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I have just received my banner for winning the LAMMY for best blogathon, thanks to Joel. For organising the LAMMY’s this year. Also, thanks to everyone who nominated and voted for me, most importantly thanks to everyone who took part in My Movie Year. Contrary to popular belief I do, do more than just organise blogathons, so feel free to read any of my other random ramblings. However I do enjoy organising them so watch this space.

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My Movie Year

Have you ever wondered what the best year for movies was? That is a question I asked of a group of movie bloggers. It isn’t as simple as it sounds, I was having second thoughts last night as was one participant who was sure he would write about 1993 but ended up going for 1985. Click the links to see what everyone thinks and email me at fandangogroovers@gmail.com if you would like to join in.

Andrew from Andy Buckle’s Film Emporium

Red Georges from Anomalous Material

Sam from An Online Universe

Alyson from The Best Picture Project

Nikhat from Being Norma Jean

Richard from Celluloid Zombie

Claire from Cinematic Delights

Ardeth Blood from Coffee and Casseroles

Andrew Crump from Constant Visual Feast

Elwood Jones from The Depths of DVD Hell

Sam Fragoso from Duke & The Movies

Andy from Fandango Groovers

Åsa Fiffi Lundh from Fiffis filmtajm

Brian Schuck from Films From Beyond the Time Barrier

Tommy Bond from The Film Discussion

Maria from FILMflare

Dave from Flickers 

Ruth from flixchatter

Henrik from Fripps filmrevyer

Alan from The Great Movie Project

Gustav from Have you forgotten

ZombieBodhi from ld Horror Movies

Iba from I luv cinema

Kristen from Journey’s in Classic Film

Mette from Lime Reviews and Strawberry Confessions

Tom Clift from Movie Reviews by Tom Clift

Bondo from The Movie Review Warehouse

Colin Biggs from Never Mind Pop Film

PG Cooper from PG Cooper’s Movie Reviews

Rachel and Jess from Reel Insight

Monica from Reel Snob

Sofia from Rörliga bilder och tryckta ord

Jeff from The stalking Moon

Joe from TwoDudeReview

SDG from U, Me and Films

Rich from Wide Screen World

Thanks to everyone who has taken part. Late entries are welcome, just email me at: fandangogroovers@gmail.com or leave a comment below and I will add your link to this page.

Late Entries

Anyone wishing to join in send me a link to fandangogroovers@gmail.com or in the comments section below. Here are the latest additions, check them out:

Max from Impassionedcinema

Andina from Inspired Ground

Shala from Life Between Films

Steven Surrender to the Void

Eric from The Warning Sign

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My Movie Year – 1999

If I had been asked what my movie year was I would have said 1999. It includes two of my all time favourite movies (Fight Club and Run Lola Run) as well as having around ten great films not just the five I set down as a prerequisite for inclusion. But then I asked this question of others and started doubting my own choice, there is a slight snag, on closer inspection Run Lola Run, although released to most of the world in ‘99 is actually a ‘98 film, and after Fight Club and The Matrix, there may be another eight great films but are they all time classics? I have spent the last week looking at other great years but just keep coming back to 1999. It possibly helps that all the chosen films are ones I saw in the cinema on there original release and are not things I discovered over time.

Fight Club: what more is there to say about Fight Club, it is a supremely well made movie that works on every level from a simply enjoyable movie through to a timely or even prophetic satire. The more times you see it, the more you get out of it that is why it stands up as one of my all time favourite movies. It remains the best work for director David Fincher and stars Edward Norton and Brad Pitt.

The Matrix: 1999 was supposed to be all about the Star Wars prequels but lets be honest Jar Jar fucking Binks wasn’t the only problem with The Phantom Menace. Fortunately, there was another sci-fi movie that not only was it a great film but also influenced and even changed the genre for ever, we are still seeing the effects of it today. Written and directed by The Wachowski Brothers, The Matrix is problebly the biggest thing to happen in Sci-Fi since the original Star Wars.

Go: on the surface, Go is just another teen slacker movie but it goes so much further than that, with a great structure involving three intertwined stories there is something for everyone to relate to. I can think of no way the movie could be improved, that is how good it is. On top of all that, the cast includes Sarah Polley, Timothy Olyphant and William Fichtner, three of the most talented and underrated actors around.

Eyes Wide Shut: the auteur Stanley Kubrick was hardly what you would call prolific, when his final film Eyes Wide Shut came out it was more than a decade after his previous work Full Metal Jacket. As different and as good as any of his previous movies it has been unfairly overlooked in recent years, having watched it again recently I am happy to report it has aged well and is a truly great film.

The Straight Story: For David Lynch to make such a conventional movie almost feels subversive, the fact he does it so well reminds us what a great director he is. Both embracing and twisting the conventions of the road movie. Richard Farnsworth’s subtle performance is amazing earning him a best actor Oscar nomination two decades after his best supporting actor nod

Bonus film:

Run Lola Run (1998) as mentioned above Run Lola Run is really a 1998 movie, but as most of the world didn’t get it until 1999 I have added it to my ‘99 list. Essentially telling the same twenty minute story three times but changing depending on the decisions the protagonists take. The film that gave director Tom Tykwer and stars Franka Potente and Moritz Bleibtreu internationally recognition has so much going on and so much to offer that it has been hugely influential.

Click HERE to find out what years everyone else picked.

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My Movie Years Contenders: 2000’s

Another strong decade, 2004 and 2009 only just missed out.

2000: Almost Famous, Battle Royale, The Claim, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Memento

2001: Mulholland Drive, Donnie Darko: Amelie, Training Day, Y Tu Mamá También

2002: City of God, 28 Days Later, Talk to Her, Hero, Punch-Drunk Love

2003: Oldboy, Kill Bill vol 1, Lost in Translation, X2, Azumi

2005: Sin City, Batman Begins, The Descent, Good Night and Good Luck, Serenity

2006: Pan’s Labyrinth, Casino Royale, Children of Men, Miami Vice (I know I’m of about three people who like it), The Departed

2007: Juno, No Country For Old Men, The Orphanage, Death Proof, Into the Wild

2008: The Dark Knight, The Hurt Locker, In Bruges, Let the Right One In, Gran Torino

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My Movie Years Contenders: 1990’s

I’m not sure the 90’s is the best decade for movies but it is certainly consistent! Without any padding to make up the numbers every year of the decade has at least five great films to be in contention.

1990: Nikita, Wild at Heart, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Miller’s Crossing, Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!

1991: Point Break, The Silence of the Lambs, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Cape Fear, Delicatessen

1992: Reservoir Dogs, Unforgiven, Batman Returns, Army of Darkness, Hard Boiled 

1993: Army of Darkness, Three Colours: Blue, Schindler’s List, Dazed and Confused, True Romance

1994: Pulp Fiction, The Shawshank Redemption, Leon, Three Colours: Red, Ed Wood

1995: Heat, Se7en, Twelve Monkeys, Before Sunrise, The City of Lost Children

1996: Bound, Crash, The English Patient, Pusher, Romeo + Juliet

1997: L.A. Confidential, Jackie Brown, The Ice Storm (forget Wushu and gay cowboys, this is Ang Lee‘s best film), Cube, The Fifth Element

1998: Saving Private Ryan, Run Lola Run, Blade, The Big Lebowski, American History X

1999: Fight Club, The Matrix, Go, Eyes Wide Shut, The Straight Story

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My Movie Year – Contenders from the 1980’s

As we move into the last two decades I will mention lots of films I saw at the cinema when they first came out. The films I have already mentioned fro the 70’s and before I have caught up with over time, but this is the 80’s the decade of VHS. That’s how I saw all these movies on home video.

1980: The Shining, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, Airplane! Raging Bull, The Blues Brothers

1981: Mad Max 2, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Evil Dead, An American Werewolf in London, Scanners

1984: The Terminator, Once Upon a Time in America, Ghostbusters, Repo Man, Streets of Fire

1985: Fandango, Back to the Future, The Goonies, The Breakfast Club, Brazil

1986: Aliens, Blue Velvet, Platoon, Salvador, The Colour of Money

1987: Aliens, The Lost Boys, Evil Dead II, Hellraiser, Near Dark

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My Movie Year

Growing up in the 80’s and 90’s I watched a lot movies America’s new wave, it is therefore no great surprise that the 1970’s featured heavily in my thoughts when picking “My Movie Year”. Here are a few that I considered but didn’t make the final cut:

1971: A Clockwork Orange, Dirty Harry, Vanishing Point, The French Connection, Two-Lane Blackto

1972: The Godfather, Deliverance, Cabaret, The Getaway, Silent Running

1973: American Graffiti, The Sting, Enter The Dragon, Don’t Look Now, Mean Streets

1974: Chinatown, The Godfather Part II, Blazing Saddles, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia

1979: Apocalypse Now, Alien, Mad Max, Life of Brian, The Warriors

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My Movie Year – Contenders from the 50’s and 60’s

Although the 50’s and 60’s are full of years with one, two or even three great movies, only three years had the required five to me in contention. They are:

1959: North by Northwest, Some Like It Hot, Rio Bravo, Anatomy of a Murder, Suddenly, Last Summer

1960: The Apartment, Psycho, Spartacus, The Magnificent Seven, La Dolce Vita

1968: 2001: A Space Odyssey , Once Upon a Time in the West, Night of the Living Dead, Bullitt, Where Eagles Dare

Check back tomorrow for the 70’s.

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My Movie Year – Final Call

We are just a week away from My Movie Year

As previously mentioned we are publishing on Sunday 15th April. I will post a homepage with a list of all participants at 12:00 (mid day) BST. If you can post at around this time it will be perfect. Don’t worry if you can’t anytime that day is fine.

Please post this link: http://wp.me/prVbF-2rb (it won’t work until the day) to the homepage in your post. And use the banner from the top of this post.

Please email me at fandangogroovers@gmail.com by Thursday 12th if possible with the following information:

• The name you wish to be know by on the homepage
• The name of your blog
• A link to your post ( if you are not able to produce a link to the post, include a link to your blog homepage)

Don’t forget if you know anyone who is interested in taking part, its not to late. Email me if you have any questions.

As a precursor to the main event here are a few years that were in contention but didn’t make it. Check in every day this week to see some other years that didn’t make the final cut.

1941: Citizen Kane, The Maltese Falcon, Suspicion, High Sierra, Sullivan’s Travels

1946: It’s A Wonderful Life, The Big Sleep, Notorious, Gilda, The Killers

1948: Key Largo, Bicycle Thieves, The Treasure o f the Sierra Madre, The Red Shoes, Fort Apache

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My Movie Year

The date is set. We are going live on Sunday 15th April. As mentioned before all you have to do is pick your favourite year for movies and back I up with five classics from that year, no more no less. You can do as much or as little as you want with your selections; a simple list, images and posters, reviews, trailers. Or anything else you can think of.

If you would like to take part leave a message below or email fandangogroovers@gmail.com

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