Lists. iW, IW and more.

Eugene Hernandez, Brian Brooks, James Israel, Erica Abeel, Liza Bear, Howard Feinstein, Brandon Judell, Anthony Kaufmnan and Jonny Leahan. Regular readers will readily recognize those names as the editor and contributing writers to indieWIRE, still, after all these years, the essential source of indie and world cinema news. As the last story of the year, iW runs all those top tens, and there's a lot of Brokeback Mountain in there.

Anthony Kaufman: "In a surprising victory, French maverick Arnaud Desplechin's fifth feature Kings and Queen was voted best picture in indieWIRE's fourth foreign-language film survey. Wong Kar-wai's sumptuous sci-fi romance 2046 was the runner-up choice for best film, but was the highest vote-getter across all categories due to its high scores for best technical achievement."

Sweetening the surprise, Salon's Stephanie Zacherek puts Kings and Queen at the top of her list, too: "A complicated, fascinating picture - it left me exhilarated and devastated."

"After several complaints and cries of foul over my 2004 list, I have decided to create two lists this year - one for films that had a US theatrical release, and one for those that didn't (and probably never will)." It's that second list that Filmbrain's just posted.

On a related note, the LA Weekly is holding off one more week for its best-of issue, but Scott Foundas does offer a "a user's guide to the best movies you couldn't see - at least not in LA - in 2005."

Another welcome relief from the rehashings of 2005's greatest hits: Zach Campbell's "obligatory best-of-the-year rundown."

"When I saw Brokeback at a pre-release press screening a few weeks ago, it was merely a movie." And on Godfrey Cheshire's list in the Independent Weekly, it warrants merely an honorable mention. At the top is Munich, "easily one of the most daring (and brilliantly crafted) political films ever to issue from Hollywood."

David Fellerath isn't buying into the wow-whatta-year thing going on in other venues. "While there were many fine movies in theaters this year, there was a paucity of greatness.... Last year, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Before Sunset were my favorites, and they still linger in my memory as absolutely perfect achievements: intelligent, original and romantic. This year, however, there are no obvious standouts, so I'm organizing the films alphabetically."

And the IW runs two more top tens from Neil Morris and Laura Boyes.

Posting his top ten in the Philadelphia City Paper, Sam Adams argues that some of the most potent politicizing this year went on in movies that didn't take themselves too seriously. Serenity, for example: "A future in which a well-meaning conglomerate government has been seized by fundamentalist zealots who want to sedate their own populace into comatose complacency? Gee, what could that be about?" For Cindy Fuchs, 2005 was one very violent year.

Blogging at iW, Matt Dentler looks back on his posts that roused the liveliest discussions.

Michael Musto laughs off 2005 in the Voice. "Juiciest comment I overheard at a holiday party: The director of one of the big December flicks was gleefully telling a friend, 'I don't think anyone's gonna see Spielberg's movie. No one's interested!'" Meanwhile, Joy Press surveys the year in TV (more and more).

Why, thank you, Gabriel Shanks.

Update: There's a lot going on at World / Independent Film at About.com, I'm just now seeing. Jürgen Fauth's top ten ranges from Sith to Darwin's Nightmare while Marcy Dermansky was "swept away by small moments in small films such as My Summer of Love and Nobody Knows. More lists: all-time essential world and indie films and the worst movies of 2005.

Another update: The Reeler picks up where he left off yesterday, rating critics' top tens "frustrating (10) to useless (5) to outright insulting (1)" and ensuring that he'll never be lunching in Time Warner Center or the Times Building. Bet you dessert that's just the way he wants it.

Update #3: Online viewing tips. DoCopenhagen chooses the top 50 music videos of 2005. Via Waxy.org.

Update #4: The Masters of Cinema crew have counted the votes and Criterion's release of Ugetsu has come in first place for the "DVD of the Year Award 2005." Criterion, in fact, "completely hog the poll with over two thirds of all votes cast." If you got money for Christmas, dive into those extraordinarily helpful (and tempting) comments from the voters accompanying the list that runs to 12; if Christmas cleaned you out, though, don't even click.

Update #5: Vince Keenan's five and more. Let him explain.

Update #6: Austin Chronicle editor Louis Black's "Mid-20th-century must-sees: Part I."

Posted by dwhudson at December 29, 2005 6:27 AM