We're halfway through 2007, so I thought I'd put together some Best Of lists for the year so far, and give everyone a peak of what and who the early contenders are for the Adolf Awards. It's been a pretty mediocre year thus far. There have been quite a few movies I've liked quite a bit, but only 3 that I was really, really impressed with and that stand out as being fucking amazing, and one of those barely even counts. Then there are 2 more good enough to round out a top 5, and all the rest are just honorable mentions. Hopefully things will turn around and some more shit will surface that'll fucking blow me away, but the only thing I can even think of that I have high hopes for is Superbad. Oh, actually, I guess Trapped in the Closet chapters 13-22 are gonna be released sometime this year (supposedly July 24, but at this point, it's pretty obvious that's not actually gonna happen), so that will make up for quite a bit.

The Best Films of 2007 So Far

1. Funny Games by Michael Haneke

I feel weird and kind of guilty including this on the list because it's a movie that basically already existed, so it seems unfair to rank it above other movies that were a brand new experience for me. The identical original film is in my Top 5 Favorite Movies Of All Time, so even though this is technically a 2007 release (though I suppose it could end up being early 2008), it was already one of my favorite films ever by default, before I even saw it. So although it's definitely a better film than the next one in the list, I'm gonna declare them both #1s.

1. Grindhouse by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, trailers by Robert Rodriguez, Rob Zombie, Eli Roth, and Edgar Wright

Undoubtedly the best film of the year that wasn't a remarkably similar remake to one of my favorite movies. Admittedly, Death Proof, on it's own, probably wouldn't even make my Top 20, but the whole Grindhouse package all together is a fucking incredible experience. And Thanksgiving definitely wins for Best Trailer of the Year.

3. Music and Lyrics by Marc Lawrence

Following naturally behind Funny Games and Grindhouse is the charming romantic comedy Music and Lyrics. It would make sense that the reason I was so taken by this movie was because I had gone in with low expectations. But I didn't! I could tell that it was gonna be really good. I didn't know it would be fucking amazing, but my expectations were high enough that I wouldn't have completely loved it if it wasn't actually incredible.

4. Knocked Up by Judd Apatow

Getting now into the 2 movies that deserve to be acknowledged as the best of the year, but that don't quite reach "amazing" status. Knocked Up is hilarious and a well-told story, but it's not without its flaws.

5. Live Free or Die Hard by Len Wiseman

I just saw it, so this number 5 spot isn't really set in stone (so you should still be in suspense as to what's gonna happen at the Adolfs). But it's a great, fun action flick that I fucking loved. It'll definitely be nominated for Best Action Movie.


Honorable Mentions

6. Ratatouille


7. Stomp the Yard


8. The Lookout


9. The Host


10. TMNT


11. Hostel Part II


12. 1408


13. Blades of Glory


14. Hot Fuzz


15. Simon Says


16. Bug



The Best Performances of 2007 So Far
Sorry, no pictures. I was feeling too lazy.

1. Nick Swardson in Blades of Glory
2. Michael Pitt in Funny Games
3. Lauren German in Hostel Part II
4. Crispin Glover in Simon Says
5. Nick Frost in Hot Fuzz
6. Bijou Phillips in Hostel Part II
7. Christina Ricci in Black Snake Moan


The Best Poster of 2007
The movie will probably only play for a week and I won't even end up seeing it, but this poster is so fucking amazing that I might as well just give it the Adolf right now, because nothing is even going to fucking come close to beating it.




And here the early contenders for the Mel Brooks Awards:

The Worst Movies of 2007 So Far
1. 300 by Zack Snyder
2. The Wind That Shakes the Barley by Ken Loach

300 is a guaranteed loser for the "award". Unless Antonioni (if he's still alive) pulls a Haneke and makes an identical remake of L'Avventura, or if the director of Triplets of Belleville makes another movie, then I don't see any other way it'd be possible for a worse movie to come out this year. And even if either of those things were to happen, there's no way I would see those movies, so 300 would still be the worst.

Epic Movie, Angel-A, and Black Sheep were also not very good, but I didn't quite hate them.