Sunday Matinee (Dec. 21 - Jan. 4)

Not half the price, just half the work.

Sorry I'm a few days late, folks, but I just don't have it in me to call this "Tuesday Matinee." I put the feature on hold, not because I thought there would be a lack of good writing – the holidays are golden for film lovers – but because of my vacation. Now the movie-obsessing can begin again. Here's a collection of what I enjoyed reading from the last two weeks.

So without further ado, a super-sized fortnight edition broken into three parts for your convenience...

The Lists

• It's list-mania at the end of the year for film writers, and we kick it off with Ibetolis at Film for the Soul, who has a top ten list for 2008, except it's the ten best films from any year that he finally saw in 2008.

• Shawn at Deadpan has an extraordinarily comprehensive best of '08 list.

• Nick at Fataculture has a list of his favourite (that U's for you) films of 2008.

• Dean at Filmicability has a bold list of great films from '08.

• A stellar look back on the year in film at Doodad Kind of Town.

• From the Front Row has the rundown on favorite '08 films and, for a bonus, fills out a hypothetical Oscar ballot.

• Top ten films of 2008 from James Berardinelli.

• Slate is in the process of their annual Movie Club. This time, it's all female film critic discussion, and I'm really excited to read their thoughts.

• And finally, New York Times blogger and un-film-critic Stanley Fish weighs in on his top ten American films of all time. Make sure you take the time to read the comments section – if there's one thing I never tire of, it's the utter insanity of someone saying "there is no way you can take any list seriously that doesn't have (insert movie title here)."

The Writing

• Marilyn wisely esckews film lists (and apparently lacks the O.C.D. gene the rest of us filmaholics have), but submits a superb review of The Madwoman of Chaillot (1969) as the film that most represents this moment in time.

• The Dancing Image examines the collaboration of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

• Alexander Coleman will be doing a month-long guest stint at the impeccable dame's Noirish City.

• Raquelle at Out of the Past, a classic film blog, bares her thoughts on The Naked City.

• In a list that hearkens back to my friend MovieMan's 12 "Holy Grail" Movie Meme from August 2008, the AV Club compiles their picks for 23 great movies not available on region-1 DVD.

Gone Fishin' (with Oscar Bait)

• Revolutionary Road is assessed of its un-Sirkness at Self-Styled Siren.

• Cinema Viewfinder has a triple play you must run over and read: A Christmas Tale, Synecdoche, New York, and Milk.

• The world keeps going up and down on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (I'm dying to see it to weigh in on the matter). Read up on what these fine critics have to say:
¶ Getafilm;
¶ The Dark of the Matinee;
¶ Coleman's Corner; and
¶ Bowen's Cineamtic.

• And one last catch-all: Fetch at BlogCabins reviews Gran Torino; The Dark of the Matinee reviews Rachel Getting Married; The Stop Button has a take on Slumdog Millionaire; Coleman's Corner reviews Doubt; and Bowen's Cinematic reviews Milk.

Finally, in case you haven't seen them...
This week on Turner Classic Movies:

• The Crowd (1928), Jan 6
• Hallelujah (1929), Jan 6
• Citizen Kane (1941), Jan 6
• The Third Man (1949), Jan 7
• The Dark Past (1948), Jan 7
• Mister Roberts (1955), Jan 7
• King Creole (1958), Jan 8
• The Big Sky (1952), Jan 9
• Cimarron (1960), Jan 9
• Key Largo (1948), Jan 9
• The Old Dark House (1932), Jan 10
• Little Caesar (1930), Jan 10
• Marty (1955), Jan 11
• Harold and Maude (1971), Jan 11
• Niagara (1952), Jan 11