Empire Strikes Back is fantastic, but I still hold New Hope as my favorite Star Wars entry. Glad both made it.
Seven is a really good movie that I never get an itch to rewatch. Not top 100 material for me, especially considering Zodiac won't make it, but mofo has spoken.
I don't like to self-promote a lot, but for what it's worth, here are the links to the episodes of my podcast where I give my brief thoughts on some of the ones that have come up on the list so far...
After a bunch of entries, here are the links to the episodes of my podcast where I give some thoughts on the films that have come up on the list so far...
I also did two special episodes on Die Hard and Seven (I think I shared the former shortly after it came up on the list). In both, I break down/analyze/whatever a specific scene from each film, so feel free to check them out too...
The Empire Strikes Back is great, and probably my favorite Star Wars film, but did not make my list.
I just re-watched Se7en recently, after listening to Thief's podcast covering the film. What can I say about Fincher's magnificent thriller that hasn't already been said. As I mentioned previously, I didn't want to just fill my list with Fincher, and if I had included another of his films, it probably would have been Zodiac, which is perhaps his best film. But man, Se7en is just so damned good. A fantastic example of a thriller that just grabs ahold of the viewer and doesn't let go. Groundbreaking at the time, it spawned several years worth of inferior copycat films, treating people to watered down simulacrums that attempted to copy the production values and themes with little success.
So yea...Se7en probably should have been on my list. Maybe in 2030?
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“It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.”― Thomas Sowell
I should have made a six-film update yesterday, but I'll settle for eight today.
The only film I haven't seen from the latest batch is The Wizard of Oz. I've read the book, though, and I wouldn't be surprised if I'd eventually see the film as well.
The Godfather: Part II is really good, but I prefer (by an extremely small margin) the first film. Not really a contender for me, but one of the best gangster films I've seen.
Back to the Future and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest can both be summed by "seen a long time ago, don't remember much". Maybe they deserve a rewatch as an adult, but especially BttF doesn't seem too interesting.
A Clockwork Orange, like most Kubricks, is kind of meh in my opinion. I rewatched it a few years ago and was somewhat bored.
Once Upon a Time in the West is the best western ever done. It was #2 on my ballot. Here's my review from two years ago:
A mysterious man playing harmonica, a widow and a former whore from New Orleans, a leader of an outlaw gang and a railroad tycoon with his cold-blooded enforcer are all brought together by a piece of land in the middle of nowhere.
Cinematically a direct continuation for Leone's Dollars Trilogy, Once Upon a Time in the West takes his style one last step further. At times its pace slows down to a crawl with all action and dialogue replaced by extreme close-ups of creased faces and dusty men trudging slowly towards their deaths. Story isn't built properly but advances almost accidentally on the heels of the dying. But somehow Leone makes this all work.
This is my favorite Leone and favorite western. It has less humor than any film in the Dollars Trilogy and has far more somber mood. The film pushes one form of cinema to the extreme and while continuously teetering on the brink of boring and ridiculous it never falters. It's like Harmonica's smile that never breaks into laughter but can't be wiped off his face either.
Whole cast is pretty much perfect. I personally prefer Bronson over Eastwood - he's less traditional macho but more edgy and threatening somehow. Fonda and his cold blue eyes make a fine villain and Cardinale is strong but still feminine widow caught up in the middle of the conflict. There's not a bad actor choice in the whole film.
Cinematography is just fantastic and Morricone's soundtrack is awesome. Settings look great and you can feel how the progress is killing the old West before your eyes. Once Upon a Time in the West is a true epic that fixes all the little issues Leone had in his previous westerns. A true masterpiece and a film that has a safe spot on my personal top-10.
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is the best SW movie. I just rewatched the original trilogy, and it's still an awesome film. I'm pretty sure it would be on my top-100, but it didn't make my ballot.
Seven I saw in theaters (I've probably rewatched it too, but it's ages ago as well). I remember liking it quite a lot, and I've been meaning to rewatch it at some point.
Seen 44/72 My list this far:
01: The Exorcist (1973) [#47]
02: Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) [#31]
05: Aliens (1986) [#37]
13: The Seventh Seal (1957) [honorable mention]
15: The Terminator (1984) [#56]
25: Poison for the Fairies (1984) [1-pointer]
And Kubrick is going to sneak up behind and blow past them all in the last 28 entries
Yep. He's gonna have three on the list for sure (A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, and 2001), but I wouldn't be surprised if he sneaks two more (Full Metal Jacket, Eyes Wide Shut, Dr. Strangelove?)... and I would be so pleased with that
Yep. He's gonna have three on the list for sure (A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, and 2001), but I wouldn't be surprised if he sneaks two more (Full Metal Jacket, Eyes Wide Shut, Dr. Strangelove?)... and I would be so pleased with that
I had Dr Strangelove in mind, but Full Metal Jacket could still have an outside shot...
Two gooduns but not on my list. I rewatched Se7en the other day and it is technically outstanding. Empire is often touted as the best star wars film and it probably is but I prefer the first one because it feels so huge. It launched something so big it feels special every time I watch it.
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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
Yep. He's gonna have three on the list for sure (A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, and 2001), but I wouldn't be surprised if he sneaks two more (Full Metal Jacket, Eyes Wide Shut, Dr. Strangelove?)... and I would be so pleased with that
I would place a large bet on Strangelove joining those two, and the other two missing out.
Not only is this line great, but there's a few like this that serve the very important purpose of breaking up the unbearable tension and horror of the film. I don't think it would work otherwise.
"Se7en" is a great crime vehicle that holds your attention throughout. Brilliantly written and wonderfully acted with a wicked closing stanza. It really should be on my list, but have a couple of other crime dramas already.
The first"Star Wars" was original, exciting and fun, much like a modern day " Wizard of Oz". Star Wars episodes 2 through 50 is just the same shtick just with new and exciting characters. They were okay but never even a concideration.
Well, Star Wars really has fallen out of favour on movie forums - thought Empire would be top 10! It was my #3 anyway. Still can't beat the combination of adventure, action, romance and sci-fi flavoured family drama.
Se7en is a well made movie but a bit grim to be a faovurite of mine.