Amongst the more silly things that folks do at any time of the year is to list their top n movies (where n is some positive, non-prime number). Well, why should Uncle Jazzbeau be any different? Except that this list of my top 23 favorites at this point in time exists only because I’ve already missed a day of blogging, yesterday, and that is bad, and lists are easy to make. So, without further ado: La Grand illusion (1937), Sullivan’s Travels (1941), All About Eve (1950), The Thing From Another World (1952), Forbidden Planet (1956), Le Mépris (1963), Casino Royale (1967), Weekend (1967), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), La Voie lactée (1969), Performance (1970), Clockwork Orange (1971), The Godfather (1972), Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (1973), La Maman et la putain (1973), La Nuit américaine (1973), The Godfather: Part II (1974), Der Amerikanische Freund (1977), All That Jazz (1979), Diva (1981), Blade Runner (1982), 37,2° le matin (1983), Sherman’s March (1986), and The Belly of an Architect (1987). That’s a fifty-year stretch, and I think I’ve mixed the high- and lowbrow well enough to upset everybody.
[Update: How could I have forgotten Duck Soup (1933): the best political musical ever? Hakank knows and has shown me. And Million Dollar Legs (1932): best Olympian flick. ]
Posted by jim at January 4, 2004 11:33 AM
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You have damn good taste (in other words, much like mine). May I ask how you rate The Conformist, The Conversation, and the oeuvre of Robert Altman (all favorites of mine)?
Posted by: language hat on January 4, 2004 01:11 PMLH: Thank you. I am embarassed to admit it, but I've never seen The Conformist. I've been unable to find it subtitled on video, and I never got around to seeing it in the theatres. On the other hand, Prima della rivoluzione and 1900 almost made the list. The Conversation should've been on there: a very fine film. Curiously, I never cared for Rain People. Altman is one of my faves: The Player, Three Women, and Short Cuts are memorable. I also seem to have forgotten Pasqualino Settebellezze.
Tim: I just thought off the top of my head: the top 10, 25, 50, and 100, etc., and thought they were all non-prime for some reason. 23, OTOH, is prime and a nice number.
Posted by: jim on January 4, 2004 04:12 PMWeekend is great - although I did think it went a little downhill after they lost the car. I am grateful to you for letting me know of what looks like a great Bunuel film I've never - "La Voie lactée". Something to look forward to!
Posted by: Kerim Friedman on January 4, 2004 09:55 PMLa Voie lactée does for heresies what Un Chien andalou does for eyeballs.
Posted by: jim on January 5, 2004 06:27 AM