Prioritize my viewing

[dreamdead]

So as the year begins its slow wrap-up, I want to be able to prioritize my winter break with Slant’s to-be-finished-tomorrow top 100 of the 1990s (http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/feature/the-100-best-films-of-the-1990s/334).

Below is what I haven’t seen. Identify the five films that you believe are essential viewing:

100. Side/Walk/Shuttle.
97. Santa Sangre
95. Drifting Clouds
93. Babe: Pig in the City
91. The Addiction
88. La Cérémonie
86. Spiritual Voices
85. Abraham's Valley
84. Gremlins 2: The New Batch
81. Central Park
79. Conspirators of Pleasure
78. La Belle Noiseuse
70. The White Balloon
68. The Last Bolshevik
61. White Hunter, Black Heart
60. Goodbye South, Goodbye
59. Vive L'Amour
57. Paris Is Burning
51. The Puppetmaster
50. Life, and Nothing More
45. From the East
44. Histoire(s) du Cinéma
42. The Lovers on the Bridge
37. Bitter Moon
26. Through the Olive Trees
25. Mother and Son
21. A Moment of Innocence
11. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me
8. Underground
6. Sátántangó
4. A Brighter Summer Day

If this thread mutates into analysis and assessment of Slant's list, that's fine as well.

[Kurosawa Fan]

The only two I can promote are Le Ceremonie and Gremlins 2, but both are fantastic.

[Winston*]

Babe Pig in the City and La Belle Noiseuse. Double Feature.

[elixir]

60. Goodbye South, Goodbye
59. Vive L'Amour
44. Histoire(s) du Cinéma
42. The Lovers on the Bridge
26. Through the Olive Trees [you really should watch the trilogy in order though]

There's more than a few I need to see, but these are definitely worth watching.

[Watashi]

Bah. I was a planning a similar thread but I was waiting for Slant to finish the list. Go to hell dreamdead. :)

[Thirdmango]

the nice thing about babe and gremlins is they're easy to watch.

[NickGlass]

These make a brilliantly eclectic threesome:

84. Gremlins 2: The New Batch
57. Paris Is Burning
42. The Lovers on the Bridge

[dreamdead]

Bah. I was a planning a similar thread but I was waiting for Slant to finish the list. Go to hell dreamdead. :)

I think my thread title could be amended for discussion of the full Slant list tomorrow, which would make my one-upping you less dickish. :)

Hell, I'm surprised that Assayas only has one film currently listed, and that there's none of Rohmer's yet. (I thought that A Tale of Winter was lauded in critical circles).

And feel free to post your set tomorrow. I just needed a diversion from grading essays and thought posting this thread a day early could allow for profitable diversion.

[Sven]

My time away from Slant has really diluted my taste for their writing style.

Anyway, definitely get around to Gremlins 2.

[Russ]

Santa Sangre
Conspirators of Pleasure

These are well worth your attention. Esp. Jodorowsky, but the Svankmajer film is awfully good too.

[Gizmo]

The only 2 I've seen from that list are Babe and Gremlins, so those...

[Qrazy]

Out of the nine or so I've seen on there The White Balloon is the only must see.

edits for your edit:

1. Satantango
2. Underground
3. The White Balloon

[Boner M]

97. Santa Sangre
95. Drifting Clouds
93. Babe: Pig in the City
91. The Addiction
88. La Cérémonie
84. Gremlins 2: The New Batch
78. La Belle Noiseuse
70. The White Balloon
60. Goodbye South, Goodbye
57. Paris Is Burning
44. Histoire(s) du Cinéma
42. The Lovers on the Bridge
26. Through the Olive Trees
25. Mother and Son
These are what I've seen. All are excellent, save for Santa Sangre and Goodbye South, Goodbye which are merely good (need to see the latter again though). I'd prioritise Chabrol, Dante and Carax.

[soitgoes...]

78. La Belle Noiseuse
50. Life, and Nothing More
44. Histoire(s) du Cinéma

These.

[Spinal]

97. Santa Sangre
84. Gremlins 2: The New Batch

Hmmm ... haven't seen a whole lot of these.

I'm not a fan of Bitter Moon or Babe 2.

[Watashi]

Slant sure loves their slowburning Asian cinema.

[Winston*]

My time away from Slant has really diluted my taste for their writing style.


The Babe: Pig in the City entry misuses both 'quixotic' and 'Homeric'.

[Boner M]

The worst is this excerpt from the Fight Club writeup:


It also contains the risibly disingenuous scene where flawlessly chiseled Brad Pitt scoffs at media depictions of fashionable masculinity.
:frustrated:

[TripZone]

88. La Cérémonie
85. Abraham's Valley
84. Gremlins 2: The New Batch
59. Vive L'Amour
57. Paris Is Burning
51. The Puppetmaster
50. Life, and Nothing More
26. Through the Olive Trees
.

[Winston*]

The worst is this excerpt from the Fight Club writeup:


:frustrated:

"The lynchpin of David Lynch's transition to full-bore, intensely intangible abstraction..."

[TripZone]

shudder

[B-side]

100. Side/Walk/Shuttle.
97. Santa Sangre
91. The Addiction
50. Life, and Nothing More
26. Through the Olive Trees
25. Mother and Son

Only seen these 6. The bottom 5 are well worth your attention. The top one isn't bad either.

[Derek]

70. The White Balloon
60. Goodbye South, Goodbye
44. Histoire(s) du Cinéma
26. Through the Olive Trees (but watch the first 2 in the trilogy beforehand)
25. Mother and Son

My favorite 5 of the ones you've listed.

[transmogrifier]

The worst is this excerpt from the Fight Club writeup:


:frustrated:

Like many people, evidence that the reviewer simply has no idea what the film is trying to do.

"Oh, how can you cast Brad Pitt and then criticize media depiction of masculinity? Nonsense!"
"Uh, Brad Pitt is playing a figment of someone's imagination, the manifestation of what that person holds up as the ideal form of modern masculinity, and as such it is pitch perfect casting"
"NONSENSE, I say!"

[dreamdead]

Edited in the last few films from the thread's conclusion today. Still working through the second season of Twin Peaks, so I'll get to the film at some point next year.

I feel like I need to view Eyes Wide Shut again since I remember appreciating it, but perhaps not to this degree. Showgirls' placement makes me giddily happy, but they're still likely overrating it. And Underground looks quite fascinating even though I can't remember too many people here talking about it. Lastly, I love the Malick choice as number one, though that makes me question which film of his is his "masterpiece"...

[Derek]

Edited in the last few films from the thread's conclusion today. Still working through the second season of Twin Peaks, so I'll get to the film at some point next year.

I feel like I need to view Eyes Wide Shut again since I remember appreciating it, but perhaps not to this degree. Showgirls' placement makes me giddily happy, but they're still likely overrating it. And Underground looks quite fascinating even though I can't remember too many people here talking about it. Lastly, I love the Malick choice as number one, though that makes me question which film of his is his "masterpiece"...

I somehow missed Underground on your list. An absolute masterpiece - hilarious, disturbing and tragic. Definitely one of the best films of the 90s.

[kopello]

Set aside a rainy, depressing Saturday and watch Sátántangó.

[soitgoes...]

A Brighter Summer Day is the best film of the bunch, but the only transfer out there is awful, so it might be best to wait for a proper transfer whenever that might be.

[Spinal]

Crash and Taste of Cherry in the top 10? Oh, Slant, you are silly.

[DavidSeven]

Showgirls and Starship Troopers in the top 20.

K.

[B-side]

Crash and Taste of Cherry in the top 10? Oh, Slant, you are silly.

Really? You're picking on those two films -- which are both great, btw -- out of that entire list?:|

[Boner M]

Forget it B-Side, it's Spinaltown.

[Spinal]

Really? You're picking on those two films -- which are both great, btw -- out of that entire list?:|

I only read the top 10.

[Qrazy]

Crash is an utter piece of shit. Taste of Cherry I like.

[Bosco B Thug]

97. Santa Sangre
84. Gremlins 2: The New Batch
78. La Belle Noiseuse
44. Histoire(s) du Cinéma
42. The Lovers on the Bridge
6. Sátántangó Histoire(s) is the only one I feel effusively about. But you can't ignore Satantango, it's Satantango. Santa Sangre is the least of these films.


Showgirls and Starship Troopers in the top 20.

K. Seriously. Chuck out those Kiarostamis (and the Tarr) and make some Top 10 room!

[Russ]

I don't understand the lack of love for Santa Sangre (not just you Bosco, but throughout the thread). I simply refuse to accept the notion that it's a lesser film than Gremlins 2: The New Batch.

I mean, c'mon. Really?

[Bosco B Thug]

I don't understand the lack of love for Santa Sangre (not just you Bosco, but throughout the thread). I simply refuse to accept the notion that it's a lesser film than Gremlins 2: The New Batch.

I mean, c'mon. Really? It's been years since I've seen Gremlins 2. I support that people support it, though. But I've never gotten the love for Santa Sangre. The Holy Mountain seems more up my alley, though I only caught the opening 15 minutes of that.

[TripZone]

Sante Sangre sucks balls. Gremlins 2, masterpiece.

Eww Crash/Taste of Cherry/Showgirls/Starship Troopers. WHAT SHIT

god this place is the fucking worst

[Russ]

* YAWN *

Trolls make me sleepy

[transmogrifier]

I don't understand the lack of love for Santa Sangre (not just you Bosco, but throughout the thread). I simply refuse to accept the notion that it's a lesser film than Gremlins 2: The New Batch.

I mean, c'mon. Really?

I don't know, is there something inherent to gremlins as a subject matter that precludes them from being taken seriously when compared to any other random movie?

I'm seriously asking, because I haven't seen Santa Sangre, but I wonder what rule we are operating by as movie fans where we can simply look at the premise and establish the entire worth of a film. I think this is the crux of that ridiculous best/favourite distinction that some people like to make; that somewhere, somehow, some have decided that certain content and approaches to that content are inherently, objectively better, almost independent of execution.

[Dead & Messed Up]

The thing that makes me happy here is that we all recognize how wonderful Gremlins 2 is.

[Bosco B Thug]

I don't know, is there something inherent to gremlins as a subject matter that precludes them from being taken seriously when compared to any other random movie?

I'm seriously asking, because I haven't seen Santa Sangre, but I wonder what rule we are operating by as movie fans where we can simply look at the premise and establish the entire worth of a film. I think this is the crux of that ridiculous best/favourite distinction that some people like to make; that somewhere, somehow, some have decided that certain content and approaches to that content are inherently, objectively better, almost independent of execution. Well, there's that. Then there's execution, or the filmmaker, as you mention. But pursuing your question, there's then the idea of "seriousness as art." Santa Sangre is a serious-minded flick with grand aesthetic ambitions, and for that reason, I don't rate it down without a good fight. Gremlins 2 doesn't quite have that advantage (ostensibly).

[Russ]

I'm seriously asking, because I haven't seen Santa Sangre, but I wonder what rule we are operating by as movie fans where we can simply look at the premise and establish the entire worth of a film. I think this is the crux of that ridiculous best/favourite distinction that some people like to make; that somewhere, somehow, some have decided that certain content and approaches to that content are inherently, objectively better, almost independent of execution.
No rule, really. And I'm not suggesting that people make value judgments based solely on a film's premise. I'm talking about the film's content. I found Gremlins 2 to be an exercise in familiarity and, frankly, little more than an excuse to find inventive ways for Gremlins to raise hell for an hour and forty minutes. The film quickly devolves into a fast-moving sequence of gags, some funny, some inspired, some neither. Just not enough meat on those bones to keep my interest for very long. I prefer the original by a pretty wide margin.

On the other hand, I found Santa Sangre to be intelligent, well-told, thoroughly entertaining and full of surprises. I think it's Jodorowsky's most successful attempt at wrapping his disparate influences (ie, religion, pantomime, the circus) into what is essentially a genre film in the form of a psychological thriller, but with the usual surreal and grotesque trimmings. It's suspenseful use of a doppelganger is the best of its kind since Psycho. The art direction, color scheme, costumes, etc are all superb. All that, and then on top of it, to have a scene in the middle of the film as touching as the elephant's funeral procession was, well it was just an example of bravura filmmaking. Much prefer this one to the Gremlins sequel, but hey, to each their own.

[transmogrifier]

My mistake. I assumed you were talking from a theoretical stance, having not seen Gremlins 2. But since you have, just ignore my query.

Though liking the original more raises more unsettling questions.

[Russ]

Though liking the original more raises more unsettling questions.
:) Touché.

[Pop Trash]

Based on the two films of his I've seen, Kiarostami might get my vote for most overrated living filmmaker (at least of the swoony film festival variety). I'm totally on Team Ebert about Taste of Cherry. Along with Identity, it probably has the stupidest ending to an otherwise decent (if visually uncompelling) film I can think of. Apparently even Kiarostami rightfully second guessed that choice and lopped it off for the Italian release.

And speaking of Jordorowsky, he did it before and better with the ending of The Holy Mountain, which made much more contextual thematic sense. And we're talking about fuckin' Jordorowsky here. Making sense isn't exactly his forte.

That said, I would like to see Close-Up but I'll keep my expectations in check.

[Qrazy]

Based on the two films of his I've seen, Kiarostami might get my vote for most overrated living filmmaker (at least of the swoony film festival variety). I'm totally on Team Ebert about Taste of Cherry. Along with Identity, it probably has the stupidest ending to an otherwise decent (if visually uncompelling) film I can think of. Apparently even Kiarostami rightfully second guessed that choice and lopped it off for the Italian release.

And speaking of Jordorowsky, he did it before and better with the ending of The Holy Mountain, which made much more contextual thematic sense. And we're talking about fuckin' Jordorowsky here. Making sense isn't exactly his forte.

That said, I would like to see Close-Up but I'll keep my expectations in check.

Close-up is not that great. It's placement on sight and sound's list baffles me. Which ending are you referring to? The filmmakers milling around?

[Pop Trash]

Close-up is not that great. It's placement on sight and sound's list baffles me. Which ending are you referring to? The filmmakers milling around?

Right, the behind-the-scenes footage. It's just a weird movie to have that kind of thing in. It would be like if Umberto D had some goofy blooper reel at the end.

[Qrazy]

Right, the behind-the-scenes footage. It's just a weird movie to have that kind of thing in. It would be like if Umberto D had some goofy blooper reel at the end.

I think it makes sense, affirmation of life and what not but yeah I agree with you that the film would be better off without it.

It's an Iranian New Wave thing though. They're all obsessed with revealing the fictional aspect of their filmmaking. They take Brecht way too much to heart.

[soitgoes...]

Based on the two films of his I've seen, Kiarostami might get my vote for most overrated living filmmaker (at least of the swoony film festival variety).You should probably watch some of his good Iranian films (of which there are many, and of which Taste of Cherry is not a part) before passing judgment.

[Pop Trash]

You should probably watch some of his good Iranian films (of which there are many, and of which Taste of Cherry is not a part) before passing judgment.

But...but...it's one of the top ten films of the 90s! Slant said so!

[B-side]

Taste of Cherry is great. Kiarostami is excellent. You guys are awful.

[Russ]

Taste of Cherry is great. Kiarostami is excellent. You guys are awful.
I'm Russ and I approve this message.

[B-side]

I'm Russ and I approve this message.

http://i814.photobucket.com/albums/zz70/SalvadorDali_2010/mfw/cainsmile.gif

[dreamdead]

So as an introduction into Carax's cinema style, The Lovers on the Bridge was a dandy. Love the bridge dance, the water-ski interlude, the meeting in the snow, and the romantic and affirming finale. These sequences really anchor the film, since some of the nihilism and absurdities (drowning and self-inflicted gunshots) don't have the same emotional heft. But man, those smiles in the boat at the end... killer.

Very intrigued to see Mauvais Sang now, and super-bummed that we'll be back in Chicagoland when Holy Motors actually plays in Tulsa.