Comments on: 1000 films to see before you die

By: Doctor Slack

Doctor Slack — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 20:00:15 +0000

The worst pick of the list so far for me (as in, a worse pick than Ace Ventura) is Naked, hands down. I think people tend to be too free with the word “pretentious,” but every frame of that film cries out for that description.

By: Bruce from Missouri

Bruce from Missouri — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 16:53:46 +0000

No Run Lola Run? WTF?

Eraserhead? That is the worst movie I ever watched? Again, WTF?

By: sharon

sharon — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 17:12:40 +0000

If you go to part one of the H’s the link to part two is in the sidebar.

By: Ken Houghton

Ken Houghton — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 14:27:10 +0000

Mel Gibson’s greatest movie—Gallipoli—fails to make the list?

(I made it through about four minutes of Apocalypto. Heavy-handed doesn’t begin to describe it. Forget Woad Warriors.

By: Doctor Slack

Doctor Slack — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 13:10:36 +0000

Kill Bill must have seemed too obvious a choice... but then maybe not, since Independence Day and Men in Black made the cut. Again, someone just trying way too hard to be populist. Also some overrated films, especially Leaving Las Vegas and The Limey... and was that really the best they could do for the J's? I don't remember The Jerk or Jerry Maguire being all that shit-hot, for instance. But again there's some good stuff on there (Irreversible, Mephisto, The Killing), and especially under the I's, some movies I've never seen that sound pretty fantastic. (I can't believe I'd never heard of In This World.) I wonder what happened to part two of the H's.

By: astrongmaybe

astrongmaybe — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 11:54:41 +0000

Where’s Dr. Mabuse? A Design for Living? Ivan’s Childhood?

By: Rich B.

Rich B. — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 01:04:20 +0000

Other notable omission is “Desert Hearts,” which I think is billed as the first mainstream movie with gay characters falling in love that doesn’t end in tragedy.

Also notable for casting Mrs. Roper from Three’s Company as a homophobe.

By: mark

mark — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 19:18:50 +0000

It must be a fake list—Gunga Din is not on it.

By: Aulus Gellius

Aulus Gellius — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 18:51:29 +0000

Oh, and I second comment 41: God bless them for leaving out Forrest Gump.

By: Aulus Gellius

Aulus Gellius — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 18:50:36 +0000

They seem to be pretty consistently refusing to list sequels, even where that seems bizarre (e.g., Evil Dead but no Army of Darkness; the real test will be if they give us Terminator but not Terminator II —I like the first one better, but I know I’m in the minority).

You can see their point: remember, this isn’t the 1000 best movies ever, but 1000 to see before you die. Do the Bill and Ted’s movies deserve twice as many spaces as Casablanca?

On the other hand, I only wish I still had the opportunity to die before seeing Face/Off, or Dumb and Dumber, or Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (there, I said it).

And where the hell is First Blood?

By: Doctor Slack

Doctor Slack — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 16:15:31 +0000

Dumb and Dumber? How so?

A great many people who grew up in the nineties will cite it as one of their favourite comedies and a wonderful memory that will stay with them forever.

What’s that you say? That doesn’t necessarily redeem its cheesiness and shallowness? Eeeexactly.

By: sharon

sharon — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 15:51:25 +0000

Dunno about Dirty Dancing to be honest, but Strictly Ballroom had better be in there or I will sulk.

I like the list so far. It’s a movies listing of which an unusually high proportion of the entries are films I’ve either seen or already know I want to see at some point in the future, so I can feel mildly gratified at my excellent taste (Bourdieu eat your heart out), and cheerfully overlook the stuff that makes me roll my eyes.

By: matt w.

matt w. — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 15:37:36 +0000

Lester

Earrings of Madame De… didn’t make it either. I bet Lola Montes will be the representative Ophuls.

By: Lester Hunt

Lester Hunt — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 15:33:56 +0000

These lists never seem to include my second favorite movie of all (after Vertigo): Letter from an Unknown Woman (Ophuls, 1948). I bet this one won’t, either.

By: Katherine

Katherine — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 15:22:17 +0000

Dumb and Dumber? How so? Honestly? I mean, I know it was popular and feted as funny and all that, but I’m not sure how it could be defined as being culturally important. I suppose you could just about make an argument for it highlighting the dumbing down of popular culture or something.