awesome (and aesthetically pleasing as fuck) list and project! Thanks for putting this together!
Come and See at number 2 really REALLY makes me wanna watch asap...maybe tonight even! As long as it's happy and uplifting, I am game! (....jk of course...)
After that, the 2 1980s Tarkovsky masterworks should be next on my to-do from this list, then Heathers.
Otherwise I'm glad my baby When Harry Met Sally appears. Love the mix of "art" films and blockbuster/action films that are represented, including in the top 5!
Overall, this is gorgeous and just a really cool rec resource.
As always and yet again, Thanks, Hayden _________________ -Ryan
awesome (and aesthetically pleasing as fuck) list and project!
Well— those are always the two goals
Thanks Mercury.
Come And See is heavy. The Sacrifice is also fairly heavy, and Nostalghia's heavy but... in a different way. Come And See leans more towards brutal and Nostalghia's more an emotional wreck sorta dive. Absolutely none of them are 'double features' (ironically, what this decade is known for...)— they're all absolute tidal waves. Despite the number of horror films on the list, Come And See is probably the most terrifying.
That being said— I'm kinda surprised you haven't seen Heathers. I think you'd enjoy it quite a bit. It's 80s-core as can be, premium label.
I also noticed the absolute rollercoaster juxtaposition for arthouse and blockbuster, and I'm so glad that's the way it turned out. There aren't a lot of film lists out there that have Damnation beside Ghostbusters, Tetsuo beside Big, or Return of The Jedi beside Pixote.
The list is actually somewhat similar to the V1, but I much prefer the order this time around.
Repo wrote:
Amazing project, Hayden!!! Psyched to work through all of these!!!
Thanks Repo
I haven't seen exactly 1/4 the list, so I have some digging to do myself. Hoping to jump into Police Story, The Blues Brothers and The Fly first.
Thank you Hayden! Excellent job with running the show!
And the final results featured some surprises...
The Shining dropping out of the top 10 (not that I disagree but I thought it would end up 1, 2 or 3 with Blade Runner, Brazil the other two in whatever order)
Blow Out made it a bit higher than I thought ... and Nostalghia too! (both pleasant surprises)
Had no idea Heathers or Purple Rose of Cairo would make it so high (cool to see though, both very charming and offbeat)
And The Cook the Thief His Wife and Her Lover all the way up at 35? I don't recall the last poll's results, but is that normal? (awesome to see Greenaway's masterpiece get its due!)
I'm kind of surprised Zulawksi's Possession wasn't a bit higher. It's the sort of cult film that has made leaps and bounds in regards critical praise over the last decade or so, and it seems made to do especially well in these corner-of-the-internet polls. The uninhibited emotional wreckage and cult status of the film sorta-kinda seemed to prime it to be something like a cinematic repeat of the internet-wide discovery and vast praise that heaped upon Neutral Milk Hotel's Aeroplane in the early-to-mid 2000s (and peaking later in the decade if I'm remembering right), so I thought by now Possession would be at least knocking on the door of the top 10 (of the 80s), but maybe I over-estimated the trajectory of its popularity taking hold. At the same time, it is not at all lost on me (or anyone who's seen it) why it could be divisive, so there's that...
I do wish Angelopoulos would get a bit more push, and I hope to see the very profound and achingly moving Landscape in the Mist make a leap some day, perhaps in the next poll. I would recommend anyone trying to get their feet wet with him start with Eternity and a Day. And, in a way, Roeg's Walkabout for Landscape in the Mist (which is a variation of sorts on Roeg's themes). But Eternity is probably his most accessible (and seems quite influenced by Tarkovsky's Nostalghia to me -- I mean that in a good way, not an empty or overly derivative way). Landscape in the Mist and Beekeeper shouldn't be too hard to get into if one finds themselves warming to his art after Eternity. Angelopoulos should be required viewing for fans of methodical, thoughtful cinema like Tarr and Tarkovsky (not that any of those three are the same thing, but they each do occupy a fairly similar cinematic space or rhythm, and require a similar mindset of the viewer).
Seeing Sans Soleil on there reminded me that it is an 80s film (it's so completely out of an association with time with the history of cinema, and I always think of it as if from the 70s) ...and reminded me that I haven't seen it in years and should revisit, and that I probably would've included it had I remembered. Glad it made the cut ... barely (at 100) _________________ Best Classical Best Films Best Paintings
Last edited by AfterHours on 11/23/2022 07:34; edited 1 time in total
I think the big thing about 80s is when contemporary films were just as good as arthouse ones in many aspects. It was when the "blockbuster" felt the most heightened to me.
It's funny seeing Come and See + Raides back to back. Two great anti Nazi movies which otherwise have very little in common.
Extremely surprised by The Fly being so low and Videodrome actually cracking the top 40. Bad day to be a Cronenberg fan. The Shining too, didn't think it was possible for it to be outside the top 10. _________________ Finally updated the overall chart
1. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back -6
2. The Shining -9
3. Brazil -1
4. Raging Bull -2
5. Blue Velvet -3
6. Blade Runner +5
7. Grave of Fireflies -3
8. Paris, Texas +3
9. Back to the Future -14
10. Raiders of the Lost Ark +7
11. Do the Right Thing -3
12. The Terminator -6
13. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial -18
14. This is Spinal Tap -67
15. The Breakfast Club -33
16. Once Upon a Time in America -38
17. The Princess Bride -41
18. The Thing +6
19. Cinema Paradiso -2
20. Ran +4
21. Full Metal Jacket -16
22. The Elephant Man +3
23. Die Hard +10
24. Aliens -2
25. Videodrome -15
26. The Sacrifice +11
27. Wings of Desire -30
28. Alice -31
29. Sans Soleil -71
30. Das Boot -22
31. Heathers +11
32. The King of Comedy -1
33. Who Framed Roger Rabbit +6
34. Fanny and Alexander -16
35. Come and See +33
36. My Neighbor Totoro +7
37. Akira -23
38. Repo Man -40
39. RoboCop +15
40. Stand By Me -9
41. The Fly -36
42. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi -20
43. Ghostbusters -42
44. Beetlejuice +1
45. Amadeus +17
46. Fitzcarraldo -24
47. Platoon (Left)
48. Evil Dead II +14
49. Stranger Than Paradise (Left)
50. Kagemusha -40
51. The Blues Brothers -12
52. Blow Out +43
53. Blood Simple +23
54. Big -20
55. When Harry Met Sally (no change)
56. Time Bandits (Left)
57. Raising Arizona +11
58. Crimes and Misdemeanors (Left)
59. Stop Making Sense +20
60. Pretty in Pink (Left)
61. Sid and Nancy (Left)
62. Scarface -6
63. The Last Temptation of Christ (Left)
64. Back to the Future Part II (Left)
65. The Secret of NIMH (Left)
66. Au Revoir les Enfants (Left)
67. The Killing Fields (Left)
68. Hannah and Her Sisters -16
69. Field of Dreams (Left)
70. Beverly Hills Cop (Left)
71. Withnail and I (Left)
72. The Color Purple (Left)
73. Airplane! +28
74. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind +21
75. Mystery Train (Left)
76. Koyaanisqatsi -12
77. Castle in the Sky +11
78. The Vanishing (Left)
79. The Untouchables (Left)
80. Down by Law +39
81. Glory (Left)
82. Zelig +38
83. The Great Mouse Detective (Left)
84. City of Sadness (Left)
85. Spaceballs (Left)
86. The Evil Dead +4
87. Say Anything (Left)
88. Dead Ringers (no change)
89. Jean de Florette (Left)
90. Nostalghia +73
91. Lethal Weapon -6
92. Predator +54
93. Big Trouble in Little China (Left)
94. Drugstore Cowboy (Left)
95. Escape From New York -1
96. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (Left)
97. Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (Left)
98. My Life as a Dog (Left)
99. Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown +26
100. Dead Poets Society +75
New List
1. Blade Runner +5
2. Come and See +33
3. Raiders of the Lost Ark +7
4. Brazil -1
5. Paris, Texas +3
6. Raging Bull -2
7. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back -6
8. Blue Velvet -3
9. Blow Out +43
10. Grave of Fireflies -3
11. The Shining -9
12. The Thing +6
13. Die Hard +10
14. Do the Right Thing -3
15. The Sacrifice +11
16. Ran +4
17. Nostalghia +73
18. The Terminator -6
19. The Elephant Man +3
20. Heathers +11
21. Cinema Paradiso -2
22. The Purple Rose of Cairo (New)
23. Back to the Future -14
24. RoboCop +15
25. Dead Poets Society +75
26. Aliens -2
27. Who Framed Roger Rabbit +6
28. Amadeus +17
29. My Neighbor Totoro +7
30. Blood Simple +23
31. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial -18
32. After Hours (New)
33. The King of Comedy -1
34. Evil Dead II +14
35. The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (New)
36. Kiki's Delivery Service (New)
37. Full Metal Jacket -16
38. Predator +54
39. Stop Making Sense +20
40. Videodrome -15
41. Down By Law +39
42. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (New)
43. Beetlejuice +1
44. Zelig +38
45. Airplane! +28
46. Raising Arizona +11
47. Possession (New)
48. The Breakfast Club -33
49. Stand By Me -9
50. Fanny and Alexander -16
51. A Fish Called Wanda (New)
52. Das Boot -22
53. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind +21
54. Once Upon a Time in America -38
55t. Police Story (New)
55t. When Harry Met Sally... (no change)
57. Wings of Desire -30
58. The Princess Bride -41
59. Alice -31
60. Akira -23
61. Pixote (New)
62. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi -20
63. The Blues Brothers -12
64. Thief (New)
65. Landscape in the Mist (New)
66. Castle in the Sky +11
67. A Nightmare on Elm Street (New)
68. Scarface -6
69. Manhunter (New)
70. Fitzcarraldo -24
71. Rain Man (New)
72. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (New)
73. Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown +26
74. Big -20
75. Tetsuo: The Iron Man (New)
76. Re-Animator (New)
77. The Fly -36
78. Repo Man -40
79. Body Heat (New)
80. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (New)
81. This is Spinal Tap -67
82. The Evil Dead +4
83. Yeelen (New)
84. Hannah and Her Sisters -16
85. Ghostbusters -42
86. Damnation (New)
87. An American Werewolf in London (New)
88t. Dead Ringers (no change)
88t. Koyaanisqatsi -12
90. Kagemusha -40
91. A Short Film About Love (New)
92. They Live (New)
93. Dressed to Kill (New)
94. The Long Good Friday (New)
95. Broadcast News (New)
96. Escape From New York -1
97. Lethal Weapon -6
98. The Naked Gun: From the Files of the Police Squad (New)
99. Angel's Egg (New)
100. Sans Soleil -71
Let me know if I made any inaccuracies and I'll fix them.
I will post some thoughts and comments either tomorrow night or Thursday.
For me the new list is better, even though I would have liked Withnail & I to remain ( basically my only gripe with the list). I really like that Purple Rose (my number #1) was the highest new entry. On the other hand, I was so wrong about Brazil winning Blade Runner is a very worthy number one though. Must have been that final list that earned it the top spot.
There are loads I’ve not seen, including four in the top 10. I’ll probably look into some of these.
A side-by-side look at the old list vs. the new...
Speaking only for myself, I definitely like the new list better than the old one. However, I have to suspect that the high ranking for Come and See says a bit more about the times we're living in right now than it does about the actual movie, what with the Russian-fascist invasion of Ukraine, and the attempted neo-fascist resurgence(s) going on in various other parts of the world too, including the United States.
That's not to say it's a bad movie by any means — on the contrary, everyone should see it. It's on Youtube, you can watch it right here:
Now, I don't mind that the film is mostly colorless and super-grim — in fact, I like those things about it. And I get that the lack of narrative cohesion is intentional, to keep the audience from getting too comfortable or to start thinking it's meant as mundane conventional entertainment. I guess my problem with it is that it doesn't really work as art any more than it does as entertainment. It does work very well as anti-Nazi propaganda, and I totally recommend it on that basis, but it doesn't really ask you (much less require you) to think, or even to empathize all that much with the people being murdered and brutalized by the Nazis. It's like it just wants you to hate the Nazis, which of course we all should, but it doesn't have much ambition beyond that — honestly, the story it's telling strikes me as little more than a framing device. (And, you know, I already hate the Nazis.)
Also, there's too much staring, especially of the into-the-camera variety. There really is an awful lot of staring in this movie.
This is great, really happy with the result (even though I was somehow the only nerd who put Empire Strikes Back at #1 this round, whereas it topped the poll last time). I've only seen 40% of the films represented, but I'm familiar with Pretty much all the films in the top ~25ish were on my to-do list but I either just didn't get around to watching or they didn't show up on the streaming services I subscribe to. @MadhattanJack, thanks for posting a link to Come and See, that should be an easy one for me to check out (uh... easy technologically, not emotionally).
Also agree with what others said about the wonderful juxtaposition of "arthouse" and/or foreign films vs blockbusters.
Hayden, thanks for putting this together and compiling. Lovely format you used to post the results. I'm not a huge fan of the minimalist posters, but I can't deny it makes for a beautiful experience while scrolling this thread
I'm kicking myself, because I watched Fitzcarraldo in the final days of the contest and I LOVED it... but then forgot to include it in my chart ... I don't know how much of a difference that would have made, but my guess is it may have improved its rank from 70. Of all the films I hadn't heard of before starting this contest, that and The Sacrifice were clear favorites. _________________ 51 Washington, D.C. albums!
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Blade Runner is a very worthy number one though. Must have been that final list that earned it the top spot.
