Felt the same way you did when I first saw Spirited Away, and ended up being one of my favorite films of all time (currently 9th). I was amazed by its imagination and the world filled with mysterious, exotic, and interesting creatures.
The extremely rich colours of the backgrounds and the incredibly realistic physics of the animation are among the reasons why I rate it so highly among my favorites. Some animated sequences send shivers down my spine every time I watch it. But the primary reason for my extremely high rating is its transcedental spiritual nature, its abstract qualities that distinguish it from other more "realistic" Miazaki films. I even had it number one at some point.
Also Chihiro is super cute without having those super distorted features as its common in manga, because of the films super high budget allowed for a realistic representation of her mannerisms, which make her look child-like naturally.
By now his top list must have changed significantly.
Absolutely and that's what's holding me back a little bit. I might just post the films that originally were meant to be in the top 35 (which are all films that would probably still make my top 100 today), but without the big explanations for each film anymore.
Alright. Time to finish this list. It will be shorter than normal. I'll keep the (longer) personal descriptions for the following 35 films for my next list.
This is how my top 35 favorite films looked like on the 3rd of february, 2014:
Watched it again a couple of weeks ago and I love it even more than I used to. Exceptional atmospheric film about looking at society from a lonely and severely twisted viewpoint. Unbelievable filmmaking! It also has one of the best theme songs of all time!
--------------------------------- 34. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Miraculous filmmaking by Stanley Kubrick. Perhaps the most thematically ambitious film ever made. A triumph!
--------------------------------- 33. Apocalypse Now (1979)
Another ridiculously ambitious and miraculous film. Another triumph. This time from the mastermind of Francis Ford Coppola. I always watch the theatrical version, so that's also the version that this spot represents.
It's fair to say that I became a devoted PTA "fanatic" after watching this film for the first time. It gave me energetic thrills like only some of the best of Scorsese's and Tarantino's films could (until that point). I LOVED it!
--------------------------------- 31. After Hours (1985)
Man, this is such a fantastic film. It's like a trippy nightmare with some very seductive and comical aspects to it. A hell of a ride that is highly rewatchable! One of Scorsese's most enjoyable films in my opinion.
Taxi Driver is too low . Also love Apocalypse Now and After Hours. 2001 is not a personal favourite but every time I've rewatched it I liked it more, I'm planning on rewatching it as my last film before I send in my 60s list. Boogie Nights desperately needs a rewatch, I only watched it once when I was 16 or something.
One of the most heartbreaking films ever made about aging and death. The third act is one of the greatest expositions of social hypocrisy ever put on film, but in the first place, this is a film with a very human core.
--------------------------------- 29. Ed Wood (1994)
You have to see Plan 9 from Outer Space (and preferrably some other Ed Wood films as well) before seeing this film. It offers a great context that enriches the experience of this film immensely. This is Tim Burton's masterpiece. It breathes love for the cinematic medium and also love for the outsiders in the business that the medium has become associated with. Truly a wonderful film!
--------------------------------- 28. The Master (2012)
This film... It would probably even be higher if I made this list today. It's so freaking fantastic. It perfectly reflects the love and respect PTA has for the old-fashionedness of the postbellum era (a love that I passionately have in common with him, by te way). The period settings are amazing and the costumes and mannerisms are all perfect, but the most important thing is that PTA succeeds where (most) others have failed. He was able to make everything look vital and real (while still being extremely "romantic" as well), while telling a magnificent character story about a lost ex-soldier and the equally troubled cult leader that takes him under his wings. For me this is the greatest film of the 2010s and I'll be extremely (happily) surprised if another film will make me doubt that accolade for even one second.
Woody at his best. A rich (and occasionally very funny) film about neurotic lives in the Big Apple on the tunes of George Gershwin. It's profound, it's enjoyable and it's highly rewatchable. It's also one of Woody's best looking pictures.
Woody's take on Fellini's 8 1/2. It's obviously influenced by Fellini's masterpiece, but at the same time, I feel like it's also still very much a "typical" Woody Allen film. It's probably also one of his most audacious films. It's very hard to describe the effect this film had on me the first time I watched it. I was so extremely touched by it. I litterally thought about this film every hour of the day for more than a month and watched the above scene everytime before I went to sleep. All of Woody's films have a very existential (and sometimes nihilistic) touch to them, but I don't think he ever dug deeper in his search for meaning and satisfaction than in this one. One of the best film experiences I ever had.
This is a film that I always love to revisit when I'm feeling a little down. Not because it's such a "happy" film, but because it's a film that understands what "feeling like you're nothing" is like. I also love the "Lonely Room" part of the theme music. You can listen it in the video above, preferably at night in your apartment when you're feeling a little melancholic.
--------------------------------- 24. The Shining (1980)
Kubrick's psychological horror labyrinth. I like all the theories that have been attributed to this film, but for me it's mainly a masterful haunting cinematic trip. It all makes sense when I'm watching the film.
The film speaks for itself. This is Billy Wilder's greatest cinematic achievement and it's (one of) the boldest films ever made about Hollywood by Hollywood. Stunning.
When a cool movie idea like this gets directed by Alfred Hitchcock, you can be sure that the result will be something special. He doesn't need more than the courtyard of an apartment block during a hot summer week to create something that still feels original and unique 60 years after its release.
--------------------------------- 21. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
The combination of epicness and intimacy that Leone was able to capture in his films is probably unmatched. It's perhaps even a little more prevalent in Once Upon a Time in the West (which is placed lower in this 2014 version of my favorites list), but I guess I placed this one higher because it's just so freaking cool and masculine.
In this last set there are 2 movies that I absolutely love (Ikiru, Manhattan) one that I like very much (Stardust Memories) and 2 that I dislike (The Master, Ed Wood)
I don't think Stardust Memories is Allen's masterpiece, or even one of his best, but it is indeed his version of 8 1/2, it is no where near the beautifully pictued New York city and the charming story of Manhattan though :P
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The Master, The Apartment, Manhattan, TGTBATU, Sunset Boulevard and The Shining are all major favourites. Not a big fan of Rear Window and haven't seen the rest.
Stardust Memories is one of Woody's weakest for me, but back then I hadn't seen 8 1/2, so I didn't get the references.
Ikiru is easily my least favorite in these last two sets, I found it incredibly forced and melodramatic. Interesting that you place After Hours above Taxi Driver too, even if I love it to death. The rest all range from good to great.
Interesting that you place After Hours above Taxi Driver too, even if I love it to death. The rest all range from good to great.
I think that would be one of the changes I'd make today. I'd probably rank Raging Bull over After Hours as well. I still adore After Hours and it remains one of my favorite films, but I love those two other films more now.
I think that would be one of the changes I'd make today. I'd probably rank Raging Bull over After Hours as well. I still adore After Hours and it remains one of my favorite films, but I love those two other films more now.
As one should, and with Goodfellas still to come I hope.
I think that would be one of the changes I'd make today. I'd probably rank Raging Bull over After Hours as well. I still adore After Hours and it remains one of my favorite films, but I love those two other films more now.
Makes sense. I think Raging Bull is undeniably a bigger achievement for Scorsese, it's definitely way more artistic (and cinematic). I will always prefer After Hours though, mainly because I've never had a movie fill me with such euphoria before (maybe with the exception of Vertigo), so it's obviously a very personal film for me. It's not exactly life-changing or a landmark for cinema, but it just tickled me in all the right places, in the best way possible.
Also, it's probably the only movie I love that I'll never see again.
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