#40: La Jetée
(The Pier)
1960
What is your strongest memory? For the dude in this movie, it’s both his fondest and most traumatic childhood memory: he saw an incredibly beautiful woman at an airport pier, followed by a horrible event -- the kid creamed and shat his pants in the same minute! This 27-minute French short is set in a post-apocalyptic future, where the survivors of World War III are forced to endure experimental time-travel in an effort to retrieve viable resources. But their primitive techniques are only able to send you back to memories you maintain a strong attachment to. Where would you go? If I got to choose, I’d go back to Spring Break, 2005, baby. But considering I don’t remember most of it, my mind would most likely send me back to grade school, where I’m getting beaten up behind the cafeteria. Stupid brain… Oh, wait! As an adult, I’d be able to stop the bullies from picking on my younger self! Those punks are going down! The Pier is one-of-a-kind; it’s comprised of photographs instead of video, and with narration instead of dialogue. Only a brief moment is shot in video -- and when that photograph comes to life, it’s one of the most beautiful moments in all of cinema. It’s all accompanied by ambient sound effects and a haunting score. I always thought it’d be fun to remake this one. All you need is a few friends, a camera, random pictures of airports and a beautiful, willing woman. Sadly, I can’t find the last one anywhere…
#39: Annie Hall
1977
This was the date film that stole Best Picture, Screenplay and Director from Star Wars. Alvy Singer (Woody Allen) is a neurotic standup comedian who falls for an eccentric free-spirit named Annie (Diane Keaton). I’m not a big fan of romantic comedies, but this one is different. It’s about the guy who doesn’t get the girl. And that’s no spoiler. Alvy reveals it first thing in a technique used frequently in the film: breaking the “fourth wall” to address the audience directly. Following the breakup, all Alvy’s been able to do is sift through all their memories together, trying to pinpoint where he effed it up. The film is a virtually plotless series of scenes that show the rise and fall of a typical relationship. They have the same problems and experiences that almost every couple go through. The dialogue is very realistic, full of “uhs,” nervous conversations and the like. Woody also employed an arsenal of artistic techniques: split-screen sequences, animation, subtitles for what the characters are really thinking, “if only life were like this” moments, and (my favorite) the characters are able to “time-travel” back to the past to watch each other’s memories. Most rom-coms only appeal to chicks, but this is one that both sexes can enjoy equally. Fellas: you’ll love Diane Keaton. Ladies: you’ll love her fashion statements. And you’ll both relate to the relationshit. Annie Hall depicts the bitter sting of heartbreak even better than Casablanca. In fact, the movie bums me out so much I only watch it when I’m feeling emotionally masochistic.
#38: Taxi Driver
1976
Step aside, Batman. There’s a new dark knight in town! Robert DeNiro is Travis Bickle, a lonely New York cabbie that grows disgusted with all the drugdealers, pimps, prostitutes and criminals around him. So he buys some guns on the black market and decides to “clean up the streets.” Bickle is a true vigilante, only he has depression and post-traumatic stress disorder instead of superpowers, which makes him all the more dangerous. It’s tragicomic how awkward and socially inexperienced he is, especially how naïve he is with women. He ignorantly takes a date to a porno theater -- his idea of “seeing a movie.” He’s not a bad guy; he's just abnormal and misunderstood by normal folk. Screenwriter Paul Schrader was clearly no stranger to loneliness. He knew only too well that loneliness is the worst when you’re surrounded by other people. And you can’t get much more crowded than the streets of N.Y. Notice how DeNiro is shot with a 450mm lens amidst an anonymous sea of people so that he’s the only one in focus. Losers will readily sympathize with Bickle, though still be shocked by the extremes at which he vents his frustration (after being dumped by a woman working at a political rally, he retaliates by attempting to assassinate the nominee she works for). As dark and violent as it all is, it actually cheers you up in the end, as Travis comes to enjoy his newfound independence. Taxi Driver was Martin Scorsese’s masterpiece, a deep character study, and one of the great punk films of the seventies. Jodie Foster was only fourteen when she played the teenage prostitute DeNiro tries to rescue, and the climactic bloodbath originally earned the film an X-rating. Composer Bernard Herrman died the night after he finished recording the score -- the best of his career. That saxophone is eargasmic!
#37: Spartacus
1960
Movies like Gladiator and Braveheart are only wanabes of Spartacus, the granddaddy of the medieval epic. It tells the true story of Spartacus, a rebellious slave who became a gladiator who became a general, then led “army of gladiators” against the Roman Empire to free every slave in Italy. Spartacus had a rough life. He’s forced to endure slavery and torture, fight his best buddy in the arena, and listen in as his babe is forced to make love to another. But despite all the tragedy, it’s miraculously inspiring. It’s a great zero-to-hero story with two of the most uplifting scenes in film history -- the famous “I’m Spartacus!” scene and the emotional finale. Spartacus, the film, waged an equally epic battle against the Hay’s Office, the notorious stuck-up censorship board of the time, who deemed the film extremely unacceptable for its visceral violence, sexual innuendo, and anti-religious themes, as well as knowingly hiring blacklisted Communists. Producer/star Kirk Douglas was a real-life Spartacus; a ballsy rebel fighting the system for creative freedom. The Hay’s Office did wound Spartacus, preventing many of the great ideas from making it to the screen. But the film did in turn strike a crucial blow that defeated the Hollywood blacklist and contributed to the fall of the Hay’s Office years later. Best of all, many of the “unacceptable” shots that the Hay’s Office cut are restored on the DVDs, including surprising moments of gory glory as well as the controversial “snails and oysters” scene, equating sexual orientation to taste in food. Both the story in the film and the story behind the film encourage you to fight for the cause, and both instances show how you can still succeed in defeat by contributing to a future victory.
#36: The 7th Voyage of Sinbad
1958
When a dark magician shrinks Sinbad’s bride-to-be to the size of thumb, the swashbuckler must sail to the island of Collossa to obtain the eggshell of a Roc for a potion that will restore her to her original size. But it’s all a ruse so the magician can get his dirty hands a genie’s magic lamp. The first of three Sinbad films made by Ray Harryhausen was also the best. It’s a classic fantasy-adventure filled with good-old stop-motion creatures, including cyclopses, a fire-breathing dragon, and of course, the debut of the skeleton swordsman, Harryhausen’s trademark. I adore stop-motion. It may not look as “real” as the contemporary CGI, but I still think it looks cooler. You can tell it was all carefully sculpted and animated by hand, which I respect way more than letting a computer do all the work. Stop-motion is such a painstaking, frame-by-frame process -- it took Harryhausen nearly a year to create all the effects for this film, and it shows. Fantasy is one of my favorite genres, especially the “medieval fantasy,” if you will. There’s just something very classical and romantic about it. Although the human characters in Sinbad are all likeable, it’s the monsters you’ll be rooting for. Whenever the sailor slays them, you tend to see why his name is comprised of “sin” and “bad.” They’re just creatures defending their territory, you big meanie! And I don’t understand why Sinbad can’t love a miniature woman. She’d never start a fight, she’d never cheat and she’d understand if you need to. She’s perfect!
#35: Vincent
1982
Tim Burton’s first commercial film was by far his best. It’s a surrealist, 6-minute fantasy about a strange boy named Vincent who, tired of his ordinary lifestyle, indulges in morbid daydreams. Like all of Burton’s films to follow, it’s very dark, childish, and self-indulgent, but he really captured something special here. Whereas many of Burton's films are clearly autobiographical exaggerations of his own pangs that are more or less inaccessible to the audience, Vincent is done so well that it allows you to vent, too. It has a strikingly unique look and feel that really draws you in. Vincent was created via that wonderful stop-motion process, with a style that resembles German expressionism. The way it alternates between reality and imagination reminded me of Calvin and Hobbes, a comic that wasn’t even in existence yet. The narration is a 58-line poem, and the narrator is Vincent Price. Like Young Frankenstein, the music is delightfully reminiscent of an old horror movie, and “The Streets of Cairo” is the theme song. It’s a beautiful little film with a totally crazy ending. Is Vincent insane? Haunted? Or just a melodramatic loner reaching out for attention? See it and decide for yourself.
#34: Raiders of the Lost Ark
1981
Whu-pu-CHH! After Spielberg and Lucas became household names, they decided to work together to make an action film about a whip-cracking, daredevil archeologist named Indiana Jones. Following the greatest opening sequence of all time, Indy enters a treasure hunt against Hitler’s merry men to win the Lost Ark of the Covenant. Booby-trapped dungeons, puzzles, chase scenes, boss battles… I love these videogame-esque movies. A lot of people don’t know that just about everything in the Indy series was lifted from old television serials. Everything from Indy’s apparel to the giant boulder can be traced back to the cliff-hangers of yesteryear. But Spielberg and Lucas combined all the classic ideas in such a fresh way that they come off as homages rather than ripoffs. In fact, Raiders practically invented a new genre. It’s a collage of action, horror, romance, spy movies, westerns and fantasy. Most people call it an “adventure film.” Personally, I consider it a superhero film. Now, I know what you’re all saying -- Indy ain’t no superhero! Well, why not? He may not have superpowers, but neither did Batman. And Indy has all the traits of a common superhero: he's a regular professor by weekday/larger-than-life hero by weekend, he’s got his own trademark costume, a weapon of choice, an Achilles’ heel (Ophidiophobia), he’s always accompanied by a sidekick, the action scenes are super comic-book style, and he’s constantly battling supernatural forces and maniacal villains to save the world. As if the Spielberg-Lucas collaboration wasn’t cool enough, they got Lawrence Kasdan to write the script, Harrison Ford to star, and, of course, John Williams to write the score. It was the dream team!
#33: Stand by Me
1986
#31: Double Indemnity
1944
This was the definitive film noir, another one of my favorite genres. A blonde bombshell sweet-talks an insurance salesman into off'ing her husband so they can run off with the payoff. And get this: his insurance company pays double if the victim dies in a rare freak accident, like, say, from falling off a moving train. I love noir; dark, dirty stories with equally dark lighting. They were a guilty pleasure to indulge in, inviting you to suspend your morals and take a walk on the wild side. D.I. takes you through such a detailed step-by-step process of planning, committing and covering up a murder that it actually makes you feel like you were a part of it, making it one of the most suspenseful films to sit through. The wife (Barbara Stanwyck) was the definitive femme fatale, a treacherous tramp that will destroy all your trust in women. Fred MacMurray is great as the poor sap who falls for the siren’s song, and Edward G. Robinson is even better as his suspicious boss who delivered all his lengthy, lightning-fast monologues by memory. This is a great example of how classy old movies were. It has just as much sex and violence as a modern film, only the camera chooses to look the other way. Instead of actually showing nudity and sexual content, it fades from passionate kisses (with climactic music) to the classic “buttoning up” scene and a post-sex cigarette. Gotta love it! And instead of seeing the salesman break the husband’s neck from the backseat, we only hear the noises as the camera focuses instead on the she-devil's cold smile in the driver's seat. The main reason young’uns don’t like old movies is because “you never get to see anything.” Well, the main reason I don’t like new movies is because you never get to imagine anything.
1981
Whu-pu-CHH! After Spielberg and Lucas became household names, they decided to work together to make an action film about a whip-cracking, daredevil archeologist named Indiana Jones. Following the greatest opening sequence of all time, Indy enters a treasure hunt against Hitler’s merry men to win the Lost Ark of the Covenant. Booby-trapped dungeons, puzzles, chase scenes, boss battles… I love these videogame-esque movies. A lot of people don’t know that just about everything in the Indy series was lifted from old television serials. Everything from Indy’s apparel to the giant boulder can be traced back to the cliff-hangers of yesteryear. But Spielberg and Lucas combined all the classic ideas in such a fresh way that they come off as homages rather than ripoffs. In fact, Raiders practically invented a new genre. It’s a collage of action, horror, romance, spy movies, westerns and fantasy. Most people call it an “adventure film.” Personally, I consider it a superhero film. Now, I know what you’re all saying -- Indy ain’t no superhero! Well, why not? He may not have superpowers, but neither did Batman. And Indy has all the traits of a common superhero: he's a regular professor by weekday/larger-than-life hero by weekend, he’s got his own trademark costume, a weapon of choice, an Achilles’ heel (Ophidiophobia), he’s always accompanied by a sidekick, the action scenes are super comic-book style, and he’s constantly battling supernatural forces and maniacal villains to save the world. As if the Spielberg-Lucas collaboration wasn’t cool enough, they got Lawrence Kasdan to write the script, Harrison Ford to star, and, of course, John Williams to write the score. It was the dream team!
#33: Stand by Me
1986
This is one of those special movies that feels like it was made just for me. And yet, I wasn’t surprised to learn that every fan of the movie feels the same way. Set in the fifties, it follows four teenage boys who set out to find the body of a missing classmate. Along their journey, they dodge trains, cross a leech-infested swamp, and outrun a junkyard dog trained to “sick balls.” The R-rated film is ironically the most nostalgic film I’ve ever seen on childhood. The characters are just so real. There’s Gordy, a talented writer struggling with depression; Chris, a reformed “bad apple” who finds it impossible to get a fresh start in a small town; Teddy, the hot-headed son of an abusive father, and Vern, the simple, chubby, happy kid who serves as the comic relief. I love these guys. Most people will be able to identify with one of them and liken friends to the others. All four leads are fantastic, as is Keifer Sutherland as the psychotic leader of their rival gang. Based on a short story by Stephen King, the screenplay is full of wonderful and unique touches, like a complete non sequitur that comes when Gordy tells the others an original campfire story about an overweight bully victim called “Lardass.” The soundtrack is comprised of classic 50’s songs, including the hit it was titled after. My only complaint is the dangling subplot about Gordy’s dead brother that never quite satisfyingly connects with the rest of the story. Other than that, the film stands high by my standards.
#32: Sherlock, Jr.
1924
This is the last of the short surrealist films, I swear! Sherlock, Jr. is a gem that’s slipped through the cracks, perhaps due to how ahead of its time it was. At 44 minutes, this comedy plays more like a big-budget, “hour-long” episode of a sitcom than a movie. Buster Keaton plays a kid who works at a movie theater but dreams of being a detective. He’s framed for stealing a pocketwatch from his girlfriend’s father and, despite his amateur sleuth efforts, is unable to prove his innocence. But then he falls asleep on the job and dreams he’s Sherlock, Jr., a renowned detective on a similar case. And that’s where the real fun begins. Writer/director/star Buster Keaton was as brilliant as he was daring. He performs all sorts of impressive stunts that double as hilarious gags, invoking awe and laughter at the same time. One scene finds him shooting pool with the villains, who have swapped out the 13-ball for an explosive replica ball that will detonate on impact. The suave Keaton effortlessly shoots an unbelievable game all around the ball, narrowly avoiding contact the entire game! In the scene where he jumps from the speeding train to the water spout, Keaton actually broke his neck (non-fatally) and didn’t find out until many years later. If it wasn’t a silent film, you could probably hear the crack. You never see modern actors performing such impressive and dangerous stunts. Today, it’s all done with doubles, wires and special effects, which is what makes these oldies such treasures. Keaton’s the real thing, and you can tell. But he also uses neat special effects of his own, like dissolving a wall so you can see through it, and superimposing “imaginary” footage into reality. Keaton was the Sherlock Holmes of filmmakers -- bloody brilliant!
#32: Sherlock, Jr.
1924
This is the last of the short surrealist films, I swear! Sherlock, Jr. is a gem that’s slipped through the cracks, perhaps due to how ahead of its time it was. At 44 minutes, this comedy plays more like a big-budget, “hour-long” episode of a sitcom than a movie. Buster Keaton plays a kid who works at a movie theater but dreams of being a detective. He’s framed for stealing a pocketwatch from his girlfriend’s father and, despite his amateur sleuth efforts, is unable to prove his innocence. But then he falls asleep on the job and dreams he’s Sherlock, Jr., a renowned detective on a similar case. And that’s where the real fun begins. Writer/director/star Buster Keaton was as brilliant as he was daring. He performs all sorts of impressive stunts that double as hilarious gags, invoking awe and laughter at the same time. One scene finds him shooting pool with the villains, who have swapped out the 13-ball for an explosive replica ball that will detonate on impact. The suave Keaton effortlessly shoots an unbelievable game all around the ball, narrowly avoiding contact the entire game! In the scene where he jumps from the speeding train to the water spout, Keaton actually broke his neck (non-fatally) and didn’t find out until many years later. If it wasn’t a silent film, you could probably hear the crack. You never see modern actors performing such impressive and dangerous stunts. Today, it’s all done with doubles, wires and special effects, which is what makes these oldies such treasures. Keaton’s the real thing, and you can tell. But he also uses neat special effects of his own, like dissolving a wall so you can see through it, and superimposing “imaginary” footage into reality. Keaton was the Sherlock Holmes of filmmakers -- bloody brilliant!
#31: Double Indemnity
1944
This was the definitive film noir, another one of my favorite genres. A blonde bombshell sweet-talks an insurance salesman into off'ing her husband so they can run off with the payoff. And get this: his insurance company pays double if the victim dies in a rare freak accident, like, say, from falling off a moving train. I love noir; dark, dirty stories with equally dark lighting. They were a guilty pleasure to indulge in, inviting you to suspend your morals and take a walk on the wild side. D.I. takes you through such a detailed step-by-step process of planning, committing and covering up a murder that it actually makes you feel like you were a part of it, making it one of the most suspenseful films to sit through. The wife (Barbara Stanwyck) was the definitive femme fatale, a treacherous tramp that will destroy all your trust in women. Fred MacMurray is great as the poor sap who falls for the siren’s song, and Edward G. Robinson is even better as his suspicious boss who delivered all his lengthy, lightning-fast monologues by memory. This is a great example of how classy old movies were. It has just as much sex and violence as a modern film, only the camera chooses to look the other way. Instead of actually showing nudity and sexual content, it fades from passionate kisses (with climactic music) to the classic “buttoning up” scene and a post-sex cigarette. Gotta love it! And instead of seeing the salesman break the husband’s neck from the backseat, we only hear the noises as the camera focuses instead on the she-devil's cold smile in the driver's seat. The main reason young’uns don’t like old movies is because “you never get to see anything.” Well, the main reason I don’t like new movies is because you never get to imagine anything.
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