Board 8 > The SephG Top 250 [movies] - Topic II: the top 75

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Page List: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ... 10
Nelson_Mandela
06/22/19 7:50:05 PM
#1:


Reposting some stats from the first topic (https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/77714929):

Most featured directors
Martin Scorsese - 11 (4 more to go)
Steven Spielberg - 7 (4 more to go)
Quentin Tarantino - 7 (3 more to go)
Stanley Kubrick - 6 (3 more to go)
Christopher Nolan - 5 (0 left)
Wes Anderson - 4 (0 left)
Joel and Ethan Coen - 4 (2 more to go)
Francis Ford Coppola - 4 (3 more to go)
Alfonso Cuarn - 4 (1 more to go)
Alfred Hitchcock - 4 (0 left)
Richard Linklater - 4 (2 more to go)
David Lynch - 4 (1 more to go)

Films by decade
1930s - 8 (1 more to go)
1940s - 6 (all 6 remain!)
1950s - 14 (5 more to go)
1960s - 19 (8 more to go)
1970s - 32 (12 more to go)
1980s - 32 (11 more to go)
1990s - 53 (16 more to go)
2000s - 44 (8 more to go)
2010s - 42 (7 more to go)

Films by (primary) country
Algeria - 1 (still remains)
Australia - 1 (still remains)
Brazil - 1 (still remains)
Canada - 2 (0 left)
China - 1 (0 left)
France - 4 (1 more to go)
Germany - 1 (0 left)
Hong Kong - 3 (1 more to go)
Italy - 8 (3 more to go)
Japan - 7 (2 more to go)
Mexico - 2 (1 more to go)
South Africa - 1 (still remains)
Sweden - 3 (2 more to go)
United Kingdom - 13 (4 more to go)
United States - 202 (whatever the math is)

Films by genre*
*Roughly giving each movie one subjective category (no way I am counting what remains since these are too hard to categorize)

Action - 20
Adventure - 11
Animated - 21
Comedy - 22
Documentary - 6
Drama - 95
Fantasy - 6
Horror - 12
Musical - 2
Sci-Fi - 18
Sports - 3
Superhero - 4
Thriller/Suspense - 20
War - 7
Western - 3
---
"A more mature answer than I expected."~ Jakyl25
"Sephy's point is right."~ Inviso
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Nelson_Mandela
06/22/19 7:50:32 PM
#2:


#250-#75
250. The Last Waltz (1978)
249. Freaks (1932)
248. Superbad (2007)
247. Good Time (2017)
246. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
245. Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)
244. The Fifth Element (1997)
243. The Thing (1982)
242. The Apartment (1960)
241. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
240. The Sandlot (1993)
239. O.J.: Made in America (2016)
238. Total Recall (1990)
237. Clerks (1994)
236. Logan (2017)
235. Sling Blade (1996)
234. 28 Days Later (2002)
233. Team America: World Police (2004)
232. 25th Hour (2002)
231. Let the Right One In (2008)
230. Her (2013)
229. Beetlejuice (1988)
228. Inglorious Basterds (2008)
227. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
226. Blue Velvet (1986)
225. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
224. Zodiac (2007)
223. The Ten Commandments (1956)
222. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
221. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
220. Ghostbusters (1984)
219. 12 Angry Men (1957)
218. Happy Gilmore (1996)
217. Incendies (2010)
216. Training Day (2001)
215. Princess Mononoke (1997)
214. John Wick (2014)
213. Midnight Cowboy (1969)
212. Animal House (1978)
211. Gladiator (2000)
210. Gravity (2013)
209. Gremlins (1984)
208. Almost Famous (2000)
207. JFK (1991)
206. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
205. Sin City (2005)
204. Inception (2010)
203. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
202. The Fast and the Furious (2001)
201. The Goonies (1985)
200. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
199. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
198. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
197. Dunkirk (2017)
196. The Dark Knight Rises (2013)
195. Boogie Nights (1997)
194. Traffic (2000)
193. Dark City (1998)
192. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
191. The Wrestler (2008)
190. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
189. Lethal Weapon (1987)
188. The Big Lebowski (1998)
187. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
186. Zoolander (2001)
185. The Last Picture Show (1971)
184. Drive (2011)
183. Boyz n the Hood (1991)
182. The Conversation (1974)
181. Jaws (1975)
180. The Sixth Sense (1999)
179. In the Mood for Love (2000)
178. Blowup (1966)
177. Life Is Beautiful (1997)
176. Mean Streets (1973)
175. Call Me by Your Name (2017)
174. Bringing Out the Dead (1999)
173. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
172. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
171. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
170. Perfect Blue (1997)
169. A History of Violence (2005)
168. Planet of the Apes (1968)
167. The Aviator (2004)
166. Deliverance (1972)
165. North by Northwest (1959)
164. M (1931) - The greatest German movie ever made
163. Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
162. Toy Story (1995)
161. Children of Men (2006)
160. Halloween (1978)
159. The Deer Hunter (1978)
158. Skyfall (2012)
157. Rushmore (1998)
156. The Dark Knight (2007)
155. Dumb and Dumber (1994)
154. The Thin Blue Line (1988)
153. It's Such a Beautiful Day (2012)
152. Juno (2007)
151. Joe Dirt (2001)
150. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
---
"A more mature answer than I expected."~ Jakyl25
"Sephy's point is right."~ Inviso
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Nelson_Mandela
06/22/19 7:53:23 PM
#3:


149. Isle of Dogs (2018)
148. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
147. Ghost in the Shell (1995)
146. Some Like It Hot (1959)
145. Get Out (2017)
144. 12 Years a Slave (2013)
143. Paris, Texas (1984)
142. The 39 Steps (1935)
141. Hugo (2011)
140. Trainspotting (1996)
139. Before Sunrise (1995)
138. Patton (1970)
137. Days of Heaven (1978)
136. Paterson (2016)
135. Up (2009)
134. Gone with the Wind (1939)
133. The Producers (1967)
132. High Noon (1952)
131. A Ghost Story (2017)
130. Sal, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975)
129. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
128. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
127. American Graffiti (1973)
126. RoboCop (1987)
125. Unbreakable (2000)
124. Eraserhead (1977)
123. Koyaanisqatsi (1982)
122. Waking Life (2001)
121. Django Unchained (2012)
120. Roma (2018)
119. The French Connection (1971)
118. The Matrix (1999)
117. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
116. Enemy (2013) - The greatest Canadian movie ever made
115. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) - The greatest superhero movie ever made
114. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
113. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
112. Fight Club (1999)
111. Forrest Gump (1994)
110. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
109. The Favourite (2018)
108. Pi (1998)
107. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
106. American Beauty (1999)
105. The Exorcist (1973)
104. Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (1988)
103. All About Eve (1950)
102. Coco (2017)
101. Midnight in Paris (2011)
100. Breathless (1960)
99. Life of Pi (2012)
98. Vertigo (1958)
97. Alien (1979)
96. Barton Fink (1991)
95. The Man from Earth (2007)
94. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
93. Akira (1988)
92. Office Space (1999)
91. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
90. Jackie Brown (1997)
89. Blue Is the Warmest Color (2013)
88. Memento (2000)
87. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992)
86. Lost in Translation (2003)
85. Holy Motors (2012)
84. Moonlight (2016)
83. Fallen Angels (1995)
82. Melancholia (2011)
81. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
80. Die Hard (1988)
79. Psycho (1960)
78. The Departed (2006)
77. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
76. The Shining (1980)
75. On the Waterfront (1954)
---
"A more mature answer than I expected."~ Jakyl25
"Sephy's point is right."~ Inviso
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Snake5555555555
06/22/19 8:08:00 PM
#4:


Tag
---
Listen, suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn how to deal with that or you go under.
https://i.imgtc.ws/2Q88rI4.gif
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Menji
06/22/19 8:17:24 PM
#5:


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Nelson_Mandela
06/22/19 9:00:57 PM
#6:


Too late to edit the post, but you can call The Shining the best horror movie ever made and The Departed the best remake ever
---
"A more mature answer than I expected."~ Jakyl25
"Sephy's point is right."~ Inviso
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LordoftheMorons
06/22/19 9:06:20 PM
#7:


tag
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Congrats to Advokaiser for winning the CBX Guru Challenge!
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KingButz
06/22/19 9:46:26 PM
#8:


Tag
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rip imgcake
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SwiftyDC
06/22/19 9:51:55 PM
#9:


tag
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Dilated Chemist
All hail Advokaiser, our Guru Champion!
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Mythiot
06/22/19 11:20:49 PM
#10:


tag
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Raka_Putra
06/22/19 11:51:29 PM
#11:


That was a fast first topic. Tag.
---
Noble king, there is no doubt -- what your dream is all about
All these things you saw in your pajamas, are a long-range forecast for your farmers!
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Nelson_Mandela
06/23/19 9:45:47 PM
#12:


Back at it tomorrow prob
---
"A more mature answer than I expected."~ Jakyl25
"Sephy's point is right."~ Inviso
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Nelson_Mandela
06/24/19 11:41:07 AM
#13:


#74. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/66/E_t_the_extra_terrestrial_ver3.jpg
Dir: Steven Spielberg
Genre: Science Fiction
Year: 1982

This is probably the movie everyone thinks of when they think of Spielberg and the 1980s. But for me, what E.T. represents the indescribable "movie magic" feeling that we seldom have seen since the advent of CGI.

E.T. is more than just an iconic representation of a bygone era of filmmaking. It's actually still a genuinely fantastic movie and basically the gold standard of pacing. There's a way that Spielberg builds up to the final bike chase that works on an almost primitive level, making you want to stand up and applaud as we see the proto-Amblin logo pop on screen. Gives even cynics like me chills!
---
"A more mature answer than I expected."~ Jakyl25
"Sephy's point is right."~ Inviso
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Nelson_Mandela
06/24/19 12:13:00 PM
#14:


#73. Toy Story 3
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/69/Toy_Story_3_poster.jpg
Dir: Lee Unkrich
Genre: Animated, Comedy
Year: 2010

Toy Story 3 does something that I am not sure has ever been done in a movie before. There is a very palpable meta-narrative going on that brings a good portion of the audience into the story itself. You know what I'm talking about--so many of us were kids who played with toys when the original Toy Story was released, and now we were all grown up like Andy in Toy Story 3.

And that meta-narrative works perfectly to make this one of the most emotionally resonant films of the decade for me. Growing up and moving on is a fact of life for just about everyone. But it doesn't mean that the memories and relics of the past are unimportant. They formed who we are--and in this universe of such relics being animate beings, it was great to see that arc where they also came to accept this fact. A perfect end to an amazing series.

Boycott Toy Story 4.
---
"A more mature answer than I expected."~ Jakyl25
"Sephy's point is right."~ Inviso
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Nelson_Mandela
06/24/19 12:34:45 PM
#15:


#72. Kill Bill: Vol. 2
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c4/Kill_Bill_Volume_2.png
Dir: Quentin Tarantino
Genre: Action
Year: 2004

Tarantino's first foray into "elevating" genre films in the past two decades was nothing short of life-changing for me. I'll probably get more into this in Vol. 1's write-up, but the Kill Bill series entered my life at exactly the right time. Volume 1 was one of the very few movies I have ever willingly seen multiple times in the theater, so I could not have been more hyped for its sequel.

Kill Bill Volume 2 is definitely a sharp turn from its predecessor. It's much slower, a bit more inspired by spaghetti westerns, and it a little less ostentatious in its presentation. You could call it more contemplative. And I was a year older at that point, a year wiser, so I almost felt like I grew into this kind of movie. Naturally, I adored it.

The scenes that still stick with me, beat for beat (even note for note as I recall the music) are definitely the buried alive sequence and the ending. The former is a brilliantly designed bookend to The Bride's martial arts training backstory and her escape serves as the natural climax for the series. The latter is just uber satisfying--a perfect ending set up flawlessly from the beginning and pulled off with aplomb from Uma and David Carradine.
---
"A more mature answer than I expected."~ Jakyl25
"Sephy's point is right."~ Inviso
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Nelson_Mandela
06/24/19 12:45:44 PM
#16:


#71. Mad Max: Fury Road
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6e/Mad_Max_Fury_Road.jpg
Dir: George Miller
Genre: Action
Year: 2015

SephG Superlative: The greatest Australian movie ever made

Fury Road defied all modern conventions and evidence that said reboots are terrible, uninspired cash grabs by lazy studio executives looking for a quick buck. I was very nervous when it came out. I really like the Mad Max series. So to give it a sequel 30 years after the last one and cast Tom Hardy in place of Mel Gibson seemed like it was a desperate attempt at capitalizing off of an existing IP. I could not have been more wrong.

Fury Road is by far the best movie in the Mad Max franchise and easily the best attempt at rebooting a dead series we have seen (though I still haven't seen Dredd!). The plot is minimalist by choice, as most of the tension is left up to the glorious action staged by George Miller. There are few pure action movies as good as this one--but from a technical "how the hell did they pull that off," clever, creative perspective, this one might be the best to ever do it.
---
"A more mature answer than I expected."~ Jakyl25
"Sephy's point is right."~ Inviso
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Nelson_Mandela
06/24/19 12:53:49 PM
#17:


#70. Dazed and Confused
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/af/Dazed_and_Confused_%281993%29_poster.jpg
Dir: Richard Linklater
Genre: Comedy, Coming of Age
Year: 1993

There is one of these movies released every few years. That coming-of-age, end of high school comedy that takes place across a single day/night. I have a soft spot for them because they really are a great way to structure a generational time capsule, if done properly. But none pull this off so gracefully as Dazed and Confused, which took the template created in American Graffiti and turned it up to 11.

Dazed and Confused might have the greatest contemporary soundtrack in any movie ever, and the selected songs perfectly reflect the late-70s vibe of Linklater's youth. It also counters a common criticism of the film that I've seen over the years--that it's aimless and meandering, unsure of what its "lesson" should be. Yet that in itself kind of is the point. Like the mindless rock songs that pervaded this era, this is a film about not worrying about the bigger picture--just taking it easy and going with the flow.
---
"A more mature answer than I expected."~ Jakyl25
"Sephy's point is right."~ Inviso
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Nelson_Mandela
06/24/19 1:25:25 PM
#18:


#69. Jurassic Park
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e7/Jurassic_Park_poster.jpg
Dir: Steven Spielberg
Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure
Year: 1993

I think each generation probably has one blockbuster that completely shattered their expectations about what cinema can do, particularly from a special effects perspective. My parents had Star Wars. I guess this current generation has...Avengers (?). Well, for me and my peers, there was one movie that made us all collectively lose our 5-year-old shit: Jurassic Park.

I challenge you all to watch at least a scene or two from Jurassic Park now and then to watch a scene or two of another high-budget special effects-driven movie from 5 years ago. I can guarantee that Jurassic Park will look better. And it's over 25 years old. Needless to say, this movie made every kid in the 90s a dinosaur fan and probably inspired thousands of people to study filmmaking. But that's not just because it looks great--it also has a very solid story, incredible tension, and that classic Spielbergian touch.

Jurassic Park capped off an incredible run for Spielberg that began with Jaws in the 1970s. Others are probably better equipped to posit why, but there is just a sense that this was the last of his blockbusters that had that mystique to them--that sense of something groundbreaking brought to life by a movie magician at the height of his genius. It truly was the end of era, but it went out in epic fashion.
---
"A more mature answer than I expected."~ Jakyl25
"Sephy's point is right."~ Inviso
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Nelson_Mandela
06/24/19 1:35:03 PM
#19:


#68. Y Tu Mam Tambin
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/63/Y_tu_mam%C3%A1_tambi%C3%A9n_poster.png
Dir: Alfonso Cuarn
Genre: Drama, Coming of Age
Year: 2001

Y Tu Mama Tambien scandalized the people of Mexico in 2001. Looking at it now, it almost seems tame. But it was, at the time, a really unique thing to portray realistic sex and drug use amongst teens in Mexico. However, this wasn't Kids--a movie that was shocking for the sake of selling tickets. This was a really personal tale of youth in revolt in which the actors mostly improvised their lines to reflect how they would react in certain situations.

Y Tu Mama Tambien is also a really cool road movie set in a location that was never really portrayed in film at the time. We see Mexico from the urban centers to the small villages inland to the beach towns on the coast. The realism shines through in these places as well, showing that it's not that kind of "look at how crazy these teens are" kind of way. I won't spoil the ending here, but it is also one of the more poignant parts of the movie--particularly the final narration around the nature of friendship and youth.
---
"A more mature answer than I expected."~ Jakyl25
"Sephy's point is right."~ Inviso
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Nelson_Mandela
06/24/19 1:44:39 PM
#20:


#67. Network
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e3/Network_%281976_poster%29.png
Dir: Sidney Lumet
Genre: Drama
Year: 1976

I was chatting the other day about the Broadway adaptation with Bryan Cranston with someone who had never seen Network. Just by looking at the ads, they assumed Network was something like The Newsroom--a really dialogue heavy movie about broadcast journalism with pretty overt political undertones. I will tell you now, if you're interested in it, that Network is nothing of the sort. It is a completely bat-shit crazy satire that might leave you sick to your stomach (in a good way).

Network is closer to Catch-22 than to The Newsroom. It starts out as a more standard news drama, but very quickly devolves into an over-the-top black comedy that has auspices of the cable news takeover of the early 2000s. Peter Finch plays Howard Beale, an anchor whose mental breakdown makes him the highest rated thing on TV. This may be the single-greatest role in all of film and is worth watching just for his lunacy. It does indeed get quite dark--but like most satires, the vision isn't exactly optimistic, yet it's eerily prescient.
---
"A more mature answer than I expected."~ Jakyl25
"Sephy's point is right."~ Inviso
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Nelson_Mandela
06/24/19 1:53:09 PM
#21:


#66. Brazil
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e9/Brazil_%281985_film%29_poster.jpg
Dir: Terry Gilliam
Genre: Fantasy
Year: 1985

Brazil is yet another black comedy attempting to augur a vaguely dystopian future society, replete with all of the hilarious madness of Monty Python alum Terry Gilliam. Unlike Network, this isn't as much of a satire of groupthink as it relates to media, but more about groupthink as it relates to bureaucracy and government overreach--a subject that's near and dear to my heart!

In keeping with Gilliam's style, Brazil is a very fun and somewhat whimsical adventure despite the bleakness of its theme. He does a fantastic job of blending social commentary with a genuinely thrilling story and fantastical setting; and like his other films, you will be left unsure of which part of the film is "real" and which is merely a dream or delusion of our protagonist.
---
"A more mature answer than I expected."~ Jakyl25
"Sephy's point is right."~ Inviso
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Nelson_Mandela
06/24/19 2:01:21 PM
#22:


#65. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e6/Dr._Strangelove_poster.jpg
Dir: Stanley Kubrick
Genre: Comedy, War
Year: 1964

It was completely unintentional to list three of the most biting satires in movie history in a row, but here we are. Dr. Strangelove is the cinematic Cold War satire. There was nothing before it, and everything else that came after was a mere imitation. Kubrick perfected the wartime black comedy in his first go, thanks largely to a landmark performance by the GOAT Peter Sellers.

Dr. Strangelove is so nonsensical and so frenetic that it makes you feel like an insane person, which I'm sure was the intent. You start to understand the distrust and the paranoia that represented the American government at the peak of the arms race, driving the world ever so closer to total annihilation. There is so much content packed into every scene that it's impossible to dissect it all here, but the ending (yet again) is probably all you need to remember to understand the tone and theme of the film. The cowboy pose atop the nuclear bomb is about as iconic as it gets, and the cut to real footage overlaid with "We'll Meet Again" is just pure genius.
---
"A more mature answer than I expected."~ Jakyl25
"Sephy's point is right."~ Inviso
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Nelson_Mandela
06/24/19 4:02:06 PM
#23:


done 4 2day
---
"A more mature answer than I expected."~ Jakyl25
"Sephy's point is right."~ Inviso
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Nelson_Mandela
06/24/19 4:33:16 PM
#24:


TIL the Toronto championship basketball team's name was selected after a nationwide poll in 1994. The reason why Raptors randomly led the poll? Jurassic Park was released the year before.
---
"A more mature answer than I expected."~ Jakyl25
"Sephy's point is right."~ Inviso
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Nelson_Mandela
06/24/19 10:46:36 PM
#25:


Night bump
---
"A more mature answer than I expected."~ Jakyl25
"Sephy's point is right."~ Inviso
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Nelson_Mandela
06/25/19 12:05:00 PM
#26:


#64. Beauty and the Beast
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7c/Beautybeastposter.jpg
Dir: Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise
Genre: Animated, Musical, Romance
Year: 1991

You're going to see several Disney Renaissance films in the top 100 of this list. Maybe it's because these were the movies I grew up with. But I think the better explanation is that this period of Disney is extremely god damn good. The level of animated and musical prowess is unmatched at any other point in movie history--and we'll frankly never see anything like it again.

Of all the Renaissance films, one could argue that Beauty and the Beast is the grandest in scale. The songs are the most operatic and the supporting cast is huge and colorful and delightfully weird. The gothic setting here is exactly what I think of when I think of Disney and I am sure this shaped just about all of our imaginations of what the "olden days" of Europe were like. I haven't seen the live action remake, but I don't imagine that it was able to come close to the sheer majesty that is the original.
---
"A more mature answer than I expected."~ Jakyl25
"Sephy's point is right."~ Inviso
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Nelson_Mandela
06/25/19 12:12:29 PM
#27:


#63. Chinatown
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/38/Chinatownposter1.jpg
Dir: Roman Polanski
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Film Noir
Year: 1974

Chinatown is the pre-eminent film noir (or a pointlessly labeled "neo-noir") of Hollywood. You think of hard-boiled detectives, cigarette smoking, a dame with a secret, smooth jazz, and neon lights--think no further than this film.

Chinatown also has arguably the tightest mystery script ever written, by the legendary Robert Towne. All of the elements are there to make this super engaging both on a broad conspiracy level, but also the personal ("she's my sister and my daughter" might be the most fucked up twist ever). As I've said many times in these write-ups, the 1970s is when things really started to feel "modern," and if you want a mystery that's on the level of True Detective and other gritty shows and films that came after, this is a must-watch.
---
"A more mature answer than I expected."~ Jakyl25
"Sephy's point is right."~ Inviso
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Nelson_Mandela
06/25/19 12:24:48 PM
#28:


#62. The Last Temptation of Christ
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bb/The_Last_Temptation_of_Christ_poster.png
Dir: Martin Scorsese
Genre: Drama
Year: 1988

SephG Superlative: The greatest Canadian film ever made*

I was never really that interested in the story of Jesus Christ. I have always been somewhat of an agnostic, so the whole Son of God thing didn't matter to me, and I had heard countless martyr stories before. It just didn't seem to be that unique, if I am being honest. But while I am by no means a believer, The Last Temptation of Christ changed my perspective on the story of Jesus and now I truly do think that this is one of the great stories ever told.

The Last Temptation of Christ follows Jesus's journey from rabbi to martyr. But where it really differs from your typical historical epic is that it's the only movie I've seen that actually meditates on the actual sacrifice of Jesus. There is an alternate history in the third act that is truly profound--depicting Satan's temptation of Jesus as he shows him what life could be like, the joy and the simplicity, if he allows him to end his sacrifice on the cross. It's a really fascinating, human way to look at the story, and I certainly recommend it to anyone, especially those who consider themselves Christians. I have no idea why the Church took issue with this.

Aside from the story itself, The Last Temptation of Christ is also created like an 80s art film. The anachronistic music (a synth-pop Peter Gabriel score), the weirdness of the characters (Willem Dafoe + David Bowie will do that), and the really incredible experimental art direction all create this very uncanny atmosphere that I can't get enough of. The style probably isn't for everybody, but it certainly differentiates itself from the traditional biblical takes out there.

*I had no idea this was a Canadian production until this very moment. Weird!
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Nelson_Mandela
06/25/19 12:35:02 PM
#29:


#61. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b2/ReturnOfTheJediPoster1983.jpg
Dir: Richard Marquand
Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure
Year: 1983

The original Star Wars trilogy is the greatest trilogy in movie history, bar none. That should come as no surprise, considering it is the only series on this list to have all three films in my Top 250 (and all three come in my top 61 at that!). I feel that this needed to be said, as these movies (and particularly RotJ) have been subject to very annoying criticism in the past several years.

Return of the Jedi was the perfect ending to such a brilliant space opera. I'm not going to get into how the sequel trilogy is virtually destroying its legacy, but the Luke/Empire story should have absolutely ended here. The movie is as grand as it needed to be, given the unparalleled hype it had leading up to its release. I could go on about various scenes of the movie and why they're great, but I'll stick to the ending itself. The Luke/Vader confrontation at the end might be the single-greatest part of the OT, with the emotion just seeping through as Vader chooses his son over the Dark Side.

So yes, RotJ is the weakest of the OT, but that is only a testament to how incredible these films are. And one more thing--this is entirely based on the version that I've always chosen to watch (the early 90s VHS release). None of that CGI Anakin bullshit at the end.
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Mr Lasastryke
06/25/19 12:42:35 PM
#30:


bleh. i'm not sure what "very annoying criticism" RotJ has been receiving but it sucks regardless. very disappointing end to what SHOULD have been one of the great trilogies in movie history.

at least you're not one of those "ROTJ IS THE BEST ONE" individuals.
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Nelson_Mandela
06/25/19 12:44:30 PM
#31:


#60. The Third Man
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/21/ThirdManUSPoster.jpg
Dir: Carol Reed
Genre: Suspense/Thriller, Mystery
Year: 1949

The Third Man is a flawlessly crafted mystery masterpiece. There was a period in the 1940s where filmmakers just nailed the right formula to create a compelling film, and The Third Man hits each beat perfectly (as does it's titular theme on the zither, one of the coolest instruments no one's ever heard of).

Set in Vienna immediately after World War II, we get a glimpse into the spy vs. spy Cold War insanity that happened almost instantly. Orson Welles is basically a symbol for that conflict himself as we spend the majority of the film attempting to figure out why he would have faked his own death. As we uncover the mystery, we also reveal the deeper morality of the era in a time when things were not so black and white. The famous "cuckoo clock" speech basically sums it up--and should probably be taught in history class when learning about this era.
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Nelson_Mandela
06/25/19 12:45:35 PM
#32:


Mr Lasastryke posted...
bleh. i'm not sure what "very annoying criticism" RotJ has been receiving but it sucks regardless. very disappointing end to what SHOULD have been one of the great trilogies in movie history.

at least you're not one of those "ROTJ IS THE BEST ONE" individuals.

What's your criticism of it? Too bloated? That's really the only take that I can somewhat agree with.
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Menji
06/25/19 12:55:19 PM
#33:


The Third Man has my favorite ending scene.
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Mr Lasastryke
06/25/19 1:24:03 PM
#34:


Nelson_Mandela posted...
What's your criticism of it? Too bloated? That's really the only take that I can somewhat agree with.


- the ewoks fucking suck. i'm tired of people defending them. they're extremely annoying little bundles of fur and they're totally a precursor of jar jar.
- the great danger in this one is... another death star? seriously? i respect george lucas but the fact that he couldn't think of something better than this reveals that he's not one of the great, endlessly imaginative fantasy writers. (it's funny because the people who go "TFA IS JUST A REHASH OF ANH" typically give RotJ a total pass for rehashing one of the key plot points in ANH.)
- i really disliked boba fett dying early in the movie after the way he was hyped up in ESB. granted, this is a minor complaint, and i think they retconned that he didn't actually die? i dunno, i don't follow star wars news anymore. but it's still a negative.
(- then, of course, there's the atrocious changes lucas made for the 1997 special edition [which is the one i grew up with]. but that's a separate issue. i can't fault the original movie for that.)
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Nelson_Mandela
06/25/19 1:40:42 PM
#35:


- the ewoks f***ing suck. i'm tired of people defending them. they're extremely annoying little bundles of fur and they're totally a precursor of jar jar.


The ewoks don't bother me that much, as they really are sort of just a side fantasy element. I get it though.

- the great danger in this one is... another death star? seriously? i respect george lucas but the fact that he couldn't think of something better than this reveals that he's not one of the great, endlessly imaginative fantasy writers. (it's funny because the people who go "TFA IS JUST A REHASH OF ANH" typically give RotJ a total pass for rehashing one of the key plot points in ANH.)


To me, this was more "if we don't stop them now, they're just going to keep rebuilding and this cycle of war and rebellion will go on ad infinitum. Which was actually kind of a cool way to show how incredibly powerful the Empire is.

- i really disliked boba fett dying early in the movie after the way he was hyped up in ESB. granted, this is a minor complaint, and i think they retconned that he didn't actually die? i dunno, i don't follow star wars news anymore. but it's still a negative.


Eh, I never really cared about Boba Fett and I still don't get why people like him so much.

(- then, of course, there's the atrocious changes lucas made for the 1997 special edition [which is the one i grew up with]. but that's a separate issue. i can't fault the original movie for that.)

No you can't! I have a VHS player hooked up to my living room TV almost exclusively for watching the OT ;)
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Mr Lasastryke
06/25/19 1:59:34 PM
#36:


Nelson_Mandela posted...
To me, this was more "if we don't stop them now, they're just going to keep rebuilding and this cycle of war and rebellion will go on ad infinitum. Which was actually kind of a cool way to show how incredibly powerful the Empire is.


hmm, i've never heard this take before. not sure if i agree with it but i can respect it.

Eh, I never really cared about Boba Fett and I still don't get why people like him so much.


it's not that i necessarily like boba fett that much, i just find it annoying that in ESB they went "hey look here's this cool mysterious new (well, not counting the star wars holiday special or the '97 version of ANH) villain you really need to pay attention to," only for him to immediately roll into the sarlacc pit in RotJ. like, what the hell was the point of him being in ESB then? it just makes it seem like they didn't know what they were doing and made up shit as they went along.

No you can't! I have a VHS player hooked up to my living room TV almost exclusively for watching the OT ;)


that's great. man, i wish i owned the original versions of the OT movies :-/ preferably on blu-ray.
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TheCodeisBosco
06/25/19 2:25:45 PM
#37:


Brazil and Dr. Strangelove left a profound impact on me when I watched them as a young high schooler. Seeing them back-to-back here is satisfying.
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Nelson_Mandela
06/26/19 11:34:31 AM
#38:


#59. Breaking Away
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0b/Breaking_away.jpg
Dir: Peter Yates
Genre: Sports, Coming of Age
Year: 1979

I love me a sports movie that doubles as a metaphor for something bigger. The Natural as symbol for getting older, He Got Game for father/son dynamics, I could go on. Breaking Away, on the surface, focuses on a bike race--but it is much bigger than that. It's a movie about a changing economic landscape, about growing up, and about, well, breaking away.

In addition to the tight allegorical quality of the script, Breaking Away is also one of the most exciting sports narratives put to film. The climactic bike race is very minimal in presentation--no quick edits, no clever camera work to make the action more than it really it. It's shot almost documentary-style with very long takes, and it works perfectly to build up the drama and the realism of the race. I'm guessing some of you will have never heard of it, but Breaking Away is a rare film I can recommend to anyone. It is that universally appealing.
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Nelson_Mandela
06/26/19 11:43:15 AM
#39:


#58. The 400 Blows
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f9/Quatre_coups2.jpg
Dir: Franois Truffaut
Genre: Drama, Coming of Age
Year: 1959

SephG Superlative: The greatest French film ever made

The granddaddy of French New Wave. It seems like a typical story now--a semi-autobiographical film depicting the troubled youth of a future artist--but back in 1959, this was nothing short of groundbreaking. The realism and honesty of The 400 Blows had seldom been seen in cinema before, and this opened the door to the medium being a vessel for a bigger truth.

The 400 Blows chronicles the early adolescence of Antoine, an obvious stand-in for Truffaut himself, as he rebels against authority. The movie is simultaneously funny and heartbreaking and is so honest that it almost makes you want to leap into the screen to help these naive and ignorant characters. Antoine's ultimate fate is also equally tragic and hopeful, with the final shot being one of my favorites in all of foreign cinema.
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Nelson_Mandela
06/26/19 11:50:06 AM
#40:


#57. The Little Mermaid
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/75/Movie_poster_the_little_mermaid.jpg
Dir: Ron Clements and John Musker
Genre: Animated, Musical, Romance
Year: 1989

The Little Mermaid kicked off the Disney Renaissance with a bang. Nothing of the scope and imagination (except for a certain film that will be revealed later) had ever passed through Disney Studios until this film. It was truly the beginning of something special.

The Little Mermaid has probably a half-dozen original songs that still stick with me 30 years later. The nautical setting lent itself to some brilliant and unique animation, which looks just as crisp now as it did back then. And one could make an argument that Ursula is the GOAT Disney villain, and probably warped my brain into thinking what a bad guy was supposed to be like for years to come.

cc. yoblazer
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Nelson_Mandela
06/26/19 11:57:25 AM
#41:


#56. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/45/Good_the_bad_and_the_ugly_poster.jpg
Dir: Sergio Leone
Genre: Western
Year: 1966

SephG Superlative: The greatest western ever made

Sergio Leone. Clint Eastwood. Ennio Morricone. It doesn't get better than this triumvirate when it comes to spaghetti westerns. I am sure the more hardcore fans might point to a different film or something else in the Dollars Trilogy as the best one, but for me, nothing comes close to the film synonymous with this genre.

Two things stand out for me as to why this is the best western I've ever seen. And they are obvious: the score and the ending. These two elements work hand-in-hand to deliver one of the most satisfying climaxes to any movie ever. Just watching the graveyard scene by itself can get me hyped for anything, and to this day it remains what I picture when I think of this era of filmmaking. Absolutely magnificent.
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Nelson_Mandela
06/26/19 12:06:27 PM
#42:


#55. The Tree of Life
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4e/Thetreeoflifeposter.jpg
Dir: Terrence Malick
Genre: Drama
Year: 2011

The Tree of Life is a hard movie to describe. To me, it is the best case scenario of letting a genius filmmaker do whatever he wants without interference. But like anytime you dive deep into a brilliant mind, you'll find some stuff that's difficult to understand and hard to process.

The Tree of Life has a very loose narrative that jumps around chronologically. We go from a boy's childhood to his reflective middle-age years to the birth of the universe to a CGI dinosaur scene that goes on for way too long to a straight-up visual metaphor sequence that defies any logic or structure. But it's all filmed with such a floaty, mesmerizing quality that it eventually begins to make sense. It's a film about time itself, about memories, and nothing I have ever seen quite so brilliantly captures that dreamlike feeling of the passage of time.
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Nelson_Mandela
06/26/19 3:30:26 PM
#43:


Hey friends,

The first topic is archived here:
https://l ogfaqs.com/topic.php?id=77714929

(remove the space)
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neonreaper
06/26/19 3:37:35 PM
#44:


ROTJ is great. I appreciate why ESB is considered the better movie but ROTJ Luke is amazing and I loved Endor. The only thing that doesn't really hold up for me are the speeder bikes... I'm all for set pieces and crazy action for the sake of it, but, those really don't make any sense except to have people crash into trees.

The real way to enjoy the OT is laser disc but I don't have those anymore :(
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Nelson_Mandela
06/26/19 3:40:21 PM
#45:


neonreaper posted...
The real way to enjoy the OT is laser disc but I don't have those anymore :(

I heard you can get HD fan cuts on the dark web to mimic the theatrical release

But I love my physical media
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Nelson_Mandela
06/26/19 3:46:38 PM
#46:


#54. The Battle of Algiers
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/aa/The_Battle_of_Algiers_poster.jpg
Dir: Gillo Pontecorvo
Genre: War
Year: 1966

If you want a really chilling, realistic movie about terrorism (and the military response to it), look no further than The Battle of Algiers. This movie genuinely scared me after 9/11 because it provides prescient insight into the nature of rebellion--and just how futile it can be to try to fight it.

The Battle for Algiers is filmed almost like a documentary. It shows both sides to the Franco-Algerian war of the 1950s--both the perspectives of the terror cells that began to emerge in Algiers and the French military commanders hell-bent on stopping them. The Battle for Algiers is very methodical in its presentation, almost like a textbook, but it still manages to be incredibly riveting nonetheless. We get some true insight into the gray area that is human affairs, offering an unsettling look into our own War on Terror here.
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Nelson_Mandela
06/26/19 3:53:16 PM
#47:


#53. No Country for Old Men
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8b/No_Country_for_Old_Men_poster.jpg
Dir: Joel and Ethan Coen
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Year: 2007

No Country for Old Men completely subverted my expectations for a Coen Brothers movie. The Coens have always made darker crime movies, but even the bleaker ones I had seen at the time were still kind of humorous and silly. No Country certainly has those moments, but this was the first Coen Brothers movie I saw until that point that was just straight up dark. Perhaps it's because this was really Cormac McCarthy's story, but it's nevertheless a haunting experience that sticks with me to this day.

How god damn good is Javier Bardem in this? He cemented Anton Chigurh as one of the most memorable and terrifying movie villains of this century so far, and did it all while wearing a ridiculous bowl cut wig. Anyway, the rest of the performances are on the same level--and Tommy Lee Jones's final monologue in particular is a tremendously powerful elucidation of the themes of change.
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Nelson_Mandela
06/26/19 3:59:52 PM
#48:


#52. Whiplash
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/01/Whiplash_poster.jpg
Dir: Damien Chazelle
Genre: Drama
Year: 2014

2014 was an awesome time for films. You'll find a few more movies from that year on this list, but in almost any other year, Whiplash would have easily been my favorite film. It's energetic, moving, but straightforward--one of those movies that you can show to anyone and virtually will guarantee them they'll enjoy it.

I'm not a big jazz fan, but the meticulousness of that genre as a performance art is really the only way this movie could be as impactful as it is. You spend the entire time wondering if J.K. Simmons actually does have a master plan--to push his students and reveal one as the next Buddy Rich--or if he's just a fucking asshole using that as an excuse to practice sadism. We of course know the answer in the very final scene, which remains up there with The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly as something I can forever watch on its own to get pumped for anything.
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TheCodeisBosco
06/26/19 4:06:32 PM
#49:


Nelson_Mandela posted...
2014 was an awesome time for films. You'll find a few more movies from that year on this list


Fingers crossed that Birdman is one of them. That might be my favorite film of the decade, full-stop.
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Nelson_Mandela
06/26/19 4:07:31 PM
#50:


#51. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/63/Birdman_poster.png
Dir: Alejandro Gonzlez Irritu
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Year: 2014

Oh hai again, 2014. Birdman is another astonishing film from this time, just barely edging out Whiplash as only my second favorite from that year. Unlike Whiplash, this one isn't for everyone, but it does offer some deeper insights for those who want to find them.

Inarritu gets compared to Alfonso Cuaron very often. Personally, I think Cuaron is the better director (as evidenced by the number of his movies on this list), but Birdman proves that Inarritu is leagues superior as a screenwriter--especially in English. There's just so much energy to every part of this movie, beginning with the allusion-drenched script and continued into the long takes used throughout the film, the ever-present drumming, and the frantic performances by Michael Keaton and company. It's perhaps the best example of that Latin American style of magic realism put to screen, to no better subject than an aging actor struggling to be a superhero again.
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