this time, it wasn't even possible to make the list unless at least three people chose you...and that's if they put you 1st, 1st, and 5th. Anything less just wasn't good enough.
At this point, I'm used to having a lot of movies on my list that don't make the countdown, but even though I still think I have good list, I felt better about how many movies on my list might make the countdown before I read this.
One Pointers are films that received exactly one point, which means a single person had them in the last spot on their ballot (25th), and they received no other votes from anyone else.
Sunday in New York (1963)
Sunday in New York (1963) was my 1-pointer. It's one of the few movies on my list that I don't really consider it to be a "top" movie, but I included on my list because I love it so much that when I was narrowing my list down to only 25 movies, I couldn't justify removing it from my "favorite" movies list. I watch it every time it airs on TCM, and it's a go-to movie for me when I just need a good "pick-me-up".
Wanna briefly talk about my One Pointer, 1998's The Impostors.
Stanley Tucci wrote, directed and starred in it. It's a love letter to classic slapstick comedy and acting in general, but it's not the boring kind of homage where it just references or namechecks stuff and relies on your romanticism about past films to land: it's genuinely funny, and genuinely clever. It holds together as an irresistible farce even if you have little to no appreciation for all the things it's honoring.
It's also silly in a very grown-up way, in a The Princess Bride sort of way. You get the sense Tucci was just saving up ideas and one-liners for years and years before finally unloading all of them at once. And the cast is insane, which makes me think he called in a lot of favors, too: Tucci, Oliver Platt, Alfred Molina, Steve Buscemi, Lili Taylor, Tony Shalhoub, Allison Janney, Richard Jenkins, Isabella Rossellini, Campbell Scott (maybe the funniest character in the whole film), Billy Connolly, and Hope Davis. And they all get to make a delicious meal out of every ridiculous role.
It's one of the most endearing and charming films I've ever seen, and it's criminally underwatched, even in a place like this.
I'm the only person on the site to review it so far, and one of just two people to check it off as "Seen" (though that's a newer feature). I hope both of those things chance, because it's a hidden gem.
I've never heard of The Impostors, but it has a great cast and it sounds interesting. I added it to my watchlist.
I'm the one who had Dead Poets Society at #25, I'm very surprised that I was the only one with it on my list. I had it more because it's the first movie that really grabbed my guts and made me realize the power of cinema when I was 16. I rewatched it a couple of times since then and it has some serious flaws in my opinion. There are probably a lot of films that weren't on my list that are better, but I had to include it for its significance for my love of cinema.
I love Dead Poets Society. It was on my list before I narrowed it down to only 25, but it was one of the last few movies that was cut from my list.
I'm sure The 10th Victim is a certain relative of mine's One Pointer. We still want to remake it.
Yes, the rumors are true, The 10th Victim (Elio Petri, 1965) was mine! What's not to like? It's a fun satirical romp about sex and violence and love and capitalism, with a cool pop art aesthetic, Rome as a beautiful and symbolic backdrop, a great Piero Piccioni score, and pretty people like Marcello Mastroianni and Ursula Andress!
Set in a utopian/dystopian future where there's no war and no crime, because instead people are entered into a lottery system where they get paired up as either hunter or victim, the goal being to kill before you get killed. The only trouble is, what happens when you fall for your victim when you're on your last hunt and are set to win buttloads of money and have sponsorships on the line? hahaha
I also do have a soft spot for that weirdo Elio Petri.
And yes, I do have an idea for an anthology TV show adaptation of this movie.
Fun Fact: When mark f and I were talking about casting a remake years ago, the only really solid casting choice we came up with was John Waters as the guy at the beginning explaining the rules of the hunt.
Another Fun Fact: I drew inspiration from the opening title design for my student film.
Also, this song has been stuck in my head all day.
Dead Poets Society has some compelling character arcs and some strong acting performances, but these strengths are hobbled quite a bit by some cringe inducing writing and an unnecessary romance sub-plot. I'd say it's a 6/10 film. It's still a good film, but it had the potential to be better with another round of editing.
I don't even remember the romance, so maybe it was unnecessary. Then again, it's been over twenty years since I last saw, although I did buy it on VHS from a goodwill (wow, I just heard Dave Chappelle mention Robin Williams name as I typed this out, in regards to the movie "Insomnia", which I saw in theaters that was alright. I identify with insomnia)
The romance is when Knox Overstreet falls for the cheerleader, Chris, who is going out with a football player, Chet. Even though Knox is afraid to show his feelings for her, he decides to listen to Professor Keating and "Seize the day", so he tries to win her over.
Strange things are afoot at the Movie Forums Top 100 of All-Time Refresh. Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey was my one-pointer, as I clearly only voted for objective masterpieces that elevated the medium. This totally non-heinous sequel to the more beloved adventure of excellence is likely my most-watched movie. With three rentals from the local video store you'd get a fourth rental free, and Bogus Journey was always my go-to choice if I couldn't find another movie that interested me or if my parents were rushing me for time. Once I owned the VHS, I essentially morphed into a mini roadie for the Wyld Stallions. In fact, I'd credit Bill & Ted for shaping my interests and personality more than any other fictional character, and possibly more than anyone within my social stratosphere -- at least during my most formative years. Way before I did any actual slacking or stoning, I had a tendency as a kid to mimic the mannerisms and vernacular of slacker/stoner types, whether it was Shaggy from Scooby-Doo, or Cody from the sitcom Step by Step, or most triumphantly: Ted "Theodore" Logan and Bill Preston, Esquire. They laid the foundation for my love of rock n' roll and heavy-metal aesthetics. As a non-church goer, their journey to hell and back 100% shaped my view of the afterlife, and to this day it's still impossible for me to picture hell without imagining the rooms in which we're subjected to our greatest fears. I love the first film as well and also count it as a favorite, but the danger and edginess of the sequel (at least in comparison to the innocuousness of passing a history exam) will always appeal to me more, and it disappoints me a bit that Bogus Journey is typically viewed as the lesser of the two. I think it's funnier and more creative than the original. Not to mention more influential, as obviously Ingmar Bergman used a time-traveling phone booth of his own to steal its ideas for The Seventh Seal. Suck it, Swede: Playing Battleship against Death remains far more genius than a game of chess. "Best two out of three?"
Other one-pointers I've seen: Irreversible Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Dead Poets Society Donnie Brasco Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro A Ghost Story We Are Marshall Coraline Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri The Florida Project Planes, Trains and Automobiles Some Kind of Wonderful Army of Darkness My Favorite Year Step Brothers Dallas Buyers Club
My very first Rectification sets off BEFORE the List begins:
Day of the Jackal (One Pointer)
It is everything that @Gandalf has stated and more.
I'm a huge fan of espionage films and they did an exceedingly fine job here from the get go to the finale. If I had seen this before the 70s Countdown, not only would I have had it on my list but I would have been pushing it during the voting stage to get others to help get it ON the Countdown.
Cook you watched it eh. I ended up watching it last night too after talking about it, though I fell asleep before the ending.
It's magnificent, it's technical, it's clever, and it makes you feel like you're watching a re enactment of real events.
I feel its gonna be sooooo difficult to predict this list, at least the 100-30 before it becomes obvious which films are going to come, but certainly the order will be tough at that stage.
Strange things are afoot at the Movie Forums Top 100 of All-Time Refresh. Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey was my one-pointer, as I clearly only voted for objective masterpieces that elevated the medium. This totally non-heinous sequel to the more beloved adventure of excellence is likely my most-watched movie. With three rentals from the local video store you'd get a fourth rental free, and Bogus Journey was always my go-to choice if I couldn't find another movie that interested me or if my parents were rushing me for time. Once I owned the VHS, I essentially morphed into a mini roadie for the Wyld Stallions. In fact, I'd credit Bill & Ted for shaping my interests and personality more than any other fictional character, and possibly more than anyone within my social stratosphere -- at least during my most formative years. Way before I did any actual slacking or stoning, I had a tendency as a kid to mimic the mannerisms and vernacular of slacker/stoner types, whether it was Shaggy from Scooby-Doo, or Cody from the sitcom Step by Step, or most triumphantly: Ted "Theodore" Logan and Bill Preston, Esquire. They laid the foundation for my love of rock n' roll and heavy-metal aesthetics. As a non-church goer, their journey to hell and back 100% shaped my view of the afterlife, and to this day it's still impossible for me to picture hell without imagining the rooms in which we're subjected to our greatest fears. I love the first film as well and also count it as a favorite, but the danger and edginess of the sequel (at least in comparison to the innocuousness of passing a history exam) will always appeal to me more, and it disappoints me a bit that Bogus Journey is typically viewed as the lesser of the two. I think it's funnier and more creative than the original. Not to mention more influential, as obviously Ingmar Bergman used a time-traveling phone booth of his own to steal its ideas for The Seventh Seal. Suck it, Swede: Playing Battleship against Death remains far more genius than a game of chess. "Two out of three?"
Bill and Ted was far more influential than I think people realise. When the original was released, every kid in school was doing the voices and dressing like them The California Slacker actually became a staple of British Culture for about 3 year due to the original B&T movie, combined with the TMNT skateboarding scene too. Everyone I knew at school was playing guitar as well after B&T arrived.
I think Bogus Journey goes a little heavier toward marketing it to kids, and is much heavier on the fantasy side of things than I wanted when it first came out. Far more than just having a "time travel fantasy" thing going on. I was never a fan of the TV series or cartoons, videogames etc that it spawned, and felt at the time it wasn't quite the same. It's kinda like the Ghostbusters 2 or Gremlins 2 of its universe.
Going to the afterlife, creatures of legend like Death getting involved, robots, and introducing aliens to the franchise and all that... plus, less swearing. The scenes of the future incredibly cartoony, with statues that are clearly made to look like something from a comic... and everyone wearing neon coloured foam suits etc.
I do agree though that Bogus Journey is a ton of fun and far more creative than the original... and, it has aged far better than I realised it would. I think given that it's so different from the first, makes it stand alone as a decent movie in its own right. Also want to point out the actor that plays Ted's father... is an absolute masterclass when he gets possessed by Ted. Dude is spot on.
And that guitar riff that comes out of him is a work of genius --- Also, I sat with my youngest daughter about 2 years ago, when she was 13... and we watched the two of them and she absolutely loved them both. Edit: It was 2 years and 3 months ago https://www.movieforums.com/communit...82#post1943282
Pretty sure my 25th will make the list, so no one-pointer for me. From the one-pointers I like/love the following imo very ballot worthy movies: Donnie Brasco Planes, Trains and Automobiles Elite Squad: The Enemy Within The Florida Project Dead Poets Society Kiss Kiss Bang Bang The Day of the Jackal Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey Dallas Buyers Club
Still need to see: The Castle of Cagliostro, A Man For All Seasons, Irreversible, Army of Darkness, The 10th Victim, Malena
Added Sunday in New York because Jane Fonda & gbgoodies.. Somehow knew Bogus Journey was CaptainSpaulding bodacious choice dude! I think EliteSquad was UltraViolence..still curious who voted for DonnieBrasco and The Florida Project?