Top Ten Movies

[Dogfish]

As a cinema snob I can say that a lot of the films here are vastly overrated (namely Matrix, Inception, Natural Born Killers). I can't make a top ten but shall just toss out as many as I can.

1. Children of Men - It's the only sci-fi film that I can strongly relate to the setting of. It is also exquisitely shot and acted.
2. M - A classic and I prefer it over Lang's other 'M' film.
3. Forbidden Planet - More important than it is credited for. Terrified me as a child and makes me sit in wonderment today.
4. Leprechaun 4: In Space - The best 'so-bad-it's-good' flick and part of a fairly entertaining franchise. Lots of history with this movie that means whenever me and one particular mate meet up we stick this on.
5. The Big Combo - The best film noir, sadly a genre that many people attribute to more films past 1950 than they do before it.
6. The Believer - While American History X is a great film I much prefer this one as it does more to try and understand prejudice rather than just outlining ignorance.
7. The House by the Cemetary/City of the Living Dead - Two Fulci classics that combine his fantastical surrealism and giallo horror.
8. Vanishing Point - My favourite of the counter-culture films and it has more layers than can be truly enjoyed upon the first viewing.
9. Black Belt Jones/Black Samurai - Two very enjoyable flicks that are some of the 'softer' blaxploitation films about.
10. Lady Snowblood/Female Convict 701 - Both of these are fantastic japanese pinky flicks with the same powerful female lead. I would rate Lady Snowblood higher simply because it isn't a women in prison film.

[Setherick]

Another brilliant piece of music was the score to Aronofsky's film The Fountain.

I love, love, LOVE this movie's score, but as for the movie itself... Well, I tried watching it and honestly, I found it quite unwatchable. It was a bit too "artsy" and dense for me.

Eventually I will give The Fountain a second chance if only for the music.

I really like the Fountain, but I wouldn't put it on my top 10. Requiem, though, is a movie I'll watch over and over and show to anyone that hasn't seen it. It's a really good adaptation of Selby's novel as well.

[clockworkjoe]

As a cinema snob I can say that a lot of the films here are vastly overrated (namely Matrix, Inception, Natural Born Killers). I can't make a top ten but shall just toss out as many as I can.

1. Children of Men - It's the only sci-fi film that I can strongly relate to the setting of. It is also exquisitely shot and acted.
2. M - A classic and I prefer it over Lang's other 'M' film.
3. Forbidden Planet - More important than it is credited for. Terrified me as a child and makes me sit in wonderment today.
4. Leprechaun 4: In Space - The best 'so-bad-it's-good' flick and part of a fairly entertaining franchise. Lots of history with this movie that means whenever me and one particular mate meet up we stick this on.
5. The Big Combo - The best film noir, sadly a genre that many people attribute to more films past 1950 than they do before it.
6. The Believer - While American History X is a great film I much prefer this one as it does more to try and understand prejudice rather than just outlining ignorance.
7. The House by the Cemetary/City of the Living Dead - Two Fulci classics that combine his fantastical surrealism and giallo horror.
8. Vanishing Point - My favourite of the counter-culture films and it has more layers than can be truly enjoyed upon the first viewing.
9. Black Belt Jones/Black Samurai - Two very enjoyable flicks that are some of the 'softer' blaxploitation films about.
10. Lady Snowblood/Female Convict 701 - Both of these are fantastic japanese pinky flicks with the same powerful female lead. I would rate Lady Snowblood higher simply because it isn't a women in prison film.

you would put city of the living dead above Suspiria or Deep Red? Those are the highlights of Italian horror for me.

Forbidden Planet is pretty much the best 1950s sci fi film

[mathey]

I'll try and list these in order of what I'd prefer to watch at the moment rather than artistic merit...

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark. There are other films that are far more significant, but they don't feature scenes of an archaeologist beating down a dozen Nazis while riding a horse that's chasing a truck that holds the Ark of the Covenant.

2. The Dark Knight. Look, I know its overrated. Its not The Godfather or 2001; its about a guy in a bat costume fighting crime. I get that. But its far, far better than many people think. AND its got Batman.  

3. Brick. I got into Chandler and Hammett in high school. This movie depicts what those years should have been like.

4. Miller's Crossing. Its the best film made from the works of Hammett, even though its actually a homage, pastiche, and satire rather than an adaptation. For all the Coen Brother's misanthropic excesses, I forgive them because they made this movie.

5. The Empire Strikes Back. A sequel that builds on the first film and adds depth and complexity without missing out on what made these films fun in the first place. This may or may not have something to do with the screenwriters and directors not being George Lucas.

6. Saving Private Ryan. Another one that tends to get damned by faint praise, but it blew my mind when I first saw it and I still find it potent despite its flaws. I've never seen/heard an audience be so fucking devastated in a movie theater as on this movie's opening night.

7. Glory. True story, fictionalized. Beautifully executed.

8. The Changeling. Creepy ghost story with George C. Scott. Its subdued but sneaks up on you. Also, it makes me look clever for pointing out how its overlooked and yet influenced all those Ring movies.

9. The Thing. Carpenter's masterpiece, I think. Great cast, great atmosphere, great score, great effects, probably had great catering. Just great.

10. The Bourne Ultimatum. I may just be a sucker for moody stories with big action set pieces, but the Bourne films are the leanest, meanest shots of adrenaline I've watched in many years.

[Dogfish]

you would put city of the living dead above Suspiria or Deep Red? Those are the highlights of Italian horror for me.

I just much prefer Fulci's art direction and make-up effects over Argento. Now don't get me wrong Argento is pretty fantastic I just prefer what Fulci delivers in producing that dream-like state in all of his movies.

Forbidden Planet is pretty much the best 1950s sci fi film

And the best adaptation of The Tempest on stage or off it.

[clockworkjoe]

you would put city of the living dead above Suspiria or Deep Red? Those are the highlights of Italian horror for me.

I just much prefer Fulci's art direction and make-up effects over Argento. Now don't get me wrong Argento is pretty fantastic I just prefer what Fulci delivers in producing that dream-like state in all of his movies.

Forbidden Planet is pretty much the best 1950s sci fi film

And the best adaptation of The Tempest on stage or off it.

The Beyond seemed the most dreamlike of all of Fulci's work. The finale is pretty trippy. Of course Argento's work can be pretty dreamlike - Inferno's opening is crazy.

[ethan_dawe]

Don't forget The Day the Earth Stood Still (original of course!) for 50s greats.

[ristarr]

Top ten lists are hard.  These are 10 I like watching over and over ( in no particular order )

Casablanca - I think the best thing about it is that there is nothing special.  Everything just works.
Lord of the Rings - This would have been so easy to screw up.  He went and overachieved.
Big Trouble in Little China - ( in BluRay!!!! )  The movie that gave the world Jack Burton. ( It's all in the reflexes )
The Big Lebowski - This is what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps!  They say fuck 292 times.  292 times.  fuck.
Stalker - Long but worth the effort.  Better than solaris.
Alien  - In space, no one can hear you scream.  My favorite horror film.
Twelve Monkeys - I love time travel.  Brad Pitt is crazy.  Look for the original La Jetee.  It is cool too.
Star Wars - Changed the world.  Easy to look back and criticize now.
The Deer Hunter - DeNiro and Russian Roulette and an hour long wedding scene ( speaking of which why isn't the Godfather on this list? )
The Princess Bride - Has to be one of the most quoted movies.

[IDaMan008]

In no particular order:

Paths of Glory: My favorite Kubrick film for two reasons: 1-Kirk Douglas and 2-the intense climax. Much more sentimental than Full Metal Jacket, but Kubrick also makes a point of examining that sentiment in the final scene.
Into the Wild: Beautifully photographed and acted. This character study is an excellent adaptation of the original non-fiction book about a college grad who burns all of his money, ditches his car, and lives the life of a tramp, wandering across the American northwest and Alaska.
M: Peter Lorre steals the show. A fan-freaking-tastic performance that actually garners sympathy for a child murderer.
Crimes and Misdemeanors: Woody Allen gets massive kudos from me for comparing, contrasting, and inverting comedy and tragedy in this film. Screenwriting at its finest.
Rear Window: John Michael Hayes manages to gloss over Hitchcock's misanthropy (just a bit) with some warm, engaging characters. Also, Alfred Hitchcock, Jimmy Stewart, and Princess Grace.
Vertigo: Like someone took Rear Window and kicked the crap out of its soul. Dark and haunting, visually striking, Vertigo is Hitchcock at the top of his game.
Short Cuts: I almost put MASH on here, but Short Cuts deserves to be on this list much more. The best Altman film that I've seen, and an interesting adaptation of many of Raymond Carver's short stories.
Days of Heaven: Oh my God, there's not a single frame of this movie that isn't beautiful.
Straw Dogs: In Sam Peckinpah's world, sexual tension and inferiority lead to rape and violence. This movie is so brutal that it's hard to watch, and that's what I like about it.
Last Tango in Paris: For all its fucked-upedness, Brando blew his acting wad making this picture (in more ways than one). His monologue at the casket of his dead wife makes me cry almost every time I see it.

I'd also give out honorable mentions to Spirited Away, Barton Fink, Pulp Fiction, Ghostbusters, and The Shawshank Redemption.

[ethan_dawe]

Last Tango in Paris......"all the happy children in the schoolyard"

These lists remind me why I said I can't do top ten lists. So many good flicks.

[Kroack]

impossible to list.

Too many fantastic movies.

[joecrak]

In no particular order whatsoever though the first five are my top five, and this is a list that is ever changing so....



1. Ferris Bueller's Day Off - a love of mine since child and has my favoritest quote of all time, you should all know what it is.

2. Three O'Clock High - I was first introduced to this in directing class in college, and it is by far an amazing movie not only in terms of 80's awesome ness but writing, cinematography, editing, acting, i had to own it once i saw it.

3. Attack the Gas Station - caught this at Otakon, its just ridiculous, and whil i was mainly attracted to the comedic elements of it i later learneed that it was basically a social commentary on the youth at the times.

4. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm - Duh, just further proof why Bruce Timm is amazing.

5. Who Framed Rodger Rabbit - Another beloved film from childhood, there has yet to be any live action animated film to look as good, or as realistic looking  as this When i watch this i can believe Eddie Valiant is grabby an animated rabbits ears.  something Loony Tunes Back in Action lacked, along with many other things

6. Happiness of the Katakuris - One of many reasons Takashi Miike is a mad genius and can basically direct anything he wants and pull it off. Its a zany film about a family running a bed and breakfast where all their patrons kill themselves or die....and also a musical....with zombies.

7. The Dark Knight - Its not over rated, its rated just right. It is one of the best crime dramas ever mad, that just happens to have batman, the joker, and two-face in it. 

8. Oldboy - if you havent seen this, you should. Not only is it a great mystery its twisted as all fuck. And yet still not the most depressing of the vengeance trilogy.  Im still unsure of what the ending is, but like everyone i've got my opinion.  I hope the long rumored american remake never gets made.

9. Princess Mononoke - My favorite Miyazaki film, probably because its the first one i saw. Its beautiful.

10. Battle Royale - I heard about this so i bought a bootleg copy....Needless to say it was amazing so i imported the UK directors cut.  Just a great story and while not original concept even at the time it was written, its still pulled off amazingly...Like oldboy i hope the long rumored American remake never gets made.

Though i could easily list ten of each different genre.....which would be more accurate as i've so many.  I wasn't even able to hint on any of my fantasy or horror films.

edit, can't believe i forgot my favorite superhero and animated movie of all time.

[Mckma]

I guess I'll basically list 10 movies I enjoy watching (not necessarily good, just movies most of which I've seen more than once).

• The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension- May actually be my "favorite" movie if only because I've seen it something like 9 times and find it totally awesome for some reason.
• Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - Not necessarily amazing cinema, but it's a fun movie and so visually stimulating I could probably watch it twice in a row
• The Producers (1968) - Very funny and I love to watch Gene Wilder act
• Clue - Another really funny movie that doesn't rely entirely on crude or slapstick humor
• Raiders of the Lost Arc/The Last Crusade - Not sure if I could choose between them, changes based on the mood I'm in
• Hot Fuzz - I love the pacing of the movie and it's got a lot of absurd stuff in it
• Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - It has it's issues, but I like the leading actors a lot and it has some awesome music in it
• The Fifth Element - It's a wacky sci-fi movie with wacky stuff
• Ghostbusters - Great cast and great line delivery
• The A-Team - Only barely makes the list because I can't think of anything better.  Not that I don't like it, I just think there is probably something I would prefer

Honorable mention goes to The Room only because it is mind numbing and beyond description...

I guess a more accurate title for this list (and potentially for others as well) is, "If I could only watch 10 movies for the rest of my life" (hence the large number of comedies)...

Someone should tally up the numbers and rank the movies and create a "Top Ten for RPPR"

[crash2455]

I guess I'll basically list 10 movies I enjoy watching (not necessarily good, just movies most of which I've seen more than once).

Clue - Another really funny movie that doesn't rely entirely on crude or slapstick humor

I'd say my favorite part of that movie related to slapstick humor:

[spoiler=Seriously This Part is Awesome]"I am your singing telegram --"  *BANG*[/spoiler]

[mathey]

In no particular order:

Rear Window: John Michael Hayes manages to gloss over Hitchcock's misanthropy (just a bit) with some warm, engaging characters. Also, Alfred Hitchcock, Jimmy Stewart, and Princess Grace.

I can't ever get over how beautiful Grace Kelly is in this. Jimmy Stewart's reluctance to marry her verges on science fiction.

And that full-scale apartment block set!