Important Movies

I think I'm pretty obviously going to be on the losing side of this one, but mere technical evolution seems like a kind of weak reason to me.  I mean, The Polar Express (a movie I think is pretty ghastly) came out the same year and arguably did more innovative things with animation.


We all operate in fairly geeky circles and I think that might be inflating our notion of just how important Edgar Wright is.  The dude is basically the Kevin Smith of the 2000s.  I don't mean that as a slight and I say it as someone who likes Kevin Smith, but let's be real... both of these guys don't have much influence outside of a fairly narrow fanbase.  Genre parodies were not invented by Shaun of the Dead, Mel Brooks and others had been doing them for decades.

First, that film was motion capture, which doesn't require animators to animate physical movements. They're basically dressing a virtual skeleton. Second, one of the biggest complaints of that movie was how dead eye and wooden of all of the humans characters looked. Yeah it's colorful, but it nothing to actually advance animation techniques.

Incredibles gave you everything in a movie that worked on all levels.

I don't see how Edgar Wright is "the 2000s Kevin Smith". That seems lazy and reductive.

One: he still makes movies with themes, purpose; two: his cinematography, music, and acting are all twenty times better; three: he's made more than one good movie (Smith has Chasing Amy and a few mediocre comedies); four: he's not Kevin Smith.

That makes more sense.

Replacing Shaun with Passion of the Christ

Also, how is Deexan the only one to choose Anchorman so far?  Its one of, if not THE, defining comedies of the decade.  It deserves a place more than Shaun of the Dead.

Collateral was mentioned earlier, and while the movie is a pretty general movie, it is often cited as a influential film for digital cinematography, so it shouldn't be discounted.

Saw was also massively influential.

Please remember everyone, these are not your favourite movies of the year, they are our best objective choices for most important.

Anchorman is popular, but I can't think of how it influenced other comedies and it also doesn't seem overly representative of the rest of Ferrell's comedies. Shaun of the Dead seems to be more of a clear influenced and set the standard for one of the most important comedic directors of the decade.



It helped usher in the torture porn era, and the films were popular for a while, but they've since dropped off the map and no one cares. The original was re-released on Halloween for it's tenth anniversary to mass indifference.



I agree in terms of The Incredibles. I get that the film was an improvement in computer animation, but it seems more like a logical step than a leap forward.


As for The Passion of the Christ...I'm okay with it. The film certainly was a big deal in it's day, but no one really talks about it today, though that is in part because of Gibson's personal choices. Neverending made the argument about movies like Noah and Exodus, but I don't know if this movie was really the cause. It's an okay choice though, and I guess I'd be willing to drop Collateral for it if it comes to that.

I guess I'm ok with Anchorman. Fahrenheit 9/11 is a good choice. I don't agree with Passion of the Christ.

Anchorman is too popular to ignore.

The Passion of the Christ is still influential in religious circles.

The Notebook? Mean Girls?

Saw may have launched "a fad" but all horror sub-genres go in cycles. Wait 10 years and you'll see Torture Porn come back.

Also, in all the Farenheit discussion we forgot one VERY important movie: SUPER SIZE ME. I would argue that Super Size Me had a greater impact that Farenheit. George W. Bush won re-election. But McDonalds had to re-invent itself.

So...

My 5 choices

If they matter

Anchorman
Mean Girls
The Passion of the Christ
Saw
Super Size Me

But we're discussing important movies.

No one willing to consider Super Size Me? You can't turn a blind eye to it. Have you been to McDonalds in the last 10 years?

Let me know when congress passes a bill.

See.

I can play this game too.

Fahrenheit changed nothing. NOTHING. And don't you dare give it credit for Obama.

Super Size Me had immediate effect, and 10 years later, McDonalds is Starbucks with burgers & fries.