STL #129.2: On Selectivity and Representativeness

 If I'm more selective-- for instance, one Fellini, a limit to kung fu and horror movies, and so on--I'll have more space. But I want the films to be representative of my aesthetic at the same time--and I like Fellini horror and kung fu. To balance the two, I'm going to try to state what the film represents to me, which seems like a loose criterion to follow. 

• Election. Broderick's performance, the character of Tracy Flick. Like it, but maybe not.
• Elevator to the Gallows. Essence of cool. The score. Top 50
• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The pleasure of the puzzle. Top 50. 
• The Enigma of Caspar Hauser. I love the main performance, but not enough. 
• Enter the Dragon. Not only Bruce Lee, but Jim Kelly and John Saxon. Top 100
• Everybody Says I Love You. No.
• The Exorcist. Scary but I think, ultimately, no. 
• Eyes Wide Shut. Crazy to say so, but possibly my favorite Kubrik. Top 30.
• Fallen Angels. Very cool, but not without a strong rewatch
• Fanny and Alexander. Probably not.
• Faces/Places. The dynamic of the tall and the small is heartening. Top 100
• Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Yes. Top 75.
• Female Convict Scorpion: Jailhouse 41. Yes. Top 80
• Fist in Pocket. Ultimately no.
• Flirt. Sorry Hal, but no. 
• Frances Ha. No
• Frankenstein. Less than Bride, so no.
• Freaks. I am one of them. Top 50. 
• Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Tough. Maybe 100 because of the puppet opera. 
• Gator Bait. A lot going for it, but no. 
• Gimme Shelter. Oh yes. Mick is the only one listening but he doesn't understand what they're saying. Top 20
• The Getaway. QT makes a strong case, but no
• Get Out. Good, but no.
• Glengarry Glen Ross. It's the script and performances more than the film per se, but I think top 80. 
• The Godfather Trilogy. Obvious cheating. Numbers 1, 20, and it's not that bad but no.
• Goodfellas. Top 20.
• Goodbye Dragon Inn. Top 80.
• Green Room. Great, but nothing special enough to argue. 
• The Grifters. Maybe special enough to argue.

At this point, we're about 42% of the way through. Let's take a look:

1. Godfather
2. All That Jazz
3. Battle Royal
4. Carrie
5. Deep Red
6. Double Indemnity
7. Don't Look Now
8. Gimme Shelter
9. Godfather II
10. Goodfellas
11. Annie Hall.
12. Eyes Wide Shut
13. Days of Heaven
14. The Big Lebowski
15. Big Sleep
16. Citizen Kane
17. Dumbo
18. Alice, Sweet Alice
19. Elevator to the Gallows
20. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
21. Almost Famous.
22. Freaks
23. Cleo from 5 to 7
24. Audition
25. American Movie
26. Enter the Dragon
27. Goodbye Dragon Inn
28. 8 ½
29. Fast Times and Ridgemont High
30. Female Convict Scorpion
31. The Conversation
32. Blow Out
33. Barry Lyndon
34. Chinatown
35. Children of Men
36. The 36th Chamber of Shaolin
37. Faces Places
38. Bring Me the Head of Alfred Garcia
39. Amour
40. Down by Law
41. Glengarry Glen Ross
42. 2001: A Space Odyssey
43. Fanny and Alexander
44. Bride of Frankenstein
45. Clueless
46. Aguirre, Wrath of God
47. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
48. Grifters

I took off La Dolce Vita. It hurt more to remove Crimes and Misdemeanors, but I did that too. I removed Black Christmas and Drunken Master.

One more chunk today:

• Hammet. I watch it when it comes around, but not that good.
• Hannah and Her Sisters. The only question is how many Woody Allens will there be. Put it at 100 for now.
• Halloween. Top 10. No, top 5. 
• Harikari. Good, but no.
• Hard Boiled. Top 20. 
• Heat. Top 50
• Heathers. Fuck me gently with a chain saw. Top 75
• High Noon. Really good, but would need strong rewatch. 
• His Girl Friday. Top 5. 
• Holy Motors. Recommended, but not in contention. 
• Hoop Dreams. The moment of maturity when the boy questions the coach's priority. Top 50.
• House of the Devil. This loves film and I love it. And Jocelin Donohue. 
• Hud. It's a lonely old night. Patricia Neal. 100?
• I am a Fugitive... I first saw it on TV and it made a real impression. Great final scene when the lights go out. Top 60.
• If. Worth watching, but no.
• In the Mood for Love. Top 5
• Interiors- Woody, sub Hannah, so no.
• Irma Vep- I'd love to watch this again. Not right now. 
• It Follows- Representing elevated horror of the past decade. Top 75.
• It’s a Wonderful Life- Top 30
• Jackie Brown- Top 10
• Jaws-Top 30
• Jules and Jim-Top 30
• Kill Bill- Top 5 (how many top 5's do I have)
• Kind Hearts and Coronets-funny movie, but not sure what it's doing here. 
• King Kong-I like to say this has the better special effects than anything around now. Top 75
• King of Comedy- Like it, but no.
• Kiss Me Deadly- Would need to rewatch. 

1. Godfather
2. His Girl Friday
3. Kill Bill
4. In the Mood for Love
5. All That Jazz
6. Halloween
7. Battle Royal
8. Jackie Brown
9. Carrie
10. Deep Red
11. Hard Boiled
12. Double Indemnity
13. Don't Look Now
14. Gimme Shelter
15. Godfather II
16. Goodfellas
17. Annie Hall.
18. Eyes Wide Shut
19. Days of Heaven
20. Jules and Jim
21. Jaws
22. It's a Wonderful Life
23. The Big Lebowski
24. Big Sleep
25. Citizen Kane
26. Dumbo
27. Alice, Sweet Alice
28. Elevator to the Gallows
29. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
30. Almost Famous.
31. Freaks
32. Hoop Dreams
33. I Am a Fugitive...
34. Cleo from 5 to 7
35. Audition
36. American Movie
37. Enter the Dragon
38. Goodbye Dragon Inn
39. 8 ½
40. Fast Times and Ridgemont High
41. Female Convict Scorpion
42. Heat
43. King Kong
44. Heathers
45. It Follows
46. The Conversation
47. Blow Out
48. Barry Lyndon
49. Chinatown
50. Children of Men
51. The 36th Chamber of Shaolin
52. Faces Places
53. Bring Me the Head of Alfred Garcia
54. Amour
55. Down by Law
56. Glengarry Glen Ross
57. Hannah and Her Sisters
58. Hud
59. House of the Devil
60. 2001: A Space Odyssey
61. Fanny and Alexander
62. Bride of Frankenstein
63. Clueless
64. Aguirre, Wrath of God
65. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
66. Grifters

Ok, fine, one more batch:

• The Lady Vanishes: For Fan of Miss Froy's (FOMFs). NC
• Last Days of Disco. I really need to start that rewatch list.
• The Last Seduction. My type of movie, with my type of dame. Probably will bubble under.
• The Last Waltz. I watch it alot and get more out of it than you might think. Top 80
• Legend of Fong Sai Yuck. Josephine Siao makes this picture. That and Jet Li's horizontal pigtail in the footrace. I think no, but will put it at the end.
• Lolita. No
• Lone Star. Rewatch
• The Long Goodbye. Oh hell yes. Top 30
• Lost in Translation. Top 10, until I rewatch it and it dies.
• The Love Witch. Top 80 for art direction alone.
• Mad Max:Fury Road. So recent. Loved it in theaters and it has a bunch of critic love. But doesn't feel right.
• Magnolia. Weird this does feel right. Top 60.
• The Man Who Knew Too Much. Nope.
• Manhattan. Top 20
• Maniac- The gritty NY slasher, or is that Ms. 45
• Mandy-Top 20
• McCabe and Mrs. Miller- Top 20
• Mean Girls- So much fun, but no.
• Meet Me In St. Louis-Top 60
• Millenium Actress-Rewatch
• Mirror. Recently seen for first time. Absolutely beautiful to watch.
• Mr. Hulot’s Holiday. Rewatch.
• Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. I love Jean Arthur. Top 40
• Ms. 45- It's Ms. 45, which also covers Ferrera.
• My Best Friend’s Wedding. Top 40
• My Dinner With Andre. Top 40.
• My Winnipeg. When I watch this movie, I feel like I'm rolling around drowsing in a train leaving Winnipeg. Ann Savage though.

1. Godfather
2. His Girl Friday
3. Kill Bill
4. In the Mood for Love
5. All That Jazz
6. Lost in Translation
7. Halloween
8. Jackie Brown
9. Manhattan
10. Carrie
11. Deep Red
12. Mandy
13. Battle Royal
14. Hard Boiled
15. Double Indemnity
16. Don't Look Now
17. Gimme Shelter
18. Godfather II
19. Goodfellas
20. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
21. My Best Friend's Wedding
22. Annie Hall
23. McCabe and Mrs. Miller
24. The Long Goodbye
25. Eyes Wide Shut
26. Days of Heaven
27. Jules and Jim
28. Jaws
29. It's a Wonderful Life
30. My Dinner with Andre
31. The Big Lebowski
32. Big Sleep
33. Citizen Kane
34. Dumbo
35. Alice, Sweet Alice
36. Elevator to the Gallows
37. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
38. Almost Famous.
39. Freaks
40. Hoop Dreams
41. Magnolia
42. I Am a Fugitive...
43. Cleo from 5 to 7
44. Meet My in St. Louis
45. Audition
46. American Movie
47. Enter the Dragon
48. Goodbye Dragon Inn
49. 8 ½
50. Fast Times and Ridgemont High
51. Last Waltz
52. Love Witch
53. Female Convict Scorpion
54. Heat
55. King Kong
56. Heathers
57. It Follows
58. The Conversation
59. Blow Out
60. Barry Lyndon
61. Chinatown
62. Children of Men
63. The 36th Chamber of Shaolin
64. Faces Places
65. Bring Me the Head of Alfred Garcia
66. Amour
67. Down by Law
68. Glengarry Glen Ross
69. Hannah and Her Sisters
70. Hud
71. House of the Devil
72. 2001: A Space Odyssey
73. Fanny and Alexander
74. Bride of Frankenstein
75. Clueless
76. Aguirre, Wrath of God
77. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
78. Grifters
79. Ms. 45
80. Last Seduction
81. Legend of Fong Sai Yuk

Made some adjustments based on " feel"66% through the master list. Not looking good for Fong Sai Yuk &co.

Next time I'll finish the master list and do some thinking about final selections and the aesthetics of lists.