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Nice! Good to see a fellow fan! It’s definitely hard for me to rank his films since I love most of them! Looking forward to the last two I have coming next. Fincher may be as high as a Top 5 director for me personally at this point.
Pity. It impacted me greatly. But we each have our own tastes.
David Fincher Ranking:
1. Zodiac
2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
3. Seven
4. The Game
5. Fight Club
6. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
7. The Social Network
8. Panic Room
9. Alien 3
Duck, You Sucker! (1971)
My sixth movie of the year and fourth of Sergio Leone's movies. Only Once Upon a Time in America left to watch.
Love A Fistful of Dynamite, as it's known.
A big sprawling epic of a film, with some good laughs, most unintentional, (and usually to do with dodgy accents!) Wonderful score of course from the legend that is Ennio Morricone (who is coming here to Ireland in February. Wish I had ticket!!)
Cool poster too.
I love your ranking. It's not mine, but I'm intrigued by it. I'm curious to see where you will position Gone Girl.
Any interest in doing a Kubrick, Nolan, Mann retrospective next?
Thank you! I have done Kubrick and Nolan before. Never Mann though! I’d definitely be interested. Here are those other rankings I’ve got:
Stanley Kubrick Ranking:
1. The Shining
2. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
3. Paths of Glory
4. A Clockwork Orange
5. Barry Lyndon
6. 2001: A Space Odyssey
7. Eyes Wide Shut
8. The Killing
9. Spartacus
10. Full Metal Jacket
11. Lolita
12. Killer’s Kiss
13. Fear and Desire
Christopher Nolan Ranking:
1. The Dark Knight
2. Batman Begins
3. The Prestige
4. Dunkirk
5. The Dark Knight Rises
6. Memento
7. Interstellar
8. Inception
9. Insomnia
10. Following
I love both of your number three choices there, sir. Not enough people have watched POG and few people I know would rank The Prestige that high.
I'm not pleased that you have put 2001 anywhere else than in the number one spot, but then again, I am a 2001 supergeek so I won't judge. ;-)
You should definitely consider a Mann retrospective. I'd love to read your comments on his films.
Paths of Glory and The Prestige both don’t get enough attention among Kubrick and Nolan’s works IMO. Each is superb on every level. I do enjoy 2001 a lot, but just a tad less than my Top 5. I know it’s unorthodox to have that one anywhere outside the Top 3. I will look into Mann at some point.
His other films like SE7EN, THE GAME, and ZODIAC I felt were overrated.
I though Panic Room was really good and Hitchcockian, but I have to disagree about the other films. Love them all.
Agreed, I love all four of these. It's tough to pick a favorite, but I'd say Panic Room comes in last out of these aforementioned titles.
He's one of my all time favourite directors and it's only Panic Room and Curious Case of Benjamin Button that I don't have much time for.
1.Zodiac
2. Se7en
3. Social Network
4. Fight Club
5. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
6. The Game
7. Alien 3 (Assembley Cut)
8. Gone Girl
9. Panic Room
10. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Se7en
Fight Club
Panic Room
Zodiac
The rest are interchangeable.
The Great Beauty (2013)
This was my third or fourth viewing of the film, and it never fails to wow me with its beauty. Give Paolo Sorrentino a camera in Italy and I'll watch whatever he's shooting. Fantastic stuff.
A Star Is Born (2018)
I'm ashamed to say that I've never seen a version of this movie before, and this is, what, the third time it's been remade? Either way, I thought Cooper brought a lot to the table with his directing, and he, Lady Gaga, and Sam Elliot were all brilliant in it; a touching and depressing feature all in one.
They Shall Not Grow Old
Really not much more to say about this incredible documentary that hasn't been said already, but wow, what a powerhouse this was. The moment the color restoration bleeds into the B&W footage and you see a few of the soldiers smile as they realize they're being filmed? Chills. This is a must-see, whether you're a history buff or not.
The Virgin Suicides
Sofia Coppola's directorial feature length debut is a humanistic tale of love and loss, with a lot of great actors (both established and first starting out) mixed in with a lot of chemistry. The emotional fates of those involved may be telegraphed from the title and the opening moments of the film itself, but it still has a lot to say while saying so little, too.
Stalker (1979)
My introduction to Andrei Tarkosvky. I was warned a few times that I'd have to be in the right mindset for this one, but honestly, I was a bit surprised how quickly I flew through it, how much I enjoyed it, and how attentive I was. It's a real stripped back yet bizarre sci-fi, that deals in lots of philosophical themes and questions of the supernatural. I have to say the real strengths lie in the acting and the camerawork - some of those scenes are quite emotional and required the main three to be on their A-game, and boy, do they sell it. As for the camerawork and cinematography, it just felt so tight, leaving no room for error or misinterpretation; Tarkovsky wants you to see exactly what he wants you to see, leaving you feeling lost or "spaced out" in a sense with some particular scenes. Fantastic stuff, I can't wait to see more from him. I think my next title of his might be Solaris, which also looks phenomenal.
12 Angry Men (1957)
I can't count how many times I've seen this, but it never fails to be increasingly tense and engaging, watching Henry Fonda's character, with real conviction, convince his 11 counterparts that the boy on trial is innocent, revealing their prejudices and bias along the way. One of my all time favorites.
Some Like It Hot (1959)
I hadn't seen this one in ages, so it was nearly akin to watching it for the very first time. It's another one of those movies that I KNOW is good, but I forget just how hilarious and entertaining it is until I finally fire it up once again. Monroe is an absolute lovable beauty as always, and it really doesn't get much funnier than Curtis and Lemmon dealing with the situation they're in. One of the best comedies ever, I'd say.
Good Morning (1959)
Yet another director introduction for me, this time into the world of Yasujiro Ozu. It took me way too damn long to finally settle on which film of his I should start with, and it seemed the consensus rested on this one, so I took a chance on it and wow, this film was simply, refreshingly fun and funny and joyous and entertaining. I'm not sure the last time I saw a film so stripped back and enjoyable, with the central conflict being so civilian. I had a really great time with this one; can't wait to see it again, and I also can't wait to see more of his work. I'm thinking I'll try out Tokyo Story next, since I've had my eye on it for quite some time.
David Fincher Ranking:
1. Zodiac
2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
3. Seven
4. The Game
5. Fight Club
6. Gone Girl
7. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
8. The Social Network
9. Panic Room
10. Alien 3
I highly encourage it! It was an absolute blast. The guy sure knows how to make great movies. Loved almost all of them. May even be my third favorite director now, after Spielberg and Kubrick.
Great selection there!
Hope you like Tokyo Story. It might be a bit slow, but i consider it one of the best films ever made.
Raise the Red Lantern (1991)
Wow! I've heard praise for this movie, but i didn't expect it to be this good. It's been a while since i've seen a movie on this level. Stunning film.
Children of Paradise (1945)
Yet another film that just blew me away. Made during the German occupation of France during World War II, and Set against the Parisian theatre scene of the 1820s and 1830. This film follows four men in love with a beautiful woman. In its american trailer upon release it was described as the French answer to Gone With the Wind. I wouldn't quite put in on that level, but still.
François Truffaut has been quoted saying: "I would give up all my films to have directed Children of Paradise".
Lastly it has also been voted as the "Best Film Ever" in a poll of 600 French critics and professionals in 1995. Sure they might be biased, but this is a very good film indeed.
The Postman (1994)
Sweet film starring non other then "Cigar Girl" from The World is Not Enough. It tells the story of a postman which falls in love with a woman played by Maria Grazia Cucinotta (Cigar Girl), guided by the help of a famous poet he seeks to marry her. Might be a little bit slow for some.
I went to see this french war/revenge film set in 1945, in the backdrop of the final months of World War 2 and the ensuing chaos of Asia in the first few months once the war had ended. Lieutenant Robert Tassen (played by Gaspard Ulliel) witnesses his brother, sister-in-law and nephew being brutally tortured and murdered by a local milicia in Indochina. When the same milicia starts dumping entire piles of dismembered bodies of French soldiers in front of the military camp, Tassen decides to have his revenge, by forming a small commando of 10 prisoners of war & his only friend from the French army itself. Things get nasty when they start murdering, torturing and raping their way through the jungle in search for the warlord responsible for the death of Tassen's family. The few moments of tranquility being infrequent meetings with Saintonge, a mysterious & recluse french writer living in the area (played by Gérard Depardieu).
The film is very brutal in both the depiction of WW2 violence, and very grim in the psychology of the characters, all truly lost in the seemingly endless jungle of the Asian front.
I am envious how Crais & Co do deliver these great actioners with a great plot and excellent actors, even the actresses do feel fully integrated into the story.
This movie impressed me in the cinema but even on bluray it remains highly re-watchable and certainly superiour to anything since CR was shown.
Robert Altman's freezing western is brought to life through some wonderful cinematography and an incredible ambiance - you can feel every bit of snow and mud and dirt and grime through the screen, and it all feels even more elevated by the cool-yet-careful performance of Beatty's and the totally in command presence of Christie's Mrs. Miller. I feel like the likes of the Coen brothers and Quentin Tarantino got some ideas for their later films from this one. Highly recommended.
I agree, and to me it tops CR too. Well said, sir, bravo!
The climatic battle at the end is brilliant.
Absolutely. The fake falling snow was initially jarring, but watching each character constantly one up another while McCabe bobbed and weaved his way through the town was very thrilling. It's a rather short appearance, but I also loved seeing a very young Keith Carradine as that traveling cowboy, too.
The last time I remember seeing this film was when I was a kid. I didn’t know who Tom Cruise or Rebecca De Mornay were at the time and I wasn’t familiar with any of the eclectic supporting cast either. I just remember my father changing the channel on me when the sex scene came along and then allowing me to view bits of the film after it was over. I've been meaning to seek it out for some time - most recently on account of an article about Cruise's hair which referenced it, and previously due to the sublime 'Love On A Real Train' being used for the High Rise trailer. Seeing it now all these years later for essentially the first time was quite an experience. It’s dated certainly, but also quite contemporary in some ways. I can see its influence in films since, including perhaps Home Alone, which seems like a kiddie’s version of this. Essentially a teenage coming of age comedy, the film satirically comments on 80’s capitalism and greed. This was made at the height of the Reagan era, a time when ‘management consultants’, MBAs and ‘wall street financiers’ came into their element; a time when ‘hair was big’ and ‘greed was good’. The film, through its premise and characters, shows the impact of peer pressure influence on teenagers and the potential for moral corruption & formation of bad habits. However it does it playfully and in a very engaging manner. Despite its mundane suburban setting, the movie has a dreamy quality to it at times, accentuated by Mornay’s youthful beauty, Tangerine Dream’s transfixing score & the sex scenes, which are filmed tastefully. It was great to hear Collins's now famous 'In The Air Tonight' here as well.
I have read that this is the film which made Tom Cruise a star, and it’s obvious why. He owns the role of naive, buttoned down Joel Goodson, who experiences a fascinating journey about life while his parents are away. Cruise embodies Goodson’s youthful curiosity perfectly. Mornay likewise is brilliant as Lana, a smart, streetwise prostitute. She has a mischievous look in her eyes which makes one constantly wonder what she’ll get up to next. The film is helped along by a wonderful & charismatic supporting cast which includes Joe Pantoliano, Curtis Armstrong (Burt Viola from Moonlighting), Bronson Pinchot (Balki from Perfect Strangers), Raphael Sbarge, Shera Danese (I think she was married to Peter Falk and appeared in a lot of 70s Columbo episodes), Nicholas Pryor & Richard Masur. Recommended.