Before moving onto Number 18 on our list, I thought it was important to stop briefly and make a few points that have occurred to me as I’ve been writing. It’s one thing to list your favorite movies, it’s another thing entirely to spend time with them and really reflect on them. This process has been as new to me as it has been to you, Dear Reader, and I hope you’ll bear with my growing pains. Anyway, a couple of tidbits for your information before we proceed…
-Some movies have been omitted on purpose. It’s sad but true that there are a lot of films that deserve a place here and don’t get it due to external considerations, the most frequent being market saturation. Put more bluntly: obvious choices get left off. I wish that wasn’t true, Dear Reader, but at the end of the day, it’s simply not in my nature to afford the same love and admiration towards a piece of art that requires no defending. I am a lover of the under-appreciated (or what I perceive to be under-appreciated), and this colors my selection. There are several movies which were considered for this list; all of them had made lasting impressions on me, all of them were masterpieces, and yet I couldn’t justify reaffirming them while some poor misunderstood gem goes ignored. This in no way diminishes the validity of each movie’s position here, it’s not some kind of handicap that invalidates the ranking, it just means that I am usually biased towards movies that don’t get their due. Some examples of the victims of this system are:
-The Godfather (Parts I and II). I adore these movies passionately, but who in the hell doesn’t? Their craft and mastery left me speechless when I first witnessed them, and they are films of the highest order, but their unilateral popularity gets in the way of me embracing them in my heart. Sad but true.
-Jaws. As a lover of sharks, I have some inner turmoil about loving the movie that damned the great white shark to near-extinction, but I can’t resist its three dimensional characters and old-school thrills. It’s a legendary movie, deserving of the highest regard, and it made a huge impact on me as a person. But it never really feels like mine.
-Anything Tarantino. I am a vigorous lover of “Kill Bill” and “Pulp Fiction,” and I’ve at least admired every other movie the man has made, but something about his reputation makes me distant from his work. With time, as they get less popular, you may see me change my tune. I’m just weird like that.
-Taxi Driver. Few movies have ever sent me so far over the edge, and few have ever left me with so many images and thoughts later on. Few endings have caught me more by surprise while still making sense. I think “Taxi Driver” is the most compelling portrait of urban paranoia ever conceived.
-Newcomers. There are also a lot of films that got left off because they simply haven’t done their time yet. I made an exception for the relatively new “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance,” but by and large I don’t let a movie enter this list until it draws me back to the well over the course of years. There are many movies I suspect will find their way onto this list in the future, but are simply not there yet as a matter of procedure. Here are a few of them:
-The Great Escape. I am sad to say I saw this only recently, but my reaction was immediate and profound. The film’s melding of carefree joy (note its famous main theme) and heartbreaking tragedy strikes me as a profound comment on the essential dichotomies of life. And Steve McQueen riding a motorcycle is just awesome. Expect this movie to become a member of the club in a year’s time. For the moment, though, I don’t know it quite well enough yet.
-36th Chamber of Shaolin. This one breaks my heart. I bought this on a recommendation and adored it, and I really wanted kung-fu represented on my list, but I simply haven’t given the movie enough time yet. It’s one of the greatest adventure flicks I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching, and nothing will sway me from its inclusion in the future, but for now the relationship is still growing.
-Nosferatu. This movie rocks my world—and frankly is still creepier than any other vampire movie—but again, I haven’t watched it enough.
-Miller’s Crossing. There is not a whole hell of a lot of Coen Brothers on my Top 25, which I admit confuses me, because they are among my favorite directors. It must be that their entire body of work is more important to me than any one film, but I’m still a little unnerved. I recently helped myself to a second viewing of “Miller’s Crossing” and discovered it was one of those movies that is actually better the second time you watch it, so I’m pretty sure this is going to be a thing in the future. For now, I’m in no hurry.
-Barton Fink. Same film makers as “Crossing,” same story. Give it time.
-High Fidelity. A movie that hits upon my personality almost exactly, so I’ve never understood why my relationship with it isn’t stronger. I think I’m going to buy it and see what multiple viewings does for me.
-The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. I need more documentaries on this list. I actually love documentaries, I don’t know why they have so little presence here, but I do admit that I spend relatively little time investigating them. “The King of Kong,” a remarkable character piece about a gaming sub-culture, is as good a piece of entertainment as has ever been constructed. It’s a masterpiece. My hesitation is on two fronts: for one thing, I suspect I’m using it as a placeholder until someone (maybe me) makes the movie about gaming culture. Secondly, I’ve only seen it twice, and that just does not cut it.
It feels good to get that off of my chest. Expect number 18 to follow shortly.
After you go through your list of 25 favorites it would be interesting to see your list of the 25 “best”.
Killer whales are the cause of the near-extinction of Great Whites, not Jaws.
I hate you.