Another Top 20...

[jumpingjackflash]

Since everyone else has one I thought I may as well bear my soul for all to see. I tried but just couldn't bring myself to put them in any kind of order so I've just done it alphabetically.

Barry Lyndon (Kubrick, 1975)

The Bird People in China (Miike, 1998)

Brazil (Gilliam, 1985)

Breathless (Godard, 1960)

Celine and Julie Go Boating (Rivette, 1974)

Chungking Express (Wong, 1994)

Crazed Fruit (Nakahira, 1956)

Down By Law (Jarmusch, 1986)

Eight and a Half (Fellini, 1963)

Floating Weeds (Ozu, 1959)

Galaxy Express 999 (Rintaro, 1979)

Kill Bill: Vol.1 (Tarantino, 2003)

Lost in Translation (S.Coppola, 2003)

My Neighbour Totoro (Miyazaki, 1988)

Nightmare Alley (Goulding, 1947)

Rushmore (Anderson, 1998)

Satantango (Tarr, 1994)

Stardust Memories (Allen, 1980)

Symbiopsychotaxiplasm (Greaves, 1968)

Touch of Evil (Welles, 1958)

[Nomansvally]

Hey

I really like your list, you got a wide specter of film types presented which means you're an open film spectator. Both Barry Lyndon and Down By Law are featured in my list too. I just dig Lyndon's beauty and it's a film that isn't boring at all. Artistically = Great great! Down By Law got so much brilliance and style; it's strong, funny, hip, weird, great and sad. Tom Waits is my favorite and I'm a fan of his music as well.

8 1/2, Chunking Express, Stardust Memories, Touch of Evil, Breathless and Brazil are nevertheless all masterpieces!

I'm particularly interested in Celine and Julie Go Boating. I've partly decided to blind-buy it... But could you convince me? How is the film? Is is worth investment? Actually the same thoughts circulate Satantango. Heard that it's a masterpiece of cinema and very Tarkovsky like in style. I think I might give Bela Tarr a try with this one.... Then again I'm insecure...

[jumpingjackflash]

Celine and Julie and Satantango are both films famous (or infamous) for their length. This is where the similarities end however. Celine and Julie is long but not in the Tarkovsky, Tarr sense. It is very playful and imaginative. Rivette is a director like no other, totally different from his contempories of the French new wave. Its very difficult to summerise his films and words can do no real justice to his films. Celine and Julie is fun and brimming with originality in the same way as say Annie Hall or F for Fake.

Tarr is the polar opposite to Rivette. I'm sure you've heard about how controlled and constructed his films are. The length and number of his shots are meticulously thought out. I try not to look too deeply into these things, I think they might ruin my enjoyment of the film. The sheer power and beauty of the images Tarr depicts is dizzying. The epic length of Satantango only stengthens this feeling.

I assure you both films are worth your time. You will fall in love with at least one of them.

[blackmoses]

Glad to see Kill Bill!

[criterionmaster]

I will go in order:

Barry Lyndon is one of the most visually stunning films I have ever seen. Every second of it is just beauty, and I agree with nomansvally, I don't find the film boring in the slightest bit. It isn't my favorite Kubrick film though, but I could see how someone could like it the most. What other Kubrick's have you seen?

Never been a Miike fan, in fact I hated the two films I have seen from him, Ichi and Audition. What is Bird People in China like? Do you think, based on what I have seen from this man, that I would like it?

Brazil is wearing off of me. I mean I still LOVE the film, but I think I need to re-watch it again in order to fall in love with it again.

Breathless is my favorite Godard, so great choice with that one. It is just so perfect, and I think it is Godard at his best as well. So much fun to watch, I really can't wait for a Criterion release.

Celine and Julie Go Boating has been on my must-see list forever now, I NEED to see it. And now that you reminded me of the film, I am going to try and see it very soon. Do you know if it is out on DVD?

Chungking Express is so much fun and so wonderfully shot and acted. The use(s) of "California Dreamin'" makes the film just that much better (since I already loved the song so much). Wai is someone I want to see more films from.

I love Suzuki after having seen Branded to Kill and the masterpiece, Tokyo Drifter. Is Crazed Fruit anything like those two films?

Not HUGE on Jarmusch, but liked Broken Flowers and have heard AMAZING things on Down by Law, so I will check it out soon. I hope I am not disappointed.

8½ is on my list as well, just one of the examples of cinema at its best. So beautiful, and stuffed with some of the best imagery ever captured. I mean look at the opening and ending, with him stuck in the car at the beginning, and that huge "routine" at the end. Such a masterpiece.

Floating Weeds is something I really need to see, don't kill yourself when I say this, but I haven't seen any Ozu. Yeah, I need to get on that one. Do you think this is a good place to start? And have you seen the original?

I haven't ever heard of Galaxy Express 999, what is it about?

Finally, someone on here who has Kill Bill on their list! That is such an excellent film, so much fun and just reminds me of how to have fun while watching a movie. I am guessing you like this better than Pulp Fiction? I guess I can see that, kinda.

I really didn't like Lost in Translation at first, it felt so forced and trying to be quirky, upon re-watch I almost killed myself how good it was. I totally missed the point of everything in that film and now I look at it as one of the best films in recent years. Sofia is awesome. Have you seen either of her two other films, Marie Antoinette or Virgin Suicides?

Miyazaki is the man, I look forward to Totoro. I have heard many favorable things about it.

I think I blindly put Nightmare Alley into my Netflix queue a while ago based on the fact that it was a Masters of Cinema release. I am happy to hear that it is actually good. I know nothing about it though, what are your thoughts on it?

Rushmore is a masterpiece and easily one of my favorite comedies. Wes Anderson at his best and most funny. The soundtrack is one of the greatest I have ever heard and Bill Murray is side-splittingly funny.

Satantango has been on my "I will kill everyone to see this film" list for so long now. I even downloaded "part one" and watched a little bit and realized I need to wait for the DVD, which has been pushed back, UGH! I love Werckmeister Harmonies so much. Have you seen that?

Stardust Memories is very good Woody, but not my favorite. I want to re-watch it before I rank it, but I remember it being really great.

I had never heard of Symbiopsychotaxiplasm before Criterion decided to release it, after hearing about it I have decided I really need to see it. I will probably rent it sometime soon.

I have heard great things about Touch of Evil, and I like Welles, so I will check it out.

Overall a fantastic list, thanks for posting it.

[jumpingjackflash]

Thanks so much for the detailed reply. You have inspired me to elaborate on my choices a little.

Barry Lyndon wasn't my favourite Kubrick to start with, I was indifferent towards it. However the more I thought about it the better it became. I watched it again and it went up in my Kubrick list, and then watched it again and again. Now it is just about my favourite Kubrick, its the natural lighting, the scenery, the casual charm of Barry. I am a big Kubrick fan and I needed to have one in my list. This was the one that won out. Heres my list:

1. Barry Lyndon
2. The Shining
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey
4. Eyes Wide Shut
5. The Killing
6. Dr. Strangelove
7. Paths of Glory
8. Spartacus
9. A Clockwork Orange
10. Full Metal Jacket
11. Lolita

I am a big Miike fan. However even if you are not, I would recommend Bird People as the film to turn you around. It is nothing like any of his other films. It has zero violence or sex, it is really a nice, gentle fable. Qwirky in a good, Rushmore type way.

Celine and Julie has been released recently by Bfi along with Paris Nous Appartient and both are well worth you're money. Crazed Fruit isn't really like Suzuki. Its a cool film with a unique atmosphere but then again I am a sucker for Japanese film. Floating Weeds is probably not Ozu's recognised best but it is my favourite, so far. I too need to see more Ozu. I have only seen Floating Weeds and Tokyo Story, the later is probably the better starting point.

Galaxy Express 999 is my most obscure choice. It is not on DVD anywhere except it's native Japan. I found it when I was getting into Japanese pop-artist Takashi Murakami. He is one of my favourite living artists and he said this film was a big influence on him. Later on in the week I read this I happened to be in a big Japanese department store in London with a friend who was after some books. I was leafing through the DVD's when I recognised the cover of this DVD. It was Galaxy Express 999, I decided to take a risk and buy it even though it had no English subs. Well, I'm glad I did because I have never seen an animated film so romantic and magical in it's style. I've put it in my top 20 purely based on the art of the film. It really is something else, I can't think of anything that can really compare and this is coming from someone who is not a fan of anime.

Nightmare Alley is just a damn good film noir. Nothing more, nothing less. Satantango already has a very good DVD release on Artficial Eye as does Werckmeister Harmonies. Import rather than wait for the supposedly inferior Facets version. Importing from other regions opens you up to so many different films and really allows you to experience cinema at it's eclectic best, thats how I found Symbiopsychotaxiplasm.

[captainofbeef]

Very good stuff here, Barry Lyndon used to be my favorite Kubrick as well. But it has fallen out of the top spot. Maybe it needs a re-watch. Brazil, Breathless, and Rushmore are all among my top favorites. Also some stuff I really need to see. Overall, this list gets much approval from me!!

[criterionmaster]

jumpingjackflash said:

Thanks so much for the detailed reply. You have inspired me to elaborate on my choices a little.

Barry Lyndon wasn't my favourite Kubrick to start with, I was indifferent towards it. However the more I thought about it the better it became. I watched it again and it went up in my Kubrick list, and then watched it again and again. Now it is just about my favourite Kubrick, its the natural lighting, the scenery, the casual charm of Barry. I am a big Kubrick fan and I needed to have one in my list. This was the one that won out. Heres my list:

1. Barry Lyndon
2. The Shining
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey
4. Eyes Wide Shut
5. The Killing
6. Dr. Strangelove
7. Paths of Glory
8. Spartacus
9. A Clockwork Orange
10. Full Metal Jacket
11. Lolita

I am a big Miike fan. However even if you are not, I would recommend Bird People as the film to turn you around. It is nothing like any of his other films. It has zero violence or sex, it is really a nice, gentle fable. Qwirky in a good, Rushmore type way.

Celine and Julie has been released recently by Bfi along with Paris Nous Appartient and both are well worth you're money. Crazed Fruit isn't really like Suzuki. Its a cool film with a unique atmosphere but then again I am a sucker for Japanese film. Floating Weeds is probably not Ozu's recognised best but it is my favourite, so far. I too need to see more Ozu. I have only seen Floating Weeds and Tokyo Story, the later is probably the better starting point.

Galaxy Express 999 is my most obscure choice. It is not on DVD anywhere except it's native Japan. I found it when I was getting into Japanese pop-artist Takashi Murakami. He is one of my favourite living artists and he said this film was a big influence on him. Later on in the week I read this I happened to be in a big Japanese department store in London with a friend who was after some books. I was leafing through the DVD's when I recognised the cover of this DVD. It was Galaxy Express 999, I decided to take a risk and buy it even though it had no English subs. Well, I'm glad I did because I have never seen an animated film so romantic and magical in it's style. I've put it in my top 20 purely based on the art of the film. It really is something else, I can't think of anything that can really compare and this is coming from someone who is not a fan of anime.

Nightmare Alley is just a damn good film noir. Nothing more, nothing less. Satantango already has a very good DVD release on Artficial Eye as does Werckmeister Harmonies. Import rather than wait for the supposedly inferior Facets version. Importing from other regions opens you up to so many different films and really allows you to experience cinema at it's eclectic best, thats how I found Symbiopsychotaxiplasm.

Your welcome, thanks for posting it.

Actually, I have only seen Barry Lyndon once, and already love it. I do want to re-watch it sometime to see how I react since I have heard of many instances, including yours, where the film has gotten better after repeated viewings.

Wow, crazy list. One of the more original rankings of Kubrick films I have seen actually. So you didn't like Full Metal Jacket, Lolita, or Clockwork Orange? Or are they just below a three rating (the rating you gave Spartacus)?

Sounds good then, I am always turned off by his violence. I mean I love violence normally, but his has no purpose, and tries to get laughter (in Ichi) but wasn't funny at all. I am not huge on Asian horror films either. But since this isn't like his other films maybe I will like it. I will throw it up on my queue then.

Thanks, I will have to look for the DVD then. I am going to try and see all the Suzuki I can, so Crazed Fruit will be somewhere in there. I'll try and start with Tokyo Story then, although I think Floating Weeds is available online. I hope I like Ozu, I have heard him compared to Naruse, and I loved his style, at least in Woman Ascends the Stairs.

Wow, one of your favorite films and you didn't even know what was being said?! That must be an amazing, powerful film. If it ever does get released, or if I ever get a chance to see it, I will make sure to. I am not huge on Anime either, but I do like Miyazaki, and Ghibli films in general. You like him?

I am going to start getting other region DVD's, since I bought a player, starting with MoC releases including: Naruse Box set and Naked Island. Maybe I will just snag the Satantango region two, if it is suppose to be better. Yeah, I try and see all the films possible that I can see, so I try and have an eclectic taste, at least hope I do. As you may or may not be able to tell from my list. Thanks for the reply and the answers to my questions!

[jumpingjackflash]

Yeah my taste in Kubrick is rather mixed up. The only one I didn't like was Lolita, Spartacus, A Clockwork Orange and Full Metal Jacket were OK, Paths of Glory was great and the other six are all masterpieces.

Galaxy Express 999 is a personal choice. I think the way you see films can have a huge bearing on whether a film clicks or not and I think this is the case with this film. I doubt it will ever be released on DVD though. Maybe if Criterion start an animated line. I am a big fan of Miyazaki (hes in my list) and Takahata is one of the most underrated directors alive today, I would recommend My Neighbors the Yamadas to anyone looking for something different.

Glad to hear you are looking at going multi-region. It really is the only way. You guys may have the best DVD company in Criterion but if you start selecting releases from Bfi, Artificial Eye, Tartan, Optimum and MoC then you can really broaden your cinematic pallet.

[criterionmaster]

jumpingjackflash said:

Yeah my taste in Kubrick is rather mixed up. The only one I didn't like was Lolita, Spartacus, A Clockwork Orange and Full Metal Jacket were OK, Paths of Glory was great and the other six are all masterpieces.

Galaxy Express 999 is a personal choice. I think the way you see films can have a huge bearing on whether a film clicks or not and I think this is the case with this film. I doubt it will ever be released on DVD though. Maybe if Criterion start an animated line. I am a big fan of Miyazaki (hes in my list) and Takahata is one of the most underrated directors alive today, I would recommend My Neighbors the Yamadas to anyone looking for something different.

Glad to hear you are looking at going multi-region. It really is the only way. You guys may have the best DVD company in Criterion but if you start selecting releases from Bfi, Artificial Eye, Tartan, Optimum and MoC then you can really broaden your cinematic pallet.

What may I ask was wrong with Lolita? I actually found it to be a big surprise from Kubrick, and really enjoyed it.

Totally forgot Miyazaki was on your list, yeah, he is the master. I have only seen Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, On Your Mark, and Howl's Moving Castle. The first being one of the best films ever made, the rest all being great. I have seen Grave of the Fireflies by Takahata and it is the best animated film I have ever seen. Have you seen it?

Yeah, those companies all look fantastic. I wish Criterion could get some of the titles they release.

[nonfiction]

criterionmaster said:

Sounds good then, I am always turned off by his violence. I mean I love violence normally, but his has no purpose, and tries to get laughter (in Ichi) but wasn't funny at all. I am not huge on Asian horror films either. But since this isn't like his other films maybe I will like it. I will throw it up on my queue then.

It's BY FAR my favourite Miike. There's only one violent scene, I believe, and definitely isn't just thrown in there to incite laugher. I think you might like it if you give it a chance.