Skepsis' Top 50

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I've put this off for a while for various reasons. There are still many, many important films I have yet to see, but I thought you guys might appreciate a list of my current Top 50. As has been mentioned in innumerable other threads, this is a list of my favorite films, not those I consider to be the "best". So expect some guilty pleasures scattered in.

Some of you will probably dislike this one, but I do consider my taste to be eclectic, and somewhat unusual, so hopefully it will be entertaining even if you don't necessarily like the films. I hope to promote some healthy debate at the very least!

Ok, without further ado... I hope you enjoy my list. Eek.



#50: Run Lola Run (Tom Tykwer, 1998)



A delightful little frenzy of a movie, starring Franka Potente as the title character, a woman who has twenty minutes to find and deliver 100,000 lost Deutschmarks to her boyfriend before he does something drastic in an attempt to fix his problem. Told within three shorter segments, each depicting a different course that Lola takes with drastically different conclusions, it leaves me breathless every time.


#49: Man on the Moon (Milos Forman, 1999)



In my mind easily one of Jim Carrey's best performances - his likeness to the late comedian Andy Kaufman is astonishing whether it be in his voice, body language, or even physical appearance. This whole movie is hilarious as well as being a riveting biography of a performer who was truly ahead of his time.


#48: Black Dynamite (Scott Sanders, 2009)



Easily up there with the very best comedies of the decade. Literally laugh-a-minute and in such varied ways, from intentional in-shot boom mics to subtle references. Michael Jai White and the rest of the cast are brilliant in both parodying and paying a loving homage to the "Blaxsploitation" films of the 70's.



#47: Groundhog Day (Harold Ramis, 1993)



Classic Bill Murray, Groundhog Day is a gloriously entertaining look at what could happen were you made to live one day over and over again. Murray plays grouchy weatherman Phil straight as can be which only makes it all the funnier.


#46: Wall-E (Andrew Stanton, 2008)



One of Pixar's finest films to date, this is a benchmark film in animation history. The gorgeous visuals, endearing characters and expert writing make Wall-E a joyous experience for (forgive the cliche) all the family.


#45: Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (Quentin Tarantino, 2003)



A violent, gory, mesmerising thrill-ride. The first of two appearances for Tarantino on this list (can you guess what the other one is?), it's a near-perfect blend of bloody-thirsty action and a simple yet engrossing story.



Nice start. It would be intersting too see what the mofo top 100 would look like now.



#44: Chicago (Rob Marshall, 2002)



The only musical I really love, Chicago appeals to me equally with its storyline as its great musical numbers. Richard Gere, Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones are all great and John C. Reilly shows he has real acting chops too.


#43: Back to the Future Trilogy (Robert Zemeckis, 1985, 1989, 1990)



This is the only cheat this list will have, I promise - I just can't bring myself to choose between them. To me they are all equally as good, from the wonderful introduction with my favourite Back to the Future scene (Marty playing "Johnny B. Goode"), to the call-back-ridden (in a good way) second instalment (MARGINALLY, by a hair's breadth, the weakest of the franchise) to the action packed, western-style third film that contains the brilliant ending, the entire series is an absolute joy every time.


#42: Bruce Almighty (Tom Shadyac, 2003)



Perhaps the first real "guilty pleasure" of my list. This is the first film I really, truly fell in love with 8 years ago at the age of 10, and it still cracks me up every time. Carrey is wonderful as usual with solid support from Jennifer Aniston and the ever-present Morgan Freeman, and there are innumerable hilarious moments in which Jim makes full use of his physical and vocal comedic talents.



Nothing to do, so here's my last one tonight.

#41: Kick-Ass (Matthew Vaughn, 2010)



Now, I've never really been much of a fan of the superhero/comic-book genre. I've never really gotten the appeal of the likes of Batman, Spiderman, or The Incredible Hulk beyond cheap entertainment, but for some reason when the hero in question is useless, it becomes really, really appealing to me. Kick-Ass is great. Very funny, stylised, violent and real, as well as gloriously entertaining. The hallway scene goes down as one of my very favourites of recent years.


#40: Se7en (David Fincher, 1995)



Grim and gory, a bone-chilling crime thriller set against a classic Fincher backdrop of concrete, grime and incessant rain. Subtle, emotional performances and a stunning finale set it apart from others in its genre. One of the greatest ever murder stories.


#39: Let the Right One In (Thomas Alfredson, 2008)



A true masterpiece of foreign cinema, Let the Right One In toes a unique line between romance and horror. By never fully committing to one or the other, it is an uncomfortable watch in the very best way possible. The dark story is complimented superbly by the visuals of the gloomy, chilly Swedish town in which the film is set - it's vampires done right.



Skepsis, what are your thoughts on Let Me In, the American remake? I think they butchered the ending and didn't explain Eli's situation enough.
I can't bring myself to see it. I've read good and really bad reviews so I'm worried it might ruin the original, although I'm sure I'm being over dramatic.



I can't bring myself to see it. I've read good and really bad reviews so I'm worried it might ruin the original, although I'm sure I'm being over dramatic.
I myself was extremely excited when it came out. But I left disappointed. It almost ruined the ending for me. I wish I could go back and unsee it. It's not that it was bad, it's that I saw Let the Right One In first. You aren't being dramatic, you're being smart in a way.