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
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