Link to Someone New: Top 100 Movies Edition

A quick note: after a promising start, the screenshot game has stalled a bit. Alex posted a screenshot (update: new screenshot posted, and we have a winner!), but I have no idea what it is, and apparently neither do his readers. If you’ve got a keen cinematic eye, go check it out and see if you can answer it (if you get it right, you get to host the next round!) When I started the game, I was a little worried that something like this would happen. One of the perils of trying to start a meme on a low traffic blog, I guess. That’s why my screenshot was so easy. I bet this could take off if it ever hits a reasonably high traffic blog.

In any case, it’s time to make another attempt at escaping the echo chamber of blog reading that I’ve constructed around myself by linking to people I’ve never linked to before. The theme here is Top 100 movie lists.

  • Edward Copeland’s Top 100: Inspired by the recently revised AFI list, Copeland tries his hand at putting together a top 100. Excellent work, complete with screenshots and even goes the extra mile by putting a description for each film. Excellent.
  • Damian’s Top 100: Another top 100 list, also inspired by AFI and others like Ed Copeland. A very good list.
  • Lazy Eye Theater: My Hundred: Another great list and contains a lot of films that you probably wouldn’t find on other lists (though several will definitely be on my list).

Also worth noting is James Berardinelli’s All-Time Top 100, but I’ve linked him before. Compiling a top 100 list is a daunting task. I think I’ll give it a shot, but reading lists like these always makes me realize how many of the “great films” I haven’t seen. I’ve seen enough movies that I think I can put together a decent Top 100 list, but I’ve got a lot of backfilling to do if I want it to be as authoritative as some of these other lists…

The other challenge is how subjective to be. There are a lot of incredible films in terms of film techniques or innovation, but do they really belong on my list? Citizen Kane is an incredible film, and on any objective list, it should probably be somewhere near the top. But should it be on my list? I recognize the greatness of the film, and I got into it while watching it, but in the end, I didn’t really connect with it the way I do with some of the films that will be at the top of my list. On the other end of the spectrum, I have an inexpicable love for Phantasm. While undeniably creepy at times, it’s also a pretty bad film. Should either of those films be on my list? Who knows? Maybe filling up 100 slots will be harder than it seems, but I have a feeling that I’m going to have lots of honorable mentions…

I doubt I’ll be able to compile a good list by Sunday, but you never know. Maybe I should start with the cinecast confessions list: Movies I Can’t Believe I’ve Never Seen.