The 170 Visual Pleasures of Pyro

Pryo is fast becoming one of the my favorite posters here.

Interesting list, Pyro! I've not seen many that you mention, but I admit I haven't seen enough films from around the world. I hope to rectify that.

The mentions of Buffy and Firefly/Serenity are also very cool. Have you seen Dr. Horrible yet?

You write great little captions under your pics. I look forward to the next installment!

No I haven't seen it, but have checked out the thread on it- just need to get some spare time.

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Well, it seems my list is lagging and most the 'special' films i have on it are appearing elsewhere. Anyway, here comes some more (and if you haven't noticed it's 170 now- you do the math).


90.
Cross of Iron
(Sam Peckinpah, 1977)




I was thrown a bit at first by the fact Germans were speaking in English but once i got around that it's a typically Peckinpah film and possibly my favourite war film with an interesting perspective and bleak outlook.


89.
Chopper
(Andrew Dominik, 2000)



A powerhouse performance from an unrecognisable Eric Banner as the equally charismatic and psychotic 'Chopper'


88.
Tetsuo
(Shinya Tsukamoto, 1989)



Completely insane cybernetic sexual body horror. Hard to describe with coarse black and white photography and with some pretty graphic experimental scenes (there's a review in my thread for more).


87.
Curb Your Enthusiasm TV SERIES
(Creator: Larry David, 2000-Present)



I never watched Seinfeld but love this show. Mostly improvised by starring-as-himself Larry David comedy genius. For a show that's obviously improvised it hit ratio is surprisingly high with some classic cringe-worthy moments as Larry openly speaks his mind regardless of inevitable consequences.


86.
Brass Eye / Alan Partridge TV SERIES
(Creator: Chris Morris, 1997) / (Creators: Peter Baynham + Steve Coogan + Armando Iannucci, 1997-2002)




Ok, i'm kinda cheating here (more than anywhere else lol). Let's start with The Day Today, Chris Morris' satirical news show with also introduced Steve Coogan's brilliant character of Alan Partridge.



Now, Alan Partridge starred in his own talkshow Knowing Me, Knowing You which was great in it's own right but served best as an introduction to I'm Alan Partridge which the real gold. Partridge is the epitome of a 'berk', an complete failure but utterly oblivious. It's all hilarious whether it's chocolate mousse in the bedroom, pretending to be James Bond with a bottle of Sunny D or running from a psychotic fan.



Back to Chris Morris, who wrote and starred in Brass Eye. If you think Ali G was good at fooling public figures, Morris did it first. There's heapings of controversy as he tackles social problems but the highlight is the Special on Pedophilia, with untold celebrities stating the most idiotic things, believing them to be true. "Pedophiles and crabs have exactly the same DNA, now there's no scientific proof but it is fact". Thank you Dr Fox and DJ Bob Hoskins going mental in a dustbin. Sharp and laugh out loud satire.



85.
A Clockwork Orange
(Stanley Kubrick, 1971)



I stopped at this film in my last post because i couldn't really think of anything to say that would do it justice. It's violent, snappy and just another iconic classic


84.
Friday
(F. Gary Gray, 1995)



I imagine most serious lists would have Boyz n the Hood, which is a good film and everything but this is just a lot more fun; it's almost identical, just without taking itself seriously. I actually really like Ice Cube as an actor and Chris Tucker is also great (as in not grate like normal).


83.
Flash Gordon
(Mike Hodges, 1980)



If you remember, this was tied with Star Wars V in my last list, well i dropped that as this just does everything with ten times the camp and cheese. For my money has far better lines than "I am your Father" and has a flippin' Queen soundtrack! Brian Blessed kicks Vader's ass any day.


82.
This Is Spinal Tap
(Rob Reiner, 1984)



Hilarious mockumentary with some really smart dialogue and humour- an inspirational and timeless comedy.


81.
Labyrinth
(Jim Henson, 1986)



Ahh, back to the 80s. Jim Henson's puppets freaked me out when i was younger (why they did and Bowie's bulge didn't is a bit worrying) but now i'm all growned up it's one of my guilty pleasures, heck, i even got the Soundtrack and big poster. Magic Dance and Bowie just make me smile everytime i watch it.


80.
*SURPRISE* (yes, i do know what it is just want to write it up a bit better than i would after work)




79.
Kill Bill: Vol 2
(Quentin Tarantino, 2004)



Tarantino is becoming one of the most infuriating people in film for me today. He ruins more films than he should on the back of only two films that are considered classic. Funny thing was, i really dug Vol 1 and hated this one. Then i saw some better films (Lone Wolf and Cub for one) and saw Vol 1 for the crock it is. Vol 2 has the homage much more tactful and refined nor does it the whole film consist of it. Pei Mei, for example is a great nod and, to an extent, re-envisioned character. The whole tone of the film as well is just right as well with the irony of her not actually killing anyone in it. Throw in some stylish moves like a complete black screen with Uma trying to escape her coffin- a good change to the typically pretentious dialogue and even when it does appear (Superman speech) i liked it.


78.
Apocalypse Now
(Francis Ford Coppola, 1979)



I said Cross of Iron was maybe my favourite War Movie but this sprawling epic actually is. It's taken my a while to work out my favourite from the other Vietnam films- Full Metal Jacket, Deer Hunter but i think this one wins as it's far more cinematic, engaging and exciting. Ticks all the boxes.


77.
Ninja Scroll
(Yoshiaki Kawajiri + Kevin Seymour, 1993)



Pure bad ass anime. Rape, monster, blood, gold and plain awesomeness are in abundance.



76. + 75. + 74.

Ok, so a three way tie, although they are actually in order of preference. I do think that all three of these films are going to be the future classics of comedy remembered from this decade. I'd go as far to say they're the new Animal House, Dr Strangelove and Airplane respectively


Superbad
(Greg Mottola, 2007)



A teen comedy about three losers who are actually extremely likeable and in a realistic predicament. Forgets the gross-out humour that's polluting most comedy before this and instead has brilliantly written and acted characters. McLovin almost makes being a geek cool


Team America
(Trey Parker, 2004)



You could call it a bold political statement but before that it's a golden classic tapping right into contemporary concerns and making them funny, with puppets... doing kung-fu.... and ****ing


Anchorman
(Adam McKay, 2004)



This kinda got overshadowed by Dodgeball when it was at cinemas but i do believe it's already a bonafied classic. It's Will Ferrel in probably is one good role with innumerable easily and frequently quoted lines, a nice adult edge.

This will probably, well undoubtedly, be all i have time to for as i'm going to Reading Festival weds-mon. Leave some questions if you like

Quite a few of my own guilty pleasures there

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Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.
Buddha

Wow, that last part of the list had a good number of my favourites on it - but then again, it has Superbad on it

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Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0

Iro, three flicks from your top movies on that post, and looking at your list has just reminded me i still need to watch Withnail And I

Damn right you do. Do it for Tacitus.

Gah, was going to update last night but gashed my right finger open and everytime i move it, it bleeds. Next update after stitches at hospital

Yes! Go on my son for including the brilliant A Clockwork Orange. Easily Stanley Kubrick's best film. And yes, I did just use the word, 'easily'.

But you've gotten me curious my fellow southner, what do you think of Kubrick's other works?

And i'm liking your inclusion of Chopper. I might as well reveal that it's going on my list, too. Definitely took me by surprise and I still don't believe that's Eric Bana, either. I just don't.


SPOILERS


My favourite scene in that film is the very end sequence where he's sitting in jail and laughing at himself on television and all that, but when the two coppers leave, he immediately goes silent. Brilliant moment that was.

Well Hells Bells!!!

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“The gladdest moment in human life, methinks, is a departure into unknown lands.” – Sir Richard Burton

The Flash Gordon mention was the one film I was a bit disappointed to see on his list. I just hate that film. I don't know why, but even as a child I disliked it. I think it's just me because everybody else I know defends the film with their lives.

Oh no worries, to me this is like a sibling not wanting dinner: More for me BABY, more for me!!!!

Try typing with one hand, then.

Ha!

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It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
My IMDb page

Well, he is young, male and knows how to use the Internet. He should've mastered it by now.

You are so compassionate







Get better soon

Lol @ Iro, it's the hand i use on the keyboard that's injured.

Prestige! How can you not like Flash Gordon! If i were braver man i'd just put it straight at number 1, it's the ultimate 80s flick. Camp and cheesy with some classic and dare i say, iconic, performances. Brian Blessed, Max von Sydow, Topol, Timothy Dalton are amazing and then Sam J Jones is so bad he's dubbed over. It's the perfect dichotomy of bad cheese and 80s camp. And as for Chopper Bana is totally unrecognisable isn't he. Very underrated film there

Just want to watch Repo Man, Seventh Seal, Breathless, Zabriskie Point, La Notte, Youth of the Beast, Sunset Blvd, Wings of Desire, The Thin Red Line and Rear Window- of the 50 odd yet-to-watch DVDs got piled up. Recently watched another flick that needs working into my list.

73.
The Fountain
(Darren Aronofsky, 2006)



Now, i'm not one for love stories but this is something else. Magnificently and evocatively shot, N intricate telling of three not-so-separate love stories.



72.
Un Chein Andalou
(Luis Buńuel, 1929)



The term surreal is thrown about a lot nowadays but without much reference to this. Made with artist Dali, it's full of some of the most mesmerising imagery and incoherent dreamlike movement of disconnected ideas.


71.
Dead Man’s Shoes
(Shane Meadows, 2004)



A visceral and at times disturbing British film of a disaffected soldier 'cleaning up his village of thugs' for a spoiler-free synopsis. It's fair to call this a British companion to Taxi Driver but i find it far more resonant with the realistic painting of Britain.


70.
Open Your Eyes
(Alejandro Amenábar, 1997)



Maybe more familiarly known through the god-awful remake Vanilla Sky, this far better Spanish film is a unique genre bending, twisting tale. I think there's a more in depth review in my thread (see sig)


69.
Irreversible
(Gaspar Noe, 2002)



Another film that packs a brutal punch, shot in reverse but better than Memento This French film is more a revenge-rape with some pretty shocking results and the final twist that was pretty sad. Also is another film starring two of the sexiest European actors- Bellucci and Cassel.


68.
Point Break
(Kathryn Bigelow, 1991)



Hot Fuzz may have pushed this one further to cult classic status but this was a long a favourite before that. Keanu Reeves fits in one more film when saying 'duuuude' was amusing, then throw in Patrick Swayze in a better role than Dirty Dancing and everyone's favourite- Gary Busey. Some great sky-diving and surfing scenes as well as some tightly shot action sequences.


67.
Grindhouse
(Robert Rodriguez + Quentin Tarantino, 2007)



Even though Death Proof only gets a

from me, Planet Terror is a rip-roaring zombie flick that plays all the cards right. Despite the flaws in it (QT's cameos for one)- seeing it the cinema was a pure cinematic experience and even Death Proof was bloody enjoyable.


66.
Battle Royale
(Kenji Fukasaku, 2000)



Before i saw this, i'd heard many things, i was expecting a low-budget gore film, i was pleasantly surprised to see it wasn't. The characters are all equally cool in their own way and the way they each deal with their circumstances makes you question how you would act in their position. And did i mention it was just really cool?


65.
Coffy
(Jack Hill, 1973)



Well, this is the only blaxploitation film on my list, it was a close call between this and New Jack City but Hill's exploitation roots shine out and make some gloriously hammy violence and a stand out performance from Pam Grier. It's dated (or maybe it was always like this) to the point where it's as action packed as it is funny.


64.
Scream
(Wes Craven, 1996)



This was one of my favourite childhood films, it's more mature, subtle and refined than the typical 80s slashers and at the same time reworks the conventions of the genre into a fine parody. I reckon that each aspect- the reinvention and as a straight forward slasher film- work together to create a contemporary masterpiece.

Go on, be brave