7: Francis Ford Coppola
In Seven (or more) Words: Coppola's films are analogous to works of art, each one encompassing a unique style, authenticated in every strain of performance. With his celebrated and definitive war movie Apocalypse Now, he stated that it wasn't 'a film about Vietnam, it is Vietnam'. He was able to craft reality through the lens.
The Best: To elect Apocalypse Now or The Godfather Part One or Two? The Conversation is worthy of a mention, though perhaps not big enough to be considered his very best. The Godfather Part One wins the votes.
6: John Ford
In Seven (or more) Words: The man responsible for John Wayne's titanic screen presence and the master of the Western genre, John Ford forged unsurpassed cinema.
The Best: This is difficult, with The Grapes of Wrath, How Green Was My Valley and Stagecoach all adept enough for consideration. However, The Searchers edges it, with some of the best cinematography ever filmed.
5: Akira Kurosawa
In Seven (or more) Words: The clear-cut ambassador for Japanese cinema, Kurosawa started off as a painter, moving into the film industry in 1936. Fifty years later he was the most respected director in world cinema, influencing such auteurs as George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. This means he's kind of a big deal.
The Best: Kurosawa indulged in Shakespeare and samurai warriors, with some of his notable films being Yojimbo, Throne of Blood and Ikiru. His two monumental movies are ingrained in Japanese culture; Seven Samurai is perhaps slightly inferior to Ran, his final masterpiece.
4: Orson Welles
In Seven (or more) Words: At his very worst he was woeful, at his very best he was incomparable. Known for directing the "greatest film ever made".
The Best: Citizen Kane. Although A Touch of Evil has to be seen by all film connoisseurs.
3: Alfred Hitchcock
In Seven (or more) Words: 'Hitchcock loves to be misunderstood, because he has based his whole life around misunderstandings'. A thought of Francis Truffaut about the 'Master of Suspense' that captures the Zeitgeist of Hitchcock's films. It thematically links with the "wrong man", the "ice blonde" and the purposefully placed "MacGuffin', all signatures of an Alfred Hitchcock picture. 'Misunderstanding' is why Hitchcock is beloved by all cinema aficionados.
The Best: This is to be found out in my first ever list entitled: The Seven Best Alfred Hitchcock Films.
2: Martin Scorsese
In Seven (or more) Words: Scorsese, influenced and influential, a short man with a perennial capacity to frequently deliver a range of classics. The scope includes; Goodfellas, The Departed, After Hours, Mean Streets, Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. The greatest living film director.
The Best: Goodfellas.
1: Stanley Kubrick
In Seven (or more) Words: A man who dipped his fingers in all the pies, so to speak. Every genre was trespassed, examined and packaged into some of the most important movies of the last sixty years. Lauded by Spielberg as a cinematic giant, Kubrick was a perfectionist. And for good reason. His films need to be viewed on the largest screen one can find.
The Best: Many would say 2001: A Space Odyssey or Spartacus, though for me The Shining, a grandiose and haunting picture, ranks as his absolute achievement.
The Directors Who Nearly Made It:
Billy Wilder, David Lean, Steven Spielberg, DW Griffith, Satyajit Ray and Frank Capra.
My Next Article Will Be.... The Seven Best Police Academy Films
Wednesday 21 May 2014
Wednesday 14 May 2014
The Seven Best De Niro/Scorsese Collaborations
7: Cape Fear (1991)
Starring: Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte and Jessica Lange
In Seven (or more) Words: Cape Fear and New York, New York are Scorsese and De Niro's weakest collaborations, though the former sneaks in to the top seven, with its uncomfortable camera framing and anxiety in characterisation, chilling more than Max Cady himself.
6: Casino (1995)
Starring: Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci
In Seven (or more) Words: A two way narrative from Ace Rothstein and Nicky Santoro, which intrudes the audience perception, foiling any sense of awareness through antithetical points of view. We don't know what's going to happen, even though we are 'shown' the climax at the beginning. Three hours of deceit, glamour and violence maintains our entertainment.
5: Mean Streets (1973)
Starring: Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel and David Proval
In Seven (or more) Words: Although not the central protagonist, Johnny Boy marks De Niro's cinematic admission, with Scorsese's directorial rawness and flair abundantly strutting the streets of Little Italy.
4: Taxi Driver (1976)
Starring: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster and Cybill Shepherd
In Seven (or more) Words: Taxi Driver is a stimulating, yet psychedelic ride into the contorting cognition of a mentally unstable Vietnam war veteran. 'You talkin' to me' nails the atmosphere of the film, and the relationship between actor and director; they're willing to try anything.
3: The King of Comedy (1982)
Starring: Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis and Diahnne Abbott
In Seven (or more) Words: Many see this as a mishap. I see it as a masterpiece. The casting of Jerry Lewis against a sinister, desperate, though eminently watchable De Niro proves to be of genius conduct. The film involves both actor and director abducting what should be a surreal offbeat comedy, and injecting it with social realism, inducing empathy from the viewer. An underrated gem.
2: Raging Bull (1980)
Starring: Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Cathy Moriarty
In Seven (or more) Words: The greatest film direction ever? Probably. The greatest screen performance ever? Difficult to pick just one. This comes second through my own teenage nostalgia towards a very different classic. A marvel of a movie, with the lacquer of black and white cinematography allowing for one to be immersed by every expression Jake La Motta pulls. Beautiful brutality, brutal beauty. Outstanding.
1: Goodfellas (1990)
Starring: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta and Joe Pesci
In Seven (or more) Words: Next time I watch Goodfellas, I want to be sitting in a leather clad chair with a whisky in my right hand. Or left hand. It doesn't matter which. Scorsese doesn't glorify being a gangster, the genre does that itself. It is easy to see them as anti-heroes, to comprehend their state of mind, to view them as coolness personified. De Niro, Liotta and Pesci achieve this. Worthy mention to another keynote collaborator in the form of Thelma Schoonmaker for the blistering editing. Scorsese and his shy pal never did better.
My Next Article Will Be... The Seven Best Film Directors Of All Time
Starring: Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte and Jessica Lange
In Seven (or more) Words: Cape Fear and New York, New York are Scorsese and De Niro's weakest collaborations, though the former sneaks in to the top seven, with its uncomfortable camera framing and anxiety in characterisation, chilling more than Max Cady himself.
6: Casino (1995)
Starring: Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci
In Seven (or more) Words: A two way narrative from Ace Rothstein and Nicky Santoro, which intrudes the audience perception, foiling any sense of awareness through antithetical points of view. We don't know what's going to happen, even though we are 'shown' the climax at the beginning. Three hours of deceit, glamour and violence maintains our entertainment.
5: Mean Streets (1973)
Starring: Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel and David Proval
In Seven (or more) Words: Although not the central protagonist, Johnny Boy marks De Niro's cinematic admission, with Scorsese's directorial rawness and flair abundantly strutting the streets of Little Italy.
4: Taxi Driver (1976)
Starring: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster and Cybill Shepherd
In Seven (or more) Words: Taxi Driver is a stimulating, yet psychedelic ride into the contorting cognition of a mentally unstable Vietnam war veteran. 'You talkin' to me' nails the atmosphere of the film, and the relationship between actor and director; they're willing to try anything.
3: The King of Comedy (1982)
Starring: Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis and Diahnne Abbott
In Seven (or more) Words: Many see this as a mishap. I see it as a masterpiece. The casting of Jerry Lewis against a sinister, desperate, though eminently watchable De Niro proves to be of genius conduct. The film involves both actor and director abducting what should be a surreal offbeat comedy, and injecting it with social realism, inducing empathy from the viewer. An underrated gem.
2: Raging Bull (1980)
Starring: Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Cathy Moriarty
In Seven (or more) Words: The greatest film direction ever? Probably. The greatest screen performance ever? Difficult to pick just one. This comes second through my own teenage nostalgia towards a very different classic. A marvel of a movie, with the lacquer of black and white cinematography allowing for one to be immersed by every expression Jake La Motta pulls. Beautiful brutality, brutal beauty. Outstanding.
1: Goodfellas (1990)
Starring: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta and Joe Pesci
In Seven (or more) Words: Next time I watch Goodfellas, I want to be sitting in a leather clad chair with a whisky in my right hand. Or left hand. It doesn't matter which. Scorsese doesn't glorify being a gangster, the genre does that itself. It is easy to see them as anti-heroes, to comprehend their state of mind, to view them as coolness personified. De Niro, Liotta and Pesci achieve this. Worthy mention to another keynote collaborator in the form of Thelma Schoonmaker for the blistering editing. Scorsese and his shy pal never did better.
My Next Article Will Be... The Seven Best Film Directors Of All Time
Tuesday 13 May 2014
The Seven Best Matthew McConaughey Performances
7: Killer Joe (2011)
Matthew McConaughey is: Killer Joe Cooper
In Seven (or more) Words: Friedkin, the helmer of two of the finest films that represent 1970's cinema (The French Connection and The Exorcist), directs our resident Texan in a subtle yet potent display of simmering rage, reminiscent of Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now. Even contract killers have charisma.
6: A Time to Kill (1996)
Matthew McConaughey is: Jake Tyler Brigance
In Seven (or more) Words: McConaughey attempts to replicate Gregory Peck's Atticus Finch in less screen time. With a searing monologue that acts as a continuation of one of the all time great courtroom speeches (To Kill a Mockingbird of course), 'Now imagine she's white' should tear open the mind of any sceptic and turn it into a perpetual conscious engraved with the simple methodology of equal rights. It's not just the dialogue, it's the way he delivers that dialogue.
5: Dazed and Confused (1993)
Matthew McConaughey is: David Wooderson
In Seven (or more) Words: Alright, Alright, Alrigghhhht. The greatest hang out film along with Rio Bravo, according to Tarantino, McConaughey enters the screen with such nonchalance, such swagger. He's fucking cool. And he knows it.
4: Magic Mike (2012)
Matthew McConaughey is: Dallas
In Seven (or more) Words: I avoided this film for a while. I finally accustomed myself to the idea of watching a movie with a main plot focus centred around male stripping (vodka helped) and was thoroughly entertained. Dallas steals the show, and McConaughey really should have bequeathed his first Oscar nomination.
3: Mud (2012)
Matthew McConaughey is: Mud
In Seven (or more) Words: I met Jeff Nichols last year at Sundance London, and he said that McConaughey knew the character better than he, the writer (also the director), did. It is a testament to the depth of research McConaughey plunges himself into. This is his most immediately identifiable creation since Dazed and Confused, and marks an honest, masculine performance, blighted by his unrequited love for Reese Witherspoon's Juniper. We can all relate.
2: Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
Matthew McConaughey is: Ron Woodroof
In Seven (or more) Words: An Academy Award. At last. The candour of aids, a thought provoking true story, with two diverse, meaningful performances. By losing three stone in weight he 'became smarter' (Matthew McConaughey, 2013). I guess that means as an actor too, because this is his smartest film performance to date. Riding a transition from detestable to determined, whilst being likeable throughout.
1: True Detective (2014)
Matthew McConaughey is: Rust Cohle
In Seven (or more) Words: The greatest television character since Tony Soprano. An ark promulgated across eight episodes; McConaughey has a lengthier period to propagate his wings. Considering this is predominantly a film blog, I am cheating, but I don't care. Phenomenal acting appears regularly on HBO, whether that be stand alone or ensemble. This here confirms McConaughey can stand alone, as once an industry joke, he is now a power house of a performer, one of the actors of his generation capable of quality control and consistency. He always had it in him.
Special Mention: The Wolf of Wall Street (2014)
Matthew McConaughey is: Mark Hanna
In Seven (or more) Words: Alec Baldwin in Glengary Glen Ross is the best scene stealing cameo ever. McConaughey is a close second.
My Next Article is... The Seven Best Robert De Niro/Martin Scorsese Collaborations
Matthew McConaughey is: Killer Joe Cooper
In Seven (or more) Words: Friedkin, the helmer of two of the finest films that represent 1970's cinema (The French Connection and The Exorcist), directs our resident Texan in a subtle yet potent display of simmering rage, reminiscent of Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now. Even contract killers have charisma.
6: A Time to Kill (1996)
Matthew McConaughey is: Jake Tyler Brigance
In Seven (or more) Words: McConaughey attempts to replicate Gregory Peck's Atticus Finch in less screen time. With a searing monologue that acts as a continuation of one of the all time great courtroom speeches (To Kill a Mockingbird of course), 'Now imagine she's white' should tear open the mind of any sceptic and turn it into a perpetual conscious engraved with the simple methodology of equal rights. It's not just the dialogue, it's the way he delivers that dialogue.
5: Dazed and Confused (1993)
Matthew McConaughey is: David Wooderson
In Seven (or more) Words: Alright, Alright, Alrigghhhht. The greatest hang out film along with Rio Bravo, according to Tarantino, McConaughey enters the screen with such nonchalance, such swagger. He's fucking cool. And he knows it.
4: Magic Mike (2012)
Matthew McConaughey is: Dallas
In Seven (or more) Words: I avoided this film for a while. I finally accustomed myself to the idea of watching a movie with a main plot focus centred around male stripping (vodka helped) and was thoroughly entertained. Dallas steals the show, and McConaughey really should have bequeathed his first Oscar nomination.
3: Mud (2012)
Matthew McConaughey is: Mud
In Seven (or more) Words: I met Jeff Nichols last year at Sundance London, and he said that McConaughey knew the character better than he, the writer (also the director), did. It is a testament to the depth of research McConaughey plunges himself into. This is his most immediately identifiable creation since Dazed and Confused, and marks an honest, masculine performance, blighted by his unrequited love for Reese Witherspoon's Juniper. We can all relate.
2: Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
Matthew McConaughey is: Ron Woodroof
In Seven (or more) Words: An Academy Award. At last. The candour of aids, a thought provoking true story, with two diverse, meaningful performances. By losing three stone in weight he 'became smarter' (Matthew McConaughey, 2013). I guess that means as an actor too, because this is his smartest film performance to date. Riding a transition from detestable to determined, whilst being likeable throughout.
1: True Detective (2014)
Matthew McConaughey is: Rust Cohle
In Seven (or more) Words: The greatest television character since Tony Soprano. An ark promulgated across eight episodes; McConaughey has a lengthier period to propagate his wings. Considering this is predominantly a film blog, I am cheating, but I don't care. Phenomenal acting appears regularly on HBO, whether that be stand alone or ensemble. This here confirms McConaughey can stand alone, as once an industry joke, he is now a power house of a performer, one of the actors of his generation capable of quality control and consistency. He always had it in him.
Special Mention: The Wolf of Wall Street (2014)
Matthew McConaughey is: Mark Hanna
In Seven (or more) Words: Alec Baldwin in Glengary Glen Ross is the best scene stealing cameo ever. McConaughey is a close second.
My Next Article is... The Seven Best Robert De Niro/Martin Scorsese Collaborations
Friday 2 May 2014
The Seven Best Film Trilogies
7: Star Wars: Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), The Return of the Jedi (1983)
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
In Seven (or more) Words: I don't fully appreciate the view of intergalactic relations gone haywire, but one cannot dismiss the spectacle each of these films enforce, all through the infinite mind of George Lucas.
The Best: The Empire Strikes Back: The daddy of all six Star Wars films.
6: Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Temple of Doom (1984), The Last Crusade (1989)
Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen and John Rhys Davies
In Seven (or more) Words: Indy whips the action genre back into shape, with Spielberg and Lucas setting up the geek dream of what it's like to be an archaeologist (there's probably a lot more paper work).
The Best: The Temple of Doom: Indy goes dark, with Jonathan Ke Quan (of The Goonies fame) as the scene stealing sidekick.
5: Toy Story: Toy Story (1995), Toy Story 2 (1999), Toy Story 3 (2010)
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Don Rickles
In Seven (or more) Words: Previously endorsed in my 'Pixar List', as one of the greatest trilogies of all time, Toy Story manages to crackle the imagination of every kid (young and old) on planet earth.
The Best: Toy Story 3: Never has there been a greater third entry to a trilogy.
4: Batman: Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Starring: Christian Bale, Gary Oldman and Michael Caine
In Seven (or more) Words: Christopher Nolan is perhaps the Akira Kurosawa of his generation, invariably revolutionising cinema with every picture he gifts us. Comic book films conjoin with a twisted reality of heroes and villains.
The Best: The Dark Knight: Heat in Gotham. Heath Ledger won a posthumous Oscar for his exhilarating ride as the Joker. How about a magic trick? He gave us one with a beautifully sadistic performance in the greatest superhero film ever made.
3: The Godfather: The Godfather Part 1 (1972), The Godfather Part 2 (1974), The Godfather Part 3 (1990)
Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and Diane Keaton
In Seven (or more) Words: Shakespearean in style, this Gangster tragedy, exploring the rise and fall of the Corleone family, is one of Cinema's most epic sagas. Acting and Direction have never syncopated so magnificently, and Nino Rota's dark, looming score underpins the tribulations of the Mafia perfectly. If it wasn't for Part 3 failing to encapsulate the vision of the previous films, this would be the greatest trilogy ever made.
The Best: The Godfather Part 1: Many say Part 2 is superior, but as an acting lesson, Part 1 is of a higher calibre, due to Brando and Pacino in particular, implying a distinctive range in subtlety.
2: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), The Return of the King (2003)
Starring: Elijah Wood, Sir Ian McKellen and Viggo Mortensen
In Seven (or more) Words: To quote Andy Serkis: 'Frustrated boy loses ring'. That and a lot more from the greatest ever fantasy epic.
The Best: The Two Towers: A benchmark in how to create battle scenes, Peter Jackson made the unfilmable, well, filmable. The Battle of Helms Deep remains one of the great set pieces committed to screen.
1: Apu: Pather Panchali (1955), Aparajito (1956) and The World of Apu (1959)
Starring: Kanu Banerjee and Karuna Banerjee
In Seven (or more) Words: Satyajit Ray is one of the greatest Directors to have ever lived. Mostly down to these sets of films. A personal journey into life in rural Bengal and a coming-of-age story. With an amateur cast and crew, Ray produced a milestone of Indian cinema. It'll make the most stony of men laugh, cry and appreciate life. Seek it out!
The Best: Pather Panchali: It received worldwide acclaim and influenced many, including Kurosawa, Scorsese and Attenborough. With a heartbreaking ending, Ray achieved magic.
The Next Article is... The Seven Best Matthew McConaughey Performances
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher
In Seven (or more) Words: I don't fully appreciate the view of intergalactic relations gone haywire, but one cannot dismiss the spectacle each of these films enforce, all through the infinite mind of George Lucas.
The Best: The Empire Strikes Back: The daddy of all six Star Wars films.
6: Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Temple of Doom (1984), The Last Crusade (1989)
Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen and John Rhys Davies
In Seven (or more) Words: Indy whips the action genre back into shape, with Spielberg and Lucas setting up the geek dream of what it's like to be an archaeologist (there's probably a lot more paper work).
The Best: The Temple of Doom: Indy goes dark, with Jonathan Ke Quan (of The Goonies fame) as the scene stealing sidekick.
5: Toy Story: Toy Story (1995), Toy Story 2 (1999), Toy Story 3 (2010)
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Don Rickles
In Seven (or more) Words: Previously endorsed in my 'Pixar List', as one of the greatest trilogies of all time, Toy Story manages to crackle the imagination of every kid (young and old) on planet earth.
The Best: Toy Story 3: Never has there been a greater third entry to a trilogy.
4: Batman: Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Starring: Christian Bale, Gary Oldman and Michael Caine
In Seven (or more) Words: Christopher Nolan is perhaps the Akira Kurosawa of his generation, invariably revolutionising cinema with every picture he gifts us. Comic book films conjoin with a twisted reality of heroes and villains.
The Best: The Dark Knight: Heat in Gotham. Heath Ledger won a posthumous Oscar for his exhilarating ride as the Joker. How about a magic trick? He gave us one with a beautifully sadistic performance in the greatest superhero film ever made.
3: The Godfather: The Godfather Part 1 (1972), The Godfather Part 2 (1974), The Godfather Part 3 (1990)
Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and Diane Keaton
In Seven (or more) Words: Shakespearean in style, this Gangster tragedy, exploring the rise and fall of the Corleone family, is one of Cinema's most epic sagas. Acting and Direction have never syncopated so magnificently, and Nino Rota's dark, looming score underpins the tribulations of the Mafia perfectly. If it wasn't for Part 3 failing to encapsulate the vision of the previous films, this would be the greatest trilogy ever made.
The Best: The Godfather Part 1: Many say Part 2 is superior, but as an acting lesson, Part 1 is of a higher calibre, due to Brando and Pacino in particular, implying a distinctive range in subtlety.
2: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), The Return of the King (2003)
Starring: Elijah Wood, Sir Ian McKellen and Viggo Mortensen
In Seven (or more) Words: To quote Andy Serkis: 'Frustrated boy loses ring'. That and a lot more from the greatest ever fantasy epic.
The Best: The Two Towers: A benchmark in how to create battle scenes, Peter Jackson made the unfilmable, well, filmable. The Battle of Helms Deep remains one of the great set pieces committed to screen.
1: Apu: Pather Panchali (1955), Aparajito (1956) and The World of Apu (1959)
Starring: Kanu Banerjee and Karuna Banerjee
In Seven (or more) Words: Satyajit Ray is one of the greatest Directors to have ever lived. Mostly down to these sets of films. A personal journey into life in rural Bengal and a coming-of-age story. With an amateur cast and crew, Ray produced a milestone of Indian cinema. It'll make the most stony of men laugh, cry and appreciate life. Seek it out!
The Best: Pather Panchali: It received worldwide acclaim and influenced many, including Kurosawa, Scorsese and Attenborough. With a heartbreaking ending, Ray achieved magic.
The Next Article is... The Seven Best Matthew McConaughey Performances
Thursday 1 May 2014
The Seven Best Horror Films
7: Les Diaboliques (1955)
Starring: Simone Signoret, Vera Clouzot and Paul Meurisse
In Seven (or more) Words: Teachers at war! A husband/headmaster is murdered by his wife and mistress, though his body disappears, and both women inherit a belief that the supernatural is afoot. With a memorable climax, this French classic was a valuable precursor to Psycho.
6: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Starring: Marilyn Burns, Edwin Neal and Gunnar Hansen
In Seven (or more) Words: A film made on a low budget with even lower expectations, this seminal movie surprised even the director himself, Tobe Hooper. Leatherface became an icon of despicable horror creations, and the film, like many successful pictures of the genre, has spawned into a franchise.
5: The Wicker Man (1973)
Starring: Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee and Diane Cilento
In Seven (or more) Words: The Wicker Man is uneasy viewing. Because it doesn't feel like a horror film. The aesthetics of it resemble a Famous Five location; a small island off the coast of Scotland. Though, as it progresses, and with a stalwart of Hammer Films, Christopher Lee, appearing twenty or so minutes in, the horror begins to seep through.
4: The Innocents (1961)
Starring: Deborah Kerr, Peter Wyngarde and Megs Jenkins
In Seven (or more) Words: More haunting than The Haunting, The Innocents is the most impressive of British horror films. Deborah Kerr has never been better, and Martin Stephens who plays the sinister Miles, is much creepier here than he was in another great British horror movie, Village of the Damned.
3: Psycho (1960)
Starring: Janet Leigh, Anthony Perkins and Vera Miles
In Seven (or more) Words: That shower scene. Enough has been said about this influential stream of images, but enough is never enough with Psycho. It was the first true 'slasher' movie, foreshadowing the emergence of Halloween eighteen years later. What Les Diaboliques did for baths, Psycho did for showers, and many people started to avoid cleansing at all costs!
2: Freaks (1932)
Starring: Wallace Ford, Leila Hyams and Olga Baclanova
In Seven (or more) Words: A classic horror film is a classic because of the ending. The ending has to succeed the palette of images previously seen, and leave an indelible mark on the voyeur's conscious. Freaks does this. Seek it out.
1: The Shining (1980)
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall and Danny Lloyd
In Seven (or more) Words: One has to watch The Shining on the hugest screen possible. Kubrick is perhaps the most accomplished director ever, because he transcended his talent into every genre. With this film, horror was a constant presence. His arduous re-taking may have left Shelley Duvall cold, though it exposed both her and Jack Nicholson at their most raw and authentic (this being on a massive scale), even if the former comes off as slightly annoying.
The Next Article is... The Seven Best Film Trilogies
Starring: Simone Signoret, Vera Clouzot and Paul Meurisse
In Seven (or more) Words: Teachers at war! A husband/headmaster is murdered by his wife and mistress, though his body disappears, and both women inherit a belief that the supernatural is afoot. With a memorable climax, this French classic was a valuable precursor to Psycho.
6: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Starring: Marilyn Burns, Edwin Neal and Gunnar Hansen
In Seven (or more) Words: A film made on a low budget with even lower expectations, this seminal movie surprised even the director himself, Tobe Hooper. Leatherface became an icon of despicable horror creations, and the film, like many successful pictures of the genre, has spawned into a franchise.
5: The Wicker Man (1973)
Starring: Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee and Diane Cilento
In Seven (or more) Words: The Wicker Man is uneasy viewing. Because it doesn't feel like a horror film. The aesthetics of it resemble a Famous Five location; a small island off the coast of Scotland. Though, as it progresses, and with a stalwart of Hammer Films, Christopher Lee, appearing twenty or so minutes in, the horror begins to seep through.
4: The Innocents (1961)
Starring: Deborah Kerr, Peter Wyngarde and Megs Jenkins
In Seven (or more) Words: More haunting than The Haunting, The Innocents is the most impressive of British horror films. Deborah Kerr has never been better, and Martin Stephens who plays the sinister Miles, is much creepier here than he was in another great British horror movie, Village of the Damned.
3: Psycho (1960)
Starring: Janet Leigh, Anthony Perkins and Vera Miles
In Seven (or more) Words: That shower scene. Enough has been said about this influential stream of images, but enough is never enough with Psycho. It was the first true 'slasher' movie, foreshadowing the emergence of Halloween eighteen years later. What Les Diaboliques did for baths, Psycho did for showers, and many people started to avoid cleansing at all costs!
2: Freaks (1932)
Starring: Wallace Ford, Leila Hyams and Olga Baclanova
In Seven (or more) Words: A classic horror film is a classic because of the ending. The ending has to succeed the palette of images previously seen, and leave an indelible mark on the voyeur's conscious. Freaks does this. Seek it out.
1: The Shining (1980)
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall and Danny Lloyd
In Seven (or more) Words: One has to watch The Shining on the hugest screen possible. Kubrick is perhaps the most accomplished director ever, because he transcended his talent into every genre. With this film, horror was a constant presence. His arduous re-taking may have left Shelley Duvall cold, though it exposed both her and Jack Nicholson at their most raw and authentic (this being on a massive scale), even if the former comes off as slightly annoying.
The Next Article is... The Seven Best Film Trilogies
The Seven Best Disney Pixar Films
7: Finding Nemo (2003)
Starring: Alexander Gould, Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres
In Seven (or more) Words: Fish have bigger problems than memory loss. Ellen DeGeneres is possibly the greatest Pixar character as Dory, a regal blue tang stilted by amnesia. Though, the real tea leaf is the ocean, stealing the film with its depth of quality in animation. A sequel, Finding Dory, is due out in 2016.
6: Toy Story 2 (1999)
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack
In Seven (or more) Words: The Godfather part 2 of animation, some say it surpasses the excellence of its predecessor. I don't.
5: Wall.E (2008)
Starring: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight and Jeff Garlin
In Seven (or more) Words: Pixar can even create subjectivity through the metal heart of robots. Andrew Stanton, who directed Finding Nemo, manages to facilitate entertainment in an almost voiceless 98 minutes. A CGI version of The Artist.. with a completely different plot.
4: Toy Story (1995)
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Don Rickles.
In Seven (or more) Words: A fucking big landmark in the history of cinema. The beginning of Pixar's A grade pictures; toys really do have feelings. Fun fact: Joss Wheden helped write the script.
3: Up (2009)
Starring: Ed Asner, Jordan Nagai and Christopher Plummer
In Seven (or more) Words: The most brilliant, heartfelt opening five minutes animation has ever given us; just as affecting as Amour in terms of growing old and losing one's life partner. The rest of the film is ingenious Pixar, with a floating house, a boy scout and a talking dog. However, the perfection of the opening was difficult to endure. If the film had done so, we might be talking this up as one of the greatest films ever made. For real.
2: Toy Story 3 (2010)
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack
In Seven (or more) Words: A sublime third outing, enhancing Toy Story's credentials as one of the greatest ever trilogies. The 'holding of the hands' in the denouement produces a childhood nostalgia; toys can make you cry.
1: The Incredibles (2004)
Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter and Jason Lee
In Seven (or more) Words: One of the best films in the cannon of the 'Superhero Genre', Pixar is always great (Cars 1 and 2 aside). Here, they assembled Brad Bird, John Walker and a stunning voice cast to generate its finest outing to date. The music by Michael Giacchano arguably exceeds the animation, though nothing about this picture is less than dazzling.
The Next Article is... The Seven Best Horror Films
Starring: Alexander Gould, Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres
In Seven (or more) Words: Fish have bigger problems than memory loss. Ellen DeGeneres is possibly the greatest Pixar character as Dory, a regal blue tang stilted by amnesia. Though, the real tea leaf is the ocean, stealing the film with its depth of quality in animation. A sequel, Finding Dory, is due out in 2016.
6: Toy Story 2 (1999)
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack
In Seven (or more) Words: The Godfather part 2 of animation, some say it surpasses the excellence of its predecessor. I don't.
5: Wall.E (2008)
Starring: Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight and Jeff Garlin
In Seven (or more) Words: Pixar can even create subjectivity through the metal heart of robots. Andrew Stanton, who directed Finding Nemo, manages to facilitate entertainment in an almost voiceless 98 minutes. A CGI version of The Artist.. with a completely different plot.
4: Toy Story (1995)
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Don Rickles.
In Seven (or more) Words: A fucking big landmark in the history of cinema. The beginning of Pixar's A grade pictures; toys really do have feelings. Fun fact: Joss Wheden helped write the script.
3: Up (2009)
Starring: Ed Asner, Jordan Nagai and Christopher Plummer
In Seven (or more) Words: The most brilliant, heartfelt opening five minutes animation has ever given us; just as affecting as Amour in terms of growing old and losing one's life partner. The rest of the film is ingenious Pixar, with a floating house, a boy scout and a talking dog. However, the perfection of the opening was difficult to endure. If the film had done so, we might be talking this up as one of the greatest films ever made. For real.
2: Toy Story 3 (2010)
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack
In Seven (or more) Words: A sublime third outing, enhancing Toy Story's credentials as one of the greatest ever trilogies. The 'holding of the hands' in the denouement produces a childhood nostalgia; toys can make you cry.
1: The Incredibles (2004)
Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter and Jason Lee
In Seven (or more) Words: One of the best films in the cannon of the 'Superhero Genre', Pixar is always great (Cars 1 and 2 aside). Here, they assembled Brad Bird, John Walker and a stunning voice cast to generate its finest outing to date. The music by Michael Giacchano arguably exceeds the animation, though nothing about this picture is less than dazzling.
The Next Article is... The Seven Best Horror Films
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