Ah, a superb discussion for the ages. Fortunately for Phil and I, we both possess the capacity to take a topic way to far (after all, I am the same individual who took an entire day and listened to countless viewpoints in creating a "Ten Hottest Women" list at the tail end of freshmen year) and go overboard with attention to detail, so I set a deadline for the beginning of November and the ultimate search began.
I'm going to beat some people to the "how you could have _______ on your list and not _______?" and the "you must be autistic" statements with my own little disclaimer. This list is MY list, with movies that I absolutely love and would take the time out of my day to watch. It's also a list that I purposely tried to keep varied in order to reflect most of my movie interests, which is why the list is not overly heavy with one genre. For example, while I'm a fan of the first two Godfathers and also of "Goodfellas", stacking a small list with so many gangster movies would just be overkill. For that reason, some movies that might be on par with others on the list did not make the final cut simply because they were not the best representation, for me, of that type of movie.So with all the legalities out of the way, I give you my Top Ten Movies of All-Time list, in no particular order.
Patton - Though not his only appearance on my list, George C. Scott probably had his best performance ever as the real life dynamo General Patton in this classic 1970 World War II movie. The action is better than that of most current movies for the simple fact that all battle scenes have real life action, making for some of the most spectacular war scenes in cinema. The idea of the complete warrior, the beauty of battle, the honor of man, all themes prominent on my list, are perfectly shown in this film. Great acting, great themes, great action . . . I can't ask for anything more from a movie.
Kill Bill, Vol. 1 and 2 - A Tarantino flick just had to make its way onto my list, and between "Pulp" and "Kill" I have to choose the latter (and yes, as far as I'm concerned, you count both the volumes as one movie). The theme of the warrior is again present, but this movie is more than just a superb action flick with some of the best swordplay fights I've seen. The attention to detail by Q and the ever present homages to great directors of the past (my boy Sergio Leone most notably; watch a Leone movie before this one and revel at the similarities) make this one kick ass movie. The revealing story of Pai Mei is always a crowd favorite, but the self-induced guilty torture of Budd is probably one of the better, yet lesser appreciated, aspects of this film.
The Hustler - Don't be mistaken, a storyline driven by billiards is only part of the reason this movie makes my list. As I've referenced before, "The Hustler" flawlessly shows what it means to have a passion for something, and does so better than any film I've ever seen. Fast Eddie loves the game so much that it practically kills him, and the lessons he learns through absolute failure about the strength of character translate well to real life. It also helps to have the likes of Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason and George C. Scott (his second appearance on my list) , all of whom give Oscar worthy performances. Tremendous acting and supreme character development is all you need to know.
Jaws - It's hard for me to even try and sell you on this movie since just about everyone has probably seen it a thousand times. Overexposure has probably hurt its value to the public, but the truth remains that this movie took our primordial fear of water and manipulated the shit out of it for about 3/4ths of the movie before we even see the damn shark, a fact that has always impressed me. Steven Spielberg really executed this movie perfectly, as did the three primary actors. It's hard to believe that this movie has some of my favorite dialogue in spite of the little known fact that most of the acting was done ad-lib.
Seven Samurai - Yes it's in black and white, yes it's three and a half hours long, yes it's in Japanese, and yes it's more than fifty years old (easily the oldest movie on this list). Frankly, this is a movie that probably no one but myself appreciates, but that's fine with me. The influence of this film and its director Akira Kurosawa, not just on every anime series in the universe, but also on American films, is so wide spread and obvious that it's disturbing. Introducing a primary character through a heroic act not related to the plot, assembling a team of heroes for a specific task, the merging of humor with intense and dramatic action, the budding love between the youngest hero and a local girl . . . these weren't exactly themes common back in the 1950's but I'll be damned if you don't see it in almost everything nowadays.
A Bronx Tale - If I told you that my favorite gangster movie had Robert De Niro, you probably wouldn't be surprised . . . that is until I tell you that he actually doesn't play the gangster. This film is about life lessons learned and how they can be very similar even if from two opposing perspectives. Chazz Palminteri perfectly plays the roll of the "villain" who takes under his wing a young man whose father, De Niro, is a hard working "sucker" who doesn't want his son to grow up like criminals who accept him. Even though the blue collar Dad and the fear-inspiring community Boss don't see eye to eye, both truly have the best interests of "little C" at heart. Probably a more wholesome gangster story than some fans of the genre would like, yet I find this movie to be the best of the lot. Cursing and excessive violence are absent here (despite a late appearance by Joe Pesci), but this movie makes up for it with a great story and very good acting.
Silence of the Lambs - Look, the storyline of this movie, the plot twists and suspense, are all fantastic in their own right. Don't get me wrong. But Anthony Hopkins' absolutely brilliant performance as the cunning and cold psychopath Hannibal Lecter is the main reason this movie makes my list. The term "holy shit" seems to fit well here. Best acting performance of anyone on this list, seriously.
Se7en - For the suspense junky, this movie is definitely one that fucks with your head. Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, the ambitious young cop and the rusty dog about to retire, chase down a serial killer using the seven deadly sins as an MO. Turns out that the killer is also one of my favorite actors of all time, Kevin Spacey. Hmm . . . Spacey, Freeman, Pitt; this movie has one hell of a lineup. For a first timer, this movie will grab you by the balls and throw you into one of the most incredibly horrific and intense stories ever. Watching it a second time allows you to appreciate the movie itself even more.
Once Upon a Time in the West - I'm an Eastwood fan who was brought up on the Western, a genre that I think gets thrown under the cultural bus more than it deserves. Sergio Leone is one of the best directors ever (he heavily influenced Tarantino and was influenced himself by Akira Kurosawa, so you can see the family tree of directing on my list), so while I initially thought that "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" was a Clint Eastwood shoe-in as my Western movie, further contemplation led me to pick this one. Another Leone movie to feature the trinity of protagonists, I actually think the acting, plot and cinematography of this movie are better than my Clint Eastwood standard. One of the more valuable aspects of this movie is the great Henry Fonda, normally typecast as the Hollywood good guy, finally showing his true acting chops and playing a despicable and cruel villain, and doing it well.
The Shawshank Redemption - This is a great movie about life. This is a great movie with great actors playing great characters. This is a great movie that keeps you wondering how the heroes could possibly escape this hell on earth until the very end. This is a great movie about how hope can save a man and keep him sane in the face of impossibility. This is a great movie. Period.
No comments:
Post a Comment