Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0

→ in
Tools    





Welcome to the human race...
#88. The Empire Strikes Back
(Irvin Kershner, 1980)



"I'll try."
"No! Try not. Do or do not. There is no try."

I sometimes wonder if I will ever well and truly tire of Star Wars. Certainly, the Disney-led revival during the past decade has largely felt like an exercise in diluting George Lucas's idiosyncratic genre hybrid into something even more aggressively commercialised than it already was (which is saying something), but should I let that tarnish the stellar reputations of the classic originals? The answer is...okay, maybe a little. This is ultimately a franchise about learning to embrace change (at least it was meant to be once) and Empire gets the nod for building upon the imaginative world and mythology that was established but largely hinted at during its groundbreaking predecessor, digging deeper into the galactic conflict between Empire and Rebels while also delving into the ways of the mysterious Jedi order and what it means for young novice Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). It may still be the middle part of a trilogy that is wholly reliant on the original to make any sense whatsoever, but it still remains as strong a representation of what makes the series even remotely worthwhile as ever.

2005 ranking: #55
2013 ranking: #83
__________________
I really just want you all angry and confused the whole time.
Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0



[center]#88. The Empire Strikes Back
(Irvin Kershner, 1980)

It may still be the middle part of a trilogy that is wholly reliant on the original to make any sense whatsoever
I probably don't need to step up to defend this beloved classic (especially as you included it in your list), but I do think it contains a lot of narrative meat within itself. It isn't just telling you to hold out for cool stuff in a subsequent entry (like a certain modern franchise tends to do).



If you've seen one, you've seen em all, am I righ, am I righ?



Welcome to the human race...
#87. Dawn of the Dead
(George A. Romero, 1978)



"When there's no more room in Hell, the dead will walk the Earth."

It's almost the fate of every great satire to be at least somewhat misunderstood - at least, that's how it feels to rewatch Dawn of the Dead in the 21st century and see how the consumerism allegory that gives the film its edge has been diluted by the emergence of a mindset that would see the prospect of living out the end times in a shopping mall as an indulgent upside rather than a gilded cage for the living and undead alike. Even that isn't enough to rob Dawn itself of its own power, a sprawling zombie epic about four survivors' efforts to stay alive ultimately leading them to hide out in an abandoned mall. It's a curiously shambolic and slow-burning beast (its first major casualty occurs around the same time that most other zombie movies reach their end credits) but it earns that time thanks to its charismatic leads who sell a story that is engaging both in how it depicts the granular details of securing the mall and the emotional devastation of the world continuing to crumble under the weight of the living dead even within the confines of the mall. The satirical element may not be subtle ("this used to be an important place in their lives") but considering how much Internet ink I've seen spilled over how many people's "zombie plans" would involve heading straight to the mall, I'm not sure it needs to be.

2005 ranking: N/A
2013 ranking: #89



Gaylen Ross was one of my biggest crushes as a teenager thanks to that movie.



The trick is not minding
Either Dawn of the Dead or 28 Days Later is my favorite zombie film. Both are excellent.
I need to rewatch both. I watched DotD about 12 or 13 years ago and 28 Days was at the theatres when it was first released. I barely remember anything about 28 days, since it’s been so long, that I’m not even going to count it was watched atm.



I need to rewatch both. I watched DotD about 12 or 13 years ago and 28 Days was at the theatres when it was first released. I barely remember anything about 28 days, since it’s been so long, that I’m not even going to count it was watched atm.
Funnily enough, during an opening scene in Dawn of the Dead where Wooley blows a tenant's head off with a shotgun (not to be confused with @Wooley, of course; I'm sure he's much nicer ), you'll see that the man is actually a mannequin if you pause the film.

__________________
IMDb
Letterboxd



Welcome to the human race...
#86. Brazil
(Terry Gilliam, 1985)



"Here is your receipt - and this is my receipt for your receipt."

There was quite a bit to like about Terry Gilliam once, the guy who transitioned from making silly little animated interludes for Monty Python to being the director of his own large-scale adventures into the surreal. Though I think he ultimately faltered due to his reach exceeding his grasp (especially in his later years), but he still produced one masterpiece with his pseudo-Orwellian dystopia Brazil. That it hinges on a stuffy bureaucrat (Jonathan Pryce) breaking out of his buttoned-down routine in order to romantically pursue a trucker (Kim Greist) who resembles the angelic woman he keeps fantasising about is ultimately besides the point (and the film itself practically treats it as such) - this is just a means of motivating him to move through a world that looks like hell on Earth even before his dreams and nightmares start to bleed into reality, allowing Gilliam and co. to show off all manner of weird reflections of the real world through art direction that packs every frame with bizarre details as its government-focused satire fills the foreground. Some parts definitely seem questionable (a major plot point involves Robert De Niro and Bob Hoskins as feuding repairmen, the former deemed a terrorist simply for skipping paperwork and the latter a gleefully vindictive union member who would much rather break everything) and that's a big part of why it's dropped down in recent years (and may continue to drop), but Gilliam's commitment to building such an elaborate waking nightmare of a universe is still enough to warrant a modicum of respect.

2005 ranking: #43
2013 ranking: #19



Welcome to the human race...
#85. The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant
(Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1972)



"I think people need each other, they're made that way. But they haven't learnt how to live together."

I remember reading once that every relationship between two people is ultimately controlled by whichever person cares less about the other - such a perspective is amply reflected across Fassbinder's extensive filmography in a variety of forms, but for now I'll settle for picking this claustrophobic chamber drama set entirely within the lavish studio apartment owned by the eponymous fashion designer (Margit Carstensen). Petra is a vainglorious woman who is alternately dismissive of and dependent upon the other women with whom she shares the same space for a minute or two, whether it's assistant Marlene (Irm Hermann) silently hovering in the background for much of the film or newest attraction Karin (Hanna Schygulla) whose arrival in Petra's life proves to be a challenge to her own sense of dominance. Legendary cinematographer Michael Ballhaus manages to roam the luxurious but cramped room in which the film unfolds and uses such precise blocking in order to emphasise just how constrictive this melodramatic tale is on the women who suffer, perpetuate, or even try to resist its narrative. I still think there are a few other contenders for my favourite Fassbinder that may yet overtake this, but this sets a pretty high standard all the same.

2005 ranking: N/A
2013 ranking: N/A



I made my way thru Fassbinder's catalogue a few years back and enjoyed each one quite a bit including this one. Never did get around to Berlin Alexanderplatz which I've been told is really good also.



Welcome to the human race...
#84. The Princess Bride
(Rob Reiner, 1987)



"You seem a decent fellow. I hate to kill you."
"You seem a decent fellow. I hate to die."

With this latest version of the countdown, I'm less inclined to include either comedies or childhood favourites - we all have to grow up sometime, and how much am I really getting out of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory these days? That being said, this means the ones that stay have to be truly exceptional and, while you could still question its inclusion here, I'm still throwing in for The Princess Bride. A simple throwback to the swashbuckling fare of yore with just enough of a meta twist thanks to the familial bickering of its framing story to make it different without overriding the genuine joys of the experience, it works as a swift and effective homage to every aspect - the flowery romance, the thrilling adventure, and especially the quick-witted comedy between a variety of well-observed characters. The pleasures offered by The Princess Bride don't exactly run too deep, but it still resonates in the way that stories passed from grandfathers to grandsons do.

2005 ranking: #26
2013 ranking: #24



I got my friends to watch Hausu.... they did not know what to make of it.
So your friends don't know crap when they see it? Interesting.

It's an interesting read, Iro, and I'll continue to follow. I don't really need to comment on the films, do I? I'm sure you're more than aware (or at least would be able to guess) which I liked and which I didn't.
__________________
5-time MoFo Award winner.



Welcome to the human race...
#83. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
(Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones, 1975)



"Ni!"

Monty Python's sure taken a hit in my estimation over the years - I went from putting three of their films on the 2005 list to kicking this well out of the top ten this time around. Maybe it has reached a point where its status as a heavily-quoted entry into the geek canon has worn out its welcome (it is a hazard with those kinds of movies where one can hear the quotes so many times that it renders the act of actually sitting down to watch the movie redundant). There is still fun to be had in bearing witness to the legendary troupe's parody of Arthurian legend that encompasses everything from deconstructing royalty and nobility to poking fun at their own limited resources. This willingness to parody anything and everything occasionally hits its limits (the punchline of the "Tale of Sir Galahad" sequence being that it's so unfunny and drawn-out is a strong example of this), but moments such as Arthur (Graham Chapman) dueling the belligerent Black Knight (John Cleese) or attempting to cross the Bridge of Death still stand out as some of the best in the group's output and, by extension, great moments in cinematic comedy.

2005 ranking: #7
2013 ranking: #6