Comments on a Top 100 Movie List

Just for fun, and as a change of pace from my usual postings, here are my comments on a top one hundred movie list published last year on The Times OnLine.1

100 - Jurassic Park

Right at the start the list tells us it doesn't mean anything remotely serious. The film is fun but come on!!

99 - La Belle et la Bete

I assume they mean the c. 1948 version. A good choice.

98 - My Fair Lady

No Julie Andrews, and a totally cliche ending utterly unfaithful to Shaw's play. Terrible!

97 - Point Break

Pretentious.

96 - Lost in Translation

Vague people doing vague things for what seems like an eternity.

95 - Grand Hotel

A cliche ridden bathic mess redeemed ONLY by Greta Garbo's brilliant performance.

94 - La Haine

Can't comment haven't even heard of it.

93 - Cool Hand Luke

Interesting choice, and a good movie.

92 - A bout de soffle

Another can't comment I haven’t heard of it movie.

91 - Short Cuts

Yuck!

90 - Trainspotting

One of the best films, if the not the best I've seen in the last 20 years.

89 - A Touch of Evil

Good choice.

88 - Wild Strawberries

A great Bergman film but not his best, Where is Fanny and Alexander?

87 - Silence of the Lambs

A good movie but lets face it Anthony Hopkins performance is over the top campyness and the whole movie in retrospect is major silly.

86 - Nosferatu

I assume, and hope, they mean the 1920's silent film classic and not the late 70's remake.

85 - Dog Day Afternoon

Good movie but NOT a top 100.

84 - Festen

Can't comment haven’t heard of it.

83 - Spartacus

A blockbuster crowd pleaser and quite good.

82 - Chungking Express

Boring.

81 - North by Northwest

One of the ultimate Hitchcock films.

80 - Tokyo Story

Pretentious and dull.

79 - Deliverance

Good but in the top 100?

78 - The Lady Eve

Hate it with a passion.

77 - Pather Panchali

So dull!!

76 - From Here To Eternity

The film is iconic but very overrated.

75 - The Good, The Bad the Ugly

Pure sleazy popcorn. The list makes another silly choice.

74 - Rosemary’s Baby

Stunningly dated.

73 - Great Expectations

I assume they mean the late forties version. No I wouldn't put it in any top 100 list.

72 - Days of Heaven

Stunning visuals, but very weak in acting and script. Should NOT be in a top 100 list.

71 - This Is Spinal Tap

The ultimate mock documentary.

70 - The Conversation

A seriously underestimated film. Good choice

69 - Hidden (Cache)

Whatever.

68 - The Maltese Falcon

A vastly overrated "classic".

67 - The Piano

Schmaltzy horror.

66 - Toy Story

Good film but a top 100?

65 - The Thin Blue Line

I assume they mean the documentary , and if so it is a very good movie.

64 - Do The Right Thing

Good film but what is it doing in this list?

63 - On The Waterfront

Another wildly overrated film. Its not a contender.

62 - Taxi Driver

Good choice.

61 - Rashomon

Good choice. Two in a row!

60 - The Crying Game

What is this film doing here?

59 - Pulp Fiction

A pretentious overrated piece of garbage.

58 - Dr Zhivago

Have the people who made this list actually SEEN this movie?

57 - Raging Bull

Good Choice.

56 - Whisky Galore

Can't comment haven’t heard of it.

55 - The Matrix

They are trying to be funny I hope.

54 - Roman Holiday

A piece of light mindless cotton candy. At best a mild diversion.

53 - Mildred Pierce

Yes Joanne Crawford is great but see the Carol Burnett parody Mildred Fierce, for the reason this film cries out to be made fun of.

52 - La Dolce Vita

Interesting choice.

51 - Cabaret

Maybe the best filmed musical ever.

50 - Blade Runner

No particular objection, but if Blade Runner is here why not Forbidden Planet?

49 - High Society

A musical version of The Philadelphia Story, simply inane!!

48 - Shoah

Good Choice, numbing and brilliant.

47 - Fargo

Liked the movie but a top 100?

46 - All About Eve

On this list for reasons of iconic status and camp appeal and not because of the film’s merits.

45 - The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp

Have the compilers of this list seen this movie?

44 - A Streetcar Named Desire

Great play, but sorry can't get over "Stella, Stella!!!", hyperventilated by Marlon Brando.

43 - Terminator 2: Judgement Day

Another reason NOT to take this list the slightest bit seriously.

42 - Blue Velvet

Double Ugh!!

41 - A Star Is Born

I hope they mean the 1930's version and not the execrable 50's or 70's versions.

40 - The Life of Brian

Isn't Monty Python and the Holy Grail better?

39 - The Graduate

Ok I liked this film but in the top 100?!

38 - Rear Window

Another Hitchcock masterwork good choice.

37 - Beau Travail

Pretentious glop.

36 - Jaws

Another reason NOT to take this list seriously.

35 - Withnail and I

Painful and boring to sit through but of much help if you need sleep.

34 - The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

Another popcorn flick; whats it doing here?

33 - One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest

Jack Nicholson plays Jack Nicholson like he will do countless times since. Can't get beyond my Nickolson is really annoying syndrome to judge merits of film.

32 - The Empire Strikes Back

Ok this is a good film and the best of the Star Wars flicks but in the top 100!?

31 - His Girl Friday

A version of the The Front Page, good choice.

30 - Rebel Without a Cause

Overrated flick because of serious icon factor with very overrated James Dean.

29 - Duck Soup

Good Choice.

28 - Gone With The Wind

Should be higher on list.

27 - A Clockwork Orange

Good and interesting choice.

26 - Goodfellas

Another overrated modern "classic".

25 - Picnic at Hanging Rock

Can't comment haven’t heard of it.

24 - The Philadelphia Story

Yes another good choice but were is Bringing up Baby?

23 - Some Like It Hot

I liked this film but in the top 100?

22 - The Breakfast Club

Only in list because compilers saw it when they were teenagers.

21 - The Towering Inferno

This film deservedly is on many worst film lists. It is horrible on so many levels. Whats it doing here when it should be flushed down the toilet with the rest of the shit.

20 - The Wizard of Oz

Good Choice.

19 - The Exorcist

Aside from the yuck factor whats it doing here?

18 - Don’t Look Now

Yuck!!

17 - Annie Hall

After Woody's blow up with Mia I can't bare to watch any film with him in it.

16 - Metropolis

YES! YES!! A truly great film even after its rather horrible mutilation.

15 - Apocalypse Now

Good Choice.

14 - Jungle Book

What Jungle Book? If they mean the late 60's Disney animated flick then I've lost it. The compilers are definitely relieving their childhoods.

13 - 2001 A Space Odyssey

Incomprehensible but brilliant.

12 - Alien

What is this film doing here? Besides Aliens is way better.

11 - The Sound of Music

A piece of saccharine glop frozen in rock candy more accurately called The Sound of Mucus. Has cliches within cliches.

10 - The Godfather

Good choice.

9 - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Eternal boredom of a Tortured Mind would be a better title.

8 - Sunset Boulevard

Good movie but on list mainly for iconic aspects. Other than Gloria Swanson's performance a seriously overrated movie.

7 - Kes

Can't comment haven’t heard of it.

6 - Vertigo

Another great Hitchcock but were is Psycho?

5 - The Shining

This film is A) Crap and B) Jack Nicholson does Jack Nicholson too death and C) Crap.

4 - Chinatown

Good Choice even with Jack Nicholson.

3 - ET The Extraterrestrial

Manipulative, syrupy, saccharine crap of the vilest kind. Compilers are relieving their childhoods again and inflicting this running pustule on us.

2 - There Will Be Blood

Hated it.

1 - Casablanca

OK its a great film, but the best film ever made? Seriously another iconic film that suffers from being incredibly overrated.

One could easly criticize this list for its omissions and what it includes. However, utterly, incredibly it does not include Citizen Kane!

1. Top 100 Films - The Full List from Times OnLine, Here

Pierre Cloutier