Yesterday: Kubrick. Today: Nolan.
MOVIE #37
Shrykespeare
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) – Director: Peter Jackson; starring Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen and Viggo Mortensen. The one that got the ultimate literary trilogy, the one thought to be un-translatable to the big screen, off and running. Christopher Lee was terrific as Saruman, and Cate Blanchett was also great as Galadriel. But it was the duel between Gandalf and the Balrog that was the most memorable. “You… shall not… pass!!” Just wonderful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44kBN340vd4
(this is an amalgam of scenes from FotR and T2T)
silversurfer
Pan's Labyrinth (2006) - Director: Guillermo Del Toro; starring Ivana Baquero, Adrianda Gil and Sergi Lopez. Del Toro is truly one of my absolute favourite directors working today, his ability to craft fantastical stories with bizarre and magical creatures is a delight to watch, and aligned with his expertise in the horror genre mixed with a grounding humanistic element (usually associated with the Spanish Civil War), he has been able to create movies which time and again appeal to me on numerous levels. It almost seems like since the early 2000s he has taken Burton's mantle as the king of the fantasy genre, and this is without doubt his career highlight so far. His interpretation of an Alice In Wonderland theme cross with the Civil War is fabulously realized, creating a magical escape from the brutalities of war. And like all the great horror movies, and similarly to Burton, he questions what are the greater evils, the monsters, or the humans, as the line is often blurred. Sergi Lopez is truly chilling as the stepfather of the young heroine, while the tension created by some of the trials she has to go through are magically realized. I still cling to the edge of my seat when the man with eyes in his hands searches for her. And to be so bold with it's finale is a testament to Del Toro's unwillingness to pander to audiences who have been underestimated in Hollywood for so long, and it makes the ending all the more poignant.
(4th appearance)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqYiSlkvRuw
thegreenarrow
A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) - Director: Ji-Woo Kim; starring Kap-Su Kim, Jung-Ah Yum and Su-Jeong Lim.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDyWVOIY8Mg
transformers
Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) - Director: Guy Ritchie; starring Jason Flemyng, Dexter Fletcher, Jason Statham and Vinnie Jones. Guy Ritchie's debut showcased his signature style of slick film making and spun a really clever, original and witty story of British gangsters.
(3rd appearance)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKX32WqDNDU
englishozzy
Up (2009) - Director: Pete Docter, Bob Peterson; starring Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai and Bob Peterson. Pixar is one of those last companies that put substance in front of $$ signs with every one of their films. With each one creating millions of dollars though is a huge bonus. Pixar do it again in this movie about a 78-year-old uprooting his house (quite literally) to the tropics of South America. Everything that stands Pixar above the rest is evident here, the emotional tugs on the heartstrings, the realistic yet character animation and a fabulous storyline. Some uneventful sub-character developments probably prevent this movie from being higher up on my list.
(2nd appearance)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkqzFUhGPJg
Ron Burgundy
Groundhog Day (1993) - Director: Harold Ramis; starring Bill Murray, Andie Macdowell, Chris Elliot and Stephen Tobolowsky. This is my feel good rom-com of my countdown, not only does it offer some very original storyline it also can make you feel for the characters, especially the lead, Bill Murray.
(3rd appearance)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_yDWQsrajA
Buscemi
American History X (1998) - Director: Tony Kaye; starring Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Beverly D'Angelo, Avery Brooks and Stacy Keach. The life of a Neo-Nazi and the bond with his brother makes for an excellent acting performance from Edward Norton. His acting at times makes you actually convinced that he really is the racist, violent Derek Vineyard rather than just a character. Edward Furlong is good in support as younger brother Danny, who seems to be headed in the same direction despite others not wanting him involved. The direction and script is among some of the best of the 1990's and definitely deserved more notice than it got. It's too bad that Kaye had the issues that he had with New Line because otherwise he could have been one of the great directors of the 21st century.
(3rd appearance)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXaZENPQrsw
Chienfantome
Lost Highway (1997) – Director : David Lynch, starring Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, Balthazar Getty, Natasha Gregson Wagner, Gary Busey, and Robert Blake. I was 15 years-old the first time I saw
Lost Highway. Given the rating of the film in most countries, some might think it was a bit too young. It was not. Of course, I did not satisfy myself with this first vision. It’s a film that grows on you. When I saw it at 15, I loved the mystery, I love the fear, I loved the sensuality (yes, Patricia Arquette’s breasts of course). But it still felt awkward. And when I saw it again, on TV, a few years later, it was an explosion of cinematographic beauty for me. The beauty of the setting which reminds of Edward Hopper’s paintings. The impending sensation of danger, which invades the atmosphere. The mystery of it all, pieces of a puzzle you try to put together. Robert Blake and the fear he inspires. Those long dark roads. That strange ending. And yes, Patricia Arquette’s breasts. David Lynch at his best.
(2nd appearance)
Isn’t Robert Blake creepy ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixwRWAdxSTw
numbersix
Stardust Memories (1980) - Director: Woody Allen; starring Woody Allen, Charlotte Rampling, Jessica Harper and Marie-Christine Barrault. It takes a brave man to not try to make the same kind of film over and over, no matter how financially successful it may be, but Woody Allen continued to do that, for better or for worse. And while his recent output has been watchable at best, there were some of his films in the 80’s that were exceptional. This is perhaps the best of them, and Allen’s obvious tribute to Federico Fellini. It’s a knowing nod to his own career as Allen plays Sandy, a well-liked celebrity who feels the need to express himself despite pressure from his fans who prefer his earlier, funnier stuff. Like Fellini, Allen blends reality, fantasy, and memory all into one. Sandy is struggling with himself, attempting to understand meaning in what appears to be a chaotic universe, and questioning his own life as an entertainer. But like the opening sequences (see clip below) suggests, even though we all end up in the same place we need to cling to those great moments, regardless of universal context.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6EKK9XQ_J0
Banks
Amelie (2001) - Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet; starring Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz and Rufus. I’ve only seen
Amelie a handful of times, but I loved after my first viewing. Seen on the recommendation of you guys, it’s a great tale of wonderful people can be, and in some cases, how mean-spirited. Tautou is a bright, bubbly French do-gooder who goes on an adventure to make people’s lives a little better – and in the case of the shop owner, teach him about karma – and it’s touching and a joy to watch.
(3rd apperance)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj0CK_jgNns
BarcaRulz
Inception (2010) - Director: Christopher Nolan; starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Michael Caine, Cillian Murphy, Ken Watanabe and Tom Hardy. Some of you may frown about the inclusion of such a recent release so high up my list, but I have seen it more than enough times to justify its place. Personally, I believe this is a fantastically acted and superbly written thriller. As a self admitted Nolan fanboy this was always going to make my list.
(3rd appearance)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPH2T9o_Dz8
Geezer
Kill Bill (2003/04) - Director: Quentin Tarantino; starring Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Lucy Liu, Michael Madsen and Daryl Hannah. I've mentioned several times that this is a combination of both parts of the film, as it truly is one film, a very long film, but one complete narrative. And a damn fine one at that! Tarantino is just an artist. His films are some of the finest in the history of cinema. This is just a portrait of how to make an action film great. Scene after scene is memorable as the story unfolds, the dialogue is on par with Tarantino's previous films, carefully crafting our hero, and the story of those around her. It’s a perfect film.
(5th apperance for both volumes)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVam1qOmlEo
leestu
Das Boot (1981) - Director: Wolfgang Petersen; starring Jurgen Prochnow, Herbert Gronemeyer and Klaus Wennemann. An amazing, breathtaking, powerful movie about a German submarine in WWII. The way it is filmed brilliantly portrays the claustrophobia, boredom and fear the crew face, and as a viewer you feel it too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVBPGZEVRH0
W
Shaun of the Dead (2004) - Director: Edgar Wright; starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield and Bill Nighy. Shaun comedic throwback to the zombie films of old. The people hole up somewhere and eventually still get infested with zombies. The film's been on here so much already that I'll just say it's my favorite of the Wright/Pegg/Frost films.
(6th appearance)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfDUv3ZjH2k
NSpan
The Jerk (1979) – Director: Carl Reiner; starring Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters and Catlin Adams. My girlfriend used to think I was a funny guy. Then I showed her this movie--and, sadly, she realized that every funny thing I have ever said was just a Steve Martin quote.
(2nd appearance)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANph32LoXR4
undeadmonkey
The Prestige (2006) - Director: Christopher Nolan; starring Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman and Scarlett Johansson. First off, I love period pieces. I’m just a downright sucker when it comes to them. One of my favorite things about the cinema is the chance to see a place and time that we can’t normally see, and period pieces hit that off right from the start. Second, although I wouldn’t put myself in the Nolan fanboy club, He is a talented director and this is really his best film to date, a sort of sci-fi, period/thriller masterpiece. It is very rare when I don’t see an ending coming and my mouth was hanging open the last 20 minutes of the film. Lastly, the film holds up pretty well with repeat viewings, which proves the film is all around good even when the ending is known.
(3rd appearance)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANph32LoXR4
JohnErle
To Die For (1995) – Director: Gus Van Sant; starring Nicole Kidman, Matt Dillon, Joaquin Phoenix and Casey Affleck. Dark, sexy comedy with a career defining performance by Nicole Kidman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1uPXA1ceNo
By a scant six points,
Shaun of the Dead surpasses
Wall-E at #2 on the overall list.
Kill Bill Vol 1 (#23) and
Vol. 2 (#27) also crack the Top 30.