The MoFo Top 100 of the 60s: Countdown

I like The Apartment a lot, but it is not my favorite Billy Wilder movie. It's not even my favorite of his from the 1960s. I voted for the breathlessly hysterical Cold War screwballer One Two Three, but alas it did not make the top hundred. The Apartment is very good though, of course. Not really sure how it won all the big Oscars, other than the outrageousness that Psycho wasn't even nominated for Best Picture (though it looks like the MoFo voters have righted that Academy injustice). But Lemmon and MacLaine and Billy Wilder are some of the best the industry ever had to offer, so I'm cool enough with it. Shut up and deal.



I definitely did have Polanski's Rosemary's Baby on my list, as my number fifteen. This goreless nightmare is so damn effectively unsettling and timeless because of the palpable dread and paranoia Polanski expertly crafts, aided by a terrific cast, creepy music, and even in the camera angles and what sometimes isn't shown in William Fraker's cinematography. Today's so-called torture porn has nothing on seeing Ruth Gordon at your door through the peephole.

I only have four more coming...

MY LIST
5. Army of Shadows (#58)
6. The Wild Bunch (#15)
9. Z (#44)
11. High & Low (#23)
13. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (#21)
15. Rosemary’s Baby (#9)
17. Bonnie & Clyde (#45)
19. The Battle of Algiers (#69)
21. A Hard Day's Night (#53)
22. Cool Hand Luke (#12)
23. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (#29)
24. Midnight Cowboy (#10)

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"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra

These predictions are fun

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The Apartment snuck on to my list at #24.

I forgot that I owned it (my criteria for all these lists) until I'd almost finished compiling but don't think I'd rank it any higher even with more time to re-jig my standings. I mean, [insert 4 films which aren't gonna make it now] are clearly better.

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"Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how the Tatty 100 is done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves." - Brendan Behan

The Apartment was #19 on my list, and honestly I don't have much to say about it. It's another one of those dialogue and character driven films but what makes it different from other is being timeless and even more important film in today's society. The already amusing setup able depression, joy and dry wit go back and forth as the story is masterfully told by Bill Wilder's direction, and the script that implies so many subtle feelings that it's hard to deny The Apartment being a highly intelligent piece of art.

My list so far:

1. 8 1/2 (1963)
2. An Autumn Afternoon (1962)
3. Will make it!
4. Will make it!
5. The Apartment (1960)
6. Will make it!
7. Will make it!
8. La Dolce Vita (1960)
9. Will make it!
10. Playtime (1967)
11. High and Low (1963)
12. Will make it!
13. Did not make it!
14. Did not make it!
15. Late Autumn (1960)
16. The Swimmer (1968)
17. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)
18. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
19. Blow-Up (1966)
20. Did not make it!
21. Belle de Jour (1967)
22. Peeping Tom (1960)
23. Will make it!
24. Did not make it!
25. Goldfinger (1964)

This means the complete Top 8 is on my list. It proves yet again that my taste is pretty mainstream...

Seven of my Top 8 made the list. This officially means I have a higher quality taste than Cobpyth.

The Breakdown...



4x 1st (100 points), 7x 2nd (168 points), 3rd (23 points), 3x 4th (66 points), 3x 5th (63 points), 3x 6th (60 points), 2x 9th (34 points), 10th (16 points), 2x 12th (28 points), 15th (11 points), 16th (10 points), 2x 17th (18 points), 2x 18th (16 points), 19th (7 points), 2x 20th (12 points), 21st (5 points), 23rd (3 points)



The film was the only to receive its amount of points, so no tie breaking was needed.

I'm actually surprised at this entry. I don't think I've ever heard anyone talk about it on here in the near 4 years I've been here.

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It's in ten top tens... http://www.movieforums.com/community...hp?movieid=947

Cobpyth's top 100 http://www.movieforums.com/community...12#post1330812

Mark's too I think, he at least gives it four stars every time I see him rate it.

I'm sure I gave it five stars when I saw it too.

It won a 1962 HOF thing... http://www.movieforums.com/community...72#post1204172

And I searched Arabia in posts, and these came up in the first few pages...

I personally don't see how it couldn't have made the top ten, let alone the list

Lawrence of Arabia was my #4

I love, love, love, absolutely love this film. When I saw it first time pretty much my journey as a cinephille took a whole new turn. I was blown away by every single aspect of the film, once I pressed the play button I didn't stop until I finished journeying the wide deserts and the long lines of nature and people combined. Fun fact: I ended up becoming around 40 minutes late for a meeting. And of course during the viewing of the film I never went to the bathroom even once.

Now, where do I start about the actual content of this masterpiece. Since there's so many redeeming and memorable qualifies, and connecting them together with multiple paragraphs is a major time-eating pain in the ass (doesn't help that I am typing this on an IPad), so instead I'll post all the goodies packed throughout in Lawrence of Motherf*ckin Arabia

- The Cinematography is pure beauty and never goes too far, let's say Lubzeki-style with all the sunlight and stuff, and remains restraint while capturing the entire moment

- David Lean. Proves only this dude knows how to make a proper epic.

- Peter O' Toole's character. An oddball that I really like because he isn't a typical hero or an even more typical wasn't-a-hero-but-gradually-becomes-one. Sure, he does share similarities with the latter example, but Lawrence doesn't have a low self-esteem or ends up becoming a hero without any troubles. He gets hit, shot, stabbed, and whipped. All these shape him into an entirely human and honest state.

- You know who's better than the man with the double-phallic name? Omar Shariff. If only Mr. Shariff took on roles equally as good as the one he played in this film, he would have been an easy Top 10 actor for me.

- The battle sequences gave me a dream that one day I'll try to create something at least a bit similar to them, just for fun.

- Humans in contrast looking like ants compared to the vast desert, and the blend between human and the surroundings.

- Spielberg estimated that if this film were to be remade today it would cost 260 million dollars. Alright, quality from talent is the majority, but man the studio gave a lot of budget out, and it was soooo worth it.

- Every single character has their own moments.

- The movie isn't just battle after battle and pan shot of a landscape after pan shot of a landscape, a lot of scenes are very unique and dramatic, one of my favorites is one where Lawrence and his two boys gets stuck in a grey-shaded sandstorm.



The above is all I have for now. So lastly what I want to say is, even to this day if you have not seen Lawrence of Arabia, go see it right now. Anyone up for a live commentary? I dare ya!

Also, did you people notice that between The Apartment and Lawrence of Arabia there was almost a 200 point jump?

I loved Lawrence Of Arabia. Put it off for years because of the length I finally got around to it last year and put it pretty high on my last 100. I wish I had watched it years ago. It is a perfect movie. On the face it might seem like a pretty standard epic but the character of Lawrence makes it so much more then that. Great visuals and lead performance as well. Surprised at people saying they didn't expect it here, I expected it higher.

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Letterboxd

I didn't care at all for Lawrence of Arabia, but I know a certain Glaswegian will be happy to see this.

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DANG IT!!!

Lawrence of Arabia was my number 2, and the one that I was secretly hoping would be number 1. For it to not make even make it to the top 5 I find rather disappointing. This film was an achievement that will never again be duplicated. It's truly a flawless epic. Going into it I didn't know how I was gonna fare with a 3hour 40min runtime, but I was completely immersed into the film the whole way through.

It was number 30 in my 100 favorites list.

Amen to everything Gatsby wrote about Lawrence of Arabia!...
He summed the film up beautifully. I can add one more kudo for it:

The direct scene edit from the match flame to the desert sun, it's magically sublime. When I seen that edit I knew films were much more than just a fun time, they can be the celluloid equivalent of a fine art painting.

But apparently some of you don't appreciate this fine film or more likely didn't see it. I can't believe one of the greatest films of all time gets a measly #7 spot. Really, you guys voted films like The Graduate, Dr Strangelove and 2001 as being better than Lawrence of Arabia

Lawrence of Arabia was my #2, I thought for sure it was a cinch for the #1 spot. If I knew it needed more voting help I would have made it my #1

Lawrence of Arabia is an amazing epic! One of the best made by Hollywood!

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Look, I'm not judging you - after all, I'm posting here myself, but maybe, just maybe, if you spent less time here and more time watching films, maybe, and I stress, maybe your taste would be of some value. Just a thought, ya know.

Lawrence of Arabia was my #19. I've seen it on the big screen a few times, and having watched it at the Big Newport, I recommend seeing it on the largest one you can possibly find. (I've also seen Spartacus at the Big Newport and a total of 31 films of this top 100 on the big screen.) The film paints its characters as very flawed (but most are understandable) and the story is rather unpredictable, sorta like the viewer is a grain of sand blown by the desert wind. Lawrence is undoubtedly the most enigmatic character and perhaps the most enigmatic lead character and hero of any major motion picture. Peter O'Toole plays him fascinatingly. His eyes seem to convey so much without any dialogue, but ultimately what and why he feels the way he does is not explained, nor is it necessary. The entire visual aesthetic of the film is such a powerful experience that it does most of the explaining.
#1. Elmer Gantry (48)
#2. Midnight Cowboy (10)
#3. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (29)
#6. My Fair Lady (40)
#7. Mary Poppins (49)
#9. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (21)
#11. West Side Story (28)
#12. Z (44)
#13. The Innocents (32)
#14. The Manchurian Candidate (34)
#15. Rosemary’s Baby (9)
#18. Planet of the Apes (14)
#19. Lawrence of Arabia (7)
#22. Spartacus (47)

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It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
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Some of the desert ultra wide shots in Lawrence of Arabia are mindblowing. By far the best Hollywood-epic.