Saturday, April 17, 2004
Top 25 Movies of all time...coming soon
So, I'm realizing that this is taking way too long to do, so I'm going to post my list as I develop it, maybe one or two movies at a time. Here's the preface:
For the first time ever, people have actually requested that I write about a particular topic. How can I refuse my loyal fans? Hell, I can't really afford to, given that I only have like 3!
At any rate, the request was for me to write a similar list to my Top Movies of 2003, except for me to list my favorite 25 movies of all time. This is no easy task, but proved to be enjoyable.
One question was what criteria to use? Well, with some input, I decided to judge movies on the following basis (in rough order of importance)?
- Enjoyment: Did I enjoy the movie? How satisfied was I with my movie-going experience?
- Quality: How good was the work? Did the people involved in the creation of the movie dedicate themselves to their craft, and, is that apparent in the movie? I'm talking about acting, writing, cinematography, etc.
- Originality: Is the movie original? Does it break new ground? Does it set a standard or establish a new genre or style?
- Accessibility/Integrity: Can this movie be enjoyed by a wide variety of people? If so, does it still challenge those people with new thoughts or ideas, and not just adhere to standard film cliches?
- Timelessness: Will this movie be remembered 10 years from now? 20? 30? Does it have a message or a concept that will withstand the test of time?
Ok, so now that we've got those somewhat arbitrary criteria down, we can launch into the rankings. Before I do so, though, I want to provide a significant caveat: I cheated a bit in some areas. There are a lot of movies out there, and it's still very tough to compare very different movies. I know I did it for 2003, but it's much harder with every movie ever made to choose from. Where I cheated, I'll try to provide an explanation of how. Furthermore, despite the fact that I'm going to provide rankings from 25-1, it might make sense to place them into groups of 5, because it's very tough for me to choose between some of these. Nonetheless, I'm going to try not to wuss out. Here goes nothing...
Well, you'll have to wait for the 25th movie until a bit later, but in the meantime, I'm going to post a few movies that just didn't make the cut:
Get Shorty: I love this movie. Great style, pretty darn funny, but a little dated now. Still, one of my favorites.
Happy Gilmore: The best Adam Sandler movie. Probably would be on my top 10 comedies, but that's not what this list is now, eh? "The price is wrong, bitch!"
Lion King: This is the only Disney movie (excluding Pixar films) that I really completely enjoyed. I think it's their best work ever, and that's including the classics like Bambi and Snow White. Still, it's a Hamlet ripoff, and a Disney movie nonetheless.
Godfather: A rare classic that lives up to its reputation, but I think it makes a lot of top 10 lists more for its reputation than the actual movie. I've only seen this and Part II once apiece, but based on that, I'm probably one of the few that enjoyed the first one more. A great movie, but just didn't strike the perfect chords with me. I know it's sacrilege, but I think it's a bit overrated.
Best In Show: This is the best Christopher Guest movie, and also would make my top 10 (15?) comedies, but I think it still drags in some places. I'm waiting for his best work to come, because I think he's still got some polishing to do before he makes a truly great movie.
Seven: The acting is great. The dark, dank style is fantastic. It's genuinely creepy and disturbing. Still, it's a bit too trite in some places, and, frankly, it's a bit low on the "rewatchability" scale. However, probably the best crime drama movie I've seen.
Saving Private Ryan: I love this movie, but it drags a bit in the middle, and has some abrupt shifts in tone. It's moving and visceral and touching. A real classic.
Fargo: Coen Brothers runner-up movie. Also a great crime drama (and a bit of a comedy), but completely different from Seven. It's sweet and funny and strange and frustrating at the same time. Frances McDormand is truly fantastic in this movie. Try watching it and then saying "Sure" like a normal person.
Minority Report: A perfectly executed sci-fi thriller. Unfortunately, I'm not a big sci-fi fan. Spielberg does a great job with lighting and editing, but some parts are a bit contrived. Nevertheless, this is definitely one of Spielberg's top works.
I'm fully expecting you guys to comment a significant amount. Start your lists if you haven't already!
For the first time ever, people have actually requested that I write about a particular topic. How can I refuse my loyal fans? Hell, I can't really afford to, given that I only have like 3!
At any rate, the request was for me to write a similar list to my Top Movies of 2003, except for me to list my favorite 25 movies of all time. This is no easy task, but proved to be enjoyable.
One question was what criteria to use? Well, with some input, I decided to judge movies on the following basis (in rough order of importance)?
- Enjoyment: Did I enjoy the movie? How satisfied was I with my movie-going experience?
- Quality: How good was the work? Did the people involved in the creation of the movie dedicate themselves to their craft, and, is that apparent in the movie? I'm talking about acting, writing, cinematography, etc.
- Originality: Is the movie original? Does it break new ground? Does it set a standard or establish a new genre or style?
- Accessibility/Integrity: Can this movie be enjoyed by a wide variety of people? If so, does it still challenge those people with new thoughts or ideas, and not just adhere to standard film cliches?
- Timelessness: Will this movie be remembered 10 years from now? 20? 30? Does it have a message or a concept that will withstand the test of time?
Ok, so now that we've got those somewhat arbitrary criteria down, we can launch into the rankings. Before I do so, though, I want to provide a significant caveat: I cheated a bit in some areas. There are a lot of movies out there, and it's still very tough to compare very different movies. I know I did it for 2003, but it's much harder with every movie ever made to choose from. Where I cheated, I'll try to provide an explanation of how. Furthermore, despite the fact that I'm going to provide rankings from 25-1, it might make sense to place them into groups of 5, because it's very tough for me to choose between some of these. Nonetheless, I'm going to try not to wuss out. Here goes nothing...
Well, you'll have to wait for the 25th movie until a bit later, but in the meantime, I'm going to post a few movies that just didn't make the cut:
Get Shorty: I love this movie. Great style, pretty darn funny, but a little dated now. Still, one of my favorites.
Happy Gilmore: The best Adam Sandler movie. Probably would be on my top 10 comedies, but that's not what this list is now, eh? "The price is wrong, bitch!"
Lion King: This is the only Disney movie (excluding Pixar films) that I really completely enjoyed. I think it's their best work ever, and that's including the classics like Bambi and Snow White. Still, it's a Hamlet ripoff, and a Disney movie nonetheless.
Godfather: A rare classic that lives up to its reputation, but I think it makes a lot of top 10 lists more for its reputation than the actual movie. I've only seen this and Part II once apiece, but based on that, I'm probably one of the few that enjoyed the first one more. A great movie, but just didn't strike the perfect chords with me. I know it's sacrilege, but I think it's a bit overrated.
Best In Show: This is the best Christopher Guest movie, and also would make my top 10 (15?) comedies, but I think it still drags in some places. I'm waiting for his best work to come, because I think he's still got some polishing to do before he makes a truly great movie.
Seven: The acting is great. The dark, dank style is fantastic. It's genuinely creepy and disturbing. Still, it's a bit too trite in some places, and, frankly, it's a bit low on the "rewatchability" scale. However, probably the best crime drama movie I've seen.
Saving Private Ryan: I love this movie, but it drags a bit in the middle, and has some abrupt shifts in tone. It's moving and visceral and touching. A real classic.
Fargo: Coen Brothers runner-up movie. Also a great crime drama (and a bit of a comedy), but completely different from Seven. It's sweet and funny and strange and frustrating at the same time. Frances McDormand is truly fantastic in this movie. Try watching it and then saying "Sure" like a normal person.
Minority Report: A perfectly executed sci-fi thriller. Unfortunately, I'm not a big sci-fi fan. Spielberg does a great job with lighting and editing, but some parts are a bit contrived. Nevertheless, this is definitely one of Spielberg's top works.
I'm fully expecting you guys to comment a significant amount. Start your lists if you haven't already!
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