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The Alties

Magazine

The Alties 2003

Bowling for Columbine battles it out with Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. The recently announced results of the first-ever online alternative movie awards run by Alternet show, as you might expect, a strong streak of reaction against the Oscars...

Most Inspirational Movie

The movie that moved you to be a better human being, to make your country more just, to embrace the world with heart and warmth: the right kind of feel-good movie. Bowling for Columbine


Best Political Movie


The system buster: the flick that spoke truth to power, confronted evil and told it like it really is. Bowling for Columbine


New World Order Award


Films whose atmosphere/subject matter portrays or feeds off of the post-9/11 paranoia of our times, with its uber-patriotism, anxiety and fear. Minority Report


Guilty Pleasure Award


The critics panned it, but you loved it anyway. Guilty pleasures aren't about lasting relevance or redeeming value, just a rollicking good time. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers


Scenes From the Class Struggle


Movie screens tend to be peopled by the rich and the middle class. This category honors films that present an unvarnished portrayal of working class life. Y Tu Mama Tambien


The Unbridled Desire Award


Truly sexy movies are elusive. The best are made up not just of sexy characters but a collection of sexy moments that raises our temperature to the boiling point. Y Tu Mama Tambien


The Doobie Award


Movies that most realistically portray the role drugs play in many of our lives: be it good or bad or providing pleasure or pain. Adaptation


Best Soundscape


The best soundtracks are inseparable elements of the plot, nearly characters unto themselves. This is music that stays with you long after you've left the theater. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers


All You Need Is Love Award


Cookie-cutter romances are a fact of life, but this year saw some remarkable, eccentric breaks from the boy-meets/loses/gets-girl formula. Punch Drunk Love


Best Damn Documentary


The nonfiction movie of the year that inspired, educated or provoked. Bowling for Columbine


Best "Feel Bad" Movie


Some movies are so relentlessly depressing that you leave the theater feeling worse than when you arrived. But admit it: sometimes it feels good to feel so bad. The Pianist


Reinvention of the Chick Flick


2002 saw a crop of films that turned the tired concept of the Chick Flick on its head with intelligent and artistic depictions of women's inner lives. My Big Fat Greek Wedding


Smart AND Funny Movie


Let's face it, this is a rare combination. Think vintage Woody Allen or early Coen Brothers movies like Raising Arizona. Adaptation


The Big Award


When you think back over all the movies you saw in 2002, inevitably one, a true favorite, stands out. This is the King Altie. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers


Check out how the winners were arrived at. Visit the site to get a downloadable PDF and to join in the conversation in the Movie Madness Forum at www.alternet.org/alties/winners.html

The Alties

Alternet's awards for the best alternative movies of the year, chosen through an online poll. See our page or go to www.alternet.org/alties/winners.html

are run by Alternet, an American news organisation which gives an alternative view on what is happening in the news. www.alternet.org/