Gary's 2008 Picks

Here is my ever-evolving list:

I hate limiting myself to ten film and having to put them in a ranking (so they are in alpha order). Because I see films at festivals and in screenings long before they are released theatrically as part of my job as Co-Director of the Telluride Film Festival, my own personal list would not reflect the reality of what most readers have had access to see. Therefore this list does not include movies I may have seen that do not yet have distribution in the U.S. The peculiarities of foreign film distribution in this country result in some distributors waiting until late December for a New York and Los Angeles Oscar qualifying run with a late January or early February expansion to other cities in hopes of garnering a "Best Foreign Film" nomination and doing business because of that honor. This results in my "Best" list appearing lopsided towards American films. But add in those films that opened here in 2008 and/or those to open in early 2009 and the balance tips.

These lists will change as I catch up with missed films and rethink what I have done.

These are the film in both General and San Francisco release during 2008

CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
FROST/NIXON
HAPPY GO LUCKY
IN BRUGES
IRON MAN
MAN ON WIRE
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
WALL-E

These films may have opened New York and/or Los Angeles in 2007 but not until 2008 in most of the country. They belong on the top list.

4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS. 2 DAYS
BAND'S VISIT
THE COUNTERFETERS
DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
JAR CITY

These would be in the top list if they had opened SF in 2008- Watch for them in 2009

THE CLASS
EVERLASTING MOMENTS
GOMORRAH
HUNGER
KISSES
PRODIGAL SONS
REVANCHE
SECRET OF THE GRAIN
TULPAN
WALTZ WITH BASHIR

Very Good but missed the Top List in varying degrees.

ANITA O'DAY: THE LIFE OF A JAZZ SINGER
BANK JOB
CHRIS AND DON
CITY OF MEN
DARK KNIGHT
DOUBT
ELEGY
ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD
FLIGHT OF THE RED BALLOON
FROZEN RIVER
I SERVED THE KING OF ENGLAND
I'VE LOVED YOU SO LONG
IN THE CITY OF SYLVIA
JELLYFISH
JODHAA AKBAR
LET THE RIGHT ONE IN
MILK
MOMMA'S MAN
MY BROTHER IS AN ONLY CHILD
MY WINNPEG
OM SHANTI OM
PARANOID PARK
THE READER
ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED
SECRET
SUMMER HOURS
TAXI TO THE DARKSIDE
TELL NO ONE
VICKIE CRISTINA BARCELONA
WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE YOUR FATHER
THE WRESTLER

These have not opened yet but would fall in this runner-up section

CHE (especially part 2)
FLAME & CITRON
GOOD, BAD & THE WEIRD
O'HORTEN
WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MYSELF

I missed these:

AMERICAN TEEN
BALLAST
THE DUCHESS
FISTFOOT WAY
HELLBOY 2
I.O.U.S.A.
MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA
THE POOL
ROMAN DE GARE
STILL LIGHT
SON OF RAMBOW
THE VISITOR
TROPIC THUNDER
TROUBLE THE WATER

DVDs got more interesting and so much superb material came out that special appreciation must be paid to several companies and a couple of their best releases. Supporting these companies encourages them to release more unusual and great movies.

Criterion Collection

Kenji Mizoguchi's Fallen Women
Red Balloon/White Mane
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
Thief of Bagdad
Antonio Gaudi

Kino (check out their holiday sale)

Keaton's The General
D.W. Gfiffith Masterworks 2
A Throw of Dice

Flicker Alley

Douglas Fairbanks- A Modern Musketeer
Perils of the New Land
Abel Gance's J'Accure and La Roue
George Melies

Milestone

I Am Cuba
The Exiles
Killer of Sheep
Charles Burnett collection

Warner Brothers Home Video (thank you George Feltenstein)

Various Box Sets of Film Noir, Gangsters, Musicals and Classic Cartoons.
Classics in low-priced 2 DVD sets with many eztras (often at Costco)

Sony/Columbia is starting to do some great stuff (with the consultation of Mike Schlesinger- but don't expect it to be easy to find things on this site)

Budd Boetticher, Ray Harryhausen, Sam Katzman and Hammer Studio box sets.

20th Century Fox

Murnau, Borzage & Fox
An ongoing series of Film Noir classics with great extras
The Day The Earth Stood Still (original)

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