BOT's Top 100 Movies of All Time - Hindsight is 2020 Edition

[Jake Gittes]

4 minutes ago, MrGamer said:

Praise be to Zane 

 

[RealLyre]

7 minutes ago, Ethan Hunt said:

Did Joker really create more Scorsese fans lmao  

I guess so, I saw Taxi Driver because of Joker beforehand when I heard the reviews saying Taxi Driver was a huge inspiration for it. and De Niro was both in that (& the Irishman) which helps with more Scorsese exposure.

 

I've been discovering more older movies this way, saw Apocalypse Now & The Treasure of the Sierra Madre because of Da 5 Bloods, Saw Citizen Kane because David Fincher is doing a biopic on one of the writers of it this year, same with OG Little Women & Nightmare Alley etc.

 

 

 

[The Panda]

 

 

"Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads."

 

About the Movie

 

Synopsis

 

"Marty McFly, a typical American teenager of the Eighties, is accidentally sent back to 1955 in a plutonium-powered DeLorean "time machine" invented by a slightly mad scientist. During his often hysterical, always amazing trip back in time, Marty must make certain his teenage parents-to-be meet and fall in love - so he can get back to the future." - IMDb

 

Its Legacy

 

"Here we are in 2015: Rick and Morty, which began as a parody of Back to the Future‘s Doc and Marty, is about to start its second season; a $250 figure of Marty McFly sells out instantly; Japan has created an iPhone case based on Back to the Future II‘s DeLorean and it sells like wildfire at nearly $100. It’s been 30 years since Back to the Future came out but it still has a strong impact on today’s pop culture. Why is that? Why is a movie from 30 years ago (which is primarily set an additional 30 years earlier) still so beloved? And where else has it been felt within our culture today? We’re going to take a look at what in Back to the Future resonates with us and try to figure out why.  Above anything else, the reason Back to the Future stands the test of time is that it’s a good movie. It did well with both the audience (worldwide gross of $381 million off a $19 million budget) and it did well with critics (96% of critics gave it a good review, according to Rotten Tomatoes). But beyond that, it broadly addresses how fast pop culture changes and specifically allows us to see that through the lens of a teenager hanging out with his parents when they were his age. It’s such a simple idea that it allows all sorts of fun adventure and character-based humor. The fact is, the movie is very specifically set in 1985 and 1955 but instead of dating it, it makes it timeless because now we can in turn compare our present to their past and gain additional contrast in how pop culture has changed.

 

The 1950s were really when the teenager came into existence as a target market as a consumer and it’s only grown more powerful from now until then. In the movie we see what they do for entertainment and compare the 50s to the 80s. Now we can compare that to the 10s. For instance, when Marty McFly first visits the 50s, he tries to order a Tab soda but the soda of that era is Pepsi. While Pepsi is around in the 50s, 80s and today, it’s interesting to see how quickly tastes can change based on fads. Tab isn’t really a thing anymore and Pepsi has increased competition from energy drinks like Monster or Red Bull that just didn’t exist 30 years ago. But the scene at the soda shop remains notable because of the idea behind it. A teenager getting a beverage at their hangout of choice. In the 50s, it was the diner. In the 80s? We don’t really see but it’s more likely to be a fast food joint (we see Burger King fairly prominently in the movie’s “present”). But today it’d be a machine. Kids don’t need a physical hangout location anymore. They connect by Facebook and texts or have plans to do something specific. The fact that the movie shows us how things were and instantly makes us compare it to how things are today keeps it relevant.

 

Politics has changed, too. In the 50s, Doc Brown laughs at Marty’s statement that Ronald Reagan is the president. It seems absurd in that decade. A movie actor attaining the highest office? But that hardly phases us today. Movie stars like Schwarzenneger and Eastwood have been governors and mayors. Politics and acting are careers that people can jump between without barrier. In fact, the familiarity the public feels with actors helps give them a huge leg up in elections, before issues are even discussed and debated.  How about how the movie treats terrorism? Doc Brown swindled some Libyan terrorists out of plutonium to charge his time machine only for them to track Doc down and kill him. In the 80s, we had very clearly defined enemies: Middle Eastern terrorists and Soviet Communists. And we were totally comfortable using them as bad guys, in this case in a family comedy. It seems inconceivable that we could use domestic terrorists in such a casual way post 9-11. In the 80s, terrorism was something that happened overseas. These days, we think of it every time we use public transportation, watch the news, or even when we go to public gatherings like marathons or movie theaters. If the 80s thought the 50s were a more innocent time, we can look back on both of them as downright quaint.

 

The reason the first Back to the Future movie remains especially relevant to our culture is that it didn’t predict the future, like the sequel did. Because while Back to the Future II is a funny look at a future generation as seen through the prism of the 80s and even got a few broad ideas right, it doesn’t look or feel right. But it captured its present and its past in a very accurate way. It’s a time capsule that allows us to continue to make the movie a part of our culture because it’s comparing generations and we get to continue to do that. The concept of wondering what it would be like to interact with our parents at the same age is a fascinating one. Would we be friends? How similar are we? What do we take for granted that they never even envisioned? Music, food, entertainment. It’s how we spend our free time but in very different ways. So it’s no surprise that those of us who grew up with Back to the Future then and have disposable income now would like to remember it. We’ll buy a flux capacitor watch even though a kid today may not know what it’s supposed to be. Maybe it’ll pique their curiosity and we’ll have the opportunity to introduce them to a great movie: Back to the Future."

- Chris Piers, Robot's Pajamas

 

From the Filmmaker

 

 

 

Why It's the Greatest

 

Critic Opinion

 

""They don't make 'em like they used to" is seldom said of films of the Eighties, but Back to the Future proves that sometimes it should be. For this is entertainment of the purest kind, a picture so tightly plotted, wittily scripted and pacily directed that it's impossible not to dive in head-first and be swept gleefully along.  One sign of its sure-footedness is that the story makes effortless sense when you watch it, but resists easy précis. The barest bones are that Marty McFly (Michael J Fox), son of a chronic loser, accidentally travels back 30 years to 1955 in a time machine built by his friend, the Doc (Christopher Lloyd). Once he's there, his then-young mother falls for him instead of his father, and Marty has to unite them, while persuading the young Doc to get him get back to 1985.

 

This fusion of sci-fi, action, romance and comedy could have been a dreadful mess, were it not for writer-director Robert Zemeckis and co-writer Bob Gale's refusal to let a loose line or idea escape their pens. The funnies come thick and fast – Doc excitedly describing the forthcoming high-school dance as "a rhythmic ceremonial ritual"; Marty's hapless dad (the incomparable Crispin Glover) tremblingly telling his ma "I'm your density..." – but more satisfying still is the intricate interplay between past and future.  It turns out that Marty's Uncle "Jailbird" Joey loves, as an infant, to stay in his cot ("Better get used to these bars, kid"). The young Doc's incredulity on hearing of actor Ronald Reagan's next job – "Who's Vice-President? Jerry Lewis?" – spoke for the world, and Marty's means of returning to 1985 is a stroke of narrative genius.

 

Scheduling clashes very nearly led to Marty's being played by Eric Stoltz, but (with all respect to the very capable Stoltz) thank heavens a solution was found, as the film would have been immeasurably the poorer without Fox's uniquely energetic charm. It's particularly cruel that so physically nimble a performer should since have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, but he continues to approach it with a hero's grace and humour, and has become a major figure in increasing awareness for the disease."

- Mark Monahan, The Telegraph

 

User Opinion

 

"I love the script of that movie. Because I feel nowadays people are so into like smoke and mirrors, shock and awe. They want to trick the audience instead of planting breadcrumbs. And everything you need to know about that movie you find out in the first five minutes before the credits even finish rolling.  What is the first thing you hear? An ad for a Toyota truck. What does Marty want and get the end of the movie? a Toyota truck. It sets up the clock tower, It sets up the plutonium, It sets up that this kid is always late in an order for him to save himself in the future he needs to be on time. I love it. You as an audience are rewarded for paying attention and figuring out the story as it unfolds.  Also Power Of Love is a BANGER!

 

It’s honestly like my favorite movie. Well. It’s like my top 10 favorite movie. Because I’ve got like my 10 and depending on my mood which ever one is my favorite" - @Cap

 

"Funny.

Well-acted.

Dramatic.

Romantic.

Re-watchable.

Original.

Crowd-pleasing.

Fun.

A Classic if there ever was one.

Back to the Future - the best movie ever made." - @Andy Stitzer

 

The Panda's Haiku

 

I need to get back!

 

Ew, mom, please do not kiss me

 

Oh jeez, oh jeez... AH!

 

 

Factoids

 

Placement on Prior Lists

 

2012 - 19, 2013 - 13, 2014 - 16, 2016 - 19, 2018 - 13

 

Director Count

 

Steven Spielberg - 5, James Cameron - 4, Alfred Hitchock - 4, Stanley Kubrick - 4, Richard Linklater - 3, Hayao Miyazaki - 3, The Russo Brothers - 3, Martin Scorsese - 3, Lee Unkrich - 3, Brad Bird - 2, Francis Ford Coppola - 2, Alfonso Cuaron - 2,  David Fincher - 2, Akira Kurosawa - 2, John Lasseter - 2,   David Lean - 2, Sergio Leone - 2, John McTiernan - 2, Christopher Nolan - 2,  Andrew Stanton - 2, Quentin Tarantino - 2, Robert Zemeckis - 2, Roger Allers - 1, John G. Avildsen - 1, Ash Brannon - 1, Mel Brooks - 1, Frank Capra - 1, John Carpenter - 1, Damien Chazelle - 1, Ron Clements - 1, Michael Curtiz - 1, Frank Darabont - 1, Jonathan Demme - 1, Pete Docter - 1, Stanley Donen - 1, Clint Eastwood - 1, Victor Fleming - 1, Terry Gilliam - 1, Michel Gondry - 1, Peter Jackson - 1, Rian Johnson - 1, Terry Jones - 1, Bong Joon-Ho - 1, Gene Kelly - 1, Spike Lee - 1, David Lynch - 1, George Lucas - 1, Sidney Lumet - 1, Katia Lund - 1, Michael Mann - 1, Fernando Meirelles - 1, George Miller - 1, Rob Minkoff - 1, Adrian Molina - 1, John Musker - 1, Bob Persichetti - 1, Jan Pinkava - 1, Sam Raimi - 1, Peter Ramsey - 1, Rodney Rotham - 1,  Ridley Scott - 1, Guillermo del Toro - 1, Gary Trousdale - 1, Orson Welles - 1, Peter Weir - 1, Billy Wilder - 1, Lana and Lilly Wachowski - 1, Kirk Wise - 1, Kar-Wai Wong - 1

 

Franchise Count

 

Pixar - 9, Cameron - 4, Marvel Cinematic Universe - 3, Scorsese - 3, Studio Ghibli - 3, Toy Story - 3, WDAS - 3, Alien - 2, Before Trilogy - 2, Nolan - 2, Spider-Man - 2, Star Wars - 2, Terminator - 2, Back to the Future - 1, Die Hard - 1, The Godfather - 1, Hannibal - 1, Incredibles - 1, Indiana Jones - 1, Jaws - 1, Jurassic Park - 1, The Lord of the Rings - 1, Mad Max - 1, The Matrix - 1, Monty Python - 1, Oz - 1, Predator - 1, Rocky - 1

 

Decade Count

 

1930s - 1, 1940s - 3, 1950s - 7, 1960s - 7, 1970s - 10, 1980s - 12, 1990s - 20, 2000s - 16, 2010s - 16

 

 

 

[Rorschach]

1 hour ago, The Panda said:

 

[grey ghost]

Will Spielberg have the most top 100 movies?

 

That solidifies his place as king.

 

Maybe the Russos will take the crown in a few years.

[The Stingray]

Y'all make fun of him but if you wanna see the real Zane, check out another movie set on the high seas called Dead Calm. It's a terrific little thriller.
 

[MrGamer]

26 minutes ago, Jake Gittes said:

[Plain Old Tele]

^^ Ah yes, that classic Cameron subtlety.  

[cannastop]

19 minutes ago, The Panda said:

 

 

OK boomers.

[MrGamer]

Just now, Plain Old Tele said:

^^ Ah yes, that classic Cameron subtlety.  

[The Panda]

 

 

"Leave the gun. Take the cannoli."

 

About the Movie

 

Synopsis

 

"The Godfather "Don" Vito Corleone is the head of the Corleone mafia family in New York. He is at the event of his daughter's wedding. Michael, Vito's youngest son and a decorated WW II Marine is also present at the wedding. Michael seems to be uninterested in being a part of the family business. Vito is a powerful man, and is kind to all those who give him respect but is ruthless against those who do not. But when a powerful and treacherous rival wants to sell drugs and needs the Don's influence for the same, Vito refuses to do it. What follows is a clash between Vito's fading old values and the new ways which may cause Michael to do the thing he was most reluctant in doing and wage a mob war against all the other mafia families which could tear the Corleone family apart. " - IMDb

 

Its Legacy

 

"Like millions of other people around the world, I have been obsessed by The Godfather trilogy. I wanted to write about that. And, then, as I started writing about the films, I realized that I also wanted to write about other films depicting Italian-Americans and how horrible the stereotypes were. That made me start thinking about the journey that immigrants had made coming to America, the whys behind the journey and really the history of the mob. I started thinking about my own life, and I thought, I want to make this, in part, a memoir because I am half-Italian and half-English. There was a pull, because I had a very Italian name growing up in a very Anglo world.  When I saw The Godfather: Part II, and when ten minutes into the film there is the image of the young Vito on board the ship coming to America and passing by the Statue of Liberty, all of a sudden the light bulb went off. That image brought home to me my grandfather’s journey and how brave, at age 13, he was arriving here alone. At age 13, I was in a private school running around wearing my uniform and school tie, so removed from his experience. So it became not just a movie I loved as a movie lover, but a very personal depiction of the American journey for me.

 

The film changed Hollywood because it finally changed the way Italians were depicted on film. It made Italians seem like more fully realized people and not stereotypes. It was a film in Hollywood made by Italians about Italians. Previously, it had not been Italians making the mobster films featuring Italian gangsters.  I feel it helped Italianize American culture. All of a sudden, everyone was talking about Don Corleone and making jokes about, “I am going to make you an offer you can’t refuse.” I think it helped people see that in this depiction of Italian-Americans was a reflection of their own immigrant experience, whether they were Irish or Jews from Eastern Europe. They found that common ground.  Then, of course, it changed me because when I saw what I felt was my grandfather on that ship coming to America, it was as if I was fully embracing my Italian-ness. I had never really felt Italian until then.

 

Italian-Americans are very sensitive about their image in movies because it has traditionally been so negative, as either mobsters or rather simple-minded peasants who talk-a like-a this-a. I don’t like these stereotypical images, and yet, I love these films so much.  I think the vast majority of Italians have come to accept and actually embrace the film because I think the genius of the film, besides the fact that it is so beautifully shot and edited, is that these are mobsters doing terrible things, but permeating all of it is the sense of family and the sense of love. Where I feel that is completely encapsulated is in the scene toward the end of the first film when Don Corleone [Marlon Brando] and Michael Corleone [Al Pacino] are in the garden. It is really the transfer of power from father to son. Don Corleone has that speech: “I never wanted this for you.” I wanted you to be Senator Corleone. They are talking about horrible deeds. They are talking about transferring mob power. The father is warning the son about who is going to betray him. But you don’t even really remember that is what the scene is about. What you remember is that it is a father expressing his love for his son, and vice versa. That is what comes across in that crucial scene, and that is why I feel that overrides the stereotypical portrayal that others object to.

 

I think it squashed the idea that Italians were uneducated and that Italians all spoke with heavy accents. Even though Michael is a gangster, you still see Michael as the one who went to college, pursued an education and that Italians made themselves a part of the New World. These were mobsters, but these were fully developed, real human beings. These were not the organ grinder with his monkey or a completely illiterate gangster. It is an odd thing. I think to this day there are still some people who view the Italian as the “other”—somebody who is not American, who is so foreign. In films like Scarface [1932], the Italians are presented almost like creatures from another planet. They are so exotic and speak so terribly and wear such awful clothes. The Godfather showed that is not the case. In the descendant of The Godfather, which is of course “The Sopranos,” once again the characters are mobsters. But they are the mobsters living next door in suburban New Jersey, so it undercuts a bit that sense of Italian as the “other.”

 

On the sociological level, we had been facing the twin discouragements of the Vietnam War and Watergate, so it spoke to this sense of disillusionment that really started to permeate American life at that time. I think also the nostalgia factor with the Godfather cannot be underestimated, because in the early ’70s (the first two films were in ’72 and ’74), it was such a changing world. It was the rise of feminism. It was the era of black power. And what The Godfather presented was this look at the vanishing white male patriarchal society. I think that struck a chord with a lot of people who felt so uncertain in this rapidly changing world. Don Corleone, a man of such certainty that he created his own laws and took them into his own hands, appealed to a lot of people.  The term “the godfather.” Puzo made that up. Nobody used that before. He brought that into parlance. Here we are 40 years later and all the news reports of the mob now refer to so and so as the godfather of the Gambino crime family. Real-life mobsters now actually say, “I am going to make him an offer he can’t refuse.” That was totally invented by Puzo. I think these are phrases and terms that are not just used by the general public, but are also used by the FBI. So that is a powerful piece of art. The Godfather reaches its tentacles into so many levels of American life. I love the fact that it is Obama’s favorite movie of all time. I just love that."

- Tom Santropietro interviewed by Megan Gambino for "The Godfather Effect" with Smithsonian Magazine

 

From the Filmmaker

 

 

 

Why It's the Greatest

 

Critic Opinion

 

"Francis Ford Coppola directed the Albert S. Ruddy production, largely photographed in N.Y. Dean Tavoularis was production designer and Gordon Willis cinematographer (Technicolor) for the handsome visual environment, which besides World War II and postwar styles and props, is made further intriguing by some sort of tinting effect. There are people under 40 who grew up in the period of the film and who recall such color tones as evocative of 20 years earlier, that is, the end of the Roaring Twenties and the Depression. Evidently the artistic effect here is to show some sort of antiquity which no longer exists.  Puzo and Coppola are credited with the adaptation which best of all gives some insight into the origins and heritage of that segment of the population known off the screen (but not on it) as the Mafia or Cosa Nostra. Various ethnic counter-cultures are part of the past and part of the present, and the judgment of criminality is in part based on the attitudes of the outside majority. Nobody ever denied that a sense of family, cohesion and order are integral, positive aspects of such subgroups; it’s just the killing and slaughter that upsets the outsiders.

 

It is Pacino, last seen (by too few) in “Panic In Needle Park,” who makes the smash impression here. Initially seen as the son whom Brando wanted to go more or less straight (while son James Caan was to become part of the organization), Pacino matures under the trauma of an assassination attempt on Brando, his own double-murder revenge for that on corrupt cop Sterling Hayden and rival gangster Al Lettieri, the counter-vengeance murder of his Sicilian bride, and a series of other personnel readjustments which at fadeout find him king of his own mob.  In a lengthy novel filled with many characters interacting over a period of time, readers may digest the passing parade in convenient sittings. But in a film, the audience is forced to get it all at one time. Thus it is incumbent on filmmakers to isolate, heighten and emphasize for clarity the handful of key characters; some of that has been done here, and some of it hasn’t. The biggest achievement here is the establishment of mood and time.

 

Among the notable performances are Robert Duvall as Hagen, the non-Italian number-two man finally stripped of authority after long years of service; Richard Castellano as a loyal follower; John Marley as a Hollywood film mogul pressured into giving a comeback film role in a war film to Al Martino, an aging teenage idol; Richard Conte as one of Brando’s malevolent rivals; Diane Keaton as Pacino’s early sweetheart, later second wife; Abe Vigoda as an eventual traitor to Pacino; Talia Shire as Brando’s daughter, married to a weak and traitorous husband Gianni Russo; John Cazale, another son who moved to Las Vegas when that area attracted the mob, including Alex Rocco as another recognizable character; Morgana King as Brando’s wife; and Lenny Montana as a mobster.  Nino Rota’s fine score, plus several familiar poptunes of the period, further enhance the mood, and all the numerous technical production credits are excellent. So, at the bottom line, the film has a lot of terrific mood, one great performance by Pacino, an excellent character segue by Brando, and a strong supporting cast. That will be enough for some, only half the job for others."

- A. D. Murphy, Variety

 

User Opinion

 

"My favorite of all time. Got the restoration blu-ray set for Christmas.I can discuss this movie all day long. The acting is just so superb. One of my favorite of all time scenes that doesn't discussed much is the scene where Vito gets shot and poor Fredo is so inept he can't even get the gun right to shoot back. The acting from John Cazale and the pain and guilt he feels because he couldn't do anything to help his father really gets to me. It's a small thing and would get un noticed but that's just how great the story and acting is from all the players." - @ecstasy

 

"It's a masterpiece. My second favorite movie of all time. The restaurant's and final revenge scenes are just amazing" - @peludo

 

"One of the greatest movies of all time... And I'm not just saying that to be "hip"." - @The Stingray

 

The Panda's Haiku

 

Family and crime

 

Tied together with thin strings

 

Controlling each move

 

 

Factoids

 

Placement on Prior Lists

 

2012 - 4, 2013 - 16, 2014 - 6, 2016 - 4, 2018 - 9

 

Director Count

 

Steven Spielberg - 5, James Cameron - 4, Alfred Hitchock - 4, Stanley Kubrick - 4, Francis Ford Coppola - 3, Richard Linklater - 3, Hayao Miyazaki - 3, The Russo Brothers - 3, Martin Scorsese - 3, Lee Unkrich - 3, Brad Bird - 2, Alfonso Cuaron - 2,  David Fincher - 2, Akira Kurosawa - 2, John Lasseter - 2,   David Lean - 2, Sergio Leone - 2, John McTiernan - 2, Christopher Nolan - 2,  Andrew Stanton - 2, Quentin Tarantino - 2, Robert Zemeckis - 2, Roger Allers - 1, John G. Avildsen - 1, Ash Brannon - 1, Mel Brooks - 1, Frank Capra - 1, John Carpenter - 1, Damien Chazelle - 1, Ron Clements - 1, Michael Curtiz - 1, Frank Darabont - 1, Jonathan Demme - 1, Pete Docter - 1, Stanley Donen - 1, Clint Eastwood - 1, Victor Fleming - 1, Terry Gilliam - 1, Michel Gondry - 1, Peter Jackson - 1, Rian Johnson - 1, Terry Jones - 1, Bong Joon-Ho - 1, Gene Kelly - 1, Spike Lee - 1, David Lynch - 1, George Lucas - 1, Sidney Lumet - 1, Katia Lund - 1, Michael Mann - 1, Fernando Meirelles - 1, George Miller - 1, Rob Minkoff - 1, Adrian Molina - 1, John Musker - 1, Bob Persichetti - 1, Jan Pinkava - 1, Sam Raimi - 1, Peter Ramsey - 1, Rodney Rotham - 1,  Ridley Scott - 1, Guillermo del Toro - 1, Gary Trousdale - 1, Orson Welles - 1, Peter Weir - 1, Billy Wilder - 1, Lana and Lilly Wachowski - 1, Kirk Wise - 1, Kar-Wai Wong - 1

 

Franchise Count

 

Pixar - 9, Cameron - 4, Marvel Cinematic Universe - 3, Scorsese - 3, Studio Ghibli - 3, Toy Story - 3, WDAS - 3, Alien - 2, Before Trilogy - 2, The Godfather - 2, Nolan - 2, Spider-Man - 2, Star Wars - 2, Terminator - 2, Back to the Future - 1, Die Hard - 1, Hannibal - 1, Incredibles - 1, Indiana Jones - 1, Jaws - 1, Jurassic Park - 1, The Lord of the Rings - 1, Mad Max - 1, The Matrix - 1, Monty Python - 1, Oz - 1, Predator - 1, Rocky - 1

 

Decade Count

 

1930s - 1, 1940s - 3, 1950s - 7, 1960s - 7, 1970s - 11, 1980s - 12, 1990s - 20, 2000s - 16, 2010s - 16

 

 

 

Edited July 24, 2020 by The Panda

[Jake Gittes]

13 minutes ago, Plain Old Tele said:

^^ Ah yes, that classic Cameron subtlety.  

[Plain Old Tele]

It’s pretty funny that we’ll end up with 4 films from the 30s and 40s combined, when almost every director on this list was profoundly influenced by all the movies from that era. 

[Cap]

17 minutes ago, Plain Old Tele said:

It’s pretty funny that we’ll end up with 4 films from the 30s and 40s combined, when almost every director on this list was profoundly influenced by all the movies from that era. 

Tune into Frank Capra at 2pm tomorrow!

[The Panda]

19 minutes ago, Plain Old Tele said:

It’s pretty funny that we’ll end up with 4 films from the 30s and 40s combined, when almost every director on this list was profoundly influenced by all the movies from that era. 

Tbf this is not a “BOT’s 100 Most Influential Movies of All Time List”

[MrGamer]

20 minutes ago, Jake Gittes said:

[SchumacherFTW]

1 hour ago, The Panda said:

 

 

"Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads."

 

About the Movie

 

Synopsis

 

"Marty McFly, a typical American teenager of the Eighties, is accidentally sent back to 1955 in a plutonium-powered DeLorean "time machine" invented by a slightly mad scientist. During his often hysterical, always amazing trip back in time, Marty must make certain his teenage parents-to-be meet and fall in love - so he can get back to the future." - IMDb

 

Its Legacy

 

"Here we are in 2015: Rick and Morty, which began as a parody of Back to the Future‘s Doc and Marty, is about to start its second season; a $250 figure of Marty McFly sells out instantly; Japan has created an iPhone case based on Back to the Future II‘s DeLorean and it sells like wildfire at nearly $100. It’s been 30 years since Back to the Future came out but it still has a strong impact on today’s pop culture. Why is that? Why is a movie from 30 years ago (which is primarily set an additional 30 years earlier) still so beloved? And where else has it been felt within our culture today? We’re going to take a look at what in Back to the Future resonates with us and try to figure out why.  Above anything else, the reason Back to the Future stands the test of time is that it’s a good movie. It did well with both the audience (worldwide gross of $381 million off a $19 million budget) and it did well with critics (96% of critics gave it a good review, according to Rotten Tomatoes). But beyond that, it broadly addresses how fast pop culture changes and specifically allows us to see that through the lens of a teenager hanging out with his parents when they were his age. It’s such a simple idea that it allows all sorts of fun adventure and character-based humor. The fact is, the movie is very specifically set in 1985 and 1955 but instead of dating it, it makes it timeless because now we can in turn compare our present to their past and gain additional contrast in how pop culture has changed.

 

The 1950s were really when the teenager came into existence as a target market as a consumer and it’s only grown more powerful from now until then. In the movie we see what they do for entertainment and compare the 50s to the 80s. Now we can compare that to the 10s. For instance, when Marty McFly first visits the 50s, he tries to order a Tab soda but the soda of that era is Pepsi. While Pepsi is around in the 50s, 80s and today, it’s interesting to see how quickly tastes can change based on fads. Tab isn’t really a thing anymore and Pepsi has increased competition from energy drinks like Monster or Red Bull that just didn’t exist 30 years ago. But the scene at the soda shop remains notable because of the idea behind it. A teenager getting a beverage at their hangout of choice. In the 50s, it was the diner. In the 80s? We don’t really see but it’s more likely to be a fast food joint (we see Burger King fairly prominently in the movie’s “present”). But today it’d be a machine. Kids don’t need a physical hangout location anymore. They connect by Facebook and texts or have plans to do something specific. The fact that the movie shows us how things were and instantly makes us compare it to how things are today keeps it relevant.

 

Politics has changed, too. In the 50s, Doc Brown laughs at Marty’s statement that Ronald Reagan is the president. It seems absurd in that decade. A movie actor attaining the highest office? But that hardly phases us today. Movie stars like Schwarzenneger and Eastwood have been governors and mayors. Politics and acting are careers that people can jump between without barrier. In fact, the familiarity the public feels with actors helps give them a huge leg up in elections, before issues are even discussed and debated.  How about how the movie treats terrorism? Doc Brown swindled some Libyan terrorists out of plutonium to charge his time machine only for them to track Doc down and kill him. In the 80s, we had very clearly defined enemies: Middle Eastern terrorists and Soviet Communists. And we were totally comfortable using them as bad guys, in this case in a family comedy. It seems inconceivable that we could use domestic terrorists in such a casual way post 9-11. In the 80s, terrorism was something that happened overseas. These days, we think of it every time we use public transportation, watch the news, or even when we go to public gatherings like marathons or movie theaters. If the 80s thought the 50s were a more innocent time, we can look back on both of them as downright quaint.

 

The reason the first Back to the Future movie remains especially relevant to our culture is that it didn’t predict the future, like the sequel did. Because while Back to the Future II is a funny look at a future generation as seen through the prism of the 80s and even got a few broad ideas right, it doesn’t look or feel right. But it captured its present and its past in a very accurate way. It’s a time capsule that allows us to continue to make the movie a part of our culture because it’s comparing generations and we get to continue to do that. The concept of wondering what it would be like to interact with our parents at the same age is a fascinating one. Would we be friends? How similar are we? What do we take for granted that they never even envisioned? Music, food, entertainment. It’s how we spend our free time but in very different ways. So it’s no surprise that those of us who grew up with Back to the Future then and have disposable income now would like to remember it. We’ll buy a flux capacitor watch even though a kid today may not know what it’s supposed to be. Maybe it’ll pique their curiosity and we’ll have the opportunity to introduce them to a great movie: Back to the Future."

- Chris Piers, Robot's Pajamas

 

From the Filmmaker

 

 

 

Why It's the Greatest

 

Critic Opinion

 

""They don't make 'em like they used to" is seldom said of films of the Eighties, but Back to the Future proves that sometimes it should be. For this is entertainment of the purest kind, a picture so tightly plotted, wittily scripted and pacily directed that it's impossible not to dive in head-first and be swept gleefully along.  One sign of its sure-footedness is that the story makes effortless sense when you watch it, but resists easy précis. The barest bones are that Marty McFly (Michael J Fox), son of a chronic loser, accidentally travels back 30 years to 1955 in a time machine built by his friend, the Doc (Christopher Lloyd). Once he's there, his then-young mother falls for him instead of his father, and Marty has to unite them, while persuading the young Doc to get him get back to 1985.

 

This fusion of sci-fi, action, romance and comedy could have been a dreadful mess, were it not for writer-director Robert Zemeckis and co-writer Bob Gale's refusal to let a loose line or idea escape their pens. The funnies come thick and fast – Doc excitedly describing the forthcoming high-school dance as "a rhythmic ceremonial ritual"; Marty's hapless dad (the incomparable Crispin Glover) tremblingly telling his ma "I'm your density..." – but more satisfying still is the intricate interplay between past and future.  It turns out that Marty's Uncle "Jailbird" Joey loves, as an infant, to stay in his cot ("Better get used to these bars, kid"). The young Doc's incredulity on hearing of actor Ronald Reagan's next job – "Who's Vice-President? Jerry Lewis?" – spoke for the world, and Marty's means of returning to 1985 is a stroke of narrative genius.

 

Scheduling clashes very nearly led to Marty's being played by Eric Stoltz, but (with all respect to the very capable Stoltz) thank heavens a solution was found, as the film would have been immeasurably the poorer without Fox's uniquely energetic charm. It's particularly cruel that so physically nimble a performer should since have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, but he continues to approach it with a hero's grace and humour, and has become a major figure in increasing awareness for the disease."

- Mark Monahan, The Telegraph

 

User Opinion

 

"I love the script of that movie. Because I feel nowadays people are so into like smoke and mirrors, shock and awe. They want to trick the audience instead of planting breadcrumbs. And everything you need to know about that movie you find out in the first five minutes before the credits even finish rolling.  What is the first thing you hear? An ad for a Toyota truck. What does Marty want and get the end of the movie? a Toyota truck. It sets up the clock tower, It sets up the plutonium, It sets up that this kid is always late in an order for him to save himself in the future he needs to be on time. I love it. You as an audience are rewarded for paying attention and figuring out the story as it unfolds.  Also Power Of Love is a BANGER!

 

It’s honestly like my favorite movie. Well. It’s like my top 10 favorite movie. Because I’ve got like my 10 and depending on my mood which ever one is my favorite" - @Cap

 

"Funny.

Well-acted.

Dramatic.

Romantic.

Re-watchable.

Original.

Crowd-pleasing.

Fun.

A Classic if there ever was one.

Back to the Future - the best movie ever made." - @Andy Stitzer

 

The Panda's Haiku

 

I need to get back!

 

Ew, mom, please do not kiss me

 

Oh jeez, oh jeez... AH!

 

 

Factoids

 

Placement on Prior Lists

 

2012 - 19, 2013 - 13, 2014 - 16, 2016 - 19, 2018 - 13

 

Director Count

 

Steven Spielberg - 5, James Cameron - 4, Alfred Hitchock - 4, Stanley Kubrick - 4, Richard Linklater - 3, Hayao Miyazaki - 3, The Russo Brothers - 3, Martin Scorsese - 3, Lee Unkrich - 3, Brad Bird - 2, Francis Ford Coppola - 2, Alfonso Cuaron - 2,  David Fincher - 2, Akira Kurosawa - 2, John Lasseter - 2,   David Lean - 2, Sergio Leone - 2, John McTiernan - 2, Christopher Nolan - 2,  Andrew Stanton - 2, Quentin Tarantino - 2, Robert Zemeckis - 2, Roger Allers - 1, John G. Avildsen - 1, Ash Brannon - 1, Mel Brooks - 1, Frank Capra - 1, John Carpenter - 1, Damien Chazelle - 1, Ron Clements - 1, Michael Curtiz - 1, Frank Darabont - 1, Jonathan Demme - 1, Pete Docter - 1, Stanley Donen - 1, Clint Eastwood - 1, Victor Fleming - 1, Terry Gilliam - 1, Michel Gondry - 1, Peter Jackson - 1, Rian Johnson - 1, Terry Jones - 1, Bong Joon-Ho - 1, Gene Kelly - 1, Spike Lee - 1, David Lynch - 1, George Lucas - 1, Sidney Lumet - 1, Katia Lund - 1, Michael Mann - 1, Fernando Meirelles - 1, George Miller - 1, Rob Minkoff - 1, Adrian Molina - 1, John Musker - 1, Bob Persichetti - 1, Jan Pinkava - 1, Sam Raimi - 1, Peter Ramsey - 1, Rodney Rotham - 1,  Ridley Scott - 1, Guillermo del Toro - 1, Gary Trousdale - 1, Orson Welles - 1, Peter Weir - 1, Billy Wilder - 1, Lana and Lilly Wachowski - 1, Kirk Wise - 1, Kar-Wai Wong - 1

 

Franchise Count

 

Pixar - 9, Cameron - 4, Marvel Cinematic Universe - 3, Scorsese - 3, Studio Ghibli - 3, Toy Story - 3, WDAS - 3, Alien - 2, Before Trilogy - 2, Nolan - 2, Spider-Man - 2, Star Wars - 2, Terminator - 2, Back to the Future - 1, Die Hard - 1, The Godfather - 1, Hannibal - 1, Incredibles - 1, Indiana Jones - 1, Jaws - 1, Jurassic Park - 1, The Lord of the Rings - 1, Mad Max - 1, The Matrix - 1, Monty Python - 1, Oz - 1, Predator - 1, Rocky - 1

 

Decade Count

 

1930s - 1, 1940s - 3, 1950s - 7, 1960s - 7, 1970s - 10, 1980s - 12, 1990s - 20, 2000s - 16, 2010s - 16

 

 

 

I'm the only one that had it in 1st place? That's insane

[Daxtreme]

Top 5 incoming

 

[Jake Gittes]

4 minutes ago, Daxtreme said:

Top 5 incoming

 

I predict that a franchise movie will win

[Cap]

Wouldn’t it be wild if for all the #Choices made we ended up with like Schindler’s as #1.