Top 50 of the 2000s Plans

And so another countdown-related exercise begins. My inveterate need to try and rank, organize and list my favorite movies (and also albums, books, really anything that interests me!) rears its head yet again. This project is less ambitious than the previous efforts, and will take much less time than either of those countdowns, but will be one that is equally rewarding. Spending so much time trying to catch up on the classics that came before my time – a mission that will likely never be fully accomplished – it is very easy to neglect current cinema. What this means is, I don’t go to the theater as much as I should, instead catching up on most movies when they are released to DVD. It just seems like I am able to get more quality viewing in, with some guidance as to what is worth watching and what is a complete waste of the time I have to devote to movies. This strategy works to a point, but ultimately means that I have initially missed out on a couple of movies that I absolutely loved and will be featured in this countdown. So this exercise has been fun in getting to go back and revisit favorites from the last decade and fill many holes.

The same disclaimer that applied to my other countdowns also applies here – I haven’t seen everything. There will certainly be gaping omissions that will puzzle some folks. That just goes with the territory for me. I haven’t seen everything. But, I do think that I have seen enough to make a pretty good list. Also, I have always felt that anyone claiming to remain completely subjective in lists like this is being deceptive. I don't think that's even remotely possible - personal taste has to factor in to some degree. These films are certainly going to be judged based on their quality, but a large dose of personal preference will be the overriding factor. The more appropriate title might be "Favorite 50 Films of the 2000s" but that doesn't roll off the tongue quite as well.

The format that I think will work best is to make a post with 10 films every other day. So for the Top 50, it will take a week and a half or so. I think the two days for each post allows enough time for people to consider, discuss, and if necessary debate the movies included. As of right now, I’m looking at getting things underway on Tuesday.