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Many films that make "best" lists are boring as hell. Sorry, but French and Russian filmakers (Bresson, Eisenstein, Tarkovsky, etc.) often top those yawning lists. How about a list of films that are classics, and you can actually watch with pleasure---again and again? Here's my list, with a one-sentence "why":
"Pandora's Box": Because Louise Brooks is hotter than hell.
"Of Human Bondage": Bette Davis is hotter still.
"The Big Sleep": Bacall and Bogey's best?; as confusing as life.
"The Wild Ones": Marvin vs. Brando; sexy "good" girl.
"Black Orpheus": Brasil explained in 90 minutes.
"The Beauty and the Beast" & "Orpheus": OK, so I sometimes agree w/critics. Beautiful films.
"The Conformist": Fascism explained; Dominique Sanda.
"Big Country": One of the few epic great films. Shock: Heston could act!
"Giant": Dean's finest. Liz sizzles. Rock...is himself (so is Hopper.).
"Blow-up": Either you get it, or...(and the young Jeff Beck, too).
"The French Lieutenant's Woman": Great ensemble acting.
"The Passenger": Antonioni's best? Jack's best, for sure.
"The Sheltering Sky": Huge faults, sure...but greater virtues.
"The Getaway": Steve's the real deal; essence of male cool.
"The Collector": Samantha Eggar, yum. Stamp showed he had potential.
"Los Olvidados": Bunuel's best? "Belle du Jour" belongs, too.
"McCabe & Mrs. Miller": Finest western until "The Unforgiven?"
"Peixote": You want street? Lead actor murdered soon after.
"The Hidden": Best pulse-pounding sci-fi.
"The Vanishing": Scariest film of all time.
"Jackie Brown": Tarantino's a genius; DeNiro & Jackson give unforgetable performances (and Michael Keaton is a treat).
Well, I'd put these up against a lot of crap which no one watches, but feels bound to include on their lists so they can appear erudite (certainly nothing I'd be accused of...).
(Go ahead, I'm already ducking).
Follow Ups:
i like the approach of your post. and of the films that you listed that i know, your selections are good.black orpheus is a great film.
and jackie brown is a very good and interesting film.
i remember 'giant' being very good.
i just saw blade runner again and it's good. it has like an interesting point of view or mood to it. i think existenz, kind of off-beat in the same way, is better.
so you're talking perhaps about not your typical classics?
well what about mad max series? great anxiety films.
i'd say 8mm is a great film.
a new film that was pretty brilliant was 'the others'.
a couple of spike lee films would make my list: she's gotta have it, get off the bus, and the kings of comedy.
and i'm going to keep listing the indian film 'pather pachali' as a top five of all time, until someone sees this film and agrees with this. there's not a more brilliant film or a film with deeper meaning.
and the italian films 'miracle in milan' and fellini's 'variety lights' are a joy to watch.
Yeah that is Jeff Beck,the guvn'r(in my book),in Blow up.Everyone seems to remember that.However that is Page playing right next to him also.No one,it seems,mentions that fact.Only "Jeff Beck is in it."
I like about half your list.Just to toss a couple into the fray, how's about All That Jazz & Blade Runner?
Bill
Good list. I would not try to put down anyone else's list, just provide my own, and the reasons behind it. Sometimes you find like minds, but sometimes it's more fun to find un-like minds.
I gave at the office!
...much, lol. (Drops grenade.)I really like that critic's stuff - I really think those films are truly great - and most of them are great fun for me to watch too.
"Great" and "enjoyable" don't mean the same thing but they're not mutually exclusive.
The Hidden is one of my favorite genre films, but it ain't Alexander Nevsky. Have you actually watched Nevsky or Ivan the Terrible or Potemkin???? So what're your criteria for "great"? You enjoyed it?
OTOH, Pandora's Box is probably a "great film", and many critics love it too. Black Orpheus, Los Olvidados, Belle du jour, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Blow-up, and the Cocteau films all regularly make critics' lists...uh oh. You may be a closet snob.
Giant, The Big Country (love the music), The Getaway, The Big Sleep, Of Human Bondage, The Vanishing, are all enjoyable (if not great) films. Although I think The Getaway is hardly the best Jim Thompson to reach the big screen. The European vesion of The Vanishing is pretty scary, the US remake is lame. Jackie Brown is interesting, a step in the right direction for Tarantino. The Collector was pretty creepy, but I haven't seen it in twenty years.
Sheltering Sky - interesting failure. The Passenger Anotonioni's best??? Don't think so. The Conformist - don't remember well. French Lieutenant's Woman - Meryl does good accent, mediocre film. Peixote - never seen it.
Really, the only trash on your list is arguably The Hidden, and it's a fun piece of genre filmmaking. I think you need to ryy harder. Your list isn't that provacative. And anti-snobbery is snobbery of a sort.
Think I'll go watch Say Anything.
So many movies, so little time.
with Bertolucci's best film is astounding. How could one not KNOW "The Conformist?"
Don't tell me you want to argue some of Antonioni's "high art" paint-dryers are great? Historically important doesn't make them so, unless one feels that Joyce's "Ulysses," is also great (never met a truthful person that had read it.)
If it's boring, it ain't great (see "Hamlet").
Now, I dare anyone with at least two active neurons, and with less than a liter of strong espresso in them, to stay awake during any of Eisenstein's historical films. Jesus, only Tarkovsky is s-l-o-w-e-r. So, what kinds of methamphetamines do you indulge? (And it's bogus to compare "The Hidden" to a film in another genre; how would one compare "2001..." to "Mr. Hulot?"
***"Great" and "enjoyable" don't mean the same thing but they're not mutually exclusive.I'll drink to that, it's the difference between having a great teacher and having sex.
***OTOH, Pandora's Box is probably a "great film", and many critics love it too. Black Orpheus, Los Olvidados, Belle du jour, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Blow-up, and the Cocteau films all regularly make critics' lists...uh oh. You may be a closet snob.LOL! That was my feelings exactly!
***Sheltering Sky - interesting failure. The Passenger Anotonioni's best??? Don't think so.And here I agree with him... which one would you rate higher?
***The Conformist - don't remember well.Love that one. Marvelous.
***French Lieutenant's Woman - Meryl does good accent, mediocre film. Peixote - never seen it.
Ditto on both counts.
***Really, the only trash on your list is arguably The Hidden, and it's a fun piece of genre filmmaking. I think you need to ryy harder. Your list isn't that provacative. And anti-snobbery is snobbery of a sort.
Agreed.
***So many movies, so little time.To this one I would add: so many so hard to find!
***French Lieutenant's Woman - Meryl does good accent, mediocre film. Peixote - never seen it.***Ditto on both counts.
Remember seeing Pixote - I presume the extra 'e' was just a mistake, the Brazilian film about a boy... it was OK, nothing too great.
McCabe and Mrs. Miller, like High Noon, is a western for those who don't really "get" westerns, as is shown by your confusing "Unforgiven" with the superior "The Unforgiven".
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