AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

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BleuPanda
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by BleuPanda »

It's a hard world for little things.
80. The Night of the Hunter (1955) - Directed by Charles Laughton
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Decade Rank: 13
TSPDT rank: 44
AMF 2012 rank: 30 (down 50)
Score: 850.49
Votes: 13


Individual Votes:
Michel: 8/242
MrMooney: 17/195
Dexter: 32/236
OtisRedding: 31/136

MaschineMan: 43/165
---
Greg: 135/237
BleuPanda: 127/222
Petri: 143/247
bonnielaurel: 146/233
whuntva: 132/170
Live in Phoenix: 126/145
Midaso: 163/184
Gillingham: 208/229


The closest example I can think of as the cinematic equivalent of a fairytale. One of the greatest films told from the perspective of children, the incredible degree of innocence and genuine horror depicted in this film is reflective of this narrative approach. The film perfectly fuses sensibilities of silent cinema to create a work of truly “pure cinema”: the light, as represented by mise-en-scene inspired by Griffith and embodied by no less than Lillian Gish, while the darkness is symbolized by the style of German expressionism, replete with jarring angles and deep shadows, and represented by the great Robert Mitchum, the soul of film noir, as a man who may as well be a monster in human clothing. A damn shame that Laughton never directed another film, especially when you consider how incredible this movie is, and how much he clearly appreciated the cinema’s origins. – JimmyJazz

I am a human being! I am a man!
79. The Elephant Man (1980) - Directed by David Lynch
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Decade Rank: 14
TSPDT rank: 539
AMF 2012 rank: new
Score: 851.54
Votes: 12


Individual Votes:
MrMooney: 3/195
Michel: 32/242

bonnielaurel: 72/233
MaschineMan: 55/165
OtisRedding: 46/136
Petri: 92/247
whuntva: 70/170
Greg: 111/237
---
Midaso: 112/184
BleuPanda: 146/222
Gillingham: 160/229
Dexter: 174/236

David Lynch’s most accessible film, though that isn’t to say it isn’t strange. Lynch has always been fascinated by people with various disabilities, though he has largely avoided exploitation and instead focuses on the humanity in his subjects. Though not in his usual surrealistic style, The Elephant Man is an important entry in the David Lynch canon because it is a thorough examination of the values he uses when creating his characters. John Merrick is an incredibly sympathetic protagonist, which makes the scenes of his torment all the more terrible. It is a stark reminder of how every stray look adds up, and it hits especially hard because it questions the audience’s true intention; would we have been one of the careless onlookers? Do we still have difficulty accepting him as fully human? Yet David Lynch finds beauty as well, spending so much of the narrative exploring Merrick’s relationship with those who can see him for the man he is. – BleuPanda

Sometimes I'd tell them the truth and they still wouldn't believe me, so I prefer to lie.
78. The 400 Blows (1959) - Directed by Francois Truffaut
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Decade Rank: 12
TSPDT rank: 24
AMF 2012 rank: new
Score: 852.54
Votes: 12


Individual Votes:
BleuPanda: 26/222
Dexter: 35/236
Petri: 38/247

OtisRedding: 36/136
Greg: 69/237
Michel: 90/242
MrMooney: 78/195
Midaso: 74/184
---
Chilton: 77/133
bonnielaurel: 135/233
whuntva: 101/170
Gillingham: 174/229

One of the two films to kick start the New Wave movement, The 400 Blows feels almost tame when compared to the works of Godard. Where Breathless was a bizarre meeting point between an American crime film and experimental cinema, The 400 Blows is a down to earth look at the life of an unfortunate boy. Antoine Doinel simply can’t find a place where he is accepted, and his solution is to keep running away. The 400 Blows is one of the most riveting films about childhood, and it never quite eases off, to the point it appears Antoine must have ended up on the wrong side of a divine presence. In true New Wave fashion, there are some unforgettable shots, from a lonely take of Antoine talking to a psychologist to a sequence shot from the center of a Rotor ride. Perhaps the most infamous is the closing shot, as Antoine finally arrives at the beach and gives a vacant look toward the camera, the film ending with a freeze frame on this shot. The dream has been reached, but was it worth what was lost along the way? – BleuPanda

Computer, define dancing.
77. WALL-E (2008) - Directed by Andrew Stanton
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Decade Rank: 7
TSPDT rank: 597
AMF 2012 rank: 101 (up 24)
Score: 853.04
Votes: 19


Individual Votes:
whuntva: 1/170
acroamor: 17/98
Chilton: 29/133
BleuPanda: 53/222

Michel: 66/242
MaschineMan: 49/165
Nick: 41/125
Greg: 81/237
Nassim: 40/87
MrMooney: 93/195
OtisRedding: 67/136
---
bootsy: 45/87
Gillingham: 138/229
Live in Phoenix: 110/145
luney6: 53/69
bonnielaurel: 186/233
Dexter: 198/236
Petri: 213/247
Midaso: 182/184


Just WALL-E and EVE are more interesting than whole casts of many 'normal' feature films. - Gillingham

Everything a good movie should be. It conveys visual storytelling and is able to bring emotion into every scene. While I can understand some people being lost by the preachy and talky second half, it still works for me because at its heart, WALL-E is a simple love story and a visual one that never loses that visual element. Therefore, WALL-E is nothing short of my favorite movie of all time! - whuntva

Vegetable plants, pizza plants. - Pixar has had such a wonderful run. This will be remembered as one of their masterpieces. Brilliant Pixar animation, one of their finest attempts. With a sweet love story and lots of great moments, one of my favourite family films. - MaschineMan

My favorite Pixar film until last year's Inside Out. An incredible feat in visual storytelling - the vast majority of the film is dialogue free, and the protagonist is functionally mute. It's gorgeous, the first Pixar film in their recent era of truly breathtaking visuals. Some have argued the story as a Christ narrative, with Wall-E as the redeeming force for all of mankind, after their sloth destroyed their planet and reduced them to blob-like creatures. Pixar presents mankind as baby-fat, infantile, cute, whereas the same material in many directors's hands could (rightfully) be deeply horrifying. Pixar has spoiled the children of this generation with too many marvelous films. - acroamor

What he did to Shakespeare we are doing now to Poland.
76. To Be or Not to Be (1942) - Directed by Ernst Lubitsch
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Decade Rank: 9
TSPDT rank: 107
AMF 2012 rank: 25 (down 51)
Score: 854.21
Votes: 8


Individual Votes:
Michel: 7/242
Greg: 40/237
bonnielaurel: 44/233
Dexter: 49/236

OtisRedding: 41/136
---
BleuPanda: 144/222
Petri: 169/247
Live in Phoenix: 130/145

Ernst Lubitsch was one of the greatest directors of comedy the cinema has ever produced, and while his films often skirted with risqué subject matter (mostly in terms of sexuality in the Hollywood system), this film is without a doubt his most daring. A black war comedy as excellent in both its themes and execution as Duck Soup, The Great Dictator, or Dr. Strangelove, Lubitsch manages to fuse his signature “touch” with a considerably more ambitious topic. One thing I will just remark about right now: It seems our film lovers are especially fond of black war comedies, what with the Marx Brothers, Lubitsch, and Kubrick films all making the Top 100. Which raises the question: what is it about war that makes for great comedy cinema? - JimmyJazz
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by BleuPanda »

Great Scott!
75. Back to the Future (1985) - Directed by Robert Zemeckis
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Decade Rank: 13
TSPDT rank: 298
AMF 2012 rank: new
Score: 854.23
Votes: 18


Individual Votes:
Live in Phoenix: 9/145
Nick: 9/125
Petri: 21/247
Midaso: 38/184

MrMooney: 49/195
bonnielaurel: 74/233
bootsy: 30/87
whuntva: 75/170
Nassim: 42/87
---
OtisRedding: 74/136
Dexter: 135/236
Chilton: 92/133
luney6: 50/69
BleuPanda: 166/222
acroamor: 85/98
Gillingham: 218/229
Michel: 231/242
MaschineMan: 164/165


I was never a fan of the franchise. I'm very picky about my time travel. - MaschineMan

Back to the Future is the movie that has it all. You want a classic high school movie? You’ve got it here. You want a movie that brings to mind the nostalgia of the 80s and the 50s? You’ve got it here. Want comedy? Want action? Want romance? Want science fiction? Here, here, here, and here. And all these genres and more are executed with such a high level of quality that first-time viewers tend to forget about the weirdness underlying the movie. Why is Marty McFly, high school student, best friends with an aging nuclear physicist? Isn’t the implied mother-son incest a little…off? And why would the McFly’s befriend Biff after he’d tried to take advantage of Mrs. McFly thirty years earlier? Alas, there are no clear answers. But as the film has aged it’s turned into something of a double-layered time capsule, at first encapsulating all of the nostalgia and zeitgeist of the 50s, and later encapsulating all of the nostalgia and zeitgeist of the 80s. It’s rare that a movie is able to come along and pull this off for one decade. Only Back to the Future is able to do it for two. Back to the Future is the definition of good-natured fun, and a rightful classic. – Nick

The music is all that matters. Nothing but the music.
74. The Red Shoes (1948) - Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger
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Decade Rank: 8
TSPDT rank: 162
AMF 2012 rank: new
Score: 861.12
Votes: 9


Individual Votes:
MrMooney: 16/195
Chilton: 13/133
bonnielaurel: 56/233
Gillingham: 57/229

BleuPanda: 71/222
Dexter: 92/236
---
Michel: 110/242
Greg: 125/237
Petri: 150/247

Brilliant Oscar winning technicolor beauty, enthralling dance sequences and Moira Shearer gives an impeccable performance. - MrMooney

In the midst of the generally drab and dreary British cinema of the mid-twentieth century, the Archers, Powell & Pressburger, stand out as being among the most vibrant and imaginative filmmakers in world cinema history, and this film, arguably their masterpiece (along with the other films they made in their amazing streak in the 1940s, of course!) certainly demonstrates this. Powell’s incredible sense of mise-en-scene, complemented by the great Jack Cardiff’s amazing color cinematography, so modern seeming and yet so surreal at the same time, creates a fantastic feeling that enraptures the viewer like a child in a bright toy store, and yet is brought back to a cruel and bitter reality and truth by Pressburger’s typically excellent screenplay. The ballet sequence is justifiably celebrated, but the film also serves as a larger portrait of an artist caught, ultimately fatally, between her two great passions. One of Scorsese’s all-time favorites, and the violent and turbulent emotions that lurk constantly under this film’s beautiful surface perfectly mirror the violence in his own films, in a certain way. – JimmyJazz

It's my big dick and I say when we roll.
73. Boogie Nights (1997) - Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
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Decade Rank: 9
TSPDT rank: 521
AMF 2012 rank: new
Score: 864.3
Votes: 15


Individual Votes:
Midaso: 3/184
Nassim: 4/87
MrMooney: 37/195

acroamor: 29/98
MaschineMan: 54/165
Gillingham: 80/229
Nick: 52/125
Petri: 118/247
---
Greg: 129/237
bonnielaurel: 137/233
BleuPanda: 134/222
Dexter: 164/236
Chilton: 94/133
bootsy: 63/87
Michel: 202/242

Boogie Nights started off Paul Thomas Anderson’s six film streak of perfection, a gripping tale from an unlikely source. A film about porn stars, Anderson touches on the subject with a keenly sympathetic eye. It examines life in a world some of us frequently look in on but never truly observe, and the inherent problems within a system where people essentially give up their private image. As comedic as it is depressing, Boogie Nights carries some heavy moments. Macy’s role as Bill Thompson carries some early dark humor until it ends as devastating as possible. The key moment in the movie is over a single night, as three of the characters reach their breaking point. The film intercuts between a shootout, a homophobic assault, and an experimental porn shoot gone terribly wrong, all carried with an ominous score. It’s one of those rare works that truly carries a large cast of characters, interweaving through so many narrative elements while never losing a trace. – BleuPanda


72. Dekalog (1989) - Directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski
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Decade Rank: 12
TSPDT rank: 187
AMF 2012 rank: 91 (up 19)
Score: 865.43
Votes: 7


Individual Votes:
Michel: 9/242
Midaso: 25/184
Greg: 52/237
Petri: 56/247

BleuPanda: 91/222
whuntva: 74/170
---
Live in Phoenix: 82/145

An incredibly ambitious work by a great spiritual art filmmaker in the European tradition of Dreyer, Bresson, Bergman, Tarkovsky, and the like. Kieslowski essentially, by taking the Ten Commandments and transplanting them as the subject of 10 individual episodes set in modern Poland (a stand-in for modern Western civilization in general), takes an austere look at what our general concepts of “morality”, abstract concepts that we often accept as truths, mean in our modern world that poses several dilemmas to such ideas. Much like the aforementioned filmmakers, however, Kieslowski also knows how to balance his austerity with a deep humanistic compassion for the fallible creature that is humankind. – JimmyJazz

It's human to lie. Most of the time we can't even be honest with ourselves.
71. Rashomon (1950) - Directed by Akira Kurosawa
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Decade Rank: 11
TSPDT rank: 20
AMF 2012 rank: new
Score: 865.44
Votes: 15


Individual Votes:
BleuPanda: 16/222
MaschineMan: 37/165
Greg: 54/237
whuntva: 41/170

Nick: 37/125
MrMooney: 59/195
Michel: 74/242
Dexter: 77/236
Petri: 86/247
bonnielaurel: 109/233
---
acroamor: 50/98
Gillingham: 118/229
Live in Phoenix: 80/145
Nassim: 67/87
Midaso: 162/184


The shots of the bandit looking towards the sky and then starting to recount his tale with the most breathtaking cloud formation blew my mind. I have only just watched this, so next time I expect it to rank much higher. - MaschineMan

Rashomon is one of the masterworks of narrative cinema. Its setup is simple; four people recount their stories of a rape and murder. Naturally, all four disagree on certain elements, but it gets to such a point that the only thing ever agreed upon is the fact that these two crimes happened. What makes Rashomon such a twisting tale is how each of the three characters at the scene find a way to blame themselves. For the thief, it’s a tale of power; the samurai, a tale of honor; the wife, a tale of guilt. We are given the bandit’s story and are quick to accept him as the murderer, as much as his lies are clear. Adding these two other narratives even puts that into a new perspective, as what reason would his victims have to blame themselves. The film adds an additional narrative to tie the story together, a woodcutter who witnessed the whole affair. However, even that has glaring omissions. Rashomon questions perspective and the subjectivity of truth in a way that has never been matched. Additionally, it is one of Kurosawa’s most beautifully shot films, the scenes in the grove absolutely stunning, and Mifune gives one of his best performances. - BleuPanda
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by Nick »

Well it wasn't The Wizard of Oz...and it wasn't Back to the Future either.

I'm still leaning towards Raiders of the Lost Ark and Pulp Fiction, with Spirited Away as a dark horse candidate.
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by BleuPanda »

With these guesses, I expect you'll all be surprised by the remaining films that received 19 votes.
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by luney6 »

BleuPanda wrote:With these guesses, I expect you'll all be surprised by the remaining films that received 19 votes.
Hmmm...Is it 2001? Citizen Kane? Maybe Vertigo?
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by whuntva »

luney6 wrote:
BleuPanda wrote:With these guesses, I expect you'll all be surprised by the remaining films that received 19 votes.
Hmmm...Is it 2001? Citizen Kane? Maybe Vertigo?[/quote]

Has anyone suggested Casablanca? I think that might be a contender.

Of course, there is always Boyhood. Since it is the most recent film left, it wouldn't surprise me.
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by Midaso »

I haven't seen Casablanca (and have no intention to in the near future) so there's one...
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by Nick »

I'm guessing that it won't be a movie from before 1970 due to some bias against "old movies".
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by luney6 »

Nick wrote:I'm guessing that it won't be a movie from before 1970 due to some bias against "old movies".
On this forum? I doubt it.
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by Nick »

luney6 wrote:
Nick wrote:I'm guessing that it won't be a movie from before 1970 due to some bias against "old movies".
On this forum? I doubt it.
Well not from the majority of voters. But all it takes it one voter with said bias to deny an old film all 20 votes.
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by luney6 »

Nick wrote:
luney6 wrote:
Nick wrote:I'm guessing that it won't be a movie from before 1970 due to some bias against "old movies".
On this forum? I doubt it.
Well not from the majority of voters. But all it takes it one voter with said bias to deny an old film all 20 votes.
Mmm, yeah, I guess so. But looking at my votes, I feel like 2001 could be a good bet. ;)
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by BleuPanda »

Welp...See, I'm really bad at planning things, and I'm actually starting what is essentially this exact project but with video games on another forum in a couple days, which means I need to tie this together within the next three days. Unfortunately I have been left with a bunch of films that will be a challenge for me to write about, but, oh well. Challenge accepted.
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by luney6 »

BleuPanda wrote:Welp...See, I'm really bad at planning things, and I'm actually starting what is essentially this exact project but with video games on another forum in a couple days, which means I need to tie this together within the next three days. Unfortunately I have been left with a bunch of films that will be a challenge for me to write about, but, oh well. Challenge accepted.

Oh. Really sorry BleuPanda. I'll send in my write ups ASAP.
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by BleuPanda »

Whoops. Accidentally wrote for a film then realized I missed the fact someone had claimed it. Oh well, two write-ups are better than one.

I'm not afraid of heights. I'm afraid of fallin'.
70. Paris, Texas (1984) - Directed by Wim Wenders
Image
Decade Rank: 11
TSPDT rank: 238
AMF 2012 rank: 62 (down 8)
Score: 865.75
Votes: 11


Individual Votes:
Michel: 13/242
Midaso: 20/184
Greg: 47/237

Petri: 64/247
MrMooney: 62/195
OtisRedding: 54/136
whuntva: 82/170
---
Dexter: 122/236
bonnielaurel: 128/233
Gillingham: 133/229
BleuPanda: 149/222

Paris, Texas is an existential look at love and loss. It starts out first as some form of mystery; a man appears from the desert after going without contact for years. After remaining silent, he opens up about the turmoil of his old marriage. The film turns into this quest to reconnect with his lost family with the assistance of his brother. This is a road trip movie, yet the narrative is always turned inward. What does he ever hope to find when he reaches his lost love? Travis views everything in the world from a distance, at least physically. Everything builds into the final confrontation, where Travis meets his ex-wife in a room at a club with a one-way mirror. In his usual silent way she first assumes he is a customer, but as he tells a story she realizes who he is. This one-way mirror is a perfect symbol; he can see her while she can’t see him. Even then, they can’t physically face one another. Few films create such weight between speaking characters. – BleuPanda

The first scenes of both Harry Dean Stanton and (much later) Nastassja Kinski are so iconic that they themselves make this movie special. A very one-of-a-kind road movie that begins as an enigmatic story about a suffering man who has been lost for years. He ends up at his brother’s, who has taken care of his son, home. In a way, not much happens in the movie, but the 2,5 hours long film feels much shorter. The atmosphere of the film is plaintive and bare but also warm. And the score by Ry Cooder is perfect.

The finale of this great movie points out that sometimes leaving the most loved ones can be the least bad decision and after years have passed it’s still possible and worth of try to make amends and try to correct at least some of your mistakes. - Petri

September 21, 1945…that was the night I died.
69. Grave of the Fireflies (1988) - Directed by Isao Takahata
Image
Decade Rank: 10
TSPDT rank: 849
AMF 2012 rank: 47 (down 22)
Score: 866.74
Votes: 13


Individual Votes:
Petri: 13/247
Chilton: 12/133
MaschineMan: 25/165
MrMooney: 33/195
BleuPanda: 50/222

whuntva: 80/170
---
Gillingham: 121/229
bonnielaurel: 130/233
Nick: 80/125
Michel: 155/242
Nassim: 56/87
Dexter: 184/236
Greg: 211/237


If this doesn't make you cry, then I don't know what will. - Chilton

Why must fireflies die so young? - A devastating film. - MaschineMan

Still the most devastating film I have ever witnessed. - BleuPanda

In 1988 Studio Ghibli released yet another masterpiece besides Totoro. This very different portrayal of childhood tells a story about a brother and sister who become orphans during the World War II. They try to survive without the help of adults in times when it's hard to even find food and shelter. One of the saddest movies of cinematic history doesn't offer you a happy ending. The war takes its toll. During mankind's darkest times, like fireflies, the children glow joy of life until they fade away just before dawn. – Petri

I love you no matter what is in your head!
68. Breaking the Waves (1996) - Directed by Lars von Trier
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Decade Rank: 8
TSPDT rank: 219
AMF 2012 rank: 50 (down 18)
Score: 867.67
Votes: 9


Individual Votes:
Michel: 5/242
Petri: 8/247
Greg: 46/237

OtisRedding: 53/136
---
Midaso: 99/184
Dexter: 133/236
bonnielaurel: 138/233
BleuPanda: 153/222
Gillingham: 178/229

Lars von Trier has a really ugly take on love. Love in Breaking the Waves isn’t passion but exploitation. A man begins dying after a work accident and he asks his recently married wife to begin having sex with other men so she can tell the stories and he can imagine himself as the participant. At first she lies, but he sees through everything. Strangely enough, as she goes out and begins sleeping with other men, his health begins to get visibly better. Lars von Trier carries the premise to absurdity, and the finale is inevitable yet heartbreaking. What makes the film work is its series of escalations; Jan needs more and more vivid encounters, too unaware in his ill health to realize the harm being done to his wife. Bess plays along, finding a strangely religious delusion to justify her actions. It’s a journey in how far someone will go for love, but it forces us to ask how far one should go. The ending feels as much a moment of religious enlightenment as it does a Nihilist take on fate. – BleuPanda

They say it's the last song. They don't know us, you see. It's only the last song if we let it be.
67. Dancer in the Dark (2000) - Directed by Lars von Trier
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Decade Rank: 6
TSPDT rank: 600
AMF 2012 rank: 74 (up 7)
Score: 869.92
Votes: 12


Individual Votes:
Chilton: 5/133
OtisRedding: 17/136
bonnielaurel: 32/233
MaschineMan: 32/165
Petri: 48/247

Gillingham: 96/229
Midaso: 86/184
---
Michel: 126/242
Greg: 124/237
BleuPanda: 184/222
Dexter: 206/236
whuntva: 165/170


I find von Trier to be overrated. This is probably my favorite film of his though. - whuntva

Dancer in the Dark might just be the oddest musical to ever be created. The film is a meeting point between Lars von Trier’s semi-serious semi-absurdist Nihilism and Bjork’s bizarre musical endeavors. On a narrative level, this is a super depressing tale of a woman going blind and going to extreme lengths to save her son from the same fate. On a stylistic level, Dancer turns into a true spectacle with another set of von Trier’s experimental limits. In this film, the musical numbers are separated from the rest of the scenes through this idea that it will be shot with a series of stationary cameras. It denotes fantasy sequences through new measurements, which is perfectly deconstructed when the final musical number is not shot in the same way; in the last moments, Selma truly is letting her song into the world. It’s a rare Lars von Trier film that doesn’t feel exploitative, but makes up for it by being even more miserable (and I mean that as a positive). – BleuPanda

Because what has hardened will never win.
66. Stalker (1979) - Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky
Image
Decade Rank: 12
TSPDT rank: 57
AMF 2012 rank: 17 (down 49)
Score: 871.47
Votes: 10


Individual Votes:
Gillingham: 4/229
Greg: 5/237

Michel: 63/242
whuntva: 56/170
Dexter: 91/236
---
Midaso: 94/184
BleuPanda: 119/222
Petri: 149/247
bonnielaurel: 157/233
Live in Phoenix: 144/145

Although it's quite a long film, Stalker can easily be watched and enjoyed without ever putting the volume on. It starts rather slowly, but once the main characters are off on their metaphorical quest with each their own motivation, the images speak more than a thousand words. Although the dialogue itself is quite interesting as well, it's the setting that makes it extraordinary. Tarkovsky is a true master if imagery and understood the potential of film as a unique art form like no other. The mysterious sound design works to great effect as well. Certain sounds in daily life reminisce specifically of this film. The soundtrack is really that, a sound track, quite different from the musical scores used in movies to enhance emotions. - Gillingham
Last edited by BleuPanda on Wed Mar 30, 2016 5:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by BleuPanda »

luney6 wrote:
BleuPanda wrote:Welp...See, I'm really bad at planning things, and I'm actually starting what is essentially this exact project but with video games on another forum in a couple days, which means I need to tie this together within the next three days. Unfortunately I have been left with a bunch of films that will be a challenge for me to write about, but, oh well. Challenge accepted.

Oh. Really sorry BleuPanda. I'll send in my write ups ASAP.
I meant that in regard to the films that simply haven't been claimed. The only remaining films I don't want to be the one to touch on that haven't been claimed are Freaks and The Godfather Part II, if anyone wants to write something up for me.
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by Nick »

"Grave of the Fireflies" is amazing, but there's about 5 or 6 Miyazaki films I'd put above it (and I know "Grave of the Fireflies" isn't Miyazaki). Just goes to show how amazing Studio Ghibli's output is.

For the record, those 5 or 6 Miyazaki films are-

Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, The Wind Rises, Ponyo, and Castle in the Sky
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by BleuPanda »

You're much too lovely to be truly loved.
65. Children of Paradise (1945) - Directed by Marcel Carné
Image
Decade Rank: 7
TSPDT rank: 54
AMF 2012 rank: 44 (down 21)
Score: 873.35
Votes: 9


Individual Votes:
Greg: 13/237
Petri: 18/247
Gillingham: 53/229
BleuPanda: 55/222

Dexter: 79/236
Live in Phoenix: 49/145
---
bonnielaurel: 117/233
Michel: 130/242
MrMooney: 151/195

This is one of those films that is difficult to write about without mentioning its production; this film was made during Nazi occupation. But unlike many resistance films, this is a production as lavish as they come, one undeniably French in its making. A three hour monolith, Children of Paradise exists almost as a tour of a bygone era. The sheer scope of some shots is jawdropping; the crowded streets and theaters are astonishing in just the mass of people fit into a single image. The ways these crowds transform throughout the film is equally impressive, changing from simple viewers to an oppressive swarm. At the center of the story is a woman, a woman who is loved by many men. But what the film really cares about is performers. Set on and off the stage, Children of Paradise has much to say about the roles of actors and the way we treat others based on presentation alone. – BleuPanda

Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world, I feel like I can't take it, and my heart is just going to cave in.
64. American Beauty (1999) - Directed by Sam Mendes
Image
Decade Rank: 7
TSPDT rank: 888
AMF 2012 rank: 15 (down 49)
Score: 875.6
Votes: 17


Individual Votes:
acroamor: 10/98
Petri: 30/247
MaschineMan: 23/165
Chilton: 21/133
Michel: 47/242

bootsy: 29/87
MrMooney: 65/195
OtisRedding: 47/136
bonnielaurel: 88/233
Gillingham: 89/229
---
Midaso: 96/184
Nassim: 57/87
Nick: 85/125
BleuPanda: 162/222
Greg: 187/237
Dexter: 205/236
whuntva: 168/170


Lose it? I didn't lose it. It's not like, “Whoops! Where'd my job go?” I QUIT. Someone pass the asparagus, please. - I found the film to be quite funny, along with several others on this list, I really need to re-watch it. - MaschineMan

Many critics of American Beauty try to dismiss the spiritual elements of the script as immature, the sort of things a high schooler who's "into philosophy" would say. First, that dismissal is inaccurate. But beyond that, one could ignore the spiritual elements of the film entirely and the film would still be one of the tightest and most compelling ensemble pieces this side of Robert Altman. Each and every character, from Kevin Spacey's incredible turn as Lester Burnham to Mena Suvari's innocently sexual Angela Hayes, possesses a depth beyond any audience member's initial expectations. Alan Ball's script (his first!) ties more than a half dozen compelling characters into a heartbreaking, hilarious, thrilling whole, with more than a hearty helping of satire for the modern American life. Special shoutout goes to Thomas Newman's score, a percussion driven affair that perfectly matches the visual stylings of Mendes' direction. - acroamor

Why can't we pick our own colors?
63. Reservoir Dogs (1992) - Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Image
Decade Rank: 6
TSPDT rank: 288
AMF 2012 rank: 58 (down 5)
Score: 875.63
Votes: 19


Individual Votes:
Michel: 21/242
Nick: 20/125
Chilton: 23/133
whuntva: 34/170
acroamor: 24/98

Gillingham: 58/229
MrMooney: 52/195
BleuPanda: 77/222
Live in Phoenix: 53/145
MaschineMan: 63/165
---
Petri: 128/247
Dexter: 123/236
OtisRedding: 75/136
Midaso: 110/184
luney6: 44/69
bonnielaurel: 158/233
bootsy: 60/87
Greg: 213/237
Emilien: 26/28


The brilliance of Reservoir Dogs is that it’s a movie about a crime…in which we never see the crime take place, a heist movie with a big gaping hole in the middle where the heist should go. It’s a bold move, but Reservoir Dogs defies common sense and comes out the better for it- proving you can actually make a movie about a heist without showing it. The cast of characters here is vibrant too, ranging from calm and collected criminals to bloodthirsty psychopaths in suits, and the dialogue is on the top-notch level we would come to expect from Tarantino. This was Tarantino’s first feature film, but all of his common tropes are here. Already we’re able to see into the mad world of Tarantino, a world of popular culture, abundant film references, and ultraviolence. There’s something attractive to me about a film made with limitations, and that extends to films set almost entirely in a single location (see my high placement of 12 Angry Men). Roughly 90% of the movie takes place in a single warehouse room, and this stylistic choice only heightens the sense of tension and paranoia that escalates as the movie progresses. – Nick

Left-Hand Hate KOed by Love.
62. Do the Right Thing (1989) - Directed by Spike Lee
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Decade Rank: 9
TSPDT rank: 138
AMF 2012 rank: 87 (up 25)
Score: 877.02
Votes: 15


Individual Votes:
bootsy: 10/87
OtisRedding: 16/136
Greg: 31/237
Midaso: 37/184

BleuPanda: 57/222
Chilton: 41/133
Live in Phoenix: 57/145
Nick: 53/125
Dexter: 101/236
Michel: 106/242
bonnielaurel: 104/233
---
Gillingham: 136/229
Petri: 162/247
whuntva: 118/170
MrMooney: 181/195

Much has been made about how Do the Right Thing appeared to predict the 1992 L.A. riots, but that is creating a coincidence out of something much bigger, something systematic. Do the Right Thing is just as relevant today as it was upon release. Spike Lee with this film perfectly outlines the issue of race in modern America. Lee expertly uses sharp reds to build the heat of this hot summer day, racial tensions slowly building until a breaking point. It is a story told on the news every month; a minor altercation leaves a black person dead. One of the most controversial aspects of this movie is what it means to do the right thing; is starting a riot ever the right thing? Well, when the only other option is to silently accept injustice, it is the only thing. At the same time, Lee points a finger at nearly everyone involved. This isn’t as simple as a fight between a pizzeria owner and a rude customer that simply turned to race; this is a problem inherent in society at large. – BleuPanda

Why'd it have to be snakes?
61. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - Directed by Steven Spielberg
Image
Decade Rank: 8
TSPDT rank: 200
AMF 2012 rank: new
Score: 878.46
Votes: 18


Individual Votes:
MrMooney: 9/195
Live in Phoenix: 8/145
Nassim: 8/87
Nick: 23/125
bootsy: 21/87

whuntva: 49/170
OtisRedding: 56/136
Dexter: 102/236
Michel: 108/242
BleuPanda: 111/222
---
bonnielaurel: 118/233
Chilton: 83/133
Greg: 161/237
luney6: 54/69
Petri: 210/247
Midaso: 157/184
MaschineMan: 151/165
Gillingham: 214/229


The great action-adventure. Not to mention a vengeance fantasy like Inglourious Basterds. (Maybe it’s my childhood reflexes, but to this day it’s hard for me to look head-on at the avenging Ark spirit the moment after “It’s beautiful!”) It took 30-some years for the car chase scene to be topped, in an era completely flooded with action movies, and that was with Mad Max: Fury Road devoting almost its entire film length to it, incidentally featuring a Mad Max that, on the action hero personality scale, rates like a thumbnail sketch next to Indy. As if prove that this movie was a triumph of talent, instead of the ultimate of sugar rushes, the rest of the ‘80s was filled out by two satisfying sequels that played up different dynamics. If you’ve seen this movie a lot and haven’t seen it for a while, you can focus your next viewing on what an utterly creepy bastard the Toht character is, thanks to the performance by British actor Ronald Lacey. – Live in Phoenix
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by Nick »

Is "Freaks" really that brilliant of a film to merit a placement in the all time top 60? I've never seen it. In fact, the only clip I've seen is the "gooble gobble gooble gobble" clip. But based on what I know about it, it reaaaaaaaaaaally doesn't seem like it would be that good of a movie. I know, I know, I have to check it out. But I'm curious to see why the forumers who love it love it.
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by whuntva »

Bleupanda wrote:David Lynch’s most accessible film
Straight Story? Which I would have voted in my Top 100 had it qualified.


Good list so far, with a few surprises (Freaks and Boyhood in the Top 60?). Goes to show our eclectic tastes.

Also, not the quote I would have used for Raiders. I'd have used "I don't know. I'm just making things up as I go!"
" Ah, yes! Our meager restitution"
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by BleuPanda »

Straight Story is weird in an entirely different way. It's certainly a more typical production, but Elephant Man is the one it seems most people greet with open arms. I think mass audiences are more willing to accept a film with a strong hook compared to a really simple work.
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by BleuPanda »

To become immortal, and then die.
60. Breathless (1960) - Directed by Jean-Luc Godard
Image
Decade Rank: 8
TSPDT rank: 14
AMF 2012 rank: new
Score: 879.18
Votes: 14


Individual Votes:
Michel: 12/242
BleuPanda: 12/222
Dexter: 29/236
Chilton: 17/133
OtisRedding: 26/136

bonnielaurel: 75/233
---
Nick: 73/125
Live in Phoenix: 89/145
Gillingham: 145/229
Greg: 169/237
Nassim: 73/87
MrMooney: 165/195
whuntva: 144/170
Petri: 229/247


Godard’s Breathless is one of those films that just exudes fun to me. As much as we like to call him pretentious, he’s one of those directors that truly loves the art of film and wears it on his sleeve. Breathless is most notable for its embrace of jump cuts. Though the technique didn’t originate from this film, Godard uses it to the point of abstracting every other element. This is a film that should frustrate on first viewing; why on earth would anyone edit a film like this? Alongside this strangeness is a story inspired by film noir, the typical anti-hero with a gun and a femme fatale; but Godard crafts such a strange structure that it’s hard to place what this actually feels like. This is a film designed to gain as much scorn as praise, and it’s very possible the reasons I love this film are the reasons others hate it. More than anything, Godard is playing with us, and the question is if you’re in on the joke. – BleuPanda

In the world of advertising, there's no such thing as a lie. There's only expedient exaggeration.
59. North by Northwest (1959) - Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Image
Decade Rank: 10
TSPDT rank: 64
AMF 2012 rank: 86 (up 27)
Score: 880.16
Votes: 16


Individual Votes:
bonnielaurel: 21/233
MrMooney: 35/195
Dexter: 43/236
Midaso: 46/184

OtisRedding: 35/136
BleuPanda: 59/222
whuntva: 47/170
Chilton: 52/133
Nick: 50/125
MaschineMan: 68/165
acroamor: 46/98
---
Michel: 128/242
Gillingham: 143/229
Greg: 150/237
Live in Phoenix: 92/145
Petri: 227/247

Hitchcock reused some standard plotting techniques from earlier films. A double pursuit is when an innocent guy is chased by the police while he's chasing the real criminals. A microfilm serves as the MacGuffin. Eva Marie Saint plays the beautiful blonde who can or cannot be trusted. Cary Grant is ideal to incorporate a few comical moments, like the drunk driving scene or when he's hiding his face behind shaving foam. The crop duster plane and the Mount Rushmore descent are two memorable climaxes. – bonnielaurel


58. The Gold Rush (1925) - Directed by Charles Chaplin
Image
Decade Rank: 2
TSPDT rank: 70
AMF 2012 rank: new
Score: 883.7
Votes: 14


Individual Votes:
Dexter: 27/236
whuntva: 20/170
bonnielaurel: 30/233
OtisRedding: 19/136
Greg: 44/237

Michel: 70/242
MrMooney: 70/195
BleuPanda: 83/222
---
Live in Phoenix: 74/145
luney6: 36/69
MaschineMan: 109/165
Chilton: 88/133
Gillingham: 219/229
Petri: 237/247


The first of four Chaplin films in the top 100, what the earliest lacks in romantic contemplation it makes up for in pure humor. The Gold Rush simply has some of Chaplin’s funniest moments. Particular highlights include a man whose gun inevitably trails the Tramp no matter how much he tries to step out of the way; the Tramp creating a cute little dance with a pair of dinner rolls and forks; and the Tramp getting so desperate for food that he decides to cook a shoe. It’s a tour of absurd slapstick with a backdrop in the Cold North. Though Chaplin’s later films would add some serious societal commentary, this one dishes out his best humor. – BleuPanda


57. Come and See (1985) - Directed by Elem Klimov
Image
Decade Rank: 7
TSPDT rank: 143
AMF 2012 rank: new
Score: 884.4
Votes: 9


Individual Votes:
BleuPanda: 8/222
Petri: 19/247
Gillingham: 23/229
Midaso: 27/184

---
Dexter: 121/236
MrMooney: 103/195
Michel: 159/242
Greg: 165/237
bonnielaurel: 197/233

Elem Klimov’s last film is also his only one that has ever gained true notoriety. To describe this film feels impossible. Never has a film left me as horrified. It makes the whole world feel like this horrid place. It follows a boy as he first attempts to join the Soviet army during World War 2, then it journeys into a total nightmare as all hell breaks loose. By exploring the horrors of war so closely, Klimov paints a truly terrifying picture. It’s hard to forget the moment where he returns to his home village to find no one there, only for us to be given a shot as he leaves of the pile of dead bodies stacked behind a house. There’s a moment in this film where the boy temporarily loses his hearing and escapes through a swamp, and the atmosphere digs its unwanted claws into my skin. He is later shoved into a barn with an entire village but is set free before it is burned with everyone inside. Never before or since has a movie disturbed me this much. The direction simulates the sensations of the protagonist with such perfection. Few scenes are as numbing as, near the end, a group of Nazis pose for a picture by forcing the boy on his knees and putting a gun to his head. His suffering is nothing more than a sadistic photo op. It is often theorized that it is difficult to make an anti-war film because the spectacle of war is so cinematic that it negates any statement; but Come and See morphs the explosions into the grim reality they represent, and by telling this story through the eyes of a child we begin to see the truth behind the image. – BleuPanda

One of us!
56. Freaks (1932) - Directed by Tod Browning
Image
Decade Rank: 5
TSPDT rank: 265
AMF 2012 rank: new
Score: 886
Votes: 13


Individual Votes:
OtisRedding: 7/136
MaschineMan: 11/165
Michel: 24/242
Greg: 30/237
bonnielaurel: 52/233

Dexter: 98/236
whuntva: 76/170
---
MrMooney: 100/195
Petri: 147/247
Live in Phoenix: 93/145
BleuPanda: 192/222
Gillingham: 205/229
Midaso: 184/184


One of us! - It's a shame this film was cast aside, it has a ton to teach about human cruelty. I kind of love how the concept of "A freak" was turned around. - MaschineMan

This could have been such a great, meaningful film if it didn't literally drag its message through the mud at the climax. - BleuPanda

One year after "Dracula" Tod Browning caused controversy with this film about disabled people. They used to be exposed in freak shows. Some see it as exploitation, but on the other hand they probably enjoyed doing it and the siblings Hans and Daisy Earles play developed characters. They're not just there to be stared at, they're easy to sympathize with. Cleopatra, played by the Russian-born Olga Baclanova, is an early femme fatale. It's a crime story, but that's not what it will be remembered for. There are emotional moments and there's comical relief, like when the human torso lights his own cigarette. - bonnielaurel
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by babydoll »

Nick wrote:Is "Freaks" really that brilliant of a film to merit a placement in the all time top 60? I've never seen it. In fact, the only clip I've seen is the "gooble gobble gooble gobble" clip. But based on what I know about it, it reaaaaaaaaaaally doesn't seem like it would be that good of a movie. I know, I know, I have to check it out. But I'm curious to see why the forumers who love it love it.
It's amazing, which is why I'm glad the film is up ahead. The gobble gobble scene doesn't work without context, but within context, it's one of the most cringing scenes. Plus you really must watch it for the end, which is actually kinda scary still, and an awesome finale for a character.
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by Nick »

babydoll wrote:
Nick wrote:Is "Freaks" really that brilliant of a film to merit a placement in the all time top 60? I've never seen it. In fact, the only clip I've seen is the "gooble gobble gooble gobble" clip. But based on what I know about it, it reaaaaaaaaaaally doesn't seem like it would be that good of a movie. I know, I know, I have to check it out. But I'm curious to see why the forumers who love it love it.
It's amazing, which is why I'm glad the film is up ahead. The gobble gobble scene doesn't work without context, but within context, it's one of the most cringing scenes. Plus you really must watch it for the end, which is actually kinda scary still, and an awesome finale for a character.
Well I'm planning on watching the top ten films I haven't seen from this poll after the poll concludes. It looks like "Freaks" may be on that list. Even if it isn't, I hope to watch the rest of the top 100 I haven't seen in due time.
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

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What's the most you ever lost on a coin toss?
55. No Country for Old Men (2007) - Directed by Coen Brothers
Image
Decade Rank: 5
TSPDT rank: 808
AMF 2012 rank: 70 (up 15)
Score: 891.14
Votes: 17


Individual Votes:
Gillingham: 7/229
Midaso: 9/184
bootsy: 9/87
Nick: 21/125
MrMooney: 45/195

Michel: 93/242
Petri: 96/247
BleuPanda: 104/222
Chilton: 64/133
---
Nassim: 44/87
Live in Phoenix: 75/145
Greg: 142/237
MaschineMan: 99/165
OtisRedding: 105/136
Dexter: 203/236
acroamor: 88/98
bonnielaurel: 212/233


The source material of this film is powerful and lends itself perfectly for a film a adaptation (McCarthy originally wrote NCFOM as a screenplay), but still the Coens - and let's not forget director of photography Roger Deakins - make this a fantastic movie with some very cinematic touches. - Gillingham

The Coens prove once again that they are one of the bright lights in modern cinema with this blackly comical, intense thriller. A terrific crime movie to go with the rest of there canon. Javier Bardem is great as well. - MrMooney

No Country for Old Men came after Intolerable Cruelty and The Ladykillers, probably two of the weakest Coen films, especially the last one. Even after I saw the trailer my expectations weren't too high. But if there's one word that is applicable to this film it's 'faultless'. Not necessarily perfect, because how can art be perfect when it is about imperfection, but faultless. The cinematography, the script, the directing, the acting, the framing, the editing, the (lack of) music, the humour, the coin tosses, the captive bolt pistol, the boot marks on the floor, even Chigurh's hairdo, it's all top tier. I can watch this film over and again and all the time new details seem to pop up.
By the way, the source material, Cormac McCarthy's book No Country for Old Men is great too, and you can tell the Coens didn't need a lot of work on it to turn it to this magnificent script. – Gillingham

What's wrong with the way I talk?
54. Singin' in the Rain (1952) - Directed by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly
Image
Decade Rank: 9
TSPDT rank: 16
AMF 2012 rank: 23 (down 31)
Score: 891.22
Votes: 16


Individual Votes:
Dexter: 10/236
Greg: 33/237
BleuPanda: 35/222
bonnielaurel: 40/233
Petri: 45/247

MaschineMan: 57/165
whuntva: 60/170
acroamor: 39/98
Live in Phoenix: 62/145
Gillingham: 99/229
Chilton: 60/133
---
Nick: 69/125
MrMooney: 108/195
Emilien: 23/28
Michel: 229/242
OtisRedding: 129/136


Truly one of the most joyful films ever, and a great entertainment of cinema. While Stanley Donen made many other great films, and he and Gene Kelly’s other musical collaboration, On the Town, is certainly recommended as well, this film is in many ways a perfect symbol of the old Hollywood studio system working its magic at its very best, specifically the Freed Unit at MGM. It is a perfect fusion of sight and sound, a work of pure cinema in so many respects. The dialogue itself, penned by Betty Comden and Adolph Green who also wrote Vincente Minnelli’s equally great musical The Band Wagon, is a terrific satire of Hollywood, but the film really works simply a marvel of filmmaking in the many excellent musical sequences, from “Make ‘Em Laugh” with Donald O’Connor (who is the underrated aspect of this film’s success as far as I’m concerned) to “Moses Supposes” to the titular number to, most of all, the incredible “Broadway Melody”. A film that always puts a smile on my face. – JimmyJazz

Sometimes it's worse to stay than it is to run.
53. Rear Window (1954) - Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Image
Decade Rank: 8
TSPDT rank: 41
AMF 2012 rank: 81 (up 28)
Score: 896.59
Votes: 17


Individual Votes:
MaschineMan: 6/165
bonnielaurel: 12/233
Dexter: 38/236
Midaso: 39/184
MrMooney: 44/195

Nick: 35/125
Michel: 68/242
Chilton: 51/133
Petri: 115/247
Gillingham: 113/229
---
BleuPanda: 128/222
Greg: 138/237
OtisRedding: 81/136
acroamor: 71/98
Live in Phoenix: 107/145
whuntva: 131/170
Nassim: 75/87


A woman never goes anywhere but the hospital without packing makeup, clothes, and jewelry. - Hitchcock had a way with drawing out suspense yet mixing humor in seamlessly. No one would even attempt to make a film like this today. - MaschineMan

Hitchcock's idea of making a film from one vantage point turned into a masterpiece. - MrMooney

James Stewart plays the most passive hero of a thriller ever. He's watching his neighbors, window by window, like someone who's switching channels. At the same time we are watching James Stewart and following his train of thought. It's convenient that one of these neighbors is a songwriter providing background music. Bit by bit the crime plot takes over. Grace Kelly plays a posh woman who's smarter and more adventurous than she seems; Thelma Ritter as the nurse adds comic relief. – bonnielaurel

Isn't life disappointing?
52. Tokyo Story (1953) - Directed by Yasukiro Ozu
Image
Decade Rank: 7
TSPDT rank: 4
AMF 2012 rank: new
Score: 897.71
Votes: 13


Individual Votes:
Petri: 10/247
Dexter: 12/236
luney6: 9/69
Live in Phoenix: 22/145
OtisRedding: 34/136

Midaso: 72/184
---
MaschineMan: 84/165
BleuPanda: 121/222
Greg: 136/237
Michel: 139/242
whuntva: 112/170
bonnielaurel: 183/233
Gillingham: 181/229


Ozu is the best director ever to tell a story about an ordinary family. The children in his films are always so alive and real and, of course, all the other characters and even spaces too (the silent moments after everyone has left the room have so much to tell). The camera work is unique (cuts from face to face) and the stories are wise and goodhearted.
In Tokyo Story (which is sadly the only Ozu movie in the list, but in my books his best one) an old couple arrives from the countryside to visit their children and grandchildren in Tokyo. The children are busy (except for their widowed daughter-in-law) and do not have time for their parents anymore, so they mostly wander by themselves in Tokyo before returning back to their home town. Sounds simple, but watching an Ozu movie makes you feel that you understand people better and that everyone is good at heart. - Petri

I'm finished.
51. There Will Be Blood (2007) - Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
Image
Decade Rank: 4
TSPDT rank: 398
AMF 2012 rank: new
Score: 898.25
Votes: 16


Individual Votes:
MrMooney: 15/195
BleuPanda: 19/222
Petri: 27/247
MaschineMan: 19/165
bootsy: 14/87
Live in Phoenix: 33/145

Gillingham: 62/229
Chilton: 59/133
---
Michel: 145/242
acroamor: 64/98
Nick: 82/125
Midaso: 124/184
Dexter: 169/236
Greg: 204/237
bonnielaurel: 216/233
whuntva: 158/170


I... drink... your... milkshake! - My partner hates this film with a passion. I wish I could convince them otherwise. Paul Thomas Anderson's greatest accomplishment yet. Bold, epic and visually brilliant with one of my favourite characters ever in Daniel Plainview. Modern Masterpiece. - MaschineMan

There’s few elements that can hook me like a truly evil protagonist. What makes Daniel Plainview such a phenomenal character to study is how slowly his true nature is revealed. We know he’s greedy from the start, but each new situation proves he is irredeemable. Daniel Day Lewis gives one of the best performances of modern cinema, and he has a strong match in Paul Dano, who plays a preacher who hides behind religion to strengthen his own manipulation. The narrative is simply oozing with its own misdirection, giving us so many moments where any other protagonist would simply let go. Daniel Plainview is a determined man, and literally nothing can stand in his way. Like all the other Anderson films, There Will Be Blood has phenomenal cinematography. The oil well fire is spectacularly shot. Additionally, has a drama ever ended with a scene so mindboggling? 9 years later and I still can’t place it. – BleuPanda
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by JimmyJazz »

BleuPanda wrote:Welp...See, I'm really bad at planning things, and I'm actually starting what is essentially this exact project but with video games on another forum in a couple days, which means I need to tie this together within the next three days. Unfortunately I have been left with a bunch of films that will be a challenge for me to write about, but, oh well. Challenge accepted.
Would you mind telling me about all of this in a PM, per chance? Being a fellow gamer myself :D
Just information out of pure curiosity.
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by PlasticRam »

I would've liked to see The Truman Show in the competition.
I feel like that
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by Nick »

PlasticRam wrote:I would've liked to see The Truman Show in the competition.
That's easily my favorite movie that didn't make the list, and I'm kicking myself for not nominating it.

Anyway, there's 6 movies in the top 50 that I haven't seen. Let's see how they rank...
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by Maschine_Man »

But based on what I know about it, it reaaaaaaaaaaally doesn't seem like it would be that good of a movie. I know, I know, I have to check it out. But I'm curious to see why the forumers who love it love it.
I guess love for this film has less to do with any particular technicalities and more with the fact it was ever made, in 1932 no less.

The film tried to, more than any other film in history, shift public perception of a group that was (incorrectly) ostracized. In retrospect, it was decades ahead of its time and America was not ready for it. I really like Elephant Man, but this tried a lot more, much earlier. After making Dracula, Tod Browning put his career on the line, and unfortunately he lost it all.

Sure the acting isn't the best, but that was the price of using this particular set of actors. And all of the "Freaks" in the film had fascinating lives. Many of them faded into the murky depths of history after the film was released, but they had a profound affect on pop-culture, especially once the film was picked up in the 60's and 70's.

On a more technical note, I really liked the small vignettes weaved through the main story, which with the diorama style shooting of early films, add to the idea of the sideshow (or what I imagine them to be like). I can understand people having issues with it, though I didn't mind the effect.
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by babydoll »

Maschine_Man wrote:
But based on what I know about it, it reaaaaaaaaaaally doesn't seem like it would be that good of a movie. I know, I know, I have to check it out. But I'm curious to see why the forumers who love it love it.
I guess love for this film has less to do with any particular technicalities and more with the fact it was ever made, in 1932 no less.

The film tried to, more than any other film in history, shift public perception of a group that was (incorrectly) ostracized. In retrospect, it was decades ahead of its time and America was not ready for it. I really like Elephant Man, but this tried a lot more, much earlier. After making Dracula, Tod Browning put his career on the line, and unfortunately he lost it all.

Sure the acting isn't the best, but that was the price of using this particular set of actors. And all of the "Freaks" in the film had fascinating lives. Many of them faded into the murky depths of history after the film was released, but they had a profound affect on pop-culture, especially once the film was picked up in the 60's and 70's.

On a more technical note, I really liked the small vignettes weaved through the main story, which with the diorama style shooting of early films, add to the idea of the sideshow (or what I imagine them to be like). I can understand people having issues with it, though I didn't mind the effect.
I completely agree with you on this aspect, Maschine_Man. Tod Browning was a man who made movies too far ahead of his time. Freaks, his masterpiece of filmmaking and social reformation, is rightfully getting recognized now as one of the greats. (And here an emoji of one crying with tears of happiness would be very effective.)
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by BleuPanda »

You live and you suffer.
50. Bicycle Thieves (1948) - Directed by Vittorio De Sica
Image
Decade Rank: 6
TSPDT rank: 12
AMF 2012 rank: 45 (down 5)
Score: 898.98
Votes: 15


Individual Votes:
Greg: 14/237
Dexter: 14/236
BleuPanda: 25/222
luney6: 12/69
Chilton: 26/133
bonnielaurel: 47/233

whuntva: 63/170
Midaso: 92/184
---
Petri: 138/247
Michel: 152/242
MrMooney: 130/195
acroamor: 70/98
MaschineMan: 121/165
Gillingham: 180/229
Live in Phoenix: 125/145


Here is a film that has not dated one bit, at least to the best of my perception, since its release. It's thoroughly simple in its approach to the tale it's telling, drenched with neo-realism and (hence) very very relatable. It's a film universal in its concept, and perhaps that's why it has dated so well.

The individual elements: The screenplay is one of the most simple. There are no extravagant dialogues, no witty remarks and nothing of that sort. The acting (none of the actors were 'professional' actors) is just what it needs to be in order to convey what it aims to. The cinematography is thorough and drenched with details, with a soundtrack that compliments it perfectly.

There are several attempts that have been made to make this kind of a film (especially in India). But most of them failed because their aim was often to milk for melodrama and 'emotion'. Vitorio DeSica makes sure to steer clear of that. He does not over dramatize, but simply presents things as they are. He is aware of this audience, and like any great artist would, he projects ideas onto his audience's mind without diluting them.

Now, I know I haven't said much about the film itself, but there isn't much to say, except for: go watch it. – luney6

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
49. The Shining (1980) - Directed by Stanley Kubrick
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Decade Rank: 6
TSPDT rank: 104
AMF 2012 rank: 22 (down 27)
Score: 900.89
Votes: 18


Individual Votes:
MrMooney: 27/195
Petri: 35/247
Michel: 35/242
Nick: 19/125
Gillingham: 36/229
MaschineMan: 29/165
Live in Phoenix: 26/145

Greg: 78/237
bonnielaurel: 98/233
bootsy: 41/87
OtisRedding: 66/136
BleuPanda: 110/222
---
acroamor: 58/98
Dexter: 154/236
Chilton: 91/133
Nassim: 66/87
Midaso: 152/184
whuntva: 164/170


Too slow and boring to actually be scary. A disappointment. - whuntva

I think what makes The Shining along with a handful of the best horror films work has less to do with whatever strange creature lurks in the darkness and more with the relationships of the characters. While The Shining has its fair share of unsettling ghosts, the moments that hit us most are ones of domestic violence. Room 237 is shock value, but moments like Jack describing how he wants to bash his wife’s brains in wrap the film in a layer of discomforting reality. The Shining is one of Kubrick’s most visually stunning movies, with the tracking shots truly phenomenal. This is one of those films that delivers largely through subtlety; we build a story around the inhabitants of the hotel with little more than their image. I also always enjoy a film that makes a point to make their haunts explicit, and The Shining toys with the idea phenomenally. Jack and Danny have their own reasons to be ‘seeing’ ghosts, but it’s when Wendy starts having visions that you know the hotel is truly haunted. – BleuPanda

You know how everyone's always saying seize the moment? I don't know, I'm kinda thinking the other way around. You know, like the moment seizes us.
48. Boyhood (2014) - Directed by Richard Linklater
Image
Decade Rank: 1
TSPDT rank: 4095
AMF 2012 rank: new
Score: 900.95
Votes: 18


Individual Votes:
Nick: 4/125
MaschineMan: 10/165
Petri: 16/247
BleuPanda: 34/222
Midaso: 40/184

MrMooney: 54/195
bonnielaurel: 77/233
Michel: 82/242
OtisRedding: 55/136
Gillingham: 94/229
---
Chilton: 74/133
Nassim: 55/87
Dexter: 151/236
bootsy: 61/87
luney6: 58/69
Greg: 216/237
whuntva: 169/170
acroamor: 98/98


It's constant - -the moment. It's just... It's like it's always right now, you know? - I saw this in the cinema with my mother, so the film was made even more special by the experience. I declared right out the door that it would be remembered as one of the greatest films of the early 21st century, I stand by my statement. - MaschineMan

This film is quite simply a modern masterpiece of cinema. The effort and dedication in directing is second to none in the modern era. Linklater has essentially captured everyday life on film, the choice of moments are brilliant. - MrMooney

Boyhood is a portrait of a young boy’s life in suburban Texas, from ages 6 to 18. The big, so-called “gimmick” of Boyhood, is that it was filmed over a period of 12 years, using all the same actors, filming for a week or so every year until the movie was done. That was the “gimmick” that would’ve made an interesting curio had that been all the movie amounted to. But Boyhood is so much more than mere curio or gimmick. Boyhood is a raw exercise in realism, a movie that resists all urges to embellish the life of its main character. The realism in Boyhood may be dull or lacking purpose to some, but that’s the point of the movie. If the movie is uneventful, it’s because our day to day lives are rather uneventful. There are many times in the movie that set something up to happen, only for the event to never occur simply because that’s not how it works in real life (the texting while driving scene, or the scene with the boys drinking beer in the unfinished home, are just two examples). Boyhood captures nearly all of the tropes of adolescence in a way that never feels mawkish or cliché, only sincere. When the movie finally ends, nearly 3 hours later, you feel like you know Mason better than some of your extended family members. – Nick

There can be no understanding between the hand and the brain unless the heart acts as mediator.
47. Metropolis (1927) - Directed by Fritz Lang
Image
Decade Rank: 1
TSPDT rank: 43
AMF 2012 rank: new
Score: 901.29
Votes: 16


Individual Votes:
MaschineMan: 1/165
bonnielaurel: 31/233
Petri: 34/247
Greg: 35/237

BleuPanda: 69/222
Chilton: 42/133
Dexter: 81/236
whuntva: 61/170
Michel: 91/242
Live in Phoenix: 63/145
luney6: 33/69
---
Nick: 72/125
OtisRedding: 87/136
MrMooney: 152/195
acroamor: 81/98
Gillingham: 212/229


There can be no understanding between the hand and the brain unless the heart acts as mediator. - My favorite film of all time. Groundbreaking in terms of story-telling, visuals and scale. Lang created a work that changed cinema forever, and will resonate far into the future. - MaschineMan

What makes Metropolis perhaps the most universally beloved silent film is how much weight it puts into the image. While carrying a rather simple narrative of class warfare, Metropolis creates a beautiful expressionist landscape that would set the bar for future sci-fi films. Buildings stretch endlessly into the sky while the workers are forced underground, working monstrous machinery that are imagined to literally consume them. At the center of it all is Maria and her robot double, the image of hope and violence respectively. One of the key moments of the film has Maria describe the tower of Babel, drawing parallels between that story and the current class divide. Certain people must be intermediaries, but others will likewise stand in the way for their own benefits. The desecration of Maria’s image by the devilish robot is matched with hallucinatory moments, including a rather shocking image of a wall of eyes. Even 90 years later, this film is still a visual feast. – BleuPanda

You should see the other guy.
46. Fargo (1996) - Directed by the Coen Brothers
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Decade Rank: 5
TSPDT rank: 208
AMF 2012 rank: 60 (up 14)
Score: 905.48
Votes: 18


Individual Votes:
OtisRedding: 13/136
MrMooney: 19/195
Midaso: 22/184
BleuPanda: 33/222
Gillingham: 39/229

Nassim: 22/87
Michel: 65/242
Dexter: 74/236
MaschineMan: 72/165
whuntva: 79/170
---
Greg: 126/237
Nick: 68/125
bootsy: 48/87
Petri: 146/247
Live in Phoenix: 94/145
acroamor: 68/98
Chilton: 116/133
bonnielaurel: 213/233


I like the Coen Brothers as much as the next person, but their comedies are too “out there” for me. - Chilton

Fargo is both one of the Coen’s most violent and funniest movies, many times blurring the lines between the two. Where many similar narratives are undone by a single strand, Fargo has fun letting the plot unravel from the beginning. Even the first meeting between the criminal masterminds has a major malfunction, with the hired kidnapper bringing along a buddy that was never approved of. By the end, practically everyone involved is dead or in jail. It’s not enough for these people to just fail at their goals, they are incompetent at nearly every step. On the other end of the spectrum we get Marge Gunderson, one of the best female leads in the history of cinema. She adds up every little piece of the crime, all while pregnant. There’s something sweet and honest about her personal life, especially with her husband, which is contrasted heavily against the Lundegaard family. Though it’s played for fun, the final confrontation between Marge and Grimsrud is truly sobering. - BleuPanda
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by BleuPanda »

When the child was a child, it was the time of these questions. Why am I me, and why not you? Why am I here, and why not there? When did time begin, and where does space end? Isn't life under the sun just a dream? Isn't what I see, hear, and smell just the mirage of a world before the world? Does evil actually exist, and are there people who are really evil? How can it be that I, who am I, wasn't before I was, and that sometime I, the one I am, no longer will be the one I am?
45. Wings of Desire (1987) - Directed by Wim Wenders
Image
Decade Rank: 5
TSPDT rank: 210
AMF 2012 rank: 24 (down 21)
Score: 906.33
Votes: 10


Individual Votes:
BleuPanda: 9/222
Greg: 23/237
Petri: 24/247
Michel: 25/242
Gillingham: 52/229

Dexter: 114/236
whuntva: 85/170
---
Midaso: 111/184
bonnielaurel: 148/233
MrMooney: 179/195

I really enjoy films that create an atmosphere as if they exist outside of time and space. Wings of Desire follows a pair of angels as they visit Berlin, peering into the minds of the public and sometimes lending a touch that gives their thoughts a positive twist. What makes this work so well is how floaty the camera is as it moves, with voice overs popping up as we track through a crowd. Much like the angels, we are unbounded from this world, merely onlookers who can look deeper. The film features many phenomenal monologues questioning the meaning of existence (some of which inexplicably became the lyrical base of Dirty Projector’s “Stillness is the Move,” which made my first viewing of this film quite a bizarre experience), whether from the angels as they ponder mankind or even something as simple as a circus performer wanting a change in her life. The cinematography is to die for, especially the scene within the library. A tour of life, Wings of Desire visits dozens of people in different stages of their life, from a man tragically inclined to jump off a building no matter who intervenes to an angel deciding to give up his wings to experience human love, from Peter Falk to Nick Cave. Where so many existentialist pieces are committed to never giving answers, Wings of Desire at least allows us to see a character who is ultimately happy with his own path. – BleuPanda

Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown.
44. Chinatown (1974) - Directed by Roman Polanski
Image
Decade Rank: 11
TSPDT rank: 46
AMF 2012 rank: 36 (down 8)
Score: 909.46
Votes: 16


Individual Votes:
MrMooney: 10/195
Midaso: 17/184
Dexter: 31/236
Michel: 39/242
OtisRedding: 32/136

bonnielaurel: 62/233
Greg: 72/237
BleuPanda: 73/222
Petri: 102/247
acroamor: 42/98
---
Gillingham: 123/229
whuntva: 96/170
Live in Phoenix: 97/145
Nick: 86/125
Chilton: 99/133
MaschineMan: 144/165

One of the quintessential films of the Watergate era and of the New Hollywood era in American cinema, this film also demonstrates how a genre film, in this case noir, can reach the heights of Shakespeare in its exploration of the dark side of mankind. Jack Nicholson’s Gittes is possibly his finest performance, played in a style that feels as right for the genre as Bogart or Mitchum, and much like all noir protagonists, his growing obsession for a woman proves ultimately fatal, though for the “femme fatale” rather than the gumshoe for a change. Most of all, though, the words of Noah Cross, one of the most evil characters in all of cinema, ring true as the film fades away and lingers in our memories, especially now in this increasingly disturbing world we live in, in spite of society’s constant denialism: “You see, Mr. Gits, most people never have to face the fact that at the right time, the right place, they’re capable of anything”. – JimmyJazz

Well, nobody's perfect.
43. Some Like It Hot (1959) - Directed by Billy Wilder
Image
Decade Rank: 6
TSPDT rank: 32
AMF 2012 rank: 61 (up 18)
Score: 910.57
Votes: 16


Individual Votes:
MaschineMan: 3/165
Dexter: 19/236
Greg: 27/237
BleuPanda: 37/222
bonnielaurel: 53/233
MrMooney: 46/195

Petri: 65/247
Michel: 99/242
acroamor: 48/98
Nassim: 43/87
---
Nick: 70/125
Chilton: 85/133
OtisRedding: 88/136
Gillingham: 172/229
whuntva: 150/170
Live in Phoenix: 143/145


I always get the fuzzy end of the lollipop. - I have seen this film several times, including an old print on the big screen, never fails to make me laugh. - MaschineMan

Some Like It Hot is one of those rare comedies that can entirely sustain itself on humor; even less common, it goes ahead and does so much more than that. Billy Wilder’s comedic masterpiece is the essential crossdressing story, the tale of two musicians who accidentally witness the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and end up on the run by joining a girl group. The script is nearly flawless, from the description of a woman’s walk as being ‘like jello on springs’ to that jaw-dropping final scene. There’s a strange study of authenticity that permeates the film; any true feelings within Joe and Sugar’s multi-layered love affair is hard to discern. What do these two truly expect from each other? Wilder’s cynicism shines in certain moments, but it actually adds to the atmosphere by creating dissonance for Joe and Jerry to break through. This is a comedy that learned much from the earlier masters. – BleuPanda

It breaks my heart, but I can't expose my guests to your firearms. It may be wrong of them, but they value their lives.
42. The Rules of the Game (1939) - Directed by Jean Renoir
Image
Decade Rank: 4
TSPDT rank: 5
AMF 2012 rank: 28 (down 14)
Score: 919.45
Votes: 11


Individual Votes:
Dexter: 3/236
BleuPanda: 4/222
OtisRedding: 4/136
Gillingham: 51/229

Live in Phoenix: 52/145
---
whuntva: 90/170
bonnielaurel: 140/233
Greg: 145/237
Petri: 179/247
Michel: 180/242
MrMooney: 180/195

I remember getting fed up with this film during my first viewing. The characters were so vapid and the plot so tangled I wasn’t sure why I would ever care. It wasn’t until the second time around that I realized the comedy of the film completely flew over my head, and behold, it’s now my favorite comedy film. Thank God that History of Cinema class made me sit down and watch it again. The Rules of the Game is a bitter satire on class issues, an observation on how rules are simply different between the upper and lower class. Every character in this story is in the middle of at least one affair, but as a confrontation between two of the women show, this is simply how things are in this society. It’s when the workers at the Chateau begin to copy these habits that everything begins to break, as this simply isn’t their game. Andre Jurieux is a man caught between these two worlds, ultimately trying to break out of these rules, but the game cannot be changed. But what makes The Rules of the Game gain its label as the French Citizen Kane comes not from the narrative but the cinematography. Few if any directors have used space as well as Jean Renoir. So many films rely on the idea of a single central figure, guiding your focus through a straightforward narrative as seamlessly as possible. Here, characters dodge in and out of the background, a handful of subplots running through each other between the planes. Yet with all these characters and events, it all works so seamlessly, and each character manages to miraculously stand out through their quirks. – BleuPanda

Trees and people used to be good friends.
41. My Neighbor Totoro (1988) - Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
Image
Decade Rank: 4
TSPDT rank: 236
AMF 2012 rank: 42 (up 1)
Score: 923.4
Votes: 13


Individual Votes:
Petri: 1/247
MaschineMan: 5/165
Chilton: 16/133
Greg: 48/237
Nick: 26/125

BleuPanda: 74/222
whuntva: 73/170
Live in Phoenix: 68/145
---
Dexter: 137/236
MrMooney: 117/195
bonnielaurel: 187/233
Michel: 198/242
Nassim: 74/87


Come out, come out, wherever you are! - One of the best kids films ever made. There isn't some convoluted plot or coming of age story, the children are children. - MaschineMan

Choosing my all-time favorite film out of the thousands of movies I've seen, or even out of these 250 finalists, is in the end just a decision that one has to make. The career of Miyazaki is unique, not only in history of animation movies, but in the history of cinema itself. Eleven great feature films, out of which the weakest ones are among the top movies of their years, is an achievement no one else, in my view, has been capable of. I'm not the only one who loves Totoro the most out of his films. The story about two young sisters, who move with their father to the countryside to be closer to their mother who is in a hospital, reaches the joy, sorrow, fear and magic of childhood in a way you seldom see. The story that offers film narration at its purest is beautifully animated, and along with the Totoro(s) and the Catbus, offers a theme song that always puts you in a good mood. - Petri
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by BleuPanda »

Also, 10 films in the top 40 from the 1970s, that's insane. And my favorite of the decade missed out entirely because I accidentally voted for Mad Max: Fury Road instead. Poor Harold and Maude.
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by Nick »

My Neighbor Totoro is my girlfriend's favorite movie. If she cared about the opinions of the members of a semi-obscure online music forum, I'm sure she'd be pleased to see it in the top 50.

Anyway, to me Miyazaki has released four masterpieces, one per decade. My Neighbor Totoro was his first, Princess Mononoke his 90s masterpiece, Spirited Away his 2000s, and The Wind Rises his most recent.
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by babydoll »

Nick wrote:My Neighbor Totoro is my girlfriend's favorite movie. If she cared about the opinions of the members of a semi-obscure online music forum, I'm sure she'd be pleased to see it in the top 50.

Anyway, to me Miyazaki has released four masterpieces, one per decade. My Neighbor Totoro was his first, Princess Mononoke his 90s masterpiece, Spirited Away his 2000s, and The Wind Rises his most recent.
Wow, it's always nice to hear of a Miyazaki fan.

I actually think Nausicaa, Castle in the Sky, Kiki's Delivery Service, Porco Rosso, and Howl's Moving Castle were all masterpieces in their own right. Ponyo was good, but weird as hell.
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by Nick »

babydoll wrote:
Nick wrote:My Neighbor Totoro is my girlfriend's favorite movie. If she cared about the opinions of the members of a semi-obscure online music forum, I'm sure she'd be pleased to see it in the top 50.

Anyway, to me Miyazaki has released four masterpieces, one per decade. My Neighbor Totoro was his first, Princess Mononoke his 90s masterpiece, Spirited Away his 2000s, and The Wind Rises his most recent.
Wow, it's always nice to hear of a Miyazaki fan.

I actually think Nausicaa, Castle in the Sky, Kiki's Delivery Service, Porco Rosso, and Howl's Moving Castle were all masterpieces in their own right. Ponyo was good, but weird as hell.
"Fan" is putting it lightly. I'm a total Miyazaki fanatic. If I had to rank his movies, I could do so like...

Decent Tier:

Porco Rosso

Good Tier:

The Castle of Cagliostro
Howl's Moving Castle
Kiki's Delivery Service

Great Tier:

Naussica of the Valley of the Wind
Castle in the Sky
Ponyo

Masterpiece Tier:

The Wind Rises
My Neighbor Totoro
Princess Mononoke
Spirited Away

...and the story of Ponyo may be weird as hell, but the art in that movie is nothing short of sublime. Probably his most beautiful movie in terms of animation.
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by whuntva »

babydoll wrote:
Nick wrote:My Neighbor Totoro is my girlfriend's favorite movie. If she cared about the opinions of the members of a semi-obscure online music forum, I'm sure she'd be pleased to see it in the top 50.

Anyway, to me Miyazaki has released four masterpieces, one per decade. My Neighbor Totoro was his first, Princess Mononoke his 90s masterpiece, Spirited Away his 2000s, and The Wind Rises his most recent.
Wow, it's always nice to hear of a Miyazaki fan.

I actually think Nausicaa, Castle in the Sky, Kiki's Delivery Service, Porco Rosso, and Howl's Moving Castle were all masterpieces in their own right. Ponyo was good, but weird as hell.
Love the Princess Mononoke avatar, BTW. I agree with everything you said, also.


In any event, I feel a little guilty for seeing Rear Window and Some Like it Hot so low and my name in bold for their placement. Be it known that while I did rank those films low, I don't hate them. In fact, I did like the aforementioned two very much. I'd say there are only about...seven or so films I truly hate and about five more I'm just mixed about. I liked all the rest of the ones I ranked.
" Ah, yes! Our meager restitution"
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by babydoll »

Nick wrote:"Fan" is putting it lightly. I'm a total Miyazaki fanatic. If I had to rank his movies, I could do so like...

Decent Tier:

Porco Rosso
WHY DOES EVERYONE KEEP RANKING PORCO ROSSO SO DAMN LOW?! :angry-screaming:
I find it to be more than decent. It is a stunning exploration of man's demons set in the sunny Adriatic seas. Of course, if you've only seen the Michael Keaton-dub, let me tell you the original Japanese is so much better.

My list:

Great as heck:
Princess Mononoke
Spirited Away
Howl's Moving Castle
Porco Rosso
My Neighbor Totoro

Super-duper good, maybe even great:
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Winds
Kiki's Delivery Service

Love it tons, but in comparison...:
Castle in the Sky
Ponyo

Never seen because I blew some bucks on A Brighter Summer Day:
The Wind Rises
The Castle of Cagliostro
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by Nick »

babydoll wrote: WHY DOES EVERYONE KEEP RANKING PORCO ROSSO SO DAMN LOW?! :angry-screaming:
I find it to be more than decent. It is a stunning exploration of man's demons set in the sunny Adriatic seas. Of course, if you've only seen the Michael Keaton-dub, let me tell you the original Japanese is so much better.
I've only seen the Michael Keaton dub, so that may be a factor. The dubbing in that movie wasn't all that great honestly. I think some of is is also due to the fact that there's little in the movie for me to latch onto. The characters aren't as memorable as the ones in his other movies, there's no grand theme like childhood or environmentalism that tend to work their way through his other movies, the plot just feels a bit...inconsequential. It's far from a "bad" movie, but it's not all that good in my mind. In fact, it probably mainly suffers from the fact that it's Miyazaki we're talking about here. Once you've made not one, but multiple bona fide masterpieces, your lesser works are going to look especially lesser.
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by babydoll »

Nick wrote:
babydoll wrote: WHY DOES EVERYONE KEEP RANKING PORCO ROSSO SO DAMN LOW?! :angry-screaming:
I find it to be more than decent. It is a stunning exploration of man's demons set in the sunny Adriatic seas. Of course, if you've only seen the Michael Keaton-dub, let me tell you the original Japanese is so much better.
I've only seen the Michael Keaton dub, so that may be a factor. The dubbing in that movie wasn't all that great honestly. I think some of is is also due to the fact that there's little in the movie for me to latch onto. The characters aren't as memorable as the ones in his other movies, there's no grand theme like childhood or environmentalism that tend to work their way through his other movies, the plot just feels a bit...inconsequential. It's far from a "bad" movie, but it's not all that good in my mind. In fact, it probably mainly suffers from the fact that it's Miyazaki we're talking about here. Once you've made not one, but multiple bona fide masterpieces, your lesser works are going to look especially lesser.
That just made my eyes tear up a little, but this thread is probably not the place to begin discussing Miyazaki and his themes.
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by Dexter »

Just got back from a long vacation and I see I have much to catch up to but I'm liking the top 100 so far.

I'm a big Miyazaki fan too:
Undisputed Masterpieces: My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Nausicaa
Near Masterpieces/Excellent: Kiki's Delivery Service, Porco Rosso, Howl's Moving Castle, Ponyo, The Wind Rises
Good/Average: Castle of Cagliostro

The masterpieces contains excellent storytelling, animation and fantasy sequences while providing a commentary of man/society's relationship with nature/environment. The excellent films are also a joy to watch but Miyazaki is just a half-step below top form. The animation in Castle of Cagliostro is not as smooth as the rest and Miyazaki is limited in providing his personal touch because the film is based on an established anime character (Lupin III) but still worthwhile to watch and the only decent Lupin III feature film.
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by BleuPanda »

Ghibli ranking time? Ghibli ranking time:

10/10:
Spirited Away
Grave of the Fireflies
My Neighbor Totoro
Princess Mononoke

9/10:
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
Whisper of the Heart
Only Yesterday

8/10:
The Wind Rises
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
Castle in the Sky

7/10:
Howl's Moving Castle
Kiki's Delivery Service
Ponyo
Pom Poko

6/10:
Arietty


Haven't seen the rest. I wonder where Mononoke would have fared here with how most of these placed.
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by Dexter »

babydoll wrote:
Nick wrote:"Fan" is putting it lightly. I'm a total Miyazaki fanatic. If I had to rank his movies, I could do so like...

Decent Tier:

Porco Rosso
WHY DOES EVERYONE KEEP RANKING PORCO ROSSO SO DAMN LOW?! :angry-screaming:
If I have to find fault in the film, the story drags a bit in places especially later on and the character development stalls also. The animation, while excellent as always, have moments where it's stretched out. Lastly, Miyazaki departed from his usual innocent themes and children as central characters and while it still succeeds, did not have the same impact.
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by Nick »

BleuPanda wrote: Haven't seen the rest. I wonder where Mononoke would have fared here with how most of these placed.
If we were allowed to nominate 5 films as opposed to 3, the other 2 films I would've nominated would've been "The Truman Show" and "Princess Mononoke".
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by babydoll »

Dexter wrote:
babydoll wrote:
Nick wrote:"Fan" is putting it lightly. I'm a total Miyazaki fanatic. If I had to rank his movies, I could do so like...

Decent Tier:

Porco Rosso
WHY DOES EVERYONE KEEP RANKING PORCO ROSSO SO DAMN LOW?! :angry-screaming:
If I have to find fault in the film, the story drags a bit in places especially later on and the character development stalls also. The animation, while excellent as always, have moments where it's stretched out. Lastly, Miyazaki departed from his usual innocent themes and children as central characters and while it still succeeds, did not have the same impact.
Hmm... I remember Princess Mononoke had adult characters (okay, the two leads were late teenagers) and that movie happened to be his most densest in thematic elements. Howl's Moving Castle has adult characters. The Wind Rises has adult characters. Nausicaa is a late teenager.
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by Dexter »

babydoll wrote:
Dexter wrote:
babydoll wrote: WHY DOES EVERYONE KEEP RANKING PORCO ROSSO SO DAMN LOW?! :angry-screaming:
If I have to find fault in the film, the story drags a bit in places especially later on and the character development stalls also. The animation, while excellent as always, have moments where it's stretched out. Lastly, Miyazaki departed from his usual innocent themes and children as central characters and while it still succeeds, did not have the same impact.
Hmm... I remember Princess Mononoke had adult characters (okay, the two leads were late teenagers) and that movie happened to be his most densest in thematic elements. Howl's Moving Castle has adult characters. The Wind Rises has adult characters. Nausicaa is a late teenager.
I clearly stated "central characters" and to elaborate I was talking about mature adults and not young adults/teenagers. The titular character in Porco Rosso is clearly the former, inspired by Humprey Bogart's character in Casablanca with his world-weariness and cynicism.
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by babydoll »

Dexter wrote:
babydoll wrote:
Dexter wrote: If I have to find fault in the film, the story drags a bit in places especially later on and the character development stalls also. The animation, while excellent as always, have moments where it's stretched out. Lastly, Miyazaki departed from his usual innocent themes and children as central characters and while it still succeeds, did not have the same impact.
Hmm... I remember Princess Mononoke had adult characters (okay, the two leads were late teenagers) and that movie happened to be his most densest in thematic elements. Howl's Moving Castle has adult characters. The Wind Rises has adult characters. Nausicaa is a late teenager.
I clearly stated "central characters" and to elaborate I was talking about mature adults and not young adults/teenagers. The titular character in Porco Rosso is clearly the former, inspired by Humprey Bogart's character in Casablanca with his world-weariness and cynicism.
But those mature teenagers experience the same things as the mature adults. Therefore I would honestly classify those certain Miyazaki characters as adults rather than teenagers. Interestingly enough, in Princess Mononoke, San and Ashitaka, those teenagers, at times seemed to be the most adult. Ashitaka is dealing with the curse, an illness for adults, and San is dealing with the lost of her home and her family, an adult issue. Nausicaa is dealing with her rapidly declining environment, and takes on the world's problems with her own shoulders, which is a very adult thing to do. Sophie is dealing with her curse to be a 90-year-old woman, and falling in love at the same time, and is pretty much the only mature character throughout the movie. Porco Rosso is dealing with his curse to be a pig and his desperate attempts not to fall in love with Gina, the only remaining reminder of when he was human.

Sorry, I would way more into depth, but I wasn't really up to the task of writing an essay just now.
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by Dexter »

babydoll wrote:
Dexter wrote:
babydoll wrote: Hmm... I remember Princess Mononoke had adult characters (okay, the two leads were late teenagers) and that movie happened to be his most densest in thematic elements. Howl's Moving Castle has adult characters. The Wind Rises has adult characters. Nausicaa is a late teenager.
I clearly stated "central characters" and to elaborate I was talking about mature adults and not young adults/teenagers. The titular character in Porco Rosso is clearly the former, inspired by Humprey Bogart's character in Casablanca with his world-weariness and cynicism.
But those mature teenagers experience the same things as the mature adults...
I agree those teenagers acted more like adults, responsible mature adults at that, but I was talking about actual age and appearance of the central character: Porco Rosso evokes Bogart in form and gestures. The themes are likewise adult-like, for example, the setting is in a 30's jazzy era with a fascist regime that evokes a feeling of nostalgia aimed at adults. I'm only saying there's a departure from Miyazaki's core strengths: soft touch, children or childlike adventures, ecological themes, so on. It's not a bad thing, the result is still excellent but not a masterpiece.
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by BleuPanda »

May I suggest we avoid getting in an argument over a film that isn't even among those in this presentation?

The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way.
40. The Great Dictator (1940) - Directed by Charles Chaplin
Image
Decade Rank: 5
TSPDT rank: 167
AMF 2012 rank: new
Score: 924.25
Votes: 13


Individual Votes:
OtisRedding: 11/136
MrMooney: 18/195
MaschineMan: 18/165
bonnielaurel: 26/233
acroamor: 20/98

Chilton: 37/133
Greg: 67/237
Dexter: 109/236
Michel: 112/242
BleuPanda: 106/222
---
luney6: 42/69
Petri: 166/247
Gillingham: 220/229

That final speech alone warrants this film's place in this list. Chaplin's first sound film and to end it in such a way, simply amazing. - Chilton

In this world there is room for everyone, and the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. - 76 years later this quote is more relevant than ever. - MaschineMan

The first film after Chaplin retired the Tramp, The Great Dictator stars a character who comes off as just another version of The Tramp, and is thus another film in his classic style but with sound. The creation of the film is itself a joke; Chaplin and Hitler simply had a similar mustache, and thus Chaplin was inspired to make a film about that confusion. Chaplin worked on the film at the perfect time, beginning production while Hitler’s rise wasn’t as obviously dire, but finishing when it became clear what was actually happening in Europe. Beyond his sharper-than-usual humor, what hits people the most with this film is Chaplin’s closing speech. All sense of humor fades as the barber takes stage as the dictator and delivers a monologue on the need for peace. Few speeches are as of their time as they are universal as this one, and it’s one of the finest examples of Chaplin’s emotional capabilities. – BleuPanda

I have no control over this, this evil thing inside of me, the fire, the voices, the torment!
39. M (1931) - Directed by Fritz Lang
Image
Decade Rank: 3
TSPDT rank: 47
AMF 2012 rank: 35 (down 4)
Score: 929.37
Votes: 15


Individual Votes:
MrMooney: 11/195
Petri: 17/247
Greg: 39/237
Dexter: 40/236
BleuPanda: 47/222
Michel: 55/242

Gillingham: 66/229
bonnielaurel: 70/233
MaschineMan: 60/165
luney6: 27/69
Midaso: 84/184
---
Chilton: 84/133
Nick: 90/125
whuntva: 123/170
Live in Phoenix: 116/145

Fritz Lang’s classic thriller is indisputably his greatest work, the purest distillation of his cinema of nightmares, clearly marked by his Catholic upbringing just as much as Hitchcock, his only rival in terms of superior directors of the crime thriller genre. The mise-en-scene of the film is possibly the best to ever come out of the Weimar era of German cinema, and clearly set the groundwork for all noir films in the future. Peter Lorre’s Hans Beckert is one of the greatest characters in all of the cinema, with Lorre’s face, his posturing conveying the disturbing psychology of his character better than any amount of dialogue could. While a malignant character in terms of his crimes, the film ultimately makes one feel empathy, if ever so slightly, for Beckert, and contempt for the mob that kills him, especially in light of Lorre’s amazing monologue at the end of the film. An obvious metaphor for the rise of the Nazis in Lang’s country, but a terrific thriller even beyond its historical context. Many of Lang’s American noir films would come close, but nothing in his filmography quite approaches the power of this film. – JimmyJazz

M by Fritz Lang was the first very old movie that dumbfounded me by its gloominess and distress. This story about a child murderer and a group of people who chase him created agonizing memories amongst which the most powerful are the rough lynching mood of the crowd and the fantastic performance of Peter Lorre as the mentally ill murderer. - Petri

I come in here, you don't know me, you don't know who I am, what my life is, you have the balls, the indecency to ask me a question about my life?
38. Magnolia (1999) - Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
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Decade Rank: 4
TSPDT rank: 297
AMF 2012 rank: 34 (down 4)
Score: 930.07
Votes: 16


Individual Votes:
acroamor: 8/98
whuntva: 15/170
Petri: 25/247
Gillingham: 29/229
Midaso: 43/184

BleuPanda: 60/222
MrMooney: 53/195
Nassim: 24/87
Michel: 80/242
Greg: 89/237
---
luney6: 37/69
OtisRedding: 76/136
MaschineMan: 110/165
bootsy: 62/87
Dexter: 179/236
bonnielaurel: 180/233


Worth it for Julian Moore's rant in the drug store. - MaschineMan

A film whose scale and intricacies only unveil themselves after repeated viewings. PTA has declared in interviews that were he to make it again, he would cut it down. Its 3 hour plus viewtime may justify that in some people's eyes, but I personally wouldn't change a thing. The film features the separate arcs of some dozen-or-so characters, each of whom could warrant a full feature film alone. While this could come off as bloated, Anderson deftly and swiftly cuts back and forth between them all, giving each their due diligence. His legendary cast helps - Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, Jason Robards, Philip Baker Hall, William H. Macy, and Tom Cruise and John C. Reilly at their respective career bests. And as this is a music forum, I can't help but mention the highlights - an incredible cover of Harry Nillson's "One" to introduce us to our cast, a wonderful score by a then-new Jon Brion, and of course, a heartbreaking montage to Aimee Mann's "Give Up". If you haven't seen it, you should. If you have, you should take another journey through it. It's worth it. – acroamor

It's only a model.
37. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) - Directed by Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones
Image
Decade Rank: 10
TSPDT rank: 593
AMF 2012 rank: 38 (up 1)
Score: 930.2
Votes: 15


Individual Votes:
Live in Phoenix: 3/145
Nassim: 2/87
Chilton: 10/133
whuntva: 24/170
bonnielaurel: 36/233

Michel: 61/242
Petri: 83/247
MrMooney: 82/195
Gillingham: 101/229
---
Dexter: 129/236
MaschineMan: 93/165
acroamor: 65/98
BleuPanda: 180/222
Nick: 121/125
Greg: 233/237


40 years later, and still one of the funniest films ever made. - Chilton

I should love this movie. But I don’t. Despite the fact that I’m in the proper demographic for loving this movie, Monty Python and the Holy Grail fails to connect with me. There are some uproarious moments, but overall the “random for the sake of random” humor just doesn’t do it for me. But while this Terry Gilliam film never did much for me, there’s another movie of his that I consider to be a masterpiece… - Nick

Most films try to make a fictional story as real as possible, but here the viewer is constantly reminded of the fact that it's all fake. It's full of irony, self-reflective humor, meta-fiction. King Arthur, who sees himself as a hero anointed by God, is confronted with a socialist with 20th century ideas - one of many anachronisms reminding us that it's not really the Middle Ages and mocking old ideals like heroism or virginity. Scenes of violence are followed by a dry comment by John Cleese. In spite of its low budget this remains one of the greatest comedies ever made. - bonnielaurel

God, how do you dream up this stuff? A one-legged, armless knight on the attack; a hero who gets caught up in the excitement of his rescue attempt and stabs everyone in sight; King Arthur's method of conveyance throughout the film, which prompted the German release of the movie to be titled Die Ritter der Kokosnuß, or, The Knights of the Coconut. Some of the jokes don't work, but like with Marx Brothers films and Airplane/Naked Gun, if you're not laughing at the moment, just wait a few seconds. It's worth sitting through the occasional bomb just to experience the comic madness on display. As for how I can enjoy the Holy Grail so much more than the other couple of Monty Python films, I suppose I prefer how it runs on practically no narrative, yet is still able to bounce off certain Medieval or action movie conventions (and Camelot). – Live in Phoenix

This is Ripley, last survivor of the Nostromo, signing off.
36. Alien (1979) - Directed by Ridley Scott
Image
Decade Rank: 9
TSPDT rank: 131
AMF 2012 rank: 33 (down 3)
Score: 944.26
Votes: 16


Individual Votes:
whuntva: 16/170
Gillingham: 30/229
OtisRedding: 23/136
MrMooney: 34/195
Nassim: 18/87
Michel: 60/242

BleuPanda: 58/222
Greg: 76/237
Live in Phoenix: 51/145
bootsy: 31/87
Midaso: 68/184
Dexter: 104/236
Nick: 60/125
MaschineMan: 80/165
---
Petri: 145/247
bonnielaurel: 142/233

Probably the best horror film around, partly because - despite the terrifying aliens - most tension is actually psychologically. The design of the set, and of course of the aliens themselves, help this being more plausible than it ought to be. - Gillingham

One year after Halloween, Ridley Scott perfected the slasher genre by setting it in space. Alien is one of those films I think of when people try to discuss the evolution of special effects. No matter how much CGI evolves over time, it doesn’t erase the fact that this film from 1979 is just as effective today. A lot of this film’s strengths is thanks to Giger’s blatantly phallic creations, an element that transforms the violence in this film into something worse. The sexual imagery is overwhelming: the vagina-like facehugger, invasive male pregnancy, the Alien’s extended mouth, everything about this film is built to tap into our everyday fears by mixing it with a more blatant monstrosity. Like any good slasher, it builds its tension by never letting us track the monster for more than brief encounters. Like a good sci-fi, there’s always another layer to uncover. This is one of those rare genre films that just hasn’t aged. - BleuPanda
Last edited by BleuPanda on Fri Apr 01, 2016 7:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

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That rug really tied the room together.
35. The Big Lebowski (1998) - Directed by Coen Brothers
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Decade Rank: 3
TSPDT rank: 215
AMF 2012 rank: 53 (up 18)
Score: 946.58
Votes: 19


Individual Votes:
Nick: 2/125
Petri: 5/247
Gillingham: 25/229
MrMooney: 23/195
Midaso: 44/184

MaschineMan: 42/165
Michel: 84/242
Chilton: 49/133
whuntva: 67/170
Live in Phoenix: 58/145
Greg: 95/237
BleuPanda: 100/222
---
Dexter: 125/236
bootsy: 47/87
luney6: 39/69
acroamor: 77/98
Nassim: 72/87
OtisRedding: 117/136
bonnielaurel: 232/233


Does the female form make you uncomfortable, Mr. Lebowski? - It took me three watched to actually get through this film, I'm glad I persisted. - MaschineMan

Part stoner movie, part parody noir, part dark comedy, part mystery movie, The Big Lebowski is a movie that resists easy characterization. When a group of thugs breaks into aging burnout Jeff Lebowski’s (a.k.a. “The Dude”) California bungalow and steals his rug, Lebowski and his friend Walter are thrown into the seedy underworld of Los Angeles, encountering pornographers, a gang of nihilists, avant-garde artists, and a philanthropist bearing the same name as Mr. Lebowski. The Big Lebowski’s plot can be as convoluted as a Pynchon novel, but the largest assets this movie has are its characters, dialogue, and cinematography. At its heart, The Big Lebowski is a character study, and there’s a reason why a character like The Dude has endured in popular culture for so long. The Dude is a fuckup, but he’s an affable fuckup, and watching him gallivant across Los Angeles is nothing short of a joy. And there’s a reason as to why the movie spawned the parody religion of Dudeism. The Dude is almost a Buddha-like figure, going through the movie’s trials and tribulations with a firm resolve, facing the powerful enemies before him with a certain calmness and candor. And what does The Dude have at the end of the day? Well, the mere possessions he owns, the White Russians he sips on, and the few friends he has. But The Dude is content. And The Dude abides. – Nick

You didn't get me down, Ray.
34. Raging Bull (1980) - Directed by Martin Scorsese
Image
Decade Rank: 3
TSPDT rank: 23
AMF 2012 rank: 79 (up 45)
Score: 947.6
Votes: 16


Individual Votes:
MrMooney: 6/195
Dexter: 16/236
OtisRedding: 12/136
Greg: 32/237
BleuPanda: 49/222

whuntva: 54/170
Midaso: 63/184
Live in Phoenix: 54/145
luney6: 28/69
Michel: 104/242
---
bootsy: 44/87
Gillingham: 117/229
bonnielaurel: 131/233
Nick: 74/125
Petri: 154/247
MaschineMan: 135/165

While lately it seems that Taxi Driver is usurping this film as Scorsese’s consensus “canon” film, including on the TSPDT rankings, I have always been firm in believing this film to be the great master’s finest work. The emotional core of this film is truly incredible, very much equivalent to Othello as Ebert once put it. Scorsese typical fusing of mise-en-scene with montage is on full display in this film, with the frenetic and extremely expressionistic boxing sequences perfectly complementing the brutality of LaMotta’s personal life. This film, more than any others Scorsese’s oeuvre, is the most incisive exploration of male sexual insecurity and the incredibly destructive effects of machismo culture on all it touches, men and women alike. The black and white cinematography provides a stark quality that reminds one of European art cinema more than a typical boxing drama like say Rocky, an effect that I have heard Scorsese describe as quite intentional. One of the last major works of the New Hollywood era before the commercialism of the Reagan era officially permeated Hollywood forever. – JimmyJazz

Would you really feel any pity if one of those dots stopped moving forever?
33. The Third Man (1949) - Directed by Carol Reed
Image
Decade Rank: 4
TSPDT rank: 51
AMF 2012 rank: 16 (down 17)
Score: 947.84
Votes: 15


Individual Votes:
bonnielaurel: 17/233
Dexter: 25/236
Greg: 29/237
whuntva: 21/170
MrMooney: 30/195
Midaso: 29/184

Chilton: 34/133
Gillingham: 73/229
MaschineMan: 73/165
Petri: 112/247
---
Michel: 125/242
Live in Phoenix: 85/145
BleuPanda: 151/222
Nick: 88/125
OtisRedding: 102/136

The confrontation between the two men is built up slowly. First Harry Lime (Orson Welles) is invisible, then visible, then he speaks, then finally action follows. A mysterious atmosphere is created by the game of light and shadow and by the setting in post-war Vienna, divided into four sectors. The use of Dutch camera angles gives an uneasy feeling. Joseph Cotten plays a pulp novelist who doesn't care for literature, which adds some comical relief. - bonnielaurel

A classic example of a film that works as both stellar entertainment and a truly masterful work of cinematic art. A great non-American noir, and a terrific portrait of the nihilistic malaise of post-war Europe. The classic set-pieces, imagery, and dialogue (Welles’s appearance, the whole cuckoo clock speech, the chase in the sewers, among many others) are come together for a truly incredible film. Reed’s overall filmography was, generally speaking, quite unremarkable to my eyes, with some gems scattered throughout. Thus, this yet another film that reminds me of Andrew Sarris’s remarks about Casablanca being the greatest exception to the auteur theory, a truly great collaborative effort. – JimmyJazz

Faith is a torment. It is like loving someone who is out there in the darkness but never appears, no matter how loudly you call.
32. The Seventh Seal (1957) - Directed by Ingmar Bergman
Image
Decade Rank: 5
TSPDT rank: 72
AMF 2012 rank: 59 (up 27)
Score: 949.03
Votes: 13


Individual Votes:
bonnielaurel: 6/233
Greg: 16/237
BleuPanda: 20/222
Gillingham: 22/229
Dexter: 41/236
whuntva: 36/170

Michel: 85/242
Petri: 87/247
---
Chilton: 71/133
Midaso: 113/184
MrMooney: 133/195
Live in Phoenix: 131/145
Nick: 113/125


A medieval knight struggles with 20th century existentialist problems concerning God, death and afterlife. He's surrounded by religious madness: flagellants, witch burnings, a pointless crusade. The chess scene was inspired by a painting by Albertus Pictor, who's a character in the film. The dance with death at the end was filmed with the present members of the crew, because Bergman liked the natural light at that moment. - bonnielaurel

What makes The Seventh Seal stand out among both Bergman’s filmography and cinema in general is just how different it is as a narrative. Though presented like any other, the story comes off more like a passion play. Characters aren’t necessarily fully developed but rather representations of certain archetypes. It’s a film that literally features a chess battle with Death yet never turns cheesy. Bergman has these existentialist concepts so tight that he can follow a long forgotten structure and create a masterpiece in the modern day. The Seventh Seal is also one of the strongest portraits of Medieval Europe, from thematic concerns such as the plague and witch burnings down to the design of costumes. This is a film that has a lot to say about God and death, yet it never feels like preaching. Instead this is Bergman’s personal contemplation, and we are free to take what we want. – BleuPanda

You're no crazier than the average asshole walkin' around on the streets and that's it.
31. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) - Directed by Milos Forman
Image
Decade Rank: 8
TSPDT rank: 139
AMF 2012 rank: 9 (down 22)
Score: 952.85
Votes: 18


Individual Votes:
Midaso: 6/184
bonnielaurel: 25/233
Michel: 26/242
Petri: 37/247
acroamor: 18/98
MrMooney: 42/195
whuntva: 40/170

Dexter: 71/236
OtisRedding: 45/136
bootsy: 39/87
Nick: 59/125
BleuPanda: 105/222
---
Nassim: 47/87
MaschineMan: 102/165
Live in Phoenix: 90/145
Gillingham: 153/229
Greg: 163/237
Chilton: 108/133

The book was actually one of my favorites for years before I saw the film. The two are wildly different, considering that the book is narrated by one of the film's minor characters. But god, either way, it's so wonderful. One of the greatest good vs. evil conflicts, partially for the fact that neither side is truly good or truly evil. McMurphy's in many regards a bastard of a man, but it's his witty lines sold with heyday Jack Nicholson's charm that earns the audience's love. And for the majority of the film, Nurse Ratched acts because she truly believes that she's doing what's best for these damaged men. Only in the film's climax, in the brutally devastating Billy Bibbitt scene, do we realize the depths of her villainy. (also, my first film school essay was about this film. memories.) - acroamor
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babydoll
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Re: AMF Top 250 Films of All Time (2016 edition)

Post by babydoll »

BleuPanda wrote:May I suggest we avoid getting in an argument over a film that isn't even among those in this presentation?
Sorry. Things just deteriorated. Plus it's really easy to bring up a similar film, either by the same director or dealing with the same themes, and get into a discussion.

In my defense, I did say we should have opened a Miyazaki thread where we discussed the themes and whatnot. :whistle:
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