My Top 100 films..... for Right now!

82. Quentin Tarantino: Jackie Brown (1998)

I pretty much like everything Tarantino has done. This being his best imo. The fluid story takes you through multiple characters with crystal-like precision . I find it a bit strange that what I consider to be his best is not based off of an original screenplay when almost everything else he’s done is. He brought back Pam Grier but just as important he brought back Robert Forster. Almost all of cinema’s love stories seem to revolve around young people or love through a timeline as you see them young and then old together. What Jackie Brown establishes is that love at any age is beautiful and timeless. You need people you can trust and depend upon. All the cast his excellent and it would just take way too long to go over everybody’s characrters


81. The Ninth Configuration [William Peter Blatty] 1980

Off beat would be conservative when describing this film. It’s defiantly not for everybody and it has no specific genre to put itself in. It deals with faith in the human spirit and has mystical qualities. There are also moments of sheer terror and one of the most explosive scenes of violence in the history of cinema. To give anything away would not be right. I wish Stacey Keach has really caught on and done more stuff.

Liking this list so far, LB.

As it's your favourite Tarantino film I think I already know the answer to this question, but I'll ask anyway. Didn't you feel that Jackie Brown went on too long? For me, this was the first time I thought that Taratino was being overly indulgent. I didn't think that the last 20-30 minutes were justified in terms of the narrative.

I will say that the more I've watched the film, the more I like it but I still feel the same way about it.

This may or may not be a good argument on my behalf per se. I believe Tarantino has these types of moments or rather scenes littered all over his cinema. In every film he's every made there’s moments that go on for way too long, it really is only a matter of how much your into the characters and not so much wanting the story to end. I can honestly say that I wanted the story to go on maybe see Pam Grier on some tropical island kick’ in back margaritas and Robert Forster waiting a year to then catch up with her on some beach and Hoping just maybe I’d get Jackie Brown part II but atlas this will have to stay within my imagination. This activity is also part of Tarantino's charm his ability to bring the story to a snails pace and keep you enthralled and intrigued.

Props for 101 Dalmations

Agree with you!

80. The Ghost and Mrs Muir [Joseph L. Mankiewicz] 1947

This love story, oddly enough is about a women falling in love with a ghost. You'd think it would end up being quite silly it's all rather done beautifully. A haunting film that enchants you.

79. Peter Yates: Bullitt 1968

I don’t consider it to be just another car chase film. McQueen’s portrayed of a loner cop living in a flat, eating TV dinners, wear turtle neck sweaters with a visible gun strap driving around the streets of San Fran in a Ford Mustang is the stuff of legends. I see a lot of imitations and homage’s. Yates later went on to make his best film in Breaking Away. There’s an easy argument to be made that McQueen has done far better film as well. Although Bullitt is the stand out for me. It breathes his personality and exudes his Cool Cat persona.

78. Zodiac [David Fincher] 2007

The attention to detail is astounding. I really expected something rather different but was completely blown away from what I got.

77. Samuel Fuller: White Dog 1982

I haven’t seen everything of Fuller’s yet. though I have seen my share. This film will make you uncomfortable, angry and most important understanding. I only shall reveal the basic plot. Imagine a white dog that has been trained to be raciest. Simple, wait until you see it in the hands of master.

Very interesting list so far, L.B. I can't say I share your love of Bad Day at Black Rock, however. I look forward to seeing the rest of the list

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76. The Flight of the Phoenix [Robert Aldrich] 1965
Like Alive Man versus Nature has always been an element of cinema that has intrigued me. The expanse of the desert the feudal expulsion of energy to do the most simplest of tasks. Stewart in what might be his most determined role is the airman that fly’s them into a sand storm. From there his responsibility for the men burdens him with a weight he become more and more uncomfortable with. He becomes weary of himself and is afraid to take any chances. Hope is all but lost when a German passenger suggests a crazy idea. "lets make a plane out of a the destroyed plane". I love the way the desert never looks the same always changing as if it was an evil chameleon entity.

75. The Bridge on the River Kwai [David Lean] 1957
One of my favourite epics. One unhealthy part of an epic is the lack of meat a character is able to create in the process of have so many other characters to show. Lean was a master of such filmmaking sometimes it only took a scenario, a look, a word, a action and bang! you were convinced you were involved hook line and sinker. I felt the building of the bridge and the men behind it. the process of it all was like watching the film being made before your eyes.

Loving your list so far

So nice to Secrets and Lies in there I it, not matter how many times I watch it I still in parts and in others, good choice

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

74. Breaking In [Bill Forsyth]

I love the subtlety. The natural humor between the two leads. The film’s feel. The beautifully composed vignettes that they put themselves into. I think of all that Burt Reynolds has done, he’s had his fair share of greats this is my favourite. I really wish Forsyth had made more films. He’s one of the greats. A bit Mallick/Kubrick-like in his private life.

73. The Fisher King [Terry Gilliam] 1991

I recently re-watched Gilliam's drama-fantasy and I can say everything plays so darn well together. The timing, the charm, the imagination and that balance of reality and fantasy bursting out. There’s this slight off pitch it really shows in the repetitive feel that the film goes threw putting you into similar situations. Sometimes in that very same settings but always getting some absolutely new and exciting.

72. The Silence of the Lambs 1991 [Jonathan Demme]

Demme’s work with the medium has little discernable in it’s continuity from one project to the next. Weather you like him or not and weather you enjoyed this film or not His scope as a director can not be overlooked.

71. Mulholland Drive [David Lynch]2001

Here’s my worry I haven’t watched this film since it’s initial release on DVD (4 viewings). It’s now been almost 10 years. The strength, I remember in the film. Comes in the maze like quality that the film exuded within you mind the complex weaving of narrative to produce a very organic film.

70. Rio Bravo [Howard Hawks] 1959

Sometimes your in need of something some fun. Characters you can route for, bad guys you don’t have to be worried about in singularity only quantity. It has it’s fair share of absurd moments but here's the weird thing those maybe the most cherished moments. There’s a certain coolness to it all.

69. Peter Jackson: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Peter Jackson: Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Peter Jackson: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

One of my cheats (putting all three films as one film). I love being in the hand of Jackson adventure his ability to take you to another world. It’s what fantasy is all about right?. It’s stronger and better played out as whole. Each film in singular form has there moments or parts that don’t work as best wished for but, as a whole it somehow overcomes all this.

68. Miller's Crossing [Joel Coen] 1990

Could this be the biggest film secret of 90’s, I think so. Bryne is impeccable as the loner, Finney is fantastic as the Irish mob boss Man ! I could just go on and on The rest of the cast is phenomenal. Imagine blindly opening up a puzzle and working on it, not knowing what you’ve got as you slowly start to piece things together it becomes more and more evident but only in spots every piece has to be laid out to get to that final and critical moment of clarity, the last piece.

Nice choices again I love Millers Crossing

Never seen Breaking In so have added it to my must see list Thanks

I love Miller's Crossing. Not my favourite Coen's film (The Big Lebowski) but I think it's their best.

Rep for Jackie Brown. And I´m curious about the White Dog right now.

67. John Boorman: Point Blank (1967)

It has a perfect blend of unnatural and natural. Mystical boiling over to hard hitting. The Nature of one man’s determination and unquenchable thirst for revenge.


66. Errol Morris: The Thin Blue Line (1988)
If you’ve ever wondered what the power of film can truly do check this film out, not going to give anything away just watch it!


65. Francis Ford Coppola: Apocalypse Now (1979)

The gravity of just thinking about what Coppola went threw to make this film is astonishing. Check out his version of a Irwin Allen war film. And be ready to be awe struck.


64. Martin Scorsese: GoodFellas (1990)
Still Can’t believe I waited so long to see Scorsese best film but, well worth it. The film goes through so many levels of drama. Soaking and Lathering it up until the film feels like it’s going to burst.


63. John Frankenheimer: The Manchurian Candidate

I don’t know what else to say that hasn’t already been said about this classic masterpiece for Frankenheimer. Super Low key performance by many and ultra extravagant over the top performances by namely one set of parents (he's not my father). Sequences of such creativity you could sit and dissect over for hours.

With the exception of Point Blank, which I've just never been able to get into, those are great picks, LBJ. Actually, Point Blank is probably a great pick too, I just don't see it.

Also, for those who like The Thin Blue Line, may I point the way to this film, Paradise Lost: The Child Murders At Robin Hood Hills.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117293/

I've just added a few of these to my Netflix queue. I agree, fantastic list!

Nice

62. Heat (1995) Michael Mann

So distinctive in it’s vision. Mann makes his crime masterpiece.

61. Star Wars (1977) George Lucas

Okay, I could put them all in as a whole as I did with LOTR but I’ve decided to go with Number One and even though I’ll admit to liking Empire a hair more this was the original without One you wouldn’t have Two obviously. Also I believe while Star Wars works perfectly as a trilogy they also work perfectly by themselves.

60. Blow-Up (1966) Michelangelo Antonioni

Peering into the past of swinging 60’s London. With dashes of mystery, drama, surrealism, fashion and much more. Antonioni grasp of cinematic narrative is infectious.

59. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1966) Sergio Leone

Ultra cool and charismatic. Strangely humanistic. Somewhere Leone rarely went prior to this film is the waste of life and they absurdity of it all. Bigger, extremer, and character drive.

58. Dr. Strangelove (1964) Stanley Kubrick

You’ve got to see this multiple times if not for it’s brilliance for the simple reason you lose half the jokes because your laughing over top of them.

57. Wild Strawberries (1957) Ingmar Bergman

I’ll admit, I found this rather hard to get threw the first time. Okay I’ll admit even more almost every Ingmar Bergman film I’ve found to be hard to getting threw the first time. There’s just so much to take in and he doesn’t wait up. The structure is complex and the characters even more. The pay off is this story could be your Dad’s or your Grandfathers or yours. Simply and rewarding.

56. Platoon (1986) Oliver Stone

Every war is different, distinct and mad. You can relate to every character even the ones you hate maybe more. He shows you all these types of perspectives and how each person reacts different. How would you react.

55. The Big Sleep (1946) Howard Hawks

I’ve precisely honed the narrative down to this, it's a maze. That’s right the narrative is a giant maze. Madding is this movie is in it‘s storyline elements, I find it all encompassing. In large part the maze or the not so nice word confusion comes from the re-shoot to make the leads more sexier and the fact that the screenwriter’s had to call up the author Raymond Chandler to ask who killed who and the author’s response was that he didn’t know and to come up with your own conclusion.

54. Superman (1979) Richard Donner

I’m still flabbergasted as to how literally great of a translation from comic book to film this movie is. The special effects weren’t really there everything had to be slight of hand and a use your own imagination approach and you know what! it works. Ever single frame, every ounce of energy, every drop of sweet that was poured into this film breaths light into the myth and pathos of what makes the Superman so charished and beloved.

53. Das Boot (1981) Wolfgang Petersen

Up until watching this film, I would have never guessed I would have been so involved with the well fare of a war movie that tells the story from the German's WWII perspective. Not only did it accomplish this it made me desperate to witness their survival which mad the ending all the more unsettling and phenomenal.

Some great choices Jeff quite a few of my favourites