Defend Your Darlings, You Sad Pandas! (The Lists Project)

[GringoTex]

27. Winter Solstice (Frampton) [not listed in IMDB]
Part of Hollis Frampton's Magellan cycle: abstract images of molten metal in a steel foundry.

28. Moses and Aaron (Straub/Huillet)
As defended by Denti above. An austere staging of an austere opera. S & H impose the discipline of early cinema upon themselves, and generally impress. Wish there were more on DVD.

What's funny is that I had Frampton's Nostalgia and Straub/Hullet's From the Clouds to the Resistance back to back on my list.

[Scharphedin2]

I had a lot of films that did not make the 100 list this time, but it looks like the same is true for most people, and a natural result of the high number of participants.

Below are my also-rans and orphans from the first half of my list:

1.The Powers of Ten (Eames, 1977) – My decision to place this film at the top of my list was a fairly arbitrary decision. If nothing else, this film was probably the most unusual on my list, and it is the crown jewel amongst Ray and Charles Eames’ many short films. The film took a decade to create, and in its visual representation of relative size and distance in the universe, it also encapsulates the love affair that this couple had with the world and everything in it; their constant quest to understand and express this understanding in their work, whether in the creation of toys, furniture, architectural constructions, or films. I can think of no other people, whose total lives’ work impresses me more than that of Ray and Charles Eames.

4. Dersu Uzala (Kurosawa, 1975) – I am still thinking that I must simply have overlooked this film on the lists posted by zedz, because I find it almost unbelievable that I should be alone in admiring this wonderful Kurosawa film. It is the simple depiction of a friendship between two men of completely different worlds – a Russian army Captain and a diminutive Mongolian hunter. At its heart, the film is not optimistic about the human condition, and yet it is a truly heart-warming depiction of friendship, shot on location in the majestic landscape of Siberia, and with a very good score by Toru Takemitsu. My private love affair with this particular film goes back to a cinema screening a long, long time ago that I saw with my parents; needless to say, no laserdisc/dvd release has managed to completely re-capture that experience.

12. 21 Up (Apted, 1977) – It was tempting for me to place this film even higher, simply because I would like to pay homage to the total “Up Series.” However, zedz did put things in perspective with his post on this particular installment some weeks ago. As a stand alone documentary, this one is not the most fascinating of the series, but I still cannot recommend the entire enterprise highly enough.

13. Coup D’Etat (Yoshishige, 1973) – Yoshishige has clearly become a forum favorite amongst those few who have had a chance to see his films. Hopefully, by the next round of lists, that opportunity will have opened to everyone with the inclination to see these films. All said and done, this film, along with Eros Plus Massacre, and Akio Jissoji’s Mujo have been the greatest cinematic Wow-experiences for me in the past year.

14. We Throw Our Lives Away For Nothing (Kobayashi, 1971) – I have already recommended/defended this film in the ‘70s discussion thread. It is another excellent Japanese film that is not available commercially. Anyone, who has seen and liked any of the readily available films by this director, will probably understand my excitement about this film.

19. The American Friend (Wenders, 1977) – A very early “serious” film experience for me, and, together with Paris, Texas, the first Wenders films that I saw, this remains a big favorite. A great thriller with tons of atmosphere, and the friendship between Ganz and Hopper is beautifully realised. The film has a lot of the “travelling” charm and world weariness of the earlier road films, and a strong story carrying it all. The appearance of Nicholas Ray and Samuel Fuller in small parts seals the deal for me.

20. Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (Peckinpah, 1973) – As mentioned by other posters, Peckinpah made at least a handful of very good films in the seventies. However, for me this film sums up what this director was all about, especially that wonderful elegiac sequence in which Katy Jurado and Slim Pickens aid Garrett in cleaning out a den of outlaws.

24. Im Lauf der Zeit (Wenders, 1976) – Seeing this film only recently, I felt that I finally saw the blueprint from which just about every one of his films that I have seen by Wenders up to Until the End of the World was based. This is another beautiful depiction of a friendship, and the journey Wenders takes us on from old cinema theatre to old cinema theatre down the border of then-Eastern Germany is a wonderful document of “worlds” that are no more. The film is bookended by some splendid reminiscences about silent cinema and Fritz Lang.

26. Cadaveri Eccelenti (Rosi, 1976) – Rosi’s world is another fairly recent discovery for me, and one that is unfortunately rather poorly represented on home video, or, I suspect this film would have rated much higher collectively. The investigative style of Rosi is always fascinating, as if you are truly uncovering some underlying truths about the political machinations of Italian society along with the director in the process of viewing the film. The subject here is a series of murders of judges, with Lino Ventura playing the part of the investigating policeman. The element of fiction appeared to be greater in this film than in those presented under the Criterion banner, but generally all of these films are equally exciting.

[mattkc]

This thread makes me wish I had voted. Both Moses und Aron and From the Clouds to the Resistance, The Hart of London, the Pialats, and Frampton's Magellan: At the Gates of Death Parts 1 & 2 (sort of his Act of Seeing with One's Own Eyes) would have been in my top 15. Problem was I couldn't really think of 50 films from the 70s that I really love.

[tavernier]

14. We Throw Our Lives Away For Nothing (Kobayashi, 1971) – I have already recommended/defended this film in the ‘70s discussion thread. It is another excellent Japanese film that is not available commercially. Anyone, who has seen and liked any of the readily available films by this director, will probably understand my excitement about this film.

I'm still dying to see this and Fossil.

[Awesome Welles]

14. We Throw Our Lives Away For Nothing (Kobayashi, 1971) – I have already recommended/defended this film in the ‘70s discussion thread. It is another excellent Japanese film that is not available commercially. Anyone, who has seen and liked any of the readily available films by this director, will probably understand my excitement about this film.

I'm still dying to see this and Fossil.

I take it this is also known as Inn of Evil, of which I have a download but no subs!

I'm also waiting to see The Fossil and anything else other than the six already released.

[Perkins Cobb]

So you guys only voted 13 out of my 50 picks into the top 100? Yikes: and when I sent in my list, I actually thought, "My taste is way too conventional," and resisted the temptation to indulge in some idiotic anonymous snobbery by bumping up some less-treasured obscurities.

My top ten, if anyone cares: The King of Marvin Gardens, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, Du Cote d’Orouet, Dawn of the Dead, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Fingers, Remember My Name, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, I Walk the Line, Un Flic.

Overrated movies I was annoyed to see on the list: Days of Heaven (the Adrienne Curry of movies: pretty but dumb), Badlands, Solaris, Straw Dogs, the Rohmers (yak, yak, yak), Love, The Deer Hunter, Manhattan (Woody + Mariel = pervy; why do people not get that?), the Friedkins, Dog Day Afternoon, The Parallax View. (But I’m pleasantly surprised at how few of my pet hates made it on there.)

Movies I didn’t pick myself but am nevertheless down with: Spirit of the Beehive (though it's a little high), Celine and Julie, the Coppolas, Altmans & Herzogs I didn’t pick myself, Alien, Halloween, WR, the Oshimas (Japanesenewwave.com must have cleaned up during its brief existence), All That Jazz, Carnal Knowledge, Effi Briest & Fear Eats the Soul (despite being a fair-weather Fassbinder fan and finding the ranking of titles here kinda weird).

Lonely masterpieces none of you backed me up on: Rozier’s Du Cote d’Orouet (impossible to see, I know, and of the ’70s only by on IMDb technicality anyway); Fingers (nobody?!); Alan Rudolph’s Remember My Name; Coming Home (Ashby’s masterwork, second only to Shampoo, which didn’t do so hot either); Gone in 60 Seconds (the movie The Driver wants to be); Harold Becker’s The Ragman’s Daughter (a Netflix DVD exclusive; rent it!); China 9, Liberty 37; Eagle Pennell’s The Whole Shootin’ Match (it’ll rank if it gets the promised DVD release); Dillinger (a tough call vs. Big Wednesday); North Dallas Forty; The Gambler; Matt Cimber’s The Witch Who Came From the Sea; Breezy; Marjoe; Herbert B. Leonard’s Going Home; Larry Yust’s Trick Baby; John Berry’s Claudine; Stuart Rosenberg’s The Laughing Policeman; Michael Ritchie’s Smile (that one surprised me); What’s the Matter With Helen?; and Where Spring Comes Late (Yoji Yamada, placing strong but splitting his vote).

[GringoTex]

Los 80s:

I want to begin by defending what are surely my most controversial picks:

Red Dawn
The greatest anti-commie movie since Leo McCarey's My Son John. And like My Son John, the anti-commie hysteria goes hand in hand with an even more hysterical scream of youth disaffected, specifically rural youth with a whole lot of guns. It's a dream, fantasy, fairy tale: authority arms you to the teeth and then authority fails you, so you create the enemy from nothing. I was raised in this kind of rural setting, and this film treats the mileu with more honesty than any I know of.

Scrooged
This may be the only film in my entire Lists Project based solely on an actor's performance: Bill Murray! This one is a fairy tale for alcoholics. Obviously neither the director nor screenwriter knew this, but Bill did. X-mas is the high point of addiction and suicide. His performance is master-class. In the end when he replaces the high of alcohol with a religious high, he's still out of control. He tries to drag the audience in for his dry drunk and he thinks he succeeds. Or rather he's desperate to succeed.

Gremlins
Joe Dante does in one film what Spielberg needed three to do (ET, Jaws, and Schindler's List)

[domino harvey]

I regret not listing Gremlins. The sequel is sure to appear on my list. I loved Scrooged as a kid, but I'm afraid that it's going to be one of those movies I remember as being better than it actually is.

[zedz]

Suspiciously neat breakdown for me this time. Half of my list finished in the top 100, a quarter appeared on somebody else's list but didn't reach the threshold, and a quarter were mine alone.

Starting with the most unloved, in order of preference:

Taipei Story (Yang, 1985) - Good to see The Terrorizer make it (if only more of you had seen it, or, more to the point, had seen it more than once), but the film before it is just about as good and far better than anything most living directors have ever made. It made number 5 on my list, which makes it, for me, Hou Hsiao-hsien's best film. Roll on the Eclipse set (hell, roll on the Facets VHS-dub!)

Fire Festival (Yanigimachi, 1985) - Black Rain did surprisingly well, and The Ballad of Narayama also made the grade, but I reckon this is the best Imamura film of the decade, an elegant co-option of the concerns of Imamura's amazing 60s films by one of the most important Japanese directors to emerge during the decade (and promptly retreat back into obscurity in the 90s after the debacle of Shadow of China).

The Key (Forouzesh, 1987) - The most edge-of-your-seat thriller of the decade, and if you don't agree you can't have seen it. Two infants locked inside their apartment / incipient deathtrap. I have yet to see any of Kiarostami's films from this decade, so sorry I couldn't support the embarrassingly sparse champions of Iranian cinema this time around. He only wrote this one, and Kiarostami the writer is a different kind of filmmaker than Kiarostami the director, but they're both geniuses.

Hands Up - (Skolimowski, 1981) - I rashly placed this just outside my top 20 on recently seeing it. Maybe I overestimated its greatness, or maybe I was colouring it with my newfound love for those other incredible 60s films of his, but since this whole process is arbitrary you need to respect those momentary impulses. Will Hands Up hold up? See you in five or six years time.

The Architecture of Doom (Cohen, 1989) - Superb documentary on Nazi aesthetics. Cohen structures this so lucidly and deploys his visual evidence so effectively it's an object lesson in the essay documentary.

Death and Transfiguration (Davies, 1984) - Even the eventual availability in beautiful editions of the trilogy can't get Terence Davies any respect. There was also a single vote for Madonna and Child and one for the trilogy as a whole (technically not allowed, but imdb does list it as a discreet film - anyway, the low level of interest made reallocating the vote academic). I go for the end of the trilogy because of its wealth of unshakeable images. Surely the grimmest gay film ever made.

Witnesses (Lozinski, 1988) - I recently received MoC's Shoah, but haven't got around to watching it yet. When I saw it in the 80s I was floored, but I had some misgivings about its overall structure and perspective in some parts, so I really need to see it again to fairly assess it. In the meantime, this stunning recent discovery does a similar job in a tiny fraction of the time. It's about as basic as a documentary can be - camcorder interviews, mainly - but it nevertheless conjures up an unforgettable nightmare world.

Freeze, Die, Come to Life (Kanevski, 1989) - A fantastic, alive and gritty quasi-neorealist drama until it pops open the fourth wall at the eleventh hour. That modish device may seem a little misjudged at first, but it paves the way for the even better, much stranger and more obscure sequel, An Independent Life, which will run on fumes to the upper reaches of my 90s list. I wish I could see them both again (this would be a killer follow-up to the Shepitko Eclipse set).

Media (Rybczynski, 1980) - I had an urge to find a spot somewhere for my new discovery Rybczynski. It's pure indulgence to save a spot in my top 50 for this elegant blink-and-you'll miss-it throwaway (described / discussed elsewhere), but if this exercise isn't about indulgence, what is?

Creature Comforts (Park, 1989) - I assume the fact that I was the only one voting for this was just an oversight on the part of the rest of you. Sure, it's overexposed and overexploited, but it's probably still the best character animation of the decade and I never fail to laugh out loud when I see it.

Dorian Gray as Represented in the Popular Press (Ottinger, 1984) - Whatever else happened in the maelstrom around it, this had to be my number 50. One of the strangest films I'd ever seen at the time, and it probably still is - to the extent that I honestly have no idea whether it was good or bad. (Still and all, can a film that stars Delphine Seyrig as Dr Mabuse really be bad?) I still have images from this etched into my brain: things I've never seen in any other film and feel like I hallucinated. Ulrike Ottinger's other films can be similarly outlandish (except, in my experience, the epic documentary Taiga) and I've tended to find them boring or grating, so this one might well be the same, but I'd love the chance to find out.

[zedz]

The others unloved. These, at least, were appreciated by at least one other kindred spirit.

City of Pirates (Ruiz, 1984) - My number 4. I'm amazed that this mindfuck missed the list by only one point. Which bold label will be the one to add English subs to the French transfer? MoC, Second Run, are you listening?

Heimat (Reitz, 1984) - This massive saga exhibits all the strengths of series television - above all the ability to play around with characters and audiences at length (some characters leave the narrative entirely, others only slowly reveal their true function, or shift gradually from the sidelines to the centre) - in addition to being a supremely cinematic work. It's a shame that the existing transfers are good, rather than great, because although many of Reitz's visual strengths are clear (e.g. those Ruizian ultra-deep-focus shots), the film's most striking achievement in 35mm, its texture, is compromised. The film is presented in a loving patchwork of filmstocks which conveys an abstracted verisimilitude that's never gimmicky or overly literal. In the present transfer, the obvious distinctions (colour, black & white, sepia) stand out, but the subtler differences between species of black & white, for example, may be harder to spot. Still, at least it's available.

Darkness Light Darkness (Svankmajer, 1989) - So many great shorts to choose from, but this bleakly funny existential jape (a man gradually assembles himself in a room from stray body parts) is my favourite for this decade, coming in at number 10, a whisker ahead of Alice.

Comrades (Douglas, 1986) - Already raved about in the discussion thread.

Summer at Grandpa's (Hou, 1984) - Probably Hou's lightest film, an Ozuesque delight. This was paired on my list with its crypto-remake My Neighbour Totoro.

Horse Thief (Tian, 1986) - By a country mile my favourite Fifth Generation film, mysterious and raw where Chen and Zhang's films are simplistic and aestheticized. I've always wondered whether Tian had seen any of Paradzhanov's films before making this.

Rehearsals for Extinct Anatomies (Quays, 1988) - Speaking of mysterious, this might be the brothers' most purely visually gorgeous film. I have no idea what's going on, but I want to watch it all day.

Dust in the Wind (Hou, 1986) - Throw a dice. My three Hou picks (City of Sadness came in a little below this at 43) were purely instinctive. This notched up a gratifying bit of support, but not enough to put it over.

28Up (Apted, 1985) - Big oversight, folks! If you're at all interested in this superb series, this is where it all starts to come together. At least you've got the chance to atone with 35Up in the 90s vote. Maybe you meant to do that all along?

Boy Meets Girl (Carax, 1984) - Mauvais sang got a modicum of support, but right now I prefer this very late nod to the 20s Impressionism of Epstein, Gremillon et al. For those of you who were wowed by Beineix and Besson's 'cinema du look' (you know who you are and so do I), you really need to check out Carax's 'cinema de l'âme' tout de suite.

Mala Noche (Van Sant, 1985) - Last time around I was one of the only supporters of this brilliant, moving gem. Since then, it's had a high-profile Criterion release, much belated recognition, and I'm still one of its only supporters! How does that work? I hope Michael is already plotting his revenge.

My Brother's Wedding (Burnett, 1983) - A bit of a dip between Killer of Sheep and To Sleep with Anger (beg, borrow or steal it before compiling your 90s list or your name will be mud), but nevertheless, funny, moving and ultimately chilling.

Sous le soleil de Satan (Pialat, 1987) - Depardieu is somewhat miscast, but the rest of the film is so ferociously good (especially that unnerving nocturnal supernatural encounter) you just go with it. Next time we do the 80s, you'll have owned the MoC disc for years and watched this film again and again and again.

Poto and Cabengo (Gorin, 1980) - Previously on my 70s list (where it belongs), imdb made me take it off, but I forgot to add it to my 80s one. Another vote for it came in, reminding me of my folly, so I swapped this for the seemed-to-be-doing-OK Sans soleil mid-count, since I know I prefer this film to that one from the same ballpark. The subject is fascinating enough - two girls who communicate in their own invented language - but Gorin draws far, far more out of it than you expect. It's a masterful piece of filmmaking, and I guess you'll all see that for yourselves soon enough.

[GringoTex]

Demon Lover Diary

The reason I hate hate hate all "making of an indie film" docs, shorts, and features is because they're not Demon Lover Diary. Here's a perfect description of the film from Steven Puchalski:

In the Fall of 1975, cameraman Jeff Kreines was hired to shoot a silly little horror romp called DEMON LOVER in the middle of Michigan, and his female pal Joel DeMott joined him on the trip, documenting this adventure into no-budget filmmaking with her own handy camera. Her ragged footage was later lashed together into this legendary documentary, which has finally been snuck onto video. The father of modern hits such as AMERICAN MOVIE, it's an insightful, funny and scary peek into the making of an indie fright flick and its delusional, self-taught filmmakers. From the moment Kreines arrives, his bosses (factory-workers-turned-auteurs Don Jackson and Jerry Younkins) are pissed off. The pair are 98% ego and 2% talent, and while they boast to local reporters that they've spent two years planning this film, their production is about as tightly formed as a beer shit. Kreines doesn't make any friends by pointing out their "consistent stupidity," even as DeMott captures it all on-camera. Jackson continually wants to run Kreine's personal camera, even though he knows jack about cinematography. The ditzy actresses can't remember their lines. DeMott and Kreines have to room with Don's mom, and due to the old gal's religious beliefs, they can't mention that her son is making a horror movie. Meanwhile, dorky Younkins (and his waist-length hair) is starring as the demonic lead and constantly whines that their masterpiece "looks like shit." Kreines and sound man Mark Rance have honest-to-goodness technical skills, and for a while the trio can only laugh about this absurd gig, as Rance hits on one of the flick's cuter white-trash actresses. Ms. DeMott's occasional voice-over connects the rough footage, with grim info about the co-directors (the production was initially financed with $8,000 of insurance money, after Younkins conveniently cut off his finger on the job; Jackson mortgaged everything his family owns, in hopes of making a fortune), as well as her own growing frustrations. But the production takes a nasty turn when the crew visits Ted Nugent's home(!) and borrows real guns and ammo for a scene. When Kreines draws up a contract, in hopes of getting paid what he was promised (god forbid!), tempers erupt and the trio flee Michigan, fearful of heavily-armed fanboys seeking retribution. Although DeMott's camera is always running, these filmmakers don't seem too worried about looking like amateurish nerds in the middle of hissy fits; probably because they never imagined that this footage would someday be a movie that's a hundred times more entertaining than DEMON LOVER -- which, hard to believe, was actually finished and (barely) released. Even more amazing, despite his proven lack of talent, Don Jackson continued directing, from highlights like HELL COMES TO FROGTOWN to low points such as LINGERIE KICKBOXER.

[colinr0380]

I was happy with my list when I submitted it but looking over the results I notice things that I should have mentioned and did not (Manhunter, Airplane!, Patlabor - The Mobile Police.... The Decalogue #-o ), things that I have copies of but need to sink in before I feel comfortable placing them (the Davies films, Heimat, From The Life Of The Marionettes) and things that expose gaps in my knowledge (80s Rohmer and Godard, Woody Allen, Kiarostami, 80s Wenders, Yilmaz Guney, Edward Yang, Yellow Earth, more Ruiz etc etc!)

It was nice to see Imamura's Black Rain in the main list, and The Asthenic Syndrome just hanging in there. I consciously left Fanny and Alexander off my list (it is a lovely film but there are other Bergmans I prefer much more from the 60s and early 70s - Shame and The Passion of Anna are my more recent favourites). I also held back from Lynch (though Blue Velvet crept into my late 40s) because I'll be placing the Twin Peaks film, Lost Highway, Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire higher in the later lists.

I could not decide on my favourite Cronenberg film of the decade, so I nominated them all!

I threw in a number of 'popular' films: Die Hard (mainly because I forgot it last time around! I might have to do Mad Max II next time!), Aliens (another good example of action film making) and Gremlins.

Here are my orphans!:

3. Death - Japanese Style (aka The Funeral)

This 1984 film by Juzo Itami is a beautiful look at the funeral process - the organisation of the various events, having to write and learn speeches, children running around excitedly oblivious to grief, the friends of the deceased who eat and drink everything at the wake and then will not leave, the mistress annoyed by the disappearance of her partner to his father-in-law's funeral deciding to make an appearance!

It is more understated than some of Itami's later films like Tampopo and Minbo no Onna (the only other two I have seen), but as hinted at above there are some comically absurd touches throughout. What stays with me however are the scenes such as the death of the father at the beginning of the film where he drags himself outside onto the balcony to see the world beyond the house for one last time; the instructional video on speech etiquette; our lead character desperately putting the clothes back on his mistress and bundling her into a car while she is intent on running into the countryside behind the house for sex, removing clothes with abandon all the way!; the finality of the coffin being nailed shut in the funeral parlor; the adult children playing on the log swing.

And especially the scene after the cremation when the whole family run to gaze curiously at the father's body burning in the furnace while the mother stands by herself in the courtyard outside and watches the smoke from the chimney. I liked very much the comparison between the curiosity at the father's physical body being destroyed shown by the children in their own way of saying goodbye set against the mother's more dignified farewell to the spirit rather than the flesh.

I like to think of the film as if it were one of the more tragic Ozu films treated with the seemingly incongruous comedic touches of one of his more overtly comic films!

27 - Tenebrae

For me, the most fully satisfying Argento film. It contains a lot of the sylisations of previous films, as well as some of the wackier moments but pairs it with a coherent storyline (including well placed digressions), a great score and nutty Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi's gorgeous future wife gorily having her arm chopped off and painting the white walls in a bright red fountain of blood!

31 - Epidemic

An extremely underrated Lars von Trier film. I like the contrast between the highly stylised film within the film and the grainy roughness of the sections of the writers trying desperately to come up with an idea. It captures beautifully feelings of horror when you lose everything you've been working on in a freak accident (in this case a computer error deleting the entire script just when it has been finished!), and the sense that most artistic creation can be boiled down to a combination of bluff, bravado and sheer panic! Sometimes the gamble doesn't pay off, sometimes you accidentally hit a nerve and cause people to become too dangerously involved with the ideas you create!

Lots of scenes stick in the mind - the drive through the underground corridors of the hospital that would later feature in The Kingdom; the opening taxi ride; the doctor hanging from a helicopter - one hand around a rope and another clutching a medicine bag (it is probably cruel of me to do so, but this image often comes to mind whenever another well meaning Red Cross aid mission ineffectually runs to the aid of a beleagured country!); "a filmmanu..." ; a walk in the night with Udo Kier; the toothpaste tube dissection; Niels Vørsel playing the tape received from a girl in America, who thinks he is a fellow teenager, while getting dressed up in a tuxedo; "this is pathetic, at best".

32 - The Wings of Honneamise

Still working my way through J.G. Ballard's short stories I recently read a couple (News From The Sun; Memories Of The Space Age) concerning the space race and the way that venturing into space even just a short distance can change the consciousness of the entire human race - it shifts our relationship with the world by being able to view it as outsiders and in a way violates our sense of "the heavens".

The same issues are dealt with in this film, a sort of alternate universe take on the space race in which a rejected pilot joins a poorly funded, looked down on and incredibly dangerous space programme. The prospective astronaut goes on an arduous physical and spiritual journey culminating in a breaking of the barrier into space that is less impressive for the achievement than the way in which he almost becomes an ambassador for all the contradicting joy and horror in people, the conflicting viewpoints, the overriding ambition and needs of people both personally and on a wider scale that crushes others, the superstitions and the fearful violence of humanity but also the love, friendship, curiosity and the compassion that are the best elements of people too.

41 - It's Impossible To Learn To Plow By Reading Books

I think I prefer this even to Slacker! I like the focus on the mundane activities (apart from the scene of firing the gun out the window of course!) of travelling and short term goals - to housesit, to take a walk, to go see a film - that often seem insignificant when we are thinking of the 'big things' but which take up so much of our time it seems ridiculous that films often remove these moments from their stories. I often think back on the amount of time I spent on train platforms, waiting for late or non-existent trains! Or of sections of my life that felt incredibly important at the time but which led nowhere - relationships or jobs (or if I'm being particularly cynical, education!) However all those things had an impact on me, on my relationship with the world and how I feel about it, so I shouldn't be so quick to write it off. I think it is the same with others - sometimes the things that mean the most to us are the moments that nobody else noticed or cared about, or which did not have the same impact on them. This film shows the accumulation of those moments and of people making their own mark for themselves and on each other even if it is only through a cassette tape handed out to passers by or a chance meeting in a station. It's like Sans Soleil in its own quiet, understated way.

47 - Rosa Luxemburg

This is a good example of a film that introduced me to a whole section of history that I had not been aware of before, and that is the reason why I chose it as my 'wild card' entry.

EDIT: Just remembered that I forgot to list one of my favourite Italian horror films, StageFright! It features a great score (I've an embarrassing fondness for jazzy and synthesiser noodling scores!) and one of the very best theatrical performances inside a film: a musical serial killer play! Following on from Sweeny Todd, which shows you can have a gory serial killer musical, I'd really like to see this segment expanded into a whole theatre production in its own right!

[zedz]

Demon Lover Diary

The reason I hate hate hate all "making of an indie film" docs, shorts, and features is because they're not Demon Lover Diary. Here's a perfect description of the film from Steven Puchalski:

I want to see it right now! Is this available on DVD?

[Yojimbo]

Gregory's Girl
(my favourite Forsyth: all the charm, with delightful playing by a team of mostly unknowns.
The Scottish accents may be a barrier for Americans though)
Coup de torchon
(the best adaptation of a Jim Thompson novel: doesn't quite capture the allegorical 'sting in the tail' of the novel, but hits every other nail on the head, and Noiret gives an outstanding performance)
Melvin & Howard
(wonderful slice of 'Americana': marvellous blend of comedy and drama, based on a true story.
Whatever happened to Paul Le Mat?
Choose Me
(Gorgeous mood piece: perfect blend of visuals, sountrack music and performances)
Chocolat
(wonderful debut by one of the most vital of contemporary directors: spot on sense of time and place)
Moonlighting
(one of those rare animals: a political allegory that doesn't preaches: and works)
Repo Man
("is it a bird?....is it a plane?".....genre-defying sci-fi drama-comedy thriller by Cox: probably his best film.
Great soundtrack, too!)
Mad Max 2
(Best futuristic Ford Western, bar none)
Excalibur
(Magical!)
Diva
(Marvellous comedy thriller: and sales of 'La Wally' must have gone through the roof after this)
What Have I Done to Deserve This?
(my favourite of the 'rough and ready' early-phase Almodovars: deliciously black)
Legend of Suram Fortress
(wonderfully enigmatic folk-tale by one of the most visually imaginative of directors)

[Gropius]

I'll focus on ones that don't seem to have been mentioned (so take my endorsement of Cronenberg, Hou, Godard and Resnais as read):

1. The Falls (Greenaway, 1980) - This did in fact make the list. I don't necessarily prefer it to Greenaway's later features (in which there are still flashes of genius as late as 2004), but it's a monumental achievement, taking the structural absurdism of the early shorts and stretching it out into an imaginary encyclopedia of deadpan pseudo-scientific nonsense.

2. The Seventh Continent (Haneke, 1989) - Surprised that this didn't make the cut - maybe people think of it as a 90s rather than an 80s film, since it's on the cusp. The visuals are so crisp they could have been filmed in 2009.

3. A Zed & Two Noughts (Greenaway, 1985) - I can understand why people dislike Greenaway: his characters are more like loathsome caricatures, the scripts and acting are outrageously stilted, and the visual tableaux constantly draw attention to their own artifice. All qualities that characterise the spirit of European Baroque that he has striven to resuscitate: A Zed, with its time-lapse decaying animals and Vierny lighting, is one of the best attempts.

4. New York, N.Y. (Depardon, 1986) [short] - I only saw this recently, at internet resolution, but it's absolutely stunning (won César for best doc, but could just as easily be described as an artist's film): a slow ten minute glide through the alien New York night. Depardon, a photojournalist as well as filmmaker, definitely needs more Anglophone DVD exposure (there's an R1 release of his 2004 courtroom film out, but that's it).

6. Thames Film (Raban, 1986) - Foggy Eyes was singing the praises of this one, but he doesn't appear to have submitted a list. I have a weakness for urban topographical films, and this one (another experimental/documentary hybrid) gives you a view of the Thames right from the boat; touches such as T.S. Eliot on the soundtrack give it an intense, melancholy presence.

7. Madonna and Child (Davies, 1980) [short] - I share Zedz's enthusiasm for the trilogy, but prefer the middle section, with its tortured juxtaposition of Catholicism and gay S&M, to the Bramble death-rattle finale.

9. L’Ange (Bokanowksi, 1982) - Memory of this is something of a blur. Another entry in the Quay/Svankmajer strain of disquieting animation mixed with live action, perhaps with a dash of Eraserhead. Bokanowski remains unjustifiably little known.

11. Standard Gauge (Fisher, 1984) [short] - One of those shorts that seems perfectly to sum up the history of cinema, as Fisher muses on isolated scraps of celluloid from the wayside of Hollywood.

13. Parsifal (Syberberg, 1982) - Syberberg is one of the few to rival Greenaway as an exponent of bombastic overload. I *still* haven't had a chance to see his Hitler (am holding out for a big screen reappearance), but this eccentric Wagner epic is a tolerable placeholder.

17. The Pendulum, the Pit and Hope (Švankmajer, 1983) [short] - Point of view Hammer horror atmospherics from the Czech master - actually it's genuinely sinister.

18. High Hopes (Leigh, 1988) - The less interested you are in the anatomy of the British class system, the less this socialist-defeatist classic will resonate.

20. Kaal Abhirati (Chakraborty, 1989) - I saw this at the Tate Modern; can't remember why. An experimental feature from India, of epic (Warholian/Snowian?) slowness.

22. I [heart] $ (van der Keuken, 1986) - One of you (Gregory?) was rooting for Johan van der Keuken - guess we split the vote. This one's a feature documentary on finance, drawing in all sorts of complacent banker types from Switzerland to Hong Kong. Now seems as timely as ever.

24. Ode to Mount Hayachine (Haneda, 1982) - Extensive Japanese portrait of rural ritual traditions; like the emergent work of Hou, it lets the landscape speak for itself.

26. Close Up (Gidal, 1983) - Wilfully anti-cinematic 'structural/materialism': Peter Gidal shakes a camera around in a darkened room for over an hour. Halfway through, some Latin American revolutionaries speak on the soundtrack. More exciting than that sounds, and of course he's trying to shake you out of your brainwashed capitalist-entertainment stupor and submission to the illusionist imperialism of the rectangular frame etc etc.

30. New York Portrait: Chapter 2 (Hutton, 1981) [short] - Interesting complement to the Depardon short. More contemplatively aesthetic New York scenes (I've never actually been there, only travelled on film.)

32. Blind Chance (Kieślowski, 1981) - The 'Sliding Doors' plot, 17 years earlier and with more intellectual sophistication. Man catches/misses train, with major consequences for his political development.

33. Hellraiser (Barker, 1987) - One of the few pulp horror affairs to rival Cronenberg. Somehow one could link this through Barker back to Davies and Madonna and Child: gay Liverpudlian leather fetish nightmare reemerges to haunt you in the form of Pinhead.

44. Withnail & I (Robinson, 1987) - More parochial Anglophile navel-gazing, perhaps, with its drunk luvvies in the countryside shtick, but McGann, Grant and Griffith are one of the best ensemble casts of the decade.

45. Damnation (Tarr, 1988) - Actually prefer this to Satantango and Werckmeister.

47. Britannia Hospital (Anderson, 1982) - Carry On Lindsay Anderson. It may not meet the standards of the earlier 'Mick Travis' films, but worth watching if only for the perversity of a cast that includes both Mark Hamill and Robin Askwith.

[Gregory]

I [heart] $ (van der Keuken, 1986) - One of you (Gregory?) was rooting for Johan van der Keuken - guess we split the vote. This one's a feature documentary on finance, drawing in all sorts of complacent banker types from Switzerland to Hong Kong. Now seems as timely as ever.

I resisted the urge to PM you in order to conspire (wouldn't have mattered anyway, except for the outcome of the also-rans). The one I voted for was The Eye Above the Well, which I thought was markedly superior to I Love $.

[Gropius]

The one I voted for was The Eye Above the Well, which I thought was markedly superior to I Love $.

I must confess I haven't even got around to watching that yet, despite having had the Arte set for some time.

[Yojimbo]

I'll focus on ones that don't seem to have been mentioned (so take my endorsement of Cronenberg, Hou, Godard and Resnais as read):

3. A Zed & Two Noughts (Greenaway, 1985) - I can understand why people dislike Greenaway: his characters are more like loathsome caricatures, the scripts and acting are outrageously stilted, and the visual tableaux constantly draw attention to their own artifice. All qualities that characterise the spirit of European Baroque that he has striven to resuscitate: A Zed, with its time-lapse decaying animals and Vierny lighting, is one of the best attempts.

13. Parsifal (Syberberg, 1982) - Syberberg is one of the few to rival Greenaway as an exponent of bombastic overload. I *still* haven't had a chance to see his Hitler (am holding out for a big screen reappearance), but this eccentric Wagner epic is a tolerable placeholder.

17. The Pendulum, the Pit and Hope (Švankmajer, 1983) [short] - Point of view Hammer horror atmospherics from the Czech master - actually it's genuinely sinister.

45. Damnation (Tarr, 1988) - Actually prefer this to Satantango and Werckmeister.

47. Britannia Hospital (Anderson, 1982) - Carry On Lindsay Anderson. It may not meet the standards of the earlier 'Mick Travis' films, but worth watching if only for the perversity of a cast that includes both Mark Hamill and Robin Askwith.

I always reckoned that Greenaway would have loved to have made Borowczyk's 'Blanche'
And I really must check out my 'Parsifal' DVD: "so many films, so little time!"

That Svankmajer short sounds enticing, especially to a Poe fan weaned on Hammer horror.

I think 'Damnation' is just one of those perfect films, and I also prefer it to those other Tarrs
(even if its neither as ambitious or epic in scope as the masterly Satantango.)

and imagine mentioning the word perversity and Robin Askwith in the same sentence.
Shurely shome mishtake!!!

[Murdoch]

Blood Wedding (Carlos Saura) - I haven't seen the other films of his unplanned trilogy, but this one struck a strong chord with me. The intimacy of the rehearsal feels as if the viewer is being given a private showing of the play. The choreography of the dance and cinematography blend together perfectly to create a taut melodrama with everything from the music to the camera adding generously to the overall product.

Better Off Dead (Savage Steve Holland) - For me the quintessential 80s teen comedy which has been edged out by Bueller, but deserves to be lauded as much. Outside of my gigantic love for John Cusack, the whole thing creates the perfect compliment to the 80s through its use of big-hair rock music, surrealist/dark humor, and a storyline that is more a collaboration of multiple nostalgia-ready moments than a cohesive story.

Under the Volcano (John Huston) - I was surprised to see the Dead make this list and not this given the little availabilty there is of Huston's last film - in North America anyway - and CC's release of this one. I caught it a few weeks back and it stayed fresh in my mind largely because of Albert Finney's drunken stupor throughout the entire film, but also because of Jacqueline Bisset's performance as the ex-wife attempting to save her addled ex.

God's Country (Louis Malle) - Both a portrait of a small town under economic stress and the effects of Reaganomics, Malle's enthusiasm for his interviewees is infectious and the viewer develops a close bond with the townspeople. My favorite part was Malle bursting with joy when he recognized the old woman he interviewed was still tending to her garden, also the ending lines perfectly encapsulate the economic climate of that era.

Clue (Jonathan Lynn) - Still the only adaptation of any game (video, board, or otherwise) that I can actually sit through. The fun whodunit caper is an enjoyable watch if only for the cast it sports, especially Tim Curry who brings it to an exhilirating end with his rant explaining how all the murders happened (shown repeatedly with different suspects each time until the final rant reveals the true muderer! )

Films I should've put on my list but forgot about: Ferrara's Ms .45 and Tetsuo: the Iron Man #-o

[zedz]

9. L’Ange (Bokanowksi, 1982) - Memory of this is something of a blur. Another entry in the Quay/Svankmajer strain of disquieting animation mixed with live action, perhaps with a dash of Eraserhead. Bokanowski remains unjustifiably little known.

I've wanted to see this for some time. The stills from it look amazing.

[thirtyframesasecond]

Good God! How did I forget Withnail and I????

And Better Off Dead really ought to have been my 80s teen film choice.

[Zazou dans le Metro]

9. L’Ange (Bokanowksi, 1982) - Memory of this is something of a blur. Another entry in the Quay/Svankmajer strain of disquieting animation mixed with live action, perhaps with a dash of Eraserhead. Bokanowski remains unjustifiably little known.

I've wanted to see this for some time. The stills from it look amazing.

It's well worth the visit - it is indeed a most unsettling piece of work. I can add this to my self- flagellation list for forgetfullness re. the recent list. The re-voir vhs of the Courts Metrages are also worthwhile and I have just ordered the dvds of his documentaries and will report back when they arrive.

His sister Michele's soundtracks for this and other works are perfect for lovers of musique concrete that scares the bejaysus out of domestic animals.

[Fiery Angel]

My top 10:

1- A Sunday in the Country (Tavernier)
2- Passion (Godard)
3- Crimes & Misdemeanors (Allen)
4- Modern Romance (Brooks)
5- Ballad of Narayama (Imamura)
6- The Shining (Kubrick)
7- L’Argent (Bresson)
8- Gregory’s Girl (Forsyth)
9- Man of Iron (Wajda)
10- Another Way (Makk)

I'm surprised by the lack of love for Bertrand Tavernier's films on this board. Coup de torchon at least is a Criterion title, but A Week's Vacation, Round Midnight, Life and Nothing But and especially A Sunday in the Country are far superior films from this decade (to say nothing of that amazing trio of films with which he began his career in the 1970s: The Clockmaker, Let Joy Reign Supreme and The Judge and the Assassin).

Among the many virtues of this insightful and masterly portrait of a minor Impressionist painter in his autumnal years is the extraordinary use of music--much of the soundtrack includes the late chamber music of one of the greatest French composers, Gabriel Faure, and Tavernier's editing rhythms coincide with the rhythms of Faure's 2nd piano quintet and piano trio, among others. Conductor Herbert von Karajan wasn't too far off when he wrote a letter of appreciation to Tavernier after seeing A Sunday in the Country and declared it the most musical film he had ever seen.

[Dr Amicus]

My completely unloved pandas here...

18 - The Terence Davies Trilogy - Maybe I'm cheating here by including it rather than individually, but 2 of the 3 were 80's films and the trilogy was released as a feature, so there! Anyway, absolutely extraordinary all the way through from childhood to death, climaxing with the remarkable performance of Wilfrid Brambell.

20 - Southern Comfort - An impressive decade for Hill (and I could have happily included several more of his others, see below for those that did make it), but this is probably the standout. A taut allegory about Vietnam which never feels forced. The struggle to reach home is common to several of Hill's films, but this might be his finest variant.

28 - Good Morning Babylon - I'm relying on a single viewing several years ago, so I'm feeling a bit guilty about including it, however it's stuck in my mind ever since. Two Italian brothers who sculpt the elephants for Intolerance - yes it's about art / commerce, but done so well with a great performance from Charles Dance as Griffith. Is this out on DVD anywhere?

29 - Extreme Prejudice - Hill riffs on Wild Bunch to great effect. Combining elements of his 'group' films (The Warriors, Southern Comfort) and his 'individual' films (The Driver, The Streetfighter/Hard Times) with 80s excess, this deserves to better known.

34 - Johnny Handsome - More Hill! My first viewing of this was interrupted by a Bomb scare, which really annoyed me. As taut as ever - there is very little fat in a Hill film - and played by a remarkable 80s cast (Rourke, Ellen Barkin, Lance Henriksen, Morgan Freeman) this plays like a modern morality tale with added guns and, unusually for Hill, quite a lot of despair

[martin]

28 - Good Morning Babylon - I'm relying on a single viewing several years ago, so I'm feeling a bit guilty about including it, however it's stuck in my mind ever since. Two Italian brothers who sculpt the elephants for Intolerance - yes it's about art / commerce, but done so well with a great performance from Charles Dance as Griffith. Is this out on DVD anywhere?

I have a French disc from MK2. Its pretty good, anamorphic, and in correct aspect ratio. Most of the dialogue - perhaps 90 % - is English. The French subs can be disabled, but there are no English subs for the scenes with Italian dialogue.

The movie really is quite good and not as sentimental as I had expected.