Editor’s Note: We have been running The Swampflix Podcast for four years and over one-hundred episodes so far, broadcasting our thoughts on a wide range of movie topics into the digital void in hopes that someone, anyone out there is listening. The podcast doesn’t receive much direct feedback from its audience, but a few years ago we did discover one lengthy, thoughtful review from the mysterious Mr. Hot Dog Boy that totally got what we were trying to accomplish with the show. It still helps keep us motivated all these years later.

We occasionally shout-out this sentient hotdog man-boy on the pod in hopes that he’s still out there listening, and when we recently asked what his favorite films of the 2010s were, he actually responded. After all those years of mystery, it felt like being contacted by an A-List celebrity. We were honored for the contribution to our discussion of the decade’s great works (and impressed by Mr. Hot Dog Boy’s refined tastes), so we’re publishing his email submission to the show here:

Hello Swampflix! Here, as requested, is a list of my favorite movies of the decade. I have also included a brief recount of my Swampflix listening experience.

Mr. Hot Dog Boy’s Top 17 (?) of the 2010’s (in no particular order)

1. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011) – This documentary about the beauty and madness of what true mastery and perfection requires gives me a crisis and makes me love it every time I think about it.

2. Paterson (2016) – I’m 100% biased as a New Jersey native but seeing the city of Paterson, NJ portrayed as a beautiful and poetic place was one of my cinematic joys of the 2010’s.

3. Avengers: Endgame (2019) – There’s no escaping the Disney-dominated world. This excellent sequel to 22 other big-budget films made a case that the dystopia might at least be admirable.

4. Mandy (2018) – I loved every sight and sound this film presented to me. Metal, neon, Nick-Cagian nightmarescape? Um, yes.

5. Annihilation (2018) – There’s been a lot of talk about how the horror genre has reached a new milestone of quality this decade. The same can be said about science fiction. This Jeff Vandermeer adaptation is one of the best of this decade’s excellent SF offerings.

6. Creed (2015) – Creed is just a damn good movie. This is a movie for everyone, but in a good way. If anyone wanted to know what an excellent good old-fashioned movie looks like in the 2010s, give them this one.

7. Little Women (2019) – I loved 2017’s Lady Bird and basically knew I’d be down for anything Greta Gerwig directed in the future. I saw Little Women at the tail-end of the decade. I cried basically from start to finish all the while being immensely impressed with the craft of the picture.

8. Get Out (2017) – I liked Us more than Get Out. So why list Get Out instead of Us? My wife watches nowhere near the amount of movies I do and we have drastically different tastes. This was the only movie this decade that I forced her to watch. It feels like a cinematic sea change.

9. Boy (2010) – Taika Waititi arrived as a generator of excellent films in the 2010s. This sentimental but fun film is my favorite of the bunch.

10. High Life (2018) – I’m always down for slow, contemplative, possibly about nothing French drama. However, set it in space and add weird sex and I especially love it!

11. Frances Ha (2012) – Noah Baumbach has been making great movies about people having existential crises since the 90s. This was my favorite of the decade from him.

12. Midsommar (2019) – I cannot believe what this movie looks like. Every time I watch it, or read anything about it, I still cannot believe how good it is.

13. Ingrid Goes West (2017) – We just need more films about how destructive social media can be. This movie wasn’t even that great but it scratched the itch to see more stories about this phenomenon that looms over our society.

14. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) – What’s there even to say?

15. Phantom Thread (2017) – It’s such a pleasure to have filmmakers like P.T. Anderson around. You know any movie he makes will be fascinating and an event to go see. The supposed swan song of Daniel Day Lewis was another excellent entry in his filmography

16. 56 Up (2012) – I have not had a chance to see 2019’s 63 Up just yet, but this British documentary series continues to fascinate me. Seeing human beings grow from 7 years-old to 56 years-old runs the gamut of human experience. There is comedy and tragedy, success and failure. I think about this series all the time.

17. The Witch (2016) – This was the first of the modern, contemplative, impeccably crafted A24-distributed horror films I saw this decade. It blew me away.

Swampflix in 2010s

I started listening to the Swampflix podcast in 2016. I randomly found it while looking for movie sites based in NOLA to figure out what was happening in the city’s film scene. I immediately loved the podcast and have been a religious listener since then.

I’ve watched lots of movies I’ve enjoyed based on what I’ve heard on the podcast. I’ve also enjoyed lots of the dialogue on the episodes. Some highlights that come to mind:

#Horror: I have enjoyed and been convinced by Brandon’s constant cheerleading of internet horror. This was a personal highlight of that sub-genre for me.

A Gnome Named Norm: Britnee has a vault of movies she loves with a sincerity that is infectious. This problematic and unbelievable motion picture is burned into my brain forever now.

The Wild Boys and We are the Flesh: I don’t know what this genre is? Insane, horny art movies? They are good, keep watching and recommending them please.

Brandon and James arguing about Us and other movies. I love these arguments. The ability to productively argue about something and not devolve into a “fuck you” shout fest is a skill I see diminishing in today’s tribal landscape. Listening to you two fundamentally disagree but stay civil is something I really enjoy.

Brandon and CC’s coverage of the film festivals: I never got to make it to an NOFF so it was always great to get an overview of what they had seen.

I no longer live in NOLA, so the local coverage is not pertinent for me, but I still love the show and look forward to listening to it for as long as you are willing to make it. Thanks to all the contributors for making an awesome show!

-Mr. Hot Dog Boy