Popcorn, Anyone? My Top 100 Movies Challenge

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100 Best Movies, Film, King Kong, Movies, Nathan Bransford, Nine, Pulp Fiction

Fellow blogger Nathan Bransford recently came up with a list of his favorite 100 movies, and challenged readers to do likewise.  I was intrigued by the idea and couldn’t help making a list just to see what I might come up with.

The list below isn’t necessarily what I consider the BEST movies (best produced, acted, directed, etc,) but they are the ones I remember ENJOYING the most. Ones I wouldn’t mind seeing more than once. Or twice.

I was surprised at what ended up on my list.  Some I never expected to see there weaseled their way in.  While others I fully expected to see were politely rejected.

The movies that did make the list seem to fall in three categories:  edgy, artsy, and feel good.  The best fit all three categories, like True Romance and Wings of Desire.

Even so, Pulp Fiction is top dog on my list, though I’m not sure why.

It’s certainly edgy enough, and some would say artsy, but feel good??

Not unless you see Butch sacrificing freedom for honor and coming back to save Marcellus from the perverts with a samurai sword as “feel good” (it kinda was). Or you see Vincent stabbing Mia in the heart with a needle to save her and then having the incredible good sense to stay loyal to his mobster boss and refrain from seducing his wife as “feel good” (it kinda was). Or you see Jules keeping Hunny Bunny from peeing her pants and getting her and Pumpkin–the young lover-robbers–out of the restaurant before they kill anyone as “feel good” (it really was, wasn’t it?).  And Jules transformation from hit man to the Good Shepherd?  Now wasn’t that something!

But Vincent getting popped on the pot was just too too sad, and the college kid getting his head accidentally blown off when the car goes over a bump–what a bloody bummer!

So you see my dilemma–how can you NOT put Pulp Fiction at the top of the list? Just talking about it makes me want to go twisting down the hall, all Mia-like, and pop it in the DVD player.

Then there’s the 81/2 and Nine rating dilemma.  Which goes higher on the list?  I mean, how can you top Fellini–that winged statue flying through the sky, that luscious scene on the beach, and the circus at the end, for goodness sake!  What’s not to love?

But then there’s Daniel Day Lewis in Nine!  I mean, come on–Daniel Day Lewis! And all those beautiful woman singing and dancing–Fergie on the beach belting it out for the boys, Penelope Cruz pole dancing and slithering down the stairs, and Kate Hudson all dolled up singing “It’s Italia” in this husky sex-kitten voice (who knew she could sing?).

And then there’s the amazing, marvelous Marion Cotillard stripping off her clothes while she flings her heart on the floor for that two-timing fool, begging him to “Take it all!”. (Don’t do it, honey, he’s not worth it!)  Talk about HOT, HOT, HOT!!! (Did I mention Sophia Loren? Nicole Kidman?)

And what to do about all those King Kongs?  Who knew I liked the big hairy lug so much?  But apparently I do, because all three versions of King Kong made my list.

So which gets top billing?  You’d think it would be THE CLASSIC Kong.   And while I do love Faye Wray, Naomi Watts climbed right over her (don’t let all that sweet vulnerability fool you). But even she couldn’t compete with the cheesier produced 1976 version starring bad boy Jeff Bridges and the sultry Jessica Lange–I mean, once again, HOT HOT HOT.

Then there’s the Before Sunrise and Before Sunset duo.  Who knew walking and talking could be so sexy and entertaining?  But how do I rate them?

Putting Sunrise first would seem to  make sense.  I mean, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy were So Damn Cute in the first film, it just about broke your heart. While nine years later when Sunset was filmed, well, did you see those deep furrows on poor Ethan’s face, as Julie so indelicately pointed out? Shudder!

But, OMG, that sweet, funny song Julie sings at the end strumming her little guitar!  I knew poor Ethan was a goner right then and there. And so was I. Age before beauty, I say. Before Sunset gets top billing, no question.

Finally, what do I do with all those other classy foreign films I love so much– Ran, Rashomon, Ikiru, La Dulce Vita, La Strada, Fanny and Alexander, Wild strawberries–how do you rate those?

Well I didn’t.  I clumped them all together somewhere in the top third of the list. Just thinking about which one to put first made my head hurt.  Just throw them in there and get it over! I told myself. And so I did.

But what, you say? Where’s Casablanca?  Gone with the Wind?  All those Hitchcock classics?  Woody Allen, for Pete’s sake?

You can’t tell me Fight Club and Grease beat their films!  Well, sadly, they do.  I’m quite ashamed.  Really.

The truth is, I just never liked Gone with the Wind.  Rhett was all right, but that Scarlett was a bitch!  The whole movie was ruined for me by her whiney voice, pointy chin, meany-eyes, and temper-tantrums.  And Casablanca?  Did you see the ending?? Unbelievable! 

Now I know Hitchcock and Woody should be in there somewhere, but oddly, none of their films rose to the top of mind as being truly memorable.

Yes, there were certain scenes I’ll never forget–the plane chasing the guy in the cornfield, and all those birds!! (terrifying).  And then there’s Woody’s droll face and priceless banter and Diane Keaton, all cute and clueless and helpless looking.  I truly did enjoy them. Didn’t I?

So why are they all melting together in my mind?  Why does a surge of endorphins go dancing through my veins singing “fun fun fun” when I remember Independence Day, for pity’s sake, while the same endorphins just look at each other and shrug when I mention North by Northwest or Annie Hall.

It’s not my fault.  I myself would gladly choose to like the others more, but, alas, it appears I don’t.

So there you have it, my 100 favorite movies, the first third or so in semi-order of preference, with the second third more loosely assessed, and the bottom third, well they just didn’t get as much attention.

I’m sure other movies that didn’t get on the list will be clambering for my attention, and telling me off for leaving them out.  And no doubt, I may have been too hasty in putting this together. By next year, I may have a brand new list. I have no 2012 movies listed here, for instance.  But for now, I’m done. Whew!

What were your favorite all-time movies?  Which would you add to or leave out of my list?

Maybe now I’ll pull together my 100 favorite all-time books!  That should be fun–if it doesn’t make my head spin too much (ah, The Exorcist)!

My Favorite 100 Movies

1. Pulp Fiction
2. True Romance
3. Wings of Desire (original)
4. American Beauty
5. Lord of the Rings
6. The Two Towers
7. Return of the King
8. Nine
9. 8 ½
10. The Gladiator
11. Fargo
12. Before Sunset
13. Before Sunrise
14. The Godfather I
15. The Godfather II
16. Selma and Louise
17. LA Confidential
18. King Kong (1976)
19. King Kong (2005)
20. King Kong (1933)
21. Fight Club
22. Se7en
23. Mystic River
24. An Officer and a Gentleman
25. Boys Don’t Cry
26. In Bruges
27. Crash
28. Ran
29. Rashomon
30. Ikiru
31. Fanny and Alexander
32. Wild Strawberries
33. La Dolce Vita
34. La Strada
35. Love, Actually
36. Silence of the Lambs
37. Training Day
38. The Usual Suspects
39. The Graduate
40. The Big Chill
41. District 9
42. Donnie Darko
43. Dangerous Liaisons
44. Tootsie
45. Mullholland Drive
46. Rebel Without a Cause
47. Wizard of Oz
48. The Big Easy
49. Body Heat
50. A History of Violence
51. A Beautiful Mind
52. Good Will Hunting
53. Risky Business
54. Philadelphia
55. The Crying Game
56. Tree of Life
57. A River Runs Through It
58. Wall Street
59. The Interpreter
60. Dead Man Walking
61. Eastern Promises
62. Star Wars
63. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
64. Seven Samurai
65. The Dark Knight
66. Legend of the Fall
67. Sideways
68. Urban Cowboy
69. Primary Colors
70. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
71. Amadeus
72. The Exorcist
73. The African Queen
74. Dog Day Afternoon
75. Chinatown
76. Serpico
77. Independence day
78. Born on the Fourth of July
79. Top Gun
80. A Few Good Men
81. To Die For
82. When Sally Met Harry
83. Sleepless in Seattle
84. Grease
85. Easy Rider
86. Pretty Women
87. To Kill a Mocking Bird
88. Winters Bone
89. Reservoir Dogs
90. American History X
91. Braveheart
92. Pride and Prejudice (1996)
93. Forrest Gump
94. Bridget’s Jones Diary
95. The Bone Collector
96. Groundhog Day
97. Some Like It Hot
98. Trading Places
99. The Mexican
100. As Good as it Gets