Disney/Pixar

Time called what we’ve been referring to as “the Aughties” as “the decade from hell”, and there’s certainly a lot of evidence for that: 9/11, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Indian Ocean tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, the worst economic climate since the Great Depression… the frequency of horrific catastrophes like these made them feel like a part of everyday life. But artists usually make their most powerful work in terrible times as they struggle with society’s problems at large, and that was certainly true this decade, an undeniable game-changer in the music world and arguably the most productive in film since the 1970’s.

Pop and rock radio is in the doldrums, but the collapse of the record industry and the proliferation of smart indie marketing on the internet has allowed musicians to make their own rules when it comes to distribution and promotion. The best generation of filmmakers since the Scorsese/Spielberg/Coppola school (especially the illustrious Andersons, P.T. and Wes) came of age in these years after flashy 90’s debuts, and acclaimed international filmmakers like Pedro Almodovar, Guillermo del Toro, Michael Haneke and Chan-wook Park are able to find audiences now that would’ve been unattainable just 15 years ago. The entertainment world has never been more democratized.

21st Century Reflections

If art truly reflects life, perhaps nothing is more telling of how the last decade affected our collective conscious than the interesting trends that developed in the world of film. Fantasy sagas struck box office gold with the Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean franchises; sword-and-sandal epics took advantage of cutting-edge visual effects in Gladiator, Troy and 300; Judd Apatow and his cohorts led a new era of R-rated comedies with The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up and Superbad; comic books finally inspired the most acclaimed and successful adaptations ever (Spider-man 2, X2, The Dark Knight, Iron Man) while video games kept trying (Tomb Raider, Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Doom); big Hollywood studios aimed for Disney/Pixar success with original CG animated features like Shrek (Dreamworks), Happy Feet (Warner Bros.), Ice Age (Fox), Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Sony). The entire horror genre went through a strange evolution, fragmenting more than ever into either lightweight PG-13 fare like The Ring, The Grudge and Drag Me to Hell or R-rated gore-fests like Saw, Hostel and a number of amped-up remakes. Meanwhile, vampires, werewolves and zombies also reclaimed their place as horror genre staples (sometimes with a twist) in Shaun of the Dead, Dawn of the Dead, 28 Days Later, Zombieland, I Am Legend, Let the Right One In, the Blade series, the Underworld series and even the Twilight series.

Like McCarthyism in the 50s or the psychedelic liberation of the 70s, the Aughties reflected the prevailing post-9/11 wind of insecurity and paranoia about our world. Tales of evil and corruption accompanied stories of uncontrollable youth and innocence lost. We looked grisly, unspeakable horror in the eye and struggled to make peace with it, sometimes coming out laughing afterwards. Through it all, our demand for heroes and our hope for a better tomorrow has never been more evident. It was the stuff of our wildest dreams and our darkest nightmares. What a decade indeed. Only time will tell what will be the next big thing in movies for 2010 and beyond.

***

As a bonus, here are a five extra picks of the decade that didn’t fit so neatly into our top 10 lists:

Best Movie to See Despite Quality – Southland Tales

Could I recount the plot of this film to you? Probably not. Something about kidnapping and terror cells and Republicans; it hardly matters. You don’t watch this film for the plot but to see the strangest mess of something. Most aptly described as a fiasco, Southland Tales is nontheless sort of wonderful; a hodgepodge of Richard Kelly’s fever dreams. It’s worth seeing to experience and much talked about when you have. Nothing will convince you to love The Rock more than his bizarre Mr. Burns impression throughtout this film and if that alone doesn’t get you to see this movie, I’m not sure what will.

Best Plane Crash – Know1ng

I’m the secret Nic Cage booster amongst the writers here, but even I couldn’t find it in me to like this movie. That said, Know1ng contains some of the most beautiful action sequences ever shot, including the earth being on fire. But nothing tops its plane crash, a disturbing portrayal of fear, danger, confusion and metal. Plane crashes have never seemed more real or more scary. Fortunately you can watch it without seeing the movie.

Best Musician Turned Secret Guru – Andrew WK

When “I Get Wet” came out, it was a great album, but I don’t think anyone accurately predicted Andrew WK’s career trajectory. Turns out he’s more than just rocking party anthems; he’s also the nicest, most sincere guy in music. Anyone reading this and not following his Twitter account needs to be. Besides sharing love, dispelling the “Andrew WK is a fake” rumors, and otherwise talking about his life, he also shares advice on how to make life a party. From enjoying bad moments to peeing into your hand, Andrew wants you to live life to the fullest. It may sound weird, but it’s definitely inspiring.

Best Viral Web Manipulation for a Profit – Paranormal Activity

The last time the public had seen this kind of phenomenon was 1999’s The Blair Witch Project, a film that generated over three hundred times its ridiculously small budget. This year’s Paranormal Activity, on the other hand, earned nearly ten thousand times its reported $15,000 budget. Whereas Blair Witch took advantage of the web to generate awareness through savvy college kids, Paranormal Activity built a solid buzz using a decidedly late-Aughties mix of viral marketing, social networking and good old word of mouth.

Best Underrated Directorial Debut – Craig Brewer, Hustle & Flow

Easily dismissible as yet another story from the ‘hood about gangsta rap, 2005’s Hustle & Flow showed us that director Craig Brewer has a special touch for bringing the hard-knock life of Memphis to the big screen. Featuring an outstanding performance by Terrence Howard, Hustle & Flow is a shining example of how anyone can take their inspiration and turn it into a reality. With his 2007 follow-up Black Snake Moan, Brewer delved even further into the humid, blues-tinged atmosphere of the South, but reactions were mixed on the tale of a religious bluesman who chains a young girl to his house in order to cure her “wicked ways.” Nevertheless, Brewer is a filmmaker who knows how to build atmosphere and show real people in hard situations, and we’ll be watching for what he does in the coming years.