Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by RGA (R) on December 25, 2022 at 00:38:01

In Reply to: RE: Short list of movies I would put in top 100 posted by geoffkait on December 23, 2022 at 08:16:52

This is why I rarely criticize musicians because it takes guts to put yourself out there for others.

Take any musician who "covers" a classic song. They open themselves up to the immediate "the original was better, you suck" comments.

Same for movies - a great comedy or horror vs a drama tends to lose to the drama - but if you ask most any actor - comedy is the toughest thing to "act."

With films, many are meant to be artistic and rely heavily on visual appeal and fancy camera work. I come more from a literary and Plato-inspired theatre background so I generally prefer character, theme, and plot over spectacle.

So for films - cinematography, camera shots/angles/lenses fall into Plato's least important elements (spectacle). This is not to say I don't appreciate them - but they rarely make a movie for me.

I also have trouble with almost any film before about 1970 - largely because the acting is so stilted and silly by today's standards. The woman who screams with a hand to her forehead - "oh nooooooo" when there is a murder - I almost laugh.

But for older forumers on here perhaps in their late 60s - they grew up with that - that's how movies were made. There were rules about kissing on screen too - one foot had to be on the ground etc. But with my more modern eyes, it's really difficult to not find all of it rather ridiculous and it takes me out of the film. Same with any music with doo-wop shebop da do ron rons in it.

I mean I liked "Some Like it Hot" but it really doesn't hold up for me anymore - I suspect it is listed more because it was a Marilyn Monroe Vehicle - one of the few if only good actual movies she was in. A top 100 film of all time?

And that's fine - Nostalgia is something we all possess for something. I love Tom Baker's Doctor Who - I grew up with it - it was great for my 9 year old self - and I can still watch them now - but I would totally understand anyone today looking at those and laughing at the special effects and wobbly sets and creature designs - oh my.

The most recent film that would make my top 100 all-time would be Jojo Rabbit, Drive My Car, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and maybe Titane.

From your list - I always felt like Casino was underrated. For me, I would have Goodfellas (definitely in my top 100) over Casino but I liked Casino.

I'd probably prefer separating genres like top 25 comedy/romance/musical, Top 25 Horror/Science Fiction, top 25 Action/Adventure, top 25 Drama/Biography/Documentary.

I love Planes, Trains, and Automobiles or My Cousin Vinny - they probably don't make a top 100 but they would be a top 25 comedy - ditto for The Thing or the 1978 Dawn of the Dead. These could make my top horror/sci-fi list.