greatest movie ever... how about Vertigo?

[jeremyp]

In all seriousness, great stuff jeremyp... that may be the best bit of analysis of film analysis I've ever read.

Thank you kind sir!

[catson52]

Aaronk:

The book/story "Moon and Sixpence" is a very loose "adaptation" of Gauguin's life, is full of cliches and impossibilities. May or may not have seen the movie version. I agree that one should not judge a movie by the director's name/reputation. But if you not been moved by a single movie by the four directors I listed, you have missed out on a lot. Went through your list of movies more closely and could find very few ( two or so) that were not in English. The rest of the world is not to be considered, and has not really produced any great movies? I am well aware of who the "first" Aaron was - and what has your name or mine for that matter got to do with movie appreciation?

[no one]

aaronk -

Wow - the list is incredible and the amount of time watching movies is massive. Logistically, how did you do this? I did some wuick math and with your 15 deep list in the time periods shown = 900 movies. Just the movies no repeats (per 50x viewing 10 Commandments and surely there had to be others!). I must develop my stamina!!!! very impressive indeed. Watching is one thing recording and retaining data is another. all hail aaronk ... except gh is claiming to know a worthy foe

[odelltrclan]

Only 13 movies on that list made (at least the original versions) after 1970. We need to see a list of these voters and their ages. It reminds me of all the baseball old timers who reminisce about how great the 40's, 50's & 60's were. To some of these guys the current era players could never stand up to their memories of what was. Is it because their own lives were more exciting to them then and these movies elicit fond memories of the past?

I just find it too unfathomable that the industry reached its creative peak 50 years ago and has been going downhill since.

Some of these movies might be good, some maybe even great, but I bet the vast majority are best used for treating insomnia on a late night.

[Marlow]

Thanks for the compliment!!
Be interesting to compare your top 10's to my top 15's (from the past 20 years).

That would only reveal what pedestrian taste I have in the movies I enjoy. On the hand, a have another list of great films I admire as cinematic art, but even that one has The Dark Knight (HL as The Joker) near the top, for which I was roundly booed here, so there ya go!

But . . . here's ten of the best (all are in my Top 20) in no particular order (except #1):

1. Apocalyse Now
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Blade Runner
The Exorcist
Sophie’s Choice
Memento
Alien
To Kill a Mockingbird
Clockwork Orange
Silence of the Lambs

[Pego]

Of the movies made 2000 or later that I truly enjoyed, three come to mind. Chocolat, Goya's ghosts and on the silly side Dudley-do-right (well, I checked and Dudley was made in 1999 ).

[tandfman]

I have said this before on other threads, but at or near the top of my list of great movies would be Jules Dassin's "He Who Must Die". Here's the NY Times review when it was released. (Access may require registration.)

http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review? ... 8383649EDE

[Pego]

I have said this before on other threads, but at or near the top of my list of great movies would be Jules Dassin's "He Who Must Die". Here's the NY Times review when it was released. (Access may require registration.)

http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review? ... 8383649EDE

I saw it shortly after its release. In my humble opinion, this is one of those few movies that are better than the book (Kazantzakis btw, the author of Zorba the Greek among others).

[Marlow]

one of those few movies that are better than the book

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Next was a great book, better movie. Surprisingly, so was Deliverance.

[Conor Dary]

I have said this before on other threads, but at or near the top of my list of great movies would be Jules Dassin's "He Who Must Die". Here's the NY Times review when it was released. (Access may require registration.)

http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review? ... 8383649EDE

Yes, Jules Dassin. His Rififi, one of the great crime films.