2013 Year in Review: My Top 10

And now as is the annual tradition, here is my Top 10 Films of 2013. As usual a number of my favourite films I saw this year weren't actually new releases, I've gone along with the tradition of only including films released in 2013. This years list was easier to put together in some ways and harder in others. Having only awarded 12 films a score of 8/10 or more, it was a quick process to narrow down the list, however it was then rather a tricky challenge to choose which made it into the final 10. Overall it was a disappointing year and I only wanted to select films that deserved to be included, and I think i've come up with a list that suffices. 

Some honourable mentions include the Korean-indie's Romance Joe, Love in 42.9 and December, films I championed through Cinema on the Park, Lost Rivers, William and the Windmill and Black Fish were my top international documentary pics, while the Korean-doco's My Place, Non-Fiction Diary and Camp 14: Total Control Zone all deserve special mention. Django Unchained and This Is 40 were both solid entries in the long filmographies of Tarantino and Apatow, but aren't well round enough to make it higher up the list.

My most underrated films of the year have to go to the Korean-American rom-com Wedding Palace, Flora Lau's Bends and Mike Birbiglia's Sleepwalk with Me. The unlucky 8/10 films that just don't make the cut were Cutie and the Boxer and Mistaken for Strangers, meaning this years list is the first in 5 years that does not include a straight-forward documentary (See no. 6 for what that refers to). My guilty pleasures of the year go to Arnold's return to the silver screen in Kim Jee-woon's The Last Stand, and Park Chan-wook's similarly successful Hollywood debut with Stoker, while both were not complete enough to make the final selection but both brought a smile to my face.

My favourite performances of the year have to go to brilliant Ahn Jae-hong in The King of Jokgu, the delightful Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine, and the surprisingly well-rounded performance of pop-star turned actress Lee Jung-hyun in Juvenile Offender. While best supporting performances were no doubt Bobby Cannavale in Blue Jasmine and Carina Lau in Bends. My biggest disappointments of the year were Fruitvale Station, Alpha Papa, Elysium, The Hobbit, Cabin in the Woods, Tang Wong and Wreck It Ralph! Once again I had huge expectations for a Korea-Thai film Thuy, though like last years Mai Ratima, it was just as disappointing. Read on below for mini reviews of my top 10. Agree, Disagree, comment below.

2013 Year in Review: Film Log

Tully's Recall Year in Review Year by Year

2010 Film Log, At the Cinema, Top 10 

2011 Film Log, At the Cinema, Top 10

2012 Film Log, Korean Cinema, Top 10

2013 Film Log, Top 10 Features (coming soon)

Every film (that I can remember) that I watched in 2013 is listed below in the order that I watched them. It totals 136 features films (down almost 50 films from last year), and 181 short films (an increase in 50% from the previous year, indicating my more recent interests in the short film format). The percentage of films I saw in the theatre did increase though, as I managed to make it out to many more film festivals and art house screenings than i managed in 2012.

My Top 10 of 2013 will be up shortly, of which this year I will be posting both a look at features and shorts. Films seen in the theatre are Bolded. Red highlights are for films of ratings of 8 or higher out of 10. Short films are listed in "Inverted Commas". Enjoy!

2010 Stats (Features only)

Films watched - 125

Films seen in the theatre - 58 (46%)

Films of 8 or higher out of 10 - 27 (22%)

2011 Stats (Features only)

Films watched - 125

Films seen in the theatre - 58 (46%)

Films of 8 or higher out of 10 - 14 (11%)

2012 Stats (Features only)

Films watched - 184

Films seen in the theatre - 54 (29%)

Films of 8 or higher out of 10 - 19 (10%)

2013 Stats (Features only)

Films watched - 136

Films seen in the theatre - 57 (42%)

Films of 8 or higher out of 10 - 17 (13%)

Thought Leaders' Corner: Remakes of Korean films

This months edition of the Thought Leader's Corner concerns remakes of Korean films. An increasing trend as Korean cinema emerges on the world stage, there are some varying opinions on how this could benefit or negatively effect the local Korean industry. Read on below to read my thoughts on this trend. You can read the full April thoughts here from a variety of Korean film experts worldwide.

MKC Thought Leaders' Corner: April 2013

How do you feel about remakes of Korean films?

Thought Leaders' Corner: Trends in Korean film

The dialogue around Korean cinema continues to grow worldwide, and I was happy to participate in another edition of Modern Korean Cinema's Though Leaders' Corner. This months edition concerned emerging trends from the industry, and garnered a range of responses from experts around the world. 

This was probably the most interesting entry as it brought to the attention many trends that different people have noticed about the Korean film industry of late, from the style of the films to new forms of marketing, to cultural adjustments and emerging stars. Read on below and thanks again to Pierce Conran at MKR for coordinating it. You can read the full March thoughts here, or my personal mumbling are following the image below.

MKC Thought Leaders' Corner: March 2013

Are you noticing any tends in Korean films these days?

Thought Leaders' Corner: The value of Stars

Another month, another thought leaders corner thanks to the team over at Modern Korean Cinema. The contributors has expanded this month which is great to see, having so many people involved in a discussion around Korean film. 

You can read the full February thoughts here, or my personal mumbling are following the image below. Once again  I invite anyone that has an opinion on the question posed to contribute in the comments section. This also marks the 50th blog post on Tully's Recall, so thanks for reading and I will try and keep the content coming. 

MKC Thought Leaders' Corner: February 2013

How valuable are stars in the Korean film industry?

Thought Leader's Corner: Streamlined Productions

I recently took part in a new initiative set up by Pierce Conran over at Modern Korean Cinema. It's a great monthly piece that asks those in the know about Korean film some thought provoking questions that cover trends, developments or concerns facing the industry today. 

I was very happy to be included as one of the thought leaders, who trace their origins from all around the world to give a well rounded opinion. I think they are all worth a read, and you can see the full January entry here. Below I have posted my personal response to the question that was posed. Hope you find it interesting and if you have any thoughts of your own feel free to reply in the comments section!

 MKC Thought Leaders' Corner: January 2013

Given the enormous success of Korean cinema in 2012, is there any cause for concern over a rise in streamlined productions as quality gives way to financial interests?