Snobbin: Beautiful Trash in the Pop Culture Gutter

26. Joint Security Area (2000) Park Chan-Wook builds suspense masterfully in this taught, propulsive thriller that draws on the real-life tensions between North and South Korea. When soldiers from both countries form a secret friendship, other circumstances quickly test their loyalty, resulting in several murders in the Joint Security Area, the only zone where the two countries can talk face-to-face. The countries contact Major Sophie E. Jean (Lee Young-ae) to conduct an investigation as tensions heat up. The film kept me at the edge of my seat as its flashbacks finally revealed what really happened. If you like simmering thrillers that keep you guessing, Joint Security Area delivers with multiple surprises.  25. Flipside (2023) As an obsessive record collector and popular culture historian, Chris Wilcha's record store documentary spoke to me. As much a visit to the failing record store of his youth as a travelogue into past selves, the film uses interviews, reflections, and footag...

 Since I watched 365 films, I decided to delve into the best films I watched in 2017. 25. Rollerball Norman Jewison's Rollerball is fun to watch, and its portrayal of a man expressing his individuality in a society that threatens to completely control him is apt even in today's world. The sport of Murderball is brutal and when the executives continually change the rules, he struggles to maintain. Yet he manages to succeed, despite the fact that he will possibly ultimately fail. The sport is interesting, if a bit unrealistic, and the performances, especially that of James Caan, take the story beyond its generic science fiction trappings. 24. Jules and Jim Truffaut was one of my favorite directors this year, so it was hard to narrow down which films I wanted to put on this list. I picked Jules and Jim because I felt adversarial about it and had to think about the story and cinematography to really understand its value. The film's romantic love triangle is hard to w...

349. Fearless (2006), Ronny Yu, Rogue 350. The Cat's-Paw (1934), Sam Taylor, Fox Film Corporation 351. The Plumber (1979), Peter Weir, CEL 352. Rollerball (1975), Norman Jewison, United Artists 353. A Film Unfinished (2010), Yael Hersonski, Oscilloscope 354. Fat Girl (2001), Catherine Breillat, Canal 355. The Apartment (1960), Billy Wilder, United Artists 356. Jules and Jim (1962),  François Truffaut, Cinedis 357. A Woman of Paris: A Drama of Fate (1923), Charlie Chaplin, United Artists 358. A King in New York (1957), Charlie Chaplin, Attica