Simplest Things Last: STL #129.3: First Draft of Personal Top 100 Canonical Films

Monday, February 20, 2023

STL #129.3: First Draft of Personal Top 100 Canonical Films

I'll do the rest in two bigger chunks and then see what I've got.

Chunk A:

The Naked Kiss. Certainly great, but needs a rewatch.
Near Dark. I enjoyed this on last rewatch. I tend to think badass vamps wrecking house to the accompaniment of John Parr's "Naughty Naughty" ain't enough
Night at the Opera. That is an awfully small state room. Mingled in mind with Duck Soup, both of which I should watch again.
Night of the Hunter. Yes. 80ish
Night of the Living Dead. Yes. 70ish
Nights fo Cabiria. Once, but no more. Pending a comprehensive Fellini rewatch that I might never get to, I'll satisfy myself with one on the list.
Nosferatu. From a film history perspective, certainly. But I don't want to sit down and watch it.
Nosferatu the Vampire. What if this was the Herzog? Can I have a double feature with Aguirre?
Nostalghia. Like Mirror, except a long time ago and I can't remember it.
Ong Bok 2. Tony Jaa running up the stairs fighting is a great set piece. Is that enough?
Once a Cop. Rewatch. I know I love it but don't quite know what constitutes it! (See also, Drunken Master.) Going with Yes, Madam instead
Out of the Past. Rewatch.
Out of Sight. Oh, yes. Top 50 to be sure. (I'm rationing my commentary not only to finish but since at some point I'm bound to elaborate on the successful ones.)
Parasite. I like it, but no.
Pather Pachali. I remember an impressive monsoon.
Paths of Glory. No.
Perfect Blue. No.
Phantasm. BOY! Top 80.
Philadelphia Story. Top 50.
The Player. Rewatch this and Gosford Park.
Pontypool. Good, but no.
Princess Bride. I do always watch this when it's on (not that I watch that way). Shouldn't that count?
Prospero’s Books. Maybe a whole Peter Greenaway rewatch? After the Fellini.
Psycho. Top 50
Pulp Fiction. Logically should go on, but weirdly, I don't feel it.
Raging Bull. See above
Raiders of the Lost Ark. See above.
Ran. See above
Rashomon. See above. I think I'm feeling the impending pressure of the century mark.
Rear Window. Top 30
Roaring 20s. "He used to be a big shot." Certain for list of best gangster movies, but not for the overall.
Rope. Top 80
Rosemary’s Baby. Top 80
Royal Tennebaums. Top 30
Rules of the Game. Rewatch

I dropped Last Seduction and Fong Sai Yuk, since I don't see a chance for them, and so:

I had this weird run I wanted to capture:

Pulp Fiction. Logically should go on, but weirdly, I don't feel it.
Raging Bull. See above
Raiders of the Lost Ark. See above.
Ran. See above
Rashomon. See above. I think I'm feeling the impending pressure of the century mark.

Into the final leg, with 9 or 4 spots open

Safe. I felt a sense of discovery bringing this to a Literature and Illness seminar. But no.
Shogun Assassin. Top 30
The Searchers. Iconic. Not for me, ultimately
Seventh Seal. One of the earliest art movies I watched on video. But no.
The Shining. Top 80.
Shoah. It feels stupid to rank this, so maybe I won't.
Singing in the Rain. Been awhile, but better than Meet Me in St. Louis,
Skinamarink. The newest film on the list, and I have too many doubts.
Snake Eyes. The worst movie on this list, but nonetheless a must. It feels like low to mid 90s
Some Like It Hot. Recently rewatched it. Good, but not for this list.
Starship Troopers. Top 75
Star Wars. Nah.
Stranger Than Paradise. DbL instead
Strangers on a Train. Better than Rope? Yes.
Stop Making Sense. Nah.
Sullivan’s Travels. Everyone should see this.
Sunset Boulevard. Nah
Suspiria. Does Argento get two slots? Would the second be this or Crystal Plummage?
Sweet Smell of Success. Really, really good. But still, no.
Switchblade Sisters. Need to rewatch.
Taking of Pellham 123. Really like it. Maybe around 100 but probably bubbling under.
Tampopo. Good but no.
Taxi Driver. Number 72.
Team America World Police. Upper 80s.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Top 10
The Thin Man. Sentimental favorite. Not great, but upper 90s maybe.
The Third Man. 40s.
This Is Spinal Tap. 79.
Touch of Evil. Really good, but not alongside Kane and Third Man
Unforgiven. Yeah, probably.
Usual Suspects. No, probably not.
Vanishing Point. Ugh. Really good, but is there room?
Vertigo. "It can't matter to you!" Don't really like it all that much.
WALL-E. The opening. 90s.
Warriors. mid 50s.
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. Great acting movie, if I know what I mean. 65.
Wicker Man. Flawed, but mid 70s.
The Wild Bunch. A lot of movies like this already.
A Woman Under the Influence. 72.
Yes Madam. Really need to rewatch, but I'll say 99.
Yojimbo. Drop Rashomon. This is the shit.

Ok, so it needs to be trimmed and re-arranged, but I feel pretty good about this: