Most Enjoyed Movies of 2006

People always have their own 'top-ten-list' of the year, usually presented near the end of the year. Personally, I haven't got the chance (missed out) to watch many movies this year, especially the good ones, so I can't really construct my own top ten movies of 2006 in a more complete way. Also, everyone's top 10 or top movies would differ because of taste. So here's my version of 'Most Enjoyed Movies of 2006' (in no particular order):


Over the Hedge
Great story, great animation, maximum enjoyment to the fullest. The most enjoyable animated show I have ever had indeed, ever since the movie 'Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Wererabbit'.


Inside Man
Another Denzel Washington thriller (same old good acting) which doesn't disappoint at all and director Spike Lee has done a great job again.


Mission Impossible III
Okay, I'm not really a Tom Cruise fan, but director J.J. Abrams has done a good job to create a fresh new MI movie (step aside, John Woo).


Casino Royale
'Bond Begins', that's what people like to call this show. A fresh new look at Bond movies, and a 'saviour' to the Bond franchise, just like how 'Batman Begins' did the magic. I'm already anticipating the next installment.


The Prestige
I wouldn't bet this for the best movie of 2006, but the whole film is very beautifully crafted (Nolan style) and the arrangement of the story telling is very well executed. The reason to see this show is for Christian Bale's stunning performance (forget about Scarlett).

Of course, I chose these films not because I really endorse Hollywood. It's just that these films are plain fun to watch. But on top of the list, I have a 'very special award' for a very fine film from China:

Crazy Stone
It's not crazy to say that this movie is darn creative, but if you've watched Guy Ritchie shows ('Snatch', 'Lock Stock') before, the concepts/ideas be very familiar to you. But you just have to give a thumbs up to this show, because it's proves that Asian film making can do the same level of quality movies compared to UK or America.

The most disappointing film for me:

Scary Movie 4
I have to admit that I'm sort of a fan of 'toilet-humor', but Scary Movie franchise is already going down the drain ever since the last one, and why are they still making sequels to it? It's time to move on to another different spoof-genre (check out this movie, called 'Epic Movie' which spoofs all the blockbuster shows like 'Pirates' and 'Superman Returns').

Movies that I wanted to see, but haven't got the chance yet/missed the opportunity (if not, they might have made it to my best of 2006 list):
- Little Miss Sunshine
- Cars
- The Departed
- Letters From Iwo Jima

Other people's top movies of 2006:
John Campea's (TheMovieBlog) Top 10
Time Magazine's Top 10

Previews: The Tin Mine

All this while, the Thai movie industry has been bombarding us with tons of horror & suspense movies (okay, maybe not as much as Korean and Japanese filmmakers), which most of it aren't that great anyway (okay, probably Ong-bak brought us some good Thai action moments). But in the midst of all that, there is still hope for good film making. 'The Tin Mine' (or "Maha'lai muang rae" in Thai) should be one of those cases. This film definitely presents us with a new face of quality Thai-film making, from director Jira Maligool. Here's a short summary of the film:

A bio-pic of sorts of Thai national hero Archin Panjabhan who was expelled from university in 1949 and forced to work in a tin mine in backwoods Thailand. Out of his years in that rain-soaked, alcohol-drenched town came more than 140 autobiographical stories that catapulted him to the front ranks of Thai literary greats.

I've seen the trailer for this movie in the cinemas and it looks quite interesting and fresh. The story itself should be the reason why this movie is worth watching. So don't miss this movie, coming to your local cinemas on 11th January 2007.

Curse of The Golden Screens

UPDATE:
The management has sent me a late reply regarding the first issue, they've claimed to take some action on the problem and ensuring that they will monitor the performance of their staff regularly. Thanks.

I've just had a bad experience with Golden Screen Cinemas yesterday night, particularly at the GSC 1 Utama branch. Me and the usual movie gang decided to go for 'Curse of the Golden Flower' at GSC 1 Utama, 9pm session (28th Dec '06). We managed to get the tickets and we were assigned to cineplex number 9 (if not mistaken) with the bookings we've made earlier on. At the very beginning of the show, there was no sound at all. The film was already rolling and there is picture, but a total silence. The sound only came back after about 3 minutes. Okay, we thought it was all right and continued to enjoy the show. Later, near the final part of the show, something unexpected happened again. The whole screen went black, and there was no light at all in the cineplex. It lasted for about 3 minutes again and then after that the picture was restored back.

This is a bad experience watching a show at GSC, which I haven't had in my life for a long time. Well, it wasn't so bad at all but it interrupted the enjoyment of the show a little. I hope GSC will do better to train their staff to avoid these situations from happening again. Anyone else had bad experiences lately with them?

On the side note, I was also a little disappointed with 'The Curse', because the whole movie was dubbed in Cantonese (i guess because it's from a HK distributor, why couldn't they get a chinese one?) . I think I would have enjoyed the movie even much more if it was in the original mandarin conversations itself.

UK Style, Lovin' It (II)

If you've watched and enjoyed 'Shaun of the Dead' back in 2004, get ready for 'Hot Fuzz', which is bound to be released next year. 'Hot Fuzz' is by the same director and team who brought you 'Shaun'. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost will be back as a team. Synopsis of the movie:

Jealous colleagues conspire to get a top London cop (Pegg) transferred to a small town and paired with a witless new partner (Frost). On the beat, the pair stumble upon a series of suspicious accidents and events.

Trailer Direct Download: Click here.
Web Site: Click here.
You Tube:



I've really enjoyed 'Shaun' because it combines elements of comedy and a bit of horror together, which was really fun. If you haven't watched it yet, go and grab the movie fast. In the meantime, I'll try to hunt for more good stuff from the UK. Any recommendations?