by Allan Fish
The first thing that needs to be said with regards to this venture is that I need my head examined. That can, of course, be taken as a given, but it seems a good way to finalise all my countdowns on the site, 10 months after the end of the decade countdowns.
As I stressed when I made the announcement, those countdowns will have no bearing on this countdown. That was then, this is now, and I have sen a lot of films since then. However, there are some that don’t get here in time. My first disclaimer is for the following list that didn’t make the list because I have been unable to see them, or else only seen in a non-subbed print with no subs or notes. My apologies to the following…
The Miracle of the Wolves (France 1924…Raymond Bernard)
The Slums of Berlin (Germany 1925…Gerhard Lamprecht)
Laila (Norway 1929…George Schnéevoigt)
Maria do Mar (Portugal 1930…José Leitáo de Barros)
Raise the Roof (UK 1930…Walter Summers)
Love and Duty (China 1931…Bu Wancang)
Seven Seas: Parts I & II (Japan 1931…Hiroshi Shimizu)
Stolen Death (Finland 1938…Nyrki Tapiovaara)
Vénus Aveugle (France 1941…Abel Gance)
Caprices (France 1942…Leo Joannon)
Caccia Tragica (Italy 1947…Giuseppe de Santis)
Les Dernières Vacances (France 1947…Roger Leenhardt)
Der Apfel ist Ab (West Germany 1948…Helmut Kautner)
L’Ingenue Libertine (France 1950…Jacqueline Audry)
The Crimson Curtain (France 1952…Alexandre Astruc)
Four Chimneys (Japan 1953…Heinosuke Gosho)
La Rage au Corps (France 1954…Ralph Habib)
Punishment Room (Japan 1956…Kon Ichikawa)
Susuki Paradise Red Light District (Japan 1956…Yuzo Kawashima)
Not Long After Leaving Shinagawa (Japan 1957…Yuzo Kawashima)
The Sun Legend of the End of the Tokugawa Era (Japan 1957…Yuzo Kawashima)
Times of Joy and Sorrow (Japan 1957…Keisuke Kinoshita)
Araya (Venezuala 1958…Margot Benacerraf)
Goodbye Hello (Japan 1959…Kon Ichikawa)
Viva l’Italia (Italy 1960…Roberto Rossellini)
Immortal Love (Japan 1961…Keisuke Kinoshita)
A Wife Confesses (Japan 1961…Yasuzo Masumura)
The Graceful Brute (Japan 1962…Yuzo Kawashima)
Twin Sisters of Kyoto (Japan 1963…Noboru Nakamura)
Once There Was a War (Denmark 1966…Palle Kjaerulff-Schmidt)
Paris in the Month of August (France 1966…Pierre Granier-Deferre)
The Wife of Seishu Hanaokai (Japan 1967…Yasuzo Masumura)
The Sex Check (Japan 1968…Yasuzo Masumura)
Fuck (US 1969…Andy Warhol)
Failed Youth (Japan 1974…Tatsumi Kumashiro)
Days of Hope (UK-TV 1975…Ken Loach)
Kaseki (Japan-TV 1975…Masaki Kobayashi)
Amor de Perdicao (Portugal 1978…Manoel de Oliveira)
All the above would have been pushing for places, and one mourns especially that no Yuzo Kawashimas are in the list when there are four titles above that would probably make it if there were English friendly additions. Also, there are seven titles above I hope to have within the next few months, but not quickly enough for this.
I should also add that there are a handful (less than a dozen) that I have not recently seen with English subs, but either have a long time ago, have had printed subs or translations, or notes, which have enabled me to follow it. Needless to say, those films may have been rated higher if full English friendly versions were available.
Now, without further ado…the first 600…in reverse order.
3000 | Once (Ireland 2006…John Carney) |
2999 | The Good Earth (US 1937…Sidney Franklin, George Hill, Gustav Machaty) |
2998 | A Woman’s Sorrows (Japan 1937…Mikio Naruse) |
2997 | Raskolnikov (Germany 1923…Robert Wiene) |
2996 | The Charterhouse of Parma (France 1948…Christian-Jaque) |
2995 | Gomorrah (Italy 2008…Matteo Garrone) |
2994 | Fast Times at Ridgemont High (US 1982…Amy Heckerling) |
2993 | The Last Days of Pompeii (Italy 1926…Amleto Palermi, Carmine Gallone) |
2992 | Inception (US 2010…Christopher Nolan) |
2991 | Something Wild (US 1986…Jonathan Demme) |
2990 | Victim (UK 1961…Basil Dearden) |
2989 | Strosstrupp 1917 (Austria 1934…Ludwig Schmid-Wildy, Hanz Zöberlein) |
2988 | Shin Heike Monogatari (Japan 1955…Kenji Mizoguchi) |
2987 | Victoria the Great (UK 1937…Herbert Wilcox) |
2986 | The Mysterious Castle in the Carpathians (Czechoslovakia 1983…Oldrich Lipsky) |
2985 | Great Conqueror’s Concubine: Parts I & II (China 1994…Stephen Shin) |
2984 | Le Procès de Jeanne d’Arc (France 1962…Robert Bresson) |
2983 | Pride and Prejudice (US 1940…Robert Z.Leonard) |
2982 | The Doom Generation (US 1995…Gregg Araki) |
2981 | The Matrix (US 1999…Larry Wachowski, Andy Wachowski) |
2980 | Lourdes (France 2009…Jessica Hausner) |
2979 | Anna Christie (German version) (US 1930…Jacques Feyder) |
2978 | King Kong (US 2005…Peter Jackson) |
2977 | Midnight Express (US 1978…Alan Parker) |
2976 | Je Suis à Prendre (France 1978…Francis Leroi) |
2975 | Ken Park (US 2002…Larry Clark, Ed Lachman) |
2974 | Divine (France 1935…Max Ophuls) |
2973 | Carmen Jones (US 1954…Otto Preminger) |
2972 | Bunny Lake is Missing (UK 1965…Otto Preminger) |
2971 | The Last Temptation of Christ (US 1988…Martin Scorsese) |
2970 | A Real Young Girl (France 1975…Catherine Breillat) |
2969 | Katyn (Poland 2007…Andrzej Wajda) |
2968 | Aftermath (Denmark 2004…Paprika Steen) |
2967 | Female Trouble (US 1974…John Waters) |
2966 | The Glamorous Life of Sachiko Hanai (Japan 2003…Mitsuru Meike) |
2965 | Michael Clayton (US 2007…Tony Gilroy) |
2964 | Ormen (Sweden 1966…Hans Abramson) |
2963 | The Assassin (Italy 1961…Elio Petri) |
2962 | Cutting it Short (Czechoslovakia 1980…Jiri Menzel) |
2961 | An American Werewolf in London (US/UK 1981…John Landis) |
2960 | Troy: director’s cut (US 2004/2007…Wolfgang Petersen) |
2959 | Hamlet (UK-TV 2009…Gregory Doran) |
2958 | My Sister, My Love (Sweden 1966…Vilgot Sjöman) |
2957 | Let George Do It (UK 1940…Marcel Varnel) |
2956 | Never Let Me Go (UK 2010…Mark Womanek) |
2955 | The Ghoul (UK 1933…T.Hayes Hunter) |
2954 | The Struggle (US 1931…D.W.Griffith) |
2953 | Ivy (US 1947…Sam Wood) |
2952 | Angst (Austria 1983…Gerald Kargl) |
2951 | The Dreamers (France/Italy 2003…Bernardo Bertolucci) |
2950 | Dreams That Money Can Buy (US 1946…Hans Richter, Man Ray) |
2949 | England, My England (UK-TV 1995…Tony Palmer) |
2948 | Beau Père (France 1981…Bertrand Blier) |
2947 | The Trunks of Mr O.F. (Germany 1931…Alexis Granowsky) |
2946 | The Disappearance of Alice Creed (UK 2009…J.Blakeson) |
2945 | True Romance (US 1993…Tony Scott) |
2944 | The Best of Youth (Italy 2003…Marco Tullio Giordano) |
2943 | 8 Women (France 2002…François Ozon) |
2942 | Bright Star (Australia 2009…Jane Campion) |
2941 | Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (US 1988…Robert Zemeckis) |
2940 | The Long Voyage Home (US 1940…John Ford) |
2939 | Lac aux Dames (France 1934…Marc Allégret) |
2938 | Frau im Mond (Germany 1929…Fritz Lang) |
2937 | The Story of Joanna (US 1975…Gerard Damiano) |
2936 | A Farewell to Arms (US 1932…Frank Borzage) |
2935 | Airplane! (US 1980…Jerry Zucker, David Zucker, Jim Abrahams) |
2934 | Menaces (France 1940…Edmond T.Gréville) |
2933 | A Stranger Knocks (Denmark 1959…Johan Jacobson) |
2932 | American Psycho (US 2000…Mary Harron) |
2931 | 491 (Sweden 1964…Vilgot Sjöman) |
2930 | The Mikado (UK 1939…Victor Schertzinger) |
2929 | Who Would Kill Jessie? (Czechoslovakia 1966…Václav Vorlicek) |
2928 | The Barefoot Contessa (US 1954…Joseph L.Mankiewicz) |
2927 | Robinson Crusoe on Mars (US 1964…Byron Haskin) |
2926 | The L-Shaped Room (UK 1962…Bryan Forbes) |
2925 | Les Maudits (France 1947…René Clément) |
2924 | Moulin Rouge (UK 1928…E.A.Dupont) |
2923 | Since You Went Away (US 1944…John Cromwell) |
2922 | Assassination (Japan 1964…Masahiro Shinoda) |
2921 | Cool Hand Luke (US 1967…Stuart Rosenberg) |
2920 | Quiz Show (US 1994…Robert Redford) |
2919 | Dynamite (US 1929…Cecil B.de Mille) |
2918 | Saving Private Ryan (US 1998…Steven Spielberg) |
2917 | Watchmen: the director’s cut (US 2009…Zach Snyder) |
2916 | The Sound of Music (US 1965…Robert Wise) |
2915 | The Awakening of the Rats (Yugoslavia 1967…Zivojin Pavlovic) |
2914 | Golgotha (France 1935…Julien Duvivier) |
2913 | The Ten Commandments (US 1923…Cecil B.de Mille) |
2912 | Swept Away…by an Unusual Destiny in the Blue Sea of August (Italy 1975…Lina Wertmuller) |
2911 | Battle Royale (Japan 2000…Kinji Fukasaku) |
2910 | Involuntary (Sweden 2008…Ruben Ostlund) |
2909 | Sylvester (Germany 1924…Lupu Pick) |
2908 | Wings (USSR 1966…Larisa Shepitko) |
2907 | Lips of Blood (France 1975…Jean Rollin) |
2906 | The Abyss (Denmark 1910…Urban Gad) |
2905 | Alone Across the Pacific (Japan 1963…Kon Ichikawa) |
2904 | Up, Down, Fragile (France 1995…Jacques Rivette) |
2903 | The Window (US 1949…Ted Tetzlaff) |
2902 | Angels Over Broadway (US 1940…Ben Hecht, Lee Garmes) |
2901 | The Stranger (US 1946…Orson Welles) |
2900 | Les Belles de Nuit (France 1952…René Clair) |
2899 | Marriage Italian Style (Italy 1964…Vittorio de Sica) |
2898 | The Defiant Ones (US 1958…Stanley Kramer) |
2897 | Fire Over England (UK 1937…William K.Howard) |
2896 | Let Me In (UK/US 2010…Matt Reeves) |
2895 | The Hound of the Baskervilles (US 1939…Sidney Lanfield) |
2894 | Forbidden Fruit (France 1952…Henri Verneuil) |
2893 | Swimming Pool (France 2003…François Ozon) |
2892 | La Vie de Jesus (France 1997…Bruno Dumont) |
2891 | Club de Femmes (France 1936…Jacques Deval) |
2890 | L’Inferno (Italy 1911… Francesco Bertolini, Alberto Padovan, Giuseppe de Liguoro) |
2889 | Black Orpheus (Brazil 1959…Marcel Camus) |
2888 | Vortex (Greece 1967…Nikos Koundouros) |
2887 | Blood Money (US 1933…Rowland Brown) |
2886 | Her Man (US 1930…Tay Garnett) |
2885 | On Dangerous Ground (US 1951…Nicholas Ray) |
2884 | Une Partie de Plaisir (France 1975…Claude Chabrol) |
2883 | Blackeyes (UK-TV 1989…Dennis Potter) |
2882 | Cover Girl (US 1944…Charles Vidor) |
2881 | Dancer in the Dark (Denmark 2000…Lars Von Trier) |
2880 | Le Retour à la Raison (France 1923…Man Ray) |
2879 | Seven Beauties (Italy 1975…Lina Wertmuller) |
2878 | The Strange Tale of Oyuki (Japan 1992…Kaneto Shindo) |
2877 | Black and Tan (US 1929…Dudley Murphy) |
2876 | Shallow Grave (UK 1994…Danny Boyle) |
2875 | City of the Dead (UK 1960…John Moxey) |
2874 | Sylvie et le Fantôme (France 1944…Claude Autant-Lara) |
2873 | Cousin, Cousine (France 1974…Jean-Charles Tachella) |
2872 | Traffic in Souls (US 1913…George Loane Tucker) |
2871 | Lolita (UK 1962…Stanley Kubrick) |
2870 | Identification of a Woman (Italy 1982…Michelangelo Antonioni) |
2869 | The First Born (UK 1928…Miles Mander) |
2868 | Swing High Swing Low (US 1937…Mitchell Leisen) |
2867 | Doctor No (UK 1962…Terence Young) |
2866 | Quo Vadis? (Italy 1912…Enrico Guazzoni) |
2865 | Le Sang des Bêtes (France 1949…Georges Franju) |
2864 | Laugh, Clown, Laugh (US 1928…Herbert Brenon) |
2863 | Judgment at Nuremberg (US 1961…Stanley Kramer) |
2862 | White Material (France 2009…Claire Denis) |
2861 | Dark Star (US 1974…John Carpenter) |
2860 | Bulldog Drummond (US 1929…F.Richard Jones) |
2859 | The Suspect (US 1944…Robert Siodmak) |
2858 | Histoire de Marie et Julien (France 2003…Jacques Rivette) |
2857 | Platform (Hong Kong 2000…Zhang-Ke Jia) |
2856 | Letters from Iwo Jima (US 2006…Clint Eastwood) |
2855 | Reds (US 1981…Warren Beatty) |
2854 | Lost and Delirious (Canada 2001…Léa Pool) |
2853 | The Silent Barricade (Czechoslovakia 1949…Otakar Vavra) |
2852 | The Cruel Story of Youth (Japan 1960…Nagisa Oshima) |
2851 | The Organist of St Vitus (Czechoslovakia 1929…Martin Fric) |
2850 | Little Vera (USSR 1988…Vasili Pichul) |
2849 | Le Tunnel sous le Manche (France 1907…Georges Méliès) |
2848 | The Three Musketeers: The Queen’s Diamonds (UK 1973…Richard Lester) |
2847 | The Seventh Veil (UK 1945…Compton Bennett) |
2846 | Uncle Marin, the Billionaire (Romania 1979…Sergiu Nicolaescu) |
2845 | Separation (UK 1967…Jack Bond) |
2844 | Beau Geste (US 1926…Herbert Brenon) |
2843 | Coup de Torchon (France 1981…Bertrand Tavernier) |
2842 | The Sex Jack (Japan 1970…Koji Wakamatsu) |
2841 | Les Liaisons Dangereuses (France 1959…Roger Vadim) |
2840 | The Blue Bird (US 1940…Walter Lang) |
2839 | Min and Bill (US 1930…George Hill) |
2838 | The Kaiser’s Lackey (West Germany 1951…Wolfgang Staudte) |
2837 | Hallelujah! (US 1929…King Vidor) |
2836 | Seven Days to Noon (UK 1950…John Boulting, Roy Boulting) |
2835 | À ma soeur (France 2001…Catherine Breillat) |
2834 | The Godfather Part Three: Special Edition (US 1990/1991…Francis Ford Coppola) |
2833 | Hypocrites (US 1915…Lois Weber) |
2832 | Lifeboat (US 1944…Alfred Hitchcock) |
2831 | Cutter’s Way (US 1981…Ivan Passer) |
2830 | The Lady Without Camellias (Italy 1953…Michelangelo Antonioni) |
2829 | The Two of Us (France 1967…Claude Berri) |
2828 | The Killers (US 1964…Don Siegel) |
2827 | The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey (New Zealand 1988…Vincent Ward) |
2826 | Gone Baby Gone (US 2007…Ben Affleck) |
2825 | Blonde Venus (US 1932…Josef Von Sternberg) |
2824 | The Last Seduction (US 1994…John Dahl) |
2823 | My Best Girl (US 1927…Sam Taylor) |
2822 | Urga (Russia 1991…Nikita Mikhalkov) |
2821 | Dead Ringers (Canada 1988…David Cronenberg) |
2820 | Happy Gypsies (Yugoslavia 1967…Alexandr Petrovic) |
2819 | Last Life in the Universe (Thailand 2003…Pen-Ek Ratanaruang) |
2818 | Blood on Satan’s Claw (UK 1970…Piers Haggard) |
2817 | Les Orgueilleux (France/Mexico 1953…Yves Allégret) |
2816 | Fog Over Frisco (US 1934…William Dieterle) |
2815 | Sandra (Italy 1965…Luchino Visconti) |
2814 | Lost in Beijing (China 2007…Li Yu) |
2813 | Angry Street (Japan 1950…Mikio Naruse) |
2812 | When I Am Dead and White (Yugoslavia 1969…Zivojin Pavlovic) |
2811 | Ramrod (US 1947…André de Toth) |
2810 | Overlord (UK 1975…Stuart Cooper) |
2809 | Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (US 1962…Robert Aldrich) |
2808 | Easter Parade (US 1948…Charles Walters) |
2807 | Elvira Madigan (Sweden 1967…Bo Widerberg) |
2806 | Stormy Weather (US 1943…Andrew Stone) |
2805 | Samurai Assassin (Japan 1965…Kihachi Okamoto) |
2804 | When We Were Kings (US 1996…Leon Gast) |
2803 | Mafioso (Italy 1962…Alberto Lattuada) |
2802 | The Red Badge of Courage (US 1951…John Huston) |
2801 | The Pleasures of the Flesh (Japan 1965…Nagisa Oshima) |
2800 | Milou en Mai (France 1989…Louis Malle) |
2799 | The Mark of Zorro (US 1920…Fred Niblo) |
2798 | The Railrodder (UK 1965…Gerald Potterton) |
2797 | Romeo and Juliet (UK/Italy 1968…Franco Zeffirelli) |
2796 | In the Heat of the Night (US 1967…Norman Jewison) |
2795 | Certified Copy (France/Iran 2010…Abbas Kiarostami) |
2794 | Tartuffe (Germany 1925…Friedrich W.Murnau) |
2793 | Spider Man 2 (US 2004…Sam Raimi) |
2792 | A Foreign Affair (US 1948…Billy Wilder) |
2791 | The River (India/UK 1951…Jean Renoir) |
2790 | Wild Side: director’s cut (US 1995/2000…Donald Cammell) |
2789 | Grand Hotel (US 1932…Edmund Goulding) |
2788 | Avanti! (US 1972…Billy Wilder) |
2787 | The Blue Lamp (UK 1949…Basil Dearden) |
2786 | Crime Without Passion (US 1934…Ben Hecht, Charles MacArthur) |
2785 | Crazed Fruit (Japan 1956…Ko Nakahira) |
2784 | The Fifth Horseman is Fear (Czechoslovakia 1965…Zbynek Brynych) |
2783 | Roxie Hart (US 1942…William A.Wellman) |
2782 | Nothing but the Best (UK 1964…Clive Donner) |
2781 | Samurai Part Two: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (Japan 1955…Hiroshi Inagaki) |
2780 | Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back (US 1934…Roy del Ruth) |
2779 | Journey into Fear (US 1942…Norman Foster) |
2778 | Bellissima (Italy 1951…Luchino Visconti) |
2777 | 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (US 1954…Richard Fleischer) |
2776 | Within Our Gates (US 1920…Oscar Micheaux) |
2775 | The Flavour of Green Tea Over Rice (Japan 1952…Yasujiro Ozu) |
2774 | The Tales of Hoffmann (UK 1951…Michael Powell) |
2773 | Manon (France 1949…Henri-Georges Clouzot) |
2772 | Il Bidone (Italy 1955…Federico Fellini) |
2771 | The Dam Busters (UK 1954…Michael Anderson) |
2770 | Flame and Woman (Japan 1967…Yoshishige Yoshida) |
2769 | This Happy Breed (UK 1944…David Lean) |
2768 | Hell’s Highway (US 1932…Rowland Brown) |
2767 | The Opposite of Sex (US 1998…Don Roos) |
2766 | Three Ages (US 1923…Buster Keaton) |
2765 | Daughters, Wives and a Mother (Japan 1960…Mikio Naruse) |
2764 | Prospero’s Books (UK 1991…Peter Greenaway) |
2763 | For a Few Dollars More (Italy 1965…Sergio Leone) |
2762 | Beau Hunks (US 1931…James Horne) |
2761 | The Student of Prague (Germany 1926…Henrik Galeen) |
2760 | La Passion Béatrice (France 1988…Bertrand Tavernier) |
2759 | Un Chant d’Amour (France 1950…Jean Genet) |
2758 | The Importance of Being Earnest (UK 1952…Anthony Asquith) |
2757 | Wife to be Sacrificed (Japan 1974…Masaru Konuma) |
2756 | The Double Suicide of Sonezaki (Japan 1978…Yasuzo Masumura) |
2755 | The Captive Heart (UK 1946…Basil Dearden) |
2754 | Good Morning, Boys (UK 1937…Marcel Varnel) |
2753 | The Confessions of Winifred Wagner (West Germany-TV 1975…Hans-Jürgen Syberberg) |
2752 | The Night My Number Came Up (UK 1954…Leslie Norman) |
2751 | Kipps (UK 1941…Carol Reed) |
2750 | Private’s Progress (UK 1956…John Boulting) |
2749 | Mamma Roma (Italy 1962…Pier Paolo Pasolini) |
2748 | The Professionals (US 1966…Richard Brooks) |
2747 | Drifters (UK 1929…John Grierson) |
2746 | The Robber Symphony (UK 1936…Friedrich Feher) |
2745 | Gigi (France 1949…Jacqueline Audry) |
2744 | The Tit and the Moon (Spain 1994…Bigas Luna) |
2743 | Je T’Aime Je T’Aime (France 1968…Alain Resnais) |
2742 | Suspicion (US 1941…Alfred Hitchcock) |
2741 | Mélo (France 1986…Alain Resnais) |
2740 | The Butcher Boy (Ireland 1997…Neil Jordan) |
2739 | Le Rouge et le Noir (France 1954…Claude Autant-Lara) |
2738 | Where’s That Fire? (UK 1939…Marcel Varnel) |
2737 | Muddy River (Japan 1981…Kohei Oguri) |
2736 | Niagara (US 1953…Henry Hathaway) |
2735 | Hangover Square (US 1945…John Brahm) |
2734 | Agony (USSR 1975…Elem Klimov) |
2733 | I See a Dark Stranger (UK 1946…Frank Launder) |
2732 | The Lost World (US 1925…Harry O.Hoyt) |
2731 | Samurai Part Three: Duel at Ganryu Island (Japan 1956…Hiroshi Inagaki) |
2730 | Salaam Bombay! (India 1988…Mira Nair) |
2729 | Charlie Chan at the Opera (US 1936…H.Bruce Humberstone) |
2728 | Kapò (Italy 1959…Gillo Pontecorvo) |
2727 | Trash (US 1970…Paul Morrissey) |
2726 | The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (US-TV 1974…John Korty) |
2725 | Tess (UK 1979…Roman Polanski) |
2724 | Only Two Can Play (UK 1962…Sidney Gilliat) |
2723 | Alice Adams (US 1935…George Stevens) |
2722 | Isn’t Life Wonderful (US 1924…D.W.Griffith) |
2721 | The Devil and Miss Jones (US 1941…Sam Wood) |
2720 | Pete Kelly’s Blues (US 1955…Jack Webb) |
2719 | The Dark Mirror (US 1946…Robert Siodmak) |
2718 | It (US 1927…Clarence Badger) |
2717 | The Rains Came (US 1939…Clarence Brown) |
2716 | Days of Wine and Roses (US 1962…Blake Edwards) |
2715 | The Christian Revolt (Japan 1962…Nagisa Oshima) |
2714 | Mandy (UK 1952…Alexander Mackendrick) |
2713 | Edward Scissorhands (US 1990…Tim Burton) |
2712 | The Watchmaker of St Paul (France 1973…Bertrand Tavernier) |
2711 | Family Portrait (UK 1950…Humphrey Jennings) |
2710 | Seduced and Abandoned (Italy 1964…Pietro Germi) |
2709 | The Match Factory Girl (Finland 1989…Aki Kaurismäki) |
2708 | The Bridge (West Germany 1959…Bernhard Wicki) |
2707 | Belleville Rendez-vous (France 2003…Sylvain Chomet) |
2706 | An Argument and a Story (India 1974…Ritwik Ghatak) |
2705 | Pilgrimage (US 1933…John Ford) |
2704 | In the Bedroom (US 2001…Todd Field) |
2703 | The Phenix City Story (US 1955…Phil Karlson) |
2702 | The Lady With the Little Dog (USSR 1959…Josef Heifits) |
2701 | Empire of the Sun (US 1987…Steven Spielberg) |
2700 | The Blue Bird (US 1918…Maurice Tourneur) |
2699 | Symptoms (UK 1974…José Ramon Larraz) |
2698 | Downstairs (US 1932…Monta Bell) |
2697 | Jason and the Argonauts (UK 1963…Don Chaffey) |
2696 | Japanese Girls at the Harbour (Japan 1933…Hiroshi Shimizu) |
2695 | Of Human Bondage (US 1934…John Cromwell) |
2694 | La Balance (France 1982…Bob Swaim) |
2693 | Thérèse Desqueyroux (France 1962…Georges Franju) |
2692 | Hardcore (US 1979…Paul Schrader) |
2691 | Scattered Clouds (Japan 1967…Mikio Naruse) |
2690 | H.M.Pulham, Esq. (US 1940…King Vidor) |
2689 | Bullitt (US 1968…Peter Yates) |
2688 | A Life for a Life (Russia 1916…Evgenii Bauer) |
2687 | La Tête Contre les Murs (France 1959…Georges Franju) |
2686 | Kids (US 1995…Larry Clark) |
2685 | And Quiet Flows the Don (USSR 1957…Sergei Gerasimov) |
2684 | Ung Flukt (Norway 1959…Edith Carlmar) |
2683 | Elizabeth (UK 1998…Shekhar Kapur) |
2682 | The Doll (Germany 1919…Ernst Lubitsch) |
2681 | Ohayo (Japan 1959…Yasujiro Ozu) |
2680 | House of Games (US 1987…David Mamet) |
2679 | Hoop-La (US 1933…Frank Lloyd) |
2678 | The Charge of the Light Brigade (US 1936…Michael Curtiz) |
2677 | The Odd Angry Shot (Australia 1979…Don Jeffrey) |
2676 | Executive Suite (US 1954…Robert Wise) |
2675 | The Angry Silence (UK 1960…Guy Green) |
2674 | Charlie Bubbles (UK 1968…Albert Finney) |
2673 | Return of the Jedi: The Special Edition (US 1983/1997…Richard Marquand) |
2672 | Vincent, François, Paul et les Autres (France 1974…Claude Berri) |
2671 | Shadows (US 1959…John Cassavetes) |
2670 | Private Road (UK 1971…Barney Platts-Mills) |
2669 | Sweet Sweetback’s Baad Asssss Song (US 1971…Melvin Van Peebles) |
2668 | Nuts in May (UK-TV 1976…Mike Leigh) |
2667 | La Grande Bouffe (France 1973…Marco Ferreri) |
2666 | Fourteen Hours (US 1951…Henry Hathaway) |
2665 | Intentions to Murder (Japan 1964…Shohei Imamura) |
2664 | Ryan’s Daughter (US/UK 1970…David Lean) |
2663 | The Devil, Probably (France 1977…Robert Bresson) |
2662 | Kochiyama Soshun (Japan 1936…Sadao Yamanaka) |
2661 | The Man on the Flying Trapeze (US 1935…Clyde Bruckman) |
2660 | Falling Leaves (USSR 1966…Otar Iosseliani) |
2659 | Singles (US 1992…Cameron Crowe) |
2658 | Detective Story (US 1951…William Wyler) |
2657 | The Last Detail (US 1973…Hal Ashby) |
2656 | Innocents With Dirty Hands (France 1975…Claude Chabrol) |
2655 | Our Daily Bread (US 1934…King Vidor) |
2654 | Rue Cases Nègres (France 1983…Euzhan Palcy) |
2653 | Pot-Bouille (France 1957…Julien Duvivier) |
2652 | Gattaca (US 1997…Andrew Niccol) |
2651 | I am Cuba (USSR 1964…Mikhail Kalatazov) |
2650 | The Emperor’s Nightingale (Czechoslovakia 1949…Jiri Trnka, Milos Makovec) |
2649 | Fighting Elegy (Japan 1966…Seijun Suzuki) |
2648 | Grease (US 1978…Randall Kleiser) |
2647 | Edouard et Caroline (France 1951…Jacques Becker) |
2646 | The Watcher in the Attic (Japan 1976…Noboru Tanaka) |
2645 | The Man Who Could Work Miracles (UK 1936…Lothar Mendes) |
2644 | L’Invitation (France 1973…Claude Goretta) |
2643 | Champion (US 1949…Mark Robson) |
2642 | Irony of Fate (USSR-TV 1975…Elder Ryazanov) |
2641 | The Ballad of Cable Hogue (US 1970…Sam Peckinpah) |
2640 | The Emigrants (Sweden/US 1971…Jan Troell) |
2639 | Siberian Lady Macbeth (Yugoslavia 1961…Andrzej Wajda) |
2638 | The Haunting (US 1963…Robert Wise) |
2637 | The Six Wives of Henry VIII (UK-TV 1970…Naomi Capon, John Glenister) |
2636 | State of the Union (US 1948…Frank Capra) |
2635 | The Quiet Man (US 1952…John Ford) |
2634 | Battles Without Honour and Humanity (Japan 1973…Kinji Fukasaku) |
2633 | The Hitch-Hiker (US 1953…Ida Lupino) |
2632 | So This is Paris (US 1926…Ernst Lubitsch) |
2631 | Bitter Victory (UK/US 1957…Nicholas Ray) |
2630 | Without Pity (Italy 1948…Alberto Lattuada) |
2629 | Le Peau Douce (France 1964…François Truffaut) |
2628 | Diplomaniacs (US 1933…William A.Seiter) |
2627 | Theatre of Blood (UK 1973…Douglas Hickox) |
2626 | The Fugitive (US 1947…John Ford) |
2625 | Happiness from the Clouds (Germany 1935…Reinhold Schünzel) |
2624 | Europa (West Germany/Denmark 1990…Lars Von Trier) |
2623 | Cous-Cous (France 2007…Abdel Kachiche) |
2622 | The Enforcer (US 1950…Bretaigne Windust, Raoul Walsh) |
2621 | La Traversée de Paris (France 1956…Claude Autant-Lara) |
2620 | The Titfield Thunderbolt (UK 1952…Charles Crichton) |
2619 | Morvern Callar (UK 2002…Lynne Ramsay) |
2618 | The Man in the Iron Mask (US 1939…James Whale) |
2617 | Family Life (UK 1971…Ken Loach) |
2616 | The Ghost and Mrs Muir (US 1947…Joseph L.Mankiewicz) |
2615 | The Purple Rose of Cairo (US 1985…Woody Allen) |
2614 | Nathalie Granger (France 1973…Marguerite Duras) |
2613 | Zelig (US 1983…Woody Allen) |
2612 | The Pilgrim (US 1923…Charles Chaplin) |
2611 | Blood Simple (US 1984…Joel Coen) |
2610 | Doctor X (US 1932…Michael Curtiz) |
2609 | The Happy Ending (US 1969…Richard Brooks) |
2608 | Sauve qui peut (France 1980…Jean-Luc Godard) |
2607 | The Barber Shop (US 1933…Arthur Ripley) |
2606 | Lust for Life (US 1956…Vincente Minnelli) |
2605 | Antonio das Mortes (Brazil 1969…Glauber Rocha) |
2604 | History is Made at Night (US 1937…Frank Borzage) |
2603 | Topper Returns (US 1941…Roy del Ruth) |
2602 | The Covered Wagon (US 1923…James Cruze) |
2601 | Dodge City (US 1939…Michael Curtiz) |
2600 | Mes Petites Amoureuses (France 1974…Jean Eustache) |
2599 | Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Spain 1988…Pedro Almodóvar) |
2598 | Harvest (France 1937…Marcel Pagnol) |
2597 | Alexandria, Why? (Egypt 1978…Youssef Chahine) |
2596 | Les Choses de la Vie (France 1969…Claude Sautet) |
2595 | Barrier (Poland 1966…Jerzy Skolimowski) |
2594 | Karl May (West Germany-TV 1974…Hans-Jürgen Syberberg) |
2593 | The First Churchills (UK-TV 1969…David Giles) |
2592 | A History of Violence (US/Canada 2005…David Cronenberg) |
2591 | Blue Collar (US 1978…Paul Schrader) |
2590 | Sir Henry at Rawlinson End (UK 1980…Steve Roberts) |
2589 | Les Portes de la Nuit (France 1946…Marcel Carné) |
2588 | The Life of Emile Zola (US 1937…William Dieterle) |
2587 | Another Way (Hungary 1982…Karoly Makk) |
2586 | The Illusionist (US 2006…Neil Burger) |
2585 | Patterns (US 1956…Fielder Cook) |
2584 | The Time of the Gypsies (Yugoslavia 1989…Emir Kusturica) |
2583 | The Stunt Man (US 1980…Richard Rush) |
2582 | Marathon Man (US 1976…John Schlesinger) |
2581 | Le Bonheur (France 1965…Agnès Varda) |
2580 | Nana (France 1926…Jean Renoir) |
2579 | The Man Who Fell to Earth (UK 1976…Nicolas Roeg) |
2578 | Black on White (Finland 1968…Jörn Donner) |
2577 | Celia (Australia 1988…Ann Turner) |
2576 | Wavelength (US 1967…Michael Snow) |
2575 | The Judge and the Assassin (France 1976…Bertrand Tavernier) |
2574 | The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (US 1939…Alfred Werker) |
2573 | Begotten (US 1990…E.Elias Merhige) |
2572 | Popeye the Sailor (US 1933…Dave Fleischer) |
2571 | A Walk Through H (UK 1978…Peter Greenaway) |
2570 | The Young in Heart (US 1938…Richard Wallace) |
2569 | Funny Face (US 1957…Stanley Donen) |
2568 | All My Good Countrymen (Czechoslovakia 1968…Vojtech Jasny) |
2567 | The Last Days of Disco (US 1998…Whit Stillman) |
2566 | I Never Sang for My Father (US 1970…Gilbert Cates) |
2565 | The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (US 1976…John Cassavetes) |
2564 | Orlando (UK 1992…Sally Potter) |
2563 | Call Me Madam (US 1953…Walter Lang) |
2562 | The Lower Depths (Japan 1957…Akira Kurosawa) |
2561 | Lilith (US 1964…Robert Rossen) |
2560 | Lovers and Other Strangers (US 1970…Cy Howard) |
2559 | Miss Oyu (Japan 1951…Kenji Mizoguchi) |
2558 | Oyuki the Virgin (Japan 1935…Kenji Mizoguchi) |
2557 | Baisers Voles (France 1968…François Truffaut) |
2556 | Ride With the Devil (US 1999…Ang Lee) |
2555 | Bad Lieutenant (US 1992…Abel Ferrara) |
2554 | Imitation of Life (US 1934…John M.Stahl) |
2553 | Crin Blanc (France 1953…Albert Lamorisse) |
2552 | Mississippi Mermaid (France 1969…François Truffaut) |
2551 | Fox and His Friends (West Germany 1975…Rainer Werner Fassbinder) |
2550 | The Deadly Affair (UK 1966…Sidney Lumet) |
2549 | Sleuth (UK 1972…Joseph L.Mankiewicz) |
2548 | Field of Dreams (US 1989…Phil Alden Robinson) |
2547 | Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (US 1956…Fritz Lang) |
2546 | Il Sorpasso (Italy 1962…Dino Risi) |
2545 | Dark Victory (US 1939…Edmund Goulding) |
2544 | Mr Blandings Builds His Dream House (US 1948…H.C.Potter) |
2543 | The Spy who Came in from the Cold (UK/US 1965…Martin Ritt) |
2542 | American Graffiti (US 1973…George Lucas) |
2541 | The Cardinal (US 1963…Otto Preminger) |
2540 | Tampopo (Japan 1986…Juzo Itami) |
2539 | An Angel at My Table (New Zealand 1990…Jane Campion) |
2538 | Fail Safe (US 1964…Sidney Lumet) |
2537 | Chronicle of a Love (Italy 1950…Michelangelo Antonioni) |
2536 | There Once Was a Singing Blackbird (USSR 1970…Otar Iosseliani) |
2535 | How Green Was My Valley (UK-TV 1975…Ronald Wilson) |
2534 | Before Sunrise (US 1995…Richard Linklater) |
2533 | To Kill a Mockingbird (US 1962…Robert Mulligan) |
2532 | Archangel (Canada 1990…Guy Maddin) |
2531 | El Topo (Mexico 1970…Alejandro Jodorowsky) |
2530 | War and Peace (UK-TV 1972-1973…John Davies) |
2529 | Illustrious Corpses (Italy 1975…Francesco Rosi) |
2528 | The Story of a Prostitute (Japan 1965…Seijun Suzuki) |
2527 | Entr’Acte (France 1924…René Clair) |
2526 | The Decline of the American Empire (Canada 1986…Denys Arcand) |
2525 | Manhunter (US 1986…Michael Mann) |
2524 | The Decameron (Italy 1971…Pier Paolo Pasolini) |
2523 | For All Mankind (US 1989…Al Reinert) |
2522 | Yellow Submarine (UK 1968…George Dunning) |
2521 | Distant Thunder (India 1973…Satyajit Ray) |
2520 | Henry – Portrait of a Serial Killer (US 1986…John McNaughton) |
2519 | Ermo (China 1994…Zhou Xiaowen) |
2518 | Le Deuxième Souffle (France 1966…Jean-Pierre Melville) |
2517 | A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (UK 1971…Peter Medak) |
2516 | In a Year of Thirteen Moons (West Germany 1978…Rainer Werner Fassbinder) |
2515 | Targets (US 1968…Peter Bogdanovich) |
2514 | Here Comes Mr Jordan (US 1941…Alexander Hall) |
2513 | I Only Want You to Love Me (West Germany-TV 1976…Rainer Werner Fassbinder) |
2512 | Gimme Shelter (US 1970…Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin) |
2511 | The Great Consoler (USSR 1933…Lev Kuleshov) |
2510 | The Paleface (US 1948…Norman Z.McLeod) |
2509 | Together (Sweden 2000…Lukas Moodysson) |
2508 | The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad (US 1958…Nathan Juran) |
2507 | Monsieur Hire (France 1989…Patrice Leconte) |
2506 | Carried Away (US 1995…Bruno Barreto) |
2505 | F for Fake (France/US 1973…Orson Welles) |
2504 | Carrie (US 1952…William Wyler) |
2503 | Death of a Bureaucrat (Cuba 1966…Tomas Gutierrez Aléa) |
2502 | Le Gout des Autres (France 2000…Agnès Jaoui) |
2501 | Hard to Handle (US 1933…Mervyn le Roy) |
2500 | The Nasty Girl (West Germany 1989…Michael Verhoeven) |
2499 | The Last Waltz (US 1978…Martin Scorsese) |
2498 | Love Letters (US 1983…Amy Jones) |
2497 | Violette Nozière (France 1978…Claude Chabrol) |
2496 | High Sierra (US 1941…Raoul Walsh) |
2495 | A Room With a View (UK 1985…James Ivory) |
2494 | Oliver! (UK 1968…Carol Reed) |
2493 | Children of Hiroshima (Japan 1952…Kaneto Shindo) |
2492 | The Big Country (US 1958…William Wyler) |
2491 | Two Women (Italy 1960…Vittorio de Sica) |
2490 | Salesman (US 1969…Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin) |
2489 | The Pawnshop (US 1916…Charles Chaplin) |
2488 | Chinese Roulette (West Germany 1976…Rainer Werner Fassbinder) |
2487 | The Witches of Salem (France 1957…Raymond Rouleau) |
2486 | Pigsty (Italy 1969…Pier Paolo Pasolini) |
2485 | Allegro Non Troppo (Italy 1976…Bruno Bazzeto) |
2484 | The Joke (Czechoslovakia 1968…Jaromil Jires) |
2483 | Tunes of Glory (UK 1960…Ronald Neame) |
2482 | Ride the Pink Horse (US 1947…Robert Montgomery) |
2481 | The Diary of a Chambermaid (US 1946…Jean Renoir) |
2480 | Mikaël (Germany/Denmark 1924…Carl T.Dreyer) |
2479 | The Bachelor Party (US 1957…Delbert Mann) |
2478 | The Great McGinty (US 1940…Preston Sturges) |
2477 | The Narrow Margin (US 1952…Richard Fleischer) |
2476 | Seul Contre Tous (France 1998…Gaspar Noé) |
2475 | Les Filles de Malemort (France 1974…Daniel Daërt) |
2474 | Dead Man (US 1995…Jim Jarmusch) |
2473 | Diner (US 1982…Barry Levinson) |
2472 | The Good Fairy (US 1935…William Wyler) |
2471 | Songs from the Second Floor (Sweden 2000…Roy Andersson) |
2470 | Que la Bête Meure (France 1969…Claude Chabrol) |
2469 | Ongaku (Japan 1972…Yasuzo Masumura) |
2468 | Assault on Precinct 13 (US 1976…John Carpenter) |
2467 | The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (US 2007…Julian Schnabel) |
2466 | T-Men (US 1947…Anthony Mann) |
2465 | Conte d’Hiver (France 1992…Eric Rohmer) |
2464 | Pretty Village, Pretty Flame (Serbia 1996…Srdjan Dragojevic) |
2463 | The Party and the Guests (Czechoslovakia 1966…Jan Nemec) |
2462 | Padre Padrone (Italy 1977…Paolo Taviani, Vittorio Taviani) |
2461 | Shine (Australia 1996…Scott Hicks) |
2460 | The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (US 1946…Lewis Milestone) |
2459 | Le Grand Jeu (France 1934…Jacques Feyder) |
2458 | When Strangers Marry (US 1944…William Castle) |
2457 | In the Cut (US 2003…Jane Campion) |
2456 | The Blair Witch Project (US 1999…Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez) |
2455 | The Murderers Are Among Us (Germany 1947…Wolfgang Staudte) |
2454 | Almost Famous: bootleg edition (US 2000/2001…Cameron Crowe) |
2453 | Gentleman Jim (US 1942…Raoul Walsh) |
2452 | Dead End (US 1937…William Wyler) |
2451 | The Adventures of Werner Holt (East Germany 1965…Joachim Kunert) |
2450 | Red Beard (Japan 1965…Akira Kurosawa) |
2449 | Key Largo (US 1948…John Huston) |
2448 | Born to Kill (US 1947…Robert Wise) |
2447 | Wagonmaster (US 1950…John Ford) |
2446 | Hoop Dreams (US 1994…Steve James) |
2445 | Dédée d’Anvers (France 1948…Yves Allégret) |
2444 | Ai No Borei (Japan/France 1978…Nagisa Oshima) |
2443 | Samurai Part One: Musashi Miyamoto (Japan 1954…Hiroshi Inagaki) |
2442 | Hips, Hips, Hooray (US 1934…Mark Sandrich) |
2441 | Attack! (US 1956…Robert Aldrich) |
2440 | Before the Rain (Macedonia/UK/France 1994…Milcho Manchevski) |
2439 | Young and Healthy as a Rose (Yugoslavia 1971…Jovan Jovanovic) |
2438 | The Proposition (Australia 2005…John Hillcoat) |
2437 | Restless Blood (Finland 1946…Teuvo Tulio) |
2436 | Castle in the Sky (Japan 1986…Hayao Miyazaki) |
2435 | Désiré (France 1937…Sacha Guitry) |
2434 | The Sheep Has Five Legs (France 1954…Henri Verneuil) |
2433 | The Day of the Jackal (UK 1973…Fred Zinnemann) |
2432 | Desert Hearts (US 1985…Donna Deitch) |
2431 | The Official Version (Argentina 1985…Luis Puenza) |
2430 | Party Girl (US 1958…Nicholas Ray) |
2429 | Belladonna of Sadness (Japan 1973…Eiichi Yamamoto) |
2428 | Bleak House (UK-TV 1985…John Devenish) |
2427 | The Great Lie (US 1941…Edmund Goulding) |
2426 | Nazarin (Mexico 1958…Luis Buñuel) |
2425 | En Kvinnas Ansikte (Sweden 1938…Gustav Molander) |
2424 | It Started With Eve (US 1941…Henry Koster) |
2423 | The Green Pastures (US 1936…William Keighley, Marc Connelly) |
2422 | A Taste of Honey (UK 1961…Tony Richardson) |
2421 | Colour Box (UK 1936…Lenny Lye) |
2420 | Europa, Europa (Germany/France 1991…Agnieszka Holland) |
2419 | All That Jazz (US 1979…Bob Fosse) |
2418 | Iphigenia (Greece 1977…Michael Cacoyannis) |
2417 | The Sound of Fury (US 1950…Cy Endfield) |
2416 | My Name is Julia Ross (US 1945…Joseph H.Lewis) |
2415 | Nowhere in Africa (Germany 2001…Caroline Link) |
2414 | Edge of Darkness (UK-TV 1985…Martin Campbell) |
2413 | Lost Highway (US 1997…David Lynch) |
2412 | The Norman Conquests (UK-TV 1977…Herbert Wise) |
2411 | Lamerica (Italy 1994…Gianni Amelio) |
2410 | Being There (US 1979…Hal Ashby) |
2409 | A Night to Remember (UK 1958…Roy Ward Baker) |
2408 | The Prisoner of Shark Island (US 1936…John Ford) |
2407 | Father Brown (UK 1954…Robert Hamer) |
2406 | Since Otar Left (France/Georgia 2003…Julie Bertucelli) |
2405 | An American Tragedy (US 1931…Josef Von Sternberg) |
2404 | Wargame (UK 1962…Mai Zetterling) |
2403 | RoboCop (US 1987…Paul Verhoeven) |
2402 | Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse (US 1991…Fax Bahr, George Hickenloper) |
2401 | A Snake of June (Japan 2002…Shinya Tsukamoto) |
2995 Gomorrah (Italy 2008…Matteo Garrone) ****1/2 Like the book.
2992 Inception (US 2010…Christopher Nolan) ***** I loved it.
2981 The Matrix (US 1999…Larry Wachowski, Andy Wachowski) ***** It’s one of those movies that was my favorite when I was younger, still holds up in a fun way.
2978 King Kong (US 2005…Peter Jackson) **** I don’t know why so much hate.
2977 Midnight Express (US 1978…Alan Parker) ****1/2 Wonderful score and acting.
2961 An American Werewolf in London (US/UK 1981…John Landis) ****1/2 Fun and more more fun, it’s amazing effects make it perfect.
2960 Troy: director’s cut (US 2004/2007…Wolfgang Petersen) *** for the standard version, maybe I need to see the director’s cut?
2956 Never Let Me Go (UK 2010…Mark Womanek) ***** I liked this so much, it’s the perfect novel adaptation.
2941 Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (US 1988…Robert Zemeckis) **** Technical wise, this film is wonderful.
2935 Airplane! (US 1980…Jerry Zucker, David Zucker, Jim Abrahams) ****1/2 Classic comedy. The birth of Leslie Nielsen to comedy.
2918 Saving Private Ryan (US 1998…Steven Spielberg) ****1/2 Heartful war movie, wonderful acting, perfect opening scene.
2917 Watchmen: the director’s cut (US 2009…Zach Snyder) ***1/2 for the theatrical version, and it was given because of how loyal it was to the graphic novel. Maybe I’ll hate this even more.
2916 The Sound of Music (US 1965…Robert Wise) **** The Hills Are Alive.
2911 Battle Royale (Japan 2000…Kinji Fukasaku) ***** Violence Royale! Blood! Everywhere! Love the satire.
2901 The Stranger (US 1946…Orson Welles) **** I guess it was good because it mantained the mystery and because of how brave it was.
2881 Dancer in the Dark (Denmark 2000…Lars Von Trier) ****1/2 This movie, as a musical, fails, but as a drama it brings me to tears.
2871 Lolita (UK 1962…Stanley Kubrick) **** My least favorite Kubrick.
2861 Dark Star (US 1974…John Carpenter) ***** A little funny masterpiece full of little nuances and smart humor and sci fi.
2856 Letters from Iwo Jima (US 2006…Clint Eastwood) ****1/2 One of the bravest portrayals from an american.
2826 Gone Baby Gone (US 2007…Ben Affleck) ***** I was surprised by how emotional it was for me, I almost cried at the end of it.
2795 Certified Copy (France/Iran 2010…Abbas Kiarostami) ****1/2 I liked the game and I’d play it again.
2793 Spider Man 2 (US 2004…Sam Raimi) ****1/2 It was the best superhero movie for a long time.
2713 Edward Scissorhands (US 1990…Tim Burton) ***** It’s magical and wonderful, one of the best of this guy.
2707 Belleville Rendez-vous (France 2003…Sylvain Chomet) ***1/2 Visual wise: amazing. Story wise: confusing.
2701 Empire of the Sun (US 1987…Steven Spielberg) ****1/2 One of the most surprisingly well done films of Spielberg.
2697 Jason and the Argonauts (UK 1963…Don Chaffey) ****1/2 Classic from my Childhood. I used to watch this off a VHS all the freaking time.
2673 Return of the Jedi: The Special Edition (US 1983/1997…Richard Marquand) ****1/2 Ewoks!
2652 Gattaca (US 1997…Andrew Niccol) ****1/2 As a sci fi film and an acting piece this film succeeds enormously.
2624 Europa (West Germany/Denmark 1990…Lars Von Trier) ***** This is my favorite film of Von Trier.
2615 The Purple Rose of Cairo (US 1985…Woody Allen) ****1/2 A true love story with historical background and a heartful love for films.
2613 Zelig (US 1983…Woody Allen) **** I had expected to like this better, but the methode grows tiring.
2592 A History of Violence (US/Canada 2005…David Cronenberg) **** Good acting and incredible scenes.
2542 American Graffiti (US 1973…George Lucas) ***** A love letter to the young age and the best movie Lucas ever directed.
2541 The Cardinal (US 1963…Otto Preminger) **** Strangely good movie, but way too long to be fully engaging.
2531 El Topo (Mexico 1970…Alejandro Jodorowsky) ****1/2 Acid western full of Freud.
2527 Entr’Acte (France 1924…René Clair) **** How can you not like the funeral?
2467 The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (US 2007…Julian Schnabel) **** As a visual experience is great, but towards the end it fails in darker waters.
2458 When Strangers Marry (US 1944…William Castle) **** Good noir and excellent acting and undertones.
2454 Almost Famous: bootleg edition (US 2000/2001…Cameron Crowe) **** I think I saw the DVD version, still titled Almost Famous, and I liked the music but not much else.
2450 Red Beard (Japan 1965…Akira Kurosawa) ***** This might as well be my favorite Kurosawa film. Why? I have no idea.
2443 Samurai Part One: Musashi Miyamoto (Japan 1954…Hiroshi Inagaki) **** I need to see the rest of these.
2413 Lost Highway (US 1997…David Lynch) ***** My first Lynch experience. Wicked.
I think some of the ratings are a little high, Jaime, but I can agree with the sentiments largely. These films are essentially **** or ***½ works, works that aren’t quite goo enough for the book. The lowest book entries will be in the low 1500s.
Never Let Me Go could have been great if they hadn’t cut out so much from the book so that Knightley and Garfield’s roles weren’t so much like ciphers. Mulligan was still great, but I suppose I’m just disappointed as this could have been great.
Lost Highway I certainly can’t see as ***** when he’s made several better movies, but it’s certainly some kind of brilliant in certain sequences.
American Graffiti is overrated, Jaime. Hence it’s appearing as low down as it did. Nice performances and period detail, but pretty shallow really.
I agree on Lolita, I prefer Lyne’s version, however much that may be heresy, and it will be appearing higher up.
Well, since you said you need to have your head examined…you do understand that this is exceedingly childish, right? That this is the sort of thing that gives cinephilia a bad name? That the dedicated study of movies needs fewer people such as yourself, who would undertake such a cockamamie project, and more who are past the adolescent, High Fidelity-esque “art-house fanboy” stage? You do know all this, right?
No Patrick, cinephilia needs far less people than your ilk. Do I detect a little jealousy there? That you could post a comment this childish yourself shows what a buffoon you are. Take a look at some of the other comments here by impassioned, serious cineastes, then go bury your head in shame. Allan has watched over 8,000 films in his life and there’s probably not a single person on the internet more qualified to make such a listing, which is intended to encourage viewing, not to etch numbers in granite as you foolishly perceive. In case you don’t know (obviously you don’t as you’re a mischievious-minded newbie, Allan has been providing reviews and countdowns at this site for three years now, a fact that has been glowingly acknowledged and appraised by the entire blogging community. But so much better to shoot at the hip, without knowing the facts, eh? You seem to fit the bill of “fan boy” yourself.
Right Mr Murtha. Let’s just state some facts.
Lists are arbitrary, I wholly endorse that, if that was your point. I did this list becasue I was asked by several people some time ago to do an absolute list, which I have done based on my opinions at that moment when I compiled it.
As for adolescence, well, let me ask, how many of this 3,000 have you seen? Once you have seen them all, and the several thousand that missed out, then you can come back here and start insulting me. I’ll lay off insulting you. As Judith Crist said of Hurry Sundown, “it’d be like tripping a dwarf.”
Now go get an education!
patrickmurtha’s an interesting breed: one that thinks lists are childish, but that internet trolling an ‘adult’ venture!
Let’s calm down, now: Wonders in the Dark is better than this. Then again, here’s Mr. Murtha’s profile from his blog:
“A ‘culture vulture’ and history buff from youth on; a dress-up kind of guy all the way; gay (but that’s a boring fact), single, and 52; a professional educator currently teaching ESL in Korea; a lifelong pal to animals. Posts on books and films here can be presumed to contain spoilers, so be aware of that! Posts are frequently tweaked and corrected early on, and seldom achieve anything like ‘permanent form’ until 48 hours have passed. Updates are added to posts weeks or months after the fact, so the archives are by no means a dead letter. I should add that this blog is, in Internet terms, very ‘old school,’ and I like that old school readership even if it is quite small. I’m not on Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter in any persona; I don’t instant message or text message. I believe in real prose.”
I’m reminded of Kurt Vonnegut’s description of the U.S. national anthem: “gibberish sprinkled with question marks.” I’m sure the question marks thank Mr. Murtha for their omission from his real prose. Now let’s get back to the movies.
As always, I welcome yet another ridiculously large WitD list. Lots of additions to my never-ending wish list already–even though I’m pretty sure I’ve seen more than 5000 myself; but my brain has been kind enough to make me forget many–makes it fun to see them again.
By the way, the first thing I thought of when I saw this is Elvis Costello’s “500 Albums You Need” (http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/elvis_costello.htm). Hope you have half as much fun as he seemed to.
p.s. Don’t confuse Patrick Murtha with Patrick Mureithi (http://www.jodisolomonspeakers.com/PatrickMureithi.html), who made a moving documentary about South African reconciliation efforts. He presented his film at our college a few years ago, and he was a pleasant, open-hearted young man. If you ever do a Top 10,000 list, ICYIZERE: hope should make the cut.
hahahahahah Paul!!!! Good one!!!!!!
I know I overreacyed myself (above) though I moved to spare Allan that kind of unfair attack. But that profile gores rather a long way! And I definitely won’y confuse the two Murtas, so to speak! Ha!
I need to get over to your place pronto. I am finally recovering from the hectic pace of the past two weeks, though this weekend was loaded.
Amazing venture, Allan. A few responses:
2983 Pride and Prejudice (US 1940…Robert Z.Leonard) I don’t think turning this into a screwball really works, though Garson and Olivier are great.
2981 The Matrix (US 1999…Larry Wachowski, Andy Wachowski) Because nobody liked the sequels, people tend to forget how good the original was.
2959 Hamlet (UK-TV 2009…Gregory Doran) Loved this production – David Tennant is great as Hamlet.
2942 Bright Star (Australia 2009…Jane Campion) Loved this too. It sends you back to reading Keats.
2941 Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (US 1988…Robert Zemeckis) First and best of the films mixing animation and live action – or the first one of these I saw, anyway.
2936 A Farewell to Arms (US 1932…Frank Borzage) One of the greatest pre-Codes that I’ve seen – glad to see this on your list.
2935 Airplane! (US 1980…Jerry Zucker, David Zucker, Jim Abrahams) Much funnier than any of the sequels.
2928 The Barefoot Contessa (US 1954…Joseph L.Mankiewicz) I thought most of this was a great dark portrait of Hollywood, but it takes a few wrong turnings later on as the plot becomes increasingly convoluted.
2926 The L-Shaped Room (UK 1962…Bryan Forbes) I really liked the book and the film is just as good – Tom Bell and Leslie Caron are both excellent in it.
2921 Cool Hand Luke (US 1967…Stuart Rosenberg) A great prison movie and one of Paul Newman’s best roles.
2920 Quiz Show (US 1994…Robert Redford) Probably my favourite of those I’ve seen directed by Redford – the period flavour is compelling.
2855 Reds (US 1981…Warren Beatty) I really want to see this again. The scene that sticks in my mind the most is Diane Keaton singing “I don’t want to play in your yard”.
2839 Min and Bill (US 1930…George Hill) Marie Dressler and Wallace Beery’s fight scene is amazingly violent. The whole film has a powerful downbeat feeling.
2816 Fog Over Frisco (US 1934…William Dieterle) Bette Davis is great in the early scenes but I didn’t think much of it apart from that – though it is one of the 1930s movies where journalists go to the greatest extremes to get a story!
2797 Romeo and Juliet (UK/Italy 1968…Franco Zeffirelli) Saw this in the cinema in the 1970s and loved it, even though it cuts so much of the text. I’ve always remembered John McEnery as Mercutio.
2789 Grand Hotel (US 1932…Edmund Goulding) Brilliant, I can’t watch this enough. John and Lionel Barrymore’s scenes together are a joy, and Garbo and Crawford are great too.
2718 It (US 1927…Clarence Badger) Clara Bow is great as the original It girl. Funny scene where the author pops in to plug her book.
2695 Of Human Bondage (US 1934…John Cromwell) Bette Davis is astonishing in this. A really powerful movie.
2668 Nuts in May (UK-TV 1976…Mike Leigh) Possibly Mike Leigh’s funniest.
2601 Dodge City (US 1939…Michael Curtiz) Best bar-room fight ever.
2501 Hard to Handle (US 1933…Mervyn le Roy) I really like the opening of this one with the Depression dance marathon. This and all the other early Cagneys should be on DVD!
2408 The Prisoner of Shark Island (US 1936…John Ford) Warner Baxter is great as the weary doctor.
I agree on Pride and Prejudice, Judy. It updates the setting by 40-50 years to take in better fashions, but aside from performances it’s inferior to the 1995 TV version in every way. Garson is excellent, easily her best performance, but she’s too old at 36 to convince as Elizabeth. At least when Emma Thompson was likewise too old as Elinor in Sense and Sensibility she wrote in a sort of explanation.
A Farewell to Arms gets in on account of Hayes’ performance and some excellent montage work. It’s not exactly great Borzage, but a million times preferable to the awful Selznick version.
Nuts in May – it’s criminal really how neglected Leigh’s TV work is in the States, when one considers how much they love him over there. They seem to think he started his career with High Hopes and Life is Sweet. Roger Sloman’s greatest role – “come along Candice-Marie!”
Re Tennant’s Hamlet. Totally agree. Even Sam watched this one and liked it. He’s an all or nothing actor, but those who thought because of his association with a certain Timelord he couldn’t do the dark obviously didn’t watch him as that Timelord, as he hinted at a darkness in the role no-one else had before (if only Davies’ scripts had allowed him to really explore that).
Hard to Handle, totally agree re the Cagneys. I think but for the economic crash putting Warners back catalog releasing on the backburner, there would have been a Cagney volume of Forbidden Hollywood, to accommodate Blonde Crazy and a few others.
For Over Frisco isn’t really there for the plot or the acting, but the speed at which it moves, often uncontrollably quickly, but the direction and editing are a model of their kind.
Quiz Show is the best Redford, he won’t be appearing further up this countdown.
Agree on McEnery’s Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, it’s just such a shame Barrymore’s Mercutio came too late to be as great as it would have been, but he was at his Shakespearean peak in the early 1920s.
The Matrix is a film that I think Inception will increasingly be seen as the following decade’s equivalent of. I didn’t think either was great, but there was enough imagination in both to merit just scraping in here.
Of Human Bondage is not my favourite film really, but it does have several powerful sequences. Davis is certainly impressive scene by scene, but her Cockney accent leaves a bit to be desired. Basically, it needed Ida Lupino around 1940, but that’s one of those films that was never made, sadly.
Thanks a lot for the replies, Allan. Agree on Roger Sloman in Nuts in May – I love the scene where they have a huge row over whether they should be allowed to drink unpasteurised milk.
Glad you like McEnery as Mercutio too, and I agree that Barrymore could have been even better if he had had the chance to play the role on film earlier in his career, though I think his performance is still the best thing in the movie, despite everything. It strikes me that, in just about every performance of Romeo and Juliet I’ve seen, Mercutio steals the show.
Still with Shakespeare, I’d love to see Tennant on stage in Much Ado About Nothing, but I think it has all sold out – however, maybe that will make it to TV too. I agree on the way he gives his characters an underlying darkness (he even made the soapy ‘Single Father’ compelling) and people forget that he did a lot of Shakespeare before he ever entered the Tardis.
I also agree that Ida Lupino would have been great in Of Human Bondage – she plays a similar role in Wellman’s ‘The Light That Failed’ (1939), as a bitter Cockney artist’s model, and there is even a very similar scene of her destroying an artwork. However, I think Davis is great in this despite the accent being a bit dodgy, as you say.
Yes, Davis is still great to watch, but all those phoney cries of “ah don’ mind” gets a bit cringey.
As for Tennant, yes, indeed, but I always wanted to see him as Renfield in Dracula. All starch collars as the estate agent, totally manic eating insects in his cell. Even if when murmuring “master” you’d keep thinking John Simm was going to show up.
Allan,
The bottom of my Top 3,000 (if I’ve seen that many films) would be * or less! Only a rare few have the wide range of film-viewing experience across the world of cinema to create a list like this.
3000 Once : I don’t mind soppiness in general but what I’ve seen and heard of the film has put me off watching it.
2992 Inception : I thought it OK and better than The Dark Knight. I didn’t think it was ‘clever’, as some call it, but it was intermittently exciting
2986 The Mysterious Castle in the Carpathians : Is that based on Jules Verne’s novel “The Carpathian Castle”? This I am interested in.
2984 Le Proces de Jeanne D’Arc : This is one of the finest films I’ve seen, a sort of perfection of Bresson’s style.
2980 Lourdes : It felt a little disingenuous or maybe mocking in its style. Very ‘clever clever’ pointing at potential absurdities / inconsistencies while not pointing at them. It irritated me in a similar way to The Death of Mr Lazarescu (the world that is presented as real is just too ‘rigged’). Long silent shots, compositions that suggest great meaning…
2960 Troy : Director’s Cut : Yes! I like this. It felt like an old-fashioned epic without the terrible sets.
2917 Watchmen : A very very good adaptation of the graphic novel (despite a couple of big changes). Unfortunately I don’t like the novel.
2906 The Abyss : I’m also interested in this. I haven’t heard of it.
2904 Haut Bas Fragile : I’m desperate to see this. I should buy the French DVD soon. I presume this won’t be the last Rivette!
2834 The Godfather Part III : This suffers from comparison syndrome. It’s a good film, it just appears poor next to its predecessors.
2804 When We Were Kings : One of the very few documentaries meant to be dramatic that actually are.
2793 Spider-Man 2 : I wonder if Spider-Man will be above it. I think it should be.
2709 The Match Factory Girl : I really like Drifting Clouds and Ariel. This I am yet to see. I always appreciate film-makers who can carve their own niche and offer something unique.
2524 : The Decameron : Pasolini’s films have a distinctive, and often beautiful, look. The stories and the acting never seem to grab me as I hope.
Let’s reply directly in bold.
3000 Once : I don’t mind soppiness in general but what I’ve seen and heard of the film has put me off watching it. NO, SEE IT, IT’S NO CLASSIC, BUT AT LEAST IT AVOIDS THE EXPECTED ENDING
2992 Inception : I thought it OK and better than The Dark Knight. I didn’t think it was ‘clever’, as some call it, but it was intermittently exciting CLEVER, YES, BUT SOMETIMES TOO CLEVER FOR ITS OWN GOOD WHEN ITS CLEVRNESS LEAVES ONE COLD
2986 The Mysterious Castle in the Carpathians : Is that based on Jules Verne’s novel “The Carpathian Castle”? This I am interested in. YES, IT IS…AND IT HAS A TYPICALLY GORGEOUS SCORE FROM THE PEERLESS LUBOS FISER
2984 Le Proces de Jeanne D’Arc : This is one of the finest films I’ve seen, a sort of perfection of Bresson’s style. ONE OF BRESSON’S WEAKEST, A PALE IMITATION OF DREYER AND THE RIVETTE IS ALSO FAR BETTER
2980 Lourdes : It felt a little disingenuous or maybe mocking in its style. Very ‘clever clever’ pointing at potential absurdities / inconsistencies while not pointing at them. It irritated me in a similar way to The Death of Mr Lazarescu (the world that is presented as real is just too ‘rigged’). Long silent shots, compositions that suggest great meaning…
2960 Troy : Director’s Cut : Yes! I like this. It felt like an old-fashioned epic without the terrible sets. YES, WORKS A LOT BETTER INT HE EXTENDED VERSION, PETER O’TOOLE IS SUPERB AS PRIMA AND LENDS A SORT OF EPIC HISTORY TO IT, ERIC BANA QUIETLY GOOD AS HECTOR, GORGEOUS PHOTOGRAPHY AND A FASNTASTIC OPENING SHOT OF A DESOLATE BATTLEFIELD WITH THAT WANDERING DOG.
2917 Watchmen : A very very good adaptation of the graphic novel (despite a couple of big changes). Unfortunately I don’t like the novel.
2906 The Abyss : I’m also interested in this. I haven’t heard of it. VERY EARLY SILENT FAMOUS FOR ASTA NIELSEN’S DANCE, MORE OF A DINOSAUR REALLY, BUT IMPOSSIBLE LEAVE OUT SOMEHOW
2904 Haut Bas Fragile : I’m desperate to see this. I should buy the French DVD soon. I presume this won’t be the last Rivette! ER, NO, IT’S NOT A RIVETTE GREAT, BUT IT IS ENTERTAINING FOR LONG PERIODS
2834 The Godfather Part III : This suffers from comparison syndrome. It’s a good film, it just appears poor next to its predecessors. EXACTLY. GARCIA AND SHIRE ARE EXCELLENT, JUST THE VATICAN SECTION IS A MISTAKE, SOFIA IS AWFUL, AND MICHAEL’S CHANGE TO ALMOST PHILANTHROPIST IS A LITTLE HARD TO BELIEVE
2804 When We Were Kings : One of the very few documentaries meant to be dramatic that actually are. YES, QUITE
2793 Spider-Man 2 : I wonder if Spider-Man will be above it. I think it should be. NOPE, SPIDER MAN 2 WAS THE MOST WATCHABLE OF THE LOT
2709 The Match Factory Girl : I really like Drifting Clouds and Ariel. This I am yet to see. I always appreciate film-makers who can carve their own niche and offer something unique. NOT A MAJOR KAURISMAKI FAN, BUT THIS IS MY FAVOURITE OF HIS
2524 : The Decameron : Pasolini’s films have a distinctive, and often beautiful, look. The stories and the acting never seem to grab me as I hope.
THE PROBLEM WITH PASOLINI IS HIS LOVE FOR ILLITERATE, TOOTHY PEASANTS WITH FACES LIKE EXTRAS FROM LAND WITHOUT BREAD.
It’s going to take a full year to digest this list and what an undertaking. A couple things:
2518- Le Deuxieme Souffle – Just saw this film and loved it. Would be in my top 1000
2474- Dead Man – another one I love and one of Jarmusch’s best. Also would be higher on my list, if I ever made one.
Can’t wait to see what’s coming up. I’ll have to check back in and see what the progress is when I return from vacation next weekend.
Well, it’ll be finished by Thursday, Jon.
I’ve probably only seen a fourth of these (if that)–this is going to be an extraordinary resource for all me and many others I’m sure, thanks so much Allan. And I love the idiosyncrasies, like ranking Party Girl above On Dangerous Ground or Bitter Victory.
Some other thoughts:
2858 Histoire de Marie et Julien — There’s still a few Rivettes I haven’t seen but, with all due respect to his seventies opuses, this is maybe my favorite of his; it’s certainly the one that affects me the most and the one I return to most often. Beart’s acting is incredible.
2791 The River — One of my favorite Renoirs, a real memory film. The fireworks scene in the trailer of The Tree of Life reminded me of this movie.
2663 – The Devil, Probably — I think it’s one of Bresson’s best films. I’m not sure any are quite this unforgiving (maybe L’argent).
2569 Funny Face — One of my favorite musicals, Donen is one of those directors I’ve really come to appreciate far more than Minnelli, as much as I love Some Came Running.
2447 Wagonmaster — Along with The Night of the Hunter and Limelight this is probably my favorite American talkie.
You really like the 50, huh, Peter?
“2663 – The Devil, Probably — I think it’s one of Bresson’s best films. I’m not sure any are quite this unforgiving (maybe L’argent).”
Man, I’ve wanted to see this forever, and I’ve just procure a line on a copy, so it’s great to see it here.
I don’t know why but I think you’ll love it Jamie.
“Bresson was in his seventies when he made it and I’ll bet he’d never heard of “punk,” but it is by far the most punk movie ever made, if I am a judge.”
– Richard Hell
Don’t fret Fishy old trout. You can do a revised version of the top 3000 films of all time in a year or two.
Is Gorgo in there?
Alas no…I’d like to say that it just missed the cut…but…
I’m a very delittentish blog-reader but the sight of this title on my blogroll brought me instantly over here and I read the whole post. The Fish lists have that power over me.
Here are some responses along the way:
3000 Once
Interesting surprise. I liked this film, and even more, the way it was shot which gives encouragement to amateur filmmakers (i.e. it was done with low means, but still looked good).
2994 Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Obviously the lower reaches of this list are way outside the range of your countdowns, but I would have been intrigued to read an Allan write-up of this. Fascinating high school film because it’s a bit less idealized, more realistic, than most such films – the kids all work a lot, the sex is unromanticized, the characters are kind of scruffy and rough around the edges. I remember reading an interview where Heckerling said she hated the football sequences, which were directed by a second unit (or maybe they weren’t, and she said they seemed like they were, because she couldn’t imagine doing them that way) which she thought were full of racial stereotypes.
2981 The Matrix
I’ve said a lot about this film afterwards. I found it vaguely depressing when I saw it in theaters, but it’s quite an accomplishment nonetheless. Its worldview reminds me of all the “outsider” kids I knew in high school who were actually rather narrow-minded, their rebellion all on the surface. If the world of the matrix is fake, who’s to say the “real” world outside of said matrix is anymore real, especially presented in the flat, one-dimensional way it is in the movie? Yet the characters go about blowing up civilians in a carefree fashion – made all the more disturbing at the time by the Columbine connection (remember how this came out like 1 week after the black trenchcoat killings? I was actually kind of surprised it was such a hit given the timing; it couldn’t have theoretically been even worse. Or maybe that only made the movie more fascinating to wide audiences?)
2978 (name withheld so I don’t vomit on computer screen)
Oh Lord. Moving on.
2965 Michael Clayton
I enjoyed the film. A capable thriller. I’m a sucker for anything in the Pakula mode.
2951 The Dreamers
Prodigious clips and references to glorious cinematic gems which never get name-dropped (let alone footage-inserted) in movies – which have lost a sense of their history – anymore; the culture and politics of May ’68; and a nude, nubile Eva Greene. Not necessarily in order of importance. What’s not to like? 🙂
2941 Who Framed Roger Rabbit
I absolutely love this film. It would probably be top 500, maybe higher, for me.
2932 American Psycho
Strongly disliked this movie. It seemed so smug and self-congratulatory with its easy 80s satire. Didn’t like that one with James Van Der Beek either. Haven’t seen Less Than Zero.
2918 Saving Private Ryan
Surprising placement here, given that I know your hostility to this movie. Granted, these are the outer outer reaches of the canon but I guess it’s just making it here based on the power of the first half-hour?
2896 Let Me In
Nice. A likable movie, with a sense of atmosphere rare in mainstream American films these days. Its differences from the Swedish version (and the book are fascinating), it’s far more individualistic and narrowly focused than both. I liked the implicit references to Rear Window and Decalogue. The girl was very good.
2890 L’Inferno
I included this in a recent “Remembering the Movies” entry, it looked absolutely fascinating. I believe it’s on You Tube, though I’ve yet to watch it.
2885 On Dangerous Ground
Why so low? I think this is one of Ray’s best, but it’s admittedly been a while. Love the snowy denoument.
2881 Dancer in the Dark
My least favorite von Trier, of the ones I’ve seen. For once I found his condemnatory streak not balanced with self-criticism, and his sadism more dishonest than usual.
2880 Le Retour a la Raison
Love, love, love, love, love this. One of my favorite avant-garde shorts. Just love it. Not a very insightful comment but there you have it. I actually quite like the score on the DVD though it’s come in for quite a bit of criticism. Either a great influence on Godard or a great coincidence that it overlaps so much with his sensibility.
2871 Lolita
I adore this adaptation. I like the fact that it differs a great deal from the book in tone, style, and sensibility and that the author himself made sure this was the case (Nabokov wrote the screenplay).
To be continued…
Good to see you back again, Joel. Forgive me Kong, it’s low down after all. And yes, these are all flawed movies at this stage. But they’ll get less flawed as we go along.
Damn, I’ve tried four times to post the next comment and it keeps telling me it’s already been processed, but it doesn’t even show up behind the scenes in wordpress. I’ll save it to a word doc and keep trying.
We’re are certainly witnessing one of the most staggering events in the world of movie blogging & film appreciation. Top 3000 movies, that too ranked… boy, how many hours must it have taken to compile the list & then rank them!!!!! Yeah, anyone who hasn’t ever been passionate about anything would surely suggest you to get your head examined 🙂
I wouldn’t go that far, Shubha, not when it took so little time to do, but always nice to have your passion on hand.
Holy cow, Mr. Fish, you are insane! This is mind-boggling! So your book will contain your reviews of the top 1500? When is this book coming out?
At any rate – if I comment specifically to any one of the 3000, I fear I will never step away from the computer and become lost in blogging purgatory, lose my job, and never write another novel or short story. (Though, I back the King Kong inclusion, btw – damn, there I go commenting on a specific entry!)
I can’t thank you enough for shedding light on so many films I would’ve never otherwise seen or known about (“Come and See” always springs to mind when I think about what I would’ve missed had Sam never commented on my blog all those years ago, which in turn brought me to visit Wonders in the Dark). Your lists…as arbitrary or elitist as some may think they be – are invaluable, sir!
P.S. Wondering about your “process” – do you keep a detailed diary of every film you have ever watched? And if so, how long have you kept this – i.e. are there films from your childhood you have forgotten?
I have a film guide, David, which I have updated consistently since around 1992 (when I was only about 18), and which I use for reference only (I’m sad enough to actually have it all typed up and done in the style of the old defunct Halliwell Guide, complete with italics), but in truth, I have an obsessive amount of information, private lists, details, etc, that mean that doing a task like this is really quite easy and ensures I never forget ANYTHING (the opposite of Sam basically, we just meet in the middle on enthusiasm). It took only a day to formulate the 3,000 themselves, another couple to order them. No biggee!
As for the book, well that’s in the pipeline. It isn’t exactly 1500, and there are several TV enterprises illegible for this list included, but it is in fact finished. The first portion was sent to my friend Jamie Uhler who is going through design and formatting processes, after which we’ll take it from there.
Yes, we should now tell everyone to return especially on tuesday May 17th for more book information…
2821 Dead Ringers
This is obviously an excellent film, well-acted, sharply directed, compelling idea. It didn’t have a hold on me at all. Not sure why, but Cronenberg tends not to click with me. Though I like Videodrome and Scanners a lot. History of Violence I thought extraordinarily overrated.
2799 The Mark of Zorro
I didn’t care too much for this, it didn’t seem to hold a candle to Thief of Bagdad (of course, I know you feel the same way as its your personal favorite silent film). Robin Hood had some nice fights and scenery but was way too long.
2796 In the Heat of the Night
Have you read the book Pictures at the Revolution? Very enjoyable read. I like this movie.
2791 The River
Aw, kinda disappointed to see this so low. I admire Rules of the Game, but truth be told I feel far more affection and interest in this movie.
2789 Grand Hotel
The quintessence of 30s glamor and Golden Age mythos – that scene with John Barrymore seducing Greta Garbo particularly.
2749 Mamma Roma
A top 100 for me. The scene where the boy wanders amongst those monuments on the hillside is just overpowering in its sense of adolescent restlessness with the prospect of tragic doom hovering on the horizon. And the cut from the shaky shot of Magnani gasping for air and grasping out her window, being restrained by all the neighbors, her eyes fixated in horror on the distance to the completely static, granitelike view out the window, of an immobile, hostile, cruelly indifferent cityscape…it’s, I daresay, one of the greatst cuts in cinema history.
2732 The Lost World
Charming, but the giddy stop-motion didn’t quite make up for its longeurs when I watched it.
2722 Isn’t Life Wonderful
I’d love to see this. I loved The Struggle, which I think is a Griffith masterpiece and foreshadows neorealism, and I’ve heard (from Tony d’Ambra originally I think) that this film does the same.
2713 Edward Scissorhands
I saw this with my mother at age 7 in the movie theater when it first came out. Still have a soft spot for it. Kind of defines a certain breed of teenage experience, no? I believe the derogatory term for it today would be “emo” but if there’s such a thing as good “emo” this is it. (I’d also suggest Donnie Darko for same, but would probably be shouted down on that).
2710 Seduced and Abandoned
Oh, Stefania Sandrelli, you teenage temptress…
2704 In the Bedroom
Was very impressed by this when I saw it on video. The crucial plot twist scene in particular seemed devastating in its depiction of unexpected reality unfolding. Then I saw Todd Fields’ follow-up Little Children, easily the most unlikable, wretched movie I ever saw and it made me question in retrospect if In the Bedroom was as good as I remembered it being. It probably was.
2703 The Phenix City Story
Powerful stuff. Kind of Sam Fulleresque in its feverish intensity if not quite its less punchy, more hard-boiled straightahead storytelling.
2695 Of Human Bondage
This is kind of like the self-pitying guys’ version of a woman’s weepie – for every dude who’s ever let himself be stepped on and stepped on and stepped on, and masochistically enjoyed the suffering in lieu of having no interaction whatsoever with the desired femme fatale. Er, not that that’s ever been me…
2686 Kids
Great movie. A top 250 for me. Surprise, surprise, despite the somewhat tacked-on AIDS message this is actually a black comedy, as I realized on a recent viewing. Knowledge of Harmine Korine’s sensibility and other films drives this home. I watched this religiously around the age of 18/19 with a sense of lurid fascination (which the film was accused, correctly if somewhat misleadingly, of fascinating – I think its critics are right about that, but wrong that it’s a bad thing). The characters are so bizarre, their dialogue so abrasively antisocial – it’s like that portrait of Kramer in Seinfeld: “A loathsome, offensive brute…yet I can’t look away!”
2673 Return of the Jedi
Lots of fun. I’ll watch it anytime it’s on TV. The only reason that I can see to include the Special Edition vs. the original version is the celebrations on the different planets at the end which tie the whole saga together nicely. I’m agnostic on young Anakin over old Anakin and hostile towards the cartoonish looking changes made to the Jabba music scenes (the puppets look cooler, and the music is much, much better in the ’83 version – Sy Snootles looks like she’s signing up for the 2001 remix of “Lady Marmalade” and it ain’t pretty…).
(to be continued)
Don’t get me started on lovely Stefania Sandrelli, never afraid of a bit of sex dear old Stefania. She made The Key Tinto Brass’ least worst film.
When Sam gets his All-Time Supporting Actress countdown underway Sandrelli ranks very high on my list for her work in ‘The Conformist.’
I’m smiling right now, as I hear her tipsy giggle in that restaurant booth.
“but if there’s such a thing as good “emo” this is it.”
Yes, there is as the entire career of Drive Like Jehu essentially attests too. ‘Super Unison’? wow…
Fun reading your small takes, like the Dead Ringers one, which i think a masterpiece, and laughably low.
Oh no, I don’t need more music suggestions haha. I just dropped $90 at the record store yesterday after being a good boy for so long…
Since we like this type of thing here, I’ll indulge: aside from the Criterion of Sweet Smell of Success (shockingly low-priced at $20), I got a pretty diverse line-up of LPs most of which I had never listened to before but felt it was time to explore – NWA/Straight Outta Compton, Black Flag/LIve ’84, Blondie/Parallel Lines, a Buzzcocks best-of compilation (I would have leaned towards an album but this was less than $5), Wire/Chairs Missing – Maurizio would be excited about that one. Then I had to go back in the store because I realized I’d forgotten to pick up what I actually came for, an import of The Fall’s Live from the Witch Trials, which I was probably most excited about (and which I thoroughly enjoyed on first listen).
Now I just have to sit back on the lid and hold it down for a month or two now that I’ve slipped off the wagon.
Oh MovieMan, keep alert to my Beatles series as Wire and (especially) The Fall (mainly Mark E. Smith) are personal favorites. I just saw Wire live (what a thrill) about a month ago, and ‘Chairs Missing’ is maybe my favorite of their initial triptych (‘I am the Fly’ is a pop masterpiece). Only 154 stands in its way, mainly because the magical beauty of ‘A Touching Display’, a track that contains, right now, the most touching guitar break my ears have ever heard.
All this being said, and the Wire album I’ll be highlighting won’t be any of those first three…
The Fall is just a great band, in my estimation the most underrated in the history of rock. We should talk about them when we do the Stones, or the Who, or the Beatles. I’m curious why you bought that album particularly? A whim, a recommendation? It’s great nevertheless. I’m a Smith completest (as much as one can be), I own every real release they’ve had (which numbers over 20). He’s brilliant.
Congrats on the NWA, that’s great stuff. I actually listened to Ice Cubes The Predator the other day, which might be my favorite rap album I’ve ever heard (I’m by no means a scholar). But NWA is essential, I love ‘911 is a Joke’.
Was the Buzzcocks one ‘Singles Going Steady’? if so, you can view that one as almost a regular album.
The Blondie is about the only one I’d skip, that being said I own it!
Thanks for tipping me off to that. As I admitted above, I’ve become a dilettentish blog-reader (although with my own put to rest, I hope to rectify that at least in the short term) but I’ll keep my eyes peeled for both of those entries.
I’ve been familiar with The Fall for years, but never owned any of the albums, just one greatest-hits compilation which I only recently burned to CD.
To be perfectly honest, the reason I went with this album was the title! I love it (though originally I thought it was “Live from the Salem Witch Trials” which I liked even more).
I bought the NWA because I’m on an gangsta-rap kick lately, partly because coming of age in the mid-90s the songs have a nostalgic resonance to me and, in the process of uprooting myself, I always get mildly nostalgic. Partly perhaps because of the L.A. connection as I’m gravitating towards there. Though I probably will not be spending much time in CPT or LBC…
I bought the Blondie because my age-old Best of Blondie CD got scratched and Heart of Glass is no longer playable; plus I own the album on vinyl and all my records are held hostage by my ex-roommate since I don’t have a record player anymore. I listened to it the last time I was in NYC and really dug it. Same goes for Ramones’ first release – all I own on CD is a burned greatest-hits collection which honestly gets tedious – their short, fine-tuned, propulsive album plays much better, but I generally find this to be the case which is why I was hesitant to buy a Buzzcocks combo (I’m pretty sure it’s a generic hits collection rather than any canonical assembly of singles) but the price hooked me.
Oh an h/t for Maurizio to turning me onto the great 154 last summer. I already loved Pink Flag but I have a dangerous tendency to get 1 or 2 albums from an artist and then move on to another one. Good because it gives me room for breadth, unfortunate in that I lack for depth and often miss out on so many great albums I enjoy (obviously, if I love one LP by an artist there’s a good chance I’ll love others).
Problem with music is that unlike movies (cheap Netflix) or books (library) it’s hard to attain them except by dropping a lot of dough. Yeah, there’s downloading but that used to give my computer lots of viruses and plus the quality and availability seemed to suck. Best time was junior year of college, when I was on a network and using MyTunes I downloaded thousands upon thousands of tracks (mostly in the form of albums) from other students in the dormitory. Probably 50%+ of my current collection is due to that brief but glorious time.
Jesus, on a good day and in the right mood ‘Chairs Missing’ is my favorite of them all, even outstripping ‘Germfree Adolescents,’ ’12 Reasons,’ ‘154.’ ‘Entertainment!,’ ‘Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome,’ James Brown’s ‘Star Time!’, and Roxy’s ‘Avalon.’
And for now let’s just agree to disagree on Malick, at least until ‘The Tree of Life’ bursts upon the world!
Mark S, just wait for my Wire piece, I more then argue my point, and with a band like them they’re all great pretty much (same goes for Gang of Four, who I also just saw recently, I wouldn’t pick ‘Entertainment!’ as my favorite)…
I saw DAYS OF HEAVEN at the theater on the big screen on saturday, and gotta say everything clicked. I’m thinking about maybe, just maybe doing a longish piece about it. Explaining why I think it so brilliant… almost cut by cut. You’re obviously the audience I have in mind. We’ll see obviously.
Yes, Jamie, I would love to read your detailed take on ‘Days of Heaven’
2655 The Last Detail
Tarantino once praised the likes of “hang-out” films, movies you just wanted to hang out with, like they were good buddies, no anticipation of where it’s going or impatience or overcharged excitement just good times and enjoying the moment. Though this has a tense hook (the character going to lock-up) it nonetheless feels like one of those films to me.
2586 The Illusionist
I liked this movie. A good example of the kind of film you find in a video store while browsing for something to watch that night and find it absorbing and engrossing. Wish there were more movies like that.
2571 A Walk Through H
Thrilled to see it mentioned, desperately wish it was higher. Ed Howard had a good post on this once (lots of images): http://seul-le-cinema.blogspot.com/2009/05/films-i-love-32-walk-through-h-peter.html. My favorite Greenaway film, absolutely, and a top 250 for me.
2569 Funny Face
Who can resist Audrey?
2567 The Last Days of Disco
I have a good deal of affection for Whit Stillman. I wouldn’t really want to be immersed in his world for more than two hours but the characters, for all their pretensions, are so harmless and essentially good people that you have to smile and chuckle a bit.
2548 Field of Dreams
Enjoyable flick, and fascinating for its historical/cultural connotations; I consider this ground zero for the boomer-reinvention zeitgeist of the late 80s.
2534 Before Sunrise
Though in a very different sense than the one Tarantino meant, this is also a great “hang out” movie. Really captures that melancholy, bittersweet flavor of the passing fling you wish could have been more.
2533 To Kill a Mockingbird
As I said in a recent e-mail: “Mockingbird is an interesting beast. Very evocative in its childhood nostalgia scenes, though sometimes a tad forced – in terms of its political philosophy I find it noble but impotent. An interesting contrast is between the lynch scene in Mockingbird and the one in Young Mr. Lincoln – for all of Atticus’ noble sentiments, its only the wily antics of his children which prevent his client’s murder whereas Young Abe pulls out every trick in the book – flattery, guilt-tripping, physical intimidation, comic relief; at times he even seems to agree that a lynching would be fun and tacitly sympathizes with the mob. But he disperses them, doesn’t he?” Love that ham costume too. I quite like this movie, having problems with it only reinforces my fascination with it, as is often the case.
2527 Entr’acte
Good stuff, though I tend towards other avant-garde shorts more. That said, the slow-motion running sequence provides one of the great visceral thrills in early cinema.
2525 Manhunter
I need to see this again. It didn’t work for me on first viewing, but its visuals and mood linger in my mind, far more then the conventional aesthetic of the more celebrated Silence of the Lambs.
2523 For All Mankind
Beautiful images in this movie.
2522 Yellow Submarine
My introduction to the Beatles and, I think, to the 60s. It’s greatly influenced the way I still see both. Some great proto-videos here too, particularly the Eleanor Rigby and Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds cut-ups.
2520 Henry – Portrait of a Serial Killer
The murder of the family may be the most disturbing sequence I’ve ever seen in any movie.
2515 Targets
One of those movies, like A Parallax View, which I caught halfway through on TV without knowing anything about, and kept watching out of fascination. More movies should probably be seen this way.
2512 Gimme Shelter
I’ve disagreed with some placements here, but often from a subjective standpoint. This, however, has to be a top 50 documentary so I’ve got to ask, why so low?
And personally, it’s a top 10 film for me. That good.
2504 Carrie
One of the films that shifted my view of De Palma from cold admiration (except for Scarface, which I always adored) to personal involvement. Weird too how stylistically wild the film is, like that comic sped-up sequence where they prepare for the prom, which could almost be something out of Greetings a decade earlier. I’m avoiding self-indulgently linking to myself but I did a video piece on De Palma’s work which included a lot of footage form Carrie, and it’s probably still my favorite thing I’ve ever done while blogging so here goes: http://www.cinemaviewfinder.com/2009/09/de-palma-blog-thon-directed-by-brian-de.html
2496 High Sierra
One of my absolute favorite Bogarts. I’m also a sucker for convergences between gangster tropes and rugged American landscapes: see White Heat and Out of Past for further examples.
2490 Salesman
I just watched this again the other night. A masterpiece of verite, and as someone who just left a door-to-door sales job (conducted during the worst New England winter ever) I can relate. The Maysles are so friggin’ brilliant.
(to be continued)
Well, I won’t use Sam’s quote of “staggering brilliance”, Joel, that’s copyrighted, but the enthusiasm’s contagious. Many, many thanks.
Oh, and there are three Greenaways higher, including two which are in the book. Indeed, an essay on one is coming up this month, my favourite of them all.
God, I hope it’s ZED…
Jamie, I love ZED too, but the director’s masterpiece is also against odds his most popular film, THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE AND HER LOVE, IMHO.
Fair enough, that one’s brilliant too!
Cook, the Thief probably is his best, but you are both forgetting one Sam hasn’t seen.
I would probably rank 3 or 4 of Greenaway’s totally experimental early films (I was going to say shorts, but The Falls is a feature, and a long one) above his later narrative films. I like his vision more unfiltered and undiluted by any adherence, however unconventional, with the demands of narrative/dramatic cinema. Pure structural madness! But I like many of the features too, including Zed and Draughtsman’s Contract. I haven’t seen any of his post-Cook films. Thoughts on those from anyone here?
Ah, now THAT’S my baby!
Joel: Post-COOK would be one brilliant film, PROSPERO’S BOOKS, and one superb work, NIGHTWATCHING (followed by a great documentary of that work, which I reviewed here at the site) and a bizarre and disturbing film that still should be seen – THE BABY OF MACON. I understand your ‘undiluted’ argument, but I see Greenaway’s most ravishing sensibilities and possibilities couched in his narrative film aesthetics. Those films are far more emotional.
Incidentally I own that experimental set on DVD and do like it well enough.
Don’t forget to come back on 20th May, Joel. 🙂
Prospero’s Books is the most amazing film I’ve ever seen. The density of the mis en scene alone is staggering without even taking into account the twisting of Shakespeare’s play which adds a number of other subtextual layers. Then there’s the staging: a blend of long takes and montage, monologue and dance, kinetic visual metaphor and impeccable use of static framing. It would be among the top 5 of all films for me without hesitation.
The Baby of Macon contains Funny Games within it while expanding far broader than that film with a great deal more tact and a more punishing sense of inevitability and V-effekt, enhanced by a repeating shift between different levels of audience interaction with the material, culminating in the most bizarrely harrowing single (long) take I’ve ever encountered (to generate such a response in spite of a recurring use of V-effekt and robbing the viewer of direct visual engagement is quite a feat).
The Pillow Book is delightfully perverse as well, very similar to The Cook… but with a more sophisticated system of digital superimposition than was used on Prospero’s Books. It all adds up to a predictably discomforting but endlessly intriguing mix of methodological experimentation intermixed with an undiluted narrative storyline. Next to Prospero’s Books it is the most intriguing film from a cinematic theory standpoint that I have seen from Greenaway – although I haven’t gotten around to his work from this decade yet (soon!).
I really want to see his TV Dante, as well, which I read was getting a release somewhere.
It’s great to know that you are such a great Greenaway fan Jean, though you’ve always revealed exquisite taste. Finally someone I can really rally behind on PROSPERO’S BOOKS, which you’ve wonderfully delineated here! That’s absolutely one of the most brilliant of films! And like you I can’t wait for Dante!
Thanks for the utterly fantastic comment!
Oh, and Movieman, Carrie is the Wyler not the de Palma, that’s still to come.
Hooray finally Cassavetes shows up on an Allan Fish countdown! Alot of films here that I consider masterpieces like:
Last Temptation of Christ – my favorite of Scorsese’s films
Dead Ringer – a film that I put as number 1 on the 80s poll
Assassination – Shinoda’s magnum opus so low?
Shadows and Killing of a Chinese Bookie – No love for Cassavetes
F for Fake – Welles’ most layered films and a film that perfectly sums up an incredible career while taking a fascinating look at art. I’ve watched this film multiple times and written extensively on it. Easily my favorite film from the hands down greatest director America ever produced. My pick for the best film of the 70s.
Fox and is Friends – One of Fassbender’s greatest achievements. I was really shocked seeing this left off the 70s countdown.
Je T’Aime Je T’Aime – An underrated masterpiece that I think stands up with the director’s most popular works.
Wavelength – Finally an avant garde film gets some attention. My biggest problem with the original countdown was not seeing great films from great underground/avant garde filmmakers like Stan Brakhage, Hollis Frampton, Kenneth Anger, Yuriy Norshteyn, Standish Lawder, Su Friedrich, post 60s Godard, Man Ray, Johas Mekas, James Benning, Bruce Conner, Peter Tscherkassky etc. Hopefully some of these names will appear on this countdown.
Only a few, Anu, there is one Anger, one Brakhage (just never warmed to him), one late Godard and several Man Rays. But in terms of avant garde, I prefer other works to the other names you mentioned.
As for Cassavetes, no, not the biggest fan, I think he was more important than great. Indeed, there’s only one of his films in my book.
I agree with your position Allan on Cassevettes. ‘More important than great.’
“Fox and is Friends – One of Fassbender’s greatest achievements. I was really shocked seeing this left off the 70s countdown.”
Couldn’t agree more, though Fassbinder is one of my favorite directors ever (easily top 3 or 5), so if I attempted something like this (a top 3000!?) there would be 15 or 20 of his films.
Well there are 13…
Awesome.
4 in the book proper.
Your project is a marvel to me, Allan. Congratulations on such a tour de force. Priorities you must be very conversant with have been applied to such a quantity of works to yield an amazingly precise discrimination.
Not really so precise, Jim. Just a case of ordering those in the book, making up the rest of the numbers and then ordering them. But the idea is the same as the book’s, in that nothing is set in stone and if it points people int he direction of films thay haven’t seen or heard of, mission accomplished.
Allan,
I have seen Warhol’s ‘Fuck.’ Believe me, you aren’t missing a thing.
And I was cheered to see ‘Female Trouble’ on the list!
‘Now let’s go to the Wagon Wheel and have a drink’. Ha!
Dude, you’re rough on Wertmuller and Troell (hope “The New Land” and “Flight of the Eagle” make the cut).
Can’t wait for your Top 50.
The New Land is almost unwatchable. It made The Emigrants look like a masterpiece, which it certainly wasn’t.
Both The Emigrants and The New Land are masterpieces, and together they form one of the great epic films about emigration ever filmed. Both Von Sydow and Ullman are luminous. One these two films Allan and I are militantly opposed. Happily 95% of the critics stand with me…….
So there’s hope for ‘The Flight of the Eagle’?
(sotto voce) Maybe?
Sorry, no.
This is like reading a table of contents for a better movie guide book than any I currently own. The most I can do is count off how many from this first list I’ve seen — I came up with 143. That should establish the sense of proportion if I also say that I see some of my top 100 in this early group. It’s not that you think less of them; you just have a bigger frame of reference. Having said that, I note your inclusion of “Popeye the Sailorman” and must argue for my own favorite from the Fleischer series, “Sock-a-Bye Baby,” in which the one-eyed sailor commits mass murder (his victims include Harpo Marx) so that Swee’Pea will not be disturbed by the noise of a busy city. It is breathtakingly appalling and a definitive expression of the Fleischers’ distinctive manner.
I’ll have to look out for that one, Samuel, but I haven’t seen all the Popeyes and generally prefer to surrealism of the Betty Boops.