Well it’s the end of the year, which means it’s time for me to share with movie nerds webwide what I thought was the best this year had to offer in cinema.  This is not our Top 15 movies of the year list.  That list will come mid-January, and be a collaborative effort amongst all us Filmbalayans.  This post is just my opinion (which is obviously the absolute best opinion) on what I thought was the best, and worst, that movies had to offer this year.  You know what they say, “Opinions are like assholes, everybody’s got one, and everybody thinks everyone elses stinks.”

Follow the jump to see my stinking opinions on what I thought were the Best Performance, Best Villain,Best Documentary, Best Horror, Worst Movie and many other categories. Read More…

The following review was written by Ida Cuttler.  Ida’s the one on the far left holding her friend Tomasina, opposite my girlfriend, Kristiana and her friend Lowly Worm (pictured above).

In honor of comedian Mike Birbiglia‘s new movie Sleepwalk With Me I wanted to share a sleepwalking story of my own.  I’ll get to the actual review of the movie after the jump.  When we were both in middle school, my sister Harriet and I shared a room and slept in loft beds.  One night my sister fell asleep before me, an only an hour after she had closed her eyes, she sits up in bed and makes her way down the loft bed ladder, walking in her sleep.  I watched her walk into our kitchen, pull out a chair, and tell our perplexed looking father, “I am going to the therapist.”  Then she sat down, crossed one leg over the other, placed her hand under her chin in a thinking pose, and began to nod her head.  This went on for about a minute, until she got up, eyes still closed, and walked back to bed.  The next morning she remembered only that she had a dream about going to see a therapist, but she had no recollection of acting this dream out.  I like telling this story of my sister’s somnambulant adventure because it is a story that never fails to make people laugh at the absurdity of our subconscious. Read More…

A blind Author, a phantom killer, phone sex operators, a dog-dancing uncle, a religious grandfather, a possessed daughter, a chronic sleepwalker, and Goobie, Zoozie and Toofie – whoever, or whatever they are.  What do all these people have in common?  They’re all featured in new films opening this week in San Francisco theatres.  To see the full list of films, trailers, and where they’re playing, follow the jump Read More…

This years list, much like last years, is not made for movie goers who only watch summer blockbusters and Judd Apatow comedies. While it does have some of those films, it also has an equal amount that may never be coming to a theater near you. With veteran directors such as Spielberg, Paul Thomas Anderson, Terrence Malick, and Quentin Tarantino releasing films, as well as some bright up and comers like Andrew Dominik, Derek Cianfrance, Martin McDonagh, and Jeff Nichols it looks like 2012 will be an amazing year for film.

Before we start:

Ryan Gosling is posed for another monster year with three films on the list.

Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity was third on the list but was delayed to 2013.

World War Z, The Hobbit, The Bourne Legacy, and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 were all left of this list on purpose, I did not forget them.

I have been as thorough as possible while compiling this list, but some films might have slipped through the cracks. Feel free to comment below to share your opinion or news about other movies. Read More…

In preparation for his upcoming movie, Sleepwalk With Me, which opens in San Francisco on August 31st, comedian Mike Birbigla put together this short film, entitled Fresh Air 2: Too Fresh Too Furious.  Starring along Mike is NPR’s Terry Gross.  Who knew she could act?

Keeping with the NPR connection, Ira Glass, host of the radio show This American Life, co-wrote sleepwalk With Me.  That, and the fact that this short film is so funny, puts Birbiglia’s directorial feature-length debut to the top of my most anticipated comedies of the year.

Click on the jump to see Mike Birbiglia’s short film, and the trailer for his full length film. Read More…