__________________
"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
If Annie Hall makes the top 20, I will chastise whoever voted for it very heavily. I hate Woody Allen films.
How does number thirty make your sphincter feel?
Woody Allen lands on the very edge of the top thirty. His previous entry, Manhattan, just missed the top fifty (#52). That will never end the debate of which late ‘70s Woody movie is better, but certainly in this MoFo sampling Annie Hall is the more popular, at least. Annie Hall received two first place votes, a third, a fourth, a sixth, two ninth, and a tenth. That’s eight top tens, and eighteen ballots overall. Terrence Malick’s second film on the countdown, after Badlands (58) - he only made two films in the decade, and wouldn’t release another until 1998, the impeccably photographed Days of Heaven, also had eight top ten votes: one first place, a second, a third, a fourth, a fifth, two seventh, and a ninth placer. But it was on nineteen total lists, eeking out two more points than Annie Hall and landing one spot higher.
Annie Hall is now the fifth Best Picture Oscar winner to appear, following yesterday’s The French Connection (31), The Deer Hunter (38), Kramer vs. Kramer (44), and The Sting (57) on the countdown.
Days of Heaven was my fifteenth overall pick, giving me a dozen, so far.
3. Nashville (#43)
8. Little Big Man (#61)
10. The Man Who Would Be King (#81)
13. Breaking Away (#95)
15. Days of Heaven (#29)
16. Solaris (#39)
17. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (#94)
19. MASH (#78)
20. Don’t Look Now (#72)
21. Monty Python's Life of Brian (#41)
22. Le Cercle Rouge (#60)
24. The Spirit of the Beehive (#62)
Annie Hall is great, but I didn't vote for it. I probably would have if Manhattan had not been a 70s film, but I preferred spreading out my votes to other filmmakers and whatnot. As for Days of Heaven, it just doesn't do anything for me, but that's about par for the course with Malick, with the exception of Badlands. It is too bad Annie Hall didn't make the top 20, though, because I was really looking forward to the howls of execration.
__________________
I may go back to hating you. It was more fun.
4. Blazing Saddles (33)
7. Dirty Harry (34)
8. Dawn of the Dead (35)
11. Mean Streets (77)
13. Rocky Horror Picture Show (46)
15. Mad Max (70)
24. All the President’s Men (75)
25. Network (32)
The last two sets knock off two of my top 3. Network was my #3 and Annie Hall my #1. This is the first time a decade list has presented me with no clear-cut #1, but in the end my favourite 70s flick of one of my favourite directors edged the competition out. Who was the other awesome MoFo to have it in the top spot?
I've seen Days of Heaven too but it just missed my list.
1. Annie Hall
2. Picnic at Hanging Rock
3. Network
4. Hausu
5. Nope
6. It better
7. Yep
8.
9. Carrie
10.
11. Top 10
12. No
13. Being There
14. Blazing Saddles
15. Nashville
16. American Graffiti
17. Top 10
18. Top 2
19. Walkabout
20. Yuuuup
21. Yep
22. A Woman Under the Influence
23. No chance
24. Top 10
25. Yes
It might surprise some people that I didn't vote for Annie Hall. I'm a huge Woody Allen fan and I definitely like the film, but it's been quite a while since I've watched it for the last time and I personally am not convinced yet that this is one of Woody's very best films (which basically means that it's not part of my top 5 favorite films of his). It's unmistakably clever and funny, but I happen to think he has made better films. It's definitely a very enjoyable movie to watch and it has a certain typical Allenesque poignancy to it, but it never quite touched me as much as Manhattan, Crimes and Misdemeanors or Stardust Memories, which are my three abolute favorites of his. I'm still very much looking forward to rewatch it again sometime, though. One never knows when the lightning fully strikes.
I watched Days of Heaven for this list and I think I might ultimately prefer it a tad bit over Badlands (but then again, it's not yet a settled matter either). It's a little more ambitious and even more impressive visually than Badlands, so it has that going for it. The film's thoughtful plot and sheer beauty definitely didn't leave me cold, but in the end I didn't feel that I made a strong enough "connection" with the film already to put it on my own personal top 25. It's still a fantastic movie nevertheless and I'll definitely see it many more times in the future!
Also, I've only now reached the 50% mark of films I've seen from this list so far. I'm planning on catching up, but it's a little difficult for me right now with all the exams going on. I'm still very glad to see that I have plenty of good '70s films left to explore!
SEEN: 36/72
100. Logan's Run - 98. Being There - 97. Fantastic Planet - + 96. All That Jazz - #12 on my list! 87. Saturday Night Fever - 84. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie - 82. F for Fake - #17 on my list! 78. MASH - + #19 on my list! 77. Mean Streets - - 76. Hausu - 74. Paper Moon - 71. The Conformist - + #21 on my list! 70. Mad Max – - 66. Animal House - - 64. The Last Picture Show - + 60. Le Cercle Rouge – #13 on my list! 59. Grease – + 58. Badlands – 57. The Sting – #16 on my list! 54. The Jerk – 53. Five Easy Pieces – + #9 on my list! 52. Manhattan - #5 on my list! 47. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory – 46. The Rocky Horror Picture Show – 44. Kramer vs. Kramer – 43. Nashville – #14 on my list! 42. American Graffiti – 41. Life of Brian – 40. Cabaret – + 36. Carrie – (+) 34. Dirty Harry – 33. Blazing Saddles – 32. Network – #15 on my list! 31. The French Connection – 30. Annie Hall – 29. Days of Heaven –
At this point I think it's pretty safe to assume the only Woody Allen film I voted for, Love & Death, will not make the list. It remains my favourite Allen film, I like Annie Hall and Manhattan a lot (the latter in particular), but I couldn't bring myself to vote for either of them. Days of Heaven is gorgeous, it was a tough decision to pick Badlands over it when writing my list, if I'd had more room I would have liked to have fit both of them in, I'm really pleased it made the list.
At this point I think it's pretty safe to assume the only Woody Allen film I voted for, Love & Death, will not make the list. It remains my favourite Allen film.
Love & Death is my favorite of Woody's '70s films, too. And not just because I was an English major. Well, The Front is my actual tops featuring Woody in that decade, but he didn't write or direct that one.
Though every movie fan should appreciate this great scene from Annie Hall. Oh, to have the power to shut somebody up like that. "You know nothing of my work..."
At this point I think it's pretty safe to assume the only Woody Allen film I voted for, Love & Death, will not make the list. It remains my favourite Allen film, I like Annie Hall and Manhattan a lot (the latter in particular), but I couldn't bring myself to vote for either of them.
I voted for three other Woody films besides Annie Hall: Love and Death, Sleeper and Play It Again, Sam (which he wrote and starred in), none of which will make it now, sadly. Or happily for some of you, I'm sure.
Love & Death is my favorite of Woody's '70s films, too. And not just because I was an English major. Well, The Front is my actual tops featuring Woody in that decade, but he didn't write or direct that one.
Though every movie fan should appreciate this great scene from Annie Hall. Oh, to have the power to shut somebody up like that. "You know nothing of my work..."
This set contrasts my sensibilities as a movie watcher pretty well. One is all about the cinematography and the setting. The other is all about the characters and the script. Days Of Heaven is fine, but I do not think it is the kind of movie that is ever going to stick with me long term.
Annie Hall on the other hand rises farther up in my favorites every time I watch it. It is Allen's best by a wide margin for me. That is saying something because I really respond to a lot of his films. If I had to pick a favorite movie based on script alone this would probably be it. There is not a moment I would change. #3 on my list.
I will not forgive Cob for leaving it off his list. The Allen fans were counting on you to get it higher up.
Reply to Topic
More of a technical director, yes yes
