A couple of years ago I posted my top five movies, organized by various categories. Recently, a friend had a lot to say about my choices, and my brother sent me his comments, and his own top fives. In response, I've slightly revised some of my choices, and added some categories. Because I love almost all Coen brothers' movies, and John Sayles, I gave them their own categories. I almost did the same for Wes Anderson films, but he doesn't have enough feature length films yet. Both my friend and brother mentioned a category for sports movies. At first, I couldn't think of any, but on second thought, there were a number a really liked. I also added a category for movies on US politics. Can't believe I didn't think of this before. And I added a "Honorable Mention" for each category, a way to sneak in more movies.
A word about my criteria. In my earlier post I said "My criteria [are] basically two, what stands out in my immediate memory as being memorable, what would I watch again without much question." But it's more than that. Some are 'time and place' selections, like Camelot. I do like the movie and the music, but it's wrapped up in a fond memory of my first date (during which, to my 15-year-old horror, I spilled my soda in between my legs). Some of my choices have some serious flaws, like Q & A. Sidney Lumet unfortunately cast his daughter as a principle, and the music has not aged well, but the story is still relentlessly intriguing, and its analysis of race and ethnicity still resonates today. My brother thought my choices for top romances were odd, but I associate romance with tragedy (e.g., Terms of Endearment) and failed love (e.g. Broadcast News). I like intricate stories, so I included Brick, a noir story set among high school students. Finally, I selected movies that moved me. As with books, I don't see movies as distractions from life, but explorations of that life, ones that encourage me to think about that life in new or critical ways. I even want my comedic films to do that.
So many other movies I could have included. Off the top of my head, Fruitvale Station, Eastern Promises, History of Violence, American Hustle, Gandhi, High Fidelity, Say Anything, a ton of Woody Allen flicks, The Constant Gardner, and on and on...
Top five dramas
Dr. Zhivago (1965)
Top five comedies
Honorable Mention: There's Something About Mary (1998)
Top five horror
Honorable Mention: Poltergeist (1982)
Top five with spiritual themes
Honorable Mention: The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
Top five guilty pleasures
Top five war movies
Honorable Mention: Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Top five musicals
Top five cop and crime
Top five sci-si/fantasy
Top five Latin American
A word about my criteria. In my earlier post I said "My criteria [are] basically two, what stands out in my immediate memory as being memorable, what would I watch again without much question." But it's more than that. Some are 'time and place' selections, like Camelot. I do like the movie and the music, but it's wrapped up in a fond memory of my first date (during which, to my 15-year-old horror, I spilled my soda in between my legs). Some of my choices have some serious flaws, like Q & A. Sidney Lumet unfortunately cast his daughter as a principle, and the music has not aged well, but the story is still relentlessly intriguing, and its analysis of race and ethnicity still resonates today. My brother thought my choices for top romances were odd, but I associate romance with tragedy (e.g., Terms of Endearment) and failed love (e.g. Broadcast News). I like intricate stories, so I included Brick, a noir story set among high school students. Finally, I selected movies that moved me. As with books, I don't see movies as distractions from life, but explorations of that life, ones that encourage me to think about that life in new or critical ways. I even want my comedic films to do that.
So many other movies I could have included. Off the top of my head, Fruitvale Station, Eastern Promises, History of Violence, American Hustle, Gandhi, High Fidelity, Say Anything, a ton of Woody Allen flicks, The Constant Gardner, and on and on...
Dr. Zhivago (1965)
The Year of Living Dangerously (1982)
Quiz Show (1994)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Honorable Mention: Brick (2005)
Honorable Mention: Brick (2005)
Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979)
Monty Python’s Meaning of Life (1983)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
Raising Arizona (1987)
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Honorable Mention: There's Something About Mary (1998)
The Exorcist (1973)
Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
Mulholland Drive (2001)
Psycho (1960)
Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Honorable Mention: Poltergeist (1982)
Out of Africa (1985)
Broadcast News (1987)
Terms of Endearment (1983)
Accidental Tourist (1988)
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Honorable Mention: Shakespeare in Love (1998)
Honorable Mention: Shakespeare in Love (1998)
Top five with spiritual themes
Doubt (2008)
Donnie Darko (2001)
Flesh and Bone (1993)
Magnolia (1999)
Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
Honorable Mention: The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
Angel Heart (1987)
Wild Things (1998)
Lost Boys (1987)
Basic Instinct (1992)
Underworld (2003)
Honorable Mention: The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)
Honorable Mention: The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)
Platoon (1986)
Gallipoli (1981)
Breaker Morant (1980)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
The Thin Red Line (1998)
The Thin Red Line (1998)
Honorable Mention: Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along-Blog (2008)
Camelot (1967)
Wizard of Oz (1939)
Funny Girl (1968)
Singing in the Rain (1952)
Honorable Mention: Enchanted (2007)
Honorable Mention: Enchanted (2007)
Godfather I (1972)
Godfather II (1974)
Miller’s Crossing (1990)
The Departed (2006)
Leon: The Professional (1994)
Honorable Mention: Cop Land (1997)
Leon: The Professional (1994)
Honorable Mention: Cop Land (1997)
Brazil (1985)
Alien (1979)
Princess Bride (1987)
Serenity (2005)
Bladerunner (1982)
Honorable Mention: Wall-E (2008)
Honorable Mention: Wall-E (2008)
City of God (2002)
Kamchatka (2002)
The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)
The Official Story (1985)
The Silence of Neto (1994)
Honorable Mention: Destiny Has No Favorites (2003)
Top five documentaries
Hoop Dreams (1994)
Roger and Me (1989)
The Fog of War (2003)
Spellbound (2002)
Jesus Camp (2006)
Honorable Mention: Wordplay (2006)
Top five Coen Brothers flicks
Miller's Crossing (1990)
No Country for Old Men (2007)
The Big Lebowski (1998)
Raising Arizona (1987)
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
Honorable Mention: Fargo (1996)
Top five John Sayles flicks
Lone Star (1996)
Passion Fish (1992)
Return of the Secaucus 7 (1980)
City of Hope (1991)
Sunshine State (2002)
Honorable Mention: Casa de los Babys (2003)
Top five sports movies
Chariots of Fire (1981)
Bull Durham (1988)
Raging Bull (1980)
Jerry Maguire (1996)
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Honorable Mention: Destiny Has No Favorites (2003)
Hoop Dreams (1994)
Roger and Me (1989)
The Fog of War (2003)
Spellbound (2002)
Jesus Camp (2006)
Honorable Mention: Wordplay (2006)
Miller's Crossing (1990)
No Country for Old Men (2007)
The Big Lebowski (1998)
Raising Arizona (1987)
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
Honorable Mention: Fargo (1996)
Top five John Sayles flicks
Lone Star (1996)
Passion Fish (1992)
Return of the Secaucus 7 (1980)
City of Hope (1991)
Sunshine State (2002)
Honorable Mention: Casa de los Babys (2003)
Top five sports movies
Chariots of Fire (1981)
Bull Durham (1988)
Raging Bull (1980)
Jerry Maguire (1996)
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
7 comments:
Hoped to hear more what you thought of my lists. I imagine you haven't seen a number of them.
Nice job of revision. Some surprises. Such as a baseball movie as your #2 sports movie (hope for you yet!) and Enchanted as your honorable mention Musical.
I covered John Sayles with "Eight Men Out" and Coen Brothers in a couple of categories.
I was curious you had no "Westerns" category. I guess I wasn't aware you didn't care for them.
Here's my top 5 U.S. Politics films:
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939); All the President's Men (1976); Primary Colors (1998); All the King's Men (1949); A Face in the Crowd (1957) and, like you, honorable mention to The Contender (2000).
Since you opened the door with honorable mentions, here are mine.
Now I don't feel so guilty leaving them off my other list.
Drama: The King’s Speech (2010)
Comedy: Young Frankenstein (1974)
Horror: Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
Romance: The Notebook (2004)
Spiritual: The Truman Show (1998)
Guilty Pleasures: The Jerk (1979)
War: Glory (1989)
Musicals: Oklahoma! (1955)
Crime/Noir: GoodFellas
Sci-Fi/Fantasy: King Kong (1933)
Documentary: Bowling for Columbine (2002)
Teen Movies: Easy A (2010)
Westerns: The Searchers (1956)
Suspense: The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
Blockbusters: Ben-Hur (1959)
for the Kid in All of Us: Shrek (2001)
Sports: Remember the Titans (2000)
Thanks for reminding me about Brick. I’ve read in several places that it’s a must see.
My previous comment was written without being able to refer back to your post. Now I’ve figured out how to do that, just a couple of other things. I didn’t think your choices for Romance were odd, they just weren’t what I would classify as Romance (with the exception of When Harry Met Sally). All of them were wonderful movies. But if you asked what Broadcast News was about, I’d say it’s a dramatic comedy about ambition and how one achieves one’s goals—style or substance? Romantic elements, to be sure, but not primary. Terms of Endearment was primarily about the relationship of a mother and daughter. Sure, the Jack Nicholson element was important but, again, not the driving force of the movie for me. To me, a film that tells a story that celebrates the mystery of love is a Romance.
I also wanted to make something clear about my rating “system.” you mentioned in your earlier post. It does have objective categories, but I use them very subjectively. One of the categories is the “wow” factor. How much did this particular film move me? Either to tears or joy or both. Another category is watchability. How likely would it be that I would watch this film multiple times? I don’t give that category as much weight as others because I don’t think it’s fair to great films like Schindler’s List or Dead Man Walking that are so powerful that you need some space before re-watching. The category to which I give the most weight (and it sounds like you agree with me) is Story. If the story the film is telling is not engaging, it’s not a great film. It might be fun to watch, but not a great film. I think I’ve mentioned to you before that I think of movies as the modern day equivalent of sitting around the campfire hearing stories from the elders. It’s a primary way we inculcate our cultural myths on our society.
Bottom line, the whole system is designed to help me make choices. And if it turns out that it rates a movie higher than I think it should, I’ll change it. It’s more to give a general sense of order, after which I fine tune it.
Finally, a few movies I wish I’d had room for: The Grapes of Wrath, The Graduate; One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest; On the Waterfront; The Sting; and Up.
In the end, it’s all for fun and learning more about each other through the films we value.
Hey Dan, thanks for the comments. I went through your lists and have seen 71 of the 85. Basically, I haven't see the ones from the 1930s and 40s, except for Casablanca and Frankenstein. Nor have I seen or heard of Koyaanisqatsi and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
The only western I've liked enough to put in top five list is Unforgiven--perhaps because it subverts the genre.
Koyaanisqatsi is a film that's really hard to describe. There's no dialogue, but a very good score by Philip Glass. The title comes from an Hopi word meaning "Life out of balance." I can see some people watching it and saying "What the heck is this?" and some being very moved. Personally, I found it powerful.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is based on a graphic novel. It's a somewhat uneven film, very funny and creative in parts, silly in others. Very good young cast including Michael Cera, Alison Pill, Anna Kendrick, and Jason Schwartzmann.
Check both of them out!
I will.
Some I'd like to mention, but not quite commit to top five in some cases. Also, can I thicken the plot with more categories?
DRAMAS
Quiz Show (my favorite film of the 90s)
On the Waterfront
Thin Red Line
SURREALISTIC
Apocalypse Now
Secret of Roan Inish (Certainly fits the Sayles category as well)
Brazil
TOO BROADLY TERRIFIC FOR ANY GENRE TO HOLD
The Graduate
Blade Runner
High Noon
Razorback
OLD WORLD MEETS NEW
Black Robe
Deer Slayer
Last of the Mohicans
The Mission
MUSICALS
An American in Paris
Singing in the Rain
Oklahoma
LATIN AMERICAN
El Patrullero
El Mariachi (original)
POLICE AND CRIME
Mad Dog and Glory (Highly recommend)
Best Seller
Hey Spider, I like the Old World Meets New category, though the academic in me might call it Conquest and Contact Zones (because the New was pretty old in some ways). I really liked Black Robe, The Mission, too, though have a few problems with it. Maybe another category could be Missionary flicks? Thinking of At Play in the Fields of the Lord...
Did I ever tell you I played Will Parker in my high school's probably pretty awful production of Oklahoma? Was fun. But haven't thought the same way about it since reading Bobbie Ann Mason's short story "New Wave Format," about an older bus driver for mentally challenged adults lives with a younger woman who's in a community production of Oklahoma (I just pulled the dusty book off my shelf, from a collection Shiloh and other stories). In the story the play becomes a kind of metaphor for her moral vacuity. Still--love the music.
So many more categories: Cold War Sci Fi, Time Travel, Movies I Love to Hate, Apocalyptic Stories, Capers (The Spanish Prisoner!), and on and on.
Post a Comment