It has been a year since I joined this very fine website. I joined to meet fellow cinephiles of a caliber similar to or superior to mine, discuss film with those who have a passion for the art, and to broaden my horizons and explore cinema I have not experienced yet. And in that regard it has been very successful. I have found a place I hope to continue to frequent for many years to come. And to celebrate this occasion I felt it was time for another Top 50 list. I have experienced many new films and directors and while there are new entries on my list, we hit a snag. While a few films rose and fell here or there, plus a few re-connections with films I had not seen in several years, there were only a handful of films in my new Top 50 that were brand new that I have experienced since I joined the site. And while there is still a significant amount of change, it would not be very different from last time. What can I say; my tastes have stayed pretty consistent. But we have a simple solution to this problem.
A few months back I watched a documentary called A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese through American Movies. For three and a half hours Marty talked about his own experiences with movies growing up. Starting with Duel in the Sun (the first movie he remembered seeing by title in the theater). He also discussed movie making, the old studio system, certain directors, the roles of a director, and basically showcased his encyclopedic knowledge of film. Needless to say I loved it. But it also inspired me to try something similar this time around. I want this to be a personal journey through film as well. Now many of my favorite films already include personal cinematic milestones, movie movements I greatly enjoyed, films that spoke to me personally, films that genuinely moved me, and a few movies that have changed my life. And my Top 50 reflects a lot of that. But in order to try and get the greatest possible snapshot of my cinematic experiences I am going to need more than 50 films. So in addition to this being my Top 50 favorite films, I will have sections of Honorable Mentions as the list progresses; about every eight films or so until I reach my top 10 favorite films of all time. These films will be made up of movies that I do love, or films I loved at a certain point in time in my life. And while they did not making my Top 50 or might not even make my top 200, they certainly deserve mention because they were either significant to my cinematic growth or very fond childhood memories.
Now for my last list I wrote full scale reviews for the 50 films I had there. I am not going to do that this time around. I am not really going to go into too much detail about the film’s plot or the director and such. Instead I will try to focus on what the film meant to me personally. Why I really liked it, whether or not it had an influence on my own life, how I was introduced to the film, and things of that particular nature. This allows me to stay on the path of this being a personal journey, as well as saving me the hassle of writing a crap ton of new reviews. It will also keep each film entry short and pithy. A blessing for those with ADD.
So sit back, relax, and allow me to take you down my own personal journey through the cinema.
A few months back I watched a documentary called A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese through American Movies. For three and a half hours Marty talked about his own experiences with movies growing up. Starting with Duel in the Sun (the first movie he remembered seeing by title in the theater). He also discussed movie making, the old studio system, certain directors, the roles of a director, and basically showcased his encyclopedic knowledge of film. Needless to say I loved it. But it also inspired me to try something similar this time around. I want this to be a personal journey through film as well. Now many of my favorite films already include personal cinematic milestones, movie movements I greatly enjoyed, films that spoke to me personally, films that genuinely moved me, and a few movies that have changed my life. And my Top 50 reflects a lot of that. But in order to try and get the greatest possible snapshot of my cinematic experiences I am going to need more than 50 films. So in addition to this being my Top 50 favorite films, I will have sections of Honorable Mentions as the list progresses; about every eight films or so until I reach my top 10 favorite films of all time. These films will be made up of movies that I do love, or films I loved at a certain point in time in my life. And while they did not making my Top 50 or might not even make my top 200, they certainly deserve mention because they were either significant to my cinematic growth or very fond childhood memories.
Now for my last list I wrote full scale reviews for the 50 films I had there. I am not going to do that this time around. I am not really going to go into too much detail about the film’s plot or the director and such. Instead I will try to focus on what the film meant to me personally. Why I really liked it, whether or not it had an influence on my own life, how I was introduced to the film, and things of that particular nature. This allows me to stay on the path of this being a personal journey, as well as saving me the hassle of writing a crap ton of new reviews. It will also keep each film entry short and pithy. A blessing for those with ADD.
So sit back, relax, and allow me to take you down my own personal journey through the cinema.