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Oct 23, 2008

Top 50 films

I've been sitting on this post for what feels like three years, only that's not possible, as this blog has only been in existence for 22 months or so. Really, I probably started it when Nayana of The Center Seat posted her Top 100 back in April, which was followed by a number of other people leaching onto the idea and posting theirs in the few weeks thereafter. As with fashion (and music, sometimes), I never set trends and I never like being in that group of followers immediately when something is popular; heck, I didn't even launch a MySpace page until a year ago or so, and I still have yet to join Facebook.

I like to do these things on my own time, when they've been around long enough to not be labeled as fads that fade away quickly (Kris Kross, anyone?). Of course, all that really has nothing to do with listing my Top 50 movies, as that's neither a trend nor a fad; people have been doing them for years and they're not exactly unique. Still, I just wanted to give you (and me) a good excuse for why it took me six months to post this. I feel better, anyway.

I put these down in chunks of ten. For whatever reason, I found it much easier to rank and file them that way, allowing me to write off each ten as "complete" before moving on. As it stands, they're probably not 100% in perfect numerical order (heck, some are grouped together just based on what they are - I'm looking at you, Star Wars films), but as a person who has a hard time deciding favorites, the groups should suffice. On the whole, it's safe to say that I prefer a film in the second group over a film in the third, but there could certainly be some debate if I were to really break if down on a case-by-case basis.

It should be noted (and somewhat obvious, but you never know) that these are my favorite films, not necessarily the best of all time. In other words, they're my "Desert Island 50," or whatever that fad was for labeling your favorites...

Pulp Fiction
Fight Club
Fletch
The Princess Bride
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
True Romance
12 Monkeys
Amelie
Run Lola Run

The Big Lebowski
Star Wars
The Empire Strikes Back
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Go
Get Shorty
Out of Sight
Rushmore
The Royal Tenenbaums
Office Space

The Matrix
Trainspotting
The Shawshank Redemption
Boogie Nights
Swingers
Se7en
Snatch
Dazed and Confused
Batman
Die Hard

Ocean's Eleven
Memento
Fargo
Idiocracy
Dumb and Dumber
Top Gun
Roadhouse
Last of the Mohicans
Dead Poets Society
The Goonies

Caddyshack
The Jerk
The Usual Suspects
Code 46
Jackie Brown
Back to the Future
Being John Malkovich
Predator
Point Break
Garden State

At this point, you should totally copy me and do a post just like this, linking back to me and my totally original idea. Everyone's doing it...


28 people have chosen wisely: on "Top 50 films"

Jess said...

You. Are. Such. A. Boy. Great list! I'll get around to mine soon and you'll see a Girl's List. (Not to say many of these wouldn't be on my list too, but many would not).

Rachel said...

14 of your Top 50 are somewhere in my Top 100. Pretty cool. I need revamp mine though.

Ryan McNeil said...

Nine of your fifty are in my fifty...many more in my hundred.

I'm so totally doing this!

Anonymous said...

Is it just me, or is there only 49 movies on this list?

Thanks for showing some love to Idiocracy, that movie rocked.

I've seen 39 of these, I'll have to check out the rest.

Anonymous said...

Not Surprisingly, I have seen and like 47 of your top 49 (I counted them 3 times). I'm sure we watched 40 or so together during our numerous years of co-habitation. Bet you can guess the 2 I haven't seen.

Fox said...

You have guts of steel for doing this. I one day want to do a 100 with Movies and Albums, but who knows if that day will ever come. But you've motivated me by doing this, so who knows!

... but I better not do it for awhile b/c people will say I'm ripping you off...

Fletch said...

Jess - I should hope I am a boy. ;) C'mon, though - it's not like it's filled with the likes of The Rock or Armageddon. Sure, I've got a couple great action classics like Predator and Top Gun, but I think it could be a HECK of a lot worse in that regard.

Rachel/Hatter - I'm surprised your lists are so much different than mine. Feel free to post a link to yours (if it's available) to save me (and anyone else) the time to search for them. :D

Blake - yep, I'm a tard. There were 49, there are now 50.

And hell yeah on Idiocracy. It's probably the most recent movie on here. There are some others recentish flicks that might crack it soon, but I like to wait a few years before giving my final final verdict on a movie. Some fall out of favor, some grow on me the more times I see them (see, Roadhouse). Shit, Bloodspot could be on here for the sheer joy it's brought me over the years.

Other recent flicks that might eventually push others out: The Dark Knight (of course), Batman Begins, Persepolis, Wall*E, Paris Je t'aime...

Buffett - So you're saying you like all of the ones listed that you've seen? No wonder I like you. I'm surprised there aren't at least a couple that you're "meh" on. And I know exactly which two you haven't seen (I think): Code 46 and Amelie. Of course, I own both and you should (of course) watch both.

Fox - guts of steel? Nah. I'm sure the haters will be down on my lack of "oldies," but that's nothing new. Shit, I think there's only two movies from pre-1980 on here, but I ain't apologizing.

Surprisingly, I think I'd have an even harder time listing off my favorite albums. Taste (or rather, love) for movies certainly fluctuates, but not NEARLY as much as it does for music. I like to think I'm not someone who plays something that they love into the ground and then discards it, but I kinda do. My favoritist (sic) album from two years ago probably wouldn't crack my current top 10. Sure, some are old standbys, but I wouldn't even know where to rank them, and lots of stuff I listened to religiously 15 years ago I have trouble listening to now I'm so sick of them (Pearl Jam, for example). Too hard.

Anonymous said...

Since I haven´t gotten around to do a 50 island list, I counted from 9 up to 12 movies in common. I Feel the Force by the way.

IIRC, I don´t see any (I am pretty sure the Jerk is from the early 80´s, I could be mistaken) movie from the late 60 early 70, like Planet of the Apes, Silent Running, Solyent Green, Logan´s Run (it will be mine, it will be mine) which are definitley top 50 for me. No love for that kind of cinema Fletch?

Unknown said...

Nice to see you givin' some love to the likes of FLETCH (duh!), CADDYSHACK, and THE JERK... what? no love for STRIPES or THE BLUES BROTHERS? ; )

Nice to see MEMENTO on there. I love that film.

Jason Soto said...

Dang I was gonna do a top 49 until you changed it.

I'd be driving myself nuts coming up with 50, plus I might have to do two lists, 50 good 50 bad...if I can come up with that many bad. If not then I'll combine them and make a weird hybrid list.

Geez I'm a complicated person.
-Jason

Wendymoon said...

OK, you talked me into doing my own top 50 list. We have a few picks in common, though I tend to prefer classic movies.

Here's my favorites: http://moviewings.blogspot.com/2008/10/my-top-50-film-favorites.html

PIPER said...

Good to see Roadhouse in the mix. I do so love that movie.

JOSEPH CAMPANELLA said...

I could never do this. Making any sort of list involving film proves impossible for me.

And if I did, I would never be happy with said list, because I'd be thinking of all the great films I've left off!

I'm a horrible critic.

Fletch said...

Wampa - you've been around here long enough to know that I don't dig the "classics." And by the way, though I appreciate the effort, Logan's is pretty damned awful.

J.D. - I'm not a BB fan, but Stripes would likely make my Top 100.

Jason - as you can tell, I merged the two, though I'm sure your "bad" movies would make fun of my bad movies all day long. ;)

Wendy - yep, just saw your list. More comments there. Thanks for stopping by!

Pain don't hurt, Piper.

Joseph - I can't pick one. As I've stated before, if asked to, I can name a few (the top three here). Naming fifty is tough, but if you try to do it like I did, in groups, I think you'd find it easier than you think.

Though Wendy's list showed me that I forgot a favorite of mine, and I'm sure I'll see others in the near future (and on others' list) that do the same. I'll just add them to a post titled "The Next 50" and go from there...

Anonymous said...

Yep that's what I'm saying, and now it's 48 of 50, with the addition of Garden State. You, of course, guessed the 2 I haven't seen. 5 of the 48 wouldn't be in my own top 50, but I still like them. You can probably guess those too.

Tony Tanti said...

Pretty good list, a lot of pop movies but good ones for sure.

Point Break is a stretch at best unless we're talking about our favorite movies when we were too young to notice terrible acting.

I love that you have Princess Bride on here though. That is a fantastic comedy.

Fletch said...

Buffett - I'm not gonna try to guess those five. I probably could do pretty well, but it'd be a lot easier if you were to just tell me.

Tony - you know, there's a reason those movies are "pop." Lots of people like them. ;)

I make no apologies for Point Break. In fact, I don't even like it when people call it a guilty pleasure; I think it's straight up one of the best action movies of the last 30 years. Keanu is Keanu - I wouldn't know Point Break for his presence any more than I would for The Matrix.

Now, Roadhouse on the other hand...that's a straight-up guilty pleasure.

Nick said...

I've posted up my Top 50, as well, if you'd like to check it out. Man, was it difficult...

Friend Mouse said...

That was way harder than it should have been. And I just know I've forgotten some ...

Linda said...

My list is up, a fun exercise!

Anonymous said...

Wow those are huge list..I'll going to make one also..though there are many movies running through my head right now..which is hard for me to cut it down to fifty..:)

elgringo said...

I'm working on mine right now!
Also, apparently I have to see Code 46.

Fletch said...

Nick, Linda, FM - I've checked up with all of yours. Thanks for playing!

Elgringo - I'm sure I'll see yours when its up as well.

As for Code 46, it's a movie that snuck up on me (and Mrs. Fletch). It takes place in the near future but has some really cool ideas. I LOVE what it does with language, and I'm a big fan of both Tim Robbins and Samantha Morton. I haven't seen much of his work, but it's done by Michael Winterbottom, if that means anything to you.

Sheamus the... said...

I agree with most everything on here EXCEPT...

Out of Sight
Idiocracy
Top Gun

I am not a big fan of these 3, but thats like my opinion man...

On my list would definitely be...

Predator, Dumb and Dumber, Memento, Die Hard, Trainspotting, Shawshank, Raiders, Empire SB, Run Lola, 12 Monkeys, and of course... Fight Club.

A good list man...

Fletch said...

Shea - I can understand the lack of love for Top Gun, and even for Idiocracy, but I'm surprised you don't care for Out of Sight. Great cast, great music, cinematography, writing - it's the complete package, and I'm a sucker for Leonard adaptations.

Nevertheless, you have impeccable taste. ;)

PIPER said...

I'll second the love for Out Of Sight. It's one of my top 10. Maybe Top 5. It's a flawless film in my eyes.

Daniel said...

"I never like being in that group of followers immediately when something is popular"

Did I write that? :-)

Amazing how similar our taste is in movies. Mine might include a handful of additional foreign and docs, but otherwise very, very similar.

Fletch said...

You are wise, Evil Clown. I knew this before, but know I knew it even moreso. I, sadly, am not wise.

"Mine might include a handful of additional foreign and docs, but otherwise very, very similar."

I would be shocked if yours didn't, Daniel. I'd be interested to see your list sometime, for sure...and to catch the ones on it that I hadn't seen.