Roger Ebert's "Best / Worst Movies of 2004" list! (1 Viewer)

[David Ren]

Dogville? I don't know how anyone could like this patronizing, overlong, piece of crap. Easily the worst movie I've seen this year. From the drawn-out monotonous narration to the sets (or lack there-of) to the silly dialogue, everything about this movie hits the wrong note.

But, to each his own.

David

 

[Scott Weinberg]

With all due respect to Mr. Ebert (no, that's not sarcasm), his Bottom 10 seems way out of whack.

Here's his Bottom 10 (er, 11):

1. Troy (tie) - 2 stars
1. Alexander (tie) - 2 stars
2. Christmas with the Kranks - 1 star
3. The Girl Next Door - 1.5 stars
4. Dogville - 2 stars
5. New York Minute - 1.5 stars
6. The Grudge - 1 star
7. White Chicks - 1.5 stars
8. Resident Evil: Apocalypse - 0.5 stars
9. The Whole Ten Yards - 1 star
10. The Village - 1 star

But if you look back over Roger's reviews from 2004, you're bound to notice...

Anatomy of Hell - 1 star
Blade: Trinity - 1.5 stars
Catwoman - 1 star
A Cinderella Story - 1 star
Connie and Carla - 1.5 stars
A Dirty Shame - 1 star
I am David - 1.5 stars
The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra - 1.5 stars
The Perfect Score - 0 stars
The Prince & Me - 0 stars
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement - 1.5 stars
Raise Your Voice - 1 star
Sleepover - 1 star
Taxi - 1 star
Team America: World Police - 1 star
Thunderbirds - 1.5 stars
Twisted - 1.5 stars

I just don't understand how one can place two 2-star movies atop your Most Hated list, while omitting the two films you gave ZERO stars to. I assume that placing Troy and Alexander atop your Bottom 10 is more conversation-worthy than if you made 'em The Prince & Me and The Perfect Score.

Still, it's his list and he can include what he likes. Dogville and The Girl Next Door aside, I can't say I argue with his picks.

 

[AlexCremers]

At least Ebert is consequent in one thing and I think we will all agree: No human can admit Spider-Man II and Dogville together in the same list.

------------
Alex Cremers

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

Its easy. Critics do this just to get press for themselves. This is what I've complained all along and it happens each year. Much like why would a critic from Time magazine name Moulin Rouge as the worst film of 2001 over Freddie Got Fingered? This is where some critics lose their credibility.

But it works. And they get the notices. Look at all the discussions Ebert's worst list has garnered here so far.

~Edwin

 

[Mark Pfeiffer]

Actually, both films are on my top ten, although Spider-Man 2 may likely drop off once I see The Life Aquatic or Million Dollar Baby, to name a couple possibilities I've yet to see. (Dogville tops my list, so I don't see it going anywhere.)

Scott, I did the same thing you did for a blog post--except for just one star films this year--and I think Ebert's site has a mistake in showing The Perfect Score and The Prince & Me with zero stars. (I think he gave thumbs up to the latter.)

 

[Jeff Gatie]

I think it is obvious that Ebert is using his review, the performance at the box office and the pre-release hype to choose his films for his "Worst" list. Taking all these into account, not just his initial impressions, and I can understand the inclusion of "Troy" and "The Village". Bad flops by good directors, bad flops that are hyped beyond reason or bad flops that arise from good ideas are often worse films than something that is utter crap from the first concept.

 

[Lew Crippen]

It makes perfect sense to me.

Ebert, along with a good many loves a wide variety of movies.

A quick explanation: it seems clear to me that Ebert included Dogville us because he had a high expectation of Las von Trier.

 

[Russell B]

Surprised to not see Finding Neverland and Dodgeball in his list.

 

[teapot2001]

Almost 15 years ago, he put Superman as #10 on his list. Spiderman 2 is better than Superman, in his opinion, so why wouldn't it rank at #4?

~T

 

[hanson mat]

I get the feeling that they are trying to make some kind of point with this list. Why would the village be on the top 10 worst films of the year? The village wasn't the best movie in the world, but it had a great feel to it, and it was entertaining. They also need to have Finding Neverland and The Life Aquatic up there on the best list. 2 quality films. Some parts of this list do not make sense to me.

 

[AlexCremers]

Superman will always be better than Spider-Man II. See here why:


-Unbeatable Opening Credits

-John Williams' magnificent score

-The wonderful photography of the legendary Geoffrey Unsworth

-the film's harboring of wonder, awe and beauty, especially in the Smalleville scenes

-Better and more quotable

-Reeve is Superman

-less adolescent (teenager-ish) than Spidey II

-it's made in the 70s:wink:


------------
Alex Cremers

 

[ScottHH]

These lists are absurd, and I'm going to prove it. The article links to his top-10 lists since 1968. I'm not going to argue with any of his opinions. But check this out: How can the third best movie of 1982 be the third best movie of the 1980s when the best and second best movies from 1982 aren't even in the top 10 of the decade?

1982
----
1. "Sophie's Choice"
2. "Diva"
3. "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial"

Best films of the 1980s
-----------------------
1. "Raging Bull"
2. "The Right Stuff"
3. "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial"
4. "Do the Right Thing"
5. "My Dinner With Andre"
6. "Raiders of the Lost Ark"
7. "Ran"
8. "Mississippi Burning"
9. "Platoon"
10. "House of Games"

How can I take this guy seriously, as he can't even agree with himself?

 

[Aaron Silverman]

Did you mean to say 25 years ago?

 

[Aaron Silverman]

That's not so unreasonable. Remember, one list was made 8 years after the other, so his opinion may have changed over time.

Now, forgetting Catwoman only a few months later is much less explicable.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Opinions change. Some films that are great upon first viewing fade with time. Some films just do not have as lasting an impact or are not as much of a cultural phenomenon as others when viewed in a historical perspective. Sophie's Choice was a powerful film upon first viewing. But I would not be alone in saying that Sophie's Choice did not have as large an impact on the decade of the 80's as E.T. Citizen Kane was a flop (sort of) and the critics panned it. Now it is considered one of the greatest of all time. These lists are objective and fluid and one can have contradictions and have them be completely and honestly explained away by simply saying "I changed my view".

 

[Jerry R Colvin]

That's right... just like the original source material...!

When I first saw the scene with Doc Ock alone, talking out his plans to himself, I thought "only a comic book movie could get away with this!"

Great movie.

 

[teapot2001]

:b I can't believe it was that long ago.

~T

 

[Rich Malloy]

There are all sorts of good reasons, but each of them undermines the utility of these lists anyway. I don't even bother anymore, because as much as I love movies and as many as I see, I can't begin to see a large enough sample to provide an adequate opinion. It takes me at least another year or two before I even begin to get a handle on a single year's releases. Most films released this year, I don't even have the option of seeing yet... including quite a few that will surely be nominated for Oscars, etc.

Not a pointless exercise, but no more than a snapshot in time that reflects more the limitations on the lister than on the universe of films from a given year.

Of course, Ebert's seen many more movies than I have this year. That his list is so boring and predictable and weighted more towards a particular editorial point (or particular prefabbed narrative) is in part why I don't bother reading him any longer. He's not as over as Rex Reed, but he's getting close.

 

[Haggai]

Actually, I think Kane got good reviews when it came out, but Hearst managed to wield his power and pretty much kill its commercial prospects. But it did grow in critical estimation over the years, as I don't think it was until the '60s or maybe even the '70s that it was as widely considered the #1 film of all time as it is today, among critics and filmmakers.

Two of the other top 4 of all time in the most recent Sight and Sound poll are good examples of movies that got widely panned upon release, before becoming widely regarded classics over time: Vertigo and Rules of the Game.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

That's why I said "sort of". Hearst newspaper critics certainly panned it.