Some 2007 Favs

In honor of the impending end of the year, I'm hopping on the list-making bandwagon to talk about some of my favorite things from this year. Today: movies (books and who knows what else to follow). These aren't necessarily movies that have been released in the last twelve months, but they are all movies I watched in for the first time in 2007.

My Top Movies of 2007

Hairspray

I loved the spirit of Hairspray: though it's message of acceptance is overly simplified, it's still a good one. The performances, especially by some of the lesser known cast members such as Nikki Blonsky and Elijah Kelley, were wonderful, as was the music. They were even smart enough to cut one of my least favorite songs from the stage version!


Heavenly Creatures

This movie is amazing! After hearing good things about it for years, I finally pushed it to the top of my Netflix queue. Peter Jackson, of Lord of the Rings fame, directed a young Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey in this true tale about two wonderfully and horrifically imaginative teens. With an emotional connection that bordered on obsession, the two friends turned violent when faced with potential separation from each other. Beautiful fantasy sequences, strong performances, and two extraordinarily compelling characters makes this a definite must-see.

Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills
and
Paradise Lost 2: Revelations

It's hard to even know where to start when talking about these two documentaries. Three teenagers in West Memphis, Arkansas were railroaded by the courts and convicted of murdering three young neighborhood boys.

Their convictions were based mostly on one of the teen's coerced confession and "satanic panic." The three were unpopular, interested in Wicca, and wore a lot of black. Their outsider status provided opportunity to those who wanted to condemn them.

All three remain in prison where they've been since June of 1993. Since then, countless people from some of us to celebrities like Margaret Cho and Natalie Maines have taken up their cause. Still, there is no end in sight. You can visit Free the West Memphis Three to learn more.

Everyone should see these movies, but they are horrifying.