#118 The Best Films of 2003

Some have been calling this an "off" year for the cinema, but some of my favorite films in a long, long time came down the pike this year. Here are my faves in alphabetical order.

American Splendor: Part bio-pic, part documentary, this look at the life of Harvey Pekar usurps Ghost World as the best film adaptation of a comic book.

City of God: This energetically paced tale of one boy's attempts to escape the poverty-stricken favellas of Brazil is worth a look for it's honest storytelling and amazing soundtrack.

Kill Bill: This was the film that Quentin Tarantino was born to make. It's essentially an kung-fu, exploitation revenge film with a touch of anime thrown in for good measure. Whatever it is, I want to see way more of it.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King: Who would have thought that Peter Jackson, a Kiwi schlockmeister with a handful of zombie films under his belt, would outdo Spielberg and Lucas with three, unmarred blockbuster fantasy epics? Peter Jackson is now officially a god.

Lost in Translation: Sophia Coppola found her voice with this very personal tale set in the vibrant and lonely city of Tokyo. Bill Murray's performance contains his usual unpredictable wit and rewards audiences with brief and tantalizing glimpses straight into the talented actor's soul.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World: Peter Wier's take on Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin novels is cinematic, gripping and extremely smart. Russell Crowe rises above his annoying press and reminds us why we loved his early acting roles. I pray the film merits a sequel.

Millennium Actress: The life of an aged Japanese actress flashes before our eyes in this animated realist drama. Anime director Satoshi Kon is rapidly making a name for himself in the world of animation. While Hayao Miyazake's shadow looms large over the mostly inane field of Japanese animation it would be a great mistake to overlook this amazing film.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Hollywood finally figures out how blockbusters should be made. This appealing slice of action is fun, engaging and imaginative. An off-the-wall performance from Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow cements his deserved place as one of our generation's great stars.

The Triplets of Belleville: This off-kilter, French film is another spectacular example of the happy hybridization of hand-drawn and computer generated animated styles. The film is largely dialogue free, has a dark sense of humor and contains some of the most interesting set-pieces (especially the films extended opening scene) to come out of European since Delicatessen.

Winged Migration: The life-or-death transcontinental flights of the world's bird population is documented with miraculous camera work that has to be seen to believed. Of course, this film isn't a documentary in the strictest sense. It's more of a reality/nature show. Check out the supplements on the DVD and you'll see what I mean.

Late Addition:
28 Days Later: What an oversight! Danny Boyle's re-interpretation of the zombie horror film is a serious contender for one of 2003's best.

#117 Kaiju Big Battel

Kaiju means “mysterious beast” in Japanese and has long been used to describe all the giant monster movies starring creatures such as Godzilla, Gamera and Mothra. Kaiju Big Battel is a live wrestling show created by a gang of Boston otaku (that’s Japanese for “in the house” or, more plainly, “geek”). These guys dress up as giant monsters and sentai heroes, seed the ring with miniature buildings then duke it out as only giant, radioactive monsters can. The characters and their ensuing battles are a real hoot and a must for any monster movie fan. A Kaiju Big Battel special is currently airing on MTV2 and a new DVD (along with all kinds of cool swag) is available through the Kaiju Big Battel website.

#116 Mario Kart: Double Dash

I'm usually not a fan of racing games, but Nintendo's incredibly fun (some say dumbed down) cart games have always been my faves. The formula is simple: players race in outlandish Super Mario settings against carts full of characters such as Wario, Toad, Koopa and Princess Peach. A wide variety of power ups and weapons can be found on each track to help turn the tide of the race. Last-minute, Hail Mary wins are not uncommon. Mario Kart: Double Dash can handle up to eight racers (that's with two Gamecube's connected via broadband). The game's new gimmick is an interesting 2-player option that allows one person to drive and the other to handle combat.

I'm currently fixated on unlocking all the vehicles and battle levels - an undertaking that results in plenty of late nights, sore wrists and cursing. With Mario Kart: Double Dash now available getting has never been better for those who don't have a Gamecube. With the console priced at $99 and a great catalogue of other first-party Nintendo titles out there (Metroid Prime, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Super Mario Sunshine, Animal Crossing, Pikmin) snagging the purple box and a couple of these amazing games is a no-brainer.

#115 Tokyo

All the movies, manga, video games and anime I've consumed in my thirty years did little to prepare me for the jaw-dropping sights and sounds of Tokyo. Most of the time I wandered the town like an over-stimulated rubbernecker, snapping photos at anything and everything. Every store I encountered contained a million fascinating products. And it seemed like very wall was plastered with a perplexing sign or amusing image.

Thanks to my friends and colleagues, my trip was more than just a tourist visit. Kozyndan introduced us to Yasumasa Yonehara, who took us out for some wicked Shabu Shabu and Sukiyaki then showed us some of his new book projects. My friend Bryan got us onto the set of a Takashi Miike shoot. Sadly, the director was too busy to talk to us very long (I guess that's how he manages to shoot five movies a year). Of course, I also took part in all the Up Our Sleeve madness mentioned in my last post.

In addition I shopped at Mandarake, played tons of videogames, ate amazing food, bought insane amounts of capsule toys, checked out the Happiness art show at Roppongi Hills, drank gallons of beer, shoved my way into crowded subway cars, roamed the fish market at the crack of dawn, explored the Studio Ghibli museum and met tons of amazing people.

My thanks go to all the amazing people I met in Tokyo, Up Our Sleeve organizers Brandy and Frosty and my travel mates Kozyndan, Bryan, Anna and Mike for making my trip so great.

All links go to pics. Watch this spot for more about the trip.