today is the first part of my personal films of the decade list. arriving tomorrow will be the second installment. it was a complicated enough sophie's choice sort of scenario getting these all in one place, so i'm not even gonna bother trying to put them in any order from best to least best. you'll get alphabetical and you'll like it, by gum.

25TH HOUR


i'm not gonna get up here and say i saw this thing in theaters or anything. i watched it the other day for the first time, but you can just feel the heart of this thing in each and every scene. at its core, it's spike lee trying to work out his obviously complex feelings about post 9/11 new york, and just fucking nailing it in such a truly personal way.

ALL THE REAL GIRLS


i was really shocked at how much i liked this movie and completely taken by surprise at how well david gordon green was able to present the arc of a romance, from the the endearing idiosyncrasies, to the deep seated insecurities, all strung along with such a subtle sense of humor and lightness.

AMELIE


you've seen this. we all know why this is on here (chicks LOVE it). i think we can move along.

CITY OF GOD


this is the most often rented dvd of the past ten years from the video spot i work at, and i think that's one of the greatest compliments that the city of madison can pay itself.

DARK KNIGHT


the greatest comic book movie of all time, and a flat out perfect action film from start to finish. you know all this. keep scrolling down.

ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND


the ease with which this film seamlessly marries the plot with such astoundingly innovative visual technique is truly incredible. that the result of all this magnifies the emotional intensity of the movie in ways that few other films i've seen have managed to achieve puts it in a league all its own.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS


i'm a super-secret sucker for sports movies and this is a really, really good one. if you haven't seen it cause you think it's about football, you should check it out cause it's about football... and a dozen other things too that you'll relate to. seriously this is so good. all you artsy fart types shouldn't get so scared of a little testosterone and check it out.

GHOST WORLD


here's a movie that captures the essence of that fleeting growing up moment. if you need real reasons, how about steve buscemi's shoulda-got-a-oscar performance! hey look everyone, let's all meet scarlet johansson! the "that guy's amazing" guy with the nun chucks! maybe the indian song played over the intro credits did it for you. regardless, this is pretty crucial.

GRINDHOUSE (THEATRICAL RELEASE)


why in the fuck is there not a megaa-wesome two disc set of this with ALL THE TRAILERS, awesome packaging, and a coupon to get in free to machete when it hits theaters? the whole value of the thing is in putting the two films together and letting the entirety of the grindhouse experience wash over you.

HIGH FIDELITY


i'm a music nerd. this is a movie about a music nerd who gets to have theoretical sex with catherine zeta jones. also he owns a record store. i don't know which is more of a win. walk into a room with this movie on and try not to watch the remainder of it.

HISTORY OF VIOLENCE


here's some great film making from front to back, with every character fighting for your attention. the only thing this film needs is a some little words on the box that say "academy award winner, best supporting actor, william hurt."

HOT FUZZ


between this and shaun of the dead, i'll always take this. not to poop on shaun of the dead (respect is more than paid), but this is just a slightly better crafted movie. one of the closest things to perfection as we're likely gonna get. until they pop out another flick.

JACKASS


maybe it's because the whole thing gets by on the sheer charisma of johnny knoxville and company, but this and its sequel make me so happy.

KILL BILL (VOLS. 1 & 2)




this one's another no brainer. i won't waste your time telling you how awesome these two movies are. same here as with grindhouse: the hell is wrong with the weinsteins and their dvd releases. why is there not a raging boner of a box set available for me to drop some good money on?

check back tomorrow for the second half of this odyssey through ten years of crap i watched and really liked!