I'm having a hard time thinking of the best thing that I saw this year. But I can easily think of the worst thing.
Worst movie because it just wasn't good
Pool Party didn't bother me in an insidious way. It bothered me because it was a completely unrewarding viewing experience. I felt dumber watching it. It was annoying. It was not funny. It was just competent enough to sit through. I remember feeling a little sickly while I was watching it, and I couldn't be sure if it was because of the movie, or if I had eaten something that didn't sit well.
Worst movie because it insulted me
The Amazing Spider-Man seriously bothered me. I've read a lot of praise for the movie, but I felt like it wasn't treating me right. For someone who is a serious fan of Spider-Man (like, I'm usually reading some of the comics most times. I have a copy of Essential Amazing Spider-Man vol 11 next to the bed right now, and I'm reading Web of Spider-Man on the iPad when conditions are right.) I'm really familiar with what makes Peter Parker work. This movie would probably be a good movie if it didn't carry the Spider-Man name. Parker isn't a hero in this movie. He's a selfish jerk. He's not nerdy. And he isn't the same, fairly confident character he grew into. He's a smug tool, who isn't very bright. Not to mention that the rest of the movie is kind of a mess. The Lizard lost all of his appeal as a villain. Every time I think of the kid dangling in the car, and the talk about his mask, it makes me want to throw up a little. Of course, the movie is much more competently shot than Pool Party was, but I'd want to sit through both of them about the same amount.
Why the hell am I watching this?
The Summer of The Massacre is barely a movie. It's a handful of friends making a horror movie, without any sense of plot or tension. There's one girl who's attractive, and the opening chase is pretty funny. The most memorable part of the movie is the opening crawl, which is packed with errors and awkward sentence construction.
But the rest of the movie is nearly unwatchable. It's shaky-cam of people running around the woods. Endless chase scenes.
I can't label a movie as being the best thing I saw this year. But I can label a few pleasant surprises that really worked.
The Innkeepers
The story is strong, the writing is great. The direction is wonderful. In fact, I think this belongs on a double bill with The Shining. Maybe I'll do that next November.
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
I didn't expect to like this as much as I did, but the drama is great. It's tense, and part of it comes from not having a sense of how far Bette Davis will go.
Blood on Satan's Claw
I need to rematch this one eventually. It's not structured perfectly, but there's something great about the atmosphere. Maybe I'll rewatch The Wicker Man as well.
YellowBrickRoad
I was pleased with this when I first saw it, but it's stuck with me. I keep thinking about wanting to see it again. It doesn't seem to be out on Blu-ray, but even so, the sense of madness was great.
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