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

(+) Yeah! (+)

Congratulations wallmasterz!

Great list sephyg. It's already inspired me to watch some movies that i haven't yet seen
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I don't know who wallmaster is but my respect for him would be x1000 if he turned down that $100.
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Thanks bud. If this topic lives long enough, keep me posted on your progress.
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Corrik7 posted...

I don't know who wallmaster is but my respect for him would be x1000 if he turned down that $100.

if he turned it down I'd make him just tell me a charity to give it to

I ain't no welch
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Nelson_Mandela posted...

Corrik7 posted...

I don't know who wallmaster is but my respect for him would be x1000 if he turned down that $100.

if he turned it down I'd make him just tell me a charity to give it to

I ain't no welch

I'd be impressed if he said that's way too much just buy me an indie game or a Blu Ray or something. Tbqh. But, having my respect means literally nothing lol. You got my respect for offering it tho!
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I am very wealthy, Corrik
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That doesn't make it less noble of you.
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I enjoyed following this list, even though I've seen way too few of the movies on it (only 2001 and The Godfather out of the top 10, for example), so thank you, SephG.

Also, nicely done, wallmasterz! It seems my gambit of guessing the other 70s Kubrick movie didn't work. Speaking of which, I wonder what SephG's opinion is about Barry Lyndon, assuming he's seen it.
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Final tally: 133/250

Missing quite a few, and this list was good enough (and with compelling enough write-ups) for me to use it for at least a few recommendations, starting with #1.
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First of all, this was a great list and very fun to follow! Thank you for doing this and following through, I really enjoyed it.

To Corriks point, its perfectly fine if you wanted to hold on to the $100. If youve made up your mind however, I wont turn it down!

I spent a long time guessing. I knew there were remaining: 1 Lynch, 1 Tarantino, 2 Kubrick films, 2 Coppola films, 1 Italian, 1 Hong Kong, 1 documentary. And I knew the counts of film by decade. Citizen Kane was a total guess for best 40s film, but not exactly a ballsy guess! Its a great film.

Really debated between A Clockwork Orange and Barry Lyndon but went with my gut. @MetalmindStats, it was a good strategy on your part for sure!!

@Nelson_Mandela I love Twin Peaks and I thought The Return was fantastic. How about you? Ill pm my Venmo details tomorrow unless you say youd prefer to keep the cash.

Thanks again for the congrats everyone!
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I've seen 8 of your top 10, and I counted 133 for the whole list of 250. I enjoyed reading all your thoughts on these movies. I obviously don't agree with everything the whole way through, but I think generally, there's a lot of similarities with what I've liked, most of the differences just in the ordering. I should hang on to a copy of this list as I find things to watch in the future.
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oh wow, didn't see that one coming at all.

i have not seen hoop dreams but i guess i should!
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ok, here's my list of notable snubs, in chronological order. note that i'm not listing movies i've mentioned before or ones sephy has already discussed.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Our Hospitality
Battleship Potemkin
Man with a Movie Camera
Stagecoach
The Grapes of Wrath
Rebecca
The Maltese Falcon
Singin' in the Rain
Tokyo Story
Rebel Without a Cause
Touch of Evil
Hiroshima mon amour
Playtime
Easy Rider
Solyaris*
Groundhog Day
Festen

* disclaimer: i've only seen scenes from solyaris but it seems like it should be on sephy's list, given that it is very critically acclaimed and is often described as the "russian 2001." i did see all the other movies on this list, though.
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Good list! I still need see a handful of those. One of my favorites not on the list is Andrei Rublev.
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Mr Lasastryke posted...

Festen

Surprised to see that on your snub list. Damn fine choice.
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MetalmindStats posted...

Speaking of which, I wonder what SephG's opinion is about Barry Lyndon, assuming he's seen it.

I like Barry Lyndon, but it's not the kind of movie that really stuck with me or makes me want to rewatch it. Technically impressive, but just not that engaging.
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wallmasterz posted...

To Corriks point, its perfectly fine if you wanted to hold on to the $100. If youve made up your mind however, I wont turn it down!

PM me!
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The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari - I love the set design in this one, really close to my top 250
Our Hospitality - haven't seen it
Battleship Potemkin - shamefully haven't seen it
Man with a Movie Camera - ditto
Stagecoach - ditto
The Grapes of Wrath - love it but the book is so much better
Rebecca - haven't seen
The Maltese Falcon - haven't seen
Singin' in the Rain - haven't seen but I'm not into musicals
Tokyo Story - haven't seen
Rebel Without a Cause - haven't seen
Touch of Evil - haven't seen
Hiroshima mon amour - haven't seen
Playtime - haven't seen
Easy Rider - it's pretty good I guess, not a huge fan
Solyaris - technically impressive but it's SO boring
Groundhog Day - almost made the top 250, a bit overrated imo
Festen - never even heard of it!

I'll have to add a few of these to my watchlist
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Nelson_Mandela posted...

Our Hospitality - haven't seen it

Odd of Lasa to mention this as the Keaton snub, when The General wasn't on your list. Have you seen that one? Honestly, the greatest silent film of all time. I know you said you were lacking in silents, but it's surprising if you haven't seen The General.

Nelson_Mandela posted...

Rebecca - haven't seen

Ouch. What other Hitchcock films are you missing?

In terms of other omissions I noticed, there was a big lack of Billy Wilder, despite having some of his most famous on the list, he really has so much more; Double Indemnity in particular was a shocking omission, though not even my favorite of his that wasn't on the list.

Treasure of the Sierra Madre was another major omission.
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i really need to watch more keaton. i love our hospitality but it's probably not his best film.

Nelson_Mandela posted...

Singin' in the Rain - haven't seen but I'm not into musicals

you had the wizard of oz, though! singin' in the rain isn't as good, but it's just as entertaining.

Easy Rider - it's pretty good I guess, not a huge fan

i love it but i'll admit i partially but this one on the list for its influence, being a pioneering "new hollywood" movie. without easy rider, we probably wouldn't have coppola, spielberg and lucas as we know them.

Festen - never even heard of it!

amazing movie. it was directed by thomas vinterberg who, like lars von trier, was one of the dogme 95 directors.
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TomNook posted...

Odd of Lasa to mention this as the Keaton snub, when The General wasn't on your list.

yeah, i have not seen the general but i know that's generally seen as keaton's magnum opus. like i just said, i need to watch more keaton!
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the treasure of the sierra madre is another one i've shamefully not seen. really need to watch it as apparently it was a major influence on one of my favorite movies: there will be blood.
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Mr Lasastryke posted...

yeah, i have not seen the general but i know that's generally seen as keaton's magnum opus. like i just said, i need to watch more keaton!

There was a period where I went through and watched nearly all of the films from Chaplin, Keaton, and Lloyd, and it was some of the most fun I've had movie watching. It made me seriously consider that the 1920s might be my favorite era for comedy with those 50+ movies. I'd really recommend it as a fun adventure if you ever feel up for it. Lloyd is actually my overall favorite of the 3, but his best (Safety Last) is probably slightly weaker than Keaton or Chaplin's best. Still, amazing stuff between all of them.

Mr Lasastryke posted...

the treasure of the sierra madre is another one i've shamefully not seen. really need to watch it as apparently it was a major influence on one of my favorite movies: there will be blood.

You'll definitely love it! I'm a huge fan of both movies, and I never really thought to compare them before, but I can see that.
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TomNook posted...

Lloyd is actually my overall favorite of the 3, but his best (Safety Last) is probably slightly weaker than Keaton or Chaplin's best. Still, amazing stuff between all of them.

interesting. my dad has seen a ton of lloyd and he also says lloyd is his favorite of the big three silent stars (he'd go lloyd > keaton > chaplin).

i actually haven't seen a single lloyd film, though i did see the famous clock scene from safety last!, obviously.
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Mr Lasastryke posted...

interesting. my dad has seen a ton of lloyd and he also says lloyd is his favorite of the big three silent stars (he'd go lloyd > keaton > chaplin).

i actually haven't seen a single lloyd film, though i did see the famous clock scene from safety last!, obviously.

Nice taste! That's how I'd rank them as well. Safety Last is my favorite, and I think Speedy is a pretty solid second best. After that, there are many options, but Girl Shy and Why Worry are at the top of the list.
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The top 10 movies ever made
10. Apocalypse Now (1979)
9. 8 (1963)
8. Chungking Express (1994)
7. Pulp Fiction (1994)
6. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
5. The Godfather (1972)
4. Citizen Kane (1941)
3. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
2. Mulholland Drive (2001)
1. Hoop Dreams (1994)

Thanks for reading, everyone! I'll posts some more ways to group these movies in a bit.
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I've seen 1 movie in your top 10
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Corrik7 posted...

I've seen 1 movie in your top 10

Which one?

It's still blowing my mind that people haven't watched The Godfather and/or Pulp Fiction.
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I've seen 6 of the the top 10, but not The Godfather. Is it really that weird to not have seen it?
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Fun with numbers!

Here's a breakdown of the best movies per category according to yours truly:

Best movie of the most featured directors
Martin Scorsese - Taxi Driver
Steven Spielberg - Schindler's List
Quentin Tarantino - Pulp Fiction
Stanley Kubrick - A Clockwork Orange
Christopher Nolan - Memento
Wes Anderson - The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Joel and Ethan Coen - Fargo
Francis Ford Coppola - The Godfather
Alfonso Cuarn - Y Tu Mam Tambin
Alfred Hitchcock - Psycho
Richard Linklater - Boyhood
David Lynch - Mulholland Drive

Top films by decade
1930s - City Lights
1940s - Citizen Kane
1950s - Seven Samurai
1960s - 2001: A Space Odyssey
1970s - A Clockwork Orange
1980s - Raging Bull
1990s - Hoop Dreams
2000s - Mulholland Drive
2010s - Boyhood

Best films by (primary) country
Australia - Mad Max: Fury Road
Brazil - City of God
Canada - The Last Temptation of Christ
China - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
France - The 400 Blows
Germany - M
Hong Kong - Chungking Express
Italy - 8
Japan - Seven Samurai
Mexico - Y Tu Mam Tambin
South Africa - The Gods Must Be Crazy
Sweden - The Seventh Seal
United Kingdom - A Clockwork Orange
United States - Hoop Dreams

Top films by genre
Action - Terminator 2: Judgement Day
Adventure - Seven Samurai
Animated - South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
Comedy - The Graduate
Documentary - Hoop Dreams
Drama - Mulholland Drive
Fantasy - The Seventh Seal
Horror - The Shining
Musical - South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
Sci-Fi - 2001: A Space Odyssey
Sports - Hoop Dreams
Superhero - Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse
Thriller/Suspense - A Clockwork Orange
War - Apocalypse Now
Western - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
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Xeybozn posted...

I've seen 6 of the the top 10, but not The Godfather. Is it really that weird to not have seen it?

YES
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I was also surprised to see Our Hospitality mentioned, but it was a pleasant surprise. It's damn good and a great Keaton starting point. I prefer The General, Sherlock Jr. and The Navigator, but all of them are in the same league IMO.

For Lloyd, my favorite is Speedy. It's an absolute delight of a movie and the Babe Ruth cameo is fantastic.

I agree with Double Indemnity and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre being notable snubs. Walter Huston's performance in the latter is brilliant.
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Xeybozn posted...

I've seen 6 of the the top 10, but not The Godfather. Is it really that weird to not have seen it?

uh yeah, it's pretty weird.

it's like never having played tetris or something.
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Now, let's look at 1994--a preposterously strong year for movies.

Top movies of 1994
1. Hoop Dreams
2. Pulp Fiction
3. Chungking Express
4. The Shawshank Redemption
5. The Lion King
6. Forrest Gump
7. Dumb and Dumber
8. Clerks

The greatest movie of all time. 3 movies in the top 10. 5 in the top 50. 8 in the top 250.

In almost every other year, Shawshank would be the best movie. In 1994, it's the fourth best.

What a ludicrous 12 months.
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As I mentioned before, another 1994 movie that I really enjoyed was Quiz Show. Third best movie of the year for me behind Pulp Fiction and Shawshank (I think youve sold me on giving Chungking Express a watch though, so that might change!)
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wow i saw quiz show as a kid and had no idea that that was the title of the movie.
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2001 is my 1994. Mulholland Drive, Fellowship of the Ring, and Spirited Away are my 2nd through 4th favorite movies. Gosford Park, Amelie, and Donnie Darko rank pretty high for me too.

I wish I could like Donnie Darko more. It just disappoints me every time :(
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bumpo
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Ive never seen Hoop Dreams. I guess I should get on that.
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i'm not sure what my favorite documentary is but titicut follies is definitely up there. it's famous for being a major influence on one flew over the cuckoo's nest.

a lot of people think it's an attack on the featured hospital but that's not how i see it. i interpret it as a thorough examinition of a hospital for the criminally insane.
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wallmasterz posted...

Ive never seen Hoop Dreams. I guess I should get on that.

I obviously can't recommend that enough!
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Keep me posted with your progress everyone

I watched how to train your dragon for the first time tonight. It's very good!
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Interestingly enough, Hoop Dreams is one of like two in the Top 100 I haven't seen! Guess it's time.

Will try to post my recs this weekend on what you should look into next.
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Menji posted...

Interestingly enough, Hoop Dreams is one of like two in the Top 100 I haven't seen! Guess it's time.

It is indeed.

What's the other one? Man from Earth?
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Yeah, think that's the one I remember. Guess I got two good ones to look forward to.
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bumpo
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I just rewatched Monty Python and the Holy Grail, first time Ive seen it in years. Honestly, its not my favorite wacky, stupid, fourth-wall breaking comedy. Something like Airplane! is more to my liking.

Holy Grail is good and its classic status is undeniable, I just dont enjoy it as much as its fans do.
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Funny you mention that, I just watched Holy Grail and Life of Brian for the first time ever this year.

Life of Brian was great...probably in the top 350 if I expanded the list. Holy Grail was okay, I guess. I think the low production values just made it really hard to get into as a newcomer. I dunno. British humor isn't really my thing.
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I remember enjoying Life of Brian more than Holy Grail too. In the latter, some of the jokes go on too long for my liking. And the jokes where the point is repetition/redundancy arent particularly funny for me. I still like Holy Grail but it wouldnt appear on any favorites list of mine.
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