Some 2006 Lists You Might Have Missed

I always experience mixed feelings as I read through the various year-end lists that continually pop up.

On the one hand, I become discouraged and saddened because I’m constantly reminded of the number of films, CDs, and whatnot that I did not experience during the last 12 months. On the other hand, I get excited because year-end lists contain some of the most passionate discussion of the passing year’s art. I also rediscover art that I forgot about and I inevitably discover something new to add to the shopping list or Netflix queue.

The following are lists that you might have missed in the glut of year-end mania (which is obviously still going on). They’re all from folks whose knowledge and passion vastly outweigh mine, but whose passion for great music and movies is always encouraging and inspiring.

  • Jeffrey Overstreet has posted his 25 favorite films of 2006, though he’s still working on comments for some of them. What I love about his list is that he contacts other critics and writers to discuss the films that he has picked, granting even more insight into his choices and why he found them so affecting.
  • Todd Brown’s 2006 summary contains 15 films he loved, 10 disappointments, 5 directors to keep your eye on, and 5 titles he’s looking forward to in 2007.
  • J. Robert Parks lists his favorite “old” movies of 2006.
  • Doug Cummings lists his favorite “new” releases of 2006: between large festivals and small ones, limited engagements, and wide releases, I spent innumerable hours immersed in fantastic cinema in 2006.
  • The mighty CMS is in the midst of working through his 50 favorite songs from 2006.
  • Darren Hughes has compiled the following lists into one mega-entry: “Best New Films”, “Best New Short Films”, and “Favorite Film Discoveries.” As an added bonus, check out his favorite songs of 2006.
  • The folks at Midnight Eye — the best Japanese cinema resource on the Web — have posted their picks for the best and worst of 2006. Nice to see Paprika and HANA both get a few nods.
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