There is no sense in which American Beauty is inferior.
The Warriors is daft as a brush. Mind you, Gangs Of New York might be too. They do look a lot like the Diddymen.
500 Greatest Films Page 11
Hmm, having sat through it again, is The Godfather really the best film ever made, I mean really? I'd say it's worthy of the top ten yes, but not the best, the best needs something extra special imo. The Godfather is just a very well made film, it has no defining brilliance about it. imo. Which leads me to mention, with utter amazement and some disgust, there's no room for Citizen Kane anywhere in that top ten. Eh? 
Or Rear Window!
Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ April 20 2011, 9:14 AM BSTHmm, having sat through it again, is The Godfather really the best film ever made, I mean really? I'd say it's worthy of the top ten yes, but not the best, the best needs something extra special imo. The Godfather is just a very well made film, it has no defining brilliance about it. imo. Which leads me to mention, with utter amazement and some disgust, there's no room for Citizen Kane anywhere in that top ten. Eh?
Rather Godfather than Star Wars.
The Godfather is dull as f**king billyho. Annie Hall has always been my fave fillum.
Empire is a good read but is for film populists. That's okay, but other film guide's best film lists are more filmic and a look a bit more 'correct' as a result. imo yawn.
Quote: john lucas 101 @ April 20 2011, 9:25 AM BSTThe Godfather is dull as f**king billyho.
I don't think it's quite that dull personally, but a tad too dull and drawn out to be best film ever made, certainly.
Quote: john lucas 101 @ April 20 2011, 9:25 AM BSTAnnie Hall has always been my fave fillum.
Second that
Other favourites are Midnight Cowboy,Tootsie,Frankie & Johnny,Gladiator,Withnail & I
Quote: john lucas 101 @ April 20 2011, 9:25 AM BSTThe Godfather is dull as f**king billyho. Annie Hall has always been my fave fillum.
Annie Hall's good but I prefer Bananas, Sleeper and the Russian one.
Love and Death
A truly brilliant film. His early funny/intellectual ones were a genre all of their own.
It's my guess that there probably aren't even 100 truly great films in existence, let alone 500.
I'd mention Network, Remains Of The Day, Electra Glide In Blue and Boogie Nights as worthy of the adjective "great" though.
Plays which were adapted into very good films (which rarely happens, as they usually just come across as plays which have happened to be filmed) - The Dresser, Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? and Glengarry Glen Ross (which features Hollywood journeymen Al Pacino and Jack Lemmon playing opposite sitcom Clone megastar Jonathan Pryce!).
Quote: Tim Walker @ April 20 2011, 11:29 AM BSTIt's my guess that there probably aren't even 100 truly great films in existence, let alone 500.
What about the On The Buses films? That's three for a start.
Quote: john lucas 101 @ April 20 2011, 11:33 AM BSTWhat about the On The Buses films? That's three for a start.
And in my haste I failed to mention the big-screen adaptations of Father, Dear Father and George and Mildred (yes, there was one, go look it up if you don't believe me... think Burton & Taylor took over the roles for that movie as well, IIRC?... brought out the latent sexual tension etc...). Very remiss of me.
Great though is an interesting term isn't it?
I mean can a technically perfect film with no real soul like The Last Emperor trump a flawed masterpiece like In Which we Serve.
or are some films merely great because they are symbolic of great changes in cinema like Gone with the Wind
Quote: Tim Walker @ April 20 2011, 11:29 AM BSTIt's my guess that there probably aren't even 100 truly great films in existence, let alone 500.
I'm sure there are many more than 100 great films, it all depends by what you mean as great. For example, if I was going to make a list of films I thought were 'great' it would feature both Citizen Kane and Anchorman. Even though a lot of people don't like Kane.
Quote: Mick Green @ September 30 2008, 12:55 AM BSTHot Fuzz is awful whilst there is no way that Superbad or School of Rock should be anywhere within that list. However, in addition to voters such as 50 film critics and 150 actors/directors/writers etc, 10,000 Empire readers also voted. Which could explain some of the shocking placings. Top 10 are:
1. The Godfather
2. Raiders Of The Lost Ark
3. The Empire Strikes Back
4. The Shawshank Redemption
5. Jaws
6. Goodfellas
7. Apocalypse Now
8. Singin' In The Rain
9. Pulp Fiction
10. Fight Club
I've always found the love Empire Strikes Back gets pretty perplexing. I mean it's not bad, but let's not get silly.
Not surprised to see a Star Wars film in there, Empire is little more than a glossy product placement marketing sheet for Hollywood studios. They probably vote for Lucas as one for the world's great directors, just ahead of Michael Bay and McG.
On one of the BCG threads someone described Stephen Fry as a thick person's idea of a genius. I see the Shawshank Redemption is on this list- the thick person's idea of a great film.