These are my favorite movies (in alphabetical order) that I saw this past year...I've got two lists. The first are the movies that were actually MADE in 2008:
Burn After Reading
I'm not always into the product that the Coen brothers produce (I probably enjoy about 75%, though), but this was definitely on the plus side. Great ensemble (most especially Frances McDormand)...funny character study/farce about spies. Burn After Reading - AmazonBurn After Reading - imdb.com
My favorite movies I saw in 2008 (thanks, mostly, to Netflix) that WEREN'T made in 2008 (again, in alphabetical order):
Arranged (2007)
This is a beautiful, sad, sweet little film. It focuses on the friendship between two young women who would seemingly have nothing in common. One is Muslim, one is a Hasidic Jew. They bond over the fact that both sets of their parents are planning to arrange a marriage for them. A great story about rising above prejudices and finding respect, love and friendship! Arranged - AmazonArranged - imdb.com
Luckily this list is much shorter. There were only a few standout BAD movies I happened to catch this year. There were only THREE that actually were released in 2008:
Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild (2008)
The first movie in this series was stupid, but an enjoyable stupid (and with all the stupid movies aimed at straight people it was kind of fun to have one for us gays), but while this one has a few briefs glimpses of brilliance (any scenes with RuPaul, Lady Bunny and believe it or not, Perez Hilton) the rest of it is mostly gross-out humour garbage (including a disgusting scene featuring the always annoying (to me) Scott Thompson from "the Kids in the Hall" involving incest, furries and vomit). This film isn't helped by getting rid of one of the funnier supporting characters (the boys' dyke friend "Muffler") and that the guys have ALL been recast, with the single exception of Nico (played by Jonah Blechman), who is sort of like the fey, white Erkel or an even GAYER version of Emmett from "Queer as Folk" (my least favorite character THERE, too). Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild - imdb.com
Equally as lucky, there were only about seven truly BAD movies I saw this year that were made BEFORE 2008...
Breakfast with Scot (2007)
While this movie was certainly sweet, I think my problem with it was it was too MUCH so. Also, perhaps it's my own internalized homophobia, but I just wanted to kick the little kid's teeth in (he not only was EXTREMELY over-the-top fey, he had apparently grown up in a bubble and had no idea why the other kids thought he was weird because of it). I realize the point of the film was the uncle, played by Tom Cavanagh, as a "straight acting" gay guy has to come to terms with his own inner fairy by excepting the kid, but it's a loooong, telegraphed journey to that point. It's not helped that the film is shot on a shoe-string and reeks of "ABC Afterschool Special" (which were fine for their time, but now are viewed mostly as camp).. Breakfast With Scot - imdb.com