Lists and awards, 12/17.

"Our official 'B-movie' distribution stream - straight-to-DVD releases - grows in number and variety every year, as fewer films can be, or at least are, affordably shown theatrically than ever before," writes Michael Atkinson at IFC. "Here're my favorites from this year, the movies that first saw American screens (big or small) on digital video in 2008, be they brand new or decades old." His #1: Lawrence Jordan's Sophie's Place.

Jürgen Fauth presents "a highly subjective list of ten great unreleased films I saw at the four festivals I was lucky enough to attended this year - Berlin, the Hamptons, New York and Tribeca. Let's hope they'll make it to a theater near you soon." His #1: Koji Wakamatsu's United Red Army.

"While the rest of the Internet-verse is prepping their 2008 Best Ofs, Favorites, and Annual Excuse for Lists, Exploding Kinetoscope, counterproductive as always, proudly presents its Favorite Films of 2007."

"In a nice change of pace from the predictable rotation of best picture winners happening around the United States, the Toronto Film Critics' Association named Kelly Reichardt's Wendy and Lucy best picture of the year, in addition to honoring its star, Michelle Williams, as best actress." Peter Knegt reports for indieWIRE.

As the ballots keep rolling into indieWIRE, Karina Longworth adds a few notes to hers at the SpoutBlog.

AJ Schnack's launched a series of interviews with "some of the year's top nonfiction filmmakers." So far: James Marsh (Man on Wire) and Carl Deal and Tia Lessin (Trouble the Water).

Dreaming up "categories that you might not see elsewhere," Noah Forrest awards the first round of Frenzies; also at Movie City News: Houston Film Critics' choice for best picture, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and the Dallas-Ft Worth Critics's choice: Slumdog Millionaire.

In the New York Observer, Sara Vilkomerson's got ten and Rex Reed lists his bests and worsts.

Northwest Film Forum's David Hanagan: "For all you sprocket heads out there, here are my top ten Kodak 16mm film stocks for 2008."

Guess who's Time's Person of the Year 2008. Steven Spielberg on one of the runners-up: "On the eighth day of the eighth month of 2008, 2 billion TV viewers and thousands in attendance in the now famous Bird's Nest were treated to an unforgettable spectacle at the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympic Games. Behind it all was the creative genius of Chinese film director Zhang Yimou."

Online scrolling tip. From one of the best new blogs of the year, the Big Picture's "2008 in photographs (part 1 of 3)."

Online viewing tip. "Kermodean Highlights from 2008."

Online viewing tips. Kevin Lee's "5 Best Music Videos of 2008" at the SpoutBlog.

Posted by dwhudson at December 17, 2008 2:51 PM