My top ten list of the best movies ever made.
May 28 '02 (Updated Jan 28 '04)
The Bottom Line This is it for my picks of the top ten films of all time. ENJOY!!!
It's really hard for me to whittle down my favorite films to just 10, but I'll give it a shot anyway.
#10)Pulp Fiction----Writer/director/actor Quentin Tarantino followed up his explosive 1992 debut Reservoir Dogs with this 1994 masterpiece of violence, hitmen, a boxer, a crime boss, his beautiful cocaine snorting wife, pawn-shops and a mysterious briefcase. Featuring an amazing ensemble cast doing career defining work, this movie is notable especially for resurrecting John Travolta's career out of the duldrums of Look Who's Talking sequels and making him cool and famous again, that is until Battlefield Earth came out. This has to be one of the most quotable movies of all time and literally every line of dialogue is witty and memorable. Watching this movie, it's easy to tell that movie junkie Quentin Tarantino has just been acting like a sponge his whole life absorbing any and every movie that he could find. He takes all of those influences and mixes them into this fine stew that manages to pay homage to his influences while being a landmark and original film in its own right. Truly great stuff and a movie that never gets old. This movie was robbed of the best picture Oscar.
#9)Heavenly Creatures----Writer/director Peter Jackson has just now found world-wide fame and fortune with the trilogy of the Lord of the Rings films, but he has been cranking out some great films for quite some time prior to LOTR. His 1994 effort Heavenly Creatures is still IMO his best film and is also one of the most shocking movies that I've ever seen. Based on a true story of a brutal murder that shocked New Zealand in the 1950's, this movie marked the stunning acting debut of Kate Winslet. This movie was nominated for best original screenplay, but was unjustly ignored in almost every category. Heavenly Creatures features some truly stupendous acting and camera work in addition to some very surreal moments that are positively stunning. Be sure to check out the recent DVD of Heavenly Creatures as it is the complete 109 minute director's cut of the film. I personally think it flows even better than the already fine 99 minute American cut.
#8)Apocalypse Now---Francis Ford Copolla's 1979 Vietnam epic is still one of the most debated and controversial films ever made. He took the classic short story Heart of Darkness and set the plot against the Vietnam war with amazing results. Martin Sheen is absolutely brilliant as the man who is sent by his own military to kill one of their own men, Colonel Kurtz (Marlin Brando) who has gone insane, said goodbye to normal civilization and set up camp far up a remote river. Of all the Vietnam films, this movie captures the madness of that war better than any other and is also a brilliant and disturbing character study of some very disturbed people. (BTW stick with the original theatrical cut versus the recent ill-advised Redux version.)
#7)Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon---Director Ang Lee has made one of the most exhilirating movies ever made with this 2000 film. While on the surface, it might appear to be just another martial arts film, once you start to watch it becomes immediately apparent that this movie is much more than just that. A lot of critics called this movie Sense and Sensibility (also directed by Ang Lee) with martial arts set in ancient China, and that label is not too far off. Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh do splended work as two /warriors lovers who can't allow themselves to truly express their love for each other. The movie also features an explosive performance by Ziyi Zhang. She literally almost steals the movie away from the two stars and does some amazing work as a young princess who dreams of instead being a great warrior like Chow and Michelle. The movie features some of the most lush cinematography and amazing action set pieces that I've ever seen. Using smooth wire work, the actors glide through the air during the battle scenes with an elegance that is truly beautiful and awe-inspiring. What makes this movie so great is that the fight scenes are natural extensions of the character's personalities and not just for action's sake. This really gives those scenes an emotional weight that is missing from most action films. I actually know people who hate martial arts films who actually loved this movie.
#6)Raiders of the Lost Ark----Steven Spielberg's 1981 ode to the serials that he grew up watching was the first film that I ever saw in a theater (I was 6) and it still seems just as fun, action-packed, funny and charismatic as it did when I first saw it. Larger than life Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is an archaeologist who teaches at a University and also goes on hair-raising treks to track down rare treasures during his spare time. Set prior to WWII, he finds out that the Nazi's are trying to find the Ark of the Covenent to use it's mysterious powers for evil purposes. Indiana Jones sets out on an amazing adventure that features some action set-pieces that have become part of movie folklore. One of the most fun movies ever made that features some fantastic acting from the whole cast.
#5)Monty Python and the Holy Grail---Britain's legendary comedy troupe called Monty Python's Flying Circus actually consisted of 5 british and 1 american. Made a few years after their landmark BBC show ended, their 1975 theatrical send up of the King Arthur legend ranks as one of the most absurd and funny comedies ever made. Out of the 3 feature films of completely original material that they released (Holy Grail, 1979's Life of Brian and 1983's The Meaning of Life), this movie ranks as the most consistently funny and over-the-top. While it may lack the polish and smoother feel of Life of Brian, almost every joke in Holy Grail works great and the movie is so delightully absurd and silly that you can't help but keep a constant smile on your face throughout the whole movie. Watch out for the killer rabbit!
#4)Seven Samurai---Legendary director Akira Kurosawa made probably more memorable films than any other director other than Alfred Hitchcock. While I love all of his films, this 1954 classic has always been my personal favorite. The plot sounds simplistic at first. A poverty stricken village that is being repeatedly attacked by some bandits hire the assistance of 7 Samurai who work independently and not for any master, which was common back in ancient Japan. The movie manages to pile layer upon layer of brilliant characterizations and situations, and at over 3 hours long the movie never drags and is consistently engaging.
#3)The Birds---Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 foray into horror still ranks as one of the most powerful and chilling movies ever made. The plot involves birds descending on a coastal town and they start attacking the inhabitants for literally no reason at all. The movie might seem a bit dated now in terms of the speical effects compared to today's films, but when this was released it was cutting edge. What really adds to the atmosphere is that the movie features no music whatsoever. Instead, the sound of the menacing birds ends up becoming the soundtrack for the film and this approach was a stroke of pure genius by Hitchcock. A terrific cast brings the right touch to their characters and really make their shocking situation believable and horrific.
#2)Brazil----Ex-Monty Python animator/actor Terry Gilliam directed and co-wrote this 1985 film that ranks as one of the most audacious, dense and truly artistic films ever released by a major hollywood studio. Set in a non-descript time period, the movie focuses on Jonathan Pryce's character Sam Lowry who works for the dark and imposing Ministry of Information at some point in the future. He is very unhappy with himself and his life and ends up resorting to his dreams where he can be everything that he isn't in real life. This movie really features some truly original directorial choices and weird cinematography. The film really starts to cook when Sam thinks that he finds in reality the woman that he frequently dreams about and he gives up everything to try to capture her heart. On top of all of this there is a sub-plot involving mysterious terrorists as well! The acting is amazing with a great bit involving Robert De Niro in a small, but memorable supporting role. Sam's dreams and reality end up getting disturbingly mixed up and the movie features one of the most shocking and debatable endings ever filmed. Terry Gilliam's finest hour as a filmmaker.
#1)Dr. Strangelove----Stanley Kubrick's 1964 black comedy ranks as his best film and one of the best dark comedies of all time. He managed to take a very serious subject at the time, nuclear war, and make a comedy out of it. An American general goes insane and launches an unauthorized nuclear strike against Russia. The movie involves various people in various locations who are trying to stop the planes from reaching their targets. The most memorable set is the War Room at the Pentagon which features one of the most useful sets ever constructed. The acting is amazing all around with the late (and great) Peter Sellers playing 3 roles (the president, a British military officer and the legendary ex-nazi advisor to the president Dr. Strangelove) and George C. Scott turning in a rare (and brilliant) comic performance as General "Buck" Turgison who tries to advise the president on how they could stop the planes. I just love everything about this movie and it just seems to get better everytime I watch it. While a lot of people rank 2001:A Space Odyssey as Stanley Kubrick's best film, I've always leaned towards Dr. Strangelove instead. Classic stuff and filmmaking at its finest.
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alan-smithee
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