Wednesday, May 31, 2006

My Favorite Films

So it's summer time. I hada job interview today at Disc Makers. It went well. I get bored constantly and feel like a lazy bum. So you all know what that means. Yet another list will start. And this list is one that has been in the works for many years of my life. I did albums and directors and video games (although Resident Evil 4 is going to be a new addition to the top 20) so it is only natural that I reveal my top 25 favorite all time films. It is a daunting task, but I have reshaped the top 25 a lot over the past year and feel the need to update people on the movements of certain films and the addittion of a few newbies. At this point, my entire list goes to 111 but I will only divulge the Top 25 with nice reviews written about said films. So as a starter, here is 111 to 26 so you know where my heads at and what isn't making the cut on the top 25. Because I'm a film nerd, here listed are the movies, the year they were released and the director. This list is also for Justin Leo who wasnt around last summer when we did our lists. I dont remember if I sent you one, bro, so check out the updates

Enjoy!

111. The Son's Room- Nanni Moretti- 2001
110. Witness- Peter Weir- 1985
109. 12 Angry Men- Sidney Lumet- 1957
108. Enter the Dragon- Robert Clouse- 1973
107. Welcome to the Dollhouse- Todd Solondz- 1995
106. What About Bob?- Frank Oz- 1991
105. Das Boot- Wolfgang Peterson- 1981
104. Trainspotting- Danny Boyle- 1996
103. Following- Christopher Nolan- 1998
102. The Player- Robert Altman- 1991
101. The Wizard of Oz- Victor Flemming- 1939
100. L.A. Confidential- Curtis Hanson- 1997
99. Mullholand Drive- David Lynch- 2001
98. Millions- Danny Boyle- 2005
97. 12 Monkeys- Terry Gilliam- 1995
96. Simple Men- Hal Hartley- 1992
95. Snatch- Guy Ritchie- 2000
94. Army of Darkness- Sam Raimi- 1993
93. American Psycho- Mary Harron- 2000
92. Harold and Maude- Hal Ashby- 1971
91. Three Kings- David O Russell- 1999
90. Ed Wood- Tim Burton- 1994
89. Delicatessan- Jean Pierre Jeunet & Marc Caro- 1991
88. Mississippi Burning- Alan Parker- 1988
87. The French Conection- William Friedkin- 1971
86. Waiting For Gauffman- Christopher Guest- 1996
85. The Limey- Stephen Soderbergh- 1999
84. The Grapes of Wrath- John Ford- 1940
83. Back to the Future- Robert Zemeckis- 1985
82. North by Northwest- Alfred Hitchcock- 1959
81. Rules of Attraction- Roger Avery- 2002
80. Miller's Crossing- Joel Coen- 1996
79. The Pianist- Roman Polanski- 2002
78. Taxi Driver- Martin Scorcese- 1976
77. Fargo- Joel Coen- 1990
76. Talk to Her- Pedro Almodovar- 2002
75. Network- Sidney Lumet- 1976
74. Being John Malkovich- 1999
73. A Very Long Engagement- Jean-Pierre Jeunet- 2004
72. Dead Man- Jim Jaramusch- 1995
71. Metropolis- Fritz Lang- 1927 (Oldest movie on the list)
70. High Fidelity- Stephen Friers- 2000
69. The Truman Show- Peter Weir- 1998
68. Cinema Paradiso- Guiseppe Tornatore- 1989
67. Apocalypse Now- Francis Ford Coppola- 1979
66. The Hudsucker Proxy- Joel Coen- 1994
65. Evil Dead- Sam Raimi- 1981
64. On The Waterfront- Elia Kazan- 1954
63. The Manchurian Candidate- John Frankenheimer- 1962
62. Platoon- Oliver Stone- 1986
61. Ametuer- Hal Hartley- 1994
60. Rope- Alfred Hitchcock- 1949
59. Mad Max- George Miller- 1979
58. The Producers- Mel Brooks- 1968
57. The Insider- Michael Mann- 1999
56. Annie Hall- Woody Allen- 1977
55. Lolita- Stanley Kubrick
54. Living in Oblivion- Tom DiCillo- 1995
53. Pulp Fiction- Quentint Tarintino- 1994
52. Do The Right THing- SPike Lee- 1989
51. Punch Drunk Love- P.T. Anderson- 2002
50. Goodfellas- Martin Scorcese- 1990
49. Raising Arizona- Joel Coen- 1987
48. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind- Michel Gondry- 2004
47. The Royal Tennenbaums- Wes Anderson- 2001
46. Fight Club- David Fincher- 1999
45. After Hours- Martin Scorcese- 1985
44. Malcom X- Spike Lee- 1992
43. Pi- Darren Aronofsky- 1998
42. Monty Python and the Holy Grail- Terry Gilliam & Terry Jones
41. Dead Poets Soceity- Peter Weir- 1989
40. Better Off Dead- "Savage" Steve Holland- 1985
39. Adaptation.- Spike Jones- 2002
38. Raging Bull- Martin Scorcese- 1980
37. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou- Wes Anderson- 2004
36. Kill Bill- Quentun Tarintino- 2003-04
35. Io Non Ho Paura (I'm Not Scared)- Gabrielle Salvatores- 2003
34.Requiem for a Dream- Darren Aranofsky- 2000
33. The Seventh Seal- Ingmar Bergman- 1957
32. This is Spinal Tap- Rob Reiner- 1984
31. Casablanca- Michael Curtiz- 1942
30. Donnie Darko- Richard Kelly- 2001
29. Seven- David Fincher- 1995
28. The Silence of the Lambs- Johnathan Demme- 1991
27. The Blues Brothers- John Landis- 1980
26. American Beauty- 1999- Sam Mendes

So that is that. If you don't a lot of these, you now have a good checklist of some excellent flicks to check out. Some are harder to get than others, so Netflix or TLA it up for the rough gems.

3 comments:

Useless Major said...

This list pleases me, mostly because I've seen 95% or so of the movies listed therein. However, I disagree with your ordering. While I was pleased to see Quentin Tarrantino so well represented [where was Reservoir Dogs?], I don't think Kill Bill is better than the Manchurian Candidate by any stretch of reason. And, though I love Fargo more and more each time I watch it, I think Miller's Crossing is a lot better [though I'm happy to see the Coen brothers represented at all]. Further, 12 Angry Men, I feel, should be higher up on the list.

We should get together sometime, drink heavily, and rewatch some of these classics to carefully consider their places on our list.

We should do that before this summer is through.


-- M.

leo said...

Yes, you did send it to me, and it was a major blessing, because my questioning fo stuff I didn't know led me to some fantastic new discoveries - Dead Man, Following, Delicatassen (which I just estatically got on DVD), a reconsideration of Better Off Dead (if I did see this as a kid, I appeciated it far far less than I do now), and more.

I'm not gonna gripe with any ordering. I'll trust your judgement, and I think these lists are more about personal tastes than what really is the best. You know where I stand on things like Wanderson and Hashby (Harold and Maude is a top ten for me).

I am wonderign about two foreign ones not totally familiar with - I know The Son's Room you recommended to me before, it has an Eno song in it. But I don't know this I'm not Scared - and it'sa female director? I might have heard about it but didn't put things together, but in any case, I defiently haven;'t seen it. Please elaborate, as for it to make your top 40 makes me extremely intrigued.

Paul Tsikitas said...

The Son's Room is an excellent melodrama filled with raw emotions and beautiful acting. It's a really great story filled with some awesome symbolism. I also love films about families coping with death. This one does it really well.

I'm Not Scared (it's actually a male director... I thought it was female at first too by the name) is one of the most chilling and suspenseful movies I have ever seen. The cast is driven by two kids who are about 10. Also, some of the best cinematography I have ever seen is in this film. Check it out definitely. Actually, both are really good.

Both were viewed in my Italian Film and Culture class I took at La Salle (Along with Cinema Paradiso) and really made a huge impression on me.