Lyndon in 2024

[Lord_Lyndon]

Starting the new year with 3 films I haven't seen before.

1. The Survivalist (2015; Stephen Fingleton)
I was interested in British actress Mia Goth. I found this film on her imdb profile. It looked interesting so I decided to check it out. It turned out to be a solid film about 3 people surviving in the woods in the future where food is scarce.

2. Licorice Pizza (2021; Paul Thomas Anderson)
I'm a huge PTA fan. I loved all of his films and this one is no exception. Just loved the atmosphere and storyline. Also, I thought Alana Haim gave a terrific performance. Loved her in it.

3. Nebraska (2013; Alexander Payne)
Fantastic film that is incredibly poignant, even if it shows us a slice of Americana that is not always pleasant to look at. All those desolate landscapes really set the mood for the film. Bruce Dern was great, but I thought the guy who played his son was pretty good as well.

[Raxivace]

I really liked Nebraska.

Licorice Pizza...don't get the love for that one tbh.

[Lord_Lyndon]

4. Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004; Mamoru Oshii)
This is a rewatch. It's fantastic and one of the best sequels ever. I would describe it as an animated philosophical sci-fi action film. One of the best films exploring the theme of 'consciousness'. Oshii mentioned that he was influenced by Antonioni and Godard for this one. I highly recommend it.

[Lord_Lyndon]

I saw only 8 films more.

5. Violent Cop (1989; Takeshi Kitano)
Rewatch. This is a film that is violent, bloody and funny. Very good stuff.

6. Inherent Vice (2014; Paul Thomas Anderson)
Rewatch. It combines neo-noir with stoner comedies. Sort of like The Big Lebowski. It was very good.

7. Barry Lyndon (1975; Stanley Kubrick)
Rewatch. My favourite film from one of my two favourite directors. Magnificent film which gives us adventures and misadventures of Redmond Barry and explores the society he is a part of. Some of the best cinematography ever and a great performance from Ryan O'Neal.

8. The Legend of 1900 (1998; Giuseppe Tornatore)
Another good film from the director of Cinema Paradiso. As expected, it was sentimental and shamelessly romantic. Good performance from Tim Roth.

9. Papillon (1973; Franklin J. Schaffner)
Magnificent cinematography and a fantastic performance from Steve McQueen. This is a masterpiece.

10. The Hidden Fortress (1958; Akira Kurosawa)
Rewatch. Magnificent widescreen cinematography, great performance from Mifune and those two peasants and their constant bickering were amusing. This is fantastic. I didn't care for it when I first saw it, but now I love it.

11. Terminal (2018; Vaughn Stein)
This is some kind of highly stylized comic book neo-noir. I thought it was good. It has a great cast: Margot Robbie, Simon Pegg, Dexter Fletcher, Mike Myers.

12. El Sur (1983; Víctor Erice)
Another very good film from the director of 'The Spirit of the Beehive'. It's basically memories of a girl living in northern Spain in the 1950's and focuses on the relationship with her father. Good stuff.

[Raxivace]

Love Barry Lyndon and Hidden Fortress, still don't really get the love for Inherent Vice.

4. Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004; Mamoru Oshii)
This is a rewatch. It's fantastic and one of the best sequels ever. I would describe it as an animated philosophical sci-fi action film. One of the best films exploring the theme of 'consciousness'. Oshii mentioned that he was influenced by Antonioni and Godard for this one. I highly recommend it.

Haven't seen this yet but I finally watched the original Ghost in the Shell on a whim a few days ago and absolutely loved it. Immediately bought the 4K afterwards lol. Gonna have to get to Innocence sooner rather than later now.

From what I remember reading old discussions online back in the day Innocence is more divisive than the first movie but if its drawing comparison to Godard and Antonioni that's not too surprising.

[Lord_Lyndon]

I had 4 rewatches and 2 new viewings.

13. Full Metal Jacket (1987; Stanley Kubrick)
This is still a timeless masterpiece and one of three greatest war films of all time. I think the second act still isn't fully appreciated. It really shows how these soldiers kept their individuality, even after going through a rigorous training in the first act. Brilliant film.

14. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023; Jeff Rowe, Kyler Spears)
Great animation which reminded me of Spider-Verse films. Fast paced and great action sequences. Very good film.

15. Live Free or Die Hard (2007; Len Wiseman)
Rewatch. I liked how the bad guys here are cyber-terrorists. It had a lot of great action scenes and Bruce Willis was great. I really enjoyed it.

16. Fallen Angels (1995; Wong Kar-Wai)
Here is a film that really takes you to a journey through a Hong Kong night, bathed in neon lights. It is a film that is silly, moody, sensual, poignant. It is more an ode to Hong Kong then it is about these quirky characters. The ending scene is my favourite scene of all time. It is very poetic. Truly unforgettable film. I can't believe I haven't seen it in 8 years.

17. Hotel Transylvania (2012; Genndy Tartakovsky)
It was very enjoyable, fast paced, with a lot of silly jokes. Good stuff.

18. Samurai Champloo (2004–2005)
I decided to rewatch this great anime series. It follows three characters on their journey through Japan, showing us their adventures and misadventures. This series is essentially a post-modern take on the samurai genre. One of the main characters is called Mugen, and he is one of the greatest characters in anime history. You should really check this series out at some point, Rax, since you are a big fan of anime. It is very popular and acclaimed.

[Raxivace]

I saw a few episodes of Champloo on tv years and years ago and yeah it's definitely one I want to properly watch one of these days. I even have blu-ray set!

For Full Metal Jacket, do you think they still have their individuality by the end of the movie? I kinda view that last shot of them singing the Mickey Mouse theme as being finally broken and subsumed by the war.

I remember liking Live Free or Die Hard but its been such a long time since I've seen it.

[Lord_Lyndon]

For Full Metal Jacket, do you think they still have their individuality by the end of the movie? I kinda view that last shot of them singing the Mickey Mouse theme as being finally broken and subsumed by the war.

I don't know myself. I remember once reading someone's analysis of that final scene and he wrote that Kubrick broke the 180 degrees rule to create a kind of counterpoint to what was happening with those soldiers singing. I think that person was suggesting the opposite of what you said (they remain fully fledged individuals), or at least he was suggesting that Kubrick decided to leave things ambiguous. Not sure what you think of this idea, but I don't think you will care for it.

[Raxivace]

Yeah I'd have to watch again to say for sure but I'm not sure I buy that idea tbh.

[Lord_Lyndon]

And now, lets move on to more important things. Rax, congratulations on your incredible achievement! I can't believe you now have 5000 titles rated on imdb! I'm really happy for you! You have certainly seen a lot in your life, and you are still young. And just a quick comparison to my ratings: I have only 3079 titles rated on imdb, so I'm not even close to you.

[Raxivace]

Oh wow I didn't realize I passed 5000. A lot of those are video games and TV shows, so its not like my actual film count is at 5000 (Which is closer to 3780, if my Letterboxd is to be believed).

Seems my 5000th rating was for the visual novel Kanon, which was not one of my favorite games lol.

[Lord_Lyndon]

Hi guys. I'm back after a long time. I've seen very little. I had 7 rewatches.

19. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
I still think it's one of ten greatest films of all time. Amazing achievement in directing.

20. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Third time seeing this. It is a very good opera of darkness, with very good plot and very good visuals. Anne Hathaway really stood out for me performance-wise.

21. The Matrix (1999)
22. The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
23. The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
This trilogy gets progressively weaker with each film, but I have to say that it was rather excellent overall. Incredibly epic man vs. machine fight, with good mixture of philosophy and action. This is my favourite Keanu Reeves role. He was so cool. I know there is a fourth one now, but sadly it didn't get good reviews which is the main reason I haven't seen it yet.

24. The Dark Knight (2008)
Tieman said that this film rips off Michael Mann's 'Heat' stylistically. He might have a point there, but I still really enjoyed rewatching it. I thought the plot was fantastic, and that the Joker was a fascinating character (played brilliantly by Heath Ledger). Overall a really fantastic film. And, after all, it is the most popular film the 21st century so far.

25. Goodfellas (1990)
This film is a masterpiece, with many memorable scenes, brilliantly directed by Scorsese (great cinematography and editing, great use of voice-overs...). 'Bobby' De Niro really stood out for me performance-wise. I'm starting to think he might be the greatest actor of all time.

[Raxivace]

19. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
I still think it's one of ten greatest films of all time. Amazing achievement in directing.

I just bought 4K of this a few days ago, funnily enough. Might try and rewatch at some point this year.

21. The Matrix (1999)
22. The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
23. The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
This trilogy gets progressively weaker with each film, but I have to say that it was rather excellent overall. Incredibly epic man vs. machine fight, with good mixture of philosophy and action. This is my favourite Keanu Reeves role. He was so cool. I know there is a fourth one now, but sadly it didn't get good reviews which is the main reason I haven't seen it yet.

I think I actually prefer Reloaded to the original tbh. The meta-stuff I think is really strong here and the idea of ideological control provides a very Metal Gear Solid 2-esque recontextualization of the already strong original Matrix. For Revolutions, I like the Neo vs. Smith fight a lot but as a whole yeah the movie doesn't do nearly as much as first two for me.

Matrix 4 I didn't really care for that much. It just seems like a retread of Reloaded's meta-themes but in less interesting way. Worst action scenes of the series too.

24. The Dark Knight (2008)
Tieman said that this film rips off Michael Mann's 'Heat' stylistically. He might have a point there, but I still really enjoyed rewatching it. I thought the plot was fantastic, and that the Joker was a fascinating character (played brilliantly by Heath Ledger). Overall a really fantastic film. And, after all, it is the most popular film the 21st century so far.

It's been very long time since I've seen Dark Knight at this point, but FWIW Nolan himself has talked up Heat influences on Dark Knight and even said he considers it one of his personal favorite films. He even screened Dark Knight for Michael Mann at one point.

25. Goodfellas (1990)
This film is a masterpiece, with many memorable scenes, brilliantly directed by Scorsese (great cinematography and editing, great use of voice-overs...). 'Bobby' De Niro really stood out for me performance-wise. I'm starting to think he might be the greatest actor of all time.

Goodfellas rules, of course.

[Lord_Lyndon]

I think I actually prefer Reloaded to the original tbh. The meta-stuff I think is really strong here and the idea of ideological control provides a very Metal Gear Solid 2-esque recontextualization of the already strong original Matrix. For Revolutions, I like the Neo vs. Smith fight a lot but as a whole yeah the movie doesn't do nearly as much as first two for me.

This is very interesting, Rax. Unfortunately, since I'm pretty dumb, I have to ask you one important question. Are you trying to say something similar to what tieman said in his review of these Matrix films? I know it's long, but please read it so you can explain these films to me.


Cyberpunk sucker punch
tieman64 30 October 2010
Warning: Spoilers
The Wachowski Brothers released "The Matrix" in 1999. The film starred Keanu Reeves as Neo, a man who realises that "reality" as perceived by most humans is actually an elaborate simulation called "the Matrix", created by sentient machines to subdue humans and essentially use them for slave labour. A massive box-office hit, the film's archetypal "Hero's Journey" connected with audiences, particular young males. Like "Star Wars", The New Testament, "Lord of the Rings" and virtually every "modern myth", it was filled with talk of "destiny", "chosen ones", "salvation", "special missions" and supernatural powers (the force/the code), which of course only our prophesied hero, Neo, possesses.

The Wachowskis released two sequels ("Reloaded" and "Revolutions") several years later. Disparaged by fan-boys, these two films created a sort of anti-myth. Or more precisely, the machine villains of the franchise were revealed to have created an artificial myth in order to give false hope to the film's human heroes, and by extension, the film's audience. It's not so much that the sequels deconstruct what Joseph Campbell famously called the "monomyth" or the "Hero's Journey", but that they embodied a kind of postmodern scepticism of the "metanarrative", and so treat the film's myths as a further layer of Matrix simulation which people "plug into" to further delude themselves.

"The narrative function is losing its functors, its great hero, its great dangers, its great voyages, its great goal." Pilosopher Jean Lyotard wrote decades ago. "Where, after the meta-narratives, can legitimacy thus reside?" Echoing Lyotard's words, "The Matrix" franchise highlights a subtle cultural shift, the totalising nature of meta-narratives, and their reliance on some form of "transcendent and universal truth", now increasingly rejected.

What the Wachowskis show is that the "master narrative" is always created and reinforced by power structures (ie the villainous machines in the film), that they are never to be trusted, that they are designed to embody progress towards a specific goal, that they dismiss the naturally existing chaos of the universe, that they are created to marshal people toward some theoretical doctrine and that they serve only to placate subjects with notions of "order", "structure" and "hope".

And so "The Matrix" sequels have interesting (ie seemingly annoying) reversals which few myths possess. Firstly, our hero (Neo) is actually the film's "bad guy". Secondly, the closest the franchise has to a good guy is Agent Smith, whom most perceive as the villain. Thirdly, far from being "the Chosen One", Neo becomes just another iteration in a long line of manipulative computer programs. Fourthly, Zion, the city which Neo is foretold to "save", is itself just another level of simulation, a memory cache designed to house radicals and provide the illusion of hope, choice and free-will, its panel of leaders all computer programs designed to foster a belief in Neo. Fifthly, the film's Oracle is not a benevolent "helper figure" (ie Yoda), but is really working for the machines and is attempting to instigate the Matrix equivalent of "multiculuralism", the passive assimilation or social integration between mankind and machine. In other words, the "efficiency obsessed" machines (like some dystopian version of a drone reliant capitalist technocracy) don't want to waste time fighting humans, they want the human rebels (ethnic minorities and outcast hackers) to willingly "join them" and so have constructed an elaborate myth to engender this symbiotic merger.

Sixthly, the franchise's dialogue/acting becomes increasingly, and deliberately, phony. Everyone in the sequels speaks of determinism and of every micro-event being preordained. Everything you see in the sequels is thus not only programmed, but has happened repeatedly before in cycles, and is anticipated by super computer characters (some of whom possess ironic self awareness) which process zillions of different variables, tracing cause and effect to such an extent that they know exactly "what happens next".

The notion of "choice being an illusion" is important to the franchise. Previous versions of the Matrix (essentially a jail for humans) didn't work because "human slaves" didn't have a choice. Gradually the machines allowed the slaves to have "the illusion of choice", but this too didn't work. Choice was not the problem. The problem was that humans opted for what the machine's perceived to be "the wrong choices" and sometimes "no choice at all" (radical non-participation). Thereofore, the machines created Neo to encourage others to obey "their choice" and "be participatory". The problem was, after six cycles, Neo got smart. The goal then became to con Neo; to trick him into believing that he too could choose. Extrapolate this theme to the real world and you have all kinds of sinister ramifications.

Seventhly, far from a rebel, Neo has been supported by the system all along. Eightly, like Satan, Agent Smith throws himself out of "heaven" when he realises he is "facing deletion". If Neo is part of the system, Smith is the enemy of the system. He wants to bring it crashing down. This is similar to the writings of many Gnostics who view Satan as the "hero" of Genesis, as he sought to free God's subjects from their subservience and false realities. Ninthly, many complain about the film's "fake sets" and "fake action scenes", but once you realise that these characters and landscapes are supposed to be digital simulations, it all works. Why should they obey the laws of physics?

Finally, "Love" and "the hero's sacrifice" are key themes in myths. With the Wachowskis, however, these things are subverted. A character called Trinity is created to "install" love and self-sacrifice into the deluded Neo, whilst other characters (the elder's conversation at the water refinery, the birth of Sati through "machine love" etc) are created to subtly introduce Neo to the idea of a symbiotic relationship between machines and man. The franchise's "myth" is therefore a sort of unholy trinity (between man, machine and the ghosts in the matrix) in which "enlightened" and "free" humans are wilfully re-imprisoned by their false Saviour. Creepy.

8.5/10 – Subversive anti-blockbuster.

[Raxivace]

Yeah I mostly agree with that (Really part about the Gnostics is what I take biggest issue with, but ancient theology is a bit beside the point here) though I personally wouldn't frame it Campbellian terms. This is partly because I haven't actually trudged my way through Hero With a Thousand Faces yet, and partly because I think its not necessary anyways to explain the basic concept that people in power will create their own opposition that they can control so they can softball any actual critique or rebellion against them. In Matrix Reloaded, this is the reveal that Zion and Morpheus' resistance and all that was not some organic rising of the people, but something the machines themselves made. This allows them to funnel any rebel activities for their own end. The ideology of resistance that motivates the heroes is itself an ideological "matrix" that is being used to manipulate them into acting in the machine's favor while believing they're doing the opposite.

I've heard a couple people now throw out the idea that Smith is the real hero of the Matrix before too. I'm not sure I buy that without further argumentation, but I'll have to keep that in mind the next time I watch the films.

[Lord_Lyndon]

Hi guys. I'm back after 2 months. I hope you are all doing well. Here are my leftovers from March:

26. Perfect Days (2023) 8/10
A Japanese film directed by Wenders which celebrates simplicity and tranquility of life, as well as meaningful encounters with people. It was very good.

27. Howl's Moving Castle (2004) 9/10
Rewatch. It is a powerful anti-war statement and a tender love story. Wonderful film.

28. Castle in the Sky (1986) 9/10
Rewatch. A wonderful adventure from Miyazaki with some of his very best trademark flying sequences.

29. Spirited Away (2001) 9.5/10
Rewatch. While that haunting train-riding sequence may be the most celebrated sequence of this film, the rest of it is pretty wonderful and imaginative as well.

30. The Aviator (2004) 9/10
Rewatch after 15 years. Love the look of this film, Marty's camerawork and the performances. I read somewhere that Marty tried to imitate that Technicolor look with this. The results were terrific. Brilliant film.

31. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) 7/10
It is a pretty solid adventure film, but it may be my least favourite Indiana Jones film.

Then I decided to see 4 Reese Witherspoon films.

32. Sweet Home Alabama (2002) 7/10
This is a pretty enjoyable romantic comedy. Reese was wonderful in this.

33. Water for Elephants (2011) 7/10
Rewatch. It's an old-fashioned film about a circus during the Great Depression. Christoph Waltz turns in another great villainous performance as the circus manager. Robert Pattinson and Reese were fine.

34. Freeway (1996) 7/10
This cult film is a dark and twisted take on the 'Little Red Riding Hood' tale. Reese plays a violent-natured, foul-mouthed, trailer trash type of character. It is certainly a unique character in her filmography. She was terrific.

35. Wild (2014) 9/10
Summary: A chronicle of one woman's 1,100-mile solo hike undertaken as a way to recover from a recent personal tragedy. This film sort of reminded me of Antonioni's films. We have this woman navigating these desolate landscapes which become a reflection of her state of mind. Anyway, I absolutely loved this film. Reese was amazing. Her Oscar nomination was more than deserving.

I saw more films in April and May. I'll do my write-ups in the following days.

[Raxivace]

Glad to see you around again Lyndon.

27. Howl's Moving Castle (2004) 9/10
Rewatch. It is a powerful anti-war statement and a tender love story. Wonderful film.

I really like this one and almost consider it as good as Spirited Away, but there are several moments in the last 25 minutes or so where I feel like the story just arbitrarily has things happens. The most obvious example how out of nowhere the reveal about the scarecrow man is in the ending. There's another scene I remember not making sense where the MC girl starts going on about how the Castle is going to get bombed and running out with everyone so it can be destroyed and no longer be a target, but then immediately running back in that just didn't seem motivated. It's a bummer because before that its a very good film that just suddenly kinda collapses in on itself somewhat.

[Gendo]

Welcome back! I have not seen nearly as much Miyazaki as I should have, sadly.

[Lord_Lyndon]

Okay. So I've seen only 9 films in the last two months.

36. A Hidden Life (2019) 9/10
Rewatch. A beautiful film about an Austrian man who refused to fight for the Nazis in the war. I just love Malick's ethereal style.

37. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) 9.5/10
This is still a wonderful fantasy adventure with many charming characters and some majestic visuals. Fantastic film.

38. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) 10/10
Basically, this film is about two guys in the 70's who realized the failures of 60's generation to make progress/change, and realized the hollowness of the American Dream, so they decide to wallow in drugs. Gilliam serves us some fantastic, trippy visuals. Depp and Del Toro are fantastic in their roles. Definitely one of the best films I've ever seen.

39. Bullet Train (2022) 8/10
A stylish film about several hit-men aboard the Japanese bullet train. Brad Pitt leads the cast and plays it smooth and cool.

40. The Tomorrow War (2021) 7/10
This entertaining film combines alien invasion film with time-travel film. Chris Pratt and Yvonne Strahovski were great in their roles. Some very emotional moments in the film which made me cry. And some great action. I certainly recommend this one.

41. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) 10/10
A beautiful elegy to the fading Old West. One of the greatest films of all time. Leone truly was a magnificent director. This was fourth time I saw this masterpiece.

42. Prince of the City (1981) 10/10
Rewatch. This Lumet film is probably the greatest film about undercover cops and corrupted cops. Treat Williams really 'treats' us to a wonderful performance. He was even better than Pacino in Serpico imo.

43. My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done (2009) 8/10
Rewatch. This collaboration between Herzog and Lynch is a very entertaining and funny surreal oddity. I really liked it. Michael Shannon was great.

44. Naked Lunch (1991) 8/10
Rewatch. Another surreal oddity, this time by Cronenberg. The plot was really amusing. This is definitely one of Cronenberg's better films.

[Raxivace]

I need to rewatch Naked Lunch. The one time I watched it was in an internet chatroom which was just not the best circumstance for that film, I think.

[Lord_Lyndon]

I think I'm finishing a list of my favourite films of all time, guys. There are currently 145 films on the list. I would certainly be interested to hear your comments, guys, or at least how many have you seen. Here is the list:

Apocalypse Now (1979)
Full Metal Jacket (1987)
Barry Lyndon (1975)
Days of Heaven (1978)
Fallen Angels (1995)
Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (1997)
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
Porco Rosso (1992)
Casino (1995)
Jackie Brown (1997)
The New World (2005)
Blood Simple (1984)
Taxi Driver (1976)
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
Badlands (1973)
The Passenger (1975)
The Revenant (2015)
Mirror/Zerkalo (1975)
Ran (1985)
The Seventh Seal (1957)
A Man Escaped (1956)
Last Year at Marienbad (1961)
Brazil (1985)
My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done (2009)
Miami Vice (2006)
Stray Dog (1949)
The Shining (1980)
Barton Fink (1991)
Blue Velvet (1986)
Naked Lunch (1991)
Prince of the City (1981)
Chungking Express (1994)
Seven Samurai (1954)
Inherent Vice (2014)
The Player (1992)
The Thin Red Line (1998)
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
New York, New York (1977)
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)
L'avventura (1960)
La Dolce Vita (1960)
Werckmeister Harmonies (2000)
Scarface (1983)
The Godfather Part II (1974)
Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door (2001)
Akira (1988)
Ghost in the Shell (1995)
Rear Window (1954)
Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Mulholland Drive (2001)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Ulysses' Gaze (1995)
The Travelling Players (1975)
Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow (2004)
Inland Empire (2006)
A Brighter Summer Day (1991)
Yi Yi (2000)
A City of Sadness (1989)
The Puppetmaster (1993)
Café Lumière (2003)
Platform (2000)
Raise the Red Lantern (1991)
McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)
Short Cuts (1993)
The Wild Bunch (1969)
Mean Streets (1973)
Ashes of Time (1994)
The Big Lebowski (1998)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
There Will Be Blood (2007)
Boogie Nights (1997)
The Third Man (1949)
Touch of Evil (1958)
Cries & Whispers (1972)
The Big Sleep (1946)
Out of the Past (1947)
Blade Runner (1982)
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Aliens (1986)
Heat (1995)
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Fight Club (1999)
Evil Dead II (1987)
Se7en (1995)
Unforgiven (1992)
Changeling (2008)
Maborosi (1995)
Early Summer (1951)
Ugetsu (1953)
Lady Vengeance (2005)
3-Iron (2004)
Memories of Murder (2003)
My Sassy Girl (2001)
Klute (1971)
For a Few Dollars More (1965)
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
Schindler's List (1993)
Batman Begins (2005)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Pierrot le fou (1965)
My Life to Live/Vivre sa vie (1962)
Breathless (1960)
Band of Outsiders/Bande à part (1964)
October/Oktyabr (Ten Days that Shook the World) (1927)
Battleship Potemkin (1925)
I Am Cuba/Soy Cuba (1964)
Andrei Rublev (1966)
Nostalghia (1983)
8½ (1963)
Amarcord (1973)
Radio Days (1987)
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
5 Centimeters per Second (2007)
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
Tess (1979)
The Tenant (1976)
Chinatown (1974)
Network (1976)
Kagemusha (1980)
Goodfellas (1990)
The King of Comedy (1982)
Eastern Promises (2007)
Heart of Glass (1976)
Fitzcarraldo (1982)
The Leopard (1963)
Le samouraï (1967)
Léon: The Professional (1994)
V for Vendetta (2005)
The Master (2012)
Happy Together (1997)
The Birds (1963)
Dial M for Murder (1954)
All About Lily Chou-Chou (2001)
Swallowtail Butterfly (1996)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
2046 (2004)
The Draughtsman's Contract (1982)
Moe no Suzaku (1997)
Vertigo (1958)
High and Low (1963)
Days of Being Wild (1990)

[Raxivace]

I think I'm finishing a list of my favourite films of all time, guys. There are currently 145 films on the list. I would certainly be interested to hear your comments, guys, or at least how many have you seen. Here is the list:

Fallen Angels (1995)
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
The New World (2005)
Mirror/Zerkalo (1975)
My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done (2009)
Miami Vice (2006)
Prince of the City (1981)
La Dolce Vita (1960)
Werckmeister Harmonies (2000)
Ulysses' Gaze (1995)
The Travelling Players (1975)
Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow (2004)
Yi Yi (2000)
A City of Sadness (1989)
The Puppetmaster (1993)
Café Lumière (2003)
Platform (2000)
Raise the Red Lantern (1991)
Short Cuts (1993)
Ashes of Time (1994)
Cries & Whispers (1972)
Heat (1995)
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Maborosi (1995)
Lady Vengeance (2005)
3-Iron (2004)
Memories of Murder (2003)
My Sassy Girl (2001)
Klute (1971)
October/Oktyabr (Ten Days that Shook the World) (1927)
I Am Cuba/Soy Cuba (1964)
Andrei Rublev (1966)
Nostalghia (1983)
Amarcord (1973)
Radio Days (1987)
Tess (1979)
The Tenant (1976)
Network (1976)
Eastern Promises (2007)
Heart of Glass (1976)
The Leopard (1963)
Le samouraï (1967)
Léon: The Professional (1994)
Happy Together (1997)
All About Lily Chou-Chou (2001)
Swallowtail Butterfly (1996)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
2046 (2004)
The Draughtsman's Contract (1982)
Moe no Suzaku (1997)
Days of Being Wild (1990)

I deleted everything I've seen. I'm surprised at there's quite a few I haven't even heard of on here- just goes to show I've been slacking lately lol.

It's a pretty good list, nice variety of stuff. You're more into PTA and Lumet than I am though lol.

[Lord_Lyndon]

Thanks a lot for checking out the list, Rax. And for sharing what you haven't seen. I see that you haven't seen three insanely popular films: Heat (1995), The Usual Suspects (1995) and Léon: The Professional (1994). But I'm sure you will someday. Thanks again and I wish you all the best.

[Gendo]

Yeah I’m super shocked that you haven’t seen Heat. I’ll reply again shortly with the list of ones I’ve seen or not.

[Raxivace]

Yeah I've even owned Heat on blu-ray for a longass time now (Got it the same day I got Snowpiercer on bluray, ironically enough), but for some reason I just have not got around to it. I'll probably love the movie too, just haven't quite found the right time/motivation for it.

Usual Suspects I got spoiled on the twist on a while back, so I've been waiting for me to forget it before I watch. For Leon, yeah that's another I want to watch at some point, not sure why I haven't just sat down and done it yet. I think everyone has some major blindspots though even with super popular stuff.

[Gendo]

Deleted the ones I haven't seen and don't own. If I didn't comment on it, I both own and have seen it.

Apocalypse Now (1979) - I own and have seen the Redux version.
Full Metal Jacket (1987) - Need to rewatch this; but I remember bits and pieces very fondly.
Barry Lyndon (1975) - Have not seen this yet, but recently picked up the Criterion Collection DVD of it; so should get to it soon.
Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (1997)
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
Casino (1995)
Jackie Brown (1997) - Near the top of my Tarantino rankings; might have been only behind Kill Bill.
Blood Simple (1984)
Taxi Driver (1976)
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
The Revenant (2015)
Brazil (1985) - Finally bought this one recently after years on my wish list; have not seen it yet. I like every other Gilliam I've seen.
The Shining (1980) - My favorite horror film; one of the only ones I find scary.
Barton Fink (1991) - My least favorite Coen Brothers film. Just can't quite get into it.
Blue Velvet (1986)
Seven Samurai (1954) - As mentioned recently; finally saw this just this year.
New York, New York (1977) - Bought this one recently; hadn't even heard of it before that. Have not seen it yet. I generally like Scorsese stuff, but I wouldn't call myself a huge fan of his.
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) - Finally watched this recently; very good.
Once Upon a Time in America (1984) - This is in my collection and on my list of things I need to watch. Given the length; I'm thinking of just splitting it into 2 nights.
Scarface (1983)
The Godfather Part II (1974)
Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door (2001)
Akira (1988)
Rear Window (1954)
Citizen Kane (1941)
The Big Lebowski (1998) - The movie I have watched more times in my life than any other. Back in college would watch it at least a couple times per month.
Pulp Fiction (1994)
There Will Be Blood (2007)
Blade Runner (1982)
Aliens (1986)
Heat (1995)
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Fight Club (1999)
Evil Dead II (1987)
Se7en (1995)
Unforgiven (1992) - I didn't like this a whole lot when I watched it 20 years ago; but I bet I'd like it now. I used to really not like westerns in general; but I've found myself liking several now.
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) - Maybe the first western I remember liking.
Schindler's List (1993)
Batman Begins (2005)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) - My favorite of the 3.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) - Generally haven't liked any Wes Anderson; though some day I'll give him another shot.
Chinatown (1974) - First movie I watched this year, and almost a shoe-in for making the top 10 this year.
Goodfellas (1990)
The King of Comedy (1982)
Léon: The Professional (1994)
V for Vendetta (2005)
The Master (2012)
The Birds (1963)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Vertigo (1958)

[Lord_Lyndon]

Thanks for sharing, Gendo. I'm really happy for you. You have many more fantastic films to see, to experience for the first time. For example, I see that you've seen Spartacus (1960) for the first time. I'm glad you liked it, because Stanley Kubrick is one of my three favourite directors of all time. Anyway, wish you all the best.

[Lord_Lyndon]

Even though he was never even nominated for an Oscar, he will always be remembered as a legend. Rest in peace, Donald Sutherland.

[Raxivace]

He's always been a fairly underrated actor. RIP.

[Gendo]

Indeed; I’ve always found films more enjoyable just due to his presence.

[Lord_Lyndon]

I saw 4 new films and I rewatched 2 Nolan films.

45. Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020) 7/10
It was really nice revisiting these two characters, these two goofballs, brilliantly played by the legendary Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter. I really liked their time-travel shenanigans. And, of course, it was great seeing William Sadler as 'Death' once again.

46. The Rum Diary (2011) 7/10
Good film which combines several different genres: comedy, romance, mystery, social commentary. Some really good cinematography and a good performance from Johnny Depp.

47. Tideland (2005) 8/10
Very good film about a girl living in her imagination. This is a Terry Gilliam film, so there are several quirky characters/situations and some quirky dialogue.

48. Lightyear (2022) 7/10
Gendo saw this 6 months ago. I agree with him that it is a good animated film. A really enjoyable space adventure.

49. The Dark Knight Rises (2012) 10/10
My fourth time seeing this, second time this year. I was wrong about this one. It is not merely 'very good'. It is fantastic. I just love how epic it is, I love the plot and it was really terrific visually. Definitely adding this to the list of my favourite films.

50. Interstellar (2014) 10/10
Third time seeing this one. I think this one is magnificent. It is epic and emotional with some grandiose visuals. Matthew McConaughey was terrific. I'm adding this one to the list of my favourite films as well.

[Raxivace]

I remember having fun with the new Bill & Ted. Well I guess its not exactly "new" anymore...

[Gendo]

I'm still fairly sure that The Dark Knight Rises is my least favorite Nolan film by a good bit, though there's a few of his I've only seen once so far. It has plenty of good stuff,but it also just has so many annoyingly dumb things.

[Lord_Lyndon]

Hi guys. I saw some new things and had one rewatch.

51. The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976) 8/10
Very good film with good atmosphere and an excellent performance from young Jodie Foster. It was interesting how her character refused to conform to 'rules' created by society.

52. Vampyr (1932) 8/10
My fifth Dreyer film. Very good with decent story, but told with sublime cinematography.

53. One Punch Man (Season 1) 9/10
Brilliant series which envisions a world where superheroes (or only 'heroes') belong to a certain association and they are assigned a rank. It was interesting to see how some of those heroes care more about their image and popularity than actually helping people. I really loved this series.

54. Sand Land: The Series (Season 1) 8/10
I found this on Rax' imdb profile. I wanted to see something post-apocalyptic (Mad Max-like). Rax liked this so I checked it out. It was very good actually, reasonably entertaining. And to my surprise, other than Sand Land, a certain Forest Land also made its appearance later in the season.

55. Reds (1981) 9/10
Great film. Great direction by Beatty, great cinematography by Storaro. It was epic, it was political, it was romantic.

56. Dune: Part Two (2024) 9/10
Finally saw this. It won't go down in history as one of the most substantial films ever made, but it was a fantastic visual spectacle. I really enjoyed it.

57. Django Unchained (2012) 9.5/10
My favourite Tarantino film of this century. Just great dialogue, characters, performances, plot. Pretty good visually too. Very entertaining and enjoyable. This was my third time seeing it.

[Gendo]

I ranked Django at 7 out of the 9 Tarantino films, though that's not to say it was bad; I just liked the other 6 higher ranked ones a lot. I did think the Candyland sequence dragged on a bit too long; though I did love Samuel L. Jackson in that scene.

[Raxivace]

52. Vampyr (1932) 8/10
My fifth Dreyer film. Very good with decent story, but told with sublime cinematography.

Haven't seen this in about 10 years. At time I didn't like it a lot IIRC, but its gotten better in my memory. I'd probably rank it highly now.

53. One Punch Man (Season 1) 9/10
Brilliant series which envisions a world where superheroes (or only 'heroes') belong to a certain association and they are assigned a rank. It was interesting to see how some of those heroes care more about their image and popularity than actually helping people. I really loved this series.

Yeah Season 1 is pretty great anime. Unfortunately Season 2 was done by a different studio and the animation just isn't nearly as bombastic. Season 3 is supposed to come out at some point too but I'm not sure when...

54. Sand Land: The Series (Season 1) 8/10
I found this on Rax' imdb profile. I wanted to see something post-apocalyptic (Mad Max-like). Rax liked this so I checked it out. It was very good actually, reasonably entertaining. And to my surprise, other than Sand Land, a certain Forest Land also made its appearance later in the season.

Shocked someone here checked this out tbh. Yeah its pretty good, and believe it or not the whole Forest Land arc is actually anime original. The original Akira Toriyama manga (Who died earlier this year, RIP) only has the first arc about the water crisis in Sand Land itself.

57. Django Unchained (2012) 9.5/10
My favourite Tarantino film of this century. Just great dialogue, characters, performances, plot. Pretty good visually too. Very entertaining and enjoyable. This was my third time seeing it.

I think I like In Hollywood slightly more but Django is great yeah.

I ranked Django at 7 out of the 9 Tarantino films, though that's not to say it was bad; I just liked the other 6 higher ranked ones a lot. I did think the Candyland sequence dragged on a bit too long; though I did love Samuel L. Jackson in that scene.

Candyland is the heart of the movie...

[Lord_Lyndon]

Just wanted to share something with you, guys. I finally made a list of my favourite directors of all time. There are 20 names on the list. Here it is:

Wong Kar-wai
Terrence Malick
Stanley Kubrick
Akira Kurosawa
Martin Scorsese
Andrei Tarkovsky
Christopher Nolan
Quentin Tarantino
Hayao Miyazaki
Joel & Ethan Coen
Paul Thomas Anderson
David Lynch
Francis Ford Coppola
Michelangelo Antonioni
Sergio Leone
Jean-Luc Godard
Werner Herzog
Roman Polanski
Alain Resnais
Sergei Eisenstein

Any thoughts, guys?

[Gendo]

All I can really say is that I love Nolan and the Coen brothers pretty consistently. PTA I used to love more than I do now. I've only seen Magnolia once, but it left such an impression on me that I still name it among my favorite films. Punch-Drunk Love I wrote about just recently. But both The Master and Phantom Thread I struggled with.

You have a lot of names on that list that I'm not familiar with. If I made such a list, it would probably include a couple more "mainstream" names such as Zemeckis.

[Lord_Lyndon]

You have a lot of names on that list that I'm not familiar with. If I made such a list, it would probably include a couple more "mainstream" names such as Zemeckis.

Zemeckis would be a great choice. I should rewatch some of his films at some point.
By the way, Gendo, I had been meaning to ask you something for quite some time now. How do you feel about Tim Burton as a director at this point in time?

[Raxivace]

Just wanted to share something with you, guys. I finally made a list of my favourite directors of all time. There are 20 names on the list. Here it is:

Wong Kar-wai
Terrence Malick
Stanley Kubrick
Akira Kurosawa
Martin Scorsese
Andrei Tarkovsky
Christopher Nolan
Quentin Tarantino
Hayao Miyazaki
Joel & Ethan Coen
Paul Thomas Anderson
David Lynch
Francis Ford Coppola
Michelangelo Antonioni
Sergio Leone
Jean-Luc Godard
Werner Herzog
Roman Polanski
Alain Resnais
Sergei Eisenstein

Any thoughts, guys?

I've seen at least one film from everyone here, and mostly loved their work. Obviously I have my thing about PTA, and I probably need to try some Wong Kar-wai stuff again because while I liked the stuff of his I watched at the time they haven't stuck in my memory a whole lot. That's more a quirk of me though, as all these directors are generally well respected for their work.

I'd have to really think about what such a list of directors would look like for me.

[Raxivace]

You have a lot of names on that list that I'm not familiar with. If I made such a list, it would probably include a couple more "mainstream" names such as Zemeckis.

Zemeckis' new stuff may not be selling the world on fire, but BTTF trilogy + Roger Rabbit are some of the best of 80's American blockbusters IMO.

That decade in general gets a bad rep too, I think. The best of the blockbusters made then were really well constructed and there's still plenty of "arty" stuff you can find too.

[Gendo]

You have a lot of names on that list that I'm not familiar with. If I made such a list, it would probably include a couple more "mainstream" names such as Zemeckis.

Zemeckis would be a great choice. I should rewatch some of his films at some point.
By the way, Gendo, I had been meaning to ask you something for quite some time now. How do you feel about Tim Burton as a director at this point in time?

At a high level I'd say I'm a pretty big fan of his. And his unique brand of strangeness I'm sure has had an overall positive and important impact on film. But, his actual filmography is pretty hit or miss for me. I sure wish he would stick to original ideas and not generic remakes. I didn't hate Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or Alice in Wonderland, but pretty sure I didn't particularly like them either. I have no desire to see any Disney live action remakes, so that includes Dumbo). I'm pretty sure I didn't care much for Dark Shadows, Sweeney Todd, or Sleepy Hollow.

Yet... Edward Scissorhands and Big Fish are among my favorite movies of all time. Of course he didn't direct Nightmare Before Christmas, but his influence is clear, and it's excellent. Same with 9. Basically, he's quite talented when he wants to be, but he's had lots of ideas that just didn't pan out.

[Lord_Lyndon]

Sorry for the late reply, guys.

To Gendo:
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Tim Burton. Edward Scissorhands and Big Fish are also my favourite Burton films, so that's a nice coincidence.

To Rax:
I agree with you that 80's weren't that bad. It's just that the 90's were so much better IMO. So many fantastic movies in that particular decade.

[Raxivace]

I'd put the 90's over the 80's too, but I do think a lot of the 90's is just MORE of what was good in the 80's. More good blockbusters, more good low to mid-budget indie dramas continuing from trend started in 80's, someone like Lynch taking off even more than he did in 80's, more solid thrillers etc. And that's just talking American stuff.

[Lord_Lyndon]

More from me.

58. Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021) 8/10
Rewatch. It's a 4-hour film that is entertaining from start to finish. Just very good visuals, action sequences, characters, humor, emotional moments. Really enjoyable stuff.

59. FLCL: Grunge (2023) 8/10
I was one of the few who really liked both Progressive and Alternative. This one was very good too: a story told from 3 different perspectives, some wacky gangster/yakuza stuff, characters dreaming of an escape. Really loved the animation style.

60. FLCL: Shoegaze (2023) 7/10
i preferred Grunge, but this one was good too. It is a direct sequel of Alternative. It features some neat stuff about parallel universes trying to merge.

61. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022) 7/10
It's a pretty good meta film mostly about Nick Cage and his film career (and filmmaking in general). I thought Nick was fantastic in this one, basically playing an exaggerated version of himself. I really love that guy.

62. The Thin Red Line (1998) 10/10
Believe it or not, guys, but this was my eight time seeing this epic war film from Malick (I haven't seen it in 10 years). And I still think this is one of the greatest pictures ever made, and one of three greatest war pictures of all time. Really great stuff from Malick, combining more meditative/philosophical scenes with action sequences.

Anyway, here is tieman's review of this Malick's masterpiece:

Man comes to Melanesia
tieman6428 November 2007
Warning: Spoilers
James Jones' "The Thin Red Line", one of the finest WW2 novels, was published in 1962. The book was adapted for the screen in 1964. Terrence Malick would release another adaptation in 1998. All three focus on WW2's Guadalcanal Campaign.

Malick's version opens on Private Witt (Jim Caviezel), a young man who has deserted the US army and has sought refuge on an idyllic island. Witt's actions are typical of Malick's heroes, who tend to "cut themselves" off from mankind in an attempt to "connect to" or "create" some idyllic or spiritual realm. Malick's heroes seek to create "personal islands" for themselves, "islands" which tend to eventually degenerate into disease, corruption, death or disenchantment. Witt, a young man who has an almost religious faith in mankind, sees his island rot with the approach of others. With this rotting comes a loss of faith, optimism and eventually his own death. Witt, however, turns his death into an affirmation of his own faith in humanity. Even as the world around him reveals itself to be base, violent and barbaric, Witt sacrifices his life and becomes the embodiment of what he calls "the glory".

Malick, however, also focuses on a large number of other soldiers. His aesthetic itself seems to recall John Donne's quote, "No man is an island entirely unto himself", or perhaps what Ralph Emerson called "The Oversoul", all Malick's soldiers "living in succession, in division, in parts, in particles" such that "within every man is the soul of the whole".

In "The Thin Red Line", Witt is an optimist who sees "the glory" and "the wonder" in everything, firstly because he is absolutely deluded, and, of course, because he is absolute right. In the pantheistic sense, everything literally is God, every morsel a part of an immanent divinity. As the film unfolds, though, Malick will increasingly paint his war as being comprised of little oppositional ideologies. As such, all the men in the film are paired off according to very specific world-views, which they articulate via voice-over narration (like the opposing poles of magnets). Importantly the men don't grow or change. Their philosophies remain the same from beginning to end. And so we have the believer, the atheist, the cynic, the idealist, the loyalist, the lunatic, the romantic, the optimist, the lover, the hater, the pessimist etc etc...all these different character traits, thrown together on an island.

Malick mocks all these ideologies, or disagrees with them all, with the exception of 3 pairs. Of those 3 pairs, he identifies with 1 and romanticises the other. The first relationship is between Nick Nolte's Colonel Tall and Elias Koteas' Captain Starros. Both men battle over the question of loyalty. Whether a man is owned by those above, and whether his life is worth sacrificing for some greater "good". Starros believes that every life is precious, Nolte does not. Nolte wins.

The second relationship is based on love. It involves one private's "profound connection" with his wife. At the end of the film he receives a letter stating that his wife has left him. Love loses.

The third and most important relationship is between Pvt Witt and Sean Penn's Sgt Welsh. Penn becomes a stand in for Malick the philosopher or cynic, and acts as the polar opposite to Witt, who is essentially Malick the Christian. Witt believes that man is innately good, that we all have a "glory" within us and that there is an afterlife. Penn, the character Jones most identified with, is a sceptic. He believes in no afterlife, that everything "is a lie", and that we're in a Kubrickian world of "sh*t". At the end of the film, Pvt Witt dies. The cynic wins.

This relationship between Penn and Caviezel is the most important. The film opens and closes with this pair and gives them the most screen time. The film itself is structured as a lazy passage to and from islands, men constantly arriving and departing, seemingly contaminating everything they touch. "They want you dead or in their lie," Penn says, sceptical of yet another batch of arriving officers. "There's only one thing a man can do: find something that is his and make an island for himself." This, of course, is a philosophy which Malick, a Kubrick-like hermit, seems to have embraced.

Ultimately, though, Malick's films all portray a war between the Romantic Ideal of "man in harmony with nature" and the Post Enlightenment ideal of "man lording over nature". In this way Malick deals with what German sociologist Max Weber calls "Rationalization's disenchantment of the world", in which post Enlightenment society cherishes "instrumental Rationality" over and above "value rationality" to such an extent that magic/spirituality/religion is slowly eroded and the world is reordered such that everything is subordinated to a "rational" quest for efficiency, control and the pursuit of "mundane materials", often by force.

In breaking free of their worlds and retreating to the Romantic Ideal, Malick's "heroes" are thus searching for some mythical wholeness, some non-existent Eden which is unattainable precisely because all pre-enlightenment myths of wholeness have been displaced by the modern discovery of a plurality of worlds. The tensions of Malick's films, however, arise from the fact that the modern world which allows for all, also allows for nothing. As plurality is threatening, the Social Order attempts to reduce this threatening plurality - and the sceptical undermining of knowledge and morality it entails - to one universal world again by means of conquest and domination. And that is the paradox Malick explores: the Post Enlightenment world which preaches multiplicity but seeks to impose its own unity, its own singular Law (imperialism/colonialism/the Big Other), and the Romantic Ideal which promises some spiritual wholeness (or monotheism or pantheism), but delivers only the lawless, malevolence of Nature.

10/10 - One of the most influential films of the 1990s.