Okay, now I'm sad.
What I really meant to say is that, even though I know most of you guys are in school and things are getting kind of hectic, you should be putting most of your brain power towards two things. One, what you are going to get me for Christmas. Two, who/what you want to vote for in my upcoming annual very-patriotic family-friendly Groundhog Day vote! (Sorry Walter.)
Last year, if you'll recall. I asked you to vote on your twenty favorite "moment" songs, tunes that caught your ear at the time; the year before that is was favorite songs in general. Well, I never meant to restrict the voting to songs, so after much deliberation, I have decided that the fabulous subject for this year's vote will be:
Film!
Yes, I know, I the Foolish Knight am talking about film. Please try to contain your shock if you would, and instead, start getting out your pencils and legal pads; go to your local video store, breath life back into your Nexflix cue, and bring me back a list of your twenty five favorite films (in order of first favorite to twenty-fifth favorite) by February second! Go! Go! Have fun! Be safe! Don't play snap ball in the middle of the street! Brush twice daily! And (most importantly) be sure to drink plenty of water, okay? All right, now go!
19 comments:
1. Primer
2. The Truman Show
3. Donnie Darko
4. Garden State
5. The Nightmare Before Christmas
6. Pride and Prejudice (the new one)
7. Batman Begins
8. The Bourne Identity
9. Gladiator
10. Shaun of the Dead
11. Saving Private Ryan
12. Nicholas Nickleby
13. The Prestige
14. Spiderman 2
15. Corpse Bride
16. Spiderman
17. The Return of the King
18. The Fellowship of the Ring
19. The Two Towers
20. Stranger Than Fiction
21. Aladdin
22. The Great Mouse Detective
23. Beauty and the Beast
24. The Incredibles
25. Wallace and Gromit
It's a pity I missed the songs one, I would have enjoyed it a lot.
As for this, the first 10 or so are actually correct and in order, but after that I was basically just writing names of half-decent movies I have seen recently.
Also, most of them are mainstream, which I realized and became sad.
I think I'm going to go rent Little Miss Sunshine... I haven't seen it yet.
Maybe most of them are mainstream, but you definitely earn indie class points for putting Primer at number one. I'll have to consider it for my final list.
20 minutes of thinking and I already have 52 movies. You realize this thing you ask may very well kill me
Tell me about it.
Still, you have survived the last two votes, haven't you?
Yes, but just barely. Last year I was in critical condition until April 14th.
Look for my list soon...probably over Christmas break.
for sciences sake:
IMDB's Top 25 User Voted Movies:
1. The Godfather (1972)
2. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
3. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
4. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
5. Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il (1966)
6. Casablanca (1942)
7. Schindler's List (1993)
8. Pulp Fiction (1994)
9. Shichinin no samurai (1954)
10. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
11. Star Wars (1977)
12. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
13. Rear Window (1954)
14. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
15. 12 Angry Men (1957)
16. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
17. The Usual Suspects (1995)
18. Cidade de Deus (2002)
19. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
20. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
21. Goodfellas (1990)
22. Psycho (1960)
23. Citizen Kane (1941)
24. C'era una volta il West (1968)
25. North by Northwest (1959)
What!? No songs! Mercy, I don't even know if I can think of that many films, but I'll try.
Can't we do songs and movies?
Nope.
Fine, be that way.
wait. I'm confused. do I have to actually go to the movie store and see which films catch my eye or i think would be my favorite. or is it just my favorite movies in general. I'm sorry, I'm a little slow.
Favorite in general. Sorry for the confusion. I was just thinking that some people might need to do a little re-watching just to be sure of which ones to put on there.
By the way, can I steal a line from one of your poems for a Grateful Tuesday post?
It's coming... I swear... I want to choose well. These lists can be difficult.
Alright, I think I'm done. I searched through IMDBs favorite movies and IFMs greatest 100 movies to help me come up with mine. It certainly isn't set in stone as I'm sure I'll remember others and rearange the orders. I'll also preface my list by noting that it consists of my very favorite movies, not necessarily the movies that I think are the greatest in terms of overall cinematic quality. Meaning that there are films that I consider to be great works of art, but that I don't particularly care to watch that often. The glaring example of this is Citizen Kane. It is technically brilliant on many levels, but I struggle sitting through it in one sitting, because, well it's kind of dull.I think all of my choices qualify as good cinema, but there also films I love to watch.
1. Casablanca - Perfection in every way. Beautifully shot, acted, and directed. Full of classic, quotable lines and characters you'll never forget. If there is a better scene in all of film than when they sing "La Marseillaise" I don't know it.
2. To Kill a Mockingbird - The film that taught me movies could be art. I dream to be half the man Atticus Finch is.
3. Seven Samauri - It's got action, comedy, romance and freaking Toshiru Mifune. What else could you want?
4. Raising Arizona - funniest movie ever made. A movie I can quote all the way through, and often do.
5. Jules and Jim - Trauffaut's (and possibly the french new waves) finest moment. A beautiful meditation on love and friendship.
6. Wild Strawberries - I struggled between this one and the Seventh Seal for Bergman's mention on my list. I find Seal more interesting, but this one has more heart.
7 Godfather I
8. Godfather II - I'm really considering the two to be one unified film, but to not break the rules Im listing them seperate.
9. African Queen - Bogart, Hepburn. There's nothing more to say.
10. Young Frankenstein - the second funniest movie ever made. Mel Brooks only truly brilliant film. Magnificently shot, a beautiful homage to the golden age of horror, and hilarous on repeate viewings.
11. Treasure of the Sierra Madres - three Bogart flicks in my top 11. Do you think he's my favorite actor?
12.` Touch of Evil - I've only actually seen the relatively re-release of this picture with edits taken from Orson Welles original notes (in the original run, the studios edited Welles final cut significantly) I don't know that its truly what Orson wanted, but its pretty darn brilliant. The opening tracking shot is for the ages.
13. Grand Illusion - Who knew the french could make one of the finest war pictures?
14. Star Wars IV - I've seen this one so many times now that I can't really watch it anymore. It's such a part of my life though I had to include it.
15. His Girl Friday - Cary Grant at his best. A film so fast you have to watch it multiple times to catch all the jokes.
16. Raiders of the Lost Ark - Non stop action and fun
17. 12 Angry Men
18. Jaws - My wife hates me for it, but Jaws is my standard film to watch when I'm bored.
19. Evil Dead II - not great cinema, but an awesome, bloody, hilarious film none the less.
20 Goodfellas - I've got a thing for gangsters
21. Riffifi - The best darn bank heist picture ever. The heist itself is worth the price of admission
22. M - Peter Lorre as a psychotic child murderer, and he makes you feel sorry for him. Brilliant
23. Great Escape - worth it for the soundtrack alone
24. Annie Hall - Woody Allens masterpiece
25. Ferris Beuller's Day Off - my teenage years were based on Ferris Bueller
You didn't ask for commentary, but got some anyway. There is more comedy in this list than I would have guessed. Which shows that I prefer to laugh in multiple viewings than cry. Not a lot of horror either, which is weird since I enjoy that genre so. But I guess there isn't a lot of horror that really makes it to classic status. I'm already rearanging this list
Hey I posted my list on my blog... But I'll add it here too for your benefit. Though of course after reading other submissions I already want to add more movies. But I'm keeping it the way I printed it.
I started compiling a list and realized that I needed to define what favorite meant to me. Ah we are a relative culture aren't we?! There were just too many movies to choose from. Is it a favorite because it was significant and artistic? Is it a favorite because of its impact? Or is it a favorite because, I in fact watch it repeatedly? I decided that a favorite needed to be a movie I enjoy watching over and over again. The kind of movie you never tire of. This means my list below does not always include what I considered some of the greatest movies (based on significance or artistic achievement). Many movies are amazing and impacted me but I can't watch them more than one time. So please remember that when you read my list. I also made a conscious decision to be totally honest, so I didn't let myself edit the list to make it look more intellectual etc... Because you know we all like to do that.
The List: 25 Favorite Movies
1. Chocolat - The book is not so good, but the movie is fantastic. I don't even know why I love it so much but I do. It's pretty, and I watch it a lot.
2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - This is my idea of an epic love story and the bonus is that its combined with crazy martial arts. Its so beautiful at times its just breathtaking.
3. Amelie - The music, the kookiness all go into my love of this one. Lost and lonely people breaking out and finding love.
4. The Usual Suspects - Crazy, crazy, crazy. My love of Kevin Spacey began with this movie. Its violent but the story is so great. I didn't know it was coming, which is one of the best elements in a movie. Its a classic in my opinion.
5. Pride and Prejudice - The new version because its so pretty, but I do adore the 6 hour one also. In fact if I could combine the two I would.
6. Breakfast at Tiffany's - This combines many of my favorites: Audrey Hepburn, Tiffanys, and Love stories. Its a little melancholy so I watch it only in certain moods.
7. You've Got Mail - I don't watch this as much as I used to. But partly it has to be here because of the sheer number of memories I have associated to it from my college days. We watched it repeatedly. And it is so sweet, though I still think meeting people on the internet is totally freaky.
8. Under the Tuscan Sun - I love this one because it is essentially about someone overcoming tragedy in their life, and learning to really live again.
9. Shall We Dance (Japanese version only) - So amazing the way this man goes beyond social mores in hopes of getting something more out of his life.
10. Legally Blond - At first it just seems silly and vapid, but then you realize it has some depth and a good message. Very fun.
11. Almost Famous - The music and the era this is set in (late 60's classic rock) are so intriguing to me.
12. Finding Neverland - How can you not love a story that is so sweet. I cry, and cry. Always a sign of a good movie.
13. Funny Face - Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire dance and sing in Paris. Sigh of happiness...
14. White Christmas - I NEVER get tired of this. I love the music, the silliness, the cliché Christmas of it all. Sorry F.K. I'm sure you are cringing reading it. But I've got to be true to myself, now I have that song in my head...
15. Hello Dolly - If you can sing to it, its good in my opinion. No really, I love musicals and this one is great.
16. A Love Song for Bobby Long - It's beautiful, though the characters are quite ugly at times. The story of dysfunctional people finding a sense of family and function together. I think its the idea of redemption in it that I love the most.
17. LA Confidential - I'll never forget the first time I saw this movie. I love plot twists and this movie does it very well.
18. LOTR-Return of the King - The best because it all comes to an end beautifully.
19. LOTR- Two Towers - The second almost solely due to Legolas' shield surfing scene.
20. LOTR- Fellowship of the Ring - Beautiful start.
21. Drop Dead Gorgeous- Dark humor, but definitely hysterical. I quote this one often. A mocumentary is always great in my opinion, and this one profiles high school beauty pageants in the Midwest.
22. Blue Crush- I am almost embarrassed by this one but every time I want to just have fun and watch a movie, this is the one I put in. Maybe its all the shots of sun and beaches? It makes me want to surf.
23. So I Married an Axe Murderer- Mike Myers in the beginning was so very funny. I quote it all the time... "HEAD! PAPER! NOW!"
24. Moulin Rouge- Sheer genius the way its made and all the songs are so fun. Visually its like a LONG music video.
25. Best in Show - I had to have at least one from this group on the list. A mocumentary of Dog Show (aka insane) people.
Arghh! I was on a roll until I re-read midnitcafe's list and saw two movies I really liked. Now it is not so easy.
1. Serenity
2. The Lord of The Rings: The Return of The King
3. The Man Without A Past
4. The Incredibles
5. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
6. The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring
7. Master And Commander: The Far Side of The World
8. Casablanca
9. Spider-Man 2
10. The Princess Bride
11. Monty Python And The Holy Grail
12. Batman Begins
13. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
14. What's Up Doc?
15. Rear Window
16. Searching For Bobby Fisher
17. El Dorado
18. Babetes Feast
19. The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers
20. Not of This World
21. The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh
22. To Kill A Mockingbird
23. Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
24. Monsters Inc.
25. The Muppet Christmas Carol
There you have it. This list is as close to final as it gets.
Here is my list sir.
1. The Shawshank Redemption
2. Gladiator
3. The Return of the King
4. The Fellowship of the Ring
5. The Two Towers
6. To End All Wars
7. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
8. Life Is Beautiful
9. Boondock Saints
10. Robin Hood: Men in Tights
11. A Beautiful Mind
12. The Big Kahuna
13. Tombstone
14. Brick
15. Wait Until Dark
16. The Princess Bride
17. Psycho
18. Raiders of the Lost Ark
19. Jaws
20. The Great Escape
21. The Sixth Sense
22. The Matrix
23. The End of the Spear
24. Star Wars: A New Hope
25. Forrest Gump
Well, unfortunately, when my computer gets too low on battery, it just totally shuts down. No warning. So I lost my first draft.
I mean, perhaps I'm blaming my computer for not having posted before now, but better late than never, right? Here you go:
1. The Queen
2. The Village
3. Fiddler on the Roof
4. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
5. The Truman Show
6. Babette's Feast
7. Walk The Line
8. Dear Frankie
9. Finding Neverland
10. Life is Beautiful
11. Chariots of Fire
12. To Kill A Mockingbird
13. Shadowlands
14. Pride & Prejudice
15. The New World
16. The Miracle Maker
17. Hotel Rwanda
18. Batman Begins
19. Jet Li's Fearless
20. Twelve Angry Men
21. Nicholas Nickleby
22. Paths of Glory
23. The Incredibles
24. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
25. Minority Report
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