Maniacs Top 100 Films
Apr 16, 2009 0:11:48 GMT
Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2009 0:11:48 GMT
Ah great, I'm glad you've bumped this post Jill. I wanted to take part in it after reading it but figured it would be too late and that you probably wouldn't bother adding my list at such a late stage. But now I can. These lists are troublesome because they can change by the week, but for right now, in this moment, here's my top 10.
1. THE DARK KNIGHT.
-It was Batman Returns in 1992 that had a monumental impact on my life. It made me want to become a filmmaker. It got me reading comic books. It got me listening to siouxsie and the banshees, for which I subsequently wrote my first feature film screenplay based on one of their songs. All these years later, The Dark Knight has encapsulated everything that I love about the Batman mythology.
2. MAGNOLIA.
-Just beautiful. Three hours of brilliantly scripted, wonderfully acted, poetry. I absolutely love it and I can identify with the character of Officer Jim Kurring more that any other character in cinema. I love the onscreen relationship between him and Claudia, who is played by Melora Walters, and every time I see the final moment of this film I get a joyous lump in my throat.
3. FIGHT CLUB.
-Wow! How visually inventive is this film? And it is just bursting with ideas and commentry about the way in which we are living in modern society. It makes you want to just cut all the crap and make something worthwhile of your life.
4. CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON.
-Of all the recent wushu movies of the past decade it was a toss up between this and House of Flying Daggers. But I have to go with this one. I love Zhang Ziyi. I could watch her in anything. Ang Lee can just make any genre of movie his own. It looks beautiful and it has one of, if not the best sword fights committed to celluloid. And it's between two women no less.
5. DONNIE DARKO.
-As a Christian this film just speaks to me on a really profound level. I completly understand it from a spiritual point of view and I'm not sure I would without my faith. That's not to say that it cannot touch people who do not have faith, but that's the reason it spoke to me. There's a scene when Donnie asks his mum, played by the wonderful Mary MacDonald, what it feels like to have a crazy person for a son. She replies 'It feels wonderful'. Brilliantly played, this scene just makes me cry.
6. LORD OF THE RINGS.
-Okay, bit of a cheek I know, because this is kind of three films. But it's not really, is it? You can't have any one without the others. So I'm counting them all as the one big film that they truly are. And for sheer cinematic spectacle no other films really come close. It literally takes you to another world.
7. THE TERMINATOR.
-I must have watched this film about 30 times when I was a kid. It's so simple that it can essentially be boiled down to a chase movie. But the T800 rising from the flames is just plain awesome and really brings out the geek in me. And it was much scarier when Arnie was relatively unknown.
8. THE MATRIX.
-It's easy to forget how much this film took everyone by surprise. There was barely any publicity about it prior to its release because there was too much banging on about Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom bore. Visually mindblowing and extremely influential on modern cinema, for better or worse, just ignore the sequels.
9. GLADIATOR.
-I love Ridley Scott's movies. It was either this or Bladerunner. Bladerunner is arguably the better film from a visual and technical standpoint. But for sheer enjoyment and entertainment value this wins hands down. Maximus is one of the great iconic characters and it is doubtful that Crowe will ever be able to do anything this memorable again.
10. DEAD MAN'S SHOES.
-I feel that I have to put one of Shane's films in and this is my favorite. Again, very simple premise i.e. man comes back home to take revenge on those who bullied his brother, but just amazing acting from all involved. Paddy is truly menacing.
Well, there you have it, there is my top ten. But like I say, if you asked me what my top ten is a week from now then it would likely change. The only certainty are my top 2. The rest I just chose the best film by each of my favorite directors. There are sooooo many that I could have put in this list.
1. THE DARK KNIGHT.
-It was Batman Returns in 1992 that had a monumental impact on my life. It made me want to become a filmmaker. It got me reading comic books. It got me listening to siouxsie and the banshees, for which I subsequently wrote my first feature film screenplay based on one of their songs. All these years later, The Dark Knight has encapsulated everything that I love about the Batman mythology.
2. MAGNOLIA.
-Just beautiful. Three hours of brilliantly scripted, wonderfully acted, poetry. I absolutely love it and I can identify with the character of Officer Jim Kurring more that any other character in cinema. I love the onscreen relationship between him and Claudia, who is played by Melora Walters, and every time I see the final moment of this film I get a joyous lump in my throat.
3. FIGHT CLUB.
-Wow! How visually inventive is this film? And it is just bursting with ideas and commentry about the way in which we are living in modern society. It makes you want to just cut all the crap and make something worthwhile of your life.
4. CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON.
-Of all the recent wushu movies of the past decade it was a toss up between this and House of Flying Daggers. But I have to go with this one. I love Zhang Ziyi. I could watch her in anything. Ang Lee can just make any genre of movie his own. It looks beautiful and it has one of, if not the best sword fights committed to celluloid. And it's between two women no less.
5. DONNIE DARKO.
-As a Christian this film just speaks to me on a really profound level. I completly understand it from a spiritual point of view and I'm not sure I would without my faith. That's not to say that it cannot touch people who do not have faith, but that's the reason it spoke to me. There's a scene when Donnie asks his mum, played by the wonderful Mary MacDonald, what it feels like to have a crazy person for a son. She replies 'It feels wonderful'. Brilliantly played, this scene just makes me cry.
6. LORD OF THE RINGS.
-Okay, bit of a cheek I know, because this is kind of three films. But it's not really, is it? You can't have any one without the others. So I'm counting them all as the one big film that they truly are. And for sheer cinematic spectacle no other films really come close. It literally takes you to another world.
7. THE TERMINATOR.
-I must have watched this film about 30 times when I was a kid. It's so simple that it can essentially be boiled down to a chase movie. But the T800 rising from the flames is just plain awesome and really brings out the geek in me. And it was much scarier when Arnie was relatively unknown.
8. THE MATRIX.
-It's easy to forget how much this film took everyone by surprise. There was barely any publicity about it prior to its release because there was too much banging on about Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom bore. Visually mindblowing and extremely influential on modern cinema, for better or worse, just ignore the sequels.
9. GLADIATOR.
-I love Ridley Scott's movies. It was either this or Bladerunner. Bladerunner is arguably the better film from a visual and technical standpoint. But for sheer enjoyment and entertainment value this wins hands down. Maximus is one of the great iconic characters and it is doubtful that Crowe will ever be able to do anything this memorable again.
10. DEAD MAN'S SHOES.
-I feel that I have to put one of Shane's films in and this is my favorite. Again, very simple premise i.e. man comes back home to take revenge on those who bullied his brother, but just amazing acting from all involved. Paddy is truly menacing.
Well, there you have it, there is my top ten. But like I say, if you asked me what my top ten is a week from now then it would likely change. The only certainty are my top 2. The rest I just chose the best film by each of my favorite directors. There are sooooo many that I could have put in this list.