Top 97 Films (Part Four)

It is that time of year again, the one where I take a look over all the films I love and update my Top 97. Much like last year's list this one doesn't have a ton of new additions, but there are some notable shifts in positioning throughout that add a bit more clarity to my love of cinema. Unlike the other years though I'm going to try something new and start from the top, working my way down. If I like how that goes I'll probably just do every year. And without further delay, let the countdown begin!

Forward Thinking: Movies (Fall 2012)

After spending some brief time looking at five albums on the horizon I think it's only fair to give the same treatment to film because there's just so much slated to come out that will potentially kick so much ass. Compiling this list I had a hard time sticking to just five releases, but in the spirit of arbitrary self-imposed limitations I figured it would be a constructive exercise to attempt to limit myself to that number. Keeping it to five allowed me to be realistic as well, not having to include films that very likely will only show in a few theaters at a time or could slip in to 2013 because of crowded release slates. I'll attach a trailer to each title, so just give that a click and watch some awesome clips. There's so much reason to be excited, and here's just a taste.

Let This Whole Town Hear Your Knuckles Crack

Dark Shadows (Burton, 2012)

In many ways I grew up loving the films of Tim Burton and he holds the most spots of any director in my personal Top 97 Greatest Films, so much so that all the recent attacks on him regarding his recycling and rehashing of material, no matter how illogical, unfounded, or simply talking-point-surface-level-dismissals without much credibility tend to bother me. They bothered me so much so that after seeing Alice in Wonderland in IMAX, a film that I found enjoyable but severely underwhelming considering that it followed up what I consider to be Burton's best film in Sweeney Todd and in comparison to his entire filmography, I wondered if some of these attacks were not entirely off point.

And then the trailer for his latest (of two 2012 releases) film Dark Shadows hit the internet a few months ago and I became worried. It all started out excellently, recalling Sweeney Todd, but then it indulged in comedy while "Season of the Witch" played loudly and I was puzzled. The jokes were lazy, the premise seemed thin, and it just left a sour taste. I should probably mention that I have no experience with the original 1960's 1,000+ episode series. Either way, as I walked in to the theater, I was afraid. Perhaps this was the turning point, perhaps Burton really has lost his way. Or perhaps, just maybe, I was fooled by another misleading trailer.

Top 97 Films (Part Three)

I know I am a tad bit late in this year's entry of my Top 97 films, but as I wrote in yesterday's post it is because I have been mostly without computer for the past month. But Processed Grass is back, and so are the lists! Check out last year's installment and the initial installment to see how the list has changed over the past two years!