As I get this blog started, I wanted to give you my top 10 films of all time. Obviously this is a difficult choice. How many of you have been asked, "What is your favorite movie?" and found it impossible to choose? Well, I am the same way. However, in the spirit of being decisive, and giving fodder for discussion (I am sure many of you will disagree with my pics), here they are:
1. Amadeus
2. The Shawshank Redemption
3. Unforgiven
4. Babel
5. The Usual Suspects
6. The Silence of the Lambs
7. The Matrix
8. Pulp Fiction
9. Braveheart
10. Memento
Notables that I had to remove from the list under duress:
Fight Club
Saving Private Ryan
Pan's Labyrinth
Casablanca
Psycho
It's a Wonderful Life
12 Angry Men
City of God
I think I will also post this as a running list and watch it develop over time. By the way - if it isn't clear already - if you haven't seen one or any of these movies, I highly recommend each of them, you will be blown away, moved, or otherwise changed. I could watch any one of these over and over (for that matter, I have).
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3 comments:
From one film fan to another: There's a noticeable degree of recency in your lists. Have you looked into foreign cinema (Bergman, Kurosawa, Truffaut, etc.) much? "Seven Samurai" and "Rashomon" are among my very favorite Kurosawas. Hitchcock's "Rear Window" and (especially) "Notorious" are simply perfect films. The Criterion Collection is an excellent place to become aware of great films and filmmakers you may have missed.
Indeed, I have also noticed. I admit I haven't seen a lot of foreign films, and Seven Samurai is on my list of flicks to see (I have heard a lot about it). Thanks for the suggestion on Notorius, I haven't heard of that movie. I will respectfully disagree with you on Rear Window - although a good movie, I didn't think it was amazing.
I honestly believe that film is getting better as it moves along. I tend not to take the historical importance or innovation of a film into account, especially for older movies that where the acting is just really bad.
There are of course exceptions to this. Here are a few older movies that I loved: Psycho, All Quiet on the Western Front, 12 Angry Men, The Graduate, It's a Wonderful Life, Ben-Hur, Sunset Boulevard, On the Waterfront (among others).
I have actually been meaning to start a series of posts reviewing older movies, and whether they are overrated in my opinion - focusing on the AFI greatest movies list.
The AFI lists are a pretty popular target because (1) the movies are rank-ordered and (2) there's only 100 of them. Those are artificial limitations, in my opinion - the other major one being the "American"-ness of the films. But hey, it is the American Film Institute, isn't it?
I posted my thoughts on the AFI's 110 Years...100 Movies list here, in case you're interested. I haven't updated the post with the movies I've seen since then, though. I have kept an online log of everything I've seen in 2007 and 2008, however. I'd love to write more formal reviews, but I just don't have the time.
"Overrated" is an interesting term. A lot of people think "Casablanca" is overrated because it's so cliché and predictable. What I think is actually happening is they're judging it negatively because so many of the romantic dramas made since then have ripped off (er, "borrowed") so many of its elements, making Rick and Ilsa's story seem old-fashioned and trite. So a bit of historical perspective is beneficial.
By the way, I'll forgive you your luke-warm opinion of "Rear Window" - just so long as you didn't like "Disturbia" more. :)
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