My Top 50 Films Of All Time

I was bored, and I was looking through the imdb Top 250 Films list for ideas on what to watch. So I decided I might as well do my own. But I'm not about to dish out a list of 250 films. Let's just do 50, yeah? That sounds good. A nice round number, and a multiple of 5.

Notice that 'The Dark Knight' rules supreme. Yes, I do think it's the best film I have ever seen. And before you criticise me for not inserting your favourite film, let me just say I haven't seen every single movie out there. For example, I haven't seen 'Schindler's List,' 'The Shawshank Redemption' (well, not till the end anyway) or those really old films from the 40's/50's/60's. This is my list.

'Pulp Fiction'

1. The Dark Knight (2008)
2. Pulp Fiction (1994)
3. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
4. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)
5. Wall-E (2008)
6. The Big Lebowski (1998)
7. The Breakfast Club (1985)
8. Pan's Labyrinth [El Laberinto del Fauno] (2006)
9. Letters From Iwo Jima (2006)
10. Kill Bill: Vol. 1-2 (2003-2004)
11. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
12. My Neighbour Totoro [Tonari No Totoro] (1988)
13. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
14. Lord Of The Rings (2001-2003)
15. Back To The Future (1985-1990)
16. American Beauty (1999)
17. The Lion King (1994)
18. Spirited Away [Sen To Chihiro No Kamikakushi] (2001)
19. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
20. Gremlins (1984-1990)
21. 300 (2006)
22. American History X (1998)
23. No Country For Old Men (2007)
24. Life Is Beautiful [La Vita E Bella] (1997)
25. Shaun Of The Dead (2004)
26. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
27. The Incredibles (2004)
28. The Pursuit Of Happyness (2006)
29. The Truman Show (1998)
30. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
31. Juno (2007)
32. The Godfather (1972)
33. Batman Begins (2005)
34. King Kong (2005)
35. Knocked Up (2007)
36. The Matrix (1999-2003)
37. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
38. Pirates Of The Caribbean (2003-2007)
39. I Am Legend (2007)
40. Cloverfield (2008)
41. Sin City (2005)
42. Blood Diamond (2006)
43. The Last King Of Scotland (2006)
44. Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy (2004)
45. Shrek (2001-2007)
46. Star Wars (1977-1983)
47. Ju-On: The Grudge (2003)
48. Spider-Man (2002-2007)
49. Babel (2006)
50. V For Vendetta (2005)

'A Clockwork Orange'

Yes, 'The Godfather' is #32. Boo hoo. I think I'm committing film blasphemy by saying it's not in my Top 10. But hey, I just happen to think 'Juno' is better. Never thought you'd hear that, did you? 'Juno' better than 'The Godfather'?

I have quite a few animated films in there too. There are people who are quick to dismiss animated films as 'cartoons,' lacking the depth of live action films. The truth is, these people are missing out. 'Wall-E' has more depth and more character than most films. 'The Lion King' is a brilliant tribute to Shakespeare's Hamlet. 'Spirited Away' is magical and enthralling, and 'My Neighbour Totoro' is one of the most endearing stories that has ever been told about childhood.

Teenage films used to be good. 'The Breakfast Club' exposes the inadequacies of enforcing stereotypes. 'Gremlins' was a teenage horror flick with a timeless charm and a self-deprecating humour. Now we're being infested with the so-called 'tweens,' and leading the march is, sadly, Disney. Films like 'High School Musical' and 'Camp Rock' are lacking in depth and charm, relying on the attractiveness of the cast and the catchiness of the songs. There are better musicals out there.

What recent films have been succeeding in doing is drama when infused with other genres. 'Cloverfield' for instance would seem on the surface to be a monster disaster movie, but in reality it is actually a film about people just trying to survive. The monster itself is a side dish. The true essence of the film is its humanity.

Adaptations from books doesn't necessarily mean a bad film. Take for example 'A Clockwork Orange.' One of Stanley Kubrick's best films, it is based on the novel of the same name by Anthony Burgess. Other book-to-film adaptations include 'Slumdog Millionaire' and 'No Country For Old Men.' Even comic books (or graphic novels) can provide a brilliant flick, like 'Sin City,' 'Spider-Man' and 'V For Vendetta.'

A film doesn't even have to tie all its loose ends to make it a great one. There's 'Babel,' 'Cloverfield' and 'I Am Legend,' and they all refuse to give you all the answers. Arguably, having all the answers and all loose ends tied is an unrealistic thing.

Here's a list of prospective films (not necessarily new) that I want to watch in the near future:
'Vicky Christina Barcelona'
'Doubt'
'The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas'
'Milk'
'The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button'
'RockNRolla'
'The Wrestler'
'Frost / Nixon'
'The Shawshank Redemption'
'Schindler's List'
'Revolutionary Road'
'Changeling'
'Waltz With Bashir'

Signing out

Over and out

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