The Movie Guys: It's time to look back at the top films of a year ago

The Movie Guys, starring Jeff Howard and Dave Neil, appears Fridays in the Sun. They can also be seen on the 11 a.m. Friday newscast on KVVU Channel 5. Plus, check them out online at lasvegassun.com/sun/sunlife/ movies and themovieguys.com.

Thousands of years ago Moses delivered to his people the very first top-10 list. It was a huge hit! Since then many modern-day prophets -- including David Letterman, Casey Kasem, and Mr. Blackwell -- have perfected similar lists.

Now, in this age of instant information and global communication, any freak with a computer and an attitude can have his very own top-10 list. Speaking of freaks, the Movie Guys, never to leave any trend unexploited, have crafted their very own lists of the top 10 films of 1999.

Jeff's Top 10

1. "American Beauty:" How sure am I that "American Beauty" is the best film of 1999? Well, just to make sure, I've seen the film seven times. I'm very sure. Alan Ball's script about the disintegration of a suburban family is the most refreshing film I've seen in years. Change for the better and how you feel about yourself is the theme of "American Beauty," and how your daily routine is the death knell for every working man or woman.

2. "Being John Malkovich": When I describe the plot of "Being John Malkovich" (about an out-of-work puppeteer who finds a doorway into the mind of actor John Malkovich), I always find myself chuckling, because I've seen it, but I still can't believe it. I applaud the courage of USA Films to finance such a movie and salute Spike Jonze for his creative and unforgettable direction.

3. "Boys Don't Cry": The tragic true life story of a young woman trying to make a new life as a man in "Boys Don't Cry" is a haunting romance you'll never forget. New to the scene is director Kimberly Pierce, responsible for bringing this sorrowful tragedy to the screen. Hilary Swank plays Brandon Teena, the confused teen, with such dignity and warmth that she will be rewarded with a sure Oscar nomination.

4. "Magnolia" (opening today in Las Vegas): Paul Thomas Anderson's follow-up to his critically acclaimed "Boogie Nights," "Magnolia" possess as many plot threads for its characters as petals on a flower. Not an easy film to watch or to absorb during its three-hour running time, but it's well worth the wait. Every character has a purpose, and each dwells on its hidden past and is unable to escape its memory. Anderson weaves a well-constructed web of conspiracy.

5. "Topsy-Turvy": The first time I heard the music of Gilbert and Sullivan was in the film "Foul Play" with Chevy Chase. The film used "The Mikado" as the backdrop for a murder, and from the first note of the overture, I was a fan of this Victorian duo. Director Mike Leigh has taken the making of "The Mikado" and dramatized these events into one of the most charming and appealing films of the last millennium.

6. "Titus": First-time director Julie Taymor presents this adaptation of Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus, a monument of grand epic filmmaking. Anthony Hopkins plays Titus, a powerful military hero. The rest of the cast, including Laura Fraser, Angus MacFayden, Colm Feore, Jessica Lange, James Frain, Alan Cumming and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, all perform above and beyond the call of duty and signify Shakespeare as a joy to listen to. "Titus" is stunning in its presentation, with no detail left unnoticed.

7. "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels": From writer and director Guy Ritchie comes the hippest film of 1999, about a gang of four who finds more big-time trouble -- and craziness -- than they ever imagined. They owe close to a million dollars to a local gangster. To save their hides they'll have to demonstrate a rare trait: honor among thieves. The film features fast cuts, fast dialogue, splendid violence and hard music.

8. "The Blair Witch Project": This was a film that you either hated or loved. Due to the hype surrounding the release of "The Blair Witch Project," I think, for some moviegoers, it didn't live up to its word of mouth. I'm sorry for those of you who weren't scared or were upset because you didn't "see" something. For those of you who hated it, you didn't get it. The fear was supposed to be all in your minds. The fear of the unknown is the greatest fright, not a guy wearing a hockey mask and brandishing a chain saw chasing you in the woods.

9. "The Iron Giant": Director Brad Bird's adaptation of the classic children's book best represents what can be called "The Second Golden Age of Animation." Set during the "Red Scare" of the 1950s, a small boy finds a metal giant who falls from the sky and the two become fast friends. Full of humor for kids and adults, some tender moments, plus spectacular animation, "The Iron Giant" is the best animated film in years.

10. "The Straight Story": From David Lynch, a director better known for his quirky films like "Blue Velvet" or "Eraserhead," comes one of the best family films of recent times. Based on a true story, Richard Farnsworth is an elderly man who travels across America's heartland on a riding lawn mower to mend a troubled relationship with his dying brother. He gets there one mile at a time at a pace of two miles per hour.

Honorable Mention: "Election," "South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut," "Princess Mononoke," "Cruel Intentions," "The Talented Mr. Ripley."

Dave's Top 10

1. "Being John Malkovich": Very few films can truly define themselves by their originality. This past decade alone one could probably count on one hand the number of movies that could arguably classify themselves as "original." Include in that category this eclectic dark comedy that places both an audience and its characters into the mind of actor John Malkovich. An amazing display of sophisticated storytelling and diverse imagination by director Spike Jonze and writer Charles Kaufman.

2. "American Beauty": This suburban tale of a dysfunctional family's angst is a bitter depiction of morality and desperation. Veteran Broadway director Sam Mendes makes an impressive debut with this graceful film that features some of 1999's best performances -- including lead actors Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening. Driven by a powerfully solemn narration provided by rookie scribe Alan Ball, the film's profound message illustrates that it isn't until your final "eternal moment" of death that we truly realize the significance of our lives.

3. "The Blair Witch Project": One of the least-expensive films to turn one of the year's biggest profits has suffered so much backlash that it seems trite to place "The Blair Witch Project" on a list as one of 1999's best. But the impact that this Sundance darling had on me was one of those pure cinematic experiences that stays with you after leaving the theater seat. The film is a brilliant display of novelty and creativity by filmmakers Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick. If one allows himself to take the horrific journey into the woods in pursuit of a simple class project, he might find himself never forgetting the tears-for-fears confession by the movie's end.

4. "Magnolia": The highly anticipated follow-up to Paul Thomas Anderson's 1997 "Boogie Nights" is an intriguing complexity of multiple plots that form one compelling story. Orchestrating an all-star cast that has Tom Cruise as a macho, womanizing motivational speaker and Julianne Moore as a drug addict looking for redemption, Anderson delves into the human spirit and supplies the proper instruments for us to dissect his characters.

5. "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels": Extremely clever as it is hip, this British import by debut writer/director Guy Ritchie follows a group of misfits who become involved in a twisted plot of crooked schemes, card play, drug money, and two costly shotguns. This slick farce incorporates humor and suggestive violence, tied together by an assorted group of solid characters. Possessing a fast and furious pace that allows for the film's music video-style editing tricks and innovative camera work, Ritchie creates a virtual roller coaster ride.

6. "The Matrix": "What is the Matrix?" you ask? There is no denying the brothers Larry and Andy Wachowski's sci-fi comic book depiction of an alternate reality ruled by an artificial intelligence being foiled by a computer hacker (Keanu Reeves) and his rebels (lead by Laurence Fishburne) is a landmark in computer-generative effects. The film's narrative is a mind-boggling concept incorporating spectacular visual wire stunts with its kung-fu choreography, techno-driven action and hard-hitting soundtrack.

7. "Sleepy Hollow": The retelling of Washington Irving's 18th-century classic tale "Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is the perfect childlike fodder for Goth director Tim Burton ("Batman," "Edward Scissorhands") to sharpen his unusual style of storytelling. Delivering quite possibly his most visual film to date, Burton's fascination with the macabre matches screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker's ("Seven") hand at ghostly dialogue and gruesome deaths.

8. "South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut": It's a comedy! It's a musical! It's an unrefined animated feature slapped with a deserved R rating (barely escaping the dreaded NC-17)! However you care to accept the four little foul-mouthed youngsters (Kyle, Stan, Kenny and Cartman), you have to give credit where it is due. The creators of the popular "South Park" television series, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, surpassed every expectation I had for bringing their onetime cult cartoon to the big screen by taking abusive (yet harmless?) jabs at American censorship, parenthood, political correctness and anything else, including the pop-culture kitchen sink.

9. "Dogma": The divine tale of two renegade angels looking to re-enter heaven by proving God fallible had religious groups -- particularly the Catholic church -- in an uproar. Yet, as controversial as Kevin Smith's latest film might be, this religious satire is ultimately pro-faith. Behind its amateurish style, crude humor and perverse dialogue is a sincere, witty comedy that is more profound than blasphemous.

10. "The Talented Mr. Ripley": In the tradition of Alfred Hitchcock, writer / director Anthony Minghella (Oscar winner for 1996's "The English Patient") delivered a methodical thriller possessing a plot twist that definitely challenged its audience. It features a spectacular generational cast that includes Matt Damon as the charming title character.

Honorable Mentions: "Election," "Three Kings," "Bringing Out the Dead," "The Insider," "The Green Mile."

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