Top 25 films of 1997 (Top two will be unveiled tonight) The final two revealed on page 12

[baumer]

And everything will finally be revealed.  After months of watching movies from 20 years ago, the countdown will commence on Sunday.

 

Will Titanic make top ten?

Will Titanic make it at all?  Is the backlash enough to keep it out of the top 25?

Will LA Confidential have a strong showing?

How about Kevin Smith's opus?

What about Starship Troopers?

Male strippers

Fat Stallone?

Spielberg?

Bond?

Will Batman and Robin possibly squeak into top 25?  Were there enough DC loonies here to get it on the list?

Are there enough horror loonies here to get both Kevin Williamson films in the top 25?

 

All will be revealed on Sunday!

[baumer]

Hey guys and gals.  Running a little bit behind this morning.  The countdown will begin in about an hour or so.  

 

Thanks.

[Tower]

Until Baumer starts with the 25 that made the list, here is the first few that didn't make it (there were a total of 101 different films to receive any points):

89	Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil	3.5
89	Bent	3.5
89	Good Burger	3.5
92	Conspiracy Theory	3
93	Brassed Off	2.5
93	The Relic	2.5
95	American Warewolf In Paris	2
96	The Jackal	1.5
97	The Postman	1
97	Double Team	1
99	Bean	0.5
99	Dante's Peak	0.5
99	Speed 2	0.5

[Jake Gittes]

Ah yes Conspiracy Theory

 

 

[Fancyarcher]

Good Burger is a childhood favorite of mine. Dumb sure, but I was a kid, so I kinda enjoy it. Also someone put Speed 2 on their list. Let me guess it was TOG, who did it as a joke. 

[MrGamer]

Shame Dante's Peak didn't get more love. 

[Tower]

12 minutes ago, Fancyarcher said:

Good Burger is a childhood favorite of mine. Dumb sure, but I was a kid, so I kinda enjoy it. Also someone put Speed 2 on their list. Let me guess it was TOG, who did it as a joke. 

It was @chasmmi.

[baumer]

 

[Fancyarcher]

2 minutes ago, Tower said:

It was @chasmmi.

What a twist! I'm assuming he hasn't seen a lot from 1997, that or he does really enjoy it.

Edited November 26, 2017 by Fancyarcher

[baumer]

First of all I'd like to thank @Tower for doing all the heavy lifting.  He is the MVP of this countdown as his excel skills are truly amazing.  Without him I'd probably still be putting this all together.  

 

He will continue to reveal the films that did not make the top 25.

 

As always, there might be some meltdowns, there might be some anger.

 

There will be blood.

 

I hope all your favourite films made the list.

 

Not all mine did.  The top 5 might be interesting.

 

Without further ado, let's get to 25-20.

 

I will try to do all 25 today, but I can't promise that it will all be done.  But it is my goal.

[baumer]

[Tower]

2 minutes ago, Fancyarcher said:

What a twist! I'm assuming he hasn't seen a lot from 1997, that or he does really enjoy it.

Keep in mind that Chas was the only one to submit more than 25 films (after which films get half a point) and he placed it 33 and last on his list.

[MrGamer]

[Ethan Hunt]

Gattaca is all I care about

[Fancyarcher]

15 minutes ago, Tower said:

Keep in mind that Chas was the only one to submit more than 25 films (after which films get half a point) and he placed it 33 and last on his list.

Oh okay, that makes more sense.

[baumer]

#25

 

Amistad:  

Written by:  David Franzoni

Directed by:  Steven Spielberg

Starring:  Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins, Matthew McConaughey, Djimon Honsou

WW Gross:  44 million

 

 

 

 

Number of first place votes:  0

 

Number of Lists:  10

 

Number of Academy Awards:  3 nominations and 0 wins

 

A film with some terrific and legendary actors, one in particular shocked and awed Spielberg in ways that he had never experienced before.  There is a seven page monologue that had to be done by Anthony Hopkins.  With this many pages of dialogue, usually there are several takes that are required to get it done right (Kevin Costner's closing monologue in the court room scene in JFK was filmed over several days, for example).  Sir Anthony Hopkins astounded the Spielberg by delivering the entire seven page courtroom speech in a single take. Steven Spielberg was so in awe, he couldn't bring himself to call him Tony, and insisted on addressing him as Sir Anthony throughout the shoot.

 

This was a film that was initially thought to be a big Oscar contender but ended up being relatively ignored come March.

 

Random Critic remark:  Djimon Hounsou's performance depends largely on his screen presence, which is formidable. Some of the other performances are disappointing. I was surprised how little importance or screen time was given to the Morgan Freeman character, who in his few scenes indicates the volumes that remain concealed:  Roger Ebert

 

Random forum member comment:  

This was a decent movie with extremely great and horrifying scene in the middle.  The Scene showing the Middle Passage is likely the most realistic and horrifying portrayal of the Atlantic slave trade:  @Lordmandeep

 

[Fancyarcher]

Very pleased that Amistad made in it, even if only barely. It's a very solid and somewhat underrated Spielberg film.

[baumer]

 

 

#24

 

The Lost World:  Jurassic Park

 

Written by:  David Koepp

Novel by:  Michael Chrichton

Directed by:  Steven Spielberg

Starring:  Jeff Goldblum, Julianne Moore, Vince Vaughn

WW Gross:  618 million

 

 

 

 

Number of 1st place votes:  0

 

Number of Lists:  7

 

Academy Awards:  0 wins and one nomination.

 

 

Probably one of the most anticipated films of all time.  This destroyed the opening weekend record by close to 20 million dollars.  But the film was ultimately a disappointment and it fizzled at the box office. Think of how poorly Batman vs Superman was received and you might get an idea of how disliked this one was.  It just didn't have the charm that the original did.  It still made piles of money but left fans feeling unsatisfied.  This was Spielberg's big comeback year as he didn't direct anything between 1993 and 1997.  1993 was of course HIS year as he won his first Oscar and had the highest grossing film of all time with the original Jurassic Park.  1997 didn't quite work out for him in the same way.

 

Jay Hollywood, at least it made the top 25. 

 

 

Random Critic Remark:  "Jurassic Park" genre. It's like a trip to the amusement park with the aim being to deliberately overload all your senses. Blast out your eardrums with the metallic screech of the rides, scream your lungs out in terror, puke your guts out from motion sickness and then go somewhere quiet and have a nice lie down:  Barbara Schulgasser:  SF Chronicle

 

Random Forum Comment:  This was my first movie theater memory.

 

My dad took me at 4 years old to the opening day of The Lost World, it was incredible, a day I will never forget my whole life. Dinosaurs were real. 

 

its a guilty pleasure of mine. The concept for this is a perfect squeal to Jurassic Park. I love the Cinematography and the music. It is far from Spielberg worst. Being so young and growing up on this its hard for me to watch this now and judge, trying to put a critic face on. I can't.  @Jay Hollywood

 

[baumer]

3 hours ago, Fancyarcher said:

Very pleased that Amistad made in it, even if only barely. It's a very solid and somewhat underrated Spielberg film.

 

I liked both Spielberg films in 1997.  I don't think either of them were terrific but both were good enough to make the list imo.

[Tower]

Next batch of films that didn't make it:

80	Mimic	6.5
80	U Turn	6.5
82	Mr. Jealousy	6
83	Rosewood	5.5
84	Deconstructing Harry	5
84	The Mirror (Ayneh)	5
86	Mouse Hunt	4.5
87	Insomnia	4
87	Volcano	4