Cinemension's Great Films List

 

  This list is a compilation of films that I have seen or reviewed, which could be argued as great films.

  1) I only list films I’ve actually seen, and the list will grow, with time and viewing.

  2) While subjective, in some ways, none of the films are meritless nor dependent upon an emotional response.

  3) The genres are c = comedy; d = drama; c-d = comedy & drama; doc = documentary; h = horror; and sf = science fiction. Musicals and silent films are not so noted, but under separate listings.

  4) The types represent the type of great film it is: g = great (meaning inarguably great- a 95 or above out of 100); ng = near-great (meaning arguments can be made, but the film may fall just shy of unadulterated greatness- 90-94 out of 100, yet it is even better than excellent- 85-89 out of 100); and gg = genre greatness (meaning the film is a great horror or musical film, but may well fall short of overall filmic greatness).

  Scanning the list from top to bottom, (as first uploaded on 6/12/08) there will be some surprises. A few explanations: Woody Allen’s Annie Hall is usually listed as his greatest film, but clearly later works as Manhattan and Stardust Memories go beyond it. Annie Hall, is therefore a near-great film, not a great one, but I accept that arguments can be made for it. Similarly, perennial ‘greatest films’ like Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal, Federico Fellini’s 8½, and Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon, just miss greatness. The first is too heavyhanded in its symbolism, the second too long and bloated, and the last one suffers for its abysmal last five minutes. But, they are all eminently arguable.

  There are surprises, even if genre surprises: Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Alien make it as unadulterated greats, whereas the only Coen Brothers film on the list is O Brother, Where Art Thou? Then there are some B films- like Curse Of The Cat People, and kids films like My Dog Skip. Even the often reviled Godzilla’s Revenge makes the list as a genre great under kids films. But, where are the Spielberg films and Hitchcock classics? Well, Spielberg’s films are garbage- starting from the screenplays to the acting, and ending with the maudlin banalities that suffuse everything from E.T. The Extraterrestrial to Schindler’s List. His buddy, George Lucas, however, makes the cut, but not for his trite Star Wars films, nor even American Graffiti, but for his first film THX-1138. It was all downhill after that. And Hitch? Well, aside from The Lodger- a silent film, Psycho- which, like Rashomon, is a near great, the only film I have seen of his that is near great is The Birds. Forget the trite Vertigo and Rear Window. Better arguments for even near greatness can be made for Strangers On A Train, Rope, and Frenzy. But, all of them fail, due to Hitchcock’s essential shallowness and plot-heavy predictability, no matter how well crafted. On a similar note, most of Frank Capra's films have not dated well, except for It's A Wonderful Life, which was not as well regarded as his other classics, upon its release.

  Then there are comedies, from the Marx Brothers to Billy Wilder to silent stars Chaplin, Keaton, and Lloyd. I’ve left off Laurel and Hardy and Abbott and Costello films because, save for Babes In Toyland, it’s been years since I’ve watched them. Serials suffer a similar fate until rewatched.

  Anyway, that’s enough for now; enjoy the list, argue over it, and click on the linked reviews for further explanations of why the films are ranked as they are. If you have any suggestions or arguments you can email me at cinemension - at- gmail- dot- com.