2020 A Year at the Movies (Best and Worst)

 Movies I saw in a Theater Pre-Pandemic

The Grudge, Howls Moving Castle, Weathering With You, Firecracker, Citizen K, Color Outside Space, Oscar Nominated Short Cartoons, Birds of Prey, Fantasy Island, Sonic the Hedgehog, Hellhole, Impractical Jokers the Movie, Cats, Invisible Man, The Boy II


Movies I saw at the Drive In

Days of Thunder, The Sandlot, Breakfast at Tiffany's, True Grit, Amityville Horror (2005), The Great Outdoors


Movies I saw after March because we waited until right before the start time and the theater was completely empty


Ten Minutes to Midnight, BTS Break the Silence, The Call


I also rented a theater to screen A Rainy Day in New York with half a dozen friends. It came out worldwide last year so is not on my list. I have seen all of Woody's pictures in a theater since I was  a kid. The film got a warm reception even from a few of the folks who had never seen one of his films. 



I usually see 52 films a year in theaters. But this was not an option. Here are some of my cinematic memories from films that won't make my top ten list. I liked the elderly couple (Lin Shaye and Frankie Faison) in The Grudge. I liked the suit in The Invisible Man. I really liked seeing a topless kung fu movie called Firecracker with a packed house. I got to drive on a racetrack to see Days of Thunder. 

 I usually see at least 120 films before making a best and worst list. I did manage that, through copious home viewing. I will say that even though films were dumped into home theatrical screenings and screening channels more this year than any other, the same rule that has been in effect since even before the Ridiculous Six still applies. Most streaming and dumped films are not very good and would not have been hits had they gone to cinema.  Here are some home viewing memories of films that won't make my list. I liked the weird accents in Verotika. I liked Nic Cage's paper hat in Jui Jitsu. I like the old woman inspired to water the tree in Jodokowsky's Psychomagic. Not much else to say about any of this. I am just going to put the lists out without much comment except to say I saw Garrell films for the first time, and I am blown away; hopefully, next year, I can manage to do month by month analysis. 


Worst Films of 2020:


10. The Rhythm Section (110 mins)

09. Circus Books (92 mins)

08. Spenser Confidential (111 mins)

07. Showbiz Kids (94 mins)

06. The Lovebirds (87 mins)

05. Coffee and Kareem (88 mins)

04. Artemis Fowl (115 mins)

03. Brahms Boy II (86 mins)

02. SuperIntelligence (106 mins)

01. My Spy (100 mins)

Avg running time: 98 mins

I feel like there was supposed to be a new Godard and every year without a John Waters film is a loss. It was a weird year. Paul Hogan returned and Kathy Lee Gifford wrote a better film than Sofia Coppola. But here are the titles I was very happy with this year.




10 Best Films of 2020

10. Guest of Honour (105mins)
09. Deerskin (77mins)
08. The Trip to Greece (110 mins)
07. Ten Minutes to Midnight (73mins)
06. Cry Havoc (85mins)
05. Emma (124 mins)
04. Weathering with You (114 mins)
03. The Empty Man (137 mins)
02. The Salt of Tears (100 mins)
01. You Never Had It (51 mins)

Avg running time: 97 mins





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