Originally Posted by Giganticface
I guess I'll (sorta reluctantly) enter the top 100 discussion. Based on some of the past comments, I'm not sure this is the right thread for me. I have a feeling I'm not going enjoy every minute of it. :)
As a head's up, you probably won't ever hear me arguing for a film based on any technical aspect of its makeup, and honestly I don't put a lot of value on those qualities. If the movie makes me think, or makes me feel something, it's on my radar. I won't discredit a film for having a few warts. Flaws are what makes things unique. Obviously I'm not going to praise a film for being a pile of crap, but you won't hear me disqualifying a film because of one element that doesn't meet my particular definition of "good." Like saying Star Wars has too simple a story (it's called melodrama... ever read Shakespere?), or Apocalypse Now feels unresolved (maybe that's... intentional?). My tastes are naturally a bit off-the-beaten-path, so I don't expect everyone (or anyone?) to agree with me, but I do have a strong allergic reaction to the status quo.
So, having said that, here's my next 5. (BTW, I really like the idea roshiq. And, better late than never, "Get better soon, V!!"
Since A Clockwork Orange probably doesn't need my help, I'll hold my vote on that one, but it deserves it. Too sci-fi for many to make the best Horror list (although I disagree), and IMO too horrific to be on the non-horror list.
Since it looks like Once Upon a Time in the West might make it, I'll hold my vote on a different Sergio Leone classic. I chose For a Fistful of Dollars in my top 20, and I prefer the Man with No Name trilogy over the Once...in the West epic, but I would be happy to back For a Few Dollars More or, better yet, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly since it doesn't look like Fistful will get the votes. These films are likely to be poo-pooed by some -- but then again, so are the Bava, Argento and Fulci classics by many critics. They are truly iconic, important and visually beautiful films. Ennio Morricone gave us the score that we now associate with "Westerns." And perhaps most importantly, they essentially invented the anti-hero. All of a sudden John Wayne was a goodie-two-shoes, and no longer the coolest guy on the block. Cinema has never been the same since.
The actual five outside my 20 that I'll back are:
1. Black Swan -- Although I truly consider this a horror film, Arnofsky and Co. did a great job marketing this as non-horror so it would get attention at the Oscars -- so much so that even horror fans believe it. A modern masterpiece in psychological storytelling. Heartbreaking and distressing.
2. Monty Python & The Holy Grail -- No argument is really necessary. If you love it, you love it, and if you don't, you never will. But for a comedy, this film has the most amazingly detailed sets and costumes, and feels extremely gritty for being off-the-wall British slapstick. This film has no peers.
3. The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover -- This film breaks too many rules for most folks, and I wouldn't want to watch it with my mom. But every time I do watch it, I'm left gut-punched for a couple days.
4. The Deer Hunter -- Incredible cast, moving, heartbreaking, epic. A truly impactful drama that is oh so human.
5. Fargo -- I would be fine with any number of Coen Brothers films, but one of them really needs to make the list. I chose O Brother, Where Art Thou?, but that film is a bit niche for a broad range of voters. Fargo has been cherished by quite a few, including myself, and has an endless number of memorable moments. The Coen Bros know how to define and develop unique, but still believable, characters. I personally think The Big Lebowski is a better example of that, but Fargo is probably more respected in a general sense, and a good choice if the Bros only get one.
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