Lists, 12/26.

"In keeping with our mission to celebrate independent and underground cinema, Film Threat would like to offer an encore appraisal of the best films that never received a wide release in 2006." Topping that list is Vajra Sky Over Tibet, "an extraordinary achievement at every possible level."

"If there is a consistent thread in my selections for this year's Senses of Cinema: 2006 World Poll," writes acquarello, "it is that these films in one or another define the complexity of human memory, whether alienating in its inescapable persistence, inerasable in its architectural concreteness, frustrating in its grawing consciousness, haunting in its recursive irresolution, and quietly tragic in its sad, consuming delusion." A top ten, plus ten honorable mentions.

"Memories of Matsuko is the best movie of 2006. From any country," announces Grady Hendrix.

Why stop at ten? Kathy Fennessy's got a top 30: "Anything beyond 30 seems like overkill, so I list most docs and re-releases separately. In other words, it's really a top 50, although I try to pretend otherwise..." And then there's the year in music.

At the top of Paul Matwychuk's top ten: CSA: The Confederate States of America.

Observer critics look back on 2006. So do the Sunday paper's readers.

British cinema is "in the midst of a boom," proclaims the Telegraph's David Gritten: "The evidence is everywhere: a remarkable number of acclaimed British releases this year; several obvious British contenders for the forthcoming awards season; a handful of genuinely talented new filmmakers; and even some box-office successes.... Even more heartening has been the range of estimable films coming from these shores: The History Boys, adapted from the stage; the ingenious fact-fiction construction of The Queen; the riveting reconstruction of awful events in United 93; The Road To Guantanamo, a provocative documentary; Red Road and London to Brighton, two gritty urban dramas by first-time filmmakers; angry historical polemic in The Wind That Shakes the Barley."

Also:

• "You could hardly set foot in a cinema without being pouted at by Scarlett Johansson," notes Tim Robey, "but she was miscast by [Woody] Allen, miscast in Brian De Palma's batty and flawed - if luridly enjoyable - The Black Dahlia, and stuck playing a kind of early Edwardian Debbie McGee in Christopher Nolan's feuding-magician thriller The Prestige. Six - six! - new films are in the works for Johansson next year. Did someone unleash her clones from The Island?" His favorite film of the year: Junebug. His least favorite: Hostel.

• "For good or for bad, this has been the year of YouTube," writes Sukhdev Sandhu. His favorite: Day Night Day Night. His least favorite: Cach�.

Empire looks back on 2006, not just listing its top 25 but reviewing them as well and submitting over a dozen more top fives (e.g., Cameos, Comebacks, Characters and so on). Their #1: United 93.

Entertainment Weekly's Lisa Schwarzbaum tops her list with Letters From Iwo Jima, while Owen Gleiberman goes for Casino Royale. EW readers vote for The Departed.

Jeffrey Wells has got a top eleven and a slew of winners in brand new categories. His #1 is Children of Men, and that goes for Kim Voynar at Cinematical as well.

Jim Emerson draws up an intriguing list of double bills, "suggestions for fruitful ways of viewing some of the year's best movies, alongside some of the best of past years." He also, of course, edits RogerEbert.com, where Roger Ebert sends a year-end message. "Onward to a Victorious 2007!" Right back at you, Mr Ebert.

Matt Riviera, who saw over 200 features this year, has got lists for nearly two dozen separate categories.

Chuck Tryon: "My list is, once again, dominated by documentaries, but living in DC for much of the year and attending Silverdocs focused my attention much more heavily on docs than other categories." His #1: Black Sun.

More lists from Time Out: Chris Tilly and David Jenkins.

J Robert Parks is posting ten of his favorite reviews of the year, one each day, as a sort of run-up to his top ten, which'll appear on January 1.

Premiere highlights the "24 Finest Performances of 2006." You'll find 18 more lists, some still relevant, some not, here.

Tim Wong selects "the ten best poster designs of 2006" for the Lumi�re Reader.

Scott Kirsner has a different sort of top ten at CinemaTech: "Here's how I'd frame the list: as the worlds of technology and entertainment increasingly overlap, what were the most significant happenings of 2006? And what sort of future do they point toward?"

Matt Dentler's posting "Film Folks' Five Favorite Albums for 2006."

Amitabh Bachchan's been voted Indian of the Year in a Times of India poll. Reuters reports.

Garry Maddox recalls the highs and lows for the Sydney Morning Herald. Via Movie City News, where Larry Gross points out that three news stories of the year went underreported.

Online listening tip. Judd Apatow talks about his five favorite DVDs on NPR.

Posted by dwhudson at December 26, 2006 5:38 AM