Lists, 12/26.

This excellent list will come in handy: Sujewa Ekanayake's "10 Filmmakers to Watch in 2006." On a broader, more mainstream but no less interesting scale, the Guardian's Xan Brooks looks ahead as well.

The Cincinnati CityBeat looks back on the year with Rodger Pille penning the cover story: "While in some ways it's nice to see Capote and Good Night intelligently depict reporters with consciences and codes of ethics, there is an inherent problem: These 2005 films depict historic journalists. Where are the torchbearers for modern media? Where are the reporter good guys in contemporary films? The problem might well be that they're harder to find than Jimmy Hoffa." Also: Steven Rosen on The Squid and the Whale and Steve Ramos on Munich.

Tim R goes all out with a top ten (#1: King Kong) and several honorable mentions, five best directors, five actors and five actresses, five supporting actors and five supporting actresses and more five bests in several categories.

At the Critics' Top 10 Lists project, 184 have already been gathered and tabulated and A History of Violence is the clear favorite of the moment. More fun with numbers: the most "Critically Acclaimed" films of 2001 through 2004 and, for those same year, the "Passion Index."

It was a year of "Important Subjects," David M Halbfinger reminds us in the New York Times: "In little and large ways, and with decidedly mixed results, filmmakers took on terrorism, the Middle East conflict, American militarism, the oil and pharmaceutical industries, Wal-Mart, gay marriage, birth control, sexual harassment and more." And Sharon Waxman: "As the number of people going to the movies shrank in 2005, so did some of the studios making them."

"Almost everywhere you looked, uncertainty reigned," writes John Horn in the Los Angeles Times: "As the year draws to a close, here are 10 lessons the film business learned the hard way."

Edward Jay Epstein in Slate: "According to my crystal ball, the further migration of Hollywood—even with its sticky celebrity culture—into home entertainment will be greatly accelerated in 2006 by the following five events..." #1 is very interesting.

Sukhdev Sandhu opens his survey in the Telegraph with, "The most important trend of 2005 was the rise and rise of the DVD." You may be surprised by his choice for the "Worst experience of the year."

Chris Ryall picks up where he left off his month-by-month review of the year at Movie Poop Shoot, taking it from July on through to this very moment.

The Alternative Film Guide takes note of the films singled out by the Utah Film Critics Society.

And now, the fun part. Dawn Taylor's top ten in an alternate universe. The LOL line for me: "Charlize Theron is impressive as the beautiful woman who helps Valentine escape from the oppressive Federation with help from a kindly, magical Negro named Jubal (Morgan Freeman)."

Thomas Mennecke rounds up the "File-Sharing Winners and Losers of 2005" for Slyck. The definition's relatively loose and encompasses BitTorrent and Steve Jobs (winners) and the RIAA and Sony-BMG (losers). Slashdotters discuss.

PC World: "The 50 Greatest Gadgets of the Past 50 Years." #1: Sony Walkman TPS-L2 (1979).

Posted by dwhudson at December 26, 2005 5:25 AM