Best of 2009: The Year In Movies
Last year when we listed our best movies of 2008 we decided that limiting the list to a top ten was a ludicrous option simply because there were too many exceptional releases. This year the mere idea of a top ten list wasn't even considered thanks to a full slate of well-done movies that we believe topped previous years by leaps and bounds. We didn't even have time to review all the movies that came out or watched. Of course we attribute this to a concerted effort on the part of the studios but there was also a wealth of talent in front of and behind the camera to ensure that 2009 was a year of quality as well as quantity.
Within the next few days we'll be releasing our list of top movies of the year but today we'll be taking a more generalized view of 2009. It was a year of diversity, of interesting trends, of new stars, retiring stars, comebacks, and an interestingly competitive market in erratic economic times.
First, and possibly most importantly, the online video market continued to grow in importance and influence. More studios cast performers from this genre and produced more exclusive original online content. New videos and archived material were more accessible to web fans than ever before. In 2009 you could easily see new videos and scenes much more readily than previous years --even before they were released on DVD.
There's nothing new to location shoots or elaborate sets but in 2009 there seemed to be more than ever before. You could find videos shot on location at home and abroad, inside and out---across the globe in Europe, Israel, South America, and more. Of course you'd see films set in real homes and bedrooms but also in underground sex clubs, a mental hospital, inside a space ship, bars, and even in other planes of existence.
It was also a year where more fetish & kink films went beyond the standard leather fare. There were all kinds of interesting situations but also an increased usage of unique fetish & leather wear, toys, etc provided by specialty stores and designers.
2009 wasn't necessarily a year of more plot-driven movies or innovative premises but it seemed to us that there was an increase in craftsmanship---from the so-called all-sex movies to the movies that had dialog and complex stories. We know there will be a few likely front-runners at awards time the field still seems very crowded with deserving videos. We can't wait to see what happens.
Within the next few days we'll be releasing our list of top movies of the year but today we'll be taking a more generalized view of 2009. It was a year of diversity, of interesting trends, of new stars, retiring stars, comebacks, and an interestingly competitive market in erratic economic times.
First, and possibly most importantly, the online video market continued to grow in importance and influence. More studios cast performers from this genre and produced more exclusive original online content. New videos and archived material were more accessible to web fans than ever before. In 2009 you could easily see new videos and scenes much more readily than previous years --even before they were released on DVD.
There's nothing new to location shoots or elaborate sets but in 2009 there seemed to be more than ever before. You could find videos shot on location at home and abroad, inside and out---across the globe in Europe, Israel, South America, and more. Of course you'd see films set in real homes and bedrooms but also in underground sex clubs, a mental hospital, inside a space ship, bars, and even in other planes of existence.
It was also a year where more fetish & kink films went beyond the standard leather fare. There were all kinds of interesting situations but also an increased usage of unique fetish & leather wear, toys, etc provided by specialty stores and designers.
2009 wasn't necessarily a year of more plot-driven movies or innovative premises but it seemed to us that there was an increase in craftsmanship---from the so-called all-sex movies to the movies that had dialog and complex stories. We know there will be a few likely front-runners at awards time the field still seems very crowded with deserving videos. We can't wait to see what happens.
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