Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

Cinema Junkie by Beth Accomando

10 Best of 2007

Cinema Junkie by Beth Accomando

photo_09-1.jpg Anthony Wong in Exiled, a film that deserved wider release (Magnolia)   Choosing the top ten films of 2007 is like choosing which of your children you like best. I love them all but in different ways. This year the family grew larger than expected and was all over the map. You can listen to my rundown of the 10 best of 2007. I'm also including here some other noteworthy films of the year.

First, I'll mention a few films that might have made my ten best if studios had only decided to release them in San Diego. The trippy anime Tekkon Kinkreet ; David Lynch's mind bending Inland Empire ; the slyly ironic Romanian film 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days ; the abortion documentary Lake of Fire ; and a pair of Johnnie To Hong Kong actioners Exiled and Triad Election (known as Election 2 in Hong Kong) all dazzled in their own unique ways. But none were deemed worthy of release here. I'm particularly irked by the fact that Johnnie To repeatedly fails to get his films released here. In these two films he served up gangster tales that were darker and more existential than what American audiences probably expect from Hong Kong actioners. He manges to mix action elements with a French New Wave freshness and Wong Kar Wai's lush stylish flourishes. To delivers consistently stunning work yet has failed to convince U.S. distributors to give his films an art house release that extends beyond a few cities. This needs to change.

Advertisement

Janice James
January 09, 2008 at 11:01 PM
This is for extra credit for Mr. Hurst class. Hi Mr. Hurst and this is my best and worst movies of 2007. Best movies of 2007: 1)"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Movie" 2)"Hot Fuzz" 3)"Control" 4)"Mr. Bean's Holiday" 5)"Shrek 3" Worst movies of 2007 1)"Pirates Of The Caribbean 3" 2)"The Mist" 3)"Lucky You" 4)"Georgia Rule" 5)"The Comebacks" Ok thats my list byes Janice James Per. 6 -----

justin tokich
January 09, 2008 at 11:10 PM
1)fast and the furious 2)2 fast 2 furious 3)tokyo dirft 4)oceans 12 5)oceans 13 6)italian job 7)brune idenity 8)brune supremacy 9)brune ultimatum 10)matrix

Beth Accomando
January 09, 2008 at 11:11 PM
Yeah! Hot Fuzz.

Carlos Sepulveda
January 10, 2008 at 02:12 AM
Making my selection was harder than i thought it would be. This past year had some very bad movies. Yet there was still a couple that were worth watching. FIVE BEST MOVIES The Bourne Ultimatum Reign Over Me Rush Hour 3 Beyond the Gates You Kill Me WORST MOVIES Fred Claus El Cantante Who's Your Caddy? Balls of Fury Epic Movie Thank you.

Advertisement

Beth Accomando
January 10, 2008 at 04:05 PM
Oh, I had forgotten about El Cantante. I'm not sure I should thank you for reminding me. I had completely blocked it from my memory.

Amber Ellis[[Period:05]]
January 11, 2008 at 06:42 PM
Best Movies of 2007 Rush Hour 3 Epic Movie Norbit The Simpson Movie Knocked Up Worst Movies of 2007 Ocean 13 The Bourne Ultimatum Pirates of the Caribbean 3 Because I Said So Georgia Rule

Hurst
January 14, 2008 at 05:10 AM
Nice job thus far class of 2008! And thank you Beth for this allowing the voices of the future be heard. Hurst.

Marketta Brown[[Period:05]]
January 15, 2008 at 05:56 PM
10 Best Movies of 2007 (1)Shrek the Third (2)I Am Legend (3)Alvin and the Chipmunks (4)Knocked Up (5)Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (6)Norbit (7)Freedom Writers (8)Disturbia (9)Juno (10)Hairspray

Beth Accomando
January 15, 2008 at 06:42 PM
Thanks to Mr. Hurst's class at Mt. Miguel for letting me know your best and worst of the year.

skyy hubbard
January 15, 2008 at 08:55 PM
top ten 2007 movies 1.american gangster 2.sweeney todd 3.superbad 4.norbit 5.charlies wilsons war 6.300 7.i am legend 8.transformer 9.p.s. ilove you 10.tenacious d

James Trebus
January 15, 2008 at 08:59 PM
1. Stomp The Yard 2. Sweeny Todd 3. Golden Compass 4. Knocked Up 5. Borune Ultimatum 6. Oceans 13 7. 300 8. Saw 4 9. Rush Hour 3 10. Disturbia

Beth Accomando
January 15, 2008 at 10:02 PM
Glad to see 300 is starting to make a showing here.

Jeannie Lam
January 15, 2008 at 10:47 PM
Best Movies of 2007 1. Ratatouille 2. 300 3. Transformers 4. Super Bad 5. Knocked Up Worst Movies of 2007 1. Epic Movie 2. HeartBreak Kid 3. Norbit 4. The Mist 5. Evan Almighty

Jeffrey Jay Gonzalez
January 16, 2008 at 06:25 AM
This is extra credit for Mr. Hurst Class. top 10 movies of 2007 1)I am Legend 2)National Treasure Book of Secrets 3)The Kingdom 4)Eastern Promises 5)The Invasion 6)WAR 7)Rush Hour 3 8)The Bourne Ultimatum 9)Balls of Furry 10)Superbad

marcus ewell
January 16, 2008 at 09:03 PM
10 best films 1. I Am Legend 2. transformers 3. forest gump 4. american hardcore 5. Fresh 6. Disturbia 7. Knocked Up 8. 300 9. star wars all of them 10.space jam

Jordan DeGuia
January 16, 2008 at 10:36 PM
Top 10 of 2007 (not in order) 1. Bee Movie 2. Saw 4 3. Harry Potter: Order of the Pheonix 4. Blood and Chocolate 5. The Covenant 6. Transformers 7. Sweeny Todd: Demon Barber of Fleet Street 8. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer 9. I Am Legend 10. Rush Hour 3

aura acosta
January 17, 2008 at 04:05 AM
period-3 Mr. Gomes 10 best movies in 2007 01. P.s I love you 02. Superbad 03. Rush Hour 3 04. because i said so 05. bourne ultimated 06. the simpson 07. knocked up 08. juno 09. Transformers 10. harry potter and the order of phoenix

Max
January 17, 2008 at 10:05 PM
Yeay to Fido and Hot Fuzz. I don't understand why Election and Election 2 can't be shown in San Diego. Even the San Diego Asian Film Festival couldn't get them. It's a darn shame. Those two are way better than the highly (and wrongly) praised The Departed. Heck, I think they match the bleakness of No Country For Old Men.

Max
January 19, 2008 at 11:59 AM
I don't see Before the Devil Knows You're Death on your list, Beth. I'd put that instead of Eastern Promises which fell apart for me in the second half and had, I thought, one of the worst cop-out ever as an ending, not to mention the sin of hiding Naomi Watts for most of the second half.

Beth Accomando
January 20, 2008 at 03:59 AM
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead had great performances but strained credibility too often to make my list. I much preferred Eastern Promises. But I heartily agree with you on the Election films. They're great and deserve to be seen on the big screen.

Andy Mazon
January 25, 2008 at 02:36 AM
top 10 movies of 2007 mr. gomes per 3 1) alpha dog 2) superbad 3) knocked up 4) talk to me 5) i am legend 6) transformers 7) 1408 8) hitcher 9) juno 10) shrek 3

Hungry Hank from San Diego
March 05, 2008 at 03:27 PM
As I saw it, I went with these and completely ticked off some people (especially with the exclusion of No Country for Old Men & There Will be Blood) ... which is okay by me. The beauty of film is that it's a little like wine, everyone has a different opinion and that's okay because we all have a different perspective. 1. Atonement 2. Once 3. Reign Over Me 4. The Lookout 5. Gone Baby Gone 6. The Bourne Ultimatum 7. Juno 8. Away from Her 9. After the Wedding 10. Sunshine

Beth Accomando from San Diego
March 05, 2008 at 04:50 PM
Hungry Hank-- Thanks for mentioning The Lookout. Who would have thought that the alien kid from Third Rock from the Sun would mature into such a fine actor. Joseph Gordon Levitt was also brilliant in Mysterious Skin. I had forgotten about Sunshine, it was half a great movie for me. Thanks for the list.