Top ten lists (1999-2006)

My 2007 top ten list, already in progress.


2006

This list reflects my new rules for eligibility. See also: List of eligible titles

  1. The New World (Terrence Malick)
  2. The Science of Sleep (Michel Gondry)
  3. Miami Vice (Michael Mann)
  4. The Descent (Neil Marshall)
  5. Marie Antoinette (Sofia Coppola)
  6. The Departed (Martin Scorsese)
  7. The Proposition (John Hillcoat)
  8. Inside Man (Spike Lee)
  9. Volver (Pedro Almodóvar)
  10. Dave Chappelle's Block Party (Michel Gondry)

The rules for eligibilty changed in 2006. Original rule: Films had to be released commercially in the United States during the calendar year. New rule: Films had to be released commercially in Columbus, Dayton or Cincinnati, Ohio, during the calendar year. As a result of the rule change, there's some overlap between 2005 (à la Caché) and 2006 (à la The New World).

2005

  1. Brokeback Mountain (Ang Lee)
  2. Munich (Steven Spielberg)
  3. The 40 Year Old Virgin (Judd Apatow)
  4. Caché (Michael Haneke)
  5. Mysterious Skin (Gregg Araki)
  6. Serenity (Joss Whedon)
  7. Walk the Line (James Mangold)
  8. A History of Violence (David Cronenberg)
  9. War of the Worlds (Steven Spielberg)
  10. Shopgirl (Arnand Tucker)

2004

  1. Before Sunset (Richard Linklater)
  2. Dogville (Lars von Trier)
  3. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry)
  4. Undertow (David Gordon Green)
  5. The Brown Bunny (Vincent Gallo)
  6. Primer (Shane Carruth)
  7. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (Wes Anderson)
  8. Mean Girls (Mark Waters)
  9. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (Quentin Tarantino)
  10. The Five Obstructions (Jørgen Leth & Lars von Trier)

2003

  1. Gerry (Gus Van Sant)
  2. Elephant (Gus Van Sant)
  3. Intolerable Cruelty (Joel Coen)
  4. Shattered Glass (Billy Ray)
  5. Kill Bill, Vol. 1 (Quentin Tarantino)
  6. Down With Love (Peyton Reed)
  7. 28 Days Later... (Danny Boyle)
  8. Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (McG)
  9. Bad Santa (Terry Zwigoff)
  10. Ichi the Killer (Takashi Miike)

2002

  1. 25th Hour (Spike Lee)
  2. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Special Extended Edition) (Peter Jackson)
  3. Igby Goes Down (Burr Steers)
  4. Spider-Man (Sam Raimi)
  5. The Piano Teacher (Michael Haneke)
  6. The Rules of Attraction (Roger Avary)
  7. Y Tu Mamá También (Alfonso Cuarón)
  8. Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki)
  9. Lovely & Amazing (Nicole Holofcener)
  10. Adaptation. (Spike Jonze)

2001

  1. The Princess and the Warrior (Tom Tykwer)
  2. Mulholland Dr. (David Lynch)
  3. Waking Life (Richard Linklater)
  4. Hedwig and the Angry Inch (John Cameron Mitchell)
  5. Training Day (Antoine Fuqua)
  6. In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar-wai)
  7. Freddy Got Fingered (Tom Green)
  8. Audition (Takashi Miike)
  9. Donnie Darko (Richard Kelly)
  10. AI (Steven Spielberg)

2000

  1. Almost Famous (Cameron Crowe)
  2. Dancer in the Dark (Lars von Trier)
  3. Requiem for a Dream (Darren Aronofsky)
  4. State and Main (David Mamet)
  5. Bring It On (Peyton Reed)
  6. Wonder Boys (Curtis Hanson)
  7. You Can Count On Me (Kenneth Lonergan)
  8. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Joel Coen)
  9. Hamlet (Michael Almereyda)
  10. Traffic (Steven Soderbergh)

1999

  1. Fight Club (David Fincher)
  2. Eyes Wide Shut (Stanley Kubrick)
  3. Topsy-Turvy (Mike Leigh)
  4. The Blair Witch Project (Dan Myrick & Eduardo Sanchez)
  5. Three Kings (David O'Russell)
  6. Being John Malkovich (Spike Jonze)
  7. The Talented Mr. Ripley (Anthony Minghella)
  8. All About My Mother (Pedro Almodóvar)
  9. The Winslow Boy (David Mamet)
  10. Go (Doug Liman)