The World’s Largest Coalition of Nontheists and Nontheist Communities!

What do you consider to be the best films ever made?

Taking into consideration some of the following:

1. Great production and direction
2. Great cinematic execution, good photography, sets, costumes, etc.
3. Good and meaningful plot
4. Meaningful thematic development
5. Great acting
6. The stories ability to draw the viewer in
7. The main characters transformation during the process (which is fundamental, I think)
8. The timeless and universally enduring quality of the film
9. Whatever else you might consider

What then do you think are some of the best movies ever made?

Using the above criteria, my top two choices would be To Kill a Mockingbird with Gregory Peck, and Apocalypse Now Redux with Martin Sheen.

Personally, on these kinds of lists that you see floating around, Citizen Kane is always at the top. Yet I fail to see how that could be. I hated Citizen Kane, and I can't help but feel that its classification as The Best Film Ever Made is one of those self-perpetuating lies or mistakes that just keeps being retold and retold because someone sees that list, thinks there must be something in it, and then repeats what they read.

What do you think?

Tags: Cinema, Film, Movies

0 members like this

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Justin Pearson Smith on May 9, 2009 at 9:56pm

Saw "Night of the hunter" not that long ago. It's an alright film but it fizzles out in the final act in my opinion which is a shame because it starts off with a really good premise.

Permalink Reply by Dallas the Phallus on April 7, 2009 at 10:35am

Yes, Memento is a very decent film. Well done, and interesting. I like that actress who played the wife of the older guy who had the memory problem (that was a subplot/flashback). She played BeBe on Frasier. I think she is a decent actress.

Permalink Reply by Justin Pearson Smith on May 9, 2009 at 8:48pm

Memento is fantastic and very original. I personally would consider that to be Nolan's best film. Far superior to the over-rated Dark Knight. Now before people get the wrong idea, I didn't hate the Dark Knight, I just feel that it is a heavily flawed film even though it does have some solid performances.

Permalink Reply by Dallas the Phallus on May 9, 2009 at 8:57pm

I've not seen Dark Knight yet.

Permalink Reply by Noah Petersen on November 29, 2010 at 7:22am

I used to think Memento was his best until I saw Inception recently. This is probably the best movie I've seen in a long time. Very original. Plus, Ellen Page.

The acting in this movie was very suberp, especially on the part of Leonardo Decaprio, who until this time I had always seen as bland and generic.

Permalink Reply by Dallas the Phallus on November 29, 2010 at 9:16am

I recently saw the trailer for Inception for the first time. I had heard of the title, but the trailer and premise had escaped me. It looks good, and I've requested it from the library, but there are 360 people ahead of me. : /

Decaprio is not an exceptional actor. He's really bad in many things, but I thought he was okay in Titanic, and really good as the retarded kid in What's Eating Gilbert Grape.

Permalink Reply by TNT666 on November 29, 2010 at 10:35am

I prefered him in Blood Diamonds, his accent and South African personality quirks were nearly impeccable. But I disliked Inception with such a passion that I fell asleep during the show... LOL I liked him in Catch me if you can, he fitted the role well I thought.

Permalink Reply by Dallas the Phallus on November 29, 2010 at 10:47am

I've never seen Blood Diamonds or Catch Me...

I keep thinking Iv'e seen him in something else that I really liked, but I can't think of it at the moment, and I don't want to look it up. : p

Permalink Reply by TNT666 on November 29, 2010 at 3:07pm

well now, if you use that IMDB account you'd have your answers in a jiffy :)

Hadn't read you much lately...

Permalink Reply by Dallas the Phallus on November 29, 2010 at 3:20pm

Yeah, I know -- to both comments.

I still post movies and books, but few people respond to them. Plus, I juggle like four social networking sites. : /

Permalink Reply by Justin Pearson Smith on May 9, 2009 at 8:46pm

I'm just going to go with my favourite films

Groundhog Day
Dark City
Waking Life
Watchmen
Sin City
Blade Runner
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind
A very long engagement
Fight Club
Being John Malcovitch
Memento
Dawn of the Dead (remake)

Permalink Reply by Dallas the Phallus on May 9, 2009 at 9:00pm

Yeah, I'd have to pass on most of those titles. I've seen about 7 of them, but not overly impressed with them as "the best of". I'm sure I've seen Dawn of the Dead, as I've seen about every zombie movie ever, I think, or close to, but off the top of my head I can't recall it except for the vague memory that I did indeed think it was well done. I just can't remember the faces. I like 28 Days Later a lot.