I'm starting a new feature on this little old blog o' mine, called Arbitrary Exercises! It's a pretty simple concept: From time to time, I'll come up with some form of list on a random topic, and share it with you lovely readers. You'll realize how completely arbitrary and pointless the lists are and hopefully point this out to me, and then I'll retreat, discouraged and defeated, back to my sad and meaningless existence. And probably call you a rude name. Sound like fun? Alright, well here we go!
Today's Arbitrary Exercise is trying to decide what the twenty best movies of all time are. My boyfriend asked me the other day if I had some sort of list of my favorite movies, because I am definitely the type of person that would have such a list typed out on my computer, in case you couldn't tell by me having this incredibly cool blog - but, surprisingly I did not have such a list! So, technically, this is really just a list of my favorite movies and not a definitive statement of the greatest films in history - considering I haven't seen every film ever made and also am not in possession of the kind of godlike authority necessary for that. I have, however, tried to make sure that these films all had some high level of quality to them and were not just movies that I like. Final disclaimer: this list contains no Godfather in any form - I've seen the first one, thought it was a little meh. And I'm not the only one.
20. Collateral (2004)
Collateral is definitely not one of the twenty best movies of all time. It has its share of flaws, and most serious film buffs would probably laugh at me and stop reading this list right now. But the stylish and tense Michael Mann thriller has always been one of my favorites, thanks in large part to the stellar performances and chemistry between Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx. The cinematography and directorial work from Mann is also captivating, and while the film is a bit uneven, it's also extremely watchable.
19. Duck Soup (1933)
I don't really watch a whole lot of black and white movies, so this list is definitely skewed towards more recent fare. I do, however, have a soft spot for the Marx Brothers, especially Duck Soup. It's a brilliant example of comedy, utilizing both slapstick and wordplay to such perfection. Duck Soup's display of wit and humor is simply unmatched.
18. Casablanca (1942)
Fuck that Gone with the Wind shit, this is the true classic romance to come out of that era. It has tension, amazing writing, and some truly great performances. Humphrey Bogart, bitches.
17. Men in Black (1997)
Ok, I'll admit that Men in Black is in no way one of the greatest films of all time. But it's probably the most enjoyable and compellingly watchable blockbuster to come out of Hollywood in the past twenty years, and I gladly watch it whenever I stumble across it on TV (which is quite often). The humorous script is bolstered by absolutely spot-on performances from Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, and Vincent D'Onofrio; it's a special effects laden movie that knows not to take itself too seriously.
16. Blade Runner (1982)
Sometimes, I wonder if Blade Runner falls victim to some degree of emphasizing style over substance. And then I decide that it doesn't fucking matter at all when you've got such brilliant style. Ridley Scott's sci-fi masterpiece manages to look just as breathtaking today as it did upon it's theatrical release - and considering it was made well before the era of CGI, that's saying something. And while it's easy to get caught up on the beauty of the film, there actually is a whole lot of substance beneath the amazing style, as the film touches on rich themes in a manner that is both subtle and fascinating.
15. Memento (2000)
This is the only movie on this list that I've only seen once, so it should attest to the sheer power of that viewing experience that Memento delivered. Christopher Nolan's breakout film is absolutely relentless - it grabs a hold of you and yanks you back and forth with such skillful force before leaving you utterly speechless by the end. It's a work of genius, and likely the only reason it isn't higher on my list is that I haven't held it up to repeat viewings.
14. Dark Knight/Batman Begins (2008/2005)
Oh hey, it's more Christopher Nolan! I'm cheating a little bit for this one, since I'm including both The Dark Knight and Batman Begins as one spot on my list, but I honestly can't decide which I like more. I know that Dark Knight is technically better - the directorial quality and cinematography is fucking ridiculous, the sound work is flat out nuts, and the story is far darker and more widely praised than that of Batman Begins. But I have a soft spot for Batman Begins, as it was the first Batman movie (Mask of the Phantasm excluded) that really captured what I loved about the character, and despite possessing more flaws than Dark Knight, it also has some truly awesome moments.
13. Groundhog Day (1993)
Usually, the words "romantic comedy" make me want to run for the hills, and while Groundhog Day may technically be a part of that dreaded genre, the Harold Ramis film is so much more than those words can possibly convey. It's a black comedy with a touching core, and Bill Murray embodies the role of jaded weatherman Phil Connors to perfection.
12. Galaxy Quest (1999)
The sheer genius of Galaxy Quest never ceases to amaze me. While it's a Star Trek parody on the surface, it skewers and satirizes fan culture as a whole, all while delivering a constant stream of laughs. The cast is simply stacked, with hilarious early-career turns from Sam Rockwell and Tony Shalhoub, and the film features Tim Allen's best comedic performance (aside from Toy Story, arguably). Also: motherfucking Alan Rickman.
11. The Lion King (1994)
It's The Lion King; what the fuck am I supposed to say? My favorite of the 80s/90s Disney animation Renaissance, the film is a (very, very loose) adaptation of Hamlet, but ya know, with animals. In Africa. In any case, the film is completely captivating from the very opening, balancing an epic scope with a healthy sense of humor and a fairly dark and intense character-driven dramatic side, one that's pretty rare for a children's flick.
10. Fargo (1996)
I had a tough time deciding whether this spot should go to Fargo or No Country for Old Men, but I knew it was going to one of the Coen brothers' dark crime masterpieces. Fargo is the blackest of black comedies, with fantastic characters - and actors who portray them. From the small-town naivete of William H. Macy to the sleazy small-time crook of Steve Buscemi, the movie is just so absolutely pitch-perfect and is a true delight to watch.
9. Children of Men (2006)
Whenever someone says that they have a hard time getting into science fiction because it feels to cold, abstract, nerdy, or inaccessible, I have a strong urge to make them sit down and watch Alfonso Cuaron's brilliant Children of Men. It takes a simple dystopian setting to stunning heights through a tight script, powerful performances, and some of the most truly magnificent directorial work that I've ever seen. It's a movie so densely packed with ideas and action that it takes my breath away every time I see it.
8. Best in Show (2000)
Christopher Guest films are all exercises in subtle and almost painfully-realistic comedy, and the funniest and sharpest has to be Best in Show. Taking his trademark "mockumentary" style to the setting of competitive dog shows, Guest assembles a group of stellar comedians and provides their oddball characters room to thrive by allowing for improvisation. This means that not all of the movie is filled with the kind of gut-busting laughs that we traditionally associate with comedies; instead, the humor is dialed down to a level that seems so much like real life - and that makes it all the more hilarious.
7. Star Wars/Empire Strikes Back (1977/1980)
A long time ago, in my childhood basement, there was...STAR WARS! (cue John Williams and his bombastic score). Ahem. Star Wars utilizes almost all of the archetypes and genre tropes in the book, adds some amazing special effects and artistic design, and throws in an epic adventure plot that takes viewers to all corners of George Lucas' galaxy far, far away. The result is something truly special - as the devotion to the franchise clearly shows. As for Return of the Jedi, it's still a good film, but it just isn't on par with the first two, especially Empire - the most visually and thematically inspired of the trilogy.
6. Airplane! (1980)
Possibly the most watchable comedy ever made, filled with line after line of hilarious puns and repeating gags, Airplane! is the best parody movie ever made. One only has to look at the films that followed in its footsteps to realize how great and unique a comedy it is. It's just fucking wall-to-wall hilarious.
5. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
Speaking of hilarious... Monty Python and the Holy Grail captures the zany, offbeat, frequently silly and nearly always funny humor of the Monty Python bunch, and distills it into a couple brilliant hours of comedy. Less satirical and pointed than their others films (though the above clip shows it's always there under the surface), Holy Grail makes up for it by being flat out funny, showcasing the talents of each member of the troupe. Holy Grail is relentlessly weird and unpredictable, and there's nothing else like it (except maybe Life of Brian, which almost made the list).
4. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Writer and director Frank Darabont's masterpiece prison tale, The Shawshank Redemption, is expertly filmed and acted, making the harsh reality of life in Shawshank State Prison nearly tangible to the audience. While the film's message could be corny in other hands, here it feels genuine and powerful, capturing the lowest depths of despair and the crowning heights of hope through the award-worthy performances of Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman - Bob Gunton is also fantastic as the diabolical warden.
3. Fight Club (1999)
I'm not sure if I could ever really describe what I felt watching the credits roll the first time I saw Fight Club. The film is absolutely perfectly constructed, instilling both stunned captivation and serious consideration, taking viewers on an unusual and brilliant journey into the ideological malaise of the 90s. Director David Fincher captures the spirit of Chuck Palahniuk's novel to a tee, opting for a remarkably faithful interpretation of the source material that probably ensured the film would be inaccessible to much of the Hollywood audience, but was definitely the right move. The amazing performances of Edward Norton and Brad Pitt, meanwhile, provide the movie with a spark that allows the subversive aesthetic of the novel to reach new heights on the screen. And it also has one of my favorite ending scenes ever, making great use of the Pixies' "Where is My Mind?". And it has Meat Loaf.
2. The Princess Bride (1987)
A genius amalgamation of fairy tale, adventure, fantasy, romance, and comedy oeuvres, The Princess Bride is so much more than the sum of its parts. Based on the novel by William Goldman, the film was also written by Goldman and directed by Rob Reiner, who make a unique and universally appealing movie with humor and adventure that anyone can enjoy. It's sentimental without being cheesy, funny without being silly, and original while still feeling familiar. The cast is, appropriately, a rather odd assortment, including Cary Elwes, Billy Crystal, and Andre the Giant - but they all fit their roles perfectly. The Princess Bride is such an endearing and flawless film that I should think it impossible to not enjoy.
1. Pulp Fiction (1994)
Quentin Tarantino's strange, twisted comic and darkly dramatic Pulp Fiction takes my number one spot. The writing is the best example of Tarantino's quirky brilliance, with so many memorable scenes - the robbers that bookend the film, Christopher Walken's monologue, the back and forth between John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson - it's just filled with goodness. And while I'm a big fan of Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction is the film that really cements Tarantino as a master filmmaker for me. It's just too bad I can't stand his fucking acting in it.
So that's it! This list probably changes every week or so for me, so it's by no means final. This is, after all, an arbitrary exercise. (cue epic John Williams score)
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