BOT's top 100 black and white films the countdown is done

[Tower]

 

39

Judgement At Nuremberg

Points: 78.5

Number of lists: 7

Year: 1961

Director: Stanley Kramer

First place votes: 0

Top 5 (2-5): 0

Top 10 (6-10): 2

Average position: 29.3

 

Another film I saw for this list that was great. Really does a good job of shining a light on a time and place that doesn't usually get shown.

[Tower]

 

38

Bringing Up Baby

Points: 79

Number of lists: 5

Year: 1938

Director: Howard Hawks

First place votes: 0

Top 5 (2-5): 0

Top 10 (6-10): 1

Average position: 26

 

The third Howard Hawks entry mean that he is currently surprisingly tied with Kurosawa, Wilder and Chaplin in the directors race.

[Tower]

 

37

His Girl Friday

Points: 81.25

Number of lists: 8

Year: 1940

Director: Howard Hawks

First place votes: 0

Top 5 (2-5): 0

Top 10 (6-10): 1

Average position: 29.5

 

The second Howard Hawks directed film in a row means that he now has the most entries on the list at 4, beating all of the more famous directors.

[Tower]

 

36

Ed Wood

Points: 82.5

Number of lists: 11

Year: 1994

Director: Tim Burton

First place votes: 0

Top 5 (2-5): 0

Top 10 (6-10): 0

Average position: 46.4

 

This film is just such great time, so if you haven't seen it yet I highly recommend that you do. Of course judging by the number of votes it got, easily the most we have seen so far, most of you have.

[Tower]

 

35

The Philadelphia Story

Points: 86

Number of lists: 4

Year: 1940

Director: George Cukor

First place votes: 1

Top 5 (2-5): 0

Top 10 (6-10): 0

Average position: 29

 

A first place vote helped this film be the last one to only have 4 votes.

[DAR]

4 hours ago, Tower said:

 

39

Judgement At Nuremberg

Points: 78.5

Number of lists: 7

Year: 1961

Director: Stanley Kramer

First place votes: 0

Top 5 (2-5): 0

Top 10 (6-10): 2

Average position: 29.3

 

Another film I saw for this list that was great. Really does a good job of shining a light on a time and place that doesn't usually get shown.

Oh shit shit shit.  I forgot this 

[Tower]

 

34

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington

Points: 87

Number of lists: 7

Year: 1939

Director: Frank Capra

First place votes: 0

Top 5 (2-5): 1

Top 10 (6-10): 0

Average position: 38.4

 

This film about political corruption seemed pretty tame to my eyes, but apparently at the time this was a big scandal with some officials calling to ban it for showing the senate in a bad light.

[rukaio101]

Can I be honest and say that at least half of my enjoyment of this countdown thus far has come from watching Tower attempt to bluff his way through the fact that he's clearly not seen about 90% of these movies?

 

(For the record, that's not a knock on Tower, who I think has legitimately done a great job with this list and deserves full credit for his hard work. It's just something I find very amusing, is all.) 

 

 

 

EDIT: Goddamnit it, I would get ninja'd by one of the few films he has actually seen, wouldn't I?

Edited July 28, 2019 by rukaio101

[Tower]

27 minutes ago, rukaio101 said:

Can I be honest and say that at least half of my enjoyment of this countdown thus far has come from watching Tower attempt to bluff his way through the fact that he's clearly not seen about 90% of these movies?

 

(For the record, that's not a knock on Tower, who I think has legitimately done a great job with this list and deserves full credit for his hard work. It's just something I find very amusing, is all.) 

 

 

 

EDIT: Goddamnit it, I would get ninja'd by one of the few films he has actually seen, wouldn't I?

You got me to check, and I've seen 23 and haven't seen 44 of the list so far (24 with colour Fury Road), not as good as like it to be, but not 90% either. I have seen the entire top 29 though, so it does improve.

 

But I think what you are noticing is more how terrible I am at freestyle writing, where I have to think of something to say. I like recommending the films I really love, but I'm not sure what to add about the ones that were just alright and I had somewhere in the bottom half of my list.

[Tower]

 

33

Modern Times

Points: 87

Number of lists: 8

Year: 1936

Director: Charlie Chaplin

First place votes: 0

Top 5 (2-5): 0

Top 10 (6-10): 1

Average position: 37.3

 

Back to the list where we continue with a film... that I haven't seen. Actually, I haven't seen any silent film yet, but I really do mean to get to it soon, maybe after this comic book list is done I will at least see the Chaplin and Keaton stuff. Anyway, another Chaplin film means that he now ties Howard Hawks for the lead.

[rukaio101]

35 minutes ago, Tower said:

You got me to check, and I've seen 23 and haven't seen 44 of the list so far (24 with colour Fury Road), not as good as like it to be, but not 90% either. I have seen the entire top 29 though, so it does improve.

 

But I think what you are noticing is more how terrible I am at freestyle writing, where I have to think of something to say. I like recommending the films I really love, but I'm not sure what to add about the ones that were just alright and I had somewhere in the bottom half of my list.

Ah, don't worry about it, I joke because I love. I haven't seen a lot of the movies on the list either.

 

22 minutes ago, Tower said:

Actually, I haven't seen any silent film yet, but I really do mean to get to it soon, maybe after this comic book list is done I will at least see the Chaplin and Keaton stuff. 

Actually, if you want an interesting way of getting yourself to watch a bunch of old movies (also tagging in @baumer since he mentioned wanting to do the same), you should do what I did last summer and challenge yourself to watch one movie you've never seen before for each year, from 1920 onwards. It's surprisingly fun and helped introduce me to a lot of films I wouldn't have checked out otherwise, many of which made it onto my list. It also helps that a lot of the early films are in the public domain and thus you can basically just find them on Youtube if you want.

 

(I'm currently in the mid 1960's on my run, even though I haven't had the time/effort/work ethic to update the thread since 1934. Maybe some day...)

[Cap]

7 hours ago, Tower said:

 

35

The Philadelphia Story

Points: 86

Number of lists: 4

Year: 1940

Director: George Cukor

First place votes: 1

Top 5 (2-5): 0

Top 10 (6-10): 0

Average position: 29

 

A first place vote helped this film be the last one to only have 4 votes.

 

You all failed, BOT. 

[Tower]

 

32

Notorious

Points: 89

Number of lists: 6

Year: 1946

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

First place votes: 0

Top 5 (2-5): 1

Top 10 (6-10): 0

Average position: 33

 

OK this one I have seen, and I even had it in a similar place to this, so good job BOT. Also the third Hitchcock to make it, might be making a late push for the director title.

Edited July 28, 2019 by Tower

[baumer]

I think you're doing a great job as well @Tower....looking forward to the top 25 so I can (hopefully) see some of the films I submitted.

[Tower]

 

31

The Best Years Of Lives

Points: 92

Number of lists: 5

Year: 1946

Director: William Wyler

First place votes: 0

Top 5 (2-5): 1

Top 10 (6-10): 0

Average position: 19.6

 

A film that unites this board and the Oscars in admiration. 31st here, and winning all the Oscars, including two acting awards for the same guy in the same role somehow. Been meaning to see this, but somehow didn't get around to it.

[Tower]

 

30

Touch Of Evil

Points: 93

Number of lists: 9

Year: 1958

Director: Orson Welles

First place votes: 0

Top 5 (2-5): 0

Top 10 (6-10): 0

Average position: 34.7

 

The last entry that I haven't seen (but hope to sometime), and the last to not get any top 10 votes.

[Cap]

@ Touch Evil, I always think of:

 

 

[Jake Gittes]

Since I feel like making a shameless plug, I wrote a thing on Touch of Evil a few months back. No spoilers until the last paragraph

https://www.the-solute.com/year-of-the-month-jake-gittes-on-touch-of-evil/

[Tower]

 

29

It Happened One Night

Points: 94

Number of lists: 8

Year: 1934

Director: Frank Capra

First place votes: 0

Top 5 (2-5): 1

Top 10 (6-10): 2

Average position: 39.3

 

From here on I've seen all the films, including this one, which is fine. Not top 30 for me, but it's much better than some others still to come.

[Tower]

 

28

Bicycle Thieves

Points: 98

Number of lists: 8

Year: 1948

Director: Vittorio Di Sica

First place votes: 0

Top 5 (2-5): 1

Top 10 (6-10): 3

Average position: 21.5

 

Considered a great classic nowadays, but disliked by the author of the book this film is based on. Just like It Happened One Night, liked this it, but not to this level.