

[velocity]

I have around 20 more pictures to see and a couple to re-watch before I make a list.

Show-off

[Slackmo]

01. Paranoid Park

Hell yes--that's at least two #1 votes.

[Damo Suzuki]

Rather good film.

[worrywort]

where's jcvd, damo?

[Damo Suzuki]

Oh, I forgot! Revision: Took off Red Balloon. Solid flick, but I liked JCVD more. 20. Zack & Miri Make A Porno 19. Che 18. 24 City 17. Role Models 16. Wendy & Lucy 15. Happy-Go-Lucky 14. Let the Right One In 13. JCVD 12. Milk 11. Doubt 10. Vicky Christina Barcelona 09. Wall-E 08. Encounters at the End of the World 07. Man on Wire 06. The Dark Knight 05. The Wrestler 04. My Winnipeg 03. Synecdoche, New York 02. Rachel Getting Married 01. Paranoid Park

[Asher Ford]

I'm a little too excited for this poll. My focus has definitely been on the movie side more this past year than the music side. Keep the trivia. Keep the pace slow. As many blurbs as possible (volunteering myself fyi). Early eligibility questions, I kind of assume these are all 2009: Revolutionary Road, Defiance, Che, Waltz with Bashir. Adding to the already lengthy you-must-see-this list: Happy-Go-Lucky, Shotgun Stories, The Visitor. Myself, eagerly awaiting Vicky Christina, W., Pineapple, and The Wackness from netflix. Greatly regret that there won't be dvd releases in time for Synecdoche, Wendy&Lucy, Milk, and a bunch of those other smaller/foreign films like Ballast and A Christmas Tale. One thing that feels somewhat different this year: There seems to be a lot more consensus. Even though each film has its detractors there are still a few films this year that it seems almost everybody gets behind. I think we're going to see a huge separation between the top 4-5 and the rest of the pack.

[theremin]

Can't wait to see a top 5 showing for The Fall. Super awesome. 6 months ago, while I was watching THE VISITOR, I was thinking about how much I wanted to blurb it. Saw Waltz With Bashir last night. Pretty great stuff.

[helmet52]

01. Paranoid Park

Hell yes--that's at least two #1 votes.

Interesting. You're pegging that for number 1?

I also liked Paranoid Park very much. I know we're going back a few years, but where did Elephant finish in 2003? I own both films and there's no doubt in my mind that Elephant is a much more fascinating film on so many levels.

[Elemeno P.T.]

Rather good film.

Man, I'm gonna have to see this again on my good tv...first time was on computer and it seemed really no better than Elephant- compelling, sure, but far from #1 worthy.

Interesting list, Damo. Good to see Rachel so high- top ten for me...also Happy-Go-Lucky. So many on there I still need to see- Synechdoche, The Wrestler, Encounters, Doubt, Milk, Let the Right One In, JCVD....starting to highly doubt I'll see them all, but looks like it will be a fine consensus list after all, even if the front end is weaker than last year.

[Elemeno P.T.]

01. Paranoid Park

Hell yes--that's at least two #1 votes.

With no chance in 3 weeks of seeing something better?

[Slackmo]

01. Paranoid Park

Hell yes--that's at least two #1 votes.

With no chance in 3 weeks of seeing something better?

Man, I'd love if that happened.