Board 8 > Presenting: The SephG Top 250 [movies]

(+) Yeah! (+)

AFI Top 100? Too stuffy.

IMBD Top 250? Too much recency bias.

Reddit Top 250? Too basic.

If you want to discover the real greatest films list, look no further.

Although I consider myself a film buff, I must admit a few shortcomings with this list up front. I am woefully inexperienced with silent films, and thus you'll find that nothing in my Top 250 was released before 1931. Additionally, as much as I love foreign films, I haven't watched as many as I would have liked to. I adore Ingmar Bergman and Fellini, for example, but I admittedly have only seen a small portion of their filmography. Finally, I generally hate musicals, so you'll find that there are only a handful on here and the list ignores some major "classics" in that genre.

A few interesting stats as I put the list into a spreadsheet:

Most featured directors
Martin Scorsese - 11 (!!)
Steven Spielberg - 7
Quentin Tarantino - 7
Stanley Kubrick - 6
Christopher Nolan - 5
Wes Anderson - 4
Joel and Ethan Coen - 4
Francis Ford Coppola - 4
Alfonso Cuarn - 4
Alfred Hitchcock - 4
Richard Linklater - 4
David Lynch - 4

Films by decade
1930s - 8
1940s - 6
1950s - 14
1960s - 19
1970s - 32
1980s - 32
1990s - 53
2000s - 44
2010s - 42

Films by genre*
*Roughly giving each movie one subjective category

Action - 20
Adventure - 11
Animated - 21
Comedy - 22
Documentary - 6
Drama - 95
Fantasy - 6
Horror - 12
Musical - 2
Sci-Fi - 18
Sports - 3
Superhero - 4
Thriller/Suspense - 20
War - 7
Western - 3

Films by (primary) country
Algeria - 1
Australia - 1
Brazil - 1
Canada - 2
China - 1
France - 4
Germany - 1
Hong Kong - 3
Italy - 8
Japan - 7
Mexico - 2
South Africa - 1
Sweden - 3
United Kingdom - 13
United States - 202 (obvious bias here)

I'm probably going to count these down with as much of write-up for each as I can do without it feeling like work (probably a few sentences). Enjoy!
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sure tag
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Tag
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saw what you said about not seeing many foreign films but something that immediately stood out to me was that there's not a single film from South Korea on there so just wondering if you haven't even seen any of the big titles from there or what.

i'm guessing most of the Japan films are animation (Ghibli?) unless Kurosawa's in there.

also, how many films would you say you've seen overall?

#250: The Last Waltz
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Waltz#/media/File:LastWaltzMoviePoster.jpg
Dir: Martin Scorsese
Genre: Documentary, Musical
Year: 1978

Simply put, The Last Waltz is the greatest music documentary ever produced. But this should come as no surprise--not only was its subject arguably the most ridiculous concert of all time, but it was filmed by none-other than Martin fucking Scorsese.

Scorsese manages to capture the mind-boggling intensity that was The Band's farewell concert. In the midst of flawlessly performing their own hits, the greatest backup band ever was further backed up by just about every musical luminary from peak coked-out 70s rock 'n roll. Van Morrison. Ringo Starr. Eric Clapton. Joni Mitchell. Bob Dylan. Neil Diamond for some bizarre reason.

If you have any interest in this kind of music, or even just to look at time capsule of the late-70s, I highly recommend checking this one out.
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Tag
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kateee posted...

saw what you said about not seeing many foreign films but something that immediately stood out to me was that there's not a single film from South Korea on there so just wondering if you haven't even seen any of the big titles from there or what.

i'm guessing most of the Japan films are animation (Ghibli?) unless Kurosawa's in there.

also, how many films would you say you've seen overall?

So to give some background, I recently hit 1000 movies on iCheckMovies.com (but those only include films on their official lists). I also worked at a movie theater all throughout high school, so I have probably seen a disproportionate amount of movies in the early 2000s.

As for South Korea, the only movie I had on the "shortlist" was Oldboy. But I ultimately opted not to bring it into the top 250.

And yes, you'll find several anime and Kurosawa films on here ^_~
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Tag

I'm far from a movie buff but I imagine I'll enjoy this anyhow.
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#249. Freaks
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/22/FreaksPoster.jpg
Dir: Tod Browning
Genre: Horror
Year: 1932

Fun SephG fact: I literally became interested in discovering weird/obscure films after Goldust listed his favorite movies in WWF magazine. Freaks was the first one on his list that I watched, and I've been hooked ever since.

Pre-code horror movies are fascinating to me. You always think of old movies as really Puritan, very tame by today's standards. But there was a brief window of time when there essentially was no film board, and people like Tod Browning went wild--using real circus performers to give the movie an uncanny realism even modern filmmakers seldom dare to do. Freaks can be legitimately disturbing, and it delights me to imagine how much it fucked with people who still had to make their own clothes.

Unlike many other films of this era and in this genre specifically, Freaks really holds up well and is a frightful watch to this day. GOOBLE GOBBLE.
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Predicting Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri for #1
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I've really been needing to see The Last Waltz, just listened to the album a few weeks ago.

Freaks is definitely a classic that holds up and does things few films have achieved since; I feel like I switch between loving and hating the end, though.
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Johnbobb posted...

Predicting Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri for #1

you might want to leave this topic if you think that movie is even touching this list !!
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that's such a specific (wrong) pick that i have to wonder what inspired that

Tag
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#248. Superbad
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8b/Superbad_Poster.png
Dir: Greg Mottola
Genre: Comedy, Coming-of-Age
Year: 2007

Comedies are a weird genre to include on "best ever" lists. Humor vacillates across generations more than any other feeling, so what's funny one decade may seem boring, stupid, or even abhorrent in the next. But as I get older, the comedies that have tended to stick with me most are the ones that can capture a certain time or place while still maintaining a universal theme. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (not on the list) did this in the 1980s, a certain black-and-white indie flick (on this list) did so in the 1990s, and--for my money--Superbad does this best for the 2000s.

For better or worse, the Judd Apatow/Seth Rogen brand of comedy has been emblematic of my generation. I don't know how the humor will age when my kids grow up and watch it from my dusty DVD collection, but I can at least be confident that they will be watching a solidly structured story that perfectly encapsulates what it was like to be a teenager in the mid 2000s.
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kateee posted...

that's such a specific (wrong) pick that i have to wonder what inspired that

I may or may not have violently ranted against 3 Billboards in the Oscars topic
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Hurry through this so you can rank the Game of Thrones episodes next.
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#247. Good Time
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4b/Good_Time_%28film%29.png
Dir: Josh and Benny Safdie
Genre: Crime, Suspense, Comedy (really not easy to classify it!)
Year: 2017

I saw Good Time on a complete whim one day because my wife loves Robert Pattinson. I had absolutely no preconceptions going in, nor did I even really know what the plot was. Thus, I will leave this write-up very vague in case anyone wants to watch it for themselves with that same sense of you-have-no-idea-what's-going-to-happen-next.

All I can say is that this film is what I imagine it's like to be lost in a city on PCP. And that Robert Pattinson is incredible and horrifically underrated. Good Time has flown way under the radar, so I am guessing you can find it streaming for free on Prime/Hulu/Netflix. Stop what you're doing and watch it now.
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TomNook posted...

Hurry through this so you can rank the Game of Thrones episodes next.

just count the episodes backwards and there you have it
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What about the pilot is your favorite episode? It establishes some world building, but there aren't as many interesting character drama or interactions at that point. In fact, a lot of the dialogue is very wonky because of how everyone talks by referring to the name of people as their family relation (for the viewer's benefit of course). The ending of the episode is certainly interesting, but you need more of a followup to it, so it's hard to imagine that being your favorite.
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Cool to see Good Time on here, great film.
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Yeah, Good Time is free with Prime.

I have such mixed feelings on it; such a cynical work, which would be fine but I'm still not sure what it adds up to.

I really adored High Life, which is also a very bleak film starring Pattinson released by A24.
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#246. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/49/Snow_White_1937_poster.png
Dir: A bunch of dudes at Disney
Genre: Animation, Musical
Year: 1937

The first of a half-dozen Disney animated films on this lost (not counting Pixar) is also the first of their features. Going through the Disney animated filmography for this list is a pretty unrewarding task, as you find yourself having to cut true classics and weigh both influence with objective appeal. Fortunately, Snow White not only happens to be the film that sets the classic standards, but it's also one of the best of the "Golden Age" canon.

Even though it's nearly a century old, the hand-painted cels are still absolutely gorgeous and provide an aesthetic that is really unique to the era. The music ("Heigh-Ho" specifically) can hold its weight against any of the non-Renaissance Disney films, and it's rather remarkable that all of this was able to be done with virtually no precedent. Snow White is really damn good.

PS I'm not a Disney expert, so I am genuinely curious if this will be considered a good pick or not!
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Snow White is ranked #312 of all-time on the TSPDT list, so critics would at least agree. The only animated films that are higher are Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro, though WALL-E also looks likely to displace it with time.
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#245. Exit Through the Gift Shop
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/57/Exit-through-the-gift-shop.jpg
Dir: Banksy (allegedly)
Genre: Documentary, Comedy
Year: 2010

If you have never heard of it, Exit Through the Gift Shop is a documentary on the rise of street artist "Mr. Brainwash." It follows his ridiculous, pretentious journey through the art world, but really serves as a parable for how susceptible people can be to intellectual group think.

I am of the opinion that the documentary itself is a "hoax"--in the sense that it is an art project in itself to comment on the state of the industry. Either way, it is wildly entertaining, hysterical, and completely enthralling. And if my speculation is true, it is also one of the smartest, most compelling works of art in the past decade--fooling critics with a movie about fooling critics. Just brilliant.
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And I think I am done for today. I'll try to bang out 5 a day if I can!
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CasanovaZelos posted...

Snow White is ranked #312 of all-time on the TSPDT list, so critics would at least agree. The only animated films that are higher are Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro, though WALL-E also looks likely to displace it with time.

There are only 2 animated movies in the top 300? That's pretty absurd tbqh!
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I'm really liking these short-but-sweet writeups.
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Nelson_Mandela posted...

CasanovaZelos posted...

Snow White is ranked #312 of all-time on the TSPDT list, so critics would at least agree. The only animated films that are higher are Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro, though WALL-E also looks likely to displace it with time.

There are only 2 animated movies in the top 300? That's pretty absurd tbqh!

A lot of critics seem to ignore animated movies entirely...it's really quite sad.

I don't think any Disney movies past the first five are in the top 1000.
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CasanovaZelos posted...

Nelson_Mandela posted...

CasanovaZelos posted...

Snow White is ranked #312 of all-time on the TSPDT list, so critics would at least agree. The only animated films that are higher are Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro, though WALL-E also looks likely to displace it with time.

There are only 2 animated movies in the top 300? That's pretty absurd tbqh!

A lot of critics seem to ignore animated movies entirely...it's really quite sad.

I don't think any Disney movies past the first five are in the top 1000.

Christ. I was worried that only having 6 Disney animated features and 4 Pixar films in my top 250 would make people rage.
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Good Time has been on my list since it came out but I still haven't watched it

also I had a philosophy professor in college who swore by the theory that Mr. Brainwash is actually Banksy
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Johnbobb posted...

also I had a philosophy professor in college who swore by the theory that Mr. Brainwash is actually Banksy

I don't think he literally is, but I believe Banksy helped create his persona to punk the art community
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Snow White being one of the few Disney films shows that you pretty much just read critic lists and put things you are "supposed" to like. Nothing wrong with liking it, but those lists use "greatest" to mean influencial movies.
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I tend to consider influence at least somewhat in making these lists. Movies are such a cool medium because they're all additive upon their forebears. Part of a film's "greatness" is its ability to inspire other filmmakers imo.
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And also, if you like a bunch of similar movies about the same amount, it would make sense to choose the one that carries influence over the others. Snow White also still stands out for its animation quality.

Like, I feel like people try to say that about Citizen Kane too, while I can think of very few movies that actually do what CK manages throughout.
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#244. The Fifth Element
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/65/Fifth_element_poster_%281997%29.jpg
Dir: Luc Besson
Genre: Science Fiction
Year: 1997

Apparently I was wrong in my OP... I completely forget this is technically a French film!

Anyway, the Fifth Element is a very silly movie. It's over-the-top, campy, and probably could have benefited from another few years of CGI technology improvement. But god damn does it ooze style and originality. Taken unseriously--as I think the director intended--it really should silence the critics who tended to over-analyze everything in this era (see: Starship Troopers, RoboCop, etc.). Just a genuinely fun watch to this day.
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#243. The Thing
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a6/The_Thing_%281982%29_theatrical_poster.jpg
Dir: John Carpenter
Genre: Science Fiction, Horror
Year: 1982

John Carpenter's The Thing is so close to being (I believe) the only remake in my Top 250! But alas, it's not actually a remake of The Thing from Another World, but rather a reimagining of its source material.

The Thing is an absolute master class in sci-fi horror filmmaking. Very few movies so accurately portray a sense of isolation, terror, and paranoia as well as this one. I could also make the argument that this contains the greatest practical effects of all time. Seriously, if anyone can name something that does it better, I am all ears. I'd love to see it.

I mean

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BN2MyMDcyZDAtOWZkZS00NzVlLWE0MTMtZGZkYjQzMDYwYzFjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjY1ODM4NDY@._V1_.jpg

Come. ON.
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#242. The Apartment
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bb/Apartment_60.jpg
Dir: Billy Wilder
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Year: 1960

The premise is absurd. Dude lends out his apartment so his bosses can bone their mistresses on his furniture, thereby helping him rise the corporate ranks. Through a series of wacky mishaps, Dude falls for one of the mistresses and hilarity ensues.

It is really damn hard for me to like comedies from this era--especially romantic comedies. But the chemistry between Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine (who is ludicrously sexy here) in The Apartment is just off the charts. The movie also gets surprisingly dark at times (a Billy Wilder specialty), so it becomes pretty clear to anyone with a brain that the whole thing is a giant farcical satire. One of the few pre-Baby Boomer comedies I can really recommend!
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#241. A Streetcar Named Desire
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fe/A_Streetcar_Named_Desire_%281951%29.jpg/800px-A_Streetcar_Named_Desire_%281951%29.jpg
Dir: Elia Kazan
Genre: Drama
Year: 1951

The only straight-up play-turned-into-a-movie in the Top 250, Streetcar really earns its spot here. I'm normally not a fan of such literal interpretations, but this film is Brando, Brando, Brando. Taking from his legendary Broadway breakthrough, he explodes onto the screen and quite literally changes acting forever. Vivien Leigh is also fantastic and the whole thing is just magical to watch.

That's really all I have to say about this one. The entire selling point is witnessing perhaps the finest performances ever put to screen.
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#240. The Sandlot
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d4/Sandlot_poster.jpg
Dir: David Mickey Evans
Genre: Sports, Comedy, Coming-of-Age
Year: 1993

There are plenty of movies we grow up watching as kids that you look back on with confusion, embarrassment, or revulsion. I loved the Sandlot. But I also loved Three Ninjas. Ace Venture. *shudders*...Warriors of Virtue. Yet here I am, 25+ years later, and there's only one of those movies I'd watch any day, with any group of people.

We all have one of those movies. The kind that makes you nostalgic for nostalgia. I didn't grow up in the early 60s, but growing up in the early 90s certainly made you feel like you should have. And The Sandlot is simply a wonderful film that holds up with the greats.
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ok now I am done
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Sandlot is a good pick for that. Mine would be The Goonies.
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Tag
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Warriors of Virtue! I think I missed the boat on that because when I saw it (maybe age 12 or so?) I thought it was pure garbage
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tag, good stuff so far
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superbad is terrible. the apatow/rogen style of comedy doesn't appeal to me in the slightest.

props for including exit through the gift shop, though. back when i was studying i wrote a paper on it. brilliant film.
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Mr Lasastryke posted...

superbad is terrible. the apatow/rogen style of comedy doesn't appeal to me in the slightest.

They definitely have run their course, especially as they've gotten a lot lazier with their writing. But their earlier stuff (40 Year Old Virgin and Superbad) are very well made.
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