Archer's Ongoing Favorite Films List

wicked little town

03-23-13

Favorite Film 2
Cure (1997)
Dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Kurosawa is a master of mood, and Cure is the director at the peak of his respective powers. What begins as a gripping police procedural, the film takes its time with perfect pacing and transforms into a mezmerising psychological horror film. Not blood and guts horror, in fact there is very little on screen violence, but the film teases and bends the mind as we soon find ourselves in the POV of the protagonist. It's an endlessly fascinating film. Filled with a flawlessly haunting atmosphere, some unexpected shocks, and great performances. It's really the pacing though that elevates the film into a basic psychological thriller, the film really sneaks up on you, and by the time it is over you may feel as if you have forgotten to breathe. Simply put, Cure is a masterpiece of the genre in which is explores and expands.

Last edited by atclubsilencio; 03-28-13 at 04:35 AM.

atclubsilencio

wicked little town

03-23-13

Favorite Film 3
Persona (1966)
Dir. Ingmar Bergman

It goes without saying that Bergman will always remain as one of the greatest directors to ever live. While he had many films one could consider a masterpiece, it is Persona that takes the cake for me. Persona is a masterpiece, and if you haven't seen it, you must do so now. A hypnotic experience, deliciously surreal, with two brilliant performances from actresses Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullman. Released in 66, Persona remains a staggering work of art and my favorite Bergman.

Cream

Msg

Who's going to believe a talking head?

03-24-13

I love unranked lists.

Guaporense

Animation nerd

03-24-13

The higher the proportion of non-english films in a top 10, the better?

Cream

Msg

Who's going to believe a talking head?

03-24-13

Not necessarily better, but it also means having lower chances of choosing Hollywood bullsh*t.

Watch_Tower

I am the Watcher in the Night

03-24-13

I've only seen Cure from your list. That is a great movie. I might try and catch the other 2.

I'm currently in the process of making my own top 100...and have whistled the list down to top 250. I've been working on it for almost 6 months.

atclubsilencio

wicked little town

03-24-13

I assure you I am not trying to be pretentious at all in my choices. These are just my very favorites. That I consider flawless, or just about flawless.

It's just too hard for me to actually rank them though. As they are all great to me for different reasons, save for one film, which will be revealed soon enough.

atclubsilencio

wicked little town

03-24-13

Originally Posted by Guaporense

The higher the proportion of non-english films in a top 10, the better?

I see what you did there. (There are english films to come.)

atclubsilencio

wicked little town

03-24-13

Favorite Film 4
Magnolia (1999)
Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson

Oh how I love Paul Thomas Anderson, but he has yet to live up to his ensemble masterpiece Magnolia. Yes, There Will Be Blood came close, and The Master was impressive (though I have my issues with that one.) But Magnolia is Mr. Anderson's magnum opus. A 3 hour epic of human proportions, which never once drags or loses focus. Featuring coincidences, and unexpected sequences of reality breaking blind-sliders. From a sequence in which every character sings Aimee Mann's lovely Wise Up, to that attention grabbing opening, to the rich storytelling, the phenomenal, perfectly pitched, performances. But out of everything, what really sticks out to me is Jon Brion's marvelous original score and Robert Elswit's typically outstanding cinematography. Magnolia will forever remain in my top five favorite films. It's just a brilliant modern classic, with that wonderful P.T. Anderson twist. I just love it! And if you need any proof of how great it is, simply youtube 'Magnolia Pharmacy Scene'.

Cobpyth

As Time Goes By

03-24-13

Yeah! Magnolia is sheer brilliance. I'm a big fan of Paul Thomas Anderson and this film is one of the reasons why. It's original, extremely well crafted and the intensity of all the connected stories completely blew my mind. Just "wauw"!

THUMBS UP!

HitchFan97

You get to me

03-24-13

I'm liking this list. Persona and Magnolia are close candidates for my own top ten.

__________________
"Puns are the highest form of literature." -Alfred Hitchcock

Pussy Galore

I'm one happy bird !

03-24-13

Magnolia is fantastic, but I hated the last 10 minutes of it still a fantastic masterpiece

atclubsilencio

wicked little town

03-24-13

Favorite Film 5
Mulholland Drive
Dir. David Lynch

Now, if someone put a gun to my head and I was forced to choose my favorite film of all-time, it would be David Lynch's masterpiece Mulholland Drive. I love this movie so much I can barely express it in words. I've been obsessed with it ever since I was 13 (I'm now 22) and even did a presentation on it for one of my classes. It's a nightmarish, deeply tragic, mesmerizing, journey through the 'city of dreams' which is more of a facade for a terrifying dreamscape. A journey into a woman's obsession, of dreams that never came true, and of the crushing reality we all must face when we wake up. Naomi Watts delivers a performance for the ages, sorely snubbed of an Oscar (at least Lynch got a Best Director nod) playing two types of characters from the bubbly and wide-eyed Betty, to the miserable Diane (where she really shows how great of an actress she is.) If you have yet to see it, do so now, and then watch it again, and again, and again. Mulholland Drive is another great example of visual storytelling over a more linear structure. It washes over and puts you into a dream/nightmare state that films (and directors) can rarely accomplish so well. Lynch is a master of the surreal, of digging into the darkness in everyone of all of us, and thus Mulholland Drive and David Lynch are one of, if not my top favorite, films/directors. It's just... perfect, and this write-up does not do it justice in any way, shape, or form. And having seen it so many times, it may be my favorite movie ever, from my favorite director, but again, no one is holding a gun to my head... yet. Silencio.

Daniel M

...

03-24-13

Persona is brilliant, Magnolia I really need to see considering I absolutely love everything else by PT Anderson, and Mulholland Drive is also brilliant, definitely a masterpiece

__________________

atclubsilencio

wicked little town

03-24-13

Originally Posted by Pussy Galore

Magnolia is fantastic, but I hated the last 10 minutes of it still a fantastic masterpiece

Yeah, the raining sequence tends to divide viewers. But I love it all. Especially since it isn't as out of nowhere as you think, as it is hinted throughout the entire film. With the bible verse being seen through out the film, and the number 82.

But it also has one of the greatest final shots in any film ever. The look on Melora Walters face as it cuts to black perfectly sums up the entire film.

atclubsilencio

wicked little town

03-24-13

Originally Posted by Daniel M

Persona is brilliant, Magnolia I really need to see considering I absolutely love everything else by PT Anderson, and Mulholland Drive is also brilliant, definitely a masterpiece

You don't realize how lucky you are, oh how I wish I could see Magnolia for the first time all over again.

atclubsilencio

wicked little town

03-24-13

Favorite Film 6
Festen (The Celebration)
Dir. Thomas Vinterberg

As I have become to sound like a broken record, once again we have another perfect film with not one flaw to be found. Festen, the first film of the Dogme Film Movement started by Vinterberg and Lars Von Trier, is a breathtaking, bleak, and all too real experience. I wont divulge the plot to save from spoiling any of it. But there is a beauty in its rawness and a level of authenticity rarely ever reached in cinema displayed here. Throughout the film, you feel as if you are actually there, and you hold your breath as you watch this trainwreck of a situation play out. It's impossible to look away from, featuring acting that never once seems like acting, emotional brutality and tension that is fully impacting, and punctuated with so many cathartic moments. Festen is a masterpiece, plain and simple. A rarely seen classic that is ESSENTIAL viewing for any fan of film.

atclubsilencio

wicked little town

03-24-13

Note: As I'm a huge horror junkie, I decided to leave out horror films which I would also consider among my favorites of all time for another list.

seanc