Movies!

Looking back on the past decade of Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, how many of them have you seen (either in the theater or on DVD)? Below is my list.

2008
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button <-- YES
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire <-- YES

2007
No Country for Old Men*
Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
There Will Be Blood

2006
The Departed*
Babel
Letters from Iwo Jima
Little Miss Sunshine
The Queen <-- YES

2005
Crash*
Brokeback Mountain
Capote
Good Night, and Good Luck
Munich

2004
Million Dollar Baby*
The Aviator
Finding Neverland <-- YES
Ray
Sideways

2003
The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King* <-- YES
Lost in Translation
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World <-- YES
Mystic River
Seabiscuit <-- YES

2002
Chicago*
Gangs of New York
The Hours
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers <-- YES
The Pianist

2001
A Beautiful Mind* <-- YES
Gosford Park <-- YES
In the Bedroom
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring <-- YES
Moulin Rouge!

2000
Gladiator* <-- YES
Chocolat
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon <-- YES
Erin Brockovich
Traffic

1999
American Beauty*
The Cider House Rules
The Green Mile <-- YES
The Insider
The Sixth Sense <-- YES

* Winner

Hmmm. Apparently I'm not doing very well in appreciating the kinds of films that impress the Academy. Judging from the collected nominations and votes of all the Academy members, I'm missing out on a lot of the best films from the past decade.

On the other hand, consider the highest grossing movies domestically of the past decade and which of these you've seen. Here's my list:

2008
The Dark Knight <-- YES
Iron Man <-- YES
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull <-- YES
Hancock <-- YES
WALL*E <-- YES
Kung Fu Panda <-- YES
Twilight <-- YES
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
Quantum of Solace
Horton Hears a Who!

2007
Spider-Man 3 <-- YES
Shrek the Third <-- YES
Transformers <-- YES
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End <-- YES
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix <-- YES
I Am Legend <-- YES
The Bourne Ultimatum <-- YES
National Treasure: Book of Secrets <-- YES
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Ratatouille <-- YES

2006
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest <-- YES
Night at the Museum <-- YES
Cars <-- YES
X-Men: The Last Stand <-- YES
The Da Vinci Code <-- YES
300 <-- YES
Superman Returns <-- YES
Happy Feet <-- YES
Ice Age: The Meltdown
Casino Royale <-- YES

2005
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith <-- YES
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire <-- YES
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe <-- YES
War of the Worlds <-- YES
King Kong <-- YES
Wedding Crashers
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory <-- YES
Batman Begins <-- YES
Madagascar <-- YES
Mr. & Mrs. Smith

2004
Shrek 2 <-- YES
Spider-Man 2 <-- YES
The Passion of the Christ <-- YES
Meet the Fockers
The Incredibles <-- YES
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban <-- YES
The Day After Tomorrow <-- YES
The Bourne Supremacy <-- YES
National Treasure <-- YES
Shark Tale <-- YES

2003
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King <-- YES
Finding Nemo <-- YES
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl <-- YES
The Matrix Reloaded <-- YES
Bruce Almighty <-- YES
X2 <-- YES
Elf <-- YES
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
The Matrix Revolutions <-- YES
Cheaper by the Dozen <-- YES

2002
Spider-Man <-- YES
The Lord of the rings: The Two Towers <-- YES
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones <-- YES
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets <-- YES
My Big Fat Greek Wedding <-- YES
Signs <-- YES
Austin Powers in Goldmember
Men in Black II <-- YES
Ice Age <-- YES
Chicago

2001
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone <-- YES
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring <-- YES
Shrek <-- YES
Monsters, Inc. <-- YES
Rush Hour 2
The Mummy Returns <-- YES
Pearl Harbor <-- YES
Ocean's Eleven
Jurassic Park III
Planet of the Apes <-- YES

2000
How the Grinch Stole Christmas <-- YES
Cast Away <-- YES
Mission: Impossible II <-- YES
Gladiator <-- YES
What Women Want
The Perfect Storm
Meet the Parents <-- YES
X-Men <-- YES
Scary Movie
What Lies Beneath <-- YES

1999
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace <-- YES
The Sixth Sense: <-- YES
Toy Story 2 <-- YES
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
The Matrix <-- YES
Tarzan <-- YES
Big Daddy
The Mummy <-- YES
Runaway Bride <-- YES
The Blair Witch Project

(By the way, did you notice how few films made both lists? Hmm... I wonder what that says about the Academy's opinion of what makes a great film and the popular opinion of what's worth seeing?)

Personally, reviewing these lists has been interesting to me. I've discovered that there are some films out there that I still want to see (and a few that I either wish I hadn't seen or have absolutely no desire to ever see). I've also discovered that I have spent a lot of hours in my life this past decade just being entertained. Ack! Finally, I've discovered that my own tastes and interests are a lot closer to pop culture than to the artsy folk in Hollywood.

How 'bout you?