[Theme; Eerie Overdub]
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[YMS] Alright, so first off, sorry there haven't been any videos 
in a while but this one took way longer than I thought it would. 
(Story of my life.)
The unfortunate by-product of being a one man channel and 
actually trying to put time and effort into my videos 
means that I'm not able to upload with the 
same frequency as some other channels. 
So I appreciate your patience, and without further 
ado I present to you my top 10 films of 2008. 
So, why 2008? Well, it's because the first top 10 of the 
year video I made on this channel was my 2009 list. 
Since then, I've made one top 10 of the year list each 
year and will continue going forward in time doing so. 
But now, since this is my full-time job - thanks 
to patreon and all of you awesome supporters - 
I figure I might as well try to cover every year I can and 
start going backwards in time in-between those other lists. 
Now, this list doesn't just exist to let you know how 
I've organized the films I've seen from a certain year, 
it exists because I want to be able to introduce 
people to films that they'll love. 
I want to provide a service to you guys by spending 
countless hours tracking down these films and 
weeding them out from the mediocre so you don't have 
to. After all, if I'm going to spend 83 per cent 
of my time on this channel bashing movies and demanding 
a higher standard, it only makes sense that I should 
spend the remaining sixth of my time trying to introduce you 
to films that show that a higher standard is achievable. 
Now, obviously that statement applies more to films that are 
higher on the list, but regardless, everyone one of these films
is something that I would find to be worth recommending. And because 
of that I don't confine myself to only having ten movies in my list. 
If there's thirty movies in a year that are worth 
recommending then my list will be thirty movies long. 
If there's only five movies in a year that are worth 
recommending then my list will be five movies long. 
Anyway, watch this video and I'm sure that there will be at 
least one film on this list that'll catch your interest. 
And if I help introduce you to a movie 
that you love, then I've done my job. 
Starting out this list at number 18 is 
a Belgian film called 'Ex Drummer'. 
Now, let me start out by saying that if you're a person 
that needs a trigger-warning before watching something, 
then not only do I issue one for my entire channel right now, 
but this is definitely not something you'd want to watch. 
This movie is offensive to nearly every group imaginable. 
Even ones that I associate with myself. 
But I think it's important to understand the difference 
between ideas being promoted by a film, 
and ones being promoted by characters within the film. 
This movie's got some pretty scuzzy characters in it,
but I don't think that it ever 
promotes them as being good people. 
Now, the reason why I'm promoting this film is not because 
of any interpreted stance on social or political issues. 
It's because succeeds in doing its job at 
being entertaining and way over the top. 
It's got as much stylization as 'Trainspotting' 
with as much offensiveness as 'South Park'. 
Now, I'm not sure I would call this film better than 
either of those things, but it's certainly reminiscent 
of the two, and it's a blend that makes 
for quite an entertaining movie. 
The main characters are members of a handicapped punk rock 
band, so if you like the music you're hearing right now, 
then you'll probably love the soundtrack to this movie. 
Any issues I have with the movie are fairly minor, 
and can mostly be attributed to subjective 
preferences over how a scene is delivered. 
The movie has many unrealistic moments, 
but they're far from unintentional. 
I mean, when one of your characters' names is 
Big Dick and he's got a penis the size of my arm, 
it would be difficult for me to pretend as though 
this movie's trying to be completely serious. 
Anyway, if it looks like it's up 
your alley, then go check it out. 
And if it doesn't look like it's up your alley, then I 
would recommend checking out something else on this list. 
[YMS] Next up at number 17 is 'Bronson', from the director of 'Drive'; 
a movie with Tom Hardy where gets naked and beats people up. 
The story's based on a real person who was commonly 
referred to as "Britain's most violent prisoner".
The film is not only hilarious, 
but it's often very weird...
- With strange stylistic choices that are rather fitting considering 
the story's being told through the perspective of a madman. 
It's well-acted. It's well shot. And some parts are a little fucked up. 
So if this looks like your cup of tea I would suggest checking it out. 
[Bronson] Problem is, once you get comfortable 
- or sometimes even before - they ghost you -
again, and again, again... moving you 
from prison, to prison, to prison. 
And I fucking hate that. 
Parkhurst. God bless that place. The accommodation 
was more than worthy of my royal self. 
Your own bed. 
Toilet. A sink. 
The food was of exceptional standard. 
Yes. Parkhurst was a corker. 
And Hull Prison! Well, what can 
I say? Well worth a visit. 
Scrubs - not my favorite place to visit, but the staff 
are ready to make your stay as memorable as possible. 
We had a laugh. How we laughed...
At number 16 on my list is a 
Spanish horror film called 'Rec'. 
Now, unfortunately, many of you have already seen 
the shitty American remake titled 'Quarantine',
so hopefully if you have seen it it was a long time 
ago and you've already forgotten the majority of it.
Because this movie is leagues better 
than that pile of garbage. 
Over four years ago, when this channel was just starting 
up - and my editing was shitty and 19-year-old me 
still hadn't found my own style yet - I made a review of 'Quarantine' 
explaining just why it was so incredibly shitty compared to 'Rec'. 
What 'Rec' did so well is avoid what makes other horror 
movies so bad. Yes, it's a found footage movie. 
But it's one of few where the characters actually 
have a legitimate reason to be recording. 
Yes, there are some jump scares in the film, but the 
startling sounds are never the product of cheap 
orchestra hits or sound effects that 
don't exist in the story's universe. 
Yes, there are still some minor cliches and conveniences 
in the film, but its achievements far outweigh its flaws, 
and I would consider this movie to be a shining 
example of found footage done right. 
Rather than having every single action and plot device 
happen directly in front of the camera at all times,  
it cleverly clues you in that other important sequences of 
events are taking place in the same building that you can't see. 
Rather than feeling cheap and making lame excuses as to 
why the cameraman has to be anywhere that anything's
happening at all times - instead, we're often able to see the 
aftermath of events taking place where the cameraman isn't. 
And the movie's able to feel much more realistic 
because it gives us the impression 
that there's more to the universe than what's 
directly in front of the cameraman's face.
If you like horror movies, then I would strongly recommend 
this one, because I consider it to be one of the best. 
[Loud Crash]
[Conchita Screams and Hyperventilates]
[Conchita Screams and Cries]
[YMS] Next up at number 15 is 'Doubt', starring 
Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman. 
Now, it's interesting to note about this one that it's based 
on a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning stage play. 
So not only is it very dialogue and character driven, 
but fortunately the writer/director of this film, 
John Patrick Shanley, is the actual 
writer from that original play. 
So rather than being an adaptation that might 
bastardize or misinterpret, what you see in the film 
perfectly matches the intent of the source material. 
Now, although I haven't seen the original stage-play,
I found myself quite impressed with 
the adaptive choices that were made.
When using film as a medium, you're able to convey points to the 
audience by using editing techniques rather than explaining 
them directly. Just a simple cut between two different settings 
can show so much contrast when they're one after the other. 
[Father Sherman] But wait, how at is she?!
[Flynn] What, the mother or the daughter? 
[Father Sherman] The daughter. 
[Flynn] I never met the daughter.
[Father Sherman] What about the mother?
[Flynn] FAT!
[All Laugh]
It's choices like these that make me appreciate that the director 
actually tried to utilize film to the best of its ability 
to tell the story. You can tell that it's adapted from a stage 
play, but it doesn't feel like they just filmed a stage play. 
The majority of the film also has really good shot composition, 
so it doesn't feel like it's made by an inexperienced filmmaker.
And last but not least, all of 
the performances are fantastic. 
Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Viola Davis 
all received Academy Award nominations for their performances 
in this film. Each one of them was able to perform their 
characters believably and consistently. And there are several 
moments in the film where each of them 
are really given an opportunity to shine. 
There's some minor editing issues that I won't even 
explain in case you don't notice them yourselves, 
but overall this makes for not only a great adaptation 
but a great film, regardless. So check it out. 
[Sister James] He laid his head on 
the desk, and he... some... 
[Flynn] Do you mean you had some impression? 
[Sister James] Yes.
[Flynn] And he's come from the 
Rectory so you're asking me? 
[Sister Aloysius] Hmmm. 
[Sister James] That's it. 
[Flynn] Mmhmmm.
[Sister Aloysius] Hmmm.
[Flynn] Hmmm. Mm-hmmm. Did you want to discuss the pageant, 
is that why I'm here, or is this what you wanted to discuss? 
[Sister Aloysius] This. 
[Flynn] Well. I'm  a little uncomfortable. 
[Sister Aloysius] Why?
[Flynn] Why do you think? 
[Sister Aloysius] The boy's 
wellbeing is my responsibility. 
[Phone Rings]
[Flynn] His wellbeing is not an issue. 
[Sister Aloysius] I'm not satisfied that that is 
true. He was upset when he returned to class. 
[Flynn] Did he say something? 
[Sister James] No. 
[Sister Aloysius] What happened in the Rectory?
[Flynn] Happened? Nothing happened. 
I had a talk with the boy. 
[Sister Aloysius] What about? 
[Flynn] Private matter. 
[Sister Aloysius] He's twelve years 
old. What could be private. 
[Sister James] Should I get the phone--?
[Sister Aloysius] No. 
[YMS] Next up, at number 14 is 'The Dark Knight'. Now, 
just because this movie is one of the most overrated
movies of all time does not mean 
that this movie is not good. 
There are quite a few issues I have with this film, but like every 
other film on this list, its achievements outweigh its flaws. 
I for one think it makes sense to appreciate a director 
who can make a giant blockbuster action movie
in this day and age, and not resort 
to CGing the crap out of it. 
This whole tunnel scene with explosions and 
the batmobile jumping fucking cars and shit,
those were all practical effects and 
I appreciate the effort put into them. 
When I think about what I appreciate in a film like this 
one, I try to think of other films in the same genre
and what this did differently to make it better. Not only are 
practical effects an unfortunate rarity at this time, 
but one aspect that people often ignore 
in this genre is the performances. 
Regardless of the hype around Heath Ledger's death, 
his performance of The Joker is debatably
the best performance in any superhero movie ever. 
Hey! What do you know? It's Black Dynamite.
Heath Ledger was able to transform himself into 
his character in a way few actors are able to. 
Not only did he deliver a groundbreaking performance 
in the film, but the other actors in 
the film also held their own in a way 
that's unfortunately rare for this genre. 
The score by Hans Zimmer was great and the choices 
for when to use the score were admirable.
Going back to the tunnel chase scene as a reference, I appreciate 
the intelligent restraint shown by not including music. 
Although music can help push for an intended tone in a film, if 
the tone of the film is already conveyed in maximum intensity 
without the score, sometimes adding music just because you 
think you're supposed to only winds up harming the immersion. 
When you're left to focus on the visuals and 
the sounds coming from the action itself, 
and especially in a film where music has 
already been present throughout, it cues your
brain into subconsciously thinking, "Shit 
just got real, and this is fucking serious."
[YMS] It's because of that that the scene's 
able to bring so much intensity as it does. 
This level of conscious restraint is also 
unfortunately a rarity within the genre. 
Many directors would have unintentionally ruined 
the impact of the scene just because adding
stock action music is part of their studio 
checklist. To help prove my point, I'm going to 
play the same scene again, except this time I've added 
the soundtrack from a different part of the movie.
[YMS] Now, as you can tell, there's nothing inherently 
wrong with the score, but depending on the scene, 
sometimes the movie just works better without. Fortunately 
enough, Christopher Nolan not only has a mind of his own, 
but he's got a good feel for how 
to present things cinematically. 
Now, I'm a type of person who likes to watch a movie 
more than once and notice new things on each watch. 
The better a movie is, the more likely it is that each 
new detail brings newfound appreciation for the film, 
rather than taking away from its immersion. So if 
there's one huge issue I have with 'The Dark Knight'
it's that it's a movie that gets worse each 
time I watch it. The majority of what 
there is to appreciate about the film is what 
I'd consider to be pretty surface level. 
Once you hit a certain point, the more you 
think about it, the less immersive it is. 
Now, some people think this is the case for 
every movie and wind up saying things like, 
"You're not supposed to think about 
it! You should just enjoy it!"
But I can confidently say that the number 
1 film on this list is the exact opposite. 
There are a few hiccups in 'The Dark Knight' that 
break the immersion for me at specific points -
the awkward pandering towards a PG13 rating.
[The Joker] Why so serious? 
The explosion at the police station that somehow 
incapacitates everyone in the room except The Joker. 
Like, let's just all forget how ridiculous 
The Joker's plan was anyway. 
So it was your whole plan 
to be locked up in the MCU? 
[Gordon] The Joker planned to be caught. 
He wanted me to lock him up in the MCU. 
[YMS] Would your entire plan to escape not have been foiled if 
one of the guards hadn't been stupid enough to get close to you?
The impossible 'P' sounds coming from Harvey Dent even 
though half of his mouth can't close to make the sound. 
[Dent] Who picked up Rachel Dawes? 
[Man] It must have been Moroney's men. 
[Dent] SHUT UP! Are you telling me that you're going 
to protect the other traitor in Gordon's unit? 
[YMS] If they filmed his scenes with something in his mouth keeping 
half of it open, then the sounds being made would be accurate. 
Obviously, the fact that they didn't do that doesn't ruin 
the movie for me - I mean, come on, it's on this list...
- But doing it differently would have changed this 
detail from something that breaks immersion
once you think about it, into something that
gives new appreciation when you think about it.
My bias when it comes to movies is that I like 
to think about them. And as I explained,
there were many choices in this movie that were 
made that do give me a level of appreciation.
If this movie didn't do so much right 
then it wouldn't be on this list. 
And I don't believe that those small hiccups are any 
excuse for me not to think that this is a great movie.
If this movie looks like it interests you and somehow you 
haven't already seen it yet, then I guess check it out!
[Voice] Tell them your name.
[Man] Brian Douglas.
[Voice] Are you the real Batman? 
[Man] No...
[Voice] No..?
[Voice] Then why do you 
dress up like him?!
[Man] He's a symbol. We don't have 
to be afraid of scum like you. 
[Voice] Yeah... You do, Brian. You really do!
Oh, shush, sh, sh, sh, sh. So, you think 
Batman's made Gotham a better place? Hm? 
Look at me. LOOK AT ME!
[Joker] You see, this is how crazy Batman's 
made Gotham. You want order in Gotham? 
Batman must take off his mask and turn himself in. Every 
day he doesn't, people will die. Starting tonight. 
I'm a man of my word... HAHAHAHA! 
[Screams]
[YMS] At number 13 is a Swedish vampire 
movie called 'Let the Right One In'. 
And similarly to how I felt sorry for people 
who watched 'Quarantine' before 'Rec',
if you've seen the American film 'Let Me In', you've 
seen the shitty version of this great movie. 
If you're wondering what stupid changes were made, 
Twin Perfect has a pretty good video explaining it -
[Narrator] What Matt Reeves has done in 
creating 'Let Me In' is take in a thoughtful, 
understated love story with a dark streak, and repackaged 
it as a horror movie for what he thinks is a simple-minded
audience lacking the power of inference. 
[Interlocutor] I don't have infervision...
[Narrator] No. Inference - like you infer things 
from the visual cues and dialogue and stuff.
[Interlocutor] Oh! Like I don't need things 
spelt out for me like you're doing right now?!
[Narrator] No. Pfft. Whatever. 
The hallmark of American popcorn movies is lack 
of subtlety, and 'Let Me In' is not subtle.
It constantly reminds you of what you're supposed 
to be thinking, how you should feel;
what's happening, while it's happening; 
and basically includes everything that lets 
you know that a movie is taking place. 
[YMS] Basically, the original is smart and subtle, 
and the remake is unsurprisingly stupid and pandering. 
You may be surprised to hear this about a vampire movie, but 
the most important part about this movie is the characters. 
Each one of them is very well written 
and also very well performed. 
The effects in the movie are great for the most part, 
and things are generally shown in a clever and subtle way.
The only issue I have with the movie is a little 
logistical issue during an important part
that does take me out of it for a bit. There's 
no real way to explain it without spoiling it
and I think this is a great movie 
anyway. So go check it out. 
At number 12 is 'Frost/Nixon', 
directed by Ron Howard. 
The film is about the famous interview between David 
Frost and Richard Nixon after he resigned the presidency. 
All of the performances in this movie are great, and 
the way that it was filmed was pretty interesting. 
This film also had accompanying 
interview dialogue, but the interview
footage was coming from the 
actors playing the characters. 
This is a nice way to help us believe that 
those are the actual people in the story. 
It's very dialogue-driven, but I didn't 
find it slow or dull in the slightest. 
One could argue that this dramatic retelling serves as 
a puff piece for David Frost, but I don't really care. 
It's not a movie that's trying to be a documentary, 
it's just trying to tell an entertaining story. 
And the story they told was one 
that I thought worked very well. 
I also enjoyed checking out the actual 
interviews on YouTube after the movie. 
It was cool to see what changes were made 
to make it into more of a dramatic film. 
Anyway, I thought this movie had a great presentation, 
and I found it to be very entertaining.
[Frost] You know, the fellows would throw me a question 
and I would anticipate what his response might be. 
[Man] OK. The White House taping system. 
[Frost] Ours was not the first 
administration to use taping systems. 
Lyndon Johnson's Whitehouse 
used them, so did Kennedy. 
[Man] Houston Plant wire-tapping 
and alleged abuses of power. 
[Frost] Let me tell you, administrations 
were up to far worse. 
- And just for fun, your 
close friend Jack Kennedy. 
[Frost] That man, he screwed anything that moved, 
fixed elections, and took us into Vietnam.
And the American people, they loved him 
for it! Whereas I, Richard Milhous Nixon, 
worked around the clock, in their service. And 
they hated me! Look! Look. Now I'm sweating.
[All Laugh] Dammit! Dammit! And Kennedy's so goddamn 
handsome! And blue-eyed. And women all over him. 
He screwed anything that moved and everything. Had a go at 
checkers once: the poor, little bitch was never the same. 
At number 11 is 'Changeling', 
directed by Clint Eastwood.
Despite Angelina Jolie usually being given a lot of crappy 
roles, this is one movie that helps solidify her as a great actor. 
Who would have thought she would work 
so well as a 1928 single mother? 
Not only does the pull of the character very well, but 
the story gives her many opportunities to shine. 
The story revolves around her character's child going 
missing and the struggles she faces trying to bring him back. 
There isn't really anything in this movie 
that seems unfitting or out of place. 
And awesome enough, the child actors were good enough 
that they never diminished the quality of the film. 
This is a great story with a fantastic performance to 
drive it along and I would recommend checking it out. 
[Jones] No, of course not. You just told the 
papers we couldn't tell one boy from another
as a compliment for the months we spent working on 
your case. Are you trying to make fools out of us? 
Is that it? Do you enjoy this? 
[Christine] No, of course not. 
I - I want you to find my son. 
[Jones] You know what your problem is, Mrs Collins? 
You're trying to shirk your responsibilities as a mother. 
[Christine] What..?
[Jones] You enjoyed being a free woman, didn't you? 
You enjoyed not having to worry about a young son. 
You could go where you wanted, do whatever 
you wanted, see whoever you wanted. 
But then, we found your son. Brought him 
back. And now he's an inconvenience to you. 
And that's why you cooked up this scheme, to throw him 
to the state and get the state to raise him for you. 
Isn't that true? 
[Christine] That is not true!
[Jones] No? Well, even the boy says he's your son. 
Why would he say that? How would he know to do that?
[Christine] I don't know. 
I just know he's lying. 
[Jones] Or maybe so. Maybe he is a liar. 
But that's how he's been trained, isn't it? 
Lying was born in both of you. You're 
a liar and a trouble-maker, and 
if you ask me, you got no business 
walking the streets of Los Angeles. 
[Christine] What a minute...
[Jones] Because either you know you're lying or you're not 
capable of knowing if you're lying or telling the truth. 
So which is it? You're a derelict mother? Or just plain 
nuts? 'Cause from where I sit, those are the only options. 
[Christine] I'm not going 
to sit here and take this. 
You want experts? You want doctors? 
I have a few of my own matrons!
[YMS] At number 10 is a dark comedy called 
'In Bruges', starring Colin Farrell. 
The film is about two hitmen hiding out in 
Bruges, awaiting orders from their employer. 
Things happen that I'm not going to 
explain 'cause it would spoil the movie, 
but I will say that the movie's very entertaining 
and it has a good sense of dark humor. 
There are some action-thriller elements 
to it, but it's mostly a comedy. 
And how refreshing it is to see a comedy that doesn't 
completely do away with the idea of consequence. 
The two main characters have an entertaining contrast 
and they work very well together comedically. 
Like I said, I don't want to spoil too much, so I'm just 
going to leave it at that and say you should check it out!
[Ken] Up there, the top altar, is a phial brought 
back by a Flemish knight from the Crusades
in the Holy Land, and that phial, do 
you know what it's said to contain? 
[Ray] No, what is it said to contain?
[Ken] It's said to contain some 
drops of Jesus Christ's blood. 
Yeah. That's how this church got 
its name, Basilica of the Holy Blood. 
[Ray] Yeah? 
[Ken] Yeah. And this blood, right, though it's 
dried blood, at different times over many years, 
they say it turned back into liquid. Turned back into 
liquid from dry blood. At various times of great... stress. 
[Ray] Yeah?
[Ken] Yeah. So, yeah, I'm gonna go up in the 
queue and touch it, which is what you do. 
[Ray] Yeah? 
[Ken] Yeah. You coming?
[Ray] Do I have to? 
[Ken] Do you have to? Of course you don't have 
to. It's Jesus' fucking blood, isn't it?!
Of course you don't fucking have to! 
Of course you don't fucking have to!!
[YMS] At number 9 is an animated 
Israeli film called 'Waltz with Bashir'. 
The film is based on the 1982 invasion of 
Lebanon, and its presentation is very unique. 
As you can already tell, its 
animation style is quite engaging. 
But its unique presentation doesn't stop there. The film is 
part drama and part biography with the director playing himself. 
He goes around interviewing fellow 
veterans of the invasion with the 
goal of helping to reconstruct 
his own memories of the experience. 
The interviews are animated as a dramatic retelling of 
those events and they're all done in a very artistic way. 
And holy crap, the soundtrack for 
this movie is surprisingly great. 
Not only is the accompanying music emotional 
and fitting, but there was even a 
lot of purpose that went into deciding 
which songs the soldiers were listening to. 
This is a fantastic film and 
I would highly recommend it. 
[Playful Piano Soundtrack]
[YMS] At number 8 is a French movie titled
And this is another movie that gets spoiled 
the more you talk about it, so I'm going to 
leave this plot description pretty 
vague. The movie is about a woman 
getting out of prison after a long 
time and moving in with her sister. 
The details behind those events are revealed 
one by one during the course of the film. 
Each new piece of information builds in 
synchronicity with the actors' performances,  
turning the film into an emotional 
powerhouse by the end of it. 
I would have preferred for the soundtrack 
to sound a bit more professional, but 
that's also something that improves as 
the film crescendos towards the end. 
It's well shot, and it's very well written, but what 
steals the show is Kristin Scott Thomas' performance, 
who's able to convey so much through her silent expressions 
that it makes her character extremely relatable. 
This movie is pretty sad, but I think it's 
great, so grab some tissues and check it out. 
[YMS] At number 7 is a Belgian/French 
comedy-drama called 'Eldorado'.
It's a movie that you can tell is fairly low budget, but the 
story's written in a way that it doesn't call for anything more. 
The movie's eighty minutes long, so expect 
it to be pretty short, but it was 
well-made enough that the movie was in 
my head anyway long after it had finished. 
This is also a film with a great soundtrack, and 
the tone of each song matches each scene perfectly. 
The film is about a man who discovers a thief in his 
home, but after learning more about him he becomes
sympathetic and decides to give him 
a ride to his parents in town. 
So, it's like a really well made, short, 
quirky road trip movie, in a way. 
The film is mostly comedic, but when it tries 
to hit an emotional note, it hits it very well. 
And interestingly enough, the movie was directed by 
the actor playing the main character in the film. 
He's acted in a couple other movies that I've recommended, 
but I didn't know he could direct until I saw this film. 
After watching this, it's clear he has a knack for it, and I'll 
be sure to check out one of his other films in the future. 
This movie is quite the hidden gem 
and I would suggest checking it out. 
[YMS] At number 6 is a Turkish film called 'Three Monkeys', 
from the director of 'Once Upon a Time in Anatolia'.
Now, even though that film didn't make 
my 2011 list, I still really enjoyed it. 
And after having it sit for a while, and 
still remembering some parts of it very well, 
I almost feel as though I should have 
included it somewhere near the bottom. 
Not only that, but this director has now won the Palme d'Or 
from Cannes Film Festival for his newest film, 'Winter Sleep'. 
For those of you who don't know what that is, it's the Best Picture 
Award for what I would consider to be the best Film Festival. 
An award that has also been given to my favourite 
director for his two most recent films. 
Anyway, 'Three Monkeys' wounded up winning 
the Best Director award back in 2008. 
And from the way this was  shot, I can totally see 
why. This director is one that excels at atmosphere. 
Not only is everything extremely well shot with some 
fantastic cinematography, but there was also a noticeable 
amount of effort put into the sound design, with 
many unique foley sounds to help emphasize the tone. 
I understand that this film might be a little slower pace 
than what some people are used to, but I don't consider it 
boring in the slightest. The way that things are set out visually 
often gives you something to absorb apart from the dialogue -
like the choice to keep their lives in their homes 
so dark in contrast to what you see outside. 
I know that some of you would probably like to hear a plot 
summary, but I think it's better to just watch the film 
develop itself. Not only that, but plot summaries do nothing to 
explain the quality of the film in comparison to presentation. 
And aside from a couple short moments 
in this film that were noticeably 
dubbed, the presentation of this 
movie is absolutely fantastic. 
[YMS] At number 5 is a documentary called 
'Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father'.
This is the most depressing movie ever made. If you can 
watch this without crying, let me know, because so far 
I have not been able to do that. Again, try not to search up 
too much about it, because it might diminish your experience. 
But this is, without a doubt, the 
saddest movie I have ever seen. 
The documentary is told through the perspective of a 
filmmaker whose friend was murdered by his own wife. 
Part of what makes the documentary so incredibly powerful is that, 
because of his connection, it never feels emotionally detached. 
Pacing and editing is told through the perspective 
of someone who's not just narrating the events,
but someone who is emotionally suffering as a result of 
those events. If you're gonna watch this movie, just 
understand you will be crying at some point. This is one 
where I'm going to let the trailer speak for itself.
[Kurt] Fortunately, she made it 
to Canada before they could arrest her.
On the afternoon of November 7, 2001, 
my sister called to tell me that
Dr Andrew Bagby, my closest friend 
since the age of seven, had been killed. 
My name is Kurt and I'm a filmmaker. Andrew 
appeared in every movie I made growing up. 
[Andrew] Jesus Christ, Kurt. 
What do you want? I mean --
[Kurt] No, no, no! I'm just --
I decided to make a movie - to travel far and wide 
to interview everyone who ever knew and loved Andrew. 
[Rewinding]
[Voice Recorder] I just got a call from 
Mrs Bagby. The abbreviated version is: 
That bitch held a press conference and announced 
she's four months pregnant with Andrew's baby. 
They can't prove it until the child is born. If 
it is, the Bagbys are going to sue for custody.
[Kurt] She named the little boy Zachary. To seek 
custody of the only grandson they would ever have, 
Andrew's parents moved to St Johns, Newfoundland, 
where Shirly Turner was unbelievably allowed to
walk free on bail while awaiting extradition. 
In order to see Zachary, Kate and David were 
forced to stomach a civil relationship with 
the woman they knew murdered their only son. 
At number 4 is a movie called 'Funny 
Games US', from that two-time Palme d'Or 
favorite director of mine, Michael 
Haneke, I was talking about. 
I may sometimes struggle to pronounce his name, 
but it is no struggle to enjoy his films. 
Now, the reason why it's called 'Funny Games US' is 
because it's a shot-for-shot American remake of his 
own Austrian film from ten years before. The 
film even went so far as to create the cabin
with the exact same proportions using the 
blueprints from the original building. 
In my opinion, this remake is far better than 
the original. Despite it being recreated
shot for shot, the camera quality's much 
better, and so are many of the performances. 
Brady Corbet's performance drastically changes the character's 
disposition from the original, and I think it works much better 
in this film. Now, I love this movie, but out of all the 
films on this list it's probably the least accessible 
when it comes to recommending it to people. Many people who 
expected this to be a horror film interpret part of the movie
as one big "Fuck You" to the audience. And 
that's not entirely untrue, but how you 
decide to react to it is dependent on how 
you understand what the film is going for. 
Many people end up disliking this film without 
understanding anything about the director. 
Many people dislike this as a horror film without realizing 
that it's actually a commentary on horror movies. 
There's even a point to this film taking place in the US and the 1997 
version was only filmed in Austria for practical reasons at the time. 
What's interesting to me is how drastically different the reception to 
these films were just because of the audiences they were exposed to.  
And that might be partially due to the marketing, 
because back in 2008 when I first watched this
movie and didn't know anything about the director, I was 
going into this movie expecting I'd be watching a horror movie
instead of an art movie. After my first viewing, I was 
not only taken by surprise, but I was a little confused. 
And, sure enough, not only did the film grow on me over time, 
but it wound up helping me discover my favorite director. 
If you're the type of person that likes to 
think and absorb while watching a movie, 
then this is a movie that does get 
better with each repeated viewing. 
Now, for those of you who are unable to enjoy the movie 
because of the intentional alternative choices that it
makes, don't ever think for a second that I feel 
as though it's illegitimate to dislike the film.
If you understand what the film is going for and you're unable 
to enjoy it regardless, then at least you can say you tried. 
When one gets upset at someone else for not being able 
to enjoy a movie, I consider it to be nothing short of
obnoxious and close-minded. The idea of telling someone to enjoy 
something that they can't, is, to me, a sign of lower intelligence.
But if you're going to take it one step further and go 
from saying you were "unable to enjoy the movie", to, 
"therefore, it was a terrible movie", then you'd have to 
be ignoring everything this movie did so amazingly well. 
If you've heard me talk about Haneke's movies before, then 
you already know that he's a master at cinematography. 
And once again he's able to bring out 
the best of every actor he works with. 
I'm extremely comfortable with saying that this is among 
the best performances for both Naomi Watts and Tim Roth.
And how could you not at least respect a fantastic child 
performance when they're so hard to come by regardless of 
the genre. Anyway, I consider this to be 
a great film, and if you're interested in 
looking more into its meaning, the information's 
everywhere online if you want to look it up.
Who knows? I might make an analysis video someday, but there's 
another movie higher up this list that takes precedence over it. 
I, for one, was able to enjoy this film very much 
and I hope that many of you are able to as well. 
[Paul] Come on. Hurry up, sit down. 
[Peter] It's dark in here. 
[Paul] Come on, don't fall asleep. 
Okay. We bet -- what time is it? 
[Peter] 8:40...
[Paul] - That in - let's say - twelve 
hours all three of you are going to be --
Kaput. 
OK?
[Ann] What? 
[Paul] You bet that you'll be alive tomorrow 
at 9:00, and we bet that you'll be dead. 
Okay..?
[Peter] They don't wanna bet. 
[Paul] Well it's not an 
option. There has to be a bet.
I mean, what do you think? You think they stand a chance? 
You're on their side, aren't you? Who are you betting on, hm?
[YMS] At number 3 is 'Burn After Reading' 
by the Coen Brothers. 
This hilarious dark-comedy with an all-star cast 
is well shot, well written, and very well acted. 
With actors like Brad Pitt and George Clooney, who more often 
than not end up playing the roles of Brad Pitt and George Clooney,
it's refreshing to see them play unique 
characters and have them performed so well. 
From the subtle neurotic twitches and seemingly 
ADHD behaviour from George Clooney's character, 
to the not so subtle, dopey disposition of Brad Pitt's 
character, this movie offers a wide variety of entertaining 
and well performed characters. As expected from 
the Coen Brothers, it's not your typical comedy. 
The music plays out in a seemingly serious but parodic tone, 
similarly to Coen Brothers'2009 film 'A Serious Man' -
which I would also recommend. In a way, it's 
kind of a parody movie of the spy genre. 
But one wherein they want to break your 
expectations and make fun of movie cliches. 
Not only are intentional red herrings shown throughout 
the film as part of the joke, but there's a little bit of 
commentary in how certain characters act. 
Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand's characters
consistently make their decisions as though they 
think they're living in a cliched spy movie,
giving the impressions that their characters 
have probably seen too many movies. 
Part of the hilarity of the film is how it's universe 
consistently shuts them down for having false expectations.
It's as though the film's saying to the audience, "We're 
going to make the movie we want to make because those 
other movies are fucking stupid". It's humor exists on many 
levels with both outward ridiculousness and small subtleties.
So although you can find humor in this movie 
no matter what type of watcher you are, 
You're really not getting the full experience 
unless you're actually paying attention. 
It's a movie that has humor throughout but doesn't 
necessarily make it obvious where the jokes are. 
Much of the humour is found in how characters act, 
rather than simply delivering punchlines the whole movie. 
Anyway, this is a great comedy from two great 
directors and I would recommend checking it out. 
[Chad] Shall we give him a tinkle? 
[Linda] Oh, my God. Why? 
[Chad] 'Cause he's gonna wanna know that his 
shit is secure. You know, he's gonna be relieved. 
He might even be so relieved that he gives us a reward 
- I would be very fucking surprised if he did not. 
[Linda] Oh, wow. 
[Chad] Very surprised. Like, you know, the Good Samaritan 
tax. Which is not even a tax, really, since it's voluntary. 
[Osbourne] Hello?
[Chad] Osbourne? Osbourne Cox? 
[Osbourne] Yes. Who is this? 
[Chad] Is this... uh... Osbourne Cox?
[Osbourne] Who is this? What 
time is it? Who are you? 
[Chad] Uhm... I'm a Good Samaritan. I'm sorry I'm calling 
at such an hour, but I thought you might be worried. 
[Osbourne] Worried? 
[Chad] About the security of your shit. 
[YMS] At number 2 is an Austrian 
thriller called 'Revanche'. 
The best way to describe the plot of the movie is to let you 
know that the English translation to the title is 'Revenge'.
The film has some impressive cinematography, and its eerie 
tone and pacing allows for some legitimate tension in the story. 
I love how subtle but purposeful the reincorporated 
shots and dialogue are throughout the film.
Each character is well developed, and although there is much 
conflict it never presents itself in a black and white way -
so much so that even though there are characters 
guilty in their actions, I found myself relating and 
being sympathetic towards them regardless. It's an 
incredibly layered story with incredibly layered characters. 
And there's always something that the film 
gives you to chew on during each scene. 
This is a fantastic movie that I would 
consider to be accessible to most everyone. 
But if you're going to watch it, let me first 
explain one thing. The film takes place in Austria, 
but Tamara's character is originally from Ukraine. 
Since she doesn't speak perfect German, the subtitles 
translate it to broken English. There are also 
moments in the film where she's speaking Russian, 
but since the film's language is German and she's 
not speaking German, those parts are not subtitled. 
This is done so you can get the same experience that you would 
if you were a German speaker who couldn't understand Russian. 
So if you don't see subtitles right away when 
the movie starts, don't worry, there's probably
nothing wrong with your .srt file and Criterion 
did not butcher the subtitles for their blu-ray.
It's just an artistic choice that was made so that people watching 
it in different languages will more or less get the same experience. 
Suffice it to say there was a lot of 
thought and effort put into this movie. 
And it's gripping story and well written characters are sure 
to have you thinking about the movie long after it's over. 
[YMS] Aaand my favourite movie 
from 2008 iiiiiiiiiiiiis... --
'Synecdoche, New York', by my favorite 
screenwriter, Charlie Kaufman. 
This is my second favorite film of all 
time, right behind 'The Holy Mountain'. 
Similarly to 'The Holy Mountain', this is a film 
that you can watch dozens of times and still find 
new ways to appreciate it with each watch. It's incredibly 
complex and deserves to be watched at least twice, but it's
not something that you can't enjoy 
unless you watch it at least twice. 
There are endless layers and details to be picked 
up that not only contribute to the film's meaning, 
but ones that better help you understand 
the characters and the story itself. 
Although this is Charlie Kaufman's directorial 
debut - and quite an amazing one at that -
he's written amazing movie after amazing movie before. 
And if you haven't seen these movies,then you should get 
on that as soon as you can. The film follows 
Caden Cotard, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, 
a playright who ambitiously aims to tell 
a brutally honest story about death. 
The film itself aims to be brutally 
honest as well, focusing on regrets, 
missed opportunities, and the harsh reality 
that time is slipping through our fingers. 
The film is expertly crafted with each detail 
acting as a clue towards the bigger picture. 
Like I said, the film's complex, but it's not something you 
won't get anything out of if you don't completely understand it. 
So try not to feel too intimidated by its 
complexity, because if you don't watch this movie,
you are missing out on a masterpiece. And 
hell, don't just take my word for it --
Roger Ebert himself called this the best 
film of the decade. The alternative choices 
made in the film are far from random 
bullshit, and everything has a purpose. 
As many of you already know, I personally can't stand
movies that are filled with alternative choices that can be
described as nothing other than random bullshit. This is not 
just a movie that's different, it's different with a purpose. 
Even the lyrics in the songs' soundtrack were written 
by Charlie Kaufman and add extra layers to the film. 
[Charlie Kaufman] I just think that there's a very, 
kind of, one-route way of making movies in this culture, 
and that there's this mindset that it has to be this one 
thing - this is the structure of it, and this is what 
has to happen to the characters - and I think that, like 
in any art form, the world opens up when you take that away. 
I wanted to, sort of, try to create a 
way, in my mind, that you could view 
the same piece of film on different occasions 
and have different experiences with it. 
Which is what I was referring to when I said, 
"Theater is... You can watch a play five times
and it's going to be different every time, because it's 
alive." Audience relation to a movie doesn't affect the movie.
The movie's already set in stone, you know? So what you 
can offer people - or at least what I've decided I would 
like to try to offer people - is the ability 
to watch this movie now and watch it in five
years, and have a different experience 
because you're a different person. 
Or watch it tomorrow and have a different experience 
because there are things you cannot see the first time. 
There's too much to see, or you don't have the 
information at the beginning of the experience 
- to see things at the beginning of the movie that
will only be revealed at the end of the movie. 
I just think that stuff is fun and it's what I want as an 
audience, so it's what I've kind of tried to incorporate. 
This is a beautiful film and it's the first thing I thought 
of watching to pay tribute to Philip Seymour Hoffman
when he passed away. Not just because of the subject matter, 
but because it's is also one of his best performances. 
This is one of the best movies I've ever seen and 
it's a fine example of a ten out of ten movie for me. 
And I hope that many of you enjoy watching 
it enough to want to watch it again. 
[Caden] We'll start by talking honestly. And 
out of that, a piece of theater will evolve. 
I'll begin. 
I've been thinking a lot about dying lately. 
[Claire] You've going to be fine, sweetie. 
[Caden] I appreciate that, Claire, but--
[Claire] --you are, you poor thing. 
[Caden] Regardless of how this particular 
thing works itself out, I will by dying. 
And so will you. 
And so will everyone here. 
And that's what I want to explore. 
We're all hurdling towards death. 
Yet here we are, for the moment, alive. 
Each of knowing we're going to die; 
each of us secretly believing we won't. 
[Claire] It's brilliant. 
It's everything. It's Karamazov. 
[Soundtrack] "I'm singing..."
[YMS] I highly recommend this film and plan to release an 
analysis video explaining it hopefully within the next month. 
Not only do I need to catch up on making the next YMS 
video; and also have Vancouver Film Fest this month;
and also need to start doing some more prepping so I can release 
the YMS of that third season of that TV show for NOVEMBER;
but it's important to me that you try watching it at 
least once with a blank slate before I make that video. 
Well, there you have it, my top 
te- uh- eighteen li- of 2008. 
If you found a film from this list and wound up 
enjoying it, please let me know in the comments
section. I put a lot of time into finding and tracking down these 
movies for you, so it's nice to know if it does a little good. 
Also, if you're the type that leans towards torr--tillas, 
I encourage you to support the artists by purchasing
anything you wind up enjoying. If there ever 
were to be a huge demand for something different, 
then we might see a bit more of a variety 
in mainstream cinema. Fortunately, however, 
studios are no longer necessary to fund films. 
Charlie Kaufman's upcoming animated feature,
'Anomalisa', wound up getting kickstarted, so I'm glad there's 
enough interest on him to fund future projects regardless. 
Anyway, watch the movies. 
Enjoy the movies. 
Buy the movies. 
Eat the movies. 
Touch the boobies. 
And stay tuned on this channel for 
of me bashing stupid shit. Goodbye!
[The Rolling Stones - 'Wild Horses']
Wild horses... couldn't drag me away!
Wild, wild horses... 
[Sudden shift to 'Bonehead' by Naked City; Abrasive]
