My top 10 movies
March 12th, 2008 at 04:11pm Will Pfeifer
Simone Simon pines for the love she can’t have in CAT PEOPLE.
After much needless (and frankly nerdish) deliberation, I’ve finally narrowed my list of favorite movies down to 10. And, like many of you said, it’s not easy. This list might not have been the same yesterday, and it might not be the same tomorrow, but for his moment, these are my 10 favorite movies. Not, of course, in any order. (That would be damn near impossible!)
1. Goodfellas — Scorsese’s gangster epic is simply one of the most brilliant combinations of script, performance, design, editing and, of course, direction I’ve ever seen.
2. The Apartment — It won a slew of Oscars, and it deserved them. Billy Wilder’s black comedy about love and power in the (then) modern workplace manages to be dark-hearted and heartwarming. And it features a note-perfect, chilling performance by Fred MacMurray.
3. Cat People — A smart, sophisticated horror movie from producer Val Lewton and director Jacques Tourneur that might not be a horror movie at all. It might just be the story of a frightened lonely woman (Simone Simon) with a dark secret.
4. The Manchurian Candidate — Forget that remake of a few years ago. This surreal conspiracy thriller is still startling more than 40 years after its initial release. Angela Lansbury — yes, the nice old lady from “Murder, She Wrote” is perfect as the villain.
5. A Face in the Crowd — Think you know Andy Griffith? Watch this satire of media and politics, where good ol’ Andy plays a power hungry madman, then think again.
6. Sweet Smell of Success — Every line of dialogue in this New York drama is more bitter (and tastier) than the last. The beautiful black-and-white cinematography and stark performances by Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis are just the icing on the cookie (full of arsenic).
7. Dr. Strangelove, Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb — Stanley Kubrick made a lot of great movies, but this comedy about the end of the world is still the best. Who knew George C. Scott — or the death of most of the planet — could be so funny?
8. The Black Cat — Boris and Bela in a strange little dark house movie, where the dark house is a gleaming piece of Bauhaus-inspired architecture and Bela, of all people, is the hero. Full of great twisted touches and inspired character moments. As Bela says, “Superstitious? Perhaps. Baloney? Perhaps not.”
9. The Hudsucker Proxy — It doesn’t get a lot of love, but this is — bar none — my favorite movie from the Coen Brothers. Stunning production design that recreates the 1950s (or at least Hollywood’s version) and wonderfully stylized performances from Tim Robbins, Paul Newman and Jennifer Jason Leigh. I could watch the montage sequence charting the development of the Hula Hoop a thousand times and never get tired of it.
10. Slap Shot — A crude, violent, foul-mouthed sports movie, yes, but a great one, too. Speaking of Paul Newman, he does yeoman duty here, wearing tacky clothes and spouting even tackier dialogue. Like many 1970s movies, the laughs barely conceal the drama and desperation lurking just under the surface.
Runners up: Fight Club, Rushmore, Brazil, The Fountainhead, King Kong (the original), Used Cars, American Movie, Videodrome, Zelig and Night of the Hunter — any of which might have made the leap to the top 10 on another day.
Any comments? Any more lists? This topic got a great response, so I’d like to keep it going indefinitely. Feel free to add yours to this post or the previous one, and we can continue to discuss what makes a great movie.
Entry Filed under: favorites, Classic movies
16 Comments Add your own
1. Mack Lewis | March 12th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
I’ve seen all but The Black Cat and love them all. I’m also really fond of The Hudsucker Proxy as well. All the pieces fit beautifully in it, especially the music.
2. odessa steps magazine | March 12th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Hudsucker Proxy is a great and unjustly derided movie. I mean, Coen Brothers + aam Raimi = gold.
3. Silver Man | March 13th, 2008 at 9:00 am
Not surprised I haven’t seen most of these movies. Your taste is more than eclectic. Am surprised…no shocked… you would put a mainstream hit such as Goodfellas as your number one.
4. Justin Time | March 13th, 2008 at 9:01 am
No Roadhouse? Have to question the credibility of the list.
5. hokumboy | March 13th, 2008 at 11:02 am
A FACE IN THE CROWD is an often overlooked gem. You’ve got a good list there, Will. A few I’d keep off my top 10, but great films nonetheless .
6. elDizzle | March 13th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Dr Strangelove is one I’ve seen countless times. I think the only tapes to get more play in my parent’s old VCR were Life of Brian and Better off Dead.
7. Bob Schaper - Assistant Metro Editor | March 13th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
I liked the Apartment, too, but I’m surprised you didn’t go for Sunset Boulevard instead. Darker and heftier, don’t you agree?
8. Jen Sensible | March 14th, 2008 at 10:13 am
Movie, where is Spidey3? Where is any animated movie? Where is Citizen Kane?
9. Will Pfeifer | March 14th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Justin — No ROADHOUSE, sorry. I know it’s a classic, but not classic enough to make this list. (Or maybe it’s TOO classic!)
Bob — SUNSET BLVD is on a slightly bigger list — say top 25. It’s a great film, and one of Billy Wilder’s best. I just like THE APARTMENT slightly more. And don’t kid yourself — THE APARTMENT is plenty dark. Shirley MacLaine tries to commit suicide after all, the the scene where she’s revived is played pretty brutally.
Jen — I love animation, but none made the top 10. INCREDIBLES and BAMBI would probably rank the highest, with IRON GIANT not far behind. And though I’m a big fan of KANE, it just isn’t a personal favorite. It’s great, and it’s very entertaining (unlike some “classics”), but it didn’t make the top 10 cut.
Great to see all this love for HUDSUCKER, by the way, a truly wonderful film!
10. hokumboy | March 14th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
How can one NOT love HUDSUCKER?
It’s for kids!
11. hokumboy | March 14th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
By the way,,,
here’s an excellent entry on YouTube dealing with the Coen Brothers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEfk6CfObEI
12. Bob Schaper - Asst. Metro Editor | March 16th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
And how about the scene where they surgically separate Shirley MacLaine and Jack Lemmon? Oh, wait, I’m thinking of Stuck on You - a powerful film in its own right.
13. Will Pfeifer | March 16th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
Powerful indeed. With two — count em, two — Oscar winners among its cast.
14. Bob Schaper - Assistant Metro Editor | March 16th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Actually, there were three Oscar winners in the cast. Please don’t forget Matt Damon, who won for scribing GOOD WILL HUNTING. Also, Greg Kinnear nearly won for his role in AS GOOD AS IT GETS.
15. Will Pfeifer | March 16th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Good point! I forgot about Damon. Sorry about that.
16. What a Gass | March 17th, 2008 at 7:54 am
Where the heck is Godfather and Scarface?
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