The MoFo Top 100 of the 2000s Countdown

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Critics




Critics thoughts on our #19, The Departed...



It currently has a 90% Certified Fresh Tomatometer score among critics, and a 8.5/10 score on IMDb (with 1,300,000 votes).

Roger Ebert gave it ★★★★ and said:
"Although many of the plot devices are similar in Scorsese's film and the Hong Kong 'original', this is Scorsese's film all the way because of his understanding of the central subject of so much of his work: guilt. It is reasonable to assume that Boston working-class men named Costigan, Sullivan, Costello, Dignam and Queenan were brought up as Irish-American Catholics, and that if they have moved outside the church's laws, they have nevertheless not freed themselves of a sense of guilt."
Meanwhile Ryan Gilbey, of New Statesman, said:
"Plausible psychological scrutiny loses out to shot after shot of brains being splattered. And boy, do you get a lot of brains for your buck. It's just a shame they're all on the walls and not in the script."
As for our MoFo reviewers, @KeyserCorleone said:
"The Departed is the one Scorsese movie I can find myself watching over and over again without feeling obligated to watch it again for critical purposes. It's an excellent cat-and-mouse movie with a great story and a lot of humanity, and the humanity is the one reason this is my favorite Scorsese movie. I saw this last week and it shot up to the top of my Scorsese list immediately."
And @Iroquois said:
"The Departed is definitely my least favourite Scorsese film and definitely my least favourite Best Picture winner. I can understand the Academy wanting to give Scorsese a sympathy vote, but the fact that they gave it to such an insufferable example of diminishing returns, well...all I can say is 'rats'."
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Awards




Now to the awards received by Shaun of the Dead...

  • Saturn Award for Best Horror Film
  • British Independent Film Award for Best Screenplay (Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright)
  • Empire Award for Best British Film
  • International Horror Guild Award for Best Movie
  • Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Wide-Release Film, Best Actor (Pegg), Best Supporting Actor (Nick Frost) and Best Screenplay (Pegg and Wright)


As for The Departed, it won...

  • Academy Awards for Best Picture and Director (Martin Scorsese)
  • Academy Award for Best Screenplay (William Monahan) and Editing (Thelma Schoonmaker)
  • DGA Award for Directorial Achievement (Scorsese)
  • Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Screenplay (Monahan)
  • Empire Award for Best Thriller
  • Golden Globe for Best Director (Scorsese)



Shaun of the Dead is good fun. It didn't make my list, but I have nothing but good feelings toward it.

When I have to say something motivating (like to my class) and I'm just not feeling it, I always think of "There's no I in team. But there's an I in pie. And there's an I in meat pie. And meat is an anagram of team . . . I don't know."

Horror comedies are really hit-or-miss for me, and this one was definitely a hit.

As for The Departed . . . eh. Maybe it's because I'd already seen Infernal Affairs (the movie it's a remake of, though I didn't realize it until like 25 or 30 minutes into watching it in the theater). Maybe it's just that I don't really love any of the actors in it. I've only seen it the once (very excited for it having read good reviews), and I just liked it less and less as it went on. It all felt like it was trying too hard.



I forgot the opening line.
20. Shaun of the Dead : In what has become a trend for me, I had Shaun of the Dead on my list as just about a lock during the entire time I was compiling it, and at the last minute I scrubbed it for something else. There are at least two more films to come where I did the same - trying to find spots for films I desperately wanted to include. So, it goes without saying that I obviously hold this film in high regard - I've watched it a heap of times, and never get tired of it. This comedic gem is undoubtedly hilarious, and I guess one the of the best zombie films ever made (if you include it in that category - is a spoof of a particular genre a part of that genre?) but it also excels in the art of filmmaking itself, with some bravura shots (I love the one where he leaves his house in the morning, goes to the shop and returns without noticing the zombie apocalypse - all in one take), great editing and a wonderful soundtrack and score. If I'd had a ballot allowing me 50 spots, my job would have been a lot easier, and I could have had room for films I have absolute reverence for, and enjoyable favourites like this that I never tire of watching. But I had to make cuts - even ones that pained me.

19. The Departed : If I'd included The Departed on my list I would have been a fraud, because I've never really held it close to my heart. I don't know what it is about it, but it didn't speak to me, so I've had to endure fellow film lovers talking about it with respect and awe while I've just felt like I'm missing out. It's not a Martin Scorsese problem, because there are plenty of his films I like a great deal. Likewise the talent in front of the camera. The last time I watched it, I thought by paying a great deal of attention and appreciating everything about it I'd finally get it and see it as others do. It just passed by as ordinary for me. I hate that. Years from now, the same thing is going to happen - I'm going to watch The Departed, convinced that this time I'm going to love it. Who knows, maybe I will - but I probably won't. I'm sure we all have a couple of films that are universally acclaimed and loved that we just don't like all that much. I'm afraid The Departed is the biggest film of the decade I feel that way about.

Seen 69/82
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Shaun of the Dead!?!?! Doesn't scream 2000s to me. Signs and Hangover do. Hell even Shrek. But not that goofy movie.
I don't know about "screaming 2000s", but Shaun of the Dead is light years better than The Hangover.



I don't know about "screaming 2000s", but Shaun of the Dead is light years better than The Hangover.
Shaun of the Dead and Signs don't even belong in the same room. I guess Signs was more of a "thing" when it came out, but good lord you'd have to pay me to sit through it again.



Okay, Shaun of the Dead is an all-time favorite of mine, be it comedy or zombie movie. I'm a huge zombie fan, so this one was a sure thing for me for my list and to see it make the Top 20 is aces. I have two more zombie films on my list but I don't think they're making it now. The Departed, like many Martin Scorsese fans have said, is lesser Scorsese but that said, I still found it entertaining. But the fact that I've only watched it once also says something about me in that I prefer to re-watch other films of his. Oh well, I'm glad at least one of these made my list.


#5.Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl 63
#8. Unbreakable 62
#10. Million Dollar Baby 57
#15. Shaun of the Dead 20
#18. The Royal Tenenbaums 35
#22. Fantastic Mr. Fox 70
#20. Iron Man 83
#21 Finding Nemo 44
#23. The Descent 80
#25. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang 76
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Trivia




Shaun of the Dead



Did you know that...
  • Shaun's workplace is Foree Electric, which is a homage to Ken Foree, star of Dawn of the Dead?
  • Simon Pegg turned down a role in Dog Soldiers to be in this?
  • George A. Romero was so impressed with the film that he asked Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright to cameo in Land of the Dead as zombies?




One of those made my voting list. Who can guess which?
The former, I hope! Nothing against The Two Towers.



Also, I just looked back at my own list and my #2 pick is . . . something. Considering I usually radically change my mind about lists every 24 hours, most of it surprisingly still holds up. But my #2 pick . . . LOL. Like, I'm fine with it being on my list and I believe it will place on this countdown, but in the second to top position? Past Takoma, you got some splainin' to do!



Trivia




The Departed



Did you know that...
  • director Martin Scorsese wanted Al Pacino for the role of Costello? He had never worked with him before, but Pacino turned it down. Pacino would later appear in The Irishman.
  • roughly half of the $90 million budget went to the actors' salaries?
  • Brad Pitt was originally cast as Colin Sullivan? However, he dropped out to work on Babel
  • Ray Liotta was the original choice for the role of Dignam? Unfortunately, he had to reluctantly decline, due to other commitments./




Shaun of the Dead and Signs don't even belong in the same room. I guess Signs was more of a "thing" when it came out, but good lord you'd have to pay me to sit through it again.
Yeah. I kinda liked Signs, but Shaun against those two? Uhhh...



I prefer The Village over Signs, myself.
I was pretty underwhelmed by both. Good examples of the way that Shyamalan's tonal shifts sometimes really don't work for me. (Whereas I thought he did a great job balancing humor and scares in The Visit).

There's a great movie somewhere that reaches peak hilarity as Mel Gibson grief-binges a table's worth of food. Signs was not it.

And there's a great movie somewhere where werewolf monster things punish anyone wearing red. The Village was not it.



The trick is not minding
I was pretty underwhelmed by both. Good examples of the way that Shyamalan's tonal shifts sometimes really don't work for me. (Whereas I thought he did a great job balancing humor and scares in The Visit).

There's a great movie somewhere that reaches peak hilarity as Mel Gibson grief-binges a table's worth of food. Signs was not it.

And there's a great movie somewhere where werewolf monster things punish anyone wearing red. The Village was not it.
While I liked The Village a bit more than you did, I should clarify it’s more of 3 star film while Signs would be more of a 2 star film. The Village isn’t anything great, but I found it decent enough to be passable.
I grade on a 4 star rating.



Also, I just looked back at my own list and my #2 pick is . . . something. Considering I usually radically change my mind about lists every 24 hours, most of it surprisingly still holds up. But my #2 pick . . . LOL. Like, I'm fine with it being on my list and I believe it will place on this countdown, but in the second to top position? Past Takoma, you got some splainin' to do!
Lol, I just thought the same thing about my #5. I guess I just forgot to place that one when I was arranging the list. Because it's definitely not top 5- worthy. Also my 2 & 3 have no shot at this point. My top 5 is a mess.