Ten Best Films of 2009

The year 2009 has come to an end, and I admit I got to enjoy a bunch of superb films, even though the movie year wasn't necessarily as powerful in terms of quality as some other recent years.

That said, these are my favorite flicks of 2009. Please note I picked these movies from all those I've seen this year. I really tried to watch as many as possible, but I admit I did miss a few in the end.

To keep a long story short, enjoy these picks and feel free to comment on them or post your own top 10. Thanks for stopping by, and here's to a new year filled with awesome cinematic experiences.

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2009 Screening Log Movie Awards Nominations!

The nominations for the 1st annual Screening Log Movie Awards are in! I've selected the best of 2009 and narrowed them down to less than a dozen per category. Winners are announced Dec. 28, 2009.

A few notes on the process: These nominations reflect my selection of the best films I've seen this year. I've enjoyed many excellent movies this year, and I engaged in this process to honor my favorite ones of '09.

Over the course of this week, I will be looking more closely at each category and pick the ones I personally believe deserve to win. Please know these are solely my own, personal favorites of the year!

Let's get to it then! Kathryn Bigelow's "The Hurt Locker" took home four nominations, and "Up in the Air" received seven nominations. Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" earned six, and "The Road" took five.

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Utah Film Critics pick 'Air' as year's best film

The Utah Film Critics Association picked Jason Reitman's drama "Up in the Air" as the best film of 2009. The film beat runners-up "The Hurt Locker" and Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds."

Wes Anderson's "Fantastic Mr. Fox" was voted best animated film, and Anderson and Noah Baumbach also took home the award for best screenplay. "Basterds" and "(500) Days of Summer" were runners-up.

In the best actor category, Viggo Mortensen took home the top prize for his stunning performance in  John Hillcoat's superb drama "The Road," a film I believe deserves much more recognition in the award world.

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Box Office: 'New Moon' reaches $230M!

Weekend of November 27 – 29, 2009: 'New Moon' & 'Blind Side' deliver superb results at b.o.

Chris Weitz’s “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” prevailed at the North American box office for the second consecutive weekend with a solid $42.5 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The sequel to “Twilight” scored a superb average of $10,515 per theater at 4,042 locations, lifting its domestic total to an incredible $230.6 million after a little more than one week in release.

Following closely in second place was Sandra Bullock’s surprise drama “The Blind Side,” which bagged another $40.1 million for a cumulative gross of $100.2 million.

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Movie Review: “The Road”

Seen on: November 6, 2009

The players: Director: John Hillcoat, Writer: Joe Penhall, Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Robert Duvall, Guy Pearce, Charlize Theron

Facts of interest: Based on the book by Cormac McCarthy.

The plot: The film follows the story of a man and his son who try to reach the coast in a post-apocalyptic world.

Our thoughts: John Hillcoat’s “The Road” really blew my mind. I never read Cormac McCarthy’s acclaimed novel, but this big-screen adaptation kidnapped my attention right away and offered me an experience I’ll never forget. Poignant, visually stunning and boasting beautiful acting, this is without doubt one of the best films I’ve seen this year.

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Brand-new poster for 'The Road' hits

Yesterday I received a new one-sheet for John Hillcoat's new drama "The Road," based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy. After several release date changes, the film finally opens in theaters this Wednesday.

This is the tale of a journey taken by a father (Viggo Mortensen) and his young son across a barren landscape that was blasted by an unnamed cataclysm that destroyed civilization and most life on earth.

The film is based on Cormac McCarthy's novel, and it co-stars Charlize Theron, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Guy Pearce and Robert Duvall. I saw it last week and loved it, even though I never read the book.

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No 'The Road' in October; film postponed again!

At least this time, it's not a major release date change. But yes, Dimension Films has decided to move John Hillcoat's upcoming drama "The Road" from Oct. 16, 2009 to Nov. 25.

Considering this is not the first time the film is postponed, I'm not so sure it will be the last. I'll believe it when I actually walk into the screening on that day. Or not.. Well, at least it will come to theaters, right?

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'The Road' gets five new clips and a bad review

I've been looking forward to John Hillcoat's "The Road" for a while now, and it looks like the film based on Cormac McCarthy's novel is still on track for its Oct. 16, 2009 release. Now five new clips have debuted online, and you can see them after the jump.

"The Road" is the epic post-apocalyptic tale of a journey taken by a father (Viggo Mortensen) and his young son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) across a barren landscape that was blasted by an unnamed cataclysm that destroyed civilization and most life on earth.

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Here's the powerful trailer for 'The Road'

Earlier this month, the Weinstein Co. announced an Oct. 16, 2009 release day for John Hillcoat's "The Road," and now we finally have a trailer. And what a powerful one this is! Early screenshots from the film promised a compellingly dark look, and as you can see after the jump, the footage looks quite thrilling as well.

Based on Cormac McCarthy's novel of the same title, "The Road" is the epic post-apocalyptic tale of a journey taken by a father (Viggo Mortensen) and his young son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) across a barren landscape that was blasted by an unnamed cataclysm that destroyed civilization and most life on earth. Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce, Robert Duvall and Garret Billahunt co-star.

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'The Road' finally gets late 2009 release date

Remember "The Road"? You know, John Hillcoat's big-screen adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel of the same title? Yes, I know we haven't heard much about it in quite a while, but according to the Weinstein Co., the film will finally be released in theaters Oct. 16, 2009. "The Road" was initially suppoed to open around the end of 2008, but delays in pos-production forced the studio to push back the release.

"The Road" is the epic post-apocalyptic tale of a journey taken by a father (Viggo Mortensen) and his young son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) across a barren landscape that was blasted by an unnamed cataclysm that destroyed civilization and most life on earth. Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce, Robert Duvall and Garret Billahunt co-star. Let's just hope this date is final, because I've been wanting to see this thing ever since I first heard about it...