Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
 

Watch this space.

The last line of the film comes on the heels of a solid 90 minutes of carnage playing out on the streets of Hong Kong as the police go to war with one particularly tenacious Triad. The generic title betrays just how much of a relentless parade of cop-movie clichés the plot itself provides with its story involving a particularly uncooperative witness (Brigitte Lin) and the obnoxious detective (Jackie Chan) who is charged with protecting her. However, this is but a pretense on which the film can hang all manner of setpieces and silliness, especially when it comes to seeing Chan's arrogant buffoon of a protagonist constantly get himself into hot water (especially with Maggie Cheung as his long-suffering girlfriend, whose shabby treatment is the only real strike against the film). I already listed Shanghai Noon on a previous Top 100, and while that did show what Chan could do in the context of a high-concept parody of the Western genre, his Hollywood output still demonstrated only a fraction of the talent that he was showing off during his Hong Kong peak. While you can certainly debate whether or not this is his true masterpiece (his Drunken Master and Project A films are certainly worthy contenders), this is my current pick for the best of what the clown prince of Chinese cinema could pull off as he starts the film by hanging off a speeding bus with an umbrella and finishes by breaking an entire shopping mall's worth of glass panes.

2005 ranking: N/A
2013 ranking: N/A

The mall fight is in the shortlist for my favourite action sequence.


I'll be reading.

When a Shaw Brothers film begins with that Warner-aping shield logo over that colourfully-backlit frosted glass while triumphant fanfare blares on the soundtrack, it's usually a sign that you're in for one of the more enjoyable pieces of work to come out of Hong Kong during the studio's heyday. This is especially true of one of the jewels in the studio's crown, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin. Much like the previous film on this countdown, the plot isn't of much consequence - a young student (Gordon Liu) becomes a Shaolin monk in an attempt to fight back against the Manchurian overlords who have oppressed his hometown - as it instead focuses on the many trials required to master the secret Shaolin art of kung fu. I'm not sure how often you get films where watching the protagonist develop their skills ultimately proves more exciting than actually seeing them deploy said skills against their sworn enemies. Such a thing is to be treasured, especially when it's the bullet-headed Liu enduring physical trials that are humourous without undercutting the overall seriousness of his mission or the remarkable and painstaking physical prowess required to accomplish them. That's before he even gets around to having any classically hyper-stylised fights with exaggerated sound effects (every movement makes a whoosh or clang or thwack) and a camera that moves in such perfectly-choreographed tandem with fighters' heavily-staged but nevertheless fascinating moves.

2005 ranking: N/A
2013 ranking: #97

For me, it's just this and Batman Begins.

The plot of an individual who exists as a disdainful third party in the midst of a feud between two warring factions is such a classic plot that I've included it on previous countdowns through separate films - A Fistful of Dollars in 2005, Miller's Crossing in 2013 - and it makes enough sense to grant that courtesy to a third film, so why not the big one? Though the mercenary mentality of the eponymous wanderer prevents this from attaining quite the same richness and depth as many of Kurosawa's other classics, there's something to be said for him delivering so well on such a reliable setup. That reliability is matched by the legendary Toshiro Mifune making quite the meal of his role as the mysterious Sanjuro, once against showcasing his trademark intensity as he muses on how to turn this small-town turf war to his advantage or barks at anyone who tries to give him guff. A sturdy cast of supporting characters are there to either cynically observe or wantonly participate in the feud (Tatsuya Nakadai is an obvious plus as a revolver-wielding villain, but it's Eijiro Tono who perpetually steals scenes as the grouchy innkeeper) - however, it's Kurosawa himself who's able to stage one of his most action-oriented films in a way that seems just as built around inaction and guile, adding quite the edge to the moments where our roaming anti-hero takes his blades to those who are foolish enough to cross him.

2005 ranking: N/A
2013 ranking: N/A

Re: Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
 

Yojimbo is great.

I'll admit it, this film was a bad influence. A few too many of the Star Trek franchise's subsequent cinematic entries fell into the trap of giving their respective crews an antagonist who sought only vengeance against our spacefaring heroes (or, failing even that level of definition, a similar urge towards senseless carnage). And to what end? There's no way any of those attempts could have truly hoped to match Wrath of Khan, a Hail Mary intended to follow up the grandiose but inert The Motion Picture that actually served as a solid reckoning for the notably-aged crew - the cocky Kirk (William Shatner) is made to face the consequences of long-forgotten adventures as the psychotic superhuman Khan (Richard Montalban) re-emerges to engage him in a battle of wills that puts loved ones old and new at risk, to say nothing of the galaxy itself. Even with its more action-oriented plot, it is still able to conjure so much of what is enjoyable about Trek - fantastic ensemble cast sparring with each other, heady sci-fi concepts given colourful (if imperfect) visual renditions, and a true sense of the grandeur of outer space even though it does ultimately come down to the people with whom they (or is that we?) share it. That it manages to earn what could have been such a trite and terrible ending is reason enough to list it here.

2005 ranking: N/A
2013 ranking: N/A

Re: Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
 

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin is great, and is probably the one I'd pick if I had to introduce somebody to Shaw Brothers or the kung fu genre as a whole, although there are others I prefer slightly. If you ever have the opportunity to see it in a theatre, I would strongly recommend doing so (assuming you feel safe/comfortable). I used to be fairly indifferent between seeing a movie at home versus seeing it in a theatre, but experiencing a Shaw Brothers retrospective with a properly enthused crowd is something you can't replicate at home.


I rewatched Yojimbo last year when I was doing the Criterion Challenge on Letterboxd (which was supposed to be focused on new viewings, but I was feeling lazy and also wanted an excuse to watch the pile of Criterions I'd acquired over the years). As you argue, it's a a great entertainment (love the way Kurosawa will have the action ricochet across the edges of the frame as the hero dispatches any number of baddies). But this time around I tuned in more to the way Kurosawa critiques the way society conflates institutions and authority with morality, when the former is shown to be corrupt and worthy of derision while the latter is demonstrated by the supposedly disreputable hero acting against his own self interest. It's a "lighter" movie than some of Kurosawa's other masterpieces, but there's more depth than I'd initially given it credit for.


I owe Wrath of Khan a rewatch at some point. I only saw it in high school and preferred a few of the other TOS movies at the time. Mainly my reference point for it is how badly Star Trek Into Darkness handled similar material (and I say this being a fan of the 2009 movie).

Re: Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
 

I actually did get to attend a Hong Kong action retrospective many years ago - I can't exactly recall if I did manage to see The 36th Chamber of Shaolin on that run, but I imagine if I was going to the trouble of seeing comparative obscurities like The Prodigal Son or Full Contact then I surely must've made time for 36th Chamber (then again, you think I'd remember - too bad I didn't have Letterboxd or anything back then to keep track).

There's a maxim I've seen attributed to Truffaut about how a director keeps making the same film over and over, presumably intended less as a disdainful accusation of repetition than observing an artist making variations on a theme. This kind of auteurist outlook definitely works well when it comes to Michael Mann, who's built a career on depicting various professionals and their struggles to balance the demands of their frequently dangerous occupations with their willingness to self-actualise as human beings - whether the answer is balance or entropy or synthesis, you're never quite getting the same result. The Mann urtext that boils this thesis down to its core components is his theatrical debut Thief and its tale of Frank (James Caan), a no-nonsense safe-cracker who eventually elects to take down one final score that'll set him up for the life he's been dreaming of. A well-worn set-up, of course, but Mann infuses the proceedings with a sense of tactical precision befitting its criminal protagonist and colours in the background with icy neo-noir textures (wet streets reflecting harsh teal streetlights, nighthawk locations where both jargon-filled shop talk and blunt romance can unfold, a suitably paranoid Tangerine Dream score that was somehow nominated for a Razzie). Mann would obviously go on to refine his cinematic approach in the years to come, but there's no denying the strength of the sharp and steely calling card he dropped here.

2005 ranking: N/A
2013 ranking: N/A

You mean like... Undiscovered Country, maybe?

With the caveat that I haven't sen any of these in years and will make no attempt to explain the rankings:


VI
IV
III
II
I
V

Re: Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
 

My ranking would be something like II > VI > IV > III > V > I

.... this guy with another list.






I'm going to actually try and watch every movie on this list

Re: Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
 

Everyone needs a list these days.

It seems almost appropriate that this film ascended the ranks in previous countdowns only to drop down hard as the years wore on, reflecting the film's own focus on ageing bandits whose best days are behind them. That it still makes the list means there's still something to distinguish it, much of it to do with it being one of the key turning points in a genre's history (I think of it having a similar effect on the Western that Psycho had on horror or 2001 had on science fiction). The sea change it heralds is reflected not only in the creased faces of its haggard cast but also in how Peckinpah pushed the boundaries for what violence could be accepted in mainstream Hollywood cinema, which makes sense given how hard it wants to deconstruct the romanticised image of outlaw cowboys by showing what havoc they and nominally lawful people can wreak upon one another for even the most seemingly noble of causes (though it does ultimately gesture towards reconstruction as it nears its notoriously bloody conclusion). While it seems all but likely that it won't make a hypothetical fourth countdown, at least it'll make like its grizzled anti-heroes and go down fighting.

2005 ranking: #65
2013 ranking: #38

Re: Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
 

I should prioritize Thief. I have never cared for The Wild Bunch though.

Re: Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
 

The Wild Bunch is among my favorites too.

In making a film based on his experiences as a teenager in 1970s Texas, Linklater didn't set out to make an overly nostalgic vehicle - that a sizeable chunk of the film's runtime is spent on seniors hazing freshmen definitely takes the screws to that idea, to say nothing of the various ways in which it wrings comedy out of the more questionable aspects of the film's milieu (I especially like the liquor store clerk blithely giving parenting advice to a pregnant customer before selling beer to the 14-year-old protagonist - contrast that against a modern imitator like Superbad making its entire plot about a desperate all-night-long odyssey simply to acquire any alcohol). Despite all the ways in which Linklater paints a decidedly unflattering portrayal of his younger years, even he can't avoid giving in to the party vibes he's depicting with a rocking soundtrack and an aimless filmmaking approach as indebted to Altman as American Graffiti that perfectly captures the sensation of wandering from group to group at a party with little in the way of external plot or action driving the various intertwining narratives. Underneath it all, he grounds his vast array of high school stereotypes with just enough depth (or the right lack of it) to make its tale of busting loose for one night (or possibly more) really sing.

2005 ranking: N/A
2013 ranking: #40

While I still need to watch The Insider, this is currently my favorite Michael Mann movie, due to how confident his tone/aesthetic was, even that early in his career, and the way it comes off as the Goldilocks "just right" of his filmography; something like Collateral is a tight, taught Thriller, but not quite ambitious enough to be a great movie, while Heat reaches for greatness, but bloats itself with a few too many unnecessary characters/sub-plots, while Thief comes off as the perfect middle ground in terms of ambition, if you ask me.

Re: Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
 

I'm definitely considering doing a full Mann watch at some point this year since I've only seen most of his movies once (or, in the case of his made-for-TV movies, not at all) - as of writing, only this, Heat and Miami Vice are the current standouts in my estimation simply by virtue of being the only ones I've watched in the past few years so I'm hoping that revisiting the others might shake things up a bit.

I briefly contemplated making this a one-film-per-director list not just to guarantee a wider variety of films but also because a significant cross-section of my choices were going to essentially serve as catch-all representations for directors that I generally like but don't have too many specific favourites if that makes any sense. Tokyo Story is admittedly the boring choice for a favourite Ozu (especially since it was the first Ozu I ever saw as well precisely because of its high placement within the all-timer canon) and not exactly representative as its plot about a pair of holidaying seniors inadvertently causing trouble for their already-busy children (and eventually for themselves) is quite different from the handful of other films of his that I've seen (though Setsuko Hara as an unmarried woman is as much of a constant as the perpetually-grounded camera and deep-focus interiors). The genteel and extremely mannered approach both in terms of technique and drama may be intended as a negation of style, but absence of style is still a style - there's a line in Enter the Dragon where Bruce Lee says that the highest technique in martial arts is to have no technique and Tokyo Story is definitely proof of how such precise avoidance of convention can ultimately point the way to transcendence.

2005 ranking: N/A
2013 ranking: N/A

My first countdown featured one silent film, Un Chien Andalou. My second countdown had no silent films on it whatsoever. Now I circle back around and put this on, not merely out of a sense of tokenistic obligation like the one-film-per-director idea I floated earlier but because, well, it's undeniable. In crafting a dramatisation based on records taken from the religious rebel's trial, Dreyer paints a stark portrayal of the proceedings as Joan (Renée Falconetti) endures the disdain and accusations of the assorted clergy with a thousand-yard stare while pleading her case as an apparent messenger of God. Appreciable for its innovative technical aplomb (especially when it comes to close-ups) and its dense approach to matters of faith and how they affect (or are affected by) individuals and institutions alike, The Passion of Joan of Arc might end up being the only silent film on this countdown but even so it's certainly one of the best to represent the form.

2005 ranking: N/A
2013 ranking: N/A

I'm surprised it took as long for me to find out about Kobayashi as it did - on the basis of this and the other films of this that I've seen, it definitely feels like I should've heard of him around the same time I first started to hear about Kurosawa. That might be because, where Kurosawa's exercises in samurai fiction still tended towards epic tales of adventure and swordplay whose appeal could easily translate to Western audiences, something like Harakiri is much more precise and melancholy in how it mines Japanese history and customs for such enervating levels of pathos that even its occasional foray into conventional and well-motivated swordplay doesn't evoke much in the way of catharsis. The legendary Tatsuya Nakadai excels as the haggard ronin who makes a principled stand against a local samurai clan, questioning the honour they display by enforcing the eponymous suicide ritual that other clans do not. Such an interrogation of traditional Japanese systems and attitudes that have persisted beyond the age of the samurai is able to supplement an already-intriguing mystery, resulting in a classic that I hope future generations don't have to wait as long to hear about as I did.

2005 ranking: N/A
2013 ranking: N/A

Re: Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
 

Harakiri is pretty great.

Ostensibly a horror movie about a schoolgirl who invites her friends to take a holiday at the home of her elderly aunt only for the group to discover that the aunt is a witch and the house is haunted, what really distinguishes House is the sheer level of energy that goes into creating its own variation on such familiar horror tropes. Images within images, animated interludes, characters' comical under- or over-reactions to whatever paranormal (or even just normal) insanity is unfolding before their eyes...all of which is shot through at such a relentless pace even for a horror that barely grazes the 90-minute mark. It would be one thing if this manic and irreverent approach was all that House had going for it, but all this face-melting absurdity remains grounded in inter-generational conflict - protagonist "Gorgeous" (Kimiko Ikegami) instigates the trip in order to rebel against her father and new stepmother - and historical trauma - Gorgeous' aunt (Yoko Minamada) has motives that extend back to the emotional fallout of World War II. Such concerns and themes were still showing up in Obayashi's work as late as hsi 2019 swansong Labyrinth of Cinema, but their presence in his most iconic film is very much appreciated simply for lending it more substance than its seemingly wacky surface would suggest.

2005 ranking: N/A
2013 ranking: N/A

I got my friends to watch Hausu.... they did not know what to make of it.

That was pretty much my experience the one time I watched it, though I think it still got my vote for the 70s list.

For the rest of this list, I've only seen Dazed and Confused, The Passion of Joan of Arc, and Harakiri. I really enjoyed Harakiri but didn't care for the other two.

House rules


Kung Fu MVP

Re: Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
 

Hausu is great, though it's never been a favorite.

Re: Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
 

Hausu is a favorite of mine. Probably would make a top 200 for me.

Re: Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
 

Oh, also Tokyo Story is among the greatest ever for me. Like top 30.

I remain utterly fascinated by the fact that this was originally supposed to be made in live-action - I'm sure it would've been fine, but so much of what makes Perfect Blue sing comes down to what Kon and co. were able to do through simple but effective animation. Pop idol Mima (Junko Iwao) decides to transition from singing to acting, but between the demanding nature of the work and the blank-eyed stalker that starts following (and threatening) her, she begins to lose her grip on reality; this is an admittedly standard scenario (as reflected in the plot of the hoary detective show where Mima is the newest guest star) but it is definitely improved by the elasticity of the medium. It would be one thing if Kon simply used the freedom of animation to conjure up a variety of images to depict Mima's fraying mental state - joyful dance numbers meet discomforting sexuality meet grisly murders in rapid succession and begin to bleed together as the film progresses. What he does even better is show a keen understanding of the importance of editing as he strings such a chaotic stream of events together without a viewer ever getting too lost in what is real or imagined but still maintaining enough ambiguity about the proceedings while also communicating the headspace not only of Mima, but also those of the characters around her (be they colleagues or fans, all of which reflect different levels of engagement with - and entitlement to - Mima as a public persona). I'm certainly able to pick apart similarities to other live-action films that have come out before and since, but few of them manage to pull everything together into such a powerful and indelible package as Perfect Blue.

2005 ranking: N/A
2013 ranking: N/A

Re: Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
 

Still thinking about that one months later after seeing it for the first time. Sort of like the other Satoshi Kon I watched last year.

Still need to see that. I dug Paprika a lot when I watched out a few years ago but was left completely cold by Millennium Actress.

Re: Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
 

Perfect Blue is terrific.

Re: Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
 

I only recently watched Millennium Actress and, while it's still got that indelible Kon touch, it didn't hit me the way that his other features (and Paranoia Agent) did. Paprika runs a close second as it takes the reality-bending to a much grander and more surreal level, though I also appreciate the more mundane material in Tokyo Godfathers. Might have to rewatch them all to be completely sure, but in any case Perfect Blue is undeniable.

Re: Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
 

Perfect Blue is great, though I prefer Tokyo Godfathers and Paprika.

I sometimes wonder if I will ever well and truly tire of Star Wars. Certainly, the Disney-led revival during the past decade has largely felt like an exercise in diluting George Lucas's idiosyncratic genre hybrid into something even more aggressively commercialised than it already was (which is saying something), but should I let that tarnish the stellar reputations of the classic originals? The answer is...okay, maybe a little. This is ultimately a franchise about learning to embrace change (at least it was meant to be once) and Empire gets the nod for building upon the imaginative world and mythology that was established but largely hinted at during its groundbreaking predecessor, digging deeper into the galactic conflict between Empire and Rebels while also delving into the ways of the mysterious Jedi order and what it means for young novice Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). It may still be the middle part of a trilogy that is wholly reliant on the original to make any sense whatsoever, but it still remains as strong a representation of what makes the series even remotely worthwhile as ever.

2005 ranking: #55
2013 ranking: #83

I probably don't need to step up to defend this beloved classic (especially as you included it in your list), but I do think it contains a lot of narrative meat within itself. It isn't just telling you to hold out for cool stuff in a subsequent entry (like a certain modern franchise tends to do).

Re: Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
 

Maybe, I just meant in the sense of it hypothetically being the first Star Wars film you ever saw.

Re: Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
 

If you've seen one, you've seen em all, am I righ, am I righ?

It's almost the fate of every great satire to be at least somewhat misunderstood - at least, that's how it feels to rewatch Dawn of the Dead in the 21st century and see how the consumerism allegory that gives the film its edge has been diluted by the emergence of a mindset that would see the prospect of living out the end times in a shopping mall as an indulgent upside rather than a gilded cage for the living and undead alike. Even that isn't enough to rob Dawn itself of its own power, a sprawling zombie epic about four survivors' efforts to stay alive ultimately leading them to hide out in an abandoned mall. It's a curiously shambolic and slow-burning beast (its first major casualty occurs around the same time that most other zombie movies reach their end credits) but it earns that time thanks to its charismatic leads who sell a story that is engaging both in how it depicts the granular details of securing the mall and the emotional devastation of the world continuing to crumble under the weight of the living dead even within the confines of the mall. The satirical element may not be subtle ("this used to be an important place in their lives") but considering how much Internet ink I've seen spilled over how many people's "zombie plans" would involve heading straight to the mall, I'm not sure it needs to be.

2005 ranking: N/A
2013 ranking: #89

Gaylen Ross was one of my biggest crushes as a teenager thanks to that movie.

Either Dawn of the Dead or 28 Days Later is my favorite zombie film. Both are excellent.

I need to rewatch both. I watched DotD about 12 or 13 years ago and 28 Days was at the theatres when it was first released. I barely remember anything about 28 days, since it’s been so long, that I’m not even going to count it was watched atm.

Funnily enough, during an opening scene in Dawn of the Dead where Wooley blows a tenant's head off with a shotgun (not to be confused with @Wooley, of course; I'm sure he's much nicer :D), you'll see that the man is actually a mannequin if you pause the film.

There was quite a bit to like about Terry Gilliam once, the guy who transitioned from making silly little animated interludes for Monty Python to being the director of his own large-scale adventures into the surreal. Though I think he ultimately faltered due to his reach exceeding his grasp (especially in his later years), but he still produced one masterpiece with his pseudo-Orwellian dystopia Brazil. That it hinges on a stuffy bureaucrat (Jonathan Pryce) breaking out of his buttoned-down routine in order to romantically pursue a trucker (Kim Greist) who resembles the angelic woman he keeps fantasising about is ultimately besides the point (and the film itself practically treats it as such) - this is just a means of motivating him to move through a world that looks like hell on Earth even before his dreams and nightmares start to bleed into reality, allowing Gilliam and co. to show off all manner of weird reflections of the real world through art direction that packs every frame with bizarre details as its government-focused satire fills the foreground. Some parts definitely seem questionable (a major plot point involves Robert De Niro and Bob Hoskins as feuding repairmen, the former deemed a terrorist simply for skipping paperwork and the latter a gleefully vindictive union member who would much rather break everything) and that's a big part of why it's dropped down in recent years (and may continue to drop), but Gilliam's commitment to building such an elaborate waking nightmare of a universe is still enough to warrant a modicum of respect.

2005 ranking: #43
2013 ranking: #19

I remember reading once that every relationship between two people is ultimately controlled by whichever person cares less about the other - such a perspective is amply reflected across Fassbinder's extensive filmography in a variety of forms, but for now I'll settle for picking this claustrophobic chamber drama set entirely within the lavish studio apartment owned by the eponymous fashion designer (Margit Carstensen). Petra is a vainglorious woman who is alternately dismissive of and dependent upon the other women with whom she shares the same space for a minute or two, whether it's assistant Marlene (Irm Hermann) silently hovering in the background for much of the film or newest attraction Karin (Hanna Schygulla) whose arrival in Petra's life proves to be a challenge to her own sense of dominance. Legendary cinematographer Michael Ballhaus manages to roam the luxurious but cramped room in which the film unfolds and uses such precise blocking in order to emphasise just how constrictive this melodramatic tale is on the women who suffer, perpetuate, or even try to resist its narrative. I still think there are a few other contenders for my favourite Fassbinder that may yet overtake this, but this sets a pretty high standard all the same.

2005 ranking: N/A
2013 ranking: N/A

Re: Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
 

I made my way thru Fassbinder's catalogue a few years back and enjoyed each one quite a bit including this one. Never did get around to Berlin Alexanderplatz which I've been told is really good also.

With this latest version of the countdown, I'm less inclined to include either comedies or childhood favourites - we all have to grow up sometime, and how much am I really getting out of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory these days? That being said, this means the ones that stay have to be truly exceptional and, while you could still question its inclusion here, I'm still throwing in for The Princess Bride. A simple throwback to the swashbuckling fare of yore with just enough of a meta twist thanks to the familial bickering of its framing story to make it different without overriding the genuine joys of the experience, it works as a swift and effective homage to every aspect - the flowery romance, the thrilling adventure, and especially the quick-witted comedy between a variety of well-observed characters. The pleasures offered by The Princess Bride don't exactly run too deep, but it still resonates in the way that stories passed from grandfathers to grandsons do.

2005 ranking: #26
2013 ranking: #24

So your friends don't know crap when they see it? Interesting. :D

It's an interesting read, Iro, and I'll continue to follow. I don't really need to comment on the films, do I? I'm sure you're more than aware (or at least would be able to guess) which I liked and which I didn't. :D

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If I like them all this much, then I'm sure you hate every single one.

Monty Python's sure taken a hit in my estimation over the years - I went from putting three of their films on the 2005 list to kicking this well out of the top ten this time around. Maybe it has reached a point where its status as a heavily-quoted entry into the geek canon has worn out its welcome (it is a hazard with those kinds of movies where one can hear the quotes so many times that it renders the act of actually sitting down to watch the movie redundant). There is still fun to be had in bearing witness to the legendary troupe's parody of Arthurian legend that encompasses everything from deconstructing royalty and nobility to poking fun at their own limited resources. This willingness to parody anything and everything occasionally hits its limits (the punchline of the "Tale of Sir Galahad" sequence being that it's so unfunny and drawn-out is a strong example of this), but moments such as Arthur (Graham Chapman) dueling the belligerent Black Knight (John Cleese) or attempting to cross the Bridge of Death still stand out as some of the best in the group's output and, by extension, great moments in cinematic comedy.

2005 ranking: #7
2013 ranking: #6

Re: Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
 

A pair of Top 10 finishes all the way down to #83

Re: Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
 

The Princess Bride is a lot of fun. Need to watch The Holy Grail soon. That I haven't watched it yet is a complete surprise to me.

Yeah, I revisited it a while back for the first time in years and just felt differently - like I said, hard to feel like actually watching it start to finish when it's been memed to death over the past few decades and it didn't inspire much in the way of actual laughter due to overexposure. Still amusing enough that I can't get rid of it entirely, though. Makes me think that, once I'm done here, I'll have to go back and count how many comedies cracked each of my lists.

Holy Grail grows on me with time. I didn't get the love for it originally, maybe I was too young? My dad loved it though.

Last time I put this on a list, I remarked that this was the kind of film I wish I could forget so I could experience it all again - not just the shocking twists and turns of its central murder mystery, but simply the flair with which it executed everything from the clever detecting methods and on-his-feet thinking of J.J. Gittes (Jack Nicholson) to the deftness with which it conducted all manner of cryptic conversations and all-important reveals (or even just how these characters move about, as is definitely the case with Faye Dunaway's Mrs. Mulwray playing a particularly wounded variation on the femme fatale). This is probably an irrational reason to rank it as low as I have this time around - it's not the film's fault that I can only go in fresh one time (and even had it spoiled beforehand) - but even so, I can't go past just how smoothly Robert Towne's watertight script flows like so much run-off from a drought-ridden California's water reserves. An effective exercise in adapting the already-dark sensibilities of film noir for the even more downbeat era of the 1970s, taking considerable advantage of the expansion of creative freedom to paint a seamier portrait of the 1930s and truly underline just what kind of monsters are vying for power and why (with John Huston's glowering tycoon making the most of limited screen-time to become one of cinema's best - possibly most underrated - villains).

2005 ranking: N/A
2013 ranking: #37

Yeah, I love Chinatown too; like, if I had to pick just one all-time favorite work of Neo-Noir, I honestly can't think of anything I'd put any higher than it.

C'mon. You know that ain't true. You've got three of my 100 already and I loved Dazed & Confused.

Probably bound to be one of the most controversial choices on this list, Event Horizon is arguably the finest work from vulgar auteur extraordinaire Paul W.S. Anderson. A film about an experimental spaceship that disappears during its maiden voyage only to reappear at the edges of known space years later, one can easily recognise its influences (it starts off like Solaris and finishes like Hellraiser) and look askance at its goofier, more dated aspects. That being said, Anderson is able to tie it all together into an atmospheric mid-budget horror full of disturbing visions, spacebound dangers, and some genuinely hellish visuals. The characters tend towards sci-fi/horror stereotypes, but they do tend to be bolstered by some solid performances (most obviously Sam Neill as the ship's troubled designer and Laurence Fishburne as the taciturn captain of the recon team). Knowing that there was once a much longer cut (now lost forever) with even more horrific material to show can't help but intrigue, but this proves a gory and unsettling exercise all the same.

2005 ranking: N/A
2013 ranking: N/A

I watched that once, and I don't remember caring for it, and this was when I was 15 (and would like just about anything), so I can't imagine it would hold up very well if I ever rewatched it...

Count me as a fan of Event Horizon.

I suppose I can see how this may get underrated both within Scorsese's output and on its own terms - in the context of a filmography filled with electrifying tales of crime and chaos, an extremely patient and lengthy period drama that addresses matters of faith using methods that are literally and figuratively torturous is not exactly going to win over everyone. However, I'd argue that this difference is what distinguishes it for the better as Scorsese explores a whole other filmmaking mode in telling the tale of two Portuguese priests (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver) traveling to Japan in search of their allegedly-apostatised colleague (Liam Neeson) and coming face-to-face with the very real danger posed by practicing Christianity in 17th-century Japan. Such a premise could settle into a simple narrative about the inherent immorality of religious persecution that positions Garfield and Driver as the film's unambiguous heroes, but what follows is instead a more complex interrogation of what faith means - a source of unwarranted personal pride? A weapon wielded by colonising forces no less brutal than the persecutors who resist? A belief that is tainted by misunderstanding and miscommunication on the part of both believer and skeptic? Even a filmmaker as thoroughly Catholic as Scorsese understands that there is nuance to the subject even (especially?) when one side is shown using lethal force against the other. The collection of calmly-depicted diatribes between Portuguese and Japanese not only shows Scorsese's own influence from Japanese cinema but speaks to the importance of the material above all else. Silence may not move like a Scorsese film usually moves, but deep down it still feels very much like his.

2005 ranking: N/A
2013 ranking: N/A

Re: Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
 

I enjoyed Silence more than I expected. Not sure if I'll ever return to it though.

I had no idea there was a longer cut of Event Horizon. That might have changed my perspective on the movie, had it been available. Hm. This is a movie that I'll revisit every five years or so because it has so much potential. It's great sci-fi horror in concept, the effects are mostly spot on (with the exception of water sloshing around in a plastic bottle within the abandoned, and frozen Event Horizon ship---I could be wrong on that frozen part, but that's the memory that stuck), it had weird nods to Hellraiser, which I was a long fan of by this release, and had a mostly great cast. Sam Neill was perfect in this role, IMO, showing a scientific restraint, all the while subtly slipping into madness as the story played out.

Perhaps it was Jack Noseworthy burnout from his Mtv's Dead at 21 run. Perhaps it was the awkward shift in tone during the final third. For sure it was a bottle of water.

Idunno.

I always find myself repeating most of these same comments whenever this title pops up here. It's like I've come out of a bad relationship but still can't find the strength to let go and just move on. I see so much potential, "if only..." Regrettably, whatever was missing for me was never there and never will be. I need to accept that and come to terms with it. I need to move on with my life. A rebound viewing of Ghosts of Mars should help. you know, something quick and easy but nothing that I'd introduce to mom. Then maybe I can try to enjoy other movies that I've been too reluctant to get involved with. Now might be the time to take another look at Under the Skin. Or to restart Stalker. I might even be open to experiencing Annihilation again! No. Wait. That's too much. I'm not sure I have it in me yet for that. Hm... Maybe I should just try to reach back out to Event Horizon. I admit that I might have misunderstood things. Or that maybe I expected too much. I can't put it all off on the movie. There were two of us, here, I mean. Surely, I am as responsible for the things not working out between us? I wonder if I could watch it tonight, maybe? I saw, recently, it's available for streaming. Maybe the things that used to bother me won't this time? Maybe I've changed with age? Maybe this movie has too? I think I owe it to myself to at least try again? Maybe this time will be different??

Oh. I didn't want to clutter my mostly serious reply, above, with this throw away comment but I'm liking a lot of posts here. 50/50 because I think the movies are great (though I'm somewhat surprised to see them so relatively low, making me curious what else is to come) and because I know Iro truly appreciates the thumbs-up notifications. Truly.

I got u, bro.

Say what you want about Event Horizon, but you can't deny that its explanation of wormholes is unparalleled:

https://www.movieforums.com/communit...1&d=1647964584

One of my favourite premises is that of "the most dangerous game", the extremely simple set-up wherein a person is deliberately forced into a scenario where they must survive against someone who is hunting them simply for sport. The eponymous government-mandated game in Battle Royale offers its own variation on this set-up by taking a whole class of middle-school students to a remote island and forcing them to kill each other in three days or else they all die by explosive collar. The whole thing unfolds as teen drama writ large - while some characters try to hack the system or go on killing sprees, others settle for such simple goals as chasing their crushes or hanging out with their friends for as long as they can. This gained itself a cult reputation due to its controversial post-Columbine release and Tarantino's seal of approval, but it's hard to do what a long-absent MoFo did once and call this film "cool" - despite the gratuitous violence and black comedy that pulsate throughout this film, at the end of the day this is still a film about children being forced to fight each other to the death and Fukusaku (himself a child during World War II) understands the severity of being exposed to such violence at such a young age to the point that the film nails what could be hopelessly overwrought exercises in drama and satire.

2005 ranking: #13
2013 ranking: #68

The premise of a guardian angel (Bruno Ganz) who finds himself wishing to experience the pleasures of being human is such a straightforward one that it was translated far too easily into a treacly English-language remake, but Wenders still manages to find a significantly more high-minded approach through his choices (such as angels only seeing the world in black-and-white) and exploring the possibilities offered by the concept rather than focusing too heavily on the admittedly rather one-sided romance between Ganz's invisible immortal and the trapeze artist (Solveig Dommartin) with whom he becomes especially intrigued. Everything from ponderously philosophical conversations between angels to them being privy to humans' internal monologues of innermost despair and trying their best to comfort them through a limited range of influence builds to create an immersive experience. Even stunt-casting Peter Falk as himself in a sub-plot where he is shooting a film in Berlin is a move that seems like it shouldn't work but does because of how well he commits to what the film is doing.

2005 ranking: N/A
2013 ranking: N/A

Re: Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
 

I plan to finally get to that one this week.

Re: Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
 

Good list so far, Iro. Lots of N/As and big drops in your list. Will be interesting to watch how it unfolds.. A lot changes in almost a decade. But really, one thing, Chinatown should be much higher.

I love this movie so much that it almost hurts.

When I first re-did the list, there was a roughly 50% influx of new additions and a lot of titles I'd underrated got pushed up the list to accommodate that. Will probably count the final number of additions/drops/jumps once it's over because the stats will be interesting. As for Chinatown, like I said I think it's almost too perfect a mystery film in that I want to space out my viewings of it as opposed to a good chunk of my other selections being favourites by virtue of how comparatively easy they are to throw on.

Ostensibly a story about the disintegrating relationship between a husband (Sam Neill) and wife (Isabelle Adjani), it doesn't take long for Possession to start plumbing even stranger depths that externalise their shared anguish in manners ranging from slight (Neill's dangerous and time-consuming occupation as a secret agent causing friction at home) to staggering (the sudden appearance of a grotesque monster that Adjani will kill to protect). Shades of the apocalypse bleed profusely into the corners of the film as its domestic disputes and occasionally blackly humour (a key element being Heinz Bennent as the thoroughly eccentric individual with whom Adjani has an affair) gives way to bleak nihilism and strong disgust, all of which is amplified by the stark West Berlin setting (Adjani's infamously intense breakdown is all the more striking for happening in a gloomy and sickly green subway tunnel). The vibes are absolutely rancid with Possession, but that gives it a power most of my other favourite horror films don't really seem to possess (sorry) - this really does feel like something that escaped from another universe and exists purely to infect all others.

2005 ranking: N/A
2013 ranking: N/A

Clint Eastwood's straight-shooter screen persona is more than adequately reflected in his directorial filmography, admittedly to a fault if his tendency to power through productions with decidedly mixed results is any indication. In any case, he still produced at least one indisputable masterpiece in Unforgiven. his own personal farewell to the genre that made him a star. The simple set-up naturally lacks pretention as Eastwood plays a retired outlaw who is coaxed back into his old ways by a cocky young gunslinger (Jaimz Woolvett) intent on collecting a particularly large bounty, but that does not mean the surrounding circumstances and players do not lack nuance or depth (especially when it comes to this film quite literally running a revisionist Western playbook in the form of Saul Rubinek's author changing his books' focus from Richard Harris's sophisticated braggart to Gene Hackman's brutally honest sheriff). Eastwood's characteristically blunt style is a good match for material where there are few (if any) genuine innocents here and even the supposedly noble goal of achieving justice for a disfigured woman is riddled with such a grey sense of morality, but at the same time it is capable of finding a genuine sense of heart and lyricism to the proceedings (even as the score can change from gentle guitars to foreboding orchestras on a dime).

2005 ranking: N/A
2013 ranking: #62

Need to watch Possession soon. Unforgiven is great.

Re: Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
 

Unforgiven is another from my 100. See, Iro, we do have things in common. That said, Possession isn't one of them. What a load of old tut that was. :D

Back in high school, I decided to make a point of showing This Is Spinal Tap to all of my best friends - such was its impact on me that I felt it above all other films needed to be shared with those whose friendship I truly valued. Such an enthusiastic level of proselytising ultimately did not last too long past graduation, but even now it's not hard to see why I thought it was worth going to such effort. The film follows fictional British rock band Spinal Tap as they undertake one particularly disastrous tour of the United States, dealing with everything from technical difficulties during gigs to interpersonal friction within and without the band. It's a pitch-perfect parody of the rock star experience, drawing on all manner of influences across popular music to craft its particular mix of juvenile songs and behind-the-scenes drama. Of course, that it manages to maintain a genuine sense of drama through tensions within the band - most obviously in how guitarist Nigel (Christopher Guest) and frontman David (Michael McKean) see their lifelong friendship following the arrival of the latter's girlfriend, Jeanine (June Chadwick) - helps to ground what is largely a scattershot series of skits that have threaded together into an extremely tight 80 minutes. I get chills at the ending every time, which isn't bad for a movie that features a baroque classical piece titled "Lick My Love Pump".

2005 ranking: #20
2013 ranking: #11

Possession is up there in the cluster of films that might be my favorite horror movies of all time. I have seen it twice in the theater (thanks, AFI!) and it is a stunning experience every time.

Would-be entrepreneur John McCabe (Warren Beatty) rides into a snowy mining outpost to the anachronistic tune of Leonard Cohen's "The Stranger Song", making a striking variation on the familiar Western trope of a drifter arriving in town that perfectly sets the stage for New Hollywood maverick Altman's own spin on the genre. The revisionist subversion kicks in when the blustering McCabe is made to realise that he is in over his head and must ultimately rely on the much more knowledgeable Mrs. Miller (Julie Christie) to help him run the only game in town, but it doesn't take long before their combined success starts drawing the wrong kind of attention not from lawless bandits but a monopolistic mining corporation. The most American of genres gets a crash course in ostensibly progressive cynicism - as much as the film deals in a sort of sex-positive feminism through Mrs. Miller's bordello philosophising (to say nothing of how she ultimately proves to be the brains behind the duo's operation), it soon becomes clear that even this small slice of independence isn't set to last as a capitalist version of manifest destiny bears down on its foolhardy hero. That its bittersweet fable is rendered in warm and wintry hues by the legendary Vilmos Zsigmond goes a long way in bolstering its already-powerful sense of tragic romance - not just between the eponymous duo, but for the dream of something better to the American myth than what ultimately transpired.

2005 ranking: N/A
2013 ranking: #46

McCabe and Mrs. Miller is a really unique film for me. While I didn't personally click with the characters or the narrative all that much, there's a specialness to the film itself that made it a compelling watch.

Re: Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
 

I revisted Posession last year and found it held up beautifully.


I don't think I've seen Unforgiven since high school, so definitely should give it a rewatch one of these days.


Back in high school, I used to show my friends some of my favourite movies, but as we lived far apart, this would be done during our lunch hour in the lunch room on a portable DVD player one of them had. I think Spinal Tap was one of the ones we watched, although as my DVD didn't have subtitles (if I recall correctly), it was a bit of a challenge in that environment.


I owe McCabe and Mrs. Miller a rewatch as well. I don't always gel to Altman's ensemble style, although there are obviously plenty of things to love in the movie.

Seen everything except Wrath of Khan and Wings of Desire. The minor-classic status of Wrath of Khan means I'll watch it someday, but I have zero interest in anything Star Trek. Wenders has hit a home run for me each time so far with Alice in the Cities, The American Friend and Paris, Texas, so my expectations are extremely high for Wings of Desire.

The comedy in Police Story is so bad that it sours the whole movie for me. I've watched the first four in the series, and Super Cop is my favorite. To be honest, though, the best part of each of them is the gag reel at the end. Very happy to see The 36th Chamber of Shaolin on here. That was my introduction to Shaw Brothers, and a few dozen films later, it remains head and shoulders above anything else I've seen from the studio. Give me Gordon Liu over Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee or Jet Li.

Watching Yojimbo after having seen A Fistful of Dollars multiple times was a weird experience, making the original feel like the copycat. I need to revisit it. Thief is great. Might be my favorite Mann; if not, it's at least neck-and-neck with Heat. A shame to see The Wild Bunch take such a tumble from your previous list. Same goes for Dazed and Confused, which I think is the perfect version of that sorta plotless, coming-of-age, nostalgic time-trip subgenre that American Graffiti grandfathered.

Ozu just doesn't excite me, as every film I've seen from him feels nearly identical. I guess I'd prop up Tokyo Story as his most accomplished, but all of them blend together for me. If you're going to include a silent out of tokenistic obligation, you can't go wrong with Passion of Joan of Arc. My choice would probably be Nosferatu -- certainly not the "best" silent I've seen, but the one I seem to revisit the most often. Sadly, however, despite loving many silent films, I rarely re-watch any of them enough to qualify as personal favorites.

Samurai Rebellion is top-100 material for me, so when I watched the very similar Harakiri, which is often referred to as the superior of the two, I walked away a tad underwhelmed. It's possible my opinion would be reversed had I seen Harakiri first. House is yet another I should revisit. It's great as a source of WTF .GIFs, but as a whole I found the film exhausting and irritating -- a Scooby-Doo cartoon on acid -- but maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind. Perfect Blue is possibly my favorite anime. Empire Strikes Back is the best Star Wars film (with the caveat that I haven't seen the newest ones). Dawn of the Dead is my least favorite of the original trilogy, but still one of the best (and certainly most influential and iconic) zombie films ever made. Hated Brazil.

It won't surprise me if Princess Bride, Holy Grail and Spinal Tap all crack the top ten in the upcoming Comedy Countdown. I guess the sharp decline each has suffered from your previous list befits your reputation as MoFo's biggest curmudgeon. F**k laughter and amusement. Makes me curious to see if The Blues Brothers has been supplanted. Judging by past discussions/debates I've seen you have on here, it surprises me that you're not the type of person who refuses to watch Polanski due to moral principles, but I'm glad that's not the case because Chinatown is brilliant.

You're possibly the biggest champion of Paul W.S. Anderson I know. Even though I personally hated Resident Evil: Retribution, I'm hoping it joins Event Horizon on the list just because it'd be such a bold, unusual choice for a top 100. Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant and Silence are the most unexpected inclusions so far, especially the latter, which is probably one of the last Scorsese films that spring to mind when people think of the director. Its emotional impact was muted for me by watching and loving the 1971 version beforehand. There are a few Fassbinder films I'd place ahead of Petra von Kant (and I've still yet to see a ton of his stuff), but it's very good. The type of film where you hear about it and think, "That will probably be boring as shit," but it's surprisingly compelling.

Battle Royale seems like the type of flick I'd love, but I was lukewarm on it. Still not sure what I think of Possession until I revisit it, but Isabelle Adjani was incredible. Unforgiven is a masterpiece. McCabe & Mrs. Miller is one of those heralded classics that I thought was good not great, but it's likely that I'd appreciate it more with a second viewing.

Linklater's always been good at doing these character-driven pieces that don't really concern themselves too heavily with plot or externalised action - while his earlier features dealt in broad ensembles, here he opts to focus exclusively on the duo of Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) as a spur-of-the-moment decision to get off their train in Vienna together leads to the two sharing their own brief romantic encounter over the course of a single night. It's a simple set-up and one that has to be carried entirely by the chemistry between its leads as they get into all manner of conversations, arguments, and monologues as they wander through such a picturesque city. They are more than capable of delivering on this premise - admittedly a simple one, but so hard to get right.

2005 ranking: N/A
2013 ranking: #92

I had a loose guideline of sorts for drafting this list where I would limit myself to picking one film per franchise, figuring that this would allow for a more diverse range of films and also force me to choose which entry best represented its particular franchise. The Before series, on the other hand, warranted an exception despite each installment sharing the same fundamentally basic premise of two people having a feature-length conversation. While Sunrise was an instant favourite, Sunset took a while to grow on me - I think that's mostly to do with how I'm now closer to the age that Jesse and Celine are in this one than they were in Sunrise so I'm better able to appreciate the greater sense of maturity that has been added to the proceedings. As they catch up on a decade's worth of developments since their last meeting, they inevitably turn from topical small talk (a reference to "freedom fries" places this squarely in 2004) to questions of how differently things could've been if they'd done this or that (especially if they'd reunited sooner as they'd originally planned in the previous film). That's enough to give it an edge not just within the trilogy but within Linklater's entire filmography.

2005 ranking: N/A
2013 ranking: N/A

Could I be a filmmaker? It's a question I've asked myself for many years now and have even made steps towards doing in some fashion, but a film like 8½ really does do a horrifying spectacular job of showing just how difficult it would be not merely in terms of overcoming the mundane challenges associated with directing a film but also how they intersect with the existential challenges of simply being alive and existing as a person who has left a mark on (and been marked by) a life that was lived, if not necessarily lived too well. As renowned filmmaker Guido (Marcello Mastroianni) sets to work on his latest film, he finds himself caught up in all manner of personal strife (often involving women from his past and present) that causes him to launch into all manner of reveries as he has to contend with an encroaching sense of writer's block. Fellini spins Guido's malaise into cinematic gold, building on the wryly comedic approach to observing the particulars of Italian life he'd demonstrated in earlier features in a way that is also pointedly turned inwards even as the film ultimately ends up resorting to full-blown surrealism to communicate the character's inner turmoil. There is always risk when it comes to making films about the artistic process (especially filmmaking itself) for fear of coming across as narcissistic or self-conscious in a way that the finished product ultimately does not justify, but 8½ is maybe the finest example because Fellini ironically does not do anything in this film by half.

2005 ranking: N/A
2013 ranking: N/A

The above quote (taken from the admittedly not very good English dub) seems like it summarises exactly what makes John Woo's instantly-iconic brand of dual-wielding heroic bloodshed so superficially awesome to witness in terms of action-movie spectacle. The context in which it's delivered - being yelled at supercop protagonist "Tequila" (Chow Yun-fat) in the aftermath of the teahouse shoot-out that opens the film - undercuts said superficiality and makes it clear that Woo will hold his lawman hero as accountable as the criminal protagonists of his previous films. That certainly helps to ground a film as excessive as Hard Boiled, which might not be the best Woo film (The Killer is arguably the most well-rounded film he's made) but which certainly delivers on the action front with some staggering setpieces that even now feel like the standard against which I measure all other action movies (30 years on and I still don't think anything's really matched that one long take towards the end of the film). Having it turn into a buddy cop movie involving Chow's reckless detective teaming with Tony Leung's undercover agent certainly doesn't hurt the proceedings either, especially as the latter steals the show with his double-life angst that serves as a strong backbone to such viscerally balletic conflicts.

2005 ranking: N/A
2013 ranking: #33

Great pick Iro, love Hard Boiled, I have it at #75 on my all time top 250, #4 on my top 100 action films list and #35 on my fav 90's films list.

Re: Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
 

I think The Killer is better, but few things are as much fun as Hard Boiled. One of the few films I rented (back in 'the day') and then went out and bought the same week.

It's the tail end of your list, so I'm sure there's much worse to come, but at this rate, I might start to think you're develping taste. :p:D

Re: Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
 

Don't worry, I already know I got taste because there aren't any Drew Barrymore movies on my list.

I love Hard-Boiled. With that film and The Killers, Woo is currently 2 for 2 with great films for me.

My friends and I are doing movie theme watches over discord and have been since the pandemic. One of the themes was 90's action movies.

I picked Hard Boiled.

Had never seen it, only knew of it by reputation in the action community. While I had a vague idea of what to expect, neither of my friends did. Towards the hospital sequence my one friend finally said..."this movie is not at all what I expected".

Solid action film. Would watch again.

I watched this trilogy for the firs time last year. Sunset would be my favourite as we know the history, they are more comfortable, the writing is a tad better and I just felt really engrossed by the atmosphere.

I'd rank sunrise at the bottom, but all are solid films.