27. HIGH NOON
That’s high. Blimey. It’s so close to being a great western, and yet there are so many that are so much better.
By the way, the closer we come to the top, the more banal the commentary gets. Jeff Bridges reminiscing about ruining a take when he was visiting a set.
28. ALL ABOUT EVE
Oh, it’s fun. I won’t get all huffy about it.
29. DOUBLE INDEMNITY
Well, that is sure higher than I would have expected. We all see the same two Wilder films remaining, right? I can’t believe I went for the same four Wilder films as the AFI. Maybe I should have tossed in THE PRIVATE LIFE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES for shits and giggles.
30. APOCALYPSE NOW
Hm. Hmmm. Well, why the hell not. A The only film in history that’s not as good as its making-of documentary.
I think it’s awesome that it nearly doesn’t work at all, but I still get nervous about putting it on lists.
31. THE MALTESE FALCON
Nothing reminds you of why you love adore this movie better than opening on a shot of Sydney Greenstreet. No quibbles.
32. THE GODFATHER, PART II
I think that’s exactly where I ranked it. Although I put good movies higher than it, and we’re starting to run out of those. So I dare not complain. Although for the record: so much better than the first. Seriously
33. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST
One of the great “maybe you had to be there” films of the 1970s. I don’t hate it, by a long shot, but Milos Forman, Jack Nicholson, and the 1970s all did so much better.
But hey, Shyamalan loves it, so I must be wrong!
34. SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS
I remember thinking this was Disney’s masterpiece. I was 8, and seduced by its absence from videotape. I got better.
*****
CBS has a new series about sugar barons. Awesome.
*****
35. ANNIE HALL
The Woodman’s only film. Maybe my favorite, certainly his “best.” It is also way too low. I need to stop saying that. God, it’s smart. I always forget how supernaturally smart that script is. And how much I quote it.
36. THE BRIDGE OF THE RIVER KWAI
First, it’s better than no. 36. Second. It’s not American. Ben Kingsley comes from nowhere to vend his thoughts on war. Watching the clips, I am reminded that Alec Guinness gives one of the finest English language performances ever.
37. THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES
Jesus, I don’t get this movie. It’s about nine years long. Myrna Loy is an incandescent delight, in the only dramatic role I’ve ever seen of hers, but the rest of it is the worst kind of post-war Americana.
38. THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE
It’s Mel Brook’s’ “favorite picture.” I used to love it to bits, until I started to actually get into the “album cuts” of American genre pictures. I think I had it at no. 104, or something.
39. DR. STRANGELOVE
A tiny bit high, but people love it (I would call it Kubrick’s 4th best). Probably the most perfect satire in the American cinema.
Robin Williams [hearts] Peter Sellers. He proves this by doing an awful riff on Seller’s Strangelove accent.
40. THE SOUND OF MUSIC
Oy. I’m a musical lover, mind you. And Oy.
As Debbie Reynolds puts it, this is a masterpiece because it makes you uncritically happy. Good when a Nazi movie can do that to you.
Also, Liza Minelli looks nice without makeup. I’ve been thinking that all night.
41. KING KONG
I have nothing to say against this choice or its ranking
*****
42. BONNIE AND CLYDE
Like BADLANDS or THIEVES LIKE US, only not as interesting. Truly important, though. I thought about including this on mine, but it felt like homework.
43. MIDNIGHT COWBOY
Spike Lee: “A great New York film.” Then they cut to that Nilsson song. This is surely one of the most dated movies of all time. I wouldn’t trust anyone who actually agreed that it was a better film than 1969’s other taboo-buster, THE WILD BUNCH.
Watching the clips: Dustin Hoffman is rocking the “Adam Sandler in PUNCH DRUNK LOVE.” I’d forgotten that.
44. THE PHILADELPHIA STORY
As Julia Roberts notes, Having Hepburn, Stewart and Grant in one place makes this a masterpiece, no matter what else. Then, it has a great screenplay. Good ranking.
45. SHANE
That’s one fantastic ending. No denying that. But this might be the most perpetually-overrated Western in history. You know what wasn’t on the longlist? RIO BRAVO.
46. IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT
Yeah…it’s good. It’s real good. I maybe should have put this on mine. But it’s certainly not better than BRINGING UP BABY.
47. A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
Marlon Brando is not a good actor. God, Jesus, Muhammad and Stanley Kubrick could all tell me I was wrong, and I wouldn’t change my mind. And Kubrick, at any rate, would agree with me.
48. REAR WINDOW
Don’t get me wrong – there’s nothing to dislike here at all. But I do think, and always have, that it’s possibly Hitchcock’s most overrated picture.
49. INTOLERANCE
Much better to see this than the vicious BIRTH OF A NATION. I don’t love it, but its historical importance is unmistakable.
50. THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING So is this the token appearance, or will we see the others? And is it possible to respect, intellectually or morally, anyone who thinks that the films are in the top 50 of all time?
*****
Morgan Freeman says hi. He goes on about about new tech toys, setting up no. 50.
*****
51. WEST SIDE STORY
I remember when I loved this movie. And I still “like” it. Liza Minelli rambles incoherently. Anyway, Then I started getting into Sondheim, and I just kind of find the songs embarrassing for him now. You know what’s going to be awesome? Tim Burton’s SWEENEY TODD.
52. TAXI DRIVER
Here’s why I think this movie is overrated: the ending is a disaster, the violence is over-the-top in a “shock the squares” way and not a “poetically needed” way, and it really would be completely fascist if not for the incredible genius of its director.
53. THE DEER HUNTER
I’ve never seen this. I’m hugely unlikely to. Message movies from the 1970s had a short shelf life.
54. M*A*S*H
Surely to be the highest-ranked Altman. He hated it, you know. He wasn’t “right,” but it’s not even one of his 15 best. I could probably validate that if I wasn’t doing this in realtime.
55. NORTH BY NORTHWEST
Bogdanovich has a mancrush on Cary Grant. God I love this movie. I should have ranked it higher. At least over PSYCHO.
56. JAWS
Clearly, it’s only this low because it’s a popcorn movie and not a) important, b) sentimental. Whatever.
Spielberg relates the story of the broken shark, because somewhere in Montana, somebody didn’t know that.
Spielberg Count: 3
57. ROCKY
My father defends this movie every time I call it drastically overrated. Maybe you had to live through Nixon.
Hey, Shyamalan loves it, so I must be wrong!
58. THE GOLD RUSH
Too low. That’s becoming a rather depressing refrain of mine, isn’t it?
Robin Williams is anti-funny.
59.NASHVILLE
Hot damn! This missed out last time; this is such a better go-round. Ask me if I still think so when STAR WARS hits the top 10.
60. DUCK SOUP
Way too low. But I’m not going to complain.
61. SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS
Meh. It’s surely the only Preston Sturges we’ll see on this list (and any Sturges is much better than 1998’s no Sturges), but it’s also far – really far – even, objectively far – from his best movie.
62. AMERICAN GRAFFITI
Harrison Ford: “warm and generous.” Yeah, it is. I might –might – have put this on my list, in the 90s, if That Bearded Dick hadn’t directed it.