Favourite Films of 2007

I love reading all the end of year lists, and sometimes I want to make mine before I've read any of them but this year that so didn't happy. Which is just fine and dandy as many of the films that are topping the top tens and such are ones I've not seen and I dare say a few I do not intend to see. But, considering there were 314 releases this year there are many films and lists and opinions to go around.

To have an idea of where I'm coming from, at the time of this post I've seen 46 of the 314 releases this year (14.6%), including 12 of the 36 Canadian films (30%). Both of these percentages are up from last year, woohoo! I think getting out to the theatre every week, as well as attending festival really played a part there.

The Films

The Good: Very fine Entertainment choices
3:10 to Yuma
Fido (New genre! The Zombie Drama)
Hairspray
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Namesake, The
Stomp the Yard

The Great: New Favourites to add to collection
300
Away From Her
Bourne Ultimatum, The
Golden Compass, The
Host, The / Gwoemul
Hot Fuzz
Let's All Hate Toronto
Sharkwater
Sunshine
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Above and Beyond: These Ones Go To 11! Breakthrough films that I will always remember
After the Wedding / Efter brylluppet
Brand Upon the Brain!
King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
Once

The Experiences

Best Experience: There are so many good ones, this year it's a tie between seeing Brand Upon the Brain! at the Elgin with live accompaniment and seeing Uwe Boll at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival.

Oddest Experience: Being the only person in the theatre for a film

Worst Experience: Getting yelled at by a patron whom thought my friend & I shouldn't be laughing during The Queen. Mean man!

Disappointments: Transformers, Margot at the Wedding, The Darjeeling Limited

Almost wish I'd Never Seen: Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead

Surprized I Didn't See: This is England, The Wind that Shakes the Barely, La Vie En Rose

Festivals
2007 was also a year of festivals, likely to be the first of many to come headed out to TIFF, Toronto After Dark, Reel Asian and One Minute. I'd have to say that Toronto After Dark was the *most* fun and had great audiences, and Reel Asian had the best overall quality of films. Kudo's all around!

The Rest

Considering I made it through a whopping 278 film in 2007 (as of Dec 27/07), if only feels fair to mention some of the great films that that I enjoyed during this year, even if they were not released this year. So, here are the odds and sods:

Great films seen in 2007 that is a previous year release: Eyes Without A Face, Night of the Hunter, Rashômon, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, Barbarella, The Seventh Seal

Great films seen in 2007 that is yet to be released: Boy A, Flash Point, Finishing the Game, Le Cèdre penché, My Winnipeg

That was my year. How was yours?