Post by AD on Jan 11, 2012 0:06:03 GMT -5
I stole this idea from Jim Emerson, who borrowed it from Matt Zoller Seitz. It seemed like a fun little exercise that people wouldn’t need to take too seriously, so I thought I’d bring it here.
The Rules:
Mine:
Short: Wallace & Gromit in The Wrong Trousers (Nick Park, 1993) - Wallace and Gromit are my favorite animated characters ever, and this is their finest film (short or feature length). The toy train chase is one of the all time great action sequences in film history, and that Penguin is as sinister as any villain ever! In short, there’s a damn good reason why I chose this for my part in Project [Animation] Too!
TV: Freaks and Geeks, season 1 - The fact that the series only ran for one season is the deciding factor here. There have been seasons of other shows (Deadwood, The Wire, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones) that I’ve enjoyed more, but only having the one season would make me long for the rest of those series. And even though Freaks was cancelled far too prematurely they were still able provide a sense of closure for the audience, with the characters’ futures looking hopeful while remaining just a little ambiguous, which I like.
10 Features:
(The one qualifying statement that I have to make here is that I limited myself to one film per director, for variety’s sake. The film’s are listed in no particular order.)
Fargo (Joel & Ethan Coen, 1996) - I haven’t exactly kept records of this, but I’d say this is probably the movie I’ve re-watched more than any other in my lifetime, and I’ve never gotten bored with it. What I think makes it such a remarkable achievement is that it’s not only a great thriller with noir-ish undertones, but also a hilariously funny spoof of mid-western small town politeness. I could have just as easily gone with Barton Fink, No Country For Old Men, or A Serious Man, but Fargo just holds a special place in my heart.
Network (Sidney Lumet, 1976) - At this point I must explain that in this purely hypothetical situation I have not been stranded on this island, but have traveled there willingly, choosing to abandon society and live out my remaining year in peace and solitude. Should I ever begin to question this decision I could pop in this film and be reminded of exactly why I left in the first place. Because I was mad as hell and I wasn’t going to take it anymore, that’s why! Also because I just ran out of bullshit, and I decided to meddle with the primal forces of nature. The fact that it happens to be one of the greatest satires ever devised in any storytelling medium, with quite possibly the greatest screenplay ever penned, would just be gravy.
Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1976) - I’ve never liked the idea of singling one film out as my favorite of all time, but whenever I’m faced with the question this is the title that comes to mind more often than not. It represents cinema at it’s most singularly powerful and psychologically jarring (the numerous violent psychotics who’ve named it as their inspiration for whatever crime they’ve committed are evidence enough of that). Leaving behind The King of Comedy, Raging Bull, After Hours, Goodfellas, and The Last Temptation of Christ (just to name a few) would be tough, but it has to be done.
Fanny and Alexander (Ingmar Bergman, 1982) - I’m talking about the full five hour version, of course. I’m gonna have a lot of free time on this island, and I could fill large quantities of that time watching Bergman’s magnum opus. It’s got just about everything you could want from a movie, including, but not limited to, crushing tragedy, whimsical flights of fantasy, a domineering evil stepfather, a mystical Jewish puppeteer, at least one person burning alive, and even a woman playing a male character with no explanation.
Back to the Future (Robert Zemeckis, 1985) - Try as I might, I couldn’t resist the urge to bring along just one piece of unapologetic pop entertainment. The other top contender was Raiders of the Lost Ark, but I went this route because I’ve never been sad or depressed or bored or anything other than exhilarated after hearing Doc Brown inform Marty McFly that “where we’re going, we don’t need roads.” Also because it’s got the funniest depiction of incest ever!
Swing Time (George Stevens, 1936) - I needed at least one cheerful musical to pick me up when I’m feeling blue, and it came down to this or Singin’ In the Rain. Despite having a more time tested relationship Singin’, I went the way of Swing Time because of Ginger Rogers, and only because of Ginger Rogers. She just may be my favorite actress of all time. Fred Astaire ain’t bad, either.
Metropolis (Fritz Lang, 1927) - The politics may be simple-minded and naïve, but the film is still a landmark in art direction, and one of the most important works in the science fiction genre in or out of film. But more than that, it’s one of the most thrilling examples of what Hitchcock would later refer to as “pure cinema” I can think of. Lang’s use of montage is supreme. Of course I’m taking whatever happens to be the most complete restored version of the film that is available at the time of my departure, and I do reserve the right to return to the mainland whenever new footage is discovered.
Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958) - I couldn’t live without at least one Hitchcock movie in my possession, and this just happens to be my current favorite in the director’s oeuvre. Although, to be perfectly fair, before I revisited Vertigo last week my top Hitchcock was Notorious, a month before that it was Rear Window, next month it may be North By Northwest. Also, because with the rest of my life to obsess over it, I may be able to figure out why Kim Novak ran up the tower to stop the murder plot when, if she just never went up those damn stairs the plan never could have been executed in the first place, dammit!
Barry Lyndon (Stanley Kubrick, 1975) - People say this film is cold and distant (don’t they say that about every Kubrick movie?), but of all the director’s great films -- and I think everything he did from The Killing through Eyes Wide Shut is a great film -- it’s the one to which I have the strongest emotional attachment.
Sunset Blvd. (Billy Wilder, 1950) - Because it’s the best film noir of all time (maybe my favorite genre), and the best film of the 1950’s (maybe my favorite decade for film), and Billy Wilder’s best film (maybe my favorite director)! Was that hyperbolic enough?
-------
Now it's your turn. You're obviously not expected to write as much as I did, but it's not very much fun if you don't give at least some reason for your picks, now is it? But do it however you want.
The Rules:
1. This list is composed solely of motion pictures and TV shows. Music, books, paintings and other media are not included. It is assumed that you’ll have an indestructible DVD player with a solar-recharging power source, so let’s not get bogged down in refrigerator logic, mm’kay?
2. You can list 10 feature films, one short and a single, self-contained season of a TV series.
3. NO CHEATING. Every slot on the list must be claimed by a self-contained unit of media. You can put all 15 hours of “Berlin Alexanderplatz” on the list because it’s considered one long film (or if you saw it in Germany, a TV miniseries), but you can’t put “The Godfather” and “The Godfather, Part II” in the same slot because “it counts as one long film” (it doesn’t!). You can’t put 10 seasons of “I Love Lucy” on their, either, or “‘Twin Peaks’ up through the part in Season 2 where we finally find out who killed Laura Palmer.” Part of the fun of this exercise is figuring out what you think you can watch over and over, and what you can live without. Stick to the parameters, otherwise we’ll have human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, and mass hysteria.
2. You can list 10 feature films, one short and a single, self-contained season of a TV series.
3. NO CHEATING. Every slot on the list must be claimed by a self-contained unit of media. You can put all 15 hours of “Berlin Alexanderplatz” on the list because it’s considered one long film (or if you saw it in Germany, a TV miniseries), but you can’t put “The Godfather” and “The Godfather, Part II” in the same slot because “it counts as one long film” (it doesn’t!). You can’t put 10 seasons of “I Love Lucy” on their, either, or “‘Twin Peaks’ up through the part in Season 2 where we finally find out who killed Laura Palmer.” Part of the fun of this exercise is figuring out what you think you can watch over and over, and what you can live without. Stick to the parameters, otherwise we’ll have human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, and mass hysteria.
Mine:
Short: Wallace & Gromit in The Wrong Trousers (Nick Park, 1993) - Wallace and Gromit are my favorite animated characters ever, and this is their finest film (short or feature length). The toy train chase is one of the all time great action sequences in film history, and that Penguin is as sinister as any villain ever! In short, there’s a damn good reason why I chose this for my part in Project [Animation] Too!
TV: Freaks and Geeks, season 1 - The fact that the series only ran for one season is the deciding factor here. There have been seasons of other shows (Deadwood, The Wire, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones) that I’ve enjoyed more, but only having the one season would make me long for the rest of those series. And even though Freaks was cancelled far too prematurely they were still able provide a sense of closure for the audience, with the characters’ futures looking hopeful while remaining just a little ambiguous, which I like.
10 Features:
(The one qualifying statement that I have to make here is that I limited myself to one film per director, for variety’s sake. The film’s are listed in no particular order.)
Fargo (Joel & Ethan Coen, 1996) - I haven’t exactly kept records of this, but I’d say this is probably the movie I’ve re-watched more than any other in my lifetime, and I’ve never gotten bored with it. What I think makes it such a remarkable achievement is that it’s not only a great thriller with noir-ish undertones, but also a hilariously funny spoof of mid-western small town politeness. I could have just as easily gone with Barton Fink, No Country For Old Men, or A Serious Man, but Fargo just holds a special place in my heart.
Network (Sidney Lumet, 1976) - At this point I must explain that in this purely hypothetical situation I have not been stranded on this island, but have traveled there willingly, choosing to abandon society and live out my remaining year in peace and solitude. Should I ever begin to question this decision I could pop in this film and be reminded of exactly why I left in the first place. Because I was mad as hell and I wasn’t going to take it anymore, that’s why! Also because I just ran out of bullshit, and I decided to meddle with the primal forces of nature. The fact that it happens to be one of the greatest satires ever devised in any storytelling medium, with quite possibly the greatest screenplay ever penned, would just be gravy.
Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1976) - I’ve never liked the idea of singling one film out as my favorite of all time, but whenever I’m faced with the question this is the title that comes to mind more often than not. It represents cinema at it’s most singularly powerful and psychologically jarring (the numerous violent psychotics who’ve named it as their inspiration for whatever crime they’ve committed are evidence enough of that). Leaving behind The King of Comedy, Raging Bull, After Hours, Goodfellas, and The Last Temptation of Christ (just to name a few) would be tough, but it has to be done.
Fanny and Alexander (Ingmar Bergman, 1982) - I’m talking about the full five hour version, of course. I’m gonna have a lot of free time on this island, and I could fill large quantities of that time watching Bergman’s magnum opus. It’s got just about everything you could want from a movie, including, but not limited to, crushing tragedy, whimsical flights of fantasy, a domineering evil stepfather, a mystical Jewish puppeteer, at least one person burning alive, and even a woman playing a male character with no explanation.
Back to the Future (Robert Zemeckis, 1985) - Try as I might, I couldn’t resist the urge to bring along just one piece of unapologetic pop entertainment. The other top contender was Raiders of the Lost Ark, but I went this route because I’ve never been sad or depressed or bored or anything other than exhilarated after hearing Doc Brown inform Marty McFly that “where we’re going, we don’t need roads.” Also because it’s got the funniest depiction of incest ever!
Swing Time (George Stevens, 1936) - I needed at least one cheerful musical to pick me up when I’m feeling blue, and it came down to this or Singin’ In the Rain. Despite having a more time tested relationship Singin’, I went the way of Swing Time because of Ginger Rogers, and only because of Ginger Rogers. She just may be my favorite actress of all time. Fred Astaire ain’t bad, either.
Metropolis (Fritz Lang, 1927) - The politics may be simple-minded and naïve, but the film is still a landmark in art direction, and one of the most important works in the science fiction genre in or out of film. But more than that, it’s one of the most thrilling examples of what Hitchcock would later refer to as “pure cinema” I can think of. Lang’s use of montage is supreme. Of course I’m taking whatever happens to be the most complete restored version of the film that is available at the time of my departure, and I do reserve the right to return to the mainland whenever new footage is discovered.
Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958) - I couldn’t live without at least one Hitchcock movie in my possession, and this just happens to be my current favorite in the director’s oeuvre. Although, to be perfectly fair, before I revisited Vertigo last week my top Hitchcock was Notorious, a month before that it was Rear Window, next month it may be North By Northwest. Also, because with the rest of my life to obsess over it, I may be able to figure out why Kim Novak ran up the tower to stop the murder plot when, if she just never went up those damn stairs the plan never could have been executed in the first place, dammit!
Barry Lyndon (Stanley Kubrick, 1975) - People say this film is cold and distant (don’t they say that about every Kubrick movie?), but of all the director’s great films -- and I think everything he did from The Killing through Eyes Wide Shut is a great film -- it’s the one to which I have the strongest emotional attachment.
Sunset Blvd. (Billy Wilder, 1950) - Because it’s the best film noir of all time (maybe my favorite genre), and the best film of the 1950’s (maybe my favorite decade for film), and Billy Wilder’s best film (maybe my favorite director)! Was that hyperbolic enough?
-------
Now it's your turn. You're obviously not expected to write as much as I did, but it's not very much fun if you don't give at least some reason for your picks, now is it? But do it however you want.