Poll

Do you want to see a change in voting for this years Top 100?

Yes  (please comment with any ideas)
1 (5.3%)
No
18 (94.7%)

Total Members Voted: 19

Author Topic: 6th Annual Filmspotters Top 100 - Comments & Discussion Thread  (Read 12666 times)

MP

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Re: 6th Annual Filmspotters Top 100 - Comments & Discussion Thread
« Reply #20 on: August 31, 2013, 10:00:20 AM »
Top 100 ballots -- personal or collective -- are always inherently conservative, favouring as they do nostalgia, longevity, the strength of a rewatch, the films you always return to.

As such, I'd be against changes. I'm happy that such lists tend to repeat themselves -- but that makes the surprises all the more pleasurable.

On another note, I've made a Top 100, ready to submit, alphabetising within each points tier to allow for fluidity etc. But then it just occurred to me that it might be better simply to list the 48 features I rate 10/10 (each is "one of the best ever"), as an alphabetised hall-of-fame or whatever. I have many 9s that I've only seen once (I've never given a 10 upon a first viewing), and some were obviously more recent than others. So I guess I'd feel uncomfortable including some and not others.

Yeah, Top 48 from me on its way.

Beavermoose

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Re: 6th Annual Filmspotters Top 100 - Comments & Discussion Thread
« Reply #21 on: August 31, 2013, 11:44:20 AM »
So when do our lists have to be in by? I feel like its sometime in September.

valmz

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Re: 6th Annual Filmspotters Top 100 - Comments & Discussion Thread
« Reply #22 on: September 01, 2013, 11:58:35 PM »
Top 100 ballots -- personal or collective -- are always inherently conservative, favouring as they do nostalgia, longevity, the strength of a rewatch, the films you always return to.
At a (now defunct) forum I used to read, I found that there was a common trend of people completely reworking their 'favorite film lists' with little if any commonalities from before. This was often most common among people watching a lot of films, and most if not all of those were in distinctly different modes to what they previously favored. This happened for those getting into the recent realists around the globe, or into non-narrative avant-garde, or into dense artifice/atmosphere. For those that look for 'better examples of the same sort of films', or those who don't completely immerse themselves in a lot of new stuff, I think the 'conservative' thing is pretty common. Not watching that many films these days, and even fewer of the ones I'm really excited about (but have to put in more effort to dig up), my idea of my favorites stays rather static, but mostly due to a lack of anything to shake things up but ever more distant memories. The point, though, I think, is that there can be dramatic shifts, it just takes a new burning passion or interest of some sort to fuel that sort of change in perspective.

MP

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Re: 6th Annual Filmspotters Top 100 - Comments & Discussion Thread
« Reply #23 on: September 02, 2013, 11:14:35 AM »
Top 100 ballots -- personal or collective -- are always inherently conservative, favouring as they do nostalgia, longevity, the strength of a rewatch, the films you always return to.
At a (now defunct) forum I used to read, I found that there was a common trend of people completely reworking their 'favorite film lists' with little if any commonalities from before. This was often most common among people watching a lot of films, and most if not all of those were in distinctly different modes to what they previously favored. This happened for those getting into the recent realists around the globe, or into non-narrative avant-garde, or into dense artifice/atmosphere. For those that look for 'better examples of the same sort of films', or those who don't completely immerse themselves in a lot of new stuff, I think the 'conservative' thing is pretty common. Not watching that many films these days, and even fewer of the ones I'm really excited about (but have to put in more effort to dig up), my idea of my favorites stays rather static, but mostly due to a lack of anything to shake things up but ever more distant memories. The point, though, I think, is that there can be dramatic shifts, it just takes a new burning passion or interest of some sort to fuel that sort of change in perspective.
Yes, you're right. I think maybe I favour longevity and the strengths of a rewatch too much -- too much considering how many repeat viewings I actually fit in these days (around sixteen this year, of over 500 films). I think it's to allow for the idea of (personal) "prestige". If something's unmeasurable because it changes so much, then it can't be taken seriously...?

valmz

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Re: 6th Annual Filmspotters Top 100 - Comments & Discussion Thread
« Reply #24 on: September 04, 2013, 01:41:52 AM »
Top 100 ballots -- personal or collective -- are always inherently conservative, favouring as they do nostalgia, longevity, the strength of a rewatch, the films you always return to.
At a (now defunct) forum I used to read, I found that there was a common trend of people completely reworking their 'favorite film lists' with little if any commonalities from before. This was often most common among people watching a lot of films, and most if not all of those were in distinctly different modes to what they previously favored. This happened for those getting into the recent realists around the globe, or into non-narrative avant-garde, or into dense artifice/atmosphere. For those that look for 'better examples of the same sort of films', or those who don't completely immerse themselves in a lot of new stuff, I think the 'conservative' thing is pretty common. Not watching that many films these days, and even fewer of the ones I'm really excited about (but have to put in more effort to dig up), my idea of my favorites stays rather static, but mostly due to a lack of anything to shake things up but ever more distant memories. The point, though, I think, is that there can be dramatic shifts, it just takes a new burning passion or interest of some sort to fuel that sort of change in perspective.
Yes, you're right. I think maybe I favour longevity and the strengths of a rewatch too much -- too much considering how many repeat viewings I actually fit in these days (around sixteen this year, of over 500 films). I think it's to allow for the idea of (personal) "prestige". If something's unmeasurable because it changes so much, then it can't be taken seriously...?
Or, on the contrary, if something's readily measureable because it hasn't changed much... I feel like I've missed out on a lot of growth, or the film doesn't lend itself to any more, neither of which is a good sign. Change is the best one can hope for, I think.

MP

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Re: 6th Annual Filmspotters Top 100 - Comments & Discussion Thread
« Reply #25 on: September 06, 2013, 09:08:19 PM »
Dunno if this is still happening but THIS is the list I just submitted!

1SO

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Re: 6th Annual Filmspotters Top 100 - Comments & Discussion Thread
« Reply #26 on: September 06, 2013, 09:12:33 PM »
What is RR by Bening? Even IMDB seems to lack info.

MP

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Re: 6th Annual Filmspotters Top 100 - Comments & Discussion Thread
« Reply #27 on: September 06, 2013, 09:17:58 PM »
James Benning. RR stands for railroad. A succession of fixed-camera landscapes through which pass freight trains. You can purchase an R2 DVD of it with casting a glance here, and can read about it here, here and here.

1SO

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Re: 6th Annual Filmspotters Top 100 - Comments & Discussion Thread
« Reply #28 on: September 09, 2013, 04:25:27 PM »
The most recent George Sanders Show Podcast put a thought in my head. It's called “The Top 10 Films of All Time”, but their lists came with a number of guidelines.

Nothing from their Top 10 of last year
No more than 1 film per director
Each film should represent different decades or different periods of cinema history
Nothing from the Sight & Sound Top 50

I remember last year The Vishnevetsky Method was a popular way to compose a submission list. I'm very rank and file with my list, so this different approach is like The Five Obstructions to me, kind of fun but not a true list. (The opposing viewpoint, discussed on the podcast is how can you possibly compare one film's greatness against another's?)

So I'm curious what the general grouping is here. How many of you use a rigidly formatted list? How many see their list as an approximate Top 100 likely to change on any given day? How many prefer to just throw 100 or more films into the air and see how they land? What are your restrictions, if any?


FLYmeatwad

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Re: 6th Annual Filmspotters Top 100 - Comments & Discussion Thread
« Reply #29 on: September 09, 2013, 05:24:15 PM »
The closer to the top of my list we get the less likely it is to change, the middle and bottom are in constant states of flux. Occasionally a film will ascend at a rapid pace and enter that Top 10 space though. I reckon that's what happened with Jeanne Dielman, but I might be wrong. Certainly that is how TWBB unseated DS:OHILTSWALTB. Though that may change now. I don't know. I should watch Strangelove again.