152 Best Films: Part 1
As the weeks go by, I am going to start adding short film reviews to this blog. My reasons for doing so are numerous. For one, I want to introduce to anyone reading this some good movies that perhaps they haven't heard off. In addition, I hope that these brief film reviews serve to give some insight into my particular tastes. Counting down from 152, I will work all the way up to my favorite film. Making a list in order of your favorite films is something that is more difficult to do than it initially appears. For one, you must begin by listing and reviewing every film you have seen, and while I attempted this to the best of my ability I am sure that there are films that I missed. At this point, it is then essential to read through that list and make a ranking. At some point, it becomes rather arbitrary which films are placed where, and as a result there are films that are probably higher than they should be, films that are probably lower than they ought to be, and films that were completely missed entirely. My biases can be seen right away. I like comedies a lot, usually dark comedies or ones with a slightly more serious bent, but not always. I have a vast appreciation for the horror and exploitation genres, and as a result a few films on here may surprise you. Most of the films are fairly recent and in the English language. This is a clear bias of mine, made clear by the simple fact that these are the films most accessible to a modern audience, not just in terms of finding the videos at your library but of content and ease of understanding. Several supposed classics are left out. There is no Godfather, no Citizen Kane, no Seven Samurai. In fact, Coppola (Francis Ford, that is), Welles, and Kurosawa have been left off entirely. This is not to say that their films are not brilliant and that they are not brilliant, but, after all, this is a personal list and I am placing films on it which had a profound impact on me. Perhaps when I viewed The Godfather and Citizen Kane, after reading about what works of genius they were, I was simply set up too much to appreciate them. You can't say to someone "this is the best movie ever made and you better love it or there's something wrong with you". It doesn't work and it turns people off. Films are something that have to be discovered by themselves. Many of these films are movies that I watched and loved repeatedly during my younger years. As a result, many adults may view them and scoff, but I will defend to the death the right any film on this list has to its place. I am doing these short reviews in groups of five, but you have a bonus in this first post as I will do 7 films. There were 2 more than the nice round 250 that I thought essential to require, so just consider them bonuses. From 152 and eventually down to 1, here are my 152 favorite films.
152. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Director (John Huston), Screenwriter (John Huston), Cinematography (Arthur Edeson), Stars (Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, Gladys George, Lee Patrick, Sydney Greenstreet)
IMDB Link: Click Here
Review: The Maltese Falcon is quite simply one of the greatest film noirs ever made, and that alone deserves its place on a list of the 152 greatest films of all time. Bogart chews the screen up like no one else, and I defy anyone to get fifteen minutes into the film and then stop watching it. The film draws you in, just like Mary Astor's character, and by the end you may feel used but you love it. I don't even need to mention Peter Lorre, the wonderful German character actor, in all of his snide glory. The Maltese Falcon, based on the equally wonderful book by Dashiell Hammett, simply presents a great mystery and leads you, the viewer, on a wonderful journey toward uncovering the sordid secrets. As soon as Astor walks into Bogart's office, you know there's trouble, and once Sam Spade (Bogart)'s partner Miles Archer is knocked off it hits you that you're in for a long ride. Even if you solve the mystery before the end, you'll enjoy the journey. The play between Bogart and Astor is deadly, and the final end confrontation is too rich for words. Noir has never been better, and it never will be.
151. Hollywood Shuffle (1987)
Director (Robert Townsend), Screenwriters (Townsend, Keenan Ivory Waynes), Cinematography (Peter Deming), Stars (Robert Townsend, David McKnight, Keenan Ivory Wayans, Helen Martin, Anne-Marie Johnson)
IMDB Link: Click Here
Review: Hollywood Shuffle is a true independent film. Made for a minuscule budget ($100,000), Townsend's very funny satire hits the mark right on. Townsend plays a well meaning and talented young man hoping to make it big as an actor, but finding himself typecast as either a street tough or an Eddie Murphy type. This simple premise lets the film open up to all sorts of marvelous short sketches that poke fun at Hollywood's hypocrisy. Truly a labor of love for Townsend, the creator of television's brilliant In Living Color, Keenan Ivory Wayans, co-wrote the script. The film is irresistible and, at points, brilliant in its racial satire. While there are many better films (at least 150 of them), this one remains a personal favorite and I'll never tire of watching it. At a scant 78 minutes, there are millions of worse ways to spend your time.
150. Clerks (1994)
Director (Kevin Smith), Screenwriter (Kevin Smith), Cinematography (David Klein), Stars ( Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith)
IMDB Link: Click Here
Review: Smith writes great dialogue and, in a nutshell, that's what this movie is. Great dialogue. Dante and Randall are two convenience store clerks and, despite their numerous problems and the fact that each, especially Randall, can be extremely annoying, they are so endearing that the film works. Smith is a very funny man, and with this low budget effort you'd be a fool to not see that. Jay and Silent Bob, the stoner and his silent buddy, make a few wonderful appearances, becoming the highlight of the film. Forget that Smith went on to have bigger budgets and ditched his smart wisecracks and wonderful, nothing-ever-happens dialogue for fart jokes and action sequences. Just revel in the quality that is Clerks. Jay and Silent Bob have been overused at this point and, quite frankly, the joke is getting old, but at the time they were fresh and remarkable and, in small doses, they are hilarious. Yes, Chasing Amy is good and Dogma is fun, but neither of them made it on my list. Clerks did because it was the first of its kind and, honestly, I'd rather watch two losers stand around and talk about relationships and pop culture than see Jay and Silent Bob rob an animal testing lab in a big budget action sequence that is remarkably less funny than if Jay were simply telling the story to Dante behind the bright neon glow that is the Clerks convenience store.
149. Diner (1982)
Director (Barry Levinson), Screenwriter (Barry Levinson), Cinematography (Peter Sova), Stars (Daniel Stern, Mickey Rourke, Kevin Bacon, Steve Guttenberg, Ellen Barkin, Paul Resier)
IMDB Link: Click Here
Review: Let me begin this review by saying that this film boasts one of the nastiest and funniest scenes of all time, and for this alone it deserves recognition. I am referring to the popcorn scene, and anyone who has seen the film will know exactly what I am talking about and anyone who hasn't should not want the surprise ruined. Aside from that, this movie is just great. Better even than that other 50's teen movie, American Graffiti, this is a film that makes you want to go back in time to Baltimore and just talk to these guys. The diner scenes, which were largely improvised, just seem so real. I think Levinson really hit onto something here, and while the movie has its faults it is, in the end, very funny and even a bit poignant in its portrayal of life for the young adult. Yes, it's a coming of age film, but it's about the best of its kind.
148. The Lair of the White Worm (1988)
Director (Ken Russell), Screenwriter (Ken Russell), Cinematography (Dick Bush), Stars (Amanda Donohoe, Hugh Grant, Sammi Davis, Peter Capaldi)
IMDB Link: Click Here
Review: Sometimes I think that Ken Russell takes himself a bit seriously. On my last viewing of Tommy, I found myself wondering just what the hell it was I was watching, why I was watching it, and when the hell Roger Daltrey would shut up. I get it, you're deaf, dumb, and blind and you want someone to touch and feel you! I suppose that is why I was so pleasantly surprised upon viewing The Lair of the White Worm, because for once we get to see Russell's goofy side. This movie is camp at its finest, and you'll be able to tell that from almost the second it begins. Phallic imagery is so prevalent that it becomes almost comical and I dare anyone to not burst out laughing during the rock ballad recounting the tale of the white worm. This is not one of those "so bad its good" films, however, for I believe that Russell was fully aware of the campy humor and played it up, making some sort of tribute/parody to the great Hammer horror films of the past. But now we move to the best part of the film: Amanda Donohoe. As the virgin sacrificing, white worm resurrecting Lady Sylvia Marsh, Donohoe does not merely camp up her part, she slithers her way thorough it as all good reptilian vampires should. Never has a lady vampire been sexier and deadlier at the same time. Sure, she has many marvelous one-liners, but for me this film can be summed up easily by one small scene. Hiding in a basket, Lady Marsh rises out, like a snake being charmed, and perfects her reptilian movement. One gets the feeling she is about to pounce, and pounce this film does.
147. Killer Condom (1996)
Director (Martin Walz), Screenwriters (Martin Walz and Ralph Konig), Cinematography (Alexander Honisch), Stars (Udo Samel, Marc Richter)
IMDB Link: Click Here
Review: This is not a Troma film. Troma distributes it in the United States, but one look at its budget and production values will tell you Troma did not make this film. It is too smart, the camera work is too good, and the film has too much substance to be Troma. This German production, based on Ralph Konig's comic of the same name, is a comedy of the blackest sorts. It involves condoms with teeth that bite the genitalia off of the patrons of a sleazy New York motel. Detecive Mackeroni starts investigating, but things really begin to heat up when, after losing one of his testicles, the battle against the killer condoms becomes personal. I don't want to give too much away, but let me say that this is the most entertaining and humorous attempt I've ever seen to end homophobia and make a passionate case for homosexual rights. So take that, Angels in America! Tony Kushner wishes he could have been as creative. The movie also features impressive design and special effects work by Jorg Buttgereit (Nekromantik) and H.R. Giger. If this movie does not seem your cup of tea, I strongly suggest you give it a try anyway. It's a shame that Troma released it in the U.S. because it is and deserves to be thought of as better than The Toxic Avenger and Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. Trust me when I say this is an intelligent and thought provoking film, and aside from that its damn silly.
146. Die Mommie, Die! (2003)
Director (Mark Rucker), Screenwriter (Charles Busch), Cinematographer (Kelly Evans), Stars (Charles Busch, Jason Priestly, Natasha Lyonne, Frances Conroy, Philip Baker Hall, Stark Sands)
IMDB Link: Click Here
Review: Charles Busch has for years been a simply off-Broadway phenomenon, but thanks to this film his unique vision is finally being shared with the world. Playing the lead in drag, Busch camps it up like never before, and it's a tour-de-force performance that will leave you speechless at the end. The movie is full of sick jokes from left to right, and I was laughing almost constantly when I saw it. It's an outrageous parody of women's melodramas, playing like Sunset Boulevard on acid. The outrageous plot involves murder, deceit, and lustful affairs, and by the end you'll simply sit back and say, "Thank you, Mr. Busch, for teaching me how to kill someone with a suppository". It is destined to be a cult classic, and deservedly so. Watch it at midnight with a group of gay friends.
152. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Director (John Huston), Screenwriter (John Huston), Cinematography (Arthur Edeson), Stars (Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, Gladys George, Lee Patrick, Sydney Greenstreet)
IMDB Link: Click Here
Review: The Maltese Falcon is quite simply one of the greatest film noirs ever made, and that alone deserves its place on a list of the 152 greatest films of all time. Bogart chews the screen up like no one else, and I defy anyone to get fifteen minutes into the film and then stop watching it. The film draws you in, just like Mary Astor's character, and by the end you may feel used but you love it. I don't even need to mention Peter Lorre, the wonderful German character actor, in all of his snide glory. The Maltese Falcon, based on the equally wonderful book by Dashiell Hammett, simply presents a great mystery and leads you, the viewer, on a wonderful journey toward uncovering the sordid secrets. As soon as Astor walks into Bogart's office, you know there's trouble, and once Sam Spade (Bogart)'s partner Miles Archer is knocked off it hits you that you're in for a long ride. Even if you solve the mystery before the end, you'll enjoy the journey. The play between Bogart and Astor is deadly, and the final end confrontation is too rich for words. Noir has never been better, and it never will be.
151. Hollywood Shuffle (1987)
Director (Robert Townsend), Screenwriters (Townsend, Keenan Ivory Waynes), Cinematography (Peter Deming), Stars (Robert Townsend, David McKnight, Keenan Ivory Wayans, Helen Martin, Anne-Marie Johnson)
IMDB Link: Click Here
Review: Hollywood Shuffle is a true independent film. Made for a minuscule budget ($100,000), Townsend's very funny satire hits the mark right on. Townsend plays a well meaning and talented young man hoping to make it big as an actor, but finding himself typecast as either a street tough or an Eddie Murphy type. This simple premise lets the film open up to all sorts of marvelous short sketches that poke fun at Hollywood's hypocrisy. Truly a labor of love for Townsend, the creator of television's brilliant In Living Color, Keenan Ivory Wayans, co-wrote the script. The film is irresistible and, at points, brilliant in its racial satire. While there are many better films (at least 150 of them), this one remains a personal favorite and I'll never tire of watching it. At a scant 78 minutes, there are millions of worse ways to spend your time.
150. Clerks (1994)
Director (Kevin Smith), Screenwriter (Kevin Smith), Cinematography (David Klein), Stars ( Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith)
IMDB Link: Click Here
Review: Smith writes great dialogue and, in a nutshell, that's what this movie is. Great dialogue. Dante and Randall are two convenience store clerks and, despite their numerous problems and the fact that each, especially Randall, can be extremely annoying, they are so endearing that the film works. Smith is a very funny man, and with this low budget effort you'd be a fool to not see that. Jay and Silent Bob, the stoner and his silent buddy, make a few wonderful appearances, becoming the highlight of the film. Forget that Smith went on to have bigger budgets and ditched his smart wisecracks and wonderful, nothing-ever-happens dialogue for fart jokes and action sequences. Just revel in the quality that is Clerks. Jay and Silent Bob have been overused at this point and, quite frankly, the joke is getting old, but at the time they were fresh and remarkable and, in small doses, they are hilarious. Yes, Chasing Amy is good and Dogma is fun, but neither of them made it on my list. Clerks did because it was the first of its kind and, honestly, I'd rather watch two losers stand around and talk about relationships and pop culture than see Jay and Silent Bob rob an animal testing lab in a big budget action sequence that is remarkably less funny than if Jay were simply telling the story to Dante behind the bright neon glow that is the Clerks convenience store.
149. Diner (1982)
Director (Barry Levinson), Screenwriter (Barry Levinson), Cinematography (Peter Sova), Stars (Daniel Stern, Mickey Rourke, Kevin Bacon, Steve Guttenberg, Ellen Barkin, Paul Resier)
IMDB Link: Click Here
Review: Let me begin this review by saying that this film boasts one of the nastiest and funniest scenes of all time, and for this alone it deserves recognition. I am referring to the popcorn scene, and anyone who has seen the film will know exactly what I am talking about and anyone who hasn't should not want the surprise ruined. Aside from that, this movie is just great. Better even than that other 50's teen movie, American Graffiti, this is a film that makes you want to go back in time to Baltimore and just talk to these guys. The diner scenes, which were largely improvised, just seem so real. I think Levinson really hit onto something here, and while the movie has its faults it is, in the end, very funny and even a bit poignant in its portrayal of life for the young adult. Yes, it's a coming of age film, but it's about the best of its kind.
148. The Lair of the White Worm (1988)
Director (Ken Russell), Screenwriter (Ken Russell), Cinematography (Dick Bush), Stars (Amanda Donohoe, Hugh Grant, Sammi Davis, Peter Capaldi)
IMDB Link: Click Here
Review: Sometimes I think that Ken Russell takes himself a bit seriously. On my last viewing of Tommy, I found myself wondering just what the hell it was I was watching, why I was watching it, and when the hell Roger Daltrey would shut up. I get it, you're deaf, dumb, and blind and you want someone to touch and feel you! I suppose that is why I was so pleasantly surprised upon viewing The Lair of the White Worm, because for once we get to see Russell's goofy side. This movie is camp at its finest, and you'll be able to tell that from almost the second it begins. Phallic imagery is so prevalent that it becomes almost comical and I dare anyone to not burst out laughing during the rock ballad recounting the tale of the white worm. This is not one of those "so bad its good" films, however, for I believe that Russell was fully aware of the campy humor and played it up, making some sort of tribute/parody to the great Hammer horror films of the past. But now we move to the best part of the film: Amanda Donohoe. As the virgin sacrificing, white worm resurrecting Lady Sylvia Marsh, Donohoe does not merely camp up her part, she slithers her way thorough it as all good reptilian vampires should. Never has a lady vampire been sexier and deadlier at the same time. Sure, she has many marvelous one-liners, but for me this film can be summed up easily by one small scene. Hiding in a basket, Lady Marsh rises out, like a snake being charmed, and perfects her reptilian movement. One gets the feeling she is about to pounce, and pounce this film does.
147. Killer Condom (1996)
Director (Martin Walz), Screenwriters (Martin Walz and Ralph Konig), Cinematography (Alexander Honisch), Stars (Udo Samel, Marc Richter)
IMDB Link: Click Here
Review: This is not a Troma film. Troma distributes it in the United States, but one look at its budget and production values will tell you Troma did not make this film. It is too smart, the camera work is too good, and the film has too much substance to be Troma. This German production, based on Ralph Konig's comic of the same name, is a comedy of the blackest sorts. It involves condoms with teeth that bite the genitalia off of the patrons of a sleazy New York motel. Detecive Mackeroni starts investigating, but things really begin to heat up when, after losing one of his testicles, the battle against the killer condoms becomes personal. I don't want to give too much away, but let me say that this is the most entertaining and humorous attempt I've ever seen to end homophobia and make a passionate case for homosexual rights. So take that, Angels in America! Tony Kushner wishes he could have been as creative. The movie also features impressive design and special effects work by Jorg Buttgereit (Nekromantik) and H.R. Giger. If this movie does not seem your cup of tea, I strongly suggest you give it a try anyway. It's a shame that Troma released it in the U.S. because it is and deserves to be thought of as better than The Toxic Avenger and Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. Trust me when I say this is an intelligent and thought provoking film, and aside from that its damn silly.
146. Die Mommie, Die! (2003)
Director (Mark Rucker), Screenwriter (Charles Busch), Cinematographer (Kelly Evans), Stars (Charles Busch, Jason Priestly, Natasha Lyonne, Frances Conroy, Philip Baker Hall, Stark Sands)
IMDB Link: Click Here
Review: Charles Busch has for years been a simply off-Broadway phenomenon, but thanks to this film his unique vision is finally being shared with the world. Playing the lead in drag, Busch camps it up like never before, and it's a tour-de-force performance that will leave you speechless at the end. The movie is full of sick jokes from left to right, and I was laughing almost constantly when I saw it. It's an outrageous parody of women's melodramas, playing like Sunset Boulevard on acid. The outrageous plot involves murder, deceit, and lustful affairs, and by the end you'll simply sit back and say, "Thank you, Mr. Busch, for teaching me how to kill someone with a suppository". It is destined to be a cult classic, and deservedly so. Watch it at midnight with a group of gay friends.
posted by Matt at 7:21 PM
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