Ahwell's Lists and Projects

→ in
Tools    





Beauty and The Beast. I have, lamentably, yet to see Mr Fox 😞
I'd agree with you on Beauty and the Beast, Fox on the other hand is debatable. There are some pretty important and deep themes in there. It's one of my top five favorite animated movies ever, I definitely recommend it
__________________
Lists and Projects
Letterboxd



The trick is not minding
Beauty and The Beast. I have, lamentably, yet to see Mr Fox 😞
I'd agree with you on Beauty and the Beast, Fox on the other hand is debatable. There are some pretty important and deep themes in there. It's one of my top five favorite animated movies ever, I definitely recommend it
Ive heard nothing but good things about Mr Fox so far so I’m eager to see it soon



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
#1 Spirited Away vs. #6 Mary and Max

Spirited Away - 4
Mary and Max - 3

Winner: #1 Spirited Away

These are both good movies. I probably would have picked Spirited Away too, but it's a very close match.
__________________
.
If I answer a game thread correctly, just skip my turn and continue with the game.
OPEN FLOOR.




Mary and Max
Year: 2009
Director: Adam Elliot

If there's one good reason for my doing this entire tournament, it's probably the fact that I discovered so many good new films, and easily the best movie I discovered was Mary and Max. It's actually shocking that this movie placed in the countdown in the first place, or was even released to American audiences. It's an Australian adult stop-motion independent film. It's in black and white, except for some sparse scenes of color. The plot is slow moving, and it's overall a dark film that doesn't really make you feel very good.

And I love it! I've now seen it three times in only a couple months, and I'm loving it more and more each time. It's one of the most unique films I've ever seen, and watching this movie, it just reminds me how good of a year 2009 was for animation. We got three incredible entirely original flicks (Up, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Mary and Max) plus solid films like Coraline and Ponyo as well. But Mary and Max didn't even get nominated for Best Animated Picture. I don't think it should have won (Fantastic Mr. Fox is better) but it should have gotten a nomination.

However, as I said, I'm shocked it's even kind of well-known at all. But I'm happy that it is, because I watched it and, as I said, I loved it. There are essentially only two characters in this entire film. Can you guess who they are? Tough one. Anyways, I think the movie spans maybe 10-15 years through the lives of Mary (a young girl who lives in Australia) and Max (an obsese atheist with Asperger's who lives in New York). I can honestly say both these characters are so real and touching, they are so lovable yet have clear flaws. Watching them grow and learn during the movie is amazing.

Mary and Max isn't afraid to push boundaries about animation. For one, there are zero elements of fantasy. Nada. I mean, the characters have thoughts and stuff, and the visuals are shown, but there's nothing in the plot that couldn't actually happen. In fact, the movie claims its based off of a true story (I read later that it is the director's own personal experiences with a pen pal). Another thing Mary and Max does is include characters who aren't likely for any movie, much less animation. Take Max. He used to be Jewish, now he's Atheist. His mom killed herself and his Dad ran off with some chick. He's obese. And we learn about halfway through that he has Asperger's Syndrome. Just his short description is so incredibly detailed, you come out of this movie thinking that Adam Elliot must have just put so much work into the characters and the story.

I don't generally like narration in this film. It can get boring and old, and can be overused for emotional manipulation. Well, Mary and Max is like 99% narration. It's either the omniscient narrator, or Mary and Max talking about their lives. The rest of the movie includes short remarks by the characters during daily lives. And for this movie, it works perfectly! The letters they write never feel forced, they feel authentic, and I was actually beginning to wonder if these were actual letters originally used in the "true story" mentioned earlier. Needless to say, fantastic writing.

The quirky soundtrack is golden. There's a fun mixture of classics like Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet and Handel's Zadok the Priest, and tunes like Que Sera and some Frank Sinatra song (forgot lol). The music in between and at the end is very powerful as well. I basically loved all the music choices in this movie (pus the typewriter song!! Loved that).

The animation is totally cool. Most of it is in a dark black and white. There are sometimes reds, or other colors, but really, this is a black and white film. It adds to the overall mood and tone, and you're left somewhere between depressed as f*** and nostalgic for some long forgotten past. The animation is also oddly realistic looking. I know it's weird to say for crudely shaped figures out of clay, but these people feel like actual humans I could meet. I don't know why I feel that way lmao.

If you couldn't tell by this review, I love Mary and Max. Only reason I wouldn't give it a
or higher is just because I don't know how many times I can watch it. It's just a bit too depressing, and I think three's good for a couple of years at least now. That's not to say I don't recommend it. EVERYONE needs to watch this film at least once. Seriously, I think it's that important. It certainly won't be everyone's cup of tea, but for some of you this must just turn into an eternal favorite as it has for me.




Ive heard nothing but good things about Mr Fox so far so I’m eager to see it soon
DONT listen to Miss Vicky about it, whatever you do, her opinion is wrong



FINAL ROUND:

#1 Spirited Away vs. #1 Wall-E

Originality - Spirited Away
Script/Screenplay - Wall-E
Animation - Spirited Away
Characters - Spirited Away
Music/Sound - Spirited Away
Themes/Values - Spirited Away
Structure/Pacing - Wall-E

Spirited Away - 5
Wall-E

GRAND CHAMPION: #1 Spirited Away

Sorry @gbgoodies and probably @Miss Vicky too.




Wall-E
Year: 2008
Director: Andrew Stanton

Wall-E is pretty easily my favorite Pixar movie. Ratatouille comes close I guess, but not close enough for it to be hard for me to choose. There's something about Wall-E that just elevates beyond everything else Pixar has done. It's a masterpiece, truly a masterpiece. I don't even know how to get started talking about it because they're just so much!

Let's just start with the opening scene, because that is one good opening scene. Every time I hear "Put On Your Sunday Clothes" now I get chills, because it's used so effectively in Wall-E. We get first beautiful images of outer space. There is a camera pan down to a terrible looking Earth, and then it zooms in to show a post-apocalyptic nightmare. I've never played Fallout, but apparently this part of Wall-E reminds a lot of people of the game because of the soundtrack. It is certainly very well done. And then we realize it's really Wall-E playing Hello, Dolly, which he happens to own a copy of. So, anyways, it basically becomes a slice of life film for fifteen or so minutes.

These first thirty minutes are seriously so good. Best part of the movie by far. They follow Wall-E in his daily routine. We learn who he is - a robot who has been cleaning up trash after humans for almost a millennium. His life is boring and tedious, but he makes it interesting. He's basically a hoarder, a robot with no physical heart but with so much personality. There's a moment when, listening to Hello Dolly, he looks up at the stars as the clouds part. I get literal chills watching this part. It connects to me so well. For a moment, I am Wall-E, waiting for something to happen on this lonely world.

And then Eve comes. Meaning something happens. Now I don't think anyone likes anyone likes Eve nearly as much as Wall-E, but Eve (or shall we call her Ev-A) is a great character. She also has a mind of her own, and a strong personality. She's clearly aggressive and cautious, but we learn later that she also has a heart and the ability to love. Wall-E basically falls in love with her right from the get-go. We get a hilarious montage of poor Wall-E trying to watch and impress her. And then he finally is able to get them in his little "home" together at night (), and the rest is history.

Well, not really. Then Eve finds the plant (her mission), and they go back to where all the humans are. The rest is a wildly adventurous and hilarious ride that's not quite as great as the opening, but that's okay. Auto is a great villain (very reminiscent of HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey), as well. Which reminds me - Wall-E takes clear inspiration from two major texts - Kubrick's 1968 2001: A Space Odyssey, and The Holy Bible.

Let's start with 2001. Obviously the first similarity is that both these movies are sci-fi movies set in the future (although Wall-E is set considerably more forward in time). Both, interestingly, make use of the same music. Yes, if you listen closely, you can hear part of Strauss's The Blue Danube and the other Strauss's Also Sprach Zarathustra. These are used much more obviously in 2001: A Space Odyssey, and I wonder if Pixar wanted to do a sly reference. As I already mentioned, Auto is a clear imitator of HAL, who seeks to control Bowman's mission to Jupiter in 2001: A Space Odyssey. So, yeah, this movie has a lot of similar themes and ideas.

And then the Bible. Yes, the director even confirmed this was inspired by the Bible. Let's start with Wall-E himself, who is a clear version of a Christ Figure. Wall-E is a touchingly loving, curious, and kind character who likes to help everyone. *cough* Jesus. That's not all. He enters the world of humans, then attempts to save literally all humanity, but Auto (The Devil/Evil/villains in the Bible) crushes (crucifies) him. Even though nearly dead, he holds on to the plant and saves humanity. Of course, he can't actually die , so he's revived by Eve, much to everyone's relief. That is a clear allegory to Christ's journey on Earth. There are other biblical references (such as the names of the human characters, John and Mary). Plus, well, Eve... that's a biblical name whether you want to admit or not.

I hear a lot of people say that Wall-E is important because it's about saving the environment and protecting the Earth. Yes, that's important, but it's not why I love this movie. I like Wall-E because it has great characters, a touching story, and a beautiful ending. The themes for me more have to do with love and sacrifice than the world and the environment. At its core, it's a robot love story. Which... Well, I love that.




Before I forget, here's my comlete ranking of every film I watched for this tournament:

Amazing
1. Spirited Away
2. Wall-E
3. Fantasia
4. Fantastic Mr. Fox
5. Ratatouille
6. Toy Story
7. The Incredibles
8. Princess Mononoke
9. Mary and Max
10. Up
11. Toy Story 3
12. Pinocchio

Good
13. Monsters, Inc.
14. Waltz With Bashir
15. Porco Rosso
16. Kiki's Delivery Service
17. Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers
18. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
19. My Neighbor Totoro
20. Fantastic Planet
21. The Iron Giant
22. Finding Nemo
23. How to Train Your Dragon
24. Beauty and the Beast
25. Toy Story 2
26. Tale of Tales
27. Castle in the Sky
28. Grave of the Fireflies
29. Chicken Run
30. Bambi
31. Wreck-it Ralph
32. Perfect Blue
33. Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
34. The Lego Movie
35. Waking Life
36. Charlotte's Web
37. Yellow Submarine
38. Akira
39. Persepolis
40. Aladdin
41. The Little Mermaid

Mediocre
42. Howl's Moving Castle
43. The Simpsons Movie
44. Shrek
45. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
46. Rango
47. Duck Amuck
48. The Lion King
49. Sleeping Beauty
50. A Scanner Darkly
51. Coraline
52. Frozen
53. The Nightmare Before Christmas
54. Alice in Wonderland
55. Whisper of the Heart
56. The Plague Dogs
57. Kung Fu Panda
58. Dumbo

Bad
59. The Jungle Book
60. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
61. South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut
62. Despicable Me
63. Ghost in the Shell
64. The Illusionist



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
FINAL ROUND:

#1 Spirited Away vs. #1 Wall-E

Spirited Away - 5
Wall-E - 2

GRAND CHAMPION: #1 Spirited Away

Sorry @gbgoodies and probably @Miss Vicky too.

I was hoping that Wall-E would win, but I saw your thread "Spirited Away: best animated film ever?", so I knew this was coming.

But at least Wall-E made it to the finals, so I'm happy.




Spirited Away
Year: 2001
Director: Hayao Miyazaki

Long before Miyazaki was my favorite animator and one of my favorite directors, I stumbled across Spirited Away. I had been told it was good, and it looked beautiful, so I thought what the heck.

Well... I hated it. Didn't like it all. I thought it was choppy, maybe visually beautiful, but ugly in terms of characters and story. I didn't like the overall structure and pacing either, it felt rushed. There was just something off about this movie. I didn't know what it was... and I still don't! Because I frickin' love Spirited Away now! What was I thinking? I'm ashamed that I ever disliked a film as beautiful, imaginative, and stunning as this.

For the first couple years after I first watched Spirited Away, I think I watched it a couple more times. And it began to grow on me. A lot. I don't think I've ever changed my opinion so much on one movie. Now it sits easily in my top ten movies of all time. I scratch my head and try to find a problem with it. And I come up empty. There are maybe one or two shots or seconds I would change about this movie. Seriously, the most perfect animated film ever made.

No movie is good without a good protagonist. Some of the Miyazaki films I don't like as much as the others (Howl's Moving Castle, My Neighbor Totoro) don't really have a strong main character one can relate to. Well, Chihiro is one of Miyazaki's best protagonists (I would only put her second to Porco Rosso). She's obviously a very flawed girl - she has problems, and she's struggling with dealing with them. But we realize that she is a brave, kind, and smart young woman who totally earns our respect by the end. Her character transition should be ranked right up there with people like Jules in Pulp Fiction and Michael Corleone in The Godfather as one of the greatest of all time.

I can't talk about any Miyazaki movie without talking about the visuals. Although it's basically impossible to choose, I might put this at the most visually stunning film Miyazaki has done yet. I don't really know how to describe it adequately in words, so just take a look for yourself:






It's like every single frame is a full-fledged mural, a painting meticulously crafted by Miyazaki and his associates. Amazing. The visuals elevate Spirited Away from amazing to "God-Tier." I don't think anything like this will be repeated in animation... although twenty years ago I would might said the same of Fantasia, until this movie came along. I sure hope Miyazaki out-does himself, only he could do better than Spirited Away right now.

And talk about an amazing score... Just go listen to it. Chill out, listen to some beautiful Joe Hiashi piano and strings. The melodies are gorgeous, the mood is just perfect. No other soundtrack would pair so well with the visuals and the tone of this movie. The music is that little thing that makes this movie both happy and sad at the same time. The feeling when Haku remembers who he is. The feeling when Chihiro leaves the bath house. The feeling when she leaves "Grammy," and the feeling we get a day after watching it when we're still thinking about it.

The pure imagination of Spirited Away is almost too good to be true. All these creatures were the brainchildren of Miyazaki, and it's so fascinating to understand what a creative person he is. Not only does he understand children, he understands fantasy. He understands all the wondrous sights that we want to say, and he delivers. Every f***ing time. His work makes me actually proud to be human. And I'd put Miyazaki was one of the most consistently good directors out there. There's only one of his movies I don't consider a favorite, Howl's Moving Castle, and that's still a decent film.

And another thing with this guy... it's funny, whenever I read about him or talk about him it seems that everyone has their own personal favorite. That's odd for a director. No one chooses Spartacus or Eyes Wide Shut as their favorite Kubrick film. No one chooses Lifeboat as their favorite Hitch. For Miyazaki, every film of his has a separate group that thinks its the best. Maybe they're all the best. Spirited Away is my personal favorite, but I can't objectively call it the best. I do love comparing and making lists (hence this tournament), but some things are better left alone in terms of comparison in quality. Miyazaki's film canon is probably one of them.




Well, I've wrapped up here, it's time for another tournament.

I've chosen "AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs" to do next.

Critera for this tournament:
Originality
Script
Humor
Characters
Music/Sound
Themes/Values
Structure/Pacing

Same as animation tournament, but I've switched out "Visuals" for "Humor."
First round matchups:

#1 Some Like it Hot vs. #16 Broadcast News
#8 The Thin Man vs. #9 Modern Times
#5 The Odd Couple vs. #12 A Shot in the Dark
#4 Singin' in the Rain vs. #13 To Be or Not To Be
#3 The Graduate vs. #14 Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
#6 Born Yesterday vs. #11 Moonstruck
#7 The Gold Rush vs. #10 It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World
#2 It Happened One Night vs. #15 Diner

#1 Tootsie vs. #16 Beverly Hills Cop
#8 Raising Arizona vs. #9 Groundhog Day
#5 The General vs. #12 Shampoo
#4 The Philadelphia Story vs. #13 Cat Ballou
#3 Airplane! vs. #14 The Lady Eve
#6 When Harry Met Sally... vs. #11 Big
#7 Being There vs. #10 Sullivan's Travels
#2 MASH vs. #15 It's a Gift

#1 Dr. Strangelove vs. #16 Sherlock, Jr.
#8 Arsenic and Old Lace vs. #9 Harvey
#5 His Girl Friday vs. #12 Manhattan
#4 Bringing Up Baby vs. #13 The Seven-Year Itch
#3 The Producers vs. #14 The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
#6 Adam's Rib vs. #11 American Graffiti
#7 There's Something About Mary vs. #10 City Lights
#2 Blazing Saddles vs. #15 A Day at the Races

#1 Annie Hall vs. #16 What's Up, Doc?
#8 This is Spinal Tap vs. #9 National Lampoon's Animal House
#5 The Apartment vs. #12 Harold and Maude
#4 Young Frankenstein vs. #13Ninotchka
#3 A Night at the Opera vs. #14 Arthur
#6 A Fish Called Wanda vs. #11 My Man Godfrey
#7 Ghostbusters vs. #10 The Great Dictator
#2 Duck Soup vs. #15 Topper



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
Well, I've wrapped up here, it's time for another tournament.

I've chosen "AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs" to do next.

Critera for this tournament:
Originality
Script
Humor
Characters
Music/Sound
Themes/Values
Structure/Pacing

Same as animation tournament, but I've switched out "Visuals" for "Humor."
First round matchups:

#1 Some Like it Hot vs. #16 Broadcast News
#8 The Thin Man vs. #9 Modern Times
#5 The Odd Couple vs. #12 A Shot in the Dark
#4 Singin' in the Rain vs. #13 To Be or Not To Be
#3 The Graduate vs. #14 Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
#6 Born Yesterday vs. #11 Moonstruck
#7 The Gold Rush vs. #10 It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World
#2 It Happened One Night vs. #15 Diner

#1 Tootsie vs. #16 Beverly Hills Cop
#8 Raising Arizona vs. #9 Groundhog Day
#5 The General vs. #12 Shampoo
#4 The Philadelphia Story vs. #13 Cat Ballou
#3 Airplane! vs. #14 The Lady Eve
#6 When Harry Met Sally... vs. #11 Big
#7 Being There vs. #10 Sullivan's Travels
#2 MASH vs. #15 It's a Gift

#1 Dr. Strangelove vs. #16 Sherlock, Jr.
#8 Arsenic and Old Lace vs. #9 Harvey
#5 His Girl Friday vs. #12 Manhattan
#4 Bringing Up Baby vs. #13 The Seven-Year Itch
#3 The Producers vs. #14 The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
#6 Adam's Rib vs. #11 American Graffiti
#7 There's Something About Mary vs. #10 City Lights
#2 Blazing Saddles vs. #15 A Day at the Races

#1 Annie Hall vs. #16 What's Up, Doc?
#8 This is Spinal Tap vs. #9 National Lampoon's Animal House
#5 The Apartment vs. #12 Harold and Maude
#4 Young Frankenstein vs. #13Ninotchka
#3 A Night at the Opera vs. #14 Arthur
#6 A Fish Called Wanda vs. #11 My Man Godfrey
#7 Ghostbusters vs. #10 The Great Dictator
#2 Duck Soup vs. #15 Topper

I haven't seen all of these movies, but I've probably seen enough to keep up with you for this tournament too.

I'm looking forward to it.



#1 Some Like it Hot vs. #16 Broadcast News



1. Originality

Some Like it Hot
Some Like it Hot has a suitably crazy plot, and it works so well. The guys dressing up as girls, the gangsters, the sexual innuendos. It's also unique and special, and Billy Wilder pulls it together with perfection.

2. Script/Screenplay

Some Like it Hot
Script is so witty, so hilarious, so perfect. It might be in my top ten movie screenplays of all time. As good as Broadcast News was, this one wasn't even close. Billy Wilder's scripts are always great.

3. Humor

Some Like it Hot
Some Like it Hot had me cracking up much more than Broadcast News. It's aged so remarkably well, I'm surprised how good and fresh some of the jokes are. Yes, there are lots of one liners, but they actually work, unlike a lot of other "comedies" that haven't dated so well.

4. Characters

Broadcast News
Tough one. The characters in both of these movies are great, they're deep yet likable. Broadcast News has slightly more rounded characters, I think, and we believe them more. It helps that Holly Hunter and Albert Brooks are at the top of their acting game.

5. Music/Sound

Some Like it Hot
I'm a sucker for old music, and Some Like it Hot uses old music (even old for 1959). I love everything Marilyn sings in this movie, plus the jazzy soundtrack. It's so perfect for the movie, and works so well.

6. Themes/Values

Broadcast News
Broadcast News is quite (unfortunately) relevant to today's media situation, perhaps even more so than 1987. We get commentary on the ethics and skill needed for the reporting business, as well as a question of what we see on the news is what really goes on.

7. Structure/Pacing

Some Like it Hot
While Broadcast News can some times get a little too caught up in its crazy love game, Some Like it Hot stays fairly simple - and effective. We're engaged the entire time, and there's never a boring moment.

Some Like it Hot - 5
Broadcast News - 2



Winner: #1 Some Like it Hot



2022 Mofo Fantasy Football Champ
I would say characters is one of the best parts of Some Like It Hot personally. I am looking forward to watching it again soon as it's been awhile but it's in my top 25.



I would say characters is one of the best parts of Some Like It Hot personally. I am looking forward to watching it again soon as it's been awhile but it's in my top 25.
They are one of the best parts. The whole movie is the best part to be honest. I like the characters in Broadcast News just a bit more, maybe because of the fantastic acting, but I also think I can really connect to all of them. There's no question that Some Like it Hot is a better movie overall though. It's also currently in my top 15, but the top 15 has changed a lot in a year so we'll see how it holds up.



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
#1 Some Like it Hot vs. #16 Broadcast News

Some Like it Hot - 5
Broadcast News - 2



Winner: #1 Some Like it Hot

These are both great movies, so this is a tough match. I can't argue with the winners of each individual criteria, but for some reason, I still liked Broadcast News more than Some Like it Hot.



For this one, I'll be going out of order because I'm not sure how soon I can get to seeing some of these.

#5 The Odd Couple vs. #12 A Shot in the Dark



1. Originality

The Odd Couple
Two divorced husbands to decide to live together... that's the basis for this hilarious comedy which has both wit and originality. I'm always impressed by the little scenarios that the filmmaker came up with for The Odd Couple.

2. Script/Screenplay

The Odd Couple
A Shot in the Dark is more about the slapstick and genius of Peter Sellers, so it's not hard to give screenplay to The Odd Couple. There are bits of dark humor and just a lighthearted time in this one.

3. Humor

A Shot in the Dark
The Odd Couple is quite funny, but Peter Sellers is just too good in A Shot in the Dark. His performance - although I know he hated this role - is just top notch, one of the greatest comedic actors ever in my opinion.

4. Characters

A Shot in the Dark
Once again, Peter Sellers's character just totally makes this one. He's funny, charming, quite stupid, but likable at the same time. The two main guys in The Odd Couple are likable enough but quite frustrating.

5. Music/Sound

The Odd Couple
Yup, I'll admit it, I love the cheesy soundtrack to this movie. It's so catchy, I know it's not high quality, but it doesn't have to be. The music to me just reminds me of all the almost "melancholy" laughs of this movie.

6. Themes/Values

The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple is surprisingly deep for a comedy of this sort. It deals with... well... dealing with life, especially with loss (such as divorce). The two main characters are at a loss in their life and they're trying to get over that. Do they? Sorta, I guess. Still kind of a cynical "comedy."

7. Structure/Pacing

A Shot in the Dark
The Odd Couple gets messy, especially towards the end. A Shot in the Dark has a quite simple plot to begin with, so it's not hard to love the structure and pacing. I like that we're never given too complicated of a plot. It's perfect for the story it's telling!

The Odd Couple - 4
A Shot in the Dark - 3



Winner: #5 The Odd Couple



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
For this one, I'll be going out of order because I'm not sure how soon I can get to seeing some of these.

#5 The Odd Couple vs. #12 A Shot in the Dark


The Odd Couple - 4
A Shot in the Dark - 3


Winner: #5 The Odd Couple

I'm not a big fan of either of these movies, but I have to lean more towards The Odd Couple for this match. I was a big fan of "The Odd Couple" TV show long before I ever saw the movie, so it just paled in comparison to the show. I think if I had seen the movie first, it would have probably become a favorite movie for me.



#1 Dr. Strangelove vs. #16 Sherlock, Jr.


1. Originality

Dr. Strangelove
I'm impressed with Buster Keaton's incredible stunts in Sherlock, Jr. but Dr. Strangelove has got to win for originality. A cold war comedy?! Only Kubrick would do this, and only Kubrick would do it this well.

2. Script/Screenplay

Dr. Strangelove
Not really a contest. Sherlock, Jr. is of course a silent movie, so it doesn't have a script at all. Even if it did, it would be hard to beat out the hilarious dialogue and one-liners in Dr. Strangelove.

3. Humor

Dr. Strangelove
Peter Sellers gives his finest performance(s) ever in this movie, even if he was the only character in the movie I would give it to Dr. Strangelove. But we get George C. Scott as the hilarious Turgidson as well. Sherlock, Jr. is amusing, Strangelove has laugh-out-loud funny.

4. Characters

Dr. Strangelove
None of the characters in Dr. Strangelove are particularly likable, but they're all frighteningly believable and fascinating. Whether it is stupid General Turgidson or President Muffley, all the characters have different quirks and facets.

5. Music/Sound

Dr. Strangelove
Again, not a very hard one. Sherlock, Jr. I don't think even has a soundtrack, whereas now when ever I hear Vera Lynn's "We'll Meet Again" outside of the movie I get literal chills. That's a sign of a damn good soundtrack.

6. Themes/Values

Dr. Strangelove
Dr. Strangelove is about much more than the cold war. It is about the reckless stupidity of man, it is about the attraction between men and war, and it is about the sex we find out of nothing in our every day lives. And through it all it's a disturbing and biting comedy.

7. Structure/Pacing

Sherlock, Jr.
I'll admit I gave this to Sherlock, Jr. more out of wanting to talk about it than anything else. I love this movie, it's pretty great! Buster Keaton is the man, one of the best silent actors of all time. I just love Dr. Strangelove much more, that's all. Pity that Sherlock, Jr. had to go up against this movie in Round 1.

Dr. Strangelove - 6
Sherlock, Jr. - 1



Winner: #1 Dr. Strangelove



You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
#1 Dr. Strangelove vs. #16 Sherlock, Jr.

Dr. Strangelove - 6
Sherlock, Jr. - 1



Winner: #1 Dr. Strangelove

While I agree that Dr. Strangelove should win on each of the individual criteria, I still like Sherlock, Jr. more, and I would have chosen Sherlock, Jr. to win this match. (I guess that just goes to show that a movie is more than just the sum of its parts.)