Martyrofevil's top 100

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is thouroughly embarrassed of this old username.
#12. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick

A dark and sexual journey, Eyes Wide Shut is equal parts thrilling and mind-bending and is slathered in ominous tone. The main theme sends chills down my spine every time. Another instance of atmosphere completely selling me on a film.




is thouroughly embarrassed of this old username.
#11. Blue Spring (2001)
Directed by: Toshiaki Toyoda

Toshiaki Toyoda makes movies that feel like post-rock albums. They are constantly building towards an epic climax even if it doesn't feel like it. A funny, sad and beautiful at times, Blue Spring follows troubled youth dealing with the pressures of on-coming adulthood and finding their path. Very pleasant high-school gang movie.




is thouroughly embarrassed of this old username.
#10. Love Exposure (2008)
Directed by: Sion Sono

Sion Sono's 4-hour-rom-com about cults, upskirt photography and erections is every bit as ridiculous as it sounds but it's not without it's tender moments. What's crazy about this movie is how fast it goes by. It's extremely fast-paced without ever feeling rushed and it's always funny, cool or interesting. Originally shot to be 6-hours and made for under a million, Love Exposure is extremely impressive technically and is widely considered Sono's masterpiece.




is thouroughly embarrassed of this old username.
#9. Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
Directed by: Wes Anderson

This is the movie that really sold me on Wes Anderson. Some of his other movies were good but they never really grabbed me. Moonrise Kingdom on the other hand, totally blew me away. The acting, tone, humor and tenderness are all on point. Just a great film about being young.




is thouroughly embarrassed of this old username.
#8. Hazard (2005)
Directed by: Sion Sono

Another Sion Sono film, Hazard follows a young Japanese man traveling to New York in search of danger and excitement. After being mugged he falls in with a rag-tag crew of small time Japanese criminals. Hazard is another movie on my list that is just dripping with atmosphere. You can physically feel the bond these guys have whether they're selling speed in the form of ice cream or reciting Walt Whitman. Very beautiful film and Jai West is the man.




is thouroughly embarrassed of this old username.
#7. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick

This is a movie I've considered dropping for the top 10 numerous times but simply can't. Every time I try, it seems to just move up higher. Nothing really needs to be said about A Clockwork Orange. It's an interesting, wildly creative and technically on-point. The soundtrack from Walter Carlos is incredible, adding to the somewhat wacky air of the film. This movie will never go out of fashion.




is thouroughly embarrassed of this old username.
#6. I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK (2006)
Directed by: Chan-wook Park

This film is just awesome. Beautiful, wildly imaginative and really funny. The story of a girl who thinks she's a cyborg and a man who steals souls locked up in a mental asylum together builds up beautifully, the music is fantastic and the cinematography is brilliant. It also happens to be the perfect date movie




is thouroughly embarrassed of this old username.
#5. Waking Life (2001)
Directed by: Richard Linklater

Probably the most interesting film I've ever seen. Waking Life first plays out like a series of interviews about various philosophical views but eventually builds into a strange story about a man who can't wake up from his dream. It's absolutely fascinating and as a non-dreamer it makes me super envious . The animation style is unique and vivid, the music is top and it flows together so well. This movie always inspires me to do something, but then I just do nothing instead.




is thouroughly embarrassed of this old username.
#4. Pierrot le Fou (1965)
Directed by: Jean-Luc Godard

Take everything I said about "Band of Outsiders" and magnify it 100x. This movie is oozing with charm from the dialog to the impromptu musical numbers to the bright technicolor. Anna Karina is once again great and Jean-Paul Belmondo is equally as good. This movie is just a great time all around.




is thouroughly embarrassed of this old username.
This is the "elite" league of films. The only 3 movies that are 10/10

#3. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
Directed by: Carl Th. Dreyer

This is a technical masterpiece of the highest degree. I can't think of a film that's more expertly shot. Maria Falconetti delivers the greatest performance in film history with her portrayal of Joan of Arc. The film covers from the trial to her execution and the emotion that Falconetti is able to express without sound is mind-blowing. The soundtrack included with the Criterion edition is one of the best soundtracks I've ever heard and I think it greatly compliments the film. Overall, this is probably the greatest film ever made, but not necessarily my favourite.




is thouroughly embarrassed of this old username.
#2. Tekkonkinkreet (2006)
Directed by: Micheal Arias

In his one and only directorial feature, Micheal Arias has done something special. Tekkonkinkreet is beautiful on every level. The animation is crazy good and utilizes a lot of different styles in way that they still fit together well. It's fun and whimsical but also dark and brooding with the characters "Black" and "White" being polar opposites yet perfect companions. The soundtrack from UK band "Plaid" is absolutely perfect for the film and gives it so much character. Even though it is a pretty direct adaptation of the original manga, Micheal Arias' artistic flair takes every scene to another level. This is the only movie that I literally watched twice in a row, back to back.




Sorry if I'm rude but I'm right
Wow, we've got a contemporary Japanese cinema expert right here! Some of these are on my wishlist, some others I loved. Great list.
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Look, I'm not judging you - after all, I'm posting here myself, but maybe, just maybe, if you spent less time here and more time watching films, maybe, and I stress, maybe your taste would be of some value. Just a thought, ya know.



is thouroughly embarrassed of this old username.
#1. Noriko's Dinner Table (2005)
Directed by: Sion Sono

It has been around 7 years since I first saw "Noriko's Dinner Table" and it's also been about 7 years since it became my hands down favourite film of all time. 7 years is a long time and I've seen a lot movies in that time, a lot of fantastic films but not once has another film ever even come close to dethroning this beautiful, sentimental, twisted, family drama epic.

I had seen "Suicide Club" nearly a year prior and hated it but once I heard that there was a sequel and that it was called "Noriko's Dinner Table" of all things I couldn't help but be curious. I didn't know what to expect, and if you're expecting "Suicide Club 2" you've got a completely different thing coming.

The first thing that hit me was the music. Through out the entire film the music is peaceful and dreamy and really captures the small town feel of Toyokawa where the lead characters are from. Even during tense moments the music is always friendly and inviting which keeps a very consistent tone and makes the film instantly hypnotic.

The thing that will probably annoy people most about this film is the constant use of narration. Each chapter is following one character of this family and every chapter is almost entirely filled with the characters narrating everything. This definitely should be annoying but Sono's dialog has always worked for me for some reason.

The acting really impressed me. Many of the actors are playing characters who are acting as other characters and they're played in a way where you really notice that and you can see the layers each character has picked up over the course of the film.

"Noriko's Dinner Table" is 2.5 hours long and slow as molasses but in my opinion is better for it. This is a movie where it feels exactly as long as it is. I remember during my first viewing and being around 95 minutes in figuring the film would be nearly over and how overjoyed I was to find there was still another hour left.

Overall, it's a movie that shouldn't work on any level. It's long, slow, heavily narrated with subtitles and is billed as the sequel to an extremely violent cult film when it is sparsely violent but in the end it's a far more interesting and unique film for it. I think this is really the most genuine look at Sion Sono's style as a lot of his other films have carried this sentimentality and mood even if they're masked by some more wild elements.