Please Don't Watch "Let Me In", this October!!!!!!!!!!
1: Låt den rätte komma in
I didn't know where to place this one until I realized that the whole reason that I'm making a new list is because of this film. I don't care about Matt Reeves and his bullshit "Let Me In" film. He should've never DARED to remake this movie. It's not that old and just because it's in another language, is that really a reason? To all you people who fawn over the mawkish cornball of a movie/book series, Twilight... You do not impress and you have no idea.
I'm not even going to attempt a review or a summary as I'll most likely bollix it. If you haven't seen this movie yet, do not accept summaries or IMDb reviews. Don't Wiki for the plot or ask a friend. Get your pantywaist ass and log onto your netflix account and put it on your damn queue. If you have to...see the bottom of this post for a Trailer.
2: Henry V
I haven't changed so much that I thought it necessary to leave out this masterpiece. I still have a nice cross-section of brain cells devoted to every line in this version of Shakespeare's best. And thought I moved it down to 2 does not mean I see any less in it than the day I first watched it.
3: Casablanca
Once again this movie must make my list. Leaving it out is not an option. For a hardcore devotee of film noir and post war drama I'm putting this movie third; a position that is not likely to degrade over time. Each time I watch this movie it makes me want a bottle to drink from. Maybe that's not a good thing?
4: Gosford Park
Robert Altman was a man destined for greatness ever since he made M*A*S*H. Little did he know then that, before he died, he would create an ingenious homage to film noir and a thematic movie about upper British life during the turn of the century. Literally, the death knell of an entire era of tradition, industrial revolution, war economy and dishonest living. Watch, rapt with attention as you see all the evil little critters turn pale and scatter from their mansions like king cockroaches. This very same thing will happen to America soon, I can only hope they celebrate it with half as cool a movie as Gosford Park.
5: Throne of Blood
It's long been held that Akira Kurosawa never had a breakaway film. That is to say none of his films broke away from the tradition...of being amazing. Throne of Blood was actually an adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth. Pity Shakespeare because, I like it better. Macbeth was nowhere near the epic thematic chilling tale of madness and powerlust that Throne of Blood is. And what Kurosawa film is complete without Toshiro Mifune?
6: The Name of the Rose
This movie may have crawled up a few spaces on my list...but having read the book over and over again, I see how this movie(even though it has Sean Connery) is puny in comparison. The book holds dominance in my library, this film is not as powerful. But let me assure you that although not every theme that Umberto Eco wove into the book is present here, this movie is not empty. Each hour is a labyrinthine mesh of confusing red herrings that will have you so utterly confused at conclusion you'll never figure out the ultimate mystery the movie presents. Which is simply: "Why was this movie called 'The Name of the Rose'?" Maybe you're just not smart enough.
7: Session 9
One could figure this listing out from my profile(seen visible on the left). The fact that I think this movie was one of the more disturbing films I've seen weighed heavily on my placing it on this list. Something in the cinematography and the low-fi grainy feel made it seem dangerous. The characters were people you knew, the events were nothing special...just a job. The setting was a little outrageous but the fact remains it was real. What really happened in the making of this movie was a miracle.
8: Night of the Living Dead
I realize this is replacing Day of the Dead. I'm okay with this. Why is it that Day of the Dead feels more contrived and fake than Night of the Living Dead? Why is this movie more real? Why is it more wounding? How amazing is it that Romero could take themes like Racism or Mall-Culture or the Military/Industrial complex or Elitism vs the Homeless and work them into something so seemingly mindless as a zombie flick? This movie is all about racism and deals with it without mentioning it, without pointing out the obvious and for it's time it was a loud voice contributing to a serious issue.
9: La Jetee
Have you ever had to make a choice? Was it important? There is no dialogue in this French-narrated black and white film. It's kind of sweet-tasting that they make a movie about the future in black-and-white in such a dark way. It's not a happy future, I suppose. For those wondering, this movie was stolen to make Twelve Monkeys with Bruce Willis. It's only 28 minutes.
10: Stranger Than Fiction
This movie is in complete contrast with the rest of my list. It's a very heartwarming comedy that delivers an almost fairy-tale arrangement of impossible meets the unexplained. It has the single best ending of any movie on my list with the exception of #1. I admit it, it's a feel-good movie and a stereo-typical chick-flick(if I can be forgiven for saying so). It is the cinematic equivalent of eating chocolate cake with a glass of milk.
Runner-ups and honorable mentions:
Plan 9 from Outer Space
Adaptation
The Big Lebowski
Dune
Alien
House on Haunted Hill
Zombieland
Star Wars(IV-VI)
Twilight
Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse
Nosferatu
Any single James Bond movie
Any single movie done by MST3k
Did I mention Låt den rätte komma in? It's Swedish for..."Let the right one in." Please watch it instead of that Hollywood filth coming out this fall.
-Sin
Re: Your top 10 (Descriptive version)
Battle RoyaleEasily my favourite movie. I dont know what i love so much about it but it could be the concept of a government trying to control youth or the great characters such as Kitano and especially Kiriyama.
Public EnemyA korean movies from a few years back this is one of the funniest black comedies ive seen. Nothing is subtle in this film. The story of a crooked cop hunting down a crooked businessman has never been done like this.
Hard Boiled The last movie John Woo made before going to Hollywood is probably his best. For an action movie it has got a pretty convuluted plot and has an excellent performance from Chow Yun Fat. Slow motion, Baby.
AkiraTruly a feast for the eyes. There is no better looking movie and the atmosphere of Neo Toyko is just so darkly conveyed. Anyone who hasnt seen it needs to see it before the remake ruins everything.
FF VII Advent ChildrenBeing a FF VII means that this has to be on my list. This film looks infinitely better than real life and out of all the films ive ever seen it probably has the best chereographed fight scenes in any film. A worthy addition to any list.
OldboyProbably one of the darkest movies i have ever seen. This film is just simply perfectly paced with you finding out just enough to keep you hooked.And despite the ending being a bit of a damp squib the twist in the story is just astounding.
Die Hard Similarly to Oldboy this is an action movie which is perfectly paced. Alan Rickman is perfect in his role and this film has a perfect balance of action, romance and humour. It also has some very memorable set pieces. Ditto Die Hard with a Vengeance.
Monty Pythons life if Brian The funniest film i have seen bar none. This film doesnt lack for memorable characters( Biggus Dickus anyone) or memorable lines("he's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy") Proof that when done correctly surreal humour is infinitely better than sophisticated humour. The holy grail just missed out on my top 10.
RanIn my opinion Akira Kurosawa is the greatest director who ever walked the earth. Any number of his films such as Rashomon, The Seven Samurai, The Hidden Fortress, Kagemusha or Dreams could have made my list. Akiras interpretation of King Lear is in my opinion his masterpiece. The film is distinctly his with its amazing palette of colours and his ability to put stark images in your head as well as feel the loss when a character dies. A film everyone should see.
Ichi the killerLIke with Kurosawa i could have put any number of Takashi Miike movies in here. I chose Ichi as it has one thing his other movies dont. Probably the greatest screen performance i have seen from Tadanobu Asano as a masochist who is hunting down the sadist who killed his Yakuza boss. Honourable mentions to One missed call, Crows zero 1 and 2 as well as Happiness of the Katakuris from Miike.
Re: Your top 10 (Descriptive version)
I'm fond of science fiction and crazy stuff. I don't like American cinema too well, it's too fake for me. These are in no particular order(I can't be bothered to number them)
- Chungking Express
Someone mentioned this movie, I think? I saw it and had to put it up. I like the soundtrack, which is to say I like this one song they play over and over again. It's a lot like Tarantino, even though it isn't. But it has the random, chopped up timeline and the criminal intrigue along with a real story about second and last chances.
- Dune
I do like David Lynch and practically everything he does. Twin Peaks is choice. Dune was David Lynch doing Sci-fi, how could it be anything short of brilliant? The acting is over-the-top and cheesy just like sci-fi should be.
- Forbidden Planet
This is the movie that would be at the top of my list(had I numbered them). It's American cinema at it's finest, which is to say it's about 50 years old. It's well-written and full of that Flash Gordon greatness.
- Dr. Strangelove
Peter Sellers will never be anything but genius and this movie was his masterpiece. And for a comedy, people simply don't take it serious enough. The laughs are real, but this movie isn't really meant for laughing at.
- Murder on the Orient Express
Murder Mystery is something my auntie got me into. This is that kind of old-style dapper British Agatha Christie sleuth whodunnit. It's just hilarious how happy the music is in this movie.
- Clockwork Orange
Sci-Fi, genius, well-acted, well-written and a cinematic classic. It's actually a little darker than I like movies. But it's still a classic.
- Bedazzled
It had to be on here. Peter Cook.
- A Scanner Darkly
A nice piece of work, despite Mr. Reeves. Phillip K. **** will always be a favorite. You may well wonder why I have this one up instead of Blade Runner. Well, this is a placeholder for pretty much every Phillip K. **** movie ever made.
EDIT: Good Lord!! You censored the poor man's name! Sacrilege! Poor Mr. ****! *I had such a laugh over this, you've no idea*
- Flash Gordon
I'm a pretty big Flash Gordon fan and the fact that Brian Blessed is in it makes it movie gold. It's so cheesy, so awful that it can't help but loop around and be brilliant.
- The Count of Monte Cristo
SWASHBUCKLING! It doesn't have Errol Flynn, but it's amazing and it does have Richard Harris in it, RIP.
Re: Your top 10 (Descriptive version)
1. The Amityville Horror (1979)
-I love this movie. Alot of people don't like it, but I think it's good. Instead of relying on cheap thrills and CGI effects like horror movies today tend to do, this film slowly built up the creepiness and tension, and the atmosphere was great! Felt like a real haunted house. I like how it was (for the most part) a depiction of what a real haunted house is really like and not all fake. Only problem was the ending was kind of anticlimatic, but I'm not really sure how you could end it in a bigger way without keeping the realistic feeling to it.
2. Scarface (The one people care about)
-Good movie. Pacino did a superb job in his role. I don't think anyone else would've been better for the part. And I liked his character...ruthless, yet still had heart and a caring side. I liked the storyline and I liked all the action also. Hated seeing Tony kill Manny and hated seeing Tony die, but those moments are key parts to the movie and needed to happen.
3. Dumb & Dumber
-My favorite comedy movie of all-time. Loved the plot and the characters. Jim and Jeff played their dumb characters to perfection. :lol: So many funny lines and moments, it'd be easier to list moments that weren't funny. Gotta love how they go through all the trouble they went through for it to be all for nothing in the end. :lol: Supposedly a sequel is in the works, with Jim Carrey on board. Not sure if Jeff Daniels is yet, but I'd imagine he'd be happy to do it. Hope it happens.
4. Bram Stoker's Dracula
-It's one of those movies I can only watch once in a while, but that doesn't mean I like it any less. It's just that kind of movie. Loved the whole dark atmosphere. Especially in the early part of the film, when John Harker was unsuspectingly lured and trapped inside the castle. Creepiest part of the movie. Gary Oldman did an awesome job as Dracula and I liked Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of Van Helsing. Oh, and yes, I loved the short kiss between Mina and Lucy and the nudity showed a few times throughout the movie. :lol:
5. Friday
-This has always been a favorite of mine since I was still a pre-teen. The characters were all great, Smokey, Debo and Ezail especially. Many funny moments and some good moments that weren't funny, but more serious. All around great movie. Hated seeing Debo get beat up by Craig, though.
6. Bad Santa
-Effing hilarious! Everything in this movie was hilarious. From the kid and his funny weirdo personality, to the midget to Willy. So many funny lines. My favorite parts are when Willy and Thurman are playing checkers, the part where they're in the car and Thurman asks about the raindeer and being dropped on his head, and the part where Therman cuts his hand. :lol: The part where Willy beats up on the bullies bullying Therman was nice also in a warm-hearted kind of way.
7. Terminator 2: Judgement Day
-No doubt one of the greatest action movies of all-time. It's not often the sequel is better than the original, but in this case, the sequel blows the original out of the water. Had alot of action. The characters were all awesome. Sarah Conner...a woman doesn't get much more badass than that.
8. Planes, Trains & Automobiles
- When I said Dumb & Dumber was my favorite comedy ever, I had forgotten about this one. They both tie as #1 in my book. So many hilarious moments (the two central characters wake up spooning with each other, they burn the car to a crisp and still drive it, "The Mess Around" :lol:). My favorite John Candy film and he was just great in this movie. Got a little sad towards the end and really made you feel sorry for Candy's character. And it almost always gets to me at the very end when it freezeframes on Candy smiling, knowing he's no longer here. Still one of my favorite lines in any movie: "You do more ball-handling in an hour than Larry Bird does in an entire night!" "You know what would make me happy?" "What, a couple more balls and an extra set of fingers?" Hilarious.
I'm gonna stop at 8, if nobody minds. I gotta get ready for work. Those aren't in any particular order, by the way, since it's kind of hard to rank movies in order when they're different kinds/genres.
Re: Your top 10 (Descriptive version)
1.A Walk to Remember: The best romantic movie I have ever seen, actually the best movie I have ever seen.
2.Lord of the Rings: I would say I love all of the parts coz' all of them are awesome.
3.Stardust: I can never get tired of this movie. The best movie I have ever seen.
4.Dragonfly: The sweetest movie I have ever seen.
5.Life as we Know it: The best romantic-comedy movie I've seen, so far. It's pretty awesome.
6.War Horse: It is the sweetest movie I have ever seen. The story's really good.
7.Zombieland: It's just so funny. I've watched this movie like a thousand of times and I can never get tired of it.
8.Harry Potter: I love all of the parts and they are just awesome. I can never get tired of it.
9.Black Hawk Down: The best action movie I've seen so far.
10.Due Date: It's just so damn funny. It makes me laugh, every time I see it.