Arcanis' Top 100 Films

[Arcanis]

I started taking stock of my favorite films last year, ranking every film that I've seen that I rated an 8 or above (plus a few honorable mentions tagged on the end for various, specific reasons). Although I didn't share it then, I was happy enough with it where I decided to update it every year at the same time, locking in the results on January 1st for the next 12 months. The larger list of 354 films represents about 20% of the currently estimated 1695 films that I have seen, meaning that what follows (composed only of films that I rank a 9 or above) is not quite my top 6% of films seen.

As I run down the movies on the list (a couple each day), please feel free to shout out suggestions. I'll try my best to track down and see anything mentioned (although I cannot promise to do so in anything resembling a timely manner).

(1)10 - Funny Games (1997)
(1)09 - Battle Royale (2000)
(1)08 - Cloud Atlas (2013)
(1)07 - In the Mood for Love (2000)
(1)06 - 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
(1)05 - October (Ten Days that Shook the World) (1928)
(1)04 - Battleship Potemkin (1925)
(1)03 - Citizen Kane (1941)
(1)02 - Gone with the Wind (1939)
(1)01 - The Tree of Life (2011)

100 - Gladiator (2000)
99 - Before Midnight (2013)
98 - The Simpsons Movie (2007)
97 - The Hunger Games (2012)
96 - The Conspirator (2010)
95 - The Incredibles (2004)
94 - Monsoon Wedding (2001)
93 - Crash (2005)
92 - The Godfather (1972)
91 - Schindler's List (1993)

90 - Persona (1966)
89 - The Libertine (2004)
88 - Rocky (1976)
87 - Rebecca (1940)
86 - A Beautiful Mind (2001)
85 - Lincoln (2012)
84 - Beauty and the Beast (1991)
83 - Snakes on a Plane (2006)
82 - Imaginationland (2008)
81 - Cold Mountain (2003)

80 - M (1931)
79 - Rope (1948)
78 - Stage Beauty (2004)
77 - Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
76 - City of God (2002)
75 - The Celebration (1998)
74 - Skyfall (2012)
73 - Quarantine (2008)
72 - On the Waterfront (1954)
71 - The Wicker Man (1973)

[Gatsby]

Glad you decided to make a top films lists. I always find your insight of films interesting and good food for thought. Can't wait to see what films you like and especially the reason why. Hopefully I can learn a thing or two. :)

[Arcanis]

Honorable Mentions: Ten Movies That Didn't Quite Make the Cut


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10 - Funny Games (1997)

There are two common themes that will crop up among these ten honorable mentions. The first are films that are far more interesting (or far better made) than they are entertaining to watch. A second theme are films that stand a really strong chance to make my top 100 when I get around to rewatching it. Funny Games fits comfortably into both categories.

I went into the film cold, knowing absolutely nothing about it except that it was foreign and came recommended by my film professor (I minored in Cinema Studies). I really wasn't expecting anything that I saw: simultaneously one of the most unnerving and interesting films I have ever seen. I absolutely loved the meta-fictive qualities of the film (not to give too much away) and its pre-determined ending (I actually shouted "That's cheating" at the TV during the climax). Intelligent, bleak and highly unusual, Funny Games is easily one of the most surreal viewing experiences that I have ever had.


http://d12vb6dvkz909q.cloudfront.net/uploads/galleries/18173/battle-royale-screenshot-11.jpg

9 - Battle Royale (2000)

I saw this one at a movie night a friend hosted. Hunger Games (the film) had not yet come out and I had not yet read the novels (either for Hunger Games or for Battle Royale). Having now seen both films (and either read or am reading both novels), I can say that each has its own merits. Hunger Games, I feel, works better as a narrative: developing and endearing us to characters and the situations that they find themselves in, whereas Battle Royale works better as a Kafkan-esque experience - something that happens (largely without reason - and plays upon the viewer with out bizarre, grotesque and ultimately surreal the whole thing is. And for as much as I did love Hunger Games, I am convinced that I will like this film even more when I get around to watching it a third time.

I wrote a full review on my blog a while back, in which I go into much further detail than I am affording myself to in this post. You can read it here (http://brianjhadsell.blogspot.com/2013/12/random-movie-11-battle-royale.html) if you would like to.


http://www.cinemablend.com/images/news/33823/_1351547825.jpg

8 - Cloud Atlas (2013)

This film strikes me as somebody trying to apply a more traditional narrative to The Tree of Life's sprawling, largely abstract experience. And while I don't feel that it really worked as well as its much celebrated forebearer, I couldn't help but be impressed by the film that did get released: intertwining storylines that create a whole far greater than the sum of its parts. Some segments of the film really couldn't work independent of the larger film (the segment focussing around a homosexual composer producing an opus that is the aurel embodiment of the film), while others were more than strong enough on their own to merit being expanded into a feature film in their own rights (the two future segments in particular). It had the courage to make the film that it needed to be - with actors appearing in multiple different roles across various segments, regardless of the race or sex of the character that they are portraying.

This is the kind of film that I think needs to be made more often: grand, sprawling epics that test the limits of the medium and try like Hell to create a unique viewing experience. Even if it falls short of its ambitions, the fact that it had those ambitions to begin with makes it entirely worth the effort.


http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/iulieki/5565690/298188/298188_original.jpg

7 - In the Mood for Love (2000)

This is another film that I have reviewed for my blog (http://brianjhadsell.blogspot.com/2014/09/from-vault-in-mood-for-love.html). This falls firmly into the category of "likely to make the list on the rewatch." Every single time that I have sat down to think on ths film (including this one), my opinion of it has improved, well beyond the mere 7.5 that I initially gave it. This is also another suggestion from my film professor, who's actually showing up on this list quite a bit (many of the films that made the cut I saw as a part of one of her courses). It's morose, meditative and meticulously shot: in a lot of ways like a foil to Brokeback Mountain which, although sparse, was explosive. Of all of these honorable mentions (and maybe even my top 100 list), this is the one that I most want to revisit.


http://mentalfloss.com/sites/default/files/2001_7.jpg

6 - 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

When it comes to 2001, I have some very mixed feelings. The first half of the films, despite its monolithic score, is one of the most boring and over-long stretches of film that I can think of. The second half, however, set in the "future," would, by itself, easily make my top 100 (likely just missing out of my top 10). I cannot help that my initial reaction toward the first half (first seen in high school) would be softened with time and that my appreciation to the second half will only have grown with what I have learned about film since then. Bu, as it stands right now, I cannot justify adding it to the top 100.


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5 - October (Ten Days that Shook the World) (1928)

Sergei Eisenstein is one of the most amazing directors that I have seen: with a jarring, distinctly un-American aesthetic that I cannot help but admire. Couple this with my inherent love of silent and early sound films and of Russian history in general, and I am actually surprised that he didn't make the top 100. But again, this will likely change after rewatching this (and the following) film. If anything, making this list is mostly serving to remind me of all of the films that I really need to revisit.


https://magnoliaforever.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/battleship-potemkin.jpg

4 - Battleship Potemkin (1925)

Pretty much everything that I mentioned concerning October applies to Battleship Potemkin as well. Revisiting it a second time, knowing fully what kind of experience I am getting into, will likely result in incorporating it into the top 100. This film features a more engaing narrative than the previous Eisenstein entry and, I feel, a far more brilliantly executed climax.


http://www.doctormacro.com/Images/Welles,%20Orson/Annex/Annex%20-%20Welles,%20Orson%20(Citizen%20Kane)_02.jpg

3 - Citizen Kane (1941)

I first saw this film in high school after the AFI's top 100 list came out. Being the kind of kid that I was, I decided to start at the top of the list ad work my way down (something which I have yet to completely finish). Given the decidedly old-fashionedness of the story, and the big shoes that it had to fill as "the best movie ever made," it's only natural that it would fall short of the impossible expectations that I had created for it in my mind. I rewatched it as part of a History of American Film course (same professor) and found a new appreciation for it, even if I failed to enjoy it any more than I previously had. And, like Battle Royale, I feel that the third time might just be the charm that brings me to love this film.


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2 - Gone with the Wind (1939)

This is another that I actually reviewed for my blog (http://brianjhadsell.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-weekend-review-gone-with-wind.html) (in conjunction with its 75th anniversary). Like 2001, it features two halves of distinctly contrasting levels of quality (only in this case, it's the second half that falls short), although, despite this, it still remains entertaining despite itself (and despite the troubling historical revisionism that informs the narrative's core). And, like Cloud Atlas my affection for it stems from its epic promise: the broad, sweeping scope of the fall of the Old South in the wake of the Civil War and its impeccablly high-quality while doing so. If it would have ended with that as its climax - the burning of Charleston and their old way of life "gone with the wind tha swept through Charleston" - ideveloping and wrapping up its various narratives accordingly, t would easily make my top ten. But because of its water-treading second half, it dips just far far to wind up on this list.


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1 - The Tree of Life (2011)

When I first expressed my opinion of this movie a good while back (probably near the end of 2012), I did not, I think, properly express my complicated opinion of this film in saying that it was simultaneously the most brilliant and most boring film that I have ever seen. While I still maintain the basic sentiment behind that statement, I can say now that it is perhaps the most brilliantly told non-narrative that Ihaeever seen: so brazenly non-traditional in what it was trying to tell that it becomes unknowable on any terms but its own. It is this lack of narrative engagement that keeps it from my top 100 (and my top 10), but its impossibly epic, broadly ambitious scope to encapsulate everying from the dawn of time to its inevitable end, and the way in which it so thoroughly lives up to its epic promise, that makes it such an experience to witness. The way in which it mingles in cosmic narrative with its more intimite (and mundane) one is the ultimate expression of Soviet Montage: deriving meaning not with how cohesively two images blend together, but by how dissonate they become when set against one another.

[Arcanis]

Glad you decided to make a top films lists. I always find your insight of films interesting and good food for thought. Can't wait to see what films you like and especially the reason why. Hopefully I can learn a thing or two. :)

Thanks. Hopefully you'll find something worth wading through this list for. :D

[Captain Spaulding]

I second what Gatsby said. You articulate your thoughts very well, so this should be an enjoyable and enlightening favorites list.

I've only seen half of your honorable mentions: Battle Royale, 2001, Battleship Potemkin, Citizen Kane and The Tree of Life.

I've seen the remake of Funny Games, but not the original. If the goal of the movie was to piss me off, then it succeeded. Apparently it's a shot-by-shot recreation of the original, except in English and with different actors, so if I disliked the remake, I doubt my opinion of the original would be any different.

Battle Royale was okay, but definitely a disappointment. I loved the premise, but even though the movie is violent, it isn't as disturbing as I had anticipated. There's a cartoonish quality to it in that cover-your-mouth-when-you-giggle Japanese sense that turned me off a bit. I get the appeal of the movie, though.

I've heard very conflicting opinions in relation to Cloud Atlas. I've got it recorded, but I feel like I need to be in the right mood to watch it, so I keep putting it off. I figure I'll either love it or hate it, since it's one of those films that seems to have no middle ground.

I haven't seen In the Mood for Love, although it's on my watch list. The length of Gone with the Wind intimidates me, so I still haven't gotten around to watching it either.

Battleship Potemkin is an impressive work of art. It's not the kind of film that I would ever consider a favorite, but it's worthy of its reputation as one of the greatest silent films of all-time. I haven't seen October, but since it's by the same director I assume it's top quality.

2001: A Space Odyssey is a top ten favorite of mine. I guess watching people hop around in ape costumes and freak out over a black monolith appeals to me more than it does to you, since I don't find the first half boring, although I don't fault you or anyone who thinks so.

Having the title 'Greatest Film of All-Time" is more of a curse than anything, since, like you say, it creates impossible expectations. I quite enjoyed Citizen Kane the one and only time I watched it, though. I think it has the potential to become a personal favorite with a re-watch or two.

I loved aspects of The Tree of Life-- especially all the early scenes relating to the universe and earth's beginning stages. Then Sean Penn started walking around staring at his feet, and the stuff with Brad Pitt's kids started, and I lost all interest. Your excellent write-up makes me want give it another go. It's certainly a hugely ambitious film. Maybe a bit of bud during my inevitable re-watch would help things out a bit. :D

Looking forward to the list, Arcanis! Sorry for the wall of text.

[Mr Minio]

Honorable mentions are great. It only makes me wonder if the actual list can surpass its greatness.

[cricket]

I don't like 2001, like Battle Royale a little, and really like Funny Games and Citizen Kane.

I've had Gone With the Wind, Tree of Life, and Cloud Atlas on my watchlist but have put all of them off. All 3 of them seem like daunting tasks, yet must sees.

[Thursday Next]

If those are the films that didn't make the cut, I can't wait to see the ones that did. Gone With the Wind, Battle Royale, Cloud Atlas and In the Mood For Love are all brilliant, in my opinion.

[Arcanis]

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1242089/thumbs/o-GLADIATOR-2000-facebook.jpg

100 - Gladiator (2000)

Director: Ridley Scott
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Action, Adventure
Length: 155 min
Edition: Theatrical

I have always maintained that even the most conventional stories can be turned into exceptional films. Gladiator may not be as unique of a story as Funny Games, as methodically composed as In the Mood for Love, as brilliantly directed as Battleship Potemkin nor as epic in scope as either The Tree of Life or Gone with the Wind, but it's overall production comes together in such a way where it, at least as of my last viewing, it wins out over its more celebrated and better regarded competition. It doesn't suffer from Gone with the Wind's weak second half, nor 2001's equally weak first half; it is more enjoyable than The Tree of Life and features a stronger narrative than any in Cloud Atlas.

Although I am not especially fond of Ridley Scott as a director, and although Gladiator is not especially different from many of his other films (namely Robin Hood), this film works so well simply because it is the best permutation of the talent involved in its making. Scott has never equalled the viscerally thrilling action scenes in the Colloseum in anything he's made either before or since and both Joaquin Phoenix and Russell Crowe turn in two of their more memorable performances.

[Arcanis]

http://athenacinema.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/before-midnight.jpg

99 - Before Midnight (2013)

Director: Richard Linklater
MPAA Rating: R
Genres: Drama, Romance
Length: 109 min
Edition: Theatrical

As a general rule, my girlfriend does not like romantic films. So when I found myself with a full weekend to myself, I set time aside to watch Linklater's Before trilogy. I was so completely enamored by the first film that what was originally intended to span three days wound up as a late night triple-feature. And while this film certainly comes off as a betrayal of the romantic promise of the first two films, it does so in such an organic, natural-feeling way that I cannot bring myself to fault the film for simply showing me something that I would rather not have seen.

The film's greatest strength is that it is essentially 100% dialog - fantastic dialog at that. Whereas Before Sunrise / Sunset focussed intently on the two protagonists, Before Midnight expands this to include a broader cast of equally well-defined (if not well-developed) characters, each providing their own take on the film's central premise: does true love last? To this end, I found the dinner scene to be much more engaging than the climactic fight between Jesse and Celine (although the scenes in car and walking through the ruins were nearly as strong).

The real strength of the film, however, is that it is confident enough in the characters it presents and the conflicts which it details to leave the audience to form their own opinion on the state of its protagonists' relationship. The ambiguity of its ending (which directly mirros the ambiguity of the previous two films' endings) does not derive from an absence of information, but from presenting a nuanced and detailed relationship that, like those found in real lfe, cannot be defined in the cut-and-dry terms cinematic romance is too often defined by.

[gbgoodies]

Before Midnight is my least favorite of the trilogy, but it's still a good movie. I think I just expected a little bit more from it than what I got after seeing the first two films.

[seanc]

Love both of the first two choices. Gladiator has become one of those movies that is cool to hate so I am always pleased when I see someone who still loves it. It might just be you, me, and Miss Vicky left.

Before Sunrise is in my 100. Before Sunset was a major letdown. Then I loved Before Midnight.

Really good stuff so far Arcanis.

[Blastphamy]

Before Midnight is a cute little film but I don't think it's as good as its known reputation, Gladiator is fun and the fight scenes are pretty epic. Not two favorites but still good.

[Arcanis]

http://db-destiny.net/bdnotes/goc-simpsons%201080.png

98 - The Simpsons Movie (2007)

Director: David Silverman
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genres: Adventure, Comedy
Length: 87 min
Edition: Theatrical

Debuting the year I was born, I grew up watching the show when it was the funniest show on TV. The prospect of a Simpsons movie was always in the back of my mind, fueled by rumors that episodes like "Kamp Krusty" and "Itchy and Scratchy Land" were originally planned as films. Going in, my concern wasn't how much nostalgia was going to shape my enjoyment of the film, but how the film would invariably fail against the impossible expectations that a literal lifetime of speculation had created.

And yet, the film ended up not just matching, but outright exceeding my expectations. The reason why it worked so incredibly well is that it knew exactly what it wanted to be: a 90-minute episode of the television series. Not just an extended episode, but an episode that legitimately rivals the very best episodes of the series. It is outright funnier than "You Only Move Twice" (a personal favorite of mine) and has a quicker secession of jokes than "Lisa on Ice" (which a friend of mine cites as the very best episode of the series for that exact reason).

[Blastphamy]

I liked The Simpsons Movie but I was hoping for something meatier than the dome plot, just another Simpsons wacky adventure, length is the only difference. It was hellacious fun though.

[Miss Vicky]

Big plus rep for Gladiator, though a little sad it only barely made your list. It was my absolute favorite film for awhile.

Haven't seen Before Midnight and thought The Simpsons Movie was okay but not great.

[cricket]

I have to see Gladiator again. It was just ok for me when I saw it at the movies, but that is about the time I stopped enjoying going to the movies.

I've only seen the first one in the Before trilogy so far, and I liked The Simpsons Movie.

[Captain Spaulding]

I like Gladiator, but I haven't seen it in years. I actually bought the DVD in the $5 bin at Wal-Mart two or three years ago, but it's still in the plastic.

Excellent write-up for Before Midnight. It's one of my favorite films of 2013. I don't like it quite as much as Sunset, but I'd rank it ahead of Sunrise. The entire trilogy is fantastic, though.

Not seen The Simpsons Movie.

[christine]

Arcanis - this has the shapings of a good list, just judging on your ones that didn't make it which are all excellent films. Looking forward to the rest of it :)

[Arcanis]

Big plus rep for Gladiator, though a little sad it only barely made your list. It was my absolute favorite film for awhile.

It slipped a bit from last year (when it was 95) and will likely slip from the list entirely next year (based on the slate of Netflix DVDs that I have lined up to watch for 2015). It is still the metric by which I judge action movies, though, even if there are films in that genre that I prefer to it (but more on those later).

[Gatsby]

The Simpsons Movie is one of the few films I can watch over and over again.

[Arcanis]

http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/30400000/HQ-Hunger-Games-Stills-the-hunger-games-movie-30474874-864-576.jpg

97 - The Hunger Games (2012)

Director: Gary Ross
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genres: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction
Length: 142 min
Edition: Theatrical

Originally, I was very anti-Hunger Games. I only agreed to read it because my girlfriend agreed to read Crime and Punishment in exchange (I still think that she got the better end of that deal). I openly made fun of it during the initial stretch in District 12, then a little bit less when they reached the Capitol and then not at all once the games began. Like Gladiator, The Hunger Games was something that we had seen done before, only never this well. While Battle Royale was focussed on the surreality of classmates (and their teachers) killing one another, The Hunger Games focussed on the visceral intensity of survival.

The film not only recreates that experience with surprising fidelity, but actually improves on it. The Hunger Games, for all of its strengths, suffered from the simple fact that Katniss is the sole lense through which we see a story of far-reaching social implications. We only ever see her little piece of the puzzle, only as she interprets it, only figuring out their greater importance to the larger narrative after-the-fact, creating a jarring disconnect between the first and second novel. While we don't find out about the aftermath of Rue's death until Catching Fire, the film immediately cuts from her being carted off by the game masters to the riots thather death (and Katniss' unprecedented acts of kindness) unintentionally triggered.

Jennifer Lawrence is without a doubt the perfect choice to play Katniss: bringing a level of nuance to the character that could have easily been glossed over by a less capable actress (a feature that becomes even more evident in the later films). And, for a story the revolves so completely around adolescents, I am absolutely shocked that none of the actors playing them were unbearable to watch (in fact, most were actually really good).

What really puts this film above so many other, equally well-made action films is Rue's death, memorium and resulting riot. I am not an especially emotional man, but I will full-on cry whenever I see that scene (something really only equalled by the ending of Schindler's List). It's not Rue's death, but Katniss' reaction to it and Gary Ross' patience in allowing the scene to play out the way that it does, that causes me to react this way. It is something that not enough movies, even great movies, do enough of, nor nearly as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do1smOv8rf4

[Arcanis]

http://www.online-inquirer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Mary_Surratt_Robin_Wright_in_the_courtroom_1280x1024.jpg

96 - The Conspirator (2010)

Director: Robert Redford
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genres: Drama
Length: 122 min
Edition: Theatrical

I never understood the underwhelming critical reception that this film recevied, garnering a 55% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 55 on Metacritic. It's directed by previously well-received director, features an astoundingly good cast (James McAvoy, Robin Wright, Kevin Kline and Tom Wilkinson to name a few) and a confidently penned script that is comfortable enough with the dramatic potential of history to let the events it depicts speak for themselves.

Whereas most films take sweeping licenses with historical events in order to make them more dramatic or entertaining, The Conspirator's accomplishes this through its strict adherence to historical fact. Although exceptional in its own right, this makes for an incredible companion piece to the much more broadly hailed Lincoln.

[Gatsby]

I would prefer Battle Royale by miles but the first one isn't that bad at all.

Haven't seen The Conspirator yet.

[The Gunslinger45]

To be honest I prefer The Hunger Games to Battle Royale. I prefer Jennifer Lawrence to Japanese teenagers.

[christine]

The Conspirator passed me by completely, but sounds like something I'd like so thanks for posting about it :)
I've never been attracted to watching The Hunger Games but you've piqued my interest a little, but I'd rather read Crime and Punishment ;)

[Captain Spaulding]

Parts of The Hunger Games were filmed in my hometown, which was a huge deal, since not much ever happens there. I kept hoping I'd randomly run into Jennifer Lawrence. I could've been the one taking some of those nude photos of her that leaked last year. Sadly, that dream never came to fruition. During all the hype, I read the first book in the series, and I thought it was okay, but I didn't like it enough to bother with the rest of the trilogy. The movie is just okay for me, too. I thought it took way too long to get to the actual Hunger Games, but once there, it was pretty decent. I liked it a lot more than Catching Fire.

Not seen The Conspirator, although it's on my DVD queue. I like Redford, but the subject matter doesn't interest me very much.

[cricket]

I had no interest in The Hunger Games when it first came out, but that was before I became a Jennifer Lawrence fan. Now I have interest.

[Arcanis]

I want to say that The Conspirator is overshadowed by Lincoln (like Antz vs A Bug's Life), but that would be disingenuous, since few people seemed to take note of it on its release two hears before Lincoln's release. I found the history fascinating and its intense devotion to historical accuracy refreshing (while I love A Beautiful Mind, its tenuous grasp at being based on a true story falls just short of outright deceit). I can see part of its charm falling flat on those who don't especially care about history (particularly the history surrounding the Civil War), but it hit all the right notes for me (history included).

While I absolutely loved Jennifer Lawrence in pretty much everything that I've seen her in (which adds up to 8 movies now), my hands-down favorite performance of her's is in Winter's Bone.

[cricket]

As far as Winter's Bone being Lawrence's best performance, I wouldn't disagree with that. I did want a little more from that movie as a whole, although I thought it was pretty good.

[Quill]

Lawrence is one of my favorite up and coming actors. I fell in love with her in Winter's Bone, which remains my favorite of her performances. I appreciate the depth she brings to her role as Katniss, too. Her acting in Mockingjay honestly blew me away (despite some issues I was having with Katniss's reactions to certain events).

[Arcanis]

http://imageserver.moviepilot.com/28b02e02-beb0-467c-ad1e-c36d3667ad44-who-do-you-think-will-be-a-big-bad-of-the-incredibles-2.jpeg?width=3258&height=1896

95 - The Incredibles (2004)

Director: Brad Bird
MPAA Rating: PG
Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Science Fiction
Length: 115 min
Edition: Theatrical

It should come as no surprise to anybody who has paid attention to my activity here that I am a huge fan of superhero movies (and am thoroughly stoked that the genre has finally gotten consistantly good). As I have already mentioned in the Best of 2014 (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=38290) thread (as well as in one of my articles on Unrealitymag.com (http://unrealitymag.com/movies/2014-in-review-the-top-10-movies-of-the-year/)) Captain America: The Winter Soldier is my favorite film of the year. It's only natural that one of my favorite types of film, developed by my favorite animation studio, would make it on my list (beating out other high-end Superhero films, including Iron Man, Watchmen and Captain America: The First Avenger).

The Incredibles is an intelligent, playful take on its sub-genre, poking fun at the iconic semantics of superpowered vigilantes while giving us the best cinematic take on the Fantastic Four to date (sad, considering that it's from a, at the time, non-Marvel associated film studio, featuring a cast of original characters). It addresses the broader social implications of superpowered civilian crime-fighters taking on crime without any governmental control nor oversight (which is especially interesting, given that Civil War is looming largely on the horizon). The film pays homage to the literary (graphic?) traditions from which it was was conceived while simultaneously helping to propel that same tradition into the 21st Century.

The animation is exceptionally well-rendered: proving that Pixar's first human-centric film can be as visually stunning as their other ventures (something which they would further develop in Up and Brave). The energetic, jazzy soundtrack was also a perfect fit for the film: not only playing into their "old vs new" theme, but capturing the visceral excitement of its action-packed narrative. I was surprised at the time exactly how dark Pixar was willing to go with its subject matter (specifically the scene in which Mr. Incredible stops just short of straight-up murdering a woman), although I shouldn't have been, since the first two Toy Stories existed. It's definitely a refreshing break from the happy-go-lucky fare that usually dominates the animated medium.

[Arcanis]

http://www.pandorafilm.com/produktion/movies/monsoon-wedding/monsoon-wedding_5.jpg

94 - Monsoon Wedding (2001)

Director: Mira Nair
MPAA Rating: R
Genre(s): Comedy, Drama, Romance
Length: 114 min
Edition: Theatrical

This is a film that took me entirely by surprise when I first saw it: uniquely exotic, but undeniably familiar - often as dark as The Celebration, and yet ultimately as vibrantly happy as any scene in Enchanted or Hairspray. I have revisitted this film often for this exact contradictory set of reasons, even reviewing it (http://brianjhadsell.blogspot.com/2013/10/random-movie-1-monsoon-wedding.html) as the first of my randomly selected Netflix films with my girlfriend (she loved it so much that I eventually got her the Criterion Edition of the film).

Part of its appeal to me is that it's not about any one character (or even group of characters), but rather an event: the wedding. It covers the lead-up to this one day in exquisite detail, broadly exploring a large cast of characters, their intricate relationships and how the wedding affects their personal lives. Every character and plotline is seen through to its ultimate conclusion, conflicting tones and conflicts deftly balanced against one another: a task that many other more-than-capable directors would have struggled with pulling off.

When all is said and done, Monsoon Wedding strikes me as exactly the movie that My Big Fat Greek Wedding was trying (and ultimately failed) to be: an equally comedic and dramatic big-picture view of a large, bombastic wedding and all of the chaotic turmoil surronding it. Like In the Mood For Love, my appreciation of this film only improves with continued retrospection, and I only expect this to climb future lists of mine from its (relatively) low position.

[Captain Spaulding]

I think The Incredibles is one of the best and smartest takes on the superhero genre, but I haven't watched it since it first came out, so that kept it from making my animated films list for the MoFo countdown. Great movie, though.

Never heard of Monsoon Wedding. It doesn't really sound like something I'd like.

[Arcanis]

Never heard of Monsoon Wedding. It doesn't really sound like something I'd like.

As long as you can get past the wedding motiff (which is certainly not a topic of interest for many people, myself included), it is a remarkably strong dramatic film that's not afraid to go to the extremes that the intersecting stories and characters demand. The stories range from the family's financial hardships that are only hade worse from their insistance on an elaborate wedding to the bride's reluctance to consent to an arranged marriage when she already has a beau on the side to past (and potentially current) sexual assaults (among a few others).

[Arcanis]

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/gallery/2006/terrence-howard/crash-fire.jpg

93 - Crash (2005)

Director: Paul Haggis
MPAA Rating: R
Genre(s): Drama
Length: 112 min
Edition: Theatrical

This film's trajectory within my esteem is actually the opposite of Monsoon Wedding. It was orginally a much bigger favorite of mine, starting off in a near-tie for my favorite of the year. I've seen it a number of times since its release, and have liked it a little less each time that I saw it (although I clearly am far from disliking it). It wouldn't surprise me in the least if it ends up slipping just off of the next list entirely.

That being said, this is a fantastic film, which largely acts as the occassion for its truely stellar cast to play off of one another. This is absolutely the best work that Brendan Frasier has ever done (and he was surprisingly good in his pre-Mummy days) and was the first film that really made me look seriously at Sandra Bullock. Between this and Hustle & Flow, Terrence Howard seemed to be the next big name in acting, whose initial success he has sadly yet to live up to. There really are too many great performances in this film to reasonably mention here, from established names to relative newcomers.

Even if the various storylines come together a little bit too conveniently, tthey are each strong independent of one another, warranting existence beyond the context of the film (a fact that makes this a much stronger film than Cloud Atlas). Both the script and the director found a strong balance between the demands of its various storylines. This ugly yet beautiful film succeeded in providing humanity to racists and complicating those who would stand up to them without ever coming off as preachy.

[Arcanis]

http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/DVD/Paramount/detailpages/TheGodfather/GdfthrColl_Still_H2_L.jpg

92 - The Godfather (1972)

Director: Francis Ford Coppola
MPAA Rating: R
Genre(s): Drama
Length: 175 min
Edition: Theatrical

We finally reach the first 20th Century entry to the list: one that I did not especially care for until very, very recently. I attribute this to the same reason for my initially luke-warm opinions for A Tale of Two Cities and Taxi Driver: I watched it too early, at a time in my life when I wasn't prepared to enjoy it . Like Citizen Kane, it also suffered from its high placement on the AFI top 100 list, setting up unfair expectations of it.

I began suspecting recently that I would enjoy it more now - out of both high school and college, with a fuller understanding of why it was so well regarded in the first place - and even got my girlfriend (who shared my initial opinion of the film with me) to watch it with me (although it meant that I had to rewatch Schindler's List, a favorite of her's).

Subtly is not only exceptionally difficult to pull off well within a film, it is often hard for audiences to appreciate (especially younger ones, although this is hardly a criticism of youth). It's easy to remember the loud, bombastic scenes brimming with explosive outbursts and emotional outpouring, but much harder to remember scenes of quietly spellbinding drama.

But when I revisited The Godfather, that's exactly what I started to notice: subtly and subtext - a sophisticated treatment of a complex, clandestine world. Long stretches of the film that before seemed to drag out now became highlights because of how it let the narrative breathe and develop at its own quietly intense pace.

The acting that failed to impress me initially I now hold in the highest regard. This is unquestionably the best performance Al Pacino ever gave (who too often these days looks tired and confused). Robert Duvall (whose latter day film appearances often leave something to be desired) gives a remarkable turn in this film. James Caan, Marlon Brando... everybody delivers amazing performances informed by a deep understanding of the characters that they're portraying.

Even after rewatching it, I struggled for a surprisingly long time before settling on exactly what I thought of it. Subtly - especially when it's so ingrained in every fiber of the film's being - is still hard to gauge. For this reason, it may be that The Godfather will leapfrog up future lists of mine (or, just as likely, stay relatively at the same position). Either way, it will be interesting to see where it ultimately ends up settling at.

[cricket]

So many on this site seem to hate Crash but I think it is very good.

Love The Godfather and The Incredibles.

Haven't seen Gorilla Monsoon.

[The Gunslinger45]

The Incredibles, The Godfather are fantastic. Crash is crap.

[rauldc14]

Crash is one of my favorite films of all time. It is great and the style of the film worked very well for me.

[Arcanis]

http://moonboog.com/sites/default/files/schindlers-list-12892-hd-wallpapers.jpg

91 - Schindler's List (1993)

Director: Steven Spielberg
MPAA Rating: R
Genre(s): Drama
Length: 195 min
Edition: Theatrical

I first saw Schindler's List when I was in 6th grade (around 2000). We were doing a unit on the Holocaust and my teacher name-dropped this movie. Being the kind of student that I was, I convinced my parents to rent it over the weekend. As you might suspect of an eleven-year-old, I didn't like it. My parents asked me if I was enjoying the film when the Germans were liquidating the Ghetto, and when I said that I wasn't they convinced me to go do something that I would enjoy. When I mentioned to my teacher on Monday that I saw, but did not like, the movie, her response was to say "Well I guess that shows how mature you are" and walk away.

I decided to give the film a second chance in late high school (near or very shortly after the AFI's revised top 100 list). This time I stuck it out until the end and enjoyed it considerably more than I did the first time. But, when all was said and done, I decided that I still did not particularly like it. I rewatched it in late 2014 and was surprised exactly how much I loved it despite my historic opinion of it.

The pacing was the first thing that struck me about the film this third time around. Despite it's near 3-hour length, heavy subject matter and methodical treatment of the Holocaust, it moves along at a reasonably brisk pace. I had no idea that we were already halfway through the film before my girlfriend had to flip to the DVD's B-side. The story, guided by Spielberg's meticulous direction, was so thoroughly engrossing that I honestly became lost in the senseless slaughter of millions of innocent Jews.

This is without question Liam Neeson's greatest performance. His portrayal of the war profiteer cum clandestine humanitarian brims with outrage just under the surface, coming to a head when he is forced to go into hiding at the end of the film. I have said before that I am not an especially emotional man, but I absolutely broke down into tears with Schindler when he weighed the price of a gold pin against that of a human life that he could (and should) have saved.

This is another film that I fully expect to climb the ranks of my favorites in years to come. Between having my favorite soundtrack this side of Suspiria and its amazing cast (which also features both Ben Kingsley and Ralph Fiennes best performances), I honestly wouldn't be surprised if this broke into my top ten in the not-too-distant future. For now, however, it will have to settle for merely being one among my favorites.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOoWpTxKJGA

[Blastphamy]

Schindler's List, great choice.

[Arcanis]

http://filmhafizasi.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/persona1.jpg

90 - Persona (1966)

Director: Igmar Bergman
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Genre(s): Drama
Length: 83 min
Edition: Theatrical

Bergman is the kind of director who strongly rewards patience, focus and multiple viewings. This means that he can often come off as a bit stuffy and dull, especially when you're not expecting the kind of movie that you've sat down to see (this happened to my brother and me when he blind-rented The Seventh Seal from Netflix; he fell asleep halfway through, then tried again the next day and fell asleep a second time).

So long as you can stomach his decidedly non-mainstream aesthetic, his films are among the most gratifying around, none more so than Persona. I saw it for a film theory course and had absolutely no idea what the Hell I had seen until we discussed it in class two days later.

Despite my confusion, however, I knew from the moment the lights kicked back on that I had seen one of my favorite movies. It was absolutely like nothing I had ever seen and only tenuously like a scant handful of films that I have seen since. Working out exactly what happened or what it meant was immaterial to my enjoyment of it (although it certainly deepened my appreciation of it when all was said and done). It was enough to simply have experienced it.

[christine]

Good reviews. Re Schindler's List - that wasn't a very sensitive 6th grade teacher you had there. Considering the subject matter you'd think she might've found the time to discuss it with you :(

Love The Godfather, I've got it much higher up in my 100. Looking forward to the rest of your list :)

[hello101]

Quality write-ups, you should write for a magazine or something.

[The Sci-Fi Slob]

Schindlers List is medioce; Persona is great. Great list! :)

[Arcanis]

Thanks (to everyone) for the positive responses. I'm glad that it's not just me shouting to the wind to hear the sound of my own voice. :D

Quality write-ups, you should write for a magazine or something.

I actually do write a weekly article for Unrealitymag.com (http://unrealitymag.com/author/bhadsell/), which is posted every Friday. A link to the most recent one is always included in my signature.

I also maintain my own entertainment blog, Filmquisition (http://brianjhadsell.blogspot.com/), a link to the most recent post is also always in my signature.

I also write for a local paper, and have started to do some film reviews for them (the first of which will be for Unbroken).

[Arcanis]

http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/31900000/The-Libertine-the-libertine-31922876-2048-1391.jpg

89 - The Libertine (2004)

Director: Laurence Dunmore
MPAA Rating: R
Genre(s): Drama
Length: 114 min
Edition: Theatrical

I can actually understand why this film has been so poorly received in the decade since its release (with a 33% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 44 on Meta Critic). It's an incredibly sexualized portrait of a man who was eulegized as the greatest sinner of an unprecedentedly sinful age. On top of that, it came out in 2004: in the midst of Pirates movies and awards hype, when a lot of critics were simply tired of seeing Johnny Depp everywhere.

The film isn't a narrative as much as it is a series of moments from John Wilmot's life: his repeated exiles from London, the staging of Sodom, or the Quintessence of Debauchery (widely considered to be the most obscene play ever produced), his coaching cum obsession with renowned actress Elizabeth Barry and his dual role of favorite and antagonist of King Charles II. These are sandwiched between a pair of soliloquies that are equal parts brilliant and obscene (which is emblematic of the film as a whole). Within the first two minutes of its run-time you know exactly what kind of movie you're in for (and it is certainly not for everybody).

Thanks to the decision to only use period lighting, the film has a strikingly unique visual quality to it: alternating between the dim and shadowy aesthetic of the playhouse and brightly sun-lit domestic spaces. It's dark and unpolished and everything that the film needed to be. It also features an unflinchingly grotesque Wilmot as his body rots away from syphilis, highlighted, rather than hidden, by the illusory lighting.

It goes without saying that Depp is fantastic as the titular libertine. Rosamund Pike's performance as Wilmot's wife is just as explosive as Depp's, starkly contrasting against Samantha Morton's reservedly indignant Elizabeth Barry. John Malkovich gives what is hands down the best and most realistic portrayal of King Charles II ever put to screen. Too often, actors play him as comically foppish - ruled by his strong-willed mistresses' promises of sex - while Malkovich captures the quiet desperation of a king raised in exile, whose tenuous popularity is the only thing keeping him from his father's fate.

My fascination with this film single-handedly launched my obsession with Restoration England. Stage Beauty is another exceptional film covering this time period (set slightly earlier, when women were first allowed to take the stage), and Farinelli: Il Castrato is another well-received film covering a slightly later period of the Restoration. A Profane Wit is an exceptional biography of John Wilmot that expands on the man's life in great (and thoroughly entertaining) detail.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfTPS-TFQ_c

[cricket]

I haven't seen any of the last 3 yet, but I know I'll be watching Schindler's List and Persona within the next couple months.

[honeykid]

I've been meaning to see this for 10 years now. My mum kept pushing me to see it as she liked it.

As you like Restoration England, I'll post this for you. From the wonderful Horrible Histories.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA5abHKvUBQ

[Miss Vicky]

Loving these last three. Schindler's List and The Libertine are on my own Top 100. If I ever actually redo that list, Persona may well make the cut too.

:up:

[Arcanis]

I've been meaning to see this for 10 years now. My mum kept pushing me to see it as she liked it.

As you like Restoration England, I'll post this for you. From the wonderful Horrible Histories.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA5abHKvUBQ

My girlfriend teaches history, so I've seen most of the Horrible Histories already. The Charles II one is easily my favorite, closely followed by the Oliver Cromwell one.

She also used The Libertine while student teaching at a Catholic High School (specifically the scene in the House of Lords, which is ironically the pretty much the only historically inaccurate scene in the film). Understandably, she couldn't use any lf the fun scenes.

Loving these last three. Schindler's List and The Libertine are on my own Top 100. If I ever actually redo that list, Persona may well make the cut too.

:up:

I have a feeling that we'd have a lot of fun watching movies together. Even my friends who like The Libertine don't like it nearly so well as I do.

[Miss Vicky]

I have a feeling that we'd have a lot of fun watching movies together. Even my friends who like The Libertine don't like it nearly so well as I do.

On that note: I just had a peek at your MoFo lists and I see that you've not yet seen Quills. I know I recommend it to anyone and everyone, but I think you might actually appreciate it. It's set in a different era and different country than The Libertine, but the tone of the film is quite similar.

When I saw The Libertine for the first time it immediately made me think of Quills. Well, that is, I thought of that after I got over my discomfort about the fact that I had gone to see it with my mother. :laugh:

Here's the trailer for Quills, if you're not already familiar with it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u--PYnIYewE

[Zotis]

I'll second Quills. It's a pretty eccentric film with excellent acting. I suppose the only discrepancy I'd say exists is a skewed portrayal of Christianity (or more specifically Roman Catholicism), but considering the nature of the film's graphic content it's not surprising.

[christine]

Arcanis - have you or your girlfriend see The Devil's Whore which is a 2008 four part UK tv series set during the English Civil War (think it was released in America as The Devil's Mistress :D) - sounds like something you might like if you're into history. I loved it. Thought it was a cut above the normal costume dramas

[Thursday Next]

I can actually understand why this film has been so poorly received in the decade since its release (with a 33% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 44 on Meta Critic). It's an incredibly sexualized portrait of a man who was eulegized as the greatest sinner of an unprecedentedly sinful age. On top of that, it came out in 2004: in the midst of Pirates movies and awards hype, when a lot of critics were simply tired of seeing Johnny Depp everywhere.

I thought it was poorly received because it was really boring :p

[Captain Spaulding]

Unlike you, I do find Crash preachy and heavy-handed; everything comes together far too conveniently. However, I still think it's a solid movie and better than the haters make it out to be. Undeservedly winning Best Picture didn't do it any favors.

A few years ago in college, my roommate and I watched all three Godfather movies over consecutive days. I was certainly impressed by the quality of the film, but I actually enjoyed Part II the most. I owe all of them a re-watch, however . . . well, maybe not the third one. :p

Schindler's List is Spielberg's masterpiece, in my opinion, although not my favorite from him. Very powerful film.

Persona is excellent. I'm not going to pretend to fully understand it, since I've only seen it once, but I found it mesmerizing. It's a movie that has continued to linger on my mind. I look forward to re-visiting it at some point in the near future. It's a likely lock for my 60's list.

Period pieces aren't typically my thing, but Depp is my favorite actor, so his presence probably had a lot to do with my enjoyment of The Libertine. When people say that Depp gives the same performance in every film, The Libertine is one of the movies I point to as evidence to the contrary.

Between this and Hustle & Flow, Terrence Howard seemed to be the next big name in acting, whose initial success he has sadly yet to live up to.

Neither Howard or Craig Brewer have lived up to their initial success, which saddens me, since I think Hustle & Flow is an excellent film. The latter also directed Black Snake Moan, which I love, but his only movie since then has been an uninspired remake of Footloose. As for Howard, I'm not sure what went wrong with his career, whether it's a poor ability to choose the right roles or if he's just really difficult to work with, but I still consider myself a fan. I actually recorded that new Empire show that debuted last night, solely for his involvement.

[Arcanis]

On that note: I just had a peek at your MoFo lists and I see that you've not yet seen Quills. I know I recommend it to anyone and everyone, but I think you might actually appreciate it. It's set in a different era and different country than The Libertine, but the tone of the film is quite similar.

When I saw The Libertine for the first time it immediately made me think of Quills. Well, that is, I thought of that after I got over my discomfort about the fact that I had gone to see it with my mother. :laugh:

Here's the trailer for Quills, if you're not already familiar with it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u--PYnIYewE

I've seen you talk up this film before, and it's pretty much always been on my radar since joining this site as a result. I've tried to track down a copy before to little effect, but now that I have Netflix DVDs coming every month, I'll add it to the queue.

And fun fact, I also so The Libertine for the first time with my mother. I woke up one morning, found her watching it on TV and sat down to finish it out with her (she was only about 10 minutes into it when I came along). I'm pretty sure that she only kept watching it because I was there and probably in the hopes that watching Johnny Depp's face rot away at the end would serve as a cautionary tale for when I finally hit college.

Arcanis - have you or your girlfriend see The Devil's Whore which is a 2008 four part UK tv series set during the English Civil War (think it was released in America as The Devil's Mistress :D) - sounds like something you might like if you're into history. I loved it. Thought it was a cut above the normal costume dramas

We haven't, although it does sound like it'd be up our alley. I'll have to track down a copy now (Netflix doesn't seem to have it).

When people say that Depp gives the same performance in every film, The Libertine is one of the movies I point to as evidence to the contrary.

He's only the same in every Tim Burton movie he's in. On his own, he has exceptional range. His collaberations with Burton have just kind of blown up into their own, weird-for-the-sake-of-weird thing that's gotten pretty old by now.

[Miss Vicky]

And fun fact, I also saw The Libertine for the first time with my mother. I woke up one morning, found her watching it on TV and sat down to finish it out with her (she was only about 10 minutes into it when I came along).

Nice. My mom just said to me one morning "I assume you want to go see that new Johnny Depp movie." I actually had no idea that there even was a new Depp movie out and had no clue what it was about, but I said "Yes" because I'm willing to watch anything the man does. I was squirming in my seat for a bit there, but ultimately ended up loving it.

And I look forward to hearing your thoughts when you do finally get around to seeing Quills.

[Arcanis]

http://widedscreen.com/images/wallpapers/rocky-1976-sylvester-stallone-1920x1200-Wallpaper-HD.jpg

88 - Rocky (1976)

Director: John G. Avildsen
MPAA Rating: PG
Genre(s): Drama
Length: 119 min
Edition: Theatrical

When I started getting more into movies (starting around 2001), Rocky quickly became one of my favorites. This (and its sequel) are the only exceptional performances that I have ever seen Stallone give: showing a degree of nuance and subtlety that I never would have expected from an action star that looks like the missing link (okay, that was mean, but still, look at him). Couple that with a latter day Burgess Meredith and energetic newcomer Carl Weathers, and you have an excellent cast perfectly suited to their given roles (even the mousy Talia Shire worked out solidly in this film).

It's definitely not a perfect movie by any means. All of the drama surrounding Paulie is a bit stilted and awkward to sit through and the film doesn't really find its groove until the training montage. Still, the training and especially the boxing scenes are all really strong. The fight between underdog Rocky and racial icon Apollo is just as brutal as you could hope for in a film where the protagonist's goal isn't to win, but to survive.

While it may flounder while getting there, what Rocky does well, it does exceptionally well. Despite punching things for a living and moonlighting as a loan shark enforcer, Rocky is a surprisingly endearing character, brought to screen by a surprisingly capable actor. I was shocked to learn that Stallone himself wrote the script, which while that would probably explain most of the aforementioned issues that I took with the film, did give me a newfound respect for the man that I previously only knew for causing and surviving increasingly large explosions.

[Arcanis]

http://theredlist.com/media/database/settings/cinema/1940-1950/rebecca-/031-rebecca-theredlist.png

87 - Rebecca (1940)

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Genre(s): Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Length: 130 minutes
Edition: Theatrical

When I first started getting into film, I desperately tried to see every "good" film that I could find. This usually expressed itself by working through what I could of the AFI top 100 lists, but occassionally involved seeking out movies helmed by directors whose work I had previously enjoyed (and was similarly well received). I had grown up watching Rear Window and Psycho, so I eagerly jumped on this middle-tier Hitchcock when I found it available On Demand.

While I cannot say how Rebecca continues his British-produced films (as I have not yet seen his earlier work), it does act like a blueprint for what Hitchcock would produce during his Hollywood career. In particular, the film plays out a lot like a rudimentary draft of Vertigo with its omnipresent theme of obsession and fixation (which, for all of its faults, better developed and explored these themes than Rebecca). Hitchcock's trademark interplay of lighting and shadow - visually expressing much of the film's subtext - is present here as well, although not quite as precisely rendered as it would be in, say, Psycho.

I really should rewatch this film, though, since I have only seen it the one time and my tastes have changed considerably since then. It may be that I'll find it as frustratingly melodramatic now as I find it in Sunset Blvd, or that it simply won't hold up as well as other Hitchcock films that I have seen since. As of right now, however, through the lens of that initial viewing, even a lesser Hitchcock can beat out most other films.

[hello101]

Rocky is still the best boxing film ever made, on my own top 100. The pioneer of underdog stories.

I haven't seen Rebecca, figures considering I'm not a fan of Hitchcock apart from a select few.

[hello101]

Rocky is still the best boxing film ever made, on my own top 100. The pioneer of underdog stories.

I haven't seen Rebecca, figures considering I'm not a fan of Hitchcock apart from a select few.

[honeykid]

Sadly I think if you now find Sunset Boulevard melodramatic, Rebecca doesn't stand much of a chance. Hope I'm wrong, though. It's never nice to lose a favourite.

[Arcanis]

Sadly I think if you now find Sunset Boulevard melodramatic, Rebecca doesn't stand much of a chance. Hope I'm wrong, though. It's never nice to lose a favourite.

I hate melodrama, but I love Hitchcock, so it's pretty much a toss up whether it will hold up equally well after so long (although it at least has precedent as a favorite on its side). Still, it'd be a real shame to let it go from the list.

[Citizen Rules]

Rebecca, is one of my top 10. Hitch was more restrained in stamping his style onto the film. He shows more depth of character and less reliance on a macguffin, than his latter films.

[Arcanis]

http://basementrejects.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/beautiful-mind-2001-movie-review-john-nash-window-equations-russell-crowe.jpg

86 - A Beautiful Mind (2001)

Director: Ron Howard
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genre(s): Drama
Length: 113 min
Edition: Theatrical

The risk with historical biopics is failing to live up to their real-life inspirations: blowing the events out of proportion or falling short of reality. The Conspirator's great strength was its absolute fidelity to historical fact. Unbroken's greatest fault - other than being completely forgetable and by-the-numbers - was betraying the primary theme of the narrative upon which it was based.

A Beautiful Mind stays true to the spirit, rather than the letter, of John Nash's life story: mentally constructing elaborate conspiracies in which he is the only code breaker capable of deciphering communist communiqués in popular media, Russell Crowe gives an immeasurably engrossing performance, realistically rendering the manic ticks and antisocial behavior of a schizophrenic. Jennifer Connelly plays the straight man opposite of Crowe, whose normality is the metric against which we measure Crowe's increasingly unstable eccentricities.

All too often with films like this, only one narrative can really stand on its own. Either the reality of the delusion or the reality of the mundane will be the version of the story that you care about: more exciting, better developed and better crafted than what it's juxtaposed against. Ron Howard succeeded at making both halves of the narrative equally fascinating. Nash's day-to-day struggles with mental illness and his vividly complex hallucinations of cryptographic conspiracies feed off of one another, each becoming more interesting when contrasted against the other. Despite their fabrication, the delusions are no less real to Nash, which makes his ultimate rejection of them - and, implicitly, that whole swath of his life - all the more tragic.

[Arcanis]

http://blogs.lynn.edu/trustbutverify/files/2012/11/lincoln2.jpg

85 - Lincoln (2012)

Director: Steven Spielberg
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genre(s): Drama
Length: 150 min
Edition: Theatrical

I often see films dismissed as being only "one good performance." There are always a few of these each year, almost invariably historical biopics, that seem hellbent on winning acting awards. The King's Speech, The Last King of Scotland, Capote, Ray, Monster, The Queen and even Forrest Gump are all films that I've seen accused of being "blatant acting vehicles." The issue that I've always took with this brand of criticism is that "one good performance" is often enough to make an otherwise forgettable film extraordinary.

But to call Lincoln a "one good performance" film is profoundly disingenuous to what the film actually does manage to accomplish. It is a critical look at the passage of an unassuming piece of nineteenth century legislation: not just the president, not just congress, but the entire political process - the same one that is in place in the United States today.

And yes, Daniel Day-Lewis gives what is hands-down my absolute favorite performance of the year / decade / century. His Lincoln positively brims with quiet desperation: an enigmatic, well-intentioned dictator who had the "guts to stick [his] hands in the mud and try to build something better." But nearly as impressive is Tommy Lee Jones' turn as Thaddeus Stevens, the indellibly foul-mouthed Republican representative who fiercely opposed racial discrimination before, during and after Lincoln's presidency. He brings alive an age where policy was not parsed out through vapid pleasantries, but savaged into law - where senators would beat each other within an inch of their lives on the Senate floor (Preston Brooks' assault against Charles Sumner) and the aisles of Parliment being the width of two sabers was as intentional as it was practical.

(Sadly, I could not find this scene in full, and even the "money shot" portioned into two brief videos)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXEssLF_Nw0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTwKOCILJl0

[Captain Spaulding]

I like Rocky, don't love it.

Rebecca is a great movie. It's got a different feel to it than most of the other Hitchcock films I've seen.

I haven't seen A Beautiful Mind in years, so I don't know if I'd be as impressed with it today as I was when I was younger, but I used to like it a lot. I think it's Ron Howard's best movie.

I expected Lincoln to be a bit dull, but instead found it surprisingly captivating. It's a really well-made film and Day-Lewis is his usual spectacular self. However, I still think the movie feels a little too much like something a history teacher would've made us watch in school.

[Arcanis]

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mck6e4J6qg1qg6dino1_1280.jpg

84 - Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Director: Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise
MPAA Rating: G
Genre(s): Fantasy, Musical, Romance
Length: 84 min
Edition: Theatrical

I don't know about everybody else, but I get a lot of flack in my circles for arguing that Beauty and the Beast is the pinnacle of the Disney Renaissance, beating out perennial favorite The Lion King. This is not because I don't like The Lion King, since it was just inside of my top 100 last year and just outside of it this year (ranked #96 and #104 respectively). It's simply that for everything that The Lion King (and other Renaissance favorites) do(es) well, Beauty and the Beast does better.

The animation is not only gorgeous, but surprisingly varied. The stained glass prologue is strongly reminiscent of the flat, medieval style of Sleeping Beauty and the threading of some 3-D animation made certain scenes pop memorably out against the traditional 2-D animation.

Even the 2-D animation that dominates the film is is exceptionally well-rendered and strikingly vary in style based on the needs of the narrative; the initial and final exterior shots of the castle and surrounding countryside are absolutely magnificent: as austere and fantastical as anything I have seen from the genre. The first several scenes in the castle, as well as the latter scenes of the village, have all the earmarks of the horror genre: intense low-key lighting, omnipresent use of shadow, sharply drawn angles and ghasltily rendered scenery.

The writing is far superior to any of Disney's 90's classics as well. Belle has an actual character arc (as opposed to Ariel, whose father is really the one who develops in the film) and the narrative is more streamlined than the segmented story of The Lion King (just to name two). Even the songs tie into the characters and story more strongly than other animated films of the era ("A Girl Worth Fighting For" immediately springs to mind, although it was far from the only, let alone worst, offender).

Each scene organically leads into the one that follows, leading to a completely satisfying climax that gives us the darkest imagery that Disney's had outside of The Great Mouse Detective (and even that's debatable). It even features a considerable deal more internal consistency than most of its competition, with Gaston's metaphorical transformation into a beast perfectly mirror's the actual Beast's actual transformation into the man that was always just underneath the surface. And to top it all off, its anthropomorphized supporting cast is actually not obnoxiously child-centered like later Disney films of this period became, augmenting (rather than distracting from) the narrative.

[Arcanis]

http://www.richardcrouse.ca//wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Snakes_on_a_Plane.jpg

83 - Snakes on a Plane (2006)

Director: David R. Ellis
MPAA Rating: R
Genre(s): Action, Comedy, Thriller
Length: 105 min
Edition: Theatrical

And here's where I probably lose whatever good will the previous sixteen films had earned me. Snakes on a Plane - the intentionally cult film that failed to keep the following it gained during production, which isn't especially well remembered by those who once raptly anticipated it hitting theaters, whose critical response was never extreme enough in any way to warrant much attention in retrospect. It is, in short, a novelty that next to nobody cared enough about to remember after it left theaters.

And that's the real shame of it all, because it was an exceptionally hilarious and exciting film: on par with, if not superior than, certain films of the Three Flavors Trilogy. Playing its outrageous premise completely straight, it succeeds just as well as a comedy as it does a contemporary creature feature. I can't even credit my love of this film to the indelible badassery of Samuel L. Jackson, since it's actually the script that carries the film through its 90+ minute run time (although Samuel L. Jackson is still undeniably perfect for this movie: just enough of a wink and a nod to keep it from becoming too serious for its own good).

I love the film just as much today as I did opening day. It's one of the few films that makes me laugh a truly obnoxious amount (of which only 21 Jump Street and Superbad missed out from this list) and is essentially a perfect storm of things I love in movies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ2QFmJ7h0A

[hello101]

Beauty and The Beast is good, I don't like Snakes on a Plane though.

[Miss Vicky]

I keep meaning to watch Snakes On A Plane but still haven't gotten to it. I love me some Samuel L.

[honeykid]

I've only seen Snakes On A Plane once and, while I liked it, even at its very short running time, I was getting bored by the end. It needed to finish. Other than that, I liked it, though. It's my kind of thing.

[Gatsby]

Out of the Disney renaissance of the late 80s and 90s in my opinion Beauty and the Beast is the best of them all and the climatic film of the period. A pure magical love story that doesn't have any tricks and celebs to make it look good.

I found Snakes on a Plane to be underwhelming. I expected the film to have lots of 'Motherf**king snakes on a motherf**king plane' type of cult hilarity but instead it gave me a weak story and sloppy execution.

[honeykid]

Out of the Disney renaissance of the late 80s and 90s in my opinion Beauty and the Beast is the best of them all and the climatic film of the period. A pure magical love story that doesn't have any tricks and celebs to make it look good.

I found Snakes on a Plane to be underwhelming. I expected the film to have lots of 'Motherf**king snakes on a motherf**king plane' type of cult hilarity but instead it gave me a weak story and sloppy execution.
It's an explotation film. For the most part, that's the genre.

[cricket]

I was disappointed in Snakes on a Plane; I was hoping for it to be a little more exploitive, kind of like Piranha 3D.

[Captain Spaulding]

I haven't seen Beauty in the Beast since I was a kid. Much like Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella, I never gave it much of a chance because I considered it too girly. I need to revisit all those movies now that I'm not a sexist little boy.

Your opening paragraph about Snakes on a Plane encapsulates my own feelings toward the film. Other than the title and the infamous Samuel L. Jackson quote, the movie isn't memorable in any way. Instead of being exploitative, over-the-top fun or cheesy, so-bad-it's-good mimicry, it's just kind of . . . average, not doing anything particularly well or particularly awful. However, I think it's awesome that you put it on your favorites list.

[Arcanis]

http://basementrejects.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/south-park-season-11-imaginationland-jesus-fights-alien-pac-man.jpg

82 - Imaginationland (2008)

Director: Trey Parker
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
Length: 67 min
Edition: Home Video

This is another pick that's bound to turn some heads (and already did in the Animation Countdown). When first taking stock of the films I had seen a few years back I came across an interesting corner case: Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story - three narratively connected Family Guy episodes re-edited together into a feature-length film, released on DVD. After some deliberation, I decided to count it as a film, since that's what it was presenting itself as, and Imaginationland followed suit some time afterwards. And considering that It's Such a Beautiful Day - a film comprised of three re-edited shorts - is considered a stand-alone film, I feel more confident in my initial decision than I had been before.

Imaginationland is, quite simply, the best story that South Park has ever produced. It's epic, imaginative and bitingly satiric. It takes Cartman's obsession with ball-sucking to its most illogical extreme, playing the entire subplot with a completely straight face. It meaningfully revisits previously established lore from the series (such as Jesus and the Christmas Critters) and punches through its absurd narrative with more energy and vision than most theatrically released films.

It's able to balance it's decidedly Earth-bound story - in which government operatives try to break into and, later, destroy Imaginationland - with the fantastical epic within our collective imaginations. And both halves work equally well: pot shots against hack directors Shyamalan and Bay pairing well with Al Quaeda releasing Xenomorphs and slasher villains upon the saccharine inhabitants of Imaginationland. Director Trey Parker knows exactly what and how much to give audiences before moving along to something else: never lingering past his (or his ideas') welcome.

[Arcanis]

https://cdn4.thedissolve.com/features/375/fullwidth.c34d7c47.jpg

81 - Cold Mountain (2003)

Director: Anthony Minghella
MPAA Rating: R
Genre(s): Adventure, Drama, Romance
Length: 154 min
Edition: Theatrical

I'm sure that Cold Mountain making the list proper while Gone with the Wind is relegated to an honorable mention will raise more than just a few eyebrows around here, but both have more than earned their place. Gone with the Wind suffers from the core of much of its narrative being troublingly race-motivated historical revisionism and a second half that marks time with domestic melodrama until it finally (some would say mercifully) ends. The first half is epic storytelling at its finest, but it loses its way after the fall of the Old South.

Cold Mountain features all of its forebearer's strengths while exhbiting none of its weaknesses. Both feature an immaculately chosen cast, a strong female lead squarely set in period domesticity and a strikingly epic scale for its romantic Civil War narrative. True, Jude Law is no Clarke Gable and neither Renee Zellwegger nor Nicole Kidman can measure up to the resplenent Vivien Leigh, but that can hardly hold against them and the incredible performances that they do give. This goes double for Kidman and Zellwegger, who easily give the best performances of their storied careers.

And unlike Gone with the Wind, Cold Mountain knows exactly where it needs to end. It doesn't drag on for another two hours after finally reaching its climax. The film features a tightly spun narrative that knows exactly where to deviate from its linear plot - Phillip Seymour Hoffman's appearance as the lecherous Reverend Veasey - and when to stear itself back on course.

[Arcanis]

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lR9101ut92Y/Tiz4FLGQmsI/AAAAAAAACbw/Mk30Ewm6qXw/s1600/m.png

80 - M (1931)

Director: Fritz Lang
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Genre(s): Drama, Thriller
Length: 99 min
Edition: Theatrical

When The Jazz Singer first came out, Sergei Eisenstein expressed concern that the new technology would be unthinkingly used for mere dialog, for expressing verbally what before had to be expressed visually. And while sound was certainly used for spectacle before art as a general rule, M uses it in Eisenstein's idealized form: expressing meaning through juxtaposition of sound and image, rather than as simple narration.

Even today, M stands as the most tersely written detective story put to film: crafting suspense through exquisite patience - both visually and aurally. Having the killer whistle "In the Hall of the Mountain King" does more than simply give the film an instantly memorable hook (although it also does that). Its intense association with the child murderer actively builds the omnipresent tension that defines the film: heralding his presence within the scene even when he is off camera. The first eight minutes of the film are some of the most memorable that I have ever seen.

If M was just a directorial marvel of early sound films, it would be notable, even memorable, hardly the cultural force that it has become. Its script is vastly ahead of its time, inelligently debating the mental health of its antagonist and the extent to which the law (civil or otherwise) should hold him accountable for his actions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihDwCKWdt0c

[Miss Vicky]

Still haven't seen M, but :up: for Cold Mountain which is on my own top 100.

[christine]

Out of your last couple of pages I like Rebecca the best. Good film and good book.

[VFN]

Out of your last couple of pages I like Rebecca the best. Good film and good book.

Was looking to watch something so I'm going for this.

[Captain Spaulding]

I just recently started getting into South Park (and by "getting into" I just mean watching a re-run late at night sometimes if nothing else is on), so I haven't seen Imaginationland.

I like Cold Mountain enough to own it on DVD. I think it's a very good movie, not a great movie, but it gets bonus points for having Jack White in it. The southern accents are pretty terrible, though.

I've only seen M once, but it's a phenomenal film.

[Arcanis]

Still haven't seen M, but :up: for Cold Mountain which is on my own top 100.

I got curious, since we seemed to have a lot of overlap in taste, and paroused through the top 100 in your link. It appears as if there are 8 films that show up on both of our lists (which is actually a lot less than I had gotten to thinking).

Incidentally, I'm glad to see somebody else who loves Bubba Ho-Tep (which sadly did not make my list). It's such a ridiculous movie (although oddly tamer than the story it's based on).

I just recently started getting into South Park (and by "getting into" I just mean watching a re-run late at night sometimes if nothing else is on), so I haven't seen Imaginationland.

The newer seasons are definitely a lot better than the earlier ones (I think that Yoda said it best in the animation countdown thread). The episodes that I tend to like the least are the ones that play toward their younger demographics (the ones with Towlie and Mr. Hanky are the worst of these). The Imaginationland episodes, the Coon (& Friends) episodes, a lot of the Butters episodes (especially "Butters' Bottom Bitch"), the Blackk Friday / Game of Thrones parody and "Go Fund Yourself" are among my favorites (and there really are a lot of geat ones to choose from).

[Arcanis]

http://madfilm.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/06431THUMB_edited-1LRG.jpg

79 - Rope (1948)

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Genre(s): Drama, Thriller
Length: 80 min
Edition: Theatrical

Hitchcock returns to my list with an incredible upgrade from the still excellent Rebecca. Rope may be gimicky, but it's the exact kind of gimicky that I can get behind: stylish and devilishly exciting. Every aspect of the film's unique structure exists for one singular purpose: building and maintaining maddeningly wraught suspense.

The film depicts a dinner party immediately after two friends murder a classmate and hide his body in their apartment, virtually taunting the guests (which include the murdered man's parents, his girlfriend and their own former teacher) to discover their crime. Uniquely, Rope is shot in real time - in a series of ten tracking shots strung together with masked edits - allowing the crime and its aftermath to unfold with unrelenting verisimilitude.

There are no obvious cuts or cinematic shifts, no stylish tricks that excentuate the unreality of the narrative as a theatric production We watch the passage of time as the sun slowly sets along the picturesque skyline across from the murderers' upscale apartment. We see one of the killers get progressively more drunk, start slipping in front of the victim's family and eventually shatter his calm under further scrutiny. We watch Rupert Cadell (Jimmy Stewart) solve the mystery from the outside in, rather than intimately tracking his thought process through a protracted investigation.

Hithcock's mastery behind the camera is never more evident than it is here, even among his better films (and trust me, we haven't seen the last of Hitchcock on this list yet). The film only does one thing, but it does it so supremely well that I can hardly think of a sustained exercise in suspense to exceed it in that regard.

[Miss Vicky]

I got curious, since we seemed to have a lot of overlap in taste, and paroused through the top 100 in your link. It appears as if there are 8 films that show up on both of our lists (which is actually a lot less than I had gotten to thinking).

Incidentally, I'm glad to see somebody else who loves Bubba Ho-Tep (which sadly did not make my list). It's such a ridiculous movie (although oddly tamer than the story it's based on).

Well that list is outdated. It's possible that if I were to update it now, there might be more titles in common.

Even my top ten has changed, with Mary and Max. sneaking into the #8 position. Spike Jonze's Her would probably take the #11 position and there'd probably be a few other changes as well. I keep thinking about redoing it, but I just don't think there are enough changes to make it worth my while.

I'm interested to see what's to come on your list.

As for Rope, I've not yet watched it. I'm pretty sure I have it on DVD though and will get to it in time.

[honeykid]

I really like Rope, but then, I usually like the more gimmicky Hitchcocks.

[Thursday Next]

I love Rope.

[cricket]

Rope is one of my favorites from Hitchcock.

[Captain Spaulding]

I've not seen Rope, but I love Hitchcock and Stewart, and the "gimmick" sounds fascinating, so I see no reason why I wouldn't love the movie. I plan on watching it in the near future.

[Arcanis]

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/841/3677/1600/Stage%20Beauty%2020%20copy.jpg

78 - Stage Beauty (2004)

Director: Richard Eyre
MPAA Rating: R
Genre(s): Drama
Length: 116 min
Edition: Theatrical

While The Libertine jump started my interest in the British Restoration, this is my favorite film covering that time period (which I actually first saw in a Restoration Drama course at college). The film follows Ned Kynaston - Britain's most famous male actress - in the beginning of the Restoration period when his job was legislated out of existence and women were finally allowed to act professionally.

As mesmerizing as it is awkward, the film explores human sexuality and gender through the lens of a man who was raised to be an exaggerated portrayal of femininity. It's not just a man acting as a woman, but also a woman acting as that man acting as a woman, as a new generation of actresses take their acting cues from the celebrated Kynaston.

The climax forces both protagonists to confront their biological sexuality. Maria must transform into the utterly feminine Desdemona while Kynaston must convincingly become the hyper-masculine Othello. Their climactic performance brings out all of Kynaston's rage and hatred toward Maria (and what she had done to him) that he was never able to express as an actress, culminating in a murder scene that is far too convincing for its own good.

Fun fact: after male actresses were barred from public exhibition, Kynaston did actually have a celebrated career as an actor, although not quite as the specimen of masculinity that he becomes at the end of the film. He was used as a contrast to the male leads: making them apear manlier by comparison to his lithe frame and feminine tendencies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8liXufWd420

[Arcanis]

http://images7.alphacoders.com/315/315949.jpg

77 - Howl's Moving Castle (2004)

Director: Hayao Miyazaki
MPAA Rating: PG
Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Romance
Length: 119 min
Edition: Theatrical

I'm sad to admit to this because it precludes further Miyazaki films from this list, but Howl's Moving Castle is easily my favorite film of his, beating out critical favorite Spirited Away and popular favorite Princess Mononoke by leaps and bounds. He is an immeasurably talented filmmaker who has never been in better form than he was while producing this exceptional tale of magic, romance and the horrors of war.

Howl's Moving Castle is an absolutely pristine film: gorgeously animated, tightly scripted, perfectly cast and brought to fruition by one of the most singularly visionary directors of the last three or four decades. 3-D animation was seamlessly threaded through the majority 2-D animation, making key scenes, set pieces and individual moments pop out against the flattened background. The bombing of the Londonian city in particular is one of the most strikingly horrific scenes of war that I have seen in any film.

This film also plays to my love of the epic: featuring a sweeping story of love, witchcraft and a war of nations. The aforementioned air raid is as visually striking as the fall of the Old South in Gone with the Wind, but doesn't suffer from its melodramatic faults, leaving only the thrill of Sophie's quest and Howl's salvation

[seanc]

Grear write up for Rope, I love that movie as well. Not my favorite Hitchcock but in my top five.

[Captain Spaulding]

Never heard of Stage Beauty and I haven't seen Howl's Moving Castle. I need to watch more of Miyazaki's films, but I'm afraid Guap will show up at my house if I do.

[Friendly Mushroom!]

Rope is one of Hitchcock's best movies. 5

Howl's fine 3.5

[Friendly Mushroom!]

Never heard of Stage Beauty and I haven't seen Howl's Moving Castle. I need to watch more of Miyazaki's films, but I'm afraid Guap will show up at my house if I do.

Can you please tell me which ones have you seen and how would you rank them?

[Captain Spaulding]

Can you please tell me which ones have you seen and how would you rank them?

Spirited Away 3.5
Ponyo 3
The Castle of Cagliostro 3

[Friendly Mushroom!]

1. Spirited Away 5
2. Princess Mononoke 5
3. Castle in the Sky 5
4. Porco Rosso 5
5. Kiki's Delivery Service 5
6. Grave of the Fireflies* 5
7. From up On Poppy Hill** 5
8. Whisper of the Heart** 5
9. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind 5
10. The Wind Rises 4.5
11. Ponyo 4
12. Howl's Moving Castle 3.5
14. The Cat Returns* 3.5
15. The Secret World of Arrietty** 3
16. My Neighbor Totoro 2.5

*Didn't direct nor wrote
**Wrote

[Thursday Next]

I think I'd almost forgotten about Stage Beauty, interesting film although not one of my favourites.

[Arcanis]

https://stuntandstayglorious.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/city2.jpg

76 - City of God (2002)

Director: Fernando Meirelles, Kátia Lund
MPAA Rating: R
Genre(s): Drama
Length: 130 min
Edition: Theatrical

City of God remains the most frenetically paced film that I have ever seen. From the very first scene, it charges forward with an insatiably electric energy, forcing you to either keep up with it or be left behind entirely.

This film is the perennial foil of The Godfather's calm, meditative subtly and methodically deliberate depiction of a romanticized mafia. It starkly and graphically depicts the rise of organized crime in Rio de Janeiro and how those living and growing up within that city are forced to cope with its increasingly omnipresence. City of God a tragic depiction of violence, crime and the interconnectivity of human lives told in a supremely un-American way.

[Arcanis]

http://www.rowthree.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/TheCelebration.jpg

75 - The Celebration (1998)

Director: Thomas Vinterberg
MPAA Rating: R
Genre(s): Drama
Length: 105 min
Edition: Theatrical

I had absolutely no idea what I was in for when my film professor screened The Celebration for our class. I had never seen a Dogme 95 film and the class period in which we would discuss the movement actually followed the screening. Although I was vaguely aware of the director's name, I had never seen any of his films (nor even had all that clear of an understanding of where he was coming from as a director). So the shock value of the film - both aesthetically and narratively - hit me with its full weight, instantly enamoring me with this dark, horrifically spellbinding and intensely surreal film.

The Celebration takes place on a family patriarch's 60th birthday party shortly after his daughter's suicide. During a formal dinner in front of the man's family, friends and esteemed business partners, his son gives a toast in his honor, where he graphically explains how his father would rape him and his now-dead sister. After being removed, the celebration continues as planned like a Kafkan dinner party, only to gradually unravel as further details emerge that corroborate the son's story.

Sadly, due to the starkly non-mainstream nature of the Dogme 95 movement, tracking down similar films has been an absolute chore, although I have recently found success through iTunes. So future installments to this list may very well include The King Is Alive and Italian for Beginners, both of which are among my most highly anticipated films to see.

[honeykid]

City Of God is one of the film I might've included on my own 100 had I see it enough times.

[Arcanis]

http://www.universalexports.net/Movies/Graphics/23-images/james-bond-england-skyfall.jpg

74 - Skyfall (2012)

Director: Sam Mendes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Thriller
Length: 143 min
Edition: Theatrical

For as quintessentially Bond as it might at first appear, Skyfall is a singularly a-typical entry into the 50+ year old film franchise. Where other entries (particularly in the pre-Casino Royale era) were glib, almost to the point of being slight, Skyfall is a dark, brooding and intensely personal film - miring itself in the weight of its protagonists' actions (both good and ill) and forcing them to come to terms with them. If previous Bond films were a shot in the dark from fifty feet out, Skyfall is a brutal knife fight: savagely protracted and bound to leave a scar.

Javier Bardem is without a doubt my favorite Bond villain. While previous antagonists in the series have all been very well-to-do rich men that largely left the legwork of their schemes to muscle-headed grunts, Bardem's Raoul Silva is a former Double 0 himself - the dark promise of what Bond might someday become. More than simply tactical, his plans are strategic: anticipating the agency's reactions to his acts of terrorism and incorporating that into his overall gameplan. He's not after money - the go-to motive for Bond villains - but vengenace that, paired with a near-Oedipal fascination with M, makes his actions infinitely more unpredictable and dangerous.

What's more is that the film was confident enough in its own narrative to know what needed to be included from Bond's 23 films worth of iconography and what did not. We didn't need to see him ordering his martini ("shaken, not stirred"), just that he would drink one. He didn't need a utility belt full of increasingly niche gadgets, just a gun and a radio. We didn't need to see boats and planes and helicopters, just one cool car. It stripped Bond down to the core and returned him with only the bare essentials, which in turn allowed us to focus on the character and the story, rather than the window dressings.

Despite much being said of Bond's resurrection from the shambling, drunken shell of a man that his work in British Intelligence drove him to becoming, Skyfall is not his story: it's M's. It is an apropos conclusion to the character's seventeen year stretch in the franchise: casting her in a very different, and decidedly darker, light than as the stick-in-the-mud matron cast opposite of Bond's playboy antics. It gives her character real depth for the first time in seven films, making her not just endearing, but complex (much like Craig's own take on the character of Bond).

[Arcanis]

City Of God is one of the film I might've included on my own 100 had I see it enough times.

I've only seen it twice myself (once in class, once to emphasize exactly why Chicago losing out to Rio for the Olympics was such a travesty), but it is still one of the most memorable and uniquely exciting films that I have ever seen. And, for virtue of being listed as a favorite, it's bound to face further scrutiny and viewings in years to come.

[Arcanis]

http://www.killerfilm.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/q2.jpg

73 - Quarantine (2008)

Director: John Ericke Dowdle
MPAA Rating: R
Genre(s): Horror, Science Fiction
Length: 89 min
Edition: Theatrical

Here's another film that I don't think ever got its proper due. Despite earning a 58% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 53 on Metacritic, I will unhesitantly say that it is A) vastly superior to [REC], B) the best found footage horror film ever made and C) easily one of the best horror films of the 21st century (http://brianjhadsell.blogspot.com/2014/10/unreality-companion-modern-horror.html).

The principle issue that I take with found footage films is the inherent unreality of their central premise. Most of the scenarios in which they are used offer no explanation for why the filming character continues to roll the camera when things start to get especially dangerous. Doing so continues to put his or her life in even greater peril, and yet they obstinately continue filming (for nobody's benefit other than out own).

Quarantine, however, never makes me question my suspension of disbelief in that regard. Our protagonists are part of a news team doing a character piece on the day in the life of a group of firemen, so they will naturally keep filming when things start getting a little dicey. But when they reach that point where it would make sense to abandon their camera altogether, they lights cut out and the camera itself is their only means of seeing the world around them. It's a small detail, sure, but it's absolutely critical to address within its sub genre.

The film is incredibly well paced, neither lingering too long on the build-up at the fire house nor rushing in too hellbent when they reach the apartment complex. The scares are born more out of the claustrophobic space of the apartment (and the lack of control felt by the audience due to being found footage) rather than because of "zombies" jumping out at the camera and screaming. I even found the plot, and the little tidbits of backstory sprinkled about in the back and foregrounds interesting, and that's never the case with this type of horror film.

[Arcanis]

http://www.twoshotstothehead.com/core/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/rRwRQ1fvb1xdVCyfksf7hStkR6b.jpg

72 - On the Waterfront (1954)

Director: Elia Kazan
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Genre(s): Drama
Length: 108 min
Edition: Theatrical

In the early 2000s, when I first started getting into movies as more than just an entertaining enough way to spend a slow evening, On the Waterfront became one of my absolute favorites (comfortably nested within my then-top 10). Clearly the years haven't been especially kind to this old favorite of mine, but it still holds its own against newer fare on the strength of presenting its impeccably timeless story with confidence and insistant talent.

While neither his most explosive (A Streetcar Named Desire) or his most subtle (Th Godfather), this is never-the-ess my favorite Marlon Brando performance: striking the right balance between the two extremes and throwing in a little willful, youthful ignornace into the mix. Terry is an innately good kid caught up in organized corruption, who wants to do the right thing as much as he wants to do the profitable one.

There seems to me to be two kinds of reactions that people have when confronted with a piece of art being based on (or mired in) real life events: those who judge it more harshly (believing that the realities of its inspiration are intrinsically tied to the production itself) and those who grow fascinated by the connections (regardless of whether or not they approve of its origins). This is why my sister grew disinterested in "The Shankill Butchers" when she discovered that it was based on an actual group of serial killers and I grew increasingly enamored with it. It's also why, despite hating country music as a general rule, "Not Ready to Make Nice" easily ranks among my favorite songs.

Kazan took a lot of flack for ratting out his colleagues during McCarthy's witchhunts, which is more than understandable. On the Waterfront is a direct response to the backlash that he received, demonstrating why informing on so-called malfeasance is not only justified, but the morally right thing to do. Now, I certainly don't agree with the politics of the film, but the message, and its brazen deliverence in the film, only makes me respect it all the more; taking a stance on an issue, rather than trying to sit back inoffensively, is something that I have always admired.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBiewQrpBBA

[Miss Vicky]

I've not seen any of these. :laugh:

[Captain Spaulding]

City of God is an excellent film in every facet. I don't know anybody who doesn't like it.

Never heard of The Celebration. It sounds interesting, but I have no idea if I'd like it or not. Films that probe dark subject matter typically interest me, but the setting and the upper-class characters put me off a little bit.

I loved Skyfall. It is the best Bond movie I've seen, and your write-up echoes many of my own thoughts/feelings on it.

Quarantine is the most surprising entry on your list so far. I thought it was okay, but nothing special. I haven't seen [REC], so I can't compare the two, but I'm shocked that you think Quarantine is the best found-footage horror movie ever made.

On the Waterfront isn't my favorite movie starring Marlon Brando, but I do think it's his best performance. I've never read up on Kazan's personal life and his role in blacklisting because I prefer to keep the artist separate from the art. I'm a big fan of Kazan's films, and I think he is enormously underrated nowadays, probably because his legacy is stained. I don't know how much On the Waterfront mirrors Kazan's own actions or politics, nor do I care, because On the Waterfront is an all-time great film with or without any associated baggage.

[Arcanis]

Never heard of The Celebration. It sounds interesting, but I have no idea if I'd like it or not. Films that probe dark subject matter typically interest me, but the setting and the upper-class characters put me off a little bit.

Why's that?

Quarantine is the most surprising entry on your list so far. I thought it was okay, but nothing special. I haven't seen [REC], so I can't compare the two, but I'm shocked that you think Quarantine is the best found-footage horror movie ever made.

What found footage films do you consider to be better? The Last Exorcism and Grave Encounters are, in my opinion, then next best entries into this sub genre, and those clock in as my #229 and # 252 overall. All of the usual suspects (The Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield, V/H/S) come in considerably lower due to any number of issues that I took with the film as it was released.

[fuze931]

Great list so far! I really need to see City of God.

[Citizen Rules]

I've never read up on Kazan's personal life and his role in blacklisting because I prefer to keep the artist separate from the art.Amen to that.


I'm a big fan of Kazan's films, and I think he is enormously underrated nowadays, probably because his legacy is stained. Elia Kazan is one of my favorite all time directors. All of his movies that I've seen have been exceptional stories, masterfully told.


...the setting and the upper-class characters put me off a little bit. Me too, and it seems so many films and even TV has to dwell on the life styles of the rich. I can't relate and don't usually care about their lives.

[Arcanis]

http://blogs.artinfo.com/moviejournal/files/2013/09/wickerman.jpg

71 - The Wicker Man (1973)

Director: Rob Hardy
MPAA Rating: R
Genre(s): Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Length: 88 min
Edition: Theatrical

On the whole, horror is easily my favorite genre. I am absolutely fascinated with the dark promise of humanity: the seedy, destructive, horrific nature that we try to abate with desperate offerings of civility. Sometimes that inner nature is manifested physically (as in Cat People) and other times psychologically (as in Psycho), but it's always there, lurking just behind the eyes, waiting with inhuman patience for release.

Despite visibly ranking among the best films of the genre, The Wicker Man is such a aesthetic outlier that it's surprising that more people don't confuse it for a straight-up mystery. Shot almost exclusively during the day, on a cheerful little island off the coast of Britain, it's a far cry from the dark alleyways and low key lighting that typifies the genre. And the ending, although ghastly, is strikingly similar to the conclusion of How the Grinch Stole Christmas: all of the happy little villagers joining hands in a circle and singing festive songs on the evening of a long-awaited holiday. The fact that they're surrounding an innocent man's pyre, bearing cheeful witness as he burns alive, screaming his agony against their unassuming carols, makes no difference to them.

The Wicker Man is, at its core, about a culture war: Pagans pitting themselves against Christians in a savage struggle to preserve their ancestral customs and traditions. The crux of the film is that they succeed - luring, outwitting, trapping and murdering the opposing side's champion. It doesn't seek to shock us through gore, but through juxtaposition: that the protagonist's horrific execution could be met not with the solemnty that it deserves, but with jubilant celebration, as a mere portion of a larger ceremony.

[mark f]

The Celebration is awesome and easy to relate to for anyone who is the member of/knows anyone who is a member of a dysfunctional family. Isn't that everybody?

[honeykid]

I love The Wicker Man. It came so close to making my 100. I've not seen it in ages. :(

[hello101]

Oh yeah, The Wicker Man, my favorite traditional horror. Big rep+

It's on my top 100. :cool:

[cricket]

Absolutely love City of God and On the Waterfront, and I also really like The Wicker Man.

I've heard of The Celebration but wasn't really interested, until now.

Skyfall was like pretty much every James Bond movie for me; I liked it, but not as much as I had hoped.

I thought Quarantine was pretty good.

[christine]

I love The Wicker Man and City of God.

[Arcanis]

http://doubleexposurejournal.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/vlcsnap-2013-01-13-16h10m35s128.png

70 - Wild Strawberries (1957)

Director: Igmar Bergman
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Genre(s): Drama
Length: 91 min
Edition: Theatrical

Of the three Bergman films that I've seen, Wild Strawberries is both by far his most accessible and my absolute favorite. Its surreal dream sequences, and the way in which he blend reality with memory, make this a visual and intellectual marvel. The film stuck with me long after seeing it and has only improved with retrospection and repeated viewings (I'm fortunate enough to have the Criterion edition).

The fact that it's only my second favorite film from 1957 is really saying something, because this film is technically flawless. It's easily one of the most cognitively engaging films that I've ever seen and, paired with my aforementioned love of Persona, really makes me want to delve deeper into Bergman's filmography. Wild Strawberries is proof that difficult films can't also be engaging and that intellectual ones can't also be emotionally charged.

[rauldc14]

A Beautiful Mind, Schindlers List, and On the Waterfront are all favorites of mine!

I'll get to Wild Strawberries eventually, but I haven't seen it yet.

[Arcanis]

http://intuition-online.co.uk/imgs/a%20clockwork%20orange.jpg

69 - A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Director: Stanley Kubrick
MPAA Rating: R
Genre(s): Drama, Science Fiction
Length: 136 min
Edition: Theatrical

A Clockwork Orange is simultaneously one of the most horrifying, repellent and utterly transfixing films that I have ever seen. Like Steven King's Dark Tower series, it doesn't worry about whether or not the audience will "get" the invented dialect that is simultaneously alien and familiar, but simply dives into the narrative with the singleminded intent of capturing the characters as they are, forcing the audience to keep up and acclamate themselves to what they're viewing.

This total immersion into the world of the film isn't just meant to keep fidelity with the source material, but to truly force the audience's perspective to align with the film's abhorrent protagonist: a murdering, raping, psychopathic youth who's not trying so much to find his place in the world as to bring the whole thing down around him. It presents him as an old man's nightmare - the decadent youth with no respect for peaceful society nor those who inhabit it - and yet is able to completely shift the audience's ingrained distate for him into actual sympathy has he is stripped of his ability to choose the course of his own life, has his love of music profaned into inconsolable pain and karmically put through the same Hell that he forced others through his entire life.

A Clockwork Orange is a twisted morality play that refuses to actually take sides in the debate which it relishes in. Yes, Alex was a monster, but was what society did in response any less monstrous? Was it justified by the needs of the many and the common wellfare, or was it completely undone by Alex's apparant lapse into his old mentality by the end? And was Alex's free will what was truly to blame, or was he simply a product of society, which then turned on him for becoming what they systematically turned him into?

[fuze931]

Have yet to see that, but not I have to.

[Arcanis]

Have yet to see that, but not I have to.

A Clockwork Orange? It's a definite must-see, in my opinion. Just don't do what a friend of mine did (not realizing quite how R-rated it actually is), and rent it for a family movie with your very Catholic parents and five younger sisters. The mother didn't get very far into the film before she turned it off.

[fuze931]

Is four younger sisters ok?

[Arcanis]

Of course.
;)

[Captain Spaulding]

Why's that?

Just one of those things. Nobody in my family ever had much money and I grew up in a rural area, so I find it difficult to relate to wealthy characters or sympathize with their conflicts. Some of that is bias, I guess, but I often find their nature very pretentious and off-putting. Give me Budweiser over Chardonnay, jeans over tuxedos, blue collar over upper class.

What found footage films do you consider to be better? The Last Exorcism and Grave Encounters are, in my opinion, then next best entries into this sub genre, and those clock in as my #229 and # 252 overall. All of the usual suspects (The Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield, V/H/S) come in considerably lower due to any number of issues that I took with the film as it was released.

Cannibal Holocaust is the best found-footage horror film I've seen, although I understand that's kind of a cheat since it isn't filmed entirely in that style. The Blair Witch Project is the next best. I know a lot of people on here really hate that film, but I personally find it very effective. I used to get lost in the woods plenty as a kid, so perhaps that’s why I find it so suspenseful and creepy. A stick cracking in the dark or an undefinable noise can be pants-sh!ttingly scary. Plus I love the film’s ambiguity. Are the woods really haunted or is it just a group of demented locals f*cking with the film makers? For better or worse, The Blair Witch Project is responsible for ushering in found-footage as we've come to know (and hate) it. I also think it’s very inspiring to see such a simplistic, low-budget film garner so much success.

As for the last three movies to make your list:

I was pretty disappointed with The Wicker Man. I kept waiting for Nicolas Cage to show up in a bear costume and it never happened!

I've only seen five Bergman films so far. I've been impressed with all of them, but Wild Strawberries is easily my favorite. I agree with you that it is his most accessible, at least from the few I've seen. I think everyone should be able to relate to the film on some level.

I love Kubrick, but A Clockwork Orange is one of my least favorites from the master. I've only watched it once, however, and it was with a group of friends who kept talking during the film, so that probably took away a lot of my focus and hampered my enjoyment. Everything about the film makes me think I'd love it, and I meant to revisit it prior to the 70's Countdown, but I never did. I desperately owe it a re-watch.

Keep the films coming, Arcanis! It's been over a week since your last update.

[Optimus]

Just been catching up on your list. Some really interesting choices.

[Miss Vicky]

Not much to say for these last two. I really dislike Kubrick and A Clockwork Orange especially.
I haven't seen Wild Strawberries, but I've enjoyed the four Bergman films I've seen (to varying degrees) so I'll probably watch it at some point.