Your Top Ten Lists: Film and TV Movies

I'm expecting Hammett's revenant any second now. The dogs bark, the air turns fetid, the silhouette of a man in a fedora shadows my doorway....

Thanks for the correction. Don't know what the hell I was thinking!

 

...Yeah, I can't pick ten; don't even have a list like that, actually.

Some noteables:

-Jurassic Park
-Jaws
-Star Wars, yes, all six.
-Alien 3
-Se7en
-Lake Placid
-Anchorman
-Airplane
-The Naked Gun
-Gremlins
-Red Dragon
-The X-Files
-AND Millennium.
(specifically the season 4 finale/season five premiere three-parter of Gethsemane, Redux, and Redux II for X-Files. This was the X-Files movie before there WAS an X-files movie)
Home Alone
Tears Of The Sun

 

1. Zodiac - near perfect movie and years from now, I think will be seen as a classic.
2. Chinatown - Was a neo-noir when it came out, now it's just a noir. Brilliant movie, with wonderful writing, directing, action and a perfect ending.
3. Revenge Of The Sith - My favorite Star Wars installment, it's true greek tragedy on an epic scale.
4. Taxi Driver - The themes this movie deals with and the way they do, is true brilliance, and a horrifying character study of Travis Bickle.
5. The Third Man- This movie creeps closer and closer to the top for me every time I watch it. The best thriller ever made and brilliant in every facet of filmmaking.
6. Vertigo - Hitchcock's undisputed classic works on so many levels it's amazing. Entertaining and psychologically disturbing, and another great ending, that's more like a punch in the gut.
7. Blade Runner - This movies operates on so many dramatic levels. it's like a beautiful piece of art. Batty and Tyrell's scene remains my favorite of all cinema.
8. Halloween - It's a true merciless horror film, that transformed Horror movies, and for the most case, not for the better, sadly.
9. No Country For Old Men- The Coen Brothers Modern Classic, beautifully juggles a strong story with also making a strong statement and affecting the audience powerfully.
10. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Another modern classic, beautiful cinematography and storytelling at work here. And the build up to Jesse James Death is supurb.

 

Emporergerner: Only the awkward "knighting" scene keeps ROTS from vying with ESB on my list. I truly love Episode III. Rocked my geek world.

And bless you for recognizing The Third Man. Has there ever been a more perfect ending to a movie?

 

In no particular order:

Miller?s Crossing
This is the way to do a crime drama: fantastic acting (Gabriel Byrne should have got an Oscar for this), sharp dialogue, great plot and mountains of style. This is such an underrated move.

The Empire Strikes Back
It was between this and Star Wars (ANH) as my favourite of the OT; they both have great character moments, great scenes, and great dialogue, but I chose Empire because it looks absolutely beautiful.

Raiders of the Lost Ark
Humour, character, and one of the best introductory scenes to a character in movie history (imo).

Monty Python?s Quest for the Holy Grail
Maybe the funniest comedy ever made. The more you see it, the better it gets.

Die Hard
One of the best action-movies ever made. A film like this is only as good as its villain, and Alan Rickman is fantastic as Hans Gruber. Iconic.

The Ipcres File
One of the best British spy movies ever, imo. I love the dry humour, the weird camera-angles, and the way the bad-guys try to brainwash Michael Caine using rave music. This bumped Goldfinger from my spy-movie spot, though I love that movie too.

The Maltese Falcon
Hammett's dialogue is wonderful, and the performances match it. I love the film more and more each time I see it.

Brick
High-school kids spouting Hammett/Chandler-style dialogue? It shouldn't work, but it does. Brilliantly. This is the film that made Joseph Gordon-Levitt one of my favourite young actors.

The Thin Man
The chemistry between William Powell and Myrna Loy is fantastic, and I love good dialogue. This movie always makes me smile.

A Matter of Life and Death
There had to be a Powell and Pressburger film in here for me, and this is the one I chose. The Earth is in Technicolour, Heaven is in black-and-white, but it?s all good. I love the early scene of David Niven waking up on the beach and thinking he?s dead, and the bit where time stops. Always nice to see Roger Livesey in a film role, too.

Like everyone else I had to leave off too many wonderful movies. Merlin_Ambrosius69, not wanting to make extra work for you, but... maybe you could make this thread a regular fixture, but with a different genre every two weeks: top ten war films, top ten film noir, top ten sci fi, black & white, sword & sorcery, western, action, etc. It could be fun.

 

Like everyone else I had to leave off too many wonderful movies. Merlin_Ambrosius69, not wanting to make extra work for you, but... maybe you could make this thread a regular fixture, but with a different genre every two weeks: top ten war films, top ten film noir, top ten sci fi, black & white, sword & sorcery, western, action, etc. It could be fun.

Yes, yes! The purpose of the thread is to post your Top 10 Movie lists -- be they your favorites overall, or your favorite sci-fi, horror, comedy, thriller, etc. movies. Per your suggestion, we could change the requested list topic every week or two, but I was thinking that anyone could just offer whatever listing they wanted at any time. For example:

MY FAVORITE FANTASY FILMS (including sub-genres of fairy tale, mythical, sword and sorcery and high fantasy)

1. A Midsummer Night's Dream (1932)
2. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
3. The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1977)
4. The Star Wars Trilogy (1977-1983)
5. Clash of the Titans (1981)
6. Excalibur (1981)
7. Dragonslayer (182)
8. Labyrinth (1985)
9. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Extended Editions) (2001-2004)
10. The Harry Potter Septalogy (2001-2011)

 

Top Ten Comic-Book Adaptations

1. The Dark Knight
2. Road to Perdition
3. Ghost World
4. Superman: The Movie
5. Batman ('89)
6. Batman Begins
7. American Splendor
8. Persepolis
9. Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
10. X-Men 2


Top Ten Science-Fiction Films

1. Solaris ('72)
2. Children of Men
3. Brazil
4. 2001: A Space Odyssey
5. Blade Runner
6. Nineteen Eighty Four ('84)
7. Metropolis
8. Dark City
9. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
10. The Road


Top Ten Horror Films

1. Jaws
2. Nosferatu ('79)
3. Psycho
4. Repulsion
5. The Exorcist
6. Frankenstein ('31)
7. Halloween
8. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
9. Don't Look Now
10. Night of the Living Dead

 

Episode III is my favorite and the knighting scene doesn't really stick out as a bad scene to me. But every Anaking, Padme one does.

I love "The Third Man" it's pure cinema. The ending is soo satisfying on every level, from Harry's death, to Holly being spurn Anna. It's perfect.

 

I'm not one for lists, but I can't help but notice that Merlin included an incredibly recent release (Black Swan) in his top ten. For myself, I've had a similar viewing experience, not with Black Swan, but with Charles Laughton's The Night of the Hunter. I watched it the night before last and that viewing might have singlehandedly placed it in my "most awesome films ever," which is a very rare occasion. Films tend to grow on me rather than blow me out of the water. Other "most awesome films ever" include Black Narcissus, Beauty and the Beast (Cocteau or Disney, really), Vertigo, Star Wars, Metropolis, Seven Samurai, and Titanic. I can't think of a film in recent memory that has affected me quite like Laughton's first and only film, with its primeval depiction of good and evil in a Depression-era hellhold with dashes of fine Southern hospitality, dark Grimm fairy tale undertones, and some of the most gorgeous German expressionist cinematography I've ever seen in my life. Just throwing that out there.

 

^Though it's not one of my top ten films, I think the director's cut of Kingdom of Heaven is pretty good, certainly better than its mediocre reputation.

 

My top 10 favorite films:

1. Casablanca (1942)
2. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
3. Jurassic Park (1993)
4. Forrest Gump (1994)
5. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
6. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
7. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
8. Blazing Saddles (1974)
9. Seven Samurai (1954)
10. Some Like it Hot (1959)

 

In no particular order:

Schindler`s List - the film Spielberg was born to make IMO. This is the film where he really matured as a director, I think.

Empire Strikes Back - doesn`t really need any explanation! Was a toss-up between this and ROTS, but Empire just looks so gorgeous, and the score is totally unlike anything from any of the other SW films.

Raiders of the Lost Ark - my absolute favourite film of ALL TIME. I could go on and on about how good every aspect of this film is, it`s one of the only films I`ve ever seen that I don`t think can be improved in any way.

Goodfellas - the ultimate mob movie, it really takes you into the heart of what makes the mafia tick, ie greed and mistrust

Heat - Micael Mann at his very best, the film itself looks totally beautiful in pretty much every single shot, the set-pieces are jaw-dropping, and as a character study I think it`s unparalleled - I think this is probably my favourite Pacino performance

Terminator 2 - my jaw was on the floor the 1st time I saw this in the cinema, the special FX were way ahead of their time (and still hold up pretty well by todays standards I think) - and a top-notch performance from Linda Hamilton, I loved the way this film turned what you knew from the 1st film on it`s head eg Sarah Connor being this super-toned "killing machine", bringing Arnie back as a good guy...which NO-ONE knew anything about, this being the age before internet spoilers!

Armageddon - a guilty pleasure of mine, yeah I know it`s cheesy and emotionally manipulative, but I just can`t help myself, one of my favourite Bruce action films! Anda lot of it is pretty funny too.

Carlito`s Way - my 2nd favourite Pacino performance, quite understated compared to a lot of stuff he`s done in the last 10 years - ie not so much shouting! It captures the 70s era quite well I think, and Penn is AWESOME in this, big hair and all! Plus the train station scene at the end is ALWAYS tense for me, no matter how many times I watch it!

Life of Brian - hands down, the FUNNIEST film I will ever watch! Monty Python`s irreverent humour kills me every time!

American History X - stark and brutal, this shocked me when I first saw it (especially THAT scene), I feel this is one of the best performances that Norton has given.

 

Actually, I`d probably have The Dark Knight in there instead of American History X, I just didn`t think of it!

 

Benny_Blanco (from the Bronx!), thanks for including Carlito's Way; in many ways it's dePalma's best film and Pacino's best non-Godfather role. Very underrated and mostly forgotten film, which works as a drama, a crime thriller, a romance and a character study of the classic "every time I get out they pull me back in" type of doomed anti-hero. It's on my Top 100, and is technically a better and more subtle film than Scarface, but Scarface wins out for the Top 10 mainly for nostalgic reasons.

 

Yeah, Pacino is pretty awesome in it; he manages to pull of kinda sad, world-weary and almost broken, all at the same time. Like I said, it`s a far more controlled, restrained performance than some of his latter-day stuff (The Recruit, Devils Advocate etc).


I also loved his leather jacket (the long trench coat-like one) in it so much I actually went out + bought myself one!

 

Top 10 Sci-Fi movies:

The Empire Strikes Back
A New Hope
Jurassic Park
Aliens
Back to the Future (part 1)
E.T.
2001 A Space Odyssey
Terminator 2
Predator
Revenge of the Sith

Top 10 Animated movies

Pinocchio
Toy Story 2
Beauty & the Beast
UP
The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Lion King
Toy Story
The Jungle Book
Aladdin
Finding Nemo

 

Edit: I just spent two hours on a post that doesn't even belong here as written. Great.

 

10. Fiddler on the Roof
9. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
8. Raiders of the Lost Ark
7. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
6. The Dark Knight
5. The Hunt for Red October
4. Serenity
3. The Princess Bride
2. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
1. Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

 

Top 10 Movies I'm Looking Forward to in 2011 (in release order):

Your Highness (David Gordon Green) - 8 April - It looks silly, but I loved Green when he was making small films that no one saw, and I enjoyed Pineapple Express, and I'm absolutely a sucker for epic fantasies.

Thor (Kenneth Branagh) - 6 May - A big colorful science-fantasy film with a Patrick Doyle score? I'm in. Even if it's a failure, I'm hoping for an epic, glorious failure. I will be tremendously disappointed if it fails by being too down to earth. As it were.

The Tree of Life (Terrence Malick) - 27 May - A new Malick film is always something to look forward to. Again, even if it's a failure it should be a gorgeous, ambitious failure at least.

Cars 2 (John Lasseter) - 24 June - The first was not my favorite Pixar flick, but it looks like they've made some changes for the better this time around. If X-Men: First Class has an awesome trailer, Cars 2 will probably get bumped, but I thought Half-Ass was dull enough that the jury's out on that one for the moment.

Now (Andrew Niccol) - 30 September - I haven't seen it since it came out, but I really like Niccol's style back in the days of Gattaca, so it's nice to have him behind the camera again.

The Rum Diary (Bruce Robinson) - October - I need know nothing more about this one than that it's written and directed by Bruce Robinson.

Immortals (Tarsem Singh) - 11 November - Singh is one of the most incredible visual filmmakers we have.

Mission: Impossible ? Ghost Protocol (Brad Bird) - 16 December - M:I is not my favorite franchise, but Brad Bird is three for three and Cruise is a charming, charismatic actor. I only hope Bird can successfully transition from animation to live action.

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (Steven Spielberg) - 28 December - This will either be a colossal failure or a wonderful adventure. Given all the talent involved, I'm hoping for the latter. Just hope there aren't too many cooks in the kitchen.

The Cabin in the Woods (Drew Goddard) - Though I've been disappointed by much of his work lately, I remain a Whedon fanboy.

 

I'm always up for a top-tenning. My ten favorite films as of right now:

Blade Runner ? atmospheric is an understatement. I don't really watch this. I am transported to Scott's future Los Angeles.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford ? everything I've ever wanted out of a Western and more. Beautiful and tragically down to Earth look at the gunfighter myth.

Chungking Express ? vibrant and ruminative exploration of the isolation, longing, and chance encounters that occur in the city.

The Princess Bride ? even though I'm in my later 20s I still hold out some hope that I will grow up to be Inigo Montoya.

Lost in Translation ? perfectly plotless window into a fleeting yet transcendent moment of platonic friendship.

Raising Arizona ? hilarious and goofy yet at times more epic and weighty than many a so-called "event film"

The Thin Red Line ? I'm not a huge fan of war films, but in many ways this is a three hour poem, not a war film.

Pulp Fiction ? Tarantino's dialogue astounds me.

Donnie Darko ? ultimate genre bender featuring no small amount of memorable characters and unknowable metaphysical quandaries.

American Graffiti ? goofy hang out fun that's made more substantial by the traces of suburban discontent that occasionally poke through the nostalgia.

Also have to mention that I can't choose just one of the six Star Wars films or the four Alien entries, so I'll have to give both series a special mention as two of my favorite encompassing works.

 

Top Ten Superhero Movies

10. Watchmen
9. Batman (1989)
8. Spider-Man
7. Darkman
6. Superman II
5. Iron Man
4. Batman Begins
3. Spider-Man 2
2. Superman: The Movie
1. The Dark Knight

 

My Top Ten Spy Films

In no particular order:

The Ipcress File (1965): I pretty much love everything about this movie: Script, acting, music and camerawork.

The Manchurian Candidate (1962): Blew me away the first time I saw it, and continues to do so each time I re-watch it. Angela Lansbury is brilliant, and this is perhaps the only movie in which Laurence Harvey's awkward woodenness actually works for him. Serious weird, grim, and moving, this is a real gem of a film.

The Bourne Identity (2002): Damon is great in the action-man-with-a-heart role, and he has real chemistry with Franka Potente. The action scenes are excellent, and as support cast goes, you can't get much better than Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, and Brian Cox.

The Three Days of the Condor (1975): Tense and cynical, Redford is as good here as he's ever been, imo. Also, Max von Sydow makes for an unusually layered villain.

Goldfinger (1964): The slickest of the Bond films, this one hits everything it aims for. It's a classic for a reason.

Dr No (1962): Bond before it became a formula, this is a much less polished film, and I rather like that about it.

Casino Royale (2006): Though by no means perfect, this is a much more ambitious Bond film than the norm; Craig is excellent, and Eva Green is an actual character rather than a good-looking prize for Bond to win. The action-scenes are great, too.

North by Northwest (1959): Cary Grant is perfect as the innocent in peril, and James Mason is always good as a villain. I don't need to sing this film's praises as everyone here will have seen it several times over.

The Lady Vanishes (1938): Margaret Lockwood and Michael Redgrave generate real chemistry as two people caught up in a spy plot, while Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne make for a wonderful comedy double-act as cricket-mad Englishmen Charters and Caldicott.

Enter the Dragon (1973): It's a bit of a stretch to call this a spy film when kung fu action is so obviously its focus, but it does involve Bruce Lee infiltrating the enemy at the behest of the British government, so in it goes! Lee is charismatic, if not the world's greatest actor, and John Saxon and Jim Kelly are memorable as his hard-fighting co-stars. Kitsch it may be, but martial arts movies are rarely this entertaining.

No Way Out (1986): Gripping thriller from relatively early on in Costner's career. Edge of the seat stuff as Costner attempts to evade a frame-up masterminded by his guilty boss Gene Hackman.

 

Good list.

 

My favorite science fiction movies of the 1970s.

1. Star Wars
2. A Clockwork Orange
3. Alien
4. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
5. Mad Max
6. Time After Time
7. Solaris
8. Silent Running
9. Wizards
10. Soylent Green