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[TheKaeptain]

I'd have to concur with anybody who claimed Godard as overrated.

We agree on something...Not sure if I should feel good about that. And it didn't even get past post 20 before it became what we talked about. lol.

 

[Timber]

where are all of his French and Japanese movies?

On his Great Movies list. Go bother some other thread.

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

Ran is, like, a Japanese movie, dude. And My Dinner with Andre was directed by a French director.

And I think that it's perfectly possible to differentiate between the quality of a work on the whole and your personal enjoyment of it. I don't like Last Year at Marienbad at all, really, but I think that it's a great film for reasons that I can identify as I watch it.

 

[Mr. Sam]

On his Great Movies list. Go bother some other thread.

Dude, sshhh. I'm enjoying this argument he's having with himself.

 

[TheKaeptain]

Look at Roger Ebert's top movies of the 80's list:

Best films of the 1980s

7. "Ran"

Man, he must be pretty stupid, where are all of his French and Japanese movies? he must have forgotten to look up Best Of lists when he composed his list... (and yes, I know Ran is by Kurosawa, but you get my point)

For your sake please be trolling.

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

And I love Ebert, but I wouldn't put E.T. or Raiders near that list (Raiders maybe if we're doing a top 10 list just of action/adventure movies).

 

[Mister Wilhelm]

Personal top 10, no specific rankings:

The Fifth Element
3000 Miles to Graceland
The Cable Guy
The Quick and the Dead
Happiness
High Fidelity
Payback (original cut)
Kung Fu Hustle
Tombstone
The Truman Show

And the critical top 10 I posted earlier:

1.) Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
2.) Children of Men
3.) Pulp Fiction
4.) The Godfather
5.) LA Confidential
6.) Heat
7.) City of God
8.) Fargo
9.) Head-On (Gegen die Wand)
10.) Fight Club

Look at Roger Ebert's top movies of the 80's list:

Best films of the 1980s
-----------------------
1. "Raging Bull"
2. "The Right Stuff"
3. "E.T. -- The Extra-Terrestrial"
4. "Do the Right Thing"
5. "My Dinner with Andre"
6. "Raiders of the Lost Ark"
7. "Ran"
8. "Mississippi Burning"
9. "Platoon"
10. "House of Games"

Man, he must be pretty stupid, where are all of his French and Japanese movies? he must have forgotten to look up Best Of lists when he composed his list... (and yes, I know Ran is by Kurosawa, but you get my point)

Roger Ebert gave Once Upon A Time In The West a bad review and Garfield a good review.

/your argument

 

[AlteredBeast]

It is entirely feasible, and extremely likely, since it is not like American Cinema is inherently better than anything foreign, to enjoy and love foreign movies, but it just makes me laugh when someone says, "what is your top 10?" and in return, you get nothing but film snob 101 in return.

Apparently, no good movies were ever made after 1969, and if they were, they definitely weren't made in America.


Note, Mister Wilhelm, both of your lists are filled with awesome, fun movies

 

[Trent Strong]

Fight Club
Unforgiven
Dancer in the Dark
Magnolia
The Godfather
The Big Lebowski
Heat
Gattaca
Observe and Report (the thinking man's Taxi Driver)
Shindler's List

 

[Mr. Sam]

I thought I was alone in my appreciation of Dr. Strangelove as Kubrick's finest film. I thought all those years alone in the cupboard had driven me mad. Glad to know there are others.

Apparently, no good movies were ever made after 1969, and if they were, they definitely weren't made in America.

Man, looking at this thread, you're fighting against an elitism that just doesn't exist.

 

[EliCash]

Edit: Revised list - going by the one director rule:

1. Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1976)
2. La Strada (Federico Fellini, 1954)
3. The Godfather Part II (Francis Ford Coppola,1974)
4. The Deer Hunter (Michael Ciminio, 1978)
5. Mulholland Drive (David Lynch, 2001)
6. Bottle Rocket (Wes Anderson, 1996)
7. Manhattan (Woody Allen, 1979)
8. Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, 1994)
9. Down by Law (Jim Jarmusch, 1986)
10. Shadow of a Doubt (Alfred Hitchcock, 1943)

Films that might've made the cut on another day:
The Royal Tenenbaums, Bicycle Thieves, Blue Velvet, Strangers on a Train, Psycho, The Big Lebowski, King of Comedy, After Hours, Mean Streets, The 400 Blows, Sunset Boulevard, T2: Judgement Day, Jacob's Ladder, Back to the Future, 8 1/2

 

[Jo Shishido's Cheeks]

For your sake please be trolling.

He's gotta be trolling, right?
Or maybe he's right, the films I listed actually aren't in there because they are films I hold dearly to me and have many cherished memories and experiences with, life-changingly so in some respects, but rather they are just a bunch of films I picked from multiple 'best-of' lists in an attempt to look intelligent to strangers on the Internet!

Please god let him be trolling, it's almost too stupid to comprehend

 

[CajoleJuice]

It is entirely feasible, and extremely likely, since it is not like American Cinema is inherently better than anything foreign, to enjoy and love foreign movies, but it just makes me laugh when someone says, "what is your top 10?" and in return, you get nothing but film snob 101 in return.

Apparently, no good movies were ever made after 1969, and if they were, they definitely weren't made in America.

Half of Snowman's list is American movies made after 1969.

And I know where you're coming from, but you're not going to get anywhere, AB. He's not trolling guys.

 

[TheKaeptain]

It is entirely feasible, and extremely likely, since it is not like American Cinema is inherently better than anything foreign, to enjoy and love foreign movies, but it just makes me laugh when someone says, "what is your top 10?" and in return, you get nothing but film snob 101 in return.

Apparently, no good movies were ever made after 1969, and if they were, they definitely weren't made in America.


Note, Mister Wilhelm, both of your lists are filled with awesome, fun movies

This isn't true. I would say each big filmmaking country has their strong points.

 

[Fjordson]

1. Casablanca (Michael Curtiz, 1942)
2. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (Sergio Leone, 1966)
3. Seven Samurai (Akira Kurosawa, 1954)
4. The Third Man (Carol Reed, 1949)
5. Sunset Blvd. (Billy Wilder, 1950)
6. Le Samouraï (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1967)
7. Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982)
8. 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968)
9. Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1976)
10. Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, 1994)

Not sure I was able to completely remove personal favoritism, but oh well.

 

[Mister Wilhelm]

Blue Velvet

I miss Dennis Hopper...

I thought I was alone in my appreciation of Dr. Strangelove as Kubrick's finest film. I thought all those years alone in the cupboard had driven me mad. Glad to know there are others.

It's a no-contest to me, really. Sure, 2001 was innovative as hell and the Shining was amazing, but Dr. Strangelove is so ahead of it's time it's unbelievable.

 

[British Monsoon]

01. The Godfather - (Francis Ford Coppola)
02. The Good, The Bad & The Ugly - (Segio Leone)
03. Blade Runner - (Ridley Scott)
04. 2001: A Space Odyssey - (Stanley Kubrick)
05. Unforgiven - (Clint Eastwood)
06. Ran - (Akira Kurosawa)
07. 12 Angry Men - (Sidney Lumet)
08. Brazil - (Terry Gilliam)
09. Hana-Bi - (Takeshi Kitano)
10. The Empire Strikes Back - (Irvin Kershner)

Honourable Mentions; A Bullet for the General, Alien, Apocalypse Now, A Snake of June, Battles Without Honor & Humanity, The Bird People of China, Back to the Future, The Big Lebowski, Bright Future, Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid, The Cable Guy, Casablanca, Cool Hand Luke, Django, Dr Strangelove, Europa, Fargo, Fear & Loathing, Fight Club, From Russia With Love, L.A. Confidential, Last Life in the Universe, Miller's Crossing, Natural Born Killers, Nausicaa, O Brother Where Art Thou, Once Upon a Time in the West, The Pianist, Pulp Fiction, Raging Bull, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Sonatine, Terminator, The Thing, Throne of Blood, Time Bandits, The Truman Show, Vertigo, Violent Cop, Vital, Waltz With Bashir and dozens more films I've surely forgot.

But this is my favorite movie of all time, and the reason why... It's perfect. I mean... I can't think of any moment of this movie, any FRAME of this movie, that I don't enjoy. It's not really deep. It's not something you can think about or debate with friends, but I don't need that when every moment is just so enjoyable. Every time I see it, I'm happy. I'm at peace, and I'm always excited to see it again.

I'm with you there. I adore the film and it's one of the few I can watch time and time again without ever tiring of it. Wonderfully acted with amazing cinematography, a warm and beautiful soundtrack throughout and a fantastic script that never fails to be anything less than thoroughly entertaining.

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

It is entirely feasible, and extremely likely, since it is not like American Cinema is inherently better than anything foreign, to enjoy and love foreign movies, but it just makes me laugh when someone says, "what is your top 10?" and in return, you get nothing but film snob 101 in return.

Apparently, no good movies were ever made after 1969, and if they were, they definitely weren't made in America.

I think most would actually argue the opposite: that the 1970's were the golden age of the American cinema and one of the all-time great eras for film in any country. Granted, I think that people will list far fewer films from 1980 on (and this is a global phenomenon, not just an American one), but I don't think that this decline in esteem is unwarranted. Compare the films that were getting nominated for Oscars in the 70's to the ones nominated today, and you'll see a rather massive gap in quality.

Edit: And I'd argue Aguirre as both better AND more entertaining than any blockbuster film that Hollywood has ever made.

 

[Timber]

Apparently, no good movies were ever made after 1969, and if they were, they definitely weren't made in America.

Every list posted in this thread has American movies and/or movies made after 1969 in it. What are you even doing. Nothing is more cynical than running into a thread about things people enjoy and claiming for no reason at all that they're being insincere about it. And you're the only one doing it.

 

[AlteredBeast]

This isn't true. I would say each big filmmaking country has their strong points.

You are missing the point. I am saying that it isn't inherently better. the last time you quoted me, you missed the point as well.

 

[TheKaeptain]

You are missing the point. I am saying that it isn't inherently better. the last time you quoted me, you missed the point as well.

I missed were you said NOT.

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

You are missing the point. I am saying that it isn't inherently better. the last time you quoted me, you missed the point as well.

But you're arguing against a thing that doesn't exist. I haven't seen any "film snob 101" posts in this thread. Indeed, I'd say just the opposite: GAF's tastes tend more toward the popular and nerdy, which makes sense, considering that it's a video game message board. Hell, I've practically written essays on this board defending why I think Terminator 2 is a truly great movie, so it's not as though I'm some snob up his own asshole. I don't see anybody in here like that, either.

 

[Snuggles]

lack of Predator so far is disappointing, I expected more out of you guys

 

[swoon]

Agreed with most of your post RIGHT up until you used Godard as your example. I'd have to concur with anybody who claimed Godard as overrated.

 

[AlteredBeast]

Not referring to anyone on here in particular...just in life in general...

 

[swoon]

well i could start posting what i think about these lists if you want someone to yell at

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

Hey, man, I ain't sayin' nothin' you don't already know 'bout me.

 

[Mister Wilhelm]

lack of Predator so far is disappointing, I expected more out of you guys

Predator is a classic but top 10 of all time?

Tough sell.

I am surprised it isn't on more personal lists.

 

[Mr. Sam]

lack of Predator so far is disappointing, I expected more out of you guys

I was gonna put it in my honourable mentions but I already had Aliens in there and I didn't want anybody thinking badly about my-- wait, what?

 

[Grimmy]

1. Satantango (Bela Tarr, 1994)
2. The Passion of Joan of Arc (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1928)
3. The Rules of the Game (Jean Renoir, 1939)
4. The Mirror (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1975)
5. To Be Or Not To Be (Ernst Lubitsch, 1942)
6. Olympia (Leni Riefenstahl, 1938)
7. M (Fritz Lang, 1931)
7. Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East? (Bae Yong-Kyun, 1989)
8. Earth (Alexander Dovzhenko, 1930)
9. Army (Keisuke Kinoshita, 1944)
10. Syndromes and a Century (Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 2006)

Just 10 was really tough...

 

[AlteredBeast]

well i could start posting what i think about these lists if you want someone to yell at

I will say that I think your musical taste is impeccable and are one of few people's opinion I will listen to on the subject, no matter what... does that help?

 

[Mister Wilhelm]

I wonder how many gaffots would put Citizen Kane on their lists.

I haven't seen it.

Also, I thought Vertigo wasn't that great. I actually get a lot of shit from time to time for not getting down on my knees for anything Hitchcock ever did.

 

[AlteredBeast]

1. Satantango (Bela Tarr, 1994)
2. The Passion of Joan of Arc (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1928)
3. The Rules of the Game (Jean Renoir, 1939)
4. The Mirror (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1975)
5. To Be Or Not To Be (Ernst Lubitsch, 1942)
6. Olympia (Leni Riefenstahl, 1938)
7. M (Fritz Lang, 1931)
7. Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East? (Bae Yong-Kyun, 1989)
8. Earth (Alexander Dovzhenko, 1930)
9. Army (Keisuke Kinoshita, 1944)
10. Syndromes and a Century (Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 2006)

Just 10 was really tough...

Holy shit.

 

[AlteredBeast]

I haven't seen it.

Also, I thought Vertigo wasn't that great. I actually get a lot of shit from time to time for not getting down on my knees for anything Hitchcock ever did.

Citizen Kane is awesome in the same vain as most things that Orson Welles did, but it isn't one of my top 10. North by Northwest trumps Vertigo in every way imaginable. I have a soft spot for Rear Window and the 39 Steps as well, though.

 

[Mr. Sam]

Know what's a weird anomaly? The Big Lebowski has only appeared on one list so far. A lot of lists I see online include it in some capacity.

 

[Mister Wilhelm]

Know what's a weird anomaly? The Big Lebowski has only appeared on one list so far. A lot of lists I see online include it in some capacity.

Same here. It's actually kind of refreshing to see people praising Fargo, No Country For Old Men, etc. as opposed to it.

 

[FutureZombie]

1. Jaws
2. Jurassic Park
3. Rounders
4. The Two Towers
5. Return of the Jedi
6. Snatch
7. What About Bob?
8. Rushmore
9. The Big Lebowski
10. 28 Days Later

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

I haven't seen it.

Also, I thought Vertigo wasn't that great. I actually get a lot of shit from time to time for not getting down on my knees for anything Hitchcock ever did.

I completely agree with this. I think people read depth and meaning into it that is not there. It's as well-made as anything else that he ever did, but the script is kinda ludicrous.

On the other hand, if Psycho was missing everything between the discovery of the mother's identity and Norman's final internal monologue (meaning: excise all of the pseudo-psychiatric exposition from the doctor), it would probably be on my list. So Hitchcock's a bit of a mix. On a purely technical basis, he's as good as billed, but I find that his scripts often leave a lot to be desired.

Edit: The Big Lebowski would probably be the highest Coen movie on my list, except for maybe A Serious Man.

 

[Mr. Sam]

I completely agree with this. I think people read depth and meaning into it that is not there. It's as well-made as anything else that he ever did, but the script is kinda ludicrous.

Vertigo introduced the 'Hitchcock zoom', didn't it? Genuine question. Pretty cheesy technique nowadays.

 

[StuBurns]

01 - Synecdoche, New York (2008) Charlie Kaufman
Just went beyond what I thought of as the film form, it's insanity just escalates and revels in it's own cold realistic portrayal of impossible events. It blew my mind, it still sort of does. It's also the first and so far only film Kaufman has directed.

02 - Lost in Translation (2003) Sofia Coppola
There is something about this film that is so easy to connect with for me, I've seen it more than any other movie on this list by a long way, I can watch it endlessly. It was a stroke of genius to choose to depict loneliness and outreaching in the middle of what is seen as one of the most busy places in the world.

03 - 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Stanley Kubrick
People on GAF tend to hate it when these lists are posted and there are no old films in them, this is the oldest I've included, there are older films I love, The Graduate came out the year before, but I really see that and 2001 as almost the beginning of really modern cinema. 2001 was an incredible experience for me, I'd heard about it for years, but never really watched it till five or six years ago, even with the greatest film ever hype, it does not disappoint in any single regard.

04 - The Fountain (2006) Darren Aronofsky
I hate the genre name 'Cerebral', like IDM, it almost seems an insult to every film not considered a member of the group. The newest film to me personally on the list I think. I thought it was wonderful, and exceptionally beautiful visually. It's strange to see a truly unique take on the distant future. The music is incredible too.

05 - Mullholland Drive (2001) David Lynch
The scene in the club is the greatest thing I've ever seen. I also think it's a really touching relationship, and I love being asked to actually decode something myself and not just be told.

06 - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) Michel Gondry
Written by Kaufman, I guess just inline with a lot of my other choices. I think it plays that wonderful line between depressingly realistic life issues and the impossibly hopeful.

07 - Before Sunset (2004) Richard Linklater
Last year's list included Before Sunrise too, but it's really not as strong for me. It's kind of strange, the reason I prefer the sequel is really discussed within the sequel, they're older, more comfortable, more cynical, more like the people I know I guess. I love Linklater's films for the most part, he takes the mundane and makes it hypnotically fascinating.

08 - Annie Hall (1977) Woody Allen
I'm not sure this is Allen's best film, C&M maybe, I even think Match Point is a contender, it's probably my favorite 'London film'. Annie Hall just appeals to the inner depressive that wants to move to New York and look disappointingly at everyone I see who is content. Although the only straight comedy in the list, I think all of these films (except the sci-fi three) share a similar comedy tone in places.

09 - Slacker (1991) Richard Linklater
The OP decided to only include a director once, which is strange to me, either these are your favorite ten films or they're not, making room for other directors seems kind of against the point of the thread. Regardless Linklater is the only one who got in twice. Linklater describes this and Waking Life as his two 'kitchen sink' movies, little vaguely connected vignettes of thoughts and shorts almost, tied together by location and time. A great film just to let wash over yourself I think.

10 - Blade Runner (1982) Ridley Scott
The most 'normal' entry in the list I guess. It doesn't speak to me in any notable way, it's awesome. It's beautifully shot, well acted (with a couple of exceptions maybe), well written, and like some others here I found it thought provoking. I thought Scott's first film (which has a name that escapes me) about sword fighting was fairly tiresome, Alien was pretty amazing, then Blade Runner was just incredible. A mixed bag since though.

 

[psykomyko]

Know what's a weird anomaly? The Big Lebowski has only appeared on one list so far. A lot of lists I see online include it in some capacity.

I personally did not like The Big Lebowski for some reason. I love Coen Brother films, but this one just didn't work for me.

 

[Mr. Sam]

Is it odd that I adore Charlie Kaufman as a writer but still haven't gotten around to watching Synecdoche, New York? I suppose it is.

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

HUGE DILEMMA GAF:

I blanked and forgot to include La Dolce Vita. But I don't really want to boot any of the films that I have. HALP.

 

[overcast]

I love the fact a few people posted Before Sunrise. Though it won't be on my list I feel it is under appreciated. I will post my list shortly.

 

[Jo Shishido's Cheeks]

Agreed with most of your post RIGHT up until you used Godard as your example. I'd have to concur with anybody who claimed Godard as overrated.

AHH I just saw this! Well, all I can say is put your shoes on, cause we gotta take this one outside!

I sincerely think that were somebody to be doing a study on the progression on cinema since it's inception, the three major figures behind all cinematic technique and the ones responsible for the form and content of what cinema is and how's it known to be today would be D.W Griffith, Orson Welles and Jean-Luc Godard. For me he is that important.
When his biggest fans hyperbolically state that Godard IS cinema, it's somewhat hard to disagree in my opinion.
Whether the majority of his films are 'enjoyable' is something else though, but it's hard to overrate somebody who's innovations in cinema are being imitated 50 years (and counting) later.
Similar to this thread and the personal taste issue, we could look at Godard in the same way. Just because he's one of the most important directors, that doesn't necessarily make him one of the best, does it? Or does it? For me he straddles the two just as some of your film choices would be both the amongst the best you've seen and also personal favourites but it also goes the other way, failure to enjoy the mans work in no way diminishes his talent.

I'm not saying you're wrong btw, just saying that I can see why he will continue to be revered for all time and in this case I also agree.

 

[Kraftwerk]

I will have a list once i watch Tree of Life.

 

[TheKaeptain]

This is my personal list.

1) Taxi Driver (1976, God)
2) A Bittersweet Life (2005, Kim Jee-Woon)
3) Le Samouraï (1967, Jean-Pierre Melville)
4) Stray Dog (1949, not made by a Japanese person)
5) Harakiri (1962, Kobayashi)
6) Love Exposure (2008, Shion Sono)
7) Terminator 2 (1991, Cameron) (BRING IT SWOON!)
8) The Man That Shot Liberty Valance (1962, John Ford)
9) Castle in the Sky (1986, Hayao Miyazaki)
10) Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980, Irvin Kershner)

These are the movies I can watch over and over.

Days of Heaven should be on there but I couldn't think of a spot.

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

I'd probably list My Dinner with Andre if I'm going to list a "conversation" movie. Before Sunrise is good, Before Sunset is great or near-great, but while they are both probably more relevant to the lives of 99% of people, I think the conversation in My Dinner with Andre has a depth and timelessness that surpasses either Linklater movie, plus the fact that it plays with time in almost imperceptible ways.

 

[overcast]

1. The Godfather Part 2
2. 2001: A Space Odyssey
3. Goodfellas
4.On the Waterfront
5. Pulp Fiction
6. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
7.Seven Samurai
8. Boogie Nights
9. City of God
10.Toy Story

That was incredibly difficult. Some of those are favorites. Oh well.

 

[AlteredBeast]

Not A Big Lebowski fan either.

Don't understand the love for Waking Life. I might be missing something, but on a recommendation, I bought it blind the day it came out on DVD about 10 years ago (maybe more? time flies) and have tried to watch it about 5 times. I have rarely ever in my entire life fallen asleep while watching a movie, but have done so 3 times during this movie. The two times that I didn't, I still didnt get the love...