Best Films of 2009

Since 2004, my friends and I have made Top 10 lists of our favorite movies of the year. Each year that we have physically written out a list I have noticed our choices have gotten more bizarre, complicated, independent and as I like to say, "artsy fartsy." Our choices just show how we have matured over the years and have really broaden our horizons.

It's amazing how we are now willing to drive out to see an art film that is only playing in LA at one theater or is only being shown at a handful of theaters in the entire United States. I remember when Match Point came out my best friends and I drove out to the Hollywood Arclight Theater to see it opening weekend when it was only playing in New York and Los Angeles. The Arclight was the only theater playing it during its limited opening weekend in the LA area. Little adventures like that is what I enjoy about seeing some films today.

At the same time, it makes it extremely difficult to see certain films because they never get the wide release like they truly deserve and only play one or two week engagements or really limited engagements. As a result, there are over a dozen films I did not see because of these circumstances. This year I turned my attention away from seeing films as my main focus and turned it towards literature and music. This year I read 46 books (I have not read one book since 5/25/09) and bought around another 30 or so books that I have not had the chance to read. Several of them I began reading, but have not read more than a 100 pages. In addition, I have listened to 45 brand new albums (all the way through) and bought around 100 CDs. As you can see I spread myself pretty thin, but somehow managed to use my time wisely. With everything I was able to accomplish I spent my spare time wisely and not wasting it all day on social networking sites like some of my peers.

For the first time ever I will "publicly" list every movie that I have seen that was released this year, which includes movies theatrically released, straight to DVD, film festival movies, and advanced screenings. There are a couple of films that I have not included and that is because they have not yet been theatrically released and don't come out until next year. One of those is Youth In Revolt, starring Michael Cera, which was one of the funniest films I saw this year when I attended AFI Fest back in November. I meant to post a review, but that week was extremely busy as I saw The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus at AFI Fest-Mon, Youth in Revolt at AFI Fest- Tues, Weezer signing at the Hollywood Hot Topic-Thurs, Hulk Hogan book signing at Book Soup- Fri, Jason Schwartzman signing- Sat morning, and LMFAO concert at the Wiltern- Sat night. Needless to say I had a busy week besides going to school that week. Hopefully, I will post one soon before the movie comes out.

Last year I posted my Top 10 List of 2008 and got a dozen complaints because of it's length. The list was about five pages long because I wrote a couple of paragraphs for each film and for all the interesting films/performances I pointed out. So instead I have decided to just list my favorite films. I always wait until the last possible moment to publish my list so I can catch up on films that I have missed and cram as many films in the last minute as possible. Earlier this week I saw Up In The Air, 2012, and Invictus back-to-back-to-back in one day. Needless to say I try and get as much wide variety as possible and give as many films a chance. Unfortunately, this year I missed out on several films I really wanted to see and have decided my list is solid enough. So I do not need to cram another ten films in by my deadline of December 31st at 5 p.m.

Without further adieu, my Top 10 Films of 2009 in descending order:

10) World's Greatest Dad
9) (500) Days of Summer
8) Inglorious Basterds
7) Sherlock Holmes
6) Anvil! The Story of Anvil
5) Broken Embraces
4) The Hangover
3) Up
2) The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
1) Avatar

Listed below are the films I saw this year. For the first time, my rental movies have dramatically outnumbered the films I saw in theaters (Mostly due to the quality of films released this year). The first theatrically released 2009 film I saw was Watchmen. The first couple of months were spent doing catch up on Golden Globe nominated films, Academy Award nominated films, and foreign films finally released in the United States. All these films were seen in theaters, rented, bought through Pay-Per-View, cable, and/or advanced screenings.

2009 FILMS

Bride Wars
The Unborn
Yonkers Joe
Balls Out: Gary the Tennis Coach
Nototious
My Bloody Valentine
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
Hotel for Dogs
Chandi Chowk to China
Killshot
Donkey Punch
Underworld 3: Rise of the Lycans
Taken
The Univited
He's Just Not That Into You
Fanboys (Saw two years ago and was in Movie Limbo)
Push
Coraline
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Friday the 13th
Two Lovers
The International
Still Waiting...
Fired Up
Scott Walker: 30 Century Man
An American Affair
Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li
Crossing Over
Watchmen
Tokyo!
The Last House on the Left
Race to Witch Mountain
Sunshine Cleaning
I Love You, Man
The Great Buck Howard
The Cake Eaters
Big Stan
The Haunting in Connecticut
The Education of Charlie Banks
Monsters vs. Aliens
Fast & Furious
Sugar
Gigantic
Bart Got a Room
Dragonball Evolution
Observe and Report
Lymelife
Anvil! The Story of Anvil
The Mysteries of Pittsburgh
Crank 2: High Voltage
17 Again
Is Anybody There?
State of Play
Obsessed
The Informers
The Soloist
The Merry Gentleman
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
The Limits of Control
Ghost of Girlfriends Past
Star Trek
Next Day Air
Rudo y Cursi
Personal Effects
Angels & Demons
The Brothers Bloom
Management
Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins
The Girlfriend Experience
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Dance Flick
Powder Blue
Up
Drag Me to Hell
Baby on Board
Land of the Lost
My Life in Ruins
The Hangover
Away We Go
The Proposal
Whatever Works
Year One
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Cheri
Public Enemies
I Love You, Beth Cooper
Humpday
Bruno
Van Wilder: Freshman Year
(500) Days of Summer
The Ugly Truth
The Answer Man
Funny People
Aliens in the Attic
G. I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Julie & Julia
Road Trip: Beer Pong
The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard
It Might Get Loud
Inglorious Basterds
World's Greatest Dad
Taking Woodstock
Extract
9
Jennifer's Body
Capitalism: A Love Story
Paranormal Activity
Zombieland
Assassination of a High School President
Trick 'r Treat
Stan Helsing: A Parody
Michael Jackson's This Is It
The Boondock Saints 2: All Saints Day
The Men Who Stare at Goats
American Virgin
Avatar
Up In The Air
2012
Invictus
American Pie Presents: The Book of Love
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Crush(ed)
The Broken
Paper Heart
Spread
Tyson
Sherlock Holmes