29. Riviére du Hibou, La (An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge) (1962)
This short film has about as near-perfect camera work as any film I’ve ever viewed. Well-timed close-ups and long shots, dolly-shots, French angles, and other camera trickery are all employed within the mere 28 it takes to tell this story.
But…this is more than just a study in how to use a camera; it also tells a captivating story. From the moment we see the first troops approaching the bridge, we are scarcely given a moment to breathe. The story is gut-wrenching, edge-of-your-seat Hitchcockian fare that made me gasp more than once, all leading up to an amazing denouement. I used to exclude this film from my list of all-time bests due to it not being a feature-lenght film. But I think that was a bit of an arbitrary exclusion, so I have placed it here, amongst all the 'big' films.
Why not rank it higher? There's this really corny part where we hear wat the lead character is thinking ("I'm free! I'm free!") and then a really losuy song begins playing. It makes me cringe. In a film that's not even a half-hour long, that three minutes really wrecks things.
28. Dial 'M' for Murder (1954)
Here's another Hitchcock faithfully adapted from a play. And you can tell, too - almost the entire movie takes place in a single room in a single house. Still, in true Hitchcock fashion, the camera is used to the fullest extent, taking an active role in the story. The excitement of what is, initially, a perfect crime and how it goes awry kept me engaged throughout. This was the first of three films Grace Kelly starred in for Hitchcock, and she plays the best role in this one. Her defense against her attacker is original and unexpected (I fully expected her to be killed the first time I saw this film, even though I knew she was the main character).
Why not rank it higher? The film was shot with the belief that it would be distributed in 3-D. It wasn't, and as a consequence, it suffers somewhat seeing it in basic 2-D. Also, Ray Milland, the lead actor in the film? He's a bit stodgy.
27. The Ten Commandments (1956)
This mega-mother-of-all-epics holds my attention like no other 4-hour movie I've seen. The narration ties it all together until the climax of the penning of the commandments. The special-effects are awesome & the basic theme of a people being rescued from a horrible life are spectacularly displayed. There are so many characters and so much going on over so many years, it's amazing they were able to keep it down to four hours. Also, great acting from Yul Brenner, Cedric Hardwicke and Anne Baxter.
Why not rank it higher? Some of the dialogue is (unintentionally) laughable. And Charleton Heston appears to have gone to the William Shatner school of acting. It's also odd that, during the last three hours of this film, which take place over the course of 80 years, Moses is the only one who ages.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
My 30th to 32nd Favorite Motion Pictures
32. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
Okay, if it seems kind of blasphemous to rank this movie higher than Citizen Kane that’s because 1) it is blasphemous and, 2) this is a list base on how much I enjoyed viewing a particular movie. If this list was based on how much respect I have for a movie, or how influential it is, then the rankings would be decidedly different. But, nope, this list is just based on how much I enjoyed spending my time in front of a screen watching a piece of celluloid And to that, I say, Napoleon is flippin’ sweet.
A small movie such as this is fun for its details; I loved watching each character go about their own little bizarre – and yet, somehow familiar – worlds. The quirky humor started right off after the clever opening credits. I instantly liked this movie and often had to wipe the tears off my face from laughing so hard.
Why not rank it higher? ‘Cause, I’ll rank it however I want. God.
31. The Godfather, parts I and II (1972 – 1974)
This pair of movies – essentially one movie cut up into two parts – has everything going for it. Every actor is of the highest quality, and yet they all look so different from one another that I did not spend the bulk of the film trying to keep track of who was who. The movies have so many great, iconic scenes, it’s tough to narrow the list down. These are absolutely flawless, refined pieces of entertainment. And, in a very rare move, part two not only enhances and enriches the story begun in part one, but it actually surpasses the first part.
Why not rank it higher? All its brilliance aside, I’m just not into gangster movies. Like westerns, I don’t eschew them simply on account of their genre, but it takes a lot more for me to “get into” them. Also, they’re a little on the long side; I think both movies could be made better by chopping out about twenty minutes.
30. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
This is one wild head trip. The story is surreal and non-linear. I’m such a sucker for non-linear story-telling. The plot is unique; I have never seen anything similar to it either before or since. 'Eternal Sunshine' manages to dazzle you with it's originality and it's poignancy. The fact that this movie was able to wrap such profound loss, emotional tenderness, and hope in such a self-consciously stylized package of science fiction is absolutely amazing. The use of vibrant coloring and quick camera movement give the film a very involving first hand feeling. On a personal note, by the time I saw this movie I was sick of Jim Carey and his Ace Ventura routine. This, coupled with The Truman Show showed that he can put that crap behind him and make some good flicks.
Why not rank it higher? Way too much hand-held camera! I think I was nauseous when I saw this on the big screen. And too many people in their underwear.
Okay, if it seems kind of blasphemous to rank this movie higher than Citizen Kane that’s because 1) it is blasphemous and, 2) this is a list base on how much I enjoyed viewing a particular movie. If this list was based on how much respect I have for a movie, or how influential it is, then the rankings would be decidedly different. But, nope, this list is just based on how much I enjoyed spending my time in front of a screen watching a piece of celluloid And to that, I say, Napoleon is flippin’ sweet.
A small movie such as this is fun for its details; I loved watching each character go about their own little bizarre – and yet, somehow familiar – worlds. The quirky humor started right off after the clever opening credits. I instantly liked this movie and often had to wipe the tears off my face from laughing so hard.
Why not rank it higher? ‘Cause, I’ll rank it however I want. God.
31. The Godfather, parts I and II (1972 – 1974)
This pair of movies – essentially one movie cut up into two parts – has everything going for it. Every actor is of the highest quality, and yet they all look so different from one another that I did not spend the bulk of the film trying to keep track of who was who. The movies have so many great, iconic scenes, it’s tough to narrow the list down. These are absolutely flawless, refined pieces of entertainment. And, in a very rare move, part two not only enhances and enriches the story begun in part one, but it actually surpasses the first part.
Why not rank it higher? All its brilliance aside, I’m just not into gangster movies. Like westerns, I don’t eschew them simply on account of their genre, but it takes a lot more for me to “get into” them. Also, they’re a little on the long side; I think both movies could be made better by chopping out about twenty minutes.
30. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
This is one wild head trip. The story is surreal and non-linear. I’m such a sucker for non-linear story-telling. The plot is unique; I have never seen anything similar to it either before or since. 'Eternal Sunshine' manages to dazzle you with it's originality and it's poignancy. The fact that this movie was able to wrap such profound loss, emotional tenderness, and hope in such a self-consciously stylized package of science fiction is absolutely amazing. The use of vibrant coloring and quick camera movement give the film a very involving first hand feeling. On a personal note, by the time I saw this movie I was sick of Jim Carey and his Ace Ventura routine. This, coupled with The Truman Show showed that he can put that crap behind him and make some good flicks.
Why not rank it higher? Way too much hand-held camera! I think I was nauseous when I saw this on the big screen. And too many people in their underwear.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
My 33rd to 35th Favorite Motion Pictures
35 - Babe (1995)
Talking animals generally don't equal a great time at the theater, but Babe somehow manages to rise above the genre and become a memorable, one-of-a-kind film that runs a lot deeper than one would first suspect. It's poiniant, positive, beautiful and original. And it's spliced up into bite-sized chapters with mice coming along to narrate. James Cromwell is the lead (human) actor and, as his first name implies he is very good as what he does. One more great reason to see this film: It was banned in Malaysia.
Why not rank this higher? That's a tough one. I'd have to go with the fact that it's a bit slow in places and the story, while certainly very well-crafted and likable, is a simple one. Man, maybe I should rank this higher.
34 - Mary Poppins (1964)
The best-selling film of 1964 was the final film Walt Disney himself produced (and it shows - before 1964: Disney = good; after 1964: Disney = lousy). So many elements combine to make this a success that it's impossible to single out one reason why I love it, but I think I can name three: Great songs, great human-animation segment and a very anti-capitalism message.
Why not rank this higher? Because it's just a fun movie. Well-made, and fun, but nothing more.
33 - Citizen Kane (1941)
Citizen Kane is a masterpiece. Nearly every critic loves this film, and many place it on the top of their lists of all-time best films. And it is awesome. It's brilliant. Thre's so much to love about the cinematography: the opening gothic scenes of Kane's fog-enshrouded mansion, the bizarre filming of Kane's death, the news-report reel that explains his life and death, the scene that takes us through a neon sign, the deep-focuses, the over-lapping dialogue, the oblique angles (in one scene, we witness the action from below the floor), the montage of Kane's failing marriage depicted by an ever-growing distance at the breakfast table. And the story itself is gripping, too: the title character dies in the first five minutes, the mystery of his final words, and on and on and on.
Why not rank this higher? Like other films from that era (such as Gone With the Wind), Citizen Kane suffers on the small screen. I've viewed it twice on TV and once in the theater and the difference was stunning. Also, much of the love given to Citizen Kane is due to its not being sentimental (a rarity at the time) and its innovative filming techniques. These are noteworthy things, to be sure, but here, in 2007, they don't make a film stand out as much as they did back then.
Talking animals generally don't equal a great time at the theater, but Babe somehow manages to rise above the genre and become a memorable, one-of-a-kind film that runs a lot deeper than one would first suspect. It's poiniant, positive, beautiful and original. And it's spliced up into bite-sized chapters with mice coming along to narrate. James Cromwell is the lead (human) actor and, as his first name implies he is very good as what he does. One more great reason to see this film: It was banned in Malaysia.
Why not rank this higher? That's a tough one. I'd have to go with the fact that it's a bit slow in places and the story, while certainly very well-crafted and likable, is a simple one. Man, maybe I should rank this higher.
34 - Mary Poppins (1964)
The best-selling film of 1964 was the final film Walt Disney himself produced (and it shows - before 1964: Disney = good; after 1964: Disney = lousy). So many elements combine to make this a success that it's impossible to single out one reason why I love it, but I think I can name three: Great songs, great human-animation segment and a very anti-capitalism message.
Why not rank this higher? Because it's just a fun movie. Well-made, and fun, but nothing more.
33 - Citizen Kane (1941)
Citizen Kane is a masterpiece. Nearly every critic loves this film, and many place it on the top of their lists of all-time best films. And it is awesome. It's brilliant. Thre's so much to love about the cinematography: the opening gothic scenes of Kane's fog-enshrouded mansion, the bizarre filming of Kane's death, the news-report reel that explains his life and death, the scene that takes us through a neon sign, the deep-focuses, the over-lapping dialogue, the oblique angles (in one scene, we witness the action from below the floor), the montage of Kane's failing marriage depicted by an ever-growing distance at the breakfast table. And the story itself is gripping, too: the title character dies in the first five minutes, the mystery of his final words, and on and on and on.
Why not rank this higher? Like other films from that era (such as Gone With the Wind), Citizen Kane suffers on the small screen. I've viewed it twice on TV and once in the theater and the difference was stunning. Also, much of the love given to Citizen Kane is due to its not being sentimental (a rarity at the time) and its innovative filming techniques. These are noteworthy things, to be sure, but here, in 2007, they don't make a film stand out as much as they did back then.
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