Yearly First Viewing Top Tens

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First viewings 2018: 177
Top Ten:

Double Indemnity (1944)
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
Mr. Nobody (2009)
Rififi (1955)
On the Waterfront (1954)
Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
Harakiri (1962)
Where Eagles Dare (1968)
Nine Queens (2000)
Yojimbo (1961)



You guys with 500 viewings amaze me. I got to 300 this year and thought all I did was watch movies.

Love Thief Iro. I also saw Fallen Angels for the first time this year. I really enjoyed it but it fell short of my 10.
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Welcome to the human race...
Yeah, deep down I'll admit it's not quite as much of a classic as most of the other titles I mentioned but god-damn does it just hit a real sweet spot for me (as does Fallen Angels - love me some overly stylish and weirdly quasi-romantic crime movies).
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I really just want you all angry and confused the whole time.
Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0



Most of the best films I saw last year were rewatches but this is hastily put together list of best new finds. I'm likely forgetting something from the first 3.5 months as I didn't keep notes before joining here.

01: In a Glass Cage (1986)
02: The Dark (2018)
03: Paper Moon (1973)
04: Don't Torture a Duckling (1972)
05: Network (1976)
06: Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
07: Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970)
08: Deep Red (1975)
09: Alice, Sweet Alice (1976)
10: Prodigy (2018)

EDIT: Switched #10 for something I had forgot
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You guys with 500 viewings amaze me. I got to 300 this year and thought all I did was watch movies.

Love Thief Iro. I also saw Fallen Angels for the first time this year. I really enjoyed it but it fell short of my 10.
Yeah indeed it amazes me too. And frightens me a bit. A LOT more than one movie per day? Wow.

My highest was in 2015 where I started my diary. Came to about 316 after failing my one movie a day half-way through... oh well.

I watched 179 this year. Been busy living and trying to figure out who I am and what I want to do. That made me end up in film and tv production which has taken away A LOT of time for movie watching. But when I’ve had the opportunity I’ve watched some.


I’ll get back in here some time with my list!



Weird is relative.
I wanted to tally up everything I has also seen in 2018 that was on other people's lists here...

1) Hiroshima Mon Amour

2018 Top Ten:

4) Annihilation
5) Black KkKlansman
8) The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs
10) Isle Of Dogs
Hiroshima, Mon Amour (1959) - ★★★˝

Annihilation (2018) - ★★★˝

Black KkKlansman (2018) - ★★★★

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) - ★★★˝

Isle of Dogs (2018) - ★★★★


4. Pixote
9. Of Mice and Men
Pixote (1981) - ★★★˝
Of Mice and Men (1939) - ★★★˝

The Cranes Are Flying (1957; Mikhail Kalatozov)
The Cranes Are Flying (1957) - ★★★★

Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972)
The Cranes Are Flying (1957)
Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) - ★★★˝

I, Tonya (2017) ★★★

6. Fallen Angels

Honourable mentions: Taste of Cherry, Tampopo, Dead Man's Letters
Fallen Angels (1995) - ★★★˝

Taste of Cherry (1997) - ★★★˝

Tampopo (1985) - ★★★˝

Dead Man's Letters (1986) - ★★★★

Yojimbo (1961) - ★★★˝

I want to mention that ★★★˝ is a good rating for me and usually means I quite enjoyed a film, I just thought it could have had some improvements.



Watched 499 movies in 2018, 25 of which were re-watches.



#10) Dark Victory (1939)


One of the finest melodramas I've seen, mostly thanks to the powerhouse performance from Bette Davis.

#9) Ninotchka (1939)


Delightfully charming romantic comedy with a script full of Billy Wilder witticisms.

#8) Cure (1997)


Eerie, hypnotic, essential Japanese crime-thriller that slowly morphs into an unnerving psychological horror film.

#7) Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)


Phenomenal performances, nasty characters, acerbic humor and an excellent script that touches on numerous issues plaguing current America. Balances comedy and drama incredibly well.

#6) Two-Lane Blacktop (1971)


Pure Americana. Pure 70's. Pure existentialism. Second best road movie I've ever seen behind only Easy Rider.

#5) Desert Hearts (1985)


Natural performances, memorable dialogue, evocative soundtrack, exquisite cinematography. Notable upon release as the first film to feature a lesbian relationship minus the tragedy or sensationalism, Desert Hearts is one of the best, most believable romances I've seen. Hugely underrated/underseen.

#4) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)


Weird, irreverent, goofy, silly, exciting, colorful, imaginative, loaded with pop-culture references, full of quotable dialogue ("I'm Mary Poppins, ya'll!"), and it even managed to manipulate my emotions to an embarrassingly successful degree. Possibly my favorite entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Maybe I just caught this movie in the perfect mood, but GotG Vol. 2 entertained and made me laugh more than anything else I watched in 2018.

#3) Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)


#2) Footlight Parade (1933)


As a movie buff, my most exciting development of 2018 was discovering within me a love of musicals, a genre that I used to avoid like the plague. The catalyst for that change of opinion: Busby Berkeley and his stunning, show-stopping, kaleidoscopic cinematography. Both Gold Diggers of 1933 and Footlight Parade feature jaw-dropping musical numbers, along with tons of eye candy, pre-code sexual innuendo and laugh-out-loud dialogue/situations. These movies also introduced me to Joan Blondell, who has fast become one of my favorite actresses.

#1) Mandingo (1975)


Quoting my Movie Tab post:
Roger Ebert gave Mandingo zero stars and called it "racist trash." Judging by the reactions I've seen online, the majority of people seem to share his opinion. Not me. Mandingo is the best first-time viewing I've had this year. I think it's the most powerful, sobering, unflinching portrayal of slavery that I've seen on film. It illustrates the dehumanizing treatment of slaves in the rawest, most graphic detail. I think the reason for the disconnect and scorn from most audiences is because Mandingo is an unabashed exploitation film. Think Gone with the Wind if directed by Jack Hill. It's unapologetically trashy, sleazy, sordid, disturbing, violent, and it revels in the nastiness of its characters and their actions. This isn't your typical Oscar bait that is sanitized for the masses, presenting the horrors of the past in a safe manner that doesn't make audiences too uncomfortable. This sh*t is ugly. The colors are washed out. The plantation is decaying and full of weeds. There are no "white saviors" to be found, only vile, racist, white trash. Slavery delivered via exploitation instead of prestige might not sit well with a lot of people, but what better way to portray the exploitation of an entire race than through an exploitation film, where good taste and morals don't abide. There's incest, infanticide, rape. Slaves as soulless sexual puppets. Slaves as soulless pawns forced to fight to the death for the amusement of white owners. Slaves as footstools for rheumatism. Slaves as soup. Maybe I'm crazy, but I think this film is damn close to being a masterpiece. It's the most f**ked-up film I've seen about America's most f**ked-up time period.


Honorable Mentions:

The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
Once Were Warriors (1994)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)
Red Dust (1932)
The Roaring Twenties (1939)
City of the Dead (1960)
The Lair of the White Worm (1988)
The Sword of Doom (1966)
Candyman (1992)
Moonlight (2016)
To Live and Die in L.A. (1985)
Dames (1934)
Pauline at the Beach (1983)
Easy Wheels (1989)
The Shape of Water (2017)
Destry Rides Again (1939)
The Public Enemy (1931)
Stage Door (1937)
Leave No Trace (2018)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)
I, Tonya (2017)
Swing Time (1936)
Red Sparrow (2018)
Freebie and the Bean (1974)
Annihilation (2018)
Sadie McKee (1934)
Wild Boys of the Road (1933)
Blue Ruin (2013)
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)
A Perfect World (1993)
Get Out (2017)
Mustang (2015)
Falling Down (1993)
Kuroneko (1968)
The Naked Prey (1965)
Ghost (1990)
The Big Clock (1948)
Nothing Bad Can Happen (2013)
Vagabond (1985)
Uncle Buck (1989)
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Ten Favorite First-Time Viewings In 2018
by Nostromo87

10. Cocktail (1988)


Doug Coughlin mentors Brian Flannigan as a frontman and bartender to work the show. Brian bolts for Jamaica when Doug gets in the middle of a fling between Flannigan and Gina Gershon, ... A fun time's set up with prize 80s headliners Elisabeth Shue, Tom Cruise, and hottstuff Kelly Lynch. All shook up.

Wild Again

9. Christine (1983)


Partways outrageous, mostways one cool flick from one badazz filmmaker. A 17-year-old pays $250 for a wrecked 1958 Plymouth Fury with an indestructible vengeance.
That's a piece of sh*t, Arnie.
She could be fixed up, boy should could be really tough.
Forget it, Arnie.

Pull a string, win a prize! Really charming and satisfying slice of Americana, it's not horror though. Gary Busey plays Bozo the clown in a dunking booth, who is good buddies with Robbie Robertson (The Band), young Jodie Foster's appears in a similar setup to her role in Taxi Driver. Glimpse at the inside of carnivals. A new genuine favorite. Love Busey's caged provocative trash talk to get the customers into the action.

Garden Of Earthly Delights

7. Grease 2 (1982)


Saw it getting kind of bashed by some members in the 80s teen flick get-together here on the site. Not as famous as the first, but that one's over-played. Made me want to bring back the big slick messy swoop 50s hairstyles and buy a motorcycle more than the first movie ever did!

Girl For All Seasons

6. One-Eyed Jacks (1961)


In the getaway after robbing a Mexican bank, bandits Karl Malden and Marlon Brando have to split up... Malden gets the horse and the money, Brando's left abandoned in the desert where he's arrested and jailed in Sonora prison for five years. Once out, Rio (Brando) scans the taverns and barrooms for news of his old friend who double-crossed him. Quality kickass western flick. A man can't stay angry for five years, can he?

Ballad Of The One Eyed Jacks

5. Friday The 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)


Wish it hadn't been chopped up by the MPAA Ratings board in 1988, as the gore shouldn't be ripped out of the Friday The 13th films. Still a lot of fun with characters I enjoy a lot. There are plenty of slashers that are pretty minimal on gore really anyways, the original Halloween being one of them.

Slasherthon

4. Bloodsport (1988)


Go inside the hidden Hong Kong arena where combatants clash in the Kumite, a little-known but hotly contested world championship of full-contact combat sport. The Kumite is dominated by Chong Li (Bolo Yeung), a ruthless powerhouse champion, until a Westerner shows up named Frank Dux (Jean Claude Van Damme)- who also gets involved with an American journalist there named Janice Kent (Leah Ayres). Tagline: The True Story Of An American Ninja!

Blood Sport Ost Music Video

3. Soldier Of Orange (1977)


A Paul Verhoeven (Starship Troopers, RoboCop, Total Recall, Showgirls, Basic Instinct) film starring Rutger Hauer as enlisted resistance courier Erik Lanshof in the German-occupied Netherlands during the Second World War. The story tracks a set of six friends from the town of Leiden, as the situation drives their lives in dissimilar directions. As a sincere enthusiast and college graduate in history, I am frequently let down when films focus too much on the personal while neglecting the crucial larger sweep of what is at stake. While Soldier Of Orange doesn't necessarily CRUSH that aspect of wonder and spectacle, it provides a lot that other productions from the period don't, and for that reason resembles a feel of a favorite-kind-of-film.

Great movie I found last year and watched really late one night. Lyon Gaultier, a paratrooper in the French Foreign Legion stationed in North Africa, catches word his brother was burned alive in a drug-deal gone wrong and deserts his post. Lyon is drawn into a ring of illegal street fighting controlled by "The Lady," Cynthia (Deborah Rennard). Van Damme fights in the bare-knuckles underground circuit to support his sister-in-law and little niece who were left desolate in a small apartment in Los Angeles. There's big money side-betting as Cynthia sponsors him, who's surrounded by the rich and connected. Meanwhile, two Legionnaire security force men track down Lyon for deserting his post, leading to a big-stakes rigged fight between Attila and Lionheart. Sure you wanna mess up that face, handsome?


Bill Wray - No Mercy

1. The Breakfast Club (1985)


A criminal, a basket case, a princess, a dork, and a jock have Saturday confinement with Paul Gleason. Before they can leave, they've each got to describe who they think they are. Five strangers with nothing in common, except each other.

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Thursday Next's Avatar
I never could get the hang of Thursdays.
Forgot my letterboxd password which would probably help with this, but something like...

The Shape of Water (2017)
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
God’s Own Country (2017)
Your Name (2016)
Europa Europa (1990)
Goodbye Mr Chips (1939)
The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926)
The Age of Shadows (2016)
Make Way For Tomorrow (1937)
Moonlight (2016)



I know I have been more than a little absent from Mofo this year but I had the best year ever watching films and wanted to share my top ten first time watches. As always I do a separate list for 2018 watches so I will include that as well. This thread has died down a bit the last couple years. Hopefully some Mofos will be compelled to share.
I like this thread a lot, it should have even more activity.



This is unbearably hard, but I'll do one anyways. A little foodnote, I've ranked these the way I originally saw them - so if a rewatched bumped it up or down that won't change the ranking here. I feel like since it's "Yearly First Viewing Top Tens" it should be the actual first viewing and not potential rewatches...

Here goes. It looks something like this,

1. Call Me By Your Name
2. Senna
3. Den skyldige (The Guilty)
4. Lost in Translation
5. Mission: Impossible - Fallout
6. Wind River
7. Shape of Water
8. Phantom Thread
9. Touch of Evil
10 American Grafitti

Honorable mentions
We Need to Talk About Kevin, Isle of Dogs, Witness for the Prosecution, Sideways, Eighth Grade, Annihilation, The King of Kong, A Star is Born, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Breakfast Club, Mommy, The Disaster Artist, Your Name, The Square, The Truth About Men

And I won't count short films in here, but this would should get a mention
The House of Small Cubes

Other first wathces that I also liked
Three Bilboards
Interview with a Vampire
Don't Look Now
Trainspotting
Groundhog Day
The Town
Felon
Deadpool 2
Good Time
The Princess Bride
Hereditary
The Warriors
A Quiet Place
First Reformed
R
Incredibles 2
The Purge: Anarchy
Naked
Frankenstein (1910)
First Man
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Sorry to Bother You
Roma




Pan's Labyrinth (2006)







Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)







Guernsey and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018)



Mary Poppins Returns (2019)





The Switch (2010)





Wedding Crashers (2005)





About Time (2013)







The Gift (2015)




The Favorite (2018)





A Star is Born (2018)


I did not realize how few new movies I have watched this year. I tend to re-watch what is in my collection over and over and only watch what is recommended or whatever is streaming on Netflix. Fortunately the year is only half over, and I can make a concerted effort to seek out five to ten films that are new to me before 2019 ends. I have watched a few other movies but they did not merritt being put on any list.



Welcome to the human race...
Guess I'll bring this back...



1. Solaris (1972)
2. Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion
3. The Colour of Pomegranates
4. Bringing Out the Dead
5. The Red Shoes
6. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
7. Rocco and his Brothers
8. War and Peace (1966)
9. The Wages of Fear
10. Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters


Honourable mentions: Blind Chance, Blue Collar, The Conformist, Crumb, The Exterminating Angel, The Gleaners and I, Goodbye Dragon Inn, The Gospel According to Saint Matthew, The Heiress, In Cold Blood, The Innocents, Kagemusha, The Killers (1946), Kings of the Road, Last Year at Marienbad, The Leopard, The Lost Weekend, Pixote, Poetry (2010), Rome Open City, Shame (1968), This Is Not A Film, Ugetsu, Umberto D., The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, The White Ribbon

Another banner year for first-time watches, ticking off some major titles I have either neglected for too long or not yet had the opportunity to watch. Out of those, I'd say the biggest one would be Solaris - I'm still behind on Tarkovsky (this makes three of his I've watched so far) and I can't tell how much of that is laziness and how much of that is just trying to space them out in order to savour them - I daresay finally getting around to watching Solaris confirms it's more the latter. Maybe The Mirror will top next year's post.

Thanks to Netflix (I guess), I finally got around to watching Neon Genesis Evangelion in its entirety - including its absolute face-melt of a finale, End of Evangelion, that more than lived up to decades of memes and iconography (slightly altered translation notwithstanding). Following on from that is a film that is a quite literal example of "poetic cinema", The Colour of Pomegranates. An absolutely staggering 70 minutes that blends biography and art to an extent I'm not sure I've ever seen in anything else that could be classified as "biopic".

As with Tarkovsky, I kind of want to savour what few Scorsese films I haven't yet seen - even the supposedly "lesser" ones like Bringing Out the Dead. Then again, considering that his previous collaborations with Paul Schrader were Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Last Temptation of Christ, I think it was almost certain that I was going to love this one (if not quite as much as those ones). Speaking of Schrader, I have to throw a mention to Mishima for seeing him do something that is at once so different from his usual milieu of Calvinist crime pulp and yet so in touch with those same sensibilities (Blue Collar also owns, too).

Aside from that, some real classics. The Red Shoes could end up being my favourite Archers film, Rocco and his Brothers is arguably the peak of my deep dive into Visconti's filmography, Sergei Bondarchuk's monumental eight-hour adaptation of War and Peace is the kind of achievement I just have to admire, and The Wages of Fear is just as fine a piece of cinema as you could ask for



The 5/5 movies:

1. Sunset Blvd (1950)
2. Ben Hur (1959)
3. M (1931)

And the 4.5 :

4. My Fair Lady (1964)
5. Double Indemnity (1944)
6. Ran (1985)
7. Dogville (2003)
8. The Shooting (1966)
9. Hoop Dreams (1994)
10. Run Silent, Run Deep (1958)

The best of the rest, all 4/5: The Great Escape (1963), Rififi (1955), McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971), Ride in the Whirlwind (1966), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), Elmer Gantry (1960), Stagecoach (1939), The Big Sleep (1946), A Night to Remember (1958), Strangers on a Train (1951), Dragged Across Concrete (2018). You Were Never Really Here (2017)



The trick is not minding
My top ten. First time views.

1. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeosie
2. Sling Blade
3. Ju Dou
4. Parenthood
5. The Magnificent Ambersons
6. Philadelphia
7. Genocide
8. My Man Godfrey
9. Sophie’s choice
10. Grizzly Man

Honorable mentions:
The Dawns Here are Quiet, The Invisible War, The Irishman, The Kid, Waco: The Rules of Engagement, 4 Little Girls, The Man With the Golden Arm, Born Yesterday, Dances With Wolves,The Edge of Seventeen, and Great Expectations (1947 Lean version)

It was a great year for movies, and there were far more worthy of mentioning but there is not enough space haha. There’s a lack of musicals on this list, and indeed a lack of musicals the past year. I’ll have to remedy that this year.