Sunday, August 16, 2009

50 Essential Films: Part One

The Spectator has compiled another list/meme. This is part one. Don't let the idiotic set-up of the web article phase you (click through 25 individual pages???) If you'd like to look through the descriptions/justifications, just click on "print this article."

So far I'm in accord with many of the choices, and have seen more of them than I thought I had. And some of my all-time faves make an appearance (29, 32, 40, 43.)

50. Out of the Past (Jacques Tourneur, 1947) Robert Mitchum and Kirk Douglas - quite a combo.

49. Manhattan (Woody Allen, 1979) Not my favorite Woodman (Hannah and her Sisters), but still "cherce."

48. Jaws (Steven Spielberg, 1975) Geez I guess a Spielberg has to make it on the list, but I wouldn't have chosen it.

47. Duck Soup (Leo McCarey, 1933) Groucho Marx. Nuff said.

46. Rome, Open City (Roberto Rossellini, 1945) Need to see this one.

45. Great Expectations (David Lean, 1946) Spooky and wonderful.

44. Pinocchio (Hamilton Luske + Ben Sharpsteen, 1940) Just saw it with the kid - great.

43. 8½ (Federico Fellini, 1963) Marcello!

42. Sullivan’s Travels (Preston Sturges, 1941) I like it, but prefer Sturges's The Lady Eve and especially, The Palm Beach Story.

41. In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar-wai, 2000) now on my to-see list

40. Kind Hearts and Coronets (Robert Hamer, 1949) One of the all-time funniest damn movies. Ever.

39. Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, 1994) haven't seen it in ages, would be interested to see how it holds up.

38. The 400 Blows (François Truffaut, 1959) Simply wonderful.

37. Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1976) "Someday a real rain will come and wash all this scum off the streets."

36. Andrei Rublev (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1966) I've been meaning to see this forever - now's the time.

35. Gun Crazy (Joseph H. Lewis, 1950) I think I've seen it, but don't remember much of it. I think it's on this list because it's Brit-noir.

34. Killer of Sheep (Charles Burnett, 1977) No knowledge of this one.

33. The Long Day Closes (Terence Davies, 1992)don't know this one, either.

32. Singin’ in the Rain (Stanley Donen + Gene Kelly, 1952) Gotta dance!

31. The Roaring Twenties (Raoul Walsh, 1939) I was never a huge Cagney fan, but he rocks in this one

30. M (Fritz Lang, 1931) Terrifying, tragic, horrible - great film.

29. Notorious (Alfred Hitchcock, 1946)One of my fave Hitchcock's. Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. Claude Rains. Nazis. it's got it all. The scene in the wine cellar...

28. Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder, 1950) "I was always big. It's the movies that got small." (But Some Like it Hot is still my favorite by Wilder.)

27. Pierrot le fou (Jean-Luc Godard, 1965) I can't believe my Godard-loving friend Mary let me miss this one...

26. City Lights (Charlie Chaplin, 1931) Beautiful.

Agree or disagree? What's missing?

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4 comments:

Aly said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Aly said...

Possible I should wait for your second list...But my fav growing up was the Wizard of Oz. And one my all time favorite scary film is Rosemary's Baby...It could make a interesting union between the two..:)


Andrei Tarkovsky, "The Sacrifice" is on top of my list...

xoxoxo said...

wizard of oz is one of my faves, too. It will be interesting to see what the second half of the list is like and whether the Brits love Oz, too...

Steven said...

Lots of great films on the list. (Except for Pulp Fiction. I think Quentin Tarantino is a big fraud.)

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