Since the Oscars get 10 best, I do too (actually, I get 11)

Thinking about what to write about this morning, I realized that - with no computer for a month - I never got around to revealing my 10 best movies of 2009. And while it may be far too late for anyone but me to care, here goes anyway, in order only of when they were released (and if you're a fan of the Drive-By Truckers - as everyone should be - stick around 'til the end for a special treat.)

And lest anyone be left scratching their head at the omission of Jason Reitman's "Up in the Air," it just missed the cut, earning honorable mention along with the following flicks: "The Road," "A Single Man," "Crazy Heart," "Avatar," "Broken Embraces" and "Fantastic Mr. Fox." Now, on to the 11 winners, and please feel free to chime in with your favorites or let me know if you think I'm just all wet about any of these:

Coraline
"Up" is going to get most of the attention as far as animated movies go with this morning's Oscar nominations - since I fully expect it to get a Best Picture nomination - but this little flick from Henry Selick and Neil Gaiman was actually the best animated movie of the year for me (and the only one besides "Avatar" that really made me think it was worth wearing 3-D glasses for the entire movie.) Though, like any story told through the eyes of a child, it really goes out of control by the end, "Coraline" is still a genuinely magical story about the powers - and dangers - of the imagination, my favorite movie subject of all.

Sugar
This flick from directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck spent the first half of 2009 as my favorite movie of the year, and it's held strong in the top five. This portrait of life in modern America through the eyes of an outsider starts out as a low-key sports flick about a Dominican player in the minor league baseball system and pivots deftly about halfway in to become a story about immigration in America without ever losing the natural flow that makes it so entertaining to watch. Rent this immediately if you haven't seen it.

Drag Me to Hell
Has anyone had a worse movie year-or-so than Sam Raimi? First, no one in the world but me (and maybe a few others) went to see this incredibly fun return to his horror roots, and then his "Spider-Man 4" flick implodes to the point that they just scrapped the whole project and started over without him (and, frankly, most likely without me too.) He certainly deserves better. Especially when, if you're a fan of "Evil Dead" and "Army of Darkness," you should love this flick about what happens when poor Alison Lohman denies a mortgage extension to the wrong person (a gypsy woman with the power to curse her - and ingest her poor kitty - of course.) If you can stomach it, watch this on DVD.

Moon
I'd say there's probably no chance at all that Sam Rockwell will get an Oscar nomination for his work in Duncan Jones' sci-fi flick, and in my book that will count as the single biggest snub of the year. He's in virtually every frame of this, a welcome return to the kind of smart sci-fi allegory we haven't seen on the big screen in a long time (though "Battlestar Galactica" did a fine job with that too on the little one.) I saw this one at the Atlanta Film Festival 365, and am thrilled that Charles Judson has invited me back for this year's event too.

The Hurt Locker
Just how much do military members love this Iraq War movie of sorts from Kathyrn Bigelow? Well, as a tiny and random sample, a video store bought an ad in the publication I lay out that serves Warner Robins, GA (proud home of Robins Air Force Base) just to promise that "The Hurt Locker" will "always be in stock." I don't know why, but that just struck me as funny. I do know, however, that Bigelow has crafted the first Iraq War movie I genuinely enjoyed, not just because it has at least three of the best action set-pieces of the year, but also two of the best performances from Anthony Mackie and Jeremy Renner as it presents the rarest kind of flick - an apolitical war movie that simply looks at combat through the eyes of those who have to wage it.

In the Loop
A small Web cult of sorts has blossomed that's devoted to the singular swearing prowess of Peter Capaldi as political operative Malcolm Tucker in director Armardo Iannucci's wicked sendup of the buildup to the Iraq war, and it's well-deserved. It's hard to keep up with all the jokes that Iannucci packs into this razor-sharp satire - the kind we haven't seen since the days of Peter Sellers, and they've been sorely missed by at least me - but believe me, the effort is well worth it. Watch this now.

Inglourious Basterds
This is my favorite movie of 2009, and just to show I've put it to the test, I've watched it all the way through at least five times now, and it just keeps getting better. Taken individually, the opening gambit with Christoph Waltz and a French farmer, that sensational scene at the French bar that turns into a bloodbath and - of course - the unforgettable finale, are the three best-written sequences of 2009. Add them together and throw in Brad Pitt and his basterds for comedic value, and you get my favorite kind of movie, just wildly imaginative story telling and a thoroughly fun ride.

Passing Strange
Can what amounts to simply the filming of a Broadway musical being performed on stage really be turned into one of the best movies of 2009? In the hands of Spike Lee, yes. He uses the same technique he did with "Kings of Comedy" to make it an intimate experience, and it certainly doesn't hurt that this musical about a black teenager's voyage to Europe to find his artistic self has a genuine energy that radiates from the screen as I'm sure it did even stronger on stage.

The Damned United
I was a little hesitant to see this at first because it's based on the best book I've read in at least the last five years or so, and I was sure there was no way that director Tom Hooper could re-create the manic pace or odd structure of David Peace's piece of historical fiction about Brian Clough's disastrous 44 days or so as the manager of Leeds United. I'm very happy to report, though, that I was once again wrong, because it comes damned close, and more importantly turns this tale of ultimate futility into a winningly witty period piece that will entertain soccer fans as much as those of you who have somehow not become a fan of the beautiful game, and Michael Sheen is perfectly vainglorious as Clough.

Where the Wild Things Are
Probably my favorite joke from "Freaks and Geeks" remains the one about Sam Weir trying to do a book report on "the novelization of 'Star Wars'," but I can report that the novelization of "Where the Wild Things Are" by Dave Eggers (called "Wild Things" and of course at least loosely based on the children's classic by Maurice Sendak) is a tremendously good read. Like Spike Jonze's movie (but without having to create those rather amazing wild things), it deftly dives into the mind and imagination of a troubled child and somehow bundles all these emotions into a moving and simply entertaining tale. And young Max Records, perfectly wild as Max in the movie, delivers my single favorite still of the year, the look of horror on his face when his teacher casually announces that the sun will, indeed, some day die. Priceless.

Precious
It really seems a crime to put Lee Daniels' flick last on this list, but those were the rules I set out. In actual order of appreciation, it would certainly be in the top five, because although I didn't find it as uplifting as many people I know who like this as much as I do, it's still a genuine American story of the kind we very rarely get to see on the big screen. Mo'Nique is a sure winner in the Best Supporting Actress category at the Oscars, but I'm hoping Gabourey Sidibe gets a Best Actress nod too, because she portrays our heroine's wounded but still fierce pride perfectly, as much with her expressions as she does Precious' emerging voice.

So there you have it. And I promised a treat for any Drive-By Truckers fans who stuck around through all of that, so here it is. Yesterday, they debuted a new single, "Birthday Boy," and I'm pleased to report it's a Mike Cooley track that kicks the kind of ass they used to, and hopefully will again when a new album comes out in the next six weeks or so. Just put your e-mail address in the widget (it won't go to me, so don't worry), and the link will be sent to you. Enjoy, and have a perfectly pleasant Tuesday. Peace out.

Apparently, you don't mess with Denzel Washington

Though I was sure I had had my full of apocalyptic movies, on the advice of Bob of Bob and Justin's Mad Movie Blog, I went to see "The Road," and I have to say it was an extremely pleasant surprise.

Bleak? Sure, but it builds at a natural pace to the perfect ending. Not having read the book, I enjoyed that the event that leaves our heroes, a father and son played by Viggo Mortensen and young Kodi Smit-Mcphee, in the predicament we find them in at the outset is only hinted at in the movie itself. For once, you don't have everything spoon-fed to you, and I didn't mind that one bit.

Though there's a full slate of good flicks out today, and more than a few I still have to catch up on, I'd recommend making time for this if you can handle something that, be warned, is extremely bleak until its glimmer of hope ending.

And I'll take another chance on an apocalyptic tale in honor of the Hughes brothers, who have just been missing from movie theaters for too long. Remember them? Albert and Allen Hughes managed to direct four stylishly entertaining flicks - "Menace II Society," "American Pimp," "From Hell" and my favorite of their movies so far, "Dead Presidents" - before pretty much disappearing in 2001.

Now, however, they're back Jan. 15 with "The Book of Eli," which stars Denzel Washington as a lone man fighting his way across the United States to protect a sacred book which contains the secrets to saving human kind. That sounds pretty meh to me, but like I said, I'll see it out of mad respect for the Hughes brothers, and with Gary Oldman and Mila Kunis in this too, it could - against pretty serious odds - turn out to be a lot more entertaining than I fear.

Below is a featurette about the fight choreography, which shows Denzel in action as our hero. Enjoy.

And with that, I'm off for a week. Though I won't be posting anything to this site, I will be seeing plenty of movies while In NYC, definitely "Up in the Air" (finally!), "The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus" and "Broken Embraces." Starting Monday, Jan. 3, it will be best of 2009 week here, with this schedule:

Monday: Best female performers of the year (featuring Gladys Knight!)
Tuesday: Best male performers of the year
Wednesday: Best animated movies of the year
Thursday: Best movies of the year
Friday: Finally, with the 2009 winner revealed, I'll offer my 10 best movies of the '00s (better late than never, hopefully.)

And what that, I'm out. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Take heart: There are indeed good movies in sight!

I really can't remember a worse beginning to a movie year than we've had so far in 2008.

I was really hoping Kimberly Peirce's "Stop-Loss" would lift us up out of the muck, but with its thoroughly cliched characters and meandering storylines it just couldn't do it. That makes exactly one movie I've loved almost unconditionally - Michel Gondry's "Be Kind Rewind" - in wide release so far this year. Man is that depressing.

But, of course, summer is just around the corner, which means Iron Man, Indy and a whole lot more fun. And I do have somewhat high hopes for Clooney's "Leatherheads" and slightly lower ones for Scorsese's Stones doco "Shine a Light," both supposedly opening wide this week (though as of yet I see no proof of Scorsese's flick hitting Macon.)

Today here, however, it's all about the fall, when the studios unveil the big guns for awards season. And frankly, surveying the field, it looks like it's once again the Coen Brothers' race to lose (how cool would it be if they actually managed to win back to back Best Picture kudos?!?) So, here's a look at some of the big contenders you'll see hitting your multiplexes come September:

(Brief aside: As I write this I'm listening to Bettye LaVette's album with the Drive-By Truckers, "Scene of the Crime." If you like Southern soul and blues music at all, it just doesn't get any better than this .. OK, I'm back now.)

Sept. 12: "Burn After Reading"
Why not start out with the reigning champs? The Coens' latest will star not only George Clooney and Brad Pitt, but also Tilda Swinton (pretty much a guarantor of kudos), John Malkovich and Frances McDormand (huzzah!). Here, as far as I can tell, is the rather twisted plot summary: Malkovich will play a CIA agent who, after getting fired, writes an inflammatory memoir. The disc containing it is stolen by his soon-to-be ex-wife, played by Swinton, who then accidentally leaves it at the gym, where it falls into the hands of a trainer (Pitt) and the gym owner (McDormand), who want to use it to blackmail Malkovich. Throw in Clooney as a CIA agent investigating all this mess, and I can only say bring it on.

Sept. 12: "The Duchess"
It seems like I've been seeing the trailer for this since last summer, and it just looks like nothing more than the most bland kind of period piece, but here's hoping I'm once again wrong. Starring Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes, it is based on Amanda Foreman's biography of the scandalous 18th-century English aristocrat Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. I can only assume that Knightley plays the duchess, but it might be slightly more interesting if the reverse were true.

Sept. 19: "Blindness"
Though I've made it clear there's nothing but mad love for the Coens around here, if I had to pick one single favorite director it would be Fernando Meirelles, and now he's finally back again. In what I'm hoping will be a return to smart science fiction on the big screen, Julianne Moore will play the wife of a doctor (the great Mark Ruffalo) who finds she is the only person who can see in a world where everyone else has gone blind. She feigns illness in order to take care of her husband as her surrounding community breaks down into chaos and disorder. I'll probably have to wait until like December to see this out here in the hinterlands, but I'm still rather jazzed for this.

Oct. 3: "Valkyrie"
Tom Cruise and Bryan Singer's World War II epic has been pushed back from a summer release to make time for the shooting of a crucial battle scene, but presumably also to put it squarely in the middle of awards season. This one, about a German soldier (Cruise, of course) who launched a plot to assassinate Hitler, represents a reteaming of Singer and screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie, the team behind "The Usual Suspects," so it should be great.

Oct. 10: "Body of Lies"
In another high-profile reunion, Russell Crowe is back with director Ridley Scott, and Leo DiCaprio's on board too, for this second CIA flick of the season. In what should be a much more somber (and probably less fun) movie than the Coens', DiCaprio will play a CIA operative who is sent to Jordan to find a high-ranking terrorist and forms an uneasy alliance with the head of Jordan's covert operations.

Oct. 25: "Flash of Genius"
If it has the fun spirit of "Tucker," which it certainly looks like it could, I think this could be the sleeper hit of the Fall (and not just because it means - finally - a prominent role for Lauren Graham!) Greg Kinnear will play Robert Kearns, a Detroit engineer who claimed the auto industry stole his idea for the intermittent windshield wiper, and Graham will play his wife.

Nov. 14: "Australia"
Is Baz Luhrmann really going to manage to finish his first movie since 2001's "Moulin Rouge"? Given all that I've read about trouble on the set, I have my doubts, but if he does it promises to be a typically ambitious project. Nicole Kidman will play an English aristocrat who inherits a large cattle ranch in northern Australia prior to World War II. To save her inheritance from cattle barons she joins forces with a cattle-driver (Hugh Jackman) to drive her 2,000 head of cattle across the country just as the Japanese start to bomb the continent. This could be either epicly good or awful, but I seriously doubt it will be boring.

Nov. 26: "The Road"
After the success of "No Country for Old Men," it indeed seems like we'll be stuck with Cormac McCarthy's works on the big screen for a while, which will probably be a good thing. Ridley Scott has his eyes on "Blood Meridian," but before that John Hillcoat will director this Oprah-approved McCarthy work about a father and son who journey together for many months across a post-apocalyptic landscape that was once the United States, some time after a great, unexplained cataclysm. The big names for this one are Charlize Theron, Viggo Mortensen and, in a welcome return, Guy Pearce.

Dec. 5: "Frost/Nixon"
Peter Morgan adapts his own play about David Frost's famous TV interviews with Richard Nixon for director Ron Howard. Though I have my doubts about Howard, you can't knock the casting for this one: Michael Sheen (Tony Blair in "The Queen") is Frost and, in the leading contender for next year's Best Actor Oscar, Frank Langella is Nixon.

Dec. 12: "Seven Pounds"
I couldn't bring myself to see "The Pursuit of Happiness (yes, I insist on spelling it right!)", and I'll probably skip this Will Smith-Gabrielle Muccino collaboration too unless I hear tremendous things about it. In the flick, Smith plays a man who "will change the lives of seven strangers." Yep, I can tell already that I'm gonna just have to skip this one.

Dec. 19: "Revolutionary Road"
In what essentially sounds like "American Beauty" set in the 1950s, Sam Mendes will direct wifey Kate Winslet and Mr. Dicaprio in this flick. The duo play a husband and wife who grow bored of their lives in the Revolutionary Hill Estates, and eventually tear each other and their marriage down. Sounds cheery, eh? I didn't really care too much for "American Beauty," so I can only get mildly excited about this redux.

Dec. 19: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
This time I have indeed saved the best for last, because I think David Fincher's next flick will be a real dark horse contender come awards season (and surely one of my favorite flicks of the year.) In the flick based on a F. Scott Fitzgerald work, a man (Brad Pitt) is born in Baltimore (huzzah!) in 1919 at the age of 80 and ages backwards through the 20th century. Cate Blanchett is also on board as a woman he falls in love with round about the time he hits age 30. Here's what Fincher himself has to say about this promising project: "It's dark, it's romantic, and it also deals with mortality in a pretty unflattering way. The guy is born in 1919 - with the film itself beginning in World War I, traveling around the world and carrying on all the way through to the year 2000." Simply cool.

And there, for anyone brave enough to stick it out to the end of all that, you have it. Definitely plenty to look forward to in the next awards season. Peace out.