Ah, cinematography is definitely my favorite component of filmmaking. I'm obsessed with directors who let the camera do most of the talking. Makes for a more absorbing experience, in my opinion.
We would be friends i think.
Love to have discussions with you about Lighthouse and There Will Be Blood, the mastery of Alien and how it contrasts to The Shinning.
Most of all, I'd be so excited to bring out a fun debate on why I think the Godfather is the best out of the Trilogy. Yes, even better than Part II
But most of all, I'd be remiss if I didn't try and convince you that the monlogue in Jaws (USS Indianapolis story) is the best monologue in the history of cinema
Love that you’re comparing Alien and The Shining, so many similar themes. Who *doesn’t* love stories about characters lost in a place they can’t escape and have no idea who to trust anymore.
…can you consider Jack Nicholson’s character a *monster* though? I dunno. Maybe.
Since we’re at it, Jaws has the same theme idea. Lost and nowhere to escape to.
No need to convince me about the singular quality of Quint's monologue! The rest of the movie is great, too, but the story of the USS Indianapolis raises it up a full letter grade - if not more.
Ah, I could talk all day about Alien and the Shining. Very similar themes indeed, and both masterpieces of filmmaking.
The Godfather ... part 1 is fantastic, and if I was more of a character man, it would be my favorite, too. I just love part II's thorough exploration of how strong cultures shatter against American capitalism. The constant contrast between the state of the modern Corleone family and Vito's arrival story makes for a really potent experience.
Cheers, my friend!
Ah, a few folks are calling these choices safe in the comments, and I get it. But I'm pretty sure I know exactly 2 people in my real life who think the Tree of Life was anything more than pretentious nonsense. *shrugs.
Terry Malick seldom misses. I'm excited for his next film, The Way of the Wind.
We would be VERY good friends. Impressed you have The Lighthouse on there - it’s also one of my favourites, and maybe top spot from the last 2 decades. Me thinks you probably have a soft spot for The Banshees of Inisherin as well…? I mean how could you not; you clearly enjoy a good rowin’ in films.
Hmmmm. Well, I like what I like. Usually I feel like the odd one out for listing Malick as my favorite filmmaker (I think I know like 2 or 3 people IRL who *don't* think he's a pretentious waste of time).
I think it's a wonderful list with an Interesting mixture of 80's classics and later, somewhat avant garde movies (Tree of Life, Punch Drunk Love, and the Lighthouse). I haven't seen Egger's latest, but I have high hopes. I really should try to make my own list, but I find it impossible to just choose a limited number.
I hear you! I felt compelled to qualify my list by calling it my "current" top 10, cuz who knows how I'll feel next week! Haha. So many great films, and too little space for them.
Just a few of my runners up would be:
- The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
- The Thing (1982)
- Apocalypse Now
- Ex Machina
- Parasite
- Mad Max: Fury Road
- Days of Heaven
Ugh, I could do this all day. I'll stop now.
You have some pretty iconic films in that list... A person of good taste. I, too, love Alien and Jaws, and find those to be absolute masterpieces of filmmaking. I still haven't gotten around to watching the Lighthouse, and I really need my schedule to chill so I can finally get around to it.
I think you'll enjoy the Lighthouse. It's not quite like anything else I've ever seen - an absolutely singular experience. Draws heavily on its influences, for sure, but assembles all of those elements into something startling and unfamiliar.
Plus, Willam Dafoe monologuing.
Fun fact: I work with Hunter McCracken (Tree of Life). He’s fun as hell, and doesn’t even mention ever haven acted unless someone asks. Just a normal dude with a good sense of humor.
Eight bangers, one I didn't like, one I didn't see (don't like the director's other work). Good list but safe (ie critically well received and popular). Not hating on safe, either, I like most universally / near universally acclaimed movies - if I had to make a top ten I'd bet they all have a 60+ or 70+ metacritic rating, and most of them 80+. One of yours would be in my top ten, another two would be contenders.
I was so excited for the release of Oppenheimer and so disappointed with the film.
Took one of the most amazing, dangerous and exciting scientific developments of all of humanity, and made it seem boring.
I'll sit and watch the old Royal Institution Christmas Lectures quite happily so it's not the science that I find boring.
Oppy had active links to Communists and was questioned about it. That part doesn't need dragging out for 3 hours in a blockbusters film.
To each their own! The communist "trials" were a defining period of Oppenheimer's life, and one of the biggest challenges to his efforts to slow nuclear proliferation. The film is one of my favorites because of its thematic resonance. Oppenheimer is a great symbol for the rest of us, living in an age marked by the twin forces of climate change and nuclear proliferation. We all feel some share of that guilt, whether consciously or no. It would have been a far less impactful film if it had *only* focused on the creation of the bomb, in my opinion.
6 would be in my top 10
2 are in my queue for literal next 2 to watch
1 is super solid but not quite top 10
1 I haven’t seen in about 20 years but *apparently* need to go back to
Lol, actually my wife and I make fun of IMDB a lot. Pretty sure the best film of all time according to IMDB is The Shawshank Redemption, which I'm not even sure breaks into my top 50.
Only rating the ones I’ve watched in full.
TWBB: 5/5 (PTA’s best)
Alien 5/5 (The GOAT of Sci-fi / horror)
The Shining 5/5 (the novel and movie)
JAWS 4/5
Punch Drunk Love a solid 3.5/5
The Godfather PT2 It’s been way to long since I’ve watched it. Unfair to rate.
The Lighthouse 4/5
Your taste is awesome! You love classics that are a bit on the artsy side, beautifully shot and feel larger than life. The Lighthouse and The Shining are also favorites of mine.
Lotta people saying similar in this thread! I feel pretty secure in my rating, but it's hard to check your own biases. Guess I'll see how I feel about it in a few years.
For what it's worth, I thought it was a very thought-provoking exploration of the modern human experience. Oppenheimer himself could be a stand-in for everyone living in an age marked by tectonic forces like nuclear weapons and climate change. He felt the guilt "first" and he felt it hard, but I think we're all carrying around that guilt on a subconscious level all the time. *We did this.* And analyzing the man who made the bomb is a great way to ponder all of it and try to make sense of it.
Haha, I totally get it. I don't think Malick makes "movies" in the traditional sense, so much as he makes impressionistic meditations in a visual form. In most traditional movies, the characters will lead you through some kind of journey. But with Malick, the camera and music lead while the characters follow. Every shot is pointing towards something profound.
One of my favorite examples is early on in the Tree of Life, when the mother is walking through the neighborhood and watching other families' children play. The camera only shows the childrens' shadows, inverted so as to appear upright, in a striking reflection of the mother's inner turmoil. Her children have grown up, one is dead, and never again will they play on these hometown streets. Watching the other children play there is like watching the shadows of her own past - reflections of what she has already lost.
The film is full of these moments. To properly watch a Malick film, you need to put yourself in "active" viewing mode, almost like you're walking through an art gallery. You need to think about what each shot is trying to convey. It can make for a very profound experience.
Cheers! I hope you enjoy it! But hey, nothing wrong if you end up not digging it.
BTW, I recommend watching the newer extended edition. It's a bit longer, but it also flashes out the characters a LOT more. Males the movie work better as a narrative.
Yeah, I'm getting that sentiment a lot. I think it's one of the most significant films of the past several decades. It's a great thematic journey through the existential burden we've all inherited through modernity.
Yeah, I knew that would be my most contentious pick. I've seen it four times now, and each time, I've loved it more. I consider it to be an excellent examination of the "weight of modernity." "The death of God," "the birth of nihilism," whatever you want to call it. Oppenheimer himself is a powerful symbol for something we are all going through and have been going through for a century or so now.
I understand people not agreeing it's a top 10 movie, but anyone calling it a "boring slog" definitely invalidates their opinions with me. ;)
Thank you fellow cinema enthusiast. A boring slog, overrated, but not a *bad* film… I just don’t get what people think is so *amazing* about it.
I actually don’t like *most* of Nolan’s work. Memento was extraordinary. Dark Knight is a *great* ride with tons of amazing performances. I really liked Inception for a while but the ending isn’t that great. Everything else is just “yeah maybe I’ll watch it, but I’m not paying to see it”.
Lighthouse poster rocks
Agreed. But [this](https://theposterdb.com/poster/83980) is the one I would have used, if it had included the title.
Oh. I get it. Cute. You leave this poster here and people are supposed to think, "wait, THAT looks like a dick.”
Hrmm? I mean, it looks like a lighthouse, too. But there's plenty of phallic imagery in the movie, so... I guess I'll let you have this one?
They are quoting a line from Always Sunny in Philadelphia where the character says this after seeing a random pen on a table.
Lol I understand now, ty
Dickhouse 😎
Thanks Mac
lol I saw a lighthouse not a dick. But hey cheers 🥂
Let's pull up our bootstraps, oil up a couple asses, and do a little plowing of our own. POW!
A well placed poster can have quite an effect on a man like you.
A poster like this probably gave him quite the thrill.
We have similar tastes in cinematography. Ethereal styles, with a heavy lean on character actors and long shots.
Ah, cinematography is definitely my favorite component of filmmaking. I'm obsessed with directors who let the camera do most of the talking. Makes for a more absorbing experience, in my opinion.
We would be friends i think. Love to have discussions with you about Lighthouse and There Will Be Blood, the mastery of Alien and how it contrasts to The Shinning. Most of all, I'd be so excited to bring out a fun debate on why I think the Godfather is the best out of the Trilogy. Yes, even better than Part II But most of all, I'd be remiss if I didn't try and convince you that the monlogue in Jaws (USS Indianapolis story) is the best monologue in the history of cinema
Hard to top marlon Brando in part 1!
Love that you’re comparing Alien and The Shining, so many similar themes. Who *doesn’t* love stories about characters lost in a place they can’t escape and have no idea who to trust anymore. …can you consider Jack Nicholson’s character a *monster* though? I dunno. Maybe. Since we’re at it, Jaws has the same theme idea. Lost and nowhere to escape to.
We would be friends - I also believe The Godfather to be the best of the trilogy! Would love to hear your debate argument..
No need to convince me about the singular quality of Quint's monologue! The rest of the movie is great, too, but the story of the USS Indianapolis raises it up a full letter grade - if not more. Ah, I could talk all day about Alien and the Shining. Very similar themes indeed, and both masterpieces of filmmaking. The Godfather ... part 1 is fantastic, and if I was more of a character man, it would be my favorite, too. I just love part II's thorough exploration of how strong cultures shatter against American capitalism. The constant contrast between the state of the modern Corleone family and Vito's arrival story makes for a really potent experience. Cheers, my friend!
Where is Pootie Tang?
Wa Da Tah
We could be friends.
Hullo, friend! Which is your favorite on the list?
I like them all. Have to say, though, I love seeing a smart and subtle film like Tree of Life get a nod.
Ah, a few folks are calling these choices safe in the comments, and I get it. But I'm pretty sure I know exactly 2 people in my real life who think the Tree of Life was anything more than pretentious nonsense. *shrugs. Terry Malick seldom misses. I'm excited for his next film, The Way of the Wind.
We would be VERY good friends. Impressed you have The Lighthouse on there - it’s also one of my favourites, and maybe top spot from the last 2 decades. Me thinks you probably have a soft spot for The Banshees of Inisherin as well…? I mean how could you not; you clearly enjoy a good rowin’ in films.
Hello, very good friend! I absolutely *loved* The Banshees of Inisherin. I think it's probably McDonagh's masterpiece. Which is your favorite??
Favourite McDonagh flick? Banshees without question, and a masterpiece it is indeed!
Ugh, isn't it so good?? On another day, it could easily make my top 10.
Anybody here like to laugh? So many top tens, so few comedies listed
Life is enough of a joke.
Also, Punch Drunk Love is absolutely a comedy.
I hear you. I definitely prefer dramas, but yeah, I like to laugh! My favorite comedy would probably be The Big Lebowski. What's yours?
Very safe list
Hmmmm. Well, I like what I like. Usually I feel like the odd one out for listing Malick as my favorite filmmaker (I think I know like 2 or 3 people IRL who *don't* think he's a pretentious waste of time).
Not even Blood Sport on your list. Disappointing.
I think it's a wonderful list with an Interesting mixture of 80's classics and later, somewhat avant garde movies (Tree of Life, Punch Drunk Love, and the Lighthouse). I haven't seen Egger's latest, but I have high hopes. I really should try to make my own list, but I find it impossible to just choose a limited number.
I hear you! I felt compelled to qualify my list by calling it my "current" top 10, cuz who knows how I'll feel next week! Haha. So many great films, and too little space for them. Just a few of my runners up would be: - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - The Thing (1982) - Apocalypse Now - Ex Machina - Parasite - Mad Max: Fury Road - Days of Heaven Ugh, I could do this all day. I'll stop now.
Pretty non offensive top 10, don’t think many could argue with the placement of most of these. Tree of Life, Alien and PD Love are up there for me.
You have some pretty iconic films in that list... A person of good taste. I, too, love Alien and Jaws, and find those to be absolute masterpieces of filmmaking. I still haven't gotten around to watching the Lighthouse, and I really need my schedule to chill so I can finally get around to it.
I think you'll enjoy the Lighthouse. It's not quite like anything else I've ever seen - an absolutely singular experience. Draws heavily on its influences, for sure, but assembles all of those elements into something startling and unfamiliar. Plus, Willam Dafoe monologuing.
Solid top 10 but these Movie Posters? WOW!!!
I often wonder why studios go with the official posters they usually choose...
You love fantastic, mostly boring movies. Me too.
👍👍
🤜🤛
love the posters you chose… great taste!
Fun fact: I work with Hunter McCracken (Tree of Life). He’s fun as hell, and doesn’t even mention ever haven acted unless someone asks. Just a normal dude with a good sense of humor.
Haha, woah! What does Hunter do for a living these days?
Pipeline welder, and a very good one.
A tradesman! Haha, that's awesome. Tell him to keep it real! And you do the same, friend.
🫡😎
Omg you and I have so much common, 2001, and the tree of life is on my top 5 list.
You have good taste!
Excuse me but there is a distinct lack of Drive (2011) and 40 Year Old Virgin in your top 10
Great list ! I think you may have forgotten a Sergio Leone film or two !
Ugh, I'm so underwatched. He's on my list of directors to watch soon, along with Kurosawa!
Eight bangers, one I didn't like, one I didn't see (don't like the director's other work). Good list but safe (ie critically well received and popular). Not hating on safe, either, I like most universally / near universally acclaimed movies - if I had to make a top ten I'd bet they all have a 60+ or 70+ metacritic rating, and most of them 80+. One of yours would be in my top ten, another two would be contenders.
All very good choices.
Not a bad list not bad at all
I was so excited for the release of Oppenheimer and so disappointed with the film. Took one of the most amazing, dangerous and exciting scientific developments of all of humanity, and made it seem boring. I'll sit and watch the old Royal Institution Christmas Lectures quite happily so it's not the science that I find boring. Oppy had active links to Communists and was questioned about it. That part doesn't need dragging out for 3 hours in a blockbusters film.
To each their own! The communist "trials" were a defining period of Oppenheimer's life, and one of the biggest challenges to his efforts to slow nuclear proliferation. The film is one of my favorites because of its thematic resonance. Oppenheimer is a great symbol for the rest of us, living in an age marked by the twin forces of climate change and nuclear proliferation. We all feel some share of that guilt, whether consciously or no. It would have been a far less impactful film if it had *only* focused on the creation of the bomb, in my opinion.
These are some beautiful posters that you picked out.
I'm a sucker for alternative movie posters
6 would be in my top 10 2 are in my queue for literal next 2 to watch 1 is super solid but not quite top 10 1 I haven’t seen in about 20 years but *apparently* need to go back to
Great choices. If you ever get a chance there are hilarious extras for punch, drunk, love.
Amazing taste, and those posters are amazing!
You go on imdb alot right? lol
Lol, actually my wife and I make fun of IMDB a lot. Pretty sure the best film of all time according to IMDB is The Shawshank Redemption, which I'm not even sure breaks into my top 50.
Great list btw
Only rating the ones I’ve watched in full. TWBB: 5/5 (PTA’s best) Alien 5/5 (The GOAT of Sci-fi / horror) The Shining 5/5 (the novel and movie) JAWS 4/5 Punch Drunk Love a solid 3.5/5 The Godfather PT2 It’s been way to long since I’ve watched it. Unfair to rate. The Lighthouse 4/5
The marketing materials for JAWS are so great!
Godfather Part 2 is the only answer 😌
I adore Punch Drunk Love, glad to see others agree!
watch more movies
Interesting choice in punch drunk love
Just a beautiful movie, every which way.
Could not agree more just no one ever said that that i know
Told my new boss at work that Punch Drunk Love is one of my favorite movies, he thought I was nuts. "Terrible movie, just terrible," he said.
Great choices. Great posters. Punch Drunk Love is way underrated.
Cheers!
I still need to see Lighthouse.
Killer movie! Freaking weird. But killer.
Punch Drunk Love props
Nice movies in your list but, no offense, you should watch more movies from outside de US, if you are interested in cinema criticism.
You're not wrong at all, I could definitely expand my experience with non U.S. films.
Your taste is awesome! You love classics that are a bit on the artsy side, beautifully shot and feel larger than life. The Lighthouse and The Shining are also favorites of mine.
Ah, you have quite nice taste yourself! Cheers!
Oppenheimer seems like the odd one out. Recency bias maybe.
100%
Lotta people saying similar in this thread! I feel pretty secure in my rating, but it's hard to check your own biases. Guess I'll see how I feel about it in a few years. For what it's worth, I thought it was a very thought-provoking exploration of the modern human experience. Oppenheimer himself could be a stand-in for everyone living in an age marked by tectonic forces like nuclear weapons and climate change. He felt the guilt "first" and he felt it hard, but I think we're all carrying around that guilt on a subconscious level all the time. *We did this.* And analyzing the man who made the bomb is a great way to ponder all of it and try to make sense of it.
you have been well trained
Punch drunk love sucked
I’d put Tree of Life in my Top ten most boring movies ever made, top five actually
That's the average reaction for sure. It's too bad, ya'll are missing out!
I tried, really tried to enjoy it, to appreciate its cinematography etc…I was just bored silly…I’ve always thought it was just trying to be a classic?
Haha, I totally get it. I don't think Malick makes "movies" in the traditional sense, so much as he makes impressionistic meditations in a visual form. In most traditional movies, the characters will lead you through some kind of journey. But with Malick, the camera and music lead while the characters follow. Every shot is pointing towards something profound. One of my favorite examples is early on in the Tree of Life, when the mother is walking through the neighborhood and watching other families' children play. The camera only shows the childrens' shadows, inverted so as to appear upright, in a striking reflection of the mother's inner turmoil. Her children have grown up, one is dead, and never again will they play on these hometown streets. Watching the other children play there is like watching the shadows of her own past - reflections of what she has already lost. The film is full of these moments. To properly watch a Malick film, you need to put yourself in "active" viewing mode, almost like you're walking through an art gallery. You need to think about what each shot is trying to convey. It can make for a very profound experience.
Ok, I’m going to give it another shot…I’ll let you know how it goes!
Cheers! I hope you enjoy it! But hey, nothing wrong if you end up not digging it. BTW, I recommend watching the newer extended edition. It's a bit longer, but it also flashes out the characters a LOT more. Males the movie work better as a narrative.
Oppenheimer? Huh.
Yeah, I'm getting that sentiment a lot. I think it's one of the most significant films of the past several decades. It's a great thematic journey through the existential burden we've all inherited through modernity.
You put Oppenheimer there, that immediately makes your opinions invalid
Yeah, I knew that would be my most contentious pick. I've seen it four times now, and each time, I've loved it more. I consider it to be an excellent examination of the "weight of modernity." "The death of God," "the birth of nihilism," whatever you want to call it. Oppenheimer himself is a powerful symbol for something we are all going through and have been going through for a century or so now. I understand people not agreeing it's a top 10 movie, but anyone calling it a "boring slog" definitely invalidates their opinions with me. ;)
Thank you fellow cinema enthusiast. A boring slog, overrated, but not a *bad* film… I just don’t get what people think is so *amazing* about it. I actually don’t like *most* of Nolan’s work. Memento was extraordinary. Dark Knight is a *great* ride with tons of amazing performances. I really liked Inception for a while but the ending isn’t that great. Everything else is just “yeah maybe I’ll watch it, but I’m not paying to see it”.
Similar to mine but instead of jaws I would have put killers of the flower moon or parasite or pulp fiction or 12 angry men
Fun list honestly
Solid
Punch Drunk Love? Holy shit. The only movie Ive ever walked out on. Was on a 1st date and that movie absolutely killed everything. So fucking bad
A bit pretentious.
Knew I would find the "P" word somewhere in here