19-11

I am truly sorry about how this blog has fallen off. I know how it feels to be engaged in a slowly unfolding list, and then be left hanging. So here you go! (Oh yeah, you may notice the numbering is off...that's because I was moving some movies around in my list, and I got kind of fucked up. But, everything is cool now.)

19. Se7en (1995) D: David Fincher

Seven begins my top um, nineteen, and for good reason. It was the shocking movie (and most talked about?) of the mid-nineties. The MTV generation loved it for its imaginitave death and torture scenes. That decade produced several pseudo-psychological "Deep Thought" books which asked such questions as "Would you rather be alone on a desert island with all the books you can read, or blah blah blah blah....". The popularity of these books is the light-side manifestation of the same disturbed social psyche which eagerly awaits a model's debate between death or a disfigured life. Always a sucker for a good ending, this one's got one of the best: It wraps the story up nice and tidy-perfect, makes you think about who died for what sin, but mostly, because you just can't forget the look on Morgan Freeman's face when he looks in the box and realizes that "John Doe" has the upper hand. Shudder.

Performance to Savor: Kevin Spacey
Memorable Moment: The box

18. City of God (2003) D: Fernando Meirelles

The next three movies hit me like a ton of (well...anything, since a ton is a ton, regardless of what its composed of. A ton of bricks is the same as a ton of feathers. Of course, it would require a lot of space to hold a ton of feathers, so maybe its more convenient to say bricks. Anything heavier which could easily be collected into a ton, and then just as easily find its way to hitting me?) bricks. As I plan on updating the list as the years go on, it remains to be seen how well these stand the pop-quiz of time. As a matter of fact, my new policy is not to insert a movie immediately after I've seen it, but to enter it into a "To be Rated" queue, and rate it some time later, usually about 2 months. This should help avoid gut-reaction ratings. For now these movies stand, as I love them. City of God paints a devestating and rich portrait of a so-named slum region in Rio De Jeniero. Our protaganist is a young man with dreams of becoming a photographer, but can never quite find himself free of the trouble in which his home-ghetto constantly bathes itself. Other than him (who is obviously good) and Little Ze (who is obviously bad) all of the other characters act both heroically and tragically. Much like in Unforgiven, there really is no right or wrong...just what must be done to survive the situation. Excellent film. Though I hear that it is entirely inaccurate (from someone who is from there...perhaps unwilling to admit something?)

Performance to Savor: Leandro Firmino
Memorable Moment: None

17. Shaun of the Dead (2004) D: Edgar Wright

2nd in the run of recent movies to be suspiciously high on my list is this freshman effort from brit Wright. I'd heard great things about it from the various movie websites that I frequent (when I am not desperately trying to figure out how many calories are in a mouthful of plum), though I had few expectations for it myself. Zombie-horror-comedy. It sounded off-beat and quirky, and I figured I'd probably like it (and if I didn't, I would say I did around people who didn't like it, and say I didn't around people who did like it...because that's just how I am). What I found was a collection of characters whose relationships didn't require a zombiepocalypse to be interesting. The friendship of our two leads should be familiar to countless post-college, pre-career pseudo-intellectuals who would rather debate the relative hotness of the Princess and Lara Croft (hmm). Simon Pegg's ex-girlfriend and step-father are raw sources of pain more deep than any caused by the Dead. A rich tapestry of feeling, friendships, and love which is beautifully woven amid the mindless, shuffling, brain-eating hordes.

Performance to Savor: Nick Frost
Memorable Moment: Looking over the fence with backyard play ladder

16. The Incredibles (2004) D: Brad Bird

Side note: Brad Bird and Martin Brandt have to be the same person. Its unbelievable.

Every kids movie is gonna contain some sort of "moral to the story". The subtlety of which is often a good barometer for quality. And, its always something like "True love is great, friends are great, curiousity is great, compassion is great, slipping hidden messages into animations with the hopes of straightening a few pre-pubescent noodles is great". With The Incredibles we are given a "message" which I haven't really seen before, and one which I personally like. Families are great. Now, for the sake of avoiding controversy (but also to equip the move with a bit of a timeless feel), Bird presents his family as the traditional nuclear archetype. And, I'd imagine, most viewers will take away that that is the pinnacle of famliness. But, I sense of deeper understanding of Bird's family, one which goes beyond blood-lines and birth certificates. The Supers were a Family. Frozone wasn't Jack's friend...he was his brother (and not just because he was black). When Jack discovered the fate of the supers, his heart sank not just for the obvious tragedy, but for the loss of his ka-tet (sorry, I'm reading the Dark Tower). Now, is it this great overriding lesson which gives The Incredibles its charm? Of course not. Its just a fun movie. The settings consistantly made my jaw drop with wonder and the pure imagination on screen is the cinematic equivalent of *insert clever metaphor*. About 1/3 of the way through, I realized that I had an enormous smile on my face, and my eyeballs were popping out of my skull and I knew that I loved this film.

Performance to Savor: Craig T. Nelson
Memorable Moment: Dash on the water

15. Return of the Jedi (1983) D: Richard Marquand

I am somewhat retiscent to publish my own feelings about the entire Star Wars trilogy. The geeks online (self-professed these days) tend to divide everything into black and white (much like a Sith is wont to do!). Apologists and Purists. I'll save my rant for another day (well, probably not), but both sides, as they are described, are equally lame. To the Apologists: GEORGE LUCAS IS CAPABLE OF MAKING A BAD MOVIE! To the Pursits: GEORGE LUCAS DOESN'T OWE YOU SHIT (other than your life back for turning you into a mouth-breathing dork who argues about this shit from your parents house while sucking down milk and chatting with hot-babes online all day). Anyway, I loved the original trilogy and Ep. III, and I liked the prequels, even though they were bad movies, Star Wars is always cool. So, of the first three, well, second three, this is my least favorite. Interesting, because its got my favorite scenes of any of the movies (Luke, Vader, and Palps). But, the ewoks completely turned me off, as well as Han Solo's relative reduction from handsome, sly, witty and full of derring-do, to simple heartthrob sex-symbol joke-boy. But...can't complain to much, its definitely awesome to see Luke turn in to the Jedi his father could've been. For those of you who read Harry Knowles (matt): His take is that Luke became as powerful as he did, not just through the Force, but because he was unwilling to accept the traditional Jedi teachings of abandoning love and your loved ones. Interesting.

Performance to Savor: Ian McDiarmid
Memorable Moment: Vader's helmet removed

14. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) D: Steven Spielberg

Before the sure-to-be-not-that-good Indiana Jones IV comes out, lets remember the greatness of this trilogy. Well, lets focus on this third one for now. Indy has a familiar foe: The Nazis. Excellent choice. Reviled world-wide. Capable of religious zealotry and political fanatacism. No shortage of resources. Ideal Indy foible. Shit, I can't really think of anything to say. Clearly I like the movie. But why? Mostly because I like the character of Indiana Jones, and by extension Harrison Ford. I would say that Indiana is the Perfect Man, would you not? Think about it:

A) He's A Professor (indicates brains)
B) He's A Professor of Archeology (Travels all over the world)
C) He Cleans Up Well (girls love this)
D) He's Devestatingly Handsome (girls also love this)

I would trade my life for Indiana Jones' in a second. Harrison Ford? Nah, he's got that little scar on his chin which he's probably been teased about his whole life, making life not worth living. Ah, who am I kidding, I'd trade with Harrison Ford as well. Oh yeah, the Knight of the Grail owns.

Performance to Savor: Sean Connery
Memorable Moment: "He chose...poorly."

13. Time Bandits (1981) D: Terry Gilliam

Yeah, we know that it turned out ok, but really, who approved a movie-pitch about a group of time travelling midgets? Imagine how that went:

Stuffy Exec (SE): Hmm...
Insane Terry Gilliam Undoubtedly Wearing Cowboy Hat And Hawaiian Shirt (ITGUWCHAHS): Ok, so I got this great idea.
SE: Hmm...
ITGUWCHAHS: People like time-travel, right?
SE: Hmm...
ITGUWCHAHS: And people like midgets, right?
SE: Hmm...
ITGUWCHAHS: I think you see were I'm going with this.
SE: Hmm...
ITGUWCHAHS: Umm...what if I include a Dark Castle made of Legos?
SE: Here's $20 million.

Clearly I have no idea how movies get made. Gilliam's movies can sometimes get lost in a quagmire of quirkiness (Fisher King), but here he sufficiently uses the device of Time Travel to navigate and explain away all of the quirkiness. By going all the way (or "whole hog", as my grandpa would say, although now all he'd say is "..." because he's dead.) Gilliam ensnares us into the film's internal logic, and the prospect of an ogre dwelling on a boat which isn't a boat at all because its the hat on an enormous giant who somehow is managing to stay under water for a really long time, just doesn't suprise us. This movie is clever, historically accurate (well, at least enough to get by me, which isn't saying all that much), and there's even a bit of mean streak, which supplements the fun-oddities.

Performance to Savor: David Warner
Memorable Moment: Escape from the cage

12. The Empire Strikes Back (1980) D: Irvin Kershner

Whenever a trilogy is complete (in film, books, whatever) the second installment is always, always, compared to The Empire Strikes Back. Always. And for good reason too. Other than the Godfather movies sequels to tentpole movies tended to fall flat. Either from unwarranted expectation, hype, or David Arquette, Round 2 was never quite as scintilating. Then came TESB, and now we find ourselves in a dark Star Wars universe, where the heros lose, make bad choices, stumble. The Empire has bounced back from its defeat at Yevin, and with some critical information about the lineage of "young Sky-walk-ah" refocus their efforts. They do, in fact, strike back. And hard. And, unlike say, the Matrix, or even Lord of the Rings, things, critical things actually happen in this movie. It is crucial and pertinent, and, more importantly, the sexual chemistry between Leia and Han finally blooms. Now, I'd probably rather watch this over Ep. IV, but I just can't ignore the pure ground-breaking ground breakiness that A New Hope offered contemporary audiences as well as posterity.

Performance to Savor: Harrison Ford
Memorable Moment: Luke's parentage revealed

11. Resevoir Dogs (1992) D: Quentin Tarantino

While simultaneously admonishing a group of people I will also count myself among them. Don't think I can do it? Watch:

Everyone loves Pulp Fiction. Everyone thinks its QT's best movie (except those assholes who say Jackie Brown is their favorite, just to be different). It may be. Its just that I feel that their needs to be a little more debate. How come no one ever sticks up for Resevoir Dogs? This movie introduced us to the Vega family! That's right, Mr. Blonde (James Madsen) is Vincent Vega's brother. As far as sadistic villainy is concerned, I give the edge to Dogs. Pulp is more developed, with actual supporting characters, but Dogs is more raw. More upfront. Pulp is Apollo Creed (showy, no.1, beloved), Dogs is Rocky (scrappy, brutal, heart-of-iron). QT needed this move in order to make Pulp Fiction, but it is here where he cut his teeth.

Performance to Savor: Michael Madsen
Memorable Moment: "Let's go get a taco"

How's that, eh? Top 10 coming...