HitchFan97's Top 50: 2012 Update

[HitchFan97]

I've been getting anxious to revise my list for a while, but I thought i'd wait until the new year to do it. Anyways, I think my Top 50 has greatly changed and improved even in such a short period of time, and I feel that this new list is an effective blend of personal favorites that are great entertainment to me as well as those films that are towering artistic accomplishments. I've also included the film's status regarding my previous list; how much it dropped, moved up, or if it's new. Enjoy :)


#50: Friday The 13th (Sean S. Cunningham, 1980)

http://www.movieposter.com/posters/archive/main/17/A70-8849

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#49: Avatar (James Cameron, 2009)

http://belvet.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/avatar-james-cameron.jpg

-17


#48: A Christmas Story (Bob Clark, 1983)

http://imagecache6.allposters.com/LRG/17/1723/RS53D00Z.jpg

-10


#47: Inception (Christopher Nolan, 2010)

http://cdn.nolanfans.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Inception-Alternate-SnapTag-Poster.jpg

-19


#46: A Nightmare On Elm Street (Wes Craven, 1984)

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[honeykid]

Some of the pics aren't showing for me, Hitch. Nice to see Friday The 13th there. :)

[HitchFan97]

Avatar wasn't showing up for me either, I think I fixed it. And Friday The 13th is hugely underrated :yup:

[HitchFan97]

#45: The Birds (Alfred Hitchcock, 1963)

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-20


#44: Anchorman- The Legend of Ron Burgundy (Adam McKay, 2004)

http://www.heylittlebirdie.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/37-Posters-Anchorman.jpg

-18


#43: Aliens (James Cameron, 1986)

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#42: First Blood (Ted Kotcheff, 1982)

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-15


#41: Raging Bull (Martin Scorsese, 1980)

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-11

[honeykid]

Nightmare is such a great horror film. An excellent choice, Hitch. Raging Bull is a great film, but I don't care for it too much. Maybe it's the character La Motta, but I think Pesci is better in this than De Niro. It's not the showy performance, but he allows De Niro to take over the screen in their big scenes.

[HitchFan97]

Raging Bull is probably Scorsese's greatest artistic achievement, and therefore gets a spot on my list, but I'll agree that he's made several more entertaining pictures that all make the cut.

[HitchFan97]

#40: The Godfather Part III (Francis Ford Coppola, 1990)

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-21


#39: The Toy Story Trilogy (John Lasseter, 1995-2010)

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#38: Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino, 2009)

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#37: Jaws (Steven Spielberg, 1975)

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-15


#36: Rosemary's Baby (Roman Polanski, 1968)

http://whatculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/405px-rosemarys_baby_poster.jpg

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[honeykid]

Jaws and First Blood are excellent picks. I love them both.

One thing. Rather than do another top 50, why didn't you attempt a top 100?

[HitchFan97]

One thing. Rather than do another top 50, why didn't you attempt a top 100?

I think if i'm making a list like this, I should genuinely LOVE every film on it, and I do. This wouldn't be the case if I did a Top 100; there's just not 100 films I really, really love.


#35: Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (Edgar Wright, 2010)

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-12


#34: Airplane! (Jim Abrahams & David Zucker, 1980)

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#33: Rope (Alfred Hitchcock, 1948)

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-13


#32: The Social Network (David Fincher, 2010)

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-14


#31: The Departed (Martin Scorsese, 2006)

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-15

[Tyler1]

Decent choices thus far. Have you seen Repulsion? Imho, its much scarier than Rosemary's Baby.

[HitchFan97]

Decent choices thus far. Have you seen Repulsion? Imho, its much scarier than Rosemary's Baby.

Not yet, i'm planning on it though :yup:

[honeykid]

I think if i'm making a list like this, I should genuinely LOVE every film on it, and I do. This wouldn't be the case if I did a Top 100; there's just not 100 films I really, really love.
I couldn't agree more. In that case, kudos to you for sticking to 50. :up:

+rep for that and for Rope and Airplane. I'm not a Hitch fan (the director, not you obviously :D) but Rope is one of my favourites of his and Airplane is still one of the funniest films I've ever seen.

I didn't used to like Rosemary's Baby, but I liked it a lot more the last time I saw it. I still wouldn't say I like the film, but I liked it more.

[HitchFan97]

#30: Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979)

http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111114062150/horrormovies/images/a/af/Alien_poster_1979_cut.jpg

-13


#29: Zodiac (David Fincher, 2007)

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#28: A Clockwork Orange (Stanley Kubrick, 1971)

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#27: Cape Fear (Martin Scorsese, 1991)

http://www.bfi.org.uk/filmtvinfo/library/eventsexh/past/saulbass/images/cape_fear.jpg

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#26: Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coppola, 1979)

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And there's the first half. Up next, the TOP 25 :cool:

[honeykid]

Not bad, Hitch. Not bad at all. Looking forward to the second half. :cool:

[sreenathpktr]

Good list....Waiting to see where you gonna place "Psycho" ...:)

[Tyler1]

#26: Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coppola, 1979)

http://images.moviepostershop.com/apocalypse-now-movie-poster-1979-1010189571.jpg

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I used to think that Apocalypse Now is the best war movie. Now I prefer Full Metal Jacket.

[HitchFan97]

Good list....Waiting to see where you gonna place "Psycho" ...:)

I'll give you a hint; it will be very high up. :D


#25: Star Wars (George Lucas, 1977)

http://images.moviepostershop.com/star-wars-movie-poster-1977-1010189548.jpg

+15


#24: Play Misty For Me (Clint Eastwood, 1971)

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-czUwl1wZlrU/TfhgBEzePjI/AAAAAAAAMNw/liH5kB4IO9o/s1600/4000082767_506d6f40e4.jpg

-9


#23: Casino (Martin Scorsese, 1995)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d8/Casino_poster.jpg

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#22: Scream (Wes Craven, 1996)

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#21: Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978)

http://trichquestions.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/halloween1978poster1.jpg

+3


And thus begins the Top 25 ;)

[honeykid]

Apart from Cape Fear, I like the rest of those 5. Good to see great horror being represented. :cool:

[HitchFan97]

#20: Dirty Harry (Don Siegel, 1971)

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+1


#19: Chinatown (Roman Polanski, 1974)

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-6


#18: The Terminator (James Cameron, 1984)

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-6


#17: Forrest Gump (Robert Zemeckis, 1994)

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#16: The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008)

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-6

[nebbit]

I haven't seen Play Misty for Me For ages :nope: I did see it at the movies when it came out, I loved it then :yup:

[HitchFan97]

It's sooo underrated; for my money, Play Misty For Me is one of the best thrillers ever made. Some complain it's dated, but I think it just adds to the atmosphere.

[nebbit]

Me too :yup:

[HitchFan97]

#15: The Silence of the Lambs (Jonathon Demme, 1991)

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Yt3M33fzOLA/R_SVxsSJK3I/AAAAAAAAFCQ/jpNh0M0bLFQ/s400/034.jpg

-4


#14: The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)

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-5


#13: Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954)

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-5


#12: The Empire Strikes Back (Irvin Kershner, 1980)

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-5


#11: Mulholland Drive (David Lynch, 2001)

http://scatt.bilegrip.com/muldrive.jpg

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Soon, my ten favorite films of all time :)

[honeykid]

Some good films there, Hitch. Overrated, but good... Except The Shining, of course, which is an overrated snorefest. :p

[HitchFan97]

#10: The Godfather Part II (Francis Ford Coppola, 1974)

+4


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/cy/thumb/8/8d/Poster_The_Godfather_Part_II.jpg/215px-Poster_The_Godfather_Part_II.jpg


"The Godfather Part II" is widely regarded as the best sequel ever made, and for good reason. Clocking in at a whopping 3 hours and 20 minutes, the film leaves plenty of room for expanding on its predecessor; indeed, it is a grand epic of a movie, perhaps even more so than "The Godfather". Its narrative is original and ingenious; switching back and forth between two different stories. We are not only given the continuing story of the Corleone crime family, as Michael expands his vast empire, but also the origins of this criminal network by showing us the immigration of his father and the actions that gave him power. In this manner, Coppola simultaneously creates both a sequel and a prequel to his masterpiece.


http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nYmxHaU1Mw0/TZXbqofpaEI/AAAAAAAABPw/TZaQHeHXvAs/s400/godfather2.jpg


The performances, much like the first film, are flawless; so flawless that one does not even miss the absence of the wise old don that Marlon Brando creates in the first film. The best is Al Pacino, who reprises his role as Michael Corleone, and he delivers his finest performance in "The Godfather Part II". Much of the story revolves around his moral fall from grace, corrupted by the power that his father could somehow control. Because of Pacino, "The Godfather Part II" becomes more than just a sequel: it becomes a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions and the greatest screen portrait of a man who gains the world but loses his soul.

[nebbit]

Some good films there, Hitch. Overrated, but good... Except The Shining, of course, which is an overrated snorefest. :p
You know what I like The Shining :blush:

[HitchFan97]

#9: Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982)

-3

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In a time when Star Wars and E.T. were the dominant forces at the box office, it's easy to recognize why "Blade Runner", with a somewhat slow narrative, didn't do so well. Like so many great films, its reputation has increased with time; it is my opinion that Ridley Scott's dystopian masterpiece is the finest science fiction movie to emerge from the golden age of Hollywood blockbusters.


http://i2.listal.com/image/1605976/600full-blade-runner-screenshot.jpg


In futuristic Los Angeles, Harrison Ford plays Rick Deckard, the titular Blade Runner whose job it is to hunt down and kill rogue human clones called Replicants. He finds his toughest assignment in Roy Batty, one of the best and most complex of all screen villains. Beneath this simple action sci-fi plot is compelling philosophy that I suspect many viewers in 1982 did not recognize. Aside from all this, the film is a visual triumpth as well; with its rain soaked streets, endless pollution, and neon lights, "Blade Runner" virtually creates the tech-noir subgenre of science fiction.

[HitchFan97]

#8: Goodfellas (Martin Scorsese, 1990)

-3

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The film that rejuvenated the crime genre for a new generation. The storyline of "Goodfellas" is simple enough; it is essentially a biography of Irish-Italian mobster Henry Hill, played by Ray Liotta. But in the hands of a master filmmaker like Scorsese, the movie becomes something extraordinary.


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"Goodfellas" is, like much of Scorsese's work, extremely violent, but we often forget this through the humor that the film injects. With its episodic vignettes and of-the-era soundtrack, it takes on a nostalgic quality, and we quickly find ourselves drawn in to Henry Hill's world. The performances are top-notch as well, and Pesci's Oscar is well deserved, even though "Goodfellas" was robbed for Best Picture. To put things simply, this is one of the most engrossing and purely entertaining movies ever made.

[honeykid]

A genuine masterpiece. I love and adore this film. This is a brilliant choice. :cool::up:

[rauldc14]

that is a solid choice. Goodfellas is in my top 100 as well

[Skepsis93]

Trying not to sound condescending, I find it weird yet pretty awesome that you're only 14. Fellow young people with a genuine appreciation for great film-making are bloody hard to come by these days. I have four years on you and you've seen more of the classics!

Nice to see Mulholland Drive. One of my favorites!

[HitchFan97]

#7: Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, 1994)

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http://www.movieposter.com/posters/archive/main/11/A70-5672


Perhaps more than any other film on my Top Ten, I love "Pulp Fiction" purely as incredible entertainment. There isn't much more to it than that; yes, the narrative is unique and innovative, but Tarantino's masterpiece is nothing if not a superbly written and stylish piece of filmmaking that is virtually unsurpassed for sheer entertainment value.


http://artescritorio.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/wallpapers-pupl-fiction-16.jpg


Essentially, "Pulp Fiction" tells the intertwining stories of two mob hitmen, a boxer, and a gangster's wife. The less you know beforehand about it the better, but then again, it's unlikely that you haven't seen the film yet.

[honeykid]

I still really like this film, but it doesn't excite me at all any more. I really should watch it again, but I feel a sense of dread about doing that.

I know I've said this before, but The Gold Watch gets weaker and weaker everytime I watch it.

[Brodinski]

That top 15 is quality so far, mate. Except Blade Runner, I just couldn't get into that film at all.

[HitchFan97]

#6: Casablanca (Michael Curtiz, 1942)

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Not many movies can be called perfect. "Casablanca", the crown jewel of Hollywood's studio era, is one of these select few motion pictures. Since its intitial release in 1942, the film has reached an iconic status; a perennial classic whose reputation has increased, rather than diminished, with age. Humphrey Bogart plays Rick Blaine, a cafe owner in wartime Casablanca who finds himself forced to choose between love and his own safety when an old flame and her husband ask for his help in escaping the Nazis.


http://hollywoodlostandfound.net/pictures/films/casablanca/casablanca5.jpg


"Casablanca" was not meant to be anything more than just another film produced by Warner Bros. that year. Nevertheless, everything works so perfectly well here: the screenplay is endlessly quotable, the direction is immaculate, and we are treated to perhaps the most tender love story ever put on film. "Casablanca" becomes, then, an achievement of filmmaking and a reminder that classical Hollywood must have been a beautiful time.

[JayDee]

I have to congratulate you on choosing so much 'quality' for your list even I myself don't particularly 'like' all of them. Goodfellas is a good example. I finally saw it last year and while I appreciated the acting, writing, directing etc it's far from a film I'd say I loved or even especially liked, and I can't really see myself watching it again that much.

Same goes for Casablanca, Chinatown, Dark Knight and like Brodinski, Blade Runner. Favourites from your list so far would be Batman Begins, Anchorman, First Blood, Toy Story trilogy, Rope and Forrest Gump

[nebbit]

Great list Hitch :yup:

[HitchFan97]

FYI: Just got done editing a ton of my posts to give "Casino" a (rather high) spot on my list, which I watched recently. Ranks, for me, as one of Scorsese's finest.

[HitchFan97]

#5: Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1976)

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http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c9/Taxi_Driver_poster.JPG


The pinnacle of the American New Wave? Artistically, yes; 36 years later "Taxi Driver" still remains Robert De Niro's finest performance ("Raging Bull" runs a close second) and Martin Scorsese's masterpiece. Not since this film has he ever crafted a motion picture that so perfectly blends thrills and entertainment with technical bravura, as Scorsese's New York City is easily the most grim yet hypnotically beautiful rendition of the Big Apple ever committed to celluloid.


http://i2.listal.com/image/1904005/936full-taxi-driver-screenshot.jpg


This story of Travis Bickle, a nightshift cabbie and Vietnam War veteran on the edge of insanity, has become one of the most morally unsettling films of all time. It is the ultimate portrait of urban decay, social isolation, and maddening alienation. And these are the themes that guarantee "Taxi Driver" will hold universal relevance far outside of NYC's borders for years to come.

[nebbit]

Good choice :yup:

[honeykid]

I love Taxi Driver. A truly brilliant film.

Have you really put Casino above it?

[rauldc14]

I do like Casino too. Better than Taxi Driver or Raging Bull in my quite crazy opinion. Though not as good as Goodfellas or The Departed.

[HitchFan97]

No, Casino is #23, which you'll notice if you go back in the first page. I just had to rearrange some rankings to account for this. Taxi Driver is my favorite Scorsese, but that and Goodfellas are the only films of his I prefer to Casino.

[honeykid]

I do like Casino too. Better than Taxi Driver or Raging Bull in my quite crazy opinion. Though not as good as Goodfellas or The Departed.
Yeah, but your opinion is top rated crazy, rauldc. :p:D Still love ya, though. :)

[TylerDurden99]

Casino is indeed a very good film. Not Scorsese's finest or anything, but I love that movie. I also love quite a few films on your list so far, especially GoodFellas. That movie never gets any less exhilarating or interesting, no matter how many times you watch it.

[lilemmie]

I love casino

[lilemmie]

but, taxi driver is also a very good film

[HitchFan97]

#4: Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958)

-3


http://emmabuckleybcu.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/saul-bass-vertigo-movie-poster1.jpg


The last time I made my list, I hailed "Vertigo" as my favorite film of all time. Today, it's still not far off- getting this far up into the list means each and every movie is plenty worthy for the title of "favorite"- but it's interesting to note that Hitchcock's greatest technical and artistic achievement is one of his least accessible films. The tale of a man plunged into a dark mystery before falling in love with the image of a dead lover is perhaps the Master's most preposterous story, and he makes it believable all the way through. If "Vertigo" lacks the nail-biting suspense of other masterpieces like "Rear Window", "Psycho", or "Rope", then it is made up for in full by pure cinematic perfection.


http://bettyswallow.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/james-stewart-vertigo.jpg


I found it difficult to select the perfect screenshot to go along with this write-up; after all, "Vertigo" is one of the most purely visual films I've ever seen. Like all films this high on the list, everything works perfectly. The story is hypnotizing once you surrender to it, Bernard Herrmann's score is absolutely haunting, Hitchcock's direction- as previously mentioned- may never have been better. And the last five minutes of the film are probably the best film acting I've ever seen. But "Vertigo", ultimately, is about Hitchcock and his obsessions: his obsession with control, his obsession with voyeurism, his obsession with women, and most of all his obsession with the longing to find human transcendence through passion, be it love or art. Jimmy Stewart is clearly Hitch's alter ego. It can be seen in the little things; Hitchcock was raised Catholic, so note how Stewart's character walks through a church as he follows Kim Novak.


http://files.reel-scout.com/blog/images/iconic/vertigo/1.jpg


A common criticism of this film is its apparently pessimistic view of human love. I disagree with this interpretation. In "Vertigo" Hitchcock was not showing the destructive qualities of love- but rather its power. It is in fact his most tender film, and perhaps the only movie in the history of cinema that I have analyzed or studied more is my new selection for #1 (thus the rather extensive write-up). Though "Vertigo" no longer holds that crown, I am sure that it will continue to enthrall and puzzle me for years to come.

[Tyler1]

Your top 3:
3. Godfather 1
2. 2001
1. Psycho

So predicatable. Haha.

[HitchFan97]

Your top 3:
3. Godfather 1
2. 2001
1. Psycho

So predicatable. Haha.

Good guesses ;)

I figured the list would get pretty predictable at this point- all the new films have made their appearance. But I do feel that I have new things to say about the Top 3.

[JayDee]

Taxi Driver is another of those films that I 'admire' the quality of without particularly liking. Vertigo however I think is fantastic. :up:

[HitchFan97]

#3: The Godfather (Francis Ford Coppola, 1972)

-1

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Never in the history of cinema has a film worked so well from each and every aspect of production. "The Godfather", directed by Hollywood newcomer Francis Ford Coppola and based off of a best-selling novel, is a cinematic miracle because everything clicks perfectly together. The ensemble cast (Brando, Pacino, Duvall, Keaton, Caan) is perhaps the best in any motion picture. The directing is fantastic, the cinematography gorgeous with its omnipresent shadows and darkness. Nino Rota's score is haunting and beautiful as well.


http://free-download-films.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/the-godfather2.jpg


The cinematic geniuses at work here make the story of a New York crime family's rise and near fall in the 1940's the best drama ever put on celluloid. This film is three hours long but never feels that way; the endlessly quotable script is totally engrossing and chock-full of unforgettable scenes. It's a conventional film, but an essentially simple format has never been done better, and probably never will be. For a few hours, "The Godfather" takes us to another place and time, and we are a part of the Corleone family. No other film better expresses why people enjoy the movies.


http://91.207.61.14/m/uploads/v_p_images/1972/03/6802_1_screenshot.png

[nebbit]

Such a great movie :yup:

[honeykid]

Yeah, The Godfather is just bloody brilliant. :up:

[JayDee]

I know it's pretty much sacrilege to say it, especially on a movie forum from someone who likes to think of themselves as a big film fan, but I've still not seen The Godfather. :D

[honeykid]

No, that's not sacrilegious, JD. Now, if you'd said you hadn't seen Charlie's Angels... :D

Take a look as soon as you get the chance, though. The Godfather is a truly great film. Even I think so. :p

[JayDee]

No, that's not sacrilegious, JD. Now, if you'd said you hadn't seen Charlie's Angels... :D

Take a look as soon as you get the chance, though. The Godfather is a truly great film. Even I think so. :p

Oh don't worry I have seen Charlie's Angels! :D Although not the sequel.

I did finally tape it a few weeks back but knowing me it could lie there for years before I get to it. :D I just don't see it as my type of film which is why I've never gotten round to it. Although if you think it's great....wow! :p

[HitchFan97]

#2: 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968)

+1

http://imgc.allpostersimages.com/images/P-473-488-90/40/4043/9QHLF00Z/posters/2001-a-space-odyssey.jpg


Evolution. The Universe. Science. Religion. Man's Existence In The Cosmos. These are the themes tackled by "2001: A Space Odyssey", a film of such grand and vast ambition that it attempts to cover no less that humanity's entire history in just 2 1/2 hours. The plot doesn't matter, nor does its outcome. It is, in this sense, a metaphor for life itself: the end result isn't important, but the journey is.


http://www.movieposter.com/posters/archive/main/132/MPW-66356


This movie isn't quite like any film I've ever seen, but perhaps "movie" is the wrong word. Kubrick's trippy masterpiece is an experience, and totally different from almost all other science fiction films. Unlike the action-packed blockbusters it inspired, "2001" is a poetic, bold meditation on man's place in the universe, where he once was, and where he will eventually be. It was a milestone for my love of film as well; this was the first time I ever accepted the possibility of a film being great even if it wasn't always fast-paced or entertaining.


http://www.sci-fi-o-rama.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/2001_screenshot_stargate_00.jpg


Certainly, "2001" is the most visually mesmerizing film I've ever seen, and objectively, this is probably the greatest film ever made; Kubrick pushed the limits of the cinematic art form to heights that have yet to be equaled or surpassed. It is #2 not because it fails at anything, but because my selection for #1 (if you haven't guessed it yet) holds an even greater significance to my love of cinema.


http://hopeliesat24framespersecond.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/9.jpg

[HitchFan97]

And to conclude things...


#1: Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)

+3

http://www.movieposter.com/posters/archive/main/11/b70-5627


Here it is, folks, my favorite film of all time: Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho”. There is no other movie that has entered my daily thought in quite a way, and I have certainly analyzed and studied it more than any other motion picture. I hope that I can properly articulate my love for it in this write-up.


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I mentioned when I began this list that I wanted it to be a blend of objectivity and subjectivity; it is appropriate, then, that “Psycho” would take the top spot. It is not only one of the most influential and artistically accomplished films ever made, but also the movie that holds the greatest significance to my personal adoration for cinema. It was the first film I ever truly loved, and when I discovered “Psycho”, I began to realize that the movies were a serious art form- and the greatest one ever conceived.


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The plot concerns Marion Crane, a young secretary who steals $40,000 from her employer in order to pay for her boyfriend’s alimony payments and their marriage. On the run from the police, Marion hastily checks into the Bates Motel and meets its proprietor, Norman. Following their dinner conversation, Marion retires to her room for a sin-cleansing shower, and the twist that follows is well-known even to those who have never seen the film. This first act is perhaps the finest 40 minutes of Hitchcock’s career.


http://www.criticalend.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/norman_bates.jpg


After Marion’s grisly demise, her boyfriend and sister are tasked with unraveling Hitchcock’s greatest and most chilling mystery. Of course, it is the film’s shocking Shower Scene that preserves its legend; “Psycho” single-handedly birthed the entire slasher genre and changed cinema forever. A significant turning point in the director’s career, its black-and-white cinematography (shot by the camera crew of “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”) was a far cry from the showy, bold Technicolor spectacles that Hitch was directing throughout the 1950s. But “Psycho” was also a milestone for its filmmaker in another, more rarely noted way: this is the ultimate thriller. Hitchcock always flirted with the perverse in his films; in “Psycho”, he cuts deeper than he ever had before or ever would again.


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Obviously, I find “Psycho” to be perfectly crafted as well. Its greatest strength may lie in the screenplay; the Shower Scene changed film story arc forever, but the dialogue is also filled with quirks and nuances that are simply unforgettable. Much of this is acted out by Anthony Perkins, whose performance is arguably the best in film history. He is a tortured soul the likes of which the movies had never seen before. The rest of the cast is stellar as well, particularly Janet Leigh, who evokes audience sympathy wonderfully before she is hacked to death a third of the way in. The black-and-white cinematography fits the film like a glove; it exudes just the kind of B-movie ambience that Hitchcock wanted. Bernard Herrmann’s score is my favorite of all time, and even Saul Bass’ title sequence is stunning. I knew right from the opening credits that I was in the presence of greatness.


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No director was better (or had more fun) at manipulating audiences than Hitchcock, and no film he ever made displays this better than “Psycho”. His camera builds such a great deal of suspense in this film that in the hands of a lesser director, it almost certainly would have become a cheap exploitation flick. But it also may be the Master’s most thematically rich film- the only one that challenges it for that title is “Vertigo”. No other film is more successful at providing such a disturbing mental profile; “Psycho” is, after all, the ultimate Freudian nightmare. Once we begin to identify with Norman Bates, the movie evolves from simple yet masterful chiller to a portrait of a hideously diseased mind.


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“Psycho” could also be seen as a powerful indictment of Eisenhower-era America, pulling back the curtains on Small Town, U.S.A. more cruelly than any of Hitchcock’s other films. The conclusion of the movie, leaving its heroes in the aftermath of witnessing such a disturbing sequence of events, even dares to suggest that good may not always triumph over evil. Perhaps saying that in a 1960 mainstream Hollywood film was more groundbreaking than any knife murder.


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I have had a lot to say about “Psycho”, but revisiting it from time to time, I have found that there is a lot to love. Still, mere words cannot describe my admiration for this masterpiece, so perhaps I should just let the film speak for itself. I would not be a member of this site had it not been for Hitchcock’s industry-shattering classic, and now that I’ve completed my Top 50, I’d like to thank everyone for their kind thoughts and comments. I hope that this list will serve you if you’re ever in need of a great movie.

[honeykid]

Great choice for #1, Hitch. :up:

[HitchFan97]

Thought I'd do some stats:

-With 6 films on the list, Martin Scorsese was the most represented director.
-Alfred Hitchcock, with 5 films (including #1) came in second.
-Francis Ford Coppola had 4 films.
-Stanley Kubrick and James Cameron had 3.
-Quentin Tarantino, Ridley Scott, Christopher Nolan, Roman Polanski, Wes Craven, and David Fincher all had 2 films each.
-With a major role in 6 films on the list (3 of which cracked the Top 10), Robert De Niro was the most highly represented performer.
-Decade breakdown: the 40s had 2 films, the 50s had 2, the 60s had 4, the 70s had 12, the 80s had 11, the 90s had 10, and 11 films from the 21st century were included. "The Toy Story Trilogy" counted as two films for the 90s and one for the 21st Century.
-Many films (especially towards the bottom) dropped quite a few spaces, but "The Godfather Part III", down 21 places from its previous ranking, was the biggest dropper.
-Very few films increased ranking, but "Star Wars", up 15 spaces, was the highest riser.
-There were 18 new entries on the list, the highest of which was "Taxi Driver" at #5. With the exception of "The Toy Story Trilogy" (counted as one new entry), I saw all of those films for the first time after making my old list.

[mark f]

I might be wrong, but Steven Spielberg got one. Who taught you to ignore him?:)

[HitchFan97]

Believe it or not, the only films of his that I've seen are Jaws, E.T. (which got a spot on the old list), and Schindler's List. Blasphemy, I know, but I still haven't seen Raiders, Close Encounters, or Saving Private Ryan :(

[honeykid]

You've already seen his best stuff, but I think that Catch Me If You Can is worth your time. I'd also recommend Duel and Always before you get to the three listed that you hadn't seen. But I can almost guarentee you I'll be in a minority of one with that opinion.

[HitchFan97]

Duel was another film of his that I've been meaning to check out. I'll have to look into those other two as well :yup:

[seanc]

Enjoyed your list. Know I'm a year behind but I think Munich is a very underrated Spielberg film. You gave me some classics to catch up on. Most importantly I need to see Vertigo.

[Guaporense]

That list is over a year old, if HitchFan97 made a new list now, it would be significantly different.

[HitchFan97]

It sure would! I'm thinking of making a new one soon.