On 12/30/2023 4:44 PM, Bill Anderson wrote:
> On 12/23/2023 2:45 PM, moviePig wrote:
>> On 12/23/2023 2:50 PM, Bill Anderson wrote:
>>> moviePig <pwallace@moviepig.com> wrote:
>>>> On 12/23/2023 12:38 AM, Bill Anderson wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Yes, there are a few Eye rollers, but all in all this is a
>>>>> pretty good list.
>>>>>
>>>>> https://www.heraldweekly.com/the-top-100-movies-in-the-history-of-film-part2/35?xcmg=1&_d=m
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
Biggest personal disagreement: INCEPTION
>>>>
>>>> Biggest surprise that somebody thought to include it: UNDER THE
>>>> SKIN
>>>>
>>>> (Yes, it's a good list, fun to breeze through.)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> The list is full of absolutely spot on yes of course totally
>>> agree superb great movies. And then there are the weird ones.
>>> What are they doing there? Maybe I should have a look at some of
>>> them? Maybe I missed something?
>>
>> I don't recall any like that. (Well, I'm not sure I've ever
>> watched SUNRISE end-to-end, usually opting to scratch that itch
>> with NOSFERATU.) But, yes, certainly I'd check out any unseen
>> talkies.
>>
>>
>
> Since you appeared to ask:

Actually, I confess that I read your post too quickly, and somehow
inferred you were talking about movies you hadn't seen (which I thought
odd). I see now that 'weird' meant 'imposturing'...

> Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is a cartoon, a good one in fact,
> but it doesn't belong on a list with Lawrence of Arabia.

You turned me off to this one. (Easily done for a cartoon.)

> The Shawshank Redemption is adored by millions, but not me. I'll
> admit I will always allow myself to enjoy the last 20 minutes or so,
> but still that doesn't make it a great movie.

Every time SHAWSHANK gets praised, I feel a twinge of smug superiority.
The worst kind of "crowd-pleaser".

> Star Wars: Episode V- The Empire Strikes Back: It's good, but the
> first movie was the brilliant one. So why isn't the first movie on
> the list?

Because nobody appreciates that the first one was satire. Maybe not
even George himself.

> Inside Out: Another cartoon, and a rather obscure one. I predict
> it'll soon be forgotten.

Not by me, anyway, as it's a cartoon.

> Whiplash: Not on my radar.

Defensible as brilliant, though its brilliance is what's to enjoy.
Iirc, it made J.K. Simmons even more insufferable.

> Alien and Aliens: Excellent sci-fi but not "great" films.

I enjoyed both of these (dissimilar) films far too much to begrudge them
any superlatives.

> 12 Years a Slave: Haven't seen it but seems too recent to be on a
> list like this.

Political correctness, afaics. More "important" than good.

> Spotlight: good but too recent.

P.C. again, whack-a-priest division. And I take "too recent" to mean
"unlikely to be watched a second time". > Playtime: not on my radar
I think I've seen it. Probably really funny in its original run.

> LA Confidential: Didn't click with me.

I remember the excitement, but from a distance.

> Inception: Great movie? C'mon.

Built on a gimmick, a half-hour one.

> Coco and Wall-E: Nice cartoons but not great.

Tautology. (Well, not really, as I loved IRON GIANT.)

> Under the Skin: loved it, but but does it belong in the canon of
> great movies? C'mon.

It's hard to turn hard sci-fi into a good movie. This one tried.

> The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers: Should be lumped with the
> others which makes me wonder where the rest of this 100 movie list
> is.

The first one bowled over a skeptical, demanding audience. 'Nuff said.

> I agree almost unreservedly with putting all the other films on this
> list, but there must be more to it somewhere. Love it or loathe it,
> GWTW belongs on a list of great movies and so do plenty more that
> don't show up here. At least it's clear the author has eclectic taste
> and a broad appreciation of the good stuff.

I'll choose to imagine the author compiled a first draft of Really Good
Movies, and then let his beer buddies make "just a couple adjustments".

On 2023-12-30 21:44:26 +0000, Bill Anderson said:
>
<snip>
>
> Star Wars: Episode V- The Empire Strikes Back: It's good, but the first
> movie was the brilliant one. So why isn't the first movie on the list?

"Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back" is considered to be
the best movie in the Saga by most people, including the majority of
Star Wars fans.

"Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope" (aka the original "Star Wars"
movie) is often second in the lists, but not always.

Although the original movie was ground-breaking in many ways and
attention-grabbing, it is rather slow (the Vader Obi-Wan lightsabre
battle for example). The Episode V movie has more pace, more story, and
more action. A lot of people put it down to George Lucas not being a
good director, or at least not a good explainer of what he wants (he's
also often not considered a great writer - some of the lines in the
Saga movies are attrocious).