So, how was it for you? Was 1998 the best year of your life, or is everything just marking time until the millennium comes along? Every fortnight, The List tells you who we think are setting the cultural agenda. But now it's your turn to shout from the rooftops in the 1998 READERS POLL. So listen up, they're opening the envelopes, and the winners are . . .
Compiled by Alan Morrison
Best Film
Winner: My Name Is Joe
Close second: Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels
In the running: There’s Something About Mary, Good Will Hunting, Saving Private Ryan
Ken Loach’s latest has provided him With his biggest- ever box office hit, and you also admired its gritty blend of social drama and human comedy. With Vinnie Jones and his hard-borled mob stealing in at number two, the Brits certainly came out on top over the Hollywood brigade. In arthouse terms, both La Vie Revee Des Anges and Funny Games received favourable nods.
Worst Film Winner: Titanic Close second: Velvet Goldmine
In the running: There’s Something About Mary, The Wedding Singer, Godzilla
YOU are a contrary lot. Give a film an Oscar, make sure it sells a bucketload of videos, and you’ll sink its runaway success: that also goes for all the votes that came in for The Truman Show, Boogie Nights and The Last Days Of Disco, all of which received near-perfect scores from The List's critics. Then again, a dire crop of Hollywood blockbusters also endured your wrath — although there were so many turkeys to choose from, the vote ended up split across the likes of The Avengers, Armageddon, Lost In Space and Deep Impact.
Best Actor
Winner: Peter Mullan
Close second: Ewan McGregor
In the running: Kevm Spacey, Robert Carlyle, Jack Nicholson
Any suggestion of Scottish favouritism operating here has surely been quashed by the lorry-load of awards Peter Mullan has been receiving for his performance in My Name Is Joe (okay, we also accepted votes for Joe Mullan and, ehm, Eric Mullan). Hollywood heavyweights also muscled in, With Jim Carrey provmg that he’s now being taken a lot more seriously. A single maverick vote for John Thaw left us bemused, however.
Best Actress Winner: Cameron Diaz Close second: Kate Winslet
In the running: Kathy Burke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett
The rest of the world might just have caught up on the diverse acting talents of Ms Diaz, but that’s twue in a row she’s topped our readers' poll. Australian actress Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth) proved to be the highest placed newcomer, while an array of Scottish talent was headed by My Name Is Joe’s Louise Goodall, closely followed by Siobhan Redmond, Kelly Macdonald, Daniela Nardini and, stop you're killing us, Lucille McLaughlin.
READERS’ POLL RESULTS
Winning combination: (from left) Titanic; Cameron Diaz; David McKay and Peter Mullan in My Name Is Joe
Best Album
Winner: Hello Nasty by The Beastie Boys Close second: Mezzanine by Massive Attack
In the running: Moon Safari by Air, The Miseduc ation Of lauryn Hill, Belle & Sebastian’s The Boy With The Arab Strap
With the maior guitar bands taking a bit of a breather this year, you tended to favour music that once-upon- a—time came from a hip hop background On the whole, it was the big sellers that gathered most votes ~ Madonna and Garbage included a but it's worth noting that the trend towards packaging film soundtracks came good With Sliding Doors, Velvet Goldmine and Lock, Stock 81 Two Smoking Barrels featuring heaVIly.
Best Single
Winner: 'Music Sounds Better With You’ by Stardust
Close second: ’Rockefeller Skank' by fatboy Siin:
In the running: U2’s 'Sweetest Thing’, Williains' 'Millennium' and ’Believe' by Cher
Robbie
Dancier sounds dominated this category, \Vllll the likes of Dario G, DaVId Morales, Air and The Propellerheads all climbing higher than Garbage, Superstar or Savage Garden. It was the year’s most unmissable song that took top spot, however, with Norman Cook’s vote splitting between his 'Roc kefeller Skank' and remix of ’Brimful Of Asha’
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