The Official Box Office Theory's Favorite Movies of 2006 List!

[Gopher]

Here we go again... again... again... again... again. Eight Below- 1 Flags of Our Fathers- 1 Snakes on a Plane- 1 Deja Vu- 2 Shortbus- 3 X-Men: The Last Stand- 3 An Inconvenient Truth- 4 Night at the Museum World Trade Center- 4 Who Killed the Electric Car?- 4 Madea's Family Reunion- 5 Clerks II- 6 Over the Hedge- 6 Half Nelson- 6 Da Vinci Code- 6 Slither- 6 Grandma's Boy- 7 Hostel- 8Kamome Diner- 9 The Descent- 9 Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby- 10 Paprika- 11 Volver- 11 Babel- 12 Click- 12 Dreamgirls- 12The Good Shepherd- 12 This Film is Not Yet Rated- 12 The Girl Who Leapt Through Time- 14Happy Feet- 14 Rocky Balboa- 15 The Last King of Scotland- 15 Lucky Number Slevin- 18 Cars- 19 Letters from Iwo Jima- 19 The Devil Wears Prada- 20 The Fountain- 20 (I expected this to do much better here) The Queen- 20 Hard Candy- 21 Brick- 23 Stranger Than Fiction- 25

[Gopher]

15. Inside Man (26 points, 5 lists)

I haven't thought about this movie for a while, but this is a solid suspense thriller that really works. I liked it.

[Gopher]

14. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (28 points, 3 lists)

UGH.

[Gopher]

13. The Illusionist (34 points, 5 lists)

Even on this BOT list, that *other* 2006 magician movie sort of buried this one. But The Illusionist is one beautiful movie, both visually and emotionally.

[Gopher]

12. Thank You For Smoking (40 points, 6 lists)

The satire of corporate and image culture in Thank You For Smoking, Jason Reitman's first feature film, feels genuine, and the performances are funny and committed. I liked it a lot.

[Gopher]

11. Apocalypto (47 points, 4 lists)

When I catch him, I will peel his skin, and have him watch me wear it. (I actually like that line)

Edited March 4, 2012 by Gopher

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You probably should try to be impartial when doing the countdown and give some meaningful comments about the films' impact. A few lists late to be saying that, but it's true.

[Gopher]

10. BORAT: CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN (50 points, 8 lists)

My country send me to United States to make movie-film. Please, come and see my film. If it not success, I will be execute.

What's up with it, Vanilla face? Me and my homie Azamat just parked our slab outside. We're looking for somewhere to post up our Black asses for the night. So, uh, bang bang, skeet skeet. Just a couple of pimps, no hos.

The only thing keeping me going was my dream of one day holding Pamela in my arms and making romance explosion on her stomach.

Gypsy! Give me your tears! If you will not give them to me, I will take them from you!

Kazakhstan greatest country in the world, All other countries are run by little girls. Kazakhstan number one exporter of potassium, all other countries have inferior potassium. Kazakhstan home of Tinshein swimming pool, it's length thirty meter and width six meter. Filtration system a marvel to behold. It remove 83 percent of human solid waste. Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan you very nice place, From Plains of Tarashek to northern fence of Jewtown. Kazakhstan friend of all except Uzbekistan, They very nosey people with bone in their brain. Kazakhstan industry best in the world, we invented toffee and trouser belt. Kazakhstan's prostitutes cleanest in the region, except of course Turkmenistan's. Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan you very nice place, From Plains of Tarashek to northern fence of Jewtown. Come grasp the might penis of our leader from junction with the testes to tip of its face!

Great success!

Love this movie.

Edited March 4, 2012 by Gopher

[Gopher]

You probably should try to be impartial when doing the countdown and give some meaningful comments about the films' impact. A few lists late to be saying that, but it's true.

Someone can write about Pirates and Apocalypto if they want. I have no interest.

[Gopher]

9. V for Vendetta (77 points, 8 lists)

Whenever discussions about the best graphic novel adaptations come up, I feel like this gets shafted. This is a compelling, disturbing movie that has something really interesting going on.

[Gopher]

8. United 93 (78 points, 8 lists)

Perhaps United 93's greatest feat is how it isn't trying to reveal anything beyond the story on the page. Greengrass wastes no time crafting this story, harrowingly and powerfully, into an inspiring film.

[Gopher]

7. Casino Royale (84 points, 10 lists)

In Casino Royale, Marc Forester and Daniel Craig made an absolutely kick-ass Bond movie, perhaps the best one in decades. Even though Quantum of Solace was horribly underwhelming (I blame the writer's strike), I have big expectations for Skyfall.

[Gopher]

6. Blood Diamond (85 points, 9 lists)

Wouldn't you know it, I haven't seen this one. Someone else want to write about it?

[Gopher]

5. Pan's Labyrinth (94 points, 8 lists)

The level of imagination, craft and fantasy present in Pan's Labyrinth is nothing short of astounding. Few movies scare me, but this one did the trick.

[Gopher]

4. Children of Men (100 points, 11 lists)

A lot of disastrous-distant-future movies fail to bring the viewer into their altered worlds, which makes the genre largely unsatisfying. Cuaron and the performers (Owen, Moore, Caine) convince the viewer of the world in Children of Men so well that the film's energy and intensity is palpable. It's a hard movie to watch, but I couldn't resist going back a few more times.

[rockNrollaDIM]

I smell bagels? I don't get it..

[Gopher]

3. Little Miss Sunshine (111 points, 10 lists)

There's plenty of indie comedy out there that try to have a voice. Few are as distinctive, funny and honest as Little Miss Sunshine's.

[Gopher]

2. The Departed (116 points, 11 lists)

What's not to like about The Departed? Sure, it's weird for Scorsese to finally get an Oscar for what feels like a standard genre exercise, but at this level of craft and acting (Nicholson, DiCaprio, Damon, Wahlberg, Sheen, Baldwin, etc), I'm not about to criticize The Departed.

[Gopher]

1. THE PRESTIGE (123 points, 11 lists)

While not as surprising as Ratatouille's win for the 2007 list (there are plenty of Nolan fans here), I was certain Departed or Children of Men would win this thing. But it's a good surprise- ever the illusionist, Nolan urges the viewer from the get-go to 'watch closely'- this comes to not only represent the film's various layers (still, better pay attention) but also an appreciation for the magic and wonder of stage illusion itself. The ending will work for some better than others, but I don't know how you can leave this film without some degree of dazzlement.

[Gopher]

1. The Prestige A

2. The Departed B+

3. Little Miss Sunshine A

4. Children of Men A

5. Pan's Labyrinth A

6. Blood Diamond N/A

7. Casino Royale A-

8. United 93 A-

9. V for Vendetta B

10. Borat A-

11. Apocalypto C

12. Thank You For Smoking B+

13. The Illusionist B+

14. Pirates of the Caribbean D+

15. Inside Man B