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

[denti alligator]

7. Missile (Wiseman, 1987)
In my opinion the best Frederick Wiseman film is this shockingly hilarious and disturbing inhabitation of the military school that trains the guardians of the United States' nuclear arsenal.

I had forgotten about Wiseman. Had I remembered, I would have voted for Near Death (1989), which is fantastic, utterly depressing, and surprisingly beautiful.

[ola t]

Brief notes on my didn't-make-its:

1. The Falls (Peter Greenaway, 1980)
No, this is Greenaway's best film, and surely the greatest three-hour alphabetical post-apocalyptic ornithological science fiction pseudo-documentary ever made. Defiantly uncategorizable, madly repetitive and constantly inventive. Dry, funny, outrageous. Conspiracies, bird jokes, linguistics. Very unlike anything Greenaway made later -- at all theatrical screenings I've attended, half the audience walked out -- and, for that matter, very unlike anything else, period (not just in cinema).

2. Glenn Gould Plays Bach: The Goldberg Variations (Bruno Monsaingeon, 1981)
A document of one of the greatest musical achievements ever (Gould's digital re-recording of the Variations), sure, but it's not just a music video for Bach buffs. Monsaigneon's film is wonderfully stringent, almost ascetic, with a clear focus on the actual performance, the slow camera moves and precise cutting evoking Dreyer (for me, anyway).

5. L'Amour a mort (Alain Resnais, 1984)
One of the great films about death, along with Blue and Cries and Whispers. Hard-hitting story punctuated by Hans-Werner Henze's seemingly unrelated musical interludes. I guess not many people have seen Resnais' 80s films? ...or are they just not well-liked?

10. A Short Film About Killing (Krzysztof Kieslowski, 1988)
I'm surprised this didn't make the list, but I guess everyone who had seen The Decalogue must have voted for that.

16. The Right Stuff (Philip Kaufman, 1983)
Maybe it's because I'm a space nut.

18. Epidemic (Lars von Trier, 1987)
Allegedly made on the meager remains of the financing that was meant for two features but had all been splurged on Element of Crime, this is a small film that's the clearest precursor stylistically to The Idiots. von Trier and co-writer Niels Vorsel clearly had a lot of fun with its multiple levels of reality, giddily collapsing them at the end.

21. For All Mankind (Al Reinert, 1989)
Maybe it's because I'm a space nut, again, but surely this has the most spectacular location footage ever, and unlike some other space nuts I actually like the way it cuts together footage from all the Apollo missions to give the impression of a single journey.

22. Mon Oncle d'Amerique (Alan Resnais, 1980)
I have a fondness for fiction films that weave in documentary aspects, and having a real psychologist comment on the behavior of the characters is a stroke of genius. Very entertaining.

24. Hamlet Goes Business (Ak Kaurismaki, 1987)
My favorite early Kaurismaki. It's unusually energetic for him, and you've got to admire the boldness of adapting Shakespeare and introduce your own twist ending.

30. The Fourth Dimension (Zbigniew Rybczynski, 1988)
A visual one-trick piece, but it's a great trick. Studio-shot images are manipulated in such a way that each horizontal scan line in the video is delayed by one frame with respect to the line immediately below or above it, so that when the camera moves around the models or objects depicted they are twisted into strange, near-cubist abstractions. Some images here.

37. Act of God (Peter Greenaway, 1980)
Greenaway interviews people who have been hit by lightning and plays around with statistics. A very entertaining half-hour.

40. Monsieur Hire (Patrice Leconte, 1989)
I admit that I'm not sure it's as good as I remember it to be, but my memory of it, from around the time it was released, is of a very haunting film with great use of music (Michael Nyman, mostly quoting Brahms).

47. Something Happened (Roy Andersson, 1987)
Most non-Swedes will likely not have heard of this. Commissioned as an educational feature-length documentary about AIDS by the National Board of Health and Welfare, the version usually seen is a 25-minute assembly of the footage that had already been completed when the Board pulled the plug after discovering that Andersson was about to accuse the Swedish medical community of racism and complicity in the Holocaust, and also advance non-standard theories about the origin of the virus. Some stunning, unforgettable images here in Andersson's distinctive post-Swedish Love Story style.

48. Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (Carl Reiner, 1982)
Well, what can I say. It makes me laugh.

Others have already commented on Yeelen / Brightness, The Singing Detective, Pelle the Conqueror and Roger & Me.

(48) Red Sorghum (Zhang Zimou) - I'm scratching my head wondering why I didn't put this much father up on my ballot...what was I thinking?!..and what about you!?...

Oh, crap! I forgot to put it on my list -- like I did with Ceddo last time.

[flambeur]

(I guess I should actually watch Heaven's Gate!) and I'm looking forward to the 90s list...

Ahh Heaven's Gate:

Playing at Cinematheque in Toronto on Nov 21st, fully restored 220 min
director's cut.

http://www.e.bell.ca/filmfest/cinemathe ... p?month=11

Also might add voted for Creature Comforts as well plus the animation short The Cat Came Back, in my top ten, just brilliant stuff!

Thought Diner, with a magnificent cast, performances would crack the top 100, oh well.


cheers

[toiletduck!]

...the animation short The Cat Came Back, in my top ten, just brilliant stuff!

Now that is a darling worth defending!

At the risk of dating (or undating?) myself, I remember, somewhere around the ripe old age of 10, sitting in front of the TV absolutely enthralled everytime this came on. I don't remember what the hell kind of station we got in rural Iowa that was playing it (PBS maybe?) but it was on relatively late - for a 10 year-old, that is - and relatively regularly.

Haven't seen it in years... I had actually forgotten about it until just now. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go search out a copy.

-Toilet Dcuk

[Kambei]

(I guess I should actually watch Heaven's Gate!) and I'm looking forward to the 90s list...

Playing at Cinematheque in Toronto on Nov 21st, fully restored 220 min
director's cut.

Across the street from my apartment...no excuses, I guess!

[denti alligator]

2. Glenn Gould Plays Bach: The Goldberg Variations (Bruno Monsaingeon, 1981)
A document of one of the greatest musical achievements ever (Gould's digital re-recording of the Variations), sure, but it's not just a music video for Bach buffs. Monsaigneon's film is wonderfully stringent, almost ascetic, with a clear focus on the actual performance, the slow camera moves and precise cutting evoking Dreyer (for me, anyway).

Sounds great, but this isn't listed at imdb. Is it available on home video?

[Ishmael]

2. Glenn Gould Plays Bach: The Goldberg Variations (Bruno Monsaingeon, 1981)

Sounds great, but this isn't listed at imdb. Is it available on home video?

It was on DVD, but it's been discontinued. However, if you act now, you can purchase one from Amazon for the low, low price of $110! One would hope that at that price they would at least offer free shipping.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000050IL0/

[dekadetia]

I was apparently the only person to give a nod to Alan J.W. Bell's 1981 miniseries The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I'm wondering now whether it's even eligible; I probably should have checked in advance, if for no other reason than to publicize my intent. Watching the many missteps of the mediocre 2005 version this past summer reminded me of just how well Bell and company managed the difficult task of translating the book/radio program to cinema. The ultra-low-budget aesthetic of the costumes, sets and matte landscapes is perfectly suited to the material (funny to look at but not reliant on overwrought sight gags or robo-electro-'splosions), and the generous 3-hour running time allows the writing a chance to breathe, and to branch out as tangentially and digressively as it needs to, often via the still impressive, hand-drawn (!) animated graphics of "the book".

[Michael]

dekadetia, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is eligible but you were the only one who voted for it.

[zedz]

I'm glad my putting Sherman's March up at #5 turned out so well!

Number 4 for me. It's quite possible we hoisted it onto the list with those two votes alone. I reckon it's the best American movie of the decade, and one of the funniest films ever made.

(12) Damnation (Tarr) - ok, I'm just gonna guess most haven't seen this gem, so I won't get upset.

I find this very impressive, but well below the level of Satantango, which will be near the top of my 90s list, or Werckmeister Harmonies.

(40) The Cabinet Of Jan Svankmajer (Quays) - I know, too obscure, but still...

A magnificent film indeed, but I only had room for two Quays, and I also had to make room for films by the master they're beautifully aping.

37. Act of God (Peter Greenaway, 1980)
Greenaway interviews people who have been hit by lightning and plays around with statistics. A very entertaining half-hour.

Yes. Great Greenaway that scraped into my top 50 early on, but finished at 53.

While we're reminiscing, here are some other 80s favourites that were pushed out of my top 50 and which haven't been mentioned so far. All are highly recommended:
Hour of the Star (Suzana Amaral, 1985) - Heartbreaking modern neorealism from Brazil.
The Legend of Suram Fortress (Sergei Paradzhanov, 1984) - A step down from the level of his earlier masterpieces, but still like nothing else around.
Two Friends (Jane Campion, 1986) - Her first feature, narrated in reverse - a less tricksy, more emotionally satisfying Memento.
Sing, Beast, Sing (Marv Newland, 1980) - The Toledo Mung Beast regales us with Willie Mabon's Chess classic "I'm Mad" while his canine friend drinks himself under the table. My favourite music video of the decade.
Friendship's Death (Peter Wollen, 1987) - Brainy speculative science fiction with Tilda Swinton in her definitive role as the local Bowie, who has disastrously fallen to Earth in Palestine (she was aiming for MIT).
Made in Britain (Alan Clarke, 1982) - For Tim Roth. Wow.
El Sur (Victor Erice, 1983) - If I had seen it within the last 15 years this would probably rank higher, as all of Erice's films seem to improve with additional viewings, maturing like port.
The State of Things (Wim Wenders, 1982) - The two obvious choices seem to have sucked up all the Wenders love, but this is a great unmaking-of.
The Company of Wolves (Neil Jordan, 1984) - Although it's clunky in parts, this dazzling farrago is one of the most daring and original 'mainstream' films of the decade, with a very strong whiff of Ruiz.
La Bande des quatre (Jacques Rivette, 1988) - Classic Rivette, with one of my favourite 'suspense' sequences in the movies: ultra-Hitchcock, with the drugged glass looming in the foreground of an extended scene, but ultimately ignored completely by the intended drugee (not thirsty, apparently).

[backstreetsbackalright]

I'm glad my putting Sherman's March up at #5 turned out so well!

Number 4 for me. It's quite possible we hoisted it onto the list with those two votes alone. I reckon it's the best American movie of the decade, and one of the funniest films ever made.

It was #28 on my list, and the seventh-highest-ranked American film. This elicited groans from my girlfriend, who find Ross McElwee near-to-completely intolerable, though she did like Something To Do With The Wall fairly well.

[kieslowski_67]

(21) A Summer At Grandpa's - saw someone mention this above on this thread, but am sorry to see it missing - simply a perfect neo-Ozu by Hou.

I had this at about 35 on my list.

(34) Boyfriends And Girlfriends (87, Rohmer, various titles) - hoping for three Rohmers was asking for too much, huh?

The problem with Rohmer is that he consistently makes very good movies and not lots of movies truly stand out (among his own output). I have "pauline on the beach" in the top 25 on my list.

(48) Red Sorghum (Zhang Zimou) - I'm scratching my head wondering why I didn't put this much father up on my ballot...what was I thinking?!..and what about you!?...

It had great impact on me when I first saw that in 87 before it won Golden Bear at Berlin. However, it outdated quickly when I visited it again a couple of years ago and I could not even finish watching it on a recently try. Even Gu Changwei's DP work did not strike me too much.

[kieslowski_67]

Brief notes on my didn't-make-its:

10. A Short Film About Killing (Krzysztof Kieslowski, 1988)
I'm surprised this didn't make the list, but I guess everyone who had seen The Decalogue must have voted for that.

16. The Right Stuff (Philip Kaufman, 1983)
Maybe it's because I'm a space nut.

22. Mon Oncle d'Amerique (Alan Resnais, 1980)
I have a fondness for fiction films that weave in documentary aspects, and having a real psychologist comment on the behavior of the characters is a stroke of genius. Very entertaining.

40. Monsieur Hire (Patrice Leconte, 1989)
I admit that I'm not sure it's as good as I remember it to be, but my memory of it, from around the time it was released, is of a very haunting film with great use of music (Michael Nyman, mostly quoting Brahms).

I have these on my top 50 list.

It seems that 'a short film about killing' got at least 3 votes and it still did not crack top 100. I guess that those who did not bother to vote for it voted "Decalogue" instead.

[Arcadean]

Some have mentioned these already, but...

13. Time of the Gypsies (Emir Kusturica, 1988)
This is a breathtaking film and was my first look at Kusturica. I've seen 6 subsequent films from him, none as powerful as this.

21. The Verdict (Sidney Lumet, 1982)
Paul Newman gives a tour de force performance in this powerful film. The screenplay is exhilarating (David Mamet), and the supporting cast (Jack Warden, James Mason) are first rate.

24. Local Hero (Bill Forsyth, 1983)
What a gorgeous and funny film this is. It really brings romanticism into the film, and the music is also fantastic.

30. City of Sadness (Hou Hsiao-Hsien, 1989)
An amazing and powerful film that I actually just saw, 3 weeks ago, and still can't get it out of my head.

36. Jean de Florette (Claude Berri, 1986)
The storytelling and acting in this was great. I wish it was more liked around here.

39. Love Streams (John Cassavetes, 1984)
This was my first Cassavetes film and I loved it.

40. Mon Oncle d'Amerique (Alain Resnais, 1980)
A fascinating, unique film from Resnais. I've seen it four times and always find something new and beautiful about it. I also like how he weaves the stories around the scientific theories.

43. Babette's Feast (Gabriel Axel, 1987)
This is a very rich film that always makes me gain 5 pounds (that I have to lose subsequently) everytime I see it. I've probably seen this 5 times, at least, and wish I put it higher.

44. Henry V (Kenneth Branagh, 1989)
This film is packed with energy and glorious, flourishing movements. Branagh hasn't come anywhere near this in any of his other films.

46. E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (Steven Spielberg, 1982)
I put this in mostly for nostalgic, childhood qualities. Spielberg lost something after this film (or maybe he never had it...).

47. The Ballad of Narayama (Shohei Imamura, 1983)
Beautiful, strange Imamura film and I'm a bit dismayed it did not make the list.

48. Manon of the Spring (Claude Berri, 1986)
I should have put this higher.

50. Vrchni, prchni! [Run Waiter Run] (Ladislav Smoljak, 1980)
To be honest, this one had no chance. I really loved the slapstick and enjoyed it much more than the well-known Kolya.

[zedz]

One great big darling here, that would have been in my top ten. Last time I looked at IMDB, it was listed as 1990, and now it's appearing as 1989, so like Colour of Pomegranates before it, it's falling between cracks created by the IMDB date rule:

The Architecture of Doom (Peter Cohen, 1989) - One of the all-time greatest documentaries, using found footage and documents to argue persuasively for the fundamental role of aesthetics in shaping Nazi ideology and engineering the Holocaust. The film is filled with brilliant observations and backs up even its most striking claims with convincing evidence. It's a major piece of historical research that just happens to take the form of a film.

[mikeohhh]

...the animation short The Cat Came Back, in my top ten, just brilliant stuff!

Now that is a darling worth defending!

At the risk of dating (or undating?) myself, I remember, somewhere around the ripe old age of 10, sitting in front of the TV absolutely enthralled everytime this came on. I don't remember what the hell kind of station we got in rural Iowa that was playing it (PBS maybe?) but it was on relatively late - for a 10 year-old, that is - and relatively regularly.

Haven't seen it in years... I had actually forgotten about it until just now. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go search out a copy.

-Toilet Dcuk

Haha, yeah, I remember waking up extraordinarily early one Saturday morning (like 5 or 6 I guess) when I was about 8 or 9 and seeing The Cat Came Back. It's strange, I haven't seen it since, nor do I remember anything that actually happened in it, but I still get the song stuck in my head ALL THE TIME to this day, some 15 years later.

[Michael]

The Changeling with George C. Scott - one of the most creepiest and strongest ghost-story films ever made. Unfortunately it's a lost gem in todays world. If you could find a more sublime house for a ghost-story film than the one featured in The Changeling, then please let me know.

[backstreetsbackalright]

The Changeling with George C. Scott - one of the most creepiest and strongest ghost-story films ever made. Unfortunately it's a lost gem in todays world. If you could find a more sublime house for a ghost-story film than the one featured in The Changeling, then please let me know.

Nice one. I completely forgot about this one. Indeed it is excellent. Seattle residents take note that University of Washington's campus figures early in the film as well (pre-Obelisk, even).

[emcflat]

Regarding "The Cat Came Back," Netflix has it here:
http://www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?mov ... rkid=90529
I have very little recollection of this other than the song, and I had forgot the song too until it was mentioned here. Can't wait to see it again.

[Penny Dreadful]

Wow, it looks like hardly anyone voted for the cult/horror offerings which overwhelmed my list. I'll choose just a few darlings to defend:

Atomic Cafe A collage of archival footage related to atomic bombs edited in amusing, zany, but ultimately horrifying ways.

Tetsuo: The Iron Man Japanese cyberpunk to the extreme. Man turns into a machine and fights another machine-man. Grainy, black and white, totally mindblowing.

Breakin' This is my ultimate feel-good movie. Outlandish breakdancing movies + infectious turntable beats will destroy racism! I love the awesome 80s street fashions too.

Ms. 45 The best Ferrara I've seen so far. A meek, mute woman transforms herself into a lethal killer after being victimized one too many times.

The Decline of Western Civilization The ultimate portrait of Punk. Still hasn't come out on DVD!

Dangerous Liasons John Malkovich smirking his way into the hearts of French aristocrats, then breaking them all mercilessly. This NEEDED to be on the list.

They Live This movie was way ahead of its time. Special glasses allow people to see the TRUE meanings behind advertisements and consumer culture. The scenes with the minister ranting on TV are quite creepy.

Near Dark Modern-day vampire/nomads roaming through the desert. Top-notch visuals, performances, music, everything!

Tales from the Gimli Hospital Guy Maddin's debut showcases how stunning a no-budget movie shot on super-8 in one's own backyard (lit by car headlights!) can be. The beginnings of Maddin's career-long project to mythologize Canada.

Carny Gary Busey and Jodie Foster star in this tale of carnival life on the road. By 1980 carnival culture was on its last legs, having devolved into depressing, faded shamble of its former self. This movie captures the mood of desperation and world-weariness perfectly.

[kieslowski_67]

The Changeling with George C. Scott - one of the most creepiest and strongest ghost-story films ever made. Unfortunately it's a lost gem in todays world. If you could find a more sublime house for a ghost-story film than the one featured in The Changeling, then please let me know.

A good one! When I first watched it on the big screen about 17 years ago, I was scared to death and the audience screamed on several occasions.

[dekadetia]

Tetsuo: The Iron Man Japanese cyberpunk to the extreme. Man turns into a machine and fights another machine-man. Grainy, black and white, totally mindblowing.

Damn it -- I forgot about this one! I used to have recurring nightmares that looked just like Tetsuo, only this was before I ever saw it; perhaps I was trying to supress my memories. This would have placed fairly high on my list had I only remembered to vote for it.

[scotty]

Just a few of my misses:

The forum is understandably director-centric, but Harold Pinter's screenplays are subtle and unpredictable and they had a presence on my list. The French Lieutenant's Woman (Karel Reisz, 1981) is a controversial but creative adaptation of John Fowles's novel that works as a screenplay. Headlining one's cast with ca. 1981 Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons didn't hurt either. Turtle Diary (John Irvin, 1985) builds a fine drama (or is it a comedy?) on very modest yet eccentric materials, and the performances of Glenda Jackson and Ben Kingsley are spot-on. Just sidelines in a Nobel Prize-winning career for the playwright.

Tales of international intrigue abounded as the Cold War flickered, then died. Australian Peter Weir is hardly an underrated director, though some of his films like Fearless (1992) clearly are. The Year of Living Dangerously (1982) is perhaps tarnished by Mel Gibson's subsequent overexposure. It is possible that some viewers' enjoyment of the film diminishes once they know that Linda Hunt is playing a male character, but Weir shows himself once again to be a master of atmosphere in this evocation of 1960s Indonesia. John Schlesinger's The Falcon and the Snowman collects two choirboys who turn into bumbling though hardly comedic spies. The vague air of dread is underscored by effective use of music throughout.

Michael Radford's 1984 is generally compared unfavorably to Brazil, but I think it works very well as a direct adaptation of Orwell. John Hurt is excellent and the film is situated in its own time by a Eurythmics soundtrack. A true 1980s picture.

I'll just underline previous homages to Branaugh's Henry V, Wajda's Danton, and Lumet's The Verdict.

[Floyd]

Well, for the 90's list I had Hal Hartley dominating my list with two of his films in my Top 5 (Trust at #1, Amateur somewhere in the Top 5), Henry Fool at 7 and Surviving Desire, Book of Life in my Top 20 range. Kind of surprising to see none of them in the Top List. I wish I could've voted for films with strong reputations like Satantango but I just haven't had the ability to see them. Would've liked to seen a personal favorite, The Addiction (Ferrara) in there too.

[Michael]

Funny Games: it destroyed my guts and sent me spinning into hell for a gilded eternity.

Waiting for Guffman: one of my all time faves. So funny and strangely heartbreaking...and I loooove Parker Posey. Christopher Guest's best work.

Man Bites Dog: nasty fun... breathtakingly brilliant and unique.

Maborosi: a perfect, aching meditation on love and life told through images - a gorgeous canvas of dark and light.