The movies I can watch at any time, and have. I present here, my top ten movies.
Honorable Mention: Apocalypse Now
With the process of making the film as crazy as the film itself, how could I not love this movie. This film made me love Robert Duvall as much as it made me hate Dennis Hopper.
Never get off the boat.
10. Brazil
Darkest of dark 1984-ish future with the definitive non-hollywood ending. Robert DeNiro the ninja vigilante plumber, jackboot police, Gilliam's extraordinary visuals. What's not to love?
We don't make mistakes.
9. Cowboy Bebop
Purely personal. Not the greatest story or the best written, I'll admit. But the personal investment with the best-written television characters made it number 9. I actually saw the world differently when I walked out of this film like it injected my brain with animation. Seriously beautiful with the climax at a halloween parade. Seriously.
Is it a dream? Or is their world the real one and the world where I was, the dream?
8. Yellow Submarine
An animated psychedelic vehicle for Beatles videos with unique, Peter Max style animation. Definitely in the top ten.
My dear friend... let us not forget that heaven is blue. Tomorrow the world!
7. The Incredibles
Best. Superhero. Movie. Ever. Starts with a superhero fight that introduces the characters, gives back story, establishes relationships and kicks ass at the same time... all in 8 minutes of the opening credits. It took Pixar to figure that forehead slap out. Duh.
Designers note: chock full of future-retro mod style awesomeness and it also features the coolest business card design ever. Oh, Mirage, you fashionable, toothpicky vixen.
No capes!
6. The Matrix
The action movie that changed action movies. Still the best 20 minutes in action movie history. I'll never defend Keanu's acting. I will defend the choice of this movie. 2 scenes are directly pulled from Masamune Shiro's Ghost in the shell, which is a kick-ass movie in itself. Even my chosen quote is an excellent direction to Hollywood:
Stop trying to hit me and hit me.
5. Howls Moving Castle
It's beautiful. Like most Miyazaki movies I see something new every time I watch it. The starring role is an old woman. It's steampunky. Even though it's relatively new to me, it breaks the top 5 because I want to animate stuff just as beautiful. I hate to say it, but Studio Ghibli's partnership with Disney (distributing) was the best thing they could have done. Mainly because Disney has no say in the story or animation. They did, however, make it possible for the english dub to feature Jean Simmons, Christian Bale, and awesome performances by Lauren Bacall and Billy Crystal. It's deep, sometimes dark and has themes that you would never find in a Disney movie. I'm almost sorry it couldn't go higher than number 5.
I'm such a big coward, all I do is hide. All of this magic is to keep everybody away. I can't stand how scared I am.
4. Seven Samurai
Ronin. Poor but noble. A story so good it's been remade innumerable times. I hold it as gospel.
What's the use of worrying about your beard when your head's about to be taken?
3. The Godfather (1-2)
Both count as one 5+ hour epic. Epic.
BadaBING! You blow deah brains alovaya nice clean suit.
2. Casablanca
Classic. Rick is one of the all-time greatest movie heroes. Dark, hard, smart and wounded. Smoking is as prevalent as the great dialog. It features one of the hottest women of all time, has Nazi's for villians and a great ending that has never become cliche.
Go ahead and shoot. You'll be doing me a favor.
1. Bladerunner
A dark future where there is no daylight and all the rich people have moved off planet?? Yes, please. A dark, hard, smart and wounded hero? More, please. Super future noir with flying cars, asian neon and smoking? Seconds on that. A private-dick apartment covered in Frank Lloyd Wright tile? Absolutely. Oh, Did I mention that Deckard's first name is Rick? Did also I mention all of this being a vehicle for fighting / loving goth style robots? Looks as good today as it did in 1982. Nothing comes close.
The light that burns twice as bright burns for half as long - and you have burned so very, very brightly, Roy. Look at you, you're the prodigal son.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
The Definitive top ten.
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3 comments:
I came home last night from a wedding in Tulsa and Casablanca was on the Movie Club. I was struck by two things: 1) how great the screenplay continues to hold up, and 2) how really bad an actor Humphrey Bogart is when he has to talk. He's got those great eyes, and that great voice, but really, that last speech to Ingrid Bergman is so wooden, and only really holds up because of how great the dialogue is. I guess a lot of that can be chalked up to pre-brando acting techniques, but everyone in that movie is so natural, and he's just so stiff. Holly and I discussed whether or not that was the character. I think that's giving Bogart too much credit, but it still works. Bogart's like John Wayne, I guess. He had a limited range, but man, did he know how to get the most out of it.
That's what is perfect about Bogart as Rick. It's the role that's perfectly within his range. He doesn't say anything unless he has something to say, and when he does it's with a deliberately dry, efficient tone. His past has made him hard, and that hardness made him crush his emotions. Only in happy flashback or when drunk under extreme circumstances does he have to push the emotional envelope. Otherwise, which is 90% of the movie, flat-line dry.
brilliant, rob. i applaud your choices and your commentary. i need to see some of these, still...like bladerunner. I KNOW I KNOW!!
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