"I've Watched A LOT of MOVIES, Paul!" - The ILX 2013 Film Poll Voting and Discussion Thread -Closes Feb. 28th, Midnight EST

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The rules are fairly simple: Everything that had a US commercial theatrical release between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 2013 is eligible. Hopefully the end date will allow the Brits/etc to see most of the eligible films before we vote, and it will also exclude people voting for films that got their shout-out in 2012 stateside. There is no nominating because there are only around 800 choices and everyone can find out what they are.

There is an (incomplete) list here, but if there's anything you're not sure about just look up the IMDB entry and check the release dates.

EXCEPTION!: Since it got a proper theatrical release in most other countries, Behind the Candelabra is eligible. I'll not let the decrepit state of US film funding spoil your fun if you were passionate about it.

Each ballot can be up to 25 votes, all weighted, with normal rules applying. Please don't submit a ballot with less than 5 films.

Send ballots to ilxfilmpoll2013 at g ma il . com

Since there is no official list allowing for easy copy and pasting, please use the English names of foreign titles.

Voting ends at Midnight EST, February 28th. Hopefully the roll-out will start on Oscar Day. There will probably only be about 30 films in the countdown, though if there is enough voting I'm happy to extend it to 40 or so.

Now that's a long lead!

Ok, I'm out. I'm not gonna be fucking bothered with a poll that restricts itself to US theatrical releases, as that would disallow Closed Curtain, Harmony Lessons and Till Madness Do Us Part aka the three best films of 2013. Also, I won't get to see much of the great stuff until april. This is completely pointless.

Really, everyone should be allowed to vote for everything, who cares if one or two idiots vote for Beasts of Southern Wild?

It's a more level playing field as people can rep for films that are actually somewhat attainable by people interested in voting. afaik Closed Curtain as *only* played film festivals, which a vast majority of us cannot get to.

I wouldn't be as spicy about it, but I agree with Fred. If Closed Curtain already suffers limited access, what's the harm letting the one person whose seen it vote for it.

I don't really care about having a 'level playing field', this isn't a contest about best taste, but about championing great movies! And the greatest films are festival-films.

And there's where I disembark.

I guess it made sense to me to follow the general outline of how publications and sites tend to do these things, if only because it makes it easier for everyone to have a chance to weigh in as opposed to a privileged minority prattling on about The Immigrant which nobody else will get a chance to see.

I know friends in 2012 who loved Leviathan and were twitchy about not being able to put it on their lists etc but by holding off for an actual release it got a lot wider recognition than it would have otherwise, if only because people had a chance to see it.

What if I had a "Top Unreleased Films" ballot of five or so films for each voter and did that as a sub-poll?

Well, the thing is though, that if we do this the way publications and sites do it, then the list will be more like those from publications and sites. Shouldn't this be like, an ILX-list, with all the weird local stuff that would include?

Sorry, don't mean to sound so angry or dismissive, but when you're not American or British, and like the more festivally stuff, then the level playing field is just unattainable. I haven't seen Stray Dogs or A Touch of Sin or Le Passé or all that stuff, and I can't see it before voting ends. I've already made a top 15 for 2013, and I think only 8 would be eligible, and most of those won't get a 2014 release anyway.

'Those' being the 7 unreleased ones.

We will vote for Closed Curtain next year.

Mud was shown in festivals in 2012 but it's a 2013 release so it's all good, if anything the ballot is a little late on festivals but there is enough good films out there to make something interesting I'm sure.

xposts

The vagaries of release platforms is annoying, sure, but a lot of the 2013 end-of-year-list hitters were 2012 festival films.

Shouldn't this be like, an ILX-list, with all the weird local stuff that would include?

There very well might be so few voters that the one vote for that weird local stuff will make it on the list, but more than likely it won't make it not because of its quality, but because nobody has even had a chance to see it. Closed Curtain e.g. will almost definitely get some kind of release in the next year, and then there will be a lot of consideration for it. An unreleased poll will do a lot more to get people to watch out for some of the films you champion.

I can vote for Taxi Driver, right? (Just agitating EH.)

Just refrain from citing any Sidney Lumet.

Can a Mod help me here:

Unreleased Sub-Poll

You may also include a separate ballot for Unreleased Films, whether they have no distribution or will get a release in 2014. You can include up to 10 films, so festival goers and British fans of Alan Partridge and Ben Wheatley can have their voices heard.

Ok, I'm out. I'm not gonna be fucking bothered with a poll that restricts itself to US theatrical releases

sigh

And thus the first attempted ILX year-end movie poll belly flops like the Spruce Goose it was always predestined to resemble.

RIP this poll then

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I'm sad.

It seems like an easy problem to solve. Collect ballots, let people vote for whatever they want to vote for. Of the highest-placing 30 or 40 films, my guess is that the great majority will be easily recognizable as 2013 releases. If you get five films you're not sure of, check those; if they had an official release anywhere, or a festival showing anywhere--US, Britain, whatever--count it. If it's clearly not a 2013 film, substitute the next highest finisher. I bet it wouldn't take more than 30 minutes online checking a handful of judgement calls.

Yeah, I suppose we could do that. Probably should have said any commercial release anywhere, because ugh festival voters, but okay, let's try it again.

All films eligible unless it had a US release before 2013, because I don't wanna deal with Lincoln or Zero Dark Thirty or fucking Amour.

MODS

Knowing that any 2012 release won't be counted anyway, there would be an incentive for voters to check their own lists--I know I'll need to check a couple of documentaries I saw last year.

Well a lot of the "Oscar contender" US films don't come out until the first few months of the next year in a lot of countries, so I could see why someone would vote for them, but I'm hoping they can catch up a bit before voting ends for the 2013 ones. I don't care for having something like Stranger by the Lake coming in quite low this year, and then (if it were to ever be done again) quite low next year because the vote was split. Still, I get the annoyance at seeming US-centric, it just seems the fairest way to let as many people as possible have a chance to view them before voting if they so inclined.

You could always P&J this year's votes into next year's totals.

I'm really sorry for being a dick, both of the compromises put forth sound completely workable. I will make a list no matter what and it will perhaps be really unpersonal (I would have put Faust on my 2011 ballot, as I managed to see it early 2012), but who cares. A thing though: What about VOD-releases? Like, Les Salouds and Neighbouring Sounds, were they ever theatrically released? They might deserve to be on all the lists.

But really, no matter what: Great initiative, Gukbe!

And again, sorry.

And guys, Closed Curtain! Just saying.

Both Neighbouring Sounds and Les Salauds were released in the US in 2013.

Might run an irish-released 2013 poll if thats ok with everyone

look american hustle is gonna win this thing anyways so limiting it to american release dates doesn't seem that big a deal

i mean it's show business not show socialism

wow, people are bailing for reasons that have nothing to do with why I'm not participating.

And the greatest films are festival-films.

And the average ILX moviegoer doesn't go to festivals. Or read about them. Or knowingly go to "festival films."

Why are you not participating?

bcz every ilx film poll ever

there won't be enough films from the 20s in the rollout

Neighboring Sounds was 2012 US release, no? VOD films tend to get theatrical exhibition as well.

yes it was, such as those things go (ie 4-8 cities probly)

american hustle is gonna win this thing anyways

If this gets off the ground, and enough people vote, I'm positive Wolf of Wall Street would win. Going by the thread, a couple of us hated it, a couple more found it half-tedious/half-okay, and whole bunch of people thought it was good-to-great.

jesus, this was a problematic start huh

I guess not everyone was reading the detrius thread when we were talking about it.

Shouldn't we have a campaining thread where we can shout at people to check out Les Salouds and Post Tenebras Lux and stuff?

this is ILX, nobody's stopping you from shouting at people and telling them how to spend their time

ive seen feck all movies from this year. what i have seen was mostly meh with the exception of "the bling ring".

Llewin Davies will win this, not American Hustle

i just read the future in my turkish coffee

I think you should discourage people from voting unless they've seen, oh, 5x the number of films they're voting for.

The high-finishing films will be everything that was up for a Golden Globe, minus Mr Banks and A/Osage County and plus Pain & Gain and Upstream Color.

This is ILX. I'm sure we'll find quiet Saving Mr. Banks stans.

Tx for relaxing on eligibility Gukbe. I was never going to check for release dates, only if I thought it was a 2013 release.

(I am not going to vote for L Davis if it makes it on the top films front for me bcz its out this week in the UK therefore its 2014 in my mind, so what constitutes 2013 or 14 is not something I watch too closely).

I may include a doc or two...assuming this is ok.

why no, documentaries are not films!

Hopefully the end date will allow the Brits/etc to see most of the eligible films before we vote,

see, the rules are designed for you to count films like ILD

Shit. Sent that before I could format it (or, put spaces between things). First number is pts, Second is no. of votes.

I've seen 29 of the top 40. The ones I've missed are: Berberian Sound Studio, Lore, An Oversimplification Of Her Beauty, Pacific Rim, Something In The Air, Like Someone In Love, Gimme The Loot, This Is Martin Bonner, A Touch Of Sin, Post Tenebras Lux and Room 237.

Here's my ballot:

1. the act of killing
2 prince avalanche
3. enough said
4. blancanieves
5. computer chess
6. frances ha
7. what richard did
8. le week-end
9. spring breakers
10. the great beauty
11. gravity
12. museum hours
13. mister john
14. in the house
15. the place beyond the pines
16. blue is the warmest colour
17. the selfish giant
18. in a world …
19. before midnight
20. only god forgives
21. what maisie knew
22. sunshine on leith
23. all is lost

No other fucker voted for What Richard Did?

what'd he do?

None of this have made it to UK cinemas? But stuff I'll look to see in 2014.

1. Closed Curtain (Panahi)
2. Til Madness Do Us Part (Wang Bing)
3. Harmony Lessons (Baigazin)
4. The Grandmaster (Wong)
7. Night (Brzezicki)
11. Manakamana (Spray & Velez)
16. Strange Little Cat (Zürcher)
17. Drug War (To)
25. Faust (Sokurov)

― xyzzzz__, 4. marts 2014 00:38 (11 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I think some of it is avaible in VOD and stuff. Also, I think Wang Bing's West of the Tracks is showing at the AVFestival somewhere in the UK these days, or so my twitter-feed told me. Would really love to see it, Til Madness Do Us Part is the only of his I've seen.

1 - Gimme the Loot
2 - This is Martin Bonner
3 - Mud
4 - Philip Roth: Unmasked
5 - Seduced and Abandoned
6 - Upstream Color
7 - Side Effects
8- Simon Killer
9 - Frances Ha
10 - Beyond the Hills
11 - At Any Price
12 - Nebraska
13 - American Hustle
14 - All is Lost
15 - All the Light in the Sky
16 - The Wolf of Wall Street
17 - What Maise Knew
18 - Inside Llewyn Davis
19 - Behind the Candalabra

forgot - computer chess/bastards; prob half dozen or so contenders that ive not seen

Oh, wait, that wasn't my final ballot – I re-sent it with Inside Llewyn Davis at no.13 and everything else shunted down one.

what'd he do?

Well, that'd be a bit of a spoiler. Looks like What Richard Did never got a proper release in the US. Shame - it's a remarkable film from the guy whose next film will get rather more attention, what with it starring Michael Fassbender as Frank Sidebottom.

I thought about voting for it but I saw it two years ago

I think I had eight or nine where I was the only vote. The only one that surprises me is Nothing Can Hurt Me. Conversely, I'm surprised that Our Nixon and I Am Divine both got a second vote. After I sent in my ballot, I remembered slocki's The Fruit Hunters, which I thought was 2012 but is listed as Jan. 4, 2013 (American release) on IMDB. I probably would have put that somewhere in the 15-20 range.

My ballot:

1. Act of Killing
2. Inside Llewyn Davis
3. Before Midnight
4. 12 Years a Slave
5. Leviathan
6. The World's End
7. Drug War
8. Bastards
9. Museum Hours
10. Beyond the Hills
11. Spring Breakers
12. Like Someone in Love
13. To the Wonder
14. Computer Chess
15. Enough Said
16. Wolf of Wall Street
17. The Lone Ranger
18. Upstream Color
19. Frances Ha
20. Her
21. All is Lost (I forgot I voted for it!)
22. The Wind Rises
23. This is Martin Bonner
24. The Past
25. Byzantium

What Richard Did got a VOD release last summer. I almost watched it based on your raves, Alba. But I didn't.

I thought about voting for it but I saw it two years ago

This won't stop me voting for We Are The Best in next year's poll. Might as well vote outside of festival years, I think.

I liked What Richard did a good deal, it was probably my number 26. But ultimately I thought About Elly covered similar ground but much better.

Good work. Fairly chuffed, if not surprised, at Frances Ha - and not Spring Breakers - being ilx's #1 film of 2013ish.

01. A Field in England
02. Stoker
03. Django Unchained
04. Pacific Rim
05. Lincoln
06. Gravity
07. Lore
08. Magic Magic
09. Mud
10. Frances Ha
11. Captain Phillips
12. Bastards
13. Before Midnight
14. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
15. Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa
16. Blue is the Warmest Color
17. You're Next
18. Zero Dark Thirty
19. The Great Gatsby
20. Only God Forgives
21. The Lone Ranger
22. Side Effects
23. Laurence Anyways
24. Byzantium
25. Fast & Furious 6

I think Closed Curtain will actually get a lot of play when it's properly released and people can see it. That's why I initially went for a stricter set of rules but letting it go free and easy worked out just fine.

Also why was I the only one to vote for Stranger By the Lake?!

Didn't get a US release until a few weeks ago.

It only came out in the UK a couple of weeks ago too.

I'll definitely be voting for it next year.

Didn't get a UK release until a few weeks ago either. I've actually been sitting on a copy since December but in my rush to catch up with 2013 films I didn't watch it. It's coming to the cinema here next week so I'm hopefully gonna catch it then.

I think that only opened here a week or two ago.

I mean, I'd seen it in time for the year's poll, but knew that most people wouldn't be voting for it this year, so it would have seemed a wasted vote.

On Closed Curtain: Has it even been picked up? And do you know where I could check stuff like that?

I don't think it does yet, but I'd be shocked if it didn't have some kind of release by years end.

New Wave Films looks like it might be giving it belated distribution. This page says "Spring 2014".

http://www.newwavefilms.co.uk/view-film-detail.html?viewListing=OTU=

Cool! But that's UK, right?

Oh yes, sorry.

They'll also release Norte, which might be at the top of my wish-list at the moment. Hopefully at PIX14.

My ballot:

1 Post Tenebras Lux
2 Faust
3 A Field in England
4 Bastards
5 Computer Chess
6 Berberian Sound Studio
7 Lore
8 Enough Said
9 Inside Llewyn Davis
10 Leviathan

my ballot:

1. a touch of sin
2. before midnight
3. inside llewyn davis
4. the act of killing
5. spring breakers
6. 12 years a slave
7. frances ha
8. the past
9. nebraska
10. to the wonder

This is my #1 and likely to stay so

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtNLjGbxiJE

01. Her
02. Spring Breakers
03. Leviathan
04. Room 237
05. Gravity
06. Computer Chess
07. The Missing Picture
08. Museum Hours
09. Post Tenebras Lux
10. Bastards
11. Passion
12. Inside Llewyn Davis
13. A Touch of Sin
14. Before Midnight
15. Viola
16. Upstream Color
17. The Past
18. Faust
19. Frances Ha
20. The Act of Killing
21. The Last Time I Saw Macao
22. The Lords of Salem
23. An Oversimplification of Her Beauty
24. The World’s End
25. White House Down

This is my #1 and likely to stay so

That looks amazing, but I've found no way to see it yet.

This was a fun thread, Gukbe. Thanks for sticking with it. :)

did Missing Picture run anywhere in the US in '13? I remember seeing it in Ed G's top 10, and being p sure it didn't in NYC.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2852470/releaseinfo?ref_=tt_ql_dt_2

I didn't see it until 2014, but I figured it was eligible for this poll. In any case, going forward, we should just add onto previous totals if the current year's points outnumber the previous year's, a la Pazz/Jop.

have you seen 2 Guns, Eric? I notice White House Down creeping onto your list there and I think it easily outdoes that in the absurd throwback action stakes

I did. I also saw Olympus Has Fallen (which a much snobbier friend of mine championed). What can I say? Our guilty pleasures choose us, and they all probably suck.

there seems to a surprisingly clear divide between defenders of the two stupid White House under attack movies (I went with WHD as well)

I also voted for Lone Survivor which, despite its many dodgy aspects, does contain possibly the best shootout in American cinema since Heat

Missing Picture got some festival play plus a week-long thing in LA ( and maybe NY?) just for Oscar eligibility. I think it comes out properly (though dubbed in English) this month or the next.

xposts

Also, Cherish, there are ~~ways~~ to see Last Time I Saw Macao

no, NY was only the Festival. LA shouldn't count.

so clemenza is the one non-millionaire in the Western world who liked the Bergdorf Goodman documentary? I saw the trailer and wanted to call in an Al Qaeda operation.

i kinda hated it tbh and i only got through the first half hour

caught up on a few things

Kings of Summer - this was really great, slot it in @ 5 or so

Fruitvale Station - not bad, obv going for more weight but is a few
magnitudes less good than 'gimme the loot'

Dallas Buyers Club - eh Oscar bait

12 yrs a slave - is good, slot in somewhere in my bottom 5

1 - Gimme the Loot
2 - This is Martin Bonner
3 - Mud
4 - Philip Roth: Unmasked
5 - Seduced and Abandoned
6 - Upstream Color
7 - Side Effects
8- Simon Killer
9 - Frances Ha
10 - Beyond the Hills
11 - At Any Price
12 - Nebraska
13 - American Hustle
14 - All is Lost
15 - All the Light in the Sky
16 - The Wolf of Wall Street
17 - What Maise Knew
18 - Inside Llewyn Davis
19 - Behind the Candalabra

forgot - computer chess/bastards; prob half dozen or so contenders that ive not seen

― johnny crunch, Monday, March 3, 2014 6:56 PM (8 months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Hope Gukbe does this again.

It's coming! End of January.

Yay! post here to remind when the nominations go up?

i dont think we did noms? just ballots and you were on your own m/l to judge if it met released in the year

whatever's clever. But post here when we start plz? I don't check site new answers really.

Yeah I'll definitely post here. Just giving everyone at least a month to catch up before we even start.

New poll thread is up!