The Movie Forums Top 100 of All-Time Refresh: Countdown

I urge anyone who likes Airplane! to check out Zero Hero!...I guarantee they'll have a blast.

I have no idea? It was likely going to be covered under the parody legal decisions, but it was so direct a remake, structurally, that the producers went ahead and bought the rights to Zero Hour anyway so they couldn't be sued later if Airplane! was a hit.

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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

After looking up the definition for "vacillating," I'd say it's the opposite.

When it comes to ranking favorites, the method that works best for me is the hypothetical desert island question. (Assuming this desert island has electricity, TVs and DVD players.) I have to choose to take with me Movie X or Movie Y. Whichever movie I select, it's the only movie I'm going to be able to watch for the rest of my life (or until a passing ship spots my SOS ), so it's paramount that I choose the movie that means the most to me that I can foresee myself returning to again and again without fatigue.

Obviously a ton of factors play into that decision. Maybe it's a movie that conjures fond memories. Maybe it's a movie that stimulates or challenges me intellectually. Maybe it's a movie that inspires me in some sense. There might be a theme that resonates deeply. A worldview that mirrors my own. A story that never fails to engage no matter how many times I watch it unfold. Characters with whom I never tire of hanging out. Simple wish-fulfillment. Some combination of any or all of the above. I'd say for me personally the actual quality of the movie is probably the least important factor, though it does sometimes play a role. (I'd probably file "quality" under the inspirational part, since great art often inspires me.)

I've ranked my favorites numerous times in the past to satisfy my own personal curiosity, and I'm amazed by how similar the rankings remain between earlier versions despite not even glancing at the previous lists until after the completion of the newest one. Typically when a movie starts to slip it's only because it's been too long since I last watched it, and usually an overdue re-watch sends it back into the vicinity of earlier rankings. I used to include one-time watches, but more often than not when checking earlier lists, I'd be like, "Why the hell did I include ____? I haven't thought about that movie a single time in the last two years!" Or maybe I had revisited the movie and discovered that it was already diminishing returns. The Big Country is one of my favorite first-time watches this year. I'm sure I'll love it just as much if not more on re-watches, but if I'm about to depart for my desert island, I'm going to choose to take with me the movie that has already withstood multiple viewings without losing its enjoyment/impact/whatever rather than find myself cursing Gregory Peck's existence every night in my little sand hut as I'm stuck with a movie that didn't hold up on multiple viewings.

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Say, have we gotten a clue for the next couple films. I'm anxious to embarrass myself again with another head scratching guess.

West Side Story is a very good musical. The songs are not cringy, cheesy or plain bad like in so many of musicals from the 50s and 60s.

American Beauty is ugh-okay. Cool trivia: Ingmar Bergman loved it.

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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.

The most surprising thing about West Side Story making the countdown is that @WSSlover didn't even submit a ballot. Otherwise it would have had 25 more points. I have no strong opinion of the movie. I watched it just a couple years ago and thought it was alright but it hasn't stuck with me. I think the only musical number I can recall offhand is "I Feel Pretty." And Natalie Wood is indeed one of the prettiest actresses to ever grace the screen.

I haven't seen American Beauty since the early 2000's. I remember very little from it except Spacey masturbating in the shower and Thora Birch flashing me from next door.

Everything "deserves" to be here.

I think people are setting themselves up for disappointment if they view this countdown as a 100 Greatest Films type thing. This countdown is simply a snapshot of MoFo's collective taste in this exact moment in time. And personally I find that far more interesting anyway. We have They Shoot Pictures and other publications/websites if people just want to see a list of the supposed "greatest" films of all-time.

I'm busy working, but on a break. So I'll sum up my answer this way:

I'm fine with people using whatever methodology they use to determine their favorite movies & Top 25 for this list. I'm not OK with someone telling someone else that their methodology is wrong.

Bah....going obvious



The Family Man and T2

I wonder how he would have directed it. I'm guessing Bergman liked the subject matter.

Exactly. Is my opinion of American Beauty supposed to nullify the opinions of those who apparently love it? They voted for it. It's there. My feelings are thankfully irrelevant.

Pinocchio (1940) and The Dark Knight?

I wanna say Spider-Man 2 and Mrs. Doubtfire.

I think you would enjoy La Strada (1954) starring Anthony Quinn and Giulietta Masina, and Juliette of the Spirits (1965), again starring Masina (F. Fellini's wife). My favorite remains La Dolce Vita (1960).

Yes, Airplane is considered a parody of Zero Hour!, but I always felt it was giving a nod to 1954's The High and the Mighty as well.

Star Wars and Forrest Gump

Step Brothers

The Empire Strikes Back or Spaceballs.

The Shining is the vibe that I get from the image, but I think it would be too early for it, considering its reputation.

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Joker and Leon