Author Topic: Top Films of All Time  (Read 944321 times)

1SO

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1SO's List of Essentials
« Reply #4720 on: August 15, 2016, 01:58:16 PM »
A ranked IMDB list is here.
A ranked Letterboxd list can be found here.
My Top 100 Personal Charm Picks on Letterboxd here.


The 4th Man
12 Angry Men
48 Hrs.
The 400 Blows
The Abyss: Director’s Cut
Abigail’s Party
Ace in the Hole
The Act of Killing
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
The Adventures Of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert
The Adventures of Robin Hood
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939)
The African Queen
After the Thin Man
After the Wedding
Aguirre: The Wrath Of God
Airplane!
Aladdin
Alien
Aliens
All About Eve
All That Heaven Allows
All That Jazz
All the Cats Join In (SHORT)
All the President’s Men
Amadeus
American Beauty
American Dream
American Graffiti
American Hustle
American Madness
The American Scream
An American in Paris
…And Justice For All
And Then There Were None
Angel (1937)
Angst
Antoine and Colette (SHORT)
Apocalypse Now
Arachnophobia
Arsenic and Old Lace
The Artist
The Asphalt Jungle
Atlantic City
Au Hasard Balthazar
Avatar
Babe
Back to the Future
The Bad and the Beautiful
Ball of Fire
Bambi
Band Baaja Baaraat
The Barefoot Contessa
Batman Begins
Batman Returns
The Battle of Algiers
Battle Royale
Beauty And The Beast
The Beguiled
The Best Man
The Best Years of Our Lives
Beverly Hills Cop
The Big City (Mahanagar)
The Big Easy
Big Hero 6
The Big Red One
The Big Short
The Big Sleep
Big Trouble in Little China
The Birds
A Bittersweet Life
Black Hawk Down
Blackfish
The Blair Witch Project
Blue Ruin
The Blues Brothers
Blues in the Night
Bonnie and Clyde
Boundin’ (SHORT)
The Bourne Ultimatum
The Boys in the Band
Brazil
The Breakfast Club
Breaking the Waves
Brewster McCloud
The Bridge on the River Kwai
A Bug’s Life
Camera Buff
Canyon Passage
Cape Fear (1962)
Cape Fear (1991)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Captains Courageous
Capturing the Friedmans
Carnal Knowledge
Carrie (1976)
Casablanca
Castle in the Sky
Casualties of War
Charade
The Chaser
Chicken Run
The China Syndrome
A Christmas Story
Citizen Kane
City Of God
A Clockwork Orange
Close-Up (1990)
Closer
The Collector
Colossus: The Forbin Project
Come and Get It
The Conjuring
Contact
The Conversation
The Cook, The Thief, His Wife Her Lover
Crash (2004)
Crimes and Misdemeanors
The Crimson Permanent Assurance (SHORT)
Crimson Tide
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
The Crowd
Dances With Wolves
Dangerous Liaisons
The Dark Knight
Dawn Of The Dead (1978)
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Day For Night
The Day Of The Jackal
The Dead
Deadline USA
Dear Zachary
Deathtrap
The Descent
Destry Rides Again
The Devil’s Advocate
Die Hard
Dig That Cat… He’s Real Gone (SHORT)
The Dirty Dozen
Dirty Harry
Dixie
Django Unchained
Do The Right Thing
Dodes’ka-Den
Dodsworth
Dog Day Afternoon
Double Indemnity
Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog (SHORT)
Dressed to Kill
Drug War
Duck Soup
Duel
Dying at Grace
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
Ed Wood
Eden Lake
Eight Men Out
El Dorado
Election
The Empire Strikes Back
Eraserhead
Erin Brockovich
The Evil Dead (1981)
Excalibur
Exit Through the Gift Shop
The External World (SHORT)
A Face in the Crowd
Fahrenheit 9/11
Fail-Safe
Fanny & Alexander (TV Miniseries)
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Fargo
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Feast (SHORT)
A Few Good Men
Field of Dreams
Fight Club
Finding Nemo
Footlight Parade
For A Few Dollars More
Forrest Gump
The French Connection
The Frighteners
Galaxy Quest
The Game
Gangs of New York
The General
Giant
Glory
The Godfather
The Godfather Part II
Gone With the Wind
Goodbye Mr. Chips
The Good Earth
Goodfellas
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
The Gospel According to St. Matthew
The Graduate
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Grapes of Wrath
Grave Of The Fireflies
Gravity
The Great Muppet Caper
The Green Mile
Halloween
Hamlet (1996)
Hard-Boiled
The Harder They Fall
Harlan County USA
Harry Potter and the Goblet Of Fire
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt. 2
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Harvie Krumpet (SHORT)
Heathers
The Heiress
Hellraiser
Henry V (1989)
High and Low
High Plains Drifter
His Girl Friday
Holiday (1938)
Holiday Inn
Home From the Hill
Hot Fuzz
House of Strangers
How Green Was My Valley
The Human Condition
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
The Hunt For Red October
The Hustler
I’m Here (SHORT)
Ikiru
In a Lonely Place
In the Company of Men
Inception
The Incredibles
Indictment: The McMartin Trial
Inglorious Bastards
Intolerance
Intouchables
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
The Iron Giant
It Happened One Night
It’s Love I’m After
Jackie Brown
Jackie Chan: My Stunts
Jaws
Jesus Christ Superstar
JFK
John Adams (TV Miniseries)
Kairo (Pulse)
Kill Bill Vol. 1
The Killer
The Killing
The King of Kong
Kingdom of Heaven: Director’s Cut
Knife in the Water
Kustom Kar Kommandos (SHORT)
Kwaidan
L.A. Confidential
La Cabina (SHORT)
Ladies of Leisure
Lady and the Tramp
The Lady Eve
The Last Detail
The Last Laugh
Lawrence of Arabia
Le Trou
Leave Her to Heaven
The Lego Movie
Leon: The Professional
Lethal Weapon
Lethal Weapon 2
Life Itself
Life Of Brian
The Life of Emile Zola
The Lion in Winter
Little Big Man
Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
Live From Baghdad
The Lives of Others
The Lonely Wife (Charulata)
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings
Love Exposure
Love, Actually
M
Make Way For Tomorrow
Malaya
The Maltese Falcon
A Man Escaped
The Man From Nowhere
The Man Who Fell to Earth
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
Manhunter
A Married Couple
Mary and Max
Mary Poppins
The Mask of Zorro
The Matrix
A Matter of Life and Death
McCabe And Mrs. Miller
McLintock!
Mean Streets
Meet John Doe
Meet the Feebles
Memento
Memories of Murder
Metropolis
Midnight Run
Milk
Miracle On 34th Street
The Missiles of October (TV Movie)
Mission: Impossible III
Mistaken For Strangers
Monsters Inc.
More (SHORT, 1998)
Moulin Rouge
Mr. Death
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Mulholland Dr.
The Muppets
The Music Room (Jalsaghar)
My Fair Lady
My Neighbor Totoro
My Neighbors the Yamadas
My Voyage to Italy
The Naked City
Naked Lunch
Nashville
Near Dark
Network
A Night at the Opera
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
The Night Stalker
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Ninotchka
The Ninth Configuration
No Country For Old Men
No Name on the Bullet
Noriko’s Dinner Table
North By Northwest
Notorious
Notting Hill
Ocean’s 11 (2001)
Odds Against Tomorrow
The Old Lady and the Pigeons (SHORT)
Oldboy (2003)
On The Waterfront
Once Upon A Time In The West
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest
One Hour With You
One Man Band (SHORT)
One Two Three
Onibaba
Open Hearts
Operation Petticoat
Ordinary People
The Ox-Bow Incident
Pain & Gain
Paranoia Agent (Mini Series)
Parenthood
The Passion Of Joan Of Arc
Passionless Moments (SHORT)
Paths of Glory
Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer
A Personal Journey With Martin Scorsese through American Movies
Phantom of the Paradise
Pickup on South Street
Pink Floyd The Wall
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
Pixote
Platoon
Pom Poko
Prep & Landing (SHORT)
Presto (SHORT)
The Princess Bride
Psycho
Pulp Fiction
Pushover
Quadrophenia
Quartet
Quiz Show
Raiders Of The Lost Ark
Ran
Ratatouille
Rear Window
[REC]
Red River
The Remains of the Day
Requiem For A Dream
Return of the Jedi
The Right Stuff
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
RKO 281
The Road Warrior
The Roaring Twenties
Rocky III
Roman Polanski’s Macbeth
Romancing the Stone
Room For One More
Rope
Rosemary’s Baby
The Royal Tenenbaums
Run Lola Run
The Saga of Biorn (SHORT)
Salaam Cinema
Samurai Rebellion
The Sandman (SHORT)
Sanjuro
Sansho the Baliff
Satantango
Saving Private Ryan
Scarface (1932)
Scarface (1983)
Scarlet Street
Scenes From A Marriage
Schindler’s List
Scorpio Rising (SHORT)
Scream
The Selfish Giant
Se7en
Seven Samurai
The Seventh Victim
Sex, Lies and Videotape
Shakespeare in Love
Sherlock: A Scandal In Belgravia
Sherlock: A Study in Pink
Sherlock: His Last Vow
Sherlock: The Great Game
Sherlock: The Reichenbach Fall
Sherman’s March
Shoah
The Shopworn Angel
Short Cuts
Short Term 12
The Silence Of The Lambs
Silverado
Singin’ In the Rain
Sita Sings the Blues
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Sleuth (1972)
Snatch
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Snowpiercer
So Proudly We Hail
The Social Network
Some Like it Hot
Something Wild
Spirited Away
The Squid and the Whale
Stage Door
A Star is Born (1954)
Star Trek (2009)
Star Wars: A New Hope
Stolen Kisses
Strange Days
Strangers On A Train
Streets Of Fire
The Stunt Man
Sudden Fear
Sundays and Cybele
Sunrise: A Song Of Two Humans
Sunset Blvd.
Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (SHORT)
Sweet Smell of Success
Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance
Synecdoche, New York
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Temple Grandin
The Terminator
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Tesis
Tetsuo: The Iron Man
There Will Be Blood
They Live
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?
Threads
Time Out
The Times of Harvey Milk
The Tin Star
The Tingler
To Kill a Mockingbird
Too Late For Tears
Tootsie
Toy Story
Toy Story 2
Toy Story 3
Toy Story of Terror (SHORT)
The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre
True Romance
The Truman Show
Two (SHORT)
Unforgiven
United 93
The Underworld Story
Untitled
The Untouchables
Up
V For Vendetta
The Vanishing (1988)
Vanishing Act (TV Movie)
Victor/Victoria
Wait Until Dark
Wall Street
Wall-E
Waltz With Bashir
War Horse
Wargames
Watchmen
We Need to Talk About Kevin
Wendy and Lucy
Werckmeister Harmonies
West Side Story
The Westerner
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
What’s Opera Doc (SHORT)
When Harry Met Sally…
White Heat
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
The Wicker Man (1973)
Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory
Winchester ‘73
The Wind Rises
Wings Of Desire
The Witches of Eastwick
Witness For the Prosecution
The Wizard of Oz
Woman in the Dunes
The World According To Garp
The World is Not Enough
World of Apu
Wreck-it Ralph
Written on the Wind
The Wrong Trousers (SHORT)
Yentl
You Can’t Take it With You
Young Frankenstein
Young Mr. Lincoln
Your Studio and You (SHORT)
Youth of the Son (SHORT)
Zatoichi (2003)
Zero Dark Thirty
« Last Edit: August 27, 2016, 08:08:57 PM by 1SO »

1SO

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Re: Top Films of All Time
« Reply #4721 on: August 15, 2016, 03:29:59 PM »
415.   Angst - We might be the only two people in the world who would consider this for their Top Whatever lists.

And Gaspar Noe. His favorite movie ever, which does not surprise me at all.

Along with Eden Lake, an interesting choice for inclusion. I didn't expect it to be so rewarding on a re-watch but it went up my list considerably.

Using Letterboxd Genre divisions my Essentials contains...
49 Animated titles
44 Horror films
24 Westerns
23 Documentaries

also 9 titles with the word 'American"

1SO

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Re: Top Films of All Time
« Reply #4722 on: August 16, 2016, 07:50:48 PM »
I hope there's an imdb or ICM link to go along with the letterboxd one.

The IMDB link is now active.

PeacefulAnarchy

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Re: Top Films of All Time
« Reply #4723 on: August 16, 2016, 09:14:42 PM »
I hope there's an imdb or ICM link to go along with the letterboxd one.

The IMDB link is now active.
Thanks. I'll look at it more closely later. Seen 468/545 Lot of 10s and 9s from me on the list, only nine below 5. Of the ones I haven't seen there's a nice mix of films I want to see, films I've never heard of and idiosyncratic choices I'm apprehensive about.

Are you sure La cabina isn't supposed to be this: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065513/

1SO

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Re: Top Films of All Time
« Reply #4724 on: August 16, 2016, 10:30:00 PM »
Thanks for finding the correct La cabina. I made the fix.

I'm pleased with myself that IMDB Ratings for my list on the average are high. Nothing below 6.3, which includes a short by Masaki Kobayashi. (What are the odds that Kobayashi has made a film deserving of such a low rating?)

I hope my list gives that extra push for the films you want to see.

1SO

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Re: Top Films of All Time
« Reply #4725 on: August 27, 2016, 08:11:51 PM »
On Letterboxd, I've added a list of Buried Treasures. 100 Features followed by 10 Shorts.

Sam the Cinema Snob

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Re: Top Films of All Time
« Reply #4726 on: August 27, 2016, 08:56:38 PM »
Some of these aren't buried to me, but I get where you're coming from.

MartinTeller

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Re: Top Films of All Time
« Reply #4727 on: August 27, 2016, 11:08:46 PM »
What criteria did you use? Some of those are pretty popular/canonical.

1SO

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Re: Top Films of All Time
« Reply #4728 on: August 28, 2016, 12:54:34 AM »
What criteria did you use? Some of those are pretty popular/canonical.
I took the bottom 125 when ranking my Essentials on Letterboxd by Popularity and cross-checked them with the IMDB list ranked by least amount of votes. I went with the round number of 100, even though that takes me up to Holiday, which has almost 11,000 votes on IMDB. I don't have a large selection of unknowns from my Essentials, with only 13 Features under 100 IMDB votes. That said, I bet a number of these titles are ones people are aware of and mean to get to someday, but have yet to see.

I was surprised by some of the results too - Ball of Fire, Destry Rides Again, Adv. of Sherlock Holmes - but also saw that many titles appeared at about the same level of unpopularity. Dixie was the clear winner of both lists with 8 votes on Letterboxd and 87 on IMDB.

I'm stunned by Malaya. It stars James Stewart, Spencer Tracy and Sydney Greenstreet. Easily available for Digital Rental or purchase. 48 votes on Letterboxd and 746 on IMDB.

It's certainly a more interesting list than the most popular choices, which include Dark Knight, Fight Club and Pulp Fiction. These are the films I would like people to discover and not just get around to at some point.

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Re: Top Films of All Time
« Reply #4729 on: September 26, 2016, 12:33:05 AM »
My latest top 100, ranked in order,
with brief write-ups
and the difference from my last official top 100 (2013).  "return" means the film is reappearing after a longer absence from my top 100.

1.   Spirited Away
Surprise!
Why is it my favorite? Because no matter how many times I watch it, it is always fascinating, I always consider something new, I am always thrilled by the outcome and I am stirred by Chihiro's personal growth.

2.   The Double Life of Veronique
The mystery is deep with this one, as is the sensuality of music and the touching of trees.

3.   The Mission
Probably the film that most reflects my life. Minus the swordplay.  Well, with minimal swordplay.  A great adventure of the spirit.

4.   Finding Nemo
When I first watched it I felt it was adequate, for a kid's film. But this one, more than any other, had characters and depths that rewarded this parent's forced rewatches than the other films my toddlers inflicted upon me.

5.   Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
Nausicaa is my hero of standing up for the weak, whether her own people or strange animals/insects or the ecosystem. Bold and wise, balancing personal sacrifice and helping those around her, she is the one I wish I could have counselling me through life.

6.   A Serious Man  +25
The film that best and humorously examines our search for the meaning of life.

7.   Princess Mononoke +2
There ain't no good guys, there ain't no bad guys, there's only you and me... and we are both fighting for our way of life.

8.   Rear Window    -1
A perfectly executed film about being a busybody.

9.   To Kill a Mockingbird  +5
It is the hardest project to create a solid film adaptation from a perfect book, but they did it.  The attempt to be a good man in the midst of a bad system is perfectly displayed. Gregory Peck plays the best father ever shown on film.

10.   The Tree of Life +26
There are two moral forces in the universe: nature and grace. It is not possible to find this truth in a more beautiful package.

11.   Red Beard +3
It is not enough to work, or even to work well. We must work with the ideal of benefiting others at all times.

12.   Schindler’s List
Another perfect film, showing how an amoral capitalist can grow up to become fully human.

13.   Lawrence of Arabia -2
A charming, self-important SOB, and how his self-confidence is used to change the world. Every scene is as big as the universe-- watch on the largest screen possible.

14.   Mary Poppins +1
While Mary is practically perfect in every way, this film is not, but it is charming and wonderful and every song is delightful and damnably catchy.  All this, plus nostalgia, too.

15.   Malcolm X +1
Denzel is always wonderful to watch, even in stupid films. This is the performance Denzel Washington was born for.

16.   When Harry Met Sally…  +1
The best romantic comedy made. Funny, insightful, over-the-top and sometimes silly. It still works.

17.   The Empire Strikes Back +1
Pulp can be artful and emotional. Muppets can make us thoughtful. Big budgets can have unhappy endings.

18.   Seven Samurai -1
This movie has been copied many times over, and not just because it always makes a lot of money (come to think of it, though….). It is a classic story never done better than the first time.

19.   Groundhog Day +1
A perfect balance of humor, philosophy and ethics. If you want to ignore the philosophy and ethics, it's easy to do. Just enjoy.

20.   The Godfather +2
The greatest ensemble cast producing the most memorable characters ever. Much more than the innumerable clichés it inspired.

21.   You Can’t Take It With You +2
The best of the "collective of eccentrics that win in the end" genre. A great argument for internet economics.

22.   The Passion of Joan of Arc +2
Mesmerizing tragedy. Watch closely and you'll see the greatest performance of the silent era. (Not too close or you'll bump noses.)

23.   Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind +2
The best interpretation of Charlie Kauffman, possibly the greatest scriptwriter of the 21st century so far. The confusion of love and those who take advantage of lovers.

24.   Close Encounters of the Third Kind +2
A change is gunna come, but what happens to those who grasp it too soon? Crackpots, dreamers or haters?

25.   The New World +3
The toughest balancing act in the world is that between love and wisdom. When this balance is surrounded by such beauty, my breath is taken away.

26.   City Lights +3
Chaplin is best at the integration of the sentimental with the comic. Here, he reaches the pinnacle of his abilities.

27.   Apocalypse Now +4
The river winds down a path of ever increasing insanity, the result of the chaos of war.
I prefer the Redux version, but many disagree with me.

28.   Citizen Kane  -7
The peak of Orson Wells' creative ability tied with one of the most compelling character studies.

29.   Brazil +4
The twentieth century in a nutshell-- the ridiculousness of bureaucracy, fashion and mind control. A Python-eque turn of Orwell's 1984 resulted being the truest interpretation.

30.   The Princess Bride +4
Every moment is filled with hilarity and utter seriousness. Prepare to have me quote this film at you.

31.   Pulp Fiction +5
Tarantino, more than a precise wordsmith, knew the feel of a masterful film, even if the dead guy has to show up in the next scene.

32.   The Matrix +5
"What if none of the world was real" seems a childish philosophy because the Matrix made the question everyday. Its dark sensibility and anime-inspired action is simply perfect.

33.   Dancer in the Dark +5
The musical which explores how patriarchy destroys the innocent. Tears my heart out and stomps on it a few times, before placing it back into my chest, fully destroyed.
I know. You really want to watch this film now.

34.   Amadeus +5
It seems to so easily lift me to joys of laughter and then the depths of depression. Well, that's Mozart for you.

35.   Gosford Park
An ensemble tossed into the strict society of the upstairs/downstairs world, where everyone has their proper place... except the murderer.

36.   The Scent of Green Papaya +17
The joyfully sensual exploration of clothing and cooking. A young woman matures and blossoms.

37.   Scott Pilgrim vs. the World  (new)
Edgar Wright at his best. A sarcastic, all-too-clever video game send-up.

38.   Hunger +27
Steve McQueen (the director) is best at exploring the extremes of life. There is no more extreme activism than this hunger strike and its context. A tough, fulfilling watch.

39.   Pina (new)
A stunning example of dance as artful communication. As powerful and thoughtful as The Great Gatsby or a Picasso painting.

40.   United 93  +1
One of the most intense film viewing experiences of my life. I am there, in the worst moment of the modern world. Not an easy watch, but immensely powerful.

41.   Journey to the West 2014 (new)
Part of the Walker series, meditating on modern life by examining a person walking with painful slowness through urban landscapes. If we can open up our minds, we can understand more about our lives.

42.   His Girl Friday -2
I never have enough time to fully laugh at this film the way I want. Still, a comic genius of a film.

43.   Dog Day Afternoon +2
A man and his friend rob a bank, only to have everything go wrong. Pacino is so compelling and funny, I didn't want my time with him to end. It's a Stockholm syndrome experience.

44.   The Prestige (new)
The most successfully twisty movie of all time. It doesn't hurt having David Bowie in there.

45.   Ostrov -2
Grumpy, crusty, ridiculous and self-abasing, Anatoly is a wonderful and entertaining saint, who has more to teach himself than others.

46.   A Short Film about Love  +38
The best of Kieslowski's masterful Dekalog, exploring sexual fantasy, compulsion and shame.

47.   It’s a Wonderful Life +53
For many, their memory of this film is that it is overly sentimental.
Others feel that it is overly dark.
I understand it now to be a character study of how doing the right thing can go all wrong and what, exactly, makes it right.
The film is deceptively simple. Every time I watch it, I see a different movie.

48.   Tideland  -4
A movie hated by many because a child is placed in terribly dangerous circumstances, yet I find it a description of the resilience of the childlike imagination, despite those difficulties. Tom-ay-to, tom-ah-to.

49.   One Week +1
Keaton's funniest film and possibly the best short of all time.

50.   The Dead (new)
A party silently recalls the dead who are not there. Powerful study of a family and their interactions.

51.   Bright Star (new)
This movie reintroduced me to Keats and why his poetry is worth remembering and celebrating.

52.   Brief Encounter (new)
An intense, emotional relationship, perfectly filmed.

53.   The Apostle (new)
An exploration of a complex character, which demonstrates the contradictory nature of emotional religion, both sacred and profane.

54.   Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai +45
A strange, quiet film, filled with wisdom and friendship.

55.   Kagemusha +8
A stunningly beautiful war film.

56.   Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring +36
A meditation on the seasons of a balanced life, although each season might individually seem without balance.

57.   Barton Fink +38
Writer's block in hell with John Goodman's masterful performance as the torturer who tells the truth.

58.   Millions -9
A child who has saints speaking to him finds a million pounds. Imaginative fantasy with disturbingly realistic interruptions.

59.   The Cabin in the Woods (new)
The most thoughtful of horror films, not just exploring tropes, but examining the reasons behind the tropes. And quite hilarious.

60.   In a Lonely Place +14
Bogart at his creepiest, charming best, in a captivating mystery.

61.   Crimes and Misdemeanors (return)
Woody Allen, in my opinion, is best when he least tries to be funny. A serious story of injustice in the world.

62.   Three Colors: Blue (return)
Going deep into the waters of grief and coming out. Cool and smooth and gorgeous.

63.   Vera Drake (new)
I love this character study, for it shows how people change in different circumstances. How the very center of one's confidence could become the center of our overwhelming shame.

64.   Once  +14
So this man and woman decide to make a band and they have a failed romance. Why is this movie so powerful? Why does it haunt me so? Is it because I can't stop listening to the soundtrack?

65.   The Elephant Man +15
Some of the best black and white photography ever put on to film, set to a story of how different people take advantage of a disabled man.

66.   A.I. Artificial Intelligence  (return)
Visually brilliant, Spielberg directs the script Kubrick poured his life into.

67.   Les Miserables (1934)  -21
My favorite adaptation of this favorite novel, it is the only one that gives the story the time it needs to explore the themes and characters.

68.   Kind Hearts and Coronets +27
The darkest and funniest of black comedies. Alec Guinness is simply brilliant in his best role(s).

69.   World of Tomorrow (new)
One of the great shorts, with a young girl giving us fresh humor and innocence in sharp contrast to the bitter future.

70.   Short Term 12 (new)
A story of compassion gone wrong? in the midst of a powerful community of hope.

71.   The Selfish Giant (2013) (new)
Two films I wept uncontrollably over: The musical Les Miz and this one. This is the one that made my top 100. It is Kes with a powerful central male friendship.

72.   Wall-E  -5
What romance looks like from the male perspective, while the woman just wants to get things done.

73.   Kung Fu Hustle +4
The best depiction of why Looney Tunes is so great in a live-action film. Forget about Space Jam-- this is the real deal.

74.   M (return)
Deep melodrama, brilliant acting, smart script. Classic cinema.

75.   8 ½  (return)
A selfish creative genius can't get over himself. Kinda the way I can't get over myself. A highly creative masterpiece.

76.   Star Wars  (return)
The most popular presentation of the hero's journey. Although I think that this year's Kubo does a better job at telling the story, this is the film that made me love movies. I must show gratitude.

77.   Mulan (new)
I wish I could knock this movie down a few for being supportive of war, but it is so entertaining, so funny, the songs so enjoyable-- this is the best Disney musical animation. It'll make a man out of you, so to speak.

78.   The Human Condition -36
A man of compassion attempts to make life better for the needy in the midst of a fascist world.  It’s pretty long.  Better have good snacks.

79.   A Scanner Darkly (return)
Philip K. Dick has been bastardized and Hollywoodized. Richard Linklater keeps it real, close to the text, but still very trippy.

80.   The Witch (new)
Heresy was not supposed to limit people from truths uncomfortable for the majority. Rather, something is declared heretical because it is too judgmental, too unsafe for the majority of people. The brilliance of this film is the historically accurate portrayal of the fears of the puritans.

81.   Together (new)
A commune is a group of high-minded individuals, wanting to live a better life. But what if the different ideals don't really fit together? Funny and touching as well as a little disturbing.

82.   A Page of Madness +4
A truly spooky silent Japanese film inside a prison/madhouse. The beginning of edgy Japanese horror, which will later include House and The Iron Man.

83.   Children of Men -19
A dark depiction of seeking peace out of dystopia. One of the best examples of where the film is better than the novel.

84.   Leon: The Professional (return)
Leon is my favorite assassin. And young teen Natalie Portman insists on learning his trade. What fun. I had no idea Gary Oldman could be so terrifying.

85.   The Guard (new)
Hilarious, violent and disrespectful of both rural Ireland and police officers everywhere.

86.   The Americanization of Emily (new)
I was going to put Network, but this Sidney Lumet film is funnier and more enjoyable to sit through, while still being scathing. I never would have guessed that Julie Andrews and James Garner were perfect foils for each other.

87.   Die Hard (return)
Yeah, it's still great. Shut up, you Back to the Future people. Just shut up.

88.   The Dark Knight -29
This is what a Batman film should be: smart, great action and dark, dark, dark.

89.   Scenes from a Marriage -20
Marriage isn't easy. Liv and Erland tell us why through their wonderfully personified characters.

90.   Broken Arrow (new)
About enemies and a man who tries to make peace between them. Jimmy Stewart is... well, heck, he's Jimmy Stewart!

91.   Metropolis (return)
Class war in the film that informed every other film what the future looks like.

92.   Night and Fog (new)
A brief but powerful exploration of the Holocaust, making lists and categories seem hunting.

93.   Stormy Weather (new)
Possibly the best collection of talent of any musical, ever, allowing them to do what they do best: entertain.

94.   How to Train Your Dragon -30
The path of the peacemaker, trying to make his world a better place. Jay Baruchel gives one of the best comedic voice performances of all time.

95.   The Exterminating Angel (new)
The supreme act of surrealism on film.

96.   Melancholia -25
Some of the best cinematography put on screen, exploring depression and what makes it so paralyzing and supportive.

97.   Summer Wars  -44
The best animated ensemble film....
Wait....
Is there another animated ensemble film? Well, this one really works.

98.   Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son about His Father  (return)
Just as this melancholy documentary becomes sleepy... something happens. Amateur film at it's most compelling.

99.   Once Upon a Time in the West  -23
Leone takes his time, perfectly building suspense in each scene.

100.   Wendy and Lucy -21
This is what homelessness is all about. This fictional experience is all too real, too human for me.

« Last Edit: September 26, 2016, 09:47:51 AM by oldkid »
"It's not art unless it has the potential to be a disaster." Bansky

 

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