tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58343609041629034712024-03-13T22:15:41.257-07:00100 Movies in One YearPumpkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18138388526017166593noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834360904162903471.post-56409207665073547352009-12-31T21:30:00.004-08:002010-01-02T13:27:18.189-08:001 - The Birth of a NationHappy New Year!! I can't believe it's 2010, and with the new year comes resolutions, my biggest being this. Sorry for not posting this yesterday. Internet problems would occur on January 1st=/.<div>Before:<br /><div>In my history of media arts class last semester, we would watch one movie a week. While we were on silents, I noticed that there were two students who would bring their ipods and listen to their own music while watching the film. While the music they chose most likely did not go along with the action of the film in the way that the chosen orchestra music did, I always thought it to be a pretty clever idea. I've only ever seen bits and pieces of "Birth" and have enjoyed most of what I've seen, however, since it is a three hour long, racist movie that probably isn't on anyone's top ten list, I might just adopted their method.</div><div>After: I have to admit, (of course, ignorance, racism, and blackface aside) I can understand why Birth of a Nation is hailed as Griffith's, as well as early silent's, masterpiece. The coloring was supreme, setting the tone where music today would do the job. And the mere fact that Griffith was able to make such an elaborate time period piece in 1915 is almost baffling. Think of the other films being made at that time, Chaplin's 32 min "The Tramp" which created his still famous character cannot compare. My only complaint with Birth (again, ignorance, racism, and blackface aside) was the length, 300 minutes of anything will get tired quickly (I'd advise watching in two separate blocks). Otherwise, Birth is a humorous movie that still has the ability to entertain to this day.</div></div>Pumpkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18138388526017166593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834360904162903471.post-41710733797938768882009-12-30T11:10:00.000-08:002009-12-30T11:46:42.118-08:00Merry ChristmasI hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! Two of the gifts I received pertain to my conquest in movie watching. One, a dvd titled "American Cinema - 100 Years of Filmmaking," offers over 500 minutes of interviews with filmmakers on American movies throughout history; the other gift is a subscription to Netflix. As a result of the latter present, I decided to change the order in which I watch the movies. I'm going to start with family movies: musicals, epic, things I watched when I was a kid. Then I'll move into Blockbuster hits and from there, comedies, dramadies, romantic comedies and dramas. After that, I'll transition into dramas, war movies, and westerns. I'll end the year with crime, sports, and mystery movies. Anyways, I'm still starting with The Birth of a Nation on January 1st, so... yea, wish me luck.Pumpkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18138388526017166593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834360904162903471.post-70141805094606460122009-12-18T09:10:00.001-08:002009-12-21T17:39:24.746-08:00Scratch That - The Final List<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gYbR2odkVrA/Sy0cVNu6W0I/AAAAAAAAAAM/YR_uAhJOy2E/s1600-h/downsized_1025091449.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_gYbR2odkVrA/Sy0cVNu6W0I/AAAAAAAAAAM/YR_uAhJOy2E/s200/downsized_1025091449.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417017077585828674" /></a><br /><blockquote></blockquote><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Alright, so two days ago my analytical side kicked in and I realized that my list was way too subjective and has no real basis. So instead I decided to compile five lists: AFI's 100 greatest movies, Entertainment Weekly's Top 100, filmsite.org's top 100, the 100 highest grossing movies (adjusted for inflation), and the sixty movies that won and were nominated for the most Academy Awards (without repeating those on both lists). There were 101 movies that repeated twice or more between these lists. Theoretically, these are the 101 greatest movies ever made according to critics, viewers, and the industry combined. Obviously I started this as the 100 movies in one year, however, given that there is only one extra movie, I will watch all 101 movies and then from there, decide if the 100 greatest films ever made are on that last.<div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Over the last month, as I've been compiling my list, there have been so many signs that I need to stay at school. For one, I've gotten a job working as a production assistant and assistant director on a grad student's thesis film. We start filming the third weekend in January and end the third weekend in February. Hopefully it goes well and will be a great experience to go along with my viewings.</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Anyways, until then, here is the list of movies that will keep me preoccupied.</div><div><br /></div><div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="415" style="border-collapse: collapse"> <!--StartFragment--> <col width="415" style="mso-width-source:userset;mso-width-alt:15177"> <tbody><tr height="13"> <td height="13" width="415">1915 - The Birth of a Nation</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1916 - Intolerance</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1925 - The Goldrush</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1927 - Sunrise</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1930 - All Quiet on the Western Front</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1931 - City Lights</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1933 - Duck Soup</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1933 - King Kong</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1934 -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It Happened One Night</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1936 - Modern Times</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1937 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1938 - Bringing Up Baby</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1938 - The Adventures of Robinhood</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1939 - Gone with the Wind</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1939 - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1939 - Stagecoach</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1939 - The Wizard of Oz</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1939 - Wuthering Heights</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1940 - Fantasia</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1940 - Rebecca</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1940 - The Grapes of Wrath</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1940 - The Philadelphia Story</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1941 - Citizen Kane</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1941 - Sergeant York</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1941 - The Lady Eve</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1941- The Maltese Falcon</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1942 - Casablanca</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1942 - Yankee Doodle Dandy</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1944 - Double Indemnity</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1946 - It's a Wonderful Life</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1946 - Notorious</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1946 - The Best Years of Our Lives</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1948 - The Treasure of the Sierra Madre</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1949 - The Third Man</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1950 - All About Eve</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1950 - Sunset Boulevard</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1951 - A Place in the Sun</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1951 - A Streetcar Named Desire</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1951 - An American in Paris</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1951 - The African Queen</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1952 - High Noon</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1952 - Singin' in the Rain</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1953 - From Here to Eternity</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1953 - Shane</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1954 - On the Waterfront</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1954 - Rear Window</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1955 - Rebel Without a Cause</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1956 - The Searchers</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1957 - The Bridge on the River Kwai</td> </tr> <tr height="13" style="page-break-before:always"> <td height="13">1958 - Touch of Evil</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1958 - Vertigo</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1959 - Ben-Hur</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1959 - North by Northwest</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1959 - Some Like it Hot</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1960 - Psycho</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1961 - West Side Story</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1962 - Lawrence of Arabia</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1962 - The Manchurian Candidate</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1962 - To Kill a Mockingbird</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1964 - Dr. Strangelove</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1964 - Mary Poppins</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1964 - My Fair Lady</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1965 - Doctor Zhivago</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1965 - The Sound of Music</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1966 - Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1967 - Bonnie and Clyde</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1967 - The Graduate</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1968 - 2001: A Space Odyssey</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1969 - Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1969 - Easy Rider</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1969 - Midnight Cowboy</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1969 - The Wild Bunch</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1970 - MASH</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1970 - Patton</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1972 - The Godfather</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1973 - American Graffiti</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1973 - The Sting</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1974 - Chinatown</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1974 - The Godfather II</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1975 - Jaws</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1975 - Nashville</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1975 - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1976 - Rocky</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1976 - Taxi Driver</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1977 - Annie Hall</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1977 - Close Encounters of the Third Kind</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1977 - Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1979 - Apocalypse Now</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1980 - Raging Bull</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1981 - Raiders of the Lost Ark</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1982 - E.T.</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1982 - Tootsie</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1984 - Amadeus</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1990 - Dances with Wolves</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1991 - The Silence of the Lambs</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1993 - Schindler's List</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1994 - Forrest Gump</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1994 - Pulp Fiction</td> </tr> <tr height="13" style="page-break-before:always"> <td height="13">1997 - Titanic</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">2001 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">2003 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King</td> </tr> <!--EndFragment--> </tbody></table> </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size:medium;"> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <!--EndFragment--> </span> </div>Pumpkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18138388526017166593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834360904162903471.post-11440765424918749252009-12-16T09:10:00.000-08:002009-12-16T09:21:28.882-08:00A Preliminary ListI came up with a list of one hundred movies that may or may not be the greatest movie ever. These are definitely up for debate. And if there is actually anyone out there reading this, I would love for some in-put. Let me know what you think. I'm still debating a number of titles on the list, don't worry, "Big Daddy" is one of those in question.<div><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: medium;"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="331" style="border-collapse: collapse"> <!--StartFragment--> <col width="331" style="mso-width-source:userset;mso-width-alt:12105"> <tbody><tr height="13"> <td height="13" width="331">1930 - All Quiet on the Waterfront</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1934 - It Happened One Night</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1936 - My Man Godfrey</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1938 -You Can't Take it With You</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1939 - Gone with the Wind</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1939 - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1940 - Rebecca</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1940 - The Grapes of Wrath</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1940 - The Philadelphia Story</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1941 - The Maltese Falcon</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1946 - It's a Wonderful Life</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1946 - Notorious</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1946 - The Killers</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1948 - The Treasure of the Sierra Madre</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1949 - The Third Man</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1950 - All About Eve</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1950 - Sunset Boulevard</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1953 - From Here to Eternity</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1953 - Roman Holiday</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1954 - On the Waterfront</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1954 - Singin' in the Rain</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1957 - The Bridge on the River Kwai</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1958 - Gigi</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1958 - Touch of Evil</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1959 - Ben-Hur</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1959 - North by Northwest</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1959 - Pillow Talk</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1959 - Some Like it Hot</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1961 - West Side Story</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1962 - How the West was Won</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1962 - Lawrence of Arabia</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1962 - The Longest Day</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1964 - A Hard Day's Night</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1964 - Dr. Strangelove</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1968 - The Producers</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1972 - The Candidate</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1974 - Blazing Saddles</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1974 - Chinatown</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1974 - Dog Day Afternoon</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1974 - Young Frankenstein</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1975 - Monty Python and the Holy Grail</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1975 - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1976 - Taxi Driver</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1977 - Annie Hall</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1980 - Airplane!</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1980 - Raging Bull</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1982 - E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1983 - Terms of Endearment</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1984 - Amadeus</td> </tr> <tr height="13" style="page-break-before:always"> <td height="13">1986 - Platoon</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1987 - Full Metal Jacket</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1987 - Moonstruck</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1987 - Raising Arizona</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1987 - The Last Emperor</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1988 - Rain Man</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1989 - Driving Miss Daisy</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1989 - When Harry Met Sally</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1990 - Dances with Wolves</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1990 - Ghost</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1990 - Goodfellas</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1993 - Schindler's List</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1993 - Sleepless in Seattle</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1994 - Forrest Gump</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1994 - Pulp Fiction</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1994 - The Lion King</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1994 - The Shawshank Redemption</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1995 - Braveheart</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1995 - The Usual Suspects</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1996 - That Thing You Do!</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1997 - As Good As it Gets</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1997 - Good Will Hunting</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1997 - Titanic</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1998 - Dead Poets Society</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1998 - Shakespeare In Love</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1999 - American Beauty</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1999 - Big Daddy</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">1999 - The Cider House Rules</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">2000 - Almost Famous</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">2000 - Erin Brockovich</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">2000 - Gladiator</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">2000 - Memento</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">2001 - Moulin Rouge</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">2001 - The Royal Tenenbaums</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">2002 - Catch Me if You Can</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">2002 - Chicago</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">2002 - Gangs of New York</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">2002 - My Big Fat Greek Wedding</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">2003 - Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">2003 - The Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">2004 - Crash</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">2004 - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">2004 - Million Dollar Baby</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">2005 - Brokeback Mountain</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">2005 - Good Night and Good Luck</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">2005 - Joyeux Noel</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">2006 - Little Miss Sunshine</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">2006 - The Departed</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">2007 - Lars and the Real Girl</td> </tr> <tr height="13" style="page-break-before:always"> <td height="13">2008 - Slumdog Millionaire</td> </tr> <tr height="13"> <td height="13">2008 - The Dark Knight</td> </tr> <!--EndFragment--> </tbody></table><br /> </span> </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: medium;">One last note about this list and it's subject to change, I've seen 56 of these movies, so I'll most likely be switching out some that I've seen for some that I haven't. </span></div></div>Pumpkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18138388526017166593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834360904162903471.post-85096377785536600262009-12-03T10:55:00.001-08:002009-12-14T11:44:52.578-08:00The "Citizen Kane" Debate<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://titirangistoryteller.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/citizen-kane-poster.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 317px; height: 450px;" src="http://titirangistoryteller.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/citizen-kane-poster.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>So I watched Citizen Kane two weeks ago in my film history class... for the third time. Greatest movie ever made? I think not, although I will say that each time I watch, it gets better and better. Knowing and understanding the history and progression of the development of film helps greatly in appreciating this movie. The influence various schools of film had on Welles and this movie are very apparent, like expressionism, my favorite. *Sarcasm really does not bode well in text* I do, however, very much appreciate his use of deep focus, long shots, and intense lighting which do make the movie enjoyable and a completely different experience each time I watch.<div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>While it may have been the greatest movie of its time, and certainly the most innovative, it does not hold up to today's standards . Really now, you wouldn't expect me to watch "Birth of a Nation" simply because Griffith was the first to combine intercutting and narrative techniques, would you?<br /><div><br /></div><div>With that in mind, don't be surprised if you read my list and find the following missing from it:</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Citizen Kane</b> (see above)</div><div><b>Double Indemnit</b>y (the only thing worse than Barbara Stanwyck as a blonde is the awkward <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>dialogue of this so called Film Noir "Classic")</div><div><b>2001: A Space Odyssey</b> (I can only take so much of Kubrick's pretentious nonsense)</div><div><b>Rashomon</b> (You've seen it once, you've seen it four times)</div><div><b>The Bicycle Thief and all other Italian Neorealist films</b> (don't get me wrong, a movie about <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>nothing does sound appealing...)</div><div><b>Nosferatu</b> (need I bring up expressionism again?)</div><div><b>The Battleship Potemkin</b> (20 mins of people getting trampled on stairs isn't exactly my idea of <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>a good time)</div><div><b>Tootsie</b> (I'm not too keen on watching Dustin Hoffman dress as a woman)</div><div><b>The Godfather part 2</b> (The Godfather is one of my favorites, part II, however, lost me when <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Michael had Fredo killed, and besides can it really be The Godfather without Brando?)</div><div><b>The Harry Potter films</b> (they are a disgrace to Rowling's empire and movies in general)</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Never fear if your favorite movie is on here! I am still compiling the list, and some, perhaps even all, of these could possibly still make it on. And hey, if you do see a favorite on this list, fight for it, change my mind, show me the true value of it!</div><div>*Side note: I have seen ALL of the films on this list, and am fully aware of why exactly they are considered classics.</div><div><br /></div></div>Pumpkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18138388526017166593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834360904162903471.post-82948317388623547922009-12-03T10:54:00.001-08:002009-12-07T21:35:19.926-08:00What Defines a Great MovieOver the past week I have gone through countless lists online of the supposed top 100 movies, lists from AFI, BFI, Filmsite.org, imdb.com, and various others. As I read through the lists, I found that my eye would be drawn to the movies I have already seen and I would be tempted to put those on the list first and foremost. But the whole point to this project was to watch movies I've never seen, granted there will be some I have seen before, and to determine whether or not they are truly the greatest movies ever made.<br />This task that I have set for myself, however, is proving to be a bit more difficult than I was expecting. How am I supposed to determine what the supposed 100 greatest films are without ever having seen the majority of them? This list is going to be completely based off of other lists. It will have to be a compilation of movies that cross over from list to list in my attempt to find the greatest movies. A question that does arise in the picking and choosing however, is the question about the great films that don't make it onto the top lists published. And what do I do with foreign films? Also, once I actually do watch them, what exactly is it that makes a great film better than others? Is it plot, dialog, acting, cinematography, or some combination of all four, or is it just a movie that entertains?<br />I think I need to establish some guidelines for this little adventure, so they are as follows:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><ul><li style="text-align: left;">only American films will make it onto the list</li><li style="text-align: left;">they must be present on at least one of the major "top 100" lists (i.e. AFI, imdb, etc.)</li></ul>OR<br /><ul><li style="text-align: left;">they must be recommended by someone of substantial film credibility</li><li style="text-align: left;">films will be chosen based on descriptions/background, even the one's I have already seen (I will attempt to pretend I have never seen them while compiling my list)</li><li style="text-align: left;">a great movie will be one that genuinely entertains over and over</li></ul>AND</div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul><li>is visually and aesthetically a masterpiece</li></ul>I'm hoping I'll be able to follow these guidelines; only time will tell.</div>Pumpkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18138388526017166593noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5834360904162903471.post-72948438989856071582009-11-30T21:16:00.000-08:002009-12-01T17:43:21.213-08:00The Goal<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.johnsenclan.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/film-club.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 500px;" src="http://www.johnsenclan.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/film-club.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />So, I am a freshman in college; its my first semester and already I am considering my options, basically whether or not to drop out. I have never liked school very much, all of the assignments that must be handed in, all of the grades that must be had. Since I was little, I always wondered why I could never just learn, why it always had to be about the assignment or the test, why the thing that mattered most was the number you received at the end of the year. Now that I am in college, I feel like, rather than continue to complain, I should take matters into my own hands. As I continue to work towards earning a degree from a four year liberal arts college in the northeast, I am going to simultaneously take my education into my own hands.<div><br /></div><div>Last week I began reading "The Film Club," a memoir by David Gilmour. The book chronicles a father and son after the son drops out of high school upon his father's approval. As an alternative education, the father (Gilmour) requires his son to watch three movies a week of Gilmour's choosing. Raised by a movie buff father and as a screenwriting major myself, I figured this book would be right up my alley. Little did I know, the book came at exactly the right time. More than half way through my first semester at college and, just as with high school, I hated the physical act of "school." I wanted to quit. When I picked up the book, I expected to be reading about some of the greatest films ever made; instead, I was getting a life lesson on what happens when you deviate from the norms of society, with the movies as a mere side note in each chapter. Although I have not yet finished the book, I have become inspired to commit a similar act; to watch, what I believe will be, the 100 greatest movies in one year.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am going to spend the rest of 2009 accumulating my list of movies. I am going to utilize "The Film Club" as well as other books on film history and criticism. I am going to scrutinize dozens of lists by various publications and web site. And, if there is anyone out there actually reading, I would LOVE any suggestions you may have. I will begin the watching on January 1, 2010 (at midnight) and hope to have the 100 movies watched by December 31, 2010. This blog will be used to document my adventure as I compile the list and then as I go through watching each movie. At the end of next year, we will see if those were, in fact, the 100 greatest films of all time.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Pumpkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18138388526017166593noreply@blogger.com0