Eigei Best Ten Worst Ten 2005

[Andrew Grant]

Could somebody shed some light as to why OPERETTA TANUKI GOTEN was #2 on the
worst list? No matter how you approach this film, I can't imagine that it
could ever be considered the second worse film, in any year. 

Sure, it's rather light, and far from Suzuki's best, but it's so damn
enjoyable, and beautiful as well. Does that not count for something?

Was Zhang Ziyi's involvement somehow responsible for it landing on the list?

Puzzled in New York. . .

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
[mailto:owner-KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu] On Behalf Of Don Brown
Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2006 12:52 AM
To: KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
Subject: RE: Eigei Best Ten Worst Ten 2005

I'm surprised to see "Linda Linda Linda" at the top of the best list, as I 
thought the general response to this one was fairly subdued. 

But I'm even more puzzled to see that Rinjin 13-go (The Neighbor Number 
Thirteen) doesn't feature at all in either the best or worst categories. It 
was one of the strongest offerings from 2005 in my book, and probably my 
personal favorite. Any ideas as to why it was omitted? 

Don Brown

>From: Aaron Gerow <gerowaaron at sbcglobal.net>
>Reply-To: KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
>To: KineJapan <KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu>
>Subject: Eigei Best Ten Worst Ten 2005
>Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2006 00:31:28 -0500
>
>The results for the best and worst ten of the year decided by a poll 
>of critics for the Eiga Geijutsu magazine are in (I was one of those 
>polled):
>
>Best
>1) Linda Linda Linda
>2) Patchigi
>3) Dokushosuru hi
>4) Kanariya
>5) Kuchu teien
>6) Lakeside Murder Case
>7) Unmei ja nai hito
>8) Hibi
>9) Sekai no owari
>10) 17-sai no fukei: shonen wa nani o mita no ka
>
>Worst
>1) Always: Sanchome no yuhi
>2) Operetta tanuki goten
>2) Takeshis'
>2) Lorelai
>5) Mata no hi no chika
>6) Kita no reinen
>6) Yogisha Muroi Shinji
>8) Nana
>9) Tetsujin 28-go
>10) Ashurajo no hitomi
>
>The Eigei poll is always a bit different, especially since it has a 
>worst ten and votes for the worst ten are subtracted for those for 
>the best ten. "Always," for instance, is getting a few of the more 
>conventional awards, but Eigei voters tend to dislike conventional 
>sentimental movies. The big commercial hits like Nana and Muroi also 
>took a drubbing, but it was interesting to see Takeshi and Seijun 
>get hit too. On the best side, the list is fairly predictable, given 
>that most of these are directors Eigei tends to like and support.
>
>The poll results and the comments by those polled will appear in 
>issue 414, on sale January 30th.
>
>Aaron Gerow
>KineJapan owner
>
>Assistant Professor
>Film Studies Program/East Asian Languages and Literatures
>Yale University
>
>For list commands, send "information kinejapan" to
>listserver at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
>Kinema Club: http://pears.lib.ohio-state.edu/Markus/Welcome.html
>