Review Archive
(Current reviews heard Saturday at 9:30am with Steve Cochran)

NICK'S LIST OF LISTS:
Nick has been reviewing movies on WGN since 1985. Here are all of his archived "Best of Lists" since then. Take them with you to the video store, or just start arguments when necessary. E-mail Nick with questions or comments anytime.

Best of: 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000
1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995 | 1994 | 1993 | 1992 | 1991 | 1990
1989 | 1988 | 1987 | 1986 | 1985
Best of the 90's
"Tough Chick" Movies
Halloween Movies
Potential remakes starring digitally recreated dead actors
Must-see movies for every man on the planet
Top 25 Sci Fi Films
Top Gangster Films
Performances ignored by the Academy
Best Animated Films
Jim the Movie Freak's picks from the South by Southwest Music Festival
The Great "Versus" List of Match-Ups
Bad Movie Titles

Best of 2002
(in order of preference)

1. PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE - You either love it or hate it, which was also the case with PT Anderson's last masterpiece Magnolia. Adam Sandler was remarkable in a breakthrough performance, and the film's tone of heartbreaking intensity, and weird comedy was wholly original. Hands down, it's the film of the year.

2. THE FAST RUNNER - An astounding piece of filmmaking that told an Inuit legend involving adventure, magic and tragedy. It's three hours long, in a foreign language and it will make you feel really cold, but it is a landmark achievement from director Zacharias Kunuk.

3. ABOUT SCHMIDT - Alexander Payne's funny/tragic tale about a man examining his life, and finding it to be pretty empty. Cry one minute, laugh the next. Jack Nicholson's performance is one of his very best, and the rest of the cast (including Kathy Bates, Dermot Mulroney) was amazing too.

4. CHANGING LANES - The single most surprising film of the year. A deeply profound study of our culture that tells the morality story that unfolds between two men who clash on one day in New York City. A great Samuel L. Jackson and a surprisingly insightful Ben Affleck brought a great, smart script to life.

5. POSSESION - Neil LuBute's wonderful, literate and beautifully acted love story about a pair of poetry students who uncover an affair that took place years earlier. Gwenyth Paltrow and Aaron Eckhart (really great here) are the focus. This is intelligent, thought provoking stuff, and, of course, no one went to see it.

6. FAR FROM HEAVEN - Todd Hayne's loving salute to the great melodramas of Douglas Sirk is, first of all, the most beautiful looking movie of the year and one of the best acted. Told with a straight face and remarkable allegiance to the style everyone commends themselves admirably. Julianne Moore is her usual brilliant self, and Dennis Quaid is a revelation as her closeted gay husband. Great stuff, especially for cinemaphiles.

7. ADAPTATION - Weird, original, at times transcendent. Nicolas Cage plays a screenwriter trying to adapt a book to the screen with impossible results. He gives his finest performance in many, many years and he is ably supported by Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper. Spike Jonez directs a brilliant script by Charlie Kaufman, and the results are pretty amazing, and unlike anything you've ever seen before.

8. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS - The second installment of what will inevitably turn out to be the greatest adventure film series of all time is every bit as good as the first film. Peter Jackson and crew have done it again. A great work that is vibrantly cinematic and an astounding achievement that has to be seen to be believed.

9. MINORITY REPORT - Steven Spielberg's best film in almost 20 years was this smart, scary, exciting sci-fier based on a story by Phillip K. Dick. Tom Cruise (in a terrific, physical performance) is a futuristic cop in a world where people are arrested before they actually commit the crime. Twisty, suspenseful and altogether entertaining.

10. JACKASS: THE MOVIE - OK, start writing your letters of complaint now, I don't care. This was, by far the funniest film of the year (in fact it's one of the funniest films I have ever seen), and, in my opinion, a great post-modern work of art. Johnny Knoxville and the rest of the idiots perform a bunch of manic stunts (outrageous doesn't even begin to describe what happens in this movie), the same type that they did on the MTV television show. I have never been in a room full of people who were laughing harder, longer or more consistently. Brilliant and moronic all at the same time. I loved every single second of this movie. No apologies.

Runners up: TALK TO HER; Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN; SPIRITED AWAY; GANGS OF NEW YORK; FEMME FATALE

Best of 2001

1. THE ROYAL TENNENBAUMS - Wes Anderson's brilliant, visionary and wholly original film has set the standard for domestic, American family dramas to follow. A stellar cast lead by Gene Hackman do wonders with the great script by Anderson and cast member Owen Wilson. This is a special movie, the kind that doesn't come around very often...so cherish it. Filled with wonderful allusions to literature, art and other films, this is an exceedingly smart film that isn't pretentious (like Woody Allen's ridiculous, and often unwatchable attempts at this type of thing) and it is always hilarious. With Bottle Rocket, Rushmore and now this film under his belt, it's safe to say that Wes Anderson is a force to be reckoned with.

2. DONNIE DARKO - The most tragic story of the film year was the fate of this incredibly original and startling directorial debut from 28 year-old Richard Kelly. It bombed at the box office partly because of horrible marketing, and partly because of a crowed time at the art-houses. Part teen angst, part science fiction, part mystery, this is a blatantly elusive film that is designed to ignite the mind and spirit. Jake Gyllenhaal (Bubble Boy) gives a remarkable performance as a disturbed teenager who is contacted by a large metallic rabbit and told to stop the end of the world. Drew Barrymore (who produced) also appears as a teacher in this wonderful film that deserved a much better release. Seek it out...this is about as good as it gets.

3. MEMENTO - Christopher Nolan's intricate, dreamlike noir had many scratching their heads, but no one was left uninterested. Guy Pearce plays a guy who suffers from short term memory lapse, and it tells the tale of his search for the murderer of his wife. The story is told backwards and is incredibly suspenseful. It's become a bit of a classic, and it deserves it.

4. AMORES PERROS - A fabulous Mexican film that was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Film last year, and in any other year (it lost to last year's best movie Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) it would have won. I love the interlocking stories and it's tone of sorrowful comedy, and the performances are spectacular. A study in the dynamics of love and violence, this is one great film.

5. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING - The grandest adventure film to come down the pike in years is this great adaptation of the JRR Tolkien story. Director Peter Jackson brings vibrant urgency and full-blooded emotion to the material, and the result is the best film of its kind, and what should be a lesson to George Lucas, the cold and often moronic storyteller of the Star Wars series. A great, great movie, that demands multiple viewings.

6. WITH A FRIEND LIKE HARRY - A beautifully restrained and languid thriller from France (in French and Spanish) that plays like a weird dream combined with the best of Hitchcock. The story of a strange little man who ingratiates himself with a family, becomes increasingly more terrifying with each minute. I loved the fact that the film never builds to one of those predictable slasher climaxes, and it ends even more ambiguously than it begins. Beautifully directed by Dominik Moll.

7. STARTUP.COM - A great documentary that tells the Shakespearean-like tale of two young up-and-comers who start their own dot com corporation, only to see it come crashing down. A riveting, funny, revealing and tragic tale of business, friendship and greed. It plays like a great narrative drama...but it's all real.

8. THE CIRCLE - The plight and place of women in Iran was explored in three terrific films in 2001 (the second of which is included on my runners up list: The Day I Became a Woman), but none were more powerful than Jafar Panahi's startling and raw feature, that is clearly one of the most important films of the year. It will probably leave you shaken and breathless, but it is a film that must be seen. Powerful, provocative filmmaking of the highest order.

9. GHOST WORLD - Terry Zwiegoff's follow-up to Crumb is this funny, sad, beautiful film about the weirdness and otherworldly quality of being a teenage girl. Thora Birch and Scarlett Johanssen shine as a pair of rebellious teens in a comic-book world, and Steve Buscemi plays the jazz-record collecting middle-aged loser who befriends them. A fine film, that crosses many boundaries and many styles.

10. THE OTHERS - A classic ghost story in the tradition of The Haunting and The Innocents, this frightening and moody spookfest took the late summer box office by storm, and put Nicole Kidman over-the-top in many people's minds. Director Alejandro Amenabar turned the screws perfectly with this one, and got some great performances from his cast. Quite simply, a great horror film, with no blood, no guts....just an inexhaustible supply of thrills.

RUNNERS UP:

INNOCENCE; VANILLA SKY; THE DAY I BECAME A WOMAN; TRAINING DAY; AMELIE

SPECIAL MENTION:

Tom Green's great, misunderstood postmodern joke, FREDDY GOT FINGERED. One day people will get it...and then they'll laugh.

Best of 2000

1) CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON - Ang Lee's magical, majestic martial-arts fantasy/love story/epic is a one of a kind masterpiece that is easily the most entertaining film I've seen in a long, long time. It's also the best female empowerment action film ever made, featuring amazing fight scenes and sequences of such sheer beauty that I cried at the sight of them. AMAZING filmmaking!

2) TRAFFIC - The first of two Steven Soderbergh directed films on my list. This smart, intense, entertaining take on the drug war covers lots of ground, tells lots of stories and will remain in your mind for a long time after you see it. The great cast includes Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta Jones, Don Cheadle, Dennis Quaid and, with the film's best performance: Bencio Del Toro. Don't miss this movie!

3) DANCER IN THE DARK - You'll either love it or hate it, sometimes at the same time. The most singularly original film of the year is Lars Von Trier's insane musical melodrama about a woman (played by Bjork) who is gradually going blind and all of the awful things that happen to her. Hard to watch sometimes, but ultimately beautiful, this is the most challenging film of the year, as well as the most maddening.

4) CAST AWAY - Robert Zemeckis, the director Steven Speilberg wishes he could be, scores yet another home run with this profound, beautifully directed masterwork about a man stranded on an island. Tom Hanks gives the performance of his career, and the film is about love, life, loneliness, chance, fate and second chances. Amazing work on every level.

5) ALMOST FAMOUS - Why did no one see this movie???!!! Cameron Crowe's wonderful, autobiographical tale of a 15 year old rock journalist and his coming of age featured some of the year's breakthrough performances and a script that is to die for. Smart, funny, moving and it's got a good beat. Featuring the great Phillip Seymour Hoffman as the great Lester Bangs.

6) CHICKEN RUN - The most fun I had in a movie theater all year. The only great film from this summer is this funny animated film about a bunch of chickens trying to escape from there coop/prisons. The creators of Wallace and Gromit outdid themselves here. An absolute blast for all ages.

7) WONDER BOYS - A terrific film, featuring a career performance from Michael Douglas as a professor/author who has a very weird weekend at his Pittburgh university. Filled with smart quirky characters and great situations. Curtis Hanson followed up LA Confidential with this winner, and I think it's ten times better than that film. Featuring Francis McDormand, Tobey Magurie and Robert Downey, Jr.

8) YOU CAN COUNT ON ME - A wonderful independent film about a troubled brother and sister, and how they deal with adulthood and the loss of their parents. Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo are extraordinary in Kenneth Lonnergan's great directorial debut.

9) ERIN BROKOVICH - Steven Soderbergh's second film on my list is a great piece of simple, smart Hollywood filmmaking. It features a truly fine performance from Julia Roberts and a story that can make you stand up and cheer.

10) AMERICAN PSYCHO - An awful, insipid and offensive book, becomes a smart, funny and tremendously entertaining film thanks to director Mary Harron. Dark, brutal and at times violent, this is a strong and funny statement about the 80's, yuppies and serial killers. The central performance by Christian Bale is easily one of the year's best.

Best of 1999

Best of 1998

1. A Simple Plan
2. Rushmore
3. Primary Colors
4. Living Out Loud
5. The Butcher Boy
6. Happiness
7. Babe: Pig in the City
8. A Bug's Life
9. The Truman Show
10. Blade

Best of 1997

1. 187
2. As Good As It Gets
3. The Ice Storm
4. Contact
5. Lost Highway
6. Chasing Amy
7. Crash
8. Boogie Nights
9. In The Company of Men
10. Ulee's Gold

Best of 1996

1. Dead Man
2. Fargo
3. Breaking the Waves
4. Beautiful Girls
5. Kingpin
6. Jerry Maguire
7. Big Night
8. Welcome to the Dollhouse
9. Bound
10. Scream

Best of 1995

1. Seven
2. Strange Days
3. Safe
4. Exotica
5. The Bridges of Madison County
6. Babe
7. Dead Man Walking
8. Crumb
9. Braveheart
10. Toy Story

Best of 1994

1. Forrest Gump
2. Pulp Fiction
3. Three Colors: Blue, White, Red
4. Speed
5. Ed Wood
6. Calendar
7. Threesome
8. The Ref
9. Interview With a Vampire
10. Chungking Express

Best of 1993

1. Fearless
2. The Piano
3. Dazed and Confused
4. A Perfect World
5. The Secret Garden
6. Naked
7. Menace II Society
8. Ruby in Paradise
9. What's Eating Gilbert Grape
10. Hard-boiled

Best of 1992

1. Unforgiven
2. Naked Lunch
3. Glengarry Glen Ross
4. Proof
5. The Hair Dresser's Husband
6. Bob Roberts
7. Reservoir Dogs
8. One False Move
9. Flirting
10. Deep Cover

Best of 1991

1. Barton Fink
2. The Double Life of Veronique
3. An Angel at My Table
4. My Own Private Idaho
5. Defending Your Life
6. Point Break
7. The Killer
8. Man in the Moon
9. Hanging With The Homeboys
10. Rambling Rose

Best of 1990

1. Wild at Heart
2. Men Don't Leave
3. Goodfellas
4. To Sleep With Anger
5. Die Hard 2
6. White Hunter Black Heart
7. Monsieur Hire
8. Miami Blues
9. Reversal of Fortune
10. The Grifters

Best of 1989

1. Do the Right Thing
2. Casualties of War
3. Field of Dreams
4. Distant Voices Still Lives
5. Drugstore Cowboy
6. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
7. The War of the Roses
8. Heathers
9. High Hopes
10. The Fabulous Baker Boys

Best of 1988

1. Dead Ringers
2. Who Framed Roger Rabbit
3. Wings of Desire
4. The Last Temptation of Christ
5. Melo
6. Bird
7. The Beast
8. Shy People
9. The Land Before Time
10. Midnight Run

Best of 1987

1. Hope and Glory
2. Evil Dead 2
3. Near Dark
4. Barfly
5. The Last Emperor
6. Full Metal Jacket
7. The Stepfather
8. House of Games
9. Broadcast News
10. Street Smart

Best of 1986

1. Blue Velvet
2. The Sacrifice
3. The Fly
3. Something Wild
4. Heartbreak Ridge
5. At Close Range
6. The Hitcher
7. Vagabond
8. Sid and Nancy
9. Trouble in Mind
10. Platoon

Best of 1985

1. Lost in America
2. Ran
3. Back to the Future
4. Pale Rider
5. Fandango
6. Blood Simple
7. After Hours
8. Day of the Dead
9. The Breakfast Club
10. Maria's Lovers

Nick Digilio's Best Films of the 90s Fearless Barton Fink The Piano Unforgiven Goodfellas Pulp Fiction Magnolia Seven Men Don't Leave 187 Runners Up: Forrest Gump Naked Lunch My Own Private Idaho Wild at Heart Reservoir Dogs Dazed and Confused Fight Club Fargo Naked Hanging with the Homeboys

Other great films of the 90s (in no particular order): Glengarry Glen Ross Beautiful Girls A Simple Plan The Secret Garden The Shawshank Redmption As Good as it Gets Happiness Blade This Boy's Life Toy Story A Bug's Life Living Out Loud The Butcher Boy Chasing Amy Contact In the Company of Men Babe A Perfect World Jerry Maguire Kingpin Big Night Point Break Deep Cover The Ref The Ice Stor