Disco Stu's Top 21 Movies of ALL TIME

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I saw a list of this kind mentioned in another thread and thought about the fact that I have never posted such a list on JWFan.

 

All of these films are vitally important to me personally, but it is also a conscious attempt to pick 20 films I love that do a good job of representing the breadth of my taste and what my conception of "me" is.

 

The Age of Innocence (1993; Martin Scorsese)

Almost Famous (2000; Cameron Crowe)

Amadeus (1984; Milos Forman)

Au revoir les enfants (1987; Louis Malle)

Double Indemnity (1944; Billy Wilder)

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982; Steven Spielberg)

The Empire Strikes Back (1980; Irvin Kershner)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004; Michel Gondry)

Fargo (1996; Joel & Ethan Coen)

The Godfather Part II (1974; Francis Ford Coppola)

Hannah and Her Sisters (1986; Woody Allen)

Howards End (1992; Merchant-Ivory)

It's a Wonderful Life (1946; Frank Capra)

Moonrise Kingdom (2012; Wes Anderson)

Ran (1985; Akira Kurosawa)

The Rules of the Game (1939; Jean Renoir)

The Shining (1980; Stanley Kubrick)

The Shop Around the Corner (1941; Ernst Lubitsch)

Short Cuts (1993; Robert Altman)

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962; Robert Mulligan)

Vertigo (1958; Alfred Hitchcock)

Winter Light (1963; Ingmar Bergman)

[KK 3,307]

I can't find Bridge of Spies on here anywhere. 

 

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

15 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

Amadeus (1984; Milos Forman)

Fargo (1996; Joel & Ethan Coen)

It's a Wonderful Life (1946; Frank Capra)

Moonrise Kingdom (2012; Wes Anderson)

Ran (1985; Akira Kurosawa)

The Shining (1980; Stanley Kubrick)

The Shop Around the Corner (1941; Ernst Lubitsch)

Vertigo (1958; Alfred Hitchcock)

 

 

16 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

Winter Light (1963; Ingmar Bergman)

 

[Nick Parker 3,040]

17 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

...representing the breadth of my taste and what my conception of "me" is.

 

Could you elaborate on the last part please, with some of the examples on your list? For example, how does Double Indemnity (one of my favorites too!) represent you?

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Oh just that when you make a list like this it’s as much about you as the movies.  Double Indemnity represents not only that I love film noir and Billy Wilder but that I’m the kind of person who wants to be seen as loving film noir and Billy Wilder.  It’s just me owning up to the vanity inherent in such an exercise.

 

18 minutes ago, KK said:

I can't find Bridge of Spies on here anywhere. 

 

 

This list in no way reflects that I don’t still love that movie wholeheartedly!  And I still think some viewers are letting the “Dad movie” veneer blind them to the qualities of that movie.

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

20 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

Double Indemnity represents not only that I love film noir and Billy Wilder but that I’m the kind of person who wants to be seen as loving film noir and Billy Wilder.

 

I hate that kind of person... but I like you.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Well I think it’s inherent in every list.  You inevitably and involuntarily show how you wish to be seen.  Even when you try to be conscious you show more than you mean to.  I shouldn’t bog down this simple list in such psycho theory though.

[Marian Schedenig 8,193]

52 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004; Michel Gondry)

 

 

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Any list without Leone is just no good!

[KK 3,307]

20 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

Well I think it’s inherent in every list.  You inevitably and involuntarily show how you wish to be seen.  Even when you try to be conscious you show more than you mean to.  I shouldn’t bog down this simple list in such psycho theory though.

 

Indeed. These lists say more about one's character than they do about the films themselves anyway.

 

With that said, I like your list, so I guess I like you.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

It’s a fine list. 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

BTW, I just noticed my thread title says 21, the description says 20, and the actual list is 22 movies.  Guess it really does reflect “me”  

[Naïve Old Fart 9,525]

That's a nice list, Stu, but for every HOWARD'S END there's a THE REMAINS OF THE DAY;  for every AGE OF INNOCENCE there's a THE KING OF COMEDY; for every WINTER LIGHT there's a PERSONA; for every HANNAH AND HER SISTERS there's a MANHATTAN; for every FARGO there's a THE BIG LEBOWSKI; for every VERTIGO there's a NORTH BY NORTH WEST; for every THE SHINING there's a BARRY LYNDON; for every SHORT CUTS there's a...actually, I'll give you that one (although I could do without the sight of Hewy Lewis' dick! Julianne Moore, on the other hand...).

[A24 4,331]

You always do that, Richard. For once, talk about what's on the list, goddammit!

 

 

6 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

 

Howards End (1992; Merchant-Ivory)

 

 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,525]

Every film that's on the list is mentioned in my previous post 

As JWfan's exec, it is my duty...to point-out alternatives.

[Quintus 5,399]

Is this going to be another mstrox type thread? Should we all make our own threads about ourselves? We'll need a another subforum!

[Fancyarcher 350]

Good list. Some of them are in my own top 20.

 

8 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

The Age of Innocence (1993; Martin Scorsese)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982; Steven Spielberg)

Ran (1985; Akira Kurosawa)

Vertigo (1958; Alfred Hitchcock)

 

 

[A24 4,331]

2 hours ago, Richard said:

Every film that's on the list is mentioned in my previous post 

As JWfan's exec, it is my duty...to point-out alternatives.

 

Actually, it does surprise me that Disco Stu picks Howards End over The Remains Of The Day because, in a sense, the former is the alternative to the latter. 99% of the world prefers The Remains Of The Day. Heck, even the great Morlock (god rest his soul) didn't understand why somebody would choose Howards End. 

 

And before you start throwing alternatives again, Richard, no, Heat And Dust is not a contender. I'm sorry.

[Bilbo 3,709]

3 hours ago, Quintus said:

Is this going to be another mstrox type thread? Should we all make our own threads about ourselves? We'll need a another subforum!

 

Who’s Disco Stu and why does he get his own thread?

 

I enjoy Ms Trox’s thread to be fair. 

[Quintus 5,399]

I could be wrong but I think Stu showed up sometime last year. He's our ultra prolific newcomer (it used to be BloodBoal before him). 

[Bilbo 3,709]

*I do know who he is*

 

feels like he’s been here forever! 

 

I assumed BB came free with the forum! 

[Quintus 5,399]

BB is JWFan these days.

[Nick1Ø66 4,714]

12 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

The Shop Around the Corner (1941; Ernst Lubitsch)

 

I've been meaning to have a look at this one. What do you love about it?  Just looking for motivation to take the effort to find & watch this.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

3 hours ago, Alexcremers said:

 

Actually, it does surprise me that Disco Stu picks Howards End over The Remains Of The Day because, in a sense, the former is the alternative to the latter. 99% of the world prefers The Remains Of The Day. Heck, even the great Morlock (god rest his soul) didn't understand why somebody would choose Howards End. 

 

And before you start throwing alternatives again, Richard, no, Heat And Dust is not a contender. I'm sorry.

 

Well I prefer Forster's novel to Ishiguro's too.  I think both are masterpieces (novels and films).  But I prefer the larger narrative and cast of characters of Howards End.  Remains is an exercise in restraint and excels at that, but Howards End is not especially restrained, the characters are less able to hide their passions and some don't attempt to at all.

 

18 minutes ago, Nick1066 said:

 

I've been meaning to have a look at this one. What do you love about it?  Just looking for motivation to take the effort to find & watch this.

 

It's maybe the kindest, most human, but never saccaharine romantic comedy ever made.  It has a genuine love for (almost) all of its characters that's so endearing.  I'm also completely obsessed with Jimmy Stewart though.

 

Plus there's that Lubitsch Touch!

[A24 4,331]

12 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

 

Well I prefer Forster's novel to Ishiguro's too. 

 

Now that you mention Ishiguro, he just won the Nobel Prize in literature!

 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

3 minutes ago, Alexcremers said:

 

Now that you mention Ishiguro, he just won the Nobel Prize in literature!

 

Ha!  I got a news notification of that and logged back on just to say that!  Beat me to it.

 

Congratulations to Kazuo Ishiguro, it is well deserved!

[Naïve Old Fart 9,525]

Mr. Stevens would be tickled pink.

[mstrox 6,651]

Some would say that the Disco Stu endorsement put him over the top

[Disco Stu 15,495]

2 minutes ago, mstrox said:

Some would say that the Disco Stu endorsement put him over the top

 

My friends in Norway agree  

 

Shhhhhhhhh

[Glóin the Dark 1,221]

I compiled a similar sort of list a few years ago in the thread What is your favorite film from each decade starting with the 1920's forward (also limiting myself to one film per director).

 

I wouldn't fancy trying to whittle it down to twenty, though. Or even twenty-two...

[Disco Stu 15,495]

4 minutes ago, Glóin the Dark said:

I compiled a similar sort of list a few years ago in the thread What is your favorite film from each decade starting with the 1920's forward (also limiting myself to one film per director).

 

I wouldn't fancy trying to whittle it down to twenty, though. Or even twenty-two...

 

Heh, I noticed you also prefer Remains of the Day.  I will go to bat for Howards End all day long as Merchant-Ivory's greatest achievement!

 

But that is a fine list.  Many of those are among my favorites of all time for sure.  I'm especially glad to see Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy there which is a masterpiece that does not get enough attention still and needs all the advocacy it can get to be entered into the pantheon.

[Glóin the Dark 1,221]

11 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

Heh, I noticed you also prefer Remains of the Day.

 

Yeah! I saw it in the cinema when it was released and initially felt that Howards End had the edge, being more expansive and colourful and outwardly emphatic (at certain key points). It was perhaps about five years before The Remains of the Day overtook it in my estimation, but it's stayed that way consistently ever since. If I'd been making that list on a different day, I could just as easily have had Raging Bull or The King of Comedy in place of Taxi Driver, Nashville or Short Cuts instead of MASH, The Searchers or Stagecoach (or The Grapes of Wrath or My Darling Clementine) instead of The Informer, and La Grande illusion or La Régle du jeu rather than Boudu, Saved from Drowning...but I'm pretty sure that I would have chosen The Remains of the Day over Howards End nine times out of ten.

 

This reminds me, though, that I haven't watched Howards End for years now. It's due a rewatch. I see there's a TV adaptation on the horizon, too.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Yes, that TV miniseries of Howards End .....I dunno.  The adaptation is by Kenneth Lonergan which is intriguing.  It's weird, I like most of that cast individually but I don't know if they're right for this story.  I'll watch of course.

[Glóin the Dark 1,221]

I don't think I know many of the names on the cast list. Matthew Macfadyen as Henry Wilcox is certainy surprising to anyone who associates the character with Anthony Hopkins!

 

It's bizarre to realise that Hayley Atwell is now older than Emma Thompson was when the film was made. Thompson somehow always had a particularly "grown up" demeanour, even when she was young.

[Jay 37,359]

2 minutes ago, Glóin the Dark said:

Hayley Atwell

 

Now there's a name I have not heard in a long time... a long time.

I miss Agent Carter!

[A24 4,331]

19 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

 

Well I prefer Forster's novel to Ishiguro's too.  I think both are masterpieces (novels and films).  But I prefer the larger narrative and cast of characters of Howards End.  Remains is an exercise in restraint and excels at that, but Howards End is not especially restrained, the characters are less able to hide their passions and some don't attempt to at all.

 

 

 

I prefer Howards End because there's so much more going on. Under the narrative, there's thematic richness that I've rarely seen somewhere else, and it makes this movie better with each viewing. In fact, one needs multiple viewings because it's simply impossible to capture its layers all at once. With The Remains Of The Day, my best viewing was the first viewing. Even though, I think it's a very good movie, it does not get better each time I see it. 

[Thor 7,503]

I feel the exact opposite as Alex. THE REMAINS OF THE DAY is one of my alltime top 10 movies. HOWARD'S END is good too, but doesn't reach that kind of ambitious audiovisual level, nor the level of energy in the subtext and the understated, performance-wise.

[A24 4,331]

Wel, we disagree about many a things, Thor, but why would Howards End want to reach the level of understated performances of The Remains Of The Day? That goes against the very nature of the significance of the content.

[Thor 7,503]

11 minutes ago, Alexcremers said:

Wel, we disagree about many a things, Thor, but why would Howards End want to reach the level of understated performances of The Remains Of The Day? That goes against the very nature of the significance of the content.

 

True. I guess it's a matter of personal preference. One of the reasons I love REMAINS so much is that it oscilattes so elegantly between striking visual imagery (often with deep meaning) and the understated performances of the actors. HOWARD'S END is a bit more "overt", IMO, and doesn't quite reach the level of filmmaking I care for. But it's been many years since I saw it. 

 

By the way, if it makes any sense in Google Translate, here's an article on REMAINS that I did awhile back where I go into some of this:

 

http://montages.no/2012/11/the-remains-of-the-day-1993/