Stop Making Sense's Top 20

[Stop Making Sense]

Seeing as everyone else is posting their favorites list, I thought I might put my top 20 up here as well. Enjoy!

1. High Fidelity (2000, Stephen Frears)
2. Dancer in the Dark (2000, Lars von Triers)
3. Pulp Fiction (1994, Quentin Tarantino)
4. Do the Right Thing (1989, Spike Lee)
5. Chinatown (1974, Roman Polanski)
6. Apocalypse Now (1979, Francis Ford Coppola)
7. Casablanca (1942, Max Steiner)
8. Stop Making Sense (1984, Jonathon Demme)
9. Vertigo (1958, Alfred Hitchcock)
10. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986, Woody Allen)
11. Raging Bull (1980, Martin Scorsese)
12. Natural Born Killers (1994, Oliver Stone)
13. The Godfather (1972, Francis Ford Coppola)
14. Chasing Amy (1997, Kevin Smith)
15. Husbands and Wives (1992, Woody Allen)
16. Reservoir Dogs (1992, Quentin Tarantino)
17. GoodFellas (1990, Martin Scorsese)
18. Rear Window (1954, Alfred Hitchcock)
19. Clerks (1994, Kevin Smith)
20. Beautiful Girls (1996, Ted Demme)

RUNNERS UP:

The Shining (1980, Stanley Kubrick)
Fight Club (1999, David Fincher)
The Godfather, Part II (1974, Francis Ford Coppola)
Out of Sight (1998, Steven Soderbergh)
Star Wars (1977, George Lucas)
Heat (1995, Michael Mann)
Magnolia (1999, Paul Thomas Anderson)
Glengarry Glen Ross (1992, James Foley)
Taxi Driver (1976, Martin Scorsese)
As Good as it Gets (1997, James L. Brooks)

[notchreturns]

Congratulations, you have one of the better top 20's I've seen on the boards.You have very good taste and it doesn't hurt that it's pretty damn close to mine.

Here's my top 20.

Jaws
Three Kings
Out of Sight
Apocalypse Now
Goodfellas
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial
The Wild Bunch
The Crow
Raider's of the Lost Ark
Clerks
Glengarry Glen Ross
Taxi Driver
Do The Right Thing
JFK
Fresh
Pulp Fiction
Ghostbusters
Blood Simple
Seven
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Honorable mentions:
Raging Bull
Born on the Fourth of July
Annie Hall
Beautiful Girls
Dark City
The Third Man
Jerry Maguire
12 Angry Men

[flowrchild]

That's a really good list. Although, if it were mine, I'd switch some of your "runner up" picks with ones from the main list.

1. High Fidelity- 7/10
2. Dancer in the Dark - 9/10
3. Pulp Fiction- 10/10
4. Do the Right Thing- 8.5/10
5. Chinatown- 9/10
6. Apocalypse Now- NA
7. Casablanca- 7/10 (I think it's over rated)
8. Stop Making Sense- NA
9. Vertigo- NA
10. Hannah and Her Sisters- 8/10 (good to see you look woody movies!)
11. Raging Bull- 8/10
12. Natural Born Killers- 9/10
13. The Godfather- 10/10
14. Chasing Amy- 9/10
15. Husbands and Wives- NA
16. Reservoir Dogs- 8.5/10
17. GoodFellas- 8/10
18. Rear Window- NA
19. Clerks- 8/10
20. Beautiful Girls- 7/10

RUNNERS UP:

The Shining- 10/10
Fight Club- 10/10
The Godfather, Part II- NA
Out of Sight- 8/10
Star Wars- 8/10
Heat- NA
Magnolia- 10/10
Glengarry Glen Ross- 9/10
Taxi Driver- 8.5/10
As Good as it Gets- 8/10

[Stop Making Sense]

Thanks notch, I must say that I dig your list as well! You're right in that we do have very similar tastes.

And flowrchild, thanks for your comments, if I were to make a 'greatest films' list I'd certainly be taking your advice, but seeing as it's a list of favorites, I guess it just comes down to personal taste.

[This message has been edited by Stop Making Sense (edited 06-17-2002).]

[flowrchild]

Good point.

Which of the movies that I haven't seen from your list (marked NA), do you recommend for me to see the most?

I'm trying to expand my horizons a bit and see all those classic movies that everyone loves.

[Stop Making Sense]

Well flowrchild, I guess I recommend all of them about the same... but seeing as you really like 'The Godfather', then I strongly urge you to see 'Part II' sometime in the near future, as it's one of the greatest sequels in cinema history.

And if you like Woody Allen, then 'Husbands and Wives' would be another you'd probably like.

As for the two Hitchcock movies on the list, 'Vertigo' and 'Rear Window', I saw these two films without expecting to like them all too much (I only wanted to see them because everyone else always talked about them), but I ended up loving them! They're the kind of movies you can just watch again and again and again.

As for Stop Making Sense, it's a Talking Heads concert which was filmed by Jonathon Demme (the guy who later went on to make 'The Silence of the Lambs'), so if you're not a Talking Heads fan, it probably won't do much for you.

Do you have a top 20 list? If so, I'd love for you to post it... chances are I won't know a lot of the films on your list either.

[This message has been edited by Stop Making Sense (edited 06-17-2002).]

[A.J. Hakari]

Nice list, Stop Making Sense -- though I'd think Jonathan Demme's brilliant concert film would rank higher, considering you made its title your screen name http://www.joblo.com/ubb/wink.gif

Here's my top 20 (the first five are my top five favorites; the other fifteen are in no particular order):

1. Fargo
2. Fight Club
3. A Christmas Story
4. The Sting
5. Stop Making Sense (this is one I can watch a thousand times and never get tired)

The Goonies
Mission: Impossible
Reservoir Dogs
2001: A Space Odyssey
Memento
The Empire Strikes Back (the other "Star Wars" films are great, but this is my fave of the series)
Run Lola Run
The Wolf Man (1941)
Rocky
"Evil Dead" trilogy
The Wizard
The Blues Brothers
Pee-Wee's Big Adventure
The Blair Witch Project
The Third Man

[This message has been edited by Adam J. Hakari (edited 06-17-2002).]

[Stop Making Sense]

Thanks Adam, nice to see another Talking Heads fan on the board. Oh, and great lists as well!

Would you by any chance have seen 'True Stories'? It was made in 1986, written and directed by, and also starring, Talking Heads' front man David Byrne. A wonderful, all-too-often forgotten gem in my opinion.

[flowrchild]

Thanks stopmakingsense for your recommendations! I appreciate it.

I know! "Godfather-part 2" is one of those movies I keep meaning to see but I just never get around to it for some reason. I am also in the exact same boat as you were regarding Hitchcock movies. I have never seen a single one, but I have heard from everyone how marvelous they are.

As for my list, I posted my favorite 100 here:

www.joblo.com/ubb/Forum7/HTML/003214.html (http://www.joblo.com/ubb/Forum7/HTML/003214.html)

Let me know if there are any on there that you'd like further information about.

Cheers!

[A.J. Hakari]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Stop Making Sense:
Would you by any chance have seen 'True Stories'? It was made in 1986, written and directed by, and also starring, Talking Heads' front man David Byrne. A wonderful, all-too-often forgotten gem in my opinion.</font>

As a matter of fact, I just watched it today (I own the DVD), and I agree wholeheartedly. It's a beautiful film about the endearing oddness of most people, and about finding beauty in simple things. That, and some great Talking Heads tunes are on display (I found myself singing "Wild Wild Life" hours after finishing the film). A true gem, indeed. http://www.joblo.com/ubb/smile.gif

[urbanlegend23]

If only I'd seen more..

1. High Fidelity (2000, Stephen Frears) - A-
2. Dancer in the Dark (2000, Lars von Triers) - A
3. Pulp Fiction (1994, Quentin Tarantino) - A+
7. Casablanca (1942, Max Steiner) - A
9. Vertigo (1958, Alfred Hitchcock) - A+

RUNNERS UP:

The Shining (1980, Stanley Kubrick) - A+
Fight Club (1999, David Fincher) - A+
Out of Sight (1998, Steven Soderbergh) - A
Star Wars (1977, George Lucas) - A+
Magnolia (1999, Paul Thomas Anderson) - A
As Good as it Gets (1997, James L. Brooks) - A

Good list though...luckily every single one I've seen (not many!!) are A-graded!

[Delmore Schwartz]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Stop Making Sense:
Thanks Adam, nice to see another Talking Heads fan on the board. Oh, and great lists as well!

Would you by any chance have seen 'True Stories'? It was made in 1986, written and directed by, and also starring, Talking Heads' front man David Byrne. A wonderful, all-too-often forgotten gem in my opinion.</font>

Here's another Talking Heads fan. True Stories was a very funny movie by the way.



[This message has been edited by Delmore Schwartz (edited 06-18-2002).]

[movielover-9]

1. The Silence Of The Lambs[1991]
2. Jurassic Park[1993]
3. Erin Brockovich[2000]
4. Traffic[2000]
5. Ocean's 11[2001]
6. Out of Sight[1998]
7. Memento[2000]
8. The Sixth Sense[1999]
9. Heathers[1989]
10. Speed[1994]
11. Pulp Fiction[1994]
12. There's Something About Mary[1998]
13. Election[1999]
14. Clueless[1995]
15. My Cousin Vinny[1992]
16. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon[2000]
17. Rush Hour 2[2001]
18. Scream[1996]
19. Ghost[1990]
20. True Lies[1994]

[pennywise46]

1. High Fidelity (2000, Stephen Frears) 8.5/10
2. Dancer in the Dark (2000, Lars von Triers) --
3. Pulp Fiction (1994, Quentin Tarantino) 10/10
5. Chinatown (1974, Roman Polanski) 8.5/10
6. Apocalypse Now (1979, Francis Ford Coppola) 10/10
7. Casablanca (1942, Max Steiner) 8/10
9. Vertigo (1958, Alfred Hitchcock) 8/10
11. Raging Bull (1980, Martin Scorsese) 9/10
12. Natural Born Killers (1994, Oliver Stone) 7.5/10
13. The Godfather (1972, Francis Ford Coppola) 10/10
14. Chasing Amy (1997, Kevin Smith) 8/10
16. Reservoir Dogs (1992, Quentin Tarantino) 9/10
17. GoodFellas (1990, Martin Scorsese) 8.5/10
19. Clerks (1994, Kevin Smith) 9/10

RUNNERS UP:

The Shining (1980, Stanley Kubrick) 9/10
Fight Club (1999, David Fincher) 9/10
The Godfather, Part II (1974, Francis Ford Coppola) 10/10
Star Wars (1977, George Lucas) 9/10
Heat (1995, Michael Mann) 8/10
Magnolia (1999, Paul Thomas Anderson) 8/10
Taxi Driver (1976, Martin Scorsese) 10/10

[Puck Bond]

Here are my ratings for your list...

1. High Fidelity (2000, Stephen Frears)-8/10
2. Dancer in the Dark (2000, Lars von Triers)-N/A
3. Pulp Fiction (1994, Quentin Tarantino)-10/10
4. Do the Right Thing (1989, Spike Lee)-8/10
5. Chinatown (1974, Roman Polanski)-10/10(great choice one of my favs)
6. Apocalypse Now (1979, Francis Ford Coppola)-10/10
7. Casablanca (1942, Max Steiner)-10/10
8. Stop Making Sense (1984, Jonathon Demme)-N/A
9. Vertigo (1958, Alfred Hitchcock)-10/10
10. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986, Woody Allen)-N/A
11. Raging Bull (1980, Martin Scorsese)-10/10
12. Natural Born Killers (1994, Oliver Stone)-9/10
13. The Godfather (1972, Francis Ford Coppola)-10/10
14. Chasing Amy (1997, Kevin Smith)-7/10
15. Husbands and Wives (1992, Woody Allen)-N/A
16. Reservoir Dogs (1992, Quentin Tarantino)-9/10
17. GoodFellas (1990, Martin Scorsese)-10/10
18. Rear Window (1954, Alfred Hitchcock)-9/10
19. Clerks (1994, Kevin Smith)-9/10
20. Beautiful Girls (1996, Ted Demme)-8/10(love this movie very underrated film)

RUNNERS UP:

The Shining (1980, Stanley Kubrick)-10/10(my fav horror film!)
Fight Club (1999, David Fincher)-10/10
The Godfather, Part II (1974, Francis Ford Coppola)-9/10
Out of Sight (1998, Steven Soderbergh)-9/10
Star Wars (1977, George Lucas)-10/10
Heat (1995, Michael Mann)-9/10
Magnolia (1999, Paul Thomas Anderson)-9/10
Glengarry Glen Ross (1992, James Foley)-8/10(another excellent movie)
Taxi Driver (1976, Martin Scorsese)-10/10
As Good as it Gets (1997, James L. Brooks)-8/10

[Stop Making Sense]

Just a little update... I saw Woody Allen's 'Manhattan' for the first time last night, and have already decided to give it the no. 2 position on my top 20 list. This film is a masterpiece!

[QUENTIN]

LOVE the list SMS, it effectively combines my top best films with my top favorites. If I were to combine the two, I think I'd end up with:

1.) Taxi Driver
2.) Pulp Fiction
3.) Raging Bull
4.) 2001: A Space Odyssey
5.) Magnolia
6.) La Dolce Vita
7.) Do The Right Thing
8.) The Last Picture Show
9.) Apocalypse Now
10.) High Fidelity
11.) The Third Man
12.) GoodFellas
13.) Chasing Amy
14.) City Lights
15.) The 400 Blows
16.) sex, lies, and videotape
17.) Citizen Kane
18.) Aguirre: The Wrath of God
19.) Bridge On The River Kwai
20.) The Wild Bunch

[Stop Making Sense]

Cheers Quentin! I'm glad you liked it - and thanks also for posting your own top 20, you have impeccable taste in film for someone your age (or any age for that matter).

[flowrchild]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Stop Making Sense:
Just a little update... I saw Woody Allen's 'Manhattan' for the first time last night, and have already decided to give it the no. 2 position on my top 20 list. This film is a masterpiece!</font>

I love that movie! It's number 2 after "Annie Hall" (regarding Woody Allen flicks)