takowasabi

[takowasabi]

GTFOH: 2017 FILM RANKING

Get Out, directed by Jordan Peele

Planet Earth II: Islands, directed by Elizabeth White Okja, directed by Bong Joon-ho

Dunkirk, directed by Christopher Nolan

Wonderstruck, directed by Todd Haynes

L’Avenir (Things to Come), directed by Mia Hansen-Løve

Phantom Thread, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

Good Time, directed by Josh and Benny Safdie

Alien: Covenant, directed by Ridley Scott

Silence, directed by Martin Scorsese

Oh, Hello on Broadway, directed by Michael John Warren, Alex Timbers

Also worthwhile for one reason or another:

Rat Film, directed by Theo Anthony

The Challenge, directed by Yuri Ancarani

無限の住人 (Blade the Immortal),directed by Miike Takashi

Free Fire, directed by Ben Wheatley

Downsizing, directed by Alexander Payne

Norm Macdonald: Hitler’s Dog, Gossip and Trickery, directed by Liz Plonka

I Called Him Morgan, directed by Kasper Collin 

The Lost City of Z, directed by James Gray

Nocturama, directed by Bertrand Bonello

The Trip to Spain, directed by Michael Winterbottom

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Goodbye Dragon Inn: 2016 Cinema Ranking

龍門客棧 (Dragon Inn aka Dragon Gate Inn), directed by King Hu, 1967* 俠女 (A Touch of Zen), directed by King Hu, 1971*

Japan 1984 - 7 Betacam Tapes, directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, 1984

Aferim!, directed by Radu Jude

Into the Inferno, directed by Werner Herzog

De Palma, directed by Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow Mike Nichols: American Masters, directed by Elaine May

La Fille inconnue (The Unknown Girl), directed by the Dardenne Brothers

아가씨 (The Handmaiden), directed by Park Chan-wook

곡성 (The Wailing), directed by Na Hong-jin

シン・ゴジラ (Shin Godzilla), directed by  Anno Hideaki and Higuchi Shinji

HyperNormalisation, directed by Adam Curtis The Brothers Grimsby, directed by Louis Leterrier

Also enjoyed for one reason or another:

Aquarius

Arrival

Bacalaureat (Graduation)

The Conjuring 2

Don’t Breathe

The Nice Guys

Personal Shopper

Toni Erdmann

부산행 (Train to Busan)

海街ｄｉａｒｙ  (Our Little Sister)

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Final Results: 2015 Cinema Ranking

Results, directed by Andrew Bujalski

青少年哪吒 (Rebels of the Neon God), directed by Tsai Ming-liang, Taiwan, 1992 

刺客聶隱娘 (The Assassin), directed by Hou Hsiao-Hsien, Taiwan/China/Hong Kong

It Follows, directed by David Robert Mitchell, 2014

Bridge of Spies, directed by Steven Spielberg, U.S. Blackhat, directed by Michael Mann, U.S.

あん (An aka Sweet Red Bean Paste), directed by Kawase Naomi, Japan

The Streaker, directed by Errol Morris, U.S. (ESPN)

Левиафан (Leviathan), directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev, Russia, 2014 Dheepan, directed by Jacques Audiard, France

The Iron Ministry, directed by J.P. Sniadecki, U.S.

The Hateful Eight, directed by Quentin Tarantino, U.S.

Also worthwhile for one reason or another:

Bitter Lake, directed by Adam Curtis, U.K. (BBC iPlayer)

Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem 

Joy, directed by David O. Russell, U.S.

Kingsman: The Secret Service, directed by Mathew Vaughn

The Look of Silence, directed by Joshua Oppenheimer

Mad Max: Fury Road, directed by George Miller

The Martian, directed by Ridley Scott

Roar, directed by Noel Marshall, U.S/South Africa, 1981 

Smog Journeys (人在霾途), directed by Jia Zhangke (Greenpeace)

Spotlight, directed by Tom McCarthy

Spy, directed by Paul Feig

Supernova Refsdal 

[takowasabi]

Top Five Plus Five: 2014 Cinema Ranking

Deux Jours, une nuit (Two Days and One Night), directed by the Dardenne Brothers

Jimmy P: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian, directed by Arnaud Desplechin, France/U.S. (2013)

Vi är bäst! (We are the Best!), directed by Lukas Moodysson, Sweden (2013)

Manakamana, directed by Stephanie Spray and Pacho Velez;

The Homesman, directed by Tommy Lee Jones, U.S./France

Level Five, directed by Chris Marker (1997)

Edge of Tomorrow, directed by Doug Liman, U.S.

Clouds of Sils Maria, directed by Olivier Assayas, Germany/France/Switzerland

Locke, directed by Steven Knight, U.S./U.K. (2013)

Todd Barry: The Crowd Work Tour, directed by Lance Bangs

Also worthwhile for one reason or another: 

Blue Ruin 

Calvary 

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Interstellar

Joe

Korengal

The Last of the Unjust

Listen Up Philip

Non-Stop

The Sacrament

Three Short Films about Peace

Under the Skin

VHS vs. Communism

Virunga

[takowasabi]

A Touch of Cinema: 2013 Cinema Ranking

Neighboring Sounds (O Som ao Redor), directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, Brazil (2012)

A Touch of Sin (天注定), directed by Jia Zhangke, China

Leviathan, directed by Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Verena Paravel, France/U.K./U.S (2012)

The Gatekeepers (שומרי הסף), directed by Dror Moreh, Israel/France/Belgium/Germany (2012)

From One Second to the Next, directed by Werner Herzog (PSA/AT&T) Russian dashcams: The Chelyabinsk Meteor, directed by various (Youtube)

The Wolf of Wall Street, directed by Martin Scorsese, U.S.

Inside Llewyn Davis, directed by the Coen Brothers

The World’s End, directed by Edgar Wright, U.K. See You Tomorrow, Everyone (みなさん、さようなら ), directed by Nakamura Yoshihiro, Japan The Angels’ Share, directed by Ken Loach, Scotland (2012)

Beyond Outrage (アウトレイジ ビヨンド), directed by Kitano Takeshi, Japan (2012)

Like Someone in Love (ライク・サムワン・イン・ラブ), directed by Abbas Kiarostami, France/Japan

Also worthwhile: 

The Act of Killing

Barbara

Behind the Candelabra

The Conjuring

Does Your Soul Have a Cold? (2007)

Fill the Void (למלא את החלל)

In the Fog (В тумане)

Like Father, Like Son (そして父になる)

Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth

Nebraska

November 22, 1963

Zero Dark Thirty

[takowasabi]

Have a Drink, Mate: 2012 Cinema Ranking

Los Angeles Plays Itself, directed by Thom Anderson, U.S., 2003 (Philadelphia premiere)

Margaret (Extended Cut), directed by Kenneth Lonergan, U.S., 2011 (DVD)

The Master, directed by Philip Thomas Anderson, U.S.

Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (Bir Zamanlar Anadolu’da), directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Turkey, 2011

Wake in Fright, directed by Ted Kotcheff, Australia, 1971

The Yellow Sea (황해), directed by Na Hong-jin, South Korea, 2010 Oki’s Movie (옥희의 영화), directed by Hong Sang-soo, South Korea 2010

Greenberg, directed by Noah Baumbach, U.S., 2010 (Japanese TV premiere)

The Romney Tapes (47 Percent Video), directed by Anonymous/Mother Jones, U.S. (youtube)

I Wish (奇跡), directed by Koreeda Hirokazu, Japan, 2011

Knuckle, directed by Ian Palmer, U.K., 2011 On Freddie Roach, directed by Peter Berg (HBO)

Also worthwhile: 

Beyond the Hills (După dealuri)

The Cabin in the Woods

Cloud Atlas

Crime Does Not Pay: The Complete Shorts Collection (1935-1947) (DVD)

A Dangerous Method

Elena (Елена)

Flight

Footnote (הערת שוליים)

The Grey

Haywire

Headhunters (Hodejegerne)

Il divo: La spettacolare vita di Giulio Andreotti (2008)

Life Without Principle (夺命金) (2011)

Oslo, August 31st (2011)

Silver Linings Playbook

Something in the Air (Après mai)

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Another Year: 2011 Cinema Ranking

The Day He Arrives (북촌방향), directed by Hong Sang-soo, South Korea

The Kid with a Bike (Le Gamin au vélo), directed by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Belgium/France/Italy

The Trip, directed by Michael Winterbottom, U.K. (2010)

Poetry (시), directed by Lee Chang-dong, South Korea (2010) Secret Sunshine (밀양), directed by Lee Chang-dong, South Korea  (2007)

Another Year, directed by Mike Leigh, U.K. (2010)

Nostalgia for the Light (Nostalgia de la Luz) (2010), directed by Patricio Guzmán, France/Chile (2010) Boxing Gym, directed by Frederick Wiseman, U.S. (2010)

Rise of the Planet of the Apes, directed by Rupert Wyatt, U.S.

Tuesday, After Christmas (Marţi, după Crăciun), directed by Radu Muntean, Romania (2010) Two Lovers, directed by James Gray, U.S. (2008)

Tales from the Golden Age (Amintiri din epoca de aur), directed by Hanno Höfer, Cristian Mungiu, Constantin Popescu, Ioana Uricaru and Razvan Marculescu, Romania (2009)

Patrice O’Neal: Elephant in the Room, directed by Beth McCarthy, U.S.

Also worthwhile: 

Contagion

Ip Man 2 (葉問2:宗��傳奇) (2010)

Foreign Parts

Into the Abyss: A Tale of Death, A Tale of Life

Le Quattro Volte (The Four Times)

My Joy (Счастье моё)

The Princess Montpensier (La princesse de Montpensier)

Source Code

Tabloid

Torrente: Lethal Crisis

The Umbrella Man 

A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop ( 三枪拍案惊奇 ) (2009)

[takowasabi]

Moviegoing, Verb: 2010 Cinema Ranking

Carlos, directed by Olivier Assayas, France/Germany

Police, Adjective, (Poliţist, Adjectiv), directed by Corneliu Porumboiu, Romania

Confessions (告白), directed by Nakashima Tetsuya, Japan

Restrepo, directed by Sebastien Junger and Tim Hetherington, U.S. Collateral Murder (Wikileaks)

White Material, directed by Claire Denis, France (2009)

True Grit, directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, U.S. A Serious Man, directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, U.S. (2009)

Hearts and Minds,  directed by Peter Davis, U.S. (1974) Winter Soldier, U.S. (1972)

Looking for Eric, directed by Ken Loach, U.K./France/Italy/Belgium/Spain (2009)

Bruno, directed by Larry Charles, U.K. (2009) The Other Guys, directed by Adam McKay, U.S.

Thirst (박쥐), directed by Park Chan-wook, South Korea (2009)

The Father of My Children (Le père de mes enfants)

Also worthwhile: 

The Class (Entre les murs)

Death at a Funeral

Enter the Void

The Fighter

Fish Tank (2009)

Four Lions

The Hangover (2009)

Inception

Let the Right One In (Låt den rätte komma in)

Like You Know It All (잘 알지도 못하면서)

Liverpool (2008)

Moon

Nicholas Cage Losing His Shit (youtube)

Ondine

Ototo (おとうと)

Outrage (アウトレイジ)

Sweetgrass (2009)

Unstoppable

The White Ribbon (Das weiße Band, Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte)

*Films seen theatrically in Japan and the U.S.

[takowasabi]

33 Shots to the Dome: 2009 Cinema Ranking*

35 Shots of Rum (35 Rhums), directed by Claire Denis, France (2008)

Love Exposure (愛のむきだし), directed by Sono Shion, Japan

Summer Hours (L’Heure d’été), directed by Olivier Assayas, France

Redbelt, directed by David Mamet, U.S. (2008)

The Hurt Locker, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, U.S.

Fish Story (フィッシュストーリー), directed by Yoshihiro Nakamura, Japan

Drag Me to Hell, directed by Sam Raimi, U.S.

Public Enemies, directed by Michael Mann, U.S.

Mother (마더), directed by Joon-ho Bong, South Korea Step Brothers, directed by Adam McKay, U.S. (2008)

Inglorious Basterds, directed by Quentin Tarantino, U.S.

Also worthwhile for one reason or another: 

Air Doll (空気人形)

Appaloosa

Avatar

The Baader-Meinhof Complex (Der Baader Meinhof Komplex) (2008)

California Dreamin’ (California Dreamin’ (nesfârșit))

Gomorrah (Gomorra) (2008)

The Good, The Bad, the Weird (좋은놈, 나쁜놈, 이상한놈) (2008)

Gran Torino (2008)

The Informant!

Ip Man (葉問) (2008)

In the Loop

Rescue Dawn

The Story of Mr. Sorry

The Taking of Pelham 1,2,3

We Were Once a Fairytale

The Winning Season

*Films seen theatrically in Japan and the U.S.

[takowasabi]

Still Watching: 2008 Cinema Ranking*

Still Walking (歩いても 歩いても), directed by Kore-eda Hirokazu, Japan

4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days (4 luni, 3 săptămâni şi 2 zile), directed by Cristian Mungiu, Romania (2007)

There Will Be Blood, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, U.S. (2007)

The Mist, directed by Frank Darbont, U.S., (2007)

Encounters at the End of the World, directed by Werner Herzog, U.S. (2007)

No Country for Old Men, directed by the Coen Brothers, U.S., (2007)

Law and Disorder in Philadelphia, directed by Louis Theroux (TV) Standard Operating Procedure, directed by Errol Morris, U.S.

The Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan, U.S.

Eastern Promises, directed by David Cronenberg, U.S./Canada, (2007)

United Red Army (実録・連合赤軍 あさま山荘への道程), directed by Wakamatsu Koji, (2007)

Also worthwhile:

Charlie Wilson’s War

Happy-Go-Lucky

Hot Fuzz

Margot at the Wedding (2007)

Michael Clayton

Red Cliff: Part I

Rambo

Semi-Pro

WALL-E

Woman on the Beach (2006)

You Don't Mess with the Zohan 

*Films seen primarily theatrically in Japan and the U.S.

[takowasabi]

Counting Sheep: 2007 Cinema Ranking*

Killer of Sheep, directed by Charles Burnett, U.S. (1979)

Zodiac, directed by David Fincher, U.S.

12:08 East of Bucharest (A fost sau n-a fost?), directed by Corneliu Porumboiu, Romania (2006)

Election (黑社會8), directed by Johnnie To, Hong Kong (2005) Grizzly Man, directed by Werner Herzog, U.S. (2005)

Big Man Japan (大日本人), directed by Matsumoto Hitoshi, Japan

Apocalypto, directed by Mel Gibson, U.S. (2006)

I Just Didn’t Do It (それでもボクはやってない), directed by Suo Masayuki, Japan

Pan’s Labyrinth (El laberinto del fauno), directed by Guillermo del Toro, Mexico/Spain (2006)

The Departed, directed by Martin Scorsese, U.S.

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, directed by Larry Charles, U.S. (2006) Jackass Number 2, directed by Jeff Tremaine, U.S. (2006) Torrente 3: Misión en Marbella, directed by Santiago Segura, Spain (2005)

Also enjoyed for some reason:

Blades of Glory

Cassandra’s Dream

Climates (İklimler)

The Go Master (吴清源)

The trailers from Grindhouse (Machete; Werewolf Women of the S.S.; Don’t; Thanksgiving)

The Kingdom

Little Children

The Lives of Others (Das Leben der Anderen)

Lonesome Jim

The Paper Will Be Blue (Hârtia va fi albastră) (2006)

Still Life (三峡好人)

Triad Election (Election 2) (黑社会:以和为贵) (2006)

The Wind that Shakes the Barley (2006)

* Films primarily seen theatrically in Japan.

[takowasabi]

Shadow Boxing: 2006 Cinema Ranking*

Army of Shadows (L’armée des ombres), directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, France (1969)

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, directed by Tommy Lee Jones, U.S./France (2005)

A History of Violence, directed by David Cronenberg, U.S./Germany (2005)

The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, directed by Cristi Puiu, Romania (2005) The Child (L’enfant), directed by the Dardenne brothers, Belgium (2005)

The Host (괴물), directed by Bong Joon-ho, South Korea

The Squid and the Whale, directed by Noah Baumbach, U.S. (2005)

Miami Vice, directed by Michael Mann, U.S.

Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World, directed by Albert Brooks, U.S.** 

A Time for Love (戀愛夢), directed by Hou Hsiao-Hsien from Three Times (最好的時光), Taiwan (2005) 不散 (Goodbye, Dragon Inn), directed by Tsai Ming-liang, Taiwan (2003)

The Foot Fist Way, directed by Jody Hill, U.S.

Also worth my time:

Ae Fond Kiss...

Bubble

Caché

The 40 Year Old Virgin

Inside Man

Match Point

The New World (2005)

Undertow

Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story (2005) 

The Young Lieutenant (Le petit lieutenant)

Zidane: a 21st Century Portrait (Zidane, un portrait du 21e siècle) 

*Films primarily seen in Japan and the U.S. **If only for the improvisation scene.

[takowasabi]

Q-U-A-R-A-N-T-I-N-E, Quarantine: 2005 Cinema Ranking*

The Aviator, directed by Martin Scorsese, U.S. (2004)

Music Palace, directed by Eric Lin, U.S. (short)

Woman is the Future of Man (여자는 남자의 미래다), directed by Hong Sang-soo, South Korea (2004)

Pulse (回路), directed by Kurosawa Kiyoshi, Japan (2001)

Land of the Dead, directed by George A. Romero, U.S./Canada/France

Oldboy (올드보이), directed by Park Chan-wook, South Korea (2003) Domino, directed by Tony Scott, U.S.

Batman Begins, directed by Christopher Nolan, U.S./U.K.

Sideways, directed by Alexander Payne, U.S. (2004)

Primer, directed by Shane Carruth, U.S. (2004)

Closer, directed by Mike Nichols, U.S.

Also worthwhile:

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

The Bourne Supremacy

“Cousins?” and “Delirium” from Coffee and Cigarettes

Four Brothers

War of the Worlds

*Films primarily seen theatrically in Japan.

[takowasabi]

A Large Cup of Lumière: 2004 Cinema Ranking*

Café Lumière (珈琲時光), directed by Hou Hsiao-Hsien, Japan/Taiwan

The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara, directed by Errol Morris, U.S. (2003)

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, directed by Peter Weir, U.S. (2003)

Dawn of the Dead, directed by Zack Snyder, U.S.

Blood and Bones (血と骨), directed by Yoichi Sai, Japan

Nobody Knows (誰も知らない), directed by Koreeda Hirokazu, Japan

Kill Bill: Volume 2, directed by Quentin Tarantino, U.S.

The Return (Возвращение), directed by Andrey Zvyaginsev, Russia (2003) Distant (Uzak), directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Turkey (2002)

On the Occasion of Remembering the Turning Gate (생활의 발견), directed by Hong Sang-soo, South Korea (2003)

Collateral, directed by Michael Mann, U.S.

Also worth their water:

American Splendor 

Anger Management

The Big Red One: The Reconstruction (1980)

Blind Shaft (盲井) (2003)

Doppelganger (ドッペルゲンガー)

Godzilla (ゴジラ) (1954)

Hana & Alice (花とアリス)

Hellboy

Man on Fire

Memories of Murder (살인의 추억)

Running on Karma (大只佬 )

Shaun of the Dead

Silmido (실미도) (2003)

Soul Plane

Spartan

Spiderman 2

Stuck on You (2003) 

The Terminal

Zebraman (ゼブラーマン)

*Films primarily seen theatrically in Japan.

[takowasabi]

Not Bad Meaning Bad but Bad Meaning Good: 2003 Cinema Ranking

Bad Santa, directed by Terry Zwigoff, US

Le Fils, directed by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Belgium/France (2002)

Kill Bill Volume 1, directed by Quentin Tarantino, U.S.

The Hunted, directed by William Friedkin

The Navigators, directed by Ken Loach, U.K./Germany/Spain (2001)

Dirty Pretty Things, directed by Stephen Frears, U.K. (2002)

Tokyo Godfathers (東京ゴッドファーザーズ), directed by Kon Satoshi

Old School, directed by Todd Phillips, U.S.

28 Days Later, directed by Danny Boyle, U.K. (2002)

Zatoichi (座頭市), directed by Kitano Takeshi, Japan

2002

Talk to Her (Hable con ella), directed by Pedro Almodóvar, Spain

Gangs of New York, directed by Martin Scorsese, U.S./Italy

Punch Drunk Love, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, U.S.

Minority Report, directed by Steven Spielberg, U.S.

Warm Water Under a Red Bridge (赤い橋の下のぬるい水), directed by Imamura Shohei, Japan

Femme Fatale, directed by Brian De Palma, France

Windtalkers, directed by John Woo, U.S./Hong Kong

Torrente 2: Misión en Marbella, directed by Santiago Segura, Spain (2001)

Ten, directed by Abbas Kiarastami, Iran

From the Queen to the Chief Executive, directed by Herman Yau, Hong Kong The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers, directed by Peter Jackson

2001

Joint Security Area (공동경비구역 JSA), directed by Park Chan-wook (2000), South Korea

The Royal Tenenbaums, directed by Wes Anderson, U.S.

Yi Yi: A One and a Two (一一), directed by Edward Yang, Taiwan/Japan

Sobibór, October 14, 1943, 4 p.m. (Sobibór, 14 octobre 1943, 16 heures), directed by Claude Lanzmann, France

Amélie, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet, France

Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し), directed by Miyazaki Hayao, Japan

Sexy Beast, directed by Jonathan Glazer, U.K./Spain (2000)

The Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring, directed by Peter Jackson, New Zealand/U.K./U.S.

Amores perros, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, Mexico (2000)

The Man Who Wasn't There, directed by the Coen Brothers, U.S.

2000

You Can Count on Me, directed by Kenneth Lonergan, U.S.

Battle Royale (バトル・ロワイアル), directed by Fukasaku Kinji, Japan

The Virgin Suicides, directed by Sofia Coppola, U.S.

The Original Kings of Comedy, directed by Spike Lee, U.S.

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, directed by Jim Jarmusch, U.S./France/Germany/Japan (1999)

Traffic, directed by Steven Soderbergh Erin Brokovich, directed by Steven Soderbergh

Cast Away, directed by Robert Zemeckis

Human Resources (Ressources humaines), directed by Laurent Cantet, France/U.K. (1999)

Wonder Boys, directed by Curtis Hanson

What Planet Are You From?, directed by Mike Nichols