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

[TalismanRing]

4 minutes ago, Tower said:

 

63

High Noon

Points: 47

Number of lists: 6

Year: 1952

Director: Fred Zinnemann

First place votes: 0

Top 5 (2-5): 0

Top 10 (6-10): 0

Average position: 42.3

 

The first western to make it in. My personal favourite B&W western, The Ox-Bow Incident, finished 166th and received votes only from myself. High Noon is still good, and clearly has a much wider appeal.

Ox-Bow Incident - great film - one of the many deserving movies I had to cull (along with High Noon - I think)

[Tower]

 

62

To Be Or Not To Be

Points: 48

Number of lists: 5

Year: 1942

Director: Ernst Lubitsch

First place votes: 0

Top 5 (2-5): 0

Top 10 (6-10): 0

Average position: 44.6

 

I'm Surprised that this film managed to beat out The Great Dictator, in the battle of Nazi themed comedies. But maybe if I saw this I would understand.

Edited July 27, 2019 by Tower

[Jake Gittes]

14 minutes ago, Tower said:

I'm Surprised that this film managed to beat out The Great Dictator, in Nazi themed comedies. 

That's because it can drop three tons of dynamite in two minutes.

[Tower]

 

61

Brief Encounter

Points: 48

Number of lists: 5

Year: 1945

Director: David Lean

First place votes: 0

Top 5 (2-5): 0

Top 10 (6-10): 0

Average position: 40.6

 

David Lean's best known work was in colour. However, there was still this one film with enough support to make it, with Great Expectations finishing 254th and Oliver Twist getting just a single point.

[Tower]

 

60

8 1/2

Points: 48

Number of lists: 6

Year: 1963

Director: Frederico Fellini

First place votes: 0

Top 5 (2-5): 0

Top 10 (6-10): 0

Average position: 46.5

 

The single entry of Famous Italian Director Frederico Fellini on this list, with La Dolce Vita (135) and La Strada (202) falling short.

[DAR]

I've tried watching 8 1/2 a few times.   It's just never taken with me.

[Tower]

 

59

White Heat

Points: 49

Number of lists: 3

Year: 1949

Director: Raoul Walsh

First place votes: 0

Top 5 (2-5): 0

Top 10 (6-10): 2

Average position: 29

 

Just 3 votes, but having 2 of them in the top 10 caused it to jump up the list.

[Tower]

 

58

Sherlock Jr.

Points: 50

Number of lists: 3

Year: 1924

Director: Buster Keaton

First place votes: 0

Top 5 (2-5): 0

Top 10 (6-10): 1

Average position: 17.7

 

The shortest entry on this list, with a small but dedicated fandom on this forum that managed to place this one mid way up the list.

[Tower]

 

57

The Innocents

Points: 51

Number of lists: 4

Year: 1961

Director: Jack Clayton

First place votes: 0

Top 5 (2-5): 1

Top 10 (6-10): 0

Average position: 40

 

You could thank Jake Gittes for this film performing as well as it did, since the vast majority of its points came from either himself or me, and I only saw it after noticing it on his list. That was a great choice I made because this film is excellent, and everyone should see it, particularly Baumer who clearly loves horror but didn't include this one.

[cannastop]

1 hour ago, DAR said:

I've tried watching 8 1/2 a few times.   It's just never taken with me.

I hear it helps if you've seen Feliini's earlier films.

[Tower]

 

56

Godzilla

Points: 51.5

Number of lists: 6

Year: 1954

Director: Ishiro Honda

First place votes: 0

Top 5 (2-5): 1

Top 10 (6-10): 1

Average position: 30.7

 

The Original Godzilla that spawned endless sequels and two Hollywood iterations.

Edited July 27, 2019 by Tower

[Jake Gittes]

11 minutes ago, Tower said:

 

57

The Innocents

 

You could thank Jake Gittes for this film performing as well as it did, since the vast majority of its points came from either himself or me, and I only saw it after noticing it on his list. That was a great choice I made because this film is excellent, and everyone should see it, particularly Baumer who clearly loves horror but didn't include this one.

I'm happy to hear you dug this. Yeah this is a top 3 horror movie for me, and the best I've ever seen at recreating the vibes of a classic Victorian ghost story. So elegant, so chilling.

[Jake Gittes]

8 1/2 has never done a lot for me. Much prefer La Dolce Vita. And All That Jazz as far as directors' thinly veiled autobiographies go.

[Tower]

 

55

Frankenstein

Points: 54

Number of lists: 5

Year: 1931

Director: James Whale

First place votes: 0

Top 5 (2-5): 1

Top 10 (6-10): 0

Average position: 24.4

 

It's alive, It's alive, it's alive, it's alive, IT'S ALIVE!

Edited July 27, 2019 by Tower

[TalismanRing]

2 hours ago, Tower said:

 

61

Brief Encounter

Points: 48

Number of lists: 5

Year: 1945

Director: David Lean

First place votes: 0

Top 5 (2-5): 0

Top 10 (6-10): 0

Average position: 40.6

 

David Lean's best known work was in colour. However, there was still this one film with enough support to make it, with Great Expectations finishing 254th and Oliver Twist getting just a single point.

Those are all time classics, all on my list.  Hobson's Choice probably should have made it as well.

[Tower]

 

54

Yojimbo

Points: 54

Number of lists: 6

Year: 1961

Director: Akira Kurosawa

First place votes: 0

Top 5 (2-5): 0

Top 10 (6-10): 1

Average position: 49

 

The third Kurosawa entry, meaning he now ties Wilder for the director lead. It only took 3 years for this to get a western remake from Sergio Leone.

[Tower]

 

53

The Elephant Man

Points: 54.5

Number of lists: 7

Year: 1980

Director: David Lynch

First place votes: 0

Top 5 (2-5): 0

Top 10 (6-10): 1

Average position: 42.4

 

David Lynch returns to this list with a surprisingly straightforward film (for Lynch).

[Tower]

 

52

Fail-Safe

Points: 55

Number of lists: 2

Year: 1964

Director: Sydney Lumet

First place votes: 1

Top 5 (2-5): 0

Top 10 (6-10): 0

Average position: 28.5

 

The first entry to get a first place vote, and the last to only get 2 votes. So this one is all about Flynn loving this film. It is by Lumet though so I should really see it myself, since i have liked all of his films that I have seen so far.

[Tower]

 

51

Anatomy Of A Murder

Points: 55

Number of lists: 3

Year: 1959

Director: Otto Preminger

First place votes: 0

Top 5 (2-5): 1

Top 10 (6-10): 0

Average position: 23.7

 

This film was banned in Chicago for using such scandalous words as "contraceptive" and "sexual climax", different times...

[cannastop]

Wonder if one of my faves is showing up...