You'll note, as you read this list, wide eyed and incredulous, that I have strange criteria for what constitutes a "great" movie. Films on this list are:
You may note that I stretch this a bit to include some favorites (since when is "The Dirty Dozen" mind-warping? Well, maybe if you consider it an allegory for the apostles...) You will also note that I have made no attempt to be "hip" or "cinematically correct" in my choice of films. In fact, the sight of some of these titles in a "All-Time Best List" will cause many self-styled cineastes to froth at the mouth and convulse. Yes, the brutal honesty I will display here assures that the list will reveal more about me than about the films listed. And, never fear, a second list, of films that meet the latter three criteria but not the first (Great bad movies) is forthcoming. The list is in the order in which they occured to me while typing; newer movies are tacked on at the end.
You may also note that some references are a wee bit dated; this list was started in the mid-nineties and I'm pretty lazy so I haven't (yet) bothered to update some of the entries (though I really really should mention that The Wicker Man referenced here is NOT the Nicholas Cage version).
By the way, recently I've begun putting my (lack of) money where my mouth is and making my own candidates for other people's "Best Of" lists. Hit the American Entropy Productions main page for a look.
Here's my list:
HEAD - The Monkees' surrealist acid dada masterpiece. One inspired vignette after another, and great music besides. We'll never see the like again. Yes, Jack Nicholson wrote the script (to this, and "The Trip" as well). True fact: the original idea for this movie would have seen The Monkees riding across America on motorcycles, seeking Truth. They didn't use that idea, but the producers dusted it off and tried it a different way, and "Easy Rider" was born. Which gets one thinking, "what if?": "We made it, Mickey! We made it, and we got it all!" "Nah, we blew it, Davy."
BEDAZZLED - I discovered this in high school. I was flipping channels and landed right in the middle of the "Ready Steady Go!" takeoff, with Peter Cook leading the band "Dremble Wedge and the Vegetation". If you've seen the film you know the scene I mean - needless to say I was blown away! I'm talking, of course, about the '60's British comedy with Peter Cook as a droll upper-class Devil and Dudley Moore as the schlub who sells him his soul, not the soul-less remake with Brendan Fraser. The original is a very funny, very sacriligious movie. What more could you want?
THE PRESIDENT'S ANALYST - One of the most gleefully paranoid films you'll ever see, full of hilarious satire and 60's grooviness. Great cast, too: Coburn, Severn Darden, Godfrey Cambridge, Will Geer, Barry McGuire, Pat Harrington, Arte Johnson, William Daniels. Watch out for versions that lack the original soundtrack. The Not Quite (my old band) recorded a cover version of the great Clear Light song from the "Acid Trip at the Cafe Wha?" sequence. Trivia bit: the band Clear Light featured future actor Cliff DeYoung, best known to people my age as the husband in the icky "dying hippie chick" saccharine anti-classic "Sunshine" (younger viewers must see this; great laffs at your parents [or grandparents'] expense). A great DeYoung movie worth looking for: the tense sci-fi thriller, "Pulse".
HALLOWEEN - Groundbreaking horror, creepy and subtle. And what a great soundtrack. Really captures the feel of the holiday, with just the right touch of spooky mysticism. Ignore the sequels! (Exception: Halloween III which, while not a good movie, is certainly memorable and entertaining. I'll be posting a longer essay on this and other great horror movies on the Real Fright website.
THE LOVED ONE - Wow! This is such a cool movie! Death, laughs, and Mr. Joyboy. This satire of Hollywood and the funeral industry is still pretty twisted, even almost forty years after it was made. If anyone ever wonders why you think the sixties were so cool, show them this movie! (Be pepared for some funny looks).
DAWN OF THE DEAD - This used to play as a midnight movie every weekend at a local theater (The Movies at Westfarms Mall, in CT). I used to go all the time. Never got tired of it. It was always fun to drag an unsuspecting friend, then enjoy their reaction to the nightmarish concept, the ultra-graphic violence, and the slapstick humor. This one'll stick to your dreams. The other two Romero Dead films are great, too, but I'm giving this one the edge.
THE THING (1951) - I first saw this when I was in second or third grade, on the Morning Movie. Scared me then, still works now. The "Thing Outside the Door" scene (you know the one) is an all-time great seat-jump. This should be seen late on a winter's night for best effect. Beware colorized prints!
THE THING ('82) - Great remake. Great effects, great buildup of tension. The "Testing the Blood for 'Thing-ness'" scene is an all-time great seat-jump. Warning: The best scenes are cut for TV! Rent, or tape off one of the movie channels. Interesting compare/contrast: in the '51 Thing, the focus is "us" vs. "it"; that is, the humans come together as a team to fight the enemy (even the "outsider" of the group, the turtlenecked Mad Scientist, is accepted back into the fold at film's end) - the film, with its easy cameraderie and rapid-fire patter, stresses the essential "togetherness" of humanity. Not so the remake; its characters are alienated at the outset, and as the film progresses the fact that any one of them could be harbouring an alien monster hardly serves to bring them together - the film is a picture-postcard of human isolation. What makes these both great films is the fact that both sets of characters feel real - the first never feels exaggeratedly chipper nor the latter unreasonably bleak. Complicated beasts, humans.
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY - I never liked westerns until I saw just how cool those cowboy archetypes could be when played with by a talented director. I saw this classic while I was in high school and was amazed by its near-surrealism and nonstop violence. And what a killer score! All Leone westerns are great, but this will always be my favorite.
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK - When I was still in my single digits, I developed an interest in movie serials without ever seeing one; the descriptions I read in movie books made them sound like the coolest things, with nonstop stunts and action and chair-gripping cliffhangers. I used to invent my own and act out scenes from them with my li'l pals. When I finally got to see some actual serials, I was of course let down. They're fun but nowhere near as good as the chapter- plays that unreeled in my imagination. RAIDERS is. RAIDERS is better. And while we're on Spielberg:
JAWS - Sure, the shark looks fake. Real sharks look fake. Nothing that scary could be real. I'm biased toward this film 'cause I'm a shark buff from way back, but that aside this is one of the best monster movies of all time, with an excellent structure and terrific acting. And right after that:
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND - Really manages to capture the feeling of mystical mystery that surrounds the whole UFO shebang. I'm biased toward this film 'cause I'm a saucer buff from way back, but that aside this is the best religious movie of the seventies. And one more from SS:
SCHINDLER'S LIST - Despite all the awards, and all the somber, reverential atmosphere that surrounds this movie (except on "Seinfeld"), this is - dare I say it? Whatever shall you think of me? But the truth must be told! - a terrifically entertaining movie. Probably the only film on this list ("Dark Lord Rob's List") that doesn't fit the definition of "fun" - oh what the hell, yes it does.
STAR WARS - Might as well put this one in here, too, since I only saw it a dozen times when it first came out. Everything about this is so cool. Too bad it was so popular, and we've all gotten so sick of the characters 'cause of all the merchandising, not to mention the irreparable damage to the entire franchise wreaked by Phantom Menace. But just for a moment remember what a revelation it was to see this for the first time. Remember. All the critics say EMPIRE is better but I disagree.
EXCALIBUR - In the wake of Star Wars came this, the only really worthy King Arthur film. I'm a King Arthur buff from way back... What a cast in this! Whatever happened to Nichol Williamson? He was in a bunch of great movies, then disappeared. Arthur and Guinevere (well, the actors that played them, anyway) were reunited for the fun Medeival Soap Opera "Covington Cross". Some nerd you know must have an episode or two on tape. Check it out! Also check out any other John Boorman film you can find. Even the bad ones are cool!
THE WIZARD OF OZ - Probably the first great psychedelic film. Don't see it on the big screen, though... if you sit too close you can see the seams in the backdrops and it kind of spoils the illusion. You've heard the Floyd story, but I have to wonder; who was the first person to try that?
THE WICKER MAN - One of the best-written, most intelligent, and creepiest horror movies ever made. Naturally, it got virtually no release at all and was believed lost for several years. Seek it out on video - don't watch the shredded TV cut, they removed some of the most important scenes. This features one of Christopher Lee's best performances, and a killer soundtrack - folk music never sounded spookier.
A HARD DAY'S NIGHT - It's amazing to think that what was intended to be a knock-off pop-star quickie turned out so damned good. Compare this to any Elvis movie and you'll see what I mean. Gets funnier every time you see it. And see it at a revival house if you get the chance - it looks great on the big screen.
YELLOW SUBMARINE - I saw this at the drive-in as a kid, double-billed with Leone's "Duck, You Sucker". That explains a lot, you say. Filled to the tippy-top with bona-fide Beatles magic, this perfectly encapsulates the spirit of Psychedelic Beatles, just as "Hard Day's Night" does for Pop Star Beatles. "Let It Be" perfectly encapsulates Declining Beatles, but it's not much fun to watch.
WOODSTOCK - I find this compulsively watchable. Yeah, I've heard all the Woodstock revisionism... but, dammit, we need our hippie myths, man! Whether the actual concert was a big drag or not is kind of irrelevant to the List, anyway. The movie is great. And I'm not even a fan of most of the bands.
JFK - Powerful and whacked-out, creepy and fun, with odd subliminals and strange loops aplenty. We couldn't have asked for a better JFK film. And don't be fooled by the mainstream media's pat dismissal of "conspiracy theories"; whether or not Stone's theory is right, there is way more to the story than dreamt of in the Warren Commission Report.
GOTHIC - This is a lot trippier than Ken Russell's "Altered States", and more fun besides. Perfectly cast, and probably a more realistic look at the way Byron and crew really behaved than we might imagine. Most Ken Russell films are better than their reputations.
QUATERMASS AND THE PIT (aka FIVE MILLION YEARS TO EARTH) - There should be more Hammer movies on here, I know. This is a classic by any sense, as well as a mind-blower. The scene at the end with the electric devil-head... wow!
THE BANK DICK - I wasn't a W.C. Fields fan until I saw this, then I was a Fields NUT! This is his masterpiece. You'll be amazed at the sophistication of the script (unless you're already familiar with Fields). Don't be a jabbernow! Don't be a moon calf! See this now!
THE ATOMIC CAFE - Duck and cover. Unbelievable compilation of cold war film clips. Creepy and hilarious at the same time. "Dr. Strangelove" is great (though not on the list), but this is even funnier, 'cause it's real!
STRANGERS ON A TRAIN - This is the Alfred Hitchcock portion of our program, ladies and gentlemen, as required by film law, Article 347-d, subsection A: "No list of 'best films of all time' shall be made that does not include at least 3 (three) films by director Alfred Hitchcock." As I'm already in violation of Article 12, "No list of 'best films of all time' shall be made that includes 'Gothic'", I'd better get to the Hitchcock now.
NORTH BY NORTHWEST - Hitchcock is known as "master of suspense", but once you've seen the film once the suspense is gone. Why then are his films always such a staple of "Best" lists? Technique alone can't account for it. Well, I'll tell you why, li'l scout: it's cause they're so damn funny! Hitchcock worked with the best writers, and cracked the whip over their heads to get great work out of them, and the result is on the screen. This is one of the funniest.
REAR WINDOW - I was disappointed by "Vertigo", but this one lived up to its reputation. Once again, a funny, funny script, plus social comment and subtexts galore. Probably his best film overall. (Stop shouting at me! I'm entitled to my opinion).
PSYCHO - This is considered a classic horror film, but more than that it's a classic black comedy, full of sick jokes and creepy weirdness. Bravo! (clap, clap)
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? - This is great fun. I enjoyed it so much I read up a bit on Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, then I enjoyed it even more. Just a bit of the old Hollywood Gothic. Good double feature with "Sunset Boulevard".
STALAG 17 - I haven't seen "Boulevard" all the way through yet (I know it's on TV all the time - that's one of the main reasons I never watch it - "ah, it'll be on again") - so here's a different William Holden film. You know, "Hogan's Heroes" could have actually been a quality show if they'd made it more realistic.
THE DIRTY DOZEN - This is the "Oh, jeez, I can't believe he put that in here" portion of our list. It's an all-time great popcorn adventure film, with a cool cast and a terrific premise. I bet you watch it as often as I do.
DIRTY HARRY - Politics aside, what a great movie! But what was I saying earlier about the lionization of fascist cops? Oh, it slips my mind. Couldn't have been too important. Go git 'em, Callahan! Don't let the damn Bill o' Rights slow ya down!
DIE HARD - The premise to this is so good, it's no wonder it's been imitated over and over and over. The definitive action/thriller of the '80's.
THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER - All the Tom Clancy movies have been really good (better than the books by far), but this is the only all-time classic.
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY - Kind of boring on the small screen, but a certified mind-opener when I saw it when I was 8. (By myself!) Should only be seen in theaters. Marvel at how good the effects still look!
THE ROAD WARRIOR - Best western of the '80's. Judge it not by its imitators. Or its sequel. Or MAD MAX, which I didn't like much. Saw it on a "Violence in Movies" art house double bill with "A Clockwork Orange". Oww! My eyes! What, no Stooges?
STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN: Absolutely the best Trek movie, and the only one to equal the best of TV Trek. Just gets everything right, no slip-ups. Shatner and Montalban should reunite for "Fantasy Island: The Motion Picture": "Tatoo, his fantasy is to be a strolling science fiction minstrel with real hair. What do you theenk of that, leetle one? Huh? Oh, that's right, you're dead. Is Gary Coleman busy?" (Zee plane, zee astral plane....)
PEE WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE: I love this film. "Shhh! I'm trying to use the phone!" I put that on my answering machine and Thoroughly Evil Tom, the Not Quite's drummer, called up over and over, just listening to it and laughing, and laughing...
BEETLEJUICE: Deranged and daffy. I still can't believe this actually got made.
THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS: Another Tim Burton triumph. I love the soundtrack, too. If I had to pick a cinematic character that most resembled me, it would be Jack Skellington.
ED WOOD: Rounding out our quartet of Tim Burton classics is this, the oddest movie ever made by Disney. This is cool for so many reasons. If other people had to pick a character that most resembled me, it would probably be Ed Wood, but that's just because other people are bastards (and no, it has nothing to do with angora).
DARBY O'GILL AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE - A classic, bad songs and all. Interestingly, Sean Connery does an awful brogue in "Darby" (Irish=Brogue; Scots=Burr); decades later his brogue hasn't improved at all yet he won an Oscar playing an Irishman in "The Untouchables!"
A MIRACLE ON THIRTY-FOURTH STREET - A great idea perfectly carried out with just the right touch of cynicism. All great holiday heartwarmers are pretty cynical - that's how they can be distinguished from the schmaltz.
THE PRODUCERS - I envy anyone seeing this for the first time. There are only a few films that made me laugh so hard I hurt. Another one is
THIS IS SPINAL TAP - I fell off my theater seat during the "Stonehenge" bit. This is the flip side of A HARD DAY'S NIGHT - together they're the best Rock films ever made.
MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL - The endless repetition of scenes from this by the backroom crew at work has kind of killed this one for me "You will get A SHRUBBERY!" but the first time I saw it I laughed myself purple. The other Python films have scenes in them that are as funny as the best bits here, but they aren't nearly as consistent as this one.
THE HOUSE OF USHER - I saw this Corman classic at the drive-in when I was 5 or 6, triple-billed with THE CONQUEROR WORM and some forgettable cop film. WORM was exactly the sort of M-rated violent, depraved, sadistic horror show that Bob Dole says warp kids for life. I enjoyed it, but it was the subtle, atmospheric USHER that made the lasting impression on me. And it's Literature!
THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM - All of the Corman Poe films are worth watching; this is my other favorite.
THEATER OF BLOOD - A thorough delight, as Vincent Price gets to recite Shakespeare and kill people all over swinging London.
TARGETS - This one's tough to track down but it's really worth it. Nearly one of Karloff's last films and one of his best. He plays an aging horror star - a stretch, but he acquits himself admirably. He's decided to retire 'cause the corny movies he makes can't match the grue in the daily papers. As if to prove his point a local kid flips out and starts sniping at cars from a watertower. It was thrown together pretty quickly,, but you'd never know it. See it!
ARSENIC AND OLD LACE - Best Karloff film that Karloff wasn't in. (He played Johnathan Brewster on broadway). This is sorta dated and stagey, but what the hell - it's funny, dark, and wacky... and still one of the best "crazy family" movies. Peter Lorre is great!
A CHRISTMAS STORY - The infamous director of PORKY'S has also done a lot of really good movies (Murder by Decree, Black Christmas) but especially this movie, which is as much a Holiday must-see as MIRACLE ON 34th ST (which, oddly enough, was released the same year that CHRISTMAS STORY is set in), mixing nostalgic warmth with delightful cynicism. Probably the best film about kids that I can think of, accurate too. There's a sequel, too (MY SUMMER STORY), with a different cast, which is also worth a look.
PLANET OF THE APES - Great filmmaking is the ability to take a laughably absurd concept and make it into something thoroughly compelling. First saw this at (where else?) the drive-in, when I was 6. Needless to say, Big Impression! That finale is unforgettable. Damn you all to hell! (pretty rough language for a G rated movie when I was 6). Avoid the Tim Burton remake, it's as bad as movies get!
GUNGA DIN - Not very politically correct I'm afraid. Great fun nonetheless. I listen to a Hindi radio show now and then on college radio - love that sitar music! (Indian pop is pretty horrible, however) Had the odd experience of hearing Deep Purple's "Sweet Child in Time" in Hindi once.
TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME - My favorite David Lynch film. "Video Watchdog" did a great analysis of this that really contributed to my appreciation of it. I don't usually read Watchdog, 'cause I don't really care if there's an extra frame in scene 72 of the laser version of "Percy's Progress", but this was an excellent article, well worth acquiring if this "Peaks" stuff interests you.
TERMINATOR - I keep forgetting how good this was. Cameron's films go steadily downhill from here, pretty much in order of their ascending budgets.
MY DINNER WITH ANDRE - Two people have dinner. Textbook example of how simply a compelling movie can be made, with the right ingredients. I expected to hate it, wound up watching it twice in a row.
THE NINTH CONFIGURATION - Maybe not necessarily a great movie, but undeniably cool, smart, and wacky. See Exorcist 3 right after seeing this, as it's more of a sequel to this than to that. Stacy Keach is a 'Nam vet who winds up in a very strange asylum for fellow vets.
THE VERDICT - One of the few mainstream dramas that I can watch more than once. Just plain well put together - and Newman was ripped off for the Oscar (plus James Mason should have got one, too).
EVIL DEAD 2: DEAD BY DAWN - Best Three Stooges movie ever.
HOUSE OF WAX - Must be seen in 3-D to be fully appreciated, of course, although it's still pretty entertaining flat. Lots of Vincent Price movies on the list, surprisingly enough.
THE DEVIL AND DAN'L WEBSTER - The story's pretty familiar, but this classic film version looks great and has some really creepy moments. Plus Walter Huston is a great devil.
BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN - As you may have noticed, there's a painful lack of films considered "classics" on this list. Well, a lot of them haven't aged well, and others are easier to "appreciate" than enjoy. Here's one that's still elegant and fun, and dark enough to catch on with the kids. There's a soundtrack CD available now, too.
ROSEMARY'S BABY - Another great drive-in memory from the 60's that holds up tremendously well. Great cast, too. Dark Lady wants to live in the Dakota. "He has his father's eyes." Roman Castavet was a big influence on my life.
RUTHLESS PEOPLE - Another deliciously cynical comedy. I like 'em dark, but a gleeful sort of dark.
APOCALYPSE NOW - Not quite successful, but a grand attempt at a truly hallucinatory sort of war film. My suggestion: when Martin Sheen arrived at Brando's jungle lair, it should have been like Dracula's castle in the Coppola's Dracula, full of ghosts and living shadows. Anything less would have been a letdown, and was.
THE GENERAL (Buster Keaton) - I haven't seen "Sherlock Jr.", so I'm putting this in instead. Still funny and technically impressive, even today.
INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS ('53) - Definitely one of the creepiest sci-fi/horror movies. Features Carolyn Jones ("Morticia Addams" on TV), who is also in House of Wax (along with Charles Bronson, who is in a surprising number of films on this list).
THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL - While we're in the '50's, Klaatu Barada - aah, you know the drill.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST - The story to this is pretty slight, which is why I wasn't going to include it, but after watching it again, I have to say "What a Stylistic Masterpiece!" I love the way the story unfolds almost in a sideways manner - you have no idea what is happening in a scene until the scene is halfway over, or even until the next scene - and they're long, long scenes. And the showdown between Bronson and Fonda is the best-scored scene in movie history, featuring the kick-ass combination of spooky harmonica and fuzz guitar.
THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES - Look for this one if you can; it's an Abbott and Costello film unlike any of the rest (which I also like). Lou's a ghost looking to clear his name; Bud's not in it much. Best A+C film ever.
THE COURT JESTER - a mainstream comedy from the fifties makes the list? What is wrong with the Dark Lord? This is one hell of a funny movie, with memorable scene following memorable scene, and an excellent performance from Danny Kaye. Angela Lansbury plays the king's (presumedly) teenage daughter, and only a few years later she would electify audiences as Lawrence Harvey's mother in THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE.
AUSTIN POWERS: INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY: Nearly perfect spoof of 60's spy films as well as being a tribute to British humor in general. "An eeevil petting zoo?" Hilarious. I saw it three times in the theater. Haven't done that since Star Wars.
THAT THING YOU DO - Dead-on look at the early-sixties rock scene (not that I was there). Wish they'd been a psychedelic band tho! (Maybe for the sequel?) Full of energy and likeable characters. One of the few films that captures the giddy feeling of playing rock and roll and being "a band".
CRASH - Before hitting it big with horror and, later, art films, David Cronenberg directed a soft-core porn film and a car racing movie. Well, he comes full circle here, probably the only art/horror/car/porn film you'll ever see; and the best Cronenberg film besides (it should be, it combines all his obsessions). A truly fascinating, hallucinatory experience. Not for all tastes, but if you're reading this list you're probably up for it.
STARSHIP TROOPERS - This is a very smart movie masquerading as a very dumb one. One one level it's an exciting re-creation of the 40's style war film, with white-bread heroes fighting a subhuman enemy (in this case literally) - on the other it's an incredibly nasty satire that calls you an asshole for enjoying it. Director Paul Verhoeven (who has been called a misogynist but he's really a misanthrope - important distinction!) goes out of his way to tell you that you're cheering for the Nazis at the same time he gets you cheering for them. And what incredible effects! See on big screen if you can.
LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY - Not much I can add to what's already been said about this series. So we'll move on to...
THE SCHOOL OF ROCK - An absolutely terrific movie that reminds you of everything you love about rock and roll, even bad rawk like AC/DC. Guaranteed to bring you out of the dumps.
ALMOST FAMOUS - I really haven't liked anything else by Cameron Crowe, so I was surprised by just how good this movie is. Perfectly encapsulates a feel for time and place - there's one scene (the first hotel bit) where the mood is recreated so perfectly that you can almost feel the summer heat and smell the weedy air.
Honorable mention: THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS - George C. Scott thinks he's Sherlock Holmes. Not as great as it should have been, but still pretty cool.
ROCK 'N' ROLL HIGH SCHOOL - Best Ramones movie ever made.
GET CRAZY - This should be seen just 'cause it's got Lou Reed playing Bob Dylan... and Malcolm McDowell as Mick Jagger besides! Lots of funny scenes in this "Backstage at the Fillmore" comedy. Seek it out!