I did a list like this a few years back, but as lists like this are want to do, it has shifted a bit. I may continue to publish a new list every few years I think. At some point there may be some drastic changes, especially in the lower half. I encourage everyone to do a top 50 films right now! (it's quite challenging). I also did a top 100 favorite films by decade which is in need of updating too at some point.
1. THE THING(1982; John Carpenter)
2. RIO BRAVO(1959; Howard Hawks)
3. IT'S A GIFT(1934; Norman Z. McLeod)
4. THE APARTMENT(1960; Billy Wilder)
5. THE LONG GOODBYE(1973; Robert Altman)
6. DUCK SOUP(1933; Leo McCarey)
7. THE CONVERSATION(1974; Francis Ford Coppola) 
8. THE KING OF COMEDY(1983; Martin Scorsese)
9. THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP(1943; Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger)
10. THE MALTESE FALCON(1941; John Huston)
11. THE KILLING(1956; Stanley Kubrick)
12. THE LADY EVE(1941; Preston Sturges)
13. HALLOWEEN(1978; John Carpenter)
14. AFTER HOURS(1985; Martin Scorsese)
15. REAR WINDOW(1954; Alfred Hitchcock)
16. OUT OF THE PAST(1947; Jacques Tourneur)
17. JAWS(1975; Steven Spielberg)
18. BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA(1986; John Carpenter)
19. BACK TO THE FUTURE(1985; Robert Zemeckis)
20. PEE WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE(1985; Tim Burton)
21. NIGHT MOVES(1975; Arthur Penn)
22. BREAKING AWAY(1979; Peter Yates)
23. TAXI DRIVER(1976; Martin Scorsese)
24.TWO-LANE BLACKTOP(1971; Monte Hellman)
25. ROCK 'N' ROLL HIGH SCHOOL(1979; Allan Arkush)
26. MANHATTAN(1979; Woody Allen)
27. STRAIGHT TIME(1978; Ulu Grosbard)
28. GOING IN STYLE(1979; Martin Brest)
29. CALIFORNIA SPLIT(1974; Robert Altman)
30. HORSE FEATHERS(1932; Norman Z. McLeod)
31. CHILLY SCENES OF WINTER(1979; Joan Micklin Silver)
32. CUTTER'S WAY(1981; Ivan Passer)
33. THEM!(1954; Gordon Douglas)
34. FORBIDDEN PLANET(1956; Fred M. Wilcox)
35. TARGETS(1968; Peter Bogdanovich)
36. THE NUTTY PROFESSOR(1963; Jerry Lewis)
37. BRINGING UP BABY(1938; Howard Hawks)
38. LAURA(1944; Otto Preminger)
39. MODERN ROMANCE(1981; Albert Brooks)
40. THE LAST DETAIL(1973; Hal Ashby)
41. MY BODYGUARD(1980; Tony Bill)
42. VALLEY GIRL(1983; Martha Coolidge)
43. ISLAND OF LOST SOULS(1932; Erle C. Kenton)
44. THE KING OF MARVIN GARDENS(1972; Bob Rafelson)
45. ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ(1979; Don Siegel)
46. THREE O'CLOCK HIGH(1987; Phil Joanou)
47. MIRACLE MILE(1988; Steve De Jarnatt)
48. ONE WAY PASSAGE(1932; Tay Garnett)
49. MIDNIGHT MADNESS(1980; Michael Nankin, David Wechter)
50. CLOAK & DAGGER(1984; Richard Franklin)
Posts
6 comments:
Your choices are a lot more varied than mine would be! I just might have to give this a try, just to juxtapose films that would never be mentioned together any other way. Oddly, there's only 10 films on your list I would even consider for mine... perhaps because my list would be much less American.
My friend, your taste is DYNAMO. Great, great, GREAT list.
Steve- would be very curious to see your list! I do feel some shame that my list is so exclusively American even though I do enjoy foreign films a lot.
Doug-Your words move me sir, far too kind!
Whoa, someone with almost as much Carpenter as me in the top 50. Nice list. Love, love, love After Hours.
Just did my list - and it turned out very very American!
http://stevequick.blogspot.com/2012/03/my-50-favorite-films-apparently.html
It's amazing to me how many movies I haven't seen.
I started doing a top 50 in 2011 with the plan of writing reviews about once a week. HA! My list has changed some since then, but what I've got posted so far is here: http://www.retrohound.com/50-greatest-movies/
Post a Comment