BOT Top 250 Films of All-Time: or How We Learned to Start Shitposting and Love the Countdown!

[ListenHunnyUrOver]

13 hours ago, The Panda said:

I'm sorry about some of the delay recently, there's been a lot of work that I've needed to sort out (and still do to some extent). I wanted to keep this going some, I can't promise a sustained pace right now but hopefully we can progress this closer to the finish line.

 

Number 36

 

 

"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."

 

Synopsis

 

"Young Dorothy finds herself in a magical world where she makes friends with a lion, a scarecrow and a tin man as they make their way along the yellow brick road to talk with the Wizard and ask for the things they miss most in their lives. The Wicked Witch of the West is the only thing that could stop them." - The Movie Database

 

From the Scholar

 

"The Wizard of Oz is perhaps the best-loved American children's story.
The movie, starring Judy Garland, Bert Lahr, Ray Bolger, and company,

is an annual television ritual. The book on which the movie is
based, L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, however, is not
only a child's tale but also a sophisticated commentary on the political
and economic debates of the Populist Era.' Previous interpretations
have focused on the political and social aspects of the allegory. The
most important of these is Littlefield ([1966] 1968), although his inter

pretation was adumbrated by Nye (1951), Gardner and Nye (1957),
Sackett (1960), and Bewley ([1964] 1970). My purpose is to unlock the
references in the Wizard of Oz to the monetary debates of the 1890s.
When the story is viewed in this light, the real reason the Cowardly
Lion fell asleep in the field of poppies, the identity of the Wizard of
Oz, the significance of the strange number of hallways and rooms in
the Emerald Palace, and the reason the Wicked Witch of the West was
so happy to get one of Dorothy's shoes become clear. Thus interpreted,

the Wizard of Oz becomes a powerful pedagogic device. Few
students of money and banking or economic history will forget the
battle between the advocates of free silver and the defenders of the
gold standard when it is explained through the Wizard of Oz.
 

This paper also serves a more conventional purpose. William Jennings Bryan

and his supporters in the free silver movement, who play
a central role in the story, have been treated as monetary cranks even
by historians who are sympathetic to them on other issues.2 Here I
show that Bryan's monetary thought was surprisingly sophisticated
and that on most issues his positions, in the light of modern monetary
theory, compare favorably with those of his "sound money" opponents.

 

 

...

 

The Wizard of Oz, conceived over several years, was written mostly in
1899. It is a cautionary tale, recounting "the first battle" of 1896 (the
title of Bryan's [1896] immensely popular account of that election)
and warning of the dangers that lay ahead.

The story is rich in references to the current scene, but it is not a mathematical puzzle. Baum's
main purpose was to tell a good story, and his need for symmetry,
interesting characters, and so on took precedence over historical accuracy.

Nevertheless, the references to the current scene are sufficiently
numerous to make looking for them rewarding and informative. The
heroine is Dorothy, a little girl who lives with her Aunt Em on an
impoverished farm in Kansas. Dorothy represents America-honest,
kindhearted, and plucky.7 Her best friend is her dog, Toto.8 The
populist movement began in the West, so it is natural that the story
begins there. But there may also be a reference here to Kansas City,
Missouri, where the Democratic convention of 1900 would be held. In
1900, going "from Kansas to Fairyland" (an early title) meant

following the campaign trail from Kansas City to Washington, D.C.
Dorothy is in her home when it is carried by a cyclone (tornado) to
the land of Oz.

 

This is Baum's fantasy counterpart to America, a land
in which, especially in the East, the gold standard reigns supreme and
in which an ounce (Oz) of gold has almost mystical significance. The
cyclone is the free silver movement itself. It came roaring out of the
West in 1896, shaking the political establishment to its foundations. A
cyclone is an apt metaphor. Bryan was first elected to Congress in
1890 and made his first important speech in Congress on the silver
question in 1893. Three years later he was the leader of a national
movement. Dorothy's house lands on the Wicked Witch of the East.
The Witch dries up completely, leaving only her silver shoes. These
represent the silver component of a bimetallic standard and are given
to Dorothy to wear by the Good Witch of the North, who has been

summoned to the scene.9 The silver shoes have a magical power that
the Wicked Witch of the East understood but which the Munchkins
(citizens of the East) do not.

On a general level the Wicked Witch of the East represents eastern
business and financial interests, but in personal terms a Populist
would have had one figure in mind: Grover Cleveland.

It was Cleveland who led the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, and it
was his progold forces that had been defeated at the 1896 convention,
making it possible for America to vote for Bryan and free silver. But
the American people, like the Munchkins, never understood the
power that was theirs once the Wicked Witch was dead. Timberlake
(1978) argues that the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act,
rather than the campaign of 1896, was the real end of the possibility
of a bimetallic standard. He shows in detail that repeal

was a bipartisan movement. He then asks the following question: "Why should
anyone then [in 1896] have believed that a Democratic vote would
have any greater effect in promoting silver monetization than it had
in 1892?" (p. 42). The free silver Democrats had a simple but not
naive answer: the Wicked Witch of the East was (politically) dead."

- Rockoff, H. (1990). The “Wizard of Oz” as a Monetary Allegory. Journal of Political Economy

 

From the Filmmaker

 

 

From the Critic

 

"While film historians have rightly called foul over the colourisation of black-and-white classics, they surely will have less cause to complain about the decision to remaster Oz digitally and to present it as if it's a new James Cameron movie. The digital makeover does have some unexpected consequences. We can now see the joints in the make-up and the sweat on the faces of the long-suffering Ray Bolger, Jack Haley and Bert Lahr as the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion. However, the crystal-clear restoration should finally scotch the old myth that if you look closely enough, you can spot the corpse of a munchkin hanging in the forest.

 

The Wizard of Oz is one of the most familiar and often revived films of all time and yet it is worth watching (yet again) on the very biggest screen possible. Seventy-five years on, it hasn't dated in the slightest. Its use of colour, music and trompe-l'oeil effects still astounds, as does Judy Garland's extraordinarily febrile and emotional performance as Dorothy."

- Geoffrey Macnab, The Independent

 

From the Public

 

"Judy Garland is the best to ever do it. The best of the best. Peerless." - @Cap

 

 

Factoids

 

Previous Year's Rankings

2012 - #39, 2013 - #63, 2014 - #54, 2016 - #51, 2018 - #49, 2020 - #31, 2022 – #64

 

Director Count

A. Kurosawa (3), S. Spielberg (3), J. Cameron (2), A. Hitchcock (2), S. Kubrick (2), J. Lasseter (2), S. Leone (2), R. Linklater (2), D. Lynch (2), C. Nolan (2), R. Scott (2),), R. Allers (1), R. Altman (1), P.T. Anderson (1), B. Bird (1), F. Capra (1), J. Carpenter (1), J. Coen (1), M. Curtiz (1), F. Darabont (1), J. Demme (1), J. Demy (1), P. Docter (1), C.T. Dreyer (1), D. Fincher (1), Victor Fleming (1), M. Forman (1), W. Friedkin (1), T. Gilliam (1), P. Jackson (1), R. Johnson (1), T. Jones (1), B. Joon-Ho (1), W. Kar-Wai (1), M. Kobayashi (1), S. Lee (1), K. Lund (1), L. McCarey (1), F. Meirelles (1), R. Minkoff (1), H. Miyazaki (1), A. Molina (1), J. Peele (1), B. Persichetti (1), S. Raimi (1), P. Ramsey (1), R. Rothman (1), A. Russo (1), J. Russo (1), M. Scorsese (1), M.N. Shyamalan (1), A. Stanton (1), V.D. Sica (1), Q. Tarantino (1), G. Trousdale (1), L. Unkrich (1), P. Weir (1), O. Welles (1), B. Wilder (1), K. Wise (1)

 

Decade Count

2000s (13), 1990s (12), 2010s (10), 1980s (8), 1960s (6), 1950s (5), 1940s (4), 1970s (4), 1930s (2), 1920s (1)

 

International Film Count

Japan (4), France (3), Italy (3), United Kingdom (2), Brazil (1), Hong Kong (1), South Korea (1)

 

Franchise Count

Pixar (6), Alien (2), Before (2), WDAS (2), Nolanite Cinematic Universe (2), Spider-Man (2), Toy Story (2), Avatar (1), Exorcist (1), Fargo (1), Gladiator (1), Hannibal Lecter (1), Hawkguy Cinematic Universe (1), Man With No Name (1), Middle Earth (1), Monty Python (1), Overlook Hotel (1), Oz (1), Star Wars (1), The Thing (1)

 

Genre Count

Drama (16), Comedy (13), Historical Fiction (12), Animation (10), Epic (10), Horror (10), Fantasy (9), Sci-Fi (9), Adventure (7), Black Comedy (6), Coming of Age (5), Musical (5), Romance (5), Mystery (4), Thriller (4), Action (3), Comic Book (3), Crime (3), Noir (3), Jidaigeki (3), Religious (3), Satire (3), Superhero (3), Western (3), Christmas/Holiday (2), Spaghetti Western (2), Tragedy (2), War (2), Alternative History (1), Anime (1), Neorealism (1), Prison Break/Heist (1)

 

 

A Recipe

Yellow Brick Scones

 

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
1 and 1/4 cup milk
zest and juice of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons honey
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
2 tablespoons roasted sunflower seeds

 

Instructions:
Mix the lemon juice and milk together and place one stick of butter in the freezer. Place the other stick of butter on the counter. Let sit for 10 minutes while preheating the oven to 425°F.
Blend the flour, granulated sugar, salt, baking powder, and cornmeal together with a wire whisk in one of the mixing bowls. Then grate the cold butter into the mixture, gently tossing through with a spatula.
Gradually pour 1 cup of the milk into the bowl, stirring and folding with the spatula until thoroughly moistened.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Lift and fold the dough four times, giving it a quarter-turn after each fold. Roll the dough into an 8″x8″ square and slice it into 16 pieces with a butter knife.
Transfer the dough squares to a foil-lined baking sheet and brush with the remaining milk on the scones. Bake in the oven 12 to 15 minutes until lightly browned. Allow the scones to cool on the sheet or a cooling rack.
In a separate mixing bowl, beat the remaining butter, honey, half of the lemon zest, and powdered sugar with a fork until smooth.
Frost the cooled scones with a layer of icing and garnish with sunflower and poppy seeds, and lemon zest.
Refrigerate the scones for 10 minutes before serving to set the frosting.

 

 

From: https://thegluttonousgeek.com/2019/09/23/oz-yellow-brick-scones/

 

 

Deserved to be top 10.

[Daxtreme]

(cue cat reading journal meme) I really need to watch The Wizard of Oz

[TalismanRing]

15 hours ago, The Panda said:

 

121.    Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (dir. Michel Gondry, 2004)
122.    Die Hard (dir. John McTiernan, 1988)
123.    The Iron Giant (dir. Brad Bird, 1999)
124.    Who Framed Roger Rabbit (dir. Robert Zemeckis, 1988)
125.    Unforgiven (dir. Clint Eastwood, 1992)
 

 

 

 

How did I forget (no pun intended)

 

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

[mldardy]

The hate for Nolan is definitely real. So funny. I know 'he's overrated' there I said it for all the 'overrated' heads that love to use the word. Shocked that it hasn't been used so far.

Edited August 11 by mldardy

[The Panda]

Number 24

 

 

"Ah, mediocre!"

 

Synopsis

 

 

From the Scholar

 

"We argue that the film Mad Max: Fury Road challenges stigmas associated with disability by conceptualizing a world that embraces the differences between disabled and abled bodies. Drawing on crip theory and eco-ability scholarship, we examine how Mad Max: Fury Road’s narrative criticizes normative and ableist understandings about the body by imagining a world that constructs accessible and valued spaces for the disabled. Dolmage [Dolmage, J. (2013). Disability Rhetoric. New York: Syracuse University Press] argues that scholars need to situate rhetoric on the experiences of disabled bodies to generate new meanings about disability. Mad Max: Fury Road generates such meanings by challenging normative and stigmatizing conceptions of disability through positive and nuanced representations of disabled bodies."

- Fletcher, E. S., & Primack, A. J. (2017). Driving toward disability rhetorics: Narrative, crip theory, and eco-ability in Mad Max: Fury Road. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 34(4), 344-357.

 

 

From the Filmmaker

 

 

 

From the Critic

 

"The trailer alone — a 2 1/2-minute thrill ride of flying vehicles and fiery skies — screams with visceral images that sear into your brain and suggest that this must be a masculine and muscular cinematic extravaganza typical of the season. So what a lovely surprise it was on this lovely day to find that “Mad Max: Fury Road” is a fiercely feminist declaration of independence — purehearted, passionate and full of beautifully realized moments of poignancy.

 

Yes, it’s as bad-ass as you’ve heard: powerful yet fluid, gritty yet crisp, sublime in the daring originality of its action sequences and flat-out gorgeous to watch. Just when you think that Miller, as director and co-writer, has topped himself with a grand and gripping set piece, he goes even more gloriously over the top with the next. Believe all the hype: This movie will melt your face off."

- Christy Lemire

 

 

From the Public

 

"obviously everyone knows this movie is really hard for me to watch, as in 2009 I lost my virginity to the doof warrior who plays the flaming electric guitar. I don't like to talk about it publicly, because it was one of the worst breakups of my life...it's just hard and strange. they say you don't really live in LA until you see someone you slept with on a billboard -- but what about when the doof warrior who you lost your virginity to absolutely slays in mad max: fury road? what then? where do I live then?
realize I might be getting off topic, but I think this is actually just a testament to how good the film is, that I can still watch it even though, someone who I truly cherished (and who I thought cherished me back, but ultimately only wanted me for my body...) is in it.
everyone else is good too I guess"

- Ayo Edebiri, Letterboxd

 

 

Factoids

 

Previous Year's Rankings

2012 - NA, 2013 - NA, 2014 - NA, 2016 - #24, 2018 - #21, 2020 - #10, 2022 – #20

 

Director Count

C. Nolan (4), S. Spielberg (4), A. Hitchcock (3), A. Kurosawa (3), D. Lynch (3), B. Bird (2), J. Cameron (2), H. Miyazaki (2), S. Kubrick (2), J. Lasseter (2), S. Leone (2), R. Linklater (2), M. Scorsese (2), Q. Tarantino (2), R. Scott (2), R. Allers (1), R. Altman (1), P.T. Anderson (1), F. Capra (1), J. Carpenter (1), J. Coen (1), M. Curtiz (1), F. Darabont (1), J. Demme (1), J. Demy (1), P. Docter (1), S. Donen (1), C.T. Dreyer (1), D. Fincher (1), Victor Fleming (1), M. Forman (1), W. Friedkin (1), T. Gilliam (1), P. Jackson (1), R. Johnson (1), T. Jones (1), B. Joon-Ho (1), W. Kar-Wai (1), G. Kelly (1), M. Kobayashi (1), S. Lee (1), M. Mann (1), G. Miller (1), K. Lund (1), L. McCarey (1), F. Meirelles (1), R. Minkoff (1), A. Molina (1), J. Peele (1), B. Persichetti (1), S. Raimi (1), P. Ramsey (1), R. Rothman (1), A. Russo (1), J. Russo (1), M.N. Shyamalan (1), A. Stanton (1), V.D. Sica (1), G. Trousdale (1), L. Unkrich (1), P. Weir (1), O. Welles (1), B. Wilder (1), K. Wise (1)

 

Decade Count

1990s (16), 2000s (15), 2010s (12), 1980s (8), 1950s (7), 1960s (6), 1970s (5), 1940s (4), 1930s (2), 1920s (1), 2020s (1)

 

International Film Count

Japan (5), France (3), Italy (3), United Kingdom (2), Australia (1), Brazil (1), Hong Kong (1), South Korea (1)

 

Franchise Count

Pixar (7), Nolanite Cinematic Universe (4), Alien (2), Before (2), WDAS (2), Spider-Man (2), Toy Story (2), Avatar (1), Exorcist (1), Fargo (1), Gladiator (1), Hannibal Lecter (1), Hawkguy Cinematic Universe (1), Jurassic Park (1), Mad Max: Fury Road (1), Man With No Name (1), Middle Earth (1), Monty Python (1), Overlook Hotel (1), Oz (1), Star Wars (1), The Thing (1)

 

Genre Count

Drama (18), Comedy (13), Historical Fiction (13), Animation (12), Sci-Fi (12), Epic (11), Fantasy (10), Horror (10), Action (7), Adventure (8), Black Comedy (7), Musical (6), Thriller (6), Coming of Age (5), Crime (5), Mystery (5), Romance (5), Noir (4), Superhero (4), Comic Book (3), Jidaigeki (3), Religious (3), Satire (3), Tragedy (3), Western (3), Anime (2), Christmas/Holiday (2), Prison Break/Heist (2), Spaghetti Western (2), War (2), Alternative History (1), Neorealism (1), Post-Apocalyptic (1), Surrealism (1)

 

 

A Recipe

 

 

 

 

[The Panda]

Number 23

 

 

"We love the roll call, y'all!"

 

Synopsis

 

"Set on one block of Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy Do or Die neighborhood, at the height of summer, this 1989 masterpiece by Spike Lee confirmed him as a writer and filmmaker of peerless vision and passionate social engagement. Over the course of a single day, the easygoing interactions of a cast of unforgettable characters—Da Mayor, Mother Sister, Mister Señor Love Daddy, Tina, Sweet Dick Willie, Buggin Out, Radio Raheem, Sal, Pino, Vito, and Lee’s Mookie among them—give way to heated confrontations as tensions rise along racial fault lines, ultimately exploding into violence. Punctuated by the anthemic refrain of Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power,” Do the Right Thing is a landmark in American cinema, as politically and emotionally charged and as relevant now as when it first hit the big screen." - The Criterion Collection

 

 

From the Scholar

 

"Lee was both praised and vilified by critics and the public for his depiction of
race relations in America, even among political liberals : ``Not since the Black Panthers cowed Manhattan’s glitterati 20 years ago has there been such a virulent outbreak of radical chicÐor so many political-disease detectives ready to stanch the
epidemic. . . . Everywhere, the ®lm has polarized White Liberals,’ ’ writes Richard
Corliss of T ime ( 1989, p. 62) . Critical acclaim for Lee’s bold, realistic representation
of racism in American came from critics of all perspectives. A review in A frican Com- mentary reads: `

`Lee is fast fortifying his credentials as America’s `enfant terrible’ of
the cinema, igniter of controversies and the fearless prophet who forthrightly holds
up the mirror-image of America’s apocalypse to its frightened face’ ’ ( cited in Chrisman, 1990, p. 53) .

Jacquie Jones, an editor from B lack F ilm R eview , says ``D o the R ight
T hing is a well orchestrated look at the reality, the humanity of racism . . . t also
shows us how everyday events . . . can combine to explode the latent hostility bred in
a society that is inherently racist, persistently unequal’ ’ ( 1990, p. 34) . Film critic
Roger Ebert calls the movie ``the most honest, complex and unblinking ®lm I have
ever seen about the subject of racism’ ’ ( cited in Kunen, 1989, p. 67) . Writing for T he
Christian Century, James Wall praises Lee and his ®lm : ``Lee renders with considerable
accuracy the Black experience from within . . . t will resonate with the experience
of many Blacks’ ’ ( 1989, p. 739) . Similarly, R olling Stone ®lm critic Peter Travers
cheers D o the R ight T hing for its ``devastating portrait of Black America pushed to the
limit’ ’ ( 1989, p. 29) , and N ew sw eek’s David Ansen agrees, referring to D o the R ight
T hing as the ``most informed view of racism an American ®lmmaker has given us’’
(Ansen, 1989, p. 66)"

- Cooper, Brenda. "'The White-Black Fault Line': Relevancy of Race and Racism in Spectators' Experiences of Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing." Howard Journal of Communication 9, no. 3 (1998): 205-228.

 

From the Filmmaker

 

 

From the Critic

 

"After revisiting “Do the Right Thing,” I found that there’s a lot we can learn from the film today, particularly in how we analyze and dissect these horrific incidents. Usually all we see is the incident itself, but the real problem runs much deeper than that. The event itself is merely the aftermath of a much bigger and more problematic issue. Over 30 years later, Lee’s “Do the Right Thing” remains more relevant than ever. 

 

 

Lee’s filmography is composed of mostly independent films that address crucial contemporary issues such as racism, economic exploitation, police brutality, and multiculturalism. Despite the extensive political and social commentaries found in his work, Lee manages to both engage and appeal to popular audiences. Of all his work, "Do the Right Thing" is the most exemplary presentation of his seamless intertwining between unmistakable visual style and political philosophy."

- Wael Khair, Roger Ebert

 

From the Public

 

"It’s insane how timeless and relevant this is 30 years after its release. Every single character has so many nuances to them, and taking every single plot point in at once is wild. I immediately want to watch this again" - @WrathOfHan

 

 

Factoids

 

Previous Year's Rankings

2012 - Unranked, 2013 - #88, 2014 - Unranked, 2016 - #94, 2018 - #79, 2020 - #14, 2022 – #48

 

Director Count

C. Nolan (4), S. Spielberg (4), A. Hitchcock (3), A. Kurosawa (3), D. Lynch (3), B. Bird (2), J. Cameron (2), H. Miyazaki (2), S. Kubrick (2), J. Lasseter (2), S. Lee (2), S. Leone (2), R. Linklater (2), M. Scorsese (2), Q. Tarantino (2), R. Scott (2), R. Allers (1), R. Altman (1), P.T. Anderson (1), F. Capra (1), J. Carpenter (1), J. Coen (1), M. Curtiz (1), F. Darabont (1), J. Demme (1), J. Demy (1), P. Docter (1), S. Donen (1), C.T. Dreyer (1), D. Fincher (1), Victor Fleming (1), M. Forman (1), W. Friedkin (1), T. Gilliam (1), P. Jackson (1), R. Johnson (1), T. Jones (1), B. Joon-Ho (1), W. Kar-Wai (1), G. Kelly (1), M. Kobayashi (1), M. Mann (1), G. Miller (1), K. Lund (1), L. McCarey (1), F. Meirelles (1), R. Minkoff (1), A. Molina (1), J. Peele (1), B. Persichetti (1), S. Raimi (1), P. Ramsey (1), R. Rothman (1), A. Russo (1), J. Russo (1), M.N. Shyamalan (1), A. Stanton (1), V.D. Sica (1), G. Trousdale (1), L. Unkrich (1), P. Weir (1), O. Welles (1), B. Wilder (1), K. Wise (1)

 

Decade Count

1990s (16), 2000s (15), 2010s (12), 1980s (9), 1950s (7), 1960s (6), 1970s (5), 1940s (4), 1930s (2), 1920s (1), 2020s (1)

 

International Film Count

Japan (5), France (3), Italy (3), United Kingdom (2), Australia (1), Brazil (1), Hong Kong (1), South Korea (1)

 

Franchise Count

Pixar (7), Nolanite Cinematic Universe (4), Alien (2), Before (2), WDAS (2), Spider-Man (2), Toy Story (2), Avatar (1), Exorcist (1), Fargo (1), Gladiator (1), Hannibal Lecter (1), Hawkguy Cinematic Universe (1), Jurassic Park (1), Mad Max: Fury Road (1), Man With No Name (1), Middle Earth (1), Monty Python (1), Overlook Hotel (1), Oz (1), Star Wars (1), The Thing (1)

 

Genre Count

Drama (19), Comedy (14), Historical Fiction (13), Animation (12), Sci-Fi (12), Epic (11), Fantasy (10), Horror (10), Action (7), Adventure (8), Black Comedy (7), Musical (6), Thriller (6), Coming of Age (5), Crime (5), Mystery (5), Romance (5), Noir (4), Superhero (4), Comic Book (3), Jidaigeki (3), Religious (3), Satire (3), Tragedy (3), Western (3), Anime (2), Christmas/Holiday (2), Prison Break/Heist (2), Spaghetti Western (2), War (2), Alternative History (1), Neorealism (1), Post-Apocalyptic (1), Surrealism (1)

 

 

A Recipe

 

 

 

[The Panda]

Number 22

 

 

"No problemo"

 

Synopsis

 

"Set ten years after the events of the original, James Cameron’s classic sci-fi action flick tells the story of a second attempt to get the rid of rebellion leader John Connor, this time targeting the boy himself. However, the rebellion has sent a reprogrammed terminator to protect Connor." - The Movie Database

 

From the Scholar

 

"The Terminator retold the New Testament’s Annunciation story. A rebel from
the 21st century (Archangel Gabriel)
comes back in time to 1984 to warn a Los
Angeles waitress, Sarah Conner (Virgin
Mary) that she is going to be the mother
of a political Messiah who will bring
salvation to the world.

But if the Redeemer is to be born, she has to be
saved from the Cyborg, also a product of
a post-nuclear war future, who is on

mission to kill her. The Archangel falls in
love with the Virgin and impregnates her
with the Messiah. James Cameron‘s Terminator2: Judgement Day continues the
saga: the Messiah, John Conner (Edward
Furlong), is now 10 years old and the
Virgin (Linda Hamilton) has been transformed into a tough, radical feminist.
The ‘lone warrior’ sent back to protect JC
is in fact the original Terminator (Arnold
Schwarzenegger) : a cyborg made of
‘cybernetic organism’ over ‘metal interskeleton’, model 107 of the 800 series
(T800). On the side of the Devil, with a
mission to kill JC, is a more efficient
psychopathic cyborg (Robert Patrick):
the advance prototype TlOOO model
made of ‘mematic polyalioy’ or liquid
metal; ‘it can imitate anything it touches,
anything it samples by physical contact’.
The stage is set for a Biblical battle
between Good and Evil machines as the
film re-enacts the Holy Family’s flight
into Egypt.

Terminator 2 is a complex film that
explores a number of different themes.
The religious allegory is an underlying
subtext. The ideas of fate and destiny,
determinism and free will, the empowerment of the indjvidual and the ability of
every person to change the course of the

future are analysed on the screen. An
overt supertext of the film is that every
human being has a compassionate and
angelic as well as a violent and beastly
side: we can construct a hopeful future
for ourselves if we allow our positive
component to come to the fore. Terminator 2 is also the ultimate PC (politically
correct) movie. Not only does it present
its female lead as a tough and resourceful character, but it also shows that even
a ‘good ideology’ (feminism), when
taken to extreme, can lose sight of
humanity: Sarah Connor’s tough-asKryptonite attitude alienates her from
her son; on a psychological level she
becomes a terminator herself. As someone who possesses special knowledge
-the destruction of the world on a
certain date-she is in a minority of one.
She therefore experiences, inside a
mental institution, in a world of AngloSaxon males in white coats, what it is like
to be the Other-human beings who,
simply because they do not belong to
the dominant culture, are described,
controlled and treated as though they
were mad! The black character in the
film, the brilliant computer expert, Mike
Dyson, is presented with all humanity.
He is a genius, but unlike his predecessors such as Fu Manchu who are pure
Evil, he is capable of both good and evil.
He can get excited with the sweetness of
discovery as well as sacrifice himself to
save mankind.

 

But the true importance of Terminator 2 does not lie

in its religious allegory, its analysis of determinism and free
will, its level of ‘political correctness’,
not even in the fact that it is a terrific
entertainment. It lies in its un-thought,
in the suppressed metaphors that reflect
what is happening in the world at large.
The terminator, as I have noted elsewhere, is a conceptual equivalent of
modernity.5"

- Sardar, Ziauddin. "Terminator 2 modernity, postmodernism and the ‘other’." Futures 24, no. 5 (1992): 493-506.

 

From the Filmmaker

 

 

From the Critic

 

"Despite the usual expertly crafted mayhem expected from a James Cameron blockbuster, the stretch of film that keeps T2 from being just another sequel carbon-copying its predecessor is when all the initial shocks wear off, and Sarah, John, and the T-800 are well on their way to Mexico. Cameron essentially sets up the Baby Hitler scenario: the possibility of stopping Terminators from ever being created by zeroing in on the root of all evil, an unassuming cybernetics wunderkind, Miles Dyson (Joe Morton), who found the first Terminator’s CPU, and is now well on his way to reverse-engineering the technology that created it. A deleted scene from the film revealed Dyson with nothing but wide-eyed optimism for what his artificial intelligence could do, but the theatrical version of T2 is better served leaving things as they are, with Dyson as a working stiff who got lucky, who finds his home invaded by a maniac wielding automatic weapons, driven by a still-unnervingly grim vision of the nuclear holocaust that starts the war with the machines."

- Justin Clark, Slant Magazine

 

 

From the Public

 

"Y'know, back in my film studies class I did an essay on how the music and editing of this film was effective in a certain scene, and I got an A for it. Therefore, i love this film." - @CoolioD1

 

 

Factoids

 

Previous Year's Rankings

2012 - #16, 2013 - #12, 2014 - #33, 2016 - #25, 2018 - #14, 2020 - #11, 2022 – #27

 

Director Count

C. Nolan (4), S. Spielberg (4), J. Cameron (3), A. Hitchcock (3), A. Kurosawa (3), D. Lynch (3), B. Bird (2), H. Miyazaki (2), S. Kubrick (2), J. Lasseter (2), S. Lee (2), S. Leone (2), R. Linklater (2), M. Scorsese (2), Q. Tarantino (2), R. Scott (2), R. Allers (1), R. Altman (1), P.T. Anderson (1), F. Capra (1), J. Carpenter (1), J. Coen (1), M. Curtiz (1), F. Darabont (1), J. Demme (1), J. Demy (1), P. Docter (1), S. Donen (1), C.T. Dreyer (1), D. Fincher (1), Victor Fleming (1), M. Forman (1), W. Friedkin (1), T. Gilliam (1), P. Jackson (1), R. Johnson (1), T. Jones (1), B. Joon-Ho (1), W. Kar-Wai (1), G. Kelly (1), M. Kobayashi (1), M. Mann (1), G. Miller (1), K. Lund (1), L. McCarey (1), F. Meirelles (1), R. Minkoff (1), A. Molina (1), J. Peele (1), B. Persichetti (1), S. Raimi (1), P. Ramsey (1), R. Rothman (1), A. Russo (1), J. Russo (1), M.N. Shyamalan (1), A. Stanton (1), V.D. Sica (1), G. Trousdale (1), L. Unkrich (1), P. Weir (1), O. Welles (1), B. Wilder (1), K. Wise (1)

 

Decade Count

1990s (17), 2000s (15), 2010s (12), 1980s (9), 1950s (7), 1960s (6), 1970s (5), 1940s (4), 1930s (2), 1920s (1), 2020s (1)

 

International Film Count

Japan (5), France (3), Italy (3), United Kingdom (2), Australia (1), Brazil (1), Hong Kong (1), South Korea (1)

 

Franchise Count

Pixar (7), Nolanite Cinematic Universe (4), Alien (2), Before (2), WDAS (2), Spider-Man (2), Toy Story (2), Avatar (1), Exorcist (1), Fargo (1), Gladiator (1), Hannibal Lecter (1), Hawkguy Cinematic Universe (1), Jurassic Park (1), Mad Max: Fury Road (1), Man With No Name (1), Middle Earth (1), Monty Python (1), Overlook Hotel (1), Oz (1), Star Wars (1), Terminator (1), The Thing (1)

 

Genre Count

Drama (19), Comedy (14), Historical Fiction (13), Sci-Fi (13), Animation (12), Epic (11), Fantasy (10), Horror (10), Action (8), Adventure (8), Black Comedy (7), Musical (6), Thriller (6), Coming of Age (5), Crime (5), Mystery (5), Romance (5), Noir (4), Superhero (4), Comic Book (3), Jidaigeki (3), Religious (3), Satire (3), Tragedy (3), Western (3), Anime (2), Christmas/Holiday (2), Post-Apocalyptic (2), Prison Break/Heist (2), Spaghetti Western (2), War (2), Alternative History (1), Neorealism (1), Surrealism (1)

 

 

A Recipe

A Full English Breakfast

 

Sausages – I think everyone just goes with whatever sausages they like, but sometimes there are 2-3 kinds on a plate. We went with regular breakfast sausages and we also got a bit of black pudding, which seems like most people insist on having as well.

Back Bacon – This isn’t your regular bacon, which is made from pork belly, nope, back bacon is bacon that includes a little bit of the loin, kinda like a super thin pork chop but smoked. From what I can see, this kind of bacon isn’t really crispy.
Eggs – Pretty straight forward, all the full English plates I’ve seen have sunny side up eggs.

Tomatoes – These guys are cut in half along the equator and then seared in the pan and seasoned with salt and pepper. They aren’t really cooked, just given a little bit of color.

Mushrooms – Seems like a take or leave it item, but we’re going all out here so of course mushrooms are needed. They’re cooked in the usual way, nicely browned and caramelized

Toast – Don’t call it toast because I’ve seen some internet fights break out about the bread. You can’t just use a toaster and call it a day. The bread has to be FRIED, either with butter or oil.

Beans – You have to have beans! I mean, I’ve never really had beans at breakfast, but it’s classic. We went for Heinz because that’s what they do in England and because their teal cans are too cute.

 

From: https://iamafoodblog.com/a-breakdown-of-the-full-english-breakfast/

 

 

 

[The Panda]

Number 21

 

 

"This city deserves a better class of criminal."

 

Synopsis

 

"Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as the Joker."  - The Movie Database

 

From the Scholar

 

"Purpose – This chapter explores the commercially successful and critically acclaimed motion picture The Dark Knight as a cultural artifact that both reflects and influences popular notions of crime and justice in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

 

Design/methodology/approach – From a cultural criminological perspective, this chapter examines ideological messages pertaining to crime and justice presented in the film, including the framing of conflict as one between good and evil, justifications for extralegal violence, and reliance on absolute power as a means of social control. This chapter assesses reactions to the film as a “ritual moral exercise” in which viewers assuage their anxieties and insecurities in a post-9/11 world.

 

 

Findings – This chapter investigates representations of justice in the film, including the construction of the villain as “other,” the perception of constitutional procedures as impediments to justice, the embrace of vigilantism, and the willingness to sacrifice transparency of government authorities while accepting widespread surveillance in a time of crisis. Such themes resonated with some viewers who interpreted the film as offering explicit vindication for many of the questionable tactics used in the war on terror.

 

Originality/value – This chapter argues that popular media, specifically fictional entertainment media, play a role in reflecting and informing collective sentiments of justice. It offers an analysis of The Dark Knight as celebrating individualized, American-style retributive justice in a post-9/11 context."

- Phillips, Nickie D. "The dark knight: constructing images of good vs. evil in an age of anxiety." In Popular culture, crime and social control, vol. 14, pp. 25-44. Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2010.

 

From the Filmmaker

 

 

From the Critic

 

"According to a Russian proverb God makes priests, jesters come from the devil.  You won't have any trouble believing that aphorism when you see Heath Ledger's mesmerizing performance as the Joker in "The Dark Knight," Christopher Nolan's hotly anticipated and often brilliantly executed follow-up to "Batman Begins."

 

His face caked in cracked white greasepaint, his smile a grotesque red lipstick scar, kohl rimming his eyes, the Joker is a cruel kind of clown, the kind that is only interested in the last laugh. Slouched in his purple suit, Ledger gives him a lopsided shuffle, a permanently craning neck and an insinuating, deceptively neighborly voice. But there's something reptilian about the way his tongue flicks through his pursed lips like a pickpocket. He's hungry for trouble, a maniac for mayhem -- and in Gotham City, where crime is still running wild, he can make himself right at home. Ledger dominates this movie as a living presence, a live wire, dangerous and unpredictable. It's an astonishing performance, as extravagant and free ("deranged" might be a better word) as his Ennis Del Mar in "Brokeback Mountain" was inhibited and tongue-tied."

- Tom Charity, CNN

 

 

From the Public

 

"I don't know what to say about this movie. I was mesmerized when I first watched it, then step back a little bit when the "best movie evah" hype got unbearable and starting pointing out all the "flaws" that prove it's not that perfect. But a decade later I just see it as monumental piece of work. Nolan envisioned this like a Michael Mann inspired crime drama and he built something spectacular." - @Joel M

 

 

Factoids

 

Previous Year's Rankings

2012 - #7, 2013 - #3, 2014 - #2, 2016 - #9, 2018 - #2, 2020 - #5, 2022 – #11

 

Director Count

C. Nolan (5), S. Spielberg (4), J. Cameron (3), A. Hitchcock (3), A. Kurosawa (3), D. Lynch (3), B. Bird (2), H. Miyazaki (2), S. Kubrick (2), J. Lasseter (2), S. Lee (2), S. Leone (2), R. Linklater (2), M. Scorsese (2), Q. Tarantino (2), R. Scott (2), R. Allers (1), R. Altman (1), P.T. Anderson (1), F. Capra (1), J. Carpenter (1), J. Coen (1), M. Curtiz (1), F. Darabont (1), J. Demme (1), J. Demy (1), P. Docter (1), S. Donen (1), C.T. Dreyer (1), D. Fincher (1), Victor Fleming (1), M. Forman (1), W. Friedkin (1), T. Gilliam (1), P. Jackson (1), R. Johnson (1), T. Jones (1), B. Joon-Ho (1), W. Kar-Wai (1), G. Kelly (1), M. Kobayashi (1), M. Mann (1), G. Miller (1), K. Lund (1), L. McCarey (1), F. Meirelles (1), R. Minkoff (1), A. Molina (1), J. Peele (1), B. Persichetti (1), S. Raimi (1), P. Ramsey (1), R. Rothman (1), A. Russo (1), J. Russo (1), M.N. Shyamalan (1), A. Stanton (1), V.D. Sica (1), G. Trousdale (1), L. Unkrich (1), P. Weir (1), O. Welles (1), B. Wilder (1), K. Wise (1)

 

Decade Count

1990s (17), 2000s (16), 2010s (12), 1980s (9), 1950s (7), 1960s (6), 1970s (5), 1940s (4), 1930s (2), 1920s (1), 2020s (1)

 

International Film Count

Japan (5), France (3), Italy (3), United Kingdom (2), Australia (1), Brazil (1), Hong Kong (1), South Korea (1)

 

Franchise Count

Pixar (7), Nolanite Cinematic Universe (4), Alien (2), Before (2), WDAS (2), Spider-Man (2), Toy Story (2), Avatar (1), Batman (1), Exorcist (1), Fargo (1), Gladiator (1), Hannibal Lecter (1), Hawkguy Cinematic Universe (1), Jurassic Park (1), Mad Max: Fury Road (1), Man With No Name (1), Middle Earth (1), Monty Python (1), Overlook Hotel (1), Oz (1), Star Wars (1), Terminator (1), The Thing (1)

 

Genre Count

Drama (19), Comedy (14), Historical Fiction (13), Sci-Fi (13), Animation (12), Epic (11), Fantasy (10), Horror (10), Action (9), Adventure (8), Black Comedy (7), Crime (6), Musical (6), Thriller (6), Coming of Age (5), Mystery (5), Romance (5), Superhero (5), Comic Book (4), Noir (4), Jidaigeki (3), Religious (3), Satire (3), Tragedy (3), Western (3), Anime (2), Christmas/Holiday (2), Post-Apocalyptic (2), Prison Break/Heist (2), Spaghetti Western (2), War (2), Alternative History (1), Neorealism (1), Surrealism (1)

 

 

A Recipe

Batman of Mexico

 

Ingredients  
2 ounces high-proof blanco tequila, like Siembra Valles
¾ ounce fresh corn syrup (see recipe below)
¾ ounce key lime juice
2 to 3 dashes Bittermens Hellfire Habanero Shrub

Fresh Corn Syrup
2 pounds sweet corn
2 pounds sugar
32 ounces water

 

Directions 
Combine in an ice-filled shaker and shake well.
Strain into a chilled glass rimmed with sal de chapulín (grasshopper salt).

Fresh Corn Syrup
Simmer all ingredients for about thirty minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves.
Strain syrup into an airtight container and reserve in the refrigerator until ready to use.

 

From: https://www.texasmonthly.com/recipe/batman-of-mexico/

 

 

 

[The Panda]

Number 20

 

 

"There is no spoon."

 

Synopsis

 

"Set in the 22nd century, The Matrix tells the story of a computer hacker who joins a group of underground insurgents fighting the vast and powerful computers who now rule the earth." - The Movie Database

 

 

From the Scholar

 

 

 

From the Filmmaker

 

 

From the Critic

 

" A lot of what they do and endure consists of spins on the sci-fi past. There are references to everything from the Alien movies to The Terminator to Soylent Green, but that's what we have for a living mythology these days, and the Wachowskis are bold and knowing in their deployment of it. They're acknowledging a tradition, not ripping it off.

 

The same thing applies to their reflections on such matters as artificial intelligence, alternative realities and the space-time continuum. You feel they have at least read the better magazine articles on these topics--enough to provide a little more subtext than we expect to find in enterprises like The Matrix. Besides, there's real wit in their presentation of the Zionist oracle (who turns out to be a motherly black lady baking cookies in an old-fashioned kitchen), and real sexiness in Carrie-Anne Moss as super-buff Trinity, leading Neo to his destiny. Given a budget that encourages their kinesthetic skills, the filmmakers tend to go on a bit, but it's mostly a kind of quick, glancing hipness that's being indulged here. And that's a rare and welcome commodity in mass-market moviemaking these days."

- Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine

 

 

From the Public

 

"Despite being only one year older than me in age (seriously it opened like a few days before my birthday), The Matrix’s visuals and action sequences despite a few hiccups that feel less bad but more stylish while flawed, still remain some of the best action sequences and visuals of blockbusters, action films and sci-fi films in general, but I feel in love with the beauty of the philosophical themes that are well explored in the film and the scale of worldbuilding it has. Reeves, Fishburne and Weaving are iconic as their characters, chewing scenery and being a pleasure to watch, Moss didn’t do much for me but she did well. This type of movie is something I wished I was able to have seen in theaters. 

 

The Matrix most definitely earned the impact in made in the pop culture as well as its influence in other film. It is truly an excellent film that has made me really hunger for more."

- @YM!

 

 

Factoids

 

Previous Year's Rankings

2012 - #10, 2013 - #9, 2014 - #17, 2016 - #16, 2018 - #11, 2020 - #21, 2022 – #8

 

Director Count

C. Nolan (5), S. Spielberg (4), J. Cameron (3), A. Hitchcock (3), A. Kurosawa (3), D. Lynch (3), B. Bird (2), H. Miyazaki (2), S. Kubrick (2), J. Lasseter (2), S. Lee (2), S. Leone (2), R. Linklater (2), M. Scorsese (2), Q. Tarantino (2), R. Scott (2), R. Allers (1), R. Altman (1), P.T. Anderson (1), F. Capra (1), J. Carpenter (1), J. Coen (1), M. Curtiz (1), F. Darabont (1), J. Demme (1), J. Demy (1), P. Docter (1), S. Donen (1), C.T. Dreyer (1), D. Fincher (1), Victor Fleming (1), M. Forman (1), W. Friedkin (1), T. Gilliam (1), P. Jackson (1), R. Johnson (1), T. Jones (1), B. Joon-Ho (1), W. Kar-Wai (1), G. Kelly (1), M. Kobayashi (1), M. Mann (1), G. Miller (1), K. Lund (1), L. McCarey (1), F. Meirelles (1), R. Minkoff (1), A. Molina (1), J. Peele (1), B. Persichetti (1), S. Raimi (1), P. Ramsey (1), R. Rothman (1), A. Russo (1), J. Russo (1), M.N. Shyamalan (1), A. Stanton (1), V.D. Sica (1), G. Trousdale (1), L. Unkrich (1), La. Wachowski (1), Li. Wachowski (1), P. Weir (1), O. Welles (1), B. Wilder (1), K. Wise (1)

 

Decade Count

1990s (18), 2000s (16), 2010s (12), 1980s (9), 1950s (7), 1960s (6), 1970s (5), 1940s (4), 1930s (2), 1920s (1), 2020s (1)

 

International Film Count

Japan (5), France (3), Italy (3), United Kingdom (2), Australia (1), Brazil (1), Hong Kong (1), South Korea (1)

 

Franchise Count

Pixar (7), Nolanite Cinematic Universe (4), Alien (2), Before (2), WDAS (2), Spider-Man (2), Toy Story (2), Avatar (1), Batman (1), Exorcist (1), Fargo (1), Gladiator (1), Hannibal Lecter (1), Hawkguy Cinematic Universe (1), Jurassic Park (1), Mad Max: Fury Road (1), Man With No Name (1), The Matrix (1), Middle Earth (1), Monty Python (1), Overlook Hotel (1), Oz (1), Star Wars (1), Terminator (1), The Thing (1)

 

Genre Count

Drama (19), Comedy (14), Sci-Fi (14), Historical Fiction (13), Animation (12), Epic (11), Action (10), Fantasy (10), Horror (10), Adventure (8), Black Comedy (7), Crime (6), Musical (6), Thriller (6), Coming of Age (5), Mystery (5), Romance (5), Superhero (5), Comic Book (4), Noir (4), Jidaigeki (3), Religious (3), Satire (3), Tragedy (3), Western (3), Anime (2), Christmas/Holiday (2), Post-Apocalyptic (2), Prison Break/Heist (2), Spaghetti Western (2), War (2), Alternative History (1), Neorealism (1), Surrealism (1)

 

 

A Recipe

 

 

 

 

[The Panda]

Number 19

 

 

"You broke my heart!"

 

Synopsis

 

"In the continuing saga of the Corleone crime family, a young Vito Corleone grows up in Sicily and in 1910s New York. In the 1950s, Michael Corleone attempts to expand the family business into Las Vegas, Hollywood and Cuba." - The Movie Database

 

 

From the Scholar

 

"Introduction: The Godfather Part II portrays the Corleone family and their role in organized crime. The purpose of this study is to describe the injuries and deaths depicted in the film.

 

Hypothesis: a) male characters suffer more traumatic processes/deaths than female characters, b) there are more injuries in the second half of the film and c) in a high percentage the traumas are penetrating.

 

Methods: In this descriptive study, The Godfather Part II was screened for significant traumatic injuries that have been documented in relation to the time of their occurrence. Characters who died were evaluated for mechanism and cause of death. Comparisons were made using the Chi‐square test, using an α of 0.05.

 

Results: There were 27 injuries and 19 deaths. 93% of injuries occurred in male characters versus 7% in female characters (p < 0.001). 84% of deaths occurred in males versus 16% in females (p < 0.001). Injuries and deaths were similar between the two halves of the film (both p > 0.05).

 

Deaths were due to traumatic injuries (p < 0.001). Penetrating injuries were the most common cause of death.

 

Conclusions: There are gender differences among characters who suffer trauma and death in The Godfather Part II. Most deaths are due to penetrating traumatic injuries."

- Falcone, John L. "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer: a perspective on traumatic injury in" The Godfather" Part II." Revista de medicina y cine 11, no. 2 (2015): 66-72.

 

From the Filmmaker

 

 

From the Critic

 

"Everything that was majestic and mythic about The Godfather is more so in Part II, with scenes deliberately matching the original. Author of the essential Godfather Book, Peter Cowie, describes the two-part saga in musical terms – as "Coppola's suite", with bass lines, motifs and rhyming patterns. "As a whole," Coppola said, "the first film ought to haunt the second like a spectre." So instead of constantly reminding us that the first film is better, Part II builds on its operatic sweep and cranks up the drama, both narratively and visually. Cinematographer Gordon Willis goes into sublime sepia overdrive for the flashbacks. Production designer Dean Tavoularis tops his own evocative 1940s New York streets with a living, breathing Italian immigrant community circa 1912 (actually the Ukrainian quarter). The epic 26-minute wedding scene that opened Part I is echoed in Part II by the altogether tackier confirmation party at the new Corleone compound in Lake Tahoe (the lake itself claiming the life of Michael's own brother in Part II's chilling climax)."

 - Andrew Collins, Empire Magazine

 

 

From the Public

 

"Having Fredo killed is the culmination of Michael's arc through the first two films, where he essentially sheds any and all pretense of humanity and empathy in order to win. And the final shot of him prematurely aged and weary sitting alone in thought shows him pretty much realizing how empty all of his victories have become." - @4815162342

 

 

Factoids

 

Previous Year's Rankings

2012 - #8, 2013 - #8, 2014 - #34, 2016 - #11, 2018 - #29, 2020 - #20, 2022 – #15

 

Director Count

C. Nolan (5), S. Spielberg (4), J. Cameron (3), A. Hitchcock (3), A. Kurosawa (3), D. Lynch (3), B. Bird (2), H. Miyazaki (2), S. Kubrick (2), J. Lasseter (2), S. Lee (2), S. Leone (2), R. Linklater (2), M. Scorsese (2), Q. Tarantino (2), R. Scott (2), R. Allers (1), R. Altman (1), P.T. Anderson (1), F. Capra (1), J. Carpenter (1), J. Coen (1), F.F. Coppola (1), M. Curtiz (1), F. Darabont (1), J. Demme (1), J. Demy (1), P. Docter (1), S. Donen (1), C.T. Dreyer (1), D. Fincher (1), Victor Fleming (1), M. Forman (1), W. Friedkin (1), T. Gilliam (1), P. Jackson (1), R. Johnson (1), T. Jones (1), B. Joon-Ho (1), W. Kar-Wai (1), G. Kelly (1), M. Kobayashi (1), M. Mann (1), G. Miller (1), K. Lund (1), L. McCarey (1), F. Meirelles (1), R. Minkoff (1), A. Molina (1), J. Peele (1), B. Persichetti (1), S. Raimi (1), P. Ramsey (1), R. Rothman (1), A. Russo (1), J. Russo (1), M.N. Shyamalan (1), A. Stanton (1), V.D. Sica (1), G. Trousdale (1), L. Unkrich (1), La. Wachowski (1), Li. Wachowski (1), P. Weir (1), O. Welles (1), B. Wilder (1), K. Wise (1)

 

Decade Count

1990s (18), 2000s (16), 2010s (12), 1980s (9), 1950s (7), 1960s (6), 1970s (6), 1940s (4), 1930s (2), 1920s (1), 2020s (1)

 

International Film Count

Japan (5), France (3), Italy (3), United Kingdom (2), Australia (1), Brazil (1), Hong Kong (1), South Korea (1)

 

Franchise Count

Pixar (7), Nolanite Cinematic Universe (4), Alien (2), Before (2), WDAS (2), Spider-Man (2), Toy Story (2), Avatar (1), Batman (1), Exorcist (1), Fargo (1), Gladiator (1), The Godfather (1), Hannibal Lecter (1), Hawkguy Cinematic Universe (1), Jurassic Park (1), Mad Max: Fury Road (1), Man With No Name (1), The Matrix (1), Middle Earth (1), Monty Python (1), Overlook Hotel (1), Oz (1), Star Wars (1), Terminator (1), The Thing (1)

 

Genre Count

Drama (20), Comedy (14), Sci-Fi (14), Historical Fiction (13), Animation (12), Epic (12), Action (10), Fantasy (10), Horror (10), Adventure (8), Black Comedy (7), Crime (7), Musical (6), Thriller (6), Coming of Age (5), Mystery (5), Romance (5), Superhero (5), Comic Book (4), Noir (4), Jidaigeki (3), Post-Apocalyptic (3), Religious (3), Satire (3), Tragedy (3), Western (3), Anime (2), Christmas/Holiday (2), Prison Break/Heist (2), Spaghetti Western (2), War (2), Alternative History (1), Neorealism (1), Surrealism (1)

 

 

A Recipe

The Godfather's Spaghetti Sauce

ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 (28 ounce) cans tomatoes (whole, crushed or chopped)
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
3 Italian sausages, grilled and sliced
1 lb meatballs, cooked (use your favorite recipe)
red wine, just a splash
1⁄4 cup sugar (or to taste)

 

Instructions
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot.
Add garlic and cook for a few minutes. Do not let the garlic burn.
Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring continuously so that a relatively smooth consistence is reached.
Add sausages and meatballs and stir until the meat is coated.
Add a splash of red wine, then the sugar according to taste.
Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for a minimum of 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
Serve by ladling over cooked pasta.
Tip: It's not in the movie, but a teaspoon each of basil and oregano is suggested.
Tip 2: If you're using canned whole tomatoes, draining them and then crushing them by hand will result in a chunky sauce. Canned crushed tomatoes will create a slightly thinner sauce, while canned chopped tomatoes will result in a thicker sauce.

 

 

From: https://www.food.com/recipe/the-godfathers-spaghetti-sauce-241475

 

 

Edited August 11 by The Panda

[The Panda]

 

 

111.    Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (dir. George Lucas, 2005)
112.    Hard Boiled (dir. John Woo, 1992)
113.    Dog Day Afternoon (dir. Sidney Lumet, 1975)
114.    All That Jazz (dir. Bob Fosse, 1979)
115.    Fight Club (dir. David Fincher, 1999)
116.    Some Like it Hot (dir. Billy Wilder, 1959)
117.    Your Name (dir. Makoto Shinkai, 2016)
118.    Life of Brian (dir. Terry Jones, 1979)
119.    Chinatown (dir. Roman Polanski, 1974)
120.    8 1/2 (dir. Federico Fellini, 1963)

[Avatree]

I've never really understood the praise and acclaim that The Matrix gets as being one of the greatest films of all time. It's just a solid  action flick.

 

Maybe you just had to be there?

[baumer]

This page has actually been much more my speed. Terminator part 2, The dark Knight and The Matrix are all in my top 20. I unfortunately didn't get to submitted list this year or else maybe they would have been even a little bit higher on the list. 

 

I remember quitting my job at a bread factory the summer that Terminator part 2 came out. I knew my brother and a couple of friends we're just down the street watching t-2. I hated my job so much that I handed them the toothbrush they gave me to clean the walls and told him to go pound salt. I literally ran a kilometer down the street to go find my brother and his friends and watch t2 for the first time. Needless to say it blew me away. At that time it was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. 

 

At the time I wasn't a massive comic book fan and I really didn't like the Tim Burton Batman movies all that much. Batman begins was really good and so I was pretty much looking forward to seeing the dark knight. Heath Ledger's performance was again unlike anything I'd ever seen before. He felt real and Christopher Nolan's direction, the music and everything in between got me interested in comic book movies again. 

 

And I know this is going to sound elitist but I just simply can't understand how anybody can not really care for the matrix. That movie is brilliant in every single way and from start to finish. You know when you can get Keanu Reeves to act his ass off and surround that with bullet time, crazy stunts philosophy Buddhism Christianity Catholicism and everything in between you got yourself one hell of a movie.

 

Well done so far panda this is really really good I'm enjoying it.

[Daxtreme]

the main appeal of The Matrix is the dual factor of 

 

1. It's a great action movie that will surely please fans who want epic action;

 

2. The script is incredibly tight, well thought of, and everything comes together nearly perfectly. Every scene in this movie, every visual detail serves a purpose pertaining to either one of the characters, world-building, or advancing the plot in a meaningful way. Central themes, philosophical themes, character development, concepts, and even action scenes are all neatly connected and no scene feels superfluous. The pacing in particular is godlike, a real masterclass on tension building and releasing. The movie also respects its own mythology. It tells a brilliant and creative story and the script is punctuated by action beats that revolutionized action back in 1999.

 

I mean there are whole essays that could be written about why The Matrix is brilliant but I'll leave it at that. If it feels corny sometimes it's because the movie's most famous scenes have been copied and re-mixed to death in the last 20 years. Also Agent Smith is an unforgettable, iconic villain.

[grey ghost]

The Matrix is just an action movie the same way A New Hope is just a space movie.

[baumer]

Not that my opinion means anything more than any other person here but a few years ago, as some of you may remember, I did a top 25 list of the most important films ever made. The Matrix made my number one. 

 

If you took the line, I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore, that's essentially a metaphor for what the Matrix is about. That's not the only thing it's about of course but it's definitely in there.

[TalismanRing]

On 8/12/2024 at 2:50 PM, Avatree said:

I've never really understood the praise and acclaim that The Matrix gets as being one of the greatest films of all time. It's just a solid  action flick.

 

Maybe you just had to be there?

 

I was there. My BFF was a huge Keanu fan - saw all his movies opening weekend (it was tough at times). Laughed at the they're all batteries ending.  Thought it was a fun silly B flick with great action.

 

 

29 minutes ago, baumer said:

Not that my opinion means anything more than any other person here but a few years ago, as some of you may remember, I did a top 25 list of the most important films ever made. The Matrix made my number one. 

 

If you took the line, I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore, that's essentially a metaphor for what the Matrix is about. That's not the only thing it's about of course but it's definitely in there.

 

From a vastly better film - Network which I don't think has made this list.

[TalismanRing]

On 8/11/2024 at 7:14 PM, The Panda said:

 

 

111.    Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (dir. George Lucas, 2005)
112.    Hard Boiled (dir. John Woo, 1992)
113.    Dog Day Afternoon (dir. Sidney Lumet, 1975)
114.    All That Jazz (dir. Bob Fosse, 1979)
115.    Fight Club (dir. David Fincher, 1999)
116.    Some Like it Hot (dir. Billy Wilder, 1959)
117.    Your Name (dir. Makoto Shinkai, 2016)
118.    Life of Brian (dir. Terry Jones, 1979)
119.    Chinatown (dir. Roman Polanski, 1974)
120.    8 1/2 (dir. Federico Fellini, 1963)

 

This shit is painful.  Even just the positioning on this sub set is painful. 

 

Revenge of The Sith over Chinatown, Some Like It Hot, 8 1/2 and Dog Day Afternoon

 

[Jake Gittes]

The Matrix holds up for the most part. Do think it's ironic that for all the emphasis on preserving humanity it's got more cool stylish posturing than actual humanity, and the power-of-love ending is a Hail Mary pass that's never fully worked for me. Otherwise still pretty great. Would make my top 1,000 of all time.

 

Hopefully Dog Day Afternoon can make the list proper next time.

[Menor the Destroyer]

3 hours ago, TalismanRing said:

 

This shit is painful.  Even just the positioning on this sub set is painful. 

 

Revenge of The Sith over Chinatown, Some Like It Hot, 8 1/2 and Dog Day Afternoon

 

Deserved.