Twitch turned five years old back in September of 2009 and over those years Todd and his small army of writers have turned up trailers, shed light on numerous 'strange films from around the world' and have become a happy crossroads between the art-house and the grindhouse. 

There have been dozens, even hundreds of films that have had their individual champions over that time period, but digging back through the archives here are a few of the ones that got a lot of love in multiple reviews.  You may say that when it comes time to letting consensus or committee decide what is worthy, you are left with watered down results, but I think the list below is indicative of what Twitch is all about.

Banlieue 13 (2004) - Remember when Parkour really was not anywhere beyond forums and demonstration videos and a few YouTube clips?  Pierre Morel may have graduated to 'generic Luc Besson' action pictures with Taken and From Paris With Love, but back in '04 he did light the fighting-world up with his Escape From New York clone spiced with Parkour.  The latter element probably pushed the urban artform into the mainstream and incidentally has a sequel playing right now.  Here is Kurt, Todd, and Mack chiming in on the film.

The Machinist (2004) - With Shutter Island currently mining much of the same territory in 2010, going back six years ago to Brad Anderson's The Machinist seems apropos.  The film did get a little mainstream exposure, but mainly because Christian Bale had just beefed up for the Batman franchise, and in this, his penultimate film to Batman Begins, he is positively emaciated.  A twist-film where the twist is really secondary to the joy on offer and it (the twist) is not really all that hidden.  Here is what Canfield, Opus, Kurt, and Todd had to say back in Twitch's infancy.  Canfield also interviewed director Brad Anderson.

SPL (2005) - Sha Po Lang is perhaps the film that Twitch raved about more (and harder) than any other.  Wilson Yip's throwback to classic Hong Kong cinema was infused with Donnie Yen's experimental fighting styles mixed with that good old-school high-melodrama.  Did we set impossible expectations or even put a backlash in motion for the film?  Perhaps.  It is a bonafide classic nonetheless.  You want raves?  We've got raves:  Todd, Mack, Kurt, and back-in-the-day-Twitch-regular Logboy,

The Host (2006) - OK, maybe I lied about SPL being the most gushed about film on Twitch.  Mr. X lead the charge to cover this film right from its earliest production history to its Toronto International world debut.  We are big fans of Bong Joon-Ho around here, perhaps even moreso than Park Chan-Wook (both of which battled for Korean supremacy in 2009 with Mother and Thirst).  And all the pent-up love from his groundbreaking Memories of Murder was showered on his big, expensive monster genre-mashing drama.  We love The Host:  The delightfully verbose X (note the laundry list of article-links at the bottom of his post) Todd, Guest (Filmstalker) Richard Brunton, and Opus.   Also, Michael Guillen's interview.

The Orphanage (2007) - Do we love Spain?  Yes we love Spain.  If you are making genre films, then there are fewer more exciting places on the planet to be doing so.  We followed extensively Juan Antonio Bayona's family drama with a very iconic ghost right up until it landed at the 2007 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival.  Then the love-fest really got going.  Here is Todd, Michael and the esteemed Twitch colleague Grady Hendrix guest reviewing.   Expatriate, Gomorrahizer, provided constant coverage of the film.

Let The Right One In (2008) - Yes, this upscale coming-of-age vampire movie took the world (if not that box office) by storm as it stole festival awards by the armful.  No we are not too keen on a remake.  A lot of folks chimed in on this one as it conquered the planet:  Ard, Michael, Kurt, Todd, and Mack.  Blake interviewed director Thomas Alfredson.

The Sky Crawlers (2008) - Mamoru Oshii's The Sky Crawlers may have been a commercial flop, but that does not change the fact (heh) that it is a monumentally good movie.  Unanimously praised around these parts, in no small part due to all the reviewers catching it on a big screen with its wonderful sound design.  Technical bravura aside, the film rewards patient viewing with atmosphere and brains.  Here is the love:  Kurt, Todd, Ard, and Onderhond.

Love Exposure (2009) - Last years Twitch monster film.  Sion Sono has always been loved and supported in these parts, but with this four hour epic it became a film that was probably talked about on the site more than any other.  The UK distributor put the declaration "Film of the Year - Twitch" right in the center of the artwork (hanging on the cross no less) for their recent DVD release.  We agree:  Todd, Ben, guest Lauren Bagett, and Peter M.

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) - There was a day back in 2009 which was referred to as Fox-Day by the review staff at Twitch because through complete co-incidence (we are an organization of controlled anarchy) the entire front page had reviews of Wes Anderson's animated version of Roald Dahl's novel.  Were any of these reviews negative?  No.   Fantastic Mr. Fox day:  Kurt, Indiemaker, Jim, Charles Webb, and Peter M.

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So, what is the outlook for 2010?  Already there has been a lot of love for Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island here, just the sort of sweet spot between arthouse film and straight up genre atmospherics.  But there is a long, full road ahead.  What will we get behind?  Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani's AMER?  Vincenzo Natali's SPLICE?  Neil Marshall's CENTURION?  Chris Smith's BLACK DEATH?  Jaco Van Dormael's MR. NOBODY?  Some of those we already have reviews of in the archives, but really with Fantasia, Sitges, Undine, NYAFF, Karlovy Vary and TIFF still on the horizon, only time will tell.

As an further aside, what, if any, of our booster-isms and general enthusiasm over the years attracted you to (or even had you discover) Twitch?