The lists. 2003. 12/22.

Just up are two batches of lists of particular interest because they come from two very different publications with a somewhat similar mission which we happen to sympathize with, namely, getting word out about films much of the mainstream press ignores.

Editors, contributors and staffers at indieWIRE have each submitted lists, and it all makes for a pretty rich page to scoll up and down a few dozen times. Just a few first-glance highlights: Editor Eugene Hernandez setting aside a special paragraph for Angels in America; Anthony Kaufman's inclusion of a specific scene, and on a somewhat similar note, Wendy Mitchell's honorable mentions of certain films for just one or two particular qualities; the many references to what a great year it was for documentaries. And then, the cherry on top: "In tomorrow's edition, directors, actors, and industry execs will share some of their favorites."

Phil Hall introduces Film Threat's "10 Best and Worst Unseen Films of 2003":

The top ten films on this list are remarkable on a wide variety of levels (where else do you find gay marriage and a felonious red octopus mentioned in the same breath?). With luck and the right connections, these titles will find the audiences they truly deserve in the very near future. The bottom ten films on the list, of course, represent another story entirely.

For must of us, of course, nearly every single title on both lists is a surprise, and in some cases, the surprise may depend on our actually having seen one or two and finding it on the wrong list. Case in point: Sans Soleil. But fine. Inherent in FT's mission, too, is stirring it up now and then.

Posted by dwhudson at December 22, 2003 4:17 PM