Hi there blog readers that don’t actually know mine exists…
So I just recently watched a TOP 20 film video blog from one of my favourite sites www.thatguywiththeglasses.com who normally reviews old crap films like Mortal Combat, Batman and Robin, Sidekicks and The Good Son – some of the best reviews I have seen in a while! So imagine my excitement when I see that he was doing a blog about his FAVOURITE films – I mean, if he is so passionate about the films he hates, imagine his favourite films?!?!
Alas, I agreed with only one in his top 20.
Basically, this has inspired me to create my top 20 list. Here it goes…
20. Let the Right One In
This Swedish film is immediately a classic with its tale of friendship and love between total opposite people. Oskar is an outcast of his peers and is constantly bullied by other boys in his class. The mysterious Ellie moves to Oskar’s neighbourhood, and her strange way about her is what attracts Oskar to her. With a icy backdrop, and murders of locals afoot, everything stripped away, this is a beautiful story of friendship.
19. House on Haunted Hill
Vincent Price is fucking cool. No question. The first time and subsequent times I have watched this film, I genuinely get frightened because of the fantastic pace and mood the film sets up. This murder mystery and ghost fest withstands the test of time, unlike the horrible horrible remake with Geoffrey Rush and Famke Jannsen.
18. The Shining
The Shining is Kubric’s finest. His surrealistic approach to a film always fascinates me, and I think his style suits this film to a T. Kids freak me out. Kids in a horror film scare the shit out of me. This film builds up the tension as Jack becomes more and more menacing to this deathly end. You just never know when he is going to snap, and the kid who has the gift of ‘the shining’ doesn’t help in relieving any tension during the film!
17. Les Comperes
I have seen this film in three different languages, and by far, this is the best one. Gerard Depardeau teams up with his usual suspect Pierre Richard in this hilarious story of a runaway teenage son with two possible fathers. After Tristen gets involved with deadbeats and runs away from home, in a bid of desperation, his mother calls two past boyfriends in order to find her son. Little do they know that she is deceiving them by telling each of them that they are his father, and not telling them of each other. Classic.
16. True Romance
This film, in the true sense of the word, is a celebration of cinema. Everything about this film is cool. Christian Slater, cool. Patricia Arquette, cool. Gary Oldman, fucking cool. Val Kilmer as Elvis? COOL! Tarantino pens this beautifully laid out script and Tony Scott breathes it to life. This is one of my favourites, and forever will be.
15. Edward Scissorhands
A fairytale where we follow the poor Edward, who has scissors for hands. Left alone after his inventor dies (played by Vincent Price - did I mention how cool he was?), Edward continues his existance hiding out in a run down mansion situated on a hill above a quaint little town. This soon changes when Peg calls on the house trying to make money by selling Avon (oh Avon). He is soon the townships new toy, and he falls in love with the beautiful Kim. His gentle nature and niavity plays against him, and he is soon outcasted. Johnny Depp plays Edward perfectly, and all other cast are fantastic additions (such as Alan Arkin...great!). The setting is typical Burton, which is a good thing. His obsure shapes and details are amazing. This film beautifully devistating, and I cry everytime I see it.
14. Once
The perfect romantic/musical film, AND its independent. Made with a mere $100,000, we watch Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova do what they love...play music. We follow a street busker in Ireland who meets a single mother from the Czech Republic who bond over music and a broken vaccumn cleaner. As their relationship blossoms, so does their music. The Oscar winning song "Falling Slowly" is performed beautifully in a music store, and manages to draw emotion even when performed in such a non-intimate place. This film effects me in so many ways, thus making number 14 on my list.
13. Psycho
This has always been my favourite Hitchcock piece - and I think that is the same with a lot of people. I just love the nior tone to the film, the dramatic shadows, the odd shapes, the eerienss which is created at the Bates Hotel. Anthony Perkins, who plays the classic character Norman Bates, plays him perfectly. During this time of filmmaking, there are a lot of actors who play 'stiff' (Humphery Bogart anyone?) and he is one of the first who I see relaxed and loose in his delivery. I love him, I love Hitchcock, I love this film.
12. Cool Hand Luke
Paul Newman is the BOMB. Anything he does, I am mesmorised by his charm. He is the very definition of cool. So him playing the character Cool Hand Luke is only fitting. His portrayl of the impulsive loner and undying will is unforgettable. So many memorable scenes in this film, the eggs (!), the prison guard beating up on Luke, his many escape attempts...this film is amazing.
11. East of Eden
My favourite James Dean picture, and it was his very first. Its hard to think what James Dean was in real life, was he anything like Cal? or Jim in Rebel Without a Cause? or Jett in Giant? who knows...but I always get a sense of him putting himself into a role that he tackled. He is one of the founders of 'method acting' and even with only three films under his belt, he died a legend. East of Eden shows the struggle to gain a father's love, and the length a son will go in order to feel loved.
10 - 1 is to come....
