Picking my 100 favorite films was hard enough. Ranking them? Impossible.
Therefore I'll be presenting them in alphabetical order. Also, very important to note...quoting the amazing Priscilla Page -
"...first and foremost, I never intend for this list to be an objective, declarative statement on film... I just want to share what I loved, what moved me, what helped me, what was fun to watch — in short, the movies I want other people to get their eyeballs on if they haven’t already."
Dirty Harry (1971)
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| The legendary character of "Dirty" Harry Callahan all began here with this classic cop/thriller. Still the best of the series. And dig that Lalo Schifrin soundtrack! |
Double Indemnity (1944)
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| Often sited as the begining of "film noir". This classic is truly worthy of it's legendary reputation. Edward G. Robinson is stellar. |
Dunkirk (2017)
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| Right up front...if you've not seen this in 15-perf IMAX film, then you've not seen this movie. There are very limited locations able to project 15-perf IMAX film, so hopefully one is near you. By "near you" I mean it's worth making a day trip out of it if need be. There is a very good possibility you'll never get to see/experience something like this ever again. IMAX is rapidly downgrading their theaters to digital. If you love film you owe yourself this experience. I worked at IMAX for over a decade and worked on Nolan's DARK KNIGHT AND INCEPTION films. I sat in screenings with him for numerous camera tests he shot with the huge IMAX cameras. He takes filmmaking very, very seriously. He learned everything there was to learn about the 15-perf format and then experimented with things that had never been done with those monster cameras before. Some worked, some didn't. All of that education on the format went into DUNKIRK and the result is glorious. So, with that out of the way, clearly, I loved the film. Mr. Nolan focused on recreating the visceral experience of Dunkirk. He didn't attempt to "tell a story". So to the folks complaining that there's "no story" - there wasn't meant to be. And I can understand being disappointed if you didn't see it in proper 15-perf IMAX. So much of that visceral experience must be lost in the numerous other formats it's being projected in. (YES - it makes that much difference!) Characters are not introduced and explained. Backstories are not given. From frame one you're THERE, experiencing the horror that was the Dunkirk evacuation. So, if you want to experience what it must have been like to be trapped on that beach find that 15-perf theater. As much as I loved the film, this one won't translate in smaller formats. I likely won't even bother buying the blu-ray (and I am a rabid blu-ray buyer). Christopher Nolan has been an outspoken supporter of film and film projection and he's put his money where his mouth is and created a movie that exclaims "THIS is why film is still important!" I cannot end this review without commenting on Hans Zimmer's score. The man is a goddamn genius. This is yet another score which is so utterly perfect for the film it's simply perfection. As he's done in most of his scores he's found a sound motif that simply works for the film. In this case it's a ticking watch (time is running out for those poor doomed soldiers). It's heard throughout the film and that tiny addition creates such tension it's brilliant. Zimmer doesn't tend to make "pretty" scores. He's not interested in creating music for listening to - he's scoring a film. His music serves the film. Just as it should be. Bravo to Mr. Nolan and Mr. Zimmer. Bravo. |
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
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| There's a reason this is always called "the best Star Wars film". |
Fargo (1996)
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| Rewatched this gem again recently. It's simply a perfect film. It's rare I watch a movie and literally have zero problems with it. Script, performances and direction are all spot on. |
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