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BBC announces the top 100 American films of all time according to critics

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Game4life

Banned
I rather see the TDK than sleep after seeing Citizen Kane. I cant get though that movie in 2015. Nope.

I feel like Ant-Man would have got on there if they hadn't made the list before it was released.

Devin Faraci would have tried his best to get it in there along with Ultron for its outstanding character development and depth if he were in the panel.
 

Monocle

Member
I don't get why everyone likes Pulp Fiction so much. Yeah it's a good movie, but Reservoir Dogs and especially Jackie Brown are better.
Can't agree there. Every scene in Pulp Fiction is so well balanced, and the sum of the parts is incredible. It really is a nearly perfect film. Reservoir Dogs and Jackie Brown are very, very good, but Pulp Fiction has a special quality I haven't felt in any of Tarantino's other movies besides Kill Bill. It's hard to put into words.

That said, Tarantino is one of the greatest living directors IMO. He's never made a film that's less than great, and I insist that this applies even to Death Proof.
 

GoutPatrol

Forgotten in his cell
No Sunset Blvd? This list is bullshit.

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Did you read the entire list?

I've seen about 2/3rds of the top 100. I think its pretty good.
 

Raiden

Banned
These critics just pick old(er) movies because they think it makes them look smarter and well informed. There really is alot of boring shit on that list and i like older movies.
 

Cosmozone

Member
Why is Pulp Fiction on this list.
I've got to see some of these movies, however of those I've seen, some are not *that* good.
 

takriel

Member
you know, the younger generations will have no clue what the hell these movies are. heck, I didn't see half of them. this list is not appealing to me.
 

Ikael

Member
Citizen Kane's value resides on the trove of innovative narrative techniques that it employed and that defined modern cinema as they were xtensively imitated and employed by films afterwards, rather than its story per se. It is an influential movie, rather than a "good" one, hence why movie critics love it.

As for the rest of that list, my God, it is movie critic topic after topic. There a great many deal of movies that were missing out the top positions:

- Seven Samurai
- Dark city
- The green mile
- Million Dollar Baby
- Midnight Cowboy
- There Will Be Blood
- True Grit
- The social network
- The fighter
- The New World

And of course, anything animation-related. Because animated movies are of course not "real movies" (tm) *rolls eyes*
 
Citizen Kane's value resides on the trove of innovative narrative techniques that it employed and that defined modern cinema as they were xtensively imitated and employed by films afterwards, rather than its story per se. It is an influential movie, rather than a "good" one, hence why movie critics love it.

As for the rest of that list, my God, it is movie critic topic after topic. There a great many deal of movies that were missing out the top positions:

- Seven Samurai
- Dark city
- The green mile
- Million Dollar Baby
- Midnight Cowboy
- There Will Be Blood
- True Grit
- The social network
- The fighter
- The New World

And of course, anything animation-related. Because animated movies are of course not "real movies" (tm) *rolls eyes*

Seven Samurai wouldn't qualify because it is a entirely Japanese production.
 

Crossing Eden

Hello, my name is Yves Guillemot, Vivendi S.A.'s Employee of the Month!
It's a good list (top 50). Outside of Star Wars , there's not a bad movie in the list.

But The Godfather > Citizen Kane.
The original star wars was not a bad film. It was incredibly influential as well. Which is likely the reason it was included.
 

KAKYBAC

Member
Sincerely boring list. They should have deduced the best films which portray the american zeigeist.

Dazed and Confused
Rocky
E.T.
Taxi Driver

Et al.
 
The original star wars was not a bad film. It was incredibly influential as well. Which is likely the reason it was included.

Bad might be harsh. Clunky. I understand the influence weight-factor but i would never put it alongside the other films mentioned.

Who knew so few good films have been made since 1975

Why is that a surprise ? Cinema has a huge history. Recurrence and repetition are naturally seen as a lesser accomplishment.

It's maybe the best Soap Opera ever filmed, true.

Godfather II is also widely considered to be the best of the 3 films and yet Godfather is always the one that shows up highest in the rankings.

Widely considered by who ?
 
Pretty odd that this list skews towards older, classic films, and not a single Disney film from the 1930s, 40s, or 50s made the list. Not even Pinocchio or Fantasia. I can only assume there were very few animation fans among the critics.

It's much more interesting to read individual critics' lists with a blurb (or paragraph, or short essay, as they wish) as to why they picked each film.
 

RiverBed

Banned
Don't such lists need to be re-examined? Some movies where good at the time, but not by today's standards. I think something should reflect that as a movie from that list seen for the first time by today's standards would weigh very differently. I won't give examples since some will narrowly jump on their favorite movie and miss the point entirely.

Also, Scorsese has three movies out of those 50. Impressive. That guy is a walking legend of cinema.
 

impact

Banned
Vertigo... why does this movie get so much praise? It's so goddamn boring and nothing happens for most of the movie. Psycho is so much better than it that I can hardly believe the same dude directed both.

Anyway the list is mostly overrated old stuff that doesn't hold up unless you're an old fart that watched them years ago. Shocked and delighted that Mulholland Drive is on there though.
 

Peru

Member
Don't such lists need to be re-examined? Some movies where good at the time, but not by today's standards. .

If they were listed it's because the critic found them good by today's standards. And I can't come up with any examples of films on the list that were good at the time but not by today's standards. I can find movies I simply don't like, but that's a different thing. And the list is re-examined - there are new movies there. There are more popular movies from the 00s that have aged badly than from the 30s-50s.
 

Addi

Member
Apocalypse now in 90th place and no Blade Runner? Yeah, I don't like this list. Though it does remind me I have to watch some of the older films on there I haven't seen yet.
 

Peru

Member
The list is safe, like any big consensus list will be - but among its faults 'lots of old movies' is NOT one of them. I would just add more, different old movies lol.

But one of the happy surprises of the list is the high placing of this amazingly funny masterpiece.

220px-1941.lady.eve.jpg


Sexy, too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOnoBJvtVMU
 

EGM1966

Member
Decent list, mostly safe but with some odd omissions it seems to me (and I don't me popular recent films but some acknowledged classics that seem to have missed out somehow).

I'll never get the lack of respect for the influence of animation, particularly for US cinema. Classic Disney films had huge influence and were often innovative technically for film. But they rarely get any love from the critics which saddens me as while I see the genius (in context of release) of Citizen Kane, Vertigo, etc. US cinema for me is also strongly defined by classic animation films.

Interesting that Blade Runner and Alien didn't make the list (unless I'm going blind) given their reputation, critical reappraisal (both got mixed reviews at launch but are now highly lauded) and influence. Wonder if they're not seen as American films for some reason or if apart from the obvious 2001 the critics chosen tended to dismiss SF?
 

Crossing Eden

Hello, my name is Yves Guillemot, Vivendi S.A.'s Employee of the Month!
Don't such lists need to be re-examined? Some movies where good at the time, but not by today's standards. I think something should reflect that as a movie from that list seen for the first time by today's standards would weigh very differently. I won't give examples since some will narrowly jump on their favorite movie and miss the point entirely.

Also, Scorsese has three movies out of those 50. Impressive. That guy is a walking legend of cinema.
As I noted before, many, and I mean MANY of the most critically acclaimed films are timeless, and are a lot better than a lot of films you typically see today.(That's not me saying that I don't enjoy modern films). No matter what era you're from, films like Some Like It Hot and Dr.Strangelove are still hilarious. And films like Double Indemnity or Rear Window are still suspenseful as hell.
 
Oh look, its another one of "those" movie lists where the majority is filled with productions in the 60's or earlier, how edgy. Granted, I'm not some elitist movie snob but only 4 movies from this millenium made the list. I have to believe I have seen some really great movies since the year 2000. The Departed, for example. Or District 9. Ahh, forget it. Like someone mentioned, this is just another old fart movie list.

On another note, Rocky didn't even crack the top 100 and that is a fucking fantastic movie. If anyone wants to argue the merits of something like Sunrise(from 1927!!) or The Gold Rush(from 1925!!) over a more modern classic like Rocky I am all ears. And I would put Goodfellas over The Godfather Parts I and II as far as mob movies go even though they are all the pinnacle of mob movies.
 
4. 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968)
Top 1 most overrated movie in my book. Ruined by god-awful pacing.
That Jupiter and Beyond scene. 10 fucking minutes of nothing but random colors and screeching noises. Literally.

I mean, really? Well, unless you're watching it drunk, or high.
2001 is terrible. I'll never understand its popularity. Incredibly boring with a "leave the ending obtuse" writer crutch included.
 

Peru

Member
On another note, Rocky didn't even crack the top 100 and that is a fucking fantastic movie. If anyone wants to argue the merits of something like Sunrise(from 1927!!) or The Gold Rush(from 1925!!) over a more modern classic like Rocky I am all ears.

Um.. in what way? Do we have to be on the defensive just because they were made in a different decade? I like Rocky. The two movies mentioned are better. Sunrise is a painterly, poetic movie, emotional and beautiful. The Gold Rush is, as most Chaplin movies, both very funny and very clever. One of the comedy greats.
 

Einchy

semen stains the mountaintops
It's the kind of list where people on the internet call you plebeian when you name drop the top three.

Some people think they're big movie buffs and they feel superior to others because they enjoy movies like Citizen Kane, Vertigo and Casablanca. While other assholes are watching super hero movies they're enjoying true cinema.

Then you got the people who look at those people as casual movie buffs because they picked the most basic "classic cinema" shit possible.

How deep does this pretentious rabbit hole go!?
 
I tried breaking it up into 10 per decade (except the 20s since they don't list many).

I think it's better this way, since they clearly weren't considering newer movies. I defy anyone to watch The Wizard of Oz and The Band Wagon, and say they're better than No Country for Old Men or Memento.


20s

The General
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
The Kid
The Gold Rush
Greed
Sherlock Jr

30s

Swing Time
Duck Soup
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Bringing Up Baby
Modern Times
City Lights
Top Hat
Stage Door
Gone With The Wind
The Wizard of Oz

40s

Citizen Kane
The Big Sleep
Casablanca
The Maltese Falcon
Fantasia
Pinocchio
Dumbo
Notorious
The Lady Eve
It's a Wonderful Life

50s

12 Angry Men
Rear Window
Vertigo
The Court Jester
The Night of the Hunter
Sleeping Beauty
All About Eve
Touch of Evil
Sunset Boulevard
The Searchers

60s

Dr. Strangelove
2001: A Space Odyssey
The Sound of Music
Mary Poppins
Psycho
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Apartment
The Graduate
Marnie
West Side Story

70s

Alien
Chinatown
A Clockwork Orange
The Godfather
The Godfather Part II
Annie Hall
All the President’s Men
Taxi Driver
Jaws
Star Wars

80s

Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Empire Strikes Back
Back to the Future
Do the Right Thing
Raging Bull
Die Hard
Aliens
The Shining
Blue Velvet
The Princess Bride

90s

Pulp Fiction
The Thin Red Line
Unforgiven
Goodfellas
Fargo
Fight Club
Miller's Crossing
The Silence of the Lambs
Beauty and the Beast
Groundhog Day

00s

Mulholland Drive
The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood
Kill Bill: Vol 1
The Incredibles
Before Sunset
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Prestige
Memento
 

Peru

Member
Top 1 most overrated movie in my book. Ruined by god-awful pacing.
That Jupiter and Beyond scene. 10 fucking minutes of nothing but random colors and screeching noises. Literally.

I mean, really? Well, unless you're watching it drunk, or high.

I mean, they're not random colors. It's beautiful. It's appreciated because it looks good and adds to the atmosphere and tension of the movie. There's mystery and interest. A movie, and especially 2001, is not all about plot. It's about conjuring moods and feelings. 2001 does it better than most movies made. The pacing is crucial to the success of the film.

I think it's better this way, since they clearly weren't considering newer movies. I defy anyone to watch The Wizard of Oz and The Band Wagon, and say they're better than No Country for Old Men or Memento.

I certainly like them and have watched them more than NCFOM and Memento. Not that those are bad movies either. They're pretty damn different movies - different genres, different goals. I think Oz and The Band Wagon are better, yes, but don't see the point of comparing them.
 
Only one film from the last 25 years in the top 50, was expecting the list to be skewed towards old stuff but damn.
2001 really messed with my head because I was 8 or something when I watched it. I clearly remember thinking "WTF is going on?!". I remember being kinda hypnotized by that psychadelic scene and then having to use all of my strenght to grab the remote and make it go away, lol.
 
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