Fantaverse Top 100 Movies of All Time (Thread #4): 70-61

[Chienfantome]

I sure hope too one day Caro and Jeunet will work together again !

[Geezer]

As far as the two Hitchcock movies from tis past round are concerned, I vastly prefer Strangers on a Train to Vertigo. I found the former to be an impressive thrill ride up until the final scene that dragged it down a bit, whereas I found Vertigo to be a convoluted, over-rated let down from the master. I'm in the minority, but that doesn't surprise me.

[silversurfer19]

Hey, when we're talking about minor picking points in perfection here, I don't think anyone would have any qualms with you picking Strangers On A Train over Vertigo. However, where as you found it convoluted, I personally thought Vertigo to be much more daring and ambitious than Strangers, with a better lead, more intriguing story and brilliant effects. But each to his own, both are very good movies and should be used as inspiration for all directors.

[Shrykespeare]

Movie #66

Chien - Gran Torino - Great choice Chien. One of Eastwood's best. (9/10)

Banks - Kill Bill Vol. 2 - Looks like you and I are the only ones so far to rate the KB movies separately. That being said, I can't agree with your assessment about Vol. 2 being better. But Vol. 2 was still awesome. (9/10)

I have seen bits of Zoolander, Boogie Nights and Austin Powers over the years, but never from beginning to end. And Hot Rod? No effing way.

[Buscemi]

Hot Rod is still one of the biggest pieces of shit I've ever watched in a theatre. If talent was still a factor in becoming famous, The Lonely Island would have faded into obscurity right after this movie was released.

[Geezer]

If talent were still a factor in becoming famous, 90% of popular music in the last 25 years wouldn't exist

P.S. Tranny won't be the only one with Hot Rod on their list

[silversurfer19]

Movie #66

Chien - Gran Torino - Great choice Chien. One of Eastwood's best. (9/10)

Banks - Kill Bill Vol. 2 - Looks like you and I are the only ones so far to rate the KB movies separately. That being said, I can't agree with your assessment about Vol. 2 being better. But Vol. 2 was still awesome. (9/10)

I have seen bits of Zoolander, Boogie Nights and Austin Powers over the years, but never from beginning to end. And Hot Rod? No effing way.

Are you purposely not rating my picks any more or have you seriously not seen The Big Lebowski before?

[Shrykespeare]

No. I haven't see it. Seriously.


MOVIE #65


Shrykespeare

Monsters vs. Aliens (2009) – Directors: Rob Letterman and Conrad Vernon; starring Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, Hugh Laurie, Rainn Wilson and Kiefer Sutherland. DreamWorks really turned a corner with this and Kung Fu Panda, which just missed my list. A film that featuring maybe the unlikeliest band of heroes ever, also featured some incredible animation and loads of humor. Seth Rogen as B.O.B. was hysterical, and when you throw in Greg House as Dr. Cockroach, how can you miss? (And lets not forget Stephen Colbert as the President…) (2nd appearance)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8Dh97BsbwY


silversurfer

This Is Spinal Tap (1984) – Director: Rob Reiner; starring Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer and Michael McKean. When it comes to satire, you can't do much better than the combination of Christopher Guest, Mike McKean and Rob Reiner. And while I absolutely love some of their other works either collectively (Best In Show, The Princess Bride), this is the one that set the bar....right up to 11. I remember the first time I watched this when I was about 12 and wondered what all the fuss was about. I was expecting some out and out comedy and I didn't understand it, there were a couple of funny scenes but that was it. But I gave it another go a couple of years later and I got it. SATIRE. It's played so straight, that I think for some of the scenes you have to know what it's like to be in a rock band (or at least know about rock music) to get this, all the little nuances that parody so many of the greatest rock acts ever. But that is testament to just how good these guys were at playing a not very good rock band! Be it the getting lost on the way to the stage scene, the Stonehenge scene, the sandwich scene or even the black sleeve scene, there is just so much to laugh at and with in this movie. It's perfectly crafted, almost meticulously so, in its take on the absurdities of being a rock star. And to top it off, the songs are great! Well, great may not be the word... but catchy! What I'd give to hear the guys reform and play it live (which I believe they did a couple of years ago). (2nd appearance)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C21yssFhCsk


thegreenarrow

Rashomon (1950) – Director: Akira Kurosawa; starring Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyo and Masayuki Mori.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCZ9TguVOIA


transformers

True Romance (1993) - Director: Tony Scott; starring Christian Slater, Patricia Arquette, Dennis Hopper, Val Kilmer, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, Christopher Walken, and Samuel L. Jackson. True Romance is one of the craziest films I have ever seen. It's darkly comedic and the script as a whole it top notch. I saw this after I saw most of Tarantino's other work before seeing this, but you see that even with this being his first script, that he was become one of the most brilliant filmmakers of our time. The quotes are plentiful and it's slick, a bit sadistic and features a lot of great acting from an ensemble cast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AIbZDBC8tk


englishozzy

Bruce Almighty (2003) - Director: Tom Shadyac; starring Jim Carrey, Morgan Freeman, Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carell. Probably many of you are wondering how the hell I could have this film a place higher in my list than Hitchcock's Vertigo. To understand this you need to know that Jim Carrey is my all-time favorite actor. He may not be the most powerful actor but he has always made me laugh when I really needed to. Carrey is on top form in this film which also introduces most people to Steve Carell. Some decent gags keeps most viewers happy although God as an American will displease a lot of people.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-2fFrrx6zk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAK5sJ77J78 (if the first one doesn't work)


Ron Burgundy

The Silence of the Lambs (1991) - Director: Jonathan Demme; starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Ted Levine and Scott Glenn. Hannibal Lecter, one of the scariest characters made. This film combines a detective plotline mixed with a bit of thriller elements and then delves deep into the two lead characters who in the end help each other. You don’t get thrillers like this very often. Just brilliant. (2nd appearance)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZrnSFoZYKQ


Buscemi

An Inconvenient Truth (2006) - Director: Davis Guggenheim; starring Al Gore. Say what you want about Al Gore or global warming but I feel that this is a very important documentary on the environment and why we should care about it. The film is effective and probably has more substance than the average Oscar bait film. As a documentary, it is informative and more entertaining than any science class. The film teaches us that global warming is real and that every second not doing something about gets the world closer to its grave.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnjx6KETmi4


Chienfantome

Kikujirô no natsu (Kikujiro) (1999) – Director: Takeshi Kitano; starring Takeshi Kitano, Yusuke Sekiguchi and Kayoko Kishimoto. There are many aspects of Japanese cinema I still have to explore, many filmmakers I have to discover, Ozu, Mizoguchi to name a couple. But Japanese cinema is still alive, and one contemporary Japanese director I closely follow is Takeshi Kitano. Kitano is best known to western audiences for Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence and Battle Royale, and to Asian audiences for his silly TV shows, but he is also an accomplished director. And if the past decade has been somewhat disappointing, the 90’s have been a rich decade for Kitano, who have come up with remarkable crime dramas... and a falsely light comedy. Well, this falsely light comedy happens to be my favourite film of his. Kikujiro follows the road trip of a serious young boy living in Tokyo with his grandmother and a grown man who loves acting like a child. The young boy wants to go see his mother who lives by the sea, and Kikujiro, that strange adult, takes the trip with the boy. What makes a film that seems so light on the surface so deeply remarkable beneath? Is it the quirkiness? Is it beautiful score by Joe Hisaichi? It is much more than that. It is a delicate study of childhood, of how a grown man and a child can be reflections of the same person. How the fun can hide a deeper feeling of uncertainty. It’s a demonstration of how a light tone can mask a profound film.

(I couldn’t find subtitled images on YouTube, but found a subtitled trailer on IMDb)
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3500736793/


numbersix

Amarcord (1973) - Director: Frederico Fellini; starring Bruno Zanin, Magali Noel and Pupella Maggio. After the successes of the brilliant 8½ and La Dolce Vita, it’s hard to deny that Fellini was graduating towards a series of films that verged on being unwatchable (Casanova for one, and I couldn’t make it through Satyricon), but this is not only a return to form but possibly his most personal and endearing film of his career. It’s a snapshot of a small Italian village in 1930’s Fascist Italy. Mostly told through the viewpoint of schoolchildren, the film takes a witty and sometimes satirical view on its inhabitants. The leaders are perverts, the children are repressed so much that they become obsessed with sex (and Fellini even mocks himself in doing so), the teachers are silly and useless. And it’s all done with such a light-heart that the film can be enjoyed on any level from the most basic to the most political. Amazing stuff by a master storyteller.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtG9ZM-ZHnY


Banks

Batman (1989) - Director: Tim Burton; starring Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson and Kim Basinger. Before Batman dove into terrible campiness filled with Ahhnold on ice skates and before Batman Began and became The Dark Knight, he was the perfect mixture of both. Keaton made a great Bruce Wayne, and while Heath Ledger will never be topped, Jack Nicholson’s Joker is nothing to sneeze at. And I LOVE Bat-dance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tgxIWgJ_DE


BarcaRulz

Jurassic Park (1993) - Director: Steven Spielberg; starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Richard Attenborough. Since it has been on a fair few lists already there is not much more for me to say. The fact that you can still watch it today and be in awe of the special effects speaks volumes IMO. (3rd appearance)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bim7RtKXv90


Geezer

Ratatouille (2007) - Director: Brad Bird and Jan Pinkava; starring: Patton Oswalt, Brad Garrett and Lou Romano. Ya know, everyone talks about the whole "Ego's Flashback" scene and how great it is, but for me, that really had very little to do with why I love Ratatouille. I just think it’s a fantastic Pixar film, right up their with the best they have made. It’s a great story about living your dreams, and how anyone can overcome adversity to do anything, and those types of films put a smile on my face. Plus, Patton Oswalt is fantastic, the animation is beautiful, its funny for the whole family, and the characters are great. I am glad to see the love rain down for this one, its a true modern animated classic. Totally blows the doors off the much over-rated WALL-E. (3rd appearance)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkfrkN2IuRw


leestu

Se7en (1995) – Director David Fincher; starring Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey and Gwyneth Paltrow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4YV2_TcCoE


W

The Replacements (2000) - Director: Howard Deutch; starring Keanu Reeves, Gene Hackman, Orlando Jones, Brooke Langton and Faizon Love. I love stupid comedies and this is certainly one. It isn't great, and the two leads (Keanu reeves and Gene Hackman) pretty much suck almost in a "it's so bad it's good" way, but I really think the secondary secondary characters are funny. Like Orlando Jones as a track star that can't catch a ball, Jon Favreau as a cop that is a bloodthirsty maniac, and Rhys Ifans as a wiry Welshman with compulsions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNpb9H703tg

[Ron Burgundy]

Shrykespeare
Monsters vs. Aliens
Question; is that Colbert from the Colbert Report? I went into the cinema, with this being my 2nd 3-D movie to watch, and it started off good with that paddle ball effect, and then I thought I was in for my money’s worth. But sadly I don’t think the talented cast and effects can make up for the unfunny gags and predictable plot.
4.5/10, 1 view

silversurfer
This Is Spinal Tap
HA! The same thing happened to me in terms of not getting it the first time and then loving it the second viewing. There are some good cameos in this too, by guys like Billy Crystal. It makes you wonder, are some bands really like this? Also, I love the song, Tonight im gonna rock you tonight.
7.5/10, 3 views

thegreenarrow
Rashomon
Another ½ view, and from what ive seen it was pretty good. Shame on me.
½ view, N/A

transformers
True Romance
I can proudly say, I own this on VHS. Christian Slater plays his role to a T and the supporting cast are terrific too, namely Dennis Hopper. A bit of a rollercoaster story that doesn’t stop once it gets going.
7.5/10, 1 view

englishozzy
Bruce Almighty
Hard to think of this as a top 100 movie, though I did enjoy this the first time I watched it.
6/10, 3 views

Ron Burgundy

The Silence of the Lambs

Buscemi
An Inconvenient Truth
Is it all true? Well it certainly seems to have had an impact on the world, and perhaps this was the best way to let people know. I guess we all wont be around to suffer what might happen though.
6/10, 1 view

Chienfantome
Kikujirô no natsu (Kikujiro)
Sounds good.
N/A

numbersix
Amarcord
You make it sound like a must see. Though don’t like the thing about the children.
N/A

Banks
Batman
This blockbuster of ’89 still holds up well today. Michael Keaton was a great Batman and though Val Kilmer was good, I sort of wish he did a 3rd Batman movie.
7/10, 3 views

BarcaRulz
Jurassic Park
Surprised to see this yet again, but I guess that only means I should watch it again.
6.5/10, 2 views


Geezer
Ratatouille
A 3rd appearance eh? Will this be the most popular Pixar film? It just might be, and I would probably almost agree. Good pick.
8.5/10, 3 views

leestu
Se7en
I think this film is right up there with the best of the 90s. Id like to know what you think about this one leestu. Freeman is great ditto Brad Pitt, if you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it.
10/10, 4 views

W
Ive only watched this once, and im sorry W, but I didn’t think it was very funny. And that’s what you look for in a comedy.
4.5/10, 1 view

[numbersix]

MOVIE #65

Shrykespeare: Monsters vs. Aliens (2009) – Haven't seen it, word of mouth round my area suggests it's passable but not memorable.

silversurfer: This Is Spinal Tap (1984) – One of my favourite comedies and just missed my list. Brilliant performances and hilarious throughout. Hopefully it taught rock music a thing or two about pomposity.

thegreenarrow: Rashomon (1950) – It's the film that made Kurosawa an international star, and rightfully so. It's a brilliant portrayal of how there's no truth, only perspective.

transformers: True Romance (1993) - Not a bad movie though I think Scott's direction has always been a tad too frantic (aka drug-fueled) for me. And it feels like a lesser work of Tarantino, though that just could be due to Slater, who is an awful actor.

englishozzy: Bruce Almighty (2003) - I'm surprised to see this get so much love. Take away Carell's scene and you've got a comedy that's slim on jokes, and heavy on Carrey over-acting (every time he says "Itsgood" I want to smack him).

Ron Burgundy: The Silence of the Lambs (1991) - As I said, the star of this film isn't Hopkins, or Foster, it's Demme's direction.

Buscemi: An Inconvenient Truth (2006) - I don't know, for me a great documentary has to be more than just the information it gives. That's why I don't like Fahrenheit 9/11, even though I agree with a lot of what Moore says. I do appreciate that it's raising awareness of global warming (though some of its facts are exaggerated) but as a documentary its too static. It is, after all, a filmed lecture. Plus, Gore's personal stories alos feel a bit manipulative, as if our sympathy for him is a way to make us believe him more.

Chienfantome: Kikujirô no natsu (Kikujiro) (1999) – Another viewing and this may have made my list. I love Japanese culture and I discovered its cinema through Kurosawa and Kitano. Kitano's gangster films are good, but this comedy is both funny and heart-warming. I should correct you, though, that in Asia Kitano is not just known for his gameshow (Takeshi's castle, which ended in 1989), but as a journalist, sociologist, current affairs TV show presenter, stand-up comedien, and even a painter! He's a renaissance man. But yeah, back to this film... amazing stuff and it's a shame this isn't recognised enough.

Banks: Batman (1989) - I still say Keaton was the best Batman. The art design of this film is astounding, and Nicholson is brilliantly disturbing (I still can't make up my mind about who is better: him or Ledger). But it's been a long time, and I can't help but wonder if Batman Returns is better.

BarcaRulz: Jurassic Park (1993) - Appeared on my list a few days ago, so you're only going to hear praise for me. Great characters as well as great action and effects. Makes me think Spielberg is one of the few great blockbuster directors.

Geezer: Ratatouille (2007) - People who adore this always refer to the theme of overcoming adversity and following your ambitions, but that doesn't really impress me because it's done all the time, especially in generic Disney kid dramas, sports movies, etc. It's kind of a cliche by now unless it's delivered in a very different or in depth way. And Ratatouille doesn't really do it for me. But, it's not like it's not a great film. It is. I just think films like Up, Monsters Inc, and Toy Story 1-3 are better.

leestu: Se7en (1995) – Probably Fincher's best movie. I rewatched it a few months ago and was still disturbed by it. Amazing performances, a great atmosphere, and Freeman's closing lines are some of the finest.

W: The Replacements (2000) - You're really not selling it to me when you say "it isn't great" (although having Keanu Reeves probably deters me more). Have you only seen a hundred films?

[Chienfantome]

I never wrote Kitano is just known in Asia for his TV shows, Six, read more carefully I wrote "Best known". Indeed he is much more than just a gagman on TV, I know, I even attended an exposition of his work, as a painter, inventor and more generally speaking artist, this past summer in Paris. Glad to know you appreciate his work as a filmmaker, and particularly Kikujiro !

[numbersix]

Whoops, that's what I get for typing these response in the mornings, when my attention span and typing skills are at their worst! did you know Takeshi Kitano even invented his own video game, which is considered to be one the hardest games of all time: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takeshi_no ... senj%C5%8D

[Chienfantome]

I didn't know about the video game, no. But I'm not surprised. I've seen so many weird things he came up with at the exposition, nothing surprises me anymore about Kitano, that's what I love about him. He's so crazy. This year, there was a retro in Paris of all his films, so I now have seen most of his films. I think there are only two I have not seen.

[numbersix]

Sadly, Zatoichi (which I loved) was the last film of his released over here. I don't think I can even get them in DVD stores! Have you seen any of his later films (Takeshis, Glory to the filmmaker, Achilles and the Tortoise, and Outrage) and if so, which should I make an effort to get a hold of?

[Chienfantome]

We are lucky to have had all of his films released. I have seen Takeshi's, and it was a suffer to watch, to tell you the truth. It was painful. I wouldn't recommend it. Glory to the Filmmaker looked very much like it, so I did not bother.
On the contrary, I was pleasantly surprised by Achilles and the Tortoise, which to me is his best film since Kikujiro. I have seen Outrage last week in theater, and although it's far from the quality of his 90's gangsters films, it's very decent.