My top 10 movies

[jacobic216]

I often go over my list of top 50 movies but rarely find anyone who's interested. I've always wanted to rant and rave about my top 10 so hear goes:

10) Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

All of my other films are classified by trilogy or saga. However, this one only has the one out so far. I can't get enough of it. Fantasy films have been taken to a whole new level. I read the books just a year before this film came out. I fell in love then and now that I've seen it I'm an addict. This film is as faithful to the books as I've ever seen. I often don't appreciate adaptations from novels unless they are spectacular or faithful and this is both

9) The Shawshank Redemption

I had a hard time wanting to see this film. It was 8 years ago and I did catch it in the theater but I was like, "Who want's to see another dull prison movie?" I ate my words and still do. This movie is one of the few that makes me choked up every time I sit down to watch it. With Pulp Fiction and Forrest Gump the same year, it still blows them away as far as I'm concerned. Not only is it touching and inspirational, it shows a human quality that is little seen in films, especially in prison films.

8) Goodfellas

By far one of the most fun movies ever. I'd even consider it a dark comedy. Much of the film is a saterical look at the life of a gangster. The inane chatter of Franky Carbone, the stereotypes throughout ("I'm gonna go get the papers, get the papers") and even Moray's death, for those of you with a sick sense of humor like me, all of this make me crack up every time. Asside from thinking it's funny, it never has a dull moment and the action is always fun. Don't forget to look for Samuel L Jackson in one of his many cameo apperiences (True Romance, Coming To America).

7) The Usual Suspects

I was already a fan of Kevin Spacey before this film came out (The Ref, Glengarry Glen Ross). I wanted to see it for the whole cast. I thought, well it's another action film but it'll be fun. I was taken by storm. I saw it opening weekend and like to humor myself that I did my part to make this film popular. I told everyone to see it and have yet to spoil a thing. So you know there's a catch, that's the genius of it. It's one of the few movies I can say I've seen too many times to not catch everything and still I haven't. It's my favorite film noir and the most intriguing script I've ever seen put on screen.

6) Star Wars Saga

I am an obscene Star Wars junkie. I go to the premieres, collect the collectables and know all the characters, even the ones hidden way in the background. Star Wars has defined a generation and still inspires me when I watch them. When people anywhere mention The Force, we don't think of the police force. We think of Star Wars. When I mention the Saga, I am talking specifically about the original three. I like these new ones (yes, I even like The Phantom Menace) but I don't think that any of them are as good as any of the original ones. In order of preference, they go V, IV, VI, II, I. While we Star Wars fans bitch and moan when something is not the way we wanted it in these new ones, I just tell them it's not ours, it's Uncle George's. We go see it for his vision of historical space mayham and that's what we should expect. Still, all of these new movies are illustrating the tail of the rise and fall of Darth Vader and to me that's what it's all about. No villan can compare to the shear evil and malace that comes with Lord Vader. I still get chills when he boards the rebel ship with Princess Leia, out of the fog, breathing and making even the corpses tremble.

5) Blazing Saddles

Absolutely the best slapstick comedy ever made. Mel Brooks, Gene Wilder and Clevon Little make this comedy so funny and yet so rediculous it has to be good. If ever there is a movie that you should never take seriously, this is it. I mean, who ever heard of a black sheriff? Classic moments are brought to life in this masterpiece of film comedy. From Lilly Von Schtup and the La Pedome Throughway to the Gucci saddle and the Waco Kid, never does scene go by without leaving me in stitches.

4) Brazil

Definitely the most bizarre film I've ever seen. I bought the Criterion Edition of this film on DVD and have seen scenes that were not ment to be seen. Watching the film and the world around our main character, Sam, unravel into his own dream world is one thing. There are tons of extra scenes in this edition that make it even more difficult to comprehend. If you are squemish, don't try to comprehend it. Just watch it once and go get yourself a good stiff drink. Make it a double. This film is so complex that if you understand it the first or even second time you see it, you should be put away. That's what makes it so great. It is contravercial and it's funny. Look for it in the comedy section of your video stores. This was before everyone realized Robert DeNiro was really a funny actor but he is a riot in it. Terry Gilliam also is a master film maker. This is his greatest work and a tribute to everything he does. I think he's one of the best directors around today.

3) The Godfather Trilogy

What can I say about this? All three films are spectacular. Only Lord of the Rings can come close to being the great masterpiece of an epic saga that this is. Right now, it seems impossible to beat. When I break down my favorites with out combining sequals, Godfather parts I and II are always in my top 5, with only Brazil between them. I have come to favor part II because it shows more creative freedom on the part of Coppola. This stunning work embrases all the ideals of classic film making. I see them on TV all the time now and can barely ever turn the channel away. The life and times of the Coreleone family as depicted on screen is the most spectacular rendition of organized crime, struggling to salvage a family and just all around good entertainment.

2) Schindler's List

The only movie I can never get through without crying. It happens every time. I feel that this movie touches me so deeply and is the most powerful drama of all time. Spielberg outdid himself especially with the touch of reality at the end. I recently visited Oscar Schindler's tree on the Avenue of the Righteous in Yad Vashem, Jerusalem and almost broke down then. But it's more than a tearjerker. It reminds us that we should never forget the travisty of the holocaust so that it will never happen again. I even think that Liam Neeson should have won the Oscar in 1993 instead of Tom Hanks for Philadelphia. His performance, Ben Kingsley and Ralph Fiennes, the music, the cinematography and every little detail about this film was immaculate. While the subject matter is difficult, the film is flawless. The film is perfect in showing how Schindler was one of histories latest greatest heroes.

1) Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb

What is funnier than the end of the world? Well, probably everything until you see this film. Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece shows how more than simple miscalculations have to happen for a nuclear holocaust to occur, someone has to be mad, someone trigger happy and the rest of us have to try to stop it or save what life we can. This movie is my favorite because tragedy like this can even be funny. Just watch it and see. Peter Sellers soars as a reluctant British officer trying to get the nukes back to the base, The President of the United States frantically trying to avoid any loss of life and the creator of The Doomsday Machine, Dr. Strangelove. After watching Slim Pickens ride the nuke as if it were a mechanical bull, I knew this was what it was all about. Getting away with stunts like that are risks that the great filmmakers take and the greatest get away with. Movies don't get better than this!!!


Some of my other favorites are:

The Great Escape
Being John Malkovich
Citizen Kane
A Clockwork Orange
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Fargo
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
The Blues Brothers
Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory
Young Frankenstein
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
The Fisher King
Mulholland Drive
Pulp Fiction


Thanks for reading. I enjoyed talking about my favorites. We should do this more often. There are tons more I'd love to talk about but I just don't have the time right now.

Adam

[SinjinSB]

I recently made a top ten of all-time list for my website, here's what I wrote:

I decided to try and break out a top ten from my 4 star Movie Page. It wasn't too hard to choose the movies with the exception of the 10 slot. There are at least 3 or 4 others that I like as much, but I had to be cut throat. And here they are! My 10 favorite movies! I'm not going to write my little reviews here now, I'll wait til I watch them the next time. Unfortunately 3 of them still aren't available on DVD! I have included a few words regarding their ranking in my top ten.

1) American Graffiti (1973)
Until this very moment (Aug 11, 2002 - 11am), I wasn't willing to choose between American Graffiti and Star Wars. But I have done it. American Graffiti is officially my favorite movie!

2) Star Wars (1977)
It was a tough choice. For most of my life I have always claimed Star Wars as my favorite movie. I was in awe when my Grandma took me to see it at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre in 1977. I remember wishing we had more time to look at the footprints outside, but we just had time for a quick look. I doubt it has diminished at all over the years, it's just that now I have seen American Graffiti. For quite awhile now I've claimed them to be a tie, but I wanted to make a choice and American Graffiti has won out. I'm sure I will always mention in the same breath that Star Wars is an extremely close second.

3) The Godfather (1972)
A lot of critics lump Godfather II with the original. I don't understand this. We don't lump Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back together. I see no difference. They are both part of a series that drops off after the second. Many often claim the second movie to be better. I give all 4 movies my highest ratings, but only the originals show up in my top ten. I think it's just a chicken shit cop out by critics and I've never understood it.

4) The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (Il Buono, il brutto, il cattivo) (1966)
I was really happy to find out this movie is critically acclaimed. I've been watching it since I was a little kid(usually with my Dad) and it's always been a favorite. When I first started really looking into reviews in college, I was pleasantly surprised to see all the favorable reviews of my favorite childhood western.

5) Rear Window (1954)
Another thing that frustrated me with critics' top tens. They are only willing to list one Hitchcock movie, claiming that several could be in the top ten. You'll notice that I only have one Hitchcock movie here. And I give 7 of his movies the ranking of 4 stars. But I can honestly say, only Rear Window belongs in my top ten. Though when choosing my #10 movie, North by Northwest was in the running, but I didn't avoid it because I already had a Hitchcock movie. I chose Stand by Me because when comparing them in my head, I honestly preferred it.

6) Jaws (1975)
Just like The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, I was pleasantly surprised at the critical acclaim that Jaws receives. I still probably rank it higher than most. I know the shark isn't very realistic. But the best moments are when you don't see the shark...you know he's there! I still remember the first time I saw this movie in the Drive-In and I like it just as much today!

7) Platoon (1986)
I didn't see this movie until it was on video and boy was I surprised. I have seen a lot of good war movies, but this one stands out among them all. Like most of these movies, I've watched it many times and every time it envokes the same emotions just as strongly as the first time I watched it.

8) Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
I guess this movie has fallen the farthest over the years. Not that number 8 is bad or that I like it any less than I did when I first saw it in 1981. Just that I remember when I first started making lists, I think I had it ranked #2. It's been a long time since I've seen it, so maybe it has a chance to climb back up if it ever comes out on DVD! I never seem to break out my old laserdiscs any more.

9) The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
This is the movie I have seen the least on this list, only twice. Again, not available on DVD yet. Come on guys, you're killing me! I have never been disappointed by a Bogart movie and this one tops the list of greats. There are two others on my 4 star list and several others that are close.

10) Stand by Me (1986)
This is probably the most contraversial movie on my list. I realize that I may very well be the number one fan of this movie. Most people seem to like well enough, but a top ten of all time...c'mon! Well, here it is...in my top ten! To be fair, there were 3-4 others that I seemingly liked as much and had a tough time choosing my #10 movie.

For a list of of the 28 movies that I give 4 Stars (my highest ranking), click here (http://home.netcom.com/~sinjin/4star.htm)

[tabuno]

As to jacobic216 list, while I don't agree with some of the movies listed, it's pretty difficult to fault your overall selection. You've listed some great movies. I'm not a "Star Wars" fan, preferring "Alien" instead. But I'm really glad to see "Brazil" on your list. And your other favorites are littered with movie gems. Any thoughts about "Dr. Zhivago" as a good historical, epic movie about relationships? You seem to have a good sense of quality movie making.

[stevetseitz]

1. Seven Samurai
2. Lawrence of Arabia
3. The Third Man
4. Braveheart
4. Yojimbo
5. The Conversation
6. Jaws
7. Star Wars (original 77 cut)
8. Fellowship of the Ring
9. Singin' in the Rain
10. Schindler's List
11.Miller's Crossing

I also love Bunuel's "Death in The Garden"

"Come and See" a russian film about the partisan struggle

"Dr. Zhivago"

"The Hidden Fortress" Kurosawa

"Ran" Kurosawa

"The Wages of Fear"/ "Sorcerer" I like both versions

"Bob Le Flambuer"

"Le Samouri"

"The Searchers" John Ford and John Wayne at their best

"North by Northwest"

"Scrooge" The 1970 Albert Finney musical version

"The Omega man"

"Dawn of the Dead"

"It's a wonderful Life"

"High Noon"


I like all your picks jacobic216!! Aren't movies great?

[tabuno]

I'll try a tentative list of top ten movies:

1. Picnic at Hanging Rock
2. Manhunter
3. Nomads
4. 2001: A Space Odyssey
5. Dr. Zhivago
6. Alien
7. Carnival of Souls (Original 1962 Version)
8. Mulholland Drive (2002)
9. THX-1138
10. Brazil

The Thing (remake by John Carpenter) - Most intense effect on me personally.

[SinjinSB]

Originally posted by tabuno
I'll try a tentative list of top ten movies:

1. Picnic at Hanging Rock
2. Manhunter
3. Nomads
4. 2001: A Space Odyssey
5. Dr. Zhivago
6. Alien
7. Carnival of Souls (Original 1962 Version)
8. Mulholland Drive (2002)
9. THX-1138
10. Brazil

The Thing (remake by John Carpenter) - Most intense effect on me personally.
Nice choices...glad to see Picnic at Hanging Rock on top. I have it on DVD, but haven't seen it yet...something to look forward to. I must admit, I'm not a David Lynch fan...so I haven't seen Mullholland Drive.

[tabuno]

Muholland Drive isn't for many people. It's confusing, creepy, and strange just what one would expect from David Lynch. I don't know if I can recommend it to someone who doesn't like David Lynch. Of course, Twin Peaks was pretty popular for a lot of people.

[SinjinSB]

Originally posted by tabuno
Muholland Drive isn't for many people. It's confusing, creepy, and strange just what one would expect from David Lynch. I don't know if I can recommend it to someone who doesn't like David Lynch. Of course, Twin Peaks was pretty popular for a lot of people.

No worries. I know when something's not for me. I saw Blue Velvet after much recommendation and didn't like it. Then I tried again with Wild at Heart and actually stopped the movie in the middle, something I rarely do. Just not for me, that's all.

[stevetseitz]

made someone's list. Extremely atmospheric and creepy! I liked "Blue Velvet", "The Elephant Man", "Eraserhead", and "The Straight Story" but "Mulholland Drive" didn't grab me (except "The Cowboy" he reminded me of a Stephen King character from "The Stand" . I enjoyed "Lost Highway" so maybe my expectations were too high. Still most David Lynch films are worth seeing.


I also like "John Carpenter's The Thing" but I still prefer Howard Hawkes original.

On another subject: re: Hitchcock's best 1. "North by Northwest" 2. "Vertigo" 3. The 39 Steps 4. Rear Window 5. Pyscho 6. Sabotuer 7. Rebecca

[jacobic216]

I've come to love David Lynch. I do know why people don't like him and I won't push anyone into him. He's an acquired taste. Mulholland Drive is probably the most "David Lynch" of all of his movies. It's definitely my favorite of his but if your not a fan, I doubt you'd enjoy watching it.

For all the fans of him out there, check out his earlier works like Eraserhead and Elephant Man. Eraserhead is one of the most disturbing films I've ever seen.

[jacobic216]

Nice Hitchcock list, by the way. My favorite of his is Psycho but they are all terrific.

[tabuno]

Psycho broke a new barrier when it portrayed an average guy with a hidden past - the intensity and the astonishing ending was a breakthrough, one that really has probably been equaled since, but never excelled or exceeded. It was a watermark in horror movies as well as other movie genres.

[Wilbur]

1) JAWS (1975) - I first saw Jaws at the cinema in 1977 when I was 9. It was my favourite film then and despite the hundreds of films I've seen since nothing can come near it.

2) ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOOS NEST (1975) - despite winning all 5 major Oscars, I think this is generally under-rated by the critics. The only film which can seriously rival Jaws.

3) RAN (1985) - I was a bit disappointed with The Seven Samurai, but Ran is utterly superb in every area. It ranks as No 1 in loads of categories - foreign film, war film, historical film, Epic film, Shakespeare adaptation, best battle scene etc, etc.

4) BADLANDS (1973) - everythings low-key and simple but the overall effect knocked me out. One of those films where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts - superb music and cinematography - career best performances by the two leads.

5) AMERICAN BEAUTY (1999) - what a film. I was expecting some dumb comedy about a mid-life crisis - instead it was a film which can rank alongside any classic of the last 100 years. Kevin Spacey - what an actor.

6) WEST SIDE STORY (1961)
7) THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)
8) APOCALYPSE NOW (1979)
9) SEVEN (1995)
10) PSYCHO (1960)

Bubbling under - Citizen Kane; Alien: Barton Fink; Frankenstein(1931); Rumble Fish; Twelve Angry Men.

[stevetseitz]

Has anyone else seen "Prime Cut" with Lee Marvin and Gene Hackman? It's a great film which may or may not be available on video at this time. It's a very seedy and hard-boiled mob picture with good performances. Also Sissy Spacek's debut film, I believe.

[Singinchica2004]

The following are just some of my favorite films to watch

10. The Godfather I- Fabulous movie, watched it with my Dad and still quote lines from it.

9. Silence of the Lambs- My first horror movie which I watched alone, at night, in the dark.

8. Monty Python and the Holy Grail- Know almost every line in this whole movie! Lots of laughs.

7. When Harry Met Sally- Classic Romance/comedy with the adorable Meg Ryan, and the ROTFLOL Billy Crystal.

6. The Haunting (1963)- Yet another great scary movie, without any blood, gore, or ghosts.

5. Seven Brides For Seven Brothers- Great Musical with classic actors, Howard Keel, Jane Powell.

4. Gone With The Wind- Wonderful movie, wonderful novel, great cast.

3. Sense and Sensibility- I liked it better than the book, and Alan Rickman made me cry he was so amazing!

2. A&E's Pride and Prejudce- Wonderful version of the novel, by far the movie most true to the book that I've seen.

1. West Side Story- Greatest Musical of All time, wonderful cast, dances, songs, etc. Alll around a great film!

[stevetseitz]

This was the original BBC production with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy, Correct? It was quite good.

[Singinchica2004]

He was amazing as Mr. Darcy I don't think anyone could've played him better.

[jacobic216]

Someone mentioned Prime Cut to me at work just last month. I have every intention on seeing it. I heard great things and I love all of those actors.

[casey_choas66]

1. Mulholland Drive- Anyone who did not like this film or said it was nothing more than an attempt to shock people are the ones who don't understand director David Lynch and probably never will. Lynch has made a mind boggling opus here that one could watch a million times and still probably not pick up everything the film has to offer.

2. Sixth Sense- Bruce Willis gives a powerhouse of a performance in this amazing and extremely dramatic take on a young boy looking for truth and a worn out shrink looking for answers. A materpeice of modern suspense.

3. Casino- Most of the cast and crew from Goodfellas returns for a pumped up version of Martins Scorseses ganster classic set around a Las Vegas nightclub. Robert De Niro is amazing as always and Joe Pesci is perfect as his short tempered ganster friend.

4. Donni Darko- Pretty much a teen version of The Sixth Sense with a totally different story. Donni is forced to face reality when he has visions of a giant rabbit telling him when the world will end, also forcing him to make the decision of wanting to live his life with love or fear.

5. Green Mile- Tom Hanks is masterful and Michale Clake Duncan is heart shattering in this big scren adaption of Stephen King's novel, quite possibly the saddest film ever made.

6. American History X- Edward Norton is yet to top his mind blowing performance as a skinhead who is sent to jail after killing three balck men trying to break into his house one night to return onlt to find his brother following his footsteps. Heart breaking from beginning to end.

7. Natural Born Killers- Oliver Stone's satire on how violence is portrayed in the media will proove brillient to some and a huge headache to others, nevertheless it is nothing short of mind blowing and having been released around the time of the O.J. Simpson trail couldn't have prooved to be more accurate.

8. Bully- Some call him a genious, some call him a dirty old man but I call him a true film maker. Lary Clark's haunting follow up to his debut film Kids is nothing short of horrifying, it is the true story of a group of teens who decide to kill a local bully. A terrifying wake up call for all teens and parents alike.

9. Made- By far the funniest ganter film ever made. Swingers duo, Vince Vaugh and John Favrou team up once again in this hilarious tale of two guys who after taking one last job will be made men, just to bad they think everyone is against them.

10. Lost Highway- Not a perfect film but makes the list because it is by far the scariest i have ever seen. David Lynch goes a little heavy on the symbolism sometimes making the film very hard to follow but fans of his work will love it. Robert Blake is sure to draw nightmares for weeks as a pale-faced mystery man.

Top 5 Worst Films

5. The Boondock Saints- I don’t know about anyone else but I don’t like my action in slow motion. The story of two losers who think they are doing God’s work by killing off the scum of the Earth is about as pathetic as it sounds. Never once exciting or funny, this Natural Born Killers rip-off is a definite pass.

4. The Way of the Gun- This would-be action caper doesn’t make the least bit fo sense. Two idiots decide they can collect some big bucks by kidnaping the pregnant daughter of someone important, or something like that? The film is so sketchy on the details it is almost impossible to follow. Also, the birth scene gives all new meaning to the term tasteless.

3. Very Bad Things- Take the “Things” out of the title and this film would be self explanatory. A group of the most annoying characters possible start dying off one by one after the are plagued with the memories of a bachelor party in Las Vegas gone terribly wrong. Supposedly a black comedy, this film doesn’t have one laugh of one character you wouldn’t want to kill yourself. The only fun part or it is watching all the characters die off so you don’t need to listen to their whining anymore. It also has an ending to stupid for words.

2. Fight Club- If director David Fincher wanted us to believe that we haven’t evolved a bit from the scum that once inhabited this planet than he has succeeded beautifully. A lot of people find some deep meaning in the events of this film but I can find nothing significant in a bunch of losers finding redemption in beating each other into a bloody pulp. Not only is this pathetic attempt at David Lynch one of the worst films I have seen, it also has one of the dumbest ending my eyes have ever had the misfortune of seeing. Note- This is by no means a kung fu movie, it is an exercise in bad taste that goes from a trashy dark comedy to a confusing supernatural ghost story, skip it at all costs.

1. Freddy got Fingered- If anyone knows what this film is about please tell me because I have no idea. Writer, director and star Tom Green presents an hour and a half of gags and gross out bits that may have been funny on his show directed towards unsuspecting people, but here almost all of them fail horribly. But since that is exactly what Green wanted this film must have been a huge success for him, just to bad it is a huge headache for everyone else

[stevetseitz]

Many non-traditional choices, but I like it. When I worked at a small "mom & pop" video store (one of the best on the west coast) for a time after high school I tried to see as many different movies as I could. I also went to all the film festivals. It broadened my appreciation of film as an art form.

I have a theory on critical movie watching: Like any hobby it takes a while to get good at it. It takes a while to break away from your comfort zone and start delving into the classics or foreign films. I would go on "western" kicks or "Japanese" cinema periods where I would see everything available.

[tabuno]

It's quite obvious that casey_choas66 has a good taste in quality movies.

[docraven]

Coming up with a top ten list of films is not easy. From time to time I think about this, and the list constantly changes, but here is one idea. Most are frequent top ten films. I wonder how many people have seen Carlos Saura’s amazing flamenco treatment of CARMEN. FEARLESS might be a surprise to a lot of people, but I find the film compelling and strengthened by a great performance by Jeff Bridges. I haven’t read anything in this forum about the films of Zhang Yimou. JU-DOU is just one of several of his films that provides a fascinating and powerful vision of a country we Americans as a whole know little about.

Some of My Favorite Films:
1. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
2. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (1995)
3. THE SEVEN SAMURAI
4. CARMEN (Saura)
5. FEARLESS
6. JU-DOU
7. LE GRAND CHEMIN
8. SCHINDLER’S LIST
9. RUN LOLA RUN
10. GLADIATOR

[Russ]

Here's my top 10 - with some memorable quotes (which I might have abit wrong)

Reservoir Dogs - "Everyone wants to be Mr Black"

Raising Arizona - "Nope - not unless you think round's funny"

It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World - "Even business men who lie and cheat every day have to pay taxes"

2001:A Space Odyssey - "Open the pod bay doors Hal!"

Dial M For Murder - "What's all this nonsense about about spaghetti?"

Casablanca - "Round up the usual suspects"

Muriel's Wedding - "Are you black?"

Love Serenade - "I don't like it - I don't like it at all!"

Trainspotting - "Because I told you to bing the f**ing cards"

Romper Stomper - "We're the good lookin' boys from Canberra!"

I can't inderstand why Reservoir Dogs isn't everyone's number 1 choice. There's something there for everyone.

And I would have thought that someone else would have thought that a three hour super comedy featuring the best actors available at the time deserves inclusion in any top 10 also. Still, you could argue about that forever.

[stevetseitz]

I thought I was the only one who could STAND this movie! It's hilarious. (Especially when Jonathan Winters single-handedly destroys a service station.) I rarely see it make a "top ten" list though! Now that takes cajones...

[tabuno]

"It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World" - I never figured that this movie would be in a top ten list, my mind having gone in different directions. But I did love the movie; and as a comedy it had some real great technique and movie stars. Comedies, like comedians have often been overlooked as to their greatness. It's good to see this movie title here.

[Gregster]

My top ten:

1. The Godfather (1972) - The greatest film of all time. Nothing more!

2. Halloween (1978) - Easily the best horror film. Riveting and a superb score.

3. Blade Runner (1982) - Brilliant, dark and visual. A stunning thriller with a great soundtrack.

4. Pulp Fiction (1994) - Superb interweaving stories of gangster life. Enjoyable and hilarious.

5. Scream (1996) - The best film parody ever. Pokes fun at horror and knows it doing it. Funny but also a great horror film.

6. One Fle Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975) - There was just something about it I loved, maybe theoriginal story and great acting!

7. Full Metal Jacket (1987) - Kubrick's best film: a startling depiction of war and a superb first half of training.

8. Godfather part II (1974) - Not quite as good as the original but highly satisfying nonetheless.

9. Goodfellas (1990) - Scorsese's masterpiece: voilent, clinical and sometimes funny look into a life of crime.

10. The Deer Hunter (1978) - A film that has everything and one of De Niro's best performances ever. Oh and the Russian Roulette sequence!

[Russ]

to stevetseitz

What are cajones? I'm assuming that cajones are testicles - but I might be wrong.

Also, I'm hoping that cajones is an Americanism (perhaps a North Americanism) that I'm just not familiar with.

As for IAMMMMW, it seemed to be on television when I was a kid about once a year on a lazy Sunday arvo. I liked the destruction of the service station, bit I particularly liked the early scene where they were trying to divvy up the cash - you know - you get one share for being a person in a car, once share for having a person in a car, 3 for being a person in a car at the crash site. I actually came up with a fair formula (which I won't detail here) but I bet Milton Berle's mumin law would've spewed at it.

Cheers

[pmw]

cajones=espanol for testicle(s) if Im not mistaken. Sound right Steve?

[stevetseitz]

You know just a figure of speech. :)

[SinjinSB]

Originally posted by pmw
cajones=espanol for testicle(s) if Im not mistaken. Sound right Steve?
I believe the word you guys are thinking of is COJONES.

[pmw]

Originally posted by SinjinSB

I believe the word you guys are thinking of is COJONES.

Anyone know the etymology...?

[oscar jubis]

Back to film. Foreign favorites I listed elsewhere. Silents:Passion of Joan of arc,Sunrise, Metropolis,Pandora'sBox.
FAVORITE:
Biopic: Citizen Kane
Romance: Vertigo, Casablanca
Western: The Searchers
Sci/Fi : 2001
Musical:Singing in the Rain, the Red Shoes, American in Paris
Comedy: Dr. Strangelove, Some like it Hot, Modern Times
War Film:Apocalypse Now Redux, Platoon
Religious Epic: Kundun, Last Temptation of Christ
Sports film: Raging Bull, Hoop Dreams
Film Noir: The Third Man, Chinatown, Touch of Evil
Political Film: Salt of the Earth(1954)
Horror: Repulsion(1965),
Animation: Peter Pan, Spirited Away, Lion King
Gangster Film: Godfather Part II

[Russ]

Originally posted by oscar jubis
Back to film. Foreign favorites I listed elsewhere.
Horror: Repulsion(1965),


I'd have thought The Exorcist would have been head and shoulders above anything in this genre.

I like it! Ozzy likes it! Nuff said!

[oscar jubis]

"I wrote THE EXORCIST because as I went along writing my funny books and screenplays, I felt I wasn't making a contribution to the welfare of the world"
William Peter Blatty
"Shallowness that asks to be taken seriously, like Blatty's, is an embarrasment"
"The biggest recruiting poster the Catholic Church has had since The Bells of St. Mary"
Pauline Kael

[fermented]

My ideals change every minute so that I can never really decide what movies go at the top of my list, but I definitely have some favorites.

Requiem for a Dream
Pi
Life is Beautiful
Donnie Darko
Most Kubrick films
Most Gilliam films (including his Monty Python ones)
Clerks
Amelie
Memento
Gattaca
Virgin Suicides
Pink Floyd's: The Wall
Koyaanisqatsi

What I like always depends on what I'm feeling like at the moment. And if a movie makes me cry, I have to include it.

[pmw]

Like your list, Fermented. My two favorites from it are Donnie Darko and Koyaanisqatsi. Just saw Naqoyqatsi which I didnt think was very good. Lots of stock footage, digital manipulations, but not too many of the vast breathtaking shots from the first. Donnie Darko is amazing. Another that I just saw recently... music, story, effects all great...
P

[tabuno]

Fermented's list is another impressive list.

Pi, Most Kubrick films, Most Gilliam films (including his Monty Python ones), Amelie, Memento, Koyaanisqatsi are of particular interest and ones I haven't seem on other lists much. Great choices! You have a great eye for the unusual and powerful movies. "Run, Lola, Run" comes to mind that isn't on your list. "Brazil" really made high marks and impression on me.

I did have problems with "Life is Beautiful" personally as it seemed to be two movies and unrealistic in the second half. "Gattaca" I think was very underrated and overlooked, though I don't know if I'd put it on my best movie list.

[oscar jubis]

Very good list, Fermented, films with striking visuals and emotional impact. Most very recent. Then I realized I was also 20 when I began to dig deep into film history. Now, half of all films in my list(see above) were made before I was born, in '61. A treasure trove awaits you.
I am glad to see VIRGIN SUICIDES on your list. I worried that the reason why I loved it was silly nostalgia for the 70s, which the film evokes so well.

[The King LGM]

1. Carlito's Way
2. The Shawshank Redemption
3. Memento
4. The Godfather Part II
5. 12 Monkeys
6. The Godfather
7. Clerks
8. Boyz N Tha Hood
9. Hoop Dreams
10. Pulp Fiction

[oscar jubis]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by The King LGM
[B]1. Carlito's Way

Curious as to why this film speaks to you personally.
In my opinion, the film excells during the action sequences, particularly the subway chase scene. I love the way De Palma moves his camera. Also, Sean Penn's performance finally convinced me he is America's best actor.
Otherwise, the shallow treatment of Edwin Torres' books by David Koepp, the woefully miscast Penelope Ann Miller, and Pacino's accent (or accents- at times he seems to forget he is no longer playing Colonel Slade from Scent of a Woman) almost ruin the film for me.
So many other crime films more accomplished, De Palma's own The Untouchables included.

[The King LGM]

I love the story most of all. The urban images of New York City in the 70's with a disco feel, but not disco driven. A portrayal of latinos as top of the line gangsters instead of stupid stick up kids. Pacino is my favorite actor and there are plenty of other performances where he has done better (Godfather I & II, Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, Scent of a Woman...) but I love his character. I can watch this film over and over and not get sick of it. Benny Blanco's line at the end, "Hey member me? Benny Blanco from da Bronx" still gives me a chill, and an "oh no" feeling. And as you already mentioned, Sean Penn's acting is easily the best in this film and he should have been given the academy award for best supporting actor.

Carlito's Way is not the best film I've seen, but it is my favorite.

[oscar jubis]

I appreciate your interest in the portrayal of Latinos in American films. We are clearly under-represented. African-americans had the same problem before the emergence of Spike Lee in the late 80s. Then again, no Latino director working in Hollywood(Arau, Nava, Rodriguez, Mandoki,etc) has come close to the brilliance of Do the Right Thing.
The film images that best evoke NYC for me have been created by Mr. Lee and "pantheon" directors Marty Scorsese and Woody Allen. Gangster movies are beginning to bore me, particularly those that glamorize violence. On the other hand, I'll probably see Gangs of New York twice during opening weekend.

[cinemabon]

To look at a person's top ten films reveals a lot about that person. First of all, their age. If a person lists a film like Gone With The Wind, you can probably assume that person is older. If a person lists Gladiator, it is probably a younger person. Like wise, if all the films are of a horror genre. You can believe that person likes little else. I've noticed that people who list a wide variety and base that on films they've actually watched, and not just read about, are the "true" film enthusiast, who is also probably college educated and probably also studied film either as a major or an elective. What absolute slays me, is having someone list some really great movies and then have Blazing Saddles or Airplane on the list. While these are really funny films, they look absurd next to movies like Third Man or Schindler's List.

Most film enthusiasts have lists that are miles long. To narrow them down to ten is almost rediculous. I have ten films in each genre practically that need mentioning, let alone a general catagory called Best of all time. Foreign films alone constitute some of the finest movies ever made and are the most over looked, like Kurosowa. I'm sure we all have IMDB.COM in our databases. And trilogies don't count! Each film has it's own merit.

Well, if I must...

1. Citizen Kane
2. The Godfather
3. Gone With The Wind (I had to)
4. Cries and Whispers
5. The Seven Samuri
6. Schindler's List
7. Lawrence of Arabia
8. Vertigo
9. Ben Hur
10. ... you'll just have to guess who I would have named for number ten...

Titanic? Fellowship of the Ring? Star Wars-A New Hope? 8 1/2? the list grows longer every day, my friends. Just look at the hundreds of films I am leaving out. I'm ashamed to even make a list, there are so many I love that are missing from it.

[stevetseitz]

You old person you! :"Gone with the Wind"

Just kidding! :)

When some people put a top ten list together, they are putting together a list of the best films ever made and others are putting together a list of their "ten favorite films", I know my "top ten films ever made" list differs from my "favorite ten films" list.

[docraven]

I like your list, cinemabon, and I like your remarks about favorite movies. I particularly underline your mention of foreign films. I wonder how many of those who use this forum have seen many foreign films. I really don’t know where the “majority” stands on this, but, for example, jacobic216, who started this thread, lists two dozen films, and not one of them is foreign. Eight of the lists here did not include a single foreign film. Of the five lists which did include foreign films, one listed only one, three listed only two, and one listed five. I did not include those of oscar jubis, as he lists his foreign favorites separately.

Kurosawa’s films are the most often mentioned foreign films on these lists. Yours is the only one to list a Bergman piece. One list included Life is Beautiful and Amelie. Amelie is certainly a fine film, but I have to admit that I personally could not stomach Life is Beautiful. We all like different things. Anyway, what does this suggest? Have people just not seen foreign films, or do they not like them enough to consider them favorites? If the former, I suggest there is a vast untapped resource.


Originally posted by cinemabon
To look at a person's top ten films reveals a lot about that person. First of all, their age. If a person lists a film like Gone With The Wind, you can probably assume that person is older. If a person lists Gladiator, it is probably a younger person.

When I read these lists I frequently have similar thoughts, but perhaps these kinds of judgements are only guesses. I think I am the only one to list Gladiator, for example, but I suspect I am older (mid sixties) than most of the rest of you. Like you, and probably most of us on this forum, there are really many films I might list. I have been asked many times about my favorite films, and the question would always leave me speechless. Finally, I tried to put down a list and ended up with over a hundred films, even after leaving off many that I really like.

What might be more revealing is the films you don’t like. I mentioned Life Is Beautiful. Two films I often hear praised that I cannot stand are Waiting for Guffman and Forrest Gump. Another film I thought was dreadful was Moulin Rouge (I have to admit here that I did not see it all the way through. For me it was dreadfully boring, had nothing to say, and was doing that very ineffectively, so after being tortured through more than half of it I left.). What does that say about me? I can hardly wait for the judgements on that.


for stevetseitz

What criteria separates your Top Ten Films Ever Made list from your Favorite Ten Films lists?

[stevetseitz]

I can appreciate an aesthetic piece of artwork without it speaking to me or being a favorite of mine. For instance, "The Cry" by Edvard Munch is an amazing painting but I am not likely to hang it in my living room, the same goes for "Decapitated Heads" by Gericault. I admire the genius of Stravinsky in "Night on Bare Mountain" and "The Firebird" but I can think of any number of pieces of music I relate to and enjoy more.

I think what distiguishes "favorites" from "best" is that the films tend to be less serious or technically banal. A movie I watched numerous times as a child like "The Great Race" isn't great cinema but I enjoy it every time I see it.

[oscar jubis]

Originally posted by docraven I wonder how many of those who use this forum have seen many foreign films.Have people just not seen foreign films, or do they not like them enough to consider them favorites? If the former, I suggest there is a vast untapped resource.

More likely the former but many people simply won't read subtitles. Does it have to do with the cultural hegemony of the english language? Lack of exposure to foreign film during formative years?
The potential audience is there but it needs to be nurtured and sustained. The poor distribution and marketing of foreign film is the major problem. Regional differences are relevant. Clearly, it's advantageous to live in NYC or Toronto. Here in Miami, we get all the spanish language and "gay interest" films available, not enough Asian or East European cinema. I am lucky to have a video store that buys dvd from Canada, U.K. and Hong Kong, not available in the U.S., and transfers them to compatible formats. The U. of Miami's film school shows films to which I wouldn't otherwise have access. I imagine there are similar options for the film lover in other cities. Still, I have seen little of the vast output of important filmakers like Bela Tarr, Alexander Sokurov, Arturo Ripstein, De Oliveira and many others.
As far as information, I read the Village Voice and Chicago Reader on line, and Cineaste and Film Comment magazines.
Given the current conditions, it takes a lot of effort to learn about and watch some of the best films being made in the world.

[oscar jubis]

Originally posted by stevetseitz
[B]I can appreciate an aesthetic piece of artwork without it speaking to me or being a favorite of mine. A movie I watched numerous times as a child like "The Great Race" isn't great cinema but I enjoy it every time I see it.
I maintain a deep affection for movies I watched as a kid. Some I thought then as masterpieces: Oliver!, Zefirelli's Romeo and Juliet, Allen's Stardust Memories. Others felt as if made for ME and nobody else: De Palma's Phantom of the Paradise, Hussein's Melody and yes, Rock 'n Roll High School. You won't find these in my top 10 but I'd postpone brain surgery to catch any of them on TV.

[cinemabon]

I am suddenly surrounded by friends and my first response is to get naked. Here then is my most revealing list of my favorite films to watch on any day of the week...some are sentimental, some are intellectual, some are just plain fluff...

Roger Ebert (a matter of taste) once said that he didn't collect films because he had to have them. He collected them because he couldn't bear the thought of NOT being able to see certain films again. These are films I couldn't live without...

Hobson's Choice

O Henry's Full House

Wild Strawberries

Blow Up

The Song of Bernadette

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Lost Horizon (original)

The Quiet Man

How Green Was My Valley

Psycho

Annie Hall

Oliver!

Brief Encounter

The Big Country

Silverado

La Strada

Bringing Up Baby

The Philadelphia Story

Palm Beach Story ("...chivilary's not only dead, it's decomposing")

Sullivan's Travels ("What this film needs is some heart." "...and a little sex!")

and last, but not least, Duck Soup

I fell in love with these movies, not when I was growing up, but going through the film archives at UCLA, watching them on a Steenbeck horizontal film editor. These beauties were just gathering dust, while the rest of my collegues were rushing out to see the latest shoot 'em up. Our film heritage is filled with priceless moments of writing, music, acting, and marvelous productions that transcend time. Each one of these and many other films are reaching out to every generation to discover the gold laying in some dusty vault. Someday, all these films will be on DVD. Until then, I'm not parting with my VHS just yet.

[oscar jubis]

Mmm Charles Laughton in Hobson's Choice...Preston Sturges comedies...I am impressed by the variety of quality films on your list.Drama, westerns, thrillers, foreign films, literary adaptations, a musical, even a Victorian comedy. Now, lemme throw you a curve. Do you have any favorite silents, docs, and/or animated films?

[cinemabon]

I took my clothes off, but that wasn't enough to gross somebody out (actually, I'm in pretty good... oh, who am I kidding?)

Documentaries:

Hearts and Minds is my favorite, because of all the anger and strong feelings attached to it. I love the genre. Unfortunately, it seems only Bravo and HBO are willing to show the "true" nature of man (PBS now and then, but they've become spineless).

Silents:

Anything by Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin. I also manage to catch TCM on (I think) late Sat or Sun which runs a different silent feature every week. Whether we realise it or not, most movies are still silent...they just added sound effects and music. Most dialogue is a bore.

Animation:

Old versus New style - Old stuff first - Well of course all the old Disney and Fleisher Brothers features, the shorts from Warner Brothers (who couldn't love a wise crackin bunny from the Bronx) are all great and its hard to pick favorites.

The new stuff out of Japan in the last decade has literally changed the face of animation. They tell adult stories with adult themes. This animation is strictly for teens and above. No punches pulled here. While most of the stuff is rather crude compared to say, Pixar or Disney, the dialogue, music, and subject matter are miles above what is being done in the states, where we treat ALL viewers like children. I have to admit, I really like some of the stuff I've seen.

So there...happy? I don't mind talking about the films I love because all my life, since I was able to open the wooden doors on the front of our little screen TV, it was the movies that facinated me the most. Saturdays, a kid could go to the movies and spend all day there for less than a buck. I wouldn't give up those memories for all the money in Las Vegas. Every time a cartoon came on the big screen that featured Bugs Bunny, all the kids stood up on their seats and cheered! How's that for audience reaction? It was the only way we could see cartoons. Everything else was in black and white and saturday morning cartoons were never really that good. These days, I couldn't get my son to "cheer" about anything unless I was pulling the plug on his PS2, and that reaction wouldn't be cheering!

[stevetseitz]

Favorite Silent Film? Buster Keaton's "The General"
runner ups: F.W. Murnau's "Nosferatu"
Chaplin's "Modern Times"

Favorite Documentary: "Hearts of Darkness: A Filmaker's Apocalypse"
runner up: Capra's "Why We Fight"

Favorite animated film: "Fantasia"
runner up: "Ghost in the Shell"

[docraven]

I liked stevetseitz’s list. Here’s mine:

Favorite Silent Film? Able Gance’s “Napoleon” -- I saw it with Carmine Coppola conducting his own score to the movie. Wow!
Runners up: Chaplin’s “Gold Rush”; F.W. Murnau's "Nosferatu"; Robert Weine’s “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari”; Buster Keaton’s “The General”; D.W. Griffith’s “Way Down East” (The ice rescue scene can no longer be seen with the same sense of awe when originally released, but it certainly was a seminal work.); and, for its impact and importance to film history, Griffith’s “Birth of a Nation” (abominable themes, amazing use of film--important also to give an historical sense of what was “acceptable” in the second decade of the 1900s); Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin”.

Favorite Documentary: Michael Apted’s "28 Up" (and the others in this brilliant series)
Runners up: Leni Riefenstahl’s “Triumph of the Will” (The message is hypnotic. The filmmaking is amazing. Even though the goal is propaganda, it is clearly a superior film to any of Capra’s films in the “Why We Fight” series. If we think only the Nazis distorted, check out phrases like “our slant eyed friends” in “Prelude to War” in that series. Watch ten minutes of each, and you can see which was the superior filmmaker.); Steve James’ “Hoop Dreams”.

Favorite animated film: Disney’s “Jungle Book”
Runners up: Disney’s "Fantasia"; Adamson’s “Shrek”; Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”; Docter’s “Monsters, Inc.” -- One great thing about being a granddad is that you can pretend you’re only there to take your grand kids, but you secretly love it.

[Johann]

Wow is right- I love Gance's Napoleon. Lucky guy, docraven.

My favorite silent is probably Greed, but there are so many greats: Pandora's Box, Die Niebelungen, Intolerance, Strike, etc..

My favorite documentary is My Best Fiend. Herzog's tribute to Klaus Kinski is pure poetic justice. I can't recommend it enough. Almost had me crying at the final images.... ALMOST!

My favorite animated film is Yellow Submarine. Hands down.

[stevetseitz]

Man, I almost forgot about that one. It's so entertaining that it doesn't live in my memory as a documentary! Saw it at a film festival and I was amazed. "Little Dieter needs to Fly" was also excellent.

[oscar jubis]

I made a list of a dozen favorites. All have already been mentioned... except my top 2:
SUNRISE has been called "the most completely poetic film Hollywood ever made". I'll call it the best American film not available on DVD. A farmer redeems himself after being seduced and corrupted by a city girl in this gorgeous Murnau film.
THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC(1928) was made in Paris by dane Carl Dreyer. The 4th of a dozen films on Joan. The most cinematic object of all: Renee Falconetti's face.

Besides the ones listed by Docraven and Stevetseitz, I favor these docs:
NIGHT AND FOG by Alain Resnais
THE SORROW AND THE PITY by Marcel Ophuls
SHOAH by Claude Lanzmann
MAN WITH A MOVING CAMERA by Vertov

More recently: CRUMB, THE WONDERFUL,HORRIBLE LIFE OF LENI RIEFENSTAHL, VISIONS OF LIGHT:The art of cinematography, JAZZ, THE GLEANERS AND I, PARADISE LOST:The child murders at Robin Hood Hill, and BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE.

[Johann]

The Gleaners and I- incredible film by Agnes Varda. I saw it twice!

[cinemabon]

All of the films you guys have mentioned reminded me of the movies I studied in college while I was in film school. "Potemkim" was standard viewing in editing class. Other titles we studied were: "The Cabinet of Dr. Kilgary", "Broken Blossoms", "Intolerance", "Ben-Hur" (with Francis X. Bushman), "Cleopatra", even "Napolean", of which I, too, was privileged enough to see performed live in Hollywood, directed by Francis Ford's father, Carmine Coppolla. I only wished I'd been there earlier this year when John Williams conducted the L.A. Philharmonic with his score from E.T., a first in motion picture history.

I am a huge fan of Hitchcock. I have an autographed copy of Spoto's book and had the great privilege of actually saying hello to him once at Universal. He made many silent films, including "The Lodger", which catapulted him to "star" status in his own country, England.

No one has mentioned Jean Cocteau (Beauty and the Beast) or Jean Renoir (son of the famous painter, responsible for "The Grand Illusion" and "Rules of the Game"), or Michael Powell's powerful haunting film, "Black Narcissus", with the incredible technicolor photography of Jack Cardiff, who won the Oscar that year.

[oscar jubis]

For comments re:Renoir go to the foreign favorites thread. I am quite ticked off that most of his vast,rich output is not available on DVD. Have you seen his American film THE SOUTHERNER?

I purchased BLACK NARCISSUS because I love its images. On the other hand, I hate to admit, the way the "natives' are portrayed smacks me as racist. The nuns' spiritual weakness a tad too convenient and over-simplified. I prefer Renoir's first color film:THE RIVER, about India, from the perspective of a british family.

[Johann]

I've got The Southerner on VHS. (A great Sunday afternoon movie!)

P.S. Don't do what I did once and watch it stoned. You will think it's a comedy. I thought the grandmother was funnier than Jerry Lewis... YOU MUST RESPECT RENOIR!

Black Narcissus is wonderful (even if it looks and feels like it was shot on a stage on a mountain :)

[oscar jubis]

B.Bondi is hilarious in Southerner. She continued acting into her 80s, including Jimmy Stewart's Ma in It's a Wonderful Life. By the way, Fave "doobie movie": Brian de Palma's Phantom of Paradise, a fevered pastiche of Goethe's Faust, Phantom of the Opera and schlock rock, recently released on DVD. It deserved the cult following of the much inferior Rocky Horror. Life ain't fair.

[Johann]

Must confess I haven't seen Phantom of the Paradise, but it looks like my cup of tea. Herbal tea, that is! (Ba dum bump)
I've always looked at the DVD when at the store- what the hell is that spacemask thing? Is that the "phantom"? Maybe I'll pick it up for myself for Christmas.
I love to watch trippy stuff every now an' then:

Yellow Sub
Magical Mystery Tour
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
More
Syd Barrett's First Trip
HWY (Jim Morrison directed!)
Lion's Love
The Wall
FelliniSatyricon (hell, ALL Fellini is psychedelic)

[cinemabon]

I can just picture us all in one room...Johann, Doc, Oscar, Steve, and I. The lights dim, we watch [perhaps something by Fellini, like Roma, or DePalma, like Sisters, or one of my favorites, Bergman's Cries and Whispers]...the lights come up. There is a table in the middle of our chairs. On the table is a joint, bottled water, a fifth of Bourbon, some Cigars, herbal tea, and Ephraim Katz latest version of The Film Encyclopedia to settle arguments (does there have to be a lap top?). Who will grab which enhancer? Or remain pure to their "bodily fluids" (see Dr. Strangelove) We discuss the film till one o'clock in the morning, at which time we flip to decide whether we break for sleep or start a movie marathon. We vote for the next film and cue up the projector...

One can wish for Christmas, can't I?

Thanks to all of you this year, for sharing with me/us all, some new insights into the movies, yourselves, and life in general. I look forward to the new year, new filmmakers, new thrills in the dark, and all of you to give it the proper perspective.

I thought I really knew a lot about the movies. I did, till I met you guys! Thanks for inviting me to your very wonderful and unique film forum. Take care. See you online, and in line at the movies. Happy Holidays. Happy New Year.

[Johann]

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.....
Jack Frost renting 400 Blows....

[stevetseitz]

Just as watching a fine film can be a learning experience, so can discussing one. It's fun to get other perspectives. Ages ago when I worked at a small "mom&pop" video store, my favorite thing was the employee's pick wall. We would all get to pick 3 or 4 films each week and it was always fascinating to see who picked which movies and then discuss the choices. This always led to some lively debate.

[oscar jubis]

Originally posted by cinemabon We discuss the film till one o'clock in the morning, at which time we flip to decide whether we break for sleep or start a movie marathon.

One can wish for Christmas, can't I?


I'd say brew some mountain-grown and go for the double bill. Each guy picks 2 faves that have been overlooked, neglected or forgotten and we have ourselves a festival. Actually that has already happened here as films y'all have mentioned top my Rent or Buy list. I don't have the background in film school, exhibition, etc. that informs your valuable insights. I do remember saturday matinees with my otherwise stern and distant dad; getting heartbroken by Bambi and emboldened by Peter Pan. I remember falling in love with the movies and not letting go.
Thanks fellas and happy holidays.